26.2.07

Two of the coolest things I've seen

I know you were all holding your breath for pictures. Don't, they're all of snow anyways. Instead, I'm posting two really fun things I found on the internet today.

First, The Top 200 Universities in the World. Check out #187. Hey, I know it's not #1 but we're on there. Both Ohio State and the University of Cincinnati are nowhere to be seen. Too bad. UC has great engineering, music, art and design programs, not to mention one of the top CJ programs in the country (at least that's what they said when I was there).

Second, The Really Big Guide to Secret Menu Items. I knew a few of these, especially about the quesadillas at Chipotle. The thing about Denny's is hilarious. I've had the exact same problem with a grilled cheese. (Think, can I have a cheeseburger without the meat?) I could literally see the wheels turn in people's heads thinking, "how would I ring that up?"

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Soldier :: In excelsis deo episode of the West Wing, at the end (it's a picture in my head I'm trying to describe), also the Korean war memorial
2. Lipton :: Tea
3. Reason :: s for living
4. Terms :: of endearment (Thank you, Sarah McLachlan)
5. Positive :: experience
6. Example :: of how to behave
7. Legacy :: this sketch on Studio 60
8. Solo :: alone
9. Instrument :: Saxophone
10. Later :: than usual is not better than usual

Wonderful Mondays

From Randomness:

Would your rather....
1. ...eat a live cockroach (the big hissing ones) or eat a stick of butter?
I think I'd actually eat the cockroach. Insects are good food. In Malawi kids eat some of the lake flies as a treat. They can't be that bad. One time I ate crickets (obviously for a guy I liked) I was fine. The only bad part was the texture of the antennae and legs.
2. ...go bungee jumping or sky diving?
Sky diving, even though I think I'd pass out before actually doing it. It'd be cool to be up that high and be safe and enjoying myself. I've heard it's quite a thrill.
3. ...eat a lime or a lemon?
Both. Probably not at the same time. This was one of those things I did as a kid that I was famous for. I'd take the lemon out of my parents water glass at restaurants and eat it.
4. ...be stranded on a deserted island alone or be stranded on a deserted island with someone you hate?
I don't think I'd hate the person very long if we were alone together. I'm just saying...
5. ...be able to read minds or be able to become invisible?
I can already read minds. Right now you're thinking "oh no you can't read minds". Becoming invisible could be cool. It'd be really helpful working with teenagers. I'd always know what they were up to.

From The Sunday Seven:

Name your seven favorite pieces of American architecture.

1. Union Terminal is the building I worked in as a teen. It's got quite a history. Things that aren't on the website but should be: They had to build a morgue at the terminal when it was a train station so that all the soldiers bodies from WWII and the Korean war could be moved around and not rot. Comforting, isn't it?

2. The Old Post Office is Washington DC is possibly one of the most overlooked tourist attractions in the area. Also some good memories from this place. Take the tour up into the bell tower. It's both cool and free. I remember the tour mainly for the two wild elevator rides, but normal people who aren't afraid of heights should be fine.

3. I think I'm not totally biased on this when I say the Minnesota State Captiol is a great piece of architecture. In addition to the Golden Gophers built into the railings, it has the largest granite dome in the country.

4. A lot of architectural planning actually went into The Holocaust Museum, a powerful place that everyone should see once but I'm ok with never seeing again.

5. Monticello is cool for two reasons. Obviously it was the home of Thomas Jefferson who is one of my favorite presidents. Also, my high school's original building (before they built the annex and the old colonies and the new colonies and the new new colonies) was modeled after Monticello. We put the library up in the dome.

6. The Chrysler Building is one of the few sky scrapers I really enjoy. It's got the cool top.

7. Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys is cool not only because it's one of the longest (and tallest) bridges I can stand to be on (thank you Tapan Zee Bridge) but also because it leads eventually to Key West, one of the coolest places on earth.

Notably absent from this list: I thought about that place in North Carolina, the Builtmore, but I've never been there. West Virginia has a state captiol building that's also gorgeous, but I've only seen it from the West Virginia turnpike. I can't reasonably put the White House or the Statue of Liberty on the list right now. If you know me, you understand. I also sadly cannot put on the Hoover Damn because it wreaks havoc on the environment all around it.

24.2.07

From The Saturday 8:

1. wine: which do you prefer ... reds or whites, or perhaps something different, like a dessert/ice wine?
I like white wine. One of the best things I ever had was mango sorbet made with mango champagne. Mmm.

2. beer: as a guinness drinker, i prefer my beer to be in the "non-see thru" variety. The Husband prefers harp & bass. i'm convinced his co-workers would drink hamm's if it were served to them. what kind of beer, if any, do you prefer?
I like Heineken and Leine's Honey Weiss the best. There are also some really good microbrews in Pennsylvania that I loved. Possibly the only good thing the Poconos have to offer.

3. spirits: are you a hard-liquor drinker? if so, what kind(s)? if not, why not?
I think we all know how I feel about Margaritas. I don't really just drink straight liquor. In my world the tequila is more a vehicle for the limes.

