Survey Sunday-- What DJ Are You?

Miles Maeda...

You're laided back, the "cool" guy.
You're either lazy, or you appreciate the easy,
mellow sounds of deep house, jazz, and
atmospheric tuneage.


What DJ are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Currently listening : Vol. 3-Nude Dimensions By Various Artists Release date: By 02 October, 2001

Movie Whore

The Seven Deadly Sins Survey

WRATH

1. With whom did you last get angry?
A student who defied me.

2. What is your weapon of choice?
Words. Compassion. Sometimes guilt, if I think it will work.

3. Would you hit a member of the opposite sex?
I guess so. I hit Chuy on the shinbone once. Damn near broke my hand! I'll never do that again!

4. How about of the same sex?
I just feel too old and fragile to do that, but I'm capable of anything if provoked.

5. Who was the last person who got really angry at you?
Probably a student who didn't get his/her way and was too immature to see why I couldn't allow him/her to get his/her way.

6. What is your pet peeve?
Wow, too many to list here, but I guess my main one is being interrupted/not being listened to.

7. Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily?
OH YEAH, do I EVER keep grudges. There is really no rhyme or reason that I have about who gets forgiven and who never gets to see or hear from me again (or, worse, who gets my wrath). All I can say is that you never, never want to cross me. I am like a private detective/pitbull when it comes to finding out how to crush you. Sometimes just knowing that I COULD crush you keeps me from actually crushing you. Like I said, no rhyme or reason. Best not to find out!

SLOTH

1. What is one thing you're supposed to do daily that you haven't done in a long time?
Take my calcium. I know, I know. I'm absolutely CRAZY! I think it's because it gives me a stomachache (or because I really don't want to live).

2. What is the latest you've ever woken up?
Don't remember. Depends on when I go to bed! I need about nine hours of sleep, but usually get around seven.

3. Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't:
My dermatologist.

4. What is the last lame excuse you made?
Hmmm...not really one for lame excuses. I guess it would be "I've had a hard day, so it's okay to eat this Whopper. Oh, and king size it, would you? Oh, and could I add a strawberry shake to my order?"

5. Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through (one of the long ones...)?
Yes. I find them interesting. I've actually bought some stuff advertised on them. Can't say I recommend doing that!

6. When was the last time you got a good workout in?
What is this "workout" you speak of? Does pushing the remote count?

7. How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock today?
OMG! Like, four times! I hate getting up in the morning!

GLUTTONY

1. What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice?
Bottled water.

2. Meat eaters: white meat or dark meat?
White, white, white. I hate dark meat (except when it comes to men *lecherous laugh*)

3. What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event?
Don't know. Maybe four or five drinks? Certainly not when I'M buying!

4. Have you ever used a professional diet company?
No. I may need to, though!

5. Do you have an issue with your weight?
Never used to, but then I turned 30 and it all went to hell. Since I was ill and had four surgeries in nine months and also quit taking fertility drugs, I recently lost 20 pounds. I'd love to keep them off and lose even more, but I don't advise using my "weight loss method"!

6. Do you prefer sweets, salty foods, or spicy foods?
Depends. Sometimes I prefer crunchy vs. smooth texture, or fresh vs. fried. Sometimes my cravings coincide with my cycle.

7. Have you ever looked at a small housepet or child and thought, "LUNCH"?
WTF???? Hell no!

LUST

1. How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies/family)?
Don't remember. Many.

2. How many people have seen YOU naked (not counting physicians/family)?
Don't remember. Many.

3. Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a member of your gender of choice during a normal conversation?
No. My gender of choice is a guy, and I don't look at their crotches. But, okay, once this well-endowed student had her blouse zipped down to her navel and her breasts were falling out and I really wanted to tell her to zip up her blouse, but that would mean admitting that I had noticed her breasts and I'm not a lesbian and it just wasn't worth "going there".

4. Have you "done it"?
Define "it".

5. What is your favorite body part on a person of your gender of choice?
Chuy's tookus.

6. Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute?
No, but I've been mistaken for one! Twice!

7. Have you ever had to get tested for an STD or pregnancy?
All the time. When you are going through infertility treatment, it's just a fact, Jack.

GREED

1. How many credit cards do you own?
Three.

2. What's your guilty pleasure store?
Target!

3. If you had $1 million, what would you do with it?
Pay off my mortgage, pay off my student loans, travel for a few weeks/months, and invest the rest. If I earned enough annual interest on the principal to equal my present salary, I'd quit my job.

4. Would you rather be rich, or famous?
Rich, rich, rich. I have NO desire to be famous.

5. Would you accept a boring job if it meant you would make megabucks?
Yep. But it would have to be really megabucks (like $120,000 and above).

6. Have you ever stolen anything?
Yep.

7. How many MP3s are on your hard drive?
Maybe eight. I get them for free from amazon.com (Legally! You should try it!)

PRIDE

1. What one thing have you done that you're most proud of?
I went to Italy by myself for a month.

2. What's one thing have you done that your parents are most proud of?
I haven't a clue.

3. What thing would you like to accomplish in your life?
Well, the only thing I wanted to accomplish was to have a baby. And I can't now. So, I bought a condo, which was my only other life goal. Why am I still alive? Beats me.

4. Do you get annoyed by coming in second place?
Yes. I like to win.

5. Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors?
Huh. I don't really enter contests like that. I know that I used to enjoy reaming other people in checkers games when I was, like, ten!

6. Have you ever cheated on something to get a higher score?
Maybe. When I was in eighth grade, I did start answering questions on a test before the teacher told us to begin (and I got caught, and punished, like ALWAYS whenever I even attempt to do anything bad).

7. What did you do today that you're proud of?
I corrected some essays, even when I didn't feel like it.

ENVY

1. What item (or person) of your friends would you most want to have for your own?
My friend Katy's little girl, Marika. What an adorable child!

2. Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with?
I'd say Erika, since she and I both have good taste and I know I could trust her. Plus, her apartment has such great potential!

3. If you could be anyone else in the world, who would you be?
I honestly do not know. Maybe Reese Witherspoon? She is young, has cute kids, a good career, and a hot husband. Plus, she's Southern and I'd like that.

4. Have you ever been cheated on?
Yes, but it was an odd situation. I was driving to Los Angeles to see someone on weekends, you know how that is, and this woman was more geographically available. The guy and I broke up, but not about that, and not right away after I found out (when she called his apartment and I answered).

5. Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own?
Um, YEAH! Shall I make a list?! Let's start with my myopic eyes, my saggy boobs, my flat ass, my poochy stomach, my mole, the list goes on and on!

6. What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself?
Style.

7. Do you wish you'd come up with this survey?
In a way. I think it's clever.

8. Finally, what is your favorite deadly sin?
Well, obviously I'm no stranger to any of them! I guess I most often indulge in the sin of gluttony (based on my flab!).

Random Survey

1) If you could obliterate one city in the world, which would it be?
I have no idea. Maybe Bagdhad? But only if we went back in there and created a paradise out of the rubble. I'm really not into destruction of cities!

2) Do you believe in God?
Not anymore. I'm not 15!

3) How do you feel about strippers?
I think they're kind of sleazy.

