Hallelujah. I have made it to Christmas. I enjoy my job, but it's time for a few days off. :)
I am able to work from home for the next few weeks when I'm not on actual vacation, which is nice. I have spent today grading + packing things for my trip home to NH. It's going to be the first trip that I'm taking with my new suitcase. I used to have a tiny little 21" suitcase for small trips -- I was really good at packing that sucker. I once too that suitcase for an 8 day trip to Seattle. Granted, it was summertime, but it was a tight fit. The new suitcase is slightly larger, 24", I think, but man, what a difference 3" makes. Winter clothes, but a shorter trip and still with room to spare, room to bring home Christmas presents. It's the first time since 2000 that I have flown home for Christmas.
I am so incredibly excited to go home for Christmas, to see my family and meet my cousin's new daughter, to catch up with old friends, some of whom I have not seen in a tragically long time. (Scary too, that, but I'm certain it will generate some funny stories.)
As Christmas approaches, I have been listening non-stop to Winterbloom, a group that is made up of 4 women, two of whom are some of my favorite singer-songwriters -- Meg Hutchinson & Antje Duvekot. Not that the other two aren't fab, I'm sure, but I hadn't listened to them before this album. :P At any rate, the songs on the short album are excellent: "Winterbloom: Traditions Rearranged." Particularly love this line, from Antje's song "Thanks for the Roses": "Your gift was three sizes too small, when have you ever seen me wear a thong?!?" Though I also love this line, from "Rexroth's Daughter": "Life is a thump-ripe melon, so sweet and such a mess."
Enjoy, travel safely, and happy holidays.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Snow Stories
While my dear friend Katie made a list (and accomplished something, despite her protestations that she did not), I spent much of the past weekend sacked out on the couch, watching TV, and knitting. (I am knitting the second of a pair of socks.) I also watched it snow. And snow. And snow. And measured the snow on the back porch. 24 inches, by my last measurement, at 9 pm-ish on Saturday night.
Sunday morning, I awoke to the typical bright sunshine in the wake of a storm. The sun just seems brighter after the storm gray + the reflection off the snow seems particularly reflect-y. I decided to shovel out my car before I showered, logically. I bundled up, set out, and closed the door behind me... which is where the problem began. I locked myself out. In the cold. In the snow. No roommates home, nothing. I started to swear and then cry, but then decided that's not what adults should do in this situation. Instead, I decided to shovel and pray that my roommate would come home.
Shovel, shovel, shovel. Chat with neighbors. Mention that I locked myself out. The woman who lives next door is my new favorite person -- she knew that my lock (and all of our locks, apparently) can be jimmied with a credit card. Hallelujah. Thank goodness for neighbors. Christmas cookies for everyone!
Sunday morning, I awoke to the typical bright sunshine in the wake of a storm. The sun just seems brighter after the storm gray + the reflection off the snow seems particularly reflect-y. I decided to shovel out my car before I showered, logically. I bundled up, set out, and closed the door behind me... which is where the problem began. I locked myself out. In the cold. In the snow. No roommates home, nothing. I started to swear and then cry, but then decided that's not what adults should do in this situation. Instead, I decided to shovel and pray that my roommate would come home.
Shovel, shovel, shovel. Chat with neighbors. Mention that I locked myself out. The woman who lives next door is my new favorite person -- she knew that my lock (and all of our locks, apparently) can be jimmied with a credit card. Hallelujah. Thank goodness for neighbors. Christmas cookies for everyone!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Holiday Good Times
I had a good time with K's family for Thanksgiving. They are completely different from my crazy family, but still pleasant. I'm looking forward to spending a few days with my own family at Christmas, mostly because there's nothing like your own brand of crazy. I'm also hoping to catch up with a few college friends while in New England and some high school friends as well. Way to cram maximum contacts into minimum days. I guess this is the nature of not living in the place that you grew up.
This is interesting, an article from Slate about several art exhibits that are based on contact sheets, which are not really used anymore due to the rise of digital cameras and decrease of use of actual film.
Fascinating article re: outdoor schools. Like summer camp, but year round.
