Friday, October 28, 2005

I have a date tonight

I met this woman last week. I really liked her. I had a bit of a friend crush on her. Her husband is a clerk at the federal courthouse like Josh. I didn't get her email address or # when I met her. I've never been very forward, I guess. So I had Josh see if he could work some magic for me. You know, drop a few hints with her husband. So, Josh gave it a try and managed to give the husband my email address, but afterwards he said to me, "Don't hold your breath."*

So, I wasn't really expecting an email and then...yesterday afternoon...there one was just sitting in my inbox. From her! So...we're actually doing dinner AND a movie tonight. Just the two of us. OMG! What do I wear?

P.S. The ORIGINAL Puppet Master (I watched Puppet Master 3 or something a couple of days ago) is on later today. I love this ridiculous Halloween horror-fest! Though Joshie got really scared the other night and mad at me for making him watch it. That part in Pet Sematary where the little kid who is brought back to life is hiding under the bed and the old guy is on his hands and knees looking for him and then the kid pops out and cuts into the back of his ankle (and then kills him). Ewwww! That REALLY freaked him (oh, ok, and me) out.

*I've been making fun of Joshie for that ever since. He doesn't think it sounds so bad, but...he is wrong. I mean, jeesh! Don't hold your breath...b/c if you did, you'd DIE before she'd email you. That's what that means, you know.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Penn musings

Some things I learned at the University of Pennsylvania today:

It is far away. I knew that, but I never seem to remember how far far feels until I walk there. It is FAR.

Soc/demography talks at Penn are just as boring as talks at Wisconsin. And people at Penn ask just as ridiculous questions (even though the speaker kind of deserved it). I really am amazed at how utterly impossible it seems sometimes for academic speakers to be interesting. What is that about? How do these people teach? How does the next generation learn? I seriously needed a drink after it. And then I realized, I don't know anybody here. I thought about offering booze to an undergrad just to have someone to get a drink with but...I'm not quite there yet. Maybe next week.

Fashion is weird. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE fashion. I like to pretend I'm fashionable, but today I saw some disturbing sights:

MULTIPLE sweater dresses. Seriously. Sweater dresses. I had sweater outfits back in the day (skirt and shirt sweater sets). But that was during the 80s and I was 8-13 years old during the prime full sweater outfit wearing years. I am, therefore, automatically forgiven. I am all for 80s fashion revival, but, please, not the sweater dress!!! I'll go with all the mesh and headbands and preppy or whatever else wear you can dish out (yes, I have been watching "I love the 80's: 3D"!). But just say no to sweater dresses!

High heel clogs with furry pom-poms. Um. Wha? Yes. I guess one could call them mules (and, I'm sorry, I cannot handle mules. Put a back on them and make them real shoes!), but there was a clunky-ness to them that make them more clog like. And then they had a big ole tapered heel and then, hanging around the front, like I said: furry pom poms. I would have loved them were they a pair of earrings or some other kind of jewelry or a purse, but not on clogs!

This is why I stay in my house all day.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

I feel like I might barf a little

Last night, Joshie and I finished viewing Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures. I knew Peter Jackson was rather in to the macabre, but this moving is haunting me worse than the hours of horror crap I had on in the background yesterday, including Arachnaphobia (actually, that really creeped me out too, and I'm convinced the new bump on my leg is actually a brown recluse spider bite and will do me in any minute now...), Tremors (dumb, but I liked Kevin Bacon's long hair, and the dad from Family Ties as a gun crazed/bomb shelter guy - and married to Reba, who, I am sorry, is great, though I do not watch her tv show - was a fine casting choice), Tales from the Crypt's Demon Knight (with Jada before-she-was-Pinkett-Smith Pinkett, and Billy Has-he-ever-been-a-good-guy? Zane), which was pretty craptastic, and Pet Sematary 2 (also craptastic) with Edward Furlong (which made me yearn for Pecker) and Anthony Edwards (which got me in the mood for a little classic ER, as well as cool ranch Doritos, pizza, and Mike's Hard Lemonade).

Anyway, do you know the story of Heavenly Creatures? It's based on a true story in New Zealand where two girls (about 14-15) who were insanely intense friends were going to be parted from one another (one friend was moving to South Africa or something). Of course, it's a little more complex than this, but this is an uber-summary. Anyway, they thought it'd help (they'd be able to be together) if they killed one of their mothers. And for some reason, they thought it would look like an accident if they beat her to death with a brick in a pair of pantyhose. OMG! Ewww!! And you know Peter Jackson just isn't going to let us deal with that in our own heads and make it seem easier than it really was. No. So I am watching and the woman playing the mother is wailing away after the first hit and the second and the third and fourth and then the daughter passes the brick-hose on to the other friend and so on...and it is GROSS, GROSS, GROSS! I want to hork! And now I can't get it out of my head! Can you get it out of yours? EWWW!!!

