12/30/2004 11:33:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I just made a small donation ($5) to the American Red Cross for tsunami relief via Amazon. I just felt like I needed to do something. It's not much, but every little bit makes a difference. I've avoided talking about this, because it's just so overwhelming. How can we even begin to comprehend this kind of devastation? No bombs. No war. No terrorists. Just the random fury of nature...|W|P|110442462140009230|W|P|Give a little bit...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/30/2004 10:49:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Get your gmails here? Taking a page from Katie and Stephanie, I'm going to try to unload some of the 18 gmail accounts I have to give away. Does anyone still want these things?? Leave a comment or send me an email. : )|W|P|110442192195194147|W|P|Lolly, lolly, lolly|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/29/2004 02:26:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|But it's not so cruel when it's the *good* kind. Several months ago, I submitted a short romance to Woman's World magazine. At that time, the maximum word count was 1500 words. I didn't hear anything, didn't hear anything. Later, I read an interview with fiction editor Johnene Granger, which must have been in Writer's Digest, which said they had reduced the word count on the short romances to 1100 words. "Crap," I thought. But I still didn't hear anything. Yesterday, I finally got my SASE in the mail. It's a standard form rejection, but it has a personal handwritten note from Ms. Granger. Erin- Our romance word count is 1,100 maximum. If you'd like to rework this sweet romance and send it back in, I'd be happy to take another look. No promises. Rejection=bad Personal, encouraging, handwritten notes from editors=good. I am encouraged. :)|W|P|110434862975678485|W|P|Rejection is one thing...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/29/2004 09:02:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P| a very happy birthday to my roomie! : )|W|P|110432900807342548|W|P|Happy, happy!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/29/2004 08:15:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|edited, therefore reposting Watching. :) Movies seen in the theater: (some of these may have been late 2003...I'm getting confused...) Mona Lisa Smile Something's Gotta Give Love, Actually Return of the King Cold Mountain Saved! Big Fish Mean Girls Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Hero The Village National Treasure Sideways Movies seen on video (for the first time, that is...): Casablanca Dr. Strangelove The Philadelphia Story The Graduate Annie Hall Happiness The Music Man (Matthew Broderick version) Godspell Rushmore Lost in Translation This is Spinal Tap Waiting for Guffman A Mighty Wind Best in Show Smoke Signals Waking the Dead Fight Club The Fisher King The Specials The Tall Guy Emma Trainspotting The Big Lebowski A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) Everyone Says I Love You Hannah and Her Sisters Movies that I still want to see: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Garden State The Incredibles Shrek 2 I Heart Huckabees Fahrenheit 9/11 The Passion of the Christ Ray Finding Neverland Closer Kinsey The Aviator Being Julia Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason Dodgeball Meet the Fockers The Life Aquatic Old movies still on my to-see list: All About Eve The Godfather Apocalypse Now Blade Runner Schindler's List Psycho A Clockwork Orange Vertigo The Manchurian Candidate Hamlet (Mel Gibson version)|W|P|110416144925316665|W|P|2004 Media Wrap-up, part 2|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/28/2004 08:47:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|*sigh* I am dismayed by the fact that I have not heard from said school district. I believed that, if I were being called back for round 2 (which I assume will take place this week), I would have received a call yesterday. I didn't expect to hear from them last week, what with Christmas and all... wah.|W|P|110424175612820952|W|P|No news is...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/27/2004 05:31:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Thanks, Debbie! :)|W|P|110418676043127260|W|P|Muchas gracias!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/27/2004 09:33:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Ah, Monday. Hope you all had a lovely holiday. I did. And now, alas, I am back at work, in a largely deserted office. Seriously. There are approximately 5 people here today. Bleah. I'm about to make myself some yummy Yogi chai. This is good stuff. R got me hooked. They make three types of chai; black, red and green. They're all quite tasty, but I think black is my favorite. Oh, and how could I forget the best part of Yogi tea? They have little inspirational fortune-like messages printed on the little papers on the end of the teabags. Like "your breath is the voice of your soul." :) Speaking of pictures, I need a new image for my sidebar, since it was time to say goodbye to Charlie Brown over there. Ideas? :) Umm... Hmmm... My Christmas was good. Lots of quality family time. Santa brought me a new winter coat with a cute matching scarf and gloves. I got some great DVDs (The West Wing-Season 2, Down With Love, Love Actually, Aladdin, my very own copy of Spaceballs, and the Goos live in Buffalo, so I can relive the monsoon concert forever and ever!), this game (the TV edition). Christmas night we played both Cranium (which my cousin got) and SceneIt. Great fun. :) I'll be working on that movie list for 2004. Check back with me later! Happy Monday. ;)|W|P|110415843058520477|W|P|Can't trust that day...