Kath's Blog

Friday Five on Tuesday

2006-05-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I made a promise to myself that I would blog at least once a week, but I don't have anything remarkable to say. Packing, looking for an apartment, working, going out, the usual...

Listening to: Corwin's Going Out Mix
Reading: Terry Pratchett - Feet of Clay
Watching: Must Love Jaws!!!

And because I can't think of anything to write, A Friday Five:

1. How many places have you lived in your life?
16 residences.

2. Which was your favorite and why and what street was it on?
Silverdale, Washington. I love the mountains. NW Westridge Court

3. If you could live anywhere for the rest of your life, where would it be?
Probably, Seattle. Likely, I'll stay in Raleigh, though.

4. What would your ideal home have in it?
A bed with egyptian cotton sheets and a goose down comforter. Um, and maybe Edward Norton...

5. Can you describe your current crib?
Split A-frame. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. TREES!!!!

and maybe one more:

1. What type of mood are you generally in on a rainy day?
Mostly a rainy day seems like a perfect excuse for pjs, a book, and lots of naps.

2. What are your favorite things to do when the weather is gloomy?
read, sleep, generally be slow.

3. Have you ever been kissed in the rain?
certainly. ;)

4. After the rain stops, do you continue what you were doing, or do you run outside to do something else?
Depends on what I was doing.

5. What is your favorite drink/food to have when it's raining outside?
Why, a pina colada, of course!

Magic For Beginners

2006-05-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

When I was working on my list of books to read for 2006, I came across this quote from Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link:

This is the thing she likes about backwards, You start out with all the answers, and after a while, someone comes along and gives you the questions, but you don't have to answer them. You're already past that part. That was what was so nice about being married. Things got better and better until you hardly even knew each other anymore. And then you said good night and went out on a date, and after that you were just friends. It was easier that way - that's the dear, sweet, backwards way of the world.

From that quote, I was hooked and really wanted to read this book. The funny thing is, I thought this was a novel about life going in reverse. In actuality it is a collection of very bizarre little short stories. Initally I was disapointed, I thought I had picked up the wrong title. To my amusement, I didn't realize the story I was looking for was part of the collection until the very last story.

The stories are very strange, but well-written and interesting. I'm not sure I understood a lot of the stories, but K. says that's just reason to read them again. I mean, how can a book with a story called "Some Zombie Contingency Plans" be all bad?

I wouldn't necessarily say you need to run out and buy this book now, but it is worth a read, and if you're interested, let me know and I'll loan it your way. I'd love to have someone to discuss it with.

My Roommate Rocks...

2006-05-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

I am used to cooking for other people. I have done it a lot. I am very good at it. However, sometimes it is awesome to have someone (especially someone who can really cook) else make dinner.

This is one reason why my roommate, b. rocks. Tonite when I came home from work, she made us shrimp and grits for dinner to eat while we watched the season finale of 24. It was delicious. I am very fat and happy now. My roommate, she rocks.

This was the second time I've ever had shrimp and grits. Being half-Yankee, I've kind of avoided them (grits) my whole life. I thought they were gross. It was then pointed out that I love polenta, so wtf? Finally, at the Red Hat Holiday party last year, I gave in. I'm so glad I did.

She also makes better spinach dip than me. Even though I use the exact same recipe, her's always tastes the best. Sigh.

Ok, just needed to share that. Now I'm going to go return to my carb-induced fog.

Curacao!

2006-05-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write about my recent trip to Curacao, but I didn't want to do so until I had at least some of the pictures up to view. I've gotten the first batch up, I'm still kind of editing, but if you'd like to see them, they are here. I'll keep working on them for the next couple days.

My long weekend in Curacao was amazing. The island is located roughly 30 miles off the coast of Venezuela about 12 degrees from the equator. It is part of the Netherland Antilles in the Southern Caribbean. The temperature was hot, 90 degrees and sunny every day, but the tradewinds are constantly blowing and this keeps it actually quite comfortable. The island is very dry and a desert with large cacti growing all over the island. (This was very different from my experience in St. Thomas last year, which was quite tropical and lush.) I didn't realize just how much more powerful the sun is there, I got a very bad sunburn our first day down there and I was reapplying SPF 40 every 20-30 minutes.

We spent our first day lying on the beach, having fruity blue curacao drinks and swimming in the blue, blue sea. When we got tired of the ocean, we went swimming in the pool, and then I realized that I was sunburned. The next morning was a little rough, so we decided to stay out of the sun and visit the aquarium next door and then visit Willemsted, the capital.

