Boycotting Negativity

(or The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy)

I have recently become a believer in the self-fulfilling prophecy, ones that the Greeks were such big fans of. If you think something will, or won't, happen, then that's likely to be the case. Think negative things about your life, negative things will happen. On the flip side, happy thoughts beget happy things.

My brother's relationship got me thinking about this. After his psycho-stalker-ex (runs in the family, I suppose), he went through a bout of bad luck. And now he's got his current girlfriend. And sure they spat and what not, but she's wonderful and treats my brother like a human being, and she's not letting her friends dictate their relationship. I don't want to jump the gun on it, but there is a bet going on that in 18-months I'll be or be on the way to sister-in-law-hood.

My life hasn't been all lolipops and ice cream in the past seven months, but over all, things have been good. And even if they've sucked, I knew they wouldn't stay that way forever. I hate to see people convinced that their lives will always be how they are, that no good things are coming their way, that they will be alone or otherwise unloved forever.

Well of course if that's how you feel, that's how you'll end up. Give off the "Hopelessly Unlovable" vibe and people will believe you.

So, from now on, everyone will find love, if they deserve it. And all my friends (myself included) deserve it. We are all young men and women with a lot going for us: brains, beauty, bank accounts. Just because members of the opposite gender haven't picked up on the wonderfulness that is us doesn't mean they won't. There are picket fences and babies in the future for those of us who want them.

I refuse to become the crazy cat lady; and the rest of you should too.

If only...

I had a dream last night about my high school, except I was offered a position teaching there. I got a room right next to my senior English teacher's (who apparently has moved onto a different high school in town, according to my friend Amanda) and told to have at. I still hadn't quit my real job, but all these people I work with THERE were at some sort of convention at Mercy. I had somehow found my old uniform and wore it to work. Some of my real students (past and present) were now attending Mercy--both boys and girls. Very few students had uniforms on. My DH was substituting in a math class across the hall (although there are no class rooms there). It was actually kind of cool, but my "co-workers" were talking about the pay and then I remembered that if I worked at Mercy, I'd be beyond poor. Then I woke up.

Just finished my gym book, Fudoki by Kij Johnson. Sar, I think I'm going to send it to you. It's about a cat that loses everything...and then becomes a woman in 1100's Japan. It's also about an old woman and her recalling her life as she prepares to die.

Some quotes:

"You're dead. I don't think you'll wake up from that."--Kagaya-hime, p. 28

"It is only age that tells us what is precious, what is new."--Harueme, p. 45

"Cats are too fierce for gods; they came godless from Korea many tens of years ago, and they worship no one."--Harueme, p. 45

"How can you be a single thing, a cat and nothing else? You do not seem to be very creative, if that is all you've managed to become."--road Kami, p. 47

"Yesterday I was the girl chasing frogs (unsuccessfully, I add, and just as well: frogs are better left an unattained goal.)--Harueme, p. 59

"For she did not walk fast, as she retained a cat's lack of enthusiasm for long marches."--p. 74

"The truest grace comes after the squirming and the fighting and the panic. To accept tragedy without despair. Can you do that?"--Gardener, p. 87

"If I were to ask her what the point was of being a cat, what would she answer? And what is the point of being a woman?"--Hareume, p. 89

"I no longer remember the younger ones' names; it seems pointless, like naming maple seeds."--Hareume, p. 97

"He did not behave in any human way; he was totally and unequivocally a horse, which is to say stubborn, occasionally stupid, frequently lazy and occasionally savage.--Which is quite human, if I think on it."--p. 100

"We all cry all the time at court, and anything will set us off....The disadvantage to this is that at times of great sorrow, we have not deeper expressions of grief than those we have already used for a thousand more trivial things."--Hareume, p. 104

"Hime did what cats generally do when things are cold and not very pleasant; she slept nearly all the time, even sometimes in her saddle."--p. 110

"There is no now, or if there is, it is drawn with too fine a brush to see. There is what was, and there is what might (or what ought to) be. The line between them, which is now, is too small to see, and even as you reach it, it is past."--Hareume, p. 114

