Oh my it's slow here tonight. Even the small grease fire in the cafe that forced everyone out of the building for about 15 minutes wasn't enough to make this night at the library exciting. They even sent the big trucks. Thankfully, there is the best-of-craigslist here to keep me company. It's like a rip off of Open Letters on McSweeney's and maybe a dash of Ask Metafilter. Mostly it's just a mildly amusing way to pass the time when one isn't supposed to be reading.
Man, I'm bored.
So the Day of the Dead thing was a raging success. We had about 250 people come through in about 2 hours. We ran out of sugar skulls in 20 minutes. We ran out of chocolate with about 45 minutes to go. And yet no one really seemed to mind. It was quite a moving experience actually. Someone took a ton of pictures which someday I might have access to so when that happens I'll post 'em. Here's the article in the Sentinel about the event. Kari's quoted about the Sister Mary altar which is cool.
And the stove upstairs is gone! Poof! Not really poof more like "kathud kathud kathud kathud kathud kathud kathud and repeat until stove is down the stairs." I have yet to hear if the new one made it in today but when I finally am released from this desk I'll check my messages and see. If that thing makes it in tomorrow or so I'm pretty sure we'll be moving Sunday. Or Saturday night maybe. The 2 big things left are caulking the tub and replacing the light in the toilette room as it is not the starter which is what we had hoped. Now don't panic everyone, but I think I'm actually going to attempt to replace that fixture all by myself. And yes I'll turn off the electricity in order to do it (though I just heard last night that if you want to test if something is live to hit it with the back of your hand instead of your fingers as you will undoubtedly clamp down your fingers thereby shocking the shit outta you. Good tip, I thought). We've decided to hold off on the painting until after we're up there as it really is just the big wall at the top of the stairs and it'll get all scuffed up anyway. The search for cheap chairs and cheap rugs is about to be on.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
it's really not that interesting
Now that it's officially out and I know how to feel about it thanks to Pitchfork giving it an 8, I'm almost ready to give a track by track review of I'm Not There. The only reason I played it on the downlow was because I didn't want to get my LRS in trouble for selling me that wa-ay early. Because, you know, The Man combs the internets for such things and would bust me out. But seriously, it's really really really good. So good I do not regret my choice to buy it on cd and vinyl. Or maybe I kinda regret the vinyl but only because I can't listen to it until I get my new needle. Though I may not be able to resist temptation, I wonder if I should wait until the record player is situated it it's place of honor upstairs and listen to it for the first time on vinyl. Or does that make me crazy?
Market day tomorrow. I grow weary of squash. The time is fast approaching when Meijer must be faced. Sigh.
Tonight is our Day of the Dead program here at the library. I'll be curious to see what the turn out is like. Earlier this week I had a woman come in because members of her church had seen our display and thought the library was promoting Satan worshipping and "blaming it on the Mexicans." If anyone can decipher the logic of their complaint please fill me in. We have about 15 altars set up in the auditorium and they are really quite something. Kari's really does kick some ass as she did Sister Mary complete with an ashtray, her Janis Joplin records, paperclips (Mary's favorite invention. I never thought about this before. A favorite invention. I might have to go with the post-it note, but I'll get back to you on that), and her poetry dissertation from State. I ran out of time and didn't get mine together but I'll definitely be in for next year. It's a great celebration and I hope we end up with good community support.
Things are moving very quickly upstairs and it's not impossible that we'll be up there before my birthday which would be ideal. Painting the big wall at the top of the stairs might just wait until after we move in which means after the stove is in (end of the week maybe?) we have the last of the cleaning and then we're a go. I honestly can't wait. The vibe up there is so positive. With those huge windows it feels like you're living in the trees. And with all the built-in bookshelves, Peter and I will officially look like insane people surrounded by books.
Dang. That sounds like a little piece of heaven to me.
Market day tomorrow. I grow weary of squash. The time is fast approaching when Meijer must be faced. Sigh.
