April 29, 2005
Jesusland
Parking lots
cracked and growing grass you see it all
from offices to farms
crosses flying high above the malls
A longer walk
through Jesusland
[Ben Folds, Jesusland]
Posted by criminal at 5:54 PM | Comments (0)
Up, Down, Up, Down
My server was down again this afternoon. Just as I tried to post my Five on Friday. This time the CyberPixels site was down too. I bothers me, but not as much as it used to. Now that I know I'm switching hosts and have a full backup of my site, it's just annoying.
Posted by criminal at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)
Five on Friday for April 29, 2005
1. What is your definition of 'healthy eating'? According to your definition, do you eat healthy? A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and lean meat is what I consider healthy eating. There's room in there for indulgences like chocolate and potato chips, as long as they're in moderation, like everything else. I'd say I fit that bill 80% of the time. I'm not as consistent with fresh fruits and veggies as I would like and when something tastes really good (be it strawberries or chinese food) I tend to eat beyond the point of satisfaction.
2. Do you exercise on a regular basis? What is your favorite form of exercise? Least favorite? I don't anymore. I used to go to the gym three times a week and do yoga or Tae Bo twice a week. And I walked more. It's hard to get back into a regular routine though. I think I'd have to say that weight-lifting is one of my favorite forms of excersize, closely followed by yoga. I hate running just for the sake of running. Even at the peak of my fitness a couple years ago when I could leg press more than 500 pounds and ride a stationary cycle for an hour I was never comfortable running more than a mile. It's probably all in my head, but I blame the overabundance of fast-twitch muscle fibers I inherited.
3. Do you take vitamin supplements? I should, but I don't. I can never remember to take them.
4. Can you tell that your body is getting older? If so, how? I'm too young to feel old. But I do, particularly in my hips. They're still incredibly flexible, but they ache and crack more than they ever used to.
5. Would you call yourself healthy? Honestly? No, not anymore. It's amazing how much your health can change in two years. It's hard to get back into those healthy habits I gave up when I rejoined the working world. And my health has suffered for it. I'm working on it again, partly because I have incentive. If I get to spend the rest of my life with Jon, I want that life to be as long (and healthy) as possible.
Posted by criminal at 4:51 PM | Comments (0)
All In White
I know it's traditional to wear all white on your wedding day. And every bridal undergarment I've seen is white. But if I found a great adjustable long-line bra available in white and beige, would it be taboo to buy the beige? Something remotely flesh colored seems much more useful for those times I need a strapless bra and am not wearing a white wedding dress.
Posted by criminal at 9:43 AM | Comments (2)
April 27, 2005
Scratch That
Within three hours of setting up my GoDaddy hosting I have cancelled it. I am completely unsatisfied with the account management tools and pre-installed scripts. I am so frustrated right now.
Posted by criminal at 10:31 PM | Comments (3)
Book Club Site
Moving my site means losing my current MoveableType setup. I have to upgrade and that means not being able to host the book club site as it is now. The way I see it, we have a couple options. I can continue to host it, but no one else would have authoring privledges. Someone else could take all the files and try to host it. Or we could move it to LiveJournal, since we all seem to use that anyway. We could make it a little moderated membership community and post stuff there. The reading list could be in the community info or posts saved to the memories.
What do you guys think?
Posted by criminal at 6:58 PM | Comments (0)
Bye Bye Host
After another screw-up this afternoon I have decided to abandon my current web host (Cyber Pixels) for good. I would link to them, but they've been so terrible that I don't want anyone else to stumble upon them. As soon as I can download a backup and get a response from Go Daddy I will be moving the entire site over.
UPDATE: I did it. I have initiated a domain transfer and have purchased hosting with GoDaddy. This of course means access here could be spotty. And that I'll have a new installation of MT to deal with (including new features).
Posted by criminal at 2:16 PM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2005
Hic
I have the hiccups.
They're quite strong. And did I mention painful? I hope they go away soon.
Posted by criminal at 5:22 PM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2005
Fat Lip
My dentist appointment went just fine. They gave me a shot of novocaine in the jaw and when it didn't work, they injected something else right around the tooth. Oh boy, did that stuff ever work. Quick stuff too. Since my appointment was at 1, I postponed my lunch until after. By the time I got home around 2, I was starving. And when I say starving, I mean hungry enough to eat my own lip. With all the mouth-numbing stuff pumped into my nerves I couldn't tell that I was biting my own lip as I at my lunch. So in addition to being numb, it's now fat. I feel like such a dork. At least I managed not to chew on the side with the new filling.
