the one where I lack people skills

Yesterday afternoon I was messing around in my kitchen when someone knocked on my door. As this has never happened in the two years I have lived here I almost fell off my chair. Then I jumped up and looked for a hiding place, realizing I was being totally irrational I then answered the door. It was my neighbor and the following conversation ensued:

Neighbor guy: "Hey, some friends are over making me dinner for my birthday and we need a cup of flour, do you have some?"
Me: "Happy Birthday!"
N" "Thanks"
Me: (sad voice) "Oh, Pearl Harbor day, bummer."
N: "Yeah..."
Me: "So I don't have any flour 'cause I have Celiacs"
N: ....
Me: "But I am making cookies soon, I'll stop by and give you some for your birthday."
N: "OK, sounds good"
Me: (firm) "I'll see you later then."
N: "See ya."

Needless to say I totally forgot to bring him cookies. This is why I don't speak to my neighbors.

The one where I diss Oprah

Last night I had a negative knee jerk reaction when someone mentioned a book they had recently read and enjoyed. I have not read this book, but I have already formed an opinion about it based on one person. Oprah. This book happens to be her current book club pick. I have a strong dislike for reading Oprah books, which is irrational because she usually picks good books. I just feel like such a lame follower whenever I read one.

Also I will never forgive her for picking East of Eden when I was about halfway through it. Thanks for almost ruining Steinbeck for me Oprah!

So, yeah to Oprah for getting people excited about reading, but for now I'll pick my own books.

Get Smart

My campus has a new building that is very technology oriented. Lights are motion censored, smart boards are used, very 21st century. I have had a class in there all semester after spending most of my college career in a building full of chalkboards. This is a big change.

Last night I started a new class in another building that I haven't really been in before. I got there early to work on the computer, but the room was dark. Seeing that the room was full of computers, and did in fact have a smart board, I figured they must be motion lights. I started walking around hoping the lights would pop on, but they did not. Sighing I set down my tea and bag and jumped around where I thought the sensor might be. Nothing. Then I actually said aloud, "stupid smart room." I went to another building only to discover the computers were down. Maybe that's why the lights didn't come on, I thought, maybe it's all connected. I went back to my building and stood around in the hallway, as opposed to sitting alone in an empty dark room. Another student entered the room and I watched eagerly to see how he would react. He reached over and flicked on the light switch.

Oh yeah, I'm a dork

This weekend I was at my parents looking through old pictures. I need a picture for work and it's supposed to be from high school, but younger staff can use one from age ten on to make it harder to guess. Going through the box of photos I noticed that from the age of five to around sixteen there were no pictures of me. None. I was giving my parents a hard time because there seemed to be tons of my siblings, what's the deal? (This might be a good time to mention that I have a textbook case of middle child syndrome). They looked at me like I was crazy and my dad said, "You never wanted to be in them, you were so shy." I kinda yeah whatevered them and forgot about it.

This morning, I'm brushing my teeth listening to the radio and all of a sudden I was like; oh my god as a child I got grounded twice. From reading. I am a huge dork. How could I forget my shy nerdish roots? Maybe it's the fact that somewhere along the way reading, documentaries, NPR, and PBS became cool. At least to me. Or maybe I found the right balance of extrovert to mix in with my true loner self. Or it could just be that I grew up, and stopped giving a shit about what other people think.

Hello Random

Everyone who can should go vote today, I know you don't think it's a big deal, but it is! Just do or else the terrorists win.

I've busted out my grandma sweater. If you see me between now and March sorry, but I am cold.

I didn't get my homework done.

Reading anti-abortion billboards out loud is hilarious, due to the fact they are prone to exclamation points. Try it. What!! Embryos are tiny babies!!

My friend is marrying someone I loathe. What could be more depressing?

digital doom

My TV is eight years old. It has a VCR built into it. I get four channels with an antenna that only has one ear (anteni?). I'm okay with this. But now everywhere you turn its February this, digital converter box that. I decided not to get one and just be TVless, whatever. Then I got a coupon and it was only $10.00, so I went and got one. The big selling point was that the box comes with a remote. I do not have a TV remote, just one for the DVD player. This will be important later.

So, my dad ordered the coupon and I went and picked it up yesterday before work. After work I decided to install it. Problem one: I need a power strip. Four things can't be plugged in to two jacks people! No big deal, easily fixable. I breeze through instillation lalala, this is SO easy, I'm a technological wizard! Now just turn the sucker on. Problem two: To set it up the TV must be turned to channel 3. My channel 3 is not programmed. I have no remote. OK, I start pushing buttons on the front of the TV. Menu, yes! Add/Delete channels, yes please! Problem three: Delete is the default, and I cannot get it to go to add. Why won't it go to add?

Conclusion: I cannot get my converter box to work. And I accidentally deleted channel 8 in all the confusion. In my quest to get more channels I now get less.

oh, really?

I've started a few posts this week, but none have turned out well, so I decided to just tell a story about me being a dumb ass. Most of you may have heard this one, but I like it and felt it was blog worthy.

It's been established that technology and I don't mix, so when I bought an I Pod a few months ago no one was more surprised then me. I've used it exactly three times. My most recent was a few weekends ago at the local pool. I keep it hidden, sure someone will spot me for the technology posed that I am. As I was adjusting the volume someone noticed it and asked me about it, that led to the following conversation:

Dude: "Is that the I Pod touch?"

Me, internally: "Hmm, it's an I Pod, I touch it to make it go..."

Me to dude: "Yes"

Dude: "Really? Do you like it?"

Me: "Well, I'm not that good at this stuff, but yeah."

Dude: "What are you listening too?'

Me: "This American Life"

Dude: "Who are they?"

Me: "It's a show on NPR"

Dude: "Oh"

Conversation effectively killed.

Me later to my brother: "I have an I Pod touch, right?"

Bro: "Um...No. It's a classic."

Me: "Oh, I thought because I touched it to make it go..."

Bro: "........." Accompanied with look of pity and horror.

Book Review- Breaking Dawn

Don't read if you want to read the book!

The final book in the Twilight series came out on Friday at midnight. Lot's of you might not be familiar with this series. It's possible that you are how I once was; mocking and judgemental of the fools who could get caught up in a book about teenage vampire love. You are so so wrong. While I agree this series may not be for everyone, most people I've talked to that read it absolutely love it. Including me. That's what led me to pre-order the fourth and final book, and pick it up at 12:30 Friday night/Saturday morning. That's why ever time I looked at it in the next 24 hours I kind of giggled insanely, not believing it was finally here.

I finished it Sunday afternoon. It is 768 pages. I did do other things besides read last weekend. I went to breakfast with my dad, Festa Italiana Saturday night. The grocery store Sunday morning, and watched some of the Yankees game that afternoon at my grandma's house. I probably wouldn't be so desperate to get it done, but I work around people who are reading it, and I didn't want to find out anything about it before I was finished.

I liked it. It's not getting the best reviews online, and I think it lacked some of the feeling of the first three books. It had some more adult themes and sometimes I felt like the author was pushing her views a little. She's a Mormon. It was long but I obviously never lost interest. I will say that of the four books in the series, this was probably my least favorite, but I love them all so that isn't really saying much.

If you ever want to feel a little like a teen again, read this series. If you are reading/or have read it let me know what you think.