yesterday, as i was driving to a friend's wedding, i was thinking about all of the reasons why i love wisconsin. the wedding was about an hour outside of madison, so i had plenty of time to think of lots of reasons. here are a few:
it's beautiful. i was driving through lots of farmland and it was so green and pretty. trees and cows and corn and huge lots of green grass.
it has four seasons. fall is definitely my favorite. the leaves turn colors, the air is brisk, it's wonderful. winter is a tad too long, but it's still nice to experience four distinct seasons - something i learned about in elementary school but didn't experience until i moved here.
sooooo much less traffic than los angeles. the people here complain about the traffic, and i suppose, relatively, there is more traffic in madison than outlying areas, but try to drive in la folks, then i'll listen to your concerns.
people are nice here. there are some who aren't, of course, but for the most part, people are friendly and helpful and nice.
people return their shopping carts to the designated area. (my friend sandy pointed this out about where she moved to in virginia and i realized the same things happen here) rarely do you see a stray shopping cart in a parking lot. people go out of their way to return their carts. i've never pulled into a parking stall and had to idle the engine while i got out of my car, shoved three carts out of the way, and then finish parking.
the state has a football team. i don't love football, don't follow it, never watch it, but the packer fans here are awesome. it's fun to be in a state that shows so much pride in their sports teams.
people know their neighbors. they know their names, or at least, their faces. they wave to me when they drive by, we say hi as we pass on the street. i know who lives in my building and one day, one of the younger children was outside my door trying to see rally but i couldn't see his dad. so i stuck my head out the door and looked around to make sure he wasn't alone. there was his dad, talking to our neighbor across the fence. he waved at me to let me know he was there and saw me checking.
my mailman opens my door to deliver my mail. my mailbox is nailed to my door, and on nice days, i like to leave my door open (the storm door has a window to let air in). "it's steve!" he calls as he opens my storm door and drops my mail in my box. "thanks steve!" i call back.
so there you go. just a few reasons why i love wisconsin.
24 September 2011
08 August 2011
my weekend from h-e-double-hockey-sticks
please be fore-warned that the topics i am about to discuss are not for children or other sensitive readers.
that said, thursday morning, around four am, i received several text messages in quick succession. startled out of a doze (i had woken up at three, thank you insomnia), i grabbed my phone and was shocked to see messages asking if i was still looking for someone, describing what the texter was proposing to do, and explaining the attributes of the texters' male parts. some of the messages included pictures. these pictures were not of the texters' faces.
wide awake now, i got out of bed and turned on my computer. my first thought was to contact my cell phone service provider and see if i could block numbers.* i quickly realized, however, that i would need to know the numbers i wanted to block and these texts (and calls) were coming from multiple, unknown numbers. i turned my cell phone to 'silent' and tried to go back to sleep but i was too freaked out to relax. the messages and calls kept coming and although i did not open the messages, i could see how they began and when pictures were attached.
i deduced from the part of the messages i could see that an ad had been placed on craig's list, soliciting casual man-to-man sex. whoever posted the ad had lots of interested parties, but would never know since he had apparently posted my phone number. i also figured out that the ad must have been placed in southern california because most of the phone numbers had southern california area codes. it was friday evening before i found the ad, flagged it, and filed a harassment complaint with craig's list. three hours later, the ad was still up and i was still receiving messages. by then i had begun responding 'wrong number' to texts and my sister was answering my phone when it rang (most callers hung up when they heard a woman's voice. they weren't interested in women.).
around 11:30, i stopped receiving messages. i still turned my phone to 'silent' for the night, however. i was still freaked out over the whole thing. i felt so helpless. craig's list didn't respond, the ad poster didn't respond (i had emailed him), and my phone number is now public. if the messages had continued, i probably would have changed my number, which i still might do.
in addition to all of that, my sister and i had food poisoning (we think). i was very happy to see monday morning, knowing that the weekend was over.
