The benefits to having two seperate user accounts on the computer is that my stuff doesn't have to fraternize with Jason's stuff, and vice versa, and my iTunes does not get littered up with Cambodian pop music.
The downside is that certain programs, if open by another user, cannot be opened until they are closed by the original user. And sometimes these programs make themselves very difficult to close. I'm looking at you, webcam.
Sometimes I'm not sure which user account is open, so I hit the homepage button: Washington Post = Mary; New York Times = Jason.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Saturday, May 08, 2010
The Wife Who Could Not Work
The next installment of bedtime stories from Children of Wax: African Folk Tales concerns marital relations and division of labor.
So a rich man goes adventuring and in one village, he spots the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She is a serious catch. He approaches her father to ask for her hand in marriage and her father says he can marry her for 50 cows (a lot of cattle, in this story). The rich man agrees to pay her father 50 cows and they shake on it, after which the father says, oh, by the way, you should know--a girl as beautiful as this one is not able to work. She is too delicate. And the rich man says, no problem.
The man takes his new wife back to his village where everybody ooohs and aaaahs over her beauty. Since he travels often, he installs new wife in his house and she sits in the shade every day. After a time, the other women in the village grow weary of this and they think, seriously, there is lots of work to do: she needs to pitch in. They wait until a time when the husband is out of town and then approach her about helping with an easy task: fetch water in a jug from the river. And she's like, sure! The beautiful woman takes the jug to the river, fills it with water, and on the way back she is caught in quicksand, weighed down by her cargo, and sinks below the surface.
After they realize she is missing, the other women in the village FREAK OUT and make up a lie about how she was eaten by a lion. But the husband, upon his return, is not deceived by this story, and he goes to the local wise man to figure out how to find his wife. The wise man tells him to go to the riverbank and get a fat woman (I am not making this up) to jump up and down in the sand. Husband does this, and slowly but surely the wife emerges from the sand and everyone apologizes and promises to never make her work again.
Moral of the story? Well, that's a weighted question, now, isn't it?
If you ask me, beautiful people should surely be revered and consulted with and not forced to toil, as we have this unfortunate habit of stepping into quicksand.
On the other hand, combine a beautiful person with a control freak and she's like, "I'm cool!" even as she's sinking.
Perhaps we are all the beautiful wife, and perhaps we are all the rich man, and the fat woman. We are all too delicate for this world, and we work anyway, and we guard our possessions, and we strive for social justice.
And if we have any sense at all, when we find ourselves in quicksand we drop the jug of water and fight for our lives to get out.
So a rich man goes adventuring and in one village, he spots the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She is a serious catch. He approaches her father to ask for her hand in marriage and her father says he can marry her for 50 cows (a lot of cattle, in this story). The rich man agrees to pay her father 50 cows and they shake on it, after which the father says, oh, by the way, you should know--a girl as beautiful as this one is not able to work. She is too delicate. And the rich man says, no problem.
The man takes his new wife back to his village where everybody ooohs and aaaahs over her beauty. Since he travels often, he installs new wife in his house and she sits in the shade every day. After a time, the other women in the village grow weary of this and they think, seriously, there is lots of work to do: she needs to pitch in. They wait until a time when the husband is out of town and then approach her about helping with an easy task: fetch water in a jug from the river. And she's like, sure! The beautiful woman takes the jug to the river, fills it with water, and on the way back she is caught in quicksand, weighed down by her cargo, and sinks below the surface.
After they realize she is missing, the other women in the village FREAK OUT and make up a lie about how she was eaten by a lion. But the husband, upon his return, is not deceived by this story, and he goes to the local wise man to figure out how to find his wife. The wise man tells him to go to the riverbank and get a fat woman (I am not making this up) to jump up and down in the sand. Husband does this, and slowly but surely the wife emerges from the sand and everyone apologizes and promises to never make her work again.
Moral of the story? Well, that's a weighted question, now, isn't it?
If you ask me, beautiful people should surely be revered and consulted with and not forced to toil, as we have this unfortunate habit of stepping into quicksand.
On the other hand, combine a beautiful person with a control freak and she's like, "I'm cool!" even as she's sinking.
