...inkblots (and snapshots)

Me no like.

2007-09-22T23:56:00.000-04:00

Sooo

Yeah.

About boys. They can be perty stupid sometimes. I like mine. But they can still be stupid. Muy stupid.

Anyway, I've been racking up things that gross me out, so here's a list!! Aren't you lucky?

1. Guys who use girl's bathrooms. When girls are in there.

2. People eating around me when I'm not eating. Some people are just really noisy eaters. Bleeegh.

3. Our carpet pre-vacuum. Eww.

4. A certain evil pastry person in a state of cottage cheese...glory.

End of list.

"assertive, unapologetic, demanding, intimidating…in control"

2007-09-19T16:42:00.000-04:00

When you think of a "bitch", what do you think of? Is it positive or negative? A person or a dog? Me? This quote from Margaret Cho in Bitchfest defines a bitch in a positive light, and I'd have to say that I agree with her 100%. What's wrong with any of those things, and are they not accurate depictions of someone we might call a bitch? "Assertive, unapologetic, demanding, intimidating." It all trickles down into the larger concept of power and achieving/maintaining control. A bitch has power, whether it is self-imposed or it is given by way of birth, class, career, titles, etc. Think Malvolio, Twelfth Night: "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." It's true, isn't it, with both greatness and bitchiness?

So, why do we despise bitches? Why do we say "bitch" in such a nasty, malicious, (jealous?) tone of voice? Do we hate them because they are what we are not? Let's look at the qualities opposing that of the bitch: meek, apologetic, lacking confidence, mouse-like, downtrodden. The anti-bitch might seem virtuous and noble, resisting the desire to seize power, but there truly is no honor, no virtue, no glory or praise in being walked over. Perhaps the positive conception of the bitch is a highly feministic one, but it's true, if only you can get past the blinders ("Grr my boss is such a bitch, she gave me X, Y, Z to do and then plopped her fat bitchy ass down in that leather chair in the massive corner office and Facebooked all day.) and realize that we all want to achieve the qualities and the power of that bitch.

-.-

So, what provoked such random ramblings? HangPROUD, of course! At 12:00 a.m., HP updates articles with a piece entitled "Embracing the Bitch" (or some such title), which discusses the qualities of the bitch and how we ought to embrace such qualities and in doing so, our futures as women with power/in high powered positions. "In the Skin Your In" (that's the short headline), discussing the effects of media and various emaciated celebrities on young girls of today also will be featured.

xox.

Top Fives...

2007-09-14T16:38:00.000-04:00

Hi hi. So, I'm sick, and I'm bored, so I'm making lists of random things, like my favorite smells. In no particular order.

So, My Top Five Favorite Smells:
1. Chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven.
2. Honeysuckle in the early morning
3. My mom's cooking, even if she's making something I don't like
4. Horses
5. My boy

My Top Five Least Liked People Of The Moment:
1. Patti Lupone. You can't understand her. And...and I just don't like her. Not that I know her or anything.
2. Well, if I can't get to two, I guess that's a good thing.

My Top Five Favorite Medicinals:
1. Midol
2. Aleve
3. Sudafed
4. Nasonex
5. Hm. Cough Syrup

My Top Five Favorite Groups of People:
1. Parking People, because they granted my appeals! Woot!
2. The HP crew <3
3. Cast of the OBC of Into the Woods
4. My roomies :)
5. My boys <3 :)

My Top Five Least Favorite Things To Do:
1. Blowing my nose when it's already red and puffy and owwie.
2. Washing other people's dishes
3. Cleaning up after Buddy when he's sick
4. Taking care of myself when I'm sick
5. Repeatedly telling people either: I'm okay! Really! or, "Yeah, I'm sick" (as I walk down the hall coughing with a tissue in hand and a red puffy owwie nose)

I'm alive!

2007-08-26T21:40:00.001-04:00

Hello hello! I've finally moved back to school and it's been a crazy busy week! :whooo: My roomies are delightful, all two of them, though slightly crazy round the edges. Well, one is slightly more crazy than simply slightly crazy. It'll be like one massive sleepover for two semester. Aweeesome!

I wish you could see our room. It's beautiful. And colorful. And cozy. And full of wonderful lights. Maybe I'll post pictures. Maybe not. We'll see.

Classes start tomorrow--at 11:30 for me! Mwahahaha. I love my schedule. I'm a good scheduler. My schedule last semester kicked bum as well. This one, though. No class before 11, ever. Finished by 4:00 at the latest on Monday and Wednesday. Hahaha. Poor darling who have to wake up for an 8:15 (or, worse, at 7:50) (ouch). Like my boy. Ha. Poor dear.

S'all for this particular moment in time. <3

2007-08-22T19:37:00.000-04:00

I <3 my interns.

Anyway, off to Richmond tomorrow around 10:30 a.m. ish. Very very very excited, although I'm not sure what I'll be doing all day. Maybe I'll go wander around Stony Point. Have some ice cream. Pet the puppies. Actually, it's supposed to be hot, so...might want to scratch that.

Well. I've not got much more to say. V. grammatical today, I know.
Love to you all, whoever you all may be. Shall soon be saying ya'll. Don't be surprised.

I think I discovered why I can't sleep.

2007-08-10T18:25:00.000-04:00

Why can't I, you ask? I asked myself the same question, morning after morning, and I think I've arrived at my answer: I am in full freak out mode. Not like spaz-mode or anything, just worry about everything that I possibly can even though things will be fine mode. Yeah, that last one. What do I worry about?

1. Starting September 1st, I will be a paid editor for hangPROUD which ROCKS. It also kinda sucks, too, because HP isn't withholding taxes from my paycheck, which means I have to do it. Myself. Me. (I still don't have the whole credit card theory down yet. I need a math class. Badly.)

2. At 3:00 one morning, I decided to make a mental list of everything I need to buy for school. I got to Post Its, and then, all I could think about for another hour was Post Its. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

3. School schedule. I have a kick bum schedule. It rocks, really. But I keep having dreams (just like I have before each semester) that somehow, I will forget a really important class. And always, in these dreams, the campus is totally not the Richmond campus. It always starts off like Richmond (well, it has the big hill that leads up to LoRo), and then it gets crazy weird. Last night, the Deanery turned into a MASSIVE gym. And about a week ago, their was this weird subway system that you had to use to get from one building to the other. I woke up fairly confident that I could use the subway in NY, for some reason, but was petrified that I had missed something important.

4. After dabbling with Ed2010 and reading all of the posts by other neurotic wannabe editors, I am freaking out (again) about: Getting a job as an editor, whether I want to be in print or online or in publishing, wondering if I'm any good at what I do, if I'll be able to support myself, possibly not wanting to live in NYC, whether I should suck it up and major in journalism...it goes on and on.

5. Theatre. I don't think I want to do it (the major) anymore. And I don't want to take PS2, really, but I feel obligated. Which sucks. And I really want to be involved, but at the same time, thanks to all of the ED2010 people, I feel like I need to spend more time working on my "craft" and less time "playing" with my theatre people but I LOVE my theatre people. But I think I would die if I tried to do both.

6. And finally, the future. Career aside, because I really am confident that I'll be able to do what I want to do, whatever that is...what about my family? I want to get married soon after college, I want to be a young mother, and I really want to be there for my kids. I don't want to be stuck in a job that I may love but might force me to be constantly at work. And then there's other things that I really ought not to worry about that extend this whole dilemma, but of course, I worry about them anyway.

So, in short, all of these reasons are why I cannot sleep.

Craigslist Chuckles

2007-08-05T23:35:00.000-04:00

So, I'm bored as heck waiting for it to be midnight so I can update HP and go to bed. What do I do to pass the time? Look at Craigslist, of course, as though I don't have enough things to do... The plus side of this, however, is the amusing tidbits I dig up. Check it out:

On the NY Writing/Editing Jobs Board:
** Hi:

I am looking for a person to help me find a perfect woman. Do you want to earn $15 an hour searching Match.com for me for a partner? I would like you to perform a targeted Match.com search under my ID, send an introduction note and reply to the responses. I will give you my search criteria and you will do the work for me. I am not sure how many hours it will take you, but I will guarantee a minimum of 25 hours, once I see your work. It could go on much longer if I like the results. I am able to see your progress and will work with you as we go on. I am able to spend 3 hours a night and do not make a dent in the woman in our area. Let me know if you are up to it. Send me an example of a sample message, so I can get an idea of your style. It doesn’t have to be about me. You could tell me if you have had any experience doing something like this. I am a good guy, who just doesn’t have the time to do the searching. I will pay you via PayPal, so you can be sure to get paid. We can set-up a payment plan that suits you. If you require a cash payment, I work in Manhattan and live in Queens, so we could meet this way as well. My e-mail is ***@*****.com.