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/24/2004 03:38:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P| Have a wonderful Christmas everyone! :)|W|P|110392082241107318|W|P|Christmastime is here...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/22/2004 10:01:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I've been doing a lot of reading and viewing this year, and I wanted to at least briefly reflect on what I've read and seen. I'll probably forget some things, but here goes... Reading: (in no particular order) The Man in the Ceiling, Jules Feiffer Cat's Cradle Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut Calculating God, Robert J. Sawyer The Toy Collector, James Gunn Birdsong, Rumi poems translated by Coleman Barks The Love Poems of Rumi, translated by Deepak Chopra Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor The Outsiders, SE Hinton Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus J. Borg Coraline Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman Blankets, Craig Thomspon Why I Hate Saturn You Are Here I Die at Midnight, Kyle Baker Ten Poems to Change Your Life, Roger Housden The Well of Lost Plots Something Rotten, Jasper Fforde From a Buick 8 Song of Susannah The Dark Tower, Stephen King America: The Audiobook, Jon Stewart Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them (audiobook), Al Franken Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris An Acceptable Time, Madeline L'Engle Oryx and Crake Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood If the Buddha Dated, Charlotte Kasl True Story Swear to God: Chances Are..., Tom Beland Slightly Settled, Wendy Markham Dearly Beloved, Wendy Corsi Staub How to Be Good, Nick Hornby The Poisonwood Bible Pigs in Heaven, Barbara Kingsolver Angels & Demons The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold Speak, Laura Halse Anderson Waltzing the Cat, Pam Houston Back Roads, Tawni O'Dell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce Holes, Louis Sachar Messenger, Lois Lowry My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult Dave Barry Slept Here, Dave Barry Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, ZZ Packer The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger The Princess Bride, William Goldman Written on the Body, Jeannette Winterson The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster Not too shabby of a list, I think. I've been introduced to a lot of new stuff, wrapped up some stuff that's been going on for a *long* time (*cough* Dark Tower *cough*), picked up a couple of classics, read some things by some favorite authors, discovered some new favorite authors and enjoyed some timeless YA lit. All in all, a good year for reading. :) Here are some of the things still on my "to read" list: The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou Sense and Sensibility Pride and Prejudice Persuasion, Jane Austen The Edible Woman Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros High Fidelity About a Boy, Nick Hornby Sammy's Hill, Kristin Gore Kiss Her Goodbye, Wendy Corsi Staub The Plot Against America, Philip Roth 100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Euginedes |W|P|110321462194367618|W|P|2004 Media Wrap-up, part 1|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/21/2004 01:43:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Here's a quick summary of my interview this morning... They had asked me to come in early because they had something they wanted me to prepare. when I got to the office, the secretary handed me a slip of paper that said "think about a 'hook' you would use to to teach Romeo and Juliet. be ready to explain this hook during your interview." A happy coincidence, in that both lessons I included in the mini-portfolios I prepared to hand to the interview team (there were six of them) involved Romeo and Juliet. yay! :) I took one of them, a very general "intro" lesson involving some internet work, and expanded it into a class discussion on love etc, involving some discussion of how the theme is used in popular culture (music, TV, movies). Another question allowed me to use my "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" lesson incorporating the Jackdaw song as an example. I got to talk about studying acting and participating in community theater. But the most important thing, I think, is that I really felt a connection with the interview team. You know how sometimes, you just feel a positive vibe in the room, and sometimes you don't? And that vibe, that energy, doesn't seem to be about anything you specifically do or say...it just is. Well, it was today. And it felt very positive. The team is finishing up their part today. They will make recommendations to the assistant superintendent who will bring some people in for another round. They plan to have the final decision made "very early" in January. I didn't think to ask how many people they were interviewing today. There are two positions. Keep your fingers crossed for me! :)|W|P|110365134721524789|W|P|So, how did it go?