UM 242

Long time no see!

1. Singles ::

2. Blaze ::

3. Sandwich ::

4. Outside ::

5. Gooey ::

6. Industry ::

7. Exclusive ::

8. Warranty ::

9. Magical ::

10. Heels ::

1. Singles :: $1 bills

2. Blaze :: fire flame

3. Sandwich :: bread

4. Outside :: fresh air

5. Gooey :: caramel

6. Industry :: grey

7. Exclusive :: club

8. Warranty :: expire

9. Magical :: land

10. Heels :: toes

Brief Update

My sincerest apologies to all who are waiting with bated breath for my Katy Trail trip posts. Rest assured that I am working on them. As so often happens, work is getting in the way of all the things I would rather be doing. I've worked every single day since my return, including both days last weekend and this weekend.
Bleh!
I haven't even finished unpacking my suitcase (although I have reassembled my bike.)

So go ahead and breathe normally, but don't give up on me.
Love to all and thanks for checking up on me!

Peace Out!

I'm off to bike the Katy Trail with mom and dad. I'm super-stoked!

I hope to keep a short journal and take some good pictures on the trek. If I'm successful, I'll post them upon my return.

I should have cleared away my crash demons with the minor vehicular collision I was involved in earlier this morning.

(Yup, I'm not kidding - why do people keep hitting me?!? I think my next car is going to be safety yellow fluorescent.)

Anyone up for a wager?

My yahoo email spam folder currently houses no messages - 5.47pm, EST, Monday, August 6th, 2007. How many messages will it contain at 3pm, EST, Friday, August 17th, 2007?

The person with the closest guess gets a Katy Trail t-shirt. Or a hat. Or maybe a sticker. A keychain? Magnet?

I haven't really come across much Katy Trail related merchandise in the Washington, D.C. suburbs. But I'm sure the commercialism of America won't let me down and there will be something available a little closer to the trail. I will pick up something special there. And if no one answers, I will keep the item. So you know it'll be something good enough that I'm willing to keep.

Be excellent to each other.

Hasta la vista!

CC beats BB

... any day of the week and twice on Sundays!

My disillusionment with the famed electronics super store Bogus Buy began several years ago. I purchased the Family Guy 3 ("Victory shall be mine!") DVD for myself, and then received it as a gift shortly thereafter. Naive American Shopper I was, I thought, "no problem. The copy I bought is still in the plastic wrap. I have the receipt. I can return it."

Yea, right.
Bogus Buy would not take the damn thing back. ... Despite my best attempts at reason; despite my prettiest smile; despite having my original sale's receipt in my hot little hand; despite still being shrink-wrapped in that Kevlar-spiderweb-forcefield creation.

The betrayal didn't even end there! Blake had difficulty exchanging a faulty camcorder. My colleague was given the run-around when she tried to take back a TV that didn't work right out of the box. The list goes on.
(OK, it really doesn't - that's pretty much all the instances of which I am aware. But they're all big deals, man!)

When it came time for me to replace my cell phone, I was decidedly against patronizing Bogus Buy. So I did a fancy little web search and, whaddaya know, was able to buy the phone online for in store pickup at Cycle Center, and save $15 to boot!

But ... the story does not end there.

The phone didn't quite perform to my high standards. I know I can be picky, and I'm sure these things wouldn't bother some people, but I noted a few minor dysfunctions. A short list: the R/4 key on the inner keyboard didn't work; the connection cut out in the middle of conversations, even when the signal strength was high; only one of the two screens displayed data; the camera didn't actually take a picture, but shot me an error message instead. Admittedly, these are small things, but they are important to me.

So I trotted back to Cycle Center and .... (here's the kicker ...)
was able to ... (are you sitting down? ...)
walk out of the store with a phone that worked to my satisfaction!

I *heart* Circui-- I mean, Cycle Center!

Monica's Pop Quiz

What do WE have in common with Harry Potter?
We all wear glasses.
We all sported the bowl haircut with too-long bangs as pre-teens.

Hmmm, too difficult? OK, try this: Name the 3 houses (ala Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin) of St. Winifred's School. Extra credit: What were their colors? Extra extra credit: Which one did we belong to?
Burton - pink
Sealy - green
Innis - blue

[I think that the extra credit and extra extra credit questions should be reversed. I easily remembered that we were in Burton, which was pink. But I have trouble coming up with the others. Also, I really think there were four houses. There were four colors for the primary school uniforms - pink, green, yellow and blue. Aren't there also four houses at Hogwarts? I'm gonna look that one up - its not cheating...
... Yes, there are! You forgot Hufflepuff!]

I'm adding a fourth Winifred's house guess:
Willahamena - yellow

Do you remember how our house leader - I can't remember her name now, but she was old and wrinkly and she wore mu-mus - called my name? Mah-ree-sah Bah-reeeng-ton.

One of the things I like about Harry Potter is reminiscing about St. Winifred's. The prefects, the houses, the creepy portraits in the assembly hall with eyes that followed you. I remember that Burton house pretty much sucked at sports, but was heavy on the brainiacs. Like Monica. Monica won, like, fifty points for the house, and a white bicycle (which was later handed down to me) for an essay she wrote. I think it was published in the newspaper or something. I was jealous.

