Emoticons as interpreted by cats

Saw this on Fark.com - hilarious!

Happy New Year!

I've been thinking about this past year, as is customary at this time of year, and I've realized it was a rather average year. I didn't travel as much as I would have liked, but that's nothing new, and I certainly haven't accomplished what I would have liked, but I think that I am on the right track.

This year I:
- finished grad school
- started a new job
- "vacationed" in the Florida Keys (if you can call a trip with one's grandparents a vacation)
- started a blog
- took a cruise on a NOAA research vessel
- bought a pair of kick-ass knee high boots (which I have wanted for a while)
- enjoyed a weekend in NYC

I'll not be unhappy to see 2005 turn into 2006.

Next year I will/hope to:
- get closer to my dream job (like by doing a rotation there)
- enjoy my vacation on St John
- celebrate my fifth wedding anniversary
- learn to make kick-ass espresso, cappuccino, and lattes
- go fishing on the Chesapeake with my grandfather
- go on a hurricane flight
- renovate my kitchen (with enormous amounts of help)
- finish decorating/furnishing a room in my house completely
- get SCUBA certified

Penso all'Italia.

This week has brought a multitude of reminders of Italy - I've been reading the fantastic The City of Falling Angels, which deals with Venice, the burning of La Fenice, and a variety of Venetian characters. It has made me want to move to Venice for a short while and write my own novel. Last night I received my annual Christmas calendar of Tuscany from Francesco - my friend from Florence. And just this morning, a man noticed my Tuscany calendar (I have to have some inspiration at/ to work) and we chatted for the entire train ride... apparently he is in the midst of renovating a house near Viareggio - which is not too far from Pisa.

You could include my current obsession with cappuccino and espresso into the mix, and what results is a girl with Italy on the mind. Somewhat better than Georgia in my opinion.

Edited to correct the grammar of my title and the spelling of cappuccino. I have been contacted by the Italian authorities and asked not to bastardize their beautiful language further

Nuturing my addiction

I have been trying to avoid spending $$ at Starbucks for my coffee by trying my hand at brewing my own at home. I have a cheap little Krups steam-powered espresso machine that is completely inconsistent in terms of the quality of the espresso that comes out (I could never drink a shot of espresso straight from this machine... it has to be part of milk-based drink).

So now that Ray and I have regularly been trying to enjoy an evening coffee (usually cappuchino/latte/mocha-esque) we're thinking of getting a more serious machine. I am amazed at the variety of option and how complicated making espresso at home can be. We can't just buy a machine - we have to buy a grinder and a tamper and an assortment of other gadgets to try and make the perfect shot. Well, we probably won't get that crazy at first... we'll start small and simple and work our way up the scale.

I'm considering the Gaggia 35008 Carezza Espresso Machine, about $175 from Amazon if I order before Dec 31. I could easily spend 3 times that - but I don't know how long we'll stick with this latest obsession. I don't think that we'll get a grinder right now... I'll have to see how I like getting more serious about coffee. And how quickly caffine-buzzed sleepless late nights get old.

The influence from having had the best cappuccino ever in NYC is pervasive though.

Say what?

According to this article in the New York Times, New Jersey actually is home to a few winerys. Color me shocked - despite its "Garden State" moniker, I would never equate New Jersey farmland with the vineyards of France or Italy. Apparently, one of those vineyards is located not too terribly far from where I grew up. Although I am deeply suspicious of the quality of New Jersey wine (I have had Pennsylvania and Virginia wine - and all I can say about those is yuck!) maybe, just maybe, I'll give it one try.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas all. Our Christmas started last night - my dad came down and we had dinner and exchanged gifts. For this first time since we moved into our house 3 years ago we actually decorated a bit for the holidays. Namely we hung some garland over the mantel and put two tiny little (fake) trees on either side of the fireplace. It's festive enough.

I gave DH his gift last night, and he was suitably surprised. He gave me season 1 of the Amazing Race on DVD, Hero on DVD and The City of Falling Angels - in addition to renewing my Economist subscription. I gave him a stuffed walrus and a gift card to Apple. Yes, it was enough for him to buy an iPod with, although I don't know if that's really what he wants. I think than when they start putting Intel chips into the Macs he's gonna want one of those.

Today we leave for Gramma & PopPop's house. We got them a new TV - but I don't know how we are going to fit it in the car. We had to put it in the front seat to get it home from the store. We didn't bother wrapping it... I guess we'll figure something out. We'll stay there overnight for Christmas dinner, then come home tomorrow night.

Monday we're off to DH's parents to see them and my brother- and sister-in-law. What fun!

There is entirely too much driving for us to do over the holidays. I hope that your holidays are a lot less travel-intense than ours!

Merry Christmas.

P.S. - Christine, that Lenox story is the most awful thing! Those bastards! Now two families have had their Christmas ruined (yours and the family whose ceramic thing you got!)

Super cute panda pic

Here's a super cute pic of the little panda born at the National Zoo in DC. This may be the cutest thing I have ever seen!

Check out the Washington Post's gallery of panda images. I can understand how some people have become addicted to the "Panda Cam." Check out this unbelievably cute video.

Ultimate frustration

I guess that I can post this now since the jig is essentially up. I had ordered a Christmas gift for DH a week ago, which was supposed to be delivered today. Unfortunately we are also having a new couch delivered today, which mean that DH was going to be home when his gift was going to be delivered.

This situation has caused an inordinate amount of stress for me. I tried calling the company, from whom I ordered DH's gift, but was told that as it had already been shipped, I needed to make alternate delivery arrangements with the delivery company. However, the "status" of the package has consistently showed as "unavailable" on the delivery company's website (and when talking with their customer service people) until I got to work this morning. When I saw that the package had already made it to Rockville, I called as soon as possible to get them to either 1) redirect delivery to me here at work; 2)deliver to my neighbors (I spoke with them last night about it); or 3) hold the package at their facility until I could pick it up this afternoon. The most important goal was to avoid having DH see the return address on the package, at which point it would be nearly obvious as to what it was.

First answer I got was that they would hold the package at their distribution facility in Rockville, which was perfect. Then I got a call from the distribution facility telling me that the package was already with the driver. So I asked them to please deliver to my next door neighbor - and faxed them a request to verify. No sooner did I fax that over when I called home to check on DH, and in the background I hear the doorbell ring. Go figure, it was the delivery guy with the package.

So I asked DH, in one last, desparate attempt to hold onto the secret, whether there was a return address on the envelope. There was. Game over.

All that work, all that stress, all ruined! Argh!!!!

Happy Holidays!

Womanhood - the benefits of membership

I pride myself on being a progressive woman; I believe in choice in all its forms, from motherhood and career to gender roles, etc. There are moments, however, when I am glad that the rest of the world has not yet progressed fully.

