ah september. how i love it.
noteables:
a. hurricane ivan, scheduled to strike virginia later this week. also scheduled to submerse new orleans in 12-18 feet of water. scary stuff.
b. cleo's halloween costume, a pumpkin. so far, she refuses to wear it without biting and clawing at it. negotiations are scheduled to continue until late october.
c. purdue, next week! will be haunting my old haunts (aka vienna and harry's) and hanging out with jason and anna. oh, and trying to recruit a few people to work at danaher while i'm there.
d. moonlight stomp, this weekend. big plans to stomp grapes like lucy and roast marshmallows in the moonlight next to the winery.
that's all for now ;)
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Friday, September 10, 2004
...yawn...
wow. 3 a.m. comes quickly sometimes. as does 6 a.m. when you've only been in bed since 3 a.m. even the dog was like: are you kidding me? i just laid down! but luckily, it's friday, which means i can happily recover sleep this evening.
Saturday, September 4, 2004
amhrein winery - roanoke county
sophisticated wine tasting at this weekend's festival...from the left, jules, zack, stacie, and ashlea
Thursday, September 2, 2004
stolen poetry from "before sunrise"
(untitled)
Daydream, delusion, limousine, eyelash
Oh baby with your pretty face
Drop a tear in my wineglass
Look at those big eyes
See what you mean to me
Sweet-cakes and milkshakes
I'm delusion angel
I'm fantasy parade
I want you to know what I think
Don't want you to guess anymore
You have no idea where I came from
We have no idea where we're going
Latched in life
Like branches in a river
Flowing downstream
Caught in the current
I'll carry you
You'll carry me
That's how it could be
Don't you know me?
Don't you know me by now?
Daydream, delusion, limousine, eyelash
Oh baby with your pretty face
Drop a tear in my wineglass
Look at those big eyes
See what you mean to me
Sweet-cakes and milkshakes
I'm delusion angel
I'm fantasy parade
I want you to know what I think
Don't want you to guess anymore
You have no idea where I came from
We have no idea where we're going
Latched in life
Like branches in a river
Flowing downstream
Caught in the current
I'll carry you
You'll carry me
That's how it could be
Don't you know me?
Don't you know me by now?
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
new top five movies ;)
so as a result of seeing the current movie at the lyric this week, before sunset, i have changed my top five favorites. in no particular order, here is the revised list:
- before sunset
- music from another room
- something's gotta give
- love actually
- when harry met sally
Thursday, August 26, 2004
counting sheep...
the hopefully LAST day of physical inventory is tomorrow, then it's off to the game! it always annoys me when people say "the game" as if the world is aware and will be in attendance. so to clarify, "the game" in question is the virginia tech vs. usc game in none other than fed ex field in d.c. but first, a party, hosted by my good friend demay :) it's even being webcast...which i may post a link to tomorrow if i think of it, but right now, i'm going to bed.
congrats to legatto on his new baby girl :)
congrats to legatto on his new baby girl :)
Monday, August 23, 2004
Flash Cards by Rita Dove
In math I was the whiz kid, keeper
of oranges and apples. What you don't understand,
master, my father said: the faster
I answered, the faster they came.
I could see one bud on the teacher's geranium,
one clear bee sputtering at the wet pane.
The tulip trees always dragged after heavy rain
so I tucked my head as my boots slapped home.
My father put up his feet after work
and relaxed with a highball and The Life of Lincoln.
After supper we drilled and I climbed the dark
before sleep, before a thin voice hissed
numbers as I spun on a wheel. I had to guess.
Ten, I kept saying, I'm only ten.
of oranges and apples. What you don't understand,
master, my father said: the faster
I answered, the faster they came.
I could see one bud on the teacher's geranium,
one clear bee sputtering at the wet pane.
The tulip trees always dragged after heavy rain
so I tucked my head as my boots slapped home.
My father put up his feet after work
and relaxed with a highball and The Life of Lincoln.
After supper we drilled and I climbed the dark
before sleep, before a thin voice hissed
numbers as I spun on a wheel. I had to guess.
Ten, I kept saying, I'm only ten.
Sunday, August 22, 2004
autumn
this morning when i drove in, the sun was still trying to burn off the fog. the temperature was in the 50's and it felt like fall. fall is such a bittersweet season (and my favorite one at that), i love those evening when the air has that crispness to it. ending of summer, beginnings of winter, makes it hard to present a unified front to autumn on how i feel about it. come september, i'll drag out all the pumpkin and carmel apple scented candles out and fill our apartment with fall. until then...
a looooooooong poem...
...but one of my favorites, this is in my top 5. i may have even posted it before.
Sunday Morning
Wallace Stevens
1
Complacencies of the peignoir, and late
Coffee and oranges in a sunny chair,
And the green freedom of a cockatoo
Upon a rug mingle to dissipate
The holy hush of ancient sacrifice.
She dreams a little, and she feels the dark
Encroachment of that old catastrophe,
As a calm darkens among water-lights.
The pungent oranges and bright, green wings
Seem things in some procession of the dead,
Winding across wide water, without sound.
The day is like wide water, without sound.
Stilled for the passing of her dreaming feet
Over the seas, to silent Palestine,
Dominion of the blood and sepulchre.
2
Why should she give her bounty to the dead?
What is divinity if it can come
Only in silent shadows and in dreams?
Shall she not find in comforts of the sun,
In pungent fruit and bright green wings, or else
In any balm or beauty of the earth,
Things to be cherished like the thought of heaven?
Divinity must live within herself:
Passions of rain, or moods in falling snow;
Grievings in loneliness, or unsubdued
Elations when the forest blooms; gusty
Emotions on wet roads on autumn nights;
All pleasures and all pains, remembering
The bough of summer and the winter branch.
These are the measure destined for her soul.
3
Jove in the clouds had his inhuman birth.
No mother suckled him, no sweet land gave
Large-mannered motions to his mythy mind.
He moved among us, as a muttering king,
Magnificent, would move among his hinds,
Until our blood, commingling, virginal,
With heaven, brought such requital to desire
The very hinds discerned it, in a star.
Shall our blood fail? Or shall it come to be
The blood of paradise? And shall the earth
Seem all of paradise that we shall know?
The sky will be much friendlier then than now,
A part of labor and a part of pain,
And next in glory to enduring love,
Not this dividing and indifferent blue.
4
She says, "I am content when wakened birds,
Before they fly, test the reality
Of misty fields, by their sweet questionings;
But when the birds are gone, and their warm fields
Return no more, where, then, is paradise?"
There is not any haunt of prophecy,
Nor any old chimera of the grave,
Neither the golden underground, nor isle
Melodious, where spirits gat them home,
Nor visionary south, nor cloudy palm
Remote on heaven's hill, that has endured
As April's green endures; or will endure
Like her remembrance of awakened birds,
Or her desire for June and evening, tipped
By the consummation of the swallow's wings.
5
She says, "But in contentment I still feel
The need of some imperishable bliss."
Death is the mother of beauty; hence from her,
Alone, shall come fulfillment to our dreams
And our desires. Although she strews the leaves
Of sure obliteration on our paths,
The path sick sorrow took, the many paths
Where triumph rang its brassy phrase, or love
Whispered a little out of tenderness,
She makes the willow shiver in the sun
For maidens who were wont to sit and gaze
Upon the grass, relinquished to their feet.
She causes boys to pile new plums and pears
On disregarded plate. The maidens taste
And stray impassioned in the littering leaves.
6
Is there no change of death in paradise?
Does ripe fruit never fall? Or do the boughs
Hang always heavy in that perfect sky,
Unchanging, yet so like our perishing earth,
With rivers like our own that seek for seas
They never find, the same receding shores
That never touch with inarticulate pang?
Why set pear upon those river-banks
Or spice the shores with odors of the plum?
Alas, that they should wear our colors there,
The silken weavings of our afternoons,
And pick the strings of our insipid lutes!
Death is the mother of beauty, mystical,
Within whose burning bosom we devise
Our earthly mothers waiting, sleeplessly.
