Booze Cruise

On Saturday, I went to Milwaukee for a brewery tour conducted by boat. Also known as a Booze Cruise. (Well, maybe not, but it makes me laugh.)

The first brewery was called the Rock Bottom, where I had some Naughty Scot Scotch Ale. The brewer told us how he made beer, but all I heard was when Lisa looked at these and said "That looks like SCIENCE." This picture is hereby called SCIENCE.

This was just after the first brewery (which means 2 beers into the day). Granted, they were 7.0 abv, but still. I knew we were going to have a fun time.

Lisa very much liked this giant beer.

I believe this is the third brewery. I can say with much certainty that I was drunk by this point. However, I did recognize that the river was fogging, and since low lying fog is one of my favorite things in the world, this picture was taken. I don't know if you can tell, but my pants were also completely soaked from jumping in a puddle at the second brewery.

I don't remember this at all, but I can tell you this is Ben, and we're in the back seat of Ruby, Matt's car. Also, this had to have been after Lisa missed the boat because to her, "hey we need to go, the boat is leaving" meant "run and get another beer."

Afterwards we went back to Leon's for custard. Actually, that was the second time we got custard that day. Look how happy Matt looks. That's cause I hooked him up with Anne. I'm awesome that way.

So, Booze Cruise = 5 stars. Also, everyone on this excursion will be with me when I go to Austin in September for Austin City Limits. That means ACL also has the potential to = 5 stars. Rock on.

Seattle's not bad

I had to go to Seattle for work a little while ago. Here are some random observations.

Despite feeling colder than Madison, it was much much more green. I only found out after I was there that some people call it the Emerald City, though apparently the locals do NOT.

I was disappointed to find out that Pike's market is nowhere near the window of any hospital, and therefore could not possibly be viewed while people are getting into the elevator at Seattle Grace Hospital.

The market then redeemed itself by having the most amazing collection of Fiesta ware I've EVER seen. This was only a small portion. It was breathtaking.

The Seattle Art Museum teased me by being closed the day I went because they were getting ready for a 36 hour grand re-opening the next day in celebration of their new wing. Jerks.

The public library by Rem Koolhas was interesting inside during the day. At night, it was simply mesmerizing.

The pier was pretty cool, minus all the homeless people missing limbs, each of whom had a pet dog of some sort which they used as a pity tool to get your money.

The Woodland Park Zoo had pretty decent exhibits, though they fell short in their job of educating the public. There were more signs telling you what each tree was than there was telling you what the animals were. One exhibit had nothing at all. I guess we were supposed to guess. The little bird house for things generally thought of as pets was pretty cool though. All the birds were loose, and you could buy little popsicle sticks with peanut butter and birdseed and then feed them. This little girl was adorable.

I learned a valuable lesson on this trip though. Under no circumstances should I spend more than 3 or 4 days without physically seeing someone I know and care about. I only knew one person on this trip, and I didn't even see them until day 6. I'm afraid my tendencies to self destruct overwhelmed any greatness the city tried to bestow on me. Next time, DS goes whether he likes it or not.

MLB!

Yesterday, I went to a Brewers game with my friends Anne and Matt. Matt and I are working on making Anne a baseball fan, and I think we're doing a pretty good job. In the distance, you can see Miller Park. This was the first game I've been to there where the roof was actually open. It was also the first time I've ever tailgated before the game.

Inside the stadium, there's a giant slide. The Brewers' mascot stands at the top and dances around during the game. If one of the Brewers' hits a homerun, the mascot slides down and waves the Brewers' flag at the bottom. This was also my first time getting to see this happen, and it happened twice!

After the game, Matt decided we needed to go get frozen custard from "the original custard place" in Milwaukee. He's from there, so he knows these things. Anne and I were drawn to the neon lights like mesmerized bugs. And I have to admit, the custard was pretty freakin good, even if it wasn't ice cream.

1701 A.D.

Okay, so you want to know what 1701 A.D. is? I'll tell you, because I love it so much, and you should too.

