1. The cheap produce stand by my house re-opened!!! Today I bought a cantaloupe, five oranges, four lemons, three pears, two pounds of onions, a bag of baby carrots, a bunch of green onions and two pounds of tomatoes for $7.50! Yipee! Winter really is over.
2. I LOVE my new desk! I thought I needed a new apartment--I was wrong. I just needed a desk in my bedroom.
3. The mystery bruise that appeared on my arm last Tuesday is finally starting to fade. Its unexplained appearance and uncanny stamina have not really inconvenienced my life at all, but for the entire week I've had it, it has been dark enough to startle me every time I've seen it.
4. John Stossel. You know- the investigative report. I love him. SO MUCH. If you have any interest at all on getting an insightful understanding of the stimulus/bailout/etc stop what you are doing right now and watch this video:
If you like it, as soon as you have a chunk of free time watch the whole thing here
(And thank you Sharon for sharing the video)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Various Adventures
Have you noticed that it's been quite a while since I've posted about anything that I've actually been up to? I have. And luckily I've had a happy and exciting week, so I will share.
Monday after work, I took the super awesome free water ferry to Ikea Brooklyn. Yipee!!
I went there to take a further leap into adulthood by purchasing myself a) a garlic press b) a desk for my room. I am quite pleased with my desk purchase:
While there, I also had the insight that I would need a desk chair as well. I love the super cute, quite comfy pink one I got (as seen above) but failed to realize that it would not fit under the desk. too bad. but it will work out.
While there, fortunately, I also remembered the SERIOUS need that my new sofa that I love so so much had for throw pillows, so I got some. And they're pretty awesome:
.
Here's a close-up of just the pillow:
(I'm also going to take this moment to point out all the lovely sunlight in my apartment --happy sigh--).
So I carried my desk (which is technically a dining room table that folds in half), chair, throw pillows, garlic press, and tupperware set to the ferry, across the bottom half of Manhattan to the subway and then the 2 blocks from the subway to my apartment and up the three flights of stairs to my home. I assembled the chair and desk, felt sufficiently pleased with myself and went to sleep.
At 2:30 am I got a call from a friend who needed to go to the emergency room. (it's too bad that I'm not still reading Twilight or I would have still been awake.) I will not share any info about my friend and her medical maladies because it's not my place to share her story on my blog. Sufficient to say-- the EMTs were useless (I ended up carrying all their stuff AND helping my friend down the stairs and into the ambulance). Also, having now having experienced another emergency room, my opinion that Allen Pavilion is the best er in the city holds even more true. We did manage to get some giggling about boys done, despite the inopportune local; and despite her severe pain, my oral reading of the introduction to "Don Quixote" did put her to sleep. I left at 7:30 when the crisis was passed and she was waiting for the specialist to come in. (She's fine now, just fyi).
I headed home with the plan to sleep 90 minutes before going to work.
But then, for the FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT LIFE, I decided to call in and tell them I wasn't coming. It was a bit unnerving, but empowering. I figured I had so much to do at home (especially with my new desk set up and all) that I'd have a chance to get a lot done.
So after sleeping in until 2, I made what I considered to be a very reasonable to-do list:
exercise
study scriptures
taxes
thank you note x3
write 2 hours
use eggplant
Of the above, the only thing I got done was exercising. But I did go to the drug store for my friend's prescription and that always take longer than you'd expect. And I did make an impromptu St. Patrick's Day dinner for my roommate and I. It was my first year EVER not having a big party, but I am having a rather antisocial, low-energy stage right now and didn't want to be bothered. But I guess Amelia and I had a party for two. And i did listen to my St. Patrick's Day CD while cooking. So my celebrating needs have been satiated. And if there is anything yummier than cabbage and potatoes stewed in vinegar, I don't know what that thing is. Yum!
Is this post dragging? Okay, I'll abbreviate-- I was supposed to go to a crepe party that evening, but I was too tired. I called my mom at 9:30 saying something like this: "boo hoo. i'm so tired and i haven't accomplished anything today even though I took the day off from work. I want to go eat crepes with my friends but i'm too tired. boo hoo." She sent me to bed immediately, which I obeyed, falling asleep with makeup on and contacts in listening to "Lord, Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace" in lieu of scripture study. I slept peacefully and happily with a cool breeze from the fan blowing over me, anticipating all the exciting things I'll do with my new desk. --happy sigh---
Monday after work, I took the super awesome free water ferry to Ikea Brooklyn. Yipee!!
