With a side of relish

Okay, tomorrow turned into a bit longer. I won't give you any lame excuses. I will just say that I now live in a different house than I did last week, work at a different job and am about 1/4 of a million dollars poorer.

We have had quite the whirlwind August. We spent most of the early part entertaining family in Portland and lounging at Tall Guy's family's lake house on Cobbosseecontee, just outside of Augusta. There all six of his dad's siblings gathered, along with his dad, to reminisce and eat and play games. It was a wonderful few days.

Leaving Augusta, we made our way down to Gloucester, Massachusetts, where my mom had rented a house on Good Harbor Beach. It was the first time my family has ever gone away together and it was delightful. We had 4.5 days just laying on the beach and lounging around the enormous house she rented. We didn't think that it would be as noisy in Gloucester with my two family members under age 5 as it had been in Maine with seven family members under age 8, but those kids are little miracles and they managed to make as much noise as a gaggle of rugrats.

After vacation came the period of August called THE HOUSE. We are mostly still in that phase, except that I have started THE NEW JOB, which is taking up more time right now than THE HOUSE. We had an easy and uneventful closing, 4 nights of furious packing, 2 days of moving (thank you to everyone who helped) and then we lived in a house. We have unpacked a lot of stuff and shoved a lot of stuff into the basement (much to Tall Guy's disapproval). We bought a new living room set from Bob(ble)-Head's Discount Furniture in the color Camel, which apparently requires the workers who assemble these pieces of furniture to travel to the middle east to hunt, kill and skin an indeterminate number of camels in order to make my 3-piece living room set in seven weeks. What this means is that we have zero seating in the living room for another 42 days, give or take a day if a camel really gives chase.

My new job will be fantastic once I get the library organized and learn what is in the collection. I have one more day here before the students arrive on Tuesday, so most of that won't happen by then, but no one here seems too concerned, which is reassuring. I hate introducing myself by my last name, but I like teachers and I like helping people find things that they need. Oh, and getting paid. I like that.

Because resting is for the weak, we will be traveling to Boulder, Colorado this weekend to witness the nuptials of some friends.

Finaly, random thoughts:
*Can't someone trade JD Drew for one of those Little Leaguers from Walpole? The man is being GIVEN $14 million to stink up Fenway.

*I have a new obsession with orange cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market in Portland.

*Moms are wonderful, especially when they help you clean your new house.

*I loved working for the United Way of Greater Portland and have a new and deeply-felt respect and admiration for the work going on at that agency. I will miss the people who work there and hope that my new colleagues are 1/2 as fun.

*W is still dumb.

*Tommy Lee Jones (of Pamela Anderson and Motley Crue fame) has a tatoo of Mighty Mouse. Heh heh...Mighty Mouse is so lame.

Vacationin'

We just got home from vacation and now have to start packing. We close on our house tomorrow at 11AM - yikes! Thanks, Chris for this little diversion. I like Big Bird. Oh, when the description below mentions "you," it means me. It's all about me. Take your own damn test.

More updating tomorrow...

Your Score: Big Bird

You scored 68% Organization, 41% abstract, and 69% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables.

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.

Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.

Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.

Here is why are you Big Bird.

You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Big Bird is never sloppy and always under control... pretty good for a 6 year old bird living without a family.


You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Big Bird can be quite dreamy at times and has no problem using his imagination. At the same time he is also practical and can be methodical in his search for answers to questions. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course.


You are both extroverts. Big Bird gets along with everyone. He makes friends easily and always has a positive attitude. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team.

Hey, don't be a grouch! If you liked the test, let others know by rating it below. Feel free to vote for your favorite character too.

Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo

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More ketchup

We did go to trivia last week, Margarita’s again. We are 2 for 2 there, blowing the competition away by earning 28 points out of 40. This time, there were 5 of us so we each got a free dinner certificate and a Coors Light cooler bag filled with bar giveaways like keychains, Frisbees, a hat, a towel and a water bottle. We divied it up the loot and vowed to return.
The ones we missed:
*What is the strongest bone in the human body?
*What do chefs consider the "magic spice"?
*Which finger has the fastest growing nail?
*True or False, Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a 50,000 word book titled Gadsby without using the letter "y"?
*Who is the oldest Beatle?
*What are the holes in Swiss cheese called?

