speeblog

maneki blog!

Because I am so good at updating this one, right? But seriously, I am putting together a business blog as we speak. I am adding links to friends' blogs (I believe this is called a "blogroll," but that word sort of makes me shudder)--I am only adding links to blogs that I know are okay to be public (like they are connected to a business). I didn't want anyone's personal blog getting shared with just anyone who visits my site (there will be a link on my site). So if you don't see yourself on my links page when the blog is finished, and you want to be there, please let me know!

(I will post the link to the new blog once it's finished because I am just learning how to use wordpress and it's kind of a "hot mess" right now, to quote Tim G).

As for the speeblog, it will still be around! Realistically I can see where it might get neglected a bit, but I'm keeping it in case business blogging doesn't suit me.

I said "blog" a lot in this post.

I think the title says it all...I treated myself to a mani/pedi today to celebrate my first day of having NO school obligations for the rest of the summer (well, I actually have a few administrative things to take care of, but no big deal). The place where I go sometimes has a deal on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays where you can get both for $25--it's a great deal and they do an excellent job. However, it's not such a great deal if you're like me, and having to sit in a chair while someone does your nails makes you start thinking of all the things you want to do when you're done, so by the time you get home you immediately start trying to package up orders, make phone calls, etc etc etc. I've already smudged almost all 10 nails. Oops! But the pedicure was great and I got the woman who was doing it to paint a little flower design on my big toe. She thought it was funny that I only wanted it on one toe--what can I say, I love asymmetry!

The new and improved website is up!

Well, technically it was the same size as it always is--it was my visit this year that was tiny. It was drizzling/raining and cold pretty much the whole time and I got there later than I had planned (long story), so I didn't stay as long as I might have liked. I had a great time anyway. I feel like I have had a really crazy couple of weeks, and I thought it would be nice for me to just go for a long-ish drive by myself and wander around out there a while. I found some really great things--jewelry/parts, of course, but also a great 1950s gold starburst wall clock with two matching framed pictures to go with it ($5 for all three!), and a black on white lace-patterned oilcloth for my dining room table. I got to see so many lovely wildflowers on the drive out there, and on the way back I drove up to the top of this scenic overlook (I didn't get out of the car, though, because it was in the middle of nowhere and there was this guy sleeping in a truck in the parking area--I must not be stolen!).

I think I might hang up my new clock set tomorrow and if I do, of course it will be on flickr!

xoxo,
sarah

So today for some reason this memory just popped into my head.

When my sister and I were little--I want to say I was somewhere between 4-6, making her about 7-9--we were with our grandfather, who was doing errands. He stopped into the pharmacy, and we waited in the car. After a while, two men walked into the pharmacy and Porridge was like, "Hey, those look like bad guys, we need to hide in the back seat of the car." I didn't believe her, but I went along with it and we crouched down behind the seats in the back. We were there for a long time--it turns out, the two guys were indeed "bad guys" and they made everyone in the pharmacy lie down on the floor while they robbed the store at gunpoint. My grandfather was one of the ones who had a gun held to his back. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt, and Porridge was able to describe the two men--one of them was wearing a Members Only jacket and they were carrying a Le Bag (making this a "Totally 80s!" crime).

I don't know why I remembered this today, but I hadn't thought about it in years.

I knew that they were going to use a photo of mine in their e-mail newsletter; I had no idea that 4 out of the 6 pictures featured would be mine and that my business name would be in it at all, much less at the top of the list! YAY!

So this is my current favorite podcast. It's under the books/literature category in iTunes, but I don't know if that's the best classification...basically they have a theme for each show, and then they interview authors who have written about something relating to that theme. It's more about the issue itself than the book. This is from the website:

"What is TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE all about?
TTBOOK began as an audio magazine of ideas - two hours of smart, entertaining radio for people with curious minds. It's sort of journalistic (because some of us are, or used to be, journalists), but it's never about the President's speech to the U.N., weapons inspections in Iraq, or yesterday's stock market disaster. It's the kind of show that would spend an hour on the future of capitalism, or on the roots of Islamic fundamentalism. It might also spend an hour on hair. Or salt. Or pirates, road trips, psychic phenomena, house cleaning, animal intelligence, high energy physics, or how to say you're sorry. (You'll find all those shows in our archives.) It's the kind of show where someone might mention Charlotte Bronte or Anthony Trollope in one segment, U2 or They Might Be Giants in another."

