Links so that I can close some tabs...

If you have not done this yet, please go now:

http://kevan.org/johari?name=Anathema523

Also, if you have seen Brokeback Mountain, oh hell, it doesn't matter, just go see this video, it's frakkin hilarious.

Lastly, just an amusing quiz (or two):

The Movie Of Your Life Is An Indie Flick

You do things your own way - and it's made for colorful times. Your life hasn't turned out how anyone expected, thank goodness! Your best movie matches: Clerks, Garden State, Napoleon Dynamite

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

You Are a Coy Flirt!

You're not so much a flirt as the type of girl who draws flirts in While you look like you're just relaxing, secretly you've got your game on A little look here, a little wink there... you give men the encouragement they crave And in return, they flirt up a storm with you - while you just sit and smile

What Kind of Flirt Are You?

Stupid frakking....

My car is dead. A little background, it's been acting sporadically (oh look at me using a Clueless vocabulary word!) weird over the past few months...actually the past year really. It would just randomly act like it was stalling, when it could not possibly have been stalling...either my speed had been constant or I was stopped with the clutch fully depressed...

Stage set, early morning Friday.

Wake up with alarm. Hit snooze. Hear loud cat purring on next pillow. Turn over, get kitty kissed. Snuggle into covers.

Hit snooze. A couple times.

Realize that have to get up to go get donuty thank you treats for first period, get to school, photocopy exam and quizzes.

Get ready, go to car. Car doesn't start - engine turns but no dice. Try 3 times - finally get it working. Yay. Do not have to call Daddy.

Go to Dunkin Donuts. Stopped car. Go inside. Get dozen donuts, 4 pack muffins, box o'joe filled with Hot chocolate. Raise eyebrow at snippy clerk who says next time call ahead for big box of hot chocolate. Notice there is no posted sign rquesting such thing. Mentally roll eyes, go out to car. Start car. No problem. Stop at a red light, just prior to the highway.

Watch in horror as entire instrument panel lights up like frakking holiday display. No big deal, turn car off, turn car on again.

No dice.

Try again. Same results.

Put car in neutral. Turn off radio. Try again.

Nothing.

Put hazards on, think about what to do. Keep turning key.

Light turns green.

A$$ behind me can't figure out that hazards on means there might be a problem, honks instead of pulling to the right hand lane. Lower window and wave said a$$ to the other side. Think furiously trying not to freak out.

Keep trying, begin to accept that car will not start and am going to have to call dad. See car next to me trying to get my attention. Lower passenger window, explain that am calling father thank you nice man who looks kinda creepy smoking a cigarette so early.

Pick up phone, and call Daddy. Time check, 6:25 am, oh god I'm going to be late.

Have conversation with Dad, where I slowly freak out as he asks me questions that I can't answer. Dad threatens to hang up phone if I don't stop yelling. Yell that I am not yelling, calm down and try again to explain. Dad says he is coming to get me.

Call Lindsay, ask her to cover first period class. Look despairingly at the 12 donuts + 4 muffins and big box o' hot chocolate.

Call principal's secretary explaining what's going on, explain will be there before 2nd period, will call if it looks iffy.

Call roommate, wake her up on her day off, apologize, ask if needed she can drive me to school. Sleepily agrees.

Feel like crap for waking up roommate, knowing she will not be able to sleep again.

Wait for dad. Explain to the 2 people who ask, that yes I am ok, and I have called someone. No, I don't need a phone, thank you though.

Mom calls saying dad is on the way. Dad calls saying he is on the way.

Wait. Try to avoid looking at the clock.

Remind self it could be worse - could be colder, could be a BEST taping day, could not have set plans, might not have Lindsay, might not have roommate with day off.

Wait for dad.

See dad's car. As dad pulls into a nearby parking lot, watch cop car come around at the same time.

Despair.

Numbly go through motions - turn car while cop and dad push it towards parking lot. Give license and registration to cop. Get it back. Try to jump start car. Realize it is not a battery problem. Go through many other motions, call towing company, looking at clock realize am going to be very late.

Eventually mom comes to wait with car until tow shows up. Call roommate to come pick me up. Call other co-worker asking to photocopy quiz for 2nd period.

Roommate shows up.

Realize roommate is the most amazing person on frakking planet.

Get on highway call secretary to let her know am on my way. Roommate and I get to school, drag stuff upstairs, get in 10 min before 1st period ends.

Make it through rest of the day.

Mom calls about car at 8:50pm. Dealership knows not what's wrong. Realize this is very very bad thing.

But, at least it was Stargate Friday. So that made it less sucky.

So my Friday was saved...because of Stargate. And K. coming to get me at school and going to see Lauren and the baby.

Now, go to this website and tell me what you REALLY think of me:

http://kevan.org/johari?name=Anathema523

Oh What A Night

It is not late December. For that matter it is not even '63. But sweet surrender, what a night!

Okay, done now.

