Another Reason NYC Blows

Gothamist: "I Voted" and...Didn't Even Get a Sticker:

"Feeling cheated because you didn't get your 'I Voted' sticker? We called up the Board of Elections to check in on this very important situation, and they told us they don't think New York City has ever handed out the little badges of civic duty. When's the last time you received one?"

Yeah - so I voted. Civic duty, check. Not that in the national election NY makes a big difference - a forgone conclusion that it's all blue all the time ... you can tell that just by walking down the street. I haven't seen a single McCain pin or sign. I DID see a tourist in a McCain hat. He was old though, so I doubt he'd get hassled, or maybe I don't know - New Yorkers. Bah!

Voting was OK - the voting booths use LEVERS. I'm not kidding, it was a machine from the 1800s, or at least based on technology from that era. WTF?! And McCain and Obama were listed in more than one column - not just as D and R, but as "Working Families" party and "Social Justice" party or something. In the local elections, several of the candidates were listed as BOTH R and D! I can understand how people could be confused, as I surely was. But whatever, it's over, and I cast my vote.

Went to the dentist and had a cavity filled. It would be $300 to get a new retainer, which I desperately need. I've been wearing this one for 10 years every night and it's pretty gross. And the dentist also said he would remove my wire behind my bottom teeth and give me a bottom retainer. How great would it be to have a completely empty mouth?! But I just can't justify it when we've got so many expenses with the bedbugs. The dentist is going to get an estimate from our insurance and let me know how much they would pay, if any. The cavity filling was $250 itself, although they then send it to the insurance who would send me a reimbursement check IF they cover any part of it...

I'm so drowsy and ... ugh. Sleeping on an air mattress is no fun. I am still taking Benadryl to help me go to sleep. I am to the point where I don't care if I have trouble weaning off of it. Because I know I can tackle that... And I am still allergicly reacting to the old bites, and it's fair enough to help me get sleep. But I need more. So tired.

Miss home. ~Mari.

i hit the highway...

in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling...not that i've driven in a month of Sundays - like literally since May. hrm.

successful night - sleeping on the air mattress with the ring of comet and ring of double sided tape. NO NEW BITES! yeay! and we didn't see new bugs.

it's election day - hey, hey. wonder if the text messages from Barack will stop now. not that i mind i guess ... but whatever.

have to have a cavity filled - it's my second cavity ever. the last one was a year ago. both were very small, so not a huge deal, but i apparently don't floss properly (even though i do it EVERY night) and brush too hard. meh.

Shawn has lost his cell phone charger. Where could it be? In a plastic bag somewhere in the apartment. And there are a LOT of plastic bags.

the lines are going to be LOOONG today to vote, but i'm going to go this afternoon, after the dentist. will take my iPod and a book... should be good times.

~M.

Horoscope: Here's One

You could make it all look easy today, but inside you are probably stressing more than usual. These are difficult times, for you are being pulled in opposite directions and neither option is perfect. Ultimately, you'll need to stop the analysis and just make a choice. Remember, it's usually best to choose love over fear.

Guess what? I CHOOSE LOVE - over my fear of bedbugs. Because REALLY, I could do my job from Oklahoma if I really had to ... but I'm in it to win it, for the long haul and we're going to survive this ... TOGETHER.

But good lord, I wish it were just O-V-E-R.

blurgh. ~M.

the hunger

waiting for shawn before we go face the apartment. i'm starving. the time change always whacks out my eating schedule. i'm also cold - which is NOT the norm for me.

i have absolutely nothing of interest to say or write. i'm still feeling sorry for myself and generally irritable and grouchy. i just want to go home - and i feel like i don't have one.

m.

333: the easy silence

if i had been thinking i could have made each NaBloPoMo post labeled with a song title. whatever's in my head, or i could have done all dixie chicks or trisha or pearl jam or something. whatever.

this is my three hundred and thirty third post on this blog. i have been posting on my anonymous blog for ... like 8 years. i don't even know how many posts i have there, and if you counted the stuff i did in high school, which i coded and hosted myself on tripod. well i'm quite the prolific writer, although most of it isn't worth reading!

chronicle of my morning - phantom itching on my fingers, so SO SO scared that i had brought bugs into Frank's apartment (last night was our last night there). but i'm praying that it was just remnant bites and reactions.

went to the dermatologist - carrying my 15 pound computer bag (maybe not that heavy but feels like it). he said to use 100% DEET bugspray to keep them from biting me. so that's one thing. i'm also going to do a last round of prednisone, which will stop any last reactions...or something.

he told me to buy the spray at a sporting goods store at 19th and Broadway (the derm is at 15th btwn 1st and 2nd Aves, about a 15 min walk from our building). So I walked to 19th and Broadway - the store is actually at 18th & B'way. It's 9:30 and the store doesn't open until 10. But there's a starbucks so I go get a coffee and set up my laptop to get morning email.

Wireless internet works for about 3 minutes, then nothing. My wireless card disappears and I can't access the network at all. UGH. So now I'm lugging around a 15 pound brick (although to be fair I could still work on PowerPoint or offline tasks, of which there are plenty).

By this time it was almost 10 and there was LINE to get into the sporting good store. I waited to get in, found the DEET spray and bought three different bottles of three different kinds. In addition to our double sided tape and comet moat around the air mattress I shouldn't be getting any more bites even if the extermination didn't fully kill all the bugs (and if it didn't we'll just make them come back!)... So I'm feeling pretty good. AND I'm going to stay away from bed-bugger.com and the Yahoo! "support" group that just makes me feel like there's NO HOPE whatsoever. Maybe I can keep this good feeling going.

After the DEET purchase I walk all the way down B'way/University to 4th Ave (so 14 blocks, give or take) to Faye's on the Square to try to get hard wired access (it's the university network, and Shawn has registered my computer). Of COURSE all the students are taking up the spaces (most without laptops, just blocking the outlets and internet jacks), so I'm forced to seek refuge in Shawn's office for access. That's where I am now, but we're about to get lunch and then I'll go to either Starbucks (Shawn fixed my wireless card - some update he had installed caused it to screw up - isn't he a DOLL?!) or the university library if I can connect directly into their system... SUCKS being a refugee, but it's only temporary.

Keeping my chin up as best I can. More later. Today may be a two-poster day.

~M.

they didn't have you...

where i come from. never knew the best was yet to come.

still refugees in our friend Frank's apartment. tomorrow the exterminators come again and hopefully we can be back in our own apartment (on an air mattress, but still) tomorrow night.

i went looking for the Yahoo! online support group for bedbug sufferers. BIG MISTAKE. full of doom and gloom - nothing but negatives and how awful it is/you never fully get rid of them and are just destined for misery until you get rid of everything and move.

i'm trying to keep a positive outlook - i mean we've done EVERYTHING that the exterminators told us, and we've thrown out a LOT of stuff - all my yarn stash, both beds and lots of sheets and clothes. am probably going to toss my luggage, which i've had for just over a year - a nice purple set of bags. the biggest bag is salvageable - i never really used it and the middle sized bag protected it from the smallest one, which i used exclusively when i traveled to Alexandria and the shady motel I stayed in that may be responsible for our bedbug outbreak (unclear, but definitely a possibility).

I'm so worried about spreading the infestation - i mean, i don't think i could live with myself if they spread to Frank's apartment. i don't think it's happened - because i'm not getting bites and we've discovered how enticing i really am to these mother truckers. can they live in papers? inside books? what am i supposed to do? how can i get my sanity back? how can i stop crying when i think about it?

how can i be stronger?

i hope by the end of this month i'm not still writing/bemoaning the bedbug epidemic. all i want for my birthday is my life back!

