You're playing with my heart! (My update with the overuse of "I" and useless information.)

Happy Birthday Cristina! I’m sorry I am lame and missed it. We really ought to celebrate. Perhaps with fudge? Hmmm… or mocha cake…

I’m also lame and I haven’t updated. Things have been busy around here, but I’m still walking (I did fall not so gracefully on the way to work today when I slipped on a political sign that was buried under the snow, no injury though). River, how's your ankle?
An update? Let’s see…

At church I’ve been working on planning the “Easter Eggstravaganza” event and trying to prepare Sunday school through March so I don’t have to work on it during Eggstravaganza madness. At Strive I’ve been interviewing and scheduling people like crazy, and now that it's back into the groove of things I'm back to research and sending letters. On Fridays I volunteer at St.Martin de Porres House of Hope in the preschool class where we have tea parties, eat ramen, (try to) take naps, and need a lot of help in the bathroom. Hopefully this odd amalgamation of a living is helping me to break the gentle curve of societal norms, as it is a most worthy goal.

This Wednesday my small group at church had a Super Bowl themed pot-luck. It was delicious, but there weren’t any margaritas. I don’t think any small appliances got up and went hiding. There was a crock-pot in action though, and I didn’t check for it at the end of the evening.

At non-work I field phone calls and emails from concerned family members who spend all day looking at wedding dresses online and fretting about hotels in July. I take Natural Family Planning class (fertility awareness is turning out to be pretty cool, although I’m still figuring it out, and figuring what we’ll decide when conception is a real possibility). I go to sleep about the same time my roommates come home. I diligently work on pre-marital counseling homework. I write recommendations and take phone calls regarding Sunday school teachers and Strive employees who want to go do other things. I have a new love for national holidays and teacher development days (not tutoring!). I eat a lot of fried potatoes and pasta (but not together). I cook with the Magic Apartment Cookbook. I listen to of third grade horror stories and try to be encouraging (this week some of Eric’s kids trashed the art room on their way back from piano class, who does that!?!???!!!!) I sleep under a down comforter, down sleeping bag, two blankets, two shirts, pants and a skirt. I wish my roommates would agree to turning the heat up. I waste my time following the primaries, and watching/reading stuff on the internet. (Like freaky stories about “reborn dolls” http://www.aolvideoblog.com/2008/01/08/my-fake-baby/ and important frightening things like “wombs for rent” in India: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/12/27/surrogate_mothers/. ) I’m enjoying a new Hyde Park Produce (although, with the Coop closed, it’s terribly busy). I’m anticipating a new café, a specialty import store, and a Treasure Island grocery coming to HP. I’m becoming a better dishwasher on account of my current roomies. I’m trying to apply for jobs next year, but feeling overwhelmed by current employment.

And mostly, I miss you all madly. I heartily approve of movements towards Chicago for everyone. I want to hear more about the life of a shipping director on crutches, the mafia neighbors and all that occurs in NYC…

Also, I need everyone’s current address. (I wish I were sending something unexpected and exciting, but it’s just for the sake of an invitation that will be sent a long time from now. However, if you email me your address soon, I might just send you something exciting.)

Double also, I finally fixed my profile. Turns out I never was an accountant in Afghanistan.

Oops I did it again

I'm posting again! Within a week of my last one! What's happening? Also, I should be slapped for my Britney quote, but that's for another time. I've made the executive decision (over myself) to create my own personal blog.

This is not a secession from this blog, and I hope that it does not spark a civil war amongst us. I will still post here just as sporadically as before! I just have a lot of random things to say and rarely have people to say them to these days. So this new, shiny page will house my word vomit. I've set it up, but have not posted yet; I probably will before the day is over. I will let ya'll know the url and probably post it on facebook or something.

Thank you Laura for your comments and appreciating the xkcd! It sums up my life at this exact moment in time. (I think it's telling you to come visit Chicago, FYI). Also, I'm sorry that you are currently lame. I hope that you're feeling better now. I raise my insulated coffee cup (made from potatoes[!]) to your proclamation to break "the gentle curves of societal norms!"

