Monday, December 26, 2005

I was bored.


Also I got a haircut.

Can't complain.

I got one of these bad boys for Chrismanukkah. It makes me happy. My holiday was pretty low-key, but it was very nice. We had a good time without buying into all the commercialization nonsense that annoys me so much. Everyone got one or two presents, we had a nice dinner, we watched March of the Penguins, and that was about it. Nice.

I'm off to West Chester once more today for various adventures with my friends while we all have the time to have such adventures. It should be exciting.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Oh my my.

This is cause for me to lose some faith in humanity. Hint: if you ever commit a crime, DON'T POST ABOUT IT ON YOUR BLOG! Honestly, some people just amaze me. And not in a good way. I guess it's social Darwinism in action though: the stupid are weeding themselves out of society. Hmph.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Finally free.

I am quite pleased to report that I have survived my penultimate semester of college, fully intact. As a matter of fact, I've passed all my classes, and my mental health is surprisingly good.

In my newly acquired free time, I've taken (once again) to voraciously reading non-school books. Current reading: Out of It: A Cultural History of Intoxication by Stuart Walton. (Despite school's having ended, I never cease to be a bit nerdy.) In any case, the book covers relatively innocuous substances such as caffeine and alcohol as well as the slightly more heady categories of opiates, amphetamines, and hallucinogens. Walton makes the argument that it is part of human nature to desire to become intoxicated, just as humans need to eat and have sex and whatnot. The idea of intoxication as a basic appetite has interesting implications. But perhaps I can use it to justify my weekly trips to the bar.


Also, as I'm sure you're aware, the Christmas season is upon us. Now, call me a grinch if you will, but I'm a bit Christmas-ed out. I dread shopping at this time of year, I'm sick of hearing about the so-called "War on Christmas" (Oh please! Those poor persecuted Christians! We should be happy no one's throwing us to the lions anymore and just get on with our business!), and frankly, I still haven't figured out, after this several years of being Catholic, just what Santa Claus or Christmas trees have to do with Baby Jesus. Peace on earth? Erm, not so much, when everyone is just about stampeding each other for the latest must-have down at the Wal-Mart. Honestly. Calm down, people! Get over yourselves! Yeesh. I'll take the February doldrums over this any day.

In honor of the birth of Jesus, I leave you with this: a Dr. Suess version of the New Testament.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

From the "Only in NEPA" Department

Most people I know spent Thanksgiving break with family, relaxing and whatnot. Perhaps they also caught up with high school friends. I, too, spent my break doing these things, but it seems that my break was probably a bit different from that of others.

Last night: Myself and six other people (all high school friends) playing hide-and-seek. At midnight. Outside. In the middle of nowhere. A cornfield. In November. Drunk.

Ah yes, the fine traditions of NEPA. Where else in the world would I find myself huddled in the shadow of an old car, sitting on the road, feeling the cold from the pavement slowly seep into my bones, and wishing for perhaps another glass of wine? Whenever I find myself in utter disdain of my hometown and upbringing, I must think of these quaint activities. Things like this have colored my childhood, and I suppose my early adulthood as well. My friends from the suburbs could never understand such a thing, I suppose. (Though these are the same people who didn't know what Chicken and Waffles is...)

I'm not saying I want to move home and stay there, but occasionally I get nostalgic for the place. It's unique, if nothing else.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Here, kitty kitty.

The people upstairs got a cat. That's fine; I like cats as much as the next guy. But I fear for the wellbeing of said cat, since these people are not, erm, the sharpest knives in the drawer, if you get my meaning.

I had my window opened a bit earlier tonight (due to the fact that my apartment is hot enough to qualify as a principality of hell), and I heard these girls calling to this cat. Yes, they had the cat outside. Ok, cats like being outside as much as the next animal, so that's all good. But they were basically just letting the cat wander. "He's not going to run away!" they said. I was skeptical.

I had to go to the library for a while tonight, so as I left my apartment, I found two of the girls calling to the cat. Who evidently was under my car. And they didn't know how they were going to get him out. Right-o, then. So as I said, I worry for this cat.

And now I'm going to have to make sure I don't run him over every time I go someplace.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

poem (for the first time in ages...)

degrees of freedom

i am becoming what i've always wanted to be.
see, there was a time when i'd just stay in line
and say "yes sir, whatever you say."
and it seemed like the only way.

until i met another man,
one i knew i'd understand.
oh, the glistening brilliance of youth.
(turned out not to be such a good plan.)

but i learned, and am learning still
sometimes it's not a matter of our will
who we are or where we'll be
it's just the knowledge that freedom comes by degree.

(First one I've written in forever. It works, I guess.)

Monday, November 07, 2005

Insert clever title here.

Attention all you suckas who didn't go to the 5:30 Mass last night: You missed the amazing vocal stylings of....me. Hah ha! I sang the alto part on the Psalm. For the record, I didn't mess it up too badly, but if you're looking for a repeat performance, it's unlikely to be any time in the near future. You'll have to speak to my agent I suppose.

In the meantime, I've been putting off homework, missing important appointments, crying, being stressed out, forgoing dinner in favor of pistachios, and basically mucking up everything I do. Fun game.

Tomorrow is November 8th: don't forget to vote.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Some pig!


This is my crappy photography, but F you, I like it!

It's my beloved rodent, with one of his favorite toys, a ratty hand towel. I figure I'd take a few pictures of Beaker today, seeing as his birthday is coming up on the 11th (coincidentally the same day as Kira's).

In honor of the Beakmeister's first birthday, I feel that some sort of celebration is in order. Maybe we'll hit the bars in town. Maybe I'll let him eat an entire apple. Or maybe we'll just hang out like we usually do. Me and the pig, just chillin'. Tis good, I say.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Well I'm impressed.


My brother Ian strikes again. Him and his fancy newfangled digital camera...anyway, I think this is just an awesome picture of our dog, Streak. So, mad props to Ian for being cool, and here's a link to some more of his photos.

