bush’s farewell…memo?

16 Friday Jan 2009

Posted by in politics

≈ Leave a Comment

apparently bush’s approval rating has gone up, but one guy thinks that it’s because people are just so happy to see him go.

8:01 – yowza. keith olbermann really dislikes bush. well, him and over half the country.

8:03 – his facial tics make him look supremely insincere. plus, he looks like he’s about to burst into laughter at any minute.

8:03 – the first time he addressed the nation from the white house was on 9/11? hadn’t he been president for 9 months by then??? his presidential address record is atrocious. but we already knew that.

8:06 – in describing iraq, he really sounds like he’s describing the conservative movement. (“…a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience, and marks unbelievers for murder.”) (okay i may be exaggerating. but only a little.)

8:11 – he wants us to advance the cause of peace, and release oppressed peoples from their suffering.  i’m sure he’s talking about funding stem cell research to help people suffering from parkinson’s, and to ensure that teens have full access to comprehensive sex education so we can lower teen pregnancy, single moms and deadbeat dads.

8:14 – he says it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as our president.  in large part because he didn’t earn it, i’m sure.

8:15 – just over a 13-minute speech. man. i really thought this blog entry would be longer. note: i’m hardly complaining.

ahh, conservatives.

16 Friday Jan 2009

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

your silly-yet-bitter jokes about how conservatives are all “manly-men” who drink bud, eat meat and work while liberals (or: “girlie-men” according to you) all sit back on their haunches sipping white wine spritzers and vegetarian meals makes me laugh. now that your party is no longer running this country (into the ground), your true colors are showing.

next up – a play-by-play of dubya’s fuck-off farewell speech!

back in the seattle again!

15 Thursday Jan 2009

Posted by in friends, seattle, travel, weddings

≈ 15 Comments

didya see how witty i was just there?  as in “back in the saddle again”*?  funny, eh?  no?  okay, just me, then.

so, my ticket is booked, and on january 27th, i will be heading out west for the, not first, not second, but FIFTH time, to my favorite city in the entire US of A. okay, to be fair, i’m going there because my cousin is getting married in vancouver on the 31st, and since my parents, sister and FBIL are all flying into seattle and driving up, i caved to peer pressure and figured i would too.  (pft…as if they had to twist my arm or something.)

although, we’re all arriving in seattle on different days; sis and FBIL on the saturday before, and parents on…actually, the same day as me, now that i think about it.  my sister and i each have friends in seattle, and my parents are heading up to canada early to visit my mom’s family, hence all of us arriving early.

i’ll be staying in seattle for a couple days, then i’m amtrakking (is that a word?) it up to vancouver for the wedding, which means i’ll get to see even more of the pacific northwest.  this makes me vereh happeh.

what can i say? that area of the country just speaks to me. and it’s saying, ”come out here! you’ll be normal! actually it’s possible you might be considered conservative! but it’s okay! come out anyway! i’m beautiful! and GREEN! you can’t resist the GREEN! and trains! and mountains! and wineries! mmm, wine!”

i tried to keep listening, but then ”citizens for community values” (HA!) broke in with their “free speech means i’m allowed to tell you that you’re going to hell” rigamarole, and they drowned it out.

one day, i will get out of this conservative city, and i will move to the pacific northwest. but for now, i will have to be content with a short trip.  and i am. 

countdown: 12 days!

—

*i just found out that “back in the saddle again” is on the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack. i think it’s a sign. a sign that i might be reading a bit too much into the coincidence.

feeling a bit uncreative at the mo’.

12 Monday Jan 2009

Posted by in memes

≈ 4 Comments

i was actually looking for a good meme to use, because i needed to post something and also because i’m feeling highly uncreative and boring right now. i found this one over at blogography and decided to steal it.