*at&t will block numbers for you but they charge a monthly fee.
that said, thursday morning, around four am, i received several text messages in quick succession. startled out of a doze (i had woken up at three, thank you insomnia), i grabbed my phone and was shocked to see messages asking if i was still looking for someone, describing what the texter was proposing to do, and explaining the attributes of the texters' male parts. some of the messages included pictures. these pictures were not of the texters' faces.
wide awake now, i got out of bed and turned on my computer. my first thought was to contact my cell phone service provider and see if i could block numbers.* i quickly realized, however, that i would need to know the numbers i wanted to block and these texts (and calls) were coming from multiple, unknown numbers. i turned my cell phone to 'silent' and tried to go back to sleep but i was too freaked out to relax. the messages and calls kept coming and although i did not open the messages, i could see how they began and when pictures were attached.
i deduced from the part of the messages i could see that an ad had been placed on craig's list, soliciting casual man-to-man sex. whoever posted the ad had lots of interested parties, but would never know since he had apparently posted my phone number. i also figured out that the ad must have been placed in southern california because most of the phone numbers had southern california area codes. it was friday evening before i found the ad, flagged it, and filed a harassment complaint with craig's list. three hours later, the ad was still up and i was still receiving messages. by then i had begun responding 'wrong number' to texts and my sister was answering my phone when it rang (most callers hung up when they heard a woman's voice. they weren't interested in women.).
around 11:30, i stopped receiving messages. i still turned my phone to 'silent' for the night, however. i was still freaked out over the whole thing. i felt so helpless. craig's list didn't respond, the ad poster didn't respond (i had emailed him), and my phone number is now public. if the messages had continued, i probably would have changed my number, which i still might do.
in addition to all of that, my sister and i had food poisoning (we think). i was very happy to see monday morning, knowing that the weekend was over.
*at&t will block numbers for you but they charge a monthly fee.
30 July 2011
i want a house
i want a house. i've wanted one for a while, but it's come to the point that every time i drive by a 'for sale' sign, i slow down and imagine myself in that house. sometimes i even stop and get the flyer.
i want a house. i know, i know, that means yard mowing and snow shoveling and repairs i'll have to pay for, but i want a house. to that end, i've come up with a three-pronged plan.
prong a: copps monopoly. for the last two months, i've been actively playing our local grocery store's monopoly sweepstakes. the grand prize is a house and i want it. every time you shop, you get a ticket with four game pieces. you match these game pieces to your monopoly board. there are lots of prizes, the main one being the house. the sweepstakes goes through the end of august so i only have a few weeks left to win my house. game pieces a102 and a106, the two i need for my house, seem to be very elusive.
prong b: save. if, by some chance, i don't win the house in the grocery store game, i've set up my direct deposit paycheck to split between my checking and savings accounts. in about four years, i'll have the twenty percent down payment for a $200,000 house and enough to cover closing costs, inspections, and the first year of taxes. i'll want a fifteen-year fixed-rate loan (no more than 4%) for 80% of the price of the house. i've found you can also finance your down payment, but that just doesn't seem like a great financial decision. i've also done research on first-time homebuyer breaks and hired lawn care. (did you really think i was going to mow my own lawn?)
the problem is, i don't want to wait four years for my house. and here is where prong c comes in: marry a rich man. i want to get married anyway, so why not find someone who can afford to buy a house? or who already has a house? or who has a relative who's about to will a house to him? really, the possiblities are endless when you throw another potential home-owner into the mix.
so, next steps. keep playing the grocery store monopoly game. in the event i don't beat the impossible statistical chances and win the grand prize, i'll just keep saving. in the meantime, i'll be keeping my eye out for a man with a house. or with enough money for a house. with a plan like this, a house will be mine in no time. and by no time, i mean the amount of time it will take me to save thousands and thousands of dollars.
i want a house. i know, i know, that means yard mowing and snow shoveling and repairs i'll have to pay for, but i want a house. to that end, i've come up with a three-pronged plan.
prong a: copps monopoly. for the last two months, i've been actively playing our local grocery store's monopoly sweepstakes. the grand prize is a house and i want it. every time you shop, you get a ticket with four game pieces. you match these game pieces to your monopoly board. there are lots of prizes, the main one being the house. the sweepstakes goes through the end of august so i only have a few weeks left to win my house. game pieces a102 and a106, the two i need for my house, seem to be very elusive.
