Saturday, February 28, 2009
Less Pants than Before
As awesome as these are, I mean I'd love to have them, they are NOT pants.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Bubble Science
Some Call it a Hangover.
I prefer cluster headaches.
Hey, I feel that this is a legitimate diagnosis this time. My head does only hurt on one side of my head at my temples and into my eyes. It is a low throbbing pain.
Cluster headaches come in cycles (also called cluster periods). Most people who get cluster headaches have one or two cluster periods each year. A cluster period might last 1 month or longer
I believe my last major cluster occurred from April - August. Ironically it overlapped with my kickball season. So strange.
Side note: The picture at the top won out over all the other overly dramatic images of actual people holding their temples when i searched for a "headache" image on google because this blue hair woman has dyed her eyebrows to match! It does not get any better than that (and yes i realize this is an illustration)
Coffee does the Body Good
Scientists are currently looking to see if a topical caffeine based product would have the same reaction.
But, Nghiem added, people shouldn't increase the amount of coffee or tea they drink to prevent skin cancer. "You are talking a lot of cups for a lot of years for a relatively small effect," he said. "But if you like it, it's another reason to drink it."
All I know is this just shows that it was for our medical benefit that we went on morning coffee runs when I worked at the Beach Club. Those 32 ounce iced coffees were just as important as the 30 spf sunblock that I regularly bathed my arms and face in. I feel like I should send this article around to the coffee places back home, help out business and all. It is a beach town and this would show that maybe we do care about the well being of our tourists :P
This is why I love my friends...
Due to my tattoo had to skip a birthday party. Here was the recap via text:
"last night was fun we ended up going to ____ and at least two people puked if that tells you anything about the night! see you next weekend!"
Conversation with a male friend on gchat Tuesday:
Me: hey do you want to go to the ICA with me on one of the free thursdays to see the fairey exhibit?
Male Friend: that sounds questionable, but as long as you don't tell male friend 2 or 3 I'd go
Me: sure. why does it sound questionable?
Male Friend: the fairy exhibit?
Me: shepard fairey - the guy that did the obama hope water color
Male Friend: haha oh ok. then yes I will go and you can tell my friends
Text Wednesday from female friend after telling her I had a bad day:
"Yikes. good thing it is mardi gras"
Gchat Thursday night with another guy friend:
Friend: You going to the show sat night?
Me: Yup. You?
Friend: heeeell yeah. so i'll see you there. PS...
Me: ok
Friend: we are gonna buy some cheap bras...any chance we can get you to throw one on stage during the last song
Text from Thursday Night from a female friend (former happy hour partner in crime) who is currently in Hawii:
"I was going to call but thought you might be sleeping. They have 3 martini happy hour!"
So yeah. Like I said, my friends are pretty awesome. :)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
In West Philadelphia....
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
HUGE NEWS
Yeah, I know Obama is about to speak but...
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE JUST BEAT PITT
Yes, PC - who are 7th in the Big East conference beat Pitt who while number 4 in the conference are (or I should say were) number one overall!
AWESOME!!! GO PC!!
Sadly, I did not see the game, but my parents were sure to call me about it as soon as the final buzzer went off.
Tattoos tickle
The experience was great. I was clearly a little nervous. He asked if I had second thoughts, I told him "no, I want this". I had him replace the stencil as it was not quite in the right place, I mean I do need to be happy with the placement it will be there forever. Right before he put the pen on me I asked what I should expect. He said imagine if he had a hot regular pen, that's what it's like, that and sometimes it get annoying. I said good enough and it began. The description he gave was entirely accurate.
Oh, and I thought it tickled.
Honest to blog.
I was giggling.
The end result is wonderful. It is very pretty. And it has only been a few days but it looks pretty much healed. I'm excited about it.
My parents reaction wasn't as awesome as I would hope. Turns out my mother told my father that it was going to be very small and just three squiggly lines. Like that -->
Yeah... not so much. It is takes up about an area about 2 inches by 3 inches, which I still don't think is all that big but I guess I am comparing it to someone who gets their entire back done or a set of sleeves. The first comments that came out of their mouths were:
a) So you're done now? That's it, right? You now have one.
b) Why isn't there pus and grossness?
Oh my parents...
I will not be posting a picture of it on my blog. But if you see me and ask nicely I'm sure I'd be happy to flash you my hip :)
Fat Tuesday - Free Pancakes
Happy Fat Tuesday! At some point in my life I will make it down to N.O. for Mardi Gras. Today is a day of indulgence to prepare for 40 days of denying myself of something...I really should think about what I am giving up this year. (I'll be honest, I am terrible at this)
But anyway, this week is also Pancake Week. Who knew such a week existed? But since Fat Tuesday fell during this wonderful week IHOP is giving out FREE pancakes from 7 AM to 10 PM. I first found the article from a paper in Seattle, but by doing some searching I found a Boston publication as well, so let's keep our fingers crossed that the IHOP in the square is participating as I could use some fluffy goodness.
Oh, as a side note, while the pancakes are free IHOP does encourage donations that will go to The Children's Miracle Network that assists local children's hospitals. Last year they raised $875,000, this year they are aiming for $1 million!
