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May 26, 2006

My ABCs

[A is for age]: 26
[B is for beer of choice] : Wachusett Blueberry Ale
[C is for career]: no career yet, but I am a Publisher Service Associate
[D is for your dog's name]: no dog yet
[E is for your essential daily item]: whole grain cereal
[F is for favorite song at the moment]: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall
[G is for favorite games]: Euchre, Floats
[H is for Hometown]: Flint, MI
[I is for the instrument you play]: basson, clarinet, trumpet, baritone/euphonium, trombone, guitar, zylophone, etc...
[J is for favorite flavor of juice]: cran-apple
[K is for kids]: n/a
[L is for last hug?]: Jon, Wednesday night
[M is for marriage]: August 20, 2005
[N is for name of your crush]: Silly
[O is for overnight hospital stays]: once when I burned my arm and again when my father suspected a repeat heart attack
[P is for phobias]: fish, falling, failing
[Q is for quote]: "A lot of guys think the larger a woman's breasts are, the less intelligent she is. I don't think it works like that. I think it's the opposite. I think the larger a woman's breasts are, the less intelligent the men become." Anita Wise
[R is for biggest regret]: not transferring out of WPI
[S is for status]: Married
[T is for time you wake up]: 5 a.m., 6:50 a.m.
[U is for underwear]: Cacique cotton high cut briefs
[V is for vegetable you love]: peas
[W is for worst habit]: running late
[X is for x-rays you've had]: Wrists just this week. Also chest, feet, hands, teeth, and head.
[Y is for yummy food you make]: Kibbeh
[Z is for zodiac]: Pisces

Posted by criminal at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)

Five on Friday for May 26, 2006

In Memoriam

1. Do you know anyone who died in service of your country?: No.
2. Memorial Day began as a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. Do you visit or maintain any gravesites?: No. My family plots are all in Michigan.
3. There are some people who believe Memorial Day should be returned to it's original day, May 30, instead of the last Monday of May. What is your preference?: As much as I like having a long weekend, I think the reason for the day would be better served by a day that isn't just a vacation.
4. After your death, how would you like to be memorialized?: With a piece of art somewhere. Maybe a statue in a park or garden.
5. What are your plans for this holiday weekend?: Nothing, other than staying home and catching up on my laundry and reading.

Posted by criminal at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2006

Streaky

Most of us rather like our cats to have a streak of wickedness. I should not feel quite easy in the company of any cat that walked about the house with a saintly expression.
[Beverly Nichols]

Posted by criminal at 03:42 PM | Comments (0)

Ode To A Cat

I think that I shall never see
A cat that sheds as much as thee
Thy fur that sticks is all around
On chairs, on mats in little mounds
I sweep the floor, you shed some more
I wash the rug and you just shrug
You should give thanks I tolerate that
Or you would be a crew cut cat.
[Marea Needle]

Posted by criminal at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2006

Brace Yourself

After getting in touch with my doctor last week, I've been prescribed wrist braces. I think the idea is to give my wrists a rest to see if that improves their condition at all. I wear them at night and they were OK during the day this weekend (except that I have to take one off everytime I want to use the facilities). This morning I'm finding out that while I can type with little difficulty, the bulk of the brace and metal support makes it nearly impossible to use a mouse.

I also have an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow for an evaluation. He just happens to be my doctor's husband and is located just around the corner from the apartment. I don't know what to expect, other than a lot of wrist prodding, but hopefully he'll have some good suggestins.

Posted by criminal at 09:55 AM | Comments (2)

May 20, 2006

Scrap-tastic

Amy and I went to the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention in Manchester today. From the moment we stepped in the door to the convention center, we were giddy. As we waited to purchase our tickets and sign up for a class, we watched row upon row of vendors, plying their wonderful wares. It was very nearly overwhelming. Papers, stamps, and embellishments as far as the eye could see.

I promised myself that I would look through everything before deciding what to get. I made it about two-thirds of the way through before I caved at the Ink About It booth. They're a fun little stamping and scrapping store in Westford whose greeting cards inspire me to no end. I picked up a paper punch and the makings of a tiny project for someone special. I saw a lot of other things I loved, but went back for just one paper pack from Crate Paper that I just couldn't get out of my head.