"I knew war must be like any child's game. You could play without interference if the adults were busy elsewhere and you were not too noisy about it. But if for some reason the adults noticed you, they would stop you."--Hareume, p. 132

"I look back on my life and I see a series of decisions, each of which made perfect sense at the time, most of which led to nothing in particular."--Hareume, p. 159

"I have noticed this before, that there are people who simply do not care for cats, and many of these people are men."--Hareume, p. 178

"I have been telling everyone that I look forward to serving Buddha for the rest of my life. It is the proper thing to say, like: I will love you forever, and I care about poetry.--Hareume, p. 182

"The war books I read so long ago were full of elaborate strategies with names that sound like sexual positions from a Chinese handbook."--Hareume, p. 192

"Certain things can be said only in darkness, true darkness, where one cannot see fear or horror or disgust in one's auditor."--Hareume, p. 200

"We already knew that we would die by childbirth and disease and old age. Fire, or drowning, or freezing to death would all be exciting deaths, so much more glamorous than the circumscribed borders of our lives."--Hareume, p. 203

"Men and women are full of contradictions. Even as they believe every funny nose is a harbringer to the kaze-cold that will kill them, they convince themselves that the man idling alongside the road fingering his sword is no threat, and when they are too close to escape they are shocked to find his intentions are hostile."--Hareume, p. 209

"It is a temptation to kill everyone who gets in your way, but people try not to do this too often."--Takase, p. 219

"Unpleasant truths are there whether you look at them or not. I did not realize this yet. Death is like this, and I find I face it better than I ever did my marriage."--Hareume, p. 226

"We are all dying. We just forget when nothing is trying to kill us."--Domei, p. 233

"Battle may start with great goals, but I think it must always end up being a fight to survive, each man doing whatever he must to stay alive."--p. 238

"Really, a cat in season makes even a woman at court look chaste."--p. 251

"Even starvation seemed preferable to that; though I learned soon enough that starvation only seems an acceptable alternative to something else until you get really hungry."--Hareume, p. 260

"No one likes having things thrown at them, especially if one cannot retaliate."--p. 271

"She might well live another decade; the women in her family are notorious for living well past any realistic age."--Hareume, p. 284

After the sobriety checkpoint on Friday, things improved.

I really enjoy this whole vacation thing. I can get up when I want to, go to sleep when I want to, and go places during the day that normally I cannot because they are closed by the time I'm ready to visit them.

Also, I can go to the gym in the MORNING, my prefered time. Which I will do shortly.

Christmas Eve through Boxing Day were spent at my parents' house. We went to visit some of my mother's relatives, had dinner with a family friend, and then went to church. The church service was lovely. There was, however, a VERY interesting reading from the Bible (Luke 2, I believe) which specifically recognized Jesus as Mary's FIRST BORN son. Just some food for thought.

I also brought the cat home. That went rather well, as no one got into fights, but Cleo spent most of her time hissing and spitting whenever Mina walked by. Still, the parents were glad to have the cat home (more so than me, I think) and were very sad to see her go.

Got mostly clothes for Christmas, some gorgeous figurines that I collect...a travel mug, gloves...a book from brother's GF. OH! My brother bought me the entire first season of Thundercats on DVD--all 65 episodes. How freakin' cool is that?

When I got home on Monday, most of my time involved unpacking, getting roommate updates, and watching movies. We didn't go to bed until 1:30 or so...which is exceedingly late for us. After rolling out of bed at 8:30, we finally made it to the gym by 10:30 or so. After showering, it was off to Target for cleaning supplies to commence the MAD PURGING of the APARTMENT. While we've still got quite a bit of clutter about (my desk is COVERED in bills I need to pay), the kitchen and bathroom have been scrubbed, the living room vacuumed...all is truly right with the world.

Okay, I have 4.5 hours before my friend Amanda is schedule to arrive at my doorstep (YAY!) so I must commence with my day.


