2009: Year in Review

Wow, things have changed a bit since my last post back in November. The short version is: I have a JOB, am moving to DC, and will be living in a great apartment with a good friend I've known for years. Suffice it to say I'm super excited. The long version of the story will appear here at some point, but for now, it's End of the Year Nostalgia! (Subtitle: 2009 - the year that does not deserve nostalgia.)

01 What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Phone interviews, in-person job interviews, supervised student teachers, wrote letters of recommendation for aforementioned student teachers.

02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Does abandoning resolutions for 11 months and then finally achieving them at the end of the year count? Because after an on-again, off-again relationship with the gym during the summer and early fall, I finally got into an exercise routine around October or November and have been working out almost daily since then. And the job/adult life goal is just now materializing, after months of stagnation. Let's say I have achieved these goals, since that happens so rarely!

In terms of new resolutions, they will sound very familiar, and they are:
(a) Keep at it with the exercising.
(b) Find activities and make friends in DC so as to get out of the house. (i.e., don't get lazy)
(c) Learn something from each new experience, whether good or bad.

03 Did anyone close to you give birth? My college student teaching buddy had twins, and my cousin just had her second child. A few high school friends also had kids this year. Seriously, my Facebook page is now filled with pictures of everyone's kids.

04 Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather. That was not a good spring.

05 What countries did you visit? The UK, only because my uncle decided to send me there. I didn't even make it to Canada, sadly. I'll miss you, Canada!

06 What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Permanence. I'm also hoping for a sense of working towards a goal (finding the ideal job) rather than just treading water.

07 What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? My grandfather's funeral. (Sorry to be a downer, but it's true.) Also, the day I flew down to MD and got offered the job!

08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Still going to have to go with the job. I guess also being persistent and not giving up on the job search, although it was very tempting.

09 What was your biggest failure? Uh, not getting hired until a few weeks ago? To be fair, it's not entirely my fault; I did as well as I could. I suppose I failed at doing anything productive in this past year really, because I spent a lot of time mired in self-pity.

10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.

11 What was the best thing you bought? Anything during my short time in the UK. Also, my new laptop, which I haven't used much yet, but I'm looking forward to finding all its new features!

12 Whose behavior merited celebration? Müs passed candidacy! Hooray! My friends are also awesome, as they posted happy thoughts on my Facebook page and helped keep me going through this tough year.

13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Oh, Buffalo politicians. I am so glad to be leaving this place. Also, Republicans, Iran, and anyone caught in an infidelity scandal.

14 Where did most of your money go? I... didn't spend much this year. When you're living with your parents and not earning any income, it's easy to not have any expenditures. I guess I spent some money in Britain, traveling a bit for job interviews, and most recently on plane tickets to DC for apartment hunting. I'll also be paying off that laptop for a few months to come, if that counts.

15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? Not to get repetitive, but the job. Huge sense of relief. And when I found out that Jamie needed a roommate... I admit that's selfish, but I don't care!

16 What song will always remind you of 2009? Songs from 'Glee'... which I am about to purchase in the next few days.

17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier, yay!
b) thinner or fatter? Not sure... possibly thinner, due to the aforementioned working out, but I can't really see a difference.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, and more in debt. Those student loans don't pay themselves.

18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Been more consistent with the job searching; maybe I would have found something sooner. Also, stayed a bit more positive.

19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.

20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.

21 "There is no question 21" This does not get any funnier.

22 Did you fall in love in 2009? Nope. Maybe this year.

23 How many one-night stands? Yeah, okay.

24 What was your favorite TV show? Shockingly (or perhaps not), no longer 'The Office'. It's a tie between 'Glee' and 'Community'. And if you haven't seen 'Community', please start watching; help keep it on the air!

25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't generally hate people. It's hard to muster up that level of dislike.

26 What was the best book you read? I read a lot this year, but nothing super-memorable. David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed in Flames is funny, as are all his books. Cambridge Blue, a murder mystery set in Cambridge, is pretty engaging, though having actually lived in Cambridge helps.

27 What was your greatest musical discovery? Well, I'm teaching myself the mandolin now, so that's fun. In terms of new music, I guess I'd have to say the music from 'Glee'. If you broaden this category out to podcasts, I'll add NPR's 'Wait Wait.. Don't Tell Me!' to things that are a great listen. I'm looking for new podcasts and other things to pass the time on my soon-to-be-epic commute, so if you have any ideas, send them along!

28 What did you want and get? A JOB. Should I say it again?

29 What did you want and not get? A million dollars. Someday...

30 What was your favourite film of this year? 'Up' was amazing. 'Slumdog Millionaire' as well; though it's technically from 2008, I saw it last January, so I'll have to say that counts. I'm looking forward to seeing 'Up in the Air' soon; maybe it'll make next year's list.

31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 28, and I was at my grandma's house. Some other relatives came over, and we had strawberry shortcake for dinner, which was pretty awesome.

32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Employment. Barring that, a sense of getting somewhere with the job search.

33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Jobless = no money = no occasion to buy/wear new clothes. Essentially, wearing the same things I've had since MN/college/high school. Mostly jeans and fleece, as always.

34 What kept you sane? Contact with friends. The Internet. Travel, and any excuse to leave the house. Also, the brief period I had a part-time job and a minimal schedule.

35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I'm a new fan of Joel McHale, mostly due to 'Community'. Did I mention that you should be watching that show?

36 What political issue stirred you the most? Health care madness. Will the bill actually go through? Who knows. Also, gay marriage; how some people can be so bigoted and insist on impinging on others' happiness for the sake of 'tradition' and some misguided sense of morals is beyond me.

37 Whom did you miss? Everyone, really. Did you notice that I lived with my parents?

38 Who was the best new person you met? Jamie's housemates in London were very nice. My boss for the student teacher supervising is also a lovely person and has been very supportive in terms of writing me recommendation letters.

