Our little kickball team, an amalgamation of a few teams from last season is undefeated through 4 games! Tall Guy and I had to disband our beloved "Rick is 21" because not enough people came back from last season, so we got tossed in with "Look Ma, No Hands" and what a great thing that has turned out to be. We actually played the team on which 2 of our former teammates ended up, another amalgamation of teams from last season and a force to be reckoned with. We played a game of perfect defense and put together some nice offense, scoring 3 runs to their 1. I have to toot my own horn and say that I had a diving catch (my first and it felt good, and a lead-off double because they overthrew trying to get me out at 1st so I turned on the juice and made it to 2nd - we didn't score, but it's gratifying getting 2 bases on a bunt).
This weekend is Homecoming at my little school so I will be attending a bonfire this evening and a day of athletic activities tomorrow. I will NOT be chaperoning the dance tomorrow night. This is a good thing since the students had to be warned to keep their genitals apart when dancing or risk not having a dance next year.
Teenagers+music+dark=chaperoning nightmare.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Things I've noticed about h.s. in the past 2 weeks
There are some interesting phenomena about high school, things that haven't changed since I was a student, and some things that have changed so drastically I can't imagine existing in this environment.
Hasn't changed:
*Kids think they're smarter than adults and that they can get away with stuff. I was in charge of "Picture Day" for the yearbook class photos. Almost every single class had 2 boys who tried to give the "thumbs-up" sign. Every one of them was yelled at by a chorus of teachers watching the process.
*Chemistry still sucks.
*At lunch, boys sit with boys and girls sit with girls. Except for the drama kids.
*Pressure is still the best way to get homework done. The library has a computer lab and every morning, 15 kids are in there frantically typing. While we didn't have to type most assignments when I was in high school, first period still found a huge group of students trying to get that last paragraph written.
Changes:
*Being able to look up the theme of your paper on the Internet - damn that's helpful.
*Emailing students their assignments and having them dump their papers into an online folder so that you have them when you get home. You can edit them using track changes and re-email, or print them out and make comments by hand. I think that I would have appreciated this more my first year of teaching, rather than when I was a student. Pretty cool.
*A phone in every pocket, and once school gets out, attached to every ear. God knows I'm addicted to my own cell phone, but being around teenagers and cell phones doesn't make me like the little buggers any more.
*The school librarian is way cooler :)
Random observations:
-Two chairs will never due if one is available. Seriously, they sit on top of each other, even when plenty of seating surrounds them.
-It's soo nice to have a cafeteria with a hot lunch. If I forget my lunch, or just don't want to eat last night's leftovers, there is a warm, tasty option at the other end of the hall. When I last taught, there were vending machines in place of a lunch line so students & teachers had the option of a mildly stale sandwich, a lukewarm yogurt or a "Cup-o-Soup", chicken flavor. Mmmm.
-Despite my being almost 15 years older than the seniors here, I still feel like "one of them". When did I get so old?
Hasn't changed:
*Kids think they're smarter than adults and that they can get away with stuff. I was in charge of "Picture Day" for the yearbook class photos. Almost every single class had 2 boys who tried to give the "thumbs-up" sign. Every one of them was yelled at by a chorus of teachers watching the process.
*Chemistry still sucks.
*At lunch, boys sit with boys and girls sit with girls. Except for the drama kids.
*Pressure is still the best way to get homework done. The library has a computer lab and every morning, 15 kids are in there frantically typing. While we didn't have to type most assignments when I was in high school, first period still found a huge group of students trying to get that last paragraph written.
Changes:
*Being able to look up the theme of your paper on the Internet - damn that's helpful.
*Emailing students their assignments and having them dump their papers into an online folder so that you have them when you get home. You can edit them using track changes and re-email, or print them out and make comments by hand. I think that I would have appreciated this more my first year of teaching, rather than when I was a student. Pretty cool.
*A phone in every pocket, and once school gets out, attached to every ear. God knows I'm addicted to my own cell phone, but being around teenagers and cell phones doesn't make me like the little buggers any more.
*The school librarian is way cooler :)
Random observations:
-Two chairs will never due if one is available. Seriously, they sit on top of each other, even when plenty of seating surrounds them.
-It's soo nice to have a cafeteria with a hot lunch. If I forget my lunch, or just don't want to eat last night's leftovers, there is a warm, tasty option at the other end of the hall. When I last taught, there were vending machines in place of a lunch line so students & teachers had the option of a mildly stale sandwich, a lukewarm yogurt or a "Cup-o-Soup", chicken flavor. Mmmm.
-Despite my being almost 15 years older than the seniors here, I still feel like "one of them". When did I get so old?