Thanks and speak soon. ***

**Names changes to protect the very guilty.

"I am a good guy who just doesn't have the time to do the searching"? Oh yeah, that will really attract the perfect woman, right? Great attitude. Why not get a mail order bride, eh?

And, as a side note, I HATE it when people talk about "growing a business". Hate it. I understand why they do it, but I think it's stupid. A business is not a flower. It's a business. Some businesses are similar to weeds, yes, but still. Stop growing businesses. Please.

Oh, oh. Here's another. Not as amusing as the first though. You be warned:

**Blog based in NYC seeking *funny* pets articles. We have a few ideas, and we'll also consider your pitches. These will almost NEVER be fiction, but rather reporting on real events and real people/pets from a humorous angle, sort of like The Onion meets New York Dog magazine.***

Um. The Onion is fiction. Hysterical stuff though. I wrote a crap essay on my AP Lang test based on an Onion article. Total crap. Got a 5 though.

That's it for now!

I think I scare people.

2007-08-03T23:27:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I do. Like the sales associates at Bath and Body Works. I was in there today, buying some of my favorite minty lip gloss (C.O. Bigelow Spearmint Mentha Lip Shine is AWESOME, and tasty), and you know how they kind of attack you in there? Well, let me jog your memory. They've got sales girls stationed at strategic points throughout the store, from the door all the way to the back cash wrap. And each and every one bombards you: "Hello, how are you, welcome to Bath and Body Works, are you finding everything okay? My name is ____, let me know if I can help you. Oh, and we've got this new line, _____, you've got to try it! Would you like a free sample?" On and on and on.

Now, this is good, if over-eager, salesmanship, so whatever. They're doing their job. And most people probably just turn away after a nervous little smile and maybe a "thanks" or, "fine, and you?" That's what they're used to. How do I know? I've been there. Well, not there exactly, but I've worked retail. And it made me really mad when people would either act all mousy, or ignore you. So when I go shopping, I'm purposely friendly. Friendly to the point of bubbling over. And I'm loud, too. They can't ignore me or pretend like they didn't hear me asking how they're doing. And some try to, which is really frustrating.

The most enjoyable thing about my overzealous shopping experiences, however, are the looks and responses I get. Some people are really friendly back, some take a moment or so to realize that they're talking to a real live interested person, but most are scared to death. Shocked, terrified, it's all the same. I mean, who expect the itty bitty, 5'2'' brunette to be the friendly customer? Not many, apparently.

S'all good fun, though, making people run away and making other people smile. You should try it some time.

Do you ever just want to scream?

2007-08-01T15:35:00.001-04:00

With frustration, that is? Well I do, and the urge has particularly seized me and held me hostage from all of the work that I really should be doing. So, I've decided to vent. This is the grand, ever evolving list of my pet peeves. Please note that it is not all-inclusive and even if something isn't on the list, it may still bother me. Beware! :mwahahaha:

1. Cracking bones. I had one boyfriend who would hug me and that crack every bone in his back. Ewwww. We weren't together for very long, needless to say. Fingers? Fine. Knuckles? Okay. Really need to pop something back into place or to relieve pressure? Whatever. But don't do it on purpose and don't do it like a bone-cracking maniac! And don't do it just to piss me off, all of you people sitting there reading this with an evil, mischievous grin on your faces.

2. Chewing. Okay, I know this sounds stupid, but I hate listening to people eat, especially when I'm not eating anything myself. :shiver:

3. Not responding to emails. Acknowledge work that needs to be done, people! Even if it's just, "Okay, thanks for the advice, I'll do my best." I don't need a novel, I just want something that will tell me that A. you received my email in the first place and B. you understand what I want you to do and C. you are willing to do it.

4. Waiting for people to come online when they promised they would, and who then don't show. Errrg.

---We interrupt this message for another random news bulletin---

Oh oh ohhh! Whoopie Goldberg is the new moderator on The View! Woot!

---A notice from the writer: listing my pet peeves has further enraged me to the point at which I can no longer write coherently.---

Just kidding. I think I was ADD in a former life, and that spirit comes back to toy with my workload.

And in other news...

2007-07-27T22:25:00.000-04:00

My HP interns rock my socks! Everyone turned in everything BEFORE the DEADLINE! I am so psyched, so proud.

p.s. Do you want to know something funny? Barbara Walters on "The View", saying "shaking your booty" is really, really funny. Especially when she says it to John Travolta, who, as I'm sure the entire world knows, cross dresses in the new movie, "Hairspray", as Edna Turnblad. I'm not sure if I'm going to see the movie because I harbor ill will to the Broadway show for a certain reason, but we shall see.

p.p.s. I also have a hankering for some "Anne of Green Gables".

This little piggy went to market...

2007-07-27T22:20:00.000-04:00

I found the best toe nail polish color ever. It's this perfect pink, called "Party Pink", and it's made by Piggy Polish ("goes on toes!"). The color gets deeper and brighter as you layer on the coats, so you have a lot of control over the intensity of the color. Anyway, I painted my toes this color for my vacation to Charleston and the color was great! I love it. The only problem was that after I went to the beach and got tossed around by the waves, I guess I scraped my toes against the sand and they started to peel :( So, I'm repainting them and putting a top coat of clear polish on with hope that it will stay nice for a week or two.

Okay, so maybe it's a silly post, but this is the only color that I've ever repainted my toes with as soon as the other paint job went icky! It's a milestone! I should stock up...

Three cheers for painted pink piggies! Yess!

And the boy should like the title of this post.

Whether we be old and gray or young with scabby knees...

2007-07-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

I think that's how it goes, anyway. Do you remember where its from?

Anyway, J.K. Rowling was on the Today show this morning, and here's an article I found on the NBC website: "Finished 'Potter'? Rowling Tells What Happens Next".

I hope the link works, for your sake :P Good stuff, my friends!

Edit: Here's another one from NBC

HP Sneak Preview

2007-07-25T20:28:00.000-04:00

Oh, you lucky dogs, you. You cool cats. You beautiful birds. You elegant elephants. You get a hangPROUD preview!

The site (see the link bar on the side!) will update at midnight tonight, and here's what you'll see, come 12:01 a.m.

One of our new interns, Bliss, makes her HP debut with "In the Wake of Harry Potter, Defend Yourself From the Spoiler Brat," a delightful piece that discusses the two different types of "spoilers"--the chatty spoiler and the spoiler brat (SB for short, a coincidentally short leap to SOB, but that's another story).

One of my own articles will be going live in the wee hours of the morning as well, entitled "Juices Make Five-A-Day a Reality," which is all about the benefits that the hip health trend known as juicing can provide.

And there you have it, chaps, the HP preview! Don't you feel privileged? Don't forget to check out our archives as well as our weekly features, articles written by contributing women and our featured PROUDgirl!

hangPROUD, y'all!

Oh, I hate to sound grumpy/But my nerves are so jumpy

2007-07-25T20:08:00.001-04:00

Hello hello!

Well, since Kathleen and Carla's [independent] revelations, I have come to the realization that if you google hangPROUD, my blog comes up, which is at the same time both gratifying and slightly creepy. Anyway, on the off chance that my HP interns or bosses (who I love!) or any of the HP-interested googlers out there stumble across my humble blog, I thought I might throw a bit more HP-related information on here. Most of which should be taken as tongue-in-cheek and with a small pinch of salt, if you will. Sugar works too. And I can be bribed with chocolate.

[side note...there are three HPs in my life. 1. hangPROUD (obviously), 2. Harry Potter (no duh), 3. Hewlett Packard, makers of my fine though slightly malfunctioning computer. /side note]

Here's your HP tidbit of the day:
Ten (10) Things HP Interns (and the world at large) Can Do to Make Me a Happy Editor (and person) [otherwise known at 10THPICDtMMaHE, or The List]
1. Times New Roman, black, size 12 font, single spaced, one space after the period, no justification, a full space between paragraphs with no indentation. Please and thank you.
2. Your full or published name in the word document, preferably at the very top of the page, with...
3. A headline!
4. No more articles about sports until I say so. Say, like...January. Unless you want to write about skiing, gymnastics, ice skating, horseback riding, swimming....largely because I like them...or maybe some little know sport, so long as it's interesting and informative. Like, say, Rugby. I don't know much about Rugby. Or...croquet. Talk to me about the athleticism of croquet. It's rather satisfying to smack a croquet ball, did you know?
5. All articles in separate MS word documents, pretty please.
6. If you aren't sending me articles for a week, let me know. Before the deadline. Please.
7. When in doubt, write more, not less! I can always get out the pruning shears. I think maybe I'll up the minimum number of words...
8. Please spell my name right. It's Britt or Brittany. You can get away with Brit too. My name isn't Britney, though. :shiver: That's the name on my dentist's files though. I'm not very pleased with them.
9. Write me a quiz, poppets! I like quizzes...no more about "what kind of friend are you" and the like, though. We've got a few.
10. Don't change your mind in the middle of an article. It's not a good idea.

