actually, i don't even know for sure if i'm going to newark this weekend. but if i do, you will definitely hear about it on monday.
so the sun is finally coming out. for those of you who don't know me well, here's one of my defining qualities: i hate the cold. snow is fun and pretty and useful for playing. for about a day. and then it becomes dirty and gross and a major impediment to jobs (re=money) and transportation. the dissipation (sp?) of fun is what kills it for me because then there's no buffer to the drippy noses and the wet and the freezing and the i have to walk the dog at oh my god o'clock and when i come back my butt has frozen over. so, draw the obvious conclusion and realize that i am absolutely thrilled at the spring thaw.
another reason why i'm ecstatic at the weather change is the requisite wardrobe switch. slowly, the heavy coats, fuzzy scarves and worn out gloves find their way into the giant tupperware in the basement, and all the "mis/inis" (camis, bikinis and minis) leap into my walk-in closet (score!) in all their not-there-ness. don't get me wrong. i'm not an exhibitionist. most of the time. but i love being able to let my skin breathe and get some sun. it also works for running and workout because i hate heavy sweat on clothes and sleeve chafing. hate. so, in this our beautiful spring weather, i can run around sans shirt (avec bra, of course, you sicko). and on the beach or by the pool? who doesn't love eschewing the towel and instead letting the sun and warm air slip the water drops off the skin?
and you know the BEST part about it? i don't care about the cosmo covergirls or whatever society fantasy about women and summer wear. it's awesome. i get to enjoy how natural everything feels and how (after the increase of good running weather) fit my body feels and how fun the family bbqs are. i'll go so far as to say that the family reunions are even fun. sort of. they're the best in the summer. anyway, instead of being a visual pleasure, it's so much more an internal pleasure provoked by the physical world around me.
so, if you see me this spring and summer, i'll probably be wearing my aaron chang swimwear or sandals or the sundress i bought in spain... all because of the sunshine.
if you break into a john denver chorus.... i kill you.
4.10.2006
saturday
FYI-make sure your boyfriend grabs his track pants before he meets your father for the first time.
anyway. yeah, that was a big thing for me this weekend. after making plans at different times (weeks apart), i suddenly realized that chris and Dad would cross paths at my house. you have to understand--it was great when he met my mom. they clicked a lot. as for my dad, i wasn't as confident. Dad is pretty protective of me and wants to destroy any guy he thinks is going to hurt his daughter. chris is also increasingly important to me, and i didn't want him to budge either. i felt like the planets were about to collide. fortunately, i'm just overanxious all the time. chris and Dad got along very well, the whole pants issue went unmentioned, and, while chris was upstairs looking for said pants, Dad said, "i can see why you like this guy." that's all he had to say.
that evening, we got together with Lanny and Joy (chris's parents) for dinner in DC. they treated us to a fantastic meal at spezie's near farragut (sp?) north, and when i say "treated," oh lord do i mean 500x more than anybody ever treats anybody. what strikes me was how eagerly Lanny and Joy did this for us, how they even invited me to join them, and how warm they are to me. at the end of the night, it wasn't a surprise that Joy gave me a hug, but even Lanny hugged me! it amazed me. i've only spent time with these people only once before, but maybe it's something different this time. maybe they, especially Joy, can read me and understand how much i care about their son.
and they didn't find out about the pants.
anyway. yeah, that was a big thing for me this weekend. after making plans at different times (weeks apart), i suddenly realized that chris and Dad would cross paths at my house. you have to understand--it was great when he met my mom. they clicked a lot. as for my dad, i wasn't as confident. Dad is pretty protective of me and wants to destroy any guy he thinks is going to hurt his daughter. chris is also increasingly important to me, and i didn't want him to budge either. i felt like the planets were about to collide. fortunately, i'm just overanxious all the time. chris and Dad got along very well, the whole pants issue went unmentioned, and, while chris was upstairs looking for said pants, Dad said, "i can see why you like this guy." that's all he had to say.
that evening, we got together with Lanny and Joy (chris's parents) for dinner in DC. they treated us to a fantastic meal at spezie's near farragut (sp?) north, and when i say "treated," oh lord do i mean 500x more than anybody ever treats anybody. what strikes me was how eagerly Lanny and Joy did this for us, how they even invited me to join them, and how warm they are to me. at the end of the night, it wasn't a surprise that Joy gave me a hug, but even Lanny hugged me! it amazed me. i've only spent time with these people only once before, but maybe it's something different this time. maybe they, especially Joy, can read me and understand how much i care about their son.
and they didn't find out about the pants.
4.06.2006
still stealing kim's surveys....
grab a survival pack b/c this puppy's LONG!!!
1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? big oval on my knee from taking a dive on wet asphalt.
2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM? a map of Baltimore with the marathon route traced on it, a bulletin board with lots of pictures, a Happy Bunny calendar, and a chain of race bibs & my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer sash
3. WHAT DOES YOUR CELL PHONE LOOK LIKE? snug its leather cover, since i drop everything ALL the time
4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO? lots of different kinds. i guess i DON'T like to listen to hard core rap or metal bands.
5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? 8:20AM, i think
6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? to teach
7. WHAT DO YOU MISS? 90s music
8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION? the piano my grandmother left me
9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SMELL? Clean
10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC? Yes, usually at church. figure that one out.
11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? Yes, mostly in museums/cathedrals that have sepulchres, etc. gives me the CREEPS.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE / PERFUME? not really up for that all the time, but i do like strawberry champagne body spray from victoria's secret
14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX/SAME SEX? same sex-hair that best compliments and shows off a girl's face; men-not a big deal, just keep it neat
15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF BEING PROPOSED TO AT? now that's a bad idea if i ever saw one. ain't no way am i planning that. besides--why steal a guy's thunder if he's trying to do something he thinks is special?
16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS?neither. COKE CLASSIC!!! :)
17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? veggie supreme (sans olives)
18. IF YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? some of mr. legaspi's pansit
19. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?Rachel
20. DO YOU SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE? sort of. i speak middle school.
.21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIFT SOMEONE EVER GAVE YOU (OF THE OPPOSITE SEX)? Adam (amazing high school bf) gave me Achtung Baby for my birthday. i <3-ed>
28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING? Already have
29. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU? swallow your pride and be honest. oh, and do it sooner than later.
30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED: three
31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?brunettes
32. WHAT IS ONE NUMBER YOU CALL OFTEN? mom & dad
33. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST? when other people expect me to clean up their own damn mess
34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY?Yes.
35. YOUR WEAKNESSES? running shoes, red shoes and swim suits
37. FIRST JOB? babysitter. rah.
38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL? no.
39. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED OUT THIS SURVEY? chatting about when i got bitch-slapped
40. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE? i wouldn't. i really really like my body the way it is.
41. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?Because it's what i do.
42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST? my politeness & other various manners
43. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL? be an expatriate in Spain
44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? a relaxing getaway where i don't have to think about or plan ANYTHING.
45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT? ummm...two. but i could be persuaded to have three or four. depends on what's going on.
46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? my aunt, except she spells it with an H.
47. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? not really anymore, but nature often fosters prayerful meditation for me.
48. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE FINGER? index: i like pointing at things
49. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? a little while ago when i was REALLY wrestling with emotions about people
50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? yes. it's pretty. :)
51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? chicken breast
53. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD ON THE SHELF? Xtina Aguilera
54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? HELLS yeah. i'm a big freakin barrel of fun.
56. DO LOOKS MATTER?Yes
57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER? running, walking toby, chatting with chris, court, steve, mom or dad (all depending on the reason why i'm pissed)
58. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME? Second Pres.
59. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY? Yes, sometimes blindly...
60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? Y-O, my blue teddy bear that i've had since birth
63. DO YOU USE SARCASM? uh, ya think?
64. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT? yes, and i would have been crushed if joe hadn't have saved me
65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL? similar beliefs, intelligence, humor, wit, a healthy lifestyle, and an adventurous personality
66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES? Toots, Tootsie (both courtesy of mom), fred (thanks, dad), jo/joey, pookie and boo boo ( i could kill BOTH of those exes for giving me those respective nicknames), catherine [the great] (think of some of the more... unorthodox things she's reputed to have done...not that i've done them... i'll shut up now), and, my all time favorite-- kitten
68. DO YOU UN-TIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? my running shoes--yes; all other shoes, no
72. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE COLORS? ocean blue and blood red
73. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE? i don't think mine have come in yet. my mom didn't get hers until she was about 40.
74. WHO/WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST RIGHT NOW? i miss my niece clara. i have to admit--she really makes me want to have a little girl.
BUT NOT RIGHT NOW, CHRIS! don't have a heart attack!
75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? sometimes. i thinks it's a fun way to learn about somebody. but sometimes, some people DEFINITELY give TMI.
76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? "Romeo and Juliet" (Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits [sp?])
.77. LAST THING YOU ATE? a sausage breakfast burrito from McDonalds. it's just about the only thing i'll ever eat from there.
78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Chris, to plan our weekend
79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX? eyes
80. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? ghetto Maryland General in Baltimore
81. SCARIEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU? i refuse to talk about it.
82. FAVORITE DRINK? N/A-coke classic; Alcohol-mai tai or Carlsberg 75
83. FAVORITE JOKE? i can never remember jokes, so don't ask
84. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT? track & field ( i love both distance running and throwing javelin)
85. HAIR COLOR? brown with natural blond highlights
86. EYE COLOR? ocean blue
87. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES? yes. i'd like to get lasik some day
88. SIBLINGS? yes, an older brother
89. FAVORITE MONTH? may or june, i think
90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI? yup. my favorite is the maryland roll at chiu's sushi in fells.
91. LAST THING YOU WATCHED? NCAA women's bball finals. YEAH, MARYLAND. i hate duke.
92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? this might sound weird b/c it's not a super happy "holiday" or anything, but a rather somber day of meditation: Good Friday. to me, it's the most poignant day on the Christian calendar, and it reminds me of the depth of Christ's passion for us.
93. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT? i haven't been, but i never really realized it in the moment. chris told me that i was a go-getter when it came to him, and that surprised me. but then again, i always go after (and usually get) what i want. ;)
94. SUMMER OR WINTER?Summer.
95. KISSES OR HUGS? hugs, b/c you can hug ANYbody. kisses are nice too, but the good ones are more exclusive.
96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE-NIGHT STANDS? Relationships.
97. WHOM DO YOU SECRETLY LOVE? Nobody. I always tell them.
98. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU MACKED IT WITH IN THE PAST YEAR? are we back in middle school? seriously.
99. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? complete works of christopher marlowe
100: WHERE DO YOU WORK? Reznick Group
101. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? *I love my hair*
102. How much cash do you have on you? zero. i have a bad habit of not carrying cash.
103. What's a word that rhymes with "DOOR"? more
104. Favorite planet? Hollywood. just kidding. i hate that chain. um... i like... saturn. it feels sneaky and like it could all of a sudden bust out and destroy jupiter. it's subversive.
105. Who is the 4th person on your received call list on your mobile? i'm not completely sure because i left my cell in my room, but i think it was courtney
106. What was the last good movie you saw? i liked a lot, but the most ... memorable was The Libertine
107. What shirt are you wearing? fitted white sweater with 3/4 sleeves.
108. Do you "label" yourself as anything? hot
109. Name the brand of shoes you're currently wearing? i dunno. payless?
110. Bright or Dark room? daytime: very sunny. sleepy time: pitch black. that seems like a very obvious question...
111. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you? Kim's really fun. the surveys she does reveal a lot about her, and i like getting to know her. maybe we can be running buddies some time. :)
112. Look to your left. What's the first word you see? a sign that says "This is no time to COME UNGLUED."
113. What were you doing at midnight last night? IMing jimmy
114. What did your last text message you received on your mobile say? i can't remember
115. Where is your mailbox?next to the front door
116. What's a phrase that you say a lot? really? (heavy sarcasm)
117.Who told you he/she loved you last? Dad
118. Last furry thing you touched? toby :) i adore my dog.
119. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? 12. it's a daily thing, and i have no choice, unless i want to be suicidal. seriously.
120. What color is the blanket on your bed? beige. and it's furry!!!
121. What was the last meal you ate? sausage breakfast burritos
122. Your worst enemy? my mind--see #119.
123. Current image on your desktop? chris, with morilla on his shoulder
124. What was the last thing you said? something about work to tasha
125. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? flying
126. Do you like someone? again, are we in middles school? but yes, there is someone special to me.
127.what was the last song you listened to? "Feeling Love" (Paula Cole)
128. If the last person you spoke to was getting shot at, would you jump in front of the bullet? i would like to think i would, even though i haven't known tasha very long. but that's a very hard thing to promise about anyone.
129. If you could punch one person in your life right now, who would it be? i wouldn't just punch him. i would destroy him. chris would too, if he ever met him.
130. What is the closest object to your left foot? the wall to my cube
131.DID YOU SLEEP IN TODAY? i tried not to, but for once toby didn't bug me to wake up for his AM walk.
132.LAST TIME YOU ATE MEXICAN FOOD? i haven't had real mexican food in a very long time. but i had AMAZING cuban food at little havana's a few weeks ago.
133.WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING TOMORROW? being there when chris and my dad meet for the first time (yikes!) and then going out in DC with chris, his mom and step-dad. YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i get WAY too nervous about this sort of thing)
134.WHO DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR LAST TEXT MESSAGE FROM? chris
135.LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED ON DVD? i think Phantom of the Opera. the guy who plays him is kind of intoxicating. :)
136.DO YOU LIKE CHINESE FOOD?Yes.
137.WHAT'S YOUR POISON? love
138.LAST GIFT SOMEONE GAVE YOU? a philly college shirt
139. AT WHAT AGE DID YOU MOVE OUT OF THE HOUSE? not counting college, 22.
140.LAST CONCERT YOU WENT TO? to see Ainzlee at Fletcher's about a month ago
141.WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO? the MD/Navy lax game tonight.
142. WHICH OF YOUR FRIENDS DO YOU HANG OUT WITH THE MOST? courtney and steve. i guess chris doesn't count because he's more than a friend, but if he did count, then he'd win hands down.
143. LAST TIME YOU WENT TO A BAR? for a friend of chris's birthday, w/ all of his math PhD candidate friends. it's a lot more fun than it sounds. ;)
144.NAME A SONG YOU DESPISE: i hate "total eclipse of the heart." HATE!!!!!!!
145. FOOTBALL OR ICE HOCKEY? i'll enjoy hockey, but i love football
146.DO YOU HAVE JUNK IN THE TRUNK? some, but i think it's pretty sexy, especially when i've been running regularly for awhile.
147. WHO IN THIS WORLD LOVES YOU THE MOST? probably my mom and dad
148. WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST PERSON? chris. duh. but aside from him? lance armstrong. i have a definite weakness for athletes.
149. HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO HAVE STITCHES? no, but i've broken both ankles and my head.
150.HAS A BF/GF EVER WRITTEN YOU A POEM? not that i'm aware of. but i've been sung to on several occasions.
151.HAVE YOU HAD SEX IN THE RAIN? i don't share those details with anybody.
152.RAP OR ROCK?Rock
153.DO YOU BELIEVE IN ANGELS? yes
154. LAST TIME YOU WERE ON A BOAT? i can't remember. probably on a harbor tour a few years ago.
155.LOVE OR LUST?Love, but lust isn't always a bad thing.
156. LAST TIME SOMEONE MADE YOU FEEL SPECIAL: a few weeks ago, i had the plague. chris took care of me for three straight days, gave me soup and OJ when i couldn't eat anything else (i lost five pounds because i could barely eat), held me when i was lying on the couch and watched movies and tv with me, made me stay in bed when i didn't want to rest, walked/watched/fed/played with toby. i was so grateful to him when i got better, and i was thanking him profusely when he interrupted me. he said he had fun and didn't mind at all. that was SO sweet of him.
157. DO YOU WATCH THE T.V. SHOW LOST? a little this season, but when they had the living black smoke being with images in it, it was a little too ridiculous for me.
158.WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR? silver. but i WILL get an electric blue G6 or solstice.
159. DO YOU VOTE? of course.
160.WHO IS YOUR PERSONALITY MOST LIKE, YOUR MOM OR YOUR DAD? i'm very much like both of them, but i'm also my own person.
161.WHAT DO YOU DESIRE? right now, to teach
162.MOST EXOTIC PLACE YOU HAVE TRAVELED? culebra, puerto rico
163.LAST TIME YOU WERE AT A BOOKSTORE? a few weeks ago. i work across the street from a B&N. that's BAD for a financially strapped bibliophile like myself. :)
164.LAST PERSON TO BREAK YOUR HEART? derek
165.WHAT COLOR SHEETS ARE ON YOUR BED? white with teeny pink flowers
166.NAME 5 ITEMS YOU USE DAILY laptop, cell, face wash and lotion, leash for toby and car
167. FAVORITE CLOTHING TO WEAR? bras and underwear
168.HOW MANY OF THESE SURVEYS HAVE YOU TAKEN? too many ;)
1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? big oval on my knee from taking a dive on wet asphalt.
2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM? a map of Baltimore with the marathon route traced on it, a bulletin board with lots of pictures, a Happy Bunny calendar, and a chain of race bibs & my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer sash
3. WHAT DOES YOUR CELL PHONE LOOK LIKE? snug its leather cover, since i drop everything ALL the time
4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO? lots of different kinds. i guess i DON'T like to listen to hard core rap or metal bands.
5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? 8:20AM, i think
6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? to teach
7. WHAT DO YOU MISS? 90s music
8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION? the piano my grandmother left me
9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SMELL? Clean
10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC? Yes, usually at church. figure that one out.
11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? Yes, mostly in museums/cathedrals that have sepulchres, etc. gives me the CREEPS.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE / PERFUME? not really up for that all the time, but i do like strawberry champagne body spray from victoria's secret
14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX/SAME SEX? same sex-hair that best compliments and shows off a girl's face; men-not a big deal, just keep it neat
15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF BEING PROPOSED TO AT? now that's a bad idea if i ever saw one. ain't no way am i planning that. besides--why steal a guy's thunder if he's trying to do something he thinks is special?
16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS?neither. COKE CLASSIC!!! :)
17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? veggie supreme (sans olives)
18. IF YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? some of mr. legaspi's pansit
19. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?Rachel
20. DO YOU SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE? sort of. i speak middle school.
.21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIFT SOMEONE EVER GAVE YOU (OF THE OPPOSITE SEX)? Adam (amazing high school bf) gave me Achtung Baby for my birthday. i <3-ed>
28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING? Already have
29. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU? swallow your pride and be honest. oh, and do it sooner than later.
30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED: three
31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?brunettes
32. WHAT IS ONE NUMBER YOU CALL OFTEN? mom & dad
33. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST? when other people expect me to clean up their own damn mess
34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY?Yes.
35. YOUR WEAKNESSES? running shoes, red shoes and swim suits
37. FIRST JOB? babysitter. rah.
38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL? no.
39. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED OUT THIS SURVEY? chatting about when i got bitch-slapped
40. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE? i wouldn't. i really really like my body the way it is.
41. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?Because it's what i do.
42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST? my politeness & other various manners
43. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL? be an expatriate in Spain
44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? a relaxing getaway where i don't have to think about or plan ANYTHING.
45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT? ummm...two. but i could be persuaded to have three or four. depends on what's going on.
46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? my aunt, except she spells it with an H.
47. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? not really anymore, but nature often fosters prayerful meditation for me.
48. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE FINGER? index: i like pointing at things
49. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? a little while ago when i was REALLY wrestling with emotions about people
50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? yes. it's pretty. :)
51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? chicken breast
53. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD ON THE SHELF? Xtina Aguilera
54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? HELLS yeah. i'm a big freakin barrel of fun.
56. DO LOOKS MATTER?Yes
57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER? running, walking toby, chatting with chris, court, steve, mom or dad (all depending on the reason why i'm pissed)
58. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME? Second Pres.
59. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY? Yes, sometimes blindly...
60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? Y-O, my blue teddy bear that i've had since birth
63. DO YOU USE SARCASM? uh, ya think?
64. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT? yes, and i would have been crushed if joe hadn't have saved me
65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL? similar beliefs, intelligence, humor, wit, a healthy lifestyle, and an adventurous personality
66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES? Toots, Tootsie (both courtesy of mom), fred (thanks, dad), jo/joey, pookie and boo boo ( i could kill BOTH of those exes for giving me those respective nicknames), catherine [the great] (think of some of the more... unorthodox things she's reputed to have done...not that i've done them... i'll shut up now), and, my all time favorite-- kitten
68. DO YOU UN-TIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? my running shoes--yes; all other shoes, no
72. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE COLORS? ocean blue and blood red
73. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE? i don't think mine have come in yet. my mom didn't get hers until she was about 40.
74. WHO/WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST RIGHT NOW? i miss my niece clara. i have to admit--she really makes me want to have a little girl.
BUT NOT RIGHT NOW, CHRIS! don't have a heart attack!
75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? sometimes. i thinks it's a fun way to learn about somebody. but sometimes, some people DEFINITELY give TMI.
76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? "Romeo and Juliet" (Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits [sp?])
.77. LAST THING YOU ATE? a sausage breakfast burrito from McDonalds. it's just about the only thing i'll ever eat from there.
78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Chris, to plan our weekend
79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX? eyes
80. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? ghetto Maryland General in Baltimore
81. SCARIEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU? i refuse to talk about it.
82. FAVORITE DRINK? N/A-coke classic; Alcohol-mai tai or Carlsberg 75
83. FAVORITE JOKE? i can never remember jokes, so don't ask
84. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT? track & field ( i love both distance running and throwing javelin)
85. HAIR COLOR? brown with natural blond highlights
86. EYE COLOR? ocean blue
87. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES? yes. i'd like to get lasik some day
88. SIBLINGS? yes, an older brother
89. FAVORITE MONTH? may or june, i think
90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI? yup. my favorite is the maryland roll at chiu's sushi in fells.
91. LAST THING YOU WATCHED? NCAA women's bball finals. YEAH, MARYLAND. i hate duke.
92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? this might sound weird b/c it's not a super happy "holiday" or anything, but a rather somber day of meditation: Good Friday. to me, it's the most poignant day on the Christian calendar, and it reminds me of the depth of Christ's passion for us.
93. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT? i haven't been, but i never really realized it in the moment. chris told me that i was a go-getter when it came to him, and that surprised me. but then again, i always go after (and usually get) what i want. ;)
94. SUMMER OR WINTER?Summer.
95. KISSES OR HUGS? hugs, b/c you can hug ANYbody. kisses are nice too, but the good ones are more exclusive.
96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE-NIGHT STANDS? Relationships.
97. WHOM DO YOU SECRETLY LOVE? Nobody. I always tell them.
98. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU MACKED IT WITH IN THE PAST YEAR? are we back in middle school? seriously.
99. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? complete works of christopher marlowe
100: WHERE DO YOU WORK? Reznick Group
101. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? *I love my hair*
102. How much cash do you have on you? zero. i have a bad habit of not carrying cash.
103. What's a word that rhymes with "DOOR"? more
104. Favorite planet? Hollywood. just kidding. i hate that chain. um... i like... saturn. it feels sneaky and like it could all of a sudden bust out and destroy jupiter. it's subversive.
105. Who is the 4th person on your received call list on your mobile? i'm not completely sure because i left my cell in my room, but i think it was courtney
106. What was the last good movie you saw? i liked a lot, but the most ... memorable was The Libertine
107. What shirt are you wearing? fitted white sweater with 3/4 sleeves.
108. Do you "label" yourself as anything? hot
109. Name the brand of shoes you're currently wearing? i dunno. payless?
110. Bright or Dark room? daytime: very sunny. sleepy time: pitch black. that seems like a very obvious question...
111. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you? Kim's really fun. the surveys she does reveal a lot about her, and i like getting to know her. maybe we can be running buddies some time. :)
112. Look to your left. What's the first word you see? a sign that says "This is no time to COME UNGLUED."
113. What were you doing at midnight last night? IMing jimmy
114. What did your last text message you received on your mobile say? i can't remember
115. Where is your mailbox?next to the front door
116. What's a phrase that you say a lot? really? (heavy sarcasm)
117.Who told you he/she loved you last? Dad
118. Last furry thing you touched? toby :) i adore my dog.
119. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? 12. it's a daily thing, and i have no choice, unless i want to be suicidal. seriously.
120. What color is the blanket on your bed? beige. and it's furry!!!
121. What was the last meal you ate? sausage breakfast burritos
122. Your worst enemy? my mind--see #119.
123. Current image on your desktop? chris, with morilla on his shoulder
124. What was the last thing you said? something about work to tasha
125. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? flying
126. Do you like someone? again, are we in middles school? but yes, there is someone special to me.
127.what was the last song you listened to? "Feeling Love" (Paula Cole)
128. If the last person you spoke to was getting shot at, would you jump in front of the bullet? i would like to think i would, even though i haven't known tasha very long. but that's a very hard thing to promise about anyone.
129. If you could punch one person in your life right now, who would it be? i wouldn't just punch him. i would destroy him. chris would too, if he ever met him.
130. What is the closest object to your left foot? the wall to my cube
131.DID YOU SLEEP IN TODAY? i tried not to, but for once toby didn't bug me to wake up for his AM walk.
132.LAST TIME YOU ATE MEXICAN FOOD? i haven't had real mexican food in a very long time. but i had AMAZING cuban food at little havana's a few weeks ago.
133.WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING TOMORROW? being there when chris and my dad meet for the first time (yikes!) and then going out in DC with chris, his mom and step-dad. YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i get WAY too nervous about this sort of thing)
134.WHO DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR LAST TEXT MESSAGE FROM? chris
135.LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED ON DVD? i think Phantom of the Opera. the guy who plays him is kind of intoxicating. :)
136.DO YOU LIKE CHINESE FOOD?Yes.
137.WHAT'S YOUR POISON? love
138.LAST GIFT SOMEONE GAVE YOU? a philly college shirt
139. AT WHAT AGE DID YOU MOVE OUT OF THE HOUSE? not counting college, 22.
140.LAST CONCERT YOU WENT TO? to see Ainzlee at Fletcher's about a month ago
141.WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO? the MD/Navy lax game tonight.
142. WHICH OF YOUR FRIENDS DO YOU HANG OUT WITH THE MOST? courtney and steve. i guess chris doesn't count because he's more than a friend, but if he did count, then he'd win hands down.
143. LAST TIME YOU WENT TO A BAR? for a friend of chris's birthday, w/ all of his math PhD candidate friends. it's a lot more fun than it sounds. ;)
144.NAME A SONG YOU DESPISE: i hate "total eclipse of the heart." HATE!!!!!!!
145. FOOTBALL OR ICE HOCKEY? i'll enjoy hockey, but i love football
146.DO YOU HAVE JUNK IN THE TRUNK? some, but i think it's pretty sexy, especially when i've been running regularly for awhile.
147. WHO IN THIS WORLD LOVES YOU THE MOST? probably my mom and dad
148. WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE SEXIEST PERSON? chris. duh. but aside from him? lance armstrong. i have a definite weakness for athletes.
149. HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO HAVE STITCHES? no, but i've broken both ankles and my head.
150.HAS A BF/GF EVER WRITTEN YOU A POEM? not that i'm aware of. but i've been sung to on several occasions.
151.HAVE YOU HAD SEX IN THE RAIN? i don't share those details with anybody.
152.RAP OR ROCK?Rock
153.DO YOU BELIEVE IN ANGELS? yes
154. LAST TIME YOU WERE ON A BOAT? i can't remember. probably on a harbor tour a few years ago.
155.LOVE OR LUST?Love, but lust isn't always a bad thing.
156. LAST TIME SOMEONE MADE YOU FEEL SPECIAL: a few weeks ago, i had the plague. chris took care of me for three straight days, gave me soup and OJ when i couldn't eat anything else (i lost five pounds because i could barely eat), held me when i was lying on the couch and watched movies and tv with me, made me stay in bed when i didn't want to rest, walked/watched/fed/played with toby. i was so grateful to him when i got better, and i was thanking him profusely when he interrupted me. he said he had fun and didn't mind at all. that was SO sweet of him.
157. DO YOU WATCH THE T.V. SHOW LOST? a little this season, but when they had the living black smoke being with images in it, it was a little too ridiculous for me.
158.WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR? silver. but i WILL get an electric blue G6 or solstice.
159. DO YOU VOTE? of course.
160.WHO IS YOUR PERSONALITY MOST LIKE, YOUR MOM OR YOUR DAD? i'm very much like both of them, but i'm also my own person.