Which annoying fan are you?
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Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	High
Wrath:	Very Low
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Low
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	Medium

Discover Your Sins - Click Here

Blade Dancer by S.L. Viehl

Not my typical reading, as it was more science fiction than fantasy. Incidentally, this is the third first-person POV book I've read lately, and the next one on my list is as well. Feast and famine with this sort of thing.

Anyway, the book is about a female half-breed who is banished from Terra when people discover their favorite shockball player (Jory, our narrator) is not all human. She is given a quest by her now-dead mother to find the seven others like her and tell them the truth about their lives. Bonding, fighting, love, sex and death all follow. Actually a fairly decent book, if anyone wants to borrow it.

"Even then, I had trouble getting into the rhythm of stab-push-heave. Not like I'd had a whole lot of practice digging draves in the desert in the middle of the goddamn night."--Jory, p. 4

"MacDonald."
"MacDonald who?"
"Old guy. Liked hanging out with a lot of non-human types, you know?"--Jory and Prissy Hands, p. 11

"Holy High Bitch."
"Now that's one I haven't been called before."--Gill and Jory, p.26-7

"What are you? Complusively neurotic?"--Jory, p. 103

"Either Uzlac had a fascinating collection of etchings, or Kol wanted to yell at me. I was guessing the latter."--Jory, p. 113

"Slavery is extremely overrated. So is playing contact sports."--Jory, p. 125

"Birdie had pretended not to notice, but I'd shoved them away and told them out loud what they could do with their various sexual organs--or what I could, if they kept it up."--Jory, p. 156

"I can deal with the jeers and the shoves and the challenges thrown in my face every five seconds, but I have a real problem when it's the trainers who are doing it."--Jory, p. 209

"If we had wings I might cluck like a chicken...Terran bird. Ill-tempered, usually ends up fried or baked."--Jory, p. 300

"Kol's was the first face I saw when I regained consciousness, and I allowed myself to be a silly, emotional female and cried all over him."--Jory, p. 306

"My father had ended up a human brain encased in a drone body; I was simply going to have a fancy peg leg."--Jory, p. 307

Ah, union negotiations

Press Release from the North Pole via the Internet:


From Santa Claus
December 19th., 2005

I regret to inform you that, effective immediately, I will no longer serve the States of Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Mississippi and North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas on Christmas Eve. Due to the overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. As part of the new and better contract I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so keep that in mind.

However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus. His side of the family is from the South Pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good ole boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us.

Differences such as:

1. There is no danger of the Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus. He has a gun rack on his sleigh, a big white number 3 on a black backround and a bumper sticker that reads: "These toys insured by Smith and Wesson."

2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that children leave an RC cola and pork rinds [or a moon pie] on the fireplace. And Bubba doesn't smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy.

3. Bubba Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon dogs instead of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba's fireplace.

4. You won't hear "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen"when Bubba Claus arrives. Instead, you'll hear, "On Earnhardt, on Andretti, on Elliott and Petty."

5. "Ho, Ho, Ho!" has been replaced by"Yee Haw!" And you also are likely to hear Bubba's elves respond, "I her'd dat!"

6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus' sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words "Back Off My A%& Fore I Come Backaire."

7. The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area.
Instead, you'll see "Boss Hogg Saves Christmas" and "Smokey and the Bandit IV" featuring Burt Reynolds as Bubba Claus and dozens of state patrol cars crashing into each other.

And finally,

8. Bubba Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.

Sincerely Yours,

Santa Claus
Member of North American Fairies and Elves Union 209

Coffins by Rodman Philbrick

First, a note to anyone who may have found the author's name familiar (and the list is probably very small): This is the same man who wrote "Freak the Mighty."

Second, the book is set in 1861 in ME and is told from the POV of a Boston doctor who goes to help his dwarf friend's cursed family. The book was...weird. Really, that's the only way to describe. Historical fiction, but strangely preverse with hauntings and slave runnings and voodoo...one of those things you really just have to read.

