BRET MacKENZIE
HIS TWIN SISTER
Uncanny, no?
8/29/2007
separated at birth
Thanks to Melissa (Bill's sister), I have become addicted to Flight of the Conchords. I was watching the video I posted below, and realized that Bret MacKenzie of FOTC reminded me of someone. And then I figured out who it was:
BRET MacKENZIE
HIS TWIN SISTER
Uncanny, no?
BRET MacKENZIE
HIS TWIN SISTER
Uncanny, no?
8/22/2007
8/16/2007
flotsam and jetsam
I keep starting posts that go nowhere, so I'm just going to write a few things that are probably incomplete.
1. I've been listening to NPR after work, and they've had a series about summer food. Various people have written in to talk about foods that bring back happy memories of summertime, many of them were invited to come in and record their little stories.
As I listened, I kept thinking about summertime foods from my childhood. We had a lot of cookouts, so there were lots of burgers and baked potatoes and toasted marshmellows. And I have a wonderful memory from when I was about 4 years old, and our neighbor Mrs. Bartolucci gave me a huge wedge of watermelon and told me the seeds reminded her of the freckles I had on my face.
But the food I kept coming back to hardly qualifies as a food: ice pops.
My mother is not a demonstrative woman. We've never hugged or kissed - even when I was a young child, she made it clear that she did not like to be touched. She has a hard time expressing her feelings, too - well, she's pretty good with anger, but feelings of love and affection are kept inside. So she always used food as a way to show her love.
Unfortunately, my mother is a terrible cook. She didn't bake us special cakes or teach us recipes handed down for generations - what we lacked in quality she made up for in quantity. She would pack huge lunches for me and tell me to share them with my friends. She would buy an extra loaf of crusty Italian bread from Iuliano's Bakery so we could all eat as much as we wanted.
And in the summertime, our freezer was chock full of ice pops.
She would send us out the door early in the morning, with the instruction that we were not to bother any of the neighbors until 9:00 a.m., but when it started to get hot, she would come outside with a huge handful of ice pops for all the kids in the neighborhood. She would lop the tops off of our chosen colors (ice pops are always ordered by color, not by flavor) with a knife and hand them out. There were always seconds available.
That's my summertime food memory.
2. So You Think You Can Dance
If I was voting, I'd be voting for Danny Tidwell - he's just beautiful. Although I will be fine with anyone winning - I love Sabra, Lacey has been great at almost every dance no matter the style, and Neil is a great dancer for a gymnast ; )
But I'm kind of excited, because Monkey and I got tickets to the So You Think You Can Dance tour. Pretty good seats, too!
3. Stu Bycofsky
I know everyone else has already addressed this douchebag, but if the right-wingers don't like the dissent and division in this country, they could A) avail themselves of a poll showing that the country is pretty solidly together on the subject of getting out of Iraq, so how about rallying around that?; and B) remind themselves that they are the ones who supported the scorched earth strategy, 50+1, only governing for wingers President Bush. If you want a unified country, you need competent leadership. Bycofsky is one sick bastard.
4. My kid is going to college in 3 days!
On Sunday, we're taking Sio up to Worcester and leaving her there.
We went to a WPI BBQ last night, which turned out to be great. The organizers had the students sit together at one group of tables and the parents sit togethr at another group of tables. You might think that a group of people who have a Polytechnic Institute as a common factor would be very geeky, and you would be correct. I love a geeky crowd though, and I enjoyed talking with the other parents. Although I'm going to have to practice saying "I was young when I had her" if I keep interacting with other parents! One of the dads said "and you are here for....I'm stumped, you aren't old enough to have a college age child." Well, I am, actually.
I'm vicariously excited beyond belief. I wish I was going away to college. I especially wish someone else was paying for it.
1. I've been listening to NPR after work, and they've had a series about summer food. Various people have written in to talk about foods that bring back happy memories of summertime, many of them were invited to come in and record their little stories.
As I listened, I kept thinking about summertime foods from my childhood. We had a lot of cookouts, so there were lots of burgers and baked potatoes and toasted marshmellows. And I have a wonderful memory from when I was about 4 years old, and our neighbor Mrs. Bartolucci gave me a huge wedge of watermelon and told me the seeds reminded her of the freckles I had on my face.
But the food I kept coming back to hardly qualifies as a food: ice pops.
