52 weeks

Playing with some camera apps

2012-01-20T11:47:00.003-05:00

Work is slow...

2012-01-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

Painfully slow. Not good.

STOP SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-18T08:57:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:17:00.001-05:00

An Oberlin holiday

2011-12-19T15:35:00.003-05:00

(found via http://twitter.com/nprmonkeysee)

Out with the old!

2011-12-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

A completely random list of new things I've gotten in the past year, to replace other things that I've had for at least several years in most cases:

hair color
car
coffee pot
bar for trivia
cell phone
laptop
glasses
welcome mat
living room curtains

TV catch-up weekend

2011-11-06T17:22:00.002-05:00

The TV, it was building up on the DVR. So I finally got around to watching most of it this weekend, including last week's "Burn Notice" and "Psych." And, over the past few days, most of the first season so far of "American Horror Story" (which is a deeply, deeply weird show). Today, four episodes of "Boardwalk Empire" and some "Supernatural."

One of these days, I'll watch those last three episodes of "While Collar" from last season ... and the last two of "Alphas" ... and the three "Masterpiece Theatre" episodes ...

Random phone photos

2011-10-30T21:20:00.001-04:00

I think I've decided to call him "Lucky"

2011-10-07T09:29:00.005-04:00

Terrified

2011-10-03T09:06:00.003-04:00

So, I'm trying to buy a new car and it's putting me into somewhat of a state of panic.

I put off doing anything more than looking and dreaming for months. I know that I really need (and want) a new car, but two things are freaking me out:

1. My job. I'm technically self-employed, and if I lose my job, get no unemployment. Any major purchases kinda terrify me because what do I do if I lose my job?

2. Related to this, I'm freaked that I won't be able to get a decent interest rate on a loan, or won't be able to get approved for much because I am self-employed. I do have more than 2 years with the same company, however, and just signed a third, one-year contract, so that's in my favor.

I finally got off the fence yesterday, went to actually look at the car I want in person, and then applied for financing online. We'll see how it goes.

"Moneyball"

2011-09-21T21:58:00.002-04:00

Previews: J. Edgar, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Tower Heist

Free sneak preview! Yay!

I enjoyed it quite a bit. But when did Brad Pitt's face morph into Robert Redford's? And how much do I love Chris Pratt?

The theater was really warm, however, and one of the guys I went with fell asleep.

Photos from hurricane day

2011-08-27T20:03:00.006-04:00

Some photos that I took during the day today as Hurricane Irene passed by...

Branch down!

Trying to photograph the wind...

Lavender colored sky just before sunset.

Went naturally wavy today.

Not from today, actually, but mom asked for a photo of the new purse.

Vacation-o-rama: the rest of the week

2011-08-20T09:05:00.003-04:00

Wednesday, I drove back from Lake Lure to Raleigh. But first we went to the lake again...

And then we went to lunch...

That's the fig tree next to the outside seating area of the restaurant. It was a very cool place.

Then I drove a long way home.

Vacation-o-rama, day 3

2011-08-16T23:15:00.003-04:00

OK, so, the thing is, we got up late and drove 1/2 hour away for lunch because the place we'd planned to go was closed. Instead, most of the day was spend shopping -- and I bought a new purse, which is not at all what I wanted but was SO CUTE that I couldn't resist.

Later was back to the lake so Sarah and Alex could kayak and swim more. I didn't take any photos today really ...

Oh, and then cards and 2+ bottles of wine and shattered glasses and more spilled wine and so much fun it should not be allowed...

but I miss my trivia peeps.

Vacation-o-rama, day 2

2011-08-15T22:39:00.005-04:00

We went to Chimney Rock in the late morning, planning on walking up to the Chimney Rock. My vertigo kicked in *hard* by the time we got to Vista Rock (which is just under 1/2 way to the top of Chimney Rock), so I decided to stay where I was. I couldn't even really go out all the way to the edge of Vista Rock without feeling like I was going to fall over, so -- from what I hear of the rest of the walk -- it's a good thing I didn't venture any farther.

Then we walked down the Hickory Nut Falls Trail to the bottom of the waterfall. That was OK, as long as I focused on keeping my footing and not looking over the edge ...

This was all followed by a late lunch and some shopping. The outlet store was a special trip because Cathy and I had heard there was a good selection of purses there ... maybe, but very much not my sense of style. Then home for dinner, followed by a very rambunctious game of Uno. And lots of wine.

For more photos, click here.

Vacation-o-rama

2011-08-14T22:38:00.005-04:00

My sister and her family rented a house on Lake Lure for a week and, since I'm only about 4 hours away, invited me to stay with them. I drove across on Saturday afternoon, getting stuck in an unexpected traffic jam in Chapel Hill and then, relatively close to my destination, hitting rain so hard that I had to pull over because I couldn't see. Luckily, it had stopped by the time I got to the twisty, turny roads up to the cabin.

Everyone has told me that I'd really like the western part of the state, and it is nice out here. I had several moments of thinking what a really beautiful state this is, like when the road turns and suddenly there's a mountain in front of you. And there are a *ton* of deer around.

We spent this morning at the lake, and I dared to actually wear my bathing suit, the top of which I think I've had for years, but not sure I every actually wore. The bottoms are from last year and ... nope, never wore those before either. I didn't swim but did walk out into the lake and rode in the kayak while my bro-in-law paddled, so that was fun.

Tomorrow, we go to Chimney Rock, I think, and maybe to do some shopping -- I saw a purse that was almost, but not quite, entirely awesome, so we'll see what else they have.

For more photos, click here.

nothing

2011-07-31T07:49:00.001-04:00

Poor, sad blog that I ignore for weeks on end. I have nothing to add.

Blondie

2011-07-13T15:59:00.004-04:00

I didn't get quite the reaction that I expected/wanted at trivia last night. Everyone had an opinion, but I wanted total shock. Which was what I got from my boss on our video chat today, however, so that totally made up for it!

(OK, photo is fixed)

Odd places the cat likes to sleep, part 1

2011-06-21T07:36:00.004-04:00

On cords ... not transformers, just power cords.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T17:31:00.001-04:00

Love you Dad!!

mid-season finale

2011-06-11T22:11:00.001-04:00

Interesting how tonight's Doctor Who mid-season finale actually addressed a lot of the issues I've had with the show this season. I'm pleasantly surprised by that.

Coming soon...

2011-06-10T21:36:00.001-04:00

cat photos! Because this blog is apparently going to devolve into what every other site on the web becomes.

still alive

2011-05-21T17:25:00.002-04:00

The Re-Curtaining

2011-05-15T17:03:00.002-04:00

Before:

One new option:

After:

The Re-Blondening

2011-05-05T19:14:00.005-04:00

By my calculations, I've had brown or brownish-red hair for about three years now. For a long time, I thought that I'd look better with darker hair, and that blonde didn't really suit me. It has been good, and I really liked the color, but it's time for a change.

The lovely lady with me in these photos is Mary, my hairdresser. Check her out at Hair By Mary or on Facebook.

This is, of course, the "before" shot.

First, we have to take the dark color out. I've never had color removed before.

Mary did a good job making sure she didn't get much bleach on my scalp. Almost no pain, despite my terrible expression here.