Have you ever…

  1. ✔ Started your own blog. duh.
  2. ✔ Slept under the stars. i napped on a blanket at lollapalooza one afternoon with dug after sharing a bottle of wine in the hot, hot sun. (what? the stars were still there, you just couldn’t see them, that’s all.)
  3. ✔ Played in a band. i was the lead singer in a fledgling cover band once. i know, i know, hypocritical given my passionate hatred for cover bands. but to be fair, we never played out, and we only had 4 or 5 practices. i can carry a tune, but i’m not “lead singer” good.
  4. ✔ Visited Hawaii. once to visit a friend. and i would go again in a heartbeat if i had the spare cash laying around.
  5. ✔ Watched a meteor shower. yes. it was amazing.
  6. ✔ Been to Disneyland/World. no. this is a sad, sad thing.
  7. ✔ Climbed a mountain. no.
  8. ✔ Held a praying mantis. i’m sure i probably did as a kid, but i doubt i’d do it now.
  9. ✔ Sang a solo. see answer to #3.
  10. ✔ Bungee jumped. HELL no.
  11. ✔ Visited Paris. sadly, in all of my travels, i have not yet been to paris. although it’s on my list of cities to see before i die (along with reykjavik at the top, the faroes, easter island, auckland, petra, moscow, hong kong, etc.).
  12. ✔ Watched a lightning storm at sea.  nope, but i watched a sunrise out on the coral sea/great barrier reef. does that count?
  13. ✔ Taught yourself an art from scratch. i’m not really disciplined enough to become an expert in anything, but i’ve taught myself how to play acoustic guitar
  14. ✔ Adopted a child? ha! if they read my blog, they’d never approve it.
  15. ✔ Had food poisoning. happily, no. 
  16. ✔ Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. nope…i wanted to the last time i was in NYC, but it was closed to the public as it wasn’t too long after 9/11.
  17. ✔ Grown your own vegetables. i haven’t but my grandmother (who lived next door) used to have rows and rows of fresh veggies and fruit that we’d pick for her.
  18. ✔ Seen the Mona Lisa in France. see #11.
  19. ✔ Slept on an overnight train. i did once, while traveling from xi’an to beijing. it wasn’t awful, but i SWEAR the pillow was actually a 5 lb. bag of rice, that’s how uncomfortable it was.
  20. ✔ Had a pillow fight. not in a long, long time.
  21. ✔ Hitchhiked. nah…i haven’t had the guts to do it.
  22. ✔ Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. i think i did once, when i had a paper due in college and i procrastinated too long. oops.
  23. ✔ Built a snow fort. used to do this all the time as kids.
  24. ✔ Held a lamb. nope.
  25. ✔ Gone skinny dipping. yes, at a house my friend was house-sitting for…we took turns going off the diving board, but on my boyfriend’s turn, my friends would all turn their heads because…well, he was kind of a hairy guy. i don’t have an issue with body hair (or any other physical “uniqueness”), but apparently my friends did. or, it could have been the fact that they didn’t feel like watching his dangly bits, which is probably more likely.
  26. ✔ Run a Marathon. no. i know a few people who have though, and the idea of taking several days to recuperate doesn’t thrill me enough to say i did it. 
  27. ✔ Ridden in a gondola in Venice. no. :(  
  28. ✔ Seen a total eclipse. sure…i even (gasp!) looked at it with my bare eyes! 
  29. ✔ Watched a sunrise or sunset. see answer to #12.
  30. ✔ Hit a home run. erm…no.
  31. ✔ Been on a cruise. i’ve never really had the desire to go on a cruise, even with the cool discounts i got when i worked for delta. they just don’t appeal to me much.
  32. ✔ Seen Niagara Falls in person. yes, the very first free flights i took on delta as an employee were to see the niagara falls. i went with a new friend because he wanted to buy celine dion’s newest album that was only sold in canada. yes, he was gay. and yes, he cried while listening to it  THE ENTIRE PLANE RIDE home over his ex-boyfriend.  oh dear.
  33. ✔ Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. which ones? canada? yes. japan or germany? no.
  34. ✔ Seen an Amish community. yes, there’s tons in ohio, so i’ve seen a couple.
  35. ✔ Taught yourself a new language. i’m still working on that icelandic thing.
  36. ✔ Had enough money to be truly satisfied. yes, but at this point it’s long gone. boooo.
  37. ✔ Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person. nope, i haven’t gone to italy (yet).
  38. ✔ Gone rock climbing.  do climbing walls count? then plenty of times. actual rock climbing? not so much.
  39. ✔ Seen Michelangelo’s David. no, but i’d like to someday.
  40. ✔ Sung karaoke. yes. i don’t like to talk about it.
  41. ✔ Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt. no…not really on my list of travel priorities.
  42. ✔ Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant. can’t say i’ve done this one.
  43. ✔ Visited Africa. also on my list of things to do before i die.
  44. ✔ Walked on a beach by moonlight. yep, several times, in several places. i’m not much of “sun” person (which probably accounts for my paleness), so walking on the beach in moonlight is ideal.
  45. ✔ Been transported in an ambulance. i did once when my ex-girlfriend got alcohol poisoning at a NYE party. i was riding in the front seat though.
  46. ✔ Had your portrait painted. ha! no. except for a caricature once. i don’t count that.
  47. ✔ Gone deep sea fishing. how about “deep lake” fishing?