Third, some quotes:

"It all began, I suppose, the day I first saw the abolitionist dwarf waddling across Harvard Yard."--Davis Bentwood, p. 18

"What then transpired was a collegial battle of wits that soon degenerated into the lowest form of argument, although we never actually came to blows."--Bentwood, p. 41

"I had read a rather odd book on the whaling industry by Hawthorne's friend Melville, but truthfully had not been able to make head nor tails of it, so loaded down was the story with heavy-handed symbolism."--Bentwood, p. 49

"It is amazing hos fast a man can strip when he believes his life may be at stake."--Bentwood, p. 69

"Not wanting to disabuse him of the notition that I, too, was cursed. That we had it in common, which ought to prevent my being shot by the dreadful weapon."--Bentwood, p. 74

"What I did not add, given the circumstances, was that Emerson's transformative ideas about communing with the God-within-us-all would not likely meet with the approval of, say, the local Methodists or Lutherans. Indeed, in an earlier age, they might well have burned him at the stake."--Bentwood, p. 82

"There are many such victims on the battlefield--whole armies of sleepwalking men--and they do not wake until the bullet strikes."--Bentwood, p. 95

"I hadn't the courage to pull the trigger. I'm a c-coward."
"Nonsense, you're the bravest man I now. It was courage that made you stop."--Jeb Coffins and Bentwood, p. 104

"Clinton, at thirty years of age the younger by a decade, had affected a pair of side-whiskers so large they made him look faintly ridiculous. Nothin he was to do or say in the next few days would alter that first impression."--Bentwood, p. 118

"Friends! Romans! Countrymen!"
"We shan't be lending you our ears. Our ears are wet and full of the sea."--Jeb and Frederick Douglass, p. 122

"I grew up in Boston, Hub of the Universe."--Bentwood, p. 172

"What lies they tell, and what infernal habits! But, I admit, very cheerful company."--Bentwood, p. 231

"It is the laugh of a man capable of anything, the laugh of a man who smiles gently while he fingers the skulls of those who have offended him."--Bentwood, p. 248

"My interests were mainly philisophical, academic, and utterly selfish."--Bentwood on civil rights movements, p. 274

"Would I denty to a sober if illiterate Negrothe privilege granted to a drunken and illiterate white man?"--Mrs. Stanton, through Bentwood, p. 277-8

"He is a politician and therefore shares the bloodline of ferret, weasel, wolf and serpent."--Mrs. Stanton, p. 278-9

"He was delighted to see me again, and straightaway wrung my hands with such enthusiasm that his spectacles went askey, which had the effect of making him look like he was about to tip over."--Bentwood, p. 284

Happy Solstice

To all my pagan, and pagan-at-heart, friends, I would like to extend the happiest of solstice wishes. Perhaps this isn't the year to dance around the Wicker Man Fire, however, as that blue tint to your skin won't be the paint, but hypothermia. I wear my blue cape in honor of it today.

Two and a half days left before vacation. Still have not done any wrapping, but that is okay, I suppose. I'll probably do it tonight. I'm still waiting for half of A's present to arrive, as it is taking it's own, sweet-ass, time getting here. Half of my brother's present, too, is still MIA.

Facutly Christmas party last night. Was a good time, had good food, drank a couple of beers after I decided the thought of them didn't make me nautious. Must now go attempt to explain Shakespeare to 13 year olds. Ooh! I have 3, THREE, freshmen on suspension for the rest of the calendar year. WTF?


For you, Eternal love awaits!
You're loyal, mostly happy and have good
friends. You would like to have kids and get
married, and you strongly believe in "Mr.
Right". Once you meet him, you both now
you belong together.

Please rate aaaaand... eat chocolate bars?
*cough*rate*cough* ^^

What Love are you Fated for? ~AWESOME anime pics!~
brought to you by Quizilla

Nothing of substance, yet mildly entertaining

Because how can sporks not be funny?

Funny...very funny.

Sikh Holy Crap! You're taking 17 souls with you to hell!

10 to 30 On the plus side: You have your faith, you believe in a higher power. But you also believe that as long as a person has faith in something then they shall be rewarded. All paths lead to god. Tolerance is a good thing. On the negative side: You could just be scared your religion is the wrong one and hoping God isn’t as intolerant as a lot of other religions tell you. You probably are just too scatterbrained and confused to know what ot believe.

