Showing posts with label miscellany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miscellany. Show all posts

Friday, June 27, 2008

this door is always open

Hmm. Blog.

I've been kind of quiet lately, I know. Part of it is because a lot of what I'm doing is boring as sin (hello, barbri) or not really bloggable, or I feel weird about sharing it because this damn article of a month ago has made me a lot more self-conscious about what I write, made me question my motives, worry that I'm burdening you people with overshared details. But I guess that's all that a blog is, because I'm left with nothing else to say. I've started several posts that I ended up abandoning, I've actually told people in person stories I was going to save for the blog (is that weird, saving stories for the blog? oh, well), because I haven't had that "must blog!" urge in awhile.

...and shoot, this is sounding like a goodbye post. I'm not going away. I hope my blogging urge comes back. But I don't want to force it, either. So how about I promise you that I'll write more when I really have something to say? Till then, keep me on your blogrolls, or in your bookmarks if you're anti-RSS. I'll be back.

And you should get the new We Are Scientists album. I bet their old one's good, too--there are kittens on the cover, so how could it be bad? God knows when I'll be able to buy any other new music, let alone listen to it (narrrgh paycheck--August 25 is so far away), so the stuff I've got'll have to hold me till then. The new Death Cab is growing on me, too, for what it's worth.

And, um, because I opened the overshared door eighteen months ago, Foxy's gone. I really can't say more than that.

Anyway, more soon. Or later. 'Cause time means nothing.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

you were always out

Holy crap. Am I really so jaded that when someone knocks on my door without prior notice, I get a burst of adrenaline as my first instinct is home invasion?

No, it's my across-the-hall neighbor looking for a screwdriver (which I don't have). And really, self, would a home invader knock first? Only if they're quite polite, I'm sure.

It's finals. That's what I'm blaming everything on. Final finals. Finally.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

hardly underway

Tipsy on house wine from our end-of-year Journal dinner, listening to a mix cd playlist to make sure it flows ok (still room for 2-3 more songs if I'm so inclined--no, it's not exam recovery; that's gonna have to be bar exam recovery, I fear), skimming emails about a post-bar trip someplace sunny and warm...

...exams? What exams? Oh, those exams. Yeah, I'm on it.

Tomorrow.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

sweet dreams, great teacher

Want to feed the hungry and build your vocab?

Check it out. I can't seem to break through level 45, but the night is young.

Friday, January 25, 2008

ohio's agriculture's based on grain

First Brad, then Heath. Geez. Rough week for celebrities.

I'm quite a bit more shocked/saddened by Heath's passing, mostly because he was the better/more famous actor, but also because I just loved 10 Things I Hate About You. The whole movie will be harder to watch, but particularly that wonderful, exuberant scene where he's singing to Kat in the stadium while she's at soccer practice, his running the lengths of the concrete benches and being carried off by security, so damn full of life--gah. Salon had a nice tribute to him that more or less sums up the way I feel about it--though I've only seen about three of his movies. I'm looking forward to his turn as the Joker, for what it's worth.

Anyway. There's a lot I could be talking about here, like R.E.M.'s shenanigans on the Lower East Side filming their video for "Supernatural Superserious," or the start of Wigmore Follies rehearsals, or volunteering with the kitties again--but my heart's not in it right now. So I'll leave you with two videos: the first, a trailer for Get Smart (which looks pretty darn good, and I'm getting over the casting of Anne Hathaway); and the second, a ridiculous ad for a pretty damn good beverage. But then, I'm generally a sucker for the Diet Dr. Pepper spinoffs.



Saturday, January 19, 2008

over just before you look

I'm spending my Saturday evening watching Lasagna Cat and doing laundry.

What's new with you?

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

money was everything

Oh, my gosh. Brad Renfro has died.

You may remember, a scant year and a half ago, that I lamented his addictions on this very blog. I guess my sympathies weren't enough to save him.

Child stars, huh? The Boy and I caught part of an episode of VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew on Sunday, and SO MANY of them had great success at an early age and just couldn't deal with it.

So, yeah. Sad. Anyway. To lighten the mood, how about... a VIDEO kitten break? With one of Foxy's, um, addictions?

