I have a job!

Oh Frabjuous day everyone!  With joyous glee I announce to all my loyal readership (there's at least one of you, right?) that I have a job!  Yay!  I will be making money again!

Not in ridiculous amounts, but certainly better than nothing.

What sort of job is it?

Umm, well, it's a paper route mumble mumble...

But I make money!  And not half bad either.  Even though the amount of driving I'll be doing every day is sort of evil.

And when I say day I mean night.

And when I say night I mean 2-6am.

So yeah.  Sleep is becoming interesting.  I've been trying to rearrange my sleep schedule so that I fall asleep around 6:30 and sleep my 8/9 hours until 2:30/3:30.  No such luck yet.  But taking a 'mid-day' nap is helping me not be completely exhausted.  Yay!

So maybe I can start paying back my college loans a bit.  This is a good plan.  :)

Wednesday Word: Unctuous

Unctuous: characterized by excessive piousness or moralistic fervor; especially in an affected manner; excessively smooth, suave, or smug.  Oily, or greasy.

Say it with me now!  UNC-tu-ous.  UNC-tu-ous.  UNC-tu-ous.

I'm getting a slippery up and down vibe, almost like riding a camel.  (camels are fun!)  Unctuous is something that sidles around corners and tries to stand a little too close to you when it doesn't need to.  Brad Dourif is Unctuous in his role as Wormtongue in LOTR.

Unctuous!

We all know people like this.  They are creepy and annoying (although probably not as much as Brad Dourif when he wants to be).  Now you finally have a good descriptor for them!  Yay!

Things you should really be watching:

Sherlock
Person of Interest
Doctor Who
Avengers (what do you mean it's 'only' a movie and you've seen it already?  Go see it again!)


That's probably good enough for getting on with for now.  Although I always have more...  :)

Arghle.

You should be sleeping.
Why?
Because you are tired.
What has that to do with the price of peas in Persopolis?   I'm already awake--being awake is more fun than sleeping.
Your logic is horrible.  Go to sleep.  Return with greater insight and better logic that is unimpaired by lack of sleep.
You just used logic and sleep twice.
See?  Even I need sleep.  Stop delaying.
But there are so many things I could do--
No!  No things!  Sleep!
Bossy-pants.
Your insults are puny.  Your creativity is sadly...sadly...
Right back atcha.
See what I mean?

Yep, me too

I'll give you ten dollars if you can recite to me the rest of this song:

'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts--'

Any takers?  Any?  No?

Well that's all right then.  I don't have ten dollars.  :)

And besides, the only reason you know that song is from The Lion King.  Am I right?  Am I right?

Yep.  Me too.

Boo-yah strange man.  Boo-yah.

Delaware is EVIL.

Sorry all of you who live in Delaware.  Perhaps on other days of the year the state does not actively try to suck out your soul and feed it to the seven devils of the bottom most levels of hell.

But not today.  Today those devils feasted on the anger and horror and bad driving skills of hundreds of people.

I went on a road trip to a wedding.  I knew today would see heavier traffic than normal because it was a holiday weekend.  I was not prepared for ultimate evil.  (eviiilllll!!!!)

As soon as we got off the Jersey Pike we were in a traffic jam that didn't move.  For at least ten minutes our car didn't move an inch.  Then we were able to move a car length.  Five more minutes: another car length.  Then we had to defend our place in line with risky driving behaviors because other people were trying to cut in front of us (okay, I'm sympathetic to people who 'just need to merge,' but I can sniff a line cutter a mile off.  Yes, I'm talking to you Mr. I-just-drove-past-all-these-schmucks-and-now-I'm-cutting-in-at-the-last-minute).  The next hour was filled with horrors unimaginable to people who weren't there.  The road had widened to about twenty lanes to allow for a toll, and then it narrowed back down to maybe five lanes total--and mostly just the two lanes that everyone wanted to be in.  Our lanes.  The lane lines were unclear.  They would often disappear and reappear sporadically.  You'd find yourself in two lanes simultaneously without any idea what had happened.  And even when you got out of the merging merge from merge hell, the entire rest of the state also seemed to be in one constant condition of merging from one lane to another.  It wasn't until we got to Maryland that the road magically opened up again and we could drive above twenty mph.

