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January 23rd, 2005
06:35 pm - dog booties and boredom.. It's been a while or two since I posted here. I have a few orders of business:
1. I'm bored. I want to go hang out with people. If you are nearby and think that hanging out with me might be even VAGUELY entertaining, I'd love to do something. Anytime that might work for you... I feel the need to reconnect with life and friends and all of that sort of stuff.
2. Things at work are going well. If you are nearby and we hang out, I'll tell you all about it. If you are not nearby, I will give you a summary. --Teaching is fun. --Kids are fun because they are not quite full-blown humans yet. --Work is not as stressful as it was earlier in the year... I am getting into the swing of things and it's not as hard as it used to be.
3. I had a silly dog story that I wanted to share with you. If you are interested in my silly dog story, continue reading. Otherwise, begone with you.
So, I'm sure you've noticed that it's been snowing. Turns out that Rags is very sensitive to snow. His little toes get cold... he gets little snowballs that form between his toes and he'll stop, sit down, and whine. He will also hold up the offending snowy foot and hop/limp until I stop and thaw his tiny toes out and get the snow out from between them.
It's awful because he'll yipe REALLY loudly when he gets snow-toes.. and then he's all gimpy and I'm sure that anyone looking out of their apartment thinks that I'm beating him with sticks or something. You know how much of a manly-dog he is... :)
Anyhow, T and I went out and bought him dog-booties today. We got two kinds... we went to REI and got water-proof-nylon-high-quality-mega-dog-booties. They were $40. Then we stopped at Petco and got $6 purple fleece dog booties. We tried out the purple fleece dog booties this afternoon... they were a hit. No more snow-toes.
T thinks that Rags looks like a wuss because he has purple feet. However, he only thinks this because HE hasn't had to walk the dog while he's been gimping out and yiping. Purple dog-booties are MUCH better. Current Mood: fine Current Music: football... ewww...
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December 5th, 2004
06:16 pm - Empathy Quotient Your score: 27
0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20) 33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42) 53 - 63 is above average 64 - 80 is very high 80 is maximum
Hmmm... this doesn't particularly surprise me, really. I have always thought that I am very empathetic in very very specific ways. But in general, I'm pretty much not. It distresses me at times..
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November 22nd, 2004
05:12 pm - Year Meme Stolen from meapet
20 years ago, I was enjoying a ridiculously happy childhood. We had a dog, cats, rats, and maybe a ferret (although I can't place the ferrets exactly in time).
15 years ago, I was adapting to life without my father... middle school is a difficult enough time to live through, much less have your parents divorce right before the start of 6th grade. I highly recommend that parents NOT do this.
10 years ago, I was starting college in Massachusetts. A strange new world, really... college was a time when I made lots of new friends and had bunches and bunches of new experiences.
5 years ago, I was a grad student here in Baltimore wishing that I was somewhere else... just about ANYWHERE else. I was never a very good grad student and I certain wasn't very happy doing it. Although 5 years ago would have been about the peak of happiness of grad studentdom.
2 or 3 years ago, I was STILL a grad student. About my peak of low of grad studentdom. It never really improved after that..
Last year, I was at the beginning of writing my thesis. Which also sucked.
This year I am a new teacher, in a new apartment, and fairly happy with my current lot in life. I like the job, I like the apartment, and I like my life. It's very VERY different from being a grad student.
Yesterday, I said goodbye to my dearest of squirrels, Miso. He will be sorely missed.
Today, I administered notes in class and gave out grade reports. They are mostly failing. They won't turn anything in. They suck. Then, I came home and had ice cream. I thought, as I was spooning out ice cream, that Miso would like some ice cream..
Tomorrow, I will give them MORE notes and review for their test on Wednesday. I may or may not have more ice cream. I will likely continue to miss my squirrels. The era of SquOD (Squirrels of DEMOCRACY!) is over... Current Mood: tired Current Music: First Knight
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October 17th, 2004
06:28 pm - Name.. From
Lisa Consecrated to god
Name Origin: Hebrew Number of Syllables: 2.00 Gender: Female
More interesting facts about the name Lisa:
Lucky Number: 5 Ruling Planet: Mercury Element: Air Primary Color: Blue Traits: Active, both physically and mentally. Inquiring, exploring. Fond of reading and researching. Good at languages. Would make a very good teacher, writer, secretary. Makes friends easily. Usually methodical and orderly; adept at simplifying systems. Current Mood: good
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06:08 pm - musica I just put in that CD that I mentioned in my last post. It's been absolutely FOREVER since I listened to it, but it's just so darn perky. It's making me smile.
