You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2008.
Everyone wants to go green. This of course is fabulous – we all need to be a little more conscious of what we buy and how we dispose of it - if we even need to dispose of it! We as humans can be pretty wasteful.
My household has been taking some small steps to do our part to be better to the environment. Small, baby steps all add up. Here’s some things that we’ve been doing:
- Switching our lightbulbs to CFL. We are currently house hunting but at the top of my “need for a new home” list is all new CFL bulbs. Right now we switch over as our old bulbs go.
- Being more dilligent about recycling. We live in an apartment complex that has three bins – one for trash, one for newspaper/cardboard and one for glass. That’s it. For any other recycling we have to go to the local Transfer Station which is a bit of a pain but worth it to do. We’ve gotten better at breaking down the cardboard boxes things like cereal and crackers come in and also recycling junk mail.
- Being careful of what we purchase. The packaging that 100 calorie snacks come in is so wasteful (and super expensive)! Buy the bigger box! I reuse my ziplock baggies or put my snacks in washable containers.
- Cutting back on napkin/papertowel use. I bought some inexpensive cotton napkins and have been using dishtowels more often. I actually hesitate when I go to reach for a papertowel and think “could this be cleaned up a different way?”
- Using reusable shopping bags. I picked up some more of them and keep a few in each of our cars. They also are awesome at transporting stuff to work or other places – not just for getting groceries!
- Unplugging unused electronics. I’ve cut back on coffee (ok, so last week I was bad!) so I leave the coffee maker unplugged unless it’s being used. Toaster? That’s unplugged too. We’re also turning off our computers instead of keeping them on all the time. Lights are always off unless we’re in the room and it needs to be on.
There are many more things we can be doing but this is a start.
Also, this brings up something funny from my childhood. Have any of you heard of Ray Cycle? Growing up he came to my elementary school and also my girlscout camp. He was a superhero who taught us all about the importance of recycling. I still remember the song he sang and taught us: “Re re re re re recylce, re re re re re re reuse it! Don’t don’t do not [something] Don’t don’t don’t abuse it!”
A simple google search found that Ray Cycle is still going strong! Maybe it’s just a CT thing? I was going to post a photo I have of him from my girlscout camp – but unfortunately I can’t find that photo album. I’ll keep looking – and when I find it, I’ll post the pic!
If you are a House fan and haven’t seen the season finale, don’t read any further!
Got it??
Ok, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I finished watching the season finale of House last Tuesday night after work. Sitting in my recliner, I snuggled up to my blanket and bawled during the last half of the episode. How incredibly sad was it that Cut-throat Bitch (ok, is it cut-throat? or cutthroat? or cut throat?) died?? Before I go into that, please check out this site - “she rocks so hard she deserves a website dedicated to her cut-throat bitchery.”
Honestly, I didn’t much like CB much as a character. I mean, she was vindictive, coniving, manipulative – pretty much a female version of House. I rolled my eyes at the parellel and thought the show was going to jump the shark. But alas, it had more in store for us.
When they realized that CB was not going to make it, my stomach fell. That scene where Cuddy tells Wilson that they can ease up on the anesthesia so CB can wake up and he can have a moment with her? I started to fall apart. Wilson is not a terribly strong person but I knew he could do it. And how lucky was he to get that chance to tell her how much she meant to him? Ok, luck has nothing to do with it…but you know what I mean.
A couple of semesters ago, I took a course called the Psychology of Death & Dying. I was very intrigued and didn’t know what to expect. The class was phenomenal and I have an entirely different view on the subject than before. The first day of class, my profesor asked us to answer a few questions. One of them was “How do you want to die?” We were really getting down to the meat of the class weren’t we?