Anyway, I love it. I'm about to go turn on the episode titled "The Beauty Biz" right now.

xoxo,
sarah

Here is the letter I was telling you about that never made its way to Mr. Savage. I wrote it when I was 9, so that would have been either 1989 or 90, depending on what time of year I wrote it. I would have been in 5th grade. Everything is exactly as it was in the original letter, except that I removed the last names of the people mentioned and the name of my elementary school. I'm impressed with my 9 year old self's punctuation, spelling, and grammar! I even indented the paragraphs, which I can't figure out how to do in blogger. I also think it's hilarious that Fred is supposed to keep my letter and reference it later when he receives my classmates' letters (which of course, he will personally read, just as he would have personally read mine). Also, please note that the line about how I "think his show is great" is a total lie; I kind of hated the Wonder Years and hardly ever watched it. My crush on him was mostly "The Wizard"-based. But hey, if it gets him to read my letter and be my pen-pal (and apparently get involved in some petty 5th grade arguments), then I guess the ends justify the means? And one more thing--or should I say, P.S. (again!)--the "I'm not kidding" at the end was apparently added later; I must have been concerned that Fred Savage might not have taken my words as seriously as they so obviously deserved to be taken.

Here is the letter:

Dear Fred,

My name is Sarah. I am 9 years old. I think your show is great. I live in Beaumont, TX and I go to [school name here].

Do you like acting? Do you act on stage, or just on TV? I like to sing on stage.

My friends Katherine and Jennifer are going to write to you. Jennifer spelled my name wrong (see her letter when you get it). We really think you are great.

Can you write me back? Can we be pen pals? Please?

Yours Truly,
Sarah

P.S. - Please Write Back (and send pictures)!

P.S. (again!) - What Jennifer wrote about me isn't true. Don't believe her about Katherine, either. She is just trying to make us mad. I'm not kidding.

I sat down to make a list of some of the good parts of 2007. When I started making the list, I thought I'd just have a few, but as I started writing I realized that there were so many that I just had to cut it off! There are many other things that I'm sure I'd include if I had more time, but I just wanted to get this out there while it was still fresh in my mind. So here it is, a list of my favorite moments--big and small--of 2007.

* Leaping into the new year (literally) with Shea and my cousin Megan, and having Megan spend a whole week with me.

* Going back to school. I am still deciding on what to do afterwards, but for now I’m just enjoying being able to read and write and do research and come up with analogies and arguments and defend them. And in each semester that I’ve been back, one of my teachers has taken a paper I’ve done and passed it out to all the other students as an example for them to follow. Hooray! (and sorry for the bragging)

* Having a dream about my grandpa (he died when I was 10). I walked through a door into a room and he walked in through another door. It took him a while to recognize me, but when he did, he got the biggest smile on his face and said, “I haven’t seen you in a long time!” I got to hug him, and I can honestly say that I have never in my life felt such amazing pure joy—awake or asleep—as I did in that dream. The dream was a few months ago and even now when I remember it, I just feel a thrill.

* Getting Chibi! I saw her on Petfinder and I had this feeling like, “That’s my dog!” Shea and I went to a meet and greet to visit her (her name was Patti then) and she let me pick her up right away (those of you who have met her will understand that this is no small thing). She let me pass her over to Shea, too. It was like she just knew that she was going to be our dog.

* Having my mom and my aunt Carol (her twin) come visit me for a few days. They still talk about the dinner Shea made for them--it was really good!