Monday, October 31, 2005

: \

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Killer Tofu!

For some reason, I've been quasi-vegetarian (again) as of late. I haven't had much appetite for meat, and nine times out of ten, the mere thought of it kinda turns my stomach. When I go grocery shopping, I buy ridiculous amounts of produce. Spinach, apples, green peppers, carrots, peas, etc. And I complement this with dairy products: yogurt, cottage cheese, milk. Throw in some granola, and that's essentially what I've been eating for the past week or so.

Frankly, I think it's a pretty healthful diet, but my nutritionist was wary, given that I've used vegetarianism as an excuse to eat nothing. This time, I'm for real, however. To prove this, I said that I would try to find alternative protein sources. I looked through the good old internets and found some very easy tofu recipes. I mean, idiot proof recipes. Ah, good! I thought to myself. I can be creative and still get my protein and life will be good.

So I began my cooking adventure earlier this afternoon. I cut open the package of tofu (which had taken me about 20 minutes to pick out at the grocery store), drained the water, and plopped it onto my cutting board. Hmm. A little rubbery, but ok. I sliced it up. It kept falling apart. Hmm, this tofu is more delicate than I had initially thought. But I put it in the sauce, then on the baking sheet. Ha hah! I thought, I'm "cooking". Like a grown-up!

I turned on the oven to pre-heat it. Good good good. Then, the smoke alarm went off. Not good. I didn't even have anything in the oven yet! I turned the oven off. No problem, I thought, I'll just take the battery out of the smoke alarm. After doing so, I returned to the business of pre-heating. Not a minute later, the smoke alarm went off yet again! (I suppose it's good to know that in case I'm actually burning something, it will work whether the battery is dead or not.) I figured that disconnecting the thing wouldn't be such a good idea, so I covered it in saran wrap, which I sealed off with masking tape. Now I was cooking with gas (literally)!

So I put my tofu in the oven. And wait. And resist the urge to check on it every five minutes. Finally, it was time, so I pulled it out. I sorta expected them to be crispy. The recipe said "crispy"! Yet, they were still a bit, well, rubbery. Scowl. I think that my fatal design flaw was buying the wrong kind of tofu entirely, which is a bit disappointing. I'll have to try again at some point. I'll probably still eat these tofu thingies...But hopefully they'll be a little more tasty in the future.

If anyone has any tofu-cooking tips, let me know!

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

"John...Matthew...Thaddaeus..."

My research methods professor's daughter is in my CCD class. This professor asked me how things were going with CCD; I told her that it's good overall, but the kids are awfully hyped up at that time of day. It's hard for them, having to sit for an hour and a half after having been in school all day. I told her I wish I could find an active game for them to play. Perhaps I could adapt "Duck Duck Goose" to be religious, somehow. She said, "You could play 'Apostle, Apostle, Christ'". I pictured it: the kids in a circle, one of them tapping the others on the head, "John, Matthew, Thaddaeus...Jesus!" And then taking off and running. Perhaps I'll do it.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Procrastination is a beautiful thing.

Maybe it's writer's block or maybe it's that science classes leech me of the will to live, but I haven't been able to write here very much lately. I just don't have much to say. There isn't too much going on.

The only event in my life now is school. I go to class all day, and then when I'm done, I do homework for a good chunk of the night. I work like the hounds of hell are after me, and yet I still feel that I'm falling behind. It's a bit maddening. I often wonder why I even bother, especially since I'm in a major I hate and don't plan to use. But even in the classes I do enjoy, the work seems tedious and excessive. I know, I know, I shouldn't complain. College is supposed to be the best (5) years of your life. I'm sure having a real people job is not going to be better. But at the moment, I am feeling overwhelmed and unenthusiastic about this whole academic thing.

I long for a rejuvenation of my creative and artistic energies. My writing is languishing (as you can tell!) and it's been ages since I've painted. The only "creative" thing I've been doing is working on my project for sculpture, which is basically hideous. The human face does not translate well to Plastilina. Especially in the hands of a very amateur sculptor. The professor's harsh criticism doesn't do much for the self esteem either. Some of his comments to various classmates: "It's starting to look like a werewolf." "This has gotten worse since last week." "Well, it's not bad...but it's not good, either." Is it any wonder that I get nervous about going to that class?

Yes, the school work is relentless, but this is what I signed up for, I suppose. The good news is that I will be getting a small break, as I'm going on retreat this weekend. I'm very excited about this because it will give me a chance to think about my life as a whole and not just as a student. And it will be restful. And I may even get a chance to write or draw. It should be good.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Finally an update!

This is courtesy of my cousin Erin, who, having decided that I'm slacking on the updates, is doing it for me:

Lisa's Blog Sept 15
Today was an exciting day. I walked over to the library, like I always do, to see my lover, Harvey, when all of a sudden two big dinosaurs in west chester hoodies stole my bookbag!!! I didn't know what to do so I just started to run after them. As luck would have it they tried to run into main hall but couldn't fit through the doors and got stuck. that was when I grabbed my bookbag back and ran into the library. Harvey and I spent a good three hours studying like nerds. When I left the dinos were gone. I believe the trusty wcu campus cops got them. They are probably back at the dino zoo right now or getting a snack at rams head... whatever. have a good night




Yup. Crazy times.

Monday, August 29, 2005

My Babysitter of the Year Award is going to be revoked.

I was babysitting for my usual family on Saturday night. Great people. Lovely kids. Not a bad way to spend an evening, playing, making a few bucks. The parents walked out the door, and immediately, the baby (20 months) began to cry hysterically. Wanting to cheer her up, I decided to take the two kids outside to play on the recently-installed swingset. This was a super idea, as both kids had a great time, and peace was restored once again.

After a while, I decided it was time to start getting ready for dinner, so I rounded the kids up and marched back to the house. Upon arriving at the back door from whence I'd come just an hour before, I realized that the knob wouldn't turn. I tried the front door. Locked. Basement door. Also locked. Window? Not without breaking it. "This is not a good situation!" exclaimed the 3-year-old. Indeed!