This evening I got into my car and discovered that I had left my lights one, the result being a dead battery. DH was stuck somewhere in NoVA on the beltway, and the rest of the passengers from the MARC train had already left the parking lot. There was one lone soul waiting for a ride, so I went over to him and, in my most feminine (but not baby-like!!) voice, asked if he was waiting for someone, and if so whether that person might help me jump start my car.

"I gotta check if he's got cables," was the sullen reply. I replied that I had cables, I just needed the jump. "I don't know" he said. Clearly, there was no help coming from this friendly chap.

Next, I flagged down one a driving school car (the parking lot is frequently used by driving schools to teach kids how to parallel park). Unfortunately, the sign on the car said "Escuela de los driving" or some other Spanish thing that I don't know. He tried, God Bless Him, and we spoke in that strange communication style used by people who don't really understand each other. I didn't read the directions on the cables, he hooked them up to both positive and negative posts on my battery and his, and George (my 1995 Saturn with 175k miles) failed to revive.

After my friendly Spanish driving instructor left, I saw the NIST MARC shuttle van pull up. I skittered over to see whether he might help me. Again, in my most helpless, feminine voice, I asked if he could give me a jump start. He said "No problem" in a strangely feminine voice for a big black guy.

Once he pulled up beside my car, I asked him whether he had ever done this before. "Yeah, I've done this a million times." Now I should mention that he was driving one of those big 16 passenger vans, and I had just finished reading my little Saturn owner's guide book from the glove compartment, warning that I should only jump from a 12 volt battery otherwise I risk an explosion. I am very nervous about the whole electricity thing - really, I won't even use the phone near the bathtub (not that I think that that should happen anyway).

Anyway he went ahead and hooked up his battery, and then hooked the cables up to mine - again hooking up both cables to both battery posts. "I think that the instructions said to hook the negative cable up to a heavy metal part of the car" I warned. "Don't worry about it." he said, "go ahead and try to start the car." This while showers of sparks are coming from the negative post of my battery.

Now at this moment, I was really nervous that his much more powerful battery and that shower of sparks were going to cause an imminent explosion. I was scared to touch any metal part of my car (good thing Saturns are mostly plastic) and I barely pulled on my door handle. When I stuck the key in the ignition, I was convinced the whole car was going to explode.

After three grinding tries, George roared back to life - no explosion or anything. I'm not ashamed to admit that I jumped out of my car and yelled "Yeah! It started" like a little kid who just got a favorite gift at Christmas. The guy then laughed heartily at me (probably more from my silly fears than my jumping up and down) and went on his merry way - saying "Don't turn the car off until you get home."

Now, there are certain jobs that I do feel men must do without question: kill bugs, take out the trash, check out scary noises at night, and deal with car problems. I am glad that as a woman, I am not expected to do things like hook up battery cables and know how to jump start a car. And that men respond to a woman in distress (well, most men). The day feminism has gone to far is the day that I have to kill a bug, take out the trash, or am expected to know how to jump start my own car.

Explaining the meat thermometer gift..

The meat thermometer is kind of an inside joke - not really a very funny one though. One year DH's parents were making chicken or turkey or something and weren't sure whether it was done. So I suggested that they test it with a meat thermometer to see. Turns out they didn't own a meat thermometer - which totally blew my mind.

Of course, that fact also explained why the food was usually overcooked and dry as a bone.

We gave them a meat thermometer one year - and found out later that my FIL had been using it to check the temperature of the radiator fluid in his car.

So there you go.

Don't shop harder, shop smarter!

So, DH and I somehow managed to get 90% of our Christmas shopping done between 5:00 and 9:30 tonight. We stopped at Target (tar-zhey) for a gift certificate and a meat thermometer. The meat thermometer goes with the Omaha steaks gift certificate we got for DH's parents earlier this evening - clearly we were completely out of ideas. A stop at Home Depot for another gift certificate and a magazine - then a quick return to Home Depot for light bulbs that we forgot to get the first go 'round. Finally a stop at Borders for threeooks.

Of course, we forgot to get two gifts at Target, and I still have to get a little something for my grandparents and my dad (looks like it is going to be a NOAA christmas). But those are just the little gifts so that everyone has something to unwrap.

I would have to say that this may in fact have been the most efficient shopping expedition ever!

Oops... I forgot

Now that I have settled a bit after our hectic weekend in NYC, I've remembered several events/things of note that I should mention:

#1 - A very sincere THANK YOU to the San Diego Chargers for defeating the Indianapolis Colts, ensuring that the unmatched record of the 1972 Dolphins undefeated season will live on another year. I would also like to note that the Miami Dolphins beat the Chargers just last weekend. And the Cowboys really bit the big one this weekend! Good sports weekend all around.

#2 - Afghan food is really tasty. DH and I had the opportunity to try this really interesting cuisine Friday night. Love the rice and the bread - to die for. It's flavorful without being hot spicy. The rice was actually quite sweet tasting, tasting like cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom with carrot curls. Yummy.

#3 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art are big, really big. They are actually a bit mind-numbing after a while, so pick a theme that you want to explore and stick with it. Watch out for the naked family in the MoMA.

#4 - WTF is up with all of the tolls from north of Baltimore through New Jersey on 95. Is there any reason why the bridge over the Susquehanna? in northern Maryland needs to cost $5 to cross, and why the hell am I paying $2 BOTH WAYS on 95 in Delaware. What lunacy.

#5 - My sincere apologies to the family sitting next to us at Don Pablos in Moorestown, NJ, Sunday afternoon who overheard our late lunch/early dinner conversation with friends about birth control, sex education, and related topics. It was probably a little too adult for your kids, and we were laughing rather loudly.

Almost there...

It's another Wednesday, another halfway point in the week between the last weekend and the next. Of course, there will be no rest for the wicked this weekend. I feel absolutely no Christmas spirit this year, to be honest. It's just more stress and work than it should be. When are we going to visit family, what are we going to get for people, how many hours can we spend traveling from destination to destination.

At least the next two weeks will be short ones, followed by yet another short week in January with the MLK weekend.

Lots of people have asked me whether or not I am happy that I went to NYC last week - thus avoiding the transit strike going on right now. Actually, it isn't too nig of a deal. We only took the subway twice, and I actually think it would have been kind of neat to be in the city at a time like this. From what I read in the NYTimes, people are generally just dealing with the inconvienence as best they can.

Anyway, tonight I hope to get almost the rest of the Christmas shopping done. We'll see how well this pans out.

The most worthless week of all

I realized today yet again how much more civilized the Europeans are in comparison with Americans. First of all, because they get so many weeks of vacation, they normally don't work at all around the Christmas and New Year's holidays. This, to me, make perfect sense. Because really, is anyone doing work for the next two weeks - real work - or are they just working to look busy until after the holidays have passed.

