Je ne sais pas.

Obama!!!

2008-11-05T09:29:00.004-06:00

Family Reunion 2008

2008-07-24T09:00:00.004-05:00

Family reunion at Natural Gait in middle-of-nowhere Iowa. Had a good time with the fam, though. We went spelunking in Spook Cave. It was pretty spooky with the religious overtone and tourist propaganda. Our guide was a 12 year old.

Feist, Indiana and Booze

2008-07-14T12:09:00.010-05:00

Saw Feist at Ravinia on Friday. Lovely music, wine & snacks, and -thanks to Shanda- first row lawn seats. (Take that, sold out lawn!)
btw, How many trains does it take to empty Ravinia Park?

Saturday, four of us drove down to Munster, Indiana for a brewery tour at Three Floyds: Smallish building off the beaten path, garden of hops in front, various hip and underground beer art decor, philosophical tour by a very tattooed brewmaster (one of the five employees). If you don't live in select Illinois and Indiana locations, you are missing out.
Enjoyed: Alpha King and Gumballhead.

After the tour we continued the drive, making a severe storm-induced stop at a rest area where we met a pirate who told us about the time a tornado rolled his trailer home with him and his newborn in it.

Then on to Indianapolis. Since the baseball game was rained out, we walked the downtown. Ditched a kitschy place called Alcatraz before settling on Rock Bottom.
Enjoyed: Sugar Creek Pale Ale

Finished the evening at fancy Westin.
Didn't enjoy: 2007 J. Christopher /Dr. Loosen Pinot Noir -- Greg said watered down pomegranate juice so that is mostly what I tasted
Did enjoy: 2008 Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout -- delicious motor oil with molasses
Campbell's Rutherglen Tokay from Rutherglen, Australia -- caramel-colored sugar

Sunday, walked to Easley Winery for free tasting. Mostly sweet, sugary, citrus.

Bonnaroo!

2008-06-17T09:01:00.006-05:00

Thursday, June 12
After stopping for some supplies and last pee break with plumbing, we waited in a 12 mile line for 4 hours or so. Top temp gauged by the car was 122 degrees.
By 8:30pm the camp site was set up and we had beers in our hands. The rest of the evening was spent exploring the grounds, checking out crazy fire play by the Such n Such performers, seeing Vampire Weekend and Lez Zeppelin.

Friday, June 13
Woke up around 7am as the TN sun makes a tent very warm. Relaxed under makeshift canopy then on to a little Fiery Furnaces before Janeane Garofalo and Mike Birbiglia. Got a handy bag for playing Guitar Hero Aerosmith. Caught the end of Les Claypool, got some beers from the Broo'ers tent, enjoyed Willie Nelson. After grilling, drinking, and socializing with the neighbors, we were able to see the first half of My Morning Jacket before the rain and booze got to be a little much. Fortunately, we're good at setting up tents and we slept in dry sleeping bags.

Saturday, June 14
Still rainy in the a.m., but the sun made the afternoon warm and my skin a bit red. Listened to Against Me! while waiting in line to win a 2003 Bonnaroo shirt. Adored Mason Jennings, discovered Gogol Bordello, and got a little Cat Power. Samosas are my new favorite food. At the main stage B.B. King -- amazing at age 82. Followed by another excellent performer, Ben Folds, who I want to make out with. He played Bitches Ain't Shit for the last time, supposedly. Jack Johnson was timid and charming. Pearl Jam rocked out with so many great songs. Sigur Rós surprised me by being one of the best performances. From 2:45 to 5:30am, the Kanye West fiasco. Wasn't even wanting to see him that much anyway, and waiting for 2 hours to see horrible glow in the dark show as the sun was rising... not worth it.