Go JLG! Play your trompetas and guitarras! I have absolutely NO idea what the words are to these songs! But they just sound so happy!
And I got so involved in talking about my PF-liking friend that I forgot to put in the most IMPORTANT part about the show last night! One of T's friends was in the band, so he gave us back stage passes. I have never HAD a back stage pass before. It was pretty cool... there were these kids in the front who were TOTALLY into the whole thing and I found them extremely entertaining. I watched them almost the entire rest of the show. I felt very important getting to sit backstage.. *grin*
In other news, I set up the dog crate behind the rocking chair and next to the couch. It was successful and it has already attracted a dog. Current Mood: peppy Current Music: Juan Luis Guerra
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06:01 pm - stuff and stuff I have spent most of today (well, the part I was AWAKE for, anyhow) trying to get crap unpacked. I have done quite well and am pleased. Therefore, I am taking time off for good behavior and playing online.
Last night, T and I went to see Several Species (a Pink Floyd tribute band) at the Recher Theater. It was interesting.. I have never been a PF fan. My one major contact with it was a boy in high school who was a PF FANATIC. He made me several PF tapes that I pointedly never listened to. The reason I pointedly never listened to them was that he was very VERY troubled and somehow my brain linked this with PF listening. He had a major crush on me. He made me a screen saver that bounced my name around the screen in different fonts and colors. You may imagine (correctly) that I never used it. It still kind of squicks me to think that HE might have. He moved away for college and sent me long LONG letters postage due. They had very unusual drawings in them. Finally, I told him that we were never to be, and he sent me everything I had ever given him, lent him, or touched really in a box. I have no idea what happened to him after that. I hope he turned out okay.
I borrowed this meme from solipsistnation.
Name a CD you own that no-one else on your friends list does:
"La Musica de Juan Luis Guerra" by (strangely enough) Juan Luis Guerra. This is a CD that I bought while I was down in Ecuador. He was INSANELY popular down there at the time (1993) and was on MTV all the time.
Name a book you own that no-one else on your friends list does:
"Prairie Dog Pets" by Pat Storer. Prairie dogs are kind of like ground squirrels.. and no one has bothered to write "Ground Squirrel Pets".
Name a movie you own on DVD/VHS/etc that no-one else on your friends list does:
The music video to "Rico, Suave" by Gerardo.
Name a place that you have visited that no-one else on your friends list has:
"Hole in the Ground" and its neighboring "Big Hole", which are both somewhere near-ish to Bend, Oregon. My dad, my brother and I went there one day because they were on our map. Both are, strangely enough, a hole in the ground. Large holes, yes. but still holes. The only one who has a chance with that one is solipsistnation. Been there? Current Mood: tired Current Music: I am Weary (Let Me Rest)
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September 5th, 2004
04:42 pm - First week OVER! Well, I have successfully finished my first week as a teacher. It was long. It was a lot of work. I didn't kill any of the kids.
I have spent several hours of yesterday and a larger number of several hours today doing lesson plans for next week. I have successfully created lesson plans for the ENTIRE next week (all 4 days of it). It's only taken me approximately 8 hours. I seem to be reducing my overall lesson-planning time, but it's still a HUGE time-sink.
On the plus side, there are TONS and TONS and absolute TONS of lesson plans online. I can either steal them entirely or use them as the basis for stuff I make up on my own.
I have learned several very valuable things about teaching. 1. They will try to walk all over you. 2. I find it very exciting when they have that EUREKA moment and finally get something. 3. It is very difficult to estimate the amount of time an activity will take a group of high school students to do. 4. Next year, I will do a MUCH better job at the beginning of the year. My beginning of the year was NOT stellar this year. Not because of anything I did on purpose, I just can look back and see all the mistakes I made. Whoops. 5. It gets easier as you go along. 6. Taking attendance and getting administrative stuff together takes HOURS and HOURS.