Bleach is rinsed out, and I'm looking quite orange.

So we start with the color foils.

And continue with the foils...

... and continue.

Foiled!

Then comes the toner for the non-highlighted parts.

Everybody out of the pool.

We were going to go straight to the drying, but Mary thought I needed a nice purple rinse.

Washed and rinsed.

In mid dry.

The final result. It's still too red, but we'll work on toning it down next time.

"Doctor Who" thoughts

2011-05-01T11:26:00.003-04:00

We're two episodes into the new season of Doctor Who and I'm having thoughts. I haven't written about the show in a long time, so please indulge me.

Honestly, I'm conflicted. I really liked many things about the first two episodes; the Silence are good monsters, although - as others have pointed out - many aspects of who they are aren't exactly original. Loved Canton Delaware (and Mark Sheppard, who is apparently required to be in every show I watch) and the reveal at the end, although a little too easy, made me laugh. I also dug the "Welcome to America" moment, although I disapprove of violence being the go-to solution on this particular show.

Which brings me to the "gunfight" at the end, of which I am very much of two minds. First, it gave River a very awesome, kick ass moment. Second, it fit with the Western feel that the episodes seemed to be going for; while neither really had the structure of a traditional Western, the setting and some of the ideas were there, so the end worked on that basis. On the other hand, I don't think violence has never been suggested as the solution to any problem on Doctor Who before. Not only do we have the gunfight at the end, but we have the Doctor planting the idea in everyone's head that the Silence must be killed. It seems very, very much not something the Doctor would do.

River Song is, of course, my biggest area of conflict. In many ways, I really like the character; she's brash and confident and takes no prisoners. Her cockiness sometimes annoys me, but as we've spent more time with her and understand her better, I find it less of a problem. My big issue is the romance with the Doctor.

I was more or less fine with the Doctor/Rose romance in the first two seasons because it was mostly subtle; there was obvious affection there, but most of the time it was an undercurrent rather than text. The thing I hated most about season three was Martha's obvious crush on the Doctor. It felt like we'd already done the romance thing and it was time to move on. It also really weakened Martha as a character to me; I liked her far better in later episodes when she seemed to have moved on. Jack also pretty clearly had a crush on the Doctor, but it never seemed to get in the way. One of the best things about Donna was that she didn't have a crush on the Doctor and we could see how much they loved each other without the romance being an issue. That, to me, was so much better.

To some degree, yes of course every companion is going to love the Doctor in some way. Being selected as one of the few people who get to travel with him; seeing amazing, wondrous, unbelievable things; and being, to a large extent, the focus of this incredible person's attention must be intoxicating. He's amazing and he thinks you are amazing - what could be better? But, for me, the romance angle takes it too far.

Everyone gushed about how amazing "The Girl in the Fireplace" was, and I liked it a lot - except for the romance element. I'm pretty sure that would have annoyed me even if we hadn't been in the middle of the Doctor/Rose thing. And it's not that I feel like Rose was the Doctor's one great love; aside from the fact that in 900 years one would assume he'd loved other people, I was never that invested in their romance, although, as I said, I didn't have a problem with it. You could also argue that Ten loved Rose, and the current Doctor - Eleven - is in many real ways a completely different person, so it would make sense that his feelings are different.

My bigger problem is with the forwarding of the romance as a key part of the text. I really didn't like Amy aggressively hitting on the Doctor last season, even leaving aside the fact that she was engaged to Rory. The relationship with River has clearly been positioned as a relationship, not a flirtation or something else. I tried to come up with alternative ways they could know each other after "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead," but any suggestion of something else has been pretty thoroughly squashed at this point. And to me, that's not what Doctor Who is about, and not what the Doctor is about.

I do like the tragedy of their relationship, however. I just rewatched "Silence/Forest" this morning to see if I can see the sadness in River, given what we know about how their timelines match up. You can see it, although it's perhaps not as obvious as I would have hoped. Of course, by this time she no doubt knows that they are near the end of the relationship. We have to assume that there was a meeting with Ten that we never saw; River mentions that he showed up with a "new haircut" - by which we have to assume face, I think. We know that the majority of her interaction we know will (likely) be with Eleven, and although she doesn't know that, she does know that Eleven didn't know her that well when they meet in "The Time of Angels."

So, yeah, conflicted. I think I'm growing to like her more the longer she's around, but I'm a little concerned because the more time passes, the more romance we're going to get. They are both moving toward that tipping point, where they've known each other for about equal amounts of time and, presumably, their feelings are roughly equal. I'm not sure how I'll feel about things then.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T08:47:00.005-04:00

I'm spending the day watching Friday Night Lights and various movies, so enjoy some random photos!

New sneakers with silly Easter socks! You can't see the butterflies...

Michelle enjoys some wine at Great Grapes. The wine festival is one of my favorite things of the year, and I start looking forward to it weeks ahead of time. This year, the weather was horrible -- check out the News and Observer for more info. We spent a few hours there in the morning, however, and had a really nice time. I also spent more than I should have on some crazy chocolate wine; I'm looking for a good opportunity to open it.

Michelle and I met the first week at Oberlin and have been friends ever since. I don't get to see her often enough.

Cat in a box!

Without comment

2011-04-12T12:44:00.002-04:00

Decade

2011-03-20T20:32:00.002-04:00

As of last Friday, I've lived in North Carolina for 10 years. This is the longest I've lived anywhere as an adult. And I don't foresee myself leaving in the near future...

By popular demand

2011-03-14T20:21:00.006-04:00

... or, actually, at mom's request.

Creamy coconut cake -- white cake infused with sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut, topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream and coconut flakes.

And you know it's spring by the flowering trees ...

Where, oh where have I gone?

2011-03-03T19:02:00.004-05:00

Obviously, it's been ages since I've updated the blog. I'd like to say that's because there's so much exciting going on in my life that there has been no time. In fact, pretty much the opposite is true. When there's not much going on, there's not much to write about either. I have a friend visiting from out of town next month, so I'm sure lots of updates and photos will follow.

And as anyone who really knows me knows, when I'm bored, my mind can quickly find ways to obsess. Most of my obsessions tend to be pop culture related, often having to do with actors or directors or writers. I've become focused on needing to see every movie a particular actor has been in. I once spent ages tracking down an out of print book that the writer herself withdrew from publication so that I could say I'd read every book in a series.

For at least six weeks now, my obsession has been foreign soap operas. The joke at trivia is that all I do is watch German soaps, but there have only been three from Germany, only two of which I'm still watching (one of which I completely forgot about!). I have watched four from England (two or three still watching), one from Wales, one from the Netherlands (still watching), and one from Argentina, plus a drama series from Ireland, one from the UK, and one from Spain. And those aren't including the one older US soap I watched briefly.

YouTube is both wonderful and terrible thing, and I've been able to watch several years' worth of story lines from some of these shows. I'm not watching them all complete; the non-English ones especially usually just have specific story lines subtitled and available, and that's fine. Some stories I get tired of quickly, or end, and the show drops off my radar. There are only four that I'm really following right now and which I look forward to clips from every day, and one of those is in a bit of a down period right now.