All About Me!

All About Me Survey Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com I Am An Arms Dealer I Want to be in a hammock on a beach I Have two ears I Wish I was on vacation I Hate less than I love I Fear regret I Hear music I Search people's eyes I Wonder Who Wrote The Book Of Love? I Regret some things I Love many I Ache sympathetically I Always persevere I Usually give I Am Not a mushroom I Dance when no one's watching I Sing often I Never say never I Rarely lack compassion I Cry at inopportune times I Am Not Always happy I Lose sunglasses I'm Confused by people I Need fresh air and sunlight I Should go to the beach Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com

Fourth Festivities

I watched the DC fireworks with Mom and Dad from the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington yesterday. It was a really great vantage point.
While playing catch, Dad and I saw EMS guys on bicycles. Pretty clever - although I'd hate to be the guy stuck carrying the oxygen tank.
I think its great that so many people came out: families, couples, singles, groups of friends. There's an amazing feeling of solidarity that comes over you when you sit with a group of people and celebrate something together.

Oh yea - I also had, like, six bites of banana!
(I don't like it yet.)

Come, Mr. Tally-Man

I ate three whole bites of banana today! Mom said "two bites" but I got one whole extra bite down.

It wasn't great, but I didn't throw up, spontaneously combust, or die.

Maybe next time I'll make it to four!

Muttering 229

I haven't done one of these for awhile. I'm having difficulty finding inspiration lately. Any advice?

1. Compulsion
2. Spiritual
3. Spray
4. Compatibility
5. Pursuit
6. Fake
7. Mobile
8. Ceremony
9. Ribbons
10. Mozart


1. Compulsion - propulsion
2. Spiritual - journey
3. Spray - air
4. Compatibility - profile
5. Pursuit - of Happyness (why haven't I seen this movie yet?)
6. Fake - mustache
7. Mobile - phone
8. Ceremony - burial
9. Ribbons - knots
10. Mozart - requiem

Happy Solstice!

Yay, Royals!

My softball team played our first games yesterday - a double header.
We lost the first game 4-2, but won the second 10-1. Yay!!

I played second base, and did OK.
Offensively, I got to base all three times I was up to bat, but two of those times I was walked.

It was a great day to be outside, and I had a lot of fun!
Thanks, mom and dad, for coming out! (And for the post-game ice cream!) :)

Three Word Answers

1. Where is your cell phone?
Charging beside me

2. Boyfriend/girlfriend?
telephone. pencil. wheel.

3. Hair?
growing, growing, gone

4. Your mother?
wise, beautiful, supportive

5. Your father?
wise, funny, strong

6. Your favorite item(s)?
bed, fresh air

7. Your dream last night?
bookstore then theatre

8. Your favorite drink?
What’s the occasion?

9. Your dream guy/girl?
tolerant, funny, relaxed

10. The room you are in?
infectious disease lab

11. Your fear?
changes pretty often

12. What do you want to be in 10 years?
a decade wiser

13. Who did you hang out with last night?
Softball team, Becca

14. What are you not?
skinny, Hawaiian, avocado

15. Are you in love?
with myself? Yes!

16. One of your wish list items?
trip to beach

17. What time is it?
eleven seventeen, yo

18. The last thing you did?
scratched my foot

19. What are you wearing?
slacks, shirt, jacket

20. Your favorite book?
The Enchanted Wood

21. The last thing you ate?
bowl of cereal

22. Your life?
often in transition

23. Your mood?
ebbs and flows

24. Your friends?
loyal, low key

25. What are you thinking about right now?
need to pee

26. Your car?
not really mine

27. What are you doing at this moment?
this meme – duh!

28. Your summer?
Missouri bike trip?

29. Your relationship status?
I have relationships.

30. What is on your TV screen?
Could be anything

31. When is the last time you laughed?
probably at Blake

32. Last time you cried?
grocery store Wednesday

33. School?
writing personal statement

34. Why did this end so abruptly?
That was abrupt?

What I Accomplished Today

Locations west of the Greenwich Meridian will experience a blue moon this year in May. Locations on and east of the GM* will experience it in June.
*Auckland, New Zealand, as well as other locations on GMT +12, though east of the Greenwich Meridian, will experience it in July.