4. my wine bar opens in a few weeks, and The Husband thinks i have too many people to invite to the grand opening. should i brown-nose and keep my bosses on the guest list, or should i forget them and just stick with my good friends (the bosses will probably overhear people talking about the opening, unofortch).
I'd say do what's genuine. If you keep the bosses on the list and they come, will anyone talk to them? Will they have a good time? Will it be awkward and obvious they got an obligation invite? If it's an obligation invite, don't do it. Instead let them know what's going on ahead of time and that you'd like to have them by on another night when you can spend some time with them or something.

5. when i drink a good red, i LOVE to have a rich, thick, heavy slab of parmesan to eat while enjoying my wine. when you drink alcohol (or in the past, if you are currently a non-drinker), what types of snacks or foods do you like to have while you drink ... and are their certain 'pairings' you prefer?Link
I like salt with my Margarita. With beer I like greasy food.

6. are you going to watch the oscars this weekend? why or why not?
You know, I kept wondering why "How to win the Oscar Pool" was getting so many hits on Digg and Del.icio.us. I hadn't planned on it. Given the storm that's supposedly heading my way, I may be inside for a while though.

7. i love celeb fashion, and love the snarky site "go fug yourself" even more. are you interested in any of the red carpet styles that happen at awards shows?
Sometimes I like to see the celebs I'm interested getting interviewed on the red carpet although I don't usually have the patience to sit through the interviews on the people I don't care about.

8. so, the angels sang, the planets aligned, and my future second ex-husband is touring again with his old band, The Police. i was too young to see a Police concert but have seen every single one of Sting's concerts since he went solo. even if it involves resurrecting Jim Morrison or Bob Marley from the dead, which musical artist/group would you die to see live?
Dave Matthews Band.

22.2.07

A note to the voice in my head

Dear voice in my head,

Today I have been thinking about asking this guy out. Upon realizing this, little voice, you have attempted to shout me down in every single way possible. While eating a breakfast bar you told me I eat too loud and nobody would like me because no one wants to go on a date with a girl who sounds like a horse when she eats. When I raised my hand in class, you told me no one would like me because I'm a nerd. When I spoke in class you told me no one would like me because I'm a dork and I'm not interested in the same thing as other people. (Who else knows or cares about Medicare reimbursement rates in Minnesota and Florida?) When I got up during class you told me no one will like me because I can't sit still. When I was looking around class you told me no one would ever like me because I'm not as pretty or as skinny as the other girls in my class. When I went home today, you told me I should get used to going home alone.

Since then I have been swimming, and seen people I like, and had time to think about all the things you told me today. And so, little voice in my head, I think you're full of crap.

Have a good day,
L

Dear Universe

Dear Universe,

I need you to take care of me today. I will do my best to hold it together and trust you to do the rest.

Thanks. Hope you're having a good day,
L

Death on a Triscut

What did I do today? I felt sick most of the day. I'm trying not to blame it on the scallops I had for dinner last night. My body is associating the sick feeling with scallops since I always associate a sick feeling with seafood. See why it's so hard for me to try and eat more fish? My brain keeps trying to tell my body there was a rogue green pepper in my life last night and that's probably the true source of the problem. My Mom thinks that one of the teenagers made me sick. I truly doubt it. They're not that germy.

I left the internship early so I could sleep at the museum for a while before actually working. I love a job with a couch.

After work I went to my bi-weekly support group with other Liz and Michelle. I showed Liz the wonder that is Overheard in the Office. She found it at least as funny as I did. It's interesting to see that site with another person because sometimes we laugh at the same thing but sometimes our reactions to quotes are quite different.



The first pic from the coffee shop.



I took this picture when I said my camera could zoom in close enough to get Michelle's nose hairs. I have no idea why she actually let me take the picture. She posed for it. And was even more surprised when she asked for a copy.

20.2.07

And finally


Yesterday for my picture, I got fascinated by the bubbles in my humidifier. It's a cool picture I think.


Today, in my continuing effort to eat more white fish for my brain, this is my dinner. I baked scallops. They weren't as good as I hoped they'd be. All the butter was great though.
Posted by Picasa

Fun times with the cool aunt


To my great suprise, Amanda is the most competitive person I've ever met. Seriously, it's like having Monica from "Friends" in my living room. This is just one of the many times Amanda whooped up on someone at Jenga. That's the exact moment when the pieces started to fall.


This is Amanda's nephew playing with my camera. How fun is that?
Posted by Picasa

Pics Update 1


Why this picture? I think my eye hurt after swimming. In an effort to prove I have waaay too much time on my hands, if you click on the image, I do believe you can see the camera lens reflected in my eye.


Why this picture? My dad painted it. I am the baby and that is my mother. It makes me smile because I recognize that look. I still get that look when I do something good. All moms should have a look like that for their kids. A and K, go on, I lobbed it up there for ya...
Posted by Picasa

What have I done recently?

Lots and not much at the same time.

Sunday I was over at Amanda's playing with her nieces and nephew. They are a fun group. My favorite phrase of the night? "Amanda's metal balls".

Sadly, I had to leave early Sunday night. I fear I missed some drama when the dude who's like the caretaker came over to Amanda's to fix a rod in her closet. You can let your mind go anywhere it wants with that statement. I haven't heard for sure though. Hey, Amanda, at least I was thinking of you.