Hate in my heart
For Eric Gagne. How many times does he have to blow a save before Francona realizes that the Eastern Division Little League team is missing their star pitcher? Someone better give Tito a stern talking-to this morning. The kind of talking-to that says, "if you let Gagne so much as put on a Red Sox uniform and think about pitching with anything less than a 9-run lead, you're fired."
Thursday, September 6, 2007
OverwHelmed
First by the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and then by the First Day of School (remember that?).
Our trip west was wonderful. Way too brief, but great, nonetheless. I was able to take a drive through a small section of the mountains outside of Boulder (in a HUMMER...oh, the shame). We stopped at Boulder Falls, which was a beautiful sight with some cold water, and in the town of Nederland, which probably has a population of 73 but which has a library in the town "center". The wedding was flawless complete with touching vows, excellent food and plenty of dancing (mostly by me as Tall Guy never got quite drunk enough to stay on the dance floor for more than 3 minutes).
The first day of school was hectic and this first week has been packed with new faces and lots of questions. I have 6 advisees, all freshmen, so we are new together, which is kind of nice. I am slowing starting to learn the collection and the flow of the day. I hate telling people to be quiet, but I like helping them find a book. And, still not loving the whole "last-name" thing. I actually had a student walk up the desk and introduce herself. She said, "Hi, I'm Bryn," to which I replied, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jill. I mean, Mrs. O'Connor. Damn."
A new kickball season starts tonight. Tall Guy and I are on a new team, Look Ma No Hands, and we're looking forward to a winning season.
Our trip west was wonderful. Way too brief, but great, nonetheless. I was able to take a drive through a small section of the mountains outside of Boulder (in a HUMMER...oh, the shame). We stopped at Boulder Falls, which was a beautiful sight with some cold water, and in the town of Nederland, which probably has a population of 73 but which has a library in the town "center". The wedding was flawless complete with touching vows, excellent food and plenty of dancing (mostly by me as Tall Guy never got quite drunk enough to stay on the dance floor for more than 3 minutes).
The first day of school was hectic and this first week has been packed with new faces and lots of questions. I have 6 advisees, all freshmen, so we are new together, which is kind of nice. I am slowing starting to learn the collection and the flow of the day. I hate telling people to be quiet, but I like helping them find a book. And, still not loving the whole "last-name" thing. I actually had a student walk up the desk and introduce herself. She said, "Hi, I'm Bryn," to which I replied, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jill. I mean, Mrs. O'Connor. Damn."
A new kickball season starts tonight. Tall Guy and I are on a new team, Look Ma No Hands, and we're looking forward to a winning season.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
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...
.
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 |
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
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?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
House-closing proceedings are going well. Here are a few pics of the new pad
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Monday, August 6, 2007
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.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
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...
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...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Trivia and a House for Imaginary Friends
Last night I almost caught up on the sleep I lost devouring Book 7 of Harry Potter this weekend. Tall Guy and I watched The Princess Bride and I was reminded how much I like that movie. And the book; it's a great book, written by William Goldman. I should read some of his other books.
--------------------------------------------------
We switched up our trivia night last week, going to Margarita's on Wednesday night instead of RiRa's on Tuesday (and you thought Maine was boring). We were a team of 9 and we absolutely blew the competition away. The place had about 1/4 of the people that RiRa's gets, but we ate some tasty Mexican food while we answered all but 5 questions right (scoring 32 out of 40). We won two free dinners and a huge Mexican vase-thing stuffed with margarita glasses and a pitcher. Not bad. Here're the questions I can remember 6 days later:
*What is the largest seed?
*Statistically, what is the safest age for a human?
*The Abominable Snowman is associated with which part of the world?
*Which army was the first to introduce canned food?
*Where on the human body can 20 moons be found?
*Where was Rocky Racoon’s home?
*How many horses on a polo team?
*What are the 3 kinds of rocks?
*What color is the Teletubby Dipsy?
*How long does antibacterial soap have to be left on the skin to work?
*What is the plural form of the word scampi?
-----------------------------------------------
And, as I've mentioned before, trivia reminds me of our search for a place to call home. So, the BIG news: Tall Guy and I are HOMEOWNERS. Well, almost. It's all contingent on a home inspection and financing, but we're pretty darned close. The house is a very cute 3BR colonial in South Portland. The inspection is Thursday so I'll take some pics and post them after that.
------------------------------------------------
Answers:
Coconut
10 years old
Himalayas
Napoleon’s
Finger and toenails
black mountain hills of Dakota
4
Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic
Green
Two minutes
Scampo
--------------------------------------------------
We switched up our trivia night last week, going to Margarita's on Wednesday night instead of RiRa's on Tuesday (and you thought Maine was boring). We were a team of 9 and we absolutely blew the competition away. The place had about 1/4 of the people that RiRa's gets, but we ate some tasty Mexican food while we answered all but 5 questions right (scoring 32 out of 40). We won two free dinners and a huge Mexican vase-thing stuffed with margarita glasses and a pitcher. Not bad. Here're the questions I can remember 6 days later:
*What is the largest seed?