~m

bright spot - someone who works on the same floor as shawn in the courant building and who also lives in our building had a bedbug outbreak recently, and he's still living here. shawn's going to talk to him and get some advice/find out this guy's experience. hopefully he has some good tips and can offer hope for overcoming this. if nothing else, shawn's applications for jobs start soon and maybe we can be out of this city in 6-8 months.

November - Day 1

Maybe the tricks are over. I don't know.

We DID leave the apartment - stayed at a motor lodge in Jersey City (could see the Empire State Bldg from our window - which was nice) - and worked there on Friday morning. Then we came back and hassled with the super, the management company, Shawn's department and everything. They could provide NO housing for us - no vacancies. And would not re-imburse us if we stayed at a hotel.

BUT I was sitting in our lobby looking pathetic when our friend (and Shawn's co-worker) Frank, who lives in our building, happened by and asked me what I was doing. When I explained what was going on, he offered to let us stay at his apartment. He has a studio, but he also has a girlfriend, Beth, with an AWESOME one bedroom on the UWS. He said he would stay with her and we could use his apartment for the weekend.

The exterminators came back on Friday and sprayed a bit more, and they're coming back on Monday to do another, more thorough fumigation. So we have to stay out of the apartment on Monday. Right now though, we're in the apartment, re-bagging some things that we had opened on Thursday night, throwing out some more stuff (we did have to get rid of Shawn's bed too - so once we get everything clean we're going to have a TON more space and no room for visitors...unless they want to sleep on the floor).

I'm also taking advantage of my work computer access and doing some of my task items now ... working on my laptop is SO slow. It's five+ years old, slow, old, heavy and a remnant of a past I'd rather forget, yeah? But with all the money we're going to shell out (and have been shelling out) on laundry, dry cleaning a mattress, etc. I think getting a new computer will have to wait - especially since my work computer is really good for everything I need to do. I still wish my work had given me a laptop, but a desktop is better for design work, which I do some small bits of from time to time. Meh. I guess I could always go Mac as a next step. Dur.

Day one of NaBloPoMo. So far so good, and somehow I don't think I'm going to be lacking in material. I can just re-live and re-hash and add details to this horrid horrid experience.

Shawn had an idea - use bed bugs as a weapon of mass destruction. They wouldn't kill our enemies, but they'd surely make them want to kill themselves.

We were talking to another of Shawn's colleagues last night in the lobby of the Courant building, and the doorman overheard us and said to use baby powder - that it dries them out and you don't have a problem within 3 hours. SOMEHOW I doubt it's that simple but after the exterminators come, you can bet I'll be dousing our floorboards and such with baby powder. Maybe it will even become part of my routine ... although it would be nice to have powder that's not scented like that.

Back to work stuff, then more sorting, drying shoes, etc. etc. etc.

Hating my life and this city more than I ever thought possible, but persevering. Prayers appreciated.

~Mari.

unreal

STILL bugs - they didn't do a thorough job, and we had to get rid of our second mattress too - which they left IN the treated room without treating ... meaning, we still have bed bugs, and the fact that we can SEE them means there are HORDES of them hiding.

I can't believe this. I don't know how I'm going to sleep. We have the air mattress blown up, but they will DEFINITELY be able to get to me - they're attracted to the carbon dioxide that I breathe.

I HATE our super - he lied to us saying that the bed/mattress had been disposed of, then we get in the apartment and have to haul it down ourselves (which is a violation ... and just spreading the bugs).

I HATE this company - AKA Bug Control or something. They haven't done their job -- half of the room was obviously not sprayed, the picture rail wasn't sprayed (and that seems to be where they're coming from now) and the baseboards weren't completely sprayed either. They also didn't get all the electrical outlets and none of them were removed as they were supposed to be. I can't believe how horrible I feel and that on top of everything else we have to fight for fair treatment.

I guess I'm bait tonight - but I wish we could just leave here and never come back. I hate New York and I hate the people we interact with here.

~Mari.

Possessions I've Lost So Far

• Queen mattress & box spring
• Full size mattress & box spring
• Queen size feather mattress topper
• Queen size down comforter
• Lamp
• Broom
• Vacuum
• Three Ikea rugs
• Several pillows

Will update...

starbucks in the morning

well - the exterminators will be at our apartment sometime today. i'm at starbucks - have internet here until at least 10:30 ... hopefully longer. after lunch i'm going to try the public library. having a lot of trouble accessing the shared drive at work ... but have to keep trying to get the poll data up on the site ... we're releasing it today at 10:30. hope my internet lasts until then. oiy.

i have a headache to beat all headaches and am just feeling generally dazed and sad and overwhelmed. we should be able to get back in to the apartment tonight and start arranging and unpacking. we're going to put the bed in a different place and will have more room without the queen size bed!

i don't think i'll ever be comfortable in the apartment again - not entirely. and i still have to live, sleep and work there. i'm going to ... i don't know, go even more bonkers than i am? we'll see.

good news - my skin is getting better. my arms look almost normal. my feet and legs are still scratched up and scarred - those are the most recent places i have been bitten (because i flipped around on the bed one night and then when we slept on shawn's bed while my bed was still in the room our feet were pointed toward my bed ... so i got more bites on my feet and ankles.

i cannot WAIT to be flying out of here for the Thanksgiving wedding extravaganza weekend.

OH, today i've known Shawn for FOUR YEARS... and it's our five month wedding anniversary. so there's that.

more later i'm sure.

~M.

would you rather?

instead of bed bugs i would rather

• relive summer 2003 and the unbearable heartbreak and pain
• vomiting - any type of sickness
• sinus infection
• pounding head ache (which I also have)
  
• go six months without going home ... i might even stretch that to a year this is so miserable

i could continue...

last night we stumbled across a shoot of LIPSTICK JUNGLE! What's UP?! HA.

anyway, we saw Brooke Shields and the girl who plays Victory Ford (Lindsay Price) ... they looked so pretty and made up and YOUNG. Brooke looks way better in person than on TV, I must say. They were filming at The Bitter End (or outside of it). Shawn was all "Where's Nico?" because yeah, I make him watch horrible girly TV. Apparently the show is moving from Wednesdays to Fridays, meaning it will probably be canceled shortly thereafter. It's a REALLY bad show, as in, the main reason I watch it is to make fun of it, but there you go.

Time to close up shop and wrap it up before we go out, get some food and head to the last night in our temporary quarters.

Dear God - please let the exterminators' treatment work and my skin get better. Amen.

~Mari.

should i give up?

or should i just keep chasin' pavements?

that song makes no sense - well the lyrics don't. as a song it makes sense as it STICKS IN MY HEAD. huzzah.

the good:

• all clothes are washed and bagged, save for a few i'm going to wear the next few days.
• we've got temporary quarters, courtesy of university visiting faculty housing (apparently we're staying where guest lecturers stay) - we can stay until noon on Thursday
• exterminators are coming on Thursday between 10 and 1 - so i can't go back to the apartment until 5 at the earliest... meaning an interesting day for work - probably going to look into the NYC public library ... blugh. at least i can leave my luggage with my doorman OR at Shawn's work - depending on how i feel.
  

the bad:

• slept on shawn's bed last night and STILL got new bites, especially on my feet
• got my bed moved out (which is a good, but so so so sad)
• there's no ROOM to move here - with all the stuff piled up in the middle of the room - and supposed to keep everything, including furniture, THREE FEET from the walls. with our tiny tiny studio apartment that is nearly impossible.
• i've worked all day - on real work stuff and the laundry (NINE HOURS PEOPLE) - and i'm so exhausted.
• i didn't sleep well last night - shawn's bed is smaller, not to mention KNOWING bugs are going to be feasting on your flesh. ICK. i hope we can get some sleep tonight.
• all of my stuff is in bags - and it's piled up and who knows how much i'll break or what will get contaminated.

i pray that the exterminators are successful and that the bugs are no more. i don't think i can bear it. if i continue to break out ...

can't wait to get out of this city, because really, where else but New York would this happen to me?

