La Vie En Oui

Howcast Is Amazing

2010-03-22T22:16:00.004-04:00

Thank you, Brittany, for working there and introducing me to my favorite video makers OF ALL TIME. Here is just one amazing example of their work; enjoy!

(If only everything in life were this easy...)

Button Makers

2010-03-21T16:21:00.004-04:00

A few weekends ago I was invited to a birthday party for the sister of one of my friends. I decided to go because it was a crafting night, and I love me some collages; give me scissors and some rubber cement, and I'll go crazy!

About half way through my destruction of an architectural magazine, one of the hosts of the party came over and stated that they were surprised that nobody had used the button maker...

SAY WHAT?

Immediately I set to the task of making a button because, HELLO! You don't get to make a custom button every day!!

That's basically the end of the story, except to say that button makers are awesome, and if they were not $300 I would have one and you all would be getting buttons for every occasion for the rest of your lives.

Sadly, I won't be getting a button maker any time soon, as I am going to be a poor student. I got into the grad school that I applied to, and will probably be spending almost every waking moment doing school work starting in September. Actually, come to think of it, I probably won't even have time to lament the absence of an awesome button maker in my life! That's not a bad thing. :-)

Oatmeal Turnaround

2010-03-10T20:43:00.002-05:00

The first meal on the first day of my new healthy way of eating required that I eat oatmeal. For those of you who have known me for any length of time, you'll have undoubtedly heard of the time I went hiking in NH and my mountain mates made oatmeal for breakfast; as you are not allowed to leave trash on the mountain, I carried all the oatmeal around 2 mountains, up Mount Washington and down Tuckerman's Ravine because I refused to eat it. Needless to say, I was not thrilled about attempting to down oatmeal first thing in the morning. Still, as it was the first day of my healthy eating, I didn't want to waiver so early on in the game so I put my brave face forward and at 8 am on Monday morning I commenced "operation: oatmeal preparation."

My first attempt was a disaster! I started off with a portion much too large for any person to consume first thing in the morning, and it immediately boiled over the rim of my pot (and thus made a huge mess on the stove) the second I turned my back. I was worried about putting in too much cinnamon so I cautiously tapped the jar to dispense a moderate amount into my goopy mess of oats. I threw in some cranberries, topped with honey as instructed (though I don't like honey, either, so I only put a little on) and tried to down my horrid creation. It was terrible, tasteless, and honestly made me flashback to moments on the mountain when my sister and I tried to suppress our gag reflexes and hide our oatmeal discretely in plastic bags.

I am not a quitter, though, and so on day two I made a few modifications to the recipe and have since perfected it. Here is my recipe for awesome oatmeal even oatmeal haters will love:

Small portion of oatmeal
1 pound of dried cranberries
Half a container of cinnamon
4 quarts of maple syrup
6 cups of fresh fruit to top

Ok, so I am joking to a point, but the above mixture is delightful. Breakfast with oatmeal has become my favorite part of the day! Tonight when thinking about what I wanted to eat for dinner, I found myself craving the simplicity and natural sweetness of my new favorite breakfast.

If you have any good ideas for oatmeal, please let me know! As long as it doesn't involve raisins or honey, I would be interested to try it out.

Eating Healthy!

2010-03-07T19:43:00.003-05:00

My mother and my sister and I are going to start following the world's healthiest foods eating plan (which you can find here if you are interested). It should be interesting! You are supposed to feel great, have fewer cravings, get sick less, have more energy and have beautiful skin (a plus that I am really looking forward to!). My one worry is that this way of eating requires you to eat so much food and I am honestly a little worried that I might not be able to consume what I am supposed to every day! I guess I won't have to worry about starving myself on this new diet, though, which is a plus. :-)

Today was also my first day of practice with my new football team! The people are really, really nice. Not to diss my old team, but this new team is so relaxed and friendly, and that just goes to show you that Brooklyn wins in the awesome department... yet again. I think this season is going to be a lot of fun!

If I Can Dream

2010-03-05T21:14:00.006-05:00

For a while now I've been seeing advertisements for this thing on Hulu called "If I Can Dream." It's a reality show about 5 Hollywood hopefuls pursuing their dreams. There are no competitions, no voting people off the island, no lame "made for TV" jobs they have to hold and no jarring personalities to put up with, all of which makes for a highly unusual reality show.

What makes this show even more unusual, however, is the fact that there are 60 cameras in the house which are on at all times, streaming live video onto the internet for the whole world to see. When you go to the web site you can view any one of these cameras and their feeds 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These cameras watch everything (decent): the pool, the kitchen, the bedrooms, and even the entry and the hallway.

Occasionally this is quite entertaining. For example, tonight when I checked out the kitchen they had their cook there preparing dinner and I was able to hear about what she was preparing and how to do it myself! I also saw someone organizing pillows, and another person asking viewers to Tweet in their opinion about their clothing choice for a party later that evening.

Other times, this can be duller than watching paint dry. This afternoon when I went there for the first time ever, I saw a girl sitting on her bed reading a book. I wasn't sure that the video was even working, but then I saw her turn the page... what intrigue!

The concept reminds me a lot of the Truman Show (remember that movie?), the only difference being that this time, the characters know they are being watched. Despite the fact that they agreed to be filmed constantly, I still feel like a creep watching their every move. Having said that, though, I am not sure I'll be able to resist checking in now and again to see what these people are up to (even though occasionally it may be more dull than life in my apartment).

I think in general the concept is truly interesting. For the first time EVER you can watch a reality show that is exactly that: reality. Also, you can interact in a variety of ways with the people living in the house (in real time!) if you catch them at the right moment, which is definitely a unique plus. I'm interested to see if this will catch on and become a phenomenon. Will people tune in to see what our fame-searching hopefuls are up to? Or will viewers discover that the reason reality shows don't usually depict reality is because the truth is not really that interesting?

Check it out for yourself: http://ificandream.com/

Snow Pictures

2010-02-27T14:15:00.002-05:00

So, it snowed again in NY!

Random Things

2010-02-15T22:39:00.006-05:00

A few things have happened recently, and I thought I would share with a delightful photo montage.

As many of you may know, there has been a ton of snow here in NY! It snows here from time to time, so the event in and of itself is not really all that shocking; the noteworthy bit is that the snow actually stuck to the ground, and is still here a week later, though admittedly a touch browner and shabbier than when freshly fallen. Here are a few photos I took out and about (or from my window, from my favorite stalker-esque vantage point) to show you folk not in the northern states what exactly winter means.

Since it was snowy and generally winter-ish this week, I spent a lot of time making Skittles chase things around. After one such search and destroy session with her toys, she lay down amongst her captives (which she'd previously beaten into submission) and took a much needed rest.

Finally, this weekend was Valentine's Day - huzzah! I actually quite enjoy the holiday, but Sunday was just generally a downer of a day. My clothes shrunk in the dryer, I had to play football in the snow, some crazy lady forced me to disembark the train I was taking and I thought I lost my keys. Still, the captain of the football team got all the girls roses because of the holiday and because it was the last game of the season, and that was really nice!

Finally (the second), Jen made some amazing soup and I recreated it tonight - it is so delicious! It is a spicy sausage soup with spinach, beans and onions (and of course sausage). I used chicken sausage, and it came out wonderfully! No picture of that, though. Pictures of food (especially soups) are just not necessary. :-)

2010-02-11T00:53:00.001-05:00

So... looks like the wires over at Amazon were a little crossed the other day.

Simple

2010-02-10T00:48:00.005-05:00

Usually, words in French sound so much prettier than words in English (à mon avis). However, sometimes it's just simpler to say it in English.

(If you don't speak French, that roughly translates to American mail delivery by horse, started in 1860 and discontinued with the arrival of the telegraph.)

Kite Boarding

2010-02-02T18:05:00.009-05:00

First I need to learn how to snowboard. Then I need to learn how to do this:

Say It Isn't So!

2010-01-26T21:49:00.003-05:00

According to this article it would appear that some people on this earth question whether aliens are friends or foes. To that, I have to say that they may have been friendly and cordial, but nobody likes to be talked about behind their backs, so now of course the best we can hope for is that they'll be civil to our faces. Jeeze!

Seriously, though, it's an interesting thought. The article says that many people just assume that aliens would of course be (I believe their words were) "kind and benevolent," which in fact may not be true. The thought is kind of scary (come to think of it), but also not that shocking. I mean, come on... even among our own race we have tons of malicious people who do bad and evil things!

I don't think we need to worry about whether aliens are good or evil, because I think there will be a mix of personalities... that just seems logical to me (but then again, I am only human). I think more importantly we should worry about which variety is going to happen upon us first!

If I spent as much time worrying about this alien issue as I did about filling out the FAFSA, I'd have the thing done by now. Well, that's why we intelligent beings created the concept of tomorrow.

Skittles!

2010-01-19T16:09:00.001-05:00

Here are a few photos of my cat... now isn't she cute? Aww.

Bachelor!

2010-01-18T15:58:00.003-05:00

So once again it is the season during which I take my pride and shove it into the deep, dark recesses of my closet where I am sure not to find it for a good long time and recommence my Bachelor addiction. That's right... the Bachelor is on ABC again! Wahoo?

This season I told myself I was for sure not going to watch since I found out that ABC had chosen Jake to be the bachelor. I mean, he seems like a sweet guy and everything, but I wasn't really pumped about watching him go through his myriad emotions (he's got more estrogen than some women I know) all while being subject to his continuous assertions that he is, in fact, just a nice guy who is sick of finishing last. (Pft!)

Despite my adamant refusal to watch the show... well, I watched the first episode (look who's all talk now?). And while I swore it would only be one episode, one episode turned into two, which turned into yet another seasonal addiction. Oh, dear!

I feel like I should have done something this weekend that was academic or educational in an attempt to counterbalance the fluffy effects of this reality show, but (no thanks to a friend from college) I instead spent the weekend plunging further into the depths of reality TV show despair; that's right, I've now seen every episode of Jersey Shore.

Shhh... don't tell my college. I fear they may revoke my diploma.

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-17T23:56:00.001-05:00

I took this picture on Christmas day while I was home for vacation. Sometimes I forget what a beautiful place my hometown can be!

So It's A New Year!

2010-01-07T21:41:00.002-05:00

Well, life has been pretty busy these past few weeks. I've evaluated 50+ students (only 20 more to go!), tried my darndest to get out of football (it's like a cult and now there is no turning back), and attempted to start a raw food diet (lentil soup isn't cheating, I swear!).

Apart from the normal hustle and bustle, I've not been doing anything of particular interest lately. I went to NH and had a lovely time with my family, rung in the New Year at my grandmother's house before heading to my sister's apartment to watch her and her roommate drink themselves silly, and I also adopted a cat.

That's right! I did it. I went to the Humane Society and got myself the sweetest, funniest most adorable cat ever! Her name is Skittles, and she likes to sit on my lap and purr; she also likes to chase balls with bells in them. Since I throw her kitty toys for her and let her sleep in my lap, she basically leads the best kitty life ever.

Anyhow, I attribute my failure to blog to Skittles. I mean, when an adorable ball of fluff decides to take a 4 hour nap in your lap, it would just be cruel to stand up so you could tend to your blogging. Duh.