Sunday, June 15
Woke up at 8am with 2 hours of sleep. Took the last sink-shower of the weekend. Ate veggie kabobs in the tent to stay out of the sun then tore down the campsite. We took in the view from the top of the ferris wheel: a sea of tents and cars, and people crowded into shaded areas. Had to stop by the Cinema tent where we saw the end of The Doorman with Q&A by the doorman himself. Lost interest in the next documentary, Know Your Mushrooms, so we napped under a tree during Jakob Dylan. Stood the heat for Yonder Mountain String Band (it was worth it), walked by O.A.R. on the way to see Broken Social Scene, then finally Death Cab for Cutie. By 9pm we were on our way to Nashville for hotel = shower and comfy bed.

Definitely a great time.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-07T23:15:00.001-06:00

Spent the afternoon in Chinatown. Ate lunch at the New Three Happiness which was a letdown in it's lack of hole-in-the-wall authenticity. Dessert was a holiday fruit pie which, apparently, is the equivalent of a Chinese fruitcake. The pastry made me a little thirsty, so it was washed down with an avocado smoothie while watching a violent Chinese soap opera. I wonder what other unusual foods you can make into smoothies. Ooh, and they have pretty jewelry in Chinatown.

I miss you, water from the faucet.

2008-02-01T16:35:00.000-06:00

Since Tuesday morning, there has been no water in my apartment. Thanks to a broken water main, I have not been able to shower, wash my hands, flush the toilet, wash dishes, or make real meals. I feel dirty, hungry, thirsty, and I have to pee. I'm forced to blog in order to distract myself. Modern conveniences, I'm sorry I took you for granted.

Milwaukee!

2007-09-14T10:55:00.000-05:00

First stop: the beautiful lakeside (because we saw some port-a-potties and Greg had to pee).

After a driving tour of historic Milwaukee, we stopped for a bite to eat at a sub shop run by kind hooligans. The wrapper invited us to "Moo-la-palooza!" taking place in August 2006.

Next, we headed to Lakefront Brewery where we were given the best brewery tour ever. After downing three beers and filling up a fourth, the tour began. We learned about how beer is made according to Reinheitsgebot, examined a hops plant, walked through the brewing and bottling processes (I learned what a bung hole is), then drank some more beer. And we got lovely pint glasses.

Afterward, we decided to take in more culture at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Maybe it was because I had just been at a brewery, but I was very fascinated with the interactive barmaid.

The design of the building was cool, but also confusing, and the floor of the museum had apparently erupted in places, and there were seismometers measuring the movement of the floor, and the security guards were following us, and the barmaid showed up in another piece, and there was a suitcase that opened up to the basement. So I got a little freaked out and we left.

We finished the day by window shopping downtown and eating some Thai.

The only disappointment was that the cheese castle was closed. Guess we'll have to do that next time.

Poorly planned escapes

2007-05-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

This week has seen an unusually high number of residents running out the alarmed doors at the mental health facility. Perhaps the warm weather has something to do with it, or perhaps the increase in first-time admittances. Whatever the reason, the run-aways have been tragically unsuccessful:

On Saturday, "Fred" packed his duffel bag, put on a hoodie, and bolted out the door. He ran several blocks before seeking refuge from the police in an unlocked building. Unfortunately, the building he ran into was another psych facility.

Sunday, "Zach" gathered all the change he had, snuck out a side door, and got on a bus to head out of town. As luck would have it, the bus Zach boarded also happened to be the bus that an off-duty staff member was taking on her way to church. She had the bus driver talk to the police on her cell phone and the bus was soon pulled over so Zach could be escorted off.

Monday was the usual drill by "Joe," a long-time resident who likes to open the alarmed door and walk very slowly so staff can easily catch him because, really, he has no place to go; it's more for his own amusement than anything else.

Today, a very delusional resident, "Sarah," walked out the front door, apparently believing she had somewhere to be. We redirected her back into the building and to her room. She seemed to be more oriented afterward, until she approached me later saying, "Oh, thank you so much for saving me from getting hit by that car!" Not so sure about that one.

We'll see how tomorrow goes.

In the deep blue sea

2007-04-09T22:48:00.000-05:00

Today we took a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium where we saw dolphins jumping, a giant komodo dragon being lazy, sea otters eating shrimp off their bellies, and beluga whales playing disc golf. I want a pet beluga.