~M.

Seriously?! Uzi's Don't Mix With Kids!

Eight-year-old shoots self with Uzi, dies - CNN.com:

"WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (AP) -- An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair.

The boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club, Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere said."

Mass-holes...

One way to look at it is this - at least I'm not mourning an avoidable, preventable death. That and I can still breathe.

~M.

a slow death

i am dying a slow death

of itch

of unbelievable overwhelmingness

every single item shawn and i own must be bagged

i must trash my mattress, which i bought when i moved to MD for grad school - expensive and less than 5 years old. required Sage's help to move it - so i guess OK to let go of memories since she hates me anyway - maybe karma from her?

then they'll come and spray/treat the apartment.

then we have to wash every single item before we can use it/reintroduce it to the room (although all the bagged items will still be in the room, seeing as how we live in one single room).

i have cried more today than i have in a long time. i can't believe it. NINE weeks of vampire bugs sucking my blood.

and i KNOW that it happens regardless of how clean you keep your house/apartment. i KNOW it's a result of this city - the outbreaks are bad everywhere and don't discriminate by income see

• www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/nyregion/27bugs.html
• www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/realestate/15cov.html

but my very first household as a wife. i can't help but feel like a failure. i'm being overly dramatic - i can't help it, my chest is pounding and i'm crying nonstop. so weak and stupid.

i'm dying a slow death - but at least i'll kill the bed bugs first.

mari.

fall back?

Shawn found some bugs on the bed - between the bed/wall or something. He vacuumed them up, and we've stripped the bed, the exterminators are coming on Monday for an inspection ... and I'm still itchy. SO I don't know. It seems to indicate the bugs are to blame, but I don't know why I can't just get un-itchy. I really wish I could have gone away this weekend. Looking forward even MORE to our week in Oklahoma.

STUPID automatic alarm clock automatically fell back - even though Congress changing the fall back time/extending daylight savings ... whatever. At least I figured it out before work tomorrow, when I would have been off an entire hour - in the wrong way. Dur. NEXT week we fall back, mk?

~mari.

write myself a letter

Gearing up to do NaBloPoMo - national blog post month, which is November. Going to try to post something every day for thirty days. Won't be exceptional journalism, but hopefully something. Twitter doesn't count? Hrm.

Shawn was up most of the night with a stomach bug. I'm hopeful that it was just food borne - I'm not sick yet. Knock on wood. He went to a work reception yesterday afternoon and that is hopefully the source of his illness. Of course he got sick in the bathroom at the event we went to last night, leading to a hasty retreat, but hopefully no harm done. He's resting now and trying to re-hydrate.

BIGGEST BUMMER - no finite element circus for me. I was SO looking forward to getting the heck out of dodge and away from this apartment - hoping for some skin relief or something. But not to be. I could still go - Shawn may actually trek up there to give a talk tomorrow, depending on how he feels. BUT if I'm going to get sick I'd rather be sick here than there, so there's that. SHIZA.

Doctor called me back last night during the event and left a message - all blood work is clear. So stop the steriods and do a repeat biopsy. I need to call back and ask about allergy tests. Also the chiropractor suggested looking at liver function. WTF ever. I'm so over this but SO not as the itching and scabbing and grossness is at a new level. UGH.

dream a little dream of me.

in which i have much to say, less to write

my skin, my skin, my skin.

i wake up and it itches. as i fall asleep it itches. taking medicine during the day helps me get through the day, but i'm getting to the point of it being unbearable.

Much later in the day: Ugh - the doctor hasn't called me back yet, and I put in the call at 10:30 am. HATE PEOPLE.

From Mighty Goods: 10 Little Luxuries Under $10. I remember when $10 was SO MUCH MONEY to me - and oh, the idea of $100 was more than I could bear. Now I drop twice that on a big grocery delivery without thinking. (We do eat well around here ...)

enough for now.

Forward: Keep Your Fork

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness
and had been given three months to live . So as she was getting her
things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her
house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures
she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the
young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.

'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.

'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be
buried with a fork in my right hand.'

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to
say.

That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked.

'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and
from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those
I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of
attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of
the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over
and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that
something better was coming....like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish
apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my
hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you
to tell them: 'Keep your fork, the best is yet to come..'

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young
woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see
her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better
grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would
be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience
and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they
saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand.
Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?'
And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he
had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them
about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people
how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they
probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it
remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a
very rare jewel , indeed . They make you smile and encourage you to
succeed .
Cherish the time you have , and the memories you share . Being friends
with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.
Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND even if it means sending
back to the person who sent it to you.

And.......keep your fork.

New Star Trek Images!

New Star Trek Images! | Filmonic: "After a rather long silence the Star Trek marketing has stepped up a gear today, with the release of some new images. They all popped up on different sites and the first image gives us our first look at the crew."

Today being 10/16/08, when Filmonic posted this... Kinda pumped in a nerdy, sad way.

life in the city

yesterday my internet crapped out - it was an outage or something. so i had to go back to the 'bucks to get some "free" wifi. the homeless were out in droves and i almost got a full cup of ... something spilled on my feet/computer bag. luckily my quick thinking saved me from that BUT i still had to deal with the loud, obnoxious commentary from the table of crazies while i worked.

i was telling my coworkers about how i can never hear my neighbors in our apartment. this is true BUT i forgot about the street noise. i live in a concrete box, so i don't hear the people above me or on either side - there really is no noise transfer except a little through the pipes in the bathroom - and that is usually just a radio or something. but because of the lack of temperature control with our stupid radiator, we keep the windows open a lot - even when it's chilly. and the street noise - well ... that out does any noise that would come from above us or side neighbors. the trash trucks, the car alarms, the dumpsters or whatever that people drag on the bumpy sidewalk and once a CRANE!

living in the city ... it's something else.

~M

cranky

it's been a long day. my sh*tty motel room doesn't have FOX - so I didn't get to see the end of House and i didn't get to see Fringe. I hope i can figure out how to download them - i can't stream them on this pos wifi.

this is the last time i stay here - i got made fun of at work for staying at a cheap motel - so since it's my work's money anyway i might as well stay somewhere that's three times the price and closer to work. i'm cranky and i want to go home.

tomorrow i will.

Monday - Columbus Day

Downloaded my first iTunes movie to watch on my iPod on the train tonight (Smart People - $4). We'll see how it goes. I also have a lot of podcasts to listen to - I should get iTunes on my laptop so I can sync/download new podcasts for the trainride back. Hrm. Something to do on Tuesday night in the motel room.

Columbus Day so no work. Last year on Columbus Day I was newly engaged - as in, new sparkly ring and sparkle in my eye. I still feel that spark, but with all the worries of my health/skin condition, I'm a little preoccupied. But I am disgustingly happy with my marriage. As Martha might say, it's a good thing. I just need to not take it for granted!

