Again, I want to emphasize that we're not ready to plan a wedding... This is more of a betrothal than engagement. Nevertheless:
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Halloween in PA
Over Halloween, this little town comes alive as "Scaryopolis." It's corny, but seems nice for the families and kids. On halloween evening, the community has a costume contest for all of the area kids. They break into groups by age and parade around the circle in the center. The judges pull the best costumes out of the crowd and the winners get some sort of sugary prize. Chris and I could see the whole show from our porch!
I got terrible pictures, but you get the idea:
\
I got terrible pictures, but you get the idea:
There were a couple of really cute outfits, including a beagle in a lobster costume and my favorite: a bunch of grapes (think green tights and a green hat with purple balloons from neck to knees!). There were also a few who's parents seemed to have too much time on their hands. Take for example, the Raggedy Anne in a Toybox and her brother, Wall-E:
\Both of these were winners, but neither could manage to carry their costumes more than one pass around the circle. Was the candy worth it? We'll probably never know!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Gettin' Fit
As I said in the previous post:
Chris and I joined (and signed our life away for a year) to a new gym. So far, we go about 3 times a week. Chris lifts heavy things while I work on what he calls the "girly" machines. Sometimes we do some cardio (or rather, sometimes I do some cardio and Chris tries for about 5 minutes before giving up. All that smoking!) It's expensive, but also really fancy. They have a lap pool, exercise pool and jacuzzi pool. They have tons of treadmills, ellipticals, steppers, bikes etc. The classes are free (although I haven't made it to any yet) and they have "towel service." What this primarily means is that they have a ton of towels everywhere to suck up the sweat... or the pool water... and you don't have to carry/wash your own. Pretty cool stuff. You can check out the pretty pictures here: http://www.mvhealthplex.com/facility/facility.htm
Ok, so I can't figure out how to link the damn thing.. gogo copy paste!
Chris and I joined (and signed our life away for a year) to a new gym. So far, we go about 3 times a week. Chris lifts heavy things while I work on what he calls the "girly" machines. Sometimes we do some cardio (or rather, sometimes I do some cardio and Chris tries for about 5 minutes before giving up. All that smoking!) It's expensive, but also really fancy. They have a lap pool, exercise pool and jacuzzi pool. They have tons of treadmills, ellipticals, steppers, bikes etc. The classes are free (although I haven't made it to any yet) and they have "towel service." What this primarily means is that they have a ton of towels everywhere to suck up the sweat... or the pool water... and you don't have to carry/wash your own. Pretty cool stuff. You can check out the pretty pictures here: http://www.mvhealthplex.com/facility/facility.htm
Ok, so I can't figure out how to link the damn thing.. gogo copy paste!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Bye Bye Love...
Sad news folks... the Dairy Queen down the street is closing for the season (winter). This is serious since it was one of maybe 4 places to get food within 10 mins of here.
In related news, Chris and I joined a very swanky (and pretty expensive) gym. They have a crazy system where you punch in a code at every machine and some computer keeps track of your workout (it also keeps track of your reps and whether or not you're doing them right). Big brother though it may seem, I'm hoping that the combination of far less access to ice cream and serious guilt about the monthly dues will whip me into shape!
We'll see...
In related news, Chris and I joined a very swanky (and pretty expensive) gym. They have a crazy system where you punch in a code at every machine and some computer keeps track of your workout (it also keeps track of your reps and whether or not you're doing them right). Big brother though it may seem, I'm hoping that the combination of far less access to ice cream and serious guilt about the monthly dues will whip me into shape!
We'll see...
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Small town / Big town Life
I've come to the conclusion that living in this small, rural town (pop. 1712...township pop. 2786) is not all that different from living in a big city.
For example:
1. We have absolutely no yard, which means we have to walk the dog along the street and hope he poops in the devil's strip.
2. We have no parking, we parallel park on the street (only a problem when the Senior Center is hopping).
3. We walk to the post office, the drug store, the bakery, the bank, the park. We could walk to the bar, the dentist, the doctor, the chiropractor, and the funeral home if we wanted.
4. We live across the street from a "Jewelry Store" where you can hock your gold.
5. There is a second store that will buy your gold on the adjacent street.
6. We hear sirens at all times of the day (the volunteer firefighters are signaled by what I would call a tornado siren. It doesn't usually go off more than once a day, but it does go off in the middle of the night, frequently).
7. We have a gang of pre-teen skateboard/bike riding hooligans making a ruckus every afternoon.
8. They're debating putting a methadone clinic in town (no joke!).
Of course, the biggest difference is that we have no choices available to us in-town. There is ONE bakery, bank, pizza shop, chinese take-out. Basically, you take what you get, or you drive 10 minutes to get something else.
