Category: Friends

Friends, Humor, Linkstorm, Weekend, Work

Friday Links L (With a Prelude in C – see what I did there?)

“I should warn you, I’m awfully perky today.  Don’t worry, I don’t think it will last.”
– C.

jonah-hill-meme-generator-i-m-alive-404bbbMinions!  Well beloved minions, the crazy has passed!  …Well, not entirely since my chances to eat are a bit sporadic, but nonetheless, healing has commenced.

The semester is up and running and despite the continuing drama of doing the work of three positions, my desire to throw myself from the rooftops has all but dissipated.  Which isn’t to say busyness has ceased, I’m currently doing a crash course in legal contracts, I just signed up for a training course in blog, website, and online portfolio design, and I’m up to my elbows in spreadsheets.  Happy as a clam now that all of this is scheduled out instead of falling on top of me at once.

And it’s not all work!  The ever lovely Margot has invited me to the theatre with her tomorrow evening (dinner and black dresses required, of course).  And then she got even more generous by offering me an extra ticket to an event where a well-known author will be speaking on the writing and publishing industry.  Okay, that’s kind of work related but in the nicest possible way!  Many thanks, lovely, for inviting me!

We’re – mostly – over the date change shock and have already found a number of shiny silver linings.  I’m sort of putting on a good front for public viewing, as internally I’m still reeling, but like Deborah Kerr whistling to make her character brave, faking it does wonders at convincing one’s self.

Now, as a reward for getting through all that, here are your links!

What an interesting cultural choice!  Here’s a bit more background on the practice.

Makes sense?  No, of course it doesn’t.

God Save the Queen.

There’s something about an impending move that makes you want to get rid of old knickknacks.  And, apparently, be on the lookout for their eventual replacements.  This one is even cuter and I covet it deeply for my work out reward jar.

J. could probably speak more to this, as he lived there for a couple of years, but there have been a lot of stories recently about the surgically obsessed culture of South Korea.  Jezebel has a lineup and links to more of the pictures of patients – though I’m sure not a few are photoshopped to exaggerate results.  There are links at the bottom of the story that are well worth a look in, especially the This American Life story.  I can’t make up my mind if this sort of culture needs a major adjustment, or if it’s just more honest than most about the importance we all place on purely external properties…

My current guiding mantra.

There’s a lot of people with a lot of ideas about when/how/why/why not/if other people should have children.  Including governments.  Here’s an interesting article on how nations encourage or forbid their citizens to spawn.  (Sidenote: seriously, Russia?)

This is genius.  Overindulgence officially has no excuse.  Drat.

Friends, Home, Humor, Travel

Post-Vacation Brain

“I never made a mistake in my life; at least, never one that I couldn’t explain away afterwards.”
― Rudyard Kipling, Under The Deodars

We pretend to be all put together and grown up. It’s a front. A sneaky, lying, cheating front.

Ducklings, our house is a disaster zone – I can confess this and you won’t think badly of us.  J.’s suitcases are still spread everywhere, sweaters are piled on the couch, we still haven’t folding the load of whites we did before we left for Arizona, and we just barely got around to doing dishes last night.  At which point J. requested cookies so we made a mess of the kitchen and stayed up late with cookies and milk watching Dr. Who, refusing to go to bed at a reasonable hour.  Adulthood and responsibility, fah!

However this current state has side effects.  For example, with all this travel (not to mention a trip to London upcoming during the Summer of the Jubilee/Olympics) our finances have sort of fallen over wheezing and begged us to stop.  We’re allowing ourselves the chance to eat out once a week, although we’re choosing not to exercise this privilege currently, and restricting entertainment to Redbox and card games.  Of course, I’ve been mostly cooking for one for the past nine months and am remembering exactly how much food the guy I’m married to consumes – woof.