Posted by criminal at 3:50 PM | Comments (0)
Pink or Blue
Ah yes, flowers again. With all the spring blooms everywhere, I can't stop thinkging about them. I still want to do my own flowers. Just without grape hyacinths. The drying experiment didn't go as well as I'd hoped. The poor things shriveled up and became so brittle that I couldn't pull them out of the silica gel without breaking off some of the little buds. So I'm giving up on them and moving to artificial flowers (with maybe a few real ones thrown in). I like the idea of doing them weeks ahead of time and not having to worry about whether I'll be able to find the colors and varieties I like when I get to Niagara.
I found these beautiful peonies and hydrangeas at Michael's this week and had trouble passing them by. I was inspired by a photo in a free local bridal magazine of a girl wearing a big, bold flower and sash around the waist of a simple gown. I immediately thought of the top contender in the gown race. It already has a flower at the waist. What if I replaced it with a pretty pink peony? And a slipped a matching peony in my hair? No boquet or veil necessary.
Then there are the hydrangeas, which are so beautiful and blue. They would make a great backdrop for whatever fresh white flowers I'm able to find. And I like blue. I like it even more than I like pink. Honestly, I used to detest pink. I went ten years without wearing any of it, until I found that Barbie pink nail polish a couple years ago... but I digress. I'm leaning towards the peonies, mostly because I like the idea of something very simple and striking. I would only need to fashion a pin and a comb out of one stem (highly economical at $2 for a large flower, medium flower, and bud). The hydrangeas would be perfect if I decide on a more traditional gown and veil. I think they both look pretty realistic, but I am still a fan of fresh flowers. Are there any big, sturdy flowers out there that would be available in mid-to-late August?
Posted by criminal at 11:47 AM | Comments (2)
Five on Friday for April 22, 2005
1. Do you recycle? If so, what materials? If not, why not? I do. It's the one thing I really like about being back in the city waste removal route. I recycle paper, plastic, metal, and glass. I even bring my bottles back to the store.
2. What is your car's gas mileage? Do you ever rideshare, bike, walk, or take public transportation? I usually get 28-30 mpg highway but an SUV-like 12 mpg in the city. That averages out to around 24 mpg, which is much lower than I'd like. I walk to work when I can. Today would've been a good example -- except that I have a dentist appointment, so I had to drive.
3. Do you buy organic foods? Do you ask for paper or plastic bags at the market? I buy some organic foods, but I don't make a point of it. I ask for paper when I need something to hold my recyclables and get plastic the rest of the time. Plastic bags don't bother me as much now that most of them are made from recycled materials.
4. What is your ecological footprint? 9. It's bigger than I'd like it to be, but there isn't a lot I can do about all the extra packaging that fills up my garbage basket or the lack of locally grown food at the average grocery store. At least I can put most of them in the recycling bin. I find that I generate about one Target-sized bag of garbage and paper sack of recyclables each week. I feel good that I recycle more than I pitch, especially since a fair amount of the pitch is food refuse (peels, seeds, etc). In an ideal world I'd be able to compost again and reduce my waste even more.
5. What should the United States be doing to combat pollution? Passing stronger environmental legislation. We're way too soft on CAFE standards (fuel economy). I mean, seriously. There have been only marginal increases in the last 15-20 years. We're going nuts over our dependance on foreign oil, looking for ways to get more out of our own soil. But what I don't hear enough of is how to decrease the amount we use in total. Wouldn't reducing the load by 5% be just about as effective as increasing the amount of American oil by 5%? I would also like to see more government push behind alternative fuels and hybrid cars. I want to buy one now, but there are only a couple available. And they're generally done to cars that already have acceptable fuel economy. I want a hybrid SUV or minivan and I don't think I should have to wait another year or two to get them.
I'd like to thank my own mother for teaching me about the importance of the Earth.
Posted by criminal at 10:31 AM | Comments (2)
April 21, 2005
Quiet Day
So far it's been pretty quiet around here. Just a few simple phone calls and a handful of e-mails. Troy and I took William to Moe's for lunch and parked in the secret parking lot behind the building while everyone else gave themselves heart-attacks in the packed front lot. Also, it's beautiful outside. Not hot like yesterday, but cool and sunny. An open window is enough to keep the office comfortable today. It would be nice if the quiet and comfortable weather would continue for a few weeks, but we all know that's not likely.
Posted by criminal at 2:56 PM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2005
Hungry
I just got incredibly hungry all of a sudden. Which means that the yummy Maple and Brown Sugar Frosted Mini-Wheats I had for breakfast aren't hearty enough. Granted, it is close to lunch, but since I started having Kashi's GOLEAN Crunch for breakfast a few months ago, I really haven't felt hunger pangs this early in the day. I flirted with plain old GOLEAN, but I really don't like the cardboard taste and texture. I was hoping to add the Mini-Wheats in for some variety. Maybe I need to throw in some yogurt in addition to the fruit I'm already having...
