Monday, April 30, 2007

Three Thanks - A Revival

Here we go again - I'm starting the Three Thanks up again!

1. Radnor Park on Saturday - It was gorgeous this weekend here in Nashville! I hope you were all able to get out and about to enjoy the splendiforous display that was Mother Nature. I remembered to bring my camera but of course the batteries were dead - so no luck on the picture taking. Oh well, there will be more opportunities...and endless summer days in which to cash in.
2. The Failing of Contraceptives - Otherwise I would not be here! Though originally unwanted and unplanned...I think I have changed my parents' minds that kids (rather, kid) were the way to go. Score one for me!
3. "The Boyfriend" - Gibb - Spent the eve of my birth with me, was the first to wish me a Happy Birthday and is fostering the continuation of birthday festivities until tomorrow night at Patty's concert.

Others that I can not leave out -
-Those who blessed me with their presence at my "birthday party".
-Everyone who sent me well wishes via Facebook, email and voicemail.
-Those who bought me wine.
-My boss who brought me flowers and gave them with "love".
-Dei Pop for taking me out for a birthday lunch.

Friday, April 27, 2007

100 Things About Me

1. I have a cat named Mr. Darcy – it’s from the book, Pride and Prejudice, which is amazing. Read it, love it, and if you’re going to watch the movie…I am under the distinct impression that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are portrayed more accurately in the A&E version.

2. My favorite time is 12:34.

3. My favorite color can change daily. More often than not, it is blue.

4. I paint but I do not hold myself out to be a painter.

5. My family had a pool when I was growing up. It was pretty much the most amazing thing ever. But I always had to play by myself since I’m an only child.

6. I’m creative. Sometimes. They say that only children are more creative…because we have to be. Hopefully, this reins true for me since I work in Marketing.

7. I went in the ocean for the first time three years ago. I mean, I’ve put my feet in before…but I got neck deep. I almost peed myself. Luckily, I would have been in the ocean.

8. Going with that, I am deathly afraid of things I can’t see. The thing in the dark, creatures in the sea/creek/lake, the future….

9. It frustrates me that a lot of my food goes to waste because companies package things for families of 20. I’m a little person, I don’t eat much and I live alone. These things that all work against me when I try to not waste precious food.

10. Atrocious grammar errors irritate me.

11. Overly sensitive people do, too.

12. I had a pre-cancerous mole removed off my back and it left a pretty cool scar. You can read the poem here.

13. I was born almost a month late. The scheduled date was 4/1 and I wasn’t born until 4/30. Which also means that my birthday is coming up and that you haven’t missed your opportunity to send me your well wishes.

14. For my 14th birthday, I got a curling iron and was told that we would be moving from Montgomery, AL to Nashville, TN.

15. My favorite number is anything that has a five in it. So, I really like the number 55,555,555 – it’s pretty much the best number ever.

16. I love to read but since I started grad school I haven’t had much of a chance to read anything for pleasure.

17. I’m getting my Master’s in Public Policy with an emphasis in Education Policy.

18. I want to move from Nashville when I graduate. I’m thinking Seattle at the moment. Thoughts? I’ve never been there…it’s kinda an off-the-cuff decision.

19. I love hiking but have never been camping because wild animals scare me. Unless of course, you count the times I slept in a tent in my backyard.

20. I graduated college on Friday the 13th.

21. I got on birth control once and it made me so depressed that I stopped eating and lost like 20 pounds. It was awesome because I bought all of these new clothes. On the other hand, I was too depressed to go anywhere…so I never wore them out anywhere.

22. I have really crappy eyesight and am pretty much blind without my corrective lenses.

23. I’m short. 5 foot 2 to be exact.

24. My grandma used to read me The Giving Tree every time I saw her. I can’t even see the book cover now without crying.

25. I like red wine. Fairly dry and not too sweet. Recommendations?

26. Jack Vettriano is an amazingly talented artist. Get to know his work. You’ll love it!

27. Dale Chihuly is a freakin’ amazing glass blower and he’s from Seattle. He’s inspired by the water and so he creates his future designs while meditating naked in the bathtub.

28. I really want to learn photography…

29. Egypt is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. I’d love to see the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx.