Link: The Very Offensive Religion Test written by youallwantme on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Happy Liver

My liver is a much happier organ today than it was a week ago this same time. I, however, am feeling fat because I haven't been to the gym regularly in over a month. This is why I wish, sometimes, I didn't have to get up so early for work. I prefer to work out in the morning...I'm more likely to do it if I work out in the morning. After work...it's SO easy just to say "too tired, going home," and then when I get home I eat. Ug. Bad me. No donut.

Am making progress on the Christmas shopping, although there are still a few people being EXTREMELY difficult *coughSarahcough* and my brother. Grr, arg on him. And he's also completely useless when it comes to buying his girlfriend things...he never knows the answers to any of my questions.

I have a shopping date this afternoon, so we'll see how that goes.

Tiptoeing the Edge Congratulations! You scored 62!

You're pretty geeky, and proud of it. You don't try to hide who you are, and that's great!! You have your hand in a little of everything, but you're not necessarily the nerdiest kid on the block. But keep it up, you may be there soon!

Link: The How Geeky Are You? Test written by EarthChyld on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Oh Sweet, Teasing Thursday

The problem with Thursday lately, and Wednesday for conspiring, is that it so often feels like Friday. You want it to be Friday; it wants to BE Friday. Yet this is not the case and so I must resign myself to two more days of work.

Despite the scheduling nightmare from Hell (ever evolving) and my inability to access the attendance software (no ET on that), the week has, knock on wood, not been too terrible. Of course, I haven't been doing a bloody thing when I come home, but that's really neither here nor there.

Am WOEFULLY behind on my Xmas shopping. Seriously, I've never been this far behind, and I didn't used to do my shopping until the week of the 18th! I have to buy for two co-workers, the brother's gf, the brother, and get something else for one friend who is proving unusually difficult to buy for. I do, however, have a sort-of-shopping date for this weekend, weather permitting.

Roommate is sick; send her many healthy vibes so she's better by Sunday when her baby brother comes home.

Perfect math teacher You scored 85 math apptitude and 80 patience!

You not only know enough about math, but you are also patient enough to handle the drama of the middle school. You should really consider teaching, we could use people like you. In fact, there may be an opening at my school...

Link: The Could you teach JR. High Math Test written by smilygrl83 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Juuuuust Right You are 32% Maintenance!

You're juuuuuuust right. A classy broad that won't go nuts if she gets called "broad." You're laid back enough to have fun and let some things roll off your back, but you know what you want in the end, and that's to be treated like a lady. Good for you. Call me.

Link: The High Maintenance Test written by hughdawg1 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Radio Edits (and other annoyances du jour)

I am wondering what possesses radio stations to edit the same word out of one song but not another. Roommate says it is all contextual, but many of the songs use the same word in the SAME context, or the song that is edited is in a BETTER context than the non-edited song. This is really starting to piss me off, and that's not really something one should get too worked up about.

Another thing is that in Pakistan they are banning a kite festival because of its Hindu background. Oh, and sometimes people fall of roofs in their excitement and die. They are KITES people. I do not care WHAT connotations are behind the festival...it's some paper secured to some sticks on strings...GET OVER IT.

Presentation to be made to my colleagues tomorrow. Nervousness abounds. Wish me luck!

You Are Dancer

Carefree and fun, you always find reasons to do a happy dance. Why You're Naughty: That dark stint you had as Santa's private dancer. Why You're Nice: You're friendly. Very friendly.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

New South Wales, OZ You scored 45% Location Size and 60% Creep Factor!

The most haunted house in Australia is a nondescript two story home known as the "Monte Cristo" in New South Wales. This homestead appears to have been haunted for approximately 125 years now, and is a popular destination for tourists and ghost hunters.

Mr. and Mrs. Crawley were notorious shut-ins, and there have been a variety of manifestations since their deaths.

