No power, ergo no digital cable...
I've been thinking about having another "tv-free" week for a while now, but put it off to feed my recent Alias obsession. On Sunday, however, I was forced into it by near-hurricane tropical storm Gaston. We didn't have power all day Sunday and, after reading every book and magazine in the house, I had to venture out among downed power lines, tree limbs, and flood waters to find some other damn thing to read. Apparently, I am not capable of sitting still and doing nothing for more than 10 minutes. Seriously, I tried. I even tried playing the handheld Yahtzee, but it's not the same without the tv on in the background. I've become such a multi-tasker, that I have to watch tv and do something else at the same time, otherwise I get bored.
I got my hands on three new magazines (this month's Vogue is freakishly large) and a book, Lit Riffs.
The power is back on, but I've decided to forgo tv this week (it's good timing, considering it's Republican Convention week - which is even more boring than sitting in the dark with nothing to read). But I'm not counting DVDs, since that's considered "selective viewing." I knew I'd find a loophole.
I feel like a better person already.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Talkin' 'bout some TV...
I've always had this deeply rooted tendency to watch geek-tv. I used to mainline X-Files (even arranging my social life around the show, way back when it came on Friday nights) but have managed to stay away since the last season. Before that, it was Star Trek Next Generation, before that, probably regular old Star Trek, and before that, I'm sure it was Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. But I've been geek-tv-free and clean for about 5 years now. Some people say I've just replaced my geek show obsession with one for reality shows (if you know anyone else who has seen every season of The Real World, let me know), but I think I've just been postponing the inevitable.
Accordingly, I recently fell off the wagon, but hard. A friend of my roommate's loaned him the first season of Alias on DVD and we've been marathon-tv-watching so we can return it and get the second season. And then the third (which comes out on DVD next month), all in preparation for the FOURTH season that begins in January! I'm going to have to give up Sunday night Sopranos and Six Feet Under for this, I know it. Double agents, espionage, intrigue, poor relationship with Dad, wigs, wigs & more wigs...plus, Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow kicks serious ass.
I've always had this deeply rooted tendency to watch geek-tv. I used to mainline X-Files (even arranging my social life around the show, way back when it came on Friday nights) but have managed to stay away since the last season. Before that, it was Star Trek Next Generation, before that, probably regular old Star Trek, and before that, I'm sure it was Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. But I've been geek-tv-free and clean for about 5 years now. Some people say I've just replaced my geek show obsession with one for reality shows (if you know anyone else who has seen every season of The Real World, let me know), but I think I've just been postponing the inevitable.
Accordingly, I recently fell off the wagon, but hard. A friend of my roommate's loaned him the first season of Alias on DVD and we've been marathon-tv-watching so we can return it and get the second season. And then the third (which comes out on DVD next month), all in preparation for the FOURTH season that begins in January! I'm going to have to give up Sunday night Sopranos and Six Feet Under for this, I know it. Double agents, espionage, intrigue, poor relationship with Dad, wigs, wigs & more wigs...plus, Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow kicks serious ass.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Cleansing rituals...
Even though I'm not a new-agey, crystals & chakras kind of person, I bought smudge sticks today and "smudged" my whole house to get rid of the negativity. Seriously, it's supposed to work. I'll let you know. My friend Robbie said he thought they were used to alert demons that a virgin lived in the house. Either way, change is in the air.
Even though I'm not a new-agey, crystals & chakras kind of person, I bought smudge sticks today and "smudged" my whole house to get rid of the negativity. Seriously, it's supposed to work. I'll let you know. My friend Robbie said he thought they were used to alert demons that a virgin lived in the house. Either way, change is in the air.
Monday, January 19, 2004
A Clean Slate...
Finally finished my mega list of 2004 resolutions - 104 items to be exact - and am feeling quite positive about the new year. It only took me a little over two weeks past Jan. 1 to get there.
This time, I broke the list out into categories (work, social, whimsy, home, etc.) so I'll be able to calculate success ratio by areas of my life. For example, I don't have high expectations in the "habits" category, but I do expect to strip the kitchen cabinets and take the doors off (I love open cabinets, or the ones with glass doors (home). And buy more plants (also home).
Last year, I had about a 55% success ratio overall, which wasn't bad. But I've gone as high as 80% in past years. Let's be positive and shoot for the high marks, right?
