Monday, August 29, 2005
yeah! it's leigh!
i'm oh-so-thankful i signed up to be on sixpence none the richer's email list back when they were a band. though i never had the opportunity to see them in concert, being part of their mailing list resulted in an email with a link to leigh nash's myspace site and a sampling of some of her new songs. there's a beautiful maturity going on here, and i'll happily await her album. just thought i'd share the link in case there are like-minded readers out there. her songs border on the more pop-type style, but she can do some really unusual things with chord changes that cause her to stand out above the usual chump-pop that's out there. hopefully there's some of that in the works on her up-and-coming album.
number 43
i have begun the photo log here, and i will do my very best not to bore you with too many pictures of my cats.
in other news, i'm still awaiting 9 recommended books (#31) and 10 films (#38) from my readers here on the 'muse. i know there are people out there reading this blog, so humor me why don't you.
thus far i'm really excited about my list of 101 in 1001 and definitely look forward to writing more. school just started last week and i'm awaiting the results of my application to uci on pins and needles. yea!
in other news, i'm still awaiting 9 recommended books (#31) and 10 films (#38) from my readers here on the 'muse. i know there are people out there reading this blog, so humor me why don't you.
thus far i'm really excited about my list of 101 in 1001 and definitely look forward to writing more. school just started last week and i'm awaiting the results of my application to uci on pins and needles. yea!
Friday, August 26, 2005
number 51 and 26
from 101 in 1001: sponsor a child through world vision
Congratulations! You have sponsored Xhenisa from Albania
Born: Mar 05, 1998
Grade: 1
Favorite Subject: Reading
Health: Good
Favorite Play: Toys
Gender: Girl
Chores: Too Young
Country: Albania
Xhenisa lives with her parents and 1 sister. Her parents struggle to provide for the family.
Xhenisa is growing up in the mountainous country of Albania. The village is very rural and poor. Their single floor homes are constructed of stones and sometimes logs or sticks, with mud for mortar. Farmers grow citrus fruit and vegetables. Bread and dairy products are also staple foods. This is a beautiful country with forests, mountains and lakes. Summers are hot and dry but the winters are cold.
Xhenisa is in primary school and she enjoys reading. She helps at home by learning to do small tasks. She likes to play with toys. She is in good health.
Your sponsorship commitment will help provide Xhenisa and her community with clean water and improved healthcare facilities. Your support will help your child receive a quality education. Farmers will learn to grow more food for their families. Community leaders will learn management and development skills. We are thankful for your commitment and your prayers so these precious children and their families are able to experience the love of God and life in all its fullness.
my former roommate kim does this and i always thought it was a great idea. the monthly donation for an indefinite period of time was a little scary to me, but i try to remind myself how fortunate i am to have as much as i do. i could stand to live with a little less "stuff". and considering #26 (save $5/day for the next 1001 days) i can't help but notice that i'll essentially have at least 4 times as much in my own pocket at the end of all this. ah, the irony of my struggles!
Thursday, August 25, 2005
weird things
i've had a lot of weird things happen at my teller window, but today was the kicker.
a woman began flossing as i processed her transaction.
let's just think on this for a while, shall we?
a woman began flossing as i processed her transaction.
let's just think on this for a while, shall we?
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
how long should it be?
well, amidst the pressures of composing 101 things to do in 1001 days, i happened across this site as i was looking for guidance with the 10 short stories i've proposed writing. i've never thought about how long a piece needs to be, apart from assignments i've been given. but here i am, looking for answers. though this website has an awful pink hue remeniscent of pepto bismol, i think there's probably a little here and there to be gleaned from it.
precious amigos
Thursday, August 18, 2005
irvine, we have ignition
it's a slow-burn, the admissions process. namely the act of writing about myself in order to convince an unknown person that i am acceptable. two essays were written, trashed, and re-written about three times. i want to cry because:
must.
sleep.
--i love safari. it's the browser that cuts through apparent traffic jams that explorer and mozilla can't penetrate. i was trying to submit my application online and IE was completely deadlocked.it is finished. will update you with glorious news or the brutal truth in 3-4 weeks. there was a request to see my final essays tonight at dinner, but i haven't decided whether they belong here or not. would it invite plagiarism? i'm proud of my work, but i sure hope not. publishing it on the 'muse is still up for debate.
