what i know now

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-24T16:00:00.001+08:00

I maintain my stance that Taiwan is in some sort of time warp.

It doesn't seem possible that we're entering the third lunar year since I arrived here, but new things still make me tilt my head to the side and think, "Huh?" almost every day. For instance, the older of two small sisters who play in the garden lobby of my building apparently calls me 英文姐姐 (Yīngwén jiejie), or "English older sister." Hmm ... OK.

Something new every day.

Tiger and Rabbit went swimmingly. Here's to Dragon.
May you have a fulfilling and prosperous 2012.

P.S. My portfolio/archive is finally up-to-date, if you like newsprint. (Who says I wasn't productive during the holiday?)

there are worse things to be called

2011-02-13T21:05:00.000+08:00

(PRNewsFoto/PepsiCo)

Skinny cans.

300mL minis have been around for several years in Taiwan and other countries (for Coke anyway), and as someone who is apparently notorious for leaving half-finished beverages sitting around, I think they're a perfect size.

They're just enough to quench your thirst for carbonated, caffeinated, over-sugared goodness without leaving you feeling as though you have to chug the last quarter of it so you can get back on the scooter and hit the ol' bumpy trail.

They fit better in your (my?) hand, you feel a little bit sexier drinking out of them (Don't lie!), and who couldn't use a little cutback in the portions department? ( ... says the gluttonous American.)

The friendly folks at 7-11 will even give you a straw. What's not to like?

Pepsi, on the other hand, isn't pleasing everyone – namely, activists against eating disorders – with their announcement to unveil a similar design at this year's New York Fashion Week.

You'll hear no argument from me about the "skinnier, taller is better" message being plastered as far as the eye can see, but is there no better place to make that stand, no more effective way to fight that battle? Surely there are more influential ways to act on this kind of opinion.

"In celebration of beautiful, confident women," pepsico.com says, they present "the taller, sassier new Skinny Can." Sure, maybe the pitch is a little lame, but is anyone really offended by this?

Really?

how i've been feeling lately

2011-02-01T02:37:00.000+08:00

Sometimes just thinking of everything I've been through, all the memories I have, and how far I am from where I started makes everything wonderful. There's nothing like thinking about the past – the times I never wanted to end and the times I thought things would never get better – and seeing how much things have changed. I feel like I've grown into something like a functioning human being in spite of myself. I feel like I have everyone around me to thank for where I'm at right now, and I love that feeling.

This week has been great so far – not necessarily because life is going exceptionally well, but because I feel very real and alive – one might say "infinite." Do you ever feel the difference between just being a speck in the cycle of things and truly feeling an experience? It's the difference between watching a game from the sidelines or being in an audience verses playing on the field or being up on the stage. I think that emotion – that recognition of tangible feeling – is what keeps me going. I can say without contest that things are not perfect, but maybe it's the idea that everyone endures some inevitable obstacle that is so comforting. Like a group of strangers that asks to walk through a haunted house with you or the random people you gravitate toward in line for a roller coaster, maybe it's the universal understanding that things aren't easy that allows us to really live day to day.

Maybe I'm just on another ridiculous philosophical rant, or maybe I've uncovered the secret of the universe – either way, I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter. All I know is, without aid of a single compliment or so much as the smallest kind gesture from another human being, I feel beautiful.

I wrote this more than six years ago. Some things don't change.

i can spell good

2011-01-31T11:12:00.001+08:00

Lesson learned. Apparently January in Taiwan is a hectic time, and February is looking to shape up similarly. With a company year-end banquet (and rehearsals for it), unpaid time off, vacation, lease wrap-up, lease signing, moving, New Year, Chinese New Year, paperwork renewal, contract renewal, planning for 2011 time off ... there's barely time to remember that teaching is the part that's supposed to be work.

Until I can wrap my head around one idea for more than five seconds, I leave you spelling practice, information on time around the world, tips for Year of the Rabbit cleaning, and an opportunity to type in your own handwriting.

new year's eves

2011-01-01T13:54:00.003+08:00

Every year about this time, I join the masses in reflecting on the year behind and anticipating the one ahead.

I mostly pore over song lyrics, trying to find the perfect one to encompass my feelings about the past 364 days. In doing so, I usually find myself overwhelmed with exactly how much happens in a year. Then I think back to January and go month by month recounting the most significant events and wracking my brain to remember the details. (In many past years, I've actually broken out the daily planner I'd use as a diary of sorts and started analyzing.) I eventually admit to myself that I'd have to post song after song to capture all the perfect sentiments.

In the past, I've orchestrated every moment of my New Year's Eve celebration. I've also worked straight though midnight with barely a "Happy New Year" to be heard. I've been kissed and left kissless. I've spent the evening in the company of family, friends, and only the TV. I've toasted with some of my best friends and some people I haven't spoken to in years. I can remember many New Year's Eves, and the only thing they have in common is that each year is different than the next. Thinking about that makes me realize that New Year's isn't the light switch of change that I've been known to make it.

The ushering in of a new year inspires hope and new beginnings, and there's nothing wrong with that. January 1st, though, isn't a magical day. In fact, it's just another day. (I think spending my first winter in weather that hardly dips below 50 degrees has helped cement that idea in my mind. The feelings that we associate with a season solely because of the season can be tricky.) What I mean isn't that NYE isn't a big deal, but rather that every day should be filled with as much hope and inspiration.

For someone who is as hung up on serendipitous numbers as I am (see the "eleven" page a right), this is important, so read it twice: There's never a "right" or "wrong" time for a new beginning. You don't have to wait for the calendar to flip to better yourself or to adopt new routines.

If there's anything I've learned this year, it's to let go. Life is fluid. Your today is someone's yesterday and a third person's tomorrow. Some of those days are good, and some are bad; some are worth noting, and some aren't. You might be in the middle of a great day while someone else is putting a bad one to bed, and you both get on with it. Each day, just like each New Year, is a chance to do something differently or do something the same way. I'm still learning this.

Every day, every moment, is a choice. It's your choice. Without sounding too spacey, time and dates and conditions are relative. Life is what you make it, what you see, what you experience. It's yours and yours alone. You may choose whom to share it with and whom you don't. And if you mess part of it up, just fix it. Do it better the next day. Nothing is irreversible, and it's never the end of the world (unless it is, but that's not your turf anyway). That being said, we also should realize that life is fleeting and that it's our responsibility to live it actively and well. There's certainly a balance to be found, but you might start by concerning yourself with doing what makes you happy and the people you care about feel appreciated. If you can make the 7-11 clerk feel good for a minute while you're at it, extra points for you.

So I wish you all a great year full of days bursting with love and laughter and feelings of contentment and satisfaction. I hope for 2011 that when that NYE kind of nostalgia comes over you, tell the people you think of that they are thought of. Use your spare seconds to let someone know they are loved, that they are important. I wish for you the ability to use your Jan. 1 hope to work diligently on challenges any day of the year. Just remember that you can always try again; you can always change something if it's not quite right.

Your days are fluid. Let go. Happy New Year.

what i know about kids

2010-12-10T22:22:00.000+08:00

OK, the title of this post is a trick. I don't know anything about kids.

When I was deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never really considered being a teacher. It just never jumped out at me. But now (as a teacher), I have to admit that my students are pretty awesome. I hope I look half this hip in real life.

me by Nina

what i know about acoustic guitars

2010-12-06T03:50:00.002+08:00

Acoustic guitars. They still get me every time.

Since I was in high school, I've worshipped (so-to-speak) at the altar of Chris Carrabba. Like tons of other self-described "complex" and emo-ish teens already panicked about "finding" themselves during freshman year, I loved Dashboard Confessional's music from the beginning. It was one of the first times music had "clicked" and made me feel something or think something – or both. I would crank up the volume and use it to celebrate a great feeling, or turn a notch louder and scream along with it as a crutch to help me through what I was sure was an end-of-the-world problem. It could consume me and help me accomplish whatever kind of emotional release I needed at any given moment. I went so far as to research his previous bands and took quite a liking to Further Seems Forever because of the album that featured him singing. (For the record, FSF went downhill from there.) I felt this irrational connection to a complete stranger, but it gave me something to belong to. And that's all that mattered.

I saw him live several times. The first was in a pretty intimate venue compared with what he must play to now, which I've always been a little bit proud of. It was my first "cool" concert, and I was so excited that (as a too-cool-for-everything teenager) I even accepted my parents' condition for my attendance and dragged my mother across the state line and to the foot of the stage to belt out the lyrics with my friends and me. And we had a great time. I had T-shirts and stickers and even made my own memorabilia – bags, necklaces, notebooks, clothing ... Carrabba was "my" music, and I was (like faux musical elitists always are) crushed when he gave up his solo acoustic stint, took on a permanent band, and rapidly gained popularity. There's always something about a handsome man and a guitar, isn't there?

Because of this dramatic initial attachment, I've followed Dashboard Confessional since. I genuinely enjoy the music, but I think it's mostly out of nostalgia. Some might call it a "guilty pleasure." I own every album, even the ones I know are bad. I buy the ones I anticipate being bad, as well. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've previewed an album, cringed at the cheesiness of the lyrics, and bought it anyway. I even kept listening after I saw him pack a huge stadium at a state university and creepily appeal for "co-eds" to join him for "a good time" after the show. (He had been all over MTV and heard in a Spider-Man movie by then, after all.) I haven't been to one of his concerts in years, but apparently nothing will deter my fandom.

More important than my near-obsession are the friendships that grew from it. I can think of several people whom I still consider close friends who shared in my following. I remember gushing together while I watched their band practice in whatever spare room they could find to house a drum set, or speeding down a main street bonding over off-key renditions of Carrabba's "old stuff." Then, of course, those friendships blossomed beyond Dashboard Confessional and deepened. Those people are still special to me, and I imagine they always will be. It had always been about the music, but I hadn't yet figured out that it was more about the people.

I realized this week that Dashboard Confessional is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Carrabba's first album. Ten years! It doesn't feel like 10 years since I started listening. (Whether that's because I'm still that close to a teenage mindset or because time goes by that quickly, I'm not certain, but ... surely I'm not that old!?) As I'm writing this, I realize that I'm actually wearing one of many Dashboard Confessional T-shirts that have piled up in my closet over the years. One made it all the way to Taiwan. I guess some things just stick.

what i know about fear

2010-12-01T01:11:00.002+08:00

• Wow, it's December. Yikes.

It's been a full year. Let me tell you how I got here.

At some point, I found myself repeatedly refusing to learn to ride a bicycle. I don't remember much about why. It probably had something to do with not wanting to fall off and skin my knees. Most of what I know comes from stories my parents have told me over the years, mostly during reverse psychology-style pep talks about not giving up. Because of my persistent protests and whining, my parents eventually let me have it my way. This must have come as the greatest news to 4- or 5-year-old me. I didn't have to try. I could quit. I never learned to ride a bike. I let fear get the best of me, and my own personal sabotage had begun.

And it haunted me into my teens. I didn't want to hang out with the other kids on my street because ... Well, that's not true. I wanted to go out with them. I was just mortified that someone would suggest a bike ride to the gas station or to another friend's house one street over. I would eventually have to tell them that I didn't know how. That I couldn't go, I couldn't do it. I even went so far as to plant the seed that bike-riding was a "stupid" way to spend one's time, or that I'd rather be doing anything else than peddling around. What a "boring" pastime to choose.

Even after I'd known them for years, I'd still craft excuse after excuse to run away from the unlikely possibility that I'd have to face my insecurity – and the even more unlikely possibility that my own friends would think less of me for it. So staying inside and potentially being talked about as though I were a phantom or a freak instead often was the better alternative. ("What do you mean you have to go back home?" "I, uhh, I forgot my homework." "But it's Saturday." "Uhh ... See ya!") My friends eventually stopped protesting, and (although I'm sure they assumed I had a strange creature or condition to tend to at unpredictable times) I could rest easy most of the time. But no matter how great they were about my abrupt departures, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy all the time over my fear. I felt as though it could pop up at any time and consume me again. I couldn't wait to get my driver's license not because it meant I could get around by myself, but because no one would want to ride a bike anywhere if someone had a car.

Fear causes us to do irrational things.

