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State of the Laura
Sep. 22nd, 2013 08:48 pmAll week the husband has been telling me to blog--yeah, okay, I have things I want to blog about! Sure! I just need some uninterrupted time to sit down and compose a blog post.
Well, here I am with an hour and a half to write something ... and it's all gone. All the ideas, poof! (Clearly I need yet another list on my phone and/or tablet.)
So, let's have some general Stuff. In numbered list format, as that's how we live in my genre ...
1.THE BASTILLE ALBUM IS FINALLY OUT OVER HERE, Y'ALL!
I've been waiting for what feels like everfor this album. I've been listening to it as often as possible, much to the husband's chagrin (he's not a Bastille fan).
I've been waiting for what feels like everfor this album. I've been listening to it as often as possible, much to the husband's chagrin (he's not a Bastille fan).
2. You know what? There's this, too:
3. My child is determined I watch "Uncle Grandpa." (godhelpme.)
4. Is there anyone left who isn't listening to Welcome to Night Vale? Because if you aren't, you really should give it a try. Remember, if you see something, say nothing, and drink to forget.
5. "Uncle Grandpa" has a character called Pizza Steve. And a giant Godzilla-esque guy named Mr. Gus. And a Giant Realistic Flying Tiger. I think I'm officially old, now. MY BRAIN HURTS. And no, I will not post video from it.
randomness
Jun. 4th, 2013 06:00 pmOh, good lord, my sinuses are trying to kill me. I would pay cash money to breathe through my nose ... such is the joy of living in Florida.
So I just sprayed some nasal gunk into my nose, and of course I can't sniff it, so I was lounging in my chair with my head back like Famke Janssen in Hemlock Grove, except I'm this short, round, blonde chick and so very much not Famke Janssen ... and this is my brain, ladies and gentlemen, what can I say.
I was going to post a big long thing about music I've been listening to a lot, but I'm not sure I'm coherent enough for that, so I'm just going to dump some links here.
First off, I'm kind of obsessed with Bastille.
Although this is not my favorite thing--my favorite is actually either "Flaws" or "Pompeii."
And the Bryan Ferry Orchestra version of "Slave to Love" makes me ridiculously happy.
Oh ... wait, there we go, the nose has cleared. I can breathe again! (As I'm sure you were waiting with bated breath to find out what happened.)
Okay. Time to see if the links all work. I will endeavor to be a lot less random in my next post, but I'm not making any promises.
So I just sprayed some nasal gunk into my nose, and of course I can't sniff it, so I was lounging in my chair with my head back like Famke Janssen in Hemlock Grove, except I'm this short, round, blonde chick and so very much not Famke Janssen ... and this is my brain, ladies and gentlemen, what can I say.
I was going to post a big long thing about music I've been listening to a lot, but I'm not sure I'm coherent enough for that, so I'm just going to dump some links here.
First off, I'm kind of obsessed with Bastille.
Although this is not my favorite thing--my favorite is actually either "Flaws" or "Pompeii."
And the Bryan Ferry Orchestra version of "Slave to Love" makes me ridiculously happy.
Oh ... wait, there we go, the nose has cleared. I can breathe again! (As I'm sure you were waiting with bated breath to find out what happened.)
Okay. Time to see if the links all work. I will endeavor to be a lot less random in my next post, but I'm not making any promises.
1. John Lithgow's memoir Drama: An Actor's Education. You can pretty much hear him as you read; it's awesome.
2. Amanda Palmer's "Ukulele Anthem."
3. Blaine and Kurt from last week's Glee. The rest of the episode was kind of meh, but those two were awesome.
4. The school photos of the Zweeble.
5. Also, his new Perry the Platypus hat. It's one of those knit things with earflaps and braids. OH MY GOD AWESOME.
6. The fact that my parents bought it for him, which just makes it better.
7. My cloche hat from Target that was on sale for $5.
8. John and Tiffany's wedding photos, which actually made a bad day last week improve when they popped up on Facebook.
9. The Walking Dead, which, while not my favorite show, is sparking lots of conversation between the husband and I. (We're edging more toward early-Torchwood-esque commentary than Doctor Who, though.)
10. Looking over this list, apparently the word "awesome." (Okay, I need a new word.)
2. Amanda Palmer's "Ukulele Anthem."
3. Blaine and Kurt from last week's Glee. The rest of the episode was kind of meh, but those two were awesome.
4. The school photos of the Zweeble.
5. Also, his new Perry the Platypus hat. It's one of those knit things with earflaps and braids. OH MY GOD AWESOME.
6. The fact that my parents bought it for him, which just makes it better.
7. My cloche hat from Target that was on sale for $5.
8. John and Tiffany's wedding photos, which actually made a bad day last week improve when they popped up on Facebook.
9. The Walking Dead, which, while not my favorite show, is sparking lots of conversation between the husband and I. (We're edging more toward early-Torchwood-esque commentary than Doctor Who, though.)
10. Looking over this list, apparently the word "awesome." (Okay, I need a new word.)
A long time ago, I kept mashing "The Bear Necessites" and "Walk On the Wild Side" together in my head.
Today, it was the Glee version of "Born This Way" and "King of Pain," by the Police.
It's all to the tune of "Born This Way," too ...
I'm on the right track, baby,
I'm the King of Pain ...
I was born this way,
hey I was born this way,
and it is my destiny
to be the King of Pain ...
Today, it was the Glee version of "Born This Way" and "King of Pain," by the Police.
It's all to the tune of "Born This Way," too ...
I'm on the right track, baby,
I'm the King of Pain ...
I was born this way,
hey I was born this way,
and it is my destiny
to be the King of Pain ...
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why
I'm sort of half-fascinated by Charlie Sheen right now, for no good reason. Me and most of America, right?
In a much healthier way, I am fascinated with Amanda Palmer; I like reading her blog because she talks about Art and making music, and creativity, and crazy people who are apparently too cool to applaud Duran Duran, and her own insecurities/failings/issues, and she pokes fun at her husband (who is one of my favorite authors), and she seems really cool. (And in a total it's-none-of-my-business-at-all-and-I'm-totally-cool-with-never-finding-out-but-I-still-wonder way, I am curious as to whether or not, and if so, how, she and Neil Gaiman plan to consolidate households.)
