Inferior Imitator

ep·i·gone n. A second-rate imitator or follower, especially of an artist or a philosopher.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Okay, I'm posting this list. I believe it's the BBC's list of 100 best-loved books. I'm interested to learn how many of these I haven't read, because I can already see that there are ones on there I've always meant to read but never got around to it. Which is suprising, because I was quite the book-worm in my day.

bold = read
italic = got but not read
italic & bold = you figure it out

1984, George Orwell
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Animal Farm, George Orwell
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy - this is one of those on my list
Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery - this one I'm extremely surprised I haven't read. It's the kind of book I really used to go for.
Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
The BFG, Roald Dahl
Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
Bleak House, Charles Dickens
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
Catch 22, Joseph Heller
The Catcher In The Rye, JD Salinger
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl - I read the book but have never seen the movie. I struck Emily speechless when I told her that a couple weeks ago, and that's difficult to do.
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas - I'm almost positive I read this. I was on a French literature kick the summer after my freshman year of college, and I read a lot of Hugo and Dumas.
Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky
David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
Dune, Frank Herbert
Emma, Jane Austen - this one I'm not positive if I've read or not. I know I've read some Austen and not all, and this could be one of them.
Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
The Godfather, Mario Puzo
Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell - I only saw the movie for the first time a couple of years ago
Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, JK Rowling
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
His Dark Materials trilogy, Philip Pullman
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Douglas Adams
The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
Holes, Louis Sachar - Leah made me
I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
Katherine, Anya Seton
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, CS Lewis
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott - Finally! One I own!
Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
The Lord Of The Rings, JRR Tolkien - actually read it for the first time shortly before the second movie came out.
Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blighton
Magician, Raymond E Feist
The Magus, John Fowles
Matilda, Roald Dahl
Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
Middlemarch, George Eliot
Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
Mort, Terry Pratchett
Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
On The Road, Jack Kerouac
One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Perfume, Patrick Suskind
Persuasion, Jane Austen
The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
Pride And Prejudice, Jane Austen - Again, maybe, maybe not
The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
The Ragged Trousered Philantrhopists, Robert Tressell
Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett - This one and A Little Princess were two of my favorites when I was young
The Secret History, Donna Tartt
The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
The Stand, Stephen King
The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
Tess Of The D'urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee - I should read this again. We read it for sophomore English, and I loved it.
A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
The Twits, Roald Dahl
Ulysses, James Joyce
Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
War And Peace, Leo Tolstoy - I started it, never finished. I was way too young to be reading that book.
Watership Down, Richard Adams
The Wind In The Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Winnie-the-Pooh, AA Milne
The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

Yup, lots and lots I haven't read. But my To-Read list is so long already! I was just telling Chelsea that I wish I could still while away my summers in a lounge chair under a tree with books. I miss reading all the time.

My most beloved book of all time is The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley. I have read it at least twenty times, maybe more.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

So everything is fine, nothing serious. I just have start taking a dietary supplement and keep an eye on things. So, relief. The worst part was the IV. I couldn't stand having that thing in my hand. Today it's all bruised and hurty. :( I was awake for the first part of it - I saw my insides on the camera monitor! I thought I would be squeamish about it, but the sedative made me not care. I think I was asking too many questions, because they gave me more sedative and I didn't remember any more.

The funniest part was while Mom and I were waiting, the woman in the cubicle next to us had just gotten out. I think she must have been at least 90 or so. They give you something to drink afterwards, and she asked for 7-Up. She took a few sips, and said, "Are you sure this is 7-Up? It looks more like Sprite." It was all Mom and I could do to keep from laughing. Then when they told her everything was fine, she said, "What???? Everything's fine? How could that be?" It's like she was disappointed or something.

My first meal afterwards was breakfast at the Hamburg. Omelette, pancakes and a chocolate malt. I ate almost all of it. :)

I'm not supposed to drive or make any major decisions for 24 hours afterward. I'm at work and doing people's tax returns. I'm such a bad girl. ;)

Sunday, March 28, 2004

It's been only two and a half hours since I was allowed a 'light breakfast'...I'm starved! I'm not really, but my mind is playing tricks on me. I know I'm not going to be able to eat, so I want to, really bad. There's Hershey's Kisses by the coffee, tempting me. Mmm...coffee and chocolate. At the very least, coffee is considered a clear liquid. Red and orange jello is not, but any other color is. I suppose the food coloring colors the walls of your digestive tract? Like how blue suckers stain your tongue? Suppose they stain the rest, too? The thought is very weird.

