cast iron wings

in the dead of night on the autobahn with the long ago on the radio

2009-03-23T19:44:00.004-05:00

I have found myself mired in a rather formidable rut so far this year, and when that happens my first instinct is to run. However, as I'm finding it more and more difficult to justify pulling up stakes, my new outlet is to plan vacations that I may or may not actually take once I've finally saved up the money (ha).

Anyway, today at work I mapped out two rather extravagant and hopelessly foot-tickling possible holidays.

Trip #1: Split, Budapest, Vienna, Prague
Trip #2: South of France, Barcelona, Morocco

Either would have to be about 10 days long with travel, I think, and therefore would involve expense that--while not bank-breaking--would not be negligible. I am almost 30 and a professional and therefore feel well past the point in my life where I am willing to stay at a hostel. So save away I must, I know not for how long.

I am leaning a bit more towards Trip #1, as it would certainly be less expensive and the distances between all points (other than to Split) are only a few hours by train. I might be overstretching things with Trip #2 anyway, as it's a pretty hefty trek from Barcelona to Morocco (and not one that's logistically pretty).

Anyway, puttering around researching airfares and activities is what's keeping me somewhat sane at the moment. Although who knows what might happen - I could spend all that time saving up for the trip, only to spend it on another flight of fancy.

*Sigh*

Oh and also I think it's kind of funnybutmaybealittleirritating that people at work are HORRIFIED that I'm planning on taking this trip alone. Honestly, though, I am way too a) impulsive, b) cranky when hungry/tired/overstretched, and c) self-absorbed to do 10 days anywhere with anyone. I'll probably see if my friends on the other side of the ocean want to come play for the weekend wherever I may be, but I have taken quite a few trips on my own and I don't mind admitting that I relish the freedom and lightness of it. I mean, not to get all Moleskine about it, but there's a reason why people travel when they want to sort out their heads.

think of it this way - you could either be successful or be us

2009-03-16T20:16:00.003-05:00

An equation that just about sums it up would go something along the lines of:

Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying - Doing the Unstuck = This Must Be the Place

this land was always ours, was the proud land of our fathers

2009-03-14T16:26:00.003-05:00

I think my favorite part of St Patrick's Day (observed) is the quiet dignity of the celebration. The green Dr Seuss hats, people swearing, "WOOO!!!"-ing, and occasionally puking or urinating outside my house.

Bah O'Humbug.

Of course I, too, was once 20 and ridiculous (believe it or NOT!). I spent that final youthful SPD in Dublin, staggering around Temple Bar in bright green eyeshadow, singing Pogues songs and drinking whisky. I was flashed by a young man wearing a kilt, threatened at knifepoint by a rather frightening gentleman, and nearly flattened by a double-decker bus. All in all, fun times, but not ones I'd necessarily like to relive vicariously through the people swearing loudly on the street below.

Honestly, I don't mean to be shaking my fist all curmudgeonly over the kids having a bit of fun on an unseasonably gorgeous Saturday in March. And I know this riffraff comes with the territory of living in the East End (as I quickly learned my first night in my apartment when a young gentleman belted out a Journey medley below my window). Yet I can't help but wonder when it became acceptable to be a total douchebag in public.

Ooh, I smell garlic bread.

Anyway, I'll be heading out this evening (against my better judgement). C & A invited me to join them at Solera, and I figure an evening at the wine bar can't help but be civilized, even on SPD.

And, just so I feel like I'm not totally foresaking my Irish heritage, here's some music to drink by. Sláinte!

loosen my lips

2009-03-13T13:58:00.004-05:00

I've been meaning to write - truly I have - but as soon as I stand on the edge of that precipice I find myself at a loss for words. How does one catch up after 2 years away?

Well I'm not even going to bother recapping what's happened since my trip to Montreal all that time ago. Most of it was spent in a relationship that didn't quite work out, and nothing pivotal happened apart from that.

So now what?

Twitter has reconfirmed my hunch that I have thoughts I'm eager to share. I've been trying not to be too terribly mundane, but it serves as a daily reminder that I should do and/or learn something worth tweeting. Plus, I can't help but have my fangirlish head 'asplode when I see Stephen Fry, John Hodgman, Bill Corbett, and Neil Gaiman all tweeting away at each other.

I re-read these clockworkbird entries while doing laundry at my parents' house this afternoon and it made me slightly sad that I hadn't chronicled the past year and a half. I have a horrifically spotty memory, so I need things like blogs to remind me what the heck I was thinking.

Anyhoodle (should I be impressed or concerned that my MacBook does not spellcheck the word "anyhoodle"??), non sum qualis eram. Things can only get better.

of montréal

2007-09-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon, after a particularly inspiring walk around Chimney Bluffs State Park, I decided to make a brief, overnight trip to Montréal. Completely spur of the moment, but I needed to get out of town for a day and I'd always wanted to visit. I swung by Barnes & Noble to grab a guide book (not a particularly helpful one, as it turned out) and booked a hotel room when I got home.

I left in the deepest darkness of 4am, zipping down 104 instead of the Thruway. Without street lights, pine forests on either side, my headlights illuminating the thickening fog ahead of me--it was like every fireside horror story you ever heard at camp. I half expected a phantom hitchhiker to appear in my back seat. The sun began to rise a while before Oswego, and the fog lingered attractively among the fields and streams before dissipating.

The rest of the drive was fairly unremarkable, although generally pretty. I needed to stop for gas about 90 minutes outside of Montréal, which proved to be quite complicated as a) I hadn't exchanged any money yet, and b) apparently pay-at-the-pump gas stations have yet to permeate the rural areas of Québec. Thankfully I ran across one that accepted cards as I approached Montréal, so an early crisis was averted.

I dropped my car off at the hotel around 10 but, as I couldn't check in yet, I took a stroll around Vieux-Montréal. Totally beautiful. My spoken French is embarrassingly rudimentary, but I can read it well enough, so it wasn't too difficult to navigate or order food, etc.

Day One

Vieux-Montréal
Cobblestone streets, bistros and cafés, terraces, statues, fountains, cathedrals... ah, all the things that I am a complete sucker for! Completely saturated with tourists, obviously, but totally gorgeous.

Château Ramezay
Museum of the history of Montréal, with restored rooms as well as exhibits on life in early Canada (the capital punishment room was quite interesting). There was a modest garden in the back that would have been delightful, had it not been completely overrun with the most bad-ass looking wasps I'd ever seen.

Pointe-à-Callière
Museum of archeology and the history of Montréal, situated on the precise spot where the city was founded (so they claim). The majority of the exhibits were all right, and there was a lookout affording decent views of the city; however, the truly awesome stuff was down in the basement, where you could tour some excavations of the old city and peruse super-cool artifacts they'd dug up. Old stuff! History nerdgasm!

Place Jacques-Cartier
It tickled me that there is a huge, towering statue of Admiral Nelson in the heart of Vieux-Montréal. Apparently the English put it up back in the day, and there he still stands. Ha! It took a little bit of searching to find a restaurant that served something other than les hamburgers, but I eventually settled onto a cozy terrace for a delicious (if tourist-priced) meal of moules provençales and Hoegaarden.

Vieux-Port
The waterfront wasn't anything spectacular, but I happily strolled down Quai King-Edward with gelato in hand.

Mont Royale and Oratoire St-Joseph
My guidebook's maps were not the best. For this reason, I ended up trudging up the ridiculous hills of Mont Royale for about 45 minutes to reach Oratoire St-Joseph (turns out, I could have just walked down the road from the Metro station. Oh well). It wasn't a complete loss, I suppose, as the homes there were beautiful (kind of like a Québécois Hollywood Hills, je suppose), but my legs still ache. Eventually I reached the summit and l'Oratoire, cashing in on the payoff of gorgeous vistas in all directions. I didn't see the heart of Brother Andre, but there were a large number of pilgrims queuing up to seek healing. The basilica interior was a little too modern for my taste, I'm generally not a huge fan of mid-20th-century churches, but the outside wasn't too ugly.

Rue St-Denis
Super hipster stretch in the Latin Quarter, full of quirky independent shops and terraced cafés and bistros. I dined on moules mariniere at a small, charming terrace affording excellent and varied people watching. Everyone was good looking, even the homeless people! It was bizarre and very Stepfordesque. Did you ever see the "Arrested Development" episode where Lindsay picks up the good-looking homeless guy, who turns out to be an actor researching a role? That's all I could think about when I passed a handsome, if a little scruffy, guy sitting on a stoop. I thought he was just chilling on the stoop of his building until he asked me for change. Ha!

Day Two

Jardin Botanique
I almost skipped this on Monday morning since it started to drizzle, but after a brief stop for coffee the clouds parted. The gardens were worth every penny. I only had time to cruise through the rose garden, Chinese garden, and Japanese garden as I had to get back to my hotel across town to check out by noon, but I could have easily spent all day there. Apparently it is second only to London's Kew Gardens in size.

Marché Maisonneuve
On my way back from des jardins, I picked up a croissant and coffee at the historic Marche Maisonneuve. My guidebook made it out to be this amazing, authentic place but I have to admit... it was pretty disappointing. The only kick I got out of it was actually having to use my pathetic French "skills" to order my food. I wish I'd spent a bit more time at the gardens instead, but oh well!

I arrived home last night around 6pm, completely exhausted but so happy and satisfied with my trip. I used to do this sort of thing all the time when I was in the UK, so it was exhilarating to venture out on my own again and just... go. If I had the money I'd definitely do it more often. Now I need to start saving for my trip to Japan next year!

yar.

2007-08-18T21:17:00.000-05:00

I could update you on everything I've been up to (mostly catching up with friends at Solera, or saying adieu to coworkers at MacGregor's) but I'm lacking the energy en ce moment. Instead, I'll give you another update of my present favorite things.

1. Alka-Seltzer. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I can't tell you how many hangovers I've been spared lately, thanks to this fizzy little miracle. Cure for a dodgy tummy and headache all in one! Amazing.

2. J.Crew. Their fall collection has inspired me to flirt with a credit card debt once again. I have a well-documented weakness for tweeds and cardigans that they seem quite happy to exploit.

3. Rome. OB-sessed. I've been watching it on DVD and am presently gorging myself on Season 2, courtesy of Netflix. Sometimes I am so baffled by the actors I find myself attracted to, though. Like, my infatuation with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, I can understand... but Tobias Menzies? Et tu Brute? Random.

4. The Scrabulous application on Facebook. Just like being back at Valhalla! I would also like to state, for the record, that as of this moment I am undefeated.

5. The "Bowie in Space" sketch from Flight of the Conchords. "Whatcha doin' you freaky old bastahd you?" Hee. They have their Bowie pastiche right on, too. The only trouble is that Outback Steakhouse tends to ruin everything for everybody (subsection, Of Montreal) and for the longest time I thought that guy was just a crap actor with a fake Aussie accent.

6. Shorpy: The 100-Year-Old Photo Blog. I am obsessed with all things 19th century - early 20th century. This blog is like crack for history nerds.

7. K and I will be heading to Japan in about 14 months if all goes according to plan. I've never been to Asia, so I'm excited.

no method in our madness, just pride about our manner

2007-07-21T19:46:00.000-05:00

Where the hey is everyone? Are you all holed up reading Harry Potter or something? Not a peep out of anyone this weekend, spare a drunken voicemail message from K (via Northern J) telling me I must go with them to Japan. I think I'll phone her tomorrow and ask her to elaborate.