I get fascinated by artists and writers and musicians in a way I don't tend to get with actors--for the most part, I don't want to know things who David Tennant's S.O. is (though I do know that, anyway) or what ice cream Lauren Graham likes to eat--I don't want to know about their personal lives all that much if I really enjoy their work, because I don't want that to bleed into the performance. But, maybe since their work isn't directly connected to their faces, that doesn't happen with other types of artists.
Oh, and I tend to find my kid pretty fascinating, overall. Like that wasn't readily apparent. :)
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you
Er ... hm. Well, let me assess my friends and exes, and my husband.
(thinks)
Well, clearly I like smart people. And smart-assed people. I am attracted to creativity and geekiness. I really, really, really like funny people. (My first sentence to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
doggiesushi, back when we were ten, was, "You made me laugh." I basically figured we should be friends because he was funny.
I like people who are good at what they do--competence is actually very attractive. I also like people who may not be good at something, but who aren't afraid to try and possibly fail. I like enthusiasm--passion is a good thing. Geek out, it's awesome!
I like it when people can talk, and listen, and have good conversations, and I love people who think around corners or come up with new and interesting ideas. I am also inordinately find of people who read.
( winding down )
I'm sort of half-fascinated by Charlie Sheen right now, for no good reason. Me and most of America, right?
In a much healthier way, I am fascinated with Amanda Palmer; I like reading her blog because she talks about Art and making music, and creativity, and crazy people who are apparently too cool to applaud Duran Duran, and her own insecurities/failings/issues, and she pokes fun at her husband (who is one of my favorite authors), and she seems really cool. (And in a total it's-none-of-my-business-at-all-and-I'm-totally-cool-with-never-finding-out-but-I-still-wonder way, I am curious as to whether or not, and if so, how, she and Neil Gaiman plan to consolidate households.)
I get fascinated by artists and writers and musicians in a way I don't tend to get with actors--for the most part, I don't want to know things who David Tennant's S.O. is (though I do know that, anyway) or what ice cream Lauren Graham likes to eat--I don't want to know about their personal lives all that much if I really enjoy their work, because I don't want that to bleed into the performance. But, maybe since their work isn't directly connected to their faces, that doesn't happen with other types of artists.
Oh, and I tend to find my kid pretty fascinating, overall. Like that wasn't readily apparent. :)
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you
Er ... hm. Well, let me assess my friends and exes, and my husband.
(thinks)
Well, clearly I like smart people. And smart-assed people. I am attracted to creativity and geekiness. I really, really, really like funny people. (My first sentence to
doggiesushi, back when we were ten, was, "You made me laugh." I basically figured we should be friends because he was funny.I like people who are good at what they do--competence is actually very attractive. I also like people who may not be good at something, but who aren't afraid to try and possibly fail. I like enthusiasm--passion is a good thing. Geek out, it's awesome!
I like it when people can talk, and listen, and have good conversations, and I love people who think around corners or come up with new and interesting ideas. I am also inordinately find of people who read.
( winding down )
Day 15 - Your favorite LJs
Is this asking me which ones I like to read, or my favorite entries? I'll assume it's LJs I like to read, which is basically all the ones on my Friends List, otherwise why would I have added them? I haven't gotten near the point of people adding me out of nowhere on a regular basis, so I haven't had to debate and wonder about adding strangers. I think I've only ever had two total strangers add me (frankiemouse and dracoangelica); everyone else was a friend of a friend, or someone I'd added first and they added me back (djmrswhite, angevin2, and moschus).
So, yeah, I don't know that I have favorites, really. I like reading my Friends List. I'm a bit of a voyeur, as we all are, and I find the things people post about to be really interesting on that basis alone.
I do wish that more of my real-life friends were posting more. For a while, at the beginning of this Great LiveJournal Experiment, whendoggiesushi and sugarcoatedlie had gotten on LJ and then I got on, and then dealio, gnadige, and jkason joined in, this was how I kept up with all of my friends. And we all got out of the habit of e-mailing each other about our lives, and now that it's pretty much me and Tiffany posting, I have no idea what's going on with the rest of them. (Which would be okay if they regularly posted on Facebook, but like that's happening, either. :) )
Then again, there is texting. Which we've all started doing. Well, JC, as always, gets sent a text and replies three days later--but that's John. There's nothing you can do with him except smile fondly and wait three days for his text back (usually at 1am).
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music
What is mainstream music?
I like that the internet has made it possible to not only find non-mainstream music easily and buy it, but also to go along feeling like your out-there artist is mainstream. I mean, Amanda Palmer put out her new album. Well, I read her blog, her husband's blog, follow them both on Twitter, read stuff by other people who know them both and have been talking about the album ... and it really feels like the entire world is listening to "Map of Tasmania," too. Even though every time I mention the song to someone face-to-face, that person looks at me blankly.
I don't have issues with "mainstream" music.
Okay, no, that's a lie. I have issues with crappy mainstream music. Auto-tune is evil. Melisma on every song is the work of the devil. If I see one more woman in a bikini writhing and wet in a video, whether her own or someone else's, I will probably have an aneurysm.
However, I do like Pink, and I get a kick out of Katy Perry (she seems like she's having a lot of fun with her firecracker/whipped cream bras, and even Madonna didn't seem to be having fun with her cones). I sort of vaguely admire Lady Gaga, but her voice doesn't thrill me. I like her attitude, her embracing of the freaky, and I love the different covers and mash-ups of her songs I've heard. Plus--I remember when the media was trying to situate Britney Spears as the next Madonna, and it bothered me because Madonna has always seemed to be very driven. She had something she wanted to say, an agenda she was pushing--maybe it wasn't "cure cancer," and maybe it changed as she went along, but she had a plan. Britney ... not so much. But GaGa, now, she's got a plan. I watched "Telephone." I have no idea what the hell that was about, but I bet if you asked Lady GaGa, she'd be able to tell you.