This is interesting, an article from Slate about several art exhibits that are based on contact sheets, which are not really used anymore due to the rise of digital cameras and decrease of use of actual film.
Fascinating article re: outdoor schools. Like summer camp, but year round.
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Rant About Pants
Pants are difficult for me to buy. I have hips and a waist, you know, like a woman. (Duh.) Though the time of the extremely low-rise seems to be coming to an end, I still find it difficult to find pants that a) come up high enough on my hips, b) are long enough -- 'cause I'm tall, and c) have a hip to waist ratio that fits my body. So, here's my thing:
Why, oh why, can they not sell women's pants the way that they sell men's pants? Men's pants are sold by waist and inseam. Women's pants are sold in arbitrary sizes that differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. If they would tell me things about the measurements of the waist, inseam, hip, and rise, I would have a much better idea about which size would be mine.
All of which is to say that I bought two pairs of pants this weekend at Old Navy, which are men's pants. They fit ok, other than having no waist (since men do not have hips/waists like women).
Anywho... Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Why, oh why, can they not sell women's pants the way that they sell men's pants? Men's pants are sold by waist and inseam. Women's pants are sold in arbitrary sizes that differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. If they would tell me things about the measurements of the waist, inseam, hip, and rise, I would have a much better idea about which size would be mine.
All of which is to say that I bought two pairs of pants this weekend at Old Navy, which are men's pants. They fit ok, other than having no waist (since men do not have hips/waists like women).
Anywho... Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Haircuts
This post is of positively no consequence, but here it is anyway. Topic: haircuts.
I have lived in this state for more than three years (incidentally, the longest I have lived anywhere since college). However, I have scrupulously avoided getting my haircut here, only getting 2 $15 "super cuts"-type haircuts in the state, plus last spring's charity chop for free. For my other haircuts, I have waited (and waited and waited) long enough and got my hair cut when I went home to New Hampshire. Like other things in my life (choral singing comes to mind), I am picky about haircuts. I both want a good cut and do not want to pay an extravagant amount. I admit, I use NH as a guideline for price, despite the fact that I live in a more major metro area now.
I spent the last few weeks asking everyone I know about haircuts. Do you like the place you get it cut? Can I have the name/number? (I'm going to try this technique with doctors & dentists next.) One of my roommates gave me the number for the place that she gets her hair colored & I went there on Saturday morning. Result? Good haircut, evening out some of the issues with the growing out previous haircut. It's good enough, at least right now, that I'm actually considering going back, perhaps giving up the "voyage home for a haircut" thing. Sigh.
I've been spending lots of time on weekends baking. Today's projects: chocolate chip cookies & the filling for a Greek desert. Looking forward to Thanksgiving...
I have lived in this state for more than three years (incidentally, the longest I have lived anywhere since college). However, I have scrupulously avoided getting my haircut here, only getting 2 $15 "super cuts"-type haircuts in the state, plus last spring's charity chop for free. For my other haircuts, I have waited (and waited and waited) long enough and got my hair cut when I went home to New Hampshire. Like other things in my life (choral singing comes to mind), I am picky about haircuts. I both want a good cut and do not want to pay an extravagant amount. I admit, I use NH as a guideline for price, despite the fact that I live in a more major metro area now.
I spent the last few weeks asking everyone I know about haircuts. Do you like the place you get it cut? Can I have the name/number? (I'm going to try this technique with doctors & dentists next.) One of my roommates gave me the number for the place that she gets her hair colored & I went there on Saturday morning. Result? Good haircut, evening out some of the issues with the growing out previous haircut. It's good enough, at least right now, that I'm actually considering going back, perhaps giving up the "voyage home for a haircut" thing. Sigh.
I've been spending lots of time on weekends baking. Today's projects: chocolate chip cookies & the filling for a Greek desert. Looking forward to Thanksgiving...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Weekend Roundup
Crap week at work. However, since I am working on not being defined by my job, I shall skip talking about that.
Weekend roundup:
- Massive cleanup of the kitchen on Friday. It was a scary place.
- Saturday errands to the post office, Target, and the supermarket. I didn't go to Trader Joe's like I usually do -- there is the occasional item that TJ's doesn't have. I needed phyllo dough for Thanksgiving-esque projects.
