August 31, 2003
Dream Dictionary
So I did a little research into my dreams. I don't really care about them, but I think they're fun to decypher.
Sailing: To have a dream where you are sailing on calm waters show that you will have an easy time of it as you strive to make your fortune. A beautiful sail full of wind shows that you will be free from poverty and much misery. If you are on a small vessel this shows that your desires will remain modest and not beyond your means of earning them.
Bachelor (ie: Sam): A woman dreaming of a bachelor denotes a loss of innocence and purity. If you dream that a friend or a lover is yearning for you this suggests that you will soon be getting a long wanted proposal and your happiness is assured.
Walking on the beach: Washing the feet denotes freedom from worry. Wading in clear water is a very good omen as it shows luck in all you are undertaking. Muddy water is a sign of bad luck, illness, or losses in love and money. To dream of playing in the water foretells a wonderful love affair. If the water is murky the affair will be violent. Water is: Cleansing. Life. Emotions. Ask yourself about your current feelings.
Eating crocodile: If you see the crocodile dead then your success' will be many, and beyond your wildest hopes. Eating is: Satisfaction. Pleasure. Happiness is assured.
Family/Friends: A dream of a mother is usually a dream that foretells a happy conclusion concerning a love interest as a mother represents love, protection, and nourishment of the body or the spirit.
Posted by criminal at 12:17 AM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2003
Friday Five for August 29, 2003
1. Are you going to school this year? Yes. I'm taking a graduate management course to complete my degree requirements.
2. If yes, where are you going (high school, college, etc.)? If no, when did you graduate? Yet again, WPI.
3. What are/were your favorite school subjects? I'd have to say English. It was interesting and really easy.
4. What are/were your least favorite school subjects? Math, and only because it had largest amounts of pointless homework. Why waste your time solving 40 equations when four would do the trick?
5. Have you ever had a favorite teacher? Why was he/she a favorite? Mr. Ferriby was one of my favorite teachers. The first year our school tried a combined American History/Literature program, he got stuck with the rejects and a two AP students that couldn't fit the honors style class into their schedule. So, he made American Literature more than a study of the classics. It was about life, politics, religion, and everything else that makes America different. The literature was almost secondary. Kids that hadn't been interested in school for years actually participated in his classes, and I liked that. For the first time, literature had a real context for me.
Posted by criminal at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2003
Dreams
I had an interesting dream last night. It took place in Maine, where I was hanging out with Eric and his family. We start out sailing on what has to be the Heritage because Sam, the Captains, and the rest of last year's crew were there. Caitlin was there too, for what seemed to be a pretty normal trip. The first interesting bit occured when Sam started behaving the way he has for the last few years; he would barely acknowledge Caitlin and whatever other girls he was fooling around with while devoting most of his attention and time to me. On one of the trips, he walked along the shore with me, shunning invitations from the others. He talked incessantly about his life plans as we walked, wrapping his arm around me. And for the first time, it really bothered me. I could see the whole picture and it made me sick. The pity and concern I had always felt for him was gone. At that point in the dream the heritage was replaced by a smaller, faster boat made of a dark, rich wood. I spent the rest of the trip watching from the bow as Caitlin and the others argued and swooned over Sam, laughing to myself the whole time. The second interesting thing happened after we docked, in what might have been a second dream. We sat down to dinner where we were joined by my mother, sister, Nikki, and Jane. Sam kept at his shenannigans, but I felt myself unaffected by them. What got to me was my family. They refused to eat some of the food (crocodile specifically), hated the lobster, and didn't want clam chowder. My mother babbled on about how I was born during a storm on the sea and that it was the essence of my character or some silly thing like that. For some reason, I was mortified. That hardly ever happens with my family. So what does all of this mean?
Posted by criminal at 12:51 PM | Comments (1)
August 27, 2003
In the Park
I forgot to mention that Kevin Millar hit an in-the-park home run last night in the ninth. And yes, it counts. So even though the Sox lost, I won a wish. Woohoo.
Posted by criminal at 11:57 AM | Comments (4)
geek
I feel like a data conduit. [LizESC]
Posted by criminal at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)
Better Already
Its amazing how a little hard work can make you feel better. I washed a bunch of my nasty dishes (containers I had left in the WDO fridge) after a bit of CNN. Now I feel like I've gotten something done, even if it was small.
Posted by criminal at 09:59 AM | Comments (0)
August 26, 2003
Gripe, Gripe, Gripe
I feel like all I'm doing today is complaining. I haven't gotten the chance to post about my great weekend or Jon's great birthday, so its seems very unbalanced. I guess its more important to get these types of things off my chest than to babble on about what I did last weekend. I swear, good stuff is happening. I'm usually just too busy enjoying it to write about it.