Monday I went to work. It was a slow day so I left fairly early and had lunch with Liz (my name twin). Thursday night after class she made a comment to me that was quite alarming and I needed more information. Her and I and one other person walked out to the parking lot together after class. We said bye to the other person and then Liz looked at me and whispered, "is it ok that I walked out with you two?" ::Looks around and shakes head and the whole rest of my body too:: WTF? It was only alarming because the thought of asking this guy out had crossed my mind. I just wasn't aware the possibility had crossed anyone else's mind.

Today I had two great home visits. The second one was with a couple who lived in my very neighborhood most of their lives. They had some great stories to tell. Then I went and hung out with teenagers. I have a hard time knowing when I'm too hard on them and when I'm expecting something reasonable that they're not doing. Perhaps I should discuss this with my boss.

I have great pictures, especially from Amanda's house. I'll post them soon. In the mean time, Why Geeks and Nerds Make the Best Boyfriends. I already knew that, but I wanted to share with the class.

19.2.07

The Saturday 6

1. Take the quiz: What game show host are you?
To no one's surprise, I am Alex Trebek.




Alex Trebek


2. What game show do you think you would be best as playing?
"Win Ben Stein's Money". I miss that show.

3. What game show do you think you would be worst at playing?
"The Price is Right". Anything with Bob Barker and girls dressed in bikinis really.

4. Have you ever applied or auditioned as a contestant for any game show? If so, which one?
Nope.

5. If you had to apply or audition for a game show, which one would you most likely choose?
Apply.

6. If you found out you had to host a game show, which one would do you know well enough that you could actually host?
Win Ben Stein's Money and Jeopardy.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Threshold :: Moody Blues
2. Jason :: Project
3. Suspicion :: Innocent
4. Tender :: heart
5. Tempted :: ooh, that looks good
6. Crimson :: tide
7. Repulsive :: ugly
8. Bulldog :: Hoyas
9. Garage :: my car doesn't have one
10. Racket :: noise or tennis, not sure

Some things that looks fun

First off, I don't usually do this one, but from Monday Music Mambo:

1. What song drives you mad when you hear it?
This question should be so easy. Oh, I know, some old one that never ends, I've blocked out the name. It's a song that masquerades as a blues song but is truly annoying...

2. Who do you think is the craziest musician out there?
Frank Zappa. Beck is pretty odd too. Not too long ago this would have been Prince but I think he redeemed himself immensely with the Super Bowl Half Time Show.

3. What is your favorite song with the word "crazy" in the title?
The choices I could think of were "Crazy Train" by Ozzy, "Something Crazy" by Frankie Perez, "Crazy for you" by Madonna, "Oh Crazy Moon" by Wes Montgomery, "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin, "Crazy Love" by Van Morison, and "Still Crazy After All These Years" by Paul Simon. The obvious winner is "Crazy Love" by Van Morison. "Something Crazy" is second and "Livin' La Vida Loca" is in third.

4. If you went temporarily insane, what song or album would be your soundtrack?
"Under the Table and Dreaming" by Dave Matthews Band.

17.2.07

Two great links

1. One of the funniest things I've ever read on this blog.

2. Ten Timeless Lessons from Dalai Lama is from The Ririan Project which I've also blogged about here.

Pics from "Singles Awareness Day"


Amanda poses for the camera at our "Singles Awareness" dinner.



Amy looking equally irresistible. Hard to imagine we're all single isn't it?



I can't pose very well. This is for Amanda who "likes the diagonal pictures". I have pictures of Kelly but I didn't put them on here because I didn't think she'd like it. I think they're pretty pictures Kelly.
That's a new sweater by the way. I only got one spot of curry on the sleeve. I wiped it off and can't really tell it's there any more.

"Singles Awareness Day" was a good time. We had the slowest service ever in life, but a good time visiting. Kelly, our decidedly not single friend came and showed up there is still hope. I have chicken pad thai in my fridge that may or may not be eaten. I haven't decided yet. Kelly said she didn't like Pad Thai. Normally I do but this stuff... Maybe it was because I had Amanda's green curry with Mock Duck. Nothing cold hold a candle to that. Although I thought my coke tasted funny too...

That dinner actually came at the end of quite a rough, but ultimately rewarding day. I was totally freaked out at how little actual science my kids knew, so I spent the day making them learn more. It was a hard thing to do. I was afraid they would all hate me and complain (which was not out of the realm of possibility). Instead they were very quiet, which usually means they think they're in trouble.

15.2.07

I'm ignoring everyone in the room right now

and instead, I'm writing a blog post for you.

From 3X Thursday:
1. How do you get your news? Internet? TV? Newspaper? Which is your favorite source? Why?
Internet. I love RSS feeds. I think we've talked about this before. I get feeds from the news stations in town, and Time Magazine (which are usually pretty boring), also from a bunch of blogs and Digg, BoingBoing Slashdot and Del.icio.us. One of my new favorites is the Ririan Project.

2. Do you watch TV news at all? Do you find it informational? Why/why not?
I watch TV, I love Studio 60, and tonight I'll try and Watch Men in Trees. I try not to watch the news on TV. They have the news on in the morning at the gym with closed caption. I'm alarmed at all the people who didn't know Anna Nicole Smith talking about her. It's gossip not news. I also try to look away when they have pictures of bombs blowing up in other parts of the world.

