Holidays, Humor

Campus Costumes

“I’ll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.”
~Author Unknown

People really get into the spirit of Halloween on our humble campus, and what’s really valued is creativity.  No “sexy Mrs. Potato Heads” here if you please, we want to see you come up with something clever!  And I fail almost every time to remember my camera.  Some bloggers live to Instagram, kittens, and I struggle with not dropping smartphones.  C’est la vie.

So far I’ve seen:

Ash Ketchem and Pikachu (of Pokemon fame), couples costume
The Doctor (as interpreted by David Tennant)
Zombies, as a group
A spider
Robin Hood
A wizard
Snow White
A bumblebee
Far too many girls in cat ears with whiskers drawn on their face
Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz
Minnie Mouse
At least three people with name tags reading “Maybe”
A Lego brick

Dressing up is something I still love and plan on enjoying until age and infirmity take me.  This year I’m Rosie the Riveter.  We’ll see if we get around to documenting it.  We can do it!

Holidays, Humor, Linkstorm, Weekend

Friday Links XXXIX (Bump in the night. And some other stuff.)

“Halloween is huge in my house and we really get into the ‘spirits’ of things.”
~Dee Snider

Thanks, Ned.

It snowed for the first time the other day, and I’ve had to scrape off the car two days in a row.  As George R.R. Martin would quip, winter is coming!  We’re less than a week away from November, which means less than a month until we spend a week with my clan for Thanksgiving!  Marie and her husband James might be spending the holiday with us (you will recall that I forcibly kidnapped them and forced them to spend Christmas with us last year – or just invited them, whatever…), and Gio will be in town as well.  I cannot wait!  But, as I’m forever lecturing, one holiday at a time, let’s enjoy the last week of October and its black and orange drenched goodness first.   I found some Halloween-ish links for you this week, minions, enjoy!

This little girl is fantastic!

Here’s a lovely little program on P.G. Wodehouse, one of my favorite comedic authors, courtesy of Kate Beaton at Hark, A Vagrant! 

In a jam?  Feel bad about yourself?  Friend putting him/herself down?  Never fear!

Interesting to ponder on.

Halloween is next week, but goodness those vendors are all afire to get their Christmas decor up, eh?  If you insist on skipping holidays, minions, let’s at least keep the food traditional.

I’ve been in Paris many times before…but now I must go back.

Mum lived in Japan as a girl and collects Asian antiques and pieces to this day, so I’ve always appreciated the art.  I especially like the woodblock tradition…although (in the spirit of Halloween) I’ve got to be honest, these sort of give me the willies.

The National Trust has about a million Pintrest boards, but this one is seasonal appropriate, I feel.

Speaking of, murder spot uncovered?  Paging Scarlett!

Let’s laugh at the expense of these gentlemen, shall we?

The weekly sheep, gearing up for Halloween.

Humor, Husband, Life

Who’s In Charge Here?

“Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind.”
– C.S. Lewis

J. and I both had, “Oh dear, we’re grown up…” moments last night.

J.’s experience was in a grocery store where he heard two girls talking about graduating, and they looked so young! “There are full grown adults,” he said, with some resignation in his voice, “who are younger than us.”

This is a pretty surprising thing, to be honest.  Working at a university, living in a university town, it gets a bit easy to smugly lump the majority of the residence together as “those helpless little darlings,” that you tend to see the most of – freshmen and sophmores who generally haven’t a clue.  But we’ve lived here long enough post my graduation that entire class of students has cycled through their four year degrees and scampered off to greater things.  To many of them, we are their Five Year Plan personified – there’s horror for you.

My clash with age was at my zumba class where for fun the instructor taught us the routine to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which I thought was great fun for the upcoming holiday spirit.  Walking out of the gym, I overheard two girls talking to one another.
“I liked it except for that weird monster dance we did.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t even a good song.”
Cue C. clutching herself in horror.

The decade I was born in is now something to be trotted out in fashion or for parties, usually “ironically.”  I lived before the internet – something we’re only a couple of freshman classes away from being ancient history.  I lived during the bleeding Cold War, when the Soviet Union was a country, Europe was split down the middle, and communism was still a threat, instead of a largely pejorative term to be hurled at anyone who disagrees with you socially.   And these people have no idea who Michael Jackson was except for the last few, collapsing years of his life!  What gives!

