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

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

Johnny Damon.

Why Johnny Damon?

Thus far, the mouse has evaded two of the traditional mousetraps, baited several times, one have a heart trap purchased at Agway, and one have a heart trap constructed by none other than Mr. Michael Guillorn. I hate to say it, but it looks like sticky traps might be in this mouse's future.

For today's Friday five, it might help to know that i'm in the grad office.

1. What is the oldest object in the room with you?
I'm guessing it's one of the books on these shelves.

2. What is the newest?
The blueberry muffin I'm eating? I hope...

3. What is your favorite object in the room with you?
For the moment, it's this delicious and warm cup of coffee, which actually, now that I think about it, is probably the newest item also.

4. What is the most valuable object?
My palmpilot. Yes, I know what you're thinking...isn't she typing on a computer? But girl, you haven't seen the computers in the grad office -- it's a regular old museum in here.

5. What is the ugliest object?
Boy, that's tough...there's so many!! I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the ugliest object is no longer here, but was here for a long time. That would be the old couch and chair. God, those were just terrible!

Kudos to those of you who know the reference in my last post.

Here's The Friday Five

Head to Toes

1. What's on your feet?
Green slippers. They each have a snowflake on them.

2. Turn to your right -- what do you see?
A bookshelf filled with books I have to read before March.

3. What is the last thing you ate?
Pretzel Goldfish.

4. What can you smell right now?
Pretzel Goldfish.

5. Do you wear hats?
Fuck yeah. It's cold out!

I am

a

baNANa!

It's only Wednesday and I'm itching for another Friday five. Actually I'm just itching to avoid reading...which I really can't do for much longer today. I'm also itching to avoid going outside. It's extremely cold out. With the windchill, it's 5 degrees, and my car is parked way, way, way out in A Lot. Yes, I'll be taking the bus out there.

Mike and I have a mouse...or mice. We're not sure which. But I bought those traditional mousetraps -- the kind that snap the mouse's neck. Yes, the kind you see in cartoons. And I put some peanut butter on them for bait. So I pick Mike up from work yesterday, and he asks some sort of question about the traps while looking at them. And I reply, "There's lots of peanut butter on them." And he says, "What peanut butter?" And he's right. There's no peanut butter on the damn traps. Moreover, the mouse (mice)managed to get it four times. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm silly to even try to use these traps. But I used them in Kansas and caught many a mouse. Same trap. Same peanut butter. Unfortunately, this mouse (these mice) is going to make me break down and buy a "Have a Heart Trap." Maybe it's a Secret of Nimh mouse, like Jonathan(s). Or I could be really vicious and buy that sticky stuff. But to tell you the truth, I'm just not that cruel. At least the current kind of traps kill the mouse immediately. The sticky one's torture them...horrible.

1. When is the last time you rode the bus?
Hmmm...I rode the bus this past Wednesday from the parking lot where my car is to central campus.

2. Describe the last time you stood up for a cause:
I'm alway standing up for caused over e-mail. I think my most recent e-mail was to Senator Clinton with regard to Scalito. Right now, I'm most mad at Target, because they're allowing their pharmacists to tell customers that they won't fill their Plan B prescriptions if it is against the pharmacists' religion to do so. Obviously, this is EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC!!!! Boo Target.

3. Have you visited Alabama?
No!

4. Have you ever attended a rally?
Uh, like a pep rally? Hell, I was chair of the Pride Committee in high school!

5. Have you ever been arrested?
No...knock on wood.

This is the last week of classes. And for the first time, I don't have any papers due or finals to study for. Just some major exams in March to work on. But what's nice is that I can stay at home and read every day starting on Monday. Of course, I might go to school so that I don't drive up my heating costs. But the nice thing is that I can spend time reading.

Thanksgiving went well...despite the fact that I drove all over CT and over some of MA. At least I didn't run into any major traffic. We did, of course, run into a terrible snowstorm leaving Ithaca to go to CT. All the roads were closed and we encountered many new places in central NY while trying to find a major highway. But at least we didn't have to go through Lisle -- the sketchiest place on earth. When we returned to Ithaca on Saturday, we ate at Aiello's -- which was a long awaited date. It was really quite disappointing. Ah well, to each her own. After that, we drove to Ithaca, unpacked the car and went immediately to Harry Potter. I think the adaptation of this one was excellent. Even if some of the acting was not as good. At least the movie overall was better than Prisoner of Azkaban (I mean come on, they didn't even attribute the Marauder's map to Lupin, Potter, Black, & Wormtail in that one!!!).

This week we also saw Sex & Lucia, which is a Spanish film. It's really good, and it's all about sex. Since then we've watched a couple episodes of Mr. Show, Season III. This is far better than Season I.

1. On what day do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
Thursday! A week ago.
2. How do you traditionally celebrate this food filled holiday?
I have dinner with either my family or Mike's. I eat Turkey. I enjoy pumpkin bread. I take a nap.
3. How do you like your stuffing cooked (in the bird, separately in a dish, store bought, etc.)?
I actually don't like stuffing...so there.
4. What is your favorite dessert to eat on Thanksgiving and who makes it?
Well, it depends where I am. And it seems that we have different desserts all the time. This time I had apple pie that my Aunt Mary made -- with ice cream of course. It was delicious!
5. Can you name five things you are thankful for?
I can name a million things I'm thankful for.
1. love, 2. food, 3. family, 4. friends, 5. work

1) What is your favorite noise to hear?
The ocean.

2) If you could live in any era of time, what would you choose and why?
Hmmm...I'd like to live in 5th c. B.C. Ancient Greece to observe, but I definitely think if I did that, I'd much prefer to be a man. Women had it pretty damn rough in Greece at that time.

3) You just found $50 while cleaning your house. Where do you decide to spend it?
Gee, this really isn't a lot of money. I'd probably put it in my wallet and use it for bus money, coffee money, muffin money, lunch money, etc. I know that's boring, but come on!

4) What magazines to you subscribe to/read on a normal basis?
"Newsweek" and "This Old House" I told Mike that if we live in the WC, we'll have to subscribe to "The New Yorker." His reply was "We are NOT getting a subscription to 'The New Yorker.'"