Trying not to panic, I began to ponder my options. Not to say I had very many, of course. The kids were getting hungrier, and the baby would soon need a diaper. I could call the parents...but no, as the cell phone numbers (and my phone, for that matter) were all in the house. I was getting rather nervous by this point.

As a last resort, I sheepishly approached the neighbors, who happened to be outside working on their lawn. They were more than kind, inviting us into their house. While I minded their two daughters in addition to the two rugrats already under my care, they somehow managed to contact the parents, getting the code to unlock the garage door. It was an agonizing and somewhat embarrassing situation. The neighbor was even kind enough to feed the kids dinner, which I definitely appreciated, as they were most likely starving by that point.

After they ate, we trooped back to the house, and I even managed to get them to bed on time. Their parents found the situation quite amusing, but I was completely mortified, and for a while, certain they'd never invite me to watch their kids again. Not so, however, as they began listing dates they'd need me again. Whew. Still, though, sometimes I can be such a ditz. Ugh.

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Were you touched by His Noodly Appendage?

I am endlessly amused by this, an open letter to the Kansas School Board. While the School Board is proposing that Intelligent Design theory be taught in public schools, perhaps they should be aware that there is more than one theory of intelligent design.

Aside from pondering whether eating spaghetti is a sacrament or an abomination, I haven't been doing a whole lot lately. I've been completely lazy. I did go to the art museum today, which was lovely. I decided to sketch for a bit, and at one point, a guard came up to me an complimented me on what I was drawing. It was an awkward moment, for several reasons. First, my drawing isn't too great at all. I just started drawing a few months ago! Second, I mainly draw for my own amusement, not to impress anyone. And finally, but related, I hate when people look over my shoulder when I'm writing/drawing/reading. It seriously gets to me. The guy meant no harm, but it still gave me the jibbidy-jibbidies. Oh well.

Now, I leave you with this. It also amuses me.

Monday, August 08, 2005

My car bit it.

I know, I know. I haven't posted in forever. I've been busy.

The latest bad news is that my car is broken! As I was driving home from Mass on Saturday evening, it died right in the middle of an intersection. No good, I tell ya. I figured it was the battery, so this morning I called a garage and asked if they could replace. Sure, they said, bring it over. So I got in, turned the key, and...nothing. Not even the half-hearted rr-rr-rr it had made the other day. Not even the slightest click-click. Nothing. This is a problem, I said to myself. I called the towing company, cringing at the thought of a towing bill. But what could be done? It couldn't be helped. The towing guy showed up, told me that in fact the battery was absolutely corroded, and that if he could jump start my car, I could just drive it to the garage. Which he did, so I did. It was much cheaper than towing the car, so that was a happy thing. After I dropped the good old car off, I had to walk home. I was that person walking down High Street, something I swore I'd never be. But it couldn't be helped! It wasn't an awful walk, anyway. Just annoying. I'm hoping it doesn't rain today, so when I walk back I don't get soaked. We'll see. It's always an adventure.

Monday, July 18, 2005

Nannies gone wild?

One of the more interesting things I read today was about a nanny who was fired because of things her employer read in her blog. Said employer is a journalist for the New York Times, and published an article about how horrified she was at her nanny's "secret life". Looking at things from the nanny's point of view, however, it seems to me that this journalist was completely over-reacting and needs to understand that her nanny can have a life and that this life needn't affect her job performance (which I don't think it was, to be honest). The nanny's blog is here, and she has written a response to the NYT article.

I've read all of this with a combined feeling of intrigue and horror. It causes me to wonder, how do people view me based on what I've written in this silly little blog? And how does that view change between people who know me in the flesh versus people who "know" me solely based on this blog? I don't think that my blog contains any startling revelations about who I am or what I do. I think the overall picture is that I'm a wannabe artist who has bad luck with burglars. Other than that, not too much excitement here. But one never can tell how other people will interpret one's writing. I certainly hope that my employers wouldn't think me a bad influence on their children based on something stupid and trivial like a blog. Though ultimately, I think that would just make them look stupid in the long run. But hey, you never know.

Blogging is a dangerous business these days. There are always the stories of people being fired for blogging at work or giving away company secrets, but this takes it to a whole new level. An even sadder level. It reminds me of high school, when everyone had online diaries in which they gossiped about everyone else. When this gossip hit the halls of school, it was an absolute nightmare. The he-said-she-said was ruthless and destructive. I'm glad that I'm beyond that phase; I'm just hoping it doesn't make a recurrence.

In the meantime, this cheered me up significantly, as it's completely ridiculous. Try to resist watching it more that once, I dare you.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Same shit, different day.

Last night, I woke to noises at about 1:30. Heard people going up and down the stairs. Heard them upstairs.

No one lives upstairs right now. The people renting the place have some stuff there but aren't living there themselves til the school year.

Telling myself that last week's incident must have been a fluke, I eventually fell asleep again.

This morning, there were two police cars in the parking lot. Then a detective with a camera. A flury of action. Up the stairs, down the stairs. Knocking on doors.

When they finally got to mine, I gave them a piece of my mind (in a polite, respecting authority kind of way, of course). Had they actually done something last weekend, maybe the place upstairs wouldn't have been broken into and robbed. I don't know. I guess that's what happens when one lives in the student slums.

It's just that this has never happened to me before. Generally speaking, things have been pretty safe here. Now, I don't know. I don't know what to do or what to think. Should I buy a dog? A shotgun? A few more deadbolts? Maybe, maybe. I could deal without all this stress! I could deal without waking up to CSI on my lawn.

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Hey you kids, off my lawn!


If anyone is having an angry streak and needs to beat someone up, you can start with the guys that tried to break into my apartment this morning.





<----
They broke my screen door.

Friday, July 08, 2005

The cure for boredom!

Or possibly the death of productivity. Either way, my latest discovery on the old internets is StumbleUpon. It's a Firefox extension that allows you to flip through really interesting websites on topics of your own choosing. It also allows you to rate and review sites.

