We played Scattergories the other night with friends. Neither Shane nor I had played it before, but it was really fun. Someone rolls a die covered in letters, and whichever letter comes up is the one you use for that round. Each person has (the same) twelve categories and a minute to come up with twelve fitting words or terms starting with the letter. For one round, the letter was G. Most of the categories were really difficult, but one of them was "Things you hide". I thought of my answer and started giggling, thinking that no one else was sick enough to come up with the same thing (thereby canceling out any points I'd get). Well, apparently Shane is, and was of a similar mindset. When it got around to everyone saying their answers for that category, I said my answer and Shane immediately said, "Shit!" and threw down his pencil. Our fabulous answer? Grandparents. Since then we'll randomly look at each other and say, "Grandparents! Ugh!" As in, we came up with the same ridiculous answer! But it was so funny that Shane later called his brother and posed him the question of what would he have answered. All I heard was, "Gonorrhea! That would have been amazing!" Wow. Go Spencer.
One of the other answers that Shane thought of later (and would sound really bad out of context, even with a written explanation) goes back to last weekend, when we went to the Marlin and the game of the evening was Bad Pick-Up Lines. Everyone involved in the game had to, by the end of the evening, go up to someone and use a bad pick-up line on them. Of course, we fully expected that someone would get slapped (no one did, amazingly) and didn't expect at all that it almost led to one date, because the girl started laughing and talked to our friend for almost twenty minutes. Anyway, the lines included, "Hey, my socks are having a party. Do your pants want to come down?" And the classic, "Are you from heaven? 'Cuz you've got great cans." Some of them don't bear repeating, because those were probably the mildest ones. It was really funny.
I have a giant bruise on my hand from broomball. Like, this one is epic. Luckily, nothing was broken this time. But it gave me the impetus to find my padded gloves. It was swollen for about two days.
This past weekend was so relaxing, though. Friday night, no one wanted to go out. So Shane and I have been watching "Battlestar Galactica", and that was fun. I was also working on a Christmas present. And now I'm working on making a sweater for my dog. Shane keeps telling me that he's ashamed of me, for doing this to her. But she really needs one. Her hair is still short, and she's a small dog. In Alaska. She got really cold on our walks this weekend (we're in our first cold snap of the year--it's -18 right now) and I just felt bad for her. About halfway through the sweater (which is black, to blend in with her hair so she's not ashamed in front of the other dogs) I asked Shane, "Wouldn't it be cool if I could crochet flames along the sides?" He stopped what he was doing and just stared at me. He finally said, "I hate you so much right now." Ha! It would be amazing, and he knows it. But I don't think I can do it. Oh well.
Ok, gym time. Blech. I sometimes think that it's silly to go to the gym in winter. Standing outside in the cold burns lots of calories. Plus, in the cold, by the time I get there my legs are sore from walking through the snow and, again, the cold. But I've set my motivation and my goal to my brother's wedding next summer, so I'll keep trudging there. And I have volleyball afterward, so at least it will end with something fun.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
"I'm too used to getting humped from behind."
Halloween, of course, rocked. The party at the Pub was so much fun and we got to hang out with so many of our friends. For a lot of them, it actually ended up being quality time, too. The music wasn't too loud, the crowd wasn't standing room only, and only one in our group of friends got too drunk. Of course, that meant that his roommate and another friend that was carpooling with them had to leave by about 11:00, but that just left me and Shane with plenty of time to hang out with other people that we don't hang out with as much. Like Mitch, who was also very drunk but very funny with it. And the costumes were amazing this year. A group of guys dressed up as Tetris pieces, which was a very cool and creative costume. They must have been so awkward, but I'm sure it was worth it. I got a couple of pictures of them dancing. I dressed up like a pirate (with Hannah, who was only there for a short time because she had to work at the underage dance) and Shane recycled his costume from 80's night, calling himself That One Gay Guy from The Village People. (And yes, the joke is that they were all gay.)
At the end of the evening, because our ride home had already had to leave (see the above anecdote), we ended up walking home. Shane really wasn't looking forward to it because, thinking we'd have a ride, he hadn't brought a coat. I had my nice winter coat, but bare legs between my knee-length short pants and ankle boots. And the temperature was zero. Literally. Luckily, it's only about a fifteen minute walk home, and because I insisted that we jog part of the way we made it in about five. As soon as we got home I grabbed blankets and we wrapped ourselves up while I made hot chocolate. I had been exhausted and falling asleep before we left (three hours of symphony rehearsal will do that to a person) but the walk home woke me up. We ended up staying up to watch "The Orphan", which really wasn't worth it. I wouldn't even call it a renter. "Gothika", on the other hand, we watched with James and Lucy on Friday night and that was pretty good. Because of these movies, and all the good conversation both nights, I had two nights in a row where I stayed up until 4:00. And since weekends are for doing chores, a lot of the time, I got up before eleven both days. (I was on a time crunch.)
The other major thing this weekend was the Symphony concert. This entails three hours of rehearsal on both Friday night and Saturday afternoon the two days before the concert, and is both a lot of work and a lot of fun. The concert went very well, too, although I didn't play my best. Even though it wasn't nearly my worst, either, I can't help but know I should have done better rather than just be happy that the concert as a whole went so well. And I know that if I hadn't been so tired, I would have played better. Oh well. I did laugh at myself because in the first movement of the concerto we played (with pianist Ilya Yakuschev) the last page is split in half so that it can be turned easily during five measures of rest, since the end just goes without rest. Well, I forgot to turn the page in the rest so I when I realized that and turned it, I got lost and spent the last part of the movement pretending. Whoops.
