the word in language is half someone else's

So I did this in 2011, and it was actually really fun - I liked keeping track of things as I read, and I also really enjoyed looking back periodically to remember what I'd read so far that year. Here, then, is Year Two of the book log!

( books 2012 + thoughts )

HEY INTERNET, LET'S TALK ABOUT BOOKS.

The Wire: *is amazing*
etben: !!!!!!!!!
soundslikej: I know, right?
etben: But - but they set that up!
soundslikej: Yup!
etben: like, at the beginning of the season, with that throwaway shot!
soundslikej: Yup!
etben: only it wasn't a throwaway! IT WAS SETUP FOR GENIUS.
soundslikej: Yup! ...honey, stop gnawing on your fingers.
etben: ...can I gnaw on your fingers, then?
soundslikej: ...no.
etben: but - but I have so many feelings.
soundslikej: ...
etben: o____________o
soundslikej: okay, but ONLY A LITTLE.


In conclusion, I love:
• The Wire
• soundslikej
• friday nights of doing NOTHING
• Stringer Bell (...ish.)
• Honey Moon.
• soundslikej

Anybody who feels like discussing any of those things should feel free to contact me! I HAVE ALL OF THE FEELINGS.

Heyyyyy internet!

soundslikej and I have had a VERY EXCITING Saturday, by which I mean that we mostly puttered around the house and flumped on the couch a lot. BUT! We also did some of the household tasks we've been neglecting, which was exciting. ALL OF THE LAUNDRY EVER: done and folded! Christmas tree needles in the hall (which we've been reminding each other about ALL WEEK and then forgetting anyways): swept up!

But in the process, we realized that we have a problem. Now, I call this problem "If we lived in a civilized state with bottle returns in grocery stores, this wouldn't happen."

Jai calls it ( OH MY GOD THAT'S A LOT OF BOOZE. )

So we made a voyage to Kappy's and returned...almost all of that? Or, no, the bag of cider didn't go, because we knew from sad experience that they wouldn't take it. But the rest of it was recycled for the (measley $.05, wtf is this state up to, where I come from, fnargle bargle) deposit.

...and then we bought some more, because we're great.

Speaking of amusing regional differences, when we went to get our tree, we saw ads for KISSING BALLS. I loled a LOT, but soundslikej assures me that this is an actual THING around these parts.

( This, I am informed, is a Kissing Ball (lol kissing ball) )

...yeah, I'm stuck on KISSING BALLS. Because I am TWELVE, WHAT.

other adventures in regionalisms: frappes (which are...possibly the same as malts? but possibly just milkshakes) and slush (which is kind of like a sno-cone, I guess? but distinct from a slush-ee. IDK, I just thought it was funny that the gas station convenience store was advertising ICE CREAM AND SLUSH.) and, of course, the epic pie debate. Changing states is fun! And educational!

HEY INTERNET. lordessrenegade and I have a situation on our hands: we are two grown-ish people who like to eat a variety of things, but dislike spending massive amounts of dollars on the process and don't really know enough recipes to keep things exciting! Also, we have a slow-cooker. And since many of you are or have been in similar situations, we thought we'd turn to you for help, so: what are your favorite recipes? Cheap and easy preferred, but we're willing to branch out some.

In return, here are some of my personal favorites: ( easy company beef, lentils and things, pesto for days. )

OM NOM NOM EAT ALL THE FOODS.

there was a dude on the airport shuttle bus who was straight up whining about how far away the hotel was, and how shitty it was, and about the traffic, and the airline, and I was just - SIR YOU ARE AT LEAST TWICE MY AGE. PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES ALREADY. and apparently he's on my plane tomorrow morning, so, you know. THAT should be exciting!

so, yes. flight massively overbooked, so I took the $400 travel voucher and the night in the (honestly NOT THAT AWFUL) hotel (WHICH HAS FREE WIFI AND A POOL I SERIOUSLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THIS DUDE'S DEAL WAS) and will be making it home tomorrow sometime! I'm honestly totally cool about it - I am going to try to hang out with some of the MSP people tonight, but failing that there's a mexican place across the street and I have a mattress and a television and a shower all for myself, plus the aforementioned wireless, so. Life: not actually that bad!