Basically, it's strategy, empire building game. It's a lot like SimCity, except it's set in 1701, and you're trying to build a city on a newly discovered island. And there are "natives" to either trade with, or fight with, and other people settling islands for their countries too. So you start off with pioneers, who live in thatched roof cottages (hahahahaha, strong bad...), and they have a certain set of needs that you have to fulfill. And as you successfully do that, your people can advance. And it's super sweet, because you can build ships in your shipyard, and put cannons on them, and train soldiers, and RULE THE WORLD!

Of course, I don't really play that way, or at least I haven't yet. Right now, I'm playing the peaceful strategy and making alliances with everyone. But maybe next time, I'll conquer everyone. BWA HA HA!

Oh, and the graphics are pretty sweet too. It was a gem of a find, because I totally just picked it up from the shelf, having no idea what it was. OH! I almost forgot the pirates. THERE ARE PIRATES!

See, you want to play it now don't you?

I am not dead

I know some of you have been wondering why I'm not posting as much. I promise that it is not because I'm dead, or because something is wrong. That's not to say that there aren't things wrong in life, but they're not keeping me from posting.

No, I haven't been posting because that would require me to spend time in front of my computer. Time that couldn't be spent playing 1701 A.D.

Here's a breakdown of my schedule in a typical week:
Monday - play 1701 A.D.
Tuesday - catch up on DVR'd tv with DS
Wednesday - go to Anne's for BSG night (aka, movie night, since BSG is on hiatus)
Thursday - TVNIGHT
Friday - random things (like the Wisconsin Movie Festival) or 1701 A.D.
Saturday - Hang out with Matt while DS climbs
Sunday - adventures with Anne, DS, or Matt, depending on who's available.

Truth is, I'm just not home much anymore. And when I am, I'm obsessing over 1701 A.D., or sometimes, Sims 2. So much so, that I haven't played Animal Crossing in three weeks. Maybe you don't realize how significant that is, but DS knows, and he says my townspeople are going to hate me.

So there you have it. Generally speaking, life is good and filled with fund and friendship. I have lots of pictures to post, but even now I'm not home, so they'll have to come later. Probably lots later, because tonight KT1 is having a birthday party, and I have to get all dolled up and shake my booty.

Happy Easter!

Sorry for the long absence. I did indeed get a haircut. It's more than what I wanted (I was after #4), but the first place I got it cut screwed it up so bad it had to be this short to fix it. Oh well, it will grow back :)

Now go eats lots of candy, 'cause I'm going to!

This is an apology

I need to correct a heinous error. I had promised one Mr. Baronet 200 brownie points for my amazing banner. It would seem I had forgotten this, and shorted him. So, here are the other 100, and an extra 10 for putting up with my negligence.

When I started the brownie points, I had originally intended it to be something you could cash in for something else. Not really sure what that something else would be. Maybe art or something. Anyone have any ideas of something they'd want from me? (and in case you've forgotten, i'm not above deleted your crappy comments, so be civil. my mom reads this after all.)

Also, on a side note that has nothing to do with the above, I am completely banning BSG from my obsession list until further notice. 2008??? COME ON!

I'm 7!

Here's what I did this weekend:

1. Went to the park
2. Threw rocks in a pond
3. Skipped through a yard
4. Chased a bunny
5. Went to the zoo
6. Blew bubbles off my balcony

Yup, one great weekend. And I'm officially a small child.

Insanity!!

I'm not even going to tell you how long I spent trying to make this work.

Okay, that's a lie. Of course I'm going to tell you... 4 hours!!

Now granted, 3 1/2 of those involved me halfway paying attention to The Departed, but still.

I'm sick of my blog for the moment. Everyone gawk at the amazing banner Willie made me, cry over his amazing lead in brownie points, and go blind from my spring palette.

Fight!

The blog and I are fighting. I thought I had updated the banner since I updated to the new version, but maybe not. I mean, I've certainly never had this much trouble adding a stupid banner. (I'm not saying the banner itself is stupid, cause it's awesome.. you'll see.. maybe.. one day.)