Monday, December 03, 2007

peace on earth

If you're not listening to the WOXY Holiday Mixer, you should be--I've heard several favorites in the hour since I got home (including Bing and David Bowie's Drummer Boy duet, and the Fountains of Wayne/Eclectic Café staple "I Want an Alien for Christmas") and I felt so spirited that I finally put my little tree up:



Oh, and my USB tree, too.



And nothing says "holiday spirit" like editing journal page proofs! Ho ho ho.

Friday, November 02, 2007

whatever the mess you are

I just got a $20 check from my campus medical services provider because I overpaid.

??!

I'm not turning down money... I just have no idea what it's from. I haven't been to a doctor there since January. Way to be on the ball with this stuff, "speedy" Student Health Services.

In other news, I think I might not actually fail the MPRE tomorrow. Here's to hoping.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

boola boola

Oh, the things you find amusing at 2:30am after editing for six straight hours (with probably another 15 hours of editing to go; thankfully, not all tonight):

I only just this moment realized that, in this issue, we are publishing authors with the last names Morse and Stiles. HA! I love it!

...yeah, I really have been at this too long. sigh.

Monday, October 08, 2007

tomorrow's gaining speed on you

Wow. Haven't blogged yet in October; sorry about that. I think one of the reasons I'm having such a hard time grasping that it's October already is that it doesn't feel like October. I mean, I wore shorts and a t-shirt for the last two days! That's simply unacceptable. It looks like it's starting to get colder, but I can't kick back and enjoy my pumpkin treats if it's above eighty degrees outside, you know?

Anyway. In other fairly insignificant-to-anyone-but-me news, after two years (we're coming up on the tawny gypsy mac's birthday in a couple weeks!) I think I'm ditching the Safari browser in favor of Firefox. Yeah, yeah. woo freaking hoo. I'm not a huge fan of the Firefox default font, but in the greater scheme of things, it's a lot more stable than Safari, and important websites (like LexisNexis) finally work correctly. Transferring my bookmarks is going to be a hassle... oh, wait, I can import them. heh. Me + technology = a fierce combination, for sure.

This may qualify as the lamest blog post ever. Sorry kids. I think I meant to write about music or something, possibly about hearing R.E.M.'s "Electron Blue" in the Apple Store today while the Boy bought a new Shuffle, an event which prompted a sudden, fierce desire to listen to Around the Sun (which is fairly notable, as I haven't given it much airtime since 2004). But now you know a) I'm still alive, b) I would like some colder weather, please, and c) I'm getting used to Firefox (...again; used it all the time on Ye Olde PCe Laptoppe in days of yore).

...except the links in the Bookmarks Bar at the top of my browser window just disappeared and are now refusing to come back. There really is no such thing as the perfect browser, is there? Alas.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

put that cat in the bin

I have SO MUCH to do today.

But instead, I can't tear myself away from a really, really interesting Animal Planet program on big cats in the Serengeti. For instance, did you know that pairs or trios of cheetah males in coalition will flat out kill solitary cheetah males that wander through their territory? It's pretty savage. Cheetahs also prefer the Thompson gazelle to any other meal, and will pass up dead animals (even freshly killed animals) in favor of their own kills.

In fact, they're almost as ruthless as the firetruck...

Sunday, September 09, 2007

everything under the sun

Crazy:

1) Saw a dude across the Southwest terminal at Midway today that I went to college with. It took about twenty minutes of staring at him and racking my brain to figure out who he was and why I recognized him, but eventually I did. And I verified it with a quick check in the yearbook just now. I may not be quick about it, but I'll be damned if I forget a face.

2) However, since I was messing with the yearbook anyway, I checked out what the Boy's ex looked like--nope, still no idea who she is. Huh.

3) While watching Dayton's ABC22 news this evening, I heard at the end of a story, "Reporting by Yunji Denise." And I thought, wasn't someone named Yunji the General Manager of WYBC the year before I was? And though I got the last name wrong (it's "de Nies"), I was right: it's the same person. Small freaking world.