--my two great friends, erin & lauren, helped me cut to the chase on my essays and their hugely in-depth comments brought focus to my compositions. so what if my last "open-ended" essay capped at 133 words! i had nightmares about this. i kept editing myself so that i wouldn't be disqualified for missing the "about 200 words" mark so broadly
--i love my iBook. i carted it with me everywhere in my bulky new messenger bag. i sought refuge in bookstores and cafes and it did me good.
--coldplay sang "till kingdom come" through my iPod earbuds as the moment came to a close
--i haven't slept for nearly 21 hours
--josh. just, josh. he rocks.
must.
sleep.
Monday, August 15, 2005
fly now, butterfly
it's absolutely unavoidable. wednesday is the day my uc application must be complete. and i'm reading and rereading my essays and trying to work out the best possible composition. as i'm doing this, i'm feeling incredibly inadequate. i'm trying to put my best foot forward, and i continually second-guess my abilities.
i'll be hitting my favorite cafe tonight for inspiration. yeah!
i'll be hitting my favorite cafe tonight for inspiration. yeah!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
ready, set, write!
not only do i have a weekend chock-full of essays and writing assignments to be completed, but i promise to continue ignoring the gardening in order to do so. though i have high hopes of having a green thumb one day, the pepper tree that's been planted by The Association on the corner sheds worse than my long-haired cat, requiring the discipline of someone who's willing to sweep once a week to avoid the patio looking like a long-abandoned forest floor. i'm willing, but unable to oblige with other commitments taking precedence. my ficus has been hearty enough to endure periods of neglect, but i'm not so sure about our bamboo plant. several leaves have browned and my generous serving of water may not do the trick.
my sister is in town for the weekend so she can attend a cookie lee convention. as i opened up the door last night to usher her in, i became distracted by the hundreds of ants swarming around my door frame and didn't really get around to hugging her for about a half an hour. her timing was fortunate for us, because how often does anyone examine their doors when they aren't expecting guests? also fortunate is the nearby grocery store which supplied us with ant spray and that i still had some terro ant bait on hand.
i hate ants with a passion unlike any other vile, abhorrent thing on this earth. well, almost.
my sister is in town for the weekend so she can attend a cookie lee convention. as i opened up the door last night to usher her in, i became distracted by the hundreds of ants swarming around my door frame and didn't really get around to hugging her for about a half an hour. her timing was fortunate for us, because how often does anyone examine their doors when they aren't expecting guests? also fortunate is the nearby grocery store which supplied us with ant spray and that i still had some terro ant bait on hand.
i hate ants with a passion unlike any other vile, abhorrent thing on this earth. well, almost.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
the joys of parenting
well, as luck would have it, monty appears to have an upper respiratory infection ($) and our trip to the vet last night produced a bill and some medication ($). last night i was awoken to the sound of moxie throwing up ($). gotta hand it to that kitten, he picked a very cleanable, rinsable place to do his business. as opposed to, say, upchucking under the bed. after breakfast this morning, mango threw up by the litter box ($). so i've called the vet and she'll call me back. chances are, all cats have the same virus ($)($)($).
i'm so glad i adopted another cat!
ed. note: dr. mckee wants to wait a little bit for more symptoms to show themselves rather than needlessly medicating them. good for her. (-$$)
i'm so glad i adopted another cat!
ed. note: dr. mckee wants to wait a little bit for more symptoms to show themselves rather than needlessly medicating them. good for her. (-$$)
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
meme
this one came to me via email from vicki, but i've decided it piqued my interest enough that it should go here as well.
Instructions: Go to Google and type in "(your name) is", inserting your name in the parantheses, and try to pick the 10 most interesting sentences to respond with.
i went for broke with an even dozen:
Instructions: Go to Google and type in "(your name) is", inserting your name in the parantheses, and try to pick the 10 most interesting sentences to respond with.
i went for broke with an even dozen:
1. Sara is one of those girls who stand out in whatever they do, ...this site does something similar, but the manual procedures are infinitely more satisfying.
2. SARA is used to control the spread of Macro viruses.
3. Sara is extremely shy. She used to be afraid of everything, people, cats, dogs, firehydrants, the wind, mailboxes, poles, tree branches, motorcycles, bikes, ...