I bet every one's just jumping at the bit, now! Well...what are you waiting for? As Meryl Streep said in The Devil Wears Prada: "Go..."

That is all.

An update for anyone who cares

2007-07-19T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hey guys. So, I'm in Charleston at our wonderful house right on the beach and it's supposed to get into the 90s today and feel like it's about 100 degrees, and our AC is dead. Wait, wait. Even worse, the AC people have been out and they insist that nothing is wrong. The company we rented the house from is...well, idk what is going on, but I don't think they're returning our calls as of yesterday afternoon. Mom is pissed, Dad's ready to march into the office and start yelling at someone. And I got six hours of sleep.

So, I don't know exactly what is going on, but we aren't staying here. IDK if we're going to a hotel or heading back to the airport to get on standby and go home. I don't know. But regardless, I probably won't have internet access, therefore I won't be talking to anyone until, worst case scenario, Saturday night.

Ick. I'm starving and drenched in sweat and not a happy camper. I love you all, though, and wish you a very merry week. Enjoy Harry Potter!

Ewww sweat dripping down my back.

I see the moon and the moon sees me

2007-07-12T01:45:00.000-04:00

I'm on the edge of dreamland, but I had to say:

A. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix is out and I am PSYCHED. Like, beyond psyched, man. Like wow.

B. Overheard in NY is a fantasticly hysterical site. I love it. You might too. So check it out.

C. It's 1:46 and I have to be out of the house by 11 but up by...10 at the latest. I need to go to sleep.

Goodnight!

I just can't take it anymore!!

2007-07-10T20:44:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry. I just can't do it. They boy tried to get me to do it, and I tried, I really did. But...but...nooooo.

I mean, this is just so much better! And I have security stuffs, so do I really need to worry about having problems? Naww. And this is prettier, too. And it has a separate section for feeds. And it loads things in a nicer way. And it's just better! I don't care what all of you techies say!

I'm standing by Internet Explorer!

My lonely days are over. And life is like a song! At last...

2007-07-08T20:59:00.000-04:00

Hello duckies!

Had a beautiful--and hot--day today. I think my car came very close to overheating, poor dear. The thermometer read 104 after it was sitting in the sun for a bit! Lordy lordy, that is hot. And even though it is immensely hot today, I am sitting here curled up in the boy's sweatshirt. And I'm a little hot, but I'm going to boil before I take it off. So there.

So just what did I do today? Well, duckies, I went off wandering, i.e. shopping. Took myself off to DSF, Filene's Basement (which I've never been to before), Target, Borders, and the grocery store. Picked up lovely hanes tanks to sleep in that really need a wash, a new book (Body Movers, which is...interesting), and two new CDs from Feist and Rosie Thomas. I listened to Feist in the car and I think I'm in loooove. I heart it. So far. :P

And, good news! The boy is coming to visit tomorrow! I am so excited. Excited excited excited. EXCITED! Mwahaha. I don't quite know what we'll do tomorrow, but I think it is going to involve ice cream and a movie. Woot!

A Sidenote--

2007-07-06T18:32:00.001-04:00

I'm also newly excited because I just searched Project Gutenberg for some of my own favorite childhood classics and a few I've been wanting to read, and I've found a few, which will definitely save me money and give me a lot of enjoyment!

Here's some of what I found:
- all of the LM Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables books
- Bram Stocker's Dracula
- Homer's The Iliad
- probably all of Shakespeare's plays
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, etc.
- Faust, which I really need to read (Goethe)
-Dante's Divine Comedy

And lots of other fantastic things...

Woot!

No time to say "hello." Goodbye! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

2007-07-06T17:55:00.000-04:00

I'm watching Alice in Wonderland on Toon Disney right now--she's just now going to the tea party with the Mad Hatter--and it makes me wonder: how do classics become classics? Who decides what a classic is? And do all classics have similar qualities? Is there an unofficial classic rubric? A selection committee? And, really, what makes Disney's 1951 Alice in Wonderland a classic? And is it more of a classic than the Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and, for that matter, Alice Through the Looking Glass? I'm not a fan of the book Alice, but now that I watch the film version, I'm very fond of it, although I was terrified of it as a child. I think it's much easier to follow than the book and makes...well, it doesn't quite make sense, but it makes more sense than the book does, in my opinion.

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"

There are some fabulous things in the movie. Like that quote, above, which Alice says to Dinah, her kitten. The colors are fantastic and the animation is really lovely, which is probably what attracts a lot of children. The color surprised me, actually, even though this is probably a remastered version and the color has been "fixed" since its 1951 release. They are really vibrant! They pop! And it's musical-esque. That is to say that it does have music, much more than I remembered from my childhood experience. I mean, everyone remembers the rabbit's song, but do you remember the Walrus and the Carpenter song that Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum sing? What about the singing flowers? And Alice sings too. I was pleasantly surprised, I have to say.

"The time has come, my little friends, to talk of other things / Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings / And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wigs / Calloo, Callay, come run away / With the cabbages and kings."

So, what makes a classic, a classic? What is a classic and what isn't, and what makes it so? I think a classic--at least, a children's classic--has to be something that (obviously) appeals to children, which I think is where Alice in Wonderland and a lot of the more fantastic children's books and movies have the market cornered. Children are so open to believing things that couldn't possibly be real, like Alice, and yet as they grow and mature, they begin to question the things they had once believed in, just as Alice does in Wonderland. In this way, classics are relevant, even if they aren't necessarily "believable." I think children also can appreciate the silliness embodied by a character like the Mad Hatter, and they can still laugh at the hoity toity White Rabbit, the door knob, etc. A classic also needs to be clear and "followable," which the movie Alice does very well, I think. And then there are the characters, the exceedingly memorable characters: the Queen of Hearts, the pipe-smoking Caterpillar, the White Rabbit, the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. I think, ultimately these characters and the journey that they take the protagonist on are the keys to any good book or movie, and a classic, most of all. After all, if you can't remember it, why bother?

"Off with their heads!"

It's the day of marginal disappointments.

2007-06-28T17:26:00.000-04:00

Disappointment #1: I went to Barnes and Noble and bought this gorgeous planner. It's a really soft red leather cover and pretty ivory pages, and the packaging said it was July 2007 to December 2008, so, I'm like, PERFECT. Perfect. Get home, take the packaging off, hand it to my mom so she can look at my precious planner, and after a minute she says, "it starts in December." December? What? No. It starts in July. It has to start in July. She says, "no. It starts in December." So, I get semi-hysterical, or as hysterical as you can get over a planner, and I take it back and sure enough, it starts in December, though it does have the month-by-month planning pages from July 2007 on. A. Why would I want a planner whose week by week pages start in December and whose month by month pages start in July? Why would you do that? Seriously? B. Um. Not cool, because my current planner dies halfway through July. So, this means I don't have a real planner from two weeks from now until December. Sadness.

Disappointment #2: Boy has an early call of 10 am on Tuesday, which means that he won't be coming over Monday, his day off, because apparently driving an hour each way for just a day is a waste of time. I'm slightly pissed at the boy, although the pissyness is lessened considerably by the fact that I'll be seeing him Tuesday night, anyway.

Disappointment #3: So, last night, my mom mentions something about looking around for new bedroom furniture for me. I've had my current furniture since I was eight, so it's starting to show some wear, and it's ten years old and kind of immature, so I'm pretty excited, right? Today, I come home and she starts talking about it, and this is how the conversation goes: "Would you like new bedroom furniture?" Me: "Well, I've had mine for 10 years and it's starting to look old, so, yeah, it would be nice." "Well, I would be making most of the decisions, remaking your room, but we have similar taste, so.... Since you won't be here for much longer." Me: "Okay..." So, we start talking. She doesn't like the light wood that I have now, so she thinks maybe dark stained wood or painted wood. I don't think dark wood would look good in there since it's such a bright, light room, so we decide on painted wood. Probably. Although, knowing my mom, it's quite likely that I'll come home some time to find dark wood in my room. Anyway, we start talking about what she'd like to see...two smaller bedside tables instead of one big one, like I have now...and, ha, no bookshelf over my dresser. I keep waiting for her to say, maybe we could put a bookshelf by the desk, or something like that. But no, it's maybe you could put your books in the closet. No. No. My books don't go in the closet, they go on a bookshelf, dammit. I said that I wanted a bookshelf, and she said that we'd have to look around. No, darnit. I want a bookshelf. What's next? No desk? Are desks too childish for a proper, grown up bedroom?

All I can say is that there is no way in hell that I am working in the office. It is icky since Nick is in there 24/7, eating and getting greasy ickiness everywhere.

I shall keep you updated.

That's what I like about you. Yeaaaah.

2007-06-26T17:28:00.000-04:00

So, after my last post, you all know everything there is to know about me, so why continue writing? This is my last post.