prong b: save. if, by some chance, i don't win the house in the grocery store game, i've set up my direct deposit paycheck to split between my checking and savings accounts. in about four years, i'll have the twenty percent down payment for a $200,000 house and enough to cover closing costs, inspections, and the first year of taxes. i'll want a fifteen-year fixed-rate loan (no more than 4%) for 80% of the price of the house. i've found you can also finance your down payment, but that just doesn't seem like a great financial decision. i've also done research on first-time homebuyer breaks and hired lawn care. (did you really think i was going to mow my own lawn?)
the problem is, i don't want to wait four years for my house. and here is where prong c comes in: marry a rich man. i want to get married anyway, so why not find someone who can afford to buy a house? or who already has a house? or who has a relative who's about to will a house to him? really, the possiblities are endless when you throw another potential home-owner into the mix.
so, next steps. keep playing the grocery store monopoly game. in the event i don't beat the impossible statistical chances and win the grand prize, i'll just keep saving. in the meantime, i'll be keeping my eye out for a man with a house. or with enough money for a house. with a plan like this, a house will be mine in no time. and by no time, i mean the amount of time it will take me to save thousands and thousands of dollars.
17 July 2011
my transformers 3 movie review - surprisingly emotional
yesterday i saw transformers 3 (awesome movie NOT in disguise). about the fourth time i found myself crying, i realized i hadn't taken my meds in way too long. i mean, the movie is really good, and they do use some original footage from the space shuttle landing on the moon, but six-cries-emotional? i'm not sure about that. (i said i realized i'd been off my meds at the fourth cry, not that that was the last time i cried)
warning: this post includes spoilers!
cry #1: john f. kennedy talking about the us-russian space race and hearing the famous neil armstrong's 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' (again, they used original historical archival film - it was powerful!).
cry #2: sam witwicky (played by shia lebeouf) saying goodbye to the autobots 'cause they were banned from earth by short-sighted government officials. sam saying goodbye to optimus was hard, but bumblebee? fuh-get about it! i was a mess.
cry #3: hottie-hot-hottie major lennox (josh duhamel) asking which of the military guys will fight with him and a bunch of military guys saying, 'i will'. i love our military! they defend our country and our earth from invading alien forces. they rock.
cry #4: the autobots returning and optimus prime saying they were never going to leave in the first place.
cry #5: bumblebee mourning over the loss of another autobot and then almost getting killed as sam looks on, helpless.
cry #6: optimus prime's closing monologue: in any war, there are calms between the storms. there will be days when we lose faith. days when our allies turn against us... but the day will never come when we forsake this planet and it's people. for i am optimus prime, and I send this message to the universe: we are here. we are home.
whew!
there were also lots of moments that made me laugh - seriously, i was bi-polar during this two+ hour flick. when it was over, no joke, i almost clapped. i never clap at movies. live performances? sure. it makes sense. canned movies? that's just silly. but i almost couldn't help myself. but i did. 'cause it was just a movie. i see that now. during, i was caught up in a torrent of tears, tension, and titters. but today, i've recovered, and i'd just like to say, go see transformers: dark of the moon! it's awesome!
and i am not a nerd.
warning: this post includes spoilers!
cry #1: john f. kennedy talking about the us-russian space race and hearing the famous neil armstrong's 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' (again, they used original historical archival film - it was powerful!).
cry #2: sam witwicky (played by shia lebeouf) saying goodbye to the autobots 'cause they were banned from earth by short-sighted government officials. sam saying goodbye to optimus was hard, but bumblebee? fuh-get about it! i was a mess.
cry #3: hottie-hot-hottie major lennox (josh duhamel) asking which of the military guys will fight with him and a bunch of military guys saying, 'i will'. i love our military! they defend our country and our earth from invading alien forces. they rock.
cry #4: the autobots returning and optimus prime saying they were never going to leave in the first place.
cry #5: bumblebee mourning over the loss of another autobot and then almost getting killed as sam looks on, helpless.
cry #6: optimus prime's closing monologue: in any war, there are calms between the storms. there will be days when we lose faith. days when our allies turn against us... but the day will never come when we forsake this planet and it's people. for i am optimus prime, and I send this message to the universe: we are here. we are home.
whew!
there were also lots of moments that made me laugh - seriously, i was bi-polar during this two+ hour flick. when it was over, no joke, i almost clapped. i never clap at movies. live performances? sure. it makes sense. canned movies? that's just silly. but i almost couldn't help myself. but i did. 'cause it was just a movie. i see that now. during, i was caught up in a torrent of tears, tension, and titters. but today, i've recovered, and i'd just like to say, go see transformers: dark of the moon! it's awesome!
and i am not a nerd.
