May 27, 2004
Barbie's Here
Barbie came to visit last night. She was so excited that she talked almost non-stop. Which is probably what made Tia uneasy. Barb was totally ready for some kitty love but it seems Tia wasn't in the mood to give any. So she sat there and hissed a lot. By the time we went to bed, she warmed up to her. This morning, she even sat on her lap. But when Barb picked her up and tried to kiss her, she got all hissy again. Weird cat.
Today, Barb is headed to the Worcester Art Museum then meeting us for lunch at the Sahara. I gave her directions to the Higgins Armory so she'll have something else to do before we meet up at the mall this evening. I promised Amy that I'd make sure she got bras that fit properly, so we'll be in Lane Bryant for a while. Once we get home, I need to make a Margarita Cheesecake and Steamed Pork Buns. It should be fun, especially since Barb isn't too keen on baking.
Posted by criminal at 10:26 AM | Comments (1)
May 26, 2004
Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale
Victoria's Secret just kicked off one of its great semi-annual sales. And I could kick myself because I bought two bras earlier this month when the new store opened at the Burlington Mall. My very first Victoria's Secret bra had just given up the ghost and I no longer had a washer and dryer in my apartment: I was in serious need. So I spent nearly $70. I always figured that having smaller, more normal tits would mean I'd spend less on bras. I pictured cute, tiny little bras that come in under $10 a piece. But it turns out that the best bras are still $34 a pop. Except when they're on sale for $25. Maybe I could use a few more...
Posted by criminal at 12:05 PM | Comments (4)
May 25, 2004
Pixel Blocks
I want a new hobby. Like making digital stained glass out of Pixel Blocks. It's like legos, but more fun.
Posted by criminal at 12:04 PM | Comments (1)
Whoa
Liz and Jeremy are married. As in Liz is now known as Elizabeth Hitchcock. It's going to take my mind a while to wrap itself around that one, no matter how long I've seen it coming. I can only imagine what it feels like for them. The wedding on Saturday night was pretty informal and comfortable. I think we were all pleasantly surprized that it started on time. Liz broke with a lot of conventions, but the end result was a happy couple surrounded by happy guests, so it worked out for her. It was impressive, considering they had about a month to throw the whole thing together.
Posted by criminal at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2004
Five on Friday for May 21, 2004
1. Three inventions you consider to be ingenius... smoothie machines, remote keyless entry, and vegetable peelers (because I'm not that accurate with a real knife)
2. Three words or phrases you use often when speaking... Yeah. Welcome to the club. But [insert something contradictory here].
3. Three lessons you've learned the hard way... Bills don't really pay themselves. Friendship and sex are a volatile mix. You're never as safe as you think you are.
4. Three things you have done in your life that you regret... 2002 (except December, when I got my boob job). Interning for three years at Compaq/HP and learning next to nothing. Creating my own doomed IQP.
5. Three pet peeves... Tags sticking out of shirt collars. Improper punctuation. Messed up wedding/baby registries.
Try the new Five on Friday!
Posted by criminal at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2004
What a Gas
Gasoline today is no more expensive today than it has been for most of the postwar period, and it is considerably cheaper than it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. So say an article on Boston.com. And it's exactly what I've been saying for the last few weeks. We've been so spoiled by the counter-inflationary growth of gasoline prices in the last decade that we don't realize how good we have it. I understand that we're spending more this month than we were last summer, but that's the way things happen in the volitile fuel market. Media outlets are billing it as a crisis and hyping it into something much bigger than it is. The overall trend isn't so bad. We're not paying more than we were 20 years ago. And don't even get me started on what the rest of the world pays for gas. I may not enjoy dropping $25 every time I fill up, but I realize it could be much worse.
Posted by criminal at 02:18 PM | Comments (2)
Twice As Nice
Last night I saw Shrek 2 with the BRH and LOH. It was just as good as the first. The comedy was right on, the voices were terrific, and the animation was even better than that in the original. Go see it now!
Posted by criminal at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)
Incompetence
For about fifteen hours, the homepage of our website announced that graduation would be held this Sunday. That wouldn't be bad, except that our commencement takes place this Saturday. From the time I posted it at 5:30 last night until the Provost called this morning to have Amy fix it, there was a blatant and disgraceful error on our homepage. I feel terrible because I put it there.