4) What do you do when people disagree with you?
Depends on the situation and who they are in relation to me. If it's a friend, I think I would tell him/her that I disagree but not pursue it further or maybe even just not mention that I disagree in order to keep the peace. If it's not a friend, I might just figure that person is an idiot.

5) You find a watch in the desert. What do you do with it?
What in the world would I be doing in the desert? Do they have shopping malls there? I think not!

6) Define semantics.
Semantics is the study of the meaning of words (denotation vs. connotation).

7) How are your grammar skills?
Excellent

8) The best invention of the past 2000 years was...
Contact lenses and braces, without which I'd be hideous!

9) Clues to the origins of the universe can best be found in...
the study of other galaxies.

10) Are you a Communist?
No.

11) Have you ever picked up a hooker, ordered a callgirl (or boy), etc.?
No, but I have wondered what it would be like to be made love to by an "expert". I think it would be disappointing, so it will just remain an unfulfilled fantasy.

12) If you could build a vacation house anywhere, where would it be?
Paris

13) What's the last CD you bought?
O-zone Discozone

14) What's the last movie you watched?
Battle Royale II

15) Last book you read?
I'm currently reading Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman

16) What's in the trunk of your car?
Some rope, an old pair of Keds, a flashlight...gosh, that sounds sinister!

17) Favourite makeout song?
Something off Luis Miguel's Romance CDs

18) Favorite animal?
I loathe animals.

19) Favorite part of your body?
I am so much more than just the sum of my parts.

20) Favorite website?
www.myspace.com

21) Favorite magazine?
Real Simple

22) If you were trapped in an elevator, who would you want to be trapped in there with you?
An elevator repairman (a cute one!)

23) How often do you steal?
I don't steal.

24) Ever had any group-sex activities?
Um...yep. Long time ago, in another life.

25) You see two people of the same sex kissing in the street. How does that make you feel?
Love makes the world go 'round.

26) Does holding a gun make you feel powerful, or scared?
I have never held a gun.

27) What life change (different kind of work, new place to live, new people) would you most like to make if you weren't absolutely terrified of doing it?
I'd like to be a highly-paid corporate trainer and live in Paris with three gorgeous men who all thought I was hot and...okay, gotta stop now.

28) The pinnacle of TV humor is...
South Park!

Yet Another Survey

1. Last thing that someone gave you?
A kiss!

2. List five things in your fridge?
1) Diet Coke (for me)
2) Minute Maid Lemonade (for Chuy)
3) Sparkletts Crystal Fresh bottled water
4) Yoplait yogurt (key lime flavor)
5) An assload of condiments

3. List five things next to your bed?
1) Clock radio
2) Table lamp
3) Candles (for romance and because we've had some blackouts lately)
4) Glass of water
5) Bottle of multivitamins

4. Favorite seasonal smell?
The fresh, green smell of spring (and then my allergies hit and I can't smell a thing!)

5. Least favorite smell?
ANY animal (disgusting!!!)

6. If you could choose how you will die, how would it be?
I was just thinking about this last night...I want it to be quick, painless, and meaningful. Also, I'd like it to be soon.

7. Your lucky number?
I don't believe in lucky numbers.

8. Last person you communicated with?
Chuy, of course!

9. Any pets, if so what kind?
Animals are gross!

10. Goblins or Hob-Goblins?
WTF? Who the hell cares?

11. Dietary Restrictions?
Although I love onions and garlic, they don't love me. I dislike cilantro (ruins everything it touches). I don't like peachfuzz. I'm lactose intolerant, so milk is like poison to me. Also, no raw bell pepper, raw red cabbage, or raw celery, thank you.

12. Last time you took the time to enjoy nature?
When I saw, like, a bazillion Painted Lady butterflies migrating north, and going right through our school parking lot! Amazing!

13. Favorite Obsession?
My obsessions change frequently, so it's hard to pick a favorite. Right now, it's MySpace.com

14. Least Favorite obsession?
This question makes no sense and, therefore, I can't answer it.

15. Favorite childhood novel?
Impossible to pick just one...I immensely enjoyed the Great Brain series, the Nancy Drew mysteries, and the Little House books.

16. Color of your bedroom?
"Apartment rental" white walls, touches of green. It's not going to win any House Beautiful awards.

17. Two things you wish you had?
A magic time machine so I could go back and right the stupid shit I did that ruined my life. I wouldn't need a second thing if I had the first one.

18. Favorite Soda?
Diet Coke

19. Last movie you watched?
Battle Royale (banned in the U.S.)

20. Word, phrase or sentence fragment that best describes you?
Complex

21. Cold or hot?
Hot!

22. Bath or shower?
I long for baths, but they're so much trouble. It's showers for me.

23. What do you miss about being a child?
Not much, really. I guess it would be having fewer regrets than I do now.

24. Beta, VHS, DVD?
DVD for movies, but I use my VCR daily to tape Oprah and Ellen, so I guess I would have to say VHS.

25. Insanity or sanity?
This is a stupid question. I am sane, but I know how easy it would be for me to just "let go" and lose it. As in, like, REALLY easy.

26. List 5 things on your coffee table?
1) TV remote
2) DVD player remote
3) VCR remote
4) Stereo remote
5) A jillion magazines

27. List 5 things in your shower?
1) Pantene shampoo and conditioner
2) Olay Body Wash for Sensitive Skin
3) Razor
4) Chuy's stuff
5) Isai's stuff

28. Silence, tv on, or stereo playing while you sleep?
Enjoy the silence!

29. If you could be anything what would you choose to be?
This question is kind of vague. If I could be any PROFESSION, I don't know what I would choose to be, but it wouldn't be what I'm doing now! If I could be any OBJECT, I'd be an encylopedia. I love to learn and help others learn!

30. Most refreshing feeling?
Clean body, clean teeth, clean sheets.

31. Favorite moment in life so far?
I have no idea. Being told by a child that I'm very pretty was my most recent "favorite" moment.

32. Last five albums you listened to?
That's easy! They're all in my CD changer! Frank Sinatra's Gold, Frank Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers, O-zone's "Discozone, Jack Johnson's On and On, andSounds of the Seventies - 1979 (Various Artists). Yeah, I obviously have very eclectic taste!

33. Last person you hugged?
Chuy, of course!

34. Last thing you ingested?
Nachos and Diet Coke

35. Favorite piece of furniture in your house/apartment?
My bed (with my new couch a close second)

36. Best weather to walk or ride your bike in?
What is this "walk" that you speak of?

37. Dream Car?
I used to hate them, but now I'm craving a Mercedes. Don't know enough about them to know which model.

38. The woods, the desert, the prairie, the mountains, the beach?
Hmmm...none of the above? Why isn't "shopping mall" one of the choices?!

39. Most pronounced habit?
Smiling

40. First memory?
Sometimes I don't know what are memories and what are just images placed in my mind by my mom when she tells me stories from my childhood, so I don't know.

41. Phobias?
Midget clowns with sharp teeth. Actually, as I get older, I think I'm getting more and more phobic. I've gotten really big on handwashing lately, even demanding it of others.

42. Favorite childhood movie?
I really liked Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Any movie with singing in it would grab my attention, though.