39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. I'm going to drop some knowledge on the job seekers out there, brace yourselves:
(a) Write a new cover letter for each job application. It's a huge pain, but they do actually notice.
(b) Apply as soon as you can. Don't wait around until the application deadline, tweaking and retweaking your resume. The important thing is getting your application in fast, not spending hours perfecting it.
(c) Try to take something away from each rejection, whether it's writing a better cover letter or improving your interview technique.
(d) Rejection does not equal failure. Don't take it personally. (This was especially hard for me.)

40 Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Damnit, I hate this question. I am not a teenager and my life does not revolve around (angsty, emo) music; therefore, I refuse to answer this question.

Happy New Decade, everyone! I don't know about you, but I am psyched for 2010. Let's get it started already.

Day 30

For my last day of NaBloPoMo, I was hoping to post a video of Rocky Balboa running up the steps in Philly or some other sports-related, underdogs-overcome-incalculable-odds-to-win montage. However, it seems that YouTube is filled with videos of people doing their own Rocky runs, rather than the actual film clip. Instead, just try to hear the music in your head. (ba ba baaaaaaaaaa, ba ba baaaaaaaaaa) You're welcome. (Incidentally, I have a video of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, where the band plays the 'Rocky' theme in front of the palace. It's pretty awesome.)

So, it's Cyber Monday. I was sort of looking forward to doing some shopping, but I'd forgotten that I like to shop online for particular items instead of just browsing. Looking around, comparing prices, and debating the relative values of stuff that I can't actually see is just tedious to me. And of course the items that I'm looking for don't seem to be marked down much, if at all. I'm sure that other people will find some amazing deals, and I'll be rather envious, but it's sort of like venturing out to the malls on Black Friday; sounds like a great idea in theory, you could really luck out, but it's actually way more effort than it's worth. Of course, if you happen to find something and would like to share, I will be dutifully impressed!

Also, NaBloPoMo is over, yippee! I think this is the first time I've successfully completed it. Please join me in patting myself on the back. I am taking tomorrow (and probably a few more successive days) off.

Day 29

Back from Jersey. The trip seemed marginally shorter than the drive down; I guess that's what you get when the driver goes 80 the whole way back. Still, I'm not quite in the mood for an extended blog post this evening, so I will just share the podcasts that got me through the drive back:

• This American Life - Funny, touching, and informative, often all in the same show. You've got to be in the mood for some episodes, like the two on the state of health care in the US that I skipped on this drive, but all are definitely worthwhile. I'll get back to those two on health care this week.
• Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - How am I the last person on Earth to know about this? A news quiz show that features quick wit and occasional ridiculousness, and it makes me laugh.

In conclusion, I am a nerd. I used to be so anti-NPR... what happened?

Day 28

Apparently some people, like the Brits, just don't get Thanksgiving. Honestly, what is there to not get? Sure, we could get into the whole Pilgrim-Indian feast -- although the traditional retelling that the Pilgrims were bringers of culture to the Indians is pretty un-PC and is frowned upon in many elementary schools. (Not to mention that the Pilgrims didn't actually wear buckles on their shoes and hats.) And I would venture to say that Thanksgiving, like Christmas, has become pretty commercialized and now largely serves to mark the day before Black Friday. But really, it's basically a holiday to do two things:

1) Spend time with family and friends.
2) Eat amazing food.

How difficult is this to understand? Sure, it's also a time to give thanks for aforementioned family, friends, and food, but the author of the article somehow doesn't get this. Does it matter what, specifically, we're thankful for? Besides, even if the tradition started out with being thankful for the Wampanoags' help in surviving that first winter, it doesn't mean that's on our minds every Thanksgiving. Plenty of traditions start out one way and then morph into something else that may or may not be entirely related. I mean, do people still think about the Germanic tribes' tradition of bringing a fir tree indoors to remind themselves that the shortest days of the year would end? We just put up Christmas trees and fight over where to put the ornaments.

The author also disparages Thanksgiving food. Okay, first of all, each family is very particular about their turkey day meal; everyone's got their own tried-and-true version of mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc. And people tend to be pretty hard on other people's food... and I do agree that those green bean casseroles with the french-fried onions are gross. But everyone's got their traditions, and they feel very strongly about them. Also, the BRITS are criticizing OUR FOOD? This is from the country that brought the world shepherd's pie, fish pie, steak and kidney pie, and all the other non-delicious pies? A place that serves all their beef well-done? Once you get a culinary school, Great Britain, then you can start turning up your nose at others' meals.

In short: the author of this article is dumb. I taught about Thanksgiving in Germany, and even the fifth-graders got it.

Day 27

Some families spend the day after Thanksgiving at the mall. They get up insanely early, fight the crowds in search of bargains (probably sustaining injuries in the process), wait hours in line for items that may or may not be in stock, and arrive home exhausted and marginally successful.

As you may have gathered, we are not one of those families.

In our household, Black Friday is spent doing two things, depending on what gender you are:
a) Male: raking leaves and/or assorted yard work, followed by going for NY-style deli sandwiches and then watching the Food Network or sports for the rest of the day.
b) Female: going to this Christmas market.

Visiting the Christmas market is a four-year tradition now. We first went the year before I went to Cambridge, I believe. The event is not nearly as fun as Christmas markets in Germany -- this one doesn't have mulled wine and is indoors, for example -- but it's a pretty good time. There are a lot of vendors, and there is a huge area set aside for German Pyramiden, Räuchermänner and assorted wood carvings and ornaments from Germany. Those, along with the smell of roasted almonds that hovers over the place, make me nostalgic. The only thing is that most of the vendors at this market stay roughly the same from year to year; it's all brand new the first time you visit, but you kind of get inured to the stained glass, picture frames, knitted hats and doll clothing by year four. (It's all very folksy.) But it's something to do, a chance to get out of the house and once in a while you'll find something interesting.

I'm looking forward to the next Christmas market we're visiting, in Canada. If it's anything like last year's, it'll be more authentic, with more actual German stuff, more German food (and Glühwein!), and more Germans. (which is perhaps a disadvantage) It'll also be about 20 degrees colder, but this one's mostly indoors as well. If you're planning on taking a trip to Canada, I recommend checking it out.