Oh, and there's this:
Also, I hope to do a better job updating!!
For example:
1. We have absolutely no yard, which means we have to walk the dog along the street and hope he poops in the devil's strip.
2. We have no parking, we parallel park on the street (only a problem when the Senior Center is hopping).
3. We walk to the post office, the drug store, the bakery, the bank, the park. We could walk to the bar, the dentist, the doctor, the chiropractor, and the funeral home if we wanted.
4. We live across the street from a "Jewelry Store" where you can hock your gold.
5. There is a second store that will buy your gold on the adjacent street.
6. We hear sirens at all times of the day (the volunteer firefighters are signaled by what I would call a tornado siren. It doesn't usually go off more than once a day, but it does go off in the middle of the night, frequently).
7. We have a gang of pre-teen skateboard/bike riding hooligans making a ruckus every afternoon.
8. They're debating putting a methadone clinic in town (no joke!).
Of course, the biggest difference is that we have no choices available to us in-town. There is ONE bakery, bank, pizza shop, chinese take-out. Basically, you take what you get, or you drive 10 minutes to get something else.
Oh, and there's this:
Also, I hope to do a better job updating!!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
We Moved!!
Here are some picks of the new place!!
This is our new fun 50's diner style kitchen. It's green, very green, but cute nonetheless.
However, the floors are... ummm... gross. Here you can see a spot we stripped. Chris is in the process of doing the whole floor, but it's time consuming and very hard work. The results have been quite good!
This is the very cute ceiling in the kitchen. It's tiled (ceramic? glass? something):
And our fun eat-in kitchen booth. Some of the vinyl is torn, but I love it anyway.
This is a giant pile of books for my office and home that are still unpacked. Occupational hazard, I suppose.
Here's the view of "town" from our porch.
And the porch:
The living room, with faux-fireplace, window seats and lovely hand-me-down furniture!
The living room is so big, we also keep both computers on one side!
And the bathroom.
We also have an additional room (where the books currently are) and, of course a bedroom (Chris was sleeping when I took the pics). There are some great things about this place (like the cedar lined closets) but there are some things that are less than nice (like the kitchen floor). Overall, we're pretty happy here so far!
This is our new fun 50's diner style kitchen. It's green, very green, but cute nonetheless.
However, the floors are... ummm... gross. Here you can see a spot we stripped. Chris is in the process of doing the whole floor, but it's time consuming and very hard work. The results have been quite good!
This is the very cute ceiling in the kitchen. It's tiled (ceramic? glass? something):
And our fun eat-in kitchen booth. Some of the vinyl is torn, but I love it anyway.
This is a giant pile of books for my office and home that are still unpacked. Occupational hazard, I suppose.
Here's the view of "town" from our porch.
And the porch:
The living room, with faux-fireplace, window seats and lovely hand-me-down furniture!
The living room is so big, we also keep both computers on one side!
And the bathroom.
We also have an additional room (where the books currently are) and, of course a bedroom (Chris was sleeping when I took the pics). There are some great things about this place (like the cedar lined closets) but there are some things that are less than nice (like the kitchen floor). Overall, we're pretty happy here so far!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Apartment Hunt
So, last weekend I took sister #3 to PA to find a new place for Chris and I. We had a blast, mostly at the expense of the awful places people were trying to rent. In all we saw 8 places: 4 of them absolutely unlivable, 2 that might have been ok if I were 18 and just moving out on my own, 1 that was too big, but nice enough and 1 that was nearly perfect. We came back without a place but with many pics to share with my friends. Here are a few gems:
The first place we stopped was above an old woman's garage. She insisted we pay all of July rent although we weren't moving until August. Oh, and yes, that's astro turf on the "porch."
At one point, we saw a 2 bedroom on the third floor of an old farm house. After a winding trip up the stairs, we found this:
When I asked if someone was living here, the landlord said no. Then I asked if it was rented furnished and he said no. So... I guess the 80's style unicorn decor was just for show! This place also had a bathroom in which the tub stuck out about 3 inches into the doorway and a "closet" that was really just a hole they had cut in the drywall where they had hung a bar.
My guess is that someone had been arrested, died, or fled the country leaving behind all their junk (including a dresser with a broken front and underpants in the drawer!):
We also saw another apartment managed by the same man. When you see this picture, you must imagine the overpowering stench of cat pee. It was so strong that when we got back in the car, Rach and I were certain it was stuck on our clothes and in our hair. Bonus: this place was directly across the street from a place that was literally falling down... police tape and all:
Then we saw a place where a woman was to be evicted. I learned alot about PA eviction laws that day. The hallway was full of fruit flies (not a good sign) and there were terrible stains on the carpeting. Inside every single door in the place had been punched through (probably a very bad sign for the last tenant) and there was a waterheater that may or may not have also been a dead body; you decide!
