Friday, December 28, 2007

Friday Fill-In #52



Here are the correct quotes:

1. "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses." [Professor Snape, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]
2. "Why is the rum always gone?" [Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]
3. "Harold, *everyone* has the right to make an ass out of themselves." [Maude, Harold and Maude]
4. "Nine companions, so be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." [Elrond, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]
5. "Nonsense, I have not yet begun to defile myself." [Doc Holliday, Tombstone]
6. "Mama says they was magic shoes. They could take me anywhere." [Forest Gump, Forest Gump]

These are MY answers:

1. "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, turning you into a vampire, the vampire of your dreams."
2. "Why is the freaking toilet paper always gone?"
3. "Harold, *everyone* has the right to make an impressive meal out of chips and chocolate."
4. "Nine companions, so be it. You shall be geekiest of the geeks."
5. "Nonsense, I have not yet begun to fill my magic goblet."
6. "Mama says they was magic shoes. They could work like a magic carpet, taking you wherever you want."
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to whatever comes up, tomorrow my plans include a good old-fashioned Yankee swap and Sunday, I want to do whatever moves me!

wolf2
Wolf, enjoying his Christmas presents!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #100!!!

t13blue
Thirteen Things That Make Me Happy


1. My dogs, Wolf and Max!
2. My friends
3. A really good filthy martini
4. Cobbie's Mac & cheese
5. Photography
6. Traveling
7. A full moon
8. Driving
9. Led Zeppelin
10. My new blog design [For those of you reading on Google reader or similar, or those of you that have been pining away for the good Professor...come see the new design, courtesy of the ever-talented Heather!]
11. Reading
12. Swimming in the ocean
13. The thought that things aren't always as they seem :-)


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Fairy

fairy

One of the gifts I received this Christmas is a Canon Extension Tube (EF25 II) for my 50mm f/1.8 lens...and it's amazing!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!
Hope you and yours are having a great day and that Santa was very good to you :-)

"When happiness shows up, always give it a comfortable seat." - Mr. Fezziwig

Monday, December 24, 2007

The Trickster


Had a lovely dinner Saturday night with Michelle at a place that's been on my list to go to for awhile now...Elephant Walk and it was as delicious as I'd hoped it would be! Started off with Potage aux Champignons, Coulis d'Epinard, a wonderful wild mushroom soup with sherry and brown rice...yum! The entree was Coquilles St. Jacques au Gingembre, the scallops were great and the mashed edamame was out of this world! I also had a delicious drink; cognac mixed with pear liqueur...a delight to sip!

Afterwards, we went to see The Kite Runner. I've never read the book, but after seeing the movie, I really want to! It was sad, inspiring and eye opening, all at the same time. See this if you get the chance!

Sunday, Megan and I went on a search for Max's & Wolf's Christmas present, crack biscuits (aka Innova Health Bars). Finally found them at the second pet store we went to (they were almost sold out, these things are fantastic!) and then we headed off for a sushi lunch. Won't say where, as I was quite disappointed with the meal. Maybe it's under new ownership or something, it used to be fantastic. Afterwards, we went to see the movie, Juno. Go...GO see this movie! I loved the girl, quirky and smart and funny. The parents were fantastic, especially the step-mom in the scene with the ultrasound tech. Then we did a bit of last minute shopping (for me lol) and headed to Megan's for dinner. We'd planned on fondue, but the cheese was an utter disaster and so I put together dinner from the things we'd planned to dip in the cheese (garlic sausage and fingerling potatoes sauteed with onions in a little olive oil, and a bit of white wine & mustard). During dinner we watched Love Actually, because I haven't seen enough movies this weekend ;-) Dessert was one of Megan's delicious haystack cookies!

Today I'm baking cookies, and in a bit I'll go out and get a few more things for tomorrow. Are you ready?

Saw this over on Lisa's blog:

Your Score: The Coyote


You scored 41% domestic, 42% gregarious, 53% trickster, and 29% intellect!




Wild, Solitary, Emotional Trickster: you are the Coyote!

Coyote is a complex symbol of humor, cunning, and survival. Coyote is often portrayed as the ‘wise fool’, helping people to see the truth in difficult situations. Coyote medicine is often strongly tied to learning to be adaptable, seeing the humor in even the worst situations, and being able to cope with even the toughest things life can throw at you.


This test categorized you based on four different axes of personality, which were then associated with a different animal. The four axes, as well as all possible results are explained below.


Wild/Domestic: This first axis categorizes you based on how much you are drawn to the outdoors, versus how much you are drawn to civilized situations. Domesticity has many shapes and forms, and varies from the joy of dolphins leaping next to a ship to the steadfast loyalty of a family dog.


Gregarious/Solitary: This axis measures how solitary you are. If you scored high, it means that you enjoy the company of other people, while a low score indicates that you prefer a more solitary lifestyle.


Trickster/Serious: This axis measures how well you line up with conventional trickster archetypes. People who fall into this archetype have a sense of humor and an excitable, highly chaotic streak. Scoring low doesn't mean that you don't have a sense of humor; it just means that you probably don't think dynamite is very funny.


Intellectual/Emotional: This last axis determines whether you are more emotional -- acting based on feelings and instinct, or rational and intelectual -- acting more on thought than on your gut feelings.

