I listen to Pandora pretty much the whole day at work (at least until my free amount each month runs out) and lately I've been listening to my Irish rock station non-stop. I love it. I just put in Flogging Molly as a band I love, and have yet to hear a song I don't like. So many of them are so rousing, too, that it makes me want to get and do something, like dance and shout or run or travel or anything but sit at my desk. I end up jiggling my leg and shifting, antsy until my walk home. Shane and I are still trying to figure out if there's any way we could get to Scotland for spring break to visit his brother on exchange. But Shane has run into some money troubles, so I don't know if we can. This month I paid his portion of the rent, which is really paying for part of his ticket to come down to Seattle over New Year's. (The only way I could persuade that proud, hard-headed boy to accept even that help was because I said he wouldn't be going anywhere other than Soldotna if he wasn't with me, and because for the first time ever I want to spend New Year's with him, so it's worth it to me.) The only reason I had to pay his rent, though, is because of all his expenses over the last couple of months, like paying for school out of pocket (which was around $500 after the tuition waiver). Not only that, but because of budget cuts the University is seriously looking into where money is going. His department was told that students aren't allowed to work on weekends anymore because there's "not enough oversight". (Utterly stupid-he's a student assistant C, which is the grade that isn't supposed to need much oversight, and it's never been a problem before.) So there goes about half of the 20 hours per week that he can work. He's thinking about getting another job, but this one was so flexible and pays the highest for student jobs, especially after he got the little raise this summer. But he got his permanent fund dividend ($1308 this year) so that will help a lot.
I'm kind of pissed that the University is doing this to him. How much more difficult do they want to make it to be a student? They've sent out several letters explaining budgetary stuff to staff, among them the rather contradictory statements that they're raising tuition next year (5% for undergrads, 10% for grads) but giving student workers a $1 per hour pay bump across the board. I just think it's funny to take with one hand and give a little less with the other while patting yourself on the back for doing something so nice.
That has actually been one of the most interesting parts of my job, is finding about all of the background stuff like budgets. Especially in the library, when the budget is by necessity so big (journals aren't cheap, and cost more per year than all of the staff and faculty combined) and it's all broken down by different departments and then into separate funds for different needs.
I'm so glad I put on my flannel lined Carharts this morning, although it's warmed up to +12. It was -10 or so this morning, and I wasn't sure if it would be another day like yesterday, when I waited at the bus stop for over 15 minutes because of a car accident. And to think, waiting in the cold is still more convenient than owning a car around here!
At the end of the evening, because our ride home had already had to leave (see the above anecdote), we ended up walking home. Shane really wasn't looking forward to it because, thinking we'd have a ride, he hadn't brought a coat. I had my nice winter coat, but bare legs between my knee-length short pants and ankle boots. And the temperature was zero. Literally. Luckily, it's only about a fifteen minute walk home, and because I insisted that we jog part of the way we made it in about five. As soon as we got home I grabbed blankets and we wrapped ourselves up while I made hot chocolate. I had been exhausted and falling asleep before we left (three hours of symphony rehearsal will do that to a person) but the walk home woke me up. We ended up staying up to watch "The Orphan", which really wasn't worth it. I wouldn't even call it a renter. "Gothika", on the other hand, we watched with James and Lucy on Friday night and that was pretty good. Because of these movies, and all the good conversation both nights, I had two nights in a row where I stayed up until 4:00. And since weekends are for doing chores, a lot of the time, I got up before eleven both days. (I was on a time crunch.)
The other major thing this weekend was the Symphony concert. This entails three hours of rehearsal on both Friday night and Saturday afternoon the two days before the concert, and is both a lot of work and a lot of fun. The concert went very well, too, although I didn't play my best. Even though it wasn't nearly my worst, either, I can't help but know I should have done better rather than just be happy that the concert as a whole went so well. And I know that if I hadn't been so tired, I would have played better. Oh well. I did laugh at myself because in the first movement of the concerto we played (with pianist Ilya Yakuschev) the last page is split in half so that it can be turned easily during five measures of rest, since the end just goes without rest. Well, I forgot to turn the page in the rest so I when I realized that and turned it, I got lost and spent the last part of the movement pretending. Whoops.
I listen to Pandora pretty much the whole day at work (at least until my free amount each month runs out) and lately I've been listening to my Irish rock station non-stop. I love it. I just put in Flogging Molly as a band I love, and have yet to hear a song I don't like. So many of them are so rousing, too, that it makes me want to get and do something, like dance and shout or run or travel or anything but sit at my desk. I end up jiggling my leg and shifting, antsy until my walk home. Shane and I are still trying to figure out if there's any way we could get to Scotland for spring break to visit his brother on exchange. But Shane has run into some money troubles, so I don't know if we can. This month I paid his portion of the rent, which is really paying for part of his ticket to come down to Seattle over New Year's. (The only way I could persuade that proud, hard-headed boy to accept even that help was because I said he wouldn't be going anywhere other than Soldotna if he wasn't with me, and because for the first time ever I want to spend New Year's with him, so it's worth it to me.) The only reason I had to pay his rent, though, is because of all his expenses over the last couple of months, like paying for school out of pocket (which was around $500 after the tuition waiver). Not only that, but because of budget cuts the University is seriously looking into where money is going. His department was told that students aren't allowed to work on weekends anymore because there's "not enough oversight". (Utterly stupid-he's a student assistant C, which is the grade that isn't supposed to need much oversight, and it's never been a problem before.) So there goes about half of the 20 hours per week that he can work. He's thinking about getting another job, but this one was so flexible and pays the highest for student jobs, especially after he got the little raise this summer. But he got his permanent fund dividend ($1308 this year) so that will help a lot.
