Well, it's been a while . . . as usual.
In regards to my last few posts, NaNo is going along great. The real news, however, is that I finally have a job! A friend of mine works at Borders and mentioned they were hiring for holiday help. Now, I haven't had much success looking for retail work in the past, but as anyone who's done any job hunting will tell you: it's not what you know, it's who you know. So, with Ashley's help I was able to get an interview, and I just got a call letting me know I was hired. It's just for the holiday season, but depending on how things go, I may be able to stay on past that. But that depends on a lot of factors, my work performance being just a small part of it, so I'm trying not to plan on it. However, the idea of not having to go back to job searching is a prospect that's hard to get out of my head.
Also, Pat has been working at the Brookfield Zoo for about a month now. Not exactly what he's looking for, obviously, but it's money. So, as of next Tuesday (which will be my first day of training), we're both working again. Both only part-time, minimum wage jobs, but it's better than where we were a couple months ago. Where we'll be a couple months from now . . . who knows?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
NaNoWriMo: The Return
Well, after hemming and hawing for the past week, I've decided that I'm going to do it. Mostly because I realized that one of the statements in my previous post is entirely inaccurate. Yes, it's true that I never plan to write professionally. And yes, it's true that I have far too many interests to devote as much time as I'd like to all of them.
But this -- "I just can't seem to get excited about it" -- this is 100% false.
Why did I write that? I honestly don't know. Perhaps I was just so focused on all the other things I mentioned, and thinking that my life would be so much easier if I wasn't excited about NaNo, and hoping that putting it in writing would make it so. Or maybe, in that instant, I really wasn't excited about it (which seems to be the far simpler solution). I don't know. But whatever the case, once I remembered how much fun it was, I got excited very quickly. And basically over the past week, the two halves of my brain have been fighting with each other, and finally the fun half won out.
Because the thing is, it was never NaNoWriMo that made me burn out on writing and wonder why I spent so much time on something that was "just a hobby." It was all of the other writing sites I got involved with, most of which were geared toward turning writing into a career. And that was never my intention anyway. And suddenly the whole "just a hobby" thing became more of a reason to participate than to not. Because, while several people have gone on to publish their NaNo-novels over the years (including one of the people who got me started with NaNo back in 2005), it's really just wild and wacky fun. And, quite honestly, I could use some wild and wacky fun right about now.
But this -- "I just can't seem to get excited about it" -- this is 100% false.
Why did I write that? I honestly don't know. Perhaps I was just so focused on all the other things I mentioned, and thinking that my life would be so much easier if I wasn't excited about NaNo, and hoping that putting it in writing would make it so. Or maybe, in that instant, I really wasn't excited about it (which seems to be the far simpler solution). I don't know. But whatever the case, once I remembered how much fun it was, I got excited very quickly. And basically over the past week, the two halves of my brain have been fighting with each other, and finally the fun half won out.
Because the thing is, it was never NaNoWriMo that made me burn out on writing and wonder why I spent so much time on something that was "just a hobby." It was all of the other writing sites I got involved with, most of which were geared toward turning writing into a career. And that was never my intention anyway. And suddenly the whole "just a hobby" thing became more of a reason to participate than to not. Because, while several people have gone on to publish their NaNo-novels over the years (including one of the people who got me started with NaNo back in 2005), it's really just wild and wacky fun. And, quite honestly, I could use some wild and wacky fun right about now.
Friday, October 16, 2009
NaNoWriMo
I'm conflicted. NaNoWriMo starts in a couple weeks. (If you don't know what it is, click here.) And a part of me really wants to do it, and a part of me just says, "What's the point?"
I've done this two previous years. My first was 2005, right at the end of my first semester of my last year of college. And I still managed to pull it off. My second was 2006, right in the middle of wedding planning. And I still managed to pull it off. I didn't do it '07 or '08, mostly just because I didn't think about it. But now I am thinking about it, and it's just over two weeks away, and I just can't seem to get excited about it.
See, the thing is, I really do love writing. I always have. When I was young, I wanted to be an author, and I can remember writing stories (though I can't remember what any of them were about, and would probably be horrified to read any of them). I started keeping a journal when I entered high school, then switched to online blogging which I've been doing on and off since college. And, in addition to the two "novels" that I wrote for NaNo '05 and '06, I've worked on a plethora of other things but could never seem to finish any of them. So, I guess the thing I've discovered is that, though I enjoy writing, and keeping a blog is a great way to keep active with it, fiction writing may not really be for me.
It's not that I can't come up with ideas. I've got lots of them. They just never really seem to go anywhere. And I've joined online writing groups and read blogs and taken workshops to help me refine the skills involved, but . . . I don't know. I still wind up frustrating myself, and I guess it just seems like I shouldn't be spending so much time and effort on this one thing, when it really won't make a difference in the long run. It's not like I'm looking to become a published writer. It's just a hobby.
The problem is, really, that I have too many interests. And I seem to go through phases. Right now, I'm in my reading phase. I am reading constantly, and the funny thing is that it all started as a way to help with my writing. But once I (re-) discovered how much I love to read, I didn't leave myself any time to write.
Earlier this year I went through a music phase, where I was basically continuing studying where I left off in college, checking out books and CD's from the library, looking up scores online, even polishing up a composition that I started about five years ago. And, since I hope to eventually go back to grad school and study musicology, this is obviously a very worthwhile pursuit. Writing, as much as I enjoy it, seems less worthwhile.
There just aren't enough hours in the day.
I've done this two previous years. My first was 2005, right at the end of my first semester of my last year of college. And I still managed to pull it off. My second was 2006, right in the middle of wedding planning. And I still managed to pull it off. I didn't do it '07 or '08, mostly just because I didn't think about it. But now I am thinking about it, and it's just over two weeks away, and I just can't seem to get excited about it.