Anyway, if you know anything about widgets or xml or how to get my stupid banner to replace the current title bar, please let me know.

Are you wearing green today? I am!

Celebrate!

Woot! Today we are celebrating two things:
-St. Patrick's Day (which we don't really care about)
-and paying off the cost of this summer's cruise!!!

This is awesome, because it's the first major vacation DS and I have fully planned for and paid in advance. It's quite a big step for us to actually be able to say, "we want to do this, and we can afford it." Hooray for learning how to save!

I'm going to spend the day dancing to music in my head :)

I need a haircut

I am craving a new hairstyle, but I can't decide what to do. Please vote on the six choices below, or feel free to suggest one of your own.

Thank you!

Pretty Freakin' Nerdy

DS and I like to fight about which of us is the nerdiest. Tonight, the fight was settled by an unbiased third party. And by that, I mean an online quiz. DS beat me, 99-89. Still, 89 is a pretty high score. (Of course, all this really means is that, though nerdy, I'm still way cooler than he is!)

Elated

Before the concert, DS and I picked up Matt (of previous painting fame) and headed to Tutto Pasta for dinner and dessert. Is this chocolate mousse in an edible chocolate shell not amazing looking? Of course it is, and it was tasty too!


We then headed to the Barrymore to see the Ditty Bops. They are dressed in plastic outfits as part of a campaign they've started to get more people to use re-usable grocery bags.

I'm thinking about getting a pixie cut like Amanda has here (the girl on the left). What do you think?


Today, the temperatures decided to break 50, so DS and I went for a walk. Snow was melting everywhere, and the bike path we like to take was reflecting everything. Sometimes I felt like I was walking on the clouds, and sometimes I caught sweet views like this.


The creek was full of life, and the lake near my apartment is starting to break up!


It was an awesome weekend!

Hot AND Talented

These lovely ladies are coming to Madison tonight, and I have tickets!!

Are the Ditty Bops biking to me? I don't think so, so their last cross-country tour was travelled entirely by bike! They're supposed to be known for allowing pictures and dressing in theme, so hopefully I'll come back with awesome photos.

I'm so excited!!

Sooo Helpful...

I enjoy playing games at pogo.com. I have a Club Pogo membership, mostly because I enjoy working towards the badges. It's a lot like those stickers you used to get in grade school when you wrote your alphabet especially well.

This week's badge is for a game called "World Class Solitaire". When you're on the individual game's site, there's a section where Pogo lists other games you might be interested in. Their suggestion on this site?

World Class Solitaire...

Alone

DS left for Denver this morning to give a talk at some science convention. He's always leaving me for crap like that. Remember last winter? The winter I spent alone for three months? He's lucky proposed that winter, or he would have come home to an empty house.

DS leaving always presents me with the dilemma of feeding myself, at which I am notoriously bad. I asked a friend at lunch today whether I should have spaghetti o's, ramen noodles, or ravioli's. He said I should just starve than eat that crap. (I really don't see what's wrong with them, they're yummy and fill my tummy!) As it turns out, I nearly did just that. I did have some yogurt though, and I'm thankfully not hungry. I don't know what it is about cooking, but 9 times out of 10, I walk in the kitchen, look at the stove, and decide I'd rather stay hungry than turn it on. Thankfully, the same doesn't apply to baking things like cookies. Dessert is definitely worth the effort. Dinner? Not so much.

People tell me that cooking is rewarding and lots of other things that are supposed to entice me to start doing it. It's true, DS makes some tasty things that I wish I had had tonight. However, the truth is, as implied above, I'd just as soon eat ramen every night. Not even that, I'd even eat the same chicken flavor every night. There are too many things that go into common foods that I just don't like, like onions, or any type of pepper what so ever. I'm just not impressed with food enough to spend more than 3 minutes on it.

