Remember when you were a child and your parent, if you weren't behaving on a road trip, would threaten to stop the car and turn around?
Yeah. My bus driver did that this morning. He stopped the bus to go to the back of the bus to lecture a young woman for being loud on her cell phone. I almost feel grateful that I had hung up from my cell phone at that point.
September 15, 2008
Oh, dear deity. Power just went out again for a good five minutes. I'm going out to find a flame thrower (what I call the thingies that you use to light candles), batteries for the flashlight, and food for dinner. And to be in the car for a while so my cell phone can charge so I've got it for an alarm clock tonight.
Well, that was bunches of fun. Lost power for nine hours and just got it back at 5:20 a.m. Scared the cat when it went back on, because I had forgotten that the TV was on and it suddenly turned on when the power came back.
According to the PG, 130,000 were without power thanks to the Ike remnants. Now I get to grab a bus to go to my 8 a.m. appointment in Oakland. Fun!
According to the PG, 130,000 were without power thanks to the Ike remnants. Now I get to grab a bus to go to my 8 a.m. appointment in Oakland. Fun!
September 14, 2008
For some reason I've been on this civil defense/nuclear protection kick lately. Don't know why.
Watched the Atomic Cafe last night after SNL. When I called my mother this morning, I commented on Duck and Cover, and how she probably would enjoy the documentary because she probably would have been subjected to all that in school.
She agreed, and said she remembered doing Duck and Cover through elementary school and possibly through high school.
"You must have done it through high school," I said, "because I remember doing it in elementary school and through fourth grade."
She didn't think that was possible until I reminded her that I had gone to school during the later parts of the Cold War. And then I quoted Wikipedia's entry on Duck and Cover: "Duck and Cover was a suggested method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear detonation which the United States government taught to generations of United States school children from the late 1940s into the 1980s."
I then shared the story of being in my music teacher's room, which had only folding chairs, but no desks. The teacher told us that we'd be safe because even though there weren't any desks, her room was made out of thick cinder block.
Anyone else remember doing that kind of stuff in school?
Watched the Atomic Cafe last night after SNL. When I called my mother this morning, I commented on Duck and Cover, and how she probably would enjoy the documentary because she probably would have been subjected to all that in school.
She agreed, and said she remembered doing Duck and Cover through elementary school and possibly through high school.
"You must have done it through high school," I said, "because I remember doing it in elementary school and through fourth grade."
She didn't think that was possible until I reminded her that I had gone to school during the later parts of the Cold War. And then I quoted Wikipedia's entry on Duck and Cover: "Duck and Cover was a suggested method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear detonation which the United States government taught to generations of United States school children from the late 1940s into the 1980s."
I then shared the story of being in my music teacher's room, which had only folding chairs, but no desks. The teacher told us that we'd be safe because even though there weren't any desks, her room was made out of thick cinder block.
Anyone else remember doing that kind of stuff in school?
September 10, 2008
While watching Top Design
Am I the only person who, when walking around in places that I frequent, still looks for the fallout shelter signs on nearby buildings?
Working on the 57th floor of Pittsburgh's tallest building, I figure that I'm gonna die anyway if a bomb hits, but at least I know where to go if I'm waiting for the bus.
Except, according to a city website I just read, the placards no longer are accurate as the buildings are being used for other things. Screw it. I'm still heading to the church across the street from Steel.
Working on the 57th floor of Pittsburgh's tallest building, I figure that I'm gonna die anyway if a bomb hits, but at least I know where to go if I'm waiting for the bus.
Except, according to a city website I just read, the placards no longer are accurate as the buildings are being used for other things. Screw it. I'm still heading to the church across the street from Steel.
August 9, 2008
I am craving fast food.
Not any particular fast food chain, mind you, but just the greasy convenience of fast food.
I don't know why. But I want it.
I shouldn't eat it, and I don't really have the money budgeted for it, but I am craving it.
aaaaaargh
I don't know why. But I want it.
I shouldn't eat it, and I don't really have the money budgeted for it, but I am craving it.
aaaaaargh
August 1, 2008
July 11, 2008
Because it calls for repeating
I don't consider myself really crunchy. At least not compared to the rest of the Internet and blogging world.