  48. ✔ Seen the Sistine Chapel in person. one day. 
  49. ✔ Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. see #11.
  50. ✔ Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. scuba diving, kinda (it’s a long story). snorkeling, in australia and the dominican republic.
  51. ✔ Kissed in the rain. it’s possible…it may be that it wasn’t really a memorable occasion.
  52. ✔ Played in the mud. all the time as a kid.
  53. ✔ Gone to a drive-in theater. sure.
  54. ✔ Been in a movie. not that i’m aware of…  (???)
  55. ✔ Visited the Great Wall of China.  yup, and it was pretty fucking amazing.
  56. ✔ Started a business. i’m more of a “let someone else take the lead” sort of person.
  57. ✔ Taken a martial arts class. no, but i really want to learn aikido.
  58. ✔ Visited Russia. no, but moscow is on my list of places. (see #11)
  59. ✔ Served at a soup kitchen. yup.
  60. ✔ Sold Girl Scout Cookies. for my niece, sure. i’m pretty sure that makes me an honorary girl scout.
  61. ✔ Gone whale watching. i’ve never specifically gone whale watching, although i saw a couple when i was out on the boat in australia.
  62. ✔ Gotten flowers for no reason. maybe, i don’t remember. i’ve gotten flowers for my birthday, valentine’s day, first days at new jobs (both times from dug), and other events, but i don’t remember if i got any for no reason.
  63. ✔ Donated blood, platelets, or plasma. i did once. the woman who did it screwed it up and i sat in pain for the duration of the blood-letting. then i almost passed out later that day. i don’t know if i’ll be doing it again.
  64. ✔ Gone sky diving. no. fear of heights/falling, etc.  but i really want to try go ape. maybe the next time i’m in scotland.
  65. ✔ Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp. no…i really want to visit auschwitz, but i’m really afraid i’d break down halfway through and/or be depressed for weeks afterwards.
  66. ✔ Bounced a check. ha! see: college.
  67. ✔ Flown in a helicopter. no, but i love flying, so i’m sure that i wouldn’t mind riding in a chopper.
  68. ✔ Saved a favorite childhood toy. yes, i kept a teddy bear and my blankie.
  69. ✔ Visited the Lincoln Memorial. several times.
  70. ✔ Eaten Caviar. my friends duped me into eating sushi with caviar on it once. it was gross and got stuck in my teeth.  blech.
  71. ✔ Pieced a quilt. i ain’t no domestic. (although i love cooking.)
  72. ✔ Stood in Times Square. i’ve been to NYC a couple times, but i’ve never been to times square. weird.
  73. ✔ Toured the Everglades. i’ve seen them, but not “toured” them.
  74. ✔ Been fired from a job. when i was 17, i got fired from the DMV because of my “bad attitude”…which i never understood, because i smiled at the customers, and actually talked to them. plus all of my coworkers seemed pissed off all the time. i can only deduce that she really meant that i had the wrong attitude….
  75. ✔ Seen the Changing of the Guards in London. been to london a couple times, but not seen the changing of the guards.
  76. ✔ Broken a bone. nope!  
  77. ✔ Been on a speeding motorcycle. nah. i want to get a speedbike, but my friends tell me that if i did, i’d kill myself with the way i drive.
  78. ✔ Seen the Grand Canyon in person. i saw it from the air, does that count? it was in person and not, y’know, a movie or anything.
  79. ✔ Published a book. nope. i published a blog though. ;)
  80. ✔ Visited the Vatican. no. i was supposed to go back in ’05, but then the flights got all booked up and i went to colorado instead.
  81. ✔ Bought a brand new car. no, although my current car was the “test drive” car (so i got a nice discount) and it was only 6 months old when i got it. that’s the newest i’ve gotten.
  82. ✔ Walked in Jerusalem. no but that would be really awesome.
  83. ✔ Had your picture in the newspaper. does cinweekly count?
  84. ✔ Read the entire Bible. ha! even in my younger christian days, i don’t think i did this.
  85. ✔ Visited the White House. nope.
  86. ✔ Killed and prepared an animal for eating?  not personally, no, although i’ve watched my dad prep fish for eating.
  87. ✔ Had chickenpox? i don’t think so.
  88. ✔ Saved someone’s life? if so, they never told me.
  89. ✔ Sat on a jury? no, the one time i got called back in ’98, i told them i had just started a new job and couldn’t do it. i haven’t been called back since.
  90. ✔ Met someone famous? several, which i can thank delta for. well, my former supervisor, really, as he would ask me to assist him with “special passengers”. although i’m disappointed that i missed out on meeting jane goodall, which would have been really cool.
  91. ✔ Joined a book club? i joined my very first one while i was in scotland.
  92. ✔ Lost a loved one? yes.
  93. ✔ Had a baby? ha! hahaha! HAHAHAHA!  (ahem.)
  94. ✔ Seen the Alamo in person? nope.
  95. ✔ Swam in the Great Salt Lake? i’ve only been to salt lake city on connections.
  96. ✔ Been involved in a lawsuit? hundreds. but i used to work for a law firm. how “involved” are we talking here?
  97. ✔ Owned a cell phone?  who DOESN’T own a cell phone?
  98. ✔ Been stung by a bee? a coupla times, mostly from stepping on them accidentally while i was running around outside as a kid.
  99. ✔ Fallen in LOVE? how is LOVE different than love?
  100. ✔ Decorated a Birthday Cake? quite a few, during me and my childhood friend’s strange cake-decorating binge. i think we ate cake for a week straight. bleh.

