A Very Random Weekend Wrap-up

I imagine that I get roughly the same amount of stuff done every weekend, headaches permitting, but some weekends don't feel like much got done, while once in a while I feel like a lot got done. This was one of those rare weekends.

Yesterday, I got my laundry done, changed the sheets, finished knitting something (secret a little while longer), washed some dishes, ran a whole bunch of business-and-pleasure errands, it was a beautiful day, what could be better.

Today it's been cool and rainy, so I'm glad I was out yesterday. I made soup and vacuumed, started a new knitting project (so happily! I love knitting), did more dishes, and got tomorrow's lunch ready.

Otherwise this weekend? I read a book (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which was very interesting; though I admit to skimming over some of the science); watched some TV (the first disc of Daria is the latest I have from Netflix); I managed to hit my elbow on a doorknob while vacuuming [ow] and drop a solid glass perfume bottle on my toe [OW!]; and, not coincidentally, I wondered if there's a specific fairy or saint in charge of coordination, that I should be praying to.

Let's see what the pictures show.


Oops, sorry! That's tea leaves. Ignore that. Moving on.

You may recall (though why would you) that after I got my MP3 player last Christmas, I complained about the earphones not wanting to stay in my ears. It's been bothering me ever since, and yes, it's August, your point is? Hey, I've meant to do something about it, I've come close to doing something about it, I've researched it! Just, you know. Didn't actually make a decision. Yet.

Ahem! Anyway. One of my errands yesterday involved stopping at the charming discount store, Building 19, to see if any of the sneakers in their ad might fit my weird old feet (the recently-new ones are still bothering me if I wear them for a few days in a row, sigh). They actually had a couple of pairs in my usual size, 9 and a half, but they didn't fit right, and the next size up was 11, which I didn't even bother trying. The perils of the cheap shopper.

Anyway, I looked around, as one does, to see what else was there, and found a pair of Lands' End jeans that fit for $15, which is well worth the price. While I was waiting in line, I looked around at all the impulse buys, and my eye was caught by some small packages of earphones. Ah, you wondered when I was going to get back to that, didn't you? And for under $5, I decided to take the plunge.


On the left, the ones that came with the player. I've never used my MP3 player while walking around, as so many people do, because I've found that even sitting at my desk, the earphones (especially the right one) would fall out when I sneezed, turned my head, or sometimes when I didn't move at all. Frustrating doesn't begin to cover it.

On the right, the new ones. I walked around, moved my head, even shook it, and they stayed in. It's like a miracle, I tell you!

Apparently, the insides of my ears are shaped less like this:

And more like this.

Now, knitting! I got this yarn at Rhinebeck last year, and in the Spring I tried to make it be socks. It apparently didn't like the pattern I chose (knitters know that this happens), and after several tries I acknowledged that I was going to end up with too-big socks, and ripped. Here, we try again. Isn't it pretty?


And maybe the extra needles will buy me more elbow room on the T!

Now this picture I took because I liked the plate. I had to Google the sticker above it to the left to learn what it meant, and now I'm wondering at the juxtaposition of the two.


I mean, it could be different moods on different days, but it seems like the person who says "no problem" and the person who says "does it look like I give a fuck" are not the same person.

Carlos had a nap-heavy weekend. How that's different from any other weekend, I couldn't say, but he seemed to be very photogenic.


Look at the paws!

Good thing he doesn't know I'm giving blog time to a dog analogy. I think it's a good one, and there isn't a cat equivalent that I can come up with, but all the same I don't think he'd approve.


This one's a plant!


No, I have no idea what. I just noticed its interesting top view. Just one reason I always carry my camera.

I hit a sugar low at work one day, and the Skittles package that I got caught my eye. I have to admit, I was thinking that if I won $10,000, I'd have to buy another pack, because I wanted the Skittles to eat right then!


The inside message was even better.


I'm still not sure that Carlos cares for Miri in the slightest, but as time goes by, he seems to tolerate her more often.


Here's to a good week for all.

A little Friday: Sleep and Music edition

I got an insane amount of sleep last night. In-SANE. And I cannot tell you how big a letdown it was not to wake up easily, cheerily, with lots of energy, or at least more than usual.

I got home earlier than expected from the mammogram (ouch), had dinner, watched half an hour of a movie and was practically dozing off on the couch. At 7:30! I'm usually good for more than that. But I also felt sort of pre-headache-y, and I thought, why not give in, and go to bed early? And be all good the next day?