So I finally got (permission to borrow) a car, and the cause for panic mostly went by the wayside. Although certain settings would still make me quite nervous, I was no longer stifled by my fear, and I had a lot of great times. I finished high school. I went to college. I even tried riding a bike once on campus with three of my friends holding the handlebars in lieu of training wheels. I laughed too hard to care that other students were pointing and laughing themselves, speculating that I was drunk and had lost my motor skills in the middle of a weekday. I served a few internships between several side jobs during school, I worked hard, I graduated a year early, and I got a "real" job in my chosen field. The necessity of being able to ride a bike had faded and had been quickly replaced by other challenges.

But in my first years as a "real" adult, I found myself giving in to fear again. This time, the questions weren't about whether the neighbor kids would want to ride to the neighbors' house. The questions were whether I'd made the right decisions. My job, my city, my hours, my free time, my relationships: Were they right for me? Was the person I'd become right for me? Was this how I was supposed to be doing things? Was I saving enough money? Was I working hard enough? Was I standing up for myself enough? Was I likable enough? I'd landed in the suburbs, operating on the awkward sleep-most-of-the-day-stay-up-most-of-the-night schedule of a second-shift employee. I was hours away from everything and everyone I'd known, and I spent a lot of time analyzing and dissecting whether I knew who I was or what I wanted anymore. Or whether I ever did.

Fear causes us to question ourselves.

I felt myself fading away, all my energy being sucked into wrestling with a fear that I'd be stuck in the same office in the same room at the same desk forever and have nothing significant to show for it. Plenty of decent, successful individuals stay in one place their whole lives, and I admire those people. But was it right for me? I'd look at pictures from high school and college and feel more alive than I did when I was supposed to be living this on-track "adult" life. I was so busy worrying about these things that I missed out on (or at least devalued) a lot of opportunities.

My mom and I had taken a spring break trip to Paris during my last year of college, and those memories constantly teased me with the idea that there were worlds upon worlds out there that I didn't even know existed yet. What was I doing here, in the same state I was born in and had lived all my life? I was where I had worked to get. This is where I was "supposed" to be, but somehow I didn't feel all that satisfied. I wasn't entirely unhappy, but I didn't feel very accomplished, either. I was mostly squandering time and retreating inward, afraid to be too much myself because I felt as though it were too late to change anything if it weren't good enough – if I weren't good enough.

Fear causes us to do destructive things.

I'd think about Paris, where people seemed to spend their days doing no more and no less than exactly what they wanted, truly enjoying their beautiful city in their own ways. I'd think about Phoenix, where I realized that there are communities of people who are so passionate about the philosophies behind their eating habits that they would break into full-blown debates in the wine and cheese aisle and then retire to pita bars and compare quirky art and their respective bike routes to work. Who were these kinds of people? I'd think about Illinois and all the different parts I'd seen since I was a child. I'd think about how much I loved my family and friends, and how I'd always been proud of where I came from, ... but who were these people? If I stayed here, would I ever find out? That's when the real work started.

Fear causes us to realign our priorities.

A little more than two years after my debut into "adulthood," I found myself blissfully ignoring Valentine's Day. I mention this only because it would have been quite uncharacteristic of my previous self. I was on a one-way flight to Taiwan. I was sitting next to the man who has become my co-pilot, and I was thrilled that the international dateline allowed me to skip Feb. 14 and get a fresh start. I had always held an inkling of what I wanted deep inside, but most of the time, I had been too afraid to fully realize it. But there I was: Tens of thousands of feet in the air, tracking our tiny plane while it crossed the Pacific, discovering new levels on which to be terrified, elated and relieved all at once, I was realizing it. There had been a lot of setbacks, too, which nearly persuaded me to forget the whole thing. For nearly twenty-four long months, we battled delays and wrong turns and tragedy and red tape and miscommunication to get on this flight. It was more trouble than I care to recount. But I made it. We made it.

Fear causes us to fight back and find our strength.

So now, I find myself here, in my apartment on a beautiful, only slightly chilly December evening in a city of 1 million people on the subtropical island of Taiwan. I've been here for almost 10 months. It has not always been easy. As culture shock goes, there are good days and bad days. But it has been rewarding. I spend every day learning, experiencing, loving and being loved. There are times when I feel afraid, but I no longer harbor the kind of fear I battled with for so long. I've left behind that nervous, stifling, confidence-crushing fear of life. I've made it all the way here, in perfect time to start answering all of my own questions. Taiwan has offered me a fresh start. I'm learning to accept that – to embrace my life – and now I'm ready to share that again if you'll have me.

What's the first thing you should know? Now, I drive a scooter.

Fear causes us to set ourselves free.

12.01.09

2009-12-02T13:59:00.002+08:00

• Wow, it's December. Yikes.

• I saw the above photo in a MySpace ad. It made me laugh. If you are at all familiar with the state of the newspaper biz these days, you might, too. (Yes, I know copy editors don't just work for newspapers.)

• I'm up to my ears in paperwork (and that's a lot, even for someone my height). I'm learning a lot. But right now, I'm more concerned with getting everything done correctly than turning those lessons around into something that resembles something insightful. This blog might have to take a wee hiatus... (To return bigger, better, and totally different than anything I've experienced thus far. Stay tuned!)

11.24.09

2009-11-25T13:59:00.000+08:00

• Apologies for the hiatus. (Doesn't everyone take two to three weeks to celebrate their birthdays?)

• What is Mrs. Claus's first name? More importantly, when did Christmas start coming before Thanksgiving. Come on.

• Grits are ground hominy.

• Toni Basil ("Oh, Mickey, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind ...") choreographed the "Legally Blonde" movies.

• I dig fonts, but I've never found myself anywhere near disgruntled over typography. You?

• Never underestimate the possibility for life to get more and more bizarre.

• There's an Eggo shortage. Seriously. And you thought layoffs and pay cuts were bad ...

• Oprah is putting an end to her talk show at the end of its 25th season (in 2011). She'll also take it out of syndication. I've always been of the opinion that she has a freakish amount of power above the level that any one person should ever have ... so I can't say I'm complaining. Although, I guess now would as good a time as any to ask for a handout.

• Let's talk about chivalry, shall we? Seems that there's a healthy discussion to be had here. Where's the line between polite and condescending? Anything creep you out? Is it sexist?

• This video of a soldier's dog welcoming him home is almost guaranteed to make you cry.

• Funny what it takes to make an endeavor feel "real." Funnier still are the mixed emotions that follow. Excitement. Nervousness. Satisfaction at hard work finally paying off. Sheer terror. Hold on tight; things are about to get very interesting ...

11.03.09

2009-11-04T13:52:00.002+08:00

• Key West is apparently a crazy place to be, with the Chucky-esque doll and such.

• Happy November! Have a look at some dedicated pumpkin carvers if you're feeling reminiscent.

• To play music on the streets of Chicago, you must have a permit that costs $100.

• Chicago Tribune gears up for AP-less week. Think it'll work?

• Almost anything can be a good time with the right company. Try it. I dare you.

• NT$1 = USD$0.03

• Hedgehogs have an impeccable sense of smell and are illegal in some areas.

• Actually overheard at Iowa 80: The World's Largest Truckstop:
"Eh, there's no reason to sleep. Just keep on truckin'."

Places to go, people to meet, generally pleasantly overwhelmed with life. Happy Tuesday.

10.27.09

2009-10-28T06:32:00.000+08:00

• Know your Mustangs? (Disregard the hidden bro shots. Arg.)

• Isn't it great when you hit a wall of clarity at full speed, and all of a sudden, everything makes perfect sense? Ahh ...

• Jillian Michaels is absolutely terrifying.

• I've been glued to the Logo Network about as often as the Travel Channel, Food Network and TLC. (They featured Elvira Kurt in a documentary; what's not to love?)

• "...when it comes to the important stuff, secrets damage relationships." That's a Ph.D. talking. Read the whole article once you've retrieved your jaw from the floor.

• I have a new found excitement for apple doughnuts. Mmm ...

• I also love cameos. And I'm not the only one.

• I know I've been raving about Wayne Coyne more often lately than... well, more often than I rave about anyone. But the more I read about him, the more fascinating he becomes. A couple of great quotes from an interview in next month's SPIN magazine:

"The idea that you just make the music and some guys set up all your stuff -- that works great for Thom Yorke," Coyne says. "But for me, everything we do up there is about us. From the dumb carpet we stand on to the video. I'd just be too frazzled if I wasn't up there making sure all these little things go right." ...

But as Coyne puts it, "I've always viewed this as part of the show. You're gonna see us set up our stuff, see exactly how this works. You are gonna know that this is not magic. And yet, when the music stars, it's still gonna destroy you." ...

"Life has a lot of nuances, " [Coyne said.] "I felt like if I was messed up on drugs, I was missing those nuances. Plus, you see the way I am: I like to be in control."

Read (most of) the article here. And if you need further proof of why Coyne is more worthy (and appreciative) of your admiration than the average whiny rockstar, check out the interview in the same issue with The Strokes' Julian Casablancas for contrast. Eek.

Happy Tuesday.

10.20.09

2009-10-21T05:49:00.009+08:00

• "... In states with higher numbers of college-educated adults, couples tended to wed at older ages, while the opposite was true in states with lower education levels. ..."

Do you even need to read more?

• Why real men buy women flowers: "... My dad knew that buying a gift for that person who'll laugh at your terrible jokes, kiss you with lips and breath, and hold your hand as a [hospital] needle searches for your vein is just a way of saying, 'I'm thinking about you when you're not here.'

And that's what flowers are, just a simple, easy way of letting someone know they were in your thoughts. That's it. It's not complicated. Flowers announce: out of sight, still in my mind and heart. It is unerringly human to want to know that someone is thinking about you when you are not around. ..."

This is a cute story with a solid point. And who doesn't need a cute story now and then?

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Regina Brett's "45 life lessons and 5 to grow on" -- some of these ring more true than others. And some of them make me worry that Regina Brett sneaks into my apartment and watches me. I won't tell you which are which.

• To each his (or her) own, as Mom always said. Let people be who they are. It's not your place to tell anyone they're right or wrong just because they might or might not agree with you. (I think I might have mentioned that before ...)

• There are more people in your shoes than you might realize. Well, not your exact shoes. Maybe they're a different color or size or something. But they're still the same sassy, pointy-toed kitten heels that can be dressed up or dressed down and make you feel like a million bucks. ... The point is, it's probably smart to try and stay on the same side. You never know how you could help each other out.

• I try not to contribute to passing along viral Internet videos, chain letters, obnoxious forwards, bad advice, ... but something about giving cats subtitles is just too good. (But I'm also the idiot spending hours laughing at Lolcats.)

• Now go on. Some of us have work to do. Happy Tuesday.

10.13.09

2009-10-14T08:04:00.000+08:00

• Researchers are developing a new screening system for airports ...

The Homeland Security-funded project is Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST. Instead of focusing on whether you have hidden explosives or whether you're carrying a weapon, sensors and cameras located at security checkpoints would measure the natural signals coming from your body -- your heart rate, breathing, eye movement, body temperature and fidgeting. (Read the full story at cnn.com.)

Interesting stuff. But, really? Who ISN'T stressed getting onto a plane?

• Evidently, Mrs. Butterworth's first name is Joy.

• Admittedly, I stole the following from Facebook, and this list was compiled by someone who isn't me. But at 23, I've checked off half of these things with a couple left unchecked that I'm about half sure on. Count me extraordinarily lucky.

"Bucket List"
(Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.)