See, the thing is, I really do love writing. I always have. When I was young, I wanted to be an author, and I can remember writing stories (though I can't remember what any of them were about, and would probably be horrified to read any of them). I started keeping a journal when I entered high school, then switched to online blogging which I've been doing on and off since college. And, in addition to the two "novels" that I wrote for NaNo '05 and '06, I've worked on a plethora of other things but could never seem to finish any of them. So, I guess the thing I've discovered is that, though I enjoy writing, and keeping a blog is a great way to keep active with it, fiction writing may not really be for me.
It's not that I can't come up with ideas. I've got lots of them. They just never really seem to go anywhere. And I've joined online writing groups and read blogs and taken workshops to help me refine the skills involved, but . . . I don't know. I still wind up frustrating myself, and I guess it just seems like I shouldn't be spending so much time and effort on this one thing, when it really won't make a difference in the long run. It's not like I'm looking to become a published writer. It's just a hobby.
The problem is, really, that I have too many interests. And I seem to go through phases. Right now, I'm in my reading phase. I am reading constantly, and the funny thing is that it all started as a way to help with my writing. But once I (re-) discovered how much I love to read, I didn't leave myself any time to write.
Earlier this year I went through a music phase, where I was basically continuing studying where I left off in college, checking out books and CD's from the library, looking up scores online, even polishing up a composition that I started about five years ago. And, since I hope to eventually go back to grad school and study musicology, this is obviously a very worthwhile pursuit. Writing, as much as I enjoy it, seems less worthwhile.
There just aren't enough hours in the day.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Slider
I meant to do this post a couple days ago, but we've actually been pretty busy. (Though I have no excuse for not posting for the entire previous month, other than that absolutely nothing of interest has happened.)
After wanting to get one for about three years now, Pat and I finally got a cat! Pat's more of a dog person but he likes cats as well. I'm more of a cat person but I like dogs as well. (Ironically, his family had cats growing up, and mine has always had a dog.) But since we're going to be in apartments for a while, cat seemed like the better option to start. But circumstances have just never really lined up right. First we were in a very small apartment that barely had room for the two of us, let alone a pet. Then we moved into a bigger place, but were planning to move up to the suburbs soon, so decided to wait until we were a little more settled to get one. Then we moved up here, but had no money. We still really don't have money, but we're more stable now than we were several months ago. Still, we probably wouldn't have gotten a cat yet, if it weren't for the events of the past few months.
Our friends Nathan and Taylor found a cat abandoned on the street back in June. No collar or tag, no ID chip implanted. They asked around at various places but didn't find any reports of a lost cat. And they probably would have kept him themselves, but between the two of them they've got three dogs, plus another couple cats, so they're pretty much at their max for animals. They didn't want to just leave him at a shelter though, so they've been keeping him in Taylor's garage until they could find him a home.
Well, we weren't really in a position to take him, but right about the same time, one of Pat's friends was commenting on Facebook that he was looking into getting a pet. So, they hooked up and passed ownership onto him. After a couple weeks, though, he decides that it's not working out. Taylor was worried that maybe there was something wrong, the cat was misbehaving and causing trouble, and didn't want to pass him onto someone else without knowing what the problem was. But Jon assured her that, no, nothing was wrong. It just wasn't a good fit at the time.
So, the cat's back in Taylor's garage. And, aside from keeping him isolated from the other animals, Taylor and Nathan were both treating the cat like one of their own. He had all the essentials: litter box, food, water, toys. They made sure to go out and spend time with him. It's not like they just tossed him in the garage to get rid of him, they were just waiting until they could find him a good home, one that wasn't so crowded.
Honestly, after all these months I was starting to think that they would just cave and keep the cat themselves. I mean, if they really didn't want him, and couldn't find him a home, they surely would have taken him to a shelter by now, no? Well apparently, my husband the plotter (I'll relate the story of how he proposed sometime) had been talking with them about the cat, and the reason they hadn't either passed him on or fully adopted him is because they were holding him for us, until we could take him ourselves. Which we finally did this weekend. I, of course, was kept in the dark about the whole thing until we were on our way to Taylor's.
It's been a couple days now. He's getting used to us, getting used to the new place. Actually he seems pretty well adjusted, it's us who are getting used to having him around. Of course we're both still completely fawning over him. As you can see, I've been taking lots of pictures. Part of that is because we need to register him with our apartment office (waiting until after his vet appointment Friday) and they need a picture. Part is that I'm practicing being a camera person for when we someday have kids. And of course part is because I want to show him off, even though I have enough sense to know that most people aren't going to care all that much.
Oh, and if you're wondering about the name, Nathan and Taylor came up with that one; they found him in the parking lot of White Castle.
After wanting to get one for about three years now, Pat and I finally got a cat! Pat's more of a dog person but he likes cats as well. I'm more of a cat person but I like dogs as well. (Ironically, his family had cats growing up, and mine has always had a dog.) But since we're going to be in apartments for a while, cat seemed like the better option to start. But circumstances have just never really lined up right. First we were in a very small apartment that barely had room for the two of us, let alone a pet. Then we moved into a bigger place, but were planning to move up to the suburbs soon, so decided to wait until we were a little more settled to get one. Then we moved up here, but had no money. We still really don't have money, but we're more stable now than we were several months ago. Still, we probably wouldn't have gotten a cat yet, if it weren't for the events of the past few months.
Our friends Nathan and Taylor found a cat abandoned on the street back in June. No collar or tag, no ID chip implanted. They asked around at various places but didn't find any reports of a lost cat. And they probably would have kept him themselves, but between the two of them they've got three dogs, plus another couple cats, so they're pretty much at their max for animals. They didn't want to just leave him at a shelter though, so they've been keeping him in Taylor's garage until they could find him a home.