The features in University in Focus are supposed to be refreshed every Wednesday morning, and the job usually falls to me. Last fall, I worked out a process with the marketing department because we were having trouble getting UIF up on time. In this process, they were supposed to send us the proofread features by Tuesday afternoon so that we could have plenty of time to get them ready to go for Wednesday morning. It worked for a few weeks. Since then, the features have often been late and unedited. When they send me the latest UIF, I assume that it has been edited and proofread. I understand that nobody is perfect though, and things slip through. But we've caught so many errors and typos before we publish it online that I've lost track of the number. This time, I didn't catch it. To be fair, if this had been some event other than Commencement, I wouldn't have even known the date was wrong. And that's the whole point. It's not our job to double-check facts and smooth rough grammar. We aren't editors, merely publishers. And if I'm being forced to do those things because of someone else's incompetence, why aren't I being paid part of their salary?
Posted by criminal at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2004
Music to My Ears
Amy is blasting Beatles. Jake has some MTV type playlist on, which isn't usually a problem for me. Troy has something else on, but I can't make it out over the other two. The general cacophony is the only part I object to. I'm fine with music in the background, but the little snippets that keep popping up during lulls in the other song is distracting. Any of them on their own would be fine. And I swear its all getting progressively louder. Now I know why Liz liked those damned sound-blocking headphones so much.
Posted by criminal at 03:59 PM | Comments (2)
Marriage
I forgot to mention how excited I was yesterday that Massachusetts started giving out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. I just hope that we, as a nation, start to recognize the civil unions they are entering into the way we recognize all others. I heard the term "gay marriage" over and over again yesterday, but it never sat well with me. I wasn't able to explain why until I heard Andrew Sullivan speak on Scarborough County [Full Transcript] while flipping through the channels last night:
It‘s not gay marriage. It‘s marriage. The licenses today do not distinguish between gays and straights. Gay marriage ended today.
That's the whole point of this movement and of the civil rights movement as a whole: that we're all equal in the eyes of the law and should be afforded the same rights and protections as such. There shouldn't be separate civil institutions for heterosexual and homosexual unions, just as there shouldn't be separate schools for black students and white students. When I get married, I want to know that the only thing that sets my union apart from any other is what we bring into it.
[Read Sullivan's article in Monday's New York Times...]
Posted by criminal at 11:09 AM | Comments (2)
May 17, 2004
Colonial House
I just finished watching the first installment of the PBS reality series Colonial House and I have to say I enjoyed it. I've already warned Jon that I would consider signing us up for something like that. It would be like reenactments, but even better because you're actually living the life. I think it would take me a while to get used to being filthy, but I could do it. And it would be fun.
Posted by criminal at 10:24 PM | Comments (1)
Monday, Monday
Why do I always forget to post on Mondays? I guess it doesn't matter, but I do have updates to make: Barbie is in Massachusetts, Jon is back from Toronto, the CCAC is finally done and launched, and I have clean laundry. Oh. And I wrote this journal entry.
Posted by criminal at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2004
Saturday Night Live
If John Kerry is elected, SNL will need to hire somebody else to play him. Seth Myers just doesn't get it done.
Posted by criminal at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)
May 14, 2004
That Thyroid Thing
When my doctor had my bloodwork done a couple months ago to check for problems related to my IBS, she noticed slightly abnormal levels of TSH. So we sheduled a follow-up test for earlier this week. I got a call this morning from one of her nurses explaining that it was still not in the normal range and that the doctor wanted to have it checked again in six weeks before she tries any sort of treatment. The damnest thing is that I can't remember whether she said the levels were above normal, indicating an underactive thyroid, or below normal, indicating an overactive thyroid. I guess I can call and find out or wait until the results are mailed to me.
Posted by criminal at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)
Oh Canada
Jon (and Steve) left for Toronto this morning. They're following the Sox for a couple days. That leaves me Jon-less for the weekend and I don't know what to do. Except for a couple business trips and trips home, I've spent every weekend with him for over a year. It feels kind of weird. Even more strange was the dream I had last night about engagements and rings and Radio Shack.
Posted by criminal at 11:23 AM | Comments (1)
Harry Potter and the MBTI
Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.
Posted by criminal at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
May 12, 2004
Kitty Style
I had so much fun creating a completely new look for the book club site that I decided to launch my own redesign. It's been ready for nearly a year, but I just hadn't applied it. So here it is, my Tia-inspired design.