A few things I've done in the last month

2007-04-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

In no particular order:

became a member of the Chicago Botanic Garden
saw Blueman Group
watched lots of Eddie Izzard
checked out the Body Worlds exhibit
saw The Burden Brothers
went to a wine tasting
had a horror movie fest
started a new hobby of making greeting cards

Guess that's about it.

New apartment!

2007-02-17T12:57:00.000-06:00

Mmm... Seitan...

2007-02-03T10:50:00.000-06:00

This Chicago Style Italian Beef was recommended to me by a girl I work with. It's super delicious!

Toby

2007-01-09T23:31:00.000-06:00

Millennium Park

2007-01-06T09:38:00.000-06:00

Two things:

2006-12-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

Tonight after eating at the Melting Pot (yum) we drove around a bit looking at lights on houses. My favorite decoration was the big inflated polar bear wearing a yarmulke (apparently that's how to spell it) and holding a driedel.

Also, my kitty prefers a cardboard flat box to a cushy cat bed.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

2006-12-03T12:49:00.000-06:00

It's fun to go to townie bars and meet dirty old men who talk about "the good ol' days" and play Tina Turner on the jukebox.

Holy Snow, Batman!

2006-12-01T20:44:00.000-06:00

Today was a day to not go to work because your car is buried under a whole lot of snow, and instead stay inside and make minestrone soup.

Bad:

Good:

"Hypothetically"

2006-11-15T12:17:00.000-06:00

Seriously? http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/15/simpsoninterview.ap/index.html

My Saturday Night:

2006-11-04T22:43:00.000-06:00

Did some knitting
Watched WWE
Ate banana enchiladas

This is Halloween

2006-10-29T17:40:00.000-06:00

Went to the theater today to see The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D! When the 3D previews started, a jack-o-lantern jumped out into the audience and a little kid in the theater started crying. It was awesome.

Not just for burns

2006-10-26T22:17:00.001-05:00

So Greg and I are at Garden Fresh doing some grocery shopping when Greg pulls a strange pouch off the shelf. "Aloe Vera?" I say. "It's a dessert," Greg says. "Ewww," I say. So we buy this chunky gel package, bring it home, and crack it open. It smells like Mr. Freezies. It tastes like sugary goo. Weird. You should try it.

I love quarter machines

2006-10-17T23:39:00.000-05:00

I'm in ninja heaven.

And it's not even mine.

2006-10-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

So the other day, Greg gets a package in the mail. And what was this package? Why, it was the Bitter Films Volume One dvd, which has is a collection of all Don Hertzfeldt's animations, including a commentary option so that even though you've seen them before, it's hilarious all over again. But the super awesome cool part is that the package came with 5 frames from the film. Yes, my apartment walls are going to boast five animated cells of a man with an over-sized spoon and a large banana, as well as an authentic autograph. I'm a nerd.

I heart the apple orchard

2006-09-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today we picked ten pounds of apples, some of which were of a magical variety called banana apples. These so-called banana apples are amazing! They're sweet and delicious with a hint of banana! Yum.

Oh, and if anyone wants some apples, let me know because there's no way I can eat ten pounds of 'em.

Sometimes bad experiences can be really fun.

2006-09-04T00:09:00.000-05:00

This weekend Greg, my sister, and I went canoeing in brown water with strips of cement across some parts and lots of fallen trees and big spiders in those trees and not enough skill to be able to stay out of those trees. And then we drove an hour to eat what was supposed to be the best pizza in Chicago, but it wasn't really the best pizza and it had so much cheese that I got a tummy ache after eating 3/4 of a slice. After that, we saw Everclear who, as it turns out, is really really bad at doing live shows because they can't play their instruments together and can't sing and they let lots of underage girls up on stage for the last song, which was Jenny (867 5309). The next day involved a failed attempt to walk to the park due to sidewalks that stop randomly on very busy streets, a very unsuccessful thrift shopping trip, and getting psyched to rent a movie for the private theater then finding out that we got the worst film ever.