It's kind of a timely suggestion, actually, as I've taken up making Bento. I even bought myself a rice cooker and have finally, finally learned how to make my own sushi after 10 years of saying I would. Definitely better late than never! I also managed to find an adult Bento Box (namely one that doesn't feature an over-the-top adorable anime cat dressed up as a watermelon or similar).

This morning (waiting for my pre-ordered HP to arrive in the mail... I know, I know), I took an absolutely amazing drive down to Geneseo via East River Road. The weather was unbelievable... I just love driving through the country on days like this! It's very hilly down there, too, so the vistas were quite breathtaking. Anyway, I know I complain about how remote Rochester is, but I am utterly enchanted by the fact that you can drive a short distance from the city and hit open farmland, quaint Americana-saturated Main Streets, and lakes dotted with summer cottages and wineries.

What else is new? I have a new phone, which I am pretty much in love with (although I was upset that they didn't offer it in lime green, like the older version... I bought it in a browny-red though, which looks pretty sexy anyway). Oh, and I was promoted at work... which I know sounds a little counterproductive considering I'm actively seeking employment elsewhere, but a) it will provide me with (a little) more money in the meantime, and b) it'll look good on my resume.

Right, time to join the masses and continue with Harry. How bittersweet, to know this is the last one! I kind of want to take my time with it, but it's so bewitching that I'm gobbling it rather quickly. Probably not a bad thing, as I am dodging spoilers left and right!

what we need is a persuasion, what you give is retaliation

2007-07-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

I've finally done it... I've stressed myself into a (most likely psychosomatic) state of gastrointestinal unhappiness. After a few weeks of careful observation, I've learned that food falling under any of the following categories can no longer be safely consumed and digested by my body without severe repercussions (stomach cramps, nausea, indigestion):

*spicy
*greasy/fried
*dairy
*sugary
*caffeinated

So, basically, everything I love has been taken away from me. No more cheese, no more Frank's Red Hot, no more french fries, no more ice cream, no more lattes. Hopefully this will pass once the stress passes, but in the meantime it's the miz. As if my life couldn't get any more bland, right?

Still not so much as a peep on the job hunt front, which continues to support my theory that I must be the least employable person on earth. I have a few applications that I'm holding off on sending in until Monday, when I find out whether or not I got a promotion at my current job. It'd be a nice addition to my resume, even if it is a whole lot more work for an extra $1/hr.

In other news? Perhaps less pouty news? Hmm, let me think.

I picked up a few cute pieces at Target today, as Libertine is the latest GO designer. I wasn't crazy about Patrick Robinson, so I'm happy that they've chosen someone a little more fun this time.

As you can see from my very neat new LibraryThing widget on the sidebar, I'm about to begin The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. On deck are yet another Jeeves book, Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, and Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

Ok, I guess I'll be off now to find something to eat that won't leave me huddled in a ball of pain. Baby carrots and ginger ale, so it seems. Good grief...

i've been saving up for something we need as long as you're open to the possibility

2007-06-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

I took the day off from work tomorrow for no reason other than I decided it would be nice to do so. The weather is supposed to be decent, too. I haven't entirely made up my mind what I am going to do, but I do know that I'm going to wake up super early and attempt to finish all my chores and errands before lunchtime.

Really, I'd love to go on a daytrip somewhere but I am totally flat broke. I'm saving up for another trip in September and possibly (should certain endeavors in the works produce better than expected results) a rent deposit.

I've been super, super moody lately though. No idea why! One day I'm full of plans and hopes for the future, the next I'm completely desolate and melancholy. I get this way just about every time things in my life are up in the air and dissatisfying in the present. At least right now I have something that--although also frustrating and uncertain--makes me smile. There is a comfort in that. :)

Alors, ce soir, as I must wait until tomorrow for the arrival of the first 3 discs of "Rome", I think I'll chill out with une bouteille de vin rouge and geek out to an episode of MST3K. Did I mention yet that I finally finished The Time Traveler's Wife? I totally cried through most of the final 100 pages. Highly recommended, I don't know why it took me so long to read it. I'm whisking my way through yet another Jeeves book (starting to feel some withdrawal, you see...) and then will either start Vile Bodies or Black Swan Green. Outside, ideally.

Maybe, since my posts have been so direly lacking in content, I will leave you with some more Vox Questions of the Day, as I haven't posted any in quite a long while. Have a lovely weekend!

After all the recent season and series finales, what are you watching on TV these days?
Absolutely nothing! I'm waiting for the most recent seasons of "The Office," "Battlestar Galactica," and "House" to come out on DVD.

What are your top 10 most-played songs currently?
1. "Don't Worry Baby" - the Beach Boys
2. "The Funeral" - Band of Horses
3. "I Want You" - Elvis Costello
4. "A Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" - Jens Lekman
5. "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" - Neutral Milk Hotel
6. "Maybe You Can Owe Me" - Architecture in Helsinki
7. "Kings of the Wild Frontier" - Adam & the Ants
8. "A Little Respect" - Erasure
9. "Fidelity" - Regina Spektor
10. "Postcards From Italy" - Beirut

What is the most interesting class you have ever taken?
Medieval Popular Culture was pretty fascinating.

What's the weirdest baby name you've ever heard?
"Assholé," pronounced (so I'm told) "Ash-ol-ay." I saw it in the birth announcements in the paper. Amazing.

If a waiter stopped by right now to take your order, what cocktail or drink are you having?
If I wasn't drinking red wine already I'd love a champagne martini!

What are your deal breakers in a relationship?
Dishonesty. Tapered pants.

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I like vanilla with cherries and chocolate. Or rocky road.

What kind of camera(s) do you own?
Kodak EasyShare V603 Zoom (in red).

What was your favorite TV season finale this year?
The only one I watched was "Lost," so I'll say... "Lost."

What is the one saying that your parents said to you that you absolutely hate?
When I tell my mom something that happened and she doesn't remember it, she tells me that I dreamt it. It drives me crazy.

How many times do you usually re-edit posts? What is the most common reason for doing so?
I take so long to write the stupid things that I rarely go back and re-edit them after they've been posted, unless I notice technical errors like typos or misspellings.

Who is your favorite video game character?
Link, maybe?

What words, for the life of you, can you never spell correctly?
Traveler, inane.

What were you doing one year ago today?
Getting ready to leave my job in Connecticut and move back home.

Which household chores do you most/least enjoy?
I most enjoy cleaning the bathroom, I think because of the way it looks and feels after it is SoftScrubbed and sparkly. I hate doing laundry... it involves a great deal of waiting.

Who was your first celebrity crush?
Davy Jones.

What's the best way to get on your good side?
Flattery will sadly work wonders. Or, really, just attentiveness. Interest.

What is your favorite kind of bagel and what do you put on it?
Everything bagel, lightly toasted with jalapeño cream cheese!

What's the next country you want to visit?
Hungary, Belgium, or Iceland.

What are five books that changed your life?
I can really only think of two off the top of my head: Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.

What's your favorite holiday movie?
The Shop Around the Corner or It's a Wonderful Life. I have a thing for Jimmy Stewart during the holidays.

What books did you love as a child?
Just about anything by Roald Dahl. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Goodnight Moon. John Bellairs mysteries.

really too late to call, so we wait for morning to wake you

2007-06-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

Holy cow my allergies are out of control today. I feel as though I have flu, and I can barely see through my watering eyes. Good grief.

Anyway, you're probably (marginally) more interested in hearing about my trip to LA than my allergy woes, so I'll dive right in.

The flight was OK, despite being seated with two of the most obnoxious.hipsters.ever. Granted, it could have been much, much worse, but sheesh. By the end of the flight I was quite through with hearing about how everything was "soooo amaaaazing" and their plans to play league kick ball in some park in Williamsburg. He was designing t-shirts, she was making jewelery. "So, are you into that whole, like, Edie Sedgwick vibe? I think it's soooo amaaaazing!" Bleargh.

Anyway, J was waiting at the airport and (thanks to Long Beach's totally manageable size) we swiftly grabbed my bags and headed back to West Hollywood. Oh, with a brief drive-thru visit to In-N-Out (fries were subpar, burger was good), natch.

J had to work on Friday, so I stole his car and took a spin. I was a little apprehensive about this, not least because the gas gauge was below E, but I managed to locate a gas station and navigate my way to the diner J recommended for brunch near (in?) Santa Monica. Delish. I lounged away the rest of the morning driving up (and down) the PCH, then through the mountains. Gosh, I love the mountains. La la LOVE them.

En soirée, we had a lovely dinner at a charmingly hidden French restaurant called Stella. Dining outside, we devoured escargot and lamb while Serge Gainsbourg crooned. Lovely.

As for the weekend, I can't remember what days we did what, but highlights included:
*Winding through the Angeles Forest (more mountains! yay!)
*Drinks on the roof of the Standard (sunburn! not so yay!)
*Drinks at the Figueroa (my favorite)
*Sunbathing at Venice Beach (only for about an hour)
*TWO visits to Fred 62 (and other ridiculously delicious meals)
*Strolling through the garden of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena
*Memorial Day get-together beside a pool in suburbia

All in all, a lovely trip. I was sad to go, and of course this "week" (3 days) at work dragged like you would not believe. I still haven't fully unpacked, but that's something for this weekend I suppose.

Now I'm right back here; I'm lost and confused and don't know what to do with myself. I've been sapped of my élan once again, but I'm not entirely sure how to pull myself out of it. It's like... I clearly could have done an infinitely better job of recapping my vacation, but I just don't feel like it. I don't feel like putting effort into much of anything anymore, which is just about the WORST POSSIBLE attitude to have when faced with the present circumstances. I'll have to snap out of it, clearly, but it's not going to be easy. Grah. I am not a happy bunny.

he asked her please stop quoting rod mckuen in your postcards

2007-05-23T17:56:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I drink red wine and watch the season finale of "Lost." Tomorrow, I fly to Los Angeles.

What has happened in the month since I last updated? Plenty. I've just been too fatigued to write, or didn't want to blog about it. Right now I have the makings of a nasty headache, so I think I'm going to take some aspirin and scrounge up some food.

I will most certainly update upon my return, at some point.

let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see

2007-04-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to work on job applications today, but honestly... who could bear to chain themselves to a computer on a warm, sunny day? I certainly couldn't, so I hopped in my little green car and zipped down the Lake Ontario Parkway to Route 18, then the Robert Moses Parkway to Niagara Falls. It's only about a 90 minute drive from door-to-door which, while not insubstantial, is completely doable for a half-day trip.

April is early enough in the season that the area isn't mobbed by tourists, so I didn't have to jockey for position at the popular lookout points. There were still substantial ice floes (you can see a mini-glacier at the bottom of the photo to the right), but thanks to the melting water the rapids were quite impressive. Walking along the gorge, there were a number of random cold spots where the air was 10 to 15 degrees cooler; it was like walking into air conditioning. Very bizarre. I considered zipping over to Canada for an hour at the casino, but decided that it wasn't worth spending the time waiting to cross the border. Anyway, I hadn't been to the falls in probably 5 years or more, so it was a wonderful outing. They really are 'one of those things' that simply aren't done justice by photographs (and certainly not by mine!) but there are some up on my Flickr anyway.