aka: chotch.*

09 Friday Jan 2009

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

tonight, kate, sarah and i headed to terry’s turf club for our monthly get-together. (we’ve found that we generally have a habit of not keeping in touch with as busy as our lives are lately, so every month or so we start an email chain and take turns on deciding where we’re going to eat for dinner, and just hang out and talk and catch up on families, friends, and whatnot.)

both kate and i have been hearing some great things about this place and wanted to check it out and see if it was as good as all the raves. and it definitely was.  the menu there is pretty small, and sort of reminds me of chipotle. you choose what “meat” you want: burger, chicken, portobello mushroom, lobster tail (??), etc., and then it comes with all of the typical accoutrements: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, banana peppers.  and then? if you want, you can choose one of their specialty sauces and all of them really looked great.

i ordered the grilled chicken with a ginger blackberry sauce (although i briefly considered the roasted red pepper and goat cheese sauce), kate ordered a burger with mango curry sauce, and sarah ordered grilled chicken with a sauce that i’m failing to remember right now.  we gave all of the sandwiches rave reviews, and there was much rejoicing. (yaayyyy.) we decided to share one order of fries with it, but between three of us, we still didn’t eat them all.

side note on the fries: i prefer my fries a bit on the “undercooked” side, golden brown but slightly squishy with just the right amount of salt. terry’s fries were obviously homemade, which was cool in and of itself, but they were way overcooked for my liking and a very dark brown color…although they did get the salt right.  perhaps while steve jobs is working on his iToast, he can also work on an iFry too. then you could listen to a 3-minute song (because if you’ve ever worked at mcdonald’s, you know that perfect fries result from only 3 minutes of frying time), such as de novo dahl’s “conquest at midnight” or ashley macisaac’s “rusty D-con-STRUCK-tion” and when the song finishes, you would know that your fries are perfectly cooked!  now if i can just get blogography to whip up a quick image of said product, i’d be in business! ;)

but i digress.

