Not Done Baking

Trying out Tumblr

2009-07-15T19:26:00.001+04:30

http://jugglinggeese.tumblr.com/

I am giving tumblr a go. Blogger has gotten a little old - and most of you that read this are my friends on other networks -- I might revisit this... but I have been lacking the go to for it.

Trying to help

2009-06-16T22:07:00.000+04:30

Just changed some settings to be neighborly.

Have not been posting much here.... I have things to say -- but apparently my twitter sucks the 140 characters out of me first.

Office remixed

2009-03-02T19:10:00.001+03:30

Seven signs you may have stumbled upon a conservative talk radio show.

2009-02-24T23:01:00.004+03:30

Your dial is on AM.
You hear lines like: "To anger a conservative, tell them a lie. To anger a liberal, tell them the truth."
The majority of the ads are about retirement plans or timeshares.
When a caller with an opposing view calls in - it is often the equivalent of watching some one be blindfolded and spun around to play pin the tail on the donkey - when really they thought they were going to play checkers.
98% chance you are not listening to a woman's voice.
The host is described as: a hard hitting investigative reporter, quick witted, ahead of the curve in politics, or a modern day story teller.
You may never hear the word "fabulous".

Dollhouse - Theme song & video

2009-02-07T23:53:00.001+03:30

Star Wars Retold by someone who has never seen the movies

2009-01-15T18:19:00.000+03:30

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Let it be known....

2009-01-07T18:28:00.002+03:30

Discussing The Cabin in the Woods with Torrey

Torrey: Joss is smart to hitch up with Drew Goddard, though, after Cloverfield's success
Me: Well they were hitched up before -- too. He [Drew] wrote for his shows
Torrey: Yes I know that! I'm saying it's a good time now because Goddard got some primo attention from Cloverfield. Particularly in the genre of horror
Me: Exactly. It will be interesting to see what this is like
Torrey: How could I not know that Drew wrote for Buffy? you mention it every 45 minutes
Me: And he was Fake Thomas Jefferson in Dr. Horrible
Torrey: You told meeeeeee!!
Me: I know. And I am telling you again. I am preparing you for Cash Cab
Torrey: omg
Me: These things might come up
Torrey: If Ben Bailey ever asks "who portrayed Fake Thomas Jefferson in Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog?", I will buy you a new car
Me: Oh my god. It would be a great day. And I want a Prius

Just letting everyone know -- so if this question does get asked on Cash Cab, please inform me, so I can get a new car.

Things of note and interest from 2008

2008-12-31T20:49:00.001+03:30

Now, many things on this list were not “new” in 2008, but were at least new or I became more interested (some might say obsessed….) in 2008.

*Ingrid Michaelson, Erin McKeown, & Kelli Rae Powell
Folky women who are twisting lyrics, using different genres to influence their voices. And ukuleles!

*Bones and House
Addictive with fun dialogue and relationships. They may be formulaic, but they offer what the repetitive Law & Order/CSI/NCIS are lacking for me. Plus, who can resist the marathons on USA…. Not I!

*Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog
I am not sure I need to go on much more here. Which leads me to my undying love of…

*Neil Patrick Harris
If he ever needed a marriage of convenience to stay closeted, I would be that woman. Granted, he does not need that now… so I would settle for best friends or even second cousin. My god I love this man! I already had a man-crush – well wait, what is the female equivalent of a crush where there is no sexual attraction but you obsessively love them to bits? Men use the word man-crush…. Gaycrush? Plutonic crush? Pluto-crush? That last one works fairly well. If you have not listened to the music from Assassins – whoa doggie – what are you waiting for? Different side of the NPH – but a great demonstration of his musical prowess.

*The Bonnie Hunt Show
I am usually not a fan of day time TV. Sick days are full of DVD’s for me… not being schilled dish detergent or diapers every 10 minutes. But, oh Bonnie! I have always liked her quite a bit. And her show feels comfortable and casual. Plus her accent sounds a bit like home!

*The Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
I had not really dived into the world of the fantasy novel before. I am intentionally excluding the Harry Potter series here and the like – they are a bit main stream and not quite given the mantle of geekdom the fantasy novel is. This series had me hooked this summer. Strong female characters, twists in plot that kept me guessing. Characters I thought would be the centerpiece of the work killed unexpectedly. No clear lines of good and evil, you are not sure who to pull for. It was thrilling – and he does a great job with color and symbolism with the banners of the houses and who they represent. A very rich and textured world.

*YA novels
I am really itching to write one… so why not do research. Scott Westerberg is an author that I recommend and does not disappoint. But I think that YA novels get a bad rap some times. Yes, some of them are vapid fluff, but so are some ADULT novels! I started getting into them last year, and have been really enthralled by what they can do.

*Jonathan Coulton
Not only is he the kind of 90’s geeky cute I miss (occasional flannel with longish hair and a beard and GLASSES… oh glasses), but he writes a mean pop song that takes you by surprise. And his cover of “Baby Got Back” brings ghetto booty to us folksters. Yes, I want to be soft rocked by him.

*My disillusionment with the Twilight series
I am not going to lie, they entertained me at first. I was hooked. But as the series went on, I just felt that Bella was lacking. She felt too blank, too weak, and was just reacting to what was around her. The idea that any girl could insert themselves into her shoes because of that blandness is both genius and sad. It made Meyer a lot of money. I wanted her to be stronger, more kick-ass. And Edward was not all that dreamy to me. He was not flawed – or he was because he was traditionally “perfect”. Gag. Call me cynical – but I want more out of this crazy idea of love. A friend once called me picky – and I realize she may be right!

*Spring Awakening
On a spending whim, I picked up the soundtrack when I started my travel season, and the disc did not leave my car once. I was hooked, and I sing it all the time. The story is amazing, the songs are catchy and poetic, and some songs make me cry even after the 864th listen. And I am amazed that this play written in 1891 is still relevant and crucial today. It blows Rent clear out of the water.

*NPR and embroidering
Much of my time in the fall was listening to NPR in the parked car and embroidering like a little grandma while I waited for my next appointment or college fair. It was one of the few ways that kept me sane in the election madness. I did not spend much time in front of the cable news shows – other than my pals Jon and Stephen --- so I was able to strip away some of the sensationalism. NPR is not perfect, I know. But it suits my needs well – and just feels more organic.

*Olives
I love them now. We were once foes, but now, I adore their salty brine, their pleasant earthiness… the unassuming ovalness of them.

I may tack on more later… retrospection is wonderful! But this is what I can think of right now in the last day of 2008!

Quiz!

2008-12-23T00:22:00.001+03:30

Smart Girls at the Party

2008-12-20T10:09:00.000+03:30

No joke, where were these women when I was a kid?! I laugh, I tear up a little, and I just want to be at that dance party. And once again, Amy Poehler... I love you. Be my sister? I will totally babysit.

Oh, wow... you actually say "Whedonverse" in real life...

2008-12-08T16:48:00.000+03:30

Prop 8 the musical

2008-12-03T20:06:00.002+03:30

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Its kinda sad that something that sucks donkey balls brought together some of my favorite people. NPH! Alison Janney! John C. Reilly! Jack Black! Plus, it says something I have been saying for years -- boost the economy - do not deny bridal registry to anyone!

Seven things that let me know its the holiday season

2008-12-03T17:30:00.002+03:30

I am madly trying to figure out what to make for presents... and maybe finishing two of the twelve I had planned.
Massive amounts of cookie baking and potlucks
I take a break from thinking lots of lights on are a waste of energy and see the twinklies and think.... oooooh pretty!
I answer questions about my birthday being so close to Christmas and lie through my teeth saying, "Well, its not that bad."
I am spending 9 hours in a car heading west.
Sometimes there is this vibe from a crowd of people. One that is not unkind, and I like to think they are thinking about others... what they can do for other people. And I want to hug them all. This one is a little more intangible... but it happens and I can't help but smile a little.
Everything is better when its scented with cinnamon, ginger and pine. Both real, no fakies allowed.