Even after a lengthy walk and drive, I was back home by mid-afternoon. I made a quick sweep of the grocery store and read a little of The Time Traveler's Wife. J had recommended this book to me a while ago, so when I was asked for suggestions for the next book club this one popped to mind. I'll be interested to hear what everyone thinks. I'm enjoying it so far--very much so, in fact--although I am only about 50 pages in. On deck are Black Swan Green (another J recommendation) and yet another Jeeves book (natch).

I watched "Marie Antoinette" last night, which was just OK. The soundtrack was great, though, and "Kings of the Wild Frontier" very well-placed. Yummy!

Was there something else I was going to mention in here? I can't remember. Oh well, I'll leave you with some things that make me happy right now:

*Sleeping with the windows open!
*Twining's blackcurrent black tea
*My new digital camera is so much better than my old one
*Thoughts of eating avocado- and hashbrown-laced breakfast sandwiches with J at Fred 62
*Rediscovering how good Clinique's face lotion is
*"Fidelity" by Regina Spektor
*The sun

a dreaded sunny day, so i meet you at the cemetery gates

2007-04-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

It would seem that Rochester received my letter, below, and took its advice to heart. Today was absolutely pristine! 70 and unbelievably sunny. I was a little hungover from the copious amount of wine imbibed last night, but I didn't want to let the day go to waste. I wanted to stroll around outside, but wasn't sure I could handle the noise and elbows of a million people, so I decided that Mount Hope Cemetery would be ideal. I'd been wanting to visit again since I moved home, and I figured that it was the least likely place to be crowded (with living people, anyway) on the first beautiful day of the year.

The paths of Mount Hope meander lazily up and down hills, through valleys, between mausoleums and headstones nearly erased by the elements. The original cemetery is nestled essentially in a forest, with wrought iron gates entwined with brawny roots, and chipmunks scuttling about the crunchy dried leaves that cover the graves. It's also a bit marshy in some areas, so there are bugs to be battled, but it mattered little to me as my feet happily plodded along rough, brick roads and dirt paths. Photos can be found at my Flickr, comme d'habitude. Forsaken Places also has some absolutely fascinating photos of the insides of the abandoned crematorium and chapel that I certainly don't have the nerve to break into (although I'm glad they did!).

Now, however, the calming silence of the dead is replaced by the voices of the extremely loud and obnoxious people who live two doors down on the other side of the street. Just because you're outside doesn't mean you have to shout! There are, like, 10 of them yelling, and kids are crying, and dogs are barking. Grah. So much for the serenity of suburbia!

This morning, before heading to the cemetery, I stopped at a diner for brunch and had an excellent bacon and cheese omelet while I wrote a letter. My mood has lifted immeasurably with the rise in temperature... I feel as though the days will pass with a little more ease now that spring is here. Tonight, I'm going to work until maybe 8 or 9 on job applications, and then probably read with my window open (assuming aforementioned neighbors shut up at any point). First, though, I need to do a little cleaning!

Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be just as perfect as today's was, so I'll have to think of how I'd like to spend my Sunday. Definitely outside, of that much I am certain.

you can scoop out my brain, shape it into an ear, and then tell me your pain

2007-04-09T17:23:00.000-05:00

Dear Rochester,
It is April now. Please stop snowing.
Kind regards,
C.

Ah, I had fun this weekend. Although, perhaps, a little too much fun!

I met L, H, and D at M (and her boyfriend B)'s apartment. We drank a small bit of wine and watched the end of Mean Girls on TV. An outing to Salinger's followed, where I ordered a Three Olives grape and soda and received... a pint of it. Soooo needless to say (after about 1/3 pint of vodka) I was drunk. Not wasted, but definitely drunk enough to do the Safety Dance with M:

We left before closing, so I came home and fell asleep after a lengthy phone call. There are a few more photos at my Flickr.

Easter was, as expected, a little rough. Not as rough as last Sunday, but last Sunday I did not have to be awake at 8 to prepare scalloped potatoes. I was a trooper all the way through dinner, but by the time I finished dessert I was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion. My brother was kind enough to drop me off on his way home. I climbed into bed and put on a DVD, but I only lasted until 6pm, I think, which means I slept for 12 hours last night. 12 hours!! I felt much better for it this morning, which is not usually the case after sleeping for so long.

45 days until LA. I can't wait. :)

suppose i kept on singing love songs just to break my own fall

2007-04-07T13:56:00.000-05:00

The weekends where I feel unusually motivated to 'get things done' (i.e., clean my room, organize my clothes, do laundry, work on my resume) always end up being the ones where I have the least time to pursue those things. Last night MMac was in town, so we went for a beer (a rather short one, sadly, since I was totally beat) and caught up a little. Not that I would have managed to get a whole lot done on Friday night, but I was kind of hoping to also work some reading into my schedule and also get up early today. But whatever, it was good to see him so it's fine.

Today I did manage to wake up at a reasonable hour, and although I took my coffee and breakfast at a leisurely pace I have managed to do quite a bit of cleaning. I even parted with two full bags of clothes that I no longer wear, which is very difficult for me because I feel like most of it wasn't really that old. The other half of my wardrobe is currently tumbling or hanging to dry, as I hadn't done laundry in ages. This afternoon and evening I was planning on doing a little job hunting and cover letter writing, but I'll have to limit it to the next few hours as MW called to let me know that L is in town from Boston for the weekend. Sooo... girls night out, it seems. Again, I am certainly OK with this. It's just that I wish that either a) I was this motivated to be productive every weekend, or b) my social life was more consistent.

Aaaand, of course, tomorrow is Easter. This is the first Easter I have been home for in... oh, let's see... about 5 years? Definitely not post-HWS. I have been recruited to make scalloped potatoes, and I doubt I will accomplish much more than that. Between visiting two sides of the family and it being Sunday, I'm pretty sure that post-dinner will involve little more than sipping tea or wine and reading in bed.

On the plus side, I feel as though my resume has reached a point of development where I don't feel too iffy about sending it out. I just need to make a few kick-ass cover letter outlines and I'll be ready to send them flying! My work friends and I have been talking a lot about how we need to leave our job ASAP. This general consensus, combined with the realization I came to last weekend that I do not, in fact, want to stay in Rochester, has definitely lit a fire under the whole job hunt situation. I don't really want to put a time frame on it, but suffice to say that from this point on I am ready to leave when I am given the opportunity.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I'll be visiting LA over Memorial Day weekend (May 24th - 29th). I am beyond antsy, and not just because it's been snowing here these past few days! I am anticipating a nice, relaxing weekend.

It's amazing how promising and hopeful I feel right now, compared to this time a year ago, or two years ago. It was Easter weekend three years ago that I moved to New Haven, and Jenn and I had an Easter dinner of sushi. Amazing... it seems like a lifetime ago in a lot of ways. However, I'm feeling really good about the promise of this moment so hopefully it will deliver!

those were our times, those were our times

2007-04-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

First, I'd like to add two more albums to my current obsessions list from the last entry: Beruit - The Gulag Orkestar, and Islands - Return to the Sea. So very, very good.

There was a lot to this weekend that I'm not sure I'm in the mood to detail, but it was a great deal of fun. After rocking out of work at 11 on Friday, I packed a bit while waiting for C to arrive from Syracuse, as he was nice enough to drive up and meet me for lunch. We stepped out for some noodles and bubble tea at KC Tea & Noodles and a brief visit to the record store. I had to run some errands after lunch, but en route noticed my check engine light came on, so I had to make a mad dash to drop off my car at the garage and shower, pack, etc before MB came to pick me up. Thankfully he was running late, and didn't make it to my house until a little after 6.

The drive down was excellent and, since we were going to end up arriving well before the NYC group, we stopped in Ithaca for some dinner and a brief meander. After being briefly lost, in the pitch darkness and without cell phone reception, outside of Pitcher, NY, we found the cabin and settled in. The New Yorkers arrived around 1 or 2, I think, as they'd been stuck in traffic. We chatted for a while, sipping Saranac and making introductions, and then crashed quite happily after the long drive.

Saturday involved brunch at a local diner, a wonderful hike around host JK's family's property, then some reading in the sunlight and a fantastic dinner. We drank quite a bit in the evening (or at least I did!) and trekked to a settler graveyard in the woods a little after midnight.

There will be Flickr links soon, once everyone shares their photos from the trip.

It was a weekend that was simultaneously taxing and restorative. I did have a lot of time to gather my thoughts, though, and try to work out what I really want. I think I do need to move, but I'm not so sure it's going to matter where. Not New York, but possibly LA again? Or DC? Oh I don't know. I really do not relish the idea of starting this process again, but it must be done. I can't let myself wallow in complacency.

I'm feeling pretty lost right now, actually. Or maybe I'm just hungry. Drinking too much tends to leave me feeling a little melancholy the following day or two. This weekend I am not moving a muscle until my resume is spit polished and fit to be seen.

we try but we didn't have long

2007-03-26T20:08:00.000-05:00

[this.is.good.]

1. Flying Toasters Screen Saver Clone
If you had a computer in the late 80s / early 90s, or if you spent a great deal of time in grade school playing The Oregon Trail in the computer lab, chances are you're familiar with After Dark screen savers. Now the iconic flying toasters can once again flutter across your desktop in this clone (Windows and Mac). Is it just me, or do I seem to remember that on the After Dark module you could set how dark you liked your toast? Genius. Now if only they'd bring back that Simpsons screen saver where Homer ate away your desktop...

2. The Curiosity Shoppe
Absolutely adorable (albeit a little pricey) and unique goods. So what's worth shelling out for? The wallpaper plates, pretty much any of their stationery, and for some reason I'm in love with this silly decorative crown.

3. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
J put Of Montreal on a mix many moons ago. I listened a few times and my conclusion was: meh. His disappointment was palpable. Then I stumbled across the video for "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" on YouTube and was instantly hooked. As it happens, the whole album is great. So yes, I am a latecomer to the wagon, but a happy one! Other current musical obsessions? Hot Chip - The Warning, Orange Juice - The Glasgow School, TV On the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain. For the record, the jury is still out on the new Arcade Fire. I am also loving Morrissey again lately (I could write an essay on why I love how completely absurd he is. See: video for "Suedehead", subsection Moz driving a tractor and playing bongos to a field of cows). But I digress...

4. Almay Ideal Lip Color
I am not one who can normally pull off lipstick, but Almay has developed a line of colors that are flattering for everyone. I bought the berry and red sets (minus the lip liner... I've progressed, but not that far...) and am impressed! I tend to play up my eyes instead of my weird lips, but now...

5. Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness Juice
1 liter = Best.Hangover.Cure.Ever.

6. Blue Planet: Seas of Life
[NB: as of this moment, the DVD set is 30% off at Amazon, which is a steal. Buy it. Now. Trust me on this one.] Absolutely stunning series on marine life, narrated by none other than the entirely endearing and mesmerizing David Attenborough. I'm pretty sure they're still showing it (although perhaps irregularly) on Animal Planet, but if you can catch only one episode make sure that it's the one on Deep Sea Life. It boggles my mind, the creatures they find down there. If you've ever joined me on one of my trips to a museum of natural history, you'll know I am marginally obsessed with freaky deep sea critters ("Bloody pilot fish! Evil pilot fish! I know your dad!!").