A random sampling of my resolutions for 2004:
30) HABITS: Spend less time getting ready in the morning.
31) HABITS: Go to bed earlier and get up earlier.
(I'm already mocking both of these...)
25) FRIENDS: Write more letters and thank you notes.
41) HEALTH: Eat breakfast every day, even if just a protein shake.
53) BUY: Very dark drapes for bedroom.
(and that fits in with "get up earlier..." how?)
61) MONEY: Pay off student loans.
73) LOVE: Love myself the most.
(that's not been hard so far...but wanted to keep it in just in case...)
80) SOCIAL: Sometimes go to social engagements I’d rather not attend.
(note that I said "sometimes"...)
This year to my "read 52 books," I added "and keep a reading journal. I've read more than 52 books (that's one a week) and hit that goal every year so I need a bigger challenge. Last year, I think I averaged 2.5 books a week. And I read Middlesex AND The Little Friend - no "chick lit," no skanky half-witted Candace Bushnell, nor any paperback that would fit in my coat pocket. Maybe if I have to write down a bit about each in a notebook, it would make it more challenging? Maybe summarize the plot or quote bits from the text? I can't bring myself to join one of those godawful books groups. The last time I went to one there were unidentifiable casseroles and they were discussing The DaVinci Code, which took me all of 3 minutes to read in the car while driving and I still knew it was a poorly written book based on what could have been an excellent premise. They kept talking about what a great "author" this guy is and I was almost embarrassed for him. I think if Dan whathisname had been there, even he would have said, "hey, ladies, calm down. I wrote that thing on a plastic GI Joe typewriter that I bought for a dollar from a garage sale, with one hand, typing on newsprint with no ribbon, drunk as a coot, and a heroin needle dangling from my other arm."
Come on - that book would have written ITSELF. You'd have to be the worst writer in the world to take a great premise like that and just sh*t all over it.
But I digress.
Forgot about:
99) GIVE: Don't say mean things about people even if I am thinking them.
Finally finished my mega list of 2004 resolutions - 104 items to be exact - and am feeling quite positive about the new year. It only took me a little over two weeks past Jan. 1 to get there.
This time, I broke the list out into categories (work, social, whimsy, home, etc.) so I'll be able to calculate success ratio by areas of my life. For example, I don't have high expectations in the "habits" category, but I do expect to strip the kitchen cabinets and take the doors off (I love open cabinets, or the ones with glass doors (home). And buy more plants (also home).
Last year, I had about a 55% success ratio overall, which wasn't bad. But I've gone as high as 80% in past years. Let's be positive and shoot for the high marks, right?
A random sampling of my resolutions for 2004:
30) HABITS: Spend less time getting ready in the morning.
31) HABITS: Go to bed earlier and get up earlier.
(I'm already mocking both of these...)
25) FRIENDS: Write more letters and thank you notes.
41) HEALTH: Eat breakfast every day, even if just a protein shake.
53) BUY: Very dark drapes for bedroom.
(and that fits in with "get up earlier..." how?)
61) MONEY: Pay off student loans.
73) LOVE: Love myself the most.
(that's not been hard so far...but wanted to keep it in just in case...)
80) SOCIAL: Sometimes go to social engagements I’d rather not attend.
(note that I said "sometimes"...)
This year to my "read 52 books," I added "and keep a reading journal. I've read more than 52 books (that's one a week) and hit that goal every year so I need a bigger challenge. Last year, I think I averaged 2.5 books a week. And I read Middlesex AND The Little Friend - no "chick lit," no skanky half-witted Candace Bushnell, nor any paperback that would fit in my coat pocket. Maybe if I have to write down a bit about each in a notebook, it would make it more challenging? Maybe summarize the plot or quote bits from the text? I can't bring myself to join one of those godawful books groups. The last time I went to one there were unidentifiable casseroles and they were discussing The DaVinci Code, which took me all of 3 minutes to read in the car while driving and I still knew it was a poorly written book based on what could have been an excellent premise. They kept talking about what a great "author" this guy is and I was almost embarrassed for him. I think if Dan whathisname had been there, even he would have said, "hey, ladies, calm down. I wrote that thing on a plastic GI Joe typewriter that I bought for a dollar from a garage sale, with one hand, typing on newsprint with no ribbon, drunk as a coot, and a heroin needle dangling from my other arm."