The thing is, we're talking hours and hours of clips, even when that doesn't include entire episodes. I spent something like six hours one day doing nothing but catching up one just one show. I watch on in the morning before work, during lunch, on my too often breaks, in the brief window between work and nightly TV, during the commercials at night, and then before I go to sleep. When I run out of old episodes of one show, I find another.

This obsession is slowly burning itself out now, I think. I'm still watching back episodes of one show, but I'm not so entirely compelled by the story that I'm staying up all night to watch it. I'm re-watching selected clips from another show, but skipping all the angst and sadness that was so hard to go through the first time -- only happy people falling in love! And I don't think I'm going to look for anything new to replace those I have now.

Part of it is the frank acknowledgment that I really need to be spending my time on other things. I wasn't able to finish last month's book club book, and this months is coming up soon and I've barely started. I'm not working as much as I could/should be. I have multiple back episodes of TV shows that I just haven't gotten around to watching. I really just need to move on.

(I should note that, in addition to being obsessed with other things, I also can't really update my blog via the iPad. Since I do most of my web browsing with that computer, I'm less inclined to use this, my netbook to update it.)

Walnuts

2011-01-28T21:20:00.001-05:00

Dear me,

You don't like walnuts. Why did you make oatmeal walnut pancakes? They are full of walnuts.

love and kisses,
You.

Bread!

2011-01-23T11:00:00.003-05:00

My lovely sister (or rather, one of my lovely sisters) gave me Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for Christmas. After one disastrous loaf last week, I went back to the basic recipe and made some nice loaves over the past few days. I might cut down the salt slightly for my next batch, and I'm eager to explore more interesting recipes, but I was happy how these turned out.

I should rotate those top images but ... I won't.

Flashback!

2011-01-08T17:35:00.002-05:00

A long time ago, I was very actively involved in an online community. This was mostly from about 1997 - 8, when I was in graduate school. I was regularly looking for ways to procrastinate as I slowly moved toward dropping out, and getting completely and utterly caught up in this world was a good way to do that.

In addition, what the particular community was fed strongly into my interests at the time. I was studying communications and new media, trying to figure out how to make a living doing stuff with the Internet and wondering if that would be enough to get me over the growing realization that I had neither the patience nor the discipline to be a fiction writer. This community was a form of group fiction, of sorts; a bunch of random people from around the world who shared an interest in Douglas Adams and/or The Starship Titanic invented characters and plots and created many, many stories together, with each message feeding off of those before. It was very fun and very exhausting, and ultimately, I just didn't have time for it anymore.

I've told this story before.

This morning, I got an email from someone who was involved in the creation of this forum. I had written to the company that created the forum for the game, expressing how much I enjoyed it and my love of the interactive storytelling creation that it became. This was a long time ago, as I said, and I don't remember the details of the email. I think I probably got a reply thanking me for my message, but again -- I don't really remember. Apparently, the email stuck with him, and when the topic of the Starship Titanic Employee Forum came up again recently, he found the message again. More than a decade later, he still had it.

Which just floors me.

He said he might pass the original email on to someone who might be writing an article, and very kindly wanted to check with me first. I was happy to agree. Who knows if anything at all will come of that, but it's just kind of crazy to think about.

If nothing else, the whole experience has been a good excuse to remember the employee forum experience and everything it included. And I just found out that my main character is listed on the H2G2 page (at the end of the passenger list, although I'd argue I originally started out as crew (hence the office)).

This MetaFilter post about the Starship Titanic was apparently the origination of the email I got today, if you're interested.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:09:00.001-05:00

Something else I apparently cannot do with the iPad - update this blog.

Anyway, another new year. 2010 wasn't a bad one for me, although I cannot say the same for certain friends. Here's hoping 2011 is better for everyone.

shhh

2010-12-13T23:54:00.003-05:00

It's been a quiet week here on the blog. Mostly it has to do with the amount of work I've been putting in -- I've worked 8 days in a row so far, without an end in sight! OK, not true - I go on vacation in just over a week, when my "work" will consist of checking my email once a day (and hopefully nothing more).

Tivo came. Cable guy comes tomorrow morning to set up the CableCard. Am loving the Tivo Premiere, so looking forward to having all the channels back again. Hopefully, the new TV comes in the next day or two (or I will be quite upset ... we're on day 5 of the 6-9 day estimate). New pet sitter also comes tomorrow to visit with Zoid, who's curled up beside me in bed.

My back is killing me. I sat on the floor for 1.5 hours tonight, signing Christmas cards and assembling packages.

And now to sleep.

... and now ...

2010-12-06T21:14:00.002-05:00

New TV and Tivo on the way.

Not sure why the impulse to buy tonight. I think my head did the math and I realized that if I didn't get both soon, I really would have to wait until January because I wouldn't be around for delivery. Plus, I'll need to call the cable company to have them install the CableCard (thanks for telling me about your whole experience, Tina!), and who knows how long that will take.

I'm also a little concerned that some of the prices I was seeing might not stay low. I'm excited about the TV - it's 42 inches, and has analog audio output so I should be able to hook up my stereo like it is now. The ratings for the TV were good too; when I was looking it up online to see what the general feedback was, I actually found a lower price, so yay for that too! Most of the reviews I read said that while this model isn't perfect, it is extremely nice for the relatively low price.

Stay tuned for more updates, including me complaining about my old TV!

The Great TV Debate

2010-11-28T13:47:00.004-05:00

It should come as no surprise that I am a heavy TV watcher. I like lots of different types of shows, and often plan out my viewing carefully. I also currently own three televisions and two Tivos.

What may be surprising is that none of these is HD.

I do have a Blu-ray player, a gift from my sister last year. My DVD player wasn't working correctly (or rather, none of my three DVD players was working correctly), and it seemed pointless to not upgrade. Plus, Netflix streaming directly to my TV is a wonderful thing.

But just a year or so before HDTV prices started becoming reasonable, my TV died. I bought a smaller, cheaper one, but quickly found that it was just too small. So I got a bigger standard TV and learned to live with it.

That's been a few years ago now, and HDTV prices have continued to fall. Plus, I visit friends regularly who have high-def, and it's almost painful to come home and see how stark the difference is. I watched the Community episode "Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design" at my friends', and noticed the silly things written by the teachers' names in the course catalog. I turned it on at home later that night to check it out in more detail and I couldn't read the writing -- it was blurry on my TV. The difference has never been quite so clear to me.

So I've finally decided to upgrade. Ideally, I'd like to spend less than $500, which seems reasonable given the shopping around I've done. Unless I find an amazing deal between now and Christmas, I may wait until January, both to see if there are any after Christmas/Superbowl sales, and to see if I get a holiday bonus from my job (no idea if I will this year, but there's always hope!).

Of course, it can't be that easy. If I do get a new TV, I need to get a new Tivo too -- mine isn't HD. There is a $0 down $20/mo for 2-years deal going on now (if I buy before the end of the year) or an upgrade deal for $199 and I'm pretty sure I could transfer my current service (which works out to be slightly cheaper over 2 years). Looking at the history of accounts, I appear to buy a new Tivo roughly every 3 years; my last was purchased in 2006, so I'm clearly overdue.