161.WHAT DO YOU DESIRE? right now, to teach
162.MOST EXOTIC PLACE YOU HAVE TRAVELED? culebra, puerto rico
163.LAST TIME YOU WERE AT A BOOKSTORE? a few weeks ago. i work across the street from a B&N. that's BAD for a financially strapped bibliophile like myself. :)
164.LAST PERSON TO BREAK YOUR HEART? derek
165.WHAT COLOR SHEETS ARE ON YOUR BED? white with teeny pink flowers
166.NAME 5 ITEMS YOU USE DAILY laptop, cell, face wash and lotion, leash for toby and car
167. FAVORITE CLOTHING TO WEAR? bras and underwear
168.HOW MANY OF THESE SURVEYS HAVE YOU TAKEN? too many ;)
seriously? SERIOUSLY?!!!
http://johns-hopkins.bkstore.com/default.asp?m=0303&p=7847&cat_id=237
cheap steal, you bastards.
get ready for a throw-down on the 15th. it's on.
cheap steal, you bastards.
get ready for a throw-down on the 15th. it's on.
djs' daily nugget: women and their post-break-up metamorphoses
once again, jojo and regan ask the probing questions to uncover the core of the human soul. this time, it's "why do women try to drastically change their appearance after a break-up, especially when they are the dump-ee?"
the origin of their question is that when regan met up with a female friend, she'd lopped off most of her long, gorgeous, blond locks and dyed the remaining short 'do black. when asked why, she said, "because of a break-up." ladies, we all know of a gal pal who has (or we can admit that we personally have) chopped/dyed/buzzed/mangled/transformed hair, gotten piercings and/or tattoos (sometimes in unconventional places), bought an entirely new wardrobe, often comprised of a radically different style than before (e.g., if we once were ralph lauren preppy, we're now british glam). so, regan's friend, don't look back. that's right, sister. 99.9% of all women out there don't need further explanation; we feel your pain.
to illuminate the situation, let me tell my story. as a junior in college, i was in a lovely relationship that i felt was really going somewhere. imagine my dismay when it ended up not. after i got over the initial teary-eyed nights, i took my thick, shiny brown hair that reached below my shoulder blades and did a personal chop job. by the time i was done, it was a reasonably clean/neat chin-length 'do. and, like regan's friend, i colored it a bit, although i went the less drastic route of only applying blond highlights.
why did i do this, especially when everybody else LOVED my hair as it was? truth is, it's not a self-destructive move at all. instead of being weepy and confined to the past, we ladies like to think of ourselves as shedding a former identity, redirecting our lives in a new and fulfilling direction, and reincarnating ourselves as confident and liberated women. we're molting men, if you will.
so ladies, blaze your own trail without any fear, and grow into yourself. you'll never regret the new heights that you reach.
and gentlemen, if you see a recent ex sporting a new look, realize that she's moving on.
she has erased you from her cell phone.
the origin of their question is that when regan met up with a female friend, she'd lopped off most of her long, gorgeous, blond locks and dyed the remaining short 'do black. when asked why, she said, "because of a break-up." ladies, we all know of a gal pal who has (or we can admit that we personally have) chopped/dyed/buzzed/mangled/transformed hair, gotten piercings and/or tattoos (sometimes in unconventional places), bought an entirely new wardrobe, often comprised of a radically different style than before (e.g., if we once were ralph lauren preppy, we're now british glam). so, regan's friend, don't look back. that's right, sister. 99.9% of all women out there don't need further explanation; we feel your pain.
to illuminate the situation, let me tell my story. as a junior in college, i was in a lovely relationship that i felt was really going somewhere. imagine my dismay when it ended up not. after i got over the initial teary-eyed nights, i took my thick, shiny brown hair that reached below my shoulder blades and did a personal chop job. by the time i was done, it was a reasonably clean/neat chin-length 'do. and, like regan's friend, i colored it a bit, although i went the less drastic route of only applying blond highlights.
why did i do this, especially when everybody else LOVED my hair as it was? truth is, it's not a self-destructive move at all. instead of being weepy and confined to the past, we ladies like to think of ourselves as shedding a former identity, redirecting our lives in a new and fulfilling direction, and reincarnating ourselves as confident and liberated women. we're molting men, if you will.
so ladies, blaze your own trail without any fear, and grow into yourself. you'll never regret the new heights that you reach.
and gentlemen, if you see a recent ex sporting a new look, realize that she's moving on.
she has erased you from her cell phone.
4.05.2006
come on lemme hear ya say 'way-oh!'
WAY-OH-OHHH!!!
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn that was a good game. the lady Terps got the job done by slamming the Blue Devil's own arrogance down Duke's throat. i'll admit that the Terps had me in pain during the first half, when Duke was able to build a ridiculous lead of 13 points, and they have to be careful because games like that can really get away from anybody. but, at the same time, this is basketball, where anything is possible, and that's exactly how Maryland rolled out in the second half. as was expected, this was a very physical game where push literally came to shove, especially when williams (D) basically body-slammed shay doron onto the court. that should have been grounds for ejection, i think. but doron was the iron woman for the Terps, as she withstood a number of catastrophic trips to the floor, falls that would have broken most other players.
as Maryland closed in on Duke in the second half, the Blue Devils started to panic; anybody could see the mounting anxiety on their faces as they were realizing that this game was in fact not in the bag. that was their downfall. while currie, bales and harding played their hearts out and kept the game close, they also started to commit desperate fouls that gave the Terps the perfect opportunities to gain some ground on their opponents. i have to give a lot of credit to bales, a 6'7" presence that can overpower almost anyone right at the basket. she played with confidence, and while she wasn't as emotionally explosive as currie and williams, her game was loud enough to keep the Dukies in it.
as far as the individual Terps go, i have to say that i really like toliver. as a freshman, she certainly had something to prove to every kind of audience, which for any athlete is wicked pressure. although her first halves were as nerve-racking as her ball-handling mistakes, she 99% of the time regained her poise and made numerous clutch plays, the most mind-blowing being, of course, her three-pointer to push the title game into OT.
my favorite player though is shay doron. that girl throws her whole body into it and plays through pain, to the point where her opponents are rattled by her resilience. she kept getting to her feet and hustling back down the court, to smack the ball away and again get thrown on the ground. and she got up AGAIN. normally, during regular and post season, you don't want your player to possibly wreck herself to the point of major injury, and you would tell her to cool off and sit on the bench for awhile. but both coach frese and doron knew that the players could rest today and have months before needing their bodies for games again. ultimately, doron put forth an entire team's worth of effort, and for that, she is my pick for an MVP.
Terps fans have a lot to look forward to with this squad, and they're only adding to the increasing prestige of Maryland athletics. with men's soccer and women's field hockey championships already won and men's and women's lacrosse looking to go all the way, this former student-athlete is thrilled to wonder how far the Terps can go.
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn that was a good game. the lady Terps got the job done by slamming the Blue Devil's own arrogance down Duke's throat. i'll admit that the Terps had me in pain during the first half, when Duke was able to build a ridiculous lead of 13 points, and they have to be careful because games like that can really get away from anybody. but, at the same time, this is basketball, where anything is possible, and that's exactly how Maryland rolled out in the second half. as was expected, this was a very physical game where push literally came to shove, especially when williams (D) basically body-slammed shay doron onto the court. that should have been grounds for ejection, i think. but doron was the iron woman for the Terps, as she withstood a number of catastrophic trips to the floor, falls that would have broken most other players.
as Maryland closed in on Duke in the second half, the Blue Devils started to panic; anybody could see the mounting anxiety on their faces as they were realizing that this game was in fact not in the bag. that was their downfall. while currie, bales and harding played their hearts out and kept the game close, they also started to commit desperate fouls that gave the Terps the perfect opportunities to gain some ground on their opponents. i have to give a lot of credit to bales, a 6'7" presence that can overpower almost anyone right at the basket. she played with confidence, and while she wasn't as emotionally explosive as currie and williams, her game was loud enough to keep the Dukies in it.
as far as the individual Terps go, i have to say that i really like toliver. as a freshman, she certainly had something to prove to every kind of audience, which for any athlete is wicked pressure. although her first halves were as nerve-racking as her ball-handling mistakes, she 99% of the time regained her poise and made numerous clutch plays, the most mind-blowing being, of course, her three-pointer to push the title game into OT.
my favorite player though is shay doron. that girl throws her whole body into it and plays through pain, to the point where her opponents are rattled by her resilience. she kept getting to her feet and hustling back down the court, to smack the ball away and again get thrown on the ground. and she got up AGAIN. normally, during regular and post season, you don't want your player to possibly wreck herself to the point of major injury, and you would tell her to cool off and sit on the bench for awhile. but both coach frese and doron knew that the players could rest today and have months before needing their bodies for games again. ultimately, doron put forth an entire team's worth of effort, and for that, she is my pick for an MVP.
Terps fans have a lot to look forward to with this squad, and they're only adding to the increasing prestige of Maryland athletics. with men's soccer and women's field hockey championships already won and men's and women's lacrosse looking to go all the way, this former student-athlete is thrilled to wonder how far the Terps can go.
4.04.2006
oooooo interesting
1. i'm so sick of tom cruise. and steve, you must be distraught at the fate of katie holmes. anyway, i'm not trying to give the crazy man too much attention, but this particular quote of his caught my eye:
""First the baby, then the film. Then, in summer, we want to get married. I won't let this woman get away."
ummm... MI:3 before love? wow. talk about your priorities. and it sounds like katie is going to be imprisoned for the rest of her life. yikes.
2. tom delay. WOW. this is probably the smartest move he's made in a few years.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/04/AR2006040400513.html
and you know, it probably does help the increasingly bedeviled (sp?) Republican party save face at least a little bit. now it just remains to be seen if the federal probe that is inching closer and closer will actually result in another criminal indictment.
3. TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!!!! we're all about the lady terps winning the national championships. we all know what duke can do with themselves. here's some of the hype about Maryland's best basketball team in years:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-sp.ncaawomen04apr04,0,6921895.story?coll=bal-sports-headlines
4. last, but not least--
http://www.livescience.com/othernews/060404_jesus_ice.html
maybe he was hoping to land a spot on "Skating with the Stars"...
""First the baby, then the film. Then, in summer, we want to get married. I won't let this woman get away."
ummm... MI:3 before love? wow. talk about your priorities. and it sounds like katie is going to be imprisoned for the rest of her life. yikes.
2. tom delay. WOW. this is probably the smartest move he's made in a few years.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/04/AR2006040400513.html
and you know, it probably does help the increasingly bedeviled (sp?) Republican party save face at least a little bit. now it just remains to be seen if the federal probe that is inching closer and closer will actually result in another criminal indictment.
3. TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!!!! we're all about the lady terps winning the national championships. we all know what duke can do with themselves. here's some of the hype about Maryland's best basketball team in years:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-sp.ncaawomen04apr04,0,6921895.story?coll=bal-sports-headlines
4. last, but not least--
http://www.livescience.com/othernews/060404_jesus_ice.html
maybe he was hoping to land a spot on "Skating with the Stars"...
4.03.2006
Lady Terps go for the jugular
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-sp.2maesecol03apr03,0,728118.column?coll=bal-home-headlines
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-te.sp.terps03apr03,0,5578947.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/02/AR2006040201393.html
YEE-HAW!!!
The Lady Terps know how to get it done moreso than any Maryland basketball team in the past few years. Last night's game was sloppy, ugly and dangerously physical. In fact, a huge turning point in the game was Ivory Latta coming down from a lay-up (which I think she missed) and jamming up her entire left leg. Understandably, that completely blew out the Tar Heels' momentum and also was a bit of distraction; the team had to go deep to compensate for the even momentary loss of their star player. Kudos to Latta for having the courage to come back into the game minutes later. That definitely requires a champion's spirit, and I believe that she recognized that she carried the team on her shoulders. Not to be forgotten by any means is Erlana Larkins. She took on the lion's share of the Maryland defense and came up with great penetration. She began to assume the mantle of team leader, so ultimately you can't fault the Tar Heels for their guts and effort.
But it was Maryland who had more endurance, and, despite the obscene number of turnovers, they were able to utilize their physicality to their advantage. They were able to cut inside and convert, especially as they ran away with the game in the remaining few minutes of the game. The poise that those girls had throughout was especially strong as the game was reaching its climax. This was by far the most riveting women's game I've ever seen (and yes, I have watched some), and I'm very excited about what this can do for women's sports overall. The Maryland women have brought a very tangible passion to the game, to the degree that fans of primarily men's games could be impressed.
Tomorrow night, the Terps take on the Dukies. Even if our girls weren't in the title game, we all know where my loyalties lie. That said, it's certainly not an open-and-shut case as to which team is going to win the whole she-bang. To blow out another #1 seed like Duke did to the Tigers last night was, in some senses, a surprise, especially with the Tigers having one of the nation's top scorers. Then again, Duke hasn't had a national championship for a long time, if ever (I don't know), and that could mean one of two things; 1) they could really dig deep with a powerful thirst for the title and come out on top. 2) OR, they could fall victim to their identity as Blue Devils, almost expecting the title for themselves, especially in light of last night's rout. They have a lot on their plate, considering how the men's team bowed out in their sweet-sixteen game and also how they might be relied upon to take the spotlight away from their men's lacrosse scandal. On the other side of the coin, the Terrapins have these possibilities; 1) their sloppy play could continue into tomorrow night, largely due to their inexperience. 2) OR, they could ride the wave and play some gritty ball, reaching as far as they possibly can to bedevil the Blue Devils, simply because they have nothing to lose.
I'm never good at picking the game, and to be truthful, I have no idea who'll take it tomorrow night. So, I'll wear my red shirt and be on the edge of my seat for what I expect to be another benchmark game in college basketball.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-te.sp.terps03apr03,0,5578947.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/02/AR2006040201393.html
YEE-HAW!!!
The Lady Terps know how to get it done moreso than any Maryland basketball team in the past few years. Last night's game was sloppy, ugly and dangerously physical. In fact, a huge turning point in the game was Ivory Latta coming down from a lay-up (which I think she missed) and jamming up her entire left leg. Understandably, that completely blew out the Tar Heels' momentum and also was a bit of distraction; the team had to go deep to compensate for the even momentary loss of their star player. Kudos to Latta for having the courage to come back into the game minutes later. That definitely requires a champion's spirit, and I believe that she recognized that she carried the team on her shoulders. Not to be forgotten by any means is Erlana Larkins. She took on the lion's share of the Maryland defense and came up with great penetration. She began to assume the mantle of team leader, so ultimately you can't fault the Tar Heels for their guts and effort.
But it was Maryland who had more endurance, and, despite the obscene number of turnovers, they were able to utilize their physicality to their advantage. They were able to cut inside and convert, especially as they ran away with the game in the remaining few minutes of the game. The poise that those girls had throughout was especially strong as the game was reaching its climax. This was by far the most riveting women's game I've ever seen (and yes, I have watched some), and I'm very excited about what this can do for women's sports overall. The Maryland women have brought a very tangible passion to the game, to the degree that fans of primarily men's games could be impressed.
Tomorrow night, the Terps take on the Dukies. Even if our girls weren't in the title game, we all know where my loyalties lie. That said, it's certainly not an open-and-shut case as to which team is going to win the whole she-bang. To blow out another #1 seed like Duke did to the Tigers last night was, in some senses, a surprise, especially with the Tigers having one of the nation's top scorers. Then again, Duke hasn't had a national championship for a long time, if ever (I don't know), and that could mean one of two things; 1) they could really dig deep with a powerful thirst for the title and come out on top. 2) OR, they could fall victim to their identity as Blue Devils, almost expecting the title for themselves, especially in light of last night's rout. They have a lot on their plate, considering how the men's team bowed out in their sweet-sixteen game and also how they might be relied upon to take the spotlight away from their men's lacrosse scandal. On the other side of the coin, the Terrapins have these possibilities; 1) their sloppy play could continue into tomorrow night, largely due to their inexperience. 2) OR, they could ride the wave and play some gritty ball, reaching as far as they possibly can to bedevil the Blue Devils, simply because they have nothing to lose.