So this will be my last entry 'til probably Tuesday. Wish me luck!

Friday, March 26, 2004

Severian posted this link on the WD, so I had to repost for my non-WD stalkers because SO TRUE! There are four strips, you can click the links individually or just hit next after you click the first one:

What is this we're watching again?
I can't believe that show was canceled.
Well, get you some rest...
Tsk!


And I think someone has entirely too much time on her hands:

Apple Jacks - you seem pretty normal at first
glance, but there is something a little bit
fruity about you. You have a natural zest that
can make certain people find you endearing and
others want to run for the hills.


Life as a breakfast cereal
brought to you by Quizilla



The "oatmeal" answer is hilarious!

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

We interrupt this blog for a short entreaty...

I will be participating in the Hospice Walk for Dignity on April 25th. Iowa City Hospice provides a range of services to terminal patients and their families, including medications, end-of-life expertise and grief support to the surviving families. No patient is ever billed for hospice care. This was the organization that helped care for my grandpa in the last days of his life, and was an incredible and caring resource for my family. You can obtain more information about this wonderful organization on their website at www.iowacityhospice.com.

My goal is to raise $250. If you would like to donate even a dollar to this organization and help me reach my goal, I would greatly appreciate it.

Monday, March 22, 2004

I had the awesomest time yesterday. My godson Calvin turned four. We went to Happy Joe's, for you non-midwesterners, that's like Chuck E. Cheese except on a much smaller scale and way better pizza. I bought him baseball gear: a glove, ball, and bat - he had the bat out and swinging it around. I figure with an arm like he has, we should at least find out if he's interested in playing. The kid schooled me in Skee Ball. He got at least six 50's, one 100, and was regularly hitting 30's and 40's. He's FOUR! As part of our winnings, we got rubber vampire teeth, and when I ran out of money, I spent the rest of the evening chasing him around, growling at him. He loves being chased. "Chase me! Chase me!" I love that kid.

I had to get my blood drawn this morning, and I'm still feeling a little woozy and chilled. I hate getting my blood drawn. For one, I'm squeamish about that stuff and for two, I always feel like crap afterwards. It's why I don't give blood. Imagine how I would feel if they took a whole pint instead of a little vial. I have to go back in for another test Monday, which will pretty much take up the day. Why do these things always seem to happen during tax season when I can least afford the time? The doctor says it's probably something that can be cleared up pretty easily, but they just have to make sure, since my symptoms are kinda vague. The hypochondriac in me was very glad to have the reassurance, though the 'what ifs' still like to play in my head.

Saturday, March 20, 2004

*Snigger*

I almost made Kristen have to go home and change her clothes this morning. I was coming in to work, and she and Todd were sitting in her truck in front of the office. I snuck up to her window and *grrrr*! She about jumped through the roof. [rotflmao] She'll get back at me, but I'll be laughing at that one for a couple days, so it's worth it.

In other news, Todd brought me prezzies! He had a bunch of NES games with no console (or temporarily misplaced), so I've got them on loan. I can't wait to go test them out.

Friday, March 19, 2004

It's about this time of year that I get thoroughly sick of my clothes. I look at my wardrobe and think "I just wore that." All of it. I can't wait to pull out the box of warm-weather clothes. I look forward to the changing of the clothes every spring and fall. It's like getting a whole new wardrobe twice a year. I pull things out of the box and remember "Oh yeah, I loved this shirt! I can't wait to wear it again!" And shoes! All those sandals...I wish it would hurry up and get warm already. I walked to the bank yesterday afternoon and there was this...smell...in the air that told me it should be about 10 degrees warmer. It smelled like spring, but it didn't feel like spring.

Thursday, March 18, 2004

Amusing Thought of the Day:

Dr. Weiner is a gynocologist.

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Warning: RANT
I'm so sick of work. I'm tired of being here, tired of being tired all the time. Every morning I trudge up those stairs and think "I was just here." I miss Pam; Jeanne is starting to get on my nerves. TKD is becoming a chore, because it takes up the bulk of my free time, which I wanted, but I'm starting to resent it. I hate files coming into my office and never leaving, or leaving and coming back. Cold weather sucks. Especially when you get a taste of spring, but you can't enjoy it because you're in an office with no windows for 12 hours a day, and then it snows. Ha-ha! Fooled you! No spring for you! I hate that I'm in an emotional quandry on top of all this. I want to stay up 'til 11 and sleep until 7. I want to cook myself decent food. I want to go out and have fun and not feel guilty. I want my life back!


