spinning-jennie :: time flies when you're on vacation

Recent Features:
Sin City Diary
Becky's Trip 2003

at 31? it's almost un-American!
Cats, Beavers, and fireworks.

I can't wait to see my first baseball game.
3/31/2003 04:05:45 PM

an un-diet vanilla coke day
What a long, hard first day back. But not a bad one (though after moving heavy furniture and boxes all day, my arms and legs and feet do *not* agree!). Bruised but not broken was today.

I won't be seeing my new building for an estimated three weeks (more mold and moisture tests), so I've been given a shiny little temporary cubby in the new Admin building. Not sure where my computer is, or when I'll be getting it back, though. Hopefully this week.

Surprise evaluations today - and I cannot complain one tiny bit.

Something decidedly funky going on with D's ColdFusion upgrade. Pardon our dust!
3/31/2003 02:57:38 PM

supahstar
See, the thing about working in a school is, you get to know a lot of people. Of the smaller variety - 800, more or less.

And when your home shares the same neighborhood, and you eat and shop and play in that neighborhood, it's inevitable that your every destination will more likely than not be shared by one or two of this group (which makes visits to the drug store for certain super-personal items a bit of a guerilla maneuver, even though you should possess a More Grown Up attitude about these things by now).

But it's kind of neat when you see a kid pull their parent's sleeve, and whisper, and point, and then wave all excitedly. Like they've made a celebrity sighting or something. Like you're important. Or something.
3/30/2003 12:41:54 PM

is
So everyone's been doing the Googlism thing. I thought I'd try it, too. My favorite by far:

jennie is god i don't know what to say except that jennie is the god of hellfire
3/29/2003 08:41:09 AM

what you stopped waiting for months ago
After 1.5 years, it's finally here - the Sin City Diary.
3/28/2003 01:46:16 PM

holy bedsheets!
Did you know that Cybill Shepherd is playing Martha? And it's airing on Monday, May 10th? This is new information!

"My goal is to be fair as much as I can to the character of Martha Stewart," he said.

And it's still a story for which the ending has not been written. So will Shepherd be called back to do a scene in handcuffs?

"I think that'd be very interesting," Shepherd said with a grin. "Not for Martha maybe."

3/28/2003 12:44:00 PM

junior high wasn't all bad
Looks like my current middle school isn't the only one undergoing intensive reconstruction. It's such an architecturally rich building (one of the nicest in the little city); I hope they keep most of the important details intact.
3/28/2003 09:07:08 AM

psst!
I was realllllllllllly bored by the end of today, so I set up Trillian. Which, if you haven't heard of it, manages multiple chat platforms in one easy little window. I've had most of these accounts floating around since who knows when, and I never use any except AIM, because it's a big buttpain, separately. Not so now. Now all my usernames are on the about page, so's you can hobnob with your weapon of choice.

I'd just downloaded the update when I got my first visitor, happiness! And in Trillian, the big smilies laugh - out loud! Hee!
3/27/2003 06:51:57 PM

trippin'
See us acting silly all over northern California. At least some of the time.
3/27/2003 10:10:37 AM

can't even find a cat for consolation
It's so [too] quiet around here, now, with B. gone and D. back at work. I should be getting some reading done before I head back to work myself next week, but I'm too antsy. Work is a relative term, because I just got word that the library move-in has been delayed [indefinitely???]. So I'll have no room, no books, no work to go back to. I'm sure they'll find something fun [that no one else wants] to do. Yay, me.
3/26/2003 10:30:05 AM

that, and there's plenty of elbow room terminal curbside
The good thing about getting up for the airport at 4 am - you get free front-row tickets to a robin chorus in an empty velvet blue theater.
3/25/2003 05:29:53 AM

little house for big dreams
This Tree Stump House (built on the remains of a giant redwood, and therefore bigger than it would seem just by glancing at the first few pics) is looking adorable so far! Via Plep.
3/24/2003 10:20:27 PM

back
I'm here (physically, at least). Had a fun week! Still working on the pictures.