Ultimately, we laughed a whole lot, and I had a great weekend.

Saturday Matinee

2006-08-19T18:39:00.000-05:00

Little Miss Sunshine is my new favorite movie. Everyone should go see it.

I want to grow a garden.

2006-08-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

Today we went to the Botanic Garden to watch the kite-flying show. Here are pictures:

When do I get paid?

2006-08-04T21:20:00.000-05:00

First week of real, full-time, career work. I love the unpridictableness of it. You never know what someone's going to say or do when they have schizophrenia. I think I'm going to like working there.

Come visit!

2006-07-29T22:03:00.000-05:00

Here's my new kitchen!
Here's my new livingroom! (It still needs a bit of furniture)

Greg moves in tomorrow! Yay!

Goodbye.

2006-07-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

Everything I own is piled up in a corner of the livingroom. The other corners are filled with my roommates' things. Today is a sad day.

Rob Zombie is rockin'

2006-07-13T08:10:00.000-05:00

In the last week or so, two job possibilities have come up. By this time next week, I will (hopefully) have decided and be in the process of finding a place to live. Wish me luck.

Sudoku

2006-07-08T12:41:00.000-05:00

Damn you, Emily and Rachel. Now I'm addicted.

Weekend at the cabin

2006-06-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

Went to Wisconsin to camp out at Grammy's cabin. Had lots of fun, but it didn't end up being relaxing like I hoped it would be. Still, enjoyed wiffle ball, night swimming, and hanging out. Plus, the drive is pretty (even when you get slightly lost).

We'll all float on any way

2006-06-23T19:10:00.000-05:00

Some things went well, some things were a bust, some things were meh. Better luck next week.

We'll all float on okay

2006-06-19T10:11:00.000-05:00

Three quizes, two tests, and two interviews to do this week.
Plus, Kristin might have to move immediately.

I'm a filmmaker

2006-06-15T17:47:00.000-05:00

Cereal box cameras are cool.

A Day In Kalona

2006-06-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Is this the town?

Cars are evil.

After a couple antiques stores, there's not much to do.

So we got taco pizza.

The Amish sure do raise big roosters.

Pizza, margaritas, sangria, and beer

2006-06-12T11:36:00.000-05:00

I had a good birthday. Didn't quite make it to midnight on Satuday, but had a great time. Greg came into town and we saw The Omen. Creepy. My friends are awesome.

Homemade sangria

2006-06-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

The Ice Cube Tray game may be more fun the longer you play, but it's also a lot harder than you think.

My week

2006-06-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

CB. Littlesistergraduated party and lots of family. Hot Shops. Animal Shelter. Dinner with friends. Super awesome experiment with diet coke and mentos. Delicious Indian food. Western Heritage Museum. Homework. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Beach bumming. Work. Tennis. Keys locked in car, meeting a nice friend to take us home.

Loose Change

2006-05-28T08:31:00.000-05:00

Loose Change 2

This is an hour-long documentary, so watch it when you have some time. It makes some convincing and scary points about how 9/11 is not what the goverment has told us.

Bob Dylan speaks the truth.

2006-05-27T10:41:00.000-05:00

One person moves out, another moves in, another goes away, another stays, another goes away, another goes away. The times they are a-changin'.

First hot day of summer

2006-05-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to ride a motorcycle. Yesterday was the closest I've gotten to a ride when I got to drive a stranger's scooter. I rode down the sidewalk, turned to get onto the street, then hit the curb and crashed. Maybe I shouldn't ride a motorcycle.

Who needs the book library?

2006-05-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

The bike library is the best idea ever. All you have to do is put down a deposit (how much depends on the quality of the bike) and you get to keep a bike for 6 months before returning it to get your full deposit back. Now I can zip around Iowa City on a hot, brown ten-speed, which is way better than walking and way cheaper than driving. For instance, instead of getting sweaty and tired walking to a friend's apartment today, I was able to quickly ride over to borrow her copy of the Da Vinci Code which I have to try to read by 7:30pm tomorrow when I go see the movie (a difficult task considering I have 14 hours of work between now and then).