A few we got:
*What has 354 steps?
*Which city has the largest Chinatown?
*What does the symbol AU represent on the periodic table?
*Which country’s tradition includes a 3-month honeymoon paid for by the bride? A) India B) Algeria C) Morocco or D) Thailand
*Who did Blondie Boopadoop marry?
*On what 2 parts of a dog can sweat glands be found?
*Where do the biggest consumers of SPAM live?
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House-closing proceedings are going well. Here are a few pics of the new pad

Front of house

Kitchen

Living room

Kickin' daylight basement we will, one day, finish

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T-minus 3 days until we are on vacation. Tall Guy's family is visiting and it has been lovely so far though we are jealous because they can go do fun things and we have to work. We will go up to Lake Cobbosseecontee (outside of Augusta) this weekend to hang with extended family then we will go down to Gloucester (Mass) to spend some time with my family. I see lots of wine and board games in our future.
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Answers
-jawbone or mandible
-pepper
-the middle finger
-False, he didn’t use the letter "e" – yes, we should’ve known that one by its title. I really want to read this now - it's online here in its entirety.
-Ringo Starr
-eyes
-the Statue of Liberty
-San Francisco
-gold
-Thailand
-Dagwood Bumstead
-nose and paws
-Hawaii

sign of the apocalypse?

No W hasn't told the truth, nor has Britney won "mother-of-the-year," but I'm pretty sure it's sleeting outside right now! I know that I live in Maine, but c'mon Mother Nature, what the fuck?! It's darker than dick cheney's heart outside and it's 4 o'clock. I'm sitting by the window, and I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna see the Wicked Witch of the West fly by on her broomstick any second now.

To meme or not to...

I will, but I'm only going to answer the ones that I really like. This is from Chris's blog and it was originally 50 random questions. I only answered 29.

1. What curse word do you use the most? Fuck, I can't think of one.

2. Do you own an iPod? Yes, though I now share it with Tall Guy since his died. I have also been turned on to a great Web site, MP3 which streams new albums for free. Great for blocking out the phone conversations of my colleagues.

3. Flip flops or sneakers? Not really a fan of either. If someone were chasing me, I'd like to have sneakers on. If my feet are going to meet an ocean wave, I'd choose flip flops. Otherwise, a cute pair of dress shoes, please.

4. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Easy, take it. I want someone else to develop them for me though.

5. What was the last movie you watched? Idlewild - the Outkast movie - I was really impressed with the first 3/4 of the movie. The ending was disappointing, but on the whole a worthwhile flick, especially, as Netflix says, "if you like your roadhouse boogie straight up". Who knew that I did?

6. Do any of your friends have children? Almost all of my friends from CT have kids - it's a requirement to stay in the state. Very few of my friends in Portland have them. Kids and beer don't mix.

7. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? That's what books are for.

8. What CD is currently in your CD player? I haven't had a CD player in a long time. But I mentioned the MP3 site above - this week I have listened to Ani DiFranco, Live at Carnegie Hall, A Tribute to Joni Mitchell by various artists (has an amazing version of "Dreamland" by Caetano Veloso), and the new one by Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

9. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Chocolate.

10. Who was the last person to call you? My mom asking if I could get tomorrow off to go to the beach. Sadly, I had to say no b/c I have so much work to do - probably shouldn't be blogging right now...

11. Did you watch cartoons as a child? I watched Saturday-morning cartoons, back when they were on prime time. I remember liking The Smurfs, Justice League and Gummi Bears, and Sunday morning cartoons like Johnny Quest and Captain Caveman.

13. What movie do you know every line to? Embarrassing revelation ahead: The Little Mermaid. Every damn line.

14. What is your favorite salad dressing? Home-made balsamic vinaigrette

15. Do you read for fun? Does a Republican lie?

16. Who was the last person to text message you? One of my kickball teammates. I love text messaging - I hate the horrible abbreviating that goes along with it.

17. Is sex before marriage wrong? No.

18. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? Define function. I don't need much but no matter how much (or little) I get, I'm pretty cranky in the morning.

