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butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 16:56 Hey @_doodlebop! RT @mental_floss From the Archives: "5 Grammar Myths Debunked" (by Patricia O'Conner) -- bit.ly/7grgGb #

julesrbf

12:47 pm

I talked a lot of big talk about updating more and then never did. Whoopsies.

So, 2010.

2010 sucks so far. My work situation has exceeded unbearable. I apply and apply and apply to other jobs and the only one I heard back from I didn't pursue because I knew that I would have the same problems with it that I have with my current job. So I am sort of at a loss and not really sure what's going on. Nick says he'll support whatever decision I make, and while I know that is true, I don't want to be financially dependent on him right now for any period of time. That might be the plan once babies are in play, but I'm too proud and responsible to quit a job without having another lined up. This has been my "problem" for the past 6 months or so. Now that the wedding and holidays are over, though, I am looking in earnest. My mental health suffers in the meantime, but oh well. At least I get a paycheck every other week. (And with a raise, to boot. By raise, I mean $12 post-taxes per pay period. What should I get with all that extra money?)

It's so unfortunate to me. Every single aspect of my life has fallen into place except for my employment. It just feels like I went through so much shit to get myself through college, so much unbearable and painful shit, and I succeeded and amounted to ... what?

Depressing.

Anyway. Other than that, things are pretty much status quo. Our first married holiday season was a success, I think. I really enjoyed the holidays this year and I had a great time with my in-laws. I am very lucky to have a wonderful in-law family. I have heard some horror stories about the merging of two families, but Nick and I are lucky in that we get along with our respective in-laws.

I guess all I had to talk about was my work situation ... so ... guess I will go now. I'll be back in a month or so. ;)

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 08:30 Dreamt @helenamusic and I were at bookstore, I told her to read 3 Cups of Tea; she picked 2500 pp history of something. Kinda mundane stuff. #
• 22:39 Up In The Air was a stellar film--one I'll need to think on. I'd say it has the same themes as The Apartment, but I just see them everywhere #

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 09:14 Oh man I just realised--Happy 50th Birthday The Apartment! bit.ly/xQEJQ 50 years old and just as moving, vital, even modern as ever. #

mineral2

11:02 pm - Imagination Land

When I was a kid, the best part of playing in snow was putting on all the layers of snow gear and pretending I was an astronaut in the big astronaut suit. After all, that's what it felt like with all the warm layers on. It still kind of feels like that today. Between my big, insulated boots, snow pants, hat, neck gator, and big poofy jacket, I feel like I'm armored up for some seriously hostile terrain.

As I grew up, the astronaut/planetary exploration grew into a more realistic fantasy of living in a cold, remote place that is frozen all year round. I loved walking home from the bus stop when the roads were covered in snow and ice and I'd pretend I was walking home in a remote Alaskan village, or something like that. I still imagine that to this day. Sometime I pretend that I'm mountaineering and that I'm on my way to the top of the world. Other times I imagine being in the arctic or antarctic where the temperatures are low enough to do some serious damage to your skin.

Right now, most of the snow from our storm two weeks ago has vanished, but the grass is still covered with a few inches of that packed, crunchy snow. The roads are clear, but our driveway on the farm is un-paved and all the tire marks are frozen over with ice. The "extreme" cold wave the past few days has really instilled that arctic feeling. Its a good thing there's still some snow on the ground to help out. Lately, I've been going out without full suit, but yesterday and today were not only cold, but very windy and I needed my full snow gear just to block the wind, let alone keep me warm.

I wonder what it would be like to really live in an area with extreme temperatures for an extended period of time. I've kind of been lucky in that every place I live, it might get cold for a few days, but the temperatures will warm up quickly. On hte other hand, I fantasize about winter camping and I'd seriously like to give it a try. I realize that with my current gear, I am unprepared for such an adventure.  Our cold snap in Maryland never got below the 20's. It feels cold, but it could get colder. I kind of hope it will, while at the same time, I'm waiting for that nice January thaw that brings near summer temperatures in the middle of winter.