Oh and this place also had a ton of mold on the kitchen floor:
We saw a large house with both a 3 bedroom and a 2 bedroom. The two bedroom had been "decorated" in some interesting ways. If it hadn't been for the flowers (and the later drama) I might have considered living here. But, really, anyone who knows me knows I would go mad in a house with this bathroom:
Funny thing was that, with all those flowers, the tub was still nasty!
We might have taken the three bedroom. It was actually pretty nice, but the guy rented it out from under us in about 3 hours flat. And he rented out the garage space that was supposed to go with the 2 bedroom, so we declined that flowery hell.
And then... finally.... a place to call home.
We got terrible lost on the way there and were nearly late to see the place, but when we finally got there it was perfect:
BUT... the landlord is no longer sure the woman who is living there now will really be moving. So I'm waiting on pins and needles for him to call and let us know if it's available. If not... it's back to square one. SIGH!
Oh, I forgot to mention that, on the way to the eviction place with the body/waterheater, we saw a maxi pad suck to a stop sign. It was red...maybe used or at least made up to look used. No joke.
Ahh..PA.
The first place we stopped was above an old woman's garage. She insisted we pay all of July rent although we weren't moving until August. Oh, and yes, that's astro turf on the "porch."
At one point, we saw a 2 bedroom on the third floor of an old farm house. After a winding trip up the stairs, we found this:
When I asked if someone was living here, the landlord said no. Then I asked if it was rented furnished and he said no. So... I guess the 80's style unicorn decor was just for show! This place also had a bathroom in which the tub stuck out about 3 inches into the doorway and a "closet" that was really just a hole they had cut in the drywall where they had hung a bar.
My guess is that someone had been arrested, died, or fled the country leaving behind all their junk (including a dresser with a broken front and underpants in the drawer!):
We also saw another apartment managed by the same man. When you see this picture, you must imagine the overpowering stench of cat pee. It was so strong that when we got back in the car, Rach and I were certain it was stuck on our clothes and in our hair. Bonus: this place was directly across the street from a place that was literally falling down... police tape and all:
Then we saw a place where a woman was to be evicted. I learned alot about PA eviction laws that day. The hallway was full of fruit flies (not a good sign) and there were terrible stains on the carpeting. Inside every single door in the place had been punched through (probably a very bad sign for the last tenant) and there was a waterheater that may or may not have also been a dead body; you decide!
Oh and this place also had a ton of mold on the kitchen floor:
We saw a large house with both a 3 bedroom and a 2 bedroom. The two bedroom had been "decorated" in some interesting ways. If it hadn't been for the flowers (and the later drama) I might have considered living here. But, really, anyone who knows me knows I would go mad in a house with this bathroom:
Funny thing was that, with all those flowers, the tub was still nasty!
We might have taken the three bedroom. It was actually pretty nice, but the guy rented it out from under us in about 3 hours flat. And he rented out the garage space that was supposed to go with the 2 bedroom, so we declined that flowery hell.
And then... finally.... a place to call home.
We got terrible lost on the way there and were nearly late to see the place, but when we finally got there it was perfect:
BUT... the landlord is no longer sure the woman who is living there now will really be moving. So I'm waiting on pins and needles for him to call and let us know if it's available. If not... it's back to square one. SIGH!
Oh, I forgot to mention that, on the way to the eviction place with the body/waterheater, we saw a maxi pad suck to a stop sign. It was red...maybe used or at least made up to look used. No joke.
Ahh..PA.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Very Exciting News
Most of you have already heard this, but Chris and I will be moving back to PA in July so I can start my new, tenure-track job! It's a regional campus of Penn State about an hour south of Pittsburgh. It's hilly and beautiful, if a bit more rural than I'm used to. The campus is small, offering small class sizes and a close knit community, but I'll have access to all the research and goodies from the main campus (big plus for me!). I'll have a nice office, new laptop, and some research funds available.
Here's hoping Chris likes walking up and down the hills of Appalachia!
Here's hoping Chris likes walking up and down the hills of Appalachia!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
More Scrumptiousness!
MMMMMM.....
Homemade apple pie!!!
Chris had some extra pie crust and apples, so we made a tart... it was so good!!
Totally looking forward to having this later to celebrate!
Homemade apple pie!!!
Chris had some extra pie crust and apples, so we made a tart... it was so good!!