*Statistically, what is the safest age for a human?
*The Abominable Snowman is associated with which part of the world?
*Which army was the first to introduce canned food?
*Where on the human body can 20 moons be found?
*Where was Rocky Racoon’s home?
*How many horses on a polo team?
*What are the 3 kinds of rocks?
*What color is the Teletubby Dipsy?
*How long does antibacterial soap have to be left on the skin to work?
*What is the plural form of the word scampi?
-----------------------------------------------
And, as I've mentioned before, trivia reminds me of our search for a place to call home. So, the BIG news: Tall Guy and I are HOMEOWNERS. Well, almost. It's all contingent on a home inspection and financing, but we're pretty darned close. The house is a very cute 3BR colonial in South Portland. The inspection is Thursday so I'll take some pics and post them after that.
------------------------------------------------
Answers:
Coconut
10 years old
Himalayas
Napoleon’s
Finger and toenails
black mountain hills of Dakota
4
Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic
Green
Two minutes
Scampo
Monday, July 23, 2007
Potteritis
That's right, I have it. And it's contagious. The reason I didn't blog all weekend? I was absorbed by Book 7, which arrived at 3:45PM on Saturday. I finished it last night at 2:30AM. All I can say: Wow. It was absorbing and well-written and had a mostly satisfying ending. Now I have a little hole in my heart. I hope that Rowling continues to write, even if she never writes another word about HP&Co.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Headin' for Canada
Sweet, Jesus, it's time to get out of the country. This article has me more terrified than watching Paris Hilton giggle her way through a SADD meeting. A taste:
Bush butt probed, Cheney in charge
"President Bush would be having his butt checked out which meant that while Bush was going through the colonoscopy, Vice President Dick Cheney would be in charge of the nation.
"It's a chilling thought," one passerby told AXcess News when asked if they were concerned over Cheney's short-term rule of the White House."
Chilling. Can that even begin to describe the thought?
Lots of big goings-on in Portland, but it's 6:25 and I'm still at work. I am going to go and drink a beer. I may blog again tonight. I may wait a little longer. I'm pretty sure I have some good trivia questions from this week's foray into a different restaurant's Trivia Night. Oh, and I'm pretty sure we bought a house this week.
Bush butt probed, Cheney in charge
"President Bush would be having his butt checked out which meant that while Bush was going through the colonoscopy, Vice President Dick Cheney would be in charge of the nation.
"It's a chilling thought," one passerby told AXcess News when asked if they were concerned over Cheney's short-term rule of the White House."
Chilling. Can that even begin to describe the thought?
Lots of big goings-on in Portland, but it's 6:25 and I'm still at work. I am going to go and drink a beer. I may blog again tonight. I may wait a little longer. I'm pretty sure I have some good trivia questions from this week's foray into a different restaurant's Trivia Night. Oh, and I'm pretty sure we bought a house this week.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Ketchup Post
Prolly gonna be a long one...
Things I've learned in the past week:
*Face-to-face negotiations are hard. We decided to put an offer on a house that was for sale by owner. So with no realtors to do the whole back-and-forth thing, we had to stand in a kitchen and give our offer (which I typed up, of course). We had to justify it and watch the immediate reaction of the sellers. Then, we had to go downstairs so they could talk about it, come back up to hear the counter-offer, go into another room to talk about that, offer our counter-offer. Tired yet? It was nerve-wracking and weird, but a little heady, too. The sellers ended up asking for the night to think about our "final" offer. They called us in the morning with an even worse counter-offer so we had to walk away. Basically, they were willing to pay a buyer's agent 3% so they were only willing to come down from their selling price by 3%. We have no buyer's agent and no mortgage contingency and no financial speedbumps to hinder a quick close, but they couldn't see any of that. They wanted their asking price minus 3% and that's it. We didn't feel the need to come "up" to their price - there are 4 other houses for sale on this same street. So, we will keep looking. Also thinking of getting a buyer's agent, which I just haven't wanted to do. Drat real estate.
*Losing sucks. We lost in the first round of the kickball finals on Thursday night. I think that the week off hurt us, made us rusty. At least that's what I tell myself. We had a terrible 1st inning in which our opponent scored 3 runs; we just couldn't recover, so we went down 5-2. The upside, Tall Guy and I got to luxuriously ref the next game with a beer in our hands. And, the team that beat us went on to beat the #1 seed in the semi-final rounds, which was sweet since the #1 seed is made up of uber-competitive, college-aged kids who did not expect to lose.