( future! )
Is this asking me which ones I like to read, or my favorite entries? I'll assume it's LJs I like to read, which is basically all the ones on my Friends List, otherwise why would I have added them? I haven't gotten near the point of people adding me out of nowhere on a regular basis, so I haven't had to debate and wonder about adding strangers. I think I've only ever had two total strangers add me (
frankiemouse and dracoangelica); everyone else was a friend of a friend, or someone I'd added first and they added me back (djmrswhite, angevin2, and moschus).So, yeah, I don't know that I have favorites, really. I like reading my Friends List. I'm a bit of a voyeur, as we all are, and I find the things people post about to be really interesting on that basis alone.
I do wish that more of my real-life friends were posting more. For a while, at the beginning of this Great LiveJournal Experiment, when
doggiesushi and sugarcoatedlie had gotten on LJ and then I got on, and then dealio, gnadige, and jkason joined in, this was how I kept up with all of my friends. And we all got out of the habit of e-mailing each other about our lives, and now that it's pretty much me and Tiffany posting, I have no idea what's going on with the rest of them. (Which would be okay if they regularly posted on Facebook, but like that's happening, either. :) )Then again, there is texting. Which we've all started doing. Well, JC, as always, gets sent a text and replies three days later--but that's John. There's nothing you can do with him except smile fondly and wait three days for his text back (usually at 1am).
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music
What is mainstream music?
I like that the internet has made it possible to not only find non-mainstream music easily and buy it, but also to go along feeling like your out-there artist is mainstream. I mean, Amanda Palmer put out her new album. Well, I read her blog, her husband's blog, follow them both on Twitter, read stuff by other people who know them both and have been talking about the album ... and it really feels like the entire world is listening to "Map of Tasmania," too. Even though every time I mention the song to someone face-to-face, that person looks at me blankly.
I don't have issues with "mainstream" music.
Okay, no, that's a lie. I have issues with crappy mainstream music. Auto-tune is evil. Melisma on every song is the work of the devil. If I see one more woman in a bikini writhing and wet in a video, whether her own or someone else's, I will probably have an aneurysm.
However, I do like Pink, and I get a kick out of Katy Perry (she seems like she's having a lot of fun with her firecracker/whipped cream bras, and even Madonna didn't seem to be having fun with her cones). I sort of vaguely admire Lady Gaga, but her voice doesn't thrill me. I like her attitude, her embracing of the freaky, and I love the different covers and mash-ups of her songs I've heard. Plus--I remember when the media was trying to situate Britney Spears as the next Madonna, and it bothered me because Madonna has always seemed to be very driven. She had something she wanted to say, an agenda she was pushing--maybe it wasn't "cure cancer," and maybe it changed as she went along, but she had a plan. Britney ... not so much. But GaGa, now, she's got a plan. I watched "Telephone." I have no idea what the hell that was about, but I bet if you asked Lady GaGa, she'd be able to tell you.
( future! )
(no subject)
Mar. 13th, 2011 11:36 pmMy iBook is about to be retired.
It's been glitchy and slow for a while now. None of the newer web browsers work on it. It's been driving me crazy, and my family--crazy, lovely people that they are--chipped in to give me the cash to buy a new laptop.
So I did. The thing is, while I am happy about the new Macbook, I am not as excited as I think I ought to be. Part of this is because I won't have time to really play with it and get things moved onto it until this weekend, but a lot of it is also that ... well, I love my iBook.
It was our first Mac, the Kool-Aide, if you will. It was the first piece of tech that I owned and got super-excited about. Yes, we got an iPod back when they were like small bricks and had buttons along the top (Scott still uses that one, actually), and I thought it was really neat ... but the iBook was mine. And unlike my previous laptop, it worked the way it was supposed to. For the most part, aside from the issues of old age, it still does.
I love the keyboard and the way it feels. I love the size--I am, actually, not thrilled at the extra inch on the Macbook--and the squareness of it. I will be happy to be rid of the LCD and the letters that can rub off the keys, and with the Zweeble running around the magnetic power cord will ease my mind a lot, but ... I love this computer.
I have written a lot of stuff on it. Read a lot on it. I surfed the web on it with my tiny Zweeble lying on the couch next to me, two days after he came home from the hospital.
My dad is taking it, once I unload all my stuff from it. This is a nice, gentle retirement; my father wants to write some stuff, maybe load pictures on it. He's kind of excited about it. So I'm sending it to a good home, my little iBook, but still. I will miss it. It's been a really good little laptop.
All right. Enough misty sentimentality over a piece of equipment. Onto the meme!
Day 11 - Put your iPod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up
All right, here's the thing: I share this iPod with Scott and the Zweeble. It's the family iPod. I have a Nano that I planned to use as my personal iPod, only my music on it, but in the end it was just easier to make a playlist on the family iPod. Or, well, ten. :) (Really, while I'm giving my father the iBook, I ought to see if my mother wants the Nano.)
So this is not entirely indicative of my tastes. And as it is late, I'm just looking at titles and not listening to the songs. But here we go, anyway:
1. "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" - Nine Inch Nails, With Teeth
I love NIN. This isn't my favorite song, but it's not bad. And I am psyched that Trent Reznor won an Oscar.
2. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz, Gorillaz
"Rhythm, you have it or you don't, that's a fallacy, I'm in them ..."
This is a great song. I have it on one of my "cheer Laura up" playlists because it makes me smile when I hear it.
"I'm useless, but not for long, the future is coming on ..."
3. "Spider In My Room" - Barenaked Ladies, Born on a Pirate Ship
Hm. I know I know this song, but when I try to remember it all I do is sing "Boris the Spider," which ain't it. I like quite a bit off this album, but apparently this song didn't stick in my mind. I'll have to listen to it tomorrow when I take the boy to school.
4. "Hey You" - No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom
Scott bought this album. I liked one or two songs off it; I like Return of Saturn better, overall, and Rock Steady is actually my favorite No Doubt album. I haven't really been into Gwen Stefani's solo career, but I remember seeing No Doubt on SNL ages ago and really digging this girl with hennaed hands fronting a band.
5. "The Abduction of Margaret" - The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love
I love this album. I love the ambition of it, and the depth and the sound of it. This is a song you really need in context; unlike "The Rake's Song" or some of the other ones, it doesn't stand alone well.
I remember sitting in dead-stopped traffic, the Zweeble asleep in the back seat, listening to this album.