I'm never good at picking the game, and to be truthful, I have no idea who'll take it tomorrow night. So, I'll wear my red shirt and be on the edge of my seat for what I expect to be another benchmark game in college basketball.
3.30.2006
i coached this guy!!!
i just helped out, but i'm glad i got to work with him. tommy is awesome!!!
http://www.goccusports.com/menstandf/?player=1089
3.29.2006
first person singular
i've been thinking about God. for the past few months, i haven't been to church for a variety of reasons. take your pick, but they've all had to do with me. that sounds painfully obvious, but hear me out. my faith has been fragile lately, and yet i didn't want to go to the service that i usually did. personally, it's become a bit too performance-oriented for my taste. but anyway, i figured i could handle it. well, as always happens, God never lets me go alone for very long, and yesterday He called it to my attention how aimless i was.
so it was all about me, and how i was struggling and how i was uncomfortable and how i was busy. and the strange consequence: the more i focused on myself, the worse i was doing. i couldn't do a darn thing to help myself. to some, this is obvious, to others, it's counterintuitive. but it is what it is. and tonight, the taize service was a blessing.
for those who have never heard of it, taize is a type of worship that originated in taize, france sometime in the 1940s (http://www.taize.fr/en). my church describes it as a service of sung and silent prayer. it's incredibly simple and poignant. what is very impressive is how powerful and worshipful the silence is. in a sense, it recalls the monastic practice of meditation, something that i find particularly healthful.
i think what i'm trying to say is that i've been tremendously caught up in myself, and the taize was a beautiful way to bring the focus back onto God, which is where it should be all along.
listen to the Third Person Omniscient...
so it was all about me, and how i was struggling and how i was uncomfortable and how i was busy. and the strange consequence: the more i focused on myself, the worse i was doing. i couldn't do a darn thing to help myself. to some, this is obvious, to others, it's counterintuitive. but it is what it is. and tonight, the taize service was a blessing.
for those who have never heard of it, taize is a type of worship that originated in taize, france sometime in the 1940s (http://www.taize.fr/en). my church describes it as a service of sung and silent prayer. it's incredibly simple and poignant. what is very impressive is how powerful and worshipful the silence is. in a sense, it recalls the monastic practice of meditation, something that i find particularly healthful.
i think what i'm trying to say is that i've been tremendously caught up in myself, and the taize was a beautiful way to bring the focus back onto God, which is where it should be all along.
listen to the Third Person Omniscient...
3.28.2006
a clarification
it occurred to me yesterday that my post about my personal not-chomping-at the-bit-for-marriage post might have offended a few folks, and i want to say that that was not my intent at all. first of all, in the space of...three (?) years, i attended a total of 10 weddings and was in 4 of said ceremonies. it wasn't an issue of "when is it my turn" (although an annoying number of relatives and older friends of parents asked that question...); rather, it was definitely about celebrating my good friends' nuptials.
my personal philosophy these days comes from something that is more deeply rooted than some sort of socially imposed timeline for all women. ever since i can remember, the things i did/achieved/reached for were by in large praised by the people around me. i interpreted this as my actions were very pleasing to them, and so i endeavored to earn their acceptance as much as possible. i would stress and strain, trying to follow others' (read=parents') advice and the most widely recommended paths as closely as i could. as i entered my twenties and was surrounded by the aforementioned plethora of weddings, asked the numerous questions about my future wedding bells, etc., i thought that it was essential for me to be married pretty soon. i was even considering moving myself around with my boyfriend at the time and put off graduate school, even though we weren't engaged or anything like that. i wanted to make it to the finish line, so to speak. that turned out to be one of the major reasons that our relationship exploded. in retrospect, that was probably one of the best things that could have ever happened to me.
i came to realize that my efforts to please everyone else was consuming my own future and sacrificing my dreams. i had become unhealthfully dependent on what everyone else thought, advised, and sometimes expected. like i said, the demise of that relationship was very good for me; it forced me to break my deeply ingrained habits and to truly and genuinely start out on my own and make decisions for myself. it's been a long process and hard pattern to shed, but i think at this point i've largely rid myself of such rigidity. as a result, i am thoroughly enjoying the liberties i'm now allowing myself, the opportunities that i'm exploring and the new possibilities that i'm seeing every day.
i'm much more ambivalent about marriage than i used to be, in terms of when, where, how, who, etc., and for me, i think that is a very healthy change. sure, eventually i would like to be married and have a family, but it doesn't need to be tomorrow.
the self-imposed pressure is gone, and i feel freer than i ever have in my life.
my personal philosophy these days comes from something that is more deeply rooted than some sort of socially imposed timeline for all women. ever since i can remember, the things i did/achieved/reached for were by in large praised by the people around me. i interpreted this as my actions were very pleasing to them, and so i endeavored to earn their acceptance as much as possible. i would stress and strain, trying to follow others' (read=parents') advice and the most widely recommended paths as closely as i could. as i entered my twenties and was surrounded by the aforementioned plethora of weddings, asked the numerous questions about my future wedding bells, etc., i thought that it was essential for me to be married pretty soon. i was even considering moving myself around with my boyfriend at the time and put off graduate school, even though we weren't engaged or anything like that. i wanted to make it to the finish line, so to speak. that turned out to be one of the major reasons that our relationship exploded. in retrospect, that was probably one of the best things that could have ever happened to me.
i came to realize that my efforts to please everyone else was consuming my own future and sacrificing my dreams. i had become unhealthfully dependent on what everyone else thought, advised, and sometimes expected. like i said, the demise of that relationship was very good for me; it forced me to break my deeply ingrained habits and to truly and genuinely start out on my own and make decisions for myself. it's been a long process and hard pattern to shed, but i think at this point i've largely rid myself of such rigidity. as a result, i am thoroughly enjoying the liberties i'm now allowing myself, the opportunities that i'm exploring and the new possibilities that i'm seeing every day.
i'm much more ambivalent about marriage than i used to be, in terms of when, where, how, who, etc., and for me, i think that is a very healthy change. sure, eventually i would like to be married and have a family, but it doesn't need to be tomorrow.
the self-imposed pressure is gone, and i feel freer than i ever have in my life.
3.27.2006
title fight
the djs posed an interesting question this morning: how do you know that you and your s.o. have become boyfriend and girlfriend? in high school and usually in college (at least for me), it was largely assumed that if you were dating somebody at all, you could take on those titles. now, when beginning a relationship in the "real world," that's basically not the case at all. here's my little story.
chris and i met at the god-awful tutoring center this past summer, and about a month later, we agreed to hang out. that first night, we had dinner at bennigan's, and we really clicked. it soon became routine for us to hang out after work on thursdays, often having conversations lasting into the wee hours of the next morning. after about a month+, when talking to my girl buds, i referred to him as my boyfriend, but i wasn't really comfortable saying that to him directly. we even spent thanksgiving with his family a month later, and we hadn't really made things "official." part of the issue is that we've both been pretty badly burned before, and we weren't ready to jump into things; we wanted to take our time, see if we were really connecting. it would be kind of a major thing to announce our bond to the world with the bf/gf names.
it wasn't until the band incident that that changed. for the small number of you who haven't heard me rant angrily about that evening, basically i was ambushed into meeting two of his exes, one of whom was insane and the other one who played nasty little manipulative games. let's call her B. i'm sure you can guess what that stands for. it doesn't take a rocket scientist... anyway, we came into the bar together and after awhile started to mingle separately. B came over to Chris (they'd been apart for a year but were still friends), and the following very short conversation ensued:
B: so. who's that pretty girl you came in with?
C: that's my girlfriend.
B: oh....
keep in mind that him calling me such is a big step for us, and for him especially. later, when we were leaving and i was really pissed off at how she treated me, he told me about their little chat and what effect it had when he called me his girlfriend. it was the first time he'd ever called me that, and he told me that it meant something to him. it really turned the night around for me, and even though i still loathe most of that night, i always keep in mind what he said. and that makes my day brighter.
at this point, he and i have been together for... september to now... 6+ months? we're still kind of feeling things out and figuring out how much commitment we want with each other, and that's fine. being b/f & g/f doesn't automatically meld two people at the hip, and i think that's something that a lot of people and, sorry girls but i think this is true, especially women don't understand.
these days, chris and i don't go around saying "my g/f does this" or "my b/f said this the other day." and honestly, i like that better. when we refer to each other, we do so by name. in my mind, titles aren't necessarily specific and can in reality cause a lot of contention because the expectations that come with them are inevitably different. and in using his name, things are more personal; i'm referring to the man and who he is, something that is hell of a lot more meaningful to me than some generic label.
so i guess you could say that my boyfriend doesn't matter much to me. but, chris is someone who is sharing his life with me, and that is so much better.
chris and i met at the god-awful tutoring center this past summer, and about a month later, we agreed to hang out. that first night, we had dinner at bennigan's, and we really clicked. it soon became routine for us to hang out after work on thursdays, often having conversations lasting into the wee hours of the next morning. after about a month+, when talking to my girl buds, i referred to him as my boyfriend, but i wasn't really comfortable saying that to him directly. we even spent thanksgiving with his family a month later, and we hadn't really made things "official." part of the issue is that we've both been pretty badly burned before, and we weren't ready to jump into things; we wanted to take our time, see if we were really connecting. it would be kind of a major thing to announce our bond to the world with the bf/gf names.
it wasn't until the band incident that that changed. for the small number of you who haven't heard me rant angrily about that evening, basically i was ambushed into meeting two of his exes, one of whom was insane and the other one who played nasty little manipulative games. let's call her B. i'm sure you can guess what that stands for. it doesn't take a rocket scientist... anyway, we came into the bar together and after awhile started to mingle separately. B came over to Chris (they'd been apart for a year but were still friends), and the following very short conversation ensued:
B: so. who's that pretty girl you came in with?
C: that's my girlfriend.
B: oh....
keep in mind that him calling me such is a big step for us, and for him especially. later, when we were leaving and i was really pissed off at how she treated me, he told me about their little chat and what effect it had when he called me his girlfriend. it was the first time he'd ever called me that, and he told me that it meant something to him. it really turned the night around for me, and even though i still loathe most of that night, i always keep in mind what he said. and that makes my day brighter.
at this point, he and i have been together for... september to now... 6+ months? we're still kind of feeling things out and figuring out how much commitment we want with each other, and that's fine. being b/f & g/f doesn't automatically meld two people at the hip, and i think that's something that a lot of people and, sorry girls but i think this is true, especially women don't understand.
these days, chris and i don't go around saying "my g/f does this" or "my b/f said this the other day." and honestly, i like that better. when we refer to each other, we do so by name. in my mind, titles aren't necessarily specific and can in reality cause a lot of contention because the expectations that come with them are inevitably different. and in using his name, things are more personal; i'm referring to the man and who he is, something that is hell of a lot more meaningful to me than some generic label.
so i guess you could say that my boyfriend doesn't matter much to me. but, chris is someone who is sharing his life with me, and that is so much better.
3.26.2006
she's back, by popular demand!!! (get ready for a hella long post...)
so by now, everybody's bracket is pretty much fucked.
HA-HA!
that's for all the chumps who put $$$ on duke. i hate you.
i pretty much suck at predicting, but i'm seriously thinking it'll be a florida/lsu match-up, with very gritty, kinda ugly, physical play. lsu on top but not by much. cross your fingers and give me money if i'm right. :)
***apparently, yesterday i blew somebody's mind to the nth degree. excellent. i win.***
i should win a prize for the longest period drawn out without doing laundry; almost a month. how does she do it, you ask? simple; have a pair of underwear for as many days as you want to avoid the boring-est chore ever. # in my drawer? 36. thank you. *--> drawback of waiting: having to tote from the basement to the 2nd floor and then fold a month's worth of laundry. truth be told, i should have burned half the clothes, seeing as how i was laying around in my own pool of plague for five days last week. but whatever.
so i read this article in the post today (soooooooo much better than the b. sun, and i miss it) that talks about 20-somethings who just aren't really seeking out marriage and everything. apparently, researchers our parents' age did surveys and crap and saw that not as many of us are getting married as young, at least not as many as they thought were. a lot of the people they interviewed cited career as the number one pursuit, and i definitely see that. i think it's a huge benchmark for my peers to hit solvency doing what they WANT to do for a job, and other things can be seen as a distraction. relationships take time and commitment, after all.
after reading this, i realized that i'd had this internal struggle for a long time. i've always felt torn because the professions i've really been drawn to require an almost excessive amount of commitment, an amount that might push having a family back for some years until i'm more settled and/or established. and only now, ten years after first feeling this conflict, i'm realizing what i really want to do and that it's really what i want to do. in about two years or so, i hope to be off to grad school again, getting in over my head in a PhD program. who knows how that will affect my current relationships.
is this a really selfish thing? i would hope not. i talk about it with chris because this is definitely his mindset, and his view is that we're probably the first generation to truly pursue the dreams we've been told we can have and can come true since we were little. that, of course, comes with sacrifice, and i think we both realize that we can choose the extent of that sacrifice.
this comes as a big surprise to my mom. granted, i'm 26, but in the past six months or so, i've started to push in my own direction (philosophically) from my family, and i'm choosing something really different than they might have predicted. maybe i used to be chomping at the bit to have more when i was in my previous relationship, but at the same time, i am so much more independent now, and i'm really enjoying it. she said, "i thought you were tired of 'always the bridesmaid...', etc.," and that really surprised me that she said that. yeah, it's something i want someday, but i don't see that for years yet, and i'm certainly not going to go husband-scouting or be all pressure-y in a relationship. that's just silly.
so for now, yeah, there are things i want to change as far as career and finances and things like that. but i really like this idea of breaking through and exploring things on my own. i like not being in the beatty mold. i'm making my own path, and that's a thrill in itself. i'll admit that sometimes it's scary and lonely, but in the end, it's incredibly enriching, and i don't believe that it'll always be a solitary journey.
when life is ready, life is ready. and i'm fine with that.