Deluxe Crap Closet

2009-12-20T23:52:00.002-05:00

I just wrote an entire post about how I shoved some oversized Ikea shelves into one of our closets to create a deluxe storage closet capable of holding more junk than I ever thought possible. I was up to 4 whole paragraphs before I realized that it was legitimately on of the most boring posts I'd ever written (while I must say it was quite an ingenious feat, the details of how I wiggled it in there are not too thrilling).

Why was I writing a post at midnight about my shelving maneuvers? Because I don't want to pack. How many posts have I written about hating to pack? Probably about 15. Every time I have to take a trip anywhere I am always leaving it to the last possible minute and doing absolutely every activity I can think of that I don't need to be doing instead of packing. So far tonight I finished a sloppy video editing job, mailed it to all my friends, ate a bowl of grapes, finished Percy Jackson, took some gingerbread photos, put them on Facebook, picked up the apartment, watched a documentary on JK Rowling and posted on Twitter about how much I hate to pack... oh, and now I am writing this.

I'm not perfect, and I do hate to pack, but nobody can ever say I'm talentless... I truly excel at procrastination!

Anyhow... tomorrow I am off to NH for the holidays, so I probably will take a bit of a break from posting so much on this blog. I know - my riveting stories will be missed! - but somehow I think life will go on. :-)

Happy holidays to you all!

Regular Expression Dictionary

2009-12-18T02:13:00.003-05:00

Today I was trying to come up with a domain name (which, these days, is insanely difficult to do) for a web site I want to create, and I was trying to combine words relating to the site's content and my personal interests to make a short, memorable name. I found myself trying to come up with words that contained part of my name (like nutmeg or megalomania) or parts of other words, and somewhere amidst the process of wracking my brain for words ending in ical or ism or ist, I had a genius idea: dictionary search using regular expressions.

For those of you who are not familiar with regex's, let me just say they are one of my favorite things about computer programming. Crafting the perfect regular expression is a true art form, and it is almost as satisfying as hot tea after an afternoon of sledding through a snowstorm (almost... but not quite). Anyhow, let's say I wanted to find words containing "ical" at the end: I would use the expression ".*ical" - the dot meaning any character, the star meaning any number of characters, and the ical obviously searching for that character combination. If I wanted to match meg, I could simply do a search for "meg" and no matter where in the word that letter combination showed up, the words would show up as matches to the expression. I was using fairly simple expressions for my purposes, but you could do rather complex searches to find very specific words (like words with only one vowel and other such randomness).

See how amazingly helpful this can be? It's like the ultimate rhyming dictionary, but 10,000 times better. Anyhow, luckily someone else thought it was a pretty sweet idea, too, and they put it online. So today I spent the better portion of my day and night on this site searching like a mad woman. I even considered skipping my guitar lesson (for shame!), though in the end I pried myself away from my new favorite online toy and marched my butt to the subway station.

Anyhow, you should give it a whirl. It's pretty fun.

L'Accro

2009-12-17T14:46:00.000-05:00

Serious Stuff

2009-12-16T18:03:00.009-05:00

After a full day of work and living of life, I've not come up with any serious or worthwhile topics to discuss as I had hoped. After last night, I was really looking forward to a shot at redemption.

Since I don't personally have any "deep" topics on hand, I thought I would share a beautiful song that I heard performed live a few weeks back. It made me cry, and I'm not one to usually cry about war and soldiers. This isn't to say that I don't care, but I don't forward those emails people always send around or put the bumper stickers you always see on my car... you know. One reason I love this song, though, is because it helps me to understand where my grandfather is coming from when he talks about his experience in the war. Before hearing this song, I thought of my grandfather's stories were just him droning on ad infinitum and it was hard for me to sit through; this song, however, simply explained to me why his stories means so much to him, and why he tears up when telling them. I hope I have the opportunity to pay attention a little more closely the next time I see him.

You can listen to the song here, or just read the lyrics below. The guy who wrote it (Barry Privett of Carbon Leaf) is one of the most thoughtful songwriters I know of, and so I'll leave it to him to bring further reflection and thoughtfulness to this blog. Enjoy if you've not heard this already!

The War was in Color Carbon Leaf

I see you've found a box of my things -
Infantries, tanks and smoldering airplane wings.
These old pictures are cool. Tell me some stories
Was it like the old war movies?
Sit down son. Let me fill you in

Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
From the flash of a gun to a soldier who's done
Trust me grandson
The war was in color

From shipyard to sea, From factory to sky
From rivet to rifle, from boot camp to battle cry
I wore the mask up high on a daylight run
That held my face in its clammy hand
Crawled over coconut logs and corpses in the coral sand

Where to begin? Let¹s start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
From the shock of a shell or the memory of smell
If red is for Hell
The war was in color

I held the canvas bag over the railing
The dead released, with the ship still sailing,
Out of our hands and into the swallowing sea
I felt the crossfire stitching up soldiers
Into a blanket of dead, and as the night grows colder
In a window back home, a Blue Star is traded for Gold.

Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo don't capture the skin
When metal is churned. And bodies are burned
Victory earned
The War was in color

Now I lay in my grave at age 21
Long before you were born
Before I bore a son
What good did it do?
Well hopefully for you
A world without war
A life full of color

Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo never captured my skin
Once it was torn from an enemy thorn
Straight through the core
The war was in color

Where to begin? Let's start with the end
This black and white photo never captured my skin
From the flash of a gun, to a soldier who's done
Trust me Grandson,
The war was in color
Trust me Grandson,
The war was in color
Trust me Grandson,
The war was in color

Crafty!

2009-12-15T22:47:00.003-05:00

Today I was going to try and blog about something serious, but then I stumbled upon this gem. I don't really know what to say about this, except for that I think it is hilarious.

I came across it when I was bumbling around on Etsy. The artist is asking $30 for this piece, and I'd be really curious to find out if they actually find someone willing to pay that much for it. Seriously, though, I think this crafter has entered new territory with their work in world of needlepoint.

I suppose there is always tomorrow for a legitimate post... we'll see what Wednesday brings!

Apple Advertisements

2009-12-14T10:04:00.003-05:00

I love the Apple advertisements. I love the PC vs. Mac ones which are hilarious. I like the poster-sized advertisements I see on the subway and on billboards across the city. Most recently, though, I've really enjoyed the iPod nano advertisement that I saw on YouTube.

I'm not sure why I like it so much, but it is delightful! It makes me want to get up and dance with my own iPod.

(Not that I don't do that already...)

Brittany's Poem

2009-12-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

While Brittany was here this week we went to Pinkberry. A lot. Because Pinkberry is the love of our lives. I don't know what it is about the pebble floors and the modern picnic furniture that is so alluring... anyhow.

This week they were asking people to fill out surveys, and Brittany filled them out every time because she loved writing nice things about the Pinkberry establishment. Last night, we were particularly inspired and we set about crafting a Pinkberry poem on the back of the survey. As Ini Kamoze would say, we are lyrical gangsters, and the poem was so amazing that Brittany read it aloud to everyone in the store. I feel it only appropriate to share this poem with you now, being as it is clearly poetic genius.

Told you so. Brittany came up with the last line herself, which I thought was particularly inspired.

Regreigerator

2009-12-12T21:44:00.004-05:00

What is a regreigerator, exactly? That's just how I happened to type refrigerator on the first try. I sort of like it, so for this post I will refer to the household appliance as a regreigerator.

We threw a party back in August, and today when I opened the greige I uncovered what I'm pretty sure were the remains of what I think may have been a bean dip from said party (though honestly at this point it was hard to tell). So, I decided that it was probably a good idea to throw out some things that were probably good and dead by now, and also perhaps clean that unidentifiable brown... goop... stuff... off the bottom shelf.

After a half hour of cleaning and gagging, our regreigerator looked nice and clean! It was also shockingly empty. Take a look:

I find it funny that after all the purging we are left with dairy products almost exclusively: milk, eggnog, yogurt, and 6 different kinds of cheese.

Winter Has Arrived!

2009-12-11T09:28:00.004-05:00

It's official, everyone! Winter has arrived. Last night as I was wandering down the road and doing my best to maintain a somewhat upright stature in the face of a seriously strong headwind I realized that the delightful NYC winter is now in full swing.

I love how the wind chill easily knocks off 15 degrees from the temperature. I guess that means I'll be wearing long underwear today!

Chocoholics Beware

2009-12-09T22:48:00.008-05:00

Brittany and I are making cookies right now that literally require 4 different kinds of chocolate. It's the main ingredient, followed by crushed peppermints (basically my idea of heaven).

Brittany and I of course couldn't help but doctor the recipe a little. Instead of 8 oz. of bittersweet chocolate, we used 1/2 bittersweet, 1/4 mint chips, and 1/4 dark chocolate. Brittany also wanted to use 13 cups of sugar instead of 13 tablespoons (we made a double batch) but we ultimately decided that might not work out. In her defense, Brittany said, "Neither math nor memory is my strong suit." Fair enough!

We got the recipe from Epicurious. In case you don't care to click or, heaven forbid, they ever take down the recipe, here are the instructions:

* 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
* 1/2 cup finely crushed red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies
* 6 1/2 tablespoons sugar

* 3 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
* 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

* Coarsely crushed peppermints
* Powdered sugar

Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolates melt and mixture is smooth. Remove pan from heat. Mix in finely crushed mints and 6 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Cool mixture to lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture, 1 at a time, then whisk in vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl to blend. Whisk flour mixture, then chocolate chips into chocolate mixture. Cover batter and chill until firm enough to shape, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 generous tablespoonful for each cookie, roll dough between moistened palms into 1 1/4-inch-diameter balls, then arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked on top but still soft to touch in center, about 11 minutes. Let stand on sheets 5 minutes. Press coarsely crushed mints onto tops of cookies or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Transfer to racks; cool completely. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper in refrigerator.)

Football

2009-12-08T20:19:00.003-05:00

I joined a football league (much to the dismay of my mother) and was feeling really good about it until I got 23 emails today from the league about rules, regulations and planning and therefore realized how serious they were.

Plus tomorrow we have to say bye to our kitties. :-(

On the bright side, Brittany is visiting so that's really fun. And hey, it's a good thing she is visiting now because in a month I may be dead from a tragic football casualty!

Haha. Hope that turns out to be a joke.

Going Down the Manhole

2009-12-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to an event with a college friend of mine that I've been meaning to go to for a long time now: the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tour. Ladies and gentleman, let me tell you, it was amazing!

The tour lasted for two hours and the man who ended up finding the tunnel (at age 19!) was the one who told us all about the history, and how he eventually ended up searching for and finding the tunnel. It was a really amazing story, and standing in the tunnel to hear it was a really special opportunity.

Even more special are the plans that my friend and I came up with for the next time we go on the tunnel tour: attending the shindig in full-blown ninja turtle costumes. Yeah, that's how we roll.

PS - my roommate thinks that I should refer to any future first dates as, "going down the manhole." TMI? Perhaps. Now that I've typed it, though, it's staying.

Composure Liquid (revisited)

2009-12-06T22:41:00.003-05:00

Emily and I have been dutifully force feeding the cats their composure liquid despite their hissing and frenzied escape attempts. (Actually, to be fair Lulu is very good about it; Coco is devilish enough for the both of them!)

I digress... the funny thing is, though, that each time we have to to give it to them they are easier and easier to catch (because they have more and more calming herbal supplements in their system). I'm quite convinced that by Wednesday Coco will achieve an unprecedented state of apathetic nonchalance.

