straight to the elephant |
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Tuesday, December 2, 2003 The last thing I did when I was 27 was empty the dehumidifier in the basement. And I also watched the Horse Whisperer. Contrary to popular belief, no horse actually gets whispered to, at least in the AMC version. Happy birthday to me! Friday, November 28, 2003 One of these days I will update, swear. In the meantime, I will give you a couple of shopping links, this being the day after Thanksgiving and all:
Sunday, November 9, 2003 Mouse lickings: First real week in the new job! The best and worst thing about my new job is that I'm all alone: an island. Literally. My office space is surrounded my an open sea of cubicles. But I'm next to the window and at 3 p.m. each day I roll my chair away from the desk and read in the sun. If I could climb on my shelf and lounge like a cat I would. Cats don't read though so that would be weird. A couple of times I caught myself humming off-tune when listening to my new favorite CD by the Books, but there was noone around to hear. And one of my old co-workers stopped by and scared the k-rap out of me when he dropped off some empty Swedish fish wrappers. I'm cutting out the two fishes on each wrapper for crafty activities. You can ask this guy (ha ha ha). Speaking of. . . Reech, his ladyfriend and Nigel drove in this week for a Philly nite-over! We tried to use our time wisely by drinking beer and watching the new J.Millionaire. Don't let Reech fool you otherwise: he knows all the contestants and will hotly debate their virtues if left untamed! We are still unsure why the really hot chick decided to pack her bags. Anyway, my London trip ended quite nicely. I'm actually really excited about this new job. That is a welcome change. Condor-free in '03. My U.K. colleagues know how to party. Work organized a pub-quiz and our group won! I answered one single question: what is the smallest U.S. state in land area? Also, I found the greatest Polish vodka bar that makes the best pierogies ever. I ate so many pierogie. Then I brought my manager there and lushed her up on the wodka. She's a lot of fun. It wasn't all quizzo and alcohol though. I saw the an amazing acrobatic version of Romeo & Juliet at the Young Vic theatre. Trapeeze action, pulleys, an o-ring, lots of tumbling and jumping. It's an Icelandic show, and super-good. The fact that Romeo appeared to be a Viking god didn't hurt either. The sheer strength of the performers left us to ponder: were they acrobats first, and learned to act, or were they just pumped-up actors? Is it possible to be that good at both? So this is what I leave you with. Oh, and also, these librarian t-shirts. The Boolean operator one cracks me up.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 Story about small, important animals: Greetings from London! After a safe arrival and a bit of lugging due to overpacking, I'm tucked into a nice hotel somewhere very near to Covent Garden. It's been really nice here weather-wise, so the wanderlust is in overload, and I've been walking around alot trying not to get too lost. On Sunday, I visited the Tate Modern on recommendation from two Chicago friends. I loved it, especially the exhibit in the main hall by Olafur Eliasson. I've never seen so many people in laying around a concrete floor in front of a fake sun. Very funny. From there, I crossed the Tower Bridge and took some shots of David Blaine hanging in a plexiglass box along the river. A stupid man starves himself for attention. Gawd. I guess they brought him down later that night, because the place was mobbed with people. He kept waving like the queen, or a very demure golfer. I mock, but I still looked, which says something. From there I went to the somewhat disappointing Design Museum. I guess I thought it would be a bit bigger, although I liked some of the stuff -- like the paper wedding dress. What else? Oh -- the London Film Festival is going on so I got tickets to see some Norwegian movie called Kitchen Stories at the > for next week. Hooray for half-priced tickets, as London is a very expensive place.