Posted by criminal at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
Today's Weather
The weather is supposed to be beautiful today. High of 84. It's not even 10 a.m. yet and the outdoor temperature is over 70. The indoor temperature is up to 86. I'm not sure I want to be here during the hottest part of the day, especially if the AC hasn't kicked on yet.
UPDATE: Shutting the windows and closing the blinds only made the heat more stifling. So we've taken drastic measures: the windows are open behind the closed blinds to help move some air. Both doors are open, with a large fan blowing cool air from the stairwell into the office. I already feel better, even if the thermometer hasn't moved.
Posted by criminal at 9:40 AM | Comments (1)
April 18, 2005
What Day Is It Again?
I know the calendar says it's Monday, but it certainly feels like it's at least Wednesday. Or maybe I just have a mid-week headache two days early. It's a shame too, because it's beautiful outside and I really want to enjoy it.
Posted by criminal at 4:43 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2005
Flower Power
While I was at the Wool Pack today trying to get a replacement screw for my swift and looking for sweet little indulgences for my secret pal a couple patterns on the front table caught my eye. Cute and sophisticated knit flowers called Meadowsweets. They're a creation of one of the staff members and form the basis for a quick (and an inexpensive $15) weekend class. They immediately gave me the idea to knit corsages for my wedding. Instead of real flowers that would wilt or silk flowers that would just collect dust, these little knit beauties could become heirlooms; pins that our mothers and grandmothers could attach to a purse, hat, or coat and wear for years. They're that nice. I just have to remember to sign up for one of the classes before it fills up.
Posted by criminal at 5:59 PM | Comments (3)
The Dress Hunt
I met Liz in Nashua yesterday to start the dress hunt.
Our first stop was Marry and Tux. I was at least 20 minutes late for my appointment (I got lost in Lowell after finding out my entrance to Rt. 3 was closed and trying to make my own detour), so I felt bad. But that went away once I went downstairs to look at the gowns. They actually had a few in my size range (still a couple sizes too small, but they weren't all size 10s) but none in my price range. I showed the sales woman pictures of the dresses I really like -- simple lace, v-necks, no beads. She pointed me in the direction of a few with lace (and loads of beads) and then nearly disappeared once she heard I would only like to spend $500 on my dress. She seemed annoyed when I would try on a dress and not like it. I'm not sure why she thought my tastes would change once I stepped into the dressing room. She also pushed me to order a gown immediately (read: that day if not later this week) if I wanted to get it by my wedding, even after seeing that I hadn't liked anything I tried on. I wasn't moved to tears by anything and neither was Liz, so we left. I have no photos to show for the ordeal -- they wouldn't let us take any photos unless I had put a deposit down on the gown we wanted to photograph.
Next stop, David's. I hadn't heard the best things about them, but they had some things I liked and were really nice to me. And, their gowns fit. I also liked helping myself. I don't care if someone is there to fawn over me, taking the gown off the hanger and tugging it over my head for me. As long as they're friendly, available to answer my questions and zip/tie/lace me up, I'm good. Despite my initial reservations, I ended up liking the gowns with shirring and gathers near the waist. The only unfortunate part is that the gowns I liked best seem to have cathedral trains, which I'm not keen on. There are still a couple more in similar styles that I didn't get to yesterday that I'd like to go back and try on in a few weeks (after I've lost another 10 pounds and gotten rid of some of the winter flab on my arms). I also tried a couple of the bridesmaids separates on a whim.
So, there isn't a dress yet, but I'm fairly certain I won't be making any purchases from Marry and Tux. David's can get me what I want at a price I like much more quickly. I'm thinking I might make an appointment at Pronuptia in Worcester just to see what they have. And I haven't totally dismissed making my own dress. That depends on whether or not I can find better lace than the stuff they carry at JoAnn's and how much it would cost.
Posted by criminal at 5:49 PM | Comments (3)
April 15, 2005
Five on Friday for April 15, 2005
1. What TV show have you seen every episode of? The closest I've come is Fat Actress, because I've seen five of the six episodes so far and the sixth is waiting on my DVR. I have also seen every espisode of West Wing and 24 this season, definately a first for me.
2. What show makes you laugh until you cry? Daily Show. Red Green Show. Arrested Development. Grace Under Fire. American Chopper.
3. What show do you wish had not been cancelled? I wouldn't say it was cancelled, because it was so long-running, but I really miss Rosanne.