I think I finally have most of my "stuff" together - stuff from Office Depot, Walmart, etc. Things I hadn't thought about originally. Like a clock. I bought an alarm clock from Rite Aid because there is no clock in my room... silly me, I thought classrooms came equipped with clocks. I can't wear a watch - I'm allergic to the metal in the back. Plus, they irritate me in little psychological ways. I just don't WANT to know what time it is. File folders. Pens. Pencils. Post-it notes. That sort of crap. All the stuff that you need... and all the stuff that you don't really need, but is fun to have.
I am taking the rest of the night OFF of lesson planning because I am pleased with my progress. I even know basically what I will do for the week after this one... yay!!
Tomorrow, I believe we will be headed to the Maryland State Fair. Yay pig races!! Current Mood: busy
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August 31st, 2004
08:05 pm - In Memorium to Peppercorn Today when I came home from work, my darling Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Peppercorn, had died. He was curled up in his igloo and he looked very peaceful. I think he must have died in his sleep.
Peppercorn, and his friend Miso, came into my life in Spring of 2000. J and I were at the petstore in the Columbia Mall and there was this huge aquarium full of tiny little squirrels. At that point, they were about 1/3 head, 1/3 body and 1/3 tiny little flicking tails. The petstore guy fed them a bunch of crickets and there were all these little squirrels running around like crazy critters, chirping and eating crickets. I had to take one home.
I picked out the largest and roundest of the squirrels - Miso. Then, the petstore guy recommended that I get him a friend - Peppercorn. Turns out the petstore guy had no idea what he was talking about. RGS's are mostly solitary and tend to fight in same-sex pairs.
M and PC cohabitated for several years, living both in downtown Baltimore as well as in Reisterstown. Eventually, however, they began to fight. Male squirrels will do this in the fall around mating season. M and PC underwent several rounds of separation and reintroduction. Their most recent period of cohabitation ended several weeks ago because PC was beating the crap out of M.
PC was always the livelier of the two squirrels. He spent a great deal of time running in his wheel and was very diligent about maintenance of his potty tray (which I feel was important enough to him that it should be mentioned in his eulogy).
Early in his life, he greatly enjoyed carrots. However, as time went on, his tastes changed and carrots went uneaten. More recently, he preferred bananas and he has have enjoyed yogurt drops as well as more exotic foods including popsicles, yogurt, and chicken bones.
Several months ago, PC began to get weak in the hind end. He started tripping when he tried to get into his wheel, and when I would let him run around on the floor, he would slip and slide around. However, his enthusiasm for life was undaunted. He continued his daily wheel workouts once his wheel was lowered for handicap access and would tirelessly (if somewhat clumsily) climb the cage bars in search of squirrel treats.
After much soul-searching, I decided not to take him to the vet. I felt he either had hurt his back, causing some low-level paralysis (unlikely, given his cage setup) or had cancer. In either case, the vet visit would induce more trauma than they would be able to fix. I wasn't going to put PC on chemo, nor was he up for having an operation. I decided that as long as he was still enjoying life (as measured by wheel-running and treat-eating), I would keep him at home and that once he stopped doing those things, I would take him in to be put to sleep.
As late as yesterday, PC was still eating treats and was fairly active. He didn't finish his dinner kale last night, and died (seemingly) peacefully sometime today while I was away at work.
Even though PC was never particularly affectionate, he will be sorely missed and has left a little pointy-nosed hole in my heart... how I will miss his chirping. Current Mood: sad
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August 30th, 2004
05:11 am - First day of school.. Alright, so maybe I'm just a LITTLE bit nervous for the first day of school. It's 5:00 am and I've been awake for an hour and a half. I'm not sure what woke me up in the first place, but I haven't been able to get back to sleep... luckily, I went to bed a little after 10 and fell right to sleep, so I've gotten a not-too-bad night's sleep even with nocturnal awakenings.
At about 4:15 I decided to get up and create a bulletin board for my class on the Scientific Method. I'm not really alert enough to do lesson planning, but I am definitely awake enough to insert clip art and write out the steps of the Scientific Method. Then I can print it out on my new spiffy printer and take it in and hang it on my board for class. I had an empty board that I had nothing to hang on... but this will take care of that problem.