For more information, you may consult this table, courtesy of Obliquity:

City	Time zone	Full Moon 1	Full Moon 2	Full Moon 3	Full Moon 4
Places East of Greenwich
Auckland	GMT + 12 hours	May 2 22:09	June 1 13:04	July 1 01:49	July 30 12:48
Sydney	GMT + 10 hours	May 2 20:09	June 1 11:04	June 30 23:49	July 30 10:48
Tokyo	GMT + 9 hours	May 2 19:09	June 1 10:04	June 30 22:49	July 30 09:48
Moscow¹	GMT + 4 hours	May 2 14:09	June 1 05:04	June 30 17:49	July 30 04:48
Riyadh	GMT + 3 hours	May 2 13:09	June 1 04:04	June 30 16:49	July 30 03:48
The Greenwich Meridian
London¹	GMT + 1 hour	May 2 11:09	June 1 02:04	June 30 14:49	July 30 01:48
Places West of Greenwich
New York¹	GMT - 4 hours	May 2 06:09	May 31 21:04	June 30 09:49	July 29 20:48
Chicago¹	GMT - 5 hours	May 2 05:09	May 31 20:04	June 30 08:49	July 29 19:48
Los Angeles¹	GMT - 7 hours	May 2 03:09	May 31 18:04	June 30 06:49	July 29 17:48
Anchorage, Alaska¹	GMT - 8 hours	May 2 02:09	May 31 17:04	June 30 05:49	July 29 16:48
Hawaii	GMT - 10 hours	May 2 00:09	May 31 15:04	June 30 03:49	July 29 14:48
¹ These places observe daylight saving time in May, June and July. Bonus points if you knew there was a blue moon this/next/next-next month. Super extra bonus points if you remember the astronomical definition of obliquity. Get Out Of My Head if, when you see "Greenwich", you think "sandwich" . . . . . . . . . (or "sammich").

New Report Strategy

My most productive meeting yesterday was an impromptu brainstorming/bitching-and-venting session that arose between myself, D, and N, who heads the Build A Compliant Database project.

We concluded that we can gain significant speed and completion, while forfeiting an acceptable loss in accuracy, by running our summary numbers using numerology dice. Awesome!

Ten On Tuesday-or-Friday: Alone

Top Ten Things That You Like To Do Alone:
watch a really moving movie
drive a long trip, sometimes
hike by the water, usually
um... bathroom activities
clean/pick-up/organize
master a new skill
dance like a fool
visit a cemetery
work/study
write

play here

Peace to Blacksburg

My heart hurts for Virginia Tech students, faculty, alumni, and their families.
I pray that comfort and peace come to those in need, and that the campus finds and settles into a new normalcy.
God bless the Hokies.

Just Practicing

No. no. NO. nO. n0. Nuh-uh. Nyet. Nein. La-a. No. Negative. Forget it. Not now. I don't think so. Not gonna happen. No thank you. No way. I decline. I refuse.

UM 218

1. Freak -
2. Open -
3. Important -
4. Magnetism -
5. Lap -
6. Anything -
7. Match -
8. Father -
9. Idea -
10. Mirror -






1. Freak - on a leash
2. Open - and shut case
3. Important - business
4. Magnetism - north pole / south pole
5. Lap - dance
6. Anything - you can do I can do better (I really dislike that song!)
7. Match - point
8. Father - figure ( ... put your tiny hand in mine)
9. Idea - bright
10. Mirror - mirror on the wall

Tuesday Ten

Ten Things I Love About Springtime:

picnics

open windows

spring cleaning

longer daylight hours

the warmth of the sun
wearing open-toed shoes
waking up to birds in the mornings

blooming plant life and vibrant colors
socializing - people everywhere come out of hibernation

the nights are perfect for cozying up with someone as you talk, laugh, and people watch

play here

Discombobulajigitty

I have all these impedimenta floating around my existence like butterflies around a field of wildflowers. There are so many ... bland, colorful, teeny, large, mundane, exotic ... and every time I focus on one in an attempt to take control of it, it darts away, as others swoop in to block my ability to track its destination.

thoughts, plans, aspirations, unimportant but urgent minutia of daily living,

I'm not taking enough time for myself lately. I'm not seeking out and chasing down the things that are important to me. I haven't been being very good to my body, and its starting to wear on me. I'm embracing work, because it gives me an excuse to zone out and tabulate hard data. I'm accomplishing more, but feeling less consummate.

If Blake Jumped Off A Bridge

I joined Facebook.

My purpose of this wasn't specifically to annoy and harass Blake, but it is an added perk. Apparently, although blogging is dorky, Facebook-ing is "networking", and thus deemed a worthy use of time. I'm so glad that Blake is around to keep me educated. Who knows what kind of 21st century faux-pas I might commit if not for his patient guidance.

Here I am. If you find yourself on the jungle gym, swing by and play.

UM 214 & 215

A twofer!

1. Contribution ::
2. Ryan ::
3. Minimal ::
4. Cleansed ::
5. Centered ::
6. Arrow ::
7. Beyond ::
8. Execute ::
9. Intuition ::
10. Apology ::

1. San Francisco ::
2. Sadness ::
3. Spirits ::
4. Harriet ::
5. State ::
6. John ::
7. Offense ::
8. Timeless ::
9. Account ::
10. Refuse ::



1. Contribution :: 401(k)
2. Ryan :: C., my cousin
3. Minimal :: -ist
4. Cleansed :: baptised
5. Centered :: yoga
6. Arrow :: is a child, a parent is the bow that launches them
7. Beyond :: The Great -
8. Execute :: -tion
9. Intuition :: inner spirit
10. Apology :: insincere

1. San Francisco :: treat (ding, ding)
2. Sadness :: inconsolable
3. Spirits :: liquor
4. Harriet :: "Harriet! ... Harri-ette! ... Hard-hearted harbinger of haggis ..."
5. State :: of affairs
6. John :: 3.16
7. Offense :: basket
8. Timeless :: constant
9. Account :: narrative
10. Refuse :: trash

I'm Afraid. Very Afraid.

