| Adventures in lunchtime |
[Mar. 28th, 2011|08:56 pm] |
Today, I decided to go to Thai Urban Kitchen, in the Ogilvie center, for noms. They have good lunch specials, and there is a place where you can play with a 3DS there, which is fun. So I hoofed the three blocks, and about a block away heard about a bajillion sirens. About 300 fire trucks roll up, including a CFD "mobile command center" and a bunch of cop cars. Interestingly, they all stopped at the corner of Clinton and Madison.
And went into the Ogilvie Center. To the place I was planning on going to lunch.
Needless to say, I did not dine there today. |
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| DUDE. |
[Mar. 7th, 2011|06:08 pm] |
It's Pulaski Day! Hooray!
Normally, on Pulaski Day, I go to Kuma's at like the moment they open and get a sammich to go. This did not happen today, sadly, because the CTA does not have off on Pulaski Day. Thus, I declare it Pulaski Week and will try to go there sometime before the end of the week.
Instead of a delicious veggie burger from Kuma's, I am having a protein shake for dinner. This is largely unfulfilling. |
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| I have been bad about updating LJ |
[Feb. 5th, 2011|04:36 pm] |
I tried for a while, I really did. But then I stopped, because I suppose I'm more concerned about sharing all my dang business with the internets these days.
That said, I *cannot get this song out of my head*:
Let's get the rhythm of the hot dog. |
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| Holiday train! |
[Dec. 2nd, 2010|08:11 pm] |
Yesterday, from a window near my office at work, I saw the CTA Holiday Train. It was kind of exciting, and it is on the Blue Line today, so I decided to take it. The schedule said it'd be at my stop at 6.01PM today. I got there at like 5.45 and waited, along with another woman approximately my age.
It didn't come until like 6.30, but when it did, it was *so rad*. Some stuff was odd, but the attention to detail was pretty sweet. I particularly liked the ads for "toy assemblers, immediate vacancies" and corny holiday-themed jokes.
CTA Holiday Train, you're pretty darn great. |
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| So my car needed fixing, right? |
[Nov. 27th, 2010|06:39 pm] |
...and I got it fixed at "my mechanic," Saabtech.
It was indeed the problem I thought it was, with the idler pulley and the belts. They fixed it, and did an oil change and gave me new tires on my back wheels (which I desperately needed). The last time I had this problem, way back in 2003, fixing it cost $300. This time, fixing it and giving an oil change and getting 2 new tires was $400. I love Saabtech.
ALSO, I'm trying to post more on LJ, since I like to read it a lot but feel I'm taking without giving. There you go. |
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| Holy crap, what? |
[Nov. 26th, 2010|09:08 pm] |
Today, being black Friday and all, I went out shopping with my mom. I got some totally dope deals, as it were. One of the "totally dope deals" I got was a new computer, on which I am typing this post. It's an HP Pavilion 6620, and it is pretty rad. It is much much much faster and more awesome than my old computer, some of whose parts were 11 years old.
Then I drove home to Chicago from Fitchburg, and my car broke down in Hoffman Estates. On I-90. At freeway speeds. Fortunately, I was able to pull into the median and get out of traffic.
Unfortunately, sitting in the left shoulder of the freeway is goddamn terrifying.
I am ok, and I think this is the same problem I had back in December of '03 where the idler pullies seize up and end up breaking one of the timing belts. Still, it was terrifying and I had to sit on the side of the freeway for about an hour while AAA and the tow company argued about where I was. I was at mile 64 1/2 the whole time. Arg.
Anyway, I am fine and Car will hopefully be fine soon too. Still. What a day. |
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| A rare event |
[Nov. 25th, 2010|09:21 am] |
Yesterday, I did something I have not done since January 31, 2004.
I got a new cell phone. It's a G2! Honestly, this is way too exciting. Unfortunately, though I paid for it, it's in the shipping right now. I should get it next week sometime.