7
Supple and turbulent, a ring of men
Shall chant in orgy on a summer morn
Their boisterous devotion to the sun,
Not as a god, but as a god might be,
Naked among them, like a savage source.
Their chant shall be a chant of paradise,
Out of their blood, returning to the sky;
And in their chant shall enter, voice by voice,
The windy lake wherein their lord delights,
The trees, like serafin, and echoing hills,
That choir among themselves long afterward.
They shall know well the heavenly fellowship
Of men that perish and of summer morn.
And whence they came and whither they shall go
The dew upon their feet shall manifest.
8
She hears, upon that water without sound,
A voice that cries, "The tomb in Palestine
Is not the porch of spirits lingering.
It is the grave of Jesus, where he lay."
We live in an old chaos of the sun,
Or old dependency of day and night,
Or island solitude, unsponsored, free,
Of that wide water, inescapable.
Deer walk upon our mountains, and the quail
Whistle about us their spontaneous cries;
Sweet berries ripen in the wilderness;
And, in the isolation of the sky,
At evening, casual flocks of pigeons make
Ambiguous undulations as they sink,
Downward to darkness, on extended wings.
Sunday Morning
Wallace Stevens
1
Complacencies of the peignoir, and late
Coffee and oranges in a sunny chair,
And the green freedom of a cockatoo
Upon a rug mingle to dissipate
The holy hush of ancient sacrifice.
She dreams a little, and she feels the dark
Encroachment of that old catastrophe,
As a calm darkens among water-lights.
The pungent oranges and bright, green wings
Seem things in some procession of the dead,
Winding across wide water, without sound.
The day is like wide water, without sound.
Stilled for the passing of her dreaming feet
Over the seas, to silent Palestine,
Dominion of the blood and sepulchre.
2
Why should she give her bounty to the dead?
What is divinity if it can come
Only in silent shadows and in dreams?
Shall she not find in comforts of the sun,
In pungent fruit and bright green wings, or else
In any balm or beauty of the earth,
Things to be cherished like the thought of heaven?
Divinity must live within herself:
Passions of rain, or moods in falling snow;
Grievings in loneliness, or unsubdued
Elations when the forest blooms; gusty
Emotions on wet roads on autumn nights;
All pleasures and all pains, remembering
The bough of summer and the winter branch.
These are the measure destined for her soul.
3
Jove in the clouds had his inhuman birth.
No mother suckled him, no sweet land gave
Large-mannered motions to his mythy mind.
He moved among us, as a muttering king,
Magnificent, would move among his hinds,
Until our blood, commingling, virginal,
With heaven, brought such requital to desire
The very hinds discerned it, in a star.
Shall our blood fail? Or shall it come to be
The blood of paradise? And shall the earth
Seem all of paradise that we shall know?
The sky will be much friendlier then than now,
A part of labor and a part of pain,
And next in glory to enduring love,
Not this dividing and indifferent blue.
4
She says, "I am content when wakened birds,
Before they fly, test the reality
Of misty fields, by their sweet questionings;
But when the birds are gone, and their warm fields
Return no more, where, then, is paradise?"
There is not any haunt of prophecy,
Nor any old chimera of the grave,
Neither the golden underground, nor isle
Melodious, where spirits gat them home,
Nor visionary south, nor cloudy palm
Remote on heaven's hill, that has endured
As April's green endures; or will endure
Like her remembrance of awakened birds,
Or her desire for June and evening, tipped
By the consummation of the swallow's wings.
5
She says, "But in contentment I still feel
The need of some imperishable bliss."
Death is the mother of beauty; hence from her,
Alone, shall come fulfillment to our dreams
And our desires. Although she strews the leaves
Of sure obliteration on our paths,
The path sick sorrow took, the many paths
Where triumph rang its brassy phrase, or love
Whispered a little out of tenderness,
She makes the willow shiver in the sun
For maidens who were wont to sit and gaze
Upon the grass, relinquished to their feet.
She causes boys to pile new plums and pears
On disregarded plate. The maidens taste
And stray impassioned in the littering leaves.
6
Is there no change of death in paradise?
Does ripe fruit never fall? Or do the boughs
Hang always heavy in that perfect sky,
Unchanging, yet so like our perishing earth,
With rivers like our own that seek for seas
They never find, the same receding shores
That never touch with inarticulate pang?
Why set pear upon those river-banks
Or spice the shores with odors of the plum?
Alas, that they should wear our colors there,
The silken weavings of our afternoons,
And pick the strings of our insipid lutes!
Death is the mother of beauty, mystical,
Within whose burning bosom we devise
Our earthly mothers waiting, sleeplessly.
7
Supple and turbulent, a ring of men
Shall chant in orgy on a summer morn
Their boisterous devotion to the sun,
Not as a god, but as a god might be,
Naked among them, like a savage source.
Their chant shall be a chant of paradise,
Out of their blood, returning to the sky;
And in their chant shall enter, voice by voice,
The windy lake wherein their lord delights,
The trees, like serafin, and echoing hills,
That choir among themselves long afterward.
They shall know well the heavenly fellowship
Of men that perish and of summer morn.
And whence they came and whither they shall go
The dew upon their feet shall manifest.
8
She hears, upon that water without sound,
A voice that cries, "The tomb in Palestine
Is not the porch of spirits lingering.
It is the grave of Jesus, where he lay."
We live in an old chaos of the sun,
Or old dependency of day and night,
Or island solitude, unsponsored, free,
Of that wide water, inescapable.
Deer walk upon our mountains, and the quail
Whistle about us their spontaneous cries;
Sweet berries ripen in the wilderness;
And, in the isolation of the sky,
At evening, casual flocks of pigeons make
Ambiguous undulations as they sink,
Downward to darkness, on extended wings.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Friday, August 13, 2004
on a brighter note...
tonight, i'm headed to the fiddler's convention in galax, virginia. it's every august and a big deal 'round these parts :) i've always wanted to go, so i'm excited :)
tomorrow evening is leo extravaganda, a celebration of all things leo. our favorite roaring lions will be gathered to eat, drink, and be merry. good stuff.
tomorrow evening is leo extravaganda, a celebration of all things leo. our favorite roaring lions will be gathered to eat, drink, and be merry. good stuff.
Monday, August 9, 2004
i'm walking on sunshine - whoaaaa
took a quiz once, and this song is apparently my theme song. and now, it's on my streaming yahoo radio at work. which is fitting, i've had a great day. nothing in particular, but depending on the day, i really enjoy my job ;) today is one of the enjoyable days. this is the closest i've been to a rewarding "helping people" type job since receiving my engineering degree.
a few website plugs:
ryanhanlon.blogspot.com - your newest link to the genius that is r-dawg's blog
www.colorquiz.com - scarily accurate for a simple choice of color palette
a few website plugs:
ryanhanlon.blogspot.com - your newest link to the genius that is r-dawg's blog
www.colorquiz.com - scarily accurate for a simple choice of color palette
Friday, August 6, 2004
Thursday, August 5, 2004
bloggability...