Goodbye.

Ha. Right. If I stop now, what else would I do at 2 in the morning when the boy isn't on? Ummm. I don't know, captain.

Anyway, I have a very intense week. Yesterday was the day of fabulousness with the boy and his mama in the most fabulous city. Tomorrow is another day in the most fabulous city, but this time with Laura before she goes a-biking. Thursday is the day of Crash. Movie (Nancy Drew!! Mwahahaahaha) + lunch. Friday is D-day. I.e., I have to get work done. Oh crap. Have to work Wednesday night too for Thursday update. Yeaaah baby. I did actually get something done today, although it is kind of subpar. S'about why I chose co-ed over all girls.

Anyway, Monday might bring the boy down here for a visit, and then Tuesday, I'm up there to see Midsummer Night's Dream at NJ Shakespeare's outdoor theater. And then, either that night or in the am but prob. that night, we drive (he drives, I sleep) up to Dobbs for the fourth and go see fireworks on the river! Good fun. Then back do Drew the next day, early, and I drive myself home. Early. Probably. Except, there's a mall on the way back, soooo I might get sidetracked :P

10 Things You May (or may not) Know About Me

2007-06-25T02:21:00.001-04:00

1. I hate the way toes look. I think they are unnatural, inhuman, and, unfortunately, rather necessary if one plans on walking.

2. I was a state-ranked equestrian in my high school days. A (very close) second in my division.

3. I still sleep with Snuggy, a sheepskin blanket like thing that has definitely seen better days, almost every night. I'm probably on my fourth Snuggy, too. They were originally called "Snugglies", but I couldn't say that when I was an itty bitty tot (no jokes about my stature, please), so it was named "Snuggy" instead. Snuggy is a boy, and always has been. (whoo..it feels good to get that off of my chest)

4. The last issue of my high school newspaper when I was editor-in-chief almost caused a lawsuit.

5. I have this stuffed animal horse that looks a lot like my old horse, Mo, and before every horse show, I would talk to it. I thought it brought me good luck. My mom told my trainer about this, and my trainer said: "Good, tell her to keep talking to mini-Mo. It's working." I heart her.

6. I swore more in eighth grade than I do now.

7. I was Charlotte in my fourth grade class' production of "Charlotte's Web." My co-star, Wilbur, who was played by a girl, called me Char-Char for the rest of fourth grade and all through fifth. Our librarian was the director of the show. She held auditions during our math class (well, our usual math time, I guess), and everyone who wanted to audition read parts of the script in front of everyone else. I wasn't planning on auditioning, but I did anyway because I felt that all of the other Charlotte wanna-bes weren't good enough. I had a kick-bum costume, too, that was designed by my best friend's mom. It was kind of spider meets witch meets swamp. Twas cool, I say! And I still have my script.

8. I'm going into New York today at 10:44 and I have to be up at nine, and I can't go to sleep, darnit!

9. There are 92 people on my AIM buddy list, but I probably only talk to about 10 of them.

10. I remember the first time I met the boy and el-boy-o, and I have a great plan for our reunion back at school. It will take place on Sunday, August 26th--which is coincidentally the boy's and my eight month anniversary :) --on Westhampton Green, on the side of the side walk between what I think is Westhampton Way and Booker, right where the bushes are. Actually, that's not where I first met el-boy-o, but it's pretty close. Anyway, picnic, probably early dinner, there. Ten points to whoever can guess the original occasion :P

Food for Thought

2007-06-24T14:33:00.000-04:00

Here's a poem I hadn't seen before that one of my interns quoted in an article. I was surprised, actually, because it's written by one of my favorite poets, Emily Dickinson. Here you are:

Poem XXIX "Ghosts"
One need not be a chamber to be haunted,
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.

Far safer, of a midnight meeting
External ghost,
Than an interior confronting
That whiter host.

Far safer through an Abbey gallop,
The stones achase,
Than, moonless, one's own self encounter
In lonesome place.

Ourself, behind ourself concealed,
Should startle most;
Assassin, hid in our apartment,
Be horror's least.

The prudent carries a revolver,
He bolts the door,
O'erlooking a superior spectre
More near.

How to, how to succeed!

2007-06-24T12:25:00.000-04:00

I have a job offer. I am shocked. Come September, I will be a paid writer/editor. Wow. It just makes me feel warm and happy inside, that, you know, even if it isn't a lot of money, my skills are developed enough and worthwhile enough to be payed for... That was a great sentence, wasn't it?

Anyway, so my father has to come in and try to deflate the bubble. Not working. I'm rather pleased :)

Love to you all, whoever you all may be

He's got the whole world in his hands

2007-06-23T16:49:00.001-04:00

It's a GORGEOUS day here in NJ, in the 70s, blue skies...absolutely fabulous. My mom is having a dinner party tonight, so I went with her to run errands. We went to West Elm, to get some lanterns for our table outside, and they had these cans of San Pellegrino Limonada on display. Now, my dad is addicted to Limonada and has taken to complaining that they should come in larger sizes, since the ones our local grocery store sells are in itty bitty bottles. So, you know, when we saw normal sized cans there, we had to find out where they got them. Whole Foods. Who'd a thunk it?

So, I pretty much coerce my mother into going to Whole Foods, and I decided I had to record our maiden voyage for posterity: Walk through the doors into a GORGEOUS display of flowers. Massive pink peonies. To die for. Had to leave that area quickly, obviously. Too bad. Anyway, we start walking around and we find the Limonada fairly quickly, stock up. Four six packs = yumminess. Mama also needed paper towels and sponges, so we locate the single paper goods aisle, and it's hysterical. There are more Luna bars than there are paper towels, and of course, the towels are that scratchy, recycled brown paper kind. So, whatever. We get some of those. Move down the aisle. There are two choices of tin foil (since, you know, tin foil is non recycleable), about five boxes of saran wrap, and a few boxes of plastic bags. And then, there are a few scrubby sponges shoved in next to them. My mom and I are looking at each other ready to start laughing. We continue down the aisle to find that the only other sponges they have are shaped like animals and have the ability to hang from the faucet, if the consumer so desires.

Which consumer wants an animal shaped sponge hanging from a faucet?

We pass on the sponges, make it down the rest of the aisle, and my mom stops and looks at the list: Four D Batteries. "Surely, surely they have batteries," my mom says. She turns around and asks the sales person if they have batteries and the person's face goes blank. "Batteries?" she replies. "I don't think we have batteries." At this point, my mom and I just look at each other and try not to laugh. She sales person consults a bagger, and says, "We have rechargeable batteries. I guess you'll just have to go back to Staples, right?" Snooty sales person. Right. Staples. Sorry our batteries are killing your Green philosophy.

After that, we go to the check out and the woman who is scanning everything cannot manage the Limonada. Just can't do it. The cans keep on scanning individually, so she has to delete the can, scan the box, rinse, repeat. After she's done, my mom and I look up at the screen that shows what she scanned and the price and what not, and we're like, "That's not right." She had scanned three of the four Limonada packs and a can, instead of just four packs. We point it out to her three times, and she just doesn't want to hear it, so we give up. And then the bagger asks, you know, "paper or plastic." When my mom said plastic, I was so sure the entire place was going to stop and stare. Honestly. We pretty much high-tailed it out of there after that, and burst out laughing in the parking lot.

I love my mama. And I think I'm going to have to examine Whole Foods and see what lies within... And probably buy some flowers, too.

Life is just a bowl of cherries

2007-06-21T16:45:00.000-04:00

I don't like cherries but I LOVE my LIFE! :happy dresser dance: I have another internship! And I'm sooo frickin excited!!!

Okay, so, settling down temporarily. This one is with Hidden River Arts, which is a non-profit, internationally recognized arts organization that fosters artistic growth. So, every year, they have a fiction contest and a full length play contest, and they need interns to read them and judge them and I am one of those interns! I sent this massive email in response to the ad, explaining all of my experiences, my classes, what I read, what I write, and my resume, a short story, and an article, and the founder and director of Hidden River emailed me back and said I was just what they were looking for! Huzzah huzzah!

And, to top it off, she loves Richmond and has a really good friend in my town (who is a CW instructor at a university...). It's Fate, I tell you ;)

Oh Oh! And, they're planning an anthology for winning entries and I might be able to work on it!

Mwahaha :runs away giggling:

Ok, I'm back. I wish I could get in touch with the boy and tell him. Merr. I'll talk to him soon. Yes, soon. Okay, off to go respond :P

Loves love loves loveeee

Oh, here's a site for you: www.cancerschmancer.org

Dream dream dream when I want you in my arms...

2007-06-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

So, loneliness has taken a vacation, hopefully for awhile, after a great and rather interesting/insightful conversation with the boy last night.