Today we had our office holiday party for the better part of the day, 11:30 - 3:00. It included a White Elephant gift exchange with the most convoluted and confusing rules I have ever seen. For the first time ever in one of these things I actually did alright. I got a decent-sized Starbuck's travel mug, and no one "exchanged" with me. I think that the right tactic in these things is to go for the middle ground - a gift that's decent enough to be useful but not interesting enough to be in high demand. Apparently the high demand gift for this crowd was a bottle of wine. I brought in a decent New Zealand Sauvingnon Blanc (not my favorite - but decent nonetheless.) and it must have changed hands at least a dozen times. Other popular gifts were $15 gift cards for Starbucks (people must have done some last minute shopping at Starbucks right before the party), a Chia Homer, and a box of Belgian Truffles (goodness knows how old they actually were).

All in all, not a bad way to re-enter the work week after a glorious weekend in NYC.

Enjoying Opera - Five easy tips for beginners

For some reason, opera has the reputation as being snotty and highbrow, for rich, old Upper East Side grande dames and stuffy old white men.

I’m here to tell you that opera is as accessible and enjoyable as great classical symphonies and Broadway musicals. Get over your fears about not understanding the language! Here are my tips (developed from trying to convince my DH to go and enjoy opera) on how to really enjoy opera as a beginner.

#1 – Choose your first opera carefully; select an opera with a story that is easy to follow and music that you recognize. (For example: almost everyone knows the Toreador song from Carmen – trust me, you know more arias and opera themes than you know.) This way, you won’t have to focus on understanding in detail what is going on, you can sit back and enjoy the music.

#2 – Familiarize yourself with the story as much as possible beforehand. Opera is not like a movie or TV show with a straightforward plot, character development, and quick and witty dialogue. You wouldn’t listen to Beethoven’s symphonies expecting non-repetitious, well-paced story advancement from beginning to conclusion; don’t expect it either from an opera, which is simply another form of musical expression. If you know the story, you’ll know basically what the characters are singing about and feel the emotion of the music, rather looking for expression of emotion from their words.

#3 – Don’t be intimidated if you don’t know the language. Even people who speak the language that the opera is being performed in don’t always understand what’s being said (think of listening to music on the radio – do you necessarily understand or catch every word; does understanding the lyrics even matter if the music is good?). Which leads to tip #4…

#4 – When possible, ignore the subtitles. This is, I think, one of the best tips I can offer. At the Met, I could turn my subtitles off and concentrate on the music and performance, and enjoyed the experience that much more. Concentrating on understanding what is being said will only frustrate you and distract from what’s important – the music.

#5 – Don’t worry about not loving opera. Just like rap and country music aren’t for everyone, opera is also not for everyone. The important thing to remember here is not to immediately think that you won’t like opera because you don’t understand the language, think it’s too highbrow, etc. Try listening to a few famous songs from a few famous operas, and if you enjoy the music think about going to see it performed live. Just remember to keep your expectations realistic about what an opera performance is and what it isn’t. It isn’t a play, it isn’t a movie, it isn’t about character development or erudite dialogue or advancing plotlines. It’s a performance of music and singing in support of a basic story.

If I could add a tip #6 – don’t ignore opera because you think that you can’t afford tickets Going to the opera isn’t that expensive – especially compared with Broadway musicals these days. I just want to encourage you all to go out and enjoy an opera!

I want to be a part of it, New York, New York

New York is without a doubt one of the greatest cities on earth. DH and I had a blast this weekend. Visted MoMA Friday night, which had some of the most interesting and the most baffling exhibits I’ve ever seen. Saturday morning we hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art – primarily for the Fra Angelico exhibition, which was fantastic (oh how I miss Florence). Saturday night was Carmen - again totally fantastic. The singers playing the lead roles of Carmen and Don Jose were not as strong, in my humble opinion, as the singers playing Michäel and Escamillo (Michäel’s solo aria in Act III was unbelievable). I love the city, and I need to find a way to move there!

Our apartment was very New York – small and stylish, in a great neighborhood with excellent street-activity-watching potential. Loved it, can’t wait to do it again soon!

Free at last!

No more work for the week! We're off the NYC for the weekend, and of course the powers that be couldn't let it be easy. There's a coating of ice on everything around here, including my car at the train station, which meant that I had to stand out in the (literally) freezing rain to scrape it off. Of course there was slush all over the parking lot and ice on the platform, so that meant when I wasn't skidding and nearly falling walking I was trying to avoid giant slush puddles and ruining my super-cute shoes. But none of that matters! The weekend has arrived early for me, and I don't care that the driveway is a giant ice rink and my gas guage is on empty.

Toreador-a la la la la la... I'm already there.

It's just another day

Today is a good day - tomorrow I am taking off for NYC, I have a few things to do today to keep the day moving by, I got myself a Gingerbread Latte this morning (a reward for waiting 20 minutes outside in the freezing cold for the train) and generally I seem to be in better spirits.

I watched Project Runway again last night... I am so ashamed. But the designers (male more than female) are such bitches, it's hilarious. They designed outfits for Barbie last night, and although my favorite outfit didn't win (show above), the one that did was pretty awesome.

I can't believe that I am getting taken in by this show. It has to be the openly confrontational and snarky manner of the hosts and judges, because nothing gets by them. I love their directness, and Tim Gunn reminds me of a character from SNL that Phil Hartman used to play (can't remember the character, but what a delicous bitch).

And on the left you can see where Brownie did a heck of a job!

Apparently, in the spirit of true capitalism and entreprenuership, a tour company will start offering tours of New Orleans that highlight the destruction wrought by hurricane Katrina. You won't be permitted to stop and take photographs, but because 10% of the $35 ticket price goes to relief efforts, you won't have to feel any guilt about your schadenfreude.

Actually, this reminds me of an idea I had a while ago for a novel tour company. My idea was too bring people into the "bad" sections of town - in a bulletproof van of course - as part of a tour that would specialize in "showing people the side of the city they see on the news, not in tourist brochures." I bet you that hundreds, maybe thousands, would sign up to go on a midnight - 2am tour of some of the worst sections of our cities, just to see first-hand what happens, as long as they could be assured of their complete safety. Imagine going through Camden, West Philadelphia, Anacostia & SE DC at that time of night. Pretty scary, but probably also pretty interesting and eye opening to those whose perception of these realities is limited to Hollywood movies and nightly news reports.

Too much information?

I've just been reading this article in the Post, and I've learned that as a civil servant (although how civil I actually am is certainly in question) my name, job category, pay grade, and salary are public informations. Because your tax dollars support me - you deserve the right to know all about me.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. Technically speaking, my(and your) tax dollars pay for DH, but because he works for a private-sector company, you don't know how much he makes (you only know the $$ amount of the contract that was awarded to DH's company).