7. Georges DuBoeuf Saint Amour (2005)
In case you haven't noticed, I haven't met a Beaujolais I didn't like. This is a great spring red, though, as it is a little lighter and fruitier. I have a feeling it would make an excellent sangria. Hmm, perhaps a thought for my getaway this weekend...

tomorrow, will it really come? and if it does come will i still be human?

2007-03-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

Ugh, my brain feels so blocked lately! I have all these projects that I'm anxious to work on, and yet I feel like accomplishing anything is an uphill battle. I need a change of scenery. I wanted to venture out today, but it's far too snowy.

I spoke with K briefly on Thursday and we've made tentative plans to go on holiday together in February or March of 2008. Destination? Budapest for a few days, and then somewhere beachy in the Mediterranean to relax. This gives me something to look forward to, which I think I've needed lately. I haven't been abroad in a year, and it'll be almost two by the time I take this trip. I'd like to start whittling down my list of places I want to visit.

I'm unsure of what I want anymore. Well, not that I've ever been entirely sure, but now I feel as though I should stop coasting. I'm 26, and while I'm not quite old enough to have everything sorted out, I'm not so young anymore that I can fritter away months and years without any particular direction. Do I really want to stick around Rochester? If not here, then where? And doing what? Should I just leave it all to chance and apply for jobs everywhere and anywhere I would consider living? I don't think it's a bad idea to cast my net wide, but I'm just so weary of moving and I want to make certain that the next place fits. I'm unbelievably itchy to plant roots and nest.

MB and I had dinner at Cibon last weekend and I talked about it a little bit over champagne martinis. So many of our peers (including ourselves) have a vague sense of arrested development; that we should have our lives sorted out by now, or at the very least be working towards all the things that define adulthood in our society - a career, property, a family. We seem to be consciously putting all that off. We're afraid (or unwilling?) to commit to our lives as they are. There are certainly exceptions, but just about every 26-29 year old I talk to will say "Oh, right now I'm doing [whatever] but I only for another few years." Or, "I'm not planning on staying here long, maybe a year or two." Only half of them have ideas of what they'd like to replace these "meantime" jobs and locations with. Incidentally, all those long-term relationships that spanned my friends' mid-twenties are over, and almost everyone is single again.

It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one going through this, but at the same time I'm wondering if our idealism is leading us astray since we don't seem to act on it. There's no precedent for our generation, so it's difficult to tell if everything will work out or if we'll end up with a lot of varied and wonderful personal experiences but little lasting contribution. We have made few, if any, sacrifices. In fact, I wonder if it's even misleading to speak of "our generation." I feel that, if anything, we're so insular and obsessed with our individual paths that there is no coherence to our collective age group.

Anyway, I'll figure something out. I think I need to psych myself up about moving again. The prospect of starting over somewhere new used to thrill me, but now it leaves me feeling exhausted. I don't want to stay in Rochester for the wrong reasons (i.e., because I'm too lazy to pull up stakes and start over again), but at the same time I don't want to relocate naively either (i.e., because I think life will be entirely different somewhere else). I just want to make sure I'm not robbing myself of opportunities by sitting still.

c'mon mood shift, shift back to good again

2007-03-12T05:04:00.000-05:00

A quick, bullet-point update since I haven't updated in about a month.

*J, I apologize for being so previously lukewarm about Of Montreal. I listened to 'Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer' quite a bit this weekend and love it. LOVE it. You were right and I was very wrong.

*Come the end of the month, I'm heading to a cabin in Central New York with MB, his girlfriend, and approximately 13 assorted strangers and acquaintances from NYC and Rochester. I'm excited. I haven't been out in anything resembling 'the wilderness' in ages. That said, there is a woodpecker hammering away somewhere outside right now. I can hear him but can't see what tree he's in.

*I would like to visit Belgium in the next year. Brussels in particular. I bet I could easily convince K to join me. Maybe spend a few days there, then take a train down to the south of France. I could use a vacation.

*Speaking of cabins and wilderness, I've been watching 'Twin Peaks' over the past few days (I just finished Season 1). Why was I so into this show? Some of the writing (particularly the scenes with Agent Cooper) is absolutely fantastic, but for the most part the show is not as mind-blowing and awesome as I had remembered. Then again, I remember Season 2 being completely different from Season 1, so maybe I should hold my tongue for now.

*In more TV news, I am less than impressed with the recent episodes of 'Lost'. To begin with... most.useless.flashbacks.EVER. Number one, no one cares about Jack's tattoos. Seriously. Calling that one of "Lost's biggest mysteries" in the promos was absurd. Number two, so Cheech is Hurley's dad. Big deal. The least that flashback could have done is let us in on some new info about the Numbers, instead of hammering home 'the numbers are cursed!' schtick. Number three, en-ough about Sayid's past as a torturer. We get it. He has skeletons. Move on! Anyway, on top of the useless flashbacks, nothing even HAPPENED in any of the post-break episodes except this last one (which was vaguely interesting only until we found out that Patches wasn't a Dharma remnant). Kate and Sawyer whined at each other, Hurley pointlessly fixed a hippie bus, and Sawyer lost his stash at ping pong. Yawn. Remember when this show was intriguing? What with the hatches and the revealing flashbacks and the Others and the smoke monster and the whispers and the visions? Now we have painful inaction on top of having to endure the useless twins Nikki and Paolo. Yar.

our skin gets thicker from living out in the snow

2007-02-17T19:06:00.000-05:00

Rochester's weather is so amusingly relative. After a few days of biting cold and endless snow storms, today's weather -- sunny and low 30s -- felt like the first day of spring. The roads were finally (mostly) cleared of snow and I was able to leave my gloves at home, wearing just a light scarf for style, not utility.

Last... Saturday? Friday? I can't remember which night it was, but I met up with MB et al to play darts at the Black Pearl. The Black Pearl used to be Dicky's, the seedy little dive bar where J and M and I wound up our post-graduation festivities with mildly 'Girls Gone Wild'-esque antics. Anyway, KZ and I teamed up and made a decent show of it against MB and E, who happens to be awesome at darts. We settled into the corner of the bar with pitchers of Saranac and fed dollar bills to the jukebox, which had a decent selection.

Oh, actually it was Saturday, because the following morning MB and I headed out to lunch at Thali of India in lieu of our normal brunch. Indian buffet is a genius notion, as you don't have to come with a large group to sample a little of everything. The food was delicious, from naan to chai.

Tomorrow I am going to start my search for a new job. In a surprising twist, part of me wants to stay here in Rochester. It's bizarre, but these past 6 months have been a lot of fun and I've rediscovered a lot of the endearing and exciting aspects of my hometown. We'll see. I used to believe that changing my situation was a simple as changing my location. If only it were that easy! I'm not saying that I have decided to definitely stay in town -- where I end up depends a great deal on the results of my job search -- but if I do stay in Rochester, I think there is a very good chance that I could be happy here. Plus, I'm starting to feel like I need to invest in people and friendships, and it's hard to do when most aspects of my life seem ephemeral. I'm looking forward to nesting somewhere and feeling like I can really settle in. Uncertainty is exhausting.

chili's is the new golf course. it's where business happens.

2007-02-05T19:32:00.000-05:00

Friday night, after a co-worker's birthday dinner at Don Pablo's (the pseudo-Mexican Chili's...), I met up with MB along with his girlfriend and KZ at Clover Lanes for a few rounds of bowling. Considering I hadn't slipped into community shoes since the days when I had a perm and a hot date was holding hands while couples-skating, I didn't fare too poorly. I managed 3 strikes in the second game, but didn't break 100.

A few things:
1. For a Friday night at 11pm, I was impressed to see how many 20-somethings were there. Granted, beer is served, but still.
2. The alley itself was pretty standard as far as they go, although I noticed that they have WiFi access and serve chai. Am I alone in thinking there is something wrong with that?
3. I finally had context and opportunity to relay all the little tidbits I've learned about the history of bowling in the USA.

Sunday morning I zipped along a snow-swept Route 20 to Syracuse, to join C in his neck of the woods for a delightful Mexican brunch. Sweet potato fries? Yes, please! I had an enormous breakfast burrito and a delicious, freshly-squeezed (albeit a little pricey) Mimosa while chatting about books. Delicious. I'm always taken, by the way, at the realization of just how rural the areas between Rochester and Syracuse can be. Having never been to the Midwest, I can only imagine that it's very much like western New York state with stronger accents and fewer hills.

In other news, it's cold. I am already snuggled up with my wine, and all I've left to decide is whom I shall invite to bed: P.G. Wodehouse or Daniel Day Lewis.

i don't believe in being brave

2007-01-20T14:34:00.000-05:00

During the cold, dark, unyielding days of deepest winter, I find it's essential to surround myself with an arsenal of things that cheer me up. Particularly in Rochester (although perhaps not as much this year), where the winter finds one entrenched in the house due to impassable weather.

1. I know I've mentioned it before, but these Overlook Press editions of Wodehouse's Jeeves books make me sublimely happy. They are everything that a book should be--compact, hard covered, cloth bound, and adorned with a simple, charming illustration on the dust jacket. Just the sort of thing to lure the money from a bibliophile's wallet. I'm presently reading Ring For Jeeves, which is, of course, absolutely delightful but I do miss Bertie quite a bit, particularly in the narration. He's absent from this one, lending Jeeves to another household on secondment while he's away at a school that teaches gentlemen self-sufficiency in case a social revolution deprives them of their valets. Oh, I could burst for my love of Wodehouse. On deck are The Mating Season and Joy in the Morning.

2. I adore brunch, of course, but more than that any Sunday morning spent idle and eating. On the occasions that I don't feel motivated to leave the house for brunch (that is to say, winter), I'll remain in my pajamas and have coffee and breakfast in bed while watching an old episode of MST3K from Netflix. Tomorrow morning I plan to giggle my way out of my Sunday melancholy by watching Mike and the Bots endure Prince of Space. I also might have to break down and buy the second volume of the DVDs just for Pod People, since Netflix doesn't have it. Want a bite-sized giggle? Search for "MST3K" and "short" on YouTube and delight in some of my favorite gems from the series -- the classroom / propaganda ephemera shorts.

3. Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages is a classic wine, and for good reason; it's inexpensive and absolutely delicious. I have a few empty demi-bottles serving as vases and other miscellaneous decorative functions, as I find the simple ink-and-parchment aesthetic of the label delightful.

4. Hot drinks have such a pronounced soothing effect on me that I'm even known to drink them in the summer. In winter, though, I simply can not do without my chilly paws wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee (Starbucks' sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce Latte), tea (Lipton's Vanilla Caramel Truffle black tea), or cider (Alpine sugar-free Spiced Cider).

5. I can't tell you how many quilts I own; I buy a new one at least once a year, if not more often. My newest one arrived this week--a yellow satiny plum-blossom print on sale at Urban Outfitters for a mere $25. With some new, firm pillows from Target I am slowly crafting my bed into a delicious and irresistible pile of warmth and comfort.

