Just a little something I thought I'd try. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!


    


Pros                                          
 
Kick ass women's b-ball team!                                      
Obviously adorable mascot                                            
Closer to home                                                              
Beautiful campus                                                          
East Coast                                                                       
More liberal than Illinois
Close to DC (wouldn't be bored out of my mind)
The director of the clinic is super nice
Good opportunities for placement

Cons

Would potentially (if I got the job) have to work 20 hrs/week
Not as much time to come home because I'd be busy all the time
Not as safe as Illinois?
Assistantship might not cover summer tuition
                                      

         

Pros                                                       

Cost of living would be cheaper 
Would only have to pay for fees                                                   
The director also seems really nice                                            
Good men's bball team                                                                                                                  
Not working as much (more time to come home)                
Family in Illinois (could be a pro or a con!)                                  
The campus also looks gorgeous                                                 
Safer neighborhoods? (I could be making this up)
Knew the fight song by heart at 4 (my mother went there) 
                                                       
Cons 
      
Conservative atmosphere (potentially)
Obviously not a very politically correct mascot!
More time on planes! 
Tornados!
The flatness...
The corn...

So...any ideas? They seem to come out pretty evenly, eh? It kinda seems like the cons for Illinois are a tad bit irrational, but true nonetheless. I can still hear Rhi whispering "hot...it's really really hot" in my ear while doing the cons for Illinois last night. I have a feeling she won't be visiting in the summer if I go there. :) We'll see though...

Anyhow, I'll do a real update soon. I swear!

-E

So this isn't really an entry in the true sense of the word.  It's an entry for the specific purpose of saying that I'm going to update soon. Or at least, I'm going to TRY to update soon. I feel like I have some significant news to get out to the livejournal atmosphere because, you know, I haven't put anything out there for about six,  seven? months? Something like that.  But to tide everyone over until then (I think there might be four of you now), I'll just leave you with some tasty tidbits from this weekend (Linzfest 2006). It was the first big bachelorette party that I've ever been to. Well, at least the first one where I didn't end up in some guy's limo on the way to a strip club. And yes, we did make it to the strip club, and no, I didn't stay long. But anyhow...different story! This party was much more organized, complete with to-do lists for the bride-to-be and a fancy decorated bucket for later on in the night if she needed it. Thankfully, she didn't. Linz is just cool like that anyway. She's a fun girl, definitely a keeper. The whole thing went down in Killington, VT,  which is really a pretty place. Who knew?! There was the cutest town on the way up called Woodstock. It was pretty much a tiny little Portsmouth situated at the foot of some of those things called mountains (to me) and bunny hills (to those from the West Coast).  Either way, there was the cutest little bookshop there with the cutest and softest dog just laying on a dog bed in the children's section. I think he was a swiss mountain dog, but I'm not sure.  All the bridesmaids were such a blast though, and I had a really good time just getting to know them and all of their really distinctive personalities. I think Rhi had a good time too as evidenced by her breaking into the robot at the end of the night on Saturday. She's such a good time. :)  Here are some photos!



           

This would be the three of us with the bride's lovely headgear.  It was iffy at the beginning of the night whether or not she was going to go all out, but it was clear by the end of the night that she wasn't holding back:


        

For more photos, check out Rhi's blog because I'm sure she'll probably get around to adding more before I do. She's all technologically inclined and whatnot. 

This brief exchange has been refreshing, but I have to go catch the latest episode of Everwood. (Yup, still a WB whore).  I have lots to update about though including the women's NCAA championship game (tickets next to the ESPN booth!), the McBaby/Muffin Man (born in November, but haven't so much updated about him yet, and that's just wrong!), and lastly...the graduate school. Hopefully, I'll get to that soon. I hope all are well!

-E
                             

Decide which 6 words describe me best!  http://kevan.org/johari?name=daturael  And then put this in your journal so that I can do the same for you!

Love,
Me

P.S. Songs that I am obsessed with recently are:

1) Come Downstairs and Say Hello - Guster
2) If I Start To Cry - Edie Carey
3) Thinking it Over - Dana Glover
4) La Tortura - Shakira
5) Drop It On Me - Ricky Martin 

How's that for eclectic?

