September 2006 Archives

After Mr. BA's comment about sharing music I thought I would post some of the songs that have been in heavy rotation on my iPod lately. I don't suggest that this music new or especially novel, but it is stuff I look forward to listening to on my commute.

This Home on Ice, Is this Love and Upon this Tidal Wave of Young Blood by
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Maggie May - Rod Stewart
Just Pretend - The Bens
Sing, Theresa Says - Greg Laswell
Misread - Kings of Convenience
The Ring, and I Am Aglow - Sarah Harmer
Lately, Ain't No Love and Now and Always - David Gray
Tropicalia - Beck
Carnival - The Cardigans

Also, in an unexpected turn, I have started listening to a lot of celtic style music -- no, not Enya, but real folk fiddlers and musicians. It's not exactly hip, but I like it.

Quote of the Day:
Hell is full of musical amateurs.
George Bernard Shaw

♦ Cotton Sateen (it's not just for bedsheets anymore!)
♦ The golden sunshine found exclusively in late September
♦ Novels set during the Napoleonic wars
♦ Bottled iced white tea
♦ Salt glazed pottery
♦ Completing a task ahead of schedule and knowing you've done your best
♦ "Signature" accessories that remind you of happy times

Quote of the Day:
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.
H. G. Wells

We took a big step this weekend and prepped the front yard for the Fall. We churned up the flower beds, potted up the sweetest tangerine and purple violas you have ever seen, planted bulbs for the spring, and applied a generous layer of mulch. The front yard looks so much neater. 2 hours of heavy sweating really payed off.

However, there was a price to be paid for all that order and beauty. I am now riddled with mosquito bites. Over 16 of them at last count. Eat your heart out Ms. WAS! There are 6 on my left arm and hand alone. My favorite one is the large welt just above the second knuckle which makes wearing my wedding rings an itchy challenge. The one on my tuckus is also fun.

Quote of the Day:
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
Marcel Proust

Since marrying and settling down in the suburbs, I thought I had given up my dreams of becoming a hipster. But could my dreams be rekindled?

In a recent article from Slate, Josh Levin criticized Zack Braff as a performer who has set himself up the be "the voice of the [twenty-somthing] generation" but "Never has the voice of a generation had so little of substance to say." Apparently Mr. Levine hated Garden State, and thinks that Braff's head it getting a bit too big for his britches (or something like that.) He does allow that Braff can put together a mean sound track (though he doesn't really approve of this either.)

Since we all agree that the Garden State sound track was awsome and most seem to think that The Last Kiss's sound track is equally good, here is my question. Do I get hipster points for already owning 7 of the 15 songs on the latter sound track before the compellation was released?

That has to count for something right?

Tomorrow Flounder's parents are coming over for a visit and a meal. This is my first opporunity to cook for them, and I admit I am a little nervous. It's not like I am making Thanksgiving or anything, just a nice lunch, but still. I have picked a menu filled with easy favorites that can be preped ahead of time and won't have me tied to the stove. Not a huge event, but another little marriage milestone. This visit will also mark the Storybook Parents first opportunity to meet our little feline Josie. Lord please don't let her go into heat again between now and their arrival!

Quote of the Day:
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"”
-Winnie the Pooh

As the Washington Post, CNN, NPR and everyother news outlet are reminding us ad nauseam, today is the 5th anniversery of September 11th. I am all for remembering, but I am feeling a little bombarded. I will be taking time to reflect on my own 9/11 experiences and those who's lives were lost, but I don't feel the need to watch the original 9/11 tv coverage in realtime on CNN. Who wants to wallow in the pain and terror on that level? To each his own, but I don't think I will be listening to as much radio, or watching as much television today as I would on a typical September Monday.

In a striking juxtaposition, today is the 3rd anniversery of my first date with Flounder. We met in person three years ago and have been attached at the hip ever since. We won't be "celebrating" this occasion, but we will be marking the day with a little reminiscing. Our lives have changed drastically in the last 5 years, the last 3 of those especially. Today we are just happy to have spent the last three years together. Big plans are in the works for Spring of 2008, but more on that another time.

Today I will also be attending the first meeting of my autumn semester english class. Wish me luck!

Quote of the Day:
Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.
Michel de Montaigne

Generally, I am a great fan of three day weekends. This past Labor Day Monday Flounder and I visited Mt. Vernon. I had never visited this site, the home of George Washington and one of Virginia's great homes. It is a beautiful place (even though some of buildings on the grounds are under constructions) with a fantastic view of the Potomac. I can certainly see why the Washington family choose to live there. My favorite part of the Mt. Vernon attraction is the Gristmill. It is a working mill rebuilt on the footprint of the original mill that George Washington's farm used to process it's grain. It sounds pretty ho-hum, but first learning how important the mill was to the farm and surrounding community and then watching it work (and produce real corn meal) was really super cool! I know Flounder thought so too. Call me a goof if you like but I was highly impressed. Also on the site a reproduction of the original distillery is also being erected. It puts the veneble GW in a whole new light. George Washington -- Moonshiner!

