More bus humor

Every regular public transportation patron knows the unwritten rule of relative silence that is expected. This is particularly true on the early morning commute, everyone needs their time to silently prep for the day. When someone misses the memo and babbles on loudly either to their neighbor or on the phone, it is pretty obvious. You can see the other people looking around in disgust. How do you not realize that everyone is silently stewing while listening to your obnoxious conversation?!

Well, I heard the best of the best (...well worst, I guess) this week on my morning bus ride. Everyone was silently riding the bus minding their own business, then this woman walked on, yapping away on her cell phone. Here is how the conversation went;

Mom, you have to come! We need three people so we can afford it!
(all other bus riders sighing and groaning as she enters and disrupts their morning relax time)
Mom! Its not that bad....no I don't know how much it will be.
Ok, so the rooms are $67 and we need three of them....no if you come then we can split it 3 ways.
(more groaning)
I dont know how much that will be mom!
(other now look around with a glint of humor emerging)
Mom, I don't know, how am I supposed to just know how much it will be? It cant be that much the rooms are cheap and we only need 3, plus we are splitting it 3 ways!
(people are now sharing humorous glances)
Ok ok jeesh mom, Ill figure it out, I think my phone has a calculator.
(now she is yelling into the phone while she calculates this difficult math problem out on her phone's calculator)
Ok mom, here I am using my calculator. So it will be $67 times 3 rooms...and then divided by 3 people.....(pause for calculations)...see mom it will only be $67, thats cheap!
(people now are holding back their laughter)
Mom, its gotta be right, I used my calculator!...Fine, Ill figure it out again; $67 times 3 and then divided by 3....yeah, see its $67, thats what I said the first time right? Or no, I thought it was less than that, here Ill do it again....(and so it continued)

Ahh the entertainment of public transportation...

Pet hair!!

This is my biggest complaint (not that there are very many!) about pet ownership!! Pet hair everywhere! My first dog, Beau, was a Siberian Husky...and I lived in North Dakota with him (the land of extreme weather) meaning that he shed an inexplicable amount, so you would think I would be used to hair everwhere. The back seat of my car will actually forever be covered in his hair!

But no, I am still on a perpetual mission to find a way to rid my life of pet hair. I have tried special vacuum cleaners, hair "wands", giant sticky rollers...you name it, I have tried it! Currently, we have a black dog and a white cat, meaning that there are no clothing options that don't show hair. Our apartment is covered in area rugs because there is a linoleum problem (don't ask) and the combination of multiple floor types and the pet hair is impossible to conquer! The rugs are hard to vacuum, the linoleum is only visable in sporadic areas and around the baseboards, so hair collects there in completely inconvenient places! (picture me screaming...and hair flying into my mouth, most likely!!)

Help!! I know I have fellow pet hair sufferers out there in blog world, I need ideas. I'm clean out of them!!

Bus stop shenanigans

Ahh the entertainment value of bus stops! I had never rode the bus until I moved here and I had no idea it could be so entertaining! I once saw a guy without shoes or socks, covered in blood with a huge gash bleeding on his head, walking through the rain...asking for money, yikes! I have also seen a man in too small women's jeans and a little girls tank top doing a strip tease in the aisle....its never boring.

Today I was waiting for my bus and a hispanic man came up to me and started talking to me in Spanish. He was completely oblivious to my lack of understanding, so I just let him continue. At one point he must have asked me a question because he stopped talking and looked at me, obviously waiting for a response. He then asked again (in English!) if I had a boyfriend. I said, nope but I do have a girlfriend. This was obviously a surprise to him and he responded with a five minute rant on the "evils of gay people!" Awesome. Just take the rejection and leave buddy. I didn't understand most of his rant, but what I did get out of it was that gay people cause tornadoes...he actually said that! I just sat and stared ahead of me praying for the bus to come and save me. I need to learn Spanish, I had some good arguments ready for this guy!

Oh wait, the best part is yet to come! After his rant of which I only picked out a few phrases, he ended with "Ok, so phone number?" Really?! What did he think, that I was going to say "Oh wow, I didn't know my evilness was causing tornadoes, thanks for sharing! I would love to go sleep with you as a thank you!" Come on buddy! My gasp of disgust must have gotten the message across because he shrugged his shoulders, called me evil again and walked away. Ahh, the bus stop....

No resolutions....

I have never really been one to make New Years resolutions, its all a little too cliche for me. My vegetarianism was technically a resolution 3 years ago, but it was something I was going to do anyways, New Years just gave a good date to start it! As I was reading through all the resolution and New Years (is that supposed to be capitalized?!) posts though, I found this idea to be very inspiring.

I find myself drawn towards words that epitomize a situation or that are particularly meaningful. That is part of my introverted nature, we are not generally drawn to outside stimuli, so when we are it is generally meaningful....anyways, I digress! So, the idea of picking a word to focus on for the year, rather than goals that are too easily broken, was something that I was immediately drawn to.

