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Somebody probably got fired for this, but it was worth it.

The re-trial of Socrates.

Turns out money can buy happiness.

Confessions of a liberal gun owner.

If you're a married man, you might want to rethink housework.

After my disastrous run-in with Nathan Englander, I decided to give Paper Menagerie a try.  Success.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank -- Take 2

It isn't often that I am so unhappy while reading a book that I don't even finish it.  I managed to get through the first two stories in this book, which took me about a third of the way through, maybe a little farther.

That was all I could do.

52 Weeks of Dresses -- Week 51

Otherwise titled: Pictures at an Exhibition

I had another set of symphony tickets on Friday, and T and I went to enjoy it.  The first piece was Mikhail Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture, and I really enjoyed it.  I was not such a fan of the second piece, Bartok's Piano Concerto No. 3.

After intermission, we got to the title piece, Mussorgsy's Pictures at an Exhibition, which is fabulous in every way - enough to make up for the lackluster second piece.



Goal #4

Goal #4: lots of things - some big, some little.

1. I'm going to have some time to myself this week, and I have lots of big decisions to make.  I'm not sure if the best thing to do is to think about them, or to completely stop thinking about them.  Either way, I hope I figure it out.

2. Thank you notes.  I owe some, and I'd like to get them sent out.

3. Other notes. I'd like to write cards/emails to some peeps I've neglected of late. Will do that.

4. Reading.  I'm behind on magazines again, and in the middle of about a dozen different books.  I'd like to at least clear out some of the magazine backlog this week.  Get through two or three dozen!

Too ambitious?  We'll find out....

Recap of goal #3: books are sorted!  Of all the ones in the box (which we not all kids' books, as I thought), I ended up keeping about half.  The other half are in a box to give away.

What I'm Reading Now -- What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank

I'm not generally a fan of short stories, but I heard some good things about this one, I thought I'd give it a go.

I have to say though, I'm about a story and a half in, and am not loving it so far.  Hm.

52 Weeks of Dresses -- Week 50

Otherwise titled: Housewarming!

A mere month after my first party, I went ahead and had another one - this time opening my door to friends from all over town so they could check out my new place.  It was a hot chocolate bar with lots of variations, and lots of tasty snacks!

I spent the night before the party doing as much prep as I could:

 Cookies!

Making marshmallows...

...and caramel sauce.

Radar helped too.

Before I knew it, it was Saturday afternoon and party time!

The finished cookies!

So many snacks

Your hot chocolate choices (plus anything from the bar, of course)

Me, in the dress, after a successful party!

Thanks to everybody who stopped by to visit!

Seriously?

The Song I'm Loving Today

The Middle (Jimmy Eat World)

Actually, this is kind of the song I'm hating today, but in a loving way - if such a thing is possible.

I've loved this song since it first came out (I was in college, and used to listen to it ALL THE TIME).  It's a weird video which I didn't actually see until recently, but cute.  'Nuff said.



Hey, don't write yourself off yet,
It's only in your head to feel left out
And looked down on.

Just try your best, try everything you can,
Don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away.

It just takes some time,
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride,
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

Hey, you know they're all the same,
You know you're doing better on your own,
So don't buy in.
Live right now, just be yourself.
It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else.

It just takes some time,
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride,
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright, alright.

It just takes some time,
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride,
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright, alright.

Hey, don't write yourself off yet,
It's only in your head to feel left out
And looked down on.
Just do your best, do everything you can,
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts are gonna say.

It just takes some time,
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride,
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright, alright.

It just takes some time,
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride,
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

Queries

1. Is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?  What if it's four in the bush?

2. Is it better to do the smart thing and be rich and maybe happy, or to do the fun thing and be poor and usually happy, but only able to do what you want when you can afford it?  Does your answer change if the smart thing is only temporary?  What if the fun thing is only temporary?

3. Is it ours to reason why?

4. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Deer of the Southern Wild

This morning, I was cruising along on a two-lane suburban road, minding my own business.  Three deer walked right up to the edge of the road a couple hundred feet in front of me, and I'll be damned if they didn't stop there side by side, wait for me to pass, and then cross the street behind me.

They're getting smarter.