I drive a car. -1,000 crunchy points
I love, love, love my Diet Pepsi. -500 crunchy points
And oh, how I hate granola. Automatically lose the game
But I try. Really. I do.
I used to grow my own vegetables (well, until I took a new job and had no green space in the new apartment), try to buy only local produce (which does get pretty limiting come winter, hence the word "try"), and generally would rather walk than drive (yay for the bus!).
I hate the hautiness of it all. I hate the competitive game of how you must do X,Y and Z, and you must love your menses, and how you just completely fail if you consider doing anything but all that's crunchy, all the time.
I'm human. I can't be like Barbara Kingsolver and go live in Appalachia for a year and make my own wheat and kill my own chickens and collect eggs every morning. Mainly because I'm pretty sure that my city's ordinances don't allow me to keep chickens -- especially not in an apartment.
I drive a car. -1,000 crunchy points
I love, love, love my Diet Pepsi. -500 crunchy points
And oh, how I hate granola. Automatically lose the game
But I try. Really. I do.
I used to grow my own vegetables (well, until I took a new job and had no green space in the new apartment), try to buy only local produce (which does get pretty limiting come winter, hence the word "try"), and generally would rather walk than drive (yay for the bus!).
I hate the hautiness of it all. I hate the competitive game of how you must do X,Y and Z, and you must love your menses, and how you just completely fail if you consider doing anything but all that's crunchy, all the time.
I'm human. I can't be like Barbara Kingsolver and go live in Appalachia for a year and make my own wheat and kill my own chickens and collect eggs every morning. Mainly because I'm pretty sure that my city's ordinances don't allow me to keep chickens -- especially not in an apartment.
June 16, 2008
Like, whoa
I've always seen whipped cream -- the real stuff, not the stuff that comes in the aerosol can -- as being horribly difficult and time consumimg.
So tonight, to go with my stawberry shortcake, I decided I'd just sit down and whip it while watching the Next Food Network Star. I thought it would take a while.
Imagine my surprise when I suddenly had whipped cream.
So tonight, to go with my stawberry shortcake, I decided I'd just sit down and whip it while watching the Next Food Network Star. I thought it would take a while.
Imagine my surprise when I suddenly had whipped cream.
June 15, 2008
Dear Furball:
I know that as the house cat, you consider it your duty to help while I am cooking. Let's go over, again, what helping isn't. Helping is not swarming in the Human's legs as she is ladleing boiling hot jam, thus causing her to spill boiling hot jam all over her left thumb. This will result in the Human swearing both at the jam and you. It will not get you dinner any sooner.
No love,
The Human
I know that as the house cat, you consider it your duty to help while I am cooking. Let's go over, again, what helping isn't. Helping is not swarming in the Human's legs as she is ladleing boiling hot jam, thus causing her to spill boiling hot jam all over her left thumb. This will result in the Human swearing both at the jam and you. It will not get you dinner any sooner.
No love,
The Human
June 13, 2008
May 3, 2008
February 10, 2008
February 7, 2008
February 1, 2008
What I Learned Tonight, By Amy, Age 28
Letting oil heat on the stove for five minutes while pre-registering for an EKG is a Very Bad Idea. This will result in foot-high flames shooting out of the pot, and momentary panic while trying to remember what you're supposed to do with grease fires.
Which in turn results in filling the apartment with smoke. And realizing that one's smoke detector apparently doesn't work all that well, since the smoke is burning one's throat and the smoke detector isn't going off.
And thus making the decision that tomorrow, when buying a fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, and some bedroom shelving, that we are buying another smoke detector and a ladder so we can change the smoke detector batteries.
Which in turn results in filling the apartment with smoke. And realizing that one's smoke detector apparently doesn't work all that well, since the smoke is burning one's throat and the smoke detector isn't going off.
And thus making the decision that tomorrow, when buying a fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, and some bedroom shelving, that we are buying another smoke detector and a ladder so we can change the smoke detector batteries.