The other thing DS leaving does is make me feel lost in my apartment. I'm not sure why, we don't even really spend a lot of one-on-one time when he is here. We're kinda solitary people for the most part. But he's also like an anchor, and when he's gone, I drift from room to room as if I suddenly don't know what to do with myself. I tried to alleviate that by going clothes shopping tonight, and then working out. Hopefully, I'll get to sleep alright. It's weird going to bed when he's not here, as he's always in bed before me, and almost always fully asleep before I get there. Going to bed before him makes me feel like it's 8 o'clock, even when it's midnight.

Tomorrow's taken care of, because it's BSG night (though we're caught up on the series now, so BSG has morphed into movie night, soon to be Firefly night). Thursday should also be okay, since it's TVNIGHT with Matt. Dinner both nights is still up in the air, though BSG night usually comes with food and is therefore hopeful.

Of course, considering the hours I've already put into work this week (21, and it's only Tuesday), maybe I can just get two lunches and have dinner at work. If I were a monkey, I'd ask you to send bananas!

Swiss Cheese for Brains

SG: I hope this chocolate is as good as I imagine it will be.

DS: It'd better be, since you threatened me with bodily harm if I touched it.

SG: Did I?

DS: .. I think so ...

SG: *shrugs* eh, sounds like something I would do.





Seriously though, Gail Ambrosius is amazing. Buy her chocolate.

My cat is high

You would think that after a full day of rain, some portion of this snow would have melted, but no. You'd be wrong if you thought that. And also if you thought that the rain somehow signified the start of spring. Why are you wrong about this? Because it's once again snowing, and once again I can no longer see my driveway.

I knew that freezing temperatures holding off until mid-January would come back to bite us in the ass.

Please don't misinterpret me. I still love winter, and snow. But not when it's all in 10 foot high mounds of nastiness from plows. It was way cooler on Sunday before they screwed it all up. Like all of those super sweet snow sculptures everyone loved down there? Gone!

I've gotten a lot of presents in the mail recently, one of which was from my dear friend Kimberlina, who took my etsy purchase and turned it into something wonderful. So now, not only do I have a very nice bracelet, but also a cool zipper bag, a shirt from Ant's band, AND a sticker. Okay, I bought the band shirt. But I got a sticker and a little bag! I'm telling you, one day I'm going to get that girl to move here so I can bask in her radiance every day, instead of just that one time in Chicago. I love you!

I've also given myself gifts, in the form of two new computer games: 1701 A.D. and the new edition of Sims 2. And yet, I spent the night playing DS's newest present, MLB 2K7.... well, tomorrow's Friday!

What about my cat, you asked? Did I mention they have their first catnip toy? Winston spent the night licking it, and then rolled around making funny noises in the cat tree. I wish catnip did that to me.

Calvin and Hobbes

This snow was AWESOME for making snowmen. One of DS's dreams has always been to recreate scenes from his favorite Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. Using this page as inspiration, we set out to do just that. We ended up creating three scenes (well, as close as we could) from the comic, and then I made one of my own. Then we went around and took pictures of things other people had made.

Click on the photo above to see it all.

Blizzard Photos

Some light snow.


A lot of snow, and wind. I'm pretty sure this part qualified as "blizzard."


Thanks to Winston, I was awake at 4 am. Which turned out to be cool, because I caught this calm, pretty scene before the plows came at 6.


The only thing I like about plowing is what it does to the sidewalks. It's like they cut the snow out with a knife. Totally awesome.

It's still snowing some, but our blizzard warning has been downgraded to a winter storm warning. Not that it really matters since the plows are working non-stop right now. It would be so much cooler if they left it alone for a while, but at least there's the field by my apartment!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some playing to do.

Snow - the movie

If watching my cat play in the snow for 2 1/2 minutes is not your thing, I recommend you stay away from this video. However, if you're my mother, who requested this, or anyone else who even kinda-sorta likes cats, indulge yourself if only for a few seconds. 'Cause Winston is funny.

Or you can view it here:
Snow

You must be so jealous!

I mean really, how many of you can say you've actually had a blizzard forecasted for you? I'm so psyched. I just hope I'm still awake when the white-out happens.