I'm kind of pissed that the University is doing this to him. How much more difficult do they want to make it to be a student? They've sent out several letters explaining budgetary stuff to staff, among them the rather contradictory statements that they're raising tuition next year (5% for undergrads, 10% for grads) but giving student workers a $1 per hour pay bump across the board. I just think it's funny to take with one hand and give a little less with the other while patting yourself on the back for doing something so nice.
That has actually been one of the most interesting parts of my job, is finding about all of the background stuff like budgets. Especially in the library, when the budget is by necessity so big (journals aren't cheap, and cost more per year than all of the staff and faculty combined) and it's all broken down by different departments and then into separate funds for different needs.
I'm so glad I put on my flannel lined Carharts this morning, although it's warmed up to +12. It was -10 or so this morning, and I wasn't sure if it would be another day like yesterday, when I waited at the bus stop for over 15 minutes because of a car accident. And to think, waiting in the cold is still more convenient than owning a car around here!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
"Shop around all you want, you'll never find a better penis than this one."
"We saw a play about pedophilia on our date." That was my comment when we came out of the theater, and it was perfectly true. Shane laughed. It was a good play, don't get me wrong. It was called "How I Learned to Drive", about a girl and her (unrelated) uncle, who starts molesting her when she's eleven. She's looking back in time and talking about it, with little scenes about what actually happened. Some of it was a little disturbing to watch, not because they did so much but because of what it was supposed to represent. Two of my friends were doing important behind-the-scenes roles: Fiona (Fiona!!) was doing the stage managing and Adam did the sets. So we went in part to support them. Then we went to an early dinner at (where else?) Pad Thai. I actually got something that wasn't curry. I think Shane was shocked. This is only the second time in nearly three years that we've gone there and I've gotten something other than curry. Oh, and the usual waiter wasn't there. We clearly don't go there enough anymore because the lady today was new and didn't realize that we know what we're doing. (She admonished us to really stir the tea, or it would be too sweet. I was already stirring it.) Or what we usually order. (The other lady comes out, sees us, and says, "Oh, hi! Same thing?")
It's been a good weekend, though. Yesterday we went to James' parents' house because they're out of town, and also have a sauna and hot tub. James and his sister (and Lucy, of course) had invited people over to enjoy a spa evening and for dinner. So relaxing, and just what everyone needed, I think. So many of us have been sick (I took 1 1/2 sick days this past week) that it felt amazing. Not quite as good as when it's -30, like it was last time we did this, but still great. And being under freezing, it was cool enough that coming out of the sauna, people would stand and stare at the stars for ten or so minutes, cooling off. Did I mention that his parents live waaaay out there? The Northern Lights didn't pop out until we were leaving, but they did make an appearance and I got to admire them in the car. Anyway, we jumped in the sauna after Ruth and her friends, then outside, then back in the sauna, and then into the hot tub. (Is that one word or two?) I was so relaxed that I let my legs float because it just seemed like too much effort to keep them down. And for a little bit, I used Shane's legs as an anchor. It was great. After one more excursion into the sauna, we were done for and went inside to chat. One of Ruth's friends brought over ready-to-eat cheesecake filling, graham crackers and cherry topping. That actually makes an amazing little dessert, to just smear the cheesecake stuff on the crackers and put a couple cherries on top. I had two graham halves, then looked at the nutrition label on the tub of cheesecake to stop myself from eating any more. (12 grams of fat per serving!) Such a good evening.
As I write, my kitty is dedicatedly knocking everything off my desk that he can touch his little paws to. Tonight he's finally given up on being good and has once again decided to see what he can get away with.
Also, my dog is getting horrendously fat. I know it's my fault (until yesterday, it had been a week since she last got a walk), but it's getting harder to walk her so much. Not only is it colder (not too cold, but since she got a haircut two weeks ago, I'm concerned it might be cold for her) but the sun is setting early now. Which makes walking during the week problematic. I have to go right after work or we miss our chance. I thought moving into a neighborhood would make it easier, but there are no streetlights. I know it's a good neighborhood, but I still don't trust it. There could be moose out there! And then there are the stories, like one from this summer, about a guy in Soldotna who went on a walk with his dogs and had to kill a charging bear with a .45 pistol he just happened to be carrying.... But we got two good romps around the University field in this weekend. I love being able to let go of the leash and knowing that she'll come to me when I call.
Ok, I have to go start laundry. My gym clothes stink. I can't decide if that's truly a bad thing, because it means I've been working out a lot. Or that I need more gym clothes, so that I don't have to keep wearing the same ones over and over.
It's been a good weekend, though. Yesterday we went to James' parents' house because they're out of town, and also have a sauna and hot tub. James and his sister (and Lucy, of course) had invited people over to enjoy a spa evening and for dinner. So relaxing, and just what everyone needed, I think. So many of us have been sick (I took 1 1/2 sick days this past week) that it felt amazing. Not quite as good as when it's -30, like it was last time we did this, but still great. And being under freezing, it was cool enough that coming out of the sauna, people would stand and stare at the stars for ten or so minutes, cooling off. Did I mention that his parents live waaaay out there? The Northern Lights didn't pop out until we were leaving, but they did make an appearance and I got to admire them in the car. Anyway, we jumped in the sauna after Ruth and her friends, then outside, then back in the sauna, and then into the hot tub. (Is that one word or two?) I was so relaxed that I let my legs float because it just seemed like too much effort to keep them down. And for a little bit, I used Shane's legs as an anchor. It was great. After one more excursion into the sauna, we were done for and went inside to chat. One of Ruth's friends brought over ready-to-eat cheesecake filling, graham crackers and cherry topping. That actually makes an amazing little dessert, to just smear the cheesecake stuff on the crackers and put a couple cherries on top. I had two graham halves, then looked at the nutrition label on the tub of cheesecake to stop myself from eating any more. (12 grams of fat per serving!) Such a good evening.