Is it redundant to use "apathetic" and "nonchalant" together? I should have paid more attention in 4th grade English.

Cat Medecine

2009-12-04T08:36:00.002-05:00

The cats we've been cat sitting for six months are going to be leaving us in a few days. Their owners came to bring them to the vet on Wednesday, because they had to have a pre-flight checkup (that's right - these cats are going to Germany!). When they came back they had a whole list of things we needed to do in the final days of preparation.

Most of these prep things are not that big of a deal, but there is one task that I find to be particularly daunting: squirting their pre-flight sedatives into their mouths. "You want me to put what into Coco's mouth via syringe? Very funny."

Even funnier than the thought of me trying to chase the cats around with their sedative goo is the name of this all-natural product: Compusure Liquid.

I sort of wish there were a composure liquid for humans. Whenever the going get's rough, just down a teaspoon to regain your composure! How awesome would that be...

Bumping Into People

2009-12-03T22:25:00.002-05:00

I have only bumped into someone I've known while wandering around the streets of New York once my whole time living here. Well, I've bumped into my roommates while in transit, too, but that doesn't count. So yes, only one time.

Tonight I was feeling a bit down about having trouble making friends and whatnot, so I was terribly excited when I saw someone I know from school on the way to my guitar lesson this evening - delight! I was not only glad to run into someone I know, but I was also surprised to run into someone I actually recognized from school (since I know all of 10 people, what are the odds?).

Frustration can often lead me into bouts of wild productivity and change! I am having trouble making friends, so I got in touch with someone I met at a party several months ago and invited them to our upcoming holiday party, emailed a high school friend new to the city and scored myself in an invitation to a cookie baking party with 5 people I don't know (don't even ask how I managed that). Oh, I also joined a touch football league (yeah, we'll have to see about that one). I've done all of this in the past 36 hours!

I tell you, there is nothing like a busy schedule to distract you from your doldrums. :-)

Kenny Loggins

2009-12-02T19:56:00.000-05:00

I really feel like Kenny Loggins has multiple personalities. How can someone who wrote "The Real Thing" and "Return to Pooh Corner" also be responsible for "Playing with the Boys," "Danger Zone" and "I'm Alright?"

Truly. It boggles my mind.

I'm Awesome

2009-12-01T19:52:00.003-05:00

Wow! What a week. Of course I had a lovely time going home to visit my family and eat my heart out, and I also had a lovely time at an amazing concert with my sister in NY.

On top of all the normal holiday hubbub, I had to write an admissions essay. It's been a long time since I've had to write an essay... like, a really. long. time. Gone are the days that I used to whip out line after line and have them somehow, magically, all flow together. Here to stay are the hair-pulling 5-hour writing sessions just to get 3 sentences down. Ouch! I ultimately finished the essay, but it was a challenge; it's hard to write about yourself without feeling cocky or egotistical.

On the plus side, writing the essay really helped me clarify some of my goals for the next few years. Also, I was forced to update my resume! I did it in InDesign, and it looks awesome. :-)

Now I'm drinking wine. Just 'cause.

Antiques Roadshow Treasure

2009-11-22T20:27:00.002-05:00

I took a nod from my father the other day and watched Antiques Roadshow on PBS. I had to take a screen shot of my monitor when the above gem of a rug was being shown. I knew it was "special" even before they said it was worth upwards of $100,000.

Seriously? Sometimes I don't get it.

Slow Runnings

2009-11-20T09:12:00.002-05:00

This morning since it was a whopping 60 degrees outside (!!) and wonderfully sunny I decided to go for a run. The good news I suppose is that I ran from my current apartment to my first apartment in NY and back again. The bad news is that it took me 45 minutes to run a whopping 2.5 miles. Now, in order to save face just a little, I am going to say that I am not exactly sure when I left, so I may have run the distance in slightly less time than that. Also, it seemed as though every light I came upon I had to stop and wait for traffic, which also slows a person down a lot.

Anyhow, despite my amazingly slow speed, I feel really good about the running I've been doing these past few weeks. I've been watching this silly YouTube channel that features an overly enthusiastic guy giving his all to lose weight (for real this time, he swears!) and I've found it really motivational. One thing he keeps saying is to not give up, and to just try and do better than you were doing the day before. The idea of being proud of what you did accomplish and not upset with what you don't is a really good way of looking at things, I find.

So instead of being sad about how slow I run, I am going to repeat my new mantra: "At least I went for a run!" Yeah, I did. :-)

Circus Cirkör

2009-11-16T10:54:00.001-05:00

This is the circus I saw. Awesome! Especially the music.

Inspiration at the Circus

2009-11-16T09:12:00.002-05:00

Recently I've been thinking a lot about what to write about for this super long grad school application essay I need to complete in under two weeks. One of the questions they want me to address is my most interesting failure to date, and I just had no idea what to say!

Don't get me wrong, I am by no means perfect. But I think in order to feel like you've failed you have to regret what you've done... and while I've definitely made my fair share of mistakes, I don't regret having made them because each time I've learned from them and grown as a person. I don't look at my life kabobbles as failures, but rather learning experiences.

The more I thought about writing this essay, the more I thought about why I was even applying to this grad school anyhow. For one, it is an insane amount of money, and I have no idea how I'd ever be able to afford it. They also don't allow you to defer your acceptance, and you can't go part time so I'd have to quit my job (which I adore) to go to this school. All of these downsides make me question if I really want to give up so much for this particular program. I think the courses sound fun, but is fun really worth giving up my job and financial security?

Then on Sunday I went to see a Swedish circus (which was amazing, by the way). The theme of the circus was conquering your fears, and the director wrote the following in his note:

We all carry fear within us, which can be good, because it reminds us of life's frailty. But fear also limits us and makes us live as if half-dead instead of fully alive.

I thought about this some, and I think what he said can by applied to my situation. I think I know that the school would be worth the sacrifice and the effort, but it's scary to give up everything familiar and safe in pursuit of academia. It's even scary just to apply (this is a really competitive school, so I'm preparing myself for rejection)! But I realized on Sunday as I watched the circus performers fly through the air and perform stunts that wowed the audience that sometimes you just have to suppress your fears and take the leap.

Still, it's scary.

Blog Revival

2009-11-14T16:18:00.003-05:00

Well, I think it's time to revive this blog. For real.

This means that I should tell you about: the guy who spit at me the other day as I walked down the road; the guy who thought I was a movie star; the amazing quiche I made; the arduous grad-school application I am working on filling out; the cats I am sitting for; my recent boot acquisition; my awesome Halloween costume; my super-exciting Thanksgiving plans; my new-found love for the Bolt bus; how much I dislike that "I can't do it" girl in guitar class; my new running regime and water intake for cramp control; the possibility of moving to Boston; and how I ate a whole container of cashews in under a week (among other things).

Where to start, though? My life is so interesting and filled with excitement around every corner! Get excited, because I am going to recommence the documentation of every sordid detail.

Tomato/Cucumber Salad

2009-10-21T16:53:00.002-04:00

So. I'm still alive. And cooking.

Here's my new favorite easy salad recipe!

1 cucumber (diced)
2 tomatoes (diced)
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Red Wine Vinegar and Pepper to taste

That's it, folks! Delicious.

Headlights

2009-09-01T17:08:00.002-04:00

I'm Going to be Issued a BUI!

2009-08-20T21:32:00.002-04:00

That's right folks, I'm blogging under the influence! Now for once I will have a good reason for my typos...

When I was in Florida, I made two interesting discoveries. The first is that when it is hot outside and you are drinking, you get drunk fast! The second discovery is... was... wait, I forget. Anyhow, for some reason since I've been back in NY I've had a hankering for cold beer in the evening. It's really satisfying, and for some reason it just hits the spot!

The main point that I meant to bring up (if I can remember back a few sips to when I was lucid) is that I've recently discovered that I like drinking. A lot. Not in an unhealthy AA-in-my-future sort of way, but a drink here and there sort of thing. When I'm a bit tipsy, I get the feeling that anything is possible, and I don't mean the unsafe, "Watch me jump off the roof because OMG I can fly!" sort of feeling. More like, "Wow, this pop song is on the sound track of my life and I should go dance in the park and smile on the subway and... oooh, shiny!" I just feel really... optimistic and positive.

Funny, since alcohol is a depressant.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

2009-07-27T19:23:00.003-04:00

I've been trying to eat more vegetables lately, which is easier said than done. I thought it might be fun to share my successes on here so that other may benefit when my experimentations go incredibly well!

Tonight I made a Vegetarian Taco Salad. I used:

- Taco flavoring
- Green Beans
- Corn
- Red Pepper
- Red Onion
- Black Beans
- Tomato
- Olive Oil
- Lettuce

( Optional:
- Cheese
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Olives )

To make it, just diced all the veggies except for the lettuce and beans and stir-fried them in a pan with the olive oil. When they were almost cooked, I followed the instructions on the taco packet as if I were cooking meat (add water, simmer until saucy).

Then, cut up some lettuce and put the mixture over your greens, and voilà! Yummy taco salad.

I also added some cheese, salsa and sour cream on top, and I think guacamole and black olives would have been delicious as well.

Happy eating!

To Be Completely Cruel...

2009-07-23T11:41:00.002-04:00

I saw an ad just now that said that 1 in 4 women misread a traditional pregnancy test. I just have to say, what is so hard about the difference between "+" and "-"? Or perhaps "|" vs. "||"? People are more daft than I realized.

Pesto!

2009-07-19T16:53:00.003-04:00

I just made home made pesto, and it is good. I put in:

- Basil
- Parmesan Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Capers

The capers are not supposed to be in there, but I threw some in for good measure. I think it is actually quite an edible blend, and not bad for a first ever attempt without a recipe.

Tonight I am going to play Rock Band (my new obsession) which should be a lot of fun, too. I also went to the park this afternoon (and this morning, for that matter). It's been a great Sunday!

Star Wars Web Project

2009-07-10T20:58:00.002-04:00

I know! It's been forever since I've posted! In my time away I've seen 5 concerts, been to a wedding, a casino, Boston, New Hampshire, museums, Ikea, and have moved. Today we finally got the internet in our new place, and I was reading one of my new favorite blogs when I came across this cool project at Vimeo. Basically what they are doing is remaking the whole of Star Wars - each person is responsible for a 15 second clip, and when everyone is done they are going to put the clips together to make a remake of the full film. I've always loved Vimeo, especially their community projects and collaborations, and I am really looking forward to seeing this when (if?) it is ever finished.

Only One and a Half More Months of This

2009-05-17T11:44:00.001-04:00

Why I Am Moving: Reason #674 from Meghan on Vimeo.

Breakfast For Dinner

2009-05-06T20:21:00.002-04:00

Whoever sat down one night and declared it acceptable to have breakfast for dinner was a genius! I've never ascribed to the notion that certain food groups were only for certain times of the day (pizza for breakfast? Count me in!), but still if you are caught eating the wrong food items during off hours you can get some strange looks. So whoever made it not unheard of to have breakfast for dinner, thanks a thousand times over because you may likely be my personal hero.

The only thing better than having grits, (facon) bacon and eggs with a hot cup of tea at a 24 hour, breakfast all day diner is having the same at home in your pajamas. I'm going all out tonight... I'm going to eat in bed!