I'm up until at least midnight tonight, making sure the hangPROUD update goes through okay. It's always when I have to stay up that I really want to go to bed. Weird, eh?
In other HP news, all of my interns and I have BYLINES now! Proper bylines! Bylines that say By____. At the beginning of the article. Right beneath the headline. For some reason, coding I guess, they aren't showing up on the homepage, but I'll bring that up. We're also trying to put together some interactive quizzes for the PROUDgirl section of the site, so, if you have any unique ideas, please let me know! Carla's hoping for one each week from each intern, so we'll see how that goes. I'm thinking we're going to run out of quiz topics, but we'll see...

So, I'm watching Bridezillas on WE...and damn, this bride is bitchy. But anyway, bride and mother are talking about said bride being walked down the aisle by both mother and father. Thoughts, anyone? I feel like the aisle would be crowded. It's sweet, but not traditional. I don't know what I think...I mean, if I did it, my mother would be bawling. Well, she'd be bawling anyway...and my dad would probably be teary too. I'm kind of hanging on to the idea of daddy giving me away. And here's another one: Is your wedding day the most important day of your life? I mean, it's important, but is it the be all and end all of important days? What about the birth of your children? And if you say that the birth of your children is the most important day/days of your life, then is that a slight on your marriage? And what about...I don't know, big life-changing career days? Promotions? Job offers? Aren't they important too? What thinkest thou?

To add to the jumble, I'm also reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm over 300 pages in, about half way, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. First off, Vampires is a totally new genre or subgenre for me, but I do find it to be fascinating so far, because I know so little about the history of vampires and the legends that exist. I'm not sure how I feel about how Kostova tells the story. Maybe it's just me, but over the first 150-200 pages or so, when we're reading the letters, I had problems separating the lives of the father and Rossi, the professor. I can figure it out when I get confused and have to add another detail into the mix, but the problem is that I have to pause and concentrate on which character did what 25 odd years before the story is actually taking place. The other big problem I have with the telling of the story is the way the father tells stories and writes letters. It just isn't realistic. No one recounts that much detail, no one. I know that we're supposed to be stepping into the memory, but the suspension of reality is, in this case, hard for me to believe. Of course, it is a story about vampires, so their goes reality, right (hopefully)? But since we're on the subject of vampires, here's a question: Why is no one FREAKING OUT about people being BITTEN BY FRICKIN VAMPIRES? Um. I'd be flipping out. Like, hysterical. And the wife of the guy in Istanbul is all, oh what a shame, I'll go make him dinner. I mean seriously!

/rant.

I do like it though. Really ;)

We're living in a material world and I am a material girl

2007-06-16T00:08:00.000-04:00

I'm the walking example of retail therapy. I start feeling lonely, and then I started thinking about what I could buy. I mean seriously. I want to slap myself. If Ryan was here, I would have him slap me, but he's not here. Hence, you know, the loneliness. It's a vicious, vicious cycle.

All I wanna do is find a way back into love...

2007-06-15T23:58:00.000-04:00

I miss my boy.

That's all I have to say at the moment.

Da da da da da...

2007-06-11T22:17:00.000-04:00

So, the Tonys were last night on CBS. Fairly good show this year, I think. Wasn't a fan of Fantasia singing from The Color Purple, and the Mary Poppins performance was kind of weird and out of context... but I loved the Grey Gardens performance, and Spring Awakening was, I think, very intriguing. From what I've read on other b-way boards, the Spring Awakening performance was a mix of all of the rock-n-roll songs in the show, so it was kind of...overpowering, I suppose. Oh, and 110 in the Shade looks great and I cannot wait to go later this month! Woot for broadway!

It was another successful week for hangPROUD. All of the interns submitted everything before the deadline, and everything was fairly good, so I applaud them. And my boss returns from vacation today, which I'm psyched about. I missed her. And it was weird to not wake up to five emails from her alone in my inbox. Ah well. I've figured out that I can do all of my Monday work--editing--in an hour and a half, tops. Cooool man ;).

On another note, I really want to start reading for next semester! I'm psyched. Two (three) englishy classes! :claps hands: Shakespeare and epic myth and gothic/jacobian dramaaaa. Huzzzzah! Soo, when do book lists go up? Huh? Huh?

On a related note, I'm reading this book that my mama bought for me called "Scarlet's Sisters" which is all about women growing up in the South before/during the Civil War. It's got bunches of really interesting information, I think. I would recommend it, if you're interested in that sort of thing. Because, you know, if you aren't, you probably wouldn't enjoy it.

And finally, my weekend with the boy was lovely :) Brief, but lovely. And The Play's The Thing at NJ Shakespeare is FANTASTIC! Goooo see it now! It is funny and sharp and witty, set and costumes are great, ALL of the actors are fantastic, they're all equity, and I've seen two of them on Broadway numerous times so, you know, I kind of feel like I'm subconsciously stalking them. It's gotten great reviews...and...it's just great, so gooo see it now!! Go go go!

Okay, Itunes 7 just downloaded...so, ciao for now!

2007-06-09T01:32:00.001-04:00

I can't sleep, so what do I do? Go on Facebook, of course! Like, duh. Here's what I learned:

1. My ex-assistant aerosoles store manager is engaged!
2. My ex-BFF went to Cancun. And, remarkably, the pictures remind me of the time when we went to the Bahamas together, minus the whole partying in downtown Cancun thing.
3. A certain theatre person who recently graduated is a brunette now. I def. need to see pictures of this.
4. A certain former roommate of my next-semester roomie (well, one of them) lists a certain greek society on her profile...and I am dubious. And a little befuddled.
5. Apparently Hailey is facebooking at the same time *I'm* facebooking
6. A certain other roomie of mine has not updated her message nor has she replied to the comments I left on said message. I hope aforementioned other roomie is okay and happy, even though she will prob. (never) read this. Love to the roomies! Unite! Soon. Ish.
7. It's Grace's BDAY! Happy BDAY GRACE! brb. Got to go leave comment.
8. The new facebook app's are getting excessive...
9. A certain former faculty member and beloved honorary member of the theatre department (maybe not so honorary...he's seems to show up rather frequently) has really cute kids. I kinda already knew that, but I'm just restating the obvious, d.l.
10. Cancun is popular this summer...
11. I have at least one whore as a facebook friend.
12. And said whore is prob. an alcoholic by now. And a druggie. And needs to buy real clothes...
13. Ohmegoodness, Corey J is a real live grown up person now instead of just my best friends little baby blonde haired brother! Weeeeird. He has a facebook...
14. I am so glad my boy is not stuck in the teenage inability to type normally thing. :cringe: Okay, so maybe the gamer typing thing stuck...sticks...but, you know, i'll take w00t over...you know, anything my teenybopper barn buddies type.
15. And I'm really glad he doesn't call me a ho. I mean, seriously...people think that's flattering and nice and affectionate? Gag me, please.
16. Some people spend way too much time on facebook. I don't include myself in tha statement, just so you know.
17. I really should change my profile picture soon. It's been up for awhile. Me likes it though.
18. I just saw a certain comment on a certain long islanders profile and I am so glad I'm not living with said certain person. Whew.
19. I love my interns because they turned there work in before the deadline! Go interns goooo!

Okay, so that last one wasn't from facebook, but it's true. Now I fully intend to go to sleep and stop thinking about useless things, like weddings and harry potter and where I want to live someday and the cute house I could buy... I saw the cutest house today.... :sigh:

loves loves loves!

I'm so excited/And I just can't hide it

2007-06-08T19:33:00.001-04:00

Hello hellooo!

Oh crap. I was going to call Ash today. Hm.

Anyway, off to see the boy and the show of the boy tomorrow afternoon. V. v. excited. Spent hours making 4 dozen cookies (who needs 4 dozen cookies?okay. not I.) that my brother actually likes (wow!). Tried to melt white chocolate to drizzle over it but some how the consistancy wasn't right and it ended up glopping, so the very few chocolate smothered ones are v. yummy and v. ugly at the same time.

Also painted my nails, so, my room is toxic. Ha. Oops. Annnnd it's pizza night = pepperoni goooodnessss. And I'm watching friends, which is a classic good time, when one is alone... Oh Ross. You fool.

So, moral of the post is that I get to see the boy tomorrow and I am excited!!

I want to be a hunter again...

2007-06-06T17:36:00.000-04:00

If anyone knows where my camera is, please let me know.

I am the champion, my friends (ok, so I changed it a little weeny bit)

2007-06-05T19:26:00.000-04:00

I MADE WANTONS!! AND THEY KICKED BUM!

oh my great goodness, they were delicious! I'm sorry for everyone who didn't partake, which is, you know, everyone besides me and my mama. So sorry.

That's the way (uhuhuhuh) I like it!

2007-06-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

I'm making wantons/dumplings/pot stickers!!!!! They smell yummy and I really hope they taste yummy too. Shall let you know.