Posted by criminal at 06:47 PM | Comments (2)
May 10, 2004
Loquacious
From the department that insisted on a bright, hip design and color scheme to be more appealing to potential undergraduates:
The students who come to WPI... are academically accomplished. WPI provides an environment where they can grow, not only in their chosen technical discipline, but also personally, with a keen awareness of the global and social consequences of technology and the insepararbility of technology and humanities. The students avail themselves of innumerable opportunities and activities outside of their discipline such as athletics, music, community service, student government, and clubs to prepare themselves for life!
The original intent was to be conversational yet informative. How many teenagers do you know that talk like that?
Posted by criminal at 03:15 PM | Comments (3)
train wreck
I got a big chain around my neck
And I'm broken down like a train wreck
[Lucinda Williams, Can't Let Go]
Posted by criminal at 10:22 AM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2004
Something Fishy
At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, for the first time in over ten years, I ate fish. And not just any fish: raw fish. After breaking down and ordering the wood grilled salmon at Legal Sea Food, I threw caution to the wind and tried a piece of the tuna sashimi appetizer. It wasn't fishy at all, just incredibly tender with the consistency of filet mignon. Just a small slice, but a long-standing principle broken. Add to that the salmon filet. It wasn't bad, but I didn't really like it very much either. I don't think I'll be adding fish to my diet on a regular basis, but I am no longer as afraid of it.
Posted by criminal at 10:43 PM | Comments (2)
May 07, 2004
Book Club Related Quiz
You are Freeze. Michael's partner in crime. You helped him kill his drug dealer and helped him get away with it (for a while). You were kinda the "normal" one in the group. You never really went along with all of the drastic make-up and costumes. You did maybe once in a while, but not on a regular basis.
Which one of Michael Alig's Club Kids are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Posted by criminal at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)
Good Deed For the Day
Earlier this evening, I got stuck behind a student driver. They were handling traffic pretty well, but I noticed that one of their tail lights was out. The number for the driving school was on the giant yellow sign on top of the car, so I called it. The guy who answered was a bit surprised, but quite thankful to get the news.
Posted by criminal at 08:49 PM | Comments (0)
CafePress Fun
Troy led me on a tangent this afternoon. He and Justin were trying to brainstorm slogans for T-shirts in the SocialWeb CafePress store. So we started looking at the different items and stores. Next thing you know it, I've stumbled into a den of distraction:
- The folks at ChristArt have made it clear that they've closed their minds to rational thought. Still, ignorant people make some of the most unintentionally funny shirts I've ever seen.
- Then there's fun and fanciful art that just delights the eye. It's like Anne Geddes, but more serious and refined.
- Don't you think that every little child needs a witchy little bib or pagan onsie. I was also amused by the Pentacle Flag shirt which carries the original Pledge of Alleigance written in 1892.
- And because "Miss Poppy Dixon's Christian Panties make you feel God all under," everyone needs a thong that declares Abstinence Sucks.
Posted by criminal at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)
No Friday Five
Friday Five is gone. Kaput. No more. It has been officially disbanded due to high bandwith usage. How am I going to waste time on Friday afternoons from now on? This is a sad day in blogging history.
Posted by criminal at 03:33 PM | Comments (2)
May 06, 2004
I'm an Atheist!
Which Enemy of the Christian Church Are You?
Take More of Robert & Tim's Quizzes
Watch Robert & Tim's Cartoons
Posted by criminal at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)
Tabled
I found a kitchen table at Goodwill last night. And it only set me back $25. The surface of the oval-shaped walnut(ish) table is in good shape. The legs are a little dinged up, but nothing that a coat of paint can't fix. I picked up primer and a quart of brilliant turquoise at home depot. I can't wait to get it fixed up and functioning in my kitchen.
Posted by criminal at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)
May 05, 2004
Get Fuzzier
Bucky and Satchel are now available as plush toys. I'm excited, but somehow they aren't as cute as I had hoped.
Posted by criminal at 04:40 PM | Comments (0)
Watch the Spoon
A great joke I just had to share...
Last week, we took some friends out to a new restaurant, and noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket. It seemed a little strange.
When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I noticed he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around and saw that all the staff had spoons in their pockets.
When the waiter came back to serve our soup I asked, "Why the spoon?"
"Well," he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired Andersen Consulting to revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15 man-hours per shift."
