Thanksgiving is over and we're ready for Christmas...
Friday, November 25, 2011
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Photo "Thursday"?:The Big Move...
As I'm sure all, or at least most of you no doubt know, I recently made the longest move of my life (so far.) The following is a chronicle of that move.
The picture below is a stand-in for the picture that I did not take of the Indiana/Ohio border on I-70. Hopefully the artist's (my) rendering will do justice to the excitement that the promise of *Discovery* incites in a person upon reading the welcome sign.
Approaching lovely Columbus...
Getting into rolling, mountainous regions...
Crossing into West Virginia and approaching the Wheeling Tunnel... Yay!
And very quickly into Pennsylvania...
And growing more mountainous all the time...
And finally crossing the Maryland border. (That tiny sign says "Maryland Welcomes You - Enjoy Your Visit!" Followed by a long series of signs to tell you all the rules you need to know to legally drive in the "Free State".)
There was some exceptionally lovely scenery crossing over the Appalachians, but unfortunately I missed most of the Maryland portion of it due to the fact that the sun went down. But next time, next time I'll get the stunning pictures that I'm sure are waiting there to be taken. For instance it was too dark to see Polish and Negro Mountains. They do know how to name things in Maryland.
The picture below is a stand-in for the picture that I did not take of the Indiana/Ohio border on I-70. Hopefully the artist's (my) rendering will do justice to the excitement that the promise of *Discovery* incites in a person upon reading the welcome sign.
Approaching lovely Columbus...
Getting into rolling, mountainous regions...
Crossing into West Virginia and approaching the Wheeling Tunnel... Yay!
And very quickly into Pennsylvania...
And growing more mountainous all the time...
And finally crossing the Maryland border. (That tiny sign says "Maryland Welcomes You - Enjoy Your Visit!" Followed by a long series of signs to tell you all the rules you need to know to legally drive in the "Free State".)
There was some exceptionally lovely scenery crossing over the Appalachians, but unfortunately I missed most of the Maryland portion of it due to the fact that the sun went down. But next time, next time I'll get the stunning pictures that I'm sure are waiting there to be taken. For instance it was too dark to see Polish and Negro Mountains. They do know how to name things in Maryland.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Photo Thursday: Lots of hard work...
Here are some pictures of my new room and the paint job Paul and I slaved over.
First, the befores: (Though my camera totally didn't do justice to the eye popping quality of the old purple paint. Looks downright pleasant in these pictures, if you like lavendar...)
During: (I believe this was second coat time.)
And after: (Glidden's "Tropical Surf" on the ceiling and "Natural Wicker" on the walls.)
This was my inspiration for the paint colors: (Aren't those Chinese laterns amazing?)
But we decided to go with a much lighter shade for the walls since there is less window and trim in Paul's spare room than in the magazine picture. I think it turned out great. And it was actually the first time I got to pick out paint colors for a room.
First, the befores: (Though my camera totally didn't do justice to the eye popping quality of the old purple paint. Looks downright pleasant in these pictures, if you like lavendar...)
During: (I believe this was second coat time.)
And after: (Glidden's "Tropical Surf" on the ceiling and "Natural Wicker" on the walls.)
This was my inspiration for the paint colors: (Aren't those Chinese laterns amazing?)
But we decided to go with a much lighter shade for the walls since there is less window and trim in Paul's spare room than in the magazine picture. I think it turned out great. And it was actually the first time I got to pick out paint colors for a room.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Photo Thursday: Helpful!
Jif, helping with the sorting:
Jif, helping with the things to store:
Jif, helping with the packing:
Jif, helping with the...sitting in boxes:
Jif, helping:
In that third picture the box was on my lap when Jif decided he needed to lay down in it. Pretty sure it could only have been made better for him if I was sitting in a dry bathtub, eating some yogurt, with the box on my lap, and him in the box.
Jif, helping with the things to store:
Jif, helping with the packing:
Jif, helping with the...sitting in boxes:
Jif, helping:
In that third picture the box was on my lap when Jif decided he needed to lay down in it. Pretty sure it could only have been made better for him if I was sitting in a dry bathtub, eating some yogurt, with the box on my lap, and him in the box.