* Learning to ride a bike! My sweet boyfriend got me the most awesome pink bike and he was so helpful to me when I was learning to ride. It was such an amazing feeling when I finally got going and realized, “Hey, I’m riding!” In a way, I feel kind of lucky to have learned as an adult, because it seemed totally magical to me and I’m not sure would have appreciated that feeling as much if I were a kid.

* Visiting Hamilton Pool with Natalie, walking along the back of the grotto and getting to a part where we had to walk between giant boulders and the wall of a cave. It was just big enough to squeeze through, and we both sort of ran through there, giggling and squealing the whole way. I felt like a little kid again. Then spending the afternoon chatting and drying off in the sun.

* Spending time with my aunt Becky when she was in town. We went out to lunch and then shopping. She is just such a neat person and I’ve never really spent any one-on-one time with her before.

* My uncle making it through a big, scary surgery, and getting to the point where you would never have guessed that he had open-heart surgery just a few months ago.

* Going to Dunkin Donuts in the middle of the night with Megan, chatting for a long time about boys and what have you (like the old days!). Bonus points because when we arrived, the entire place was filled with cops. I was so sad that I left my camera at home!

* Getting to be involved in my sister’s engagement! I am so happy that she and Paul are getting married. They are a great couple and I can’t wait for Paul to be my brother-in-law!

* Having a lovely Christmas where I got to reconnect with my family, talk to people I haven’t talked to in forever (and some that honestly, I never really talked to because I was a kid).

xoxo,
sarah

First, Shea got a new job! It is at ACC and he starts the week after next--he will be creating internal websites and projects for all different departments. This means he will be doing more of the creative things that he's so good at, he'll have a more flexible work schedule, get off at 5 instead of 6, and he'll have FIVE weeks of vacation a year! Holy moly! AND, his last day at his old job was Friday, so he gets a week off in between.

And then,
Porridge got engaged!



Paul proposed in Houston on the 23rd, which was also Porridge's 30th birthday. Then, he made it an even bigger surprise by inviting their friends Trung and Donna and Shea and I to a surprise party at Michaelangelo's in Houston. She didn't suspect a thing!

The next day, Shea drove back to Austin, Paul flew to Oregon, and Porridge and I drove to Beaumont. I have to say, this was definitely
one of my favorite Christmases ever! I got to see relatives I haven't seen in forever, and we all had a good time just talking and laughing (and eating). Everything was just so perfect. I love my family! And at our Christmas at home, I got totally spoiled like a little kid.

For my mom's (60th) birthday, which is technically today, Porridge and I made her a video with lots of pictures from the time she was a little baby until now. I have to say, either my grandmother or grandfather (or both?) was a great photographer! We came across a lot of great photos, especially of my mom and her sister (my mom is an identical twin). (Trivia fact about my family: my dad's mom was also an identical twin). I am making some higher quality DVDs to give to people in my family, but here is a YouTube video if anyone is interested.



Also, I was digging through some old papers in my bedroom at my parents' house, and I came across a letter I wrote (but never sent) to Fred Savage circa 1989. It is pretty hilarious and I will post it here soon.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

xoxo,
sarah

Sunday was our three year anniversary! We went to Fino for dinner--which was great--and then we went over to 37th street and looked at the lights. That part is kind of a tradition; we went there on our first date after dinner. I knew he was a keeper when he asked if I wanted to stop by my apartment first to change shoes--I was wearing red high heels. So considerate!

I only took a handful of photos, but the ones I did take are up on Flickr.

This is us on our anniversary:



This is a picture of us right after we started dating (note my sister's cat making scary eyes in the background):


xoxo,
s

Sometimes I hear about internet comics, and I have to say, I almost never think they are funny. But holy moly, Shea and I spent an embarrassingly long time Thursday night looking through the archives of this one. This is one of my favorites:




marriedtothesea.com

Monday night I stopped by the grocery store, and there was a little girl waiting for her mother while I was checking out. She just sort of appeared out of nowhere and announced that she was "covered with stickers." Before I knew it she was putting one of the stickers, a sparkly rainbow heart one, on my coat. She told me she normally gives out butterfly stickers but she was out of them. She complimented my wallet (it's got Pandapple on it), and then when I signed my credit card receipt, she told me that everyone had their own unique way of writing and that she had invented her own style of cursive! It was very cute.