So, I started to think about what is to come for me in 2010 and decide on a word that will help me to make the most of it. I chose balance (I just realized now that is one of the words in her original post, I swear I didn't steal that also, only the idea of the word!). 

My year is going to be busy and likely very stressful. I am focusing on my dissertation, with a pretty strict timeline set out for me by my chair (professor who acts as my advisor and keeps me accountable during the process...and ultimately decides if I pass) who I really respect and do not want to disappoint. I am also finishing up my coursework and am going to start a job in the field part time. One of the things that I have struggled with throughout grad school so far is the ability to allow myself personal time and...well, a life basically!...while also focusing on what needs to be done for school. I anticipate that I will need quite a bit of self care in order to get through the struggles of the year. This is why I chose balance, it is a very hard thing for me to find, but also something that I find to be essential for my well being. Wish me luck!

What are your resolutions/goals/aspirations/hopes/etc.. for 2010?!

Wordless Wednesday....its been a while!

We are finally moved!!!

Yay!! :)

I couldn't resist the Uhaul picture ;)

Poor Domino

When we got Domino from the humane society we were told that he was originally adopted from there as a puppy, but was brought back when his owners had to move and couldn't bring him. Side note: this is the lamest excuse in the book! I have moved half way across the country with 3 large dogs, a cat, and a gecko! I also know someone who lived in her car for 2 weeks until she could find a place that allowed her dogs...it can be done people!! Anyways, we figured this was a lie and they just didn't want him due to the fact that he was growing like a weed and had no training aside from "sit...but only for a treat!"

Well, we are packing now and are beginning to think that the moving excuse may have been true. He is pacing the house with a pathetically sad look on his face. No matter how many times we bring him to the new place to sniff around and promise him he is coming with, he still acts depressed. How sad is that?! To all the people out there who are laughing at me through their doubt in animal emotions; yes I do strongly believe that animals can remember things like this and feel sad. I also believe that they grieve, so take that!!

Here is a picture of him lying where his bed used to be, in what used to be our bedroom and now is packing central. He goes in there every night and lies down in his spot while giving us the saddest puppy eyes ever. How could anyone drop him back off at the humane society after this look?!

Any other pet parents out there with ideas on how to get him to realize that he is coming with us? I can't take the sad pacing anymore...

Her Fearful Symmetry

Hi, so I had this idea to start a blog book club...sounded good right? I don't know who I was kidding, I don't have time for that! Ahh, wishful thinking... Anyways, this was the first book I was reading, so I figured I would do my review and questions here. If any of you have read it, I would love to hear what you think. It was an interesting book!

Review:
This was a beautiful story about the interconnectedness of life and family, even into death. It shows the connections between twins and the ways that they can be both captivating and painfully stiffling. Niffenegger presents such rich characters and eloquently describes the relationships between them. One aspect of this book that I particularly loved was the ambiguous way that she played around the idea of death and life afterwards. It was a fantastic way to present the topic in a way that leaves the reader questioning the world as they know it.

Questions: (warning; if you have not read the book, these will spoil it...stop now!!!)

1) Who did you sympathize with more, Julia or Valentina? Did your sympathies change as the story moved on?

2) Do you believe in ghosts? If not, how did you feel about the concept being presented in this book? How do you feel about the idea of ghosts now?

3) Do you think Elspeth intended to take Valentina's body all along? What do you think of her decision?

4) How do you conceptualize the relationships between twins? Do you think this was a relevant depiction?

5) What do you think of Valentina's nickname "mouse" and how if fit her in the begining as compared to the end?

6) What are your thoughts on Martin?!

7) How do you think the "secret" between Elspeth and Eddie affected each character in the book? What do you think of the decision that they made?

8) Finally, did you like the book?

Answer some, answer all, make up your own, review the book...whatever! I will post my answers in a comment form, so as to not sway anybody's thoughts :)

Need a pick-me-up?!

This will do it! Ive had a crazy stressful week with no sleep and too many finals...but this video even made my day better :)



Matt is from Seattle and decided to go around the world dancing. Somehow Stride gum found out about it (you know, the longest lasting gum people) and paid for him to go to a ton more places! Lucky guy!

Check it out...

Lisa over at Lisa's Yarns is doing a giveaway for a hat I really want. So, you should enter....and pick the colors velvet grapes and sweet grape...just in case you win and decide you don't want it, Ill give it a great home!! ;)

Do movers ever do "pro bono" work?!

I hate moving!!! This is the status of my "office".....during finals week! Only Apple Lane could cause us to decide to move during one of the 3 busiest and most stressful weeks of my year!! So, although this is a wonderful move for us, it is still a pain in the butt to do.

On a positive note though; I finally splurged on a nice desk for the new place. So, my work area is going from this

to this...

Plus, we are keeping the extra room as just and office. No more office/bedroom/storage/what ever else!!! Yay :)

2 years already?!