Goals for the summer:

2006-05-19T16:42:00.000-05:00

1. Find a job.
2. Find a place to live.
3. Have fun.
4. Make money for #2 and #3.

Working on the fourth goal has somewhat hindered the third, though the driving experiment I participated in today was interesting, and I got paid for it. Also, finding a job sucks. I don't like it.

Time to look for a job.

2006-05-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

I'd just like to say...

2006-05-07T19:09:00.000-05:00

bleh.

How much will change?

2006-05-04T19:09:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm done with classes. I skipped my last class, so I think that's a pretty good end to my undergraduate college career.

Got a call from my aunt's friend in Chicago yesterday, which is encouraging. What if my values clash with that of the Catholic organization, though?

My film is in New York right now, which is a problem since the project is due on Monday. If the film doesn't turn out, I'm going to come up with a magnificent symbolic piece. I'm thinking a dress made of film stock or simply throwing the projector through the screen. Maybe both?

Happy May Day

2006-05-01T10:57:00.000-05:00

Me mum came up for the weekend. She treated me to dinner and lunch and I went out for a beer with her and my elementary school teachers. How many people can say they've done that?

The house I worked overnight at on Saturday has this creepy cat that's really fat, has a meow that sounds mechanical, eyes that are too big, and pupils that engulf the iris so the entire eye is black. It's scary when he comes up to me out of the dark.

I hope this immigration protest works today.

Movies I watched in the last few days: MirrorMask (per Andrew's insistance that it's "fucking awesome") and Kids (a slightly depressing, hopefully exaggerated film for Human Sexuality extra credit).

Ever feel like a crumpled up bicycle?

Production stills

2006-04-27T14:40:00.001-05:00

From my film, "The Invasion," currently in editing.

It starts out with the peaceful green parsley monsters living happily.

But the purple onion monsters are selfish.

...And mean!

The end will have to remain a mystery because I have no pictures of it. But here is a behind-the-scenes picture for the bonus dvd.

Lovely weather for ducks/camping

2006-04-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

We went to Jolly Roger to tent camp last night. A pretty nice park by the lake. Fun was had grilling, searching for firewood, roasting marshmallows, and sitting around the fire. My favorite part of the night was when the ranger drove up, shining his headlights on the many empty beer cans, and asked, "Are you guys drinking?" And of course we reply, "Uh... no."

Post-college plans

2006-04-21T16:09:00.000-05:00

I think I'll transport Mexicans across the boarder for a living.

And it keeps on going

2006-04-17T23:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I survived the weekend.
The tornado on Thursday was really scary, especially the aftermath and realizing what had just happened. The streets dark, debris everywhere, huge trees fallen in the street on cars in yards on houses into houses, people all over walking around in shock, zombie-like, sirens and flashing police lights. I'll have that surreal image in my head forever. Kristin posted good pictures. Fortunately, we didn't experience any real damage and everyone is safe.
Friday I went to Minneapolis with the family. Easter weekend was playing lots of outdoor games (frisbee, disc golf, bocce ball, etc.), playing with kitties, seeing the Globetrotters (during which I fell asleep), shopping for sister's prom dress, and hanging out.
Then a long drive.
Now I'm back in IC and back to school.
There's lots to be done in a few short weeks.

I'm expecting to lose my mind soon.

2006-04-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

Production has begun on my stop-motion animation. I will be in my room for the rest of the semester.