43. Favorite tall tale, fairytale, or folklore?
"Sleeping Beauty"

44. Puddle hopping, or playing in snow banks?
Um...neither. How about "channel surfing"?

45. Cursive or print?
Cursive, because I think faster than I can write and it's quicker.

46. Letter/post card or email?
E-mail, but I am crazy about cute stationery!

47. Family or friends first?
I don't have much of either. Family can hurt me much more than friends can.

48. Favorite short story?
Wow! Hard to choose, since I'm a voracious reader. "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury and "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson both made a big impact. However, no one beats O. Henry for keeping you guessing until the end!

49. Person you wish you saw more?
Erika

50. Song that best describes your mood right now?
If there were a song called "I Feel Like Crap," then that would be the song to best describe my mood right now.

40 is the New 30
Current mood: sassy

This article, published in the International Herald Tribune ("the world's daily newspaper"), epitomizes the sentiment that pervades the 40-something set, of which I recently became a member! In fact, I even had "Forty is the new thirty" printed on the invitations to my fortieth birthday party! Read the article below for more insight into this new mindset. Is 40 the new 30? Stars redefine age

By Jessica Michault International Herald Tribune FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2005

A celebrity celebration is on the horizon for Sarah Jessica Parker, Linda Evangelista, Elizabeth Hurley, Brooke Shields, Gong Li, and Diane Lane.

And this is one party invitation which none of these glamorous women can refuse: Their 40th birthday.

The big four-O is hitting a generation of beauties who are set to become role models for what used to be called middle age. It may still be the moment to turn a svelte tanned back on the miniskirt. But the old ideas about spreading waistlines, desiccated skin, and matronly clothes have been banished by the gym and the spa - and by a new dynamic attitude.

As Diane Von Furstenberg, inventor of the seductive and ageless wrap dress puts it: "Being 40 today is what 30 used to be, and 50 is the new 40."

A milestone birthday is a time to take stock of life achievements - not just personal style. But significantly, many of the stars who turn 40 this year built their careers by taking advantage of a fashion moment.

There is Parker's Sex and the City obsession with Manolo Blahnik shoes, Hurley and her safety-pin Versace gown, Shields's commitment to her Calvin Klein jeans, and Evangelista's evergreen modeling career. But now, riding on the coattails of the baby boomer generation (people born between 1945 and 1964), these iconic fashion celebrities and their contemporaries will be taking on a new responsibility. They will become high profile emissaries for how society defines what getting older looks like and, more importantly, be role models on how best to dress the part.

The telltale signs of a shift in outlook are already showing up in Hollywood. The overwhelming success, both in ratings and awards, of the new prime time dramedy Desperate Housewives, about a group of 40-something suburban housewives, is just one example of the power this aging generation is welding.

Add to this the greenlighting of shows like Fat Actress starring Kristie Alley (54) and Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow (41) about a one-time sitcom star trying to resuscitate her career, reveal a trend celebrating grown-up actors and their television-viewing counterparts.

If 40 is the new 30, how will designers handle this fashion-savvy demographic, which has at least 20 years' worth of in-the-trenches shopping experience? This wealthy group of women will not easily part with their hard-earned disposable income on a one season wonder or flight of fancy.

With most of the top fashion designers well ensconced in the over 40 age bracket, what works for the growing "gray" market is already familiar territory. Therefore, to a certain extent, fashion designers will continue to create collections as they have always done, building looks that they could see themselves or their close friends wearing.

"I have always been about designing for women," says Donna Karan, whose arrival 20 years ago on the fashion scene transformed the working woman's wardrobe. "It is not about losing the sexy and sensuality, but about gaining sophistication," she says.

Another reason there won't be any radical changes in the way top fashion houses put together a collection is they don't see a need to woo a 40-year-old woman who already know which designers she looks good in. It is the 20- and 30-something fashion novice that designers are looking to bring into the fold, creating new lifetime customers.

"By 40 we know what works for our body type," says Lois Joy Johnson, fashion director at More, a glossy magazine for women over 40. "We have learned about personal style, it is more about appreciating yourself and less about persecuting yourself."

While women over 40 might be better in tune with what clothing works for them, they are also breaking all the age appropriate fashion rules set out by their predecessors. Women are no longer letting society dictate what they can wear, and clothes that once identified one generation from the next have fallen by the wayside.

"We are seeing that everything is being postponed: kids, marriage, adult life and old age." says Dr. David Metz, co-author with Michael Underwood of Older, Richer, Fitter, a user's guide on how to market to the gray generation.

As each passing year pushes the end point of middle age farther away, a new vocabulary is taking shape.

Metz sees the future as a more ageless society, where "a person's capabilities, goals and lifestyle will define people more that any number." And with the technical advances made over the last decade to help slow or mask the aging process, the old adage "age is a state of mind" seems to gain credence by the minute.

For Joy Johnson this comes as no surprise: "Women over 40 have never looked so incredible. We work out, we watch our diet, we take care of our skin - we look hot!"

Survey Sunday-- Which Mean Girl Are You?

Cady Heron


Which Mean Girl are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Scrapbooking

Went to scrappyclass today. I had decided that I wasn't going to show up, since Mom goes there, too. The dream was still too vivid and I couldn't face sitting across from her at a table, afraid of what I might say and knowing I wouldn't say anything at all.

Besides, Chuy invited me to breakfast at Denny's and I eagerly accepted the opportunity to drown my depression in pancake syrup and fat.

Unfortunately, once we got back from eating, Chuy was still complaining of an earache (which I've been trying to help him unclog for days now) and we went straight home after breakfast.

Since it was only noon, and the class started at 11:00, I decided to go ahead and scrap. I left immediately afterward and just came home. I've officially been depressed for four days. When will it stop?

Stunned
Current mood: stunned

I am still so stunned, I don't quite know what to say. Today, we had a Staff Development Day, which means that we teachers basically are in meetings the whole day. The agenda included a faculty meeting and a long-overdue department meeting.

At the faculty meeting, my principal mentioned that he wanted to talk to the department chairs for a few minutes when the meeting was finished. Our department doesn't have a department chair. One of my esteemed colleagues actually stood up in the faculty meeting and reminded our principal of this fact, which he acknowledged. THEN, WHEN THE MEETING WAS OVER, MY PRINCIPAL CALLED *MY* NAME AND ASKED *ME* TO SEE HIM. As I reluctantly went over to him, I quickly said, "I am not the department chair. I'm going to catch a lot of flak from my department if you make me department chair." A smart man, he understood what I was saying, and told me, "Go ahead and go." Just to cover all bases, on my way to the department meeting, I announced to anyone I saw from my department, "I'm not the department chair."

The reason we have not had a department chair, a person responsible for all department budgeting and master schedule of Language Arts sections and their staffing and going to District meetings and chairing Language Arts Department meetings and handling all the piles of mail received at the school addressed "Language Arts Department" is because it takes a lot of time. In the past, the department chairperson got an extra planning period as compensation for this. Now, due to budget cuts, the department chair got nothing. Perhaps a small stipend, but even that was iffy. Naturally, this is a job that no one wanted anymore. So, the position was left vacant.

This all became moot, however, when our school was assigned a District-mandated Literacy Administrator. This person was paid about $80,000 a year and was on par in position with a vice-principal. Since no one on our staff wanted to be Language Arts Department Chair, our Literacy Adminstrator stepped up and did it all.