Totally looking forward to having this later to celebrate!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Chris Also Bakes
This week's offerings:
Homemade, all from scratch!:
Cinnamon Rolls: "My side" of these was pretty good. I requested extra brown sugar. Chris' side was bland...he's a less is more kinda guy, which is clearly the wrong approach when you're talking about brown sugar!
Pepperoni Rolls: Overall, pretty scrumptious... but we were nearly out of pepperoni and the pizza sauce I bought was kinda... eh.
Lemon Meringue Pie: This, apparently, took Chris 2.5 hours to make. He had one slice and decided he didn't like Lemon Pie. Also, somehow managed to both undercook and overcook the meringue resulting in a liquid mess between it and the custard and an overly rubbery top. Nevertheless, I've had like 4 pieces!
I guess having the boy at home all the time has some perks :)
Homemade, all from scratch!:
Cinnamon Rolls: "My side" of these was pretty good. I requested extra brown sugar. Chris' side was bland...he's a less is more kinda guy, which is clearly the wrong approach when you're talking about brown sugar!
Pepperoni Rolls: Overall, pretty scrumptious... but we were nearly out of pepperoni and the pizza sauce I bought was kinda... eh.
Lemon Meringue Pie: This, apparently, took Chris 2.5 hours to make. He had one slice and decided he didn't like Lemon Pie. Also, somehow managed to both undercook and overcook the meringue resulting in a liquid mess between it and the custard and an overly rubbery top. Nevertheless, I've had like 4 pieces!
I guess having the boy at home all the time has some perks :)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
It's not easy being green!
Yesterday was a beautiful day in the morning. It was sunny and warm and wonderful. But we got a series of pretty serious storms and downpours from afternoon into the evening. By the night, everything was a warm, muggy mess and apparently everyone was trying to escape. Chris and I had the 2ond floor window open to let out some of the humidity. When I went to shut it to go to bed at around midnight, what did I see but a small frog (Chris says its a toad, but I've always thought of toads as bulbous, ugly things, and frogs as more spry, so I say its a frog) clinging to our window screen. I imagine he was trying to warm up from the radiant heat escaping our window. Nevertheless, you have to wonder how he got up to our 2ond story window.
Sorry for the blurry phone pic! In other news, I suppose the story of how Chris got hit by a frog falling from the sky one night now seems far more plausible.
Sorry for the blurry phone pic! In other news, I suppose the story of how Chris got hit by a frog falling from the sky one night now seems far more plausible.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Deep Fried Heaven
Ok, so I've been lazy and haven't updated in awhile. Let's chalk it up to a grease-induced coma. Chris, having recently discovered a rather annoying food allergy and also having a serious fast-food addiction, decided to purchase a deep fryer to fulfill all his fast-food cravings. So, we've been frying things.. lots of things:
Fish: Tilapia and Perch. The Tilapia was good, the Perch we threw away immediately.
Chicken: Legs and Thighs (at least 3xs), Plain Wings (x2), Hot Wings
Potatoes: Chips, Fries, Jojos (x3)
Zucchini and Yellow Squash (x3... this is really where this all began, frying in a pan)
Onion Rings (x2)
Home-made corn dogs
Sweet potatoes
Loukoumathes (Greek donuts with honey and walnuts)
Update: More chicken and jojos today!
All yummy things.. all yeast, mold, and mushroom free.
Other recent news about which I promise to post more updates soon:
Buddy got in a dog fight on Easter, he's totally fine and healed very quickly.
My youngest sis got a full time job at her 1st choice hospital!!
I am on a faculty committee.. and boy is it fun (sarcasm.. lots of sarcasm)
I may or may not be staying in Michigan next year (should know more in 2 weeks or so)
It snowed here a few weeks ago.. in April...snow!
Umm... thats all for now, folks!
Fish: Tilapia and Perch. The Tilapia was good, the Perch we threw away immediately.
Chicken: Legs and Thighs (at least 3xs), Plain Wings (x2), Hot Wings
Potatoes: Chips, Fries, Jojos (x3)
Zucchini and Yellow Squash (x3... this is really where this all began, frying in a pan)
Onion Rings (x2)
Home-made corn dogs
Sweet potatoes
Loukoumathes (Greek donuts with honey and walnuts)
Update: More chicken and jojos today!
All yummy things.. all yeast, mold, and mushroom free.
Other recent news about which I promise to post more updates soon:
Buddy got in a dog fight on Easter, he's totally fine and healed very quickly.
My youngest sis got a full time job at her 1st choice hospital!!