Posted by criminal at 11:41 PM | Comments (0)
Techie Feud
My first Techie Feud was pretty neat. We had a few technical difficulties at the beginning, but I think the students enjoyed it as much as we did. Its a spoof on the Family Feud for New Student Orientation. The basic idea is to get the students to answer questions about the IT Department (what buildings have public labs? what kinds of activity violate the AUP? what can you borrow from the library or ATC?) without lecturing them. I think it works fairly well, although we could use a script to explain answers that didn't make it onto the board. And honestly, the shirts were a bit disappointing. They're short-sleeved, button-downs (denim for administrators, sage and cream for students) that the kids (and I) probably won't wear very much.
Posted by criminal at 11:37 PM | Comments (0)
Friday Five for August 22, 2003
1. When was the last time you laughed? Just a couple hours ago while talking with Liz about work stuff.
2. Who was the last person you had an argument with? It wasn't heated, but there some arguing with a girl in the Admissions Chat tonight that I just couldn't deal with. She made bad generalizations and generally just annoyed me.
3. Who was the last person you emailed? Probably webmaster/webwork. I really don't remember.
4. When was the last time you bathed? Early this morning.
5. What was the last thing you ate? A couple of Liz's Milky Way popables.
How would you answer the Friday Five?
Posted by criminal at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)
No Shot
Due to some discrepancies in my medical records (read: the due date for my Depo Provera shot that my old doctor wrote on my chart was different from the date on my little reminder card) I have to take two pregnancy tests and abstain from sex for at least a week. I scheduled an appointment for the second week of my two-week window and went through all the trouble of getting proof of the date of my last shot (the little reminder card wasn't enough) only to have it not matter. My new doctor went by the renewal date on the chart (the start of the window), rather than the actual date of my last shot. So technically, the shot shouldn't have worn out yet, even though the new doctor is proceeding as if it has. The extra appointments are a pain, but the worst part is that while I'm waiting for the tests the shot will actually lapse. I really don't want to know how that might affect my body.
Posted by criminal at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2003
The Big 2 7
Happy Birthday Jon!
Posted by criminal at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2003
Family News
I really should talk to the family more often. I usually chat with my dad on the phone every other week or so, but I've been waiting to call on his birthday (tomorrow). Missing out on a lot of important family news and gossip make me feel even further away. Today I got an e-mail from my cousin Christina announcing her plans for a wedding on May 22, 2004. Although the rumors since she had her first baby this spring have suggested that a wedding was imminent, it was a surprise to me. I'd really like to make it home for it, but at this point, I don't know if that will happen. I wonder what else I'm missing...
Posted by criminal at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)
Parking
Grr. I got a parking ticket this morning. At 8:50. If I'd managed to get myself out of the house a little earlier, I wouldn't be grumpy because of a stupid sticker (or lack there of). See, we're technically supposed to have resident permits to park in our neighborhood. Since they're not big on ticketing, I figured I'd wait until I got my registration and liscence all sorted out. Why are they bothering to ticket during the day anyway? Its during the late evenings that we have problems with nonresidents cluttering up the area. There's always overflow from Eddy's on the weekends - why don't they ticket then? Its a kick in the pants that'll make me get things taken care of with my car -- just not the kind I wanted.
Posted by criminal at 10:27 AM | Comments (0)
Viral Infection
I'm sick of this virus. I left work after 6 last night. When I checked my email again this morning, I found nearly 3300 virus messages in my junk filter. That's not counting all the ones that my filter didn't catch. And the five that have come in since I started writing this post thirty seconds ago. Jon was at work well after 9pm trying to deal with this stupid virus and all of the problems its causing. It makes me feel bad for complaining about all the junk mail I'm getting when he's busy dealing with broken networks and production problems.
Posted by criminal at 10:15 AM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2003
Extra Exclamation!!!
From a conversation I had this afternoon:
There are too many !s in the what's new section. Maybe the new generation likes them, but i picture some hyper-perky, all-caps using, squeaky-voiced woman in bright clothing reading it me. You know, one of the ones that's pumping herself full of drugs to stay that happy.
Posted by criminal at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)
For the Little Girl in All of Us
Good for you! You are a simple bride!
What Kind of Bride Will You Be?
brought to you by Quizilla
Posted by criminal at 08:52 AM | Comments (0)
Flat
I had a flat tire this morning. Well, maybe not flat flat, but it had very little air pressure. So I could drive, but I didn't want to take it to work like that only to have the tire lose what pressure it had while sitting in the parking lot, leaving me stranded with a flat flat tire. So I pulled into the service station that's about 100 yards from my apartment and dropped my quarters into the air machine. It took me nearly ten minutes to fill the damned thing up, not counting the time I took to check the pressure on my other tires. And it was the tire with the yellow stem cover, which means that I've probably put a lot of air into that particular tire because I lost the original cover. I'll check it again when I go home. I guess I should really find some new tires...