Yesterday I went to church. I had SUCH fun subway rides - because there were interesting kids in the subway cars with me. Not in a creepy way - but just how cool and interesting kids can be. The way there featured Rachel - a cool little girl, probably 6-yrs-old who was FASCINATED with her sweater zipper and asked her mom "how do they do this? it AMAZES me." I took notes so I want to write up the dialogue ... maybe as a scene for a future piece of fiction. I wanted to tell her "Watch Mr. Rogers - there's a great episode about that!"

On the way back, there were these DARLING little twins in a double stroller - little boys, with mops of blonde, thick hair, dark grey eyes and dressed alike except for their T-shirts. They didn't really talk - were about 2-yrs-old and sleepy, maybe a little sick with colds. But just so cute. And I was fascinated with how alike they were - and then the subtle differences. I hope it wasn't creepy I was looking at them - but they were just too cute, so I kept sneaking looks - plus they were directly across the car from me, so I didn't think too much of it.

At church - the sermon was "Rejoice! In a Time Like This?" Being in NYC, with our proximity to Wall Street, many of the people here (the pastor's parishioners) are directly impacted by this downfall of the stock market -- as in, they're losing their Wall Street-related jobs ... not just their stock options/retirement benefits. It's scary everywhere - seriously scary, but I wonder if pastors in middle America are delivering sermons like this?

The bottom line/message of his sermon was this: God is with us always, including (scary) times like this. If we feel blessed by God, then we can bless others.

I also found myself trying to ACTIVELY listen. My mind wanders easily, especially in quiet moments meant for reflection - so I repeated the words in my head and heart as the pastor said them - especially the prayer and the scripture readings to keep myself focused and really hear the words. I wasn't 100% successful, but a good trick to try to keep my mind under my control and focused on what I really need to learn/know.

Have a chiropractor appointment this afternoon - before the train ride, so that should help. I need to pack my heating pad just in case (haven't needed it lately) and plan to use the ice from the motel to ice my back in the evenings. There are lots of other little things bouncing around in my head - do I have copies of all my files from my desktop computer to use on my laptop. (I did move everything on my desktop to the work server, but I can't always access that from my laptop ... basically because of my own failings.

Puttering around for a while. ~Mari.

Oklahoma Abortion Law - Seems Very Strange...

The Associated Press: Okla. abortion ultrasound requirement challenged

By RON JENKINS

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An advocacy group is suing over an Oklahoma law that prohibits a woman from getting an abortion unless she first has an ultrasound and the doctor describes to her what the fetus looks like.

In the lawsuit filed Thursday in Oklahoma County District Court, the Center for Reproductive Rights says that the requirement intrudes on privacy, endangers health and assaults dignity.

The law, set to go into effect Nov. 1, would make Oklahoma the fourth state in the nation to require that ultrasounds be performed before a woman can have an abortion and that the ultrasounds be made available to the patient for viewing, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based health research organization.

The other states are Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Read the rest of the AP article (while it lasts on Google AP)

Boomer Sooner!

(Edit: The Boomer Sooner! is referring to football and NOT an endorsement of the Oklahoma Legislature's actions ... not that my opinion counts, but thinking about that further ... I just wanted to be clear.)

results

i got my stitches out today. so that's good. the bloodwork wasn't all back - the one test they were waiting for was to show if i have urticaria (hives) - i guess it tests if my body has antibodies. i don't know. the rest of my bloodwork was normal, as was the biopsy.

i got a prescrip for another round of prednisone. it is not fun - makes me hungry and jittery... and it's a lot of work to keep track of X pills for Y days, then X-1 pills for Y days, etc. until you get down to 1/2 pill for Y days. and I get distracted easily. Will have to pay attention to this.

I'm still going to find another dermatologist who specializes in skin reactions/allergies (rather than a Botox-pusher)... Shawn's doctor recommended one, and he is on our insurance, so I'll call next week to make an appointment. I got a copy of my bloodwork so far, and once the original dermatologist calls me to say what the results of the final blood test was I'll send them a letter asking for a complete copy of my file.

Being a grown up is the PITS!

~M.

What I Don't Know and How I Will Learn It

The "Zen-like" question from Tuesday's debate has stuck to me... Not that I necessarily think it's a good question to ask the candidates (I'm more along the lines of "what will you do to impact the health of Americans - to ensure we'll have new treatments and cures to diseases?"), but it is a question I would like to ask myself. I consider myself a student of everything - I love to read and learn. But do I ACTIVELY try to learn? Or just passively let information come to me for absorption and osmosis? I think it's more of the latter.

Here are some bullets of things I don't know and how I will learn them:

• Economics - I have a minor in econ from OSU, but I would/should go more in depth - especially since we're in what's threatening to be the "Greater Depression" - specifically I'm interested in the economics of women/wife-dom... Just something I'm thinking about, perhaps pursuing a structured plan of study or a self-edifying project of seeking books and resources to create a non-publishable paper.
• Complicated crochet patterns - oh how I love crochet and want to get better, and I am tackling this with my bedspread project. Follow-through is the hardest, as I'm done with block 3 of at least 20... Persistence is something I am learning with this project.
• How to be a parent - this is something I probably won't get to for at least another year, but how I'll learn it is through imitation of role models, reading and practice-practice-practice.

This is a pretty pathetic little list. I'm sure there will be more, but these were top-of-mind to start.

What don't you know, and how will you learn it?

~M.

Rednecks for Obama

So, this is a "hot" trend in Google Trends - Rednecks for Obama.

Unfortunately, I know a lot of rednecks who are not for Obama, but for McCain. And we know what I'm thinking...

By the way, read THIS ARTICLE in Rolling Stone about John McCain - it's a massive effort of reporting, takes a long time to read and will hopefully change even the redneck mind?

Purple Wedding Shoes - Discounted - BLIMEY

BP. 'Dazzle' Leather Sandal - Nordstrom:

"BP. 'Dazzle' Leather Sandal
Strappy slingback sandal is perched on a high skinny heel. An adjustable buckle at the ankle ensures a secure fit.

* Approx. heel height: 3 1/2'.
* Leather upper, lining and sole.
* By BP.; imported.
* BP. Shoes."

Dadgum. I bought these shoes full price for the wedding. They ended up hurting my feet too much, so I only wore them to the rehearsal (wore Target shoes in white with my dress, then changed into Chucks for the reception)... I love these shoes, can't wear them now because of my back AND they hurt my feet. They are killer - but oh so gorgeous... And if you wanna pair, they're disgustingly on sale.

at the bucks

woke up today - to everything grey...and all that i saw - just kept going on...and on...

yeah, everything was on except our cable modem. no matter what i tried, which outlet i plugged it in to - NOTHING. totally busted. so i'm at starbucks with the AT&T wifi (unsure if it lasts two hours or indefinitely...) and waiting for lunch time to go back home.

we have to get a new modem from Time Warner Cable. somehow I'm thinking that won't be easy. and apparently they won't let you use your own - so it's not like i can just go to Staples and buy a new modem. for PETE's SAKE!

this starbucks has been redone recently - it's funny. the counter was the main change - chairs and all still the same. but they have the employees doing shifts at the bathroom - as in they stand at the head of the line and let one person go in at a time. WEIRD. and i also saw an employee make a homeless guy leave. hrm. but with my laptop and latte (OK, venti coffee but was going for alliteration), i'm just another yuppie working away. i probably look like a student because of my jeans and flip-flops (it's been a while since I've been outside in the morning - it was actually COLD, but i was in too much of a rush to go back and change).

without my programs on my work computer i'm relegated to just email, powerpoint and blogging/web updating. there's plenty of that to do -- but i have two big design projects. i'll work on them at home this afternoon, then there's a staff meeting that i can be offline for ... and then it will be another search for wifi. i SHOULD be able to log on to the university's network - i have an email address but don't know how to access it... a project for later today.

i should also get my biopsy/blood work results today. i don't trust that doctor any farther than i can throw him, so i'll probably have to call him this afternoon to get the results. at least it keeps things interesting.

because i'm off the second round of steroids the hives are getting worse - i have some on my face and one comes up on my eyelid ... real cute. i've got to keep my stitches covered - and apparently i'm having a reaction to the band-aid adhesive (and it's NAME BRAND!) ... because i've got a really red, painful patch where the band-aid was yesterday. I twisted the bandage to cover a different area - but ... if it's not one thing, it's twenty others.