Oh, and in case you were concerned--Foxy is still the cutest, softest, bestest kitty in the world. Yep.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

we sold our clothes to the state

Back in Chicago, but not for long (off to San Fran on Friday), and therefore extremely busy right now. I haven't even been able to get to the grocery store, which means I've been scavenging in my apt for food that I left three months ago. There's a surprising lot of it, even though none of it strikes me as particularly nutritious. I had two slightly-freezer-burned veggie burgers for dinner last night, followed up by two biscotti; had two biscotti for lunch today, along with two packages of easter gummi eggs (still soft and chewy!). I think I'm back on the biscotti--I go through stages with food where I'll eat something all the time, then just totally tire of it and not want it anymore. Happened to me with salad this past spring; I think I've had so little salad all summer that I'm ready to return to the salad fold. I was all about the cinnamon Life/cinnamon Honey Bunches of Oats combo for breakfast last summer; can't even tell you the last time I purchased either of those cereals (enjoying vanilla almond Special K at the moment). So anyway. It's kind of exciting turning to my kitchen cabinet and poking around at the food once loved, now forgotten--I have about 20 pouches of tuna/chicken in various flavors/preparations, but not much in the way of side dishes, so I have to be creative about it. I do have a couple cans of green beans, for some odd reason--maybe a microwave chicken/green bean instant casserole? Could be good! Could be gross! It's an adventure!

Anyway. In the throes of a LOT of journal stuff at the moment, to be followed up with a LOT of clerkship stuff. Blerg. At least my apartment is sparklier and cleaner than it's been... possibly ever. Not since I moved in initially has it been so clean. Tilex = the best thing ever. Who knew my shower grout was so gross? Not I, apparently.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

shoot an apple off my head

I'm a little behind in my World Series of Pop Culture watching, so I didn't get to Wednesday's ep till now. And though I thrill to the continual Zoolander questions, I feel like they're sort of pandering to me when the answer is actually "Magnum." Sheesh.

Hearing Pat Kiernan deadpan a series of lyrics about backsides, though? Priceless. Man. I'm horrified that neither of the contestants knew the lyrics to "Big Bottom," however. Talk about mudflaps...

Soooo... I'm re-reading HBP in preparation for next Friday night. And there's a lot I love--particularly J.K. Rowling's little gerund-y asides after a line of dialogue, perfectly setting a scene, making me giggle out loud on a Metro-North train crowded with people. But I just can't get behind the Harry/Ginny stuff. Not that I have a better suggestion for a love interest (Draco?), but it just feels forced. Someone (Cassie Clare?) wrote a spot-on essay when HBP came out about it being a plot-driven rather than emotion-driven romance, which is because Rowling comes from a plot-driven perspective, or something like that. Anyway, it made sense at the time, and it helped me to forgive the one wrong note in an otherwise very compelling book--after all the SHOUTING and ANGST and 900 PAGES of OotP, it's truly a triumphant return to form. GoF is probably my fave book so far; I love the puzzles and quest motif and the wholly unexpected shock of a major character dying at the end. HBP is probably second, though, and I have very, very high hopes for our final installment. *giddy*

Oh, back to the World Series--there's a category made for me: "I'm With the Band," wherein they name 3 "lesser" members of a band and you name the band. Easy peasy. Everyone KNOWS Will Champion's in Coldplay. GOSH.

And from Thursday's ep? A category entitled "Those Talented Baldwin Brothers: All of the questions in this category are about Alec Baldwin. ..." *rimshot*

...I'm starting to think I need a World Series of Pop Culture tag. I seriously can't shut up about this show. Should I be embarrassed about this?

(but what's not to like about a show that features an entire category about Weird Al songs?)

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

a thousand times a day

OMG HAVE TO BLOG:

The World Series of Pop Culture just referenced Zoolander! hooray! (The question: name the movie associated with the quote: "I'm a hand model, mama--a finger jockey. We don't think the same way the face and body boys do.") No matter how many faults I have with this program (WHY would you send someone who admittedly doesn't know 80s songs to answer an entire category about them?!), I definitely love it. and I can't believe it's been a year since the last round. Seriously. where has the time gone?

(YAY for billie jean lyrics! and I can't believe the dude didn't know it. OR the other guy. what idiots!)

(also, you're searching for your LOST SHAKER OF SALT in margaritaville, dude.)

(also pt. 2, I kind of hated Cheetarah by the end of last year's competition, but I really like that they're hosting backstage this year. and Mason from El Chupacabra is a Pop Candy reader! yay for them. I would like to see them do well again this year.)

ANYway. Hi, blog. It's been awhile.