Willemsted is divided into two cities, Otrabanda and Punda. Both areas are crowded with shops and restuarants, and there is a floating open air market. Remembering that this is a Dutch island, I was quite pleased to find lots and lots of Gouda. Mmmmm, cheese... The city, like the entire island, is strongly influenced by the Dutch, and this is evident everywhere you look. From the architecture, to the food, to even the language. The official language of the island is Dutch, however most of the locals speak a Pidgeon language made up of English, Spanish, Dutch, and Creole, I believe. Language was occasionally a problem, as I know no Dutch, but eventually understanding could be reached. Next time I'll listen to my Dutch language tapes before I go.

For me, the highlight of the trip was a day long snorkeling trip off the side of a huge schooner. The schooner took us to several different coral reefs where I did some of the best snorkeling of my life. I think after this snorkeling trip I've half-decided to sell all my stuff and move to an island in the Caribbean with my dog and teach snorkeling lessons for the rest of my life. There are certainly worse fates, right? At the very least I have decided I am going to learn to dive before my next island adventure, as I'm becoming more dissatisfied with only being able to stay on the surface. I want to see more!!!!

Sunburn aside, it was a crazy adventure. I would recommend the island to anyone who wants to experience a very European flavored Caribbean. It's a very unique place. It's also a good place to go if you want to spend time with very few fellow Americans. We probably saw less than a dozen Americans during our trip. (Snorkeling excursion aside.) The people are wonderful, the food is great, and best of all - you are surrounded by the most beautiful cobalt blue sea.

I love my shoulders...

2006-05-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

We spend too much time focusing on our buddha bellies or skinny legs or whatever.

So, here is something I love...

Why I love my shoulders

Because they are strong.
Because without them I could not carry anything.
Because the stronger they get, the better posture I seem to have.
Because they are not too big or too small, they are just right for me.
Without them, where would my arms be attached?

What do you love?

Book Meme

2006-05-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Via Kat using Bascha's key.

bold = read it
italicised, but not bold = a book I want to read but haven’t yet
italicised and bold = a book I’m currently reading
~~bold and struck through~~ = a book I tried to read and have formally abandoned out of disinterest
purple bold = a book I love
purple bold italics = a book I love so much that it is always current reading

Then add four.

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter 6) - J.K. Rowling
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) - J.K. Rowling
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) - J.K. Rowling
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter 5) - J.K. Rowling
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Book 1) - J.K. Rowling
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) - J.K. Rowling
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
~~American Gods - Neil Gaiman~~
Ender’s Game (The Ender Saga) - Orson Scott Card
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Dune - Frank Herbert
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland
The Nature of Blood - Caryl Phillips
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules - Ed. David Sedaris
The Last Continent - Terry Pratchett
The Book of Skulls - Robert Silverberg
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice - Laurie R. King
Persepolis 2 - Marjane Satrapi
The Sound & The Fury - William Faulkner
A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami
The Bridge of Birds - Barry Hughart
Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
Gravity’s Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L’Engle
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Illusion - Paula Volsky
To Reign in Hell - Steven Brust
Pattern Recognition - William Gibson
Tailchaser’s Song - Tad Williams

My four:

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
The Stand - Stephen King

Catching Up

2006-04-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

So, as per my usual, I've not been posting. I think about posting, but I'm apparently too slack to do much more than answer the Friday Fives. So, I imagine most everyone who reads this knows what I've been up to, but just in case...

First, just to get this off my chest...The new NC Lotto is not making me very happy. Because I smoke and I have an addiction to the Diet Coke, I very often have to make a quick stop at the gas station. Since the onset of this wonderful new lottery, my wait time at these convenience stores has increased dramatically as I must now wait in line behind all the people paying the math tax to buy their Scratch and Wins. People, believe me, trust me, you aren't going to win. And if you do, it will really, really not make up for the money that you throw away buying those things. Ok, just needed to say that.

What I've been reading:

Cook-Off - Recipe Fever in America - Amy Sutherland
Good in Bed - Jennifer Weiner
So Many Books, So Little Time - Sara Nelson
Book Lust 2 - Nancy Pearl
Veronica - Mary Gaitskill
Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
Guards!Guards! - Terry Pratchett
Men at Arms - Terry Pratchett
Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett
Magic for Beginners - Kelly Link

What I've been watching:
24, The Shield (Poor Lem), too many bad horror movies to mention, CSI, reruns of Law and Order.

What I've been up to:

Trouble?

The Hospitals of Virginia (in March). Dad was having some complications from his open heart surgery and ended up in a couple hospitals for a week. All is well now, possibly another procedure, but things look good.

The Lake: Made two trips up to the lake. One with friends to help out my Dad with cleaning of boats, working on the sun room, and cleaning up the trail. Second trip was for Easter and the first boating adventure of the season. I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time at the lake this season and very much looking forward to an over the lake Hot Air Balloon ride in July.

Working: Work has been madness of late. Lots of regular work, plus some new projects keeping me busy. I am ready for vacation.

Vacation: Woo! Getting ready to leave for Curacao with a friend from work for a long weekend. It's a total impulse trip, and kind of crazy, but who can complain about leaving the country and lying on some beach for a weekend.

