Here's a little meme, if you will, that my friend Anne sent me. I sent it back to her with my answers and later thought, "hey, I'm supposed to be working on my dissertation, but I think I'll post that e-mail on my blog." So here goes.

Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends
1) Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate baby!
2) Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa enjoys wrapping presents. Santa even used to wrap presents for herself from Santa at a young age (though post-believing in Santa age).
3) Colored or white lights on tree/house? White lights only. After all, I'm from New England.
4) Do you hang mistletoe? Some day I will, when I have $40 to spend on a kissing ball.
5) When do you put your decorations up? We bought our first ever Shea-Guillorn Christmas tree Sunday!
6) What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I eat only dessert at the holidays, so I really don't know how to answer...
7) Favorite holiday memory as a child: We were decorating our tree for the year, and the tree-topping angel my parents had since they were married was getting really delapidated. I think her head fell off. But we couldn't find a new angel anywhere that was nice, and we are pro-angel, anti-star. My Mom worked as a service rep for Verizon (then New England Telephone). She was the person you would call if you had problems with your home phone. So a lot of people called her really when they were furious. This one guy called her, and was angry at her for his phone being out of service. Then she fixed everything for him. He came into the office the following day to bring something to her because she was so nice to him,and to apologize for being mean at first. The people at work joked that he brought her a bomb -- he was that bad. When she opened the gift it was a Christmas angel -- a very beautiful Christmas angel. And the angel has been at the top of their tree ever since.
8) When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My parents told me in a mall (the South Shore Plaza) because when I was eight, I asked. They thought I already knew. But I didn't. And I cried.
9) Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes! One gift! When I was younger, I would look across the street and smile pleasantly at my friend Siggy's house, knowing that she was opening her presents on Christmas Eve (a German tradition). I never wanted to open mine on Christmas Eve, but it was a nice thought before going to bed.
10) How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? With all kinds of Christmas ornaments. I especially like one's that were gifts from people because they have more meaning.
11) Snow! Love it or dread it? On Christmas I love it!
12) Can you ice skate? I used to be pretty good. Now I'm sure I would be a disaster.
13) Do you remember your favorite gift? My bunny, Black Beauty.
14) What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending time with family.
15) What is your favorite holiday dessert? Assortments of cookies.
16) What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to my aunt and uncle's for Christmas Eve dinner.
17) What tops your tree? We don't have a treetopper...yet...
18) Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Oh come on. Everyone likes both.
19) What is your favorite Christmas song? Either"God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" by anyone or "BlueChristmas" by Elvis.
20) Candy canes! Yuck or yum? Yum!

A Friday Five for Friday!

Too much of the bickering
1. Last person you told to shut up:
OK, I'm pretty sure that would be Mike, probably when he was teasing me last night.

2. Do you drink wine?
If I could, I would drink wine all the time. I simply find it delectable. Especially in red. But most of the time, I drink water, cranberry juice, orange juice, and tea, because it is so much more affordable.

3. Ever fly on a plane?
Yes. Indeed. Very much so. I flew on one last month -- going to Chicago, city of a bad transit system.

4. Do you yell at your friends?
No.

5. What have you quit?
I've quit eating dessert everyday. I've quit caffeine -- that was probably the biggest challenge, and I quit it cold, because I had to.

6. What things does bicker rhyme with?
Wicker
Sticker
Flicker
Nose-Picker
Ticker
Kicker
Licker
Knicker
Quicker
Snicker
Tricker

There is nothing like a week without travel. And damnit, that will be next week. I'm looking forward to remaining at home, actually working on my dissertation, finishing painting the living room, and maybe actually getting back to walking dogs at the dog shelter. I didn't mention the gym and my attachment to Law & Order SVU while on an orbiter, but that's definitely in the mix too.

This weekend Mike and I began to paint the trim in the living room. Last weekend we painted the walls. I can't tell you how relieved I feel now that the living room is painted. It was absolutely disgusting before -- marks on the walls, gum! on the walls -- just gross. And now, despite the fact that we hate the walls, it's shaping up to actually be something not ugly. With a few tasteful Christmas decorations, it might even have rustic farmhouse charm. We'll see.

I also believe that a trip to Danbury to go to Trader Joe's is in my future. There is just nothing like food shopping at Trader Joe's in Connecticut. The price is unbeatable, and yes, I definitely think it's worth it to travel all that way even though gas prices are expensive. Incidentally, that is one thing I'm definitely enjoying about the Civic. It costs me $25 to fill up the tank, and that's NY prices!!! I feel like I save money every time I travel because the Camry cost between $40 and $50 and had to be filled up more often. Ahhh...the joy of little cars.

Wait while I twist your fate
1. What is your nearest lake or river?
The Croton reservoir -- I'm assuming that counts; it's off the Hudson, and it provides water for New York City.
2. Do you believe in heaven?
Yes. But I don't believe that one conception of heaven is true above all others.
3. What's your lucky number?
nueve
4. Ever know anyone who appeared on a game show?
I feel like I did. But I think I'm making that up. I always wanted to be on Family Feud with my grandma.
5. Charades: good times or lame?
Depends on who you are playing with, and whether or not you are successful at getting people to guess "Karl Rove."