As I write, my kitty is dedicatedly knocking everything off my desk that he can touch his little paws to. Tonight he's finally given up on being good and has once again decided to see what he can get away with.
Also, my dog is getting horrendously fat. I know it's my fault (until yesterday, it had been a week since she last got a walk), but it's getting harder to walk her so much. Not only is it colder (not too cold, but since she got a haircut two weeks ago, I'm concerned it might be cold for her) but the sun is setting early now. Which makes walking during the week problematic. I have to go right after work or we miss our chance. I thought moving into a neighborhood would make it easier, but there are no streetlights. I know it's a good neighborhood, but I still don't trust it. There could be moose out there! And then there are the stories, like one from this summer, about a guy in Soldotna who went on a walk with his dogs and had to kill a charging bear with a .45 pistol he just happened to be carrying.... But we got two good romps around the University field in this weekend. I love being able to let go of the leash and knowing that she'll come to me when I call.
Ok, I have to go start laundry. My gym clothes stink. I can't decide if that's truly a bad thing, because it means I've been working out a lot. Or that I need more gym clothes, so that I don't have to keep wearing the same ones over and over.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
"Go, Speed Racer!"
Last night was rather perfect, for a Saturday night unexpectedly spent doing nothing much. Shane got home from playing nerd games at a friends' house and said, "I really, really don't feel well." He had a fever and said he ached all over. He also warned me, "I've been kinda surly today, so if I say something mean, I really don't mean it. I just don't feel good." He was quite pleasant, for the most part, and the few things he did say that got on my nerves were meant to be jokes. (And he apologized immediately, saying that I was an absolute angel to take care of him. Girlfriend points, oh yes.) He finally took a nap and I turned on Speed Racer, keeping one ear on Shane. He was talking in his sleep earlier this week and it made me laugh so hard. At the time, it took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on because his eyes were open and he was staring at me. He kept saying, "You need to build another path." Me: "Huh? What are you talking about?" Him: "*Sigh* You need at least six more squares of path to get to me." Me: "Hon, I asked you about dinner. What are you talking about?" Him: "I know what you're talking about. Gosh, you're so stupid if you can't get this. We can only harvest once. The zombies will get to us." Me: "Um, are you sleeping?" Him: "No! Stupid. The zombies will come and get us. You need to build a path." About this point he got up, stumbled to the bed (he'd been sleeping in his computer chair) and fell down, snoring almost immediately. I lost it and had to run into the kitchen so I wouldn't wake him up with my laughing. I told him all about it when he finally did wake up later on. I'm guessing his dream was a mix of FarmVille and Zombieland. So funny. Even him calling me stupid for not getting it. Apparently he won't take any change of subject when he's dreaming about zombies.
So, yeah. We stayed in all night last night. And it was fun. About halfway through Speed Racer I paused it to talk on the phone with my best friend. That surprised us both by being almost a 2-hour conversation, but it was a good one. And we needed it. It's been too long since we really got to talk, uninterrupted, that way.
I've made a bunch of juice and we have tons of leftovers in the fridge, just in case I get sick as well. Although, Shane says he's feeling much better today. His fever seems to have gone away and he's not sore anymore. He's still not great, but way better. I think it helps that he slept until about 3:30 this afternoon, too. I don't know how he can stand doing that. But he has both broomball (he's the captain of the team) and soccer playoffs tonight. I'm going to cheer him on for broomball, since they've got the early game (10:30) and it's against his little brother's team.
I keep feeling like there's just not enough time in the day for everything. The apartment is a mess and, honestly, it's kind of falling apart. The house was built in the sixties, and some of it hasn't been changed since then. Like the oven. When I was on the phone last night I was baking bread and the handle for the oven came off when I went to open it. When I told my roommate he said that the handle to open one of the windows in his room had broken yesterday. Luckily, the window is closed, but if he opened it he would need to close it from outside. This is added to all of our daily mess and the stuff that just never quite seems to get cleaned up. I have neither the time nor the energy lately to really want to do anything about it. Maybe I'm just lazy with the changing of the seasons. Or now that there's stuff for me to do again, I'm choosing fun things over keeping the house clean. Probably that. Oh well.
I have been making time for the gym, though. And I feel so much better because of it. And I made sure to take my dog on long walks this weekend, with plenty of running-in-the-fields time. (We go to one of the fields on campus and I drop the leash so that she can run where she pleases.) I watched her sniffing around the long grass on the sledding hill (still sadly bereft of snow, although it's finally getting colder) and thought, wow. This is what she was bred to do. She actually probably would have made a great hunting dog if I'd been inclined to train her that way. She kept coming back to me, though, and I finally told her, "Silly dog! All this time and space to run and you're sticking by my side? Go play!" It took a lot of urging to get her to budge from my side for more than thirty seconds.
So, yeah. We stayed in all night last night. And it was fun. About halfway through Speed Racer I paused it to talk on the phone with my best friend. That surprised us both by being almost a 2-hour conversation, but it was a good one. And we needed it. It's been too long since we really got to talk, uninterrupted, that way.
I've made a bunch of juice and we have tons of leftovers in the fridge, just in case I get sick as well. Although, Shane says he's feeling much better today. His fever seems to have gone away and he's not sore anymore. He's still not great, but way better. I think it helps that he slept until about 3:30 this afternoon, too. I don't know how he can stand doing that. But he has both broomball (he's the captain of the team) and soccer playoffs tonight. I'm going to cheer him on for broomball, since they've got the early game (10:30) and it's against his little brother's team.