Still mad for the DDR. I think I am causing my roommate's ears to bleed.

Hanging out with friends, Running around.

So, that's the update!

Friday Five

2006-01-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

Some old Friday Fivers:

1. What do you normally eat for breakfast?
Toast with cheese or yogurt.

2. Are you more likely to drink coffee or tea?
Tea.

3. Would you consider yourself a good cook?
Yes.

4. What is your favorite meal?
Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes.

5. Green eggs and ham: would you eat it?
It depends on why they were green.

1. Are you timely or always late?
I'm either really early or really late, but not usually on time.

2. Do you wear a watch?
No.

3. What is the most important event you have been late for?
My cousin's wedding, for which I was maid of honor.

4. What kind of system you have for keeping track of your bills?
Spreadsheet.

5. What is your favorite time of day?
Late afternoon, early evening.

Ice Cream

2006-01-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

When I was in college I would occasionally splurge and buy myself a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I was broke, as are most college students, so I'd try to make the pint last as long as possible. For awhile, my favorite flavor was Cookie Dough ice cream. This was back in the early 90's, so it was still a relatively "new" flavor. One night I came home and went to the freezer to have a late night snack. I opened the pint to eat the last third of the pint and to my surprise my Cookie Dough ice cream had somehow become vanilla.

To my dismay, my dear roommates had apparently melted the ice cream in the microwave and had eaten all the cookie dough pieces out of the ice cream, leaving nothing but vanilla behind.

Now, if I would have had this, it never would have happened!!

In other interesting news, I found this site, where you can make your own custom ice cream flavor creations. And some of the options are really, really weird. If you mix Cream flavor with Parmesan and Basil, I think that would be pesto ice cream. I can't decide if that's the grossest thing ever, or something that might be good...At almost $50 for four pints, I think I might just have to experiment at home. Nifty idea, though.

7 X 7 Meme (Better late than never?)

2006-01-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

I got tagged by Robust McManlyPants with the 7 x 7 Meme. Here goes:

Seven Things To Do Before I Die:

See the world, or at least touch my foot on every continent before I die.
Do at least one of the following things that scare, but fascinate me: fly a plane, skydive, be an astronaut (ok, i know it's not realistic), or hang glide.
Retire to the lake with the people that I love.
Take a month-long road trip around the country. (Stopping at the world's largest balls of yarn and other roadside attractions mandatory.)
Learn to sail.
Get my master's degree, and maybe, just maybe, a phd.
Spend more time with my family and friends.

Seven Things I Cannot Do:

waterski
Say the word thesaurus properly.
Dance...I'm not saying that I don't shake my booty, I just really can't shake it well.
Wait, patiently...
Speak a foreign language fluently. I can speak a little Spanish, and I practice with a guy at work, but it's pretty basic stuff.
Change a tire. I should know how to do this, I'm hoping it'll kind of come to me ,um, instinctively or something...I can, however, change the oil (Thanks, Gramps) and hotwire (Thanks, NCIS) said vehicle.
Make a proper cheesecake.

Seven Things That Attract Me To Blogging:

It allows me to keep up with friends, without having to talk on the phone. ;)
There are a lot of strange things on the interwebs. I find a lot of them through people's blogs.
I like to answer silly quiz things.
Occasionally I have something to say.
Um, it gives me something to do while I'm watching tv.
It allows me to read the opinions and points of view of people I might never have the opportunity to otherwise.
I'm actually not very good at this whole blog thing.

Seven Things I Say Most Often:

That's so queer.
I'm just saying...
That's crazy talk
I'm going to go smoke.
It's all good.
Gandalf!!!!
Howdy

Seven Books That I Love:

The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger. Teen angst at it's finest.
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood I read this right after 9/11. Seemed appropriate though frightening at the time.
The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson. One of the reasons I love this book so much is that I was desperately trying to get through Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie at the same time, without much success. I became fascinated with the time period while reading Devil, which led to a renewed (and successful) interest in Sister Carrie.
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky. I'll admit it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it.
Helter Skelter- Vincent Bugliosi. Some people read bad romance novels, but True Crime is my trash. This one's the best.
It - Stephen King. I love many of Stephen King's novels. He was the first author to truly scare the pants off me. He's an excellent storyteller and this is a great story.
Backlash - Susan Faludi

Seven Movies That I Watch Over And Over Again:

The Silence of the Lambs - I *heart* this movie. This movie scared the shit out fo me, but still, I so wanted to be Clarice Starling. (Pre Hannibal, the novel, Clarice Starling that is.)
Nightmare on Elm Street. I know it's horrible, but I love Freddy Krueger, and this one's got Johnny Depp too!
Clerks
The Game - This might be one of the few Michael Douglas movies I like. I just don't care for him.
The Princess Bride
Siesta
Dogma - What can I say? I really think Kevin Smith is funny. (I kind of have a crush on him.)

