Life in exile

Politics as usual

2008-03-05T20:39:00.002-05:00

So, as with everyone else in America, I am actually interested in this primary election. Intenseley interested, actually, to the point where I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of Hillary winning the nomination. It's strange that I've waited for so long to vote for a woman, and now...it's almost as if its too late. Things in this country need to change. Maybe even beyond what Obama can accomplish, but at least its a start.

I just watched Michael Collins...you know, with Liam Neeson and Aidan Quinn and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers when he was like 12 years old? And I never quite caught it before, but at the end, when the footage of the Big Fella's funeral is rolling, the subtutles or whatever say that he was 31 years old when he died. Thirty fucking one years old. And so was deValera and Harry Boland and all of them. They WERE the government. They made the country, they ran the country. They were the status quo. In their THIRTIES. And it started me thinking...since when has it been ok for a rich, old, socially conservative, entrenched in a corrupt political establishment white man to be the figurehead of my country?

I feel as though we've been lulled into a false sense of security. Something has been rotten in the state of Denmark, and we've just gotten used to the smell.

When I lived in DC, I always loved the Jefferson Memorial, even though it was a bitch to get to. What I loved most about it was the engraving around the inside of the rotunda - "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

Every form of tyranny...including those so insidious, you don't notice until its too late.

Also? Dunkin Donuts has pissed me off. They have officially become a part of the dumbing of America with their new ad, "We can't pronounce latte, so it must be elitist snobby crap from one of those dirty european countries, drink OUR coffee, it will turn you into a plain english-speakin', all american, cord-fed buffer. It will turn you into Peyton Manning!!"
You can't pronounce latte? Espresso? Look it up in the dictionary! God forbid we learn to speak another language!! God forbid we learn something new! God forbid we learn what DECENT coffee tastes like!

Ugh. Nothing pisses me off more than ignorance unless it be pride in ignorance.

Let me explain...no, there is too much. Let me sum up.

2007-08-08T20:57:00.001-05:00

You know, for the longest time, I looked forward to all the time I would have during my summer 'off' from MABA. I am only going to work 40 hours a week! I am NOT going to pick up extra shifts! I am going to relax! Lay by the pool!

Ahhh, the best laid plans...In reality, I have been working overtime...again..., have not relaxed - if fact, I have had to resort to mass quantities of coffee to keep myself on the rails. As it were. And marathon training has been spotty at best. Which is not the best way to prepare oneself for 26.2 miles.

My brother and Alli are now safely ensconced in their new Park Ave. abode, and my cousin gets married this weekend, so that is two of the summer's BIG EVENTS in one week. It never fails to amaze me how much we New Englanders can cram into the woefully short summer we are afforded.

The thesis putters on. Well, actually, to be completely honest, I think it has pulled over to a rest stop. I'm stuck in a couple procedural points which are proving stickier than I had anticipated. The thing is, when I iron out the theory, the actual practice should be fairly easy. I am having to put the cart before the horse. If I actually successfully defend this thing next year, the drinks are on me.

Also, I have been spending a lot of time rereading Harry Potter. I am so sad! I can't accept it is the last one. My mom gave me the first book when I left for Ireland (the 2nd time). I read it on the plane to Dublin, then when I landed, immediately went out and bought the second at...Eason on O'Connell St., and read it in the hostel. I took the bus over to Galway and bought book 3, but then I had to wait for about 8 months for book 4, which was brutal. I bought it in a Wednesday, I remember, because I had the day off, and I spent the whole day in my flat, reading it. Books 2 - 4 are cool, because I have the Bloomsbury editions. I bought the black and white 'grown-up' cover of book 2, which I especially love. Book 5 came out when I was in DC - I walked up to Union Station and got it at B. Dalton. Book 6 I bought in Maine when I was living there, and book 7 was bought at 1 am in Framingham, MA. These books were such landmarks on my 20's. Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time with the END.

I'm back

2007-05-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

Here you go, Dana.

So...it's been a year. I feel like I have finally resurfaced and am starting to tread water. For the past 12 months, I have been 1. working, 2. slogging through grad school, 3. doing research for other people, 4. doing my own research, 5. sleeping. It's been swell. But the end is in sight! I have the summer off from classes! I have a procedure for my thesis! It's warm outside, and the kids are a little more manageable! All happy news...

In other news, I have begun training for the MDI marathon in October. This should be interesting. I have thought about doing one for the past few years, but always put it on the 'to do later' list. We shall see how this goes. I'm cautiously optimistic.

And finally, since my classload is a little lighter these days, I am watching TV again. The Deadliest Catch is possibly the best TV show ever. And I have learned that I cannot watch American news programs anymore. It's painful. It's like the entire nation has been compressed into one brain - and it's stuck in the sand like an ostrich. I watch the BBC when I can, and read the Irish Times and Le Monde. It's amazing that a country as large as ours can be so insular.

But enough of the political rant. (Actually, I didn't even get started.)

After Several Gin and Tonics on the beach...

2006-06-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

...this seemed like a good idea.

And it was a good idea until dad took a sharp turn and headed back out into the middle of the pond when I thought he was going in. I bit it pretty hard.

So it's been a while. Short version? Work, Overtime, School, Work, Overtime, Running, New Mormon Roommate, Research, Work...piece of shit Toshiba notebook breaks...Cursing, Cursing, Yet more Cursing, Feel bad about cursing in front of new roommate, Curse some more anyhow, Decide to ante up and find peace and comfort at the Apple Store. Am now the proud new (in hock up to my eyeballs) owner of a pretty black MacBook. Sleep.

Do you hear that? That's the sound of complete musical freedom...

2006-05-23T19:14:00.000-05:00

So I finally have an iPod...a very aesthetically pleasing, sleek black and silver thing that will house all the music I could ever think of. Heh. I once had a friend who eschewed the traditional candy-apple red and bought a black Swiss Army knife because it was the "aesthetic choice". But I digress. I have about half my music loaded on to it, and have so far managed not to f it up. Yesterday, iPod and I made our first foray out into the wide world. We hopped on the train to Boston to get my Northeastern ID, and pay a visit to the MFA.

I found that the best music to listen to on the train is Death Cab for Cutie or Radiohead. Nice and contemplative for staring out the window at the countryside (or suburbs) rushing by. (Incidentally, the best book to read on a train? Atlas Shrugged. I read a large part of it on a train I took with Lindsay to Baltimore for a conference I'm sure neither of us really remembers.) The best music for walking the streets of Back Bay? Interestingly, Eve 6. Most of the songs on Horrorscope have a beat that apparently matches my pace. And the best music I forgot I had? The Afghan Whigs. I bought a couple of their albums back in the late 90's, I think because they were on the My So-Called Life soundtrack. I remember they opened for Neil Young and Crazy Horse at Great Woods the summer after my freshman year, but we missed them because we were trying to find parking.

That is all for now. I have a date with Chapters 3 & 4 of Verbal Behavior by my new best friend, B.F. Skinner. Get it?

I'm irked

2006-05-16T20:34:00.000-05:00

Rapidly approaching the top of my "annoying" list...

Dudes who go to the gym and take a stroll on the treadmill. Or worse yet, STAND on the treadmill and watch tv. If you don't have cable, that is not my problem!!! The gym is for WORKING OUT. I am here to do some MILEAGE. I just spent 20 miserable minutes on the elliptical, which I am apparently not coordinated enough to do because it makes my toes numb, while four such assbags wasted treadmill space.

In other news, I went to Hamden to see my bro this weekend, and he, Chad, Alli and I went out in New Haven. On the way in, they were talking about taking me to the "pirate bar", and how much fun it was going to be. We walked into this place, and Chad and Shawn told me that you can buy beer by the yard here. It comes in these ginormous glasses with wooden holders. I looked dubiously at this contraption and thought that I'd best start off with a pint. But still....it WAS Saturday night... And then, Shawn and Chad told me that the great thing about this bar is that the bartenders won't serve you if you just order a "yard" of beer. They'll pretend they don't understand you. You have to order a "yarrrrrd of beer" in the pirate voice.

Of course, I think this is awesome, and definitely would have ordered it in the voice, but I really just wanted a pint. Chad and Shawn are all disappointed and go to order our beers, while Alli comes over to me and says, "They decided it would be a good idea to institute the standing $10 stupid bet, like on Ed. The winner of the bet tonight was going to be the one who got you to order a 'yarrrd'. This is a Yale crew bar, not a pirate bar..."

What is sad about this is, if I had been a little bit thirstier, I would totally have done it.

I still want to go to a pirate bar.

231 years ago tonight

2006-04-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

"Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Only 25 miles (and 231 years) away...

This is the year Shawn is going to come visit me and read his minuteman poem on Concord bridge.

Pucks and Plato

2006-04-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

So I was just reading this week's Bucci article, and ran across this in the letters section:

Dude,
Your comment about Plato cheering for the Wings reminded me of a paper I wrote years ago in an intro to philosophy course. I compared Plato's "Republic" to the '72 Soviet team and John Stewart Mill's "On Liberty" to the '72 Canada team. Contrasting the two philosophies ended up being almost as much of a nail-biter as the ultimate series was. I ended up getting an "A" and it was one of the more fun papers I got to write while at school.
Thanks for reminding me of it. Greg Albert Ulsan, South Korea

Apparently this dude is my soulmate. And he is living in South Korea. Brilliant.