Seven pleas from a retail worker at a high end kitchen goods store

2008-12-02T00:53:00.002+03:30

The definition of a sample of food: a free small taste of a product that we sell, may not be more than one or two bites/sips. A sample is not your dinner, nor am I a short order cook. Given that they are also free, don't get pouty and huffy with me when we might not have anything ready for you.
Samples part 2 - We have a trash can for your plate/cup/napkin. It might be hard to find, but sneaking behind me and slipping it into my apron pocket or leaving it hidden on the shelf is inappropriate.
I have to greet you and ask you if you need help. Its part of my job. I am totally willing to leave you the eff alone. I would rather wander the store waiting to be asked questions, but I have to be positively proactive. Its part of the package. Nicely saying: "I am good, just looking around." is fabulous. Its all good. Transaction done.
I am just a lowly worker for a multi-billion dollar corporation. I do not have any say in the prices things are set at. I think that some of them are outrageous as well. Please don't berrate me when you find that something is too expensive and ridiculous. I have no control, nor can I dicker over the price. Its just the way things are.
Just be civil and kind.
Gift wrapping -- it might take an hour. That is why its free. I am sorry you came here before going to a wedding in two hours for your gift. Your poor planning is not my problem.
I will help you out almost everyway possible. I don't work on commission, so I do it because I really like food, cooking and helping people. I appreciate when a customer asks for me to get credit on a sale. Its sweet. But I am not being pushy.... I just like what I do even if I don't get paid well to do it and I am doing this to get out of the monumental debt most people have. Like one of my co-workers says: It would not be called work if it was fun.

Heroes may bite it right now....

2008-11-25T15:39:00.002+03:30

....but this picture makes me giggle a little. It might be a full on fan girl squeal if I loved it more.

The political situation even effects wankers

2008-10-28T02:31:00.000+03:30

You need at least one of these seven for a successful Halloween costume

2008-10-26T00:57:00.004+03:30

Cape
Makeup - the more outrageous the better
Tiara
Crazy glasses - I have some a la Dame Edna
Weapons - of the plastic variety
Something hand made
Enthusiasm -- you have to love your costume so much that you just giggle and are excited to put it on.

Ladies and Thieves....

My Halloween Costume this year is:

NINJA NANA!

When the Neighborhood Crime Watch was just not enough....

Hurry up! I need to lower my cholesterol!

2008-10-08T14:46:00.002+03:30

Sarah Haskins is brilliant. I want to be her college roommate!

An accurate quiz!

2008-09-26T21:04:00.000+03:30

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
North Central
The South
The West
Boston
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Long live POP!!! Thanks to Jay for this!

Seven things that make me fidgety in my desk chair

2008-09-09T21:52:00.003+04:30

1. Vampire Weekend - seriously - how can you not do a little chair jig in this?
2. Mapping out my driving directions for travel. Oh let me on the open road!
3. Thinking about pumpkin goodies: beer, bread, whoopie pies, curry, soup, pie, cookies. The last of which I might just make Torrey make over and over again.
4. Thunder. I just want to look out the window and try to find the flashes.
5. Diet Coke with Lime. Is it becoming harder to find to anyone else? Cause if it disappears I will not be pleased. I might have to go back to drinking water.
6. A chair that swivels and rotates really fast. I just want to spin.
7. Work in general. Some days it makes me twitchy.

The Omnivore's 100

2008-08-28T20:04:00.002+04:30

Instructions: Copy the list from Very Good Taste's The Omnivore's 100 and post it to your blog, bolding the items you've tried and striking through any you would never try.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
~~75. Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Only one I am not willing to try.... though I might bend in a survival situation. I have tried 29. Hmm.... I have a way to go.

British Humor AND Superheroes....

2008-08-28T17:49:00.001+04:30

Thanks to Alex for tuning me into this one!

Someone is confident about their skills....

2008-08-21T19:42:00.001+04:30

Just in case you need some work done.

Tiddy.... didn't you mean... no? Oh...

2008-08-20T21:46:00.001+04:30

This is insane. If I ever see one in your car I might just have to take a penknife to your tires. Don't think I will... yeah me either. How about just a really disdainful look of judgement? Deal.

Stitch and ROCK!

2008-08-14T20:59:00.001+04:30

Architecture in Helsinki - Like It Or Not from helsinkids on Vimeo.

My fingers kind of hurt looking at this -- but oh man is this amazing! I knew I liked you for a reason Architecture in Helsinki!

The four people in my head.

2008-08-01T18:06:00.003+04:30

Yes, I know it is not seven, per my usual theme. Seven would be way too many and might require medication. My lovely friend at Moonshadow Ink, reminded me that I have not formerly introduced them.
This is a theory I cooked up with Jay's expert help - he has know me and my ways for a long long time.

Gertrude "Gertie": In her late 70's. Grandma. Loves to bake, cook, feed people in general. Crafting is her specialty. Very at home crocheting or piecing together fabric to sew a new pillow. Loves things that are in the 40's era, black and white movies, and musicals. Likes to play cards. Crotchety at times, and will say anything she wants. Gets anxious about travel and being on time.

Sheldon: 13 years old. Nerd to the extreme. Sometimes gets shy. Hormonal. Loves comic books, video games, games in general. Can be a bit of a hermit. Loves fictional worlds. Bookworm. Gets picked on. Stutters a little. When he gets talking about some thing he is a fan of, he gets really excited and maybe knows a bit too much about it. Can reference many different arenas of pop culture. Likes to find things that are not well known yet. Secret indie rocker.

Franklin: In his 30s, though might tell people late 20s. Gay. Daring, says somethings for shock value, though knows his limits. Would love to be Martha Stewart's intern. The risk taker, like does not bat an eye at sending a love letter to a stranger who works in a book store. Likes to dance. Talks about sex a lot, and it embarrasses Sheldon, but does not stop him from listening. More nurturing than the other three. Often the sounding board people need, he is the listener.

Susanna: Same age as Franklin (these two will probably age with me, while Gertie and Sheldon will remain fixed in their age). Big feminist. Gets outraged at minor and large injustices. Embraces womanhood in all its glory. Would be the nurturer if she was not so blunt and quick to speak. Tree hugger. Hates Lifetime TV, Victoria's Secret, the color pink, and Valentine's Day. Loves astrology, candles, folk music, and Lilith fair. A bit of a hippie, but a little too high strung for that lifestyle.

Let's test these people to things I like. I have already explained Dr. Horrible.

Subversive Cross Stitch: Gertie loves to stitch away, Franklin loves that its a little naughty, and Susanna digs that its anti-establishment at times and laughs in the face of domestic convention.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sheldon likes the superhero and chick action and Susanna likes seeing women in positive female roles. Bonus for "Once More with Feeling" - Franklin and Gertie were all over it.

Cooking & baking: Gertie likes to feed people and make them happy, Franklin likes to try new things, Susanna buys organic and cooks vegetarian, Sheldon loves to eat (he pretty much wins, other people do the work, and he reaps the benefits.)

That is me in a nutshell.

Get naked and chase after fake rabbits

2008-07-30T16:48:00.000+04:30

Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | More Video Clips

"I was twittering under here."

2008-07-29T17:18:00.001+04:30

Felicia Day Twitters from hacksaway on Vimeo.

Marriage Schmarrige

2008-07-25T00:02:00.001+04:30

I really do get work done during the day

2008-07-22T20:17:00.002+04:30

Check out this website that puts your photo in different settings.

I don't have time for a grudge match with every poser in a parka!

2008-07-18T18:25:00.004+04:30

Ok, I have put off blogging about this... because I come off as some crazy little fan girl. But I cannot resist any longer.

If you have not watched Dr. Horrible yet, what the hell is wrong with you?!

I have not explained the 4 people that are in my head yet here (basically its a granny, teenage nerd boy, crunchy feminist, and a gay man who loves the word fabulous.) I will soon, because it really makes sense to who I am and what I like. But for now -- the gay man and the nerd boy are going nutso over this.

I am resorting to list form here - because a coherent paragraph will just be beyond my control.

