This took forever to post. Anyway, just had this convo:
Bill: Wow, there are a lot more pictures of scantily-clad babes in the Las Vegas airport than in most airports.
Em: Yeah, I bet you don't see that in Jackson. Wait, do they even have an airport in Jackson?
Bill: Let's hope not. Then they could escape and spread.
A complete draft of the thesis has been submitted!!!!!
In other news, we have to be up to go to the airport in two hours.
Since it was warmer today (46°, practically sweltering) I decided to use my brand new GPS* to find my first geocache.** It turned out to be a sheep-themed affair in a mailbox outside a neat little used bookstore, about a ten minute walk from home. I felt rather sheepish that I didn't have anything sheeply to leave.
*Christmas present from dad and Cyndi
**Dad got me started on geocaching. He is waaay into it. See here for proof.
I have been formatting and proofreading Bill's thesis for the past FIVE HOURS. I need chocolate.
My favorite thing about SFGate.com is their Day in Pictures feature. For the end of the year, they have posted the best pictures of the year past.
I was just putting dishes away to dry, when I saw that there were dishes improperly arranged in the rack (i.e. not like I do it) and started to get annoyed when I realised, hello, I have a boyfriend who does the dishes, without me knowing, even. This is a time for yay, not annoyance.
Since it had stopped snowing, I thought I would return two library books that are due today and two due Wednesday, as well as drop off some mail and grab some Drunken Noodles for lunch. So I suited up: silk long underwear, wool socks, knee high Docs, layers, scarf, hat, gloves, the whole shebang, and headed out the door, when GAH! still snowing!!
I will be renewing those books online and ordering in.
Update: nobody is delivering, either because they don't for lunch on weekdays, or because their drivers can't get in because of the snow. GRRR. I am reduced to eating chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds.
I love that he lets me pluck his evil eyebrow even though it hurts, because that thing just freaks me out and I NEED IT GONE.
We bought a new game tonight, Carcassonne, which is a city-building strategy game. We played it once and I eeked out a win through methods which I called strategic and Bill called despicable.
It's been a long time, but Bill and I now have for real, honest to god, out of the country, longer than a weekend vacation plan! We are doing the lazy American luxury thing, and will be spending the last week in January (the spelling of February has ruined me for all the other -uary months. OK, I guess that's only January. Anyway, I keep wanting to spell it Janruary.) at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. Marble floors, jacuzzi tubs, swim up bars, balconies with a view of the ocean, all the food you can eat and booze you can drink, not a native in site: the whole cliche.
Other vacation plans on the menu include almost a week in CA to see Bill's p's for xmas eve and xmas and Grace thereafter, with possible side trips to Napa or Tahoe (snowboarding!). For New Year's we'll be at Killington, again with the snowboarding. We'll be at the same lodge we went to a few years back. You know, the one with the outdoor heated pool? That we built snowmen while in? And had a snowball fight, also while in? Yeah, that one.
Let the jealousy commence.
Today I had occasion to send the following email:
BROOMS AREN'T ROBOTS!!
Bill sent me flowers today, since I was bummed and missing him last night. He tried to be sneaky about it, deleting the confirmation email he got, but he wasn't fast enough. The computer here dings when he gets and email and I saw it, went to the website to see the arrangement, and burst out laughing, because really, he does have terrible taste in flowers. But that just made it better, because I got a good laugh out of it, and it's just so sweet that he tried.
I was laughing when I called to thank him and he huffily demanded that I find a better selection. I browsed the website and sent him a few choices. His response? "humph. no candy canes and no pinecones = not better"
Say, "Doesn't she look great? She's wearing my bra!"
If I ever need to get past a ridiculously open and bizarrely visible lattice of lasers, the answer's really quite simple: capoeira, ideally accompanied by music from my iPod.
The movie was actually pretty enjoyable. The plot was silly, of course, but there were lots of great little moments, where the actors were just playing their characters off each other.
I'm going to be doing them this week, so if you think I might not have your address, better send it along again. You know how I am about keeping track of these things. Lots of my contact info got lost when I left work, since, silly me, I kept my primary address book there.
Bill and I made Manhattan Clam Chowder last night for dinner, and it was delicious. I had the leftovers tonight and it was even better. Who knew something which was essentially half "clam juice" (that's what the bottle says) could be so good?
It's pretty easy to make, too. Just saute celery, bell pepper and onion for a few minutes until softened, then add equal parts clam juice and diced, canned tomatoes, plus some chopped potatoes and a pinch of cayenne, simmering for about ten minutes so the potatoes cook. If you're using fresh clams, like we did, add them and continue simmering until they open, about another ten minutes. Toss in some parsley, salt, and pepper and you're done!
Traditionally there would be bacon sauteed first, but we left that out for obvious reasons. Adjust the veggies and cayenne depending on how chunky and spicy you like it.
This morning I met a guy in the courtyard of the Boston Public Library so he could take pictures of my feet. It's actually not as weird as that sounds. He's a local musician/psychology student who is taking photos for an exhibit at a friend's art gallery. He's taking pictures of the faces, hands, and yes, feet of 10 women and 10 men. They won't necessarily be paired, so it will be up to the viewer to determine which body parts belong to whom. Or at least that's his cover story. He turned out to be a pretty cool guy, and I had a good time talking to him for the hour I was there.
