William Husky?

I went to the Washington-Cal game this weekend and was surprised by two things:

1. William Hung of American Idol reject fame performed his infamous rendition of "She Bangs" (Warning! links to youtube) at halftime.

2. He performed with the accompaniment of the Washington marching band, was decked out in purple and gold, and yelled "Go Huskies" at the end. He went to Berkeley! What happened to his Bear pride?

Saludos de Costa Rica!

Just a quick report on the highlights of my trip to Costa Rica thus far:

1. Ate bird seed (accident)
2. Ate termites (on purpose)
3. Saw sea turtles laying eggs
4. Hiked uphill in a rainforest at night in the pouring rain
5. Swam in a crystalline waterfall
6. Played soccer in the mud
7. Luxuriated at a posh hot springs resort
8. Went whitewater rafting
9. Fed bananas to spider monkeys
10. Rappelled down a 200 ft waterfall

We´re off (via horseback) to Monteverde to ride the zipline!

Pura vida,

Emma

A New Spin on Teaching

So even though my official title is "Graduate Teaching Fellow" (at least for the next 7 days), I don't usually do any teaching during the summer. But, this morning I had an opportunity to do so when my spinning instructor didn't show up. Three other women were there and they were all mad that they woke up early for nothing. Then they started talking about how maybe one of us should just run the class, and I volunteered in a small voice that I had actually taken a spin class certification class three years ago. (This is when I was at Berkeley and obsessed with spinning. I mostly just got certified for fun. I used to be certified to teach Turbokickboxing as well.)

I had never taught before, I didn't have any kind of work-out plan, and the only music they had for us to use was Sweedish techno music. But, I did it! I had fun (it was definitely a rush!) and I didn't even feel self-concsious even though I didn't really know what I was doing. I guess I've taken enough spinning classes over the years that ideas for work-out sets have been engrained in me. After we finished, everyone was really nice. One said that my "class" was better than some of the usual instructors at Georgetown and that I should teach. I was totally flattered. So now that unemployment is fast approaching, maybe I have another option for making some extra cash before I find another job...

I'm starting to freak out

I have to leave my job in less than three weeks and I still don't have anything lined up for afterwards. Up until now, I was pretty relaxed about it because I know I'll eventually find a job. The only thing that annoyed me was constantly being asked by others what I'm doing next year and facing the obligatory grimmace when I tell them I don't know yet. But, now I just want a little certainty in my life. Has anyone tried the whole Oprah / Secret / just visualize what you want and it will come true thing? Do you think that could work?

Aaahh Freak out! / Le Freak, C'est Chic / Freak out!

Dictionary Fun

The last few nights, I've been doing some puzzles out of a New York Times Crossword Puzzle Book. Full disclosue: I am a crossword puzzle "cheater" in that I think research is fair game. Usually there is some inferential step required to successfully find an answer, so it's a sufficient brain exercise in my book. (Sometimes I actually cheat cheat and look in the back when I know it's a clue I will never figure out, but getting some letters down will help me with clues I know will eventually get.)

My laptop is broken, so I don't have a computer at home right now, which is probably the reason I've been doing crossword puzzles in the first place because I'm so ADD, I can't just sit and watch TV, I have to be doing something with my hands and the same time. (Fold laundry? Preposterous!) With my usual research method (I call it the Google/Wikipedia method) unavailable, I've been using these crazy old-fashion devices called reference books. It is so amazing how much information is contained in the Merriam-Webster dictionary!

For instance, I was able to confirm that "TET" was a correct answer for the clue "Eastern New Year," as it is defined as "the Vietnamese New Year observed during the first several days of the lunar calendar beginning at the second new moon after the winter solstice." It also lists a "Flemish painter: van ____," though not the one I was looking for. Apparently Jan van Eyck is dictionary-worthy, but Michiel van Coxie is not. While I was trying to figure out a five-letter word in Kansas's state motto, I looked to see if there was any kind of chart with that type of information in the back pages. No luck, though there is a chart with states, their capitals, populations, etc., and I was able to (correctly) guess that the missing word was "ASTRA," Latin for stars. (In case you're wondering, the full motto is "ad astra per aspera" or "to the stars through difficulty," which, if memory serves, was also the motto of my junior high school.)