I went there to take a further leap into adulthood by purchasing myself a) a garlic press b) a desk for my room. I am quite pleased with my desk purchase:
While there, I also had the insight that I would need a desk chair as well. I love the super cute, quite comfy pink one I got (as seen above) but failed to realize that it would not fit under the desk. too bad. but it will work out.While there, fortunately, I also remembered the SERIOUS need that my new sofa that I love so so much had for throw pillows, so I got some. And they're pretty awesome:
. Here's a close-up of just the pillow:
(I'm also going to take this moment to point out all the lovely sunlight in my apartment --happy sigh--).So I carried my desk (which is technically a dining room table that folds in half), chair, throw pillows, garlic press, and tupperware set to the ferry, across the bottom half of Manhattan to the subway and then the 2 blocks from the subway to my apartment and up the three flights of stairs to my home. I assembled the chair and desk, felt sufficiently pleased with myself and went to sleep.
At 2:30 am I got a call from a friend who needed to go to the emergency room. (it's too bad that I'm not still reading Twilight or I would have still been awake.) I will not share any info about my friend and her medical maladies because it's not my place to share her story on my blog. Sufficient to say-- the EMTs were useless (I ended up carrying all their stuff AND helping my friend down the stairs and into the ambulance). Also, having now having experienced another emergency room, my opinion that Allen Pavilion is the best er in the city holds even more true. We did manage to get some giggling about boys done, despite the inopportune local; and despite her severe pain, my oral reading of the introduction to "Don Quixote" did put her to sleep. I left at 7:30 when the crisis was passed and she was waiting for the specialist to come in. (She's fine now, just fyi).
I headed home with the plan to sleep 90 minutes before going to work.
But then, for the FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT LIFE, I decided to call in and tell them I wasn't coming. It was a bit unnerving, but empowering. I figured I had so much to do at home (especially with my new desk set up and all) that I'd have a chance to get a lot done.
So after sleeping in until 2, I made what I considered to be a very reasonable to-do list:
exercise
study scriptures
taxes
thank you note x3
write 2 hours
use eggplant
Of the above, the only thing I got done was exercising. But I did go to the drug store for my friend's prescription and that always take longer than you'd expect. And I did make an impromptu St. Patrick's Day dinner for my roommate and I. It was my first year EVER not having a big party, but I am having a rather antisocial, low-energy stage right now and didn't want to be bothered. But I guess Amelia and I had a party for two. And i did listen to my St. Patrick's Day CD while cooking. So my celebrating needs have been satiated. And if there is anything yummier than cabbage and potatoes stewed in vinegar, I don't know what that thing is. Yum!
Is this post dragging? Okay, I'll abbreviate-- I was supposed to go to a crepe party that evening, but I was too tired. I called my mom at 9:30 saying something like this: "boo hoo. i'm so tired and i haven't accomplished anything today even though I took the day off from work. I want to go eat crepes with my friends but i'm too tired. boo hoo." She sent me to bed immediately, which I obeyed, falling asleep with makeup on and contacts in listening to "Lord, Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace" in lieu of scripture study. I slept peacefully and happily with a cool breeze from the fan blowing over me, anticipating all the exciting things I'll do with my new desk. --happy sigh---
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Freedom II
On a whim today, I decided to.........
pay off my student loan!!!!
Yay!!!
There wasn't too much left, but I decided instead of paying twice a month until July, I would just take it out of savings and pay it all now.
So now I'm debt-free!!!
Yay!!
pay off my student loan!!!!
Yay!!!
There wasn't too much left, but I decided instead of paying twice a month until July, I would just take it out of savings and pay it all now.
So now I'm debt-free!!!
Yay!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Freedom!!!!
As I reflect on the last two weeks of my life, I'm reminded of a line from Wordworth's Ode Intimations of Immortality: "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting." Only instead of "birth" it would be "starting the Twilight series." I feel like I've been submerged under a still pool of water, only vaguely aware of what was going on above the surface. But late Saturday night I emerged back into reality: "Hum, my bedroom is pretty messy--oh look, there's all the clean laundry from last week, I should put that away. Hum, I think I've eaten nothing but Doritos today. Hum, I'm speaking in Sacrament meeting tomorrow." I mean I've continued on with my life--going to work every day, attending parties, hosting FHE, etc but it was like a passing dream. Twilight pretty much took over my life.
So, how do I feel about the experience now that it is behind me?
At first, I was upset. I would tell people I was reading Twilight and many of them said that they never would, I would say "good idea. don't." But then, something strange happened during the second book--I realized it wasn't as bad as the first one. Then, eventually I decided it was pretty good. And finally I decided that I didn't hate/love it, I just loved it. I mean it's not like it's the best written thing ever, but it is FUN it is ENJOYABLE and it is addictive. Yes, the characters do stupid, unbelievable things. Yes, it requires a lot of suspended disbelief. But it is a compelling read. Interestingly enough, once I gave myself permission to just enjoy the books, the compulsive need to read read read was weakened significantly. Not to say that it stopped being my main focus in life. In fact, I would often say to anyone asking me any sort of question about my life: "I can't think about that until I'm done with Twilight."