The roomie and I decided that we needed to go dancing, so we recruited Ken to go with us. Having made the decision, we wandered off to the mall to go shopping, where I walked away with a wicked awesome new shirt, and some body lotion from Victoria's Secret. It's called Romantic Wish, the irony of which is definately not lost on me. At some point here we called Joe, who was unable to come out dancing, but ended up meeting us at said mall, while I was getting make-up from the MAC counter. Because it turns out, that while I do not often wear make-up, when I do getting the expenisive stuff actually makes a hell of a difference. As in it look fantastic.

Then it was off to target for make up brushes and what turned out to be work out shorts. Joe came and hung out for a while...and we called Ehren and conned him into coming out to the club with us. Amusingly enough, Joe was the one that pushed him over the edge into convincing him - which was beyond hilarious and revealed a very cool (and not entirely unexpected) side to Joe's personality. But that is a story for another time. Shortly thereafter, appropriately attired (ok, I'll admit it, I looked fabulous) we hit the town.

It. Was. Amazing.

The roomie, who has taken to telling people I'm no fun when I'm sober...okay what she means is that I'm more relaxed and my actual personality comes out more when drinking but still, realized that it's not a function of B.A.C. It's a function of comfort - I am insanely comfortable around Ehren, so I don't at all need to drink to relax and be myself. For whatever reason, he helps me feel relaxed enough that I can get my groove on even though I'm surrounded by tons of people. K. was thrilled to see me so chill and I got to dance to my heart's content. I'd been craving that since I chaperoned the dance at school last weekend - and was feeling very much that I wanted to dance. But I had to be a good chaperone and besides really who wants to see their teacher getting jiggy wit it?

Ok one kid did, the one who asked me to dance, but that's another longish story. Suffice it to say I pointed out that while, yes age is just a number, in this case it was a fairly important one as long as my number was above 20...and his wasn't.

Oh in other news, 14 year old asked me to be his valentine. I just looked at him, and the rest of the class turned to him and said "yo, that was mad creepy." I'm so happy when they police themselves. Really now.

Either way, the E-dawg needed to jet early, seeing as he has church and all, but K and ken and I hung out til close to 2am and then headed back here.

And now I'm super sleepy but just a little too wound up to actually sleep.

Still, mass amounts of fun were had by all, and we should do this again sometime. With more people. Right.

Me sleep now :)

Flashback

It was a nice afternoon. Came home to find a letter/note/card from the lovable Leila, inviting me to be her maid of honor. Ali, Heather and I all got them, requesting our services as bridesmaids. It was a lovely card with other bits to it that I won't get into, but the basic point is it was a sweet and beautiful way to ask us to be involved. Go Leila!

Around the time I was marveling about the note, I get a call from *gasps* Ehren! Ok, besides the fact that I was thinking about his wedding, there is the fact that HE called ME. I love him, he's my best friend, but the boy just does not often pick up the phone.

And over the course of a nice conversation, he mentions that I've come up in an earlier conversation he had with Dr. Bagley. Regarding what you might ask? Well, my impeccable organizational skills. [Note. I say this with a bit of sarcasm. My room and the living room look like bombs have exploded in them. Not kidding. I guess I'm selectively organized then? End Note.] It seems that Ehren was discussing the V.C. needing an Exectutive Manager - essentially a non-singing member to look after the administrative minutae. He says to Dr. B - remember CDN? V.C. needs an Anathema.

Heh.

Dr. Bagley, who remembered this all, bless his heart as if he doesn't have enough on his plate, suggested Ehren talk to me about helping out. Ehren, laughing, said that he didn't think I'd want to go through that again.

He related this to me. There was a moment of silence, and then I interjected, well...actually...

Because yes I'd do that sort of thing again. As I told Ehren, next year has been designated "Anathema reclaims her life" year. BEST will be over and I'm re-entering the real world. :) I can't wait. I have all sorts of ideas of things I want to do - Adult Ed classes to take, lessons, it's gonna be fun.

Anyway. It was a nice afternoon.

I've made lemon squares. And chocolate chip cookies that failed the aesthetic test though they taste fine. I also have a container of chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer. Between all the tasteing to figure out what was wrong, I am so sugared up and wired I don't know what to do. Too tired to grade papers, too wired to fall asleep. Maybe I should try anyway?

Yeah, that's the plan.

G'nite folks!

Avalanche

...though I suppose "flash flood" would be more appropriate. It's January and it's 50 degrees. I'm not quite sure what to do with that - not that I like the cold, I don't particularly love it...but this is a bloody tease. We all know what happens in this story - it warms up, teases us as we think briefly Spring is coming...and then it goes all White Witch Winter until mid-May. I'd rather get it all done quickly and be into Spring by early March. More Spring! and Fall! Two perfectly wonderful seasons that too often get shortchanged.