...has decreased since i've moved and don't have the ethernet working yet ;) and work's been a bit crazy. i even missed a "happy birthday cassie!" shout out from august 3rd as a result :) we all headed to the cellar (where else?) and had a good time eating copious amounts of italian food and exchanging witty banter. ian hovey also made a FANTASTIC harvest spice cake which we all very much enjoyed.
the new apartment? wonderful. brand new and beautiful and much preferable to our previous locale. my mom spent the week helping us pack up, move, unpack, and then clean out the old place. she and i even painted over the deep purple walls (which took awhile!) it's a good thing she loves us unconditionally :)
this weekend, ryan hanlon's coming to visit (yay!), and it's steppin' out in blacksburg (according to amanda, our very own local holiday). they shut down downtown, have live music all weekend, and tons of local food and craft merchants turn out. should be a great time :)
tonight, long overdue ice cream with rex :)
the new apartment? wonderful. brand new and beautiful and much preferable to our previous locale. my mom spent the week helping us pack up, move, unpack, and then clean out the old place. she and i even painted over the deep purple walls (which took awhile!) it's a good thing she loves us unconditionally :)
this weekend, ryan hanlon's coming to visit (yay!), and it's steppin' out in blacksburg (according to amanda, our very own local holiday). they shut down downtown, have live music all weekend, and tons of local food and craft merchants turn out. should be a great time :)
tonight, long overdue ice cream with rex :)
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
the return of monica seles
so cassie always called me monica in highschool when we were both on the tennis team on account of my loud exhaling as i attempt to hit the ball. needless information i know, but slightly relevant as cassie and i have started playing tennis everyday after work. good stuff :) my forearm is KILLING me, but hopefully after a week or so, i'll get used to it.
cassie's also a danaher employee now, working out the kinks in our physical inventory. she can often be seen running about with a clipboard and calculator.
my mom will be here this weekend! v. exciting. and i've even semi-prepared by setting up all our utilities for the new place, and renting a u-haul for the move. we haven't packed a thing yet though. next week is a 2-day work week for me :) yay for hoarding vacation all year long so i can take lots for the second half of the year.
after that, august! cassie's birthday, r-dawg coming to visit (on the 7th), then everyone comes back into town, then classes start again!
life is never boring ;)
cassie's also a danaher employee now, working out the kinks in our physical inventory. she can often be seen running about with a clipboard and calculator.
my mom will be here this weekend! v. exciting. and i've even semi-prepared by setting up all our utilities for the new place, and renting a u-haul for the move. we haven't packed a thing yet though. next week is a 2-day work week for me :) yay for hoarding vacation all year long so i can take lots for the second half of the year.
after that, august! cassie's birthday, r-dawg coming to visit (on the 7th), then everyone comes back into town, then classes start again!
life is never boring ;)
Monday, July 19, 2004
know anyone who needs a job?
we desperately need warm bodies to pre-count for our physical inventory :) full time from now until the end of august -- 7-4:30 but all of the above is negotiable. let me know if you're interested :)
Thursday, July 15, 2004
happy anniversay to me!
as of today, i've been with danaher for 2 happy years :) someone should take me out to lunch!
lastnight, i went home ate dinner, and sat on the couch to watch school of rock. i think i might have been awake for 10% of it, woke up after 2.5 hours of napping, then pretty much got up and went to bed. but at least today i feel rested finally!
my new office, albeit distracting, is very entertaining so far :) stay tuned for when the honeymoon is over and being a supervisor becomes tough.
lastnight, i went home ate dinner, and sat on the couch to watch school of rock. i think i might have been awake for 10% of it, woke up after 2.5 hours of napping, then pretty much got up and went to bed. but at least today i feel rested finally!
my new office, albeit distracting, is very entertaining so far :) stay tuned for when the honeymoon is over and being a supervisor becomes tough.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
pack 'em up and move 'em out
so we're moving! 2 weeks from today. even more exciting? my mom's coming to help us move! she'll be here for a week, and cassie and i are counting on her to do her organization thing and kick us into gear on packing. last year, we moved approximately 500 feet to a new apartment- this year- across town. which in blacksburg, can't be that far, but still. i'm just looking forward to having my very own bathroom and walk-in closet. and washer and dryer! and now i'm rambling about topics that aren't that interesting.
new job is great so far- have been building printed circuit board assemblies and cables- will start training on the actual supervisor piece the rest of this week.
tonight? i'm going to get some much needed sleep!
new job is great so far- have been building printed circuit board assemblies and cables- will start training on the actual supervisor piece the rest of this week.
tonight? i'm going to get some much needed sleep!
"Of all the ways to avoid living, perfect discipline is the most admired."
-James Richardson
Sunday, July 11, 2004
noteable quoteable
To be fair, English is full of booby traps for the unwary foreigner. Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled.
- Billy Bryson in The Mother Tongue
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Friday, July 9, 2004
happy birthday grandma!
or... "magaw" as my sister used to say when "grandma" was beyond her pronunciation capabilities ;)
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Friday, July 2, 2004
the second of july? already?
i couldn't think of a more interesting title. but a little slack please, it's 7 in the morning and my creativity isn't exactly at its high point.
celia's here! that's right, one of my very best friends from home is here in virginia for the weekend! she and my sister arrived from the airport at 5 a.m. this morning. i'm sure we'll get into plenty of trouble this weekend (if all goes as planned).
touristy things in the area? we almost always take people to chateau morrisette, only 40 minutes or so away from here, on the blue ridge parkway. for $4, you can taste every wine they have and tour the winery too! the only thing missing is the vines...they are grown all over virginia.
and of course, we never miss taking people to both the cellar, and gillie's. blacksburg has such lovable local places. the requisite tour of tech is also probably in order, maybe a quick trip to the roanoke farmer's market some time on saturday (if the weather's nice). and a little downtown blacksburg scandalousness (no, i do not care that that's probably not a word) ;)
happy friday!
celia's here! that's right, one of my very best friends from home is here in virginia for the weekend! she and my sister arrived from the airport at 5 a.m. this morning. i'm sure we'll get into plenty of trouble this weekend (if all goes as planned).
touristy things in the area? we almost always take people to chateau morrisette, only 40 minutes or so away from here, on the blue ridge parkway. for $4, you can taste every wine they have and tour the winery too! the only thing missing is the vines...they are grown all over virginia.
and of course, we never miss taking people to both the cellar, and gillie's. blacksburg has such lovable local places. the requisite tour of tech is also probably in order, maybe a quick trip to the roanoke farmer's market some time on saturday (if the weather's nice). and a little downtown blacksburg scandalousness (no, i do not care that that's probably not a word) ;)
happy friday!
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
change is the only sure thing.
so i'm now "Cardline Production Coordinator for Electronics." in english? responsible for the team that produces printed circuit board assemblies. so that's exciting- lots of new challenges to be had i'm sure. i've been reading all kinds of books to try to prepare, although i've been told i'll never feel ready, so i'm not sure where that leaves me ;)
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
rough rough draft...
...but what is a blog for if not raw poetry?
(as yet untitled)
it seems those nights my head was full
of poetry that my fingers can no longer
find. was it so very fleeting? even now
you are further and further from me- or is it
farther? i find myself in a unyielding plastic
chair, a sheet of notebook paper in front
of me. the pen i used- too much ink, has bled
to the other side, the answers i number and fill
intermingling in the fibers.
by now, you’ve extended past my reach, rubber
gripping pavement, headlights flashing over bridges
and trees, back to where you began. where i falter
to begin.
(as yet untitled)
it seems those nights my head was full
of poetry that my fingers can no longer
find. was it so very fleeting? even now
you are further and further from me- or is it
farther? i find myself in a unyielding plastic
chair, a sheet of notebook paper in front
of me. the pen i used- too much ink, has bled
to the other side, the answers i number and fill
intermingling in the fibers.
by now, you’ve extended past my reach, rubber
gripping pavement, headlights flashing over bridges
and trees, back to where you began. where i falter
to begin.
Monday, June 28, 2004
truth
although i do like the quotes and whatnot that i often post, my motivations are sometimes not feeling creative enough to type a bri-original post ;)
but while i'm on the subject, the random quote below (on june 25) came from www.fontgarden.com - a great site full of fun fonts, all of them displayed by the use of quotes like the one i posted- some saucy, some thought provoking. and you can also have your very own handwriting made into a font, something i've been meaning to do.
do you like your own handwriting?
but while i'm on the subject, the random quote below (on june 25) came from www.fontgarden.com - a great site full of fun fonts, all of them displayed by the use of quotes like the one i posted- some saucy, some thought provoking. and you can also have your very own handwriting made into a font, something i've been meaning to do.
do you like your own handwriting?
Coffee Maker by Cecily Parks
"Alone, one can but toy with imagery."
-James Merrill, 'Hourglass
Sobriety kicks me out of half-slept sleep
again. Unbound and starved for a routine
that favors day, I'm drawn toward this machine --
the twin-globed, bubbling keep
of caffeine grants plastic-coated access to
achievement, ritual, speed. Which is all I need
these days -- to watch the water, bead by bead
unyield itself and be drawn up into
each elementally alien ground, to give in.