In 1816, when this law was apparently enacted, I guess that the information was much less likely to be used for nefarious ends. In this day and age of identity theft and all that, I'd be much more comfortable if my information were available by FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)request only, rather than open public knowledge.

Edited to add: I know that the database of all of our info exists because of FOIA - but I wish that people looking for that information would have to show a specific reason why they needed my particular information (or that of my department, or agency) before they could know it. This TRAC database just leaves a bad taste in my mouth

Hump Day! Yeah!

Okay... just 1.5 more days in the office before I leave for NYC - I think that I can make it. I have a little work stored up to keep me occupied. I feel like the little engine that could.

The Amazing Race: Family Edition finally wrapped up last night with an "exciting" trip through Canada, including Montreal (whose Metro signs look just like Paris's), Toronto (ho hum), and Niagara Falls, whose beauty is overwhelmed and undermined by the touristy-ness of the whole place. Let me tell you that I cannot wait for the old Amazing Race to come back - 5 continents, 60,000 miles in 30 days is my kind of reality show. I need travel ideas, people. Work with me here.

Applications are up for TAR 10, and I am so tempted to apply. But they require a video, and quite frankly I don't think that I am creative enough to do a 3 minute video that expresses who I am in such a way that CBS would think I would be a good addition to the race. Other than the fact that I can cycle through every human emotion possible in one minute, what am I going to do with the remaining two? And while DH is a saint in many ways, sainthood is not necessarily TV-friendly. (I mean look how badly the two recent Pope-bios did in the ratings).

So no Amazing Race for me... except living vicariously through the people on my TV.

What schlock!

I usually enjoy reading the New York Times - most of the time it has some articles that are funny, witty, informative, or just plain good (or all of the above). Like the entreprenurial bio-cleaning people I posted about a few weeks back. Strange, but interesting nonetheless.

So when I read this schlock about some poor artist schlub who broke up with his girlfriend and had to move out of Manhattan, I was like WTF? The article, other than highlighting the danger of living with a girlfriend who might want to move to San Fran, wasn't a good human interest story (the guy is just pathetic sounding), doesn't offer any keen insights (Manhattan is desirable for young artists, Manhattan is expensive) and the story is a little, off (it starts off sounding like this guy lost his perfect apartment because of his live-in girlfriend's plans, but the building went co-op, so he had to move anyway. WTF)

He must be very friendly with someone at the Times to be featured in such a dud of an article. Total crap.

"I don't know how to quit you"

Classic movie lines are those that are not only totally awesome, but appropriate for almost any situation, and are instantly recognizable even if someone hasn’t seen the movie. An essential element of camp is also the hallmark of a quality, instantly and perpetually quotable movie line. This line from the hugely buzzed up “Brokeback Mountain” has got to be one of my favorite movie lines ever. It ranks up there with these other total classic movie lines:

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
“You can’t fight in here. This is the war room.”
“I am serious. And stop calling me Shirley.”
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
“Here’s lookin’ at you kid” (almost all of the best lines from Casablanca could fit here)

Feel free to add your own favorites!

Who are you...

... according to what you drink? Type in your preferred Starbucks drink here and have the Starbucks Oracle tell you what kind of person you are?

When I drink a Tall Skinny Hot Gingerbread Latte, I am personality type: Fat

When I drink a Tall Java Chip Frappachino, I am personality type: Lame

Who are you?

Monday Monday

Here it is, the beginning of a new week. It should mean renewal, new opportunities, new possibilities. Gone are the trials and tribulations of last week – now is the time to leave it all behind and start anew.

Ugh. What utter crap. I still haven’t chosen a new book to read. I’m out of Gingerbread syrup, so no Gingerbread Lattes to give me a fake high. Thank goodness this is going to be a short work week for me (NYC here I come!). Somehow I am not feeling it yet. I usually get such a high from looking forward to traveling. I know that I am going to have an absolutely fantastic time, but it just isn’t grabbing me yet.

I had a fun weekend – shopping (didn’t buy what I was looking for though), eating out (mmmmm, good Italian food and wine), sleeping, relaxing, etc. The Dolphins won – surprisingly enough.

Somehow all I can concentrate on are the things that I have to do – Christmas shopping, which I have tons of left; Christmas cards, which I haven’t even chosen yet; packing for the weekend; figuring out exact travel details for the weekend…. All that drama.

Happy Monday everybody

The Simpson's love Italy?

This is so weird. I think that you can tell where Matt Groening has been recently on vacation by looking at where the Simpsons seem to be concentrating. This year he must have been in Italy - in the last episode Lisa was learning Italian from Milhouse (with a curiously funny vignette of Milhouse being chased by his Nonna in Tuscany - they got the scenery right). Now in tonight's episode, "The Italian Bob," the Simpsons encounter Sideshow Bob while in Italy. (Is this a Hannibal rip-off?)

The Simpsons have been very well-travelled in the past though; they have been to France (Bart - as an exchange student), Japan, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Cuba (for Mr. Burn's Million Dollar Bill), England, to name a few (the rest I have forgotten). Kind of interesting, certainly the Simpsons are more worldly than one might expect.

PostSecret Gallery Exhibition

PostSecret.com, a website run by someone to whom thousands have sent postcards revealing their innermost secrets, will take its premise on the road beginning this week. The PostSecret exhibition opens December 14th in Georgetown at the former Staples store on M St. You can visit Weds - Friday 6pm-10pm and Sat and Sun 2pm-10pm. The show runs through January 8th in Georgetown, after which it will travel to Reading, PA.

More details are available here.

Dammit Jax!

Well, the damn Colts are on their way to another win because frickin' Jax can't beat them. This stopped being funny long ago people. The Colts must lose!

The one thing that I have heard discussed is that the Colts might start their second stringers once they have clinched to ensure that they are healthy for the playoffs. Now if this happens and subsequently the Colts lose I still won't be happy because it will be the little asterisk in the record book (not really, but mentally) that the Colts chose not to go for the undefeated season. Grrr.

If I were a character on South Park...

This is what I think I would look like.

What would you look like? Try it out here.

More things about me you didn't know...