Happy Thanksgiving, y'alls. |
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| A Mildly Amusing Tale |
[Nov. 24th, 2010|10:19 pm] |
So yesterday I was at Chicago's French Market at the Metra station. It is an awesome place, and it is near to work. I go there frequently. It is a primarily food-focused place, though some stalls sell bricabrac of various types. Some of the food is prepared, a smaller portion is not.
One of the places that sells unprepared food was having some special thing where they were giving away tastes of "Tallgrass beef." I walked by on my way to Fasta Pasta and was offered some. I replied "No thanks, I'm a vegetarian."
The place wasn't that busy. Fasta Pasta was right across the aisle from the tallgrass beef people.
On the way out, the very same woman who had asked before asked again if I wanted to try some tallgrass beef. I replied "no thanks, I'm still a vegetarian." |
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| Loller Derby |
[Sep. 30th, 2010|07:24 am] |
Yesterday, I went roller skating and to a roller skating "quad speed class." It was fun, but I fell frequently and epically... and always in the same spot on my left butt cheek and left wrist. Also it turns out that I am an extremely fast learner with this stuff, but it is highly difficult to get people to teach a 29-year-old lady basic skate shit like "how to go backwards."
The pain was so bad, especially in my wrist, that I almost lost it. I didn't, though, and I *did* make it through the class. The first song on ye iPod on the way home was "The Great Shipwreck of Life" by IAMX, which features the line "in the great shipwreck of life, we all fall down."
That I did, Chris Corner. That I did. |
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| Holy crap what |
[Jul. 7th, 2010|07:19 pm] |
I was just the recipient of perhaps the worst telemarketing call ever. It went something like this:
*ring!*
Me: Hello?
Person: *mumblemumble*
Me: Hello? I can't hear you.
Person: Hi, I'm looking for Miss... Loody?
Me: This is she. Who is this?
Person: I think I might have the wrong number. I'm looking for Kaffrine.
Me: No, you have the right person, I'm trying to figure out who you are and why you've mispronounced my name so badly.
Person: Sorry. Uh. I'm from the UW foundation, you may have gotten an email recently about study abroad.
Me: I didn't get an email, but I got a real mail.
Person: Well, this is a, uh, follow up to that. *long pause* We're getting in touch with grads *long pause* who, uh, were in the program.
Me: Lemme stop you there, I can't afford to give at this time.
Person: Oh. Okay.
Me: Good luck.
Person: *sigh* Thanks.
The whole experience was extremely awkward, like talking to someone who knew English just fine but had barely ever interacted with someone on the phone before. Kind of fun, in retrospect, but that poor girl is in the wrong field. |
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| Biiiiicycle |
[Jun. 29th, 2010|09:11 pm] |
I've gotten back into cycling lately, and it is rad. Today, I went with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.6) havva from her place (1600N, 2800W) up to the Dice Dojo (5600N, 1200W) and back. I just mapped the route and it was about 16.5 miles. This time, I'm hardly saddlesore and am pumped as all getout. Biking is great!
Now all I have to do is tend to a few things on Ye Pinkke Steed of D00m, like putting new batteries in the lights so I don't feel like I need to be home as soon as the sun sets. |
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| Eeek PC |
[Jun. 22nd, 2010|08:28 pm] |
So, I'm considering getting a netbook of some sort. While I do love my Mac, I don't really feel like shelling out what they're asking. Thus! I want something like an Eee PC.
Problem is, when I google "Eee PC comparison," I get a bunch of links to products that are, in computer terms, ancient. The "Eee PC blog" seems more concerned with talking about Kindles and android-powered netbooks than Eee PCs.
Anyone got any good resources? I'm mostly looking for comparisons of current models. |
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| Kinetik 3.0 |
[May. 20th, 2010|06:22 pm] |
This is about how it went:
Heck yes. |
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| Long time, no update |
[Apr. 23rd, 2010|07:22 am] |
It may not just be me, since it seems LJ is getting a lot less traffic than before, but it seems that there's less and less in life that I want to randomly share with the intertrons than previously.