Opening Day

2006-04-03T16:15:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how good it feels to be sitting on my couch, eating peanuts while enjoying a beer and watching the Red Sox on TV. Spring has officially arrived.

It's been a busy few weeks! The semester is winding down, and consequently, I have been working like crazy, caught up in the Wait-I-thought-I-had-more-time-to-finish-this-oh-dear god-it's-due-now rush. Plus, you know...working for a living, and trying to maintain some sort of social life.

So...St. Patrick's day - I was so excited to be going out with friends in Boston; I was even willing to shell out the 30 bucks it would have taken to get me into a bar at Fanueil Hall. I get all dressed up, drive into the city with Nicole, and pick up her friends at Northeastern. Before we leave, I hunt around in my purse for...I don't know, lip gloss or something. It was only then that I realized I had taken my checkbook out of my purse to pay bills online that afternoon. My checkbook, which included my license.

As I was fairly sure that no bouncer in beantown was going to buy my sob story (come on, I don't look THAT old!), I tearfully bid my Paddy's Day adieu and drove my pathetic self back home. On the way, I called my brother and vented a little frustration, and, being the good guy that he is, he said, "Dude, you need to go to Blockbuster and rent season 3 of 24, get yourself a pint of Ben and Jerry's and watch that shit in bed. I'm going to send you the money to rent it, and I am going to call you tomorrow and ask what happened, so you'd better do it."

"Okay..." I sniff. 30 minutes later, I pull into the Westborough Blockbuster, only to realize that...yep, my license is STILL at my apartment (I don't have a Blockbuster card, and I doubt they'd accept a High St. Video card.) I called Shawn back, and he busted out laughing. After about five minutes, he was still laughing, and I had to admit, the situation was just a tiny bit humorous.

On the 19th, I 'ran' the Ras na hEireann in Somerville with Dana and some other friends. I say 'ran', because I was sick and thought I was running pretty fast, when, in actuality, I was pretty slow. But none of that matters when there is free beer for runners after the race! We went to PJ Ryans, and they had the BEST potato leek soup I have ever tasted. Beer, soup, post-race craic, it was great. We then engaged in an impromptu pub crawl through Davis Square. So, even though it came a couple days late, it was one of the best St. Patrick's Days ever.

Eireann go Bragh

2006-03-14T21:50:00.000-05:00

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, I decided to take a look back. I went though old emails (I knew there was a reason I kept all those!) and pieced together the Paddy's Days from the time I first set foot in Ireland. All in all, not a bad showing, but some of it was just plain funny.

1998 – St. Paddy's Day in Cork. Harp at the parade and debauchery and shenanigans at Jumpin’ Jack’s. What was I thinking?...

1999 – Boston – The Commonwealth Brewing Company with Scott, Dana and Sheila. The only place that didn’t have a $30 cover. I was wearing a white shirt of Sheila’s, and spilled Guinness all over it. I don’t know how I remember this…

2000 - St. Paddy's Day in Galway - Guinness with the locals. The Snug, Taaffe’s…actually, Shop Street in general.

2001 – Beer at home, I think. Boo.

2002 – 2004; the D.C. years. 2003’s email pretty much sums it up - "Never wear sandals to the Irish Times on St. Patrick's Day. God only knows what was in that puddle on the floor."

2005 – Marlintini’s, Blue Hill, Maine. Jazz band. Enough said.

2006 – Boston. TBD :)

This is a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation

2006-03-05T23:25:00.000-05:00

Brokeback Mountain should have won.

More California Pictures

2006-03-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean...

Benson and I at Balboa Park!

This picture is a little misleading, as I am on Rodeo Drive, but by no means are those shopping bags from Rodeo Drive...although I did worship at the altar of Tiffany's and tried not to touch the dresses at Badgley Mischka.

Back to Reality

2006-03-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

Just spent a wonderful week in sunny San Diego with Vim and Joe...and then stepped off the plane in Providence into 13 degree weather, work, school, IEPs...ugh. I don't even want to think about it! So let's talk about my vacation. :)

This is me and Skooter in La Jolla - incredibly beautiful oceanside cliffs, seals swimming all around, baby seals scooting up on the beach, sunset over the Pacific, and then a fantastic dinner at Spice & Rice.

Vim and I went all around San Diego - Pacific Beach, Coronado, Carlsbad, the aformentioned La Jolla (which I loved!) and on Saturday, went up to LA. I got to see the Chinese theater, Hollywood Boulevard, and, most importantly, Rodeo Drive. We also went to Kitson and thought we might buy something, but I just couldn't shell out 40 bucks for a t-shirt, no matter how cute it was.

Such a wonderful week! I highly recommend San Diego. And if you have good friends with cute dogs to stay with, so much the better.

And finally, a story. I am sitting in the window seat on my way back to New England, and a youngish guy sits down in the aisle. He's pretty cute. I think, this might not be such a bad flight after all. But then a largish woman sits down in the center, and I think, oh well, and proceed to get lost in my novel. Somewhere around Albuquerque, I look over, and realize that he is reading a magazine featuring women with very large boobs and video games. I think...ok....odd choice for the airplane, but to each his own...and continue reading about the Knights Templar. I look over at Kansas City, and he is still reading the magazine. The Appalachians...still reading the magazine. Baltimore....still reading the magazine. It takes four and a half hours with a stiff tail wind to cross the continent. And this dude managed to "read" his big boob magazine for that ENTIRE time. I don't know whether to be horrified or impressed.

6 more weeks of winter

2006-02-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

Damn you, Punxsutawney Phil!

Hockey

2006-01-30T19:58:00.000-05:00

The best part of Friday night's Maine/NU game? Northeastern's Hockey team has cheerleaders. Awesome.

Just Do It

2006-01-25T23:14:00.000-05:00

Kelly and I were watching Lost earlier tonight, putting off our run for the 3rd hour in a row, when a Nike commercial came on. Ridiculously fit people spring out of bed in the morning then happily and energetically engage in their various workout routines.

"You know," remarked Kelly, "this is one of those commercials that says,'Kelly, it's time to put on your sports bra'"

Good times

2006-01-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a good game of chess after a shitty day at work. This is the pretty before shot. Dana kicked my ass, so I forgot to take an after shot. No pun intended.

Jack, I swear...

2006-01-22T18:24:00.000-05:00

I just got back from Brokeback Mountain...wow. One of the most amazing movies I have ever seen. I wanted to cry at the end, but didn't want to miss a moment of the film. Go see it.

And in other, less emotional news, Yeah, Pittsburgh! Last week cemented my distaste for all things Denver (except my Avs, of course), and this week was the payoff. Steelers all the way.

Happy New Year's...Flanders Pond-style

2006-01-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

2005-12-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

Merry Christmas, everyone....

And the answer is...

2005-12-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

Traditionally, Boston's tree comes from Halifax as a thank-you for aid given after the 1917 disaster. It was, at the time, the worst man-made disaster the world had ever seen and remained so until Hiroshima at the end of WWII.

I'm going into Boston tonight to see it. :)

Solstice

2005-12-21T20:30:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is safe and warm and cuddled up with a hot whiskey and a glowing Christmas tree on this longest night of the year.

And in other trivial news, can anyone tell me why every year, Boston's city Christmas tree comes from Halifax? Think about it...no cheating!

2005-12-13T20:54:00.000-05:00

Don't play on the T tracks, kids...

My roommate Nicole's foot tonight...

2005-12-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

2005-12-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

IMAGINE

ARGH!

2005-12-06T20:11:00.000-05:00

My first round of finals since undergrad - ugh. I'd forgotten about how much work it can be. Plus Christmas shopping, Christmas cards, Christmas parties, December is going to fly by. But in the meantime, you should read Bucci's new article - it's pretty great, and right on the money. I'll miss Joe Thornton, but not that much. Not as much as I'm sure Denver misses Peter Forsberg...

Gobble Gobble Gobble!

2005-11-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

Today, Kelly and I braved the snow, sleet and rain to run in the Somerville Road Runner's Thanksgiving day race - the Gobble, gobble, gobble 4 miler! It ended up being tons of fun - and beers at the Burren postrace...well, enough said.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately...

2005-11-01T20:04:00.000-05:00

Henry David and I after my run at Walden Pond yesterday...what a great place! Much smaller than I had imagined, but still pretty damn cool. Even though I am really more of an Emerson fan, it was amazing to be there walking around where Thoreau had walked. Another check in the plus column for Massachusetts.

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T16:56:00.000-05:00

Slash and Grizzly Adams - You can't rock like me...
(only Shawn is going to get that.)

Satuday night, I went to a costume party in Somerville - my first actual dress up Halloween event in many years! I went as a flapper, but by the end of the night, I was just, "Hey, 1920's girl!" Or, in an inside joke from college that I had all but forgotten about, "Sha nay-nay!!" Good times, good times.

Also in attendance were the Duff beer man, 1940's girl (we won a collective prize for best costumes from random decades), Axl and Slash, the Swedish Chef, Dorothy Gale, and our host, a burrito from Anna's Taqueria.