6. "Flathead" - the Fratellis, Costello Music
No idea. Scott must have bought this. Something else to play tomorrow morning.
7. "Just You Wait" - Julie Andrews, My Fair Lady
One of the great spiteful, I-hate-you songs of musical theater. And Julie Andrews rocks. I like Audrey Hepburn, but dudes. Plus, apparently Audrey Hepburn sang but was still dubbed? I dunno, Hollywood has always been weird, I suppose.
8. "My Friends Tigger & Pooh Theme" - Playhouse Disney Musical Block Party
Totally the Zweeble. That Darby kid is a blasphemy. And why, exactly, did Tigger and Pooh need to be detectives? Not that they were particularly good detectives ... I will say, however, that the episode where Piglet and Tigger switched bodies was pretty hilarious. Teeny Piglet bouncing around like a not was kinda fun.
9. "In a Big Country" - Big Country, The Best of Big Country
Much like "Solisbury Hill," this is a song that makes me feel like I'm in the opening montage of a movie whenever it plays.
10. "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" - Tori Amos, Strange Little Girls
I have heard the original, and let me tell you, Tori Amos creeps me out way, way more than Eminem. Then again, was he trying to be creepy? I don't know. All I know is, this song makes my skin crawl.
All righty. That's it for now. Bedtime. I was so exhausted today, and wound up napping, and I can only hope I haven't screwed up any possibility for sleeping tonight.
( This awaits you, with long pointy teeth! )
It's been glitchy and slow for a while now. None of the newer web browsers work on it. It's been driving me crazy, and my family--crazy, lovely people that they are--chipped in to give me the cash to buy a new laptop.
So I did. The thing is, while I am happy about the new Macbook, I am not as excited as I think I ought to be. Part of this is because I won't have time to really play with it and get things moved onto it until this weekend, but a lot of it is also that ... well, I love my iBook.
It was our first Mac, the Kool-Aide, if you will. It was the first piece of tech that I owned and got super-excited about. Yes, we got an iPod back when they were like small bricks and had buttons along the top (Scott still uses that one, actually), and I thought it was really neat ... but the iBook was mine. And unlike my previous laptop, it worked the way it was supposed to. For the most part, aside from the issues of old age, it still does.
I love the keyboard and the way it feels. I love the size--I am, actually, not thrilled at the extra inch on the Macbook--and the squareness of it. I will be happy to be rid of the LCD and the letters that can rub off the keys, and with the Zweeble running around the magnetic power cord will ease my mind a lot, but ... I love this computer.
I have written a lot of stuff on it. Read a lot on it. I surfed the web on it with my tiny Zweeble lying on the couch next to me, two days after he came home from the hospital.
My dad is taking it, once I unload all my stuff from it. This is a nice, gentle retirement; my father wants to write some stuff, maybe load pictures on it. He's kind of excited about it. So I'm sending it to a good home, my little iBook, but still. I will miss it. It's been a really good little laptop.
All right. Enough misty sentimentality over a piece of equipment. Onto the meme!
Day 11 - Put your iPod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up
All right, here's the thing: I share this iPod with Scott and the Zweeble. It's the family iPod. I have a Nano that I planned to use as my personal iPod, only my music on it, but in the end it was just easier to make a playlist on the family iPod. Or, well, ten. :) (Really, while I'm giving my father the iBook, I ought to see if my mother wants the Nano.)
So this is not entirely indicative of my tastes. And as it is late, I'm just looking at titles and not listening to the songs. But here we go, anyway:
1. "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" - Nine Inch Nails, With Teeth
I love NIN. This isn't my favorite song, but it's not bad. And I am psyched that Trent Reznor won an Oscar.
2. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz, Gorillaz
"Rhythm, you have it or you don't, that's a fallacy, I'm in them ..."
This is a great song. I have it on one of my "cheer Laura up" playlists because it makes me smile when I hear it.
"I'm useless, but not for long, the future is coming on ..."
3. "Spider In My Room" - Barenaked Ladies, Born on a Pirate Ship
Hm. I know I know this song, but when I try to remember it all I do is sing "Boris the Spider," which ain't it. I like quite a bit off this album, but apparently this song didn't stick in my mind. I'll have to listen to it tomorrow when I take the boy to school.
4. "Hey You" - No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom
Scott bought this album. I liked one or two songs off it; I like Return of Saturn better, overall, and Rock Steady is actually my favorite No Doubt album. I haven't really been into Gwen Stefani's solo career, but I remember seeing No Doubt on SNL ages ago and really digging this girl with hennaed hands fronting a band.
5. "The Abduction of Margaret" - The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love
I love this album. I love the ambition of it, and the depth and the sound of it. This is a song you really need in context; unlike "The Rake's Song" or some of the other ones, it doesn't stand alone well.
I remember sitting in dead-stopped traffic, the Zweeble asleep in the back seat, listening to this album.
6. "Flathead" - the Fratellis, Costello Music
No idea. Scott must have bought this. Something else to play tomorrow morning.
7. "Just You Wait" - Julie Andrews, My Fair Lady
One of the great spiteful, I-hate-you songs of musical theater. And Julie Andrews rocks. I like Audrey Hepburn, but dudes. Plus, apparently Audrey Hepburn sang but was still dubbed? I dunno, Hollywood has always been weird, I suppose.
8. "My Friends Tigger & Pooh Theme" - Playhouse Disney Musical Block Party
Totally the Zweeble. That Darby kid is a blasphemy. And why, exactly, did Tigger and Pooh need to be detectives? Not that they were particularly good detectives ... I will say, however, that the episode where Piglet and Tigger switched bodies was pretty hilarious. Teeny Piglet bouncing around like a not was kinda fun.
9. "In a Big Country" - Big Country, The Best of Big Country
Much like "Solisbury Hill," this is a song that makes me feel like I'm in the opening montage of a movie whenever it plays.
10. "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" - Tori Amos, Strange Little Girls
I have heard the original, and let me tell you, Tori Amos creeps me out way, way more than Eminem. Then again, was he trying to be creepy? I don't know. All I know is, this song makes my skin crawl.