I, along with several of my classmates said that I would like to die painlessly in my sleep. My professor said, “Am I the only one who wants to experience death?” Sure are lady! Who wants to experience their death? Dying is scary – it could hurt, it could just be a flash of light, you could see your past zoom by, you could see people that have passed before, it could just be emptiness. No one really knows. But she went on to clarify, that dying is the last thing you’ll do – it’s inevitable. But, as with all other experiences in life, she wants to fully witness it. Not that by any means she wants it to happen tomorrow, but I started to see her point. And by the end of the class most of us changed our view.
So when Wilson spent that time with CB…or Amber, I thought it was such a beautiful moment. She was able to go with someone she loved taking care of her – she didn’t have to fear anything. In fact, she wanted her last feeling to be anything but anger. Wilson asked her why she wasn’t pissed off that this was happening and she stated that she wanted to go being happy, not angry at something she couldn’t prevent from happening. What a beautifully painful moment. But something tells me that Wilson will never regret taking that moment.
This episode just made me rethink some things that I have done in the past week since I’ve seen it. I know it’s fiction, but it’s important to take time and appreciate the moments you have with the people who mean the most to you. And there’s really nothing wrong with doing that.
Ok, I’ve had this blog for about four months now and I finally figured out how to make it pretty! I’m not usually this web-dumb – I used to pride myself on my web building skills. However; I have not kept up with all that so I’m a bit rusty. I’ve had a LiveJournal of some form since 2001 but that stuff is easy to figure out. WordPress has things called widgets and that’s just a whole new territory!
With that said, I added fun things like what I’m reading and listening to and ways to navigate my page more easier.
My Memorial Day weekend is extended a bit. I have tomorrow off so today is my Saturday. Oliver must go to the vet and I have a haircut scheduled for the afternoon – please do not be jealous! Though as I type, my kitty is curled up in the cat carrier sleeping away so maybe it won’t be so bad?
Another song to add…
Eric Clapton & BB King – Worried Life Blues
(PS – today went wonderfully well! I was home by 330p – the time we originally thought we’d be done!!!! Thanks for the good vibes)
I’m up for a promotion – it all hinges on getting this national study. We have two sites in the running, but I will only get the promotion if a specific site is chosen (which is the one closest to me and if the other one is chosen, it would have been a 1.5 hour ride – one way). We have the people running the clinical trial coming for the visit tomorrow. They will then make their final decision in the next two weeks.
My promotion hinges on tomorrow. I’ve been good all week about trying not to get myself too stressed/worked up/crazy about it but I’ve just started to get butterflies in my stomach just now. I want this so bad I can taste it. We’ve all been working hard the last few months to be ultra prepared for tomorrow and we are.
So please think of me tomorrow and send good vibes!
Originally I wanted to do a post about death, but I think I’ll save that for when I have more energy. Lot’s of stuff going on – specifically tomorrow and I don’t want to think about it or I’ll make myself throw up from the stress of it all.
Instead? Let me tell you a funny story that happened when I got home from work this afternoon.
My husband told me this morning that he would go get a haircut after work so he would be late coming home. The barber is right up the road from us – my husband walks there so I knew he’d beat me home anyway.
Sure enough, I walk through the door and my husband is sitting in the recliner. It was a bit odd since usually I’ll find him on his computer playing a game or something when I get home. He looks at me with the most pitiful face and says, “My haircut was the most traumatic experience!”
WHAT?WHATHAPPENED?
“First off, she said that I looked like Zach Braff and asked me if anyone ever told me I looked like him. I told her no. Then she went on to say that she loves art so much and asked if I ever noticed how well art and science go together. Then she said, ‘I love hair! Whoever invented that we have hair is a genius!’”
The best part though is a part he didn’t tell me about until a half hour later. He said that the woman was going on and on about Zach Braff and the resemblance and said that ZB’s hair was the same length and asked him if she could comb it like his just to see it. He didn’t say anything and just let her do it!!! Then he said “My wife loves Zach Braff so I’m sure she’d love to hear how you think I look like him” to which the woman stopped talking about ZB and went on about science and art and the universe.
Oh to be a fly on that wall.