That said, I got a new job with "Associate Attorney" in the title (in fact, that is its title), and it's going well. My first arbitration is a week from Monday. It is somewhat imposing, but I think I'll pull it out. Today I get to remind myself about the nitpicky rules of evidence that have slipped my memory. RULE 15, NEVER FORGET. |
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| Speaking of links... |
[Jan. 27th, 2010|06:44 pm] |
Alright, check it, new blog time: 'tis The Slop Diet.
The goal is to chronicle this whole eating extravaganza I've been doing for the last few weeks. Thus far, I'm between 6 and 10 pounds (depending on frequency and intensity of crapping) off my starting weight. |
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| !!! |
[Jan. 10th, 2010|03:09 pm] |
Holy crap, I updated djeyg.com! AMAZING!
Yes, I'm going to work on being better at that this year. |
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| Nada, nada, limonada |
[Jan. 3rd, 2010|04:51 pm] |
They say "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."
Unless life also gives you a juicer, life better have given you a crapload of both lemons and patience. |
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| I dunno, seems a little sketchy. |
[Dec. 7th, 2009|09:31 pm] |
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I've started sketching again. In the years intervening since last I sketched with any frequency, I seem to have lost both technique and creativity. Currently, I'm doing mostly sketches of (a) my cat and (b) my Dungeons and Dragons characters. |
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| Not like Roomba |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|08:46 pm] |
I did a Zumba class this evening. "Intense" is the best word I can come up with for it. I will be going back.
Unrelatedly, this is Fluffster's page on the ACS site. |
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| Kittehs |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|11:18 pm] |
Today, I began my volunteer odyssey with the Anti-Cruelty Society, helping people choose which cats to adopt.
Today was also Fluffster's first day on the adoption floor.
I call it kismet. |
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| Moldy Oldies |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|04:28 pm] |
Today, I was going to go to the Anti-Cruelty Society for some good old-fashioned volunteerism. I mean, if you can't afford to donate money, why not donate time? I've got plenty of it. I had a time set up to be there and everything.
Then the volunteer coordinator called and said my volunteer trainer was sick today and couldn't be there. I'm still going on Sunday, but still. Sad timez.
So instead, I decided to go to Target. Target is fun, especially alone (darknes is a great guy, but is Not Good to Shop at Large Stores With), and I'd been meaning to go for a month or so. Before going, I ruminated briefly on what I should wear. I decided to wear my leather-front sweater, since it is comfortable, warm, and just a wee bit edgy. Thinking it hadn't been taken out of the closet for the season, I headed downstairs to pluck it out.
After some weeding around in said closet, I realized it was not there, but another jacket I had forgotten about was (DKNY, black denim with worn sections and red trim, got for like $8 at Crossroads). As I pulled it out, something caught my eye on the floor of the closet. More accurately, it was the toe of a boot.
And it was covered in mold.
Brief backstory: our tub used to drip into the storage area that abuts my closet, and that was getting way moldy a while ago. I called out the management co, they fixed the leak, cleaned the mold, and painted the wall to prevent the mold from coming back. I found mold in that closet once in the past, in December of 2008, and at that time it claimed a purse and a bag, but no other clothing. About a month ago, I found a pair of New Rocks had gone moldy. I cleaned them, and they appear not to be relapsing.
So after seeing one boot covered in mold, I started digging. Its partner was, too. The boots I wore for the entire tour (and haven't worn since, largely because they require a trip to the cobbler) were pretty moldy, too, as were my Demonia trainers. The Doc Martens I wore while studying abroad were entirely gone, too mold-covered to be salvageable, as were my scary tall Demonia sandals and the original pair of boots I'd discovered.