January 7, 2008
I Don't Like Mondays
So, after the lovely experiences of the afternoon, I was very eager to get to my car -- after stayiing somewhat late to make up for taking time during the day for said appointment -- and go home.
I pull out of the parking lot, and notice that the car's handling kind of funny. I don't think anything of it, and just figure that it's some sort of alignment issue that can surely wait until the weekend to fix.
Except then I pull onto PA 885 and notice that I have no control of the car.
So I pull back off PA 885 and park outside UPMC Mercy.
Dead front tire. A snow tire. Easily a $125 tire to replace.
And I can't pull the damn lugnuts off so I can change the damn tire. So I call AAA.
"Your account is suspended."
What? Apparently, when I sent in my renewal information, the New York club neglected to forward that information to the Pennsylvania club, and my account was suspended. So I pay $47.50 to reinstate my membership. And get someone out to change the dead tire.
The guy comes and changes my tire. Says I'm his third one of the night.
Turns out I ran over a screw, and the tire's not completely dead. A patch kit will fix it, he says, and I should be able to get someone to do it cheaply. More importantly, I don't need a new tire.
And then I come home and discover that I have another bill for Verizon. For services they're not providing.
This bill says it is a final bill, and that it will be forwarded to a collection agency if not paid in full. But then states that they actually owe me $77.75, and I will have a check in five days.
I guess that's my bright side for today. And Abby didn't destroy the apartment, so that's also OK. And I have a beer, so that's OK, too.
I pull out of the parking lot, and notice that the car's handling kind of funny. I don't think anything of it, and just figure that it's some sort of alignment issue that can surely wait until the weekend to fix.
Except then I pull onto PA 885 and notice that I have no control of the car.
So I pull back off PA 885 and park outside UPMC Mercy.
Dead front tire. A snow tire. Easily a $125 tire to replace.
And I can't pull the damn lugnuts off so I can change the damn tire. So I call AAA.
"Your account is suspended."
What? Apparently, when I sent in my renewal information, the New York club neglected to forward that information to the Pennsylvania club, and my account was suspended. So I pay $47.50 to reinstate my membership. And get someone out to change the dead tire.
The guy comes and changes my tire. Says I'm his third one of the night.
Turns out I ran over a screw, and the tire's not completely dead. A patch kit will fix it, he says, and I should be able to get someone to do it cheaply. More importantly, I don't need a new tire.
And then I come home and discover that I have another bill for Verizon. For services they're not providing.
This bill says it is a final bill, and that it will be forwarded to a collection agency if not paid in full. But then states that they actually owe me $77.75, and I will have a check in five days.
I guess that's my bright side for today. And Abby didn't destroy the apartment, so that's also OK. And I have a beer, so that's OK, too.
January 1, 2008
Movies Watched in 2008
1. Atonement -- Very good. I think I liked it better than the book, but I need to read the book again.
2. Juno -- Loved it.
3. Hairspray -- Not nearly as good as the original movie. I think I would have liked it more had I not seen the original movie.
4. Jesus Camp -- I learned two things. First, evangelical Christians are batshit crazy. Second, I'm never moving to Missouri. Also: It's very scary to me that these people vote.
5. Ma Vie en Rose -- Very good. It came out in 1997, and I've wanted to see it for a while.
6. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days -- OMG. Really. It was such an incredible movie, and yet so painful to watch. I actually called my mother about 20 minutes into, and was furious. No woman should ever, ever have to have an abortion in a hotel room, or sleep with someone in order to have said abortion.
7. Sex in the City -- It was good. I was disappointed with the ending -- Hey! Men are jackasses, but if you marry them, it's all good. Good clothes and bags, though. I still want the tutu.
8. Gone Baby Gone -- Eh, it was OK. I probably should read the book.
9. Margot at the Wedding -- I understood the movie until the final scene. I even actually liked the movie up until that point. But how does someone just get on a bus without paying?
2. Juno -- Loved it.
3. Hairspray -- Not nearly as good as the original movie. I think I would have liked it more had I not seen the original movie.
4. Jesus Camp -- I learned two things. First, evangelical Christians are batshit crazy. Second, I'm never moving to Missouri. Also: It's very scary to me that these people vote.