J.’s less than a month away from 27, which somehow seems unnervingly closer to 30 than 26 for some reason, and he’s only seven months older than me.  We’re the grown ups.

Dear heavens…

Humor, Linkstorm, London, Weekend

Friday Links XXXVIII ( Oh To Be In England Edition – Mostly)

“London is a roost for every bird.”
Benjamin Disraeli

Never has the phrase, “Lie back and think of England,” been invoked less perversely and with more fervor.

Jupiter Ammon, kittens, this week!  They either need to replace our missing officer or pay me more because this is getting ridiculous.  I have about three dozen things to do in the next couple of hours, so here are your links and let’s all pretend we’re already in London – it’s seriously the only thing that’s gotten me through the last few days!

I love the London transit system.  Sure the buses are hit and miss, and the chances of being shoved up in a stranger’s unwashed armpit during busy hours are fairly high, but you can get anywhere on it.  I can’t wait.  In the meantime, here’s a bit of humor to get me through.

Sad.

The National Trust is a wonderful organization, maintaining properties and houses, estates, lands, gardens, and parks.  Their website also occasionally contains treats like this  to get us through until we can hike the trails.

It’s so true, and it’s occasionally deeply funny.  You can spot the tourists trying to put on a British accent from a mile away in London, but apparently it’s happening on this side of the Atlantic as well.

Telling the truth when no one wants to hear it.  (Dad, and the anatomically squeamish, skip this one.)

The Daily Mail being “helpful:” look nice, but not too nice.  Thanks for that.

For such a delicious pastry, it does look pretty forlorn.

Interesting project!

Nothing is new, and the Egyptians always got there first.

I enjoy following politics, I consider myself a political person and highly opinionated, but even I am getting exhausted with this election cycle.  Let’s liven things up a bit, shall we?  People can be silly.

The weekly sheep.  Awww…

Humor, Life

Get Up, Get Out

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”
– Albert Einstein

Thanks for your lovely encouragement the other week.  All evil overladies should have a coterie of such fabulous minions.  I’m taking it to heart and working out a few schemes!

J. and I went on a bit of a spree last night.  He picked me up from the gym and we ran a couple of boring errands – and quite suddenly we decided to run more errands for fun and ended up driving nearly all the way to the city mostly just to wander around shops.  And this is not a pastime either of us are known for.  I found his birthday present and took advantage of free samples (I am a sucker for lotions and potions, particularly the kind I don’t have to pay for).  Burgundy was on the mind, we both trawled for the shade – he for pants I for a blazer.  We ended up getting ice cream, which we haven’t done in months if not a couple of years.

It was delightful!  It’s nothing big but we’ve not done anything spontaneous of late and deciding in the late evening (still dressed in workout gear) to just go was remarkably refreshing.  There is nothing so mind numbing as routine and boredom.  Slough it off whenever you can.

If necessary, fight.
Humor, Linkstorm

Monday Links I / XXXVII (like James VII and II at the same time)

I had an earache, headache, stomachache, and sore throat most of the weekend, went home early on Friday and still made it to our niece’s feis (pronounced “fesh”), her Irish dance competition, on Saturday.  Winningest aunt award.  Also, drugs are fantastic.  So, better late than never, lovelies, here are some fun things I found for you, let’s have a better week than my weekend, m’kay?

A group of gentlemen in Scotland, mutual interested in find drink and fine tailoring have started a club.  I approve.

A friend of mine recently revisited the Meyer-Briggs personality test – you may recall that I was an ENTJ.  Apparently I still am, and apparently so is every major super-villain ever, with the exception of Professor Moriarty from Sherlock.  And J.’s personality matches his.  Between the two of us, we could take over the world and be thoroughly unpleasant dictators.  Minions will, of course, all be given post high in the government that they may or may not be qualified for.

Napoleon was an ENTJ too, and so are most small dogs.  Aren’t they, ducklings?  Here’s some small dog syndrome pictorial goodness for you to enjoy.