Perhaps we are all the beautiful wife, and perhaps we are all the rich man, and the fat woman. We are all too delicate for this world, and we work anyway, and we guard our possessions, and we strive for social justice.
And if we have any sense at all, when we find ourselves in quicksand we drop the jug of water and fight for our lives to get out.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Jury of Your Fears
I don't normally blog about work.
And, I'm not going to start.
Except to say, that my new office setup is something of a fishbowl.
Imagine a large room. And in every corner of that room, there is a desk. And at every desk, there is a person, staring into the fishbowl. And a large, mostly underutilized space in the middle, perfect for dance parties or cartwheels or placing a table and placing papers upon said table (some of these things happen more often than others).
So that, when a person walks into the room, they have four people staring at them from every angle, passing judgement, 360-degree-mirror style. It's not terrible user friendly.
And, I think an office should be friendly.
For the people who work in this office space, it means at any hour of the day, three people are in your direct line of sight, and vice versa. It also means that most phone conversations are extremely transparent. I did not fully comprehend the repercussions of this set-up until a co-worker in the fishbowl remarked to me, "Mary, you are very expressive."
"What??"
"You make noises, and faces, and it is very easy to see what you are thinking."
And this is all true.
And I think probably, in order to be a better professional, and hide my Achilles' heel(s), which include making commentary at the computer and making faces during phone calls and reacting to various e-mails that cross my path, that probably I should have a cubicle, or like a pizza box or something.
So I am advocating for a cubicle. Or "like a pizza box." Or something.
Which is a strange position to take, but here I am.
And I love my job, I do. I get expressive because it means something to me -- about my own professional proficiencies, about the ability of my acronym to do good in this world, about our shared future and what will become of it.
And every time someone walks into the room I want to offer them a seat, a comfortable seat with an advantageous vantage point, so they can get comfortable and we can just talk. I want to like people and be liked. I want to have the space to do this well.
I am working to get to the point where I can make these things happen.
And, I'm not going to start.
Except to say, that my new office setup is something of a fishbowl.
Imagine a large room. And in every corner of that room, there is a desk. And at every desk, there is a person, staring into the fishbowl. And a large, mostly underutilized space in the middle, perfect for dance parties or cartwheels or placing a table and placing papers upon said table (some of these things happen more often than others).
So that, when a person walks into the room, they have four people staring at them from every angle, passing judgement, 360-degree-mirror style. It's not terrible user friendly.
And, I think an office should be friendly.
For the people who work in this office space, it means at any hour of the day, three people are in your direct line of sight, and vice versa. It also means that most phone conversations are extremely transparent. I did not fully comprehend the repercussions of this set-up until a co-worker in the fishbowl remarked to me, "Mary, you are very expressive."
"What??"
"You make noises, and faces, and it is very easy to see what you are thinking."
And this is all true.
And I think probably, in order to be a better professional, and hide my Achilles' heel(s), which include making commentary at the computer and making faces during phone calls and reacting to various e-mails that cross my path, that probably I should have a cubicle, or like a pizza box or something.
So I am advocating for a cubicle. Or "like a pizza box." Or something.
Which is a strange position to take, but here I am.
And I love my job, I do. I get expressive because it means something to me -- about my own professional proficiencies, about the ability of my acronym to do good in this world, about our shared future and what will become of it.
And every time someone walks into the room I want to offer them a seat, a comfortable seat with an advantageous vantage point, so they can get comfortable and we can just talk. I want to like people and be liked. I want to have the space to do this well.
I am working to get to the point where I can make these things happen.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Elephant in the Room
No one is reading this blog anymore, and I guess that is ok.
So yesterday Jason read me this folk tale from Children of Wax: African Folk Tales
"Do you want to hear the introduction to a Tom Robbins novel, or the Pumpkin story?" he asked.
You already know how we feel about Tom Robbins.
So I picked the pumpkin story.
To paraphrase: Elephants move into a family's community, they start eating all the pumpkins, the sole source of food and nutrition, the family determines they must move, do something, or starve. But they can't fend off the elephants in a normal fashion because they are huge and very strong.