Tonight is our Day of the Dead program here at the library. I'll be curious to see what the turn out is like. Earlier this week I had a woman come in because members of her church had seen our display and thought the library was promoting Satan worshipping and "blaming it on the Mexicans." If anyone can decipher the logic of their complaint please fill me in. We have about 15 altars set up in the auditorium and they are really quite something. Kari's really does kick some ass as she did Sister Mary complete with an ashtray, her Janis Joplin records, paperclips (Mary's favorite invention. I never thought about this before. A favorite invention. I might have to go with the post-it note, but I'll get back to you on that), and her poetry dissertation from State. I ran out of time and didn't get mine together but I'll definitely be in for next year. It's a great celebration and I hope we end up with good community support.
Things are moving very quickly upstairs and it's not impossible that we'll be up there before my birthday which would be ideal. Painting the big wall at the top of the stairs might just wait until after we move in which means after the stove is in (end of the week maybe?) we have the last of the cleaning and then we're a go. I honestly can't wait. The vibe up there is so positive. With those huge windows it feels like you're living in the trees. And with all the built-in bookshelves, Peter and I will officially look like insane people surrounded by books.
Dang. That sounds like a little piece of heaven to me.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
put the needle on the record
I bought the biggest bunch of kale yesterday. It's so big it's currently sitting on my desk as it doesn't fit in my fridge. It's obscene. And intimidating.
Productive day off yesterday: Dropped off the needle at the record store, got lucky and bought I'm Not There which is probably something I shouldn't say as it's not technically released until Tuesday but my local record store is awesome, hit up the coffee shop, went to the market, went to Target, finished reading Who Will Run the Frog Hospital, cleaned the fridge upstairs, made Spicy Rice and Kale, went to the parents' house for supper and didn't get home until 10:30pm, went upstairs to admire my cleaning job on the fridge, sat on the floor and listened to I'm Not There which is awfully good excepting the very dull Sufjan track though we did come up with alot of people we wished was on there if we had been the one's to curate the album: The White Stripes, The Roots, Devendra, Beck...Stephen Malkmus was good but his tracks were played pretty safe and I can't believe I'm saying this but Eddie Vedder kicked ass on All Along the Watchtower. And I actually get a little teary-eyed during Tweedy's Simple Twist of Fate. Jeff Tweedy should cover Blood on the Tracks. All of it. The evening ended with some Jameson and some sitting at the top of the stairs reading someone's scribbling on the wall about the history of the universe and some wishing metal was there to talk about it.
Productive day off yesterday: Dropped off the needle at the record store, got lucky and bought I'm Not There which is probably something I shouldn't say as it's not technically released until Tuesday but my local record store is awesome, hit up the coffee shop, went to the market, went to Target, finished reading Who Will Run the Frog Hospital, cleaned the fridge upstairs, made Spicy Rice and Kale, went to the parents' house for supper and didn't get home until 10:30pm, went upstairs to admire my cleaning job on the fridge, sat on the floor and listened to I'm Not There which is awfully good excepting the very dull Sufjan track though we did come up with alot of people we wished was on there if we had been the one's to curate the album: The White Stripes, The Roots, Devendra, Beck...Stephen Malkmus was good but his tracks were played pretty safe and I can't believe I'm saying this but Eddie Vedder kicked ass on All Along the Watchtower. And I actually get a little teary-eyed during Tweedy's Simple Twist of Fate. Jeff Tweedy should cover Blood on the Tracks. All of it. The evening ended with some Jameson and some sitting at the top of the stairs reading someone's scribbling on the wall about the history of the universe and some wishing metal was there to talk about it.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
howard dean is coming to hope college monday!
I made the mistake of watching the network news last night: 10 minutes on the California fires (I sympathize, I really do, but how much do you wanna bet Malibu will get rebuilt a hell of alot sooner than the 9th Ward?), 4 minutes on spouses of presidential candidates (sans Bill so who really cares?), a 5 second mention on the space shuttle launch, a 5 second mention on the Dow, a 7 minute story on the importance of marriage, and another 3 minutes on the fires.