Monday, February 23, 2009
ITS REAAAAAL
Ron Howard has confirmed that the Arrested Development movie is a go on the red carpet!!!!
I cannot, cannot, cannot wait for this movie. Michael Cera better get his ass in gear and be apart of this project. Without Arrested Development he would not be on the map.
One can only hope that there will be chicken impressions!!!
Oh lover boy...Come here lover boy
This movie is just such a comfort for me. Growing up every Sunday TBS would be showing either Ghost or Dirty Dancing in the morning. We would put in on while we waited for the football games to start up in the fall. At least my dad and I had an excuse to have it on from August to January...February - July not so much. My mom did not understand our love for the movie. Often she would come downstairs grab the remote off the couch and go to change the station. We would object and she would counter that we had already seen this movie 239492 times. Again we would object and she would return to the upstairs to watch her program. Ah memories
This movie is up there with Princess Bride. But the best part is that I don't need to own it, as it really is on all the time. If you haven't seen the movie, you really need to. It is clearly iconic -- I mean people reenact the final number at their weddings these days :)
Speaking of great first dances at a wedding. Here is the by far the best I've seen. I am sure you all remember this couple, they made it on Ellen because of this.
An Australian, playing an Australian, in a movie called Australia.
You can totally tell he is having a great time doing this. Who knew Wolverine was such a musical man! I know I love Hugh Jackman a little bit more. I wonder how this affects the man crushes that I know so many males have on him. Is this a pro or con?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Annnnnd I am spent. It's been a long day
* Jerry had a nice speech. Very short. Surprised by that. Oooo they just showed Heidi and Seal :)
* Thank you Hugh for quoting Audrey Hepburn.
* Had to plug Floyd in. He is getting a bit tired, as am I.
* I really need to start watching Bollywood movies. The dancing is so much fun.
* Umm just realized that the oscar statue is the "1" for the 81st award show. I have been wondering why they kept showing two big oscars on either side of an 8 and a small one. Clearly it is time for me to go to bed...
* Slumdog director is channelling Tigger. So cute!
* Yeah, I know that best actor, actress, and film haven't been announced yet but I'm throwing in the towel. Night y'all
Totally adore Will Smith
* I feel like I am competing against Perez Hilton (he is also live blogging)
* Side note, I feel as if my tattoo isn't even there. Where is the pain? (I will publish the second half of the tattoo adventure tomorrow morning - I am focusing on the Oscar's right now)
* "take Brad Pitt and turn him into a garden gnome" - Will Smith. Pricesless
* I had to reread my mom's letter. I figured I would introduce her to my blog. She told me my photo made me look strung out. thanks mom. I will try and change it tomorrow
* "oh boom goes the dynamite" - Will Smith. I may have to use this expression next time I flub my sentences.
* So it has been a year since my last Oscars, but did they always have presenters present at least two sets of awards each time? Or is this because of the recession?
* The weather thing on Floyd is telling me it is snowing back at the apartment...I hope it is lying to me.
* Slumdog just won for sound mixing. Is M.I.A. going to be preforming her song tonight? I know the Oscar people wanted her to, I am not sure if she agreed or not.
* Ok even Will thinks he has been presenting forever :)
* Slumdog won AGAIN. This guy is not running up to the stage, I assume his acceptance speech will not be him gasping for breath from the jog...
Supporting Actor
* Tropic Thunder? Yeah, I can't believe that Robert got a nod from that movie. I haven't seen it, but I feel like I need to now.
*Its the Heath Ledger nod. I have goosebumps. My body has such physical reactions to my emotions
* AND HEATH got the award. The bumps are now going nuts.
More Oscars
* Natalie Portman and Ben Stiller are presenting right now. I love that Ben has no problem making fun of Joaquin Phoenix...Is he there? I hope not. It would be awkward being the person sitting next to him. Note that I didn't say it would be awkward being him.
* Man, I want to go to bed (as I will be getting up super early so that I can drive back up to Boston from home) but I just can't stop watching...
*"Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" -- Kunio Kato, winner of best animated short. Did not see that coming and yet it was quite possibly the best ending to an acceptance speech ever
* I forgot how much I loved Pineapple Express. James Franco and Seth Rogen are such a great duo. Stapling a dollar bill to the others face???? teehee
* We are in the middle of the musical piece. Beyonce attempted to shake it while walking down the stairs. That was just an epic fail.
Oscars - yeah I watched them...at least the beginning
"The dance scene at the end made me want to run out and rent a week's worth of Bollywood movies." <-- This came from a great article on imdb.com about how to fake talk about the movies that were nominated in 2009 because, let's face it, no one saw them
Speaking of the movie, the cast getting interviewed was fantastic. First they spoke with the three sets of children and all just yelled over each other (I just watched ryan seacrest's interview them them - different than the one I saw earlier - and they did the same thing. They told Ryan the littlest couldn't speak English, he could at the other interview...it was just super fast and I couldn't understand everything with his excitement...) The adults were also grouped together. While they didn't talk over each other, it was hard to get them all around the mike. I hope the movie does well tonight!!