Things you have done during your lifetime:
1. () Gone on a blind date
2. () Donated blood
3. (x) Skipped school
4. () Watched someone die
5. () Been to Canada
6. (x) Been to Mexico
7. (x) Been to Florida
8. () Been to Hawaii
9. (x) Been on a plane
10. (x) Been on a helicopter
11. (x) Been lost
12. (x) Gone to Washington, D.C.
13. () Hugged a homeless person
14. (x) Swam in the ocean ("swam" is a relative term)
15. () Swam with stingrays
16. () Been sailing in the ocean
17. (x) Cried yourself to sleep
18. (x) Played cops and robbers
19. (x) Recently colored with crayons/colored pens
20. () Ran a marathon
21. (x) Sang karaoke
22. () Volunteered at a soup kitchen
23. (x) Paid for a meal with coins only
24. (x) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
25. () Seen the Northern Lights
26. () Been parasailing
27. () Been on TV
28. (x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
29. (x) Made prank phone calls
30. () Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
31. (x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
32. () Fed an elephant
33. (x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
34. (x) Fired a gun
35. (x) Danced in the rain
36. () Been to the opera
37. (x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
38. (x) Serenaded someone
39. (x) Seen a U.S. president in person. (I guess he wasn't technically president at the time.)
40. (x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
41. (x) Watched the sunrise with someone
42. () Driven a race car
43. (x) Been to a national museum
44. (x) Been to a wax museum
45. (x) Eaten caviar
46. (x) Blown bubbles
47. (x) Gone ice skating
48. (x) Gone to the movies
49. () Been deep sea fishing
50. (x) Driven across the U.S.
51. () Been in a hot air balloon
52. () Been sky diving
53. () Gone snowmobiling
54. () Lived in more than one country
55. (x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
56. (x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
57. () Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
58. (x) Seen the Grand Canyon
59. () Seen the Statue of Liberty
60. () Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
61. () Been on a cruise
62. (x) Traveled by train
63. (x) Traveled by motorcycle
64. (x) Been horse back riding
65. () Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
66. (x) Been to Disneyland or Disney World
67. (x) Have at any time truly believed in the power of prayer
68. () Been in a rain forest
69. (x) Seen whales in the ocean
70. () Been to Niagara Falls
71. () Been to an active volcano
72. (x) Ridden on an elephant
73. () Swam with dolphins
74. () Been to the Olympics
75. () Walked on the Great Wall of China
76. () Been inside a pyramid/Buddha
77. () Saw and heard a glacier calf
78. () Been spinnaker flying
79. () Been water-skiing
80. () Been snow-skiing
81. () Been to Westminster Abbey
82. (x) Been to the Louvre
83. () Been to Israel
84. () Swam in the Mediterranean
85. (x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
86. () Been to a National Football League game
87. () Swam with sharks
88. (x) Been white water rafting
89. () Written a book or screenplay

That's 45/89. Let's see if I can't knock out a few more by the quarter-century mark ...

• I only want to be taller when I take out the trash. I'd like to be able to carry the bag(s) with my arm(s) straight without it dragging on the concrete. Never mind tall cabinets or shelves; I've never had any troubles getting to those. Just ask my parents. But for those three or so minutes to the Dumpster (proper noun), I could use a few more inches.

• I'm fascinated with the subcultures of our society. This must have started a couple of summers ago when I realized that there are groups of people who might judge you based on which grocery store you frequent and make entire meals based on hummus. Much love to those people, but it took me by surprise.

Along the lines of subcultures I never knew existed are communities that strive to be completely self-sustaining. People who live without the things that most of us take for granted in an effort to support themselves should said things disappear or become unavailable. I still don't know too much about it. Here are some links that explain it better. Even if it's not necessarily something you agree with or are interested in doing, it's so fun to see what people are into.

Possibility Alliance in La Plata, Mo., is once such community. Ethan Hughes, who is associated with the Possibility Alliance, was part of the Haul of Justice in 2000, during which "regular folks dress up as superheroes and hit the roads on their bicycles for a monthlong journey, providing service to the public with no agenda, and no pre-established course or plans." If that sounds interesting, check out another interview with Hughes where he talks about some kids who took his bike and other craziness that ensues on a trip such as this. Similar communities include Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage and Sandhill Farm, an egalitarian intentional community. Interesting stuff, no?

• It's a great feeling to realize that the friends you chose in your childhood and teen years turned out to be equally awesome and interesting adults. Especially if it's been awhile since you've had a chance to catch up.

• Baby shampoo works as well as any eye make-up remover I've found.

• Friends, we've officially passed breezy, jacket weather and rushed right into space heater and fingerless-gloves season. Yay for scarves, nay for the cold.

• Confidence gets you lots of places. Literally. The key, a wise friend says, is looking/acting like you belong; people usually won't ask questions.

• As far as hair dye goes, it's divided into darkness/lightness levels numbered 1-10 with 1 being black and 10 being ultralight blond(e).

• When you have adequate time to process (Ha! Get it? Process? Dye? ... Never mind.), read this commencement speech by David Foster Wallace. Read it twice if you have to. It's good stuff. So much of life is what you choose to see and how you choose to see it.

Happy Tuesday.

10.6.09

2009-10-07T04:35:00.000+08:00

• Check out the emotion in these shots from cnn.com and chicagotribune.com during the 2016 Olympics announcements. Talk about capturing a moment in time ...

• I don't remember which pill Neo takes in "The Matrix," but I'm pretty sure that point-of-no-return stuff is based on real life. Once you realize certain things, there's no going back.

• Also based on real life was that Bill Cosby show "Kids Say the Darndest Things." This conversation happened recently:
Fifth-grader: Are you still in high school?
Me: No, I'm a college graduate.
Fifth-grader: Because you look like you're still in high school.

• Some people really freak out if you make eye contact. (Strangers, I mean. Not normally people you already know.) Smile, and they just about run away. I think I'm a little too entertained by this. ... But I'm also the idiot behind you in line waving and making stupid faces at your infant.

• If Oprah can feature a woman who tries to go on 100 coffee dates to find "The One," I'm pretty sure I could pull off just about anything.

• The best friends aren't afraid to call you out when you need it. I've heard it twice in one week from two different parties in two different situations. Must be true.

• I wonder how long/many times I would have to sit casually, looking not-too-busy at an establishment before someone – anyone (who isn't working at said establishment) – approaches me for any reason at all. I had a pretty good time watching people watch me and whisper not-so-discreetly about why I was eating alone on my dinner break. It could be fun. Wagers?

• People have such interesting things to say. I learn so much just from listening (or reading, as the case may be). What excites them, what they value, where they've been, what they've seen, what they think. Don't underestimate what other people can teach you about the world and about yourself.

• "Life's a journey, not a destination." – Aerosmith, American rock band.

"Happiness is not a goal, it is a byproduct." – Eleanor Roosevelt, civil rights advocate and former first lady.

"There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way." – Wayne Dyer, American author.

"Happiness is not down the road; happiness is the road." – spiritual leader Dalai Lama?

... Seeing any trends here? As someone who grew up thinking that you choose one path and stick to it in order to be "successful," I'm starting to realize that maybe that's the wrong way to go about things. There's no one way to live happily, and there's no rule that says you can't change your mind along the way.

It's never been my idea of exciting to settle – or "settle-in." That's partly because the thought of going from day to day in the same, stale routine year after year without learning new things and having no way out terrifies me into action. ("Security is a kind of death." – Tennessee Williams, American playwright.) Maybe the way to go is to do what makes you happy until it doesn't anymore – or at least until you have a greater interest in something else – then find the next thing that does.

I think people end up in a rut when they can't admit when something that once made them happy no longer does. There's a stigma that goes along with it, that somehow admitting it means you screwed up the first time. But I don't think that's the case at all. People are constantly changing, no matter how old they are – if they allow it to happen. They take on new interests, new thought processes. It takes a brave and honest person to realize, admit and act on a new endeavor.

"When you get out of here, the world is going to grab you by the hair and start running. And you'd better keep up." – Dr. Peter Voelz, retired journalism professor, Eastern Illinois University.

But there's also a difference between giving up and moving on as described above. The preceding paragraph doesn't apply to situations in which you just give in, give up, or stop trying. I'm working on things as we speak that have become very hard, much harder than I thought they would be when I started working on them. It's easy to rationalize yourself into thinking you don't want something because not having it, not working toward it, not following through would be easier. And it is easier – for now. But if you give in to that weakness, you'll eventually realize that you never wanted that thing any less. You just gave up before you could see all the good there was to be had. Figuring out the difference is a skill in itself.

"Opportunities of a lifetime never come without some sort of price." – Marc Malone, grad student, fantastic writer, friend.

"Nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy." – Dr. Kelso, "Scrubs"

I expect this whole mind-set to continue to shift as I get older, but I think I've come a long way from worrying that choosing the wrong major would be the end of my one chance to do things "right."

"...and if you don't like it, change it." – Jared McClellan, was wise beyond his years at 17.

• Call me crazy, but whomever David Letterman chooses to sleep with does not affect me personally. Because it doesn't affect me, I don't feel the need to chastise him, call for an end to his career, ask any further questions, or really have any opinion at all on his recent announcement. (In fact, I think the real issue here is the alleged blackmail by a network higher-up anyway, but that's apparently not as interesting to the masses.) The point being, until there's a crazy twist that gets me wrapped into it, his sex life is his business and only his. (Hmm ... OK, kiddies, how else might we be able to apply this principle?)

• Noodles & Co. has a "no tip" policy. (Which means you don't leave one, even when dining in.)

• No matter what you're thinking, feeling, dealing with at any given time, someone has thought, felt or dealt with the exact same thing. When that "thing" is good, this thought might seem to cheapen the uniqueness of your experience. When that "thing" is bad, this thought will be a comfort. (Funny how that works, isn't it?)

• Kandi Burruss, a cast member on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," wrote TLC's "No Scrubs" and was a member of Xscape.

• A good friend once said that sometimes you have to lie a little to get yourself through tough times. By the time you start believing what you've been telling yourself, it's not so tough. (You might have heard this expressed as, "Fake it until you make it," but I prefer that my clichés not rhyme.)

• France may put warning labels on airbrushed photos. Also, check out these 10 doctored shots.

• I think it's safe to assume that most people haven't figured things out as well as you might imagine.

Happy Tuesday.

9.29.09

2009-09-30T04:44:00.000+08:00

• Wearing a suit feels awesome. Wearing a wash-and-wear "travel" suit: even better.

• Have you ever experienced something that you know, right then, will stick with you and become one of those golden "remember when," turning-point sort of memories? I had that feeling this week. I've never been so inspired by a wave.

• I would list all the great things that have come to mind recently about having your own place, but I think that might be letting you in a little too much. Just know that there are a lot ... even in the 'burbs.

• You never know what will help you find a new appreciation for something else. Be open-minded to that.

• It's illegal to place a student who is not fluent in English in a class for students with speech problems. It's not the same.

• You can never have too many friends. (That one's from Mommy.)

• I'm growing back into embracing the sitcominess of life. It never fails to happen. I often think you couldn't get a bigger laugh if someone wrote this stuff. (The movie of my life that plays continuously in my head is tragically funny more often than not, but I don't think it would fail to entertain.)

• USA Today reports that teens who don't have their "own" car are half as likely to get into a crash. (The gist of this article? If you're going to have kids, BE a parent.)

• "Pain beats regret every day of the week and twice on Sundays." Oh, Matthew McConaughey, I love you in spite of your cheesiness and laughably bad movies.

• I can't decide what I think of Rock Plaza Central (other than that it translates better live than on MySpace and that a couple of the members remind me of newspaper press room guys I've worked with). I think his voice might be too ... something ... (distracting?) to totally enjoy the great harmonies. Thoughts?

• People who try things – who choose to express themselves – even though they might not be ... good? ... at what they're doing make me smile. You know that the effort is genuine that way.

• I'll never have to hide again. I'll never have to deal with [insert annoyance here] again. I'll never have to _____ again. Fill in the blank for yourself. It'll feel good. Slap it on a Post-It if you have to. Everyone loves the well-executed use of office supplies. (At least I do ...)

• People are constantly evolving as they have new experiences, but it takes something clicking in a person's head and an honest realization on his/her part to really change. (And there's nothing wrong with changing – especially if it leads to better things.)

• Everything is so much more enjoyable and interesting once you stop being afraid of not having all the answers. Having the courage to ask questions – yep, even stupid ones – and to learn from the people around you makes life seem less mundane and predictable. But you can't be too cool for it, or it will never work right. You won't get anything out if it if you're wrapped up in your own image. You'll miss the lesson. Learn to be okay with looking ridiculous sometimes and deal with the rough spots with humor and grace. (I have a friend who swears by the humor and grace stuff. Works beautifully for her.)

• The most unpredictable things can make (or ruin) your day if you let them. Really, "iff" you let them. ("If and only if." My high school geometry teacher would be proud ...)

• Cats are smarter (better at getting attention, anyway) than most people give them credit for. Although, I don't know whether plopping down on top of a computer mouse counts as catching it.

(Note: If you're reading this as a Facebook note, check out the original "what I know now" blog post. There is a method to the rambling. Promise.)

9.22.09

2009-09-23T12:59:00.000+08:00

• CNN's done it again. (Is "Talk Like A Pirate Day" really news anywhere but Facebook? ... Really?)