Posted by criminal at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)
For the Little g
Posted by criminal at 06:48 AM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2003
Back to the Gym
Let's face it: I can't keep eating like I'm active if I'm not active. I'm still gaining weight, even after trying to cut back my caloric intake. If I keep going at this pace, I'll be back to 300 pounds in a year's time. And I don't want that to happen, so obviously I need to get serious about it again. And that means going to the gym again, not just talking about it.
Posted by criminal at 01:46 PM | Comments (2)
Teething
I'm like a cranky baby today because I'm teething. I'm tired and irritable, just because my wisdom teeth have decided to break through a little more skin. They're almost always swollen and inflamed -- they're nearly impossible to clean properly and my body gets tired of fighting infection 24-7. But now its worse because the teeth are on the move again.
Posted by criminal at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)
The Great Cover-up
Disappointed with the selection of slipcovers at Target, I chose a Classic Flannel cover in Camel from SureFit online for $140. I was reluctant to pay that much, so I kept looking. So I tried Bed Bath and Beyond and Linens 'n' Things. Just as I was about to give up and leave LNT, I spotted a clearance rack. There, on the bottom shelf was a camel-colored SureFit slipcover. In flannel. And just $75. A matching pillow was $7.50 instead of $17.99. So I snatched them up and headed off to the fabric store to continue the cover-up job. There I bought a bunch of stuffing and some wonderful black magnolia fabric to make pillows. I made two bolsters for the sofa and a ball-fringed pillow. I also recovered the old loveseat with the dark grey suiting fabric I bought over a year ago. The end result is what looks like a whole new living room.
Posted by criminal at 09:36 AM | Comments (0)
Blueberry Fields
Jon and I picked blueberries Sunday. Not only did I get to pick my favorite food fresh from the bush, we had a beautiful day to do it. I don't know how many I ate in the field, but we brought about four pounds home. Although I prefer them plain, the blueberry crisp I made for dessert that night really hit the spot. And the blueberry shortcake I brought in for breakfast yesterday was a hit. Joan even gave me a recipe for Blueberry Cloud. I'll have to try it once I get more blueberries -- I've eaten all of mine. (I gave Jon at least a pound to take home.) Maybe I'll attempt it after the blueberry festival at Charlton Orchards this Saturday. Anybody want to go?
Posted by criminal at 09:15 AM | Comments (1)
August 15, 2003
Leave Well Enough Alone
I started playing with the site this evening and screwed up a few things. For one, the titles aren't displaying properly because I decided to get all fancy with them. Secondly, the journal link on the side is busticated, at least for me. It keeps leading back to whatever page I'm on, instead of index.html. Finally, the stylesheet is still being a pain in all other browsers. I swear I'm working on it -- but I'm getting to be a bit of a burnout with all the development I do at work. So, for the time being, you'll have to grin and bear it.
Posted by criminal at 04:59 PM | Comments (0)
Friday Five for August 15, 2003
1. How much time do you spend online each day? Ugh. Do I have to answer? My new job has me online for at least 6 hours a day. And I get online at home to talk to Jon, work on my site, and read work e-mail (read: junk mail) for another 2-4 hours. So I'd estimate 7-12 hours a day. Which is sometimes way too much.
2. What is your browser homepage set to? www.wpi.edu
3. Do you use any instant messaging programs? If so, which one(s)? I use AIM, usually with AIM+ to add a few extra features.
4. Where was your first webpage located? www.geocities.com/Vienna/1811. I created it in 1996 and up until a couple years ago, it was still floating around pretty much unchanged.
5. How long have you had your current website? I've had Criminal Grace for a little over a year now. It grew out of Gray Matter, which I started on the WPI servers in 2001.
Go on. Answer your the Friday Five for yourself.
Posted by criminal at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2003
inside
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
not fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
[e.e. cummings]
Posted by criminal at 02:24 PM | Comments (0)
Dragon Ass
That's me. I stayed up too late last night reading. I could've been watching the Red Sox (and Millar's amazing homerun in the 7th inning) but I just couldn't stop reading In Her Shoes. And now my ass is really dragging. I wanted to take a tiny nap on the couch, but Mike is over for a meeting, so that's out of the question. I guess I'll have to wait until after work.
Posted by criminal at 02:17 PM | Comments (0)
Inside the Actor's Studio
How I would answer the Bernard Pivot Questionaire if I were ever interviewed
by James Lipton on Bravo's "Inside the Actor's Studio" (courtesy of Amy) :
What is your favourite word?
debauchery
What is your least favourite word?
The word hate is fine, at least until its paired with the letter I. As in "I hate..."
What turns you on?
Confidence. Creativity. Fresh blueberries. Oh. And big, muscular men waging modern battles with primitive motives on the turf.