I got along very well with our department's new boss right from the start. Oh, I was warned against her when she first came. Told to watch myself, she's a backstabber, that the other school where she worked had hated her, etc. I experienced no such animosity. In fact, this woman was no less than amazing.

When I told her that Chuy and I were in the last stages of infertility treatment and that it required me to inject myself in the stomach with potent hormones at night, then go to the hospital early in the morning and then drive across town to get sonograms three times a week, the first words out of her mouth were "I'll be happy to cover your first period class for you. Just let me know when you need me" No recriminations, no excuses, nothing but sincere support. And when, weeks later, I was back in her office to tell her that the treatment had failed and to thank her for taking over my classes, we were both in tears.

Then the unexpected happened. Due to an undiagnosed bone disorder (which later turned out to be early-onset osteoporosis), I broke both of my hips. Recovery would take eight weeks. Once again, I called on my boss and she was there for me, arranging a long-term substitute, informing my students, and letting me concentrate on getting better.

Before I came back to work, I called a couple of colleagues to find out the state of the school in my absence. What they had to say shocked me. They told me that my boss had been "going after" a few teachers, harrassing them and writing them up for, it seemed, little reason. Again, I was reminded of the advice I had been given to "watch" my back. I resolved that I would never give my boss a reason not to be pleased with my work.

This became difficult because I had only been back for twelve days before having to have yet another hip surgery. I would be out for eight weeks. This would have been an opportune time for my boss to really let me have it. Instead, she supported me to the utmost. My classroom was more organized when I returned than I had left it!

So, when this caring and ubercompetent woman told me that she wanted me to be on a special curriculum-writing team with her and some of my colleagues this past summer, I readily agreed. The school district was mandating that all ninth and tenth grade teachers use the same curriculum units in a specified order, but was leaving it to each site to develop the methodology. I wasn't exactly thrilled at doing this, especially when I realized that the whole first semester would be devoted to teaching expository text and not literature (I'm a Literature major). Having to teach a three week unit that centered around bold print and subheadings was not why I became an English teacher! But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. At least if I were writing the units, they would be well done and practical.

Working over the summer with my boss and my teacher colleagues was a lot of hard work. It involved following an exact formula of writing that did not mesh at all with my brain pattern. In fact, I ended up writing each unit twice; once my way, once the District's way. After 40 hours, we had two complete units finished. Our boss wanted us to write a third one, but we balked. This made all of us uncomfortable in the group, because we wanted to please her, but we also couldn't do as she asked. For me, it was a great source of stress, but I never took it personally. There have been times when I have expected too much of my students and had to scale back. It happens.

Before we knew it, school was about to begin and our time was up anway. We spent an entire morning planning a meeting in which we would unveil these units of study. Over and over again, our group expressed the desire for our coworkers to contribute their own ideas and put their own spin on the units. When we had the meeting, the two colleagues who my boss had reportedly "hounded" were no-shows.

In the meantime, my boss had purchased her first home, about a two hour drive to our campus. Also, she earned her doctorate. Those two facts pretty much spelled doom. It was obvious she would be moving on, which she did, mid-November.

The teacher a couple of doors down from me practically threw a party in celebration. He, along with a couple of others, had chafed under my boss's leadership. He was visibly gleeful at the prospect of going back to using packets and assigning only one essay per year. I was disgusted. But I held my tongue. What good would it do to say anything now?

Fast-forward to today. To the first department meeting since November. To the bloodbath it became. The principal and the Math Administrator had put me in charge of running it. I obliged, since I had been Department Chair a few years ago, when I taught junior high. I should have been more wary.

We all sat in a circle, about 14 of us. After deciding overwhelmingly that we wanted a ninth-grade chair, a tenth-grade chair, and an eleventh/twelfth grade chair, I asked who was interested in the jobs. No one volunteered to chair the ninth grade. I waited. Waited some more. "No one wants it?" I asked. "I'll do it," I added, "but I just want to make sure that no one else wants to throw their hat in the ring." Not one person objected. "Okay, but I don't want anyone saying, 'Who does she think she is?'" Still no one objected. With that, I became ninth-grade Language Arts Department Chair.

The same procedure went on for tenth-grade chair. One of teachers who had worked with our boss and me during the summer curriculum writing volunteered. Again, no one objected.

When it came time to elect the eleventh/twelfth grade chairperson, one of our veteran teachers raised her hand. This woman is a powerhouse -- outspoken, highly competent, and not exactly popular. Another teacher raised her hand. The second teacher is very cool, easy to talk to, great at what she does but not threatening. The second teacher said she wanted to do it, but would defer to the other woman, who had more experience.

That's when the first shot was fired. "I'm not comfortable with that!" objected my colleague from down the hall, his red face even redder. "Now we have three people in charge who are from the other side!" HUH?! Immediately, the powerhouse exploded. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. It seems this guy didn't like it that the three of us had gotten along well with our now-departed Literacy Administrator and that we were all now in positions of (albeit limited) power.

What's really strange about his assertion is that this woman wasn't part of the "inner circle". This woman, to put it bluntly, didn't toady up to anyone. She is a leader, not a follower. In short, she was wrongly accused of "collaborating" with "the enemy". Unlike me. I collaborated willingly and gratefully. As I sat there, listening to teacher after teacher join in on making this woman the "whipping boy," it was all I could do not to cry.

The salvos went back and forth, profanity was used, the room became electric with anger...misplaced anger. If anyone should be yelled at, it shouldn't be her, I thought.

Once the ugliness died down, and a couple of teachers had done their ineffectual best to calm the situation, I felt it was my turn to speak. My voice trembled a bit, but I told the group just what I wrote above. How I had been warned against the Literacy Administrator, how she had won me over, had bent over backwards for me. How I wasn't sure I wanted to be involved in District-mandated Units of Study but decided to out of loyalty to my boss and out of a sincere desire for quality curriculum. I looked around the room and said I didn't see one person in there who I felt I had harmed or harrassed. I said I didn't want to be lumped into a "side". I am myself and would remain so, no matter who else came along to work with us. And then, as a gesture of peace, I passed around the small container of grapes I had brought to the meeting by happenstance, and we each took one and ate it.

Meeting adjourned for lunch. "Are you alright?" someone asked the teacher who had taken most of the hits at the meeting. "No, I am most definitely not all right," she said, and burst into tears. A few of us stayed, consoling, listening, smoothing, comiserating, until she seemed like she could stand alone again.

After lunch, just the ninth and tenth grade teachers met and my red-faced colleague was conciliatory. He told me he liked what I said and how I had handled myself. I got the sense that, while he would continue to be wary, he did not see me as "the enemy". A good start.

When we all met back for one last pow-wow before going home, my principal announced that we must have had quite some meeting, since one of the teachers had to go home after it. I happened to be sitting next to the man who was the cause of this, and he assumed she had gone straight to the principal after the department meeting to tattle on him. He was wrong. The principal later told me that he hadn't even spoken to the woman.

As I was leaving, the new eleventh/twelfth grade department chair came up and offered, "Call me this weekend if you need to talk." I don't know that I will take her up on it. At this point, I'm still too shell-shocked. I want to forget it ever happened and move on. I just hope we can all do that.