Day 26

Happy Thanksgiving! It's the best holiday of the year, so enjoy it!

Day 25

Made it to Jersey; 8 hours in the car never gets any shorter, let me tell you. I've made many long car trips, but it's still long.

Posting for the sake of posting, folks. Nothing to see here. Move it along.

Day 24

At handbell rehearsal tonight, I mentioned that a place I'd interviewed with was flying me out to meet them. One of the other members said, 'Oh, I'll keep my fingers crossed. That happened to me a bunch of times; people flew me out and then they ended up hiring internally.' Uh... great? So I'm a bit less hopeful now, which is maybe a good thing, so I won't get as disappointed if it doesn't work out.

... oh, who am I kidding; I'll be really bummed. Fingers still crossed.

Safe Thanksgiving travels, everyone! I still have to pack..

Day 23

A week from today, Müs is leaving for an Epic Adventure in Chile. It will involve astronomy, data that I do not understand, nerds (probably), and hopefully Chilean beer. It will also involve 30 hours of travel, which sucks a lot. I've done similar trips, though when I've traveled that long, it usually involves extended stretches of time sitting in airports. So I was mentally compiling a list of helpful travel tips, which may or may not be obvious, and then I thought, 'Hey, I can use this as a blog post!' And here we are.

Travel Tips (mostly for international travel):

• Bring food. This may not apply to those of you with normal metabolism. My brother and I share the same crazy hyper metabolism, and if we don't eat on a regular schedule (for me, it's 4 hours), heads will roll. I am not kidding. People don't take this seriously, and then I get all snappy and hurt people's feelings and then I'm like, SEE I TOLD YOU. Good travel food: granola bars, dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, peanut butter sandwiches. Stay away from: fresh fruit (unless you're going to eat it in the airport; customs people frown upon taking fruit across borders), yogurt, salad, sandwiches that can't handle being squashed or lack of refrigeration.
• Buy a huge bottle of water once you get through security. If you're cheap like me, you can also get a normal-sized water and refill the bottle from water fountains. (This applies only in the US; not all countries enjoy their water fountains as much as we do.)
• Do not get sucked into the in-flight entertainment. This inevitably happens to me; I always think I'm going to sleep on the plane, but wait, I wanted to see this movie when it was in the theaters, and this movie looks good too, and ooh, a trivia game! Next thing I know, we've landed, it's 5am and I haven't slept. Awesome.
• Time your in-flight meals and sleep accordingly. Make sure you get food when the flight attendants come around with it (meals or snacks); it's a pain to try to flag them down. Also, when they're finally finished with snack/food/duty free liquor and perfume service, take the opportunity to stretch your legs in the aisle and take a nap. You're less likely to be bothered by carts going back and forth if you wait until they're all done... until breakfast, anyway.
• While on the plane, get up and walk around once in a while. Otherwise, you get really stiff. As an added bonus, you get the mildly creepy sight of all the passengers with their headphones on, staring into screens that are emitting a bluish light. It's very '1984'.
  
• Sleep on the plane. It's hard, but try to zone out, at least. I only recently found out that the sides of the head rest fold towards your head, which gives you something to lean on and a chance to avoid an awfully stiff neck. I also put my backpack in the leg space and stretch my feet underneath the seat in front of me, to pretend I have extra leg room. And I put the pillow they give you at my lower back. It's all planned out. I always feel sort of bad about leaning back into someone's space, but I usually go part of the way. Besides, I always get stuck behind someone who leans ALL THE WAY back as soon as we take off, so it's all about fairness. Right?
• Other vital things to bring: iPod + earphones (can be used for the inflight movie/radio, too), books, puzzles, neck pillow, crappy magazines bought at airport newsstands, possibly a toothbrush so you can brush your teeth once you get off the longest flight.
  
• Don't wear contacts. It's not worth the hassle.
  

Any other tips? Comment away!

Day 22

Today, I thought I'd post the avatar that I made using yesterday's website. So here you go:


Is this cheating? Maybe, but it's November 22, damnit. I am running out of ideas.

Day 21

Today's Procrastination Website: MadMenYourself.com

Ever wondered what you'd look like if you were a member of the 'Mad Men' cast? Wonder no more! This is a pretty awesome website with a number of options at each step, so you can play around for a while and figure out how exactly to look like Joan or Don Draper.

I would write more about it, but the library is closing. Enjoy! Procrastinate! Do nothing!

Day 20

Shows You Need to Watch: 'Castle'
Third in an occasional series

Every time I think about recommending this show, they air an episode that is not that great. Case in point: This past Monday, it was predictable and lame. However, it was great the week before. So I'm going to go out on a limb here and recommend this show, with the caveat that it is inconsistent so far this season, even more so than 'Glee'. (Which was also not up to last week's standard; seriously, lose the shaky hand-held camera.)

Just when I thought I'd had enough of cop shows, this one came along. While I do enjoy a good 'CSI', I only really like the original one; NY basically hits you over the head with the fact that it's set in NY, and David Caruso drives me freaking crazy. Also, after eight or so years of these shows, they're apparently running out of ideas and getting predictable. Plus, they're on all the damn time.

So I was ready to bid farewell to the cop procedural drama, but I saw previews for this and was intrigued that Nathan Fillion was in it. I've seen him in other things and liked him; he does a good snarky aside as well as any one. Essentially, I started watching this show for that reason, but enjoyed the entire premise. Yes, it's a cop show, but it doesn't take itself too seriously, and it has good dialogue. As you are well aware by now, I enjoy a good banter, and 'Castle' has it. That and some amusing characters, plus a plot that is (usually) interesting and wraps up by the end of the show -- that's some good TV.

To be clear, this is mindless Monday night TV. It's not a show that'll make you ponder the meaning of life or the depth of humanity. But it is entertaining and a fun way to spend an hour. (Also, it's on opposite Leno and 'CSI: Miami', so.)