30. I get really claustrophobic in crowds…or when people stand really close. I just have to be able to see a clear and easily accessible exit…otherwise I get clammy, sweaty and nauseous.

31. I’m a great listener.

32. My favorite flowers are lilies. I like tulips too…but lilies are my fav.

33. Peanut butter is by far the world’s most perfect food.

34. I love playing board games. Cranium trumps all.

35. I sang at Carnegie Hall. Yeah, that’s right.

36. I also really want to go to Ireland and Sweden. That’s where my grandparents’ parents were from.

37. I was supposed to be a boy. My dad got to name me if I was a boy and my mom got to name me if I was a girl. Thank God, I was a girl because my dad had chosen Ezekiel. He thought it would be cool to call me Zeke. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

38. I don’t really like to wear patterned things…unless it’s polka dots. I love polka dots.

39. I had braces for four and a half years. I was a heinous mess. I have burned all the evidence of that dark time in my history.

40. I sleep with a security blanket that I’ve had since I was three.

41. I like the smell of freshly tilled fields, soap and the air in the morning.

42. I hate bike riding. Unless it’s on the beach in Hilton Head. That was pretty sweet.

43. I’ve driven to almost all the contiguous states.

44. I’m somewhat of a health nut.

45. I count on my fingers.

46. I laugh at inappropriate things.

47. We will not get along if you can’t laugh at the stupid things you do…or you take yourself too seriously.

48. I like my eggs cooked over medium.

49. My favorite bar beverage is a vodka tonic.

50. I like salsa on pretty much everything.

51. People who say “could care less” bother me. It’s “couldn’t care less.” It’s ridiculous to say that you could care less about something.

52. I hate giving speeches. HATE.

53. I think facial scruff is hot.

54. When I’m nervous or stressed, I bite all my nails off…except my thumb nails…they’re really strong. Dang them and their resiliency!

55. I was only allowed to watch reruns when I was growing up. Like the Patty Duke Show, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Dike van Dyke Show, Dragnet, and I Love Lucy. Awesomeness.

56. I don’t sit on public toilet seats.

57. I fit the description of my astrological sign fairly well.

58. It takes me a long time to love someone, but when I do, I will love them forever.

59. I save my old toothbrushes and use them for use as cleaning agents.

60. I am not a neat freak nor am I organized…but I know where everything is.

61. I subscribe to three magazines – Glamour, In Style and Marie Claire.

62. It always makes me feel better to drive with all the windows down and blast music in my car.

63. I’m a music snob. And I generally fall out of love with a band when they become famous.

64. I have a love/hate relationship with being from Alabama.

65. My mom was 35 when I was born.

66. I’ve had a slew of nicknames throughout the years – Gidget, Sash, Cakes, Boog, Pet…and most recently, Pickles.

67. I love to cook. It’s kinda like art.

68. I love semi-formal and formal attire.

69. I like classical music.

70. I’ve always wanted to dance…but never had the guts to do it anywhere but in my condo…alone.

71. I like the way that Scotch Tape smells.

72. I have a pen fetish. I get that from my dad.

73. When I was little, I collected erasers and stickers.

74. My dad and I look almost identical. He’s just a man with grey hair.

75. My dad used to enter me in fishing competitions. I used to win.

76. I don’t like the texture of pears or guacamole.

77. I got the chicken pox when I was in 8th grade…well past the time when you are supposed to get them. They were everywhere. And by everywhere…I mean…everywhere.

78. I don’t like icing.

79. I always eat breakfast

80. I’m addicted to coffee and I drink it black.

81. The bag of purple Skittles is my favorite.

82. I love dresses and skirts.

83. Spring and Fall are my favorite months.

84. I am a Christian but there are a lot of reasons why calling myself this bothers me.

85. I love Google Reader!

86. I love BBQ ribs…but I don’t eat them in public.

87. I have worked a variety of jobs. I worked at Border’s as a barista, Bread and Company, American Eagle Outfitters, the Nature Company, a nanny, Hecht’s, Macaroni Grill, Merchant’s, and AristoMedia as a music industry publicity/advertising intern.

