10/31/2005 04:47:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|
I made a very exciting purchase on Friday.
See, I've been wanting a pair of boots much like the ones pictured above for quite a while now. I haven't been able to find any, because every pair I have ever tried on would not zip over my calves.
I understand that I am not, nor will I ever be, thin. However, I find it hard to believe that my calves are extraordinarily large. Muscular, sure, but nicely toned, and I would think normal. Apparently, I am wrong.
But on Friday, I went into a shoe store and found a pair in black that FIT! Yay! :)
Rand and I attended a Halloween-themed wedding on Saturday night, which was a lot of fun. A lot of people (including the bride, groom, and wedding party) were in costume. I kind of wish we'd brought the camera! We had a lazy, lazy day on Sunday.
I worked today, which was fun, because I got to see the kids all dressed up. I love to see high school students still in the spirit of this sort of thing. There were lots of witches and fairies, but still plenty of clever, original ideas. :)
Well, that's it for me today. Happy Halloween, everyone!
|W|P|113079597825369530|W|P|Made for walkin'|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com11/01/2005 12:04:00 AM|W|P| Stephanie|W|P|I love those boots!
I have a pair like that; bought them to wear with my Star Trek costume...very sexy. But honestly! Like you, I don't have grossly large calves, but if I carried a bit of water weight or something? Wouldn't zip up all the way.
Stupid shoemakers.11/01/2005 12:30:00 PM|W|P| Stephanie|W|P|I love boots too and always had the same problem. My calves are 99.44% muscle too so it's not me.
I have a pair that don't fit me in the foot right anymore (having kids will do that to you). They're Aignier riding boots in a dark caramel kind of color. I was going to sell them on eBay since they're in great shape. If you can wear a 9 (and don't mind gently-used shoes) they're yours. The calves fit beautifully. They're in the original box as well. As I said, I loved these boots.
So everyone in your house has new shoes? ;)11/02/2005 09:14:00 AM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|Aw, thanks Eden, but I'm a 7! :)10/27/2005 06:40:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Featured photo at Tony Fabris' website, from the late, late Saturday night/Sunday morning filk circle at OVFF:
That's me, to the right of Rand, in my jammies singing something. (My guess is that I was singing along to Rand's performance of Subversives, by Lowest of the Low...)
Tony is just one of the many cool people I met over the weekend.
You can check out the rest of Tony's photos here, should you be so inclined. :)|W|P|113045675116564431|W|P|Hey world...check me out|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/27/2005 07:48:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|I like the jammy outfit, it looks very comfy. :)10/30/2005 10:58:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Heh. And I'm still trying to figure out what your last name is! :-)
- Tony10/30/2005 11:08:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Oh, and I've got a couple alternate shots of you and Rand that didn't make it on to the web site for various reasons. Buzz me (hit About on my web page for my email address) if you want them.10/31/2005 04:43:00 PM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|I was wrong...not Subversives, but Stop Talking About Comic Books (or I'll Kill You). I wasn't sitting next to Rand during Subversives. :)10/27/2005 02:02:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Ok, computer people...I'm in the market for a notebook (laptop).
I don't want to spend *too* much. (much as I love Rand's PowerBook G4, that's out of my price range...) I plan to primarily use it for writing, but of course, I'll also want to be able to use it for email/internet, and I'll probably want to be able to use iTunes.
What I'm not sure of is how much RAM I need, how big of a hard drive is necessary, and other fun details like that. What I don't want to do is call and talk to a salesman, because of course they'll try to sell me more than I actually need.