'Castle' is on Mondays at 9.

Day 19

More reasons to love 'Community':

• Naming the bio lab rat Fievel -- I laughed so hard at this!
• Joel McHale = awesome
  
• 'Offer them a sandwich.'
• Greene Daye
• Troy jumping onto the lab counter, screaming and petrified

In real-world news: The people with whom I most recently interviewed want to fly me out there! Looks like it'll be a really long day trip, but at least it's a non-stop flight. Renting a car and driving myself around an unfamiliar place, on the other hand, is not looking too appealing..

Day 18

I am currently working on this job application, and it's pretty intensive; it requires a cover letter and resume, three reference letters, transcripts, contact info for references, and 'documentation of superior teaching ability'. Not quite sure what that last one means, but it's optional anyway, so I'm hoping those references will speak for me. Anyway, I've been hammering away at this cover letter for a few days now, and I just don't want to work on it any more. Which is a shame, because it's not quite finished yet... still needs editing. I will (probably) get it done by tomorrow, because that's when the deadline is, but it's killing me right now. Just thought I'd share that with you all.

On a lighter note, did you ever wish you could turn your handwriting into a computer font? You can! It's actually really cool; I've managed to download my own font, but having a bit of trouble getting Word to recognize it.. planning to acquire Open Office so maybe that'll work. But a font made of your handwriting, how cool is that? Especially for you people who have cooler handwriting than I do. (read: not teacher handwriting)

Day 17

Shows You Need to Watch: 'Community'
Second in an occasional series

Oh, this show. This show has taken over the spot in my heart where 'The Office' used to be. It makes me laugh out loud, which very rarely happens with TV shows. Every one of the characters is funny. (except maybe Senor Chang, I find him obnoxious and over-the-top) I absolutely make time for it whenever it's on.

Let's break it down, shall we? As you may have gathered from my previous ramblings on 'Glee', I enjoy a program that has relatable characters, lets those characters play off of each other for a while, has quick and witty dialogue, and contains callback references for those loyal viewers. The checklist for 'Community' looks as follows:

1. Relatable characters: check. Everyone knows a Britta, Troy, Annie and/or (to a lesser extent) Jeff. Abed is unpredictably delightful; you never know what he's going to say or do, and it's always funny. Bonus: Abed sometimes provides meta commentary on the show, which I think is hilarious.
2. Characters playing off of each other: check. I think they've been paired up differently in each episode so far, and each combination has been great. Though the Troy/Abed closing tags win, in my opinion, especially the "Donde esta la Bibliothequa" rap.
3. Fast-paced dialogue: check. So many one-liners in this show! Sometimes I miss some, because I'm still laughing at the previous dialogue. Example: When the community college dean left the room in one scene, he cheerily called out, 'Dean you later!'
   
4. Callbacks: check. When this show makes a joke or a reference, even in passing, it follows through. Cases in point from last week: The men's basketball team, which is suspected to be gay ("Nice try, Bruce!"); the Greendale Human Being (which is creepily hilarious).

In conclusion, watch this show, Thursdays at 8. You will love it, and you will be my best friend by helping keep it on the air.

Day 16

This morning, I got ready to use the elliptical machine, as I often do. (or have been for the past month, at least) My iPod is being disagreeable, so I was reduced to listening to the radio, just like every day for the past few days. So I turned on the radio to the random 80's/90's/pretty crappy music station I happened to find, and it was during their commercial break. No surprise there. I started my workout and had just finished the warmup section, when they come back from commercial and start in with the music.

IT WAS CHRISTMAS MUSIC.

WTF, people? It's November 16. It is 50 degrees outside. People are raking leaves, not shoveling snow. The reason we have a Thanksgiving holiday is to delineate the post-Halloween weeks from the official 'holidays' period. I can forgive places like the UK or Germany for pushing the season a bit, but COME ON NOW.

Since I was already 'in the groove', so to speak, I didn't want to stop, get off, find a new station and restart my workout. This resulted in later getting to the hardest part of my routine, towards the end, when I could have used some driving music... and Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' came on the radio. I wanted to melt to the floor and die. It's a great song, but not at all suited for a high-energy cardio workout, just FYI. I am definitely finding new music tomorrow.

In case you're curious, the song that had the auspicious honor of unofficially kicking off the Christmas season was 'Frosty the Snowman' by the Beach Boys. It's November 16, and we're not off to a great start.

Day 15

I almost forgot to post today. Man, November is way too long.

Day 14

My friend and former German buddy Carolyn is in her second year of teaching English in Bulgaria, and she keeps a blog, which you can find here. Bulgaria being a former Communist state, Carolyn has an interesting perspective on the fall of the Berlin Wall and how people view the old communist state with nostalgia, real or imagined. Her last couple of entries have really gotten me thinking about life in East Germany, and the relationship between capitalism and communism -- for example, how symbols of the DDR are now marketed on t-shirts, coffee mugs and refrigerator magnets. (Life would be a much more boring place without the Ampelmaennchen, let me assure you.) Go read her blog if you are interested, and if you want to know my (random) thoughts, I posted a few comments on there. Also, Carolyn shared this photo essay via her Twitter feed, and it is phenomenal. Go look at it now, I'll wait.

The DDR was a weird, amazing place, eh? Now I'm the one who's nostalgic.

Day 13

Segueing a bit from yesterday's 'Glee' post.. Wednesday's particular episode also reminded me of a reason why I want to live in the US, rather than Germany or elsewhere: American schools try exceptionally hard to mainstream kids with disabilities. I'm sure viewers the other night didn't think twice about seeing a student with Down syndrome or a kid in a wheelchair. But in Germany, special ed students are completely segregated from their peers at an early age. Since kids are funneled into schools on different tracks (college prep, technical school, etc.) starting in fifth grade, I'd say segregation definitely is set by then, if not before. I mean, they have entire special ed schools so that these students aren't in the classrooms with their peers. During my two years working at college prep schools, I didn't even encounter anyone in a wheelchair, let alone students with other disabilities. The homogeneousness (?) was a bit frightening, actually. Americans may have other faults, but our treatment of kids with disabilities reflects our respect for all students and our commitment to treating people equally. If you don't teach that by example starting in elementary school, where do you expect kids to learn it?