I am on a faculty committee.. and boy is it fun (sarcasm.. lots of sarcasm)
I may or may not be staying in Michigan next year (should know more in 2 weeks or so)
It snowed here a few weeks ago.. in April...snow!
Umm... thats all for now, folks!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Buddy is shorn!
Buddy, our long haired sheepdog/collie mix got a hair cut. It took Chris about 5 hours with some breaks to take off ALL his hair (except, of course the head and tail). Chris assures me it will grow back, but for now, I feel very embarrassed for our dog. You just know all the other dogs are wondering what the heck he did to deserve this! He's still sweet as can be though!
Here's a before from a few years ago:
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And after:
Here's a before from a few years ago:
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And after:
Friday, February 27, 2009
Lent
I'm giving up chocolate for Lent. That's right boys and girls, I've been chocolate free for three whole days, and so far I'm not homicidal. This is pretty significant since I generally have at least something chocolate-y almost everyday. To be honest, giving up chocolate has very little to do with my religious beliefs and more to do with the fact that I've been jogging a ton lately and am pretty sure I'm wasting all of my burned calories on the sheer amount of chocolate I consume. In fact, the last thing I can remember giving up for Lent was a few years ago and was pretty blasphemous (also, I'm pretty sure I caved on that one anyway). But 40 days seems like a doable time period... although I imagine being home in Vicky's house for a week will derail my fast in a number of ways.
It's going well so far, but I'm worried. I am well aware that many scientists have found that chocolate makes you happy, gives you some feelings of euphoria and even love. Chocolate has caffeine (I've been drinking more coffee the last few days) and probably has more than a little stabilizing effect on my mood. I'm wondering how long it will take before I find myself sobbing in an angry fight with Chris over a dream I had that he did something awful (this has happened before, despite how ridiculous it sounds).
Speaking of blasphemy and Lent, I also used the "no meat on Friday" rule to justify a rather decadent shrimp scampi meal today (despite eating both sausage and meatballs on Ash Wednesday). I'm pretty sure the rule is designed to force you to fast, not give you an excuse to eat rich, wonderful foods outside of your current food budget.
In short, I've returned to the Lenten tradition, but only insofar as it serves my own purposes, and for that... I imagine I'd better save some money for a few extra indulgences :)
A final plea: Friends and family... should you notice a sever downturn in my mental/physical/psychological health... please send Hershey's!
It's going well so far, but I'm worried. I am well aware that many scientists have found that chocolate makes you happy, gives you some feelings of euphoria and even love. Chocolate has caffeine (I've been drinking more coffee the last few days) and probably has more than a little stabilizing effect on my mood. I'm wondering how long it will take before I find myself sobbing in an angry fight with Chris over a dream I had that he did something awful (this has happened before, despite how ridiculous it sounds).
Speaking of blasphemy and Lent, I also used the "no meat on Friday" rule to justify a rather decadent shrimp scampi meal today (despite eating both sausage and meatballs on Ash Wednesday). I'm pretty sure the rule is designed to force you to fast, not give you an excuse to eat rich, wonderful foods outside of your current food budget.
In short, I've returned to the Lenten tradition, but only insofar as it serves my own purposes, and for that... I imagine I'd better save some money for a few extra indulgences :)
A final plea: Friends and family... should you notice a sever downturn in my mental/physical/psychological health... please send Hershey's!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
More Maddy
Pics from my trip home to meet my new niece!
Amanda looks good for only being home a day or so. Maddy's great, but seems to sleep all day and stay up all night. She makes faces when you wake her during the day!
Clearly daddy knows who's important in the pictures from now on!
Not quite Jimmy's pirate face, but close!
Beautiful eyes! and such a pretty face! But why is it that this picture always makes me think of the Doozers from Fraggle Rock? Go ahead.. google them.. you'll see.
I think Maddy might have her first nickname!
Amanda looks good for only being home a day or so. Maddy's great, but seems to sleep all day and stay up all night. She makes faces when you wake her during the day!
Clearly daddy knows who's important in the pictures from now on!
Not quite Jimmy's pirate face, but close!
Beautiful eyes! and such a pretty face! But why is it that this picture always makes me think of the Doozers from Fraggle Rock? Go ahead.. google them.. you'll see.
I think Maddy might have her first nickname!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Welcome Madelynn Elizabeth
Born Feb 10 at around 1:30 pm
8lbs 10z 20in
Mom (Amanda) and baby are doing fine. I'm headed home this weekend and should have a ton more pics next week!