88. I am a few credits shy of having an Art History minor.

89. I play volleyball at Hooter’s.

90. I will trust you implicitly until you give me a reason not to.

91. I’m a horrible liar. My face always looks weird when I lie.

92. I love pickles and olives.

93. Ted’s Montana Grill has an amazing buffalo burger.

94. I took ballet, tap, jazz, baton, flute and vocal lessons, and soccer growing up.

95. I love broccoli…nature’s broom.

96. I got 2nd degree burns down my arm from my oven while cooking popcorn shrimp and tater tots last year.

97. It’s hard for me to say “no” to my friends.

98. If I don’t eat, I get cranky.

99. I like attention...but not all the time.

100. Thank, God. Umm…think of something…um….I love black and white photos, Audrey Hepburn, old-fashioned values (some), hand sanitizer, and the color red. See…my favorite color changed while I was doing this.

Hold Me Close, Tiny Dancer

This is just ridiculous...

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

I've gone MIA...

So sorry! I've been caught up in finals and have slept little. As a peace offering, I give you this video. It's where I was born and raised. Be jealous. Very, very jealous. This has apparently made its way all the way to the Ellen Show!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

3:35 AM

Took that Tums...it was totally worth it.

You know...I'm just sayin'.

Oh, grad school...how I love thee.

Oh, just takin' a break from writing that paper I was procrastinating earlier. Yeah, it's 2:06 AM at this very moment. I took a "nap" earlier, from 11:00-12:30 and am back plugging along on my laptop.

If you're up and have any profound ideas on the topic of ensuring accountability in public sector budgeting systems...you know...drop me a line or something.

I don't know, you could also make sure I'm still living.

That would be worthwhile, too.

Dang'it! I am finishing this paper tonight! Plus, I have had waaay too much coffee to stop.

Right now, what I have is in bullet form and it looks so nice and organized like this...I hate to condense it down to sentences. Plus, that actually takes thought, whereas bullets are more stream of conscious, which I have been preferring lately.

Also, I have increasingly bad acid indigestion and it is making it very hard to work comfortably.

...

Okay, that's a pretty lame excuse. However, I really do have acid indigestion...it is bad...and I think it's from the coffee.

Oh, I think I shall have to get up again to take a Tums. Oh clever rouse to delay doing work.

Why would I want to delay doing work at such a God-forsaken hour? Why wouldn't I want to just get this dang paper written?

I don't know. It's just the way I am.

Plus, like I said, I have had waay too much coffee to go to bed anytime soon. I might as well blog. And look up real estate online. And stalk my friends on Facebook.

Woo! I just did Spell Check...and it wasn't pretty. Note to self - writing at 2 AM does not make for good grammar. Triple check paper before emailing it to your professor.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Let's give sickos something to strive for

Does anyone else see the problem with proclaiming mass murders as “record breaking” and similarly, the “worst in our nation’s history”. I can’t help but think that this gives future sickos something to shoot for…if you will. I’m reading news articles this morning where schools (middle and high school and universities) have been getting threats since the tragic events Monday. Some are only reports suspicious activity, some are bomb threats. There has even been a note that threatens a mass killing and after which alludes to the murders at Virginia Tech.


Perhaps we shouldn’t concentrate on the numbers lost and the records that have been broken as if it is some Olympic sport. Instead, let’s focus on the individuals who have been lost and the healing of those who have been hurt.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Three Thanks

I need to think of three things that I am thankful for today more than most days.

1. Waking up this Monday morning in a great mood. It's not that this rarely happens...it's just that this morning was just truly fantastic.

2. My sand volleyball girls. We always play. We most often lose. But we have lime green t-shirts...nicknames...and attitudes.

3. Peanut butter. Maybe, just maybe, one of the world's most perfect foods. Is peanut butter really a food? Perhaps it's more of a condiment... Whatever it is, I love it and I always want more of it.

Seriously, I have to stop procrastinating this project that is semi due tomorrow. I might be up all night. Seriously.

Okay. I have to go. Perhaps I'll get something to drink first.

Does anyone else think the new Bachelor looks like he is made of clay? I've only watched the episode that aired tonight (while procrastinating) and I think he looks and acts like a clay person.

Seriously, I'm leaving.