Monday, July 04, 2011
Friday, July 01, 2011
Crazy Awesome Huge Booklist Update - 2011 is Half Over...
--2011--
January 3 - 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (BOT)
- Baroness Emmuska Orczy - (c) 1905
January 10 - 'Outward'
- Paul Kuliniewicz - (c) 2010
January 21 - 'The Man That Currupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories' (BOT)
- Mark Twain - (c) 1900
January 28 - 'The Swoop! or How Clarence Saved England' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1909
February 8 - 'The Scarlet Letter' (BOT)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne - (c) 1850
February 11 - 'Just So Stories' (BOT) (Re-read)
- Rudyard Kipling - (c) 1902
February 14 - 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (BOT)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald - (c) 1921
February 26 - 'Heart of Darkness' (BOT)
- Joseph Conrad - (c) 1902
March 7 - 'Love Among the Chickens' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1906
March 10 - 'The Land That Time Forgot' (BOT)
- Edgar Rice Burroughs - (c) 1918
March 18 - 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1865
March 29 - 'Through the Looking-Glass' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1871
April 2 - 'The Fourth Bear'
- Jasper Fforde - (c) 2006
April 29 - 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez - (c) 1967
(Translated by Gregory Rabassa)
May 21 - 'The Time Machine' (BOT)
- H.G. Wells - (c) 1895
May 21 - 'Gulliver's Travels' (BOT)
- Jonathan Swift - (c) 1726
May 25 - 'Unseen Academicals'
- Terry Pratchett - (c) 2009
June 1 - 'Jewish Children' (BOT)
- Sholem Aleichem - (c) 1921
(Translated by Hannah Berman)
June 8 - 'Homer's Odyssey'
- Gwen Cooper - (c) 2009
June 11 - 'Nation'
- Terry Pratchett - (c) 2008
June 12 - 'The Other Queen'
- Philippa Gregory - (c) 2008
July 1 - 'The Cruelest Miles'
- Gay and Laney Salisbury - (c) 2003
Currently reading: All the library books I have out and have to return next month before I move!
January 3 - 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (BOT)
- Baroness Emmuska Orczy - (c) 1905
January 10 - 'Outward'
- Paul Kuliniewicz - (c) 2010
January 21 - 'The Man That Currupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories' (BOT)
- Mark Twain - (c) 1900
January 28 - 'The Swoop! or How Clarence Saved England' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1909
February 8 - 'The Scarlet Letter' (BOT)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne - (c) 1850
February 11 - 'Just So Stories' (BOT) (Re-read)
- Rudyard Kipling - (c) 1902
February 14 - 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (BOT)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald - (c) 1921
February 26 - 'Heart of Darkness' (BOT)
- Joseph Conrad - (c) 1902
March 7 - 'Love Among the Chickens' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1906
March 10 - 'The Land That Time Forgot' (BOT)
- Edgar Rice Burroughs - (c) 1918
March 18 - 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1865
March 29 - 'Through the Looking-Glass' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1871
April 2 - 'The Fourth Bear'
- Jasper Fforde - (c) 2006
April 29 - 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez - (c) 1967
(Translated by Gregory Rabassa)
May 21 - 'The Time Machine' (BOT)
- H.G. Wells - (c) 1895
May 21 - 'Gulliver's Travels' (BOT)
- Jonathan Swift - (c) 1726
May 25 - 'Unseen Academicals'
- Terry Pratchett - (c) 2009
June 1 - 'Jewish Children' (BOT)
- Sholem Aleichem - (c) 1921
(Translated by Hannah Berman)
June 8 - 'Homer's Odyssey'
- Gwen Cooper - (c) 2009
June 11 - 'Nation'
- Terry Pratchett - (c) 2008
June 12 - 'The Other Queen'
- Philippa Gregory - (c) 2008
July 1 - 'The Cruelest Miles'
- Gay and Laney Salisbury - (c) 2003
Currently reading: All the library books I have out and have to return next month before I move!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Photo "Thursday": Inner Harbor
The U.S.S Constellation docked at Baltimore, MD. If you look closely you'll see a crew member greasing the masticles. I won't rehash the Wikipedia article about the ship, but it is extremely interesting, and you should read it too.