It's almost selfless, brave (to me, at least,
it seems) as I mull over last night's pieced-
together bourbon-driven
dream, which concludes the process nuanced nightly:
we leave the bar, I take you (in my head)
to my near-empty apartment and empty bed.
Reversing cause and effect, I hold you tightly
and wait for bliss, for anything but regret.
Meanwhile, within my plastic odalisque
the water is disturbed enough to whisk
uptube and be beset
by the grounds, or is it the other way around --
the valence fluxes between subduer and
subdued, undoer and undone. I stand,
also propped on the counter, as things compound
without me and within. The torrid brew
ceases to bob and seethe, and with gravity's grace
(and changed) descends into the lower vase --
the final follow-through.
In vicarious absorption and half-awake,
I can only hover here and try not
to think of you, and grasp the steaming pot
from the maker that never makes mistakes.
-James Merrill, 'Hourglass
Sobriety kicks me out of half-slept sleep
again. Unbound and starved for a routine
that favors day, I'm drawn toward this machine --
the twin-globed, bubbling keep
of caffeine grants plastic-coated access to
achievement, ritual, speed. Which is all I need
these days -- to watch the water, bead by bead
unyield itself and be drawn up into
each elementally alien ground, to give in.
It's almost selfless, brave (to me, at least,
it seems) as I mull over last night's pieced-
together bourbon-driven
dream, which concludes the process nuanced nightly:
we leave the bar, I take you (in my head)
to my near-empty apartment and empty bed.
Reversing cause and effect, I hold you tightly
and wait for bliss, for anything but regret.
Meanwhile, within my plastic odalisque
the water is disturbed enough to whisk
uptube and be beset
by the grounds, or is it the other way around --
the valence fluxes between subduer and
subdued, undoer and undone. I stand,
also propped on the counter, as things compound
without me and within. The torrid brew
ceases to bob and seethe, and with gravity's grace
(and changed) descends into the lower vase --
the final follow-through.
In vicarious absorption and half-awake,
I can only hover here and try not
to think of you, and grasp the steaming pot
from the maker that never makes mistakes.
Friday, June 25, 2004
love is a battlefield
and so is work! meeting marathon today (annoyance from 2 hour meetings has much subsided due to the arrival of norman, the laptop). despite good intentions to get to work at 8 a.m. this morning, i woke up late and didn't even make it by 8:30 (although to be fair, i barely missed that cut off).
today's soundtrack is "for the road" courtesy of joey card (thanks joey!) i've actually had this cd for some time now, but is one that can be played end to end to end to... bottom line, i'd take it to a desert island with me.
random target plug: their sparkling water (market pantry) white grape flavor is tasty tasty- no calories, no sugar, nothing! mmm mmm good.
happy friday ;)
today's soundtrack is "for the road" courtesy of joey card (thanks joey!) i've actually had this cd for some time now, but is one that can be played end to end to end to... bottom line, i'd take it to a desert island with me.
random target plug: their sparkling water (market pantry) white grape flavor is tasty tasty- no calories, no sugar, nothing! mmm mmm good.
happy friday ;)
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
i love my new laptop and my new laptop loves me
i'm taking suggestions for names- any bright ideas?
so i have a car pool partner for at least the next two months. ian hovey can't drive his car with his left leg permanently extended by a bright red cast. go figure.
work's pretty quiet lately, i've trained the two new hires to do my job, and i don't have my new one yet, so mainly i read up on how to do my new job, without actually doing it. in fact, i think i'll get back to that now.
so i have a car pool partner for at least the next two months. ian hovey can't drive his car with his left leg permanently extended by a bright red cast. go figure.
work's pretty quiet lately, i've trained the two new hires to do my job, and i don't have my new one yet, so mainly i read up on how to do my new job, without actually doing it. in fact, i think i'll get back to that now.
Monday, June 21, 2004
lob-stah
so we spent yesterday on claytor lake- and i am now a bonafide lobster. head to toe. it's making me quite sleepy at work today actually. but i did really enjoy the lake, unfortunately, ian hurt his knee pretty badly in a wakeboarding incident and is now on crutches for an as yet unspecified period of time.
today's work soundtrack? abbey road. good stuff, nothing like "oh darling" playing with the copy machine as back-up percussion.
up to the minute update: apparently ian's leg is broken. how is it the hospital missed that the first time around? ah the wonders of modern medicine.
it seems as if they mow the lawn everyday. and the grass is still ridiculously tall most of the time. must be that virginia rain that we get EVERY day. makes me appreciate living in an apartment where i don't have to worry about the grass.
happy monday ;)
today's work soundtrack? abbey road. good stuff, nothing like "oh darling" playing with the copy machine as back-up percussion.
up to the minute update: apparently ian's leg is broken. how is it the hospital missed that the first time around? ah the wonders of modern medicine.
it seems as if they mow the lawn everyday. and the grass is still ridiculously tall most of the time. must be that virginia rain that we get EVERY day. makes me appreciate living in an apartment where i don't have to worry about the grass.
happy monday ;)
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Solstice
I. Summer
Such timid beginnings. He counted
every brick on the face of a building
while she looked up, searching
for words. He had wanted
to hold her hand, trace her jaw line
with his finger from earlobe
to chin. She knows the darkness
here is like nowhere else, satellites float above
them like slow-moving stars. Solitude lingers
in the darkness and then fades.
II. Autumn
He tells her rain is falling against his window.
When she looks through her own she finds
only dry leaves, already full
with autumn. Still, she tells him
if she closes her eyes, it begins to sound
like rain, begins to sound like his window.
Suddenly for a breath of a moment,
rain wind leaves swirl together
on windows. She almost feels him there.
III. Winter
The leaves have gone- snow falls
soundlessly past her window, whispering
to the trees- never speaking to her.
She walks close to midnight,
searching the darkness for satellites.
She cannot recall the curve
of his shoulder, the sound
of hello through a phone line.
IV. Spring
Suddenly she finds the ground
uncovered from months of snowfall.
Hundreds of tiny buds pushing
through the soil towards
the sky. At night she breathes spring
as she walks away
from satellites,
towards solstice.
Such timid beginnings. He counted
every brick on the face of a building
while she looked up, searching
for words. He had wanted
to hold her hand, trace her jaw line
with his finger from earlobe
to chin. She knows the darkness
here is like nowhere else, satellites float above
them like slow-moving stars. Solitude lingers
in the darkness and then fades.
II. Autumn
He tells her rain is falling against his window.
When she looks through her own she finds
only dry leaves, already full
with autumn. Still, she tells him
if she closes her eyes, it begins to sound
like rain, begins to sound like his window.
Suddenly for a breath of a moment,
rain wind leaves swirl together
on windows. She almost feels him there.
III. Winter
The leaves have gone- snow falls
soundlessly past her window, whispering
to the trees- never speaking to her.
She walks close to midnight,
searching the darkness for satellites.
She cannot recall the curve
of his shoulder, the sound
of hello through a phone line.
IV. Spring
Suddenly she finds the ground
uncovered from months of snowfall.
Hundreds of tiny buds pushing
through the soil towards
the sky. At night she breathes spring
as she walks away
from satellites,
towards solstice.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
i haven't. but it sounds like it could be fun. well, maybe not dancing with the devil, i can think of at least 2 or 3 people who would probably be more pleasant ;)
i have an aversion to shoes lately at work. i think it's because i've been wearing the type that are easily to slip on/off. i've been wandering cubicle city in none other than my socks. yes that's right, i'm a rebel. don't be jealous.
in other news, it's been raining in virginia for the past 3000 years. this very moment i'm sitting inside at work waiting for a break in the deluge so i can run to my car. soon enough, i will give up and be entirely soaked the second i step outside. in the meantime though, i'm typing a long overdue blog update.
exciting? my mom, sister, and i are taking a week vacation to san francisco and napa & sonoma valley. three tickets for the wine train, and we'll be set. i also plan on eating rice-a-roni while i'm there. and some sourdough bread.
i have an aversion to shoes lately at work. i think it's because i've been wearing the type that are easily to slip on/off. i've been wandering cubicle city in none other than my socks. yes that's right, i'm a rebel. don't be jealous.
in other news, it's been raining in virginia for the past 3000 years. this very moment i'm sitting inside at work waiting for a break in the deluge so i can run to my car. soon enough, i will give up and be entirely soaked the second i step outside. in the meantime though, i'm typing a long overdue blog update.
exciting? my mom, sister, and i are taking a week vacation to san francisco and napa & sonoma valley. three tickets for the wine train, and we'll be set. i also plan on eating rice-a-roni while i'm there. and some sourdough bread.