My mother is not a demonstrative woman. We've never hugged or kissed - even when I was a young child, she made it clear that she did not like to be touched. She has a hard time expressing her feelings, too - well, she's pretty good with anger, but feelings of love and affection are kept inside. So she always used food as a way to show her love.
Unfortunately, my mother is a terrible cook. She didn't bake us special cakes or teach us recipes handed down for generations - what we lacked in quality she made up for in quantity. She would pack huge lunches for me and tell me to share them with my friends. She would buy an extra loaf of crusty Italian bread from Iuliano's Bakery so we could all eat as much as we wanted.
And in the summertime, our freezer was chock full of ice pops.
She would send us out the door early in the morning, with the instruction that we were not to bother any of the neighbors until 9:00 a.m., but when it started to get hot, she would come outside with a huge handful of ice pops for all the kids in the neighborhood. She would lop the tops off of our chosen colors (ice pops are always ordered by color, not by flavor) with a knife and hand them out. There were always seconds available.
That's my summertime food memory.
2. So You Think You Can Dance
If I was voting, I'd be voting for Danny Tidwell - he's just beautiful. Although I will be fine with anyone winning - I love Sabra, Lacey has been great at almost every dance no matter the style, and Neil is a great dancer for a gymnast ; )
But I'm kind of excited, because Monkey and I got tickets to the So You Think You Can Dance tour. Pretty good seats, too!
3. Stu Bycofsky
I know everyone else has already addressed this douchebag, but if the right-wingers don't like the dissent and division in this country, they could A) avail themselves of a poll showing that the country is pretty solidly together on the subject of getting out of Iraq, so how about rallying around that?; and B) remind themselves that they are the ones who supported the scorched earth strategy, 50+1, only governing for wingers President Bush. If you want a unified country, you need competent leadership. Bycofsky is one sick bastard.
4. My kid is going to college in 3 days!
On Sunday, we're taking Sio up to Worcester and leaving her there.
We went to a WPI BBQ last night, which turned out to be great. The organizers had the students sit together at one group of tables and the parents sit togethr at another group of tables. You might think that a group of people who have a Polytechnic Institute as a common factor would be very geeky, and you would be correct. I love a geeky crowd though, and I enjoyed talking with the other parents. Although I'm going to have to practice saying "I was young when I had her" if I keep interacting with other parents! One of the dads said "and you are here for....I'm stumped, you aren't old enough to have a college age child." Well, I am, actually.
I'm vicariously excited beyond belief. I wish I was going away to college. I especially wish someone else was paying for it.
8/06/2007
To Tie Together My Last Two Posts
In the post on Deadwood, there is a comment left by Sio (although it says maurinsky) shaming me for using bad language. That reminded me that the only time Sio has ever heard me say a swear word was when she, John and I were playing a game - I think it was Risk - and John absolutely screwed me, and I yelled "FUCK!", which was sort of a callback to my random fact about being a sore loser. I guess even though I'm much better now, I still have a little of that sore loser inside me.
8/05/2007
Tagged by Toast
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and that they should read your blog.
5. 8 is a magic number. Not three.
Thems the rules - here are the random things about me:
1. I occasionally make homemade pudding, but only in the winter, because I like it hot, and my favorite part of the pudding is the skin on top.
2. Even though Loki sleeps during the day and I sleep during the night, I always stay on my side of the bed.
3. I have never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
4. I spent my 16th birthday filling out job applications.
5. I remember the first time in my life that I realized it was possible for me to be wrong. I was in second grade, and we were going over a sheet of math homework. The teacher would go around the room and everyone would have to answer a question, and if someone answered something incorrectly, she would ask the next person the question. Mrs. Johannsen got to me, I answered, and she said "that's incorrect", but before she moved on, I protested and told her that she must have the wrong answer, because I do not give wrong answers. She showed me the teacher's edition, and I still protested, but then I redid the problem and realized that I. Was. Wrong. I thought I was going to vomit.
6. As a child, I was a sore loser, and if I was playing a game and it looked like I might lose, I was not above upending the board and suggesting we should start over. If we did, I would cheat. I am still very competitive, but I am now gracious in loss.
7. I lost 60 pounds when I was pregnant with Sio, because I had hyperemesis gravidarum. I did not have this condition with Monkey, but I had so many food aversions and such a loss of appetite (without nausea or vomiting) that I only gained 1 pound when I was pregnant with her.