Evil evil Delaware.

I just hope the devils are sated with their toll of blood and human suffering and will let us pass without incident when we return the other way.

How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?

At least once more, it appears.

Sorry.  :(

I went travelling and didn't get an internet connection last night so I didn't post.

I'm really sorry.

~What are you talking about?  It's not like anyone noticed.  No one checks your blog every day so who'd notice if you miss a few?  It's not like anyone's counting on you for anything.
!I notice!  I care!

Thanks Enthusiasm.  I know you care.

!I do!  I really really do!
~So Enthusiasm cares.  What doesn't Enthusiasm care about?
--Curtains.
!Blech!
--Enthusiasm does not care about curtains.
~Spoilsport.
--You asked.
~I didn't ask you.  And besides, it was rhetorical.
--Ah.
~What do you mean, ah?
--To continue the conversation any further would result in further illogical statements made by you.  I choose not to continue.
~Why you little-

Boys boys!

~Don't you take that tone with me!
!Are we having a fight?!
~And you're not invited!
_Don't upset Enthusiasm, Snark.  And stop bickering with Logic.
~Mr. Logic can fight for himself, Calm.
--We've been over this.  To label me as 'male is incorrect--
~Stuff it.
_You are being far too rude.  This conversation is over.

Okay.  Umm, I guess the general consensus is we're through.  :)  Sorry I didn't post.  I'll try to do better.

Wednesday Word: Leaf

Okay, you should know the drill by now.

Say leaf.

Leaf.

Leaf.  Leaf.  Leaf.  Leaf.

I'm getting a 'truck backing up' vibe.  That really annoying beeping sound.  Leaf.  Leaf.  Leaf.  Leaf.

Kinda like my sister's alarm clock back in high school.   Brrr.  Believe me, that is not a sound you want to wake up to.

But leaf should be such a fun word!  Leaves are awesome!

But all I can hear is a truck backing up.  'sigh.'

My Dentist has Taste

I say this because he gave me a Steampunk dental tool.

See?

I don't think that was his intention, but what else am I to think when I get given a copper looking metal tool-y thing that looks like an obscure sort of probe or mini-blowtorch?

The mundane definition for it is a tool for cleaning your gums and the areas around your teeth.  Yay healthy teeth.

I prefer to think I'm dressed in a dashingly brown coat studded with rivets and I'm trapped in the iron fortress of Gaspard Henessey and I have only my easily concealed mini-blowtorch to help me escape.

That's a far more entertaining picture than me sitting on my computer picking my teeth.

Sorry.

(oh!  And my name could be something exciting like Riviera Washington, or Four-Shadow Sue.  So much more fun!)

Ode to a Chiropractor and My Future Car

Oh Chiropractor, my chiropractor,
You make me feel so wonderful.
You crack my back in different ways
So that I don't feel any pain.

Oh Chiropractor, my chiropractor,
Without you life would be so hard.
I'd never sleep or walk or move
Without saying, 'Oh Aargh arrgh--'

Oh Chiropractor, my chiropractor,
I wrote this ode with you in mind.
For though I'm glad that you exist
I wish you were less arrogant.

Oh Chiropractor, my chiropractor,
I found a song which sounds like you.
So I thought I'd give you compliments
Before I showed all your defects.

Oh Chiropractor, my chiropractor,
I hope you are not too offended.
Because I really need your expertise
Even if my back is not the only thing that needs adjusting.

But in all honesty, I really do like my new chiropractor.  He's very very good at what he does and I'm very grateful that I won't be experiencing spine-crushing pain every so often.

I just get the feeling sometimes that his ego is very very large and he thinks of himself as a 'man's man' who likes manly things.

Not that I have anything against manly things.  I do lots of them.  But I do them because they are fun and I'm good at them--not because they are 'manly things' and I want to be 'manly.'  Or be seen as 'manly.'

So it's pretty minor overall--no real complaints to speak of.  He just reminded me of that song a bit.

Fun song!

(fun fact about song--the first time I remember hearing it was during a Supernatural episode--season 4 episode 17--where it's playing over alternate-Dean's morning routine.  I fell in love with that song as well as the entire episode.  One of my favorites.  :)  )



Now onto my new car!