*TOOL rocks. Hard. Fulfilled a music-fantasy by seeing Tool in concert at the Cumberland Civic Center on Friday night. I have loved this band since college though it probably would have been better had I seen them closer to my post-college days: by the end of the 2.5 hour show, my ears felt like they were bleeding and my feet were killing me from standing the entire time. Seriously, I only think I can hang with the young kids. Still, a great show filled with a mix of songs from their 3 major albums, "10,000 Days," "Aenima" and "Undertow."
*Ocean waves are so much fun with little kids. Had a belated father's day celebration this weekend in Portland. Both of my brothers came up, along with my dad, and we went to the beach, one with big waves. My niece and nephew had a heckofa time jumping over waves, well, being lifted over waves by Aunt Me and Uncles My Younger Bro and Tall Guy. My back was sore on Sunday morning, but I haven't had that much fun at the beach since I was probably their age.
*Silent movies shouldn't be over 90 minutes. Sorry film snobs, but a silent movie, i.e. D.W. Griffith's Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916), shouldn't come close to being 3 hours (the version we watched, the short version, was 2 hours and 58 minutes). I understand that this movie was ground breaking and ambitious and artful, but I clearly lack the capacity to sit through that much sepia-toned film and orchestral music. I give props to my husband, who not only sat through it, but really enjoyed it. It did make a rainy Sunday afternoon seem lazier, but so would watching puddles fill.
*Trivia is overrated. We went back. And it was as painful as Tall Guy remembered. The emceeing was still terrible and some of the answers suspect (we found out that the game orginates from Germany), but this week we got to stand through the entire 2.5 hours! We have decided to try a different trivia night, at a different restaurant. But, if you actually got all the way down to this part of the post, you deserve a treat:
*On the show "Married with Children," what kind of dog is Buck?
*During the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were famous for what, aside from their athletic success?
*What famous children's book character was created by Astrid Lindgren?
*On what plant do silkworms exclusively feed?
*What actor played Blake Covington on the tv show "Dynasty"?
*Who gave up his seat to J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson on the fatal flight in 1959 that also killed Buddy Holly and Richie Valens?
*During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln had a residence in which state?
*According to Roman legend, who pulled a thorn out of a lion's paw?
*What type of craft is the Breitling-Orbiter 3?
*How old was the Lindberg baby when he was kidnapped?
*What does a viticulturist grow?
-------------------------------------------------------
Happy nuptials to Corissa & Brian in San Francisco. This means that every friend I made while living in Connecticut back in 2000 is now married. If you want to get married, go live in Connecticut.
-------------------------------------------------------
Answers:
-Briard - here's a picture:
-"Black Power Salute" while receiving their medals
-Pippi Longstocking - great books
-Mulberry tree
-John Forsythe
-Waylon Jennings
-Illinois
-Androcles - He was a slave. The lion later recognized him in a gladiator arena and spared his life. The emperor Tiberius was said to have freed them both.
-Balloon
-20 months
-Grapes
Things I've learned in the past week:
*Face-to-face negotiations are hard. We decided to put an offer on a house that was for sale by owner. So with no realtors to do the whole back-and-forth thing, we had to stand in a kitchen and give our offer (which I typed up, of course). We had to justify it and watch the immediate reaction of the sellers. Then, we had to go downstairs so they could talk about it, come back up to hear the counter-offer, go into another room to talk about that, offer our counter-offer. Tired yet? It was nerve-wracking and weird, but a little heady, too. The sellers ended up asking for the night to think about our "final" offer. They called us in the morning with an even worse counter-offer so we had to walk away. Basically, they were willing to pay a buyer's agent 3% so they were only willing to come down from their selling price by 3%. We have no buyer's agent and no mortgage contingency and no financial speedbumps to hinder a quick close, but they couldn't see any of that. They wanted their asking price minus 3% and that's it. We didn't feel the need to come "up" to their price - there are 4 other houses for sale on this same street. So, we will keep looking. Also thinking of getting a buyer's agent, which I just haven't wanted to do. Drat real estate.
*Losing sucks. We lost in the first round of the kickball finals on Thursday night. I think that the week off hurt us, made us rusty. At least that's what I tell myself. We had a terrible 1st inning in which our opponent scored 3 runs; we just couldn't recover, so we went down 5-2. The upside, Tall Guy and I got to luxuriously ref the next game with a beer in our hands. And, the team that beat us went on to beat the #1 seed in the semi-final rounds, which was sweet since the #1 seed is made up of uber-competitive, college-aged kids who did not expect to lose.
*TOOL rocks. Hard. Fulfilled a music-fantasy by seeing Tool in concert at the Cumberland Civic Center on Friday night. I have loved this band since college though it probably would have been better had I seen them closer to my post-college days: by the end of the 2.5 hour show, my ears felt like they were bleeding and my feet were killing me from standing the entire time. Seriously, I only think I can hang with the young kids. Still, a great show filled with a mix of songs from their 3 major albums, "10,000 Days," "Aenima" and "Undertow."