So, in an effort to make a lot of good food at one go to give us lunches for a few days, I whipped up a crockpot full of chicken fajitas.  And you’ll excuse me for patting myself on the back when I say that they were delicious.  Minions would have wept in joy to have tasted them.  However we waited for the food to cool a bit before putting it away – and then forgot about it.  J.’s first words to me the next morning when we woke up were, “Did we put dinner in the fridge last night?”  My first words were, ah, unfit to print here as I scrambled for the kitchen and discovered I’d manage to waste a ton of food.

My brain is clearly having trouble reengaging after all my bouncing around and living out of suitcases.  Tonight, though, it’s getting a break as we say farewell to J.’s old flatmate as he and his wife head off to grad school – and that means a barbeque!  One more meal I don’t have to cook, and potentially ruin.  Even I can manage to whip up a communal salad without incident.

Friends, Humor, Travel

Of Weddings and Heat Stroke

“It was a nice wedding.”
“It was.”
“Great family.”
“Aren’t they lovely?”
“Yeah.  But let’s never come back to Arizona.”
“Agreed.”
– J. and C.

Last weekend was an adventure, ducklings, complete with forgotten IDs, lack of sleep, an Indian Casino, and a very happy bride and groom.  I got to wear a boutonniere and received a pocket watch as a groomsman’s gift, so we can even add a clever bit of gender bending.  Honestly, just writing this recap makes it sound like a Shakespearean comedy!

But Flyboy was very happy, and so was everyone else, so we’re going to call it a crashing success!  His wife (which for continuity’s sake we’ll herewith christen Flygirl) planned the whole wedding in Arizona from Alaska and as far as any of us in the wedding party could tell, it went swimmingly.  Her organizational skills are incredible.  As soon as some pictures make their way to Facebook, or alternatively as soon as I can find the camera cord, we’ll show you the evidence.

My only complaint was that it was 120 degrees in the shade the whole time, which makes the whole of the state an unfit place to live – and that’s before getting politically snarky.  Walking from the car to the hotel entrance to check in made my whole body freak out – I flushed bright red and couldn’t cool down on my own, leading to a cold shower (which I normally hate) to get back to normal.  At one point J. burned his hand on a car door.  Whose brilliant idea was it to settle that scalding wilderness, pray?

First settlers (in the style of the penguins from the movie Madagascar): “Well. This sucks.”
Friends, Humor, Life

Road. Trip.

“Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness.”
~Ray Bradbury

J.’s suitcases are still spread all over the house, but we have to pack up again and head out of town first thing tomorrow morning.  I’m sure we could claim the title of jetsetters, but I think the more accurate term is hopelessly lazy and rushed.

We’ll be reporting to you from the American Southwest for the rest of the week, where the temperatures are going to be in the triple digits.  It is very possible I may not survive the weekend.  J. took Atticus golfing for Father’s Day and came home sunburned (Britain having paled him considerably over the past nine months), a nice prelude to our probable fate.  Apart from getting Flyboy married, the goal is to try and take some pictures.

Family, Friends, Humor, Husband, Shopping, Weekend

Monday, Ho!

“Ahh, what a day! Up at 6:00, a 10-mile run in the sleet, and NOW a big bowl of plain oatmeal! How I love the crazy hedonism of weekends!”
– Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

I indulged this past weekend, minions.  I may have overindulged, in fact!

Let’s burn plastic  and worry about doing penance on Monday.

I’ve had a self-imposed shopping ban in place for months now, saving up for a major shopping trip, and I finally took it.  Woof.  There was carnage, kittens.  And then I went to a movie and dinner with my godfamily to round off my weekend of hedonism, because between weddings and assorted craziness we haven’t been able to play as much lately and that needed to be rectified.

Now the Small Dog clan is going on austerity measures until the holidays – Germany would adore us.

J.’s back in town tonight, permanently, no more cross continental marriage!  And immediately I drag him to an out of state wedding this weekend, we have another godfamily dinner at the start of next week, I head out to the Flyboy’s Wedding Part Deux in Louisiana the Saturday after, and the next day is our three year anniversary.  Life events are like buses, none come for huge stretches and then they all come all at once!