8. I have six nieces and 2 nephews.
Okay, now I have to tag some folks: konagod, Terra, Sio, Hazel, Leslie, Mike, Loki, Tree.
8/02/2007
Listen up, you motherfucking limberdicked cocksuckers!
Yes, that's right, I'm watching Deadwood. We had HBO when it started airing on HBO, but for whatever reason, I never watched it. But I added it to my Netflix queue, and I watched the first two episodes.
It's fucking Shakespeare, my friends. And the acting is just incredible. Ian McShane was robbed if he didn't win any awards for his performance. Also, the show's cast includes one of my odd little crushes, John Hawkes.
There is something about that worried look, the vulnerability of his expression - I just love him.
I'm only two episodes into the series, and I'm hooked.
It's fucking Shakespeare, my friends. And the acting is just incredible. Ian McShane was robbed if he didn't win any awards for his performance. Also, the show's cast includes one of my odd little crushes, John Hawkes.
There is something about that worried look, the vulnerability of his expression - I just love him.
I'm only two episodes into the series, and I'm hooked.
7/31/2007
Some pictures from Ireland
My cousin Timmy's cottage in Ennis.
Walking my Aunt Julia's dog, Rua, towards the sea.
Just some beautiful landscapes.
I think the boys are trying to show off their biceps.
Sio having a perfectly legal beer in the pub.
This used to be the landlord's home - back before my family owned the land. Now it's a ruin with trees for a roof.
No eggs, because Sio is allergic, but some lovely Irish bangers, bacon and black pudding, and toast and tea.
Sio worked on the bog with my cousin Michael.
She turned this pile of turf - she said it was hard work.
This is the village where my Aunt Mary lives, it's called Cloondahamper. That is a fun word to say.
Beautiful, eh? I think this is in Co. Kerry
Cliffs of Moher
This is the house built by my great-great grandfather, with some more recent additions.
This is the view from the backyard of the farm.
7/30/2007
Everyone's Home
Sio's home from Ireland, Monkey's home from camp, and my mother-in-law and her husband are on their way home to California. We managed to avoid any fighting while they were here (although they did launch into Loki about Sio's plan to move to Ireland after she graduates from college - they tried to appeal to his nationalistic pride, which is actually deceased.)
It was exhausting just being around them, I felt the need to be in bed by 10pm every day they were here. It takes a lot of energy to avoid talking about anything of consequence!
Next weekend will also not belong to me, I'll be working at a local purchasing conference. I'm kind of pissed about that, too, but it will probably be not as bad as anticipated, just like the MIL.
It was exhausting just being around them, I felt the need to be in bed by 10pm every day they were here. It takes a lot of energy to avoid talking about anything of consequence!
Next weekend will also not belong to me, I'll be working at a local purchasing conference. I'm kind of pissed about that, too, but it will probably be not as bad as anticipated, just like the MIL.
7/25/2007
Just the kind of thing you want to read
On the day your child is flying into JFK.
Of course, the Bush administration could just be talking this way because of Bush's approval ratings, and to distract attention from discussion of the Democratic candidates for president after the debate. But I also don't have any faith that they've made an iota of progress in diminishing al Qaeda's ability to attack us in the 6 years since 9/11. I'm going to not worry, but I'll be glad when I pick Sio up this afternoon and get her home again.
WASHINGTON - Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft.
Of course, the Bush administration could just be talking this way because of Bush's approval ratings, and to distract attention from discussion of the Democratic candidates for president after the debate. But I also don't have any faith that they've made an iota of progress in diminishing al Qaeda's ability to attack us in the 6 years since 9/11. I'm going to not worry, but I'll be glad when I pick Sio up this afternoon and get her home again.
7/24/2007
Talked to Sio
Sio called me this afternoon. She has a full-on Irish brogue now. Loki and I have agreed that we aren't going to say a single word about it. I sent Monkey a letter (still nothing back from her, the little brat) and told her not to say anything. I told my parents not to say anything.
I also told my sister-in-law not to say anything, and she is going to pass it on to my mother-in-law, who by happy (ha, ha, I'm laughing through my gritted teeth) coincidence is going to be here on the very days I took off from work so I could go to the beach and shop for college stuff.