Anyway, as you might imagine, I'm still having a bit of a problem with the British accent. Early on my first work day, my manager asked me if I had heard the news about tiny bear. Tiny bear? I looked at her in a state of confusion and alarm. She sounded rather grave about the matter and I had no idea what she was talking about. Tiny bear? Who's that? What's that? She stared at me for a second in disbelief. "The prime minister. Tiny Bear." And then it kicked in: Tony Blair. Not some mini circus animal involved in a mauling. God. I'm swear not an idiot. I was, however, completely embarassed. Hopefully, I'll be able to redeem myself by telling this as a funny joke later in the week. Finger crossed. Monday, October 6, 2003 Not prego!: So the news is that I have a new job. New.Job. Yes, yes yes. Sounds of echoing pterodactyl screeching are fading into the distance as I move away from crazy. Thank you sweet baby Jesus. As many of you know, I've had a hellyear dealing with a micromanaging borderline personality disorder and had seriously discussed the "what if I quit" scenario with the Beagle. (We decided we could deal, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The semi-joke was that September 1st was "quitberry day" named in honor of the f*in blackberry I so loathe.) In two weeks, I sing freedom song. The other bonus is that I get to travel to London for training (!) and stay swanky-style in the "west end" (or so I am told, as this means nothing yet). Does anyone have any London tidbits they'd like to share? Good pubs, tasty pints? Please let me know in the guestbook, to your left. Otherwise, I will get on with it. Tomorrow we're having a Poseison Adventure night, complete with bottles of red from Gene Hackman's winery. Umm, nevermind. There are like, two people who might get that. Anyway, my vegan friend is coming and I have no idea what to serve food-wise. Does anyone have any tasty vegan treats I could whip up? Or that you could whip up and bring down to south Philly? Again, I offer the guestbook.
Monday, September 22, 2003 There is news, big news, but I will save it for tomorrow. Today I went to the bookstore and looked at travel guides. Yay for travel, yay for the future. Thursday, September 18, 2003 Today on my blustery busride home, this guy who looks like Bo Brady a la Days of Our Lives started talking to me about how he thinks weather people secretly work in conjunction with tabloid magazines, how meteorology is crackpot journalism. Okay. I'm all for kooky bus banter. Then out of the air, he mentioned something about this place in New Jersey called Toms River that has, like, "the highest cancer rates in the country" and "like one in 10 kids have cancer there." Oh, really? I went to high school in Toms River, NJ. No kidding? He proceeded to recommend that I get to the doctor pronto. That I probably have some rare tumor sucking my life marrow. When I started to show signs of dismay (like turning away in an effort to get him to shut the fuck up he hammered on. "Just go on the internet -- you have the internet right" as if a possibly carcinogenic person like me wouldn't have internet access "and look up toms river cancer. So I did. High school is starting to suck anew all over again. Monday, September 15, 2003 Teach who: Why is it that every time I watch another Sopranos DVD my worst north Jersey accent comes out, and Beagle and I start psuedo-bickering in a very Tony/Carmella-esque way? Annoying! But at least we finished the first season tonight. Thank you, Netflix. Now we can move onto 3rd season Buffy! And I can bring out the latent yet inevitable leg-kicks that come after viewing those episodes. Sigh. Tomorrow I am dragging my shopping cart and husband to the Ac-ame to stock up on hurricane provisions. Let is rain, let it rain, let it rain. Tuesday, September 9, 2003 I-N-T-E-R-V-I-E-W! Yes! So happy I even spelled it out for ya! (Please keep fingers crossed.) Thursday, September 4, 2003 So my mother is cleaning out her house; moving actually. Downsizing, in her words. Her mandate to me was "get your shit out of here" and so I've been lugging boxes of 20-year old paraphrenalia back to my hacienda. This includes report cards, my baby book, pictures, a super-8 camera and projector and a Malibu Barbie. Along with the assorted junk, I found my old diaries. For years, I kept those 3x5" faux red leather "one year diaries" that now offer a slice into my life, starting when I was in fourth grade. A sample for your reading pleasure:
March 10 1985 And another (you know you can't resist, and neither can I) February 18 1985
What a dork I was! I noted the time! I wanted to live in my glue-gunned together dollhouse! I watched cheesy 70s satanic flicks. But at least I can remember it with geeky sweetness. I think I'll have a Race with the Devil movienight. Any takers?