HA-HA!
that's for all the chumps who put $$$ on duke. i hate you.
i pretty much suck at predicting, but i'm seriously thinking it'll be a florida/lsu match-up, with very gritty, kinda ugly, physical play. lsu on top but not by much. cross your fingers and give me money if i'm right. :)
***apparently, yesterday i blew somebody's mind to the nth degree. excellent. i win.***
i should win a prize for the longest period drawn out without doing laundry; almost a month. how does she do it, you ask? simple; have a pair of underwear for as many days as you want to avoid the boring-est chore ever. # in my drawer? 36. thank you. *--> drawback of waiting: having to tote from the basement to the 2nd floor and then fold a month's worth of laundry. truth be told, i should have burned half the clothes, seeing as how i was laying around in my own pool of plague for five days last week. but whatever.
so i read this article in the post today (soooooooo much better than the b. sun, and i miss it) that talks about 20-somethings who just aren't really seeking out marriage and everything. apparently, researchers our parents' age did surveys and crap and saw that not as many of us are getting married as young, at least not as many as they thought were. a lot of the people they interviewed cited career as the number one pursuit, and i definitely see that. i think it's a huge benchmark for my peers to hit solvency doing what they WANT to do for a job, and other things can be seen as a distraction. relationships take time and commitment, after all.
after reading this, i realized that i'd had this internal struggle for a long time. i've always felt torn because the professions i've really been drawn to require an almost excessive amount of commitment, an amount that might push having a family back for some years until i'm more settled and/or established. and only now, ten years after first feeling this conflict, i'm realizing what i really want to do and that it's really what i want to do. in about two years or so, i hope to be off to grad school again, getting in over my head in a PhD program. who knows how that will affect my current relationships.
is this a really selfish thing? i would hope not. i talk about it with chris because this is definitely his mindset, and his view is that we're probably the first generation to truly pursue the dreams we've been told we can have and can come true since we were little. that, of course, comes with sacrifice, and i think we both realize that we can choose the extent of that sacrifice.
this comes as a big surprise to my mom. granted, i'm 26, but in the past six months or so, i've started to push in my own direction (philosophically) from my family, and i'm choosing something really different than they might have predicted. maybe i used to be chomping at the bit to have more when i was in my previous relationship, but at the same time, i am so much more independent now, and i'm really enjoying it. she said, "i thought you were tired of 'always the bridesmaid...', etc.," and that really surprised me that she said that. yeah, it's something i want someday, but i don't see that for years yet, and i'm certainly not going to go husband-scouting or be all pressure-y in a relationship. that's just silly.
so for now, yeah, there are things i want to change as far as career and finances and things like that. but i really like this idea of breaking through and exploring things on my own. i like not being in the beatty mold. i'm making my own path, and that's a thrill in itself. i'll admit that sometimes it's scary and lonely, but in the end, it's incredibly enriching, and i don't believe that it'll always be a solitary journey.
when life is ready, life is ready. and i'm fine with that.
3.17.2006
what rhymes with "acquiesce"?
i'm not feeling so hot today, mostly because there's miscommunication, or a lack of even that, and, unfortunately, i'm not the most patient person. i also tend to take some small things pretty personally, which i know i need to not do. be that as it may, there's something to be said for coming through when one says he or she will, as it kind of implies to others how dependable he or she is. i think i'm more disappointed than anything else. i was hoping for crazy sushi st. patrick's day fun, with poker and basketball to cap the night. this probably won't happen. well, the sushi and the fun and the poker and the basketball will still happen, but probably not the crazy part, all because of getting wires crossed, or, as i implied above, not even crossing them at all. and way to go me, as i leave a terse message and later fire off an equally biting email. i don't like to be a complainer, i don't like to nag, and i consider myself a pretty independent woman (cue Beyonce) with an interesting life of her own. but come on. what am i supposed to do? i'm sure that there will be a remedy to this still-nascent spat, as well as the requisite kiss-and-make-up part. whee.
actually, i feel better now. i guess i needed to vent a lot. like i said, there's probably some valid explanation, blah blah blah, and i can get over it. now i really can look forward to a great night out with friends. i won't be able to down some green beer tonight though because i have to work tomorrow. it can be tiring to work on the weekends, but then again, it can be really good because of overtime. cha-ching!
i'm flip-flopping on phds again. since i've given up prime time tv for lent, a lot of time has opened up (duh), and i've already read samson agonistes, a good deal of petrarch, and the lais of marie de france. my trouble now is twofold; i need more books (nothing new there), and i like so much of so many varying periods that i have no idea how to narrow my research focus. it'd be nearly impossible to be an expert on the literature of the 9th through 17th centuries. again i ask--what's a girl to do?!! what a vexing question. of course, i could always make my way through the shakespeare plays and poems that i haven't read, but i'm not terribly interested in them. that's a good thing--at least i know i don't want to be a shakespeare scholar; there are too many of them, and, frankly, shakespeare bores me now. so, grad school is very up-in-the-air right now. we'll see. i'm make a decision sooner or later.
actually, i feel better now. i guess i needed to vent a lot. like i said, there's probably some valid explanation, blah blah blah, and i can get over it. now i really can look forward to a great night out with friends. i won't be able to down some green beer tonight though because i have to work tomorrow. it can be tiring to work on the weekends, but then again, it can be really good because of overtime. cha-ching!
i'm flip-flopping on phds again. since i've given up prime time tv for lent, a lot of time has opened up (duh), and i've already read samson agonistes, a good deal of petrarch, and the lais of marie de france. my trouble now is twofold; i need more books (nothing new there), and i like so much of so many varying periods that i have no idea how to narrow my research focus. it'd be nearly impossible to be an expert on the literature of the 9th through 17th centuries. again i ask--what's a girl to do?!! what a vexing question. of course, i could always make my way through the shakespeare plays and poems that i haven't read, but i'm not terribly interested in them. that's a good thing--at least i know i don't want to be a shakespeare scholar; there are too many of them, and, frankly, shakespeare bores me now. so, grad school is very up-in-the-air right now. we'll see. i'm make a decision sooner or later.
3.16.2006
sham.......rock 5K
so unfortunately, this year's shamrock run in downtown baltimore wasn't as fun as the two i've done previously. that's probably due to the numerous participants who don't know much about race etiquette. or rather, don't know anything at all. my main gripe is that, if you're going to stop dead in your tracks, MOVE TO THE SIDE INSTEAD OF CAUSING THE RUNNER BEHIND YOU TO SLAM INTO YOUR BACK AND/OR DANGEROUSLY TRIP OVER YOUR FEET. i was so annoyed. fortunately though, i wasn't trying for any blazing times this year, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. apparently, kim wasn't too thrilled with her race experience either: http://kletco.blogspot.com/ . the freebies weren't that spectacular this year either, and i'm guessing that it's because of a change in sponsors. we got the requisite t-shirt and a nutrition bar. wheeeee....
the good part of the race: i ran the whole way with my dad. running is a thing that belongs to me and my dad. we've been doing this together for, oh..., say, 12 or 13 years? and i don't know why i didn't do this sooner, but this was the first time dad and i stayed together. we ran at an easy, conversational pace, and the neat thing was that we were right behind another, albeit younger, father daughter pair. they were probably the ages that dad and i were when the two of us started out... anyway, we talked a little, were quiet a little, and then got mischievous and decided to smoke our counterparts on the last third of the race. :)
dad and i are going to the Lebanon VA 5K memorial day weekend, a race that we've run together for 12 consecutive years. it's now our tradition. i always go home for that weekend. that's a nice, small race with a relatively flat, fast course. so i guess i can just pack away the shamrock run and look forward to the VA 5K and the bunches of other races that i'm hoping to do this year.
a favorite thing about running: it's a self-regenerative pleasure. probably one of the few things out there like that.
the good part of the race: i ran the whole way with my dad. running is a thing that belongs to me and my dad. we've been doing this together for, oh..., say, 12 or 13 years? and i don't know why i didn't do this sooner, but this was the first time dad and i stayed together. we ran at an easy, conversational pace, and the neat thing was that we were right behind another, albeit younger, father daughter pair. they were probably the ages that dad and i were when the two of us started out... anyway, we talked a little, were quiet a little, and then got mischievous and decided to smoke our counterparts on the last third of the race. :)
dad and i are going to the Lebanon VA 5K memorial day weekend, a race that we've run together for 12 consecutive years. it's now our tradition. i always go home for that weekend. that's a nice, small race with a relatively flat, fast course. so i guess i can just pack away the shamrock run and look forward to the VA 5K and the bunches of other races that i'm hoping to do this year.
a favorite thing about running: it's a self-regenerative pleasure. probably one of the few things out there like that.
3.15.2006
glutton for punishment...
first of all, MAD PROPS to Wacky Neighbor for deciding to do a marathon. WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)
as for myself, i decided that my first marathon in october didn't destroy my body enough. while i'm pleased that i fulfilled a long-held goal, i've since made up my mind that i need to grind myself into the ground. so. my goal for 2006: run practically every standard race distance this year (apart from ultras). i've given myself the option of copping out of a marathon, mostly because a) i'm not sure if i'll feel like it, and b) if i do, i don't want to repeat baltimore and don't know if i can afford to go to the marathon that i REALLY want to do. that marathon would be the VALLEY OF FIRE marathon in las vegas in november. do you still doubt that i'm a glutton for punishment? anyway, i have a few races already planned:
Pike's Peek 10K (rockville), 4/23
Lebanon VA 5K, 5/17
Annapolis 10 miler, 8/27, or Army 10 miler, 10/8
Baltimore half-marathon, 10/14
if i could afford it, i would love to do the Virginia Beach Rock & Roll half-marathon in early september. but again, some of these races are pricey, not to mention travel expenses... we'll see.
by christmas, i'll have either pounded myself to dust or become a distance running machine.
probably the latter.
:)
:)
as for myself, i decided that my first marathon in october didn't destroy my body enough. while i'm pleased that i fulfilled a long-held goal, i've since made up my mind that i need to grind myself into the ground. so. my goal for 2006: run practically every standard race distance this year (apart from ultras). i've given myself the option of copping out of a marathon, mostly because a) i'm not sure if i'll feel like it, and b) if i do, i don't want to repeat baltimore and don't know if i can afford to go to the marathon that i REALLY want to do. that marathon would be the VALLEY OF FIRE marathon in las vegas in november. do you still doubt that i'm a glutton for punishment? anyway, i have a few races already planned:
Pike's Peek 10K (rockville), 4/23
Lebanon VA 5K, 5/17
Annapolis 10 miler, 8/27, or Army 10 miler, 10/8
Baltimore half-marathon, 10/14
if i could afford it, i would love to do the Virginia Beach Rock & Roll half-marathon in early september. but again, some of these races are pricey, not to mention travel expenses... we'll see.
by christmas, i'll have either pounded myself to dust or become a distance running machine.
probably the latter.
:)
3.07.2006
unbelievable...
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=lifeAndLeisureNews&storyid=2006-03-07T131434Z_01_L16289504_RTRUKOC_0_US-RELIGION-DUTCH-BURQA.xml&rpc=22
for a continent that blasts the U.S. for its right-wing conservatism, it sure has some self-examination to do.
for a continent that blasts the U.S. for its right-wing conservatism, it sure has some self-examination to do.
3.06.2006
5 reasons not to run with your dog
everybody knows that i love toby. i love my dog. he's been great. he'll be three on april 1st. yeah. april 1st. so ultimately, i guess the joke is on me.
5) pee and poo breaks. one minute, you're going along at a nice clip and then *YOINK!* you're jerked back to a tree and have to break out the plastic bags. and if there's no trash can nearby, then you're carrying the bag one way or the other. ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
4) folks on the sidewalk... automatically think that you're sending your dog after them. you know, chase the weakest one in the herd so that the hunter has an easy target. this evening, i saw that toby and i were approaching an older lady who was walking her little dog. so, as i try to do as a courtesy to all walkers, i shorten toby's leash and have him run on the other side of me. as we pass this lady, she screams, "AGH! BIG DOG!" and yanks her 1 pound of a dog, throwing him on the sidewalk. apparently, "toby" is an alias for "cujo."
3) lack of dog-friendly places to run in the city. toby and i have run figure-eights in wyman park about a bazillion times, and he can practically run the path without me. he's probably not bored, but geez. even though it's barely a 20 minute run, i'm bored out of my mind. i'd rather not run him in the neighborhoods because, just like for people, the concrete and asphalt are hard on his joints.
2) lack of canine exhaustion. i'm finding that toby has a lot more endurance than i realized. we used to just do only a mile. but we've breached the 5K mark! and tonight, we did ~3 miles at a decent clip for him, and tonight, he's bouncing off the walls. what happened to long exercises tiring him out? making him a little docile? i have a feeling that he's the one exercising me...
1) sled dog without a sled. did i mention that toby can run? far? and almost tirelessly? while pulling me? it's a little helpful when he's dragging me up the hill, but it's a bitch when we're going downhill. dammit. i'm lucky that i have good balance and cannot be toppled as easily as toby would like...
but, i have to say... screw the reasons. my time running with toby gets me out there, makes running fun and brings it back to its simple roots. it's about enjoying movement and challenge and silent comraderie. my muscles are a little sore, and toby eventually gets tired. so on we'll go, heading out the door tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.
mush mush mush mush mush mush...
5) pee and poo breaks. one minute, you're going along at a nice clip and then *YOINK!* you're jerked back to a tree and have to break out the plastic bags. and if there's no trash can nearby, then you're carrying the bag one way or the other. ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
4) folks on the sidewalk... automatically think that you're sending your dog after them. you know, chase the weakest one in the herd so that the hunter has an easy target. this evening, i saw that toby and i were approaching an older lady who was walking her little dog. so, as i try to do as a courtesy to all walkers, i shorten toby's leash and have him run on the other side of me. as we pass this lady, she screams, "AGH! BIG DOG!" and yanks her 1 pound of a dog, throwing him on the sidewalk. apparently, "toby" is an alias for "cujo."
3) lack of dog-friendly places to run in the city. toby and i have run figure-eights in wyman park about a bazillion times, and he can practically run the path without me. he's probably not bored, but geez. even though it's barely a 20 minute run, i'm bored out of my mind. i'd rather not run him in the neighborhoods because, just like for people, the concrete and asphalt are hard on his joints.
2) lack of canine exhaustion. i'm finding that toby has a lot more endurance than i realized. we used to just do only a mile. but we've breached the 5K mark! and tonight, we did ~3 miles at a decent clip for him, and tonight, he's bouncing off the walls. what happened to long exercises tiring him out? making him a little docile? i have a feeling that he's the one exercising me...
1) sled dog without a sled. did i mention that toby can run? far? and almost tirelessly? while pulling me? it's a little helpful when he's dragging me up the hill, but it's a bitch when we're going downhill. dammit. i'm lucky that i have good balance and cannot be toppled as easily as toby would like...
but, i have to say... screw the reasons. my time running with toby gets me out there, makes running fun and brings it back to its simple roots. it's about enjoying movement and challenge and silent comraderie. my muscles are a little sore, and toby eventually gets tired. so on we'll go, heading out the door tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.
mush mush mush mush mush mush...