Outlook Calendar request sent to me by Executive Assistant today at 1.14 pm:
Meeting - Marisa and CEO
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
9:00am - 10:00am
boardroom
(accept), (decline), or (reschedule)?

I, moments later:
(accept)

I, in e-mail to CEO, 2.14 pm:
Do I get any foresight on the subject of tomorrow's meeting?
What should I bring with me?

CEO, in reply e-mail, 2.54pm:
Just yourself. It will be great fun.

Spring Forward

I don't know exactly why, but I'm really looking forward to daylight savings this year. I love the idea getting home from work before its dark outside. I'm done with winter. The dusting of snow today, though pretty, does nothing for me.

As a child, living in warm climates, I was always jealous of the "American" kids who got winter. They owned coats, wore mittens, made snow angels, drank steamy hot chocolate through chapped lips while sniffling their runny noses and beaming their rosy cheeks. Now, I reminisce with fondness about Christmases celebrated in shorts, school uniforms that didn't have a long-sleeved option, and getting out of the shower without having to slather on petroleum-grade moisturizer.

I should move to southern California.
Or maybe just get into and finish grad school, and find some company to send me to a warm climate abroad.

Feasting

I may or may not keep up with this, depending on how inspirational I find the topics.

Appetizer
What does the color pink make you think of?
Elephants
Sorority girls

Soup
Name something you thought you had lost, but later found.
Friendship
The diamond earrings that I bought myself

Salad
In 3 words, describe this past week.
Better than last

Main Course
What are you obsessed with?
Life

Dessert
What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?
Sensi, Giorgio Armani
Black, Kenneth Cole
Japanese Cherry Blossom, Bath & Body Works

Mutterings 212

(A palindrome!) (... again)

1. Soldier ::
2. Lipton ::
3. Reason ::
4. Terms ::
5. Positive ::
6. Example ::
7. Legacy ::
8. Solo ::
9. Instrument ::
10. Later ::


I'm not really digging the words this week, but I've got to do something to keep me at my desk, or I think I might just explode out of my chair and frolic playfully in the gorgeous weather outside.


1. Soldier :: plastic toy
2. Lipton :: tea bag
3. Reason :: or rhyme
4. Terms :: of the contract
5. Positive :: ion
6. Example :: set an
7. Legacy :: children
8. Solo :: musical
9. Instrument :: of death
10. Later :: gator