Seven Things About Christmas that were really cool:

Spending time with my family.
Traditional Christmas Breakfast.
Watching Gandalf and Tivo play.
Lots of fun holiday parties.
Spending time with friends.
Days off from work.
Lots and lots of Christmas Baking.

Catching up and Book List

2005-12-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

So, as per usual, I haven't written in a while. There are a bunch of things I want to catch up on , but it will take a while to do:

1. DisneyWorld
2. Austin
3. Zombies, zombies, everywhere

But for tonite, here is the list of books I read in 2005. It's a pretty short list, actually, with um, lots of trash this year. I think I did a lot more news and blog reading this year, or maybe I just didn't feel like reading much, which is weird.

1. Trading Up - Candace Bushnell
2. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
3. A few books on birds of Virginia and North Carolina.
4. Puppies for Dummies
5. The Art of Raising a Puppy - New Skete Monks
6. Codex - Lev Grossman
7. Ellen Foster - Kaye Gibbons
8. A Paper Life - Tatum O'Neil
9. Never Let Me Go - Kaquo Ishiguro
10. The Sinner - Tess Gerritsen
11. Tea - Stacey D'Erasmo

So, what did other people read this year? What do you recommend I add to the list for 2006?

Friday Fiver

2005-11-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

1. What is your shoe size?
7.5

2. How many hours did you sleep last night?
6.5

3. Area code of your phone number:
919

4. Last grade of school completed:
one semester graduate school.

5. Time it takes you to get ready in the morning:
40 minutes

From 10/28:

1. What's the last item you mailed?
a card to my grandma

2. Who has made you smile recently?
lots of folks.

3. What's the weather like outside?
chilly, clear.

4. Do you consider youself a good judge of character?
most of the time.

5. What's your favorite photograph?
currently, it's a picture my sister took of the Dancing House in Prague. It reminds me that I still have many places to see.

Friday Five

2005-11-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

From 10/28 Friday Five:

1. If you had all the money in the world and could choose to own anything, what you would get and why?

Um, if we're talking purely selfish desires it would be a plane with a pilot to take my anywhere I want to go.

2. If you were to do something that scares you, what would it be?

Learn to fly the damn plane myself.

3. What was your first pet?

A yellow tabby, Sid J. Pussywillow

4. What's the farthest you've traveled?

I'd say Scotland, but I think Hawaii might be further.

5. If you were a season, which one would you be and why?

Fall. I was born in the fall so maybe that's why I feel closest to it.

Extra one: If you were a song, which one would you be and why?

Um, hmm...Twisting - They Might be Giants

From 11/4:

1. What are you most self-conscious about?
Probably my weight.

2. What's your favourite word?
Capricious

3. What's your biggest fear?
Currently? Not being able to pay my bills.

4. What's the weirdest thing ever to happen to you at work/school?
One of the big bosses at a previous job called me up drunk and hit on me at work. It was weird and really gross.

5. If you were going to have a revolution, what kind of society would you create?
A peaceful, tolerant one.

Friday Five on Sunday

2005-10-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

From the Friday Fiver:

1. What's your favorite animated characters?
Tom & Jerry, Dexter

2. Violence in cartoons - funny or harmful?
Not much of an opinion on this one.

3. Can you do any impressions?
Nope

4. Would you consider yourself artistic?
Not particularly

5. What's your favorite type of cheese?
All of it. I am an addict. If I had to pick just one it would probably be extra sharp cheddar.

Birthday

2005-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

So, this year my birthday turned into more of an event than a day. It started three weeks ago with my trip to the CSI exhibit, followed the next weekend by getting to see my most favorite band the Posies.

The Posies were awesome as always, a very small show, which consdering I couldn't do my usual follow the band around the East Coast for a few days, I thought was kind of treat. I finally was able to give the guys the Posies license plates I've been carrying around for years and I think both bwb and b. really enjoyed the show as well. I had so much fun and I must thank my friend R. for lettting me know about the show, as I've been so out of touch I would have missed it! Lots of songs from Frosting on the Beater and Amazing Disgrace, a few from the new album, and one from Dear 23.

It continued to be an event for the actual celebration day of my birth. I came home at lunch to walk the little guy and walked onto my back porch to see our dead, leaning tree no longer really leaning at a 45 degree angle, but hanging about 10 feet above the roof. Well, actually resting on some small tree branches above our fence. Decided we better scrap plans to go out and stay in just in case the tree fell in an unexpected manner, on our house. As it was, the tree waited until we had run out on an errand Saturday.