I would need to upgrade my cable too. I already spend too much for cable; I have considered going to streaming and OTA, but I'd hate to lose HBO and Showtime. That means getting an HD box and paying the extra monthly fee. It's not huge, but is yet more money to add to this endeavor. Although, now I'm reading up on cableCARDs, so maybe not ...

Which is the real reason that I haven't pulled the trigger yet. There's always one more piece of equipment that I didn't realize I'd need to upgrade. When I got the new router, for example, suddenly I had to get new adapters for the Tivos. When I got the Blu-ray, I needed an adapter for that too.

All that said, I do expect that by January I'll have caved and upgraded everything.

ETA: OK, first thing I've found ... if I get a cableCARD, I'll also need a special tuner ...

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1"

2010-11-21T16:18:00.002-05:00

Previews: Cowboys and Aliens, The Green Hornet, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Green Lantern, Yogi Bear, Red Riding Hood

Not much to say. I thought the adaptation was fine; I cannot watch a movie for which I've read the book without continually mentally comparing the two. I thought that it was generally well done, however.

Book list

2010-11-20T08:03:00.006-05:00

On my to-be-read list:

"A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin - reading now
"The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell - in the mail
"Quicksilver" by Neal Stephenson - have it
"Carter Beats the Devil" by Glen David Gold - have it
"To Say Nothing of the Dog" by Connie Willis - just bought it!
"Zodiac" by Neal Stephenson - have it
"A Million Open Doors" by John Barnes - have it
"Spin" by Robert Charles Wilson - I've started this one, then got distracted and put it down. I should finish.
"The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements" by Sam Kean
"Narrow Dog to Indian River" by Terry Darlington
"Lady of Mazes" by Karl Schroeder
"The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson
"Counting Heads" by David Marusek
"The Child Garden" by Geoff Ryman
"The Anubis Gates" by Tim Powers
"World's End" by Mark Chadbourn
"Flood" by Stephen Baxter
"Daughter of the Blood" by Anne Bishop
"The Eye of Night" by Pauline Alama
"The Seance" by John Harwood
"Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart
"Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait" by K. A. Bedford

These come from a range of sources, and I'm always adding and removing from the list. And, usually, finding other books that I want to or need to read first. The reason I'm not done with "A Game of Thrones" yet is because I had to read "Mansfield Park" first...

TV catchup Sunday

2010-11-07T07:32:00.007-05:00

Yet again, I've managed to get behind on my TV watching - although now that I look at my list, it's not quite as bad as I thought. So here's today's viewing:

Criminal Minds: "Middle Man" - From last week; I was nearly a month behind, but managed to catch up in the past week or so. I was very into this show for a while, but I've been disappointed with the last season or two. While I don't need every case to somehow reflect back on the personal lives of the characters, now almost everything seems completely disconnected from them. I was really, really disappointed that the show didn't take advantage of Reid's shooting last season to look again at his problem with drug addiction. Now, with AJ Cook being cut from the cast (and I read that Paget Brewster is in fewer episodes this year and gone altogether next), we're down to one female character (although, again, I read that may change next season); I'm actually fine with the show paring down the cast, as there are a lot of characters, but almost all of them are male. JJ's loss, in particular, has really hurt the show. I like Garcia, but only in limited amounts, and having her take over JJ's role is more of her than I need.

Sons of Anarchy: "Turas" - I can pretty much judge my interest in the season's storyline by how quickly I watch the episode. I've moved from Tuesday night/Wednesday morning to Sunday so ... yeah. Still a good show, but the Ireland storyline is taking its time and testing my patience.

The Mentalist: "The Red Ponies", "Pink Chanel Suit" and "Red Hot" - I think I like this show more in theory than in practice. That, or the fact that I do not care in the slightest about any of the (occasional) ongoing arcs, means I seldom remember that I haven't watched it in weeks.

Masterpiece Mystery: "Wallander: The Fifth Woman" - I like this series, but it has taken me a while to get around to this episode.

The one show I didn't get to today was the latest/last episode of Caprica.

(Incidentally, while I really liked the previous flowery background, I found the color and texture of the green center section made reading the text too difficult.)

Vote

2010-11-02T10:48:00.001-04:00

Voted. More people than expected at the polling place, based on what people around me were saying.

A good month for books

2010-10-31T21:10:00.003-04:00

October was a good month for books. Although I didn't manage to get very far in the whole long vampire book-o-rama, I still did a lot of reading.

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson (10/5)
"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman (10/11)
"The Fry Chronicles" by Stephen Fry (10/16)
"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson (10/20)
"To Have and To Hold" by Jennifer Baker (10/26)
"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (10/29)

I'm also 1/2 way through "I Am Not a Serial Killer" by Dan Wells, but I won't be done by the end of the day. It's been a long time since I've read this much in one month. Feels oddly good.

With the current book, that'll be 32 for the year. I read 31 (plus 2 short stories) in 2009. I only started keeping track in October 2008, but from that point until the end of the year, I read 34 books (plus 1 short story) - but I also was laid off at the end of 2008, so I wasn't doing much other than reading and looking for a job.

Photo from a walk

2010-10-23T16:11:00.003-04:00

Work related

2010-10-16T13:52:00.004-04:00

As a general rule, I try to avoid talking too much about work on my blog. No matter what job I'm currently working, I'm always very aware that anything I put online is forever, and visible to everyone; I have no expectation of privacy, even on allegedly private sites (which this is of course not). This is also my personal blog, on which I discuss personal issues, so it doesn't feel appropriate.

Nevertheless, I have been writing this article in my head all morning as I worked, and it needs to come out somewhere - and isn't that the point of a personal blog? My boss and I have discussed the possibility of starting a separate site or blog to deal with these sorts of issues, but nothing has come of it yet, so I'm writing about it here. Needless to say, these are my opinions and observations only, and are not necessarily those of anyone I work with.

I spend some part of nearly every day reviewing applications for various jobs with the company. Sometimes I'm even considering if the applicant might fit for a different job that we haven't advertised. On a light day, I might read 10 or 15 applications; more often, I'm reading at least 30 or more. On a busy day, I could have over 100 to get through. At the moment, we have two job ads out, so my days are tending toward the busy end.

Reading so many applications so regularly, there are a few points that pop out at me over and over. I think these points are a little more obvious now, since I'm looking at two different types of applications. These are the main things that I always wish that I could tell applicants:

1. Read the instructions. I cannot emphasize this enough. You may be a good fit for the job, but if you don't follow the instructions, it tells me that either you do not pay attention to the details, or you don't think those rules apply to you. I'm probably not interested in working with either type of person.

As an example, I currently have a mailbox full of resumes for one particular job. Of those, nearly 30% have attachments. The ad for this job specifically states "Attachments will not be opened." I do choose to open these attachments because I feel like it's not worth the possibility of missing a great applicant for only this reason, but it's already a strike against everyone who does it.

2. If you are applying by email (rather than, for example, and online form), put your full name and email address clearly in the body of your message, preferably near the top. You want both of these pieces of information to be clear and easy for the reviewer to find. I've read applications with only a first name included. I've gotten applications with no email address, and thus no way to respond to the writer even if I wanted to (I get applications by several methods, some of which don't include a real "from" address).