There aren't words...


And if there are, I'm not sure I care to look for them right now.

The numbers keep rising in the Virginia Tech shootings. Right now the toll is 33 dead and 20+ injured.

What provokes this kind of behavior? I read an article that said the gunman, now deceased, was looking for his girlfriend...but this early in the game, that could be hearsay.

I just don't understand it. I just don't.


More Links:

"Everyone started panicking and jumping out of the windows..."

A student's account.

Cell phone clip of shooting

Injured student describes shooting.

Bubbles as large as a car in Alaska

Bubbles, you wonder, as large as a car?

Why, yes!

But this was not a fun day in the park for these Alaskans. Oh no.

These bubbles were from the local sewage plant...spewed from the city sewer lagoon.

They apparently had no smell (thank God) and were iridescent in color.

Um, this is slightly more nasty than not washing your hands after using the restroom...

Can you imagine...

~*~Enter dream sequence~*~

You see a huge, gorgeous, iridescent bubble the size of a car flying through the air. You pull over your car and run childishly into the street chasing after this glorious wonder. You catch up to it...it teases you in its flight...you laugh giddily. You catch up to it again, reach out your hand, pointer finger extended, and give it one. little. poke.

Just like that...sewage water all over you.

Happy Monday!

Blogger Love!


While catching up on my favorite blogs this morning, I saw that I have been nominated by LeBlanc at A Natural Deficiency of Moral Fiber for the Thinking Blogger Award! Here I was thinking that my Monday was already glorious, with the stoppage of rain and all, and then this! I can barely stand it!

I am very glad that I am able to entertain you and your co-workers. If I can save just one person from an office-related boredom fatality...then my life has been worthwhile!

I am apparently supposed to nominate five bloggers that make me think or that entertain (I added that last part). I don't keep up with too many blogs...but, lucky me, I do keep up with some.

So, shall we get on with the nominating and tagging? I believe we shall.

Here's how this is supposed to go down. If you have been nominated:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the origin of this award, and
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.

Sharing the blog love:

1. Kerpupples - Blogger, animal lover and only child. You'll love her too.

2. BB Logan - Ex co-worker, funny lady and musical diva. I miss her around the office but her blog keeps those memories alive. :)

3. The Genius - Fairly fresh faced to the blogger world, Mr. Gibb writes about a myriad of topics. Ever wonder what you would choose as your last meal? Or, where you would move if you were single? You will if you read his blog.

4. Mr. Write Now - Thoughts about dating and, more importantly, life - his words keep me reading.

5. Charming - Haven't caught up with her blog in awhile, but her thoughts on dating and singledom have kept me entertained and unproductive for hours.


Thank you to all above for letting me peer into various aspects of your lives.

I'm a pinky!

Thanks, BB!

(Wipes sweat off brow) I'm with ya, glad to know I am not the middle finger!

...

But "downright weird"?? Alright...

Maybe. :)


You Are a Pinky

You are fiercely independent, and possibly downright weird.
A great communicator, you can get along with almost anyone.
You are kind and sympathetic. You support all your friends - and love them for who they are.

You get along well with: The Ring Finger

Stay away from: The Thumb

Friday, April 13, 2007

Who does this?!

I just got back from the bathroom at my work. While I was there...someone did something that I just irks me!

I'm sitting there, you know...in my stall...doing my thing. Some woman is in the stall one over. She gets done, you know, doing her thing, gets up, pulls up her pants, then zips them up. She flushes the toilet, opens the stall door...and then walks out of the bathroom.

She didn't wash her hands...and made no bones about it!

Gross.

I wish I had seen her shoes so I could know who she is and avoid her at all costs in the future.

Can't blame it on being an only child anymore...

Singletons at Risk?

Apparently, no developmental, personality and/or behavioral problems have been linked to only children. However, and I quote:

"There was a time when being an only child was so unusual and stigmatized that all kinds of problems were ascribed to it."

Was a time, people. WAS.

The answer also says that I have an intellectual advantage over other kids, albeit slight.

Ha!

You may remember this.

Who knew there was a support website out there for people like me??

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

200th Post - It's a milestone!

