December 29, 2007
"The Time Has Come," the Walrus Said, "to Speak of Many Things"
Let's review how successful I was with my resolutions this year.
Health & Fitness
I did keep my trainer. I worked out very hard for two or three months in there and then I slacked off here at the end. I'm trying to ease back up to a more rigorous training schedule, though.
Finance
I did move to a cheaper apartment with roommates. I also got my budget under control and then blew it all in an end-of-the-year spending frenzy. I did get a raise, which will help me as I return to my practice of spending very little.
I did start making a little bit of money from sponsored blog posts. So, that's good.
Career
I am definitely moving into phase 2 of my career plan with my promotion, which takes effect Jan 1. I was a little slow about pushing for this advancement because I didn't know if I wanted to stay with my current company. I'm very excited about this new position.
Arts & Culture
I did not take any language classes, but I am listening to Scott Powell's European History, which is pretty awesome.
My writing has been much the same and without any real focus on improvement, but I had a secret resolution that I made last year that is starting to come into shape and will actually be completed early 2008. I won't tell you what it is yet, but I will let you know when I'm done.
Relationships
Ehn. I don't quite remember what prompted this discussion last year. I have a nice set of friends here in NYC and I haven't managed to mortally insult their honor at any point in 2007. I expect the same will continue.
My romantic life, in spite of what my persistent bachelorness would imply, actually improved a lot through 2007 and I feel like is in its best state ever at the moment. I hope this continues and that I meet someone to spoil with all my healthy psychology.
So, this weekend, I'm pondering my resolutions for 2008. That will be a rambling post, you can be sure.
Health & Fitness
I did keep my trainer. I worked out very hard for two or three months in there and then I slacked off here at the end. I'm trying to ease back up to a more rigorous training schedule, though.
Finance
I did move to a cheaper apartment with roommates. I also got my budget under control and then blew it all in an end-of-the-year spending frenzy. I did get a raise, which will help me as I return to my practice of spending very little.
I did start making a little bit of money from sponsored blog posts. So, that's good.
Career
I am definitely moving into phase 2 of my career plan with my promotion, which takes effect Jan 1. I was a little slow about pushing for this advancement because I didn't know if I wanted to stay with my current company. I'm very excited about this new position.
Arts & Culture
I did not take any language classes, but I am listening to Scott Powell's European History, which is pretty awesome.
My writing has been much the same and without any real focus on improvement, but I had a secret resolution that I made last year that is starting to come into shape and will actually be completed early 2008. I won't tell you what it is yet, but I will let you know when I'm done.
Relationships
Ehn. I don't quite remember what prompted this discussion last year. I have a nice set of friends here in NYC and I haven't managed to mortally insult their honor at any point in 2007. I expect the same will continue.
My romantic life, in spite of what my persistent bachelorness would imply, actually improved a lot through 2007 and I feel like is in its best state ever at the moment. I hope this continues and that I meet someone to spoil with all my healthy psychology.
So, this weekend, I'm pondering my resolutions for 2008. That will be a rambling post, you can be sure.
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December 26, 2007
Fed Up
I'm at my limit with my sister. She's a repugnant, unpleasant person and I don't see any reason why I should walk so willingly into situations where I have to deal with her.
She does all sorts of things that annoy me.
Walking along in Disney, she pulls out a set of nail clippers and starts clipping her nails. Later during our vacation, we're in the elevator returning to our condo and she pulls out the clippers again and starts clipping her nails AGAIN. When I stared at her, she acted as if I was annoyed because she was leaving her nails all over the place, so she picked up the clippings. She doesn't seem to realize how just weird it is to do that in an elevator... or walking down the street.
She's also a knuckle-cracker. She's one of the most graceless women I've ever known and there are few things that illustrate it more than her meticulous popping of her joints.
Usually, when I'm walking down the street and I see someone dressed in a way that I don't appreciate, I just figure they were raised by wolves and they don't know better. My sister wasn't raised by wolves, though. Her sense of fashion actually offends me. Most of the time I spent with her since Wednesday, she was wearing ill-fitting, high-waisted jeans that I call "Control-top jeans" and others call "mom jeans." SNL has a skit about them. She's not fat; she's a firefighter, so she's actually reasonably fit. She also wore these shirts that aren't really tank tops, but they aren't really sleeveless t-shirts, either.
We went shopping and I picked out lots of nice outfits that would suit her very well, but she wouldn't even try any of them on.
In conversation, she often interjects non sequitur statements about people and situations that no one else understands. She likes to use jargon from her job, which forces people to ask what they mean. She will reference people she works with, people we don't know, so she has to go into lengthy, meandering descriptions of who they are and what they do. She likes to share her office gossip.
But those things are just irritating things that make it annoying to be around here even when she isn't being a unreasonable, moody thug.
She's the sort of person who is argumentative about everything. No matter how minute or small the topic, she begins sneering, using sarcasm, and shouting.
Example: She told our group -- for a reason that I don't recall, but it was in line with the conversation -- that she "couldn't rent a movie in Savannah."
That, of course, prompted a surprised inquiry from me.
She explained that at the time, she had a roommate and all of the utilities were in her roommate's name, so she couldn't bring a copy of the phone bill as proof of residence and all that. The video store offered the alternative of allowing her to present a credit card, but she refused to give them a credit card.
"Why?" I asked.
"I'm going to pay for the video with cash. They don't need my credit card," was the answer she provided.
"They don't need it to pay for the movie. They want it so they can track you down."
"They can't track me down with my credit card."
"Yes, they can. And with your credit card, they don't need to find you, because it's connected directly to your credit history."
But she insisted that a credit card was not the best way to do that. She also insisted that they should use her driver's license instead -- even though that isn't proof of residence, either, and it's not tied to any credit information.
She wouldn't listen to reason.
She just flatly insisted that there was no reason why the video store should have her credit card.
Obviously, her refusal to present a credit card means that she is choosing not to fulfill the requirements necessary for a membership at the video rental store. It is simply not the case that she cannot rent a movie in Savannah, it is the case that she chooses not to do so.
In another situation, we all decided to eat at a Cuban restaurant for dinner. After being seated and ordering our drinks, we settled in to consider what to order for our entrees.
After a few minutes she announced, "I feel bad sitting in a restaurant when I can't eat their food," and she sat back with a deep sigh.
As a child, she loved eating ham. She practically subsisted on bologna sandwiches and hot dogs. But in college, or some time soon after, she decided that she "can't eat pork." Again, the truth is that she chooses not to eat pork. There isn't any reason for it other than her rather sudden claim of distaste for pork. That's her business, though.