So part of my vacation is going to be chewed up visiting with my right-wing religious fanatic mother-in-law and her even more right-wing controlling jerk of a husband. SIL and I have already agreed that we must do everything in our power to avoid getting into a car with him, because the Man. Cannot. Drive. He basically drives in two speeds: 50 mph and whiplash stop. And lord knows he would never be the passenger and let his wife drive, because men who sit in the passenger seat lose their penis - it just falls right off if you aren't behind the wheel.
And that's not even mentioning the politics. These people are firmly in Bush's base. So we all will avoid that topic, but if they start talking about how the gays are ruining America, I might have to cut a bitch.
They are coming in tomorrow evening, so we won't be seeing them tomorrow. Thursday, we'll have to visit my family to talk about Sio's visit with all our people back on the auld sod - but we'll probably see them in the evening/late afternoon. Friday will be spent with them, and I'm hoping like hell to make it to the Irish festival in the evening because I will need some alcohol to recover from spending the day with them. We have to pick Monkey up from camp (damn, that was a fast two weeks) Saturday morning, and they'll want an early evening on Saturday because they are driving to one of MILs husband's kid's houses for the remainder of their trip.
I need patience to survive this. MIL's husband has a myriad of annoying qualities that make me want to be incredibly rude to him - I have to live with snarking under my breath while he's here, so I don't start a big fight.
I also told my sister-in-law not to say anything, and she is going to pass it on to my mother-in-law, who by happy (ha, ha, I'm laughing through my gritted teeth) coincidence is going to be here on the very days I took off from work so I could go to the beach and shop for college stuff.
So part of my vacation is going to be chewed up visiting with my right-wing religious fanatic mother-in-law and her even more right-wing controlling jerk of a husband. SIL and I have already agreed that we must do everything in our power to avoid getting into a car with him, because the Man. Cannot. Drive. He basically drives in two speeds: 50 mph and whiplash stop. And lord knows he would never be the passenger and let his wife drive, because men who sit in the passenger seat lose their penis - it just falls right off if you aren't behind the wheel.
And that's not even mentioning the politics. These people are firmly in Bush's base. So we all will avoid that topic, but if they start talking about how the gays are ruining America, I might have to cut a bitch.
They are coming in tomorrow evening, so we won't be seeing them tomorrow. Thursday, we'll have to visit my family to talk about Sio's visit with all our people back on the auld sod - but we'll probably see them in the evening/late afternoon. Friday will be spent with them, and I'm hoping like hell to make it to the Irish festival in the evening because I will need some alcohol to recover from spending the day with them. We have to pick Monkey up from camp (damn, that was a fast two weeks) Saturday morning, and they'll want an early evening on Saturday because they are driving to one of MILs husband's kid's houses for the remainder of their trip.
I need patience to survive this. MIL's husband has a myriad of annoying qualities that make me want to be incredibly rude to him - I have to live with snarking under my breath while he's here, so I don't start a big fight.
7/23/2007
Is everyone still reading?
I swear, all my usual haunts are dead as a doornail.
Well, I'll talk to myself then.
The day after tomorrow (or, tomorrow by the time this is posted), Sio will be coming home from Ireland. I can't wait to see her, in no small part because I'm ready to start shopping for college stuff. I may be taking this whole going away to college thing way too vicariously, but I'm so excited for Sio! I actually couldn't wait for the shopping, so I already bought her a printer and an electric kettle - she drinks coffee, but she's primarily a tea drinker.
I've been checking her WPI mail, just to make sure no deadlines passed while she was gone, so we already know where she's going to be living - and she's not happy about it, but what can you do? I also googled her new roomates (yes, it's a triple) and they both seem interesting in a positive way.
And we still haven't gotten any mail from Monkey yet. Last year at least we got a token "send me more Mad Libs" note.
Well, I'll talk to myself then.
The day after tomorrow (or, tomorrow by the time this is posted), Sio will be coming home from Ireland. I can't wait to see her, in no small part because I'm ready to start shopping for college stuff. I may be taking this whole going away to college thing way too vicariously, but I'm so excited for Sio! I actually couldn't wait for the shopping, so I already bought her a printer and an electric kettle - she drinks coffee, but she's primarily a tea drinker.
I've been checking her WPI mail, just to make sure no deadlines passed while she was gone, so we already know where she's going to be living - and she's not happy about it, but what can you do? I also googled her new roomates (yes, it's a triple) and they both seem interesting in a positive way.