Well, we weren't really in a position to take him, but right about the same time, one of Pat's friends was commenting on Facebook that he was looking into getting a pet. So, they hooked up and passed ownership onto him. After a couple weeks, though, he decides that it's not working out. Taylor was worried that maybe there was something wrong, the cat was misbehaving and causing trouble, and didn't want to pass him onto someone else without knowing what the problem was. But Jon assured her that, no, nothing was wrong. It just wasn't a good fit at the time.
So, the cat's back in Taylor's garage. And, aside from keeping him isolated from the other animals, Taylor and Nathan were both treating the cat like one of their own. He had all the essentials: litter box, food, water, toys. They made sure to go out and spend time with him. It's not like they just tossed him in the garage to get rid of him, they were just waiting until they could find him a good home, one that wasn't so crowded.
Honestly, after all these months I was starting to think that they would just cave and keep the cat themselves. I mean, if they really didn't want him, and couldn't find him a home, they surely would have taken him to a shelter by now, no? Well apparently, my husband the plotter (I'll relate the story of how he proposed sometime) had been talking with them about the cat, and the reason they hadn't either passed him on or fully adopted him is because they were holding him for us, until we could take him ourselves. Which we finally did this weekend. I, of course, was kept in the dark about the whole thing until we were on our way to Taylor's.
It's been a couple days now. He's getting used to us, getting used to the new place. Actually he seems pretty well adjusted, it's us who are getting used to having him around. Of course we're both still completely fawning over him. As you can see, I've been taking lots of pictures. Part of that is because we need to register him with our apartment office (waiting until after his vet appointment Friday) and they need a picture. Part is that I'm practicing being a camera person for when we someday have kids. And of course part is because I want to show him off, even though I have enough sense to know that most people aren't going to care all that much.
Oh, and if you're wondering about the name, Nathan and Taylor came up with that one; they found him in the parking lot of White Castle.
Friday, September 4, 2009
It's That Time Again . . .
Ahhh . . . football season. The time of year when I get to smile and nod along while everyone spouts out names I don't know and plays I didn't see. Actually, I got into football quite a bit more last season than I have been since I was a kid . . . and back then it wasn't that I really cared about it, it was that I lived in a "football" house and my parents' enthusiasm just sort of rubbed off on us. But for the most part I still don't know what people are talking about.
Last season, the Bears (we're from Chicago . . . I suppose that's important to mention when talking about sports) were very close to making it into the playoffs. The last few weeks of the season really decided it between us and the GB Packers (our main rivals). * * * Edit: Pat just jogged my memory. It was actually a 3-way battle with the Vikings as well for that division spot (and the Vikings are who eventually won it). I was just remembering specifically the Bears/Packers Monday Night game that was such a big deal. See . . . not so much up with the football facts. * * * So towards the end, especially, I started paying a bit more attention. Ironically I didn't pay nearly as much attention the year that we actually got into (though we lost) the Superbowl a couple years back, but that could probably be explained by the fact that we were still living in Peoria at the time, and spending most Sundays driving back after spending a weekend up here. (Have I mentioned just how very glad we are to be back within 20 minutes of our hometown?) At any rate, we have some friends who are VERY into football season, as well as Pat being VERY into football season, so especially now that we're back in the area and they can be all football-crazy together, it's pretty hard for me to ignore it.
The first game of the regular season is next weekend. And of course we're playing the Packers. So of COURSE our friends are having people over for the game. And quite honestly, when it comes to actually sitting down and watching a game, it's much more enjoyable for me when we get together with friends. Here in the house, if it's just me and Pat . . . I'll watch for about 20 minutes, go do something else, come back for another 10 minutes, on and off for the whole game. I don't sit down and watch a whole game unless that's what I'm specifically there to do.
The drinks and snacks don't hurt either, I suppose.
Last season, the Bears (we're from Chicago . . . I suppose that's important to mention when talking about sports) were very close to making it into the playoffs. The last few weeks of the season really decided it between us and the GB Packers (our main rivals). * * * Edit: Pat just jogged my memory. It was actually a 3-way battle with the Vikings as well for that division spot (and the Vikings are who eventually won it). I was just remembering specifically the Bears/Packers Monday Night game that was such a big deal. See . . . not so much up with the football facts. * * * So towards the end, especially, I started paying a bit more attention. Ironically I didn't pay nearly as much attention the year that we actually got into (though we lost) the Superbowl a couple years back, but that could probably be explained by the fact that we were still living in Peoria at the time, and spending most Sundays driving back after spending a weekend up here. (Have I mentioned just how very glad we are to be back within 20 minutes of our hometown?) At any rate, we have some friends who are VERY into football season, as well as Pat being VERY into football season, so especially now that we're back in the area and they can be all football-crazy together, it's pretty hard for me to ignore it.
The first game of the regular season is next weekend. And of course we're playing the Packers. So of COURSE our friends are having people over for the game. And quite honestly, when it comes to actually sitting down and watching a game, it's much more enjoyable for me when we get together with friends. Here in the house, if it's just me and Pat . . . I'll watch for about 20 minutes, go do something else, come back for another 10 minutes, on and off for the whole game. I don't sit down and watch a whole game unless that's what I'm specifically there to do.
The drinks and snacks don't hurt either, I suppose.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Still Alive
Wow. Clearly, we suck at this blog thing. A few weeks now, between updates.
The funny thing is, when I was playing Warcraft, I had a blog. And I posted all the time. But I think the difference is that with WoW, I knew there were people out there who would enjoy hearing about it. Even if things started to get boring or repetitive, I didn't mind talking about it because I knew there were others who could relate.
In life, on the other hand . . . well, not that people can't relate, but things just feel SO slow and boring right now. "So . . . yeah . . . read another book today." "Made chicken for dinner, it turned out all right." Not exactly newsworthy. And it just seems like I have nothing exciting or even remotely interesting to talk about. And not that I don't think I could come up with things to talk about, but once again, then I start to feel like I'm turning this into MY blog rather than OUR blog, and so I just don't say anything. And then we go three weeks between posts.