Reported paranormal activity includes: Ghostly dancing lights, intense feelings of fear and dread upon reaching the second floor, an unseen physical force that dwells on the staircase, ghostly voices, and the occasional sighting of an apparition.

There is a small fee to enter the house, but for the less frugal ghostbuster, you can engage in a ghost hunt and even spend the night. You just have to know where to look and who to ask.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.montecristo.com.au/index.html
http://www.castleofspirits.com/montecristo/montecristo.html
http://www.paranormalaustralia.com/hauntings/ghostsofmontecristo.html

Link: The Spooky Vacation Destination Test written by eclipso on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Where did my weekend go?

Oh, right...I spent most of Friday night drunk and/or puking, Saturday recovering...and now it's noon on Sunday and I still haven't done any work.

A. and I watched Catch Me if You Can on Friday. Everyone knows how I feel about Tom Hanks (and if you don't you clearly haven't been paying much attention) but he did not detract from this movie. I'd love to read the REAL story behind it some day, but I definitely was NOT disappointed. Many funny lines, but this one particularly amused me:

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Brenda, I don't want to lie to you anymore. All right? I'm not a doctor. I never went to medical school. I'm not a lawyer, or a Harvard graduate, or a Lutheran. Brenda, I ran away from home a year and a half ago when I was 16.
Brenda Strong: Frank? Frank? You're not a Lutheran?

Friday night we went to International Beer Night. Yeah, 'nuff said.

Yesterday I went to see Wicked as part of her Christmas present. Not one of those musicals that you'll be singing along to afterwards, but the music was nice, the actors and actresses were good and, over all, it is a very interesting interpretation of The Wizard of Oz. I haven't read the book yet, but it's on my list of things to do.

We were supposed to go out clubbing last night, but almost all of the people we were going to go with totally spazed on us (grumble for another time) so we sat at home and fell asleep around 10:30.

Today has so far included breakfast and Sahara. It's kind of modern-day Indiana Jones but the movie itself had far too many loose ends than I am comfortable with. Still, if I read the book, perhaps I'd get it more.

Amusing line:

Dirk Pitt: He's going to blow it up.
Al Giordino: That isn't very subtle.

Must do some Xmas shopping today...or at least buy a crock-pot and George Foreman for the apartment. :)

Farmer Brown You scored 40 outspokenness, 24 orthodoxy, 47 intuition, and 61 earthiness!

While you are not the most observant of folks, you're also not a troublemaker, and you haven't a whit of psychic ability to get you into trouble. You are, however, rather close to the earth, which in this instance probably means you spend a good deal of your time covered with it. Unless your neighbor gets jealous of your green thumb or your juicy wife (with whom you have relations regularly), you're not likely to be accused of witchcraft. If you are a woman, you might have to be a bit more careful. Luckily for you, you're good at keeping your head down and your mouth shut. Just keep selling those prize-winning pumpkins and sucking up to the Town Elders and you should be fine.

Link: The Witch Trial Survival Test written by okellelala on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Snow Day

You know, I find one snow day a month to be a perfectly acceptable rate. That's three days, I'm still out before Kelly's birthday, and life is good. So I plan on enjoying this one, even if I was awake at 5am with no real chance of falling back to sleep. So I'll have a cup of girly coffee and curl up with my book.

Of course, my colleague didn't call my apartment; they were working off an old list and called my parents' house instead. So my mom had to call me this morning with the news.

Plans are minimal for the day. I SHOULD get some work done, but in all likelihood, I won't. Most likely I'll read, watch movies and if the weather clears up at a reasonable hour, go to the gym and maybe see about getting my CD player fixed in my car since I did just put $450 worth of work into it. My mechanic is right; it seems silly to replace it just now. To be fair, Blair will tell me when fixing the car just won't be worth it anymore. He's good like that.

Dinner with the brother's gf went very well the other night. We chatted about her family and my family, work and college. It was a nice time. My brother called her at one point though; I think he was VERY worried about what we were doing together. Too cute, no?

All right, I have a date with Harry Potter and the tri-wizard tournament.