8lbs 10z 20in
Mom (Amanda) and baby are doing fine. I'm headed home this weekend and should have a ton more pics next week!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Liquidation Sale
So they had been advertising an amazing liquidation sale here in Lansing for about two weeks and while I didn't really have the money to spend, I was drawn in by the promise of a super bargain. The ad suggested I might find digital cameras for $20 and perhaps even a laptop for $150 (more on those items later). While, looking back, I am surprised by my general gullibility and response to public advertising, I was also a bit stressed out and also lonely yesterday, so I decided to give a new experience a try.
I drove to downtown which, may I say, I was pleasantly surprised to find rather clean and cute. There are tons of unique little shops and eateries, just like a big city. If I were a city girl, the trip might have been worth it to simply erase what I had imagined as downtown Lansing. In truth, I was expecting something like downtown Y-town and was pleasantly surprised to find something much more like the good parts of downtown Akron.
Parking at the site was 5 bucks and parking in the garage was 1.00 an hour, so I opted to park on the street and walk the four blocks or so. Also, it was a nice day and I was happy to feel the breeze as I walked. But then, I got to the sale :(
I waited in line to get into the ballroom, but then realized I had to walk down to the other side of the center to first purchase my entry ticket. So I did and waited in line again. I took about three steps into the "sale" before realizing there was nothing in the room I wanted, the room was much smaller than I imagined, and that I had just wasted my 6 dollar entry fee.
The room was full of the most gaudy awful stuff you can imagine. Amid the knock-off sunglasses and giant stall of car decals, you could also find tons of gold-plate jewelry, rings of CZ and lab created gems, pleather coats, and a "Shammy" presentation (like the Sham-wow, but a sham shall we say). I even saw a stall of those awful art pieces from the late 80's that are usually a waterfall or something, but that have some sort of light display behind that makes the water appear to move.
I did find the $20 digital camera. It was a 3.2 megapixel piece of junk without even a full screen. The $150 laptop had a nice sign on it that said "Bare Bones, No O.S, No Mem. So, basically, it was a case with a dvd player (I think) and a motherboard. There were a few Dell laptops and the like, but those were closer to 350 or 450 and not really a bargain. I will say that there appeared to be some good musical stuff in the back. I saw a number of people walking out with assorted speakers and amps and the like, but I have no way of knowing if those were also junk. To be fair, I also saw some 300-600 per cal sheets sets for pretty cheap and some kids toys (made with lead paint in china, I'm sure) that might not have been as junky as the electronics and jewelry.
Speaking of the people. This was a crushing crowd of the worst of Michigan humanity. I cannot tell you how many greasy-haired, nearly-mulleted young mothers I saw in their walmart brand rock and roll tees (all at least 2 sizes too small) towing a small gaggle of similarly greasy children with them pushing their way to the gold-plated CZ ring table (apparently afraid that someone might get snatch up that treasure before they had the chance). Side note: I've never had alot of money and have often had very little, but I don't understand why that means a lack of personal hygiene for so many people. Anyway, I was also struck by the vapid expressions on nearly everyone's face. Perhaps, like me, they had all just realized what a waste their entrance fee really was, but I think its more likely that they had all fallen into some sort of trance brought on by the overwhelming piles of commercialized junk in the room. The men were particularly devoid of any spark of life.
I was also struck by the size of nearly everyone in the room. You hear about the obesity problem in America and you hear how the lower income bracket is suffering the worst, but until you're packed into a room with people at seriously unhealthy weights, I don't think the severity of the problem really sets in. Aside from a few rail-thin folks (who seemed like they might be going without food to pay for other luxuries) and a few teenagers, I was very nearly the smallest woman in the room (and I am not a small person). Maybe I've been hanging out with my new American Studies friends too much, but the insane need for Americans to consume everything they come in contact with was shocking and more than a little sobering.
In short, this was an awful environment and I had to get out as quickly as I could. So after a quick pass through, taking maybe 10 minutes, I left feeling like I had just been duped in a big way. This was not a liquidation of actual merchandise, but instead a sale of knock-offs and crap most people wouldn't take home with them for free, except that people will buy anything if you tell them it's on sale.
Silver lining: I went alone and didn't end up paying the entry fee for both Chris and I. Also, learned a little something about marketing, consumerism, and downtown Lansing.
I also got a free ticket to go back today...
I drove to downtown which, may I say, I was pleasantly surprised to find rather clean and cute. There are tons of unique little shops and eateries, just like a big city. If I were a city girl, the trip might have been worth it to simply erase what I had imagined as downtown Lansing. In truth, I was expecting something like downtown Y-town and was pleasantly surprised to find something much more like the good parts of downtown Akron.