Family, Friends, Humor, Husband

In Other News

“I even made him eat healthy food.  Mostly.”
“Bless you.”
– Peregrine, C.

I was lazy all weekend, and I regret nothing.  Long phone calls with some of my the girls (although Scarlett still owes me one), biking, Thai food – bliss.

In the meantime, while I was being a loungey housecat, Peregrine took a long vacation to the UK to visit some friends in Oxford and frolic in her former home of Scotland.  Naturally she crashed on J.’s couch in London from and to the airport, which meant I got to Skype with two of my favorite people at the same time.  My brain nearly shorted out from glee.

My only quibble is that I was not there too!  This will be rectified in July.
Family, Friends, Humor

Baby Names and Associated Worries

“The name of a man is a numbing blow from which he never recovers.”
~ Marshall McLuhan

Look, we’re sorry, but your pseudo aunts and uncles took all the good stuff. Alright, Tidaporn Nebraska Agnes*, we get it, but you’re really going to have to get over it.

I have no intention of spawning soon, but several of my mates have already kicked off that great adventure.  And I’m starting to get a bit anxious…because I realized that some people are protective of what they name their little darlings.  Most nerve wracking, apparently some of my friends and I have similar nominal tastes – leading me to discover that I am one of those said protective types.

So either we’ve got to start having kids to get the names we like…or we’re just going to have to tick off an awful lot of people and be accused of copying them.

Parenthood seems fraught with unforeseen perils.  We might just end up pulling the Roman thing and name them all the same thing with different numerals: Puer Primus, Puer Secondus, etc.

*All names that have recently crossed my desk.  Parents can be cruel

Friends, Humor, Linkstorm, Weekend

Friday Links XIV (Style and Substance)

“Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week.”
~ Joseph Addison

So, the lesson this week is that if you’re having a bad day, speak up!  After I confessed to feeling low, Jane stopped by to see me with a funny card and bunch of flowers, Peregrine wrote me the best BFF email in history, Scarlett regaled me with tales of hilarity from her internship to boost my mood, and a lovely neighbor invited me over for dinner and some girl time.  The moral of this week: complain*.  Stiff upper lips out, quivering lips in!

*Actually, the moral of this week is surround yourself with Good People and even your worst days can be alleviated rather spectacularly.

Here are your weekend links, kittens.  I’m spending mine doing yoga, brunching with Jane, and reading friend-recommended books.  How about you guys?

Nope.  I’ve puzzled it over and over and I still can’t get it.

I want to go to there: Flavorwire runs down its list of the 25 most beautiful public libraries (bibliophiles: check out the university and private library lists as well).

So remember that project from a while back that changed the various depictions of Venus to something more current in terms of body type appreciation?  Here’s another lesson in it: Pinup-up girls before and after.  Even Vargas girls don’t look like Vargas girls.

I’ve spent hours on this site planning the future presents I could make, if only I weren’t so poor.  Alas!

I am firmly of the opinion that Theodore Roosevelt was the most bad A of American presidents.  This is cause for some debate, Andrew Jackson has quite a number of devotees and to be fair he was pretty intense, but he was also an insufferable jerk, so I don’t like him as much.  Not that Ted wasn’t without his faults, but I’m far more impressed with the turn of the century style big game hunting, the Rough Riders, social reform, the national parks, and this tiny little event.  Hardcore history, kittens!

I’ve been to several of these, but I want to make it to all of them.  In the meantime, J. is on assignment to visit so we can all live vicariously through him in the meantime.

Some fun City Hall weddings are style profiled on Refinery 29.  Lovely!  I had the whole shebang type of wedding and loved every minute of it, but I do like some of the smaller, non-traditional varieties.  Basically, I like parties of every size and shape.

The weekly sheep.  A stupid tradition continues, and this particular sheep expresses his opinion about it.