All righty. That's it for now. Bedtime. I was so exhausted today, and wound up napping, and I can only hope I haven't screwed up any possibility for sleeping tonight.
( This awaits you, with long pointy teeth! )
(no subject)
Jan. 6th, 2011 10:30 pmSo I got some Christmas money, and, silly me, I thought maybe I could find some clothes and some bras.
Wrong.
I found a sweater, a pair of shorts, and a skirt.
I returned a number of items after a giant check-out snafu at Old Navy, with the thought that I didn't like the stuff all that much, anyway, so why would I want to jump through fifteen hoops to keep it?
And I am reasonably sure that when I was measured at Victoria's Secret, I was measured incorrectly ... ( cut for discussion of bras ) So I returned what I could and waited a couple of days for my refund to hit my gift card.
I have no desire to shop for more clothes. I hate shopping. I think I'm going to ask for clothes money and a shopping companion for my birthday, which is probably enough time to make me forget how much I hate looking at stuff and trying it on and heading back for more. Because I do need clothes, but right now I don't care.
So that left me with money. And a bad attitude. :) Which is how I would up with a bag I really don't need, and an iPod speakers/dock/clock radio for the kitchen.
I really don't need the bag; I have the Girl Adventurer Bag and a bigger tote bag thing that I bought at Target for travel that works really well when I have to carry more stuff. I mean, I can rationalize it as the G.A.B. is a trifle too small, and the Target tote is kind of too big, for my every day needs, but that is totally ruined by the fact that I have no idea if this new bag will fall somewhere in the middle like it would need to in order for the rationalizing to work.
So, yeah, screw it: I bought a bag I don't need! AND I'M PROUD! (WELL, I'M NOT ASHAMED, ANYWAY!)
I did seriously think about the iPod speakers, though. But there are times when Z. is playing on the computer while I clean the kitchen or the living room, and music would be nice. Since our music is pretty much computer-based, now, when Z. is hogging the computer I tend to be out of luck. Being able to listen to some NPR would also be nice, because I am becoming one of those public radio hippies. And then there's this whole audiobook thing I've been hearing the kids talking about ...
I also asked Scott, and he agreed it would be a nice thing to have. He'd use it.
So I got one today--some Memorex alarm clock thing--set it up, and we spent dinner time listening to music. The sound is actually quite nice for a clock radio, and I realized that for the first time I can listen to my David Tennant Much Ado About Nothing without static! Woo-hoo!
And thus, Laura does her part to shore up the American economy. Yay. Now if I could get my head into a reading space again, we'd be set.
Wrong.
I found a sweater, a pair of shorts, and a skirt.
I returned a number of items after a giant check-out snafu at Old Navy, with the thought that I didn't like the stuff all that much, anyway, so why would I want to jump through fifteen hoops to keep it?
And I am reasonably sure that when I was measured at Victoria's Secret, I was measured incorrectly ... ( cut for discussion of bras ) So I returned what I could and waited a couple of days for my refund to hit my gift card.
I have no desire to shop for more clothes. I hate shopping. I think I'm going to ask for clothes money and a shopping companion for my birthday, which is probably enough time to make me forget how much I hate looking at stuff and trying it on and heading back for more. Because I do need clothes, but right now I don't care.
So that left me with money. And a bad attitude. :) Which is how I would up with a bag I really don't need, and an iPod speakers/dock/clock radio for the kitchen.
I really don't need the bag; I have the Girl Adventurer Bag and a bigger tote bag thing that I bought at Target for travel that works really well when I have to carry more stuff. I mean, I can rationalize it as the G.A.B. is a trifle too small, and the Target tote is kind of too big, for my every day needs, but that is totally ruined by the fact that I have no idea if this new bag will fall somewhere in the middle like it would need to in order for the rationalizing to work.
So, yeah, screw it: I bought a bag I don't need! AND I'M PROUD! (WELL, I'M NOT ASHAMED, ANYWAY!)
I did seriously think about the iPod speakers, though. But there are times when Z. is playing on the computer while I clean the kitchen or the living room, and music would be nice. Since our music is pretty much computer-based, now, when Z. is hogging the computer I tend to be out of luck. Being able to listen to some NPR would also be nice, because I am becoming one of those public radio hippies. And then there's this whole audiobook thing I've been hearing the kids talking about ...
I also asked Scott, and he agreed it would be a nice thing to have. He'd use it.
So I got one today--some Memorex alarm clock thing--set it up, and we spent dinner time listening to music. The sound is actually quite nice for a clock radio, and I realized that for the first time I can listen to my David Tennant Much Ado About Nothing without static! Woo-hoo!
And thus, Laura does her part to shore up the American economy. Yay. Now if I could get my head into a reading space again, we'd be set.
(no subject)
Dec. 20th, 2010 06:17 pmI am in love with Amanda Palmer's song "Map of Tasmania."
Raunchy and funny and really just good. It makes me dance, and you wouldn't think a song about a lady's ... er ... lady bits would be so bouncy. It's not a grindy dance song, just ... boppy.
Yup.
Raunchy and funny and really just good. It makes me dance, and you wouldn't think a song about a lady's ... er ... lady bits would be so bouncy. It's not a grindy dance song, just ... boppy.
Yup.
Zweeble vignettes
Oct. 21st, 2010 11:48 pmLast night, during Bedtime Reading, we were looking at a photo of a shark. In the face of this, Z. told me he needed one more thing--the strongest thing, and he would go get it. I was feeling pretty expansive, so I watched, amused, as he bopped out of the room.
He went and found Scott and brought him back in the room. "Daddy is the strongest. If he sees a shark he will pick it up and toss it!"
Today we went to the ENT for the adenoids follow-up (shhort version: he's doing great. That was also the long version). On the way there, we had another round of Mommy's Playlists, which went something like this:
"You Oughta Know" playing in background
Z: What is that girl singing about, Mom?
L: She's angry at her ex-boyfriend.
(pause)
Z: If he's bad, he should go to high school. That's where bad kids go.
(pause)
Z: He should say "sorry," like I do when I make someone angry.
L: I agree, he should say "sorry."
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" comes on
Z: What's this song about, Mom?
L: Well, this girl is also mad at her ex-boyfriend, but she has a new boyfriend, too.