Lets look at some of the dresses first...
Marisa Tomei's dress was incredible. Did not know that she was nominated. I was watching My Cousin Vinny yesterday when I was in tattoo limbo. That movie is one of my all time favorites. That last scene with the "they werrr!" exclamation. I was wondering if she had done anything recently. Apparently she was a hooker in the Wrestler, and as I just learned, the Academy loves hookers.
Natalie Portman is in pink! She is so freaking cute, and small
SJP was stunning. Sometime she has questionable choices, but here, I loved her
Steve Martin and Tina Fey did an amazing job. If they could have hosted the Oscars the whole night would have been hysterical.
During Jennifer Aniston's presentation they cut to Angelina Jolie...how perfect.
Ok back to the Oscars I go....
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tattoo?
Feb 20th
4 pm - T minus 24 hours and counting. So excited, hope that I can finish getting through the work day
5 pm - Done with work for the week pack up with excitement that Friday is now basically over
5:20 pm - Arrive at Grendel's Den. Rationalized that there is no need to sit in traffic to rush home and just sit around the house. Instead, opt to join my lunch pal and her friends for a happy hour of sorts.
7:50 pm - Leave happy hour quite happy - please don't be alarmed, I only had two drinks. And began the walk home
8:05 - go into the house, collect up my laundry from the week (might as well get clean clothes) pack up some wife beaters and jeans, say good bye to the only roommate home and off to my car
8:15 - in the car and ready to cruise (subsequently hit EVERY red light between my house and the highway)
8:41 - call mom while driving. we chat briefly. she asks if I am really going through with this. I said yes. she tells my dad what we are talking about. I am informed that I just made my father groan.
9:49 - back in my hometown. as I pull into my driveway radio commercial about a tattoo parlour - fate
9:50 - text my friend that i am back we go back and forth setting the pick up times
midnight - calling it a night heading to bed
Feb 21st
9:30 am - woke up refreshed, showered, got dressed and welcomed the morning
10:30 - Drove over to CC for my bagel and coffee for breakfast. Stopped at CVS for some A&D ointment. It was actually kind of a pain in the ass to find. I completely gave up on looking for mild simple soap after scouring through all the overly fragrant stuff for 10 minutes. Hopefully I can locate some of that stuff later today.
11 - back at the house relaxing until the big moment
1 pm - talking to a friend on gchat I realize I don't have a camera. Damn
1:30 - get a call from the place - they have to push back the appointment to 8:30. Now I need to find something to do
3:35 - thinking how i should be on my way to Black Lotus and yet here I sit
6:21 - get a phone call letting me know the group tattoo is taking longer than expected may need to come in next week. I told the girl I drove down from Boston I need the tattoo done tonight or tomorrow. She puts me on hold. Says they will get back to me later tonight
7:40 - I get antzy and call over to the shop. Find out my guy is in the middle of a job will call me when he is done for an update.
8 - show up at my friend's house to continue with the wait
8:20 - Tattooist calls. He says he may be able to fit me in tonight, but it is doubtful. Definitely will come in at five on Sunday. Sigh
9 - Throw in the towel for tonight. Watch a Burn after Reading and hang out until 1 am...
May the adventure continue tomorrow
The Jelly Beans should have won
Tingles? Oh, it must be a Tumor.
Update: The metatarsalgia has hopped from the left foot to the right. I truly hope everything is fine by the end of the weekend. I miss my shoes. They are pretty. Currently I have some tingles up and down my calves. WebMD is suggesting a spinal tumor. Awesome. Yeah, I know its just nerves.
By 4 pm things should be back to normal...well as normal as they get.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dr Me Needs a Vacation
This morning I woke up with blood poisoning, diabetes, and shin splints. By the time I got out of the shower the diabetes had faded. Walking to work cancelled out the shin splints. But it wasn't until about 11 am when I was certain that my blood is fine as the faint red line on my arm disappeared. (I guess there was always the possibility that I just slept on it funnily)
Ever since my father accidentally introduced me to it blood poisoning has become my default illness. What happened was that we were in Florida and there was some sort of red line on my shin. I asked him if thought it was weird. He sighed and looked down and suddenly became nervous. He asked me if it was raised, or if the line had grown. In a few minutes I was in a panic. My mother returned to the car (we were parked in a super market parking lot at the time) and as soon as she got in she could tell a crisis was forming. She asked what was wrong. I told her something awful had happened to my leg. She looked down and told me to wipe the ketchup off my leg.
It was gum.
Apparently it was so hot that I stepped in gum that became melty. It got stringy and somehow flipped itself onto my leg. Gross I knw.
Well, ever since then I have been on the look out for strange markings on my legs/arms. At this point I really should just bookmark the image that I use for reference when making a diagnosis.
The point of all of this is that I think there has to be some major stress in my life right now. Having that many sicknesses in one morning only shows that I need some meditation and relaxation my life. Oh did I mention that I suffered from appendicitis last night? I did.