Some of the cool things I've "stumbled upon" just this afternoon:


  • PostSecret- On this site, people mail in homemade postcards with a secret on it. It's pretty interesting to see what people are hiding. Also, a lot of the postcards are quite artistic.
  • one word.- They give you a word and sixty seconds to write about it. A good cure for writer's block.
  • The Zoomquilt- Amazing. Not much to describe other than that.


And that's just a little bit of it. I'm hooked.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Rinse. Repeat.

So other than painting, drawing, painting, drawing, painting drawing, paintingdrawing, I haven't really been doing much lately. Occasionally I eat or sleep or watch tv. Oh, I went to yoga on Tuesday with Nicole, which was super. The instructor is a complete hippy. I often wonder if she ever gets angry or even the slightest bit irked at things. I can't see it happening. In any case, the latest news from her is that she is taking a pilgrimage soon. I didn't find out where she's off to, but I would assume India (again).

Other than that, well, I lead a boring life. But that's ok. Maybe it's better that way.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005


Waterfall (unfinished). Watercolor. Posted by Picasa

Three more.


Shells. Watercolor. Posted by Picasa


2:37 am. Pen and ink. Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

This should be interesting...


From class today. Posted by Hello



I sorta rushed to finish this, but I kinda like it. For the record, watercolor does not stay in the lines!

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Oh amusement

Some may recall that I went through a phase during which I would write haiku about random stuff. Well, this site is my new favorite! Haiku, funny pictures, politics...what more could you ask for? Here's a sample:



And the text to this picture:

I write on my hand.
It helps me remember stuff,
like "Me = President."

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Chemistry will be the death of me.

I tried to post before, but the Internets ate it. Tragic, truly.

Tonight was my final in analytical chemistry (or "anal chem" as Dr. Frost calls it). I really didn't care how I did on it, as I previously calculated that I'd need a 120% to pass the class. My chances of acheiving that? Slim to none, and slim just rode out of town on a fast horse. Oh well. I will have to pass it eventually, but for now, I'm just glad it's over.

Upon pondering why I am so mediocre at school these days, I was reminded by Katie that the science program is intended to weed people out and make them fail. "But why me? Why am I being weeded??" I wailed. "Well", she said gingerly, "I think that most other science majors study. A lot. Like, all day. Hardcore studying." Perhaps she has a point. Perhaps if I cracked a book open once in a while I'd have an easier time. The fact remains, however, that I hate chemistry with an undying passion, and to have to spend any more time on it than I already do would be infinitely more torturous. Alas, the torment of the natural sciences!

In any case, I have one more final this week, and then I'm home free! For the weekend, anyway. Then it's on to the next big adventure, in this case, art classes. They may end up being a bloodbath, but anything's got to be better than analytical!

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Unreal.

This has got to be one of the most disturbing things I've ever heard of.

Some select quotes from the article:

Aborted babies used in Russian anti-ageing fad

The foetal stem cell therapy is not only being used to smooth out wrinkles, but is also being injected into other parts of the body to get rid of cellulite and excess flab...

Investigations are currently being carried out into an illegal baby trade that sees impoverished women from Russia and the surrounding countries selling their aborted foetuses to unscrupulous specialists for as little as £100...

"Doctors tell the women or girls that there is a problem with their pregnancy and that the baby has to be aborted, or else they are offered more money," said Shorobogatko...

Russia's oligarchs are continuing to develop the stem cell treatment that will give them eternal youth...


Just, um...wow. That's seriously messed up. To tell a woman that there's something wrong with her baby so you can buy it and sell it at fifty times the price??? Wow. Errr, I don't even really know what to say. There's so much wrong with that that I can't even begin to figure it out. Whose planet have I stumbled upon, and when can I go home?



Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Evidently.

Evidently, if you're rich and famous, you can molest children and get away with it.

Evidently, if you have a Ph.D, even if you hate what you teach and are bored with life in general, you're allowed to be a chem professor.

Evidently, if you lose seven pounds in a week and a half, people go ape-shit.

Evidently, if your bilirubin is up, it means your liver is messed up.

Evidently, I've lost all talent for writing. Meh.


Wednesday, June 08, 2005

I delight in being ornery.

Well, friends, I admit it: I am my therapist's worst nightmare. Really I am. I am bitter and sarcastic, and I question almost every suggestion put forth. As I have been sick lately, I have been struggling with eating, which is not such a good situation for a recovering anorexic. This was of some concern to both my therapist and myself, so as I was leaving, she insisted that I stop at the friendly neighborhood Wawa to get something to eat before class. "But what should I eat?" I asked. "Don't ask me that!" said she. "But there's nothing gooood...." I whinged. "Oh don't be ornery," she said, with a glare that said, 'you are testing my patience, Lisa, of which I have a lot. So cut it out' (yes all that from a single look!).

So I am ornery. Cantankerous. Quarrelsome. Yup. That's about right. It's not that I set out to be that way. It's just that I'm, erm, a bit stubborn, one might say. I know I really shouldn't be this way, especially with someone who is trying so hard to help me out. Especially with someone I'm paying to help me out! Nevertheless, I find myself arguing and ranting and whining to a superlative degree. I happen to believe it's part of the healing process for me. Gives me some sense of control. If I went along with every suggestion without a fight, I'd be the same spineless twit that got herself into this mess in the first place. So I whine and complain and counter every thought with a twisted-logic gem, and somehow my therapist, God bless her, puts up with all of it. We have a good working relationship. Even if I am "that patient".

Monday, June 06, 2005

The Mystery Illness returns.

I have been sick now for about four days. Four. In the past 50 hours I have eaten 2 crackers and 3 spoonfuls of cous-cous. Doing good. How bout that eating disorder recovery! Yeah! Anyway. If I could just stop throwing up, life would be good. I went to the Health Center. I was there for about an hour, yet they provided me with no health. They gave me some lovely drugs (Tigan, Zantac) and a bottle of Gatorade to boot. My lucky day. Oh yeah, and I'm not pregnant, which is always a plus, though that was fairly obvious to me, but I do whatever makes the good doctor happy, so whatever.