Blech! As a follow-up, they both (the friends) ended up getting convicted but neither spent more than about 5 yrs in jail, but I suppose the worst punishment for them was that a condition of their release was that they were never allowed to see each other again. The End.

But ewwww!! So I am hoping that another day's worth of horror crap will help desensitize me to that or something. Eww. Probably not. Blech again.

UPDATE: I think I found something to freak me out even more: Curse of the Puppet Master. Eww! Puppets!!! Creeeeeeepy!

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

You're expecting me to say something about karaoke, aren't you?

You know, I had a fabulous time there. Really, I did. But when it comes to describing the night, I can't make it sound like as fun as it was. There were a few sad things though. Very sad: Ang was not really down with the singing due to her phlegm-y-ness. Though she still did an amazing job when she did sing. Also sad: Jeremy was not there. But my flight issues due to the rain in Philly certainly proved that he would have had much less fun on his way to Madison than me (since the old rain was actually WAY worse North of here). Also sad: Rhymes-with-Scrabble did not get a chance to sing "Ode to Billy Joe." I miss it. I'd download it on iTunes, but I miss it Rhymes-with-Scrabble style.

But what about the fun of which I speak? One highlight of the evening: the robotronics of Prof. Craig, who may or may not have been almost giving a semi-pre-job-talk talk the day after karaoke-ing. What? I don't know. But if you missed his robot-ing/poppin' and lockin', you missed out!

Also awesomely awesome: Greg sang Ghostbusters! It was really, really great. Seriously. Ray Parker, Jr., would have been proud! (How many commas did I need there, really?)

The new first years made us proud and promise a sparkling Sconnie Sociology karaoke future.

Jeff, as always, was stellar. Does he really not know how awesomely awesome he is? He is totally magnetic on stage. Believe it, already! Jeesh! I mean, people have paid attention to my Shaki before, but not like on Monday night. It was all you.

There was back to back Bon Jovi. And Dorotha and I got to relive our fist-pumping days of yesteryear. My throat is still paying for that one.

Ummm...what else?

People bought me drinks and songs.

Jessie J was very sparkly in outfit and performance.

Jenna found her dress that she had lost.

Connie's boobs were mesmerizing. As were Rhymes-with-Scrabble's of course!

I translated "negar" as "to negate" (when...jeesh, what was his name? was singing. We talked...his wife lives in Tejas...I can't remember). Close when you're translating on the fly. But Jeff made fun of me anyway.

We finally did Milkshake. Thank God, Tiffany was there to help with that!

See, I can't do it justice! Help me out!

Friday, October 14, 2005

I hate flying

Actually, I dislike most forms of transportation that aren't walking. (In fact, I have been quite afraid of car travel lately. I don't trust anyone on the road. I am turning into my mother, who believes that only she knows how to drive well. But her driving scares me most of all.) But I am freaked about flying in a way that's just really not proportional to the danger. (Oh Lord, I just wrote "proportional." I've been a little anti-sociology (anti-school?) lately so it's weird to see it come out of me.) Or that's what people keep trying to tell me. But in addition to a fear of falling out of the sky to a fiery death, I also cannot stand the waiting, the boredom, the plane-stink, the cramped-ness, the gross blue water in the toilets, the weird interactions I have with people sitting next to me, etc. My flight this morning was already cancelled so I have a 12 hour delay or sorts. At least they told me last night so I didn't have to get up at 4am to sit in the airport for 12+ hours. Instead, I get to sit here and do work. See, look at all the work I'm doing! Anyway, I'd attribute the early info on the cancellation to the cuteness of Midwest Express. It does feel a little more loving than most airlines. I mean, they give you chocolate chip cookies. Look how much they like us flyers! Anyway, I will try to calm my nerves. Maybe with deep breathing. Maybe with booze. Maybe I should start that a little closer to my flight time (7:55pm) rather than at 9:45 in the morning. Can you take a flask through security these days?