3. Know who you are applying to.

It's always a good idea to tailor your application to the company. Emphasize those elements of your experience that are relevant to the job.
Make sure you use the correct company name in your cover letter and resume. I've gotten more than one resume that has as its objective how much the applicant wants to work for some company other than ours.
If you do include an objective on your resume, make sure it's relevant to the job you are applying to.
Know who the parent company is, if the business you are applying with has one. It is entirely possible that the same person will be looking at applications for jobs in various parts or subsidies of the company, so if you don't follow through on one job application, chances are you won't be a strong contender for a different job.

4. Be polite. Sending an angry response to a rejection might make you feel better in the moment, but it can only hurt you in the long term. Everybody gets rejected, and chances are you'll never know the details of why you were not picked. If another job opens up, your response will guarantee you aren't considered again.

I know that there are probably dozens of other points I can - and maybe will - make, but that's what's on my mind today.

Vampire book-o-rama #4: I Am Legend

2010-10-07T19:55:00.002-04:00

I know I've seen the movie, but I remember very little about it. Enjoyed the book, despite the fact that it was anything other than cheerful.

A plague has swept the world, turning nearly everyone into vampires. There are living vampires and dead vampires, but both types want Robert Neville dead. Robert spends his days alternately obsessively looking for a cure to the plague and drinking himself into oblivion.

The ending was unexpected; a nice finish.

Vampire book-o-rama #3: Bite Me: A Love Story

2010-10-02T18:17:00.003-04:00

Technically, this shouldn't count in the book-o-rama - it's not on the list for the end of the month. It is a vampire book, however, so I'm putting it on my list.

Book three in the series about Jody and Tommy, with nearly all of the characters from the previous books returning. Funny, as all of Christopher Moore's books are. I'd just finished A Dirty Job by the same author and with some slight overlap in characters - Lily is a major character in that book; she mentioned as a friend of Abby's in this one. Police detective Rivera is also in both. I'd actually hoped that we'd get some insight into the changes that happen with Rivera at the end of A Dirty Job, but then I realized/remembered that that book takes place over like five years while the entire vampire trilogy happens over only a few weeks/months.

Now, though, I think I need to read Fluke.

Vampire book-o-rama #2: Fevre Dream

2010-09-24T19:21:00.002-04:00

Vampires on a Mississippi riverboat in the mid 1800s. Started a little slow; I had trouble staying interested until I was at least half way through. The end picked up, though, and I ended up enjoying it.

In this take the vampires are a different species, one that has lived alongside humans for centuries, but holding themselves separate. They reproduce sexually, and can't turn humans. Lots of other differences too, but they drink blood and can't to go in the sun without burning (although it takes a while).

The main character is Abner Marsh, human riverboat owner who goes into partnership with Joshua York, a vampire. Joshua wants to bring the other vampires together and enable them to stop preying on humans. His battle to do this goes on ... and on ... and on.

Vampire book-o-rama #1: Let the Right One In

2010-09-18T07:51:00.003-04:00

"Let the Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist

When I made my list of vampire books as suggestions for October's book club, and this was top of the list. I saw the movie a few years ago ... or, specifically, Dec. 6, 2008. My description included the words "strange," "interesting," "oddly" and "quiet."

I wished, when reading the book, that I hadn't seen the movie. Although it's not an exact reproduction, the movie is quite faithful, at least on most of the action points in the plot. The pedophilia is less explicit in the movie, and I don't recall there being any explanation of how Eli became a vampire - although, to be honest, the explanation in the book is less an explanation and more of a memory of an event that happened just before the transformation and doesn't really cover the turning itself. Plus, I don't remember the gender issue really being brought up in the film.

More than anything, I was really disturbed by the scene with the cats attacking. I couldn't decide where my sympathies lie. The cats themselves were disturbing enough, but I felt terrible for their owner, Gösta, who loved them. And of course Virginia didn't want to be there, didn't want to kill Gösta, but didn't feel like she had another option. And poor Lacke, trying to save Virginia. The poor, poor cats.

I'm not sure if it's the writer or the translator, but I found some of the writing to be a little stiff and odd. Of course, it could be a cultural/language thing. It didn't especially take me out of the story it was generally compelling enough to keep me interested. As I said, though, if I hadn't known the basic story of what was going to happen I think I would have enjoyed it more.

Vampire book-o-rama

2010-09-17T23:48:00.003-04:00

In my book club, we always read a vampire book for our October meeting. This is an odd year; we're skipping September due to several members' schedules, and having two meetings in October - the 3rd and the 31st.

For the 3rd, we're reading "A Dirty Job" by Christopher Moore. It's about death, so while it doesn't exactly fit the theme, it's not far off. I finished it very quickly.

At the meeting on the 3rd, we'll pick our vampire book. I made a list of suggestions for the group and sent it out after our August meeting. Since then, I've bought/acquired three of the eight or so books on the list and have read one and a half. I'm kinda trying to see how many I can read before the end of October.

So stay tuned for my short reviews ...

Coming soon!

2010-08-27T18:48:00.001-04:00

I made a tiny footstool for my office. Used to be a clementine box.

Hello Friday

2010-08-27T08:52:00.002-04:00

Despite working from home for the past year, I still try to get up at a reasonable time in the morning; eat, shower, and dress in regular clothes; and be at my desk by 9am. Whether it's a need to routine (yes) or 10 years in a regular job, it feels like that's how the day needs to start if I'm working. I don't just roll out of bed and go sit in front of my computer, and I never work in my pjs.

Today, however, I am working in sweatpants and an ill-matching sleeveless top. It's not a good look, but then, no one will see me in it.

(oh, and the whole "Hello xxxxx" title, which I find I use a lot, is from HELLO May, a small print of which I have hanging near the front door.)

Other photos

2010-08-22T13:43:00.003-04:00

Kitty looks out the window.

I haven't planted torenias in years. I love that they keep coming back!

See what happens when I don't cut them back?

Close ups!

2010-08-22T13:40:00.003-04:00

A little more visible here ...

Sunday morning walk

2010-08-22T09:55:00.005-04:00

Decided to take a walk this morning. It was crazy hot and so humid, but someday this summer will end. Took photos or random flowers to entertain myself.

If you click on the photo above, you should see it bigger. Can anyone identify this tree and the weird-looking fruit? ETA Mom suggests they are probably Osage-orange.

Sunday marathon: Wire in the Blood

2010-08-15T20:42:00.002-04:00

This Sunday, as I lazed around doing very little, I watched way more episodes of the UK TV series "Wire in the Blood" than can be good for anyone.

Last half of "Wounded Surgeon" part 4 of series 4
"Colour of Amber" part 1
"Nocebo" part 2
"Names of Angels" part 3
"Anything You Can Do" part 4 of series 5
"Unnatural Vices" part 1 of series 6

That's a solid eight hours of serial killers and psychology. While I like the show (obviously), I love the books. These are all Alex Fielding episodes; I love Tony's relationship with Carol, so although I grew to be OK with Alex, she's just not the same.