5) If you could witness any event in history, but not change anything about it, what would you choose and why?
Humanity's first written symbol/word/picture. I just want to know how it happened.


Was it the result of some monolith?

I don't think that they'll be a Friday Five...not at least until Sunday, because on Sunday I'll be back from my conference -- ASTR.

So instead, I'll give you the big news. Mike and I will be moving to somewhere just outside NYC. Mike got a job at IBM. He'll start in January, and then I'll move out there when the house sells (which hopefully will be June or thereabouts (crossing my fingers). I'll have finished my 3 year residency at Cornell at that point, and can move anywhere while I finish my dissertation. So that's the plan. I'd like to live right in the city, but I don't think I'd ever actually get my dissertation done if I did that. So it will be good to be able to go in there to do research and then go somewhere "home" to write.

Of course, this means that we'll be selling the house a year after we purchased it and, may I add, renovated it. So that's not good.

Blogger, or the computer I was working on, erased two of my blogs today. The first one was actually about things happening in my life -- like an upcoming trip to Toronto, a demolished garage, and a skirt that just didn't work out. The second was a quote from Overheard in New York.

I'll leave the two empty posts there in memorium of words lost to the internet.

1. What is your shoe size?
7.5
2. How many hours did you sleep last night?
Wow. I slept a lot. I wouldn't even say "last night" because some of last night carried into today. However much it was, it was needed. Now I feel rested and ready to read my Deleuze.

3. Area code of your phone number:
607 for my home phone. 617 for my cell phone. This confuses MANY people.

4. Last grade of school completed:
Boy. Do I say Master's or do I say 2nd year of Ph.D.? Or do I say 12th? After all, that's the last grade.

5. Time it takes you to get ready in the morning:
My husband says it always takes me at least 40 minutes. If I shower, it takes longer. But whether I eat breakfast or no, it seems to take 40 minutes.

3 x 5

1. What's the last item you mailed?
I mailed a rebate receipt for my Palm Pilot/birthday gift. I should say that I re-mailed it because I forgot to include the UPC code the first time, and they sent it back to me menos rebate check.

2. Who has made you smile recently?
Mr. Guillorn.

3. What's the weather like outside?
OK. Today it got COLD. The ground is beginning to look frozen, and I dipped into the wool cardigans. I even considered dipping into the wool socks, but I thought that if I did that, where would I turn when it gets below 10 degrees?

4. Do you consider youself a good judge of character?
Hey look, I'm not going to answer this because then I'll jinx myself.

5. What's your favorite photograph?
This is such an open-ended question. I'm going to go with an art (rather than a family) photo. There's this picture of Heiner Mueller straddling a cannon, smiling wonderfully because of its phallic signification. I'll go with that one, because it makes me laugh a little inside ever time I picture it.

1. What do you like or dislike about autumn?
I love the smell, the crisp air, the fact that I finally get to wear wool and cordoruys, the leaves on the ground, the colors, Halloween, and the leadup to Thanksgiving.
2. Have you raked leaves into a pile just to jump in them? Definitely. But by the time the old maple tree sheds all its leaves in front of my house, I won't have to rake them into a pile; my whole yard will be a pile.
3. Have you ever carved a pumpkin and how did it turn out? I carved them with my parents when I was little. I haven't done one recently, but if I have kids, I'll definitely start again.
4. Have you ever eaten anything made from pumpkins other than pie? I eat seeds, and I eat pumpkin bagels at Collegetown Bagels.
5. Where is a good spot to see the leaves change color where you live? Ah...since I have a wooded lot, my backyard is a great place! But you driving into campus there are plenty of colorful hills to look at!

the friday five

1. Who is your favorite superhero?
Batman! I used to watch old episodes of the TV show at Katie Landi's house, I think. And I watched the cartoon religiously. I would come home, make myself some s'mores, and settle into some Batman. But I have to say, I'm disappointed in all the Batman movies with the exception of the first one. Stop having two villains for god sakes! Just stick to one!

2. If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Flying would be fun.

3. What would your super outfit look like?
Black and sexy.

4. What would your super villain/nemesis be like?
George Bush. Or maybe some chick.

5. What would your catch phrase/calling card be?
Oh, come on. I haven't thought about this that much. I mean, to come up with one of those, I'd have to be a little nutty.

NOMAH!

Does anyone else miss him?

This week, both of my Friday Five sites had good questions. But for continuity's sake (with Lisa's blog), I'll try this one...

1. How long have you had your LiveJournal/blog?
Since May of 2002, when I first told the story of the 10 foot penis. I decided that experience was something that needed to be journaled, and by golly, I blogged it.

2. What do you consider to be the main purpose of your LiveJournal/blog?
To keep people updated on what's up with me -- old friends I don't talk to. Also, to wonder who it is out there that reads my blog secretly. I'm sure whoever you are, you are disappointed in my boring prose.

3. If you could change something about your personal blogging style, what would it be?
I would make the background color a darker brown. But this is as brown as it gets in the templates, and I'm not going to fuck with that shit.

4. What are your criteria for adding someone to your friends list/blog roll?
I stopped having a friends list. I had so few friends on it, that I began to feel lonely.

5. Name one thing that you've never before written about in your LJ/blog.
I have flea bites. I just got them last weekend, and I don't know where they're coming from, since I don't have animals. But I have to say, this is the first time I've had flea bites, and dang diddley, they are itchy.

And now folks...it's time for the Friday Five.

4 8 15 16 23 42

1. What is the most important thing you've ever lost?
This question is too complicated for me. Is it limited to things? Or can we lose people too? Pondering it on little sleep when I have to catch up on reading is clearly a bad idea.

2. When is the last time you lost your keys?
A few seconds ago.

3. Have you ever felt like you've lost your mind?
I've not just felt like it, I've actually done it! So there!

4. Are you likely to ask for directions when lost or to continue to wander?
Ask for directions. Unless it's one of those days where I feel I have an extra-keen sense of direction -- that happens sometimes. And to be honest, I'm usually right.

5. Numerology: reliable or just a load of bunk?
Somewhere in between, I think. I'm not sure, I haven't ever experience numerology long enough to judge.