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/20/2004 07:26:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Ya know that part in the interview, the part where they say "Do you have any questions for me/us?" Is there a typical question you ask? If so, what is it? :)|W|P|110358885179860536|W|P|Interview questions: a poll|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/20/2004 10:41:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|My workplace was just visited by a bunch of caroling Catholic grade school kids, in uniform, wearing jingle bells on their wrists. How freaking cute were they? :)|W|P|110355738800508883|W|P|Here we come a-caroling|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/20/2004 09:49:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|This has been floating around the blogosphere, and I just couldn't resist. :) Three Names You Go By: Um....Erin. I had a brief stint as Erin-ya, reduced simply to Ya, in college. Three Screennames You Have: Billiard, erinna27, lowgirl_27 Three Things You Like About Yourself: My strong sense of compassion, my enthusiasm for things I enjoy, my capacity for love. Three Things You Dislike About Yourself: I procrastinate. I sometimes depend too heavily on other people. I have terrible eating habits. Three Parts of Your Heritage: Italian. Sicilian. And, uh, Italian. ;) Three Things That Scare You: Bees. Hate and intolerance. The thought of ending up alone. Three of Your Everyday Essentials: Email. Tea. Kisses. ;) Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now: Black pants, pink sweater, boots. Three of Your Favorite Bands/Artists (at the moment): (I'm going to go with ones OTHER than the ones linked on my sidebar! They're a given...) Ookla the Mok ;), Hawksley Workman, the Shins. Three New Things You Want to Try in the Next 12 Months: Irish step dancing, writing a screenplay, sushi. Three Things You Want in a Relationship (love is a given): Affection. Security. Great conversation. Two Truths and a Lie: (in no particular order) 1. Once at a New Year's Eve party, I was kissed by two different guys. 2. In college, my friends and I snuck into a fraternity house and stole one of their composite photos. 3. I know every word to Disney's the Little Mermaid. Three Physical Things About the Opposite Sex (or same) That Appeal to You: Glasses. Blue eyes. Huggability. ;) Three Things You Just Can�t Do: Be something I'm not. Do anything that's in direct opposition to my beliefs. Get a teaching job. (ha) Three of Your Favorite Hobbies: Writing, reading, dancing. Three Things You Want to do Really Badly Right Now: Go someplace warm. Sit in a cozy coffee shop with my journal. Go back to bed. ;) Three Careers You�re Considering: Teacher. Novelist. College professor. Three Places You Want to Go on Vacation: Italy. Australia. Ireland. Three Kids� Names: Angelina, Emma, Katherine (Kate, Katie) Three Things You Want to Do Before You Die: Write a novel, direct a (high school) play, grow old with someone. Three People You Want to Take this Quiz: Stephanie, squeak, Meghan|W|P|110355727517470274|W|P|Easy as 1-2-3|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/20/2004 09:09:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Eden! :) And a happy belated to Tim!|W|P|110355183068989787|W|P|Happy Birthday to...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/17/2004 02:25:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|My sincere appreciation to whomever is writing the emails sent by Amazon.com. A couple of days ago, I got an email from them, telling me that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is not expected to become available, yada yada yada...I had signed up for email notification, letting me know when the book is going to be available for purchase. I got this in my inbox today: Greetings from Amazon.com. We're writing to correct a recent e-mail notification that we sent about "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)." In our e-mail, we stated that this title would not be immediately available from our suppliers, and that you may want to search for it elsewhere. While it's true that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is not yet ready for eager readers, we do plan to notify you by e-mail when this book is available for pre-order on our web site. We assure you that howlers have been sent to the muggles responsible for this action and we are investigating the possibility that You-Know-Who may have been involved. We apologize for the incorrect notification that you received. Thank you for shopping at Amazon.com. Sincerely, Customer Service Amazon.com Hee!