Knowing her dislike for pork, I asked, "What do you mean? There are plenty of non-pork dishes here." I gestured to a half page of dishes primarily composed of chicken. "Arroz con pollo is just chicken and rice. You can't get more basic than that. It's also pretty bland, so you don't have to worry about any strange spices."
She decided to order chicken noodle soup, but made clear that she was miserable and dissatisfied with the meal. You'll recall that she pulled this same sort of pig-headed unwillingness when she visited New York and ordered a hamburger from my favorite Cuban-Mexican spot and then refused to eat it.
There's an crass Southern expression to describe a person like her: she can find shit in ice cream. It means that she's bound and determined to be miserable no matter what. She could be put in the best of conditions and she'd find something to gripe about.
And her misery is arbitrary and of her own making.
She nearly declined free tickets to Cirque du Soliel on our vacation because at some point in college, she also decided that she "doesn't like clowns." There was no traumatic incident with clowns. She never had such a fear prior to college. She just made it up.
As a child, I was a sectional eater. I would get upset if my food touched and I would only eat things one at a time. To this day, I still eat sectionally, although I make much less of a production about it. It's not a compulsion; I sometimes eat in order and sometimes I don't. I prefer my food not to mix, but if it does, that's life. We move on. I don't know why I did this and to this day the original motive for the habit is a mystery to me.
Again, at some point in college, she decided that she's a sectional eater. She will turn down a meal if it is presented to her with the various servings touching. Or, if not that, make a huge production of separating the parts.
Her misery isn't the only thing arbitrary, either. So are her pleasures. She can rarely explain exactly why she wants what she wants.
You want examples? Readily.
When asked what time she wanted to eat dinner on Christmas Eve, she said, "4 o'clock." Why? She said, "Because no one else was choosing a time." Forget that 4 o'clock is an insanely early hour for eating dinner. I practically had to twist her arm to get her to admit that she just wanted to get home early and even then she wouldn't come right out and say why she wanted to get home early.
Another example: After we opened presents, she announced that she was "holding more presents hostage at her house" which is 50 miles away from my parents' house. Why? No reason. We had already announced our intention to go to her apartment the next day to pick her up for lunch or even to eat lunch there. The reason we were going to her apartment was actually to see her apartment. But she still "held gifts hostage" which prevented me from being able to pack my bags completely for my trip. I had to finish packing at her house only minutes before leaving for the airport.
While she expects to be allowed to do what she pleases when she pleases (even if it means sleeping all day when we have plans to go somewhere) she expects everyone else to wait on her while she does it and even help her in her efforts, no matter how pointless or silly.
If ever a situation arises where she didn't do something or she didn't do something correctly, she refuses to admit her mistake. When asked if she got something at the Disney store, she sneered at us, "No! I didn't because everyone else wanted to go to dinner." Blaming us for her ineffective use of time and lack of independence in decision making, she thinks that because we indicated that we were ready to move on, that she couldn't do something she wanted.
Everything is someone else's fault. The entire universe is out to get her.
Logic holds no sway in her mind.
Playing a board game to which none of us know the rules, she reads the rules and recommends one course of action between two options. I point out that logically, the alternative option grants more possibilities. She argues to the contrary presenting rules about situations that do not apply to the present conditions.
At least three other situations like that which resulted in rather loud arguments and long, uncomfortable silences happened in the three days of our trip to Florida. That's more than one "confrontation" a day.
Even though she's in her late 20's, she behaves like a teenager.
And I'm sick of it.
I am honestly at the point where I don't want to be around her. Ever. I'm absolutely furious with her.
I don't know if I will have Christmas with my family next year. I enjoy Christmas. I like celebrating wealth and prosperity with people I like. I do not like her. I don't care about my dad. My mom is the only one of the bunch I'm fond of. Christmas with my mom isn't really of value if it means putting up with them, too, if it means coming back to my home and being angry and irritated over the whole experience for days afterward.
She does all sorts of things that annoy me.
Walking along in Disney, she pulls out a set of nail clippers and starts clipping her nails. Later during our vacation, we're in the elevator returning to our condo and she pulls out the clippers again and starts clipping her nails AGAIN. When I stared at her, she acted as if I was annoyed because she was leaving her nails all over the place, so she picked up the clippings. She doesn't seem to realize how just weird it is to do that in an elevator... or walking down the street.
She's also a knuckle-cracker. She's one of the most graceless women I've ever known and there are few things that illustrate it more than her meticulous popping of her joints.
Usually, when I'm walking down the street and I see someone dressed in a way that I don't appreciate, I just figure they were raised by wolves and they don't know better. My sister wasn't raised by wolves, though. Her sense of fashion actually offends me. Most of the time I spent with her since Wednesday, she was wearing ill-fitting, high-waisted jeans that I call "Control-top jeans" and others call "mom jeans." SNL has a skit about them. She's not fat; she's a firefighter, so she's actually reasonably fit. She also wore these shirts that aren't really tank tops, but they aren't really sleeveless t-shirts, either.
We went shopping and I picked out lots of nice outfits that would suit her very well, but she wouldn't even try any of them on.
In conversation, she often interjects non sequitur statements about people and situations that no one else understands. She likes to use jargon from her job, which forces people to ask what they mean. She will reference people she works with, people we don't know, so she has to go into lengthy, meandering descriptions of who they are and what they do. She likes to share her office gossip.
But those things are just irritating things that make it annoying to be around here even when she isn't being a unreasonable, moody thug.
She's the sort of person who is argumentative about everything. No matter how minute or small the topic, she begins sneering, using sarcasm, and shouting.
Example: She told our group -- for a reason that I don't recall, but it was in line with the conversation -- that she "couldn't rent a movie in Savannah."
That, of course, prompted a surprised inquiry from me.
She explained that at the time, she had a roommate and all of the utilities were in her roommate's name, so she couldn't bring a copy of the phone bill as proof of residence and all that. The video store offered the alternative of allowing her to present a credit card, but she refused to give them a credit card.
"Why?" I asked.
"I'm going to pay for the video with cash. They don't need my credit card," was the answer she provided.
"They don't need it to pay for the movie. They want it so they can track you down."
"They can't track me down with my credit card."
"Yes, they can. And with your credit card, they don't need to find you, because it's connected directly to your credit history."
But she insisted that a credit card was not the best way to do that. She also insisted that they should use her driver's license instead -- even though that isn't proof of residence, either, and it's not tied to any credit information.
She wouldn't listen to reason.
She just flatly insisted that there was no reason why the video store should have her credit card.
Obviously, her refusal to present a credit card means that she is choosing not to fulfill the requirements necessary for a membership at the video rental store. It is simply not the case that she cannot rent a movie in Savannah, it is the case that she chooses not to do so.
In another situation, we all decided to eat at a Cuban restaurant for dinner. After being seated and ordering our drinks, we settled in to consider what to order for our entrees.