Don't ever start a project tiling at midnight. Trust me, it's a mistake, because you won't be able to make any of those last minute cuts you thought you wouldn't need to make. Sigh.

I also saw "Devil's Playground" this weekend. It's a documentary about the Amish Rumspringah. At 16, the Amish are free to experience the real world (the devil's playground). After that, they have to decide whether or not to join the Amish church. It's a fascinating documentary -- one where you certainly will learn the affects of meth. Conclusion: meth is gross.

Sell your soul for complete control

1. What kind of lighting is around you?
Hardly any. I'm showing a film right now for the film class, and that means I have to be in the dark -- pretty much. May I add that it's cold in here. I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt, a velour jacket, and the shell of my winter jacket. It's fucking freezing in here.

2. What do you think of your singing voice?
I like my singing voice. It's just that I don't always sing onkey.

3. Who do you try to please?
Myself. With other people I don't try, I just do, or do not.

4. Describe your last dream: I think I slept through it.

5. When is the last time you bought flowers?
For someone? We bought flowers for Mike's cousin Shelly when we went to her store over the summer. Her birthday had just passed. They were some damn nice flowers.

We went back to bed this morning. I slept until about 7:30, which was nice. I remember when I thought the life of the academician did not involve getting to work early. Ha! What a silly fool I was. Well, actually, I'd probably go in later on M,W,F if I were not sharing a car with Mike. But as it is, we're sharing a car. And that's better for the environment, but bad for my sleep habits. Rehearsal seems to be going well. The play will be funny, I think. It's just taking up a lot of time. Hopefully, this will mean that later on in the semester I'll feel like I have more time. Only it never really works out that way, does it?
Back to reading...

Quitters never win...

1. Name one thing you've quit:
sobriety

2. Name something you've won:
I'm just going to name some stuff I've won. I won free registration to the next ATHE conference! Yay me! I also won free registration to the South Eastern Theater Conferenc, but I'm unfortunately unable to go to that. When I was in middle school, I won a bike from Kiss 108 after winning tickets to a new club (for teenies). The bike was a man's bike and too big for me. Now if I could just win the lottery...

...oh wait, I don't play the lottery b/c I know it's a poor tax...

...maybe I should play it anyway

3. Describe a subject in school you do poorly in:
I think that perhaps chemistry was my worst subject. I did badly in math, but that's because I didn't try for a long time. I really would have considered taking a real bio class in college if it weren't for that old rumor that college bio = chem, college chem = physics, etc. etc.

4. Have you ever purposely not done your best?
ME???


O.K., yup.

5. Do you lead, follow, or get out of the way?
I'm a cowgirl. I make my own way.

This weekend was nice. I had a nice birthday date with Mike, even though we went to a mediocre restaurant where the wine the waiter recommended completely clashed with my dinner. I've never actually had a wine clash with my dinner, but now I know what it's like. And we saw "Batman Begins." Not only is the film not that good (why in the world can't these Batman movies stick to one villain? I mean, isn't that a basic strategy in writing?), but also, the projectionist put on the final reel of the film before the next to last reel and didn't notice for at least a few minutes. But after all that, we went back home and watched a little Chappelle show we netflixed. And that made it all wonderful. Today I skipped class because of a migraine, and am now, in a conscious attempt to continue my birthday beyond its day, eating a chocolate cupcake I purchased at College Town Bagels.

Today is my birthday. I'm not too thrilled with the Friday Fives, so today I'll have none of that! Instead, I'll do Lisa's lovely "7" survey.

7 things I plan to do before I die:
travel to Greece and Italy
own a dog
have a child?
play Juliet (uh oh, am I already too old for this?)
ski in Colorado
complete my PhD
be full time faculty at a school I like

7 things I can do:
type fast
put in wood floors
install and grout tile
run old film projectors
listen
kick someone's ass in wiffleball
some salsa dancing

7 things I cannot do:
calculus
recite the ten commandments by heart (unless I consult that Simpson's episode)
sight-read Ancient Greek
get in touch with my radon guy
eat red meat (except for pork)
have enough time
find whatever it is that I'm urgently looking for

7 things that attract me to other people:
they make me laugh
trust
sense of humor about themselves
they make me more sane
support
joi de vivre
artistic talent

7 things that I say most often:
no, I can't. I have rehearsal.
Hey babe?
um. I don't know.
Can I have a medium decaf coffee please?
Ah, is that a DECAF coffee?
Grad office. this is Megan.
I've a right mind to hit you with my parasol.

7 celebrity crushes:
First I have to say, that I feel tremendous guilt associated with celebrity crushes. After all, they are people, and I shouldn't stare at them and drool from a distance. But I do; so here it goes.
Johnny Depp
Joe Fiennes a few years ago (around "Elizabeth")
Joaquin Phoenix in Quills
Johnny Damon (hey, all these men have names starting with J)
Gael Garcia Bernal (oh si!)
Owen Wilson (for Rushmore)
Naomi Watts

7 people I want to do this:
you, you, you, you, you, and you. Oh yeah, and you too.

I chose the delicious new color of brown. As the summer has ended, pink is no longer accurate to describe my life. A warm brown welcomes the seriousness of studying for exams. Right now I'm reading 100 pages of Jameson a day. I don't really recommend it. I was very enthusiastic at first, but currently I'm wading through a chapter I have little interest in.

This weekend, other than reading, Mike and I watched the first disc of the second season of the Chappelle show. And all I have to say is "I'm Rick James, bitch!" and "Okayyyy!" If you haven't seen the Chappelle show, and I realize I'm late to it (because of the whole not having tv thing), I highly recommend it, bitch.

We also began the laundry room project. Now mind you, we have not finished any of the other projects yet. But the washer and dryer are moved into the kitchen and Mike ripped up the laundry room floor. Part of the reason for this madness is that Mike has to cut plywood outside, and living in Ithaca, our outside work time is slowly dwindling away... Who knows? It could snow tomorrow!

This weekend we worked on the house. Surprise Surprise! And Mike put in new lighting fixtures for the kitchen. It's amazing how once you finish one thing, the thing that's not been bothering you, suddenly begins to. In other words, I have to paint the windows. Once I do painting, (I'm hoping next week) the kitchen will be done. Oh, except for the dishwasher, but we're waiting for the electrician to get back to us on that.