Z: Oh, so he cleaned up the mess.
(Go look at the lyrics)
Just for the record, my new playlist is called, informally, "Charlie's Angels Join Torchwood, as Directed by Quentin Tarantino," and it is awesome.
At the doctor's, in the waiting room, Z. was playing with another kid who was maybe four or five. This child's mother looked decidedly older than I do, so I think the little boy was having a hard tome figuring out who I was in relation to Z.
Kid: Is your mom here?
Z: Yeah, she's right over there. (Points. I wave at him, and at the other kid.)
Kid: But she's [something I can't make out].
Z: No she's not. She's the coolest.
We made a movie today called "Runaway Aliens" that was about aliens who help a space dinosaur. It's more of a radio show than a movie, but anything entertaining that is not a book or a video game is a movie right now, so hey. Scott just needs to edit it.
My father got the boy a set of swords and a shield. "My very own knight kit! Mom, look! My very own knight kit!" Now he needs a helmet.
My plan for tomorrow is to go to the park, and then decorate for Halloween in the afternoon. Because I almost forgot I had halloween decorations, it's been so long since I put them up!
He went and found Scott and brought him back in the room. "Daddy is the strongest. If he sees a shark he will pick it up and toss it!"
Today we went to the ENT for the adenoids follow-up (shhort version: he's doing great. That was also the long version). On the way there, we had another round of Mommy's Playlists, which went something like this:
"You Oughta Know" playing in background
Z: What is that girl singing about, Mom?
L: She's angry at her ex-boyfriend.
(pause)
Z: If he's bad, he should go to high school. That's where bad kids go.
(pause)
Z: He should say "sorry," like I do when I make someone angry.
L: I agree, he should say "sorry."
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" comes on
Z: What's this song about, Mom?
L: Well, this girl is also mad at her ex-boyfriend, but she has a new boyfriend, too.
Z: Oh, so he cleaned up the mess.
(Go look at the lyrics)
Just for the record, my new playlist is called, informally, "Charlie's Angels Join Torchwood, as Directed by Quentin Tarantino," and it is awesome.
At the doctor's, in the waiting room, Z. was playing with another kid who was maybe four or five. This child's mother looked decidedly older than I do, so I think the little boy was having a hard tome figuring out who I was in relation to Z.
Kid: Is your mom here?
Z: Yeah, she's right over there. (Points. I wave at him, and at the other kid.)
Kid: But she's [something I can't make out].
Z: No she's not. She's the coolest.
We made a movie today called "Runaway Aliens" that was about aliens who help a space dinosaur. It's more of a radio show than a movie, but anything entertaining that is not a book or a video game is a movie right now, so hey. Scott just needs to edit it.
My father got the boy a set of swords and a shield. "My very own knight kit! Mom, look! My very own knight kit!" Now he needs a helmet.
My plan for tomorrow is to go to the park, and then decorate for Halloween in the afternoon. Because I almost forgot I had halloween decorations, it's been so long since I put them up!
(no subject)
Jun. 27th, 2010 05:45 pmThe other night, I caught the last half of a documentary about Phantom of the Opera, so I DVRed it and watched the whole thing yesterday.
First off, it was really interesting to see how it evolved and was put together, and I really enjoyed the footage from the rehearsals with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. And the stories about the remote-controlled gondola and how on one occasion Michael Crawford had to pull this two-ton boat onto its spot after they got off it, and then had to sing "Music of the Night" was pretty hilarious.
Anyway, I realized as I watched it that I haven;t listened to that soundtrack in probably fifteen years. I did see the movie version, but those weren't the same actors. (I remember seeing the movie and being highly amused at the fact that I knew all the lyrics, still.) I have the CDs, but I don't have the soundtrack on the iPod. So I dug around and found them at the bottom of the CD Qbit, and today when I went to Target for taco chips I played it.
Now, I was obsessed with this musical in high school. Junior and senior year, which was also when it was out originally on Broadway. I had the soundtrack on tape, and wore it out, read the original book (dear god), had a porcelain Phantom mask on the wall, had the big glossy book (I still have it, actually, and there's something else I haven't actually looked at in fifteen or twenty years), and on my senior trip to France, I and my similarly-obsessed best girlfriend ditched our lazy-ass, not-obsessed group of friends and went to the Paris Opera house.
I have never seen the show on stage, but this was an enormous part of my psyche when I was 17/18 years old. I wanted to be Christine, obviously--the supremely talented girl that everyone underestimates until the dark genius recognizes her and gives her the right music to sing, and then the hot, rich guy falls for her, too, and ... yeah.*
So today I put the CDs in, and listen, and have these thoughts:
1. Holy crap, I really still do remember every damned thing on this soundtrack. Dialogue, inflections, lyrics, all of it.
2. Sir Andrew, step away from the synthesizer. Seriously. I know, I know, the Phantom plays an organ. Whatever. Find another instrument. We're suspending our disbelief in many areas, we can get around the lack of an organ.
3. Oh my god, Christine, could you be any more of a girl? I seriously want to rewrite this musical so that Christine is poor, talented, and determined to be an opera star--and instead of this whole thing where he's been teaching her to sing and after her debut he takes her down to the basement lake, he actually takes her down there before all of this and tells her he wants to train her. She's skeptical, and demands he take the mask off before she agrees to anything, then yanks it off when he refuses. He freaks, but she just looks him over, says she understands why he needs her to sing his music now, hands him back the mask and agrees. Then they're partners, and she sort of likes Raul--but when he starts getting clingy and wanting to protect her from the Phantom, she gets all "where the hell were you before I was a giant success?"
And I can't decide if I want to have a clingy, insecure Phantom, and then have Christine ditch both the guys at the end of the show, or if I want them to have a kind of Henry Higgins/Eliza Doolittle thing going on, and once he's found out they leave Paris and go off to Venice or somewhere and start over.
*And this is why I'm not that worried about the girls who like Twilight.
First off, it was really interesting to see how it evolved and was put together, and I really enjoyed the footage from the rehearsals with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. And the stories about the remote-controlled gondola and how on one occasion Michael Crawford had to pull this two-ton boat onto its spot after they got off it, and then had to sing "Music of the Night" was pretty hilarious.
