Say It Somehow

Tales from Doggie Day Camp

2008-11-08T14:43:00.003-05:00

Ernie is spending 3 and 1/2 weeks with my folks, since I am traveling so much for work this month. My mom sends me pictures of him and updates on his daily activites. Here's today's update:

I said to the two dogs [my Ernie and my parents' Bert] this morning, 'Want a Jumbone?' and the two of them starting jumping around like lunatics. I opened the cabinet to get them out, only to find that there was only one left in the bag. So I walked over to the regular Milkbone jar, and took one of them out for Ernie. I handed Bert the Jumbone, and she proceeded to run onto her bed in the bedroom, where she ceremoniously eats all of her Jumbones. Then I tried to give Ernie the Milkbone. He sniffed it, looked at me, walked over to the still-open cabinet and rested his head on the Jumbone shelf. I had to go down the basement and get a new package out for him so that he didn't continue to stand there, head in the Jumbone cabinet, for the rest of the day. Whatta goof!

Bert and Ernie

TWC: Upcoming Performance

2008-10-24T18:30:00.008-04:00

BACH Mass in B Minor
Sunday, November 16, 2008
5 PM
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
Julian Wachner brings his expertise in the world of early music to one of the greatest masterworks of all time. Performed with internationally-renowned artists, don’t miss your opportunity to hear the crowning achievement of Bach’s life and a tour-de-force in the choral repertoire.

Plus, INSIDE THE SCORE
Saturday, November 15, 2008
10 AM - 1 PM
Georgetown Day School
4200 Davenport Road NW
Washington, DC 20016
Don't miss TWC's newest program! An annotated open rehearsal and masterclass with the chorus and soloists. Admission is free to anyone with a ticket to the performance.

Indian Summer

2008-10-12T20:47:00.012-04:00

I had a fantastic holiday weekend with Lee. The weather was perfectly amazing and the weekend was chock-full of nuttiness.

Friday started with lunch at Ruby Tuesday, then off to Jumbo's Pumpkin Patch. We roamed around the farm, took a hayride, and picked our own pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

The highlight of Jumbo’s was the corn maze. We were told it took most people 30 to 40 minutes to complete the maze, assuming they didn’t get lost. So, we paid our $4 and into the corn we went!

We roamed through the maze for around for about 15 minutes before somehow ending up back at the entrance. Oops. We tried heading a different direction, but landed at a dead end. About 15 feet through the corn, we could see another part of the path, so Lee suggested we cut through the corn and see where that path led. I didn’t object, so we took a detour into the corn and found ourselves in a new part of the maze. We continued around a bend and, shockingly, found ourselves at the maze’s exit. Huh? We just looked at one another and burst into hysterical laugher. Victory (albeit dishonestly achieved) was ours!

When the hay ride returned a few minutes later to pick us up, the tractor driver said, “I’ve never seen anyone get through the maze so quickly! How did you do it?” Lee convincingly replied, “I’m not really sure, but we did run quite a bit, which helped. We made one bad turn and ended up at a dead end, but other than that, we were just really lucky in our choices, I guess.” She was completely dumbfounded.

Later, we went to see Quarantine. Pretty darn good horror flick! I jumped out of my seat and actually yelped out loud a few times, which I NEVER do at movies, but I couldn’t help myself. It was scary! Then we spent the evening sipping lattes and chatting at Baltimore Coffee and Tea.

Saturday, we had lunch at Thai Rice and went to Catoctin Colorfest, a farts and crap show in Thurmont. All I can say is: what a bunch of over-priced junk! There wasn’t one thing I would even consider buying, yet most people were ambling around with armloads of stuff. Madness! But Lee and I had a good time walking around, people-watching, and laughing at the country crap for sale. Our favorite thing was a ridiculous plaque with hand-painted letters reading, “God Bless the Moon – and God Bless...” then a piece of paper taped to the plaque, with a scribble: “YOUR CHILD’S NAME HERE.” Who’s buying that?!

We stopped again at Baltimore Coffee for another caffeinated beverage and a long talk on the patio. That night, we ordered pizza from the local pizza shop and stayed in to watch DVDs.

Today, we did some window shopping in downtown Frederick and had lunch at Proof, before making one final visit to Baltimore Coffee and heading off to the airport.

A perfect way to spend a long weekend.

Drugged-up Pup

2008-10-07T19:34:00.005-04:00

I'm happy to report that Ernie is home and recovering nicely from his hectic day at the vet's office. Well, maybe "recovering nicely" isn't completely accurate:

Using a squeaky pig as a pillow seems to help.

Doggie Drama

2008-10-07T09:36:00.002-04:00

Ernie is at the vet's office today getting his teeth cleaned and a lump removed from his neck. The procedures require Ernie to be anesthetized, so I had to sign a waiver stating that I understand there are risks associated with anesthetization. Of course, I've been fretting about this for the past few days. My mantra as I was getting ready today was, "He's gonna be fine...he's gonna be fine..."

So, Ernie and I walked into the vet's office first thing this morning, just in time to hear one of the vet techs saying to someone on the phone, "I know, I know...I'm so, so sorry....I know how much you loved him...He was a wonderful dog..." NOT what I wanted to hear. We almost turned around and left, but just then, another vet tech came out for Ernie and took him in the back. The tech returned a minute later to give me Ernie's collar and leash. I walked out of the building, got in my car, and started sobbing.

Say it with me: He's gonna be fine...he's gonna be fine...

MB News

2008-10-04T17:24:00.002-04:00

KB and I went to see Michael Buble in concert in Baltimore this week. His performance started off a little rough, almost like he was drunk, high, or had just woken up from a nap. But after a song or two, he finally got into performance mode and wowed the audience.

The set list included a two songs from his upcoming album, Stardust (one of my all-time favorites) and You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You.

Well Said!

2008-09-25T16:10:00.001-04:00

This made me laugh. And cry.

While witnessing, but not participating in, the home real estate frenzy in 2005 and 2006, I kept asking: Who is the idiot buying up all these mortgages issued on inflated home prices to all these people who have neither the capacity nor the intention to repay the loans?
Now I learn it was me.
TED THACKER
Ann Arbor, Mich.

Home Again

2008-09-17T20:44:00.002-04:00

I returned from my vacation at Cape May on Friday night. There’s not much to tell about the week, other than that it was wonderfully relaxing. I spent most days relaxing on the beach, reading or listening to music, or browsing around the town, enjoying the quaint shops and unique sights. Sadly, the beaches and many of the parks had “No Dogs Allowed” signs posted, but Ernie and I still enjoyed several long, leisurely walks each day.

Many thanks to my Aunt Judy and Uncle Al for allowing us to stay at their lovely home!

Mission Accomplished

2008-09-06T23:45:00.012-04:00

After many hours of work, much more than anticipated, including three hours of sweating, cursing and contorting to put up the new light fixture, my bathroom project is complete.

Before:

After:

Cape May and relaxation, here I come!

Let there be light

2008-09-05T01:29:00.003-04:00

Next time I have the bright idea of replacing a light fixture (pun intended), someone please take the drill out of my hand, stick it in my ear and pull the trigger.

On Holiday

2008-09-02T12:06:00.003-04:00

I'm officially on vacation. Well, I actually have a bit of work to wrap up today that I didn't get to last week, so I'll take care of that and then be done with work for two weeks. Two weeks!

Work has been complete chaos for the last few weeks, so it's not really registering that I don't have to do things on a strict schedule now. For instance, I just caught myself anxiously thinking, "Okay, I have to put in a load of laundry, then walk Ernie before it gets too hot, then make a list of things I need to get at Lowe's. Oh! Don't forget to call the chiropractor to make an appointment..." Sheesh! I want to smack myself and say, "Settle down!" It may take another day or two to get in vacation mode.

The first half of vacation will be spent re-doing the half bath on my main floor. I've been living with a Pepto-pink and teal bathroom since I bought the house over a year ago and I can't take it anymore:
Gross, ain't it? So far, I've replaced the ridiculous wooden toilet seat and done all of the prep work for painting: took down the ugly cabinet and mirror, removed the hardware from the walls, took down the hideous floral border, puttied the nail holes, etc. Now it's time to prime and paint. My colors are Oregon Coast and Wild Hawk. Geez, I sound like Julia Roberts' character, Shelby, in Steel Magnolias, talking about the color theme for her wedding:

Shelby: My colors are blush and bashful.
Shelby's mama: Her colors are pink and pink.

So, this week, I'll prime, paint, put up a new shelf, mirror and lighting fixture, add a few accents and voila! No more Pepto bathroom.

Then I'll go to PA to spend a few days with my folks, before heading to Cape May with Ernie next week. I'm looking forward to lazy days at the beach, swimming, reading, napping as necessary.

Ah, I'm already feeling more relaxed just thinking about it....

Weekend o' Fun 2008

2008-08-10T09:56:00.005-04:00

I took two days off last week to spend a long weekend with the gang from ONU.

I picked Lee up at the airport Thursday afternoon. Gurney and JD arrived from Ohio shortly after we got back to my house, and KB came by after work. That night, we had a late, great dinner at Bonefish, chatted a while on my deck, then called it a day.

Friday, we started off with sushi for lunch, shopping at Barnes and Nobles, then went to see a movie. KB and Gurney opted for Mamma Mia!, while JD, Lee and I saw X Files: I Want to Believe. Both were a complete waste of time. We went back to my house, relaxed for a bit, had a showtunes sing-along at the piano, went to a late dinner at IHOP (pancakes seem to taste better late at night), then KB, Gurney and I went to Pastimes to shake our groove thangs, while JD and Lee returned home. Apparently, their groove thangs were broken.

Saturday included lunch at California Tortilla, followed by several hours of shopping at Ikea. We all found great things to buy, except for Lee, who had to fly home and didn’t want to take a coffee table as a carry-on. We stopped at Bruster’s for ice cream on the way back to KB’s house. Thank God for peanut butter sauce on ice cream! That night, we opted to stay in, make dinner and drinks, and play games. Gurney made her famous chicken and stuffing casserole which took about 2 hours to cook because the oven wasn’t set at the right temperature. By the time it was finally done, we were all two sheets to the wind, since our bellies were rather empty and all we had to keep us satiated was sangria and pina coladas. Oops. But we had a great time playing Taboo and laughing till our sides ached.

Sunday, we had lunch at Ledo’s, then spent a few hours chatting and playing Trivial Pursuit: Awesome 80’s edition, before everyone had to get on the road.

Our weekends together are always a blast, but go by too fast. One of the funniest moments took place between Lee and JD:

Lee: I heard they’re bringing back Peewee’s Playhouse.
JD: Shut your mouth!
Lee: And they’re talking about doing two Peewee movies.
JD: My life has meaning!

Gurney enjoying three hot sauces at Cal Tort: Ass in Space, Ass in Antarctica, and Ass in the Tub.

Lee with his birthday gift: a gift card for Ikea, so he could buy that coffee table when he got home.

We wanted to take a group photo, so I set up my camera, turned on the timer, and positioned myself with everyone around the couch. Just then, Chloe wandered into the room and sat down right in front to the camera. It started buzzing to signal that the pciture was about to be taken, so Chloe turned to see what was causing the strange noise and Click! We have a shot of Chloe and her backup singers.

A Red-letter Day

2008-06-25T17:11:00.003-04:00

As of this month, I have just 100 payments left on my student loan. Woo-hoo! That seems so much more manageable than thinking of it in terms of the payoff date. No wonder I laugh out loud when I get letters from Ohio Northern University asking me to donate money. I'm tempted to take out a red marker, write DON'T BOTHER ASKING UNTIL AFTER OCTOBER 2016 in bold letters across the letter, and return to sender.

Norse God of Fire

2008-06-01T21:23:00.006-04:00

Meet Loki, the newest addition to the Fischer family and Dan's new best friend.

Girls' Weekend 2008

2008-05-20T17:14:00.003-04:00

Gurney came to town on Thursday and she, KB, and I spent the weekend eating, shopping, seeing Made of Honor (I was forced against my will), getting pedicures, eating some more, shopping some more...we even managed to get an hour or two of sleep here and there.

Friday night, we went to Cancun Cantina to hear a live band. The band was very entertaining, but the most memorable part of the evening was the other “entertainment”: two girls employed by the Cantina to walk around selling beer and shots, dressed in nothing but plaid string bikinis and leather chaps. Every once in a while, when a particularly suggestive song started to play, they would climb on the bar, grind on a stripper pole, shake their butts in men’s faces, then drench themselves with cold water, while the men hooted and drooled all over themselves. The whole thing made me angry. Some would probably call it jealousy, because I don’t have the body to do that sort of thing. Uh-uh. I hate that a woman would choose to demean herself – and all women – in such a way. It’s beyond my comprehension. But the weekend got even more demeaning for womankind...

Saturday, the three of us went to a dance for 30+ singles. We had no idea what to expect, but on the way there, we joked about seeing 50-somethings with bleached hair, dressed in their best sequins, and wall-to-wall comb-overs. Unfortunately, that would have been better than what we actually faced. The place was packed with creepy old men and, even worse, skanky, gold-digging women, their fake boobs hanging out of extremely low-cut dresses. It was seriously depressing, so we didn’t stay long. Apropos to the evening, we stopped at Hooters for a late-night snack on our way home.

Though it may sound like a disappointing weekend, it was anything but. The three of us had a great time, as always.

Three beautiful ladies at the dance (and a fat finger in front of the lense):

KB and I at Hooters - our first time ever!

City of Brotherly Love

2008-04-21T12:29:00.015-04:00

At last Spring’s annual auction for The Washington Chorus, I was the winning bidder on a live auction item which included a hotel stay in Philadelphia, concert tickets to a performance of the Philadelphia Singers, and a tour of the city with the group's musical director, David, who was a guest conductor for TWC last year. Well, I finally cashed in on the prize this weekend.

KB and I headed to Philadelphia on Saturday. Our trip started at 11:30, as we left my house with plans to stop for lunch along the way, arrive at the hotel around 3:00, check in, then go meet David at a rehearsal he was running for an upcoming performance of Mahler 8. We opted for lunch at Friendly’s, which offered tasty food, but horrific service, as is often the case at Friendly’s. If it weren’t for their Reese’s Pieces sundaes, I wouldn’t set foot in any of their restaurants again.

We got back on the road and arrived in Philly to find a Phillies game about to start, and us in the middle of stadium traffic. Once through it, we made it downtown to get stuck in even worse traffic. We spent close to an hour trying to cross just a handful of blocks to our hotel, avoiding Obama and Hillary demonstrators in the streets, as well as the buses that brought them to the city throughout the week. I left a voicemail for David, saying we weren’t going to make it to his rehearsal, and asking him to call when he was free, so we could make alternate plans. He called a few minutes later and we arranged to meet him in our hotel lobby at 5:00.

KB and I checked in, went to our room to drop our bags and clean up a bit, then back down to the lobby to meet David. He greeted us warmly and off we went on a walking tour of the city.

We walked many blocks, past beautiful historical and architectural sights, enjoying David’s educated and witty commentary about the city. Without a doubt, he offered more fascinating insight than you could expect from the best guidebook or any professional tour guide.

We decided to break at a quaint Belgian pub, where we sidled up to the bar and each chose a beer from their extensive selection; 325 options, to be exact. We talked for a few hours about all things musical: David’s involvement with Curtis, Mannes and the Philadelphia Singers, The Washington Chorus’ extensive search for a new conductor, what KB and I can do as singers to get work as professional soloists, etc.

Now, my closest friends are well aware of my...um..."fondness" for conductors. It all started with John DiCostanzo, my conductor for The Mikado at ONU. It continued with Harry Davidson, the conductor I studied with at the University of Akron. But my fondness hit its peak with David. How could it not? He’s a brilliant conductor with a great sense of humor, and his endearingly crooked smile certainly doesn’t hurt matters. I’d be lying if I said this fondness didn’t motivate me in a small way to bid on this very item at the auction last year.

So there I was, sitting next to David, enjoying a fantastic Belgian beer, laughing, talking like old friends, his hand occasionally resting on my arm to emphasize a particularly vital bit of a story. Then, it happened.