What turns you off?
Fish. Lack of empathy. Inflexibility. Disdain.
What sound do you love?
Those tiny sighs and moans people and animals make when they're content.
What sound do you hate?
Its that damned hate word again. We should really start fining people for overusing it. But, back to the topic: I dislike the sound of trapped things: bugs in windows, puppies in cages, etc.
What is your favourite curse word?
Shit. Its so fun, even if not as versatile as many others.
What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt?
Counseling. Teaching. Farming.
What profession would you not like to participate in?
Hot dog packaging. Fishing.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
"This is a hallucination caused by social pressures. In reality, the particles of your body are returning to the whole. There is no you. Only all."
Posted by criminal at 01:36 PM | Comments (2)
Questionaire #4
My family has been circulating one of those e-mail questionaires, so I finally caved in and answered it. You can read my answers here.
Posted by criminal at 10:42 AM | Comments (3)
August 13, 2003
My Salvation
Our living room has been saved - I purchased a couch at Salvation Army today for $80. Liz and I snagged it and got take-out from Pho Dakao during our lunch break. Its a decent, modern couch with very clean, squre lines. The upholstry is a bit dingy, but its nothing a little slip-cover can't fix. We liked it. And, after much confusion (and bickering) we arranged to have Jeremy and Tom help us pick it up when they drop Tim's old sofa off at the Donation Center.
Posted by criminal at 01:18 PM | Comments (1)
August 12, 2003
Corsetry
You're a 50's corset. You'll poke someone's eye out with those babies.
What corset are you?
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Posted by criminal at 09:58 AM | Comments (3)
August 11, 2003
Gotcha!
Amy's baby shower was a success. She was sure it was going to be next weekend, so we caught her off guard when she showed up at Higgins House to deal with a phony LnL emergency. The look on her face when she realized just how deep the conspiracy went was priceless. She got lots of great stuff for the baby, including three diaper genies. It should keep her busy until the next shower.
Posted by criminal at 09:01 AM | Comments (2)
August 07, 2003
Six Months
Jon and I went on our first date six months ago today. The time has flown by - it seems like he showed up on my doorstep in the middle of a snowstorm with a case of Wachussett Blueberry Ale just last week. Yet I feel like I've known him much longer than six months. And I couldn't be happier.
Posted by criminal at 10:47 AM | Comments (2)
August 06, 2003
32 Hours
The first Pats game of the year is on ESPN Thursday night at 8pm. That's just 32 short hours until the start of my football obsession. You better believe that the Red Sox take the back seat to football.
Posted by criminal at 10:52 AM | Comments (3)
August 05, 2003
The Pay Off
Jon always offers to swap innings in our little Millar deal because I've collected zero Millar cards to his five. I decline everytime, figuring that he'll start spitting them out in odd innings the moment I switch. That has all changed. In the bottom of the 3rd, Millar came to the plate two on and two down to knock one over the Monster. I'm downright giddy. Now the hard part will be figuring out what to use my wish for. Any suggestions?
Posted by criminal at 07:24 PM | Comments (2)
August 04, 2003
Family Reunion
I went to Jon's family reunion Saturday. We drove up to Maine with Steve early Saturday morning to meet his parents before going over to the park. Jon was really worried that his family would be weird and scare me away. I'm not quite sure why he was so worried because they were great. Normal even. Quite a few already knew my name and introduced themselves before Jon had the chance to make the rounds. Apparently one of his cousins was tempted to miss a trip to Katahdin so he could meet me. We played horseshoes and took lots of family photos. After the reunion we met his Aunt and Uncle and their grown kids for dinner at Cook's on Bailey's Island. It was great - worth cramming ourselves into the back seat of his parents car for the three-hour round trip. I think I even remember most of the names I learned.
Posted by criminal at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)
Bring Your Pet to Work Day
Because Amy brought Meeko the other week, I got to bring Tia to work on Friday. I can't say she loved it, but she wasn't a nervous wreck either. She spent most of the day squeezing herself between the wall and the cubes or trying to break into Amy's box of toys. There were a few too many distractions and new things for her to be as friendly as she usually is, but she was very well-behaved. I might have to do it again on some Friday when Troy is out.
Posted by criminal at 08:40 AM | Comments (0)
August 01, 2003
banana
That clarifies why he was licking me and calling me Chiquita... [Bucky, Get Fuzzy, July 31, 2003]
Posted by criminal at 01:05 PM | Comments (0)
The Rising Cost of Car Ownership
I forgot to mention that I also need to officially move to Massachusetts. That means transferring my title and driver's liscence, and buying Insurance. It also means getting my car inspected and registered. I hope to have it all taken care of by the end of the month.
Posted by criminal at 09:57 AM | Comments (1)