Wednesday, May 31, 2006

yay!!!

venture bros. is out on dvd this week!!!!

in my nerdy opinion, venture bros. is the best show adult swim has ever offered. so watch it!!!

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

shavuos

nextbook reminded me that shavuos is coming up soon!

but the only blintzes i can find locally are filled with potato or chocolate. wtf!!

not that i'm not intrigued by chocolate blintzes--which i've never seen before, and really, how can you go wrong with chocolate and crepes?--but they don't really fulfill the dairy requirement. :) (note that the only aspect of shavous i normally observe is the blintz-eating, cause i looooove blintzes.)

actually, i am pretty sure i have a blintz loaf recipe in one of my many jewish cookbooks, now that i think about it. off to the cookbook shelf!

in unrelated news, i totally get the style network (is that a florida thing?). it's kind of awesome to see yoanna (and her show "the look for less") in action.

Monday, May 29, 2006

2006 books 71 and 72

ann brashares' the second summer of the sisterhood and girls in pants: the third summer of the sisterhood
i don't own the first book in this series, but did see the (mostly inaccurate) movie on hbo last week. anyway, summer is the perfect time for recreational rereading!

Sunday, May 28, 2006

2006 book 70

neil gaiman and terry prachett's good omens
sometimes when you've unpacked nearly all your books and are in need of some cheering up, you just have to take one of your old favorites, a silly ol' book about an apocalypse, off the shelf and curl up on the couch and get lost in it.

2006 book 69

dave king's the ha-ha
ok, so this is about a guy who got a massive head wound in vietnam and can't speak or write or anything and has trouble communicating (it's never explained why he never learned sign language after all that). when an old girlfriend asks him to care for her son while she's in rehab, his whole life starts to change. it's a good book, but very depressing at times.

the title refers to some landscaping thing that like hides roadways or something--it was defined like three times but i just couldn't visualize it. probably it's symbolic or something; there's one of those reader's guides in the back with the sorts of questions that might arise in a high school english class.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

P5270005


P5270005
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
look what i have in my hot little hands! (well, on my armchair, to be more accurate.)

it came just as i was taking a much-needed break from unpacking books.

YAYYYYYYYY!!!!

thank you, chapel hill comics! thank you, us postal service!

i am off to READ SCOTT PILGRIM 3 OH MY GOD.

Friday, May 26, 2006

x3

so i saw x3 tongiht. it was pretty good--i didn't like it as much as the second one, but i didn't dislike it or anything. ok, i was annoyed that they had colossus but then didn't give him his romantic subplot (i don't want to give anything away, so i am being deliberately oblique), which is my all-time favorite x-men romance. on the other hand, i was quite pleased to see kitty pryde--one of the subjects of my master's paper!--in a featured role.

the plot was pretty heavily lifted from whedon's astonishing x-men (but he didn't get any writing credit), with lots of wacky effects and explosions for good measure.

the casting was well-done, although after spending the past few weeks watching the entire series of "six feet under" on dvd, it was a little weird to see the kid who was russell playing angel. i kept waiting for him to do something totally psychotic--he still seemed to have that deranged look in his eyes.

i did really like the ending--stay through the credits or you'll miss something awesome!!

ps. there totally was a trailer for snakes on a plane before the movie!! hahahaha!!!!

Thursday, May 25, 2006

P5250202


P5250202
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
check it out--i have actual furniture!!!

i've uploaded pictures of my kitchen (including curtains, and i can't even tell you what a hassle it was to find curtains), bedroom, bathroom, and living room from multiple angles. excuse the mess--i need to vacuum (the delivery guys left cardboard bits on the floor).

also excuse the fact that i haven't hung up any pictures yet--i haven't decided where to put the small ones yet, and i'm incapable of hanging the big ones (trust me, i have a hard enough time assembling that furniture you only need a screwdriver to assemble).

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

grrr!!!