All the goodies aside, my favorite part was the class we took, Double the Fun With a Flip Flop Album. I just wish the class descriptions had been better or included a photo of the project, because I probably never would've chosen this one from the short description they originally had online. Luckily we saw a sample of the 6x6" accordian album at the sign-up desk. Despite the fast pace (which the instructors said was actually slow) I really enjoyed it. Especially the papers from Chatterbox.

Posted by criminal at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2006

Five on Friday for May 19, 2006

Book Worm

1. What was the last book you read?: Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini
2. What book(s) are you reading now?: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris and The March by E.L. Doctorow
3. Do you have a library card? Do you use it?: Yes, to both counts. I have a card for the Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell and I picked up both of the books I'm currently reading there. Even better, I got a notice that the book I put on hold is ready to be picked up.
4. How do you choose a new book to read?: I check the staff recommendation shelves at bookstores and sometimes my Amazon recommendations. I also look at the New York Times Bestsellers.
5. We all had to read books in school. Which was your favorite? Your least favorite? Do you think you would feel differently about them if you read them now?: I loved reading Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. I wasn't fond of the teacher who assigned it, but I got into it anyway. My least favorite was definately Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. At the time, my study partner, Rob, considered it his favorite because of it's paltry length. That wasn't enough to overcome the dreary story and dry prose for me though. To this day I cringe when I hear it, even though I know I would appreciate it more if I reread it now.

Posted by criminal at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2006

Moved!

On a more positive note, my department has officially moved upstairs. It took a couple hours, but we're finally up and running again. I'm facing away from the windows, but it's a more comfortable position at my desk. The rest of the company is still moving, so it's pretty quiet for now.

Posted by criminal at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)

No Longer Annoying

The stiffness in my hands and wrists is no longer annoying. It's painful. The tendons have been rubbing and making noise. And now I'm noticing swelling. And I can't lift with my hands half of what I could before. And my doctor doesn't have office hours on Wednesdays, so I have to wait until tomorrow to see what she would recommend.

Posted by criminal at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2006

Thinking...

Grandma's brother Sam passed away yesterday. He was 94. This makes her the only one of her large family left. I know she's made of hardy stock, but how long can she defy the odds?
This is a flood for the record books, but to look out our apartment window you would never know it. The Merrimack is well out of it's banks and the wetlands (read: swamp) behind our building nearly overflowed into the parking lot. Still, I haven't encountered much more than a deep puddle on my way to work.
We're moving into our new office this week. Just up one flight of stairs, so it's not a big hassle. My department is still downstairs but the coffee machine is already on it's way up. How can I be expected to work without a coffee machine?
My nails didn't last. The sides were still weak and had been snagging on things. This morning I had to trim them off. So much for that manicure idea.
I don't really like Brazil nuts, yet my bag of mixed nuts seems to be full of them.

Posted by criminal at 11:09 AM | Comments (1)

May 15, 2006

Manicured

I'm always amazed at how differently I hold my hands when my nails are painted. I instantly feel more delicate and refined. I broke out the polish on Saturday when I realized that I needed to do something to help reinforce my growing nails. This is the first time in a few months that they haven't broken off or split before reaching a respectable length. That's not to say they aren't weak (the nails on my longer fingers are still warped and bent) but they're not ragged stubs anymore. It's almost enough to make me want a manicure.

Posted by criminal at 10:25 AM | Comments (1)

May 14, 2006

Sweet Baby

Maybe it's because today is mother's day, but seeing all these cute baby animals is making my ovaries itch. They're just so damned adorable.

Posted by criminal at 10:26 PM | Comments (1)

May 12, 2006

Five on Friday for May 12, 2006

Spring Cleaning - Thanks to Amy for reminding me to put up a Friday Five and coming up with the questions to boot!