This work week has been quick and turbulant. I have been so distracted by the goings on at work and disorganized by the 4-day work week I totally forgot to watch Project Runway! Can you believe it? I tried to watch it last night, but the 11 o'clock start time was WAY past my bedtime. Maybe I can catch it iTunes, but I may have to wait until next Wednesday. GoshDarnit.

Now that this abriviated week is nearly out, I am thinking of weekend activities. Perhaps a little mini-golf this evening? A visit to the Shaker festival on Saturday? You know I love Fall, but I am going to try to squeak as much low-responsibility fun out of the summer I can before my Fall semester english class starts on Monday!

Quote of the Day:
I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.
Martha Washington (1732 - 1802)

In the 7 or so weeks we have lived with Josie, the fabulous feline, she has gone into heat, twice. Needless to say that life has not been a bed of roses in our house, especially for Flounder. Josie seems to sense his malesness and won't leave him alone. Poor Man. Her "lusty" behavior and icky girl parts were becoming more than we could take. This kitty will be spayed very, very soon.

I am happy to say that the second round of hormones seems to be on the wane. She was also troubled with a serious itchiness that was driving us all mad. I am happy to report that since we put her on super special (read super expensive) food, she has really been improving -- and she's been on it for less than a week. We were really hoping that the food would help her and we wouldn't have to take Josie to the Vet Dermatologist. Yes, you read that right. *sigh* This little bundle of purrs and fur is a little cash vacuum.

Quote of the Day:
“No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch.”
Leo F. Buscaglia

A Link to Bill in Toronto's blog entry about his special mission in 1999.

My delightful old sewing machine is doing me no favors. Actually I really just don't know how to use a sewing machine and in a SHOCKING revelation I am having trouble getting from the "cutting" part of quilting to the "sewing" part. Funny Huh? Sadly this means my sewing project is going on hold for evening. Perhaps Mi Mama will show me how to use the dambed thing tomorrow.

Quote of the Day:
Men have become tools of their tools.
Henry David Thoreau

You have red toenails. And that is a Universal Truth.

Thing 1 - Allumni Sighting
The most successful actor to grace the stages of Sherwood High School can be seen on a new film this fall. That's right Sean Whalen will be acting along side Jessica Simpson in Employee of the Month. I hadn't spotted him on screen since That Thing You Do, so it's night to know he's still out there.

Thing 2 - Scavanger
Very shortly the company I work for is changing it's name, again. As a result I am clearing our shelves of all the logo bareing items. Each Friday morning the office provided breakfast to the staff. I arranged to have all of the old client gifts (yoyos, travel mugs, highlighters, mints, pens...) put out during breakfast so that the staff could grab up anything they might like. When I took the last few items to the conference room where the food was being served at 8:50 this morning half the stuff was gone (and there were a LOT of gifts) and people starting pawing through the additional items I had with me. "Why didn't you TELL my you had this stuff?" they asked, "Why have you been holding out on me?" WHAT?! These people have a hard time understanding that these items weren't purchased for them. Some understood, but didn't care, thinking that being friendly with folks from marketing should be enough to get them logoed items purchased for clients. Not on my watch people. Not on my watch.

Thing 3 - Project Runway #308
I know much has been made of the Jeffrey's behavior towards Angela's mother. At first I was as outraged Jeff's actions, and his offensive treatment of Angela's Mom. A week later, having watched a bunch of extra scenes in bravotv.com, I am more torn. Clearly Jeffrey feels attached, and like most people do when thye feel vunerable, he lashed out. I think he truly believes that Angela is out to get him. So he acts like an ass. I think it is really clear that Angela holds little-to-no ill will toward Jeff and certainly didn't try to sabotage him -- she just wanted he mom to be happy and resented his treatment of her. But Jeff, acting on his misconception, continues to jab at Angela. Jeff is wrong and mean, but I guess I can see WHY his is being unkind. The really sad thing in my mind is Angela's belief that she has really made friends on the show. In the extra scenes that are posted on the Bravo site you can see just how often the other designers make fun of her and have ganged up against her, even Kayne and Michael with whom she believed she had a "connection". Depressing.

Quote of the Day:
"Never tell anyone that you're: writing a book, going on a diet, exercising, taking a course, or quitting smoking. They'll encourage you to death."
Lynn Johnston