1. The idea of an internet series is brilliant. Other people have done it very well - including Felicia Day - one of the Dr. Horrible stars -- with The Guild. The internet is a great venue to do something unconventional, grassroots and low budget that would never get on TV (which probably includes a lot of crap too, but hey - Living with Lohan gets ratings so why not bring on a random tool with a camera posting on the internet).
2. Neil Patrick Harris - is there nothing you can do? You "overcame" the Doogie shell - and became more than I think any of us expected back then. Granted I am only three years younger than you... I am not exactly sure *what* I was expecting. But, damn, you are gooood.
3. Many good repeatable lines. One about a male part that I cannot repeat because it would not do any justice to Nathan Fillion.
4. Songs that are remaining in my head -- lingering like the sweet bite of ginger after eating it.
5. Felicia Day -- could not be any more heartbreaking and lovely, without being cloying and saccharine. She is the real deal folks! She is the kind of girl that you want to set up your heartbroken friend with because she is just genuine and honest and would not hurt them... you hope!
6. A villian named Moist. Its almost what you expect, but not as gross.
7. Another villian named Bad Horse - the thoroughbred of sin. We have not met him yet - but his henchmen are horribly catchy.

Anyway... act III airs tomorrow. It stops being free on Sunday. Watch it!

End Fan Girl ramble.

For now.

Mucha Hellboy

2008-07-03T02:26:00.001+04:30

Apparently Hellboy will be interacting with The Office and the Heroes worlds. Oh promotions that are actually fun without giving away the whole movie!

Hellboy and James Lipton sharing a moment

2008-07-02T17:01:00.002+04:30

I am jumping on this Hellboy bandwagon a little late in the game here. I finally watched the first movie last week, and oh this fangirl just added another obsession to the list. I instantly want to read all the comics I can. I think comics are taking over as my preferred reading medium. Sorry poetry... even though I got a degree in you -- you have little guns, demons, or pictures. Then again -- you might have more of the first two than I thought.

I have always liked Canadians.

2008-07-01T22:25:00.003+04:30

Uke-Toxic: Britney never sounded better

2008-07-01T00:31:00.002+04:30

Yes, I adore this woman.

And if you can't get enough of her, here is her singing "Tom Cruise Crazy".

Seven small things I regret

2008-06-26T23:16:00.004+04:30

Losing the horse stickers my grandma had given me in JC Penneys when I was seven.
Going to see "Ghost Rider" in the theatre with Pat (his choice).
Going to see "Date Movie" in the theatre with Pat (I will take 70% of the blame on that one. I really like Alyson Hannigan.... ok?!).
Leaving the tap on in my bathroom during a no water maintenance time that resulted in flooding my apartment when the water was turned back on.
Not pouring a cup of water on the person who was urinating outside my apartment window.
Not going out on St. Patrick's Day my senior year because I had an interview the next day for a job I did not get.
Obliviously doing a pull-away when in retrospect he was doing a lean- in.

Number haunting

2008-06-25T19:07:00.002+04:30

At my job I have to initial and date things all day long. I probably have to do it a minimum of 50 times a day. This month has been problematic. I have been writing a "3" instead of the "6" for June. All the time. I get it right about 3 times out of the day. And then sometimes instead of "08" I will write "06".

Is March haunting me? Am I supposed to go back? Why the 3 all the time? What is going on with March?

Doc, help me out!

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

2008-06-25T16:27:00.001+04:30

Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

Seven things that I vowed to do that I clearly have not stuck to

2008-06-19T23:38:00.005+04:30

Not watch food shows or read my cooking magazines when I get home from work before making dinner.
Become an astronaut
Work out every day after work.
Not buy another book until I have read what I have.
Not get another diet Coke out of the vending machine.
Win the gold in Curling in the 2004 Olympics.
Look before I step while walking to prevent major falls. Or minor falls. Just falls in general really.

Requiem for a Day Off

2008-06-18T21:35:00.001+04:30

...revoking your rights since 2009

2008-06-18T18:15:00.000+04:30

I take your five, and raise you seven

2008-06-17T22:10:00.002+04:30

Yup, stole it from Ms. Summer Queen herself.

Seven Snacks I Enjoy:

Celery and peanut butter
Blueberries, walnuts, and vanilla yogurt
Apples and peanut butter
Tortilla chips and guacamole
Kettle Buffalo Bleu chips
Spinach and artichoke dip
Oranges

Seven Things On My To-Do List Today:

Clean my books up (this has been on the list for a long time)
Finish up edits on application packet
Laundry..... or maybe not.
Call and put the Garden Patch cake pan on hold for my mom
Work out (done this am - though that might never happen again)
Beat Christa at Scrabulous
Write more of that letter

Seven Things I Would Do If I Were A Billionaire:

Travel for a good year - bringing someone new with me on every trip.
Loans and debt for me and the fam.
Pay for Maine Youth Leadership seminars and projects forever.
Set up a scholarship for student writers and artists.
Buy a summer camp to do leadership programs for students.
Set up an awesome, well stocked crafting room in a house, with workstations for friends to come over and craft as well.
Buy a house.

Seven Jobs I Have Had:

Clown Instructor at the Rochester Museum and Science Center
Ice Cream Scooper
Summer Rec Counselor
Security Desk Assistant
Driving Range Clerk and Random Yard Work Do-er
Office Worker and Receptionist at Springfield College Office of Undergraduate Admission
Sales Associate at Williams-Sonoma (clearly the most prestigious job thus far)

Seven of My Bad Habits:

I do not put away things in their proper place.
I am too early. Which leads to...
...getting really ansty and impatient when it comes to making it to a flight, concert or movie.
I talk at the tv more than I should. Especially during Lost and Battlestar Galactica.
I never take things out of my car -- it looks like someone lives in there.
I am almost always in the middle of a few books - I get distracted if it has not totally grabbed me.
I buy more craft supplies than I will ever need.

Seven Places I’ve Lived:

Lima, NY
Nixon Hall, Fredonia, NY
Eisenhower Hall, Fredonia, NY
Abbey-Appleton Hall, Springfield, MA
Upton Hastings, Gorham ME
Portland, ME
Falmouth, ME

Seven Random Things:

I like hummus but hate garbanzo beans
I like to make up games. People Scavenger Hunts, Extreme Bocce, Extreme Bocce & Croquet (aka Crocce), Truth or Darts... give me a situation, I will make up a game.
Right handed, but I use my mouse with my left hand.
My friends call me the Admiral. And it might just be one of my favorite nicknames, ever.
....and I really like nicknames, especially throwing one out there for a stranger when talking with a friend to see if they pick up on who I am talking about.
I saw Lilith Fair all three years in a row at the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center.
I miss Wegmans, and that makes me a little pathetic.

Just say the C-word.

2008-06-17T21:58:00.002+04:30

Note, this video is not suitable for work. It does use the C-word often, but its to prove a point that it is a horrid word. Still pretty damn hilarious use though. Thanks for the good fodder, McCain.

Bread making.... more erotic than you might think.

2008-06-16T21:22:00.001+04:30

I some how want to eat less bread now.

Seven things I have dreamed about in the past week

2008-06-16T20:16:00.002+04:30

Being sent on a trip to London or East Germany by my work and having a time conflict between the two, and London was the one we picked. BUT, I realized I did not have a passport and had to get to the airport in ten minutes. Woke up in a panic.
That I was me but in Top Chef Stephanie Izard's body. Not bad.
One of my friend's got videotaped throwing a fit in a restaurant when the waiter was not looking...
...and as a result other friends and I had an intervention about her drinking this mixture of chocolate sauce, wild blueberries, and cough syrup. She had it all over her mouth and was kind of wild.
I had to check out of a hotel and coming back to find that my room was turned into a conference room and my luggage was now trash bags
Having to find files for these student's that had the same names as people I went to high school with.
I took a sword out of a stone.

Is someone's who's daughter likes Spoon going to take away my right to choose?

2008-06-16T17:45:00.005+04:30

Ooooh, its Dr. McCranky... when did he get here?