• Isn't it strange that people who are into watching are critiquing movies are viewed as classy and justified (because they study fiiiilm), but those who are interested in a well-written, thought-provoking TV series are viewed as nothing more than couch potatoes? As someone who is happy to invest hours upon hours in DVD box sets, I'll make the argument that it's not only strange, but downright ridiculous.

• There's nothing quite like the feeling of going out to eat and getting so caught up in the conversation that you have to take the meal home.

• Do whatever works for you, even if other people don't agree. Sometimes it's all right to be selfish.

• Christian Louboutin made the shoes for Janet Jackson & Co.'s Michael Jackson tribute performance of "Scream" at this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

• Sometimes advice rings truer when it comes from beautiful people. Really. Why? Because we take comfort in knowing that people we admire – or who are outwardly composed – experience the same hardships and shortcomings as us regular ol' folks.

• I realized that, for the first time in a very long time, (1) I enjoy reading and (2) I feel as though there aren't enough hours in the day. Yesss ...

9.15.09

2009-09-16T12:59:00.001+08:00

I think this project would be more doable in weekly installments. I pick Tuesdays.

• Sometimes you must be brave enough to allow yourself to be completely vulnerable.

• Never underestimate the influence and comfort of friendship.

• I will never stop believing that good things – important things – are worth working hard for.

• Sometimes taking any action is better than analyzing to find the perfect one. Sometimes it's exactly the opposite.

• Two recent techie conventions showed that Macs are actually easier to hack than machines that run on Windows.

• No one is above a lapse in judgment. Even, say, elected officials.

• Dealing with pain often is a matter of mourning the loss of what might have been.

• I was a sophomore in Mrs. Harlow's second-hour psychology class at Jacksonville High School on Sept. 11, 2001. We were studying Pavlov. I started taking notes in my planner when the announcements started coming sporadically over the loudspeaker from the front office. I didn't know why I felt the need to do that. We eventually turned the TV on and gave up on the lesson. It seemed to take everyone awhile to realize that things weren't okay, and when they did, no one wanted to be the first to say it.

We must have continued with the day for a couple more periods or so, but the next thing I remember is sitting at a round cafeteria table in the dark about lunch time. In our naivety, we wondered if the power outage was a result of some kind of attack on our school. In reality, the transformer had blown because there were so many TVs and radios plugged in throughout the building. At a loss of what else to do, the principal came in and announced that we were all free to go home. I got in my best friend Kristy's gold Dodge Intrepid with my boyfriend, Ian, and spent most of the evening curled up on the floor – mostly silent, often crying – watching TV in my family's basement.

For a long time, it was like a game to see how often "Sept. 11" would come up on a daily basis. Then it started to annoy me. I'd wonder, "Why can't we move on? Why can't we let this go? Does everything really have to tie back to it?" I've seen grown adult approach airport personnel, point her finger at another person, and tell a staff member that she didn't want to be on the plane with one of "them." I still wonder where all the hate came from.

Unlike a lot of people, I don't say very much about the people personally involved, nor do I ever speak politically about it. I respect the heroes, and I feel sad for the people who lost loved ones. But part of me has always felt like no amount of an outsider's emotion could be worthy of what happened to those people – it wouldn't be enough. And using such a tragedy as a kind of political hot button or to push an agenda has always seemed disrespectful. I'm fortunate that can't relate to what they've been though, and I can't pretend to understand how they feel. I certainly don't know how to ease that kind of pain, and I'd imagine that if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't want people to try. So I let it be.

I do know that felt very strange that first day; I remember thinking that I was old enough that I should have been able to wrap my head around the importance of what had happened, but I still felt like it was something that I couldn't quite grasp. Thinking back, maybe that feeling was some kind of realization that the world had changed right before our eyes.

• It's illegal to ride a motorcycle without protective eyewear. (Oops ... Does closing your eyes, burying your face, and holding on for dear life count?)

9.5.09

2009-09-06T05:13:00.005+08:00

• I try to be open-minded and flexible, but there's a list of things I know for sure that I don't want for myself. Growing jaded and bitter is on that list.

• Soldiers started mixing jelly with peanut butter during World War II to make it easier to eat.

• Powdered rubber (think car tires) helps make gum chewy. Thinking twice about swallowing it now, huh?

• Does anyone else get the feeling that you absorb less when you're reading something on a screen vs. reading it from a book? I bet that's what makes online classes so hard.

• Word I'd never seen until today: denuclearization.

8.31.09

2009-09-01T04:33:00.014+08:00

• PBS aired its final episode of "Reading Rainbow" on Friday. (The show still will be available for teaching purposes for a year. Grab them while you can...)

• Apparently people have "swine flu parties" where they purposely expose themselves to people who have the virus in hopes of building up a natural immunity. Needless to say, the Centers for Disease Control does not recommend these interactions.

• Summer left abruptly last week, and fall is setting in. It's August. Some days are closer to Wisconsin than others.

• Things are seldom as easy as you imagine.
"Opportunities of a lifetime never come without paying some sort of price." (Marc Malone)
OR...
"Nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy." (Bob Kelso, "Scrubs")
OR...
"When you get out of here, the world is going to grab you by the hair and start running. And you'd better keep up." (Dr. Peter Voelz)
OR...
"Security is a kind of death." (Tennessee Williams)

• Taking a few days off to spend time with family. Make time to spend with your family.

8.28.09

2009-08-29T12:59:00.002+08:00

• A portion of U.S. tax dollars goes to repay citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq for damage U.S. soldiers have caused during wartime.

• Why do people think it's funny to pronounce words incorrectly?

• Football is a sport that I will never enjoy nor appreciate.

• Wearing a sign in traffic that tells everyone you've cheated on your spouse. Adequate punishment?

• "It's the life you chose. Don't act like it isn't yours."
("The Safety of Objects")

8.27.09

2009-08-28T12:59:00.003+08:00

• You don't have to boil water first to make noodles. They'll cook just fine if you put them in at the same time as the water.

• Meijer sells Muffin Tops cereal. (Oh, college ...)

• Chevy Chase turned down the role of Forrest Gump.

• It's interesting to see what kinds of common interests and/or experiences bring people together. It's also interesting to see how the level of actual interest varies. People are less genuine about topics or experiences they don't choose for themselves.

• CNN.com recently published a story about the 12 most annoying types of Facebookers. Here's my contribution to that list: people who whine incessantly. (I guess it's a subcategory of The Sympathy-Baiter, if you want to get technical.) I understand that some days, it just seems like the world is out to get you. Everything that can go wrong does, and even some of the things that you think can't go wrong do, too. The world seems like it's crumbling around you. Even the cat is angry with you. You just want to curl up in a ball and wish it all away. I get it. It happens to us all. And I understand needing support during a genuine tragedy. But no one needs or cares to read about your woe-is-me, everything-is-awful, my-life-is-so-bad ramblings – especially when it's all you ever have to talk about. Are you still living? Are you well enough to be wasting time whining on a social networking site? Are you doing "all right" enough to afford to pay for or have public access to the computer or smart phone you're using to communicate said whining? Can you think of at least 15 ways you could be worse off? Then stop complaining.

8.26.09

2009-08-27T09:21:00.009+08:00

• The first draft of this post apparently got sucked into the vast expanse of Internetland. Really? Does that still even happen? Only to me? I'm not surprised ...

• Even when I'm not in the newsroom, I feel for the people who have to tackle post-deadline breaking news. At least you enjoy the rush. RIP Ted Kennedy.

• This article on burlesque is really interesting.

• There's a restaurant on Beale Street in Memphis that has been deep-frying its food in the same grease since 1912. Not just the same kind. Same exact grease. They keep it locked in a safe each night and reuse it the next day.

• Both the sun and moon have an effect on Earth's tides. The sun is 400 times farther away, and it's effect is one-third that of the moon.

• You really never know who's paying attention or whether everything is coming across in context. Act accordingly.

• Being aware of your skeletons makes it that much easier to make them disappear should you ever, say, decide to run for office someday.

8.25.09

2009-08-26T03:42:00.001+08:00

• Folding laundry with the windows open and letting old Dashboard Confessional mixes fill my apartment. I'm spending my day off being 15 again.

8.22.09

2009-08-23T12:59:00.000+08:00

• Way to keep the standards high, CNN.com. J majors, let's see what happens when you try to use "snafu" in one of your newspaper headlines ...

• Today is my two-year anniversary. Work anniversary anyway. Yay?

• You know you're getting old(er) when:
(a) You start getting really nostalgic for the things you remember as a child and know likely will never happen to anyone again. (Your dad explaining the Internet for the first time. The VCR eating your favorite movie. Licking stamps.)
(b) You start wondering why your suburban-parent neighbors are playing dance music at 2 a.m. on a Sunday. ("I'm up at 2 a.m. EVERY DAY and manage to keep my early-morning goings on at a relatively low hum. ... grumble grumble grumble")
(c) You start to enjoy AM talk radio. ( ... )

• Check out what's coming up in TV land and what ever happened to your favorite show at www.televisionwithoutpity.com. (I hear "FlashForward" and "Cougar Town" will be worth checking out.)

8.20.09

2009-08-21T02:35:00.004+08:00

• When a woman does something too well, it must mean she's a man, right? Come on, people.

• I've been wondering a lot lately, "Why can't anything just go right after the first try?" It's past annoying and not yet to comical.

8.19.08

2009-08-20T12:59:00.000+08:00

• Hitler was a rejected artist. The first building he commissioned for the Nazi party was an art museum. He was an avid art collector – only of the pieces he deemed appropriate, of course – and bought hundreds of items each year to add to his personal collection. Check out "The Rape of Europa" (book or movie) for more about the millions of dollars in works of art that were stolen, evacuated, hidden, destroyed and lost during World War II under Nazi rule.

• It's important to have things to look forward to. But it's also – more? – important to be able to differentiate between working toward something and fixating on it so that you miss everything going on right now. Sometimes enjoying today takes a little work – like forcing yourself to slow down and realize you do have time to do things that "settled" people do ... without having to settle.

• You'll find that some people are trustworthy, and some are not. It's painful to find out that people belong in the second group, but trying to shield yourself from that pain by keeping everyone at arm's length isn't worth it. You won't make the second group any more trustworthy, and you'll miss out on the best parts of the first.

• In the same vein (Don't you hate stupid phrases?), certain people in certain situations will never grow up. And you can't change it. It will make you livid, but you can't let it make you unhappy. Love and allow yourself to be loved. Anyone who doesn't wish you the best in that isn't worth your wasted emotion.

• There are too many amazing people in the world not to surround yourself with friends who make you feel inspired.

• Talking with someone about to start college makes me miss all the things in college that I didn't realize were worth cherishing at the time. But does anyone really ever realize something is worth cherishing at the moment?

8.15.09

2009-08-16T12:59:00.000+08:00

• Time is getting away from me again. Oh, bother.

• General Electric owns NBC.

8.14.09

2009-08-15T03:15:00.003+08:00

• MTV plays old episodes of "Scrubs." Who knew?

• Sometimes people really don't want help. Whatever their reason, respect that.

8.11.09

2009-08-12T02:34:00.002+08:00

• Audrey Hepburn studied ballet for years, only to be told that she'd never be good enough or have the proper body to reach her dream of becoming a prima ballerina. Coco Chanel was laughed at when she first started to design hats, and her career had its share of flops. The failures make their stories more interesting, more human. At least that's what I need to believe.

8.9.09

2009-08-10T11:07:00.003+08:00

• Lollapalooza Day 2:

- Hotter. Bearable with water.

- I met this guy. He stopped for the festival during an 11-week drive across the U.S.

- A surprising number of people are willing to give media members their names, ages and hometowns ... until they also have to have their photo taken. All of those who refused were women.

- If you feel something splashed, splattered or spilled on you while you're attending a large event at which vendors are selling large amounts of alcohol and don't immediately hear, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" or similar, a fist fight is likely to come next.

- It's amazing who you'll end up talking to, running into, recognizing at any given place. Maybe you know them, maybe you don't, maybe you've seen them in a magazine. Regardless, watching people – observing – never gets old.

- Even important people make mistakes.

- Be courteous. Decline politely. Don't forget that everyone has feelings, insecurities, interests, successes regardless of how they might appear. People are still people, even when they're in huge groups. Remember that large groups are full of individuals who have something in common with you.

- Let me preface this by saying that I don't have kids. But I assume that making sure they can hear past age 25 would be up there on the list of parenting priorities. Buy them cool concert earmuffs. And please keep your anklebiters away from me with their rogue Frisbees.

