hi there. i'm back in crazy mode with my professional life, which will continue through the weekend and into next week, so stick with me if posts are few and not very well thought out.
it's finally gotten cooler here. it smells like fall in the air. nooooooooo! i will go kicking and stomping my feet. it's just not right. it's not officially the end of summer yet, but tomorrow's only supposed to hit 55 degrees. my building hasn't even switched our heating/cooling to the heat side, so we don't have heat! i'm seeing blankets and hot showers in my future.
god, thinking about this now, i feel like i could really go for a Vichy shower. too bad, no cash. maybe i can treat myself after this work project is over.
william and i haven't been up to much, seeing as how i have been professionally preoccupied. molly has been reaping the benefits of long hours over at my parents' house, where my dad feeds her "beef, with a little bit of gravy, like she likes it." seriously? my dog is going to get obese.
we have started looking into places to stay on our honeymoon; we're going to kauai after we get married on maui. there are some really kick ass places for super reasonable amounts ($140 a night? $100 a night? sold!)i really hope that if we do the helicopter tour my fear of flying doesn't kick in. i don't want to take xanax for that (yes, i medicate on flights, no other times). i wouldn't want to be all zoned out for that! i can't believe how fast our engagement is going... time has just flown.
ok, off i go to edit some stuff. i hope you are watching tv and eating ice cream for me. can you relax for me and send me some of that energy? thanks, friends!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
september 11
things will never be the same.
it was one of the first thoughts i had when i finally wrapped my head around the events that took place six years ago.
they aren't the same, and yet they are.
i'm still so angry--not even so much at the terrorists, as i am at our inept government. i'm angry that it has been made worse by a power-hungry warmonger. i'm angry that someone who can't even speak a sentence without a script without sounding like a complete moron got elected, then re-elected to take care of this mess. no, bush didn't cause 9/11, a lot of things did, but he was least prepared to take care of us and he certainly hasn't had our best interest in mind. i fear that the next president, despite however good she or he might be, has inherited a mess that will haunt us for generations.
we aren't any safer, but we are looking more and more like the biggest bully on the playground.
i still cry when i think about those poor people who lept from the world trade center windows, as though falling to their death--or in their minds, the chances that they would be caught by firefighters--outweighed staying in those burning, collapsing buildings. if it occurs to you that a doable survival strategy is leaping straight out, fifty stories above new york city.... i cannot even begin to fathom the desperation and fear. i cannot.
i'm angry that people who risked their lives, people who will be forever scarred by what they saw as they ran into a building burning, fighting every survival instinct they had, people who became heroes that day, are sick and hurting and not able to get the medical care they need. it should be considered a crime, how they've been treated.
i'm angry that not one promise has been delivered, that troops are fighting for a "cause" that's been extremely camoflauged, put in harm's way every day, killing people who may be innocent (but the US actions may turn them to a life of extremism), and the healing that should, but may never, come, once they return stateside, if they return. i'm angry that that is soldiers' only choice. i'm angry parents have buried their children.
and i'm sad.
my biggest memories of this day, six years ago: calling my mom, telling her to turn on the tv. wanting to tell my roommates but they had already left for the day. walking to class, wondering if we were safe. classes getting canceled. going home and parking myself in front of the tv. getting gas. crying.
i didn't know anyone directly in the buildings that day. but my first class of the day was political psychology. i thought it a perfect forum to talk about the events, until my professor came into class. she attempted to start class several times, stopping short, until she finally told us: her cousin worked at kantor fitzgerald. there was no hope he was alive. bits of stationery from that floor were found, floating in the air, miles away.
it was one of the first thoughts i had when i finally wrapped my head around the events that took place six years ago.
they aren't the same, and yet they are.
i'm still so angry--not even so much at the terrorists, as i am at our inept government. i'm angry that it has been made worse by a power-hungry warmonger. i'm angry that someone who can't even speak a sentence without a script without sounding like a complete moron got elected, then re-elected to take care of this mess. no, bush didn't cause 9/11, a lot of things did, but he was least prepared to take care of us and he certainly hasn't had our best interest in mind. i fear that the next president, despite however good she or he might be, has inherited a mess that will haunt us for generations.
we aren't any safer, but we are looking more and more like the biggest bully on the playground.
