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2006:

culture break

Dec 27th, 2006
by gazelle.
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American Psycho is not appropriate lunch time reading. Just so you know.

Need to go running tonight. It is over 40 degrees (which is my criteria for the outdoor activities).

Tomorrow night, I am swimming, I think. Might as well use the pool at my gym.

I can feel a migraine building. I don’t know when it will hit, but my teeth are starting to ache. Any tips on prevention?

For our holiday gift exchange, my officemate received a Haiku word magnet set. We had much fun. Then, in a burst of inspiration, I brought in my Shakespeare word magnets that I’ve had for years (which is probably why there is only one “thou” and the “et” is missing). Today, we got all crazy and ordered the “Genius” word magnet set from Magnetic Poetry. The only rule is that all use of the word magnets must be in haiku form. We are having fun. So much fun, in fact, that I am going to share the haikus with you all.

Beware damned errors
Frailty thy name is RE*
Why dost thou plague me?

*the abbreviation for the database I administrate – two letters, two syllables.

Canst thou be mercy?
unkindest merchant rotten
thine toil, ’tis nothing
(composed, by my officemate, in honor of the car repair people I am working with)

No breath beneath the
concrete refrigerator
the dead woman smiled
(that one’s mine – I have been reading American Psycho)

she always whispered
to the harvest moon as the
thunder howled wildly
(not mine – thunder doesn’t howl)

sad my friend must be
mushroom morning blooméd so
cold upon her skin
(another written in honor of my ‘shroom allergy)

wet dandelion
blossom spring green between song
before summer dawn
(my officemate is quite prolific)

I know, I know – you’re welcome

This culture break brought to you by the letters ‘X’ and ‘Q’ and by the number 13.

Quote of the Week

Dec 20th, 2006
by gazelle.
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I took this from the bottom of a forward I received from my friend Brad:

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, totally worn out and screaming, “WOO-HOO! What a ride!”

Edited to add: Thanks to Meri, I can now attribute this to Hunter S. Thompson, who definitely practiced what he preached.

PORN!!!

Dec 20th, 2006
by gazelle.
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These are very school-marm-ish. I kind of love them. I feel that I could rap people’s knuckles with my ruler and wear my hair in a bun. Which, actually, isn’t much different than my day-to-day life. Just without the shoes that justify it all.

Still nothing much going on. Work is kicking my ass – I need to remember to be a bit less stressed – it’s just work. However, I really like my job, so I get stressed if I think I’m underperforming. PTFD (post-traumatic fired disorder) can linger for years, I guess.

Today I was very diligent. I made an appointment for the insurance guy to look at my car. I made a dental and a doctor appointment. I registered the architect and myself for a first-time home-buyer class. I solved a couple of weird database problems. All that by noon.

I’m making myself a hat, so tonight, I have to stop at a knitting store to get some more needles, because I’m at the tricky part now – the part where I need some double-pointed needles. Fortunately, there are many knitters at work who can help me out tomorrow when I get scared and screw it all up.

I also made a pledge with a co-worker that we are going to start running on our lunch hours starting in January. We’ve decided to do the 10K bridge to bridge run at the end of March, so we’re going to be getting out there 3x week – in theory. I’m also going to start swimming 1x week, and trying to do yoga 1 or 2x week. In fact, I should call my gym and inquire about their lap swimming right now.

Done. I can swim Thursday evenings after work. And yoga on Saturdays at 11. (In the Pearl. ‘Cause I’m swanky like that.) So good. I have a plan. And at least three days a week (if it’s over 40 degrees at noon), someone to help me stick to it. Tuesdays I will try to take a lunch-time walk in the zoo, and Sundays are library-lifting days (also, ride bike to library as soon as it’s not freezy anymore days).

So – I need new running shoes. And some running tights. And then, as a reward for all my diligence, maybe a pair of school-marm boots. (see how I tied it all together?)