TVNIGHT

DS's family does a name exchange for Christmas. His aunt had my name, and I got a sweet gift certificate to Michael's art and craft supply store. It was the perfect excuse to indulge my desire for watercolor pencils. I painted this for my friend Matt, who comes over on Thursday's for what he calls "TVNIGHT". (it's important to him that it's written all in caps and as one word) After I painted it, I outlined it in pen. I guess I worked in reverse, but I liked the way it turned out.

Frack

Internets busted.

Received bill today.

Charter raised it.

What?

I ♥ Detholz!

DS and I went ice skating at Elver Park yesterday. He was scared he wouldn't be able to stay on his feet. Considering it was his first time, I think he did pretty well.


I was happy to get to use the skates my parents got me for Christmas for the second time. Guess who has a another cut on their ankle? Yeah, me. At least this time I had the sense to stop skating before my ankle tried to fall off.


Last night, DS and I met up with KT1 and Anne to see Detholz! play at the Union. We first saw this band last November when they opened for Wilco.


This time, they were the headliner. A band called Maps & Atlases opened for them. KT1 described them as "math rock", and I described them as "awesome".


Most of their songs depended on this technique called tapping. Their fingers were FLYING!


And then came Detholz!, who brought along their groupies. Well, maybe they didn't bring them, but they were there...


Not that I don't enjoy the music, but what I really came to see was this man. He noticed I was taking his picture and posed for me in this shot. But what I really love is his dancing and facial expressions when he's playing keyboard. Mmmm, sexy! You should see his hips swivel.


The lighting was really weird, so the lead singer I was able to get good shots of, and everyone else in both bands tended to come out fuzzy if I didn't use my flash. But using my flash wasn't making cool pictures, so...


I tried to take a picture of us at the table by holding the camera over my head. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell if it was focusing, and this was the best that I got. You may not be able to tell it, but KT1 is in a dress, and her hair is CURLED. If you know this girl, you will see that this is something worth remember.

Afterwards, I got the keyboardist, who incidentally is named Jon, to sign my poster (which as the band members drawn dancing). He drew a speech bubble by his head and wrote "Thanks Jessica! ♥ Jonny 5" and then said "like the movie". And I said "Yeah, I get it" which made him laugh. *le sigh*

And this is solely for Spinning Girl: DS just told me he was going to kick me in the vajayjay.


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Note: Yes, I am aware that the real Johnny 5 spells his name differently, but this Jon doesn't use an h, so it's just fine. If only he knew that I love robots. *double le sigh*

Lost and Found

When I first got my iMac, I started the process of moving all of my keeper files from both mine and DS's computer. This made DS very happy, as I was hogging 20 GB of his harddrive. About 5 years worth of digital pictures were on his computer. I moved them, he wiped his drive, and then I lost them. I could not find them on my iMac anywhere at all. I was devestated.

This morning, DS displayed some of his computer genius by running a search on something called terminal using skills he picked up in Linux. He found all of my "lost" photographs. As they were loaded into iPhoto, the program scans through them very quickly. 6000 pictures later, I felt like I had watched my life flash before my eyes.

Some of those pictures I had forgotten about. I noticed that when I travel, I seem to take pictures of doors. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure.



Somewhere in New Mexico, most probably in Taos, sometimes around the late fall of 2004.



The entrance to an old farm house that has been converted into a 4-star resort in Neukloster, Germany, where I attended a design charette in October of 2004.



A random doorway in Lyon, France, found the morning DS and I were exploring the city before he proposed.

Really, I'm a Rooster, and also a copycat

You Should Have Been Born Under:

Delicate, timid, and attractive - sometimes you really do act like a bunny. You're very compassionate and protective of those you love, sometimes too protective. Your home is really your castle, and you make sure your home is comfortable and well furnished. You don't like to argue - and you prefer a quiet, peaceful life. You are most compatible with a Goat or a Pig.

What Year Should You Have Been Born Under?

Screw you Manning

I had a Super Bowl party on Sunday. As you can see, I was dressed in blue and orange for the Bears, who highly disappointed me. And what's worse, I promised to become a true Wisconsinite and support the Packers next year (which apparently means I have to hate the Bears). Though I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't mind cheering for the Packers, but I'm not going to the Bears either.