Yes, I know. Not very exciting to others, but hey, I finally got a chance to clear the dead branches out of our boxwoods. So all those who drive by my house can now rejoice in the fact that the boxwoods look good again. Of course, then they pass the half of the fence that fell down from the wind. Have I mentioned that? Once you get one thing fixed.... Sigh.

I wasn't going to answer these until I saw the fabulous title...

I'll take therapist for $300

1. Link to your local news source:
The Boston Globe

2. Link to your favorite dessert:
<Delicious and Fattening

3. Link to a band that you despise:
Band what? All I see is despise.

4. Link us to a good book:
yes

5. Link to your favorite Muppet frog:
See Wynyard

Time for Greek.

Funny how I post when things start to get busy. Today I dropped off my car because it is making a terrible noise and it is also having trouble getting up hills. I'm very scared to find out what's wrong with it. Richard closed yesterday, and while I'm sad not to be in a play right now, I'm not sad to let go of the age makeup, which has caused much clogging among my pores. Also, I tend to agree with Lisa's suggestion that outside summer performances are better when their comedies. C'est la vie. Or rather, the audience seems to enjoy comedies more.

The Friday Five's are dumb this week. So in protest I refuse to answer them. This weekend Barbara & Dan are visiting. They'll see Richard III. The freshmen also arrive at Cornell this weekend, and I classes start NEXT WEEK! Ahhhhh! I could use another month of summer. But then again, perhaps I need the motivation. Last night I watched "The Neverending Story." Ah, movies from the childhood are so good. I was surprised at how much I remembered once I started watching it. The night before I watched "Sliding Doors." Boy, was that a mistake.

Ok, I must go clean for the parents.

The Final Countdown

5. Did you follow NASA's latest space mission?
I followed the landing on NPR. I remember listening to the break-up of Discovery while in Tennessee.

4. If you could launch a politician into space, and perhaps they wouldn't make it back, who would it be?
Whoever becomes the next front-runner in the Republican party for President can live in the space station.

3. Do you believe in an after-life?
Yes.

2. If there really are aliens, what do you think they look like?
Nothing that I can even imagine. Unless...amoebas.

1. Have you ever been to Europe?
What's up with this question. Was it just stuck in here? Yes, I've been to England, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Poland, and Spain. Next stop Greece and Italy I hope.

Hello. Long time no post. But I have to say I tried to post from home and blogger was acting up on me. So here I am, at the CNF. And posting.

Richard III opens THIS THURSDAY. That's exciting and scary. I'm still experimenting with age makeup, and I haven't tried graying my hair yet. Unfortunately, it gets quite dark by the end of the night performances. I think we're going to have to institute lights.

Also, I was away in California the weekend before this past weekend. Compared to the east coast, San Francisco is COLD. I got to have a lovely lunch with Siggy. She showed me one of the buildings she helped build. It was huge. It would be frightening to be involved with making sure things are done correctly on something that big! Also, I gave my paper and had a lovely time at the conference in general. I even won free conference registration for next year! That's about 150 bucks!

I also bought a dress to wear to someone's wedding. It's black, so it would really have to be an evening affair. Any takers?

I hope that all you Mass voters are writing to Romney and telling him what an asshole he is.

Romney vetoes law on pill

Kitchen is almost to the point where it will look done. There will be little stuff to do, but we can change it from a construction zone into a kitchen soon.

Paper (giving next week) is not almost done, and I will be dedicating all of today to that provided that I stop screwing around on the internet.

Play is going well. If you want to see Megan as an 80 year old woman, come August 11-14, 18-21.

This weekend I plan to go to the movies for the first time this summer. I'll be going to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I hope it makes up somewhat for the fact that Tim Burton didn't direct the Grinch. Not that I saw the other Grinch. But I always wanted TB to direct that.

Here's an old one. I hope I haven't answered it before...but if I have the answers would be different anyway.

1. ...went to the doctor? Yesterday. I saw the nurse pracitioner at the doctor's office I go to. She's fantastic! But she's also retiring. :^( She inspired me to write to Pataki to make Plan B over the counter.

2. ...went to the dentist? March. It went well. No cavities!

3. ...filled your gas tank? Let's see...I'm guessing it was either Sunday or Monday. It should be filled again. The tank on the Subaru is small. Of course, I will add that the gas prices kill me every time. Thanks a lot GWB.

4. ...got enough sleep? Last night. Thankfully.

5. ...backed up your computer? I've got most of the important stuff on my miniharddrive. If you don't have a little harddrive, I highly recommend one. They're not that expensive and they are so much easier to transport than disks. Also, you can wear one around your neck if you feel nerdy.

New Kids on the Block


1. Are you more comfortable being the new kid or the experienced one?
The experienced one. I don't think I've ever been comfortable as the new kid.


2. When is the last time you were the new kid?
When I arrived at Cornell.... But I soon adapted. At least in grad school, it's a little bit easier to be the new kid. (Perhaps because everyone else is nerdy too?)

3. If we met face to face, right now, what would my first impression be of you?
Preppy. Eating a chicken salad sandwich. I have no idea.

4. Who is the last person you said goodbye to?
I'm going to take this as a more serious goodbye...like a "goodbye" I'm leaving or you're leaving goodbye. It's hard to say. I guess people in Tennessee? I say goodbye to relatives a lot but then I see them again. I think saying g-bye to people at the law firm was a more definite good bye...which reminds me...I should e-mail them.

5. Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Danny or Jon?
Well, back then it was Jon because I liked to be different. But it should have been Joey...my second choice all along.

I want my t.v. back. It's been too long since I've been able to watch Gangs of New York.

1. How did you learn about yesterday's bombings in London?
I was sleeping with the radio on NPR. Mike came into the bedroom after showering and asked what happened in London. I listened for a moment and thought that nothing happened. Then, we realized something terrible happened and checked online to see what it was.

2. Do you have any personal connections to the area?
I've been there twice. The first time I was there, the IRA set off a bomb at a station not too far from where we were staying. But the IRA gave warnings before their bombings, and they didn't set them off during rush hour.