Chicago again??

That is where I'm headed tomorrow. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, both the conferences I attend are in Chicago this year. Why? Probably because it's a good central place for people to get to in the U.S. I certainly don't mind going...it's a lot better than other conference places, but I'd like to separate the going by a year or so at least. Oh well. The next one is in New Orleans. Yippeee! In August! Boooooo!

I'll return this Sunday to NYC, and I'm going to try to stay in the city until Mike's gig at 9p.m. What I will do wandering around the city on a Sunday with my suitcase in tow is beyond me. But I'm sure I'll find something fun. Perhaps I will begin the Christmas shopping. It's got to start sometime...right?

This past weekend I went up to Western MA to Double Edge Theatre to see their new production. I'm really excited about it because a lot of the imagery fits in so nicely with my dissertation topic. Speaking of dissertation topic -- I wrote my first two pages of my dissertation today. You may not realize this, but it is a very big step to go from reading to writing. I didn't realize it until I got into that in between reading and writing period. It's awfully strange. Perhaps the many writings on liminality have actually stemmed from the author's own feeling of in-betweenness when writing.

Finally, I should mention that, as many of you have guessed, I am simply ecstatic about the elections! I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted...so great a weight that I am willing to change the name of this blog. But I have yet to figure out what to change it to. If anybody is actually reading out there, I will take your suggestions now...

I voted!

Guess who is the owner of a brand new Honda Civic LX? That's right. Mike and I purchased the car last weekend, and I've already taken it on its first trip to Ithaca. One would think I would be really excited about this, but I'm only sort of excited. I was a little disappointed that the Camry didn't last 200,000 miles (it was becoming far more expensive to repair it as opposed to buying a new car). So anyway, I'm getting over that disappointment and moving onto new car excitement. It's really fun to drive a car that has a digital speedometer, a radio that works well, and cupholders that hold cups bigger than soda cans. I will also be fun *knock on wood* not to have to pay for repairs for awhile!!!!!!!

In the spirit of owning a new car, I will do a Friday Five about Halloween.

Scary Spice

1. What's your favorite candy:
I'm going to assume that they mean cheap candy here, and not Godiva Chocolate. In that case, I think I would have to go for Kit Kats. There is something just so delectable about eating the chocolate off the sides and then eating them. I also enjoy Milky Ways, 100 Grand, Peppermint Patties and of course, the classic M&M's. Just the other day I was craving my favorite of all -- the Cadbury Cream Egg. But that's not so much a Halloween candy, unfortunately.

2. What's the best scary movie?
The scariest movie is The Ring. Oh, I get chills just thinking about it.

3. Do you like to be alone at home?
Sure. I prefer to be with people most of the time though.

4. Pumpkin pie: eat it or throw it?
EAT.

5. The most distasteful Halloween costume you can think of:
Sorority girls often dress up as things just to look slutty. Some guys in the theater department at Cornell decided to make fun of them by dressing up like a sorority girl dressing up as something slutty. That was pretty funny.

I notice now that the Friday Fiver made an error in its title, as I doubt "its" is meant to be possessive in this case. So I looked on livejournal to see if anyone commented on this in their response. No one did. But what's really sad is that most people listed their favorite hangout as home. And it made me think. We all need to get off our asses and socialize more.

Its all local

1. The time:
10:19 P.M. E.S.T. It is also the time I finished a first draft of program notes for the Little Women production at Cornell. Now I must attempt to cut them down. But I'm giving myself a few moments to blog first.

2. The weather:
Cold. It is supposed to get down to 42 tonight. We turned on the heat in the house for the first time this weekend, and so far we have been pleased. I'm sure we will be less pleased when we have to call the oil company again.

3. The big news story:
There are so many. Foley. Gas prices are rising. There was an earthquake in Hawaii. Oh, and locally, which I guess is what this Friday five is supposed to be about, John Hall, democratic candidate for congress in my district, and also reknowned singer/songwriter (remember "Detachable Penis?" - that was him), is closing in against Republican Sue Kelly. I was going to write "Evil Republican" Sue Kelly, but I figured that would be redundant. Oddly enough, the only Republicans I find myself slightly respecting nowadays are Arlen Specter and Colin Powell. If you think about it, it's easy for the dems to criticize the current administration, but not as easy for the GOP (why, I don't know). At least those two are doing it.

4. Your favorite hangout:
Sadly, my only hangout right now is in front of this computer. Maybe I need to start going to bars or something. Maybe then I'll write my dissertation...somehow. Actually, if one's favorite hangout could be a town, mine would be Cold Spring. Mike and I made our second visit there this past weekend and we took my parents out to breakfast at the delicious Foundry. mmmmm. mmmmm. good.

5. The must-have accessory:
Currently, it's a tissue, because unfortunately I have a cold. The good thing is that the cold is at its end, not at its beginning. This is also good because I can finally return to the gym so that I can turn that fat that used to be muscle two weeks ago back into muscle. I always wonder how it changes to fat so easily, but it takes so much time to get it back to being muscle. Unless, of course, you take steroids, which I'm just not up for.

But I suppose, since I'm in Westchester, the must-have accessory is a Mercedes, a BMW, or a Lexus, all three of which I'm also just not up for.