I could only conclude that nothing had happened in Iraq, the Turkey/Kurd standoff came to a peaceful and mutually beneficial end, and Afghanistan was secured.
The INTRO--not even the news summary!--in the INTRO of NewsHour I discovered that indeed the Turkey/Kurd standoff was heating up, a number of civilians were killed in Iraq, and Afghanistan is on the brink of disaster. I don't know why exactly this enrages me, but it does.
If you look to the right of the screen you might notice a few additions. Click about if you'd like (Wikipedia, Peter, Raleigh, Kevin, Molly, Metacritic and Metafilter) but be warned: Ask Metafilter is one of those insane timewasters that makes you feel slightly bloated and completely empty at the same time. And the goodreads link goes to my profile. If you haven't yet experienced the beauty of goodreads I pity your existence. Life is good with goodreads.
I chose not to market today as I'm still flush with produce. Or at least I have enough to get me through until Saturday. This morning I roasted acorn squash for supper tomorrow night (which will be halved for lunch on Friday). I did somehow manage to not account for a lunch tomorrow which will mean it's frozen veggie burgers, peanut butter and jam, or some sort of boxed just-add-water-Indian thing. Saturday I'll stop by for brussel sprouts and apples and kale and cauliflower and whatever else looks good. I still have a butternut squash to get through but the beauty of the squash? Longevity!
Tomorrow night I'm hoping to get upstairs and start the cleaning. The stove request has been officially made and the target date for moving in is still mid-November. So far we're looking at
I could only conclude that nothing had happened in Iraq, the Turkey/Kurd standoff came to a peaceful and mutually beneficial end, and Afghanistan was secured.
The INTRO--not even the news summary!--in the INTRO of NewsHour I discovered that indeed the Turkey/Kurd standoff was heating up, a number of civilians were killed in Iraq, and Afghanistan is on the brink of disaster. I don't know why exactly this enrages me, but it does.
If you look to the right of the screen you might notice a few additions. Click about if you'd like (Wikipedia, Peter, Raleigh, Kevin, Molly, Metacritic and Metafilter) but be warned: Ask Metafilter is one of those insane timewasters that makes you feel slightly bloated and completely empty at the same time. And the goodreads link goes to my profile. If you haven't yet experienced the beauty of goodreads I pity your existence. Life is good with goodreads.
I chose not to market today as I'm still flush with produce. Or at least I have enough to get me through until Saturday. This morning I roasted acorn squash for supper tomorrow night (which will be halved for lunch on Friday). I did somehow manage to not account for a lunch tomorrow which will mean it's frozen veggie burgers, peanut butter and jam, or some sort of boxed just-add-water-Indian thing. Saturday I'll stop by for brussel sprouts and apples and kale and cauliflower and whatever else looks good. I still have a butternut squash to get through but the beauty of the squash? Longevity!
Tomorrow night I'm hoping to get upstairs and start the cleaning. The stove request has been officially made and the target date for moving in is still mid-November. So far we're looking at
- replacing some small nails in one bedroom's ceiling
- replacing the starter on the light in the toilette room
- ripping out the old caulk and recaulking the tub
- repainting the wall at the top of the stairs and the cupboards/bookcases along the walls white
- get rid of all of the old junk that has been collecting in that apartment for years including but not limited to: bicycles, holahoops, random cuts of wood, Encyclopedias, and many cans of very old paint
- cleaning
- cleaning
- cleaning
This is a topdown project that I have a feeling I will find extremely gratifying. To be able to clean something and actually see a difference will be an experience I have not had for a while (except for when my parents came out and washed my windows this summer---daaaaang! Who knew those windows could get that clean?!) and I'm looking forward to it.
Monday, October 22, 2007
why exactly dumbledore's sexual orientation is relevent is beyond me
Home again, home again, home again. Back to an ever-growing pond in front of my house. Back to wildly unpredictable weather. Back to the farmers market. Back to work.