After a few minutes she announced, "I feel bad sitting in a restaurant when I can't eat their food," and she sat back with a deep sigh.
As a child, she loved eating ham. She practically subsisted on bologna sandwiches and hot dogs. But in college, or some time soon after, she decided that she "can't eat pork." Again, the truth is that she chooses not to eat pork. There isn't any reason for it other than her rather sudden claim of distaste for pork. That's her business, though.
Knowing her dislike for pork, I asked, "What do you mean? There are plenty of non-pork dishes here." I gestured to a half page of dishes primarily composed of chicken. "Arroz con pollo is just chicken and rice. You can't get more basic than that. It's also pretty bland, so you don't have to worry about any strange spices."
She decided to order chicken noodle soup, but made clear that she was miserable and dissatisfied with the meal. You'll recall that she pulled this same sort of pig-headed unwillingness when she visited New York and ordered a hamburger from my favorite Cuban-Mexican spot and then refused to eat it.
There's an crass Southern expression to describe a person like her: she can find shit in ice cream. It means that she's bound and determined to be miserable no matter what. She could be put in the best of conditions and she'd find something to gripe about.
And her misery is arbitrary and of her own making.
She nearly declined free tickets to Cirque du Soliel on our vacation because at some point in college, she also decided that she "doesn't like clowns." There was no traumatic incident with clowns. She never had such a fear prior to college. She just made it up.
As a child, I was a sectional eater. I would get upset if my food touched and I would only eat things one at a time. To this day, I still eat sectionally, although I make much less of a production about it. It's not a compulsion; I sometimes eat in order and sometimes I don't. I prefer my food not to mix, but if it does, that's life. We move on. I don't know why I did this and to this day the original motive for the habit is a mystery to me.
Again, at some point in college, she decided that she's a sectional eater. She will turn down a meal if it is presented to her with the various servings touching. Or, if not that, make a huge production of separating the parts.
Her misery isn't the only thing arbitrary, either. So are her pleasures. She can rarely explain exactly why she wants what she wants.
You want examples? Readily.
When asked what time she wanted to eat dinner on Christmas Eve, she said, "4 o'clock." Why? She said, "Because no one else was choosing a time." Forget that 4 o'clock is an insanely early hour for eating dinner. I practically had to twist her arm to get her to admit that she just wanted to get home early and even then she wouldn't come right out and say why she wanted to get home early.
Another example: After we opened presents, she announced that she was "holding more presents hostage at her house" which is 50 miles away from my parents' house. Why? No reason. We had already announced our intention to go to her apartment the next day to pick her up for lunch or even to eat lunch there. The reason we were going to her apartment was actually to see her apartment. But she still "held gifts hostage" which prevented me from being able to pack my bags completely for my trip. I had to finish packing at her house only minutes before leaving for the airport.
While she expects to be allowed to do what she pleases when she pleases (even if it means sleeping all day when we have plans to go somewhere) she expects everyone else to wait on her while she does it and even help her in her efforts, no matter how pointless or silly.
If ever a situation arises where she didn't do something or she didn't do something correctly, she refuses to admit her mistake. When asked if she got something at the Disney store, she sneered at us, "No! I didn't because everyone else wanted to go to dinner." Blaming us for her ineffective use of time and lack of independence in decision making, she thinks that because we indicated that we were ready to move on, that she couldn't do something she wanted.
Everything is someone else's fault. The entire universe is out to get her.
Logic holds no sway in her mind.
Playing a board game to which none of us know the rules, she reads the rules and recommends one course of action between two options. I point out that logically, the alternative option grants more possibilities. She argues to the contrary presenting rules about situations that do not apply to the present conditions.
At least three other situations like that which resulted in rather loud arguments and long, uncomfortable silences happened in the three days of our trip to Florida. That's more than one "confrontation" a day.
Even though she's in her late 20's, she behaves like a teenager.
And I'm sick of it.
I am honestly at the point where I don't want to be around her. Ever. I'm absolutely furious with her.
I don't know if I will have Christmas with my family next year. I enjoy Christmas. I like celebrating wealth and prosperity with people I like. I do not like her. I don't care about my dad. My mom is the only one of the bunch I'm fond of. Christmas with my mom isn't really of value if it means putting up with them, too, if it means coming back to my home and being angry and irritated over the whole experience for days afterward.
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What I Want for Christmas...
I've decided that one day, probably after I get some kids and they're big enough to appreciate things, I will start doing themed Christmases. By a theme, I mean that one year we might decide to do a western Christmas and all of our decorations will be along the lines of things from the Old West, like stars from sheriff badges, decorations from six-shooters, tumbleweeds with lights in them.
I just thought of the western theme just now and it sounds pretty cool.
But during my family vacation, I spent some time escaping their inanities by thinking of other themes and how they would be executed.
Of course, there would have to be a prehistoric year in which dinosaurs are prominently featured. I love dinosaurs, so I don't see why this cannot be. I am sure that someone somewhere sells little dinosaur lights. I am just not sure how to rig up a convincing flaming meteor for the top of the tree. Not to worry, I have years to figure this out.
In particular, and I told my family this repeatedly because they kept walking away and pretending not to hear me the first few times I tried to tell them about it, I'm interested in doing an Amazonian Christmas. I could have exotic flowers all over the place, but I really, really, really want some shrunken head ornaments. I am sure that my kids will love them. It would be even better if there were some what that we could make the shrunken heads ourselves, like by perhaps leaving oranges out in the sun for a few days or something and then painting them. I think we could probably also figure out a way to make rope lights look like snakes. And instead of stockings, we could figure a way to make cloth heliamphora.
I would, of course, ask the kids what they want to do for the theme and I would want to get started on it sometime in early November because I hate that Christmas decorations stay up for such a short period of time. Plus, a theme would take a very long time and a lot of effort to put together if you expect to do it right.
I just thought of the western theme just now and it sounds pretty cool.
But during my family vacation, I spent some time escaping their inanities by thinking of other themes and how they would be executed.
Of course, there would have to be a prehistoric year in which dinosaurs are prominently featured. I love dinosaurs, so I don't see why this cannot be. I am sure that someone somewhere sells little dinosaur lights. I am just not sure how to rig up a convincing flaming meteor for the top of the tree. Not to worry, I have years to figure this out.
In particular, and I told my family this repeatedly because they kept walking away and pretending not to hear me the first few times I tried to tell them about it, I'm interested in doing an Amazonian Christmas. I could have exotic flowers all over the place, but I really, really, really want some shrunken head ornaments. I am sure that my kids will love them. It would be even better if there were some what that we could make the shrunken heads ourselves, like by perhaps leaving oranges out in the sun for a few days or something and then painting them. I think we could probably also figure out a way to make rope lights look like snakes. And instead of stockings, we could figure a way to make cloth heliamphora.