And, two strangers, one on the sidewalk and one on the bus, have told me "Merry Christmas!" this week.

As you might have noticed, I've been working on a new layout for the blog. I figured out how to do some things, but since I know nothing about HTML, it's lucky that I happen to have a boyfriend who knows a lot about HTML and fixed it for me. It looked a little wonky this week while I was working on it, but now it's fixed. Hooray! I made the drawing and the collage and took the photo, though.

xoxo,
s

or, "things i didn't know i missed"

- pine needles
- crawfish burrows in your backyard
- zydeco music at every outdoor festival
- sweet tea
- three-day thunderstorms
- strong texas accents on the long I
- "used to could"
- spanish moss (not ball moss)

Since yesterday, I've been going through a lot of my stuff and getting rid of things I don't need. I'm totally jealous of people who have a minimal amount of possessions. I find that my house gets messy really quickly, and a lot of that is because I just have too much. It feels really good to just purge--I cleaned out my shelves in the bathroom yesterday, tossing out all kinds of old bath products from who knows when that I kept "just in case," and today I got rid of a lot of stuff in the bedroom. I also managed to fill up about three bags (so far) to donate. Hurray! And since winter break is coming up, I'll have a lot more time to work on it. I would take before pictures but you probably wouldn't be my friend anymore...but I'll probably take some pics of my sweet organization when I'm done. I am planning on redecorating the living room when I'm done (uh, good thing Shea doesn't read this) and you know you'll see photos of that, too. Yay for cleaning!

***

Last week, I went to Galveston and had Thanksgiving with my sister Porridge, her boyfriend Paul, and his sister Erika. Erika did most of the cooking and Paul made the turkey, and I...well, I didn't really do anything. But I did load the dishwasher afterwards (I can't really count that though, because after being without a dishwasher for so long, loading one kind of seems like a luxury.

Porridge had to work nights while I was there, so I only got to see her before she left for work at like 6 pm. Here is a picture of Porridge and Paul:



We had a lot of fun! Paul and I went shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We went to Target and then to the mall (!) in Clear Lake (Galveston doesn't have a mall). It wasn't really that crowded! I had a really fun day hanging out with Paul. I am so glad that my sister has such a cool boyfriend!

We also got to meet up with my cousin Kelly! He is 4 years younger than me. His parents have a beach house in G-town and that's where they go for Thanksgiving. I haven't seen him in about two years (okay, I got sad typing that, I used to see him all the time). He is HIL-ARIOUS, let me tell you. Also, even though he is younger than me, he is much taller (as are most people), as you can see below:



xoxo,
s

One thing about going to school when you're older is that you (I?) feel a little better positioned to question things. For example, right this second I am working on a paper assignment that is utterly ridiculous. And I LOVE writing papers (I am not being sarcastic). I love thinking about something interesting and going to the library and whatnot and reading scholarly articles and incorporating all sorts of information into my ideas. I love thinking about things from all different angles. I love assignments that make me think critically and where I learn something from all of my work. Unfortunately, this is not one of those assignments. This falls more into the category of regurgitating information. I actually feel a little angry that I have to write it, which is making it difficult for me to work. Boo! But maybe now that I've expressed this, I can get down to business!

Quelquefois, si je pense quelque chose, je parle en français cette chose dans ma tête. Mon français n'est pas bon, mais je fais des progrès. J'ai eu un examen la semaine dernière, mais je ne pouvais pas étude parce que j'étais malade. Mais, j'ai ma note--84! Pas mal!

Avant vous pensez je parle français très bien, il est important pour se rappeler que j'écrit seulement ce qui je pense que je peux écrire. Je ne sais pas tout les mots!

Maintenant, je vais aller à la bibliothèque. Au revoir!