And we still haven't gotten any mail from Monkey yet. Last year at least we got a token "send me more Mad Libs" note.
7/22/2007
The internets are awfully quiet
Or at least my familiar internet haunts are quiet. Is everyone reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? (I picked it up at 2:30 yesterday afternoon and finished it a little after 11:00 p.m., including a time-out to prepare dinner and then another one to eat dinner - we had a pork roast marinated in jerk sauce and curried lentil salad - yum).
7/16/2007
Life's a show, and we all play our part
I am unreasonably excited about two things in the Whedonverse right now.
1.) Tickets haven't gone on sale yet, but when they do, I'm going to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical (Once More, With Feeling) Sing-a-Long at the IFC Center in New York this August.
2.) James Marsters, who played Spike on Buffy and Angel, is joining the cast of Torchwood, the Doctor Who spinoff. Truly, this is a geek marriage made in heaven. My pervy little heart is hoping for some Captain Jack/Spike snogging.
1.) Tickets haven't gone on sale yet, but when they do, I'm going to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical (Once More, With Feeling) Sing-a-Long at the IFC Center in New York this August.
2.) James Marsters, who played Spike on Buffy and Angel, is joining the cast of Torchwood, the Doctor Who spinoff. Truly, this is a geek marriage made in heaven. My pervy little heart is hoping for some Captain Jack/Spike snogging.
7/07/2007
7/03/2007
It's 12:15 a.m., do you know where your pets are?
I do. Right now the big cat is sleeping on my bed, the little cat is curled up on the loveseat, and the basset hound is a flat basset in the driveway. He doesn't want to come inside. He's having some kind of teenage rebellion or early mid-life crisis or something, and he just won't listen to me today. I believe he's trying to force me to take him for a car ride, but it ain't gonna happen. Well, maybe this weekend, we can go to the dog park, but until then, he's homebound.
In a couple of minutes, I'll force the stinker to come back inside, no matter how forlorn he looks.
In a couple of minutes, I'll force the stinker to come back inside, no matter how forlorn he looks.
7/01/2007
Day In The Life
Me first thing in the morning. Even the camera is a little bleary-eyed. Note that my bedhead looks kind of fabulous. Also: bodacious tatas.
One of my favorite places to be, although I do try to limit my driving.
Not one of my favorite places to be, but I have to lose weight before I can get my hip replaced.
Healthy breakfast of green tea.
My backyard.
I got my first ever pedicure a week or so ago.
Stinky in typical position - I call this the flat basset.
An uncharacteristic action shot of the furry beast.
I'M IN UR RECYCLING, REUSING AND SNOOZING
Had to pick up Monkey at SIL's house, this is a notable building in my town, Cheney Hall. It used to be a kind of Lyceum for the employees of the Cheney Mills, but fell into a state of disrepair when the mills closed down. One woman single-handedly raised a million dollars to save this building, and now it's restored to full glory. It's used as a performance space and wedding reception hall now.
Going over the Connecticut River to get to my SILs house - you can kind of see Hartford. I really shouldn't take pictures while I'm driving, though.
Still motivated by my Weight Watchers meeting, I have a healthy lunch.
I met SIL at Chuck E. Cheese, where the kids were eating lunch. This is my niece Sarah.
My nephew Ryan.
My niece Molly.
Monkey at Chuck E. Cheese.
After lunch, SIL had to return something to the evil empire. Monkey was trying to look pathetic, telling me that if the owners of the store saw her looking so pathetic and sick, they would open up the claw machine and let her pick out a stuffed animal.
Monkey tried to get her cousin Lauren in on the act, but Lauren was too giggly.
I went shopping for refrigerators....
...while SIL and the kids went to see Ratatouille.
After the movie, the kids had dinner at the park, and Molly did her imitation of Macauley Culkin in Home Alone.
Yes, a healthy dinner of chicken nuggets and a root beer float. I abstained.
They played on the playground for a while.
Then we went back to SIL's house, where the kids played on what has quite literally become a jungle gym.
My SIL's cute gingerbread Victorian.
Back home, I clean up. This picture would look a lot more impressive if you had seen the before, but I do have some shame.
I settle in to watch something recorded by the Tifaux - this time, it's Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D-List. I love her.
The husband, snuggled up with his outer space blanket, made by yours truly. In a few minutes, I'll have to wake him up for work, but we'll let him sleep a little bit longer.
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