Speaking of, my head is about to explode with sinus pressure so I'm going to take a Sutafed, whip up some cider, and snuggle under my quilt with Ring For Jeeves. Maybe the next 3 months won't be so terrible...

every day is like sunday

2007-01-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

I'm headed to brunch this morning. I am determined to wrest brunch from the prevailing image of post-church seniors at Denny's and restore its cosmopolitan sheen. Towards this effort, MB has suggested First Taste on Park Avenue. I had initially suggested Charlie's Frog Pond, but he relayed some rather unsavory gossip about the sanitation of their kitchen so that idea was eagerly nixed. Brunch on a Sunday, by the way, is delightful. It doesn't require waking up too early, but nevertheless you're out and about before noon, sipping coffee or mimosas while languidly gossiping with friends. Or, if flying solo, reading the Sunday paper at a corner table and people-watching. Delicious! Following, the starchy lethargy can be walked off with some window shopping or house-envying (my favorite East End past time).

happy new year, you're my only vice

2006-12-31T18:09:00.000-05:00

I'm heading to MB's tonight for a little NYE get-together of uncertain proportions. I made tiramisu and some baguette-based appetizers, along with a salad. I even managed to emulsify my dressing properly, so no oil separation. I am a food nerd. Oh, and of course Cava and Chambord for cocktails.

There is talk (well, just between MB and myself) of heading to the Liberty Pole to join in the absurd-yet-true Rochester Kazoo Massive organized by our mayor. In all reality I think I'll be more inclined to head out to the bars as the evening progresses, but we shall see.

My outfit this year is best described as "A Georgian Gentleman in King Louis XVI's Disco." I'll post photos on my Flickr.

Anyway, I really just popped in to say "Happy New Year!" Here's hoping that 2007 is a little more impressive than 2006 was...

43 things

2006-12-20T21:35:00.000-05:00

Someone directed me to the site 43 Things, and since I've decided to join I thought I'd share. The concept is to choose (up to) 43 things you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime. They can be short-term or long-term goals, but you can write little entries to track your progress and you can also find other people who are working on the same things. I think it'll be a great way for me to not only track stuff like my resolutions but also keep in mind bigger-picture aspirations. Or, more likely, I'll grow bored of it in a month and never update it again. We'll see.

I only have 4 things right now but I need to go to bed because a) I am still sick, and b) today was exhausting. These next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind of social activity, so hopefully I'll be healthy enough to plow through by the time the craziness kicks off on Friday.

Anyway, you can find my "things" here. Let me know if you sign up so I can subscribe to your list!

when you walk without ease on these streets where you were raised

2006-12-17T15:05:00.000-05:00

Some of you may recall last year in Connecticut I was appalled to witness the trend of fastening full-sized Christmas wreathes to the grills of SUVs. If I, at any moment, naively claimed that nothing could be more tacky... I apologize. Because this weekend, driving through Pittsford, I saw not one but TWO behemoths that had--and you have no idea how much I wish I was kidding right now--Christmas lights woven around the little rack part on top. Fully-lit garlands of Christmas bulbs. On cars. I mean, I can somewhat appreciate the kitsch factor of garishly decorated houses, even though the enormous inflated snow-globe trend is a little hard to stomach, but this is just crossing the line. I hate Hummers in all their naked glory, so dressing them up in Christmas cheer makes me want to drive sharpened candy canes through my eyeballs.

If you want an indication of how much something as petty and ridiculous as this bugs someone like me, let me admit to you that even now, nearly 3 years later, I still feel a small knot of horror and irritation constrict in my rib cage every time I see one of those absurd ribbon magnets.

All this seasonal pet peevery has almost distracted my from my daily annoyance with bad grammar, incorrect word usage (don't even get me started on 'literally'), or when people say things like "exspecially," "probally," and "acrosst." I haven't been watching enough TV lately to rile myself up over advertising tripe, although I've no doubt that it's particularly odious at this time of year, as usual.

Anyway, there's a little bah humbug for you. I'm going to take a deep breath, put on a little Der Bingle, and have a soothing mug of mulled cider while I try to conjure the Christmas spirit. I actually do adore Christmas, I just wish people didn't have to be so awfully tacky about it.

snuffleblog

2006-12-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

I have caught some sort of cold twice in my 3 months at this job. I never used to get sick this often... usually one relatively obnoxious illness each year (flu, tonsillitis, etc) but never a cold every month. Today's special is a head cold combined with a dodgy tummy... not so much that I am throwing up as the thought of most foods turns my stomach. I will accomplish the most essential of my chores (laundry, cleaning) and spend the remainder of my Sunday either pawing through some magazines or reading more of The Historian (I can't decide how I feel about this book. It's addictive but not particularly compelling, if I may make the distinction. That is to say, while I am reading it I find myself rapidly turning the pages, but once I put it down I have little desire to pick it up again).

I ran into MB at Barnes & Noble yesterday. It's uncanny how MB and I are forever and always simply 'running into each other'. Anyway, we had a wonderfully long discussion in the used book section and decided that we should make New Year's Eve plans. I am usually a little fan of NYE, but I know that doing something with MB & Co. will be decidedly chill and civilized.

Winter has apparently been placed on hiatus by some benevolent deity. 40F+ for the foreseeable meteorological future, as it has been for a little over a week now. Considering that we generally have a 'White Thanksgiving,' the possibility of not having a 'White Christmas' is very strange. In fact, according to the weather map, it's colder in LA than it is here. In Rochester. Unsettling. That said, I have never, never looked a mild winter in the mouth. I am more than happy to not have to trudge through shin-deep snow every day on my way to work, thankyouverymuch.

It's nearly noon, so I suppose I should start my day. Hopefully this is just a passing bug and not a harbinger of some full-blown illness.

i know i'm blog-happy today, but...

2006-12-05T20:26:00.000-05:00

I should also add that I just found out that iTunes sells what I believe to be every episode of 'This American Life' for a mere $0.95 each. I just spent the entire iTunes gift card my brother gave me for my birthday. If you must download only one, please take care that it is 'Christmas and Commerce' (including not only the now classic 'Santaland Diaries' by David Sedaris, but also a holiday piece by David Rakoff). Also keep an eye out for any episodes featuring Sarah Vowell.

That is all.

ode to the 585

2006-12-05T18:17:00.000-05:00

[I just found this entry in my drafts, unfinished from July, so I decided to complete it and post it to remind myself of all the things I don't hate about enduring another winter in Rochester]

A clarification.

Recently a few people have told me, rather unexpectedly, that I 'shouldn't be so hard on Rochester.' Oh! I honestly didn't realize that I was hating on the 585, but if I ever implied that I dislike it here it was probably in reference to being unemployed and living at home. Nothing personal, Rochester!

Yes, I had (and, to an extent, still have) itchy feet to run away to a bigger city for a while. Living in London made it clear that I need all those trappings around me for a while longer, particularly after being without them in New Haven. Not to mention that I grew up here, so of course certain aspects of it seem a little stale after 20-something years.

This time, perhaps because I know I'll be here for a definite amount of time instead of 'until I can get out,' the familiarity is unexpectedly comforting. I felt so tired by the end of my time in New Haven--tired of thinking about my life, tired of dealing with decisions--that reverting to something familiar felt like crawling into bed after an extremely long day.

That's not to say there aren't things I dislike about Rochester. 80% of them pertain to winter. The remaining 20% consists of the pitiful job market, the stupidly high violent crime rate, its remoteness, and garbage plates.

So, since it seems I've been unfairly turning my nose up at Rock City, here are just a few of my favorite things:

1. The George Eastman House. An unparalleled international museum of photography and film, housed in Eastman's East Avenue mansion (which one can also tour). I'm a particularly big fan of the gardens, which are a beautiful place to read. The museum's movie theater often runs small films, or directors cuts of classics, for a mere $6 (or $5 if you're a student).

2. Speaking of gardens, there are small public gardens scattered all over Rochester, but you have to know where to look for them. One of my favorites is the garden of fragrance (a garden of herbs and roses) tucked behind the Rochester Museum and Science Center. It's very tiny, there are only two benches, but it's almost always empty. Sculpted hedges surround it and it's far back from the street, so it's a lovely and cozy place to read or just sit with coffee and a sandwich.

3. I'm trying to avoid gushing too much about food, because that's usually what saturates my 'favorite things about...' lists. So I'll simply slip California Rollin' in here with the Village Gate. The Village Gate was once a factory and sometime in the 80s (I think) it was renovated into a sort of indie shopping mall. The top floor is artists lofts (although now I think there might also be a karate studio up there too) and the bottom floor is peppered with independent stores and restaurants. It goes through phases, really. Sometimes it seems on the brink of desertion, but then it bounces back again with new businesses nestled among the old standards like Ricky's Place (surprisingly good vintage clothing) and Yankee Peddler Book Shop (used books, ephemera, and vintage maps and postcards). There's always a tattoo parlor there, although I think the place where I had my second one done is gone. I love that there's no spit and polish to the place; no directory to guide you through the maze of corridors, nothing but brightly-colored paint to disguise the fact that it's a converted factory.

4. The Inner Loop. Everyone seems to despise it but I think it's nothing short of genius. When I was first learning to drive and navigate my way around the city, I'd always be able to find my way home as long as I ran into the Inner Loop. Also, if you miss your exit... it'll come back around again! As teenagers we used to have contests to see who could make the complete circuit in the shortest amount of time, like our own little race track, although I think that might be a little bit of an indication of what it was like to grow up Upstate.

5. The Geography. My Lake can beat up your lake. I think growing up on a peninsula has made me feel a little claustrophobic when I'm not around a significant body of water (even a Finger Lake or a sizeable river will do...). Plus, our river flows north and there are waterfalls in the middle of downtown.

6. I still haven't seen a cemetery as stunning as Mount Hope. It's like stumbling upon Victorian ruins in the middle of a forest. The statues and carvings on the monuments and mausoleums are a gallery unto themselves (as you can tell I love looking at photos of the place).

Oh, I suppose that's enough to keep me happy for the moment. I also found this nice little article about visiting Rochester from the New York Times, which notes some other things I love about the city (charbroil and the Public Market for starters).

ruiners!

2006-12-05T06:48:00.000-05:00

Damn you, Television Without Pity. I used to think Jamie Bamber wasn't too hard on the eyes until you had to go and point out that he looks like a muppet. Now when I see him, all I can think of is that episode of Angel where David Boreanaz was turned into a puppet.

'House' tonight! We get to find out what happens when Wilson grows a pair. Kind of.

There was a deal on Amazon yesterday where they were selling all 3 seasons of 'Arrested Development' for $33.79. So I bought them (clearly). I've missed that show something terrible, so I'm excited.

Right, I suppose I should be off to work then...

in the morning in the wintershade

2006-12-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

Two things that have recently increased my geekitude factor: 1. I am frighteningly addicted to the Yahtzee widget I downloaded. 2. I stayed in last night and watched tons of Battlestar Galactica DVDs (damn you J and G! I was a little slow to get on board, but I just finished disc 1 of Season 2 and am quite officially hooked).

But! Tonight I have been invited to a Christmas party by some work people. It's quite refreshing to have coworkers who are in their 20s (or, at the very least, not married with teenage children). I eat lunch with this crew, but this will be the first time I've socialized with them outside of work. They're a nice bunch, though, so it should be fun.