Just a quick note to mention that if there were a soundtrack to my life, I would want Sia's song Breathe Me and Tori's Taxi on it. Rhi surprised me one morning with a mix that she made on a little mp3 player, and both of those songs were on there. I didn't realize how completely I loved them until I was walking around with them literally playing in my head along Huntington Avenue. They're just so full of longing. I adore them. It also helps that Breathe Me is the exact same beat as my normal walking pace. Sometimes it's hard to walk to the other songs because I find myself either speeding up or slowing down accordingly. You just wait, sooner or later I'll be known as that really strange girl around campus who speeds up or slows down randomly while walking.

Also, I really love those new Sony Beans. It's the Sony equivalent of an Ipod, I think. I've decided I don't really care about having the latest and greatest technological advances. I just want them to look cute, and let me tell you, that bean...it's adorable.

Ok, almost time for me to leave.

Until next time,

-me

Alright, and now for your viewing pleasure for real this time...

I'm getting semi stressed out about getting everything done that I need to in order to apply on time for grad school. I'm already not applying to one school because the deadline is too soon. It's also because I probably wouldn't even go there even if I got in. As much as I think I want to move far away and be farther south, I just can't. It's that simple. For some odd reason, I've become really close to my family ever since I graduated from high school and so the thought of moving away and missing everything just makes me all twitchy. And by twitchy, I mean sad. In case you couldn't guess that already. I love the idea of moving to North Carolina and being all self sufficient and happy in a new place, but missing the goings on of Isababe, little Duncan, and James would just be impossible. I don't want to be one of those aunts that never sees her neices and nephews. I want to be the aunt that they come to when they're fed up with their parents and want to hang out and go shopping or to a movie or to a basketball game. And I have a sneaking suspicion that at least one of them might get fed up with their parents at some point...I mean, it happens, it's only natural.

So, I'm going to have to cut this short because the Rhi just called and she's a little early to come get me. But! I wanted to show everyone the beautifulness of our living room avec le Christmas Tree! We pretty much used the tackiest ornaments we could find because, as far as I'm concerned, the tackier the better when it comes to Christmas Tree ornaments. I think we still have purple paper cows that my sister made when she was six on our Christmas Tree at home. None of that pottery barn crap for us! Plus, the only ornaments we had to choose from were ones that Chris's grandmother gave us. Not that I'm complaining at all. I loved the pastel pink bulbs with little flowers on them! They were tres adorable! And now for your viewing pleasure...

Blasted! This isn't working...but I'll figure it out soon, I promise. Until then, have a very merry season!

So I think maybe part of the problem with me writing in this on any regular basis is that the font is just too damn small. I feel like I write pages upon pages of good, rambling stuff and then when I post it, it looks all tiny and measly compared to everyone else's livejournals or blogs or whathaveyou. Is whathaveyou really a word? If so, I like it. Almost as much as nonetheless, but not quite. So, in summary, I think I might switch things up a little bit for this livejournal post. Maybe I'll even change the colors! I know, I'm quite the daring one, aren't I?

So the holiday season has descended upon us. And once again, even though I always think that I'm going to despise the entire winter season, I end up feeling completely giddy from the kick-off of the radio city rockettes in the Macy's Day Parade:

right up until the opening of gifts on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of my family opening up gifts on Christmas morning as I'm sure it would just be thrilling for everyone. Needless to say though, there are so many more exciting things about Christmas between Thanksgiving and the 25th that deserve to be mentioned too.

1. Making Christmas Lists! There are lots of lists to make around Christmas and list making just happens to be one of my favorite past times. Lists of things to buy all the relatives and friends, lists of groceries for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, Lists of Christmas wishes for Santa Claus (if you are Isabelle, James, or Duncan), from J.Crew if you are my sister or me, and from a sharpening supply warehouse of some sort if you are Wayne. Any sort of way you slice it, lists are such the good time. Especially with stickers!

2. Making Cookies: Chocolate dipped shortbread, frosties, sugar cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip, the ones with the hershey kiss on top. There just aren't good enough words to describe the pure chocolaty bliss of it all.

3. Christmas shopping in department stores! I know that some people dread this more than anything else in the world. I probably would too if I was in a hurry and needed to get a Christmas present -- stat! But sometimes it's just great to go hang out at a department store for a little while and relish in the holiday ambiance. Once again, sounding crazy, I realize. I just love all the christmas decorations though and how everything is draped in big, bright ribbons of red and gold bows. It's fabulous! Plus, department stores are the best because you can mosey on over to the fragrance section and smell all of the ridiculous new perfumes of the rising pop stars. Fantasy by Britney, with the hint of marshmallows, snow cones, and butterfinger happens to be one of my personal favorites.