So the oldest boy gets a brilliant idea: let's hollow out the biggest pumpkin we can find, cover the youngest boy in fat and squeeze him instead, lure an elephant into EATING the pumpkin, boy stabs elephant's heart from inside the body, all the other elephants witness this and freak out and leave.
Turns out the youngest boy is not so much invested in this plan. But, since all his brothers think it is a great idea, youngest boy is talked into going along it. The winning line? All the other boys say, "There is nothing that can go wrong with this plan."
And, not to be a plot spoiler, but it works. Youngest boy hangs out in the pumpkin until he is eaten, cuts his way out of the pumpkin and kills the elephant, cuts his way out of the elephant and his family cleans him up and celebrates his success, elephants freak out and go away, and all is well with the world again.
There is nothing that can go wrong with this plan!
I can't find this story anywhere else on the internet. Aren't you glad you're still reading my blog?
So yesterday Jason read me this folk tale from Children of Wax: African Folk Tales
"Do you want to hear the introduction to a Tom Robbins novel, or the Pumpkin story?" he asked.
You already know how we feel about Tom Robbins.
So I picked the pumpkin story.
To paraphrase: Elephants move into a family's community, they start eating all the pumpkins, the sole source of food and nutrition, the family determines they must move, do something, or starve. But they can't fend off the elephants in a normal fashion because they are huge and very strong.
So the oldest boy gets a brilliant idea: let's hollow out the biggest pumpkin we can find, cover the youngest boy in fat and squeeze him instead, lure an elephant into EATING the pumpkin, boy stabs elephant's heart from inside the body, all the other elephants witness this and freak out and leave.
Turns out the youngest boy is not so much invested in this plan. But, since all his brothers think it is a great idea, youngest boy is talked into going along it. The winning line? All the other boys say, "There is nothing that can go wrong with this plan."
And, not to be a plot spoiler, but it works. Youngest boy hangs out in the pumpkin until he is eaten, cuts his way out of the pumpkin and kills the elephant, cuts his way out of the elephant and his family cleans him up and celebrates his success, elephants freak out and go away, and all is well with the world again.
There is nothing that can go wrong with this plan!
I can't find this story anywhere else on the internet. Aren't you glad you're still reading my blog?
Sunday, April 25, 2010
My Flash-Sideways Life
From a misdirected email:
"Hope everything is going well so far! Just to confirm, you will be receiving one more trunk today at 9am. It will be delivered to set and contains the fine jewelry, a Donna Karan dress, some fur pieces, and accessories."
DUDE I wish they would misdirect that trunk to my actual address. Though I am not sure what I'd do with the fur pieces. It's starting to get steamy in HTX.
"Hope everything is going well so far! Just to confirm, you will be receiving one more trunk today at 9am. It will be delivered to set and contains the fine jewelry, a Donna Karan dress, some fur pieces, and accessories."
DUDE I wish they would misdirect that trunk to my actual address. Though I am not sure what I'd do with the fur pieces. It's starting to get steamy in HTX.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Showtunes that get stuck in my head
Beautiful, Sunday in the Park with George
Defying Gravity, Wicked (thanks for nothing, Glee)
For Good, Wicked (thanks for nothing, Showtunes documentary)
Defying Gravity, Wicked (thanks for nothing, Glee)
For Good, Wicked (thanks for nothing, Showtunes documentary)
Monday, April 05, 2010
In the Weeds
I don't understand why no one wants to go on vacation with me.
I am fun. And I travel light.
I am fun. And I travel light.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Coming Out of the Dark
I am not sure what depression feels like, but I am done with sleeping 10 hours a night.
Let's call this "sinuses" and move on.
Also, maybe change your diet.
Good Friday!
You and I, Friday, we are going to watch a lot of free recorded Showtime. We are going to play video games and eat popcorn in our pajamas.
On Sunday, we're going to drink mimosas and dress up like bunnies. Maybe someone will stick a ham in front of us, and we'll realize that we don't even really like ham, but BOY we wouldn't mind a good deviled egg.