As David talked about his insane rehearsal schedule, bouncing back and forth from Philly to New York every week, KB said, “I don’t suppose you have any pets with that schedule.” David replied, “Well, my partner has a cat and a bird....”

Wait. Did he just say partner? As in life partner? As in... he's gay? At that point, I realized David’s lips were still moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying, and everything around us went kind of fuzzy. Okay, so of course I had my suspicions. I mean, how many unmarried, good looking, successful musicians in their 40s are straight? I knew from experience that the odds weren’t in my favor, but I decided to be optimistic for a change. It’s not that I expected to live happily ever after with him by ANY means, but it was fun to live the fantasy, if only for a weekend. Somehow, I managed not to fall off my barstool and pull myself back into the conversation, but the word "partner" was still echoing in my head.

We finished our beers and headed back out for a bit more sightseeing before returning to the hotel. We said our goodbyes for the night and KB and I thanked David for the fantastic tour, then headed up to the room to freshen up before going to a late dinner at Caribou Café (a recommendation from David). As you might suspect, KB and I had a lot to discuss; we talked and laughed about the day’s events over dinner and into the night.

On Sunday, KB and I went out for coffee, then enjoyed a leisurely stroll and lunch at Reading Terminal Market. We returned to the hotel, dressed for the concert, checked out, then walked to the Kimmel Center to meet David. He gave us our tickets, we chatted briefly, then KB and I thanked him for his hospitality before saying goodbye.

The concert opened with Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3 (“Kaddish”). It included narration by a holocaust survivor that was painfully stirring. Thank God for the tissues in my purse. The second half of the concert was a Korngold symphony, but we opted to leave at intermission. We both wanted to hear The Philadelphia Singers, who performed only during Kaddish, so we were ready to get on the road and head home. Which we did, arriving at my place around 6:30.

A very enjoyable, very memorable weekend.

Land that I love

2008-03-28T14:41:00.006-04:00

Last night, I attended an Ohio Northern University Alumni Dinner at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in D.C. There were about 80 alums in attendence and the only people I knew were KB and Marty Cosgrove, which was perfectly fine by me. The food was great, the wine was flowing, and we all enjoyed ourselves.

Afterwards, the three of us headed home via the Metro. As we approached the Metro platform to wait for our train, we heard a loud voice shouting from the opposite side of the platform. It was a black man "preaching" about race and the upcoming election. We couldn't make out a lot of what he was saying, but were able to catch a few key words: white people...enslaved the black man...Obama...hate for the white man. Marty said he wished he had a sermon prepared that he could preach back at the guy. I said, "Well, we could sing something." KB liked the idea as well, so we spontaneously started singing God Bless America.

We were a little shy at first, but by the time we got a few lines into it and found people looking our way with smiles of approval, we really let 'er rip. An older gentleman sitting on a nearby bench took his hat off and placed it on the ground at our feet.

By the time we finished the song, the preacher's train had come and gone, but the people standing around us applauded our performance. As the gentleman picked up his hat, he thanked us and said, "That was just great!"

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T22:19:00.003-04:00

I spent a lovely Easter day at my house with my parents, Dan, Bert and Ernie. We talked, watched movies, and ate. Mom brought homemade cole slaw and I made ham and scalloped potatoes, asparagus with balsamic butter sauce, biscuits, and coconut cream cake. Everything turned out perfectly, but the cake, well, took the cake.

A Belated Happy New Year

2008-02-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

My first post in three months? Shame, shame.

Well, I arrived in Philadelphia today and will be spending the week here on business. With a little time to myself this evening and no desire to watch TV, read, or go to the fitness center, I figured now is as good a time as any to post. So here are the highlights of the past three months in a bulleted list:

I turned 33. That's always been my lucky number, so I'm counting on this to be a particularly lucky year.
I sang a fabulous concert with The Washington Chorus. If you don't know Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem, you should.
I spent a week in San Diego on business. It was my first time there and I found it to be just as beautiful as I'd hoped. The best part of the trip was spending an evening on a yacht owned by a business associate. We ate, drank, chatted and laughed as we sailed the bay, past the USS Ronald Reagan and HMS Surprise.
Football season came and went. The Steelers went 10-6, then lost their first post-season game.
I've spent a lot of time at concerts and the theater: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Don Giovanni, Avenue Q, Messiah, and Spamalot.
I spent Christmas in PA with my folks. Traditional and wonderful, as always.
2008 came in with a yawn.

And here it is, February already. What's coming up on the calendar?

A visit from Jonathan in a few weeks.
Another performance with The Washington Chorus.
A return to Philadelphia for a day with David Hayes and a concert: Bernstein, Symphony No. 3, Kaddish.

Poo Or Treat?

2007-11-05T16:42:00.000-05:00

I’m almost a week late on the topic of Halloween, but I really want to share my Halloween experience.

This year was my first Halloween in my new house and the first time I’ve ever given out candy. In previous years, I lived in apartments or houses that, for whatever reason, kids didn’t visit. Being in a neighborhood now with tons of kids around, I knew the crumb crushers (as my grandfather called them) would be banging down my door on Halloween. So I armed myself with three big bags of Milky Ways, Kit-Kats and Lifesaver Gummis.

I started out letting the trick-or-treaters ring my doorbell, but two things put a stop to that. The first was Ernie. He’s never been overly fond of children and it certainly didn’t help when they showed up on his doorstep in weird outfits and masks. Twice, I had to use my thigh to pin his snout against the door jam when he tried to stick his nose out the door to nibble on someone. Then there was the poop bag incident.

"Poop bag," you say? Let me explain. Being a considerate dog owner, I always take a grocery bag with me when I walk Ernie to pick up after him. Since there are no community garbage cans in our neighborhood, and since I myself don’t have an outdoor garbage can, I just toss the “poop bags” next to my front stoop until trash day. I had three days worth of poop bags on Halloween, waiting for the trash pickup the next morning. Now back to the night in question…

Around the fifth or sixth ring of the doorbell, I opened the door to two boys, the older about 8, the younger, maybe 5. As I opened the storm door and pulled the inside door most of the way shut behind me (which I had to do each time, or Ernie would have been feasting on a youngster), the two boys backed up to allow the storm door to open a bit wider. The younger boy forgot there were steps behind him and wound up tripping down them, falling into the poop bags, face first.

His Skittles and lollipops and Snickers went everywhere. Sure, the poop bags were tied shut, but his face was right there, resting on them. I stood on my stoop, completely frozen, mouth hanging open, as he lay there, motionless, among the poop bags. It seemed like an eternity before he showed any signs of life and before I could wake myself from shocked immobility. Finally, I dropped my bucket of candy and rushed to help him up, just as his father ran up the walkway to do the same.

"“Are you okay?" I asked as I helped him up. In a tiny, feeble voice, desperately trying to hold back tears, he said, "Yeah. “Well, you deserve extra candy for surviving that,” I said as a dropped a big handful of treats into his bag. The father helped the boy pick up the scattered candy and held his son’s hand as they walked to the next house.

From that point on, I sat on the front stoop to hand out my candy. All three bags were gone in under 40 minutes. Luckily, there was a lull when I only had two Milky Ways left, so I ducked inside and turned off my patio light to signal that I was out of the game, and enjoyed the last two treats.

Next year, I’ll have more candy, start on the stoop, and make sure there’s no poop in sight.

From the Mind of JD

2007-09-27T16:14:00.000-04:00

An email I received from Jonathan earlier this week:

Subject: I dreamed a dream...
Sorry I didn’t call you this weekend, I meant to, but now I’m glad I waited to say hey, because I have dreamed the greatest dream that I have ever dreamed or could ever hope to dream, and I have to share it with you, because you’re the only person in the entire world who will get how wonderful this dream was!

To begin, this dream was a culmination of at least two things that have happened recently, being (a) my discovery of the release of the new Elizabeth and (b) me hearing Ian McKellen perform passages of King Lear on NPR.
So in this dream, I’m following Jean-Luc Picard (oh yes, probably because Patrick Stewart played opposite McKellen in X-Men), who is flying a highly-powerful and experimental ship, the Schnitterbahn (not to be confused with the Texas waterpark, but I want to say that there’s a fair ride by that name). McKellen was captaining the Enterprise in Picard’s stead, but it was an elaborate rouse to seize control of the Schnitterbahn. McKellen killed most of the crew of the Enterprise (thank GOD!) and threw down the gauntlet to Picard by smashing up the Schnitterbahn and demanding a surrender. Picard evacuated the failing Schnitterbahn, whose crew included my sister. In a dramatic moment, Picard delivers his (apparently) last captain’s log, of which I only remember, "The Schnitterbahn is spent, her defenses weak." After finishing, Picard sets the transporter to put him on the bridge of the Enterprise only briefly enough to hand-deliver a note to McKellen with only two words written on it, "Single combat." OMG, I have chills. Picard sets the Schnitterbahn to self-destruct so that whether or not he is defeated, McKellen will be. At this point, the actress who played "Bloody" Mary in the first Elizabeth appears (love her, great comedic actress in the Absolutely Fabulous series), but with Cate Blanchett’s voice. She implores (love that word) Picard not to destroy himself, of which I only remember, "Whatever wrongs you may have known, whatever ills this world has delivered upon you, know this..." It was at this point I woke up, realized that I woke up, and screamed, "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" I’ll never have that recipe again! I'll never know what happened to Picard! Cate's words of absolution will never be heard!

Okay, back to boring reality! Later!

I was laughing so hard, it turned into tears and two co-workers stopped by my office to make sure I was okay. Thanks for sharing, JD!

Home

2007-09-17T11:35:00.000-04:00

And what a fantastically revitalizing week it was. Ernie and I left last Friday and drove five hours to Stamford, CT. We drove the rest of the way (six hours) on Saturday and arrived in Belgrade Lakes, ME around 4:00 p.m. The cabin was everything I’d hoped it would be—rustic, cozy, comfortable, nestled perfectly in the woods between Belgrade Steam and Great Pond, just far enough out of reach from the rest of the world.

The dock on Great Pond:

View of Great Pond from the dock:

View of the stream from the cabin's back porch:

The boathouse on the stream:

Stream view from the boathouse dock:

It was still sunny and warm when we arrived, so I quickly unloaded the car, unpacked my bathing suit and beach towel, and headed for the clear water of Great Pond. Ernie could not figure out what I was doing, but his curiosity was not enough to get him in the water. I told him he was a sorry excuse for a Lab, but he didn’t seem to mind the insult.

It rained hard all day on Sunday. No matter though. I spent the day reading and being lulled into occasional napping by the sound of raindrops on the roof. A disturbance came when I heard a "tap-tap-tap" coming from somewhere in the cabin. After hunting for the cause of the sound, I found that the fireplace was leaking and the entire hearth was soaked. I dug out a dish pan and old bucket from under the kitchen sink, positioned them in the fireplace to catch the dripping water, and called the rental agency. The voice at the other end of the line said he would call the owners to let them know what was happening, then apologized for the inconvenience. No trouble, really, although it didn’t look at though I’d be enjoying a fire anytime soon.

Monday was another relaxing day of reading, watching movies, browsing through the knick-knack shops in town, and walking in the woods with Ernie.

It rained all day on Tuesday, but I decided to venture out to Freeport anyway. Umbrella in hand, I browsed the beautiful town all day, spending most of my time in L.L.Bean. Man, I love that place! I would gladly take any piece of clothing, any shoes, any...anything...they sell. I bought a computer desk online from L.L.Bean about a year ago. I recently noticed the top of the desk had split, most likely from the heat generated by my laptop. When this was explained in an email to customer service, they apologized and offered a refund or exchange, my choice. Rather than trying to figure out a way to return a piece of furniture by mail, and knowing I’d be in Freeport sometime during my vacation, I decided I’d bring it with me and return it in person. So I went to the service desk, explained the situation and said I had the desk out in my car. I told her that I didn’t bring it in right away because (1) it was too much for me to carry by myself, and (2) it was raining and I’d hoped to find a drop-off location with easy access to the store. The woman was so friendly and kind. She arranged to have a refund check sent ASAP, then explained where I could drop the desk off. "Normally we ask that you drop off the item first, but it’s gross out there today and I don’t want to make you run around in the rain any more than you need to." Perfect! When I dropped the desk off at the loading area, I pointed out the crack in the wood. "Oh, yeah, I see it. But we don't ask why you're returning anything. If you aren't happy, we aren't happy and we'll take it back."

Wednesday was gorgeous. I made an omelet and toast for breakfast, then ate and read on the dock, enjoying the beautiful day. Life doesn’t get much better than that. In the evening, Chris and Angel (or as I prefer to call her, Big Yeller Dog) came down for a visit from Bangor. I showed them the cabin, the stream, the lake, and without hesitation, Angel dove off the dock into the water. I could hardly believe it! I told Ernie, "See? That’s what a real Lab does!"

Chris and I went into Waterville for dinner and a movie. We saw 3:10 to Yuma and both loved it. After coming across a fox, a raccoon and deer on the dark roads that night, we took our time getting home. Since it was after midnight when we walked in the door, and the hour-and-a-half drive back to Bangor wasn’t very appealing, Chris opted to crash at the cabin for the night.

Thursday, the weather was absolutely perfect; clear, blue skies and no more than 70 degrees. I got up with the dogs and let them out to romp in the woods while I sat on the porch, sipping coffee and reading. When Chris awoke, we chatted for a while, then went into town for an outdoor lunch, before he and Angel headed back home. Ernie and I spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching movies.

Friday, I spent the morning packing and cleaning up the cabin. Then Ernie and I enjoyed lunch on the dock before getting on the road around 2:45 p.m., bound for home. I initially thought we’d stop for the night somewhere to break up the trip for Ernie, but he seemed perfectly content in the back seat, so we just kept on driving. We arrived home at 1:20 a.m. on Saturday morning.

An absolutely perfect week.

On Holiday

2007-09-06T15:40:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow, Ernie and I will head out of town for vacation: one week in a secluded cabin on a lake in Maine. My co-workers have been asking what I have planned while I’m there. My response is simple: read, nap, watch a movies, swim (if the lake is warm enough), and go to L.L.Bean. That’s about it. "Is that enough to keep you occupied for a whole week?" they ask. Plenty!

I can hardly wait....

Ah-CHOO!

2007-08-18T12:52:00.001-04:00

I've been dealing with horrendous allergies lately. I've not had a bad reaction to ragweed season like this in, well, ever. Claritin and Benadryl didn't offer any relief and after waking up yesterday with swollen, red eyes, a sore throat, incessant sneezing and a runny nose as I have every day for the past two weeks, I decided enough was enough. I called my doctor.

She prescribed Allegra tablets, Nasonex nasal spray, and an eye drop to use if the Allegra didn't alleviate my eye symptoms. The thought of finally having some relief and actually feeling good after two weeks of misery was really exciting.

I went to CVS, dropped off the prescriptions, and roamed around the store while I waited for my drugs. When I returned to the pharmacy counter, the pharmacist informed me that my insurance didn't cover Allegra. "Really?" I asked. "What about the generic?" Nope. For whatever reason, that medication is not included on their list of formulary drugs, which seemed to surprise the pharmacist as well. "Okay, so how much is it?" $80. "Holy @#$%! I got out my mobile and called the number on the back of my insurance card.

The recording at the other end of the line told me, "Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m." I looked at my watch. 6:03 p.m. Great. So I'd have to wait until Monday morning to call back, find out what drugs they DID cover, go back to the doc, get a different prescription, and return to CVS. I got my nasal spray and went home for another weekend of walking around the house with a tissue stuffed up my nose.

I got home, walked in the front door, took off my sunglasses, and opened my purse to drop them in. Right then, I saw it. I realized that in my frustration to get the Allegra that I had completely forgotten about a coupon I printed online for a free month of Nasonex. I paid $28 for something I could have gotten for free. Sigh. Cough. Sniff. Ah-CHOO!