One (relatively) fun thing I can say is that we've both started playing Farmville on Facebook. I used to be very . . . well, not exactly anti-app on Facebook, but more just like, that wasn't why I had it. I have it to keep up with friends and talk to people I might otherwise not. Not to sit there and play games all day. But finally I got a couple invites to play this game and thought I'd give it a try. And now I'm kinda hooked, and have started playing other games on Facebook as well.
Yeah . . . that's what's new. Pretty sad, huh?
The funny thing is, when I was playing Warcraft, I had a blog. And I posted all the time. But I think the difference is that with WoW, I knew there were people out there who would enjoy hearing about it. Even if things started to get boring or repetitive, I didn't mind talking about it because I knew there were others who could relate.
In life, on the other hand . . . well, not that people can't relate, but things just feel SO slow and boring right now. "So . . . yeah . . . read another book today." "Made chicken for dinner, it turned out all right." Not exactly newsworthy. And it just seems like I have nothing exciting or even remotely interesting to talk about. And not that I don't think I could come up with things to talk about, but once again, then I start to feel like I'm turning this into MY blog rather than OUR blog, and so I just don't say anything. And then we go three weeks between posts.
One (relatively) fun thing I can say is that we've both started playing Farmville on Facebook. I used to be very . . . well, not exactly anti-app on Facebook, but more just like, that wasn't why I had it. I have it to keep up with friends and talk to people I might otherwise not. Not to sit there and play games all day. But finally I got a couple invites to play this game and thought I'd give it a try. And now I'm kinda hooked, and have started playing other games on Facebook as well.
Yeah . . . that's what's new. Pretty sad, huh?
Monday, August 10, 2009
On This Day . . .
(courtesy of Wikipedia)
2006 – British police arrested 25 people suspected in an alleged terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners traveling from the UK to the United States and Canada.
Now, I'm not really a history buff, so most of the "happened on this day" stuff is completely foreign to me, unless it's something huge like D-day or the signing of the Declaration of Independence or something along those lines. And half the time, even events that happened in my lifetime usually don't ring too many bells. This incident, however, I remember vividly, because I was actually in England on a choir trip when it happened.
It was really crazy. The arrests happened on a Thursday; we were scheduled to fly back to Chicago on Monday. Unfortunately, there were those among us that really couldn't enjoy the remainder of our week there because they were too nervous (I did my best to not be one of those people). But, it did give the whole weekend for the effects of the threat to die down a bit. Still, it was completely crazy when we got to the airport. They had everyone waiting under big tents outside, calling people into the airport only when their flight was getting closer to takeoff. Security was, understandably, insane. And then we sat in the plane, on the ground, for probably about two hours or so (I don't remember exactly, but it was close to that) while they ran additional security checks on everyone on board, before they gave us the all clear to take off.
It was a strange mix of frustration, anxiety, and relief: frustration at the delays and extra security procedures (we couldn't bring ANYTHING on with us other than our ID and money in a clear plastic bag, so it was a really boring flight), anxiety at the threat of an attack, and relief that we still were able to fly out and get home as scheduled, only a few hours later than planned.
Anyway, not that this is anything compared to 9/11 or anything like that. It was just weird to see that listed on the Wiki home page today and be able to say, "I was there."
2006 – British police arrested 25 people suspected in an alleged terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners traveling from the UK to the United States and Canada.
Now, I'm not really a history buff, so most of the "happened on this day" stuff is completely foreign to me, unless it's something huge like D-day or the signing of the Declaration of Independence or something along those lines. And half the time, even events that happened in my lifetime usually don't ring too many bells. This incident, however, I remember vividly, because I was actually in England on a choir trip when it happened.
It was really crazy. The arrests happened on a Thursday; we were scheduled to fly back to Chicago on Monday. Unfortunately, there were those among us that really couldn't enjoy the remainder of our week there because they were too nervous (I did my best to not be one of those people). But, it did give the whole weekend for the effects of the threat to die down a bit. Still, it was completely crazy when we got to the airport. They had everyone waiting under big tents outside, calling people into the airport only when their flight was getting closer to takeoff. Security was, understandably, insane. And then we sat in the plane, on the ground, for probably about two hours or so (I don't remember exactly, but it was close to that) while they ran additional security checks on everyone on board, before they gave us the all clear to take off.
It was a strange mix of frustration, anxiety, and relief: frustration at the delays and extra security procedures (we couldn't bring ANYTHING on with us other than our ID and money in a clear plastic bag, so it was a really boring flight), anxiety at the threat of an attack, and relief that we still were able to fly out and get home as scheduled, only a few hours later than planned.
Anyway, not that this is anything compared to 9/11 or anything like that. It was just weird to see that listed on the Wiki home page today and be able to say, "I was there."
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Blusummers bows out of WoW
Well, I've been playing since Christmas of 2004. I can't believe there's a game that has held my interest for 4.5 years. It's weird to think that as of 4 o'clock this morning, I can no longer log into wow just to tool around if I'm bored. It's been a part of my life for so long and it was one of my few social outlets when we lived down in Peoria, but it was time to put it away. Many of the people that I really enjoyed playing with have either stopped playing or become different people and now that we're back in the Chicago area, I've got a lot of highschool friends that I'm getting together with on a regular basis. Anyway, I just wanted to do a little farewell to the World of Warcraft. It's been fun to get to know different people while using the names Blusummers, Legatto, Scythe, Wolfwõõd, and Arphenon. I hope that the friends I've made will post occasionally on this blog and say hi.
Blusummers out.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Randomness
Hmm, it's been a while.
Currently I'm up early and quite bored. I woke up at about 6:30 with a horribly stuffed up nose (I'm fighting allergies) and just couldn't get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. Given the fact that we had people over last night and were up till almost 1am . . . well, needless to say, I was not happy that my body decided to deprive me of another few hours sleep. Though I have been sleeping far more than usual lately, so I guess I don't really need it.