Another interesting thing on all these angry women from Frank Rich

"And the evidence of misogyny in the press and elsewhere is irrefutable, even if it was not the determinative factor in the race. But the notion that all female Clinton supporters became “angry white women” once their candidate lost — to the hysterical extreme where even lifelong Democrats would desert their own party en masse — is itself a sexist stereotype. That’s why some of the same talking heads and Republican operatives who gleefully insulted Mrs. Clinton are now peddling this fable on such flimsy anecdotal evidence.

The fictional scenario of mobs of crazed women defecting to Mr. McCain is just one subplot of the master narrative that has consumed our politics for months. The larger plot has it that the Democratic Party is hopelessly divided, and that only a ticket containing Mrs. Clinton in either slot could retain the loyalty of white male bowlers and other constituencies who tended to prefer her to Mr. Obama in the primaries.
This is reality turned upside down. It’s the Democrats who are largely united and the Republicans who are at one another’s throats.

......The ludicrous idea that votes from Clinton supporters would somehow make up for McCain defectors is merely the latest fairy tale brought to you by those same Washington soothsayers who said Fred Thompson was the man to beat and that young people don’t turn up to vote."

And this oath that the Clinton to McCain Voters would have to take is eye opening as well.

And the best nickname I have heard for McCain: McSame.

And what will happen to Huckleberry Pie?

2008-06-12T23:46:00.005+04:30

I am not pleased about this.
Not one bit.

In the 80's did I need my Strawberry Shortcake to have neon colors and wear jams? No, part of her fruit smelling charm was that she got to wear petticoats and be from a different magical land where petticoats were the cat's pajamas. I did not need my childhood play things to look just like me. Now they are kind of tarted up and pimped out to be little fashion plates. It's not what they are supposed to be! I liked them because they were smaller than Barbies, fit in my doll house and had their own look and feel to them. And my mother never bought me Sour Grapes or any other bad guy. Interesting.... apparently she did not want evil going on in the dollhouses under her roof. I also never remember watching many shows with Strawberry Shortcake at all -- I just really dug the dolls apparently. Orange Blossom and Plum Pudding were my favorites. I always found Lemon Meringue to be kind of stuck up. That's just the kind of chick she was.

Seven reports I did in grade school

2008-06-11T17:25:00.002+04:30

The Pancreas
Georgia
Kristi Yamaguchi
The longhouses of the Iroquois
Malaria
Abraham Lincoln as a child
Metamorphosis..... and not the Kafka work

Seven indicators that I would get along with someone

2008-05-28T16:44:00.003+04:30

You find the Flight of the Concords hilarious and sing it at inopportune times.
You do not get freaked out by the various sounds of laughter that range from cackling to snorting that come from me.
You spend some of your time volunteering.
You enjoy a good car sing along.
You are willing and like to play games - from across the game genres: card, board, video and random ones that I make up while playing darts.
You have one or more geeky obsession that you consider yourself an expert on and will debate and discuss issues surrounding it at length... interesting length though.
You do not find Harold and Maude creepy.

Seven things that make for a great summer gathering

2008-05-27T08:56:00.002+04:30

1. Something you can throw: hillbilly golf, frisbee, bocce... anything of the like.
2. A fire - a little pit or a bonfire - something to gather around and become mesmerized by. Sometimes I become "firedumb" and get lost in looking at it instead of talking to the people around me.
3. Grilled Meat. And if you are vegetarian, which I respect, you have to at least eat a veggie burger or something that has come off the grill.
4. Comfy lawn chairs... and at least one trick chair that someone falls out of at some point. Its hilarious, even if you are the one that falls. It usually catches you by surprise and does not hurt... much.
5. A mild toasting of the skin. Some reason just a light sunburn is a reminder to me that I had a great time outside. I am not talking full on lobster-hue... just a little pink sun tattoo.
6. Hilarity. I think laughing so hard that I almost lose my corn on the cob is the testament of how comfortable I am with people. And that level of a relationship with the crowd often means that I am with people I adore.
7. Music that people often find themselves grooving to subconsciously. The mix that makes the stoic griller move their spatula to the beat, the beer drinkers show off their moves, or the kids twirling around in circles to it.

Seven mom-ish things that I do

2008-05-12T05:42:00.002+04:30

Carry random things in my purse that often become helpful.
Politely say "No Thank You" to every one of the guys handing out escort flyers instead of just walking by like everyone else.
Crochet to pass the time.
Talk to strangers in lines.
Become really proud of my friends when they do something great.
Make sure everyone is well fed and merry.
Think of games to play when there is boredom.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama T.

The Heart of the Matter

2008-04-24T02:35:00.001+04:30

Oh. My. God.

Note, that if you ever need these tapes, you probably are these people.

The funniest thing that Torrey said to me...

2008-04-10T16:05:00.001+04:30

....today.

we'd eat hot pockets together and share our thoughts in leather bound journals.

This roommate thing is going to be a long long journey. I can tell.

What?!

2008-04-09T21:39:00.002+04:30

If you watch Lost at all, you might not realize how much they say this word. Not to mention how many times I usually say it while watching it. This montage is brilliant.

Seven searches that people have done and gotten to this blog

2008-04-09T15:22:00.003+04:30

I have a little tracker to see how people get here, and man, sometimes its surprising.

Baking poem
Hipster baking
Fredonia Ben Folds
How boobs grow*
Boob and elbow*
Third Boob*
Women with third boob*

*I had made one post about Paris Hilton becoming a philanthropist and if that happened I might grow a third breast from my elbow. The public has a hunger for more boob aparently.

Seven things about My So-Called Life

2008-04-02T21:16:00.007+04:30

When TV is good: storytelling, compelling characters, funny, and "lived in" -- I am hooked and will be hooked in for a while. I have loved My So-Called Life since it aired my senior year of high school. And while I do hate that it ended, it ended in a nice-oh-my-god-I-want-to-know-who-Angela-ends-up-with suspense. Its okay if things don't always end with a nice pat happy day ending.

I miss how we dressed in the 90's. I think My So-Called Life portrayed clothing very realistically- there were some god awful sweaters on there, but people wore horrible knits then. I miss the overalls and flannels, and chunky boots. I was no fashion plate back then, but at least I could see myself in that world.
I wanted to have Angela's hair. Straight, fell beautifully and was that rocking Crimson Glow.
I loved how the parents were imperfect and had their own dramas, but could be counted on. The questioned what was the right thing to do, and were sometimes wrong, but were not these irrational cartoons of parents. I knew people with parents like them, but never knew what happened behind that veil, just like they might not have see what was behind ours.
And he may be a douchebag now -- but could Jordan Catalano's eyes be any dreamier? And I prefer to call him Jordan Catalano -- cause that is how I want to remember him.
A.J. Langer who played Rayanne -- where are you? I thought you were brilliant. Unless this character was the best one you have ever played and it was yours and you have not found it since.... I am sorry. But I do adore you.
Awkward gestures, words, phrasing -- it was almost pitch perfect. Anytime there was an awkward moment or look, it was sooo believable. I defy almost any teenager from that era to not be able to insert themselves somewhere in there.
I love Brian Krakow. I want one of my own. He was by far my pick to end up with Angela. He breaks my heart all the time. I loved his awkwardness and how he was totally unable to hide it. He has a penchant for letter writing... and man if that does not get to my core. And if the girl you loved lived across the street, you would be outside all the time too. And you would fall in love with this letter too:

21 Accents with Rachel Harris.

2008-03-24T23:19:00.001+04:30

Not as accomplished as the 21 accent girl, but a hell of a lot funnier.

Please note, while this does contain a few swears, it is hell of a lot more appropriate and less soul damning than Torrey's last video.