*Ocean waves are so much fun with little kids. Had a belated father's day celebration this weekend in Portland. Both of my brothers came up, along with my dad, and we went to the beach, one with big waves. My niece and nephew had a heckofa time jumping over waves, well, being lifted over waves by Aunt Me and Uncles My Younger Bro and Tall Guy. My back was sore on Sunday morning, but I haven't had that much fun at the beach since I was probably their age.
*Silent movies shouldn't be over 90 minutes. Sorry film snobs, but a silent movie, i.e. D.W. Griffith's Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916), shouldn't come close to being 3 hours (the version we watched, the short version, was 2 hours and 58 minutes). I understand that this movie was ground breaking and ambitious and artful, but I clearly lack the capacity to sit through that much sepia-toned film and orchestral music. I give props to my husband, who not only sat through it, but really enjoyed it. It did make a rainy Sunday afternoon seem lazier, but so would watching puddles fill.
*Trivia is overrated. We went back. And it was as painful as Tall Guy remembered. The emceeing was still terrible and some of the answers suspect (we found out that the game orginates from Germany), but this week we got to stand through the entire 2.5 hours! We have decided to try a different trivia night, at a different restaurant. But, if you actually got all the way down to this part of the post, you deserve a treat:
*On the show "Married with Children," what kind of dog is Buck?
*During the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were famous for what, aside from their athletic success?
*What famous children's book character was created by Astrid Lindgren?
*On what plant do silkworms exclusively feed?
*What actor played Blake Covington on the tv show "Dynasty"?
*Who gave up his seat to J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson on the fatal flight in 1959 that also killed Buddy Holly and Richie Valens?
*During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln had a residence in which state?
*According to Roman legend, who pulled a thorn out of a lion's paw?
*What type of craft is the Breitling-Orbiter 3?
*How old was the Lindberg baby when he was kidnapped?
*What does a viticulturist grow?
-------------------------------------------------------
Happy nuptials to Corissa & Brian in San Francisco. This means that every friend I made while living in Connecticut back in 2000 is now married. If you want to get married, go live in Connecticut.
-------------------------------------------------------
Answers:
-Briard - here's a picture:
-"Black Power Salute" while receiving their medals
-Pippi Longstocking - great books
-Mulberry tree
-John Forsythe
-Waylon Jennings
-Illinois
-Androcles - He was a slave. The lion later recognized him in a gladiator arena and spared his life. The emperor Tiberius was said to have freed them both.
-Balloon
-20 months
-Grapes
Thursday, July 5, 2007
What I haven't mentioned
Despite feeling disillusioned by the current administration, I have managed to have some fun times with new & old friends in the past week. A sample:
Last Thursday, "Rick is 21" lost the last regular-season kickball game. However, we drowned our sorrows with pitchers of beer and had a grand time at $3 Deweys. Despite the loss, we clinched fourth thereby securing a "bye" in this week's playoffs. So, tonight we go to scout the competition, cheer on the underdogs and minister cold ones to the losers.
Last weekend, after watching the Babe Ruth championship game on Friday night (our boss's son plays and we really like watching baseball), Tall Guy and I went to CT for a bbq with some of my old friends (not that we're old, I've just known them a long time). The bbq was at the Dancing Queen's house and her bro, Dreds, was there. He brought with him Guitar Hero 2. Tall Guy and I quickly fell in love with this game. By the end of the weekend we were able to strum our way through "Free Bird," hitting over 80% of the notes. If only you didn't need a Playstation or XBox to play - I would've owned this game by Monday.
Tall Guy's sister, Legs, moved into town on Saturday to enjoy the gorgeous Maine summer. She's lived here before so we didn't have to introduce her to delicious Maine beer, but we can show her our favorite Happy Hour spots (okay, I really only have one, but I've heard there are some great ones :)
We attended a very fun 3rd of July party at a friend's that I wish I knew better. Just as I moved in to Portland last fall, she moved to Atlanta. Luckily, her parents have a house in Falmouth so we got to eat grilled meat (a requisite for parties occurring near Independence Day, see last post), play with sparklers and dance in her mom's living room to some classic songs from the 70s. One of the highlights of the night: one of her mom's friends, a fit man in his 50s (60s even) went up on their second floor landing and put on a show, spanking his own ass with two hands. Fabulous.
And, of course, the 4th of July. Hung with some kickball peeps and had one of the most enjoyable holidays ever. There was beer, lawn games, Italian sandwiches and strawberries soaked in Grand Marnier. Then, despite the rain, there were fireworks. Portland put on a pretty good show and Tall Guy and I watched them under a large tree overlooking the ocean as the rain fell around us. I say again, fabulous.