3.01.2006
parini and the eros of teaching
**before i get started on this particular post, please let me say that i clearly know the line between appropriate and inappropriate interaction, and i have not ever crossed and never will cross it.**
in the art of teaching, parini never stops stressing the importance of living one's passion for his or her subject matter, as that is the real exemplum of independent thinking for the student. toward the end of the book, this element becomes extremely important for office hours. i quote:
"Nobody who has taught for very long has not experienced the strange allure and intimacy of the teacher-student relationship; it goes beyond sex...There is true love in the passing on of knowledge, and this involves understanding: the teacher must really know the student, on some deep level, for teaching of the most intense kind to happen. The student must have real love for the teacher. We have all experienced this, from first grade through graduate school, and beyond" (124).
and this has happened to me. when i was studying at umd, i became somewhat transfixed by one of my professors. we worked closely together on one of my favorite authors, and during our conversations, i learned so much more than i ever would have if i'd had to do the majority of research on my own. as parini noted, this is a two-way street, and i think that this individual found great pleasure in our dialogue as well. and, as parini also noted, we were aware that "this eros is naturally dangerous as well as beneficial" (124). several times, as we noticed the growth of our small-talk before our sessions, we would consciously and sometimes awkwardly curtail the non-academic topics and force ourselves to move on to the analysis before us.
at this point in this remeniscence (sp?), i want to stress parini's point that the exchange transcends the sexual and/or the romantic, and i never would have dared to broach any suggestion of that sort. it would have destroyed so much beauty.
anyway, i'd never before experienced that sort of exhilierating intellectual intimacy. truthfully, i'm somewhat wary of living that again, mostly because it is extraordinarily intense and, i confess, sometimes too enticing. but at the same time, i'll remember everything that i learned about milton. i'll always respect the man who taught me and yet simultaneously treated me as a colleague.
and, perhaps most importantly, i'll always fiercely treasure those friday afternoons that, if only for an hour, carried me to a greater chance of being.
in the art of teaching, parini never stops stressing the importance of living one's passion for his or her subject matter, as that is the real exemplum of independent thinking for the student. toward the end of the book, this element becomes extremely important for office hours. i quote:
"Nobody who has taught for very long has not experienced the strange allure and intimacy of the teacher-student relationship; it goes beyond sex...There is true love in the passing on of knowledge, and this involves understanding: the teacher must really know the student, on some deep level, for teaching of the most intense kind to happen. The student must have real love for the teacher. We have all experienced this, from first grade through graduate school, and beyond" (124).
and this has happened to me. when i was studying at umd, i became somewhat transfixed by one of my professors. we worked closely together on one of my favorite authors, and during our conversations, i learned so much more than i ever would have if i'd had to do the majority of research on my own. as parini noted, this is a two-way street, and i think that this individual found great pleasure in our dialogue as well. and, as parini also noted, we were aware that "this eros is naturally dangerous as well as beneficial" (124). several times, as we noticed the growth of our small-talk before our sessions, we would consciously and sometimes awkwardly curtail the non-academic topics and force ourselves to move on to the analysis before us.
at this point in this remeniscence (sp?), i want to stress parini's point that the exchange transcends the sexual and/or the romantic, and i never would have dared to broach any suggestion of that sort. it would have destroyed so much beauty.
anyway, i'd never before experienced that sort of exhilierating intellectual intimacy. truthfully, i'm somewhat wary of living that again, mostly because it is extraordinarily intense and, i confess, sometimes too enticing. but at the same time, i'll remember everything that i learned about milton. i'll always respect the man who taught me and yet simultaneously treated me as a colleague.
and, perhaps most importantly, i'll always fiercely treasure those friday afternoons that, if only for an hour, carried me to a greater chance of being.
2.28.2006
what is this love
what is this love
that i leave behind
how can i turn
from the tears in your eyes
what is this world
where we always pretend
that it is worth it
worth it in the end
what is this life we share
that i just throw away
is this love
that causes so much pain
what is the promise
that i leave behind
why can't i
just lie beside you again
what's goin' on
how'd it get so wrong
what is this dream
that i'll never find
what is this prayer
that's stealing my mind
what is this deal
that i've just made with fate
and i wonder
if i have left it too late
blue rodeo
that i leave behind
how can i turn
from the tears in your eyes
what is this world
where we always pretend
that it is worth it
worth it in the end
what is this life we share
that i just throw away
is this love
that causes so much pain
what is the promise
that i leave behind
why can't i
just lie beside you again
what's goin' on
how'd it get so wrong
what is this dream
that i'll never find
what is this prayer
that's stealing my mind
what is this deal
that i've just made with fate
and i wonder
if i have left it too late
blue rodeo
heroine with a thousand faces
i just finished reading the art of teaching by jay parini. it wasn't what i expected. when i was reading the summary online, i thought, "hey, this will be great; it'll offer practical teaching advice, remind me of what it's like to be imparting knowledge, and hopefully light the flame under me, get me closer to this career." and, as you're probably expecting, i was wrong. parini doesn't even mention the "nitty gritty," as he calls it, until the end of the book. while that section does include some very useful ideas, the preceding sections were much more thought-provoking for me. perhaps the biggest theme in parini's memoir is that of the classroom as a theatre and the teacher as an actor/actress, and at one point, he talks about the prevailing notion that it's fraudulent to wear a mask in front of your students. he goes on to engage that idea, countering it with his view that we are comprised of numerous selves. it is not the self versus the anti-self, but it is rather the self plus the self plus the self...ad infinitum.
his perspective penetrated me more easily and deeply than i expected, due to its relevance to my life in general. indeed, his entire book calls for the journey toward self-awareness, and that only by constantly examining can we direct others to search for truth as well. and his text led me to the idea of the self as opposed to the selves. lately, i've vigorously struggled with the questions of identity, purpose, intention and time. my mother and i spoke at length on sunday about these, and she seemed puzzled; why did i need to answer everything right now? why wasn't i content with what i had in life, and why did i have to plan everything at once? and while i understood her logic and knew that i had to learn some patience, i didn't end the evening by contemplating other possibilities. what parini's notion allows for is multiple paths. he discusses his poetry, his teaching and his various other projects, and he alludes to close relationships with many, many people. and so there's no reason why i can't allow all of my selves to peacefully coexist. i am simultaneously the teacher, the writer, the hardworker, the hot girl in the tight jeans and frayed tee, the runner, the Christian, the intense lover, and the fighter. this idea of combination also minimizes that which i'd been amplifying to a deafening degree; it's not so big and unmanageable anymore. i can do it.
i look forward to days with electric combinations, and i'll relish the evenings with sedate pairs or threes. ultimately, we are who we allow ourselves to be, and i am finding a peace in the coexistance of my personal components.
his perspective penetrated me more easily and deeply than i expected, due to its relevance to my life in general. indeed, his entire book calls for the journey toward self-awareness, and that only by constantly examining can we direct others to search for truth as well. and his text led me to the idea of the self as opposed to the selves. lately, i've vigorously struggled with the questions of identity, purpose, intention and time. my mother and i spoke at length on sunday about these, and she seemed puzzled; why did i need to answer everything right now? why wasn't i content with what i had in life, and why did i have to plan everything at once? and while i understood her logic and knew that i had to learn some patience, i didn't end the evening by contemplating other possibilities. what parini's notion allows for is multiple paths. he discusses his poetry, his teaching and his various other projects, and he alludes to close relationships with many, many people. and so there's no reason why i can't allow all of my selves to peacefully coexist. i am simultaneously the teacher, the writer, the hardworker, the hot girl in the tight jeans and frayed tee, the runner, the Christian, the intense lover, and the fighter. this idea of combination also minimizes that which i'd been amplifying to a deafening degree; it's not so big and unmanageable anymore. i can do it.
i look forward to days with electric combinations, and i'll relish the evenings with sedate pairs or threes. ultimately, we are who we allow ourselves to be, and i am finding a peace in the coexistance of my personal components.
2.20.2006
once again, i hijack kim's posts
i hope she doesn't mind...
i too have gym pet peeves. kim hits some of them on the head-yakking on the celly instead of working out (leave the damn thing in the locker!) and leaving half of your body weight in sweat form on the machines.
i have some other ones too, and a number of them stem from my freshman days at CCHS, when i was one of the few girls in the weight room.
1) for both sexes, stop trying to look pretty. the gym is not a pretty place. i get so annoyed by people who hog mirror space because they're more concerned about whether the fake eyelashes are sticking than if they're getting their lifting form right. do NOT reapply makeup in the gym, do NOT ogle yourself in the mirror so much that you're turned on, and do NOT wear such super skimpy clothes that do not function as workout wear and can really only be classified not as shorts but as rubber bands. get over yourself.
2) again, for both sexes, quit trying to hit on people. if somebody is really there to workout, she is not going to be impressed by you giving yourself a hernia when you try to power lift 20x your own bodyweight. instead, she's going to think you're a moron. if someone asks for a spot, it's not an excuse to stare at her chest while she's trying to max out on bench. i hate you.
3) by now you're probably calling me the Gym Nazi, but quit with the inane yakking. if you're done with your set, get your ass off the machine and let other people rotate in. if you're just sitting there between sets and running your mouth while somebody else could be using the machine, you're just a waste of space.
4) super pet peeve, related to facilities with indoor tracks. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IF YOU'RE NOT RUNNING AT A GOOD CLIP, STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE INSIDE LANE! i hate you. this goes for any track of any sort. if you're on a track, and you hear "track" or some similar vocalization indicating a runner catching up to and about to pass you, this means that you, the slower individual, need to move to the right and let the faster person have the inside lane. granted, this can be a new rule for non-tracksters, but it's really not hard to learn. and please. don't bitch if somebody asks you to move. faster always has right of way. think of it this way--the faster cars always have the inside lane. ALWAYS.
***and trust me--hardcore athletes/runners will not be so nice to you if you consistently ignore their shouts. when i was on my high school's track team, the female distance runners were doing 400s at race pace, and the other runners were doing other stuff. now, EVERYBODY on the team knew that people doing speed workouts automatically have the right of way, and if you didn't haul ass out of their way, then it was your fault (it's harder for the faster moving object to come to a stop or adjust trajectory--SIMPLE FREAKIN PHYSICS, you jabronis!!!). anyway, i was on my last lap, looking to come in under 80sec. and some of the asshole distance guys were basically parked in lane one. i yelled repeatedly to clear the lane, and while most of the guys moved, one jackass in particular just stood there with his arms folded. so i did what any woman in my position had to do.
i clocked him and literally ran him over so that i could get to the finish.
of course, he got wrapped around the axle about it and was screaming at me and wanted the coaches to punish me or whatever. coach boyer simply looked at him and said, "you were in the way. too bad."
so, the morals of the story are:
1) fashion is not the #1 priority in the gym,
2) sex happens outSIDE of the gym, so don't even think about talking to me,
3) shut up, focus on your workout and stop taking up space,
4) don't get in my way unless you want to eat track.
i too have gym pet peeves. kim hits some of them on the head-yakking on the celly instead of working out (leave the damn thing in the locker!) and leaving half of your body weight in sweat form on the machines.
i have some other ones too, and a number of them stem from my freshman days at CCHS, when i was one of the few girls in the weight room.
1) for both sexes, stop trying to look pretty. the gym is not a pretty place. i get so annoyed by people who hog mirror space because they're more concerned about whether the fake eyelashes are sticking than if they're getting their lifting form right. do NOT reapply makeup in the gym, do NOT ogle yourself in the mirror so much that you're turned on, and do NOT wear such super skimpy clothes that do not function as workout wear and can really only be classified not as shorts but as rubber bands. get over yourself.
2) again, for both sexes, quit trying to hit on people. if somebody is really there to workout, she is not going to be impressed by you giving yourself a hernia when you try to power lift 20x your own bodyweight. instead, she's going to think you're a moron. if someone asks for a spot, it's not an excuse to stare at her chest while she's trying to max out on bench. i hate you.
3) by now you're probably calling me the Gym Nazi, but quit with the inane yakking. if you're done with your set, get your ass off the machine and let other people rotate in. if you're just sitting there between sets and running your mouth while somebody else could be using the machine, you're just a waste of space.
4) super pet peeve, related to facilities with indoor tracks. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IF YOU'RE NOT RUNNING AT A GOOD CLIP, STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE INSIDE LANE! i hate you. this goes for any track of any sort. if you're on a track, and you hear "track" or some similar vocalization indicating a runner catching up to and about to pass you, this means that you, the slower individual, need to move to the right and let the faster person have the inside lane. granted, this can be a new rule for non-tracksters, but it's really not hard to learn. and please. don't bitch if somebody asks you to move. faster always has right of way. think of it this way--the faster cars always have the inside lane. ALWAYS.
***and trust me--hardcore athletes/runners will not be so nice to you if you consistently ignore their shouts. when i was on my high school's track team, the female distance runners were doing 400s at race pace, and the other runners were doing other stuff. now, EVERYBODY on the team knew that people doing speed workouts automatically have the right of way, and if you didn't haul ass out of their way, then it was your fault (it's harder for the faster moving object to come to a stop or adjust trajectory--SIMPLE FREAKIN PHYSICS, you jabronis!!!). anyway, i was on my last lap, looking to come in under 80sec. and some of the asshole distance guys were basically parked in lane one. i yelled repeatedly to clear the lane, and while most of the guys moved, one jackass in particular just stood there with his arms folded. so i did what any woman in my position had to do.
i clocked him and literally ran him over so that i could get to the finish.
of course, he got wrapped around the axle about it and was screaming at me and wanted the coaches to punish me or whatever. coach boyer simply looked at him and said, "you were in the way. too bad."
so, the morals of the story are:
1) fashion is not the #1 priority in the gym,
2) sex happens outSIDE of the gym, so don't even think about talking to me,
3) shut up, focus on your workout and stop taking up space,
4) don't get in my way unless you want to eat track.
2.17.2006
i like stealing surveys.
New Survey...
From Kim from Lisa.
SAD SECTION.
Ever really cried your heart out? Yes but emotions can be highly relative for me sometimes.
Ever cried yourself to sleep?: see above
Ever cried on your friend's shoulder?: yes
Ever cried over the opposite sex? that's a stupid question
Do you cry when you get an injury?: it depends on a few things--did i cause it (in that case, no, because i'm a dumb-ass, so i can't claim the privilege of crying) and how severe is it (does it bench me for an entire season and preclude me from doing my big races)
Do certain songs make you cry?: yes
HAPPY SECTION.
Are you a happy person?: i'm hopeful, but that doesn't always mean happy.
Do you wish you were happier: not really.
Can music make you happy?: depends on the song
LOVE SECTION.
How many times have you had your heart broken?: three times
Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd die for them?: yes. still do.
Has anyone besides your friends and family ever said 'i love you' to you?: yes.
HATE SECTION.