Next task: trying to find actual skin color under the layers of accumulated grime on my feet. If you're around, you should tell me interesting things!

PLACES I HAVE BEEN TODAY:

• auto shop
• campus (dad's office)
• doctor's office
• mom's office
• storage unit
• bank
• home
• mom's office
• auto shop
• campus (bookstore)
• tire shop
• storage unit
• tire shop
• home

The car (my dad's), it turns out, has locking lug nuts on its wheels. The car, I am assured by my family, my memory, and common sense, did not have locking lug nuts on it the last time we checked. Either way, we do not have a key to said locking lug nuts, which means we cannot remove the tires, which means that the break work (the reason for the first trip to the auto shop) cannot be done.

Basically, unless there is a confrontational performance artist roaming my town at night and replacing the lug nuts of unsuspecting citizens with rassinfrassin locking lug nuts, I can only conclude that somebody, somewhere, has fucked up very badly indeed.

EDIT: but in the end, I managed to go to my appointment, get my textbook, and do the homework for tomorrow, so on the whole I am prepared to call today a success. Now: naptime.

The problem with LJ: We all think we are so close, but really we know nothing about one another. So I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Ask away.

rl-shenanigans update: was in boston (\o/), am now NOT in boston (boooooo), am probably going to try to get over to chicago at...some point?, am still not getting anything written (but hope to change that soon?), am still only sort of getting shit done w/r/t future plans (but am DEFINTELY going to kick that into high gear pretty soon), am tinhatting john crichton and aeryn sun HARDER THAN ANY PAIRING EVER* WHAT THE HELLLLLLL, am still living in my parents' basement and basically okay with that fact, am still mostly loving my job (and still love to complain about it). Still bad at commenting; still love your faces.

Oral exams this week! Let's see how many terrible jokes I can make about this fact. (HINT: probably more than any of you really want to hear.)



*with the exception of etben/jai, which is my otp to end all otps. ♥

THIS GIRL! \o/

*twirls*

1. I am on dreamwidth! Mostly still poking around; probably won't say anything of import for a while while I get settled. Add me, don't add me—just drop me a line if I know you and haven't found you yet. (especially if you have changed your name!) Will be crossposting for a while, I think? so there's no real need to follow me both places.

2. The weather here (in the northwoods. Not at Dreamwidth. There is no weather on the internet.) is absolutely glorious. Mid-sixties! in APRIL! I totally walked to the office today to see if I had mail, and it was so wonderful out that I totally didn't care about my utter lack of mail.

3. I have been being BEAUTIFULLY organized this week, and we now have a daily kitchen schedule that actually looks like it won't kill anybody! Or, well, won't kill anybody more than camp usually kills people. Which—let's not lie, camp is pretty intense. But in the good way!

My boss hasn't emailed me back to mock my OCD yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

4. Real life nonsense: I am still waiting to hear back from the Last Grad School, who have waitlisted me. On the one hand, they are a totally awesome program and my first choice in every conceivable way, and if they accept me and it is not a total financial shitstorm I will be there in a microt. On the other hand, I can't lie: it is kind of frustrating to have to keep waiting. "I don't know! Um, stuff?" is not a good answer to "What are you doing next year?"

On the OTHER other hand, I applied for a job that is not exactly relevant to my interests but pretty darn close, and just yesterday got the good word that I should hear some kind of response within two weeks! And of course it is entirely likely that I will get a polite "no thanks", or that I'll get a rigorous round of interviews and then a polite "no thanks", but still. I like timelines!

5. In other news (and because I know what the girls like), I can now no longer buy bras at Target, because they don't stock 32DD. Which—I know it is all about my ribcage, and that my boobs have not actually gotten bigger? But double letters seem so ominous. WHAT THE HELL, COULDN'T YOU SHARE THE ONE LETTER BETWEEN YOU? Greedy.