Cheap Date - Always
Any ways, boston.com thought it would be good to clue in its readers to cheap dates in and around the city. Some of the ideas are really cute. I am impressed that they thought to include the cost of riding the T and buses. Good job! Particularly excited that the Museum of Bad Art made the list. While I have yet to peruse the gallery myself, it has been on my to-do forever. But hands down, the suggestion below is the destination for my next outing...just need to find the other half of my two-some. who doesn't love a mini sandwich?
Walk down Washington Street to Felt (533 Washington St., Boston, 617-350-5555, www.feltclubboston.com). We know - you think Felt is a dance club. It is. From Tuesdays through Fridays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., it also offers complimentary pool and 2-for-$5 mini-sandwiches, each of which, we're told, is about half the size of a regular sandwich. Selections include cheeseburger, veggie burger, and pulled pork, all fully dressed and served with fries.Side note: Musak (company that owns elevator music) declared chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. How will the nation continue without those wonderful slow jams???
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Two-Bites of Heaven
I was in the grocery store this past week and saw a package of them on the shelf. They are still just as tasty, and as I sit on my couch watching some well deserved tv, I find myself thinking back to those nights. It's always nice to find another comfort food.
Figures this post comes after I figure out my butt is back....
False Hopes Turned Amazing Find
You may be thinking to yourself, why is she telling me this? This seems sad and pathetic. No. The closer inspection to my shape gave way to a fantastic find! My butt is back!
When I was home for the holidays my family and family friends all told me that I was getting skinny. I started to look at myself in the mirror and realized that while the number on the scale wasn't much smaller than before, my shape was definitely changing. I immediately saw that my butt was fading away. My butt and I get along great, especially on the dance floor. It shakes - a lot.
You can understand my concern. I considered lunges to get the glutes back into shape and at least bring the butt up a bit. But I never followed through with that.
However, it would appear that somehow the universe got back in order all on its own. I may even be able to take back the title of "big butt" from my sister - granted I tried to push it onto her and no one else took the bait but now I want it back. Yay!!! Can't wait to hear Apple Bottom Jeans to celebrate!
Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut
Last night was girls night out with some of my kickball teammates and few bonus extras. We went downtown for girly drinks at Flash's - which personally, I think they could have been a bit stronger - but were super tasty and went right on down. But we had drinks such as The Assassin, The Loosey Goosey, and The Twisted Sister (group favorite). Me and the Cap't were the first to arrive. Nothing makes you feel cooler than being one of two people sitting across from each other at a table that could easily seat 10. Whatever. We sat there with purpose and got a headstart with the drinking, ignoring the skank eye that was being thrown our way for those first 30 minutes by a table of six.
Eventually the rest showed up...yes girls night was supposed to start sometime between 7 and 7:15 so they were ontime, we were just obscenely early. We all had a great time catching up. Most of the group is in school together, but being in class is not the same as being at the bar, bar is definately better :)
One thing I did learn last night is that while February is the shortest month of the year, it is also the busiest and most eventful. Everyone at the table needed this night to blow off some steam - everything from work, classes, writing for journals, or taking crazy makeorbreak exams...oh and let us not forget that there are weddings to be planned! Good night gals. Can't wait to do it again.
Mini-Milestone
That is right folks. Sometime this week I had my 500th hit! Go ME! Hope you keep reading. This has been a super fun project!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Mayo Clinic works for ME!
While using the web to research my current foot ailment I found this article that informed me that
a) high heels by definition must be at least 2 inches tall, and
b) the healthiest shoes for women are those with fairly wide heels that are no more than a half or three-quarters of an inch in height - aka boring
The article does give me hope in that I do not need to completely give up my shoes as long as I alternate them with flats - done and done. Furthermore, and here is the exciting part, panty hose can cause just as much damage if not more to your feet! Hells ya. I hate those things. Pretty tights with no feet - well that is another story completely. :)
WebMD - not helping
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom of appendicitis is belly pain. Many people feel the first pain near the belly button. Then it moves to the lower right side of the belly. But the pain can be in different parts of your belly or even on your side or back. The pain may get worse if you move, walk, or cough. You may also have a fever or feel sick to your stomach.
Sometimes the only symptom is a general feeling of not being well and a pain that is hard to describe. The pain in your belly may be different than any pain you have had before. It may be severe. Or it may not seem like a very strong pain, but you may have the feeling that something is wrong. Trust your instincts.
Because the diagnosis is not always easy to make, it is very important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you have symptoms.
In some cases, appendicitis does not cause any symptoms except for belly pain. If you have moderate belly pain that does not go away after 4 hours, call your doctor. If you have severe belly pain, call your doctor right away.
Really?? Belly pain. A pain that may or may not be severe. Come on! I'll have to keep an eye on this...
Random Fact Thoughts
Is it bad that when I read this random fact the first thing I thought about was, that is awful that they had to remove his shoes, I hope that doesn't happen to me...not that is awful that he was STUFFED into his coffin.
eeek. priorities
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Don't be Dissing RI
The article did provide some insight, for instance, I had no idea that other parts of the country would be confused if I asked for an elastic instead of a rubber band. Which makes me wonder what else I say that would confuse an outsider.