Not that Roger's doing badly--he's still a picture of health, as much as a car with over 210,000 miles on it can be.

But my future car isn't being produced yet so I still have some time to give Roger a natural death before I get a new one.

This one!

They're going to start re-releasing Deloreans!  And they're making them electric!  Who on earth doesn't want one of these?!?

(link)

So yeah.  Future car here I come!

Preliminary of a Project

I told you a while back Here that I really wanted to build my own thread board.  I told you a couple weeks ago that I'd started it.

And right now is when I show you some preliminary pictures of it.  Nothing fancy--my camera is a basic digital that's about 8 years old.

Pictures!

I was going for a steampunk look because why not?  Even though it's a trifle ridiculous to have a steampunk thread board.  Steampunk!

So I chose a deep red color and a bronze and copper to be my main colors.  I aged the framing by painting it bronze first and letting it dry, then painting it a mid-brown color and quickly wiping off most of it, just giving the bare impression of aged wood grain/stain.  Then I swiped a bit of the copper over it for fun.  :)

The main board was painted the red and then I dry-brushed the copper over it.

And the reason I have these cool looking corners are because I'm terrible at doing frames (never done it before, I'll do better next time I promise!) and my corners didn't match up.  So making a virtue of necessity I followed a friend's advice and added metal bits.  After repainting them in copper.

(see my little terrible gears in the corner?  Aren't they awful?)

And here's a not so good close up of the center of the board

Yes.  That's my hand shadow.  Grr angle of sunlight.  Just concentrate on my lovely swirly paint job.  Yay!

I was hoping to have finished it today but that didn't happen because I was trying to put nails into the board to hang my thread spools on--only the nails didn't want to stay in and kept falling out.  So we go to plan B.

Umm....plan B?  Is there a plan B in the room?

Oh, you sir?  You think that putting screws in would do nicely?  Oh--ah, but I'd need to add bolts to keep them from falling out.  Right.  And if I wanted to have the screw head facing out instead of under the board--oh I see, then I'd need two bolts, one for each side.  Right.

Plan C anyone?

Highway Trick

Have you always had trouble remembering the numbering system for highways?  Is it the odd numbers that run N/S or the evens?

I've never been able to keep them straight before--but now with new and improved Compass Diagram, remembering is all too easy!

Just imagine that you're looking at a compass rose--this thing:

But instead of NESW being around the compass points, imagine that you're looking at this instead:

                                                                                  1
                                                                                   |
                                                                     4  _____|_____ 2
                                                                                   |
                                                                                   |
                                                                                  3

Do you see?  The odd numbers line up N/S and the even numbers E/W.

So all the odd numbered highways go North/South, and all the even numbered highways go East/West.

Tada!

Now you too can enjoy the Compass Diagram for absolutely free!  (donations strictly encouraged)


(the things I think about in the car.  jeesh.)

The Grandparent Scam

When I opened the front door to my Bubby's apartment this morning I was greeted by an unusual sight: my Bubby was standing near the phone instead of sitting in her chair where I usually find her on my visits.  I asked her what was going on. 

I'm so glad you're here, she said.  I didn't know what to do. 

What's wrong, Bubby?

I got a call from your cousin Nora about an hour ago.  She said she was in jail in Mexico.

What?  Why?

She said she was just vacationing with some friends in Mexico when their car got pulled over and they were all searched and the police found drugs in the car--they weren't Nora's--

Of course they weren't.

But she didn't even know they were there, her friends had bought them--but the police arrested them all and now she's in jail and she was crying so hard--she's so scared--and she told me she couldn't call her mother, she didn't want to upset her--

All right.

And then she put this other man on the phone and he said that she was going to be held for up to two months if someone didn't pay the bail.  I said I would pay it, it was only $2,700.15.  Of course I'd pay.

Of course you would, Bubby.

But then he said he had to put me on hold and then the phone cut out and he hasn't called me back and I don't have his number and I have no idea how to reach him or Nora.  That was over an hour ago and I've been standing by the phone waiting for him to call back--why hasn't he called back?  I'm so glad you came.  I wasn't sure what to do.

Don't worry, Bubby.  Don't panic.  We'll figure it out.  There has to be something we can do.


Cue three hours of panicked phone calls with family members while we all try desperately to find my cousin Nora and try to get her out of a Mexican jail--wherever it was in Mexico.

