Thursday, June 26, 2008
Hmmm.
I'm totally off knitting these days. I haven't picked up the needles in a week, despite getting one skein of delicious Noro sock yarn for my birthday, and a second one as part of a trade at work. Maybe it's the muggy weather, or some kind of nervous energy preventing me from knitting. It's my -1 (minus one) month anniversary today. It's getting close! I have neither transformed into a lithe goddess nor have I learned French well enough to even order a sandwich. Except for "Croque Monsieur," which doesn't really count as it's the only thing I retained from high school French, plus I don't eat ham.
Tante pis.
Work has been particularly grating and perhaps this is why, while getting ready this morning, I began a list in my head called Things That Are Vile.
Things that are vile
1) When US Weekly doesn't arrive until Saturday. It's very hard to feel like the work week has ended unless I can erase any knowledge of "history" or "technology" learned over the past week with this industrial strength scouring pad of gossip and blurry photographs. The New Yorker, my faithful Tuesday pal, doesn't work for this.
2) The Supreme Court today and Scalia's bizarre argument that guns are the preferred weapons of the populace since you can hold it in one hand while dialing the police with the other.* As opposed to knives, pepper spray, baseball bats, heavy wrenches, lead pipes, candlesticks, etc. Has my all-time favorite movie taught us nothing about the many types of weapons available to us as a people?
3) Watching Emeril Lagasse chop vegetables with his big mitts. Just can't stand it.
4) The man who stood yelling in my street for two hours on Sunday night because he was drunk, confused, angry, and apparently locked/kicked out of his own home. While there is a perverse thrill in being an NNN (Nosy Nextdoor Neighbor) and seeing what will happen next, sleep is a wholesome thrill and sorely missed when lacking. The police eventually came and suggested, an an authoratative way, that he go to bed. And he did. And finally I did too.
I guess there aren't so many vile things to complain about. It's all a matter of perspective, and there are definitely some good things coming up. Whew. Thanks for letting me vent, peeps!
*Not kidding: "There are many reasons that a
citizen may prefer a handgun for home defense: It is easier
to store in a location that is readily accessible in an emergency;
it cannot easily be redirected or wrestled away by
an attacker; it is easier to use for those without the upperbody
strength to lift and aim a long gun; it can be pointed
at a burglar with one hand while the other hand dials the
police."
Tante pis.
Work has been particularly grating and perhaps this is why, while getting ready this morning, I began a list in my head called Things That Are Vile.
Things that are vile
1) When US Weekly doesn't arrive until Saturday. It's very hard to feel like the work week has ended unless I can erase any knowledge of "history" or "technology" learned over the past week with this industrial strength scouring pad of gossip and blurry photographs. The New Yorker, my faithful Tuesday pal, doesn't work for this.
2) The Supreme Court today and Scalia's bizarre argument that guns are the preferred weapons of the populace since you can hold it in one hand while dialing the police with the other.* As opposed to knives, pepper spray, baseball bats, heavy wrenches, lead pipes, candlesticks, etc. Has my all-time favorite movie taught us nothing about the many types of weapons available to us as a people?
3) Watching Emeril Lagasse chop vegetables with his big mitts. Just can't stand it.
4) The man who stood yelling in my street for two hours on Sunday night because he was drunk, confused, angry, and apparently locked/kicked out of his own home. While there is a perverse thrill in being an NNN (Nosy Nextdoor Neighbor) and seeing what will happen next, sleep is a wholesome thrill and sorely missed when lacking. The police eventually came and suggested, an an authoratative way, that he go to bed. And he did. And finally I did too.
I guess there aren't so many vile things to complain about. It's all a matter of perspective, and there are definitely some good things coming up. Whew. Thanks for letting me vent, peeps!
*Not kidding: "There are many reasons that a
citizen may prefer a handgun for home defense: It is easier
to store in a location that is readily accessible in an emergency;
it cannot easily be redirected or wrestled away by
an attacker; it is easier to use for those without the upperbody
strength to lift and aim a long gun; it can be pointed
at a burglar with one hand while the other hand dials the
police."
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Book talk
Did you know my sister has a blog? It is the delicious, summery, fruity cocktail of the internets. Please, visit and encourage her to write more, because it makes me laugh (and wish we lived closer, sigh).
Books, yo!
The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett
Ah, Dashiell, you really know how to confuse me with multiple characters, anonymous cities, and double-crossers. But fun! Everything is speakeasy sleazy. (Speakeasy Sleazy is going to be the name of my band of chipper girls who who sing songs in ABCB rhyme.) Anyway, there are lots of broads and bad guys. Good stuff.
An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
1) More apostrophes in the title than any other book you'll read this year.
2) Doesn't Brock Clarke sound like the name of a 1950s-era quarterback?
3) There is little actual guidance in the arts of arson in this book.
4) I wanted to like this more than I did.
5) The main character was goofy and quirky. This could hypothetically indicate an original character. In execution, though, this person is tiresome and unaware of basic social norms. I can find that at work. I don't need it in my novels.