I turned the light off at 8:01. Seriously! And this morning I still hit the snooze for half an hour before dragging myself out of bed. Discouraging is the word for it.

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One of my Christmas gifts was the Shrek soundtrack, something I wanted since I liked so much of the music in that movie. I've been enjoying it, especially "Stay Home" by a group called Self. It's a perky song about introversion: excellent! (I can't find a real video for it, but you can hear it here.)

What I didn't know until now is that I'd liked a song by the same group years ago. When I worked for Barnes & Noble, lo those many moons ago, I used to sometimes get last month's CMJ New Music Monthly if there were some left over. This was a magazine that came with a CD, and although often the music didn't really appeal to me, there were a couple of CDs that were just full of songs I liked. My friend Google tells me that "So Low", which I still have on the September 1995 CMJ CD, was by Self. Small world!



So there you have it: one small musical coincidence for you. Have a nice day!

Let's Talk Music Instead

I was going to write about the weekend, like why I didn't write this weekend, but I'm back from the dentist and can't feel half my jaw and frankly, I'm not in the mood.

So let me ask your further advice on MP3 players. I love mine, by the way! It gets me through the dull bits or the frustrating bits at work far better than I get through on my own. I'm wondering if anyone else has trouble with the little "earbud" headphones, though. They fall out of my ears! Plus the cord is always tangled. Any help?

And, what are your thoughts on playlists? Do you use them, and if so, how? What have I not even thought of?

Bonus question: do you buy music online? Where?

Can You Hear That?

Part 1: Did I tell you? MP3!

Yes, Santa brought me an MP3 player for Christmas, thank you Santa!

That is one funky reflection in the lower left!

I was a little intimidated by it at first, since they were so sure it was intuitive that there is no manual, just a little folded quick-start card that did not hold my hand nearly enough. My brother helped a bit, but we didn't really have time to sit down and make sense of it.

Yesterday, though, I talked to my friend Google and found that there is a manual, online, and that helped a lot. And my friend Google also helped me make it stop already with trying to put every photo on the computer onto it when I tried to "sync" it, which would surely kill it flat dead, considering that my photos (finally backed up, yay me) currently fill three little thumb drives, an 8GB, a 4GB, and a 2GB, and I need to get another one because I'm only backed up through November, oh woe. So no I don't want them all on the MP3 player stop it stop it!

Yes, I get a little emotional. Also silly, unless everyone gives their MP3 player a rap name? But seriously, I keep looking at it upside down, and you tell me:


Isn't D-SUDS a good name for it? Not that I will remember to call it that, but it amuses me mightily. (I am so middle-aged white girl.)

So first, I downloaded a song to it, then cleared off all the dreck it came with that I didn't even recognize (well, except Beethoven, I have heard of him). Then I loaded a podcast! Which meant that today, when I was doing something mindless at work, I was trying not to laugh out loud to the latest Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. And after I listened to the song (singular) a few times, I discovered that it gets radio: who knew? Not I, but that was fun, too.

Tonight, before going to the dentist, I loaded a few CDs that I got for Christmas onto it via the computer, and it worked! The music was a fine distraction as I got drilled, too. So when I got back, I loaded a bunch more. Is this an eclectic bunch?

• The Fray: How to save a life
• Shrek soundtrack
• Spin Doctors, Pocket full of Kryptonite (only the three songs I love)
• Weezer (the blue cover one)
• Amadeus soundtrack
  

It says I have 6.9GB left. That's a fair lot, isn't it? New toy, new toy. My next goal is playlists.

The Biggest Loser

There was a biggest loser competition at work last year, which I chose not to participate in. For those who aren't familiar with such things, you kick in some money ($20, in this case) and get weighed at the beginning and end of the time period. The person who loses the largest % of weight wins, and gets 80% of the money, with second place getting the remaining 20%. Last year's winner won a considerable sum.

There's going to be another this year, and I (again) wasn't planning to play along. In part because I hope to be at another company before the end of March, I hope I hope. And because I have no willpower, and eating feels good. Because I love chocolate, and candy, and ice cream.

But I am reconsidering, in part because the CEO is doubling the money and adding a week's vacation, which makes it a considerable prize, and because I'm sick of not fitting into clothes, and of getting winded climbing stairs. I gained a lot last year (see: stress eater), and I would like to lose some. And what got me thinking seriously was this line in the e-mail: "If that doesn’t give you motivation I don’t know what will!"

And you know, I don't know what will, either. Maybe this reward is the goal I need to motivate myself to shut my mouth and start moving.

I think maybe.