In other news, I picked up by vase today from the pottery painting place and it looks nice. Kind of modern and bright and slightly whimsical. Not quite what I was going for, but I like it lots. Huzzah huzzah! Must find flowers to put in it...

xox

I tried so hard and got so far...

2007-06-04T18:43:00.001-04:00

What's with all the cooking shows? I mean, seriously...the Food Network's Next FN Star debuted last night, Hell's Kitchen on FOX debuts tonight, and Top Chef on Bravo debuts on the 13th. Good gracious. Why do we need to watch like...30ish people cook? Over and over? Don't get me wrong, I'll probably watch them all, but by the fifth episode, I'll have watched that times 3 and by then, I'll probably be sick of it. Why not have one each season? So if I don't want to watch American Idol every day, I can watch a foody reality show... sounds good to me. I like food, just not in large doses.

And it's Alton Brown, not Elton, for anybody that read the last post and cares that I got it wrong. And for Alton, because he probably gets annoyed that people spell his name wrong.

In other news, I actually did work today! I know, I surprise myself. And I actually have two articles ready to go for this week, but I should probably write more, right? Write. I mean right. Right.

I think what I shall do tomorrow is A. wake up at a decent hour. Like, before noon. B. Upload some hangPROUD thingies and C. organize my writerly things. Like my research and all of my published things and unpublished things that could be published and the loads of crap that I like to write but wouldn't dare show anyone. Ever.

AND, speaking of hangPROUD, I've gotten an update! We have forty-five ish members right now (and if you aren't one of them, go to www.hangproud.com and join! :nudge:) and have sold 21 shirts in ONE WEEK! Woot! :dance: There are some pretty cool things going on, marketing-wise, which I will share if everything works out like I hope it will. Until then, my lips are sealed :P

Love to you all!

I don't know why I love you like I do...I don't know why, I just do

2007-06-03T20:11:00.001-04:00

And this is my life...

I've been watching the Food Network for a very long time. A very very very long time. I've seen them alllll. And by all, I mean all...you know, Bobby, Emeril, Giada, Paula, Rachel, Tyler, the weird guy...Elton? I'm not really sure why, I'm just sitting here and there it is.

My dog, Buddy, has been carrying his ball around all day long, going between me, my brother, and my mom. I think he starts attacking it whenever people stop paying attention to him, which is an effective tactic because we always starts either yelling at him or playing with him whenever he does it, since he only picked the ball out a few days ago. That's right, Buddy picked out his ball. He went to the store, and that's what he came back with. No lie.

Awww...Rachel Ray got mugged twice. Poor dear. I'm not a big fan...she's a bit perky...but that's horrid. I'd pat her if I could. On the head.

I also tried to watch Heroes on NBC.com, but my computer overheated after the first part. :sigh:

Oh. Today, while I was sitting at my window seat, over 136 motorcycles passed by. It was the weirdest thing. My windows started rattling and the furniture was shaking and then I turned around and looked out the window and there was bushels of them! Just driving through my itty bitty town... I mean, I live on a relatively busy street, but seriously...136+motorcycles? And I counted them. I didn't count them all because I didn't start counting until after a minute or so, but I counted 136. That's what I did.

Motorcycle is a very hard word to type, I think.

You're not foolin' me 'cuz I can see the way you shake and shiver... (that's a fact!)

2007-06-01T15:53:00.000-04:00

We're like two trippy peas in a far-out pod, man.

That is all.

Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air....!

2007-06-01T13:32:00.001-04:00

Watching Scooby Doo on the Cartoon Network. It's a movie that I haven't seen before and is centered around the Chubakabra (I think I spelled that right) legend of Mexico/Puerto Rico, etc. The Chubakabra that they present is very much like Big Foot. And they just showed a statue of Quetzalcoatal. Ohhh Spanish class...

"Did I tell you that you are in grave danger?"
"No, you skipped that part..."
"You are in graaaaave daaaanger."

And the creepy old guy has a website. Sketch! Did anyone know that Velma sleeps in curlers?

I didn't.

So, in other news, today is D-day. That's right--deadline day. Interns are supposed to email me their articles for the week by 5pm. Bets are open on how many will do so. And, I received one edit and now I need to actually focus and see what (if any) progress has been made. I am doubtful.

Just around the river bend...I look once more...

2007-05-31T12:08:00.000-04:00

A few random things:

1. Legally Blonde: The Musical...was on The View today. I think it's cringe worthy, but the talent up on that stage is incredible. Laura Bell Bundy playes Elle Woods, and the lyrics she sings are horrendous, but her voice is lovely. Such a shame, me thinks. The characters are very much derived from the film, down to the haircut, which is a little creepy, but I can understand why they did it. And Bruiser's there, and apparently he talks to the girls. Sketch.

2. Disney...Debra Messing, Judy Davis, and Anika Noni Rose were also on The View today to promote The Starter Wife, a new mini series. It turns out that Anika Noni Rose is going to be the first black Disney Princess! :cue applause: All I can say is, it's about time! Congrats to her and Disney and all the little girls out there who will benefit from seeing the diversity of the Princesses and finally having a Princess who is like them! Now if maybe we could see a Princess that was not so busty...I think I could relate to that...

3. I'm watching an old Scoobie Doo movie--Scoobie Doo on Zombie Island. Laugh if you want, but Scoobie Doo = quality (cartoon) entertainment. It's certainly a hell of a lot better than a lot of the crap that my brother currently watches. My personal favorite is Scoobie Doo and the Witch's Ghost. It had great music, or so I recall. Very catchy ;)

Oh, and we've been going out for more than 4 months and this is longest that I've gone without seeing the boy. That would be eight days.... sadness. :P

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream...

2007-05-29T23:12:00.000-04:00

This is what I did today:

- Woke up three times before extracting myself from my window seat at 12:06 pm
- Consumed lunch of elbow noodles. Put out burners twice in the process of cooking said noodles. Once putting the pot on the burner (the water splashed...) and once stirring it overzealously. Oops.
- Procrastinated by reading The Twenty (see link in last post!) and was delighted to see comments on my last post! (nudge nudge, hint hint)
- Went off to paint pottery. I'm painting a vase because there were no lovely looking bowls to paint. Maybe I'll poster a picture after it is fired. Maybe. If you're lucky.
- Returned home and read more of The Twenty, fully realizing what a delightful story it is. Wanted to slap Snape for being stupid. Wanted to cheer for Hermione for kicking bum.
- Wondered if flies have been buzzing since the beginning of time or if it is a recent development.
- Ate deliciously, if overly juicy, chicken fajitas care of mama.
- Watched HGTV while considering how long would be appropriate to procrastinate
- Decided I'd procrastinated long enough and started answering emails. That took an hour and a half.
- Decided that I'd done enough work for the night.

Now, I'm watching Sex and the City. Good times :P And I teased the boy about his sleeping habits...good fun.

Give 'em the old razzle dazzle--razzle dazzle 'em

2007-05-28T21:19:00.000-04:00

It's story time! Here are my favorite HP fanfics! A bunch of these I just have bookmarked and I don't really remember what they're about or what warnings I should post with them. A lot of them have sexual/explicit content, so this is your warning.

Heart Over Mind, by Regann--It's a romance between Hermione and Snape (get your groaning over now because I like the pairing, so THERE). Warnings on violence, and I don't think it's completed. Hermione has a bizarre reaction to a love potion...
*--Note: 5/29: Heart Over Mind is completed, so go read it! Thanks for the comment, Regann!

Second Chance, by Captain Traemel--based on the Marriage Law Challenge, which I adore if it's done well. Hermione and Snape pairing. Harry beats Voldemort, Ministry of Magic passes a marriage law, and Snape and Hermione are engaged...

A Walking Shadow, by Ariadne AWS--I remember this one! Snape and Hermione, Snape is an outlaw, Hermione discovers him at Grimmauld Place. They work together to make everything right, with a bit of romance thrown in. And somebody tames Sirius' mother...

Of Debts and Debt Collection, by TimeTurnerForRent--Snape and Hermione

The Twenty, by Leyna Rountree--Snape and Hermione. There is sex, at the end particularly. It's a great Hermione story, kind of disturbing because the idea is based on protection given by loss of virginity--immaculate loss of virginity. Fantastic concept, and Hermione is a really strong character.

When a Lioness Fights, by Kayly Silverstorm--Snape and Hermione (surprise surprise). Fabulous story, presents a very different (BUT STRONG!) Hermione. Hermione becomes a death eater (oooh). There is violence and blood and gore and rape, etc. Very strong emotional relationship between Snape and Hermione. It does get physical, but it's not all about sex, you know?

The Student In Question, by Jan. McNeville--Hysterical story. Snape and Hermione, plus some original characters and absolute ridiculousness on the part of the author. There's sex, intrigue, kidnapping, Draco-dissing, pregnant crazy woman, Aurors from America, werewolves...you name it, here it is! Hysterical and action packed, I think. And there are sequels! Two, I think.

