Saturday, November 29, 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

3 Quick Blips

My new favorite ridiculous snack is Orville Redenbacher buttery salt and cracked pepper popcorn. It comes in individual sized bags, and it is stupefyingly delicious. Of course, you can grind some pepper into a freshly nuked bag of regular popcorn (which I did as a test), and probably over regularly popped popcorn also, but I like the small bag thing, because I am inclined to eat rather more popcorn than I should. Today, I am going to be that annoying person who microwaves popcorn in the office building and then doesn't share.

I have been getting a whole slamming of catalogs I've never gotten before lately, and am not sure what's prompting this; the holidays aside, someone is sharing my name, obviously, but some of the catalogs are pretty intriguing. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what they are because I might be ordering some things from them for people that read this blog.

There is a new Librarian movie coming out on December 7. You can bet that my bottom will be parked in front of the telly on that date. The second one wasn't that great, but I find the trilogy's premise entertaining, this one is directed by Jonathan Frakes (William T. Riker), and it's going to involve vampires. I expect I shall probably eat some popcorn and look at some catalogs while I watch.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Things at which I am bad but love doing anyway

(A tipsy comment about bowling is now a blog post, thanks to a suggestion from Carrie.)
Normally, I hate doing things at which I'm bad, or suspect I might be bad. But some things are just delightful no matter what, and here are four of them:


1. Bowling. I think I might have broken 100 once in my life, and that was surely an anomaly. On Saturday night, I got two strikes, but probably about eight gutters. I can usually get pins down now, unlike in my youth during which, when my youth group went bowling, I was the She-Ra of bowling only because I was so terrible (we were being ironic...get it?), but I'm no great shakes. Yet I love it and will continue to love it, especially if it means I can hear "I Kissed a Girl" and "Crank 'dat" for the first time, mixed in with "Ice, Ice, Baby."

2. Ice Skating. To be fair, I am not as bad as some people. I can usually stay up on my ice skates, can skate forward fairly steadily, and a tiny bit backward. When you grow up on a lake and it is the fashionable thing to have skating lessons, you will tend to pick up a little, but beyond that I can't do much. It is my dream to learn how to skate backward with the panache of a hockey player, or at least to learn proper backward crossovers.

3. Crocheting. I don't crochet much these days, but I go through stretches when that is all I want to do. The only problem is, I usually end up ripping out whatever I've done, because I forget to count, or can't see a stitch. Good times.

4. Painting. Like, art painting (I can paint a fascia board like I was born doing it). Yes, I'm terrible at putting paint to paper, and making something pretty, but the activity is so soothing to my mental state that I sometimes wish I had a little studio set up just for painting. Two apartments is probably enough, though.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Is it Tuesday?

Well, I just did my interview for my current job.
Yes, you heard me right. My contract is ending, and the director decided we'd all go through rehiring rather than renewing, in case we can get raises.
I did okay, I think, especially on the later questions. I screwed up the first question because it was about pedagogical/composition theory reading and faculty development. To be frank, I'm not doing any reading besides reviewing textbooks. I'm too busy reading Amelia Peabody mysteries and the faculty discussion list emails (which brought me as close to incensed last week as I've ever been about them).
Anyway, my interview was at 9:30 am on Tuesday.
On Monday, I woke up at 9:20.
You can imagine how I'm feeling just now.
I was going to take a nap, but I think I might press on (figuratively and literally, because I fancy me some French press-made coffee) and get some work done before then. We'll see how long I last. I have some essays to finish and two syllabi to write.

I would like to finish a dress tonight...I was finished with it, I thought, but something weird was going on in the back, and so I'm redoing the back, possibly several times, until I can get it to work. I had to make an 8 because that was the pattern, and the fit is weird in a few spots. Plus the zipper, which I had sewn in beautifully, is also interfering with the fit for some reason. I anticipate at least three hours trying to fix whatever is causing the problem. The rest of the dress is completely done and ready to go, because of course I couldn't tell the fit was going to be odd until it was finished. Fingers crossed that I can fix it without ruining it, because I've been meaning to make this dress (in black peachskin with small reddish and orangish flowers) forever.

While we're on the subject: Friends, I have a pattern that I particularly like, one that I've made two dresses with, one with gold and brown brocade/satin (for special occasions), and one with a print and satin sleeves. I really like the dresses and have been tempted to make another. Would that be weird? How many dresses in the same pattern is too many?

Veterans, I celebrate you, for giving me the opportunity to wonder about such unimportant things.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

In case you were wondering...

...yes, yes I can fit into Girl's size 14-16 pajamas, purchased at Target last night.

I ended up with two sets: one a satiny set with the Cloud Nine pattern, and one that is pink, with kittens and the days of the week on them. Did I need two sets of jammies? No. But my resistance where pajamas (and shoes, which I also bought) is practically nil.
I am torn between embarassment and amusement about the whole pajama-buying incident.

This was clearly evident when I skulked through the girls' department, grabbed the jammies, and then walked as quickly as possible to the ladies' fitting room to try them on. I guess I'm proud that I can fit into the same size I could wear as a teen, and I am tempted to look at my old pediatrician cards to see when I reached the height and weight closest to my size now. There's also a certain amount of pressure to maintain this size, since I've done it up until now.

True, the jammies were just a touch short, but not really appreciably, and the top was actually just right. I don't expect looking in the girls' department will be a habit, but considering the size small and even XS in the misses' wear at Target is too big for me, and I have to shop in juniors most of the time, I may have a new strategy for when I want something and can't find it in ladieswear.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

More rejected Facebook statuses

Abigail seems to have poured too much creativity into her classes and can't come up with an original post.
Abigail spent a very busy weekend grading papers and has been a slug since they were finished.
Abigail has been nursing headaches that make her teary-eyed.
Abigail found out today that she is willing to drive to Rossford, try on Girls' XL jammies, and buy them if they even remotely fit, so that she can replace her old Nick & Nora Cloud Nine jammies that basically fell apart from overwear.
Abigail's birthday is coming up. What will she be getting herself besides the aforementioned jammies?
Abigail is wondering if she will finally get up the whatever to find a new place to live next year. One that has good parking, wood floors, and no neighbors on the other side of the walls or ceiling.
Abigail has been trying to make a dress, but thanks to the aforementioned sluggishness, she has not made much headway.
Abigail, for once, did not freak out when she saw a house centipede, but as it was small and on the other side of the house, she does not think that's worth much applause.
Abigail did, however, write a charming searching for causes essay about house centipede phobia, during her classes, in like manner to a performing ape, while her students in turn worked on their essays. See prior note re: creative energy.
Abigail is changing the closet tonight, 70 degrees today or no. She is relieved at last to have clean clothes.
Abigail forgot to take the pork chops out of the freezer.
Abigail was wondering how hilarious Pushing Daisies would be tonight, then realized it isn't on. This is evidently a prime time to go to Target and purch some jammies.