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Them's fightin' words

It sounds like Nina is challenging the sociologists to a karaoke duel. Ummm...she thinks the law students can karaoke better than us?! Whatever! Is my name NOT Careyoke? Are we not beloved by the Kid staff? I would invite them to join us Monday night to school them in the ways of karaoke, but (in addition to the fact that I like to be on stage a lot and don't like to have to wait around too long for my songs to come on) karaoke isn't about competition. It's about love. The love of the performance. The love of the cheese. The love of Rule Two. The love of the booze. The love of the Kid. No one needs to beat anyone's pants off when it comes to karaoke. We can't help it if we're just better than you. We just want to sing! And dance! And act ridiculous(ly)! And wear crazy outfits!

P.S. Thanks, Gwen, for the linking info!

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Sconnie singin'

This is just to announce that karaoke WILL happen Monday night, Oct. 17 at 8:15pm, at the Kid, Madison, WI. I am feeling a little rusty, but I will try not to disappoint.

Any suggestions for a theme? What about: I-hardly-ever-go-out-so-I'm-using-this-as-an-excuse-to-get-dressed-up/make-upped-to-the-max night?

Matt the B, will you be able to be there?

JJ, if you're out there, I could really use a song-list-making session!

Monday, October 10, 2005

Am I regressing or did I just never grow up?

I know I'm almost 30, but sometimes I think that I'm about as mature as an 8 year old. At best. The other day Josh and I were playing Parcheesi. He is rather game-obsessed while I'm sort of anti-game. I don't know if you know the rules of this "Royal Game of India" (that's how it's billed on the box), but you can use two of your pieces to block other players from passing you. Josh did this to me for part of the game (I'd done it to him during our previous game). I, however, didn't just take it for what it was (a game) and sit patiently and wait for him to get bored with blocking me or until he had to move one of his pieces. No, I basically threw a tantrum. He actually got to the point that was going to move one of his pieces to get me to stop tantrum-ing. I realized I was being a spazzy baby and begged him not to and then behaved better for the rest of the game. But it was so embarrassing! I know I'm competitive, but I haven't seemed to have matured beyond the days (around 7 to 8 years of age) when I used to throw down my field hockey stick and cry (or sometimes I'd hit people on the butt with my stick - butt obsession began early, of course) if I lost the ball. And then Josh suggested maybe that's why I don't like games. And I realized, he's right. I prefer to hide this ridiculous, flawed part of my personality from people by avoiding games entirely. But now he knows. And so do you! And thankfully he's stuck with me! And so are you!

Also, today, we went to the Franklin Institute (awesomely awesome museum here in Philly) and after about 4 hours, I got tired and cranky and though I didn't throw a tantrum, I was plenty annoying. Do I think I am going to have kids someday? How will they possibly be able to put up with me? How will I put up with them if they're as annoying as I can be?

Friday, October 07, 2005

Success and reunions

So I think I maybe just made a couple of friends. Or at least the beginnings of making of friends. Weirdly, going to University of Virgina has just served me well. I never really expected that. Maybe in the job market - okay, it helped me with my first job out of college (or at least one prof knew of one job available after college with a UVa alum, etc...). But I never expected to find UVa or UVa-related folk later in life that I might actually enjoy. I planned to avoid every UVa sponsored activity I might ever hear about. But now I discovered there are more like me. Exhibit A: Stephanie. She was not a fan of UVa. Not in the Greek life. Not feeling the whole TJ thing. But she was really cool. I couldn't believe she had gone to UVA and even graduated the same stinking year as me - the year of the commencement with speeches from Christopher Reeve (he had recently had his horse accident and gave a speech that was, uber-sadly, mostly inaudible) one day and the craphole Senator (a primarily craptastic election speech, and, of course, uber-conservative) another. And Katie (though not exactly a UVA-er [or "Wahoo" if you prefer]) knew the whole UVa deal and seemed all sarcasmo about it (like Stephanie and I) and seemed way far beyond it. Perhaps I am rising above those less-than-pleasant college memories. Not that I didn't enjoy college. I found my niche there. Eventually. It just over took two years to find a place where I felt like I belonged, and that's a hefty hunk of college. When I was at UW I kept thinking: This is was college should have been like. Not the sorority haze of UVa. The floral print skirts. The formality of everything. The weird traditionalism. It was actually an act of rebellion NOT to wear a dress to a stinking football game (I remember feeling like a bad-ass in my comfortable jeans and t-shirt). Jeesh! What a weird place! Anyway, tonight was cool. I am happy. I have ever so loose and tentative plans to hang out with these folks (shopping has been bantered about as has "quizzo" - which makes me think of "The [BRITISH!] Office} - again (plus, Josh and I provided the bottle of tequila for tonight's festivities, so maybe at least some alcohol-related guilt will inspire them to repay the favor). I hope I have more to say about all of this later.