Unplanned movie marathon

2010-08-08T20:03:00.003-04:00

Well, OK, it started with an unplanned My Name is Earl marathon starting on Saturday night and ending Sunday morning.

Sunday afternoon was all about the zombie movies, however. Starting with "Zombieland," which I liked a lot more than I thought I would. Poor Bill Murray.

Then "Dead Snow," which is about German Nazi zombies. One of the characters tosses out "Friday the 13th," "Evil Dead" (one and two), and "April Fools Day," near the beginning, and I could see the influence. Of the three, I'm most familiar with the "Evil Dead" movies, so their influence stood out right away, even before the chainsaw made its appearance. Organized zombies make for quite a change. Lots and lots and lots of intestines getting pulled out. A good movie, though, if you're a fan of the zombie genre (which I guess I am) and don't mind subtitles.

Nothing very much

2010-08-07T17:31:00.002-04:00

Oh, it's a weekend. They all blend together.

I finally decided to move my personal computer from my bedroom into the office. I almost never use the desktop; I used the laptop for work and the netbook for nearly everything else. The only thing missing from the netbook is a CD/DVD drive, which makes loading software slightly difficult.

Now the desktop is under the desk and the monitor is hooked up to the laptop. After a year of using just the one screen, it's weird using two. Oddly, it feels more like an office now.

Today was supposed to be all about cleaning, but work took longer than I hoped and then I went out to lunch.

Miles drinks from a straw!

stop looking

2010-07-31T11:52:00.002-04:00

I should know better. Looking around at houses for rent (because, you know, my new lease started a month ago, so I'm here until next June) and found an adorable little house in Raleigh at an excellent price. Tiny, but I have the urge to downsize lately. We'll see (a) if it's available next year and (b) if I think I can deal with 500 sq ft less space.

hee!

2010-07-28T21:04:00.001-04:00

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Good weekend for TV

2010-07-25T09:52:00.002-04:00

On Friday, watched Friday Night Lights after a week off. Marathoned the first few seasons last year, and have really come to enjoy the show.

Saturday, the finale of series five of Doctor Who. I've had slightly mixed feelings about this season, but thought it was good overall. I very much liked the way that elements from the finale were sprinkled throughout the season, and the call-backs at the beginning of "The Pandorica Opens" were great. I adapted to the new Doctor very quickly; despite my initial misgivings, Matt Smith was a terrific choice for the roll. I'm mixed on Amy - Karen Gillan is good, and I like that Amy is curious and capable of taking care of herself, but sometimes she gets too aggressive about things in a way that bugs me. Rory grew on me fast, and I was happy with where his storyline ultimately went. Another giant reset button, but liked the ending anyway.

Then, series two of Being Human. A show with potential, that I'm still waiting for it to live up to. Looks to be going in some interesting directions, though.

Tonight, of course, there's True Blood followed by the premiere of Mad Men, plus Tivoing Leverage. So excited about Mad Men - accidentally spoiled myself just slightly, but probably not enough to make any difference.

More brief thoughts on "Inception"

2010-07-20T08:55:00.003-04:00

Minor conceptual spoilers here, I guess.

I've been doing more thinking about "Inception" and reading some great criticism (including this very interesting look at the film as an allegory for movies themselves (warning: major spoilers there)). A lot of these pieces bring up elements I really didn't notice or consider at the time, and I love getting someone else's view, whether I agree or not.

One comparison that occurred to me -- looking at the movie from a non-allegorical perspective -- that I haven't seen anyone else make (which is not to say that no one else has, just that I haven't read it) is with the UK version of Life on Mars. That show is also about the intersection between reality and dreams, and the very serious question of which reality is real, and ultimately, if it matters. And like "Inception," it comes to an end which is strongly debatable. These questions in Life on Mars have been, in my opinion, too much answered by the show's spin-off, Ashes to Ashes, but if we ignore that, I think there's a very strong parallel between the endings.

"Inception"

2010-07-19T21:20:00.002-04:00

Previews: The Last Exorcism, Charlie St. Cloud, Due Date, Dinner For Schmucks, The Social Network, The Town

Very cool movie. Twisty, turn-y, complicated and fun. I was, sadly, slightly spoiled for the ending, which it was hard not to be even though I avoided anything but the most general review information. But I loved the "second" dream the most, the crazy hotel in freefall with everyone but the one guy unconscious ... just awesome. I also really liked the coordination between dreams. Really enjoyed it.

Steamed buns

2010-07-17T19:06:00.003-04:00

note: I ran out of all-purpose flour, so the counter was dusted with wheat flour during kneading.

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"

2010-07-09T23:27:00.002-04:00

I watched the Swedish movie adaptation tonight. When I read the book last August, I wrote:

Good book, interesting mystery. Interested to read the next book. Continues the depressing trend.

I'm a little surprised that I didn't write more; well, no, I'm not - I often think that I'm going to write a lot about what I read or watch, then when faced with the task, just don't do it. But I've been thinking about the book lately, and wondering why it's as popular as it is.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a fan of a good mystery, and I've read/seen my share of serial killer stories. I'm just not sure what makes this one so popular. The answer, I guess, is the character of Lisbeth - the story, after all, while interesting and complex, really isn't that different or unique. Her character is very complicated, however, very full and multi-dimensional. Her story is hard to watch - more so in the movie, because it's right there in your face - in fact, the stories of both the main female characters are terrible and violent. I appreciate, however, that neither woman is a victim. Or rather that each takes action against her abuser and tries to put herself in a position to never have to face such horrors again.

The real translation of the title, I just found out, is "The Man Who Hated Women" - which is quite appropriate. I like the change, however; it puts the focus on Lisbeth rather than the killer.

Random thoughts on the "Mad Men" pilot

2010-07-05T20:19:00.004-04:00

AMC is showing a Mad Men marathon tonight, starting with the pilot. I've seen it several times, but I thought I'd share some random thoughts because it seems to be that kind of week.

I really didn't care for the pilot the first time I watched it. Half way through the first season, AMC ran a marathon of the first six episodes and I stumbled into episode two or three and was immediately pulled in. I've since watched the pilot again, obviously, but still find parts of it difficult.
Everyone looks so young. Pete looks like he's 12.
Paul looks weird without the beard.
However you feel about Peggy's story throughout the first season, they did a really good job with her transformation. I forgot how thin she is in the pilot.
Listening to the boys talk about Peggy in the elevator is so strange. Since we don't know them yet, and they don't know her, it has always seemed very brash. But looking at it after spending three seasons with these people, and knowing the characters so much better, it seems twice as harsh.
That said, the boys aren't that far off from the characters we get to know. Pete's a bit more blunt, Ken is more aggressive rather than confident, and Harry isn't quite so submissive as he becomes, but Paul and Salvatore aren't far off.
I forget how much I disliked Pete in the first season. He does so much growing up - he's not a great guy even in the third season, but despite his flaws, he's become one of my favorite characters. I would not have guessed that after the pilot.
I do like Pete and Peggy together - better on equal footing down the road, and I don't think the romantic aspect should or will come back, but I like the complexity of their history.
This music is so lively!
Wow, Don is really cynical. And even in the pilot, he's trying to run away.