While looking for the non-existent state motto chart, I did come across another interesting chart listing suggestions on how to avoid sexist language when referring to various professions. Some examples include: using cinematographer instead of cameraman, firefighter instead of fireman, and homemaker instead of housewife. This reminded me of growing up, how whenever we needed to something fixed or have some service done, we would always talk about needing to call the [something] man. The dishwasher man. The washing machine man. The parkay floor man. The fence man. One time we saw a frog in the backyard and my brother asked, "Are we going to have to call the frog man?" I'm not sure any of these were addressed in the dictionary chart, certainly not "frog man." Just the other day, my mom mentioned having to take the morning off work to wait for the dishwasher man. Perhaps she should have called him "the dishwasher repair person."

We were, however, politically correct whenever the toliet was clogged. We never called anyone "the toliet man," we always said "plumber." One of my favorite memories growing up was when my mom came and asked my brother and me if we had seen the plumber's friend (meaning the plunger), and we answered in sync, with the same incredulous inflection, "The plumber has a friend?"

I have a fan!

Lately I've been spending a lot of time on Yahoo! Answers, which is an "online community" where people can post questions on literally everything, and others can post answers. The questioner then votes on which response is the "Best Answer," which awards the answerer ten points in a largely meaningless point system. Currently, I have 236 points and 20% of my answers have been designated as "Best Answers." :)

Another feature of this system is that you can let people know that you are a fan of their answers, and I got my first fan today! A college student posted a question last week about being tired all the time, due to depression and the medication she is taking for it. I responded by first suggesting that she talk to her doctor about her medication, and I also suggested that she try taking a short walk after class every day, instead of going straight down for a 3-4 hour nap as she said she had been doing. I wrote that, in my experience, exercise usually makes me feel less tired, even though it seems counterintuitive, and that physical activity is known to ease the symptoms of depression.

After getting chosen as best answer, I looked at her profile. I know this sounds silly, but I just thought her "About Me" section was so sweet!

I heart pilates and yoga! I love my boyfriend dearly. I wish I had more control over my life. I'm always tired and it sucks. I'm a vegetarian because I love animals! I'm very laid back. I'm a hippie at heart. I love comfy clothes. I'm a movie fanatic. Anything or anyone that makes me laugh is awesome! I'm in college, working towards a Bachelors Degree in Family and Child Studies. This May I'm getting my Associates Degree in Sociology too! Only two more years of college! Woo!

Her other questions range from the typical issues facing 20-year-old college girls--like fighting with her boyfriend and whether or not to go to the tanning salon--to much darker issues--like her struggles with bulimia, depression, and thyroid dysfunction. She obviously is having a rough time, yet still seems so cheerful and optimistic in all of her posts. I find it so endearing that it restores my faith in humanity. Is that weird?

Regardless, I was so honored that she wants to be my fan. It made my day.

April Fool

I suck. Apparently, the naysayers were right . . . I'm losing steam on this whole monthly resolution thing. I've just been so lazy lately. Here it is April 9 and I haven't even touched my taxes, the piles of laundry are just sad, and I haven't even blogged about the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. Maybe it's because spring hasn't quite sprung yet and it's sapping my energy. Yeah, that's it. I'll blame it on the rain, yeah yeah.

Then again, my resolve this year hasn't been a complete failure. I think I've accomplished a lot in my post-Fancy New Can-opener world. Most notably, I've been lifting weights regularly, cooking more, staving off scurvy by eating my veggies, and watching a lot less television. Oh - and I bought Chucks! The brownish pink ones.

Ergo, my resolutions for April are:
1. Don't be hard on yourself.
2. Do what you can.

Emma Went Down to Georgia

Partly due to the nature of my job and partly due to the fact that I'm a big dork, I'm always excited to find new online resources for grammar questions. I frequently refer to Dr. Grammar and I recently discovered (and am now addicted to) Grammar Girl, which is a weekly podcast and accompanying blog that provides "quick and dirty" tips for remembering particular grammar rules and often includes really interesting trivia and discussion (well, interesting to me.) I also highly recommend checking out other similar "quick and dirty" podcasts on qdnow.com. I like Mr. Manners and Legal Lad. (So glad I recently joined the 21st century by downloading iTunes!)