You may also notice that I'm opening a 32 oz. bottle of hard cider in this picture. Anne brought that for me, with the intentions that I would drink it straight out of the bottle. So I did, just for her. She kept laughing and saying how tiny I looked with my oversized bottle...





And just for the heck of it, here's a picture I took at work on Monday morning. We had an event they called "Epic24" where we were supposed to take pictures throughout the day. I wasn't paying a lot of attention as to why, something about compiling them for the Anniversary Dinner in April. It just so happened that Monday was also the day I was given my first new hire to mentor, which meant I had to be at work around 7 am (I normally get there at 9, because I think the devil created mornings). This building is Cassiopeia, which is our cafeteria. I think it's the coolest building we have.


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Note: Since the switch to the iMac, I've been adjusting to some differences in the way things work. In the case of blogger, a lot of the editing toolbar doesn't work anymore. All I have is spell check and the add picture icon, and the rest I have to do by actually typing in the html. So if you're seeing weird stuff, please clue me in just in case I don't see it, and I'll try to fix it.

Go Badgers!

Anne took me to my first Badger basketball game yesterday. Whoo! I learned important things like, Brian Butch is nicknamed the Polar Bear.




But more importantly, I got to see Bucky, who is by far the coolest mascot ever invented.

Today, I effectively crossed over to the dark side. Or at least, that's what my mother told me. Why you ask? My brand new iMac came today. It's pure heaven.

I'll be your charity case

Work is crazy. In one meeting today, I was told that I haven't worked there long enough to be so bitter. And then they said they knew who I had learned it from. That person happened to be in the room with me. I assure you, I was not being bitter, and even if I were, I didn't have to learn it from anyone. Though if someone did need to learn it, he'd certainly be the person to go to.

I finally figured out why I couldn't access half of your blogs. It would seem that my links had a double backslash on the end. Why was that okay for the last year but not now? I have no idea, but the links are updated. So if you thought I was ignoring, stop thinking that. And in the off chance that you depended on me for getting to one of these blogs, never fear.

In the nerd world, Windows Vista comes out tomorrow. I was not selected as a Vista tester at work, which is too bad, because I'd be the coolest one. Surely no one there is as nerdy cool as I am. On the plus side, my bff at work is a Vista tester, so I can at least play with it.

Did anyone notice that I'm currently reading three books at once? Yeah, that's not working so well. Especially since I'm spending all of my free time playing Animal Crossing. Speaking of which, if any of you fellow gamers out there have this one, please share your friend code with me!! My poor villagers are suffering from a lack of interaction, and the one friend I know of that has the game doesn't have wi-fi. *sad*

I think I had a reason when I named this post initially, but I've already forgotten. Though really, that should be reason enough to hold my hand.

I want my blood back

On Friday, my job did it's regular blood drive with the Red Cross. We find out about these well in advance, and I was a good little drone and signed up. Unfortunately, I still forgot about it. It was not the best time I've ever had, that's for sure. However, I did learn some very valuable information.

1. Drink LOTS of water the day before you give blood. Something about it makes you feel less bad afterwards, and your blood leaves you quicker (I guess that last part's a good thing.. I know that I bragged about beating my friend Luke, 7 minutes to his 8. )
2. Apparently, if you're female, your red blood count goes down right before your cycle starts. So.. if you're borderline anemic, it's not the best time to be giving blood.
3. If you're borderline diabetic, you should have extra sugar before giving blood. This should not be in the form of two Mountain Dews like I did, but instead they suggested a candy bar.
4. Also, if you have somewhat low blood pressure, be careful. And cough a lot. Apparently, this makes your lungs shake your heart, and your blood will flow better, which is good when you're passing out.