09 July 2011
sort of a retraction
so the other night, i wanted to show the adults at the dinner table how adorable my nephew is. there's a good chance the other adults, who were his parents and aunt, knew how adorable he is already, but i wanted to make sure.
"b, can you tell us what the months of the year are?" i asked, smiling to myself as i anticipated his answer.
"jan-yerry, feh-rurry, march -"
"whoa, whoa, whoa! that's not what you told me the other night!?!?"
"but that's what they are!" he said, a little bit confused.
i suppose, if you're using a calendar, but that was not the answer i was expecting. he did leave out april, the most important month, especially the one occurring in 1977, but other than that, he pretty much got them right.
so, it turns out my adorable four-year-old nephew does, indeed, know the months of the year. boo. (ok, and yay, i'm glad he's such a smart little guy)
"b, can you tell us what the months of the year are?" i asked, smiling to myself as i anticipated his answer.
"jan-yerry, feh-rurry, march -"
"whoa, whoa, whoa! that's not what you told me the other night!?!?"
"but that's what they are!" he said, a little bit confused.
i suppose, if you're using a calendar, but that was not the answer i was expecting. he did leave out april, the most important month, especially the one occurring in 1977, but other than that, he pretty much got them right.
so, it turns out my adorable four-year-old nephew does, indeed, know the months of the year. boo. (ok, and yay, i'm glad he's such a smart little guy)
07 July 2011
a conversation with my nephew and niece
me: there are days, weeks, months, and years
my adorable four-year-old nephew: how many months are in a year?
me: twelve
my adorable four-year-old nephew: yeah, summer, fall, halloween, summer, and winter, right?
me: right.
me: give auntie a kiss?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
me: give auntie a hug?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
me: polly wanna cracker?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
me: ice-cream?
my adorable two-year-old niece: i-keam? i-keam? i-keam! i-keam!
me: give auntie a kiss?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
my adorable four-year-old nephew: how many months are in a year?
me: twelve
my adorable four-year-old nephew: yeah, summer, fall, halloween, summer, and winter, right?
me: right.
me: give auntie a kiss?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
me: give auntie a hug?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
me: polly wanna cracker?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
me: ice-cream?
my adorable two-year-old niece: i-keam? i-keam? i-keam! i-keam!
me: give auntie a kiss?
my adorable two-year-old niece: nooo
01 July 2011
finder's fee
a finder's fee is the compensation given to an intermediary in a business transaction. usually, there is a causal relationship between the one party and the intermediary (the finder), another relationship between the finder and the second party, and the two parties of the transaction would not have met if it weren't for the work of the finder. such compensation is common in business and is regulated by contractual agreements and law in the united states. a finder's fee can also be a gift from one party of the transaction, who feel morally obligated that the profits of the transaction be shared with the finder for making that transaction possible. source: wikipedia
i was going to offer a dowry, but after researching the practice, i realized it wasn't quite applicable. so, i'm offering a finder's fee. the finder's fee is for anyone who finds me a husband. although this finding is worth much more than monetary compensation, it's what i'm willing to offer. fifty dollars, usd, to whoever finds me a husband.
terms: i have to like the found male. he must like me in return. we must mutally agree to be wed. the finder will play no part in the agreement of said wedding, but will probably be invited to attend. in the event that said wedding does not occur, however promising it may look, the finder will not receive the finder's fee. disputes about these terms can be directed to my hand.
required characteristics of said husband: christian, single, breathing, steadily employed, not living with parents, thinks i'm hilarious.
preferred characteristics of said husband: witty, educated, tall, interested in world travel, handy.