So, now I'm done and can get on with my life. It was a little lonesome last night brushing my teeth without reading anything, but I trust that I will eventually shift back to normal.
My advise to others who are vaguely considering reading the Twilight series: Just do it. You'll have fun.
three of the four Twilight books, compared with the last book I read "East of Eden" (which despite being one of the best pieces of literature I've come across and, quite short in comparison, still took me almost a month to read)
So, how do I feel about the experience now that it is behind me?
At first, I was upset. I would tell people I was reading Twilight and many of them said that they never would, I would say "good idea. don't." But then, something strange happened during the second book--I realized it wasn't as bad as the first one. Then, eventually I decided it was pretty good. And finally I decided that I didn't hate/love it, I just loved it. I mean it's not like it's the best written thing ever, but it is FUN it is ENJOYABLE and it is addictive. Yes, the characters do stupid, unbelievable things. Yes, it requires a lot of suspended disbelief. But it is a compelling read. Interestingly enough, once I gave myself permission to just enjoy the books, the compulsive need to read read read was weakened significantly. Not to say that it stopped being my main focus in life. In fact, I would often say to anyone asking me any sort of question about my life: "I can't think about that until I'm done with Twilight."
So, now I'm done and can get on with my life. It was a little lonesome last night brushing my teeth without reading anything, but I trust that I will eventually shift back to normal.
My advise to others who are vaguely considering reading the Twilight series: Just do it. You'll have fun.
three of the four Twilight books, compared with the last book I read "East of Eden" (which despite being one of the best pieces of literature I've come across and, quite short in comparison, still took me almost a month to read)
Friday, March 6, 2009
This is why we should keep our promises
I've realized that I have shaken my fists towards the heavens in rage and frustration more in the last three days than I probably have in the rest of my life put together.
The reason is simple. I have been reading the Twilight series. My frustration is partial from the book itself and mostly my disgust at myself for reading them.
The first time I so much as heard of the books, my friend was reading them and made me promise that I never would. "I know you," she said, "you will read them all and you will hate them, but you will not be able to stop. Just like me. Spare yourself." I agreed happily enough because I am usually very picky with what I read.
Then due to a series of technical glitches on a trans-Atlantic flight, I accidentally watched the movie. I am sad, although not at all surprised, to report that I really liked it. Well, hated it. But LOVED it. I'm a complicated person. But it became clear to me: I HAD to read the books.
I said to myself, "Why am I being such a literary snob? Is that the type of person I want to be? Many, many people read and enjoy these books. Do I think I'm better than them?" A sensible enough thought, except I forgot to take into account two things about myself: 1) my strong dislike of badly written dialogue etc 2) my addictive personality which makes me easily obsessive over things.
Now I've read 1 and half of the books in three days. I have the third one in my purse ready to go as soon as it's needed. My laundry will have to wait. I'm busy torturing myself with these books that I hate to love. At least I can read until 3am and still get 6 hours of sleep before going to work.
Why, WHY do I do this to myself? I figure it's like a band-aid--I just need to rip it off quick and be done with it. Maybe I'll be able to finish the series in a week and get on with my life.
The reason is simple. I have been reading the Twilight series. My frustration is partial from the book itself and mostly my disgust at myself for reading them.
The first time I so much as heard of the books, my friend was reading them and made me promise that I never would. "I know you," she said, "you will read them all and you will hate them, but you will not be able to stop. Just like me. Spare yourself." I agreed happily enough because I am usually very picky with what I read.
Then due to a series of technical glitches on a trans-Atlantic flight, I accidentally watched the movie. I am sad, although not at all surprised, to report that I really liked it. Well, hated it. But LOVED it. I'm a complicated person. But it became clear to me: I HAD to read the books.
I said to myself, "Why am I being such a literary snob? Is that the type of person I want to be? Many, many people read and enjoy these books. Do I think I'm better than them?" A sensible enough thought, except I forgot to take into account two things about myself: 1) my strong dislike of badly written dialogue etc 2) my addictive personality which makes me easily obsessive over things.
Now I've read 1 and half of the books in three days. I have the third one in my purse ready to go as soon as it's needed. My laundry will have to wait. I'm busy torturing myself with these books that I hate to love. At least I can read until 3am and still get 6 hours of sleep before going to work.
Why, WHY do I do this to myself? I figure it's like a band-aid--I just need to rip it off quick and be done with it. Maybe I'll be able to finish the series in a week and get on with my life.
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