So yeah, I apparently did everything wrong that I possibly could yesterday. I was laying there, squeezing my ball, totally cool. It wasn't until after I was done that I suddenly felt as if I was falling. My vision started clouding fast, and there's a possibility I was starting to pant (it's hard to remember). Next thing I know, the nurse is laying down the stretcher and telling me to breathe. I'm also fairly certain she giggled when she said "yes, that's just your body saying 'oh no, i'm bleeding to death!'". Mind you, I was still quite sure I was about to die. Giggling was not exactly what I wanted to hear.

Several glasses of juice later, I was escorted to the cookie table, where I was instructed to eat and drink. I had a few cookies, lots more juice, and decided I had too much work to do to be sitting there like a baby. I got up, the nurse asked if I was sure I was okay, and before I could even finish saying yes, I was falling again. I was back on a stretcher before I knew what was happening.

When I got home, I was feeling quite a bit better. Winston and I were snuggling, and he took an interest in the bandaid where they had pricked my finger before I gave blood. Forgetting his habit of chewing on anything that doesn't belong on me (like my wedding ring for instance), I didn't pay much attention when he was licking the bandaid. That was a mistake. Next thing I know, his bottom fang is stuck in my finger. I'm pretty sure he hit bone. I lost a lot of blood, and nearly passed out again.

The point of this story? Had I known that my cat was a blood sucking vampire, I wouldn't have given blood. It looks like I need all I can get. Geez...

Miyazaki is adorable, and also amazing

I just finished watching Howl's Moving Castle, a Hayao Miyazaki film. In case you don't know who that is, he is responsible for such movies as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. You just have no idea how amazing this movie is. I get so used to U.S. animation, which has gotten fairly simplistic in its use of line and coloring, and what isn't simple is done by computers. But then you watch something from Studio Ghibli and not only is art incredible, but the stories are so original and moving. And the best part is that no matter how many times you watch them, they just keep getting better.

I now own three of his movies... that only leaves 15 more!

Ro-HOT!

Whoa! Number 6, that awesome slutty robot on Battlestar Galactica, is in the current Playboy. I have to call DS!

Glitter is the Herpes of Craft Supplies

I recently watched the Demetri Martin comedy special on Comedy Central. He is sooo being added to my "celebrities that don't count as cheating should something happen" list. I might have to bump someone off of it to squeeze him in, but what the heck. The Yankees don't start playing for a while yet :)

I've discovered that Winston is only cuddly at inopportune times. For example, he loves to sit in your lap when you're sitting on the toilet. He also loves to lay on your when you're fast asleep, and he nudges you until you start petting him. When I'm watching tv and my hands have nothing better to do than pet him? Nope, that time is better spent breaking things so I miss my shows. It's all a clever ploy to drive us crazy. Little does he know, DS is about to change his address to "balcony".

I spent tonight at MT's place, making cookies, eating pizza, drinking Sangria, play with Professor Shortpants, and talking. If any of you ever want some yummy Sangria, MT's is the place to go! Also, this was my first time meeting Shortpants, who has fur much like my old cat Grace, but has all the spunk and badness of Winston. Perfect.

It snowed here for about 2 1/2 days (roughly speaking; there were a few breaks). It was pretty cool in that it was windy, so the friends of mine that have windows in their offices had some awesome looking snow drifts. However, the snow was very thin and didn't amount to much. This is turning out to be a disappointing winter. I still haven't been able to use the ice skates my mom bought me for Christmas last year. Why did I even move to this state if they weren't going to fulfill my need for a winter wonderland? Bunch of savages...

Seriously though, life is grand. I had almost forgotten what it was like to have friends that you talk to everyday, and that spend time with you. I'm oh so busy, but I love every minute of it.

I Heart BSG

You know how usually when you love a show during the first season, but then the writers just can't sustain that much awesomeness into the second season?

Yeah, that ain't happening here. I love you second season of Battlestar Galactica. I love you from the bottom of my heart. And when I'm finished with you, I will love the third season. Because you are amazing.

Ugh

I thought the movie was pretty darn funny (it was The Holiday, btw).

But I've had a headache for two days straight, so.... yeah, that's all you get today.