Sidenote: Man I love sailing vessels.
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Why the UMBC people look like total dickbags...
I've had my share of rejections, but UMBC had to make theirs personal:
"Your application to the UMBC Graduate School has been carefully reviewed by the faculty of the department to which you applied. I regret to inform you that the department has recommended that you not be admitted for the forthcoming year.
Unfortunately, the number of places available for entering graduate students is limited. We are able to admit only those applicants who demonstrate strong academic skills and whose interest closely match the strengths of the graduate program to which they applied...."
Ouch. At least when U of L rejected me they were nice about it!
Maybe I'm glad you didn't accept me, UMBC, how about that? Now I'm gonna go over there and sit with people who like me. The ones who do think my academic skills are strong. *hrumph*
"Your application to the UMBC Graduate School has been carefully reviewed by the faculty of the department to which you applied. I regret to inform you that the department has recommended that you not be admitted for the forthcoming year.
Unfortunately, the number of places available for entering graduate students is limited. We are able to admit only those applicants who demonstrate strong academic skills and whose interest closely match the strengths of the graduate program to which they applied...."
Ouch. At least when U of L rejected me they were nice about it!
Maybe I'm glad you didn't accept me, UMBC, how about that? Now I'm gonna go over there and sit with people who like me. The ones who do think my academic skills are strong. *hrumph*
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Crazy Awesome Huge Booklist Update - First Quarter Ed.
--2011--
January 3 - 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (BOT)
- Baroness Emmuska Orczy - (c) 1905
January 10 - 'Outward'
- Paul Kuliniewicz - (c) 2010
January 21 - 'The Man That Currupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories' (BOT)
- Mark Twain - (c) 1900
January 28 - 'The Swoop! or How Clarence Saved England' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1909
February 8 - 'The Scarlet Letter' (BOT)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne - (c) 1850
February 11 - 'Just So Stories' (BOT) (Re-read)
- Rudyard Kipling - (c) 1902
February 14 - 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (BOT)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald - (c) 1921
February 26 - 'Heart of Darkness' (BOT)
- Joseph Conrad - (c) 1902
March 7 - 'Love Among the Chickens' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1906
March 10 - 'The Land That Time Forgot' (BOT)
- Edgar Rice Burroughs - (c) 1918
March 18 - 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1865
March 29 - 'Through the Looking-Glass' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1871
Currently reading: 'The Fourth Bear' - Jasper Fforde
All of the audiobooks I've listed here and thousands more can be found on Librivox.org, a site that I have clearly been utilizing the crap out of.
January 3 - 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' (BOT)
- Baroness Emmuska Orczy - (c) 1905
January 10 - 'Outward'
- Paul Kuliniewicz - (c) 2010
January 21 - 'The Man That Currupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories' (BOT)
- Mark Twain - (c) 1900
January 28 - 'The Swoop! or How Clarence Saved England' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1909
February 8 - 'The Scarlet Letter' (BOT)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne - (c) 1850
February 11 - 'Just So Stories' (BOT) (Re-read)
- Rudyard Kipling - (c) 1902
February 14 - 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (BOT)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald - (c) 1921
February 26 - 'Heart of Darkness' (BOT)
- Joseph Conrad - (c) 1902
March 7 - 'Love Among the Chickens' (BOT)
- P.G. Wodehouse - (c) 1906
March 10 - 'The Land That Time Forgot' (BOT)
- Edgar Rice Burroughs - (c) 1918
March 18 - 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1865
March 29 - 'Through the Looking-Glass' (BOT)
- Lewis Carroll - (c) 1871
Currently reading: 'The Fourth Bear' - Jasper Fforde
All of the audiobooks I've listed here and thousands more can be found on Librivox.org, a site that I have clearly been utilizing the crap out of.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Photo "Thursday": Man-I-Haven't-Posted-Anything-Here-Since-January Edition
Columbian Park Zoo, August 2010
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Mr Arch, I presume...