51(ish) More Things

51. Whenever I need to take a cup or plate from a stack (a la buffet style), I almost always “cut the deck” and take one from the middle. Never do I take the top or bottom one.
52. It surprises me that I haven’t outgrown my appreciation for bathroom humor.
53. It also surprises me that I have outgrown my enthusiasm for snow and winter. That makes me feel old.
54. Thinking about raising a kid scares me.
55. I used to think that I wasn't good at making decisions, but I'm coming to realize that actually, in the important decisions that I've had to make, I've known the "right" course of action, it just took me a long time to have the self-confidence to follow my heart.
56. I'm afraid of thunderstorms. The lightning I don't mind so much, and sometimes find it quite lovely to watch, but I hate those claps of thunder that come suddenly, loudly, and out of nowhere. They make me wake up with a start in the middle of the night.
57. I started this list awhile ago, and I think its interesting that a few of these points have already come up in blog posts I've since written. It makes me think that there are some things that I have a need to express, and if I miss one chance to do so, they still come out one way or another.
58. I really hate the word noo-kyoo-ler.
59. I often pick up rocks, shells, and assorted debris I come upon on walks and hikes.
60. I can be quite sentimental about physical things. I closely tie memories and feelings to the objects. I think this might not be normal among people who move around as much as I do.
61. I think it kind of surprises me sometimes when I realize that I actually do like myself quite a bit. I think I'm a pretty cool person.
62. But I'm still generally self-conscious about my appearance. I guess my body image could be better.
63. I generally shun fast food, but I used to really go ga-ga for the McRib sandwich. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that.
64. I'm a certified scuba diver. The last dive I did was almost two years ago in a pretty disappointing quarry in the boonies of western Northern Virginia. The last good diving I did was over Christmas break 96/97. It makes me sad to realize that that was ten years ago. Its something that I really, really enjoy. Really.
65. I often have very vivid, sometimes disturbing dreams. I wish I could derive helpful meaning from them.
66. I believe I have seen, heard and felt supernatural presences.
67. I really enjoy amusement parks and roller coasters.
68. One of the worst sunburns I ever got was the weekend before my high school senior prom. I fell asleep with my hands behind my head and got pretty badly burned on my fish-belly white stomach and sub-mammary area. It gave me a pretty bad case of sun poisoning. And I couldn't wear a bra for about two weeks.
69. I have fainted only once. I was riding a bike and my front tire aligned exactly with a sewer grate in the road, causing it to fall in and the bike to flip. Coming to, I had the sensation that my alarm clock was going off, and I really didn't want to wake up. When I opened my eyes and saw the stars in the night sky, something registered as a bit odd.
70. The only time I've worn a cast was when I severely sprained/broke the four fingers of my left hand. The front tire of my bike got caught in a groove in the road and I wasn't able to maneuver out of it.
71. I do not currently own a road bike because riding on the skinny tires makes me feel a bit out of control.
72. I have never roller-bladed.
73. I enjoy acting in plays, but haven't done so since college. I keep thinking that I should get involved with a community theatre group.
74. I also enjoy singing, but am more comfortable doing so as part of a group than solo.
75. I don't like most condiments, including: mayonnaise, mustard, raw onions, pickles, tomatoes, sour cream, and salad dressing.
76. I have a sweet tooth.
77. I really like ethnic foods.
78. I also play with my food a lot. I don't realize how much I do this until I dine with someone and try to behave myself.
79. Its usually pretty easy to make me laugh.
80. I seek attention and take it very personally when I feel ignored.
81. I don't blush often, but when I do, I go all the way -- bright red! Last time I blushed was July last year. I made a really stupid and somewhat inconvenient mistake in front of someone I liked. The time before that was October two years ago. My coworkers took me out for lunch on my birthday, and they had the waiters sing me Happy Birthday, complete with straw sombrero and jiggly, single-candled flan.
82. I'm quite a good shot with a handgun and with a BB gun. I don't know why, but I'm proud of this.
83. I tend to be impetuous in thought and conservative in action.
84. "Fruit-on-the-bottom" yogurt grosses me out. It never mixes completely, and so you end up eating alternating spoonfuls of plain yogurt (ugh!) and ultra sweet gloppy-dairy-jam food product.
85. I pee in the ocean (often), (occasionally) in pools, and (sometimes) in the shower. But (almost) never if someone else is in the shower with me.
86. I enjoy coloring.
87. I wish I had room to set up my little keyboard so that it would be more convenient for me to play piano.
88. I have been in a: hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake, fire.
89. I have never seen a glacier or a lava flow.
90. I have not seen most "classic" movies, including: The Godfather(s), Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, and Weekend at Bernie's.
91. I hate looking through a dusty computer or tv screen.
92. Dusting and vacuuming are probably my favorite household chores. I also like folding laundry - which I do quite well.
93. I learned how to fold laundry, including underwear, from watching our maid in El Salvador.
94. I don't fold my underwear anymore.
95. I think that people who haven't lived overseas get an inaccurate impression of my family if I mention that we had a maid.
95. I have an obnoxious/annoying streak.
97. Most people don't "get" me.
98. I'm not very comfortable wearing clothes that show a lot of skin. I think this is because I spent time in the middle east.
99. One of the hardest adjustments I had when I lived in Cairo was learning not to make eye contact with people. I generally look people in the eye and smile when I meet them or talk with them. This made local people very uncomfortable.
100. Wow! I got to -- and past -- 100. Guess that means I can delete some!
(this was #105 before I went back and censored myself.) :)
101. I like bread pudding. But I also think its kinda gross.

Alms for the Sore

My friend Brian is swimbikerunning a half-Ironman triathlon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A half Ironman tri is comprised of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run. Seventy-point-three miles of heart-pumping, sweat-dripping, muscle-cramping goodness. Yee-ha!

He's almost halfway to his goal of $4400, which I think is pretty cool.

Please consider throwing a couple bucks his way. I determined that one dollar donated karmically negates one minute of self-indulgent or health-jeopardizing behavior.

Y'know what they say .... those who can't do, donate.

Click on the logo to link to his fund-raising page.

(PS - If you click the link, you can find out his real, live, mother-given Beach-Boyeriffic name. And once you access the site, you can make a donation. And when you make the donation, you can add snarky comments about his name.)

(Please note that I am not condoning such juvenile behavior.)

(I'm just presenting it as an option.)

Mutterings 211

1. Threshold ::
2. Jason ::
3. Suspicion ::
4. Tender ::
5. Tempted ::
6. Crimson ::
7. Repulsive ::
8. Bulldog ::
9. Garage ::
10. Racket ::




1. Threshold :: of activation
2. Jason :: and the Argonauts
3. Suspicion :: is usually founded
4. Tender :: love me
5. Tempted :: by you
6. Crimson :: blood (stained the wall, making morbid art)
7. Repulsive :: vomit
8. Bulldog :: Marine Corps
9. Garage :: storage
10. Racket :: ball




















You're never fully dressed without a smi-- ...er, helmet.

Jeune Fille Se Defendant Contre L'amour

-William Bouguereau

Happy heart day!

I am playing hooky from work. I'm wearing warm fleecy lounge clothes, and I've lit a fire and some candles. I'm alternating reading my book with shoveling the sidewalks. Later, I shall walk and play with the huskies in the snow. After that, I plan to take a warm, sudsy bath.