after ordering, and while we were deep in conversation about family problems, couples breaking up, or other goings-on, we heard a loud shouting over by the counter. an apparently inebriated woman was standing at the counter and yelling at terry very loudly, and with much cursing. all i heard was something about “give me back my fucking purse” and “fuckfuck you fucking fuck” or something. after all noise in the restaurant (which is pretty small) died completely, everyone was listening in to her cursing a blue streak. this went on for a few minutes, and then apparently terry got tired of listening to her, because without a word, he bodily picked her up around her waist, and carried her across the room and out the door.  obviously she was upset about something, but i’ll be damned if i know what that is. and more amusing about the entire scenario is that while she was at the counter she was cursing and making wild gestures, but when terry picked her up and carried her across the room, she didn’t say a word, and wasn’t kicking and thrashing like you’d have thought. (of course, after she got outside and was set down, she resumed cursing and kicking and fighting with whomever she was fighting with). i had no idea terry’s turf club was a dinner theatre! ;) it certainly added an element of excitement to our meal.

we ended up staying later than we should have…yes, we were the trio of girls sitting at the table by the door chatting away for two and a half hours while a large group of people stood waiting for a table at the tiny restaurant. but in our defense, this is our first monthly get-together in about 6 months, since i’ve been in scotland from august to december of last year.  we had a lot to discuss, okay?

ahem.

after dinner, kate and i stopped off at udf so i could pick up some smokes and so kate could get some milk for jenn to drink with her brownies. after my transaction, i was waiting for kate, who proceeded to drop a penny on the floor. as it was still spinning on the ground, i bent over to pick it up, when the guy behind us in line piped up and said “it’s mine!” “huh?” “it was a joke. huh-huh-huh.”  funny? not even close. i just snorted/laughed and basically ignored him. he was wearing a sun visor for god’s sake. in the middle of winter. AT 9 O’CLOCK AT NIGHT. apparently, on some planet, he’s supposed to be “cool.” he reminded me of something i read just today, actually:

Manly men are confident men. People are attracted to men who project confidence. Sadly, many men these days lack any confidence at all. Some mope around with their head down, wallowing in self pity. Others confuse manly confidence with boyish cockiness. These men have confused confidence with being a douchebag.

(‘nother side note: everything i’ve read so far on “the art of manliness” blog, i love. he’s gotta be doing something right…in the one year he’s had the site, he’s gotten over 26,000 subscribers. although they’re probably all women who read the blog and wish they could get their boyfriends and husbands to read it and take note.)

hey stef, judgmental much? abso-fucking-lutely. i reserve my right to be judgmental of people who make pitiable jokes at strangers and wear weather-inappropriate clothing. so there.

mmkay, that about sums up my evening. bed calls. over and out.

*”chotch” is the nickname kate came up with to describe the type of guy we ran into tonight. i think it’s as good a term as any, and perhaps better, so i’m stealing it.

not quite daddy’s little girl.

05 Monday Jan 2009

Posted by in family, relationships

≈ 2 Comments

the other night, i went to visit my mother at her new apartment with my sister and FBIL.  after much discussion over the last year or so between my parents, my mom finally decided to move out. it was mostly my mom’s decision because i’m pretty sure my dad is dead-set against it. without going into too many details about my parents’ relationship, i think it’s one of those situations where, after all the kids grow up and leave, the couple looks at each other and says “who are you?” (isn’t that “empty nest syndrome” or something?)  anyway, i read something recently that made me consider the kind of relationships i have with my parents, and most specifically, my father.

i’ve always had a distant relationship with my father. it didn’t really help that i was quite the brat when i was a teenager, and as my father and i are very much alike in a lot of ways, i really knew how to piss him off. and did i ever. i remember a couple of occasions where i would make him so angry that he’d have to leave the room before he said or did something he’d regret.  i don’t know that our relationship has ever really recovered from my teenage years. we never really talk about anything more than the most superficial of topics (which tends to be geeking out about battlestar galactica, dr. who or heroes, proving that my sci-fi geekness was inherited), and when we talk about something more serious such as religion or politics, we’re both so stubborn about our beliefs (which happen to be on opposite sides of the spectrum) that we end up butting heads, so it’s a bit difficult for us to discuss more than the superficial topics. so i suppose we stick to the lighter conversational fare in order to preserve what tenuous relationship we have.

it occurs to me that i seek out those relationships where the man is emotionally unavailable because i had the same type of relationship with my father. i’ve always seen men who are emotionally available (and maybe sometimes a bit TOO available) as somehow “weaker than,” and a bit unfairly, i imagine.  seeing as my father is the main male role model in my life, i have come to believe that a “man” is one who keeps his emotions and thoughts to themselves, and is stoically passive on all matters of the heart.