And the inventive number 6:
6. The current project:
Other than program notes and disseration chapter one, there is the never ending project of the house. We finished painting the paneling in the dining room last week, which took a Herculean effort considerin that we were sick. Next stop, I think, is to paint the disgusting walls in the living room in the hopes that they look somewhat better when they are done.

Sometimes blogger doesn't like to publish my posts. Let's try again on the one from Friday...

Mush

1) Name one of your bad habits:
I pick my nails. The only time I don't pick my nails is when I'm not working on my research. I work on my research often.

2) What do you expect from friends?
Trust.

3) What is the last thing you wrote down?
I assume this means on paper. This morning I looked up appliances in Consumer Reports and wrote down the top one's. I especially took care to write down fridges. I never knew this before, but there are many choices for refrigerators out there and it's tough to pick. Of course, I'm hoping that we don't have to buy a fridge any time soon...but with the fridge we currently have, you just never know.

4) What is the last favor you did for someone else?
I don't think favors for Mike count, and I can only remember the favors I've asked other people to do. Does that mean I'm a selfish bitch?

5) What is your favorite TV show?
I don't have TV. But when I go to the gym, I always go immediately to Law & Order...preferably Law & Order SVU. I need to start arriving at the gym exactly at 8...

Remember those days when I made up questions. Well guess what, they're back.

6) What does the title of this Fridav Five make you think of?
An old lady whispering "hush"...

I have a paper to write, and you know how I like to procrastinate. So how about a Friday Five?

Just the facts ma'am

1. Where were you last night?
I was at Cafe Nine in New Have at a Lys Guillorn gig. New Haven, incidentally, is about two hours away from our house.

2. Did you speak with anyone?
Other than Lys, Ryan, Matt, and Mike, I spoke to a guy from Italy named Antonio. It is really difficult to carry on a conversation with someone who has to work to say things in English during a gig. And as for my Italian, it's nonexistent. But I did find out that Italians not only despise Americans because of Bush, but also because they eat at McDonald's when they go to Italy. Honestly. McDonald's. When you're in Italy? England I could see, but Italy??? I don't even go to McDonald's here. I ate enough of those fries in my life to fear for the effects trans fatty acids have on my body. BTW, did you hear that NY is going to ban trans fats? Bring it on!

3. What were you wearing?
I was wearing some jeans, and a white tank top under green sweater that has a rip in the sleeve -- but the rip is easily hidden. I was cold.

4. What did you eat or drink?
MODERN APIZZA! I can't get enough of that stuff. I just had water to drink.

5. Can anyone verify your whereabouts from midnight to 5am?
Well, Mike was asleep in the car driving back. He actually went to work for an hour when we returned, so I guess no one can verify that I was in bed from 1-2:30 a.m. But Mike came home at 2:30, so from 2:30 to 5:00, it can be assumed that we were in bed together. Of course, we were both asleep aside from the normal tossing and turning, so I guess no one can verify that I was there.

I've been doing too much driving/traveling in the past few weeks. First I took a trip to Ithaca and back. Then I went to Ashfield, MA and back. Before that, as you know, Mike and I went to Boston and back. I've got to stay home for awhile now (1) because I have a paper to finish by October 1st (a date that seems to be looming ever closer, and (2) my hip/back can't seem to take all this time in a car (luckily, I'm going to the chiropractor today). While in Ashfield, I stayed at Double Edge Theatre -- on a farm and got to spend some time with Matt. Unfortunately, the theatre's septic system can't handle the current number of people on the farm, so the toilets are off-limits. Porta-potties are the way to go. And of course, I had to pee at 3 in the morning on the coldest night this year so far. But really, I thought about the fact that people used to have to go outside for this type of thing all the time. And I doubt out-houses were nearly as nice or clean as porta-potties. So I managed.
I also visited Mount Holyoke to do research for the play I'm directing in January/February. I have to say that the campus of Mount Holyoke is just beautiful. And it was really interesting to talk to students at an all women's school about their experience. Of course, with the 5 college exchange, men can take classes at the school, but it seems that at most a woman would have 1 class with men in it per semester. There definitely seems to be a different dynamic to an all women's school. I'm not sure I could have gone for it, personally, but I wouldn't mind teaching at one. In fact, as I was exploring the better part of Western MA during my drive, I thought to myself...this wouldn't be a bad place to live. The colonial houses look so lovely against the tree colors. Perhaps I was overwhelmed by the autumness of it all. When I returned to NY, I started craving apple pie. And it doesn't help that there is a farm in back of my house with a shop that makes fresh apple pie. But somehow I resisted...

Aye. Well, I haven't blogged in awhile. But it's the day before my birthday and I'm waiting for the fire department to arrive, so I figure now is a good time. Why is the fire dept coming, you may ask? Because my car is leaking gas...again. It leaked gas on Wednesday and the fire department came to verify that it was OK to tow. It was towed to an auto center and they looked at it, said it wasn't leaking gas, and then sent it back home with me. Now, it is leaking gas again. And AAA requires that the fire dept. check out the car to make sure that it can be towed. So now the fire dept. knows me.