I just realized that this will be like my 52nd post. Wow. Because it has been 50-odd posts since I gave you all some trivia about myself, I thought, why not share a little more. Then maybe people will find out that they have something weird in common with me, and then we won't feel so alone in this big, uncaring world:

Favorite football teams: Miami Dolphins, Florida State Seminoles

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite pizza topping: corn

Favorite Actress(es): Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn, Meg Ryan (pre- bad plastic surgery), Myrna Loy, Uma Thurman

Favorite Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Kevin Spacey, Jimmy Stewart

Favorite Movies that have made me cry: GWTW, Best Years of Our Lives, Marty, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Sterile Cuckoo, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Garden State

Favorite Movies that have made me laugh: Airplane, Dr Strangelove, Bringing up Baby, Tootsie

Dreams: Travel to New Zealand and sledge down a river, snorkel the reefs off the Seychelles and Maldives, scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, shark-cage dive and watch Great Whites off the coast of South Africa/Mexico/US, live for a period in Venice and write a novel.

Fun fact about me: I cry at the drop of a hat over everything; commercials, cheesy music, manipulative movie and TV scenes, kitties and puppies, they all make me cry.

Shoe Size: 6.5/7

Ring Size: 4.5/5

I think that's enough openness for now.

Guilty, sinful pleasures

I feel like this blog has become a surrogate AA-like group for me. I find myself admitting all kinds of things that could get me a couple of months of probation.

Like this: Last night I watched the first two episodes of Project Runway. This is the show's second season (I did not watch the first) and while I usually swear off reality shows (with the distinct exception of the Amazing Race, which for me is more of a travel show) I watched not one, but two episodes. There's lots of drama, Heidi is so pregnant, and sooo German (there's a certain honesty and sharpness to her 'You're out' as compared to Trumps over the top 'You're fired' - it must be the German).

Bravo reruns the show more or less constantly, so I know that I am going to end up seeing all of this season's shows at some point. But I am so ashamed, so very ashamed.

Winter Wonderland

Wow, there was no one on the train this morning (I got a window seat no problem) and because of the snow and ice the train was running below full speed. It was so relaxing, almost entrancing, to watch the snow-covered limbs and trees pass by. They didn’t plow our road very well, or any of the roads I use to get to the train station, but my little 1995 Saturn did an admirable job getting through the snow and slush and getting me on my way to work.

I sat back and listened to some music, didn’t even bother cracking open my Economist or reading the Post. Just sat back and enjoyed the calm before the tedium of the day set in. Oh well. Maybe I’ll run out and get a coffee sometime to break it up a bit.

We probably have about 2.8 - 2.9 inches of snow on our porch. Definitely not more than three ;)

Deja vu all over again

Earlier I explained the weather anomaly zone that DH and I perpetually seem to live in. I present Exhibit B.

So weird.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock...

Okay, the weather people have predicted it, I can see the precipitation on the radar west of here. Now the waiting. This is perhaps the worst part of winter storms - you know they are coming, and it takes every ounce of willpower not to go to the window every five minutes to see whether the flakes have started falling.

At this point I don't know whether we'll get one inch or 10 - and really it doesn't matter. DH noted that it was very likely that I would have to give up Gingerbread Lattes for a week (see earlier post). And that's okay.

Because I'm almost out of syrup anyway.

Now I am depressed

I just found the nutrition information for a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte; just as I was comtemplating taking a little break from "work" and going out to get one. (Since DH used all the milk this morning and I couldn't make myself one before leaving for work)

Calories: 430
Fat (g): 22
Sat. Fat (g):14
Carbs: 43
Sodium: 200

So sad. However, when I make them at home I use 1% or 2% milk and no whipped cream, so I've got that going for me. Ohh, I just noticed it was for a Grande serving, not Tall (which is what I normally get - too much coffee makes me jittery).

I have to find some of that no calorie, no sugar Gingerbread syrup.

Yes... I'm pathetic

My desk at work is an absolute disaster… and every time I clean it off it just gets messy again. I have a pretty eclectic collection of items, which include:

- a small, soapstone Buddha watching me type
- two framed photos of DH and me, one is a wedding picture and one is our engagement photo
- two pictures each of Henry and Eliza, two of which are in this weird picture holder/heart thing that we got as wedding favors at my brother-in-law’s wedding.
- an ornamental fish thing hanging from a little gold stand. It’s too weird to describe.
- a bulletin board with: two Pearls before Swine comics, a Pooch Café comic, lyrics to the song from House of Flying Daggers, a newspaper photo of a cat sleeping in a pumpkin, and a picture of Fluffy the Dog, destroyer of worlds.
- a canister of Snow Geisha tea, green tea, and a glass tea brewing set
- a pair of musical Chinese hand balls (that you spin around in your palm.

Does this mark the pinnacle of boredom, where I amuse myself by writing about the things on my desk? Good lord, I need to get out more.

Io, Saturnalia!

I turned on the news this morning to check the status of our impending “big snow” and heard a story about the “secularizing of Christmas.” Namely these psycho people are complaining that stores, and dear God even President Chimpy, are substituting “Happy Holidays” for “Merry Christmas” and having “Holiday Sales” rather than “Christmas Sales.” One guy was quoted as saying something along the lines of “they [these evil corporations who use “holiday” instead of Christmas] are ignoring the fact that the origin of the holiday is the celebration of Jesus’s birth.”

WRONG WRONG WRONG!

I hate idiots like this, who a) perpetuate the myth that Jesus was born on Christmas Day as we know it (December 25) for their own, self-serving purposes and b) ignore the fact that a holiday celebration near the winter solstice was taking place long before their Lord and Savior was born and finally c) choose to ignore the millions upon millions of other Americans – indeed humans – that do not celebrate Christmas, but might like to shop at this time of year. A certain other religion (uh, Hanukkah anyone?) also has a holiday celebration at this time of year too. Should we just ignore them altogether? (Don’t answer that!)

For those objecting to Commander Cuckoo-Banana’s “holiday” card – screw you. You seem to ignore the fact that the man is supposed to represent about 200+ million Americans, not all of whom are Christians and celebrate Christmas (and frankly, you can’t discount the influence of the Jewish/pro-Israeli lobby here either – they’re powerful people). And why, oh why, if you are trying to keep the spirit of Christmas in this time of year, do you care if the little red sale sign above a rack of tacky, over-priced, 100% acrylic, Made-in-China sweaters says “Holiday Sale” rather than “Christmas Sale.” I mean, really.

Man I never knew that I could get this incensed about something at 7:00 in the morning.

P.S. No offense intended with the Jewish/pro-Israeli remark... I just meant that they are powerful enough to keep a more even keel with the whole "Christmas" rigamarole with out current President. Damn I hate political correctness too.

I did it, I did it, by George I really did it! Part deux

Those of you who have been reading this blog know about my current job frustrations and my paralyzing inability to talk with the cool kids in the office on the other side of my cubicle. Well - today I got over it.

Kind of.