Chillin' With Chuy
Current mood: mellow

Chuy made 7:00 reservations for dinner at a nice restaurant that neither of us had tried, but it's raining and I hate going out in the rain, so I cancelled and we stayed in tonight. Just the two of us, watching Malibu's Most Wanted, Chuy's arms wrapped around me the whole time. Bliss!

Loca for Lost...and a Thank You
Current mood: enthralled

I know you are all waiting for my analysis of tonight's episode of Lost, but first I want to give a huge thank you to my dear friend, Erika. Erika, I don't know how you knew that I was hurting last night but, just as I was falling into that dark place, you grabbed hold and didn't let go until I was laughing again. Thank you. Neither of us will ever know what possible tragedies were averted by your simple phone call.

Okay, onto the best show on television today!!

It was Sawyer's turn (again?) tonight and, as Paul Harvey would say, we get to see "the rest of the story". In a fireside game of "I Never," Kate and Sawyer both have to drink to the statement "I've never killed a man." I can't say I was really surprised that Sawyer killed a man. What did surprise me (and, I daresay, many other people) was how and whom!

Another shocker awaited us in the dark environs of an Australian bar, where Sawyer had gone to drink himself some courage. Oh...my...gawd! Haven't we seen that man at the end of the bar before? Is there a DOCTOR (or should I say "former" doctor?) in the house?! Yes, it's none other than Christian Shepherd, Jack's old man! You know, the guy Jack kept hallucinating when he first came to the island? The one whose career Jack jettisoned because he blabbed about his dad's drinking on the job? If it weren't enough of a jaw-dropper seeing Christian and Sawyer in the same room, we find out that the good (or should I say "bad!") doctor isn't even mad at his son's betrayal. Turns out he's proud of him! Sawyer keeps this information to himself, however, when he finally makes the connection in an island convo with Jack.

And speaking of "connection," is anyone else but me wondering if good old "Hibbs" isn't, perhaps, who he claims to be. Could he be the elusive "Sawyer" that our antagonist named himself after?

Dreaming a Nightmare



Current mood: depressed

I'm listening to Death Cab for Cutie and getting a little depressed. Last night, I woke up suddenly at 4:30 because my mom was throwing a full cup of Coke at me and screaming, her face contorted with rage. The plastic cup was clear, much like the real-life curvy Coke glass in my kitchen, but the Coke was solid. When she threw it at me, it didn't splash. It also didn't hit me, because I started awake before it could. Gee, subconscious mind, whatever could you be trying to tell me?

Recently, I wrote about the Sims being a contributing factor in my decision to ask my mom to move out of the apartment. I hinted that there were other factors involved (of COURSE! Good golly, I wouldn't ask her to move if it had only been about that!).

I wish I could say that last summer she got violent with me and that's the reason I wanted her gone by November. That's not true. The weirder truth is that she got violent after I told her. When she didn't have to pretend to be nice to me anymore. Okay, not immediately after. A week after. But she got so angry that she threw the phone at me. And her lamp. And half of the objects lying within reach. She accused me of plotting to harm her when she was "helpless". Said she'd been "warned".

You know, I think part of her wants me to take revenge on her for the child abuse -- physical, mental, emotional, verbal -- that she heaped upon me all those years ago. Because we both know she deserves it for what she did to me.

Oh, she apologized afterward for that morning's tirade. Contritely. Tearfully. Just like she used to do when I was a kid. Except now I see it for what it is. Except now it makes me sick.

Happy Valentine's Day!



Current mood: loved

So, one major drawback to having a spouse who works at one of the top restaurants in the city is that he has to work every damn Valentine's Day. I have never gotten used to that and, even after a dozen Valentine's Days as a couple, I never will.

Last night, I had set out Chuy's presents in a shiny red gift bag, along with a card, and was rewarded with his delighted chortle when he got home. I knew he would wait to open it until today, and I was only a little bit sorry that I wouldn't be here to see his face. Sure hope he liked what I got him! If not, I enclosed the gift receipt.

Since I knew there would be no one home tonight, I stayed at work until 5:30 p.m., until my bladder and my stomach couldn't hold out any longer. As I was locking up, I wondered to myself what Valentine's gift I would find upon my arrival. I just hoped that it wasn't some huge stuffed animal!

Luckily, it was loads better than that. I received a lovely card, a Guess? watch, and a gold locket on a chain. Pretty good for having been left to his own devices (I was determined that he would have to surprise me this year) considering he was given no more of a directive than "elegant" and "around $100".

My darling Chuy, how I love you. You are the only person holding me onto this planet. Don't ever let go.

Survey Sunday-- In Honor of Valentine's Day

What Color is Your Heart?

Your Heart is Pink


What Color is Your Heart?
brought to you by Quizilla

Flogging My Blog


Current mood: industrious

Today was spent working on my blog, reading other people's blogs, creating a MySpace blogring ("Blah, Blah, Blog"...It's under the "Culture" category. Go join it!), obsessively checking to see how many people have read my blogs, you get the idea.

I thought I was going to read today, but it didn't work out like that. Maybe tomorrow!

Love,

o:-) Angel

Erika



Current mood: happy

I spent the best day today with Erika. Her beau, Greg, had a hockey game today and I have the day off, so we got to hang.

First, we started off with a hearty breakfast at Harry's in La Jolla. Originally we were going to go to one of my favorite breakfast places, The Cottage, but it was raining and the main appeal of The Cottage is its outdoor seating.

Harry's was cozy and comforting and the waitress kept calling both of us "Honey" and it was fine.

When we left there, Erika showed me the Valentine's Day present she is working on for Greg. I won't go into details just in case Greg is reading this, but it was such a kewl idea that I may do something like it for Chuy for our anniversary.

On our way to Warwicks Bookstore, we stopped in on this groovy store called MoS. They had a lot of sixties-inspired decor that I would have given my left nut to own about a year ago when I was crazy for that kitschy mid-century vibe. Instead, I've decided to go for "Coco Chanel meets Carole Lombard" chic for the apartment. I'm happy with my decision but stores like MoS make me think twice!

After we chatted for a bit with the store's owners, Erika and I headed off to Warwick's. I told myself I was only going to buy one (ONE!) book. I left with THREE! That's so typical. What happened was, I was looking for a Brit Chick Lit book a la Bridget Jones and ran into a Brit Chick instead! Her name was Betty and she was from London. She recommended that I read one of her favorite books, Compromising Positions by Susan Isaacs. I decided to give it a go. I also picked up Last Chance Saloon which has been on my "Wanna Read" list for a while now. Then, on the cash register counter beckoned a tome titled Jane Austen's Guide to Dating. Dear Readers, how could I resist? It had the words "Jane Austen" in the title! I picked it up, as well.

Then, Erika and I dropped off our precious literary cargo in my car and crossed the street to Banana Republic so I could find a Valentine's Day present for Chuy. He only ever tells me to buy him clothes or shoes for any given special occasion, so I don't even bother asking him anymore. I picked him up a long-sleeved cotton T-shirt and a sleek black jacket. I adore it when he wears black. *whew! Is it getting hot in here??* Of course, I had to pull a Stacy London and shop for myself, as well, but didn't leave with anything.

