I went to a concert last night, a CD release party for a local band. When we went up to buy tickets we noticed that it was $12 if you paid in cash, but $14 if you used a credit card. While my friends and I were figuring out if we had enough cash between us to avoid paying the extra $2 for using a card, a woman walked in front of us and went to the ticket window.
Two things were apparent about this woman: (1) she seemed a little "off," and (2) she had been arguing with the people in the ticket window for a while. Apparently, for whatever reason, they weren't going to let her in even though she really wanted to see the band. Then, all of a sudden, she was like, "Well, the three ladies behind me need tickets, can I buy tickets for them?" We tried to tell her that we didn't need her to buy our tickets, but she kept insisting, saying that she felt guilty. Once she gave us our tickets, we tried to give her cash and she screamed "NO!!!" in a very scary way. So as not to anger her, we kept the tickets and our cash. We said that we would promise to pass the good karma along, "pay it forward," etc., and she screamed, "Well, better not give it to anything that involves religion or kids!"
I definitely feel like I owe the universe $12 (or $14, as she paid with a credit card). Any suggestions on how to spend it in a way that would honor a crazy lady who hates religion and children and is a die hard fan of Oakhurst?
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Denver Weather
Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day in Denver--60s, sunny, I went on a bike ride wearing shorts and short sleeves. So many people were outside, running, roller blading, walking their dogs. Even artists were set up painting landscapes on their easels. When I woke up and looked out the window this morning, everything was covered in snow. And, the flurries have started again.
Friday, February 29, 2008
I'm Back, Baby!
I never should have complained about the thirty minutes or whatever I spent on the phone with Pay Pal. It was nothing, NOTHING, compared the ongoing battle I've had with Dell for the last six weeks.
Let's just say it involved at least thirty total hours on the phone with Bangladesh, several attempts to restore my system, a replacement keyboard (my old keyboard had the down key permanently stuck down, preventing me from finishing the system restore), a trip to the hardware store to get the right size screwdriver to install the new keyboard, realization that one of the screws was too worn down to let me unscrew it, a trip back to the hardware store to see if they could help me unscrew it (they couldn't), shipping it back to Dell for them to replace the keyboard, more unsuccessful attempts to restore the system over the phone, Dell's agreement to give up and send me a new laptop (yay!), a new laptop whose screen was messed up right out of the box, an A/C adapter that is incompatible with the battery, my not realizing I was supposed to save the new computer's box to ship my old unit back to Dell, spending an hour and fifteen minutes on the phone with customer service convincing them to send me a new box to ship my unit back, and a service technician making a house call to replace the screen.
I'm still waiting on the A/C adapter and the box, but I think it's safe to say the worst is over. I have a nice new computer with a working screen, a down key that isn't stuck, and connects to the internet (my original reason for calling Dell.) And, this experience has done a good job of weaning me from my internet addiction. So, now that I have my computer back, I may blog more, or I may not. Who knows? An exciting round of "will she, won't she" to keep you entranced until the post-strike tv shows start up again.
Let's just say it involved at least thirty total hours on the phone with Bangladesh, several attempts to restore my system, a replacement keyboard (my old keyboard had the down key permanently stuck down, preventing me from finishing the system restore), a trip to the hardware store to get the right size screwdriver to install the new keyboard, realization that one of the screws was too worn down to let me unscrew it, a trip back to the hardware store to see if they could help me unscrew it (they couldn't), shipping it back to Dell for them to replace the keyboard, more unsuccessful attempts to restore the system over the phone, Dell's agreement to give up and send me a new laptop (yay!), a new laptop whose screen was messed up right out of the box, an A/C adapter that is incompatible with the battery, my not realizing I was supposed to save the new computer's box to ship my old unit back to Dell, spending an hour and fifteen minutes on the phone with customer service convincing them to send me a new box to ship my unit back, and a service technician making a house call to replace the screen.