Last Thursday, "Rick is 21" lost the last regular-season kickball game. However, we drowned our sorrows with pitchers of beer and had a grand time at $3 Deweys. Despite the loss, we clinched fourth thereby securing a "bye" in this week's playoffs. So, tonight we go to scout the competition, cheer on the underdogs and minister cold ones to the losers.
Last weekend, after watching the Babe Ruth championship game on Friday night (our boss's son plays and we really like watching baseball), Tall Guy and I went to CT for a bbq with some of my old friends (not that we're old, I've just known them a long time). The bbq was at the Dancing Queen's house and her bro, Dreds, was there. He brought with him Guitar Hero 2. Tall Guy and I quickly fell in love with this game. By the end of the weekend we were able to strum our way through "Free Bird," hitting over 80% of the notes. If only you didn't need a Playstation or XBox to play - I would've owned this game by Monday.
Tall Guy's sister, Legs, moved into town on Saturday to enjoy the gorgeous Maine summer. She's lived here before so we didn't have to introduce her to delicious Maine beer, but we can show her our favorite Happy Hour spots (okay, I really only have one, but I've heard there are some great ones :)
We attended a very fun 3rd of July party at a friend's that I wish I knew better. Just as I moved in to Portland last fall, she moved to Atlanta. Luckily, her parents have a house in Falmouth so we got to eat grilled meat (a requisite for parties occurring near Independence Day, see last post), play with sparklers and dance in her mom's living room to some classic songs from the 70s. One of the highlights of the night: one of her mom's friends, a fit man in his 50s (60s even) went up on their second floor landing and put on a show, spanking his own ass with two hands. Fabulous.
And, of course, the 4th of July. Hung with some kickball peeps and had one of the most enjoyable holidays ever. There was beer, lawn games, Italian sandwiches and strawberries soaked in Grand Marnier. Then, despite the rain, there were fireworks. Portland put on a pretty good show and Tall Guy and I watched them under a large tree overlooking the ocean as the rain fell around us. I say again, fabulous.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Birth of our Nation, blah, blah, blah
Every year, around this time, we're supposed to wax patriotic. I am not sure what waxing patriotic actually is, but I think it has something to do with taking down the picture of our commander-in-chief from the dartboard, digging out a flag bandana to wrap around your harley and eating a lot of grilled meat.
I really do love the concept of this, my homeland, so I probably shouldn't belittle this holiday. I mean, I am thrilled that we won our independence from England and I heart fireworks, and grilled meat, but it is tough to rally around this holiday when I feel so angered and betrayed by the administration. Here is a great website, Crooks and Liars that I visit and I think that they just say it better than I could, especially the post about impeachment.
I look forward to the day when this country is not being controlled by liars and cheats who think it is okay to do what they want, the people be damned. I believe in democracy. I was not thrilled when my candidate of choice was not elected, but I guess I naively believed that the candidate chosen would do his best to serve the needs of as many people as possible throughout the entire country. Instead, he rewards his friends and covers his own ass while doing whatever he pleases to push an agenda of the few.
HappyBirthday, America.
I really do love the concept of this, my homeland, so I probably shouldn't belittle this holiday. I mean, I am thrilled that we won our independence from England and I heart fireworks, and grilled meat, but it is tough to rally around this holiday when I feel so angered and betrayed by the administration. Here is a great website, Crooks and Liars that I visit and I think that they just say it better than I could, especially the post about impeachment.
I look forward to the day when this country is not being controlled by liars and cheats who think it is okay to do what they want, the people be damned. I believe in democracy. I was not thrilled when my candidate of choice was not elected, but I guess I naively believed that the candidate chosen would do his best to serve the needs of as many people as possible throughout the entire country. Instead, he rewards his friends and covers his own ass while doing whatever he pleases to push an agenda of the few.
Happy
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Trivial
It's early Thursday morning. I just went to my osteopath (for my lower back and hip pain - yes, some days I might be 80), which apparently makes my breakfast digest faster, so I'm hungry and lunch is over 2 hours away. All of this is a long explanation for this week's trivia topic: food. We, once again, boycotted trivia, this time in favor of a Sea Dogs baseball game. So, I found my own trivia. Here it is:
*What is the most recognizable smell in the world?
*If the Japanese delicacy fugu pufferfish isn’t prepared by an expert chef, what will happen to the eater?
*How many pounds of cheese does the average American eat per year?
*Spilling salt is considered good luck in which country?
*According to superstition over which shoulder should you sprinkle salt?
*What was E.T.’s favorite candy?
*In which decade was the Slurpee introduced – 1960s, 70s or 80s?
*Who was the first Ronald McDonald?
*How many eggs does Paul Newman’s character eat in the movie Cool Hand Luke?
---------------------------------------------------------
Because trivia and house-hunting seem to go hand-in-hand in my mind, I'll provide a brief update. We found a condo - it's great, we want it. In crunching numbers, we have realized that it might mean stretching ourselves to purchase it, which is mind-boggling since my house in Mass cost 2 times as much and we made less money. Perhaps, we're being too conservative, but I just fear the house-poor situation I just left behind. We press on...