Life is pretty good.

Friday Five Follow-up

A more thorough answer to question #2:

What Color Crayon Are You?
Take this quiz!

You are Ocean Blue

You're both warm and practical. You're very driven, but you're also very well rounded. You tend to see both sides to every issue, and people consider you a natural diplomat.

What Color Blue Are You?

Friday Five : Color the World

1. If you were a crayon, which color would you want to be?
I think that fancy "indigo," deep, not-quite-blue-not-quite-purple color. Second choice is bright emerald green. The color of Irish eyes. And of the tropical rain forest.

2. Which color do you think you would be regardless of what you wanted?
Huh?

3. Would you rather be used and get blunt, broken and lose your wrapper, or not be used and stay pristine?
To be lovingly used. Blunted down, but resharpened. My wrapper torn off a bit at a time, when necessary to reveal more crayon. And tucked in the box at the end of the day, not abandoned to get stepped on, or melted, or lost. Phhbbblt on pristine.

4. Would you rather be in a small set of crayons or a large set?
Large set. I like the variety of colors.

5. Would you rather be Crayola, or a different brand?
I don't especially care what my brand name is, but I want to be high quality and smooth. Not too waxy, not too scratchy. Juuuust right.

click on the picture to see other people's answers

Royal Gametes, Batman!

One of my colleagues was called out of the country unexpectedly, so I am taking over for him in the lab. The last time this happened, I got to take his place at our satellite lab in sunny southern California. In January. And I got to drive his rental car - an awesome red convertible.

No such luck this time 'round. I'm still in northern Virginia. No beach. No 70 degree weather. No sporty Solara.

But I did get to spend the day in the lab, where I worked with the sperm of a real, live prince! Under the microscope, it looked much the same as all the other sperm I work with. Although, I almost thought I saw some of the cells holding tiny, jewelled scepters.

Mutterings 209

1. Plaster ::
2. Cabbage ::
3. Jazz ::
4. Darts ::
5. Poke ::
6. Bribe ::
7. Whale ::
8. Receipt ::
9. Answer ::
10. Dentist ::







1. Plaster :: of paris
2. Cabbage :: pH indicator
3. Jazz :: saxaphone
4. Darts :: bullseye
5. Poke :: -y little puppy
6. Bribe :: bakshish
7. Whale :: of a tale
8. Receipt :: of goods
9. Answer :: question
10. Dentist :: appointment (I really need to make one)

Friday Five Follow-up

I found some old photos of my 3-year-old self choring with grandad. Unfortunately, he isn't in any of these shots. But I'm glad I clearly remember the day I spent "helping" him.














Nothing runs like a Deere



Damn - I'm cute!
















Walk softly [wearing hideously-printed pants, faux-fur and polyester mittens] and carry a big stick.















It's interesting that this photo of me playing with Blake is dated 3/82, considering that he wasn't born until a month later. Maybe we borrowed a baby to help acclimate me to Blake's upcoming arrival. That must be it.

Friday Five: Firsts

(Just for the record, I wrote a funny post yesterday, but Blogger ate it.)

1. What was your first job?
Off the books - babysitting in El Salvador.
That Uncle Sam took a cut of - Embassy summer hire in the Procurement Department at USAID/Cairo.
2. Do you remember your first crush?
Sam in 7th grade. We "dated" (which, in 7th grade, meant we regularly ate lunch sitting next to each other) until we were evacuated from the country. I saw him three years later. He was a jerk. I was disappointed.
3. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Get out of bed, duh!
Then pee.
4. What is your first memory?
I remember bits and pieces of staying at my grandparents' house for about a month when I was 3. My parents whisked me off to Nairobi shortly after I was born, so when we returned to the States, my grandparents were eager to interact with me. I think my parents drove the whole fam up to Missouri sometime around my birthday in October, and when they drove back to Virginia, I got to stay behind and hang out with grandma and grandad until Thanksgiving, when we were all getting together again. I remember "choring" with my grandad, who raised hogs at the time. I was a super big help. I got to thwack the huge boars on the butt to get 'em to go in the pen.
I also remember playing with infant-Blake in the Alexandria house. Mom would put him in his baby seat on top of the kitchen table after dinner, and I'd play peek-a-boo with him. He would chuckle and laugh a deep belly laugh.
I know I listed two memories, but I hate passing up a good opportunity to mention Blake in my posts.
5. Where is the first place you visited on the net today?
The uber-ridiculous electronic timesheet that my division started using to clock our attendance. CEO got sick of people complaining that "so-and-so is always late" or "that person always leaves early" so he's making us do this now. So stupid!! Obviously, the people who were complaining didn't have siblings growing up. Anyone who did knows that trying to get other people in trouble often ends up biting you in the ass.

others are playing here

I'm a Star!

(or at least the recipient of one.)

Monica's Pop Quiz

(Note that this is a pop quiz that I got from Monica's blog, not a quiz regarding Monica's pop. I just wanted to clarify that.) Even mom has this done, so I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon.