I would, of course, ask the kids what they want to do for the theme and I would want to get started on it sometime in early November because I hate that Christmas decorations stay up for such a short period of time. Plus, a theme would take a very long time and a lot of effort to put together if you expect to do it right.
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In Defense of Some of the Presents I Received
In my previous post about the stupid presents I got, I should point out that the bad presents I was given were due to the fact that my dad and sister felt like I didn't have enough presents compared to the rest of the family.
For the record, though, I would prefer to have fewer presents of things I want than any amount of presents I don't want from them.
I should also point out that when someone you like gives you something you don't really want, things change completely. The gift is then something to remind you of them and their sense of life. Like if they give you a movie they enjoy, but you don't. You can watch the movie and look for things that remind you of what you like about the giver.
But if someone you're indifferent toward -- like I am toward my dad -- or someone you actively dislike -- like I am toward my sister -- gives you a present and it's something you don't want or don't like, it is better to have never received the "gift" because it becomes a burden.
People often give gifts so that they will get recognition and gratitude in return. They impress themselves into another person's consciousness by using a gift like a foot in the door.
It's all I can do not to treat such gifts with open disdain. It's my good manners that allow me to thank them and put the gift out of sight until there is a good time to dispose of it without inciting a riot or some kind of huge family feud.
My dad and sister did buy several things from my List and I like them a lot:
My family is talking about doing another trip for Christmas next year in the form of some kind of all-inclusive beach resort thing. We'll see if I don't disown them.
For the record, though, I would prefer to have fewer presents of things I want than any amount of presents I don't want from them.
I should also point out that when someone you like gives you something you don't really want, things change completely. The gift is then something to remind you of them and their sense of life. Like if they give you a movie they enjoy, but you don't. You can watch the movie and look for things that remind you of what you like about the giver.
But if someone you're indifferent toward -- like I am toward my dad -- or someone you actively dislike -- like I am toward my sister -- gives you a present and it's something you don't want or don't like, it is better to have never received the "gift" because it becomes a burden.
People often give gifts so that they will get recognition and gratitude in return. They impress themselves into another person's consciousness by using a gift like a foot in the door.
It's all I can do not to treat such gifts with open disdain. It's my good manners that allow me to thank them and put the gift out of sight until there is a good time to dispose of it without inciting a riot or some kind of huge family feud.
My dad and sister did buy several things from my List and I like them a lot:
- Seasons 2 through 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Spiderman 2 and Spiderman 3
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- 300
My family is talking about doing another trip for Christmas next year in the form of some kind of all-inclusive beach resort thing. We'll see if I don't disown them.
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Still Angry
I am STILL angry from the time with my family in Georgia.
Don't get me wrong, though: there were some really fun parts to our vacation.
I flew down to Savannah on Wednesday and we all drove directly to Orlando.
On Thursday, we got up and went to Universal. We started out in Universal's Islands of Adventure. I pushed for that because I was looking over the map and the other park, Universal Studios, didn't seem to have any real rollercoasters, which my mom and I love.
We all agreed -- except my sister who has mysteriously developed a tendency for motion sickness -- that the Hulk roller coaster was the best ride of all in all six parks that we visited. The Dueling Dragons 'coaster in Islands of Adventure is a very, very close second. (I'm actually torn between which I think is better.)
So, we did Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios on Thursday. We don't really care to stand in line for 45 minutes to see a 10 minute show about "movie magic" or whatever, so I should point out that we didn't visit anywhere near all the attractions listed on their maps. Universal Studios, we all felt, was almost a complete waste of our time. We -- and by "we" I mean my mom, dad, and I -- like thrill rides, not shows.
On Friday, we did Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios.
Animal Kingdom is like the rest of Disney, but with a zoo mixed in. It's a fun park to explore and there are a couple of fun rides. The Expedition Everest ride is cute and fun. It's a lot like Thunder Mountain over in the Magic Kingdom, but with a huge line.
MGM Studios was very much like Universal Studios, with minimal thrill rides. We did manage to get on the Rockin' Roller Coaster thanks to a hot park worker guy who slipped me a couple of fast passes. We were going to skip that ride because the wait was 150 minutes when we approached it. After going to the Tower of Terror where obnoxious teenagers screamed and made the wait and the ride annoying and the other rollercoaster, we made it into the Fantasmic laser/fireworks/music/dancing/light show.
Fantasmic is a fun show -- a bit cheesy because that's Disney -- with all your favorite Disney characters (except the Incredibles) and a heavy dose of fake fog. There's a very loose plot about Mickey having a dream which is hijacked by evil-doers and then him fighting back. Apparently, there's supposed to be a theme about the power of imagination -- again a Disney favorite -- which made very little sense to me except that it meshes well with their current brand effort for making Disney "the place where dreams come true."
Because we got into the earlier show of Fantasmic, we were able to hop on the bus and scoot over to Epcot and catch their laser/fireworks show, which had something to do with the world and people living together and the richness of the human tapestry or something. It was hard-core foolishness. Everyone agreed that the MGM show is WAY better. Even the numerous billowing flame-throwers at Epcot couldn't top MGM's fire burning on water trick.
On Saturday, we did Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but we were all pretty tired and neither of those parks really have any great rides. But we rode Pirates of the Caribbean, walked through the Swiss Family Robinson house, rode Thunder Mountain, rode the Haunted Mansion -- Small World was closed -- skipped the teacups because the line was too long, rode Space Mountain twice, rode on the GM Test Track ride, couldn't get into Soarin' because the line was too long, and did Mission Space. We concluded our visits by watching the Disney Spectro-something (why do they keep making up words like this?) parade.
It was a long three days, but we saw and rode just about everything in all six parks that we wanted to see and then we drove back on Sunday.
It was fun and apart from having to put up with my sister's discourtesy in close quarters for four days I had a good time.
Don't get me wrong, though: there were some really fun parts to our vacation.
I flew down to Savannah on Wednesday and we all drove directly to Orlando.
On Thursday, we got up and went to Universal. We started out in Universal's Islands of Adventure. I pushed for that because I was looking over the map and the other park, Universal Studios, didn't seem to have any real rollercoasters, which my mom and I love.
We all agreed -- except my sister who has mysteriously developed a tendency for motion sickness -- that the Hulk roller coaster was the best ride of all in all six parks that we visited. The Dueling Dragons 'coaster in Islands of Adventure is a very, very close second. (I'm actually torn between which I think is better.)