A few months ago I was informed that I have the strangest accent, that it was a bit of everything: RI, Boston, NY, southern, etc. Again, didn't think I spoke funny, what do I know... One girl in college loved the way I answered the phone because I would just string "ohheyhowreya?" in one big string with a huge inflection at the end. I would try and suppress it but then couldn't figure out how to say hi and just ended up stuttering a greeting. Oh well...
Conclusion: Rhode Island may have gotten the snub with this article, but know what, Boston can keep their frappes...everyone knows a good cabinet goes the best with a grinder :)
BBC book list
The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.
How do your reading habits stack up?
Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
2) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.
3) Star (*) those you plan on reading.
4) Tally your total at the bottom.
Here's the list:
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (*)
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien ()
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte ()
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (x+)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (x)
6 The Bible (parts - hey it is long)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte ()
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell (*)
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman ()
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (x)
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott (*)
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy ()
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (*)
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare ()
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier (x)
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien ()
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk ( )
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger ()
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (x+)
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot ()
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell ()
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (x)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens ()
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy ()
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (*)
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh ()
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky ()
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (x)
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll ()
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (x)
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy (*)
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens ()
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis (x so i didn't read ALL but i did read most so i will also put *)
34 Emma - Jane Austen (* i did do an entire final paper on this one without actually reading it)
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen ()
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (x)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (x)
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres ()
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (x)
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (x)
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell (*)
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (x)
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (* up in the air about this one)
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving ( )
45 The Woman in White - () author??
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery ()
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy ()
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood ()
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding ()
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan ()
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel (x)
52 Dune - Frank Herbert ()
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons ()
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (*)
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth ( )
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon ( )
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (x)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley ()
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon (x)
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (x )
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (x)
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov ( *)
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt ( )
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold ()
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas ()
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac (*)
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy ()
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding ()
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie ( )
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville (x)
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (x)
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker ()
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (i am not sure if i did read this one)
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson ()
75 Ulysses - James Joyce ( )
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath (currently reading )
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome ()
78 Germinal - Emile Zola ( )
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray (*)
80 Possession - AS Byatt ()
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens ()
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell ( *)
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker ( )
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro ( )
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert ()
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry ( )
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White (x)
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom ( )
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (x)
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton ( )
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad ()
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery ()
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks ( )
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams ()
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Toole ( )
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas ()
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (supposed to but never did)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl (x)
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo ()
24 bitches! Put that in your pipe and smoke it :P
Nuvo Ring is for Size 2 Only
But really, larger people are not on tv - except if there needs to be a sassy/funny man. Great example of this is the Nuvo Ring commercia (which was playing during one of the commercial breaks). You know the "monday-tuesday-wednesday-thursday-friday-saturday-sunday-again" commercial. There are 28 ladies swimming together in a circle and not one of them is larger than a size 2. All of them look fantastic. There are no blemishes. I'm relatively certain that over-weight, blemish filled women also have sex and would need the pill. Let them be in the commercial!!!
I dunno...every so often I get on a kick like this, you know, have real women on tv, in magazines, etc. But eventually fashion week or something comes along and I go back to staring at the models in the pretty dresses and simply don't care that they are under nurished and need a doughnut.
Monday, February 16, 2009
In need of a Sugar Daddy
So if anyone knows an eligible millionaire, send him my way. I could use the wardrobe pick-me-up :)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Other B Necklace
Did anyone else notice that Anne Boleyn sports the same necklace as Betty Suarez?
I just watched The Other Boleyn Girl. Decent movie. Anne Boleyn was quite the woman. She impressed me (minus that particular piece of jewelry)
Strawberries and Martinis
We went out to Thayer St for Valentine's Day (we being me, a friend from high school and her roommate) and had drinks at Andrea's - a great Greek restaurant. I can't actually speak for the food beyond the Greek French Fries that I ate, by myself. They were very tasty. The drinks were superb! I got a Berry Martini which was garnished with a whole strawberry. At first, the drink didn't seem so potent, but by the time I got to the bottom of the glass my head was a little fuzzy to say the least. The roommate had a mojito and when she returned from using the restroom let us know that we would definitely feel the drinks when we had to stand up.
She was right. teehee
But the evening was super fun. To be completely honest, while we were gabbing I forgot that I was supposed to be depressed being single. The restaurant was filled with people, but not just couples, big groups of people. It was a great place to hang out for the evening. I'm glad I came home for the weekend.
Random aside: The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection had a a number of amazing dresses. My favorite (and by favorite, I mean the one that I would most want to own and would honestly find an excuse to wear out) would be Betsey Johnson's dress. It is a classier version of the pink dress that I tried on Charles St. A small part of me would love to stop by the Betsey Johnson store on Newbury just to see if I could wear a version....