I appreciate the help!|W|P|113043978530881157|W|P|Computer help?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/27/2005 03:15:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Thomas is right! Get an Apple and never look back.10/27/2005 03:16:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|LISTEN TO THOMAS! HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT!10/27/2005 03:16:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Thomas would know about these things, so I would go what he says.10/27/2005 03:17:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Obviously, Thomas is in a position to give good advice about these things. Go ahead and get the iBook, I say.10/27/2005 03:18:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|There's no better computer than the Apple computers, so I agree with Thomas. I guess everyone else does too!10/27/2005 03:23:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|If only Commodore made laptops.10/27/2005 05:16:00 PM|W|P| Hilary|W|P|Hmm. Are you considering a PC at all? Or are Thomas and uh, all six anonymous posters gearing you toward the Mac?10/27/2005 06:45:00 PM|W|P| Theryn|W|P|I have a Toshiba Satellite and I've been very happy with it. I think anything you get will have a bigger hard drive than you need (I've put all my CDs on mine, and still have 1/2 the space left--w/o the CDs, I'd probably be using 5% of the hard drive), but get as much RAM as you can! Also, wireless. I think most have built-in wireless cards now, but it's something to check. New laptops don't come with floppy drives, so you'll probably need to get a USB drive if you don't already have one.10/28/2005 07:28:00 AM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|Thanks for the help! :)10/31/2005 03:10:00 PM|W|P| Celia|W|P|I had a Toshiba Satellite, the physical drive of which died quite abruptly after a year. I don't like them any more.
My two previous computers were Dells, and both are still functional. I type to you from a Dell Inspiron 1150, which I got for just over $1000 a year ago. Dell's site is also nice in that you can hand-pick the features you want and don't want, thus tweaking the cost.10/26/2005 09:36:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|1. Keith Knight rocks!
We saw him at the Cleveland Institute of Art, so basically it was me and Rand and a bunch of art students. Very cool. We talked to him a bit, and he signed a copy of one of his books (Passion of the Keef) for us. We also picked up a copy of his latest CD (he's in a hip hop group called the Marginal Prophets)...titled Bohemian Rap CD. Hee! I mean, how do you not buy that?
2. OVFF was a lot of fun.
I got to meet some new people, all of whom were very cool, and see several fantastic concerts: Seanan McGuire, Michelle Dockrey, Riverfolk and Wild Mercy. Wild Mercy has a cool Celtic vibe...they even covered a song by one of my favoritest Celtic-type bands, Great Big Sea. (Own True Way) Awesome.
Every year at OVFF, awards are given in various categories. The nominated songs are performed on Friday night, attendees vote, and awards are presented at a Saturday evening banquet. I have to say, the nominees for best filk song were quite impressive. Tom Smith's song "Rocket Ride", an insanely catchy tune, was this year's winner. I also really liked Escape Key's "The Girl That's Never Been".
Rand gave a lyric writing workshop, which I sat in on. It was cool to see him in teacher mode. Very entertaining, and people really seemed to enjoy it. :)
And of course, it's always fun to hang out with Joe Giacoio. Joe's got a new CD out, which Rand got a copy of, and it's great stuff. He never fails to make me tear up just a little. No Carla this time, though. Bummer. :)
Ummm...lessee...
3. Fleabag motels in Dayton=eeeeew.
Sunday night, we went to visit Rand's brother and his family. I got to meet his wife and kids for the first time, and I really liked all of them. Cute, cute little boys. We spent the night at the "Relax Inn," because we were too tired to search for anything else. Wouldn't have been that bad but for the smoke smell. Let me be completely clear...this room didn't just smell like it had been smoked in. It smelled like a family of three-pack-a-day smokers had lived there for ten years. Blech.
4. Henry Rollins rocks!
It wasn't the most stellar of material, but man, can this guy entertain.
5. NaNoWriMo
I decided to sign up again, but I'm not exactly following the rules. I want to finish the thing I started last year, and my TC friends encouraged me to sign up anyway so that I could benefit from their peer pressure. Basically, I don't care if I "win", but I want to get back into the groove. I need a laptop, by the way. I've been hanging on to about half of my Woman's World money, which won't completely pay for a new computer, but will take a decent chunk out of it. Any suggestions?
Phew...I guess that's it for now. :)|W|P|113033851037272994|W|P|So much to say|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/19/2005 09:57:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|What can I say...life is busy. Subbing, teaching, grading...that's about all I do.