When was the last time you went to the bathroom outside?
I think mid-September. I was hiking around on the Billy Goat Trail when nature called.

Which family member do you most resemble?
I dunno. Anyone else want to answer this one?
I saw a picture of my great-(maternal)-grandmother, and it really seemed to look like me aged about 60 years. As a child, I was told that I look like my father. Blake and I look like each other, and Blake definitely looks like our father.

When was the last time you tripped and fell?
Last night! :( I was walking down the (carpeted) stairs wearing socks, carrying some boxes - a big one to take out to the curb to throw away, and a small one with my new salt lamp inside. Somehow I slipped on the step and slid down the bottom two or three. Both boxes fell out of my hands, and I landed pretty hard on my hip/side. It hurt. My right upper arm scraped the railing pretty good, and I'm quite sure I will have developed a gorgeous bruise by this evening. Maybe I will post it! I can't be worse than Monica's dead pigeon!

What are you listening to right now?
Soul 2 Squeeze by the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the radio.

Which would you rather do: rake the leaves, or mow the lawn?
It depends.
What kind of lawn mower do I have?
How big is the yard?
When was the last time each was done?
Do I also have to bag the leaves/grass clippings, or only rake/mow?
What's the weather condition outside?

What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
The program that allows me to access our work server from home.

When was the last time you swam in a pool?
Tomorrow.

Have you ever been in a school play?
Yes. Many.

How many kids do you want?
0, 2 or 3.

Which type of music you dislike most?
Twangy country or angry rap. Or uber-soprano screeching a la Celine Dion/Mariah Carey.

Are you registered to vote?
Yes. But I will admit that I do not regularly exercise my privilege.

Do you have cable?
Only for broadband internet. Not for TV.

Have you ever prank called anybody?
Yes. But not since we called 911 at the Kramers' house and got S in trouble.

What's your favorite comic strip?
Calvin and Hobbes.

Bath or shower?
Bath to relax. Shower to get clean.

Best movie you've seen in the past two weeks?
I think The Recruit is the only movie I've seen in the last two weeks.

Best pizza topping?
Cheeeeeese. Or ham and pineapple.

Peanuts or popcorn?
Popcorn.

Ever order anything from an infomercial?
Actually, yes - the Time-Life Classic Country Great Story Songs CDs in the dark days before the world wide web. It was a gift.

Sprite or 7-Up?
Whatever's cold. I prefer 7-Up though. I find it drier and less sweet.

Ever had to wear a uniform to work/school?
Yes and yes.

Ever thrown up in public?
Yup.

Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?
Do I get to keep the true love for ever and ever? If so, then that. If not, I'll take the money.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
I think it depends on what your definition of "love" is.

What do you think about most?
My life. What I want and how to get it. And my family and very close friends.

RANDOM QUESTIONS:
(Because the previous ones were somehow structured?)

Name something purple within 5 feet of you:
Fluorescent hi-lighter.

What is the sexiest item of clothing you own?
My skin. Sexy is as sexy does.

Is your hair long enough to chew on?
Yes. For now. I've really been toying with the idea of cutting it quite short.

What's your least favorite color?
Yellow.

Did you have a good weekend?
Yes I did. A very good weekend.

How is today going for you?
OK. Its work. My friend Kiran may stop by for lunch, if she is able to finish some reading for class before I get too hungry to wait any longer.

Do you have any plans for tonight?
Clean my room :)
Perhaps tackle the pile of papers threatening to topple off my desk-top.
Pack my stuff for swimming tomorrow :)
Watch "24" with Blake, who is trying to get someone else hooked on it.

Have you ever photographed something that was dead?
Not that I recall. But I'll keep you posted if anything comes to mind.

Name your most recent purchase:
Grande skim mocha this morning.

Friday Five

I haven't forgotten Monica's pop quiz. Its in the works. But meanwhile...

1. Would you rather have a fun job that doesn't pay well or a boring job that does?
As long as there are other circumstances at the boring job that make it bearable, I'd take the money. I don't have an expectation that work will be fun, I do it to pay the bills.
2. Would you sacrifice your morals for a job?
No. I love what a friend of mine said about a job that she quit: "I would live in a box on the street before I went back to work at that place." And I thoroughly believed that she meant it.
3. Would you ever take a job that requires you to be in costume?
Y'mean like scrubs, or a lifeguard suit and whistle, or "business attire"?
4. What is your fantasy job?
World traveller. Muse extraordinaire. Observer of life. Follower of the heart.
5. Would you like fries with that?
Sometimes.

what other people said

Drained

I am so worn out!
This week has been absolutely hellacious at work. I finished up a big project today, so I'm hoping that things will calm down at least a little. I'm still going to have full, long days until we get a couple reports out in mid-May, but hopefully I'll have respite from the long days I've been pulling. I came in for ten hours on Sunday, had a regular day Monday, and then pulled back-to-back twelve hour days Tuesday and yesterday. I also got set up to be able to access our work server from my home computer, which means - joy of all joys - the fun doesn't have to end when I leave my office building. I can work on my data spreadsheets well after the moon rises. Yip!
I have a headache and am absolutely drained of intelligent thought. Last night, there were three of us who stuck around trying to get this thing out, and by the time we left, none of us were speaking in grammatically sound sentences.
Bleghpphjjdt!