|W|P|110331167029616350|W|P|Kudos!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/17/2004 10:28:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|God, I'm bored today... The paper is done, but for corrections. I can't even help with corrections this month because we're using new software for layout, and I've not been upgraded yet...so here I sit. I've trolled the blogs already (it's lookin' like a slow day), read what little email I had, checked the message boards I frequent...and it's only 10:30. Gaaaaaaaaaah. In completely random news, my metabolism has seemed to kick into high gear the past couple of days. I'm hungry ALL the time. R and I are down to the last episode of season 2 of Six Feet Under. Whoo! I really am loving this show. I turned in the grades for my class yesterday. That felt good. I feel like I'm too easy though...the lowest grade I gave was a B-...I handed out 5 Incompletes, which will probably turn into Fs, as not a single one of those students has contacted me to offer ANY explanation as to why they didn't turn in their final projects. One girl dropped off my radar at the end of October. Two of them (this is the confusing part) came in for their individual conferences last week and then vanished. Blah. Next semester? No more Ms. Nice Professor. ;) As I am still not finished with my Christmas shopping, I decided to stop by the mall after turning in my grades. "It's only 4:30," I thought. "How bad can it be?" Ugh. I lasted about 45 minutes, and didn't even accomplish the ONE thing that I had planned to do at the mall. The line was ludicrous. I did, however, pick up an ornament for Brandy. Yay! Traffic was insane, and by the time I got home, I wanted to strangle someone. Oh, and that Black Raspberry Vanilla at B&B Works? Bleah. I didn't like it at all.|W|P|110329815855860400|W|P|Bored|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/16/2004 09:31:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Last week, I read about a long-term sub position in a school district where I'd recently interviewed. I thought the ad was for the same position for which I'd already applied. I called the district's HR secretary, who checked to see if my application was on file. It was not. Grr...I downloaded a new one, filled it out, and hand delivered it to the district office on Tuesday. (and kept a copy this time. I'm learning...) Last night, I got a call from the head of the interviewing committee. They're interviewing me on Tuesday. Yay! I also learned that it is *not* the same position. The other interview was at School District East. This one is at School District West. (Most of the larger districts around here have two high schools, usually called "East" and "West." Except for the one that's "North" and "South." They just had to be different, I guess.) Keep sending those positive vibes my way...I'm gonna need 'em... :)|W|P|110320786837482623|W|P|Good news|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/15/2004 10:34:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Can anyone explain to me how it got to be ten days from Christmas? Oh, I am *so* not finished. I'm nearly done shopping for R, I've got my dad's gift taken care of...got a couple of things in mind for mom that I need to get going on. I have nothing for my brother. I still have to find an ornament for Brandy. (Tradition in my family is that Godparents buy their Godchildren a dated Christmas ornament each year. It's a nice tradition. I like it...but I haven't even *looked* for an ornament yet.) I haven't shopped at all for Jen yet. I have about half of my Christmas cards sitting on my desk, waiting to be mailed. The other half still need to be written in. I'm still missing a few addresses. I want to see my little before I go home for the holiday. I have grading to do. Mom's freaking out about cookies. Isn't this where I am instantly, magically whisked off for a relaxing bubble bath?|W|P|110312532263201823|W|P|Calgon, take me away|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/13/2004 01:53:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I just caught a whiff of this articleon Arrested Development over at Seriously Random. Like lots of smart, funny, innovative television shows, Arrested Development is suffering in the ratings. It probably won't be back for a third season. And why? That's what the author of the article is trying to figure out: Why does it always have to be this way? Why, in a television world where viewers are forever decrying a lack of quality choices (a mostly untrue assumption), do the innovative, risk-taking, aggressively brilliant shows go unwatched? Oh, that's easy: The rest of the country has no taste. Forget this notion of red and blue states. That's not the country we live in. We live in a land mass divided into two groups -- those who watch "According to Jim" and those who watch "Arrested Development." That's infinitely more frightening than anything politicians could dream up. Amen, brother. Amen.