---------------------------------------------------------
Answers:
Coffee
S/he’ll die (it’s poisonous if not prepared correctly)
28 lbs.
Japan
Left
Reese’s Pieces
1960s – 1965 to be exact, at 7Eleven
In 1962 Willard Scott of the Today Show and Bozo the Clown fame became the first Ronald McDonald
50
*What is the most recognizable smell in the world?
*If the Japanese delicacy fugu pufferfish isn’t prepared by an expert chef, what will happen to the eater?
*How many pounds of cheese does the average American eat per year?
*Spilling salt is considered good luck in which country?
*According to superstition over which shoulder should you sprinkle salt?
*What was E.T.’s favorite candy?
*In which decade was the Slurpee introduced – 1960s, 70s or 80s?
*Who was the first Ronald McDonald?
*How many eggs does Paul Newman’s character eat in the movie Cool Hand Luke?
---------------------------------------------------------
Because trivia and house-hunting seem to go hand-in-hand in my mind, I'll provide a brief update. We found a condo - it's great, we want it. In crunching numbers, we have realized that it might mean stretching ourselves to purchase it, which is mind-boggling since my house in Mass cost 2 times as much and we made less money. Perhaps, we're being too conservative, but I just fear the house-poor situation I just left behind. We press on...
---------------------------------------------------------
Answers:
Coffee
S/he’ll die (it’s poisonous if not prepared correctly)
28 lbs.
Japan
Left
Reese’s Pieces
1960s – 1965 to be exact, at 7Eleven
In 1962 Willard Scott of the Today Show and Bozo the Clown fame became the first Ronald McDonald
50
I Keep Forgettin'
Besides being a great Michael McDonald song from the 80s, this is how I feel about my relationship with my blog sometimes. I actually forget that I have it and that I have to keep the content fresh and new in order to keep it happy (yes, I just admitted that I think my blog has feelings). You'd think it would haunt my sleep or something.
If I had blogged about my weekend, I would have written about the vile black liquer known as Jager. I was about to have a button made for myself: "32.5 years without puking". From drinking, that is. But, thanks to a shot of Jager (with a little help from its lesser offender the Lemon Drop and 6 beers), I have to call the printers and cancel the order. Happy Hour started at 5:00, I was all puked out and in bed by 8:30.
After pickling myself on Friday, did I listen to the sober voice of reason telling me that alcohol was not my friend? Did Britney rush out and buy some new underwear at wal-trash? (that means no) I actually felt pretty darn good on Saturday but by my the 2nd beer on Saturday night, my throat started to close and I realized that I should keep a water in my hand to ensure no more malted beverages made it to my stomach.
And then...
Friends came in to town on Sunday and after a meal that took 2+ hours and 3 bottles of wine, we made our way to a local pub for some after-dinner drinks. I capped my weekend off by getting pulled over by Portland's finest because he thought that our car wasn't inspected (it was but MA puts its sticker on the right side of the windshield where ME puts it on the left or center). He also mentioned that I had "rolled" through a few of the blinking red lights but for some reason he spared me with a verbal warning and my weekend of self-pickling and drunken debauchery came to an end.
If I had blogged about my weekend, I would have written about the vile black liquer known as Jager. I was about to have a button made for myself: "32.5 years without puking". From drinking, that is. But, thanks to a shot of Jager (with a little help from its lesser offender the Lemon Drop and 6 beers), I have to call the printers and cancel the order. Happy Hour started at 5:00, I was all puked out and in bed by 8:30.
After pickling myself on Friday, did I listen to the sober voice of reason telling me that alcohol was not my friend? Did Britney rush out and buy some new underwear at wal-trash? (that means no) I actually felt pretty darn good on Saturday but by my the 2nd beer on Saturday night, my throat started to close and I realized that I should keep a water in my hand to ensure no more malted beverages made it to my stomach.
And then...
Friends came in to town on Sunday and after a meal that took 2+ hours and 3 bottles of wine, we made our way to a local pub for some after-dinner drinks. I capped my weekend off by getting pulled over by Portland's finest because he thought that our car wasn't inspected (it was but MA puts its sticker on the right side of the windshield where ME puts it on the left or center). He also mentioned that I had "rolled" through a few of the blinking red lights but for some reason he spared me with a verbal warning and my weekend of self-pickling and drunken debauchery came to an end.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Happy Mouth, Happy Team
Yes, my mouth is still happy about having eaten lunch at the local Greek Festival. Tall Guy and I waited in line for about 30 minutes, but the gyro and greek salad were worth it. And the pastries for dessert...mmmmmm.