OH! the bathroom employee left her station and two people went in together!!!

~mari.

A Jump on Things

I am all sorts of CRAZY itchy...

Called the doctor today - he's not there on Mondays, but my results are in. No, they can't tell me anything - the doctor has to look at them first. Hopefully he'll be in and call tomorrow... I need him to refer me to someone who knows what they're doing.

I'm spending time looking at FUN FUN FUN sites online - shopping and thinking and making lists ... of things to buy for people for Christmas. I mean, how nerd-a-lert can I get? But I'm just "shopping" and filling up online carts and not buying. Kind of an online social media no-no I guess - really skews and screws up those sites' numbers. Yeah, I don't care.

www.redstamp.com/product/1828-Blackberry-Notebook
www.redstamp.com/product/2422-Vintage-Postcard-Set
www.redstamp.com/product/3424-2009-MINI-Desk-Calendar

And then I could spend HOURS on Etsy.com. I could look at the crochet stuff for ages - not to buy but to think "i could do that" and then not do it. And I-LOVE-PAPER. I mean, stationery would be something I could spend and spend and spend on... But I can only write so much and I already have an entire drawer full of cards and paper and envelopes (not to mention the left over thank you notes from the wedding - which are in their own drawer...the wedding gave me an excuse and I bought!).

Guess I should start dinner. Maybe just one more spin around the interwebs.

Owen - Line Art

In Stitches

Left arm

Right arm

Back of right arm - stitches. OIY!

too funny...

From @meghanasha's "life cast" or whatever ... via http://caro.tumblr.com.

surgical

yesterday i technically had surgery.

it wasn't planned, and it was in a dermatologist's office. CLEARLY they don't normally do this sort of thing, as it was like a slap-stick comedy show for the ages. (i am surmising that this doctor is mostly a Botox pusher, but thankfully he didn't suggest that to me, because really the last thing I need to do is inject botulism in my skin).

anyway, after a 2-week course of steroids, which followed a shorter, lower-dosage course and over a week of super-high antihistimines, the hives are still not gone. they have morphed somewhat - they look less like mosquito bites and more like pink, slightly raised bumps (before they were shinier or something, with whiter centers). but they're still itchy as anything and super uncomfortable. they are mostly on my arms, with a few on my face/neck/back and knees/ankles. i'm a lot of fun to be around, let me tell you.

at my last chiropractor appointment, my doctor (who is super nice and concerned about more than my back, including my skin) asked if my hives make me irritable... I had to think about that. I'm a generally irritated person. I'm constantly gretchy and what-have-you. Maybe the hives are a manifestation of that irritability? But yes, I would answer that these hives DO make me even more grouchy, given the mystery of it all and the discomfort on top of my usual crankiness. i can't change much, but i can change myself and my attitude if i really try. we'll see how that goes.

anyway, my latest irritant is the surgery site itself - they biopsied a hive. gave me a local anasthetic (really worked cuz I didn't feel anything) and stuck a cookie cutter thing in my arm and cut out a CHUNK of flesh. ICK. then they had to draw blood, and the girls/nurses/whatever didn't seem to have a clue. I'm a good blood donor and usually blood flows quickly and easily, but they took three stabs, the final one in my hand, to get the blood, and even then they said it probably wasn't enough. they thought "my psyche" couldn't handle another stick so they said they would try to do the tests with what they had. i would have rather gone to a lab where people know what they're doing...

i will post pictures soon. i have to get shawn to take them. try as i might i just cannot snap a pic of the back of my right arm where the stitches are. (and i tried several times and ended up with pics of the hives w/o the stitches) i also have bruises from the blood draws... all in the name of photo-documenting my plight, garnering sympathy and satisfying the curiosity of my "gross-loving" reader(s).

Oh Owen Jay!

While webcamming this week, Beth trimmed Owen's hair in the back... MISTAKE. He became obsessed with the idea of cutting his own hair. (At least he didn't take my suggestion to cut Beth's hair!) The results:

Self Cut:


Burr Cut Salvages His Look:

Four Hugs A Day...

The secret to a happy marriage: Four hugs a day - Telegraph:

The secret of maintaining a happy marriage is four hugs a day, a study has found.

A poll of 4,000 couples found that spending at least 22 periods of "quality time" together every month, such as going for a walk or sharing a romantic meal, were also key to maintaining a healthy relationship.

The couples also recommended that husbands should give their wife flowers or another gift at least once a month.

Sounds good to me!

Don't Vote - Five Friends

Children's Sermon: Cross

Cleaned out my purse today and I've got last week's bulletin kicking around. Usually I leave it at the church as part of the recycling program, but occasionally I'll take notes and need to bring it with me. Funny, I never USE the notes for anything and usually throw away/recycle the bulletin myself. Anyway.

The notes I took last week were about the children's sermon. The preacher had all the kids stand up and spread out their arms - they became crosses - physically representing the cross. And he said this posture reminds him of two things:

1. We're standing up - because we're reaching up to God
2. If we move our arms - just twist a little - we're going to touch someone.

So, we're standing up to reach up to God and reaching out and we touch others. Thank you for the cross - to remind us to love God and our neighbors.

For what it's worth. ~Mari.

Already All Over the Internets

Comma Pendant

Chao & Eero Jewel - Comma pendant - Chao-Hsien Kuo:
"This Comma pendant belongs to our SIGNS collection, which was inspired by the use of emails and mobile phone messages. A comma is a little pause, such as in our busy everyday routine, it is precious to have a little break. The hand-textured surface gives this silver pendant an elegant and unique sheen. All Chao & Eero Jewel products are manufactured and hand-finished in Finland."

This seems like something that would be so simple, so sweet and so cheap. Uh, try 75 Euros, which is a BIT more than $75 if I know my exchange rates (which I admittedly don't).

Seeing as how I rarely leave the apartment, jewelry expenditures aren't really something I need. But it's fun to think and plot and list.

Edit: WOW - this is my 300th post!

Smithsonian Museum Day

Museum Day 2008 was yesterday, and Shawn and I participated by going to the Museum of the City of New York for free (suggested donation $9, although I don't think it was worth that much). Lovely.

It was a long ride on the 6 up to 103rd and 5th. We had lunch at a tiny Mexican place that had semi-good food. Nothing to write home about though. And I spilled beans on my white shirt - typical Mari-ness. It should come out though.