Anyway, I should go pick up some booze for the party (we're supposed to bring either food or beverage, but it seems that a lot of people are bringing food so I'm opting for the latter... probably some sort of apple cocktail). It's starting to get cold now... I guess winter is on the way!

the consumer is king and unhappiness is treason

2006-11-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

Remember in my last post when I mentioned that, were the day to come when I purchased a new computer, it would be a PC notebook? Well, that day came and passed this week and I found myself scooting to the Apple store to adopt an adorable little MacBook instead. Two-fingered scrolling... how did I live without it? The iSight kind of unnerves me a little, though. It feels a little HAL-like. So I'm currently all wireless and delighted, sitting at Spot and enjoying a grilled cheese focaccia and a surprisingly not nasty apple-cinnamon café au lait (they messed up my order, in which I asked for a café au lait and an apple-cinnamon Italian soda. Oh well). I had a fairly productive Christmas shopping excursion to Parkleigh after having my eyebrows plucked half-to-death at Scott Miller.

It's a gorgeous day here. High 50s, sharp sunlight, just a few wispy clouds. I think I'll spend the rest of the day Christmas shopping, or more likely tearing my hair out wondering what to give my father.

Right, well 12.30 so I really should get on with it all. I'm off to one of my mother's favorite boutiques to see if I can check her off my list.

ask me i won't say no how could i

2006-11-17T20:15:00.000-05:00

More questions of the day because I'm a little too tired to write anything properly, and stupid Dr and Mr Doris Haggis-On-Whey held up my Amazon shipment. I did recently finish The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke, though, which was delightful. Quite nearly as enjoyable (and not nearly as long) as Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Very charming.

What's your favorite music for a Sunday morning?
My Soul Mix (Otis, Geno, Al, etc.)

What song makes you rock the karaoke mike?
Eddie Money's 'Take Me Home Tonight.'

What's on your top 5 video games list?
Video games? Really?

What's the worst pickup line you've ever heard?
'Listen luv, I don't have time to chat you up, but do you fancy a shag?' Clearly, I swooned.

What comedian makes you pee your pants laughing?
Well that's a bit extreme! But of course it's Eddie Izzard.

What's your method for calculating a tip?
Restaurant: a little more than double the tax. Bar: $1 for just about everything. Hairdresser: $15. Eyebrow waxer: $5.

What character in a book can you connect with or relate to the most?
Mon petit prince.

What song best describes your current mood?
'(Don't Go Back to) Rockville' - R.E.M.

What's the most drastic change you've ever made to your appearance?
Hm. I don't really do drastic. I once dyed my hair blonde. That didn't last long.

How do you eat your pizza: folded, flat, or with a fork and a knife?
Folded. It has to be a big, floppy slice. I'm not so sure I could get on board with someone eating takeout pizza with a fork and knife. My unconfirmed theory is that anyone who eats pizza with silverware is bad in bed. Feel free to do your own field work.

Windows, Mac, Linux - What's your preference and why?
I really, really don't care. I use my computer for the most basic functions: e-mail, IM, music, interwebs. From a design point of view, yes, Macs are delicious. But I actually really like my Vaio and I think my next computer will be a cute Vaio notebook. Plus, we all know John Hodgman is utterly awesome and in serious contention to ascend to the right hand of Stephen Fry in my personal pantheon of greatness. PCs win by association.

What's your dream career?
Getting paid obscene amounts of money to travel and do research. Oddly enough, 'money' and 'academia' rarely go hand-in-hand.

What's your favorite radio station, past or present?
WBER circa 1993-1998.

What would the title of your autobiography be?
Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Why?
Well if I could figure that out it'd be half my problem solved, wouldn't it? I'm going to say London, though. I have friends there who are fantastic and I completely fell in love with the city.

How did you pick your Vox name? Does it mean something?
Actually, Blogger is just about the only place where I'm not 'fauxarbres.' My Blogger name 'clockworkbird' doesn't really mean anything. I just liked the imagery and connotations of it. As for good old fauxarbres... it's been with me since my days on AOL, so circa 1998. I was obsessively into Radiohead at the time and wanted a screen name that was Radiohead-related. As it happened, half of the world was obsessively into Radiohead at the time, so such screen names were a little hard to come by. So I decided to translate something into French. 'Faux Arbres En Plastique' was too long, et voilà! Faux arbres!

What is your favorite scent?
A few that I love: freshly-cut lawns and gas-powered lawn mowers; garlic and onions cooking; autumn.

What's your sign? Do you believe in astrology and horoscopes?
No, I don't believe in horoscopes. That said, I'm a Libra and sometimes I think that certain aspects of my sign completely apply to me (hates conflict, has a tough time making decisions, is happiest when in love, wants things to be placid and beautiful). But then again... meh.

What did you think you would never ever do... but did?
Live abroad.

Do you remember your first flight? Where did you go? Why?
I was 6 and went to visit my Aunt in California. It was awesome. Ever since then I've loved travel.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
Jellied eel, I suppose. I like to think I have a rather adventurous appetite, but rarely do I have the opportunity to exercise it.

What food or drink do you love when it's cold out?
Tea. Mulled wine. Spiced spiked cider.

Do you listen to podcasts? Are there any you'd recommend?
I listen to some NPR ones and The Word Nerds.

Tell us about your first kiss. Who was it with? How old were you?
To be honest, I don't remember. It was probably with our family friend B, but I could totally be making that up. I want to say it was around Kindergarten or 1st Grade though.

What do you do to get rid of a cold or the flu?
Mainline Nyquil and sleep.

What are your top 25 most played songs?
On iTunes you mean? Uh, lemme see...
1. Refreshing Rain
2. Inspiring Thunderstorms
(Those are both white noise that I put on repeat to fall asleep, hence why they're the most played).
3. Strange Powers - the Magnetic Fields
4. I'd Rather Dance With You - the Kings of Convenience
5. Hard to Beat - Hard-Fi
6. Ready 2 Wear - Felix da Housecat
7. I Luv the Valley, Oh! - Xiu Xiu
8. Hung Up - Madonna
9. Ladytron - Roxy Music
10. Maple Leaves 7" - Jens Lekman
11. Minnesoter - the Dandy Warhols
12. Blood - Editors
13. I Die: You Die - Gary Numan
14. You Are the Light - Jens Lekman
15. Modes of Transport - Astrid
16. Hanging On the Telephone - Blondie
17. Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
18. Heartbeat - Annie
19. Heaven Hammer (Missing) - Beck
20. In a Big Country - Big Country
21. Bonnie and Clyde - Serge Gainsbourg
22. Just What I Needed - the Cars
23. Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money
24. Maybe You Can Owe Me - Architecture in Helsinki
25. The Dreaming Moon - the Magnetic Fields

Which cartoon character best represents you?
Does the Little Prince count?

What's your favorite thing to shop for?
Books. Books and clothes. And house stuff.

What was your very first job?
Stocking shelves at Wegmans.

What's the best way to spend a rainy day?
Well, I'm guessing it's probably going to be inside the butterfly garden at Strong Museum. That's where I'll be spending my next rainy weekend day. Otherwise, there's always reading at a café or poking around the Eastman House or Memorial Art Gallery.

What do you like to make or order for brunch?
Mimosas. Stuffed french toast.

What gameshow or reality show would you kick butt on?
Remember 'Rock n' Roll Jeopardy' on VH1? I could've rocked that.

What's the most memorable building you've lived in?
My apartment on North Parade in Bath. Absolutely stunning, and fantastic views. I miss my parapet.

in two thousand years this place will be covered by ice and the people who will dig us up will be in for a big surprise

2006-10-29T20:53:00.000-05:00

My annual winter hibernation is starting a little early this year, I think.

I don't know if it's the cold weather or the meager rations of daylight, but already I find myself building up my stores of books like layers of fat in preparation for the long, bleak months ahead. Usually this doesn't set in until around Thanksgiving, but this weekend was so blustery and my to-do list so overwhelming that I wanted nothing more than to putter around the house 'getting things done' and snuggling up. It was absolutely delicious.

Last weekend was the birthday foofaraw which--what with its pommes frites with truffle oil, kir royales, and karaoke--somewhat glutted me on the whole 'going out' biz. It was fun, absolutely, but excessively draining.

I went for a coffee this afternoon and when I walked out of the café and into the perfectly crisp air I remembered how coffee-laced breath mingles so exquisitely and distinctively with the smells of autumn. The only thing missing from that chord was a slow, sated drag of a cigarette.

Only Revolutions was disappointing. In fact, I found it very nearly unreadable. That said, it did touch me in a strange way and I do love the way he breaks the linear tendencies of the medium. I think David Mitchell did a better job with it, though. I'm in the midst of yet another Jeeves book right now (they are like crack) and then I will probably move onto Alan Alda's autobiography while I wait for my next shipment of books to arrive. I am looking forward to the rumored Hodgmanesque (yes, that's right... Hodgmanesque) humor of the Dr and Mr Doris Haggis-On-Whey books.

I'm considering making Christmas pressies again this year, since a) I am poor, and b) I need a hobby for a number of reasons. Hopefully there will not be another horror like the absinthe fiasco of '04 (although I like to think that the unspeakable nastiness of the moonshine was overshadowed by the--if I may--sublime deliciousness of the truffles). I am planning on some things edible, some things inedible... we shall see.

Oh, and short of flying to London and knocking on doors I have no idea what to do about getting letters of reference from my UCL professors. They seem to be completely incommunicado and clearly are not checking (or are ignoring) their email and voicemail. I'm wondering if I should be thinking about a serious plan B. Not that it would be the end of the world... to be honest, I'm not particularly eager to add to my debt while living on Ramen for two years. I've become a little enchanted by that well-dressed temptress Disposable Income. We shall see. Maybe I can enter the field with just (just!) my History MA.

Ok, apples and peanut butter.

i was drunk on the streets of chicago for 14 days on end

2006-10-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

I've decided to stop drinking for a year.

This is primarily because I find myself shelling out $30 for the privilege of feeling like death-on-a-stick the next day and accomplishing absolutely nothing. As an added bonus, this weekend it resulted in yet another bout of nasty tonsillitis. So now I think I will limit myself to the odd glass of vino with dinner. Drinking any more than that just isn't worth losing a day or more in recovery. I might still go out once in a while, but I suppose I'll just offer myself up as the designated driver.

I have tried every hangover cure and preventative measure under the sun. And it's not even that I'm drinking that much and/or often... my body is just unwilling to accept anything more than the most limited consumption. Bummer.

Anyway, despite my aforementioned craptacular state of health, I will go out to eat sushi with my childhood friend M tomorrow night and hopefully not spread the germitude to her. Wednesday I think G is coming over to watch the season premiere of 'Lost' (so excited! I can't wait to see what this season is going to be like).

Tonight, though, I am simply going to ignore the fact that my room is a mess and snuggle up in bed with my mug of TheraFlu. I'm debating whether I am in a state to start The Sea by John Banville (unlikely), flip through the new issue of 'InStyle' (more likely), or watch a few more episodes of 'Jeeves and Wooster' (extremely likely).

yeah. it's just that we're putting new coversheets on all the tps reports before they go out now

2006-09-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

New job = exhausting. Not that I'm complaining, mind. I'm more than thrilled to be done with that whole obnoxious job search process for a while, even if I do find myself experiencing occasional 'Office Space' moments.