I antibacterial sprayed the entire area, hoping that "antibacterial" and "antifungal" are close enough for government work in this instance. I also fully cleaned the save-worthy shoes and pulled everything away from the wall what had caused the moldering to happen. Sucks, though. |
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| Fluffster's Tale 2: A Renaming |
[Sep. 29th, 2009|06:37 pm] |
This afternoon at work, I got a call from a manager at the Anti-Cruelty Society, telling me that I could bring in the cat if I relinquished it as "mine." Having had discussions on the abandonment of the cat with multiple neighbors, adult and juvenile, all of whom said "yeah, he's abandoned," I was willing to do so.
So I did.
I got him in the case after only two or three tries -- his fighting back was pretty weak. I think he was close to starving, in spite of the foods I had given him. The successful attempt occurred when I upended the crate, open part up, and put him in tail-first so he couldn't really see what was coming.
Brian showed up to help right after I locked the crate, and was gracious enough to drive me and Fluffster to the ACS. We got there with lots of mrowing in the car, but Fluffster was still friendly, rubbing his face on fingers I'd put through the bars.
When we got in, I immediately found the person I had talked to on the phone, and she reiterated what she'd said earlier. They checked for microchips and found none. The lady at ACS said he looked like Sylvester, of cartoon fame, and thus his shelter name will be such.
I turned him in, knowing full well that he'll find a loving family. This is the best cat ever.
Now if only I knew some folks in Chicago who were thinking about getting a cat. :)
Thanks to everyone for the hot tips on crating. I'm totally going to use them when next I have to take Riker to the v-e-t. |
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| The Tale of Fluffster: an ongoing adventure |
[Sep. 29th, 2009|07:34 am] |
For the last few weeks, I noticed a kitty hanging out outside a house on my block. It's not super near my house, but it's a place I walk by daily, and nine out of ten times, this cat was outside. Black with white chin, belly, and paws, long fur, super cute.
Saturday, while walking by, I saw it outside again. I bent down to reach out to it, and it walked right up to my hand, meowing a little. It gave me a facerub with its cheek. I was smitten, but had to leave because the group I was with was moving on.
Sunday, I got a can of Riker's food and left it out for the kitty. I talked to a neighbor who is frequently outside and asked what he knew. He called the cat "Fluffster," and said it had been left by the people who lived at the apartment it sat outside of.
I did some research and found that the "apartment" was actually a condo that was foreclosed upon in late August.
Yesterday, I made some phone calls and learned what I had to do. Among other things, I had to capture the cat. I walked by on the way home, and sure enough, Fluffster was there. I reached out and again was approached immediately. I gave the kitty some pets, and promised to come back. I returned, armed with a can of cat food, a bottle of treats, and Riker's cat carrier with a neutral-scented towel inside.
Fluffster came right up to me again, especially at the food. She didn't eat it right away, though, probably because I was hovering. She nom-ed the treats pretty hard. People walking by kept asking "oh, is that your cat?" since it had obviously been around for so long. I said no, but that I was trying to get it to save its life. Some neighborhood kids, aged around 12 or so, came by and helped me try to capture her. It ended up being a cycle of acts:
I put out the food, she came up. I pet her, she purred. The kids picked her up, using rather bad form (even though I told them how to do it), and she curled up in a ball, meowed sadly, and refused to cooperate with the carrier. I told the kids to put her down, they did. She backed off about 5-10 feet, then came right back and the cycle began again.
I gave up after a while, kind of just wanting the kids to go away. I left the can of food (mm, tuna and sardines). As I walked away, carrier in hand, she started grooming herself, washing her face with her paw. It was adorable and heartbreaking at the same time.
Tonight, I go back, this time armed with all the same stuff, some water, and a laser pointer to try to get her to "play" in. Tips on capturing a cat in a carrier are appreciated. |
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| Fun fax |
[Sep. 16th, 2009|10:50 pm] |
Tonight I:
- Attended a fundraiser for the Anti-Cruelty Society that cost $40.
- Spent $10 on raffle tickets.