In other news, I've been volunteering at the animal shelter...meeting lots of other people who care about animals and dogs. It's a nice thing to do while dissertating, because it gets me outside, walking dogs, hanging out with people, etc. Dissertating kind of lacks human contact. And I have been dissertating lately, so that's good too.

Other than that, there isn't much going on. My roommate from college, Carolyn, got married in Boston this past weekend, so we took a trip up. We had dinner at Tapeo on Newbury Street with the Myers' parents (Chris was helping his girlfriend move and Andrew is in Atlanta doing something for A&E). We also had dinner at an Afghani place in Cambridge named Helmand. I highly recommend that if you haven't gone. Barbara Shea claimed it was some of the best lamb she's ever tasted.

More later...

Kick off your Sunday Shoes

1. Do you work hard or do you take the easy way out?
I work hard...perhaps too hard...when I work. Then I go through periods of not working at all. Right now I'm about to enter a period of super-work, where I need to get a lot done. So why am I blogging? Procrastination.

2. How's your day going?
So far it's going fine. Thanks.

3. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
It's more than 15 but less than 20. But you have to keep in mind that some people throw shoes out. I think I still have all my shoes from college.

4. Do you consider yourself cool?
Fuck yeah.

5. What's the last song you listened to?
Something on Hot 97 I think. I love Hot 97 because it has so many fantastic female dj's. I've never heard so many female voices on commercial radio before! Why don't those other stations take note?

Last in Line
1. What is the last thing you ate without regret?
This is a weird question. I just had some yogurt, and I certainly don't regret eating it. Shouldn't the question be "what is the last thing you ate that you regret?" Surely, I hope, most people eat things that they do not regret most of the time. So I'll say the last thing I ate that I regret was a small bag of potato chips. I have to admit though, that the chips were after fasting for six hours to give some vials of blood for cholesterol tests and what not. After a luna bar, and an Odwalla, I decided I needed something more...substantive.

2. Who was the last person you talked to?
Mike...on the phone.

3. When was your last vacation?
Well, our last vacation was a trip to Massachusetts to stay at my parents house for a week. I think that was three years ago. We so badly need to get away...

4. When was your last hug and who did you receive it from?
That would be Mike as well...probably last night...as this morning he got up early and I didn't.

5. What is the last thing most people learn about you?
Well, I'm sure that different people in different situations learn different things last. I will say that in a situation with new "regular" people -- as opposed to people who might affect my carreer, I'm kinda shy and not so wild. I actually find that I stutter a little. But I don't actually stutter in real life...well, no more than normal. So I probably seem weird to people who just meet me...and my thinking this perpetuates my shyness, etc.

Shop-a-holic
1. What are your five favorite stores?
I'm going to go with favorite, and not necessarily shopped most (or at all).
1. Filene's Basement in Boston
2. J.Crew
3. Anthropologie
4. Banana Republic
5. Gap

2. Is there any store you absolutely hate going to?
The fucking Home Depot near us. Every time we look for something, they're out of it. It's a terrible Home Depot.

3. Do you pay with cash, credit, debit, or something else?
I pay with goats. Some live...some deceased.

4. Do you prefer to shop in person or online?
In person...and I can finally do it again now that I've moved to a place with stores.

5. In the last six months, what single purchase has been the most important to you?
OK, well clearly that would be the house. But if we're going with smaller purchases, I'd have to go with my white double impatients. Because of the rain, they're growing like crrrazy, and they are just my favorite annual, period.

I either smell like dog, dirt, or cat...or a combination of all three. This is what volunteering at the SPCA will get me. Right now I'm just weeding mostly, and doing a little cat socialization. I could be doing more cat socialization, but that's something that kids can do, and it seems to me that they need someone to weed even more. Thursday and Friday I will be taking classes in dog walking, which means things should pick up a little more. Of course, all this only makes me want to take home dogs more. I'm glad I have so much self control.

Last week I was in Chicago during the heat wave. I thought, hey, maybe I'll avoid the heat wave by going to Chicago....no such luck. First of all, I left on Tuesday, and so I dragged my suitcase around in NYC in 100 degree weather. Then, when I arrived in Chicago it was 98. I will say, though, that I enjoyed every breeze the windy city gave me, as NY gave me nada. My conference went fairly well...the most important part of it being my introduction to The Dog Whisperer, on tv of course. I guess the advantage to not having TV at home is that I can really look forward to the hour of it I get to watch at night when going to conferences. Mostly, I watch Law and Order...my conference roommate Meghan and I are particularly fond of SVU. But when L&O isn't on, we delight in doggy training. Most of the show I yell at the people on TV, while Meghan sits silently, thinking that I must be insane. Thankfully, the doggies are cute.

All major moves require new templates. But it wasn't until today that I found the template that works for my current state of mind. Enjoy.

I feel like I wrote a post and blogger lost it. I feel like I'm always starting out my posts this way. Maybe it's all in my head...

Since last I posted, Mike and I went to my cousin Julie's wedding in Ledyard, CT. We had a lovely time at the inn, and went to Mohegan Sun afterward. I gambled 25 cents and won 2 dollars, so that worked out well for me.