But speaking of reunions...we're going to Josh's 5-year college reunion tomorrow. It cracks me up. I about peed my pants when I first heard word of my UVa 5-year. As if! Stephanie (see above) felt similarly. Weirdly, one of my good friends from UVa, Monica, wanted to go. That was about the weirdest of all, b/c she never seemed to buy into the whole UVa thing. She never even went to fraternity parties (which seemed as much part of the curriculum as...I don't know...math?/English?/Thomas Jefferson history?/Katie Couric?). Anyway, it was weird to me that she wanted to go. So I didn't go. And now I'm going to some other college for some other 5-year reunion. A place towards which someone actually has warm feelings and only warm feelings (or mostly warm feelings). A place where someone knew (or at least knew of) just about everyone. So weird. So I look forward to hanging with the Mules and having the song "Allentown" stuck in my head all day. I apologize in advance if it gets on your nerves. Anyway, here's to you, Muhlenberg College, a place that people actually genuinely liked and didn't just feel ambivalent (or mostly ickiness) towards! And here's to the class of, gulp, 2000!

if i was your girlfriend

would u let me dress you?...
i mean let me pick out your clothes before we go out...
would u let me buy u...
cheap earrings and crap from claire's?
would u talk 2 me...
about tv, karaoke, and poop?
would u shop with me...
for purses, shoes, and beauty products?
would u robot with me?
or we could have dance parties at my house...

Wish me luck on my friend-blind-date tonight! My previous attempt at making a girlfriend fizzled out (she never responded to my last email attempt to set up a get together!), so I'm a little nervous. I think I came on too strong last time. I'll try to play it cool tonight. I am sure the margaritas will serve me well...

Monday, October 03, 2005

Shanah tovah!* Happy New Year!

Ok...apparently, I'm really good at starting posts and never finishing them. So, before sundown, I'll get this in quick...

So, it's the start of 5766, and things are already new and different for me. I now belong to a synagogue. In fact, I'm a card-carrying member of a synagogue. Society Hill Synagogue. Sounds fancy, huh? Well, Joshie and I wanted to go to services for the High Holidays and, as I have come to learn, there isn't the same deal for High Holiday-goers as there is for Chreasters (Christmas+Easter Church goers) - my parents' church doubles the number of masses and will even do two masses at once (one in the church, on in the hall) if the # of folks warrants it). Nope, you gotta get a ticket for the High Holidays. For the most part. Since I was in Madison last year, I could just go to Hillel. Cushy student life. But now we are "adults." Sort of. So we found a synagogue that seemed cool (and doesn't mind the interfaith thing) and now we belong. And they had quite a deal for folks under 30. A seriously amazing deal. I don't think I'll be able to afford anywhere once I'm over 30 though!

Anyway, we are now waiting for our sort of sephardic sweet potato and squash bake to cook while jamming to songs for Shabbat and some other music in Hebrew...Josh is explaining that the other singer is Nesh...something I can't spell and now we're distracted and...

It's now two days later, and we went to services and I'm in love with our synagogue. I want to go every day! Sort of. Today's services were special "multigenerational" services, meaning that kids were more involved - rather than having their own special kid services downstairs. This led to awesomely awesomeness. Kids were reading. Kids were playing instruments. Kids were singing. And, my favorite, at the end of services during the...I don't know what the song is called yet, but some day I'll know for sure...anyway, some kid beat boxed while the rabbi, cantor, and whole congregation sang along. He was awesomely awesome! It was rockin'! And, he ended it with a "Yeah boyeeeee!" Ok. I'll forgive him for that since the rest was so awesomely awesome. And since he blew the shofar (ram's horn). That's got to be hard. We can't go to services on Friday of this week b/c we may actually be making some friends, thanks to a UVa pal who knows some other new folk in Philly. (We have dinner plans at a byot (t=tequila). I'm nervous. I hope they like me/us!) But no worries: next week it's Yom Kippur and fasting!

P.S. The sweet potato and squash thing was good, but Josh's mom's apple cake was better! Yum.

P.P.S. I've now decided that while being a rabbi might not being my calling, some sort of other Jewish service-type job may very well be. But, yes, I know. There's that whole I'm-not-a-Jew thing. We'll see about remedying that...


*I had to doublecheck "Every Person's Guide to Judaism" for that one b/c Josh is, er, otherwise occupied. With Logic Art. Ask Dorotha. She hearts Logic Art.