Um Tori, what possessed you to pose like that?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
21 years of Devotion
I have been going to my hairdresser since I was four years old - so yes, he has seen me in my most hideous stages of life. Going to him was easy when I lived with my parents and when I would come home from school break. Now I travel from Cambridge to southern RI every time I need need a cut and highlight, I realize this is not the most sane decision. Fortunately for me I am a very lazy female and only make myself do this once a year.
My appointment was for 1:30 today and I spent a good 2 hours in the salon talking with my stylist. During the two hours we talked about life, love and happiness. He is kind of a like a guru for me. Our birthdays are 363 days and 19 years apart, we are both Capricorns and have a common interest in astrology. Now, I feel like I need to point out that he is very straight, very big, very tattooed, very Italian and rides a motorcycle to work in the summers. Our conversation was very enlightening this afternoon, I left feeling like I had a fire lit under my ass again and am ready to do great things when I head back up to Boston on Monday. It is always weird to see who or what can motivate you. This spontaneous hair cut was really what the doctor ordered.
During our time together he let me know that he recently started going to church every week. He suggested that I should think about it as it has helped him clear his head. I think I will take his advice and head over in a few to the five pm mass. Maybe time in church will be good for me...
UPDATE: I stopped at the ATM to get money for the collection plate, made it to the church BEFORE five so that I wouldn't miss anything and saw that the parking lot was already full. Then I noticed people coming out. Yes, I forgot that in the church schedule changes for the winter season, mass was at 4. FML
Friday, February 13, 2009
How Could I Still be Single?
Another Valentine's Day is around the corner and while there is no valentine in my life currently, there are plenty of venues advertising themselves as a way for me to find one.
So I have already admitted to having used a an online dating site. I'm not quite ready to pay for it, and have used a free site. Turns out that most 55 year old men think I look rather charming. It is kind of a disaster. There maybe a time I cough up the dough...
A couple of people I know how talked about speed dating, we all think it would be funny but most of my friends are in relationships and I could not keep a straight face if I was by myself. I must admit it some of these sessions are very tempting. Although, personally I hoped there would be a Gold-diggers one, 45+ men, 25-30 year old women.
Virgin Airlines has an awesome thing going. The seats allow for you to "strike up an electronic conversation with other passengers by sending seat-to-seat text messages or joining a chat room. Both methods use the touch screen monitor and the QWERTY keyboard remote control that pops out of the armrest" I hope to fly out to CA for a long weekend sometime soon, maybe I'll be fortunate enough to get a flight text. Mile high?
Even the ads on the side of my facebook page are trying to help. Today it offered me a way to find "Single? Meet 1000s of black singles in your area today at Blackpeoplemeet online dating." and "Meet single, verified millionaire men who are looking to date classy women. Join MeetingMillionaires for free. Date a 10!" It's nice to see that there are so many options for a gal like me. Oh well.
Hope everyone has a great v-day!
Fortune Cookies
"You have a remarkable power which you are not using"
"You will be reunited with old friends"
"You are free to invent your life"
"Action takes precedence over words. Can you do it?" - this one is particularly amusing if you know my current work sit
But really, these are pretty awesome statements. They are firing me up! These next few weeks should be interesting. I hope to take advantage of any and all opportunities that come my way.
BoooHAHAhaha
It is FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH! and a super cool person's birthday (no not mine but that was a good guess) So in honor of the day I've thrown together some fun facts. Enjoy!
*In 2009 we will have three of Friday the 13ths: February, March and November!
*paraskavedekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th
*The fear of Friday the 13th stems from two separate fears -- the fear of the number 13 and the fear of Fridays. Both fears have deep roots in Western culture, most notably in Christian theology.
Thirteen is significant to Christians because it is the number of people who were present at the Last Supper (Jesus and his 12 apostles). Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th member of the party to arrive.
Christians have traditionally been wary of Fridays because Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Additionally, some theologians hold that Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit on a Friday, and that the Great Flood began on a Friday. In the past, many Christians would never begin any new project or trip on a Friday, fearing they would be doomed from the start.
*Both Friday and the number 13 were once closely associated with capital punishment. In British tradition, Friday was the conventional day for public hangings, and there were supposedly 13 steps leading up to the noose.
*On a Friday the 13th in 1306, King Philip of France arrested the revered Knights Templar and began torturing them, marking the occasion as a day of evil.
*Friday the 13th was first released in 1980 and has been redone (because as we all know the movie production studios can't think of a new story line to save their asses) and will be released today!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Don't you just HATE pants?
Senior year of college I may have attended a pant-less party or two or four... Over the past few years I have evolved from a girl who just wore pants (no shorts for me, I look ridic in them) or capris to a girl who owns more summer dresses than my closet can really hold. Granted if you saw my closet you would know that isn't a major feat -- but it is still a staggering collection nonetheless. The big draw to dresses for me is the fact that I am pretty lazy when it comes to getting dressed. Personally, I would prefer a nudist approach to life, but the general population around here would frown on that, and I would never be able to sit on public transportation... So the one garment outfit it is!
