My gift to you

Merry Christmas everyone! Even though this is supposed to be a sad Christmas for me and my family (minus my Dad), I'm pretty full of cheer. There were a few times at the Christmas Eve service where I got a tad sentimental and missed him a lot, but for the most part, I've had a great Christmas season. Everyone's been happy, there's not too much stress, and I got a pretty great early surprise: I get to stay here! My once-plan to move to Massachusetts has been overshadowed by a greater plan, which is that my girlfriend comes back here instead! Pretty awesome, right?

After the service tonight my friends Hannah, Monica and I went caroling! It's a tradition, and we were able to uphold it this year despite some serious absences. We made some people very happy, and we enjoyed it quite a lot ourselves. Ate some great cake and cookies in the process, too. We even did a cross-country performance using videochat!, waking our audience from a dead sleep (oops).

Then I wrapped a bunch of presents, which I did in front of our new gas fireplace, next to a Christmas tree, with holiday music playing. It was so frickin cozy and stereotypical I almost couldn't handle it. So I took a video! Is it just me, or does time lapse make everything funny? This turned out way better than I was thinking it would. Hope it fills you with Christmas cheer! I wish I knew how to add music, but I don't, so go play some holiday song while the video plays.



yeah...the camera fell off the couch midway through, that's what all of that was about. 

If that didn't get you in the mood, listen to this-- My 7 year old neighbor showed me this awesome website so you can track Santa! Imagine my excitement when I went to get the link for you guys and saw that Santa was in San Diego, California. That is nearby! Now I just checked it again, and he's in Anchorage, Alaska. Dang, he must have come when I blinked...

When Parents Text

Announcing the best thing I've seen on the internet lately!! And I hear from my friend Connie that it's a "Smith HP venture" which I'm pretty sure means it was started by one of Smith's House Presidents. Sometimes Connie is hard to understand - she's an econ major, and she's British. So I neither understand what she's talking about nor the words she's saying. JK!

I like to poke fun of my friends a lot

Anyway, the site is whenparentstext.com. That about says it all, you guys can figure it out from there. These are some of my favorites:

Mom: What’s that site you like to find jokes on? Noodle About?
Me: Stumble Upon.

Dad: Hi Roo! Don’t let your studies get the best of you! Just do the best you canand you will be fine! You’re probably thinking easy for him to say! But I know how you feel! I often feel overwhelmed at work! Actually I’m on my way to work to rework my reply brief! I’m not happy with the first draft! I ask myself- why is this so hard? Anyway, it will all work out ! Love, Dad
 

Mom: Lunar eclipse tonight 1:30 am next one 2094- I’LL BE DEAD

but the one that had me in stitches was

Mom: How do I turn my phone off?
Me: Hold the red power button down. It’s usually the end call button
Mom: I don’t understand. I am getting on a plane. I don’t want to cause a plane crash.
Mom: Hi this is Steve, your mom wanted to let you know she found help turning off her phone, she’ll talk to you in 14 hours. Love you! (this is mom)

I wish I had saved the first text I ever got from my mom.  It was some very disjointed sentence with terrible punctuation (very unlike my mom). It went something like this:

It's snowing   Steve sledded down the street! so much fun. 

And I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Come to find out later, she was in Seattle with her brother visiting their sister, and it was snowing. They all grew up in Texas, and now they live in Houston, the Bay Area, and Seattle, so their encounters with snow are rare. They are all about 60, so them sledding was ridiculous in itself. I thought the whole thing was hilarious. Oh, and I think it was split into two texts that she sent like 20 minutes apart.

Ego boost

Did you ever wonder what it would feel like to have people applaud and yell for you? To have a giant crowd of people so excited, happy, and enthusiastic just because you're there, and maybe you sang or gave a moving speech or  performed a heroic act? (who knows what it is each one of us will do?)

Well, Taylor Swift had that happen to her, and you can read exactly how it felt on her face and it's on video. So  you can feel like that too! And close your eyes and imagine that the crowd is for you. I can't imagine from someone who wouldn't benefit from that. I've gotta say, it feels pretty awesome. so watch:

Pink Bride

Look at this pretty pink dress! doesn't that make you smile? ...with envy?

the whole she-bang was kinda cute (find it here). Yes, I subscribe to wedding blogs on my reader...started with my brother's wedding, and I actually did a lot of research for them. But that was in August so now I have no reason and I look at them anyway. but less than I used to!