The weekend was pretty fun, though, despite the fact that I was completely shattered. Friday night MB invited me to a dinner party, which was lovely. Good to see him; I'm glad he's still in town. Saturday night I went to dinner with my mother and then came home and watched a few episodes of 'Jeeves and Wooster' (I splurged and bought the box set). I fell asleep rather early and still felt exhausted when I woke up. Sunday G and I went to Abyssinian for yummy Ethiopian food.

I think I'll be heading back to karaoke this Saturday with G and B (MB can't make it this weekend but I'm planning on dragging him out at some point). Friday night will be nothing but 'Jeeves and Wooster,' maybe a bit of wine, and LOTS of sleep.

Oh, and I also have a 'Plan B' formulating in case something goes awry with my grad school plan. Which it might very early if my letters of reference don't arrive on time. I have 1.5/3.0 of them (one in hand, one promised, and one unconfirmed), and as you can imagine that does not set my mind at ease in the slightest. Eep. Anyway, the Plan B involves moving to Europe so it wouldn't be hard to bear at all. Hehe.

I was so glad to talk to people at MB's dinner party that were also plodding through an 'in-between' moment in their lives. Very comforting to know I am not a huge failure yet!

Anyway, it's 10pm, which is apparently my new bedtime. I work 7.30-4 now with a commute that isn't nearly as frustrating as my old one, but is by no means an easy drive. Actually, coming home is usually worse than heading to work. Particularly when the VP swoops into town to attend a little $150-a-head fundraising dinner, causing one of the busiest sections of one of the most congested expressways in Rochester to be closed during rush hour. Just further proof that the man is evil. :P

right ho, jeeves

2006-09-05T19:16:00.000-05:00

Oh, I love Wodehouse's Jeeves series.

Overlook Press has released special editions of a bunch of Wodehouse's works, including quite a few Jeeves books. They're delicious not only for the delight of the actual text, but also the fact that they are hard-cover, cloth-bound, and feature swoon-worthy vintage-inspired cover art (see illustration provided). So even though they are a bit more pricey than a paper-back Penguin edition, I can't help but aim to collect them all.

In fact, I would love to find a way to make prints of the jacket art and hang them on my walls.

But anyway, book geekiness aside (I do have a little bit of a... problem... when it comes to buying books) you should all head to your wishlist / bookstore / library and try on at least one Jeeves book. So funny, so endearing.

la meme

2006-08-31T16:27:00.000-05:00

Birthday wish number one.

Anyway, I really don't have much to say... so instead I'm going to answer all the 'Questions of the Day' that Vox has spit out so far (FYI, they've given me 4 more invites if anyone wants 'em. Just let me know your e-mail address). Whee.

As a youngster, when you scrounged together enough change to get some candy, what did you buy?
Hm. I think my favorites were Warheads, Nerds, and anything of the gummy persuasion.

What's the last thing you changed your mind about?
Literally the last thing, or the most important last thing? The most important thing was changing my mind about moving to DC. The actual last thing was my decision to waste time filling out these questions instead of reading.

What was the first album (record, cassette or CD) you purchased with your own money?
I believe, to the best of my recollection, it was U2's Achtung Baby circa age 12.

If you had a time machine and could travel anywhere in time, where would you go and why?
Paris during La Belle Époque. I'd love to run around drinking absinthe with the bohemians. Or, 1940s Hollywood (same as above, but substitute champagne and Golden Age film stars).

If someone was visiting your town for the first time, what would be the one place you'd tell them they just had to go see.
That really depends on what they're into. I think the Eastman House is the most obvious answer--and for good reason--but not everyone is into museums. Mount Hope Cemetery can be a beautiful place to wander and look for famous graves or try to sneak a peek inside the abandoned church.

Do you believe in ghosts? Follow-up question: What's the most supernatural experience you've ever had?
I don't not believe in them. I've never had an experience with anything supernatural, but I'm completely freaked out by the idea of ghosts. Even, like, ghosts of relatives. No thank you.

What's your favorite board game?
Scrabble!

What's your favorite season?
Autumn, without a doubt. I love all my autumn clothes, I love the smell of the fallen leaves and the briskness of the air, I love mulled cider and pumpkin pie, I love my birthday and Thanksgiving. I love simply everything about autumn (except, of course, that it is a harbinger of winter).

What's the best movie sequel ever made?
Uh. Probably the Godfather Part II, although I consider that more of a 'second volume' than a sequel. And its goodness is mitigated a little by the pile of tripe that is Part III.

What's your favorite song of 2006?
Oh geez, I don't know. What came out this year?

What's the best thing about 3-day weekends?
I usually allow myself a 'freebie' day to sit around doing absolutely nothing without feeling guilty about it.

What was the first rock concert you ever attended? (We know, they're not called "rock concerts" anymore, but still...)
Hm. I think it was Weezer at the Horozontal Boogie Bar in 1995.

What's your favorite family tradition?
We don't really have a lot of traditions, but I do love getting together for Thanksgiving dinner.

What's the oldest thing you own? Where did you get it from? Significance?
Probably my dresser, which I think was my great-grandmother's. I like it, it's kind of deco.

If I was to hand you $10,000 and the only condition of the gift was that you had to spend it -- and spend it completely -- within the next hour, what would you spend it on?
I'd put it toward my student loans. That would take care of $10,000 right quick.

You're given one dish to cook or bake: what's your signature recipe?
Ooh. Tough one. Even though I haven't made them in years, people were always a fan of the chocolate pots and they're dead easy to make.

Do you have a nickname or a name certain people call you? Where did it originate?
The British lot call me 'Leenie,' but I have no idea of its origins. Very strange, as no one in the states calls me that.

What famous person do people say you resemble? Comparison pictures, please.
I've never been told that I look like a celebrity.

What song was the number one song on the charts the day you were born? How about the day you turned 21? What do you think about the song?
The day I was born: Queen - "Another One Bites the Dust" - meh. Not one of their best.
The day I turned 21: Jennifer Lopez f/ Ja Rule - "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" - I actually kind of liked that song at the time. I haven't heard it since my days at the Holiday, though. :P

Has there been a book that has changed your life? Maybe just a little bit?
Bien sur! Le Petit Prince! I'd have to throw The Unbearable Lightness of Being in there as well.

What was your favorite arcade game growing up? What's your favorite game now?
When I was little it was Pitfall for the Atari. Now... I couldn't care less.

What's your worst travelling story? Horrible airport experience? Seasickness?
There are two. Number one, being stranded overnight in a train station in Crewe because I missed my overnight sleeper train to Glasgow. Number two, sleeping under the breakwall in Ullapool Harbor because I didn't realize that my hostel had a curfew and was locked out. Both were very, very cold and uncomfortable nights.

What's the most extreme weather you've been in? A memorable storm? Heat wave? Or something else?
I suppose Rochester's ice storm was fairly extreme. Nothing like a hurricane, to be sure, but really rather unpleasant.

Soda? Cola? Pop? What do you say? Any other regional words that set you apart?
I used to say 'pop,' but now I say 'soda.'

Play any instrument or speak any language, which do you choose?
I'd love to be flawlessly fluent in French.

If you could open any sort of restaurant, what would it be like?
I'd rather open a bar. It'd be really swanky and loungy, but without being kitschy or ironic (or, for that matter, pretentious). Obviously it would have a drool-worthy jukebox and not a single television set in sight. Lots of tables, though. With those little candles in nubby red glass jars.

What or who is your favorite product mascot? Why?
I can tell you my least favorite mascot, and that's the Snuggle Bear. Although that's a long-standing hatred, and it's very possible that the Nasonex Bee will hold the title if he's still around a year from now. *shudder*

If you could get someone in your life to start a blog, who would it be and why?
Phen. He always has adventures.

When you were younger, were there any game shows that you religiously watched and wanted to be a contestant on?
When I was young I loved all the really cheesy game shows, like "Press Your Luck" and "Win, Lose, or Draw!". I don't think I necessarily wanted to be a contestant on them, but I watched them all the time.

What's your morning beverage of choice? Coffee, tea, juice? Homemade or store-bought?
If I'm feeling rich it's a Starbuck's grande sugar-free, fat-free hazelnut latte. If I am feeling... notsorich... Dunkin' Donuts vanilla spice coffee with skim milk and one Splenda.

How well do you know your next-door neighbors?
I don't, really. At all. I don't even know their names.

When was the last time you had to speak in front of a group? How did you feel?
It's been aaages. I had to do a presentation on my honors project in front of one of my advisor's classes in college. I felt... well, mostly hungover, since it was at 8am.

What was the last wedding you went to? Were you in the wedding?
Rach & Pete's wedding in May. No, I was not in it.

Tell us a little something about your first car. Do you have any photos you can share?
The Thunderchicken! 1989 Ford Thunderbird in navy blue, handed down to me from my parents in 2001. It's the car I drove in high school, though, so really I'd been cruising around in it since 1996. It died a very speedy death in the summer of 2002.

What albums are in heavy rotation for you right now?
The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass
Various Artists - Ocean's 12 Soundtrack
DeVotchKa - How It Ends
Nouvelle Vague - Nouvelle Vague

What was (or is) your favorite subject in school?
I liked AP Psychology a lot. English was fun, depending on the teacher. In college it was clearly history.

What's the nerdiest thing about you?
90% of the time I'd rather stay in and read than go out.

Are there any snacks, food or candy that are no longer made that you desperately miss?
I don't know if they're still made or not, but I haven't seen any since Louie's Sweet Shoppe closed... clove flavored stick candy. I wonder if they have them at the model Louie's in the Strong Museum. Hmm. Ooh and cherry phosphates!

What movie would you really recommend renting or seeing this weekend?
I just rented Heathers, which was great.

What books are on your nightstand?
1776 - David McCullough
Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World - Sarah Vowell
A Sorrow Beyond Dreams - Peter Handke
a GRE Prep Book
Diners, Bowling Alleys, and Trailer Parks: Chasing the American Dream in Postwar Consumer Culture - Andrew Hurley

Who's your favorite movie villain?
I don't know if this counts, but I always adored-despised the preppie, rich asshole roles that James Spader was cast in during the 80s. Pretty in Pink? Less Than Zero? So good.

What is your browser's default home page set to?
Excite.com.

What's your favorite way to keep in touch? Phone, snail mail, email, text message, _____?
Well, I prefer snail mail but generally no one is interested in writing back (with a few exceptions) so it tends to come down to e-mail or phone.

What song or lyrics are stuck in your head at the moment? What album is it from?
"Recommendation" by Mirah, from the album Advisory Committee. Last night, though, I couldn't get "Do Your Ears Hang Low" out of my head. NO idea why that popped into my tired little brain, but it drove me nuts. :P

i can't stop those flashin' reds

2006-08-25T20:02:00.000-05:00

Does someone mind explaining to me why the Jayhawks are so perfectly paired with red wine and rainy nights?

Damn.

Maybe it has something to do with the previous entry I wrote about wine making me nostalgic and melancholy. The Jayhawks do that too, you know. In specific and general senses. Much tugging of the heartstrings, m'dears, between the two. You try listening to Tomorrow the Green Grass and not feel all smooshy inside.

'a most decided humbug'

2006-08-15T20:27:00.000-05:00

I saw the Cardiff Giant today! Rather by happenstance, actually. More on my little daytrip later. Possibly much later.

les choses sérieuses

2006-08-08T22:23:00.000-05:00

Wine makes me silly, sentimental, and nostalgic.