men with a previous marriage and/or children are welcome to apply. men who are currently married, or who use any type of illegal drug, are not.
i was going to offer a dowry, but after researching the practice, i realized it wasn't quite applicable. so, i'm offering a finder's fee. the finder's fee is for anyone who finds me a husband. although this finding is worth much more than monetary compensation, it's what i'm willing to offer. fifty dollars, usd, to whoever finds me a husband.
terms: i have to like the found male. he must like me in return. we must mutally agree to be wed. the finder will play no part in the agreement of said wedding, but will probably be invited to attend. in the event that said wedding does not occur, however promising it may look, the finder will not receive the finder's fee. disputes about these terms can be directed to my hand.
required characteristics of said husband: christian, single, breathing, steadily employed, not living with parents, thinks i'm hilarious.
preferred characteristics of said husband: witty, educated, tall, interested in world travel, handy.
men with a previous marriage and/or children are welcome to apply. men who are currently married, or who use any type of illegal drug, are not.
28 June 2011
the women's restroom at work
the business that leases the other side of our building employs folks to clean the restrooms. these folks are in the restroom 'cleaning' just about every time i go in there. you would think the restroom would be spotless with all this attention, but you would think wrong. i just try not to touch anything.
another joy of using this restroom is the woman who comes in to hack up a lung every 15 minutes. it sounds like she's trying to get a hairball out and then she clears her throat with her mouth open and spits the resulting grossness into the sink. in.to.the.sink. i suppose it's a good place for her to do that since every time i hear it, i want to vomit and what better place to vomit than in the restroom? the best part is that she doesn't wash away what she has spat so if you are unfortunate enough to wash your hands in that sink...again, it's good there are vomit receptacles near by.
i am very grateful to have a working restroom at work, but it is really no wonder that when i have the choice to use the women's restroom at work or wait until i get home, i choose to wait. wouldn't you?
27 June 2011
lacking dexterity, nimbleness, or grace
for $200, what is, clumsy?
i'm sorry, the correct answer was, who is, penny black?
two weeks ago, as of today, i fell outside my apartment. i didn't stumble, or almost fall, i fell. all the way to the ground. uneven pavement and i do not get along. (was it three years ago when i fell outside of my alhambra apartment and had to wear a walking boot for six weeks?)
so i fell, got up, dusted off my hands, and drove to the conference i was scheduled to attend. my ankle twinged with pain, but it wasn't unbearable and i knew it would go away. the next day my ankle felt fine but my foot was hurting. it was a little swollen and hurt when i walked, but i could handle it.
unfortunately, my hotel room was about as far away from the hotel conference center as it could possibly be. by the time i got to where i needed to be, i could barely walk, my foot hurt so badly. the more i walked, the worse it hurt. right before lunch, i decided to go to a local urgent care clinic (the conference food was not great, i knew i wouldn't be missing anything). the clinic doctor thought my foot might be broken, but when the x-rays came back, she said it wasn't (good news!) but my foot still hurt (sad news.)
i went back to the conference, limped around for a few days, and then my foot started feeling better (good news!). last thursday, however, my foot started hurting again (sad news). i asked my neurologist brother-in-law to take a look at my x-rays, just in case the clinic had missed something.
and that's where we are today. hurt foot (sad news). going to lunch with my sister (good news!).
i'm sorry, the correct answer was, who is, penny black?
two weeks ago, as of today, i fell outside my apartment. i didn't stumble, or almost fall, i fell. all the way to the ground. uneven pavement and i do not get along. (was it three years ago when i fell outside of my alhambra apartment and had to wear a walking boot for six weeks?)
so i fell, got up, dusted off my hands, and drove to the conference i was scheduled to attend. my ankle twinged with pain, but it wasn't unbearable and i knew it would go away. the next day my ankle felt fine but my foot was hurting. it was a little swollen and hurt when i walked, but i could handle it.
unfortunately, my hotel room was about as far away from the hotel conference center as it could possibly be. by the time i got to where i needed to be, i could barely walk, my foot hurt so badly. the more i walked, the worse it hurt. right before lunch, i decided to go to a local urgent care clinic (the conference food was not great, i knew i wouldn't be missing anything). the clinic doctor thought my foot might be broken, but when the x-rays came back, she said it wasn't (good news!) but my foot still hurt (sad news.)
i went back to the conference, limped around for a few days, and then my foot started feeling better (good news!). last thursday, however, my foot started hurting again (sad news). i asked my neurologist brother-in-law to take a look at my x-rays, just in case the clinic had missed something.
and that's where we are today. hurt foot (sad news). going to lunch with my sister (good news!).
