April 2006 Archives

the following is a conversation i had with a girlfriend (gf) while watching gilmore girls.

let me paint a pretty gilmore girl scene for you:
a male character (luke) throws a birthday party for his pre-teen daughter.  it is suggested (by lorelei) that the party turn into a slumber party.

gf: there is no way she would suggest that.  she's going to have to call twelve sets of parents to get permission.

me:  what are you talking about?  these are privileged children today.  they all have cell phones.

out come the kids calling parents on their cell phones.

gf: man.  what did we do growing up without cell phones?  i completely dated myself.  man.

it is weird to see something like that change.  it would have been an ordeal when i was a kid.  i guess the one good thing is that at least my childhood wasn't inflicted by brain tumors induced by cell phone usage.

imagine how old fashioned i am.  i read books.  the kind that are written on paper and bound.  wow.  i know that, like, totally dates me to being really old.  but, you know.

so.  i just finished reading a book listed to the side there.  the kite runner.  i must say it was a good read.  one i hadn't had in a while.  and i think he will get better the more he writes.

to be quite honest, it is a bit predictable.  not in a bad way, but sometimes, sometimes i don't want to see it coming.  and i take it as the sign of a good writer if a book captivates me and surprises me.  so i warn you.  while you are reading this book,  follow your instincts.  they won't lead you astray.

my only other problem with this book is one that many writers use for convenience: they set up these unlikely scenes to progress the story.  there are several moments in the book that i completely find unlikely and improbable.  things that are out of character and this bothers me.  the prose is still compelling and the story is still good, it is worth the read but i have to say that i was annoyed by it.

go out and buy a book.  kill a tree.  check it out at the library.  download an mp3 form.  buy the audio.  let me know what you think.

today was one of those days where i felt slightly disconnected from reality and all that was around me.  you know what i mean?  where you wake up tired and you feel that the rest of the day is spent trying to rub the sleep out of your eyes? 

it wasn't to the point where i couldn't function or accomplish anything.  we managed to meet a colleague of thomas' for coffee.  we grocery shopped.  we purchased a guide book for t's trip to china this summer.  we arranged our housing for berlin this summer.  we ate.  t cooked.  laundry.  several chapters of a book.  walked roxy.  even a nap.  but the day feels like a waking dream.  hazy.

so what's my point?  sundays spent with the husband, not accomplishing anything are so refreshing.  may we have thousands, if not millions more of these days.

well.  roxie got worms.  when you read that you should envision me shaking my head and rolling my eyes.

if dogs didn't roll around in such disgusting things, eat disgusting things, sniff disgusting things and in general were not disgusting beings, i would not have to worm her.

now i am considering doing the same to the cats.  have you ever wormed a cat?  i have.  let's just say that the element of surprise is necessary.  and bandages and neosporin.  and a rag to clean up if they decide to spit it back at you.  cats are evil.  and i am a cat person.  what does that say about me?

dogs, on the other hand, tend to be better sports about meds.  either because they are just that dumb or because they are so hellbent on keeping us happy that they will take one for the team to get a "good girl."  cats, not so much.  cats are evil.

so today.  i got to ponder the wonders of dogs and cats.  as i am literally surrounded by our cats and dog.  being loved this much on my "day off" definitely has a high price.

you know you have found friends when they appreciate something as absurd as swedish cinco de mayo on the 6Th of may.

you know you have found friends when you can count on them to record gilmore girls if you forget.

you know you have found friends when you can count on coffee and dessert when you are having a bad day.

you know you have found friends when you not only talk about traveling together, but actually do it.

thomas and i have been fortunate enough to make some pretty cool friends these past couple of years.  we are truly lucky in getting to celebrate some absurd moments together.

with a couple days worth of perspective, i have come to a conclusion about pagan easter: tequila is never the answer.

neither is sangria.

while looking at the photos, i realized that a drinking game could be created from all of this.  every time you see alcohol, drink.

so.  the chick in the tutu beat the crap out of the pinata.  there is a lot of anger in that tutu.

of course, another shot of tequila was had at this point.  and i actually put the pinata head on my head.  those photos are reserved only for friends and my children as a warning about drinking.

we then proceeded to eat pie.  when you are drinking, pie tastes great.  it tastes even better wen fed from the hands of your friends.  unless yellow ears keeps feeding you raspberry pie which you don't like.

now i am not about to tell you a story of maturity.  this one is an excellent example of debauchery and drunkenness.  my grandmother is officially rolling over in her grave.

friday night, we needed booze to make sangria for mexican easter.  so the chick in the tutu (see photo) and i (see chick in photo second on the left) went to the liquor store and made total fools of ourselves getting ingredients, recipe in hand.  we were completely sober, although it looked nothing like it.

if you offend easily.  are a tee-totaler.  are going to write nasty things to me because i am about to refer to easter as "pagan easter" then please do not read any further.

so.  i just learned something tonight.  thought i would share.

i know that catalpa is the name of a tree.  catalpa trees.  i did not know that one of the common names is "princess tree."

yep.  that is how much of a princess i am.  even my web address mentions being a princess twice.

on another note.  i am almost done with this very long and tiring semester.  then i will be off to europe to putz about.  which is most definitely worth it.  but i sometimes stop and wonder where children and a home fit into this lifestyle.

the other day thomas told me that he was watching oprah again.  or at least some show like it.  he said it was all about a problem that women seem to have primarily.  friendships and ending them. 

some many years ago, i used to be friends with someone.  someone that i grew to like a lot.  someone i did not appreciate at first nor wanted a relationship with initially.  over some time, and having been thrown into social situations with this someone, a friendship formed.  this someone had some great qualities, was fun, and interesting to me.

but there was another side to the someone.

a conversation had just moments ago:

"the italian job?"

"yeah."

"is that charlize theron?"

"i like to refer to her as my girlfriend."

"really?"

"yeah."

conclusion:  he is delusional.

i have a crap load of work to do.  and i have to get it done by tomorrow.

so.  when i get stressed with this kind of pressure, i usually need some sort of creative outlet to focus my attention on meeting my deadlines.

for example: i have been pondering the sounds animals make and have come to the "creative" (some would say absurd) conclusion that sheep were cursed to baa because they had foul mouths.  yep.  sheep curse.  a lot. 

think about it.  they get sheared and aren't asked whether or not they want it.  they are herded around.  and they do baa an awful lot.  i think they are cursing.  see.  that helps me focus somehow.  weird how my mind works.