Parking at the site was 5 bucks and parking in the garage was 1.00 an hour, so I opted to park on the street and walk the four blocks or so. Also, it was a nice day and I was happy to feel the breeze as I walked. But then, I got to the sale :(
I waited in line to get into the ballroom, but then realized I had to walk down to the other side of the center to first purchase my entry ticket. So I did and waited in line again. I took about three steps into the "sale" before realizing there was nothing in the room I wanted, the room was much smaller than I imagined, and that I had just wasted my 6 dollar entry fee.
The room was full of the most gaudy awful stuff you can imagine. Amid the knock-off sunglasses and giant stall of car decals, you could also find tons of gold-plate jewelry, rings of CZ and lab created gems, pleather coats, and a "Shammy" presentation (like the Sham-wow, but a sham shall we say). I even saw a stall of those awful art pieces from the late 80's that are usually a waterfall or something, but that have some sort of light display behind that makes the water appear to move.
I did find the $20 digital camera. It was a 3.2 megapixel piece of junk without even a full screen. The $150 laptop had a nice sign on it that said "Bare Bones, No O.S, No Mem. So, basically, it was a case with a dvd player (I think) and a motherboard. There were a few Dell laptops and the like, but those were closer to 350 or 450 and not really a bargain. I will say that there appeared to be some good musical stuff in the back. I saw a number of people walking out with assorted speakers and amps and the like, but I have no way of knowing if those were also junk. To be fair, I also saw some 300-600 per cal sheets sets for pretty cheap and some kids toys (made with lead paint in china, I'm sure) that might not have been as junky as the electronics and jewelry.
Speaking of the people. This was a crushing crowd of the worst of Michigan humanity. I cannot tell you how many greasy-haired, nearly-mulleted young mothers I saw in their walmart brand rock and roll tees (all at least 2 sizes too small) towing a small gaggle of similarly greasy children with them pushing their way to the gold-plated CZ ring table (apparently afraid that someone might get snatch up that treasure before they had the chance). Side note: I've never had alot of money and have often had very little, but I don't understand why that means a lack of personal hygiene for so many people. Anyway, I was also struck by the vapid expressions on nearly everyone's face. Perhaps, like me, they had all just realized what a waste their entrance fee really was, but I think its more likely that they had all fallen into some sort of trance brought on by the overwhelming piles of commercialized junk in the room. The men were particularly devoid of any spark of life.
I was also struck by the size of nearly everyone in the room. You hear about the obesity problem in America and you hear how the lower income bracket is suffering the worst, but until you're packed into a room with people at seriously unhealthy weights, I don't think the severity of the problem really sets in. Aside from a few rail-thin folks (who seemed like they might be going without food to pay for other luxuries) and a few teenagers, I was very nearly the smallest woman in the room (and I am not a small person). Maybe I've been hanging out with my new American Studies friends too much, but the insane need for Americans to consume everything they come in contact with was shocking and more than a little sobering.
In short, this was an awful environment and I had to get out as quickly as I could. So after a quick pass through, taking maybe 10 minutes, I left feeling like I had just been duped in a big way. This was not a liquidation of actual merchandise, but instead a sale of knock-offs and crap most people wouldn't take home with them for free, except that people will buy anything if you tell them it's on sale.
Silver lining: I went alone and didn't end up paying the entry fee for both Chris and I. Also, learned a little something about marketing, consumerism, and downtown Lansing.
I also got a free ticket to go back today...
Monday, February 2, 2009
No news
Just letting the world know that I haven't forgotten about it. Nothing new has happened here in weeks and I can't really think of anything funny to share either. I'm teaching, its going well. My classes are much more engaged this semester (but I'm not teaching at 8am, so that's to be expected).
I've had some social excursions. I spent the last two Fridays at my British friend's house (she's taken to calling her spare room "Lindsey's Friday Night Futon.") Once I stayed b/c I had had far too much wine and once I stayed b/c it was 3 am and I was just sleepy. Also, its cold outside and I figured I didn't really have anything to get home to. Anyway, she's a blast (and her friends are something else as well).
I also broke down and hung some pictures on the walls. It looks like I'll be in Michigan another year, so I figured it was time to do some settling in. That took the better part of Sat. night and Sunday morning since I, of course, had to go through all of the pictures I own to decided which to hang. But seriously... who wants to read about my daily activities?
Oh, I did have a very strange dream that Sam Ronson (L. Lohan's gfriend)broke into my apartment to do some coke... not sure what that was all about.
Here's hoping something fun/interesting will happen soon!
I've had some social excursions. I spent the last two Fridays at my British friend's house (she's taken to calling her spare room "Lindsey's Friday Night Futon.") Once I stayed b/c I had had far too much wine and once I stayed b/c it was 3 am and I was just sleepy. Also, its cold outside and I figured I didn't really have anything to get home to. Anyway, she's a blast (and her friends are something else as well).