4. What show do you wish WOULD be cancelled? Survivor. Will and Grace. Seventh Heaven (hasn't that family died yet?). Semi-Homemade Cooking.
5. Who is your favorite TV character, either past or present? Rosanne. Sophia Patrillo is a close second.
Posted by criminal at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)
April 14, 2005
Cookies
Cookie Monster was just featured on the Daily Show and now I can't stop giggling. Turns out he's going to consume cookies in moderation from now on. It's part of a whole healthy Seasame Street campaign. The image of Cookie Monster considering a plate of fruit has forever ruined a childhood icon. Not to mention making me want cookies and fruit.
Posted by criminal at 11:24 PM | Comments (1)
Your Linguistic Profile:
65% General American English
25% Upper Midwestern
5% Midwestern
5% Yankee
0% Dixie
What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
Posted by criminal at 9:14 PM | Comments (4)
April 13, 2005
Grape Hyacinths Abound
Hooray! On my way to the Campus Center I noticed a sizable patch of grape hyacinths next to Salisbury Labs. I'm thinking I'll help out the university by cutting a couple of the errant flowers growing in the lawn. If they preserve well, I'll look into getting a bunch in a more legitimate matter.
Posted by criminal at 3:17 PM | Comments (1)
The Wedding Details
Thanks to Jon's wonderful suggestion, we're in the middle of planning a very small wedding in Niagara Falls. Some might actually call it an elopement because it will just be us, our parents, siblings, and grandparents. The guest list is still in flux as we decide who else might be able to make it, but we're estimating 10-20 people. Right now, our target date is late August. We're still in the process of contacting and sorting officiants and locations. Hopefully things will start to fall into place over the next couple weeks so I can get into the details that I really enjoy.
Posted by criminal at 11:18 AM | Comments (1)
April 12, 2005
Calling All Gardeners
All this wedding planning has me looking at flowers. I decided that I would like to make my own bouquet, corsages, and boutonnieres both to save money and to have more control over the final product. OK. So it's more about the control than penny pinching. I can admit that.
In any case, I'm still trying to figure out what I'll be able to get my hands on later this summer. The problem is that I've totally fallen for grape hyacinths. I know they're a spring flower, but I can't help but want them. I haven't been able to find any artificial versions and I have yet to see them in gardens or flower cases in the area. I'm also not confident enough to try to force bulbs and grow my own. I've heard that they can be preserved, so I'd like to try that. So, if you have any cute little grape hyacinths popping up in your lawn that you wouldn't mind sharing with me, I'd really appreciate it.
Posted by criminal at 2:18 PM | Comments (5)
Secret Pal to the Rescue
After my lousy afternoon it felt really nice to come home to a package from my secret pal. She sent me some amazing looking tea in reusable silk tea bags, Sublime mohair in a firey red and purple colorway, and cute little catnip mouse for Tia (or Silly). Best of all was the HeartStrings Soft Cables Mobius pattern I've been after for months. As suggested, I think working on the mobius while sipping tea and watching my cat play will help me relax.
Posted by criminal at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2005
Fill 'Er Up
My jaw aches after today's filling. For some reason, I was nearly immune to the novocaine injections. I could feel them start to work in the back of my jaw, but they never quite made it to my lip. The dentist gave me four separate injections -- two before we started and two more halfway through. The first three went deep into the back of my jaw and weren't terribly effective. The last was injected into several places around the tooth in my inner gums, which completely numbed the left side of my tongue and some of my throat. We finished with just a few twinges of pain and saved the second tooth for later this month. The pain wasn't too bad, but the numb tongue was weird. I had some difficulty talking and swallowing once it fully kicked in -- I just couldn't control my tongue. Maybe the next one won't require quite so much needling.
Posted by criminal at 11:37 PM | Comments (1)
April 8, 2005
Five on Friday for April 8, 2005
1. When did you start your LJ? What was your first post about? January 9, 2004. My first post was about how I only created the account so I could read friends-only posts. Even now I only use LJ to read friends posts, join communities, and post LJ only quizzes. The journal you're reading has been around since September 2001, much longer than my LJ account.
2. How frequently do you read LJ? Do you ever lurk on your friends' Friends pages? At least once a day during the week and maybe once a weekend. I don't really lurk on other people's friends pages unless it has been suggested I read something -- like Troy commenting on Derek's latest Buick rant.
3. How frequently do you post? What subject(s) are most of your posts about? I try for at least once a day, but often miss the weekends and Mondays. Oops. Most of my posts are about what's happening in my life, which can be pretty boring, but it's a journal. What more do you want?