Sh-ooooooohhs

Damn! I really want these shoes. One of my favorite blogs, Urban Grace (though truth be told I like her sister Darby's better) did a Christmas wish list for each of the girls that work in the Urban Grace interior decorating office. The owner and writer, Erika, asked for another Frye flat and I started browsing... I want some new flats...all of mine smell pretty bad at this point! And I think these are just about perfect. I love that blue with the brass studs, and they look comfy. Pop of color, anyone?

Ahhh! They are so cute. I just can't spend that much on a pair of shoes (though I may end up convincing myself)

if any of Santa's elves are reading this, they can be bought here. http://www.zappos.com/frye-emma-honeycomb-stud-light-brown?zlfid=111

Kenny G (Fun Fact)

In this series, I'd like to share interesting tidbits and useless information. You'll thank me the next time you're having an awkward moment at a holiday party.

Without further ado, here is our first Fun Fact

In 1997, Kenny G earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone. Using circular breathing, Kenny G held an E-flat for 45 minutes and 47 seconds at J&R Music World in New York City.^[14]

 Whoa! That's a long time to be playing a note. Can you imagine watching that happen? It'd be a cross between really amazing and really boring. I wonder what the rest of his body was doing at that time. What facial expression do you imagine he would have made?

I always thought Kenny G was some super cool rapper. Now I know he looks like this

and is definitely not a gangsta. He's a 90s breakout star jazz saxaphone player.

What kind of saxaphone player has a gangsta name like  Kenny G? I feel tricked. And surprised. This is as mindblowing as when I found out that Georgia O'Keefe wasn't black!

Take a listen:


Thanks for the info, Wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_G

It's all good in the neighborhood

My neighbors are fantastic. The houses on our left and across the street are filled with the most fantastic, warm, funny, smart people. I've taken care of their kids for years and all of us are sad to be parting ways. The kids make a lot of fun of me, but I make fun of them so it's all good. Here is the note they wrote to me on their goodbye card

 Trina--

You are an awesome neighbor, we are so glad to know and have you as our neighbor. we are so sad that you are leaving but we know that you have to do something with your life and not live with your mom forever! even though she would like that! we hope that you have fun in massachusetts and that you have a good life and you can add to your 4 friends. so have lots of fun in your new life in massachusetts!
you rock!
 from Meaghan, Kendall, Kate, Grace, ian and caitlin

I love them!

Snark

I love snarkiness.
It can be a potent weapon. It can be funny. It takes some thought and brains, therefore, it is not a tool available to just anyone. I also love calling people "snarkypants". Really cuts through tension but still says "you are annoying the shit out of me". That said, I sure do hate when people are snarky to me. Especially when they are 10 years old and I have to help them bake 4 dozen muffins. (Which is what I did last night.)

Anyway, what brought on this ode to snark was a fine example I read today in an article my brother alerted me to (which I alerted him to a year ago...aren't siblings handy?). Do you all know who Mark Bittman is? If not, he's....somewhat of a god. He writes for the New York Times food column, The Minimalist, and also wrote How to Cook Everything and a number of other cookbooks. The article in question is about how to best equip your kitchen for the least amount of money. And, since I'm moving across the country into my first apartment, that's a question that's been weighing heavily on my mind. This bit at the end of the article lightened the mood a little bit:

