School starts this week, and I'm just now starting to feel better. I was hoping to get so much done over the break! I guess we all need things like this to show us that, ultimately, our bodies are in control, not us. That's not to say things like bad eating habits can't be corrected - and I do hope to work on that in 2005 - but when we need to rest and recuperate, that's what we gotta do.
I did find the strength to work on our book collection over the break. While it may not be in the Dewey Decimal System, there is now some order to the library. Hooray. I've also neatened the craft room, sorted out some clothes for Goodwill, and started to unpack the boxes remaining from the move. Yes, we haven't finished unpacking. Shut up, I know I'm lame.
One of my holiday rituals is to get at least one calendar for the new year at 50% off. The past few years I've picked the William Wegman "Man's Best Friend" wall calendar. Those dogs are so sleek, graceful, enigmatic - and patient! For my desk, I selected "Wild Words from Wild Women". While at the bookstore, I picked up three new cookbooks - one on curry, one on bread and breadmaking, and one on low fat cooking. Most of the time when I look at cookbooks, I'm uninspired, but I found a lot of yummy-sounding recipes to try in these.
What was 2004 like for me? Tumultuous, in a word. I settled on a school for my graduate work, uprooted my spouse and dragged him off to another part of the state. I gave up a job I hated for teaching, studying, and less income. It had to be done. I miss my friends, but I like our new home and my new occupation. I have no idea if I'll continue studies beyond my master's; I can't see that far into the future. Time will tell.
Happy 2005, everyone!
I've been meaning to do this one for a while. Pick a band and answer these questions using only song titles from the group. My choice - the Beastie Boys, natch.
Are you female or male: "Hey Ladies"
Describe yourself: "She's Crafty"
How do some people feel about you: "Intergalactic"
How do you feel about yourself: "Skills to Pay the Bills"
Describe your ex-girlfriend/boyfriend: "Sabotage"
Describe your current girlfriend/boyfriend: "Dr. Lee, PhD"
Describe where you want to be: "Flowin' Prose"
Describe what you want to be: "Bodhisattva Vow"
Describe how you live: "Right Right Now Now"
Describe how you love: "Do It"
Share a few words of wisdom: "Lighten Up"
Say something to your friends: "Posse In Effect"
Say something to someone who hurt you: "Hey Fuck You"
Describe Your Current Mood: "Sneakin' Out the Hospital"
The World's Cutest Cat came to live with us about a year and a half ago. I'd post a picture, but she's apparently in the witness protection program. Every time a camera is aimed her way, she runs off.
Anyway, the World's Cutest Cat is now stretched out on top of the grocery list I was making. She's just so damned adorable. I have this theory that she was being held captive by an evil secret society that was breeding really cute cats that would then be given to world leaders. The world leaders would be so charmed that they would surrender all their secrets - aliens do exist, the codes for launching nuclear weapons, etc. But this cat didn't want to be involved in their nefarious plans and ran away. She's much safer with me, I don't have any secrets (well, none of them would threaten the world) and don't mind if she delays my list making.
I've been on the local Freecycle list for a couple of months now, and a few days ago, on a lark, I made a request on it: a bread machine. "Going on the Atkins Program for the new year? I'd love to give your bread machine a good home!" I got a response in five minutes! How cool is that? And I didn't have to even drive to the lady's house, her husband brought it downtown! It's a Sunbeam 3833, and while it did smell slightly of cigarette smoke (hey, beggars can't be choosy), it works fine. In fact, it's churning away right now on a loaf of Sally Lunn bread to go with some peanut soup. (Yes, I know that both those items are loaded with fat, this is just hedonism's last gasp before I start counting Weight Watcher's points in earnest.)
I plan to make yummy breads to give as gifts, and good-for-you whole wheat bread as well. Heck, maybe I'll get bold and try to make bread on my own without technology! I hope Alton Brown will understand, I'm sure he'd give me the frowning of a lifetime for using a bread machine.
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by mere stupidity."
Unless you're talking about Ann Coulter.
Maybe I'm being too hasty. Hopefully that's the case. But these people are a nightmare to deal with.
First of all, everything is spread out among different companies - prescription benefits are handled by one firm, participating doctors by another, and the whole thing is managed by yet another company. By looking at the card (which is printed on cardstock and doesn't have our names on them, how cheap is that) it's not obvious what the answer to the question "what insurance do you have?" is.
Another head-scratcher: None of the above companies list their web sites anywhere on the packet we received. For instance, when I called the Keepers of the Names of Participating Doctors, I learned that they only like to dole out one name at a time. Of course, the name they gave me wasn't taking new patients. I sleuthed out their web site, and ran a search myself. Go me. But many of the doctors that were listed as accepting new patients in fact were not.
Back to the pharmacy dorks: All I need is a list of participating pharmacies, but you can't get that on their website! When I called them (and finally got to a human) she answered the phone by telling me their computer system was down and they were asking people to call back in two hours. "I just need a participating pharmacy - you don't have a print-out of that anywhere?" "No." Well, that's just stupid.