My raves about Cake and Slither

2006-04-10T08:49:00.000-05:00

Cake was a super sweet show. John McCrea comes off as pompous, but in a way that is justified by his intelligence. This is part of what makes Cake who they are, after all. If I could discuss philosophy eloquently, I would want to have a beer with Mr. McCrea. I would also like to ogle the bass player because Cake bass rocks.
---------
Slither. I seriously loved this movie. A giant slug thing comes to Earth and has slug babies that turn people into zombies. The script is well-written to be crap. The lead actors look like Naomi Watts and Jason Bateman, but they are not. And there is so much campy symbolism, like the zombies becoming one with the slug thing in a giant orgy. It was awesome. Two of the six people in the theater left half-way through, but what do they know?

The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2006-04-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

A good fantasy film. I recommend it for kids with a long attention span and adults who read the book when they were kids (or as my friend at the video store suggested, for anyone smoking a bowl). The visuals are very cool; the end credits go for 15 minutes listing costume designers, makeup artists, modellers, assistant modellers, sculpters, latex formulators, first level painters, second level painters, carpenters, etc., etc. As a trained feminist though, I glared at the message that women are caregivers while men are brave heroes.

Par 392

2006-04-04T17:01:00.000-05:00

Enjoyed the nice weather today and played some disc golf/hiked through the woods. Disc golf is one of those sports that seem so ridiculous, but are so much fun. Lawn bowling is another. I don't know why it's so enjoyable to roll a lopsided ball, but it is.

You're cute

2006-04-03T11:19:00.000-05:00

What defines "attractive"?

Kill Fuck Marry

2006-04-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin

I pick
kill: Dolly Parton
fuck: Jane Fonda
marry: Lily Tomlin

Rice pudding is love.

2006-03-29T23:05:00.000-06:00

I want to eat it every day for the rest of my life.

Testosterone is stupid.

2006-03-28T21:53:00.000-06:00

Why is it that I, as a female, take a lot of precautions to avoid rape and assault, but males hardly even give the topic a thought?

Nature vs. Medicine

2006-03-26T22:46:00.000-06:00

The other day in class we had a panel of three women and one man who were advocating for natural and in-home births, saying that giving birth in one's own home eliminates the impersonal, stressful environment of a hospital and allows the child and mother to be in a comfortable, loving environment. In a hospital, the baby is taken from the mother immediately after birth for a check up and supplements which, the panel claimed, are not necessary for a process nature has already perfected.
I was able to see the viewpoint of these people, but I still think they are really kinda crazy. If I were giving birth, I would not want to risk avoidable health problems, I would not want to squat in a bathtub for hours and hours, I would not want to go through excruciating pain which is not necessary, and I would NOT want to eat my placenta.

What do you think?

Cat Stevens makes me want to play the banjo

2006-03-25T19:49:00.000-06:00

Friday night out with Andrew included Laura's art exhibit with nice dog paintings, breaking into the bird museum, reading pompous magazines at Prairie Lights, watching an award-winning short film, and seeing (for free) Darwin's Nightmare which makes me want to send all the food in the fridge to Africa. The evening was capped off with a game of Oh Hell, which I swear I would have won if it wasn't for Iowa rules.
Now, after a day of sitting around at work and sitting around at home, I must try to be productive (until it's time to watch a movie).

Good news: my aunt is helping me look for jobs in Chicago. I'm actually getting excited.

Cross-dressing experiment

2006-03-22T19:58:00.000-06:00

Tonight, as part of a class assignment, I went to the mall dressed as a boy. Or at least as much like a boy as I could manage (it may have come out looking like a 16 year old girl who idolizes Avril Lavigne) (or a freak). Walking around the mall, I tried to check out girls and walk like a boy as per Greg's instruction. I was disappointed when people barely noticed. Then Greg and I decided to see what would happen if we held hands. Wow. Suddenly people were staring... a lot. I don't know if we looked like a gay couple or siblings that are too close, but apparently we were not appropriate. So the lesson is, society can only handle so much deviance.

We also saw this and had to get the car washed.

KERMK's Caribbean Vacation

2006-03-19T13:24:00.000-06:00

Here are just a few photos of the fun had over break.

Spring Break!!!

2006-03-09T13:56:00.000-06:00

I know I've talked about it too much already, but I'd just like to say...

SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!

Sooo close

2006-03-07T11:05:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting in the library with this laptop, my notes and The Hot Guide to Safer Sex book strewn about the table, attempting to write a paper, but all I can think is, Half done with midterms, two days till spring break!

Hear my motor power

2006-03-03T20:36:00.000-06:00

I get to see Cake! They are the band for this year's 10,000 Hours show. The first year was Ben Folds (a freakin awesome show), last year was Guster (didn't care enough to go), and this year the concert is in Des Moines so all can participate. So everyone should come see Cake because they rock.

Also, flipbooks are fun. My creation.

Talkin bout my generation

2006-02-27T20:57:00.000-06:00

This afternoon I interviewed a 74 year old man for Basic Aspects of Aging class. Afterward, I felt horrible about my generation. He had a lot to say about people today; he said young people are greedy and selfish, they want instant gratification, they are disrespectful (specifically, they liter and use "private property as a public restroom"), and they have a poor work ethic. I mentioned that we aren't all like that, but I couldn't really argue because he's right. Unfortunately, his negative perspective is magnified by his window which looks out onto a downtown ally way.

So, despite any signs that I might be part of the younger generation, I've decided that I'm an old lady. Here's why:

1. Knitting. I like to knit; old ladies like to knit. That's what old ladies do with their spare time. They knit scarves, hats, socks, sweaters, anything knittable. Likewise, I've knitted several scarves and potholders.

2. Just like old ladies, I walk around hunched over with one hand on my hip, complaining about back pains. When getting up from the couch, I groan and curse about being stiff.

3. I go to the same places that old ladies do, such as the fabric store and the recycling center. Seriously, every time I got to the recycling center, there's at least one (other) old lady there.

4. I wear blankets around my shoulders like shawls and if I had a shawl, I would wear it.
Note: This point may have more to do with the fact that our house is very cold than my being an old lady, but the correlation is present.

5. I was born on June 11, 1925.

Good times.

2006-02-26T22:54:00.000-06:00

CB for the weekend. Hung out with the family, watched some Creature Comforts, ate some good food, saw people, and, I know I'm spoiled, superficial, and girly, but I got lots of new and borrowed clothes and it makes me very excited.

Things That Make Me Happy: Part I

2006-02-23T15:06:00.000-06:00

~ stepping on the little ice ledges that form along the edges of sidewalks and streets when the snow melts

~ melting snow

~ honey sandwiches

~ weekends starting on Thursday

~ recipes from strangers

~ going shopping for summer clothes even though I don't have money

~ ponies

yay!

2006-02-22T15:51:00.000-06:00

17 days, 1 hour, 8 minutes :)

What the hell?

2006-02-20T22:40:00.000-06:00

Sometimes in life, there are little quirks that just kind of make you go, "What the hell?" One of those quirks is automatic-flush toilets.

Most of the time they do not flush when they are supposed to. Usually, the problem is a forgetful toilet. These lazy ones, which I find most often at rest stops, do nothing at all when you get up. When this happens, you can either try to fake out the bathroom appliance (as Ellen suggests) or you can effectively press the little button put there through realization of inevitable automatic-flush failure -- which begs the question, Doesn't the button self-defeat the purpose of automaticity?

The reverse problem is also an issue, particularly, I have found, in the restrooms on the third floor of the library. Quite randomly and without warning, a toilet will decide I am done before I have made the decision for myself. Three times in one 50 second sitting the toilet flushed, startling me to my feet. The flushes are so random that I have questioned whether there is a person sitting in a surveillance booth laughing at me while pressing the detonator (but wouldn't that lose its amusement after a while?). On the positive side, I suppose overly-anxious porcelain may speed up the occupant and shorten the line to the bathroom.

On a related note, I would like to make a short bitch about the "self-absorbed" automatic paper towel dispenser at the House of Aromas. As I waved my wet hands around, the little sensor of the towel allotter ignored my presence. Then, as I walked away in defeat, (no joke), I heard "bzzzz.... hahahaha sucka!"