i still cry when i think about those poor people who lept from the world trade center windows, as though falling to their death--or in their minds, the chances that they would be caught by firefighters--outweighed staying in those burning, collapsing buildings. if it occurs to you that a doable survival strategy is leaping straight out, fifty stories above new york city.... i cannot even begin to fathom the desperation and fear. i cannot.
i'm angry that people who risked their lives, people who will be forever scarred by what they saw as they ran into a building burning, fighting every survival instinct they had, people who became heroes that day, are sick and hurting and not able to get the medical care they need. it should be considered a crime, how they've been treated.
i'm angry that not one promise has been delivered, that troops are fighting for a "cause" that's been extremely camoflauged, put in harm's way every day, killing people who may be innocent (but the US actions may turn them to a life of extremism), and the healing that should, but may never, come, once they return stateside, if they return. i'm angry that that is soldiers' only choice. i'm angry parents have buried their children.
and i'm sad.
my biggest memories of this day, six years ago: calling my mom, telling her to turn on the tv. wanting to tell my roommates but they had already left for the day. walking to class, wondering if we were safe. classes getting canceled. going home and parking myself in front of the tv. getting gas. crying.
i didn't know anyone directly in the buildings that day. but my first class of the day was political psychology. i thought it a perfect forum to talk about the events, until my professor came into class. she attempted to start class several times, stopping short, until she finally told us: her cousin worked at kantor fitzgerald. there was no hope he was alive. bits of stationery from that floor were found, floating in the air, miles away.
Monday, September 10, 2007
fantasy football island
hi. it's monday. booo that. right? right.
my sister just told me about some condo where the pool is built into lava rock on the edge of a cliff; that it looks over the ocean. we're not going there, since my family is probably staying there, but we'll be finding something along those lines, i hope! so the looking for a place to stay begins. oh, hawaii, you are calling my name.
i'm really tired.
also, i think i have lost my fiance to fantasy football. but ever since reading that column bill simmons wrote about how to make women understand fantasy football, i've been understanding about it. really. give it a read if you haven't. it's good stuff.
thank god for bill simmons. i think he shed a LOT of light for a LOT of women. why aren't more women praising him like that venus, mars guy? he should be on oprah!
my sister just told me about some condo where the pool is built into lava rock on the edge of a cliff; that it looks over the ocean. we're not going there, since my family is probably staying there, but we'll be finding something along those lines, i hope! so the looking for a place to stay begins. oh, hawaii, you are calling my name.
i'm really tired.
also, i think i have lost my fiance to fantasy football. but ever since reading that column bill simmons wrote about how to make women understand fantasy football, i've been understanding about it. really. give it a read if you haven't. it's good stuff.
thank god for bill simmons. i think he shed a LOT of light for a LOT of women. why aren't more women praising him like that venus, mars guy? he should be on oprah!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
when will we fall down?
yes, i have already fallen behind on the blogging. truth be told, i've been super occupied. and yes, sometimes that's with a mind-blowingly long session of america's next top model. which doesn't make for much interesting talk on the blog.
i realized i hadn't blogged about one wedding development: the tasting! we're hiring a woman-owned, independent caterer in minneapolis called chowgirls. they are extremely nice people and we had some way tasty food. now we have to just narrow down the menu.
here's what we tasted:
tandoori chicken with yogurt sauce (we're switching to lamb if we have it, sorry PETA and people who can't stand the thought)
chicken satay with peanut sauce
tuna tartare on crackers
mango curry chicken salad on endive
fig tapenade and goat cheese on crackers
grilled veggies (bok choy, roasted red pepper, snow peapods, zucchini, etc.) with citrus vinaigrette
then maybe egg rolls or spring rolls, a cheese plate, more raw veggies, etc. that we'd put together. we're still working on it. then, instead of cake, we're having cupcakes i think. there's a place here, aptly named cupcake, that has specialty, kick-butt ones.
in any case, we've reserved them for our reception, so now it's just a matter of working out the details.
stupid fall allergies have kicked in. my sister, who's a nurse, informed me it's ragweed. so apparently, i'm allergic to that now, too. i just keep adding to the list as i get older. lame. my ears itch and my eyes burn, and you wanna talk about sneezing? ugh.
i am such a sucker for fall fashion and beauty magazines. i do so love fall clothing.
