I have been chided for neglecting my blog, and it's giving me a rash (all that chiding chafes, you know) so I am forced to write a little something.
Thanksgiving was good, no major catastrophes. Saw the folks and my sister and uncles and aunts and cousins, which is always nice. We also went to Ikea on Friday and bought some curtains 'n things (but not the p�pli pencil holder, even I pick on the p�pli kids). However, like last year, I feel the need to make my own turkey, since I didn't get any leftovers. This is the worst part about spending that holiday away from home, in my opinion. So, I'm excited about my Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Tuck-In (PT^3) next Thursday. I am quite the hostess, yes I am.
I finally, FINALLY got my hair cut last night, and I had it professionally colored for the first time. I realized I was a little nervous about it after seeing the latest strange hair color sported by my stylist/colorist/whateverist. But I've always had good luck with my hair ministrations, and I trust Jennifer to do a good job. So, after sitting around with a head full of tin foil and reading Jane for about half an hour, my hair emerged with many blond and red streaks. It is funky, and a little weird, so of course I love it! Now I just need to get a manicure for my dragon lady talons (it's getting harder to type every day), and my vievish quotient (vq?) will be through the roof, baby!
Tomorrow is lukwam's birthday, so send him happy birthday greetings why don't you.
Grammar Nazis unite! SPELL is here to save us all from inappropriate apostrophes, unsound usage, and sloppy syntax. Fun stuff. Thank you, AWAD, for alerting me to this phenomenon.
So yesterday I did a bit of shopping. I didn't get any pants or socks (that damn Gap, it's been letting me down lately), but I did get some lovely cream bubble bath and a moisturizing facial mask from Origins, a pretty jewelry box that I'm using to store my sewing stuff, and some beading supplies from Beadworks.
Speaking of that, I'm starting to get into beading. Stringing beads in kinda Zen, and it's something I can do in the evening, sitting on the couch. I'm about 2/3 of the way through a three-strand necklace now, and I made some beaded ornaments a couple of weeks ago. But what I really want to try is off-loom bead weaving. The results are pretty spectacular (well, they can be... we'll see how my stuff turns out), and it's an art that really appeals to my particular type of anal-ness -- precise and painstaking, but with ample room for creativity. I found some cool patterns on this site, and they seem pretty easy to follow, but I have to get some more suitable beads and thread, and also some beading needles. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'd also really like to learn how to knit and how to embroider. But I know I should take on one project at a time. I tend to get all ADD about this stuff, and my half-finished projects end up littering the apartment.
Speaking of half-finished projects, I need to get back on track with my Christmas cards. I promised myself that I would actually send out cards before Christmas this year, and I intend to keep that promise. This is the year that I'm really going to get my act together, to make up for all those late presents, unwritten thank you cards and the like of years past. I think I'll bring some card-making supplies down to PA with me over Thanksgiving, and my sister and cousins and I can all make them together. It's much more fun doing that stuff in a group, and you come up with a lot more ideas that way. Synergy, baby, synergy.
Oh, what to do today... I spent all of yesterday slacking and snoozing on the couch. Well, I also accomplished some Christmas present reconnaissance, and I fertilized my plants, baked brownies, vaccuumed the rug, did a wee bit of work... OK, I feel better now. A bloggerized pep talk has shown me that I'm not such a slug after all.
So today I'm thinking about doing some shopping. I must remedy my perpetual pants shortage, and get some socks. I hate socks, but it's far too cold to wear my beloved flops. Maybe I should move to Tahiti.
I have lots of boring things I should do (work, laundry, organizing my office, working on this site), but I feel much too fun-fun-silly-willy for that stuff. So I will go shopping and do my nails instead. Fun-fun-girly-whirly!
Now where's that lilymab... I hope she will be my shopping buddy.
One last word: Not that I expect a Christmas present from anyone except Lukas and my immediate family, but here's my Amazon wish list for some inspiration, if you are so inclined. Also, I really like this bag. I also love bath and body things (bubble bath, smelly stuff... anything frou-frou and gorgeous that I can soak in, smear on, or dab behind my ears). You can't go wrong with anything from Origins or Fresh. I would be equally pleased with some chocolate. Oh, and if anyone gets me a book, please order from Blue Hill Books. Just tell them it's for me, and they'll make sure I get it. End gimme-gimme transmission now.
Harry Potter the movie opens tonight, and I'll be there, along with some of my favorite muggles: lilymab, lukwam, LL, and Jeff. Now, I'm not really a die-hard Harry fan, but the books were fun (yes, I read all of them) and I expect the movie will be pretty spectacular. J.K. Rowling, in my professional opinion, isn't the best children's book author and her books aren't destined to be classics (except in the minds of marketing directors and ad agencies), but they did spark a wonderful resurgence in children reading books for pleasure. And whatever does that gets an exuberant "Huzzah!" from the Vieve.
While we're on the Harry Potter subject... Some of you might not know that there are many censorship battles across the country, in the UK, and in Australia over the Harry Potter books' "promotion of witchcraft and satanism." Uh, yeah, ok... You can read more about it at the kidSPEAK! website, and here's one of the anti-Harry sites. There's even a video, produced by a Baptist church pastor from Forida, warning parents that "children as young as kindergarten are being introduced to human sacrifice, the sucking of blood from dead animals and possession by spirit beings." All righty then...
Also, check out this bit of weirdness I found: Harry Potter vs. Mr. T!
Now for a shameless plug... If you have little kiddies on your Christmas/Hannukah/whatever list, check out the Parents' Choice Holiday Gift Guide. A plethora of quality books, toys, music, videos and software, assembled (in part) by yours truly. So much cool stuff, and I guarantee you can find something for every kid on your list, and even some things that grownups will love too.
As if one half-assed, underutilized website wasn't enough, I unabashedly present another one: Moosewinkle.com!
I don't have time for any of this stuff right now, but hopefully the site will eventually highlight my professional and personal interest in children's literature. If any one has any fun ideas for the site, please email the Moosewinkle.
It has become quite apparent to me that I'm in a major rut. Wake up at 6am (egads!), work, shower, eat, work, work some more, eat, pass out on the couch at like 10pm (or earlier), go to bed... and then the same the next day. It is truly terrible, and it's making me glum. Hopefully this weekend will invigorate my mind and body, and I won't feel like such a starchy potato next week.
Yesterday was actually a nice change in my routine. I took my car to the mechanic early, and then I had a couple of hours before my meeting downtown. So, I walked from Kenmore to Copley, stopped at Tealuxe for a pot of tea and some crumpets, and bought some beautiful chenille pillows and supplies for my GENIUS Christmas gift idea (which I won't mention here, since who knows which of you lucky kiddies will get one). It gave me such a positive outlook for the rest of the day, and it felt lovely to be out and about for a change.
Now I'm back in my little office, which feels even more cramped and gloomy. Also, it looks like a tornado hit it, which I'm sure adds considerably to the negative effect. I have absolutely zero motivation to tidy anything, but I suppose I'll get fed up enough to do something about it in the near future.
One thing I will do today is pick up my Massachussets plates for the Vievicle. Yes, I am now officially a Masshole. After I get my plates and proof of registration, I'm going to head down to the Cambridge parking office and get my resident sticker. No more tickets for The Vieve! Yahoo!