I'm going to be heading out of town after my class tomorrow night, and won't be back until Monday. Don't miss me too much. ;)
Excitement on the agenda:
Friday morning in Cleveland, Rand and I will be seeing Keith Knight, a very funny and talented cartoonist. Of course, Rand got me interested in him, but I was the one who said "Oh my God, we HAVE to go!"
From there, we head to Columbus for OVFF.
Then, next Tuesday in Buffalo, we're going to see Henry Rollins!
So hopefully, when I return, I'll have some good stories to tell.
:)|W|P|112973423942788559|W|P|What, you want content?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/19/2005 09:24:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|I hear that Henry Rollins is pretty damn good in concert. Have fun!10/18/2005 10:07:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Thank you, Sister Jennifer, for reminding me...
Hello, all. F3 here. We're in Q4 now and recruitment time is upon us once again. Never mind that we've never actively recruited - the time is now. We need people to sustain our membership commitment and these people need to be sought out. ("Memberhsip commitment" seems to work for PBS and NPR, so I thought we might co-opt it for private use.)
Please send along your ideas. Pendant keychains and "free beer certificates" have been forwarded (well, I thought of them, but only parenthetically), but we need more. More, we tell you, MORE!
Go here for the rest.|W|P|112964838922269776|W|P|Metholicism needs you!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/17/2005 05:25:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Check out this month's Absolute Blank article over at Toasted Cheese...by yours truly. :)|W|P|112958799921123757|W|P|Writing stuff|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/18/2005 08:38:00 AM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|Thanks, Debbie! :)10/17/2005 04:46:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|While my current employment situation seriously cuts down on my online (and blogging!) time, I am getting quite a lot of reading done. :)
19. Mr. Maybe
Thanks to Lady Turpentine, who offered me a bunch of suggestions when I said I was in the mood for chick lit, and to Rand, who happened to come across some books for me. This was one of them, and I read it yesterday...not quite in one sitting, but close. ;) Jane Green does this SO well. The first couple of chapters, I was all set to not like the heroine at all. But lo...by the end of the book I was totally rooting for her. Fantastic. (And a sidenote...when I read these books, I so want to be British.)
18. The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Just for kicks, I went and read some of the analysis and comments at Sparknotes. I found myself disagreeing with some of their analysis, and wonder if it's just my prejudices...anyway...I found this an interesting and thought-provoking, but ultimately depressing read. (if you haven't read this and think it's a *sexy* book, think again. there is sex, yes, but it's hardly the point.) It paints a pretty bleak picture of love and sexuality, and, well, humanity, in my opinion. I guess I'm more of an optimist. :)
17. Rape: A Love Story
Yep, I've been a busy reading girl this week. I guess this is what happens when you take away my internet access. ;)
I thought this was fantastic. Horrifying, sad, dark, emotional...and fantastic. One thing I didn't realize when I picked it up was that it's set in Niagara Falls. A woman is brutally gang raped and left for dead in a park. Her 12-year-old daughter was the only witness. She is able to identify the perpetrators, who are arrested and charged, but they hire a sleazy defense attorney who turns the case into the most horrible "blame the victim" scenario I've ever read.
It's a short read (only 154 pages), and well worth it. And the ending is perfect.
16. The Big Over Easy
I love Jasper Fforde and the Thursday Next series. I wasn't sure how I would like his new series-crime novels based on nursery rhyme characters. It took me a while to decide how I felt about this book. Ultimately, I enjoyed it. I liked the characters, and the story was a lot of fun. I did put my finger on what was bothering me about it, and it was summed up perfectly in this review:
Fforde parodies detective fiction and nursery rhymes in an innovative and humorous way, but the world in which the story takes place is not as well developed as that in which Thursday Next lived.
I like Thursday's world better. But I found that, like the Nursery Crimes Division, this book grew on me. I'm curious to see where he goes next.
15. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Touching, funny, sad, and utterly compelling. It was a quick, easy read that grabs you right from the first words and doesn't let go until the very end. I would recommend this book to anyone.
