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in the hoosegow

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

3 lucky buses

Glasses situation taken care of. They actually fixed my frames while I was getting my eyes checked. I was psyched because I felt like a complete a** with a safety pin holding them together. I picked out a new pair of frames, which I know several people will hate but I like.

Now that that's all done, I can focus on other things, like prepping for classes and going to the grocery store.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

urgle urp

I cannot decide which is worse: feeling nauseated because of staring through old glasses or being constantly distracted (not to mention embarrassed) by the safety pin holding together the current glasses.

one of those mornings

My glasses, which are on their last legs, dropped the all-important screw again this morning. I searched and searched but couldn't locate it. The screws in my fix-it kit are too big. I was officially de-screwed. So I am wearing my old glasses today. They are fine. It's not like they're giant child-molester glasses or anything, but since they're an old prescription, they make the world look all wonky. I have an eye appointment this afternoon so I am dreading that. I cannot stand anyone coming near my eyeballs but at least that means I'll be able to order some brand new glasses. And then I came to work to find out that one of my best friends here is leaving SOON. I mean, yay for getting a cool job but boo for leaving me!

I ate one of those gigantic egg & cheese bagels and am in the process of drinking a large coffee, in hopes of making myself feel better. I am not, however, getting much work done.

Monday, January 29, 2007

sushi and reflection

I've had one of those insane clown days where I've been busy-ish for the entire day, and I still have an evening desk shift to go. I had a 3 1/2 hour class this afternoon. The last time I did it I used sports as the theme, but this time I tried out love. It was a good theme, what with Valentines day around the corner and all but I like sports better. It was easier to work into my narrative. All of those sports analogies work well with research.

So now I am finishing my dinner (veggie sushi and diet coke) and engaging in some mild flirting with some dude on myspace. It's one of those times when life is simply good.

why i have punjabi mc in my head

I had a friend in Athens who cooked Indian food for me sometimes. It always made me so happy, partly because I love it when someone cooks for me and partly because it was Indian food. Saturday night another friend made a whole bunch of food and invited over several friends, including me. It was so good. I ate a ton and had that feeling, as another described it, of being drunk on food. Luckily, this kind of drunk comes without a hangover.

Yesterday I did next to nothing, other than soak in the incredibly blue sky.

Friday, January 26, 2007

b-day planning

My birthday is about a month away and I am trying hard to figure out what to do. Last year I was so sad that my friends had to drag me out to dinner kicking and screaming. I wanted to curl up in a ball and let grass grow over me. Well, I'm in a better state this year (so far, fingers crossed) so I am considering various options. Suggestions have included various types of parties, including a naked party. Parties are stressful for me, though, because I spend all of my time concerned that my guests are having fun. Go karts were suggested, which seems fun but can get expensive. I'm also thinking about having a girls-only sleepover. I'd really like to go camping or do something else outside, but end of February weather is fickle, even here in H-town. I am open to other suggestions!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

why people hate what i ate for dinner

I just read something on another blog that made me laugh. It said that writing about what you ate for dinner and why people hate you (two of my favorite topics, obviously) is "devolving" and for this person it would be. For me, though, it would only be devolving if it weren't what I started writing about way back when. I know people use their blogs for various types of communication and mine is often a rant or a rave about what's going on in my life. When I've expressed concerns about that being boring, a few of my usual readers told me that they don't mind or actually like that. So I haven't bothered to change it. I write a blog because it helps me work through things, focus ideas, and keep a record of what's going on in my life. If that's not your thing, I can assume you're not reading my blog anyway, so I don't apologize for it. Most of you out there whose blogs I read also do some of this and I find it interesting. I like to see what's going on in your lives and what's occupying your thought space, even if the ideas aren't yet fully formed. So here's to blogging, no matter what you blog about!

i am the worst procrastinator ever

Here's a short list of things that are broken at my house:
1. leaky sink in kitchen
2. low hot water pressure in tub/shower
3. furnace will turn on but blower sometimes does not
4. blown outlet in kitchen
5. parts of fence leaning precariously

Many of these things have been broken or non-functional for over a year. I seriously need to find myself a handyman/plumber/electrician.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

tapas on tap

My sister and girlfriend took me to a tapas place a while back. It was delightful. The food was excellent and they expertly ordered just the right amount. I had a different experience last night. We ate at a local tapas place where they are supposed to offer happy hour prices if you sit at the bar. They did not, so we had to pay full price. The bartender was inattentive and when he took soft drink orders tried to badger us into getting liquor. The food was very good but it may be a while before I go back to this place. My tailbone still hurts from sitting on a barstool for no good reason.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

eegads

From my horrorscope:
"Someone's immature approach in the workplace is likely to send your head spinning. Anger is welling up from within you and if you are not careful, you are likely to lash out in a manner that may scare the people around you. Try to be more patient."