The next weekend was our anniversary. Mike and I separately hung out with friends in the city. I got to see Andrew, who flew in the weekend from San Antonio, and I have to say, he is jacked! When I explained this to Mike's sister, Lys, she dubbed him "Extreme Andrew." Extreme Andrew has inspired me to invest in a gym membership...especially since my running outside has slowed because of the heat. Oh the heat! Well, not now, now it's quite nice actually. Anyway, I feel I should also be doing some muscle build up, so that's the plan. After seeing friends, we retired at the Grand Hyatt, woke up, and got 1.5 hour couples' massages. After coming home from the city and taking another luxurious nap, we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a really nice way to spend the anniversary. :^)

This weekend we went into the city with Lys and her chico to see a Jens Leckman concert. Jens, in case you didn't know, is a Swedish pop star. His band consisted of 6 or 7 chics playing different instruments (except the bass player) and/or singing at various times. It was a great show...and well worth the traffic from the mudslide (ugh).

In case you didn't know, the weather in and around NYC has been rather rough lately. There was a tornado in Elmsford, NY, and part of the WC and part of the city have been without power for some time. Power may be restored now, I'm not certain...but I feel lucky that we were (a) not in the path of that tornado (b) not in the path of that mudslide (c) have power. The abundance of rain, however, has inspired me to purchase a new dehumidifier for the basement. I haven't purchased said humidifier yet...but it will happen soon..

The road less traveled

1. What don't you understand?
War...what the Republican party is doing right now...etc...people who vote for them...etc.

2. Name someone in your life with blue eyes:
Barbara Shea

3. When is a lie not really a lie?
When it's a white lie...concealing a surprise party, or something

4. When is the last time you got really dirty?
I actually was just working in the garden. I got pretty dirty. There's still dirt underneath my finger nails.

5. Are you a lefty or a righty?
I've always wanted to be ambidextrous. But I'm just a righty trying to use my left hand more.

1. Have you ever had an addiction?
I'm addicted to Pellegrino Limonata right now biaytch. Oh Limonata, I wish I could quit you!

2. Are you afraid of the dark?
I would say no. When I was in Poland, we rode our bicycles home in pitch dark. You couldn't even see what was in front of you...well, you could see your handlebars and that was it.

3. What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Coffee!

4. Have you ever been to the circus?
Yes, I remember going when I was little. Most recently I went to Cirque du Soleil, first in Boston, and then in Las Vegas.

5. What do you think of North Korea testing nuclear weapons?
Did W put them up to this?

So it was a lovely 4th. We had guests...Jeff and Kate from Tennessee came to visit with their dog Pico. We went into NYC and walked from Grand Central to Ground Zero, taking out some time to visit Chinatown. We had dinner and dessert in the village, and then returned home. According to Jeff's pedometer, we walked ten miles...good exercise on a day that was a little bit hotter than desired. On the actual 4th, Mike worked more on putting up paneling in the dining room, and I took care of the massive amount of paperwork that had been stacking up since our move.
This weekend we're going to my cousin Julie's wedding. It should be nice because we're staying at an old inn near Mystic CT. And after the wedding, a bunch of people are going to Mohegan Sun. Now, when Mike and I were in Vegas, we gambled a total of $10 together. So I don't expect much of that...but perhaps we will live vicariously through the other gamblers in the crowd.

Dude [16 Jun 2006|08:50am]

Name your favorite...

1. Candy: Godiva Chocolate -- milk chocolate, or strawberries dipped in milk chocolate. For cheap candy, I like M&M's, 100 Grand, Milky Way, Skittles and Starburst.

2. Cookie: Ginger!

3. Donut: Either a chocolate covered donut with sprinkles or a chocolate glazed donut.

4. Cold drink: Limeade.

5. Hot beverage: Oh, there's so many. I enjoy a delicious cup of mint cocoa, as well as a warming white hot mocha. For standards, I like Cafe au lait.

Here I am. I have not blogged for awhile, though I did try to. Blogger was down when I tried.

I've moved. I've cleaned. I've painted. I still have painting to do. The house is nice. It's high up because it's built on a hill, and I somewhat feel like I'm sleeping among the tops of trees. Of course, living in a wooded area comes with its downsides. Raccoons. It seems they attack our trashcans, and our trashcans only...throwing them into the middle of the road until they open and spew trash throughout the street. Raccoons. No me gusta.

We've also discovered that our oven doesn't really work, so we're on the quest for a new one. If you have any questions about electric ranges, I can probably answer them. Sorry folks, I know nothing about the gas ones as I live on a road without gas lines and have no desire to get a propane tank.

#1 house sold. #2 house ready to buy.

#1 car out of shop. #2 car in shop. Spending WAY too much money on fixing cars this month. Would have made a nice downpayment on a new Toyota/Subaru, but the problem was that the work was spread out on BOTH cars. And oh yeah...we're making a slightly large other purchase this month.

¡Viva Mexico!
1. Have you ever been to Mexico?
No. I almost went when I visited San Diego. Almost.

2. Do you know anyone who is currently in the military?
Not personally.

3. What is the last party you attended?
Does the end-of-the year grad dinner count? I feel it does. We also had a party in film class. The last drunken college party I attended was at Halloween.

4. What do you think about President Bush saying that the United States' National Anthem should only be sung in English?
Ay dios mio. Que idiota.