I'm a little cranky today.

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

I have this complex where I hate it when people are mad at me. I have what Aunt Judy calls the "Ervin temper". It takes a lot to get us angry, and then we explode hard and fast and then we're over it, and you have no idea what hit you, because everything is completely back to normal, water under the bridge. I've only been truly angry with one person in the past year. So since I'm rarely angry with people, I just can't stand when people are angry with me. Especially Emily, who's got her own brand of the Ervin temper. Her fuse is somewhat shorter than the rest of ours, and I was really good at pressing her buttons. I don't even know why I'd press them, since I hated it when she was mad at me.

Writing this wedding speech is turning out harder than I thought. I've still got all these thoughts floating around, memories coming up, and thinking about my relationship with my sister (thus the entry), and they're not cohesing (there's a made-up word for you) for me. Maybe if I write down all the disparate parts, they'll come together somehow. Stop thinking, start writing?

Kristen made this one herself: I'm so proud!

homer simpson
You are Homer - doh! You might be a little lazy and self centered, but you have never been
afraid to indulge in all of life's pleasures and seek happiness in every moment you find
yourself in. Your carefree attitude has a positive effect on those around you, just try
to care a little bit if you ever find yourself working with nuclear waste.


which simpson are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


Kristen...did you really know I was Homer? This also makes me wonder: has anyone ever clicked my "Quotes of Wisdom" link?

Monday, March 15, 2004

So Chelsea, Tacia and I went to see The Passion yesterday. I went to see it right after I read A Walk to Remember, so it was quite the emotional day for me. Leah asked me what I thought, and here's what I had to say:

You know, I'm still not sure what to think. I could tell a Catholic wrote it, though. There were things in there I knew were supposed to be significant, but I'd never heard of them before - like the Marys sopping up his blood after the scourging. Is that a Catholic thing?

I'd been in a discussion on this before I'd seen the movie, and the objection that struck me the most was 'why did his death have to be so violent?' After actually seeing it, that was my reaction, as well. I know that in order to save us, he had to suffer our punishment for sin, namely death and damnation. But I don't understand the necessity for such a violent death. And that's the biggest thing the movie did for me. It is one thing to read it, it is quite another to see it unfold before your eyes. Was it a test of his will, of his devotion to what he was doing for us? I can even see now why people think it's anti-Semitic. It's anti-Roman, too. The implication that anyone could do that to another human being, let alone the Son of God, and take pleasure in it, is horrifying to contemplate.

Other than that, it was very well done. I liked that it was in Aramaic and Latin, though I'm glad they chose to subtitle the most important points. I also liked the reminders of Satan's presence - the guy was truly creepy, but in a beautiful way. Points of it did strike me as too artsy, but that's my opinion and a creative choice.

I will probably never watch it again, but I'm glad I saw it. My pastor is holding a discussion group on the movie early next month. I think I'll go, just to see what is said. Probably ask my question.


We were silent after the movie. I couldn't talk about it, didn't want to talk about. Didn't even really want to think about it. I went home and paid bills, because I don't think I could have done anything else. I did get over the mind-numb in time to watch Alias, though.



Later...
I don't know why I edit instead of add another post. I think it has something to do with the aesthetics, or something. Anyway, the P@ posted a bloq, and I feel obligated to answer. Today. Something to do with not wanting to go back to work after free food. Not that being free had anything to do with it, but it was free, and I would have paid for it, it was so good.

Aren't dollar stores just the shizz-nit?
It's amazing what you get for a dollar! Sometimes I have to be one of those incredibly stupid people who take something up to the register and say, "How much is this?" and get the look - "It's a dollar, you moron, it's a Dollar Store."

What three words best describe you?
loyal, homebody, semi-mischevious

What would a Ph.D. do fo-r your care-r?
Very little. I'd probably be relegated to a professor or something of the like.

If a book were being written about your life, what would the chapter you are currently in be called?
"In Confusion and Comfort"

Bob Dylan said everyone must get stoned - but why?
No one wants to be alone.