The Granny City

2009-05-01T18:46:00.005-04:00

I've found an amazing apartment and as of July 1st will be living in said new apartment. Hooray! While investigating new neighborhoods and potential living quarters, Emily and I had many criteria such as:

Good size kitchen
Bedrooms that could fit a bed
Lots of cabinets
No apparent bug problems
Good windows that open and close
Bathroom with tile that stays on the wall
Pet friendly

... you get the idea. Of all our criteria, the absolute most important was location. Location, location, location. After living in the middle of nowhere on a train line that runs well about 50% of the time and nowhere near a direct bus route to anything, we realized just how crucial it was to live in a place where we would never be stranded when the train stopped running.

As a result, the place we will be moving to is within a 5 minute walk of 12 train lines and countless bus stops. Plus it is close enough to my work that I will be able to walk if I so choose. Which brings me to my next point...

NYC transit is facing a shit storm. Excuse my language, but it's true. Next year they are facing a $1,000,000,000 deficit (yes, that's a billion). As a result, drastic fare increases and service cuts are being made. As if this wasn't bad enough, it was recently announced that they may even consider cutting some night service all together. If this happens, I will be forced to rename NYC from "the city that never sleeps" to "the granny city: it's 10 o'clock - did you catch the last train home?"

I understand why these service cuts seem like a necessity, but in my mind it is incredibly sad. One of the main reasons I moved to NY (well, apart from the fact that I had a job offer here) was because I wanted to live in a place with one of the best public transit systems in the country. It seems I may have made a bad decision.

In sum, I think I may be walking to school next year, but not necessarily by choice.

Storms in the City

2009-04-20T22:31:00.003-04:00

I love what happens to my normally quiet neighborhood when we have a thunderstorm. All the car alarms from the neighborhood cars start to go off when a big bang of thunder goes off nearby. Normally I would find this sort of annoying, but during storms I find the orchestra of alarms charmingly amusing.

Pinkberry Forum Question

2009-04-16T09:29:00.002-04:00

All By Myself

2009-04-14T22:03:00.003-04:00

My apartment is pretty big, even when all of my roommates are here. However, the apartment feels quite like a mansion when I'm all by my lonesome. It is now Tuesday, and I have been leading a life sans-roommates for 4 days now (6 with just one), and I am starting to feel a touch like Bridget...

Don't wanna be all by myself! Anymooooooooooore!!!!!

Seriously.

Tea Consumption

2009-04-09T12:42:00.000-04:00

When I drink tea, I use the big mug. You know... the one that is suppose to be bigger than is decent, the one that civilized people only ever fill half way, the one that requires pulleys and a lever just to move from the table to your mouth, the one that could flood a studio apartment should you accidentally spill... that one.

I used to have a little bit of a guilty conscious about drinking so much tea. However, this morning I had a realization that may change my life forever (mostly because people will probably always think of me as slightly dafter once they read what I have to say and realize I should have thought of this approximately six years ago). The realization is that while my mug is larger, I'm still only using one tea bag. Therefore, I may actually be a healthier tea drinker than the average person.

Think about it... people who drink small mugs of tea are getting the same dose of herbs and caffeine as I am, just in a more concentrated quantity. I am actually putting more liquid in my body than the average tea drinker... hell's yeah for hydration!

I have a mug of tea with me as I write this. I feel oddly liberated when I guzzle these days!

Noise Control

2009-03-30T23:34:00.004-04:00

The neighbors below me are constantly having screaming matches. I wouldn't really care normally (if you want to hold on to all that rage and let 'er rip when you reach the tipping point, be my guest) but usually their shouting fits happen between the hours of 10 pm and 12 pm, my prime falling asleep hours.

Last night when I got home all I really wanted was some peace and quiet. Unluckily for me, my neighbors got in such a monumentally large fight that it lasted from 11 to 1:30 in the morning and involved their 4 year-old daughter as well as some neighbors who thought it appropriate to continuously ring their buzzer for about 15 minutes straight. Awesome.

Last night I was pretty peeved, but tonight I am feeling better because around 11 I found a really squeaky floor board and I stood on it while shifting my weight back and forth for about 15 minutes. Ah, sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than a little passive aggression!

PS - Many of these notes remind me of college. Especially this one.

Score!

2009-03-25T22:02:00.002-04:00

Tonight Emily and I went to Barcade to get drunk (why not on a Wednesday?) and to play some good old-fashioned arcade games.

Did you know that Pacman is deceptively hard?

Anyhow... we had a really good time, used up tons of my quarters and we both totally got a high score on this ladybug game - rock on! I feel really hip and cool now.

My Life Is Falling Apart!

2009-03-03T15:28:00.003-05:00

Ok, way to be dramatic. My life is fine and is actually in one piece for a nice change of pace. My teapot, however, is falling apart. Literally.

The other day I wrote about how I made couscous and almost ate a screw, too. Well, that screw was from my beloved teapot. Now when I push down on the lever, the lid won't pop up because that plastic pusher thing popped off. It doesn't whistle anymore (not sure where that part went) and a bit of the lid is missing from when my roommate dropped it on the floor.

Ho hum. Sad times.

I've Lost that Loving Feeling

2009-02-18T20:39:00.004-05:00

I am a Bachelor addict. So what?

This week I was seriously appalled to find out that Jason sent Gillian home. This season I really thought that a decent guy might end up with an awesome girl, but what can I say - guys just don't dig the girl with amazing hair, an insane sense of humor and energy and enthusiasm in everything she does. This sort of horrific realization makes me want to write an awesome, thoughtfully crafted letter such as this:

Dear ABC,
Gillian is da bomb. Jason is fo' shizz, up the spout (thank you, Diablo Cody).
Sincerely,
Meghan

And just so you know, I know that men wear the pants and women have the babies, but I went to the trouble to type out the above reference, and by golly it's staying! I really should stop embarrassing myself with improper usage of urban slang.

In other news, I think I practiced guitar more than I slept this week. I can't feel the tips of my fingers, but it's a good numb feeling. Now that I am a serious guitar player I decided to invest in a capo (those things you use to push down the strings on the neck of the guitar to change the key). As a result, I am now able to play along with many songs that I know and it actually sounds like the song - well, it would sound like the song if I could play it right. In an effort to drown out my miserable attempts at keeping time, I usually listen to the song through my headphones at full blast. The other day I realized one of my roommates had come home and suffered through 20 minutes of pitiful guitar music (if one can call it that) before I noticed that I wasn't home alone anymore. I was impressed - that takes some patience.

Yesterday I bought a pound of ground turkey. What I am going to do with it is still up in the air, but here's hoping I figure it out before the turkey passes its expiration date. Suggestions? I'm going with turkey burgers for now - simple, classic, quick, and almost impossible to mess up to the point of inedibility.

Firefox is telling me that inedibility is not a word, and all I have to say is, "Well, it should be!" So there.

Winter Wanderland

2009-02-04T17:43:00.006-05:00

After a few days of unseasonably warm weather (I had to shove a confused groundhog back into the his humble abode) we now have snow again in NY. Yesterday I was heading to my programming class and other than the slight annoyance I experienced when my eyelashes were pelted with flakes, I quite enjoyed being outside at such a pretty moment. Plus, because of bad weather my teacher ended the most boring lecture I've ever had the unfortunate pleasure of attending a full half hour early. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! In celebration of my unanticipated liberation, I paused to commemorate the occasion by snapping a few photos of the snow on my cell phone. I even ate a little bit of the snow for Brittany against my better judgment - I was clearly not myself.

Today at work I completed my PHP programming assignment for next week and decided to make a mad-libs sort of web page. PHP is super fun! Just as I was really getting into programming, someone in my department foiled my fun by giving me a huge technical book about programming in Objective C (for the iPhone). While I am looking forward to programming for the iPhone, I am not looking forward to reading 700 pages of boring code. This served as a good reminder to me that though my programming class is boring, it negates the need to read an even worse text. Suddenly, I have a burgeoning love for my dry computer teacher.

On a completely unrelated note, tonight I am going to make pasta with blue cheese, sweet potato and walnuts. The combination sounds random, but it is one of the best flavor palettes I have ever had and I highly recommend it. I'm going to cook and blast Share the Land because I just can't get enough of that song!

Crouching Tiger, Sleeping Dragon

2009-02-01T22:11:00.004-05:00

This weekend was a flurry of activity for me. First, I went to look at an amazing apartment complex in Long Island City. The complex is located right on the water and has some of the most amazing views I've ever seen. The place is literally like a retirement home for young professionals - they have a pool, barbecue areas, gyms, a screening room, game rooms, study rooms, kitchens and pool tables, and a slew of monthly activities. It's quite pricey and rather out of the way for me, but it's still something worth considering as it is somewhat of a mecca for young, successful people.

That evening I went to a concert. The main performer was Jon McLaughlin, and I have to say that though I don't really care to listen to his music on my iPod he is without a doubt one the most talented piano players I have ever heard. I would venture to say something similar about the opening band (Parachute VA) - while their EP is quite disappointing, their live set was full of energy and the lead singer has, like, a totally dreamy voice. Actually, I definitely enjoyed the opening band more than Jon McLaughlin - they were really excellent. Then again, poor Jon's set did get interrupted by multiple fire alarms so I may be judging him unfairly. (Ha, the fire alarms reminded me of the evacuation procedures at my school in France where everyone stood around and did absolutely nothing. Good call, New York - way to be safe.) There were two things I did find particular fun about this concert, the first being the covers that were performed (Moving Out by Billy Joel and Come Together by Aerosmith/The Beatles). The second was now that I know something about the guitar, watching the guitarists at work was about 10 times more intriguing than it normally is. I have a new-found appreciation for their capabilities!

This morning Emily and I were supposed to go to do some yoga in the MoMA - we even created our own special move after which this post is named - but when you are out until the wee hours of the morning (12:30 is practically an all-nighter for me) something's got to give. So instead, I found myself digging FHFs (Foreign Hair Follicles), twine and rubber bands out of our bath tub drain (I don't even want to know what the previous tenants used the tub for). This task was quite literally nauseating, so the lesson I have learned is that yoga should always take precedence over the cleaning of the apartment.

This afternoon and evening I successfully avoided the entirety of the Super Bowl (except for the 30 second briefing my roommate gave me on the competing teams). Instead I went to Target and bought a new frying pan. While there I walked past a huge box of Goldfish, and since it was on sale I decided to reacquaint myself with my beloved crunchy golden crackers. Since I am trying to be healthy, though, I bought the whole grain kind (let me live in my disillusioned world - I like it here).

A Whole Lot of Racket

2009-01-29T20:54:00.002-05:00

It seems as though every week when I head off to guitar lessons I come back with the capability to make even more noise than I was able to make the week before. In the past I've attributed this din to the acquisition of new chords, but this week I learned how to make twice as much clatter simply by strumming down and up. Oh, là là! I don't know how my roommates stand my tortured versions of Edelweiss and Share the Land.

Tonight while making my amazingly edible miso soup again (I've tweaked the recipe as follows: twice as much water, half the miso paste) I was perusing the dietary information on the back of the seaweed package I came to the unfortunate realization that seaweed, in fact, does not have any nutritional value! Or at least not the dried kind that I bought. This was a shocking light bulb moment for me since I naturally assumed that green things reminiscent of vegetables had lots of vitamins and nutrients in them. Not only does seaweed not have any vitamins, it also has no calories, no fat, no carbs... hell, the only it does have is salt and precious little at that.