Yesterday was my 2 year anniversary with Rachel...awhh! Not to be sappy but its really amazing how quickly time goes. The thought of how quickly time flies for some reason makes me think of how fragile life is and how much it can be left unacknowledged. It has been a great 2 years, so here is my overview of appreciation :)

What do I love about "us".....
-Feeling connected and having it feel good, even in my isolated individualistic manner.
-That we find eachother funny, and also acknowledge that most other people probably do not!
-That she has become an animal lover and fully appreciates the quirkiness of Squash as well as my own quirkiness in my passion for animals.
-The way we sleep, not cuddling but still connected :)
-Struggling together...even when it seems too hard.
-Inside jokes and stories, which are all hilarious by the way!
-That "Beatrix" (our new GPS) may have just saved our relationship, or at least saved us from quite a few fights...and its ok to rely on her for such a big task!
-"the other way" ;)
-Saturday nights playing scrabble in our pjs.
-That we somehow made even a place like Apple Lane feel like a home.
-Feeling supported and encouraged, even when I feel like stress is breaking me into a million pieces.
-That we are very different and yet somehow very much alike.
-Learning more about myself as an individual and as a part of a unit.
-That we have finally figured out how to effectively make joint decisions (not an easy task!)
-Being confused moms to a large, hairy, unruly "child!"
-and of course...feeling loved!

I love you honey! Here's to 100 more.....

Why is an owl smart?

I love owls. I love books. I especially love reading in trees, I actually had a tree claimed at my grandma's house when I was a kid for that exact reason! I love coffee and reading glasses. So...when I saw this t-shirt I was instantly in love! Plus it was on sale for $9! I was so excited that I almost paid more on shipping than the shirt itself, but alas I am going to have to wait 6-9 business days for it......

Its Professor Hoot on a shirt!!....life is good :)

Enought about me...

...who are you?!

I know I have found a lot of fun blogs by looking through the followers of the blogs I follow (thats an odd sentence)....so I figured I would make it easier for you! Everyone post a comment that explains a bit about themselves (or share whatever you please!) I'll learn more about my followers and you can meet some new people :)

Eavesdropping in Starbucks

I was at Starbucks last night doing homework. I was enjoying my corner all to myself for the first hour or so that I was there, then 2 women came in and took the table next to mine. As it turns out, they were having some sort of a weight watchers/bible study meeting. The client (we will call her Pam) and the leader lady (we will call her Sue) sat down and pulled out their manuals. I was immediately annoyed with Sue as she was a constant gum chomper! This is my biggest pet peeve, it makes my skin crawl! Anyways, Sue asked Pam to tell her how the holiday went and basic information on how her eating was going. It was a little weird. I won't go over the entire conversation, but I feel the need to mention some of the key points.

At one point, Pam stated that she had made some dinners from her healthy recipe book. Sue stated that she was supposed to "throw out all recipe and diet books" as they were "too tempting to stray from what God is telling you to eat." Sue also made statements about the lies that research and "the world" tell you about eating healthy. Pam had mentioned that she likes to buy her snacks at Trader Joes. Sue said that this was wrong because she was listening to "the world"...Im not sure what that even means. From what I could gather the point of this diet is that it is not a diet, that there are no real rules, you just eat what God tells you to.....oh and what Sue tells you to, she was awfully bossy!

The thing that bothered me the most about this conversation is that Pam kept mentioning that one of her biggest struggles was that she was alone and she felt lonely and depressed about this which made her eat. Every single time she said something along these lines, Sue would say something about her husband; "yeah, my husband is great, he is my biggest support" or "my husband cooks me wonderful healthy meals." How rude is that? She was obviously supposed to be Pam's support, not make her feel worse!

I just thought this was really weird. I am not particularly religious, but I have no problem with a religion based diet program, I actually think that it could be very beneficial for someone who has a strong faith. This one just seemed a bit ineffective. Just eat what God tells you? What is wrong with a healthy cookbook or something. I could tell Pam felt a little lost and confused and she definitely wasn't getting any answers from Sue!

I am rambling though, I do have 2 main points out of this story. First, Sue quoted a lot of scripture during this meeting (usually when Pam asked a valid question and she obviously didn't have an answer!). One of these quotes was devotional that Pam was supposed to say when she felt like eating (as a way to speak to God I think); "see how I hate those who hate you" Um.....a) what does this have to do with warding off hunger?! and b) this is my problem with organized religion. It just seems so oxymoronic to me that hate is a part of any religion! Does anyone know of a religion that honestly promotes equality and an open mind?! In my mind, this should be the norm. What good can come out of promoting hate?

The second thing that bothered me about this was that Sue kept making statements against Pam's habit of eating alone. She said it was the path to mistakes (or something along those lines) and that it should be avoided, even at home! She even mentioned that "when I was a single lady, I used to eat my dinners on webcam with a friend or family member" Yeesh, what is wrong with eating alone?! I love to do things alone! What good is this going to do for Pam? I actually think it would just harm her by giving her even more shame about being alone. What are your thoughts on this? Am I the only one who loves to eat/go to movies/etc alone?!

Any other thoughts on this odd "non diet" diet?!