1. Do you do spring cleaning? If so, what do you do?: Not really. I usually try to put away some winter clothes and bring out my summer stuff, but other than that, nothing special.
2. What's the mosted cluttered area/room of your home?: Our spare room. Possibly the floor of my closet because the shoes keep falling of my shoe rack and I'm too lazy to fix it.
3. How do you split up cleaning duties in your home? Do you have a system? How about a schedule?: We don't have a system or a schedule. I can say that Jon does most of the vacuuming and I seem to do more bathroom cleaning. He has also been doing a lot of his own laundry because I don't do laundry often enough to keep the few clothes that fit clean.
4. What are your favorite and least favorite cleaning chores?: I dislike laundry the least and dislike cleaning the tub/shower the most.
5. If you could rid yourself of one household chore forever, what would it be and why?: Cleaning the litter box because it just keeps filling back up no matter how frequently I empty it.

Posted by criminal at 11:34 AM | Comments (1)

May 11, 2006

Typ0z

I fear I have lost the ability to spell and consequently, the ability to type. That may be a slight exaggeration, because I can still spell things in my head. But it's like my fingers have suddenly forgotten. Everything is coming out jumbled, with spaces in the wrong places and and almost code-like letter swaps. In particular, I'm struggling with B and P. Bs keep popping up where Ps should be, and vice versa. I've made several dozen corrections on this sentence alone. Maybe I'm just too tired to concentrate on transferring letters from my brain to my fingers, but damn, this used to be automatic (not to mention nearly flawless).

Posted by criminal at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)

Tired Again

I got a full night's sleep, but my body feels like it needs another night or two. Aside from a little unwanted attention from one of our rotten cats at 5 a.m., I slept soundly. For a fleeting moment this morning, I felt almost refreshed. And then several of my joints cracked, bringing me back to my exhausted reality.

I'm even starting to fade on my morning commute again. I thought that had gone the way of my job at WPI, but with the rain-slowed traffic we've had lately, I'm feeling it again. I can manage when we're moving along, but as soon as we slow down and I have nothing to do except watch the bumper of the car in front of me, my eyes start watering and my neck weakens. But where are you going to pull over on Route 3 during rush hour traffic to take a cat nap?

Posted by criminal at 11:20 AM | Comments (3)

May 08, 2006

Personal DNA

Posted by criminal at 04:59 PM | Comments (3)

Things I Want This Week II

Posted by criminal at 03:41 PM | Comments (1)

May 06, 2006

Ahhhh

I am in love with Things That Make You Go Aahh. It makes my heart flutter in ways I refused to admit it could. Just because those little critters are so damned cute!

Posted by criminal at 04:47 PM | Comments (0)

May 05, 2006

The End of Flip-Floppery

My office has just quantified exactly what it means by "business casual." Like many people in the tech sector, we used our selective hearing to justify t-shirts, shorts, junky shoes, and other equally casual attire. But all good things must come to an end, including my beloved flip flops. Today is the first day I have worn one of my many (many) pairs of flip flops to the office and now it will probably be the last. Their exclusion from proper business casual attire is understandable, and I have had to refrain from wearing them because of that. In fact, I started today with perfectly acceptable sandals and switched to the flip flops during my lunch break, just minutes before the announcement. Oh, the irony. Now my only problem is that I need to find acceptable summer shoes that won't kill my feet or my budget.

And somehow I don't think Crocs would be received any better than my cheapo flip flops.

Posted by criminal at 01:55 PM | Comments (1)

Five on Friday for May 5, 2006

Cinco de Mayo

1. Can you explain the significance of Cinco de Mayo?: It's the day the Mexicans defeated the French, their overly ambitious creditors.
2. Do you speak Spanish? How well?: Not at all. I can understand some of what I read, but I'm terrible with the spoken word. It's on my long list of things I'd like to learn.
3. Have you ever been to Mexico?: Can't say I have.
4. If you could commemorate one of the "battles" in your own life, which would it be and why? How would you celebrate?: I think it would be fun to celebrate my continued battle with depression on the darkest day of the year. I'd like champagne, berries, pastries, and sparklers to brighten things up.
5. What is your favorite way to enjoy tequila?: In food, like lime tarts. There are so many great recipes out there. Otherwise, it makes me think I'm licking a dirty ashtray.