Seven things about today

2008-03-12T21:25:00.002+03:30

I had coffee on an empty stomach and I am jittery and kinda frantic today. It did clean my desk though. I feel slightly accomplished even if my eye is twitching. I don't think I could ever handle speed.
... and as I type number 1, someone has brewed a new pot downstairs, and its sweet lovely aroma is calling to me, curling its finger in front of me in lovely wispy invisible seduction of its gorgeous earthy smell to come hither. Me wants more...
I was inspired to make some playlists by some friends. And I made quick ones just based on song titles, not meaning.... just titles. One was colors and the other was places. The main colors on that playlist were black and blue. Like a musical bruise. Which some of them feel like sometimes. A song that you want to hear but it presses on this small little soft spot and it makes you wince... but you can help but feel a little good after that pressure is released. It was also a good way to listen to all that music you forgot you had. It mixes up genres pretty well too. My next playlist is elements/nature.
I am the staff member that gets all the calls today from the front desk that they can't answer. And everytime I leave my desk, there is my little triangle of red blinking at me letting me know there is yet another message. I hate that red triangle. I want to scratch out that little deformed red eye and stomp on it.
The artificial smell of vanilla air spray will never cover poop smell. It will just cling to it and make it smell grosser. But yet someone at work keeps on buying it, and we all keep using it.
The color coding part of my email and calendar program at work makes me happy. To Do items are bright red. Travel is a road sign green. Personal items are a deep blue. Things I don't like to do are a margarine yellow. Its pleasing to put color to tasky things.
Its not a very bad day at work.... at the core of everything I really like what I do. Maybe that makes the really small things more amplified and annoying or frustrating.

Seven things I am a big fan of....

2008-03-10T21:42:00.002+03:30

....and that might be an understatement. I think these things have a 96% possibility of me using/talking/watching/obsessing at least once a day.

Google Reader
Colored Pens
Barenaked Ladies
Scrabulous
Yarn or any other textiles that I make crap with.
going out of my way to not take a difficult left hand turn.
You know his name. Mr. Whedon.

Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern talks rainbows and happiness

2008-03-10T20:35:00.004+03:30

... and by that she means the gay cancer that in infiltrating her society.

Wow.
Worse than terrorists.
Better make sure that any GSA student is reported to their parents and to the government. High school clubs mandated to tell the parents what club they are in is one of her brilliant ideas. Weed em out young, and make those LGBT youth suicide rates skyrocket. Maybe that is why there is a shorter life span, there Sally. People who think like you make life unbearable for people that just want to be who they are.

Star Wars is exciting again...

2008-02-25T21:21:00.002+03:30

I know this has been posted everywhere.... but damn if this did not make my ovaries jump a little and say.... Lets go lets go! Don't worry, the big squoooshy gray brain told them to calm the fuck down.

Seven things about the 2008 Oscars

2008-02-25T19:19:00.002+03:30

I felt really bad about Amy Adams having to perform alone, with no dancers or anything. I thought... hmmm well maybe they are paring down the performances... and nope. I just wonder what the hell happened! I still adore her though.
Jon Stewart... very funny as always. I think he is a subdued host -- but still a great one.
Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway were my favorite presenters, I think. Their little schtick was cute, and well acted.
2nd favorite presenters - Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen. They DID look exactly the same.
Could I love Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova more? And I thought it was very classy to let Marketa come back out and say her speech. I just loved the sheer joy and the essence of "holy shit we are really here"-ness of their presence.
Yay Diablo Cody! If Juno only won one Oscar -- I really wanted that to be it.
I loved the look on Cate Blanchett's face after she saw what clip they used from Elizabeth II. And the fact that she so artfully played a dog. Well done.

Seven new things I have recently been trying out

2008-02-22T21:54:00.004+03:30

Olives. I had some at Christmas and I did not hate them. I had some stuffed with almonds and I was pleasantly surprised that I liked them. Salty goodness! Slow down there garbanzo bean.... don't expect me to like you unless you are smooshed up in humus!
Star Trek. I am currently being tutored in it. So far so good.
Writing a novel. Right now I have these four characters that I am just doing some development with, running them through how they might react to situations or things. Its been a really great puzzle to work with. Now if I can just come up with a plot....
Dogs. I might like them more and want to live with one more than I had originally thought. Although I do not think I could go as far as owning one.... I just want to be a dog auntie.
Cross Stitch. I was always intimidated by counted cross stitch before. But its really not that bad once you get into it.
Neil Gaiman. I knew I would like him, but have never really sat down and read his work before. I am reading American Gods right now and am mightily impressed.
Sugar free hot chocolate mixed in with my coffee. Sugar free hot chocolate is actually miles better than its other sugar free brethren. Plus the coffee with it is kick-tastic. At work I have to find ways to make the ordinary a little more exciting.

Seven Theme parties I would like to throw*

2008-02-19T23:00:00.002+03:30

1. Clue - come dressed as your interpretation of that clue character. Original Clue only. No master detective. You can only bring food items that correspond somehow to your color.

2. Come as your favorite holiday - once again food must correlate to costume. Share a tradition with each of them.

3. High School Drama - Dress as your favorite high school stereo type. Bonus points for call backs to 80's movies. I call dibs on Ally Sheedy a la Breakfast club.

4. Welcome to the Hellmouth - You could not expect me to leave off a Whedon-fest in here did you? Trivia, sing-a-long to the musical, and other various activities.

5. When get old I want to be.... -- What did you want to be when you were a kid - come dressed as that profession -- how many firemen will there be? I am going to be an astronaut!

6. Cruise around the world progressive night - I know its kinda cliche - but there is something to be said for gorging yourself on great ethnic foods. In this plan you move from place to place -- entering each "culture" at someones house.

7. The land of misfit superheroes - come as a superhero that might not have ever made it to the Justice League.

*and almost all of them involve a costume and themed food somehow.

Quirk

2008-02-14T04:11:00.002+03:30

I am a little delayed in doing this, but I did not want to let Torrey down. Here goes:

The Rules
* link to the person who tagged you
* post the rules on your blog
* share six non-important things/ habits/ quirks about yourself
* tag at least 3 people at the end of the post and link to their blogs
* let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog (I think I am skipping this step. I know I am a bloody rebel.)

1. I like to have cold feet and will make them so sometimes, perhaps even stepping in snow for a moment, just for the feeling of them tingling and warming up.
2. I need to be happy with my pen selection for a chosen task, work or personal. I will go through several pens (the biggest fiasco had me go through 14) until I find the right one. It is not always about color, though sometimes it may be, but mostly how it feels.
3. When asking a customer their zip code when cashing them out at Williams-Sonoma, I almost always touch my glasses.
4. I cry at the National Anthem. I cry at tributes to the troops. I am not a yellow ribbon magnet kinda person, but I get really choked up about it.
5. If I got ready too early for going out with friends, I will end up putting on makeup to kill time.
6. I wait about 5 minutes for my hot beverage to cool. But sometimes I miss that critical moment of exact warmness... and it becomes cold and I will always make a "blech" face when I drink that cold sip.

Tagged People:

Jen at The Dog-Ma - though she might answer it on this one

Brian Lewis at Oblivion Diaries... that is if that bastard is still alive

Jennie at Jen's Fives .... but I am not sure if she can post a list of 6 there!

I kinda miss the old quiz fad

2008-02-05T00:10:00.001+03:30

You're Prufrock and Other Observations!

by T.S. Eliot

Though you are very short and often overshadowed, your voice is poetic
and lyrical. Dark and brooding, you see the world as a hopeless effort of people trying
to impress other people. Though you make reference to almost everything, you've really
heard enough about Michelangelo. You measure out your life with coffee spoons.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I kinda love this commercial, but its probably only aired on Bravo.

2008-02-01T19:06:00.000+03:30

Oh if this only became a Superbowl commercial.

Rich Fancher, you are one funny bastard.

2008-01-30T19:54:00.002+03:30

Unicorn Cove

2008-01-28T17:56:00.001+03:30

I thought that more people outside the Portland Area should be able to experience this commercial.