Recently Paul brought me to visit the St Louis (Gateway) Arch. It was pretty sweet. I'm a fan of architecture so that was a cool one, though I am forced to say that every single recorded tour video clip they had in the place was unbearably, hilariously overdramatic and their "Museum of Westward Expansion" sucked some giant ass. No offense intended. Nothing was labeled! They had what appeared to possibly be a giant ship's wheel but who could tell because there was no label! Also they had weird creepy animatronic historical figures who would jerkily recite some bit of authentic communication. Really creepy. I think they were so impressed with their round design, their spooky robots, and their stuffed horse and cow, that they forgot what a museum is actually supposed to be like.
Got to see a picture of, and a short video on, Mr Louis Arch himself (that was of course, before he was sainted) on our way to the top. If you've never been, you ride up to the top of the Arch in weird little round tram cars, with a tiny four foot door, and five little stools inside. Everything is whitewashed, and I could not help but feel that I had stepped into a late 19th-early 20th century industrial sci-fi. Very surreal.
The view was pretty awesome at the top of the Arch, 630 feet (and we made sure to stand at the highest point for a minute.) This may sound silly, but I had never thought to wonder what the Arch is actually made of. Well it's stainless steel, and all the panels in the light are actually quite pretty. I can also now say that I've spent some time in Missouri, so I can check that state off the list. Good year so far.
Got to see a picture of, and a short video on, Mr Louis Arch himself (that was of course, before he was sainted) on our way to the top. If you've never been, you ride up to the top of the Arch in weird little round tram cars, with a tiny four foot door, and five little stools inside. Everything is whitewashed, and I could not help but feel that I had stepped into a late 19th-early 20th century industrial sci-fi. Very surreal.
The view was pretty awesome at the top of the Arch, 630 feet (and we made sure to stand at the highest point for a minute.) This may sound silly, but I had never thought to wonder what the Arch is actually made of. Well it's stainless steel, and all the panels in the light are actually quite pretty. I can also now say that I've spent some time in Missouri, so I can check that state off the list. Good year so far.
Crazy Awesome Huge Booklist Update - End/Beginning of the Year Ed.
--2010--
Jan 15 - 'The Big Over Easy' - Jasper Fforde
Jan 25 - 'The Man From Beyond' - Gabriel Brownstein
Jan 27 - 'The First Men in the Moon' - H.G. Wells
Feb 4 - 'American on Purpose' - Craig Ferguson (BOT)
Feb 5 - 'Holidays on Ice' - David Sedaris (BOT)
Feb 12 - 'Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not' - Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Amy Sedaris (BOT)
Feb 16 - 'The Book of Fate' - Brad Meltzer
Mar 1 - 'Naked' - David Sedaris (BOT)
Mar 8 - 'Gilgamesh' - Joan London
Mar 27 - 'The Liar' - Stephen Fry
Mar 28 - 'The Good Earth' - Pearl S. Buck
Apr 4 - 'Thursday Next: First Among Sequels' - Jasper Fforde
Apr 5 - 'The Borrowers' - Mary Norton
Apr 9 - 'The Borrowers Afield' - Mary Norton
Apr 17 - 'The Borrowers Aloft' - Mary Norton
May 7 - 'The Borrowers Avenged' - Mary Norton
May 22 - 'When Nietzsche Wept' - Irvin D. Yalom
Jun 3 - 'Good Omens' - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Jun 5 - 'Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo' - Nigel Rothfels
Jun 8 - 'The White Queen' - Philippa Gregory
Jun 11 - 'The Law of Nines' - Terry Goodkind
Jun 20 - 'The Constant Princess' - Philippa Gregory