I'm still waiting on the A/C adapter and the box, but I think it's safe to say the worst is over. I have a nice new computer with a working screen, a down key that isn't stuck, and connects to the internet (my original reason for calling Dell.) And, this experience has done a good job of weaning me from my internet addiction. So, now that I have my computer back, I may blog more, or I may not. Who knows? An exciting round of "will she, won't she" to keep you entranced until the post-strike tv shows start up again.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Pay Pal Woes
I want to sell something on eBay -- my first time. Before I can post an ad for my old Tivo, however, I needed to make sure I had a pay pal account so I can received payment. No problem, right? Wrong. I've used pay pal only a handful of times in the last few years, years in which I have moved a lot, switched phone numbers a lot, and had a few different email addresses and credit cards. Pay pal made it impossible to create a new account, because I was already registered, and it also made it impossible for me to figure out my old log on information so I could access the system.
Stephen got to "hear" me vent over IM while I was straightening this all out:
Stephen got to "hear" me vent over IM while I was straightening this all out:
10:51 AM dewstephen: hey
10:52 AM me: sup
i'm having problems with pay pal
10:53 AM dewstephen: oh yeah? whatup
me: well i already had an account, so they wouldn't let me register for a new one
dewstephen: no way to get access to the old one?
me: but i don't have enough old information to get the email address and password for my old one
dewstephen: call them?
me: like i've tried my last few addresses and stuff
yeah - that's the next step
10:54 AM dewstephen: can you call? btw, haha, they are in the adjacent building to freescale.. lol
want me to walk over there?
:)
10:55 AM me: :)
11:50 AM dewstephen: so what up in denver? you doing anything outside of cleaning up the house?
11:51 AM me: i've been out a few times
11:52 AM dewstephen: when do you start work?
11:57 AM me: I F***ING HATE PAY PAL
12:01 PM i set up pay pal for the journal at law school and had a similar headache inducing conversation with their customer service then
12:02 PM they really need to revamp their system
dewstephen: you don't even know the half of it
their legal agreement you sign is really restrictive for the customer
there are a lot of websites devoted to how paypal are a**holes
12:04 PM me: like i couldn't remember when i last used it, or what email address i used. and i confirmed my old addresses, etc. and they wouldn't f***ing give me what email address i need to submit to figure out my password
12:05 PM then they said they would send me an email with a new link that would allow me to re-register
12:06 PM but it's just my most recent pay pal receipt
and i asked if there was a way i could call back to talk to him specifically and not have to wait 10 minutes on hold, and he said call back at 5pm pacific time
wait 6 hours so you don't have to wait 10 minutes
f**k them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12:11 PM OK - now it says enter credit card type, when there is no space or pull down menu to enter type
12:16 PM me: then i offered to verify using my phone number and it asked me to input the last 4 digits of some phone number that's not even mine
12:17 PM dewstephen: lame, lame lame
12:19 PM me: i finally figured out what address, phone number, email, and credit card i used, and that's not even helping
i better f***ing get 200 for my tivo after all this crap
12:24 PM dewstephen: haha, sorry
12:26 PM me: now i can't even send them a bitchy email while i'm on hold because you have f***ing log on before you can do that
dewstephen: that's lame he told you to call back....
12:27 PM me: i should have stayed on the line until i got the helpful email he was supposedly composing
but honestly i'd rather talk to someone else, he was not particularly helpful
12:29 PM have you ever listened to this episode of This American Life about the woman stuck on hold with MCI for forever
dewstephen: no!
dam...
me: it's really good
that's how i feel now, though my situation is not as extreme
12:31 PM dewstephen: customer service these days is just terrible
| s |
12:41 PM me: ok - problem solved (knock on wood)
you'll never guess what they had me do to sign up for a new account
12:42 PM i had to sign up using a fake email address, a gmail.net address, so it would let me create the account
then i had to go into my profile and add my real email address
and delete the fake one
I really curse like a sailor when I'm on hold. :)
Here's the link to eBay, just in case anyone is interested in bidding on my Tivo.
12:54 PM dewstephen: nice, smooth move.
I really curse like a sailor when I'm on hold. :)
Here's the link to eBay, just in case anyone is interested in bidding on my Tivo.