|W|P|110296430128714954|W|P|Smart TV watchers of the world, unite!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/09/2004 08:12:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Four men have told me that they loved me. Three of them broke my heart. The fourth, well, I suppose I broke his a little. The first one was young love, high school love, which is sort of in a class all by itself. J and I had been dating for a couple of months, and I had traveled to see him compete in the regional wrestling competition. I was staying with my aunt's soon-to-be stepdaughter, and one of the nights, I was talking to J on the phone before he went to bed. He said it, and it took me quite by surprise...but that feeling, I'll never forget that feeling of warmth that spread through me. "I love you too," I somehow squeaked out. I was fifteen years old. I know that I didn't really know what love meant then. Unfortunately, not long after this sweet, tender moment, it would come to mean yelling, fighting, tears, hurling insults, fear, insecurity and hurt. That relationship was about pain. It was K who taught me that love didn't have to hurt. We got together my sophomore year of college, and once we admitted our attraction to one another, we became inseparable. After a whirlwind month, we went to my sorority's fall date function together. We were dancing and singing to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," him singing the guy part, me singing the girl part. After the Do you love me/Let me sleep on it exchange, he pulled me close to him and said "I wouldn't have to sleep on it." Later, when we were alone back in my dorm room, we said the actual words to each other. He was my first real love, the first man to make me feel truly safe, happy and cared for. It was sweet, genuine, and maybe a little bit naive. He didn't give me a pen, but he sure did a number on my heart. I guess I would say that X was my first mature love. I came to him whole, complete, and finally (after 4 long years) over the heartbreak of losing K. I didn't *need* him; I wanted him. Once I let my defenses down, we began to share something special. Gradually, I let him into my heart. Shortly after we returned from the trip to the UK, I was fired from my job at the evil non-profit agency. He came to see me immediately when I told him and held me, let me cry...a few days later, we went to the wedding of one of my former coworkers. We went to his apartment between the ceremony and the reception, and that was when he told me he loved me. "I wanted to say it before, but I didn't want you to think I was just saying it because you got fired," he said. "I wanted to say it too, but I didn't want you to think that I was just saying it because you came to see me," I told him. I loved all of them back, with all my heart. All of them let me down. J, by crushing my spirit, over and over and over again. K, by being unwilling and unable to commit to me. And X, by betraying my trust. All of them found it so easy to say the words, but not so easy to mean them. And then there was the fourth... In between J and K, I met Army Boy. AB had dated one of my best high school friends during the same time that I was with J. During Christmas break of my freshman year of college, I went to a New Year's Eve party. AB and my friend had parted ways long before, and she was with someone else. AB and I started talking and flirting, and later in the night, he kissed me. I was afraid my friend would be bothered, but she gave him my phone number the next day when he wanted to call me and "apologize." Not because he didn't want to kiss me, but because he felt he shouldn't have "taken advantage" when I was drunk. I told him I knew what I was doing and I didn't regret anything...and said yes when he wanted to see me again. We kept in touch, phone calls and letters, and when he came home for two weeks in the summer, we saw each other as much as we could. I was sad to see him go, but also reluctant to see myself in a relationship with someone so far away. Soon after I returned to school my sophomore year, I got a late person-to-person phone call. He'd been drinking. (I guess nobody told him not to drink and dial...) He told me he loved me...I didn't respond at first, and then I said "No, you don't. You hardly even know me." He was upset. He asked me what it was that I didn't like about him. I told him nothing, besides the fact that he was stationed in Georgia. I told him that it might be different if we were closer, if we could see each other more...but I just couldn't maintain a relationship like that over so many miles. And that was that. It broke my heart a little... So what's my point in all of this? Only this...if there's one thing I've learned in the fifteen years since I first met J, it's that it's worth it. All of it. The pain, the heartbreak, the tears...I learned something from all of them. I learned things about myself. I found strength I didn't know I had. And I've learned that taking a chance is always better than *not* taking it. |W|P|110264300324426168|W|P|You can learn how to be you in time...