I'm "stuck" in the computer room at the moment. Pat is still sleeping in the bedroom, and we have a house guest this week sleeping out on our futon in the living room. So . . . I'm here. Not that there's really much else I could be doing if I had the other rooms available to me, but I'm a person who likes to have options.
The job from last week never played out, so I'm still looking. It's so frustrating. I learn things really quickly, and I'm probably capable of doing just about anything that doesn't require specialized knowledge. Unfortunately what my resume says is, "Has an unrelated degree in music, and hasn't worked in two years." Whether it's that, whether it's my out-of-area area code (I knew I should have changed my cell to a local number when we moved), or whether it's just bad luck, I don't know. But it's getting old.
On the plus side, we have a wedding to go to tomorrow. The bride is one of Pat's best friends (they've known each other since first grade), my former roommate, and one of the bridesmaids from our own wedding. It's kind of weird that she's getting married, though at the same time we've already been married for two years. We were one of the first couples in our group friends to get married, so I guess we're not allowed to say "It's so weird!" when other people get married, since we already pulled that on everyone. Besides, she and her hubby-to-be have been together for what seems like forever, so really, it's just time.
Guess that's all I've got for now. We've been kind of busy this week what with Pat's friend from Ohio visiting. Maybe next week will see more regular posting. Then again, I wouldn't hold your breath.
Currently I'm up early and quite bored. I woke up at about 6:30 with a horribly stuffed up nose (I'm fighting allergies) and just couldn't get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. Given the fact that we had people over last night and were up till almost 1am . . . well, needless to say, I was not happy that my body decided to deprive me of another few hours sleep. Though I have been sleeping far more than usual lately, so I guess I don't really need it.
I'm "stuck" in the computer room at the moment. Pat is still sleeping in the bedroom, and we have a house guest this week sleeping out on our futon in the living room. So . . . I'm here. Not that there's really much else I could be doing if I had the other rooms available to me, but I'm a person who likes to have options.
The job from last week never played out, so I'm still looking. It's so frustrating. I learn things really quickly, and I'm probably capable of doing just about anything that doesn't require specialized knowledge. Unfortunately what my resume says is, "Has an unrelated degree in music, and hasn't worked in two years." Whether it's that, whether it's my out-of-area area code (I knew I should have changed my cell to a local number when we moved), or whether it's just bad luck, I don't know. But it's getting old.
On the plus side, we have a wedding to go to tomorrow. The bride is one of Pat's best friends (they've known each other since first grade), my former roommate, and one of the bridesmaids from our own wedding. It's kind of weird that she's getting married, though at the same time we've already been married for two years. We were one of the first couples in our group friends to get married, so I guess we're not allowed to say "It's so weird!" when other people get married, since we already pulled that on everyone. Besides, she and her hubby-to-be have been together for what seems like forever, so really, it's just time.
Guess that's all I've got for now. We've been kind of busy this week what with Pat's friend from Ohio visiting. Maybe next week will see more regular posting. Then again, I wouldn't hold your breath.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Working out
Well, it's been about 2 and a half months since I last worked out. It's amazing how much you can forget in that time...like how much you think you'd feel better if you didn't have any arms after doing bench press.
Charleen and I were working out on MWF for about 3 months. It was nice, max weights were going up. We were keeping each other working out. I got my bench max up to about 130 lbs. I say about because the bench set I have only goes up to a max of 96 lbs. Using an online calculator, that gives an estimate of having a max somewhere between 120 and 130 with being able to do 10 reps of 96lbs. Personally I prefer to go by a 5 rep max, but I just don't have the weight.
Anyway, we were going along great and then a trip hit us...and then something else came up the next week...most of you know where that lead to. Like anything else that we know is good for us but takes effort, it's really easy to fall off track. So, I'm going to start using the blog to try to keep myself accountable. TY Dammerung for the idea. I did curls and bench on Wednesday and today. I'll take the weekend off and then continue with a MWF schedule.
Finally, I'll end with a request. Does anyone know of any other exercises that I can do using the bench or the bench weights? I used to do millitary press a few months ago, but I stopped after it was causing my shoulder constant pain. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions. Once we have the money, I plan to apply for a gym membership so I can do a more thorough workout. Squat was my favorite in HS since all my strength is in my legs. Anyway, before I ramble on too much I'll leave it at that. That should get a little more orange on the front page for Charleen. =D
Charleen and I were working out on MWF for about 3 months. It was nice, max weights were going up. We were keeping each other working out. I got my bench max up to about 130 lbs. I say about because the bench set I have only goes up to a max of 96 lbs. Using an online calculator, that gives an estimate of having a max somewhere between 120 and 130 with being able to do 10 reps of 96lbs. Personally I prefer to go by a 5 rep max, but I just don't have the weight.
Anyway, we were going along great and then a trip hit us...and then something else came up the next week...most of you know where that lead to. Like anything else that we know is good for us but takes effort, it's really easy to fall off track. So, I'm going to start using the blog to try to keep myself accountable. TY Dammerung for the idea. I did curls and bench on Wednesday and today. I'll take the weekend off and then continue with a MWF schedule.
Finally, I'll end with a request. Does anyone know of any other exercises that I can do using the bench or the bench weights? I used to do millitary press a few months ago, but I stopped after it was causing my shoulder constant pain. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions. Once we have the money, I plan to apply for a gym membership so I can do a more thorough workout. Squat was my favorite in HS since all my strength is in my legs. Anyway, before I ramble on too much I'll leave it at that. That should get a little more orange on the front page for Charleen. =D
Thursday, July 23, 2009
I Didn't Miss It
Interview went well . . . but again, that doesn't really matter except in comparison to how well everyone else's interview goes. But their last one is on Monday, and I should hear back by the end of next week.
(C'mon Pat, there's a little too much blue, not enough orange on this front page.)
(C'mon Pat, there's a little too much blue, not enough orange on this front page.)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Today is Wednesday
Today is Wednesday.