The seven is here to stay

2008-01-10T16:31:00.000+03:30

I love it when weird coincidences happen with the radio. I was in a crappy mood at work on Tuesday, and I got in my car to go home, and Van Morrison's Into the Mystic comes on the radio. That song from the years of 1993 to 1997 probably made it onto every mixed tape I ever made (shamefully discovered watching the movie Dream a Little Dream, starring the Coreys). It was one of those songs I had forgotten about and loved hearing again. Monday night, I had watched the movie Once and of course fallen in love with it and bought the soundtrack yesterday. What do I discover -- there is a cover of Into the Mystic on it. I love it when things I love, love each other back.
California was different that I pictured it. I did not think that I would be able to see the mountains from the city of LA.
Favorite pen of the week - Pilot Razor Points. I like that the color Brown comes in the multipack.
After not seeing people for 2 weeks, when I come back, some of them are still douchebags.
I have decided to keep the seven. Originally it was because of 2007 that I started this, but really, a list of eight just seems pretentious.
I am getting really excited about the primaries. Watching the votes and percentages the other night reminded me of how some people I know might react a at a sporting event.
It is true, we may be able to make good BBQ in the north, but it can't hold a candle to what they make in the south.

Seven things I would like to accomplish on this list

2007-12-19T20:18:00.000+03:30

This list of 50 nerdy things to do before you die from The Park Bench blog includes several of my geek girl all-time dreams. Here are the seven I would love to do:

#38. Draw a map of a nonexistent or fictional place.
#7. Feel again like you felt the first time you saw "Star Wars."
#27. Go to an underground sing-along screening of the Buffy Musical. (When Buffy is outlawed, only outlaws will sing-along to Buffy.)
#24. Witness a live space shuttle launch. Extra points if you're piloting it.
#16. "Accidentally" get locked in a bookstore for seven or eight days.
#9. Make out with Joss Whedon or J.K. Rowling. Extra points if you achieve a two-fer.
#1. Live to see the day when smart and witty wins out over hot and shallow every single day of the week.

Runners up:
#31. Build your own lightsaber.
#6. Correct Alex Trebek on the pronunciation of something French. Consequently hold him when he cries.
#5. Figure out what the hell "Lost" is about. [This item also works for "The Prisoner," "Twin Peaks," "Cloverfield," and the popularity of Oprah.]
#4. Solve a New York Times crossword puzzle...with your eyes closed. Just kidding. Doing one in pen with no mistakes in under 10 minutes is good, too.

Seven things I NEVER want for Christmas

2007-12-17T18:17:00.000+03:30

Celine Dion box set.
Any knitted item that might be pink or canary yellow.
Herpes. (Or anything in that general venereal disease family).
A kick in the ass.
Coal.
Knicknacks that are only meant to be put out for one month of the year.
A rose scented candle/potpourri/smelly item.

Seven things that make me giggle and grin like a school girl, a story in pictures

2007-12-05T04:55:00.000+03:30

1. The latest issue of Buffy Season 8. The cover of this is brilliant.

2. Holiday lights. I kinda have a weird little kid dream of taking a sleigh or even a limo to be driven around to see the best lights out there. Hmm, they might not be that earth friendly, but damn if I don't love them so. The ones in Portland are my favorite.

3. Subversive cross stitch. I have been a stitching fool lately. I still think I like embroidery better, but its kinda fun to be a little crass with thread in a structured format. The Subversive cross stitch book is great. I just finished this one:

4. Ann Coulter receiving mail that is so appropriate.

It was a greeting card made by the woman who does Subversive Cross Stitch.
5. Arial view of the motherland, Fredonia

6. The Bucket Boss -- how amazing is this?! I love pens in mugs! This makes it that much better!

7. The idea that someday I make something as rad as this.

Journey to the west:!

2007-11-30T19:45:00.000+03:30

My sister, the Samantha, are traveling to California in four weeks. The journey begins in the hinterlands of Rochester, NY... well Positively Lima to be exact and ends in Santa Maria, CA.

In the past I have created photo scavenger hunts for people, and now I want you to help us create one. Some examples of photo scavenger hunt items from the past are:

Express this: I think that stranger is a vampire!
Someone wearing inappropriate clothing
Five oranges, a banana and two kiwis
Your name on a sign

So, are there any suggestions?

Poem by Ron Padgett

2007-11-30T18:37:00.000+03:30

The Drink

I am always interested in the people in films who have just had a drink
thrown in their faces. Sometimes they react with uncontrollable rage,
but sometimes-my favorites-they do not change their expressions at all.
Instead they raise a handkerchief or napkin and calmly dab at the
offending liquid, as the hurler jumps to her feet and storms away. The
other people at the table are understandably uncomfortable. A woman
leans over and places her hand on the sleeve of the man's jacket and
says, "David, you know she didn't mean it." David answers, "Yes," but
in an ambiguous tone-the perfect adult response. But now the orchestra
has resumed its amiable and lively dance music, and the room is set in
motion as before. Out in the parking lot, however, Elizabeth is setting
fire to David's car. Yes, this is a contemporary film.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
This poem reminds me of Torrey. He is overly dramatic, you know.

7 Reasons I'm Happy to Be Back in Maine

2007-11-29T21:39:00.000+03:30

In the grand Sara/Cookie tradition, here's a list of all the reasons I'm so pleased to be back in the great state o' Maine...

1. Great Hat Weather - As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate the magic of hats... No matter how out of shape you get or how crappy your hair might be on any given day, a hat is the cure-all. In Maine, you can pretty much get away with Hat Experimentation from September well into April. And that pleases me.

2. The Beach!! Now that I'm back in the midcoast with my pups in tow, I have a ready excuse for beaching it any old time I please. Regardless of the weather, the ocean never fails to inspire me - get my juices flowing and my imagination in overdrive. Hooray for the Atlantic!

3. Family. Yes, they are indubitably insane and they make me that way most of the time, but there's just something about being around people who've known you since way back when that keeps you grounded. Of course, ask me in a couple of months just how much I love being around family again and I'm pretty sure you'll get an entirely different answer.

4. The Magpie. My niece. Eighteen months old, and still just shy of the twenty-pound mark. She pretty much rocks my world - seriously. Yesterday I taught her to wiggle her butt like she has fishy fins, and it was in all seriousness the cutest thing in the history of the universe. No joke.

5. Civilization. I never, ever thought I would refer to Thomaston, Maine, as civilization, but after spending nine months in a world with no bookstores, no music stores, no craigslist, and Confederate flags on every corner, Thomaston seems pretty damned hip.

6. The Second Read. Along the lines of embracing civilization once more, the cutest little used bookshop/cafe this side of Portland. I had my first (and last) espresso there, just out of high school. If you can't go to Powell's, I recommend Second Read.

7. FRIENDS! Hooray for the old gang! I've had the plague since hitting the Maine state line so have yet to spend quality time with anyone, but the fact that people I love and respect and with whom I have Great and Memorable Times are a short car ride away is fabulous in every way. Praise the Lord and pass the Lobstah, I'm back in the great Northeast!

Make me the happiest woman alive,and marry me Amy Sedaris....

2007-11-29T00:04:00.000+03:30

Oh my word, Amy Sedaris AND Dolly Parton. Why has no one thought of this before.... good god, its genius! I have to admit, country music videos always have a story involved, and I think I like it. There was a Reba & Kelly Clarkson match up too that was... well ok, kinda overdramatic, but it caught my attention for the duration of the video.

Seven things for a successful holday season, according to me

2007-11-28T18:48:00.000+03:30

Combinations of mint and chocolate offered frequently
Alternative versions of holiday songs by modern rock artists with a sprinkling of the Bing Crosby
Small but fun and/or meaningful gifts. Quality not quantity in number or expense. Bonus points to the handmade.
Light peeping -- taking drives especially to see all the decorated houses.
Long contemplative car ride home.
Many many many family members packed into small places with a light offering of holiday spirits, aka good vittles and liquor.
Letting yourself just enjoy the people and things you love. Yeah, cheesy, but I can't help it!

