Monthly Archives: October 2007
My Halloween tradition
America has its scary Halloween tradition of overeating and general gluttonizing. The Castro has its scary Halloween tradition of stabbies and shooties. And now I, too, have a scary Halloween tradition of being yelled at by a terrifying Weird Sister who is just as creepy but much less coherent than the witches of Macbeth. This … Continue reading
The Mediocre American Novel
National Novel Writing Month begins next week, and I have signed up. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November, beginning at midnight on November 1 and ending by midnight on November 30. You don’t get anything, except 50,000 words you’ve written; there are almost no guidelines; and if … Continue reading
Bugville
The heat wave seems to be driving more bugs into the house, maybe because I’m leaving more windows open. Just this morning, for example, I noticed a spider crawling around on the floor near my workspace and neatly trapped it under a glass for Gene to deal with when he comes home from work. Next … Continue reading
Older, if no wiser
Even though I’m choosing to be 27 for one more year, rather than turning 28, there are some undeniable signs that I’m getting older. 1. I didn’t even consider eating my leftover birthday cake for breakfast, instead fixing myself some responsible peanut butter toast. 2. I got all het up over a perceived slight and … Continue reading
Things Mindy Kaling has bought that I love
Mindy Kaling (who writes for and plays Kelly on The Office) co-authors a blog called Things I’ve Bought That I Love which I’ve been really enjoying. As the title suggests, this is an unapologetic paean to consumerist pleasures and I have seized it like a life raft as I float about in the non-consumerist sea … Continue reading
The Corrections
I just finished The Corrections, which I picked up for $1 at the booksale per Sean’s endorsement, even though after reading the dust jacket I felt pretty confident the whole thing would just be way more reality than I wanted to deal with and would consequently depress me. Fortunately, no. The multitude of problems encountered … Continue reading
No one keeps a cow for a friend, and other good advice
We are approaching the season of giving, only partly because my birthday is on Wednesday, and this year, THIS year, I am determined to get my shopping done early. But of course no one but me knows in October what they might want for Christmas (and if you’re my dad, you might not know until, … Continue reading
Gene sets up the third television in our eternally lengthening parade of living room televisions, while I make helpful comments in the style of Michael Scott
GENE: Aha! I do have a cord. Wow, it’s really long, too. ME: That’s what she said! GENE: Hm, wrong gender though. ME: That’s what she said! GENE: I can’t believe we can even fit three of these in here. ME: That’s what she said! GENE: Man, do we even need television with you around? … Continue reading
Global warning
Sometimes my liberal friends tell me about meeting people who do not believe global warming is a real thing. And then we all make fun of them. But we liberals DO believe it is a real thing, and we still don’t make any inconvenient lifestyle changes. So who is stupid now?
John Wayne be damned: a hero should be needy
At first, like everyone who watches The Office, I was drawn to Jim. Tall, rangy, witty and with an extremely malleable face, Jim was everything I look for in a television crush. But soon I began to realize my true love for Toby. Yes, he is balding and is 40 years old, but Toby is … Continue reading