Good Reading

2007-08-15T16:50:00.000-04:00

I just started reading Cosmos by Carl Sagan. It's incredibly fascinating stuff. The kind of stuff you have to read very slowly, maybe several times over, sometimes because it’s difficult to process, sometimes because it’s completely mind-blowing.

The first sentence of the book explains "The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be." Page 2 goes on: "If we were randomly inserted into the Cosmos, the chance that we would find ourselves on or near a planet would be less than one in a billion trillion trillion (a one followed by 33 zeroes). In everyday life such odds are called compelling. Worlds are precious."

I actually said, "Whoa," out loud as I was reading. That’s a pretty strong reaction to page 2 of any book.

MB News

2007-08-13T22:16:00.000-04:00

Kirstin and I went to see Michael Bublé at the Patriot Center on Saturday. I've seen him in concert many times and, as always, he was fantastic. His CDs are brilliant, but seeing him live is an experience I think everyone should try at least once. Pure entertainment.

Back in the U.S.

2007-08-03T16:02:00.000-04:00

I recently returned from a 13-day business trip to Thailand and Kenya. I’m not sure I can put some of the experiences I’ve had into words, but it’s worth a try.

First of all, let me say this: When you live alone and are accustomed to a lot of alone time, spending sixteen hours a day for thirteen days with anyone can be challenging. Add to this the fact that you’re spending the time with co-workers and it can be especially difficult. But, for the most part, I got along very well with my fellow travelers and managed to steal a few moments of solitude every chance I could, which kept me civil and sane.

The trip started in Thailand. This was my fourth visit to Bangkok, so I knew what to expect, including the three days it takes to adjust to the 11-hour time difference. Bangkok was pretty uneventful, except for the evening we spent at the Beer Garden, an outdoor pub of sorts where young Thai adults sing karaoke and do choreography to Western pop tunes. Bizarre, but oddly entertaining. We spent the evening sipping various international beers, eating munchies, and chatting. The menu consisted of pictures of the food choices and descriptions in Thai, which of course none of us understood, so we relied solely on the pictures. I ordered what I thought was chicken wings. When my order arrived, its contents looked nothing like any chicken wings I’d ever seen. They were quarter-sized hunks of something breaded and fried. I tentatively popped one of the unidentified chunks into my mouth, began to chew, and immediately came to the realization that this was not a chicken wing. My co-workers could tell something was wrong and asked, “So what is it?” I replied, “I don’t know. It tastes like…elbows.” When the server returned, I asked what I had ordered. The server didn’t speak English, so he motioned to another server to come to his aid and translate. I repeated my question, which the visiting server repeated in Thai to our server. As he responded in Thai, he motioned to his elbow. Sure enough, they were fried chicken joints.

The best of Bangkok was the shopping. First, I bought a black star sapphire and diamond ring at Venus Jewelry. When I was in Bangkok last summer, I bought a black star sapphire and white gold bracelet, so I was planning to purchase a matching pendant or ring on this trip. Mission accomplished. My other jewelry purchase was completely unplanned, but I could not resist: a 22-carat blue topaz and white gold pendant that is truly unique and absolutely stunning. I found it on Tuesday, but couldn’t allow myself to buy it on a whim and had to contemplate it for a day or two. When Thursday rolled around and I was still thinking about it obsessively, I knew it had to be mine…and now it is. My co-workers called it “My Precious,” saying that I gazeed at the stone and caressed it like Gollum does with the ring in Lord of the Rings.

We left Bangkok in the wee hours of Friday morning and arrived in Dubai at 4:30 a.m. for a 5½-hour layover. The Dubai airport is very nice, if you can overlook the crowds of people sleeping on the floor. Apparently, there are many layovers of extended length in Dubai and it’s difficult to get in and out of the airport. We spoke briefly with one couple from Greece who was there for a thirteen-hour layover. Ugh.

As we headed from the lounge to our gate, we glanced at the departure board and realized our flight was delayed. So we settled back down and waited for another hour and a half. Typical of air travel—nothing but waiting. You drive to the airport, wait to check in, wait to get through security, wait to board the plane, wait to arrive (unless there’s a layover, where you wait to depart again and wait to arrive again), wait for your baggage, wait to arrive at your final destination...sigh.

But I digress. When we finally boarded the plane and got situated, the captain’s voice came over the PA and said we would be delayed a bit longer as we waited for some passengers arriving on flight from New York. He apologized for the uncomfortable temperature in the cabin, saying that it was 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) outside and the engines could not keep the cabin cool against those kinds of temperatures. It wasn’t too horrible at first, but after 45 minutes, it became unbearable. I was really starting to lose my composure and considered demanding that I be let off the plane. Finally, the missing passengers arrived and we were off.

Five hours later, we landed in Nairobi, picked up our luggage, found our ground transport, and headed to the hotel. What should have been a 20-minute drive to the hotel ended up taking over an hour. Rush hour traffic in Nairobi rivals that of the D.C. beltway, but in Nairobi you get to dodge hundreds of pedestrians and bicyclists, and suck in foul diesel fumes. After 26 hours of travel, we finally arrived at our hotel in Nairobi and crashed.

Saturday was, by far, the best day of the trip. We started with a visit to the Giraffe Centre, where we had the opportunity to feed and pet about a half dozen female giraffes and their offspring.

I spoke for a while with James, a wonderfully knowledgeable and kind man who works at the Centre. He obviously loves those creatures and his work of caring for them.

Next was the Animal Orphanage. This is where orphaned wild creatures are cared for until they are able to be released back into the wild. I wasn’t sure I would tolerate this place well, since I don’t enjoy seeing animals in cages. But this place was different. The animals are in cages, but it’s temporary and somehow more natural than American zoos. They aren’t behind glass or a moat to keep them a safe distance from humans; they are right there with only chain-link fence between you and them. And sometimes not even that:

Let me tell you, petting a cheetah while it chews on the leg of a gazelle is a nerve-racking, exhilarating experience. My hand was shaking the entire time as thoughts of, “He can sense my anxiety… turn around and maul me…I’M PETTING A CHEETAH,” raced through my head. Amazing!

After the orphanage, we went on a mini four-hour safari through the National Park. Again, amazing. Awe-inspiring. Life-changing! Giraffes, zebras, elands, ostriches, baboons, jackals, gazelles, impala, monkeys, and birds, birds, birds! The sights, the sounds, the smells, all new and exciting. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I didn’t want the day to end. Our best sighting of the day was a lion lounging in a tree:

Even if I'm never sent back to Africa for work, I KNOW I'll return again on my own for a full-fledged, multi-day safari. I have to.

The next day we flew to Kisumu, but not without problems. We had to pay an extra fee because our luggage exceeded the 20-kg weight limit, but then found out just prior to takeoff that our luggage didn’t even make it on the plane and would be transported on a later flight. We explained that we could not be without our luggage for more than a day, particularly because one of my co-workers had stupidly packed is daily meds in his checked baggage. After seeing the disorganization and incompetence of the staff, we had no expectation of seeing our luggage any time soon, if ever again. Amazingly and thankfully, the luggage arrived at our hotel that night. Whew!

While visiting the site the next day, we were asked to participate in a clinical study that was just getting underway for which they needed blood samples from individuals who have not been exposed to malaria. Obviously, such individuals are a rarity in Kenya, so two of my co-workers and I agreed to participate in the study and donated blood. Exciting stuff.

We spent two days in Kisumu before driving to Kericho, where we spent the night at a guest house on a tea plantation. Kericho was absolutely stunning; so green you would think you were in Ireland. Rolling hills of tea fields, broken up by dense patches of towering eucalyptus trees.

The guest house was incredible; rustic, quaint, homey, and beautifully situated.

An avocado tree in the front yard provided a tasty side dish with dinner.

It was amazing. I told David that I’d volunteer to spend six months to a year at the site if such an assignment was required of someone from our group, and I meant it.

We departed Kericho on the afternoon of day twelve for the long journey home: driving from Kericho to Kisumu, flying from Kisumu to Nairobi, Nairobi to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to D.C. All-in-all, it took us thirty-six hours to get home. Oy! But it was a productive trip that gave me many good memories and tons of great pictures. And what more could you want?

Calgon, Take Me Away!

2007-06-03T21:00:00.002-04:00

I need a vacation. I've noticed that work is starting to take a toll on me physically, mentally and emotionally, so I've decided to plan some time off. My last few vacations (London in 2005, South Padre Island in 2006) were rather active, sightseeing-focused trips. This year, I want something more relaxing.

As I was contemplating my options, I couldn't help but think of the vacations my family used to take. We'd rent a secluded cabin in the woods in Maine, and spend the week swimming in the crystal-clear lake, playing board games and cards, reading and relaxing, all without the distraction of a television, telephone or computer. I keep a picture on my desk of the view of the lake from the cabin's porch, so I can mentally escape there anytime I want.

I've decided that's where I'll go this year. Sadly, the cabin from my childhood no longer stands. My parents went to Maine several years ago and found that it had been demolished to make room for a hideous modern home. But I've done some research online and found many other secluded, beautiful cabins on the same lake that are available for rent.

So that's where I'm heading. Come September (the earliest I can take time off from work, not to mention a much more affordable time to rent a cabin), Ernie and I will spend a week in Maine. It's several months away, but knowing what's in store will make the coming months more bearable. I hope.

Congrats!

2007-06-03T20:54:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to my dear friend Kirstin, who ran in yesterday's 18th annual Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure® and raised over $550 for breast cancer research.

Duruflé Concert

2007-05-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

I’m finding it hard to believe that we’re closing in on June of this year already. Seriously, where is the time going?

Much of this past weekend was spent doing fun things, which is such a lovely way to spend a weekend. Friday was my time to get things done around the house: mowing the lawn, cleaning the bathrooms (quite a time-consuming chore when you have four of them), vacuuming and spot-cleaning the carpet. Saturday, I did laundry, read a bit, caught up on old episodes of “The Office” and “Heroes”, then went out with Chris and Kirstin for dinner at Woodside Deli and pool and Hardtimes Café. Man, I stink at pool, but it’s still fun.

Sunday, I sang in The Washington Chorus’ Duruflé concert. Honestly, I didn’t have very high expectations of the performance going into it and knew there would be some rough patches. But, overall, it went better than I expected. Kirstin and Brent attended, which was great. Knowing folks in the audience always makes performing a bit more enjoyable. After the concert, the three of us enjoyed a nice dinner and good conversation at Clyde’s.

See here it is, Monday afternoon, and I’m already aching for the three-day Memorial Day weekend to arrive. Sigh.

New York, New York

2007-05-07T16:34:00.000-04:00

Man, it’s been a busy few weeks.

I sang my first concert with The Washington Chorus at the end of April. We had a decent turnout and, overall, the performance went well. After several months of rehearsal, it was a disappointment to have it end in a few short hours. I was especially saddened to realize that I’d probably never have the opportunity to sing Barber’s Prayers of Kierkegaard again. What an remarkable piece of music.

Last weekend was insanely busy. Kirstin and I attended the annual dinner and auction for the chorus on Saturday. It was quite an eventful evening for both of us. Kirstin won a beautiful framed photo of pansies and tulips, as well as tickets to a Steelers-Redskins pre-season game, so she’s busy counting the days until she gets to see Mr. Roethlisberger play before her very eyes. I won a weekend in Philadelphia with David Hayes, the guest conductor at the last chorus concert. The weekend includes a stay at the Marriott Courtyard downtown, tickets to a Philadelphia Singers concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a tour of the musical sites of Philly with David. Kirstin and I both spent a little more than we probably should have for these items, but our bidding was well lubricated by the wine we were serving (mostly to ourselves) as volunteer bartenders that evening.

Sunday, we went to the Annual Spring Gala at the Kennedy Center and enjoyed a fantastic concert by Harry Connick, Jr. I have several of his CDs, which I enjoy. But his style seems to work much better in live performance. The cleanliness of the sound on the CDs always bothered me a bit. Hearing him perform live was much more authentic.

Kirstin and I took off Monday and Tuesday to go to NYC. Why? Well, believe it or not, I lucked into two tickets to the CD launch party for Michael Buble’s new album, Call Me Irresponsible. It was a last-minute thing, one I absolutely could not pass up.

Kirstin’s main goal for the trip was to find some convincing knock-off purses, preferably Burberry. At the recommendation of the hotel’s concierge, we headed to Chinatown. Sure enough, Canal Street was lined with shop after shop, stocked floor to ceiling with purses, jewelry and perfume. They all seemed to carry the same styles: Dolce & Gabbana, Prada imitations (called “Pagoda”), Kate Spade…but no Burberry. We were about to give up after browsing at least 20 shops with no luck. We made our way into one of the last shops on the street when, unexpectedly, a hidden door at the back of the shop opened and a little Asian woman motioned us inside. I cautiously peered into the room, not knowing what I’d find. I half expected I’d be dragged into the room, my screams muffled by a Chloroform-soaked rag, leaving me vulnerable to the white slave traders doing business in the bowels of the city. But the little closet-sized room just contained more purses. I slowly stepped into the room and soon put 2 + 2 together: This was where the real counterfeit bags (is that an oxymoron or what?) were kept. Jackpot! Kirstin and I each got two bags. After I paid for mine, I was anxious to escape from the sweltering room, back into the open air of freedom. I tried to open the door, but found it was locked, and panic began to set in. As the Asian woman finished haggling with Kirstin, she radioed to someone outside, from whom she got some kind of confirmation that the coast was clear. She unlocked the door, shooed us out, and quickly closed and locked the door behind us. Kirstin and I marveled at the entire experience, questioning our decision to enter such a place, but decided it was worth it…we got great purses!

We returned to the hotel, got showered and dressed, and headed to Webster Hall for the launch party. We knew that the hall was standing-room only, but that was about it. We had no idea what else to expect. Who would be there? How many people? What was the venue was like?

We arrived around 6:15 to find about 150 fans waiting anxiously. We waited on line until the doors opened at 7:00, then made our way into the hall, up the stairs, through the will-call ticket line, and headed straight for the stage. Amazingly, we were able to get a spot right up front, a mere ten feet from the microphone. I’d say there were about 600 people in attendance. About 98% of the people there were female (big surprise) and I’d guess the average age to be about 40.

MB started the show around 8:00 and he was brilliant, as always. Witty, self-deprecating, charming, goofy…the kind of guy you want to, I don’t know, drink beer and go bowling with. And, of course, his singing was stellar. My only complaint was that the show only lasted about an hour. (Sorry you missed it? Watch the performance here.)

MB was scheduled to perform at the TODAY show on Tuesday, so Kirstin and I headed over there to check it out. The outdoor audience was filled with many of the same people who had been at the party the night before. I was a bit shocked to see the fanaticism of these people. Now, we all know that I’m a huge fan of MB, but these women were completely over the top. Homemade signs professing undying love for him. T-shirts reading, “I HEART MICHAEL!” Frenzied screams every time Al Roker or Meredith Vieira mentioned his name. And when he finally came out of the studio to sign a few autographs, it was mass hysteria. I was able to pose a question to him, which he answered for the TODAY blog, and to have a brief conversation with him outside the studio. Well, maybe “conversation” is a bit generous. I motioned for him to come our way and when he did, I said, “Do you mind if we get a picture with you?” He replied, “Let me get around and sign stuff for everyone, and then I’ll try to get back here. Okay?” Sadly, he didn’t make it back for a picture with us, but I managed to snap a few of him anyway.

Next, we decided to head down to Gound Zero. This was in total contrast with the frivolity of the rest of the trip, but neither of us had been there, so it seemed right. We arrived just in time to participate in a walking tour offered by the Tribute WTC Visitor Center. The tour was led by two individuals whose lives were directly affected by 9/11. One guide lost her husband when his flight from Boston hit the North Tower. The other guide was buried in the rubble and managed to dig his way out.

Upon first glance, the area appears to be just another construction site. But to stop and stand there, to gaze into the open sky, seeing the recently rebuilt 7 WTC building standing 55 stories tall, imagining the twin towers standing twice as high, and replaying the events of 9/11 in your mind. Overwhelming, to say the very least. The tour ended at Eleven Tears, the poignant memorial in the American Express Tower.