3. Do you use public transportation?
Currently, I don't. But I've certainly relied a lot on it in my life. I've often done the morning commute on the Boston T.

4. Have you ever let threats of terrorism change the way that you live each day?
No.

5. If you could say something directly to the person or group responsible for this tragedy, what would you say?
It's shameful that more innocent people in this world have to die for someone else's cause.

A wild and wooly 4th.

Not really. But it was still fun. This weekend my parents came up. On Saturday, Dad helped Mike put hardwood floor in the living room closet. This means WE HAVE A CLOSET DOWNSTAIRS. Right now we're using the downstairs bathroom as a closet. But soon, we can put things in this new gorgeous closet.

Mom helped me plant some flowers. I put yellow dahlias in my window boxes. I also planted petunias before they arrived. And let's see, I have a whole bunch more annuals left to plant. Where are those extra flowers from Becky's shower now?

We went out to dinner at two lovely places: Zaza's and Thai Cuisine. We gave Mom diamond earrings for her 60th birthday. They looked lovely on her!

On Sunday, Dad hung out by the pool and Mom and I went on a search for a salt pig. We didn't find one. So please, let me know if you see a salt pig hanging around...

Then yesterday we began to put the floor down in the kitchen. This one is glue down wood. And, I have to say, I got glue all over me. I still have some glue on me and I don't know when it's going to come off. The good thing is that this floor is 5" plank. That makes it go so much faster. Although, I have to admit, glue is gross. At any rate, now we have half a kitchen floor. We hope to put the other half in tonight.

1. Who do you owe?
Citibank. A whole bunch of $. Both my mortgage and my home equity are with them. The U.S. Gov't for Trinity.

2. Does anyone owe you?
Yes, you. Could you please write me a check for $200,000? Thanks.


3. How many credit cards to you have?
Two. One regular card and one store card. I should probably get rid of the latter because I never use it.

4. Do you care about national debt?
Thinking about national debt makes me cry. Please up my taxes. More importantly, please up the taxes of the rich. (Note to the city of Ithaca: THE SECOND SENTENCE DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU.

5. Would your friends be surprised if they accidently saw the balance in your checkbook?
I don't know. This is a stupid question. How does the balance in your checkbook give people any idea what your finances are? Unless, of course, it's negative numbers.

BONUS QUESTION: Does debt scare you?
Yes, it does. But oddly enough, my school loan scares me more than my house debt. Perhaps that's because I feel I have something for my house debt. But school debt -- well, I certainly have something for that too. Most of it is intangible. And the tangible part of it is a sheet of paper. Here's hoping I get two more of those soon. (I get a Master's as part of the program).

Not quite Friday yet. And I'm blogging. Which is good, I suppose, because it means I'm finding a more productive way to procrastinate on the internet.

Tomorrow Dan and Barbara will arrive in Ithaca and be the first out-of-town viewers of the house. They will not stay at the house because it is still in disarray. But we hope to have some of the living room put together by the time they get there. This morning we actually moved some of the furniture from its nest in the middle of the room! Perhaps now when I sit down on the couch, I won't feel weird about the large bookshelves looming over my back.

Tomorrow is also July. July is tomorrow. Where, I ask, did June go? Could someone get it back for me?

1. What is your favorite action movie?
Favorite action movie? Damn, this is tough. I'm going to say Dune. Because that's waht I feel like watching right now.

2. What is the worst movie you've ever seen?
Another tough one. But there is one in particular that I remember sitting through with Siggy where I invented the game "knock my head against my knees." I wish I could remember the name of the movie. And I'll get back to you if I can.

I was most moved by Star Wars Episode I. It left me with the largest pit in my stomach ever.

3. Do you prefer comedy or drama?
It depends. If I'm acting or directing I prefer drama. If I'm watching something, it depends on my mood.

4. Recommend a good tear jerker:
Buckaroo Bonzai.

5. What movie are you looking forward to seeing soon?
Batman Begins. I hear it's a throwback to the old dark days of Gotham, and I'm looking forward to it. As it is, I'm looking forward to seeing any movie in the theatre. I haven't been in a long time.

Bonus Question (I'll add these when I think of them):
What movie did you just realize you liked more than you thought you did?
Mars Attacks. I saw part of it in my hotel room on vacation and thought, this is pretty damn good. I'm not sure yet if it makes the favorite movie list. But there's something about the Martians using the translator to say "Don't run! We are your friends!" while they blow people up that makes my day.

While sequestered away in my air conditioned bedroom today, I read. I felt like such a sloth, staying in bed practically the whole day, but that's the way the cookie crumbles when it's this hot out. And boy, is it hot. Luckily, tonight I was inside the Schwartz Centre, a building which, judging by its temperature, can be blamed for global warming. Forget SUV's. It's the temperature of the air in Schwartz making everyone else hotter.

In other news, I finally dipped into the red paint last night. Yes, after weeks of painting everything white, I painted a wall in my kitchen red. I want to say it looks great, but it really needs anothe coat before I can say that. It certainly changes the look of the kitchen. And I feel so dangerous walking around all the white cabinets with the red paint. Also, it looks a lot like blood when it gets on my painting gloves. Ha ha ha! (that's supposed to be an evil laugh)

1. RE: your future. What lies ahead?
How can anyone answer this question? I'm hoping a swim in my pool lies ahead on either tomorrow or Tuesday. We opened the pool yesterday and the water is still murky.

2. Listen: what can you hear?
The air system in the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility. My typing.

3. Inner peace: Do you have it?
Only sometimes. Don't forget that I'm going to perish of fits.

4. Every once in a while, someone surprises you. Who did most recently?
I guess I haven't had a whole lot of surprises lately. I can't think of any. Perhaps that's better?

5. Friends can come and go. Who has come into your life, and who has left?
Boy, this is a hard question when you're an old lady like me. I think it's meant for people just entering college.

The Friday Five
From your vantage point in front of the computer, you spy, with your little eye...

1. Something that is red:
A section of my purse, really a pocketbook, which Mike calls "The Case" because he thinks it is large.