The Inessentials
You can live without these 10 kitchen items:
BREAD MACHINE You can buy mediocre bread easily enough, or make the real thing without much practice.
MICROWAVE If you do a lot of reheating or fast (and damaging) defrosting, you may want one. But essential? No. And think about that counter space!
STAND MIXER Unless you’re a baking fanatic, it takes up too much room to justify it. A good whisk or a crummy handheld mixer will do fine.
BONING/FILLETING KNIVES Really? You’re a butcher now? Or a fishmonger? If so, go ahead, by all means. But I haven’t used my boning knife in years. (It’s pretty, though.)
WOK Counterproductive without a good wok station equipped with a high-B.T.U. burner. (There’s a nice setup at Bowery Restaurant Supply for $1,400 if you have the cash and the space.)
STOCKPOT The pot you use for boiling pasta will suffice, until you start making gallons of stock at a time.
PRESSURE COOKER It’s useful, but do you need one? No.
ANYTHING MADE OF COPPER More trouble than it’s worth, unless you have a pine-paneled wall you want to decorate.
RICE COOKER Yes, if you eat rice twice daily. Otherwise, no.
COUNTERTOP CONVECTION OVEN, ROTISSERIE, OR “ROASTER” Only if you’re a sucker for late-night cooking infomercials.

heh, heh. I especially like the bit about knives.

 Find the entire article here.

What she said

In this series, I'd like to take quotes out of context. 

"I suggest selling yourself on Craigslist under the heading of 'Men seeking Men with butt chins.' "

I've been spending a lot of time on Craigslist lately, what with a job/apartment/furniture/household-good-search underway.  So this line from Glee felt written for me. Craigslist is actually quite humorous. The stupidity displayed there amuses me...I usually walk away smiling because I am so puzzled at how some people act.

Did anyone else think this was hilarious? Did you watch it?


ps, I hope you guys enjoy my blog. It's hard work! You have to be willing to google the phrase 'men seeking men with butt chins', for example. I mean, something real scary could have popped up...I steeled myself for the worst.

Crap!

I've sorta dropped off this blog for a while*, but I'm back. For a quick second at least, and because I have something to ask you all. I was going to disguise my plea for answers in a fun QOW (since I know you love those!) but really, I just need your help.

A few weeks ago my mom asked if I had any light delicates. I had a few, so I made a pile to add to her load. Sweaters, bras, etc. I also needed to wash my black sweatpants, which I've had forever and washed a million times. I didn't imagine it had any dye left to bleed in it, so I threw it in.

Mistake.

Of course, the only things damaged were a sweater and an office shirt of my mom's. They both have a few black blotches on them now. Oops. I feel terrible, but they went through the dryer and everything, so there's nothing I can do. I mean, it's a stain...but not the kind you can remove, right? I am flummoxed to think of anything that could separate the black dye out from the pink, and leave the pink, so I haven't tried anything yet. And, each day I don't do anything, my mom gets madder and madder because she thinks there must be something I can do and that I am just being lazy. Today she thew a guide called "How to Clean Practically Anything" at me.

So I ask you, to save my relationship with my mother (actually, truth be told, she told me she wouldn't get me any Christmas presents unless I fixed her shirts), is there anything I can do?

Sorry, Mom!




* I took a trip to Massachusetts for Thanksgiving!

What the hell is a drop of Jupiter?

You know what a good song is? Drops of Jupiter by Train. It's one of those ones that I've heard a million times, got sick of, and circled around to loving. But I didn't even like it at first, but now I really dig it. Still don't like to listen to it toooo much though, because hearing it kinda evokes a Pavlovian response and I feel irritable immediately. (Just gotta shake it off).

 

I'm actually not a crazy pet person, though

http://imgsrv.gocomics.com/dim/?fh=04e0f87e808e7c972450abe09c699f94

I got to see my favorite dog last week! She's my friend's puppy who is just officially 1 year. Shoutout to Katie! And my cat...name of Kitty. Those are my soft and huggy animals, since I can't have Hobbes.

Everyone, go hug an animal. It'll make you feel better, and I know you need it. But be responsible... you can't blame me if you get rabies. Make smart choices, people!



makes me think of....
Remember in elementary school they used to make you line up to go anywhere? At my school the gym teacher would get us all ready and before we were led out, we would have to shout
"Be Safe, Be Smart, and DON'T SMOKE!"
then on Fridays we would add "and have a gooooood weekend"

Free Radicals

I love science. I especially love the funny things people come up with to try to explain science. Ever been to the hospital and had a doctor try to tell you what's going on in your body? I've never personally been in the hospital, but I've had doctors make analogies to both plates of spaghetti and cars to try to help me understand (little do they know, I am a brilliant biology student). I always wonder where they come up with those things...is there a class in medical school where they say, "ok students, when a patient's family comes in, you can use this strange analogy to tell them what's going on for this case, and this strange analogy for this case"? or do doctors lay awake at night trying to think of how to explain things, and that's just what they come up with?