Saturday night met the folks for a delicious dinner at Magiano's. I have to say just how cool my dad is. Sis and I had given him tickets to the Rolling Stones for Father's Day and he had gone to the show this week. He was so excited, he kept saying how it was the best show of his life and anytime anyone walked in earshot, he'd raise his voice and talk about how he'd just seen the stones. We laughed and remained amazed that Mick and ole' zombie Keith Richards (we are convinced Keith Richards died years ago, and is now resurrected as a zombie) can still put on such a great show. Then Dad listed all the shows he had gone to over the years (an impressive list, I might add) and I realized where my love of music comes from. We decided that the next time REM tours, we'll go see them together, because he's also the big fan of REM.

So an eventful birthday. I almost forgot I turned 34.

Oh, and I got my very own roller skates. Hee!

Friday Five

2005-10-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

I don't really care for this Friday Five:

1. How long have you had your LiveJournal/blog?

I think I've had a blog in some form or another for over a year. I didn't post to it for most of that year, as well.

2. What do you consider to be the main purpose of your LiveJournal/blog?

To keep up with friends and make myself write.

3. If you could change something about your personal blogging style, what would it be?

I had something more interesting to say.

4. What are your criteria for adding someone to your friends list/blog roll?

They are my friend? I remember to?

5. Name one thing that you've never before written about in your LJ/blog.

I haven't been writing to it for very long, so most things I haven't written about.

From the Friday Fiver:

1. Have you ever been to the emergency room?

Couple o' times.

2. What's the worst pain you've ever had?

The spinal taps I had when I had spinal menigitis when I was four. Maybe it wouldn't hurt that badly now, but I can still remember how much it hurt then and that was 30 years ago.

3. If you could choose your doctor, do you prefer someone of the same or opposite sex?

Same

4. Do you take vitamins?

Sometimes

5. Would you prefer to go to the doctor, the dentist or go sky diving?

Sky Diving

Friday Five

2005-09-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

From the Friday Five:

1. What kind of computer do you have? (Mac, iBook, Dell, etc.)
Dell

2. How old is it? Are you happy with it?
It's about 3 years old. I am not happy with it because it can't handle Sims 2.

3. How many computers are in your household? (at home if you are away at school)
Up and running? I think 2 and a laptop? There are extras about the house, however.

4. What are your favorite games/timewasters on your computer?
Sims, obsessively reading news, google searching for useless information.

5. If money were no object, what kind of computer would you like to have?
Oh, I'd just be happy with one that would play Sims 2.

From the Friday Fiver:

1. What is the most important thing you've ever lost?
Item of most sentimental value - my senior year annual from highschool.

2. When is the last time you lost your keys?
Not for a while, I've been keeping them in my purse. Used to be every day.

3. Have you ever felt like you've lost your mind?
Heh.

4. Are you likely to ask for directions when lost or to continue to wander?
If I understand the general direction I'm trying to get to, I may wander for a bit, but I'm very impatient, so I'll soon stop for directions if I'm really lost.

5. Numerology: reliable or just a load of bunk?
Likely a load of bunk.

Banned Books

2005-09-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

Stealing from M's post on banned books:

These are the books on the ALA 1990-2000 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books List that I've read:

3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
37. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

I like to read. Although honestly, I wish I had *never* read American Psycho. I may hate that book more than any other book I've ever read. And I can't get rid of it. Every time I give it away, I somehow end up with it again.

We were just talking about How to Eat Fried Worms this summer, I can't imagine what would have been controversial about that book, though it's probably been 20 some years since I read it.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

2005-09-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Gandalf!!!

I can't believe you are already one!

Friday Five

2005-09-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

This week on the Friday Five:

Do you have a dream you will always strive to achieve until your dying day?

To see the world, as much of it as I can possibly fit in the time I have.

Do you believe in fate or free will, or something else?

I'd love to believe in fate, it would be a great scapegoat for my own mistakes and would probably make it much easier to go with the flow in life. However, I think I'm becoming more cynical in my old age, and I lean far more towards free will.

Marilyn Monroe. Conspiracy or tragic accident?

I read a few books on this subject - from a book by the coroner who autopsied her, to one by one of her former husbands or lovers who swore conspiracy. In the end, I wasn't there, so I don't know, truly.

Favourite childhood sweets/candy?

Almond Roca. I had sophisticated tastes, or something. I still love it.

Favourite cocktail (alcoholic or virgin) and it's ingredients?

Currently it's the mojito, introduced to me by my amazing aunt marsh. Ingredients are rum, simple syrup, lime, mint, and soda, I do believe...

From the Friday Fiver:

1. What kind of lighting is around you?

A couple 60-watt light bulbs, the tv, and a couple candles.

2. What do you think of your singing voice?

I can carry a tune well enough, but I don't think that my voice is particularly amazing.

3. Who do you try to please?

Sometimes everyone, sometimes myself.

4. Describe your last dream:

I think I dreamt I saw the Posies playing in the French Quarter in New Orleans with lots of flooding around. I don't remember more than that, I'm afraid. There were probably zombies, there often are.