Come on - that book would have written ITSELF. You'd have to be the worst writer in the world to take a great premise like that and just sh*t all over it.
But I digress.
Forgot about:
99) GIVE: Don't say mean things about people even if I am thinking them.
Friday, December 26, 2003
Soft, fluffy places...
This was the first year ever that I had the entire fam at my house for Christmas and, as far as a holiday with a house-mostly-full of women (one mother, three sisters, four nieces, and one lone brother-in-law) goes, I think it went pretty well. I didn't get the annual Christmas day nap, but a couple of glasses of Mad Zin and a valium later, it didn't really matter that much.
The good news is I didn't burn any of the food, nothing caught fire (even the one in the fireplace that refused to start, the only low point of my day was spending an hour on and off on my knees in front of a stack of logs that wouldn't catch even if I poured lighter fluid on them), no one got drunk and confessional, and I didn't have to bitch slap anyone the entire day.
Other than the fire, the problems were fairly minor. Unless you count the necklace of hickeys on my 15 year old niece's neck, the unusual pot belly on my 17 year old high school senior niece, who also has a strange maternal glow about her (and her barely turned 40 mother looking a little shell shocked whenever the subject of babies or pregnancy came up), my own Valley of the Dolls Neely O'Hara moment on Xmas eve after eating a special cookie and popping a couple of happy pills passing out on the couch sitting up with my stocking in my lap, and being stuck with half of a really fatty looking ham that I won't eat, but which will sit in my fridge until I toss it out in a few weeks because I feel guilty about poor children starving.
My sister Karen bought Nana a rose and, even after the cat knocked it over twice, we all thought it was a sweet gesture. We miss Nana a lot. This year, Nana was the elephant in the room no one talked about but we all knew was there, making my mom tear up when I put the Holiday singers & standards music on, getting choked up when I realized I made way too much sweet potato casserole because Nana wasn't here to eat half of it, and remembering that last year at this time she was still here and happy and making angel cards for everyone.
I didn't have a list for Santa, but got some wonderful gifts anyway. Cashmere, cashmere, and more cashmere (how can I ever go back to wearing wool?). My favorite gift, though, is the five days I get to spend not working.
Merry Christmas.
This was the first year ever that I had the entire fam at my house for Christmas and, as far as a holiday with a house-mostly-full of women (one mother, three sisters, four nieces, and one lone brother-in-law) goes, I think it went pretty well. I didn't get the annual Christmas day nap, but a couple of glasses of Mad Zin and a valium later, it didn't really matter that much.
The good news is I didn't burn any of the food, nothing caught fire (even the one in the fireplace that refused to start, the only low point of my day was spending an hour on and off on my knees in front of a stack of logs that wouldn't catch even if I poured lighter fluid on them), no one got drunk and confessional, and I didn't have to bitch slap anyone the entire day.
Other than the fire, the problems were fairly minor. Unless you count the necklace of hickeys on my 15 year old niece's neck, the unusual pot belly on my 17 year old high school senior niece, who also has a strange maternal glow about her (and her barely turned 40 mother looking a little shell shocked whenever the subject of babies or pregnancy came up), my own Valley of the Dolls Neely O'Hara moment on Xmas eve after eating a special cookie and popping a couple of happy pills passing out on the couch sitting up with my stocking in my lap, and being stuck with half of a really fatty looking ham that I won't eat, but which will sit in my fridge until I toss it out in a few weeks because I feel guilty about poor children starving.
My sister Karen bought Nana a rose and, even after the cat knocked it over twice, we all thought it was a sweet gesture. We miss Nana a lot. This year, Nana was the elephant in the room no one talked about but we all knew was there, making my mom tear up when I put the Holiday singers & standards music on, getting choked up when I realized I made way too much sweet potato casserole because Nana wasn't here to eat half of it, and remembering that last year at this time she was still here and happy and making angel cards for everyone.
I didn't have a list for Santa, but got some wonderful gifts anyway. Cashmere, cashmere, and more cashmere (how can I ever go back to wearing wool?). My favorite gift, though, is the five days I get to spend not working.
Merry Christmas.