ANYway, what made me think of all this is a hilarious explanation my facebook friend shared from her textbook.

"think of paired electrons as a married couple. a free radical would be an extremely seductive outsider...in an attempt to stabilize itself, a free radical will "steal" from the neighboring couple in turn generating more unstable radicals."  

Like I said....I love science! and science writers.

Lolz

from here

Great Migrations

I want to watch this new nature series. Very Planet Earth-esque. I saw this teaser online, and the footage is so beautiful. Butterflies! Plus, I love this song.

National Geographic Channel's Great Migrations is a seven-part global television event that takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species. Shot from land and air, in trees and cliff-blinds, on ice floes and underwater, Great Migrations tells the formidable, powerful stories of many of the planet's species and their movements, while revealing new scientific discoveries with breathtaking high-definition clarity. Coming Fall 2010.

Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/great-migrations?source=banner_tmngc_151#ixzz14fiNdlGD

 

Too bad I don't get Discovery Channel! or National Geographic TV, whatever it is. I hope they let me watch it online.

Land's End

A friend and I strolled around Land's End a few days ago and had a great chat about life and love. We also stopped by the Legion of Honor, but just to use the bathroom. We decided we were having such a great talk that we'd rather continue it than see their exhibit of Japanese prints. I actually really want to go see that exhibit sometime, but that's how good our chat was!

It was a beautiful day, and you could actually see the Golden Gate and the Marin Headlands across the water. There were also 3 giant freight ships that passed underneath the bridge while we watched. Quite picturesque!

Looking out West, a ship was coming in

Baker Beach

The Golden Gate span

A piece of work!

Coming down the home stretch! I wonder what's in those boxes...

Land's End is awesome (let's be clear: I'm talking about the parks area, not the clothing catalog). It's a great place to go for a short little walk, and it's so conveniently located you don't even have to plan to go there. We went on a whim after lunch at Laurel Village (which has the best 5 + dime store ever!...but lunch was not so great).

It was really good to see the water. Something about the giant expanse of open ocean always feels like a deep breath and makes me feel at peace, at least for a little while. I hate to go too long without it!

Shopping Spree

For some mysterious reason, I got a credit for $108 at Delia's in the mail today. Actually, it was addressed to my mom, but why on Earth would Delias be refunding her..she hasn't given them any money in 10 years. I on the other hand, proudly shop at Delias all the time. In fact I'm wearing Delias pants right now. Laugh, but I always get admiring comments on the stuff I've ordered! Anyway, clearly the money goes to me. What would my mom buy for herself from Delias anyway?

I've actually been thinking they should reward me for being such a loyal customer. I'm glad they thought so too! As my friend said tonight "I'm in a place where I feel like everyone on the street should stop as I pass and hand me money." As in, for life to make up for being so shitty. Gotta say, I agree and so would most people I know. It's nice that Delia's is doing something about it for me.

Shitty life moments or not, I'm going shopping! Maybe I'll come and ask for advice from you if I have any tough decisions to make.

Remember when Delia's catalogs used sticky caps? that was old school. I distinctly remember paging through one of their catalogs in the backseat of my friend's car after soccer practice one day in 5th grade. Odd what you remember, isn't it?
(btw how spot-on is the first definition on that link?)




hope nobody from Delia's reads this and realizes they sent the card in mistake!

Great Quote from the depths of the internet

So, that last post? I just spent the last 15 minutes reading the comments and here is my analysis for your idle reading pleasure:
The primary source: http://theweek.com/article/index/208901/relationship-alert-the-amazing-facebook-breakup-graph

This bit right here deserves a whole post to itself because of how true and well-put it is (I am a bit of a linguistic nerd). Instead, I'll just highlight it and hope you take a moment to think about it before you read on.

"I, for one, applaud the zen-like mastery of passive-aggression our youth today are developing. They'll be wonderful world leaders and out-of-touch corporate executives someday."