I got a phone call today from the hospice volunteer coordinator. I was afraid it was the dreaded, "She died" phone call, but in fact, it was a phone call in which they were wondering if I had died. Nah. Just been busy. Then away. Then sick, then busy, then sick again. So I've been slightly neglecting my patient. I feel awful about that, but at least I know she's still alive and I can make ammends.

In any case. I'm hoping I feel better pretty soon. I can't handle this shit. I feel like I'm going to pass out. Matter o' fact, I'm going to go to bed now. I am going to attempt to actually go to class tomorrow. Eep.

Saturday, June 04, 2005

The internets live!

I have not in fact fallen off the face of the earth. My internet has been down for almost exactly one week. I had a fun time trying to get them to fix it. I called the company twice, with no results. So I figured that by the third call, I was fully authorized to throw an official shit-fit. Which I did. I called, and they put me on hold for ten minutes. Nononono. So I called back and said (with a snide and sarcastically cheerful tone to my voice), "Hi, I just called and was put on hold for ten minutes, and I'm approaching furious, so you need to find me someone to talk to." The woman was slightly freaked out, replied, "Yes ma'am", and then I spoke to a lovely technician named Josh who helped me try to figure out the issue. Good old Josh, he probably lives in his parents' basement, but he was a swell guy, who, even though he didn't get the problem fixed right then, was very cordial and promised to see what he could do. Less than 24 hours later, my internet lives, and life is good once again.

In any case, my 21st birthday was a good time. I only had three drinks, but they were quite good. It was unfortunate that the band at 15th North sucked that night, but it was quite entertaining that my older brother (who I haven't seen in ages!) bought me an apple martini, which may or may not be my new favorite drink. All around, it was good times.

Since then, I've been sick, busy, sick, busy, sick, and then busy again. Not much of a life, to be sure. However, I have worked in time for painting and occasional napping, so it can't be all that bad, right?


Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Being foolish when there is work to be done.

Contrary to popular belief, being on vacation is a reason not to post here. I didn't have a computer all week! And to be honest, it was kinda nice. Being away was great. I was in the Outer Banks for the week (Corolla, to be precise). The best part of all was that it was free! Yup. All I had to do was chase after six children between the ages of 5 years and 5 months. Many people thought I was insane for going on this trip, but it was actually one of the coolest thing I've ever done. The house we stayed in was ginormous, the beach was beautiful, I got a new pair of Reefs. All in all, a quality experience.

Since then, I've returned to West Chester, and I find myself once again hammering away at summer courses (analytical chem and psych stats, as it were). Everyone else is doing exciting things this summer. They're going to exciting places: Atlanta, Australia, San Diego, Mexico...you name it. But not me. I'm going to be here the entire time. And then, when the summer's over, I'll still be here. I guess there will come a time when I will long for this place and my college days, but when I'm being forced to listen to what a "sigma" means (Psych stats is torturous. It's like a bad flashback to 7th grade algebra), it seems that I can't get out of here soon enough.

The only good news is that my 21st birthday is finally here. Well, almost. It's Friday. This Friday! There will be much alcohol and merriment, so be sure to come on out. Email me for details if you're interested.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

The Peasants are Revolting. And whatnot.

Ok, maybe not. But I have been pestered as of late to update this thing, so here I am.

I haven't had much to write about lately. Perhaps that's due to it being finals week, during which time my brain is on overload.

Anyway, here's a bit of amusement for everyone: So here is an article about religious groups trying to get a gay marriage ban passed in California. Which I think is pretty dumb, but that's beside the point. In fact, most of the article is beside the point. The real gem of this article is actually the picture. The picture shows a man holding a sign that reads: "Jesus Forgives Sin. He does not Except it!" If you are a grammar/spelling nazi as I am, you will have caught the reason why I was so amused by this. But if not, let's delve into it a bit:

Except:
To leave out; exclude

vs.

Accept: To receive (something offered), especially with gladness or approval

Well, as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that Jesus does except sin. But he probably doesn't accept it. I mean, I'm just saying. I have a hard time taking seriously the arguments of anyone who can't even make a proper protest sign. Seriously, get a brain, morans.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

"It really makes you think..."

Read this please.

Kira aptly explains some recent events in her life, and also talks about Laura and how her death has affected all of us.

We are not invincible.

Monday, May 02, 2005

Fun with the digi.


I like this picture. Posted by Hello

From Baccalaureate.


Andrea and the Padre Posted by Hello


Katie's baccalaureate speech Posted by Hello

Saturday, April 30, 2005

Screw Jennifer Wilbanks.

No, I mean it. Jennifer Wilbanks is a waste of resources. This is, as you may know, the woman who disappeared from her home days before her wedding, put her family through hell, wasted thousands upon thousands of dollars of search and rescue resources, made her fiance a suspect in her murder, lied about being abducted by Hispanic people, and then stated that she just got "cold feet" and needed time alone.

Now, I'm not sure what this woman's deal is. Maybe she just really was nervous about getting married. That seems legit, especially given the monstrosity that her wedding was going to be (600 guests, 30-odd people in the wedding party). Or maybe she has some sort of psychological disorder causing her to need attention beyond what she was receiving. Or who knows what. But the bottom line is: Get off my TV. Seriously.

While this woman is having a nationwide canniption, there is actual news going on. And even tonight, after she's been "found", the networks have to capture her every move. Now, had she actually been abducted or somesuch, national media attention would have been helpful and warranted. But she was faking it the whole time! And people are still watching this tripe? Honestly.

And another thing. When LaKiesha from the ghetto goes missing, no one gives a rip. But when a wealthy white woman disappears, everyone drops everything to find her. It's pretty disgusting. The same people oo-ing and ahh-ing over Ms. Wilbanks are the same people that think we shouldn't have bothered looking for Margarita Aguilar-Lopez. Because she's an illegal, ya see. Never mind that she's twelve. Ugh. People in this country, sometimes.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

This was not unexpected.