So I finally convinced a doctor's office that I was covered by insurance they take. The receptionist asks for the address on my card - and she says that one's not on her list!! Finally, we found an address that might work, but I'll be bringing in every scrap of info these knuckleheads have mailed us. Now if I can only find a pharmacy before my pancreas falls out... Ah, if only I could follow the current national health insurance plan - don't get sick.
I haven't told many people, but, since finals week, I've lost track of two very important items: my wedding band and my cell phone. Well, in straightening up my desk, I just found my wedding band buried in with some notes from The Paper That Ate my Brain. Yay! I've learned a valuable lesson - always put the ring in the same place every time I take it off. (I usually do this, but sometimes I don't. Because I'm the crown princess of chaos, I like to mix things up a bit, with predictably disasterous results.) I should try not to take it off, I know, but I'm a lefty and sometimes my ring finger needs a break.
Now to find that damn cell phone.
Alton Brown (he's not the God, but he's a god) is going to be at a grocery store very close to where I used to live!!!!!!!! I think I smell a road trip cooking!!!
ETA: look! For only $75, you can take a class with him! (scroll down for details) Oh, why can't I be rich?
I just got out of the shower, and they are painting the front of the apartment - again. Which means they are working right in front of my 2nd floor bedroom window. C'mon guys, why sneak peeks when the Internets are full of naughty pictures?
Memo to my university: Yes, I do want the student loan. You keep asking me, and I keep telling you yes. What part of "yes" don't you understand? Since you also pay me a paltry salary, you should know that I need that cash. So, duh, yes, check please!
I've added some new icons on my icon page. This Colonel Klink icon is just a sample. Enjoy!
To all the homies in my local posse, please make a note of the following way-cool event:
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs - Ft. Lauderdale, December 2005. King Tut's cool stuff returns to the States! (Also coming to L.A. and Chicago, check your local listings.)
I've always been fascinated by ancient Egyptian art. I remember borrowing library books about Egypt when I was a youth growing up in the wilderness of northeast Ohio. Past life experience? A subconsious pull from the foundation of civilization? Or just cool artwork? You be the judge.
So much for the liberal bias in academia, huh? I can't tell you how mad this makes me. Pretty sad when an English major loses her tongue. I guess Marie Curie should have stayed home and had babies. I note that this is a pretty vague article, was it created to make reders mad? Possibly. I just get so tired of talk like this. And, yes, if the guy had said something about men being not as capable in the language arts as women due to biological reasons, I would have been mad too. Can't we all just get along?
*Held a discussion in class and my students actually participated without threats or bribery!
*The classhole in my Am Lit class wasn't there yesterday! (I think she may have Asperger Syndrome, she seems quite bright but she has to respond to everything the prof says, rambles on without making a point, and dresses like a bag lady. We'll see how she compares to the annoying undergraduate girl from Romantic Lit last semester.)
*The book I need for an assignment in said Am Lit class tomorrow is out for delivery! Three cheers for Amazon.com's tracking page!
*I found some $3.99 tops at Dillards!
*I love baking bread! I'm trying out lots of recipes from the Bread Machine Digest site.
*Got my contact lens exam!
*Having to wait for my Amazon.com shipment of textbooks. I had the option checked to combine shipping. One batch of books left Oregon promptly, the rest of the books sat waiting. Days later, I unchecked the combine shipping option and they immediately shipped from Kentucky and Nevada. Coincidence, or were they waiting for the books to magically take a Greyhound bus to get together for combined shipping?
*The classhole in my Am Lit class. There seems to be one person, each semester, who takes the joy out of literary discussion.
*Found out that Thomas Jefferson was racist.
*Feel vaguely guilty for spending money on contacts and a miniature shopping spree.
*Trying to give up Diet Coke because they have crappy (to put it mildly) labor practices. Wondering if I'm becoming a bleeding heart liberal. Wondering how much Mum was joking when she told me not to become a Communist while I'm at school.
*The Browns had a crappy season. There's no hockey.
I think I'd like a small aquarium. However, the only place I think I have for one is on my desk, next to my nice flatscreen monitor.
No good can come of this, I'm sure.
When you tend to sleep with your eyes open, you have lots of dreams that take place in your bedroom. The plot usually involves you being unable to move or wake up. Not very interesting or especially restful.
After discovering that people write fan fic about The Incredibles (to be specific, slash involving the pre-teen boy and the villain), I definitely feel that my life quality has declined since discovering that people write They Might Be Giants fanfic.
I think that most fan fic is just weird day-dream fantasies that, before the Internet, just stayed in people's heads. As someone who teaches writing, I'm glad that people feel inspired to write. But when your writing is confined to riffing on the creations of others - there's a point where it becomes less writing and more indulgent fantasizing.
Flannery O'Connor said, "People are always asking me if the university stifles writers. I reply that it hasn't stifled enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good writing teacher." Just think what she'd say about the fan fic fad.
I took Claire's advice and hit the aquarium shop down the street. It pays to support locally-owned businesses these days. Turns out they had the perfect size aquarium set-up on sale! (They also happened to have two baby weiner dogs on the premises; weiner dog puppies are much nicer than the adult Weiner. Adult weiners are cranky and very barky. But I digress.) The lid appears to be cat proof as well. We'll see what happens when actual fish are added this weekend. If I'm especially clever, I'll upload a pic or two.
