Category: This and That

Another Meme

Posted on by Dana

Wow. Two in one week!

#################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### #################################################### ####################################################

Your personality type is RLUAI
You are reserved, moody, unstructured, accommodating, and intellectual, and may prefer a city which matches those traits.
The largest representation of your personality type can be found in the these U.S. cities: Washington DC, Portland/Salem, Richmond, New Orleans, Norfolk, Denver, Albuquerque/Santa Fe, Kansas City, St. Louis, New York City, Indianapolis, San Antonio and these international countries/regions Slovenia, Croatia, Caribbean, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Belgium, Guam, Ukraine, Argentina, Greece, Brazil, Israel, Wales, Finland, Germany, Poland

What Places In The World Match Your Personality?
City Reviews at CityCulture.org

What’s weird is that I have lived in three of the U.S. cities — Denver, St. Louis, and Norfolk. Actually, I should say I lived in suburbs of those three cities. I’ve also lived in Germany. And I can totally see myself living in Wales one day.

Via Dana Elayne.

Related posts:

New Haircut

No Hack and Slash? No Zucchini Brothers?

London

I’m Boston

Posted on by Dana
You Are Boston
Both modern and old school, you never forget your roots.Well educated and a little snobby, you demand the best.

And quite frankly, you think you are the best.

Famous people from the Boston area: Conan O’Brien, Ben Affleck, New Kids on the Block

I can’t remember the last time I posted one of these memes, but I liked the fact that I was Boston. If it wasn’t so far from home, I’d probably move there.

Related posts:

Nietzche Family Circus

Twenty Years Gone

Trivia #2

Shaun White

Posted on by Dana

Is it just me, or does Shaun White look like he could be my husband’s kid?

Shaun White

Here are some pictures of my hubby when he was roughly Shaun’s age:

Steve and friend

Still not sure? What about this?

Steve and friends

Steve is, of course, the redhead.

What do you think?

By the way, Shaun White is the gold-medalist in Men’s Halfpipe snowboarding.

Is it weird I think this kid is cute because I think he looks like Steve?

Related posts:

This Old House

In Progress: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Georgia Renaissance Festival

Lazy Sunday

Posted on by Dana

If you didn’t catch the SNL video (like me), but wondered what all the folks at the water cooler (or in my case, students at lunch) were laughing about, never fear. You too can follow Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell on their quest to see The Chronic WHAT! cles of Narnia.

Hat tip to Jonathan Coulton.

Update: I mistakenly referred to Andy Samberg as “Adam.” Sorry for any confusion.

Related posts:

I Was Just Minding My Own Business

Good News (At Last)

Autumn is Here

So Far…

Posted on by Dana

… so good on the car. It is still shifting smoothly. I can only attribute it to one of two things 1) the new PCV valve, 2) something my ex used to call PFM (the “p”=pure and the “m”=magic; I’ll let you fill in the rest).

I bought Sarah a copy of Dragonology and its companion book, The Dragonology Handbook for her 12th birthday, which is today. She’s spending it with her dad. The books look really good. I’m going to sit down and look them over before I wrap them. Sarah is really into dragons right now. She wanted to read The Hobbit, because she heard there was a dragon in it. We have been reading it together, and we’re not to the part yet where Smaug is destroyed. She is rooting for Smaug, and I hope she won’t be disappointed when he goes down. At any rate, I hope she likes her birthday present. I can’t believe she’s 12.

Twelve years ago at almost this exact moment, I was giving birth to her. She was born in a Navy hospital. It was windy and snowy outside. I didn’t get to hold her after she was born. Instead of asserting my rights as a mother, I patiently waited while my mother and ex passed her back and forth. Then they took her away. I asked my doctor when I’d get to hold her, and he looked sort of stricken — he hadn’t realized I hadn’t been able to — and he said the pediatrician would be checking her in the nursery; after that, maybe. I waited and waited. I went into shock and had to go into Recovery before they took me to my room. I remember getting out of bed, clutching the back of my hospital gown closed, grabbing my IV cart, and padding down the hall to look at her through the glass. The nurses sort of glared at me, but I told them I hadn’t seen my daughter. That was when I first got a really good look at her. She looked like her daddy. Still does. Some time, hours later, they wheeled her bassinette into my room, which was stifling. My roommate had had a C-section. She had a baby boy — her second. He was huge — something like 9 or 10 pounds. I wished later that I had got her address so we could keep in touch.

Sarah really loves to read, and I like to take the credit for that. I still read to her. I don’t think that’s something people totally grow out of — enjoying being read to — why else would books on tape be so popular? She likes school. She’s neat kid, and we have some pretty interesting talks.

Related posts:

Stuff and Nonsense

Another Meme

Music: True Love Lasts a Lifetime

I Don’t Get It

Posted on by Dana

Anyone know anything about cars?

I got my oil changed today. It’s preventative maintenance that I can afford, and since my car doesn’t like me much, I figure I need to do what I can, you know? Well, the technician suggested I replace the PCV valve. It was only $8.99, so I figured why not.

I had been having this odd shifting problem. When my car warmed up to its normal operating temp, the car no longer shifted smoothly between gears, especially in the lower gears. The car would still run OK, but I was babying it — easing on the gas when it shifted. If I drove it for too long — I would say about 30 minutes or so — the car would get mad at me, and since it can’t spew invectives, it would glare at me with its “Service Engine Soon” light, which would go off after it wasn’t mad anymore.