I read this article on CNN.com while I was sitting in my cubicle eating my lunch today. Delicious Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich, a baked potato and a Diet Coke does the trick and fills the belly.

The article is about dating in the tech-savvy age. The age where you can "Google" your date, look them up on Facebook and/or MySpace and conduct online background checks.

It got me thinking...does all this information at your fingertips take away some of the fun of dating? Does it ruin the mystery that is so much a part of the process when you can learn about someone with a few mouse clicks? Would you sit across the table, nodding your head and feigning interest while the other person tells you things about him/herself...things that you already know?

I'll admit it, I have "Googled" a date.

I did something that I swore I would never do. About two years ago, I gave my number to someone I met at a bar...and then made a date to go out with him.

Just saying this makes me feel skeevy.

I'm sure this way of meeting and dating is fine for some people, and I am sure people can share with me their "happily ever after" endings of relationships started in bars...but it's just not for me. No offense intended...hopefully, none taken.

Anyway, I made a date with this dude, we went out, had a great time. We set another date. I "Googled" the fellow before the next date...and low and behold...he was married. "Was" in the past tense now...but in the oh-so-present tense then.

When I asked him about it, he came up with this long and drawn out (though major props for imagination) story. He tried to tell me that he wasn't married now but yes, he had been married to his friend who wanted to get the money out of her trust fund...and he wanted a green card (he was from Canada)...so they got hitched! Simple enough...

Whatever. Long story short, I didn't go out with him again. Google saved me from dating scum. :)


So, this begs the question...have you done it? Have you "Googled" a date?

Monday, April 09, 2007

Three Thanks

I didn’t post my Thanks last week because I was so sick. Perhaps a few of mine this week should be:

1. Breathing
2. Holding steady a temperature within the 98 degree mark
3. Swallowing without daggers piercing themselves into my throat

Nevertheless, I feel that I should have some Thanks that have nothing to do with my disease. I am more than my disease!

Without further ado…my Three Thanks!

1. Easter with my family (and Abi, who’s like family) – Though they all live here in Nashville and I can see them whenever I want, it’s nice to know that I have somewhere to be on the holidays. It’s nice to have people and places to call “home”. It’s nice that for 25 years my mom has made me an Easter basket. That’s right, be jealous…I still get visited by “The Bunny” every year. It’s tradition!

2. Cooking for family and friends – I love cooking! Perhaps I should have been a chef…nah, I guess you have to have more than just the love of cooking to be a chef. You actually have to be a really good cook. Well, attesting to my skills…I haven’t killed anyone or made anyone sick…not yet.

3. Game night with my ladies

Cranium (plus) Apples to Apples (equals) Pure Awesomeness!

We pigged out on pizza and all the junk food you haven’t eaten since your mom packed your lunch. E.L. Fudge cookies, Reese's Cookies, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs (‘tis the season), Chex Mix – Sweet and Salty, chips with sour cream and onion dip, chocolate chess pie….

Ugh, there was more…but I can’t bare to relive it all. We were fat, happy and jovial. And even got a little but of Mean Girls in…

Oh, I'm eating at Virago tonight! They have 1/2 priced martinis and sushi on Mondays! Monday's at Virago come highly recommended by this cat.

How much is your life worth?

This woman is selling everything she owns (minus her dog, cat, photos, and some clothing) on an Ebay auction ending Thursday.

Here's the Ebay site.

Google Voice

Google's come up with something new - Voice Search.

Though still in the experimental stage, Google Voice could save me some dinero by not having to dial 411.

Instead, dial 1-800-GOOG-411.

iRack and iRan

Friday, April 06, 2007

The BCCCA has the children's interest at heart

I'm heartless; that's all it comes down to. This article came up on my Google Reader but the only thing that stuck out to me was this line:


"The Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Association (BCCCA) said human trafficking was unacceptable."


I'm sorry - am I the only one that hasn't heard of the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Association??? Is this a lobbying organization? Do you think they have much pull??

Or do you just think it's a bunch of sweet talk...

TN attorney general seeing green over painting

Fisk University's O'Keeffe painting could be valued at more than $20 mil

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

It's breaking!

My fever just broke!! 99.8!!

Perhaps I am on the mend...

I'm diseased...