I keep feeling like there's just not enough time in the day for everything. The apartment is a mess and, honestly, it's kind of falling apart. The house was built in the sixties, and some of it hasn't been changed since then. Like the oven. When I was on the phone last night I was baking bread and the handle for the oven came off when I went to open it. When I told my roommate he said that the handle to open one of the windows in his room had broken yesterday. Luckily, the window is closed, but if he opened it he would need to close it from outside. This is added to all of our daily mess and the stuff that just never quite seems to get cleaned up. I have neither the time nor the energy lately to really want to do anything about it. Maybe I'm just lazy with the changing of the seasons. Or now that there's stuff for me to do again, I'm choosing fun things over keeping the house clean. Probably that. Oh well.
I have been making time for the gym, though. And I feel so much better because of it. And I made sure to take my dog on long walks this weekend, with plenty of running-in-the-fields time. (We go to one of the fields on campus and I drop the leash so that she can run where she pleases.) I watched her sniffing around the long grass on the sledding hill (still sadly bereft of snow, although it's finally getting colder) and thought, wow. This is what she was bred to do. She actually probably would have made a great hunting dog if I'd been inclined to train her that way. She kept coming back to me, though, and I finally told her, "Silly dog! All this time and space to run and you're sticking by my side? Go play!" It took a lot of urging to get her to budge from my side for more than thirty seconds.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
"With our powers combined we call...Plaptain Planet!"
This weekend has gone by way too quickly. It's so sad to me how soon after starting my new job that I almost constantly feel like I need a vacation. There have even been times when I wished I'd get sick because that would give me the perfect excuse to stay home all day and sleep. Working sucks. I can almost sympathize with the wife in the show "Glee" who says, "I'm just not built to work five days a week." Does it get any easier?
Anyway, Friday night was pretty chill. We went to Value Village with a bunch of people to get costumes for our Saturday night adventures, then had a few friends over here to play a card game called "Killer Bunnies". (Really fun--it's all about screwing everyone else over, and the winner is pretty random.) I tried to stay up a little late, but by midnight my eyes were closing.
I ended up waking up at 8:30 the next morning, thinking about my stupid Facebook Farmville game. I've been playing that way too much lately, mostly to counteract the boredom I've been feeling at work. Plus, Shane's started playing it and we've made it into a little contest. Although I think we're playing for different reasons: he's trying to level up faster than me and get more mastery levels, while I'm trying to get at least as many mastery levels and focusing more on the ribbons. It's pretty amusing.
Anyway, I tried to go back to sleep and was only partially successful. The kitty came to snuggle with me, though, and that was nice. He's in a very affectionate mood lately.
So I was super tired most of the day. I had to bike over to a friend's house where Shane and the guys were going to play games so that I could get Hannah's car from Spencer (this gets very convoluted, sorry) so that I could take the dog to the groomer's. I was late, then Spencer was even later, so I had to race around getting the dog and then going to the groomers.
As soon as I got back home, Lucy called. She was in a mood to bake so she came over with some ingredients and set to work. I flipped through a magazine she'd brought over and made some Amish friendship bread (didn't turn out that great, I'll try a different recipe next time). Finally, I had to go get the dog but Lucy's pie was still in the oven so she stayed here to watch over that while I went to get the dog. Instead of just dropping the dog off at home and going to get Spencer, I ended up mentioning how tired I was to Lucy and taking a quick nap when she left. By the time I woke up I had two texts from Spencer and he'd called, asking politely when I was going to bring the car back. He and Hannah wanted to go out for food. So I raced back over there, then biked home again and took Pepper for a walk. (She gets quite needy...okay, she's needy all the time, but especially after going to the vet or the groomer.)
Shane called me because he, Adam, Galloway and Dustin wanted to know about going out to dinner. We went to Tubby's BBQ, a total hole-in-the-wall place that was surprisingly good. Adam said the pork was kinda dry, and since he's a chef he explained what they should have done differently, but everyone else loved theirs.
And then came the main event: we all separated to get ready for 80's karaoke. I made my hair as big as I could (which, it turns out, is not very big) and wore a plaid mini-skirt over knee-length leggings with a plain black shirt. If I could have found some, I would totally have worn lacy half-gloves for the Madonna look. Oh well. Shane wore ripped jeans, one of my white shirts (so that it would be nice and tight), a denim vest and aviators. Hot. We looked totally hot. And most of our friends at the Pub were dressed up as well. We sang so much. Journey, Queen, Michael Jackson, "Land Down Under"....good times. Shane and Mitch did a fantastic version of "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'", starting with the whole "Top Gun" spiel about, "I think she's lost that feeling, Goose." It was such a fun evening. Capping it all off, we got to watch Chris be totally wasted and try to dance with a girl who obviously didn't want to dance with him. Hilarious. At the end of the evening we were taking a bunch of pictures with each other's cameras. (Casey, Galloway and I had all brought cameras.) Got some good pictures. And randomly, some drunk native guy came over to our table and sat down with us. He was being weird. Shane and Galloway left really quickly. I got a few great pictures with that guy looking totally pleased and oblivious while Casey and Shanti are making WTF faces. He ended up licking Shanti's ear. Licking it! Shanti ran off and that guy turned to me, and said something about me smiling. I got fed up and said something about going to find Shane so that we could leave, then just went to the bathroom. By the time I got back he was gone. Adam said he and Casey just started ignoring him and he left. Weird guy. He'd been table dancing earlier in the evening. And not in a funny way, in a kinda creepy, I'm-too-drunk way.
Yeah. Today we went to see "Zombieland", which is also hilarious. Then I went to the gym to obey Rule #1: Cardio. I'm too sedentary in my job and it's starting to show, so I'm trying to get to the gym several days a week. Yesterday was a bust, but I felt good about it today! I'll be sure to get to volleyball early tomorrow so that I can work out beforehand. Or after, if we have the early game. And then broomball at night! Woo-hoo!