but what i know about myself, is that i tend to stay emotionally unavailable as well (because again, i’m like my father), and only truly open up for those that i feel i can trust implicitly. i’ve only truly emotionally opened up in one other relationship, and it wasn’t my ex-husband (which tells you what sort of relationship we had didn’t have). i may have loved him, but i didn’t really trust him.

but what i ALSO know is that what i need to feel happy and secure in a relationship is to really feel free to discuss my feelings about what’s going on in the relationship. it’s not an easy thing for me to do. i can be a good girlfriend, affectionate, and all the other things that come with playing the girlfriend role, but to truly feel capable of revealing the deeper parts of myself to someone, there needs to be significant amounts of trust on both our parts. meaning: i need to know that he (or she, i suppose) trusts me as well. a sort of give-and-take of trust, if you will. (side note reinforcing my point: ben folds has a song lyric that states: “it seems to me if you can’t trust, you can’t be trusted,” which i think rings true for both issues of fidelity as well as emotional confidence.)

so, while i’ve tried for most of my adult life to avoid the somewhat emotionally-lopsided relationship that my parents have, i end up running back to it again and again. because, hey, it’s what i know. it’s what i’m familiar with. and for all intents and purposes, the type of relationship our parents have builds a model for us of what a relationship should look like, and it’s really difficult to break that mold. you have to be self-aware enough to realize that you’re pursuing something that’s been deeply ingrained in you from birth, for as much as you may not personally want that for yourself. and it takes a lot of hard work to change that.

this is just one of a few rather disheartening self-realizations i’m currently going through. perhaps it’s taking myself off of anti-depressants, or seasonal affective disorder, or just because i’m after the end of yet another failed relationship (which may i just reiterate: it ended the way it should have in several respects), that’s cause for this bout of introspection. regardless, hopefully i can glean a few lessons from this one, and give them a bit more permanence in my life. maybe i’ll try something new instead of running back to the familiar.

Meme for 2008.

31 Wednesday Dec 2008

Posted by in 'merka, fuck yeah, books, feminism, friends, glasgow, iceland, love, movies, music, politics, scotland, travel, UK

≈ 3 Comments

(Stolen from Sundry Mourning.)

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? I lived in another country!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I’m pretty sure I didn’t make any last year.  Mostly because I never keep them. That’s why I won’t make any this year, either.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My best friend’s sister had a little girl.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thank god.

5. What countries did you visit? The Dominican Republic (end of March) and Scotland/England (August-December)

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? More happiness, and better health. Although I think those two are closely tied together for me. Now all I gotta do is get my gym membership shenanigans sorted, and then maybe I can get both!

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 12th (the day I left for Scotland) and December 10th (the day I returned to the US). 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I’m going with “living in another country” again.

9. What was your biggest failure? Probably not staying in school the whole year like I originally intended. But I had Scotland to experience, so I’m going to consider that part of my Global Business Management education. ;)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major (thank god again).

11. What was the best thing you bought? This is a toughie…perhaps the coat I bought from Tesco? Or the DVD of Amelie that I bought for Sam (which I believe is currently in Lynne’s possession)? My CHI hair straightener (if you had my hair, you’d understand)?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? America’s, in electing Obama.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? California passing Prop 8. Bad California, BAD!

14. Where did most of your money go? To support Scotland’s economy. ;)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? That’s easy: the presidential election.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Tough one!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? meh.
b) thinner or fatter? fatter. :(
c) richer or poorer? poorer. :(

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Communicating (which is different from simply talking).

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With the fam.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Is it possible to fall in love with a country?

22. What was your favorite TV program? House became one of my favorites this year.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No. I very rarely “hate” people.

24. What was the best book you read? Damn that’s tough. Perhaps The Kite Runner, or My Best Friend’s Girl (not from the cheesy rom-com of the same name). And perhaps “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” if I would have finished it. (The movie blew chunks; I’m guessing the book was much better.)

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I’d say either Jukebox the Ghost or The Ting Tings.