Today is Wednesday.
Today is Wednesday.
I've had to keep very close track on what the days are this week because, for the first time, I actually have something important going on that I'm desperately afraid of missing simply because the days all run together for me. In fact, when the person called me that lead to this important thing being scheduled and said "I have some times late this week," I was a bit confused simply because I wasn't sure what "this week" was, because I couldn't remember if we were at the beginning of a new week, or still in the later part of the previous week (turns out it was actually Monday).
So tomorrow (Thursday, Thursday, Thursday . . .), after nearly two years of being unemployed, I have my first job interview.
I am refusing to get my hopes up about this. I've applied to tons of places since moving back in January (okay, so I got distracted with unpacking and cleaning and didn't really start looking till March . . .) and this is, quite sadly, the first time I've even gotten called back. I've applied for retail positions, fast food positions, and of course my usual random clerical positions. Unfortunately, we picked pretty much the worst possible time to move, and with tons of people currently looking for jobs, it's just pretty sucky out there. Especially for someone with a useless degree; BA in Music (not teacher certified) doesn't exactly open a whole lot of doors.
So, we'll see how things go tomorrow. And of course, even if things go great tomorrow, there's still always the possibility that things go even greater for someone else. In the meantime . . .
Today is Wednesday.
Today is Wednesday.
Today is Wednesday.
I've had to keep very close track on what the days are this week because, for the first time, I actually have something important going on that I'm desperately afraid of missing simply because the days all run together for me. In fact, when the person called me that lead to this important thing being scheduled and said "I have some times late this week," I was a bit confused simply because I wasn't sure what "this week" was, because I couldn't remember if we were at the beginning of a new week, or still in the later part of the previous week (turns out it was actually Monday).
So tomorrow (Thursday, Thursday, Thursday . . .), after nearly two years of being unemployed, I have my first job interview.
I am refusing to get my hopes up about this. I've applied to tons of places since moving back in January (okay, so I got distracted with unpacking and cleaning and didn't really start looking till March . . .) and this is, quite sadly, the first time I've even gotten called back. I've applied for retail positions, fast food positions, and of course my usual random clerical positions. Unfortunately, we picked pretty much the worst possible time to move, and with tons of people currently looking for jobs, it's just pretty sucky out there. Especially for someone with a useless degree; BA in Music (not teacher certified) doesn't exactly open a whole lot of doors.
So, we'll see how things go tomorrow. And of course, even if things go great tomorrow, there's still always the possibility that things go even greater for someone else. In the meantime . . .
Today is Wednesday.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Books and Movies
So I've been thinking about this for a while. Every time I see a movie that was based on a book (at least, a book that I've read), I go into it with the understanding that things are going to be different. Some things that work great in books just don't translate well to screen, not to mention that, unless it's a fairly short book, there's usually a time restriction as well. So, my judgment of whether or not the movie lives up to the book is based mostly on two things.
First, does it keep the overall story intact? Most movies do, but sometimes the movie-makers seem to just take an idea and run with it so that, while it might be a great movie on its own, to call it an adaptation of a book is a bit misleading.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, does the movie stand up on its own? Would someone who hasn't read the book be able to follow what's going on without getting confused?
Now, since I'm of course judging movies that come from books that I have read, my view is a bit skewed. For better or worse, I do have all the knowledge that came with the books, and I can fill in gaps that the movie might have left. So, a lot of times it's hard for me to say. For example, when I first saw The DaVinci Code, I thought that some parts seemed really rushed, and I wondered if I'd have been able to keep up had I not read the book previously. But since I had, I really couldn't say one way or another; wonder was all I could do.
And yes, this is on my mind because I just saw the new Harry Potter. Honestly, it left me feeling a little "meh," and I'm sure this is specifically because the ending didn't live up to my expectations. I knew going in some of the major changes from the book, and as I said before, I'm not opposed to that. The majority of the movie was pretty good. But the climax just seemed to lack a little "oomph."
Going in the other direction, I also just finished reading The Princess Bride. I must say, I have to favor the movie in this case, but the book is worth reading as well if you can appreciate the humor behind it. The plot of the story itself is almost identical. There are a couple things here and there that are different, but it's mostly the same story, and a lot of the dialogue is word for word. I had to force myself not to skip over the scenes that I know so well from the movie. But the presentation of the story is what's different, and the author commentary is really funny and incredibly well-done . . . considering it's all 100% fiction. I won't say more than that, here's the Wiki page if you're curious what I mean.
First, does it keep the overall story intact? Most movies do, but sometimes the movie-makers seem to just take an idea and run with it so that, while it might be a great movie on its own, to call it an adaptation of a book is a bit misleading.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, does the movie stand up on its own? Would someone who hasn't read the book be able to follow what's going on without getting confused?
Now, since I'm of course judging movies that come from books that I have read, my view is a bit skewed. For better or worse, I do have all the knowledge that came with the books, and I can fill in gaps that the movie might have left. So, a lot of times it's hard for me to say. For example, when I first saw The DaVinci Code, I thought that some parts seemed really rushed, and I wondered if I'd have been able to keep up had I not read the book previously. But since I had, I really couldn't say one way or another; wonder was all I could do.
And yes, this is on my mind because I just saw the new Harry Potter. Honestly, it left me feeling a little "meh," and I'm sure this is specifically because the ending didn't live up to my expectations. I knew going in some of the major changes from the book, and as I said before, I'm not opposed to that. The majority of the movie was pretty good. But the climax just seemed to lack a little "oomph."