- I don't know why both a hand-held microphone and a larger (boom?) microphone are used when filming interviews. Could one of you TV people help me out?

• Lollapalooza Day 3:

- Miserably hot. Water. Water. Water.

- Apparently someone does sell flip-flops at Lollapalooza. I'd like to think someone saw my earlier post and scurried to task, but someone is probably just smarter than I gave them credit for.

- I saw a motorcyclist who had a dog on his lap (strapped to him in something like those front-backpack baby carriers, I'm sure). The dog was wearing goggles. Goggles! The only thing cuter than that would be if he were wearing Mutt Muffs, too.

- If Chicago gets the Olympics in 2016, Lolla will skip a year. (Remember that 10-year contract I mentioned?)

- Even "important" people are just people. While it's probably flattering to be adored by strangers, I bet it's more flattering to be treated like a human being.

- ... But everyone has someone who makes them a little starry-eyed.

- There are certain things that no one will admit to. Like feeling completely miserable after paying $205 to stand in the sun and sweat profusely.

- It's easy to get lost in the shadows when you make excuses for yourself or where you are when you feel as though you don't belong. When you remember that you ARE someone (no matter who that might be), being confident comes more easily.

- There's so much more to tell, but this weekend has shown me how truly out of shape I am. My feet are bandaged. My muscles ache. My skin is slightly less than burned (thanks to UV bracelets and several tubes of sunscreen). My mind is reeling from everything I saw and heard and discussed. But for spending three days in a place where I'm convinced that no one is comfortable, I had a fantastic weekend with even better company. Now it's time to recover.

8.08.09

2009-08-09T12:59:00.000+08:00

• Lollapalooza Day 2:

Exhausted. Check back later.

8.7.09

2009-08-08T12:59:00.000+08:00

• Cocaine was ruled a factor in Billy Mays' death. ... It's too easy. I'll let it go.

• Lollapalooza Day 1:

- The festival has a contract with the city of Chicago for another 10 years.

- Three-day passes and single-day passes for Friday were sold out.

- Picture those plastic, snappy bracelets you get at events that have to be cut off after they're closed. When they're going to be too long, remember to fold the excess over a few times before snapping. I guess festivals don't like a lot of scissors sitting around.

- Rain. Umbrellas are really obnoxious in large groups. Apologies for my contribution to this ...

- Disappointed in Ben Folds' set. Too much mediocre new stuff. Not enough personality.

- Someone should open a stand to sell cheap, comfortable shoes. I saw a pair of flip-flops abandoned after getting stuck in the mud, a few way-cooler-than-you kids who were limping along in their sexy heels, and a several people who had given up on their shoes completely. I bet there would be a market for it even without the rain.

- I can't speak for the other flavors (yet), but Stretch Island Fruit Co.'s orchard cherry Original Fruit Leathers are great.

- (Something I can thank theater experience for:) If you're trying to direct someone to you in a crowd and you say you're "to the left of the stage," you're standing to the left of the stage as you're looking at it from the crowd. If you're "stage left," however, you're to the right of the stage as you're looking at it from the crowd (to the performers' left when they're onstage). Save everyone the confusion. How do you give directions?

8.6.09

2009-08-07T12:41:00.001+08:00

• R.I.P. John Hughes. Which movie is your favorite?

8.5.09

2009-08-06T06:13:00.004+08:00

• "Cash for Clunkers" is actually called the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), and I've just about heard (read, designed, edited, watched ... ) enough about it.

• Hooray and hugs and cheers for hard work paying off and people who don't give up on their goals, themselves, or each other. I'm so proud of you.

8.3.09

2009-08-04T11:03:00.003+08:00

• The Warners refused to consider Julie Andrews for the role of Eliza Doolittle in the film version of "My Fair Lady," even though she created the role on stage. Instead, they would only cast Audrey Hepburn. The directors then had Hepburn's singing parts recorded again by a more polished singer and put those into the film, which took away the character Hepburn put into the singing parts and likely cost her an Oscar nomination for the role. Julie Andrews ended up winning the Oscar for best actress that year for "Mary Poppins." She thanked the Warners in her acceptance speech.

• Apparently symphony orchestras have jump on the "tweeting" bandwagon for their performances. (Read a story here.) Is there no place left to feel classy and sophisticated that doesn't involve a battery or wall outlet?

• Handwriting – especially really messy handwriting – does not fax well.

• Small nicities stick with people. Don't underestimate them.

• Isn't it strange how very good and very bad things bring people together in the same way?

This weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the wedding of two of my closest friends, which brought friends from many different places together to celebrate them. Seeing people you've met at various stops along the way not only makes you remember and appreciate the past, but also allows you to realize how great it is that the parts of people that make them friends very seldom change or go away. Even if you don't have the luxury of seeing them on a daily basis anymore, good friends always remain good friends. And it's terribly exciting to watch people you care about grow and make their lives uniquely their own – even if it has to be from a distance.

After the wedding, I found out that someone I'd known since grade school had died in his sleep. I no longer live in the town we went to school in. But I immediately remembered the first kind gesture he made when we first met – even as a third grader who probably didn't realize what a difference he made. He was very kind, very giving, and will be genuinely missed by many people. As the news has spread – mostly via Facebook – I've heard from several old classmates whom I haven't seen or spoken to in many years. The barriers that junior high and high school create are no longer there, and everyone is an individual now, which is encouraging even amid the shock and confusion. People are concerned, and they want to help one another. They want to express their appreciation and sympathy as the group they once were.

As I was thinking about it all – how strange it seems that two situations that foster opposite emotions can have similar results – one of those classmates said something that could not have been more true: "I believe in my heart Robert had a purpose even now ... bringing people together."

• Coincidentally, the newspaper ran a story about what happens to a person's online personality – their e-mail, Facebook and MySpace pages, etc. – when they die unexpectedly. (The full story can be found here.) In one of the instances featured, a friend of the deceased got her passwords from her family and kind of keeps up with her online pages, including replying to some messages that people send to her profile. I'm very interested to hear your thoughts on this. Is it ok for someone to read and/or reply to private messages or e-mails sent to the profile of someone who has died? Does it matter who that reader is (friend vs. family)? What do you think?

7.31.09-8.02.09

2009-08-01T14:16:00.001+08:00

• Congratulations, Melissa and Eric! Off to celebrate the Schumachers ...

7.30.09

2009-07-31T08:43:00.003+08:00

• "Were" – not "was" – is used when you're talking about a wish/desire or a situation that is contrary to reality.

- I wish I were 18 again.
- If she were here, she wouldn't be there.
- Were I going to the ball, I'd be dressed already.
- If I were you, I'd skip the event.

(This isn't something I learned today. I just keep seeing it used incorrectly.)

• That's all. I won't feel bad about having a lazy three-day "weekend."

7.28.09

2009-07-28T21:05:00.005+08:00

• Layout tweaks. Cleaner, I think. Embracing the creative white space.
• Scientists have found a way to intravenously use the dye in M&Ms and Gatorade to help reduce spinal injury. The only side effect is that lab rats turned blue (above). No joke.

7.27.09

2009-07-28T12:56:00.000+08:00

• Isn't it strange how you get irritated with a bad parking job even when a lot is basically empty and you know that no one will have to park next to the jerk taking up two spots?

• I heard Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster say today that he tries to learn something new on the field every day (Hmm! Guess I'm not the only one.) ... right before he said the team had to "play aggressive." Oh, bother.

• I'm going to try and trim my own bangs. More on that to come.

• Life is too short not to be blissfully in love with whatever or whomever you care about.

• Progressive cooking is terribly interesting. There are eyedroppers and bubbles and all kinds of taste- and scent-creating processes involved.

• One of the better interview questions I've heard asked to a chef is what tastes or smells from childhood inspired him. The concept of someone being so driven by a pleasant memory from their childhood is something beautiful.

• I don't understand why one person has to have the same program on multiple TVs at different angles. As far as I'm aware, there's no visual equivalent to surround sound that you can capture that way.

• I always feel kind of sad for people in obituaries who never had children ... then I remember that I don't want children. I hope whatever appears in my obit is exciting enough to make up for it.

• A humorous exchange after having a refrigerator unplugged to "thaw" for a few days:
Boy: So I plugged your fridge in like 2hrs ago, and it still hasn't gotten any colder. Do I have to turn anything on?
Girl: the breaker
Who says women aren't handy?

• The most expensive stock sells for more than $90,000 a share on the floor of the NYSE (where, incidentally, it no longer looks the way it does in the movies).

7.26.09

2009-07-28T08:27:00.001+08:00

• Happy birthday, Mom!

7.25.09

2009-07-26T05:52:00.009+08:00

• Being considerate means, among other things, being aware of how your actions affect other people.

• No matter who you are, everyone has a "glory days" story or two.

• Even police are careful about what they say over the scanner.

• Doughnut. D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T. Doughnut.

• People gather information about others even when they aren't around. Don't act surprised. You do it, too. The places you frequent ooze information about you when you're away. If walls could talk? Try your desk, your trash, your doormats, your floormats, your fridge, your ...

• Police dogs are trained to ignore distractions, including people – the ones who aren't targets, anyway.

• Maraschino cherries don't come off the tree that way. They're preserved in a brine solution (water saturated with salt) before having sugar, color and flavoring added. Red Maraschino cherries are usually almond-flavored. Green ones sometimes are peppermint. Who knew?

7.24.09

2009-07-25T01:02:00.006+08:00

• Bourbon is the national native spirit.

• After the oak barrels used to store bourbon are retired, they're sold to the scotch industry and used for storage again.

• Midnight is part of the day ending, not the one beginning.

• Tanning beds date to at least 1945.

• Frost-free freezers are prone to frozen lines and have to be thawed (read: take everything out and unplug it).

• The federal minimum wage increases to $7.25 today. When I got my first job, it was $5.15.

7.22.09

2009-07-23T00:37:00.006+08:00

• I'm sort of intrigued (in a train-wreck kind of way) by the idea that people get more self-conscious as they get older. The more you know, the more you've experienced, the more comfortable and confident you should be in dealing with what have come to be pretty normal situations. Maybe some people take a little longer to catch on ...

• I'm no expert, but Wayne Coyne is the most approachable front man I've seen to date. (ABOVE: The Flaming Lips, July 17, 2009, Pitchfork Music Festival, Union Park, Chicago.)

• There always will be someone you deem better – smarter, taller, more attractive, better spoken, better at Scrabble, you name it. But you don't always have to be or have the best to be happy. (Do you ever feel like you should have learned things long before now?)

• Putting in the effort to ride a bike is much more appealing in the summer. (Do you ever feel like you should have learned things long before now?)

• Sometimes what someone wants isn't what you'd assume they want. Watch the speech from "Chasing Amy." It might make more sense 12 years later.

• WD-40 was created in 1953 to keep rust off rockets. It stands for "Water Displacement, 40th formula."

• Bad things often happen for no good reason. When they do, you have to accept that your story – the movie of your life that runs through your head – now includes that bad thing and the repercussions of it. It might not have been your preference to assume responsibility for that kind of baggage, but you can't undo it. And often without finding a satisfactory explanation for it, you have to work the story around that bad thing.

12/3/08

2008-12-04T06:12:00.004+08:00

• Here's something new and fun to check out. Austin, Texas-based Soundcheck Magazine has launched its 20th issue in a digital, interactive format. It's not your average online music mag, and this issue is chock-full of good features. Have a read, and let me know what you think. Feedback is much appreciated. Enjoy!

Winter 2008

8/20/08

2008-08-20T14:11:00.002+08:00

* Art Linkletter introduced the original Mouseketeers when Disneyland in California opened in 1955.
* There is a basketball court in the top third of the Matterhorn at Disneyland.
* The tunnels under Disney World in Florida allow actors to come up in the appropriate themed areas of the park, but they aren't really underground. The utility corridors ("utilidors") were built on ground level, and the park was built on top of them.
* Walt Disney kept an apartment above the fire station on Main Street USA in Disneyland. His favorite snack was grilled cheese.

8/01/08

2008-08-02T02:14:00.003+08:00

* Concrete to build Hoover Dam was laid in 6-inch sheets. There's enough of it to build a highway from New York City to San Francisco.
* The Statue of Liberty is in New Jersey waters, but an agreement in 1834 made anything below the water property of New Jersey and anything above the water property of New York. So it's technically still on New York City soil. Her mailing address is New Jersey, but taxes on anything bought in the gift shop are paid to New York. The island is patrolled by the federal government.

