I am discovering that while it takes a lot of alcohol to get me drunk or even buzzy, beer makes my nose stuffy and sneezy. This makes me sad, as I am rather fond of beer. Will beer and my sinuses even be reconciled?
February 2003 Archives
I am discovering that while it takes a lot of alcohol to get me drunk or even buzzy, beer makes my nose stuffy and sneezy. This makes me sad, as I am rather fond of beer. Will beer and my sinuses even be reconciled?
Hey kids, it's film festival time. So whadya wanna see? I'm making my list and checking it twice. I'm hoping to take in anywhere from 4-6 films that weekend. To make things even more fun, Eddie from Ohio is playing at Luther's Blues that Saturday. Timing will be everything.
E-mail petition? Toldya so.
Thanks to the fine folks at Metafilter, I have now been introduced to The Story About the Baby. I have to read it in small chunks, otherwise my sides start to ache from the laughing, and my neighbors might start to wonder.
I just got back from a party at my upstairs neighbors' apartment. I'm very glad I went, even though I knew no one. For one thing, I got to see an apartment just like mine, but with different decor. I now have ideas. There will be some rearranging soon.
For another thing, I got to meet some very nice people, including said neighbors. I like meeting new people, though it usually scares the hell out of me. Typical Aquarius fashion, I am a bit standoffish, and need to be invited in. Otherwise, I just stand around and observe from a distance. These people were all quite friendly, and I never felt awkward or out of place. (I wonder if it helped that I felt like I was in an alternate reality version of my own home.) I got my palm read. (Someone else was reading auras, but I skipped that.) Twas interesting.
Finally, the food was plentiful and tasty (said the food-digger). There's just something about party food.
Really now, I must invite them down to my place sometime. Do I have any excuse for a party yet?
To the person who got here looking for 1950 Hotpoint push button: Oh, come back! Do you have one? Tell me about it. We can exchange oven stories. I want to know all about your stove....
<ok, starting to sound like a freak now. backing off....>
I just spent the day pretending it was summer. Strolled about the Bolz Conservatory and then had a leisurely swim at my health club. Much fun was had, and I must do that more often. Could get me through till it really is.
In other news, Club Majestic had it's grand opening tonight. I was not in attendance, but I am dying to see it, so I must get over there soon. I want it to be great; not only because I miss the theater, but because there are such a dearth of good dance spots around here. Samara Kalk Derby liked it, as did Al Ritchie.
Wanna go wanna go wanna go.
My favorite mayoral candidate made it through the primary. Yay! My second favorite did not, but my least favorite herroner da mare did not. Whoo yah!
Say it with me now: chess-LEV-ich. Go Dave!
Hey, I never mentioned my big street-corner pot score from last night.
Ok, someone was throwing out a dead plant in a perfectly good, very large terra cotta flower pot. Yoink! Mine, all mine.
<bum-dum-bum>
Last spring, I was very close to accepting a job in Daegu, Korea. I decided against it for a number of reasons, but when the anti-American sentiment in Korea started to rise, I was glad of my choice. Today, I have yet another reason.
Police have arrested a 56-year-old man in connection with the blaze which was started during the morning rush hour on Tuesday....
According to eyewitness reports, a man started the fire in a carriage by setting alight a milk container containing flammable liquid.
"When the man tried to use a cigarette lighter to light the box, some passengers tried to stop him. Apparently a scuffle erupted and the box exploded into flames," Kim Byong-hak, a police lieutenant in Daegu, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
Terrible. Not like that sort of thing couldn't happen here.
I got a free movie pass yesterday, so today I finally went to see The Two Towers. I found it somehow more enjoyable than the first. The Ents were nice, but not quite as I envisioned them (and not quite enough to make up for the lack of Tom Bombadil in the FOTR). Gollum/Smeagol, however, was great. Reminded me a wee bit of Dobby from Harry Potter, but in a fun way. I totally loved the scene in which he is working out his inner conflict, pre-betrayal.
I have to admit that it was nice to see Liv Tyler sailing off to parts unknown. The blonde wench is much more Aragorn's type, anyway. I still very much appreciated the attention to detail in the make-up and costuming. The unwashed hair, the cracked and dirty fingernails, the threadbare clothing...excellent. (But my goodness, Legolas' hair always looks great.)
Following that three hour adventure, I got out of the theater in just enough time to partake in an old American tradition: theater hopping. I was able to take in a showing of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which I doubt I would have *ever* paid to see. A cute little chick-flick, see it as a matinee, wait till it gets to a second run theater, or rent the video. Or theater hop.
I saw many really forgettable trailers for movies I'd rather never see (including Bruce Almighty which preceded both films—save me!). On the up side, I got to see the trailer for X-Men 2 and Down With Love, which looked wierd, funny, and promising.
Categories:
Whilst skating, I do not mind in the least sharing the ice with competent hockey players. They tend to be aware and in control. The bad hockey playes, OTOH, should be avoided like the train wreck they are. Puck flying one way, stick flailing another, and no attention to anything but themselves: very dangerous combo.