4. The Nutcracker...

                                                          Need I say more?

5. The Muppet's Christmas Carol. By far, the best version of the Christmas Carol ever made. Gonzo totally nails it as Charles Dickens.

6. Christmas trees! I have mixed feelings about the whole debate over what to call Christmas trees. I can understand that we (by "we" I mean anyone who celebrates Christmas whether they be Christian, Agnostic, or just into holidays) don't want to alienate anyone by strictly calling these decorations Christmas trees. We want to be politically correct and make sure that everyone is welcome to celebrate the holiday season, but really it's all just crazy talk. I have a sneaking suspicion that pretty much everyone in their right mind knows that those tall things with needles that are all decorated with lights and a star on top are called Christmas Trees. I would kind of think that people who celebrate other holidays like Chanukah or Kwanzaa wouldn't want them to be called Holiday Trees because decorated trees play no role in their holiday. A better idea would be to have a menorah set up next to the Christmas tree. Everyone can be included!

And there are many more I'm sure, but to be honest I'm a little spent after that Christmas Tree debate. But wrapping presents, soy peppermint hot chocolate, and Christmas Carols would no doubt have made the list.

In other news, Duncan has arrived! He was born on Wayne's birthday, November 19th, and is in fabulous health! He's a complete cutie and pretty much just sleeps all the time. He's probably just resting up because he's going to need some super power energy if he plans on keeping up with Isabelle at some point. Jenny is pretty much my hero to say the least. I have no idea how she just does things. You know? Just plows through life's obstacles with the greatest of ease. She needs to give lessons.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and a wonderful holiday season, whatever wonderful holiday it is you choose to celebrate!

Has everyone seen the movie Spanglish? I think its definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Some of the dialog is just so odd, but it makes perfect sense. I wonder who wrote it actually...I'll have to look that up. Anyway, in one of the deleted scenes, Tea Leoni is having a conversation with her husband (Adam Sandler) about the wonderfulness of sod. At least I think the word is "sod." If sod is the grass that you can just roll out like a carpet on top of dirt and have it look like a lawn, then sod is what I'm talking about. She was saying that she wished everything was as easy as rolling out sod on top of dirt and making something really messy look fabulous even though beneath the surface there's a whole lot of mess going on. In the movie it was obvious that this was a metaphor for their relationship...denying the existence of an obvious problem and covering it up with something that resembles honesty and love, but really isn't. This entry has taken a turn for the serious when really I hadn't meant it to at all. I just started thinking about that scene this morning on the way to work when we drove past a newly finished park. Days earlier it was pretty much a battle zone with bulldozers and dirt piles everywhere, but when we drove past today it was all shiny and green with newly painted lamp posts and cobble stoned pathways. It made me wonder though: If you put sparkling new sod on top of a muddy mess for long enough, will the sod start to grow roots and actually become grass, become something real and natural even though at first it was essentially a band-aid or quick fix? And in turn, can real emotion blossom out of something that was initially only surface deep? It's kind of like arranged marriages, I guess. I think we've probably all heard the stories about two people who were "betrothed" and even though there isn't a natural and easy love between the two, they somehow find respect and appreciation for each other that may or may not gradually drift toward something similar to love. I don't know of anyone though who would choose the gradual appreciation over the feeling of being overcome completely with raw emotion. Anyhow, I was just thinking.

In other news, Duncan is almost here! My sister asked me if I wanted to be in the room while she's actually in labor. I think it will be an amazing experience, but one that will no doubt make me suffer from nightmares. Who knows though, this could be my chance to overcome the fear of pregnancy. Mostly though, I think it will be good to have that experience with my sister. Our relationship sometimes resembles the sod mentioned earlier, and I think this will be a good opportunity to see her truly be herself. I don't think she holds back really, but I don't think she tells me everything she's thinking either. That could just be a family trait though...

Anyway, I'm rambling. Hopefully I'll have news of the little one soon!