Posted by Chris R, 2010-11-04 14:09:18 

Exhibit A (from the same thread):

The demographics of Facebook today show that 50 PERCENT of users are less than 23 years young....hardly concrete facts about the stability or truthfulness of why REAL relationships fail. Posted by Chris , 2010-11-03 16:58:16

WOW, 50 PERCENT are under 23...wait that means 50 PERCENT are OVER 23...MORON!!
Posted by Dan, 2010-11-04 18:54:59

And the kicker:

While I tend to find little value in data such as this, I do find that Facebook can be incredibly useful in information gathering. On a side note, I think Chris needs to masturbate more, or perhaps get a girlfriend; he seems angry.

Posted by Johnny Nines, 2010-11-06 17:51:48

Just great all around. For so many reasons. Isn't it? Tell me you agree.

This is awesome

The Amazing Facebook Breakup Graph
check out this link! just go read it because i want to copy the whole thing here because the whole thing is worth sharing, but that's not cool to do. (that's called plagiarism)!

Here's a graphic teaser though:

my comment is, how did he get all that data? can you really search facebook statuses like that? kind of worrisome of the answer is yes. or is that just among his friends? if so, it's not a very good sample. And I would point out this sample is only taken from the subset of people who actually post about being dumped online for the world to see. So, these results only apply to unclassy people.

But don't get me wrong! I have tons of friends that do that and I still love them.

And the information this gives is very interesting. I'd love to hear any reasoning for his results.

Proud to be an American

Wow! That first lady sure can dance! I love that America is kinda cool now.



Quote from the Yahoo!News article:

"I feel like my dream come true," one little girl told Mrs. Obama.
"You feel like your dream has come true?" the first lady asked.
"Yes," the girl said.
"Why, because of me?" asked Mrs. Obama.
"Yes!" the girl said.
"No!" Mrs. Obama disputed.
"Yes!" the girl exclaimed again.
Replied the first lady: "No, you are my dream come true."
After some laughter the kids fell silent, so Mrs. Obama urged another round of dancing.
"Let's dance some more! One more dance!" she said. She was quickly surrounded by a bouncing circle of girls throwing their arms in the air. The boys nearby jumped up and down. Before leaving, the first lady sent each child home with a tote bag stuffed with educational materials — notebooks, pencils and pen — and White House M&Ms.

I want some white house M&Ms!

Remember the Bush years? That sure sucked. (so happy to be able to finally say that)

Hi-larious

I really want to use this someday.

really makes me feel bad for wanting to wake them up. seems like I should just tip-toe away. Sorry, cookies!

Giants Fever

Giants are up 3-1 in the 7th...possibly the last game of the World Series and the Rangers just got a 1 run homer off Tim Lincecum.

It's ok buddy! You're doing great. And, my friend Stef from high school made an AWESOME jack-o-lantern of you. Check it out!

And, I'd kinda like it better if they won at home, so it's cool with me if they lose this game. As long as they promise to win the next one!


ETA: Not that I'm complaining we WON!!! go Giants you kicked ass this series!!

QOW: What's your favorite browser?

Do you know that I love Firefox? or as I call it, Mozilla. Is it Firefox Mozilla? Is Mozilla the company name or the product name? My brother's told me a hundred times, yet the whole dealio there eludes me. Anyway, found this in the depths of the internet: 

somebody's tumblr

First of all, points for an awesome costume! Go Firefox! Secondly, she gets points for being cute instead of awkward at a super awkward age.  I was totally awkward then (I'm guessing she's 13-15?) so I'm glad somebody was able to go through that period of life unscathed. (I guess I should explain that I just found a bunch of photos of myself from that era and it was harsh!).

What's your favorite web browser? What feature(s) do you love most about it?

Mine, clearly, is Firefox. It's the tabs...and nobody does tabs quite like Firefox. At any given time I have 10-40 tabs open, and I get totally pissed if people close them. Tabs and Firefox's easy history allow to you actually keep track of things on the internet and find them again! Firefox ftw.

This week's Question of the Week is an open response. There is a poll up, but I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments too!