The Coveteur is a fabulous site showcasing fabulous people looking fabulous.  This is my favorite of their profiles – the quotes are the best.

Speaking of fabulous, who knew?!

Perspective.

In the words of Liz Lemon, I want to go to there.  Looks highly suitable for this time of year.

More Halloween stuff – this is so true and depresses me unbelievably.

Would you?

Mr. Rogers defends American public television.  So say we all!

There!  I fixed it!  (Seriously, this site got me through Friday…)

Humor, Linkstorm, Weekend

Friday Links XXXVI (Sense of Humor Intact)

“There is little chance that meteorologists can solve the mysteries of weather until they gain an understanding of the mutual attraction of rain and weekends.”
– Arnot Sheppard

Life may be dull, but we must press on, darlings.  As hard as Fall makes me want to up sticks and hitchhike to London now, it is still my favorite season and I’m throwing myself into it.  The other day I came home and immediately was seized with the baking frenzy – apple turnovers in cheddar cheese crusts and a spiced apple cake were the result and I’m still smug about them.  Today was also the first morning that required a light coat (specifically my stylish new trench that I bought on sale and in preparation for the London move, a trench being an absolute necessity for British life), which made me a bit giddy to be honest.  Fall has the best fashion, the best food, what else is there?

I’m also getting revved up for the holiday season, which when properly and liturgically observed lasts well into the new year!  Any excuse for good food and good company.  Marie and her husband Janus survived the adopted family trial period of last Christmas and are going to spend Thanksgiving with us in Virginia this year!  Anyone else who shows up will be very welcome, we’ll have pie.

Here are your links, well-beloved minions.  You’ve earned them.

I spend an average of an hour and a half working out, and my salary hasn’t changed one iota.  I call foul.

I cannot begin to express how upset this makes me.  My family is involved in scouting, both my brothers and my husband are Eagle Scouts, my father and grandfather participated in the program, I was a Venture Scout (the co-ed version of Boy Scouts – you should have seen the boys’ faces when our car rolled up with girls in it at camp.  An equally mix of offended, elated, and panicked), my brothers have jamboree-d on Lord Baden-Powell’s estate.  We like scouts.  But this is unacceptable.  BSA has been making a lot of decisions lately that have deeply disappointed me and caused me to rethink my support, which is saddening.

Since various misinformed, misogynistic nincompoops politicians have been throwing out “facts” lately, here’s a good introductory guide as to what birth control is, what it does, and what it doesn’t do.  The more you know, kittens.  Page four is political so be aware.

Social media tells me that another reason to look forward to fall are pumpkin lattes, which are apparently The Best Thing Ever.  I’m a tea over coffee girl, myself, so this rather stumps me.  Latte minded minions weigh in.

I have been to Italy multiple times, but when I was in Venice I was a child.  But I remember it (particularly the pigeons and the rather bad time we had at the glassblowing island, but after that it was lovely).  And this photo makes me want to go back and go to dinner.

The appeal…is utterly lost on me.

You may have watched the debate this week.  Good.  It’s important to take political involvement seriously.

People being decent.

I plan on being the reincarnation of this character when I’m old.  And I plan on enjoying it tremendously.

It’s October and the witching hour is upon us, so in that spirit (see what I did there?), here’s a tale of superstition to whet your appetites.

This excites me to an embarrassing degree, I cannot wait to see how the revamped season will go (and I especially Maeby with Catherine of Braganza hair).

The weekly sheep, a bit more grotesque than usual.

*photo from Glamour.com

Humor, Life, London, Work

More of the Same

“Even boredom has its crises.”
– Mason Cooley

There’s been more than the usual amount of radio silence here at Small Dog Enterprises.  We’ve had a few shifts around at work which has meant short (if any) lunch breaks and coming in early/staying late.  And as lunch is when I do a good portion of my writing, you can see how this leads to a general problem.  Never fear, this is (supposedly) a limited issue and hopefully a replacement will be found for the cad who’s departure left us in the lurch – looking at you, Off. Lampost!

The long and short of it is that I’ve taken on all police front desk area work so my workload has at least doubled.  The irony of it.  I’ve been asking for more things to do since about the time I started here four years ago (Sidenote- gack!  Four years!  Time to go) and I’m sure there are any number of quotes to the effect that Providence punishes people by giving them exactly what they ask for.