In better news, though, I'm looking forward to a good weekend.
I'm leaving work early tomorrow to meet with Johns Hopkins School of Public Health admissions people. And if I'm lucky, Marianne will be in the Baltimore area, and will be able to play with me! On Sunday, I'm going to a party for Becca. And on Tuesday, I'm swimming with the Fairfax Masters team again. All I gotta do is make it through the rest of today and tomorrow morning.

Keep on truckin', keep on truckin'...
I think I can, I think I can ...

Be Prepared

Men take pride in a basic, bodily emission, which, because this is a family [column], I will refer to by its technical name, "making a tooter." This is a popular thing to do whenever males gather together. As a youth I was a Boy Scout, and while I know that scouting is a fine activity that has taught countless young men important leadership and character-building skills, the major activity in my particular troop was slicing the Muenster. We'd go on a camping trip, and for dinner we'd consume huge quantities of Campbell's brand Pork 'n' Mainly Beans, and by nightfall the hills were alive with the sound of tooting. Eventually the entire area would be blanketed by a giant mushroom cloud of Boy Scout gas that caused flocks of migrating geese to reverse course ("Turn back! We're spending the winter in Canada!").
-Dave Barry

I Guess I Should

I was going to post something about this shortly after the turn of the year. I had it all written out, but I couldn't make it sound quite right. So I just deleted it.

Sometime during that first week in January, I was working at the computer. I was feeling somber and mellow, and had an appropriate mix of songs cycling through Napster. A song came on that I'd heard many times before, but the lyrics really struck me on that day.


A Long December
-Counting Crows

A long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember the last thing that you said as you were leavin'
Now the days go by so fast

And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think that I could be forgiven... I wish you would

The smell of hospitals in winter
And the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls
All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl

And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California... I think you should

Drove up to Hillside Manor sometime after two a.m.
And talked a little while about the year
I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower,
Makes you talk a little lower about the things you could not show her

And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass

And it's one more day up in the canyon
And it's one more night in Hollywood
It's been so long since I've seen the ocean
... I guess I should


I had a hardish day on Friday the 19th. I was going out of town, and I was feeling stressed out and worn down and overwhelmed and generally out of control. I was having trouble getting a handle on myself, and sometimes when that happens, I find that taking a steamy shower helps me calm down and focus and sort things out. During that shower, I had an epiphany of sorts. The thoughts running amok in my mind included this song, and my profile pic, and the beach.

When I was going to post this earlier, I still had the title as "I guess I should", but I had more of a dreamy/fantasy/wishful feeling about it. During this shower, I decided that "I guess I should" is going to become a resolution to myself.

I Will Go To The Beach This Year.
I Promise.

I feel happier. It was a good shower.

UM 206

1. Episode ::
2. Source ::
3. Jerk ::
4. Introduce ::
5. Ralph ::
6. Stare ::
7. Cast ::
8. Scenario ::
9. Flu ::
10. Mad ::







1. Episode :: Psychotic
2. Source :: Document
3. Jerk :: Knee
4. Introduce :: the Variable
5. Ralph :: Calvin (my grandad!)
6. Stare :: Blank
7. Cast :: Playlist
8. Scenario :: Dark
9. Flu :: Virus
10. Mad :: Cow

Doubblle Letterrs

I have expressed before my frustration with what I feel is an abundance of superfluous double letters in the English language.

No estan utilizados otros idiomas. ¿Por qué en inglés?

This frustration is compounded when I work with and correct spreadsheet data from a coworker who uses double letters effusively. Two of the most annoying instances:
hemophillia and
possitive home pregnancy test.

Grrrrrrr!

One Up, One Down

I did something last night for which I am very proud of myself! :D

Unfortunately, I also did something which has me disappointed in myself.

It kinda sucks that the two seem to cancel each other out, and I can't extract the appropriate joy from the thing that I did well.

I suppose that I would rather dance around, forward-back-forward-back, than remain stagnant. At least I am moving. Even if it is only in circles.

And today is a new day to excel.

Be Heard!

Exercise your right to vote!
It will make you a better person!
(Or at least, it will make me happy!)

I've been playing around updating my template, and have been looking for a new pic to use in my profile. Unfortunately, I don't like many of the pictures taken of me. After much toil, I have narrowed the field to four.

Lemme know what ya think...


to vote for Marisa on the beach,
text *OSHUN








to vote for Marisa cropped out of a family photo at Blake's graduation,
text *RATGRAD









to vote for Marisa gussied up at Monica's wedding,
text *{whi-stle}
(... you know, the one that goes FWET-fweu)







and finally, to vote for Marisa two Christmasses ago,
text *SANTABABY








Thanks for playing!
:)