Jun 24 - 'The Other Boleyn Girl' - Philippa Gregory
Jun 26 - 'The Mistmantle Chronicles: Urchin and the Heartstone' - M. I. McAllister
July 2 - 'The Boleyn Inheritance' - Philippa Gregory
July 3 - 'Rain' - Kirsty Gunn
July 15 - 'Inside Animal Hoarding' -Arnold Arluke and Celeste Killeen
July 18 - 'Stealing Buddha's Dinner' - Bich Minh Nguyen
July 22 - 'The Virgin's Lover' - Philippa Gregory
July 25 - 'Going Postal' - Terry Pratchett
September 8 - 'Night Watch' - Terry Pratchett
September 12 - 'Another Gulmohar Tree' - Aamer Hussein
September 16 - 'I Know I Am, But What Are You?" - Samantha Bee (BOT)
September 20 - 'Coventry' - Helen Humphreys
September 21 - 'Sh*t My Dad Says' - Justin Halpern (BOT)
September 22 - 'I'll Mature When I'm Dead' - Dave Barry (BOT)
September 26 - "The Kite Runner" - Khaled Hosseini
December 2 - "Thud!" - Terry Pratchett
December 18 - "Making Money" - Terry Pratchett
December 27 - "From the Earth to the Moon" - Jules Verne (BOT)
--2011--
January 3 - "The Scarlet Pimpernel" - Baroness Emmuska Orczy (BOT)
Currently reading: 'The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, and Other Stories' (BOT) - Mark Twain, "The Fourth Bear" - Jasper Fforde, and "Strata" - Terry Pratchett
Jan 15 - 'The Big Over Easy' - Jasper Fforde
Jan 25 - 'The Man From Beyond' - Gabriel Brownstein
Jan 27 - 'The First Men in the Moon' - H.G. Wells
Feb 4 - 'American on Purpose' - Craig Ferguson (BOT)
Feb 5 - 'Holidays on Ice' - David Sedaris (BOT)
Feb 12 - 'Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not' - Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Amy Sedaris (BOT)
Feb 16 - 'The Book of Fate' - Brad Meltzer
Mar 1 - 'Naked' - David Sedaris (BOT)
Mar 8 - 'Gilgamesh' - Joan London
Mar 27 - 'The Liar' - Stephen Fry
Mar 28 - 'The Good Earth' - Pearl S. Buck
Apr 4 - 'Thursday Next: First Among Sequels' - Jasper Fforde
Apr 5 - 'The Borrowers' - Mary Norton
Apr 9 - 'The Borrowers Afield' - Mary Norton
Apr 17 - 'The Borrowers Aloft' - Mary Norton
May 7 - 'The Borrowers Avenged' - Mary Norton
May 22 - 'When Nietzsche Wept' - Irvin D. Yalom
Jun 3 - 'Good Omens' - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Jun 5 - 'Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo' - Nigel Rothfels
Jun 8 - 'The White Queen' - Philippa Gregory
Jun 11 - 'The Law of Nines' - Terry Goodkind
Jun 20 - 'The Constant Princess' - Philippa Gregory
Jun 24 - 'The Other Boleyn Girl' - Philippa Gregory
Jun 26 - 'The Mistmantle Chronicles: Urchin and the Heartstone' - M. I. McAllister
July 2 - 'The Boleyn Inheritance' - Philippa Gregory
July 3 - 'Rain' - Kirsty Gunn
July 15 - 'Inside Animal Hoarding' -Arnold Arluke and Celeste Killeen
July 18 - 'Stealing Buddha's Dinner' - Bich Minh Nguyen
July 22 - 'The Virgin's Lover' - Philippa Gregory
July 25 - 'Going Postal' - Terry Pratchett
September 8 - 'Night Watch' - Terry Pratchett
September 12 - 'Another Gulmohar Tree' - Aamer Hussein
September 16 - 'I Know I Am, But What Are You?" - Samantha Bee (BOT)
September 20 - 'Coventry' - Helen Humphreys
September 21 - 'Sh*t My Dad Says' - Justin Halpern (BOT)
September 22 - 'I'll Mature When I'm Dead' - Dave Barry (BOT)
September 26 - "The Kite Runner" - Khaled Hosseini
December 2 - "Thud!" - Terry Pratchett
December 18 - "Making Money" - Terry Pratchett
December 27 - "From the Earth to the Moon" - Jules Verne (BOT)
--2011--
January 3 - "The Scarlet Pimpernel" - Baroness Emmuska Orczy (BOT)
Currently reading: 'The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, and Other Stories' (BOT) - Mark Twain, "The Fourth Bear" - Jasper Fforde, and "Strata" - Terry Pratchett
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