But also, as per usual for this time of year, I’m feeling stuck again.  I think Autumn is so wrapped up in my head with new changes, projects and challenges that when it rolls around and nothing changes significantly, I start to get antsy.

I am ready to move on.  I’ve come to appreciate this job, as much as I like to grouse about it, because it has taught me to work.  I thought I knew what work was when I graduated university – four years later I look back on my younger self with a headshake and a, “Oh, honey, just you wait.”  But now that I have some applicable skills under my belt, I want to do something with them besides just answering phones and puncturing helicopter parents when they start to swell up because their beloved child got in trouble.  I’m nervous to look for work again, but oddly excited too.

I am ready to live somewhere new.  I grew up moving so much that staying in one place for too long makes me claustrophobic, and I’ve now been in this corner of the world for longer than I’ve lived anywhere.  It would be going too far to say that I hate it here, but it’s not an exaggeration that I could never set foot here again and be perfectly happy.  I stayed for J., and I’ve never regretted it for one moment, but that doesn’t mean I won’t gleefully drive away and never look back.

I am so ready for us to be a two income family (apparently the term for that is DINK – dual income, no kids.  I’m not sure I’ll categorize myself as such, though) and not stuck in this quasi-student exsistence.

I cannot wait to be back in London, where you can’t be bored or stiffled if you tried.  The weather may be terrible, the rent may be high, the practicalities of life might weigh, but there is always somewhere to go, something to do, places to just be.  You’ll never run into the same person twice (as opposed to where we are now where the vast majority of the population seem to be clones of one another, albeit in a more futile than frigtening way).  And there is always something to explore.

I am ready for change, ducklings, and so these days, with their oppresive Sameness are just a bit more smothering than usual.

So!  How do you get through the boring bits?  Clearly this isn’t a life skill I’ve properly developed, which is why it’s such a handy thing to have lovely minions to interrogate.  Share your thoughts and recommendations, Aunty C. needs them.

Jupiter Ammon! My worst fear incarnated!
Humor, Linkstorm, Weekend

Friday Links XXXV (Animal Kindom Edition)

“I do like escapism.  I like going to the movies on a Friday night and seeing something fun.”
– Charlie Kaufman

I truly have no idea what this photo has to do with anything. Enjoy it.

It’s another game weekend, which means an awful lot of scurrying about to prepare for it – and a lot of sympathy for the poor football player who came in earlier to report that someone hit his car in the parking lot.  Shake it off, dude, we need you!

I have a Girl’s Day with the ladies of my godfamily planned for tomorrow, laundry to fold, and I fully intend on blackmailing J. to taking me to seep “Looper,” since he unwittingly revealed a major spoiler and must atone for such a mistake.  What soirees/minor acts of revenge are you participating in this weekend, ducklings?

You may remember a while back that an incredibly impressive computer was developed.  When this paragon was set up with the ability to search the web, it immediately started “viewing” cat videos.  In that spirit, some enterprising soul condensed the internets down for you to one video for you.  You’re welcome.

Kate Spade New York has some really nice city guides for the travel minded.  Of course I checked out the London one to compare notes, but now I’m craving a jaunt to Copenhagen.

The Queen talks back!

Elmo: red, cuddly, fashionista.  Who knew.

This woman is impressive.  And the internet is finally good for undoing some unfortunate behavior.

The hell?!

Tomorrow, tens of thousands of museums across the country will be offering free admission!  Minions are encouraged to take advantage.

You may remember that J. and I picked up some E. H. Shepard prints for Winnie the Pooh while in London, but he also did the original artwork for The Wind in the Willows, another of my childhood favorites.  Here’s a glimpse into some of his drawings.  Toad holding court with the cigar is my favorite.

Here, another animal video.  This one brought J. much joy.

Good grief, it’s Mother Nature’s Little Darlings day, here’s one of the funniest photos I’ve seen in a while.  It’s all fun and games until one of these things stabs Steve Irwin in the heart, kids.

My planned jack-o’lantern for Halloween this year suddenly seems a lot less impressive.

And the weekly sheep.  Endlessly.