You know you are broke when...

2005-10-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

You are wearing your third pair of good lace underwear in as many days because you don't have enough money for the laundromat. If I had a boyfriend, this might be exciting, but the fact that I don't makes it pretty sad.

A Good Day

2005-10-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

It's been a bit of a rough haul, getting used to a new job, new school, new home, etc., but over the past week or so, things have been looking up. Working with the population I do, you can have really bad days, or really good days. There is seldom any middle ground. Bad days make you want to crawl under your covers and never come out, or at the very least, be one with the couch and a six pack of Sam. Good days are ridiculously good. I have started to have good days at work - not with the day to day job things, but with the kids. It sometimes takes a long time for them to get used to you, and that can be soooo frustrating. But, last night, the toughest little girl I work with finally said my name, which for her is huge. And instead of pushing me away (literally) and yelling "move, please, move please!", she said, "Excuse me, Shayna". You could have scraped my jaw up off the floor.

I have stimulus control! Yeah!

The map was a dissapointment

2005-10-16T11:09:00.000-05:00

Time it takes me to drive from Westborough to Cambridge: 30 minutes.
Time it takes me to find Dana's house once in Cambridge: 45 minutes.

However, I am now VERY familiar with Mass Ave from the Charles to Harvard Square.
But in the end it was all worth it - a good night at one of my favorite bars with good friends and good beer.

And in other news, I have recently realized that I am out of the loop. (I probably exited the loop a while ago, but have just been in denial.) While watching the Little Mermaid with the kids at work last weekend, one of the other staff members remarked, "Damn, King Triton's pretty diesel." "Yeah...", I agree, not entirely sure what I was agreeing with and much dismayed that I am apparently too old to be up on the lingo.

I asked my brother, who is still young and hip, and, after the laughter and "Dude, you're such a dork" comments died down, he explained that "diesel" means that you've obviously been working out a lot. Like Vin Diesel.

Consider yourselves informed. And hip.

Game 3

2005-10-07T18:46:00.000-05:00

The worst part about watching the Sox lose tonight? Having to listen to Chris Berman prattle on about how the 'dream is over', and 'it was a great run for the Sox', and 'what are the people of New England going to do now?'

Shut up, Chris Berman. The Boston Red Sox have been a playoff team for how many years now? They won the World Series last year, had another good year this year, and are one of the last 8 teams standing. How is the 'dream over'? We have a great baseball team. They didn't play as well as they might have, but you know...that's baseball. Suck it up.

Thanks for a great season, Red Sox. See you in the spring.

Smell the ice

2005-10-06T20:50:00.000-05:00

Hockey is back!
And we have a free preview of NHL Center Ice; I am watching the Red Wings and Blues as we speak. Life is good.

Only in Ireland

2005-09-28T21:12:00.000-05:00

This was on the front page of the Galway Advertiser a few weeks ago. I love it. The old woman is actually a Galway legend; Ryan I think her name is, but I don't really remember. I used to see her every day walking around the city. She was rumored (despite appearances) to have more money than God.

What REALLY rocks about this photo is that the Advertiser could easily have cropped her out of the photo and just had the oyster princess and the mayor or whatever. But they didn't. You've gotta love the Irish.

Curtains, Ray Bourque and the Sox

2005-09-20T19:37:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but ripping down hideous vertical blinds makes me very happy. Putting up pretty red silk curtains that make our new living room seem a real home makes me even more happy.
That's right, I finally have a home in Massachusetts. After a MONTH of temporary housing, I am living in - I shit you not- the Fountainhead apartments. Somebody had a warped sense of literary humor. (The apartments in the book The Fountainhead were actually blown up by the architect's girlfriend...)

At any rate, I was sitting here in my pretty new living room, procrastinating and watching David Ortiz come through for the Sox YET AGAIN, when I remembered something from the Stanley Cup finals a few years ago. It was game 3, in the locker room before the third period, tied 1-1, a must win for the Avs. Someone asks, "Ok, who's gonna get the next goal?" Nobody answers and the silence gets a little awkward. Then the MAN, Ray Bourque stands up and says, "I've got it." And he did, shortly into the third. The Avs went on to win the Cup.

David Ortiz has "got it" for the Sox. And he has for quite some time now. I think it's time for somebody else to stand up in the locker room.

The big MA

2005-09-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

So I'm a little behing with ye olde blog. Sorry. Three weeks of training, temporary housing - I still am not settled in a permanemt place, and the all around getting used to a new job, new friends, new place, etc. has put a crimp in my routine.

I have, however noted several good things about Massachusetts:

Barry's Gold Blend tea and Cadbury's Caramello bars IN THE SUPERMARKET!!

Good pints of Guinness

Lots of nice places to run; some amidst Revolutionary war sites - pretty neat stuff!

But most importantly, I am finally close to most of my friends and family. :)

The South Bubble

2005-08-05T20:10:00.000-05:00

This week, my aunt, uncle, mom and I went on our annual Acadia NP hike. We chose what we thought would be a 'moderate' hike, but, as we took a slight wrong turn on the trail, we ended up 'hiking' the South Bubble from its 'difficult' face. I use the term 'hike' looslely, as the ascent involved much use of hands and arms, as well as several butt-boosts. At one point we met a father and his two pre-teen daughters on their way down the south face, and, as we were all providing words of encouragement for the understadably harried-looking girld, my uncle saw fit to impart these words of wisdom:

"Good job. Challege DEATH everyday!"

We were all proud.

The photo is mom and I on the top with the balancing rock, otherwise known as glacial freight.

2005-07-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

The newest member of the family at camp last weekend. Isn't she a cutie?!

Fries with that?

2005-07-08T19:21:00.000-05:00

So last night was pretty slow at the restaurant. I only had three tables, and I was wondering what I could possibly do to screw them up - I mean, three tables! I needn't have wondered.

Table 1 orders salads, apps and main course, and 15 minutes later, so does table 2. I get out the salads and apps for both, no problem. Everything is good so far. A main course comes up, and I take it to table 1, assuming it is theirs - they were the first to order, after all. They were having the veal chop and filet mignon, and although I know what filet looks like, I have NO idea what veal is other than it is baby something. I almost hurled when I saw what came up - it had bones and shit and definately looked like dead baby something, so I figured that was it. I deliver it, and the people eat it. Meanwhile, table 2's entrees are up; they are having the filet and the quail. I look at the filet, it is ok, but the other plate doesn't look quite like a bird, which is what I somehow know quail to be. In fact, it looks like a chop of some kind. It looks like veal. It looks like table 1's entrees. It looks like what should have come up first.

In the end, the chef was the only one upset (he's a bit high maintenance); the woman who got the quail ate it and said it was good, the other guy who had ordered the quail had another glass of pinot while he was waiting for his to be cooked, and I suppose someone in the kitchen had a nice veal dinner.

All the comes from being a vegetarian, kids. I have no freaking CLUE what all these meat products look like.

And table 1 stiffed me.

I love Wal Mart

2005-06-30T09:50:00.000-05:00

After a particularly harried exerience at everyone's favorite box store, Mom and I were patiently waiting in the line of traffic to merge out onto Route 3, which has become its usual summer parking lot. I looked a couple cars in front of us and saw a big, black SUV with Maine plates and a huge NY sticker emblazoned on its ass.

"Why would you do that to your car?" I pointed out to Mom, "Especially if you have Maine plates - isn't that just asking to be rear-ended?"

At which point a voice bellows out from several cars back, "Hey buddy! Yankees Suck!"

May Madness

2005-05-25T18:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay, I know that I have been sporadic (to say the least) with the blogging lately, but in my defense, May has been a month chock full of graduations, two trips to New Haven, one to Presque Isle, a new baby to see, a job offer, then a major screw-up (not mine) with grad school, another job offer, and, on top of it all, a month full of behaviors at school. Which was lovely. So! I'll be back soon, I promise.

But in the meantime...a story. This came to mind today for some reason (I think because the CONSTANT rain lately has made me miss Ireland). I am working at Griffin's sometime in early 2000. It'a a Saturday, which means nonstop craziness, not even a pee break until well after noontime. One old biddy was being the customer from hell - you know the type; nothing was done right, she wanted this this way and that that way, and in the meantime, the line is out the door and down the street. One of my co-workers, Lily was unlucky enough to be free when she stepped up to the counter. She (very politely, under the circumstances) spent about 20 minutes getting this woman everything she asked for, and after the biddy's grand exit, Lily slapped her hand down on the counter and put the other hand to her forehead.

"That woman," she said with disgust, "stresses my ovaries."

2005-05-12T17:28:00.000-05:00

So the trip to Connecticut was fun, albeit brief. Shawn's play was wonderful; I think the entire Long Wharf theatre was in tears. It was about civil conflict, linking the research they did in Northern Ireland to our own Civil War and the Red Badge of Courage. They ended the production with a poem I had never heard before; it made me cry...

For the Children of the North

I dream of the day

When by the coal fire

Your great-grandchildren

Climb onto the laps of your children

And beg not to be put off to bed

"Grandma, Grandpa, tell us again,

How did the Troubles end?"