So, we did Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios on Thursday. We don't really care to stand in line for 45 minutes to see a 10 minute show about "movie magic" or whatever, so I should point out that we didn't visit anywhere near all the attractions listed on their maps. Universal Studios, we all felt, was almost a complete waste of our time. We -- and by "we" I mean my mom, dad, and I -- like thrill rides, not shows.
On Friday, we did Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios.
Animal Kingdom is like the rest of Disney, but with a zoo mixed in. It's a fun park to explore and there are a couple of fun rides. The Expedition Everest ride is cute and fun. It's a lot like Thunder Mountain over in the Magic Kingdom, but with a huge line.
MGM Studios was very much like Universal Studios, with minimal thrill rides. We did manage to get on the Rockin' Roller Coaster thanks to a hot park worker guy who slipped me a couple of fast passes. We were going to skip that ride because the wait was 150 minutes when we approached it. After going to the Tower of Terror where obnoxious teenagers screamed and made the wait and the ride annoying and the other rollercoaster, we made it into the Fantasmic laser/fireworks/music/dancing/light show.
Fantasmic is a fun show -- a bit cheesy because that's Disney -- with all your favorite Disney characters (except the Incredibles) and a heavy dose of fake fog. There's a very loose plot about Mickey having a dream which is hijacked by evil-doers and then him fighting back. Apparently, there's supposed to be a theme about the power of imagination -- again a Disney favorite -- which made very little sense to me except that it meshes well with their current brand effort for making Disney "the place where dreams come true."
Because we got into the earlier show of Fantasmic, we were able to hop on the bus and scoot over to Epcot and catch their laser/fireworks show, which had something to do with the world and people living together and the richness of the human tapestry or something. It was hard-core foolishness. Everyone agreed that the MGM show is WAY better. Even the numerous billowing flame-throwers at Epcot couldn't top MGM's fire burning on water trick.
On Saturday, we did Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but we were all pretty tired and neither of those parks really have any great rides. But we rode Pirates of the Caribbean, walked through the Swiss Family Robinson house, rode Thunder Mountain, rode the Haunted Mansion -- Small World was closed -- skipped the teacups because the line was too long, rode Space Mountain twice, rode on the GM Test Track ride, couldn't get into Soarin' because the line was too long, and did Mission Space. We concluded our visits by watching the Disney Spectro-something (why do they keep making up words like this?) parade.
It was a long three days, but we saw and rode just about everything in all six parks that we wanted to see and then we drove back on Sunday.
It was fun and apart from having to put up with my sister's discourtesy in close quarters for four days I had a good time.
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December 25, 2007
Back!
Ok. I'm back in NYC and I have SO many things I want to blog about with regard to my holiday adventures that I really don't know where to begin. I'm going to just have to pick topics and blog about them one by one until I'm sick of bitching about my family.
To start, let's talk about the stupid gifts I was given.
My dad and my sister do not know me at all. Either that or they're actually superheroes with the power to walk into a 20,000 square foot department store and spend $50 on not one but several of the things in the store that I want least.
Exhibit A - A pair of GIANT boxer shorts with Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on it.
Now, this is a cute present, sure, but if you're going to be "cute" save money and buy a funny card.
I don't wear boxer shorts and they all know this.
I also have a 32" waist, so why they bought a pair of boxers the size of a ship's sale is a mystery to me.
And they bought them directly from the Disney store in Downtown Disney in Orlando, so the price was inflated to a point where it would take a British Explorer and a team of sherpas to map its upper limits.
Who would buy these things for me? My dad.
I wanted to throw them away after everyone had seen them and had a nice chuckle, but I dutifully stowed it among my things to bring back to New York with me. I've put them in the pile of things to take with me to the Salvation Army.
Exhibits B, C, D, and E - Disney Pins
At Disney they encourage customers to buy these Disney pins by having their employees wear lanyards of pins which they can trade with customers. Customers have to have pins to trade, which means buying. And since they're 1-to-1 and there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of types of pins, trading is feverish in some quarters. To fan the flames, Disney also sends employees to greet customers as they emerge from rides and "award" them a prize of two free pins and a lanyard.
It's the sort of marketing brilliance I expect from Disney, so I was happy to play along on a limited basis. After being given two free pins, I traded them. I then bought some of my coworkers some souvenir pins and I had a few left over, so I traded those. These pins run anywhere from a few dollars to more than ten dollars.
I concentrated on Incredibles pins. I like that movie, so it was a fun little scavenger hunt to play when I wasn't occupied with other things.
When I noticed that my family was taking it a little too seriously, I pointed out that I had no intention of keeping my pins: I was going to give them my pins when it was all over. Why? Because what would I do with pins? I don't like junk. I'm not sentimental about things like that. I won't wear the pins because... well, that's just not my style.
So, what did my dad and sister team up to buy? Pins, of course.
I provide them with extensive gift lists for this very reason. They cannot be trusted to shop on their own.
They bought me nothing from Pirates of the Caribbean even though I walked around Adventure Land going "ARRRG!" for about two hours and talked about how fun I thought the pirate merchandise was. Oh. I bought pirate pins for my coworkers. THINK, people!
I sound ungrateful and to be frank, I don't see a lot to be grateful about here. These gifts are useless and valueless to me. These aren't thoughtful gifts. And they don't come from individuals who've earned any respect from me.
My dad gets a bit more tolerance because he's usually quiet and my mom hasn't developed the good sense to leave him. My sister, however, is very unpleasant. That is the topic of another post.
To start, let's talk about the stupid gifts I was given.
My dad and my sister do not know me at all. Either that or they're actually superheroes with the power to walk into a 20,000 square foot department store and spend $50 on not one but several of the things in the store that I want least.
Exhibit A - A pair of GIANT boxer shorts with Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on it.
Now, this is a cute present, sure, but if you're going to be "cute" save money and buy a funny card.
I don't wear boxer shorts and they all know this.
I also have a 32" waist, so why they bought a pair of boxers the size of a ship's sale is a mystery to me.
And they bought them directly from the Disney store in Downtown Disney in Orlando, so the price was inflated to a point where it would take a British Explorer and a team of sherpas to map its upper limits.
Who would buy these things for me? My dad.
I wanted to throw them away after everyone had seen them and had a nice chuckle, but I dutifully stowed it among my things to bring back to New York with me. I've put them in the pile of things to take with me to the Salvation Army.
Exhibits B, C, D, and E - Disney Pins
At Disney they encourage customers to buy these Disney pins by having their employees wear lanyards of pins which they can trade with customers. Customers have to have pins to trade, which means buying. And since they're 1-to-1 and there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of types of pins, trading is feverish in some quarters. To fan the flames, Disney also sends employees to greet customers as they emerge from rides and "award" them a prize of two free pins and a lanyard.