So it's the last week of classes, which means, of course, that I'm a bit stressed out. Stressed out as in: I've been subsisting almost entirely on toast. As in: I wish I hadn't put off doing my physiology lab notebook til three days before it was due. As in: It has been taking me forever to fall asleep and when I finally do, it's not very restful anyway.

It's not all terrible though. I started going to yoga last Thursday, and it's my new favorite pastime. Other newish obsessions include: Gregorian chant, Lipton Cold-Brew Iced Tea, Firefox extensions, and my new chem shirt that says "We (Heart) Chemistry" on the front and "Please don't beat me up" on the back, and also features Dr. Starn's drawing of n-propyl-people-ether. I like all the neat doodads that can be added to Firefox. I've got one that tells me the weather. By the way, Firefox is quite possibly the best browser ever, so if you're still using that IE crap-for-crap, I suggest you check it out. The Lipton tea thing mostly has come about because I'm too lazy to make a full pitcher of real tea and put it in the fridge, although admittedly the cold-brew teabags are significantly less efficient than the usual stuff.

I am going to see Ani Difranco tonight. I am very much looking forward to going but that still doesn't solve the problem of my lab notebook. Sigh.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Sticking it to the Man yet again.

Per Rachel's suggestion, I went to this page, which provides tests you can take to disover your own hidden biases toward various populations. I found the entire thing to be fairly eye-opening, as well as really interesting from a psychological-testing point of view (I know, I'm a nerd).

Tolerance.org is also an extremely cool website. The information on their is useful and intriguing. For example, you can check out the local hate groups. Scary, no? And for us college types, they have ways to fight hate on campus.

Stick it to the Man, friends. Keep working on promoting peace in the world.

PS- How can I neglect to mention what today is??? It's Earth Day, suckas (in the words of Kira). Not only that, but it's the 35th anniversary of Earth Day. So why are you still here, reading this, wasting electrons? Go plant a tree or something!

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Where do these people come from?

Who are these people that have the time to lay out on the quad, sunning themselves? Who are these testosterone-overdosed guys, these skanky, skinny girls? Where do they come from? And do they never study?

I've been noticing these people for the past few weeks as I slaved away in phys lab. From the lofty heights of the 3rd floor of the science building, I can see these people out on the residential quad. They laying on blankets, playing football, volleyball, lacrosse. What sort of major do these people have that they can afford to spend so much time outside? I am always inside, chopping up baby rats or mixing together some lovely neurotoxins. I am working on lab reports or reading textbooks or going over notes. What do these people do? Do they even go to class?

I consider myself quite a slacker, but these folks are unreal! I'm not saying that I am constantly doing tons of work, because I'm not. I do a moderate amount; I do what I need to to get by. But spending the afternoon catching rays on the quad? Unlikely.

It must be nice.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Zen and the Art of Catholicism

My new favorite thing to do is to sit outside on my porch and read books. It's a good, peaceful thing to do, especially when the weather is as lovely as it has been. Sometimes I bring some tea along. Among other things, I've discovered that my neighbors aren't all scary, obnoxious, and drunken college students. In fact, some of them seem quite nice.

Currently, I'm reading a book called Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha (Brach, 2003). I've gotten several reactions to my reading of this book, most of them along the lines of "You're the weirdest person I know" or "Where do you find these books???" I find it amusing how the concepts in this book (and other Buddhist-inspired writings) have so much in common with DBT. I found DBT to be alternately annoying and sacrosanct: it was the bane of my existence or my salvation. In any case, I am endlessly intrigued that the practices of DBT are quite Buddhist in origin. Things like mindfulness and indeed even radical acceptance itself are key DBT buzzwords as well as central Buddhist teachings.

The point of reading all these books is not only because they're interesting, but also so I can figure out a way to incorporate such Buddhist ideas and practices into my life. Of course they would be beneficial to my daily life in general, but if I could incorporate them into my prayer life, the results could be quite sublime. The teachings of Christ and Buddha overlap in numerous places. Buddha teaches that we must abandon the concept of "self", since we are all part of a single entity and are all interconnected. Jesus teaches that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. If our "selves" are more permeable than we envision, then it makes a great deal of sense to treat our neighbors with the same love and respect we should show ourselves. Perhaps saying that we all have a Buddha nature is the same concept as saying we are all children of God.

So I suppose I will continue to read weird books. Now if I'd only read my school books once in a while...

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Extra caffeine, please.

"She only drinks coffee at midnight
When the moment is not right
Her timing is quite
Unusual

-Train, Meet Virginia

I love coffee. Looooooooove coffee. I drink coffee at almost every opportunity that arises. I drink coffee in the morning, of course. And sometimes I drink coffee at night because we're at the diner or Starbucks. I drink coffee at night and then complain when I can't sleep. But it doesn't matter. It's worth it.

I like coffee because it's warm. I like the bitterness staved off with skim milk and two packets of fake sugar. I like coffee in the winter and I like coffee in the summer.

I like to drink coffee when everything is going wrong. For example, my chemistry research is a mess. I often have afternoons where absolutely nothing goes right: my gels won't polymerize, one sample contaminates the others, I can't get a current to run through the damn gel once it's set to go. When this happens, I figuratively throw up my hands and run downstairs to the lunch trucks for a cup of coffee. Usually hazelnut, as it were.

And then there was yesterday. I did possibly the dumbest thing ever. I locked my keys in my car. Ok, it happens. But oh, it gets worse. I locked my keys in my car. With the car still running. It takes a true genius to do something like that. The situation ended up not being such a big deal, but of course I ended up hyperventilating and whatnot until it was resolved. Once I was driving away, my knees feeling shaky and my stomach feeling fluttery as I came down from the adrenaline rush, I thought to myself: I could use a good cup of coffee right about now.