-John Paul Lederach

The Butterfly Princess

2005-05-06T20:01:00.000-05:00

I was working in the second grade when one of the sweetest little girls in the school asked me if she could read to me. I sat down next to her and she started in on a story she had just written about a beautiful butterfly princess. She always dressed in pink and had wings all the colors of the rainbow. On her birthday, her dad (the king of the butterfly world) threw her a party, where she got a new silk dress, a new set of shimmery wings, a tiara and some chocolate. And she lived happily ever after in the castle in the clouds.

After I left the room, I started thinking about the little girl and her story. I think the last thing I penned was a letter of complaint to me cable company for screwing me out of deposit money. At what point did we stop writing about butterfly princesses?

In other news, you can check out the newest addition to our family over on littlefrost. I get to see her this weekend on the way back from Shawn's final college performance at the Long Wharf.

Baby!

2005-05-03T18:49:00.000-05:00

The latest addition to the family - Elizabeth Joyce Frost, born this afternoon. Ten fingers and ten toes, mom and dad are both doing fine! Check her out at Josh and Susan's link below.

Grad School!

2005-04-20T13:41:00.000-05:00

It's been a while - again! It's been a full few weeks - lots of events of both happy and sad in nature. "What is the happy stuff?", you ask. Well, after much to do and angst on my part (I am not the world's best waiter), I have been accepted to Northeastern's MABA program, and am currently figuring out my work placement. Nothing is definate yet, but I will hopefully be a full-time resident of some Boston suburb at the end of the summer! Yeah! I'm driving down tomorrow to meet with some people, so I will post the details as soon as I know anything.

In other news, I am staring down another birthday, and while I know that's really not a milestone year, I have discovered that, at the ripe old age of 28, I can no longer eat as many triscuit-cheddar cheese sandwiches as I want. Oh, metabolism, where art thou?!

Canadian Clothes!

2005-04-04T18:25:00.000-05:00

Once on a trip to Montreal, I fell in love with this store. Granted, the exchange rate made it a little more affordable, but hey - it's still in the Banana Republic range. So, while catching up on emails tonight, I thought I would look to see if they had an online store. After about ten minutes of plugging "Tristan & Iseut" into every search engine I could find, I finally ran across the website. Apparently, somewhere along the way, it was renamed "Tristan & America". Which makes no sense at all, because the whole hook that drew me into the shop in the first place was the slightly obscureish literary name. What a rip-off. Still great clothes, though.

It's officially spring!

2005-04-03T18:16:00.000-05:00

It's Opening Day of the Red Sox' SECOND championship season since 1918!

Go Sox!

Stranglehold

2005-03-31T17:18:00.000-05:00

You know the kids have spring fever when the teachers walk into the lunch room reciting the serenity prayer.

Rich, buttery popcorn

2005-03-24T18:01:00.000-05:00

Last night there was a meeting at school for parents to learn more about the nightmare that is No Child Left Behind, and I helped provide child care (a movie and popcorn) for anyone who wanted to bring kids. About five parents and four kids showed up. As I handed one little boy a paper bag of popcorn and settled him in to watch The Incredibles, he looked up at me and inquired, "Is this that popcorn they were making in the teacher's room?"

"Yes," I replied, pouring him some apple juice.

"Oh. I don't want any of that, it smells like throw-up."

"It does?" I obligingly smelled the popcorn and found that while it might taste like rich, buttery heaven, it did indeed smell like throw-up.

We contented ourselves with the apple juice.

Nail envy

2005-03-18T18:42:00.000-05:00

My uncle, upon listening to my aunts and I discussing professional manicures vs. doing your nails yourself, "You know... I can see myself dying without ever having had my cuticles done and not feeling bereft."

So... It's Been a While

2005-03-16T12:10:00.000-05:00

I have failed miserably at updating over the past few weeks. A big "sorry" to the two people who read this. But, in my defense, it HAS beena busy time. The New York trip was amazing - hopefully I will have some pictures to post soon. We saw the Glass Menagerie with Jessica Lange, which was amazing, went to the top of the Empire State Building, where alas!, no Cary Grant was waiting (it was Cary Grant, wasn't it?), saw the Gates at Central Park, and I had a few wonderful pints with Vanessa, who sadly, must return to Merry Olde England in a few days. She will be missed, but on the bright side, I'm excited to have another excuse to visit across the pond!

In other sad news, our beloved Scotty dog is no longer with us (except in our hearts, of course). It has been a very tearul and emotional week, but I think everyone knows it was for the best and will always remember him. And I think that's about all I can write on that at the moment - maybe later I'll do better!

Finally, the fam and I went up to Orono to see the Maine Black Bears in the Hockey East playoffs. And, after many years of wondering that the HELL the crowd was chanting at the beginning of each period, mother finally figured out that the words are actually on the jumbotron as the crowd says them. Brilliant.

You say Maine Black Bears, you've said it all.

Hopefully the truth - it's Maine-BC on Friday. Also? I drew Illinois in the work bracket. We'll see how that goes! I think I would rather have had an underdog - now the pressure is on!

Vacation

2005-02-22T09:45:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about working in a school is school vacation. (One of the sucky things about being an ed. tech. is that it is unpaid...) This week, I'm trying to kill too many birds with one stone, I think. Driving to Boston tonight to see Dana (and have a passable pint of Guinness), Connecticut tomorrow for Annmarie's birthday, and then into the big City for a couple days. I'm pretty excited - I've never been to New York. Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park, Bloomingdales....it's gonna be great. We're going to try and get tickets for Wicked, but I think it's a longshot.

In other news, I'm oddly resigned to the fact that there will be no NHL this year. I think my life has been so hectic over the past few months that I haven't had time to notice the absence of my favorite sport. Or pro hockey, anyway. I've been watching quite a bit of college hockey...go BLUE! At any rate, Chad and Shawn brought this site to my attention today, and I have to say, why the hell not? It's not as if it is the NHL trophy...it is a trophy that happens to be awarded to NHL teams. Also? I love the Stanley Cup wedding cake. Maybe my future husband will be a hockey fan...

2005-02-17T21:09:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Vim and Joe!!

Valentine's Day

2005-02-15T17:28:00.000-05:00

Only in Maine...would one's Valentine's Day involve a frozen driveway, a 4x4 truck getting stuck in said driveway, a winch, a tree across the road, a dead battery (because of the winch), and the truly Maine word "dooryard". (As in, "I hate this f-ing dooryard in the winter.")

Shmeg-kicking!

2005-02-13T15:08:00.000-05:00

As I write this, there is bright blue sky outside the window, but big, fat flakes of snow are mysteriously floating around in the air. Interesting.

One of the most satisfying things about the winter months, particularly the later winter months when everything is all dirty and slushy is kicking off that frozen snow/mud/ice buildup that accumulates behind your tires on the running boards. I think shmeg is the appropriate word to use here. I walked out of the bank yesterday after depositing my meagre check and noticed that the old mercury sable had some pretty serious shmeg issues. I kicked at it and watched with an immense feeling of gratification as it fell to the snowy parking lot and broke apart. I drove off feeling much better about myself.

I also went to mass last night, as I missed Ash Wednesday services. Father Mower immediately capitalized on the guilt factor associated with my non-ashy forehead this week by announcing before mass that the three Ash Wednesday services were very well attended, indeed. For the Lenten season, the church has been cleared out of anything even remotely suggesting a festive mood. The overall effect is dark wood, dimly lit chandeliers (although we might just be trying to save on the energy bill), and a pretty severe swath of purple cloth behind every statue. Three shades of purple behind the crucifix. Needless to say, I was feeling quite somber as mass began.

And then I looked at the music. It was completely in Latin; dark, monotonous medieval chants our music director dug out of some crumbling European abbey. Music such as our normally happy little parish has never seen before. What with all the...darkness in the church and everyone singing in a dead language, I had to sporadically reassure myself that this was indeed the year 2005. Well done on creating the mood, music guy. I was feeling the pain of the forty days and nights in the desert. Or maybe it was the pain of four days without cheese. Thank god I didn't give up Cherry Coke!

And lastly, I'll leave you kids with a conundrum. When one's ex-boyfriend (with whom one is still friends but has not been romantically involved with for quite some time) asks one over to his house on 'Monday night' (also Valentine's Day) for dinner, champagne, hot tub and possibly a little PBR, what is one expected to think?

Talk amongst yourselves and get back to me, because I'm at a loss here.

Frustration

2005-02-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

I am trying to get things sorted out today (another snow day) that I couldn't otherwise get done on an 8-5 workday with only a 20 minute break. I know I still owe UCF some money for the two somewhat lackluster courses I took from them last semster. I go online to look at my account, and it tells me that those two classes cost me $6,817.88. That's 3,408.94 per class or 1136.31 per credit. For a glorified state school. Who apparently have their heads up their arses. And because I was involved in a grant program with partially paid my tuition, and I have to pay them back as well, my account is so screwed up, the woman I FINALLY got to talk to after like 15 minutes of menus told me that she couldn't help me understand what was going on, and I would have to call her supervisor who would be in from 8:30 - 4 all next week. "Or," she adds helpfully, "you can come on down here and get a copy of your records so you can look at it and figure it out for yourself." Well, no, bitch, I can't, as I am a couple thousand miles away from your strip-mall state. And, as I have a job in which I barely get bathroom breaks, let alone time to call and navigate through all your bullshit so I can talk to your supervisor who may or may not have any idea what to say to me, I think you'll have to give me some other options.