Wednesday was a beautiful 50-something degree day. Today, was another warm day, not as sunny but still warm. I thought to myself let's take the plunge and I wore my first dress of the season! It is a lovely silence & loud cotton jersey number. The length is surprisingly long (for me), but the top, well, it is kind of all over the place. Fortunately, my bras are all very pretty so I don't mind that the dress occasionally shows it off. Yes, I did wear leggings as I'm not that delusional about the temperature.
I saw that the temp is going to return to the 30s for the next week or so...I am very glad I made the choice to put on the dress. Dresses really just make me happy :)
I can't believe it's not butter
Fabio is on Top Chef New York. Last night was the final challenge before the semi-finals. Fortunately Fabio made it in!
It is just so sad that he is married and we have never met. I feel like I could make him happy. I wonder if he has a single brother back in Italy.
Yeah, this post had really no other purpose beyond giving me an excuse to find an image of him
Age of Aquarius
So I thought I would begin to consult the heavens above and see where they point me in finding love, relationships and friendships. Currently we are in the age of the Aquarius...teehee. So I consulted a few sites and found the following:
When Capricorn and Aquarius join together in a love match, they tend to bring out the most positive attributes of one another. Capricorn is a more cautious, rational outlook on life, while Aquarius is insatiable, fostering an idealistic approach to nearly everything. On the surface, they may seem like total opposites, but once these two set eyes on one another, an unbreakable bond is formed.Interesting... I have a few friends who I feel this way about - I should double check their birthdays! :)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Que Sera
Pandora gets me through the day. Last semester my amazing intern gave me a CD of Girl Talk. Great group. They were to play in the Quad but got shut down...que sera (haha)
But anyways, I made one of my Pandora Channels based on Girl Talk. This song "Que Sera" by Wax Taylor comes on often. I really like it. I youtubed it so that I could post it up here and found the following video. It is awesome. There were long versions, but this one has scenes from Metropolis which is a movie that I had studied in my Film class Senior year of college. The movie was made in 1927. It is a sci-fi movie set in 2026...soon we can see if the screenwriter was accurate! The film is obviously a silent one, but it was full of great visuals.
soooo not pants
TIGHTS.
We all can agree that leggings do not equal pants. Well, tights are even less pants. She wouldn't walk around in a button down shirt with bare legs out in public. What makes it logical that one can walk around in a shirt and TIGHTS.
I do understand that I walk around in the summer in the shortest of dresses, but at least I am wearing something that is designed to cover both the top and bottom parts of my body. A shirt is not a dress and tights are not pants so we clearly have a problem.
Oh man, I totally just found the best blog...leggings are not pants
Gummies
Peach rings. VERY tasty
Green frogs. While I actually prefer the blue sharks, the green frogs are fine substitute.
The ever classic sour watermelons. I find that while they are small, you still don't want to have too many in the bag. It will throw off the balance.
Finally, I chose to throw caution to the wind and go for the sour grapefruit. Such a pleasant surprise! Considering the fact that I have never eaten a real grapefruit, the flavor is one of my favorites. If you've never tried them, you should get the Vitamin C Halls Defense lozenges. Citrus flavored! AMAZING :)
The City is Playing with My Emotions Here...
Now there are some crazy intense potholes in this area. You may recall the one down by JP that took out nine cars in one evening. Well you can be excited to know that the city is actually doing something! This morning on boston.com there was an article on how the city is working towards fewer potholes. The best part of the article is the interactive map that lets you mark up potholes that haunt you...don't even kid yourself, I have already marked at least 3.
I dream of a day that I can zip through the surrounding neighborhoods without fear of damaging yet another tire, because wait, I've patched 2 and busted one in the last year and half.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Happy People Just Don't Shoot their Husbands
At this point I would say I have become one of the regulars...we all have a great time pretending we are one of the pussycat dolls :) The sass level is astronomical in there. Oh man, jazzfunk is wonderful.
Side note: This is good, you really want to continue with this story. As I was walking to class from work I was stuck behind this couple with a kid in a stroller on Mass Ave. An orange piece of thin rectangular plastic was dropped and the kid immediately let the parents know she wanted it back! The woman quickly picked it up and handed it to her. The woman than said "God forbid she looses that straw". The man immediately followed with "oh great, and right back into the mouth it goes". I honestly laughed out loud. One big HA! Part of me wanted to turn around end let the parents know that dirt is good for their kid, but decided against that one. I mean I had just laughed at them.
Votes Please
Vote HERE for "Do the dam thing"
THANKS :)
Best Instructions
* Do not punch holes in your ID card. You cannot punch holes in your card, bend your card excessively, or use your card for unintended purposes (including as a door jamb or window scrapper). I mean an ID card is the perfect shape and size to help scrap my windshield after it has been snowing and freezing for 24 hours.
* Keep your ID card out of direct sunlight and away from other heat sources such as a clothes dryer. This makes me wonder if the card is made from plant materials. The Credit Union gave us pens that had the same warning because they were made from plant matter. Those pens are AWESOME. This ID card seems to be just high maintenance ...
* Do not put your ID card on stereo equipment, computers, or near any magnetic fields. The pamphlet also warned me that I cannot let it come in contact with keys, change or other objects. This makes me very concerned. The pamphlet suggests keeping it in a protective card sleeve, I wish they provided me with one... This is quite possibly the most delicate card ever!