3. What do you think of Google and all of it's many applications? Is it 'teh awsome', or do you prefer something else?
I use google for the searches. I got started on Yahoo long long ago. For one thing you can just click on "sign up" with Yahoo instead of having to know someone to invite you into Gmail. That's just rude. I use Yahoo for mail, news, tv listings, and sometimes for the games, although not the games since I started grad school. Every once in a while I try google news, but I think yahoo is still a fuller application. It has better categories like "most popular" and more smaller categories inside broad categories like "fossils" and "space" as part of the Science section. Obviously I have a google account because I'm on blogger.

13.2.07

As predicted and promised


First off, I was having fun with the camera. Who can find me in the mirror? Yes, that's what my hair is like after swimming and allowing it to air dry. I told you I look like a lion.


Second, along with swimming, never drink coke and then swim. No good comes of it.




Finally, I've taken a lot of pictures of my food lately. This was my dinner tonight. Yes, I did have a similar dinner last week. Tonight I had Walleye, the Minnesota state fish. I'm trying to eat more white fish. I'm so out of it lately, my brain needs all the help it can get.

I should be doing homework

I so badly need to do homework. "Lizzie" you say, "why don't you want to do your homework?"
I'm thinking it has something to do with the fact that it's almost entirely reading, a learning method which is not at all suited to my learning style. I was having this discussion with my field instructor the other day, about how hard it is for me to read and learn things. Odd, since I love to write so much. Anyways, here I am at 10:40pm procrastinating. I'll be this is one day I'll get my pictures posted...

Anyways, while I'm not doing homework, I wanted to show you 10 reasons you should never get a job. I haven't read the whole thing, just look at the header for number 6.

12.2.07

Two more

From Manic Monday:
Do you have a regular bedtime routine that helps you get to sleep?
Yup. I do different things. I play on my computer or watch TV 'till I'm tired. Sometimes I'll try to pack for the next day. Although, clearly that doesn't always work out.

On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night?
Five or six.

How many hours do you actually require and/or like to have?
Five or six and a nap. I usually don't get the nap.

How do you deal with insomnia?
Watch TV if I'm healthy and can't sleep. If I'm sick and can't sleep, Nyquil.

And from Curious as a Cat:
What spiritual concept, from any religion, is the hardest for you to understand? Is it something you have studied, or something you have only observed from the 'outside'?
I still don't get the whole "Christ died for my sins" thing. I think it's because I didn't got to church as a kid and don't know all the bible stories. I think it's a really important part of the whole Christianity thing, I just couldn't explain it.

What kind of doctor would you want to be?
I like my old people. I'd also think about psychiatry because it's the closest to what I'm doing right now.

If you could run any existing charity, which one would you pick? Why? How would you change it, or would you keep it just as it is?
I love the United Way, also the International Red Crescent/Red Cross. Also, I like A.R.E. which may be too fru-fru for most of the world.

In honor of Singles Awareness Day

From Monday's a B!tch:

1. What does Valentine's Day mean to you described in the form of a
Hallmark greeting?
Singles Awareness Day. On a side note, I told a co-worker about our pet name for valentines day. Said co-worker is both single and older than me. My co-worker asked me "what are people supposed to be aware of?" I think she didn't get it.

2.If you could break up any celebrity couple of today and escort
the half you desire on a date to Boston Pizza to share a heart
shaped pizza, who would you choose and what toppings would you have
on your heart shaped pizza?
Wow, I don't want to break anyone up. And yet... Hugh Grant is awfully cute. Yeah, I just watched Love Actually the other day. I had to make up for The Da Vinci Code scaring the crap out of me.

3."What's your favourite romantic song? Would you rather have your lover serenade you with it, or strip to it (or both!)?"
I'm listening to Corinne Bailey Rae right now, "Don't Say I'm in Love" is hot, also "Dance Me to the End of Love" by Madeleine Peyroux. She's a fantastic singer.

4.Have you ever played cupid to a couple before?
Yes, it turned out badly.

5.If you had to send a Valentine's greeting with an adorable Care Bear
on the front to your worst enemy, what would you write on it?
I'm sure I couldn't get it together to send someone I like a valentine. There's no way I could get it together to send one to someone I don't care about.

Cool things I want

1. My Expose for Vista. This is one of the coolest features on a Mac. I wish it worked on XP. Anyone know of freeware that'll do this on XP?

2. Copy DVDs to your iPod. I guess this is one reason I could think about an iPod. At this point it has entered the realm of possibility I will own an iPod in my lifetime. That is all.

3. Fast and Easy Headphone Wrapping. This is just cool.

Slowly

Slowly, I'm catching up on my pictures.

This is the backpack that I've either forgotten or improperly packed several times in the past week. (8 Feb 07)


I keep having problems with my wireless signal. It's the wireless part of the router, because when I hard wire into the router everything works properly. Anyone know what that's about? That was my Friday night, trying to figure that out. (9 Feb 07)


Hey, Kelly, guess what! I still wear that sweater! It looked way better than my big University of Minnesota yellow sweatshirt for meeting my professor. (9 Feb 07)



Saturday night I went to a birthday party and among other things, watched the birthday boy and another guy try to clip the nails on a begone dog. It was less than pretty. Really I think the guys were more traumatized than the dog. (10 Feb 07) I also got to see pictures of a certain someone involving red hair and an odd outfit. That was my present for coming.