In other news: Happy Friday the 13th! Don't walk under a ladder, cross a black cat's path, or break a mirror. Or perhaps do those things in pairs so they cancel each other out.

Addendum 2: I had a job interview today. It went pretty well, I think, though you can never tell with these things. The position is not specifically my interests but is in my field. The pay is pretty low, but some salary is better than no salary, I suppose!

Addendum 3: I am in love with NBC's Thursday night lineup. Expect a post on 'Community' sometime soon, it is brilliant.

Day 12

Shows You Need To Watch: "Glee"
First in an occasional series

Not to get all gushy, but OMG you guyz did you see glee last nite? it was totes awesome!!!!1!!one! It's been a long time since I was thoroughly enamored with a new TV show -- probably since 'The Office' came out -- but this is a show that I really look forward to watching, every single time. It can be hit or miss; sometimes too sappy, sometimes loose ends are wrapped up entirely too neatly, and the whole "Will's wife is a shrew and faking her pregnancy and overly possessive" plotline needs to end. But it's often funny (especially the callbacks!), occasionally touching (surprisingly -- take Sue's character development last night as an example), and contains musical numbers as an added bonus. I will admit to a soft spot for musicals, especially when they're done well. And the songs in this show are both well-chosen and incredibly well-performed. (Sometimes too much; can a high school glee club really be that polished?) Plus, the characters are relatable; they all have their quirks and flaws and it's interesting to see how they're going to bounce off each other from one episode to the next. I know they're eventually going to make it to finals, but I keep watching to see how they get there.

Anyway, enough parentheticals and asides -- go watch 'Glee', Wednesdays at 9. You may have to watch more than one episode to get hooked, but it'll happen, trust me.

Day 11

The internet has been down all day but has finally decided to start working, and I am watching 'Glee' right now, and I would much rather continue to do that rather than put together a blog post. So that's what I'm going to do. Don't be too disappointed.

Day 10

Nope, no Berlin Wall post here.

Instead, as I was working out (!) this morning, I heard classic 80s song "Take On Me" and was reminded of those literal interpretations of music videos. (Thanks to Müs for introducing me to those.) So enjoy:




There's also "Total Eclipse of the Heart":


And "We Built This City":


These seem to work best with 80s music videos, when the bands didn't seem to know what to do with the new genre and made crazy videos. Thanks, 80s bands!

Day 9

Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall came down. And I was hoping to write a nice reflective post on how my experiences abroad would have been completely different if the wall were still standing today. Maybe I wouldn't even have traveled to Germany at all, actually. But instead, I have spent far too much time today staring at a computer screen, writing a brand-new cover letter from scratch, which I believe is one of the nine circles of hell. (Check with Dante if you want to be sure.) And so I am rather phoning it in. Perhaps I'll be a bit more reflective tomorrow, but you never know around here.

Sidenote: What the hell is up with this weather?

Day 8

Things I saw on a walk today:

• Sunshine - for the first time in at least a week
  
• Massive piles of leaves at the curbs - these were very tempting!
• A pre-teen (tween?) girl on what seemed to be an electric mini Vespa - seriously, what the hell, suburbs? My parents wouldn't even let me get a Power Wheels when I was little.
• Bedraggled ghosts and scarecrows from Halloween
  
• Lonely pumpkins discarded in a cardboard box at the curb
• People putting up Christmas lights and decorations
• Leafblowers: 3, Rakers: 3 - I am cheered by this; I didn't think anyone raked their leaves anymore
• Neon stakes on either side of driveways in preparation for snowplow season
• A dead squirrel laying face-up on the sidewalk... directly underneath some power lines
  

Day 7

Following up on yesterday's 'Office' post, here's a very interesting article comparing four countries' versions of 'The Office'. It's a couple years old, but still pretty accurate, I think; the author describes how each country's version of the show reflects that nation's culture, sense of humor, and attitude towards work. Having seen three of the four shows (though when in Germany, I never realized 'Stromberg' was their version of TO and only saw it once or twice), I'd agree with the points made. It also helps me better articulate why I like the US version better than the UK version, though I like both for different reasons.

Day 6

I enjoyed Thursday night TV last night, and I've been torn about 'The Office' for a while now. So far, I would have to say the hierarchy of seasons goes:

2>3>1>5>4=6

I'm sort of torn about this season, though. I'm definitely not invested as much as I used to be, when I'd scour the interwebz from the UK to find the most recently-aired episode... and was often disappointed. (Thanks, writers' strike.) And last season was just sort of there; I haven't gone out and bought the season 5 DVDs yet because there aren't many moments that I'd like to be able to see again. This season, though... I don't know. At first it was painfully unlike the show I'd grown to love; the characters have turned into caricatures, arcs have been dropped completely (Do Jim and Pam want to leave Scranton or not? Does moving up in the Dunder Mifflin universe really constitute ambition?), and I'm just not invested in the characters anymore. They're becoming downright mean, and I just can't root for people like that. (Pam and Kelly, I'm looking at you.)

But last night was somehow returning to form. The lunch out was super-awkward and cringe-inducing, which was what the show goes for in the first place. Toby telling Pam how to throw a punch = awesome. And many people seem to dislike the Dwight-Andy politeness war, but I thought it was hilarious and a nice return to classic office shenanigans. The show's not all the way back yet, but maybe it can get partway there. And then it definitely needs to end at the end of this season.

What do you think? (Quotes also welcome.)

Day 5

Late night TV is a pretty sad state of affairs these days. Conan can be pretty good but seems sort of hit-or-miss, Letterman is basically phoning it in, and Jay Leno at 10pm makes me want to gouge my eyes out, it's so unfunny. (Fortunately, I opt for not watching it, instead of the more painful method.) Craig Ferguson, though, that guy's awesome. Sadly, I haven't seen a whole lot of him, since I tend not to stay up that late and prefer not to spend hours on YouTube, but what I have seen is thoroughly entertaining. For example, compare the monologues:

Letterman/Conan/Jay: 1. Joke setup 2. Punchline 3. Overenthusiastic audience laughter 4. Repeat, with an unrelated joke.