5. Ma Vie en Rose -- Very good. It came out in 1997, and I've wanted to see it for a while.
6. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days -- OMG. Really. It was such an incredible movie, and yet so painful to watch. I actually called my mother about 20 minutes into, and was furious. No woman should ever, ever have to have an abortion in a hotel room, or sleep with someone in order to have said abortion.
7. Sex in the City -- It was good. I was disappointed with the ending -- Hey! Men are jackasses, but if you marry them, it's all good. Good clothes and bags, though. I still want the tutu.
8. Gone Baby Gone -- Eh, it was OK. I probably should read the book.
9. Margot at the Wedding -- I understood the movie until the final scene. I even actually liked the movie up until that point. But how does someone just get on a bus without paying?
Books Read in 2008
1. White Oleander, Janet Fitch -- this book was seriously screwed up.
2. Cocktails for Three, Madeline Wickham -- By the same author as the Shopaholic series. You can tell this was one of her first books (or at least I'm assuming it was, since it originally came out in 2000). The plot line was kind of thin, and rather predictable. An entertaining read, however.
3. Shopaholic and Baby, Sophie Kinsella -- A light, entertaining read. I've loved the others in the series, and this didn't disappoint. A pleasant change from public health.
4. Choice and Coercion, Johanna Schoen -- Reading for my grad class. Shocking. Forces one to rexamine privilege automatically granted by being a woman growing up in the late 20th century.
5. Animal Dreams, Barbara Kingsolver -- I'm starting to realize that most of her books follow the same plot line. Young woman confronts what she remembers from her past, sees that her recollection may not necessarily be accurate, and deals with it all. Usually in Arizona.
6. Hot Zone, Robert Preston -- Interesting read. Another mandatory book for the grad class. Two words: Contact precautions!
7. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver -- I had started this in 2007, and finally bothered to finish it. See plot description for Animal Dreams.
8. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert -- It was OK, but I was generally underwhelmed. Of course she found true love at the end! I do want to travel to Bali, though.
9. Freakonomics, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner -- Very interesting. I'm not sure if I'd want to own it, or if I would take any of it as the gospel truth, but it certainly presented a new view on the world.
10. Buy, Buy, Baby, Susan Gregory Thomas -- Eh. I think this book had the potential to be very interesting, and it totally didn't live up to its potential. She wrote it like she was writing a thesis. I don't care if it was a thesis; when you're marketing a book as something consumer-oriented, at least make the book read like it could be interesting. Blah.
11. Color Stories, Mary Lisa Gavenas -- I'm pretty sure that I shouldn't have been finished with the book and thinking, "oooh! I want lip gloss!" But I was. It was a very interesting book about the cosmetic industry and how it lures women in, but I really just kept thinking about how long it had been since I bought makeup. I still want lip gloss.
12. The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan -- Very good. Worth the wait on the library reserve list. I probably shouldn't have read about slaughtering chickens while eating chicken and corn chowder, however. I'd consider buying it, and it definitely made me think about the food I eat, and whether organic is really such a good thing, and where to draw the lines between organic from far away, and pesticide ridden from Butler County.
13. The Overspent American, Juliet Schor -- Pretty good. An interesting insight into why people buy so damn much. I was disappointed with the ending, though. It kind of just stopped, and I was confused.
14. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi -- Excellent. I checked it out from Northland Saturday afternoon and finished it that night. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about Iran -- or even the Middle East, in general. I have the movie in my Netflix queue, but wanted to read the book first.
15. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Sophie Kinsella -- This was the first Shopaholic book that disappointed me. How could someone have so much going for her (Becky, not Kinsella) and blow it through such stupid, stupid actions? I was happy with the ending, but the book really did frustrate me.
16. Th1rteen R3asons Why, Jay Asher -- I requested this young adult book from the library after my mother read it while I was home for a week's vacation. Asher's use of conversation -- through the tapes from Hannah and Clay's internal thoughts -- makes the book move very quickly. It was mindblowingly awesome, and really illustrated some of the social problems in today's schools.