I later admitted to my husband that there’s been a few occasions in which he reminded me of my beloved ZB but didn’t want to say anything. At least I’m not the only crazy one!
In high school, I was never part of any crowd. I didn’t fit in with the popular kids because my family couldn’t afford the expensive clothes and cars and vacations. I also wasn’t much of a partier or up for kissing people’s asses. Didn’t fit in with the jocks because I wasn’t very athletic. I could kick butt playing floor hockey in gym but that doesn’t count for anything as we don’t have any teams. Didn’t fit in with the really smart crowd – honors students because I didn’t really apply myself as much as I should have. Then there’s the misfits – the kids who wear dark clothes and listen to angry music. Didn’t fit in with them because I liked top 40 or Radio 104 and I liked my average way of dressing. I was never one to stand out.
I did; however, fit in with the underdogs or the people who fly under the radar. I was always the one sticking up for someone who was being teased on the bus or in class. Kids can be so mean and I just didn’t understand why – the kids they picked on never ever did anything to them. Now I see people like to find someone weaker and make fun of them in a way to make themselves look better which never works on me. Being that way, I met a group of people that I could trust and who really knew me.
Last fall I went to my ten year high school reunion. So that gives you a sense of how old I am and how long it’s been since high school for me. The group of friends that I had in high school has dwindled a little and now we’re down to maybe five of us. Five of us who still see eachother at least a few times a year if not more, send holiday and birthday cards and go to eachothers weddings, celebrations for degrees or new houses, etc.
Saturday evening I hung out with these friends to celebrate a master’s degree. After dinner and cake, I looked around the table and was filled with such love. These people laugh at my silly jokes (and not just to humor me! They really laugh!), make me feel confident and are just genuinely happy with my company. These people are where I belong.
I’m so lucky. Never one to have a ton of friends, but the ones I have? They are amazing.
I thought I’d post some positive things….things I am excited about today:
- CA overturned the ban on same sex marriage - Woot! CA finally got something right!
- A participant had such wonderful things to say about me and how I helped them and told their counselor. I’m not much of a person to pat herself on the back but it’s always great to hear that you’ve helped someone and really reminds me why I do what I do.
- I had my last final of the semester and I (hopefully) never have to see those ignorant girls again!
- Itunes Party Shuffle rules me. “Let’s Stay Together” followed by “Seperate Ways” and “Foreplay/Long Time” – it reads my mind, I swear
- I saw a rainbow on my drive home – it made me smile.
- Chatted with my bestie – always makes for a great day
- It’s Thursday – what could be more positive than that? Excellent TV on tonight and it’s just a hop skip and a jump away from the weekend!
- And I was uber excited with the outcome of America’s Next Top Model! (EDIT)
And remember – whatever you sow you will reap.
Since I’m in the mood to reveal things I hate, how about something I love. I fully admit I love celebrity gossip. My google reader is hooked up to People, PINTB and D-List. No Perez Hilton for this girl – I like my gossip straight up classy.
I caught up with my People.com headlines and came across this story:
Nick Cannon knows how to show his devotion – Mariah Carey’s 17-carat engagement ring is proof of that.
But his love was on full display again Tuesday night, when Cannon rented out Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Ca., and threw a surprise bash for his new bride and 100 of their friends. (Price tag for the five-hour rental runs in the six figures.)
“This is wonderful,” Carey told the staff as she entered the theme park. “The best surprise ever!”
Their first order of business? Taking a spin on the Tatsu, one of the park’s famous roller coasters. After posing for photographs, Carey downed her glass of Chardonnay before they both jumped on the ride.
Five inversions, 62 miles per hour, and 3.5 minutes later, the happy couple and about 12 friends returned to solid ground. “When they got off the ride, Mariah wanted gum so Nick unwrapped a piece and fed it to her,” said a guest. “He is head over heels.”