Puli, pushme

One of the blogs I read is A Cup of Joe. At first I didn't like it, but I knew everyone else did so I gave it a little bit of time. Now I love it. The author, Joanna Goddard, is awesome. And she just had a sweet sweet baby named Toby! The whole thing is just adorable. She posted a cute little picture of a puppy and it started me googling.

Ever heard of a dog called a Puli? I hadn't, but I'm pretty sure I saw one walking down Judah the other day and it was boggling. My mind was frantically trying to decide between dog and sheep. I can't say if I'm laughing with it or at it, but it sure puts a smile on my face!

 

 

The search results were mostly about dogs, but around page 8 (does anyone else LOVE google's new image search result pages? makes it so easy to see a lot, quickly...hence page 8) this guy started popping up a lot. Seems like his name might be Puli, too.

Introducing: Answer of the Week

Well folks, if you'll remember waaaaay far back a week ago I introduced the QOW (question of the week). You answered, and lo and behold, here is its hot sister, AOW!

With a fantastic n of 3, it appears, by popular opinion, that Netflix envelopes are NOT recyclable...but we'd sure like them to be. It was also revealed that Netflix envelopes are made out of recycled Tyvek.

Glad we agree. I like you readers already! If I had to reduce my thoughts on the subject to an internet button, I'd be with the majority. One reader googled the answer (technically cheating! but i can't say i care) and found an interesting epistle on Tyvek that seems to say that they should be trashed. See how much you can learn from blogging? I can't wait to see what we find out next week.

==============================


How about this: we'll start the next QOW on Monday. That way we can all enjoy the weekend without having to puzzle anything out. ...nah, i bet you guys are all smart as a whisker.

I've got some great ones planned out! Get excited!

What up, Leo?

What can I even say about this picture? It is self-explained awesome. What up, Leo? You sure are looking like a cocky son of a bitch today!

'Je ne sais quoi'

Check out this awesome news story. This is the kind of news I like: the bit stories that make you go, 'hm! Imagine that!'

Parisian flat lay untouched for 70 years (Telegraph)

I dream of happening upon things like this. Of walking into a room and finding priceless treasures. Or secrets. Or mementos. They all tell you stories, which I love. I especially like kids' stories. They really get my imagination going! And once I get going I have a lot of fun in my imagination. 

But, this apartment is beautiful! Look at that rug, and that mirror! And those gorgeous windows. With the wallpaper, which is amazing. And that white chair with the flowers embroidered onto the backing. I love it all. 

Why do French people always manage to pull off stuff like that? What seems super cheesy and over the top here is totally normal in France (you know, from the 2 days I spent there when I became an expert). They have a very interesting national sentiment, those French, and not one I always understand.  

Regardless, I would love to have that apartment. I would add a few solid, slightly rustic wood pieces to tone it down a little, but I love all those curls and gilt and frills. A whole room like that though, and it feels too airy-fairy. 

Maybe someday I will find some treasure. Actually, cool story: One time my dad went on a hike in the mud and when he cleaned out his boots later he found a cut diamond in the dirt....seriously, who does that??? Sometimes I think that just about sums up his life. 

The best kind of friends

How stinking cute is this art for children?  ADORABLE. Move over kiddos, I want those for myself! I love this little series of two animal friends.

Wellesley and Winslow In autumn leaves

I love you, friend

goodnight, friend

The artist, Sarah Jane: "Wellesley and Winslow are two unlikely friends, but rather inseparable. You'll always see them on some kind of imaginary grand adventure or just enjoying each other's company. They are the best kind of friends."

Melt my heart, Sarah Jane!

There are so many cute art prints around the internet for under $50. It's so tempting to buy each one I like! I would have an awesome collection of little prints from etsy if I had unlimited funds...it looks great on the imaginary wall in my imaginary house!

 via NieNie

Two great songs

I've been totally loving my Pandora lately. I have a few great stations. A new one, based on Jenny and Johnny, who I saw live at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in SF last month. And a great old standby of mine is a station based on Amos Lee's song 'Sweet Pea'.
A Matisyahu song came up on the latter and I was blown away by how awesome it is. It has a great message and it is so upbeat and powerful. I also can't believe I've never heard it before or realized how much I like Matisyahu. Probably because my ex-boyfriend was really into him and I spurned it on principle after we broke up. Dang.