The museum was good. Interesting special exhibit about New Yorkers and the presidential campaigns, and my favorite was the video about the history of New York - from the famous $24 real estate transaction with the Indians to the 9/11 changes and how the city is still changing. There was also a section about Broadway, and specifically all the Broadway shows that have been about New York (Barefoot in the Park, West Side Story, Rent, etc.)...

In the campaign exhibit they had cardboard cut outs of the campaigns - and Shawn wanted his picture with Hillary. So here's that:

I only chanced one (so no pic of me with Obama or McCain) - because w/o the flash the pictures were worthless and I wasn't sure if we were allowed to be photographing the exhibits. Meh.

This museum is also free admission with your City Sights NYC tour bus - so I guess if you're here you could go to this. But I think the art museums are a better use of time if one is only here for a short visit... Me, I've got the time.

~Mari.

Worldwide Day of Play!

The WHOLE WORLD Is Playing Today!! - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once.:

"Worldwide Day of Play KaBOOM!

That’s right! Today is the day to get serious about playing. Yeah, I didn’t know either until I met up with Annie from KaBOOM! She let me in on the news that today is the Worldwide Day of Play. Here’s the news about it.

She also sent everything you need to know about setting up a Play Day and making your city / town / neighborhood a safe place to play:
* Play Day Resources
* Playful City USA
* Imagination Playground
* KaBOOM! Playspace Finder — complete with widget
* KaBOOM! Playspace Finder Sweepstakes"

Much like with International Crochet Day a couple weeks ago, I didn't know this was going on until I stumbled across it in my usual RSS feed (Liz writes great social media stuff). Anyway, I read it AFTER I had, in fact, come home from playing. LITERALLY.

Shawn and I went to the NYU gym today and played HORSE, did a few passing drills and just shot basketballs for about an hour. It was good fun and we're both worn out - man it's been almost TEN YEARS since I was a high school athlete. Hrm. But whatever - world wide day of play was commemorated by us!

Next up - Smithsonian's Museum Day - we're going to the City Museum of NYC... More on that later.

~Mari.

Happy Birthday to My Mother-in-Law

Look - they were really here!

(Photo outside of Macy's - Empire State Building in the background)

FOUND! Photo of Finale

Wedding
Originally uploaded by silvermari

Smiles on the overture of "TNG theme"

Thanks to Jamie, who sent me this photo on a CD via Dale...

Edit - interesting note, on the 23rd of September the DVD of Sex and the City the Movie came out. The movie opened on our wedding day, 5-30-08. SO our marriage outlasted the box office run of SATC. Score one for us!!!

More On HHS Rule from Science Progress

I read a lot of blogs for work (I mean A LOT), and sometimes I come across something that means something to me... Here's one:

HHS Rule Could Restrict Access to Contraception, Health Care…and Stem Cell Research

In the final year of the Bush administration, social conservatives have successfully pressured the Department of Health and Human Services to propose a rule that would ostensibly protect health care workers who object to performing abortion and sterilization procedures. The catch is that there are already federal laws in place that do just that. The regulation would instead open the door to denying patients access to all sorts of potentially controversial health care services.

There's more on this - probably could write a lot if I read more and understood more, but over all - it just scares me, and I can't exactly say why...

Jezebel: Facebook Narcissism

Facebook: Bet You Think This Post Is About You:

"Researchers from the University of Georgia have found that the number of Facebook friends and wallposts that individuals have on their profile pages correlates with narcissism. In other words: How you behave online — with numerous yet shallow relationships — is often consistent with how you behave in real life."

First, this post from yesterday stuck with me - as in, "Bet you think this song is about you" catchy tune stuck with me.

I don't think about how I use Facebook too much - but I do know that I don't have a plethora of friends or contacts on that or MySpace or LinkedIn. But I do share items and update a bit on Facebook more than the others.

Social networks may be about the way you present yourself but it also is a wealth of information for a stalker-azzi type. I am NOSY and I admit it. I'll add people from my high school or whatever to find out what they're up to and feel connected, but also because I am interested in the details of what everyone is doing. It's a small-town mindset. Can I blame it on that?

Regardless - I think the UGA study is worth a look...or not.

In Laws Descend - List Style

Friday Sept. 19

• Train gets in early at Penn Station; family waits for me to get off work (and rests after 9 hour train ride)
• Head to Macy's - see all floors, including top and cellar
• Train to Times Square - Dallas BBQ for dinner
• After dinner walk around to look at the lights and all the people - stop at Duane Reade for chapstick - comedy ensues with the check out girl trying to overcharge Dale - IMAGINE!
• Home to bed.

Saturday Sept. 20

• Breakfast at home, then train to Ground Zero - looking around downtown
• Back to apartment for lunch, with a stop at NYU bookstore - score!
• Sandwiches a la Shawn
• Boeing-Boeing on Broadway! WONDERFUL show. My review will be "glowing-glowing"
• After show got to see a few cast members, but not Gina Gershon. Shawn was disappointed.
• Walked up Seventh Ave in a street fair - lots of things to see and tempting food.
• Bus ride down Fifth Avenue to get home
• Mercado's Pizza for supper with a green salad - YUM
• Staten Island Ferry - see the twinkling lights of downtown and the Statue of Liberty (I was sure missing my bubba Max!)

Sunday Sept. 21

• Breakfast at home
• Six Train to Church - Park Ave UMC
• Six transfer to N heading to Astoria, Queens
• Lunch with Kellie at Michaels' Restaurant
• Visit to Kellie's apartment
• N Train to HARLEY DAVIDSON NYC - hours until 7 pm. Woot! ($42 for a dadgum T shirt!)
• Walk up a few blocks to Central Park - rest on bench
• Train down to Canal Street and Pearl River Mart - fun shopping
• Home for dinner - steak, fried zucchini, corn on the cob, corn bread and salad
• Ice cream for dessert

Monday Sept. 22

• Mari stayed home to work
  
• Breakfast at Cozy's
• Uptown Treasures/Harlem Bus Tour
• Lunch out and about
• Central Park ramble
• Natural History Museum
• Visit to see Shawn's office
• Home to pick up Mari
• Dinner at M&G's - a local restaurant that's only so-so, but they were so tired we couldn't really walk any farther. Too bad so sad.
• Heroes premiere while parents slept.

Monday Sept. 23

• Shawn's off teaching class
• Parents are stumbling around while I work
• Will probably go to Washington Square Park, the NYU bookstore and around our neighborhood for a wander
• Train leaves at 2 pm - Shawn will be back from class and office hours at noon to get them to Penn Station

A good visit! We're all exhausted and can't wait to have a bigger place to more comfortably accommodate our visitors!

Photos to follow.

Organize: ABC Paperclips

Charles & Marie: Alphabetical Paperclips:

"In any case, here's something that super fab designer Stephen Reed showed us at 100% Design in London a couple months ago: Alphabetized paperclips. At first we were thinking: OK – and now what? But then when we started playing with them the genius dawned on us: Whether you want to organize certain things alphabetically or just want to prioritize – always a fun task - or turn your Moleskin into an alphabetized notebook. Or if you are into lists and want to have organized lists or if you just want to fool your fellow people and seem as if you are all organized. They are simply a lot of fun!"

Via MightyGoods, I think. At $25, these are technically do-able. Wonder if there's a way to come up with a DIY-paperclip project. Because I think I would just love to have a full set of M's and W's for my office organization needs, and you have to buy these in full sets...plus $25 is a LITTLE frivilous. Although I'm always looking for gift ideas for others, and I really need to get started on my Xmas shopping list. (Which is going to be extra hard this year given the fact that Shawn is SUCH a good budgeter and stays on me about spending...)