*shakes fist at tallahassee*

so scott pilgrim 3 came out today--i know chapel hill comics has it in stock, but i can't find it ANYWHERE in this city! (i have a signed copy coming to me next week, but it's already like 6 months late and i don't want to wait to read it!)

i called both the local comic book stores and neither had even HEARD of scott pilgrim. dude! he's like a phenomenon! there's a movie deal!

so i'm guessing the stores here aren't very girl-friendly--although the second one at least gets stuff from oni regularly, so it might be worth a visit before i decide to hate them.

but for real--who in the comic book world hasn't heard of scott pilgrim??/

in moving-in news: i inadvertently took an 80-minute walk in some serious heat, which was pretty tiring, so i haven't unpacked even one box yet. i totally am going to tonight thoguh!!!! i am tired of living among boxes.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

2006 book 68

sarah dessen's the truth about forever
this was another nicely-written and engaging YA book by dessen--i maybe even liked this better than just listen, despite the lack of djs. i read the whole thing sitting out on my back deck thing, enjoying the hot weather.

unpacking is going slowly--there are SO MANY book boxes that it's a little overwhelming! today involved manual labor (building furniture from target and moving stuff around) so i've been taking it easy since then. plus i jsut got another disc of six feet under from netflix, so i definitely will be a little lazy tongiht, too. :)

Sunday, May 21, 2006

2006 book 67

brad kessler's birds in fall
sometimes you just have to take a break from unpacking and read a book. i was intrigued by this one b/c annie dillard had written a blurb for it--longtime readers will remember that annie dillard's an american childhood is one of my favorite books, as it evokes so many of my own childhood memories of pittsburgh. maybe i'll reread that when i unpack the Ds. anyway, this was a compelling story involving a plane crash; family members of the victims come together at a small inn in nova scotia near the crash site. there's a lot of nice discussion of birds, as one of the major characters (along with her late husband) is an ornithologist.

tomorrow i get cable and internet installed! still, i've been killing time by composing a wizard of oz parody: if i only had a couch! (it comes on thursday.)

ETA: oh my god, I was just checking annie dillard out on wikipedia just to see what they'd say about her (not much) and discovered there's an article on the school i attended from K-8. i like that the only other notable alum (and by the way, wikipedia eds, it should be notable alumNAE, not alumNI, b/c it's an all-girls' school--learn some latin!) is the girl from my class who went on to be mildly famous with minor roles in apollo 13, what's eating gilbert grape, and some tv movie called, if i recall correctly, the great mom swap. oh, and i musn't forget free willy 2--she was the love interest in that, from what i can tell (i've never actually seen it).

well, anyway. back to puttering around!

2006 book 66

daniel handler's basic eight
xta recommended this to me after i read--and disliked--handler's latest novel. but this one was really good! i mean, i stayed up late to finsih it and see if my hunches were correct (they were). i definitely agree with the assessment that it's heathers-like, but the conceit that it's an edited version of the main character's diary adds a more personal touch. or something, whatever, it's past my bedtime. the epilogue was a hilarious touch, as well.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

2006 book 65

sarah dessen's just listen
in between settling-in things, fun rollerskating outings, and dealing with the dogs next door getting loose, i finally read a book! jenny kept telling me to read something by sarah dessen, but i could never remember which ones she recommended specifically so i just picked up her newest. which worked out well, since it featured music-obsessed dj types. aw, now i'm homesick! i did enjoy this quite a bit, though it unsurprisingly wrapped up extremely neatly (as YA novels are wont to do). i also really liked how dessen writes her characters--all the dialogue and everything seemed really natural, which is often a rarity in YA books. i definitely will be checking out some of her earlier works.

Friday, May 19, 2006

florida!

just a quick note to let you all know i am safely ensconced in florida (and still furniture-less, for the time being, except for the camp chair i got on what will inevitably be the first of several major target runs). actually i arrived this afternoon but i only just remembered that i can use dialup to get online while i wait for my cable and internet to be installed! YAYYYYYYY internet access! it's vital when you get to a new town and are totally phonebookless.

anywya, i had a great time in atlanta with charles and neko (flying biscuit is dead on weekday mornings--no wait for yummy breakfast!) and suddenly i'm interested in watching lost again. spent both my drives blaring various mix cds and this american life episodes, which makes a road trip more amenable. (they also help when you get lost every time you try and drive somewhere in your new hometown.)

i'm hoping to be more settled in the next few days, with the arrival of all my stuff, the purchasing of a couch, and stocking the kitchen with food.