Feeling like a threatened turtle again here in blogland - dead serious, overly vulnerable, and generally unchatty (usually fragmented sentences are a good indicator of the mood). Completely unrelated to my real week.
3/24/2003 09:03:02 PM

outtathaway
Things will be quiet for a bit, we're going adventuring this weekend. Or at least... we should be.

Don't get me wrong. I fully support and applaud your right to peacefully demonstrate. I've done this myself. But I never, ever used my body as a brick in a human wall, bringing major thoroughfares to a halt, to no purpose but to anger commuters.

I'm not going to discuss my stance on the issue here (at least in small part because I vacillate so frequently, it would be an exercise in futility). But my sister is only in town for one week out of, say, three years, and if we can't get around the City tomorrow, and do something other than watch nightvision CNN broadcasts, I'm not going to be in a peachyfun mood.
3/20/2003 05:40:41 PM

humbug
It seems to be the plague of the Internet World. Someone hits the idea jackpot, it has a great run, and then, over time... the assholes move in. And it's just not fun anymore.

Sorry. I just don't feel like doing eBay after today and a few other bad sales transactions.
3/20/2003 08:43:11 AM

carmaraderie
So we were driving back from Auburn this afternoon, and this old guy on the right honks at us. It was rather startling, for no good reason that we could see.

Then he pulled up even, and, with a big grin and a wave, made it clear that he just wanted to be Same Make Car buddies.

Afterwards, I wondered why I didn't think of getting out the roll of Mentos. It just felt like a FreshMaker moment. Oh, well. He probably wouldn't have gotten the reference, anyhow.
3/19/2003 05:04:12 PM

"eat, eat, you're too skeeny!"
Yesterday I tried my first-ever stuffed cabbage at our first-ever trip to Hannibal's (with hours like 6:30 am - 3:30 pm M-F, they generally leave us out in the cold). This little Romanian/American gem has been billed as "Sacramento's Soup Nazi." And they did have quite a selection; I didn't try any (being well occupied with my giant hunk of bread), but D. was unimpressed with his Potato Cheese.

I just want to go back and have stuffed cabbage for breakfast.
3/19/2003 06:49:05 AM

my head is in the sand
I don't know how I missed Jon Udell's LibraryLookup. If your library uses Innovative, Voyager, iPac, DRA, or Talis, you can add a bookmarklet to your linkbar which, if clicked when you're at any URL containing an ISBN (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.), will automatically call up the library's record for that book. Works like a champ.

Via Rawbrick.
3/18/2003 09:53:10 PM

mush
Is it very, very silly if I don't miss the snow of the UP, but still long for the chilly excitement of a good dog run?
3/18/2003 08:11:36 AM

pule
When I grow up, I want to be just like Mr. Cockerham.
3/17/2003 09:34:39 PM

better living through OTC pharmaceuticals
Stupid things I've done since taking the Benadryl:

* Starting the dishwasher without adding detergent
* Opening the dishwasher mid-cycle to add detergent and start over again (my pores are now nicely steamed)
* Leaving the sink to fill with hot water - and forgetting about it
3/17/2003 12:57:25 PM

Happy St. Paddy's.... ACHOO!
I've done a stupid thing and run out of Canadian generic Claritin. I guess I'd forgotten just how completely it controls my allergies (and keeps my sanity intact), because I'm an ugly mess this morning. So I've taken Benadryl in it's stead - and you can bet I'll be out cold by noon.

Better hurry up and get the cleaning done while I can stay awake.
3/17/2003 10:27:13 AM

so insanely tired of that box of Gibson stoneware
My latest Atomic obsession - Blue Heaven dinnerware.

I can't find anything new I feel is worth paying current prices for, anyhow. And it's fun to hunt down bargains on pieces on eBay.
3/15/2003 08:42:26 AM

the 1,000th thing I really didn't need to drag across the country with me
An inch-thick stack of paystubs - from my library job at university. The oldest are c1994.

Cleaning out your files once in awhile is a pretty good idea.

