Well would you look at that? Thirty days, thirty-two posts. Can I get a "Whoo!"?
I kid, I kid. It really wasn't all that painful or notable. I mean, it's not like I cured cancer or anything... or even wrote a damn novel, for that matter.**
Anyway, the NaBloPoMo (let's have some fun with that one more time... HeyHoJoeBlow... MeSoDownLow... MarioCuomo***) challenge is complete, and now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go away and never post again for a long, long time. No, I'm not serious about that. Tomorrow is Friday, after all, and you know what that means: time to think of some inconsequential idea to enumerate in list form. You can't wait, can you? I aim to please, you know.
I actually think this posting-every-day thing was really good for me. I was even thinking for a while there that I should try to maintain the every-day schedule (or close to it) after November. But then week four came and I said, "Screw that. This is madness." They say it takes, what, 21 days to establish a new habit? It took me 21 days to realize it was a habit that very likely wasn't for me.
I am, however, going to try to stick to something resembling more regular posting. We shall see just how that goes.
Thank you to everyone who's stopped by via that NaBloPoMo randomizer thingie. My stats have never been higher, but I suspect they will go right back down again once that thing is in less constant use. Oh well; it was fun for a while. Thanks also to Crushing Krisis**** for considering me highlight-worthy within the short summary of 209 different "S" blogs. As I noted in the comments on that post, I am ridiculously amused that strangers on the Internet are pimping to get me a man. What a strange, strange world it's become. And I love it.
---------------------------
* For those of you who have better things to do than memorize everything I ever write but who are puzzled by this subject line nonetheless, go here and here to shed some light.
** What about the rest of you? Red? GG? How’d that go? Anything to report? (Sorry if I wasn’t supposed to ask about that; there's no shame in lacking follow-through, but we can all just look away now if you'd like.)
*** That one’s still my favorite. I don’t care if no one else is amused.
**** Who has done the unthinkable and actually checked out every single NaBloPoMo-registered blog. All 2,000-ish of them. Whew.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
My fifteen minutes of really marginal fame
If you live in the Twin Cities (as I think only about four of my somewhat regular readers do), you can catch a blurry, distant photo of me in the Star Tribune today (as part of this article on "Digital Age crafting"). Fear not, however, non-locals. You don't have to miss out on my exciting media debut! The Web site contains an accompanying slide show in which yours truly is pictured four times. If you want to play a little game of I-spy and try to spot me, check it out here.
And, um, if you don't know me in real life but you manage to snag a copy of today's paper, can you just pretend you didn't see my last name on that photo? I'm really not in the market for a stalker. Thanks.
And, um, if you don't know me in real life but you manage to snag a copy of today's paper, can you just pretend you didn't see my last name on that photo? I'm really not in the market for a stalker. Thanks.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Satan is my motor; GG is my wingman
As I mentioned not too long ago, I've been thinking that it's time to put myself back on the online dating market again. I needed a break from it for a while, yes, but now suddenly I am envisioning myself dateless on New Year's Eve yet again, and I am watching people who've been in relationships more recently than I have cut ahead in line and find themselves coupled off in a happy two-by-two, and it's making me think "Hey wait a minute! My turn!"
So I need to get back out there again, amusing and aggravating and occasionally painful as it is. Damnit, I will find that diamond-in-the-rough; the question is just where and how to do so. The simplest course of action would be just to reactivate my meMarmony profile... to send another payment Dr. Warren's way and let him start matching me yet again. While I actually do like certain things about that system, however, I can't help but think I should maybe give another site a try.
I can think of several reasons I've been reluctant to try out any of the many other date-finding sites out there, but I will admit that my major hurdle is the damn profile. Obviously I can babble about all sorts of nonsense on the Internet (this I have proved many times over, I'm sure), but give me 4,000 characters to describe who I am and what I want, and I have absolutely no clue whatsoever where to start.
This is where friends come in. After Guinness Girl told me how helpful her friends were in constructing the profile that eventually nabbed her Wilman, I thought, "Yes! My friends! Surely they would have some idea who I am and why I'm likable!" Unfortunately, either my friends don't actually like me or they have no idea why they do, because my requests for "how would you describe me?" have been met with little more than blank stares. I know I am blunt, girls. I know I care too much about misused apostrophes. Besides that, isn't there anything my advisory board could say?
Guinness Girl is determined to keep me away from meMarmony and moved on over to Match, however. How determined is she? So determined that she actually wrote a profile for me. God love the woman; what on earth can I delegate to her next?
If by chance you have ever wondered just how well someone can get to know you based solely on the blog entries you write and the comments and e-mails you share, a task like GG's might be a good test. Consider the evidence: GG's submission for my "More about me and who I'm looking for" box...
Incidentally, that second-last sentence is the only one GG took from me verbatim. Real-lifers, what do you think? Does she have me pegged or no?