hey, i know several of you are crafty/home-improvement types--can anyone point me to a basic primer on installing curtains? i need some for the kitchen windows and the glass french doors, 'cause it freaks me out that people can look in and see me sitting against the wall typing this. or whatever. is this something i should ask metafilter? :)

by the way, sleeping on the floor sucks. my next trip to target may involve an air mattress.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

thanks daddy!


grad
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
my dad sent me one of the pictures my parents took at graduation! here we all are, with me in my hooded glory (the mortarboard was all elasticy and uncomfortable so i'd taken it off already).

i move tomorrow . . . so it might be a few days before i update again! i don't know when my internet will be hooked up.

lasts

for my last show in chapel hill, i actually went to a show in raleigh! the essex green (one of my faaaavorite bands) was playing at king's tonight! they played hits both old and new (the old hits had a fan who danced like he meant it) and jeff gave me an amazing demonstration of his fluent pittsburghese. aw, cute! it's all about the burgh.

i guess pretty soon i'll be writing about some firsts!

anyway, offers to house the rosebuds and the essex green when they come to tallahassee definitely stand!

Sunday, May 14, 2006

look, ma (and pa)! i graduated!


P5140142
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
boo-ya!!!! i graduated today! check out the snazzy yellow hood and matching tassel. not to mention the rakish angle of my mortarboard (i had some serious mortarboard-head by the end of the ceremony).

my parents took the requisite posed and processional/stage-crossing photos--mine are mostly from the downtime while we all waited to march into the student union. but anyway, there are a few of my classmates standing around, and that's always fun.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

progress report: packing

i think i may end up with over 60 boxes JUST OF BOOKS (and comics).

*insert hilarious image of shock and chagrin here*

at least i have fresh strawberries and cheese from the farmer's market with which to console myself . . .

art!

i got an awesome piece at the liberti and konkel for all show last night . . . the best part is that, unbeknownst to me, pinky got a similar piece! so now when i get mine framed and hang it in my new florida house, i will think of pinky and chapel hill/carrboro and all my awesome art-show-attending friends and related awesomeness.

a bunch of us also hit the wootini opening, which also had some really cool works (but i ended up getting a set of totoro toys, which were even more fun) as well as a mariachi band and a milk carton dude. note to self: bring camera everywhere!

note to everyone else: the carrboro art walks are not to be missed.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

2006 book 64

hilary mantel's beyond black
so this is about a psychic and her business partner, pretty much, and the psychic's freaky spirit guide, and some other psychics. i guess the main psychic character is trying to figure out her past, but by the second half it's all become vaguely annoying and overblown. or maybe i'm jsut cranky from the neverending packing.

P5110131


P5110131
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
oh my god, you guys! maple view carrboro finally reopened!!!

i had a celebratory waffle cone of party peppermint (deliciously refreshing) on my way home from work.

there's nothing better than ice cream for lunch (unless it's ice cream for dinner?).

in other local food news, the federal-affiliated place in the old temple ball space seems to have opened--i saw a bunch of chairs and things for outdoor seating.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

linguistics

i was pleased to hear danielle use the term "biter" on antm last week, as it's my own favorite term for a copycat, as per my childhood (there were plenty of biters to be found at an all-girls school). no idea where the idea of biting meaning copying came from (a quick internet search was inconclusive), but i love it.

here is another winning item from my childhood--one of those rhymes girls yell at camp (or maybe on the playground if boys actually attend their school), or possibly while jump-roping:

*throat clearing*

boys are rotten, made out of cotton!
girls are dandy, made out of candy!

boys go to jupiter, to get more stupider!
girls go to mars, to be SUPERSTARS!!!!!

[ed. note: i like how female empowerment trumps grammatical correctness in this rhyme. no, i'm just kidding, actually i don't.]

behold, my fantastic art skills!



i am already pining for north carolina, and i haven't even left yet!

thank you to everyone who came out for sushi (and to all my other going-away meals, so far). my last trip to waraji! *cries*

i move in one week.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

progress report

packing: sucks!

veronica mars finale: what the fuck????

books: 3 started, none finished as of yet.

haircut: short.