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 18:32 Today's Episode of The Adventures Of Basil--A Sweater For Sweater. Check local listings. #
• 20:10 I just bought four Meat Loaf songs on iTunes. My library is now 30% deleriously, wonderfully melodramatic. #
• 20:11 @winnsome Orrrrr you could just be Carolyn and be showed with praise and love. It's your choice. #
• 22:26 Ummm hells yeah? RT @ebertchicago: My new Great Movie: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." j.mp/8nHCIQ #
• 06:31 Man, who decided it was a good idea to wake up at 6 and not go back to sleep? Was it YOU, medulla oblongata? #

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 13:06 I officially have survived to fight another year. #

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 19:11 #in2010 I will try to cook something new (cheesecake, vegetable lasagna) twice a month, run sub-2 half-marathon, figure out my life. #
• 19:22 Best films of decade: Eternal Sunshine, Children Of Men, About a Boy, Nemo, WALL-E, Almost Famous, Before Sunset, In Bruges, Ocean's Eleven! #
• 19:27 I had a few similarities with his--eg Kaufman and Linklater: RT @ebertchicago My list of the Best Films of the Decade: j.mp/7ooOLe #
• 19:45 Out to 'Gansett with Calvin and Chris. Happy New Years, everyone! #

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 18:16 Did paper airplanes predate actual airplanes? There's no reason why they wouldn't, as you could clearly make paper glide w/o seeing a plane. #

mineral2

04:38 pm - A year in Review

I'm not big on the whole "Year in Review" type posts. But 2009 was a pretty big year, looking back. There weren't many major events, but all of the small ones add up to quite a bit of excitement. So instead of a big recap in a Livejournal post, I have made my year in review as an actual book using Blurb.com. My year in review is just shy of 160 pages containing more than 300 of my best photographs throughout the year. The book is part porfolio, part photo album, part scrapbook, and all a story of the events of the year. Currently, the book is designed to be a personal photo album, but perhaps I could make a public version if there is demand.

I think I will continue this trend. With digital photography, the photo album has become a thing of the past. While its neat to have all of your photos in once place, organized digitally into multiple albums and categories, there's nothing like flipping through pages of actual prints to reminisce about your memories. I could go out and make 300+ 4x6 prints, but the photo book also has an artistic quality to it. Plus, I can have some images printed larger on the page, while others are shrunk down to fit more in the book. Add some text and graphics and we've got some great times to look back upon.

So, without adieu, a preview of what's to come:
January: a snowfall on Antietam Battlefield
February: a trip to Sandy Hook
March: Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C.
April: New Jersey once more
May: Wildflowers and Waterfalls
June: Engagement on Mount Rogers
July: New River Gorge
August: More Summer Camp
September: Staff Training Trip on Massanutten Mountain
October: West Virginia's Dolly Sods
November: Thanksgiving in New York City
December: 18 inches of Snow

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 23:29 Whyyyyyy can I not buy "Are You That Somebody?" by Aaliyah on iTunes? Can I not indulge my 90's R&B guilty pleasure IN PEACE? #

julesrbf

10:48 am

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I got married. I went to Europe. I spent Christmas Day away from my mom. Bought a brand-new car. (OK, Nick really did that, but I was there and I contribute, dammit.) Been to Syracuse, NY.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I am quoting my answer from the past few years, which is: I avoid making resolutions on New Year's. I try to make them as I go along. Easier to stick to that way.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Peggy gave birth to the lovely Abigail! And two of Nick's cousins' wives had babies this year. (Well, one is having hers tomorrow, and the other one was born a few months ago.)

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Luckily, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
Iceland, Ireland, England.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I would really like a new job. I think that is the main thing that I would like in 2010.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 23, because duh, I got married. That was a pretty good day, I guess.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't know that I have achieved anything, per se. That sounds depressing but it really isn't. I had bigger things on my mind this year.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting a new job. I really, really, really want a new job.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a couple of colds now and then but nothing crazy.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plane tickets to Europe! Oh and Avenue Q tickets for Nick's birthday. I always knew he would love it!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Nick, Erica, Melissa ...

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A few people who I thought I was much closer to than I actually was, and who disappointed me deeply. So, out of my life they go! Who needs that shit?