Given that I loose my card on a semi-weekly basis and often chuck it into the abyss known as my work bag, I'm going to guess I will be needing to replace this thing before the month is up!
Defining Art
"I'm sure a lot of people look at these charges and consider them kind of trivial, but this is not a trivial issue," said Anne Swanson, who cochairs the Graffiti NABBers for the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay. "Here we spend $1 million a year cleaning up the mess that thousands of people leave behind and we're supposed to pretend this is a higher level art form. . . . The stuff we're removing doesn't appear to be art. It's just pure vandalism."
Her argument regarding what is art kind of annoys me. Personally, I love the traditional stuff and will admit that often the modern stuff leaves me confused. But, I have come to terms with the fact that art is something that is truly hard to define. I'm sure you all remember the elephant dung ball art pieces of the early 2000s. Yeah...I really do have a ridiculous memory.
I like his style
Again, let me be completely honest, I had the broadcast on, but I was chatting with people online and with my roommate in person and missed a bulk of what was said. But I did make sure to review it all this morning. I read articles on boston.com and nytimes.com.
While it is small point to make, I found it the fact itself unnerving, but the concrete example helpful, when
the president pointed out that the country lost 598,000 jobs last month alone - approximately the total number of "every single job in the state of Maine," he said - and the jobless rate shows no signs of slowingThe state of Maine! Eeesh. This is a time that hold onto one's job as tightly as one can... Please let me stay away from the unemployment line!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Career plans. I need them
Am I invisible?
<---- coolest new tights (by music legs). yes this time those are my legs. =) they are reversable (which i discovered when I finally used the bathroom at today at 4:50 pm -- we are not going to even begin discuss the fact that I suffer from severe dehydration on a fairly regular basis) and while they are clearly two different patterns in real life, it was hard to capture it with the photobooth function on my mac
I <3 U.O. U.O. <3s Block Island
I cannot wait to wear it, please let the weather get warmer faster!!!! But really don't you think it's cute?
Well today's email was featuring clothing inspired(?) by Block Island Ferry. Who knew Rhode Island was so fashionable. I mean the Cape has a style, the Hamptons have a style, but Block Island? Again, I say who knew. The description of the line is "Nautical Stripes, Chambray, Plaid, Straw Fedoras, Round Sunglasses, Woven Sandals, Boat Shoes" This doesn't sound like Narragansett's style and I kind of always make Block Island an extension of our town, but whatever things change.
Speaking of clothing, while waiting for an AWESOME coffee date on Sunday I went into some chic boutique on Charles St. There I tried on a dress that most looked like something Yizhak wore during the final scene of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. If you are unsure what that means, see below for a sneak peak, but do yourself a favor and rent the rock opera.
Basically the dress just covered all my lady parts. The sales woman neglected to give me the heads up that it was designed for someone much shorter with a much smaller torso. There was no way I could ever bend over to pick something up. Additionally, while the thing fit like a glove once it was on, i basically had to dislocate my shoulder to get the thing over my head as there was no way in hell that fabric was going to give to make it over my hips.
Sometimes I don't know if the men of this world realize what we women do for fashion. Because let's be honest, even though it was quite a trick to get it on, had this dress had another inch or so of fabric, it would be hanging in my closet hoping for a reason to be worn...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Really, $500,000?
Throughout the article he quotes prices as they relate the the individual's life. I understand that co-ops are very expensive to own and maintain. But really, I am supposed to feel sorry for the family that wants keep on a nanny for $45,000 and send their child to private school that costs $32,000/student? The article continues to say that in order for the child to stay competitive in the school, tutors are a must, and SAT prep tutors will be needed as well costing the family about $3,175 for 30 weeks. Maybe, the kid isn't smart enough to stay in the school he was bought into and should go to a less intense institution where he can actually survive on his own?
The article continues on with costs of maintaining the second home in Southampton (mortgage payments annualized to $240,000) and the necessary two family vacations for about $16,000. The costs of drivers, chauffeurs, and personal trainers all go into this huge equation that ends with the notion that in order to keep up this lifestyle the man of the house needs to be pulling in at least 1.6 million. Oh did I mention the reporter added in $35,000 for the wife's ball gowns because she will go to about 3-4 of them in a year and she couldn't bear to wear the same dress twice!
One interesting point is that:
a nonprofit research group in Manhattan, estimates it takes $123,322 to enjoy the same middle-class life as someone earning $50,000 in Houston.I don't quite understand why the reporter threw that fact in there as he is not defending a middle-class lifestyle. Beyond that, he seems to be defending the idea that these individuals shouldn't have to cut back because their lifestyle has become their identity. Perhaps the current situation should make the exes look back and reevaluate their priorities? Or at least understand how the rest of live...
Once shame on you, Twice shame on me
I bought it
I read it.
I enjoyed it.
I won't even kid myself by attempting to state that I will avoid the next two books in the Twilight series. I am a grown female who could now carry on a conversation with tweens everywhere.
At least there are only TWO more...