Last summer, when they were trying to get me to stop being anorexic, they said I had to stop drinking so much coffee. This was actually part of my treatment plan. If I would just cut down my coffee consumption to one cup a day, I'd be much better. Nevermind dealing with the abusive ex. Nevermind the fact that I wouldn't eat more scrambled eggs and cottage cheese. The problem was the coffee. I have dealt with my issues now, and I eat lots of things, but I drink more coffee than ever. I happen to think it's beneficial to my mental health.

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Stick it to the Man: Ride a bike

I'm sticking it to the Man, friends. I'm tired of gas prices lately. I'm tired of never being able to find a parking spot in West Chester. So when I was home yesterday, I got my good old bike and brought it back to my humble apartment in the Dub-C.

My bike is a Trek 4500. It's black, silver, and yellow. And it's just super. Today, when I went into town, my first stop was America's Cup, which is a coffee shop in the basement of a building on Market Street. I had a cup of hazelnut coffee and a muffin, and it was the best breakfast ever! The woman working there was very friendly, and the coffee was the best I've had in a long time (yes, even better than Starbucks). I then went to the Eckerd to fill a prescription (evidently I've got eczema?) I also had to buy nail polish; it's a compulsion.

So anyway. Get yourself a bike. Ride it around town. Stick it to the Man.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Where's George?

I stumbled upon this page. It basically allows you to track where your dollar bills end up. This could be interesting, in a six degrees of separation kind of way. We shall see.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Nail polish.

I love nail polish. I didn't always, though. I don't love it because I have fabulous nails. I don't have nice, pretty nails at all. I don't love it for the smell or the long time it takes to dry. But oh, I love nail polish.

I started collecting nail polish last summer. I needed something mindless to do. Painting my nails became a soothing ritual. First, I'd remove the old stuff: Left toes, right toes. Left fingers, right fingers. Then I'd pick out a new color. I would dump the bag of nail polish bottles onto the floor and spread out all those colors, sorting through until I found the one I felt most attracted to at that particular moment. Then I'd paint it on. Left toes, right toes. Left fingers, right fingers. Once the first layer was on, I needed to wait for it to dry, so I'd lay down on my ugly carpet and wait. If it was daytime, I'd sort of stare at the sunlight streaming into my apartment and think about the state of my life (which, as of last summer, was somewhat hideous). If it was evening, I'd usually have the tv on. CourtTV, most likely, as that's about the only thing I watch. After a little while, I'd get to the next layer. Left toes, right toes. Left fingers, right fingers. And finally, when I was satisfied that I had enough polish on, I'd go about the rest of my business (which, as of last summer, was probably counting exchanges).

I became slightly obsessed with changing the color of my nail polish almost daily. Sometimes, I'd have on nice, subtle colors. Peachy pinks. Non-offensive. But more often than not (and this is still the case), I chose bright, ridiculous colors. Deep blue. Barbie pink. Lime green with sparkles. I just pick the colors I am attracted to. It's art therapy you can wear. Today, that color happens to be a nice, bright blue-green. It reminds me a bit of the color of a mallard duck's head. At CCDthis afternoon, one of my students told me that she liked that I was wearing such a bright color of nail polish. It was cool, she insisted. It distinguished me from "those boring, old people". I'm glad to see I'm still hip with the 9-year-old set.

So for now, the bright green polish stays. Who knows what it will be tomorrow.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Hey! Gimme my hour back.

I'm not really sure what's up with this whole daylight savings time deal, but I was a much bigger fan of Eastern Standard Time. I was sleeping peacefully last night, when all of a sudden the time gnomes came and stole one of my hours.

This ruins so much for me. For example, tomorrow I have to wake up for my 8am class. This is quite a horrible ordeal to begin with, and now I have to be there at what feels even earlier! This cannot be good for one's health. In fact, it's not. People have done studies. There is nothing good about this whatsoever.

According to John J. Miller of the National Review,
"The reason we have Daylight Saving Time (DST), of course, is because the politicians have mandated it. Washington is much better at wasting things than saving them, but federal lawmakers nevertheless spent much of the 20th century insisting, with typical modesty, that they could "save daylight." (Why couldn't they instead have tried to save Social Security?)" Good point.

So daylight savings time sucks. But at the very least, I can consider it a harbinger of summer, the end of the semester, and maybe, just maybe a chance to relax and catch up on some sleep.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Popewatch

Status: Deceased

: (

Popewatch

Well, it appears that the Pope is in fact peacing out. Although for a while last night, it was hard to get a straight answer on his condition. First he was alive, then dead, then alive again. So confusing. Current status check: alive.

I'm a fan of this pope. First of all, nobody even thought he would be pope. But I think it was the influence of the Holy Spirit that allowed him to be voted in. Clearly, he had a major positive influence on the world during his reign. I mean, come on now: He helped bring about the fall of Communism. He laid the smackdown on President Bush over the Iraq war. And to the guy who shot him: Don't worry, man, it's cool. I ask you, my friends, who does that??? Not to mention the fact that the Pope visited just about every single place on Earth. Apologized to the Jews. Supported the cause of Palestinian statehood. Brought attention the poor and marginalized people of the world. Defended life (babies, criminals, and vegetables!).

I mean, sure, there are issues on which I disagreed with the Pope. However, I feel that overall he is a really good guy, and I wouldn't have minded at all if he hung around for a while longer. God knows who the next pope will be...

(Status Check: alive)

Thursday, March 31, 2005

Sights from around town.

I went for a walk this morning and took pictures as I went. Some of the results follow. They're not great, but I thought they were moderately interesting. I want a better camera. And maybe a more artistic eye. Oh well.


Sharpless St Parking Garage Posted by Hello


Some garage on Union St. Posted by Hello


I don't know either. Posted by Hello


From the playground across the street. Posted by Hello


These are randomly growing on the lawn. Posted by Hello

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Pez. That is all.