*yawn* It's going to be a long day. I will have already been up for 12 hours by the time the end of the school day rolls around. And I still have to do some lesson planning because I have NOTHING for the rest of the week after Tuesday. I was supposed to get some of that done yesterday, but was prevented by a computer crisis.
So my stupid iBook crashed AGAIN. It's the same problem with the logic board (or whatever chip it is) that I have sent it in TWICE before. They KNOW it's a problem, but apparently it doesn't go bad in EVERYONE'S computer, so they aren't recalling them. The found out this spring that when they replaced the logic boards BEFORE, the ones they replaced them with were faulty. The irritatingly pleasant Apple tech support people say that this is not their fault. That they weren't supposed to get faulty chips from the manufacturer. Well, it damn well IS their fault because they put it in my computer and they have KNOWN that there was a good chance it would be faulty for MONTHS and they have done NOTHING. If they had told me that it might be faulty and that they would replace it, that would have been cool. Then I could have PICKED when my computer TOTALLY DIED (which would NOT have been the day before the first day of school, let me tell you!). I could have picked when it was going to have to be shipped back for *2 or 3 WEEKS* for repairs. I'm very, very irritated.
Anyhow, I bought a new Powerbook, which seems equally pleasant as my lost iBook. I have to decide what to do with the iBook when it comes back. They SAY it's going to really be fixed this time... I am skeptical. I guess I'll keep it as a back-up.. maybe T can use it to play The Sims or something.
I suppose the rest of the world (mainly T) will be getting up soon. It's 5:10 now.. the alarm is going to go off at 5:30, and he is going to be very confused as to why I am not there to turn it off. I guess I'll head into the bedroom when I hear it start beeping.
It is going to take a supreme effort of will to not take a nap when I get home from school today. That would be a very bad precedent to set, though. If I take a nap this afternoon, I won't want to go to sleep tonight, then I won't want to get up tomorrow morning.
Maybe I could just take a SHORT nap... a power nap. Something like that. The problem is that once I get napping, I don't WANT to wake up after a half hour. Well, we''ll see. Since I DEFINITELY have to get some lesson planning done today, if I absolutely need a nap, a nap will have to be taken.
*YAWN* I am not fond of 5am.
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July 19th, 2004
06:51 pm - longest friends meme... Who on your LJ Friends list have you known the longest? How long has it been, and how did you meet?
solipsistnation gets the nod... I met him my first week in college (1998). We've been friends ever since.
( everyone ) Current Mood: home
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July 8th, 2004
July 1st, 2004
07:55 am - personality quiz You are an SRCF--Sober Rational Constructive Follower. This makes you a White House staffer. You are a tremendous asset to any employer, cool under pressure, productive, and a great communicator. You feel the need to right wrongs, take up slack, mediate disputes and keep the peace. This comes from a secret fear that business can't go on without you--or worse, that it can.
If you have a weakness, it is your inability to say "no." While your peers respect you, they find it difficult to resist taking advantage of your positive attitude and eagerness to take on work. You depend on a good manager to keep you from sinking under the weight and burning out.
Hmmm... the fact that I was such a poor graduate student would suggest that something went wrong with my quiz.
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June 27th, 2004
10:02 am - Collection of things.. Stolen from kkkkkkkkat
If there's someone on your friends list you would possibly agree to having twelve minutes of halfhearted foreplay with, post this exact same sentence in your journal.
Inspired by mommabear
You're a softbutch. You're not as comfortable as other women in feminine dress, but you can still wear a skirt when forced. Guys only consider you mildly threatening, if at all. You attract some men, though most can figure out you're not into them. You have little trouble being pals with them. You're not afraid of tools and if you had the urge, you could probably handle hanging cabinets or installing hardwood floors. Still, you're not a motivated a do-it-yourselfer and usually only get caught in home improvement projects to impress or placate the girl you're dating.
What is your Dyke Rating? brought to you by Quizilla
Link provided by disappearingjon to play . I got 14/14 on the warm-up round (I can be trusted with your dog) and 14/14 on the difficult round (I may REALLY be trusted with your dog, and possibly your partner). Apparently I have a better grasp of the difference between a dogtoy and a marital aid than disappearingjon who only got 9/14 on the difficult round.
disappearingjon and I also have 11 interests in common.