Where did we eventually find my cousin?  In northern California staying at a friend's house with poor cell service. 

Not in a Mexican jail.

Not needing bail.

She's just fine.

So what happened?

My friends near and far--my Bubby was nearly the victim of a scam.  It is in fact a well-documented scam but it's not one I've ever heard of before.  And it is so easy to believe.

It's called The Grandparent Scam, and it seems to have reared it's ugly head not so long ago but it's quickly become very sophisticated thanks to the internet and all the information that's out there on all of us.

Someone calls a Grandparent and claims to be their grandchild or niece or nephew and begs them to send money because they've been arrested/gotten in a car accident/been mugged.  And don't tell my parent's because I don't want to upset them.

That all sounds horribly familiar to me who just spent three hours with my Bubby trying to figure out what had happened to my cousin. 

The strange part about the phone call is the fact that they didn't actually get to the part where they told my Bubby how to send the money.  She said that the man on the phone (whom she thought was a lawyer/representative/police man) asked her a few questions and then put her on hold before they got to the money part.  When I asked her what the questions were, they sounded all right enough--but then she said something that surprised me.  She said that somehow her age had come up (she's 101 years old, soon to be 102) and it was right after that that the man had placed her on hold.

Whereupon he hung up on her not much later.

These people are successful criminals.  They steal money from old people all day long.  They seem to have no qualms about it.  They cry and they lie and they take your money and it's lost forever. 

So why did they stop this time?  Why didn't they continue the scam and steal my Bubby's money?  I mean, I'm so very grateful that they didn't--but why did they stop?

Is it possible that they have scruples about stealing from a 101 year old, but not a 70 year old? 

I just don't get it.  But I'm grateful all the same.

So please everyone--I beg of you--tell your grandparents about this scam.  Let them know that someone could call them pretending to be you and asking for money.  And if they tell you that of course they would never believe it, that of course they would know that that wasn't your voice--please tell them that they're wrong.  It is so horribly easy to mistake one voice for another on the phone.  Especially when that voice is crying and sobbing and begging you to help.

It's enough to make me want to start using secret pass codes when I talk to my grandparents: just to let them know that it is indeed me. 

Because I never want to spend another day the way I did today.  And I don't want anyone else to go through this horrible experience of worry and fear and terror. 

Tell everyone you know about this.  Tell them to tell everyone they know.  And maybe we can put these people out of business for good.

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry

From our lofty vantage point of forty years we find it very easy to make fun of the 70's.  The funny shaggy haircuts.  The bellbottom pants.  Disco.

But several good things did come out of the seventies.  (namely some of us).  Also a tv show that hasn't gotten a lot of attention recently but just might come back into style.  For a few good reasons.

This tv show is titled The Incredible Hulk, and follows the adventures of Dr. David Banner as he searches for a way to cure his condition that makes him turn into a dangerous green monster.

Now onto the reasons why this show will/should see a comeback.

Reason number one: The Avengers movie has been a roaring success by any standard, making people curious about other adaptations of Marvel characters.

Reason number two: It has been stated in several places by Joss Whedon and Mark Ruffalo and even Robert Downey Jr. that the Dr. Banner in The Avengers was meant to resemble the Dr. Banner in the 70's tv show rather than any of the more recent movie adaptations of the comic books. 

Reason number three: the show was actually very very good--and still is. 

Reason number four: it's streaming on Netflix right now.  Easy access!

You know, you might be getting the idea that I'm promoting this old show--and you'd be right.  :)  I'd seen random episodes of it years ago on scifi reruns and I enjoyed it then.  But for some reason I enjoy it even more now and I'm excited to be able to watch it all from start to finish.

All right, it's campy a bit.  (although far less than most shows of that era let me tell you)  And seeing the changeover from Bill Bixby into Lou Ferrigno (or back) is hilarious and just plain odd.  (don't even get me started on how strange Lou Ferrigno is.  All those exactly torn shirts!)  And if you start on the first episode (which I always advocate) you'll have to get past the 70's love montage at the beginning.  I know--I feel your pain.  But it takes a surprising and twisting turn and hooked me solid.

So take a chance, watch an old show, and rediscover one of the better parts of the 70's.  (aside from some of us of course).