Anyway, I realized as I watched it that I haven;t listened to that soundtrack in probably fifteen years. I did see the movie version, but those weren't the same actors. (I remember seeing the movie and being highly amused at the fact that I knew all the lyrics, still.) I have the CDs, but I don't have the soundtrack on the iPod. So I dug around and found them at the bottom of the CD Qbit, and today when I went to Target for taco chips I played it.
Now, I was obsessed with this musical in high school. Junior and senior year, which was also when it was out originally on Broadway. I had the soundtrack on tape, and wore it out, read the original book (dear god), had a porcelain Phantom mask on the wall, had the big glossy book (I still have it, actually, and there's something else I haven't actually looked at in fifteen or twenty years), and on my senior trip to France, I and my similarly-obsessed best girlfriend ditched our lazy-ass, not-obsessed group of friends and went to the Paris Opera house.
I have never seen the show on stage, but this was an enormous part of my psyche when I was 17/18 years old. I wanted to be Christine, obviously--the supremely talented girl that everyone underestimates until the dark genius recognizes her and gives her the right music to sing, and then the hot, rich guy falls for her, too, and ... yeah.*
So today I put the CDs in, and listen, and have these thoughts:
1. Holy crap, I really still do remember every damned thing on this soundtrack. Dialogue, inflections, lyrics, all of it.
2. Sir Andrew, step away from the synthesizer. Seriously. I know, I know, the Phantom plays an organ. Whatever. Find another instrument. We're suspending our disbelief in many areas, we can get around the lack of an organ.
3. Oh my god, Christine, could you be any more of a girl? I seriously want to rewrite this musical so that Christine is poor, talented, and determined to be an opera star--and instead of this whole thing where he's been teaching her to sing and after her debut he takes her down to the basement lake, he actually takes her down there before all of this and tells her he wants to train her. She's skeptical, and demands he take the mask off before she agrees to anything, then yanks it off when he refuses. He freaks, but she just looks him over, says she understands why he needs her to sing his music now, hands him back the mask and agrees. Then they're partners, and she sort of likes Raul--but when he starts getting clingy and wanting to protect her from the Phantom, she gets all "where the hell were you before I was a giant success?"
And I can't decide if I want to have a clingy, insecure Phantom, and then have Christine ditch both the guys at the end of the show, or if I want them to have a kind of Henry Higgins/Eliza Doolittle thing going on, and once he's found out they leave Paris and go off to Venice or somewhere and start over.
*And this is why I'm not that worried about the girls who like Twilight.
Randomnocity
May. 27th, 2010 01:27 pm1. My son is planning to "have a wedding" to a yellow pony toy named Cathy ("Cafee"). You know, I was prepared for a possible, "Mom, I like boys," but I was definitely not prepared for a horse-in-law.
2. My thoughts on the Lost finale: I remain firm in my conviction that what that show needed was a three-episode crossover with Doctor Who. Seriously, imagine the conversation with Jacob, Smokey, and the Doctor (either one).
3. My hanging purple plant (the name of which I can't remember and I tossed the tag) is doing much better since I moved it into the back yard and hung it from a tree. It doesn't want to stay hung in the tree, though--I keep finding it on the ground. But sitting up correctly, so there you go. My peach roses are blooming. I cut back the begonia, so maybe it will bloom again. I also transplanted the remaining marigold sprout, so tomorrow Z. and I will plant some pansy seeds and see what happens.
I need something that can take about 6-8 hours of direct, hot sunlight to put on the porch. I also want to look into growing some bee-attracting plants, and I'd like to try a little container butterfly garden. Z.'s old enough to help me water stuff, and since we got him a water play table, he always wants to be outside.
4. My current thoughts on Doctor Who: aww, I like Rory. Still hating the clip-on suspenders.
5. I need some new music. I hate all eight or nine days' worth of stuff on our iPod right now, except for "Tiny Dancer," "Life on Mars," and "After the Bombs."
6. Did I mention that Life As We Knew It was really good but incredibly depressing? ( spoilerish )
2. My thoughts on the Lost finale: I remain firm in my conviction that what that show needed was a three-episode crossover with Doctor Who. Seriously, imagine the conversation with Jacob, Smokey, and the Doctor (either one).
3. My hanging purple plant (the name of which I can't remember and I tossed the tag) is doing much better since I moved it into the back yard and hung it from a tree. It doesn't want to stay hung in the tree, though--I keep finding it on the ground. But sitting up correctly, so there you go. My peach roses are blooming. I cut back the begonia, so maybe it will bloom again. I also transplanted the remaining marigold sprout, so tomorrow Z. and I will plant some pansy seeds and see what happens.
I need something that can take about 6-8 hours of direct, hot sunlight to put on the porch. I also want to look into growing some bee-attracting plants, and I'd like to try a little container butterfly garden. Z.'s old enough to help me water stuff, and since we got him a water play table, he always wants to be outside.
4. My current thoughts on Doctor Who: aww, I like Rory. Still hating the clip-on suspenders.
5. I need some new music. I hate all eight or nine days' worth of stuff on our iPod right now, except for "Tiny Dancer," "Life on Mars," and "After the Bombs."
6. Did I mention that Life As We Knew It was really good but incredibly depressing? ( spoilerish )
Well, screw Glee, then--good lord!
Feb. 13th, 2010 02:30 pmI found this through John Scalzi's blog, and ... just ... John Carr, you need to watch this. Now.
1. I want to wake up my husband right now to play him this.
2. I wanna buy it. Can I buy it? can I?
1. I want to wake up my husband right now to play him this.
2. I wanna buy it. Can I buy it? can I?
(no subject)
Dec. 3rd, 2009 12:54 pmSo I was reading my Friends List, and read in dealio's recent post:
I have to make an emergency disk for one of our stations -- an emergency disk is an actual cd of songs and imaging that can be played if the main audio program goes kerflewie -- and a song that came out in high school, the only song that I tried to make an "our song" to cement a relationship came up on the play list. I haven't heard it in ages, my god this is a crap song. No, I'm not going to name the song, I'm *really* not.