Who do you actually hate?: he knows who he is.
Ever made a hit list?: no, that's a puerile thing to do.
Have you ever been on a hit list?: i have no idea, but if i was and found out about it, i wouldn't care.
Are you a mean bully?: no.
Do you hate George Bush?: i only really hate one person, and it ain't W. as for W, he probably is a nice person. i just can't even comprehend how he justifies 99% of his administration's policies.
SELF ESTEEM SECTION.
Is your self-esteem extremely low?: no. i've overcome too much to let that happen.
Do you believe in yourself?: say it in a less cheesy way, and i'll say yes.
Do you wish you could be someone else?: no. i'm a knock-out.
LOOK AT ME.
What is your current hair color?: i'm a brunette
Whats your natural color?: brown with natural blond highlights
what is your eye color?: ocean blue
Current Piercings?: one hole in each ear
Straight Hair or Curly?: fine and straight
CURRENTLY WEARING.
What shirt are you wearing?: favorite geoffrey beene sweater, candy apple red
Shoes?: black boots
Necklace(s): none
THIS OR THAT.
Rock or rap: rock.
Coffee or Hot Cocoa: cafe mocha (kinda both. i win.)
Wild Night out or Romantic Night: romantic. duh.
Chocolate or Vanilla: chocolate.
Hummer or Sports Car: Sports car.
Bracelet or Necklace: bracelet.
History or Science: history.
Sleep in or Early to rise: sleep in!!
Beach or Boardwalk: beach
Hoodie or Tee Shirt: Tee Shirt.
Night or Day: Night
High School or college: College
California or Florida: california
Simple Plan or Good Charlotte: neither.
Love at first sight or Learn to Love: learning to love; it's far more interesting/entertaining, and i also think it's longer lasting.
HAVE YOU EVER.
Hugged someone?: yes.
Been on the phone until the sun came up?: yes
Put a song on repeat for more than an hour?: no.
Laughed so hard you peed in your pants?: no
Got in a fight with someone? not really.
THE LAST.
person you talked to in person?: tasha. she was telling me about the accident she was in this morning. she's okay, thank goodness!
person you talked to online?: dustin fisher, about random stuff. baltimore misses dustin.
person you talked to on the phone? my mom. i miss her.
drink?: Alcohol: almost two weeks ago, beer with my dad. Non alcoholic: coffee this morning
last time you had a shower?: last night before bed.
RANDOM.
Do you like surveys: yesh
Do you get along with your parents?: very much.
Are you old enough to vote?: yes
Do you have mental breakdowns? seriously? don't we know me by now? of course i do. but for me, they're real, and they suck, and i hate them.
Do you ever tell your parents you didn't feel good so you didn't have to go to school?: i stopped trying at a very early age because my mom was a teacher and could always tell when some kid (especially her own) was trying to BS her.
CURRENT.
Current Mood: moody.
Current music: bjork, "enjoy" (Post).
Current hair: pulled back
Current Annoyance: lack of sleep + chilly office
Current Longing: fuzzy blanket and Chris
Current Thing I Ought To Be Doing: nothing (no work in the queue)
Current favorite word (MY addition to this survey): queue. how many vowels are silent here? 75% of them. that's pretty inefficient and yet interesting. i could probably write queueueueueueueueueueueueue, and you'd say it the same way. go phonics!
From Kim from Lisa.
SAD SECTION.
Ever really cried your heart out? Yes but emotions can be highly relative for me sometimes.
Ever cried yourself to sleep?: see above
Ever cried on your friend's shoulder?: yes
Ever cried over the opposite sex? that's a stupid question
Do you cry when you get an injury?: it depends on a few things--did i cause it (in that case, no, because i'm a dumb-ass, so i can't claim the privilege of crying) and how severe is it (does it bench me for an entire season and preclude me from doing my big races)
Do certain songs make you cry?: yes
HAPPY SECTION.
Are you a happy person?: i'm hopeful, but that doesn't always mean happy.
Do you wish you were happier: not really.
Can music make you happy?: depends on the song
LOVE SECTION.
How many times have you had your heart broken?: three times
Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd die for them?: yes. still do.
Has anyone besides your friends and family ever said 'i love you' to you?: yes.
HATE SECTION.
Who do you actually hate?: he knows who he is.
Ever made a hit list?: no, that's a puerile thing to do.
Have you ever been on a hit list?: i have no idea, but if i was and found out about it, i wouldn't care.
Are you a mean bully?: no.
Do you hate George Bush?: i only really hate one person, and it ain't W. as for W, he probably is a nice person. i just can't even comprehend how he justifies 99% of his administration's policies.
SELF ESTEEM SECTION.
Is your self-esteem extremely low?: no. i've overcome too much to let that happen.
Do you believe in yourself?: say it in a less cheesy way, and i'll say yes.
Do you wish you could be someone else?: no. i'm a knock-out.
LOOK AT ME.
What is your current hair color?: i'm a brunette
Whats your natural color?: brown with natural blond highlights
what is your eye color?: ocean blue
Current Piercings?: one hole in each ear
Straight Hair or Curly?: fine and straight
CURRENTLY WEARING.
What shirt are you wearing?: favorite geoffrey beene sweater, candy apple red
Shoes?: black boots
Necklace(s): none
THIS OR THAT.
Rock or rap: rock.
Coffee or Hot Cocoa: cafe mocha (kinda both. i win.)
Wild Night out or Romantic Night: romantic. duh.
Chocolate or Vanilla: chocolate.
Hummer or Sports Car: Sports car.
Bracelet or Necklace: bracelet.
History or Science: history.
Sleep in or Early to rise: sleep in!!
Beach or Boardwalk: beach
Hoodie or Tee Shirt: Tee Shirt.
Night or Day: Night
High School or college: College
California or Florida: california
Simple Plan or Good Charlotte: neither.
Love at first sight or Learn to Love: learning to love; it's far more interesting/entertaining, and i also think it's longer lasting.
HAVE YOU EVER.
Hugged someone?: yes.
Been on the phone until the sun came up?: yes
Put a song on repeat for more than an hour?: no.
Laughed so hard you peed in your pants?: no
Got in a fight with someone? not really.
THE LAST.
person you talked to in person?: tasha. she was telling me about the accident she was in this morning. she's okay, thank goodness!
person you talked to online?: dustin fisher, about random stuff. baltimore misses dustin.
person you talked to on the phone? my mom. i miss her.
drink?: Alcohol: almost two weeks ago, beer with my dad. Non alcoholic: coffee this morning
last time you had a shower?: last night before bed.
RANDOM.
Do you like surveys: yesh
Do you get along with your parents?: very much.
Are you old enough to vote?: yes
Do you have mental breakdowns? seriously? don't we know me by now? of course i do. but for me, they're real, and they suck, and i hate them.
Do you ever tell your parents you didn't feel good so you didn't have to go to school?: i stopped trying at a very early age because my mom was a teacher and could always tell when some kid (especially her own) was trying to BS her.
CURRENT.
Current Mood: moody.
Current music: bjork, "enjoy" (Post).
Current hair: pulled back
Current Annoyance: lack of sleep + chilly office
Current Longing: fuzzy blanket and Chris
Current Thing I Ought To Be Doing: nothing (no work in the queue)
Current favorite word (MY addition to this survey): queue. how many vowels are silent here? 75% of them. that's pretty inefficient and yet interesting. i could probably write queueueueueueueueueueueueue, and you'd say it the same way. go phonics!
2.16.2006
f* you, f* you, you're cool, f* you. i'm outta here.
or rather, THEY'RE outta here. and by they, i mean those crappy events that masquerade as sports at the summer and winter games. so, in hopes of doing us ALL a service, i am here to put up for discussion which events ought to be first disrespected and then summarily dismissed from the games. here are some suggestions.
summer olympics:
1) rhythmic anything. entirely too much subjectivity for the return. sorry.
2)yachting. this is nascar on water. granted, a very slooooooow and lacking the danger of sudden collision and resultant combustion kind of nascar, but still. the metaphor is there, and i refuse to allow anything nascar to taint my olympic enjoyment.
winter olympics:
1)ice dancing. i can make fun of this because my cousin does this competitively. anyway, this is far too close to ballroom dancing for my tastes, and its admittance as an event sets the precedent for its aforementioned relative to be included in the summer games.
2)skeleton. this event just doesn't seem to be especially brilliant. lie on a sled, and throw your body down an ice track headfirst, reaching in excess of 80mph, with nothing protecting your head except for an inch or two of some random nuclear helmet. i guess the convenience is, if you crash, you ARE the event.
oh come on. you were waiting for me to make a pun. especially a bad one.
you suck.
anyway, i would LOVE to have other submissions for events desperately crying for a ban. thanks! and in a future post, we'll discuss events that should be added. like fabulous ball.
long live fabulous ball.
summer olympics:
1) rhythmic anything. entirely too much subjectivity for the return. sorry.
2)yachting. this is nascar on water. granted, a very slooooooow and lacking the danger of sudden collision and resultant combustion kind of nascar, but still. the metaphor is there, and i refuse to allow anything nascar to taint my olympic enjoyment.
winter olympics:
1)ice dancing. i can make fun of this because my cousin does this competitively. anyway, this is far too close to ballroom dancing for my tastes, and its admittance as an event sets the precedent for its aforementioned relative to be included in the summer games.
2)skeleton. this event just doesn't seem to be especially brilliant. lie on a sled, and throw your body down an ice track headfirst, reaching in excess of 80mph, with nothing protecting your head except for an inch or two of some random nuclear helmet. i guess the convenience is, if you crash, you ARE the event.
oh come on. you were waiting for me to make a pun. especially a bad one.
you suck.
anyway, i would LOVE to have other submissions for events desperately crying for a ban. thanks! and in a future post, we'll discuss events that should be added. like fabulous ball.
long live fabulous ball.
2.15.2006
2.14.2006
random minutia
i'm listening to Cake... 'cuz i'm going the distance.
so i was telling kate tonight that chris can't make the swimshower show on friday because he has to attend the math conference at UMD. uncontrollable laughter ensued. on her part ONLY, chris, i SWEAR. sort of. no, but really, here's kate's vision of a math conference:
man in a white lab coat with a pocket protector stands next to similarly dressed colleague and says:
"so what do you think of 5s?"
everyone MUST read The Wacky Neighbor blog (thewackyneighbor.blogspot.com). please note the entry for a genuine valentine card as offered by our government.
so what happens to dick cheney now? and if, by a long shot, after a series of unfortunate events, he needs to be replaced as VEEP, who, oh who will the shrub choose as his new second? this question sparked spirited debate among the reznick's cubes today, as some predicted condi rice as the most likely candidate, while some were just hoping for a constitutional wormhole that would eliminate the need for a VEEP until the next election. i mean, wouldn't that be a good idea? then karl rove can get the recognition as puppet master that he truly deserves. i hate to see anybody go unsung...
so it's valentine's day. and apparently, in japan, women are strongly encouraged to buy chocolates and various and sundry items for the men, to include bosses and other platonic acquaintances, in their lives. yeahhhhhhhhhhh... not so much my bag. i think, if i got to wave the magic wand, that i would construct valentine's day as follows. first of all, no more Kay's jewelers commercials. a kiss does NOT begin with Kay. who the hell is Kay? i don't share well with other children, and i DON'T share my chris with Kay. i hate her. second, chocolate and peanut butter would automatically have zero calories while retaining all flavors and various other good qualities. so really, a kiss would begin with Ben & Jerry's peanut butter cup ice cream. last, i want an equal opportunity holiday. i think that's what most people hate about 2/14; even for folks who are happily one with themselves, calling friends/family/coworkers their valentines is somehow considered cheating.
wtf!
so my magic non-hallmark holiday will consist of a fun dinner out, or maybe chinese ordered in, drinking and playing trivia pursuit, and then getting existential for hours before passing out.
excellent.
so i was telling kate tonight that chris can't make the swimshower show on friday because he has to attend the math conference at UMD. uncontrollable laughter ensued. on her part ONLY, chris, i SWEAR. sort of. no, but really, here's kate's vision of a math conference:
man in a white lab coat with a pocket protector stands next to similarly dressed colleague and says:
"so what do you think of 5s?"
everyone MUST read The Wacky Neighbor blog (thewackyneighbor.blogspot.com). please note the entry for a genuine valentine card as offered by our government.
so what happens to dick cheney now? and if, by a long shot, after a series of unfortunate events, he needs to be replaced as VEEP, who, oh who will the shrub choose as his new second? this question sparked spirited debate among the reznick's cubes today, as some predicted condi rice as the most likely candidate, while some were just hoping for a constitutional wormhole that would eliminate the need for a VEEP until the next election. i mean, wouldn't that be a good idea? then karl rove can get the recognition as puppet master that he truly deserves. i hate to see anybody go unsung...
so it's valentine's day. and apparently, in japan, women are strongly encouraged to buy chocolates and various and sundry items for the men, to include bosses and other platonic acquaintances, in their lives. yeahhhhhhhhhhh... not so much my bag. i think, if i got to wave the magic wand, that i would construct valentine's day as follows. first of all, no more Kay's jewelers commercials. a kiss does NOT begin with Kay. who the hell is Kay? i don't share well with other children, and i DON'T share my chris with Kay. i hate her. second, chocolate and peanut butter would automatically have zero calories while retaining all flavors and various other good qualities. so really, a kiss would begin with Ben & Jerry's peanut butter cup ice cream. last, i want an equal opportunity holiday. i think that's what most people hate about 2/14; even for folks who are happily one with themselves, calling friends/family/coworkers their valentines is somehow considered cheating.
wtf!
so my magic non-hallmark holiday will consist of a fun dinner out, or maybe chinese ordered in, drinking and playing trivia pursuit, and then getting existential for hours before passing out.
excellent.
2.13.2006
ugh
so i finished my homework. i read an unquiet mind by kay jamison in two short, albeit rough, days. i say rough because, while kay's experience has gone to farther extremes, i could understand every iota of conflict and pain that she felt. i'm not sure that i "learned a lesson" or got "the moral of the story." trying to boil her memoir down to that would be insulting, i think. i don't even know what to take from it. as i was reading, some of my reactions were so visceral that i wanted to rip the book apart or throw it across the room, preferably (as awful as it sounds) at cecilia or dr. jamison herself. some parts made me want to throw up. others tore me up inside. still others so powerfully evoked particular memories that their accompanying blackness reappeared. one question i do have--how did she remember all of that? i try to think back on what i've been wrestling with for the past ten years, and i can only pinpoint a few specific events, probably no more than three. the rest, while identifiable, lack details and remain somewhat indistinct and elusive in the rear of my brain. it's as if they don't want to be caught.
i know that i'm not completely well. it seems that, in the past three months, so much has come roaring back, and it's taking me awhile to reconstruct a semblance of order. chris is being tough but loving, and i don't know if he realizes it, but he's helping me to reassemble a sense of perspective. i'm trying to remember what it's like to be confident and hopeful and balanced. i have all these pieces in my lap, and i'm not sure what to do with them.
i know that i'm not completely well. it seems that, in the past three months, so much has come roaring back, and it's taking me awhile to reconstruct a semblance of order. chris is being tough but loving, and i don't know if he realizes it, but he's helping me to reassemble a sense of perspective. i'm trying to remember what it's like to be confident and hopeful and balanced. i have all these pieces in my lap, and i'm not sure what to do with them.