I hate UCF. Didn't like them much while I was there, either. And now I have the added insult of a fucked up account and a payment plan I can barely keep up with. Bitches.

Snow Day!

2005-02-10T17:40:00.000-05:00

Even though we have February vacation next week, I was more than ready for a snow day. Yesterday was very trying, and I have been coming down with this sick yuck grossness that everyone in my extended family has been dealing with over the past couple weeks. Sore throat, fever, etc. Ugh.

But more about yesterday. It was one of those PMS days, only I'm not PMSing. Murphy's law was in full effect. There was a moderate crisis with kids at school, which was equally interesting and frustrating, because unlike other crisis situations I've been in, it didn't involve anything physical - it was all emotional, which, I've found, I have no idea how to deal with. By the end of the day, I'd muddled my way though it, but I still feel that I could've handled it a lot better. So then I drove to Bangor for a doctor's appointment - which sucked. I was this guy's last appointment of the day, and it was crystal clear that he just wanted to get out of there. I had to keep asking him questions just to keep him in the room. I counted three separate times when he moved to the door and actually had his hand on the knob before I was done talking. Ridiculous. I had just skipped my after-school tutoring, driven an hour to see him and he couldn't give me the time of day. And, as it turns out, he was out-of-network. Dick.

So then I try to go to the bank (in Maine, the only Bank of America is in Bangor), and they closed at 4. So now I have no money. Well, I have the money, but not in a liquid form, which really does me no good, as MBNA doesn't accept payroll checks. So I'm pissed. And late on my Visa payment.

At this point, I was probably starting to get this fever and didn't know it, because on the drive home, I decompressed a little and started thinking about how I should just go to Dennehy's for a pint. How nice it would be to just go there and relax in the little cozy corner, sink into the blue cushioned seats and just people watch. It would be warm, and I would have a nice pint of Guinness, and I could just stay there for a few hours and just be and not worry about the emotionally disturbed or snotty doctors or my impending cold. After a few miles of this planning(all quite in earnest), I realized that in fact, Dennehy's was in Cork, and my only options for a drink (none of them relaxing) were a Chinese restaurant, a dirty redneck bar or a pool hall. I ended up choosing the Chinese place, where they took pity on me and dusted off the Jameson's bottle.

Today is better, but I still want my pint at Dennehy's. It's been too long.

And Austin was booted off Project Runway! Shocking! I'm so addicted to this show...

Let's call this a week, shall we?

2005-02-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

Thank god almighty tomorrow is Friday. For some reason, school has been getting to me this week. I was just a smidgen away from losing it in the special ed room today. I just had one of those feelings around 1:15 - you know, like I have to remove myself from this situation right-the-fuck-now-before-I-hurt-someone. I went to the teacher's room and made myself a cup of green tea. I actually counted to ten on the way back to the room. Then I stood outside the room with my tea and counted to ten again.

After that, the afternooon went much more smoothly. I am so much looking forward to the weekend. I think my honeymoon period with the whole employment thing is over. A good friends once said, "Unemployment is dangerous for your mental health." And he was right. Don't get me wrong, I am SOOO glad that my life is making sense to me again, but man. This week, employment was dangerous to my mental health. And my blood/alcohol level.

And by the way. I have also discovered this week that I lost my multiplication tables somewhere along the last fifteen years. Seriously. Can anyone else say their times tables? From memory? Quick, what's 6 x 8? 8 x 7? 12 x 11?

2005-01-17T21:28:00.000-05:00

My cat was reclining in front of the tree at Christmas, so I thought it would be nice to take his picture. When I approached, however, he did this whole stretch-contortion-I'm going to lay upside down on my head thing. Maybe his ear itched.

She's All Stove to Hell

2005-01-17T20:38:00.000-05:00

So my dad was in an accident last week - an old duffer in a work truck went across the center line and rammed into him pretty much head-on. Fortunately, Dad was wearing his seatbelt and his airbag worked. Also in his favor and among the things to be filed in the 'only in Maine' category? The old guy had a v-shaped plow on the front of his truck which helped deflect the vehicle down the side of dad's van. Dad is ok, but very sore.

I went to the Bangor Mall this weekend - good times. I found nothing of interest, even at the Victoria's Secret sale. By the way...why do they find it necessary to put the table with the A size bras at the VERY FRONT of the store? It's not as if I need all of eastern Maine to know I have no boobs. I dug through the pile quickly and moved on to camisoles and slips.

I have rescued the old treadmill in my parents' basement from a life of boredom and neglect. We share some quality time at about 7:30 every night, and together, we have discovered something truly wonderful. The cable TV we get in Maine broadcasts the CBC. And the CBC broadcasts Coronation Street at 7:30 Monday through Friday. I have no idea what is going on, as the last time I watched the Street was in 1997 in Ireland (I have since converted to Eastenders), but beggars can't be choosers.

Finally, I went to mass this weekend with my mom and grandmother. I still enjoy the funky surfer priest. He actually took the time in his homily to explain the various color schemes in the church throughout the year (purple for Lent, white for Christmas and Easter, red for Pentecost, etc.). This was the first Sunday of Ordinary Time. A couple years ago, we were all in church for Christmas Eve, and the cantor was...not the most musical of people. I don't think the poor guy hit a note the entire mass. At one point, my brother leans over to me and says, "Dude, I know it's church and all, and I'm supposed to be nice, but this guy suuucks. Why didn't they get someone good for tonight and save him for like, the 34th Sunday of Ordinary Time?" Ahhh...religious humor. At least my Catholic peeps will enjoy it...

Fine Dining

2005-01-05T18:18:00.000-05:00

I was called in to teach third grade again today...and I nearly lost it while reviewing vocabulary for a story we were about to read. I would say the word, the kids would give me different meanings, and then we'd write our definition on the board. We decided that a 'chandelier' was a light that hangs from the ceiling, is fancy and had gems or crystals on it that make it pretty or colorful. One adorable boy waved his hand around and earnestly informed me, "I've seen one of those! They have them at Applebee's!"

Vacation's Over

2005-01-03T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today I susbstituted for third grade - They were a little bit wild the first day back from break, but I think I managed to rein them in.

For a spelling exercise, we named as many words as we could beginning with "be-". One little boy raised his hand and frantically waved it around. "Miss Grindle, I know one! BELCH!"

I suggested that we didn't write that one up on the board.

A few kids later, a rather soft-spoken girl said, "Ummmm...beer." Thinking I had heard her wrong, I said, "Oh, you mean 'bead'? That's a good one..." "NO," said she of the no longer soft voice, "I said BEER, like the stuff to drink!"

I suggested we not write that one on the board, either...

The Fourth Day of Christmas

2004-12-28T10:50:00.000-05:00

Yay, Christmas in Maine! Although we didn't get snow until the 26th, it was a wonderful Christmas at home. Fun presents, lots of good food, and plenty of visits with family. We went to Christmas Vigil mass and saw St. Joe's new priest. He kept the homily short and sweet, and has this funky surfer mullet going on, so he was ok with me. The day after Christmas was spent getting my brother out the door on his way to Africa. He had a long, snowy drive to Long Island, stayed overnight there, his girlfriend's parents drove them to JFK the next day where they boarded the plane that would take them all the way to Johannesburg. They arrive there at noon today (they stopped to refuel in Dakar), and then catch a connecting flight to Capetown. All told, a 22 hour flight. I can't even imagine how tired they'll be. You can read about his adventures here.

Also on the day after Christmas, we went to friends' house to watch the Brewski Bowl - Pats v. Jets, in honor of Tedy Bruschi. As usually happens with the Brewski Bowl, he did very well - many great stops and even an interception. One drink for every time he is mentioned or shown on TV, five drinks for the interception...I don't know what we would have done if he'd run it back for a touchdown... It's very odd to be playing drinking games with your parents and their friends. I had taken a Benadryl just prior to kickoff, though, and the first beer knocked me on my ass. I think I slept through much of the third quarter. Fun times.

I have hidden the wise men in our creche behind the stable, as it is not Epiphany yet, but my mom moved them so they are peeking out around the sides. I told her that they weren't even in the area, and that made them look like they were stalking the baby Jesus. She astutely pointed out that wasn't far off from the truth.

2004-12-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all!

My First Week Back in Maine

2004-12-23T09:06:00.000-05:00

So... Yeah, Maine! The way life should be...

Things I find ONLY in Maine:

The weather - a high of 10 degrees one day and 45 degrees the next day
My parents' SUPER HIGH SPEED 56K modem
People who know how to respond when I do the weird little 'ayuh' thing
My dad, explaining why the printer won't work, "She wasn't printing, so I gave 'er a good whack and now she's all stove to hell"
People who are still clinging to their 1987 curled bangs
The BEST STORY EVER: My uncle is waiting in line at the grocery store the other day, and in front of him is a little old lady with six bottles of wine and a 24 pack of Heineken. after a few minutes, he says to her, "I guess the party's at your house tonight!" "Oh, no, deah," she replies, "This has got to last me all week."

