Neglect

*neglect, neglect, neglect*

micro-crazy

We were watching a documentary the other night and Steve Ballmer of Microsoft was on it.
That reminded me of this:




which in turn reminded me of this:




But then all that reminded me of THE GRAND FINALE!!!




Wasn't that a fun trot down Viral memory lane? Perhaps Steve Ballmer invented Viral videos for microsoft...?

We need a vacation

So we're taking one!

After years of talking about doing it, we're going to D.C. 5 nights, 6 days of our Nation's capital. We're nerds, so we're excited to see history come to life, our politicians at work, our tax dollars spent on archiving and culture. Perhaps good dining, shows at the Kennedy center and a moonlight tour of the buildings.

Help us plan our itinerary... What would you do?!

Let's make a BFD

You know what's the most frustrating of Deal or No Deall? How the family and friends are always like "She's gone through so many struggles and beaten so many obstacles in her life. She can do this!" (or some form of that)
Seriously? What does having 4 kids, being behind in car payments, fighting your way back from cancer, and saving a man's life on the subway tracks have to do with your ability to pick out a friggin' case?!!!

So turn it off! Well, I've not faced enough obstacles in life to have the power to do that.

Hectic

Once again my schedule is crazy! I set boundaries and then those get pushed. Ho hum. I just received a phone call that I am going to be a mid semester replacement for a teacher friend of mine. It's nice they thought of me and I have to take it but it's going to make my Mondays 9am-10:30pm days. Not so fun. If you thought we were going to get to hangout this semester we will have to wait until the summer. Your prayers would be appreciated! Thanks...

Urine Trouble

I had my annual physical a few days ago. It's been two years since my last one so I guess it is my alternating year physical. Unrine samples have always given me trouble. I was one of those kids who had lots of trouble using public restrooms. Thankfully, most of that bladder anxiety is gone in my adulthood but every so often it will creep back in, like when my doctor needs a urine specimen. At my last exam I was not capable of...producing. This time I planned ahead. I filled my 32 ounce nalgene and started pushing the fluids on the train. But to no avail, well, a little avail, but I don't think it was enough.

In other news, yesterday was my first day back at work and it was great! At some point I get bored over my break and miss my job so it was very nice to be back. We had to watch all the freshman do Shakespeare monologues. They had been instructed to present them as though they were auditioning, so no one had seen them before. To make it really cruel, the kids don't start their Shakespeare training until this semester so they are basically flying blind. It's a lot of pressure on the kids. It's the first time they have performed in from of their whole class and all of the faculty are there, but it's fun.
One notable performance was a girl doing a Lady Anne monologue from Richard III. She had set up blocks to represent her dead husband's body and she put a shroud over it. At one point she is kneeling next to the "body" and she pulls off the shroud and in a very unconvincing manner, faints. Freshman! Why do they make such crazy and unfounded acting choices. After a full 10 seconds all 100 of us realize simultaneously that she has actully fainted! Only at acting school can something like this happen. The paramedics came, she had to go to the hospital, it was very involved. At one point one of my colleagues was telling the paramedic, "We just thought it was part of her scene!"

The winner is...

Did all of you notice that I turned the BeBe picture post into a game?  Well, Mcüller won, and now I have to come up with a good prize to hand deliver to him when he returns Feb. 1st.  Ideas are welcome.

Our students returned to classes this week, and I start my classes next week.  I'm ready.  I think.  I'm taking Form and Meaning in Film and Visual Culture (a semiotics class).  

Ummm... that's all!  (sorry its not a cool video post like the wife's been leaving)

I changed my mind! That's not all... Michel Gondry curated the homepage of youtube.  That's kinda fun (even if he didn't pick a wifeandman video)... go check it out!

Home Library Kit

I love going to the Library. I have fond memories of all my school libraries, local libraries and home libraries. Just recently I went with my friend to the American Natural History Museum and we went to the Library there. It is only open to the public a few hours a week and we just happened to be there at the right time. It was awesome! We just started looking through whatever books captured our fancy. My personal favorite was a book that my friend found on Native American sign language. I would be happy to show you the sign for "blood" at your request. On the last page of the book there was a war paint picture key. There was one that indicated "killed an enemy using bare hands." Whoa! I am definitely hoping to go back to this particular library. Who wants to take a field trip?

For Christmas the pbf gave me the most amazing gift. A home library kit. The most exciting features are the library cards and stamp. I lend my books out a lot and now I can use these delightful cards. Here is a picture of the first card in use! There is no due date because my borrower should be able to read my books at their leisure. Yes, I know the date is wrong, that is when my patron is picking up their book. I was so excited to stamp that I pre-stamped! Also my old lady thumb has covered up the borrower's full name. This is the interweb afterall.

What's your favorite public building to enjoy?

Movies With Grandma Joy

My friend Shauna has recently created an amazing website and experiment that you should check out. It's really beautiful and made me want to hangout with some old folk!

www.movieswithgrandmajoy.com

BeBe Glamour *EDIT*

I have turned the original post below into a game!!! Match the letter of the photo with the number of the email quote you think it matches. I'll tally the scores on Monday and the closest one to matching all wins... something.

1. man to wife – “Mommy, when you aren't home daddy let's me eat peanut butter off of butter knives. It gets stuck on the roof of my mouth and I can't sleep without you anymore.”

2. wife to man – “Bebe now"

3. Man to wife – “Christmas BeBe”

4. Wife to Man – “Demon Bebe says, “have fun Daddy!”

5. wife to man – “Bebe wants me to get out of bed. Love you!!!”