Posted by criminal at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)

May 04, 2006

Shuffled Answers

I think some of these were just way too hard, so here are the answers:

As I walk these streets unknown / To no one named / Not even myself
Tracy Chapman - Let it Rain
Reluctantly crouched at the starting line
Cake - The Distance (Jon & Alex)
Ten years ago, on a cold dark night / Someone was killed 'neath the town hall light
Dave Matthews & Emmylou Harris - The Long Black Veil (Alex)
Think I'm going for a walk now / Feel a little unsteady
Ani Difranco - Untouchable Face
I have a tale to tell / Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well
Madonna - Live to Tell (Gillian)
You got to leave me now, you got to go alone
Nickel Creek - When You Come Back Down
in the cold sweat of my new dream I taste a bit of truth
Peter Salett - Only Mine (totally obscure and un-google-able)
Ahh, look at all the lonely people
Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (Liz & Carol)
He walked on down the hall / Walked on down the hall
Not the Doors, but Phish - Weekapaug Groove
As a man I ain't never been much for sunny days
Ryan Adams - Damn Sam
You know how us Catholic girls can be / We make up for so much time a little too late
Alanis Morissette - Forgiven (Amy & Barbra)
Gray ceiling on the earth / Well it has lasted for a while
Sister Hazel - Your Winter (Mom)
Mother / Tell your children not to walk my way
Danzig - Mother (Gillian)
And in the end we shall achieve in time / the thing they call divine
Spacehog - In the Meantime
All my bags are packed / I'm ready to go
John Denver - Leaving on a Jet Plane (Jami)
Unravel me / A distant cord / On the outside is forgotten
Sarah McLachlan - Black & White
I got a little boogie but it ain't too clean
Brian Setzer Orchestra - Dirty Boogie
If you want me I'll be there / A boy to deal with all your problems
Belle & Sebastian - Simple Things
You don't like the sound of the truth comin' from my mouth
Dixie Chicks - Truth No. 2
Night with it's shattered teeth attempts to speak / My pen is present but courage left via the sink
Jewel - Sometimes It Be That Way (Jon)

Posted by criminal at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)

idiosyncracies

they're cute, in a villiage idiot sort of way...

Posted by criminal at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

May 02, 2006

Hey, I Gotta Crash

Sometimes, I really miss using a Mac.

Posted by criminal at 09:55 AM | Comments (0)

May 01, 2006

Shuffled

Shuffle your digital audio player of choice, and post the first line or two of the first ten songs (or twenty!). Have your wonderful and erudite readers guess the songs and artists.

As I walk these streets unknown / To no one named / Not even myself
Reluctantly crouched at the starting line
Cake - The Distance (Jon & Alex)
Ten years ago, on a cold dark night / Someone was killed 'neath the town hall light
Dave Matthews & Emmylou Harris - The Long Black Veil (Alex)
Think I'm going for a walk now / Feel a little unsteady
I have a tale to tell / Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well
Madonna - Live to Tell (Gillian)
You got to leave me now, you got to go alone
in the cold sweat of my new dream I taste a bit of truth
Ahh, look at all the lonely people
Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (Liz & Carol)
He walked on down the hall / Walked on down the hall
As a man I ain't never been much for sunny days
You know how us Catholic girls can be / We make up for so much time a little too late
Alanis Morissette - Forgiven (Amy & Barbra)
Gray ceiling on the earth / Well it has lasted for a while
Sister Hazel - Your Winter (Mom)
Mother / Tell your children not to walk my way
Danzig - Mother (Gillian)
And in the end we shall achieve in time / the thing they call divine
All my bags are packed / I'm ready to go
John Denver - Leaving on a Jet Plane (Jami)
Unravel me / A distant cord / On the outside is forgotten
I got a little boogie but it ain't too clean
If you want me I'll be there / A boy to deal with all your problems
You don't like the sound of the truth comin' from my mouth
Night with it's shattered teeth attempts to speak / My pen is present but courage left via the sink
Jewel - Sometimes It Be That Way (Jon)

Posted by criminal at 11:05 PM | Comments (6)