I was in a meeting with other PMFs today - and as it turns out, one of them is currently interning in that office. So after the meeting I went over to his desk to talk with him. We chatted about life, love, and sharks. Yes, sharks. I told him about my dream of being bitten by a shark (just a small bite by a baby shark - enough to leave a little scar with a cool story to tell - not like Rodney Fox or anything). Anyway another woman in the office overheard us talking, asked if I liked sharks (I LOVE sharks) and told us a story about some guy getting caught with baby leopard sharks off California and subsequently arrested. Way cool! I nearly died right there... I was in shark-geek-girl heaven.

Anyway it looks like I should be able to get a rotation in the office. I can't wait!!! Yeah me!

Darn technological crap grumble grumble grumble

Alien: Moo: moo, moo. Moo.
Alien Carl: Moo..moo.moo

My sincere apologies to those leaving comments on my past few posts... apparently I changed a setting in my blog to moderate comments, and I didn't know what I was doing. You'd think being married to a software engineer would influence my technological abilities. Sadly that is not the case.

My bad - things fixed. Comment away!!

P.S. Thanks to Jeffro for pointing out the error of my ways.

It's official....

According to my employer, NOAA, the DC area is now under a Winter Storm Watch. A Winter Storm Watch alerts the public to the possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet and the certainty of illogical purchasing of milk, bread, eggs, and toilet paper, overabundance of TV "meteorologists" predicting triple the amount of snow that will actually fall, and news reports featuring "The Big Snow" above more important stories like war, death and disease, and Hollywood breakups.

Remember to duck and cover kids. Its the only way to avoid "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" syndrome during the wintertime.

Punchline!

I love reading Pearls before Swine and Pooch Café on my way to work in the morning. Yesterday’s PbS strip (above) was particularly hilarious in my opinion - moreso if you had caught the Monday, December 5th strip.

Remember, Dave Letterman was once a weatherman

What the heck is wrong with the weather people? Do they have a desperate need to be relevant in a time of war, disease, and Hollywood break-ups? Why do they persist in dramatizing ordinary occurrences, like snowstorms, and make them seem like potential Armageddon?

Why are they predicting a “giant” snowstorm for Thursday/Friday? This reeks of a desperate need for attention to me. If we get more than 3 inches of snow Thursday night/Friday morning (when these yahoos are calling for 6-12!) I will give up Gingerbread lattes for a month.

Well, maybe a week.

Mark your calendars, set your TIVOs and VCRs

Tonight, for me anyway, the holiday season truly starts with ABC's broadcast of my favorite holiday show "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Better yet, this year marks the show's 40th anniversary (first shown in 1965!). Incredible.

NPR or WTOP, I can't remember which I was listening to this morning, noted the irony of celebrating the show with an anti-materialist holiday message with a marketing campaign replete with plush dolls and fast food chain marketing arrangements. Sad. It reminds me of an article that I read not too long ago about Disney's original princesses (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and, my favorite, Snow White). The original moral of their stories was that you didn't have to look like a princess to catch a prince (Sleeping Beauty lived as a poor peasant girl Aurora, who Prince Philip fell in love with; Cinderella - well no need to explain that one; and Snow White was living as maid when Prince Charming finds her.) Nowadays, girls are more interested in the "princess" side of those stories, and the marketing tie-ins are concentrated on their pretty-pretty princess outfits and make-up and shoes rather than each of the princesses' humble lives. Typical of society's messages to kids today: materialism over substance!

Well, no more pontificating. I'll enjoy my Charlie Brown Christmas Special and hope that the message survives another 40 years.

P.S. I think that I found the article I was thinking of reprinted here.

Vacation all I ever wanted, vacation had to get away

I sit here at work, getting little annoying tasks done left and right, and it makes me sit back and think about taking a vacation. DH and I currently have two scheduled, and I find that having a vacation to look forward to really does keep one sane. We’ll spend the weekend before Christmas in NYC, enjoying (hopefully) Friday night at MoMA, Saturday at the Met enjoying their exhibition of Fra Angelico works, and Sat. night at the other Met enjoying a performance of Carmen, with generous amounts of eating and shopping in between activities. Just a short little getaway, but something that keeps my mind from exploding when dealing with trivialities at work.

In May, DH and I will celebrate our 5th (can you believe it!) wedding anniversary with a vacation on St. John, which is where DH and I got married. Now that’s a vacation worth looking forward to, especially on a cold and snowy day like this!

Never trust a meteorologist when he/she predicts snow

My DH and I joke that we always live in a weather anomaly zone. When we were in PA, bad thunderstorms would go south or north of us, but never seemed to pass right over us. Same with here in MD, storms go north or south, but rarely, if ever, have we had a really bad (or the worst part of) storm go over us. Now I have radar evidence to support our theory.

This snapshot was taken at about 12:50 – but it has looked like this for the better part of an hour now. Hilarious. It’s as if all those DC forecasters begging for snow have somehow reversed the polarity of the weather dynamics or something and actually created a no-snow zone around the city. Eat it weatherpeople!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

What a frustrating morning. First, I decide to make myself – what else?- a gingerbread latte for the road this morning. Which of course makes me miss the crucial minute at which I can leave the house and still make the 8:00 train, so I figure I’ll just take it easy and catch the next one at 8:20. Matter of fact, I’ll just leave when I am ready and if I am too early, enjoy my coffee in the car and read my new Economist. Well, I dawdled a little here and there, and left maybe 4-5 minutes later than I could have. And wouldn’t you know it – when I got to the train station the 8:00 train, running about 10 minutes late, was just then pulling away from the station. If I had just left like 2 minutes earlier not only would I have made it, but I would have witnesses a verbal confrontation in the quiet car. Pisser. In any case my train came just 10 minutes later… no real excitement there.

The weather forecasters practically have on-air orgasms at the prospect of a flake of snow; that’s all the more reason to be annoyed. Schools cancel around here if so much as one single flake hits the road (regardless of whether it melts or not) and Washingtonians cannot handle winter weather. What am I saying, they can’t even handle perfect weather. Ugh. I’m totally looking forward to Wednesday, when this whole weather drama should be over.

I did it, I did it, by George I really did it...

... I said that I would do it and indeed I did.

Third time is a charm; this morning I made the closest replica of my beloved Starbucks Gingerbread Latte since buying the syrup Friday. I figured out that I have to make two lattes, not just one, to get the milk frothed right and the espresso strong enough. I also finally bought a metal frothing pitcher, and man what a difference (I had been using a glass measuring cup). Brilliant. Now if only I could stop shaking long enough and climb down off the ceiling all would be good.

Congrats to my pathetic Dolphins, coming back from a 21 point deficit to beat Buffalo. Eat it Cowboy fans! :)

Go Jags, Chargers, Seahawks, or Cardinals

Tennessee isn't going to be able to do it today, Pittsburgh couldn't do it last week. One of the four teams above must defeat the Indianapolis Colts, whose current undefeated record threatens the title my beloved Dolphins currently hold - the only team to go through an entire season undefeated.