Check out the awesome intro!

'Within each of us ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury.'

(I love it that they still used 'ofttimes' in the seventies)



Traveling man you make me so sad.

What is your favorite sound?

I only ask because someone else has been asking it a lot recently and I still don't know what my answer is.

Hmm?

Who's been asking? 

Why James Lipton of course.

Who?  You don't know who he is?!  (kidding.  I barely know his name)

He's the man who hosts Inside the Actor's Studio.  And I feel like he's been asking this question a lot lately because I just watched a whole slew of the episodes. 

What is the show about, you ask?  I tell you.

Famous actors and actresses and sometimes directors are put on a stage in front of theater/film students and asked questions about their lives and careers etc.  If you have any interest at all in film etc it's a gold mine.

Such aforementioned actors etc. include Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Kate Winslet, Steven Spielberg, Anthony Hopkins, and on and on and on. 

And seeing as we live in a wonderful modern age I found all of these on Youtube.  Happy hunting!

Now to figure out what my favorite sound is...

Music Monday: Moonlight Sonata

Beethoven's Piano Sonata #14 in C Sharp Major.  Commonly known as Moonlight Sonata.

Or in my parlance: a piece of music so beautiful and haunting it's like getting stabbed in the abdomen with a glass knife filled with a thousand unborn souls.  (don't be sad--they're just not born yet.  But they will be)

I've been listening to it on repeat for over an hour and I've yet to get bored of it or feel it's been overplayed.  You're the man Beethoven.  You are so the man.

(this is not Beethoven.  Ignore strange looking man and just click play)

Avengers! AvengersAvengersAvengers--

Avengers.  Oh yeah. 

Unlike most of the world who turned out for opening weekend last week (sad face) I had to wait soooo long (a week!) to see The Avengers.

ButIjustsawitandtherewerethesegiganticflyingturtlemonstersandohmygoodnessalltheshinycolorsbutintheverybestwayanddiyouseethegiganticflyingturtlemonsters??!!

Whew.  I just had to get that out before I tried to formulate a more coherent response to this movie.

JOSS WHEDON RULES THE WORLD!!!

Umm.  'cough.'  Think I'm good now.

The worst part about a movie like this is the waiting and the hype.  You want it to be good, you so desperately want it to be as good as everyone says but until you sit down and the lights go out there really is no surety that it's as good as you want it to be.

So I went.  I sat down.  The lights went out.  And as I waited through the commercials (btw, I do think Prometheus deserves the best trailer of the year award.  Because every time I see it I get utterly pumped for it--and it's not even high on my list of movies to see in theaters.  And Dark Knight Rises--which I do intend to see in theaters--its trailer seems weak and puny comparatively.  Go figure.) I was hoping and wishing that Joss Whedon wouldn't let me down.  Not that he ever had--but there is always a first time for everything.

Happy to say it still hasn't happened.  :)

The movie--to put it plainly--rocked.  It rocked so hard it made real rocks feel unmanly for not rocking this well.  It had style.  It had panache.  It had heart. 

And it had gigantic flying turtle monsters.  From space.

(try saying that in the 40's announcer voice: Gigantic Flying Turtle Monsters: From Spaaaace!!!)

I know some people will argue that the monsters were more eel-like than turtle-like, but my first view of them was of the head and flippers which were undeniably turtle like. 

I know that if I talk about the big fight at the end some people might get in a miff because they haven't seen it yet (I'm so so sorry) so I'll just do a quickie paragraph with a lot of space before and after it so you can skip the semi-spoilers.












Geek out moment!  So when the GFTM showed up I was bouncing up and down in my seat because it was the coolest thing I'd seen in a long time.  This kind of makes it sound like the rest of the movie wasn't cool--but the GFTM was so amazingly designed and it looked like it was swimming midair and it was soooo cooool!!!  And then when the Hulk smashed it (hee.  fun.) I was kinda sad because although I knew it was a good thing it was dead--no more killing New Yorkers--it was just too cool to die.  But then I saw something to make my heart swell up so much I must have annoyed the person behind me with all my bouncing: GFTM had friends.  :)










Okay.  No more spoilers.  I think. 


Perhaps I should list a breakdown of all the truly excellent things that Joss Whedon did in the Avengers.