Random thoughts on season two of "Angel"

2010-07-04T21:08:00.003-04:00

I'm doing some rewatching of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Some meaningless thoughts on season two of Angel:

Didn't remember how much Kate was in this season. She's not there a lot, but in my head, she's a season one character only.
I did not remember that Wesley had a girlfriend for multiple episodes.
Plus, I forgot that Wes and Gunn were such good friends.
You can see Wesley growing into a new person, and it's so hard to watch knowing how it all ends.
The whole team breaking up thing is over surprisingly quickly when you watch episodes back to back.
The last three episodes really are like an entirely different show.
Oh Fred. Mixed feelings about her, but again ... hard when you know where it ends.

The heat

2010-06-26T09:40:00.002-04:00

I was going to take photos of the plants on my patio that are dying - specifically the snapdragons and lemon thyme. I don't water them as frequently as I should, and it has been 95° - 100° F all week, and these seem to be the most sensitive.

But then the cameraphone didn't want to work, and I cut off most of the dead bits, and it no longer seemed worth it. Let's just say that the snapdragon is 99% dead and the thyme 80%.

I am amazed by the thyme, however. Even though it's mostly a big mass of great-smelling-but-dried-out tendrils, there are a few green ones here and there. I actually planted it last year in a different pot, left it out all winter without water, and then was startled to find it coming back this spring. So I think if I start paying it just a little more attention, it'll survive.

The Carolina jessamine, however, is clearly made for this weather. It has grown a ton, and I'm trying to keep the vines wrapped around the railing with mixed success. It doesn't help that the nearby trees keep trying to encroach, and the vines sometimes reach out to the branches. I wish it would bloom again, though.

In non-plant news, today I think I'll buy a folding table to put in my kitchen, and give the room a complete and thorough cleaning. I'm not a good housekeeper, and tend to just keep things good enough, but every so often I just want to scrub everything down.

Jack Long

2010-06-16T21:07:00.003-04:00

LOVE Jack Long. If Tiny Showcase has done nothing else for me, it has introduced me to this artist.

Just ordered this one. Cannot believe that (as of this post) it's not even 1/2 sold out.

Recap-O-Rama

2010-06-11T19:17:00.001-04:00

With a name like that, how can I not post?

Futurama

Weeknights, 9p/8c

Recap-O-Rama

www.comedycentral.com

Futurama New Episodes

Ugly Americans

Movie weekend

2010-05-30T15:22:00.001-04:00

I spent all weekend doing a little work and watching lots and lots of movies.

Sunday

2010-05-23T10:40:00.002-04:00

It's another lazy Sunday, my favorite kind. My exciting plans include taking out the recycling (which has built up to ridiculous levels again) and returning a shirt to the store.

Then, I'll watch lots and lost of "Lost" - I suspect a lot of the pre-finale stuff will be less than exciting, but I still want to make it an event.

"Iron Man 2"

2010-05-20T08:03:00.002-04:00

Previews: The A-Team, The Expendables, Sex and the City 2, Inception

Not much to say about "Iron Man 2." I thought it was fun, but certainly not deep. RDJ was great, as always - he's also pretty good at acting opposite nothing, which makes those scenes in which he's sitting in a chair staring at stuff that's animated later more believable.

Some of the camera work got my vertigo going, though.

Letting go of the TV guilt

2010-05-16T16:53:00.003-04:00

Shows I'm killing from the Tivo season pass list:

Treme
Justified

Both are shows over which I suffer "TV guilt" - generally praised by critics, I feel like there's something wrong with me if I don't watch them. But after going through 3 episodes of Justified yesterday and remembering virtually nothing about them, and putting off watching last week's Treme (it's been a week and I still haven't watched it), I've decided to accept my feelings and move on.

I watch a lot of good TV. I watch a lot of TV period. I cannot be bothered to watch more TV that just doesn't engage my interest.

Rambling, rambling

2010-05-15T20:54:00.003-04:00

I just added a link to my friend Jim's bad movie review site, "The Movie Masochist" to the link-o-rama list. We used to work together, and his reviews of bad movies are usually quite entertaining. Interestingly, I feel like I've gotten to know Jim a lot better since we both got laid off than when we worked together.

I need to update this blog more often, and I need to talk less about needing to update more often. I also just drank two glasses of wine, and feel like rambling on. But a new (to the US) Doctor Who starts in 2 minutes, so my rambling will be short.

Or maybe it'll just be about the show. I really like Matt Smith - much, much more than I expected to. I have mixed feelings about the new season, though. I think I want to like it more than I do. I expect that I need to take an apathetic attitude, like I have with Lost. It's all about just letting the show be what it wants to be, and to stop expecting or hoping it'll be something else/more/better. It's harder to enjoy when it's always about what it *could* have been rather than what it is.

Off to watch more TV!

Back from Georgia

2010-05-08T09:14:00.002-04:00

T'was nice.

"The Gashlycrumb Losties"

2010-04-29T11:18:00.000-04:00

This is brilliant!

The Gashlycrumb Losties

redacted

2010-04-25T10:11:00.002-04:00

Wrote a very long entry about going with the flow and being a leaf a stream and how I'm not that person anymore. But I think it's best kept private.

In a nutshell: Do something, or find a way of being OK where you are.

Ha!

2010-04-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

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Baking

2010-04-18T16:45:00.003-04:00

Currently, Lime Yogurt Cake with Strawberry Sauce (since strawberries were on sale). I bought the wrong yogurt, but oh well.

awww

2010-04-15T20:19:00.004-04:00

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"Instructions" book trailer

2010-04-08T21:36:00.007-04:00

Hot cross buns

2010-04-03T20:35:00.002-04:00

Making hot cross buns for Easter:

Blanching orange peels before candying them.

The finished product.

New photo!

2010-04-03T09:35:00.001-04:00

Updated my profile pic ... because it has been a while.

Sprngtime

2010-03-28T13:05:00.004-04:00

One from my walk, others of various flowers.

Two photos

2010-03-27T07:43:00.003-04:00

Since my hair is short, I can't really wear a lot of clips and things. Actually, as I was typing that, it occurred to me that it's really only the bigger clips that I can't wear.

Anyway, the point is that I have this little silly flower clip that I like to wear. It doesn't really hold back my hair; it's just decorative. So I decided to make several others. I bought some little alligator clips - a bit smaller than I wanted, actually - and fired up the hot glue gun and made ...

It's not a great photo, but you can see the original clip on the right with the white beads in the middle. I want to make a few more, but I'm afraid that, like necklaces, I'll make a bunch then never wear them.

I took this photo through the widow of my office; I meant to post it earlier to show the budding tree.

background

2010-03-17T09:04:00.001-04:00

New, springier background. For a site I should update more often.

I Know My First Name Is Steven

2010-03-13T13:39:00.003-05:00

Long one of my favorite made-for-TV movies, I just found it on DVD. Such a sad story, which has only gotten more tragic in the years since the movie was made.

I thought it was interesting that they updated the end (it was made in 1989) with convicted kidnapper Kenneth Parnell's 2004 conviction for trying to buy a child, but not the murders committed by Steven's brother, Cary Stayner, in 1999. To be honest, it's actually rather creepy watching the character of Cary in the movie, knowing what happened later.