So much for eating healthy greens at dinner via miso soup! With a nutritional content like that, I might as well drink a glass of water and call it good.

"How I Almost Ate A Screw" and Other Life Stories

2009-01-25T19:00:00.006-05:00

Today with the exception of bathroom breaks and the occasional trip to the kitchen to forage in the wasteland that is our refrigerator I literally spent the entire day in my room. In the morning I chatted with my mother, and then I finally watched Consipracy Theory (which was pretty good and surprisingly humorous at times). After three hours of lying around, I decided to complete operation clean room -slash- donate some clothing I never wear to a good cause. To round off the evening I made miso soup (which was [shockingly] edible) and almost swallowed a screw that fell off of our tea pot and into my bowl of couscous during the cooking process. Luckily I was actually chewing my food, so I checked to see what that crunchy thing was before ingesting it (and I thought I was having stomach problems before the screw - I can only imagine the excruciating pain I'd be in had I assumed it was an egg shell and forced it down).

I know it sounds like I am a lazy bum who never leaves the house, and that's because I am a lazy bum who never leaves the house. I do, however, leave the apartment on very rare occasions. Take yesterday, for example - I went out to buy miso soup supplies and to do a little shopping. See, for weeks I've been putting together the perfect outfit for bar hopping. Now that my boots have arrived (and yes, they are every bit as amazing as I dreamed they would be) I decided it was time to complete this outfit once and for all, and yesterday I finally did just that. As a result I'm going to totally rock the bar scene one of these days.

Perhaps you are wondering why I find it necessary to put together an entire outfit just to go have a drink at a bar, so let me explain: going to bars to chat with your friends is fun and all, but part of the reason you go to a bar is to meet new people. Despite going to bars on a semi-regular basis, I have never in my life been approached by anyone at a bar (not even the bar tender - I never seem to be able to flag them down)... how sad is that? Despite our amazing personalities and friendly demeanor nobody wants to chat with me or my friends. After days of obsessing over what could possibly be keeping me out of the inner circle of the bar world, I determined that it must be the way I dressed. I think if I was dressed a little better (read skankier) then people might notice and come talk to me (read try to get into my overly tight pants). Hence the reason I have been crafting this bar hopping (read man snaring) outfit.

Did I mention that when I was walking down the street yesterday a guy in the back of a truck unloaded a police barrier out of the truck and into my shoulder? That thing was heavy and it hurt like hell! When his coworkers asked what he was doing, he said, "I just didn't see her there." So it now seems that I not only need an anti-invisiblity outfit for the bars, but also just for life in general. Who knew that embracing my inner-hussy would be so important some day?

On the other hand, being seemingly invisible does have its advantages on occasion. Today while twiddling my thumbs in my apartment, I successfully avoided running into my roommate for nearly the entire day. He's a nice guy and all but interacting with him is more exhausting than enjoyable. He's an incredibly intelligent guy; he reads worthwhile literature and Harper's, remembers every minute detail of every discussion and is going to go to grad school for political science. I (on the other hand) read novels written from the perspective of horny 14 year-old boys (Youth In Revolt), can't remember what popped out of my mouth 3 minutes ago, may never go to grad school and generally live a life void of politics and global affairs (la la la, it's all butterflies and rainbows here). It's really hard to have a conversation with someone when the only thing you have in common is the bathroom your both brush your teeth in.

Stroke of Genius

2009-01-21T21:42:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't it be sort of amazing if the inauguration of the president took place on February 29th, once every four years?

Whoah. This brain child just came to me out of nowhere (no need to tell me I'm a genius, I already know).

The Future Is Uncertain

2009-01-20T18:38:00.005-05:00

Today more than ever I feel as if tomorrow is uncertain. We've got a new president who will hopefully do a lot of amazing things to help us turn our country around. I have really high hopes, but at the same time nobody can foresee what exactly will occur in the years to come.

Well, I don't like uncertainty! I like being sure of tomorrow, and so I made a virtual 8-ball to answer all of my questions regarding the future. According to my electronic oracle it seems likely that I will indeed get married before I turn 40, that Emily will for sure get in to grad school, and that I probably won't get fired this year. Bad news is that it's highly improbable that I will be living with the same people a year from now, and it is certain that I will stop eating my vegetables and relapse into my old habits.

Actually, maybe I don't like knowing the future! Oh, well. I'll put my class demo here so you all can know what the future holds for you. Just ask a question, and click the 8-ball to get your answer. Good luck!

My Dad, Facebook Addict

2009-01-19T12:10:00.005-05:00

Many people in my family have joined Facebook over the years. Of course all my cousins and "youngish" relatives are on the Facebook, as well as some of my older (but equally hip) relatives. Even my 94 year-old grandfather has an account!

I've been telling my dad forever that he should follow suit and join. It's a great networking web site for all generations, and because so many people use it, it is actually very effective. Well, all my suggestions and nagging would not persuade him. As a result, I was shocked to be friended by him the other day - my father? On the Facebook? Inconceivable.

Well, believe it, kiddos. He is indeed making the most of his Facebook experience by posting pictures, writing on walls and updating his status every hour or so. He's even using internet slang:

It seems like only yesterday when he couldn't even figure out how to attach a photo to an email. They grow up so fast, don't they?

A Broad Abroad

2009-01-19T11:59:00.005-05:00

Today Brittany is journeying to a place so remote I didn't even know it existed in order to earn her masters degree. Where is this obscure location? South Africa! That's right - she's traveling half way around the world for higher education. I'm not going to lie, I'm really impressed.

Anyhow, she'll be keeping a blog detailing all of her adventures, and if you know Brittany or are curious about South Africa or just want to know if the toilets really do drain in the opposite direction down there, you should read her blog. She's a funny gal - just look at this screen shot I took from when she was practicing her blogging technique:

That face is priceless! I normally would be afraid to post this photo (bodily dismemberment is not my cup of tea), but as she's left the country I think I'll be safe.

Check out her blog, A Broad Abroad.

I Almost Moved Today

2009-01-18T16:28:00.003-05:00

Last night Emily and I found an amazing apartment on Craigslist that is in the exact location we want to be. As it turns out, they were having an open house today and we thought, "Why not?" Since we had nothing better to do (well, Emily did but I of course, did not) we went to check it out.

Needless to say, the place was amazing. Each apartment was nicely laid out and had a lovely little terrace accessible from several rooms. I was instantly in love with the bath tub (which was perfectly slanted for optimum bath time enjoyment) and the kitchen (which was dark, sleek and sophisticated). It's a good thing I don't have 50k to throw around because if I did I would have bought an apartment today! Oh, well.

The thing is, though, seeing that apartment made me realize a few things about my financial situation. I bust my butt to save a good portion of my paycheck each month (I put away 50% of what is left after all my utilities and rent are paid, or about 23 percent of my post-tax income). At this rate of savings, I will be able to afford the down payment on the apartment I saw today in about 20 years (not considering inflation), a thought I find to be truly depressing.

Anyhow, I need to earn more money. I hate to say it like that outright as it sounds so materialistic, but I don't think my desires are unreasonable. I would like to be able to buy a place (renting is a very bad financial decision) in a safe neighborhood that is decent (the places we saw today were very nice, but not extravagant). I want to have enough money to take classes from time to time, and I want to be able to save 20% for retirement. In order to do that comfortably in NY I think I need to make twice what I make now.

Seriously? No wonder nobody wants to join in on the "real world" fun.

Money Can Buy Love

2009-01-17T10:36:00.004-05:00

News flash: it's freezing cold in NY. I'm not talking about the normal breezy, tear-inducing weather that causes me to curse under my breath as I run down the streets (wind tunnels?) that make up New York city. It's so cold out here that I don't even want to go outside. Last night I was supposed to go to a concert, but just the thought of walking the 10 minutes from the subway to the venue practically gave me hypothermia and I had to take an hour and a half bath to get the feeling back in my toes. I thought to myself, "Freeze, or play with bubbles?" Hey, we all have our priorities.

Some smart New Yorkers anticipate weather like this and have all the appropriate gear - down puffy coats that go from your shoulders down to your ankles, boots lined with fur, gloves that go from fingertip to armpit, and cashmere hats with sealskin lining (I don't know, it seems plausible). They are the fearless, the few that will sacrifice no social encounter because of a silly thing such as mind numbing cold.

Then there are stupid, not-even-real New Yorkers such as myself who freeze their asses off every time they step out the door. I use the layer method - who needs boots when you can wear seven pairs of socks? What's the point of a long coat when you can just put on some shorts, silk underwear, leggings, and cover it all with your fat pants? Sure, you can see through my skimpy hat, but keeping my head warm is what my unkempt, just-bushwacked-through-a-forest 'do is for, is it not? Normally this freeze-and-endure-it method that has proved to be uncomfortable but tolerable... until now.

Today when I woke up it was 9 degrees out (translation: with the wind chill it feels like -5), and now it is a balmy 11. Nothing makes you want to shop for warm clothing like an arctic chill, and so to celebrate this momentous occasion (er, the one where I literally thought my nose fell off of my face from frostbite, that is) I bought myself some boots and a couple more pairs of long underwear.

This is where the money buying love comes in, because I am literally in love with the boots that I bought. I have no idea if they are going to fit at all, but they are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes upon and I am going to try my darndest to make it work. Do I feel a little bad that the leather is made out of calves skin? Yes. Do I worry that I don't ever wear heels and that I probably have nothing to wear with them? A little. Did my bank account cry out in protest when a large chunk of change was ripped out of it to pay for these boots? Most definitely. But ultimately none of these things matter, because even if I only wear them around the house, wincing from the pain of wearing shoes a size too small while coming to the shocking revelation that I am indeed void of anything resembling morals, it will be worth it because, well... my feet will look hot!

Carrie Bradshaw would be so proud. This thought I find more disturbing than anything else.

The Demands of Our Youth

2009-01-12T21:21:00.004-05:00

Today at school I spent quite a lot of time making a musical cow project. It's quite cute, really - you click on these cows and they moo in different pitches so that you can play a song that sounds like cows mooing. I was rather pleased with my work (especially with my mediocre cow drawings) and have been having a ton of fun annoying my poor roommates with cow noises of every variety (between the barnyard soundtrack and my musical stylings on the guitar, I am sure they are both on the verge of moving out).

In my last class of the day I introduced Java which my students have eagerly anticipated starting since the beginning of the year. However, now that we've started it all they talk about is how exceedingly boring Java is and how they want to do Java 3D (which is a bit more challenging), Python, Blender... basically anything but Java. I'm realizing more and more that it is ever challenging to keep these kids' attention.

Is it really all that surprising, though? We live in a world where kids (and adults) are constantly bombarded with graphics, exciting web pages, and awesome 3D games. It's no wonder that kids want to be creating the next Sims, Halo or whatever else it is that the youngin's enjoy these days. Since they constantly see these things on TV, online and through various other outlets, they expect a lot more of themselves and of their classes immediately.

What they don't realize, however, is exactly how much work went into the project creation. They don't realize that the people who created Halo worked with potentially hundreds of programming teams to create thousands and thousands of lines of code to make that program possible. They are understandably disappointed when I tell them that 3D RPG games are a little out of the scope of a 7th grade basic programming class.