Last weekend in Florida... :(

2004-12-19T18:09:00.000-05:00

Went to Disney World!
Met Mickey and Minnie
Took a boat cruise up the St. John's River and around Lake George
Tried to see the manatees...but they weren't there
Shopped at SUPER TARGET!!
Made gingerbread houses
Saw Tropical Santa Claus at the mall
Attended two Christmas parties
Snuggled with the bulldog
Soaked in as much nice weather as possible!!

A Geico commercial gone horribly wrong

2004-12-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

So I am sitting here on the couch, calmly making out my Christmas cards when, out of the corner of my eye, I see a sizable gecko run across the living room and into the bedroom. I have no such similar problems with reptiles as I have with bugs, but I would really prefer they not run around my room while I sleep. So I run over to block its path and it scurries back toward the living room.

Where the dog is waiting.

Handsome runs at the thing, it tries to make a bolt for the front door (which is closed), and the dog traps it in a corner, growling and chomping away. I have horrible visions of him eating the lizard, which could very well be a teensy bit harmful, so I run over, and sure enough, the little gecko is in the bulldog's mouth. I grab the thing, manage to get it halfway out, and then...ew, like half of it breaks off, and it is flopping on the floor. Ew, ew, ew. I drag the very upset dog away, and go to dispose of the gecko's remains, when...yup, it moved. It is mortally wounded, though, so I scoop it up in a napkin and throw it away. Poor gecko. It really didn't know what it was in for when it scurried into this apartment...

Reason #528 I Love Christmas

2004-12-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

This is the only time of year we get to see commercials for Aspen and Stetson. Nothing says the holiday season like a rugged cowboy riding through drifts of snow in search of a fur-clad woman who thinks he smells good.

I LOVE this site. It feeds into my extreme need for nostalgia. Here, you can get Hires root beer, Jiffy stovetop popcorn, Charleston Chew, Big League gum, and finally, proof for everyone who thought I was off my proverbial rocker when I told them that in New England, we eat bread out of a can.

Gym Etiquette

2004-12-06T21:40:00.000-05:00

So I'm at the gym. Alone. As there is nothing I like on TV on Monday nights, I turned to TBS, where I figured I had a good chance of catching Friends. A few minutes later, I am happily running along, watching Rachel and Monica crash Joey's soap opera party, when in walks SERIOUS WORKOUT GUY. You know - he has all the workout clothes, he has his little MP3 player, fancy shoes, he looks all in shape, etc. He gets on the other treadmill and starts running. We run companionably for a few minutes and then I notice he is glancing derisively at the TV. Hmmm, I think. He doesn't look as though he's really a Friends-watcher; he'd probably much rather ESPN or the Outdoor Life Network. We run for a couple more minutes, during which there were many more snooty glances. I start to think.

What does one do here? Ask what he would like to watch? Volunteer to change the channel? Say we'll watch Friends and then switch it? Or does she who gets to the gym first dictate the TV programming?

I ended up not saying anything. Needless to say, I was extremely gratified to find that, ten minutes later, Workout Guy was sucking major wind and making these odd grunting noises every time he exhaled. Shortly thereafter, he started walking. Slowly. It was great.

2004-12-02T20:07:00.000-05:00

Only in Maine...

It's December!

2004-12-02T17:35:00.000-05:00

And I know it's December, because my mom sent me a little advent calendar and I get to start opening doors - one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. Mom has sent me an advent calendar every year since I left the old homestead, even when I was living in Galway. Mom rocks.

And speaking of Galway, I have been reading the Advertiser online, and I have discovered that some parents in Knocknacarra have started an ABA school! One I get my degree, I could go WORK IN IRELAND. And this time, stay away from Irish men. No, no, not really... But I just had a nice half-hour imagining about working there for a few years. I could have a nice apartment this time, and make new and different friends and buy my clothes at Oasis and River Island instead of Topshop. Heh. And drink excellent pints of Guinness at my neighborhood pub. MMMMMM.... Actually, I am just excited to see that opportunities for autistic kids are growing in Ireland, too. And about the Guinness.

So the cable guy was meant to come "between 8 and 11" this morning to undo the DSL and cable. Needless to say, he didn't show up. And I am enjoying an extra day of TV and internet! I thought I should check out as many channels as possible (I know, pathetic!), so I ended up watching three episodes of Laguna Beach. OK. So I know these kids are from a posh, beachy type place, and that 2004 is not 1995, but I have to say, "WHAT?!" Who lives like this? Who lives like this at 18?! My memories of high school aren't THAT fuzzy, and as I recall, there were no trips to Cabo, no new VW's for graduation, and DEFINITELY not that much freaking time spent on hair and makeup. And yet I watch. And evaluate my mascara supply.

I finally saw The Shipping News, and liked it much more than the book. I just can't get into Annie Proulx. John recommended the book to me while we were out walking once in Cork. I think he thought I'd enjoy it because it was set in Newfoundland, and my people are from sort-of-nearby. At any rate, it (the movie) made me oddly homesick. I think it was because everyone was wearing boots and wool hats. I miss my winter clothes.

Lest I be totally consumed by the evils of television, I am also reading the most excellent I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. I am in love with all things Elizabethan lately. I wish she had run in the election. Can you imagine? What happened to women leaders like that? What happened to leaders like that?

**I just heard from my dad, and the juice truck arrived in Maine safe and sound. All my things are now piled up in the garage. Excellent.

Yeah, Bluebird Ranch!!

2004-11-29T16:18:00.000-05:00

Nothing like putting your entire life on a sub-zero semi and watching it head north...

So as Mike, the awesome truck driver, his wife and I were loading all my stuff on to the back of the trailer, two guys pulled up in an 8 foot uhaul and started unloading. They looked at each other, looked at their truck, looked at MY truck, and you could just see them puffing up and trying to compensate. After a couple trips, one of them said to me in awe, "is that ALL your stuff?"

"Yes," I said solemnly, "I have a LOT of clothes."

I have a lot of STUFF.

2004-11-28T23:58:00.000-05:00

So my shit is all in boxes, awaiting the frozen juice truck, which should be here tomorrow. I packed from 10 am till 10 pm. I stirred up so much dust I just started sneezing constantly. The little dog was afraid of all the packing, and every time I sneezed, he ran away and hid. It was pretty funny.

Packing SUCKS. I'm not doing it ever again.

It's time for small treasures

2004-11-23T22:47:00.000-05:00

This was the quote on my gingerbread latte cup yesterday. It made me smile. That's what I love about the holiday season - everything is a small treasure.

So I have to move all my stuff (well, my bed and all my books, really) back up to my parent's house until I get accepted into one grad program or another. So, how to do this? Better yet, how to do this in a way I can actually afford? Well, as I am a good, resourceful New Englander, not in the traditional UHaul way.

It turns out, in a bizarre twist on Bob Marley's "You need help? I'll get my brother's truck" bit, it so happens that my dad knows someone who knows someone who has a truck coming down to Jacksonville to pick up juice to haul to Canada. For a few bucks extra, he will come on down to Orlando, pick up my books, and drop them off at the end of the East Side road on his way by.

My dad, while letting me in on the good news, "You don't have anything that can't be frozen, do you?"

Let's just go over this one more time. Next week, I am putting all my worldly possessions on a truck full of orange juice concentrate, driven by a guy from Jonesboro, Maine, and sending them on their merry way north. Excellent.

fun with board games

2004-11-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

I'm procrastinating again...I think I have hit the end-of-the-semester wall. I just DON'T want to do the work. Ugh. So I was thinking, and I remembered this time my cousins and I were playing Cranium at camp. We were all in teams of two, and my partner Ashlee and I were in the lead. Then we landed on an 'art' space where she had to sculpt the answer out of clay, and I had to guess what it was. So she makes this little round head with eyes, mouth, and a really long nose. I think about it REALLY hard for a few seconds, and then I shout out, "TINTIN!"

All my cousins start laughing uproariously, and only my brother manages to stop guffawing long enough to say, "Dude, it's Pinocchio, but you ROCK for guessing Tintin!"

Long live Captain Haddock.

Go Blue!

2004-11-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

Last night, I discovered a wonderful thing. I can listen to UMaine hockey on the internet! Live from the Alfond! And the best part? The Hammond Lumber ads in between periods. Yes-ah, deah.

2004-11-17T21:46:00.000-05:00

Handsome, bread-eater.

So we go out to pick up some essentials - the midweek grocery shopping. Bread, milk, oj, etc. We leave the little dog in the truck while popping into another store on our way home. Unloading groceries, we notice there is no bread. "Dammit, I bet I paid for it and left it at the grocery store." says Dan. "But I'll go check the truck just in case."

Five minutes later, he come back, a mangled bread bag in hand. "Found this in the back seat..."

The dog ate the ENTIRE loaf of bread while we were in the second store. It was a good truck ride for the little dog.

He is currently sleeping it off behind the couch.

Christmas in November

2004-11-12T19:50:00.000-05:00

"By the way, did I miss Thanksgiving?"

-Alli, after hearing the fifth Christmas song in a row at the mall today. Word.