5. French fries or freedom fries?
French fries. Clearly.

The time to get a dog is nigh. I feel.

1. When is the last time you were broke?
That would be when I was at Kansas. I was not making much money at all. No. People making less than $10,000 a year should get some serious tax breaks man...even if they are single with no kids. I mean, come on!

2. What makes you lose focus?
When I have something with a deadline, and I'm worried about it not happening. That's basically all I can think about.

3. How tall are you?
Not tall enough to fit into pants apparently. 5'3"

4. Are you brave or cowardly?
Brave, bitch. But at the dentist I'm cowardly. Two shots of novacaine for me, uh huh.

5. What's in your pocket?
Tissues. Always tissues. And often gum wrappers.

Feel Good

1. Have you ever ridden a camel?
Not to my knowledge.

2. When you are outside, what does the horizon look like?
Trees, hills...If I look out my back yard, all I can see is a large hill with trees. If I look out the front, I have a view of several houses and hills in the distance.

3. Who is the last person to leave you a message?
My Dad left one on my cell phone, and my Mom left one at home.

4. How many hours did you sleep last night?
6.5 I was woken up this morning by someone wanting to log my land. I explained that I was moving.

5. Chocolate: take it or leave it?
Take it! I drove all over time the other night looking for a Cadbury Cream Egg. But it seems that everywhere is out. I might try again today. I just want one last egg before the Easter season goes away!!!

News: Mike and I found a house in Yorktown Heights NY! We're really excited about it. It's an old farmhouse with 3 acres. It's in the middle of this lovely country road. But it's only 8 miles from a train station into New York. It's definitely "us." We should be moving into it in May or June.

1. What's the weather like?
It's trying so hard to be Spring!

2. When is the last time you felt appreciated?
I guess I felt appreciated during rehearsal yesterday, and I tried to make my actors feel appreciated as well.

3. What is the last bad news you heard?
I forgot to go to a meeting tonight. That's not really hearing bad news. It's realizing you're stupid.

4. What is your favorite sad song?
"The Night" by Morphine

5. Tell us about something you're obsessed with:
Finding a pair of pants that actually fit correctly. It's too damn hard.

More news later...

Perfect

1. Name one of your flaws:
One! But I have so many!!! O.K., so I'm often too set in my own ways -- in routines that I learned at a younger age.

2. Have you ever won first place?
I remember winning first place at the car contest in middle school. Siggy and I spent a lot of time on that car. It wasw fun.

3. Who is the last person to make you smile?
Michael just did in the car.

4. Describe a time when you should have tried harder:
High school. Man, I just did not try at all for such a long time... I suppose I should have read some of the history books they assigned. Then again, who wants to read a history textbook???

5. What are you good at?
Sleeping. Theater stuff. Teaching. Writing. Drinking orange juice with calcium. Painting walls. Returning things I've purchased.

I found this Friday five difficult to answer, so I waited awhile to do it.

1. Which movie character is most like you?
Fabienne in PULP FICTION, except per my recent visit to the dentist, I need to brush my teeth more. Well, to be honest, my teeth are fine. It's my gums that are the issue.

2. Which TV character is most like you?
I don't watch all that much TV. I don't have cable, nor do I have a signal so this is a tough question to answer. What I do have is the entire season of Twin Peaks on videotape. So I'll say Donna from TWIN PEAKS, before she starts smoking.

3. Which literary character is most like you?
I just finished reading ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY, but I don't think I'm like any of David Sedaris's siblings or friends. I also just finished reading a bunch of plays for my exams. I'll say Lysistrata.

4. Which song describes you?
"Over" by Portishead

5. Which animal is most like you?
Are there instinctively passive agressive animals? A rabbit?

A.B.D. biaytch!

1. Who was your favorite all time teacher(s)?
Wow. This is not an easy question to answer. I liked Mrs. Bopp in kindergarten, Mr. Svenson in middle school, Mr. Bergman and Ms. Palmer in high school, Feinsod and Karter in college, and I think I'll stop there for now, because the list for grad school gets too long.

2. What did they teach?
Kindergarten, Geography, English, Biology, Theater & Theater

3. What is your best memory from that class?
Wearing a crown to school, turning in a 56 page paper (in middle school!), the million grammar assignments on different colored paper, "the table," and lots of things.

4. Did you ever have a crush on a teacher and if so who?
Not that I can remember. Maybe I had an elementary school crush on Mr. Finch who taught art.

5. What is the craziest/wildest/weirdest thing you (or someone you know) ever did at school?
There is way too much to talk about here. I'll just say: getting hit in the head with a ten foot dildo.

The Friday Five that I usually answer is all about the Oscar's this week. And guess what...I haven't seen any of the movies nominated. So there's no point in answering it. The other Friday Five that I usually find stupid, is stupid. So that solves that problem. I'm on the verge of starting my third exam question, which deals with gender and post-human subjectivity. I'm really looking forward to writing it. Though I am still procrastinating, as you can see from this post. Perhaps the fact that there is no Friday Five was a warning sign to get my keister in action. I think I'll do that. Ciao.