Travel Channel. Can't ... stop ... watching ...

4/17/08

2008-04-17T22:50:00.002+08:00

Still chuggin' along. Here we go ...
* Blueberries were originally grown in America, artichoke is part of the thistle family, and garlic is a vegetable. (It's hard not to develop a thing for Alton Brown and "Good Eats" on the Food Network.)
* The Beatles are pretty cool. And not in that generic, everyone-loves-The-Beatles sort of way. I'm 6/8 (that's 3/4 if you're a math whiz) into The Beatles Anthology, and I'm surprised at how many "firsts" they can claim and how much influence I never knew they had. So if you have eight hours to kill some weekend, I'd recommend checking it out at least once. If you can find a music geek to give you live commentary, that makes it even better ... even though I still think John and George were sort of lame.
* It's nice to recognize a sense of humor where you didn't expect it. It helps remind you not to take things too seriously.
* There are 28 bones in the human foot.
* I think it's easier to be happy with things when you can show them off -- that's not to say brag about them. But I've noticed this more and more lately ... like today at the vet when I started to think maybe I liked my cat a little more when the receptionist was fawning all over him. When you can talk about things and share things you're proud of with people, it makes it that much more enjoyable. Likewise, when you feel stifled by circumstance and like you're hiding part of your life that makes you happy, it's harder to believe that you're really happy. You start questioning things because we're taught from a young age that only bad things are hidden. So if it has to be hidden, it has to be bad, right? So the point is that I love my cat more when other people can see him, right? Of course not; it's just that sometimes it's nice to be able to take in other people's perceptions and be publicly happy about something. (I'll give you a minute to get that mess of dripping analogy off your shirt.)
* Sometimes the 14-hour drive is worth the six-hour dinner.
* Having the windows open makes me feel more productive.
* Hanging out with new people makes me feel more productive.
* Really, anything but being stuck in a rut and/or having to curl up in a ball to avoid freezing makes me feel more productive.

3/13/08

2008-03-14T04:04:00.005+08:00

* People will inevitably "support" you right up to the point that you decide to do something they don't agree with. It's infuriating, and I don't think that's support at all.
* I've yet to find anything good about self-deprecation. It comes across as fishing. It makes people feel awkward. And it's just annoying. So knock it off.
* Sometimes thinking about the future is a waste of time.
* I've never wanted a vacation so badly in my life.

2/28/08

2008-02-28T14:59:00.003+08:00

* In a relationship? Wish you were? (Wish you weren't?) Check out these articles. Think they're onto something?
> 4 Fights that Men Fear
> 5 Things You Should Never Say to a Woman
> How to Fight
* I'm pretty sure it's ok to just need a hug sometimes.

2/27/08

2008-02-28T04:24:00.003+08:00

* Happy birthday, Daddy!!!

* Dear rude neighbor: If you're going to be so inconsiderate as to swipe MY DOORMAT (see previous post if you're confused), please at least do me a small favor and don't chuck it back up against the door at 9 a.m. Some of us don't work what you call "normal" hours. You don't hear me vacuuming at 4 a.m., do you? Hugs and kisses.

2/23/08

2008-02-24T07:33:00.003+08:00

Ok, I have some catching up to do...

* Just because it's not your dream doesn't mean its not someone else's. Don't judge.
* Alkaline Trio is in the studio, and I'm crazy excited.
* Anything can go on a resume if you know how to phrase it right.
* Don't burn your bridges. Don't burn your bridges. Don't burn your bridges.
* Ben Kweller is a lot cooler than I gave him credit for junior year of high school. (Thank you, Mr. Burry.)
* The double standard is alive and well, my friends.
* This next concept is pretty complex, so I'll understand if you have to read it a few times. I'll even try to break it down for you:
a) If it's wedge-shaped (that means like a 3-D triangle), made of wood or a brown rubbery material, and sitting in front of a door, it's a doorstop.
b) If it's flat, square or rectangular or round, made of a carpetlike or fake-grassish material, and sitting in front of a door, it's a doormat.
c) If it's flat, square, and sitting in front of MY DOOR, it's MY DOORMAT. NOT your doorstop.
Got it?

2/19/08

2008-02-20T16:04:00.003+08:00

* Consumers ranked Wal-Mart last in a customer-service satisfaction survey of discount and department stores. Target ranked second to last. Nordstrom ranked first.
* Check out this screen cleaner.
* The State Department nicknamed Chiang Kai Shek "Peanut" because of his closely shaven head.
* "We'll work through it" could be the best response a person could give.
* Thailand is the only country in southeast Asia that has never fallen under foreign rule.
* The green Swedish Fish are pineapple-flavored.

2/18/08

2008-02-19T15:03:00.002+08:00

* Forget the need to know the future.
* It's hard to know amazing people who do amazing things and not be able to share that. At least not yet.
* I think jumping in with both feet could do wonders for a lot of different aspects of life.
* After several years of several experiences and several conversations with several different people about love and being in love, I'm clueless. (What I do know is that there's a difference.) What's your take on it?
* My cat prefers my nail file to any of the cool toys he has. He just hid it under the couch.

2/17/08

2008-02-18T15:54:00.002+08:00

* Busy week!
* Set two alarms. Sometimes they don't work. And sometimes you're too tired to set them right.
* Looking for free e-cards? Check Yahoo. Hassle-free as they get.
* I'm thinking of five couples who make me extremely happy. In an observing-from-the-outside sort of way. Do you know who you are? Do you know that watching the way you interact with your significant other makes me hopeful?
* I'm stoked to try out my new headphones.
* I'm starting to think that part of the key to being happy is to achieve a simultaneous feeling of contentment. All the sensations of happy without the rushed feeling. Without the need for an immediate payoff. Knowing that it will come. And really enjoying the meantime. That's not to say complacent. Complacent is bad. But content... there's a concept.

2/15/08

2008-02-16T16:32:00.002+08:00

* Dear Marc, 20/15 is better than 20/20. teehee. (I think it's twisted payback for getting clobbered in the glasses so many times in dodgeball as a kid.)
* At any given point, there will be at least -- AT LEAST -- 14 things in life that are completely frustrating.
* I'd like to think of them as love bites, but I'm really starting to think my cat's trying to sever an extremity.
* Ever wonder how google, yahoo, facebook, etc. always seem to have ads for things you're interested in? Well, it's because they can track what you click on -- and, in facebook's case, what your friends click on and buy -- and tailor the ads to what they have concluded (statistically) that you will like and are most likely to buy.
* I feel like I should say something about the shootings at Northern. But to be honest, I don't know what to say that hasn't been said more poetically by someone else. It blows my mind that these things keep happening. This was the fourth school shooting in the U.S. recently. I'd like to think that this didn't used to happen. But maybe I just didn't pay attention before. And to see people who are affected -- even two or three times removed from it directly -- makes it even more real. I can't say I relate in any way because I've never had to deal with something that tragic and I can't begin to fathom what the families, students and faculty at Northern are just starting to deal with or the struggles that will come with the recovery process. So the best I can do is say that my thoughts are with them, just like millions of others'. I don't have any answers or solutions. And I know that no one can change the past, only try to do what they can to shape the future.

2/14/08

2008-02-15T04:42:00.002+08:00

* Yeah, yeah. Valentine's Day and all that. I'm over it. You should be, too.
* I'm starting to really believe in seasonal affective disorder.
* I started to forget how great "Scrubs" was.
* Post-LASIK day one: I'm seeing at about 20/15.

2/12/08

2008-02-13T15:53:00.001+08:00

* Dogs in hats and babies will never stop being funny.
* For those of you who were confused (Marc), I'm having LASIK (all caps. acronym.) tomorrow. Which means I (should) be able to see without glasses or contacts for the first time since fifth grade. That also means I can't read or use a computer for the first day or so. So, dear readers (hi, Mom!), use the extra time to hope there are no wrinkles in my corneal flap. Or picking out the perfect Valentine's Day card. I'd go with the latter.
* No matter how independent you are, there are times when it's nice to be taken care of. When the person filling that role is doing it because (s)he wants to, well that's even better.

2/11/08

2008-02-12T14:46:00.000+08:00

* The more people live in an area, the more school districts there will be. That means lots of numbers. I thought journalists didn't have to deal with those.
* In less than 36 hours, I'll be able to see the clock first thing in the morning.
* It's not where you are, it's who you're with while you're there. Cheesy but true.
* I seem to be taking a liking to the -- and I quote -- "European yuppie" look.
* It's hard to dislike a friendly person.
* Most agree that the concept of ethics exists in a gray area, but it should never just be brushed off. Things should be discussed, for Pete's sake.
(* See how I wrote around that because I'm not sure whether "ethics" is singular or plural ... )
* I wonder if anyone else remembers that my grandpa used to call me Pete.
* I hear lots of people ask where a file "lives" in a computer. I'm down with the field lingo, but that's just ridiculous.

2/10/08

2008-02-11T15:07:00.001+08:00

* Judging from the price of post-LASIK eyedrops (and this is after-insurance price for two of the four, mind you), I'd say someone's figured out how to heal your wounds with flecks of gold.
* The thing to do in the 19th century was to collect locks of hair from your relatives and make albums. Not kidding.
* I don't know how much longer I can take this weather.
Winter: 57. Me: -4.
* You have not lived until you've scaled office furniture or kitchen cabinets to stop a squeak or fetch a pesky dish.
* If a salad looks perfectly packaged, that means it will fall out all over the place when you open it. Find a sink.
* In Taiwan, when taking a drink of anything other than tea, it's polite to toast someone you're eating with. Apparently this applies throughout the meal.
* It seems as though I'm hearing about more and more people my age getting married and/or having kids. (And when I say my age, I mean give or take five years.) Now, I'm not judging these people. I honestly do wish them all the best. In fact, some of these people are close friends. Some of them are my best friends. But that being said -- and I mean this in the nicest, most genuine way possible -- I think you're all insane.
* And to prove that I'm not becoming too cynical in my old a... well, just that I'm not becoming too cynical, my favorite Valentine's Day card yet: "Today, I thought about clawing you to pieces and then feasting on the remains. But I didn't. ... (open card) ... If that's not love, I don't know what is. Happy Valentine's Day from the cat."

2/9/08

2008-02-11T05:27:00.000+08:00

* It's hard to find Valentine's Day cards without really big words in them.
* Children make me tear up. Seeing as how I do not want kids in the foreseeable future at this juncture, I have no idea why this is. Maybe it was the cute dance costumes.
* Details are important. "Taking" someone somewhere and "going with" someone somewhere are completely different things.
* An Oxford comma (also "serial comma" or "Harvard comma" apparently) is the one before a conjunction that English teachers embrace and journalism teachers shun.

2/8/08

2008-02-09T16:47:00.000+08:00

* The idea of extreme seasons in other places intrigues me. Summer in Phoenix. Winter in Chicago. Well, I never said the list was long at this point...
* I have confirmation from experienced sources. Life is a big game of attrition. In more ways than one.
* At one point, I knew what modals were without having to look it up. (Go ahead. Look it up.)
* I think experience is more important than whether something turns out well. Very few things turn out the way you expect (anticipate? I should write these things down), so isn't having the story -- good or bad -- better than wondering?
* I've realized that I don't write because this largely has turned into things I learn about myself or the way I think through experience or interaction with others. The original intent was to write generically to give readers (hi, Mom!) the opportunity to draw their own conclusions. But you know what, just like a journalist can never completely get rid of bias because of upbringing, environment, etc., I will never view the world from any perspective but my own. So I hope that you, whoever you are (hi, Mom!), can take something from my rambling. But if not, well, you always have the "leave it" option.
* Everyone can name their wedding party. You've either been married and can remember the real thing, or you've daydreamed about it. I'm not saying you have the whole thing planned out (although I wouldn't put it past some of you to have a ring and dress earmarked somewhere), but if you can't list your bridesmaids/groomsmen, you're just lying.
* Never apologize for being yourself. If you don't like something about the way you act or the way you come across to people, change it.
* "Nothing worth doing is worth hiding." Someone out there, please make that true.