Cute Smile You scored 105 smilyness!

Not good enough to be a celebrity but your smile is sooooo cute. Like the picture everyone thinks you are adorable, you need to show your smile a little more don't be affraid to, its a cracker of a smile.

Belle You scored 60 Independence, 60 Romance, 65 Loyalty, and 65 Practicality!

You are Belle! As the Ultimate Disney Female, you have a bit of everything! You are brave, happy to face beasts and wolves and evil men to save those you love, and exploring dark rooms with a wonderful sense of curiosity. You are loyal, looking after family and friends in any way that you can. You are loving, able to look beyond appearances and love someone for their personality, only happy with romance if you are treated like an equal. You are also brainy, loving books and culture, trying to invent things and improve your life, bored by dull routine people. You are everything an modern, intelligent, courageous, kind, romantic, and independent woman should be. You won't settle for less than what you dream of, and you won't let injustice go on around you.

Link: The What Disney Female are you Test written by lu-mina on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

A query

Do you jinx yourself into always being single if you get your birth-name initials on a bag?

OR

Do you jinx yourself into spending the money on the monograming and then you meet the love of your life and are married six months later?

These are the questions one asks when one is over-tired.

Aegir You scored 35 Wisdom, 50 Sexuality, 27 Strength, and 63 Goodliness!

Even Thor managed to trick you, and you couldn't pull up the big fish with him. No offense, but that's not very godlike. But you throw good parties, and are generally well-liked.

Link: The Which Norse Deity Are You Test written by researcher on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Where's all the snow?

Remember the 2-5 inches they were predicting for CT for today? Have you looked out the window and seen any snow? 'Cause I sure haven't. I REALLY wanted a delay/no-school today, mostly because I have my little hellions today, but that was not to be my luck. And WORSE than that, I woke up every few hours during the night, including the last time at 4:30 and I couldn't go back to sleep.

I got much love yesterday in the way of phone calls and voice mails. Baby Brother started it off at 7AM (he apparently thought I was sleeping), then Mom, my friend Erin and Dad. Grandparents called a little later. A got me a necklace (which I knew about) and the most adorable "classic" Stitch doll. Cleo is not very happy with said animal, but I imagine she will get over it.

The meeting after school yesterday...what can I say? I'm still not sure I'm doing the bloody thing right, but once I have all the pieces in order, I'll see about tweaking it to what it needs to be. And, as my mentor told me, a 2 is still passing, that doesn't mean you're a 2-teacher. Of course, being a 3 or a 4 teacher is much better and a nice thing to put on one's resume.

I have a boatload of grading to do, and ANOTHER 50-minute faculty meeting after school today. Two days before grades close, and we have to talk about f-ing assessments? C'mon now.

All right, off to face my day.

Faith You scored 14 knowingstuff!

Yes, you do know your sex in Sunnydale. And between you and me, Principal Wood (heh heh) is a major improvement over your last conquests. You may be young, dear, but what you lack in years you make up for in trollopness. Buffy may be the one true slayer, but you've got the better rack.

Link: The Buffy Sex Trivia Test written by chickennibbler on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

A Birthday Weekend in 3 parts

Friday--half day. Came home, ate some organic pizza, read some HP:GOF, took a nap. Woke up, took a shower. Knowing my car needed gas, and A. drove the last time we went to the casino, I volunteer to drive. So we go to the gas station. And here's where the weekend begins. First, I had to swipe my credit card twice. Then I chose the wrong grade gas. The gas station attendant intercoms me and says that pump is being weird--back up and try the other one. Okay. A. rolls down window to take my credit card from me after I swipe it successfully. A rolls back up the window...or so we thought. Upon leaving gas station (and taking rather circular route to get to the highway), we discover that the door doesn't appear to be closed. Only it is closed. It's just that my passenger's side window won't roll up all the way for some reason. We drive to and from the casino with LOTS of highway noise. I call my father to inform him that, yeah, I really need a new car. Concert was great, however. Go BNL. We ran into someone A. new.