Now some might point out that the Dolphins did this way back in 1972, before free agency, with a shorter season, etc. Screw you I say. They still did it and they are still the only ones who have ever done it. And that record must stand! So in the coming weeks I will become a Jag, Charger, Seahawk, and Cardinal fan. Because really, considering the Dolphins' season so far, what other choice do I have.

At least I am not a Cowboys fan. :)

Breathtaking

We just returned from the Battlefield Illumination at Antietam. Above is my favorite of the 78 pics we took, most of which are garbage because we were moving. We waited for two hours to go through the battlefield, but it was well worth it. The historian who told me about it said, "if you think you know what 23,000 luminaries look like, let me tell you that you have no idea." He was so right. Field after field after field, as far as the eye could see, filled with thousands of luminaries. As soon as I thought that we had passed the final field, another one, full of more luminaries, would be right around the corner. One of the most hauntingly beautiful things I have ever seen.

Mark your calendar, the Battlefield Illumination is the first Saturday of December every year. I'll certainly be back - hopefully with better lowlight photo-taking skills.

23,000 points of light

DH and I are off to Antietam (Sharpsburg, MD) tonight to see the annual Battlefield Illumination. Volunteers place over 23,000 luminaries on the Antietam Battlefield (site of the deadliest battle of the American Civil War) to commemmorate the soldiers who were killed, wounded, or reported missing in the battle. I expect it will be an awesome sight.

It's a cruel, cruel world

So, yesterday I bought Gingerbread syrup at Starbucks to make my own liquid crack Gingerbread Lattes at home. I have tried twice now, and twice perfection has eluded me. Last night I let the milk get too hot and all my froth boiled away - plus I used a little too much syrup. Failure. This morning, I don't think the milk got hot enough - my froth was cold, and I think that I used too little syrup.

It may have something to do with my method. Whether cooking, barista-ing (is that a verb?), or other types of contructive types of activity, I don't really measure anything. I just eyeball it. This may be the issue; maybe there is some chemical reaction that need the proper ratio of ingredients to be successful.

I am so depressed about this. My grand plans of Gingerbread Latte domination, freedom from Starbucks. Ruined. Curse you!

Choices, choices

So I have finished three of Redmond O’Hanlon’s travelogue-esque books: Trawler, In Trouble Again, and In the Heart of Borneo. I got interested in O’Hanlon after reading a review of Trawler in the Economist – and he has an interesting style. I get very frustrated with his books because they have very weak endings. He goes on these incredible journeys – part naturalist, part anthropologist – through some amazing areas with a specific goal in mind. But there is never any closure; he never write about the end of his journey. He accomplishes his goal, and the book ends. Frustrating. He also tends to ramble a bit – a little James Joyce-like stream of consciousness writing. I can’t really recommend them, as I think most people probably would be mad at me after reading the exciting preparation for these exotic adventures and never feeling the payoff at the end.

Anyway, now I’ve got to figure out what to read next. I’d like to mix up some fiction classics with non-fiction neat stuff. I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff on my Amazon.com wish list, but who knows what I’ll get into next. I think I’ll try and find a history of international marine conservation efforts – you know, in preparation for my dream job (they were talking about the IWC again today… aghh! I’m so frustrated).

Random thoughts...

First, you must check out Jen’s suggestion improvement to Metro’s doors. I find it to be simply marvelous! And fitting with the culture of DC – albeit not so much cut-throat as cut-limb – but fitting nonetheless.

Second, I am really enjoying the Pandora link that I wrote about a couple of days ago. Two bands that I discovered using that little program are Course of Nature and Systematic, both of whom I find divine (at least what little I have listened to). The program definitely is a little limited, or maybe it’s just my musical taste. There isn’t much ethnic music recognized (tried Malaguena Salerosa from the Kill Bill soundtrack and some of the beautiful music from the House of Flying Daggers soundtrack and got squat). Nor is there any classical music (other than a very limited) capability (tried Tchaikovsky and all I got was more Tchaikovsky). I’d really like to find some traditional Chinese music, some hard-hitting and soulful classical music (Beethoven’s 7th, Wagner, Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slav – esque), and some fun Spanish music (no Ricky Martin please). Oh well.

Third, I’ve got to start Christmas shopping soon, and this prospect is just numbing. Its freakin’ December 2nd already. What kind of crap is that?

Fourth, I am really getting annoyed with both of my favorite shows; the Amazing Race and Lost.

The Amazing Race: Family Edition is not so much an Amazing Race around the world as much as it is the Amazing “watch these people’s awful behavior as we send them on the same family vacation from hell” I like seeing Utah and Arizona and stuff, but that is not what I want to see on the Race. I want to see Buddhist shrines and sacred bat caves in Thailand, historic sights in Senegal and South Africa, awesome adventure sports in New Zealand, places I’ve been to in Europe. This show was supposed to inspire my future travel itineraries, not my itinerary for when I am too old to travel around the world.

Lost is pissing me off because every time it answers a question, it raises five more. This was cute for the first season of the show, but now its getting aggravating. I’ll keep watching, because I am one of those people who just need to know. And that’s what they are counting on, those evil Powers that Be. Give me more Locke and MisterEko please, and less Kate and Ana Lucia drama please. Don’t be a soap opera, be a cool adventure mystery. Please.

Finally, Get well soon DH, because your grouchiness and cranky attitude are starting to piss me off.

Someone get me to a methadone clinic now.

I went out to lunch today with a friend of mine from grad school who also works here at NOAA, and afterwards, when I remembered that I had failed to get the Gingerbread Syrup I saw for sale at Starbucks yesterday, I braved the wind and cold to make my way to Starbucks, and bought myself a Gingerbread latte (this time skinny and hot - because I didn't want it to get cold and me to get fat) AND the glorious syrup. I chatted with the Barista (I can't believe I just used that word - and I think it should be Baristo since it was a guy) and asked him what syrup they used for the lattes (to make sure that I was buying the same thing). He said yes - the syrup is made by the same company, but packaged (and I am sure priced) differently for retail sale.

The ingredients in my bottle are: Sugar, water, natural and artifical flavors (so awful they couldn't even be more specific), sodium benzoate (mmm, yummy), citric acid (orange juice, huh?), and caramel color.

I don't think I am ever going to be able to sleep again.


Edited to add: Of course, when I did a Google Image Search to find a pic of my bottle and I find that there are lots of companies selling Gingerbread-flavored syrup. Grumble grumble grumble.

Cars: Road Rage as Metro: ?