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/09/2004 09:29:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Mmmm...nothing beats a fresh bagel and a cup of hot chocolate at Timmy Ho's. :) I hear that season 1 of Arrested Development is out on DVD, and that the regrettably too-short run of Wonderfalls is due out soon...hmmm...way too many TV shows to own! R has gotten me completely hooked on red apple Jelly Bellys. I can't stop eating them. My roommie's peanut butter blossoms are simply divine. No joke. (that would be the new batch. the original batch wasn't bad, but these are heavenly!) Warm Vanilla Sugar products from Bath and Body Works. (I am also intrigued by this new Black Rasberry Vanilla scent...will have to check that one out...) New people commenting on/linking to my blog...anyone I haven't thanked personally, consider yourself thanked. ;) Being encouraged to write by smart, talented people who like my writing. Fun packages from fun friends. :) One of my not-so-favorite things? Being rejected by potential employers, even for jobs I didn't *really* want. (at what pointdto I start taking the rejection personally? Blaaaaaaaaah) |W|P|110260456253783660|W|P|A few of my favorite things|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/07/2004 09:43:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Yes, yes...as my roommie pointed out, we were visited by Bellsnickle (via mail) yesterday. Hurrah, and thank you! And it's true, there's not much to be found about dearl Bellsnickle on the internet. I did manage to find a mention of him here, which verifies my belief that it is a German (Bavarian) tradition. The tradition, as we practiced it, was that children would leave their shoes out on the night of Dec. 5. During the night, Bellsnickle would visit and leave small gifts and candy in the shoes of good boys and girls. ;) The tradition coincides with St. Nicholas Day.|W|P|110243095386779112|W|P|Thank you, Bellsnickle :)|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/06/2004 01:38:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Like my roommie, I, too, fell in love this weekend. Or maybe it would be more correct to say "in lust." But not with a tree. No, I fell in lust with Canadian musician Hawksley Workman. R took me to see him at Club Infinity Friday night. He's a big fan. I've just been recently introduced to his music. I think my favorite of his CDs is (last night we were) the delicious wolves, featuring my favorite of his songs, striptease. After he finished performing it live, I turned around and looked at R and said, "Oh. My. God." He just smiled, as if to say "Yep, I told you." The man positively exudes sensuality. Sex permeates his being. I'm not even remotely exaggerating. We made a few friends at the show. To our left was the superexcited blonde girl from Burlington. Before the show started, she bounded onto the floor and plunked herself into place. She and R made some small talk about Hawksley and favorite songs, and "what do you think he's going to open with" etc. I mentioned that this was my first time seeing him. "Ohmygod! You're going to LOVE HIM! I can't wait to see your face after the show!! I've seen him 17 times!! He totally knows me. I've had my picture taken with him!" Okay, yes...Jen and I have been this person (sort of) on occasion. But imagine us in this state to the 27TH POWER. I told Jen that the girl kind of reminded me of Shan K, but on CRACK. Wow. :) To our right were a couple of guys, one of whom apparently makes a living filming concerts. He was trying desperately to hook up with a girl standing in front of him who was clearly not interested. It was painful... Oh, and standing in front of us was a group of high-school looking kids, one of whom I swear I taught last year. Ack! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and have definitely become a fan. ;) Saturday night, R and I (and his friend John) went to see Sideways, which I really enjoyed. My only problem is that it's difficult for me to look at Thomas Haden Church and not see Lowell from Wings. ;) No, seriously...it was very good. I recommend it. On Sunday, Jen and I put up our Christmas tree and decorated it, with the help of my little. Yay for Christmas trees and big bay windows. If only there was a fireplace...sigh... I'm probably forgetting something, but that'll do for now...|W|P|110235705408995842|W|P|Jealous of your cigarette|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/03/2004 10:28:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|So I woke up this morning not at all bothered by the snow. I've even been humming "Let it snow" to myself since I got to work. Go figure. Ask me how I feel about snow in March... ;) I've been getting in the Christmas spirit by listening to holiday music. Last weekend, on my drive back to Buffalo, I called Jen from the road to tell her the Christmas music was making me weepy. That cheesy Bryan Adams song. Dan Fogelberg. And, of course, Band Aid. I commented to R that I like happy Christmas music, which of course, started me making lists in my head. My top 5 Christmas hymns; 1. O Holy Night 2. Angels We Have Heard