I'm gonna get this out of the way first: You won, Red Sox fans. I still think the Indians are a better team. Yeah, yeah, you've got your "power-hitters" and your Josh Beckett (who is frighteningly good), but when the Indians are on they play like a team--not relying almost entirely on 3 people to get runs, but chipping away strategically and loading bases. I wish you all the best of luck in the series. Tradition requires me to "root" for the Sox though the prospect of the Rockies winning the series for the first time does appeal to my underdog tendencies. Regardless, I'm done with baseball season.
I've just finished reading Ruth Reichl's "Tender at the Bone." Not a fantastic book, but a good read for a foodie like myself. I finished reading it last night whilst making a concoction I'm so proud of I almost can't stand it: roasted spaghetti squash rubbed with olive oil and garlic, 2 "chicken" breasts, handfuls of fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage, parmesan cheese and roasted kale. I missteped by adding the kale too soon, but this recipe is a keeper. The market was surprisingly good this week: 2 kinds of squash for $2.50, a huuuuge bunch of kale for $1.00, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, grapes and autumn gold raspberries (delicious with nutella on toasted ciabatta!). I also caved a bought organic butter but was smart enough to put half of it in the freezer to keep me from consuming too much at once!
Bad news re the press: It sounds like the artist isn't going to be able to make the deadline. I was a little concerned about this when he first mentioned needing to get a portfolio together by January, but he was feeling pretty confident at the time. Reality has hit and it looks like it's not going to happen. We discussed going ahead with just poetry, but I'd really like to combine illustrations so I'm going to see where things stand in January.
The move, however, is still on so far. We're looking at a mid-November move if all goes well with the stove and the cleaning and such. Everytime I think about it I get a little giddy. The upstairs is so superior to the downstairs. There's so much more space and it's so much more private. I can deal with slanted ceilings and no cupboards in the kitchen. It's a tradeoff for huge windows in the trees and space for 2!
I'm gonna get this out of the way first: You won, Red Sox fans. I still think the Indians are a better team. Yeah, yeah, you've got your "power-hitters" and your Josh Beckett (who is frighteningly good), but when the Indians are on they play like a team--not relying almost entirely on 3 people to get runs, but chipping away strategically and loading bases. I wish you all the best of luck in the series. Tradition requires me to "root" for the Sox though the prospect of the Rockies winning the series for the first time does appeal to my underdog tendencies. Regardless, I'm done with baseball season.
I've just finished reading Ruth Reichl's "Tender at the Bone." Not a fantastic book, but a good read for a foodie like myself. I finished reading it last night whilst making a concoction I'm so proud of I almost can't stand it: roasted spaghetti squash rubbed with olive oil and garlic, 2 "chicken" breasts, handfuls of fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage, parmesan cheese and roasted kale. I missteped by adding the kale too soon, but this recipe is a keeper. The market was surprisingly good this week: 2 kinds of squash for $2.50, a huuuuge bunch of kale for $1.00, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, grapes and autumn gold raspberries (delicious with nutella on toasted ciabatta!). I also caved a bought organic butter but was smart enough to put half of it in the freezer to keep me from consuming too much at once!
Bad news re the press: It sounds like the artist isn't going to be able to make the deadline. I was a little concerned about this when he first mentioned needing to get a portfolio together by January, but he was feeling pretty confident at the time. Reality has hit and it looks like it's not going to happen. We discussed going ahead with just poetry, but I'd really like to combine illustrations so I'm going to see where things stand in January.
The move, however, is still on so far. We're looking at a mid-November move if all goes well with the stove and the cleaning and such. Everytime I think about it I get a little giddy. The upstairs is so superior to the downstairs. There's so much more space and it's so much more private. I can deal with slanted ceilings and no cupboards in the kitchen. It's a tradeoff for huge windows in the trees and space for 2!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
why is it whenever i go "on vacation" i never sleep?
Connecticut is pretty.
I have slept approximately 9 hours since Thursday.
Traci and Bryan both did amazingly well at the race.
Dad and I both cried at the start when everyone ran passed injured us.
The Indians better get their act together.