19.Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? If I am trying to decide between 2 similar products, I do. I buy a lot of fresh meat and produce so there are no packages to check.

20.Are you picky about spelling and grammar? To answer this meme, I was trying to decide if the titles of albums should be put in quotes or italics so I opened one of my favorite links to a punctuation guide. I'd say yes.

21. Have you ever been to Six Flags? No. I went to amusement parks before they were all Six Flags. Today, I get queasy swinging on a backyard swing.

22. Do you like cottage cheese? I think it's a cruel joke that this food has cheese in the description.

23. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? I start on my stomach every night and usually roll onto my back. If I end up on my side, I wake up and flip to my stomach.

24. What song did you last sing out loud? I'm pretty sure it was Wilson Philips' "Hold On" at 2AM Saturday night. There were 4 of us and it was hott.

25. What is your favorite TV show? Ever: V (a sci-fi show from the early 80s), Cheers or Six Feet Under. Now - Lost or Heroes.

26. Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? Paul Newman

27. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? Waiting for the realtor to call and tell us whether or not we got our house.

28. What one thing do you wish you had? 3 more inches of height.

29. Favorite lyrics? A lot of Ani DiFranco songs have amazing lyrics. Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" (not only the lyrics, but the way he sings them - wow). Tool's "Aenima":
"I sure could use a vacation from this
Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any fucking time. Any fucking day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay."
Amen.

Reading

That's right, a post about reading. Reading books. I've been doing a lot of that lately. Well, when not dealing with house stuff and traveling across most of New England. I have read 8 books in the past 2 weeks or so; most of them were good. I have joined a web site called Good Reads, which allows people to rate and review books they have read. Like Netflix, you can have Friends and you can see which books your friends have read and reviewed. I may never have time to work again.

My reviews from my latest reads:
The best, besides Harry Potter 7, which was good because it was the culmination of so much time and effort spent, were the graphic novels. I am a huge fan of this genre and I wasn't disappointed by either Goodbye, Chunky Rice or Maus: A Survivor's Tale. Both were well-drawn and poignant. It feels like an enhanced story, not only do you get the words that tell the story, but you get the author's vision of what that story looks like. And this isn't a subsitution for the reader's own imagination because I think that graphic novels cause a deeper level of reading. As a reader, I am looking into each panel to make sure that I have caught everything possible so I am sucked into the narrative in a way that can't happen with an all-text story. So cool.

I also read 2 books by Jodi Picoult, Salem Falls and Vanishing Acts. I found her book My Sister's Keeper an unexpectedly good read. Then I read Plain Truth, which I also enjoyed (I learned quite a bit about the Plain folks living in Pennsylvania). By the time I read these 2, I realized that Picoult has a formula: introduction, major event, trial, resolution. A reviewer of Salem Falls noted that it was like reading an episode of "Law & Order". I quite agree. I think that I have read enough of her books for now but I would be interested in picking up one of her books once enough time had passed that I forgot about her formula and it all seemed new and fresh again.

The last 3 books were Blue Screen by Robert Parker, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and Tithe by Holly Black. Parker's book featured one of his newer characters, Sunny Randall,not Spencer for Hire (RIP Robert Urich). Not much action in the book but I liked that Sunny meets another of Parker's new characters, Jesse Stone, and that her therapist is Susan Silverman, Spencer's long-time partner. All of Parker's characters will eventually make their way onto the page and I am intrigued to know if he meant it that way when he first created Sunny and Jesse, or if it just happened. I love the way he writes his main characters: tough, but literary, witty and self-aware.

I read Miller's book at the request of my sister-in-law, whom I love and respect. I still love and respect her, but I wish Miller would be swallowed up by a sinkhole so he can no longer ramble on about how cool christianity is. Be christian, that's fine. Be cool, that's fine. But selling christianity as cool, that made me want to scrub the inside of my head with a Jon Stewart/Michael Moore wirebrush.

And, lastly Black's book - a YA fantasy about a girl who communes with fairies. I like the idea of fairies, but reading about an angst-filled teenager who has a flop of a mom and no real substance in her life or thoughts, who talks to fairies, not that good. I also have found the writing overwrought and flowery.

I like reading so much, I should work in a library...