Craig: A monologue that actually builds on itself, segueing from one topic to the next.

Last week, the power went out on the set of the Craig Ferguson show, and he just kept going. And it was funny. Would the other late night shows do that? I'm not so sure.



Moral: Craig's show needs to be on earlier, when people (read: me) will actually watch it.

Day 4

Pumpkin-flavored foods that are delicious:

• Pie
• Coffee
• Doughnuts
• Yogurt
• Muffins
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Granola bars
• Bread/cake
• Scones
• Beer, of COURSE. (how could I forget?)
  

Pumpkin-flavored foods that are not delicious:

• Pumpkin
  

Day 3

It's Election Day, go vote! Or, if you're apathetic about local council races, battles for the sheriff's seat, and pointless referendums (referenda?) on the ballot, celebrate the end of those annoying political commercials. At least until January or so.

In voting news, it seems that we're getting rid of those old metal voting booths with the levers and phasing in a grown-up version of those Scantron tests that every former elementary school student fondly remembers. Apparently, there haven't been any problems so far, but this system seems rather sketchy to me. Last year, I learned from "The Hour" that New York state had the lowest percent of vote miscalculations, because we were the only state still using the old voting machines. (And I wish I could show you the chart here, but I googled to no avail.) So now we have to fill in little bubbles and scan them in.. I can think of any number of ways this could go awry. Let's just hope that no one trips over the power cord.

Hey, I'm sounding more crotchety by the day. Stay tuned for more positive updates, including videos and thoughts on current TV shows that you should be watching but might not have on your must-see list yet.

Day 2

Even though Halloween was two days ago, I feel some observations are in order (apologies to folks on Facebook, who got one of these rants from me already):

1. Has Halloween etiquette changed since the mid-90s? Since when is it appropriate to ask for a specific type of candy during trick-or-treating? This happened twice at our door; one girl wanted Almond Joy and another wanted SweeTarts. (They were in separate groups.) So.. if you ask for a candy and I don't have it, does that mean I don't have to give you anything? The kicker is that we always have awesome candy for Halloween -- results in better leftover candy to eat after it's over -- and let the kids choose at least two pieces. Last year, I even started giving them three because there weren't many kids around. If you can't find your favorite sweets among a selection of Kit Kats, Almond Snickers, a variety of Clark Bars, Reese's, and York Peppermint Patties, then (a) you are one picky child and (b) just be happy to not receive pennies, apples, or those horrible orange and black wrapped taffy things that nobody likes. Also, this phenomenon doesn't seem to be confined to my section of suburbia. What is going on, are kids becoming spoiled brats?! Get off my lawn.

2. Moving on from "what is wrong with kids these days", what is wrong with grown-ups these days? Halloween has become more and more sheltered, and it seems like adults are bent on sucking the fun out of it. While I do agree with some rules for school parties (for example, no weapons, toys/props or masks in school), many restrictions are just over the top. Does "no culturally insensitive costumes" mean no Indians? (There goes my 4th grade costume.) Why discourage scary monsters or horror movie costumes, instead asking kids to dress as their favorite historical figure or healthy snack? Hate to break it to you, but that is the making of the lamest Halloween ever. Also, crazy new-age parents who are anti-junk food and give out things like toothbrushes or books deserve to have one of their life's pleasures taken away. Not that I'm anti-children's books -- I'm extremely pro-book -- but Halloween is the one night of the year when kids can eat enough candy to send them into a frenzy and subsequently a sugar-crash-induced coma. They're pressured and badgered enough for the other 364 days, let them have some fun.

3. I was going to go on about the sluttifying of Halloween, but all that ranting wore me out. Go read this, and tell me that's not ridiculous.

That's right, I hate everyone. Now you know.

NaBloPoMo 2009

It's here! Now that idleness has practically driven this blog into the ground, NaBloPoMo is here to resurrect it. I'm going to give this blogging-every-day-for-a-month thing another shot, after last year's abject failure, but we'll see how it goes.

So. The main reason I haven't been updating is that nothing's really changed. When you're jobless and living with your parents in an area that you don't really like, there's not a whole lot to report. I did take a trip to London a few months back and plan on posting some photos soon, so watch for those. Also, being unemployed has given me hours upon hours of internet time, so I'll try to scrounge up interesting videos and links and so forth. We all need something internettily amusing to counterbalance those lame email forwards that your one friend insists on sending you, even though you're not 15 anymore and don't believe that forwarding them on to your closest 25 friends will bring you good luck.

Anyway, one exciting happening in my life is that I went to an Irish music session yesterday. I've been searching for these for a while now, and the ones that I've found have been cancelled due to lack of participation or conflicting football games (or perhaps a combination of the two). So I went downtown yesterday to hang out and listen, and remembered how much fun these are! Very laid-back, welcoming, and great music to boot. This week, I'll be warming those fiddling fingers again (they're in pretty bad shape at the moment) and next time, I'll bring my violin down and will hopefully feel brave enough to participate.

Watch this space

It's coming....



NaBloPoMo 2009. Brace yourself.

Happy birthday to meeee

My birthday horoscope:

"For those of us born on June 9:

Your desire to learn new things and explore beyond the reaches of your immediate environment is strong this year, as you strike out in search of adventure. August brings you opportunities to travel and interact with a new group of people. Though you may feel hesitant at first, by the fall, you will find your confidence growing in leaps and bounds. Try to remember to be observant and ask questions, as you take on the role of a student. By November, you may have an opportunity to share some of what you are learning with others. At the end of the year, love is in the air, as your courage to reach out and connect to others grows by leaps and bounds."

Sounds pretty good to me! Also, when am I ever NOT a student?