There is a ton of really crappy reality tv on cable designed to either make Americans feel better about themselves or distract themselves from their very meaningless lives. This is one of the very many reasons I don't have cable.
I'm not sure how to feel about Al Gore getting the Nobel Peace Prize. Would the recognition of the scientific fact that global warming exists actually lead to a more peaceful world? Or would finger-pointing and hoarding create a more violent existence for mankind?
Will I spend the next 45 minutes of alonetime:
a. writing
b. reading
c. staring off into space
d. sleeping
I have slept approximately 9 hours since Thursday.
Traci and Bryan both did amazingly well at the race.
Dad and I both cried at the start when everyone ran passed injured us.
The Indians better get their act together.
There is a ton of really crappy reality tv on cable designed to either make Americans feel better about themselves or distract themselves from their very meaningless lives. This is one of the very many reasons I don't have cable.
I'm not sure how to feel about Al Gore getting the Nobel Peace Prize. Would the recognition of the scientific fact that global warming exists actually lead to a more peaceful world? Or would finger-pointing and hoarding create a more violent existence for mankind?
Will I spend the next 45 minutes of alonetime:
a. writing
b. reading
c. staring off into space
d. sleeping
Thursday, October 11, 2007
hello mountains and foliage and family!
Soooooooooooooooo.....
I'm heading east tonight. Connecticut and Maine. It'll be great to see everyone and spend time with the family even though they're all dirty rotten Red Sox fans. I've wa-ay over packed on the books so I need to reevaluate on my way to the airport. I probably don't need 2 novels, 2 nonfiction books, and countless poetry collections.
Mouse #2 made an appearance in my apartment. I didn't see it, but Peter had visual confirmation. Grace was on high alert and yet still managed to miss it sauntering away. This morning she had that "oh-my-god-I've-been-up-ALL-night-protecting-the-home" look on her face. No bodies and no other visible evidence was found. Peter has permission to set out traps because though I'm a good little vegetarian I will not tolerate vermin. And I don't really want to come home to a house full of mice.
My tv died. It was sad. Sunday afternoon I was happily watching the Lions play and Sunday night we noticed everyone's pants were purple on the Simpsons. Thankfully, there was an extra lil'set in the Berghoef basement that is on loan to me. Bad timing. Now is not the time to have to buy a new tv when I need lamps and rugs and the like for the upstairs.
Speaking of, in theory, a new stove should be going in next week. There's alot of...umm...tension on the property right now which is a bit of a concern. A light switch caught fire up front, someone was yelled at for improperly loading a dumpster, utilities are being passed off to someone who doesn't want to pay a reconnect fee, and there's alot of personal stuff on everyone's minds. I'm just trying to keep my head down and stay out of it, but I fear I could easily end up in the line of fire.
But I'm heading east for a week to spend some time with my favorite people in the world surrounded by gorgeous scenery. I'm not going to think too much about the homefront just now.
I'm heading east tonight. Connecticut and Maine. It'll be great to see everyone and spend time with the family even though they're all dirty rotten Red Sox fans. I've wa-ay over packed on the books so I need to reevaluate on my way to the airport. I probably don't need 2 novels, 2 nonfiction books, and countless poetry collections.
Mouse #2 made an appearance in my apartment. I didn't see it, but Peter had visual confirmation. Grace was on high alert and yet still managed to miss it sauntering away. This morning she had that "oh-my-god-I've-been-up-ALL-night-protecting-the-home" look on her face. No bodies and no other visible evidence was found. Peter has permission to set out traps because though I'm a good little vegetarian I will not tolerate vermin. And I don't really want to come home to a house full of mice.
My tv died. It was sad. Sunday afternoon I was happily watching the Lions play and Sunday night we noticed everyone's pants were purple on the Simpsons. Thankfully, there was an extra lil'set in the Berghoef basement that is on loan to me. Bad timing. Now is not the time to have to buy a new tv when I need lamps and rugs and the like for the upstairs.