I kind of like it, though.

Every time I come home and clean out my closet I find my box of the sentimental fragments I've needlessly saved over the years. Some of the people who sent them are dead, some are out of touch, others have just changed. Most of it isn't particularly romantic, to be honest. Birthday cards. Scraps of paper. Ticket stubs. Mixed tapes, even though I no longer have a working tape deck.

I miss the feeling that little scribblings and scraps are important. I haven't turned bits into things to hold onto for many years. I think that, at this point, I'm holding onto those bits not so much clinging to the people who sent them as the person I was who chose to keep them. If that makes any sense.

Sigh. Everything just seems so inconsequential and ephemeral now. I miss the feeling that my present is significant.

I have a BritRail pass. A mixed tape with Astrid on. A postcard that never quite made it to Pittsburgh. A transatlantic letter on Houghton College stationery (and a card addressed quite cryptically to 'Bea Dermont'). Cartoons on HWS spiral notebook paper. A note from Scotland. Photos of myself holding someone's hand. A fateful number on the back of a setlist. Another, less fateful, written on Marianne Faithful's forehead.

I threw it all in a shoebox more than 3 years ago, and haven't added a thing since, other than a few particularly decent mixed CDs sent in courtship.

Am I that jaded that I want nothing of this time? Paradoxically, I believe I'm happier now than I was back then.

I think it's that unbearable lightness again. Five years ago I was at the whim of a flock of gulls. Now I might be under a glass dome with but four thorns for my defense.

Silly, isn't it?

the less we say about it the better, make it up as we go along

2006-08-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

I sat in a cold bath for about an hour today, reading the new issue of In Style and cursing the lack of AC.

Yoga at 8am tomorrow, if I can manage to sleep tonight with a low of 79. Bah. Yesterday I almost fell asleep during the relaxation bit at the end.

If this heat ever breaks I'd like to go to karaoke again soon. I'll have to see what B is up to. I might also have to badger C to go with me to the fair when he returns from the midwest.

Ugh. I can't even deal with this right now. Time for ice cream and a book, I think.

left running you said you were flying

2006-07-29T12:09:00.000-05:00

I'm back on Last.FM. My page is here, but give it a little time to accurately reflect my recent listening habits. Do feel free to add, by the way. I quite like their new 'scrobbling' tool. Incidentally, I like the term 'scrobbling' even less than the word 'blogging.' So there.

So.Hot. I feel up to very little today, although I wandered around town a bit this morning before it got too muggy. I'm considering starting a photoblog over at Vox, where I was bestowed an account just for being curious. I have a pair of invites, too, so if anyone is interested let me know. Realistically, though, the chances of me bothering with another blog are pretty slim, even in my current state of general boredom.

It's my own fault, though... I've been laying low lately. Mostly because of the heat, partly because of my dwindling funds, and slightly because I've been feeling strange. I have the feeling that I should be 'Figuring Things Out', although I haven't the slightest idea of what those things are. I'll reemerge once I have a job and it's not so damn hot out. As usual, I can't wait for autumn. My knee-high dark brown leather heeled boots are looking at me longingly from within my closet.

Oh, and pilates totally kicked my ass (and back, and abs) yesterday. It was really more like PiYo, actually. I can't wait to go back, but that's certainly not happening today.

Ok, cherry FreezPops beckon.

always thought i was someone, turned out i was wrong

2006-07-27T19:53:00.000-05:00

Is there such a thing as a friend crush? That is to say, a platonic but rather giddy desire to befriend someone? Less of a crush than... a smoosh. You have no interest in sleeping with them, yet you find yourself oddly drawn to them.

Anyway, I have a smoosh on Alton Brown. The culinary expertise, the extreme geekiness... faaaantastic. I've been glutting myself on DVR'ed 'Good Eats,' so I'm interested to see what his new show will be like, as food + travel = yes.

I've been feeling a little off this week. Right now, nothing seems satisfactory. Even a small dose of budget retail therapy didn't cheer me up, although these tumblers I found at Target are totally adorable. I have no idea what's causing this malaise. Particularly since I haven't been this optimistic and excited about my future since I graduated college. I have a plan! A good plan! I should be excited and happy and hopeful and giddy! And I am. Moreso once I have a few things (i.e., job, acceptance letters) under my belt.

But maybe it's not the future that's weirding me out; perhaps I've been thinking too much about my past lately. There was something unsettling about the hangover I woke up with on Monday morning... it was almost like 10 years of emotional and personal residue were leeching into my system along with the toxins from the previous evening's ginfest. I don't really want to get into details here, but so many of my memories from the past decade make me feel a little uneasy. That's not to say I look upon my past with regret, nothing of the sort, but I just wish I'd been a little less... silly.

Anyway, I have an early pilates class tomorrow (back at the gym for me! Running in the park was fun, but I started to get nervous about being on my own in such a remote area) so I should be off to bed. I'm actually reading The Stand now, which is Not Bad in a very pulpy way. I've never read any Stephen King before, although my brother was quite a fan when we were growing up. I have a feeling, though, that this might be a bit of a McBook... cheap ($7.99 at the supermarket), filling (1135 pages), but leaves you feeling a little dirty. I'm only 150 pages in, so we'll see.

jens lekman is love

2006-07-24T00:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, he is.

Oh, and the show was beautiful. I am thisclose to running away to Gothenburg. No abductions this time, although I hereby give an official huge props to the sizeable and enthusiastic Rochesterian crowd. Clapping and singing along! Well done!

Those of you on either end, I hope you caught or will catch him.

You can find photos of the show at my flickr.

Do note, by the way, that he is possibly the tallest Swedish person I have ever met. I was wearing 3-inch heels, placing me in at a solid 5'11", and he still towers over me by nearly a head. Knowing my MO, I should be in love (hur hur).

Oh you're so darling, Jens.

finding not keeping's the lesson

2006-07-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

I don't think I'd be so frustrated with this job search if I was looking to start a very specific career; after all, that is limiting and difficult. But right now... I'm just looking for anything I wouldn't mind doing for a year. There is nothing. A friend of mine in Syracuse is in the exact same position... grad school in '07, no work to be found in the meantime.

Dear Upstate New York,
This is why there is a mass exodus of educated 20-somethings. Sort it out.
Love,
C x

Half of my worries will be over once someone decides to hire me. Then comes the ever-so-delightful process of convincing grad schools to not only a) accept me into their worringly selective programs, but also b) give me money. In the interest of bet hedging, I've decided to add the University of Texas - Austin to my list. Good program, excellent city. The difficulty this time around is that there are really only 20 or so schools in the entire country that offer an M.A. in Historic Preservation, and I'm not particularly interested in most of them. I still have my heart set on Cornell, but I certainly would not cry if I had to opt for Columbia or Austin.

I picked up a study book for the GREs yesterday, too. I thought I was sooo smart wiggling my way out of them last time. Hmph. Oh the verbal section is no problem but that, my dears, is only half the test. Then... there is math.

I'm not going to go all Barbie on you and complain that math is hard; I did well in math in high school (I even pulled a 4 on the AP Calculus exam, so there!). Yes, I am a little concerned that it has been nearly a decade since I've even thought about algebra and geometry, etc., but that's not even what bothers me. The thing I can't stand about the math section of standardized tests is that it is invariably where they will try to screw you over with trick questions. For example, they'll ask you the value of x in the equation 2x²=32. "Ok," you think, "32 divided by 2 is 16, and the square root of 16 is 4. So x must be 4." WRONG. The value of x is 4 AND -4. Bastards. That is precisely the kind of question that misleads you into thinking that you rocked out the test, only to get your results and find out your combined score is 1100 because you bombed math.

In other news, it's been glamorama around here lately. Velvet Goldmine was on IFC the other day (I will see your Jake and Heath, and raise you Jonathan and Ewan), which I was obsessed with back in the day but haven't seen in years. The movie itself isn't great, but the reasons I love it include:

1. Jonathan Rhys Meyers. God help me, the man is beautiful. Even with an electric blue mullet.
2. Christian Bale and Ewan McGregor are nothing to cough at, either.
3. Hooray Eddie Izzard!
4. The soundtrack. Supergroups? Yes, please! Venus in Furs (Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Bernard Butler) covering Roxy Music is the highlight.
5. Oh the glam! It almost makes me want to run out and buy purple sateen breeches and platform boots. Almost.

On top of that, I'm currently reading Breakfast On Pluto. I've actually had the movie sitting here at home for ages, but I'd like to finish the book before I watch it. I love Patrick McCabe. If you haven't read The Butcher Boy, I'd strongly recommend it.

Jens Sunday! Yay!

i feel like going home but at the same time i don't

2006-07-13T14:04:00.000-05:00

Unemployment is nowhere near as recuperative and relaxing as I'd thought. In reality I'm just bored, fidgety, and stressed about finding work.

In other news:
*The Family Circus is infuriating. Why is this in the paper? It seriously compels me to do harm.
*It's so nice to be allowed to turn right on red.
*When did they stop making tan M&Ms? Has it been that long since I've had them?
*Jens is coming to town a week from Sunday. I am positively giddy.
*My current Wiki Triumvirate: MuppetWiki, LostWiki, RocWiki. MuppetWiki being the obvious Caesar, if only for this picture of Cookie Monster using an Ernie disguise to steal cookies:

Genius.

oh crumbs, oh carrots!

2006-07-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

I should have stayed far, far away from my computer today.

I was bored this afternoon and started uninstalling unused programs, only to uninstall my wireless receiver. "What's this 'lsyswa28'?," I thought. "Surely I don't need that..." and POOF! No internet. The CD to reinstall the drivers was, of course, in one of the many boxes (I knew not which) scattered among my room, the basement, and the garage.

I finally put everything back together only to fiddle around with the settings here and DELETE THE ENTIRE BLOG, as you might have noticed.

*palm meets forehead*

So folks, how's that for a fresh start? I suppose, on the one hand, it was only 7 or so months of entries... but still. Does anyone know of an archiving program for Blogger that backs up entries on your hard drive? I also had to restore all my custom template settings, which took forever, but it did result in an update of my links list, so there you go.

Well, since I've quite thoroughly wiped my slate clean, here's the news I had alluded to in my previous (now non-existant) post:

I'm going back to grad school.

Or, at least, I'm planning on it. Would I that it were so easy! There is always that little hurdle of actually being accepted... Doubly so when the schools I'm applying to are Cornell and Columbia. Why those two? Simply because they are the only schools in the area with a Master's program in Historic Preservation. Cornell is my top choice, Columbia a close second (if I can afford it).

So hey, on the bright side I have finally (after about a decade of consideration) figured out what I want to do with my life. And even though I won't graduate until I'm almost 29, I'm excited to go back. In the meantime (as I have another year before my theoretical matriculation) the plan is to find a job here in Rock City and hoard money. DC will have to wait a few years, but I'm still planning on making the move once I'm properly equipped with my shiny new degree.

In September, after the semester is underway, I'll zip down to Cornell for a visit with admissions and a few faculty members. Until then there's not a whole lot I can do; I've e-mailed my former professors for recommendations, but they don't seem to be answering their school e-mail (and I doubt they will for another month at least). I also have to take the stupid GREs, as I managed to avoid them the last time around.

We shall see. Provided I don't accidentally delete this journal again, I'll keep you all updated as things progress.