Kirstin and I returned home, stopping at my parents’ house for dinner and to pick up Ernie. We arrived at my front door around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Only 37 hours after we left, but it felt like a week had past.

MB News

2007-04-13T22:42:00.000-04:00

I've decided to change my name. From now on, I'll only answer to "Mrs. Jones."

Easter Weekend

2007-04-08T22:23:00.000-04:00

I returned this evening from a great Easter weekend with my family. Saturday, we enjoyed dinner at Uno's and a movie. (We saw Premonition. Blech! What a waste of time.) Today, we took the dogs for a long hike in the woods. It's amazing to walk out of my parents' back door and be in the wilderness.

Afterwards, we had a fantastic dinner, then Mom, Dan, and I colored eggs and judged the winner of Best Egg. The results were (numbered 1-12, starting in the back on the left):

1. Speckled (Mom)
2. Grey matter (Me)
3. Polka dot (Dan)
4. U.S. Flag (Me)
5. Barf (Dan)
6. Striped (Mom)
7. Cracked rainbow (Me)
8. Smiley Joe (Mom) - 3rd place
9. Motley (Dan)
10. Plaid (Dan) - 1st place
11. Squiggles (Mom)
12. The Earth (Me) - 2nd place

Good times. And a good lunch tomorrow: an egg salad sandwich.

New House, Chorus, Softball, etc.

2007-04-06T16:31:00.000-04:00

I’ve been a bad blogger lately, posting so infrequently. Here's the latest 411:

I bought a house and moved in over the weekend. (Stay tuned for pictures.) I absolutely love my new home. The apartment I had was nice, but I didn’t realize how noisy it was…doors slamming, the almost constant murmur of a neighbor’s TV or stereo, cars in and out of the parking lot at all hours. Now, when I close my door, I’m in my own little world. It’s heavenly.

I’ve been singing with The Washington Chorus and my first concert with them is Sunday, April 15. Our guest conductor, David Hayes, is brilliant. We’re performing works by American composers: Bernstein, Barber, and Copland. I could do without some of the Copland, but Barber's “Prayers of Kierkegaard” – amazing! We definitely need every minute of our final few rehearsals, but if we can pull everything together, the concert will be fantastic.

My softball team’s season is about to start. Practices start in two short weeks, then games a week after that.

At work, there’s talk of a trip to Thailand and a stop in Kenya sometime in late summer or early autumn. After all the trips to Thailand last summer, I didn’t think I’d ever want to go back, but I think I’m finally ready again. And Kenya? I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

MB News

2007-04-06T15:43:00.000-04:00

Michael Buble's new album will be released on May 1st. Listen to the title track, "Call Me Irresponsible," here. The tour starts in July. Woohoo!

In Memoriam - Rosie Williams

2007-03-27T14:29:00.000-04:00

A very sad day.

Rosie Williams was one of the kindest, sweetest, and quirkiest people I have ever known. I always looked forward to my piano lessons with her while I was in college and I never would have survived the harrowing piano juries and Tuesday afternoon recital performance had it not been for her encouragement and inspiration.

I vividly remember one particular lesson with her. We were working on a problematic section of a piece I was studying. It wasn’t that it was technically too difficult for me; I could play the pitches well enough. But it just came out sounding mechanical without any emotion behind it.

After considering the music and the situation for a minute, Rosie said to me, “Have you seen Schindler’s List?” I didn’t know where she was going with this line of thought, but I replied, “Yes.” She continued,” Do you remember the scene with the little girl in the red coat?” How could I not? Then Rosie asked me what I remembered and, specifically, how it made me feel. After sitting quietly and considering it for a few minutes, Rosie softly said “Make this section feel like that.”

I played through the challenging section again, only this time, it was effortless, expressive, and perfect. When I got to the end, I realized I was crying. And so was Rosie.

God Bless you, Rosie.

Survey Says...

2007-03-08T14:56:00.000-05:00

I grew up in a house where the VCR was set to record Jeopardy! every night, so my parents could watch it together after my mom finished teaching piano. That was, and still is, life in the Fischer household.

Game shows. I hate them, my mom loves them. After my dad goes to bed in the evenings, my mom copes with insomnia by flipping on GSN (Game Show Network) and watching old episodes of Family Feud, Password and Match Game (her favorite).

Every so often, I get a message from my mom in which she tells me about something that happened on one of the game shows the night before. As much as I hate the shows, I love reading my mom's messages about them. Today, I got one of those messages:

Subject: Jeez

Tonight on the new Family Feud, one of the championship questions (asked of 100 adults) was 'Name a word that most dogs know.'

The lady said "woof".

The scary thing is ... 7 people in the survey said that, too.

(Almost a month without any posts and this is what I have to share? Well, what do you expect when a child is raised with daily exposure to Alex Trebek and is taught to phrase everything in the form of a question?)

House Heartbreak

2007-02-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

The long break in my posting is due to the fact that I've spent much of my free time house hunting. Countless hours of online research, driving around, scouting out possible areas I'd like to live, seeing house after house after house...you know the drill.

This past Saturday, I found a lovely home in Jefferson and made an offer yesterday afternoon. I felt good about my bid, especially considering that the house had been on the market for 200+ days. Well, to make a long story short, another bid came in on the same day and I was outbid.

Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

Pants!

2007-01-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

Jonathan sent me an e-mail today in which he mentioned the Queen of the Night's aria from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He mistakenly called it "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meine Hosen." The actual title/first line of the aria is "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen", meaning Hell's vengeance is in my heart. What he wrote translates to Hell's vengeance is in my pants.

I will never stop laughing.

New Favorite Thing: Yogurt

2007-01-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

Yoplait Light Key Lime Pie Yogurt:
100 calories.
No fat.
5g protein.
I could do without the high fructose corn syrup.
And the food coloring.
But it's very refreshing and absolutely delish!

MB News

2007-01-16T17:05:00.000-05:00

(Excuse me for a minute whilst I turn into a silly schoolgirl and indulge my celebrity crush.)

Singer Michael Buble, who walked the Golden Globes red carpet with his girlfriend, double nominee Emily Blunt, complained that he wasn't getting his fair share of attention.

"Everybody's congratulating her on her two nominations but nobody seems to realize that I was nominated as well: shiniest shoes," he said. "(George) Clooney is always my biggest competition."

But Buble raved about his date's body-hugging Herve Leger gown, which Blunt said she chose for its "old Hollywood" style and fantastic fit.

Said Buble: "Whether she wins or not, I'm walking home with two Golden Globes, baby."

Perfectly adorable, a great voice, a sense of humor...How can you not love that man?! Now, if only I could get that stick figure out of the picture and me into it.

First Post of 2007

2007-01-08T15:43:00.000-05:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so I’ll sum up the latest happening.

Christmas with my family was wonderful. The best gift was Dan's present to Mom: Pac-Man. Yes, a two-player, sit-down machine from the 80's. Why? Well, when Dan and I were kids, we all (Mom, Dan and I) loved Pac-Man. We used to go out with a roll of quarters and play for hours. Mom didn't think Dad would approve, so we'd wait until he went to his weekly bowling league and then the three of us would sneak out to play. One evening, I got ready for bed, but left my jeans on under my long nightgown. I wanted to be ready to go as soon as the door closed behind Dad. As he gave me a goodnight hug before leaving for bowling, he noticed I was still in my jeans. "Mandy, why are you wearing pants under your nightgown?" I panicked, but quickly replied, "Um, because...I'm cold?" Anyway, it was a great gift that gave us hours of entertainment.

Let's see, what else? The Steelers’ season ended with an 8-8 record; no playoffs for them. Boo!

New Year’s Eve with Kirstin, Ann and Chris was pleasantly quiet and mellow. And 2007 has already been an eventful year. I finally saw The Light in the Piazza and loved it. It’s not big and showy, but that made it all the better. The music is complex and beautiful. The staging and sets are simple and natural. The story is uplifting. “Love if you can, and be loved.”

Friday, I had a harrowing evening of shopping. It’s a long story, but I still feel the need to vent about it a bit.

I went to The Bon-Ton store at Frederick Towne Mall to return a few things and take advantage of the post-holiday sales. After finding two sweaters on sale and a cute red corduroy purse, I approached a Service Center to check out. The sales associate at the register was in the midst of ringing up a ton of things for a little old Asian woman. I waited patiently while they argued about the total of the woman’s purchases. (At one point, the woman even asked for a calculator, so she could total the items herself.) Finally, the cashier suggested that I go to another Service Center to checkout, which I did.

As I approached the desk, I realized there were no sales associates in sight. I waited a few minutes, assuming that someone might return to the register, or at least see me waiting there and offer to help. Never happened. So, I walked to another department’s Service Center. Again, I found no one, so I waited. And waited. And walked around to find someone. Then waited some more. I was incredibly frustrated at that point, but I walked to the next department, assuming I would eventually find someone.

Finally, as I was waiting at the fourth Service Center, a man approached the desk and said, “I think someone’s working here, but she must be in the fitting room.” He walked to the fitting room, called for the associate, but with no luck. He returned to the desk and said he would ring up my purchases.

I asked if he was the manager; he was. As frustrated as I was, I made sure to keep a calm voice and try to explain the situation as objectively as possible. I said, “Well, I’ve had a very unpleasant experience here this evening. This is the fourth Service Center I’ve been to, trying to return these items and purchase others. The first register was busy with a problematic customer. I waited there for over 15 minutes before the associate suggested that I try another Service Center. So, I went to the Petites department, waited for several minutes, but no one was around. Next, I went to Intimates. Again, I waited, even walked around, looking for someone to help me. Finally, I came over here and, after waiting several minutes, you helped me. The service here this evening has been horrendous and I’m very disappointed.” What was the manager’s response? “Yeah, we’re spread pretty thin tonight, but I thought I at least had someone working in this department.”

What the…? I could hardly believe my ears. He wasn’t the least bit concerned that his store was functioning in such a manner. It didn’t faze him that it took almost half an hour for a customer to check out, not because the store was busy, but because she couldn’t find someone to help her. I was completely dumbfounded and absolutely disgusted. As he took the security tags off the sweaters, I agonized over the situation. I wanted those sweaters. That purse was so darn cute and a great deal. But damn it! I didn’t want to give my money to him! As he asked if I would be charging the items to a Bon-Ton credit card, I said, “You know what? Just forget the purchases. I’m only want to return these things.”

I finished the return and called Kirstin to vent. While talking to her, I crossed paths with the little old Asian woman, who stopped me and said, “Do you know where the shoe department is?” What the…? First of all, I was in the middle of a conversation. Secondly, did I look like I worked there?!

I headed down to Boscov’s, hoping they’d have the purse on sale. As I was browsing the purses, still relaying the details of my evening to Kirstin, I realized something was wrong with my shoe. Low and behold, somewhere along the way I stepped in gum.

2007, here I come!

2006: Year in Review

2006-12-19T17:46:00.000-05:00

FEBRUARY: My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
MARCH: I saw Michael Bublé in concert and fell in love like a twelve-year-old schoolgirl.
APRIL: I joined a women’s softball team. I also made my first trip to Bangkok, Thailand.
MAY: My dad underwent prostate surgery and several weeks of recovery. He’s now cancer free. JUNE: Melissa, my dear friend from high school, got married. I took my second trip to Bangkok.
JULY: I got together with my college gang for a long weekend. Then, another trip to Bangkok.
AUGUST: Yet one more trip to Bangkok
SEPTEMBER: KB and I took a fabulous vacation to South Padre Island. I completed an intense ten-day makeover of sorts.
OCTOBER: I got a nice promotion and big ol' raise.
NOVEMBER: I turned 32 and bought my first brand-new car.
DECEMBER: I experienced my first mammogram and ultrasound. Fun!

Overall, it's been a really good year. I'm still finding it hard to believe that 2006 is over already, but alas, it is, and I'm looking forward to 2007.

Raindrops On Roses...

2006-12-15T12:48:00.000-05:00

There are so many things to love about this time of year. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Christmas music on the radio 24/7
Houses decorated with tiny white lights
Finding beautiful cards in my mailbox almost every day
The Christmas Broom
Red Salvation Army buckets and volunteers outside stores
Wrapping presents
Ding - Fries Are Done!
Work luncheons that last several hours
Finding the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on my list
Messiah Sing-alongs
Reading on the couch, by the light of the Christmas tree

What are your favorites? Make time to appreciate them, because they'll be gone soon!

Blink And The Weekend's Gone

2006-12-11T12:40:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe the weekend is over, but since it's already lunchtime on Monday, I guess it's true.

Friday evening, my folks had their Christmas open house. The house was beautifully decorated and became even more festive as friends and family arrived. There were about 80 guests in all, touring the house, talking, laughing, eating, but not eating quite as much as Mom had planned. If I calculated correctly, we should finish the leftovers sometime in Spring 2009. But no matter, it was a fantastic time for all and reaffirmed the fact that I have a wonderful family and they have wonderful friends.

Saturday, I returned home in time to join KB, Ann, Chris and Conrad for KB's birthday party at Sakura. Afterwards, we returned to KB's house for cocktails and board games. As it was KB's birthday celebration, she got to choose the games. First on her list was Tabloid Teasers. In short, it's like Balderdash, but with tabloid headlines instead of definitions. Each player fills in the blank of a tabloid headline, then all headlines are read aloud, including the real one, and the players vote for the one they think is real. Everyone was very creative and we had some good laughs. We then played two short rounds of Family Feud, until we realized it was 2:00 AM and our beds were calling to us.

Sunday, I delighted in sleeping as late as Ernie would allow, then took him for a long walk, did some chores around the house, and treated KB to a birthday dinner at Bertucci's.

And now it's Monday. I get the feeling the rest of 2006 will be gone before I know it.

Hero Dog

2006-12-05T17:22:00.000-05:00

A half-breed wolf dog saved his 81-year-old owners from freezing to death in a snowstorm.

After Shana [the dog] tunneled all the way to the house — a process that took until about 11:30 p.m. — she came back, grabbed the sleeve of Eve's jacket, and threw the 86-pound woman over her back and neck, which Eve described as "as wide as our kitchen shelf."

Norman grabbed Eve's legs, and the dog pulled them through the tunnel, under the trees and through an opening in a fence to the house, at which they arrived around 2 a.m.

I'd like to think that Ernie would do the same for me, but he'd probably dig the tunnel, come back for me, drag me a few feet into the tunnel, realize he didn't make it wide enough for my hips, and say, "You just had to eat that ice cream last night before bed, didn't you?"

3.1415926535897932384626433...

2006-11-29T22:18:00.000-05:00

Got frozen hot dogs? Why not approximate pi?

O Tannenbaum

2006-11-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

Dan and I went Christmas tree shopping yesterday. I miss the days of going to a tree farm, roaming acre after acre, finding the perfect tree, and cutting it down on the spot. Instead, we went to Home Depot and sifted through the pre-cut trees. We still had a good time, especially Dan, who had a good laugh when I fell like a Domino, as trees toppled on me one after another. But I found my tree in record time. And it’s perfect.

I decorated the tree last night, but certainly didn’t set any records for time in that department. No matter how hard I try to complete this task in a reasonable amount of time, it’s a six-hour process, minimum. My OCD is at its worst (best?) when it comes to decorating a Christmas tree. Most of the time is spent hanging the lights, which always pushes me dangerously close to the brink of insanity (see the weekly poll). Hanging the ornaments is time-consuming as well, but in a much more enjoyable way. I love looking at each ornament, remembering when and where it came into my possession, and finding the perfect place for it among the branches. Here are just a few of my favorites:

These are some of my most unusual ornaments. The one on the left is a glass pickle. It’s German tradition to hang the pickle ornament last. The first child to find the pickle receives an extra gift. Next is the cardinal. KB gave this to me after years of me making fun of a scraggly bird ornament she’d hang on her tree. Now, I have my own scraggly bird. Finally, there’s the spider and web. A friend of mine from grad school, DeWayne, gave this to me in deference to my fear of spiders.