Ok, done now. :)

Of course the title hardly refers to the weather - no that would be far to mundane for me. Rather it refers to the bang that this year started with. Not even a week into the new year and I drop a friendship (technically two) like a hot potato(s). Or a disrespectful, deceitful one(s). Whichever. Surprisingly, I'm not mad or upset. And that's not sarcasm...I think I'm actually relieved if you can believe that. I had suspected the nature of the deceit for months - and having confirmation from said person really just backed up my belief in trusting my instincts. Women's intuition, which I suspect is nothing more than my subconscious picking up things my conscious mind doesn't. Given that women tend to notice more about the world around them in general, this makes sense. Either way - I was right. The two people in questions are, unquestionably, schmucks. Sad for them - not so much for me. Seriously why do people lie? What's the point? Sheesh.

I know women are supposed to be insane...but this particular one has usually proven herself to be reasonable. Oh well. I wish I could say that I'm sad about losing the friends...but I'm really not and I can not for the life of me figure out why. It's not denial...I know that much. Apathy? It's hardly shock. Maybe I just saw this as inevitable? Anytime I start psychoanalyzing myself...well I'd better stop before I convince myself of any number of silly things. :)

In other news...I chopped off about 4 inches of my hair. I love the new cut. I still double-take when I go past a mirror - I keep expecting it to be longer than it is. I've cut down on consumption of shampoo and condition by a significant amount too...which is kinda cool. The reasons for getting the cut are numberous - but was precipitated by a thoughtless comment by some students.

In other news my entire 6th period class will be failing the midterm next week.

I went in the next day, and the reaction ranged from "wait, is that you?" to "wow you look awesome." One student said it looked good...but she liked my long hair.

One student will definately be passing my midterm next week.

I'll put up a picture when I get a chance. For now I need to go get ready to have dinner with the family.

Later kids.

Happy Bunny!

it worries me how dumb you are.


Who's Your Happy Bunny?
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Unintentional Photography

For loyal readers (all 4 of you, hi K, Ehren, Leila and sometimes Dan!) I totally did not intend for this to become a photoblog. It just sorta happened. Anyway. I figured I owed a real post since I had just been pasting so many pictures...which for the record was done because I wanted to show some photographs to non-blogger friends (Eric, Nick are you two reading this? Probably not. That's okay.)

So, a real post...here's one. The paper today included an article regarding the myspace phenomena - not just myspace really, but myspace, xanga, livejournal etc. I think myspace got more hype only because it's like a junior version of friendster. The point of the article is that kids are using this stuff with no real concept of how widespread the readership of those sites are. Really. I mean, think about it this way - I think most of us "adults" understand that whatever we put on a blog site can theoretically be read by anyone and everyone. As a result we are, to varying degrees, circumspect as to what we write here. I don't post my name or major identifying details. Why? Because I'm a paranoid maniac? Not really. I mean I try to avoid giving people my address because really there are some creepy people out there. But beyond that, I am in a profession working with the same teenagers who use sites like myspace...and they know how to google. Google my name and yes you get pictures of me. What don't I want them doing? Finding this site. They don't need to read this type of thing about me. Neither do my bosses. Let's be realistic here for a minute - K and I know someone in grad school who essentially was fired from student teaching (and asked to leave our program) because she called the principal of her school a "fucking moron" on her lj site.

And kids are doing the same. They are effective cyber-bullies, they write things which they really shouldn't write. They post enough identifying details so that pedophiles can find them - there has been at least one case of such a bastard tracking a teenage girl down and kidnapping, raping, and killing her.

How do we protect the kids without banning them from cyberspace? Parents today can do their best - but if parents don't understand the technology, and many of them don't, how can they effectively manage the risk?

I don't know what the answer is here - but I'd love if someone did/could fill the rest of us in. Or really even comment. That'd be cool too.

The Following will be on My Wall

OK, so following in an idea that Ehren gave me, K. and I are puting together a 4X3 grid of 8X10 pictures on the wall in our living room. The following 12 pictures have been printed in 8X10 format (thank you Sam's club) and have been trimmed (thank you fiskars 12" paper trimmer from michael's) and framed in black frames (thank you Christmas Tree Shop).

We haven't decided what order to put the pictures in though we have a vague idea...the 3 shots of the cats and squirrel are going to form the corners, with the shots of Hob diagnolly opposite each other. And then the shot of us and Roderick close to the middle. other than that... we're still pondering. Comment with suggestions!



On Williams Street - I just really liked the house.

By far my favorite picture...it's been cropped so you can't see the door, and most of the shelves aboce and below him are cut off...but by far my favorite picture. 

Hob taking a nap on my foot. 

The Fountain on Main Street 

On Main Street 

Cleo in the closet on high looking down upon us mere mortals... 

Picture taken on the street near us, outside a restuarant 

Boston Butterfly Gardens 2 

Demonic Squirrel in tree on the Hubbard Green 

Karen and I with Roderick. The man who we tied up in a strait jacket and chains. At his request. He said we were a little too good at it... 

Pomegranate Martini using the Sepia funtion (no there is nothing wrong with your color) 

Boston Butterfly Gardens - 1 

Hob...in the bookshelf...