----------------------------------
* Because I am the keeper of the semicolon
So I need to get back out there again, amusing and aggravating and occasionally painful as it is. Damnit, I will find that diamond-in-the-rough; the question is just where and how to do so. The simplest course of action would be just to reactivate my meMarmony profile... to send another payment Dr. Warren's way and let him start matching me yet again. While I actually do like certain things about that system, however, I can't help but think I should maybe give another site a try.
I can think of several reasons I've been reluctant to try out any of the many other date-finding sites out there, but I will admit that my major hurdle is the damn profile. Obviously I can babble about all sorts of nonsense on the Internet (this I have proved many times over, I'm sure), but give me 4,000 characters to describe who I am and what I want, and I have absolutely no clue whatsoever where to start.
This is where friends come in. After Guinness Girl told me how helpful her friends were in constructing the profile that eventually nabbed her Wilman, I thought, "Yes! My friends! Surely they would have some idea who I am and why I'm likable!" Unfortunately, either my friends don't actually like me or they have no idea why they do, because my requests for "how would you describe me?" have been met with little more than blank stares. I know I am blunt, girls. I know I care too much about misused apostrophes. Besides that, isn't there anything my advisory board could say?
Guinness Girl is determined to keep me away from meMarmony and moved on over to Match, however. How determined is she? So determined that she actually wrote a profile for me. God love the woman; what on earth can I delegate to her next?
If by chance you have ever wondered just how well someone can get to know you based solely on the blog entries you write and the comments and e-mails you share, a task like GG's might be a good test. Consider the evidence: GG's submission for my "More about me and who I'm looking for" box...
I am a self-proclaimed nerd who likes independent films, girly shows on The WB, good music, reading, traveling, long walks on the beach, pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain. I am, on occasion, a bit of a smartass. I hate to cook, but I demonstrate my domesticity in other ways (like knitting). My favorite form of exercise is yoga... or maybe the exertion of lifting my wine glass from table to mouth. I grew up in a small town, and consequently doubt I'll ever live far from a big city. I frequent tikki bars and restaurants with all-you-can-eat sushi floating around in little boats. I love fall festivals and cheese curds and honeycrisp apples. I don't have any pets. I once bought a necklace made out of a semi-colon typewriter key*. I sometimes attempt DIY projects on my house that take me twice as long as they should and sometimes end in me calling a professional to put an end to my misery. I have a fantastic group of friends who make up my "urban family."
As for who I'm looking for... basically, I want someone smart and funny who thinks I'm smart and funny, too. Bad spellers need not apply.
Incidentally, that second-last sentence is the only one GG took from me verbatim. Real-lifers, what do you think? Does she have me pegged or no?
----------------------------------
* Because I am the keeper of the semicolon
Monday, November 27, 2006
Meet the Blogger, Round 2: Minneapolis Edition
First things first. I no longer fear the 20 Questions ball. For a while there, I was actually a little unsettled by the idea that a battery-operated ball of plastic actually was somehow capable of reading my mind, and it was freaking my shit out just a bit. I finally stumped it three times in a row, however, and I'm feeling much better about things now. It didn't even take anything dirty to stump it, either; I managed to do so with totem pole, bathroom scale, and, ironically, the Radica 20-Q ball itself (it guessed "Rubik's cube," so close, but no cigar). So clairvoyance cannot be purchased for $9.99 in the electronic games aisle, and all is right with the world again (or at least that tiny part of it).
More important, I added another name to the "bloggers I've met in person" list tonight. It's a pretty short list, but it still seems pretty silly that it took me this long to meet the one person in my sidebar who actually shares the same area code as me, that being the witty and charming -R-, of course.
It's strange how much something like that feels almost like a first date--having dinner or drinks with an almost-stranger, wondering if the person on the screen will translate at all into someone you'll like (and who'll like you) in real-time. Maybe I thought of it that way only because I've had so damn many first dates with near-strangers from the Internet in the past several months. Perhaps I should have suggested one of my "usual" date spots as our meeting place to make it extra uncomfortable. Just kidding. I have no "usual" date spots, and it wasn't really uncomfortable at all. Of course, as with all first dates, you'd have to brief both parties to be sure, so it's entirely possible that -R-'s account is, "You're really cool, but I'm just not feeling it." Not that I've ever heard that line before. Certainly not. Never given it either. No sir, not me. Heh.
Anyway, as I said, I think it went fine, and should -R- ever invite me to her house for Guitar Hero and beergaritas, I may even take her up on it. And it's not just because we are identical-glasses buddies and because in this picture, -R- looks almost like a sort of mini-me. No, it's not just because of that, but that certainly cannot hurt.
More important, I added another name to the "bloggers I've met in person" list tonight. It's a pretty short list, but it still seems pretty silly that it took me this long to meet the one person in my sidebar who actually shares the same area code as me, that being the witty and charming -R-, of course.