Upping the Ante

DS recently discovered that the first two seasons of Animaniacs has been released on DVD, which of course meant he came home with season one the other day. It would seem my ability to sing along with the songs, especially classics like Yakko's World, have dramatically added to my geek points. Which we all know in this relationship equates to how much he loves me.

I've also been watching Greg the Bunny, a show I've been ordered to watch by Matt. I'm all about the TV today.

Since I started work at my new job, I've gained a few new friends who have become staples in my everyday life. Tomorrow, worlds collide! DS and I are going to a movie with MT (yes, the famous one with the now missing blog) and Matt. Here's hoping they get along, or my future parties might be a little awkward. But really, how could two people I love so much not get along? Impossible!

Once Stentorian

Oh Fiona...

It never ceases to amaze me the way a song can find its way inside me and completely change who I think I am. All I know seems different, changed, and I have to start the process of building my self-image all over again...

A very good friend of mine, seeing my Fiona Apple collection was one cd short, took it upon himself to fix it this Christmas by giving me a brand new copy of Extraordinary Machine. I thought for sure nothing could be more moving, more powerful, or more beautiful than When the Pawn.. but I was wrong. Oh was I ever.

Ms. Apple has this way of writing lyrics in a way that poetically recaptures every sad and bitter moment I've ever experienced, and then lays them over melodies that can make you want to cry over the beauty of it all. Then it's like an addiction, even though loving the cd causes me to relive the moments that make the songs ring true, I can't stop listening. And before you know it, I've stumbled back into that place of bitterness with all the self-loathing it entails.

Now I find myself questioning everything I do. What are my true motives? Why does it seem like everything I touch turns into a disaster in the making?

All I have to do now is sit back and wait for the train wreck that I know is coming, or pray that something pulls me out in time.

Or I could change cds....

Hello? Are you there?

This is a Public Service Announcement:

Dear justacoolcat:

A while back I promised 10 brownie points to the first person who could answer my question (which I have since forgotten). However, I have no idea who you are, and frankly, I'm stingy. So if you're a regular reader, please declare yourself and I will leave your points posted as is. If not, I shall remove them, and sit back and enjoy the fight that is brewing between Willie and Spinning Girl (I've never seen two people fight over brownie points like these two!).

That is all, carry on.

2007, Here I Come!

The New Year got off to a bit of a rocky start...

wait. who am i kidding?

The New Year started off GREAT! DS and I got all dolled up (by which I mean we weren't in jeans and a t-shirt, though DS was close) and went to our friend Anne's house (of Battlestar night fame). While there, I had some vodka concoction, and made the world's most insane drink stirrer. It's amazing what you can do with a shattered skier from a snow village and a hot glue gun.

After kicking plenty of things there, we moved on to our friend Dave's house, where there was beer, champagne, bourbon and cigars. Yes, nothing rings in the New Year like 5 separate vices in one night... On the plus side, Dave proposed to his long time girlfriend Melissa after all of the horn blowing and confetti throwing calmed down. She thankfully said yes (I kept imagining how embarrassing it would have been if she hadn't!).

On the 1st, I dutifully slept until 12:30 PM. Upon waking, I promptly ate myself into a gluttonous bliss, completely dashing all hopes of starting the year off on a nutritional good foot. During the few hours I had before it was time to go back to sleep, DS and I caught up on The Office, having officially watched all three seasons in less than a week. (Hooray!)

I quickly gained some ground on that whole "healthy" thing by making my triumphant return to the climbing gym tonight. ...and then quickly petered out after 4 climbs. Man, am I awesome!

I have high hopes for this year, as I currently have standing plans for Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of every week in the near future. (fyi, that's climbing, battlestar night at Anne's, and tv night with Matt, respectively.) DS and I are also saving money to go on a cruise this summer for our friend Lindsey's wedding (hooray for being able to save money!), and he is very happily organizing a climbing trip for March.

And though we are all saddened by the closing of MT's blog, I am heartened by not one, but TWO invitations to see her in one week! I'd give up blog reading for time with her any day :)

So look out 2007, me and my Rocket Dog shoes are ready for some kicking!