2. Something that is shiny:
My glass snapple bottle. Raspberry Peach.

3: Something that is ugly:
The desklamp in the theatre office. I'm here because I haven't unpacked anything.

4. Something that is made of wood:
A desk to my left.

5. Something that is sharp:
Ummm...the stapler?

So we moved for the most part. But Mike got sick and then I got sick. I'm feeling slightly better now and can even stop blowing my nose for up to fifteen whole minutes. This is a big deal because before I had to have a tissue continuously up to my face or snot would drip out. Appealing. I know.

I'm about to have my first rehearsal for Richard III and I'm very excited about it!

sick.

moving.

painting.

I have to say, I think the Gorey death is right after all. I was in the middle of worrying about something and I suddenly was reminded of the warning "you will perish of fits." So I stopped worrying.

1. What was your favorite breakfast cereal when you were a kid?
Well, my favorite was Pac Man cereal. But I was never allowed to have sugar cereal when I was a kid. I could only have it when I went to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Martha's Vineyard. Then, Bethany and I would eat delicious, delicious sugar cereal. For non-sugar cereal I liked Honey Nut Cheerios.
2. What is the best toy/prize you ever got in a box of cereal or because of sending in UPC’s?
I don't think I sent in the UPCs, and to be honest, I don't remember getting any spectacular toys in cereal. I remember reaching down in the box for them, but I don't remember what they were.
3. How do you take your eggs (scrambled, over easy, egg beaters)?
Hardboiled. I don't go for eggs any other way.
4. What is your favorite breakfast meat (bacon, ham, sausage)?
Bacon. Ahhhh...to quote Homer Simpson "MMmmmmm....unexplained bacon smell."
5. What is your favorite spot (local or chain restaurant) for breakfast and where is it located?
Ohhhhhhh...there is this place in Hartford I went to with Paige and Matt which was absolute heaven. I don't remember the name of it, nor do I remember where it was. But I do recall that it was delicioso. I had the best French toast of my life. It was well worth the 45 minute wait.

You will perish of fits. Repeat this to yourself:
"Things can work out even if I don't get
my way. Things can work out even...."

What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?


And I was hoping for "O is for Olive run with an awl." Or I would have even taken "X is for Xerxes devoured by mice." But alas, neither of these were choices in the quiz. How limiting.

News: Mike and I are living in our house now, even though Julia (pronounced with a spanish jota), Pablo, Vince, Medusa, and The Plant with No Name are living in our apartment.

Other news: Redoing a kitchen takes a lot longer than one thinks.

I've had some requests. And I always like requests. So one of the requests is to bring back the Friday Five. I've found a couple sites that picked up where www.fridayfive.org left off. But they aren't nearly was wonderful. These questions aren't too bad...

1. How tall are you?
I'm 5'3".

2. When is the last time you stood up for yourself?
I'll assume that this is outside of marriages, because in marriage, you stand up for yourself all the time. Let's see, the last time I had a long argument with someone was with a student. I told the student that the s/he should drop because I was going to fail him/her. And s/he tried to argue and make excuses for a long time...even saying that it reflected poorly on me as a teacher that I couldn't help him/her out even though s/he missed a gazillion classes. I've had similar arguments like this before -- one where a student told me the day before grades were due that if s/he didn't get a B, s/he would have to go to a military school. I said, I didn't know what that had to do with me.

3. Are you scared of heights?
Yes, I think so. Not super scared...but every time I walk over those gorges I get a little bit nervous. And my friend Carolyn just tried skydiving -- something I would NEVER do.

4. Tell us a tall tale:
Last night after watching Hidalgo, I felt inspired to ride horses. So I drove over to the Cornell Vetinary School, commondeered a beautiful black stallion, and rode my way through the dark woods. Along the way, I encountered a small village of hobbits where I drank some mead and danced a jig. Then black stallion and I set off into the sunrise, and we made it back just before the morning check.

5. Wookie-hookie: Did you see the new Star Wars movie?
Not yet. I'm dreading seeing it, even though I know I will see it in the theatres (note: I haven't seen a movie in the theatres -- Cornell Cinema not counting -- since January). I hated episodes 1 and 2 so much that I haven't been able to watch 4, 5, and 6 since. Now, before episode 1 came out, I would watch one of the other three, on average, once every 3 months. Sometimes more. So you see what the first episode caused. Sigh.

Thank you all for passing on my e-mail regarding the missing Cornell student Dan Pirfo. Unfortunately, his body was found in one of the gorges on Tuesday. I did not know Dan, but everyone here at Cornell is feeling his loss.

Believe me in my procrastination, I did try to blog, but it was from my apartment, and the internet service here depends taking other people's wireless. Today it works great, but then again, I'm in the bed, and it always works great in the bed.

So what's going on? We're in the midst of putting in the floor, which is a lot of fun. It's looks absolutely amazing!!! I guess all that ripping up will eventually pay off. Of course, we'll be ripping up more floor soon. Still, it will be nice to have something done.

I also did a lot of raking and pulling of weeds. Now, I can recall hating doing such chores when I was young at my parents house. But this was really fun. It's also a helluva a lot bigger yard. Just wait until we have to mow...

Yikes. Things are getting really crrrazy now. It's the end of the semester and everything is due (except for student papers) by next Wednesday. That's no fun. I even have a book review due tomorrow. Ah, I better not think about it. It's best not to. So, Mike started to put the wood floor down in the house. It looks fabulous. I can't wait until it's done. I think it will really change that whole room.

It's still cold here. And I can only hope it gets a bit warmer this weekend. Flowers are coming up all around my house, and I'd like to enjoy them a little -- even though most of the time I'll be back in my apartment, blocking the noise out from parties and trying to research/write my paper.

This semester was rough. I'm burnt out. I'll be happy when it's done. I should say happier; I am happy now.

On Friday night, I went to bed at 9:30. I can't remember the last time I did that. This weekend I had tech for the final directing projects. Tech can be killer, but I have to say, this wasn't nearly as bad as the previous tech.

Last week of classes. Much work to do. Much fun to be had after next Wednesday (I hope).

