Thursday, August 31, 2006

Today's handy dandy public service announcement is all about Free Chocolate! (And really, who doesn't need some free chocolate?)

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

I know direct deposit is a wonderful thing . . .
It is more secure . . .
It means not having to stop off at the bank . . .
It even means getting the paycheck a little early. . .

BUT - there is something really anti-climatic about having the whole thing happen electronically.
I like getting a "real" check and physically putting money ino the account.
Depositing a check is fun.

I sorta miss it.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

New Apartment

Remember that Sesame Street segment with three kids who want to paint?
One kid has paper (and is very sad because she can't paint)
Another kid has brushes (and is very sad because he can't paint)
And a third kids has paint (and is sad because he can't paint)
BUT THEN . . . they realize if each person shares all of them will be able to paint!

My roommate situation is kinda like that.

Between the two of us, we have everything a person could every want/need :-)

A waffle maker
And ice cream machine
Television Projector
Bread machine
PVR
Indoor bicycle rack
Wifi
High Def. Television
Steamer
Grill
An underground parking spot
Integrated stereo system
Yes, life has potentiatl to be pretty good here at Apartment de Julie. I have a georgeous apartment , work is minutes away, and there are TREES outside my bedroom window. (And did I mention the hot tub/ sauna??) There's one teeny tiny glitch - but really, who needs a refrigerator????

An infomative and inspiring post is marinating in the back of my brain - expect an original JulieVW piece sometime later this week!

Friday, August 25, 2006

OK - this could get a little convoluted, but stick with me.

1. I eat breakfast every day. Lack of breakfast makes me very very cranky!

2. It doesn't matter what is (oatmeal, stuffed peppers, pancakes, tacos, fruit, ice cream etc.) as long as I have food!

3. Lots of people can't understand point #2. (Once I had a hot dog plus baked beans for breakfast which made my aunt go just a little crazy, but whatever).

4. I don't much care for football.

5. When I was in college, I didn't much care for home-game football weekends. (The library and computer lab were always very empty, which was nice, but . . . )

6. It didn't matter how miserably cold, wet, or hot the day. CUI Food Service (CUIFS) always had a "tailgater" party for Saturday lunch on foodball weekends. This meant I had to walk all the way to the field house (even if it was raining) to eat the same crapy "picnic" food we'd eaten at the last "tailgate" party. Ugh.

7. Sometimes, if I had money and all of my friends had money, we'd go to Subway. But it was always very crowded there on football weekends (and we rarely all had moeny enough to go out).

8. Most college students choose to sleep through Saturday morning breakfast. But my violin teacher had studio classes on Saturday, so it's not like I was able to sleep in. (And I need breakfast!)

9. The CUIFS-folk knew that most students don't eat Saturday morning breakfast, so they usually didn't try too hard. (Rasin bread and cereal was about the extent of things).

10. The only good thing about home football game weekends (besides the empty computer lab) was Saturday breakfast. Someone in CUIFS decided that football players needed a good breakfast. And so, football Saturdays meant eggs, spaghetti, pancakes, waffles, bacon, and ham! 11. Spaghetti makes a great breakfast, and it's not something you can often get, unless you are at home. (But that really has nothing to do with anything, so don't worry too much about that point).

12. I really don't care about football. But next week, the Central team is playing against a school near my new apartment. (The local school also happens to be my boss's alma matter -- but that's also not really relevant).

13. Central sent me an inviation to come to a pre-game "tailgate" party at this nearby school and cheer on the team.

14. I'm not going. I don't care about college football (and neither does my boss, so it's not like we can even have some good natured rivilary).

15. Here's the thing, Central is going to host an awesome awesome "tailgate" party with real food in one of the plush conference rooms at this local school.

16. There's injustice there somewhere. I know alumni are supposed to be wined and dined but. . . why couldn't they give us a nice (or even just a slightly-more-than-sub-standard) football lunch back when I was a student?

17. Part of me wants to get really rich, so I can make a donation and put on a restriction about serving decent lunches to Central students just before a football game. (Alas, it doesn't look like I'm going to get really rich anytime soon).

18. That's it. I really need to pack. (Tomorrow is moving day!)

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Notes from Storytelling Workshop

* Consider your relationship to the story. Choose your point of view (ex: Tortise and Hare from pov of Tortise's best friend).