I meant to blog on the 4th. 16 years, 16 years, got a bike accident, got you for 16 years... but instead, I got busy watching the Nathan's hot dog eating contest and the New Pornographers concert in Battery Park (WITH Neko Case, who is AMAZING. I wish I had the power behind her pipes). And then I spent the weekend working a little, and working out a little (BLERG summer food and drink), and watching Avenue Q (yaaaaay), and hitting some balls at the Chelsea Piers driving range... and NOT putting together my list of judges for clerkships. Sigh. I need to do that.

I did do laundry and mop and swiff and dust yesterday, and I should go to bed so I can go to the gym before work again tomorrow morning (like I have for the last week--seriously, I'm so good, it will probably kill me)... but I'm a night person, and I don't want to. There are Frasier reruns to watch and blogs to read! sigh.

So, yeah. I'm still alive (whoa-ho). Less than 5 weeks left in the summer jorb. Then, off to San Fran for a bit (hooray!) and off to Hilton Head for a wedding (whee!), and then 3L starts.

Huh. wasn't I just a 1L? How is next year my 5-year college reunion? Why do I have more wrinkles than I used to? Why isn't my hair as thick as it once was? Why do college kids look so young?

Maybe I should just go to bed. G'nite, kids. More soon. Promise.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

we float through each other's lives

There's just... so much. So much to say. Where do I start?

I'm listening to this amazing song right now (Umbrellas, "Ships") and it's bringing tears to my eyes, it's so gorgeous. I heard it on my iPod shuffle this morning on the way to work, possibly for the first time, and I knew it must be from my tentative list of summer mix songs, and I was reminded, more importantly and more insistently, that there is music that I'm neglecting. a LOT of music. My concert-going tendencies have hesitantly made their way into a couple of conversations at Work Club, and I now realize that most people... don't really get into music the way I do. I guess law school might've/should've clued me in to this minor detail, to a certain extent. And it does take energy, a LOT of energy, to keep on top of new music. I get weary by the end of the day, and I'd rather watch Frasier or Friends reruns on the CW late night programming than dig through my file of new music (240 items strong, notwithstanding the 400+ music blog entries since a month ago that I've neglected. F*cking prolific Stereogum). And hey, did you know that the CW shows reruns of the Jeffersons at 2:30 am? I didn't, before last night, when I woke up at 2:30 and couldn't fall back asleep till 5:30. I will also say that Pan's Labyrinth is an amazing film, and you should all watch it if you haven't already (though preferably not at 3 am). Thank heavens my subletter netflix'ed it and erroneously sent it here rather than to her place, or I might never have gotten around to seeing it.

Anyway. I saw a Wilco concert on Monday night, and MAN, do they put on a good show. The best part was a macramé owl that came down from the rafters above the stage for one song (and one song only), and Jeff Tweedy told the crowd that they wanted a whole macramé menagerie, and that we should all send our macramé handiwork to "Wilco, Chicago," and in that moment, I understood why I've been having such a hard time with my mail forwarding--all that damn macramé clogging the system. Seriously, though--they are amazing musicians and I need their new album, like, now. And their live album, too.

What else... went to Six Flags New England last weekend, despite threat of foot amputation from drop rides (seriously, like, what?). Nothing more serious happened than a set of lost keys on a particularly twisty rollercoaster, but... yeah, it was still a set of lost keys, and we had to call a locksmith and everything. We also watched UHF and a ton of YouTube'd Family Guy and Office and SNL clips and played DDR and ate pizza and cookies and generally had a ton of fun. Yay weekend. Yay Six Flags. yay cookies.

Other than that, I just can't believe it's the last week of June. Where has the time gone? I remember when I worked in between college and law school, how quickly weekends snuck by, and how fast the years spun past. I get that sense again. People are already rotating departments, or leaving for other firms, and I still really feel like I just got here. I mean, I've only done laundry here twice! (Granted, I may have more pairs of underwear and socks than the average person.) I also have no food in this apartment. It's pretty sad. Dinner = event, or takeout, and that's about it. I'm even starting to eat breakfast at work (had a tasty banana-orange smoothie this morn). I drink coffee in the mornings and not tea, since that's what's in the big carafes, and I really don't like Lipton, and no one brings to-go cups to work (I did, twice, and felt incredibly awkward both times). I'm trying to go to the gym as much as I can to fight the Work Club spread--I'm lifting still, which makes me feel strong and awesome, and I bust my ass on the elliptical, which has recently been bothering my "good" knee and thus makes me nervous.