After that, I dropped by the department of bcs again to earn a quick $30, for reading and pushing a couple of buttons for an hour, all in the name of science.
Today is turning out to be a stranger-intensive day. I'm planning on meeting a woman in about an hour to check out a yoga class together. I've been looking for people to take yoga with so I will feel obligated to go out, even if it's cold so I don't stand them up.
There was a beautiful fall arrangement in the lobby for someone in the building. I was tempted to steal it, but even I am not that mean. Plus, everyone was nice enough not to take mine when I left them there for two or three days.
Update: they must be sick or something, because there is another arrangement for them now.
I've got an interesting day today. This afternoon, I'm heading over to MIT's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences to participate in some reading aloud and reading comprehension studies (or so they tell me). Tonight, I'm going to a secret screening at Kendall Square Cinemas. About once a week, they show a movie a few days before it is released, but don't tell you what movie you will be seeing. You can apply for tickets and I got in tonight! I just got the email a few minutes ago.
I was thinking of sleeping in this morning, but the city decided to jackhammer right outside my building. Of course, once I was fully awake they stopped.
I'm going to try and to my shopping and decorating this week, so if you haven't sent me one, PLEASE SEND ME YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST. I never know what to get for you people.
It's Monday, and for the second week in a row I have tulips (!) to chase away the no-Bill blues. Last week, Cyndi send me a gorgeous bouquet of orange and yellow ones to brighten up my Thanksgiving day table. Unfortuantely, I passed them two days in a row in the lobby thinking, "Oh, how sad. Someone was sent flowers, but went away for the holiday and they'll be all dead before they get back." Mom and I had even discussed how sad that was. It never occured to me that they might be for me, even though I usually obsessively check the name on every package and even bring inside the ones that aren't for me so they can't get stolen. When I called to say Happy Thanksgiving, she asked if I had got the tulips. I said no and wondered why they hadn't come for a few seconds before something clicked and I ran out to the hallway. I was thankful that they were still alive and stayed lovely for several more days.
This week it's purple tulips. Bill saw them on the way home from the grocery store and picked them up for me on Friday. Yay, Bill.
With apologies to the more sensitive of my family members:
Why is it, that when you're out with friends and have gas and go to the bathroom, you got nothing, but when you're back smack dab in the middle of them you can't contain the farts?
And, also, why is it that the one time you fart in public in a month or more your boyfriend always asks, "ugh, do you smell that? it smells like shit." Keep your mouth shut, for the love of god! I'm trying to maintain a low profile, here.
This is an old standard, but worth going back to see this year's addition. The step-by-step assembly is pretty amazing.
As I was waiting to order what turned out to be a wonderfully delicious, warm, and satisfying meal at Pepper Sky's, the waiter spontaneously brought me some magazines to read, since I was alone. I had never experienced that before, but thought it was an extremely thoughtful touch, especially since it made me discover a new magazine that I must get a subscription to, The Improper Bostonian. In addition to local features, it has regular dining reviews and what look to be thorough theater and event listings. I think I'll wait until after Christmas to get it, as it makes an easy addition to my list.
My food was a tangy, moderately spicy shrimp lemongrass soup, fantastic steamed chive dumplings, and spring rolls, which were nice and added a great crisp touch, but weren't as spectacular as the other two. To round out the experience, they were playing soft Christmas piano music in the background, which you know I love. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a website to link to, but if you're local go often and take all of your friends. They just opened and I'd selfishly like them to stay in business. They on the corner of Green and Pearl streets, I think, one block south of Mass Ave in Central Square.
On the way to and from lunch, I crossed the "police line do not cross" tape and walked by the gutted building. It looks a lot like mine. A couple of times, I inadvertently startled the loitering firemen as I popped around a fire truck with my big orange umbrella.
I also dropped by the library to pick up some books I had requested, Infinite Jest and Terra Nostra. I had no idea they were both that huge! I am now completely book-logged; there is no way I am going to finish all my books before they are due.
From the Globe:
A raging five-alarm fire late last night ripped through an eight-family wood-frame condominium complex just south of Central Square, fire officials said.
The blaze, which started before 11 p.m. and lasted for more than two hours, engulfed the condos, spread to nearby buildings on the 200 block of Franklin Street, and leapt to buildings on adjacent Auburn Street.
Officials said no one appeared to have been hurt, but a significant number of people would be homeless. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army were on the scene to assist those who were burned out. Many victims, braving the night chill in sweaters and light jackets, huddled in the community room of a high-rise across the street. The burned buildings are also across the street from the Central Square library branch.
There are no fewer than 15 emergency vehicles outside my house right now, at least 8 of them fire trucks. I can't see if the smoke that's filling the street is from the back of the Greek Orthodox church across the street or the building behind it. I counted three ladders stretched up from fire trucks before the street was obscured by the smoke. The weird thing is there is almost no noise. I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't seen the flashing lights through the blinds when I got up for a drink of water.