I also broke down and hung some pictures on the walls. It looks like I'll be in Michigan another year, so I figured it was time to do some settling in. That took the better part of Sat. night and Sunday morning since I, of course, had to go through all of the pictures I own to decided which to hang. But seriously... who wants to read about my daily activities?
Oh, I did have a very strange dream that Sam Ronson (L. Lohan's gfriend)broke into my apartment to do some coke... not sure what that was all about.
Here's hoping something fun/interesting will happen soon!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Instructions for People with PhDs
After being hounded for months by a group to complete a survey about my PhD, I finally gave in. Here are some jewels from their online survey form instruction page. Please keep in mind... the ONLY people filling out this questionnaire HAVE their doctorate degrees. Enjoy:
My favorite is the helpful hint that, "in order to print, the computer must be hooked up to a printer." Seriously, if these people can't figure out how to use navigation buttons, or to fill in bubble sheets, they have no right to hold the PhD. Conversely, I wonder if the survey people know how ridiculous and condescending these instructions seem!
My favorite is the helpful hint that, "in order to print, the computer must be hooked up to a printer." Seriously, if these people can't figure out how to use navigation buttons, or to fill in bubble sheets, they have no right to hold the PhD. Conversely, I wonder if the survey people know how ridiculous and condescending these instructions seem!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New Academic Experience
This is officially the first time in the...what 24 years... I've been in school that I'm totally bummed about having a day off. I'm teaching Monday and Wednesday and we're off next Monday for MLK Jr. day, which means I have an entire week with (basically) nothing to do. I'm bored, and lonely, and seriously contemplating a complete bathroom scrubbing to pass the time. I'm supposed to grab drinks tomorrow night, and I'm hoping for an invite to an inauguration party of some sort on Tuesday, but otherwise, my week is open. I suppose I could also start working up another article to send out, but I imagine that instead I'll spend untold hours re-watching episodes of Top Chef and Las Vegas (it's on at lunch time and I'm totally hooked on the re-runs). I'm a sad sad boring girl!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Rejection Fun
I've returned to MI after the holiday break and finally collected the month's worth of mail that had piled up at the post office. Given the timing, it was no surprise to find a number of rejection letters in the pile (I applied for more than 40 jobs and hope for 1...there's gonna be alot of rejection in my future). Most of these letters follow a similar format:
Dear candidate,
Thank you for your interest in our position. Unfortunately, we didn't pick you. Many also include some "it's not you, it's me" statement designed to soften the blow.
One of the many letters, however, stood out from the rest. A school in Georgia had this to say:
"It is one of my saddest duties as a department chair to inform worthy people who would make sterling colleagues that they are no longer in consideration for a job in our department. As one who has opened his share of rejection letters, I want you to know that our decision to take our search in other directions should not be considered a rejection of you or a negative comment on your qualifications...Thank you blahblahblah...We are very much intent upon humanizing as much as possible an inherently difficult search process."
This is certainly the most heartfelt rejection I've ever seen, and it had me literally laughing out loud at it's strange sincerity. I must say, that people really are kinder in the south! However, it's also so over-the-top as to seem more than a little ridiculous. I'm happy to have been humanized.. and a letter like this after, say, a campus interview would be greatly appreciated, but before the first round of interviews? and from a school that, realistically, isn't a dream job for a girl from the Big 10 Midwest seems... just silly.
Hope you all got as big a chuckle from this as I did!
Dear candidate,
Thank you for your interest in our position. Unfortunately, we didn't pick you. Many also include some "it's not you, it's me" statement designed to soften the blow.
One of the many letters, however, stood out from the rest. A school in Georgia had this to say:
"It is one of my saddest duties as a department chair to inform worthy people who would make sterling colleagues that they are no longer in consideration for a job in our department. As one who has opened his share of rejection letters, I want you to know that our decision to take our search in other directions should not be considered a rejection of you or a negative comment on your qualifications...Thank you blahblahblah...We are very much intent upon humanizing as much as possible an inherently difficult search process."
This is certainly the most heartfelt rejection I've ever seen, and it had me literally laughing out loud at it's strange sincerity. I must say, that people really are kinder in the south! However, it's also so over-the-top as to seem more than a little ridiculous. I'm happy to have been humanized.. and a letter like this after, say, a campus interview would be greatly appreciated, but before the first round of interviews? and from a school that, realistically, isn't a dream job for a girl from the Big 10 Midwest seems... just silly.
Hope you all got as big a chuckle from this as I did!
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