- Went to the bookstore on Saturday night and devoured almost half a book in the store. Needless to say, I bought it: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn. Then I finished it this morning when I got up. Beautiful, clear writing, lovely story. (Reviewers, apparently, did not care much for the book. I liked it.)
- This morning, I went to TJ's for the week's groceries. I decided to make lasagna for this week's lunches/dinners. However, they didn't have any lasagna noodles. I bought a pound of long, flat noodles instead. They made a pretty good dish, though it didn't quite stick together in the same way that lasagna is supposed to and there was a tad too much water in the dish at the end of the cooking time, probably as a result of the fact that the noodles were pre-cooked instead of "no boil."
The weather here is beautiful, after several days of rain. Sunny, bright, clear, 70 degrees. Windows open. Fresh air.
Nearly finished with a pair of wool mittens, which seem at odds with this beautiful day.
Weekend roundup:
- Massive cleanup of the kitchen on Friday. It was a scary place.
- Saturday errands to the post office, Target, and the supermarket. I didn't go to Trader Joe's like I usually do -- there is the occasional item that TJ's doesn't have. I needed phyllo dough for Thanksgiving-esque projects.
- Went to the bookstore on Saturday night and devoured almost half a book in the store. Needless to say, I bought it: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn. Then I finished it this morning when I got up. Beautiful, clear writing, lovely story. (Reviewers, apparently, did not care much for the book. I liked it.)
- This morning, I went to TJ's for the week's groceries. I decided to make lasagna for this week's lunches/dinners. However, they didn't have any lasagna noodles. I bought a pound of long, flat noodles instead. They made a pretty good dish, though it didn't quite stick together in the same way that lasagna is supposed to and there was a tad too much water in the dish at the end of the cooking time, probably as a result of the fact that the noodles were pre-cooked instead of "no boil."
The weather here is beautiful, after several days of rain. Sunny, bright, clear, 70 degrees. Windows open. Fresh air.
Nearly finished with a pair of wool mittens, which seem at odds with this beautiful day.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
New Music
Coming home from DC this evening, I heard a story on NPR on the band Paper Bird. Came home, downloaded 2 most recent albums. Love so far. Thanks, NPR!
Things that have made me happy this week:
- New music
- Friday, a consistently exceptionally pleasant day of the week
- Phone call on Thursday evening
- The realization that Christmas is 7 weeks away
- Explanatory footnotes
- Pleasant coworkers
- The gingerbread latte
- New cell phone, though irritated initially to have to purchase it
- Getting her money back from the gym, who has been charging me for the last 6 months even though I canceled the membership
- Good weather both weekend days
- Being approved for the tuition discount so I can start some more schooling for free
- An alumna was named the new President of Mount Holyoke College!
- The voters of Washington state, who seem to have approved their "everything but the word marriage" option
- The knowledge that although Maine turned down their gay marriage law, the election was close, more people's eyes were opened to the critical nature of this issue.
Plus, remember this, from Dr. King: "When our days become dreary with low hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." (8/16/1967)
At the moment, despite small day-to-day irritations, I am happy, pleased with the life I am carving out for myself, and glad for family & friends.
Things that have made me happy this week:
- New music
- Friday, a consistently exceptionally pleasant day of the week
- Phone call on Thursday evening
- The realization that Christmas is 7 weeks away
- Explanatory footnotes
- Pleasant coworkers
- The gingerbread latte
- New cell phone, though irritated initially to have to purchase it
- Getting her money back from the gym, who has been charging me for the last 6 months even though I canceled the membership
- Good weather both weekend days
- Being approved for the tuition discount so I can start some more schooling for free
- An alumna was named the new President of Mount Holyoke College!
- The voters of Washington state, who seem to have approved their "everything but the word marriage" option
- The knowledge that although Maine turned down their gay marriage law, the election was close, more people's eyes were opened to the critical nature of this issue.
Plus, remember this, from Dr. King: "When our days become dreary with low hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." (8/16/1967)
At the moment, despite small day-to-day irritations, I am happy, pleased with the life I am carving out for myself, and glad for family & friends.
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