Friday, June 11, 2004
sleep deprivation is not for the weak at heart
or so i'd like to think. too many nights lately i've been up until 3. makes for a rough workday! ironically, the one night i slept a full 8-9 hours, i put on one brown shoe, and one black shoe, and headed off to work. didn't notice until i was walking into the building.
not going to type much, because i want to get out of here! :)
not going to type much, because i want to get out of here! :)
Tuesday, June 8, 2004
noteable quoteable
"Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity."
- Gilda Radner
- Gilda Radner
Friday, June 4, 2004
at last...
...my friday has come alooooooong :) yay! it's the end of the week! and it's pouring outside! oh wait, that's not so great i guess...but makes it less torturous (sp?) to be inside, so maybe it is a good thing.
will post some poetry later, i bought a new poetry book while in d.c. at a little bookshop. james tate -- i've read his essays on poetry, but never his poetry, so i'm excited to explore it.
have been staying out too late lately for one reason or another, so cassie and i made it an early night lastnight, which resulted in exactly one fantastic night of good sleep :)
happy friday!
will post some poetry later, i bought a new poetry book while in d.c. at a little bookshop. james tate -- i've read his essays on poetry, but never his poetry, so i'm excited to explore it.
have been staying out too late lately for one reason or another, so cassie and i made it an early night lastnight, which resulted in exactly one fantastic night of good sleep :)
happy friday!
Wednesday, June 2, 2004
d.c. - in a nutshell!
so... we went to d.c. last weekend to visit ryan (who so recently left blacksburg). our first touristy stop? georgetown- to feed my obsession with doors.
so we had to go in and have some for ourselves. aren't cass and ryan authentic? complete with chopsticks and everything.
after lunch, we headed to the international spy museum (v. cool), but it's just a shame you can't take pictures there, or i'd introduce you all to some seroius espionage memorabilia
after lunch, we headed to the international spy museum (v. cool), but it's just a shame you can't take pictures there, or i'd introduce you all to some seroius espionage memorabilia
after that, we hopped on back on the metro and had a run-in with the metro driver who is vehemently opposed to the drinking of starbuck's when no drinking is allowed on the train. so, we arrived back in herndon (ryan's locale) decaffeinated but happy. then it was blacksburg bound! cleo spent the entire car ride (there and back) perched on the door, watching the scenery go by. we got home late sunday night (or early monday morning for those of you who are just that literal).
so that's it! the trip in a nutshell :)
so that's it! the trip in a nutshell :)
stranger than fiction.
i kid you not.
extreme ironing n. A pastime in which participants iron a few items of laundry while engaged in an extreme sport or some other dangerous activity.
You read right: extreme ironing, part sport, part spectacle. Press garments while kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking or doing any other outdoor activity you like. (Since extreme ironers must wait for the invention of solar- and battery-charged irons, they heat their irons with portable gas burners, campfires and generators.)
-Bryan Rourke, 'Pressing concerns,' The Providence Journal (Rhode Island), May 22, 2004
ps: i stole this from wordspy.com
extreme ironing n. A pastime in which participants iron a few items of laundry while engaged in an extreme sport or some other dangerous activity.
You read right: extreme ironing, part sport, part spectacle. Press garments while kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking or doing any other outdoor activity you like. (Since extreme ironers must wait for the invention of solar- and battery-charged irons, they heat their irons with portable gas burners, campfires and generators.)
-Bryan Rourke, 'Pressing concerns,' The Providence Journal (Rhode Island), May 22, 2004
ps: i stole this from wordspy.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
interesting website discoveries of late
website 1: wordspy.com wonder what new words are popping up in our pop culture society? they keep track -- they also have all kinds of crazy cool quotes about words and poetry and literature.
website 2: ihatefinancialplanning.com self explanatory. i love it.
website 3: homestarrunner.com/sbemails looking to waste some time? you need sound though, or it's not funny.
website 4: of course, a mention of poetry daily is required. they're fantastic.
Neither is a dictionary a bad book to read. There is no cant in it, no excess of explanation, and it is full of suggestion, — the raw material of possible poems and histories.
—In Praise of Books, 1860
website 2: ihatefinancialplanning.com self explanatory. i love it.
website 3: homestarrunner.com/sbemails looking to waste some time? you need sound though, or it's not funny.
website 4: of course, a mention of poetry daily is required. they're fantastic.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Sunday, May 23, 2004
cleo-loo dog
this is by far my favorite picture of cleo -- before she was used to car traveling, i drove to indiana with her, she fell asleep watching me drive with her face all smushed in between the seat and gear shift. 
Saturday, May 22, 2004
Thursday, May 20, 2004
worth repeating
me: how are you?
virginian: well i'm as fine as frog hair split three ways.
me: that's pretty fine.
virginian: well i'm as fine as frog hair split three ways.
me: that's pretty fine.
a spoonful of poetry makes the...literature go down?
this was read at a recent graduation ceremony i attended to honor what parents do for their children. good poem.
Those Winter Sundays
Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?
- Robert Hayden
Those Winter Sundays
Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?
- Robert Hayden
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
weird stuff for sale on e-bay
Shark Fetus: You could have been the owner of "Jaws Jr." — a shark fetus. No animal was intentionally harmed, the seller claimed. Apparently, a pregnant shark washed up on shore and the seller just knew it was destined for eBay. (Starting bid: $19.95; selling price, $32.) Found on eBay (Universe) by Mark Hartzman (Image copyright Liz Steger 2002)
Stuffed Two-Headed Calf: According to the seller, the two-headed calf was born near the family's Duck, West Va., home in 1955 and given to the family to settle a debt. It's been preserved in a glass case and comes with a letter of authenticity. (Starting bid: $20,000; no buyer.)
Taxidermied Musical Bullfrog: Does PETA know about this? Once a living creature, this bullfrog has been stuffed and posed on a wood block, playing a tiny banjo. "They do not pop up every day," the seller promises. Indeed. (Starting bid: $4.99; selling price: $27.99.)
Absolutely Nothing: Here's a great present for an existentialist — nothing. An entrepreneur from Sedalia, Mo., advertised that he was selling "Nothing! Absolutely Nothing," and giving the proceeds to a local university.
After six bids, nothing sold for $1.03 — which might be pricey, but the shipping, naturally, was free.
Hornet's Nest: It's 22 inches high, 1 foot long and "would make a great piñata," the seller promised. Hornets not included. (Starting bid: $1; selling price: $2.25.)
The Soul of One Human Being: A Kentucky man offered for sale the soul of one of his friends, an atheist. "Wouldn't it be nice to have more than just one soul?" the seller asked. "Perhaps you have previously lost or sold your soul?" Bidding reached 71 cents before eBay closed the auction.
Goat Toenail Bracelet: This bizarre piece of jewelry from Guatemala makes "an eerie noise" when shaken. (Starting bid $9.99; no buyers.)
Stuffed Two-Headed Calf: According to the seller, the two-headed calf was born near the family's Duck, West Va., home in 1955 and given to the family to settle a debt. It's been preserved in a glass case and comes with a letter of authenticity. (Starting bid: $20,000; no buyer.)
Taxidermied Musical Bullfrog: Does PETA know about this? Once a living creature, this bullfrog has been stuffed and posed on a wood block, playing a tiny banjo. "They do not pop up every day," the seller promises. Indeed. (Starting bid: $4.99; selling price: $27.99.)