Monday, November 19, 2007
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?
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?
Saturday, September 01, 2007
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
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
Friday, August 10, 2007
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 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...
Monday, July 30, 2007
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!
Aaahh Freak out! / Le Freak, C'est Chic / Freak out!
Friday, July 27, 2007
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?"
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?"
Monday, April 30, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, April 09, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
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."
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."
Sunday, March 11, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, February 12, 2007
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.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
In Praise of Cereal
crunchy with whole grains
late night; spoon splashing cold milk
satisfied, shortly
late night; spoon splashing cold milk
satisfied, shortly
Saturday, January 20, 2007
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....
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....
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
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.
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!
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 22, 2006
A Benihana Christmas
As any of you who have had a conversation with me in the last month will know, I have recently become obsessed with NBC's "The Office," the hilarious un-sitcommy sitcom with wacky hi jinx, a lot of heart, and a sometimes tragic depiction of the human condition. I don't just watch it because John Krasinski is smoking hot, but let me state for the record, John Krasinski and his character, Jim Halpert, always leave me satisfied and smiling.
I started watching the DVDs over Thanksgiving, and have since finished two seasons, and am currently jumping into the third season mid-stream. After I watched an episode called "The Client," wherein boss Michael Scott holds an important business meeting at Chili's and continually interrupts things by ordering appetizers and several "specialty drinks," I emailed my brother and suggested that when I come home for Christmas we should go to Chili's (as we often do) so and order "an Awesome Blossom, EXTRA awesome," just like Michael did on the show. Then I tuned into this season's Christmas episode, and the chain restaurant featured there was Benihana, where a few of Michael's co-workers take him to help heal his freshly broken heart.
Tonight my parents went to a Christmas party, and my brother and I had planned to hang out--go to a Yoga class and then have dinner. As I was intent on an Office-related food option, we decided on Benihana, as neither of us had ever been there and both of us would probably chicken out from ordering something "EXTRA awesome." Also, Paul informed me at dinner, he will be gainfully employed at the Kerrville Chili's next semester, so he'll probably have his fill of Awesome Blossoms soon enough.
Anyway, our Benihana Christmas turned out to be lots of fun (and lots of food!) (Note: Nog-a-sakes were conspicuously absent from the menu.) Paul was surprised how much he liked sushi with freshwater eel and I was surprised how many puns one grill-master could make. (The word eggroll will forever evoke a different image for me now.) We enjoyed our experience so much, we filled out the comment card with the words "Awesome, extra awesome."
Michael and his "bros" 
I started watching the DVDs over Thanksgiving, and have since finished two seasons, and am currently jumping into the third season mid-stream. After I watched an episode called "The Client," wherein boss Michael Scott holds an important business meeting at Chili's and continually interrupts things by ordering appetizers and several "specialty drinks," I emailed my brother and suggested that when I come home for Christmas we should go to Chili's (as we often do) so and order "an Awesome Blossom, EXTRA awesome," just like Michael did on the show. Then I tuned into this season's Christmas episode, and the chain restaurant featured there was Benihana, where a few of Michael's co-workers take him to help heal his freshly broken heart.
Tonight my parents went to a Christmas party, and my brother and I had planned to hang out--go to a Yoga class and then have dinner. As I was intent on an Office-related food option, we decided on Benihana, as neither of us had ever been there and both of us would probably chicken out from ordering something "EXTRA awesome." Also, Paul informed me at dinner, he will be gainfully employed at the Kerrville Chili's next semester, so he'll probably have his fill of Awesome Blossoms soon enough.
Anyway, our Benihana Christmas turned out to be lots of fun (and lots of food!) (Note: Nog-a-sakes were conspicuously absent from the menu.) Paul was surprised how much he liked sushi with freshwater eel and I was surprised how many puns one grill-master could make. (The word eggroll will forever evoke a different image for me now.) We enjoyed our experience so much, we filled out the comment card with the words "Awesome, extra awesome."
Michael and his "bros" 
Me and my bro
Merry Benihana Christmas, everyone!
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