January 2011
Low-key end to 2010
It’s a movie kind of night.
Watched Secret of the Kells with Emily (Holy crap, what a gorgeous movie!) and The Wild, Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.
The Year of Dishonest Empathy
fireland:
From my Year 2000 Resolutions, here’s one of the few I’ve stuck with:
I will disconnect my home telephone and use only a cellular phone which will emit an almost inaudible chirp when someone calls. The number for that phone will be sent out to select individuals in envelopes stamped with my signet ring. The phone will reside in a velvet-lined mahogany box somewhere in the back of my...
December 2010
2 tags
Ten in 10
1) I will wait till the last minute to do most things. That’s OK, usually.
2) I can not smoke for at least 65 days. Let’s try for more.
3) Every year has good and bad. If you’re lucky, they’ll be about even.
4) If you get drunk enough with Internet people, someone will give you a ceramic owl.
5) Working at newspapers isn’t the only thing I’m good at.
6)...
First ever table massage
I never get massages, but I figured it might help with my numb fingers. I spent 25 mintues on the table, and while—spoiler alert—my fingers are as numb/tingly as ever, man is that relaxing.
“W. Eugene Smith: I have now printed somewhere between 200 and 300 negatives of...”
– W. Eugene Smith | Pittsburgh Photographs —- 1955
“Sometimes it seems I financed it from the lining of my stomach. As for others —- if asked, I will advise them not to do it —- and I will hope they do.”
That is my New Year’s Resolution.
(via jamiek)
As per Gorillasushsi’s request. I wish I...
The deed is done. Emily and I now own a 2008 Civic Hybrid. And by own I mean “really don’t own at all and won’t until we pay a bank thousands upon thousands of dollars.” Is this what being a grownup feels like?
“Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies “something not...”
– George Orwell, Politics and the English Language
Breaking my "don't post dreams" rule
Last night, I dreamt I was filling a car with gas, stepped away for a second and the car began to idle away from me, just fast enough that I couldn’t catch it. I chased it as it careened around, running into other cars, into buildings, into fences, and finally caught it.
That was after a day of car shopping. Subtle my subconscious ain’t.
No Dish, No Cable, No Need
toldorknown:
Over-the-air digital broadcasts, Apple TV, Roku, and U-verse Internet FTW.
For us, as of today, it’s Internet service and Netflix via the Wii.
Slightly less than $5,000 for a totaled 1998 Honda Accord, after our deductible.
And now the hunt begins.
The teenager was no happier when assured there were some “real head-banging parts” on the Christian hard rock CD.
Best part of Christmas II?
My 14-year-old nephew not even pretending to be excited when somone gave him a “hard rock Christian” CD.
Also?
Uncle Jamie needs a minute.
Opening presents one at a time in age order seems like a great idea until there are 13 kids from 14 years old to 9 months old.
I hate that Tumblr isn’t taking edits from my phone.
Apparently it’s for child support reasons. That is to say, if my step-brother-in-law has his daughter for one hour more than the girl’s mother, he doesn’t have to pay child support. Charming.
So we’re now acknowledging my step-sister-in-law’s husband’s daughter, who was never mentioned before? That’s definitely not weird.
(The hat is to convince the mouse I’m not planning to kill it.)
“I wish I had a Mouseketeer hat”
– Filed under: Things I have said to Emily while looking for the mus musculus she spotted.
Also? I hate our apartment sometimes.
peterfeld:
“Christmas In Prison,” John...
Things I'm better off not searching for
“Causes of finger numbness”
Other than the obvious choice of it just falling asleep, there are no happy answers.
Also, I may be playing John Prine’s “Christmas in Prison” on the ukulele.
At least 3 inches of snow on the ground, with more to come. I have nowhere to be and nothing to do. Emily is taking a nap. We do Christmas Eve right around here, apparently.
Advantage to small-town banks: Great savings/checking accounts and great promotions to get you to stay.
Disadvantage to small-town banks: TERRIBLE interest rates for car loans.
And Cedar Rapids isn’t THAT small, really. But our bank only has two branches
I've seen several people post their dreams this...
cleapow:
I was trying to teach George W. Bush how to shoot a cannon and he was like, “Bitch, I’m the motherfucking former president of the USA and you’re trying to act like you know more than me about this?” and then I went and cried to the Queen of England about how I drive away all the people I love.
I’m so deep.
I’ve made the conscious decision to not post any of the dreams I...
More Good News/Bad News
Good News: Claims adjuster called.
Bad News: We won’t find out the total till Monday now.
Good News: They’ve extended the rental period, so Emily gets to tool around in a fancy new Camry til Dec. 31.
Bad News: She’s fine, but apparently hit her knee pretty hard during the crash, so in addition to residual soreness, she has a nasty bruise.
Good News: Plenty of 0% financing...
Just got a call from the insurance company
Emily’s car is totaled. No idea what they’re going to give us for it, we’ll find out tomorrow.
So for Christmas, we’re getting a new (to us, at least, almost definitely not brand-new) car when we weren’t planning to make car payments any time soon. Hooray!
Also, note to 2011: Goddammit, you’ve got to be kind.
Thank you to everyone who told me not to be...
After a decade in newspapers, this whole “time off” thing is still pretty foreign to me.