It is just a wee bit disheartening when learning HTML to keep reading, "The W3C has deprecated [whatever] in favor of style sheets." It makes me say, 'Ah man' but I learn it any way.
A rose is a rose is a rose. Dorothy Parker sure got tired of them. What about the rest of the flowers of the field?
Diamonds are a warlord's best friend. Boycott blood diamonds, and tell DeBeers where they cah shove it.
And then there is chocolate. So traditional, so fulfilling. Theobroma, food of the gods. Some people just can't get enough.
You could send your sweetie some virtual chocolate or just give her/him a kiss. If you are feeling adventurous, there's always chocolate body paint.
Why chocolate? Well why not? Many view chocolate to be an aphrodisiac. Some even find it to be better than sex (though others might argue against that).
When is comes to chocolate, everyone has their own favorite brand or style. (Except those people who don't like it or can't eat it. I pity the latter and to the former I say: more for me.) Some prefer dark, some prefer milk. Some prefer it straight up, some mixed with other candy (like caramel), and some prefer it in baked goods. There is no one right way to have it.
I know I posted this last year, but it bears repeating: unforgetable love letters. Will any such come from our era, filled as it is with instant messaging and e-mail?
In case you have the urge to write one yourself, here are some hints (circa 1882) on how to proceed. The three things to remember, it seems, are grammar, spelling, and dignity.
Send your own...er...Valentine. (Courtesy of NPR's The Annoying Music Show.) Maybe something sexy?Or maybe something a little more kid-friendly? Finally, e-cards from my favorite London-based blogger.
If e-cards aren't your speed, sit back and enjoy some Victorian Valentine cards while you get out the red paper doilies, gold glitter and paste. Go to town, my friend!
There are those who prefer to celebrate anti-Valentine's Day, also known as Claudius the Goth Day. They may not even celebrate at all. Sometimes, you can't really blame them. Then there is the Valentine's Day Massacre, which added a far different type of red to the day.
I have to admit, I have a long-standing awkwardness with the holiday. It was fun as a little kid, but there is something in a gradeschool Valentine's party that can be utterly demoralizing. Multiply that by eight, then tack on four years of high school and by the time I'd reached adulthood the day had really soured for me.
I am slowly regaining an appreciation for it though. Who can resist the lure of candy conversation hearts (though what's with the new ones that say "Fax me"?) or red hots? Then there is all that half-off chocolate the next day. Besides all that, it can be fun to give out cheesy little cards to all your friends and relatives. I still squirm a little about the goofy, gooey stuff but I'm wearing red today.
Bring on the hearts...I cantake 'em.
Of course, everyone knows Valentine's Day is just another stupid Hallmark holiday, right? Wrong.
Well then, meet St. Valentine.
Of course, like many Christian holidays, the traditions of Valentine's Day trace back to older rituals. In this instance, the most visible is the festival of Lupercalia.
Hey, when you are up to your knees in snow and the windchill is 30 below, why argue with an excuse to cuddle up?
Some birthday leftovers.
I attended the opening reception of the UW Art Dept. Quadrennial at the Elvejhem Museum. It was quite fun and I ran into a lot of my former professors (big surprise there). The hors d'oeuvres where not what they were at the last show in 1999, but the art certainly was up to scratch. I even "won a prize" at an installation piece. Now I have my very own screen print of a toy soldier. Joy is mine.
I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Sunroom Cafe. ended up without a birthday cake this year, but I was so full after dinner that it wasn't really an issue.
Finally, I topped off the night seeing Spirited Away once more, as it was playing at the Memorial Union Play Circle. Yippy!
By the by, there is no doubt: I am most definitely and Aquarius.
Words of advice and caution: when grinding up super-hot Thai peppers for chili, do not under any circumstances touch your eyes, nose, or any other mucus membranes until washing you hands very thoroughly.
On that note, putting a dab of cold cream around your nostrils will help reduce the burning.
Hey remember that software I was so excite to have gotten? Well, upon installing, I discoverd that while the Dreamweaver/Fireworks package is for both Windows and Mac, the Flash/Freehand package is only for Windows. Boo-hoo. No Flash for Katherine.
*Sigh* What can I expect for free? I guess I'll give it back.
Well, mostly. I got the car door fixed, true. However, as I was slowly turning into my driveway, I slid on the ice and into a telephone pole. Since I wasn't moving at anything more than a creep, the pole is completely undamaged, but I did put a bendy dent in the front bumper of the Jeep. It sucks, butI can live with it. If I do want to fix it,I can get a new one for under $100, and changing parts on a Jeep isn't rocket science.
The only other fly in my ointment today is that the washing machine in my building has stopped working mid-load. It isn't unbalance or anything...just off. So I have a load of laubdry sitting in a machine full of icey cold water. I'm not sure if it got through the rinse cycle, either, so I think it is dirty water. Needless to say, I am watching vigilantly for my landlord (and upstrais neighbor) to come home. I stuck a note on the front door for him, too, in case I miss him. Blah! :P
I had a beautiful time skating Tenny Park this afternoon. I got there before the shelter opened, but that was ok. The sun was shining, the wind was light, the ice was newly groomed, and there was only one other person out skating.