Absolutely Nothing: Here's a great present for an existentialist — nothing. An entrepreneur from Sedalia, Mo., advertised that he was selling "Nothing! Absolutely Nothing," and giving the proceeds to a local university.
After six bids, nothing sold for $1.03 — which might be pricey, but the shipping, naturally, was free.
Hornet's Nest: It's 22 inches high, 1 foot long and "would make a great piñata," the seller promised. Hornets not included. (Starting bid: $1; selling price: $2.25.)
The Soul of One Human Being: A Kentucky man offered for sale the soul of one of his friends, an atheist. "Wouldn't it be nice to have more than just one soul?" the seller asked. "Perhaps you have previously lost or sold your soul?" Bidding reached 71 cents before eBay closed the auction.
Goat Toenail Bracelet: This bizarre piece of jewelry from Guatemala makes "an eerie noise" when shaken. (Starting bid $9.99; no buyers.)
rain drops keep falling on my head...
actually, not really. i haven't ventured outside. this morning, i took my car in for it's 30,000 mile maintenance ($270, ouch!)- even though i've waited too long and it's actually at 35,000, but who's counting? anyway, the service guy calls me this morning and says they "recommend" a few additional things that he lists off, including replacement of the air filter (listed as toyota's standard maintenance), and replacement of a fog light (should still be covered under warranty) for $210 EXTRA dollars. so i made a few sanity check phone calls to people who know much more about cars than moi, and called back and said... um... not so much.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
i fed my plant coffee today
so far, it's looking pretty happy about it. i know i usually am (about receiving coffee that is). our daily afternoon thunderstorm is rolling in. i'm still enjoying being able to spend a full day at work with no school work to come home to!
i love summer.
i love summer.
Monday, May 17, 2004
the empty 'burg
well, the miniscule traffic that existed for the past 9 months is gone. the students have left the building! which means... we can find places to park downtown (yay!) we can always get a table at rivermill (yay!) we can spend the summer on ian's porch and our couch (yay!)
today also marks the beginning of my healthy eating and going to the gym phase. stay tuned to see how long this phase will actually last.
today also marks the beginning of my healthy eating and going to the gym phase. stay tuned to see how long this phase will actually last.
Friday, May 14, 2004
word!
so i can prevent you people from posting comments post by post. which means i can make ridiculous claims like...
and you have no outlet for rebuttal. v. exciting
i was a dinosaur in my previous life (stegasaurus in fact)
and you have no outlet for rebuttal. v. exciting
couldn't help it...
had to change it. but change is the only sure thing, so deal with it!
it's almost the weekend. ryan hanlon is almost a graduate of the fine institution that is virginia tech. i'm almost about to graduate.. oh wait, no i'm not. ah well, i can look forward to the weekend at least.
i'm not very witty today. will need to work on that ;)
it's almost the weekend. ryan hanlon is almost a graduate of the fine institution that is virginia tech. i'm almost about to graduate.. oh wait, no i'm not. ah well, i can look forward to the weekend at least.
i'm not very witty today. will need to work on that ;)
Thursday, May 13, 2004
last week of busy blacksburg
well, at least for the summer. everyone's headed home this weekend, graduation is friday night. normally, i'm totallly excited because blacksburg is such a great and laid back place in the summer. but this year, there are so many friends leaving! for now, i've effectively suppressed any serious thought about the implications of so many of my friends going other places, so i'm still okay. but i will miss them all terribly.
i'll focus on summer blacksburg- which means:
- friday beer tastings and concerts on the lawn (mom and gram, i am definitely talking about rootbeer...)
- caving, canoeing, hiking
- tubing on the river
- grilling and sitting on the porch
- moving to a nice new apartment (yay!)
so lots to look forward to :) tonight, is blue's night at the cellar, so if you're in town, come- and be surprised by how great they are.
i'll focus on summer blacksburg- which means:
- friday beer tastings and concerts on the lawn (mom and gram, i am definitely talking about rootbeer...)
- caving, canoeing, hiking
- tubing on the river
- grilling and sitting on the porch
- moving to a nice new apartment (yay!)
so lots to look forward to :) tonight, is blue's night at the cellar, so if you're in town, come- and be surprised by how great they are.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Monday, May 10, 2004
fly by lawn guy
so... i'm at work. go figure, 'cause it's monday. but the amusing part of all of that is that every 30 seconds or so, the lawn guy flys by the window on his riding lawnmower at 80 mph. i hardly need coffee with this type of excitement around.
speaking of excitement, our CEO is in town tomorrow and i get to have lunch with him! very exciting. not just me of course, there will be 5 or 6 other people there, but the opportunity to forever end my career is definitely there. we're going to make a list of things NOT to say ("so, you make a lot of money- how's that working out for you?")
in other news, my parents are back from europe starting today (welcome home mom and marty!) :) which is good, because i was near overcome with jealousy looking at the beautiful pics from their trip. tulips and castles, oh my!
speaking of excitement, our CEO is in town tomorrow and i get to have lunch with him! very exciting. not just me of course, there will be 5 or 6 other people there, but the opportunity to forever end my career is definitely there. we're going to make a list of things NOT to say ("so, you make a lot of money- how's that working out for you?")
in other news, my parents are back from europe starting today (welcome home mom and marty!) :) which is good, because i was near overcome with jealousy looking at the beautiful pics from their trip. tulips and castles, oh my!
Thursday, May 6, 2004
good quote from prudie
so i'm an avid weekly reader of "dear prudence" on slate.msn.com and thought this quote was worth repeating (or blogging about) :)
"What women find appealing is determined by needs, neurosis, and background."
- Prudie
in other news, i've missed lots of great blogging opportunities as last weekend was extremely eventful... here's the nutshell recap:
- elizabethan period murder mystery costume party
- 80s party followed by several games of blackjack that lasted until 5 a.m.
- riding tandem bikes (in tandem) for 10 miles on the huckleberry trail
- lots and lots of school work as it's the last week of classes. bittersweet, no more homework, but so many people are leaving blacksburg :(
"What women find appealing is determined by needs, neurosis, and background."
- Prudie
in other news, i've missed lots of great blogging opportunities as last weekend was extremely eventful... here's the nutshell recap:
- elizabethan period murder mystery costume party
- 80s party followed by several games of blackjack that lasted until 5 a.m.
- riding tandem bikes (in tandem) for 10 miles on the huckleberry trail
- lots and lots of school work as it's the last week of classes. bittersweet, no more homework, but so many people are leaving blacksburg :(
Saturday, May 1, 2004
murder mystery success
the murder mystery party was a success! and the butler did it! no actually.. spamlet, prince of hallmarke did it, but whatever ;)
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
gmail by google
so google has e-mail now! how cool is that? i'm the proud new owner of a gmail address.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
brrrrrrrrrr
tell me again why it's so cold in april? oh yeah, that's right. i live in virginia where the weather is confused. tonight it's supposed to FROST. but thursday is in the 70s again so i can happily return to spring wardrobe type things.
so i dropped dry cleaning off before work this morning, something i haven't done since i've lived here, but something my own mother does every week. so maybe for that reason, i felt more grown up. weird, i know.
school's wrapping up and all that good stuff, then it's SUMMER! no work! oh wait... well, no school work.
so i dropped dry cleaning off before work this morning, something i haven't done since i've lived here, but something my own mother does every week. so maybe for that reason, i felt more grown up. weird, i know.
school's wrapping up and all that good stuff, then it's SUMMER! no work! oh wait... well, no school work.
Friday, April 23, 2004
starbucks barista
so i'm applying to starbucks to work as a barista (and so is cassie!) - i could use the extra cash, and i don't even think it will feel like work. the application asks the following questions (my proposed responses are in parentheses):
-Have you ever visited a Starbucks Coffee location? Where? Describe your experience. (YUMMY!)
-What do you like about coffee? (EVERYTHING!)
-Why would you like to work for Starbucks Coffee Company? (BECAUSE THEY ROCK)
stay tuned to see if we get the jobs...
-Have you ever visited a Starbucks Coffee location? Where? Describe your experience. (YUMMY!)