I already had this bookmarked so MAYBE I had already written a post about them. Who knows?!

via perfectbound: clean sweep

perfectbound: clean sweep:

"Do you ever get the feeling you have too much 'stuff'? Sometimes it just feels good to put a few things away for a little while. I'm the kind of person that has to be neat. I don't like seeing a mess, and I can't go to bed with a dirty dish in the sink or something lying on the floor. Lately my closet has been overcome with clutter. Each time I open the door I feel tired just looking at it all. I don't know where to begin. So yesterday I started putting a few things away and cleaning up the chaos. I think it really frees your mind as well, not thinking about the mess behind the door."

In preparation for my in-laws' visit this weekend, I went through my closet, drawers and bathroom shelves and purged-purged-purged. I do have most of my belongings packed up and stored - under the bed, in the top of the closets, back of cabinets and at my parents' house. But there is still always MORE I can be rid of. So, yesterday we walked four giant bags of clothes, purses, etc. to Salvation Army. Add that to the bag of trash I purged from outdated medicines, hair products and old socks...well I'm breathing a little lighter now. The process is ongoing, but I'm keeping my intake to a minimum to avoid getting back into the position of suffocating under STUFF.

~mjw.

Glasses Schmlasses

I got these new glasses (top) - for comparison, the old "nerd" glasses (bottom). Too bad the left photo is so blurry and I'm too lazy to reshoot. Meh.

~Mari.

Face Hives

They're spreading. In these photos you can see the hive (or whatever it is) clearly on my forehead and eyelid... Charming.

Yahoo! Start Wearing Purple

Yahoo! Start Wearing Purple

Yahoo has a whole purple campaign. Hrm. I'm sure it's been in the works since well before my documented obsession with the color. The site is SOOOO slow, so I haven't really looked at it that much.

Hives in Photos

OK, the pictures aren't as dastardly as I had hoped, and I think/hope/pray I've got them under control with twice-daily Claritin and night-time Benadryl (50 mg - or twice the "regular" dose). But here are the photos I've got, both of my right arm... I promise (and you can ask Shawn) they were MUCH grosser in person. (They look like mosquito bites and itch three times as much)

Dilation

OK - had my eyes dilated yesterday and Shawn snapped this picture. Too too freaky!

Nordstrom: Wrap Dress

Eliza J Ruffle Wrap Dress - Occasion - Nordstrom

Oh! How lovely. This came through MightyGoods in my RSS reader. Available only in size 10, but that's OK too, since at $158 I wouldn't bring myself to buy it ... how sad.

I DO have quite a few weddings coming up in the next 6-12 months. But I couldn't get into a size 10 in 24 months - I'm just too fond of chowing down. Oh well.

At least my blog can house this pretty pretty model picture. Tra la.

~M

Blog to the Future: Triangles

So I've been blogging since April 1998. I hand coded a self-journal and posted it on free Tripod space. I posted my teen-angst and had a few "Dreambook" comments ... I have decided to my first blog entry, written before I knew what blogging was. Too bad I didn't post in April, to mark my 10 year blog-a-versary. Too bad.

Oh to be seventeen and in lust. (Although 27 and in LOVE is so much better, I'm giddy just thinking about it):

Triangles
April 9, 1998
In geometry, we are learning to find the areas, angles, sides, etc. of triangles (as well as other figures, but I'm focusing on the "tri" today). I am also involved in a triangle in my everyday life too. It's a long, drawn out story...It is a b*tch and I'm struggling to make the best of it. My feelings have changed in the past few days about the whole thing, which consists basically of me, a guy, and his ex-girlfriend who I've known for like ever. He and she are still flirting, or whatever. We (the guy and me) have gone out a couple of times, but I don't lay any claim on him. It's just that they're both so hard to figure out! I wish someone would just explain to me what is going on and fix it...Either make me not care at all or have him choose me to like best. (Right now I'm in an obvious second place and falling fast) He and I are going to prom though. I don't want to be in a heavy relationship with him, I just want to hang out and basically be his friend...I'm ready for prom to be over. The planning is killing me and I never talk to the guy about it. I've seriously got to get some self confidence. Well, my fingers may fall off soon and I don't want to tell everything in a day. Believe me there is so much more to tell... I'll add updates about prom as they become available.

OK, I had to edit it a little. Who knew I was so OPEN as a 17 year old? Hrm. Anyone who knew me as a teenager would know to whom I'm referring in the Triangle. Throughout the posts I kept that year and through the last year of high school I gave them fake names (Ben and Cinderella I think). I think that's enough nostalgia though and I'll press forward

Consumer Reports Q&A: Could I be allergic to my clothes?

Q&A: Could I be allergic to my clothes?: Consumer Reports Health Blog: "Q&A: Could I be allergic to my clothes?

When I wear clothes made from synthetic fabrics, I seem to get itchy and uncomfortable. Could I be allergic to them? —R.L., Chevy Chase, Md.

Yes. Synthetic materials such as acrylic, elastic, and polyester can cause redness and itching in susceptible people, and they also tend to trap moisture, which can add to the discomfort. But because laundry detergent can irritate the skin as well, the simplest first step is to try a mild detergent made for sensitive skin. If that doesn't help, a dermatologist can test to see if you're allergic to synthetic fabrics. If you are, avoid them in favor of natural fibers like cashmere, cotton, linen, or silk. For items where some elastic is unavoidable, such as bras and underwear, look for labels that say '100 percent cotton' and indicate that the elastic has a layer of cotton over it.

This article first appeared in the October 2008 issue of Consumer Reports On Health."

I wish it were this simple...

Today is International Crochet Day!

Via SkaMama's Bone Hook: International Crochet Day - September 12:

"International Crochet Day, Friday, September 12th 2008! How will you celebrate the day?"

Since I just found out about this day today, I can't imagine I'll change my plans... But I WILL continue work on my superfine thread crochet bedspread. I've got 2 squares down, and am about 1/4 through the third one... Too bad a full/queen size spread will take 20-24 squares total. But it's going to be so rewarding when it's done.

Hilarious - Law & Order Makes You Eat Too Much?

Eating too much? 'Law & Order' may be guilty - Behavior- msnbc.com:

"Crime TV has become a staple of the typical American viewer’s diet. From “Law & Order” and “CSI” — both of which come in three separate flavors — to “Criminal Minds,” “Cold Case” and “The Closer,” it’s hard to avoid the banquet of brutality offered up each week, each day or even each hour if you happen to have cable.

But a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research may give viewers pause about all the death they’re routinely letting into their living rooms. Apparently, must-bleed-TV may just make you eat and shop more."

Oh man, hilariously funny study... That I'm writing about while watching Law & Order (original flava) and contemplating dinner.

Do I share too much? CAN'T help it. ~M.

Juggling Multiple Google Accounts

Google Chrome: Log Into Two Accounts at Once with Chrome's Incognito Mode:

"Google Chrome's 'Incognito Mode' isn't just great for hiding your sultry late night browsing habits, it can also keep you logged into the same webapp as a different user than your main window, like two Gmail accounts."

This could be just what I'm looking for, as I have my personal Gmail and two work Google accounts (long story)... Question: can I have TWO incognito windows? Separate windows equals the same clutter as having 3 separate browsers open (now I've got Firefox for myself, Explorer for main work one and Safari for secondary work one)...

Just thinking. ~M.