Today I was google-ing when to use a hyphen between the words "follow" and "up," and I came across a blog called Business Writing. (It corroborated my instinct that there is no hyphen when using "follow up" as a verb.) On the site's blog roll was a blog called Legal Writer. Of course, I eagerly clicked over to that one!

An interesting tidbit that I picked up by reading through Legal Writer's recent posts is that Georgia font was specifically designed to be read on screen. The post recommended changing your email program settings to write and display Georgia as the default font, thus making it easier on your eyes and those of your email recipients. (Apparently, as online fonts go, Verdana is a close second.)

FYI - The default font for this blog is, in fact, Georgia. Blogger must be hip to its "brilliant serifs."

Short, Sweet, Late

March has come in like the proverbial lion so I haven't had much time for blogging or resolution-keeping-track-of.

In short, I met all my resolutions for last month but one. I bought coat hangers, went to see the dentist, and have applied for a handful of jobs, maybe 5. I haven't gotten around to donating my cell phone and laptop, but thanks to Laura's tip, I should be able to shortly.

This month, I'm taking it easy on myself, and only have one resolution: do my taxes by the end of March. That will keep me from waiting until the last minute as I have done almost every other year.

More Fashion Advice

When I first (re-)started this blog, I asked for advice on picking out a tote bag, which, by the way, I never picked out. There were just too many choices! Anyway, I'm having similar issues with picking out a pair of low-top Converse All-Stars a/k/a "Chucks." I currently have two pairs of tennis shoes to wear with jeans--one is bright orange the other is white with red stripes. I want another pair of casual, comfortable shoes that are versitile, but still fun and colorful.

Any thoughts? (Source: Zappos.com)

Month of Purification*

As promised, my monthly post of resolutions.

But first, let's recap January:

Goal: Unpack my suitcase from winter break before MLK day.
Result: Success! I made it in just under the wire, finishing Sunday of the holiday weekend. Also, this small task inspired me into a full on cleaning frenzy.

Goal: Purchase a Metro Smartcard.
Result: Did it. Love it. Can't believe it took me so long.

Goal: Lift weights 1-2 times a week.
Result: Yes. I lifted at least once, and probably twice each week this month. When school (and group exercises classes) started again, I started going to a muscle conditioning class on Mondays for low weight/high reps. Wednesdays I've been using the machines. Also, we always do about 10 minutes of weights at the end of my step class on Thursdays. I plan to keep this routine up. Supposedly, now that I've done this for 21 days it should be ingrained in me as a habit, therefore eliminating the need for me to formally resolve to this again.

Goal: Have at least one day in January where all of my clothes and linens are clean, dry, and folded or hung in their proper place, save only the sheets on my bed and the clothes on my back.
Result: Not quite. I spent several evenings in a row watching Alias DVDs while doing laundry, and made huge progress on the doing of the laundry, but not so much progress on the putting away. The upside is that it's in laundry baskets, rather than in piles on my futon. Part of the problem is, you know in the movie It's A Wonderful Life when there's a run on the Building & Loan and George Bailey has to explain that the money isn't all in the back in a safe, it's in your house and his house . . . Anyway, my clothing storage system depends on a certain amount of clothing being in the laundry hamper. Also, I need more coat hangers. (Wow, that's a nice segue!)

February Resolutions

1. Purchase coat hangers.
2. I haven't gotten around to finding a dentist since I've been in DC, so I resolve to finally get around to that and make an appointment.
3. Find a place where I can donate an old cell phone and an old lap top, and donate.
4. Apply to an average of one job a week.

*Just in case anyone's interested in the etymology and history of February.

In Praise of Cereal

crunchy with whole grains
late night; spoon splashing cold milk
satisfied, shortly

Dishevelled Lady? Me Thinks Not!