I am Melissa Ray

2006-02-18T21:57:00.000-06:00

Raspberry Parfait
or Alcoholic Ice Cream

3-4 scoops vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup red raspberry wine

Stir ice cream and wine together until smooth.
Pour into pretty bowl. Serve immediately.
Serves 1.

Awww...

2006-02-16T15:24:00.000-06:00

So I was walking home from class, when I crossed paths with this little black puppy with a big white snow beard. Hehehehe!

The name of the game is Procrastination.

2006-02-15T23:11:00.000-06:00

Tonight Stewart and I played Risk and I got my ass beat. But, in my defense, it was my first time playing and I think I could have held Australia.
Besides Risk, here's another good way to procrastinate studying.

Busy busy work

2006-02-13T23:07:00.000-06:00

Ack. Sudden decision to fill out UIC application = lots of crap to print off, fill out, essay about, and request = pain in the ass.

Puking is no fun

2006-02-12T18:42:00.000-06:00

Saw Pink Panther today. Steve Martin's accent is hilarious. My favorite part of the movie is when the street stand explodes.

Rachel and I watched some of the luge in the olympics. That shit is scary as hell. I saw a luge track in Salt Lake City, and it looks just as unsafe in person as it does on tv. I'll bet that the reason some of the tv cameras miss their cue is because the cameramen decide they don't want to risk being decapitated by a sled flying off the track at 90 mph. I wonder how many people have died while luging.
(Is "luging" the correct terminology?)

You'll never guess...

2006-02-09T15:05:00.000-06:00

What's big, yellow, and eats rocks?

A big, yellow rock-eater!

A charmed life

2006-02-07T23:09:00.000-06:00

13 percent of people in the U.S. live in poverty. For children, the number is 17 percent. And poverty doesn't just mean living uncomfortably. In 2003, a family of three would be considered below the poverty line if they made less than $15,260 in one year. Think about a mother with two children who has to pay for rent, transportation, food, childcare, clothing, healthcare. If a family is below the poverty line, they may possibly qualify for Head Start, Food Stamps, the National School Lunch Program, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. If a household makes $15,261, they do not qualify. Of the 17 percent of children growing up in poverty, how many get help? How many are able to break the cycle? How many are abused by their stressed out parents who cannot even get help for themselves?
This is what makes me want to be a social worker.
I just don't know if I could handle it.

U.S. Census.

How many dips can you make?

2006-02-06T00:37:00.000-06:00

Bleh. Too much Superbowl junk food. But Mario projected onto a big screen is awesome. I heart Rachel. It's true.

Blueberry tea is delicious.

2006-02-04T23:12:00.000-06:00

Friday night was the Madcat Women's International Film Festival. There were some hilarious and creative animations including a stop-motion short about a transsexual grasshopper and another about a crazy wheelie-footed pope. Later in the night there was Harold and Maude on a giant screen. I love that movie, especially when it's half the size of the livingroom. I want to be Maude.

Thanksgiving in February

2006-02-01T15:29:00.000-06:00

Today Greg and I went to Czech Village in Cedar Rapids. We ate at the Czech restaurant and had delicious pastries from the bakery shown in the reflection of this window. I think the lady is a magic fortune-telling queen.

Then we drank a Thanksgiving meal with these Jones sodas flavored: Smoked Salmon Paté, Broccoli Casserole, Turkey and Gravy, Corn on the Cob, and Pecan Pie.

Wow, they were disgusting. The salmon paté literally made me gag. Of course, being a vegetarian, I might not be the best judge. Nonetheless, I think I'll stick to chewing my food.

Once upon a time...

2006-01-31T00:01:00.000-06:00

I think I'll start a blog.
Right now I'm listening to the Indigo Girls and thinking about my sexual development (for a Human Sexuality paper) which has somehow led to the ominous question about where my life is going. I wonder if all graduating students feel this confused. Tell me -- what do I do now?