21 May 2011
nitrogen, erbium, dysprosium
this morning i volunteered at an event on campus, the national science olympiad. junior and senior high students, coaches, and parents from all over the country converged on the university for this three-day competition. i was originally assigned to the disease detective event, then moved to microbe mission, and finally, became a roving room monitor to make sure noone damaged the new union. here's an idea: if you're worried about damage to the new union, don't hold an event with hundreds of junior and senior high school students. or let undergrads anywhere near it.
each school was assigned to a room or area of the hallway (the hallways were wide with chairs and couches) as their 'homeroom', a place where they could put their backpacks and models, have meetings, etc. my monitoring route consisted of the movie theatre, the hallways, the computer lab - where, by the way, kids were not facebooking or checking e-mail, they were reading about molecular structure and physics-y stuff - and four meeting rooms. in almost all the rooms, i had to ask groups to take down things they had taped to walls. when i went by the first classroom a second time, the paper they had had taped to the window was still there, just lower, on the sill. i went up to the coach, prepared to ask again, when he said angrily, 'it's just leaning! and it's weighted with a penny!' i told him that was a really creative solution, he must be a science guy. i wanted to tell him to relax, but i didn't.
the second room was the allergy room. nope, not kidding. this room was for the kids with allergies, who needed to be quarantined so they didn't come into contact with anything that could cause a reaction or so if they were on medication, they could be monitored closely. this was the only room that was allowed to bring in food, due to severe nut allergies.
nothing interesting about the third room except that they weren't supposed to use the table. really? why put people in a room with a table that they're not allowed to use?
same story with the fourth room except they were allowed to use the tables and this was the junior high room. they were very well-behaved and so tiny!
on one of my pass-throughs, an irritated coach asked if i was security. i pondered that for a second and then said, 'more or less'. he proceeded to complain about the number of schools that had been assigned to each room. 1) as if security could do something about that, and 2) as if he wanted me to create more rooms out of thin air. i listened and nodded and said i would pass on his message to...someone. ah, the life of a security/room monitor.
several kids were wearing shirts with this on them, which i thought was awesome.
after my shift was over, i gave back my t-shirt - i mean, really, what am i going to do with a bright blue t-shirt with print all over it? unless those sponsors are paying me to promote their brands, i aint wearin' it. then i went and got my nose re-pierced.
each school was assigned to a room or area of the hallway (the hallways were wide with chairs and couches) as their 'homeroom', a place where they could put their backpacks and models, have meetings, etc. my monitoring route consisted of the movie theatre, the hallways, the computer lab - where, by the way, kids were not facebooking or checking e-mail, they were reading about molecular structure and physics-y stuff - and four meeting rooms. in almost all the rooms, i had to ask groups to take down things they had taped to walls. when i went by the first classroom a second time, the paper they had had taped to the window was still there, just lower, on the sill. i went up to the coach, prepared to ask again, when he said angrily, 'it's just leaning! and it's weighted with a penny!' i told him that was a really creative solution, he must be a science guy. i wanted to tell him to relax, but i didn't.
the second room was the allergy room. nope, not kidding. this room was for the kids with allergies, who needed to be quarantined so they didn't come into contact with anything that could cause a reaction or so if they were on medication, they could be monitored closely. this was the only room that was allowed to bring in food, due to severe nut allergies.
nothing interesting about the third room except that they weren't supposed to use the table. really? why put people in a room with a table that they're not allowed to use?
same story with the fourth room except they were allowed to use the tables and this was the junior high room. they were very well-behaved and so tiny!
on one of my pass-throughs, an irritated coach asked if i was security. i pondered that for a second and then said, 'more or less'. he proceeded to complain about the number of schools that had been assigned to each room. 1) as if security could do something about that, and 2) as if he wanted me to create more rooms out of thin air. i listened and nodded and said i would pass on his message to...someone. ah, the life of a security/room monitor.
several kids were wearing shirts with this on them, which i thought was awesome.
after my shift was over, i gave back my t-shirt - i mean, really, what am i going to do with a bright blue t-shirt with print all over it? unless those sponsors are paying me to promote their brands, i aint wearin' it. then i went and got my nose re-pierced.