These are some of the ornaments I painted by hand. After grad school when I couldn’t find a job, I painted a lot to pass the time. You know that commercial where the woman says, “Is not having your high school diploma keeping you from finding a job?” I’d yell at the TV, “No, having my master’s degree is!”

These were a gift from Mom. They're gold-plated leaves, real ones. Love 'em!

Not sure why, but these two are my favorites. They're not very spectacular here, but they look ethereal in the white light of the tree.

Put it all together and voilà!

Thanksgiving Recap

2006-11-25T23:08:00.000-05:00

I went to my folks’ house on Wednesday evening and was greeted by my overjoyed pup. I hadn’t seen him in almost three weeks, so it was a happy reunion.

Thursday, we had plans to go to my uncle’s house outside of Philly for Thanksgiving dinner. We were supposed to leave at 1:00, but my brother, Dan, hadn’t arrived yet. When 1:30 rolled around without him showing and no answer to our repeated phone calls, Mom got worried, while Dad got angry. At 2:00, Mom and I decided to drive to his house and see if he was there, while Dad stayed at the house, in case he showed up.

Mom and I sat in relative silence during the 45-minute drive to Dan’s house. I knew we were both running through every possible scenario, both good and bad, that could explain what was going on. As we turned in his driveway and saw his car, we both heaved a sigh of relief. Of course, one of the scenarios I worked out in my head was that he had been working on his RC cars when he accidentally cut his hand off with the ban saw and was bleeding to death on his workshop floor. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Turns out he had gotten the e-mail from my mom that morning saying, “Be here at 1:00 tomorrow.” When he read “tomorrow,” he thought she meant Friday, not realizing she sent it the night before. As for not answering the phone, he had it on vibrate and didn’t hear it. I told him I was glad he wasn’t dead, because now I could kill him! Anyway, we made it to my uncle’s house two hours behind schedule, but just in time to sit down to a delicious dinner.

Friday, I spent the day relaxing with my folks. I also made Cinnamon Cranberry Challah Bread from scratch. It was quite a process: mixing, kneading, letting the dough rise for a few hours, punching it down, braiding, letting it rise again, then baking. But both loaves turned out perfectly.

Today, Mom and I sat on the front porch while the pups, dressed in their hunting gear so as not to be mistaken as wildlife by hunters, roamed around as Dad raked leaves.

I returned home this afternoon and Dan came by a bit later to spend the night. We were planning to go to the 9:30 Club in D.C. for a concert, but decided against it at the last minute. The band we wanted to see wasn’t scheduled to start until after 11:00 and getting home at 3:00 a.m. didn’t sound very appealing to either of us. So we opted to relax at home instead. I’m a bit disappointed that we missed the concert, but I know it would have been really rough on both of us, particularly Dan, who is usually in bed by 8:00.

Tomorrow, Dan and I will go out for breakfast, then come home to watch the Steelers game. A nice end to the long weekend.

"I'll take Humiliation for $200, Alex."

2006-11-22T00:59:00.000-05:00

Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education, lost on Celebrity Jeopardy! to Michael McKean, best known as "Lenny" from Laverne & Shirley.

As one commenter put it, "It could have been worse. She could have lost to Squiggy."

Muscle Memory

2006-11-20T22:03:00.000-05:00

Fall quarter of my senior year at college, I sat down with Dr. Zed, my advisor, to make sure I would complete all of the required courses by the time graduation rolled around. Looking over my transcript, a puzzled expression came over her face as she asked, “Where are your piano credits?” (As a music major, you’re required to complete six credits of piano lessons, as well as pass a piano proficiency exam.) I told her that I had taken one credit my freshman year and then passed the exam, so I didn’t take any more piano lessons. My previous advisor (who had since retired) told me the lessons were to help students prepare for the exam, but I could take the exam as soon as I wanted and, as long as I passed it, skip the lessons. Dr. Zed explained that the six credits were a requirement for graduation, distinct from the exam and regardless of the student’s existing skills.

So there I was, less than a year away from graduation and in need of five credits of piano. The only option left was to take two and three credits during each of the remaining quarters. No problem, right? Wrong. Another requirement was that students taking lessons for two or three credits were required to perform at the Tuesday afternoon recitals, held in front of all of the music majors, as well as pass a jury. (Juries are the musical equivalent of final exams. Held at the end of the quarter, each student must perform a mini recital in front of the faculty for a grade.)

Let me make one thing clear. I was NOT a pianist. I could fumble through accompaniments well enough to give myself an idea of what they sounded like, and had sufficient knowledge of music theory and basic skills to pass the proficiency exam, but that was it.

Then there was the bigger issue: My horrendous fear of playing piano in public. Singing for an audience was not an issue for me, but playing piano was. I tried playing piano in church once as a kid. It was fine until I got close to the end, lost my place in the music, kept playing horrendously wrong notes, couldn't figure out how to end it, and finally just got up and walked back to my pew without any resolution. The thought of attempting it again made me nauseated, but I didn’t have a choice. It had to be done.

So I started lessons the following quarter, one hour, every week. I chose to study Khachaturian’s Toccata, a folk-inspired piece that’s become a staple of twentieth-century repertoire. I begged my teacher, Rosie, to give me a key to the recital hall and the Bechstein piano in the hall, so I could practice there and learn how it felt to play on that stage and on that piano. (On a side note, Rosie was truly amazing. She was a brilliant pianist, accomplished composer, inspiring teacher, and a kind, funny, wonderfully quirky person.)

I practiced like a fiend, sometimes for three hours straight, until I’d get a burning pain between my shoulder blades. Like I said, I’m not a pianist, so practicing for long periods with bad technique and bad posture can be torture.

Before I knew it, the last Tuesday recital of the quarter was upon me. I remember standing backstage with Rosie, waiting for my turn; I was last on the program. I kept rubbing my sweaty palms on my green dress, until Rosie grabbed my hands and started blowing on them, telling me that rubbing them only makes them sweat more. In between breaths, she’d try to calm my nerves with kindness and encouragement, saying things like, “You’ll be brilliant. You’re an awesome musician. You’re gonna blow their minds!”

Then, it was time. I remember walking out onto the stage to the sound of applause, most of it obligatory. My friends knew how terrified I was, so I there was a “Woohoo” or two, and a few hands clapping noticeably louder than all the others. I bowed, fought off the urge to puke on my shoes, sat on the bench, put my hands on the keys, saw them shaking uncontrollably, thought, “I wish I was dead,” and began playing.

The performance itself is a blur, but somehow I made it to the end without falling apart. It must have gone relatively well, for as I released the final chord and relaxed my hands on my lap, I heard applause. A lot of it. I stood up, took my bow, all but ran off the stage to find Rosie, jumping up and down. She threw her arms around me and said, “That was UNBELIEVEABLE.” I noticed there was still applause coming from the hall, just as Rosie pushed me back out onto the stage for an encore bow. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a sense of relief before, or since.

So what’s the point of this story? Well, tonight I sat down at my piano to play and sing a bit, as I do almost every evening. For some unknown reason, I thought of this experience and wondered if any of the music was still in my fingers.

I started by trying to play the middle section of the piece, which I remember practicing incessantly, until the 2-against-3 pattern felt completely natural. I fumbled through a few measures, but then drew a blank. I tried jumping ahead a bit, but it just wasn’t coming to me.

I sat there staring at the keys, a bit disappointed, but thought I’d give it one more shot, this time from the beginning.

Would you believe that I was able to play the entire piece...from memory? It’s true. Granted, it wasn’t at performance level, but it’s been ten years (holy crap!) since I performed the piece, and my brain and muscles still remember how to do it.

I was—am—completely blown away and just felt the need to share.

Sin City and Phoenix

2006-11-12T23:35:00.000-05:00

I'm in Phoenix this week for a conference. The conference is being held at a posh resort and spa, so I'm loving life! I’m sitting on my balcony, which overlooks the golf course, sipping tea and enjoying the balmy desert November night.

I stopped in Vegas on my way here to spend the long weekend with Lee. It was my first time in Sin City and I have to say, it was nothing like I imagined. I expected to see hookers and beggars on every street corner. I thought I'd be battling smoky gamblers and their plastic cups of quarters everywhere I turned. I figured we'd see high rollers and scantily-clad girls in Lamborghinis at every traffic light. Shockingly, I didn't see any of these things, although Lee did point out where we could go to pick up a hooker in the evenings if so inclined. I thanked him for the info, but decided to decline the offer.

We passed the time checking out The Strip, trying to find the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign (much smaller than expected), visiting Hoover Dam, laughing about the fact that Suzanne Somers was performing (who's going to that show?!), eating good food, and watching old episodes of Nip/Tuck. Would you believe I didn’t gamble a single penny? It’s true.

The flight from Vegas to Phoenix this afternoon was pretty eventful. As I was waiting to board the plane, an announcement came, saying that the flight was overbooked. Southwest was offering a full refund for the flight, plus a $200 voucher for anyone willing to be bumped to a later flight. I wasn’t in any rush to get to Phoenix, so I volunteered to give up my seat. With only ten minutes to takeoff, I heard myself being paged to the gate. The guy at the counter said they didn’t need the extra seat after all, so I was put back on my original flight. Of course, I had to take a center seat at that point and got stuck between two hefty guys who spilled over the armrests. And speaking of spilling, one of them accidentally dumped his Sprite on me, and then tried to use his beverage napkin to mop up my damp lap. Actually, all the chaos was worth in the end when we flew over the Grand Canyon at sunset. Absolutely spectacular.

So, I’m here in Phoenix for the week. If time permits, I may swing down to Tucson one night to check out my old haunts. We shall see....

Online Dating: Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde

2006-11-08T19:46:00.000-05:00

It looks like the online dating thing may turn into a recurring theme here. Not surprising, I suppose, considering how many whackos there are out there.

Okay, so you remember the e-mail from Gary? Well, believe it or not, there's someone even more incredible than Gary. Let me tell you about Darren.

Darren is a member of an online dating site. As he browses the available profiles and finds a woman in which he's interested, he sends her a message. After receiving the message and reading Darren's profile, the woman decides not to pursue the relationship and replies with, "Thanks, but I'm not interested." How does Darren react? He sends the following message:

Subject: YOU SUCK
you old hag

Wait, it gets better.

Another woman receives a message from Darren and decides to try chatting with him to find out more about him. After a few brief, but relatively pleasant online conversations, Darren suggests that they meet for donuts and coffee. The woman is not interested in doing so. Through their conversations, she's learned that he lives at home with his mother, he's unemployed, and she just gets an uncomfortable feeling about him. So, she declines his invitation and ends the conversation pleasantly.

A few days pass, during which the woman receives a few messages from Darren. Just a line or two, saying things like, "So when are we going out for donuts?", or "I miss chatting. Where are you?" After a few more days, the tone of the messages changes. Finally, she receives the following message:

Subject: You bitch
Thank you for ignoring my mail and blowing me off for over an entire week.

A few days later, when the woman is online chatting with a friend, Darren IMs her. This is their conversation:

Him: f*cking hello to you too
Her: That's pleasant.
Him: well thats what you get when you ignore me
Her: I don't respond to rudeness.
Him: i wasnt rude
Her: Calling someone you've never met a "bitch" = rude.
Him: ignoring someone makes you a bitch
[no response]
Him: you blew me off for more than a week, what do you expect
[no response]
Him: you said we were going to meet
Her: Well, I can guarantee that ain't gonna happen now.
Him: screw you you fat bitch
Her: Classy. Leave me alone.
(After she blocks his user name, so he can no longer IM her, he uses another user name to reply)
Him: go to hell

Immediately, he sends her the following message through the online dating site:

Subject: [blank]
you are one old fart

I swear, I am not making this up. I wish to God I was, because it's absolutely terrifying to me and every other woman who is attempting to meet a decent, honest guy online.

The New Car

2006-11-06T18:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was planning to drive down to Ikea in College Park. When I started my car, I noticed a strange rattling sound behind the dashboard. Not good. As I pulled out of my parking space, it felt very sluggish, and as I started down 270, I realized the engine was revving very high and wasn't shifting. So, I turned around and came home.

This morning, I took the car in to get it checked out and found that it needed a new transmission. Yikes! Since it's a 1990 with 117,000 miles on it, putting $3000+ into fixing it was not an option. So, I spent the morning test driving cars and ended up purchasing my first brand new car!

Sadly, I only got $200 for my old car. That's right, $200!! I guess that's what happens when the repairs required are more than three times the value of the car. But I'm thrilled with my purchase and look forward to many happy years behind the wheel.

Clean Bill of Health

2006-11-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

I hadn’t had a routine physical in years, so a few weeks ago, I decided it was time.

I’d never even met my primary care physician because I’d simply picked her from a list when I enrolled in my HMO last year. As luck would have it, she was absolutely wonderful. She wasn’t anxious to throw a prescription at me for any little symptom I mentioned. Instead, she made me feel completely comfortable, listened to my concerns, thoroughly answered every question, and was genuinely interested in me, my health, and my well-being. It was amazing.

After she examined me, we talked about my few aches and pains, mostly just my lower back and left knee, which she examined and then offered me a referral to a local chiropractor, as I requested. Then she said I should have some lab work done. As hard as it is to admit, I’m of the age where it’s time to start monitoring all that stuff: cholesterol, blood glucose, thyroid, etc. So, a few days later, I had blood drawn and have been waiting patiently for the results.

Well, the results are in…and I’m darn healthy! My cholesterol total is 142 (it should be under 200) and the breakdown shows that everything (triglycerides, HDL, LDL) is right where it should be. My thyroid and blood glucose are also smack in the middle of normal ranges. Yay!

Now, the last thing I need to do is have a mammogram. I’m 32, so it’s pretty early for me to start, but since I have fibrocystic breasts, it’s difficult to tell through regular breast exams if everything’s normal. Plus, things have been a little, shall we say, out of whack lately and the doc said this was the proactive thing to do, just to be sure.

So, in about two weeks, I’ll go for a mammogram and breast ultrasound and, hopefully, “the girls” will turn out to be perfectly fine.

Happy Birthday, Me!

2006-11-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I am 32 years old. My wonderful friends and family have been calling and e-mailling since midnight to wish me a happy day. But I'm still waiting for the call I always get from JD, where he sings the birthday song from The Simpsons...

Online Dating

2006-10-30T21:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't experienced the joys (ha!) of online dating, I'd like give you an all-too-typical example of what it entails.

A friend of mine received the following e-mail from someone who found her profile on an online dating website. Mind you, this is the guy's first attempt at contacting her. (Note: The e-mail is reproduced here with its original grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization. The sender's full name and e-mail address have been omitted to protect the stupid.)
Subject: Hello Pretty.

How are you doing today pretty angel! and i hope everything is Good over there with u babe? well i just got accross your profiles on here today and it really caught my interest cos the way you're looking so attractive fascinated me so much and it seems you're a princess......an Angel that was sent down from heaven.......That really touched in my heart and soul that i can't go over without contacting you pretty.Remember that distance dosent really matter it depend on your mind and the feelings we nurse in our heart for each other.........and would really like to get to know you more better, as it would be very nice to meet such beautiful woman like you babe. Meanwhile i would like to know more about you,your family and lot's more..but before i go. let me express myself to you in a little way.Well am Gary by name 46year's old from Warren-Michigan USA.Well ampresently on a personal business trip am into buying and supplying of crude oil to some companies here in London and some part of Europe where am doing everything possible to establish my business to greater standard....Well i love swimming....playing football.....basket ball.....american soccer and tennis....travelling....fishing....meeting new friends and so on...i'm a passionate one, sensitive....caring man....romantic....respectful..... easy going.....humble.....down to earth and with great sense of humour.... who is not afraid to show his feelings to anything he really adore and cherish so much. I'm a very tactile person and would like my date to be the same type of person.So i would like to stop here now and if you really found me intrested or wanna contact me..youkinda send me an email directly to my personal email address.......[deleted].......just incase here in my yahoo I.D for instant chat if u really care to chat and meet someone u can keep a very good and close contact with am always online,,9;33pm to do some online preaching..world wide i hope to meet great ppl with good heart i can keep a very good and close conversation with and see what happen...if we really care and love each other.........hope to chat then if u really care to meet someone u can spend the rest of ur life time together with ....cya.With heart full of love from gary........Gary.
Hmm. I can't imagine why Gary is still single.