It's strange how much something like that feels almost like a first date--having dinner or drinks with an almost-stranger, wondering if the person on the screen will translate at all into someone you'll like (and who'll like you) in real-time. Maybe I thought of it that way only because I've had so damn many first dates with near-strangers from the Internet in the past several months. Perhaps I should have suggested one of my "usual" date spots as our meeting place to make it extra uncomfortable. Just kidding. I have no "usual" date spots, and it wasn't really uncomfortable at all. Of course, as with all first dates, you'd have to brief both parties to be sure, so it's entirely possible that -R-'s account is, "You're really cool, but I'm just not feeling it." Not that I've ever heard that line before. Certainly not. Never given it either. No sir, not me. Heh.
Anyway, as I said, I think it went fine, and should -R- ever invite me to her house for Guitar Hero and beergaritas, I may even take her up on it. And it's not just because we are identical-glasses buddies and because in this picture, -R- looks almost like a sort of mini-me. No, it's not just because of that, but that certainly cannot hurt.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
20 Questions
I think technology is getting a little too smart, and it's actually starting to frighten me. Today I bought one of those little 20 Question balls as an add-on to my sister's Christmas gift (she actually mentioned wanting one; I wasn't totally reaching there and putting no thought into her gift whatsoever). Before I wrap the thing up and hand it off to her, I decided to give it a try myself.
The first round I went a little too easy, I guess; the game had no trouble at all figuring out I was thinking of a potato. So for the next round, I tried thinking of something far more specific and obscure. I went with "my ex-boyfriend."
I didn't actually expect the 20 Questions ball to come back with his first name... Really I don't know what I thought it would guess; I just knew the guess would be wrong. What I did not expect, though (and what I find almost unsettling) was the final question the 20 Q ball returned:
Not quite. Not at all, really, but that's a damn eerie guess nonetheless.
The first round I went a little too easy, I guess; the game had no trouble at all figuring out I was thinking of a potato. So for the next round, I tried thinking of something far more specific and obscure. I went with "my ex-boyfriend."
I didn't actually expect the 20 Questions ball to come back with his first name... Really I don't know what I thought it would guess; I just knew the guess would be wrong. What I did not expect, though (and what I find almost unsettling) was the final question the 20 Q ball returned:
"I guess you are thinking of a soul mate?"
Not quite. Not at all, really, but that's a damn eerie guess nonetheless.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
I promised you a post a day. I didn't promise they'd all be original.
Stolen from LC, because I just spent five-and-a-half hours in the car and, frankly, really don't feel like sitting in front of the computer long enough for a proper post. Surely you understand.
You probably know how this goes because you've probably seen one of these before. Basically I copy the list and bold the things I've done. And then I get depressed because I have so few bold that clearly I have not lived--you know, because I've never been inside the Great Pyramid and I haven't had two hard drives for my computer (see #39). Maybe I should compile my own list and start my own meme, because then everything will be bold and I will look all adventurous and worldly. Again, that would take time, however, so the existing meme is what I'm going with today.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (there were no candles, but it was at a cabin in the Northwoods, so, close enough, I say)
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign (Not a whole sign; just the "S" in "BBQ Ribs" on the marquee at a Howard Johnson. Does that count?)
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason (I'm bolding this since I've gotten flowers when no holiday or special date was associated with it, but is there really NO "reason" for getting flowers? Even friendship is a reason for flowers, is it not?)
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas (but only for work, so this barely counts)
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (That is, if moving to the Twin Cities post-college just to "start"--not necessarily "start over"--counts. Maybe that doesn't count...)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states (Unless driving through a state counts as visiting it, I would say this is probably a tie.)
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
You probably know how this goes because you've probably seen one of these before. Basically I copy the list and bold the things I've done. And then I get depressed because I have so few bold that clearly I have not lived--you know, because I've never been inside the Great Pyramid and I haven't had two hard drives for my computer (see #39). Maybe I should compile my own list and start my own meme, because then everything will be bold and I will look all adventurous and worldly. Again, that would take time, however, so the existing meme is what I'm going with today.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (there were no candles, but it was at a cabin in the Northwoods, so, close enough, I say)
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign (Not a whole sign; just the "S" in "BBQ Ribs" on the marquee at a Howard Johnson. Does that count?)
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason (I'm bolding this since I've gotten flowers when no holiday or special date was associated with it, but is there really NO "reason" for getting flowers? Even friendship is a reason for flowers, is it not?)
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas (but only for work, so this barely counts)
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (That is, if moving to the Twin Cities post-college just to "start"--not necessarily "start over"--counts. Maybe that doesn't count...)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states (Unless driving through a state counts as visiting it, I would say this is probably a tie.)
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
