A Foodie or An Asshole?

Who gives their partner the silent treatment during dinner, and then tosses a technical "thanks for dinner" out the window as she leaves the table for the serious offense of making mac 'n cheese for dinner?

Tami would say, "Don't be such a jerk."

D. would say, "A foodie. I'm mean, come on, reconstituted cheese? Oh, vile!"

Judge tenderly of me!

I Mean, REALLY.

What I want to know, is why we have the technology to put a human being on the moon, but not the technology to make Jell-O solidify faster than four hours. I mean, who has time to wait around for that shit to solidify? And, because we never have that kind of time, we always forget until three days later when we find the container while searching for the pickles.

Lots of Randomness

I've decided my favourite thing about iTunes is that whenever I get the hankering for a song or get one stuck in my head that I don't already own, I can just look it up on iTunes and own it for a dollar in about 5 minutes. It's pretty awesome that way.

*****

It's been a good week for my reading list; I just finished Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation, which proved to be disappointingly less political than I was searching for. However, what it lacked in political punditry it made up for in biographical history. Vowell takes the reader for a disjointed ride on the trail of historical markers, plaques, houses, memorials and guided tours of all things related to the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield and William McKinley. Her guided tour was extremely thorough, if not full of off-topic tangents about her nephew and the various folks who accompanied her on her journey; as one point, she even carries on about the "vegetarian sex cult" Oneida Community, which later founded the company Oneida, Ltd,. You've probably heard of it, in fact YER MOM probably has a very lovely flatware set that she only sets out when the "special company" comes over. I digress (much like she did). The Community was joined by the assassin who killed James Garfield.

In short, the book was good for folks interested in assassinated presidents pre-Kennedy.

Also this week, I started in on the Strangers in Paradise series by Terry Moore, my first venture into the world of graphic novels. I read three volumns this weekend alone, thanks to Anna's enthusiasm for them (it's now a race to see who can get through them first!). But, really, how could I not be interested in these characters? Katchoo is my favourite, but something tells me that's she's gonna loose her rough edges during the course of this series and my interest along with them.

*****

In other news, Tami and George left yesterday morning and the whole house was sad to see them go. Well, maybe not Toby, but he's scared of everybody, so... In his defence, though, he has "recovered" from their visit almost entirely, whereas last time we had company, it was nearly a week before he would stop pacing and relax. We had a blast with Tami and George, drinking coffee and reading the papers together every morning, drinking beers in the evening and dancing with Kitty and Doggie every afternoon. I hope it was as much a vacation for them as it was for us! :)

*****

I start work at the Partnership this coming Monday. I'm not thrilled about it 'cos it's not idealistic, but it'll have to work for now. My parents, however, are simply thrilled I'll be off the dole finally, and I guess that's something to be happy about.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee! I can seeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

We got a new monitor. It's pretty awesome. Tami's (a.k.a. "Whammy") coming into town this weekend and I hope you won't see much of me around here for the duration of her stay with us. Check the Moblog, though. You'll probably find me there. :)

I Hope

My computer monitor is on the fritz. It may be some time before I get access to the internet again. You understand.

In Book News

I went to my local, podunk library today to pick out a couple of non-fictions and the book Anna recommended in her comment yesterday. I found Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and was proud to reply to the inquisitive librarian who helped me find it that no, I was not reading it for a summer reading list, but because, lately, "I've been really into" African literature and stories. He recommended the Norton Anthology of African American Literature, which I didn't pick up; however, I did pick up Double-Take: A Revisionist Harlem Renaissance Anthology, which includes authors the likes of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and W.E.B. Du Bois. That I picked up this book made me chuckle; it reminded me of a high school English literature book, something I NEVER would have voluntarily read in high school (or even college).

All the PoliSci books I was looking for were either Bestsellerers (and therefor non-requestable and/or unavailable), so I just perused the Bestsellers shelf and picked up Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation, only because she's been filling in for Maureen Dowd, a one-sided critic of the Bush Administration and columnist of the NY Times. Vowell is very similar to Dowd and, though I find both of their criticisms to be narrow-minded and of the typical liberal rhetoric, their columns are usually funny and always an uncomplicated read.

Yes, I still look for the comic strip in the Times. There isn't even so much as a political cartoon to be found within!

"Just" a Temp

So, I am just off the phone with the HR Dir at the Partnership, who informed me that I'm filling a temporary position out at FaF. The salary is based on the normal salary of the position, but as I'm only a temp, I don't receive benefits. The Dir expects the position will last at least 4 or 5 months.

I could just cry.

I'm Too Tired to Name This

My neck is feeling better. No unusual swelling, discoleration, bruising or noticable nerve damage. I'm still stiff when I make sharp turns with my neck, especially to the right, but I hardly notice it's there, except when I do.

I finished The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It's quite an exquisite and historical accounting of a white, Southern American, Baptist Missionary family losing itself in the enchanting web of Africa. Coincidentally, it's also the longest book I've devoured since I read Alex Haley's Roots in high school. Turns out I really love African history; that is, I'm in-love with the riveting, brutal truths of the land and its peoples. But then, I've always been a sucker for indigenous (read: "uncivilised")* cultures.