I'm having a pretty good birthday so far.
Two great customer service people in one week! On Sunday I went to Jones New York to find a plain white blouse (harder to find than you would imagine). They had one in my size that was perfect, but it had a rip in the seam. So, the sales lady called another store and had one shipped to me. I got it for less, too, even with shipping since it was from an outlet store. Today I went to Gates Auto Body to have an estimate done on my broken driver's door latch. Not only did the guy fix it in the spot, but he did it for free.
In a world full of snotty and rude "customer service" people, it is great to find those that actually go the extra mile, and do so cheerfully. It is good for their businesses, also. I know I will go back, and I will recommend them to others (as I'm doing now).
It's good to know people. It's good to know people who know people. Yesterday, I was given the Macromedia Flash 5/Freehand 10 studio and the Dreamweaver 4/Fireworks 4 studio. Both are totally legit and completely unopened. Almost $900 of software for free! :D The person who gave them to me was given them by a friend who works for the company, but was never going to use them.
The fact that Macromedia just came out with new versions of all these things matters not a wit to me. I am excited to be able to add them to the list of things I am learning: studio lighting, Photoshop, illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, HTML, typography.
I like learning stuff. I also like free stuff. This is a match made in heaven. Rock on.
To all those people who have been whining and complaining about the lack of snow:
BITE ME!!!
That is all.
And now, the long promised Chicago review:
can it be that the movie musical is really making a comeback? First there was Everbody Says I Love You back in 1996. (Ok, it sucked, but in a fun way.) 2000 brought us Love's Labour's Lost (which I haven't seen). In 2001, Baz Luhrman wowwed us with Moulin Rouge. And now there is Chicago.
I went to the theater expecting to enjoy myself, and I was not disappointed. As many times as I have seen Fosse's A Chorus Line, I was unfamiliar with Chicago.
The casting was solid. I particularly loved Queen Latifah's turn as Matron 'Mama' Morton. I have never thought the term "ample bosom" so appropriate as when she sang "When You're Good to Mama". Even the cameos were fun.
The cinematography was very MTV, but in a positive way. It doesn't hurt the film. In fact, the flashy jumpcuts and sparkling color give it a vitality that the old Hollywood style of stationary, head-on shots (made necessary by the technical limitations of early filmaking) would have lacked. The fact that it covered any shortcomings in anyone's dance skills is also a plus. I'm sure that Richard Gere is not the tap-master that was Gene Kelly.
Also of note, the movie was directed by Rob Marshall, who was born in Madison. Local boy!
All in all, quite fun, and something I'd be tempted to see again.
Hey, check it out. Suburban Limbo has a re-design, too! (As well as a bunch of new posts.)
You may have noticed that I added a new gallery during the re-design. Shadows on Silver is another show that I would love to do in real life if I had the time and framing budget. Of course, now that I've got this gallery up and running, I think I am going to have to rework the coding on Wicked Women and Look.
What does one do with leftover sushi?
Friday night, a friend and I went to Edo for sushi. I ordered the sushi combo: an Alaska roll, plus eight pieces of sushi. It also came with miso soup and salad. It was surprisingly huge, and in the end, I couldn't finish. The waitress boxed it up for me, but as I stared at it in the fridge the next day, I wondered if I could still trust it. I have no problem eating fresh raw fish at a good restaurant, but there is just something about raw fish that has sat on my plate for awhile, then in a box in the car, and finally in my refridgerator for over 12 hours...I couldn't trust it. Two big, lovely slices of salmon and yellowtail—how could I eat it? How could I waste it?
Suddenly I had my answer. I grabbed a skillet and a wee bit of flour, salt, and pepper. I sauteed the fish in some olive oil, and they made a delightful little snack, sprinkled with fresh lemon juice. I feel a little barbaric, but I didn't waste anything and I don't have food poisoning. Go me!
On a side note: I also discovered that I am not a big fan of squid. That rubbery texture makes me shudder.
Speaking of winter, Jimmy the Groundhog and our overcast sky are predicting an early spring.
Have I mentioned Fidgeting for Fitness? I don't think I have. Well, since the weather has gotten cold, I haven't been doing a whole lot outside. Biking is right out for me, with the temps being either above freezing or minus zero with windchill, I haven't gotten in much ice skating. I am fed up with the long drive to get to the gym, so what can I do to keep fit until spring? Fidgeting.
Whether I am working on the computer or waiting for something, I usually have bouncing legs or swinging arms. If I have to stand around, I jump from foot to foot. Overall, I try to keep in constant (or at least frequent) motion. Probably not the world's greatest workout, but it is definitely better than nothing. When paired with a decent quanitity of running up and down stairs, and parking in the farthest spots and walking when I've driven somewhere, I think it will at least keep me from getting to soggy and sad this winter.