So of course I immediately called him and asked him what the song was. He refused to tell me until I offered him a bribe, and I swore I'd never tell the name of the song. (Which I won't. I want to, but I won't.)
He said, really fast and kind of mumbled, "It was [Really Cheesy 80s song That Laura Actually Still Kind of Likes] by [But She Digs Cheesy Songs, So That Doesn't Say Much]."
"Oh my god, that was me! You did that on a mix tape for me in college!"**
"Uh ... no, I did that in high school, and I guess I did it for you in college."***
I was, at this point, laughing like a loon. "I was a repeat! You cad!"****
(Now I'm wondering what of his other college moves were originally used in high school.)
**he was so cool, all, "Just listen to the lyrics."
***he really probably doesn't remember. I have the mix tape around somewhere, so I can prove it to him.
****Okay, I don't think I said "cad." I was laughing a lot, so I'm not sure I remember exactly what I said after the repeat thing. But close enough.
Oh, and let me take this opportunity to inform the world that on the same mix tape as The Unnamed Song of Shame, Scott included a Sinead O'Connor song and wrote on the liner notes that I was not allowed to tell anyone he had a Sinead O'Connor tape. BUT HE DID.
dealio's recent post:I have to make an emergency disk for one of our stations -- an emergency disk is an actual cd of songs and imaging that can be played if the main audio program goes kerflewie -- and a song that came out in high school, the only song that I tried to make an "our song" to cement a relationship came up on the play list. I haven't heard it in ages, my god this is a crap song. No, I'm not going to name the song, I'm *really* not.
So of course I immediately called him and asked him what the song was. He refused to tell me until I offered him a bribe, and I swore I'd never tell the name of the song. (Which I won't. I want to, but I won't.)
He said, really fast and kind of mumbled, "It was [Really Cheesy 80s song That Laura Actually Still Kind of Likes] by [But She Digs Cheesy Songs, So That Doesn't Say Much]."
"Oh my god, that was me! You did that on a mix tape for me in college!"**
"Uh ... no, I did that in high school, and I guess I did it for you in college."***
I was, at this point, laughing like a loon. "I was a repeat! You cad!"****
(Now I'm wondering what of his other college moves were originally used in high school.)
**he was so cool, all, "Just listen to the lyrics."
***he really probably doesn't remember. I have the mix tape around somewhere, so I can prove it to him.
****Okay, I don't think I said "cad." I was laughing a lot, so I'm not sure I remember exactly what I said after the repeat thing. But close enough.
Oh, and let me take this opportunity to inform the world that on the same mix tape as The Unnamed Song of Shame, Scott included a Sinead O'Connor song and wrote on the liner notes that I was not allowed to tell anyone he had a Sinead O'Connor tape. BUT HE DID.
Positive Thoughts!
Nov. 11th, 2009 12:11 pmBecause there's accepting a low mood, and then there's wallowing in it--and I'm not quite wallowing yet, but it's getting there.
So. Positive thoughts.
--I found 3T feety pajamas at Target for $3.50! I miss pajamas with feet, so Z. now has two pairs. I am washing those today, baby.
--The sun is coming out! I like gray days when I'm in a good mood--they don't put me in a bad mood--but when I feel down the sun helps a lot.
--The Zweeble's favorite non-kid songs now include "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" and some song by the Reverend Horton Heat. I eagerly await the day he comes out with "My name is Ted, and one day, I'll be dead, yo yo yo."
--Baby Seahorse, Nemesis for Hire.
--I actually saw one of those community volunteer cops doing something, and it was giving a ticket to someone who had parked illegally in a handicapped spot! I was grumbling about the guy blocking traffic in the parking lot until I realized he'd blocked the miscreant in!
--my kiddo snuggled up to me on the couch while we waited for lunch to get cooked.
So those are okay, but I need more. So tell me something nice, y'all three of you. (Just nothing about Xmas, because that's part of what's bringing me down. Thanks.)
So. Positive thoughts.
--I found 3T feety pajamas at Target for $3.50! I miss pajamas with feet, so Z. now has two pairs. I am washing those today, baby.
--The sun is coming out! I like gray days when I'm in a good mood--they don't put me in a bad mood--but when I feel down the sun helps a lot.
--The Zweeble's favorite non-kid songs now include "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" and some song by the Reverend Horton Heat. I eagerly await the day he comes out with "My name is Ted, and one day, I'll be dead, yo yo yo."
--Baby Seahorse, Nemesis for Hire.
--I actually saw one of those community volunteer cops doing something, and it was giving a ticket to someone who had parked illegally in a handicapped spot! I was grumbling about the guy blocking traffic in the parking lot until I realized he'd blocked the miscreant in!
--my kiddo snuggled up to me on the couch while we waited for lunch to get cooked.
So those are okay, but I need more. So tell me something nice, y'all three of you. (Just nothing about Xmas, because that's part of what's bringing me down. Thanks.)
"The Stompy Song" continues
Jul. 25th, 2009 05:58 pmMy grandmother and aunt just sent the Zweeble a card the size of a record album that plays "We Will Rock You."
Did I mention he's decided it's elephants making the stompy noises? And that there's a bunny in the song? Yeah.
Did I mention he's decided it's elephants making the stompy noises? And that there's a bunny in the song? Yeah.
(no subject)
Jul. 24th, 2009 09:06 pmI'm sure everyone has seen this, but just in case, because it made me grin like an idiot:
Elvis eats boats! Elvis eats boats!
Joan Rivers has Elvis in her, but he's trying to get out!
I do not remember where I was or who introduced me to this song for the first time ... but I knew it as soon as it started.
EL-VIS, EL-VIS ...
ETA: Scott says he thinks it's actually "Elvis needs boats, Elvis needs boats!" Which I think is actually right, now that he mentions it, but frankly, I think "Elvis eats boats" is funnier. :)
Joan Rivers has Elvis in her, but he's trying to get out!
I do not remember where I was or who introduced me to this song for the first time ... but I knew it as soon as it started.
EL-VIS, EL-VIS ...
ETA: Scott says he thinks it's actually "Elvis needs boats, Elvis needs boats!" Which I think is actually right, now that he mentions it, but frankly, I think "Elvis eats boats" is funnier. :)