Sunday, I slept and watched TV. I missed going out to dinner with a friend, but I didn't have high hopes for that anyways. It was a wonderful day, although I had weird dreams. Too much Lord of the Rings and Da Vinci Code. (11 Feb 07)



A picture of my snow-free tire, for my friend Liz who taught me that not every odd thing I do is related to OCD. Thanks. (12 Feb 07)


Finally, I'm trying to do things today that show me I'm an adult. To that end, I have refilled my windshield fluid before the light stayed on. It had flashed on once or twice, but it wasn't serious yet. I also did my taxes. It's not too bad. I have that Minnesota doesn't give a tax credit to college students. I already pay a higher percentage of my income in state taxes than residents of all but four states in the whole country. A little help here. (12 Feb 07)

11.2.07

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. The best thing :: in the world
2. Hold :: on I'm coming
3. Rapture :: song
4. Cover :: me
5. Restrictive :: tied up
6. Baker :: butcher and candlestick maker
7. Author :: writer
8. Pill :: drugs
9. Months :: away
10. Valentine’s Day :: Wednesday

More pictures

Well, Blogger is taking a while to upload these pictures, so why don't I answer The Saturday 8 while we're waiting.

1. are you over- or under-weight, or "just right"?
I'm feeling good right now.

2. what do you consider a "healthy weight" for yourself?
About where I am, or whatever I weigh when I both run a lot and eat healthy.

3. in your past, have you struggled with weight issues?
Yes.

4. give us an example of a comfort food for you.
I like butter. I'm not like the one girl on the commercial who just sits down and eats a stick of it. I usually find a vehicle like a tortilla, pesto sauce, etc.

5. aside from eating when hungry, are you a 'snacker' when you are bored, stressed, or emotionally upset?
I eat when bored. I'm amazed by people who don't.

6. on nightline last night, the host was talking about models at fashion week being on "the nicotine diet." i've seen people GAIN weight from stopping smoking, but not smoking to lose. have you every smoked to keep thin, or known anyone who has?
I've known people who smoked at were ridiculously thin. I don't think they were totally smoking to be thin, but I'm sure it didn't hurt.

7. i've never been a dessert person, and rarely eat desserts; all of my girlfriends are the same way. do you regularly eat dessert when you go out to a restaurant or eat at home?
If I'm with Amanda and they have Tiramisu then yes. Otherwise, it depends on what I'm offered. I don't eat a lot of pie or cake, but I love cheesecake.

8. if someone close to you asked your advice on the best way to lose weight, what would you tell them?
Love your body, and do things that make your body feel good. (Binge eating and comforting eating do not make me or my body feel good.) Things like walking, exercising and sleeping right make my body feel good. Once I feel good I don't care as much about my actual weight.

Pictures


This is what I cooked myself for dinner last Tuesday. Fish, green peppers and some seasoning. I'm trying to eat more fish since it's good for my mind. I haven't gotten too into it yet, but I'm trying.

Since I blogged about toenail issues I've been having already, you know why this was my picture on Wednesday.


On Wednesday I also wanted to take outdoor pictures to show how friggin' cold it is here.

9.2.07

I will now cry

I was playing around on a site called Songbirdnest.com looking at different media players. I was so sad when I saw a story saying my favorite search engine ever Singingfish no longer exists. Go ahead, follow the link, watch what happens.

Earlier I read a story (or looked at it at least) saying Apple will become the new Microsoft, and reign as the evil empire. Personally, I think AOL is worse than either of them, they just take money from people who don't know what they're doing and... This experience only serves to solidify that belief.

It's been a long slow day

I worked today at the museum. I got to fix a budget after someone asked for the money we weren't spending. (This was all after I mildly freaked out.) I'd seen the budget and it was stretched within an inch of its life. There's no way we're not spending the money there.

I spent most of my day looking at a laptop. It gave me lots of time to ponder what laptop I'd like to buy next. The laptops at work are Acer brand. That's all I'm saying about that. As you know, I've been wavering between a MacBook and a Dell. A few days ago, I read a story about certain Dell laptops giving off a huge electrical shock, which I really don't want to deal with given my current electric shock problems. So I started to move heavily into the Mac column.

So while I was at school I played around on a friends MacBook Pro. Yes, a pro. I assume she's rich. Anyways, it had some cool features that Windows doesn't have. People always say Macs are more expensive. Sometimes that's a legitimate complaint, but they come with a boatload more software than Windows. My favorites from the ten minutes of playing on her computer: two fingered scrolling, apparently you can right-click enable the laptops, and the awesome screen capture utility. I still thought I needed to play a little more, especially to learn all the keyboard shortcuts and how to tab through web pages in Safari or (more realistically) Firefox.

Then today I read this story about how a faulty Dell Laptop (or the battery or charger) was blamed for a house fire. Hmmm. Well that is helpful information.