Friends, Home, Humor

Scene From Last Night

“It’s the friends you can call up at 4am that matter.”
– Marlene Dietrich 

“Why are you still up?” Margot demands.
I wave a frustrated hand at my laptop, “Because I’m working on this cover letter.  My resume’s in working shape, thanks to Peregrine, but this is the first time I’ve had to write one of these.  I’m making a pig’s ear out of it.  Wait…why are you up this late?”
“Wedding stuff.  My wedding planner came by and the meeting took three hours.  We’re not seeing eye to eye on the color of the cake.  I also had to strip down in front of a strange man.”

My eyebrow inches up.  “I imagine that wasn’t nearly as fun as you’re making it sound.”
“Nope,” Margot yawns, “gown measurements.  I only sound perky because of the chocolate I’ve been scarfing down to get by.  What time did you get home?”
“10:30.  What time is it now?
“12:30.  Yikes.  How’s work?
“FBI’s coming to town, I’m organizing the event.  You?
“Parent Teacher Conferences.  Any development on the cover letter?”
“Not much.  Made a decision on the cake?”
“Lord, no.”

[Pause]

“We,” Margot strikes a pose, “are warrior poets.”
“Damn straight.”

With only slightly less impressive hair.
Friends, Humor

Good. People.

But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.
~ William Shakespeare

Today’s pontificating will be on the subject of friendship, kittens.  I admire each and every one of the people I call friends, fiercely.  But occasionally even I am blown away by how wonderful they can be to me and others – I’ve recently been on the receiving end of a lot of wonderfulness, hence this post.

Running through the roll call in my head, a few things stand out about the women in my life:

All of my friends are self motivated and proactive – sure they’ve had setbacks, sometimes major ones, and frustrations, but they kept moving forward until they were either through their troubles or had a good handle on them.

Venice lives in the Midwest in the area that has been ravaged by tornadoes recently.  The storms struck minutes before school was out so she was managing children and panicky adults for a while before seeing to her own safety.  We’ve been playing phone tag for a couple days now, but she’s safe and well.  She’s also out volunteering with the cleanup along with her husband and friends, and has been since day one. She didn’t hesitate, and never has hesitated, to try and make things better for other people.

My friends have personal problems that run the gamut from family issues to medical complications but none of them define themselves or allow themselves to be defined by their personal challenges.  They are complex, vibrant creatures who do not allow anyone (including themselves) to be pigeonholed by a single facet of their lives.

Marie is still recovering from her car accident and her health is still nowhere near where it should be.  She still managed to move herself to the East Coast sans husband who is off at basic training, whilst recovering from a recent surgery.  Can anyone say, “Gumption?”

My friends help their friends out.  Sure, every single one of us has been in the doldrums at some point but we don’t let each other stay there for longer than is healthy.

When I confided to Peregrine how ridiculously intimidated I felt about the prospect of having to job hunt again when we figure out where we’re going to settle, she listened, offered her normal sage advice, and then did a tear down on my resume to demonstrate how to tailor it to a specific job.  Quickly followed up by an email offering practical suggestions on how to write a killer cover letter.  (Believe it or not, the only other time I got any information on this sort of thing was during a half hour seminar freshman year of university.)  All this came wrapped up in sisterly encouragement and a drill sergeant’s understanding that if you want to do something, the best time to start it now.  “Get me a draft tonight.”  “Ma’am, yes ma’am!”

My friends motivate and encourage one another.

Scarlett knows exactly which carrot will make this pony run – literally.  She combined a Christmas present with a New Year’s motivational gift in the form of a J. Crew cardigan with the promise of another if I stick with it.  I’ve exercised at least six days a week ever since.  She also encourages my writing, critiquing ideas and applauding enthusiastically at a short story publication after months of work.  She asks for my opinions on her own writing, I had the privileged of helping to edit a novel manuscript of hers, and she bounces life decisions off me regularly, often with requisite paperwork.

My friends are not defeatists, they are tenacious and driven.  They are not selfish, they are warm, loving, and inclusive.  They are not petty and narrow, they are magnificently broadminded and hungry for more.

And I, ducklings, am a very lucky woman.

Surround yourself with good people, your life will be rich beyond measure.