Oops, too late! I wish I had read that before I stormed into my colleague's office. Luckily I am feeling much calmer and constructive now. I guess I inherited that temper from my (also redheaded) father.

kakapoo

I'm very sad. I gussied up the kiosk and put her out in the lobby, ready to be admired and used by everyone who walks past. This kiosk is fairly large and has 8 sides, all of which are covered with interesting bits related to the workshops we're offering this semester. It's meant to be seen from all sides and angles, so I put it in a spot where people would see it entering and exiting the building.

It's no longer there.

Apparently naming rights trump getting information to our students. Now there's a whole discussion happening (without me, I might add) about where we're going to put this thing. This discussion is being had by folks who don't seem to get what I'm trying to do and won't even come to me to talk about it.

Now, I'm one of those people who does things and then takes the flak if something goes awry, especially now that I am sans supervision, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised about this kiosk thing. It's just hard to feel like I don't have a single person who actually understands and supports what I do.

Monday, January 22, 2007

figgy pudding

Last night on PBS was one of my favorite shows on television ever. The title is something to do with the queen, which refers to the star of the show, a Sycamore Fig tree in Africa. For those who are unfamiliar with figs, they are the centers of a complete ecosystem. I wanted to watch the show because it contained footage of fig wasps boring into figs, emerging from their galls, and being inseminated by the blind males with the gigantic...male parts. I also got to see each part of the ecosystem, from horn bills that nest in the trees to nematodes that infest the fig wasps (I hate nematodes, for the record. I once saw a slug eat one and cheered.). There are too many players and interactions to describe here, but I highly recommend this program.

Friday, January 19, 2007

oh yay

Hey, I decided my original post here was stupid so I took it down. Deal with it!

guess i don't need to pay bills anymore

Apparently I tend to destroy anything vaguely resembling normalcy in my life. Whew, that is a relief! Now I know why I've been shredding bills in my sleep and setting my alarm for 6pm instead of 6am.

that tiny mustache

Is anyone else out there in li-berrian land planning to attend ACRL this year? I just registered and I'm very excited to go. I've never been to Baltimore before and I have plans to worship at John Water's feet. Would it be appropriate to have him sign a chicken?

Thursday, January 18, 2007

needing the walk

Yesterday I felt positively ucky. Not sick, not really tired, but bleh. So this morning, despite the continued cool weather and drizzle, I dragged my (increasingly fat!) butt out to the park for a walk. I do feel better today, which proves my hypothesis that I need regular walking and/or jogging to function.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

very little to report

I've so been doing almost nothing. Nearly nada. I went home right after my desk shift yesterday to avoid getting stuck in the freezing rain. I stayed home to avoid going out in the freezing rain, and I came to work late to make sure the freezing had really stopped. How very exciting--avoiding weather.

Now that I'm here, I have to get ready for a class tomorrow that the professor booked yesterday. I have done it every semester for a while so there isn't much prep, but I think it's a case of my being so eager and flexible that this particular professor knows he doesn't have to book way ahead. Perhaps now is the time to fix that!

Okay, I really have nothing else even vaguely interesting to say, so I'd best get to work.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

good or bad

Classes start today, despite the very cold weather we're experiencing. I noticed that campus is quiet, though, so some folks are definitely staying home to sip hot chocolate. We're getting back to our normal routine and that is just fine with me. I prefer it when my schedule is full. For those whom I haven't already told, I heard from from the potential job and they hired someone else. Boo, I say! It made me wonder if I blew the second interview or if they simply chose the other person because s/he had more experience, is more of a community college person, or some other thing that I can't control. My ego wants to go with the latter. The good thing is that I can now schedule classes and meetings further out, register for conferences, and not worry about how the heck I'd sell my house.

Friday, January 12, 2007

new me or old me?


Oh, dudes of the intrawebs, I've been wanting to cut my hair for a long time. Since August 12th to be exact. Finally the deed is done! Some little girl will be wearing a partially ranger-hair wig before long. Is that cool or creepy? Anyway, I'm psyched and feeling much more like my old self, if you will.

forts-r-cool


Miranda wanted to make a fort out of the kiosk box, so while she was gone, we made a fort in her office. Luckily, she was a (very) good sport about it. Don't you want to make a fort?

Thursday, January 11, 2007

yayayayay!


My new kiosk (ahem, I mean the li-berry's new kiosk) arrived yesterday and made it down to me today. I can't wait to get it loaded up and out in the public area. The coolest thing ever is that it's on wheels, so it can be set up wherever we want a display.

You can see I've already formed an unhealthy attachment to it.

nerves

Yup, I've got 'em. I'm waiting oh so patiently (ha!) to hear back from my job people. The longer it goes, the more I'm thinking that I am their backup person, but hey, that's not a bad spot to be in. If they'd hated me, I think I would've gotten the polite brushoff already.

Anyway, I can practically feel my hair turning white from the anticipation.