Since I got home tonight I've been watching Pirates of the Caribbean. The first one. I haven't had dinner yet. I'm not sure I will. I'm sore from working out this morning. I did the stair master in "Fat Burner Plus" mode. I have no idea what that means but it was quite the workout. Then I did the rowing machine at what I can only assume is the hardest (most tension) setting there is. I'm still wondering if I'll be able to run when the weather allows it.

By the way, we've already had 8 days of below zero lows, we're on our way to number 9, which is the coldest snap we've had since 1996. The record? It was 1936 when they had over 30 days of below zero lows. Ouch. Even my feet are cold at this point.

8.2.07

To continue my streak of forgetting things...

I meant to post this link a second ago. How to Start Your Day at 5am.

First off, yeah right. But seriously, there are a couple of cool tips in here. I didn't know the one about different alarms. The one about hiding the alarm under the sink is hilarious. The last thing about having a reason is true too. I could usually find a way to get up around 5:30 if running were involved but not for almost anything else.

Also, I got a new name yesterday. Like fabulous, you can now call me FabuLiz

The airehead side of life continues

Today, after class I went home and took a nap. I set my alarm on my PDA to go off around 7pm so I could wake up and go swim. My PDA was on mute, so that turned out to be a bad plan. Really I only woke up ten minutes late and was still on time for swimming.

Speaking of swimming, the workout tonight was kinda hard. The normal coach wasn't there and the sub did a really intense workout. I think I only did a 2,000 but I feel like I was sprinting most of the time. A 2,000 is 2,000 yards, or about 1.25 miles.

On my way out of class a friend said to me, "I love winter because I get to kick the snow off my tires". I have never been so happy to hear other people do this. I told her I thought it was only me and that I did it because I have OCD. She assured me the kicking the snow off my tires was not OCD related.

It is very cold. I just wanted you to know that. My apartment gets drafty when it's cold for this long. It's about time for the humidifier.

Oh, why not

From 3x Thursday: 02/08/y2k+7: The wars...there and at home:

1. What do you think of the worsening situations in Iraq and Afghanistan? Do you think there's any way out at this point? How so/how not?

I'm very troubled by the multiple wars in the Middle East, and troubled that another country may soon join the fray. I do think there's a way out. There's always hope. The cost of the war is human capitol to our country, Iraq, and the rest of the world. There is a way to stop the war and divert that human capitol into a productive use.


2. Do you believe the US government has handled these wars very well? How so/how not? Is there anything you'd change?

I think the government is trying to win. I think there is no victory in killing people, even Saddam Hussein. That doesn't make my life better. That didn't make the Iraqi people's lives better, it didn't heal the pain a lot of people were feeling. Our country needs to change from using guns, threats, and violence on other countries to stop threats and violence against us. Violence begets violence and it is a descending spiral. (Points if you know who said that.)

3. How do you feel about the progress of getting New Orleans back on it's feet? Do you think it's going well? Why/why not? Do you think they've been getting the help that they need? If not, what do you think should change? Why? How?

The only thing I know about New Orleans, which I thought was cool, was the musicians from New Orleans who played on the Christmas Episode of Studio 60. That was a cool moment and based on the premise that we can all help each other.

7.2.07

Update on Life

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you're simultaneously an air head and banging your head against the wall? That's been more for a couple of days now.

Last night I meant to go swimming, then realized I'd left my nicely packed gym bag at home, and then when I got home luckily realized I needed to pack a couple more things. Yes, I did make it on time, thanks for asking.

This morning after I worked out, I meant to take a shower at the gym and then go to work until I realized I forgot my towel and so headed home to take a shower. Oh, I was sort of on time this morning. That's a loose concept at the internship. This morning I did the stair master and rowed.

After the internship and work I had coffee with Michelle and Liz and talked with Amanda (no, she doesn't use her blog anymore. I miss it too. I also cut my toe nails (pictures of newly groomed toes to follow). I have one toenail that's getting thicker. I googled the problem, but I don't think it's a fungus. It doesn't itch, feel funny, smell and worse than feet normally do, or look a different color. Anyone know what other problems I might be having?

Ok, now seriously, I need sleep.

Found around the web

1. A story that has me leaning away from Dells, especially given my history of problems with the Toshiba. Maybe it's time for a Mac.
2. I just thought this was cool. Have I mentioned I'm a nerd? 11 Most Important Philosophical Quotes with Explanations.
3. You are my hero. I personally haven't run in over two weeks. I've been swimming, rowing, and doing the stair master which is a bona fide work out in its own right. After falling in October and then not running for a month, I'd rather not slip in the ice and snow that's currently blanketing Minneapolis.
4. Do you know how easy this would be for me?. Half the time I just listen anyways.
5. I'm posting this story solely for Kelly. If you can't see it, it's an Ikea Hacker.
6. The picture in this post is so true to life in Malawi although the rest of the post really annoyed me.

6.2.07

I think I've found my next race

Given my recent success on the stair master and that I haven't run outside in quite some time, I think I've found my next race. Seriously, how cool is this?

Oh, man, guess what. I have a long work day that day. That is so sad.