We also went to the GAP but I've just purchased some clothes from gap.com, so I didn't even bother trying anything on.

By this time, I was hungry again, so Erika and I stopped for fish tacos at Rubios No. 1 in Mission Bay. Before I knew it, it was time to drop her back off at Greg's.

Altogether, a lovely day with a lovely person. Miss you already, Erika!

Beach House Rules


Current mood: sheepish

One of the few perks of being a teacher is that we get these random holidays off that not everyone gets, such as Lincoln's birthday. So, no work tomorrow. Time to catch up on Strong Bad's e-mails on Homestarrunner.com and catch up on my own.

Wait! What's this? An e-mail entitled "Jinx" is waiting for me when I check the e-mail address I've assigned to my blog. Here it is, in its entirety:

"This is so amazing - we are kindred souls - have you seen my site?
http://annewhitney.typepad.com/beach_house_rules/? I mean, it's like
we're twins or something - thank goodness I've found you! Did you
ever see that movie Single White Female? Because it's just like the
beginning when they're great pals and everything - you know, before it
gets all creepy weird . . .

Thanks for the flattery,
Anne-Whitney"

Gulp! Okay, here's the scoop. When I was thinking about attempting blogging again, I knew that I not only wanted to post it here at myspace.com, but also on my own website, http://www.geocities.com/1angelcares/angelblog12005.html

Trouble was, I couldn't think of how I wanted the layout to be. So, I went surfing for source code to copy and paste onto a page. I've done this many times before...copying the code, changing the info to make it pertinent to my needs, putting in my own backgrounds, etc. That's basically how I taught myself HTML so many years ago. I'd just remove some HTML code, see how its removal affected the page, then put it back in, and change it some more until it became "mine".

When I found this woman's blog, Beach House Rules, I really liked the way she had it laid out so I decided to follow suit. I copied her entire page, links, photos, blog entries, and all. Then, methodically, I exchanged her photos for my photos, her entries for my entries. One part I didn't change were her links. She had tons of them: "mommy blogs", "daddy blogs", "Buddha blogs", blogs about politics, etc. I was curious to see if any of these blog sites would be of interest to me, so I held onto them, exploring them, keeping or deleting them whenever I had time.

One part I couldn't change was the fact that this woman, far more net savvy than I, had used what are called "cascading style sheets", a way of adding syle to HTML web documents that I had never learned. Because of these CSS codes, the banner from her Beach House Rules website became an integral (and undeletable) part of my new page. Try as I might, I couldn't get rid of it. So, I left it on there, serving as an homage to Anne Whitney's site.

I'm still curious as to how she found me. On my stats page, it tells me the link that people have clicked in order to reach my blog. Perhaps one of the people who looked on my site clicked on one the many blog links and that blog owner got curious and went to my site and noticed how similar it looked to Beach House Rules (granted, there is that telltale banner floating at the top!) and told Anne Whitney about it. Either that or she was doing some ego-surfing (a pastime that I have engaged in more than once myself, I might add) and since her name is embedded in the CSS source code, stumbled upon my page.

I honestly don't think I did anything wrong. Now, if I had claimed that the blogs she wrote were written by me or if I used her photo instead of my own, claiming to be the mother of four kids...yeah, I could see how that would be freaky. But to have used someone else's code? Not so freaky.

Even so, I felt really bad about it. Especially about the Single White Female comment. Ouch! Before I copied her code, I did read her blogs and this woman's been through hell lately. The last thing I wanted to was cause her more stress. So, I crafted this e-mail in response:

"LOL! That is so funny! In a weird way, I think I've been waiting for you to e-mail me (okay, but not in a SWF-type of weird way...rest assured!). How did you ever find me, I wonder?

Yes, ya got me. I loved the way you set up your site, so I source-code copied it and started making changes. I'm still trying to learn the nuances of HTML, it seems, although I've had my homepage up since 1996. I truly hope that you do take it as flattery. As you can see, I am making my way down your "favorite blogs" list and deleting the ones that don't speak to me as a childless teacher in California. However, I thank you for your great taste in bloggers and it has been kind of fun reading how "the other half lives". I also love all the "fun stuff" I never would have found (or at least it would have taken me much longer) on my own.

Speaking of "other half", I haven't read your blog for a while, but I am really happy that you and your family have left your mother-in-law's house. She's a trip! Yet, you kept your sense of humor through it all. I think I would have been a wreck.

Thanks for the use of your source-code and for writing to me about it.

Sincerely,

Angel"

I haven't heard from her again but, believe me, I'll be spending this weekend making my blogsite as much "me" as I can. If anyone knows how to do CSS in the three-column style, do let me know!

On a lighter note, here's the other e-mail that I received in my inbox:

"How are you.
i see your picture, you are very peuitful.
please sorry i don't speake english very good.
this is my e-mail.
do you know i would like to come to Syria in the summer its a nice country, if you like this please tell me.

yours

Saad"

One, two, three...aaaaaawwww! Isn't that so sweet? I wrote him back and told him I was married, but not before I asked him about what they eat for breakfast in Syria (my favorite meal...when I travel, that's one of my biggest gripes. You can't find a decent Denny's!). Here's what he said:

"me to i consider the breakfast is the bases meal, i can't go to university without
eaten my breakfast.
the breakfast generally in Syria made up of bread, eggs, coffee ,cheese ,thyme ,and many kinds.
Here in Syria littleness eat a cold meal such as kellogg's Cornflakes,
rather the most of pepole have a long time to preaper a breakfast.
but when you came to Syria i will prepare to you all you like it to be happy.
your pisture is a nice, i think you have a good husband."

Almost makes me want to go!

"Lost" Again!

Current mood: embarrassed

Yes! Yes! Yes! A new episode of Lost!

And what an episode. Claire came back and SHE STILL HAS HER BABY! For some reason, when I had seen her emerge from the darkness of the jungle, it looked like she wasn't pregnant anymore and I thought, "Evan, you evil son of a bitch! You took her baby!" But, no, thank goodness.

So, tonight, both Chuy and our roommate (Chuy's cousin) were home. They were watching "noticias" in the other room while I watched Lost. Remember how I told you a few weeks ago that I yelled out at the T.V. when so and so did such and such and how glad I was that no one was home? Well, I did it again. When Charlie shot Evan dead, I screamed, "Charlie, you fucking idiot!

All of a sudden, I hear laughter from the next room. "Honey!" Chuy chastised, kiddingly. *woops!* I don't think our roommate has ever heard me swear. I actually went in and apologized to both of them for my outburst.

Damn, Fuck, Shit, I love this show!