Going in the other direction, I also just finished reading The Princess Bride. I must say, I have to favor the movie in this case, but the book is worth reading as well if you can appreciate the humor behind it. The plot of the story itself is almost identical. There are a couple things here and there that are different, but it's mostly the same story, and a lot of the dialogue is word for word. I had to force myself not to skip over the scenes that I know so well from the movie. But the presentation of the story is what's different, and the author commentary is really funny and incredibly well-done . . . considering it's all 100% fiction. I won't say more than that, here's the Wiki page if you're curious what I mean.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Nothing much
Well, I haven't posted in a while. There's not been a whole lot to report. Just cruising along. I have a couple hopefuls for finding a job, but 'till they get back to me there's not much to do. I've been playing a lot of Frisbee Golf. I'm finally getting better at putting. Also tonight there's a cruise night in town and the theme is Corvettes vs. T-Birds. I love Corvettes. Eventually I want to own a '72 Stingray Corvette T-Top with an Ontario Orange paint job and Saddle interior. Manual transmission of course. Basically the car pictured is my dream car. /sigh...some day...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Doomsday Key
I just read the latest James Rollins novel, The Doomsday Key. He's one of my favorite authors. I stumbled across his Map of Bones a few years ago, recommended for fans of The DaVinci Code (which I'd read recently), and subsequently devoured everything else that he'd written. All action-adventure-type stuff, the kind of books that a lot of people might dismiss as fluff, but I love them. Dan Brown may have been my introduction to the genre, but James Rollins definitely got me hooked.
I put a hold on the book at my library two days after it was released. I looked it up in the catalogue on a whim, not expecting them to have something that had just come out. Imagine my surprise when, not only does almost every library in our area have a copy, but they're all checked out! (I guess I was just used to the NIU library where I worked in college; new fiction wasn't exactly their highest priority.) So I put a hold on it, but didn't know how many people might be ahead of me or how long I'd have to wait.
Well, new books are allowed out for two weeks. And yesterday, exactly two weeks after the day it was released -- and presumably checked out -- I got a notice saying that it was ready for pickup. I read it in a span of about 24 hours, and returned it to the library today so the next person in line (assuming there is one) could get it that much sooner. Knowing others could be waiting prompted me to read it a little faster than I might have otherwise . . . but not by much. The suspense really drove the story.
I would definitely recommend James Rollins to anyone who enjoys this type of reading . . . but I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book, at least not as your introduction to the author. This is the sixth in his "Sigma Force" series, and while each book pretty much stands alone in terms of plot, the characters and their lives carry over. Each book does refer to a bit of what's happened previously, and it builds more and more the later in the series you go.
For example, I read Map of Bones (the 2nd book) without reading Sandstorm (the 1st book) and there were maybe two short references to what had happened previously. Black Order (the 3rd book) stands on its own pretty well too. Past that, though, and I'd recommend starting from the beginning.
I put a hold on the book at my library two days after it was released. I looked it up in the catalogue on a whim, not expecting them to have something that had just come out. Imagine my surprise when, not only does almost every library in our area have a copy, but they're all checked out! (I guess I was just used to the NIU library where I worked in college; new fiction wasn't exactly their highest priority.) So I put a hold on it, but didn't know how many people might be ahead of me or how long I'd have to wait.
Well, new books are allowed out for two weeks. And yesterday, exactly two weeks after the day it was released -- and presumably checked out -- I got a notice saying that it was ready for pickup. I read it in a span of about 24 hours, and returned it to the library today so the next person in line (assuming there is one) could get it that much sooner. Knowing others could be waiting prompted me to read it a little faster than I might have otherwise . . . but not by much. The suspense really drove the story.
I would definitely recommend James Rollins to anyone who enjoys this type of reading . . . but I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book, at least not as your introduction to the author. This is the sixth in his "Sigma Force" series, and while each book pretty much stands alone in terms of plot, the characters and their lives carry over. Each book does refer to a bit of what's happened previously, and it builds more and more the later in the series you go.
For example, I read Map of Bones (the 2nd book) without reading Sandstorm (the 1st book) and there were maybe two short references to what had happened previously. Black Order (the 3rd book) stands on its own pretty well too. Past that, though, and I'd recommend starting from the beginning.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Goofing off in Warcraft
So, I've been playing World of Warcraft almost since release so...about 4 years now. Charleen quit a few months back and I just haven't been having as much fun with it as I used to. Anyway, I found out today that this very unique pet was tamable and I just so happened to have a hunter that was the right level to tame it. One last little bit of fun in getting something that I'm probably not meant to have. This is me with my worgen (wolf) pet.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th!
We have readers! Or at least, a reader. I guess now we should maybe try to update a little more than once a week.
Actually, I've been holding myself back a bit. I could probably write just about every day without much trouble, but this is our blog, not my blog, and I don't want to take it over. I guess I could just nag Pat until he writes something.
At any rate, Happy Independence Day to those to whom it applies, and happy random day in July to all our foreign friends. We're heading over to a BBBQ with some friends later today (the extra B is for BYOBB . . . that extra B is a typo). Have some food, play some games, and then walk over to the park to watch the fireworks tonight. Fun times.
Actually, I've been holding myself back a bit. I could probably write just about every day without much trouble, but this is our blog, not my blog, and I don't want to take it over. I guess I could just nag Pat until he writes something.
At any rate, Happy Independence Day to those to whom it applies, and happy random day in July to all our foreign friends. We're heading over to a BBBQ with some friends later today (the extra B is for BYOBB . . . that extra B is a typo). Have some food, play some games, and then walk over to the park to watch the fireworks tonight. Fun times.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Color Me Surprised
I was reading an article today about the remains of a 35,000-year-old flute that was found in some cave in Germany. Whether or not the average person would find that interesting, I have no idea. It piqued my interest, being a music major and all, that even primitive man had a culture that included music, and even more that they actually crafted instruments. Halfway through the article, however, another of my passions was aroused: grammar. Actually, I wouldn't call it a passion, so much as a pet peeve when I find errors in places where there really shouldn't be. Seriously, is it so hard to proofread?
Sure, I make errors, just like anyone else. I try to catch them all before I hit "publish," but occasionally some will slip through. Still, there are two big differences between errors in my own writing and errors I find in articles like this: I don't have an editor to double-check my work, and I'm not getting paid.