14. Life After God
Of the three Douglas Coupland works I've read so far, this was my least favorite...which was not to say that I disliked it, but it was, well, odd. Basically, I was unable to determine whether or not the stories were supposed to be connected, or if they were just a series of similarly-themed stories and vignettes. I also had a hard time determining who was speaking most of the time. I felt that it dealt with the same issues that Coupland deals with in Girlfriend in a Coma, only that book accomplishes it much better. But that's just my opinion. :)
13. Which Lie Did I Tell?
I think William Goldman is wildly entertaining, and I really enjoyed this book...both for his "insider" stories and his insights about writing. There were a few times I questioned the reasoning of anyone who wants to be a screenwriter...good God, I don't know if I could put up with all of that Hollywood bullshit, no matter how much they were paying me. But it sure is fun to read about someone else's experience!
12. Invisible Monsters
Okay, so apart from Fight Club, which I saw but did not read, this is my first experience with Chuck Palahniuk. It was weird, and gruesome, and unsettling, and funny, and sad. I'm definitely interested in reading more of his stuff.
11. About a Boy
While I'd previously seen both High Fidelity and About a Boy, the only Nick Hornby I'd read up until now was How to Be Good, which I liked, but I've heard that it's not his best work and was panned by a lot of critics. That said, I *loved* About a Boy. I thought the story was much better than the movie (which I did also like, by the way...). The one thought that I kept having was that Hornby must have written the character of Will specifically for Hugh Grant to play in the movie. ;)
10. Big Mouth and Ugly Girl
I didn't know Joyce Carol Oates was writing YA stuff. Loved, loved, loved this, and am quickly becoming a big Joyce Carol Oates fan. She writes with such beauty and emotional honesty.
See the rest of my 50 books list here.|W|P|112653802874874591|W|P|Book post (cont'd)|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com9/12/2005 05:42:00 PM|W|P| squeak|W|P|I haven't read that one, but I do have Babyville, Bookends, and Jemmia J. I really enjoy Jane Green. The author I read for chick lit is Jennifer Weiner.9/21/2005 01:55:00 PM|W|P| Paula|W|P|TULOB is my fave book of all time. I don't find it depressing, though it does have darkness it it.9/21/2005 01:55:00 PM|W|P| Paula|W|P|*in* it!9/21/2005 04:34:00 PM|W|P| Stephanie|W|P|#17 sounds good.
Hey, let me know if you'd like a free book. I'm not digging it and I wonder if maybe it's me. I'd be interested to hear what you &/or J have to say about it. E-mail me or comment over at my blog.9/22/2005 10:31:00 PM|W|P| All Things Jennifer|W|P|Eden what book?9/26/2005 10:32:00 AM|W|P| All Things Jennifer|W|P|I can email you through comments today if you can't check email! :)
Tee hee!
I am enjoying ULofB very much right now, tis dark indeed.9/26/2005 10:47:00 AM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|Can't check email... :) Glad you're enjoying the book!10/05/2005 10:09:00 AM|W|P| Jen14221|W|P|Jane Green is fabulous! She has about 6 or 8 titles out in the US. I just got her new UK book (on e-bay), it probabably won't be out in the US for 6 more months.
If you liked Jane Green, try Marian Keyes and Isabel Wolff.
You might also like Nicci French.10/11/2005 05:01:00 PM|W|P| squeak|W|P|I love Chuck! It is very odd stuff, and Invisable Monsters is my favorite. The only ones I wouldn't recommend as what to read next are Diary (ok, but a let down) and Haunted (good but uneven set of short stories). I would highly recommend Survivor or Lullaby.10/13/2005 05:23:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Stolen from Eden.
Favorite Beatles song: Let it Be...or Come Together
Favorite solo song by a former Beatle: I can hear Rand tearing his hair out, but I'd have to say Maybe I'm Amazed. ;)
Favorite Rolling Stones song: Hmmm...Paint it Black, I suppose.
