November 26, 2003
November 25, 2003
Thanksgiving
Some of the Good Things (as my friend Martha Stewart would say) from this past year which I'm thankful for:
*God's continuing grace and mercy.
*My church.
*Living with Emily has worked out unbelievably well, especially considering the fact that we moved in together knowing little more about each other than that we both needed a roommate.
*My little niece, Sophie. I'm also thankful that Aaron and Amy moved from Ruston to Calhoun, so I can go see them a lot more easily.
*I've been able to travel quite a bit. I've also had several good friends come visit me.
*A good year with my job.
November 24, 2003
Salmagundi*
*I can't shake this under-the-weather-ness. I wouldn't say I'm still sick, but I'm certainly sub-standard. It doesn't help that Nyquil keeps me awake. (I live in bizarro world.) I didn't realize this until it was too late. I've decided to stop taking cold medicine and just deal with the symptoms because I can't handle being zoned out anymore. The lack of sleep and lack of concentration is making me mean.
*I think Rachel and I have found a new place to live in January. We really liked the first place we went to. I expected it to be a dump because the rent is so much less than my current digs, but it's actually pretty nice. Plus, it's a townhouse, which means no upstairs neighbors and no downstairs neighbors. I'm sure one of us will fall down the stairs, but it'll be okay because it's really close to the hospital. It also lacks a washer/dryer, but it's got an extra half-bath, which we would have to sacrifice in order to get the washer/dryer. Walking across the parking lot and shelling out some quarters for laundry is a small price to pay for an extra bathroom.
*It's been a good year. I think I'll make a list of some of the things I'm thankful for this Thinksgiving. I know, I know. It's kind of sappy, but I could always stand to be more thankful than I am.
*The word of the day is: Salmagundi.
November 22, 2003
The Airing of Grievances
Let it be known that it really irritates me when a person uses the word "assume" and others feel obligated to say, "you know what happens when you assume!: it makes an ASS out of U and ME!" *wink, wink*
Yeah. We've heard that 6 billion times. It may have been funny the first 100,000 times, but it's kind of lost its luster. Resist the urge.
November 21, 2003
November 20, 2003
November 18, 2003
15 Bucks Down the Drain
Remember that flu shot I got last week? Well, it turns out, I've got the flu anyway. Okay, I'm not 100% certain it's the actual flu (I didn't go to the doctor or anything extreme like that), but whatever it is, my symptoms match the description on the box of Theraflu, which, by the way, is not as delicious as they lead you to believe.
November 16, 2003
Dear Christin Advice Column
From time to time, I check my sitemeter to see what search words people use to find my blog. I've had some pretty funny ones in the past, like "It turned out I was really bored" and "happiness is a crock of beans." But I looked at it the other day and found one of the more interesting searches: "I got sideburns but I want to get rid of them without my mom knowing." Hmm. Here's my advice:
Dear Sideburns,
Your question is rather vague. I can't tell if your mother wants you to have the sideburns or not.
If in fact, you grew the sideburns, but want to lose them before your mom finds out you ever had them: lighten up. It's not like you got your nose peirced or got a big tattoo or something. They're sideburns. They're easily disposed of. If you don't want your mom to know you had them: shave them. At someone else's house. If you've gone this far without her knowing you had them, surely you can find the time to shave them elsewhere.
However, if your problem is the opposite: you don't want your mom to know you got rid of the sideburns (you would like your mother to think you still have them), you have two choices: you can (a)draw them on with some eyeliner and hope your mom doesn't notice how smooth they are or (b)you can leave town for a few weeks and grow them out again before you come home.
Your need for keeping this a secret from your mom concerns me, Sideburns. Perhaps you and your mother have some deeper issues besides the facial-hair problem. Maybe you should seek professional help.
Christin
November 14, 2003
I Might Regret Saying This
I need more drama in my life: not a lot of drama, just a smidge more.
Turns out, I like things as they are.
November 12, 2003
In Only 48 Years...
Wow! The American mindset has changed so much, it's hard to believe that this came from the same nation we live in now.
November 11, 2003
This Stinks!
If you've ever been to Monroe, you probably know that we live near a papermill, so it frequently smells bad here. Both the smell and the strength changes a lot, so you never know what you're going to get. Thankfully, the smell doesn't sneak into homes unless the windows are opened which the weather doesn't allow that often anyway. The smell isn't as bad at my apartment as it is at my office, so every morning when I get to work, I play the game that's sweeping the nation, "name that stench" (not to be confused with Triangulate! the other game that's sweeping the nation). Yesterday, when I got off work, it smelled oddly like old banana bread. This morning, it was more like, "oops! I forgot to take out the trash!" Aaron and Amy call their papermill game "name that rotten food." They've come up with classics like "ham salad" and "old broccoli." If you live here or if you're just passing through, you should play a round. Even though it's gross, it's really rather amusing.
November 10, 2003
1,046.5 Miles Later
I had a fantastic trip to Florida. Apart from the long drive, everything was perfect. On the way there, Emily and I spent a good deal of time shopping for her wedding dress in Jackson. That, coupled with the very bad directions I got from Mapquest (they're very vague: turn left in 72.3 miles...rather than take exit # whatever and head south on highway # whatever) made our drive there a bit long. Anyway, after I stopped to buy a map to navigate the old-fashioned way, we took a um...scenic rural highway through southern Mississippi (or "Missippi" as we say) and over all, we only spent about 45 minutes more than we should have on the road.
Our condo could not have been nicer. The weather was ideal. The water was warm. The shopping was great (though I only bought one Christmas present). The company was fun. We got to pet an alligator. It was everything you need in a short vacation.
I got to see lots of people who I haven't seen in a while and hang out with some old friends. Of course I got very little sleep (which I'm suffering for today), but it was worth it: I didn't drive 500 miles to sleep. I'm definitely going to try to go back next year. Good times.
Back to work now....only 3 weeks until my next 4 day weekend.
November 04, 2003
80's Quiz
I've tried to stay away from posting quizzes, but this one (which I stole from Duane) is really fun. Unfortunately, I was barely cognizant during the early 80's, so I didn't get a fantastic score. (41.5)
Etiquette Question
Is it rude to ask someone who they're going to vote for? I can think of some circumstances in which it would be inappropriate, but I was told yesterday that it is always rude to ask anyone about their political views. Is that true? Not that I go around asking people who they're voting for, but I've done it before and I want to know if people walked away from me thinking I was really nosy.
November 03, 2003
"The Holidays"
Is it time for The Holidays already? I noticed Saturday, while I was out running errands, that the Halloween stuff was nowhere to be seen and Christmas stuff was everywhere. It seems like The Holidays start earlier every year...not that I'm complaining. I'm a big fan of The Holidays. In fact, I hope to take care of a lot of my Christmas shopping while I'm in Florida later this week. I have no idea what I'm going to get anyone. This isn't planned shopping, it's more like hopeful shopping: I'll find something for everyone on my list *hopefully*. Of course, I better start making a list of my own, too, because if I don't have one by mid-November, I get reminded every other day that I haven't turned in "the list" yet.
I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving, too. We're expecting a crowd and I love having a crowd.
Now, if only it would get cold here, instead of being a sunny 79 degrees, I could really get in the Holiday spirit.