You'll be long gone by then, Friday, so I am not sure why I am still referring to us as a "we." Except that I hope to keep your spirit alive and with me, a little bit of chillax in a crazy world. And, how often do we get a true Friday off without having to use up vacation days? Mondays... no one likes Mondays... the collective workforce sheds Mondays every chance we get. But Friday. A good and lovely, medium temperatured, Friday, with no obligations. They just don't make days like that so much anymore.
Let's call this "sinuses" and move on.
Also, maybe change your diet.
Good Friday!
You and I, Friday, we are going to watch a lot of free recorded Showtime. We are going to play video games and eat popcorn in our pajamas.
On Sunday, we're going to drink mimosas and dress up like bunnies. Maybe someone will stick a ham in front of us, and we'll realize that we don't even really like ham, but BOY we wouldn't mind a good deviled egg.
You'll be long gone by then, Friday, so I am not sure why I am still referring to us as a "we." Except that I hope to keep your spirit alive and with me, a little bit of chillax in a crazy world. And, how often do we get a true Friday off without having to use up vacation days? Mondays... no one likes Mondays... the collective workforce sheds Mondays every chance we get. But Friday. A good and lovely, medium temperatured, Friday, with no obligations. They just don't make days like that so much anymore.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Dear Dentists of Houston,
Over the years I've visited a few of you, and have not yet found a dental home. I have, however, found plenty of "not going back there" dental practitioners, and this has educated me very well on what I am not looking for.
So today I received a "welcome to the neighborhood; let us clean your teeth" message from a neighborhood practice and I can tell right away we would never get along. In her intro letter said dentist is going on about her state of the art this and that, and why live with ugly teeth? philosophy, and how I can avoid ugly fillings and relax to soothing mp3s while visiting with her.
What I want, and I do not understand why this is so difficult, what I want is a dentist who is on time, and fast, and who will clean my teeth, and who will not find any cavities. And if this dentist must find cavities, I want to know where they are, and what are my options (yes, I want to know about the ugly options), and I do not want the transaction to feel like I am buying a car. Do not write any sums of money on a pad of paper and slide them to me. Please do give me information to take with me and consider (do not make me decide right away unless the tooth is hanging on by a thread) but if you will not say the amount of money it will cost out loud I am not paying for it.
I do not want to pay for DVDs, or CD players, or crazy camera gadgets, or extraneous dental assistants.
I DO want a toothbrush when I leave. Because, you know, tradition.
I hope this is included in the new health care bill (Dental Sanity Amendment of 2010), but I doubt it.
So today I received a "welcome to the neighborhood; let us clean your teeth" message from a neighborhood practice and I can tell right away we would never get along. In her intro letter said dentist is going on about her state of the art this and that, and why live with ugly teeth? philosophy, and how I can avoid ugly fillings and relax to soothing mp3s while visiting with her.
What I want, and I do not understand why this is so difficult, what I want is a dentist who is on time, and fast, and who will clean my teeth, and who will not find any cavities. And if this dentist must find cavities, I want to know where they are, and what are my options (yes, I want to know about the ugly options), and I do not want the transaction to feel like I am buying a car. Do not write any sums of money on a pad of paper and slide them to me. Please do give me information to take with me and consider (do not make me decide right away unless the tooth is hanging on by a thread) but if you will not say the amount of money it will cost out loud I am not paying for it.
I do not want to pay for DVDs, or CD players, or crazy camera gadgets, or extraneous dental assistants.
I DO want a toothbrush when I leave. Because, you know, tradition.
I hope this is included in the new health care bill (Dental Sanity Amendment of 2010), but I doubt it.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Also, Welcome to...
Tadhgan Orion Meehan (Pronounced Tie-Gan. Nicknamed Ty by Mindy)
Mindy got all private with her blog but if you want to read about her adventures with life and child #2 (and you do, because Mindy is awesome and will one day have a Muni sponsorship and/or somehow be declared the most athletic woman in America and have I mentioned that she has now endured two natural childbirths and both times did not even realize she was in labor until the baby was basically out?) you can probably email her via the link to the right to get hooked up.
Happy (belated) birthday to Minday and welcome Ty!