I'm calling this my lunch break

I'm calling this my lunch break and taking the opportunity to write a regular post. It's been a while. I feel like I've been playing catch-up with my life. Friday I worked all day at the Science Museum (where I was very productive) and all night at the aquarium where I was equally productive. Saturday morning I went to the gym and did a long workout on the stair master and then one on the rowing machine. The stair master is a wonderful machine. I think it's almost as much work on my body as running, but low impact easy on my joints. Then I worked all day at the Science Museum and again all night at the aquarium, where I got new pants.

A girl I love working with at the aquarium lives literally two blocks from me, so after the overnight we went grocery shopping and then I dropped her at home. I had a nice nap. I really thought I would sleep more. Given my tiredness the next day, I wish I had. After that I woke up and called my parents. Obviously I had to call them early because the Super Bowl was on later. My Mom agreed to give me a financial aid package for Florida as long as I didn't miss any classes. Have I mentioned my parents are awesome?

Sunday I night I watched part of the Super Bowl and talked with Amanda for a while. Remember when she used to have a blog too? Then I started cleaning. Magically I cleaned most of my kitchen. I need a new way to clean my kitchen floor, because it needs it badly. Really all I need is an empty spray bottle (and a trip to Target).

Yesterday I thought about going to the gym but ultimately didn't go. It's too cold for this nonsense. Instead I called my Aunt Joanie and booked my Florida trip and watched the best episode ever of Studio 60.

Today is obviously an uncharacteristically slow day at work and I have some time. Who knows what will happen when I get to the next job...

5.2.07

Wooopie

I'm going to Florida!!

'Nuff said.

Photo Update


These we my bags when I left Sunday. There's a gym bag, a school bag, an overnight bag and a hammock because I don't like to sleep on the floor at the Aquarium.



These are the new pants. Did I tell you the story of my new pants? On Saturday, I went to the gym in my gym clothes and then changed and went to the Science Museum and then went to the Aquarium to the overnight and tried to change into the aquarium clothes, and I didn't have my pants. So, basically there are these fish pajama bottoms at the aquarium that are new, and I needed a pair of pants...


I believe only a moment ago I mentioned how unbelievably cold it is right now. -17* last night, before the wind chill. I thought you might like to see how a Minnesotan dresses for the cold. I had to take the nice mitten Kelly got me off one hand because I couldn't hit the camera button with the mitten on.

I'm watching Friends right now and Chandler is bragging about a laptop with 12MB of RAM and a 500MB hard drive. I just wanted to let you know...

While searching on the internet

While playing on the internet, I found some really funny things.

First, A great photo from Digg.

Second, An hilarious game with sheep and tranquilizers.

Finally, I love the Superbowl ads. Time Magazine graded several of the ads and I think they must have had their heads up their butts while they were watching. The Dave and Oprah commercial only got an A- while the worst one of the night got like the only A. The Dairy Queen "Popcorn Shrimp are Cannibals" commercial wasn't even on the list, and the Blockbuster Commercial got a D+. I ask you.

If you want to see the commercials yourself, check them out here:
Blockbuster Commercial: Mouse
Worldwide Pants: Dave and Oprah
Dairy Queen: Popcorn Shrimp

I was going to go to the Y

I was going to go to the Y, but it's ridiculously cold outside and I was tired... These both looked fun instead.

First, from Monday's a B!tch:
1. What's the temperature like outside right now?
Ugh, it's uber cold. Oh my gosh. It's so cold Kare11's site says "NA* F". It's too cold to be measured in numbers.
2. What's your ideal kind of weather?
I like in the 50's or 60's and sunny. So I can wear pants and long sleeve shirt and not break a sweat but not be cold either.
3. Do you prefer living in a climate with lots of seasonal change, or do you prefer it to stay close to the same every day?
I like some change. Really even in places where the temps don't change, seasons do.
4. How hard does it have to be raining for you to pull out an umbrella?
Fairly hard, depending on what I'm doing, what I'm wearing and what shoes I have.
5. What's the worst storm you've ever experienced? Is the weather where you live ever potentially dangerous?
The worst one in my mind was the time I was driving on the Pennsylvania turnpike (don't recommend it, by the way) and it dropped a foot of rain in an hour. There is potentially dangerous cold in the winter and potentially dangerous tornadoes at other times here.

From The Sunday 7:
Name your top seven favorite individual episodes of any single television series. If you feel especially enterprising, give a few lines explaining why you think makes your chosen episodes so good.

From Sports Night, "The Cut Man Cometh" a hilarious look at what a sports show does when "the big fight" lasts 3 seconds and they need to fill 2 hours.

From The West Wing: "In Exelcis Deo", the Christmas episode from the first season which is touching. "Shibboleth" a Thanksgiving episode with a great message about how we treat people and a hysterical anecdote about the pardoning of a turkey.

From NYPD Blue: "Honeymoon at Viagra Falls" which has many happy endings in it.

From Friends: "The One Where Ross and Rachel... You Know" is classic, partly because it's Ross and Rachel and partly because Tom Selleck's character is introduced in that episode and I loved the whole "Monica and Richard" thing too, although I'm happy she wound up with Chandler.

From Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip: I have a 3-way tie between "The Christmas Episode" with the best line ever, "I understand if you want to run, but you better get a good head start because I'm coming for you" and Corinne Bailey Rae, and "The Long Lead Story" with a fantastic performance from Sting, and "The Pilot" because Aaron Sorkin does some of his best writing for pilot episodes. (I hold up The West Wing and Sports Night as examples.)