Monday, August 25, 2003 Over the portside: I infinitely trust my friend Reech's musicality and happily readily admit he hath not steereth me wrong with the new Pernice Brothers album, yours mine ours. I often like music that reminds me of something else, other times perhaps, the sum of the thing I can't often remember, and this one does the trick. Thanks Reech, you Scrabbler. Monday, August 25, 2003 Today two things made me giggle: first, I tooted at a pistachio-colored Vespa on the South Street bridge, and he toot-tooted back. Second, I saw Billy Bob Thornton dressed up like the Orkin Man on 8th Street, which reminds me that he is actually playing the North Star this week. Going, gone. Monday, August 18, 2003 Talkin'bout my day: Today I worked late to the tune of "much ado about nothing". I also got to see my friend Heather at Dirty Franks prior to the Radiohead show at Tweeter. She attended, I did not. It's cool when a NY person randomly shows up in Philly. I ate ice cream and watched two episodes of the mighty windy "Surprise by Design" and an old "Trading Spaces". I love you, Tivo. Please don't break your modem ever again. Then I heard a scary sound, called mum and kept her on the phone while investigating the house. She told me she used to keep a knife under her bed. Now I know where I get my bedroom weaponry instinct from. The Beagle mocks the ole baseball-bat-by-the-bed route but I'm a safety girl.
I do have a cool link for ya: it's the new Rube Goldberg-inspired Honda ad, and it's for real. That makes it worth watching. What else? Oh, and a girly link: I want the little tube top with the bow! And finally, another plug for my favorite lib-giftster, ExLibris Anonymous -- journals made out of de-accessioned library books! Go get em! Sunday, August 10, 2003 So I have been hanging out on friendster too much. A big sigh for letting friendster cater to my introverted voyeuristic tendencies. Anyhoot, this weekend I had the most delicious crepe at Beau Monde -- apples and nuts and carmel, yum yum. We also went to Manayunk and walked Main Street. It's basically a boutique-extravaganza plunked down in a blue-collar town turned yuppiville. Very strange. I wonder if the ex-miners really love Nicole Miller's new line this season?? Okay, maybe I am getting too regional here. What else? Oh, I bought myself an XML book and plan on teaching myself all about DTDs this week. Yay. Time to bed. Monday, August 4, 2003 Leather beltway: So I survived my first wedding as a bridesmaiden, and I must admit that the entire event was super fun. That said, I spent approximately $750 to be in the wedding. I don't think my friend reads this pita but if she does she should know that I find that to be a lot of money. Weddings are expensive, kids. Don't fool yourselves. Be like my friend and make sure your wedding includes a top-shelf open bar. That makes all woes go away quick. After the wedding, Beagle and I journeyed down to Washington, DC, where I spent my formidable college years. I made the Beagle walk through campus with me, and he made fun of my sentimentalist nature. We stayed in Dupont Circle and wandered the streets. We ate at kramerbooks, met the new improved mob scene in Adams Morgan and shared a slice at PizzaMart. We saw our friends Adam and Charlie, and drank a lot of beer. We did nothing historical. I miss it.
Thursday, July 31, 2003 Carrot cake: pronounced any other way would sound like a ding-dong! This is for my friend Angela because she is so ahead of her time. . . from the September 2003 Spin magazine Editor's letter, "According to 'Red, White and Cool,' our fascintating oral history of the White Stripes early days, Jack White was destined to be a genius rock star. Even when he was the 19-year old drummer for country-surf-punk outfit called Goober & the Peas, Jack stood out . . . " Yeah WVAU! Rock and roll Ange! Tuesday, July 29, 2003 Tailgating: An appropriate entry, considering it will be at the bottom of this page. Anyhoot, I've been listening to a lot of M.Ward since Friday, when he opened for Rilo Kiley at the First Unitarian. It was a super show. I highly recommend the album Transfiguration of Vincent, if you are into sad, throaty, bluesy music. He reminded me of a combo of the following: Nick Drake, a less garbled Tom Waites, solo pre-Graceland Paul Simon, and Van Morrison. This weekend is my friend J's wedding. I think it is going to be a blast, especially because I'll be wearing my first Bridesmaid's Dress! It's green and strapless. Sadly not seafoam though. It will also be my first time since the junior prom wearing a dress that I now have the props for. Boobies as props. Yes I just said that. God.
And of course, the way back when old entries. |