17. All the Days of Her Life, Lurlene McDaniel -- Go ahead. Laugh. I loved McDaniel when I was in middle school and late elementary school. I mainly had read the Dawn Rochelle series (what girl hadn't), and somehow had never picked up the One Last Wish series. Looking at the publication date, it's 1994, which explains why. The inside cover calls it an "inspiring series" but I was wondering why this poor girl was on such a strict regimen of two shots a day, when there was much better technology available in the late 80s and early 90s.
2. Cocktails for Three, Madeline Wickham -- By the same author as the Shopaholic series. You can tell this was one of her first books (or at least I'm assuming it was, since it originally came out in 2000). The plot line was kind of thin, and rather predictable. An entertaining read, however.
3. Shopaholic and Baby, Sophie Kinsella -- A light, entertaining read. I've loved the others in the series, and this didn't disappoint. A pleasant change from public health.
4. Choice and Coercion, Johanna Schoen -- Reading for my grad class. Shocking. Forces one to rexamine privilege automatically granted by being a woman growing up in the late 20th century.
5. Animal Dreams, Barbara Kingsolver -- I'm starting to realize that most of her books follow the same plot line. Young woman confronts what she remembers from her past, sees that her recollection may not necessarily be accurate, and deals with it all. Usually in Arizona.
6. Hot Zone, Robert Preston -- Interesting read. Another mandatory book for the grad class. Two words: Contact precautions!
7. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver -- I had started this in 2007, and finally bothered to finish it. See plot description for Animal Dreams.
8. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert -- It was OK, but I was generally underwhelmed. Of course she found true love at the end! I do want to travel to Bali, though.
9. Freakonomics, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner -- Very interesting. I'm not sure if I'd want to own it, or if I would take any of it as the gospel truth, but it certainly presented a new view on the world.
10. Buy, Buy, Baby, Susan Gregory Thomas -- Eh. I think this book had the potential to be very interesting, and it totally didn't live up to its potential. She wrote it like she was writing a thesis. I don't care if it was a thesis; when you're marketing a book as something consumer-oriented, at least make the book read like it could be interesting. Blah.
11. Color Stories, Mary Lisa Gavenas -- I'm pretty sure that I shouldn't have been finished with the book and thinking, "oooh! I want lip gloss!" But I was. It was a very interesting book about the cosmetic industry and how it lures women in, but I really just kept thinking about how long it had been since I bought makeup. I still want lip gloss.
12. The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan -- Very good. Worth the wait on the library reserve list. I probably shouldn't have read about slaughtering chickens while eating chicken and corn chowder, however. I'd consider buying it, and it definitely made me think about the food I eat, and whether organic is really such a good thing, and where to draw the lines between organic from far away, and pesticide ridden from Butler County.
13. The Overspent American, Juliet Schor -- Pretty good. An interesting insight into why people buy so damn much. I was disappointed with the ending, though. It kind of just stopped, and I was confused.
14. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi -- Excellent. I checked it out from Northland Saturday afternoon and finished it that night. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about Iran -- or even the Middle East, in general. I have the movie in my Netflix queue, but wanted to read the book first.
15. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Sophie Kinsella -- This was the first Shopaholic book that disappointed me. How could someone have so much going for her (Becky, not Kinsella) and blow it through such stupid, stupid actions? I was happy with the ending, but the book really did frustrate me.
16. Th1rteen R3asons Why, Jay Asher -- I requested this young adult book from the library after my mother read it while I was home for a week's vacation. Asher's use of conversation -- through the tapes from Hannah and Clay's internal thoughts -- makes the book move very quickly. It was mindblowingly awesome, and really illustrated some of the social problems in today's schools.
17. All the Days of Her Life, Lurlene McDaniel -- Go ahead. Laugh. I loved McDaniel when I was in middle school and late elementary school. I mainly had read the Dawn Rochelle series (what girl hadn't), and somehow had never picked up the One Last Wish series. Looking at the publication date, it's 1994, which explains why. The inside cover calls it an "inspiring series" but I was wondering why this poor girl was on such a strict regimen of two shots a day, when there was much better technology available in the late 80s and early 90s.
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