Character Development (of course. No Joss movie is complete without character development).  Every character got their time in the sun--some more than others as pertaining to what we needed to know about them: ie Black Widow and Hawkeye.  We got to see each character being themselves and really that's what we wanted to see.

Humor (of course).  So many good moments of both subtle and not-so-subtle.  (and if you haven't seen Avengers already--although I shouldn't have to tell you this--stay to the very end.  The very end.  I do think it's the best joke in the entire movie)

Action.  There was so much going on all throughout the movie and there were so many different main characters that it could have easily become a confusing explosion fest where you're not quite sure who's fighting whom or where or even why.  It didn't.  And that's a testament to good planning and execution on behalf of the pre-vis staff and Joss.  And although I think I've seen more amazing action sequences in my life this movie still ranks really really high.  Besides--Gigantic Flying Turtle Monsters.  (thank you weta)

Everyone truly did an amazing job bringing their characters to life and weaving them together in this very intricate and difficult movie.  I don't think I can say enough good things about it.

I can however mention a few things I wish had been a little different.  I'm quibbling really.  There's no glaring holes or horrible decisions so all I'm left with are little bits of things that weren't quite spot on.

For one: Captain America.  Why did this character get so little development?  Or personality?  I know he's the staid boy-scout type who's a personification of all that is good and right; I'll admit it's hard to move a character along an arc when they seem to have already arrived at 'perfection.'  But it bums me out that we didn't get to see anything out of him as a person.  At least, not like the other characters.  In fact the closest thing we see to character development wasn't even directly about him.  (okay, another spoiler moment, but not really all that big in terms of importance.  Seriously this will ruin nothing)




In the big fight scene at the end we see a blond women run for cover into a building and then look out the window in shock at the explosions and aliens etc.  Pretty standard.  Then a few minutes later we see the same woman again inside a building with lots of people who are about to be incinerated by the aliens.  Captain America is there in time to save the day etc etc--but!  When he is outside the building and the hapless civilians are evacuating we see the same blond woman again staring meaningfully/gratefully at Rogers--and he takes a second to look back at her.  This moment isn't long, mind.  It was extremely quick and as not-a-thing-like as possible.  But it was so a thing.  And then!  And the very end of the movie we see a news feed of that same blond girl!  And she's very thankful and cute and sincere etc etc.  Now if you're me you start getting suspicious at his point.  (actually you got suspicious back at the pause)  This is three separate times we've seen this same 'random' civilian.  That to me means it isn't random and we just saw a love interest go walking by.  Any comic book fans able to yea or nay me?





So as we can see--this was development.  Not really his development--at least not yet.  But still I'm a bit disappointed we weren't given more.  (quibbling, I know)

As for more quibbling I could say some of the scenes were a bit rushed.  Some of the dialogue too expository/should have been more expository to really get the point across.  But there was no time where I winced at a line and despaired at the writing.  (George Lucas I'm looking at you!)  But then it's Joss.  I didn't expect there to be any real trouble.

I could geek out all day long.  Tell you my favorite moments.  In great detail no less.  But I'll save that for a time when I don't feel so awful for 'spoiling' things. 

But all the same--Gigantic Flying Turtle Monsters!  From Spaaace!!

Friday Apology. Again.

What can I say to excuse myself?  I have once again let myself down and forgotten to post.

So perhaps if you'll all be obliging I'll take us on a journey to the past and you can just pretend you're reading it yesterday.

'hopeful eyes'  please?

Cute picture time!

Is that not one of the most adorable things you've seen in ages?!  The green, that cute pink tongue!  The hedgehog!

I wish to cuddle.  Carefully.

It's a turtle!  A tiny turtle!  And a strawberry!  A huge giant strawberry as big as the turtle! 

Say it with me now:  aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!

How could any post on cuteness be complete without the ultimate cutenesses--sloths!  And not just that--baby sloths!  Inna box! 

I melt.

I melt again.

I want a sloth.

'hopeful eyes' please?

Mmm...

Dill Triscuits.

Yes.  They exist.  And they are soooo very tasty. 

You should eat some.

Unless you are somehow allergic to dill.  Which is very sad. 

Can one be allergic to dill?  I suppose...one seems able to be allergic to just about anything.