12/18/08

2008-01-19T02:57:00.000+08:00

* I'm a terrible Scrabble player.
* Don't touch the glass part of halogen light bulbs. The oil on your hands will make it get hotter and burn out faster.
* Secrets are a lot of fun at first. But they inevitably will lose some of the fun when the burden of knowing and not being able to talk about it sets in. Then the burden turns into frustration and impatience. And to convincingly stifle a really good laugh is one of the hardest things in the world to do.
* I feel a sense of victory when I gently machine wash expensive, hand-wash-or-dry-clean-only sweaters and they comes out just as well.

1/11/08

2008-01-12T14:41:00.000+08:00

* Happy new year. How's it going so far?
* It's almost always tough to embrace change. Especially if that change involves having to make choices. Along with it comes confusion, fear, uncertainty, among other things. I would tell you how to deal with all that, but I'm still clueless myself.
* Employers do notice the design of your resume.
* Twelve pounds apparently is pretty big for a cat.
* " ... and romance is scary as hell ... just the idea of putting that much emotion into something and opening yourself up to the potential heartbreak and the potential harm that can come from committing to something full on is scary." Yep.
* When do the people you spend your time with become more important than where you're spending it? Do they ever? Are they always?
* And when is it not crazy to do things to make yourself happy instead of doing things because you think you're supposed to? And not in that cheesy, "carpe diem" sort of way, but realistically? Is it ever? Is it always?
* Not once since I've entered the "real world" have I used anything I learned in high school trig. Not once have I needed to really think about declarative vs. imperative sentences. Or the anatomy of a frog. Or the chemical make up of isotopes. Or Greek and Roman architecture. How did I spend the equivalent of more than 15 years in class and still have so many questions?

12/20/07

2007-12-21T15:24:00.000+08:00

* Truman Capote was so short that his mid-length coat fit full length. Apparently this caused some confusion when people were cross-checking their historical accuracy for costumes during the making of "Capote."
* Things are compared with, not compared to.
* Toward. Toward. Toward. Good grief.
* Crossing off all the goals you thought would make you feel happy and fulfilled and then not feeling happy and fulfilled is a scary situation.
* The urge to be part of a team never really subsides. Regardless of how small the team becomes.
* "Strange how an entire life hinges on certain choices."

12/13/07

2007-12-14T14:11:00.000+08:00

* I'm completely unprepared for Christmas.
* The cold makes me grumpy. Or maybe I just blame the cold.
* The Spice Girls unveiled a Boeing 747 called Spice One at Heathrow airport today.
* Studies show that babies can develop a taste for alcohol in the womb. (At least rat babies do.)
* Different studies from a New York university show that all-nighters result in lower grades.
* FOX 2 Detroit anchor and reporter Lee Thomas suffers from vitiligo, a disease in which pigment-creating cells are destroyed. Over the years, his formerly-black hands have turned completely white, and he wears make-up to cover light patches around his eyes and mouth.
* Rupert Murdoch. Shareholders approved his $5 billion bid for Dow Jones today, and he addresses the Wall Street Journal newsroom ...standing on cardboard boxes.
* The editor of the Des Moines Register has moderated the most recent Democratic and Republican debates in Iowa. Her name? Carolyn Washburn.

12/11/07

2007-12-12T17:28:00.000+08:00

* Pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the U.S.
* Family gets more entertaining -- and, in many ways, more understanding -- as you get older.
* Nearly half of Americans will date someone at work during their careers, and about one in five of those will result in a long-term relationship.
* Also under "as you get older": You're more free to make decisions, the options come in a wider range, but often the risk (and potential payoff) also is greater.
* Brides in Asian cultures wear red.
* You're never as alone as you think.
* Barack Obama's nickname in high school was Barry.
* Emotions always are hard to nail down, but knowing that you're thought about when you're not around definitely is near the top of the list.

12/7/07

2007-12-08T04:32:00.000+08:00

* I'm finally ready to admit that it's Christmas. Thanksgiving is over, we've had a decent snowfall, and I didn't see anyone visibly frustrated with me when I went to Meijer and proceeded to be the single shopper with the obnoxiously full cart. Must be Christmas.

This is a poem my grandma stuffed in a present a few years ago. I'm pretty sure she found it in a magazine. (But she's been known to be pretty crafty, so you never know.)

"Now dear beloved Santa Claus,
Please listen to my prayer.
If near my home on Christmas Eve,
Leave just one present there.
It isn't for myself I ask,
But only for another.
Please leave a handsome son-in-law
For Daddy and for Mother."

Ha.

Happy holidays.

12/5/07

2007-12-05T15:42:00.000+08:00

* The smaller your car, the bigger your ice scraper should be.
* Fingerless gloves: Good for inside the car. Great for the office. Bad for outside in the snow.
* Now I understand why there were so many people from Chicago in Phoenix.

12/4/07

2007-12-04T15:59:00.000+08:00

* This cracks me up.
* I'm starting to think time actually moves faster as you get older.
* It's a cliche, but really great friends are hard to come by. When you find them, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting a decent grip.
* A number of different means can lead to the same end.

11/28/07

2007-11-29T16:03:00.001+08:00

* I'm not sure yet what I've learned from this because I'm still laughing about it:
I was on the phone not paying much attention when I was pulled over tonight after work for speeding. After the officer gave me a bit of a hard time for not having my current address on my license (updated it online -- no worries, folks), he asked me how long it'd been since I'd gotten a ticket. When I told him a long time, since I was 16 or 17, he asked if I wanted "a ticket or a written warning this evening." I said, "You know, I would love a written warning." He said he'd make sure my license was valid, give me a written warning and get me "on out of here." A (very cold) while later, he comes back to my window and asks if I know that my license is suspended. (Getting panicked) "Uhm. No..."
"Ha! Nah, I'm just kiddin'," he says. "Here's your license and insurance back. And here's your written warning. Do whatever you want with it. Take it home. Throw it away. Whatever, I don't care. Now you have a good night."

11/26/07

2007-11-27T03:22:00.001+08:00

* I started my first "blog" on Xanga on April 28, 2004. Like everyone else who hadn't yet taken time to fully understand the purpose or possible consequences of keeping a public, online journal, I poured my heart out almost every day. Let me tell you, few things are as entertaining as going back one, two, three, even four years to read what you've written, how you've felt, how dramatic everything was, and see how much you've changed (and, of course, how much you've stayed the same).
* I don't understand why cats nibble. It's weird. It's annoying. I can't make it stop.
* I read today that a friend of a friend said, "I'm getting to the point where I can't find desire in anything casual." He went on to talk about how he couldn't see investing in something he knew for sure wouldn't last. That sentiment seems to be popping up in a lot of places a from a lot of people in a lot of different situations lately. I think it's a great point. It reinforces valuing your time and being careful not to waste it. It also points out that we're getting to old to mess around with -- or screw up -- aspects of our lives that could someday be very important. Can you think of a more terrifying thought? I certainly can't.

11/25/07

2007-11-26T16:00:00.000+08:00

* I have to admit that I get a pretty giddy when people tell me they actually read my nonsense. Then again, it's never taken much. Regardless, thanks.
* A 19-year-old woman in Saudi Arabia was sentenced to jail time and lashings after she was gang raped by several men because she "invited the attack" by being partially undressed while with her lover in his car. I'm constantly amazed at the differences in cultures.
* After watching a day's worth of interior-design shows on TV, I started to wonder how a person's occupation changes them. Or if certain types of people are more drawn to certain careers. Designers, for the most part, seem to be concerned with making the customer happy. They want to follow directions and learn their personalities to design a room that best fits them individually. As journalists, it's partially our job to disregard what people will think. Not from a customer service standpoint, of course. But being objective means saying and doing what needs to be said and done in what we see as the best interest of readers without much care for how people will feel about it. Then I started to think about the "kind" of people journalists seem to be versus the "kind" of people I was watching on TV. Granted, those specific designers are cultivated to be more showy for the screen, but I'd imagine the idea is similar. Were those people "people pleasers" before they went into design? Or did they start weighing others' opinions over their own artistic expressions after they realized what the business entails? Similar in journalism. I've met my share of jaded, cynical veterans of the industry. But I can't help but wonder whether they came into it like that or whether they once could have been suited for something more ...friendly?
* I believe people often philosophize to keep their minds off their own, personal worries.
* Doing what makes you happy isn't always (dare I say rarely?) doing what's rational.

11/21/07

2007-11-22T16:00:00.000+08:00

* A lot of people have been buzzing about the SJ-R resignations. What's going to happen? Why are they leaving? Does this mean trouble for journalism other places? Well, I don't have the answers. In fact, I probably know less than many. But what I knew going into this profession was that it's a rough time across the board. People say newspapers are dying. I don't think that's true. I think they are evolving, yes, which normally would be a great thing. However, no one really knows how to handle this evolution, so they're making it up as they go along. It's trial and error. Sometimes the plan works; sometimes it doesn't. Things are always changing, and nothing is ever nailed down. But I guess most industries are like that in their own ways. The point is, I don't see the use in worrying about it. If things go bad, they go bad. There's nothing lil' ol' copy editor me can do about it, and that's ok because I wouldn't know where to start anyway. If it all goes under, I'll pack up a few of my things, move to Paris, and work in the American diner with that crazy art student. I would be 100 percent ok with that. And you're more than welcome to join.

11/20/07

2007-11-21T14:41:00.000+08:00

* The wood from the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is chopped up and used to build Habitat for Humanity homes after the holidays.
* Try to remember people. You never know when or in what capacity you'll run into them again.
* Scientists have figured out how to create stem cells from human skin instead of embryos.
* The publisher, editor and managing editor of The State Journal-Register in Springfield announced their resignations today. That's not nerve-wracking or anything.

11/18/07

2007-11-19T17:29:00.000+08:00

* Cats can get in and out of cabinets. Who knew?
* The past few days have been bizarre (not to be confused with bazaar). There's no other way to say it.

11/17/07

2007-11-19T04:23:00.000+08:00

* Content doesn't always mean complacent and happy doesn't always mean exciting.
* In many cases, you can't change a situation. You can't control what other people think or do. You'll be happier if you take things for what they are ...whatever that might be.
* Mushrooms are 90 percent water.
* Even cat medicine is pricey.

11/13/07

2007-11-14T17:36:00.000+08:00

* Spend time with people who want to spend time with you.
* The stupid feeling you might get asking questions is far outweighed by the reward, whether it be learning something about someone else, starting a good conversation or just getting a simple answer.
* I'm looking for someone who's interested in dressing up for no good reason, assuming a made-up identity, and going to see "Phantom of the Opera." Let me know.

11/12/07

2007-11-14T02:04:00.000+08:00

* Soundboards aren't as complicated as they look.
* Meijer gas stations are prepay only from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and you can't use credit cards at the service window (which makes no sense, but whatever).
* Maybe it's naive, but I think if you want something badly enough, you can work around just about anything.

11/11/07

2007-11-14T02:02:00.000+08:00

* People are what make birthdays great. Thank you so much.

11/10/07

2007-11-11T17:40:00.000+08:00

* Sometimes you really have to work for your weekend. Even when the weekend is just Sunday.
* The problem with trying to define yourself is that you'll change.
* Actions are no indication of a person's true feelings. I have a hunch this doesn't change.

11/9/07

2007-11-10T15:33:00.000+08:00

* Some people never change, and that's not always a bad thing.
* Soldering one's engagement and wedding rings together apparently is a normal thing to do.
* Emotions rarely make sense. Maybe that comes with being able to control them.
* "Seinfeld" will always be funny.
* It's amazing what a difference wall hangings can make.

11/8/07

2007-11-09T16:06:00.000+08:00

Ok, ok. I'm working on my stickwithitness. Be patient.
* Very rarely -- dare I say never -- is any given situation a perfect one. Something always will taint it and leave just enough room for doubt and unhappiness if you allow those things to fill that space. Part of finding whatever it is that makes you happy is deciding which of those imperfect aspects you're willing to work with. Accept. Make better. Maybe even learn from.
* FIFA has a World Cup for beach soccer.
* I imagine everyone gets at least a little giddy at the thought of being something special, even in the smallest way.
* During the Cold War, the U.S. government actually likened the "everyday risk" associated with the atomic bomb with that of slipping on a bar of soap in the shower. The "duck and cover" routine -- which was aimed at small children with a cartoon turtle and catchy jingle, mind you -- also apparently was just an easy way to get people on the ground so to better scoop their bodies up. Oh, and fallout shelters often served as areas that "asphyxiated or incinerated" those inside.
* Cats have scent glands on the sides of their faces, so rubbing their whiskers on things is one way of marking their territory ...according to a volunteer at the animal shelter.
* Don't underestimate people with truly great conversation skills. You probably won't find many of them.
* Keep a dictionary around. Especially when you read. (I laughed at my English teachers, too, but I guess they knew a thing or two after all.)
* "We never get back our youth. The pulse of joy that beat in us at 20 becomes sluggish. Our limbs fail, our senses rot. We degenerate into hideous puppets, haunted by the memory of the passions of which we were too much afraid, and the exquisite temptations that we had not the courage to yield to."