Cheney's Got a Gun

(First, I have to remark -- I love the title. I just heard that song on the radio a week and a half ago. How foretelling.)

1. Do you have good hand-eye coordination?
In some things, yes. In others, no. I was pretty good at video games "for a girl." And yes, I was told that once when I was playing some game at a BJ's with Andrew and Chris. As I was kicking some ass, some kid walked up and told me that. fool.

2. Have you ever held a gun?
I've held and shot a bb gun. I've also shot a stage gun. And I've done some skeet shooting too.

3. What do you think of toy guns?
I used to play with toy guns all the time when I was little. I'm not that screwed up from it. At least, I don't think I am. I still have an affinity for cap guns.

4. When is the last time you asked for forgiveness?
It's Cheney's last I.O.U.

Oh, I totally fucked up the lights one night when I was board op'ing the show. It was terrible. Luckily it was at the very end, and well, I screwed up the final black out. And you may think that's really bad, but it's really not as bad as screwing up the lights during a scene, which I've seen done and that's not a pretty sight. Coincidentally, it was after that show that I heard "Janie's got a gun" on the radio, and I have to say, it cheered me up quite a bit.

5. Your favorite Aerosmith song:
Oh, I'm a sucker for "Sweet Emotion." Don't make fun of me!

So, if you're wondering, I am in the middle of my A exams right now. I'm trying to decide whether to start Question #2 now and trust the hypnogogic state to get me through the worst part of the paper (the beginning is always the most difficult for me). Or do I start question #2 tomorrow morning, and give myself a few hours off (and a few hours sleep).

Weekend Update

1. Any plans to watch the Super Bowl?
Unfortunately, no. I had to light board operate during the Superbowl. Surprisingly, we had 64 people in the audience -- which isn't bad for a little black box show. I got scores over headset and during intermission. It sounded like a good game, and I'm sorry I missed the revelry. Though admittedly, I probably wouldn't have watched it anyway, with the ever A exams getting ever so closer.

2. Friday or Saturday: Which is a better date night?
They're both good. Because Friday you want to celebrate starting off the weekend, and then Saturday, you want to relax in the middle of it.

3. Do you do anything special on the weekends that you don't do during the week?
I get to see Mike! We work on the house.

4. Where do you get your news from?
NPR, BBC World News, Boston.com, and CNN.com I really should start reading the New York Times, since I'm a New Yorker.

5. Kevin, Norm, Colin, Jimmy, Tina or Amy?
Amy. I have no idea what this is referring to, and therefore I must be completely out of the loop.

School started this week. I'm TA'ing for International Film of the 1970's this time, so if you need a resource for 70's film after the semester is over, that resource is me. So far we've watched "Medium Cool" and "Easy Rider." I'm a little sad we won't be watching "The Godfather," but I guess I shouldn't be all that disappointed given I watched it twice over the break.

I've mostly been having meetings and not getting enough reading done. Today I begin fulfilling my crew requirement as part of the directing minor.

What I am to you is not real

1. Age?
28. Getting ever closer to the big 30.

2. Sex?
I'll avoid making the expected joke here, and just say "female."

3. Location?
Ithaca, NY. In awhile it will be a lot closer to NYC, which I'm happy about.

4. Single?
Nope. Though I have to say, when Mike's away, I'm a slob.

5. How long have you been doing the fridayfiver?
I've been doing the Friday Fiver ever since thefridayfive.org closed down. I have to admit: I enjoyed the Friday Five a lot more than the Friday Fiver. But I guess sometimes you just have to let things go.

Today I bowled at the department bowling/lunch/party. It was a lot of fun. At first, I didn't even know how to throw the ball. I kept telling people that I had only done candlepin bowling before. Most people looked at me like I was crazy. Candlepin bowling? What? Yes, they really didn't know what it was. So I played three games and first got a 42, then an 83, then a 94. I almost broke 100 on that last one!!! The good thing is (I guess) is that I won the department prize for lowest score. O.K., so perhaps it is a little embarrassing.

Next week school starts again, and my first two weeks are crazy hectic because we have search candidates coming, and I'm a light board operator for a show. And, of course, I still have to read!!! But I'm getting down to the books I'm much more familiar with now, so I don't feel as worried as I once was.

Here's a little Friday Five:
Tardy

1. Are you timely or always late?
A little of both. Sometimes I'm late to things. Like I'm always a little late leaving Ithaca for a family destination. But that's because I have so much to do before I leave! I just can't help it. But I'm ontime for things like class and meetings (*knock on wood*).

2. Do you wear a watch?
I did. I want to still, but I replaced the battery in September and the battery stopped working after two days. I don't know whether to go back to the same place -- if their batteries are bad, or what.

3. What is the most important event you have been late for?
My bridal shower. I wanted to do my nails before going to Sirro's for lunch (the alibi). I'm not really sure how late I was, but I was late.

4. What kind of system you have for keeping track of your bills?
Oh, a mad system involving different colors of highlighter for different months on the bank statement, and organized bill files. I love it.

5. What is your favorite time of day?
Most often it's night, but I could really go for a day on the beach in the Carribbean right now.

my life is fairly uneventful right now. Basically, I get up, I get dressed (or I just stay in my bathrobe and pajamas), and I read. I occasionally watch The Simpsons. I eat sometimes. But that's about it. Today, however, I'm going to the DMV to register (I hope) my 13 year old Toyota Camry with New York plates. Meanwhile, Mike is at his first day at IBM..