Anyway, Friday night was pretty chill. We went to Value Village with a bunch of people to get costumes for our Saturday night adventures, then had a few friends over here to play a card game called "Killer Bunnies". (Really fun--it's all about screwing everyone else over, and the winner is pretty random.) I tried to stay up a little late, but by midnight my eyes were closing.
I ended up waking up at 8:30 the next morning, thinking about my stupid Facebook Farmville game. I've been playing that way too much lately, mostly to counteract the boredom I've been feeling at work. Plus, Shane's started playing it and we've made it into a little contest. Although I think we're playing for different reasons: he's trying to level up faster than me and get more mastery levels, while I'm trying to get at least as many mastery levels and focusing more on the ribbons. It's pretty amusing.
Anyway, I tried to go back to sleep and was only partially successful. The kitty came to snuggle with me, though, and that was nice. He's in a very affectionate mood lately.
So I was super tired most of the day. I had to bike over to a friend's house where Shane and the guys were going to play games so that I could get Hannah's car from Spencer (this gets very convoluted, sorry) so that I could take the dog to the groomer's. I was late, then Spencer was even later, so I had to race around getting the dog and then going to the groomers.
As soon as I got back home, Lucy called. She was in a mood to bake so she came over with some ingredients and set to work. I flipped through a magazine she'd brought over and made some Amish friendship bread (didn't turn out that great, I'll try a different recipe next time). Finally, I had to go get the dog but Lucy's pie was still in the oven so she stayed here to watch over that while I went to get the dog. Instead of just dropping the dog off at home and going to get Spencer, I ended up mentioning how tired I was to Lucy and taking a quick nap when she left. By the time I woke up I had two texts from Spencer and he'd called, asking politely when I was going to bring the car back. He and Hannah wanted to go out for food. So I raced back over there, then biked home again and took Pepper for a walk. (She gets quite needy...okay, she's needy all the time, but especially after going to the vet or the groomer.)
Shane called me because he, Adam, Galloway and Dustin wanted to know about going out to dinner. We went to Tubby's BBQ, a total hole-in-the-wall place that was surprisingly good. Adam said the pork was kinda dry, and since he's a chef he explained what they should have done differently, but everyone else loved theirs.
And then came the main event: we all separated to get ready for 80's karaoke. I made my hair as big as I could (which, it turns out, is not very big) and wore a plaid mini-skirt over knee-length leggings with a plain black shirt. If I could have found some, I would totally have worn lacy half-gloves for the Madonna look. Oh well. Shane wore ripped jeans, one of my white shirts (so that it would be nice and tight), a denim vest and aviators. Hot. We looked totally hot. And most of our friends at the Pub were dressed up as well. We sang so much. Journey, Queen, Michael Jackson, "Land Down Under"....good times. Shane and Mitch did a fantastic version of "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'", starting with the whole "Top Gun" spiel about, "I think she's lost that feeling, Goose." It was such a fun evening. Capping it all off, we got to watch Chris be totally wasted and try to dance with a girl who obviously didn't want to dance with him. Hilarious. At the end of the evening we were taking a bunch of pictures with each other's cameras. (Casey, Galloway and I had all brought cameras.) Got some good pictures. And randomly, some drunk native guy came over to our table and sat down with us. He was being weird. Shane and Galloway left really quickly. I got a few great pictures with that guy looking totally pleased and oblivious while Casey and Shanti are making WTF faces. He ended up licking Shanti's ear. Licking it! Shanti ran off and that guy turned to me, and said something about me smiling. I got fed up and said something about going to find Shane so that we could leave, then just went to the bathroom. By the time I got back he was gone. Adam said he and Casey just started ignoring him and he left. Weird guy. He'd been table dancing earlier in the evening. And not in a funny way, in a kinda creepy, I'm-too-drunk way.
Yeah. Today we went to see "Zombieland", which is also hilarious. Then I went to the gym to obey Rule #1: Cardio. I'm too sedentary in my job and it's starting to show, so I'm trying to get to the gym several days a week. Yesterday was a bust, but I felt good about it today! I'll be sure to get to volleyball early tomorrow so that I can work out beforehand. Or after, if we have the early game. And then broomball at night! Woo-hoo!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
"Don't stop believin', hold on to that feelin'."
The most bizarre incident happened to me on Thursday night. Shane and I went to the Pub on campus the other night They had a wine tasting hosted by our upstairs neighbor, which friends were going to, so we hung out. Bruce, the neighbor, is an alcohol distributor and is allergic to alcohol (yeah, he knows how odd that is) and he's the one who gives us free beer and such, which Shane took to softball all summer and I've been using to make beer bread. Anyway, it was very informative and fun, and afterward we decided to stay until it was time to go to Shane's broomball game. Toward the end of the evening, I had to pee and went to the bathroom. Now, I've pretty much stopped carrying a purse except for special occasions because I hate keeping track of it. So I carry my important cards in my back pocket. Well, apparently the pockets on my pants were too small, because when I pulled them up, the cards fell into the toilet. I was standing there, staring at it and rapidly trying to think of what to do. Obviously, sticking my hand into a public toilet full of my urine was my last choice. I was wondering if the Pub staff would have something I could fish them out with when the toilet took even that option away from me by auto-flushing. I saw my life literally go down the toilet. My credit and debit cards, my driver's license, and my University ID. I panicked and ran out of the bathroom, which happens to be right next to the front door where two Pub girls were checking ID's. I quickly explained and asked, "What do I do?!" One of them told me, "Oh, gosh, honey, there's nothing we can do. They're gone." So I ran back into the bathroom to see if any had floated back out. Nothing. In a total daze, I went back to our table and told Shane, "You'll never guess what just happened to me." He, of course, started laughing as soon as I told him. "You'll be able to laugh about this soon, too. I'm sorry. That really does suck." So I had to call and cancel my credit and debit cards when we got home, just in case they show up and someone's desperate enough to grab them. (Hey, it's a University.) How do these things happen to me?