Saturday--Dad won't take me car shopping because I have to do "research" on the vehicles. Oy. Vey. Grocery shopping with Mom, where she asks what kind of birthday cake I want. A strange question, since my favoritist cake is Angel Food with Cool Whip and Strawberries. DUH! Phone rings while in grocery store, but I don't recognize the number so I don't pick it up. Mother makes some bizare comment about this friend of the family's son calling me. I ponder this for the rest of the day. A and I go to the mall (Yikes!) where she buys lots of sweaters and I buy two pairs of pants, only one that I actually needed. But the other pair was fun embroidered jeans so worth it. We ran into another someone A. new and, while I was in Victoria's Secret using my $10 birthday gift card from them, I saw one of the baseball players I went to college with. *wistful sigh* HOTT. Didn't say hello because 1. he was with someone and 2. wouldn't remember me.

Okay, so my mom calls the mechanic and he says to drop the car off that night (Saturday) so he can have a look-see. I drive my broke-ass car home, with A in the passenger's seat; the plan being to pick up the spare car and drive it back until tomorrow (or..today. You know what I mean). Go home, eat dinner, drink, open presents, drink, drink, drink. Dad gets brain storm go visit one of his friends who is home by himself with two small children. Everyone piles into two cars (Mom and Dad in one; A, myself, brother and brother's gf in the black car). We get there, we drink some more, I break a wine glass. We decide to leave. A won't let me drive (FYI, I could've driven...or so we thought). We get the car almost to the highway and...it's not accelerating. We pull over to turn the car off and on again...only it won't turn back on. We put on the hazard lights and call my brother's cell phone. Dad says he will come to pick us up. While waiting, state trooper comes to check on us (good thing A was driving). He leaves. Brother's gf (only really sober one of the lot of us) and Dad show up in Mom's car to drive us home. Brother's GF and I make dinner plans for some time this week to celebrate joinly our natal days.

Sunday--Wake up, a little headache and very thirsty. Look outside. There is snow. I have a boatload of work to do today and no desire to do any of it. I don't hate my job...I just hate this part of it.

Happy Birthday to Me...


Severus Snape
You clearly do not scare easily. You want a man
who is sharp, intellectual, cultured, and not
too mushy. Get underneath his cool, sarcastic
exterior and who knows what treasures you might
find.


Who is your Harry Potter love match? (for girls)
brought to you by Quizilla

OMGWTFBBQ? WHAT kind of quiz is this??? I didn't say anything about having no fear...and THIS is what I end up with? Jeeebus!

Sobering Moment

Next year's freshmen will graduate the year I turn 30.

Ah, Friday

I fear what my students will be like today, especially the study hall I have 5th period. Half day, last day of the cycle, last day of the marking period...I think I'm going to bring in a movie to soothe the beasts.

Going to see the Barenaked Ladies tonight...am SO excited for the concert. Yes, there will be Christmas music, and that is something I'm just learning to live with. But Steve and Ed will be singing, there will be much laughter and gaiety and...well, yay. Am wanting to eat dinner early and leave early so we are guaranteed a parking spot and won't be rushed once inside the casino. We shall see what happens with the roommate (she's going with).

Was having a strange dream when the alarm went off, but it has flown the proverbial coop and I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

A poll for those of you who remember your high school English classes--did you read every bit of the plays out loud, or did you read it at home and then "perform" excerpts of it for discussion? My students appear to have great difficulty reading plays to themselves; I don't think it's that difficult. Is this just because I'm me? Or ar they that lazy?

Where are those comics?

Threepio You scored 50% airiness, 78% squishiness, and 78% edginess!

According to our patented Jawamatic^TM technology, you are most like See-Threepio (C-3P0) in personality.

Threepio, being a protocol droid, favours traditional values. Programmed for etiquette and protocol, he is always concerned with doing what is proper and expected, caring for people's material needs above all else. He is methodical, value-driven and practical at his best.

Threepio is, in a word, diligent.

(The polar opposite of See-Threepio is Artoo-Detoo.)

Link: The Star Wars Personality Test written by MiguelSanchez on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test