Inside Their Love Story
Carey’s staff quickly fixed her wind-blown tresses and smudged makeup, then the camera-ready pop star – wearing Louis Vuitton jeans and peep-toe pumps – hit up the carnival games with her hubby. (The clearly besotted Cannon stood by her side the entire time they shot hoops.)
“They were so affectionate,” said a guest. “It was like watching two teenagers in love.”
The private party had countless Carey touches, including candlelit tables, lavender and pink balloons (her favorite colors), and faux butterflies placed in the vases and hand painted on cupcakes. The wood sign in front of the Grand Carousel read “Nick and Mariah – A Love Story.”
Guests, including Cannon’s mother, brother and manager Michael Goldman, dined on theme park favorites like hamburgers and pizza while an open bar kept the Hess Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay flowing.
I think my favorite part was this, “Carey’s staff quickly fixed her wind-blown tresses and smudged makeup, then the camera-ready pop star – wearing Louis Vuitton jeans and peep-toe pumps.” Like she can’t go to an amusement park and have her hair all mused up from the big scary rollercoaster her team has to fix her up?! I don’t believe that this was a huge suprise for her anyway. And don’t get me started on the fact that her “closet” is three times the size of my entire apartment. Or that she’s downing Chardonnay at an amusement park!
This is when I get disgusted with celebrities and swear them all off.
You know tomorrow morning I’ll be pouring over this stuff with a cup of coffee (another thing I swore off. I’m so weak!)
One of the things I hate that is at the top of that list is drivers. I hate people who cannot drive. Of course my job does not help me keep my sanity – I live a half hour away from the office and a half hour away from the clinic I work at as well. School? That’s another 45 minutes away. I spend a lot of time in my car needless to say.
Last night I was coming home late – I had a final at 8:30pm. That’s right. I said PM!!! Who does this?? And it was essays no less.
But don’t get me started on that.
There has been construction on the highway I take home. It has been needed, I’ll admit that, but it does not make for a happy commute. I’m not opposed to construction – it just seems that drivers get their heads stuck up their asses when there is construction. They seem to miss the 5 huge orange signs (some are even flashing!) that say “Merge left, construction ahead!” and merge at the last second.
Add this to an onramp that is really horrible. I used to take it when I would get my haircut but then I found myself getting so frustrated with it that I will drive a mile up the back roads to get on the highway to avoid this particular onramp. It’s poorly designed – it’s really short and right before the interchange with a couple of different routes. Now there is a construction zone less than a mile away – this spells trouble.
However; the onramp of doom? It has a yield sign. In order to safely get onto the highway, you have to yield to oncoming traffic already on the highway. People don’t understand how this works. Do they not teach you the basic traffic signs and what to do in driver’s ed????
So last night, I’m driving in the right hand lane which I hate because I know the onramp of doom is coming up – but I have no choice. Five orange signs yelled at me to move over to the right and I can now see the big trucks and bright lights ahead. Well, some douchebag comes flying up the onramp and I could tell he has no intentions of stopping to yield. Nope, he’s flying at me. I can’t move over to the left because the cones are starting and I can’t slow down because I have an equally douchey guy riding my bumper. So I just continue and pray and beep my horn at douchebag number one because he’s an idiot and it’s too dark out for him to see me yelling.
I provided a diagram* for you to see…My car is the beige one and Douchebag 1 is the green little car. See what I mean?
We continue on through the construction zone and I stopped thinking about it. Then we get to the interchange and I continue straight and he veers off to the right. Only now we are parrellel and I for whatever reason look over and he’s waving a big ol’ middle finger!
WHAT?!?! I’m not the one who can’t read signs bucko! UGH! I guess he got his way – blame someone else and get them fired up. Because I’m writing a post about it nearly 24 hours later! It’s one thing if you make a traffic mistake and realize it afterwards but to blatantly not get it and blame someone who wasn’t doing anything wrong but trying to get home in one piece…that blows my mind.
*clearly not drawn to scale. can you tell I’m excellent at art??
Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King by Dave Matthews Band
You said what?