-What do you like about coffee? (EVERYTHING!)
-Why would you like to work for Starbucks Coffee Company? (BECAUSE THEY ROCK)
stay tuned to see if we get the jobs...
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
blog neglect
so my grandma told me that she used to have my blog as her homepage, but on account of my infrequent updates, i'm now only a favorite link. now i've been inspired to make a little more effort in the blog department.
it's wednesday, and it's almost may. don't even get me started on how fast this year is going by.
it was really foggy this morning- but i liked it. when i moved here, i used to get really frustrated about the thick fog when i couldn't see where to drive, but now i know the road, so it's actually kind of nice. made me forget i was even driving to work. so i listened to my john mayer cd (recently rediscovered) and thought about "the kind of mornings that seem to last all afternoon."
it's wednesday, and it's almost may. don't even get me started on how fast this year is going by.
it was really foggy this morning- but i liked it. when i moved here, i used to get really frustrated about the thick fog when i couldn't see where to drive, but now i know the road, so it's actually kind of nice. made me forget i was even driving to work. so i listened to my john mayer cd (recently rediscovered) and thought about "the kind of mornings that seem to last all afternoon."
Sunday, April 18, 2004
excerpt from "sunday morning" by wallace stevens
II
Why should she give her bounty to the dead?
What is divinity if it can come
Only in silent shadows and in dreams?
Shall she not find in comforts of the sun,
In pungent fruit and bright, green wings, or else
In any balm or beauty of the earth,
Things to be cherished like the thought of heaven?
Divinity must live within herself:
Passion of rain, or moods in falling snow;
Grievings in loneliness, or unsubdued
Elations when the forest blooms; gusty
Emotions on wet roads on autumn nights;
All pleasures and all pains, remembering
The bough of summer and the winter branch.
These are the measures destined for her soul.
Why should she give her bounty to the dead?
What is divinity if it can come
Only in silent shadows and in dreams?
Shall she not find in comforts of the sun,
In pungent fruit and bright, green wings, or else
In any balm or beauty of the earth,
Things to be cherished like the thought of heaven?
Divinity must live within herself:
Passion of rain, or moods in falling snow;
Grievings in loneliness, or unsubdued
Elations when the forest blooms; gusty
Emotions on wet roads on autumn nights;
All pleasures and all pains, remembering
The bough of summer and the winter branch.
These are the measures destined for her soul.
Friday, April 16, 2004
Friday, April 9, 2004
dollywood here we come!
so we dyed and decorated 2 dozen eggs tonight -- they're quite beautiful i think.
tomorrow, dollywood! 3.5-4 hour drive, but well worth it. should have lots of memories and pictures after tomorrow! have a great easter and wonderful weekend!
tomorrow, dollywood! 3.5-4 hour drive, but well worth it. should have lots of memories and pictures after tomorrow! have a great easter and wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
it's april 7th already?
happy birthday to billie holiday! born on this day in 1915.
it's getting warmer here in virginia. which is good, because i was getting ready to high-tail it back to arizona. this whole "snow in april" thing was getting to be just a bit too much for me.
tonight? board games and whatnot. whatnot should include paying bills, taxes, and homework... but who am i kidding?
it's getting warmer here in virginia. which is good, because i was getting ready to high-tail it back to arizona. this whole "snow in april" thing was getting to be just a bit too much for me.
tonight? board games and whatnot. whatnot should include paying bills, taxes, and homework... but who am i kidding?
Monday, April 5, 2004
poetry we all understand
roses are red,
violets are blue....
okay, i'm just kidding :) it's monday! let the mania begin!
i'll post "simpler" bite size poetry later --
violets are blue....
okay, i'm just kidding :) it's monday! let the mania begin!
i'll post "simpler" bite size poetry later --
Friday, April 2, 2004
The New Poetry Handbook
by Mark Strand
1 If a man understands a poem,
he shall have troubles.
2 If a man lives with a poem,
he shall die lonely.
3 If a man lives with two poems,
he shall be unfaithful to one.
4 If a man conceives of a poem,
he shall have one less child.
5 If a man conceives of two poems,
he shall have two children less.
6 If a man wears a crown on his head as he writes,
he shall be found out.
7 If a man wears no crown on his head as he writes,
he shall deceive no one but himself.
8 If a man gets angry at a poem,
he shall be scorned by men.
9 If a man continues to be angry at a poem,
he shall be scorned by women.
10 If a man publicly denounces poetry,
his shoes will fill with urine.
11 If a man gives up poetry for power,
he shall have lots of power.
12 If a man brags about his poems,
he shall be loved by fools.
13 If a man brags about his poems and loves fools,
he shall write no more.
14 If a man craves attention because of his poems,
he shall be like a jackass in moonlight.
15 If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow,
he shall have a beautiful mistress.
16 If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow overly,
he shall drive his mistress away.
17 If a man claims the poem of another,
his heart shall double in size.
18 If a man lets his poems go naked,
he shall fear death.
19 If a man fears death,
he shall be saved by his poems.
20 If a man does not fear death,
he may or may not be saved by his poems.
21 If a man finishes a poem,
he shall bathe in the blank wake of his passion
and be kissed by white paper.
1 If a man understands a poem,
he shall have troubles.
2 If a man lives with a poem,
he shall die lonely.
3 If a man lives with two poems,
he shall be unfaithful to one.
4 If a man conceives of a poem,
he shall have one less child.
5 If a man conceives of two poems,
he shall have two children less.
6 If a man wears a crown on his head as he writes,
he shall be found out.
7 If a man wears no crown on his head as he writes,
he shall deceive no one but himself.
8 If a man gets angry at a poem,
he shall be scorned by men.
9 If a man continues to be angry at a poem,
he shall be scorned by women.
10 If a man publicly denounces poetry,
his shoes will fill with urine.
11 If a man gives up poetry for power,
he shall have lots of power.
12 If a man brags about his poems,
he shall be loved by fools.
13 If a man brags about his poems and loves fools,
he shall write no more.
14 If a man craves attention because of his poems,
he shall be like a jackass in moonlight.
15 If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow,
he shall have a beautiful mistress.
16 If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow overly,
he shall drive his mistress away.
17 If a man claims the poem of another,
his heart shall double in size.
18 If a man lets his poems go naked,
he shall fear death.
19 If a man fears death,
he shall be saved by his poems.
20 If a man does not fear death,
he may or may not be saved by his poems.
21 If a man finishes a poem,
he shall bathe in the blank wake of his passion
and be kissed by white paper.
lyrics (snippet) dose of the day
"See I'm all about them words
Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words
Hundreds of pages, pages, pages forwards
More words then I had ever heard and I feel so alive"
Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words
Hundreds of pages, pages, pages forwards
More words then I had ever heard and I feel so alive"
spring back? spring forward?
ah, i can never remember. but according to my calendar, it's spring forward, so we're losing an hour at 2 a.m. on sunday -- sorry arizona, we're three hours apart again!
today is crazy meeting day, so this will be a short post, maybe followed by a literary posting of sorts, maybe not.
today is also relay for life day! it's supposed to be 40 degrees and raining which is PERFECT for an 18 hour relay in the name of the search for a cancer cure. jules and are are walking the first 4 hour block this evening starting at 6 -- we'll be in head to toe pink -- our team is specifically supporting breast cancer, themed "think pink!"
have a wonderful weekend!
today is crazy meeting day, so this will be a short post, maybe followed by a literary posting of sorts, maybe not.
today is also relay for life day! it's supposed to be 40 degrees and raining which is PERFECT for an 18 hour relay in the name of the search for a cancer cure. jules and are are walking the first 4 hour block this evening starting at 6 -- we'll be in head to toe pink -- our team is specifically supporting breast cancer, themed "think pink!"
have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, April 1, 2004
what's this about a holiday?
so i didn't even realize that i don't have to work next friday, being that it's good friday. so that's exciting. sounds like a few people will be around for easter weekend, so we're planning a possible trip to dollywood on saturday. for those of you who don't know, dollywood is dolly parton's very own amusement park in tennessee, and it's AWESOME.