You know what's almost as ridiculous as dragging half a pound of waste paper around? Every single damned stub says "Jennifer" at the top. I don't know how many times I asked them to change my name at Student Employment. They never did.
3/14/2003 10:38:56 PM

avert your eyes, boys, it's about to get girly in here
Clearly I don't spend enough time in the makeup aisles at the drugstore (and I really could pick up a fashion-y mag every now and then, it wouldn't kill me). Because I can't believe I missed L'Oreal Translucide Sheer Gel Blush in Petal Glow (color doesn't really look that garish). It looks so ... realistic.
3/14/2003 11:40:56 AM

itinerary
We plan on seeing the following with my sister next week:

Marine World
Tide pools/harbor seals/whales
Jelly Belly
Exploratorium
Pancake Circus!
3/14/2003 10:34:55 AM

though after my visit, I am skeptical...
About sums up the wait.
3/13/2003 06:02:27 PM

slow progress
I woke up really early (5:30) to take a peek at my new library digs - I knew there'd be no way to motivate myself to do it if I lazed around all morning.

There was no one on campus at all, aside from contractors. My old room has been completely gutted, and I'm not allowed into the new building yet. Sigh.

I guess I'll go steam another piece of living room carpet. Nothing's a better motivator for thorough spring cleaning than a visitor - even if it is just your sister, and she probably doesn't care either way.
3/13/2003 08:40:17 AM

waste of unhazed air
It's breezy and cool and green outside. I shouldn't be in here. I could walk down to the park, but I've already been admonished for the thought, the place being host to dozens of boozy vagrants (which doesn't frighten me properly, I guess).

Or I could walk over to the canal. Not much to see there, though.

Maybe I'll just hang out on the patio with the willow tree and kitty bunch.
3/12/2003 10:44:33 AM

crossing the blue
I always wanted to take the carferry across Lake Michigan. Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. What a relaxing way to travel.
3/11/2003 10:18:08 AM

resurrection
The visiblog is back. Think of it as a daily extension of this blog.

I really love today's entry. Even though I'm still pissed about it.

It sure is nice to have time and spring energy to finish up all these projects!
3/10/2003 03:26:09 PM

it's aloive!!!
I like pie. Love the smell of a baking pie. Hate dealing with crust.

I took the best [easiest] parts of two pie recipes, gave it a commercially-prepared frozen crust, and, voila! - Cherry Frankenpie. A breeze to whip up, and you don't have to even touch a pie crust.

Cherry Frankenpie

Pie:
2 9-inch frozen pie crusts (I used Marie Callender's, yum)
8 c. frozen cherries (the tarter the better), thawed and drained
3/4 c. sugar (adjust a bit to taste)
2/3 c. flour
3 T margarine or butter

Skin:
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter or margarine

Blend sugar and flour, mix in cherries. Turn mixture into pie shells. Dot with butter. Combine dry topping ingredients; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Cover pie edges with strip of aluminum foil and bake on cookie sheets at 400F for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until crust is golden.

I only made two because that's how the crusts were packaged, and I knew the second would get all yicky in the freezer if I just used the first. I may try freezing the second pie, though.
3/10/2003 11:42:55 AM

monkeypoops!
I've been re-creating the visiblog, making it a daily photo receptacle. Working on it on and off for a few days now, and I finally finished.

And Blogger won't let me create a new blog. Or, it will, but it won't let me post or access my settings so that I can post.

Figures.
3/9/2003 10:50:50 AM

shoot the mouthbreather
Things my knees, lungs, and I have learned or had painfully reinforced in twenty minutes:

It is not 1993 anymore. Therefore, I'm not 22.
Neither is it 1998. So I've not been an habitual runner in five years.
And - guess what? It's not 2000, either. So I don't weigh... erm, what I weighed then anymore.

Additionally, chronic sinus problems don't make you a very attractive runner.
3/9/2003 10:30:49 AM

tmi
I've been very, very fortunate so far. Not to have inherited my mother's premature grey. She was turning in her mid twenties (though I'm not entirely sure that was all genetic, possibly more a result of me).

But it sure is disconcerting when I find a stray, and it's three inches long and blazing white. How did that happen without me noticing, in my nearly-black hair? Not that I spend anywhere near the national average female amount of time staring at myself in the bathroom mirror, but, sheesh.