- Had a great time painting a picture of teh kittay.
- Won a raffle for a $200 gift certificate for a wine tasting for me and 5 pals.
I feel like I made $150 and had a rad time. A winner is me. |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 8th, 2009|07:14 am] |
I am 28 today!
Birthdays are fun, but a little sad when they're on the day after a three-day weekend. |
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| Tiny ant update |
[Aug. 12th, 2009|08:14 pm] |
The cinnamon worked to repel them from wherever I put the cinnamon, including the garbage can, the cat food area, and the baseboards. Unfortunately, it drove them upward, into the cupboards, where they found a place where some honey I bought a while ago had spilled. I thought I'd cleaned up that spill, but apparently some got on the bottoms of neighboring bottles, and so there was an ant party in there.
I Mr. Clean-ed the trails and took everything out of the cupboards, tossed the offending bottles and boxes, and completely scrubbed the inside and outside of the cupboards. Hopefully this will be enough. |
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| Tiny ants, running, and more |
[Aug. 11th, 2009|08:37 pm] |
Our apartment is somewhat besieged by tiny ants. I've done everything I can -- put the cat's food in a tupperware and a moat, take out food-based garbage incessantly, and it's not really helping. I just cleaned the bathroom (they seem to exist in one of two places: the bathroom or the kitchen) with some h-core lysol-age, so hopefully it'll help.
I've gone running at least 3x a week for 4 weeks now. This is week 5. I don't see much of a difference on ye olde scale, but people are saying nice things. Here's to hoping the scale drop comes soon.
Gencon starts Thursday -- we're going on Friday, earlyish. So pumped. Gothsicles/Dark Clan show at Radio Radio on Saturday night! |
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| Woosh |
[Jul. 24th, 2009|07:38 am] |
It is completely bizarre how, in the space of two small weeks, one can go from dreading the 6.30AM alarm to looking forward to the 5.30AM alarm so one can go jogging.
Crazy talk, I say. |
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| Reminiscence |
[Jul. 21st, 2009|08:08 pm] |
Man do I wish Amphi existed when I lived 15 miles from Köln. All these pics of the city, though, have made me given to reminisce about my time in Germany, and fueled the desire to return.
Now all I need is more money.
Unrelatedly, Riker is sleeping with his noggin on my pillow, as if he were a person. It's mighty cute. |
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| I just want to see some cool shit |
[Jul. 18th, 2009|11:23 pm] |
Had you told me in 2001 when darknes got me No Sleep Demon for xmas (a cd that would go on to be my favorite for a solid several months) that I would, in a mere 7.5 years, hang out with Frank Spinath at a bar in Chicago and drink much beers and talk about stuff, I would disbelieve you. All these things happened, in spite of said potential disbelief, last night. It was about as rad as it gets. Apparently "Poisonous Friend" is about a snake/woman. Or woman with snakelike traits. I think I still like the spider explanation better, in spite of it all.
Today I played a lot of DnD after getting my annual girly bit checkup done. Said girly bit checkup put me in a mighty odd mood, but then Asteroid leveled up and got to smash shit with her axe. Turns out it really helps to actually, you know, be proficient with your weapon.
Riker is laying in my lap like Superman. It's awesome. |
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| Nerrrrrrrrrrrrd |
[Jul. 15th, 2009|07:31 am] |
Maybe it's good I didn't get into Dungeons and Dragons until age 26. I could see my childhood being very different had I gotten into it earlier.
For those of you fellow nerds out there: any thoughts on 4e, now that it's nearly a year old? I really only played 3.5 before it, but 4 just seems a lot better made. |
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| Ow, my butt |
[Jun. 22nd, 2009|06:46 am] |
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Yesterday, havva and I went on a bike ride through most of the north branch trail of the Cook County Forest Preserve. I tallied up the total distance, and it was about 40 miles. It was awesome and fun, but HOLY NUTS does my butt hurt. |
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