Don't you hate that?
Yes! The bastards!

How can they possibly expect you to go to work on a day like today?
Uncle Sam waits for no man. Or snow. It's snowing. A lot. I hope my driveway has accumulated enough warmth so that I won't have to shovel.

If you could change the color of your eyes, your hair, or your skin at will - what would you alter your appearance to?
That would be so cool! Like Alias without the makeup department! I wouldn't mind trying to be tan for once. To be able to go out into the sun without worrying about being burnt to a crisp...that would be *awesome*.

Pick a movie or a book or a television series that you know fairly well - now, what character would you like to see their point of view from? (eg, Harry Potter from Draco's perspective, or Snow White as strictly told by Sneezy, etc)
I'd like to see Alias from Marshall's perspective...but not everything can work as well as The Zeppo. [grin]

What song do you currently have in your head?
Firehead - devics

What have you learned today?
I can't even remember what I've done today, let alone what I've learned. Free food tastes better? but I think I already knew that. I was reminded today.

I love the sound of a Pepsi can opening. Also, certain sirens are cool. What sounds do you find appealing?
I like quiet. I really can't think of any sound I find more appealing than silence.

If you could visit 83 years in the past, or 83 years in the future, (for one week, with no time paradoxes resulting) which would you choose and why?
The future! Man, look up those lottery numbers!

and finally...

Invent a new word right now....please?
Putting 'please' on the end makes it no less imperative. Fundemerous.

Saturday, March 13, 2004

Stolen from Ken:

Nine Great Questions on the subject of GOD:

1) Do you believe in a God?
Unequivocally

2) Why do you think man was created?
I think for the same reasons as we have children - we want to see a bit of ourselves carry on, to help shape another's life, but also help them learn to be their own persons.

3) Describe how you see God.
I'm going to keep going with the parent/child analogy. I see God as a parent: kind and loving, wanting the best for us, but also ready to kick my butt when I do something wrong.

4) Does God hate?
Yes, but not in the way we hate. He hates sin, and the effect it has on people, because it seperates us from him.

5) Is God perfect and without mistakes?
Yes.

6) How do you think God sees people?
Wayward children. He wants us to make our own decisions, but it hurts him when we make the wrong ones.

7) Do you think God has a plan for everyone?
Yes. I think it changes when we make stupid decisions, but he always makes it work out for the best.

8) What do you consider sin?
Anything that hurts God, which includes hurting other people. I think there are a lot of things we do that we don't realize hurt God.

9) What rules do you follow?
1. Loyalty to nation
2. Obedience to parents
3. Confidence in friends
4. Never retreat from an enemy attack
5. Refrain from the senseless killing of living things

Sir! [grin] Sorry, couldn't help it.


I try to follow "Love your neighbor as yourself" and I find everything else follows.

Friday, March 12, 2004

*Sigh* I apologize, guys, I've become such a quiz whore. I'll try and post something substantial going forward, but I just couldn't pass this one up.

Marcie
You are Marcie!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla



Later...
Okay, I lied again. I had a very disturbing dream last night, and it's been bothering me all morning. It started out with Kristen giving me a ride home, but I realized I was supposed to meet Emily at Wal-Mart, so I had to make her turn around. There was a jump in the dream, and Emily and I were waiting in check-out lines at Wal-Mart with Christina and another of Emily's friends, and Kristen had disappeared. Emily's line got to the checker first, and I went over to join her. We walked out to the cars (Emily was driving the Topaz and I had the Rabbit - which never ran at the same time, we bought the Topaz because the Rabbit died, but they were both our first cars, if that makes any difference), and Emily lit up a cigarette. I stole it out of her hand and started giving her a lecture about smoking again. I had it in my hand, kind of off to the side, and this tall, creepy, disfigured man walked past me and stole the cigarette out of my hand. I was a little WTF? but shrugged him off, since I didn't know what I was going to do with the cigarette anyway, and if he wanted it that bad, he could have it. I went to the passenger side of the Rabbit to stow my packages, and Emily and her friends got into the Topaz. The disfigured man suddenly appeared at my side, and he said menacingly, "Get in the car." I knew I was being carjacked. Emily and her friends didn't notice and drove away. The disfigured man asked, "Where's your purse?" and I remembered then that it had been stolen from me on the way out of Wal-Mart (though it hadn't in the progression of the dream). I said, "It was just stolen." He shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to tie my wrists with those plastic clincher handcuffs, like you see on packages or sometimes Cops. That's when I woke up.

