Jen’s Corner

::: Walks in, brushes dust off the furniture :::

Hi, my name is Jen, and sometimes I post in this ‘blog thingy.

OK, so it’s been a while. Nothing big has been going on, just day to day living; mostly good, some annoyances, a little bad - you know, life. I can’t even say I’ve been too “busy” to post, ’cause I could have easily done so. It’s just plain laziness.

I’m hoping that I overcome said laziness and make an update soon - but don’t hold your breath. You wouldn’t miss much anyway, just my boring days. But I like them.

BUT! I’m posting now because it’s my birthday (gratuitous pointing out of entirely too long amazon wishlist) and my husband is made of awesome. For weeks he’s been cackling about this cake that he wanted to have made for me and today I finally got to see (and EAT yay!) the results:

(Cake by Sweet Tempered)

Yeah, he’s a geek. And I must be a geek too, ’cause I get it, and I think it’s awesomely awesome.

It’s also chocolate, and yummy. Mmmm… cake.

I’m going to go play some Animal Crossing: City Folk now, because I can.

Remember way back in the election frenzy that meme going around about donating to Planned Parenthood in Sarah Palin’s name?

I just got a letter from Planned Parenthood today:

In response to the anonymous email message circulated back in September during the presidential campaign, urging people to donate to Planned Parenthood in honor of Gov. Sarah Palin, Planned Parenthood (nationally) has received about $1 million from 40,000 donors. Locally we received over 275 gifts totaling close to $5000! Thank you so much for supporting Planned Parenthood!

Fuck yeah.

My Friday night, in bullet points:

• Company holiday party @ buffalo billiards! Fair warning of possible drunk tweets ahead! 7:15 PM Dec 12th from txt
• Putting chambord in JD is a Bad Idea. Maybe it was the sweet & sour 7:38 PM Dec 12th from txt
• The husband is doing tequila shots. This can’t end well. 8:34 PM Dec 12th from txt
• … I can’t remember exactly how many drinks I’ve had 9:00 PM Dec 12th from txt
• I have to pee. 9:07 PM Dec 12th from txt
• Sourdough rolls are great for soaking up alcohol! 9:57 PM Dec 12th from txt
• Tipsy, not blasted. Switching to water for now. 10:10 PM Dec 12th from txt
• Never mind, just had a shot of JD. 10:18 PM Dec 12th from txt
• Free alcohol rocks. Also, I should probably not have any more shots. 10:34 PM Dec 12th from txt
• Note to self: Strongbow goooood! 11:35 PM Dec 12th from txt
• I’m @ Fado’s - these guinness wings are incredible! 11:52 PM Dec 12th from txt
• Ok, forget tipsy, I’m gone 12:02 AM Dec 13th from txt
• 6th street is a lot of fun, but only if you’re half blasted. Or more. Which I am. At least. 12:23 AM Dec 13th from txt
• I am NOT a lightweight!!! 12:26 AM Dec 13th from txt
• The waves of sound and energy passing over me are incredible! 12:49 AM Dec 13th from txt
• @daun for large values of 2. Oh crap I’m so freakin’ drunk. Awesom. 2:02 AM Dec 13th from web in reply to daun
• @daun No, no it doesnt’. bit iut’s good. fuick fixing typos oh crap bed. I nened bed. whoa.\ 2:03 AM Dec 13th from web in reply to daun
• I swear I’m not a lightweight. 2:04 AM Dec 13th from web
• chugging water… then bed. whooooooooo! 2:06 AM Dec 13th from web

Much fun was had.

Who says cats are graceful?

They must have some massive PR budget, because my cats, at least, are decidedly not graceful.

Proof lies in the tale I’m about to relate.

OK, take a look at this picture. This is an old picture; now there is another bookcase along the wall between the light and dark bookcases. It fits snugly - the corners of the book cases meet, creating a square behind them that is blocked off. Nothing is there, can’t get to it. The plastic containers on top of the bookcase aren’t there any more, but the monkey with the banana is.

So.

Lately the cats have been getting up there and knocking the monkey onto the floor. Almost daily we’ll find him sitting on the floor; once, we found him drug halfway down the stairs.