4. How many people have become your friends in real life after you met them on LJ? How many people on your Friends list have you never met in real life? I have met mom_almighty and 2_misters_mama after getting to know them through livejournal, but pretty much everyone else is someone I knew or met before I started participating.
5. Do you follow any non-LJ blogs? You bet. In addition to the ones in my menu, I try to read Dooce, Marmalade, ljcfyi, Yarn Harlot, Chic Knits, and Tenth Muse on a semi-regular basis. I'm sure there are a bunch more, like Jen and Helen, but I think I'd go nuts trying to list them all.
Posted by criminal at 4:47 PM | Comments (0)
April 7, 2005
Butterflies
you say the word you know I will find you
or if you need some time I don't mind
I don't hold onto the tail of your kite
I'm not like the girls that you've known
but I believe I'm worth coming home to
[Tori Amos, Sleeps With Butterflies]
Posted by criminal at 11:57 PM | Comments (0)
Lil' Flowers
I wanted to share these pictures of my cute little neighbors yesterday. The first couple sprouted up in the front lawn late last week. Now the whole lawn is peppered with them. It makes me want to squeal when I see them they're so cute. I hope they put off mowing the lawn for at least another week so I can keep seeing them when I leave everyday.
Posted by criminal at 12:26 PM | Comments (1)
April 6, 2005
All Gone
All of my entries from the last month are gone. As are all of the photos I uploaded. And the wedding site I started creating behind the scenes. Not to mention my e-mail. I should be able to add all the entries back in with the help of google's cache and my livejournal feed. The photos will need to re-uploaded. But everything else has been toasted.
Gone.
All gone.
Obviously, I am looking for a new web host. GoDaddy looks pretty good so far. They do daily backups. And the price is right. Any good/bad experiences with them?
Posted by criminal at 6:56 PM | Comments (1)
Backup? What Backup?
-----Original Message-----
From: CyberPixels - Emergency [mailto:emergency@cyberpixels.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 4:32 PM
To: Sarah
Subject: [emergency #HOY-22322-278]: Data Backups?
Hello,
Earlier yesterday (April-05-2005) your server, Bluesky, went down for a standard reboot after some essential security updates. The server did not immediately come back up online and so we investigated the problem at the data center level. The discovered problem was that the server would go down 1-5 minutes after reboot due to a kernel panic/failure.
After an OS (operating systems) reload the server was back up and online. We salvaged all backup user files to re-create each hosting account. The backups that we used were dated around late March, so there might be some data missing for you. We apologize for this but there was no other alternative as the server was only staying up and online after reboots for a couple minutes. The OS reload essentially wiped all data from the main drive thus we had to rely on the backup drive.
All websites are now up and online. Should you have any further questions or inquiries please do not hesitate to reply back to this Help Desk ticket or call our toll-free line at 1-888-539-1522. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Wolske
CyberPixels WebHosting
http://support.cyberpixels.com | 1-(888)-539-1522
Posted by criminal at 6:46 PM | Comments (0)
April 4, 2005
Word of the Day
de·mor·al·ize
tr.v. de·mor·al·ized, de·mor·al·iz·ing, de·mor·al·iz·es
1. To undermine the confidence or morale of; dishearten: an inconsistent policy that demoralized the staff.
2. To put into disorder; confuse.
3. To debase the morals of; corrupt.
The mood in the office this week is, shall we say, bordering on hopeless. Although a big hit with the faculty, staff, and students we heard from, our traditional April Fools Web site wasn't well received by several key administrators. I'm not privy to all the details, but I've heard enough to make me question the future of the WPI Web site.
Posted by criminal at 2:34 PM | Comments (0)
April 1, 2005
Five on Friday for April 1, 2005
1. How many people and pets live in your home? Just me and my devoted kitty.
2. How many rooms are in your home? Four? Maybe five if you count the little hallway/butler's pantry thing.
3. Is there enough room in your home to comfortable accommodate overnight guests? Hecks no. Maybe if I had a futon or sleeper sofa, but as it stands, they have to crash on the couch or sleep with me.
4. How close do your neighbors live? Do you know them well and are they welcome in your home? Considering it's an apartment, pretty darn close. Outside my building is an old house converted into a dorm, and an old house converted to a swank office building. I don't know any of the students or business people, but I do talk with the girls who live upstairs on a semi-regular basis. At least to swap cars in the driveway.
5. How often do you rearrange your living room? Once a year maybe? It's hard to guage since I haven't lived anywhere longer than a year in a while. But when I had the place on William street for two years Stacey and I rearranged the furniture every 4-6 weeks.
Posted by criminal at 2:39 PM | Comments (0)