Luckily, the only one that will be kind of a pain to replace is my driver's license, because my car still isn't running so I'm not sure how I'll get over there to replace it.
I tried starting my car today and it made a weird thumping noise, which can't be good, and when I got out there was a slight burning smell. I'm not pleased. When I called my dad he said, "Wow, you just have the worst luck with cars." Thanks, Dad.
I started watching the show "Glee", which is fantastic. I loved it from the first moment they played Journey.
Other than this, there hasn't been much going on. Work is still boring, although my boss has finally been able to start buying some books so it will pick up just a little bit soon. Our book budget is only $15,000 which sounds like a lot, but really isn't in terms of textbooks. One set of three reference books she was hoping to get the newest edition of costs almost $1300. So not going to happen. Poor Anne has been second-guessing all of her book choices, wanting to be sure they're the right and most useful books for our library. I don't envy her that job.
Luckily, the only one that will be kind of a pain to replace is my driver's license, because my car still isn't running so I'm not sure how I'll get over there to replace it.
I tried starting my car today and it made a weird thumping noise, which can't be good, and when I got out there was a slight burning smell. I'm not pleased. When I called my dad he said, "Wow, you just have the worst luck with cars." Thanks, Dad.
I started watching the show "Glee", which is fantastic. I loved it from the first moment they played Journey.
Other than this, there hasn't been much going on. Work is still boring, although my boss has finally been able to start buying some books so it will pick up just a little bit soon. Our book budget is only $15,000 which sounds like a lot, but really isn't in terms of textbooks. One set of three reference books she was hoping to get the newest edition of costs almost $1300. So not going to happen. Poor Anne has been second-guessing all of her book choices, wanting to be sure they're the right and most useful books for our library. I don't envy her that job.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
"When you love 'em, they drive you crazy because they know they can."
So much has happened this last week, and yet so little that I'm not sure what to say, really. I was invited by my brother's fiance to be one of her bridesmaids, which I'm really excited about. Not only have I never gotten to do that before, but it kind of makes the wedding seem more real. Now it's not just something that I have to get to, it's something that I get to plan for and be a part of. It's going to be really fun, I can tell.
It was also the first time I've ever spoken to said fiance, so that was cool too. She said she wanted to ask me in person, but that's kind of tough since we live so far apart. We'll meet each other at Christmas but she didn't want to wait that long to ask me.
It's been snowing here the last couple of days, but it's not really sticking. I'm not really a fan of this in-between weather because it just makes everything wet. I don't like wet. I'd rather get the first real snowfall of the year out of the way. It's much easier to dress for because then I'll know I can definitely pull out my boots. I'd feel a little silly doing it now when there's no snow.
I started catching the bus this last week in preparation for snow, too. It was sleeting last Tuesday, and when I was going home I discovered that the brakes on my bike don't work so well when they're frozen. They moved just fine, but couldn't grip the metal. That's kind of scary to discover when going downhill at a fast clip with a car behind. Especially when there's a roundabout at the bottom. I had to make a really sharp turn, and luckily didn't crash. But I decided to put the bike away for the winter. And the bus is really nice. I was so nervous the first day (I've never caught a bus in Fairbanks before), but it stops two blocks away from my apartment and drops me off right across the street from my building. Even better: the University got a grant that makes the buses free for anyone affiliated with the U. All I have to do is show my University card and I don't have to pay. Yay! I hope the grant holds out at least as long as I'm working here.
I've also been trying to figure out car stuff, too, though. I don't want a car so that I can start driving to work, but it's nice to have reliable transportation for the winter around here. Especially for those days when I'll have appointments away from campus, like for the dentist and the eye doctor. (BTW, saw the eye doctor on Friday, which was really nice. Yay, insurance!) Plus, when it's -50, will I really want to hang around for the bus? Even with a full set of longjohns on, it's cold to stand in weather like that. I could do what Brad does and just take vacation time and stay home when it's that cold, but I don't really want to have that as my main plan. I think, though, I'll probably just try to get my car running and use that through this winter so that I can build up some savings before buying a car, which would be another used one, anyway, but one that's, you know, newer than 16 years old.
On the other hand, if I bought one before Thanksgiving, we wouldn't have to rent another vehicle to get down to Shane's parents' house....
Last night was Starvation Gulch. So much fun, but it felt colder this year. Maybe the fires weren't as big? Groups of people go around town for weeks before this event begging or stealing pallets from businesses, gathering the giant cable spools if they can find them, and just generally getting wood that is great for a bonfire. Then, the day of, they build structures with them and at 10:00 that night, they get doused in gasoline and lit on fire. The fire department's bonfire this year was just a tower of pallets, but with a wooden replica of a fire truck and ladder that also caught on fire. The engineering department's had a tree on top that was supposed to be part of a catapult. I didn't hear if it was successful or not. I thought I saw something, but I was in the crowd and not able to see the fire very well. The one fraternity on campus made one in the shape of a boat that said "Tradition", which is kind of lame because of what they did. Years and years ago, the campus went dry. (Was this in the sixties or seventies?) Anyway, someone encased a beer can in concrete and wrote on it, "Here lies tradition." So it's the tradition stone, which traditionally makes an appearance at Starvation Gulch (it's hidden the rest of the year) and there's a big chase with people trying to steal it. Very fun, especially since the thing weighs hundreds of pounds and you need a truck just to cart it around. Well, the frat has it now and they only brought it to the fire for about ten minutes before the fires were even lit. People were pissed about this, because that's going against the tradition of trying to lure people into stealing it. The girl they stole it from is a friend of mine who graduated in May, as well, so she was fine passing the stone along to someone else. But, she said, she was tempted to go steal it back from them since they weren't doing it properly.