Have you ever...

snuck out of the house:: Yes.

gotten lost in your city:: Sure, of course. Luckily, we have an ocean on one side, so that lowers the odds a bit.

seen a shooting star:: Uh-huh. Freaky!

been to any other countries besides the United States:: Naturally. (I wish this question had been “ever had sex in other countries besides the United States…same answer!)

had a serious surgery:: Many, throughout my adult life. Four within one year.

gone out in public in your pajamas:: Yes, but I don’t get out of the car! More like, to go to the drive-thru of Carl’s Jr. and straight back home again.

kissed a stranger:: Done more than that!

hugged a stranger:: Done waaaaay more than that!

been in a fist fight:: Um…I don’t think so. I’ve been in fights, but I’m always at the losing end.

been arrested:: No.

done drugs:: Never.

had alcohol:: Sure. I’m a really cheap date. Two beers and I’m ready for action!

laughed and had milk/coke come out of your nose:: Ewwww! No! Gross!

pushed all the buttons on an elevator:: NO. I hate wasting time.

swore at your parents:: Not to their faces!

been in love:: Yes. Still am.

been close to love:: Uh-huh…sometimes with complete strangers!

been to a casino:: Yes, but I don’t really gamble and I find casinos to be a bit cheesy.

been skydiving:: Yes, hence one of my aforementioned “major surgeries”. Bad landing.

broken a bone:: Several. Turns out I have osteoporosis.

been high:: I’ve been drunk, but never high. Drugs are illegal.

skinny-dipped:: Yes. The weirdest thing is that it was at my grandparents’ house! Eew!

skipped school:: I ditched a class once that I can remember. Sometimes I’d skip in college.

flashed someone:: No. I’ve flipped someone off, but flashing is just too crass.

saw a therapist:: Yes. I got 10 free visits in college and used them all. Also, I was required to be “checked out” by a psychiatrist when I began infertility treatments. Weird.

done the splits:: Ow! No!

played spin the bottle:: Yes. When I was 35. I kissed a girl, too. Well, more of a quick peck, but what a surreal experience!

gotten stitches:: Yes. My first stitches were when I was two. I fell off the bed.

drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour:: I’m lactose intolerant. That would be like drinking poison to me.

bitten someone:: No, but my mother bit me once because I didn’t get out of the car fast enough to suit her.

been to Niagara Falls:: No, but it looks pretty.

gotten the chicken pox:: Yes. A terrible case of it, where I had pox in my scalp and between my toes. I still have some pock marks.

kissed a member of the opposite sex:: Uhhh... yes.

kissed a member of the same sex:: Yup. Some pre-adolescent experimentation, plus the aforementioned spin the bottle episode.

crashed into a friend's car:: No. That would be pretty embarrassing.

been to Japan:: No, but if I go, I will go with my friend, Katy, who used to live there.

ridden in a taxi:: Sure. Not great memories. Taxi drivers hate me.

been dumped:: Yes. But they always come back!

shoplifted:: Yes, when I was about eight or nine, but I was found out and that was the end of my larcenous career. My sister was obsessed with shoplifting and I think she still might be!

been fired:: Yes. More than once. For totally shitty reasons.

had a crush on someone of the same sex:: No.

had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back:: Hehehe. In high school, I had a real gift for falling for closeted gay guys.

stolen something from your job:: I think I did, as a teenager working at Winchells. Like, I took the money but didn’t ring up the sale. It amounted to some loose change, but it was wrong. I can’t think of why I would do such a thing. I ended up getting fired, although they never mentioned the incident as being the reason.

gone on a blind date:: There was a point when I became convinced I could “do better” and decided to try out a newfangled fad called “cyberdating”. I met many men that way. The great thing about cyberdating was that you couldn’t see the person and you got to know them by how they wrote. The terrible thing about cyberdating was that when you finally met the person, you realized that personal chemistry superceded the written word. I ended up going back to Chuy.

lied to a friend:: Yes. Not recently, though.

had a crush on a teacher:: Kind of, yes. A social studies teacher in ninth grade. I had a big crush on my Spanish teacher in college.

celebrated Mardi-Gras in New Orleans:: Looks scary to me.

been to Europe:: Yes, but only to Italy and Switzerland.

slept with a co-worker:: No, but, damn! I sure got a lot of offers!

been married:: No. No interest.

gotten divorced:: I’m deathly afraid of getting divorced.

had children:: Sadly, no. The great tragedy of my life.

seen someone die:: Hell no! I hope never to do so!

had a close friend die:: No. Perish the thought.

been to Africa:: No, not a place that seems like a fun “tourist” destination.

driven over 400 miles in one day:: Yes, to Merced.

been to Canada:: Yup.

been to Mexico:: Yup.

been on a plane:: Yes. I really like flying, actually.

seen the Rocky Horror Picture show:: LOL! Many, many times!

thrown up in a bar:: Yes. Thrown up in several locales.

purposely set a part of myself on fire:: Hell no! Good grief!

eaten sushi:: Yeah. Not a fan.

been snowboarding:: No, and I can’t now, because of all the metal in my body.

met someone in person from the internet:: Yes. (see above question about blind dates)

lost a child:: In a manner of speaking. Never got pregnant and “lost” the opportunity to do so, due to my illness.

gone to college:: Yes. For several years. I was on the “nine year plan”.

graduated college:: Yes! Took me forever, but I graduated cum laude.

done hard drugs:: No. Done no drugs. Except the doctor-prescribed kind. Those painkillers were hard enough to kick. Never want to go through that again.

tried killing yourself:: NO. But I really don’t want to live. There’s a difference.

fired a gun:: No. I keep thinking I should learn, but don’t really see the point.

purposely hurt yourself:: Yes. I guess I do it every day, with the lifestyle I lead. I eat crap. I don’t exercise.

taken painkillers:: Yes. For several months, every four-eight hours. Darvocet makes me loopy, Percocet makes me nauseated, Vicodin is jusssst riiiiiiight. Kicking it was hard, but I did it on my own.

love someone or miss someone right now:: Yes. I love Chuy. I miss the old me. The one before I got sick. The one who had all the plans.

They Like Me, They Really Like Me!

Current mood: liked

So, this really great thing has been happening and I don't quite know what to think.

It all started when Amber lent me some of her books (Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Series and MaryJanice Davidson's hilarious Undead novels). I read them voraciously and, as I finished each one, passed them on to my mom so she could read them before I returned them all.

Then Erika lent me some of her books (Janet Evanovich, Dan Brown, and Donna Kauffman), and I'm still working on those.

Looking back, I must have mentioned this "book lending" concept to my students at one point or another. Little did I know how much the idea would take hold!

One Friday, when a student did a presentation on a book called The A-List, it sounded so great that I expressed interest in reading it. "Oh, I'll lend it to you," the girl replied. If you've been reading my blogs regularly, you know that I love, love, loved that book and plan to read the entire series.

Well, when I told the student how much I loved the book and thanked her for lending it to me, I didn't realize the untapped opportunity that I had been unaware of for the last dozen or so years that I've been teaching.

One of my male students piped up, "Have you seen City of God?" When I responded that I hadn't, he said, "Oh, I'll lend it to you." Chuy and I watched the movie that night and were both blown away by it (and not a little depressed!). When I returned the DVD to the student, he asked, "What did you think of it?" and we had a little impromptu chat about the fact that it was a true story, etc.

Later, another student found out I had read Dave Pelzer's A Child Called It and The Lost Boy, but not A Man Named Dave (the third installment in the series). "Oh, I'll lend it to you," she offered.

Then another girl told me that Between Worlds, the book she was reading was written by local authors Pershing and Delshad, and she knew them personally, etc. When I expressed interest in having them come and speak to the class but wanted to read the book first, she said, "Oh, I'll lend it to you."

Then, the other day, yet another student offered up his copy of Malibu's Most Wanted for my viewing pleasure.