Today, today was their peak performance. I’m minding my own business, poking around on the computer when I hear a cat crying. Now we can usually tell more or less what the cats vocalizations mean. Playful, mad, hungry, needy - whatever, we can usually tell. Also, each cat has its own distinctive sound; Max is loud and tends to be yowly, George has the tiniest meow but can be heard when he wants to be, Fred is quite talkative, Tasha rarely meows, she mostly chirps and mrrrps. Yes, that’s a word. Really.

So there is this pathetic meow that sounded unfamiliar. It was definitely one of ours, but not of a sort I’ve heard them make. I go looking for the source, and end up in the library. George is agitated, and is snuffling the bookshelf. Fred is perched on the cat tree, looking very interested in the proceedings. The monkey is again on the floor. And then I heard the cat cry again.

Out from between the two bookcases where the corners meet, a grey paw waves pathetically. Tasha had managed to get up on the bookcase, shove the monkey off, and then, graceful creature that she is, either decided to see what was down in that corner, or simply fell off. I don’t know how long she was in there - could have been up to four or five hours, but honestly, I don’t think it was that long. The way the cats were acting, I think it had been a recent adventure.

To get her out, we had to empty one bookcase, so we could move it away from the wall. I’m not sure how we’re going to solve this little problem, either.

Cats.

• Flannel sheets
• Heated mattress pads
• Melatonin
• Snuggly cats
• Snuggly husband¹

Melatonin dreams are pretty rad, too.

Sleeeeep. Wondrous sleep.

¹Added due to severe pouting. Silly husband, he should know he’s always on the list! <grin>

What the hell, Austin?

Record high yesterday (81° F) and then thundersleet and snow last night? Freakin’ bi-polar weather…

I’m sitting at my computer desk, trying to wake up. George comes up to my leg with his remarkably tiny meowsqueak and demands to be picked up. He collapses on my arm against my neck purring madly. I croon his name and he throws his head back to look at me upside down.

I hope he never outgrows this.

It’s the last day of November! So, naturally, I think I should wrap it up with a meme.

This photo meme is kinda cool - I swiped it from awdrey_gore.

01. Answer each of the questions below using the [Flickr] search engine.
02. Choose a photo from the first three pages.
03. Copy the URL of your favorite photos [here].
04. Then share with the world.

01. First Name: Jennifer
02. Favorite Food: Steak
03. Hometown: Oregon City
04. Favorite Color: Purple
05. Celebrity Crush: Johnny Depp
06. Favorite Drink: Dublin Dr. Pepper
07. Dream Holiday: Scotland
08. Favorite Dessert: Ice Cream
09. What I Want To Be When I Grow Up: Historian
10. What I Love Most In The World: Rob
11. One Word That Describes Me: Geek
12. My LiveJournal Name: jenbooks

You know, I don’t think I’ll try to force myself to post every day again. Maybe it’s that I feel obligated to post, which makes me rebel. Or maybe I just don’t have a life.

I’m ok with that, really. I happen to like my well upholstered rut.

Anyway. One more duty post after this one, and then it’s back to random sporadic posting. Maybe I’ll manage to post once a week!

Almost into the homestretch for this semester at school. One more test in Government, and I’ve got a paper in American Lit due, and that’s it.

Next term I’m taking three classes; two at the campus near me, and one online. I don’t know if “distance learning” will work for me, but I won’t unless I give it a shot.

I’m taking: Art History II¹, Topics in US History - Women’s History², and Microeconomics. Art History is the online one - we’ll see how it goes.

Well, it’s almost midnight, the stupid dog next door is barking his head off, and I need to get to bed. I better post this before my computer turns into a pumpkin or something!

¹ Renaissance to present
² There were other topics I’d have liked, such as WWII, Depression, Cold War, but this is the only one at “my” campus. I’m not yet ready to find/drive to other campuses.

The bad:
We had to go out on Black Friday after all - vet appointment for Pandora. She’s eating, but not well, and her hair is seriously thinning - we found a bald patch. Worse, it looks like her diabetes is back as well as a UTI. The meds that have been helping prevent recurring pancreatitis exacerbate diabetes, and are probably responsible for her hair loss. On the other hand, they help her want to eat. Usually. The UTI is just a fabulous bonus.

Also, one of the nose pad things on my glasses broke off. I’ll go to the vets on Black Friday, but no way in hell I’ll go to the mall. Maybe I’ll get it fixed after school on Monday.