5. When is the last time you bought flowers?

Does being there when your roommate buys them for the house count? If so, then last Friday. If I'm buying them for someone else, it would probably be lavender roses I bought my roommate a couple months ago.

Bugs!!!

2005-09-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

As an early birthday present, bwb and b. took me to the Natural Science Museum to see the CSI:Insects exhibit. I had seen advertisements for it and had really wanted to go. I love all things relating to forensic science, bugs are no exception. What B. did not tell me was that they were having a guest speaker. Professor M. Lee Goff, one of the leading forensic entomologists in the world, and also the man on whom the character Gil Grissom on CSI was based, was speaking. Oh how exciting.

The exhibit itself was really interesting, they showed how bugs help to solve crime and even had some hands on exhibits to mess around with. At two we headed to the auditorium to see Prof. Goff speak. He is an engaging and humorous speaker. It was a fascinating presentation.

I learned several things:

1. If you die in your house and noone finds you, it might be better to have a cat than a dog. A cat won't wait very long to eat you and he'll start with your face. If you have a dog, he'll wait until he's really hungry though and he will start with your groin. Maybe it's best to be found.

2. Bugs on cocaine progress faster through developmental stages, and you can tell what drugs a person was one by testing the bugs that are eating him.

3. Prof. Goff really let a pig decompose in his backyard to see how long it took for bugs to get into a wrapped body. CSI had Grissom do the same thing. Pretty cool, eh?

4. Chocolate covered mealworms taste an awful lot like Kit Kat bars. B. purchased some for me at the museum and M.R. and I had them for a snack one day at work. I don't think I'm going to start buying bugs in bulk to snack on, but they aren't bad.

A very cool birthday trip, indeed!

How You Can Help?

2005-09-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I received an email from P., a former co-worker from the cactus. She was looking to see if anyone was intersted in going with her to volunteer at the Evacuee Center for victims of the hurricane from New Orleans. She had been over a couple times before, and had been visiting with people and taking home their laundry to wash. The center didn't initially have laundry facilities, and people didn't have transportation, or much money, to go to the laundromat. I decided that I would go with her on her next visit.

P. was not volunteering on an "official" level. The Evacuee Center was located at an old training facility for her company, and she simply decided to go over and see what she could do to help. When we arrived at the center, we were met by one of the staff, who informed us that they only wanted "official" volunteers at the center. P. told her that she was returning laundry and was there to visit with the people she had met, and well, within about 5 minutes we had volunteer passes.

By this point, laundry facilities had been set up, so there was no longer a need for us to pick up clothes to wash. So we went and met people and asked what we could do to help. Mostly people just wanted to talk. Many people had lost everything they had, and were separated from their families. The people I spoke with all planned to start over in Raleigh, and many people needed transportation to go look for apartments and jobs.

The two major volunteer organizations for the center are the Red Cross and Wake Human Services. I decided that in order to avoid the hassles of not being "official", I would call both organizations to sign up to volunteer.

In order to be a Red Cross volunteer, you must attend an orientation class (not a big deal). The classes are offered twice per month. When I contacted the Red Cross to sign up for the next open session I was informed that classes were full and the next available class would be sometime in Novmber. Wow. I had recently read in the news that the Red Cross was short on people and was looking for at least 40,000 new volunteers. I figured there would be at least some need in my area. I was surprised that they weren't offering extra orientions.

So be it. I decided that I would call Wake Human Services and offer to volunteer with them. When I called them I was informed that they had all of their needs met, and unless I could offer a special skill, they had no need for me. I explained to her that I had stopped by the Evacuee Center and that I noticed that people needed transportation around the area while they were trying to get settled. I might not have any special skills, but I do have a vehicle and would be more than happy to offer my services as a taxi for folks. She acted like this had not occurred to them. She said they would take my name, and if there was a need they would call.

It's been about a week since I called. I haven't heard anything from them. I do, however, work across the street from the Evacuee Center. Every day I see the residents walking up and down the median of the highway towards the gas station which is the only place within walking distance of the center. (And it's a hike) There is a little grassy area by the side of the road, and at any given time you will see a bunch of the evacuees sitting and talking. (You can tell who they are by their ID badges) Something tells me that the side of the highway isn't exactly where one wants to go to hang out and have a drink.

I wonder how many other people like me would be willing to grab some folks and show them around town, or at the very least, take them to the local watering hole for a much deserved drink, or even a meal that wasn't chosen for them? I wonder why the agencies running the center make it so hard to do so?

Friday Five Time

2005-09-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

This week on the Friday Five:

1. Who is your mobile phone provider, and how many minutes are in your plan?

I was with AT&T, but they merged or something and now I'm with SunCom. I have no idea how many minutes I have, but I have the smallest plan and it's more than sufficient.