Monday, May 08, 2006

driving mix cd!

i needed a new mix cd for my car and made this one last ngiht when i couldn't sleep (damn you, caffeine):

1. jimmy fucking jones--snap my fingers
2. portastatic--white waves
3. the smittens--my girl
4. the essex green--uniform
5. the galactic heroes--back in love
6. the beach boys--god only knows
7. regina hexaphone--the seahorse and the sand dune
8. neko case--the needle has landed
9. os mutantes--ando meio desligado
10. calexico--roka
11. felix--tigerstripes
12. ursula 1000--elektrik boogie
13. the rosebuds--blue bird
14. mates of state--beautiful dreamer
15. hotel lights--another year
16. belle and sebastian--funny little frog
17. jamie lidell--multiply
18. wilson simonal--nao vem que nao tem
19. club 8--sometimes i felt like a loser
20. heavenly--i'm not scared of you

Sunday, May 07, 2006

P5070100


P5070100
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
to take a break from cleaning and packing, i made red velvet cupcakes for a shindig i'll be attending tonight. well, i TRIED to make red velvet cupcakes. despite usinf twice as much food coloring as last time, they are still not the shade of red i was hoping for.

does anyone have a red velvet recipe that actually comes out red???

of course they still taste good, but really, there's no point without the color!

Friday, May 05, 2006

P5050094


P5050094
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
look what i wore today!! pinky got me the hamster shirt from cute overload!!!! (it was a blast from the past with hamster-related presents.)

this picture doesn't do the shirt justice--it's a really nice shade of blue--but it was the only one where i got the hamster in focus and it's just so cuuuuute i had to use this one!

by the way, i had an amazing dinner at elaine's last night with pinky and robin--i especially recommend the strawberry shortcake and its accompanying wine, moscato d'asti (yum yum yum).

tonight: cinco de mayo festivities! tomorrow: lunch w/ sarah and georg! and, packing.

comics!

free comic book day is this saturday and there's a scott pilgrim story in one of 'em!

you all had better not grab it up before i get a chance to get to chapel hill comics!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

master's paper

so a few weeks after turning it in, i am finally posting a link to my master's paper. you can open the pdf version from that page, which is worth it because the images are in color. not that i think any of you should read it (i am mostly posting it here so i can find the link again easily).

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

P5030082


P5030082
Originally uploaded by wordnerdy.
to celebrate being done for the semester (and, i guess, forever!), i baked little cakes! i came across this recipe yesterday and realized that since i had all the ingredients in my kitchen already, i should totally make it. i didn't have the proper-sized cake pan (i don't actually have any cake pans) so i busted out the mini loaf pan. i love tiny cakes. food is so much better when it's cute.

i think these need more powdered sugar on top!

speaking of food, i want to publicly thank the loco pops lady, connie, for her comment on my entry raving about the white chocolate lemon peppermint flavor. she totally hooked a sister up and told me where to get the awesome peppermint sticks! that means soon i will be sitting in the sun with a yummy and refreshing snack. score!

2006 book 63

justin tussing's the best people in the world
yet another book whose first chapter appeared in the new yorker, this story involves a teenage boy who falls in love with his english teacher, and they run off together with the local hobo-type guy, and end up in a house in the middle of nowhere trying to get by. and there are some other weird characters, and it can be a little bleak (vermont winters and all), but it was a pretty good story.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

2006 book 62/other stuff

kate decamillo's the tale of despereaux
this won the newbery award a few years ago, but i never really got into it. it had sort of a patronizing tone--i don't think i'd have liked it as a kid either. plus the illustrations were pretty terrible.

other stuff:
i just discovered i have honeysuckle growing in my yard! yum.

also, i just saw the x-men 3 trailer and it looks awesome. it opens after i've moved though--boo.

Monday, May 01, 2006

2006 book 61

elinor lipman's the inn at lake devine
taking place in the 1960s and 70s, the story revolves around a little (jewish) girl's semi-obsession with an inn in vermont that doesn't allow jewish guests. this is a lighter read than that makes it sound--definitely one for the airplane or for killing time reading in the sun (did you guess that those are the circumstances under whcih i read it?). side note for fellow amateur foodies: the main character grows up to be a chef so there are lots of nice scenes involving cooking.