My Life is Boring

Dec 19th, 2006
by gazelle.
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Although I am now (for those of you keeping track) 98% done with my holiday shopping, and have only three more packages to send. None of which will get where they need to be by the time they need to be there. I did get the all-important birthday gift sent out, and it should arrive by Friday, at the latest.

So – the excitement is overwhelming, isn’t it?

I myself am having a hard time containing my excitement.

I don’t even have any good book reviews. I read “Lucky” by Alice Sebold, and although it was a wonderfully-written book, I don’t think I can do it justice in a review – too raw and painful.

I also just read “Broken Prey” (which you all would know if my stupid Amazon plug-in would work), which was a fun serial-killer book. Not terribly well-written (although certainly not bad), but entertaining. The promised twist at the end wasn’t all that twisty, but it was a good, serial-killer read.

I started a new biography today – but am not impressed yet. It’s a bit too into the ‘scholarly’ aspect, and forgot about the ‘interesting’ part of writing. It’s very informative, at least.

How’s everyone else? Any good stories?

Comments

Claire:

I am just finishing Birds of America by Lorrie Moore. While I agree she’s a great writer, most of the stories left me kind of depressed.

Somewhere previous to that I read The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham. It was great.

E:

I finished On Beauty the other night, but I’ve been too busy/tired/migrainey to update my site. I will soon, promise. It was very good.

Was the Prey book one of John Sanford’s? I had to read one of those in college for my class on the detective story. He’s much better than most of that genre. (And yes, that was the most awesomest class ever!)

Full of the Holiday Spirit

Dec 18th, 2006
by gazelle.
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or something.

Friday was the work party. Good food. Good booze. After the party, a co-worker and I went to Powell’s to buy presents, and then walked to Lint to ogle the yarn. By then, it was after 4, and we’d walked miles, and our buzzes were almost gone. So we went to Emanon’s (or something) and drank martinis and waited for men to come get us. Then, we went to Rogue – for the food (and beer). And then, it was 10.

One tiny headache later, and it was Saturday. I baked all day Saturday. We ended up with well over 200 cookies. Saturday night, and only two break-downs later, we went to the fancy-schmancy architect party at the Portland Art Museum. It was the fanciest party I’ve ever been to. Formal wear. Good food. Free drinks. Belly dancers. Not enough chairs for everyone, which sucked a lot. We didn’t stay long. It was hard with that many people.

The architect was greeted and lauded by no fewer than two principals of his firm – a firm that, from the looks of it – employs well over seventeen million people. He’s a rising star in the architecture world.

Also, I found out (via my dear friend Brad, who was googling me for some unknown reason) that I placed 20th in the Writer’s Digest 2006 contest in the mainstream literature field. So – that is pretty cool. There were 9 categories, and something like 40,000 entrants, so that means I’m in the top 180 people. Or something. So – yay for me. I sent out an email to brag about it last night. So, I am a star, too.

Yesterday, I worked at the library. That is a lot of fun, but there is also a lot of heavy lifting. So – it’s like the strength-training portion of a workout. I lift book bins – which (according to a librarian) weigh an average of 44 pounds apiece. Yesterday, I moved 11 book bins – so don’t mess with me – ‘cause I am very very strong.

After the library, and the lounging, we headed out on a quest for another present. We found the present, a fun little neighborhood, and some decent Mexican Food.

Last night we watched “Thank You For Smoking,” which was quite enjoyable. Then we wrapped presents and got a couple of boxes ready to ship out.

I have two more packages to ship tomorrow (one to my mom & sister and one to a friend for her birthday), and then I’m done.

Except not really. I haven’t gotten gifts for any of my friends yet. Because I’ve decided that it really means more if they get gifts in January. Means more to my sanity, anyways. I think we finally have almost all our wedding thank you cards out, and that can only mean it’s time to start sending out holiday greetings.

I hope everyone survives this week. And next. And, if anyone is in the area and would like to come over for eggnog and cookies, let me know.

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