It's the sort of marketing brilliance I expect from Disney, so I was happy to play along on a limited basis. After being given two free pins, I traded them. I then bought some of my coworkers some souvenir pins and I had a few left over, so I traded those. These pins run anywhere from a few dollars to more than ten dollars.
I concentrated on Incredibles pins. I like that movie, so it was a fun little scavenger hunt to play when I wasn't occupied with other things.
When I noticed that my family was taking it a little too seriously, I pointed out that I had no intention of keeping my pins: I was going to give them my pins when it was all over. Why? Because what would I do with pins? I don't like junk. I'm not sentimental about things like that. I won't wear the pins because... well, that's just not my style.
So, what did my dad and sister team up to buy? Pins, of course.
I provide them with extensive gift lists for this very reason. They cannot be trusted to shop on their own.
They bought me nothing from Pirates of the Caribbean even though I walked around Adventure Land going "ARRRG!" for about two hours and talked about how fun I thought the pirate merchandise was. Oh. I bought pirate pins for my coworkers. THINK, people!
I sound ungrateful and to be frank, I don't see a lot to be grateful about here. These gifts are useless and valueless to me. These aren't thoughtful gifts. And they don't come from individuals who've earned any respect from me.
My dad gets a bit more tolerance because he's usually quiet and my mom hasn't developed the good sense to leave him. My sister, however, is very unpleasant. That is the topic of another post.
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December 23, 2007
Back on the Ground!
We're back from Florida and I have a little bit of access to a computer
now, so perhaps I will post a few things before heading back to NYC.
Unfortunately, the time for that is not now and so you just get this note telling you all that I am back in Georgia.
I hope you all had a nice, fun Winter Solstice last night.
Unfortunately, the time for that is not now and so you just get this note telling you all that I am back in Georgia.
I hope you all had a nice, fun Winter Solstice last night.
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December 18, 2007
Give Me a Ticket for an Aeroplane
Light to no blogging over the next week as I will be heading to Georgia to be with my family for the holiday.
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December 15, 2007
Christmas Plans
I think my family has settled on our Christmas plans.
We're going to Florida after all. We're planning to visit the Disney World parks and the Universal parks. We'll spend three days there in Orlando and then come back to Georgia for Christmas Eve and all that.
I'm coming back to NYC on Christmas Day.
People in New York still don't seem to understand that when I say I'm going to see my parents for Christmas, I'm not talking about Atlanta. Just like when I say I'm going to Atlanta, they don't understand that I'm not going to see my parents in south Georgia.
So, let's be clear: I'm going far away from civilization. I'm going to south Georgia.
We're going to Florida after all. We're planning to visit the Disney World parks and the Universal parks. We'll spend three days there in Orlando and then come back to Georgia for Christmas Eve and all that.
I'm coming back to NYC on Christmas Day.
People in New York still don't seem to understand that when I say I'm going to see my parents for Christmas, I'm not talking about Atlanta. Just like when I say I'm going to Atlanta, they don't understand that I'm not going to see my parents in south Georgia.
So, let's be clear: I'm going far away from civilization. I'm going to south Georgia.
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December 13, 2007
I'm Looking for Some Hot Stuff, Baby, This Evening
The new steam valve on my radiator doesn't seem to work. Well, it works, I suppose, in a way. It's not nearly as hot as it would be if I didn't have the steam valve.
I've closed the valve as far as it can be closed. But it's still really hot in my room.
I slept with the window all the way open the other night. I couldn't tell that it was open. I woke up and I was warm. I took my PJ's off and I was still warm. This might be too much information, but I don't actually wear PJ's.
And I went and took a shower and I came back and I was still warm. I came back to my room with nothing but a towel. The point is: I was still warm. Like, very warm. So warm that there was *ahem* no physiological reaction to a drop in temperature. It was as if I were wearing all of my clothes even though I wasn't wearing any clothes at all.
It's warm in my room.
Hot. Even. HOT.
The radiator is making little noises. They sound like healthy noises to me. I mean, if I had a radiator -- which I do -- I would want it to make those noises. They're nice. It's not clanking or screaming or anything like that. It's just kind of fizzing inside and stuff. It's good.
It's really, really warm.
HOT.
It's like if I owned the sun. And I was like, "Hey, Sun! You sure have a lot of hydrogen! And you are making so much helium! I love you. You're so good at this fusion stuff! Keep it up!" I would be so happy for my little baby sun. But at the same time, I don't want the sun anywhere near where I am sleeping.
I would make it a little house out in space where it could sleep, perhaps some 93 million miles away or maybe even a little more so that is might snow a little more. Like maybe 95 millions miles away. And maybe I would buy it some little toys to fly around it because I think it like that.
"Oh! Look! It's a Pluto! Is it a planet? I don't know! Let's play a game and guess what it is! It's so fun! Get it! Chase it! Atta boy!"
But I wouldn't let it get up on the bed, because you know when you let it up on the bed, it never forgets and it thinks that it's OK to get up there. And it's not. It is not OK for the sun to be up on the bed.
Ok, but also, it's not OK for the sun to be six inches to the right of the bed. And that's where my radiator is.
So, while I'm happy that I have this new steam valve, it's still crazy hot in my room. It is actually hotter in my room than it is anywhere else in our apartment. I'm afraid I might have to open my window, which is what I wanted to avoid by getting a new steam valve.
What's going to happen when we get a nor'easter on Sunday? The sun in my room is probably going to just go nuts and I'm probably going to have like solar winds all over the place.
I've closed the valve as far as it can be closed. But it's still really hot in my room.
I slept with the window all the way open the other night. I couldn't tell that it was open. I woke up and I was warm. I took my PJ's off and I was still warm. This might be too much information, but I don't actually wear PJ's.
And I went and took a shower and I came back and I was still warm. I came back to my room with nothing but a towel. The point is: I was still warm. Like, very warm. So warm that there was *ahem* no physiological reaction to a drop in temperature. It was as if I were wearing all of my clothes even though I wasn't wearing any clothes at all.
It's warm in my room.
Hot. Even. HOT.
The radiator is making little noises. They sound like healthy noises to me. I mean, if I had a radiator -- which I do -- I would want it to make those noises. They're nice. It's not clanking or screaming or anything like that. It's just kind of fizzing inside and stuff. It's good.
It's really, really warm.
HOT.
It's like if I owned the sun. And I was like, "Hey, Sun! You sure have a lot of hydrogen! And you are making so much helium! I love you. You're so good at this fusion stuff! Keep it up!" I would be so happy for my little baby sun. But at the same time, I don't want the sun anywhere near where I am sleeping.
I would make it a little house out in space where it could sleep, perhaps some 93 million miles away or maybe even a little more so that is might snow a little more. Like maybe 95 millions miles away. And maybe I would buy it some little toys to fly around it because I think it like that.