Still, you've got to admire their aspirations and their ability to dream big. I wish I didn't have to be the bearer of unfortunate news every day. That's right, just call me, "Meghan, Computer Teacher, Crusher of Dreams."

Middle of the Road

2009-01-10T22:55:00.003-05:00

Today I was sending an email to my new guitar teacher* in response to one I was sent, and I wanted to just say, "Thanks for the information and I'll see you Thursday" but was stumped when I got to the end of the sentence by punctuation frustrations. Let's examine my options:

Thanks for the information and I'll see you Thursday -
This is clearly out because I don't have anything else to say - that's the end of the sentence. Next option...

Thanks for the information and I'll see you Thursday?
What? This makes me sound confused and timid, and really there's nothing to be confused about. Moving on...

Thanks for the information and I'll see you Thursday.
This could work, but it makes my sentence sound too formal. I want to sound enthusiastic about my classes, because I like them and look forward to them.

Thanks for the information and I'll see you Thursday!
This makes me sound overenthusiastic and a bit ditsy in my opinion, and I overuse exclamation points as it is.

So what's a girl to do? I needed a sort of go between, something that shows positivity and enthusiasm but in an understated, calm sort of way. Aha:

Thanks for the information and I'll see you Thursday. :-)
Eureka! The smiley face, perfect in-between to show subdued peppiness. Now if only it had a professional air about it all my life problems would be solved.

*That's right, I switched my guitar class so I could take a 4 hour programming class on Tuesday nights. Let's pray the class does not consume my soul!

Eyeballs

2009-01-08T23:42:00.003-05:00

I took this picture in a parking lot in NH. You'll have to click on the picture below to enlarge it and see it, but I'll be damned if those two birch trees don't look like they've got a big old eye smack dab in the middle of them. Pretty freaky, I thought.

So... Guitar Is Hard!

2009-01-07T17:50:00.003-05:00

Ouch. That's all I have to say.

(OK, I lied. I have a little more to say.)

Last night I went to my first ever guitar lesson. Before I get to the actual lesson part, let me describe the building. The school is on the 11th floor of this crazy building with flight after flight of practice rooms and small recording studios. As I was walking there, I kept passing hot guy after hot guy... ahem, I mean, person after person carrying guitars, and when you get inside the building it's like one big musical love fest. I'm really crossing my fingers and praying to meet the next big someone through a chance elevator encounter.

The people at the guitar school are all very nice, and my teacher is very sweet and patient... which is lucky for me because I will need all the patience I can get! I sort of thought that guitar would be challenging but attainable, and after my lesson I have decided that it is pretty damn near impossible. We learned the D and G chords, and while I can suffer through the G chord the D chord is simply never going to happen. I will now talk you through a quick exercise to demonstrate how impossible the D chord is:

1. Draw three horizontal lines on a piece of paper.
2. Now draw two vertical lines about an inch apart on top of the horizontal lines.
3. Put the number two on top of the spot where the first vertical line and the first horizontal line meet.
4. Put the number three on top of the spot where the second vertical line and the second horizontal line meet.
5. Put the number three on top of the spot where the first vertical line and the third horizontal line meet.
6. Place the piece of paper on top of something flat, skinny and firm (a dvd case, perhaps).
7. Coming from underneath, place your pointer finger on the number 1, your middle finger on the number 2, and your ring finger on the number 3.
8. Push down firmly without letting the tips of your fingers touch any other part of the line except for the intersection.

Fun times.

I think I like to guitar once I get over the pain of it all. I'm pretty sure that I have discovered a way to twist my wrist off quite literally, and so I need to remind myself that that must be the bad technique they were mentioning last night.

For those of you who were waiting with baited breath for my emo guitar videos, it's going to be a while before I can trade in my "10 more minutes of this and my hearing will be lost forever" sound for that of a full fledged indie-rocker.

Early-Onset Alzheimers?

2009-01-05T22:55:00.003-05:00

These days there have been two things on my mind on a almost daily basis. The first thing is that I love Nutella and want to eat it constantly - I can't put the thought out of my head. I'm a simple gal, what can I say? The second, is that I couldn't wait to start my guitar lessons.

That's right, lil' ol' me is going to learn to jam on the guitar. I hope you all are prepared for some pretty out-of-pitch emo-esque videos of me rocking out on a plastic guitar. Fear it. Embrace it.

Anyhow, so I've been going on all vacation about my guitar lessons - whenever I have a sad thought, I think about guitar lessons and suddenly everything is better. It's like, with the certainty of the lessons looming in the future, the planets suddenly align and nothing can ruin my mood. Music, it really is a powerful thing.

Well, shockingly I forgot the start date. Tonight when I received a mysterious phone call from a 646 number I thought to myself, "Not those stupid car people again!" and proceeded to have a conversation that went something like this:

Me: Hello?
Car People: Hello, we are calling from the crackle crackle about crackle crum dum.
Me: Who are you?
Car People: We're calling from the guitar school to remind you about your lesson tomorrow night.
Me: Tomorrow night? I thought they started next week.
~~Car~~ Guitar People: Nope, tomorrow is Tuesday, and you're starting tomorrow.
Me: Oh, well that makes sense since it is the 7th.
~~Car~~ Guitar People: Nope, it's the 6th.
Me: ... oh. Did I mention that I am still writing 2008 on my checks?
~~Car~~ Guitar People: ... wow. Yeah, I'm glad we called you. Do you even know how to get here?

So yeah. I think that qualifies me as a genius pretty much.

Cathartic Dumping

2009-01-04T18:47:00.009-05:00

All mothers are pretty funny. Anybody who thinks that everything their mother says is another pearl of wisdom is either certifiable or is the child of <<Insert Your Idol Here>>. I'm not saying that mothers are not smart people (quite the contrary!) but just that I am sure you can empathize with me on some level when I tell you that my mother sometimes comes up with zingers. Here is an example:

Mom: Are you going to hide your computer while you are gone for break?
Me: No, I think it will be fine.
Mom: You never know who is going to be going in and out of that apartment.
Me: Uh, I don't think burglars will make it in without Emily or Pete noticing.
Mom: I know. It's not burglars I'm worried about. It's just, well... can you really trust your roommates?

Case in point. Anyhow, over vacation I was reminiscing with my mother about dating (and yes, I truly/sadly can call it reminiscing since it's been that long) when she came up with a great way to boost my morale.

Mom: You need to date some more people.
Me: I know. I just don't meet that many interesting/eligible people.
Mom: Oh, you should date some people you are not interested in.
Me: Um, that seems sort of silly.
Mom: No, not really. You can go out, get some experience, and then you can always dump them first. I think it would be good for you to be the dumper for a while.
Me: Yeah, but I don't want to dump a guy that I like.
Mom: Well, duh. So go on a few dates with undesirable people. It'll be fun!

Ultimately I sort of see her point. However, Emily pointed out to me that it would be very, very bad karma to dump innocent daters just for the sake of dumping someone. The threat of bad karma wins out for the moment, as I need all the good vibes I can possibly muster!

So, It's A New Year

2009-01-02T11:08:00.003-05:00

This year I rung in the first of 2009 by getting a good night's sleep. That's right - I turned off the ringer on my phone and went to sleep at 9:30 (pm), party animal that I am.

I feel like for most people it's customary to reflect on the year past but I am not going to do that (this year, I'm just glad that it's over). Instead I'm going to actually make some resolutions. Normally I don't make resolutions because often times you end up beating yourself up when you don't keep them. This year, however, I want to make some serious life changes and so I am going to put them here (partly so I don't forget, and partly because sharing these resolutions forces me into some sort of accountability). So here goes:

1. No more online dating, period. This means no more browsing, no more reading messages, and certainly no meeting people from online, EVER. I sort of justified online dating because I thought I didn't have a coeducational network of friends to pick and choose from. As much as I hate to admit it, my mother was right when she said that I should work on creating a better network of friends. Online dating has produced terrible results in every instance, and to top it all off, it's downright embarrassing to admit to your friends and family.

2. I need to be a healthier person. Lots of people look at me and assume I am healthy because of my build, and if that's not the world's biggest assumption I don't know what is. I need to start eating vegetables and fruit and making more meals at home. This shouldn't be too hard because the thing is I actually LIKE vegetables and fruit and cooking! I don't know why I don't do it more often. I also need to start exercising. Walking is great, but let's get serious.

3. I need to spend more time at school. I have tons of ideas for really cool projects to do with my students. I really want to be a good teacher, but I think doing so requires just a little bit more time than I've been allowing for. This semester I really want 3 of my classes in particular to change from so-so to outstanding. My students deserve that, and it will make me feel good, too.

4. It's time to volunteer. I loved volunteering with Brittany and it's time to start that back up. I really want to find a regular volunteer position to get me out of my apartment and involved in the NY community somehow. I don't need to list all the ways that volunteering is amazing - if you don't already get it it's a waste of time to explain it to you.

5. I've got to distance myself from technology. I spend all day working on the computer and while I love my job, when I go home I want to have a break from the computer screen. My eyes have been twitching for months now and it's only a matter of time before I have a seizure, I swear to God. So instead of staring at screens, I am going to explore neighborhoods, meet up with friends, take classes or do some reading. Clean my room. Cook. Anything but stare at the computer.

So that's the basics of how I want to change. There are many more things I'd like to do, but I think I'm going to start there.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your resolutions go well.

The Most Busy Time of the Year

2008-12-19T23:58:00.002-05:00

So I've let this blog go. This is not to say that I was ever a frequent poster (well, except for when I was in France keeping a crazy 12-hour per week work schedule and climbing the walls with boredom), but this month has been particularly hectic.

To start, every year I like to make Christmas cookies for every possible event in my life. This year that meant 4 dozen for our holiday party, 6 dozen for teachers and kids at school, and about 2 dozen for my own personal backside enlargement. I hate decorating cookies, but luckily my lovely roommate adores it and so she kindly decorated all but a dozen of these cookies.

While I'm on the subject, let me just say that it is impossible to kick a bad habit once it has been formed. Brittany's laundry detergent fell off the washing machine and spilled all over the floor earlier on in the year, and we all vowed never to leave anything on it while it was in the particularly vigorous spin cycle. I renewed my vow to keep breakable things containing liquid in them off the apparatus when my grape gingerale in the glass cup fell off the machine a few weeks later. While making cookies, the pan fell to the floor not once, but twice before I remember not to just leave things sitting there. All is well, though... floor dirt adds a little je ne sais quoi - it's my new secret ingredient.

I digress... another thing that has kept me busy this season has been finding a new roommate. Remember how I mentioned we were going to have a lovely new roommate named Aly living in Brittany's room? Well, that didn't quite work out as planned. Luckily we found a new roommate who I hope will be equally as awesome. His name is Pete and his claim to fame is that he cycled across the country this summer (which is, as my sister would say, PFA).

More recently I've also found the most amazing graduate program ever which I am dying to attend. Unfortunately it would require me to quit my job (which I love) and come up with $20k a semester... after double checking I've confirmed money really doesn't grow on trees, so that sort of put the kabosh on those plans. Still, it's fun to dream.

Tomorrow I am heading home for the holidays on my favorite mind-numbing train route. I'm really looking forward to going home this year, perhaps more so than normal.