I think the Grey Hair Fairy visits in the night.
3/8/2003 05:24:45 PM

everything old is new again
A new, fanatical level of dedication to creative materials reuse - the Reusablog is live.
3/7/2003 11:20:33 AM

99% of my nightmares involve driving
Nothing is guaranteed to send me into full freak-out mode more than a phoned "I was in a car accident." Even if it only lasted a few seconds - long enough to be told that no one was hurt. The [brand-new] car has some cosmetic problems in the rear, but that's it.
3/6/2003 08:10:51 AM

ramble
I'm just a bit tipsy on that infamous Charles Shaw (not the good Merlot or Chardonnay, 'fraid, but I have a hard time wasting a bottle of wine). You'd think I had it on an empty stomach, but, no, I'm still full of yummy egg hole sandwich.

New things I'm trying now (aside from the Shaw, hoping the Merlot really is better):

* Electrasol Gelpacs - using one for the first time right at this moment. They're cute and squishy, though.
* Smucker's Boysenberry syrup - like IHoP in my kitchen. Even has the requisite trabillion calories per serving.
* Nivea Visage Gentle Cleansing Cream - worth the price. Smells good. Has nice scrubbies. Likey.
* Green Sneakers Lick & Stick Remoistenable Envelope Glue - I haven't tried it yet, though I will tomorrow, on some envelopes I've cut but not glued. If it works, I'll be in recycled craft heaven.
* Hot Off the Press Envelope Template - D. spotted this for me at Michael's. It's nice, but a little too big for some of my favorite magazine pages. The little gift envelope template in the middle is adorable.
* Coffee Mate Liquid Flavors - how the HELL did I live without this stuff? I was limping along with my soy milk or powder, oblivious. I've been spoiled forever, and simply can't have coffee without it now. Hazelnut and Amaretto are the best, but they're all good. So damned good.

It has been pretty much decided that, yes, within the next couple of years, we may try to move to Portland (soon is out of the question, because of Big Move burnout). Will be visiting to explore this spring/summer. Not that Sacramento isn't nice. But after three years, it doesn't look like it will ever seem a home, either.

You can occassionally find me on AIM, you know. Not during the day at work (ever), but more now that I'm off for a couple of weeks. I don't promise to be the most sparkling conversationalist, but. Right now I betcha I would be.
3/4/2003 09:24:14 PM

big kids' toys
Visit Lego Island.
3/4/2003 04:42:22 PM

well, I *had* plans
Blech.

I slept all day today. Literally. For no good reason that I can see. I was asleep by eleven and up after seven, I haven't taken any barbiturates, and I'm not sick. It's a gorgeous day, and I was going to spend some of it outside.

And even though I've now had a bracing shower and a strong cup of joe, I still feel a bit groggy.

Double blech!
3/4/2003 04:04:17 PM

tek-nol-oh-gee, c'mon, say it with me
It's just unfathomable to me that, in this digital age, there are companies that issue gift cards which aren't redeemable through their online stores.

And this when I'm liking shopping less and less all the time.
3/3/2003 08:16:34 PM

spring...
...has arrived on our little pond.
3/3/2003 04:30:43 PM

pass the Lipitor
Happiness is home-baked macaroni and cheese.
3/2/2003 08:14:53 PM

tickled
I took a little walk through the park this evening, thinking I'd check on our lonely little microbox. Someone found it! Yipee!
3/1/2003 06:18:02 PM

little indulgences
I'd always envied the easy comfort of the generic black cotton Chinese Mary Janes I'd seen a few co-workers wear through the years. I finally ordered up myself a pair. In dry, hot Sacramento, cotton shoes just make sense.

Poking around the site, I found some Turkish coffee and ibriks (Turkish coffee pot), and added those to my order, too. A Middle-Eastern friend introduced me to the thick, bracing sludge in her home last year, and I've wanted to try making it since. If you've never tried coffee the Turkish way, it's definitely an eye-opener. Hard-core coffee fans only!
3/1/2003 12:14:49 PM