Student papers done (for now). Sleep lacking. I've been in the theatre building since 8 a.m. and yes, I'm looking forward to going home.

A couple notes first though...while I wait to catch the bus.

First: Maura -- English, Comparative, Lit or Theatre would probably all work for what you want...depending on the school.

Second: Why oh why did we have to lose Mientkiewicz? :^(

Still working on those student papers...

Still procrastinating:

Name four books on your bookshelf: "The Theatre and Its Double" Antonin Artaud, "The Longman Anthology of Drama", "Anti-Oedipus" Deleuze and Guattari, "Greek Tragic Theatre" Rush Rehm (these four were chosen at random from memory as I'm not at home)
Name four DVDs in your collection: "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" (This one comes to mind first because I'm responding to student papers on it), "Rushmore", "Dr. Strangelove", "Ghost in the Shell"
Name four things on your walls: Picasso's "Guernica", Picasso's "Don Quijote", Klimt's "The Kiss", a picture of a bass taken by one of Lys's friends
Name four things in your wardrobe: A green wool sweater (currently on my person -- and to think, last week I thought i would be putting it away for the summer), bright pink corduruy pants (currently put away for the summer), a black sweater from the Gap with a price tag $9.99 (new and on sale!), a white summer skirt I look forward to wearing!
.Name four artists in your music collection: Beck, The Beatles, Portishead, Cowboy Bebop
Name four real life stores you shop at regularly: Wegman's, Lowe's, TJ Maxx, Greenstar Coop
Name four things in your bag: gum, books, wallet, new cell phone

I loathe the people above me. Sometimes I think about taking a double barrelled shotgun and shooting through the ceiling.

LOATHE

Other times I'm more practical. I wonder what would happen if I went up to their circuit box and simply flicked a few switches.

And the only thing that makes it slightly worse is that the frat across the street is also having an obnoxious party. But that's OK, I expect that from a frat...

Dear floor in new house -- when will you be done?

Popes.

And to think, I was thinking. Well, if they choose a somewhat liberal pope, maybe I'll go to church to support that. Or I thought, well, at least if they're planning to choose a conservative pope, they'll probably choose a Latino or Black pope because they want to embrace different ethnicities. No, instead they choose a plain old white German pope. So, no church for me I guess.

I've been looking often at www.spcaonline.com . There are many cute doggies that appear there, and then shortly disappear when people adopt them. Right now I like the Rottweiler named Lorelai. But of course, I'm not adopting...yet. My house is sin piso. And dogs really don't like houses sin piso. Nor do humans...that's why we're not living there yet.

On the good side of things, we had the stairs done. I have to be honest. Everyone says "you must feel so adult -- buying a house." But it's not the buying of the house that does it, it's the hiring someone to fix something. It's really exciting!!! Much to our surprise, the steps were pine. It will be interesting to see how they look with the red oak floors we bought (thankfully the pine has an amber tint).

You know, as much as I'm not particularly pleased with this pope, I do like the word, "pope." It reminds me of popsicle, but in a shorter, more religious form. popepopepopepopepope

I changed the color again. Maybe I'm feeling a little multi-personality? Actually, I just think that once I changed the color of the bubble one, it didn't suit me. Not sure this one suits me either...

It's really at the point where if I don't see a deer driving from the apartment to the house at night (or vice versa), I get worried. Why? Because I think, surely there must have been a deer or two or three that I missed! And that makes me feel like I'm unaware or something.

I'm hoping that soon we'll be able to move in to the house. I think the floor will finally be done next weekend -- though it may be the weekend after. Still no sublease yet...despite my many ads...sigh...

No one is blogging...so I will. Let's see, what to say, what to say. Well, let's see. I've bitten off more than I can chew this semester, but how is that out of the ordinary? I feel, especially, that the teaching work is endless. Funny how at the beginning of the fall semester I felt that way and things got better. But now, since I'm teaching the same class as last year, the beginning of the semester was Ok whereas the end of the semester is worse. That makes it NOT an ideal situation.

Of course, when the semester ends, I have much to look forward to. I'll be working on the kitchen of my house. Perhaps I even will have moved into it! Perhaps I'll have a sublease for my apartment. A couple people called about the sublease this past weekend -- but no takers...yet. I put up more posters today.

On top of all this, I'll be vacationing in Florida for a week. Most of the time I'll be in Orlando, but the first weekend I'll be in St. Augustine. Will I be at the beach...yes. Unless it rains. :^(

It's Spring. And I simply felt the need to lighten up the blog...change it to something more lovely. Today I felt great -- it was like suddenly coming out of a cloud of stress from everything I have to do. Of course, in actuality, I'm just entering that cloud. But the change in weather makes it seem like the cloud has just disappeared. And that's a good thing.

Well, I missed my weekly posting. But this time I have an excuse. I went to Boston/Providence this weekend for a conference at Brown -- Performance Studies International. Stupidly, I flew instead of driving. I thought: "This will be great! It will take less time than driving AND I'll be able to do work on the plane." Clearly I was wrong. My flight to Boston was delayed leaving from Ithaca. Then when I arrived in Philadelphia just in the knick of time to make my connection, they kept us out on the runway for 40 minutes. Why? Oh, there was no gate to pull into. For 40 minutes?????? Anyway, then when leaving from Philly, I was delayed again because we were 25th in line for departure. So that was more runway time. Finally, when I got to Boston my bag hadn't arrived. My Dad and I had to wait for it to come on the next flight. Going back I had a six hour delay (no reason ever given) for my flight and Ithaca. And it's not like they said "Oh, your flight is six hours delayed." No, they said: "Oh, your flight's delayed. Oh it's delayed some more, and more...etc. " Eventually they cancelled the first flight and put me on a second one. Sigh.

The conference, on the other hand, was lots of fun. I met up with old college buddies Paige and Matt. It was the first time we were together since my wedding. What fun!

I also got to see my parents and the Myers briefly for dinner Saturday night. As Matt predicted, we ate at Bertucci's. Afterward, I went to bed because (1) I was tired and (2) we were springing forward and my flight left at 8:30. So I had to be at the airport at 7:30 -- really 6:30. Then twelve hours later, I would arrive in Ithaca. Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

From painting to ripping up the floor...