Favorite Bob Dylan song: I admit that I'm not super-knowledgeable about Bob Dylan, but I like Tangled up in Blue.
Favorite Pixies song: I can't even name a Pixies song. I am so uncool.
Favorite Prince song: Tough one, but I'll go with 7.
Favorite Michael Jackson song: Billie Jean
Favorite Metallica song: One. Because of the ridiculous memory that comes with it. ;)
Favorite Public Enemy song: Fight the Power...because it's the only Public Enemy song I can name.
Favorite Depeche Mode song: Either Personal Jesus or Somebody
Favorite Cure song: Just Like Heaven
Favorite song that most of your friends haven't heard: That, For Me, is You by Jim Boggia
Favorite Beastie Boys song: Girls. or Intergalactic.
Favorite Police song: Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
Favorite Sex Pistols song: Clueless. Completely clueless.
Favorite song from a movie: Can I count Save Me or Wise Up (Aimee Mann) from Magnolia?
Favorite Blondie song: Rapture
Favorite Genesis song: Follow You, Follow Me
Favorite Led Zeppelin song: I really like Bron-Y Aur Stomp, but I admit to being more familiar with it because Carbon Leaf covers it...I also like Rock and Roll.
Favorite INXS song: Need You Tonight
Favorite Weird Al song: Oh, God...how do I choose? I'm going with My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder, from Running With Scissors. Running With Scissors is brilliant.
Favorite Pink Floyd song: No idea. Comfortably Numb? Another Brick in the Wall?
Favorite cover song: Collin Raye covering Let it Be
Favorite dance song: This isn't exactly a "dance" song, but the one song in the world guaranteed to make me get up and dance, even if I'm asleep, is Ecstasy by Rusted Root
Favorite U2 song: Pride (In the Name of Love)
Favorite disco song: Waterloo (does that count?)
Favorite The Who song: I feel like I'm stealing this from Eden, but Behind Blue Eyes
Favorite Elton John song: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Favorite Clash song: Should I Stay Or Should I Go
Favorite David Bowie song: Let's Dance. Because where else can you find the world's most nonsensical simile: tremble like a flower. Hee!
Favorite Nirvana song: Heart Shaped Box
Favorite Snoop Dogg song: I'm not really a big Snoop fan.
Favorite Ice Cube song: Er....no idea.
Favorite Johnny Cash song: Ring of Fire
Favorite R.E.M. song: You Are The Everything
Favorite Elvis song: All Shook Up
Favorite cheesy-ass country song: Oh, so hard! Ummm...John Deere Green, I suppose.|W|P|112924278269703482|W|P|Music Meme|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/13/2005 11:05:00 PM|W|P| Stephanie|W|P|Oh, you know I'm going to do this!10/13/2005 11:06:00 PM|W|P| Stephanie|W|P|Oh, and #1? Post-Beatles!10/13/2005 11:55:00 PM|W|P| Stephanie|W|P|Crap...never mind. Read that wrong!10/14/2005 09:11:00 AM|W|P| Unknown|W|P|I posted! Whee!10/14/2005 12:52:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Wow...I'm not sure I could find a favorite song for a lot of those bands...cuz like, I've never heard of them! I know, I'm such a nerd. ;)
I heard today that our pal Prince, aged 47, needs a hip replacement!!! I wonder what he did to warrent the need for a new hip?!?!?10/12/2005 06:03:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I'm starting a yahoo group to discuss Lost, since it seems like I know a lot of people who are obsessed, like me. :) If you want to join the group, leave a comment or send me an email. :)|W|P|112915829066770603|W|P|Wanna get Lost with me?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/13/2005 11:41:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|There's a brand-new website that someone I know set up to discuss Lost...I don't watch it, but people I know do. There's a blog and also .10/16/2005 05:13:00 PM|W|P| -Me|W|P|yeah. let me know.
s10/10/2005 03:59:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I had a fantastic weekend in PA at Mary's wedding. I don't get to see this group of college friends nearly enough, and I love and miss them dearly. Here's a photo:
That's me, Jen, Mary, Holly and Karen. Aren't we cute? :)
As soon as I figure out how to work flickr, I'll get the whole lot of them posted there so everyone can have a look. In the meantime, here's a cute one of me and Rand as well:
Also, a very happy birthday to Dayna, Anita, and happy anniversary wishes to Paul and Trisha! :)|W|P|112897821652417202|W|P|Happy weekend!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/10/2005 09:24:00 PM|W|P| All Things Jennifer|W|P|Could I have more neck/chin rolls?