I've started on The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. I'm sure you're familiar with it, I'm not going to tell the story, mostly because I've only gotten through the first chapter. I will say this, though: it's filled with cheese. Bailey would LOVE it!

Oh, yeah. And I got a job with the Partnership. I'll go in this week to sign the papers so's I can start on the 25th of this month. Relief.

*I'm mocking, of course.

Pain in My Neck

We went to Montauk yesterday to take in the beach. Mentally, It took me a little while to get past the shell-ridden, rocky shoreline and into the breakers and sandbar, but after some encouragement from Anna, I made it. Almost immediately, I was forced to jump out of the way of a wave. I lost my footing while trying, instinctually, to yank my neck up above the wave and did something bad to my neck. I'm not quite sure what, yet, I just know I have very limited mobility in my neck and there is a good deal of heat eminating from the base of the back of my skull. The muscles coming off from and surrounding this area have been affected, as shrugging my shoulders hurts almost as much.

I don't quite know how to handle the situation. Part of me is terrified that since it's an injury involving my neck, the utmost precaution should be taken and I should head to the ER or see a physician or chiropractor. The other part thinks it's just a strained or pulled muscle and, at most, I should go get a soft neck brace to stabilise it. Any thoughts or expertise in the field?

Pictures from the outing:

"I love you," is all that I can say.

"Sorry," is all that I can say. Years gone by and still words don't come easily, like, "sorry," like, "sorry."

"Forgive me," is all that I can say. Years gone by and still words don't come easily, like, "forgive me, forgive me."

(t. chapman)

Come unto Me, and Rest

Brother, art thou worn and weary,
Tempted, tried, and sore oppressed?
Listen to the word of Jesus,
“Come unto Me, and rest!”

Refrain:
“Come unto Me, and rest!”
“Come unto Me, and rest!”
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
“Come unto Me, and rest!”

Oh, He knows the dark forebodings
Of the conscience troubled breast,
And to such His word is given,
“Come unto Me, and rest!”

Refrain

To the Lord bring all your burden,
Put the promise to the test;
Hear Him say, your Burden Bearer,
“Come unto Me, and rest!”

Refrain

If in sorrow thou art weeping,
Grieving for the loved ones missed,
Surely then to you He whispers,
“Come unto Me, and rest!”

Refrain

Trust to Him for all thy future,
He will give thee what is best;
Why then fear when He is saying,
“Come unto Me, and rest!”

“Come unto Me, and rest!”
“Come unto Me, and rest!”
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
“Come unto Me, and rest!”

With that, I give you my livejournal. Please read.

Toby:

A recent discovery.

A Little Courtesy, Please? It's All I Ask, Thanks.

I've waited the last two weeks for a call from the Partnership's HR department that never came. Well, a call came from the Dept., but not the call I was told to expect. This call delivered the news that they had filled the position for which I was told to expect an HR interview. I'm pissed, but not because I didn't get the position (they went with someone who actually had experience in the field, unlike me), but because my life was put on hold for two weeks by an organisation to whom I've given the last eight months of my life.

The second part of the phone call advised me of a position opening up out at Furnish a Future, a programme of the Partnership which distributes free furniture to formerly-homeless families and individuals. The position is the farthest place from where I want to be in the organisation (the closest point is in research and development), and, coincidentally, right back where I started 6 months ago when I was first turned down for the Executive Ass't position; that is to say, it's in administration. Well, I say SUCK TO THAT!

However, having perused both craigslist and idealist dot orgs earlier this afternoon, I know that non-profit sector jobs in my interest areas are few and far between. Sooooooo, I'm not exactly picky. And I can't afford to hold out any longer.

P.S.

I watched the 1990 version of Lord of the Flies, the one Anna was so terrified to watch when she was 9. Though I admit the movie's disturbing qualities (the child-on-child violence, the rotting sow's head on a stake, the anticipated fear of the appearence of the monster), I was moved by no more than the suspenseful thrill of the tale. Oh, and the scene on the beach where the boys "play" at murder games and then kill Simon. I found that very intense.

And those boys cried like pansies. They were terrible criers.

Spoiler: Lord of the Flies

So, I'm curious, LDG and anyone else who wants to contribute, why you cried when you read this book. Personally, I found no emotional attachment to any of the characters, precisely, I suspect, as Golding predicted. The narrative bumped along between characters, though, admittedly, it did focus on a protagonist (Ralph). Reading the text, however, as involved with the story as I was*, I was very detached from the situation, moreover that I was reading the story just to see how it unfolded, to watch the formation of the society and study the signs of decaying minds and, subsequently, the "civilisation."

After reading it and being disappointed by my lack of emotional involvement and, as LDG promised me, tears, I wondered if LDG's emotional response had been because she watched the movie, as opposed to reading the book. I know that Anna had not read the book, but only seen the movie and was "disturbed" (and refuses to watch it with me tonight as I just put the book down only a moment ago and told her, before the last chapter, that I was going to have to watch the movie when I was done with the book) by the film.

I find it curious that I had no emotional response to the book other than curiousity about how the story ended. Any thoughts on the subject?



*and if you know me at all, you know I can get involved in a human story in 60 seconds or less