My Best Friend is boymeat | Our 11 common interests are: age play, bdsm, bisexuality, foot fetish, friends, leather, music, polyamoury, s/m, sadism, watersports | Who is your best friend?
| Created by macoto |
Current Mood: bored
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June 22nd, 2004
05:36 pm - Meme Newly invented Meme stolen from meapet Okay, in the comments section, post one word you would Never think of used to describe me. Then post this in your journal for other friends to try doing as well. Current Mood: unmotivated
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June 21st, 2004
12:44 pm - You know you're from Oregon when... Everyone else is doing it, why shouldn't I... More of these were true BEFORE I moved to the East Coast. And I found ALL of them amusing, which means that I MUST be from Oregon.. *grin*
You Know You're From Oregon When You...
# Feel guilty throwing an aluminum can in the trash. # Use the word "sunbreaks" and know what it means. # Know more than 10 words to describe a cup of coffee. # Obey all traffic laws except "keep right unless passing." # Never go camping without waterproof matches and ponchos. # Feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant. # Hear the word "ferry" and think of boats and long waits. # Know more people who own boats than own air conditioners. # Stand on a deserted street corner in the rain waiting for the light to change. (did before living in Baltimore) # Know at least eight people who work for Intel or Nike, or used to work for Tektronix. # Are amazed by an accurate weather forecast. # Consider if it doesn't have snow on it or has not recently erupted, regardless of altitude, it is a "hill" not a "mountain". # Only honk your car horn if a collision is imminent; never for anything else. # Go to a really nice bar and sit at a table. # Think skiing always means being covered from head to toe, in snow or water. # In winter, go to work in the dark and go home in the dark, but only have an eight hour work day. # Can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best and Veneto's. # Know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye salmon. # Know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon and Willamette. # Consider swimming an indoor sport. # Are not fazed by: "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain," and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers." # You cannot wait for a day with "showers and sun breaks." # Have no concept of humidity without precipitation. # Know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind. # Can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover. # You exclaim "the mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it. # Put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and Gore-Tex coat. # Switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on. # Have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain. # Think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists. # Buy new sunglasses every year, because you can't find the old ones after such a long time. # You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day. # You use a down comforter in the summer. # You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat. # You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (spring), Road Construction (summer), and Deer & Elk season (Fall). Current Mood: bored
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June 18th, 2004
09:19 am - colors..
you are lavender #E6E6FA | Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy.
Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working.
Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.
| the spacefem.com html color quiz |
Obviously I am excited to be at work today and am accomplishing great things.
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June 15th, 2004
06:33 pm - Yay!! I got offered a job!!!
This means that I will not be unemployed starting in the Fall!!!
Yay me! Current Mood: bouncy
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June 14th, 2004
05:51 pm - Secrets.. hehehe Very interesting.. who would have ever suspected?
Current Mood: overheated
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10:34 am - Me.
How to make a em_yrt |
Ingredients:
1 part friendliness
1 part brilliance
5 parts beauty |
Method: Stir together in a glass tumbler with a salted rim. Top it off with a sprinkle of sadness and enjoy! |
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June 11th, 2004
08:07 pm - Friday five meme Stolen from meapet
What's the furthest place from your home that you've ever driven to? I drove cross country from Worcester, MA back to Oregon with my mom and grandma after I graduated from college. Ummm... longest there-and-back trip was probably from Baltimore to Orlando, FL. Although when I was a kid, we used to drive down to my grandmothers house in CA relatively frequently and we drove to DisneyLand once. However, *I* was not the actual DRIVER in any of these cases.
What's the longest commute you've ever had for a job? An hour door-to-door from Reisterstown to JHMI.
Ever taken a long-distance trip on a train? Took the train from Baltimore to NYC and back once.. also took the train with my grandmother from CA to OR (that's an overnight trip), but I don't remember it very well.
Which airport that you've been to do you consider the best? St Louis has a nice bookstore.
What was your first car? 1976 Ford Grenada. Kind of a light blue color, although I'm not sure if that was paint or primer. I called it the Wild Blue Yonder (yonder, for short), as in "off we go, into the wild blue yonder". Current Mood: reasonable Current Music: rain
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