(pause for internet search)

One can!  Lookie!

Apparently Dill is from the carrot family (I had no idea dill was related to a carrot.  Huh) as well as parsley, coriander, parsnip, celery, fennel, and anise.  (yuck, anise)

Did you know that people in this world are allergic to pumpkin?!  Sad day!  (especially sad Thanksgivings)  And pumpkins are related to cucumber and watermelon!

All the things I am learning today!

Now I will go and eat a Dill Triscuit. 

Sorry all of you with dill allergies.  They taste so good.

Traffic is Evil!!!!

I wanted to go to the chiropractor's.  Simple, easy, 30 minute drive.

For instant chaos, just add rain. 

Immediately half the world forgets how to drive properly and accidents are springing up like mushrooms in a boy's shower. 

Where am I?

Driving down the highway blissfully unaware of the horror I'm about to enter.  For an entire hour.  (it should have only taken 10-15 minutes)

There was a really big accident on 395 today--so big that they closed down the southbound lanes and shunted everyone off onto rt 32.  Which then became as proper a mess as any god of Chaos could wish.  Because they also had accidents and stoplights and more than usual numbers of people driving on it because the main highway was closed.

Traffic is evil.

Really really evil.

And all I want to do is curl up under my covers and never come out again.  Unless someone offers to take me to see Avengers.  But they'd better be driving.

Not a lie

Here, have some cake.
-What?
Cake.  You're in shock, you need some sugar.
-(takes bite) I hate cake.
Good, you're feeling better enough to remember that you hate cake.  Have another bite.
-(takes bite)  Wha--What's going on here?  What happened?  I demand--
Ah, good.  You're feeling better enough to make hysterical demands.  You've probably had enough cake.

Musical Interlude

One of those songs I could just keep playing over and over on repeat in my iTunes.  And I have.  Frequently. 

:)

It's a good thing I no longer have a roommate.  She had to put up with a lot.  Sorry.

Shadows In Flight by Orson Scott Card

I'm not a fan of writing big long summaries and reviews of books.  This will therefore be as short as possible.

Here we go!

The latest in the Ender's Shadow series, Shadows In Flight is not as good as the early books of the series, but delivers enough interesting material to make reading it worth it to fans of the series.  It chronicles the journey of Bean and his 'leguminotes' (his special kids who are like him) on their spaceship as they travel near the speed of light and attempt to find a cure for their condition.

Stuff happens.  It's moderately interesting.  I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't put it near the tops of your reading lists if you know what I mean.

:)

How was that?

Short reviews are fun!

The Pizza Phenomenon

Isn't it strange how when you're confronted by a fresh pizza just out of the oven (or the delivery box) you're immediately overwhelmed by the desire to eat at least three to four pieces?  (girl standard.  5-6 if you're a boy).

But if you're reheating that same pizza how many pieces do you choose to reheat?  If you're me, just two slices.  And I feel really full after that.

So how on earth do I eat three to four slices when the pizza is fresh, but when I'm reheating it I can only eat two?

Something is strange about all this I'm telling you.  Something very very strange....

Anyway--pizza!

Double Day!

Today is both Unintentional Double Day, and Actual Factual Twin Day!  Yay!!

(made up days are fun!)

Our stars of today's Unintentional Double Day are Sophia Myles and Yvonne Strahovski. 

 Sophia Myles      
Of the Underworld, Tristan and Isolde, and Outlander fame.  I love her.  I wish she was in more things.  sigh.

Yvonne Strahovski 

Mostly just the awesome tv show Chuck.

They bear more than a small resemblance to each other--so much so that I mistook one for the other in a movie.  Even though I'm really very good at recognizing actor's faces.  And as far as I can figure they're not at all related to each other.  Huh.

Now for our stars of today's Actual Factual Twin Day: Aaron Ashmore and Shawn Ashmore.

 

Aaron Ashmore 

He was in Smallville and Warehouse 13 and other smallish movies.

  

Shawn Ashmore 

 You'll know him from X-Men as Bobby--or if you're geeky enough to admit it--the Animorphs series or the Earthsea mini-series.