i am so disappointed in the vma's this year. britney opened, and i was really hoping for her that she wouldn't looked drugged out and boring. she looked like she was in slo-mo. she was definitely NOT singing. she looked sad, tired, and completely out of her element. i never thought britney had much talent in the singing department, but i did think she was a great dancer. i feel bad for her in a lot of ways. major case of arrested development, no one seemingly helping her, a possibel case of mental illness. . . anyway, the performances were weird mostly, except for maybe alicia keys, the rest were cut off, and shown from hotel rooms. at least rihanna actually sang. anyway. it's nothing like the days when you could count on axl and slash getting sloppy and picking fights and swearing onstage. and it was always a huge leadup what madonna would do this time.
i was so tired on friday i went to bed by 10 pm.
i'm still waiting for another artist to come along that makes me superly, classically happy, like someone that will be my new favorite. for now, i have avril lavigne's girlfriend to keep me happy. i hear though, from my friend fatty, that the new rilo kiley's gonna rock my world.
ok. nighty night. this is going to be a crazy week again.
loves!
i realized i hadn't blogged about one wedding development: the tasting! we're hiring a woman-owned, independent caterer in minneapolis called chowgirls. they are extremely nice people and we had some way tasty food. now we have to just narrow down the menu.
here's what we tasted:
tandoori chicken with yogurt sauce (we're switching to lamb if we have it, sorry PETA and people who can't stand the thought)
chicken satay with peanut sauce
tuna tartare on crackers
mango curry chicken salad on endive
fig tapenade and goat cheese on crackers
grilled veggies (bok choy, roasted red pepper, snow peapods, zucchini, etc.) with citrus vinaigrette
then maybe egg rolls or spring rolls, a cheese plate, more raw veggies, etc. that we'd put together. we're still working on it. then, instead of cake, we're having cupcakes i think. there's a place here, aptly named cupcake, that has specialty, kick-butt ones.
in any case, we've reserved them for our reception, so now it's just a matter of working out the details.
stupid fall allergies have kicked in. my sister, who's a nurse, informed me it's ragweed. so apparently, i'm allergic to that now, too. i just keep adding to the list as i get older. lame. my ears itch and my eyes burn, and you wanna talk about sneezing? ugh.
i am such a sucker for fall fashion and beauty magazines. i do so love fall clothing.
i am so disappointed in the vma's this year. britney opened, and i was really hoping for her that she wouldn't looked drugged out and boring. she looked like she was in slo-mo. she was definitely NOT singing. she looked sad, tired, and completely out of her element. i never thought britney had much talent in the singing department, but i did think she was a great dancer. i feel bad for her in a lot of ways. major case of arrested development, no one seemingly helping her, a possibel case of mental illness. . . anyway, the performances were weird mostly, except for maybe alicia keys, the rest were cut off, and shown from hotel rooms. at least rihanna actually sang. anyway. it's nothing like the days when you could count on axl and slash getting sloppy and picking fights and swearing onstage. and it was always a huge leadup what madonna would do this time.
i was so tired on friday i went to bed by 10 pm.
i'm still waiting for another artist to come along that makes me superly, classically happy, like someone that will be my new favorite. for now, i have avril lavigne's girlfriend to keep me happy. i hear though, from my friend fatty, that the new rilo kiley's gonna rock my world.
ok. nighty night. this is going to be a crazy week again.
loves!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
shortness of breath
unfortch, this is going to be a little short entry again tonight. i stayed up too late last night, and now i have to write these letters for my dad (long story) and i'm tired from staying up late and i was crazy busy all day and i stopped and had dinner with my parents and they invited me since i was without "my beloved" as my mom calls william (well they invite him too, but i think they felt sorry for me), so we had dinner and i chatted with my mom about various things in my life since we barely get to see each other for more than like five minutes....yes that was one sentence because that's how i feel like my life is going lately. constantly running on top speed during the week, multitasking, freaking out, running out of time, ahhhh!
but good things today: my new planner is working out quite nicely at work, i had a very nice lunch at a new restaurant (i had a kobe beef cheeseburger and hand-cut fries, not very adventurous but it tasted awesome, plus it had sun-dried tomatoes on it), i had good corn on the cob and tomatoes for dinner, it was ridiculously sunny out (although too hot!), molly was excited to see me. william is with a friend, so i'm sure he's enjoying himself too.