Blogiversary

2006-10-27T08:04:00.000-04:00

Today marks the one-year anniversary of this site. Here are some stats about the site’s first year in existence:

Number of posts: 195
Total number of visits: 3,999
Average length of visit: 2:38

I’ve enjoyed looking back over the year’s posts, particularly my journal, pictures, and stories from Thailand, and the good times I’ve had with friends and family.

Here’s to another year of blogging. Clink!

Fabuolous!

2006-10-26T16:20:00.000-04:00

One of my gay co-workers sent me an e-mail today in which he misspelled the word "fabulous." Does any one else find this incredibly ironic? I mean, "fabulous" may just be the gayest word in the English language, with "fierce"coming in a close second. Don’t think there are gay words? Well, this hysterical scene from Will & Grace proves it:

Karen: [helping Jack practice for the Gay Spelling Bee] The word is...doily.
Jack: Doily?
Karen: Doily.
Jack: Doily. Could you use it in a sentence?
Karen: The man walked *doily* down the street.
Jack: Oh, doily! D-O-I-L-Y!
Karen: Right!

Being A Girl

2006-10-23T17:18:00.000-04:00

WARNING: Boys should read the following post with caution, as they may be confused or grossed out by it. Girls should exercise caution as well, but only because they may hurt themselves by laughing too hard.

Friday afternoon, I was having an early dinner with KB, when we somehow found ourselves discussing the first time we got our periods. My story wasn’t too exciting. (I woke up with it one rainy day and got furious at my mother when I found out she had told my dad and my aunt that, "Mandy was finally a woman.") KB’s story, on the other hand, had me laughing so hard that I was crying over my dinner.

KB explained how, after she had woken up with her period and tried to conceal the evidence from her mom, her parents took her to Hills and stood there in the feminine hygiene aisle for what seemed like hours, contemplating every available product. As any young girl would react at the thought of passersby figuring out what they were doing there, KB was completely mortified, snapping, “Don’t talk to me,” at her father, who innocently tried to reassure her.

When she was sixteen, she decided she was old enough to graduate from pads to tampons. Like many young women who venture into this new territory, she figured she’d just follow the instructions. How difficult could it be? Well, for those of you who’ve never read the instructions included in the box of tampons, or for those brave men who’ve continued reading to this point, here’s what you’ve been missing.

Understandably, KB couldn’t figure out what this picture was supposed to represent. Her body didn’t look like the cartoon cross-section of the woman shown in the instructions. So now what?

Then, she remembered back to that day in fifth grade when the boys went into one room and the girls went into another for The Talk. KB described the teacher who led the girls’ talk as “the most mannish woman EVER.” KB vividly remembered this she-man talking about tampons, throwing her foot onto a chair, and standing there, miming how a tampon should be inserted.

So, that’s what KB did. She threw her foot onto the toilet seat and went about trying to imitate what she remembered from the she-man’s demonstration. Sadly, she was not successful.

Okay, enough was enough! At her wit's end and more determined than ever, KB decided it was time to pull out all the stops. Once again, up went the foot, and this time, out came the hand mirror. And, finally, success!

Thanks for sharing, KB!

Fun With A Ruler

2006-10-19T17:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I accepted a big, fat promotion at work. (Thank you, thank you.) Along with the promotion comes a move from my current cube to an office. That's right, an actual office with a door and a window. The only downside is that I have to share the space. I really like my personal space and don't generally share well, so I'm a bit concerned about the whole thing. Not to mention that fact that I hardly know the guy (Ross) I'll be sharing the office with, but it's still a step up from cube life.

I met with Ross, our Business Manager, and our Budget Specialist today to discuss the space, choose furniture, etc. We decided how the office should be set up, so I took measurements and scurried off to make a floor plan. And here's the final result:

Gosh, OCD is fun!

From The Mind Of JD

2006-10-18T10:13:00.000-04:00

This morning, I received the following e-mail from JD, who recently joined Blockbuster Online and added Xanadu to his queue:

Subject: I have seen the face of God...
...and he is called Xanadu! OMG! I was COMPLETELY hysterical last night to find Olivia Newton-John waiting for me in my mailbox. Picture it, Fort Collins, last night...
...leg warmers...
...roller disco....
...Electric Light Orchestra...
...a Muse...
...a starving artist...on roller skates...desperate to bring his dream of a roller disco to life...with the help of a crazy old coot (Gene Kelly)...and a daughter of Zeus (Olivia)...(gee, I hope that I'm not ruining the plot for you)...

It is genius beyond genius! Actually in truth, it was more like an hour and a half of eye torture followed by about ten minutes of truly spectacular! The finale was unbelievable! Must see!

I will never stop laughing.

Weekend Recap

2006-10-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

Friday, KB and I drove down to Ikea in College Park, so I could buy a computer desk. I found one online at L.L.Bean a few weeks ago, but when I was finally ready to purchase, it was gone. So I started looking elsewhere and found one I liked at Ikea. After battling the Friday rush hour traffic for an hour, I quickly found the desk I wanted. I noted the aisle and bin numbers, went to the self-help area, but found only an empty bin. According to the guy at information, the desk was out of stock and I'd have to wait two weeks for the next shipment. I was a bit irritated at the time, but it has since worked out for the best: The desk I originally wanted from L.L.Bean is available again, so I ordered it yesterday and it should be at my door in about two weeks.

Saturday, I spent the afternoon at the Morvan Park Steeplechase with Brent and his folks. It was a perfectly beautiful day, with crisp October air, good company, delicious food, and beautiful horses. We were all thoroughly enjoying the festivities when, during the first flat race, one of the horses stumbled a mere 100 feet from where we stood, sending both horse and jockey tumbling head over feet. Amazingly, the jockey appeared to be unharmed, but the horse was not so fortunate. He laid there, head not moving, but body writhing around in what must have been excruciating pain, legs flailing, as if he were still in the race. I kept telling myself that he was just stunned and surely he would be back on his feet any minute. It never happened. I reluctantly came to the morbid conclusion that the horse had broken his neck or back. The horse ambulance appeared and tarps where brought out to shield the audience’s eyes from the gruesome scene. After what seemed like an eternity of everyone watching for some sign of hope, thick ropes were brought out of the ambulance and the horse was dragged into the back of the trailer. I could not believe what I had just witnessed. That beautiful creature had been destroyed right there on the track. It was absolutely awful. The rest of the day, the next day, and even now, I find that horrific scene flashing before my eyes. The day is burned in my memory, and not in the way I would have liked it to be.

Sunday was restful, as I spent the day at home doing chores, reading, watching the Steelers game (a win, finally!), and spending some quality time outside with Ernie.

Tonight, I’m going to take advantage of this perfect weather by taking Ernie for a long walk. Then, I’ll make some Cranberry Apple Bread, and while that’s baking, I’ll go through the mile-high stack of mail on my dining room table. Not a bad way to spend the evening.

Nickel Mines Tragedy

2006-10-10T13:13:00.000-04:00

Please read this touching post on the Amish schoolhouse shootings in Lancaster County, PA.

The Results

2006-10-05T09:03:00.000-04:00

It's over. In ten days, I've lost 7 pounds and 6½ inches, and gained a lot of useful knowledge:

I've seen how food truly serves as fuel for the body and mind.
I now recognize the difference between being hungry enough to need food, and wanting to eat out of boredom, habit or emotion.
"Comfort foods" don't have to be off limits, but they shouldn't be staples of my diet; I can survive without them, be just as comforted by other things, and I'll appreciate them more by eating them less.
Exercise is key, not for only getting in shape, but also for sleeping better and feeling good.
Being healthy is a lifelong endeavor.

So what happens now? Now, I continue to eat healthily, keep exercise as part of my daily routine, and know I'll live a longer, healthier, happier life for it.

10 Days to a Better Me

2006-09-25T15:45:00.000-04:00

I want...no...I NEED to get in better shape. After a few years of not taking care of myself like I should, I’m unhappy with what I’ve become. And it’s not just about appearance. It’s about how I feel. I just feel logey, you know? And I don’t want to feel that way anymore.

So here’s the plan: Starting today, I’m following a strict meal plan and exercise routine for the next ten days. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Only ten days? That sounds like a fad diet and they never work.” I couldn’t agree more. I have no faith in fad or crash diets because they DON’T work, at least, not permanently. But this isn’t about dieting. It’s a meal plan designed to cleanse my system of all the junk and impurities, to boost my metabolism, and to kick-start a permanent change of habits.

The meal plan details every meal and snack for the next ten days. As for beverages, it’s water, water, and more water. Coffee and tea are okay, but only a small amount of skim milk may be added to them; no sugar or sugar substitutes, no cream. Absolutely no Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. (Harsh, I know.) Also, no soda, juice, sports drinks or alcohol.

There’s one special element to the plan: A high-protein shake, which will help build lean muscle. The recommendation was a whey protein powder for preparing these shakes, but since I don’t have a blender available to me at work, I researched other options and (surprisingly) found the Slim-Fast high-protein shakes to be a good substitute.

And don’t forget the exercise! I’m moderately active, but not like I should be. So I’m scheduling a minimum of 45 minutes of high-intensity cardio every day, with strength-training every other day. As I’ve promised myself, the exercise non-negotiable. Period.

So I made my grocery list yesterday, went shopping last night, and now my kitchen is stocked with everything I need for the next ten days. (Interesting side note: While at the grocery store last night, I realized that the processed stuff – canned, boxed and bagged foods – is in the aisles, while the raw, natural stuff – produce, dairy, meats – surrounds the aisles. So if you want to eat healthy, stick with the outer rim of the grocery store.)

Stay tuned for updates on my progress throughout the ten days....

DAY ONE

The first day was a piece of cake. Well, maybe not cake. It was a piece of broccoli. I missed my usual one or two cups of coffee, but I survived. Surprisingly, I wasn't even hungry when snack time rolled around in the afternoon, but the meal plan requires you to eat five times a day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner), so I did. The only time I felt any nagging hunger was right before bed, but it wasn't unbearable, at least not until the pizza commercials came on.

I found I had plenty of energy when it was time for exercise. I did start to poop out toward the end, but only because it's an intense workout and I'm not used to it yet.

Ernie's benefiting as well. Besides our usual short morning and evening walks, and the longer 1+ mile walk after work, I'm throwing in another brisk 1+ mile walk right before bed. Then, I slept like a baby.

DAY TWO

A little tougher than the first day, but still going strong. I swear I heard the coffee pot at work calling my name, but I just turned up the volume on my iPod and let Ella Fitzgerald drown it out.
Before starting this, I never would have guessed that a lack of sweets would be so difficult to endure. But being limited to only the sweetness of fruit, I find myself really missing other sweet things. A little mint chocolate chip ice cream would be heavenly right now, but I’ll manage without it and look forward to that first bite, eight days from now.

DAY THREE

Smooth sailing today. The meal plan offered some tasty choices: an egg white omelet for breakfast, raw almonds and dried cranberries for a snack, half a turkey sammich for lunch, and a burrito with grilled chicken, brown rice and black beans for dinner. I had to go through the Arby’s drive-thru with KB to pick up her dinner (roast beef and curly fries…Mmmm), but I rolled down the car window to escape the delicious greasy scent coming from the bag and made it home without maiming her for a fry.

I may have over-done the exercise a bit. KB and I played racquetball for an hour, then did almost an hour of intense strength training. My knees are feeling a bit like Jell-O, so let’s hope I can get out of bed tomorrow.

DAY FOUR

I wasn’t sore from the extreme workout yesterday, but I started to crash about halfway through the day. By the evening, I had absolutely no energy. I wasn’t tired, but it took a lot of effort, mentally and physically, to get anything done. I hope this is a fluke. If not, the next six days will be torture.

DAYS FIVE, SIX & SEVEN

Things got a little hairy there for a few days. I had no energy and felt like absolute crap most of the time. I think it may have been some kind of withdrawal, perhaps from the limited carbs allowed in the meal plan. (When you’re used to consuming bread, pasta or potatoes at most meals, it’s quite a shock to your system when those things are almost completely gone.) Besides having no energy, I was getting the shakes between meals and had trouble concentrating.

A work luncheon was scheduled at a Thai restaurant on Friday. I was planning to skip it, so I wouldn’t be tempted to deviate from the plan, but all of my co-workers, including my supervisor, were going. My absence would have looked bad, and considering how lousy I was feeling, I thought a “real” meal might be just what the doctor ordered. So, I joined my co-workers, ordered a dish that was similar to what the plan prescribed, and had a lovely time. Sure enough, I was rejuvenated by that afternoon and have been fine ever since.

I’m noticing some surprising and pleasing results already. After just five days, a pair of jeans that were tight last weekend now fit perfectly. I weighed myself and took my measurements before starting, so I’m anxious to see the results at the conclusion.

DAYS EIGHT, NINE & TEN

After some ups and downs, I finally figured out how to read what my body is telling me. Once I did that, things started going much more smoothly. I feel good, I’m sleeping well, and I’m enjoying the food and the exercise.

80's Flashback

2006-09-20T16:53:00.001-04:00

I got one of those e-mails “You know you grew up in the 80’s if…” They always have the same stuff, like “You know what ‘NKOTB’ stands for,” and “You owned a pair of jelly shoes.” But this list had two things I haven't thought of in years that made me laugh out loud. The first was:
You ever got seriously injured on a Slip ‘n Slide.
We didn’t have a Slip ‘n Slide when I was a kid, but I was certain I could make one myself. So, I got a few of Dad’s black Hefty trash bags from the garage, cut them down each side, laid them end-to-end in the backyard, and rested the hose at the top with a constant, trickling stream.

I stood back and surveyed my work; it was perfect. The yard even had a downhill slope. I positioned myself a good twenty feet from the slide (I needed room to build up some speed), then I took off running, full force, and dove head first, Pete Rose style.

Sadly, but maybe not surprisingly, my creation didn’t function quite like a Slip ‘n Slide. It was more like a Skid n’ Bleed.

The other thing on the e-mail list that made me laugh was:
You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House).
Remember this game? As soon as I read that sentence, I was back in Mr. Hunter’s fifth grade class, playing with Anne Worley and Michelle Atherton. Here’s how my game board would have looked back then:

BOYS (You have to include two “real” boys from school.)
Corey Feldman
Sean Astin (Yes, I was a HUGE Goonies fan.)
Dave Hoffman (My fourth grade “boyfriend” who moved at the end of the year and broke my heart.)
Rick Neville (The super-smart nerd that everyone made fun of in fifth grade; we became friends in high school.)

CAREERS
Artist
Doctor
Architect
Garbage Collector (The ultimate bad job to a fifth grader.)

CITY
New York
London
Paris
Denver, PA (Living in the same town you grew up in? How shameful!)

CARS
Fiero
Corvette
Mercedes
Station wagon with wood paneling (“The Woody” as KB would call it.)

I played the game and according to the results, I should be married to Sean Astin, living in a shack in New York, working as an architect, and driving a station wagon with wood paneling.

Have HBO and TiVo or a VCR? Then HELP!

2006-09-20T12:34:00.000-04:00

I really want to see this HBO documentary on Barry Goldwater, but I don’t have HBO. If there are any readers out there who subscribe to HBO, I promise I'll love you forever if you record it for me. Here’s when it’s on. If my undying love is not enough to persuade you, I'll even throw in a batch of my famous chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.

Pretty please?

Ahoy, mateys!

2006-09-19T10:48:00.000-04:00

Today be Talk Like a Pirate Day. All ye land lubbers, avast! Scrape off yer barnacles, swab the poopdeck, and weigh anchor! Aarrr!!

Congrats!

2006-09-15T13:02:00.000-04:00

To Jonathan, my friend and ex-roommate, who just landed a job in Fort Collins, CO. He starts work October 2nd, so he has to find an apartment and move from Ohio to Colorado in the next two weeks. Yikes!

Best of luck to you, JD! Can’t wait to visit!