The good:

Pandora scarfed down the food the vet recommended, asks for scritches, and vocalizes frequently. Hopefully she’ll continue to feel all right.

Our Thanksgiving turkey, though a day late, was wonderful. Marry a man that can cook, mama always told me.

But guess what? We forgot to put out the cranberry sauce again this year.

Between Macy’s rickrolling of America and the “Turkeys Away” episode of WKRP in Cincinnati, I don’t think today can get much better!

Confession: We’re having french dip sammiches tonight because the turkey isn’t completely thawed and we can’t be bothered to force it. I love a no-pressure holiday!

I’m thankful for:

• My husband.

• My non-annoying in-laws.
• Being able to go to college at this late date.
• Many other things I’m unable to articulate.
• Also, my husband.

I woke up (to pee, natch) before the alarm went off, and now I’m actually awake! What’s up with that?

So that American Lit test I thought I blew? Got a 98. Seriously, what is wrong with me?? I still feel like my answers weren’t worth full points - I’m under the theory that the prof was scoring my test late, he wanted to get to bed, and was all “screw it, good enough.”

Or something.

Wow. Mornings. The sky just a few minutes ago was this gorgeous light purple. Normally, I’m against sunrises - the only way they should be greeted is if you haven’t gone to bed yet - but somehow today I’m awake. Weird. I hope it lasts all day!

I went grocery shopping yesterday. What a madhouse! Well, it wasn’t that bad I guess, just super crowded. Luckily, I didn’t need all that much. Although, both of us managed to forget to put rolls on the list - so I’ve got to decide just how much we need dinner rolls or crescent rolls for FoodMas dinner. Truthfully, probably not, really, but there is Tradition to be considered.

Hm. I could stop at Randall’s after school (~ 4pm on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving - what could go wrong?) for their pumpkin cinnamon cookies and some rolls… we’ll see.

I hate Randall’s. Prices are too high, to support their stupid card, and every time I go in there’s only one checkout open - I’m guessing to “encourage” use of the self-checkout machines. Screw that - they are poorly implemented, subject to many errors, and you still need someone hovering over you. Prices there are high enough that they can damn well check my stuff out themselves.

But those pumpkin cookies are goooood.

Apropos of absolutely nothing, I think animated favicons are just wrong.

See what happens when I go against the Nature Of Things?? You get a post like this one.

Well, it’s 7:30 now, so I guess since I am awake (usually I’m trying to drag myself out of bed at this time - and failing) I should take advantage of this bizarre behaviour and get moving.

Thanksgiving is almost here in the U.S., heralding the start of the holiday season and the first of many meals where you might be confronted with a traditional dish that you happen to find disgusting. What holiday food do you hate to see on the table?

Things that might be on a TurkeyDay table that I’d rather not see:

Cranberry sauce¹ - what can I say, I’ve never liked the stuff. In my family it was always the canned gel kind, with the can indents still on the… congealed red… stuff. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever tried the “real” kind - and I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.

Peas - I. Hate. Peas. I’ve tried them a number of occasions, and I just Do Not Like them. Bleh.

Yams w/ marshmallows - ugh. Just, ugh.

Now.

I don’t care what anybody says, I love green bean casserole made with cream of mushroom soup and French’s fried onions.

So there.

¹ Rob likes that kind of cranberry sauce, so we do have it for Tday. It’s alllll his though.

Fun quiz!

American Civil Literacy - take the quiz - No cheating, now!

You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 78.0%
Average score: 78.0%

I missed two on economics, which doesn’t surprise me. Hm. Maybe I should make an economics class my “unrestricted elective”.

I love history.

Today, in short bullet points:

• Tasha has taken off her collar, again. This time, I think she’s hidden it.
• The cable bill gave me a massive paper cut.
• Though mortally wounded (see above point) I got the junk paid and the bills shredded.
• Wait. Reverse that.
• I still need to pick classes for Spring term. Eeep.
• I’m dreading getting our writing assignment for Am Lit.

That is all.

[EDIT: 9:49pm Found it! Tasha's collar, that is. It was on the bottom shelf of a bookcase in the library. Silly cat. Now I'm going to have some ice cream and watch play Sam & Max. ]