Then another girl lent me the book she just finished reading called White is for Magic. And the boy who lent me City of God offered to let me borrow Ray, the Ray Charles biopic.
What gives? When I was marveling to my mom about this phenomenon, she said, "They like you. They really, really like you." Bad Sally Field impression aside, I think maybe she's right. And I feel the same about them.

Survey Sunday--The Sims: How Addicted Are You?

Current mood: addicted

The Sims - How Addicted Are You?

WOW. You're extremely addicted. Perhaps even more than I am! I recommend psychiatric help.
Take this quiz!








Quizilla
Join

Make A Quiz More Quizzes Grab Code

The Sims

Current mood: guilty

Have you ever played the Sims? Just in case you've been under a rock and aren't familiar with the game, here's an abridged definition courtesy of Wikipedia.com: "The Sims is a strategy/simulation computer game. First released in January 2000, and with over 6 million copies sold worldwide, it is heralded as the best-selling PC game in history. The Sims is sometimes described as a 'god game': a departure from most previous computer games, which tend to have a definite goal or objective. Instead, the game focuses entirely on virtual people called 'Sims', placing the player in control of a 'virtual dollhouse', controlling their daily activities such as sleeping, eating, cooking and bathing, to name a few."

The Sims was one of the reasons why I think I broke both my hips. I would play for, like, 14 hours at a time on a less than ergonomically designed chair. Okay, well, the official diagnosis is osteoporosis, but I have my suspicions.

The Sims is also one of the reasons that I ultimately had to ask my mom to move out of our apartment.

One of the worst mistakes I ever made was introducing the Sims to my mom, although I didn't know it at the time. If you've ever played the game, you know the wonder that you feel...the euphoria, the confusion, the frustration, the OBSESSION. It was natural to want to share what I was going through with someone in the real world. Plus, since all I ever did was play the game, it was natural that Mom would feel left out and want to join in.

At first it was fun. I showed Mom all the stuff I learned. I demonstrated what to do to keep the burglar from stealing the family's stereo. I explained how to prevent the house from catching fire. I announced with pride when one of my Sims reached the pinnacle of the career ladder he or she was climbing.

Then Mom became a monster. One that I created.

She would interrupt me when I was playing to ask me about this or that. She would talk about the Sims like they were real. She made extensive databases with each Sim's name and character traits. She ruined the pleasure of the game for me. She ruined the CD drive of my computer. She ruined her own life, because she never even attempted to go out anymore. She ruined any private time I could have had with Chuy because she was home EVERY GODDAMN NIGHT!

I tried to get her to stop playing. I set an example by not playing the game anymore. She kept on. I thought, oh, she'll get tired of it after a while. She didn't. Expansion packs saw to that. She even opened up an expansion pack that I had gotten for Christmas and hadn't used yet. MY present! That pissed me off. When I told her that I didn't want her to play on my computer anymore, she went in her room and loaded the game onto some old PC relic she took from her office. Well, at least she was out of the living room.

Did we have problems before the Sims came to live with us? Sure we did. But, in retrospect, I see the arrival of the Sims as, if not the beginning of the end, then at least the middle of it.

Mom moved out at the end of November. The Sims are still here. I think I'll go play with them now.

Homestarrunner.com

Current mood: playful

I've "discovered" a hilarious website called Homestarrunner.com. See, there's this lispy, armless, beanie-wearing character with an underbite named Homestarrunner. He lives in the Kingdom of Town and looks good in red. Strong Bad is a lucha libre-style character who, apparently, holds no love for Homestarrunner. He has his own land called Strong Badia (population: Tire). Every week, he answers e-mails sent in by visitors and fans. There are several other characters inhabiting the site, plus cartoons and games, but I'll leave that for you to explore.

As one of Strong Bad's loyal readers would say:

Crapfully yours,

Angel

LAUNCHcast

Current mood: eclectic

A Sample of the LAUNCHcast songs I listened to on a typical evening:

William Hung "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" (I rated it and his entire album Never Play Again)
Sean Paul "Get Busy"
Bing Crosby "Far Away Places"
Norah Jones "Humble Me"
Bobby Darin "Multiplication"
Dizzy Gillespie"Dizzys Blues"
Three Dog Night "Joy to the World"
Fattburger "Sizzlin"
Herb Alpert "Rise"
The Police "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic"
Alanis Morisette "Everything"
Madonna "Live to Tell"
Dixie Chicks "Cowboy Take Me Away"
Elton John "Crocodile Rock"
Christina Aguilera, et al "Lady Marmalade"
Prince "Little Red Corvette"
Matchbox Twenty "Long Day"
Duran Duran "Hallucinating Elvis"
Tony Bennett "In the Middle of an Island"
Janet Jackson "Strawberry Bounce"
Green Day "Waiting"
Sugarcult "Youre the One"
DJ Micro "Blood is Pumpin (Voodoo Serano)"
Eryka Badu "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)"
Keith Urban "Country Comfort"
Thievery Corporation "Until the Morning"
David Sanborn "Comin Home Baby"
Elton John "The Bitch is Back"
John Coltrane "Mr. P.C." (I skipped this one)
Stan Getz "Desafinado"
Mario Winans "Never Really Was" (I skipped this one and rated it Never Play Again)
Aaliyah "Miss You (Remix)"
Enya "Athair Ar Neamh"
Chicago "Will You Still Love Me?"
Linkin Park "In the End"
The Police "The Invisible Sun"
Sugarcult "Shes the Blade"

"The Check's in the Mail"

Current mood: blah

So, I came home today to find that the check from my retirement account had, indeed, arrrived, so I hotfooted it over to the bank and deposited it. Now I can pay back Chuy (who said to give him only half of what I owe him, since he's not in any hurry for it. Love ya, hunnee!) and pay the bills I've been putting off.

I hate paying bills. I don't know why that is. It seems to take me so long. Maybe it's because I am always behind on them and feel guilty. Maybe it's because there are three of us living here, so I have to deal with getting money from this person and that person. Maybe it's because I am terrible at math and even simple arithmetic gives me the heebeegeebees.

I am still recovering from my whirlwind of grading papers and the resulting exhaustion it caused. I just don't seem to be able to bounce back like I used to.

No new episode of Lost tonight. Rats! I hate when networks do that...addict you to something and then pull it away from you. I wanna see what happened to Claire!

I Am So Fucking Exhausted

Current mood: exhausted

Guess what I'm holding in my hand? *jingles keys*

Yep, the keys to my new condo were FedExed to me today and I am now officially a homeowner.

I wish I weren't so fried and could enjoy what should have been a happy occasion.

I have just about killed myself grading papers, dealing with kids' and parents' meltdowns, and re-grading papers that I allowed students to redo up until the. last. second. NEVER again will I be so accommodating. NEVER. Truly, I feel like a poster child for the phrase "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished".

One bright spot today (besides receiving the keys to the condo) is that I got a long-overdue haircut at Alyssa's new salon in Solana Beach. I was so excited to tell her the good news about being a homeowner. Even better, she was so excited at the good news that she didn't charge me for my cut. I am very grateful for that sweet gesture. I really needed some TLC.

I'm spent. Gonna go veg out now.