This was a fun one.

4.2.07

We'll see how lucid I am when I'm half asleep

Obviously I worked all weekend. There wasn't much sleep involved. I took a short nap today. Oddly my body didn't want to sleep. It sure does now.

From The Saturday 8:
I'm answering these even though I've already seen the Super Bowl. I'll act like I haven't.
1. did you participate in competitive sports as a child? if so, which one(s)?
I played Soccer for a long time. I swam for a few years. There was a season of basketball and a season of Softball too.

2. were there any sports that you wanted to participate in, but could/did not?
Every once in a while I thought about Track or Cross Country. Track I would have been bad at. Cross Country was during soccer.

3. did your high school have a 'good' football team?
No.

4. did you go to high school football games? why or why not?
No. See #3.

5. which was the best in your high school: the football team, the cheerleaders or the band?
The band. We were a college prep school, and all smart kids play a musical instrument or sing. All of our bands and orchestras and even the choirs rocked.

6. are you more partial to college football, NFL football, or arena football?
NFL because the college football team in my hometown is even more unpredictable than the NFL team. I guess that's true in my current town too.

7. there is some contention among people in regard to the college bowl system vs. the NFL playoff system; steve spurrier has been very vocal about his desire for a true play-off system for college football. i'm not well-versed in this as i am an ice hockey fan, so i'm doing some research on this to form an educated opinion on the system. do you think that the college system should mirror the play-off system for the NFL?
I do actually know something about this. I think having people vote on the top two teams in the country and then letting them play each other is just silly. It also favors the "big name" teams and is historically unfair to west coast teams and teams from less well known conferences.

8. OK ... bears or colts? who's it going to be tomorrow?
Being from Cincinnati, and historically not being at all wild about Chicago (sorry Kelly), I'm going Colts.

From The Saturday 6:
1. Who's going to win the Super Bowl?
Ok, you can see I was rooting for the Colts.

2. Have you been invited to any Super Bowl parties? (Or are you throwing your own?)
Mike and Linda always threw one growing up. It was fun. I didn't go to one today.

3. If you were invited, would you go, even if you hate football?
Yes. I've had fun at the ones I've gone to. If you hate football, there's the commercials. This year Prince was awesome as well.

4. Have you ever thrown a party focused on a television program?
I've never thrown them. But in high school and junior high we would do X-Files parties. (Remember up there when I said I went to a high school full of band geeks?

5. If you were given free tickets to the Super Bowl, would you attend? Why or why not?
Sure. It'd be fun.

6. Do you worry about security at such an event? Would those worries prevent you from attending or in any way make you less likely to attend?
No. I work at The Mall of America. I see how hard people work to keep us safe.

From Randomness:
week of Feb 4: This or That?
Pick one!
1. peanut butter or jelly?
Peanut butter
2. hiking or swimming?
Swimming at the beach
3. football or baseball?
baseball (go Twins, go Reds)
4. christmas or thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving
5. grade school or high school?
High school
6. summer or winter?
today is the coldest it's been here in three years...
7. romance novel or mystery novel?
Dickens
8. mickey mouse or barney?
Mickey
9. road trip or airplane?
Road trip, better music

Finally, from Unconscious Mutterings:
1. Plaster ::wall
2. Cabbage ::patch kids
3. Jazz ::band
4. Darts :: my internship
5. Poke :: e-mon
6. Bribe :: me with money
7. Whale :: Pinocchio
8. Receipt :: shredder
9. Answer :: good
10. Dentist :: ugh

Hmmm

I'm sure I've written about my love for a blog called Post Secret. There's a picture up this week and I totally don't get it. Go look at it here and then tell me what it means.

3.2.07

Oh dear



This isn't technically my picture for the day. I jut wanted everyone to know what we're going through up here.

1.2.07

I wonder if this will last

Ok, I'm trying for two days in a row of pictures...


These are the best peanut butter cups ever. I get them at my co-op.


I had quite the hang-nail issue yesterday. Today too really. How'd I find my hangnail? I was drying my hair and it kept getting caught on that fingernail. I know it's hard to see, but it's on my middle finger.


Finally, like Kelly once upon a time, I had to buy something at the drug store today. I really don't like buying it and so when I have to, I try to reward myself. For some reason I wanted chocolate badly today. I say "for some reason" because I'm no where near a time when the desire for chocolate would be biologically based.

Oh my

Well, there's some really funny stuff on the internet today.

First off, A sleeping pill that will make you paint your door. I just thought you should know. I think I remember reading something about this once before actually, maybe in the context of an affair. I don't really remember.

Second, Overheard in the Office was on fire today. First off because they mention Skyline Chili. Secondly, this is a story that absolutely bears repeating. And finally this one is funny for two reasons. First I have a fairly clear picture in my head of the girl saying it. Second because I have a strange love for stale popcorn.

Third, someone asked me today if I knew a good place for lingerie because the normal places a girl would look basically just blew. All I can say is don't go to this store. Maybe want to be aware of who else can see your computer screen when you click that link. It's not porn but still.