Yeah. Really it's just a big chance to celebrate, see friends you haven't seen all summer, and enjoy the beginning of the winter. Because it always snows for Starvation Gulch. I enjoyed it.
The other big thing that happened this past week feels kind of funny to just say. My dad had heart surgery to correct a collapsed artery. They put a stent in, and he says he's feeling much better. Which is the point. It's just weird because my parents, while they are definitely Old People in some ways, I really don't think of them as being old or having old people health problems. I told my dad that he at least has to live to be as old as my grandfather (who is nearing 90, despite what doctors have said in the past about how long he has to live) and my dad said, "Don't worry, your mom and I have plans for our hundredth wedding anniversary. We're going dancing." That would put them both at 121. I approve, as long as they can still dance. If my dad ever gets to be more machine than man (as he jokingly assured us he isn't yet), I'm pulling the plug. = )
It was also the first time I've ever spoken to said fiance, so that was cool too. She said she wanted to ask me in person, but that's kind of tough since we live so far apart. We'll meet each other at Christmas but she didn't want to wait that long to ask me.
It's been snowing here the last couple of days, but it's not really sticking. I'm not really a fan of this in-between weather because it just makes everything wet. I don't like wet. I'd rather get the first real snowfall of the year out of the way. It's much easier to dress for because then I'll know I can definitely pull out my boots. I'd feel a little silly doing it now when there's no snow.
I started catching the bus this last week in preparation for snow, too. It was sleeting last Tuesday, and when I was going home I discovered that the brakes on my bike don't work so well when they're frozen. They moved just fine, but couldn't grip the metal. That's kind of scary to discover when going downhill at a fast clip with a car behind. Especially when there's a roundabout at the bottom. I had to make a really sharp turn, and luckily didn't crash. But I decided to put the bike away for the winter. And the bus is really nice. I was so nervous the first day (I've never caught a bus in Fairbanks before), but it stops two blocks away from my apartment and drops me off right across the street from my building. Even better: the University got a grant that makes the buses free for anyone affiliated with the U. All I have to do is show my University card and I don't have to pay. Yay! I hope the grant holds out at least as long as I'm working here.
I've also been trying to figure out car stuff, too, though. I don't want a car so that I can start driving to work, but it's nice to have reliable transportation for the winter around here. Especially for those days when I'll have appointments away from campus, like for the dentist and the eye doctor. (BTW, saw the eye doctor on Friday, which was really nice. Yay, insurance!) Plus, when it's -50, will I really want to hang around for the bus? Even with a full set of longjohns on, it's cold to stand in weather like that. I could do what Brad does and just take vacation time and stay home when it's that cold, but I don't really want to have that as my main plan. I think, though, I'll probably just try to get my car running and use that through this winter so that I can build up some savings before buying a car, which would be another used one, anyway, but one that's, you know, newer than 16 years old.
On the other hand, if I bought one before Thanksgiving, we wouldn't have to rent another vehicle to get down to Shane's parents' house....
Last night was Starvation Gulch. So much fun, but it felt colder this year. Maybe the fires weren't as big? Groups of people go around town for weeks before this event begging or stealing pallets from businesses, gathering the giant cable spools if they can find them, and just generally getting wood that is great for a bonfire. Then, the day of, they build structures with them and at 10:00 that night, they get doused in gasoline and lit on fire. The fire department's bonfire this year was just a tower of pallets, but with a wooden replica of a fire truck and ladder that also caught on fire. The engineering department's had a tree on top that was supposed to be part of a catapult. I didn't hear if it was successful or not. I thought I saw something, but I was in the crowd and not able to see the fire very well. The one fraternity on campus made one in the shape of a boat that said "Tradition", which is kind of lame because of what they did. Years and years ago, the campus went dry. (Was this in the sixties or seventies?) Anyway, someone encased a beer can in concrete and wrote on it, "Here lies tradition." So it's the tradition stone, which traditionally makes an appearance at Starvation Gulch (it's hidden the rest of the year) and there's a big chase with people trying to steal it. Very fun, especially since the thing weighs hundreds of pounds and you need a truck just to cart it around. Well, the frat has it now and they only brought it to the fire for about ten minutes before the fires were even lit. People were pissed about this, because that's going against the tradition of trying to lure people into stealing it. The girl they stole it from is a friend of mine who graduated in May, as well, so she was fine passing the stone along to someone else. But, she said, she was tempted to go steal it back from them since they weren't doing it properly.
Yeah. Really it's just a big chance to celebrate, see friends you haven't seen all summer, and enjoy the beginning of the winter. Because it always snows for Starvation Gulch. I enjoyed it.
The other big thing that happened this past week feels kind of funny to just say. My dad had heart surgery to correct a collapsed artery. They put a stent in, and he says he's feeling much better. Which is the point. It's just weird because my parents, while they are definitely Old People in some ways, I really don't think of them as being old or having old people health problems. I told my dad that he at least has to live to be as old as my grandfather (who is nearing 90, despite what doctors have said in the past about how long he has to live) and my dad said, "Don't worry, your mom and I have plans for our hundredth wedding anniversary. We're going dancing." That would put them both at 121. I approve, as long as they can still dance. If my dad ever gets to be more machine than man (as he jokingly assured us he isn't yet), I'm pulling the plug. = )
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