Just wanted to report that I am making good progress towards disposing of my formerly dishevelled self. Last night, I even managed to cook myself dinner. (Thanks, Mom--the can opener worked great!)

Something came up at work around 5:00pm on Friday (which is always fun), so I ended up having to stay late, until about 9:30 or 10. While I was working, I got it into my head that, since I didn't have any plans for the evening, it would be fun to cook as opposed to ordering out or heating something frozen up. I was thinking back to an episode of the Take Home Chef, which I happened to catch several months ago where they made turkey meatballs. For whatever reason, that just sounded really good. So I googled an easy-looking recipe for low fat turkey meatballs and spaghetti and headed to the grocery store on my way home.

There is one grocery store between work and home, which is small, and another one only two blocks away from my house, which is smaller. I got to the store a few minutes before it closed (I forgot this would be an issue for the small, family-owned places) and grabbed a few things I needed. One of my classmates from law school said that every time she tries to cook, she just ends up calling her mom every five minutes asking for help with the directions. I didn't think I was this bad (my position has always been, that it's not that I can't cook, it's that I CHOOSE not to), but I did briefly consider calling my mom from the store to ask if there was a discernable difference between crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes (I could find the latter, but not the former.) I finally did find "crushed tomatoes," but it looked more like tomato sauce/tomato paste and I wanted something a little chunkier. Luckily, I found a compromise--chunky crushed tomatoes. Unluckily, the store had no ground turkey, no ground beef, basically no anything in the meat department.

Undeterred, I decided I was on a mission. The corner grocery store by my house was closed as well (and even if it had been open, I doubted it would have ground turkey) and my car wasn't working so I couldn't drive to the 24-hour Safeway. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided at 10:30 at night, in 30 degree weather, I'll just run to Safeway! As it turned out, however, there was another corner-ish grocery store a few blocks away from my corner grocery store that stays open until 11. I went to the meat section, and there was exactly enough ground beef for the recipe. I did debate going on to Safeway anyway so I could actually get turkey, but decided there were many good reasons to just go with the beef in the hand. (Probably a good decision considering (1) my Safeway's nickname is the UN-Safeway, (2) I didn't eat dinner until 12:30 as it was, and (3) I was cold enough just walking home five blocks with groceries and Safeway is a little over a mile away.)

Anyway, no major cooking disasters and I enjoyed both the meal and the satisfaction of cooking for myself. (I even remembered how to separate an egg!) Now that I have my fancy new can opener and a new car battery, I may try this more often. Fodder for future monthly resolutions, perhaps....

You say you want a resolution?

My friend says she doesn't believe in New Year's resolutions because there's no point because everyone gives them up by February anyway. I propose that's because most people aim too high and resolve to do things that are somewhat vague. Any good personal trainer will tell you, the only way to reach your goals is to set some that are realistic and measurable, as opposed to "I want to lose weight and improve my fitness." Therefore, I propose to set a few bite-sized monthly resolutions. My only New Year's resolution is to do so here on this blog each month, and the next month, I'll report back on how I did.

January Resolutions

1. Unpack my suitcase from winter break before MLK day.
2. Purchase a Metro Smartcard so I don't have to worry about having change for the bus or slowing my friends down when I have to purchase a new metrocard and they can just quickly swipe on through.
3. Lift weights 1-2 times a week. (I'm aiming for two, but one is sufficient to meet my resolution. If I end up doing it twice weekly, next month I'll consider upping it to thrice weekly.)
4. Have at least one day in January where all of my clothes and linens are clean, dry, and folded or hung in their proper place, save only the sheets on my bed and the clothes on my back.

UPDATE: I'm already 3/4ths of the way there! I just purchased a Smartcard online.
UPDATE II: Resolution #5. Improve math skills. I meant to say, I'm 1/4 of the way there, and only have 3/4ths to go.

How do you measure...?

The best advice I've heard about taking stock of those 525,600 minutes was from Ally McBeal (but then again, I only take advice from television shows about quirky lawyers). Anyway, if I recall correctly, Ally's mother used to say something along these lines: "A year is only wasted if looking back on it doesn't make you both laugh and cry." Check. And check.

Happy New Year!