Today, after my oil change, no odd, hurky transmission shifts. I don’t think it could be just the oil change, because I’ve had several since the car began doing this. Even though this was with a different company, I don’t see why that would make a difference. I figured it must be the PCV valve. I searched Google, and I can’t find any reference to a PCV valve replacement fixing a rough shifting problem.

I should probably drive it some more before I conclude the problem is gone, but this is weird. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy the car seems to like me more right now. However, our relationship has been such that this overt kindness makes me feel more suspicious than anything else.

Related posts:

Summer Reading

Founding Brothers

Women in Art

Peace

Posted on by Dana

I think I’ve reached a place where I don’t really care which way things go. I don’t know if this has ever happened to one of you; if it has you might have a better idea what I’m talking about. It’s freeing, in a way. It’s the idea of making peace with something you thought was a bad outcome. The good part is that I don’t feel like the time I spent striving in order to reach this point was wasted.

On a completely unrelated note, I am chaperoning the 10th grade sleepover along with our new English teacher. He’s doing a great job. I’ve observed him with the AP Language class several times, and I think they’re in great hands. I’m not really nervous about it. I think the kids will be good. But I’m not foolish enough to anticipate getting much sleep.

I have been working much more on my education site lately. It’s my own place. I don’t really mind sharing with Steve, but it is a lot of maintenance, dealing with the juggernaut that has become Steve Huff’s True Crime Blog™. He’s been talking about moving to his own domain. Actually, I think I should leave this one to him and move everything over to my domain. I wasn’t crazy about the domain name — planethuff.com — anyway. Not that mine is any better. It was chosen with the purpose in mind that it would be an education site, and the domain name reflects that. On the other hand, while I don’t write anything here that I think parents or students would find offensive, I don’t really want to invite them to read it. I don’t know if that makes sense. Moving my blog over there — and for that matter, all the other blogs I maintain here — would necessarily be putting them all on the same domain as the blog I actually encourage my students to read, and I’m not sure I want to do that. After having had the freedom of a blog on my own domain, I don’t think I’d want to go back to something like Blogger or even Typepad (which isn’t even free). Part of me doesn’t want to move, because despite the fact that Steve probably gets the credit — and this isn’t the issue; I’m not complaining — I’m the one who really built this domain up. I also maintain it and fix it (if I can) if something goes wrong. I really don’t care if one person reads this site or one million. I’m very happy that my few online friends and some relatives keep up with me through this site. I do, however, kind of resent the notion that I’m not really here at all, that this is “Steve’s site.” He’s not responsible for me feeling that way as much as his readers and the press are. Frankly, if it wasn’t for this little man behind the curtain, the big old wizard head wouldn’t appear. I don’t know what I feel like I want — a little credit or something? I don’t know. I get miffed when his readers write to me because they’re too lazy to find his contact information and expect me to be his secretary. Oooh, that really does piss me off — especially because it is so easy to contact him. He even has a form!

So, I guess, on the one hand, I would like to go sit in my own peaceful corner of the web away from the craziness that has become this domain, but on the other, this site wouldn’t exist without my hard work, and I don’t want to give it up. I think that was the kind of stringy sentence I was just telling my 9th graders to avoid writing. Anyway, I guess I’ll have to think about it some more. If I do move, I will be sure to let you know and put redirects in place.

I would be happy to have any bits of advice you’d care to offer.

Related posts:

The Cat Came Back

Home

Kindle TBR Pile

Food Network

Posted on by Dana

On weekends, when I have control of the remote, I like to watch the Food Network. I’m not a gourmet cook. I don’t really even like cooking much (even though I’m a pretty good cook). I do enjoy watching others make something good. I used to really enjoy watching the Cajun Chef, Justin Wilson. Now my favorite is Michael Chiarello. He makes the yummiest looking food for his parties. How does one get invited to one of those? I just found out today you can visit his website and order some of the obscure products he uses on his show — like gray salt. You can also browse recipes!

After Michael Chiarello’s show, there’s a double-block of Bobby Flay — Boys Meets Grill and BBQ with Bobby Flay. He did a show a few weeks ago on which he made this fabulous looking Mojito Limeade.

Watching these shows and browsing the websites make me wish I liked cooking.

Related posts:

Kindle or Nook?

iPhone Apps for Book Bloggers

Look At My New Purse!

Spaghetti Sauce

Posted on by Dana

My mother has a great recipe for spaghetti sauce. Since I just made it, it occurred to me that I should share the yumminess.

You will need:

  • a crock pot
  • 1 lb. hamburger (or more if you want really meaty sauce)
  • 1 large can of diced tomatoes (or you can buy whole and dice them) — 28 oz. size; you can get them with herbs and garlic and all sorts of flavors
  • 2 small cans tomato paste — 6 oz. (or if you can find one 12 oz. can)
  • 2 packages dry spaghetti sauce mix
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 onion
  • minced garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • water

Brown the hamburger in a skillet. Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low all day or on high until warmed through. Low brings out the flavors better. The garlic and salt and pepper are to taste. Add water according to how thick you want the sauce.

It freezes well and actually tastes better the second time than the first. Makes enough sauce to fill up my crock pot, which is 3 or 4 quarts.

Related posts:

Spring Break

Identity Theft Revisited

I Really Hate Cars