I wish whoever reads this the happiest of holidays and a memorable New Year.

Via Brittany

2008-12-05T16:41:00.002-05:00

Candles Rock My Socks

2008-11-30T22:08:00.008-05:00

After much thought and consideration I have decided that I am through with boys for the time being, and I have replaced boyfriends with candles. This may seem a little odd, so I have compiled a list of reasons why candles are better than boys:

1. Candles are romantic.
2. Candles last a long time.
3. Candles always smell good.
4. When you've burned through a candle, you have good memories of the time you spent together.
5. You can own more than one candle at a time.
6. Candles are easily disposed of and readily available.
7. Candles de-stress you (as opposed to distressing you).
8. You can find amazing candles online.
9. Candles are often found in fancy restaurants, department stores and at spas, but rarely in sports bars, sporting stores or fitness clubs.
10. Your friends don't comment on your choice in candles.
11. Candles shed light on things instead of keeping you in the dark.
12. When you wake up in the morning, a candle is still there.
13. It's socially acceptable to pay for a candle so you can bring it home with you.
14. You can swap candles with your friends and it's no big deal.

I'm sure I'll think of some more as time goes on. I know candles are not the perfect replacement, but let me live in my bubble. So far, so good.

This Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T20:08:00.002-05:00

This year Thanksgiving was an expensive but lovely one (thanks to the aforementioned organic turkey). I am glad to report that the apartment is still standing, but apart from that there is nothing really to report about the actual day.

After Thanksgiving, though, was a blast! My family and I went to the Morgan Library on Friday and saw some original Babar sketches (awesome) as well as the some other super cool stuff. Mostly, I was thankful for the 15 minute "about the Library" movie because it afforded me the opportunity to take a nap (which was much needed after walking over the Brooklyn Bridge and up to the Library). That evening, we met up with my friend and her new boyfriend (who is lovely) and had a most excellent dinner.

But now, for the super-interesting bit... we went to another museum called the Sea, Air and Space Museum on the Intrepid and it was amazing! It's a museum that is located on an aircraft carrier. Not only can you take a look at tons of cool aircraft (including helicopters, jets and even a concorde) but you can also go inside parts of the carrier and see what it would have been like to work on the vessel. It was really cool, and if you have not been and are in NY I would definitely recommend a trip.

The coolest thing I saw at the museum was a black plane that traveled at speeds beyond mach 3 and also flew at over 100,000 feet. Pretty amazing.

Random Retellings

2008-11-25T19:23:00.003-05:00

So lots has happened recently with me, and what's even more amazing is that a few of the events have been worth mentioning. What? In just a five day span? Miracle! I know.

First, I went to my friend's apartment the other day with my roommate to play Rock Band. I had never played the game before and was particularly daunted by the prospect of singing in front of other people. However, after rocking the drums (er, well, not failing at them), I gave the mic a go and I was hooked. By the end of the night I was belting out songs at the top of my lungs, strumming the guitar at a passable level, and doing some kick-ass drum freestyling if I do say so myself.

The only problem is that now I am addicted. Emily and I have done some research on how much this game costs, and sadly I fear I might be broke in the next few months. I'm not good at quitting addictions.

Second, my family is coming for Thanksgiving and I am in charge of acquiring all the fixings. My mother specified that I should purchase a 15 pound (!) organic (!!) turkey, and it cost me $70(!!!). Can you believe it? I'm guessing that when all is said and done I will have shelled out about $150 for this meal. This Thanksgiving I'll be giving thanks if I still have a penny to my name.

Finally, we met our future roommate this weekend! She is amazing. Her name is Aly and we ended up chatting for about 2 hours when she was here on Sunday. It's reassuring to have found someone who seems so normal and similar in her habits to ourselves. It's a huge relief to not be looking anymore, too. :-)

I think I mentioned that these days the only luck I've got is bad luck. Now, I think that luck just might be turning around. All I have to say is that it's about freaking time.

"Of Course" to Vexations

2008-11-20T22:11:00.004-05:00

The other night at 10:00 pm I heard someone ringing our buzzer. I usually ignore this sort of evening interruption on the assumption that it is just drunken rabble-rousers attempting entry into our building. However, the buzzing turned into knocking, and I realized I should probably get the door.

When I opened it, I was greeted by my neighbor and her small daughter standing in the hallway. She had just come by to tell me that my heater was broken and was making a small ocean in her daughter's bedroom. To this I simply replied, "Of course it is." She looked at me strangely (she no doubt misinterpreted my meaning and was probably wondering why I hadn't done anything about the problem even though I knew about it) and I asked her if it was the heater in my bedroom... the one under the window that won't shut. (And what do you know, of course it was.)

Of course. Because that is how my life has been panning out since September.

Let me review... we found cockroaches when we moved in to our apartment and had to do a lot of caulking. We finished that and the refrigerator broke... twice. Our dryer didn't get hot. Two days before I discovered bed bugs in my bed the washing machine decides it won't drain. Once the bed bugs are taken care of, we discover an infestation of water bugs in the kitchen. As I mentioned, my window won't close. Our bathroom sink doesn't drain, and the pipe underneath has developed a leak. And let me tell you, my problems aren't limited to just the apartment (I'll spare you, stranger, the details... though I will add that tonight, for example, I ordered two avocado rolls and a miso soup and they brought two eel-avocado rolls, hold the miso soup... of course).

Someone recently told me that if it weren't for my bad luck, I'd have no luck at all... this is a statement that is sad, but embarrassingly true. So it came as no surprise to me that my heater was broken. Really, the only reaction I could muster was, "Of course." That's just life for me these days.

On the plus side, I think I'm over the crying phase. Recently I'm finding my debacles quite comical, actually. That's why I've decided to write about them here - I am sure that someone someday will read this information and go, "Wow, it really could be worse." Hopefully soon I'll be one of those people. :-)

If you feel like you need to commiserate, please... I'm all ears.

Home

2008-11-15T16:56:00.002-05:00

This weekend I went home (still am home) for my grandmother's 90th birthday. It's been really nice to get away from the city for a little while and see all of my family. Today, after lunch, we took a walk down by the lake. As you can see, the water has been drained out a bit and it looked eerily beautiful with all the fog and mist drifting around.

IKEA

2008-11-09T00:43:00.006-05:00

I think I've sung the praises of this store in the past, but I don't care - they need to be sung again.

Tonight I went with my two lovely friends Emily and Jonathan to have some delicious food for dinner. Now first off, a trip to IKEA is never complete without a stop in the cafeteria. Their meatballs are so delicious it makes me want to stand on a chair with a megaphone and shout at random passerby, "Ignore the calorie count, go for the big plate!" Mmm, mmm, good! So of course, we wasted no time and made a bee-line to the food.

Once fully satiated, we commenced the tour of the showroom. Emily and I have the whole floor plan practically memorized, and whenever I go to IKEA now I feel like I have to visit all my favorite friends I have not seen in a while: future couch, future bed, dream cabinets, "when I make my first million" knick knacks and accessories. Tonight was a particularly joyous reunion with favorite blue couch number one. I also had a brief moment of panic when I was unable to locate future bed where the magic will happen, but then I found it all covered in pretty pretty bedding and jumped it... ahem, jumped on it with joy. I freaking L.O.V.E. that bed.

After a thorough tour of the showroom, it was time to get down to business. Emily and I found our shelving unit and a mirror without a problem. We were both very shocked, however, when Jonathan said he actually needed something, too.

What? A boy that needs to shop? It's like a Christmas miracle.

Anyhow, we helped him locate the perfect comforter and then proceeded to pick out all the manly bachelor pad duvet covers that would go with his sheets (which he described in detail as being "navy... uh, blue"). Of course, he picked the craziest, most random duvet cover ever (what is it with guys? They have such a bizarre sense of style sometimes), pictured right. Oh, well... to each his own!

Oh, but I've yet to recount the best part of this trip, and that is on the bus ride home we were listening to a blast from the past 90's marathon, and Wilson Philips' song, "Hold On" played on the radio. Is it just me, or should all good outings end with a rousing rendition of passe 90's chart-toppers? Perfect.

Smiler

2008-10-21T20:53:00.002-04:00

Today when I was walking down the train platform in Brooklyn I saw a woman walking towards me. She had a huge grin on her face which I thought would surely fade within a few paces. But no! All the way towards me, and past me, she just kept on smiling. She wasn't smiling at me or anybody else, and I can only suppose she was smiling because she had no reason not to. It made me think that I should smile more often.

So, as I wandered around the platform waiting for the train to come, I put on a dopey grin just to try it out. I felt like a downright git, to be honest, but it was worth a try (and I will admit that thinking about what I had just attempted put me in an insanely good mood on the way home).

My next social experiment is going to be hugging people to greet them, somewhat akin to the French and their kissing. We'll see how standoffish New Yorkers take it.

Halloween Fun

2008-10-12T20:30:00.002-04:00

So I know it's not Halloween yet, but when you've got black lipstick in the house and the month is October, who can resist getting all glammed up? I know I can't...

NaNo

2008-10-07T16:02:00.002-04:00

November is National Novel Writing Month, and this year I think I might participate in it. My objective won't be to write the next great American novel, or even to finish a novel in its entirety. I have, however, always wanted write a book and I've got the perfect topic. Even if I don't do anything with it and even if it is terrible... hell, even if I don't even finish, I think it's a project worth starting, and the timing is perfect.

Wish me luck!

Character Judgments

2008-10-01T13:32:00.003-04:00

Real Genius is just about the best movie ever. All my friends know it. Everyone in my family agrees. Everyone that I've ever been really close to has at least had a appreciation for this classic, timeless film.

So, I've decided that I am going to make all future character judgments based solely on whether or not a person likes Real Genius or not. If they haven't seen it, I will remedy the situation as quickly as possible and deem a future friendship possible or not based on there level of sincere appreciation.

On another note, I've become addicted to scented candles (just in case you are wondering, I think the apple cinnamon ones are the best).

The Sine Curve of Life

2008-09-28T20:29:00.002-04:00

I think everyone would agree with the statement that life is generally tumultuous. You go through periods of time where things are really great, and then you hit a month or two of rougher, more challenging life experiences.

This spring and summer I would venture to say was a low point in the sine curve of my life. I found myself in a rut starting in March, and I couldn't shake my slump. I moved into an apartment with more problems than I could shake a stick at, I was hopelessly bored with all my free time (note to self: get a summer job) and my attempts to meet new people were futile. This is not to say that all my experiences were a complete bust, but collectively I've had better times.

I'm happy to say, though, that recently things have started to get a lot better! This year at school is in some ways more intense because of my schedule, but it's also familiar and fun. I've started taking a French class that has tons of friendly people and an amazingly sweet French teacher (not to mention the institute where the class is at has a ton of fun, free, French related activities). One of my best friends moved to the area and I am having so much fun seeing her. I think I might learn to play the guitar. My savings account is somehow growing to unprecedented heights. And while I still haven't mastered the art of making a million friends, I'm slowly getting there one person at a time.

Oh, yeah - and my sister is coming to visit me! And my grandmother sent me the funniest card which involves a chicken, an egg, and a lot of shoving of foreign objects into body caverns. Life is great these days!

Though my sine curve is generally heading uphill these days, today I did have a bit of a cafuffle. There was a significant fire in our building and while everything in our apartment was fine, I was suddenly reminded of my intentions to purchase renters insurance as well as fire alarms. If anybody has any suggestions for either, please let me know!