on High 3. The King of Glory (frequently heard during Advent) 4. I Saw Three Ships 5. What Child is This? My (current) top 5 non-traditional-type Christmas songs: 1. Love on Layaway (I am fully aware of the cheese factor, but I can't help it...makes me want to sing and dance) 2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings (Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan) 3. Happy Xmas (War is Over) 4. Sleigh Ride 5. Wonderful Christmastime A couple of my favorite Christmas CDs 1. Collin Raye, the Gift A very traditional offering...I absolutely adore this man's voice, and in my opinion, his rendition of 'O Holy Night' cannot be beat. I get chills every time I hear it. I'm still bitter that the Christmas concert I had tickets to several years ago was cancelled. The show was rescheduled, but it wasn't a *Christmas* concert. Grrr... 2. Martina McBride, White Christmas Again, very traditional. Her voice is amazing. Speaking of Christmas, I need to get shopping. Ack! So, what kind of Christmas songs do you like? Favorite songs or CDs? Share with me... :)|W|P|110208926481960535|W|P|Baby, it's cold outside|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/02/2004 09:31:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|In a much better mood today, thanks. :) Sometimes, dating and romance can be so hard and confusing and uncertain...big questions, serious talks. Blah blah blah... I met R's parents last night. We had dinner with them at Caffe Aroma in Williamsville (I'd eaten there once before). We had a slightly pretentious but friendly waiter, and all of the food was delicious. (I had this bowl of outstanding soup...a lemony-chicken broth with little homemade noodles. Yum!) R's parents were fun and interesting and very, very sweet. I taped Lost (so don't tell me!), but I watched The West Wing. Still feeling pleased with the way this season is going. The characters are very much behaving (and talking) like themselves again. Good job, writing team. Finished season 1 of Six Feet Under this past weekend, and am two episodes into season 2. I'm loving the show more and more. The writing is outstanding, and the performances are brilliant. Even the secondary characters (Keith, Gabe, Billy...) are brilliant. (I always *knew* I would like this show, by the way...I just have to thank R for giving me access to the DVDs. ;) ) My class is winding down. Strange, isn't it? Today is our last *actual* class, because I have individual conferences scheduled with them next week. Their final portfolios are due when we meet on the 14th, and then we're done...I will be teaching again next semenster (phew!), but I'm not sure what yet...on the one hand, it would be nice to teach 101 again. I have a lot of the "homework" done, I'd be able to iron out little details of things I'd like to do differently, but it would also be exciting to teach 102, the intro literature course. We'll see...I imagine it'll come down to where their needs are. I should probably know next week. As much as I don't want to, I should be getting some work done... OH! And one more thing...my word count for November ended up at 18,146. My goal is now to keep up a similar pace, and finish the darn thing. And then do more things. :)|W|P|110199925302087377|W|P|A better day|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/01/2004 01:27:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|At times - I do believe I am strong So someone tell me why, why, why Do I, I, I feel stupid? (Matchbox Twenty, Mad Season) *extended post...this is the mix CD I would have made today, if I could have made a mix CD today.* Mad Season Matchbox Twenty Life Less Ordinary Carbon Leaf And So It Goes Billy Joel Give a Little Bit Supertramp/Goo Love Me Do The Beatles The Tide is High Blondie When It�s Love Van Halen Elephant Love Medley Moulin Rouge What is Love? Haddaway I Want You to Want Me Cheap Trick The Waiting Tom Petty God Only Knows The Beach Boys Rosy and Grey Lowest of the Low To Make You Feel My Love Bob Dylan/Garth Brooks This list probably would be longer if I had my own CD collection in front of me. ;) How many other people out there do this? I have, for as long as I can remember...searched for songs to express a mood, an emotion. I've made countless CDs about missing someone, about falling in love, about getting my heart broken, about getting over the broken heart, about friendship, about loss...they used to be tapes, of course, but I've made the technological leap to CDs. Sometimes the tapes/CDs were just for me. Sometimes they were made to express my feelings to someone else. But always, at least for me, there's something cathartic, something powerful and true about finding the perfect song, the perfect lyric, to express how I'm feeling at that moment in time. |W|P|110192216808431248|W|P|But it's somethin' that comes and goes...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com12/01/2004 08:52:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Romeo and Juliet
One step at a time, okay?

What is Your Shakespearian Tragic Flaw?
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