"Oh! Look! It's a Pluto! Is it a planet? I don't know! Let's play a game and guess what it is! It's so fun! Get it! Chase it! Atta boy!"
But I wouldn't let it get up on the bed, because you know when you let it up on the bed, it never forgets and it thinks that it's OK to get up there. And it's not. It is not OK for the sun to be up on the bed.
Ok, but also, it's not OK for the sun to be six inches to the right of the bed. And that's where my radiator is.
So, while I'm happy that I have this new steam valve, it's still crazy hot in my room. It is actually hotter in my room than it is anywhere else in our apartment. I'm afraid I might have to open my window, which is what I wanted to avoid by getting a new steam valve.
What's going to happen when we get a nor'easter on Sunday? The sun in my room is probably going to just go nuts and I'm probably going to have like solar winds all over the place.
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December 11, 2007
Phone's Back!
The FedEx guy that Verizon sent to pick up my defective Blackberry came by around 11:00 this morning. At 1 o'clock, the FedEx guy with my new phone came by.
Verizon, you have made me a happy customer again.
Now, I just have to get it all set back up.
WOO!
Verizon, you have made me a happy customer again.
Now, I just have to get it all set back up.
WOO!
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December 10, 2007
A Plan, A Plot, A Cabal
I like wearing ties. I'm not really a person who likes to "dress up" which is to say that I don't really like being all fancy about it, but I do enjoy a suit and tie either together or separately.
The "problem" with both suits and ties in my office is that when you wear them people freak out and your day along with otherwise pleasant conversations are interrupted with inquiries about whether you had an interview for a new job or if there was some other reason for "dressing up."
The other day, I wore a three-piece suit for the simple reason that I wanted to wear the vest and I didn't have any clean pants that went with the vest alone. Once I had the suit pants and the vest on, I was stuck with the problem of not having a jacket that I could wear over it, so I had to wear the suit jacket as well. The look was far more formal than I wanted that day and at one point I got the third degree from our general manager about why I was so dressed up. He refused to believe that I would simply want to dress up, so I was socially forced into telling him that I had my eye on a corner office -- office. Yes, I'm quite charming even when annoyed.
So, I have a new plan. I will wear ties and suits more often. That way, people will feel less compelled to comment on my dress out simply because it's not jeans and a t-shirt, but only when they think it's particularly striking.
I should also point out that at my last job a tie was absolutely unheard of. The office was casual to the point where I would say the attire was even less formal than casual. It was leisure wear and, in some cases, pajamas.
I don't know where these barbarians are that raise children to think that pajamas can be worn on the street, but they should be throttled. Keep your eyes peeled and a garrote ready the next time you're at Wal-mart.
My office now is much more professional with a wide mix of different styles and classes of dress, far more de mode. A suit is not considered the attire of a maniac. A tie is not the mark of an anarchist. And french cuffs are noted with open approbation.
Speaking of which, I'm wearing these new silver cufflinks I bought myself this weekend. They're so cool. They're handcrafted silver cuff links with little photos of the Empire State Building embedded in enamel.
The rest of my attire is a riot of patterns rakishly balanced in what I consider one of my best sartorial compilations to date.
My shirt is a lavender striped shirt with the aforementioned cuffs and a moderately open collar. I'm wearing a grey sweater vest with a black and white argyle line pattern. My tie is a grey pasley pattern which is overall decidedly darker grey than my sweater for contrast. My pants are also grey with stripes. My socks -- I love matching my socks to my shirt -- are a purple, lavender, and grey argyle pattern. And my shoes are my regular, old Kenneth Cole Reaction shoes that I need to replace, but I haven't yet because I refuse to buy shoes that I don't love.
Also, my tie is outside of my sweater.
Since I just got a new phone with a camera on it, I will try to post a picture for you later on after I get it set up to do the email thing.
The "problem" with both suits and ties in my office is that when you wear them people freak out and your day along with otherwise pleasant conversations are interrupted with inquiries about whether you had an interview for a new job or if there was some other reason for "dressing up."
The other day, I wore a three-piece suit for the simple reason that I wanted to wear the vest and I didn't have any clean pants that went with the vest alone. Once I had the suit pants and the vest on, I was stuck with the problem of not having a jacket that I could wear over it, so I had to wear the suit jacket as well. The look was far more formal than I wanted that day and at one point I got the third degree from our general manager about why I was so dressed up. He refused to believe that I would simply want to dress up, so I was socially forced into telling him that I had my eye on a corner office -- office. Yes, I'm quite charming even when annoyed.
So, I have a new plan. I will wear ties and suits more often. That way, people will feel less compelled to comment on my dress out simply because it's not jeans and a t-shirt, but only when they think it's particularly striking.
I should also point out that at my last job a tie was absolutely unheard of. The office was casual to the point where I would say the attire was even less formal than casual. It was leisure wear and, in some cases, pajamas.
I don't know where these barbarians are that raise children to think that pajamas can be worn on the street, but they should be throttled. Keep your eyes peeled and a garrote ready the next time you're at Wal-mart.
My office now is much more professional with a wide mix of different styles and classes of dress, far more de mode. A suit is not considered the attire of a maniac. A tie is not the mark of an anarchist. And french cuffs are noted with open approbation.
Speaking of which, I'm wearing these new silver cufflinks I bought myself this weekend. They're so cool. They're handcrafted silver cuff links with little photos of the Empire State Building embedded in enamel.
The rest of my attire is a riot of patterns rakishly balanced in what I consider one of my best sartorial compilations to date.
My shirt is a lavender striped shirt with the aforementioned cuffs and a moderately open collar. I'm wearing a grey sweater vest with a black and white argyle line pattern. My tie is a grey pasley pattern which is overall decidedly darker grey than my sweater for contrast. My pants are also grey with stripes. My socks -- I love matching my socks to my shirt -- are a purple, lavender, and grey argyle pattern. And my shoes are my regular, old Kenneth Cole Reaction shoes that I need to replace, but I haven't yet because I refuse to buy shoes that I don't love.
Also, my tie is outside of my sweater.
Since I just got a new phone with a camera on it, I will try to post a picture for you later on after I get it set up to do the email thing.
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December 07, 2007
Book Conscious
As you know, I've been reading Dinesh D'Souza's What's So Great About Christianity lately. It's an appalling book.
I also have a habit of seeing what other people are reading and I know that many other people do the same thing.
When I see someone reading Harry Potter, like this attractive, smartly dressed young woman this evening, I think to myself, "She seems like a nice lady. I wonder what kept her from reading it until now. Some other book or several books, probably."
If I see some girl in her yoga pants reading Eat, Pray, Love, I usually think, "Hm. An Oprah zombie. I wonder if she's as vapid as I'm inclined to think she is."