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Another kickball victory last night for "Rick is 21." We played killer defense and had some amazing base-running to put us ahead 4-1. I know it's only supposed to be for fun, but, Damn! I like winning.
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Another kickball victory last night for "Rick is 21." We played killer defense and had some amazing base-running to put us ahead 4-1. I know it's only supposed to be for fun, but, Damn! I like winning.
Makin' our way to the bar after the game
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Makin' my own fun
First of all, happy summer! It's freakin' gorgeous out, here in Portland.
Due to last week’s egregious emceeing at the local trivia night, we decided to skip it this week in protest (I’m sure that guy really missed us). In lieu of “pub trivia,” here is some good ol’ fashioned U.S. presidential history followed by trivia about my new home state.
*Who were the tallest and shortest presidents?
*Who was the only bachelor president?
*Which president served the shortest term?
*What was the first movie shown in the White House?
*What percent of the country’s lobster is caught off the coast of Maine?
*Portland is the birthplace of what famous poet, author of "Paul Revere’s Ride"?
*How many and which other U.S. states does Maine border?
*What is the nickname for Maine?
*How fast can a moose run?
*The state motto is Dirigo, also the name of a high school and health system in the state. What does it mean (in Latin)?
*What is the name of the largest indigenous Indian tribe in the state?
*What do the call letters of WCSH-TV, the NBC affiliate in Portland, stand for?
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‘Cause I can’t resist reporting about the stupidity of some people out there, here is a story about some candidates for a Darwin Award. Notice that I didn't mention that they are southern. I hope they at least got to smoke a cigarette.
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Apartment search update: We gave up the great place we had found because it meant taking a risk and putting down a bunch of money without knowing that our current place would definitely be rented. So, the bad news is we lost a pretty awesome apartment. The good news is we don’t have to move next week and we can now leave our lease when it’s actually up thereby ensuring we get our security deposit back. Because we can't accept having leisure time for some reason, we have now turned our eyes toward purchasing a home and have filled every available minute looking at possibilities. Between apartment and house hunting, I'm pretty sure we've been in over 2 dozen homes in the area. An important lesson learned: Tall Guy's head is higher than many ___________ (insert here: ceilings/stairwells/basements/showers).
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Answers:
*Lincoln at 6’4” and Madison at 5’4”
*James Buchanan
*William Henry Harrison (1 month)
*Birth of a Nation
*90%
*Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 2/2/1807
*One – New Hampshire
*Pine Tree State is the official nickname, but Vacationland is the other, more accurate, nickname (hint hint, come visit)
*About 30 mph
*"I lead" or "I direct"
*Abenaki
*Congress Square Hotel, owned by the founder of WCSH radio and television
Due to last week’s egregious emceeing at the local trivia night, we decided to skip it this week in protest (I’m sure that guy really missed us). In lieu of “pub trivia,” here is some good ol’ fashioned U.S. presidential history followed by trivia about my new home state.
*Who were the tallest and shortest presidents?
*Who was the only bachelor president?
*Which president served the shortest term?
*What was the first movie shown in the White House?
*What percent of the country’s lobster is caught off the coast of Maine?
*Portland is the birthplace of what famous poet, author of "Paul Revere’s Ride"?
*How many and which other U.S. states does Maine border?
*What is the nickname for Maine?
*How fast can a moose run?
*The state motto is Dirigo, also the name of a high school and health system in the state. What does it mean (in Latin)?
*What is the name of the largest indigenous Indian tribe in the state?
*What do the call letters of WCSH-TV, the NBC affiliate in Portland, stand for?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘Cause I can’t resist reporting about the stupidity of some people out there, here is a story about some candidates for a Darwin Award. Notice that I didn't mention that they are southern. I hope they at least got to smoke a cigarette.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apartment search update: We gave up the great place we had found because it meant taking a risk and putting down a bunch of money without knowing that our current place would definitely be rented. So, the bad news is we lost a pretty awesome apartment. The good news is we don’t have to move next week and we can now leave our lease when it’s actually up thereby ensuring we get our security deposit back. Because we can't accept having leisure time for some reason, we have now turned our eyes toward purchasing a home and have filled every available minute looking at possibilities. Between apartment and house hunting, I'm pretty sure we've been in over 2 dozen homes in the area. An important lesson learned: Tall Guy's head is higher than many ___________ (insert here: ceilings/stairwells/basements/showers).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers:
*Lincoln at 6’4” and Madison at 5’4”
*James Buchanan
*William Henry Harrison (1 month)
*Birth of a Nation
*90%
*Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 2/2/1807
*One – New Hampshire
*Pine Tree State is the official nickname, but Vacationland is the other, more accurate, nickname (hint hint, come visit)
*About 30 mph
*"I lead" or "I direct"
*Abenaki
*Congress Square Hotel, owned by the founder of WCSH radio and television
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