How are you Mary and you Lizzy?

To all--hopefully soon you will be bored by my inane ramblings in what will probably be stream (flood?) of consciousness writing. My inner monologues are not for the faint of heart.

So...

le sigh. Keith and I just got home from Pennsylvania. So...Happy Belated Birthday Cristina! I've had an...exciting week. Wednesday morning Keith's grandma passed away. (Not unexpectedly) So I informed my boss and co-worker that I would not be at work on Friday. Then Wednesday evening as I got to Acacia to eat dinner, I fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle. So I spent Thursday on my couch with my foot elevated feeling stupid (and maybe also watching Firefly). I spent the weekend on crutches or propped up in remote corners of rooms full of Keith's relatives or lounging in the backseat of the car as Keith made the 6 hour drive there and back. Now I'm trying desperately to figure out what I could possibly do with my ankle so that I can go to work tomorrow, since my job is impossible if I'm on crutches and there has been no miraculous healing thus far.
So now that I've sent Keith off to CVS in search of a Super Awesome Ankle Brace...I'm just trying not to mope and be frustrated that I can't even unpack or wash all of the dishes that we left from last week. erg.
So after reading Cristina's post and the xkcd, I'm trying to see this situation as a perhaps much needed wake up call from the routine I'd been attempting to pursue this week. Last week was rush week, when had my job been more flexible, I would have gone to Chicago. Instead I was frustrated as I finally understood all of the stereotypes of wives not wanting their husbands to "go out with the guys". Monday (or maybe Sunday?) knowing it would be a late night i stayed home and let Keith have the car, so I wouldn't have to worry about him. that didn't work out so well, when I woke up at 4:45 am and he still wasn't in bed. Luckily he was home by that time and just downstairs, but I decided the rest of the week it would be better if I stayed up and went and picked him up when he was ready to come home. Friday night I finally rented Stardust. Soooo good. I cannot believe it took me this long to watch this movie. Then Saturday Keith was finally free and I made him watch it with me. Then Sunday Keith was busy again, but Claire was back in Ithaca, and I went to a meeting with her for a group of people who are starting an "intentional community" on a goat farm about a half hour from Ithaca. It's kind of a christian commune in a (mostly) not creepy way.
So then Monday Keith started classes, and I found myself rejoicing at being able to get the pattern for what this semester will be like. And now Keith has returned with said ankle brace---yet to be determined if it is Super Awesome--so maybe I can go to work tomorrow after all.
So the point is I miss you guys like crazy, and the bright point of the weekend was when people asked what we're doing after Keith graduates. I said, "I want to go to Chicago because that's where my friends are." (No offense Mary! As soon as I can walk again I'm going to figure out when we can get back to NYC!) And thank you Cristina for your post. Here's to breaking "the gentle curves of societal norms."

http://xkcd.com/137/

Things that I am currently thinking about:

Words that I dislike, yet feel compelled to use in everyday speech (in varying degrees of usage frequency): "discombobulate," "literally," "stick-to-it-ive-ness," "melange," "like," "cornucopia," "uber," and "totally."

Crushes on fictional characters: Jim Halpert (was there any doubt?), Wash (see Jim Halpert), Eisenheim (Edward Norton in The Illusionist), Hector (I always root for the underdog), and Batman (seriously, who wouldn't?)

Main characters in my screenplay: Patrick & Becky Collins. I'm actually a lot more like Patrick than Becky.

Current screenplay length: Roughly 30 pages.

Songs on repeat in my iPod during the past two morning bus rides: "Rebellion (Lies)"-Arcade Fire, "Such Great Heights"-The Postal Service, "Telescope Eyes" & "Marvelous Things"-Eisley, and "Sounds Like a Personal Problem"-Ghost of the Robot.

Currently reading: Self-Made Man by Norah Vincent.

Also, it's very cold outside.