The Choreography of a Coincidence

In my dream house,

In my dream house, next to the marble countertops and wood-burning brick oven in the kitchen, there will be an ice maker like Taco Bandito's.

BTW, if you ever have

BTW, if you ever have to search for airline tickets along with hotels and rental cars, expedia.com is a fabulous place to do so.

That said, who wants to go to Boston this summer?

Dude, Dr. Grant totally commented

Dude, Dr. Grant totally commented on my blog! In honor of which, he shall have his non-botanical celebrity match posted.

I took a classic

I took a classic fall yesterday (at 5:30 in the morning, if it makes it any more understandable), tripping over an electrical outlet mounted in the floor, reeling headfirst straight down into the industrial-grade carpet. Chevy Chase would have been proud. Fortunately, I was only in the company of Christin and Aleta, who were able to obtain the maximum entertainment level possible from the sight with the least personal embarrassment to me. (Aleta has seen me fall out of my chair at the office so much that she really doesn't find it funny anymore).

I scraped my knees in the process, which is something I hate. It's not that it hurts so much; it's more of a psychological thing. It makes me feel like a 5-year old.

MEMO Attention all angry bankers

MEMO

Attention all angry bankers and real estate agents:

Do not take that tone of voice with me. It is not my fault that my employer has not returned your calls. Contrary to popular opinion, I am not taking your phone messages and scattering them to the 4 winds.

Apparently, you also do not believe me when I tell you that the appraiser you are looking for is not here, as evidenced by your showing up at the office 3 times a day, asking for him. Search the upstairs if you wish. I'm not screening his calls; he's really not here. And I wish you wouldn't sit here in front of my desk staring at me, waiting for him to return, because it creeps me out.

And if you are calling to ask where your appraisal is, let it be noted that your phone inquiries every hour, on the hour, do not help me to wade through this ever-growing mountain of paperwork any quicker. I am only one English Major, trying desperately to stay ahead of 4 appraisers who cannot punctuate or spell and who have bitten off more than they can chew.

Finally, let me just state that the phrase, "It's a major rush," means absolutely nothing to me anymore. Get in line.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Respectfully Submitted,

Micah Lewis, Office Manager

I showed Aaron and Aleta

I showed Aaron and Aleta Duane's celebrity match list from a few weeks ago, and between the three of us, we were able to add a few. See what you think.

Duane
Aleta
Amy Booth
Courtney
Lisa
JeniLiz
Matt
Beth Chin
Chandler

When the phone rings

When the phone rings and the Caller ID simply reads "Big Boys", you never know exactly what you're getting into.

My little brother had

My little brother had a wreck, found a fantastic apartment with free rent for 2 years (did you get that? 2 YEARS), and paid off an engagement ring all in the same day.

I did laundry and went to choir.

A SYNOPSIS OF EASTER WEEKEND

A SYNOPSIS OF EASTER WEEKEND

Thursday: Missed all of Friends, Will & Grace, and ER (so if anyone out there is still keeping up, fill me in). Opted instead for a free meal and a 3-movies-for-$10 deal at Blockbuster. Fell asleep 30 minutes into The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and snored through the entire thing (much to the amusement of everyone else in the room).

Friday: Though it was my first day off since New Year's, I was unable to convince my subconscious that I really didn't have to wake up at 5:30. Did baby shower stuff all day; once again tried to watch The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and, as expected, fell asleep, snoring for the amusement of an entirely new audience.

Saturday: Began baking baby shower cake at 5:30 in the morning, when suddenly realized that I had left the eggs at the Eley's the night before. To avoid a trip to Wal-Mart, I thought I'd be super smart and borrow some eggs from the Wilkins' outdoor refrigerator (as I would be replacing them within a few hours). After successfully risking being arrested in pyjamas and slippers robbing garage refrigerators, I made the cake. However, I forgot to mention the eggs to the Wilkins until that night...and it turns out I stole some of Mr. Carter's fresh eggs. That they had been looking forward to having for breakfast.

Braved the Saturday mall crowd with Aleta and infant; successfully convinced her that it would not be okay to change a diaper in the middle of the food court. Number of Easter dresses tried on: approximately 45,679. Number of Easter dresses purchased: approximately 0.

Viewed 2nd of 3 Blockbuster movies--What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams, which my parents would not let me see at the theatre when it came out (when I was 17, by the way). Most of my movie viewing these days is spent catching up on all the films I wasn't allowed to see. I though it was interesting, but there were so many special effects that I got tired of looking at it after awhile. I wanted to see something real and not imaginary.

Then got sucked into watching this French movie with subtitles that the Peacocks sent over. Fell asleep and snored through it.

Sunday night: Finished laundry while viewing 3rd movie, Pleasantville. I feel really bad about liking this one, b/c the message is just outrightly horrendous. But the special effects were so neat.

THIS GIRL CANNOT SING.

THIS GIRL CANNOT SING.

The fact that Carmen is still on American Idol while Kimberly Caldwall is not makes me question the integrity of the entire show.

HUGE NEWS I edited

HUGE NEWS

I edited my blog list. I have no idea who the last two people are on it, but I like how they write. Read at your own risk.

COMMERCIAL ART Leonetto Cappiello

COMMERCIAL ART

Leonetto Cappiello is often called the father of the Modern Poster. His posters are a sequel to the works of the artists such as Villemot, Cheret and Pal. The Italian born artist, born in Leghorn in 1875, became famous in 1900 and created posters in Paris for over forty years. In the beginning, he became quite popular as a caricaturist working for magazines. His style was humorous and joyful, with bold colors and he went on to become a successful posterist just at a time when the output of the 1890's had begun to slow. Cappiello was the poster artist to work in the traditions of the nineteenth century.