Buddies by Barbara Park
An oldie and a goodie. The story of a somewhat dorky girl, Dinah, who goes to camp and decides to fit in with the cool girls, only to be shadowed by Fern Wadley. Fern Wadley. (What a great name, right?) Fern picks her teeth with barrettes and hangs on to Dinah's shirt tail. Literally. The dilemma of how to shake someone unpleasant without being unpleasant oneself is rarely this funny in real life.
Books, yo!
The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett
Ah, Dashiell, you really know how to confuse me with multiple characters, anonymous cities, and double-crossers. But fun! Everything is speakeasy sleazy. (Speakeasy Sleazy is going to be the name of my band of chipper girls who who sing songs in ABCB rhyme.) Anyway, there are lots of broads and bad guys. Good stuff.
An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
1) More apostrophes in the title than any other book you'll read this year.
2) Doesn't Brock Clarke sound like the name of a 1950s-era quarterback?
3) There is little actual guidance in the arts of arson in this book.
4) I wanted to like this more than I did.
5) The main character was goofy and quirky. This could hypothetically indicate an original character. In execution, though, this person is tiresome and unaware of basic social norms. I can find that at work. I don't need it in my novels.
Buddies by Barbara Park
An oldie and a goodie. The story of a somewhat dorky girl, Dinah, who goes to camp and decides to fit in with the cool girls, only to be shadowed by Fern Wadley. Fern Wadley. (What a great name, right?) Fern picks her teeth with barrettes and hangs on to Dinah's shirt tail. Literally. The dilemma of how to shake someone unpleasant without being unpleasant oneself is rarely this funny in real life.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
kicking it, summer style
It's been a busy few weeks at Casa Cupcakes. The agony and ecstasy of Reunion/Commencement weekend was capped by a visit from the Chosen One. It was pretty awesome, honestly.
And it was nice of him to take some time out of his busy schedule to pose with us. Ignore the cardboard crease at his waist-level. It was an exciting day in my library's history too--first time snipers took up positions on the library!
The next weekend Bethany and I had a nice little Sex and the City girlie afternoon. Alex came too, of course. He just loves that Miranda! The movie was fun but that Mr. Big....he needs a slap. Do you hear me, sisters?
After SATC we went back to Bethany's place to play Wii! Wheeee!
Don't judge. I'm going through a Sally Jessie Raphael phase.
Can I just say? Guitar Hero is AWESOME. We're did level 0, the one that infants do, and it's pretty damn hard. Is real guitar this hard? I have newfound respect for John Mayer. (Secret confession: I totally listen to his albums at work through the weird access I have to people's iTunes libraries at work. Alex won't let me listen at home; he says John Mayer songs sound like asthma attacks.) Anyway, I've had "Slow Ride" in my head for two weeks now.
Then last weekend we were at Sonja and Jonathan's gorgeous wedding in St. Paul. They are too adorable.
It was a lovely, happy, fun wedding with lots of great people who were joyously celebrating. This was only enhanced by the flowing champagne.
Plus, I got to hold a baby!
This is Molly and Kenny's seven-week-old baby Calvin. I totally caught baby fever from holding him! He was very sleepy. But I hear that sometimes babies are awake and cause a ruckus. Calvin seems like a pretty cool dude, though. No ruckus-having for him.
So all in all, it's been a pretty good few weeks. Next up: a wedding in 44 days. Not that I'm counting.
By the way, all pictures stolen from Alex. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right, sweetie? Right?
And it was nice of him to take some time out of his busy schedule to pose with us. Ignore the cardboard crease at his waist-level. It was an exciting day in my library's history too--first time snipers took up positions on the library!The next weekend Bethany and I had a nice little Sex and the City girlie afternoon. Alex came too, of course. He just loves that Miranda! The movie was fun but that Mr. Big....he needs a slap. Do you hear me, sisters?
After SATC we went back to Bethany's place to play Wii! Wheeee!
Don't judge. I'm going through a Sally Jessie Raphael phase.
Can I just say? Guitar Hero is AWESOME. We're did level 0, the one that infants do, and it's pretty damn hard. Is real guitar this hard? I have newfound respect for John Mayer. (Secret confession: I totally listen to his albums at work through the weird access I have to people's iTunes libraries at work. Alex won't let me listen at home; he says John Mayer songs sound like asthma attacks.) Anyway, I've had "Slow Ride" in my head for two weeks now.Then last weekend we were at Sonja and Jonathan's gorgeous wedding in St. Paul. They are too adorable.
It was a lovely, happy, fun wedding with lots of great people who were joyously celebrating. This was only enhanced by the flowing champagne.Plus, I got to hold a baby!
This is Molly and Kenny's seven-week-old baby Calvin. I totally caught baby fever from holding him! He was very sleepy. But I hear that sometimes babies are awake and cause a ruckus. Calvin seems like a pretty cool dude, though. No ruckus-having for him.So all in all, it's been a pretty good few weeks. Next up: a wedding in 44 days. Not that I'm counting.
By the way, all pictures stolen from Alex. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right, sweetie? Right?
Labels: obama, vacation, wedding, wii