There is a great article in the Post this morning about changes that Metro is going to make to (essentially) teach people how to ride the subway without being complete assholes. Yesterday I had to go to a meeting downtown (which of course necessitated me taking Metro). I got out at Metro Center (rather I tried to), and this idiot woman had parked her gigantic baby stroller with shopping and diaper bags RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR, while the more intelligent, thoughtful, considerate, or otherwise normally socialized people waited alongside the railcar. I do admit purposefully bumping into people who are being rude and obstructing traffic flow in and out of Metro. Don’t tell anyone, but once I bumped a religious guy (can’t remember whether it was a priest or a rabbi) at Capital South station who was blocking the way down the escalator (stand right, pass left people).

While I applaud Metro for their effort in trying to make their system more efficient (rather than ripping off the people in parking lots, yelling at or arresting teenagers for eating candy bars in the station, making people pay $5 for damn Smartcards and then only putting one or two machines in each station that can charge them, you get the picture), I would like to suggest that that the following diatribe be given to all riders as soon as they enter the station:

A few rules for riding the Metro without pissing everyone else off

1. Shut the f%&k up! Whether it is on your cell phone, or talking to the person next to you, no one cares what your political views are, who you had lunch with yesterday, or worse yet, what you should bring home for dinner. If you chat, please do so in a voice that allows the rest of us to easily ignore you.

2. Get the f&%k out of the way! Standing in front of the door, forcing people to move around you to get in/out of the, just so you can be the first out when it’s your stop is not only rude and inconsiderate, it’s f&%king annoying. If I almost can’t get on a Red Line train to Shady Grove on a Friday evening when it’s only running every 15 minutes because you were standing in the doorway, only allowing one person at a time to get in the door rather than two, I might just step on your foot. Hard. With my heel. So take your self-centered a$$ and move to the center of the train.

3. Learn how to use the f&%king farecards! There is nothing more frustrating than seeing your train coming into the station and getting stuck behind some moron who can’t figure out that the paper farecards go in with the arrow facing up and point toward the slot. It’s not rocket science, people. The only thing more frustrating is when there are a group of 20 teenagers in the big city for a class trip, all of whom are clogging the entrance gates trying to figure out how to use their cards. If you don’t know how to use the card – get the f&%k out of the way (see rule 2 – it applies here too) and let those of us who do know how to use them pass.

4. Get the f&%k out of the way. While this is similar to Rule 2 – this particular rule really applies to people on the escalator who stand all over it (not just on the left – but in the middle with their giant suitcase blocking the way or their giant backpack/purse blocking most of the way). Giant suitcase people – use the f&%king elevators. Chatty people – stand single file and chat, not in a giant glob that doesn’t let anyone else pass you. Protestors, tour groups, people from Kansas and Oklahoma on your first trip to the big city – look around and be aware for Pete’s sake. The Metro is not a tourist attraction, and even though you don’t have them at home, that is no excuse for being inconsiderate of others.

Look – that’s it. Four simple rules that will make everyone using Metro happier. Half the number of rules than are needed for dating that guy’s teenage daughter.

Weird, man

This shouldn’t be any great revelation – particularly to me – but people are so weird. Theirs is this one guy who, went we get off the train each night, runs (and I mean sprints) to his car. At first I thought that he was trying to catch a bus or something, but then I realized he was just running for his car. I guess he is trying to get out of the parking lot first – but why? I see him almost every night, and he always is running, jumping into his car, and then peeling out of the parking lot. Why? It’s so weird.

This morning, DH finally went to the doctor. He’s been sick for a week or more, not sleeping at all at night, and sometimes having to struggle to breathe. Yet he fought me tooth and nail about going to the doctor. You’re sick! You pay for medical insurance – use it! I don’t understand why, when he is that sick, he wouldn’t go to the freakin’ doctor. He’s so weird.

Pass the popcorn, please

Yahoo had the trailer for the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie today – and I hate to admit it but I am really looking forward to it. I was surprised by how good the first one is (and Keira Knightly kicks ass). So often, movies I expect to hate I really like, and vice versa. For example, I was not looking forward to the LOTR trilogy; I saw it as something my DH would drag me to. I was absolutely captivated by the first movie – went home and read all the books (which I sort of regret – I should have waited to see all the movies first) and happily saw the subsequent installments. Same with Spiderman (enjoyed the sequel too), Sin City (just so well done you can’t help but admire it), and Kill Bill vols. 1 & 2 (I don’t do violence well – but this movie was just hilarious).

Movies I expected to love but ended up hating include Lost in Translation (I don’t get it), Team America, any of the new Star Wars movies (they were just godawful, though – so that probably shouldn’t count), Vertigo (I love Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart – but Vertigo was just weird), Saving Private Ryan (don't even get me started), and Wait Until Dark (again, love Audrey Hepburn – but can’t get into this movie).

Based on this, I am actually looking forward to seeing King Kong. There’s no way I’d ever think I would like it – but I’ll bet you I love it. Life.

What was the name of that show?

I just saw an article in the Washington Post about Wendy Jo Sperber losing her fight with cancer. I know that I have seen her in a bunch of shows – but I could swear that she was also in one of those after-school special programs or health class cheesy films. I can’t remember what the title of it was… something like “Suzy Jo does Smack” (I know the “does Smack” part… but can’t remember the name that went with it.) IMDB.com is no help and now it is driving me crazy. One of those things you just can’t remember and it gnaws at you incessantly. Ugh! I’m gonna need another latte.

Edited to add: Many sincere thanks to Jeffro and his unlimited trivia knowledge. The show was Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack and Wendy Jo Sperber indeed played the title role! Phew I feel so much better now. Now I just need to know how you remembered that!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well, last night the holiday season really and truly started for me. The kick-off was, of course, CBS showing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It had been digitally remastered and I must say, I’ve never seen it look better. It was so crisp and clear – and I saw things I had missed before (like Rudolph’s friend Fireball having a tuft of blond hair – those Scandinavian reindeer devils!)

Gotta love the Bumble, Yukon Cornelius, and the gang – but most of all I love Hermey, the elf who wanted to be a dentist. Isn’t he dreamy?



Now, all I need is Charlie Brown's Christmas special and Mickey's Christmas Carol, and I will be ready for Christmas.

Something tells me I'm into something good!

Talk about starting the day off right! This morning, the spirits were shining on me! Not only was our local Starbucks giving away lattes (which, of course, meant that I could treat myself to the liquid crack they call a Gingerbread Latte), I discovered that they were now selling Gingerbread latte syrup! I have never seen it before today – and I almost went into convulsions right there in the store (I didn’t because, you know, there were a lot of people in there and it would have been embarrassing).

Unfortunately I didn’t have any cash on me (hey – everything was free) but I am comfortable in the knowledge that on my way home tonight I can stop in there and pay $5 for 12 ounces of my own heroin equivalent – wonderful artificial flavors and chemical additives and all.