2. What program do you primarily use for instant messaging?

I don't instant message.

3. Who do you send and receive text messages from most?

I don't text message.

4. What area code do you live in?

919

5. What year did you first get an e-mail address and do you still use it?

1993. It was through Prodigy. No, I do not still use it.

From the Friday Fiver:

1. Name one thing you've quit:

Biting my nails.

2. Name something you've won:

I won a prize in my elementary school's Science Fair. I made a chicken wire and paper mache volcano.

3. Describe a subject in school you do poorly in:

Chemistry

4. Have you ever purposely not done your best?

I'm sure, but I can't think of something speciifc.

5. Do you lead, follow, or get out of the way?

It depends on the situation.

Friday Five

2005-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on the Friday Five.

1) What was the first song you remember hearing and enjoying on the radio?

There are three that come to mind:
Sukiyaki - A Taste of Honey
Elvira - Oak Ridge Boys
The Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band

So, um disco and country in the early, early years?

The first album I owned, however, was Blondie - Parallel Lines

2) If you could only listen to five CDs for a year, which five would they be? (Boxed sets can count as one CD. Sigh.)

1. The Posies Box Set
2. REM - Dead Letter Office
3. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
4. The Cure - The Head on the Door
5. Kirsty MacColl - Titanic Days

3) What was your favorite year, music-wise?

Maybe 1989, that's when I discovered both REM and the Posies. ;)

4) If you could witness one historical music event through all time, what would you pick, and why?

You know, I'm not really sure. I would have liked to see Elvis or the Beatles.

5) Do you have a song that never fails to cheer you up? What is it and why does it do that for you?

American Jesus - Bad Religion, even if it makes me drive too fast and Mr. Horrible - They Might be Giants.

From the FridayFiver:

1. Soothing sound:

Traffic outside the window (don't know why), loud fans, and the ocean.

2. Comfort food:

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes or mac and cheese.

3. Relaxing music:

Billie Holliday

4. Gentle voice:

no clue.

5. Calming smell:

apples and cinnamon

Tuesday

2005-09-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days that you could just taste fall. I'm sure it was still in the 80's, but there was little humidity and a cool breeze and it made me excited for the fall.

The Friday Five on Sunday!

2005-09-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

I didn't like this week's Friday Five, so I picked one from another week I hadn't done.

1. What foods did you eat growing up that you later found out were regional items? (specific brands or recipes that you thought everyone could buy or make)

Because my Dad is from the South (as well as he was in the Navy and traveled a lot) and my Mom is from the North , we ate a hodge podge of regional items. We moved a lot, so when I was little living in Hawaii we ate sushi and Chinese food, in the Pacific Northwest we ate a lot of salmon and clam chowder, in Connecticut we ate a lot of lobster. I always knew that grits and liver mush were from the South, however.

2. Ham or turkey at Christmas and Easter? Or was there some other main course not typical for your area or religion?

Turkey, please...I'm not the biggest fan of ham. Although the biggest tradition at Christmas is my Dad's traditional Christmas breafast. It's a high fat and heavenly combination of eggs, bacon, cheese, and a white sauce, served over biscuits. We are only allowed to have this one day a year, because it is certainly a recipe for a heart attack.

3. What was your favorite meal served at your elementary school?

I lived in Connecticut for most of elementary school, and we did not have a school cafeteria. In other schools in later years, I think my favorite was the nasty cafeteria pizza. It was square.

4. What family recipes have been handed down to you, and have you tweaked any of them a little bit to make them more yours?

Too many to count. I change every recipe a little bit. I'm not too good at following directions, and everyone's tastes are a little different.

5. Are there foods/recipes you wouldn't eat as a child that you now regularly enjoy?

Some that come to mind: vinegar, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, salsa, falafel, italian dressing, or salad dressing of any kind, wine, wings (well I'll still only eat Tish's), and steak.

New Orleans

2005-09-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

I had plans to go to New Orleans in April. I have a group of friends who I like to travel with (it's kind of a bit like taking home with you when you go away), and we were in the begining stages of planning a road trip to New Orleans sometime between Mardi Gras and Jazzfest, when there would be less people.

I'm thinking this trip is not going to happen now.

And I'm sad, selfishly I know, because on my list of places I *really* wanted to see, New Orleans was in the top five, and I foolishly (hindsight) passed up an opportunity to go earlier this year.

But regardless of how this fucks with my vacation plans, this has been a devestating tragedy.

It' s hard to fathom just how bad this really is. Not just for New Orleans, but all of the areas affected by the Hurricane. There's the obvious destruction of property and loss of life. News reports are saying that people won't be able to return to the city for 3-4 months. You have to wonder what these people are going to do - no homes, no jobs, no income. And when they can return "home", what are they really going to be returning to?