The Summoning, by Bambu-- Has some Ron and Hermione which fades into Snape and Hermione. Fabulous story, unfortunatly a work in progress. I finished through chapter 39 today and I love it love it love it and want to read more. There's everything in it--Harry Potter realm magic, Arthurian legend, Nimue, druidic magic and ritual... yum. A strong Hermione, a stupid Sirius and Harry. And a usually smart Ron, for once.

There's more, a few more marriage laws, etc... but I share them later!

loves love loves

Where has the time all gone to? Haven't done half the things we want to...Oh well...We'll catch up some other time...

2007-05-28T20:22:00.000-04:00

So, I'm watching On The Lot, one of the newer reality shows on Fox, and here are my musings:

1. Spaced Out--aliens barfing on police officer. Okay. It was funny. I admit it. I mean, drunk aliens, kind of cackling, then barfing (okay, gross, but still chuckle worthy)...ha. Ha ha.

2. I don't know what it's called, but it's creeping me out. If I was watching it in a theatre, I would so be out of there. Wack Alley Cab. That's what it's called. WEIRD. Carrie Fisher looks confuzzled. She's rather diplomatic too. It kind of reminded me of Mulholland Drive. And I hated that movie. Weirdness.

3."Sometimes you go far out and you find out that nobody's out there with you"--Garry Marshall, totally being added to my favorite peoples list. That was in response to Wack Alley Cab, in case you didn't make the connection.

4. Commerical time! Oh It's Jennifer Love getting angsty because her bra straps keep falling down. Hanes. Donkey! and McD's! I hate McDonalds. Laser levels = bad idea. "Oh you fixed my spine!" (Yahoo Answers). Yell's--ooh, I mean Hell's Kitchen ad. Autotrader ad. Cars. Blah. Boring. Millionaire's Club = Yacht Christening --> Ascots. Ah. New York Lottery. Of course! People running. I so don't understnad this add. It's a computer phone like thing. What can it be? Oh! Silly string! On escalators! And Security. Ahh.. Sidekick. Rightttt. Another car ad. :yawn: Zoom Zoom! Mazda _____ whatever. I like zoom zoom though. News commercial. I saw a Mazda outside of a Staples and it had a Zoom Zoom logo! Fox ad (HOUSE!) Somebody died. Oh! She came back to life. It's just like that fanfic I was reading where Sirius comes back to life. Annnnd back to the show!

5. Bus # 1. It's about peeing, care of a stay at home mom who decided that the thing that was missing from her life was film making. Depends! She's gotta pee and she really can't wait. Uh oh... Don't sit next to that one, folks. Ooooh yuck. She peed in the coffee cup and the old lady chucked it out the window. And I think it a hit a runner, but I can't be sure. Carrie Fisher is disappointed... We've got barf and urine, folks. What's next? Don't answer that... On a side note, I hate wedge pumps. Is that even possible? Dressy wedge shoes. Especially with ankle straps.

6. Next --> Marty Martin (whooo what a name!) = The Big Bad Heist: Green tint. Shotgun mentioned. Oceans 11 esque trailor. 3 million dollars...crimelord...ninjas! 24 of them! Asian driver (SCARY!). Dramatic voice over. Looks kinda like a car commercial. Not a movie I want to see, personally... Reminds me of The Matrix crossed with Ocean's 11 and...something else...The Italian Job? Yeah. The Italian Job. He made a preview instead of a film, which was the assignment. Oh, and it was supposed to be a comedy. Huh. No barfing or peeing though, as Garry Marshall says.

7. Commerical Time!!! Verizon wireless, the one with the mom in the taco costume. Note, when mom is in taco costume, don't say "hola". Bad form, man. Men playing basketball. Deodorant? Nooo, Coppertone Sport Sunblock! Car payment...cell phone...black leather...drama, tension...Citi banking. Sinus pressure. Head like ballon, whoosh--Sudafed PE! Dancing people. Colorful background. Ipod headphones. Ipod. Ipod+ Itunes. APPLE! KFC (or is it?). I like mashed potato. But I think the layering thing they are doing it frickin WEIRD. Yuck. Sickening. Direct TV, telling me to stay focused for the next 30 seconds. Telling my lies (tell me lies tell me lies tell me sweet little lies...) about HDTV. :sigh: You just can't win, can you? FOX dramas...a sober detective, prob. recovering alcoholic. Man in yellow sweatshirt. Accuses detective of craziness. Probably fairly accurate. Creepy old lady. New Amsterdam--AND...(after the storm)--take a wild guess? We've got cops, a landmark new series, not the same place, a chase, guns, sirens, a bridge, water, redemption, one breath at a time, K-VILLE. Um. Not what I thought, but whatevs.

8. Annnddd we're back! oooh Stunts! Lucky Penny, about a guy who finds a lucky penny. Imagine that. And fell down a manhole. Oops. Oh god. Plaid shorts. That's where he went wrong. He also got hit by a bus. Fell onto the pavement, still has the penny, a piano is going to fall on his head. Ouch. There's the penny. Awww...and some old lady picked it up. "oooh, luck penny!" Actually pretty cute. Stunts were kind of...lameish. But the old lady was totally cute. Carrie Fisher liked it. Garry liked it. "Funny and charming, which is very hard to do." He missed his daughter's first birthday! OMG that is so sad!

9. This is going to be a loooong post if I keep doing this. Right? Right.

10. This one is no pushover. Oh, I like her. She's kind of spunky. And she has kinda weird kinda cool hair. To Screw in a Light Bulb: light flickers. man in plaid robe climbs on step stool and hits the lamp. The room is filled with people. I'm bored. Maggots mentioned, pirate speaks. Fight erupts. Clown dances. Man tries to eat cereal. Woman in bathrobe screws in lightbulb--tada! "Geez Bob, it's just a freakin light bulb!" Carrie Fisher doesn't get it completely. "Good attempt. Unhhh." Poor concept from the man in the middle. Garry says that it's hard to make a metaphor funny.

11. GIRL POWER!

12. BREAK--Cars! It's Ford, doing there history thing. Mustang to Fusion. I like the mustang. I like horses. Yup. That's it. Bold Moves, baby. Oooh! People kissing! Lipton White Iced Tea - sometimes the lightest touch creates the biggest sensation, or something like that. Flower market! I like flowers! People with hoses and green aprons! A Cashier. Visa card. Circles of flowers and rainboots. And SOD! Sod rocks my world. Ooooh somebody wrote a check, and the happy music ends. I totally understand that feeling. Dude, the flowers wilted. Take a hint. Visa check card, baby. Life takes it. Somebody wants to rule the world and he must circle it. Ten times. He works because he's driven. To close the deal. Monster.com. Personally, I don't like Monster.com, but that's just me. Oh, McDonalds! Noo, I don't believe those stories. Go away, golden arches. AFLAC! With the goat! Naaaah. Naaaaah. Naaaaaaaah. Ask about it at work. More on the lot, Next! All new episodes of...the one about beating the 5th grader. GO FIFTH GRADERS!! Back to the show...

13. It's Mateen from Cali, orig. from South Bronx. Yeah, man. He's from Wallstreet, baby, but he gave it up for film making. It's Soft...."You be soft", "man, whatever, yo". Man with stocking on head. Tan stocking. And they all run after him. And he takes her purse. Ha. I laughed out loud. He stuck up his grandma. Ha. That was funny. Carrie says it's a success! So does the man in the middle (DJ Caruso, fyi). And Garry...says...that it was very good and he's from the Bronx too and says that the guys weren't scary. But he did a great job.

14. It's 9:00.

15. Claudia's turn. She's from Italy and has crazy hair and an accent and a tooth hanging from her neck. And she is a self-proclaimed artist. It's Blind Date: polka dot clutch, I think she is doing the voice over. Maybe. Polka dot dress. Woman left alone at the bar. She goes to bathroom. There is a man in the ladies room and she goes to the boys room. Eww. Farting noises. Foul. She meets her date in the bathroom and he gives her flowers. Eww. Carrie doesn't look pleased. "Maybe comedy isn't your thing" aww. She's trying to be nice. Middle man thinks she chickened out with the fart joke. Garry thinks she is an artist and comedy is tricky and the movie was well made. "But it makes you want to wash your hands" ("anyone have a handy wipe?" A handy wipe for Garry? Anyone?). Her style reflects her personality. And the camera just scanned her body, from the feet up. Weirdness.

16. It's the country boy from Kentucky. He's got an accent! Aww. The south doesn't mess around--his film is called "Getta Room". It's about a nerdy type guy. I'm ready, are you? Yup, that man is a nerddd. He's not with a girl yet. But there are couples alll around. He just told an old couple to get a room. And was thrown out of the theatre. And hit by a car. and now he's going to heaven. And the angel hugged the gatekeeper and he yelled getta room and he poufed away, presumably to hadessss. (Think Bring It On). Carrie Fisher got mentally challenged instead of nerdy...she doesn't know how to react, she was so offended. Uhoh. He says its not that bad...he's just a nerd. Middle man saw him as special needs--cheap and exploitative. Wait. Carrie is sitting in the middle but she talks first! WEIRD. Garry says he went pitch dark (humor). Direction of the actor wasn't great, actor was between nerd and retarded. Uhoh. PC card played. Agh. But PinC is good as long as its in area that brings laughter...