I've noticed that ripping up the floor is a lot less satisfying than painting. Why you ask? Well, it takes a helluva long time. And then what are you left with once you rip up the floor? A subfloor...or perhaps more floor to rip up. It depends. I'm sure I'll feel better about it when the new floor goes in.

Still no sublease for the apartment. Surely someone must want an apartment from May through July....? Anyone? Spend a summer in beautiful Ithaca? It really is beautiful in the summer. Perhaps live in one of Nabakov's former haunts?

In other news, I'm back at school. Spring Break is over. And you know, as always, the break was nice, but I could have used two weeks. Did I get the work done I was supposed to? No. Did I get some work done? Yes. I guess it all evens out in the end. Now I have to decide on what to do in my writing class tomorrow. I'm thinking of doing some in class writing and revising. We haven't done any of that.

Please ignore the "God, no" that followed my response to "Job Title" in the last response. It has since been erased and was from a post I copied. I certainly don't have that feeling about teaching.

Also...

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Oh, and I'm posting from my new HOME. Of course, that means that I'm sitting on the floor, because we don't have any furniture in here...yet...

Accent – None, I think. Though I bet some voice people could still detect a bit a trouble with pronounciation of "r"
Bra size – 34B.
Dad's name – Dan
Essential make-up– Nothing essential. I like wearing lipstick when I have time to put it on. I have trouble wearing eyeliner because of the small mole underneath my left eye.
Favorite perfume – I'm allergic to most of them.
Gold or Silver - Platinum.
Hometown – Quincy, MA (City of Presidents)
Interesting fact - I'm wearing a blue sweater and bright pink pants.
Job title – Graduate Student/Writing Instructor
Kids - None. But I name my plants: I have Julia (Spanish pronounciation please!), Pablo, Vince, Medusa, and The Plant With No Name.
Living arrangements – I have a house! I also have an apartment. Would anyone like to lease a 2 bedroom in the Ithaca area?
Mom's Birthplace – Boston.
Number of apples eaten in last week – None. Perhaps I should have had some apple tart at CTB.
Phobia – Mustard.
Religious affiliation – None. But I like to go to church sometimes.
Siblings – Two pseudo brothers. One sister-in-law. One step sister-in-law.
Time I wake up – Let's see, either sometime between 6 or 7 a.m. or somtime around 12 p.m. Sometimes both in the same day!
Unnatural hair color – I've done it. I'd never do black or dark brown again unless someone was paying me a lot of money. But strawberry blond? I'd consider it!
Vegetable I refuse to eat– tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash
X-rays – Many of my chest because I test positive for consumption. One recently of my hip. And of course, many of my teeth.
Yummy food I make - Cookies. From Scratch. 5 hour Martha Stewart Lasagna
Zodiac Sign - Virgo

That last post was quite repetitive...maybe it's the paint fumes.

So officially, I'm a homeowner. And you know, it's nice.... though it doesn't really feel like I'm a homeowner since we're not fully moved in yet. We have been painting, though. Let me tell you, those years of living in apartments with lots of paint chips has really motivated me to paint, paint, paint the rooms inside the house. And let me tell you, it seems to make a big difference!

Of course, all this painting means that I'm neglecting my need to research and write my end of the semester paper for The Female Dramatic Tradition. Yes, I will begin work on that tomorrow. Yes, I will.

In other news, I found out that I can't have Verizon phone service at my new house. It's not in an area that Verizon services. How crazy is that? The new phone company, Frontier, is exciting and it seems to be less expensive -- so I guess everything works out...except for the fact that I have to change my phone number. Poo.

I should be commenting on a student's paper. But instead, I'm blogging because, once again, I missed my weekly Monday post. This past weekend I decided on a mattress. You may not think that this is such a bit deal, but I assure you, when you go to shop for mattresses, and you think "I want this to be the mattress of my dreams," you will discover that you cannot get the mattress of your dreams. Why not? It will fail and cause you tremendous back problems within a few years. So you have to go with the firmest mattress you think you can stand. And even with that, there are no guarantees. I went with the second firmest. Cross your fingers for me.

More importantly, in two days I will own a house. Actually, it's really almost a day and a half at this point. At times I get butterflies...at other times, I just don't believe it's happening. And once again, I will say, it's weird to be purchasing something huge that you've been to just 4 times. Just 4 times! For the biggest purchase!!! Craziness.

So that's about all the big news from here.

Did you know that Nabokov lived in my apartment building? I like to think he lived in my apartment, but who can say. This weekend, coincidentally, we got Kubrick's Lolita through Netflix. Quite a good interpretation of the book (the fact that Nabakov wrote the screenplay probably helps). We also watched The Italian Job. That wasn't bad...a bit formulaic, but who can escape that these days...especially with a remake?
So there was more looking at beds this weekend, more dessert, and we even went briefly to see a band. The "briefly" has to do with the fact that the band wasn't really good. In fact, they weren't a band -- just a bunch of guys playing together. Unfortunate.
In the meantime, I'm working on a directing scene from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" -- I remember seeing a version of that at Brandeis back in high school. I think that there were only four actors -- maybe six? Anyway, I have four actors for my little scene. I'm looking forward to it.

Shame on me. I missed my weekly Monday post. Ahh...so two weeks from this Friday we're closing on the house. How excited am I? Pretty damn excited.
This past weekend we looked at beds for the house. Did you know we still sleep on a futon? And did you know that we've been sleeping on this futon for 6-7 years? Now, I know that futons are great, and this one is great. But folks, it's time for a bed. Unfortunately, the bed we liked best is the same bed that my parents have. It's a dark wood sleigh bed, but it doesn't have a sleigh bed footboard. If we end up getting the same one, it won't look the same because we'll be getting a Queen to their King.
I also had a massage last weekend. It was fantastic. Mike enjoyed his too, until his knee started hurting like crazy the day after. Someone at work told him: "Sometimes tense muscles are all that's holding a knee together." Not a good sign.
In other news, I slept a lot and am less stressed. I'm enjoying my reading and my work. I'm also enjoying drinking some delicious Virgil's rootbeer which I bought as a treat. yum.