In other news: Interview lined up in Boston! Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to get there, where I'm going to stay, how I'm going to get around and how I'll get back. That's all.

Also: I'm possibly going back to London this summer! Updates to follow.

Still alive

Back by popular demand because I remembered that I have a blog. And it's looking pretty sad and neglected. I may end up shutting this down because I spend inordinate amounts of time on Facebook and have not a whole lot to report. Yet, if something does happen (i.e., I move somewhere awesome and exciting), I'll probably keep it up. So basically I'm indecisive, surprise, surprise.

Speaking of moving somewhere awesome and exciting, a number of applications are currently under review, for jobs in places like Chicago, Boston, Baltimore and places abroad... that's right, I'm looking at spending another year abroad. It's addictive, really. Also, it's not here, so win-win. There's this program that sends folks with Master's degrees in TESOL/applied linguistics (check!) abroad to teach English for a year, and it sounds pretty amazing. Working on one of the projects they have listed would be a pretty big shock, I think; the countries are all underdeveloped (well, that is the point of the program) and some are more anti-American than others, but what an experience that would be. I'm sometimes rather hesitant and not entirely thrilled about schlepping stuff overseas again, but overall it seems genuinely worthwhile. At any rate, we'll see if I make it past the interview stage.

In other news.. Have you ever friended someone on Facebook and then sort of regretted it? I recently found a high school friend and was pretty psyched to get back in contact with her... and then I remembered that I had the feeling that it wasn't entirely an equitable friendship. Looking at her profile has sort of brought back memories of not only that, but of how non-awesome I was in high school. I mean, I'm pretty geeky, but now I revel in my geekiness. (Sort of.) Then, I was also very nerdy, but also insecure and inadequate and sort of wanted to change, but didn't know how to go about it. I guess friending this girl brings me back to those days; although I thought they were far in the past and I'd moved beyond that, here come all those high school memories flooding back.

Lastly, I'm starting to wonder if I've missed the marriage/baby train. Or if there's something in the water. Seriously, what's going on with everyone?

My next career: graphic designer

Thanks to Müs for the idea!

Directions:

1 - Go to wikipedia. Hit “random”or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RandomThe first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random Quotations"or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar graphics editing program to put it all together.

The Results:

This is actually really fun... and a pretty awesome way to procrastinate. I might do some more of these when I get bored again, which is fairly often.

Good thing most of my readership is female

On Saturday, one of the local malls (yes, there are many) had a visiting makeup artist in from New York, and they were doing all sorts of free gifts and makeovers and generally fun girly things, and so my mom and I both went for makeovers. Now generally, I am not one for makeup; I usually put a bit of something on my face so as not to scare people, but it is really fun to see what I would look like if I actually bothered, once in a while. And since this is rather a picture-worthy event, I'm going to break my own rule about posting self-photos on the Interwebz and put one up, to probably be taken down later. *edit: done!*

You can't quite tell in the picture (why does the camera focus on itself in the mirror? is it narcissistic?), but the eyeliner is actually blue, and I've got about 5 different colors of eyeshadow on. So it's something I wouldn't do every day, but I've been thinking that maybe I should put a little more effort into it... when I manage to scrape together a social life again, at least.

Also at the mall, I scored a dress and matching jacket, from Calvin Klein, originally $320, for $50. And an awesome pair of sparkly high heels which are definitely standing or sitting shoes, not so much for walking, but totally worth it. Suffice it to say I did my part this weekend to pump some capital back into the American economy.

You're welcome, America.

10 more things

That Facebook "25 Things About Me" craze recently made me go back and reconsider those 50 things I posted here about two three years ago. (sidebar: holy crap, it's been that long?!) Some of those aren't strictly true any more -- I'll leave it up to you to determine which ones I'm talking about -- but instead of editing them, I'm going to add a few more. And maybe I'll put these in my Facebook list, since the one that I posted there is admittedly pretty lame. So here goes:

Ten More Things About Me!
51. I love words: crosswords, reading, word puzzles, using words in daily conversation that most people don't use, ever. I'm not trying to sound pretentious; I just think it's fun to use semi-obscure words that'll get across exactly what I mean. This is probably the main reason why I don't want to live in Germany; though I suppose I'm pretty fluent in German, or at least could definitely get by, the nuance isn't there. My sentences in German come across (to me) as a simplified version of what I'm actually thinking. I miss being able to pick from a variety of slightly different word choices for a given situation, instead of going with the one German word I'm familiar with.
52. I'm a beer snob. The hierarchy goes: Belgian > German > other imports > microbrews > domestics. A particular microbrew may move up the list (case in point: Saranac Caramel Porter). Also, ale always trumps lager. Lager is vile.
53. I'd take beer over wine any day. Caveat: Said beer must be good (see above). Caveat #2: This does not apply to certain meals, like pasta.
54. I've been compared to Liz Lemon from "30 Rock", from the way she talks to the Tina Fey smirk. I think this is awesome.
55. I'm a blue cheese fiend. When I was little, I used to use celery sticks to fish out the blue cheese chunks from the dip that comes with wings -- and not eat the celery. I never get sick of blue cheese. Also, I still hate celery.
56. I like:
a. mushrooms: raw
b. broccoli: cooked
c. tomatoes: both
d. olives: neither
57. I think the concept of "boneless wings" is both fallacious and a huge scam. If they're boneless, they're clearly not wings now are they? Call them chicken fingers/tenders/nuggets/strips/whatever, but if you can eat the entire thing at once, that is NOT a chicken wing. The day Bocce's or Duff's starts advertising "boneless wings" is the day I shoot myself.
58. I'm a dog person. In my younger days, to the consternation of my parents, I was a cat person. I guess nurture wins out over nature.
59. The furthest east I've been is Athens, Greece. The furthest west I've been is Minneapolis, Minnesota.
60. Breakfast is vital to my ability to function in the mornings. It's got to be within a half-hour or so, or else heads will roll. You do not want to be around me if I've missed breakfast.

See those links on the side?