According to my favorite Dream Interpretation site, dreaming you are being kidnapped indicates that you feel trapped. I know what has been bothering me most lately, namely most of my friends leaving town in a couple months, particularly Josh. It was hard enough when my other best friend left, and while I appreciate his need to go someplace else for a while, I can't help but feel abandoned, especially in conjunction with everyone else leaving as well. (I know I'm exaggerating when I say everyone, but it is a lot of my friends, as well as my sister.) I don't want change. I want things to stay the same. If that's feeling trapped, then I guess I'm trapped. So yeah, the dream makes a lot more sense now. Emily and company abandons me, leaving me trapped.


Even Later...
The last thing I want is for you guys to feel guilty for moving on with your lives. This is my problem. I know you'll miss me as much as I miss you. I have to learn to live with change, that's the nature of life. I wrote a huge long email to Leah a while back about learning to make new friends and getting through transition. My subconcious just has to learn the lessons my intellect knows.

Thursday, March 11, 2004



You're
the United Nations!

Most people think you're ineffective, but you are trying to
completely save the world from itself, so there's always going to be a long
way to go.  You're always the one trying to get friends to talk to each
other, enemies to talk to each other, anyone who can to just talk instead of
beating each other about the head and torso.  Sometimes it works and sometimes
it doesn't, and you get very schizophrenic as a result.  But your heart
is in the right place, and sometimes also in New York.

Take the Country Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid





And Leah, their HTML is messed up - I had to fix mine before I could post. It wasn't just you.




I got my permit to practice as a CPA in the mail today. I can officially hand out the cards that say, Amanda W______, CPA. Yay!

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Yup, I was talking about my hair. I got five inches cut off, which sounds like a lot, but when your hair is as long as mine was... Anyway, it's still in the same style, but only down to mid-shoulder blade now. I feel freeeeee!!!! I think it's been about six months since I last had it cut, and there were all kinds of split ends and it just felt yucky. Every time I get my hair cut, the stylist just raves about how healthy my hair is. It's amazing what not coloring will do for the health of your hair, she says. I'm going to have Emily do it again, though, 'cause those white hairs are just becoming way too prolific.

Make me beautiful again love me!


Later...

We just found a year-old container of cottage cheese in the fridge at work. It was all mold and juice, and it was really gross and smelly. I had to show it to everyone. Then I had to send an email to Dad to tell him we found moldy cottage cheese in the refrigerator and it reminded me of him. 'Cause you know, it was like I was channeling him for a while there. [grin]

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

I'm doing it. It's coming off tonight. Not all of it, of course, but enough so that it stops driving me nuts.





You're The Giver!

by Lois Lowry

While you grew up with a sheltered childhood, you're pretty sure
everyone around you is even more sheltered. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, you were
tapped on the shoulder and transported to the real world. This made you horrified by
your prior upbringing and now you're tormented by how to reconcile these two lives.
Ultimately, the struggle comes down to that old free will issue. Choose
wisely.



Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Monday, March 08, 2004

*Long, satisfied stretch and yawn*

I am rested. It feels so nice to be rested. Nothing is worse than starting out the week feeling like it should be over already. Saturday didn't really even feel like a workday, since I ducked out for an hour over lunch to go eat with Kristen, Todd, Chris and Josh, and then left early to go see Starsky and Hutch. Which was a very good movie, by the way, I'm glad bettie helped me change my mind. It had just the right balance of not taking itself seriously, and I laughed out loud so many times. Then Que Bar, which was just me and Josh for a while. Then one of, I think, Brian's or Channing's friends showed up (asked after a while if he was 'interrupting' anything - *snort* - though I should be getting used to it by now) and then Nick came around later. Didn't get home until three, but I slept until ten, and it felt like I had slept for ten hours. Isn't that weird how that works? Didn't do a darn thing yesterday but tidy the house, laundry, and an insane amout of television. I think I'm only a week and a half behind, now. Yay!

It was a nice weekend.



Later...