Seven more things I recommend

2007-11-05T20:11:00.000+03:30

Clipping out recipes and putting them into a book. It makes you think you really MIGHT make them someday.
Waiting one moment before yelling out someone's name in a public place to recognize who they really are. That one second to mentally process might actually save you some embarrassment.
Heroes -- have you heard of this little indie show? I would have continued to have watching it last fall -- if someone had not feed into the problems I already had with it. If I had ignored them and just gave it a few more episodes -- those issues would have gone away. Instead... I listened like a bloody fool, and I am so behind. Curse you.
If you are a guy, wear a black sweater, red tie and white collared shirt. It looks frickin' sharp.
A really good spatula. It makes scraping the batter out of the bowl a very precise operation. Though it does not leave much for people who love to scrape the tasty stuff out of the rest of the bowl.
Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain. Usually, I hate cocky people. They remind me of being way to insecure in high school and its makes me uncomfortable. Though I have a weakness for Bourdain. I hear he is talented in the kitchen -- never having eaten his food, I can not attest for it. But this book is pretty damn close. I enjoy the way he does not dumb down the way he talks about food and techniques. He is honest and explains them as if you were at the table with him and telling you matter of factly with a wry twist. It is an interesting insight into the life of a chef.
Never order seafood on Mondays. Anthony told me so.

Zuda Comics

2007-11-01T19:58:00.000+03:30

DC Comics' new webcomics site Zuda Comics launched this week, and they're having a pretty cool comic-off at the moment. Each month, ten editorially-chosen comics are pitted against one another and voted on by users; at the end of the month, one of the ten competitors is selected and given a one-year, 52-episode contract and $1000. Though there is some contention as to whether or not Zuda truly has the best interests of comic creators in mind, there's no question that it offers greater visibility to its winners. At the moment, my pal David Gallaher leads the pack with a gritty, western-horror- werewolf-tale (really) that I frankly was skeptical about but, it turns out, kind of love. You should check it out. And vote for it. I mean, you don't have to vote for it - you shouldn't feel obliged to, just because I said so. But if you wanted to, you absolutely should. And that's all I have to say on the subject.

Maine Woman Grows Third Boob From Elbow

2007-11-01T19:46:00.001+03:30

Sorry, Sara... Paris is bound for Rwanda just as soon as the charity Playing For Good will have her; Hilton apparently had the trip scheduled and was all ready for some major do-gooding when the charity announced they had to restructure first. Restructure, re-schmucture... I think they're just trying to prepare the Rwandan people for yet another blow to their already-downtrodden country.

The most compelling story of a uvula ever told

2007-10-28T21:54:00.001+03:30

Oh a singing Anthony Stewart Head... so what if he is violent and bloody...

2007-10-25T00:44:00.000+03:30

And Paris Hilton is in this too.. but I have to admit at first glance I can't recognize her. Good sign. And maybe she will die.... in the movie. I mean her character will... Please I am not that mean. I wish better things for her -- like to give away the majority of her money to Habitat for Humanity or homeless shelters or public urban schools... or something. I believe she can do good in the world. But that happening is as likely as me growing a third boob from my elbow.

Ben Folds sings about the motherland, Fredonia, NY

2007-10-16T23:27:00.000+03:30

Poor sound quality, but it is catchy.

Find your daemon

2007-10-09T01:22:00.000+03:30

If you have not read the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman yet... then what are you waiting for?!

Real Beauty

2007-10-04T23:01:00.000+03:30

Now that I have a nipper of a niece to worry about and another one on the way, ads like these seem all the more relevant...

Seven things I recommend

2007-10-02T04:22:00.000+03:30

The Big Bang Theory - I literally am still watching this show and its not over yet and I am totally smitten with it. It is geekdom and awkwardness and funny sharp comedy writing. Or at least this episode is. One character has undertones of Niles Crane -- and I adore him. I am hooked. Plus, I am not certain, but I think that BNL does the theme song.
The Giver - Lois Lowry. I have been reading alot of YA novels lately and this one is intoxicating. It is horrific and wonderful in so many different ways.
Getting a mixed CD from your friends. I have received some from 3 different people and every single one of them is different and great for the road. Make one for your friend today!
Stealing extra boxes of cereal from the continental breakfast at your hotel. You will appreciate it later.
Dollar/surplus stores. If you can get past the smell, sometimes you can find some crazy stuff in them!
Snyder's Honey Wheat Preztels. Tasty.
Not having construction outside your hotel room. Night construction. What the hell Watertown!?

Another video! But who does not love flip books?!

2007-09-28T19:15:00.000+03:30

The human flip book:

How Much Do I Love This Man?

2007-09-26T18:30:00.001+03:30

John Cusack proves once again that he is, in fact, the perfect man: Witty, sharp, and socially conscious. All that, and those beautiful, beautiful eyes.

Jenny Owen Youngs does Nelly.... covers that is

2007-09-26T14:20:00.000+03:30

The song is Hot in Herre.
I love when folky pop people cover rap songs. Jill Sobule did it when she performed at USM a few years ago and it rocked my socks.

I want to bake this man dozens of cookies

2007-09-23T19:58:00.001+03:30

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders spoke out in favor of gay marriage, and said that he would not veto a resolution to support same sex marriage. Previously, he had been expected to.

Appalachian Poster Child

2007-09-21T04:06:00.000+03:30

This is a billboard I pass on my way to any of the more fun cities 'round these parts. My only question: Is this really the best image they could come up with to sell ceramic tile?

Creation Schmeation, Religion is Scary: Jen's Day at the Creation Museum

2007-09-19T23:07:00.000+03:30

Yesterday, Dave and I went to the 27-million dollar Creation Museum. Why? Because I'm all about religious mysteries these days, and the most mysterious of them all is who in the world actually believes that the earth is only six thousand years old. I wasn't actually surprised by the quality of the displays; I grew up in a crazy-ass Pentecostal church, I know all about the power of fundamentalist showmanship. Plus I'd read some articles and some reviews, so... Yeah. I knew that there was a born-again Disney guy who'd personally done the animatronics, and that there was a Garden of Eden and part of a life-sized replica of Noah's Ark.

So what was the surprise, you may ask? The surprise was the number of people there. On a Tuesday in September, there were bevies of old folk, Amish folk, teen folk with "I Heart Jesus" t-shirts, couples with babies... Holy Moses, what's going on with the world? According to the affable older archaeologist man (think of him as the Anti-Giles) featured on the many video "documentaries," creationism is indeed a science. It seems that if you just base all of your beliefs on the COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED notion that there was a worldwide flood back in the day, that explains why everything - fossils, the earth's crust, our apey non-ancestors - look so doggone old.

The first stop in the tour is a realistic rendering of an archaeological dig, complete with two waxy figures digging up waxy bones. Anti-Giles narrates from a widescreen, flat panel TV above. Anti-Giles is also involved in an archaeological dig, with a swarthy, vaguely inept fellow explorer. It seems his companion doesn't actually believe in creationism, and proceeds to give a stumbling, bumbling explanation of why evolution makes more sense. Then AG smoothly intercedes, to tell us why he believes that creationism is totally the way to go. It seems that it's all about the Flood - the one God sent down because he was pissed at how crappy people were. You know the story: Noah and two of every animal on this huge boat and it rained for forty days and forty nights, yada yada yada. Anyway, the result of this monstrous natural disaster was that it screwed up the world's climate, plunged us into an ice age, sped up sedimentation rates, and generally just made things look... well, really, really, really old.

From that convincing scientific argument, we make our way to the Graffiti Alley (aka the Tunnel of Shame), with graffiti and a magazine clipping collage showing the decline of western civilization. Most of it has to do with homosexuality, of course, but then there are a few fun snippets about plastic surgery (vanity, I guess, is what they're getting at there), stem cell research, school shootings, and all those other crappy things in our lives. Then you go through the tunnel itself, which flashes violent black and white images on the wall while somebody screams and there's somebody else crying and some random guy tells us why the world is such a shitty place.

Then you through another alley to get to Culture in Crisis, which features a bunch of dastardly home scenes - one with a renegade teen downloading Internet porn (you can't see the porn, so I'm just going on the creepy faces he's making) and some poor knocked up girl trying to schedule an abortion. There's also a vignette of a gossipy woman and her gossipy best friend talking in hushed tones while her husband drinks beer and watches TV in the background. I thought at first that the problem was the gossiping, but it turns out hubby's a druggie who won't get a job. There's also a statistic saying that one in five women in the U.S. has sex before they're married, and I was totally like, "Seriously? It's gotta be more than that." Don't you think? One in five... I think three of those five are total liars.