Random thoughts about television

2010-03-06T13:29:00.003-05:00

Let's admit upfront that I'm watching Spartacus on Starz (via Netflix), because the next two points here relate to it. Unless you have a very high tolerance for nudity, sex, and ridiculously graphic (comic book-style) violence, you do not want to watch this show.
Can someone please tell me the logic of putting the gladiator training ground right next to a giant cliff? Aside from getting to see someone get thrown over it?
On the positive side, can I just say that I love that the injuries on Spartacus don't heal overnight? You can still see the claw marks on his chest from when the main character was in the pits several episodes ago.
In non-Spartacus viewing, I've started watching Supernatural in syndication. It's one of those shows that I was vaguely but not specifically interested in watching, and it was always on opposite something else I preferred. I picked it up about two weeks ago, in the beginning of the second season, and I'm really enjoying it. I don't think I'll watch the new episodes, though - I'm so far behind, I'd just get confused.
I am seven episodes behind on Men of a Certain Age. I think I want to like this show more than I actually do.
I deleted Greek from my season pass list. I have been really bored with this season - and pretty much everything Rusty does lately just makes me cringe.
I was watching a season one episode of Oz last week, and Matt Ross, Alby on Big Love, showed up as a guard. It's so weird seeing actors who I've come to know in one thing show up in tiny parts in other shows. It's happened a lot with Aldis Hodge, who I love as Hardison on Leverage. He's shown up in both Friday Night Lights and Supernatural - he wasn't a very nice guy in either, which is, again, so unlike the character I'm used to him playing.
I am enjoying Caprica. I'm trying - and mostly succeeding - at separating it from Battlestar Galactica in my head, but my unhappiness with the end of BSG makes me fear for where the show will ultimately go. But yay for James Marsters.
Not sure about watching the Oscars tomorrow.
I am now six episodes behind on Men of a Certain Age.

Oh, how it made me giggle

2010-02-27T20:46:00.002-05:00

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Dear my hair,

2010-02-24T09:08:00.003-05:00

We need to talk.

It's not that I don't love you. Sure, I've colored you every shade imaginable, chopped you off both professionally and with a pair of kitchen scissors, curled and permed you, straightened you, and filled you with a ton of product, but that's only because you're so nice. You are thick and grow so quickly, so any mistake is temporary. That's what's so great about you.

But this? This isn't great.

In short, please stop sticking straight out from my head.

Love and kisses,

Me.

Olympics

2010-02-20T22:02:00.002-05:00

Here's the thing - I love the Olympics.

I'll watch almost any Olympic competition, stuff I don't care about at any other time. Figure skating, speed skating, skiing, heck even cross country. And of course, there's curling - all afternoon for days in a row. Love it.

Unlike in the past, I'm actually a bit less interested in figure skating this year. I seem to be much more focused on the head-to-head obvious competitions, with fewer judges and more timekeepers.

Honestly, though, I'm not so much focused on seeing any specific sport; I'll watch whatever's on. And when I'm out, I don't really regret what I didn't see.

I've become much more interested in sports as I've gotten older ...

Anxiety

2010-02-14T09:32:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning absolutely full of anxiety. I must have had a weird dream, because I was convinced that there was something work-related that I was forgetting. I'm blaming being sick last week plus the Olympics - in my last job, Olympics coverage was a big part of my job, so I think the fact that there's nothing I need to do related to it this year makes me feel like I'm missing something.

A day of dealing with a stomach virus didn't help either. Luckily, I have some vacation time, but I really didn't get a lot done at work this week. I should work today, but I think I just can't.

Yeah, I have nothing really to say.

Random notes on a Saturday

2010-02-06T11:51:00.002-05:00

Since I only seem capable of blogging once a week, here are some random comments from me this week.

Last weekend, while snowed in, I started watching "Friday Night Lights"from the beginning on Netflix. I'd heard so much good about the show generally, but ... high school football is really not my thing. A few episodes in, and I started to enjoy it. I've just started season 3 (the last one available). I think mainlining it helped get past some of the more questionable parts of season 2. I'm going to be frustrated when I get to the end of this season and have to wait for season 4.
It's snowing again.
I've had headaches for half the week; I blame the weather.
I really have to start taking the recycling out sooner. I always say that, then wait until it builds up and overflows the basket and I have to make several trips to the car to get it all out.
I should do an hour or two of work today, but I don't know if that's going to happen.

SNOMG

2010-01-31T12:35:00.002-05:00

Tivo catch-up Sunday

2010-01-31T10:26:00.002-05:00

As of 10:30 AM: Last 1/2 of Life Unexpected, last 1/4 of Leverage, Scrubs, random episode of The IT Crowd, and two episodes of Archer.

Snowpocalypse

2010-01-30T09:35:00.003-05:00

Variations

2010-01-23T15:51:00.005-05:00

Apparently, I only have time to blog on the weekends. I guess once a week is better than nothing!

Last weekend, I ordered a chair online. This one. It arrived on Friday, and after the USP woman and I lugged it up the stairs, I put it together. After several false starts (washers are useful things).

Anyway, the point here is that I have a new chair to work into my living room, and I'm not quite sure how to rearrange things.

We started like this, the old set up with the new chair just visible on the left edge:

Now I'm trying this, which is kind of how I had it set up for my meetup group on Friday:

OK, I look at these photos and it looks like such a minor difference. But it really feels like a change.

... to me

2010-01-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Who I am vs. who I wish I was

2010-01-12T12:22:00.001-05:00

It took me forever to get dressed this morning. I wanted to wear my new socks - bright magenta over-the-knee wool blend socks that I ordered on Saturday and arrived on Monday because Sock Dreams has some insanely fast shipping. The socks are awesomely colored, rich and gorgeous. They are also slightly too tight - I have tiny feet and giant thighs, so if one part fits the other doesn't. Hoping for stretch, I went with fitting my feet. There's not nearly enough stretch.

So today: magenta socks, black skirt with bright flowers (blue, yellow, magenta). Debated and debated tops before going with a little sleeveless black sweater, which is utterly inappropriate for the season.

By noon, I'd changed into jeans and a black button-down shirt. Still wearing the socks, though.

Here, I think, is the issue - I want to be that girl. I want to wear bright socks and striped tights and little skirts. I want funky shoes. I want to wear pins and bows and silly hair accessories. And I try.

But I think I'm coming to the realization or acceptance that I'm not that girl.

And maybe the term "girl" is part of the problem here. I'm going to be 36 years old in a few days. I've not been a "girl" for some time now. Maybe I could have been that girl if I'd had the courage 20 years ago ... or even 10. Maybe I've been the woman I am now - in the jeans and untucked button-down black shirt - for too long now to be someone else.

I wonder where the line is between reinvention, trying to become the person we want to be (even if that's just silly socks), and trying to be someone we're not.

I want to be someone with a unique style. I want to be this. Maybe I'm skipping too many steps. Maybe I'm trying too hard. Maybe it took me so long to become comfortable in my own skin that I can't be happy in someone else's.

Maybe, at least for now, I need to wear my magenta socks under my jeans and let that be enough.