Wow. This day absolutely flew by. I just finished a return, and I looked up, and it was 7:00. I completely missed TKD. If I had windows, I would have noticed it being dark. Which, by the way, we're looking to move the office. Gary's going to find me windows. [grin]

Friday, March 05, 2004

It's amazing what getting out the office for an hour will do for your disposition. I delivered a tax return, got outside a bit, and saw the biggest pile of dirt in the history of Johnson County! I don't know if that's actually true, but it seems like it. They must be starting to build the Convention Center, because up there by the river along First Avenue is a hugemongous pile of dirt.

It was cool.

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

I have a vendetta against the cleaning people. Every time they come through, they take my water glass and my coffee cup, and "wash" them. They don't put them in the dishwasher, they run a precursory sponge over them and stick them in the strainer. So they're not clean, yet I can't use them again, because they've contaminated them with germs that aren't mine. So I stick the water glass in the dishwasher and wash my coffee cup by hand. I rant about this every morning. I am fully capable of washing my own dishes. If I wanted them washed, I'd do it myself.

Last Friday was the last straw, because they cracked my mug. My Harry Potter mug. It's still usable, but there's a big crack in it, and I'm still a little miffed. So last night I put a Post-It note on my mug "Please leave my dishes". Where were my dishes this morning? In the strainer! "Cleaned!" What is ambiguous about "Please leave my dishes"? I found the note on my table, which is about five feet from my desk, so I know they had to have seen it. Bastards. This is war.

My finner is a little better this morning. I still can't grip very well, but I got sympathy from Mommy last night, so that helped bunches.

Speaking of family, we found out yesterday that my uncle, who has the same type of leukemia that Grandpa died from, has to start chemotherapy within the year, and they were hoping he wouldn't have to start for another 2-3 years. Your prayers would be appreciated.

And this one's for Chelsea:




Tuesday, March 02, 2004

I was going to write about how my toilet has gone retro, and how I was worried about the rain coming in, since the plumber was going to leave the window open for the fumes and how he didn't open the window so I shouldn't have been worried and how I came home to a bathroom full of fumes and how I was worried about the plumber getting in in the first place because my sister stole my extra key.

But I have more pressing issues. Kristen broke my hand.

"Mommy! My finner hurts!"


Okay, so it's quite possible it's not broken, but it still hurts like a bad word. It's all swollen (yes, Leah, I'm icing it regularly) and I don't have full mobility. It's amazing how much you use your right index finger. I can type okay, but slowly, and since it's my mouse finger (I have one of those nubs in the middle of the keyboard), it's my middle finger for mouse work. I haven't even tried my 10-key yet this morning. The rub is, I was kicking her ass before she hurt me. [wink]

So this is the "Kristen Is Mean" post she told me to write. How much do you think I can milk this?

Monday, March 01, 2004

Random quiz day! I've been looking for a boring day to post one, and this is looking to be that day. Well, there's "interesting" stuff going on, but I'll post that tomorrow after I have a conclusion to the story.

I don't want a toaster.
Furnulum pani nolo.
"I don't want a toaster."
Generally, things (like this quiz) tend to tick you
off. You have contemplated doing grievous
bodily harm to door-to-door salesmen.

Which Weird Latin Phrase Are You?
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The Lovers Card
You are the Lovers card. The Lovers card is about union. Each of us carries in our DNA the
ability to be the opposite of what we think we are. Often our romantic attachments grow out of
awe and respect as we see in another the characteristics we repress in ourselves.
Society often presses us into molds of what it thinks masculinity and femininity should be. As
a result, many of us associate with our gender certain positive characteristics and call
others negative, when if these same qualities were held by a person of the opposite sex, our
attitude towards them would be reversed. Getting in touch with our inner animus and
anima, (Jung's terms for our inner male and female), allows us to see the whole of our
personalities in a positive and constructive light. When you draw The Lovers card in a
reading, you are working with balancing these forces. Depending on where the card is, you
have either achieved balance or need to. The Lovers could indicate a romantic or even a
platonic relationship. Ask yourself is this is a positive relationship that contributes to
your growth as a complete human being, or if it fills an emotional craving within you that is
actually detrimental to your personal growth.
Image from: The Iranian artist Riza.
Image

Which Tarot Card Are You?
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entrancing
You have an entrancing kiss~ the kind that leaves your partner bedazzled and maybe even feeling
he/she is dreaming. Quite effective; the kiss that never lessens and always blows your
partner away like the first time.

What kind of kiss are you?
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