6. Wife to Man – “The view from my chest”

7. Wife to man – “Bebe right now”

8. Wife to man – “Mommy worked out but I’m tired!!”

9. Man to Wife – “Mommy, I'm helping daddy study!”


Pictures of BeBe that we have taken with our phones and emailed to each other in the last 2 months, often sent with notes written as if BeBe were the sender.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

I.

Leaving Lowe's Vegas

Today I spent the day with my dear friend Crystal. Since it was alarmingly warm (65 degrees!) we took a nice walk with Bebe through some neighborhoods near my house. On the way back we passed Lowe's and Crystal was saying how much she would like to go in. We put Bebe in the cart and walked around for 15 minutes. With about 20 feet to the exit we were met by our 10th Lowe's employee who informed us we needed to leave and then escorted us out of the building. So I think we got kicked out of Lowe's today. Awesome! This is Bebe and Crystal enjoying the cabinetry section.

Ohio Trip

We went to Ohio for a few days and hung out with the fam. Two of my favorite people in the whole world were there, my Mom and my Aunt. Here is a small video featuring those two lovely ladies.

Yuletide Productivity

I am done with work now until mid January so I have been working on deep cleaning the house. We have this reaaaaaally old laptop that we literally could not give away--we tried! This is what I decided to do with it yesterday.

Greenwood

When it was Global Warmingly temperate in November I went with three of my favorite people (the Canning girls) to Greenwood Cemetery, a wifeandman regular post subject. The two younger girls, both in elementary school, had the best time going on a grave hunt. We went looking for the first female physician in New York state. We eventually found her but not without many wrong turns. When we located the grave the girls were so excited that they did cartwheels. Here is one picture I took.

Put the lights on the tree

Thank you Sufjan for that most wonderful of Christmas songs! We finally finished decorating our tree yesterday. It has been a two week process, absolute slow motion for us. My favorite are the nativities, not in the tree of course, just in Christmas general. Last year we added mini cut outs of the pbf and myself to be excited at the arrival of baby Jesus. I can thank the McMu's for inspiration. They have various action figures in with the standard wise men, Mary and Joseph. I think to myself, why not, everyone has a chance to come to the Christ child! What fun! I have only two more teaching days left and then I'm on a month long break! This break seemed like a great time for me to do a cleanse so I went to Whole Foods and got a cleanse called, "My First Cleanse." We'll see how it goes, I'm little nervous but I'm sure it will be fine.

What's your favorite part of the Christmas decorations?

Slow Down the Change

I've had this blog window open for some time now waiting to be filled. I don't know what to say. I know what I'm feeling but of course that does not mean I know how to say it.

I've been encountering a lot of talk about change lately, and mostly all in a positive light, but with the understanding that it's not easy. It can, however, be done in a loving way with a loving environment.

It's funny, I'm in my mid-twenties (soon to be late 20's), and I sometimes act like the rest of my life is laid out and set... and almost over. Even if I feel I want to make a change, I decide it's not easy enough... I decide I'm fine where I am. I am fine where I am. I'm happy enough.

Sometimes I worry too much about representation... about the way I am represented. I was in a situation recently, in a room with lots of people that represent an area of my life. I got uncomfortable, as usual, around them. But they don't represent me. They aren't me. AND THEY AREN'T BAD PEOPLE... they just make decisions that I wouldn't make. Part of who they are is not who I would ever want to be, but I have to remind myself that while they have some affect on how I am seen, ultimately, it's not a personal affect.

Ghandi's ever quoted "Be the change you want to see in the world," has meant more to me recently than ever. But, at least for the way I am reading Ghandi's quote, the opposite, which has also been important, is Mother Theresa's "We are not called to be successful. We are called to be faithful."

Blackberry Post

I'm sitting at the main branch of the New York Public Library, you know, the one with the Lions (and from Ghostbusters). I am having a typical NYC adventure, walking around, seeing brand new things. I'm sitting in a huge, marble reading room on the 3rd floor with an ornate ceiling. I already saw the Gutenberg Bible in the next room. I took a picture but I can't figure out how to post it from my phone. Hmph.

Mustache

I gave myself one.

rain rain go away

Lucky you! Two posts from us in one day... that is, if you're still reading... perhaps we scared you all away with the videos? or you got tired of waiting for us?

It's raining... many of you know how much I haaaate it when it rains... but only because I hate walking in it and being on a wet train with wet people and a wet umbrella on my lap. If I could sit at home with a cup of coffee and read, then rain would be just fine!

So we saw the final night of Sufjan Steven's performance of BQE at BAM on Saturday. I don't want to say too much, so I'll just say AMAZING!!! Also, just so you know, after performing John Wayne Gacy, Jr., he appologized for leaving out some of the lyrics. He said it was too disturbing and it might be time for him to put that song away. I'd never heard him perform it live before either...

I'd throw in my regular grumble of being too busy, but you all know I like it. The one thing that does suck is that i'm too busy to do some needed things... like fix the wall that was torn from our coat rack falling... and putting the coat rack back up. Our jackets and hoodies and car keys and dog leashes are all sort of scattered around the kitchen now, on the backs of chairs and the table itself.

Ominous Brooklyn sky

I am working on my first Off-Broadway show right now(!). It's very exciting. It's a West Texas dialect so I have had to do some fun research. Yesterday I spoke with a professor over at the University of Houston who sent me some sound samples. I will let you know when the show goes up.



Here is a photo I took the other day on the train, it was with my phone so it's not the best quality but...I think it makes the sky over Brooklyn look like the final battle between good and evil in a super hero movie. Thoughts?