I was watching a funny little bad movie on Netflix (A Bear Named Winnie) and it had Aaron Ashmore in it.  His face felt so familiar and I finally realized that he was in X-men.  Iceman!  But no.  Imagine my surprise when I read the IMDB page and realized that it was his twin brother who was in X-Men.  Whoah.  And the even bigger shock was that I should have recognized him earlier because he plays Jinx in Warehouse 13 and I love that show so much!  But there you have it: twins.

(I would like to add a disclaimer about the photos of the Ashmore twins: I believe that they are indeed photos of each one--but I could be wrong.  Seeing as they're practically identical the Internet may have failed me and given me the same twin twice.  Ah well)

So glad that you could join me for Unintentional Double Day and Actual Factual Twin Day.  :)  May your life be similarly interesting.  :)

Wednesday Word: Repulsive

Repulsive: to be repulsed.  Being so disgusted that you draw back from/are driven back from something because it is so awful.

Onomatopoeia!  re-PUL-sive!

When you say the 're' part, you naturally move your mouth/tongue forward from where it normally rests.  Then when you say the 'PUL' part, you pull your tongue back till the tip of it is almost touching the bottom of your mouth.  The 'sive' part is just fun to tack on. 

Repulsive.

Repulsive!

REPULSIVE!!

All in all, repulsive is awfully fun to say and even demonstrates its own meaning through saying it.   :)  Words are fun!

May Movie Watchlist

Because we live in this modern age we are privileged (and subject to) many technological advancements that simply weren't available to our ancestors.

What am I talking about?

New movie releases!  Woot!  (kind of anti-climactic I know.  I guess I could have said air conditioning and flush toilets, my two necessaries for survival)

And as you should know (unless you don't care) today is the first of May which makes this the perfect time for me to subject you all to hearing about the movies I'm most excited about seeing when they come out.

First on the list:

Avengers!  (insert about ten lines of Woooo!!!)  Opening May 4th in the US this action flick is directed by Joss Whedon and is the culmination of the last five years of superhero movies made by Marvel.  And I will be seeing this one in theaters.  Why is this worth watching?  Well, we can hope for some good performances by the cast--but the real reason to get excited is that it's Joss Whedon.  That might not mean much to some of you (I'll refrain from the five page 'ode to Joss Whedon' that every fan has memorized) but for the rest of us?  Boo-yeah.  The man can do no wrong.  As a side note: I even put Cabin in the Woods on my 'to see' list, and I'm not a horror movie person at all.  But it's Joss Whedon! 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, opening May 4th in US theaters, this is the story of how even though you get older, you don't have to stop living.  How to explain the wonderfulness of this movie?  Lets start with a cast list: Bill Nighy, Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Tom Wilkenson--can it get any better than this!?  It's like Britain went, 'lets put all our amazing actors in one movie just to humiliate the rest of the world because they can never be as cool as this.'  Yup.  I'd like to see this one in theaters just so I don't have to wait until it comes out on dvd, but...theater tickets don't grow on trees and I am poor. 

Trailer!

Dark Shadows, opening May 11th in the US: Johnny Depp is a man cursed to be a vampire and then buried alive for a few hundred years until he wakes up in the 1970's.  I think.  This movie is based off the old tv show Dark Shadows, so I presume fans of the tv show are likely to vilify and hate it (being a fan is fun!) because of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp taking liberty with the material.  Not being a fan of the show myself, none of that matters to me.  I'll freely admit that I will watch this movie just to see Depp prancing around being weird.  But only when it makes it to dvd so I can borrow it from the library and see it for free.

Battleship, opening May 18th in the US: aliens are trying to destroy the world.  Again.  But this time they're doing it with ships!  Yay.  This looks like a brainless action flick with no redeeming qualities.  Except Liam Neeson.  Liam Neeson!  I will watch this when it comes out on dvd because I like big shiny explosions and I have a private bet with myself that they're going to destroy the golden gate bridge in San Francisco.  Explosions!

Moonrise Kingdom, opening May 15th in the US: craziness ensues when you back a movie full of awesome actors.  List!  Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand, etc etc etc.  What are they all doing?  Umm, I think they're freaking out because two kids ran away from camp.  Yep.  But they look like they're doing it in a hilarious and interesting manner, so it made my 'to see' list.  Trailer!

So that's the merry month of May for you.  Enjoy!