...which also reminds me, a week from now is the Fourth. Wow.

Anyway. It feels a lot later than it is, and this is a long, rambly post, and I kind of want to sing, and I kind of want to read, and I'll probably end up watching TV, and hopefully I'll sleep through the night tonight. I just re-read my entries from July '06, and it reminded me that the frigging World Series of Pop Culture is gearing up again (July 9, mark your calendars, o ye gluttons for punishment), and I suppose I'll watch it, just to see if El Chupacabra can win again.

Those old entries also reminded me how much fun I had last summer, how great Chicago is in the summertime, and how great "Chicago" is, too (it came up on my iPod the other day and my heart nearly burst). I hope you kids back home are taking care of my city. I love NYC, too, but it's different. It's a little grittier, a little less personal, a little more intrusive. Chicago just... is. And I do miss it, especially this time of year.

Someone have a big slice of watermelon from the Dominick's stand at the Taste for me, will you please?

Friday, June 15, 2007

oh, you got me shakin'

hahahahaha.

Okay, so, I don't have time to blog. I need to get to Sleep Club so I can pry my sorry behind out of bed in the morning before work for Gym Club.

But I forgot to share yesterday that I totally Named That Commercial Tune in three notes the other day (it's an ad for Saturn cars; I left a clue in the subject header for the uninformed/curious).

And more importantly? Someone found this blog searching for "chocolate mango frappuccino zoolander." HA.

anyway. to bed! (assuming I can pry my sorry behind away from late night Frasier reruns. oh, that Niles!)

Saturday, May 05, 2007

paradise by the dashboard light

[...aaaaand sorry Brendan, but I'm spent with the dashboard stuff. expect something new next time.]

I didn't get to watch the Kentucky Derby, but I know for certain I would've put my money on Street Sense, because I like the name. Also because I kept calling him "Street Spirit," and I thought it was awesome that someone named their horse after a Radiohead song. I'd totally do that. Anyway, even if his name's a little more pedestrian than I'd hoped, I'd like to see him pull for the Triple Crown. And, you know, not die, like Barbaro. Because the world can only take so many horse churches.

No time for horsies now, though, what with one measly exam to go. Oh, and spring pollen allergies can KISS MY ASS. Seriously, Claritin doesn't seem to help my awful, itchy eyes anymore, and I don't have time to see a doctor. So, collective wisdom of the internet masses: what helps YOUR allergies (eye itching in particular--the runny nose stuff is under control)? Or should I just keep rubbing them and making it worse like I'm doing now, because it feels SO good for about a second and a half before the itching turns to pain?

...anyway. back to work. grr arrrgh arrgh grr arrgh.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

the dashboard melted

Per the weather widg: high today of 83, low of... 45.

Seriously? c'mon! I just took my winter coats to the cleaners. This is total craaaap. It dropped 15 degrees while I was trapped in the Lexis Lab doing page proof edits for my journal. I'm glad I brought my cute new umbrella-patterned raincoat to school so I was at least somewhat warm on the way home (though it has not, as of yet, rained today).

Also, I totally checked a woman with my shoulder on my walk back to my apartment from school. She was walking side-by-side with her middle-aged pals on a sidewalk that was already half-filled with tables and chairs (don't get me STARTED on how much I hate friggin' outdoor seating--my favorite part about winter is having full, glorious sidewalk usage), and there was a lamppost on my other side, so I didn't have anywhere else to go. I could have waited... but why should I have to wait when they're the ones who suck? So, yeah. I kind of hoped she'd try to start something. I've been working out (see bench-pressing rockstars, supra). I'm feisty. I'm tough. Come get me!

...yeah, maybe not. Anyway, sidewalk etiquette is something I take seriously, so if you're in violation of the rules, you're gonna get hurt.

And confidential to the lady in high strappy sandals who totally edged out in front of me at the corner while waiting for the light to change: do you really think that even with my heavy-ass backpack I can't walk faster than you? I'm wearing SNEAKERS, I did five miles at the gym this morning, and I felt really, really good about leaving you in my dust. Mwahahahaha.

While I'm still feeling fierce and competitive, it's time to re-attack the employment outline and practice tests. Tomorrow morning, it's on. Yeah. You heard me. It's on.