I admit to being a bit obsessed with the news at the moment. Some of it makes you laugh, like the guy who jumped from his roof into his power boat and then rescued some people who fell from a tree (i know it's a sick humor), or heartbreaking (initally, anyways) like the gentleman whose wife was "TORN FROM HIS ARMS", or just depressing, at the state of human nature when you see the looting or read about all the shootings and the rapes.

Though I imagine they will eventually be able to fix the levees and remove the water, New Orleans appears to currently be one giant toxic lake.

And that, my friends, pretty much sucks the whole way around.

Friday Five

2005-08-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

From the Friday Five:

1. List five people and a song that reminds you of them or that you think best describes them (list the person's name, the song title, and the song's artist).

Heather Greenlee, Running Up That Hill, Kate Bush
Rebecca English, My Sister, Juliana Hatfield
My Parents, Tiny Bubbles, Don Ho
Jason Young, Flood (The whole album), They Might Be Giants
Michelle McCammon, Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin

2. What would your life's soundtrack be?

Probably just the sound of the Posies and REM in the background.

3. Which would you prefer: to live somewhere that is hot or to live somewhere that is cold year-round? Why?

Cold. I know this because every summer that I've lived in the South all I can think about is moving to Alaska. I never get used to it. I hate the heat and humidity.

4. Suppose you had twins, a boy and a girl. What names would you give and why?
Kaelie and Liam. I just like those names.

5. What's a quote/lyric that describes you right now?

No clue. But my last fortune from a cookie said, "You are about to embark on a most delightful journey". ;)

From FridayFiver

1. Link to your local news source:

Google

2. Link to your favorite dessert:

Cannoli

3. Link to a band that you despise:

NKOTB

4. Link us to a good book:

The Devil in the White City

5. Link to your favorite Muppet frog:

Kermit

Codex

2005-08-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

At the recommendation of Robust McManlyPants I recently read Lev Grossman's Codex. I have to admit that I haven't been reading much lately, though I'm not sure why. I have a huge reading list to get through, but lately I've just not getting interested by much. Since I had enjoyed a previous recomendation of The Devil in the White City, I figured it was worth a read.

Now that I've finished the book, my feelings are kind of mixed. I love the idea of this book. It's a great story. And for the most part it's executed well. However, when I got to the end, I had to go back twice to reread the last chapter because I thought I had missed something. I reread it again, nope, I didn't miss anything. It's a sloppy ending. My other complaint is that I really despised our main character (and several other major characters, fwiw), because he was an idiot and I kept wanting to scream at him.

That being said, I can't say that I didn't enjoy this book. I love books and video games, and a mystery involving them both is an intriguing read. I'd have to say on this one that it's worth a read, however, be prepared to be disappointed.

My two cents.

Another Friday Five, on Sunday

2005-08-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

1. Name someone dead who you'd like to have drinks with?

Charles Bukowski

2. What's your favorite scary movie?

Silence of the Lambs is my favorite, however scary movies in general are my favorite, so I like a lot of them. Even the really, really bad. I watched Leprechaun 5: In the Hood, remember?. Right now I'm really into zombies.

3. After you've passed away, who will say the nicest things about you?

I have no idea.

4. What did you think of Peter Jennings?

I didn't think about him a whole lot. He was the news program my dad watched when I was growing up, so I've seen a lot of Peter Jennings. He was Canadian.

5. Name a Grateful Dead song?

Casey Jones

The Connell's

2005-08-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Went to see the Connells last night in the parking lot of Sammy's. It's kind of funny, I've seen them play probably more than any other band (other than maybe the Posies), and even though they are a Raleigh band, I've not seen them since I moved down here in 99.

I also realized that I had not purchased a Connell's album in probably 10 years either, so I wasn't sure how much of the music I was actually going to know.

I was in luck, as I knew about 70% of the songs they played, including my two favorties from "Ring". The show was probably the smallest I've been to, though it was hotter than hades in the parking lot (yesterday was supposed to get to high 90's) and my hair and clothes were soaked through with sweat by the end.

Short show, but fun.

First Entry

2005-08-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

After the explosion on b.'s pivot blog, and watching her spend the evening setting up her new blog, I've decided to dick around with this blogger site and see how that goes and if I'm inspired to post more. Right now I'm still kind of figuring things out so I'm mostly just messing around for the moment. We'll see what happens.

So I'll start this thing out the easy way with The Friday Five:

1. What if any instrument do you play?

Piano, clarinet, and a little flute.

2. If you could choose to play any instrument what would it be?

Something completely different than I know like a harp or violin.

3. If you were in a band, what would your band's name be?

Spork? I have no idea.

4. What type of music would your band play?

We'd be an 80's cover band. Oh yeah.

5. Would you continue to be good for years to come, or would you and your band end up in Branson playing for busloads of elderly?

Doesn't every band eventually end up there?

Hello World

2005-08-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is a test message.