14. Where did most of your money go?
Wedding-related expenses, for SURE. Also I wound up spending a lot of money on my hair this year. This says a lot from someone who, prior to May 2009, had not had a "real" haircut (read: in a salon) since 2007.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Oh my god, the wedding of course! And also our honeymoon but particularly Iceland. I couldn't believe we actually decided to go there and once we were there I couldn't believe I was actually there! Iceland was so incredible, I will never forget it.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2009?
That Kings of Leon song? I don't know.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Overall, the year was kind of blah with the notable exceptions of the wedding and those of my friends. So I would say I'm the same. The wedding was an unbelievable highlight but the rest of the year, not so much.
ii. thinner or fatter? Can I just delete this question so I don't have to think about it every year?
iii. richer or poorer? Richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I'm really not sure. This year was so busy so I guess I wish I'd done more relaxing! For a long while there we were so busy every weekend that I wasn't getting a chance to relax. But now life is back to normal and I've done plenty recently.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Let work get to me. I know Nick hates it that I can't leave work at work, and I do too. I hate coming home and thinking about and obsessing over my job. It's not worth it.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
For the first time I spent it away from my mother! On Christmas Eve I worked until 5:00 and then Nick and I drove to Pennsylvania to his aunt and uncle's house. On the way, we stopped in Jersey for a traditional Christmas Eve meal of Hooters wings. Nice. Christmas Day we spent with Nick's extended family and it was lovely. The day after Christmas, we drove home and had Christmas with my mom and brother, and it was a great day spent playing the newly acquired DJ Hero and eating a lot of Italian food.

21. How will you be spending New Years Eve?
Just a fancy dinner out with my husband and then on the couch.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I fall in love all over again with that guy, I tell you.

23. How many one-night stands?
47.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Amazing Race, How I Met Your Mother, JERSEY SHORE!!!, Glee, Modern Family, The Middle. SNL has had its moments here and there.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, just feel disappointed by people.

26. What was the best book you read?
I reread The Time-Traveler's Wife like, 62 times. It's still the best book evar. Other good books include anything by Jonathan Tropper. I know I've read plenty of others but this is the same syndrome I go through yearly ... I read SO MANY books that I can't keep track of what I read and when I read it. We did have to buy a third bookcase because we (read: I) ran out of room on the first two we bought. Whoops!

27. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
Oh hmm ... I'm not sure.

28. What did you want and get?
I had a really great wedding. I had such an awesome time at my own party, surrounded by all the people I have so much fun with. It was a long process but totally worth it in the end.

29. What did you want and not get?
Uhhhh? A new job I guess.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Oh man. Well, I just saw 500 Days of Summer and it is still fresh in my mind so I'll go with that. It was really incredible. I also enjoyed An Education. Nick, what else did we see that was good?

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 26. We had a party. There was wine. It was awesome.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It might not have been my best year but I can't say it was dissatisfying ... so I don't know.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Oh man. My fashion is severely suffering at the moment. I can't believe I show up to work in half the crap that I do, it's not very good looking.

34. What kept you sane?
Well, Nick for making me happy and listening to all my crazy. Also Kimberly at work, because without her to vent to I'd be sitting in the bathroom crying half the time. My friends, for being so much fun and for making me feel awesome this year.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmmmmm. I am not sure I had one that deviated any from the usual standbys of John Stamos, Harrison Ford, etc. Nick? Did I?

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage.

37. Who did you miss?
Blah.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Cristi! I enjoyed meeting Cristi. Also I met a few people on the innerwebs who I enjoy talking to and have made my days at work a bit more passable.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
In the end, my life is awesome and full of love. I don't know why I lose sight of that sometimes.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I'll make the most of it - I'm an extraordinary machine."

butterboy

08:04 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 23:28 Just saw 500 Days of Summer. Man, that flick made me all kinds of happy and depressed and lonely and even think that LA was cool for a bit. #

butterboy

03:39 pm - When I was 23...I had an overall not-so-very-good year

( 2009 in Review )

Current Mood: hopeful

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 19:24 Oh man, that was some great Planet-Fitnessing. #

butterboy

08:01 am - Yesterday In Tweets

• 02:01 My family is awesome times 4. #