So sorry that you didn't hear from me at all yesterday...

I'm deathly ill...

Monday night my throat started hurting, but nothing too serious. I climbed into bed that same night, fighting off a horrid headache. I tried BC Powder for the first time...which made my head stop hurting...but left me feeling like I had sand stuck on the back of my throat.

I went to bed and I woke up about 4 am Tuesday morning (I'm assuming after the BC wore off), shivering and aching from head to toe.

I dozed in and out until a more appropriate hour - found a thermometer and discovered that my fever was 101.5.

Obviously, I didn't go into work but I did go to class later that afternoon...like a champ. We were having two lecturers come in to discuss budgeting in high education institutions...something I didn't want to miss!

Sadly, I did miss some of it, as I kept nodding off.

That afternoon, before I left for class, I watched The Last Kiss. I thought it was a great movie. Very real and true to life.

I got back from class around 4:45 and fairly promptly went to bed. I slept until 10:00, watched TV until I was tired again...around 10:30, and then crawled back into bed.

I woke up this morning at 6:00 not feeling awful...just not great...and I took my temperature. 102.5. Awesome! I took Motrin and went back to bed...because nothing works better than sleep to forget about your pain. I woke back up 40 minutes later drenched in sweat.

Yay! My fever must have broken! Okay, down to 102...not so bad...

I just took it again and I'm holding steady at 100.5. It hasn't been below this thus far.

Hopefully, I will be in my usual, top form in no time!

On a happy note, my new furniture is being delivered today! Yay!

Monday, April 02, 2007

Street Literature - Bologna

Will instituting contemporary, or “street,” literature into classroom curricula hurt students’ learning?

Experts on one side say that this growing trend makes reading more relevant. They are pleased with the possibility of getting students engaged and excited about reading rather than stressing about exposing them to “high literature.” These experts argue that there is room for both in the curriculum, and teachers don’t have to sacrifice quality to incorporate newer texts. Sounds reasonable.

Traditionalists fear that this will not only dumb down the curriculum but also that the themes evident in some selections are controversial in nature. Controversial topics intended for mature audiences only include: violence, death, profanity, sex, abuse, and “protagonists who purposely hurt themselves.”

~*~

“The jury is still out on whether exposing children to these ideas gives them ideas or helps them think through things they or their friends are experiencing. Is reading about a girl cutting herself likely to prompt more girls into doing this to themselves or to get help for themselves or their friends?”

~*~

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard…today. High-school students reading literature that includes this “mature” content is by no means worse than them watching MTV, VH1, the Family Guy, or good Lord – name a box-office hit.

I read “Romeo and Juliet” and, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the crux of that play is that they killed themselves after being involved in a sordid love affair. It didn’t make me want to be in a sordid love affair with a family enemy…nor did it make me want to kill myself…either with poison or a knife.

On the other side:

Not every book has to end happy. Maybe we can relate to books more if they are about the real things we are dealing with, or maybe they will stretch our minds so that we can understand other people’s problems more.

In my humble opinion, it is high past time that high-school English curriculum become more applicable and appealing – engaging young readers.

On the latest 12th grade NAEP:

One-fourth of students tested could not demonstrate even basic skills on the test of reading comprehension and text analysis.

The voice of reason states:

“Our job is not simply to dispense books that kids will read and love. We need to help them tackle books that are hard for them, … help them negotiate challenging texts.”

I can just picture what this lady looks like...stern face, wrought with wrinkles. Her hair's in a bun...held tightly in place with bobby pins and extra-firm hair spray. She wears a white collared shirt - buttoned to the top-most button - and a black skirt fit high on her waist...not too tight.

And, of course, she has a ruler...Ohh, ohhh! And a red pen...ready to spill blood on your next paper!

This just in!


In groundbreaking news, researchers have found that:

Wives whose husbands help around the house are happier.

Honestly, I'm shocked. I would have never guessed that. Never in a million years...

Sunday, April 01, 2007

I've decided on my honeymoon location...



Sure, I may not be engaged...but a girl can plan ahead, right?

Visit a place like this and I may never come back to America. Tourism and fisheries are their main industries...

I could do either!

Will work for fun in the sun...