sad: i rented some documentaries (gimme shelter, the weather underground) but i can't watch them in time before the return date.
man, it's just been a busy couple of days. and tomorrow i'm attending a bris. never done one of those before. i assume i bring a gift, right? any help out there?
anyhoo, i know this is a disappointing entry but i must be on my way. if i finish up these letters, i'll post the videos i was promising. and a better blog.
but i'm still on my goal! posts most days!
but good things today: my new planner is working out quite nicely at work, i had a very nice lunch at a new restaurant (i had a kobe beef cheeseburger and hand-cut fries, not very adventurous but it tasted awesome, plus it had sun-dried tomatoes on it), i had good corn on the cob and tomatoes for dinner, it was ridiculously sunny out (although too hot!), molly was excited to see me. william is with a friend, so i'm sure he's enjoying himself too.
sad: i rented some documentaries (gimme shelter, the weather underground) but i can't watch them in time before the return date.
man, it's just been a busy couple of days. and tomorrow i'm attending a bris. never done one of those before. i assume i bring a gift, right? any help out there?
anyhoo, i know this is a disappointing entry but i must be on my way. if i finish up these letters, i'll post the videos i was promising. and a better blog.
but i'm still on my goal! posts most days!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
all for now
i ate a red velvet cupcake with homemade vanilla buttercream frosting (made by my lovely sister sooz). it was awesome, as was her homemade spaghetti (recipe borrowed from mom). i watched the twins lose. my back hurts and i have my dad's lidocaine packets back on it. booooo. william had a good fantasy football draft. hooray!
it was 91 today. that is not fall. not at all. but that's ok! i didn't want fall anyway! hang on summer! make it happen, global warming! just kidding, i'm not in favor of global warming.
i have two funny video links i'll have to do tomorrow. i'm real tired, i just wanted to post a little something here....as i'm trying to do almost every day.
that's about all for now.
it was 91 today. that is not fall. not at all. but that's ok! i didn't want fall anyway! hang on summer! make it happen, global warming! just kidding, i'm not in favor of global warming.
i have two funny video links i'll have to do tomorrow. i'm real tired, i just wanted to post a little something here....as i'm trying to do almost every day.
that's about all for now.
Monday, September 3, 2007
here comes the fall
labor day weekend. i can't help it, but it makes me a little sad. a three-day last hurrah to summer. although summer is still runnin', according to the calendar.
don't get me wrong, i love fall clothes, i love the holidays, i love the smell of leaves, all that good stuff. but i'm leaving my summer behind. as imperfect as it was, the world is now tilting toward winter, and that, i just don't want to deal with. i feel like we just emerged from all that. i blinked and it was over.
so i'm dealing with a bit of the blues tonight. this too shall pass, as my mom tells me whenever things seem weird.
that being said, i had a perfectly lovely weekend.
friday night i went to the state fair (a huge deal here, in case you don't know) for my best friend's birthday. we ate a lot of junk food--cheese curds, pronto pups, key lime pie on a stick—saw a lot of strange people, and genuinely enjoyed the night—the weather was perfect, food was good, friends were happy. she got diamond earrings from her boy! woo hoo! a good time for all.
saturday i got to see a good friend who moved a state away a while ago, and it was good to see her and her husband. we went together to another friend's house to see their three-week-old baby. three weeks! already he is alert and looking around and just generally being one of the cutest things on earth. then, as if i couldn't get enough babies, i met y, the new baby that belongs to r. i am in love. he is so sweet. two days old when i met him, with that new-baby wah-wah cry, what an absolute miracle. so it was a babyful day, and babyful sounds like beautiful for a reason.
sunday, sunday, sunday. shopping abounded. i got some new threads for work, which was a nice change because normally i can't find what i want--and then when i finally do, it is definitely not in my price range, of course--and i leave the stores disgusted. finally! stuff that fits, that's cute, that's affordable. i'm still lusting after some j. crew stuff, and of course some even more expensive stuff than that, but i think i did pretty well at the gap (of all places, i haven't been able to find ANYTHING there for about a year at least, but hey, awesome! that gap and i are back to being friends). i love that william will shop with me--with enthusiasm.