Monday, March 29, 2004
the big E
so saturday was the big event. we picked up pine cones (and sticks), planted flowers, pulled weeds, and mulched and mulched and mulched. hung out with st. francis (patron saint of nature), ate a yummy lunch, enjoyed the beautiful day and scenery. our team name? sap happy. our team handshake? a high five... but then you get stuck together, 'cause of sap and stuff. we're dorks, we know. pictures to come eventually, whenever people that took them send them out (cassie has my camera in az).
went to see a streetcar named desire on friday night and it was... interesting. not the most uplifting of plays, but was good.
saturday night was girls' night out -- quite memorable :)
new culinary discovery in the new river valley (for me anyway): homeplace. had heard lots, but never been there -- all you can eat, served family style down home cookin' :)
and i washed my car. and i went to target. and i did NO SCHOOL WORK WHATSOEVER! :)
went to see a streetcar named desire on friday night and it was... interesting. not the most uplifting of plays, but was good.
saturday night was girls' night out -- quite memorable :)
new culinary discovery in the new river valley (for me anyway): homeplace. had heard lots, but never been there -- all you can eat, served family style down home cookin' :)
and i washed my car. and i went to target. and i did NO SCHOOL WORK WHATSOEVER! :)
Friday, March 19, 2004
dead blog
here lies the blog, barely breathing due to infrequent updates....
:) so things have been a bit crazy, here are the highlights:
- research paper, 9 of 20 pages complete! (hold the applause please) also, the dead line was extended a few days :)
- st. patrick's was an oustanding success-- macado's was a definite repeat locale for next year, lots of green hats and a woman that let us use her table until her friends arrived. we also had a fierce competition at champs (my partner and i were the winners of the golden tee bracket)- i'm dangerous with a 7-iron.
- cassie has left the building. she's in arizona for 10 days! :(
- i'm doing all kinds of goodie two-shoes activites in the near future- relay for life and "the big event" where organizations at tech help out all around the community with various service tasks -- "Currently in its 3rd year at Virginia Tech, The Big Event is expecting over 1500 students to complete nearly 200 jobs in Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Montgomery County, and neighboring communities." i really like doing this stuff but never actually do, thanks to ashlea and julia, i'm getting invovled ;)
- it's recruiting weekend AGAIN. no comment.
- i'm addicted to bubblemint orbit gum. yummy.
:) so things have been a bit crazy, here are the highlights:
- research paper, 9 of 20 pages complete! (hold the applause please) also, the dead line was extended a few days :)
- st. patrick's was an oustanding success-- macado's was a definite repeat locale for next year, lots of green hats and a woman that let us use her table until her friends arrived. we also had a fierce competition at champs (my partner and i were the winners of the golden tee bracket)- i'm dangerous with a 7-iron.
- cassie has left the building. she's in arizona for 10 days! :(
- i'm doing all kinds of goodie two-shoes activites in the near future- relay for life and "the big event" where organizations at tech help out all around the community with various service tasks -- "Currently in its 3rd year at Virginia Tech, The Big Event is expecting over 1500 students to complete nearly 200 jobs in Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Montgomery County, and neighboring communities." i really like doing this stuff but never actually do, thanks to ashlea and julia, i'm getting invovled ;)
- it's recruiting weekend AGAIN. no comment.
- i'm addicted to bubblemint orbit gum. yummy.
Monday, March 15, 2004
cranky blogger
for some reason, even if i delete a post, it continues to show up for some period of time. so even though i posted the poem below, realized i'd posted it before and deleted it, it's still happily camped on the blog page. ah well, if that's that biggest problem i have right now, i'm the luckiest person ever ;)
back to work!
back to work!
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
performance measurement and a little whine... or wine
i took my first stab at making manicotti lastnight, and i think it turned out all right (at least, i hope that was the general consensus). tonight, was more research for the 20-page monster that currently dominates my life ;) started out at bollo's (one of my favorite coffee shops), but got bored and moved to the cellar, sat at the bar, and drank wine while reading my research articles. surprisingly productive. even more surprising, was after an hour or so of studying, i looked across the room and thought, hey, that girl looks like cassie. and upon closer inspection.. hey, that IS cassie! so i crashed her party and said hi, then went back to studying. and now, it's quite time for bed ladies and gentlemen, so get to it!
Monday, March 8, 2004
data ridiculousness
did i mention how much i hate data and everything it stands for? well no, not really, but i'm headed home now. yawn. must have food...can't go on....
oh the injustice of it all
well, not really, but it's a subject line that gets your attention, no?
noteable: after i've read a chick flick- i tend toward writing in the same style as the author. maybe that's not noteable. for that matter, maybe that's not how you spell noteable. looks wrong somehow.
weird surrealistic mood lately. it was flurrying this morning. what kind of craziness is that? i made a new cd- david grey, norah jones, john mayer, jason mraz, etc. it's my "chillin', but not so much like a villain" cd- joey, remind me to make you a copy ;)
my new favorite song? norah jones - sunrise. in fact - the low-lowercase word of the random interval in which i pick one is sunrise: (n.) 1. The event or time of the daily first appearance of the sun above the eastern horizon. 2. An outset or emergence: the sunrise of classical art and sculpture.
but for now, it's sunset, and i have lots of work to do before i go home :) so goodnight!
noteable: after i've read a chick flick- i tend toward writing in the same style as the author. maybe that's not noteable. for that matter, maybe that's not how you spell noteable. looks wrong somehow.
weird surrealistic mood lately. it was flurrying this morning. what kind of craziness is that? i made a new cd- david grey, norah jones, john mayer, jason mraz, etc. it's my "chillin', but not so much like a villain" cd- joey, remind me to make you a copy ;)
my new favorite song? norah jones - sunrise. in fact - the low-lowercase word of the random interval in which i pick one is sunrise: (n.) 1. The event or time of the daily first appearance of the sun above the eastern horizon. 2. An outset or emergence: the sunrise of classical art and sculpture.
but for now, it's sunset, and i have lots of work to do before i go home :) so goodnight!
Thursday, March 4, 2004
in like a lamb...
out like a lion! march has swept into the year so gracefully, i fear for her exit-- it's been a beautiful few days. so it's almost spring break for the hokies, but really that only means that i get to spend more time at work next week -- or i could just "forget" that it's spring break and leave early as if i have class...mwha ha ha ha...but no, that won't work- too many people that work here are connected to the university, i'd be found out.
in other news, i've lost my cell phone. so if you've been trying to call me, TOO BAD! i'm working to remedy the situation, and am considering dropping suncom like a hot potato since my contract's up anyway.
back to the quality control plan...
in other news, i've lost my cell phone. so if you've been trying to call me, TOO BAD! i'm working to remedy the situation, and am considering dropping suncom like a hot potato since my contract's up anyway.
back to the quality control plan...
Wednesday, March 3, 2004
mid-week, mid-semester.
ahoy! so it's halfway through the week already, and amazingly, halfway through the semester too! i have a 20 page paper due march 22. so far, 0 of 20 pages have been written. but i've made much progress in the reading department. subject? performance measurement in lean manufacturing. did anyone fall asleep reading the title? hope not, in fact, i'm pretty interested in the subject (let's hope... because i chose it).
so the low-lowercase word of the random interval in which i will present one is... evanescence: noun. the act or an example of passing out of sight: disappearance, evaporation, fade-out, vanishment.
for fun and a little creativity check out www.oneword.com fun stuff
doggie-smack down week has come to a close. she's back to sleeping in my bed, but has learned the following words and/or phrases: "out of the kitchen!" and "CRATE!" in short, i consider it a success.
so the low-lowercase word of the random interval in which i will present one is... evanescence: noun. the act or an example of passing out of sight: disappearance, evaporation, fade-out, vanishment.
for fun and a little creativity check out www.oneword.com fun stuff
doggie-smack down week has come to a close. she's back to sleeping in my bed, but has learned the following words and/or phrases: "out of the kitchen!" and "CRATE!" in short, i consider it a success.
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