So I was watching America's Next Top Model last night, which is incidentally my absolute favorite show, and I came to the realization that it's just impossible for some gay women to look hot in 8-inch heels. Don't get me wrong, Kim (the gay contestant on the show), is a really attractive girl but the judges haven't come to the realization that what makes her hot is that signature swagger, the strut, and the pure gay aura. But she's stripped of all of that raw confidence and pure gay goodness when she's forced to wear ass-tight clothes and parade around in fashion stilts that would obviously look better on any of the other girls. It's just like asking the other girls to dress up in twelve layers of polo shirts with the collars up, saggy boy jeans, and pumas and then asking them to do their best impression of a frat boy. I think they'd probably all look pretty ridiculous, wouldn't you think? But the fabulousness about gay women is that some of them (myself not included) can pull that look off and look damn hot doing it. Tyra did give Kim some good advice though before she almost sent her packing. She recommended that Kim invest in some male fashion magazines so that she could get a feel for some of the poses that she could strike and just how she could be presenting herself in general. And let me just say that I absolutely adore Tyra. I really hope that her personality on the show isn't all a facade. I hope that she really is the sweetest, most down-to-earth woman ever who can somehow relate to every girl on the show regardless of their personal history. I hope that you can't fake something like that. Although, I have a hard time believing that one of the most recognized fashion models in the world could be that sweet. I'm definitely willing to be naive though. On a side note, it will be interesting to see if Kim has any more random hook-ups with any of the other girls now that her "lovah" has been sent home. It was really sad to see that actually. Quite touching...the lingering embrace goodbye and the stifled tears. Ah well, we can only hope that they keep in touch.

So on to things not of the reality television nature; Nickelcreek is tonight, and I'm very excited about that. Although, I feel like I should be listening to them right now in preparation. The good thing about fiddles though is that you never have to know the song to get your jig on anyway. Also, this weekend is Rhi's friend Sara's wedding. The wedding is in York, and I'm really looking forward to the whole thing because Rhi and I are staying in a bed and breakfast in Eliot for the weekend and hopefully going kayaking on Saturday in the Portland area. I don't think I'll ever not be partial to Maine. It's just home. 

Anyhow, on with the day, I say. Have a great weekend!

-E 

Today I decided that I really want to go to an improv show this weekend. That's partly because there was a whole article about the many improv shows around Boston in the Metro today, but it's also because I'm slightly obsessed with Who's Line is it Anyway and anything that is even remotely similar to that would be a fabulous time in my book. I used to love the improv group at UNH although their name slips my mind right now. They used to play this game where they would act out a skit and one person would make the people in said skit either repeat the line they just said or say it backwards or make the people do the whole scene again in reverse. And despite my being really horrible at describing the whole thing, I swear it was really funny.

Oh Oh, and Rhi just got tickets to Nickelcreek! NOT Nickelback mind you. Two similar names and two very dissimilar bands. I have a feeling that people going to a Nickelback show would be half our age and people going to the Nickelcreek show will be about twice our age, so you know we should fit in nicely seeing as how we are pretty much 45 years old anyway. I haven't found the strength or the will recently to get all dressed up and go out dancing. I feel the inner hoodlum in me is gradually fading away. I'm not ready to surrender yet, however, and am determined to muster up some sort of teenybopper energy this weekend at some point. I think Rhi and I are just total opposites though. It seems that whenever she wants to go out, all I want to do is snuggle up and watch the OC, and when I want to go out, all she wants to do is snuggle up and watch the red sox. Ah well...maybe we'll be inspired on Friday night.

Oh Oh! And the most exciting news of all?! We have two new pets! (see, I warned you...I really am 45). Two betta fishes! Fishi? Fish? Fishies? Mine is purple, pink, and blue and despite my knowing that said fish is a boy, HER name is Daphne. I suppose my fish could just be a gay fish though. A drag queen fish? She's just too beautiful to be anything but a girl though. Therefore, I'm a horrible pet owner because I'm not accepting my fish for who she (sorry he) really is and therefore inflicting emotional trauma. She'll get over it though. And then we have Phineas or Fin for short. He is Rhi's fish, and she's obviously a much hipper pet owner as she is able to accept her fish for what he truly is. He is also very pretty, but in a more masculine way...I believe she called him "handsome" the other day, which was a very odd word coming from her mouth.

Anyhow...I'm having a lack of interestingness today so I'll leave it at that.

-passionfish