Speaking of, in theory, a new stove should be going in next week. There's alot of...umm...tension on the property right now which is a bit of a concern. A light switch caught fire up front, someone was yelled at for improperly loading a dumpster, utilities are being passed off to someone who doesn't want to pay a reconnect fee, and there's alot of personal stuff on everyone's minds. I'm just trying to keep my head down and stay out of it, but I fear I could easily end up in the line of fire.
But I'm heading east for a week to spend some time with my favorite people in the world surrounded by gorgeous scenery. I'm not going to think too much about the homefront just now.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
it's all about the little things
I ended up making pasta topped with roasted beets, goat cheese, kalamata olives and a balsamic reduction.
Because I'm sure all 5 of you minus everyone googling The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter have been dying to know what I cooked Friday night.
I skipped the market Saturday which meant today was an absolute must: macintosh apples, kale, eggs, bread, lettuce, tomatoes, basil and peppers. I had no choice but to tone it down as payday ain't 'til tamarra. I immediately went home and sauteed some kale and orange pepper and made an omelet. It had been well over a week since my last kale (collard greens, though good, are no substitute!) and I had a mad craving. Yummy! I also whipped up some tomato sauce as I'm having Michael over for supper tomorrow night. As of now the menu stands with pasta and homemade sauce, roasted eggplant tossed with homemade pesto, plain jane salad with balsamic vinaigrette, bread, and whatever yummy dessert happens to be at Pereddies tomorrow.
I talked to my organic guy today at the market regarding joining the CSA. I'm seriously considering it. There are 2 options in Holland--one gets me a pickup at the market, the other is a pickup at Leaf and Bean. The one I'd prefer (the market one) works out to be $20/week which is pretty good considering right now I spend between $30-$40/week during the summer. To be able to get local organic produce for $20/week all summer long? Sigh. I'd be in heaven.
It's not official until the stove gets replaced, but as of right now it looks like we're moving upstairs. Just imagine: fewer spiders, no damp moldy carpet, tall high wooden beams instead of stained ugly dropped ceiling, a naked lady wood carving, 2 bedrooms with doors, a space for an actual table and chairs, and biiiiig windows on.the.second.floor. The second floor. No more people hovering outside yelling through my windows knowing my bizness. Plus we'll have an actual patio. An outside space that says "Hey, this is part of our apartment so please say hello and just keep on walking thank you very much."
I'm sure I don't deserve it.
Because I'm sure all 5 of you minus everyone googling The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter have been dying to know what I cooked Friday night.
I skipped the market Saturday which meant today was an absolute must: macintosh apples, kale, eggs, bread, lettuce, tomatoes, basil and peppers. I had no choice but to tone it down as payday ain't 'til tamarra. I immediately went home and sauteed some kale and orange pepper and made an omelet. It had been well over a week since my last kale (collard greens, though good, are no substitute!) and I had a mad craving. Yummy! I also whipped up some tomato sauce as I'm having Michael over for supper tomorrow night. As of now the menu stands with pasta and homemade sauce, roasted eggplant tossed with homemade pesto, plain jane salad with balsamic vinaigrette, bread, and whatever yummy dessert happens to be at Pereddies tomorrow.
I talked to my organic guy today at the market regarding joining the CSA. I'm seriously considering it. There are 2 options in Holland--one gets me a pickup at the market, the other is a pickup at Leaf and Bean. The one I'd prefer (the market one) works out to be $20/week which is pretty good considering right now I spend between $30-$40/week during the summer. To be able to get local organic produce for $20/week all summer long? Sigh. I'd be in heaven.
It's not official until the stove gets replaced, but as of right now it looks like we're moving upstairs. Just imagine: fewer spiders, no damp moldy carpet, tall high wooden beams instead of stained ugly dropped ceiling, a naked lady wood carving, 2 bedrooms with doors, a space for an actual table and chairs, and biiiiig windows on.the.second.floor. The second floor. No more people hovering outside yelling through my windows knowing my bizness. Plus we'll have an actual patio. An outside space that says "Hey, this is part of our apartment so please say hello and just keep on walking thank you very much."
I'm sure I don't deserve it.
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