sunday morning, we went to the farmer's market and came home with pounds of produce, not to mention two armloads of flowers that are absolutely gorgeous (sunflowers, gladiolus, these weird/cool fuzzy brain things, azaleas). we are so doing farmer's market flowers for the wedding. so cheap and so beautiful! i will miss the farmers' market when it leaves me. then, last night, we headed out to see one of william's friends from grad school, who recently moved to new york city. it was good to see him and others, have some really good food (a blt with basil, who'd have thunk? it was awesome!), good drinks (i love strongbow), and some good giggles, especially when we left the bar and william had had a few. he kept me entertained with a steady stream of chatter the whole way home.
today was a great example of a do-nothing day. we watched—yes, we—a whole's day's worth of america's next top model programming on mtv. the total definition of sloth, but seriously, why didn't someone clue me in to the fact that this is such a FANTASTIC show? i'm so out of the loop!
otherwise, a quick list of impressions of the weekend:
ferris wheels, baby animals, fried cheese curds, hot sun, cool breeze, open windows, napping, back rubs, corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes, tank tops, cold beer, loud music, celebrations of all kinds of birthdays, couch time, pillows, molly snuggles, scent of new babies, brimming tears, television, documentaries, sweet words, clean laundry, bacon, fresh flowers, free time.
ah, my friends. free time. here comes the fall.
don't get me wrong, i love fall clothes, i love the holidays, i love the smell of leaves, all that good stuff. but i'm leaving my summer behind. as imperfect as it was, the world is now tilting toward winter, and that, i just don't want to deal with. i feel like we just emerged from all that. i blinked and it was over.
so i'm dealing with a bit of the blues tonight. this too shall pass, as my mom tells me whenever things seem weird.
that being said, i had a perfectly lovely weekend.
friday night i went to the state fair (a huge deal here, in case you don't know) for my best friend's birthday. we ate a lot of junk food--cheese curds, pronto pups, key lime pie on a stick—saw a lot of strange people, and genuinely enjoyed the night—the weather was perfect, food was good, friends were happy. she got diamond earrings from her boy! woo hoo! a good time for all.
saturday i got to see a good friend who moved a state away a while ago, and it was good to see her and her husband. we went together to another friend's house to see their three-week-old baby. three weeks! already he is alert and looking around and just generally being one of the cutest things on earth. then, as if i couldn't get enough babies, i met y, the new baby that belongs to r. i am in love. he is so sweet. two days old when i met him, with that new-baby wah-wah cry, what an absolute miracle. so it was a babyful day, and babyful sounds like beautiful for a reason.
sunday, sunday, sunday. shopping abounded. i got some new threads for work, which was a nice change because normally i can't find what i want--and then when i finally do, it is definitely not in my price range, of course--and i leave the stores disgusted. finally! stuff that fits, that's cute, that's affordable. i'm still lusting after some j. crew stuff, and of course some even more expensive stuff than that, but i think i did pretty well at the gap (of all places, i haven't been able to find ANYTHING there for about a year at least, but hey, awesome! that gap and i are back to being friends). i love that william will shop with me--with enthusiasm.
sunday morning, we went to the farmer's market and came home with pounds of produce, not to mention two armloads of flowers that are absolutely gorgeous (sunflowers, gladiolus, these weird/cool fuzzy brain things, azaleas). we are so doing farmer's market flowers for the wedding. so cheap and so beautiful! i will miss the farmers' market when it leaves me. then, last night, we headed out to see one of william's friends from grad school, who recently moved to new york city. it was good to see him and others, have some really good food (a blt with basil, who'd have thunk? it was awesome!), good drinks (i love strongbow), and some good giggles, especially when we left the bar and william had had a few. he kept me entertained with a steady stream of chatter the whole way home.
today was a great example of a do-nothing day. we watched—yes, we—a whole's day's worth of america's next top model programming on mtv. the total definition of sloth, but seriously, why didn't someone clue me in to the fact that this is such a FANTASTIC show? i'm so out of the loop!
otherwise, a quick list of impressions of the weekend:
ferris wheels, baby animals, fried cheese curds, hot sun, cool breeze, open windows, napping, back rubs, corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes, tank tops, cold beer, loud music, celebrations of all kinds of birthdays, couch time, pillows, molly snuggles, scent of new babies, brimming tears, television, documentaries, sweet words, clean laundry, bacon, fresh flowers, free time.
ah, my friends. free time. here comes the fall.
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