Mindy got all private with her blog but if you want to read about her adventures with life and child #2 (and you do, because Mindy is awesome and will one day have a Muni sponsorship and/or somehow be declared the most athletic woman in America and have I mentioned that she has now endured two natural childbirths and both times did not even realize she was in labor until the baby was basically out?) you can probably email her via the link to the right to get hooked up.
Happy (belated) birthday to Minday and welcome Ty!
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Plan
Jason brought home artist Michael Schmelling's book The Plan, a 500 page collection of photographs made alongside "Disposophobia" experts Disaster Masters.
Disaster Masters will help you clean your house and change your life but they are not screwing around, people.
If you happen to know someone you believe to be a disposophobic and want to know how you can help, the answer is, there very little you can do about it. So sayeth Ron Alford and he is a hard nosed professional.
Photographer Michael Schmelling has a show currently at Fotofest called the week of no computer.
He also designed cover art for Wilco and various novelists. Neato.
Disaster Masters will help you clean your house and change your life but they are not screwing around, people.
If you happen to know someone you believe to be a disposophobic and want to know how you can help, the answer is, there very little you can do about it. So sayeth Ron Alford and he is a hard nosed professional.
Photographer Michael Schmelling has a show currently at Fotofest called the week of no computer.
He also designed cover art for Wilco and various novelists. Neato.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
I mean, whatever...
Ping.
Mary, update your blog.
Here are some series on my DVR:
Lost
What Not To Wear
Hoarders
Project Runway
The Soup
Antiques Roadshow
Saturday Night Live
Gossip Girl
America's Next Top Model
IFC's "In Short" short films
The Amazing Race
That show where CEOs go in disguise and scrub toilets or whatever at their companies
Modern Family
Austin City Limits
It is a lot to keep up with.
I would like to join the gym down the street and start exercising again. They have a special "neighbor discount." Isn't that nice? I would like to support these people. Plus I can walk there!
I opened a Roth IRA.
I started a new job.
My brother got married!
I am not pregnant, but a lot of people around me are.
(I hope it's not contagious.)
Since the new year, I have been wearing makeup and trying to revamp my wardrobe.
Oh, because, during that time I turned 30.
And you know, it's time to stop wearing hoodies.
Last weekend my old HS flame asked "Are you writing?"
And I knew what he meant and I said no.
And then I thought "well... writing... hmmm... let's broaden the definition..."
And then I said no again.
But there's not really any reason why that answer has to be a no.
NO TWEETING DOES NOT COUNT.
Mary, update your blog.
Here are some series on my DVR:
Lost
What Not To Wear
Hoarders
Project Runway
The Soup
Antiques Roadshow
Saturday Night Live
Gossip Girl
America's Next Top Model
IFC's "In Short" short films
The Amazing Race
That show where CEOs go in disguise and scrub toilets or whatever at their companies
Modern Family
Austin City Limits
It is a lot to keep up with.
I would like to join the gym down the street and start exercising again. They have a special "neighbor discount." Isn't that nice? I would like to support these people. Plus I can walk there!
I opened a Roth IRA.
I started a new job.
My brother got married!
I am not pregnant, but a lot of people around me are.
(I hope it's not contagious.)
Since the new year, I have been wearing makeup and trying to revamp my wardrobe.
Oh, because, during that time I turned 30.
And you know, it's time to stop wearing hoodies.
Last weekend my old HS flame asked "Are you writing?"
And I knew what he meant and I said no.
And then I thought "well... writing... hmmm... let's broaden the definition..."
And then I said no again.
But there's not really any reason why that answer has to be a no.
NO TWEETING DOES NOT COUNT.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Better Things = Favorite New Mag Fields Song
Not the part about mermaids and princesses and wolfboys. (Sigh.) The BIRDS. The lovely chorus about birds.
"And I have heard
The singing of real birds
Not those absurd
Birds that simply everybody's heard
Real birds"
I'm sorry but I cannot find an audio clip to link to. Not youtube, not that free site J used to use, nowhere to listen without buying. Everyone wants .99 cents.
This is supposedly a trilogy and so I offer you my opinion on these 3 albums:
1. i
2. Realism (Better Things, You Must Be Out of Your Mind, Always Already Gone are the only songs you need... tho the rest right grow on me)
3. Distortion (ugh)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)