So here's a Friday Five for a little excitement.

Geico

1. Have you broken any New Year's resolutions yet?
No. Because I didn't make any. Ha!

2. Broken any bones?
Sometimes I have a suspicion that I broke my rib skiing last year. But other than that, I'm good.

3. When is the last time someone else broke your heart?
December 21.

Johnny Damon -- how could you? You could have gone to any other team. Sigh.

4. What is the most expensive item you've ever broken?
My previous computer broke because of an ice storm in Kansas -- but I guess I in particular didn't break that. Otherwise I'm not sure.

5. What phrase are your tired of hearing over and over again?
I've actually been watching so much Simpsons, I have to admit that I'm a little sick of hearing "The Simpsons" sung at the beginning of each episode. I think that part of the problem is that this little ditty is also at the beginning of each disc. And because my DVD player goes crazy if it doesn't get shut off. So every time I watch an episode, I hear it at least twice.


Bonus: Why is this Friday Five called Geico? Is it some add I missed? It's a strange coincidence since I've been on the phone with Geico three times in the past week. Though I have to say that thus far, Geico is all good. They have excellent customer service.

Christmas and New Year's were good. We travelled from Connecticut to Massachusetts to Connecticut to New York. I'm hoping that next year we can have holiday dinners and then just go home, since we'll be so much closer. I received many lovely gifts including The Simpsons seasons 6 & 7. It's great to have two Simpsons seasons to watch after Christmas as opposed to just one. Today is supposed to be the day I "return to work," but I'm apparently taking it leisurely. And just to demonstrate how much I'm procrastinating, here's a little survey.

1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
I bought a house, put down two different kinds of wood floor, tiled, and renovated a kitchen.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make New Year's resolutions. I know that's not very spirited, but when I've made them in the past, they haven't worked out. Goals that have nothing to do with New Year's seem to work better.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousins Scott and Dena gave birth to twin girls! We saw them on Friday, and they are the cutest little girls ever!!!!!!!! I'm so excited. I believe that at least three people who work with Mike also gave birth this year...I think these babies were all boys. But the best thing is we get pictures. Incidentally, Mike and I are the only couple without children at the CNF. That won't be the same deal at IBM. So no pressure.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada! For a conference! It's so damn expensive!!! Don't go to Canada. The exchange rate sucks.
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A vacation with my husband somewhere out of the country.
7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 17, 2005 because that's when we purchased our house.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
O.K., I think I've already mentioned that one, and you're probably all sick of it by now.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't really know. I didn't get some stuff I applied for -- an award, a paper presentation, and a directing spot. I suppose those were rejections -- but I don't like to think of them as failures, because that's defeatist.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
My f-ing hip problem came back. And I was sick during the summer with the flu. Ugh! Having a temperature during a heat wave is a pain in the bum!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Guess.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mike, who works hard at home and at the lab.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Numerous politicians. Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Libby, and Bush mostly.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Guess again!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Other than saying "guess," I will say that I'm really excited about Dena and Scott's babies.
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
L'Via L'Viaquez by The Mars Volta
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:i. happier or sadder? ii. thinner or fatter? iii. richer or poorer?
The same. Thinner. Are they talking about $$$ or quality of life? The same on both counts.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Vacationing! Traveling while on vacation to a lovely faraway place!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Painting.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Mike and I were at his grandmother's house for Christmas Eve, where she makes many kinds of fish (with help from Uncle Ed). We slept at Mike's mother's house and had Christmas dinner there.
22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Every year moreso.
26. What was the best book you read?
Oh jeez! Maybe "Perform or Else" by Jon McKenzie? I'm not counting the one's I reread for exams.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Daddy Yankee?
28. What did you want and get?
Guess.
29. What did you want and not get?
I think this was answered under "failures."
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hmmm...new film? I really didn't find to many I enjoyed this year. Mike and I haven't seen a film that we REALLY liked in a long time. So I'll go with older films that I saw for the first time this year. "Flat is Beautiful" "Un Chien Andalou" and "Rejected"
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
28!!! That's late 20's. No longer mid 20's. Mike and I went to a restaurant in Ithaca called Olivia's, which thankfully we haven't been to since. And we went to Batman Begins -- a great disappointment. (Especially since they put the last reel of the movie on before the second to last one and didn't realize it for several minutes).
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I think I've already mentioned that whole vacation idea.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
I think I'll wear this again because I don't have to iron it.
34. What kept you sane?
Mike.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I give John McCain a lot of credit for pushing that "no-torture" clause.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm pretty upset at Target still for allowing their pharmacists to deny prescriptions for women's birth control and emergency contraception based on the pharmacist's religious beliefs. Note that this does not apply to a cashier selling condoms!
37. Who did you miss?
I miss not being close to family -- which should change soon.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
It's hard to narrow this down. I met a lot of great people.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
Taking down a garage is a lot easier than redoing a kitchen.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Jokes and jokes and jokes and jokes.
spaghetti spaghetti spaghetti