At the same time, there are lots of fun and interesting things going on right here. The university is starting a community relations council, with each college appointing a community relations officer. My dean was happy to point out that we're already doing that and already have a person (li'l ole me). Next fall they want to appoint a campus-wide community relations coordinator, which sounds like the coolest job ever. So there's that. I also have fun outreach-y things tomorrow and then next week school starts.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

if only we were mr. spocks

I was listening to NPR the other morning and heard that some dude had done a meta-study to see if nutrition studies are biased in favor of the products/companies who supply funding. He found that (published) studies supported by companies are 8 times more likely to find positive results than those supported by other types of funding, i.e. they show their sponsors in a good nutritional light.

I wasn't particularly surprised by the findings. We science types know that the ideal of unbiased research is a difficult one to achieve, and it's a good kick in the pants to government types who allow industry to support studies rather than making that the government's job. Now, I know it's cool to get funding period if you're a researcher and that many be committing career suicide if they turned down all non-governmental sources of funding, but come on. The implications are clear.

again, dog=good, people=bad

I am a stealth chastizer. Today at the park I saw a guy turn away just as his dog started to take a crap. I said to him as I passed, "I hope you're going to clean that up." As I started to speak, he smiled. I think he assumed I was going to say something more...pleasant. After his dog ran off I turned around to see him walking away so I called him an a**hole, in a loud, clear voice. I'm really sick of dog-owners these days.

There's another dog guy that I saw again today. He has a bunch of old dogs, one of which is rather stinky and slow but sweet. They are good dogs and he's responsible (already holding one bag o' poo as I passed) so I am always pleasant to him. Really, it doesn't take much to make me happy, just clean up your dog's monster poops.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

cracklins and curry

A colleague and I had an interesting conversation this afternoon about interracial dating. Really the conversation centered on other folks' reactions to mixed race couples. Whenever I'm out and about with my dude friends and I notice the looks we get, and they're not in the "Oh, look at the cute couple" category. Just last week I was walking out of an ice cream shop with an Indian pal. We passed an Indian family. In the car I mentioned how the dad had looked disapprovingly at us and he said, "oh, we were getting it the whole time from the women." I find this so sad! First of all, I should be able to date whomever I want. Second, and this is admittedly less important, I should be able to hang out with my guy friends without everyone assuming I'm on a date. My colleague mentioned the less than stellar service she's received when on a date with a guy of a different race. I haven't noticed that at all here in H-town but I'm usually with someone of a different race, so maybe my point of comparison is off.

Monday, January 08, 2007

betting on the winner

During a meeting this morning, we discussed prioritizing projects by assigning their names to racing greyhounds. One of the team members said that we should bet on each dog and use the winnings to fund the projects.

So while everyone else is at the big old winter time li-berrian meeting, you'll find me at the dog track.

bsg

Finally finished season one of Battlestar Galactica. Yay! What a cliffhanger ending. I know season two is well under way, but I don't want anyone go give away the show. Actually, I don't really care. I find it easier to watch when I know what's going to happen. When I tape Model, I usually watch the end first so I can enjoy the drama.

Anyway, back to BSG. I missed the miniseries, so I'm not quite sure how it is that Gaius is the only one who can see the pious Cylon. Does she live inside his brain or what? And is the guy who plays Tom What's his dorf the actor who played Apollo way back when? He looks suspiciously familiar.

That's pretty much all I did this weekend, besides cleaning out the gutters and making my first crockpot dish.

Friday, January 05, 2007

yeah, right

Your results:
You are Yoda






















Yoda
65%
Luke Skywalker
64%
Princess Leia
62%
C-3PO
62%
R2-D2
59%
Jar Jar Binks
58%
Padme
58%
Han Solo
58%
Obi-Wan Kenobi
57%
An Ewok
57%
Wise and all knowing you are…yes.
Tall, dark, and handsome?
Not so much I'd say.


(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)


Click here to take the "Which Star Wars character are you?" quiz...

books of 2006

I will spare y'all the list of books I read last year, but it comes out to a little over a book a week. Not bad, although I'm sure I left off a few. This year began with a book I wish I'd read 2 years ago. Actually, I wish I'd read it and then reread it every six months or so thereafter. It's the new classic, He's Just Not That Into You.

My response to most of the book's chapters was a sheepish "boy, that sure sounds like how things were with the GE." Everything in it is obvious, or should be, and yet it takes someone else pointing out how ridiculous our excuses and twisted reasoning can be for us to see just how ridiculous and twisted they really are.

Also, I realized that I am just like most guys when it comes to breaking things off with someone. I'd rather jump off of a cliff than say "I'm just not that into you."

Overall, it's worth a read if you are a single woman or a woman in a relationship that you'd describe as anything but wonderful. It's so short that you can read it in one sitting, especially if that sitting is a longish plane ride.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

oddness

Sorry, Jerry Ford, but I didn't realize that your funeral would mean we closed up shop here at H-town U. No one called me and so I showed up at work only to discover I had to wait half an hour to vent my frustrations to the folks who were supposed to call. I said, "I'm pretty angry about this" to my "boss" and he said, "Well, why?"

Hmm, really? You can't figure out why I'd be a little peeved?

In other news, the holidays are over, I'm glad, and I got a couple of kick butt gifts. I hope the same is true for you.