2.09.2006
homework
i'm 26 and out of grad school, but i still have assigned reading. my therapist has asked me to read kay jamison's an unquiet mind. i love cecilia enough to trust her guidance, but as i open the book, a lava-esque anger is rising in my body. i've only read through the prologue, and i'm already angry. i can't explain my reaction, but i am on edge, and i haven't even gotten to page 9...
have you ever been to denmark?
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-danes9feb09,0,2192905.story?coll=la-home-headlines
i find this to be really disturbing and unfortunate. if you've ever been to Denmark, you know how chill and cosmopolitan it can be, with the cities having a European feel but personalities that are very distinct from their southern counterparts. Danes have to have a sense of humor and patience, largely because they're tiny and in the dark for a good portion of the year. being so close to the arctic circle will do that to you. but anyway, when i was there, i felt very welcomed, and i loved the whole feel of the country. i'll have to post my denmark pictures at some point. and so i have to say that it's very sad that this (_fill in the blank with a positive word_) little place is suddenly caught up in this cultural and religious maelstrom. i've never completely considered europe to be insular in some respects, but perhaps this is betraying some of the remnants of xenophobia that has so torn that continent in centuries past. i think, more now than ever, self-satisfaction, superiority complexes and complacency are no longer traits that can be plastered solely on the forehead of the U.S. i'm not trying to malign europe as a whole, but for so long, one of the prevailing (or perhaps most broadcasted) feelings has been "those ugly americans." and now that glaring spotlight has shifted and is focused on a society increasingly uncomfortable with this type of exposure.
i can't exactly say what is precisely right and precisely wrong in this particularly case, except to say that i wouldn't have published the cartoons myself. as someone who holds some things sacred herself, i wouldn't want to be an instrument of offense to others, especially in that vein. with that said, i also do not appreciate threats and violence and chaotic behavior as a means of dealing with disrespect. certainly other significant figures of other religions have been lampooned, and yet you don't find the common response to be flag burning or embassy bombing. i want to express an important point though in saying that i don't believe that some arms of the media are helping the issue. the constant coverage of vehement reaction does nothing to help xenophobic tensions, and i have yet to see much light given to moderates who desire discussion and debate over death and destruction. i have to believe that there are muslims who are feeling caught in the middle, on the one hand rightfully insulted at the depiction of Muhammed and on the other hand hoping for a peaceful response and reconciliation.
sadly, i have a feeling that this tempest might explode the teapot.
i find this to be really disturbing and unfortunate. if you've ever been to Denmark, you know how chill and cosmopolitan it can be, with the cities having a European feel but personalities that are very distinct from their southern counterparts. Danes have to have a sense of humor and patience, largely because they're tiny and in the dark for a good portion of the year. being so close to the arctic circle will do that to you. but anyway, when i was there, i felt very welcomed, and i loved the whole feel of the country. i'll have to post my denmark pictures at some point. and so i have to say that it's very sad that this (_fill in the blank with a positive word_) little place is suddenly caught up in this cultural and religious maelstrom. i've never completely considered europe to be insular in some respects, but perhaps this is betraying some of the remnants of xenophobia that has so torn that continent in centuries past. i think, more now than ever, self-satisfaction, superiority complexes and complacency are no longer traits that can be plastered solely on the forehead of the U.S. i'm not trying to malign europe as a whole, but for so long, one of the prevailing (or perhaps most broadcasted) feelings has been "those ugly americans." and now that glaring spotlight has shifted and is focused on a society increasingly uncomfortable with this type of exposure.
i can't exactly say what is precisely right and precisely wrong in this particularly case, except to say that i wouldn't have published the cartoons myself. as someone who holds some things sacred herself, i wouldn't want to be an instrument of offense to others, especially in that vein. with that said, i also do not appreciate threats and violence and chaotic behavior as a means of dealing with disrespect. certainly other significant figures of other religions have been lampooned, and yet you don't find the common response to be flag burning or embassy bombing. i want to express an important point though in saying that i don't believe that some arms of the media are helping the issue. the constant coverage of vehement reaction does nothing to help xenophobic tensions, and i have yet to see much light given to moderates who desire discussion and debate over death and destruction. i have to believe that there are muslims who are feeling caught in the middle, on the one hand rightfully insulted at the depiction of Muhammed and on the other hand hoping for a peaceful response and reconciliation.
sadly, i have a feeling that this tempest might explode the teapot.
MY BOYS!!!!
ALBUM OF THE YEAR--How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
SONG OF THE YEAR--Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH A VOCAL (verbose, but still...)--Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
BEST ROCK SONG--City of Blinding Lights
BEST ROCK ALBUM--How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!
www.u2.com
SONG OF THE YEAR--Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH A VOCAL (verbose, but still...)--Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
BEST ROCK SONG--City of Blinding Lights
BEST ROCK ALBUM--How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!
www.u2.com
2.08.2006
69 questions ripped from Kim's blog
1. What are your initials?
JCB
2. Name someone with the same birthday as you:
ben smith, my preschool nemesis (but now somebody I care about deeply)
3. Last thing you ate?tortilla soup and caesar salad at ESPNZone.
4. For or against same sex marriage?Personally, I just want something that works out for people, whether it’s marriage or not. I also think it’s illegal to deny a same-sex couple the legal rights enjoyed by a heterosexual couple. But that’s just me.
5. Are you homophobic?Duh, no.
6. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday morning?
No. I’m either lounging with Chris or, hopefully, out running. More likely lounging with Chris.
7. Do you believe in God?
yah
8. How many U.S states have you been to?
Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. So that’s 36.
And Puerto Rico, but that’s a protectorate.
9. How many of the U.S states have you lived in?
Two
10. Have you ever lived outside the U.S?
No, but I would SO live in Denmark or Spain.
11. Name something you like physically about yourself:
My legs are strong and curvy, and apparently, I have perfect boobs. Go figure.
12. Something non-physical you like about yourself:
I’m pretty damn smart about some unexpected things.
14. Favorite Food?Steamed crabs15. Favorite day of the week?Friday
16. Biggest Crush at your school?
Not there anymore, but technically, it would be Chris, since I still haven’t officially graduated (not my fault), and he’s still there working on his PhD. Groovy.
17. Favorite holiday?
Memorial Day--because it’s SUMMER!!!!
18. Do you download music?
No.
19. How many illegal things have you done?
Not anything, really. I’m boring that way.
20. Where would you want to go on a first date:
Well I’d rather not go on another first date anytime soon, but date in general? I’d love to go to Copenhagen.
22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
Yes. At an IV retreat, I sprained my ankle really badly, and all the UMBC guys serenaded me with “You’ve Lost that Lovin Feelin.” There are pictures.
23. Have you ever cried for no reason?
Yes.
24. Do you like president Bush?
No.
25. Have you ever bungee jumped?
No. First, I want to climb a mountain.
26. Have you ever white-water rafted?
No.
27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you?
Not quite ten, but old enough.
28. Last person you hugged?
Chris, but I screwed it up and now we’re not happy.
29. Have you met a real redneck?
yeah. That’s why I live in the city.
30. How is the weather right now?
Dark and windy
31. What song are you listening to right now?
none, just the idle chatter of the office in the background
32. What is your current favorite song?
Nickel Creek--“When You Come Back Down”
33. What was the last movie you watched?
Narnia. Very good!!!
34. Do you wear contacts?
yes
35. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
ESPNZone for lunch. It was overpriced.
36. What are you afraid of?
losing my grandfather.
37. Have you ever hit someone?
Yes. I’m not proud of it.
38. Any pets?
Yes. Toby. And his roommate is Kate’s cat, Tigress. He loves Tigress, and she wants to shred his face.
39. Have you ever loved someone?
Yes.
0. What really turns you on?
Scene in Troy that starts out with priestess chick holding a knife to Achilles’ throat. YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT.
41. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
Not really. I like my Common Grounds on the next block in Hampden.
42. Have you ever fired a gun?
No, but I am KICK-ASS at that japanese police game at Dave & Busters.
43. Are you missing someone?
Yes.
44. Say something totally random about yourself:
I am the only girl I know who has a love affair with helicopters.
45. Do you have an iPod?NO. :(
46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
No, but when I was 8 (and Geoff was 11), a complete stranger stopped us in NYC and said we looked like fraternal twins. My brother was pissed.
47. Whats your mom's name?
Maggie
48. Who would you like to see right now?
my niece Clara
49. Are you comfortable with your height?
Yes.
50. Dogs or cats?
Dogs
51. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to?
um. Duh.
52. Favorite flower?
gerber daisy
53. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn?
none of the above. Instead, caramel
54. What books are you reading?
_Survival in Auschwitz_ by Primo Levi
55. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yes.
56. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
my grandma hixson, almost 3 years ago
57. Do you watch MTV?
not so much. I’ve kind of grown out of it.
58. What's something that really annoys you?
whiny girls
59. What are some things you really like?
Running, lifting, football and soccer (watching and playing), photography, travel, reading, music
61. Have u ever talked to your parents drunk and they didn't notice?
I don’t remember.
62. Favorite basketball team?
I am so pissed at the Terps right now that I could spit. But I am loyal though.
63. Favorite breakfast food?
Pancakes
64. Do you drive?
Wrong question: do I drive well? *Jury’s out...*
65. What's the latest you have ever stayed out? or earliest you got in?
I've stayed out all night.
66. Last time you went bowling?
This past summer. I had a high score of 99.
67. Were you ever rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
Yes. Twice. That I can remember.
68. Last time you were at work?
Today.
69. Whats your favorite state to live in?
Bliss.
p.s.- there are three questions missing--care to fill them in?
JCB
2. Name someone with the same birthday as you:
ben smith, my preschool nemesis (but now somebody I care about deeply)
3. Last thing you ate?tortilla soup and caesar salad at ESPNZone.
4. For or against same sex marriage?Personally, I just want something that works out for people, whether it’s marriage or not. I also think it’s illegal to deny a same-sex couple the legal rights enjoyed by a heterosexual couple. But that’s just me.
5. Are you homophobic?Duh, no.
6. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday morning?
No. I’m either lounging with Chris or, hopefully, out running. More likely lounging with Chris.
7. Do you believe in God?
yah
8. How many U.S states have you been to?
Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. So that’s 36.
And Puerto Rico, but that’s a protectorate.
9. How many of the U.S states have you lived in?
Two
10. Have you ever lived outside the U.S?
No, but I would SO live in Denmark or Spain.
11. Name something you like physically about yourself:
My legs are strong and curvy, and apparently, I have perfect boobs. Go figure.
12. Something non-physical you like about yourself:
I’m pretty damn smart about some unexpected things.
14. Favorite Food?Steamed crabs15. Favorite day of the week?Friday
16. Biggest Crush at your school?
Not there anymore, but technically, it would be Chris, since I still haven’t officially graduated (not my fault), and he’s still there working on his PhD. Groovy.
17. Favorite holiday?
Memorial Day--because it’s SUMMER!!!!
18. Do you download music?
No.
19. How many illegal things have you done?
Not anything, really. I’m boring that way.
20. Where would you want to go on a first date:
Well I’d rather not go on another first date anytime soon, but date in general? I’d love to go to Copenhagen.
22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
Yes. At an IV retreat, I sprained my ankle really badly, and all the UMBC guys serenaded me with “You’ve Lost that Lovin Feelin.” There are pictures.
23. Have you ever cried for no reason?
Yes.
24. Do you like president Bush?
No.
25. Have you ever bungee jumped?
No. First, I want to climb a mountain.
26. Have you ever white-water rafted?
No.
27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you?
Not quite ten, but old enough.
28. Last person you hugged?
Chris, but I screwed it up and now we’re not happy.
29. Have you met a real redneck?
yeah. That’s why I live in the city.
30. How is the weather right now?
Dark and windy
31. What song are you listening to right now?
none, just the idle chatter of the office in the background
32. What is your current favorite song?
Nickel Creek--“When You Come Back Down”
33. What was the last movie you watched?
Narnia. Very good!!!
34. Do you wear contacts?
yes
35. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
ESPNZone for lunch. It was overpriced.
36. What are you afraid of?
losing my grandfather.
37. Have you ever hit someone?
Yes. I’m not proud of it.
38. Any pets?
Yes. Toby. And his roommate is Kate’s cat, Tigress. He loves Tigress, and she wants to shred his face.
39. Have you ever loved someone?
Yes.
0. What really turns you on?
Scene in Troy that starts out with priestess chick holding a knife to Achilles’ throat. YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT.
41. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
Not really. I like my Common Grounds on the next block in Hampden.
42. Have you ever fired a gun?
No, but I am KICK-ASS at that japanese police game at Dave & Busters.
43. Are you missing someone?
Yes.
44. Say something totally random about yourself:
I am the only girl I know who has a love affair with helicopters.
45. Do you have an iPod?NO. :(
46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
No, but when I was 8 (and Geoff was 11), a complete stranger stopped us in NYC and said we looked like fraternal twins. My brother was pissed.
47. Whats your mom's name?
Maggie
48. Who would you like to see right now?
my niece Clara
49. Are you comfortable with your height?
Yes.
50. Dogs or cats?
Dogs
51. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to?
um. Duh.
52. Favorite flower?
gerber daisy
53. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn?
none of the above. Instead, caramel
54. What books are you reading?
_Survival in Auschwitz_ by Primo Levi
55. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yes.
56. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
my grandma hixson, almost 3 years ago
57. Do you watch MTV?
not so much. I’ve kind of grown out of it.
58. What's something that really annoys you?
whiny girls
59. What are some things you really like?
Running, lifting, football and soccer (watching and playing), photography, travel, reading, music
61. Have u ever talked to your parents drunk and they didn't notice?
I don’t remember.
62. Favorite basketball team?
I am so pissed at the Terps right now that I could spit. But I am loyal though.
63. Favorite breakfast food?
Pancakes
64. Do you drive?
Wrong question: do I drive well? *Jury’s out...*
65. What's the latest you have ever stayed out? or earliest you got in?
I've stayed out all night.
66. Last time you went bowling?
This past summer. I had a high score of 99.
67. Were you ever rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
Yes. Twice. That I can remember.
68. Last time you were at work?
Today.
69. Whats your favorite state to live in?
Bliss.
p.s.- there are three questions missing--care to fill them in?
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