16 May 2011
happy birthday kristin gallagher!
yesterday my friends and i celebrated the 26th anniversary of the birth of our friend kristin. a bar-b-que with yummy eats by greg; wine, beer with lemonade, and diet sierra mist (ok, i was the only one who drank that); cupcakes and leftover graduation cake; taboo - what a great party! i had a ton of fun hanging out with my friends - old and new - and kristin's fam (even though i called her sister by the wrong name).
is there anything in my teeth?
lauren wisk; mark, lauren's boyfriend; me; vijay limay; kristin gallagher; and greg, kristin's boyfriend (cooper?)
is there anything in my teeth?
lauren wisk; mark, lauren's boyfriend; me; vijay limay; kristin gallagher; and greg, kristin's boyfriend (cooper?)
15 May 2011
my other blog
i've started a second blog: adventures in thirty-something dating. you can find it at www.pennysotherblog.blogspot.com.
cheers!
cheers!
as promised
an accounting, with pictures, of my treasure sale haul:
one bicycle (with horn)
one vintage step stool
one handmade yarn artpiece, circa 1974
one large ceramic nut with a tiny squirrel on top
one stack of games and books for blake and ziva
three books (love in the time of cholera and two from the twighlight series)
one 4-cd set of classic piano medleys
one race-car shaped hard-shell suitcase for blake
one plastic backpack that unfolds into a shopping mall for ziva
one steno pad and one pack of laminating sheets for work
one uw badger clock as a welcome-to-wisconsin gift for my sister
one rain slicker that packs into a pouch (so i can return the one i've been borrowing for the past two years to my other sister)
one lightweight uw jacket
total cost: ~$100
being three hours late to work: totally worth it!
one bicycle (with horn)
one vintage step stool
one handmade yarn artpiece, circa 1974
one large ceramic nut with a tiny squirrel on top
one stack of games and books for blake and ziva
three books (love in the time of cholera and two from the twighlight series)
one 4-cd set of classic piano medleys
one race-car shaped hard-shell suitcase for blake
one plastic backpack that unfolds into a shopping mall for ziva
one steno pad and one pack of laminating sheets for work
one uw badger clock as a welcome-to-wisconsin gift for my sister
one rain slicker that packs into a pouch (so i can return the one i've been borrowing for the past two years to my other sister)
one lightweight uw jacket
total cost: ~$100
being three hours late to work: totally worth it!
13 May 2011
ode to yard saling
jack.pot: noun. a neighborhood full of yard sales in the midwest. example: 'this morning on my way to work, i hit the jackpot'.
yard.saling: verb. the joyous act of going through other peoples' junk in search of treasures.
oh the beauteous wonders of midwest yard sales. i left for work at 7:45 this morning and got to work three hours later. that's right, three. hours. pictures to follow of the fabulous treasures i found, but for now, a poem i wrote in honor of yard sales:
ode to yard saling
a lamp, a pillow, a pile of clothes,
a toaster, a pitcher, a plastic rose,
an old battered chair, a vintage vase,
a set of pots and doilies of lace
the driveway is covered with items used,
for buyers to pick through, bargain, and muse,
‘how much for this? how much for that?’