EVRYTHING about that dress and wrap and jewelry was stunning though....and my hair too!
:(10/11/2005 11:43:00 AM|W|P| |W|P|In that last flickr pic, are you and Rand dancing? It looks like maybe he's getting ready to push you off to do a solo? :-D Or were you just standing there? :-\10/11/2005 11:54:00 AM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|If it's the one I think you're talking about, we were just standing there. ;)10/11/2005 12:01:00 PM|W|P| Stephanie|W|P|All very cute :) Now I have to go look at the Flickr photos.10/18/2005 01:16:00 PM|W|P| Ontario Emperor|W|P|Yes, you're all cute. Especially since your friend didn't put you into ugly bridesmaid dresses.10/05/2005 08:48:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Who am I? What day is this?
Ack...needless to say, life has been busy. But as I've said, the life of a substitute teacher is good for my reading. Not to mention my grading for my evening classes. It's kind of cool having things to grade while I'm subbing. It makes me feel like a real teacher. ;)
Last week, I subbed for the first time in a district that has three high schools; North, South, and East. I've now been in both North and East, and East is the weirdest school I've ever seen. It has no walls.
Of course, it has outside walls...but the classrooms have no walls or doors closing them off from the rest of the school. Partial dividing walls kind of create the space, and some teachers use filing cabinets, shelves and cupboards as partial walls as well. There are no real "hallways", so to speak. I was subbing for a science teacher, and there were two classes that were lab periods. Since their regular teacher was out, they didn't have lab. And I learned that when they don't have lab (or whenever they finish their labs) they can just go wherever they want. This is information a sub really should have at the *beginning* of the day, wouldn't you think?
Weird.
I've also subbed a couple of days in the Shangri-La of all WNY high schools. Oh my GOD. The school is beautiful, the kids are polite and well-behaved. I was in teacher heaven. Of course, it also got me to thinking about how unfair it is...these kids, by luck of birth, have parents who can afford to buy expensive houses in an affluent suburb and want for nothing, while other kids go to overcrowded schools that barely have money for supplies. I don't know what the answer is, but there has to be one.|W|P|112852062311244176|W|P|School daze|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com10/05/2005 10:07:00 AM|W|P| Jen14221|W|P|I went to South and we always made fun of the East kids - a school without borders.
Please tell me which school is Shangri-La? Just curious.10/05/2005 11:14:00 AM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|it starts with a C. :)10/06/2005 10:49:00 AM|W|P| |W|P|Wow, that is sad. It limits the opportunities and potential of the kids not born into money.
Does your city get tax money for the schools? I know, dumb question, but had to ask. ;)10/06/2005 10:56:00 AM|W|P| |W|P|A certain graduate of "C" turned out to be a Jerk From Another Planet! Grrrrrr.10/07/2005 01:09:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Did I offend with my question? That wasn't my intention. My intention was that I find it sad that poor neighborhoods don't have the money like the richer schools do. I went to a poor grade school. I had limited opportunities.
I don't understand your comment.10/07/2005 02:03:00 PM|W|P| Erinna|W|P|C, if you're referring to Lady Turpentine's comment, it was unrelated. :)10/07/2005 10:30:00 PM|W|P| |W|P|Right! I was just communicating with Erin via a comment...she knew what I meant!10/08/2005 09:06:00 AM|W|P| |W|P|Well we could always start county-wide busing. Then everyone would have a fair shot at the good schools.
Stephanie|W|P|I love those boots!
|W|P|I like the jammy outfit, it looks very comfy. :)