This morning, I sat next to a guy who was reading The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World. Not knowing anything about the book except what I could read over his shoulder and judging by the heft, it seems a rather intense history book. I thought, "He has an interest in history. He seems smart. I wonder what that book's take is on America."
Anyway, of late I've had the rare pleasure of being seated next to or near attractive men.
And there they are, looking at my book, that ridiculous, conniving pack of lies. I'm not usually very concerned with what other people think, but I feel a little like I'm toting around Mein Kampf or something. What would I think if I saw someone reading this book? Well, clearly I would wonder why they would read such an obviously horrid book. I'd probably look at their dress and demeanor, but it would be difficult not to think less of them.
Of course, I do laugh these thoughts off. I've had a very dim view of my romantic prospects of late, so it's even more difficult to maintain a concern about such things. But, even still. The thought does occur to me.
I also have a habit of seeing what other people are reading and I know that many other people do the same thing.
When I see someone reading Harry Potter, like this attractive, smartly dressed young woman this evening, I think to myself, "She seems like a nice lady. I wonder what kept her from reading it until now. Some other book or several books, probably."
If I see some girl in her yoga pants reading Eat, Pray, Love, I usually think, "Hm. An Oprah zombie. I wonder if she's as vapid as I'm inclined to think she is."
This morning, I sat next to a guy who was reading The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World. Not knowing anything about the book except what I could read over his shoulder and judging by the heft, it seems a rather intense history book. I thought, "He has an interest in history. He seems smart. I wonder what that book's take is on America."
Anyway, of late I've had the rare pleasure of being seated next to or near attractive men.
And there they are, looking at my book, that ridiculous, conniving pack of lies. I'm not usually very concerned with what other people think, but I feel a little like I'm toting around Mein Kampf or something. What would I think if I saw someone reading this book? Well, clearly I would wonder why they would read such an obviously horrid book. I'd probably look at their dress and demeanor, but it would be difficult not to think less of them.
Of course, I do laugh these thoughts off. I've had a very dim view of my romantic prospects of late, so it's even more difficult to maintain a concern about such things. But, even still. The thought does occur to me.
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December 06, 2007
If I Kiss You Where It's Sore Will You Feel Better?
Woke up this morning with a crushing headache.
I really hope I'm not getting sick, but the long hours and going in and out of the cold -- not to mention being crushed in among sick people on the subway -- cannot be good.
*blech*
Update: The title of this post comes from Regina Spektor's song "Better" from her album Begin to Hope, by the way. Here are some of the lyrics:
I really hope I'm not getting sick, but the long hours and going in and out of the cold -- not to mention being crushed in among sick people on the subway -- cannot be good.
*blech*
Update: The title of this post comes from Regina Spektor's song "Better" from her album Begin to Hope, by the way. Here are some of the lyrics:
If I kiss you where it's sore
If I kiss you where it's sore will you feel better, better, better?
Will you feel anything at all?
Will you feel better, better, better?
Will you feel anything at all?
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December 05, 2007
Light Blogging
I've been on a tear of productivity and domination at the office lately and I haven't been able to keep up with my usual pace of blogging.
I am so excited about my promotion and new responsibilities have been slowly leaking into my queue, so I've been working hard to manage the mixed expectations of doing my current job and fulfilling the responsibilities of what my job will be. It's not a great situation on the face of it, but I am enjoying it, so the 14 hour days aren't bothering me right now; they're just keeping me away from my blog.
It kind of makes me sad because I've had some ideas for a few fun posts for you guys:
Anyway, that's the sad state of the blog at the moment. I just wanted you to brace yourself emotionally for the slowdown in blogging.
I am so excited about my promotion and new responsibilities have been slowly leaking into my queue, so I've been working hard to manage the mixed expectations of doing my current job and fulfilling the responsibilities of what my job will be. It's not a great situation on the face of it, but I am enjoying it, so the 14 hour days aren't bothering me right now; they're just keeping me away from my blog.
It kind of makes me sad because I've had some ideas for a few fun posts for you guys:
- Ethics in journalism as it applies to blogs
- Review of Tin Man part 2 and now part 3
- More comments on D'souza and his Christian revisionist history
- The Mitzva Tank I saw on 7th Ave last night
- The MTA employees I saw fighting the other night
Anyway, that's the sad state of the blog at the moment. I just wanted you to brace yourself emotionally for the slowdown in blogging.
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December 03, 2007
The Roof! The Roof! The Roof is on Fire!
Since I replaced the steam valve on my radiator, the temperature in my room has been pretty comfy. I've been very pleased.
Then, last night, I don't know what happened, but it got INSANELY hot in my room. I turned the steam valve all the way closed and it was still very hot. I had to resort to the option I hate: opening a window.
I actually only hate opening the window because of the street noise and the dirt that comes in. But those are reasons enough not to want to have the window open all the time.
On the bright side, I only had to open the window a crack.
What I don't understand is why the radiator in my room is so effective, but the radiator in the living room doesn't seem to be putting off nearly the same amount of heat. Granted, the living room is bigger and connects to the rest of the apartment by a couple of open doors, but even if you're sitting right next to the radiator in the living room, it doesn't seem as hot.
Anyway, it looks like the new valve helps, but doesn't solve my problem. I still have to open the window, which means turning my television up really loud.
Then, last night, I don't know what happened, but it got INSANELY hot in my room. I turned the steam valve all the way closed and it was still very hot. I had to resort to the option I hate: opening a window.
I actually only hate opening the window because of the street noise and the dirt that comes in. But those are reasons enough not to want to have the window open all the time.
On the bright side, I only had to open the window a crack.
What I don't understand is why the radiator in my room is so effective, but the radiator in the living room doesn't seem to be putting off nearly the same amount of heat. Granted, the living room is bigger and connects to the rest of the apartment by a couple of open doors, but even if you're sitting right next to the radiator in the living room, it doesn't seem as hot.
Anyway, it looks like the new valve helps, but doesn't solve my problem. I still have to open the window, which means turning my television up really loud.
Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at
11:02 AM
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Category: About Flibby
Post contains 221 words, total size 1 kb.
December 02, 2007
Shower Power
I guess something was wrong with the shower head because The Smoker took it off and is soaking it in vinegar right now.
I'm glad he's showing initiative about this sort of thing, but I have very real doubts that he will have the shower head reinstalled by morning.
So, if I want to shower here in the morning, I will have to clean up his mess.
I'm glad he's showing initiative about this sort of thing, but I have very real doubts that he will have the shower head reinstalled by morning.
So, if I want to shower here in the morning, I will have to clean up his mess.
Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at
11:27 PM
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Category: About Flibby
Post contains 69 words, total size 1 kb.
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