Vacation 2006: SPI

2006-09-14T17:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome to South Padre Island:

The sign below was on both sides of the bridge that connects the island to the mainland. We learned from one of the locals that pelicans fish near the bridge and as they are circling the water, they're often hit by passing cars. Sure enough, the next time we crossed the bridge, a few pelicans flew right by our car:

The view from our balcony:

Question: Two girls are traveling 1,700 miles to spend five days swimming, shopping and relaxing. How many pairs of shoes should they bring? Answer: 13.

Today, the role of “Bad-Ass Biker Chick” will be played by KB:

KB and I as Rastafarians:

Shopping in Matamoros, Mexico:

Biggest straw hat EVER. (Obviously, we think taking pictures of us in ridiculous hats is funny.)

The lighthouse at Port Isabel:

We couldn't have asked for better weather. There was the chance of a thunderstorm every day, but it never happened. It sprinkled a bit the first day, but that gave us a chance to drive around and explore the area. From then on out, it was beautiful -- and I have the sunburn to prove it.

Since it was after Labor Day and still too early for the snowbirds, the island was empty. The only time this was disappointing was when we went out in the evenings. Listening to a live band isn't quite as fun when there are only ten people in the audience. But the emptiness was great otherwise. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves, never had to wait for a table at a restaurant, and found great deals on end-of-season merchandise.

The beach was absolutely beautiful with soft sand and clean water. I hate seaweed (who doesn't?) and after stepping on a jellyfish as a child, I'm always on the lookout for sea creatures. But these weren't issues at SPI and every minute on the beach and in the water was bliss.

Our day trip to Mexico was a lot of fun. We enjoyed a delicious authentic Mexican lunch, followed by shopping and, of course, bartering. I bought a beautiful, unique sterling silver bracelet and a hand-printed ornament for my Christmas tree. KB found a colorful hand-woven blanket and a sterling silver pendant. As enjoyable as the day was, we were very relieved to cross back into the U.S.

It was a great vacation, no question. And I certainly wouldn’t mind returning to SPI one day.

Feeling Good

2006-09-13T23:20:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back from vacation and MAN, do I feel great! I knew I was burned out at work and feeling a bit run down in general, but I had no idea how much so until I was sitting on the beach, just enjoying the sounds and smells of the Gulf, while watching a guy play with his Great Dane in the surf. At that moment, for the first time in...I don't even know how long...I was completely relaxed and carefree. And it was bliss.

So now I'm home, I'm rejuvenated, and as the song goes:

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good.

2,996

2006-09-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about this?

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

We will honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.

I wish I'd heard about this in time to volunteer, but I'm glad that the blogging community reponded to the idea so quickly that the victim's names were assigned to willing bloggers in just 90 days.

Here's the list of blogs that will honor the victims of 9/11. I bookmarked the page and each time I get online to check e-mail, chat, blog, or whatever, I'll read a tribute or two. Join me?

New Blog Feature

2006-09-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

I've added a new feature to the blog, which you may have already noticed in the sidebar: the weekly poll. (I can hear the ooooo-ing and aaahh-ing already.) If you have recommendations or requests for a poll question, be sure to e-mail it to me. Otherwise, vote away!

Labor Day Weekend Recap

2006-09-05T16:42:00.000-04:00

Friday evening, I did some baking (chocolate peanut butter chip cookies and pecan pie muffins) for my visit to my folks’ house, cleaned up the apartment a bit, and read. KB and Chloe came up for dinner on Saturday, followed by some last-minute shopping for vacation and the monthly routine of doing her blonde highlights.

Sunday, Ernie and I went to my folks’ house. Mom made a delicious dinner and apple pie, then we spent the evening laughing, mostly at Dad (while telling a story, instead of saying “turn of the century,” he accidentally said, “turd of the century – you can deny it all you want, Dad, but we all heard it!), and watching a crappy movie.

I saw my chiropractor yesterday for a much-needed adjustment, then I took my folks to lunch before returning home to Frederick. Ernie knew I would be leaving without him at some point, so he spent the afternoon strategically positioning himself between me and my car. It was tough to leave him there, especially considering the sad puppy eyes and drooping tail he offered as I drove away. But I know he’ll have a blast at Camp Grammy & Grampy while I'm vacationing.

Tonight, I have an audition for The Choral Arts Society of Washington. They have some good music on their concert schedule this year: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Poulenc’s Stabat Mater, Mozart’s Mass in C Major. The audition consists of a test of the singer’s range, sight singing (yuck), tonal memory, and a prepared song (I’m doing Schubert’s Der Tot und das Mädchen). It’s not quite a like landing a leading role at the Met, but I really, REALLY miss performing, but this will have to do...for now.

7 Days and Counting...

2006-08-31T16:23:00.000-04:00

And I found a better deal on the car and hotel, so I was able to extend the vacation an extra day and still spend less than originally planned. Life is good!

Dairy Dessert No Longer Deadly

2006-08-31T15:24:00.000-04:00

But not any more.

A Poetic Evening

2006-08-29T20:00:00.000-04:00

I took Ernie to the park this evening after work. It was warm, but the breeze made it perfectly comfortable for a hike along the short one-mile trail, followed by relaxing in the grass, listening to birds and watching butterflies. I couldn’t help but hum Silent Noon, Vaughan Williams’ lush setting of Rossetti’s perfectly appropriate poetry:

Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass,
The finger-points look through like rosy blooms:
Your eyes smile peace.
The pasture gleams and glooms
'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass.
All round our nest, far as the eye can pass,
Are golden kingcup fields with silver edge
Where the cow-parsley skirts the hawthorn hedge.
'Tis visible silence, still as the hourglass.

Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky:
So this winged hour is dropt to us from above.
Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower,
This close-companioned inarticulate hour
When twofold silence was the song of love.

Okay, enough sappiness.

On a completely unrelated note, I had a meeting today, during which I found out that my trip to Kenya has been postponed indefinitely. However, I may have the opportunity to go to Heidelberg, Germany in a few months. Wunderbar! Then, I heard from a co-worker that Glory Days AND Bonefish Grill will be opening restaurants in the Frederick Shopping Center this fall. Pinch me!

No More Shopping. Ever.

2006-08-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I’m shopped out and don’t think I’ll feel the urge to set foot in a store for the foreseeable future.

KB and I went to the Prime Outlets in Hagerstown today to take advantage of the end-of-summer sales and tax-free shopping going on this weekend. I bought a stunning red (of course) coat at London Fog. The retail price was $175, but I got it for the bargain basement price of $42. Then, we taste-tested our way through the Harry and David store and each bought a jar of salsa (artichoke for me, mango for KB) and a bottle of martini mix (pumpkin for me, caramel apple for her – yep, we’re ready for Autumn). I also bought some Berry Basket Black Tea, which I’ll make tomorrow, iced, an amazing sports bra (comfortable AND supportive, imagine that) at the Bali store for 50% off, and a skirt and two shirts at the Bass outlet at 70% off. What a steal!

After 5+ hours of hardcore shopping, we were exhausted and hungry. We had mediocre Chinese for dinner on the way home, the best part of which was the fresh Chinese donuts for dessert.

Now, I’m relaxing, waiting for the dryer to finish its cycle, and watching Signs. I saw it in the theater when it came out several years ago and wasn’t overly impressed. I’ve since changed my opinion. It’s thrilling, frightening, touching, has a simple, yet completely believable script, and is very well-acted. Joaquin Phoenix is particularly fantastic and quite adorable. Too bad he’s such a weirdo.

Dial-A-Dog

2006-08-25T16:29:00.000-04:00

Good idea or cruel trick to play on your pet?

It's simple. Dial your phone and call your pet. Talk to him. If he/she gets lost. Track them, online or on your PDA or 3G phone.
The PetsCell™ is the first voice enabled waterproof GPS cell phone optimized for animals. It will be available for distribution late in 2006. Measuring approximately 5 cms wide, 2.5 CMS thick and 9.4 CMS long, the PetsCell™ sets the standard for GPS tracking devices for pets.

How would Ernie react if he suddenly heard my voice? My guess is that he would run to the door, expecting me to walk in at any moment. When I didn’t appear, he would probably run from room to room, thinking I was playing game of Hide and Seek. Still not able to find me, he would probably start whimpering and continue to frantically scour the apartment in a panic, trying to find me.

Okay, so the tracking feature would be handy if—God forbid—you lose your pet, but I can’t imagine many pets would react well to hearing their owner’s voice without the owner following close behind. Nor would they enjoy having that bulky device on their collars all the time. I think I'll pass.

(via Virginia.)

NewTree Chocolate

2006-08-24T13:47:00.000-04:00

One of my co-workers has been having a rough time at work lately and has been making frequent stops by my desk to vent her frustrations and get my opinion. Today, she brought in a thoughtful treat as a token of thanks: four mini bars of NewTree gourmet Belgian chocolate. I’ve never had this kind of chocolate before, but I’m anxious to try it.

Each bar contains a natural extract that’s supposed to promote some kind of emotional response:

Renew: Dark chocolate with blackcurrant (Rejuvenating)
Forgiveness: Dark chocolate with lemon (Harmonizing)
Sexy: Dark chocolate with ginger (Energizing)
Rejoice: Milk chocolate with bitter orange/crisped rice (Soothing)

The website provides the following information:

HOW TO TASTE CHOCOLATE

Start fresh
The best results are obtained with a clean palate. To get the true sense of the taste, sip or rinse with water or lemon juice before you indulge. Start with the milk chocolates and then move on to the dark chocolates.

Too hot, too cold, just right
Store chocolate in a cool, dry place, no need to refrigerate. Savoring chocolate at the right temperature heightens the taste experience. Before your first bite, ensure a perfectly balanced release of the cocoa and sugar flavors by letting the chocolate return to room temperature, 65 68F. Anything else will throw off the harmony - a lower temperature will restrain the release of cocoa and anything higher will intensify the sugary taste.

Sheesh! I’m not used to hoity-toity chocolate. I’ve tried some gourmet stuff and, to be honest, I’ve always preferred Hershey’s. And instructions for how to taste chocolate? Craziness! I mean, I eat M&M’s so I have even numbers of every color at all times, or I eat all of one color before moving on to another (usually from lightest to darkest), but that’s about as technical as I get. If I’m feeling particularly zany, I might put a York Peppermint Patty in the freezer. I know, I’m a wild woman.

I just had lunch, so my palate probably isn’t clean enough to try any of the chocolates yet. But maybe after my afternoon meeting, I’ll be ready to indulge.

Smoking Banned from Classic Cartoons

2006-08-23T16:41:00.000-04:00

Tom and Jerry was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid. I grew up watching reruns and I still watch when I catch them as I’m flipping around the channels. I vividly remember seeing the one where Tom is a virtuoso pianist playing Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. After seeing that episode, I immediately ran to the piano to figure out the music by ear.

Nowadays, some concerned viewers are afraid that kids won’t run to the piano after watching the classic cartoons, but to the store to buy a pack of Marlboros:

Smoking scenes in "Tom and Jerry" cartoons are now banned in Britain, following a viewer's complaint to the government agency that polices the airwaves.

Following an investigation prompted by the anonymous viewer's complaint, regulator Ofcom said Monday that children's TV channel Boomerang has agreed to edit out scenes deemed to glamorise or condone smoking.

Once again, government doing the job of parents. Kids are influenced by things they see on TV, no question. Eight-year-old Mandy, sitting at the piano, plunking out a melody is the perfect example of that. But it’s the responsibility of parents – not the government – to teach children what’s healthy/not healthy, good/bad, right/wrong, etc.

Next, Looney Tunes will have to be edited because Yosemite Sam promotes gun violence. You watch.

16 Days and Counting...

2006-08-23T12:50:00.000-04:00

...until vacation. Woohoo! I’m looking forward to playing tennis, horseback riding in the surf, tchotchke shopping in Mexico, and basking in the sun, book and beverage in hand. I already don’t want it to end.

Happy Feet

2006-08-21T16:03:00.000-04:00

I love these shoes! Unfortunately, they're $190 and I can't justify spending that kind of money on a pair of shoes, no matter how fabulous they are. Ah, well. I guess that's what a wishlist is for.

Capote

2006-08-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

I finally watched Capote this weekend, which I’ve been meaning to do ever since I finished reading In Cold Blood a few months ago. Good flick, although I wonder if I would’ve enjoyed it more had I seen the film prior to reading the book. No matter. It was very well done, except for the decision to cast Clifton Collins, Jr. as Perry Smith. He didn’t capture anything of Smith, physically or emotionally. But Philip Seymour Hoffman was absolutely amazing as Truman Capote. Of the role, Hoffman is quoted as saying,

“It was the kind of role that technically I had to stay with because if I let it go it was pretty hard to try to get it back. So during the day, even in between shots and during breaks, I’d try and stay in character vocally and physically so I wouldn’t have to try to bring it back up.”

Yeah, I’m glad I wasn’t on the set. I would've had to slap him silly.

I’m looking forward to the October release of Infamous. That’s right, yet another film about Capote’s experiences while researching the Clutter murders. Hollywood sure is struggling to come up with an original idea these days.

Hollywood Disses Hezbollah

2006-08-18T16:04:00.000-04:00

It’s not often that I agree with political statements made by celebrities. I mean, who really cares what celebrities think? Most of them are completely out of touch with reality and have no interest in, or clue about, life outside of Hollywood.

That being said, this surprised – and pleased – the heck out of me.

NICOLE Kidman has made a public stand against terrorism.
The actress, joined by 84 other high-profile Hollywood stars, directors, studio bosses and media moguls, has taken out a powerfully-worded full page advertisement in today's Los Angeles Times newspaper.
It specifically targets "terrorist organisations" such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine.
"We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas," the ad reads.
"If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die.
"We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs."

(via annika.)

Useless, But Fascinating

2006-08-16T12:52:00.000-04:00

Can you believe how many flavors of Pop-Tarts there are?

American Idol Wild Strawberry (Limited Edition)
Apple Cinnamon (Frosting was removed in the early 90's)
Apple Strudel
Blueberry
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Cherry
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Cinnamon Roll
Cookies and Cream
Double Berry
Dutch Apple (Discontinued)
French Toast
Frosted Blueberry
Frosted Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Frosted Cherry
Frosted Caramel Chocolate
Frosted Chocolate Fudge
Frosted Chocolate Vanilla Crème
Frosted Cookies & Creme
Frosted Grape
Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae
Frosted Peanut Butter & Jelly (Discontinued)
Frosted Raspberry
Frosted S’Mores
Frosted Strawberry
Frosted Wild Berry
Frosted Wild Magic Burst (Discontinued)
Hello Kitty™ Meow-Berry (Limited Edition)
Ice-Berry Blast (Limited Edition)
The Incredibles Incrediberry Blast (Limited Edition)
Mint Chocolate Chip
Nooby Swirl with Raspberry (Special Edition)
Pokémon™
Wild Cherry (Limited Edition)
Princess Jewel Berry (Limited Edition)
Spider-man™ Spidey-Berry (Limited Edition)
SpongeBob SquarePants™ Wild Bubble-Berry (Limited Edition)
Star Wars™ Lava Berry Explosion (Limited Edition)
Strawberry
Strawberry Milkshake
Yogurt Blasts™ Blueberry
Yogurt Blasts™ Strawberry
Watermelon (Discontinued)

Amazing!

Softball, Interview at FCC, Weekend in PA...

2006-08-09T16:37:00.000-04:00

It’s been a week since I’ve posted anything? Jeez, where is the time going? Okay, here’s what’s up:

I played softball for the first time in weeks last Tuesday. The weather was miserable; close to 100 degrees and absolutely no breeze. But despite the sweat and bugs, we still managed to have fun. Playoffs are next week, so that will be the end of the season. I’ve really enjoyed playing, but I’m burned out and ready for it to end.

I had an interview at FCC for an adjunct faculty position in their Music department. As part of the interview, I taught a short lesson to a student. She was sixteen and rather advanced for her age, so we vocalized for about 15 minutes, then we worked on “The Suns Whose Rays” from The Mikado. My sight reading at the piano was kinda rough, as I knew it would be, but the interview went well and, assuming they have the enrollment numbers they expect, it looks like I’ll be teaching there this fall.