That in turn reminded me of this song, the "other" official song to the 2010 World Cup (the primary one is Shakira, and while it is true that girl can shake her ass, that song sucked). This one is way better and I love the video, too.



There's your tunes for the day!  What songs are you obsessed with at the moment?

Zac on The View

I don't normally watch The View, but sometimes I wish I did. Last year I thought about watching Ellen every day, or Oprah, but I never really did. I actually kind of like talk shows. (I used to love staying home sick because I could watch Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer and Oprah.) Now my TVs broken so it's too late. Maybe when I move to Massachusetts!

Anyway, I checked out this video because I was googling pictures of Zac Efron (nbd). there it was.  and, OMGz, Zac Efron told the ladies of The View that they could sit on his face anytime, regarding a pillow they had with his face on it. @1:27 "Well, it's an honor to know that you guys can sit on me anytime...wow! anyways...it's a pillow...". DIRTY Zac Efron!.. who knew....
But still, he's ridiculously good looking. I just put 17 Again and Hairspray at the top of my Netflix queue (damn that word is hard to spell!).



I saw another one where Barbara Walters was so funny flattering him in the beginning. I never realized how funny she is! Come to think of it, didn't they just make a movie about her life? I should also add that to my queue too. Anybody know what I'm talking about?

ETA: After watching this evenings'  Giants game on our neighbor's sweet 54" flat screen TV and seeing a satellite demo, my mom is pumped to get a new TV and digital satellite with DVR. Thanks, Mike, I owe you one! She never believes me.

Introducing: Question of the Week

One thing I have planned for this blog is a "Question of the Week". When I took geometry in high school, we had a "Question of the Day", or "QOD"...and I hated them. (The teacher let me babysit his adorable baby son though, so that was cool). I promise you, these will be much better. At least I hope so.

Each week I'll think of a new question, and make a post about it including my own answer. The poll will be up on the sidebar, and when the poll closes I'll make a post about the results.

And just so we all know: these questions are going to be totally random. Just whatever I'm wondering on any particular day. First up:

Are Netflix envelopes recyclable?

I'm about 50-50 on this one. They're fairly 'waxy'. Or at least somehow manage to feel waxy without being so, which might make them plasticy. Either way, that makes them non-recyclable. But it might just be some kind of differently milled paper, which does make it recyclable. Sometimes I recycle, but I usually trash it. It depends if I'm passing by the trash or recycling as I tear off the flap.

What do you do? Do you throw them away because you're lazy sometimes? tell me I'm not alone!

Dedication page

When I was in first grade, at my elementary school we started writing our own books. There was a whole process. First, you would write a little story. You would make sure you spelled everything correctly. Then you did a rough draft showing which words would go on each page. Then you waited your turn until you could use the one classroom computer to type it up and have it printed out. Then, you would illustrate it, after which you could hand it over to the teacher and have the covers laminated and the whole thing bound with one of those stretchy plastic binder columns. When you got it back, it would all be there:

 - Your front cover, with illustration, title, and author
 - Your title page
 - Your dedication (illustration optional)
 - The story, with illustrations on each page
 - About the author page (mine were often as long as the story...this was the interesting part!)
 - and, my favorite, The comments page.

The comments page was where everyone could read your book and write you a little note. Your classmates read it, you could show it to the older kids on the bus, you could take it home to show it to grandma, and all these people could write their compliments (after all, who makes mean comments in a child's book? nobody i'd like to know) on two blank pages in the back. These are my favorite to read now, even better than the story itself...my old friends, and their handwriting, people I don't even remember anymore, and most interesting, my parents. It's fascinating to see what they came up with to say about a ridiculous little story with terrible illustrations.

In honor of first grade and Huckleberry Classroom, here is the "dedication page" to start off my blog. I always like to be grateful, so what better way to start off this venture?

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Thanks to ~
Rachel, Jill, and Meleta who inspired me to start a blog of my own. I never would have done it without you guys! and I'm talking serious. Thanks for the encouragement.

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Now let's turn the page, and see what happens in this crazy lookin' story called Trina's life!