I Get Paid For This?

2008-09-23T22:37:00.001-04:00

Today I spent my day drawing planets, making an animation of a car zoom across the screen, and looking up animal pictures on Google. My job is the best!

Satya

2008-09-21T18:32:00.007-04:00

Someone I was fairly close to mentioned to me a while back that they often felt that I was never quite honest with them. They said to me that it was okay to be angry with them, and they could always tell when I was holding back a part of the truth (how they could tell I was never told). I told them that I wasn't being dishonest, but that I was just careful about how I worded things and that I tried really hard to always say exactly what I meant (and only what I meant). My pauses to think were not me holding back, but just me contemplating the best way to relay my thoughts to them.

Today I was reading a trashy teenage romance novel, and for the first time ever in my life I read something in the awkward, angsty teen romance that was actually really valuable. The main character brought up a yoga term called Satya, which roughly means "truthfulness in kindness." I wish I had heard about this idea a long time ago so I could have used it to more clearly explain my lengthy reflections to this person.

This web site states that Satya requires one to speak the truth, but also reminds us "to consider what we say, how we say it, and in what way it could affect others." I can't explain what I was trying to do in a better way: by not blurting out what I was thinking or feeling immediately, I wasn't lying or holding back the truth... I was simply trying to convey the truth in the sincerest way possible.

Like most people, I hate it when people are not honest with me. I have found that knowing the truth is always better than being fed a lie or being kept in the dark, even when the truth hurts. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say they are going to do something or tell me something simply because they think it is what I want to hear, and then I find out later that they weren't being honest with me.

This web site adds to the concept of Satya by saying:

In this modern age, it is commonly accepted for people to commit to various things and to have no intention of keeping their word, the feeling being it is more important to tell someone what they think they want to hear rather than simply telling the truth.

[...]

While telling the truth it is important to speak in a positive way so as not to cause hurt, yet at the same time be as straightforward and sincere as possible. To many people it might seem impractical or too difficult to always be truthful, but if practiced over time it becomes easier and many stumbling blocks along the path are removed.

At this point in time, I feel truer words have never been spoken.

I think I just might like yoga. Who saw that one coming?

Game Night, Take 47

2008-09-21T01:25:00.002-04:00

We had a game night here at oour apartment and as always it was lots of fun but also strangely bizarre. I laughed, I cried, and I got relatively drunk (something I rarely do). These days people seem to need a lot of high tech equipment to entertain themselves, and I just wanted to mention how much fun I have when my roommates, my friends and I get down with our bad selves and a deck of cards - what a great time.

Sleepless Nights

2008-09-16T16:06:00.002-04:00

I don't think I have had more than 3 hours of sleep a night for the past week and a half. Now that I am working, this is a particularly big problem. So I decided last night to take matters into my own hands and drug myself into a coma.

Ok, not really, but I had heard that Tylenol PM did wonders. So off I went to the pharmacy to pick up some of this sleep-inducing miracle drug, and last night I took some and promptly fell asleep.

Now it says to give yourself 8 hours of sleep time, or your life is going to be miserably yawn-ee (if you will). I went to bed at 9 and had to be up at 6:30, so that was plenty of time... or so I thought!

This morning when I woke up I looked at my clock and it said 6:43. How was that possible? I checked the alarm volume (all the way up) and then I double checked the alarm had been set (check) and checked to make sure it had been set for 6:30 (check again). Since I did not wake up, I've come up with two possible conclusions - either my phone alarm malfunctioned, or I really was passed out!

First Week of Classes

2008-09-12T14:31:00.002-04:00

I can always tell which classes I need to do a better job teaching in, especially in the first week of class. I just rate my performance on the number of drop-ees in every course. So far, let's just say that Animation could be better and Computer 2 needs some definite improvement. I also think I may have scared my high school class with my overenthusiastic discussion of color...

But despite that, everything else relating to school is going smoothly. This year some of my classes are really small which makes it that much easier to teach. I've also been having some great waves of project inspiration, so hopefully this year will be more interesting for my students, as well as more productive. We shall see!

I Freaking Loved College

2008-09-12T00:04:00.003-04:00

I was looking through some photos just now of friends from college, and it dawned on me that college was the best time of my life. I had all my closest friends within a 5 minute walk of my room. We all suffered together with papers and exams, and when it was over we all got together and acted crazy (or, you know, acted crazy through the thick of it). Best of all, just when you were almost sick of each other you got a nice long 3-month break and a good dose of family to make you realize just how much you wanted to be back at school.

Those were the days. ;-)

Welcome to Work

2008-09-04T22:01:00.004-04:00

Sometimes when I am bored at work I mess around in Photoshop. This is today's creation. Nothing special, but I had a good time. Ah, it's good to feel tired at the end of the day!

Words of Wisdom on an Animal Control Vehicle

2008-09-03T18:11:00.003-04:00

Firefox Ruined My Life

2008-08-29T13:53:00.003-04:00

I'm completely miserable about my new web browsing experience and as a result I am going to be melodramatic and blame Firefox for all my life problems from now on. So there.

I was forced this week to update Firefox (as I so often am). Normally when I run the update I notice nothing different about Firefox and life goes on as normal, however this week when I ran the update a Firefox stranger I did not know had overtaken my beloved web browser.

Looks can be deceiving, and so I decided to give this strange new look a go before throwing in the towel completely. I figured that though it looked different, functionally it was probably still similar. And you know, it is still similar - type in where you want to go, google search in the corner, and all that jazz. However, the one thing I find absolutely infuriating is the saved history. When I want to go to gmail, I used to only have to type "gm" and my most popular page in history with that match (gmail.com, most likely) would be filled in. Now, however, the most recent page that I went to that matches those letters comes up first. Now, when I type "gm" I am led to my contacts, a specific email I last read, a draft of a letter, my spam mail. It's so annoying!

If any computer users wiser than I can figure out a way to stop this insanity, let me know pronto. In the spirit of my melodramatic proclamations, let me say you'd be saving my life.

Picture Life

2008-08-28T08:18:00.002-04:00

Olympic Commentary

2008-08-20T14:47:00.002-04:00

Like many people all over the world, I've been watching the Olympics a lot recently. I especially enjoy volleyball, and so when I saw the men's quarterfinal match between US and Serbia, I of course put down the 3-week old newspaper I've been trying to read and watched attentively.

The game was really close and very exciting. However, the best part (in my opinion) was the commentators. It was during this match that they said one of the funniest things I've ever heard while watching sports.

What happened was one of the American players spiked the ball and it hit the Serbian player dead in the chest. It was a really hard hit, and this is what the commentators had to say about it:

Commentator 1: Wow, that had a lot of power in it.
Commentator 2: Indeed. What a way to wake up... BAM! Hello!
Commentator 1: Yes, indeed. It's a good thing he didn't get hit in the fly.
Commentator 2: I know, right? Someone call 911!

It's juvenile, I know, but come on... it's really funny.

Swimming With The Jellies

2008-08-17T19:13:00.004-04:00

So I'm back in NY now and trying to keep myself busy. Brittany invited me to go to Brighton Beach with her and I thought, "Why not?"

Last time I went to a beach in NY it was infested with Jellyfish of the stingy variety. Now, some have called me crazy for swimming in the lake with leeches, slime and frogs, but the ocean is not exactly a safe haven, either! Sharks? Jellyfish? Sting Rays? Tides (hello, nobody ever mentions the sheer force and power of a lake)? Not to mention the dangers on the beach such as broken glass, miss-hit volleyballs and drunken crazies. I'm just going to throw it out there - the lake is a really cute baby kitten compared to the ocean.

Anyhow, today I decided to go swimming and was having a lovely time doing water aerobics with Brittany, until out of nowhere something attacked my arm (and by attacked I mean happened to brush up against it). Yes, it was my first encounter with a real life Jellyfish. We battled, and I won (I think it was my targeted forceful flutter-kicks that did the trick). Did I mention this was the harmless type of Jellyfish? No matter, you can never be too prepared.

Cell Phone Use On Planes

2008-08-13T11:02:00.002-04:00

I just finished reading this article which discusses the possibility of cell phone use during flights.

Part of me says, "Why not?" Sure, it's an annoyance to have someone chattering away on their phone, but it is equally annoying to have someone listening to loud music, talking incessantly to their neighbors, asking you every half hour if they can get by you, or snoring noisily throughout the night. Oh, and then there's my personal favorite - a kicking, screaming child in the seat behind you. What's another conversation added to the mix?

Though I think cell phones pose little threat of increasing the already annoying, uncomfortable atmosphere of airplanes, I don't think people should be allowed to talk on them anyhow. It's not because I hate one sided conversations or just like to make everyone miserable, but rather I just think people these days are entirely too attached to technology (myself included). While chatter on a phone doesn't bother me, it may bother other people and, quite frankly, we should all be able to have a mini vacation from our electronic devices and revel in the peace and quiet.

In the middle of the article the HANG-UP act is mentioned which would allow texting and internet but not calls on a cell phone. I think this is a good middle ground, and I personally would enjoy texting and other quiet phone operations as possible distraction on long flights. A gold star goes to Congress for remembering back to kindergarten and thinking up a compromise.

Laundry Day

2008-08-11T15:05:00.002-04:00

It's that time of the year again. Ahem, I mean, it's that time of the week again. The time has come when I can no longer see the floor of my bedroom and I find myself wading through knee deep collections of clothes in the hope that, somewhere amidst the dune-like piles, my bed will miraculously resurface.

Normally I'd be a bit embarrassed to admit to the current state of my bedroom, but I am at peace when relaying this news to you because I am glad to report that none of the clothes are mine. Ok, I take that back - less than 5% of the clothes are mine - and my sister is 95% to blame. Sorry, Sarah, I just needed to publicly revel for a moment in the gloriousness of the situation!

It's nothing short of a miracle, what happened when I moved out of the house. I'm not going to proclaim to have become a neat freak (haha, that's a joke) but I do maintain a somewhat tidy state in my bedroom now that I'm on my own. It's crazy, I know, and is particularly shocking to know that such a transformation could occur for no apparent reason and with no impetus whatsoever, but it's true. Anyhow, as a result of my current and newfound (relative) tidyness, it's so funny to come home to my room and, well, have it be messy.

The other thing I am now realizing, is that cleaning a room is a lot more fun when your stuff is not to blame for the mess. Today I found myself happily tending to my sister's clothes and tidying up her things somewhat. Now that I think of it, it's been quite a bizarre day.

Lovely NH

2008-08-07T22:09:00.002-04:00

I came to my NH home to escape the heat of NY, and boy did I ever! It's been steadily mid 60s to low 70s all this week. I'd love to say it's been nice, but really I've been freezing the whole week.

Despite my slightly frigid inner temperature, I am loving being home! I am having such a nice time seeing my family, and I am also having a great time lounging around and reading. I've spent many lovely afternoons sitting on our porch or lazy mornings in bed with a book, and it's so enjoyable!

Also, I got my teaching schedule for the coming year. I am so excited because I was assigned 5 computing 1 sections (my favorite!) and some other really cool classes. Best of all, I am done at 1 pm on Fridays. Let me say yet again, that my job is awesome.

All in all, a very nice week. I'm looking to having another great one before I head back to NY.