26. What did you want and get? To see Sam (and Scotland) again.

27. What did you want and not get? To visit Iceland.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan.” (Kidding.) I didn’t see a whole lot of movies this year, although I did go see “Milk” a couple weeks ago, and that was pretty amazing.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 31 on May 2nd, and I went with my mother to see “Ella” (musical about Ella Fitzgerald) at Playhouse in the Park after dinner at Daveed’s.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Finding a job in Scotland.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Confused. Although, ever since I can remember, I’ve always worn what I liked even though I usually look like I mix 3 different styles every time I walk out the door.

32. What kept you sane? Reading: blogs (TONS), news, books, magazines.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Hugh Laurie, Simon Amstell, and Stephen Fry (although the last two are gay, but that never stops me!)

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Gay rights and/or feminist issues. (No change from the last few years.)

35. Who did you miss? 3 people in particular. Not naming names.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Oy. Lynne, Gareth, Andy, Katie, John, Ryzsard (sp?), Steven, Thomas, Mark, Ian, Donna, Des, Neil, Nicol, Gary, Paul, Cameron, Anne, and any other new friend I made when I was in Scotland that I may have forgotten to mention.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Taking the “safe route” doesn’t always mean you’ll be happier; you might miss out on some truly amazing experiences if you do.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “You keep playing me like a fruit machine.” (Or: I should really start paying more attention to song lyrics.)

i won (again)!

30 Tuesday Dec 2008

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

i just won a book from kristabella! okay. i’m well aware that it’s a book about dating. and that a book about this particular subject completely contradicts what i said in my previous post. but let’s gloss over that for a moment, shall we? I WON SOMETHING, PEOPLE. seriously. first, i win CDs from san diego momma (which i received – thank you if you’re reading!), and now a book from kristabella. 

hell has officially frozen over.  (cincinnati will be following suit on december 30, 2028.)

new year, new job, new…life?

29 Monday Dec 2008

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

well, technically, it’s not the new year just yet, but it’s only two days away, so i took literary license in using that in my title.

as far as my job is concerned, i’m working “part-time” as an assistant for my FBIL (future brother-in-law, for those not paying attention). most of my job is administrative, but i’ll also be working on some other business prospects, which will hopefully pan out in the very near future, since i have bills to pay. and, well, i’d like to avoid broken kneecaps if at all possible. so instead of working on those business prospects, i’m blogging. excellent.

as far as me and sam, most of our friends/family are already aware that we are not a “we” anymore. actually, about halfway through my time in scotland, we mutually decided that we aren’t exactly relationship material. it was one of those situations where you really wish that it would have worked out, but in reality, we’re just a bit too different to make it work long-term. to be completely honest, it was because of our differences that i wasn’t entirely sure that it would work before i went, but if i hadn’t gone, i (and perhaps sam as well) would have always wondered “what if?” so we gave it a chance, and now we know. we’re simply two people who are better off as friends than in a relationship. and i stayed for the duration of my trip because it wasn’t like we split up on bad terms by any means, and i have no regrets about having gone. we are still friends and probably always will be, and in addition, i made quite a few more friends while i was there.

so, now i am single again. (note: NOT an invitation.)

i do feel a bit strange though, because right now, life seems so unfamiliar and somewhat uncomfortable to me. i’m not working in a traditional job at all, because i’m working from home (as does FBIL), and i’m paid on commission so my paychecks aren’t exactly steady, i’m single but i’m not really looking (as i usually am when i’m single), and i’m living on the west side of town with FBIL and his dog. which is about as unfamiliar as it gets for me, being an eastsider used to living either alone or with another female and cats.

i think that a good portion of that is because i’m living in someone else’s house, and while FBIL is about as nice and accomodating as they come (as he’s told me several times i can stay as long as i need to, and in fact is better that i stay as it’s just easier, work-wise), i still feel a bit…cramped, i guess would be the word i’m looking for. or perhaps “in limbo” would be more accurate. no matter where i’m living, i always want to put down roots if i think i’m going to be there for an extended period of time. i know i’ll be living here for at least another couple of months (most likely longer), but i know i won’t be here for a significant amount of time, so i’m hesitant to really settle in, as it were.

every aspect of my life feels so up in the air right now. i just wish i knew when it would come back to the ground.

happy winter solstice!

25 Thursday Dec 2008

Posted by in holidaze

≈ Leave a Comment

to all of my dear friends and loyal readers (who are just friends i haven’t met yet), the best of holiday cheer to you and yours. i hope you get everything you asked for. :)

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.