As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace it with his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right now."
I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the same string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right there?"
"Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so observant. That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time in the restroom. By tying this string to the tip of you know what, we can pull it out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39 percent."
"After you get it out, how do you put it back?"
"Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I use the spoon."
Posted by criminal at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
Goin' Buggy
I woke up this morning because my right ankle was just twitching with itches. When I started scratching, I just kept finding more areas that itched. In my groggy state I didn't think much of it. By the time I got in the shower, I realized that the itchy spots were actually bug bites and that they wrapped around my ankle and up my calf. As I was getting dressed, I noticed more on my other calf and ankle. For a brief moment I thought they might be hives. But they were far too small and appeared before I had a chance to ingest any real allergens. They look like flea bites actually. But since I haven't noticed Tia doing any scratching (other than the doors) I doubt that's it. The bumps still itch a little and the thought of little biting bugs in my bed makes my skin itch all over.
Posted by criminal at 09:47 AM | Comments (0)
May 04, 2004
The Right Tools
For the last couple years, I've been trying to make investment purchases for my kitchen. I want to collect the right tools, not necessarily the cheapest tools. In theory, they'll work better and help me more. As an example, when I needed new kitchen scissors last month, I spent a little extra to get a sturdy, long-lasting pair. The same idea drove last summer's purchase of a springform pan with bundt insert from Pampered Chef. Unfortunately, I hadn't had an opportunity to use it until tonight. (I have used Jon's in the last year, interestingly enough.) I'm trying to make Emeril's Pear Tarte Tartin Cheesecake for Nick's birthday. It starts with a layer of pears in a light caramel sauce and finishes off with a rich cheesecake. I buttered and lined the pan and started layering things in. Everything was fine until I put it into the oven. As the thick sauce started thinning in the heat, it started leaking out of the pan and into the bottom of the oven, immediately burning and smoking up my apartment. So I put cookie sheets under it to catch the drips. I had to drain them when they overflowed. In short: the leaks are creating a giant, sticky mess. I'm hoping there will at least be a little of the sauce left in the bottom of the cake when it's done. I expected my pan to perform much better than this. In fact, I'm sorely tempted to return it.
Posted by criminal at 11:12 PM | Comments (0)
Spare Sox Tickets
Jon and Steve have a pair of tickets to the June 24 game vs. Minnesota that they won't need while they're in California. They're asking $39 a piece, so if you want 'em, let me know. Oh yeah. I suppose I should also tell you what kind of seats they are: Section 8, Box 94, Row RR.
Posted by criminal at 08:46 PM | Comments (2)
Dress Up for Grown Ups
Jon's cousin Chuck is getting married on the family farm in August. It seems that the happy couple is into Civil War reenactments. So the wedding will have a mid-nineteenth century theme. Guests have even been invited to dress the part. It's like dress up for grown ups. I've already started collecting a few ideas for my own clothes, as well as a few for Jon, Steve, and their parents. With just two or three patterns and 20 yards of fabric we'd be in excellent form. For myself, a plain skirt, shirt, and petticoat with a button blanket dance shawl and moccasins. Jon's mother could wear a variation on my dress in a different fabric. His father is a southerner, so perhaps a uniform of some sort. I could really get into this sort of thing...
Posted by criminal at 03:19 PM | Comments (3)
May 03, 2004
Disconnected
Isn't it funny how you want something the moment it's out of your reach? Our connection to the outside world went down for a while this afternoon and I was lost without it. All of a sudden I needed to check the weather to see if it would continue raining. And my web site. And the news. And everything else just outside of our network. It may seem petty, but we really have come to depend on being connected.
Posted by criminal at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)
Sick Again
I appologizing for not writing sooner, but I just haven't had the time to write about all of the things I need to write about. It seems like the moment I start to do anything, like leave for work, unpack a box, or kiss Jon, my body is wracked with a coughing fit. Being sick just seems to suck up free time. It's in my sinuses, so unless my ears start to hurt, my chest starts to really rattle, or this misery continues past Wednesday, it's not worth going to the doctor. Although my Aleve Cold and Sinus isn't working very well, I have found some relief in Robitussin's Honey Cough Herbal Almond cough drops. Now that I look at the package though, it recommends using one to two drops an hour for only two days. Guess I'll have to find another remedy.
Posted by criminal at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)