Back to the point, I stumbled a bit when I came to the phrase, "The cave, which was occupied for millenniums . . ." Millenniums? Really? Well, imagine my surprise when I looked up in the dictionary and found that millenniums is actually an accepted word. It sounds a bit clumsy to my ear, but I suppose that's just because I've never heard it before. It's always been millennia. But either way is apparently correct.
I'm sure that anyone learning English as a second language would be thrilled at another word that simply needs to add an 's' to become plural, rather than memorizing some other strange rule. I've just started teaching myself German, and in that language, there are seven possible ways to form the plural of a noun. Seven! There certainly are patterns that emerge, but there are also a lot of words you just "need to know." (And I'm sure anyone who's studied a foreign language knows exactly what I mean about those certain things you just "need to know.") I can't compare to English, since I really couldn't tell you off hand how many abnormal ways we have to turn words plural, but Italian was so much simpler.
Sure, I make errors, just like anyone else. I try to catch them all before I hit "publish," but occasionally some will slip through. Still, there are two big differences between errors in my own writing and errors I find in articles like this: I don't have an editor to double-check my work, and I'm not getting paid.
Back to the point, I stumbled a bit when I came to the phrase, "The cave, which was occupied for millenniums . . ." Millenniums? Really? Well, imagine my surprise when I looked up in the dictionary and found that millenniums is actually an accepted word. It sounds a bit clumsy to my ear, but I suppose that's just because I've never heard it before. It's always been millennia. But either way is apparently correct.
I'm sure that anyone learning English as a second language would be thrilled at another word that simply needs to add an 's' to become plural, rather than memorizing some other strange rule. I've just started teaching myself German, and in that language, there are seven possible ways to form the plural of a noun. Seven! There certainly are patterns that emerge, but there are also a lot of words you just "need to know." (And I'm sure anyone who's studied a foreign language knows exactly what I mean about those certain things you just "need to know.") I can't compare to English, since I really couldn't tell you off hand how many abnormal ways we have to turn words plural, but Italian was so much simpler.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Ultimate!!!
Ultimate Frisbee (from here on called Ultimate) is probably my favorite sport right now. I played for several years in High School and then continued and played for Bradley in college. Starting this Summer, I've been playing with my brother in-law and some of his friends on Wednesday evenings and on the occasional Monday and Friday night in Wheaton. It's a great way to get in shape and make friends. Anyway, I just got back from that. I thought I was doing better with getting back into shape, but today it around 94 degrees. I'm surprised I made it for 2.5 hours of play. It was a great time though. Ok, not much more to this post. I told you they'd be short. If anyone is in the Lombard area though, feel free to come out and join us on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 at the commons.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Hot
Pat has been bugging me to post something, so here I am.
Summer officially starts tomorrow. I'm not a fan of summer. As a kid, I used to love it (what kid doesn't?) but that was probably at least partly due to not having to go to school for three months. But my tolerance for heat is not what it used to be. Spring and fall are my new favorite seasons, with those moderate temperatures that aren't too hot and aren't too cold. Technically I prefer spring (it just feels different), but spring comes with the knowledge that it's only going to keep getting hotter, and as soon as the weather settles on a good average temperature for me, I've got maybe a month, if I'm lucky, before it starts getting too hot.
Fall, on the other hand, doesn't have quite the same feeling that spring does, but the steadily dropping temperature over the autumn months suits me much better than the heat does.
At any rate, here we are, at the beginning of summer, and I know I have a long three months ahead of me. Air conditioning is my new best friend.
P.S. - I did actually have to look up online to see if today or tomorrow was the first day of summer. I can never remember. And it turns out there's a good reason why. The First Day of Summer, if anyone's interested in a quick read.
Summer officially starts tomorrow. I'm not a fan of summer. As a kid, I used to love it (what kid doesn't?) but that was probably at least partly due to not having to go to school for three months. But my tolerance for heat is not what it used to be. Spring and fall are my new favorite seasons, with those moderate temperatures that aren't too hot and aren't too cold. Technically I prefer spring (it just feels different), but spring comes with the knowledge that it's only going to keep getting hotter, and as soon as the weather settles on a good average temperature for me, I've got maybe a month, if I'm lucky, before it starts getting too hot.
Fall, on the other hand, doesn't have quite the same feeling that spring does, but the steadily dropping temperature over the autumn months suits me much better than the heat does.
At any rate, here we are, at the beginning of summer, and I know I have a long three months ahead of me. Air conditioning is my new best friend.
P.S. - I did actually have to look up online to see if today or tomorrow was the first day of summer. I can never remember. And it turns out there's a good reason why. The First Day of Summer, if anyone's interested in a quick read.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Roasted chicken is cheating
Ok, so we're roasting a chicken for the first time. It's supposed to be like the easiest thing in the world to make and it's pretty cheap. I don't know why we haven't tried it before. Anyway, on to my point. Roast chicken cheats. It's so easy to make, but it takes forever to cook. I declare that when something takes like an hour and a half to cook, it's not allowed to smell good after only 30 minutes! /drool...
P.S. Just as a heads up, my posts are probably going to consist of short little random blurbs. If you want less random and more thought provoking posts, you'll just have to wait 'till my wife posts.
P.S. Just as a heads up, my posts are probably going to consist of short little random blurbs. If you want less random and more thought provoking posts, you'll just have to wait 'till my wife posts.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
I can't believe she let me post first
Look out world, I've got a blog to post on! Seriously though, anyone who knows us knows that Charleen is the writer, not me. We just decided that starting a blog together would be a good way to keep in touch with people that we may not get to talk to on a day to day basis anymore. Unfortunately for you, I got to post first. Mwahahahahah... Anyway, I'll wrap this up by saying welcome, pull up a chair, and make yourselves at home. Just no feet on the sofa please.
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