Purple people eaters

2004-11-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, this map may postpone my emigration to Canada. I actually went to the immigration website last week and took a quiz. It turns out I am a highly skilled worker. Which is nice, but the terminology sounds straight out of the gulag.

It's Johnny Damon Day!

2004-11-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

And not only in my head, either! The City of Orlando has proclaimed November 11, 2004 as Johnny Damon Day - and had a ceremony at City Hall to celebrate! So, I put on my Red Sox hat and slogged through the rain to be there, and let me tell ya, it was worth it! *Sigh, Johnny! The mayor, who appeared very...ummm...disneyfied... introduced him, and then Johnny rambled a few minutes about how great the fans are and how he's proud to be from Orlando, and yeah, go Sox! He was really very cute in that gee, uhhh, I'm a baseball player, not a public speaker kind of way. Unfortunately, there were too many pushy people there for me to get my hat signed, but as I was waiting, Johnny made eye contact with me and smiled. So, hey! My day is complete!

Also, I am happy to report that the holiday season is upon us I got a Gingerbread Latte today from Starbucks. One forgets this far south that it is NOVEMBER!

And finally, I changed the formatting on this thing - I was getting really sick of the pink. Blue is better. :)

I miss hockey

2004-11-04T15:18:00.000-05:00

It's not fair - I get ESPN for the first time in three years, and the NHL is in a lockout. I can't even watch college hockey because...well, I'm in Florida. As far as I can tell, nobody has a solution. Goodbye hockey season.

Or, we could always listen to Guy Lafleur, eh?

What if...

2004-11-03T22:07:00.000-05:00

So I opened a bottle of blueberry wine instead of the Guinness, and started thinking about Angela's thought of grad school in Ireland. And I went on the Behavior Analysis website. Just, you know...to see about accredited international programs. Oh, look, they have two in Ireland.

Oh, LOOK, one is a Trinity, and one at UCC. I may be drunk, but I think this just became a viable option.

The day after

2004-11-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning with the most terrible feeling. It wasn't the suspicion that Bush had won the election - I pretty much figured that last night when I went to bed - no, it was this momentary flash of "wouldn't it be nice?"

"Wouldn't it be nice if the leader of our country were not a joke in most parts of the world? Wouldn't it be nice if he spoke a language other than hick? Wouldn't it be nice if he spoke with any sort of eloquence at all? Wouldn't it be nice if I didn't have to spend the next four years worried about what was happening domestically while we continue our wars overseas? Wouldn't it be nice if I had even a little bit of faith in him? Wouldn't it be nice if Kerry were president?"

And the whole time I was thinking this, I KNEW that it was only wishful thinking. That it couldn't happen. I'm not angry today, just really, really sad. I'm glad that my vote counted in Florida, but sad that it didn't count enough. I'm also ashamed and a little frightened of some of the referendums this state just passed. I mean, who ARE these people that vote for this stuff? And they have the majority! The sooner my liberal ass gets back to New England the better.

So now what? Dana says that all was not complete crap in the last four years - he gained a niece and nephew. That made my day, because it is true. Life will go on - I'm allowing myself this one day of moping and sadness and then I'm getting on with it. Besides, I have developed some great coping skills over the past four years. For instance, I have found it advantageous to watch the BBC world news for my information, so as to cut my Bush sightings to the bare minimum. As a bonus, I am surprisingly well informed about what is actually happening beyond the US bubble.

On the other hand, Angela has a great idea about fleeing to Ireland for grad school. As I have been sitting here for the past half our, listening to Altan and craving a Guinness so bad I am actually considering going out and getting a shoddy pint from - wait for it - Paddy O'Brien's (gag), this sounds like a very worthwhile option.

Most of all, I guess I have come to the conclusion that it is time to put on my big girl panties and deal. I mean, didn't I know all along that the Red Sox and a democrat couldn't win in the same year?

Boston Red Sox, World Champions!!

2004-10-28T00:12:00.000-05:00

I can't even think right now. My brother just called me and told me that they were busting out the champagne and cigars. I just still can't believe it's real.

I'm heading up to New England for the weekend - I'll hopefully be more coherent when I get back!

Who's Your Daddy?

2004-10-21T17:29:00.000-05:00

I have spent much of the last week watching every move of the Red Sox, waiting for the other shoe to drop. By the end of last night, I was pretty much a nervous wreck, wondering how they were going to screw this one up. And somewhere around Pedro's third 94 mph fastball in the 7th, I realized that they weren't going to screw it up. We were actually going to win. We were going to complete the greatest comeback in baseball history. We were going to the World Series for the first time since I was nine years old. And we got to POUND the Yankees in the process!

I really can't explain the feeling - somewhere between relief and elation. I think I am still waiting for someone to pinch me. But if you have time, read the Sports Guy's thoughts on this. He pretty much sums it up, including the CRAPPY announcing by Fox. One friend said she got so pissed that she turned on the radio and muted the TV. But, all is well that ends well. On to the Series.

I am actually heading up to Connecticut this weekend for Shawn's play, so I'm pretty excited. Not only for the play, but I will get to be a Sox fan in my natural habitat! Ahhh, New England. I don't think I have been this excited about a championship since Ray Borque won it all with the Avs. Yeah, Red Sox!!

1:23 am

2004-10-18T00:26:00.000-05:00

Holy poo. Red Sox win in the 12th. Are we only prolonging the agony?

Note to Terry Francona

2004-10-12T22:51:00.000-05:00

You HAVE a freaking bullpen. USE IT!!!!

It's all good, though. We'll sweep the rest of the series. Jeter needed a little ego-boost, anyhow.

Excuse me...exercise hurts.

2004-10-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

Never were truer words spoken. So I have decided to start running again. It has cooled off enough to actually exercise outside, and the pseudo-fall air is occasionally pleasant. Yesterday afternoon, I got off my bum and started this whole getting in shape thing by running around Lake Eola. Bwahahaha! Keep in mind this lake is already about half a mile from the apartment. No problem, I think, I can run laps around this lake!

Yeeeah, not so much. Halfway around, I was doing this odd sort of walk/trot thing (yes, I am aware of the unflattering horse imagery, but it was a pretty unflattering moment), trying to suck as many oxygen molecules into my lungs as possible. And then...this not-so-fit girl who had me by about 100 pounds SPRINTS by me, her hair flying in the breeze, her shiny new running shoes a blur. Ok, she didn't actually sprint, but she definitely passed me. I gave up. The lake had beaten me. I walked home, and it felt damn good.

Conclusions? Well, Lake Eola and me, round 2, 5 pm today. I need new running shoes. Dana told me earlier this year that they don't actually MAKE that kind of running shoe anymore. Kind of tells you how much running I have been doing in the last...8 years. Also? I see people with these little radio-thingys strapped to their arms. Now that I think about it, they aren't really radios, are they? They are some sort of newer, better, more MODERN device for listening to music. Like an MP3 player. Heh. I'm a dork. Long live the 8-track. At any rate, I need one of those. Maybe the right kind of music could help me. Like...the Boss. Baby, I was born to run!

Secondly, what is up with Elizabeth? Pining away in Mtigwaki over Warren? She so clearly needs to be with Anthony.

Damn you, TBS!

2004-10-06T16:18:00.000-05:00

So I was watching Dawson's Creek reruns this morning (laugh away, my friends), and realized that I want to live in Capeside. Preferably in a little love-shack with Pacey. But no, seriously, there was this one exterior shot of Dawson's house, and it was sunrise on a beautiful fall day and the camera panned up from the creek across the lawn and to the house, and I was like..wow. This is where I want to be. A nice, big old house on the shore (but instead of a creek, it would be a pond) with nice trees all around, a garden for all my little plants, and a porch to sit and drink tea on. Or possibly beer. I would have my big old kitchen, painted all white and green, a comfy couch in the living room and lots of shelves for my books. Hardwood floors, of course, and maybe even a little root cellar. Root cellars are highly underrated. I would keep my potatoes in the root cellar. Because in my house, I eat lots of potatoes. And fish that I have caught from the lake. Heh. Ok, well, maybe not. But you see my point. The only problem with this scenario is that I have absolutely no idea how to get there. Or who else lives in that house. I do have a little bit of a handle on what I do for a living, but getting from where I am now to there is a bit of along road. And I already feel old. Oh well. What is the saying? A journey of a thousand miles...etc, etc.

Maybe I just miss it being autumn. Annmarie went apple-picking last weekend. And she planted mums in her window boxes. The mums they sell down here are sad, crumply little things that say, "I'm too hot! I'm not a tropical plant! Take me back to New England, you crazy people!" Hmmm...maybe I'M not a tropical plant. (I can't believe I'm relating to foliage. I need ot get out more.)

In other news, Alli came to visit this weekend, and it was a wonderful time. We went out (the less said about that, the better), we laid by the pool (laying out in October goes in the + column for Florida), we shopped, I found a new Mustard Seed, which made me pretty happy. Mostly, though we just hung out and talked; it was great to talk with someone from home who knew you before you were, well, you know. Before you got all sappy about Dawson's Creek reruns on a Wednesday morning.

Bleah....