Cappiello had a clear antecedents in his style but he developed an entirely original approach to the means of portraying the pictorial message. By means of wide color planes and highly exaggerated colors and situations, he shocked, surprised and moved. He began his career with a very gestural style and then went on to lead the bold graphic style of the Art Deco movement as it flowered in the 1902's and 30's. He designed posters for ballets, literature, plays and music halls, champagne and spirits bottles and even travel. He produced approximately 3,000 lithographic posters, making him the most prestigious artist in the history of the lithographic poster.

In 1981, a major retrospective of Cappiello's work was presented at the Galerie Nationale du Grand Palais in Paris.

SAMPLE WORK (as the posters are in French and Italian, I'm not sure what they say. So please excuse the made-up titles).

Umbrellas
Chef Jumping Over Coffee Cup
Clown and Italian Food
This Coffee Is So Good It Made Me Miss My Train
Hats

I saw the movie Possession

I saw the movie Possession this weekend, and, after careful consideration, I think I liked it.

The film was released last year in select cities, and chances are your city was not selected. It received very little promotion, despite the fact that Gwyneth Paltrow starred in it. It also marked the re-emergence of Jennifer Ehle into the movie world, who hasn't been seen since playing Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. (But who can blame her for her exile--after you've played Colin Firth's love interest in a 6 hour epic, could your career get any better?) And rounding out the cast is Jeremy Northam, who was Mr. Knightly. Enough said.

The story revolves around 2 literary gurus who inadvertantly discover an illicit connection between 2 famous 18th century poets. In discovering the secret past of Ash and Lemont, the scholars (if you can believe it) actually fall in love themselves. Shocker.

Though the plot is a bit contrived, here are the highlights of the movie that make it worth watching, or at least thinking about.

1. This film is like Indiana Jones for English Majors. There are ancient documents, hidden secrets, an attempted grave robbery, and a scruffy-looking guy who doesn't shave for at least a week. The only things missing are a whip and a Nazi.

2. The female poet is called Christabel. That's a cool name.

3. The film makes an interesting point about one of my major pet peeves in the literary world, which is the questioning of the sexual orientation of every person in the Norton Anthologoies based on little or no evidence. In the movie, the modern scholars balk at the idea that Christabel could have had an affair with Ash because she lived a quiet life with a female companion, thus automaticly making her a lesbian. In the flashbacks to Christabel's life, however, these accusations seem to be poorly founded (though granted, the female companion was creepy, but more in an "I'm going to kill you in your sleep" sense).

Try watching it while dyeing Easter Eggs.

Catching Up on Childhood When

Catching Up on Childhood

When I was little, my parents, who were honestly trying to be faithful and were not trying to squelch all the little kiddies' fun, were into that tight Puritanical belief system that man-made holidays that related to God were bad (i.e. we did not celebrate Christmas or Easter). I thought this was totally normal for a while, and am to this day still discovering what I missed out on.

All of this to say, I spent Saturday dyeing approximately 4 dozen Easter eggs (and not just dyeing them, but Martha Stewart dyeing them). I think I got that out of my system for a while.

Sweet Mother of Mystery Ladies,

Sweet Mother of Mystery

Ladies,

I have come to the conclusion that all of these little pseudo-candy bars being marketed as "Slim-fast" and/or "Low Point" are really nothing more than a box of 12 mini candy bars that costs $5.50. For example, a mini Baby Ruth is nearly the same size, has the SAME amount of points and/or calories, and is high in both calcium and protien, as it's 2 major ingredients are chocolate and peanuts. So next time, save yourself $4.50 and the trip to Wal-Mart, and just eat a Snickers.

I recently aquired the vintage

I recently aquired the vintage original NES game of Super Techno Baseball here at work. It's rather disconcerting to note that I can't even successfully hit a baseball on a computer simulation.

And You Wondered Why He

And You Wondered Why He Wasn't Married...

Go here and scroll halfway down the page until you recognize the two semi-clad men. The photo is nearly blackmail worthy.

Presbyterian Upbringing I led an

Presbyterian Upbringing

I led an extremely sheltered childhood, one of the results of this being that I just now heard for the first time ever Madonna's "Like a Virgin". This version makes so much more sense than the one in Moulin Rouge.

2nd Quiz of the Day

2nd Quiz of the Day

Hobbit


To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

The fifth book written,

Gift of the Yellow-Dello

Gift of the Yellow-Dello

Charity, the surrogate little sister, took me to see What a Girl Wants last night for my birthday. It is a chick flick, by all means, and is really quite fabulous, despite the fact that Kelly Preston plays a supporting role in it. And, by the end of the film, there will be no doubt in your mind that Colin Firth is most certainly what a girl wants.

Many Happy Returns of the

Many Happy Returns of the Day

Although filling up a person's car with granulated sugar and birthday candles is a creative and festive idea, it is probably not the best way to convey the message of love and birthday cheer.

And whoever's got my extra car key, I need it back. Or at least, you need to be on call when I lock myself out of the car.

HOW TO DETERMINE IF SOMEONE

HOW TO DETERMINE IF SOMEONE IS A CON ARTIST

1. Watch the person's eyes during conversation.
Most people look to the right when recaling the truth, the past, and events that actually happened. People look to the left when "creating" or spinning out new versions of past events. Ask a question about the past and watch the person's eyes.

2. Be on the lookout for suspicious behavior.
If stories about the past become far-fetched, be wary. Note if the person is unreliable when scheduling meetings or often receives unexplained phone calls.

3. Trust your intuitions.
If you have doubts, there is probably a reason.

4. Protect yourself.
Take an inventory of your credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial assets. Do not sign anything without consulting first with a lawyer.

I swear I wasn't a

I swear I wasn't a computer geek in high school, but I did really love playing the SimCity games. And now you can play them online: www.simcity.com

And this time the link should work.