‘i’ll take this salt shaker and this greenbay hat’
like postal workers, weather does not deter,
these treasure hunters sellers hope to lure,
with records and knick knacks and tools and art,
toys, games, and books, they take by the cart
oh, the planning and pricing and posting of signs,
the ash trays and lampshades and ceramic felines,
the camping equipment, cappuccino machines,
the memories, the history, the plastic latrines
the treasures one finds at midwest yard sales,
it boggles the mind, amazement never fails,
a rotary phone, a cycle for one,
yard saling’s a bucket of never-ending fun!
yard.saling: verb. the joyous act of going through other peoples' junk in search of treasures.
oh the beauteous wonders of midwest yard sales. i left for work at 7:45 this morning and got to work three hours later. that's right, three. hours. pictures to follow of the fabulous treasures i found, but for now, a poem i wrote in honor of yard sales:
ode to yard saling
a lamp, a pillow, a pile of clothes,
a toaster, a pitcher, a plastic rose,
an old battered chair, a vintage vase,
a set of pots and doilies of lace
the driveway is covered with items used,
for buyers to pick through, bargain, and muse,
‘how much for this? how much for that?’
‘i’ll take this salt shaker and this greenbay hat’
like postal workers, weather does not deter,
these treasure hunters sellers hope to lure,
with records and knick knacks and tools and art,
toys, games, and books, they take by the cart
oh, the planning and pricing and posting of signs,
the ash trays and lampshades and ceramic felines,
the camping equipment, cappuccino machines,
the memories, the history, the plastic latrines
the treasures one finds at midwest yard sales,
it boggles the mind, amazement never fails,
a rotary phone, a cycle for one,
yard saling’s a bucket of never-ending fun!
08 May 2011
weekend update
the middleton police department left a birthday present on my windshield in the form of a parking ticket for expired registration a few weeks ago. i went to the dmv that day and took care of the problem but in order to fight the ticket, i had to go to court last week. i had to stand when the just walked in, stand in front of a podium in the front of the room, state my case to the judge, and show my updated registration. it was all quite intimidating. i had to make a plea (i pled 'no contest'), the judge found me guilty (she had told me in advance that she would, no matter what i pled), and then she reduced the fee to $10. all in all, not bad for 15 minutes of my time. my biggest beef is that the dmv never sent me a reminder that my registration was going to expire. yeah, yeah, it's my responsibility to remember, but like that's ever going to happen. and yes they have my correct address, i checked.
friday i got a massage to celebrate the end of the semester and the loss of twenty pounds. it was a beautiful, wonderful thing and i remembered how much i loved massages. the massage therapist suggested i get a heating pad for my shoulders since that's obviously where i carry a lot of my tension. i went to bed bath and beyond and bought what is my new favorite thing in the whole wide world. if i could marry it, i would. you heat it in the microwave for a minute and a half and then wear it like a shawl. hea-ven.
yesterday i bought a pair of jeans from a store that sells pants in three lengths: short, regular, and tall. the 'short' length is two inches too long. cest la vie.
this morning i woke up with a sore throat, headache, and stuffy nose. this is a result of kissing my irresistible niece and nephew. i knew they were sick but they're just so darn cute, i couldn't help myself. i can't have juice because of my diet so i dropped some airborne into a citrus soda; it wasn't terrible. rally, my crazy, diet coke-drinking cat, kept trying to drink it and i kept pulling her away so we finally had it out. she won. she didn't get any of the soda, but i ended up with scratches. dummkopf kitty.
and with that, i'll end this post and go to target for tissues and then back to bed. adieu.
friday i got a massage to celebrate the end of the semester and the loss of twenty pounds. it was a beautiful, wonderful thing and i remembered how much i loved massages. the massage therapist suggested i get a heating pad for my shoulders since that's obviously where i carry a lot of my tension. i went to bed bath and beyond and bought what is my new favorite thing in the whole wide world. if i could marry it, i would. you heat it in the microwave for a minute and a half and then wear it like a shawl. hea-ven.yesterday i bought a pair of jeans from a store that sells pants in three lengths: short, regular, and tall. the 'short' length is two inches too long. cest la vie.
this morning i woke up with a sore throat, headache, and stuffy nose. this is a result of kissing my irresistible niece and nephew. i knew they were sick but they're just so darn cute, i couldn't help myself. i can't have juice because of my diet so i dropped some airborne into a citrus soda; it wasn't terrible. rally, my crazy, diet coke-drinking cat, kept trying to drink it and i kept pulling her away so we finally had it out. she won. she didn't get any of the soda, but i ended up with scratches. dummkopf kitty.
and with that, i'll end this post and go to target for tissues and then back to bed. adieu.
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