17. Break time and I'm tired...so, tralaaa! I'm off.

Love love love to you all.

Spectacular, spectacular!

2007-05-26T18:04:00.000-04:00

I hope somebody is amused by my post titles.

Anyway, hangPROUD is LIVE!!!! So, go check out the website!

www.hangproud.com

And register! Sign up and become a PROUDgirl! Even if you're a boy!

I know things now, many valuable things...

2007-05-26T17:53:00.001-04:00

So, here are the things I've learned this week, among other things. Ready?

1. When you get blisters, stop walking.
2. When you have blisters, don't allow dog to step on feet.
3. Pouting does not work on my mother (anymore).
4. The local library is closed today... Still trying to find out if it is closed because it is Saturday or because it is Memorial Day Weekend.
5. My mother's career ambitions change frequently.
6. When my mother wears my shoes, they will probably be returned wet.
7. Trying to cross over two lanes of traffic to make an exit on a highway is a bad idea. Especially if you're driving a tractor trailer.
8. N.J. has a knack for poor governors. Although they do get to live in a nice house. Called Drumthwacket.
9. There is vodka in my freezer.
10. Nobody wants to go to the movies with me. Or out to dinner, except, we're going out to dinner anyway. I'm still not sure how that worked out, but I'm pretty pleased about it.
11. I don't think I want to major in theatre anymore.
12. I probably couldn't do anything in literary management for a theatre unless I had an MFA, because that's what I'm competing with. And that is so not going to happen.
13. I think I write fairly well.
14. Classics is frickin' interesting! Bring it on, baby!
15. Writing has been the only real constant in my life, besides my parents. And Snuggy. And security.
16. Guys don't think about getting married and having kids. They think about jobs. Girls, on the other hand, dream of their wedding day from kindergarten, on.
17. Some people really need to pay more attention in English class.
18. I am terrified to write horror stories because the only time I am inspired to write them is at night, when my imagination goes into overdrive. But either way, I think about horrid things and I can't go to sleep, so really, I should write them and sell them and make a fortune, and then exist on sleeping pills (JOKING! Ha. Ha ha.)
19. My father is very hypocritical.
20. Pecan Pinwheels are yummy!

Seriously--I haven't had a Pecan Pinwheel in ages, and I just got them at the grocery and they are yum-o yummy and they aren't really bad for you. They used to seem a lot bigger though. Ah well, the times they are a'changin'.

Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered...am I

2007-05-23T19:38:00.000-04:00

Alright, so, I'm reading this post on AW's "Writing Novels" forum (link on the left! great resource!) regarding the necessity of a "main plot." There seems to be a rift between the writers who prefer character-driven stories and those who prefer plot-driven stories. I think the central problem here is that people are operating on different ideas of what a plot does and how it works in a novel. I'm not really sure how this happened, exactly, because to me it's quite clear. A plot is the action of the story, basically, right? It's what the characters do. I can't come up with a book that doesn't have a plot, because the characters have to do something, don't they?

You would think so, but there are all of these arguments regarding the concept of the characters driving the story. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, something is happening, and that something is a plot. It doesn't matter who is driving it, if it just happens to the characters or if the characters go out and actively pursue something on their own accord. Either way, something is happening.

I for one can't imagine how a novel would work without a plot. I mean, what is going on? Nothing? Just page after page of words describing a setting, a characer...and that's it? No action? I can't see that being very marketable, and I'm not sure how you even begin a novel without having some sort of action in mind.

:shrugs:

Just my point of view, but if you have one, I'd love to read it.

A hangPROUD Update!

2007-05-23T19:30:00.000-04:00

So, great day in the city. Carla is absolutely on my favorite persons list. And I get to go back to my HS position (ish) of editor-in-chief, so I have almost full editorial control (ish), which makes me exceedingly happy. Brittany wins! yes yes YES! Right now, we've got between 3 and 6 girls writing, which means anywhere from 6 to 24 articles for me to edit each week, which means that we should have quite a backlog of articles by summer's end, which is good for hangPROUD. I also have been told to start asking people (nicely, of course) if they would like to contribute articles, ideas, etc. All writers are given full credit for their articles, and as of now, we do need articles--fresh blood, new opinions. We are not as of now accepting anything with a political or explicit vibe, but we do have a lovely long list of article ideas, and you can always go beyond what I have. If you're interested or want more information, leave a comment or email me!

-Britt.

In the still...of the niiiiiight...

2007-05-22T17:47:00.001-04:00

Multitasking is a beautiful thing. Not only am I indulging in some quality Dirty Dancing watching (great great great movie, in my opinion), but I'm also getting some work done. :nods: Really truly.

Here's the count: 3 articles finished; 1 on tanning, 1 on PMS, 1 on the skinny mirror; 1 is in need of tweaking (skinny girls); and 4 others are works in progress! Woot!

Some items of note:
1. Yoda looks good on HD TV
2. Question: Which name is better, Frances or Baby?
3. Garden books can multiply exponentially. Fun pictures, though.

and just remember: Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin'...

2007-05-22T14:10:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I'm not quite working nine to five. More like one o'clock in the pm to...whenever I feel I've done enough, thank you very much. And I'm not really making a living, given that I'm interning for, um, no moneys. But anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. What am I talking about, you ask? Why, hangPROUD, of course!

What is hangPROUD? Why, it's the soon to be launched (keeping our fingers crossed!) website directed towards women's issues with a focus on self esteem problems. What can you find there? Merchandise (including yummy flip flops, I'm told), stories from women, young and old alike, and lots of deliciously candid articles written by women from all sorts of backgrounds (including moi!), among other things. It's good fun, good information, and good stories--okay, great stories. It's all about being proud of who you are, so join the fun (once I say go, of course ;)!

/advert

That was for all of those darling people in my life who have no idea what I am doing this summer. In case you didn't get the hint, that was it. Look up there. (This is me, pointing. Up there.) It should be live soon, and yours truly will most likely be (for the most part) in charge of the articles/stories portion of the site, so I'm quite excited about that. Tomorrow, I go into the city for a solo meeting, plus a lunch date with the boy, and then it should be full steam ahead, hangPROUD, ho!

Here's the current article count: 3 finished; 1 on tanning, 1 on PMS/IMS (look it up!), 1 on skinny people.

It's ME! It's me! Look'a thar, it's me!

2007-05-21T13:54:00.000-04:00

That's "Annie Get Your Gun" and this is ME! :mwahahaha: My blog, my thoughts, my plan to take over the world...you know, the usual.

So, what can you find here? Well, now that you've asked...

- If you know me :ahem: personally, you can find out what I'm up to (:cough: Ash who has decided to stay at school instead of coming home to play this summer :/cough:)

-If you, well, if you don't know me, you can still tag along and witness the craziness that is me. Actually, you probably have a better perspective because you won't be confronted with the dual realities that define me (That would be Me and me. See the difference? Yeah, well...). So, basically, you'll just think I am continually insane, whereas those who know me know that I'm not always insane, and those who kind of know me are going to be having a major WTF moment, because I'm a bit more...expressive, shall we say...here, or, you know, once you really get to know the inner me (not to be confused with Me).

Now that I've probably scared everyone who doesn't know me away, alienated everyone who wanted to know me but has now run in the opposite direction, and hopefully made Ash laugh like a crazy person as the above craziness, I'll tell you what I'm going to write about:
...
..
.
OK, well, there's a problem here, because I make random asides that most people don't follow, but basically, this is me being me, talking about my life and everything therein--writing, reading, theatre, friends, boys (okay, boy), horses (occasionally), current events, and weird things that I hear or see that make me want to comment.

Oh! Oh Oh! And I'll chronicle the daily life of that which is hangPROUD, my summer internship which is launching today (hopefully! keep your fingers crossed!). And, I'll talk more about that one later, when, you know, there is something to really talk about.

Anything else?

Hm.

Oh, I like commas and sidenotes (as you can see...)

I think that's it.

OH! And sometimes I curse. This is my disclaimer.
:giggle: I've never had a disclaimer before. Well, not *officially* anyway. Huh. I wonder if there are any rules about cursing on blogs? I should find that out. It's rather like being in school again, and by school, I mean high school, because my college prof's curse too. It's funny, because we're all used to teachers gasping when somebody says "crap" or something stupid, and now all of our teachers are all like, yeah, that f---ing s-cks, guys.

Love to you all!

xox Britt and the inkblots (and snapshots!)