10/23/07

2007-10-24T13:53:00.000+08:00

* Wendy's caesar salad is climbing up the list. mmm mmm.
* Obits still make me cry.
* All of a sudden, CVS sells a ton of liquor. Weird.
* Don't blow people off. Just don't.
* To be hospitalized, you must be admitted.
* I get the feeling that as you get older, you don't actually have it any more together than you did when you were younger. You just get better at looking like you do. I also think that's part of what helps us appreciate and relate to people who used to be "old." (Remember your 25-year-old grade-school teacher? Ha.)

10/21/07

2007-10-22T16:25:00.000+08:00

* Something about not being too involved allows you to appreciate aspects of people you wouldn't otherwise notice.
* This could be good or bad. Maybe even a twisted combination of the two.
* Just saying.

10/20/07

2007-10-21T16:13:00.001+08:00

* In the "Scrubs" pilot, there's a scene where J.D. is standing in the hospital lobby. He's moving at a normal speed, and everyone around him is whizzing by. They're moving so fast that he seems to be moving in slow motion. That's what I've felt like lately, and I can't quite figure it out.
* I'll be another year older in 22 days.
* People confuse me. People I know, people I don't know... The way people interact and why and the feelings or lack thereof behind it will always be a huge mystery.

10/15/07

2007-10-16T16:12:00.001+08:00

* I thought things were supposed to get easier after school.
(Is it too late to explore a little?)

10/14/07

2007-10-15T18:20:00.000+08:00

* I didn't play enough pranks as a kid.
* Michael Jordan's son is playing for U of I.
* The pumpkin in my hallway is in a different place every time I'm out there.
* It's good to realize new things. Or rediscover thing you always knew.
* Crazy links turn up everywhere. The six degrees of separation theory is creepy.
* What do you have to lose?

10/12/07

2007-10-13T16:19:00.000+08:00

Wow, I'm just a huge slacker. I'd like to say I've been all about meeting people and doing new things, but that's only part of the reason I can't seem to stick with it lately... The other part is, well, I'm lazy.

Anyway...

* Secrets still are a lot of fun.
* Does hearing other people laugh NOT make anyone else happy? (Laughing is not cackling, mind you.) And trying not to laugh when you know you shouldn't will only make it that much funnier.
* I think a lot of middle schoolers might be downright crazy.
* Some lipsticks have dangerous levels of lead in them. Check this out to learn more about stuff you're putting on your body.
* People who go to the gym at 5 a.m. are really hardcore about it. Don't get in the way. You might lose an appendage.

10/7/07

2007-10-08T03:02:00.000+08:00

* Barbed wire was created in Dekalb, Illinois.
* The Energizer Bunny has a sister, and she goes to my gym.
* Nevada didn't have enough people to legally become a state, but the government OK'd it anyway so they could dig for shiny things.
* I prefer "okay" to "OK." Yeah, it takes up more room, but AP likes "because of" better than "due to," so I think it's all good.
* Sometime blood is not, in fact, thicker than water.
* The best friends are those who can appreciate the ridiculousness of your situation.
* I'm not gonna lie. I wouldn't feel all that bad hitting one of the geese living in the parking lot at work. Stupid birds.

10/6/07

2007-10-06T13:20:00.001+08:00

* "The absence of disqualifiers is a rare and beautiful thing."
* Vera Wang got engaged (for the first time) at age 39.
* Journey is one of Johnny Rotten's favorite bands.
* If you know how to change Quark settings so you can draw new boxes WITHOUT them automatically grouping with the existing ones, please let me know.
* People generally aren't the way they initially appear. A lot of times, they turn out better. Sometimes they turn out much worse. Either way, deal.
* I feel like doing a "Things That Annoy Me" segment, but if there's anything worse than whining, it's whining to no one in particular.
* Strangest things I've heard lately: Apparently someone out there thinks I a) am intimidating (ha!) and b) look like a Gap model from the nose down (see above).
* Here's a tip: Don't ever go back to get something they forgot at a fast-food place when you have to go through the drive-through (or "thru" as Teddy Roosevelt would say). Doesn't matter if it's 1 a.m. You'll get stuck behind the woman who has 15 picky kids to feed.
(* In 1906, Teddy Roosevelt tried to push Simplified Spelling in the U.S. (He wasn't the first.) As you can see, some stuck. Some didn't. Some people insist on using the ones that didn't, of course. I assume this is only to spite editors around the world.)
* Sharper Image sells an alarm clock that will roll off your nightstand and hide until to get up and turn it off. No joke.

10/5/07

2007-10-06T03:13:00.000+08:00

* So I was feeling pretty good after going to the gym today, and I said to Myself, "Hey, how about a movie?" So I took Myself over to the theater, got some popcorn and such and enjoyed a pretty good show. Afterward, shopping sounded like a good plan, so I steered Myself over to one of the giant suburban strip malls and meandered around a bit. I even found Myself a great calendar for next year. (How thoughtful of me to remember the Audrey fascination, huh?) I walked away with some work clothes and a couple of CDs, so I'd say it was a pretty good date. I mean, it was a little quiet, but it is what it is, right? (I find Myself saying that more often than usual lately.) Just to switch it up a bit, I might even spend the night. We'll see how it goes...
* The machine guns issued to American soldiers during World War I were so badly designed and built that most soldiers immediately threw them out and looked for something better on their own. They were selected by politicians. Better guns were available, but they weren't issued to Americans out of fear that Germans would get a hold of them, manufacture their own, and use them against us.
* Even with all the intelligence and technology NASA has at its disposal, it's pretty shocking to think about how often it has screwed up -- and in really big ways.
* Watching movies/documentaries about the 1960s often makes me feel like I'm not doing anything that really matters.
* My new coat works really well. Too bad my A/C does, too.
* People are full of interesting things. Sometimes you have to coax them out a little.

10/4/07

2007-10-05T12:49:00.000+08:00

* Happy October! Crazy that it's fall already. What more do you need than scarves and Halloween...
* During the hiatus, I hosted my lovely parents for a few days and had a great time. Learn to appreciate hanging out with your family. You'd be surprised.
* Medieval Times is pretty intense.
* You're not in as good a shape as you think. Any kind of health-related test will emphasize that. Be prepared.
* The city is "capital" and the building is "Capitol."
* Matchbox 20 renamed themselves Matchbox Twenty after their first album. I really like the new stuff ...still trying to decide whether to file that under "guilty pleasure." (The new Dashboard Confessional album already has been filed by default.)
* Somewhere in Chicago, there's this giant shiny bean I keep hearing about. I have no idea what it is, but I will find it and take a photo just like everyone else.
* I still can't get over that the members of Alkaline Trio grew up just down the road a bit.
* Only a small group of the Donner party resorted to cannibalism. And they waited a few months. They also left from Springfield, Illinois.
* Even the coach of the White Sox says "it is what it is." Has to be a northern thing.

9/26/07

2007-09-27T03:00:00.000+08:00

* "The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you."
That movie isn't as bad as I remember. Wonder what changed.
* Everyone has a soft side ...or at least a side that can be rationalized into appearing soft.
* Mixing the active ingredient in Tylenol and other pain relievers (acetaminophen) with large doses of caffeine can cause liver damage.
* I've counted my shoes, and I think the footwear fairy would be proud.
* This is a great quiz to try -- especially if you don't know WHY you plan to vote for whomever you plan to vote for. (You think you know, but you have no idea.) Also a good way to get down to the basics of the major issues. Be an informed citizen.
* Check out this site to read about a Canadian journalist who will change some aspect of her life each day for a year to live more healthfully for herself and the environment. (Don't roll your eyes and start cursing the treehuggers just yet. She's down to earth and taking baby steps -- trying to prove that even the little things can make a difference.) Pretty interesting.
* Even delegates in the U.N. -- world leaders from the U.S. and other countries -- gather their friends and walk out when someone they don't like gets up to speak. They might as well plug their ears, shut their eyes and start yelling "na na na na na na!"
* Stories are always a more interesting when they fall out of character for the role the storyteller plays in your head.

9/25/07

2007-09-26T14:35:00.001+08:00

* It has occurred to me, dear single ladies of the world, that it might be wise to carry the name, occupation, favorite book and birth date of a ..."boyfriend"... around in the back of your head. (Said vital info on a ..."fiance" or "husband"... also would do the trick. However, do make that decision before you realize you're not wearing your ..."engagement/wedding ring"... at the moment.) ... I get the feeling this is something I should have figured out long ago.
* Sugarfree gum has been approved by the ADA and has been proven to be beneficial for your teeth. This includes Orbit. (Why would you be chewing anything else?)
* I enjoy a funny video as much as the next guy and/or gal, but if you have so little to do that you can afford to sit around cackling at whatever you stumble across online, it's probably time to go home.
* I also know we're not totally down with Iran, but is it really necessary to poke a stick at the already-inflamed situation by inviting its president to one of our "wonderful universities" only to insult him to no end and make ourselves seem exactly the way everyone else in the world already assumes we are? Seriously.
* The thing about rain: Makes frolicking better; suede shoes, not so much.
* Bookstores/sites have a way of sucking up all your money. Watch out.
* Things are not always what they seem. Character comes from figuring out how to gracefully deal with the way they actually are.

9/24/07

2007-09-25T13:50:00.000+08:00

* Everyone relax. I've found the elusive non-Randall Road Panera Bread. And I even had to turn left across traffic with no light to do it. Ha.
* Speaking of lights -- you might actually need to know this -- the blinding white beams on traffic lights are for emergency vehicles. Apparently they're used so a) ambulances, etc. can use lights and not sirens and b) you know they're coming without having to turn down your radio/iPod/obnoxious passenger.
* Pay attention when you're driving and do not honk at me when you're the one navigating like an idiot.
* Speaking of idiots, have you ever driven a car without turn signals? No? Hmm... Well, I'd guess that means there's no shortage and it's probably ok to USE THEM.
* Read more.

9/23/07

2007-09-24T03:23:00.000+08:00

* Disney's EPCOT = Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
* Dishwashers confuse me.
* Manga is the comic-book version of Japanese anime. It's read right to left, back to front ...like Japanese stuff tends to be.
* A 12-year-old boy from Afghanistan who acts in the upcoming movie version of "The Kite Runner" (which I've never read but hear is great) worries his family will be harassed for a scene in the film.
* I'm still very. very. freaked out by splinters.
* Learning to laugh at yourself really isn't optional if you plan to make friends ...well, ever.
* The scent of vanilla has been proven to relieve stress.
* All I know about football is that Tony Romo went to Eastern. And I'm pretty ok with that.

9/18/07

2007-09-19T14:08:00.000+08:00

* One of the world's 7,000 unique languages dies every two weeks.
* It's official: The number of employees at the office is greater than the number of parking spaces.
* Does time really heal all wounds, or does it just make everything more complicated?

9/17/07

2007-09-18T14:34:00.000+08:00

* Yet another reason not to wear those goofy looking Crocs: They've been getting caught in escalators across the world, in some cases, injuring children. No kidding.
* Calling people "kiddo" doesn't make you any taller.
* Just ask that question you think is a stupid one. You'll feel better most of the time.
* Hospitals in Britain have banned neckties and long-sleeved coats (yes, the white ones) because they harbor bacteria.
* I'm almost certain computer problems can't happen in singles ...or more than 20 minutes before deadline.
* Still waiting for that nice man at CVS to get a raise for the "pretty lady" comments.

9/16/07

2007-09-17T13:08:00.000+08:00

* From a newspaper standpoint, the Emmys come with all the hassle of elections -- just add some fancy clothes and subtract a lot of meaning.
* I'm not stoked about being associated with O.J. Simpson again just because he can't keep himself out of trouble. I thought we were past this.
* People of Crystal Lake: Raccoons sans tails are not necessarily rabid. (Oh, the memories the scanner will make...)
* Rock yards are highly underrated.