2004-09-30T20:12:00.000-05:00

That generally sums up my feelings of late. I am in a little bit of a crisis mode over the state of my life. I feel like that should be a speech I give to myself once a year. You know, on a random weekday night, just sit down with a beer and a journal and say, "Self, this is where you stand. You are unemployed by choice, (and how stupid was that?!), you know what you want to do professionally, which is more than I can say for your professional growth since, I don't know...1996, and your hair has finally grown out to a nice length, which is also more than I can say for you hair since 1996. You have no money, but that's ok, because you're wearing jeans. (shout-out to double A) Designer jeans that make you look like you have an ass, which is nice, but seriously, you really must give the rest of your wardrobe a chance to get into the rotation. You have fantastic friends, but you never see them because you have chosen to exile yourself to never-never land. Self, you need to buck up, figure your shit out and take some action."

Yeah. So I have also been daydreaming a lot lately about backpacking through Europe. I think it all started last weekend when I watched a Rick Steves pledge special on PBS. He went to this obscenely picturesque Swiss town and ate cheese. I want to be there. I want to eat Swiss cheese. I want to drink German beer and see Rolf and Sandra (Hi Rolf & Sandra!) and eat some waffles. But I need about 2 grand to do this. I'd best get my ass moving on that job, eh?

Hurricane # 4

2004-09-26T00:52:00.000-05:00

"Since when have you not dressed like a hooker to go get a beer? Come on, I've been out with you! :) " - Sheila on hearing that I wasn't quite fitting into the Orlando bar scene.

So tonight, we took a trip up onto the roof of the parking garage, because that is what one does during a hurricane. It was windy. And rainy. Actually, it was just windy, because once it started raining, I was like, hell no, I'm going back inside. But there are a surprising number of people up on the roof during a hurricane. My favorites were a foursome that were packing a styrofoam cooler full of beer and vodka. Excellent! The one guy was wearing a "Canada" baseball hat, which I was happy to see; unfortunately he ended up being a Yankees fan. But one of the girls and I started talking, and she saw that I was wearing a Galway t-shirt. It turns out, of course, she lived there.

"Oh! I was there, too!" I say. "Really," says she, "when were you there?" And before I can do the math and answer, she clutches my arm and is like, "You were there in 2000! I totally bought bread from you at the bakery! WE KNOW EACH OTHER!!" Well, you can imagine my shock.

So it turns out that we totally know each other, or should have while we lived there. I do have a hazy memory of her; she worked at a cafe with my friend Dave. And we know all the same people, and had a wonderful time reminiscing. She, like all of us pseudo-Irish-expats, REALLY wants to go back. So, I am all pumped that I have a cool new friend in Florida, right? Yeah, but wait, this is MY life we're talking about. So, naturally, she lives in BOSTON. Sheesh. You'd think god was trying to tell me something...

Procrastination

2004-09-21T14:20:00.000-05:00

So I am supposed to be using my time wisely this fine afternoon (ie doing my reading for class tonight, finding more special ed. schools at which I might have a chance of becoming employed, doing my reading for class tonight, walking downtown to see if any purveyors of fine liquors might require my assistance, doing my reading for class tonight, or, at the very freaking least, washing the dishes from dinner last night), but I seem to be otherwise occupied.

"With what?", the astute reader might ask...

And I'm glad you did. More procrastination to ensue.

I have become totally addicted to the Clan of the Cave Bear series. I know, I know, bad Cro-Magnon smut, but I find myself at the end of the fifth book wondering how Ayla is going to deal with her new family responsibilities, and when Jondalar is going to grow a spine already. Lindsay made me rescue the first three books from the horrid book-trashing that caps off Carpe Librum, for which I (and my Philosophy of Education grade) am grateful.

Also, as the novelty of actually having DSL! in my own home! has not yet worn off, I find myself greatly occupied with surfing the web. (Incidentally, do people still use that phrase? "Surfing the Web" always looks a little early '90's to me. As does "phat". Some guy on his way to the gym referred to the dog as "phat" the other day, and I got a little offended, thinking, the dog really doesn't have weight to lose, assmunch. Luckily, I didn't open my mouth before realizing that this individual was still packing his mid-90's thesaurus of rad expressions. He was also wearing way too much gold jewelry for the gym. heh.)

I am a faithful reader of Miss Alli's recaps of the BEST SHOW EVER, The Amazing Race on Television Without Pity, one of the BEST SITES EVER. And, I have been sucked into the vortex of the various blogs that serve as accoutrement thereof, namely Tomato Nation and Frolic and Detour. Add in the Dirt Dogs, and your friendly hometown newspaper, and you've pretty satisfactorily accounted for a couple hours, there.

And now I have to go read four chapters before 6. Good luck, me.

It's September 17th, Do You Know Where Your Red Sox Are?

2004-09-17T22:55:00.000-05:00

Why yes I do! They're kicking ASS in New York! Yeah, Red Sox! Yeah, Johnny Damon! Yeah, Manny!

Oh, and also? Sit down, Joe Torre. And have a nice, tall glass of shut the hell up while you're at it.

2004-09-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I live with a dog. Guapo, as he likes to be called, is stubborn, lazy, and a bit of an attention-whore. He is also cute, cuddly and has a yawn the size of the Grand Canyon...

Erin go Bragh

2004-09-15T13:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I got on the #13 bus that would take me out to UCF for my Tuesday night class. As I boarded and tried to feed my $1.25 into the little money meter, the driver starts talking very loudly, "Hey, on St. Patrick's Day when I was younger, I used to wear a pin that said 'Kiss me, I'm Irish'! But none of the girls would kiss me; they just laughed and said, "You ain't Irish, you're Puerto Rican!" He then starts laughing uproariously while pulling the bus out into traffic, which was slightly alarming. I smiled and laughed as well, but as I made my way back to my seat, I was puzzled. What the hell? Why tell me that story? Did he want a kiss? It's not St. Paddy's Day... And then I looked down and realized I was wearing my green "Everyone loves an Irish girl" t-shirt. And it all made sense.

Perhaps I should make my little bus driver a shirt that says "Kiss me, I'm Puerto Rican!"

Go Pats!

2004-09-09T19:23:00.000-05:00

It's opening night of football season - yeah! (Since there will most likely not be a hockey season this year, I have shifted all my winter sports excitement to football.) My mom is sitting at home in her Ty Law jersey, yelling at the t.v., and my dad is AT FOXBOROUGH, watching the game live with his friends. Dink. And I am in Orlando, trying to teach the bulldog an end zone dance.

Growing up, football was always a part of the weekend. It wasn't like we HAD to see the game, but it was on in the background, just a part of the autumnal wonderfulness that envelopes Maine once the tourists have gone home and the days become colder and darker. There is nothing like a cold, crisp fall day, bright blue sky, brilliant red, yellow and orange leaves, the smell of woodsmoke and Sunday dinner, sitting on the couch with a Sam Adams, watching the Patriots. Football season makes the slide into winter a little easier.

But hey - I live in sunny Florida! I won't even have winter this year! As I write, it is 77 degrees out! Hmmm... I am not sure how this will affect my enjoyment of the season. Stay tuned.

Hurricane!

2004-09-04T21:40:00.000-05:00

It's another beautiful day here in Central Florida, sunny, warm, and altogether perfec- wait! What's this? A hurricane the size of TEXAS? 20 inches of rain? 100 mph winds? Good god! Run away! Run away!

Well, folks, we actually didn't get an evacuation order, and are sitting tight. It's windy. The swimming pool is starting to overflow.

And as for my saturday night? I'm filling the bathtub with water and watching the Weather Channel - wooohooo!

Frances

2004-09-01T22:34:00.000-05:00

ANOTHER hurricane? Are you freakin' kidding me?!!

Seagull Poo

2004-08-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

I just spent the afternoon at the beach over by Cape Canaveral - my first time at an ocean beach in quite some time! I laid out on my little towel, soaked up the sun, enjoyed the ocean breeze, did some reading for class, but most of all, I people-watched. Apparently in Florida, there is no age limit on wearing a bikini. No weight limit, either. And the 80's? Never went out of style. Great stuff, I tell you! I was particularly impressed when two older men in speedos and white t-shirts walked down to the water in front of me and then started stretching. This was entertaining until they did the whole bend-down-and-touch-your-toes thing, which in speedos was not so entertaining. These guys seriously stretched for like half an hour, at which point, sufficiently limbered up, they took off into the water and started swimming. And swimming. And swimming. They disappeared from view about ten minutes later - still swimming. Wow, I think. They really did need all that stretching.

But I digress. A short time later, I am laying on my back, blissfully taking in the sand, surf and sun, when I feel something land on my leg. I immediately do the whole spasm-leg-jerk whereupon I expect whatever nasty insect that has landed on my leg to fly (or, even grosser, crawl) away. Nope. Still there. So I sit up, and much to my dismay, I see a big white gob of seagull poop running down my calf. And that spasm-leg-jerk thing? Yeah, it served only to smear said poo even further down my calf.

After a girly, ew, ew, ew, gross, get IT OFF! moment, I summoned the presence of mind to grab a handful of sand and exfoliate the heck out of my leg. And then I went swimming. For a long time.

I love the beach.