I went to my parents’ house this weekend to pick up Ernie, who had been there for two weeks while I was traveling. Boy, was he happy to see me! (It’s nice to be loved.) We stayed in Friday night for dinner and good conversation. (Some topics we covered: Naming the five state capitals west of/on the Mississippi that start with “Sa”. No cheating! Have you seen the “Messing with Sasquatch” commercials or Usama on Family Guy? Hysterical stuff!) Saturday, we went to lunch and a movie. FYI, if you’re thinking of seeing The Night Listener, don’t bother. It’s the worst movie I’ve seen in a long, long time.

Sunday, KB and I spent the afternoon at the pool, getting our fair skin ready for our up-coming fun-in-the-sun vacation. (30 days and counting....) Then we enjoyed dinner at Hard Times Café and a bit of shopping.

This week’s been rather relaxed. Tonight, I’ll head to Rockville for dinner at That’s Amore. Friday, I’m hoping to get together with the G-town gang for cards. And the weekend’s reserved for a good book and a lounge chair by the pool.

Zzzzz....

2006-07-31T09:54:00.000-04:00

I’ve been having some very odd dreams lately.

Saturday night (my first night back at home), I dreamt I was still in Thailand and realized that I had neglected to feed my fish before the trip. I started panicking about coming home and finding a tank full of dead fish. When I awoke, I sprang out of bed to feed them immediately, but I couldn’t find my fish tank. Then I remembered...I don’t own any fish.

Since I’m still suffering from jetlag, I only slept about two hours last night, but I still managed to squeeze in another wacky dream. It was very movie-like, as many of my dreams are (I once had a dream that included closing credits), with a complicated, but logical plot line and a surprise twist at the end. To make a long story short, I dreamt that the pizza delivery guy was trying to kill me with an axe.

Yeah, I really some restful sleep. And soon.

I'm Home!

2006-07-30T21:34:00.000-04:00

And what a trip it was.

The sprained ankle I suffered on the first day was a pain (literally), but not an insurmountable issue. My kind travel companions helped me about and lifted my spirits when I'd start to get frustrated by my limited mobility. I'm happy to report that the swelling has gone down quite a bit and it only hurts first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. I expect to be back to normal in a few more days.

As for work, my involvement in the training was to include wandering around the training room during our sessions, answering questions and solving techincal problems. But training people who speak English as a second language turned out to be more demanding than we'd anticipated, especially with the training center's Internet access being so painfully slow. After two days, the session leaders started to feel and show the strain, so I started leading some of the sessions, which worked out well for everyone.

Outside of work, I had a nice time getting to know my co-workers. In the evenings, we would gather together to unwind and relax over dinner. Every meal was fantastic -- great food, nice conversation, a few good laughs. Always a pleasant way to end the day.

Wednesday night, we went to Venus Jewelry. My co-workers had been babbling about this place for weeks before the trip, saying that it was the place for beautiful gems and jewelry at amazing prices. I've never really been into jewelry, but curiosity got the best of me and I decided to tag along. I ended up falling in love with, and buying, a black star sapphire and white gold bracelet. They also had a gorgeous matching pendant, ring and earrings, but I couldn't justify splurging that much.

Our last evening was particularly fun. While the rest of the group went out for some last-minute shopping before a late dinner and our 1:00 AM departure, Lori and I spent a few hours relaxing in the hotel's outdoor cafe, enjoying a bottle of wine and watching people come and go. As time passed and the wine disappeared, off came Lori's clip-on ponytail. It happened to match my hair color perfectly, so, naturally, I had to try it on.

So, it was a good trip and a nice ending to the traveling madness of the past few months. Now, I'll enjoy staying home for the foreseeable future.

Grace

2006-07-24T08:42:00.000-04:00

After an uneventful flight (other than sitting next to a man who sucked his teeth after meals and snored so loudly I could hear it over my headphones), I’ve arrived safely in Bangkok. It’s the end of day one and things were going well. Were.

We made it through our first day of training sessions without any major problems. The Internet connection at the training center was painfully slow, but the center’s IT personnel promised improvements by tomorrow. I’m not sure what they’ll do to achieve that, but there’s little to do but trust them.

My co-workers and I were about to head back to the hotel this afternoon when I unconsciously decided to show my least favorite side me: klutzy me. As I stepped off the curb to get into the cab, I stepped right into a pothole and sprained my ankle. Bad. Down I went, as the colorful words flew from my lips and the tears streamed from my eyes.

My co-workers, who I really don’t know that well, were absolutely amazing. They helped me into the cab, gave me a shoulder to lean on as I hobbled through the hotel, carried all my stuff to my room (Brad even carried my little red purse without a second thought), gathered everything I could need or want (extra pillows to prop up my leg, tons of ice for the ankle, an Ace bandage, Advil, an offer to order room service or bring me something for dinner), and have since been checking on me very frequently, almost annoyingly so, to see how I’m feeling and if I need anything else.

So here I sit, leg propped up, icing my ankle, laughing at myself to keep from crying, and thanking God for my thoughtful co-workers.

My Bags Are Packed...Almost

2006-07-21T22:46:00.000-04:00

Well, Ernie is at his grammy and grampy’s house for the next week, as I’m packing for my trip to Bangkok tomorrow. This will be trip number three in as many months, and (hopefully) the last for quite some time. Compared to the previous visit, I’m expecting this to be a pretty low-stress trip. There are six of us going and we’ll be offering lectures on clinical data management and training on the newly-implemented EDMS. My involvement will be limited to assisting the session leaders and making myself available to answer questions as they arise. Of course, that’s how things are supposed to happen, but we’ll have to wait and see how they actually play out.

In between doing laundry and packing tonight, I watched The Libertine. While being vulgar and obscene, it managed to keep from being offensive through its brilliant dialogue, direction and acting. (It starred Johnny Depp, so how could it be anything but brilliant?) One simple, yet thought-provoking line that stuck with me was:

Life is not a succession of urgent “nows.” It is a listless trickle of “Why should I?”’s

Something to think about, no?

"Good times. Noodle Salad."

2006-07-16T17:15:00.001-04:00

It's been a great weekend.

The college gang came to town Thursday night for a long weekend. Lee's 30th birthday is tomorrow and he's the last of us to reach this landmark age. So, we got together to spend the weekend reminiscing and laughing, barbequing and swimming at my pool, playing games and cards, eating lots of good food, and even shakin’ our groove thangs at eCitie. And here's the proof:

Lee, JD, Gurney, KB and me, enjoying the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer:

Lee, passing the time with some truly stimulating reading material:

JD, acting out a five-word phrase in a rousing game of Charades:

All dressed up and some place to go -- dinner and dancing at eCitie:

Of course, a bazillion funny things were uttered over the course of three days, but my favorite happened during lunch this afternoon. As we were discussing the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Gurney said, in all seriousness, "Oh, I never got to see Narnia: The Captain, the Walrus, the...what was it?"

Car Trauma and Little Women

2006-07-11T21:49:00.000-04:00

Sunday, KB and I wanted to see a matinee of Little Women: The Musical at the Kennedy Center. So, Ernie and I headed down to Germantown for the day.

About halfway there, I looked down at the dashboard to see the “check engine” light on and the thermometer in the red. Perfect. I called KB, explained the situation and decided, rather than risk the car dying on 270, I’d cross my fingers and continue on. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it.

As soon as I got off 270 and had to stop at a red light, the car sputtered and choked, and smoke started wafting out from under the hood. So, there Ernie and I were, sitting in five lanes of traffic, with the car completely dead. I called KB, explained where we were, and asked her to come get Ernie, so I could get towed.

When I called for a tow truck, I was told it would be about a 45-minute wait. Just then, a tow truck happened to be driving by, so I flagged him down and asked if he was available to tow me two miles down the road to the Honda dealership. Luckily, he was free and able to help me out.

Turns out that the oil gasket was leaking and caused a hose to swell and burst. The high temperature also burned out the coil in the distributor assembly, as well as the thermostat. It’s all gibberish to me, but how can I argue? I don’t know anything about cars. As George on Seinfeld says, when talking about auto mechanics, “They can make up anything. Nobody knows. ‘By the way, you need a new Johnson rod in there.’ ‘Oh, a Johnson rod. Yeah, well, you better put one of those on.’”

Well, it took two days and $1,100, but my car is back in running order. Whew!

KB and I made it to the evening performance of Little Women on Sunday. I’m glad I saw it, but it’s not something I need to see again. There were a few good songs (“Astonishing,” “Some Things Are Meant To Be,” “Days Of Plenty”), but most of the music seemed like an afterthought. And, oddly enough, the second act was much better than the first.

There were a lot of kids at the performance, which surprised and pleased me. I’m always glad to see parents introducing their children to the theater at an early age. Sitting next to me were a mother and her daughter, about six years old. The daughter was very well behaved and seemed thoroughly interested in the performance. Like toward the end of the second act, when Marmee approached a mournful Jo in the attic. Jo began yelling at Marmee, venting her sadness and frustration at Beth’s death. The girl sitting next to me started crying softly and leaned into her mother’s side, hiding her face. Her mother put a comforting arm around the girl and stroked her hair. The daughter then wiped her eyes and stayed huddled close to her mother for the rest of the show. Very touching.

Pirates, The Park, iPod

2006-07-08T22:33:00.000-04:00

KB and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest last night, along with everyone else in the free world. We’d been counting on it all week, but when showtimes started selling out, I figured it would be a good idea to cut out of work a few minutes early and get to the theater to buy tickets. Sure enough, the earliest available show was at 10:15. Not a problem, since we needed time to enjoy dinner at Macaroni Grill beforehand. Good dinner, really fun movie. Johnny Depp is brilliant, as always.

Today, I did laundry, rearranged some furniture before putting it back in its original location (the new arrangement just didn’t work as well), then took Ernie to the park, where we took a leisurely stroll on the hiking trail, then sat in the grass, reading and watching the birds. When we returned home, I started downloading CDs to my new iPod.

My Mp3 player broke a several months ago. When I called to make use of the service plan I had purchased with the player, I was told I should expect to receive a mailing label with which I must return the player and all of its original components. Once they received the player, I would be sent a store credit for the original purchase price of the item. Great.

Well, several weeks passed and I never got the label, so I called again. I was informed that it had been sent out the day after my call, but no matter, they would send another immediately.

Again, several weeks passed. Again, nothing. When I called, I was told they would just send the store credit and return of the player was not necessary. So, I have the old, broken (but fixable) 40GB Creative Zen, plus the new 30GB iPod.

Fifteen CDs down, only another 550 or so to go!

Communist Chic

2006-07-07T17:28:00.000-04:00

Look what's available from The North Face in men's and boy's sizes:

Please explain to me how anyone is buying this. How a well-known, respected American company is producing an item that advertises – hammer, sickle and all – a nation responsible for the deaths of nearly 62 million people.

Jeff Jacoby at the Boston Globe has an interesting explanation for this fashion trend:

[P]erhaps the strongest explanation is the simplest: visibility. Ever since the end of World War II, when photographers entered the death camps and recorded what they found, the world has had indelible images of the Nazi crimes. But no army ever liberated the Soviet Gulag or halted the Maoist massacres. If there are photos or films of those atrocities, few of us have ever seen them. The victims of communism have tended to be invisible -- and suffering that isn't seen is suffering most people don't think about.
''Communist chic?" The blood of 100 million victims cries out from the ground. To wear the symbols of their killers is no fashion statement, but the ultimate in bad taste.

Instead of supporting this company and its bad decision to produce this junk, how about contributing the money you might spend on such a jacket to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and help erect a monument to those that have perished under communist tyranny?

Besides, you can get a better jacket from L.L. Bean, unless they start making Swastika parkas. And if that's the case, well...at least you'll have your principles to keep you warm.

(H/T Michelle Malkin)

A Relaxing 4th of July

2006-07-04T23:05:00.000-04:00

Independence Day. I love this holiday: the barbeques, the fireworks, the time with friends and family. I saw many people outside this afternoon enjoying these things as I took Ernie for a long walk. I myself did not partake in such festivities. Instead, I spent a much-need day at home. I gave Ernie a bath, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed, did laundry, and watched Open Range. Not a traditional way to celebrate our nation’s birth, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

Back in the U.S.A.

2006-07-01T22:52:00.000-04:00

I've safely returned home from my trip to Bangkok. I was only there for four days this time, but I found myself swimming through a sea of emotions the entire time – some work-related, some personal. Yet what I feel most now that I'm home is thankful. Thankful that I was born in, and that I continue to live and thrive in, the United States.

I bought a few souvenir trinkets, but my favorite by far is the hand-painted bone china teacup I mentioned earlier.

There was an entire set of dinnerware in this pattern, which I would love to own. But considering that one teacup was about $50, I figured it would be best not to look at the price tag for the set. When (if) I get married, perhaps I'll register at that shop.

In Thailand: One Day More

2006-06-29T11:38:00.000-04:00

Words cannot express how glad I am that today is over. But rather than dwell on the rough spots, I’ll focus on and remember the good.

Vanessa, our knowledgeable, eager and kind Project Coordinator over here treated us to lunch at the most terrifying restaurant today. When I say “restaurant,” I mean it in the loosest sense of the word. It was basically a garage with folding tables and chairs, which were surrounded by stacks of empty soda bottles, gas cans, motorbikes, piles of old rags, etc. When we walked in, the woman cooking the food had just thrown a handful of rice noodles in a wire basket, which she then dunked in two plastic buckets on the floor, filled with some kind of liquid. I can’t even begin to share the thoughts flooding through my mind at that moment, but they all revolved around the various illnesses I was sure I’d contract from walking in this place, let alone eating there. But Vanessa assured me that she’d eaten there a zillion times and had never gotten sick. Plus, I saw several other people from the institute eating lunch there. So, I tried to relax by thinking about the vaccinations I received prior to the trip and let Vanessa order for me: rice noodles with pork and vegetables. And believe it or not, it was absolutely delicious. The freshest veggies and tender pork in a flavorful broth with tons of noodles…yum! And the price? 30 Baht (which is less than $1) for all that and a soda. Unbelievable.

After work, I sat in the hotel lobby for a bit, listening to the piano-clarinet-string bass trio play hits from the 70s and 80s, while sipping a peppermint iced tea. The very friendly, very handsome hotel manager stopped on his way by and we chatted a while – about Bangkok, living in the Washington D.C. area, his Australian accent, and a few other things.

Then, I did a little shopping and found a stunningly beautiful hand-painted bone china tea cup and saucer with a Thai silk box to display it. I haggled with the shopkeeper and got him down to 1950 Baht (about $50), so I couldn’t pass it up. Now, if I can just get it home without it breaking, I’ll be thrilled.

Tomorrow will be my last day here. My flight departs at 1:30 AM Saturday morning, which will have me landing in D.C. exactly 48 hours from now. What am I looking forward to most?

Sleeping in my own bed.
Eating a simple, home-cooked meal.
Seeing Ernie’s wagging tail and dance of joy at my return.

In Thailand: Happy Feet

2006-06-28T10:14:00.000-04:00

Today showed definite signs of improvement. I had a conversation with my boss first thing this morning and explained the situation here in detail. Fortunately, he is supportive of everything I'm doing here and knows what I can and can't accomplish - not because of my ability or knowledge, but because of my position. (Trying to make an Army Colonel do something when you're a government contractor is like trying to make a moose tap dance.) Anyway, I'll continue with my work as planned and try not to fret about the rest.

After work was over for the day, Jeff and I went shopping and I finally got a "same same, but different" T-shirt. See, Thai people say this when they are trying to explain that something is very similar, but a bit different. Same same, but different...understand? Yeah, me neither.

Next, we stopped off for a Thai foot massage. Sixty minutes of pure podiatric pain and pleasure. If I lived here, I would do this every day.

Now, after a delicious Thai dinner, I'm ready to take a nice, long bath and hit the hay for a good night's sleep. Ahhh....