4. Sara is an affectionate, cuddly girl who has a lot of love to share. ...
6. SARA is a subtle condition in most high-producing dairy herds.
7. SARA is located on 380 acres, which also serves as a refuge for wildlife.
8. Watch out Barbie! Sara is coming ...
9. But Sara is nonetheless the most pampered pupil in the school.
10. Sara is a forecaster, who sets benchmarks and clearly-definable goals;
11. SARA is being run from an untrusted host.
12. Sara is very pleased to be 32.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
boo-hoo
monty's been rather hoarse the past few days, a little lethargic, and had a brief coughing spell/asthma attack last night which leads me yet again to the vet's office (dr. mckee at moulton animal hospital is amazing. monty can be a pain in the a__.) anytime one of my cats is sick i start thinking of worst case scenarios. it's a sort of mental illness i think. just like when i picture myself dodging bullets matrix-style as i enter the vault at work and hurry to shut the metal door behind me should our bank ever been overtaken by robbers (have you seen heat? ohmegee!). needless to say i'm horrified at the potential diagnosis, the stress of the trip on my senior cat (he's seven), and whether or not he will pee on the doctor's examining table as they attempt to muzzle him.
jeers
...to the boys who woke me up at 2:30 in the morning running around by our house and talking loud enough to wake me from my slumbers. i chastized them from my window (though i mistook a plant for a boy because i was without my glasses) "what are you doing out there? you need to go home. it's late." but i never did fall asleep properly after that and my eyes are fuzzy and squinty today, with patches of pinkish-red to boot. as i pulled out from the garage this morning, however, i discovered that a house across the way had been toilet-papered something fierce. boys!
Monday, August 08, 2005
thinking...
...and googled this out of the blue. wow. i just shake my head, speechless.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
a la carte
i'm sure most or all writers understand the difficulties of motivation. procrastination is a childhood pal of mine i would like to kick to the curb. most of the time my delays are coupled with an inability to get started on a project. the project that most concerns me is that of my admissions essays. and i'm home right now (as opposed to hanging out with josh, who has a gig tonight) with the promise of working on my essays. there are so many distractions: the constant barrage of ants, a new kitty to care for, endless miles of housework. my body is sore from lack of movement and my eyes are tired for straining at the computer monitor. i could use a workout at the gym, but a promise is a promise. the essays are waiting and i just polished off a bag of fresh-boiled soybeans.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
crap
our bank was robbed yesterday. i'm relieved it was my day off, but i am sad for ann. ann!!! ergh. stupid bank robber....
p.s. i just helped a woman and it was nearly "nipplegate" all over again. gimme a friggin' break! it's a BANK, not a BEACH!
later (same customer)...doltish customer comment: did you guys close early yesterday?
me: no. we were robbed.
dcc: oh, yeah. i knew that.
yeah, and you're just a loser for trying to make a joke out of it!
me: may i see your i.d. for the cash back?yeah, who's the loser now?
dcc: i've got my wife's i.d.!
me: you don't look like a "beverly"...
dcc: yeah. i lost her a while back.
me: (feeling like a complete real idiot) i'm sorry to hear that.
p.s. i just helped a woman and it was nearly "nipplegate" all over again. gimme a friggin' break! it's a BANK, not a BEACH!
let's fighting love (south park)
or, let's go to our ten year high school reunion. let's show up, with our army of friends, and just see what materializes.
game?
yep. and i'm a little insane because of the price (about $70/ticket). but my friends will be there, and we can look around the room and see if anyone's changed, reminisce about our teenage escapades, and eat chicken piccata with veggies, a dinner roll, salad, and old desert paired with lukewarm coffee. i hope i'm not romanticizing it too much.
game?
yep. and i'm a little insane because of the price (about $70/ticket). but my friends will be there, and we can look around the room and see if anyone's changed, reminisce about our teenage escapades, and eat chicken piccata with veggies, a dinner roll, salad, and old desert paired with lukewarm coffee. i hope i'm not romanticizing it too much.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
how much?
oh, dear reader, why doth thy futile searches bring thee to my door? the 'muse does not care "how much does jessica simpson weigh", and yet that's exactly what 77 readers tried to find out in the past 30 days when they ended up here. well, i'm sorry to disappoint, but i am thankful for the laugh.
other search terms that made me laugh this morning:
other search terms that made me laugh this morning:
- scarlet johansson boobs
- why are californians rude
- push ups give me a headache
- fedex truck spoon
- talk to me anytime