Tonight at dinner, we somehow got onto the topic of Pez. I'm not entirely sure how this came about, but we started to compare how we ate Pez (Katie and I: all in one shot, Andrea: more slowly and deliberately). And which Pez flavor was the best. (The sour ones? No, it's like your candy's gone bad!)

Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Pez when I was a kid. But it seems that for some people, collecting Pez dispensers is an obsession. Frankly, this kinda creeps me out. I mean, why are full grown people spending time and effort on collecting some random, mass produced chunks of plastic? Are you aware that there is a Pez convention? Surely there are better things one could do with one's time and money.

There are all kinds of different Pez dispensers, too. With all those weird disembodied heads. I always felt a little bit like I was breaking their necks in some horrible way when I was a kid. Exposing their trachea or something. Maybe that's why I'd just down the candy without actually putting it into the dispenser. I think Pez wins the award for the creepiest candy. If I find a worse one, I'll be sure to provide an update.

Things you don't see often enough.

I stumbled upon this website. I like what these people are working for. They are trying to educate people and prevent domestic violence against straight men, gay men, lesbians, teens, and the elderly. Mostly you only hear about violence against women in heterosexual relationships, but a lot more people are victimized by this kind of thing.

This site helps to make up for the people who make things like this shirt.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Living Conditions

I don't want this to become one of those blogs that is strictly about politcial ranting. So instead, I'm going to write today about things affecting my life. Such as my apartment.

My apartment is a sad little hole in the wall, occupied by myself, my guinea pig
, and occasionally a herd of fruit flies. Generally, it's not a terrible place to live. It is overpriced, but being right across the street from campus comes at a premium, I suppose.

The thing that annoys me most about my apartment is that the new management has decided to make all sorts of improvements to it. Now, you'd think this would be a good thing, and I guess it will be in the long run, but in the meantime, there are all these people buzzing around. And they're more annoying than the fruit flies. There are maintenance people spackling in the hallway, a bunch of Mexicans doing the landscaping, and the pointy-haired boss is often walking around. All of this makes for a rather annoying racket, especially when this flurry of activity begins at about 8am.

Nevertheless, it's nice not have a roommate. I can decorate the way I like, go to bed and wake up when I want, and not have to be nice to anyone twenty-four hours a day. I mean, not that I'm not always nice and whatnot...but you know. I hate having to be nice when secretly I'm thinking of stabbing someone. Not that I would. But you know.


Saturday, March 26, 2005

Coffee Talk

Attention coffee addicts: You may be the unwitting victim of liberal propaganda. Your morning Starbucks latte may be poisoned with such ideas as environmentalism and reducing the national debt. Quelle horreur!

Evidently, the latest Starbucks campaign is pissing off conservatives to an extreme, according to this article. I find this amusing. You see, the company has been putting quotes on the side of their coffee cups, and admittedly, these quotes have a bit of a left-ward slant to them. (The last time we were sipping our cafe mochas, Katie and I were remarking that we liked them. Not surprising, really.) However, conservatives have been up in arms over these stupid coffee cups for not including more conservative quotes. I say, however, if you don't like the quotes, don't read them, and if they really piss you off, get your coffee somewhere else! People need to calm down and have some dip. Maybe they should cut down on their caffeine intake. Meh.

Friday, March 25, 2005

On being Catholic

Today being Good Friday, I thought it was a perfect time to reflect on how exactly I got to this point in my life. I mean, having been raised Jewish, I hardly expected myself to ever embrace the suffering of Jesus. I mean, Jesus was just some guy. And honestly, for most of my teenage years, I couldn't stand most of his followers (though I suppose that was, in part, because many of them weren't actually following his teachings...).

Most of my friends were Catholic when I was growing up, and while I accepted that they were always running off to CCD or Mass and whatnot, I honestly did not think much about what they were doing there or what they believed. I didn't know what was up the the pope. But then it was sophomore year of college. It was the first Sunday of the school year, I was at a new school, and I had no idea what I was going to do with myself. Out of nowhere, the idea dawns on me to go to Mass. And although I couldn't tell you what the content of that Mass was, I was so taken with it, that I decided to investigate further. Something had spoken to me that evening. Christianity suddenly wasn't some lofty, ridiculous story, but instead was based on events that had personal relevance to me. I was reconciled with God because suddenly I realized that He actually did care about me. God not only existed, but was personally involved in the goings-on of the world. Including someone as insignificant as me.


The more I learned about God, the more I was amazed. I came to accept and embrace the Eucharist. There was the body and blood of Christ, this person who had died for the sins of the world. My first Communion was one of the coolest moments of my life. I still love going to Mass and experiencing the awesome power of God. But I see God everywhere now, too. Even in the bad days, the hard times. He's there. And that's what is so amazing.

Thursday, March 24, 2005


Sick or Healthy? (Visual Aid for Previous Post) Posted by Hello

Pissed off rant, number one

So one of the things that pisses me off most about the good old internets is sites that encourage eating disorders. This riles me up almost more than anything else. I just can't believe people (young girls, older women, men) would want to have an eating disorder! The thing is, I really know what it's like to have one. I know what it's like to spend months in a hospital. I just don't understand why on earth anyone would want to put herself through that hell. It's not worth it. I look at all the people that I hurt, including myself, and I just don't understand why anyone would want to inflict that kind of suffering on someone else.

Eating disorders aren't cool, friends. They're painful, stupid, and deadly.

I am sitting here, at my highest weight ever, eating my Kix with rice milk, and thinking, it's awfully good to be alive.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

At it yet again!

Yes, I do think it's time to start this again. Not that anyone will care much what I have to say, but if I can keep myself amused, it's all good.

I spent most of the day in physiology lab. We did a lab on respiration, in which I did not participate, as it probably would have induced some kind of hideous panic attack in me. I don't like
hyperventilating. Meh. We also got into a discussion about Terri Schiavo. I don't think being brain damaged is reason to allow someone to starve to death. Remember friends, she's not in a coma. Criminals get treated better.

In any case. It's almost time for tea, and then off for some therapy.