I need some new ones. Not the friends, of course, but the random ones that are entertaining. So what are your favorite random, entertaining websites? Bonus points if they don't take forever to load via dial-up.

Aaaaaand GO!

Hear that? It's the sound of my independence being yanked away

Conversation held earlier today:
Me: 'I have a meeting this afternoon at [local high school] with one of my student teachers.'
Dad: 'What time?'
M: '12.30.'
D: 'Well, I'll drop you off, I have to go to the store. I'll pick you up in an hour?'
M: 'O...kay.'

That was me, being dropped off and picked up at the high school, like a high schooler. You'd think the last ten years haven't passed at all.

2008: Year in Review

01 What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Earned a masters, wrote 16000 words within two weeks (yeah, exams were fun), designed and went through with a research project, visited a few new countries, toured my parents around the UK and Ireland.

02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Heh, apart from a fit of exercising in between semesters, I didn't keep the 2008 resolutions at all. To be fair, I should have kept up with that, since that was about the best few weeks of this entire year. So I'm going to get back into that, except let's not call it a resolution, since I have an apparent tendency to fail at those. Also, finding a JOB and achieving a real, adult, grown-up life is in the process. I hope.

03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope.

04 Did anyone close to you die? Janice, my family's crazy, psychotic, clueless, adorable dog. Who liked bagels. And sneezing on your face as you were laying on the couch. And howling along with you. There's no other greyhound like her.

05 What countries did you visit? The UK, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Canada. And France if you count the train ride on the way to Belgium.

06 What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? An idea of what I want to do with my life. (This answer from last year still applies.) Though at this point, I'd also accept a job.

07 What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 17, graduation day!

08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Graduating with a master's from Cambridge... cross one thing off my to-do list! (see #35)

09 What was your biggest failure? I guess the inability to get hired could be counted as a failure, though there are a number of other factors that contribute to this. Example A: recession.

10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.

11 What was the best thing you bought? Anything involving travel: plane tickets, train tickets, any food in Belgium: fries, waffles and chocolate!

12 Whose behavior merited celebration? A few of my friends got married, so yay for them!

13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Apart from the usual politicians (Blagojevich, Spitzer)... hmm. There are certain people who seem to exist in my life purely to ruin my self-esteem and make me feel bad about myself, and the plan is to get them out of my life, and/or get myself away from their influence. (If you are reading this, it is not you.) (Also, this is NOT a resolution, since I generally fail at those; it's merely a goal. Not expressly for New Year's. Yeah.)

14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets. (Last year's, but still true.)

15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? When I found out my parents were actually going to visit me in Europe! I figured that was one of those things that they'd talk about ad nauseam but never follow through on, but it happened!

16 What song will always remind you of 2008? Uh... I didn't listen to the radio all year. I did buy some songs by Colin Meloy and the Decemberists this year, although only the former album actually came out in 2008.

17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Less stressed in terms of being on a schedule, but sadder due to a lack of purpose/independence. Funny how that works.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. Hopefully you can't tell.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, big time. If anyone steals my credit cards or identity, they have definitely chosen the wrong person.

18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. Two years in a row; let's go for three!

19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.

20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.

21 "There is no question 21" I have got to find a better New Year's meme that doesn't include this 'question'.

22 Did you fall in love in 2008? No. There was a slight infatuation, though. But it didn't involve stalking, I promise.

23 How many one-night stands? Yeah, okay.

24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office', though it's really starting to slide. Let's hope the writers pick it up a little for the rest of the season.

25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? There were some professors at Cambridge that I rather extremely dislike, but I wouldn't say I hate them.

26 What was the best book you read? I'd say Vienna Blood by Frank Tallis. Rather a lame title, but very well-written, uses an impressively varied vocabulary, and set in 1902 Vienna. And it involves cake. That's basically a formula for a winning book, I feel.

27 What was your greatest musical discovery? The Decemberists are pretty great, I think. Their music gets better upon each relisten. Also, I'm suddenly into Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which is funny and twisted and catchy and fantastic, but it's now 2009, so I'm not sure if that counts. Although it came out in 2008, so let's say it does. Only one year behind the pop culture trends is quite good, considering my track record.

28 What did you want and get? I've been talking about visiting Belgium since 2003, and I finally got around to it this year. It was not quite as awesome as everyone's talked it up, but the food and beer definitely made it worthwhile.

29 What did you want and not get? A freaking JOB.

30 What was your favourite film of this year? I might have to be a lemming on this one and say 'The Dark Knight'. 'Atonement' was also amazing.

31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27, and I had people over to our house and fabulous garden for a grill fest. It was a good time, especially since it was after the academic year had ended for most people.

32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Lasting friendships with folks from Cambridge.

33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? I was in grad school, what do you think? Jeans and fleece and funny, random t-shirts. I've tried to get out of that rut to some extent, but it's a bit tough when you don't have any money. H&M helped me out a bit when I was in Cambridge.

34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, travel: getting away from the routine is always good.

35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski. Also, I'm suddenly enamored of Neil Patrick Harris: he's hilarious, seems to be a down-to-earth guy, and he can sing!

36 What political issue stirred you the most? Oh, the 2008 election! Absolute madness. I loved it, as much as the infighting and twisting of words drove me crazy.

37 Whom did you miss? Oddly enough, I missed folks from Cambridge after returning to the US... I guess the grass is always greener, eh? Thank goodness for Facebook.

38 Who was the best new person you met? I met some interesting people while traveling...

39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Asking for help is not a bad thing.

40 Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 'Es tut so schlau, um nicht unangenehm aufzufallen/Und nicht schön genug, um damit durchzukommen/ Weisst du genau wie es ist, immer rauszufallen /Nur nicht weit genug, woanders anzukommen.' - Wir sind Helden, 'The Geek (Shall Inherit)' One day, the answer to this question won't be a song lyric that can also be applied to an angsty, geeky, misfit high-schooler. Today is not that day.

Happy 2009, and let's hope that it's better than 2008. It's got to be. Right?