* Don't memorize like a script. Know the story (Make a storyboard - six pictures to remind you in case you forget sequence).

* Use five senses to provide details (but don't overdo it! My partner got way bogged down in describing a tree - which really took away from the plot of her story).

* Find a storytelling partner to give you positive feedback (and you give them positive feedback too!)

* If the story surprises you with an unexpected twist (and you're brave) go ahead and follow it. Stories are not static.

* Spending an afternoon telling stories (and listening to a storytelling partner tell stories) is a lot of fun. I highly recomend it!!

Judy Sima
National Story Tellers
Jack Zipes
Raising Voices

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Happy Back to School to my Valley Girls (They are SENIORS!)

Friday, August 18, 2006

Mini-Update
Yes, this is a rotten update, but it's the best I can do (so smile and enjoy!)

1. I move next weekend! (Which means this hellishly long daily commute will only last another week!!!!!!!)

2. Giftcard + Discount coupon = my very own ice cream maker! (And homemade ice cream is really really good!)

3. Tomorrow I get to go to a storytelling workshop!

4. That's it - I gotta run. Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Resdeisgn

I need want a new template - this one is boring me,
(and the font is too small, and something freaky happened to the archived code, and it just frustrates me).
A redesign is not going to happen anytime soon -
But I'm thinking about it
(And it's the thought that counts, right??)

Monday, August 14, 2006

NO ICE BALL LEFT BEHIND

Pluto has never been much of a planet — small, wired orbit, not much atmosphere — and questions about its status have been raised periodically since its discovery 76 years ago. This week, the international body with the power to decide what is and is not a planet will consider a new definition that could expand the number of planets in our solar system or demote Pluto to mere "Kuiper Belt object."
Full Article

It's kinda funny.
When I was in second grade, we learned that there were 9 planets, and scientists were going to add Planet X, as soon as they had enough proof. All we needed was technology to go further out into space to learn/see more!

20-some years later, there are still only 9 planets, and we're on the brink of decreasing the planetary census. It makes me giggle!
(Maybe you don't think it's funny, but I have a "special" sense of humor!)

Friday, August 11, 2006

JUST A LITTLE CRAZY

I was going to write a post today.
A real post (not a quote or a snippet from someone else)
But it's time to leave for work.
And after work, I have other stuff to do
And I'm gone all weekend
And then it's another work week (filled with long commutes)
And next weekend I'm out of town

sigh

Unless I have an insomnia night, it'll be a while before I give you a good solid update.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

INSIDE THE QUIET
You could learn a lot
just sitting watching God
take tea with Buddha
in the tent at the top of the world.
They keep the flap open
so you can walk inside the quiet and cool
and see the small cups that you thought
too tiny for the hand of God
who after all holds the whole world.
That's why God needs to rest
on a cloud of cushions
and contemplate with Buddha
the art of letting go.

-- Anne Powell
Via Sarton on the Bonstra List

Monday, August 07, 2006

BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU HUG

Research shows that the female brain naturally releases oxytocin after a 20-second hug. The embrace bonds the huggers and triggers the brain's trust circuits. So Brizendine advises, don't let a guy hug you unless you plan to trust him. "And if you do," she said, "make sure it lasts 20 seconds."
Full Article via AL Daily

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

MORE HARRY POTTER GOSSIP

Harry Potter Gossip sends a lot of traffic this way. (Surprised?? I was). And so, here's the latest tidbit. . . Stephen King (author of all things too scary for me to read) has allegedly begged J.K. Rowling not to kill off Harry Potter.

King beseeched the British author to think again about wiping out the boy wizard in her final book. During a press conference at Radio City Hall in New York on Tuesday), King - referring to Arthur Conan Doyle's attempt to kill off Sherlock Holmes - said: "I don't want him to go over the Reichenbach Falls."
Full Article

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

RANDOM

* I like Honeycrisp Apples

* The book I wanted was not at the library (the card catalog said it was there, but it wasn't). Missing library books make me sad.

* Some people really annoy me (specifics deleted)

* Packing makes me sneeze.

* I can't wait to move. This commute is way too long. (Long commute + $3 gas prices = CRAZY) Once I move to the beautiful new apartment, I'll be able to ride my bicycle to work!

* That's all - good night