Anyway, from there we're finally allowed into the Garden of Eden. Eden, incidentally - totally cool. The guy they modeled the animatronic Adam after is actually a porn star (or so the rumor goes), so he's very swarthy and muscular and, I imagine, well endowed. Creationist Adam has no penis parts, so that's all my imagination talking there. Adam and Eve have a rockin' life, and then all hell breaks loose when Eve makes Adam take a bite out of the famed Apple of Satan. Cain kills Abel, there's a frankly horrific display of Adam and Eve standing over the skinned corpses of two unidentifiable animals, and I can just imagine the number of screwed up Bible beater children who'll be haunted by these images for years to come.

From there we get to meet Methuselah, the oldest man ever. 969 years old, was Methuselah. He looks a lot like Yoda, and kind of sounds like him. Apparently Methuselah spawned Noah, because then we head right on over to the Ark. Which also rocks. There are lots of animals, and movies, and scale models, and you actually wander around a structure that is allegedly the size of 1% of the actual Ark. There are lots of little teeny animal figurines and fun shadow boxes, one of which contains swarthy Bible people sitting around a table having dinner. There are an equal number of men and women, just to make sure we know there was no funny stuff going on on the ark (of course, most of these men and women were siblings, but that's clearly not an issue).

Then we head over to the crucifixion, and a twenty minute feature film starring - you guessed it - our good friend Anti-Giles. There are a lot of gruesome dramatizations of animal sacrifices and the crucifixion itself, and a telling interview with Mary. Once you've survived the crucifixion, you get to go outside and enjoy the Creation Gardens, which are still under construction but promise to be very, very cool.

So my general impression of the Creation Museum? Nicely presented, well organized, and completely terrifying. That parents who actually believe this bunk are allowed to bring their kids, and present all of this to them as truth... Well, the whole thing seems a little nuts to me. According to a recent ABC news poll, up to 60-percent of the country believes that the world was created in six days. Sixty percent! People are completely gullible. I do, however, admire the whole spin the authors of the Bible took way back when: If you don't buy my book (both literally and figuratively), you'll burn in hell forever and ever. It's not subtle, but it's clearly effective. I'm planning on using the same strategy with my next novel.

Seth Green brilliance

2007-09-14T20:52:00.000+03:30

Torrey had posted the original Chris Crocker video. (Crocker by the way, is like a non-lethal car wreck to me -- I just can't help myself and I have to watch. I am horrified. He is like a really good episode of Springer. He grounds me.) So here is Seth Green's take on it. Oh man, this Whedon alum keeps on getting better and better.

Oh, and yes, I had to find a way to work Whedon in there somehow. It had been a while.

Seven things I am looking forward to my fall travel season

2007-09-13T18:49:00.001+03:30

Traveling New England in the fall. And especially some of my favorite places like Burlington and Northampton.
Not making my bed.
Alone time -- on some days it does get to me -- but over all, I love the being in the car and just getting lost in my head. I need to bring my tape recorder this time.
People watching. Especially at restaurants. I make up little stories about them. Beware the person who sits alone at a restaurant.
A car with a CD player! And if that wasn't a great hint for you to make me a mix before I hit the road.....
Not being in the office!
Seeing some friends when I travel. Its nice after being solo for that long, to see someone and have it feel homey. It anchors the two transient months I spend out there.

I hit the road Monday for two months to visit high schools and college fairs all over Vermont, Central NH, Western MA, New York, and midcoast Maine. I am so excited to go. The stability of an office is nice, but oh man... get me out of there!

Maine Youth Leadership

2007-09-13T16:21:00.000+03:30

Once again, I adore these people.

And if you want to give a little back -- use Good Search as your search engine powered by Yahoo. Select Maine Youth Leadership for the organization for your searching to be credited to. We get a penny for every search. It adds up after a while! Or you could just give us wads of cash... really either would be accepted.

Greetings from the Long Lost Not Done Baking Partner

2007-09-12T22:20:00.001+03:30

Hey Ho Not Done Baking-ites,

Jen here, the long-lost other half of Not Done Baking. When Sara started Not Done Baking back in the day, we had this great idea that we'd collaborate and it would be tremendous fun for everyone involved... Except that slacker that I am, I never actually posted and Sara ran with the idea like the True Creative Genius that we all know she is. And now sixteen years later, I mentioned the wonder of blogging whilst on the phone with our lady Sara the other day and she said, "Hey, you should post on Not Done Baking again." And I said, "Okay," and that was that. Not the most scintillating dialogue, true, but nevertheless, that's the way it went. In case you were wondering who the hell I am and why the hell I'm writing on Sara's blog; now you know.

I'm writing this from sunny Kentucky, where the grass is not blue and the people really love Jesus. A LOT. At the moment I live in a former elementary school with about ninety animals - who knows how long that'll be the case, but for now let's just revel in the absurdity and call it good. The photo here is of my world, and a few of the goats therein. My writing studio/bedroom used to be a kindergarten classroom, we run obedience classes in the old gym, and the kitchen is way bigger than yours. I'm not bragging - merely stating the facts.

At the moment, Snuggles the muloccan cockatoo is screaming his bloody head off. If I sing to him (which I'll do in just a moment) he'll stop screaming and start singing along. He seems to prefer my personally penned ditties to top forty numbers, so here's what I just sang:

"Oh, we live in a school and I'm trying to write,
so settle down Snuggy or there's gonna be a fight -
nobody likes a squalling cockatoo even if they're cute
And if you keep on screaming, I'll give you proof you can't refute

Settle down Snuggy, there's nothing left to say
Just sing a little song and your blues will go away..."

And so on and so on. It's not that I'm complaining or anything, because as birds go, he's really a lovely one. I've been watching House lately, however, and people keep dying of dreadful diseases they got from bird poo, so I'm hesitant to get too involved in the whole bird rescue thing. Plus he bites if I irk him, and he's got a really sharp fucking beak. When he's not biting or screaming, however, he likes to cuddle up (hence the name, which I did not give him) and is perfectly charming. He's actually a lot like me that way.

Seven things about my sister

2007-09-11T14:46:00.000+03:30

Her middle name is Hunter. My parents were going to give it to me if I was a boy. No dice. So they decided to give it to the next kid in line regardless of gender.
She cried when she thought Fox Mulder actually killed himself.
She had a carnival goldfish that lived for way way too long -- like 5 years.
She lived in the same room one of my friends did her freshman year at Fredonia.
She wrote a story in 3rd grade about how I forgot my bathing suit camping one time. It made me really mad she wrote it.... I am not sure why, it was not THAT embarrassing, but it still makes me mad today -- just on principle.
She sleeps with one arm thrown with abandon over her head.
Today is her birthday!

Observations made by the nerdy work side of my brain

2007-09-04T17:31:00.000+03:30

I saw Superbad this weekend. (Michael Cera shined, and it was overall funny, but lacking the qualities that I adore in 40-year Old Virgin). There was a moment that bothered me in the movie. And it was one of those nerdy technical details. Michael Cera's character, Evan, is in math class. He is a senior in his last two weeks of high school. He is Dartmouth bound in the fall. He, and all of his classmates have Algebra II books on their desks.

NO WAY would a Dartmouth bound student be taking AII their senior year. They would have to be in Pre-Calc minimally, and even that is a stretch.

Come on! Evan is supposed to be wicked smart, and you slap an AII book on his desk! Please! Give the man some crazy hard Calculus!

And if you have not seen the web show, Clark and Michael, yet--you really should. You will some Arrested Development folk in there too. If I was 15, I would be TigerBeat wallpapering my room with Michael Cera. But I am not. So, I *clearly* don't.

Seven things to do this fall

2007-09-02T17:12:00.000+03:30

Watch Pushing Daisies.
Eat and make as many pumpkin things as possible.
Mull things. Wine and cider, mostly.
Leaf peep as much as possible. Even the natives can appreciate that.
Cider donuts, find them and devour them.
Have a bonfire somewhere. Crisp cold and toasty goodness.
Think of a kick ass Halloween costume.