Read Along: Harry Potter

Scholastic celebrates Harry Potter's 10th with read-a-thon - PRWeek US:

"NEW YORK: Scholastic will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first book in J.K. Rowling's popular series, by hosting a fan read-thon September 23. On 'Harry Potter Cover to Cover Day,' muggles of all ages will have a chance to sit in the throne used by Rowling in her US appearances and read from the book."

I could probably read the first book cover to cover in one day (I read the last one cover to cover in one day - what a day that was!), but I didn't like the first book so much. I wonder if I could get my HP-look-alike husband to read one of the books to mark the 10th Anniversary... Or not.

~Mari.

Procrastination - Sounds Better in a British Accent

anniversary

Forty-two years ago, Star Trek first aired.

Ah, ah, aaaaaaah, ah!



A Saturday midnight ritual - since TV Land doesn't air the show anymore. We do still have TNG on Monday nights. Getting married has turned me into a Geek - we even have a Riker doll on display.

~M.

H/T The Moderate Voice (which I skim for work)

Ah, then looking for images, found this:



Red shirts never come home - unless it's Scotty.

Cranky? Maybe it's natural!

Fighting the Pathologizing of PMS | Health and Wellness | AlterNet:

"Are you unhappy? Bloated? Is it hard to concentrate? Do you have food cravings? Breast tenderness?

If you read the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, you will find your symptoms listed under 'premenstrual dysphoric disorder' (PMDD). In other words, because of those symptoms, a therapist or doctor could label you as having a mental disorder.

The DSM is the bible of psychiatric diagnosis, used by nearly every hospital, clinic, doctor and insurance company, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Since PMDD first was mentioned in the DSM in 1987, people have received the mistaken impression that it's real and that it's a mental illness. With the manual's fifth edition currently in preparation, that notion seems likely to be strengthened rather than discouraged."

I don't go seeking these things out - they just come to me via work blogs and self blogs and RSS feeds and tweets and all the good stuff I soak in during a typical day.

xo. ~mari-girl...

angst-ee

Sunday in list form

• Went to church - the new interim pastor started, WONDERFUL sermon "It's All About Love."
  
• Itching/hives/whatever they are much worse, and itching like mad during the service. Praying during communion and realized that God could take this away from me, could take my back pain away ... read a little bit of Job - just because I'm hurting doesn't mean God wants me to hurt. Praying for him to take it away or show me how to get rid of it.
• Walk to Walgreen's next to the church, thinking I'll get some more anti-itch cream and maybe some Ace bandages to wrap my arms in to keep myself from itching...
• Look across the street and see the Duane Reade - and the sign that says "Walk In Clinic, open 7 days a week"
• Cross street, go in, am the only patient.
• Fill out forms, answer questions, see doctor within 20 minutes.
• Stump doctor - he doesn't know what this could be any more than Shawn or I do.
• Doctor writes me 4 prescrips - a cream, an antibiotic because the itching caused "cellulitis" (?) and a steroid to take temporarily to reduce swelling (?) - also wrote a scrip for Benadryl ... which my insurance didn't cover so the pharmacist just told me to buy it over the counter.
  
• Itching still but the bumps are down - instead of puffy and red, just red. Painful regardless, and I just took the two Benadryl and will likely be passed out within the hour - but maybe it will help the itching more than the one Benadryl I took for two nights in a row - then woke up at 6 AM itching - maybe I will sleep through the night then wake up and start the pill cycle (minus Benadryl).
• Pray for the best... And if not, back to the doctor I go.

~Marilyn.

TreePee - how much would owen love this?

Treepee

A fabulous new contemporary tree den for kids (and big kids!) which is treehouse, trampoline and hideaway all in one. Suspended from a tree the treepee is big enough for little ones to stand up inside plus they can zip themselves in and out or use as an aerial bouncy castle and even a swing.

Yeah, but it's over $400. So he'll have to stick to blanket forts for now I'm guessing!

Tiddy Bear?!

What?!

You Rock - You Rule T-Shirt

You Rock - You Rule...

Need I say more?

Out for the niiiiight. ~M.

I WANT: Cards For A Year from Violet

Cards For A Year - Violet. | Cool Gifts. | Brilliant Consequences.: "Cards For A Year
$60 (sku AB020320)

Fortify them with all the cards they'll need for the next 12 months:

6 Birthday Cards
2 Congratulations Cards
2 Valentine's Day Cards
6 Thank You Cards
2 Mother's Day Cards
2 Father's Day Cards
2 Sympathy Cards
2 Anniversary Cards
2 Get Well
6 Holiday Cards
4 New Years Cards
4 Blank Cards

This boxed set contains 40 cards and 42 envelopes. Each card is imprinted with an icon; text inside the card states the occasion. For the person who likes to stay in touch, we can't imagine a more thoughtful gift.

Details: Boxed set of 40 cards and 42 envelopes.
Materials: Heavy white cardstock.
Dimensions: 4 inches W x 5.5 inches H."

Too bad they're out of stock... But there are many other cute things on this site... wish I could be notified when it came back IN stock. I swear I spent more than $60 per year on cards, and usually they aren't as nice as these are...

*SIGH* ~m.

NY Observer: Curl, Interrupted

Curl, Interrupted: Do Frizzy Coifs Equal Frazzled Psyches? | The New York Observer: "Curl, Interrupted: Do Frizzy Coifs Equal Frazzled Psyches?

For Meg Ryan’s turn in The Women, she got a mop of curls to reflect her messy life. Glenn Close had them in Fatal Attraction; Anne Hathaway shed them to be a princess. But isn’t it time for Hollywood to realize that wavy doesn’t equal crazy?"

To the left is a photo of Shawn and me at Jamie's wedding last month - my hair crazy curly. Earrings: H&M, Sweater: Target; Dress: Dressbarn. Shawn's tie: Kohl's.

All dryed up

All dryed up
Originally uploaded by irishdragongreen

Reminds me of the b/w photo I have, now in our bathroom, that my mom took when she was in her 20s. So simple but great curves. I love the color of this one - and the discoloration on the faucet itself.

Turn me.

Purple Flowers Beneath Our Apartment

These flowers are in the window box of the little restaurant/cafe thing underneath our apartment - on the way toward Shawn's office. Purple is everywhere! Loverly.

End for today. ~M.

Owen's Fourth Birthday

Photos originally uploaded by sydperry

Looks like he had a swell THOMAS birthday party... with a BIKE! More photos at me ma'am's Flickr.

NYTimes: Target in the En Why Cee

Target to Open Designer-Focused Stores in New York - NYTimes.com:

"In Manhattan, he suggested, Target would be a logical successor to the retail space currently occupied by the aging Kmarts at Pennsylvania Station and Astor Place, near New York University.

“You could imagine most of the N.Y.U. dorms being outfitted from that store,” Mr. Dreher said."

Oh if only this could be true... Most of the article is about pop up "bodegas" Target is going to open as part of fashion week (didn't that just happen? my how time flies), but the "bodegas" will only carry clothes - and probably a limited supply of sizes, if I know my stuff (which I probably don't).

Interesting anyway. ~M.

Reblog: Quote of the Day

Shakesville: Quote of the Day:

"'I have heard some of the news on this and so let me be as clear as possible. I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18. And how family deals with issues and teenage children that shouldn't be the topic of our politics and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that is off limits.'—Democratic nominee Barack Obama, on GOP veep nominee Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy."

There's so much going on with this... I just am ready for the outcome.