WildGregariousTricksterIntellectualThe Hyena
WildGregariousTricksterEmotionalThe Otter
WildGregariousSeriousIntellectualThe Antelope
WildGregariousSeriousEmotionalThe Wolf
WildSolitaryTricksterIntellectualThe Weasel
WildSolitaryTricksterEmotionalThe Coyote
WildSolitarySeriousIntellectualThe Raven
WildSolitarySeriousEmotionalThe Frog
DomesticGregariousTricksterIntellectualThe Fox
DomesticGregariousTricksterEmotionalThe Dolphin
DomesticGregariousSeriousIntellectualThe Horse
DomesticGregariousSeriousEmotionalThe Dog
DomesticSolitaryTricksterIntellectualThe Rat
DomesticSolitaryTricksterEmotionalThe Ferret
DomesticSolitarySeriousIntellectualThe Cat
DomesticSolitarySeriousEmotionalThe Squirrel

Link: The Animal Archetype Test written by crumpetsfortea on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(crumpetsfortea)

ps. major blog design change coming up...a little Christmas present for those who requested some Snape :-)

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Photohunt #88: Light


Here are the rules for Photohunt!

I'm sure I'll be in the majority here, but I couldn't resist:
lights


I went to see Sweeney Todd last night and OMGOMGOMG...not only is he beautiful and talented, but the man can SING! And to see him in a duet with Snape Alan Rickman...well...if I didn't have to live to see The Hobbit, the next Pirates and the last two HP movies, I could just die and go to hell heaven right now! Seriously...he's got a great voice!!!

We snuck in and saw I Am Legend afterwards...Will Smith is just amazing.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Friday Fill-In #51

snow


1. Snow is really pretty but dang, c'mon now, enough is enough.
2. I'm looking forward to seeing Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
3. Salty chocolate is the best chocolate ever!
4. One of my favorite old tv shows is The Munsters [been watching TV Land while I've been home sick].
5. I'm done with my Christmas cards (finally!).
6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is doing things with friends and family .
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing Johnny Depp Sweeney Todd!!!, tomorrow my plans include going out to dinner with a friend and Sunday, I want to finish shopping and buy stuff for dinner on Tuesday!

Friday Fill-In

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #99

T13
Thirteen Books on my To Be Read List


1. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
2. Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver
3. Blaze by Richard Bachman
4. Smashed by Koren Zailckas
5. The Psycho Ex Game by Merrill Markoe
6. My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman
7. Good Grief by Lolly WInston
8. Many Bloody Returns
9. The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
10. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
11. Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant
12. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
13. I am Legend by Richard Matheson

books and pussy willows



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





Wednesday, December 19, 2007

blech!

I woke up at 1230 last night sick as a dog...then again at 230...then again at 430...you get the picture. So I'm at home today relaxing and every so often making a beeline for the bathroom.

While up at 230, I heard a plane fly overheard and thought...where are these people going to or coming from at 3 am? What adventure were they on or had they been on, what sights would they see or had seen, etc., etc.

I think I have the travel bug, in addition to the 24 hour bug that seems to have taken up residence in my guts.

great corners
I think I'll crawl back into bed...yaaaaaaaawwwwnnnn!

By the way, What Is It Wednesday is up!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

What great news!!!

Arwen


I couldn't ask for a better Christmas present: Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit"

Jackson said: "We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth."

Two "Hobbit" films are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, similar to how the three "Lord of the Rings" films were made. Production is set to begin in 2009 with a released planned for 2010, with the sequel scheduled for a 2011 release.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Merry Christmas!


It's Monday! That means it's time for Lisa's Manic Monday meme :-)

What is your idea of a perfect romantic evening? Sitting by a fire during a blizzard, sipping spiced wine and talking and kissing and talking some more.

Imagine you had to take part in the winter Olympics. What sport would you do? Figure skating or speed skating...both are appealing to me!

What's something that people do in traffic that really bothers you? Just one thing? I'll say drive too slow. That's what irked me on the way in to work this morning!

The weekend!

silver and blue

The good:

- Flying into Baltimore 10 minutes early
- Had a great Italian dinner
- Opening Christmas presents!
- Breakfast at the Diner
- Visiting the mansion where ME's son will get married next April and taking tons of pictures
- Finding a toy store just when we needed one
- ME's work party in DC...cheese and rice, was it amazing! 1,000 people, many different rooms (kids' room, disco, mohito bar, etc., etc.) and every type of food you can imagine (curried butternut squash shots were AMAZING), and a great R&B band
- The hotel we stayed at and where the party was ... very nice!
- LOTR trilogy on TNT (which I got to watch from Boromir's death scene in the first movie to 1/2 hour into the second at the airport)
- holing up in a hotel in Manchester NH and watching the entire third LOTR movie

The bad:

- the flight home, specifically the landing *shudder*
- the roads (I ended up staying at a hotel near the airport)

Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Photohunt #88: Small


Here are the rules for Photohunt!

photographer santa
hoops and yoyo spot a disco ball
ice sculpture

small photographer Santa, small laptop, small bear making an ice sculpture!

Thanks so much to tnchick for making me site of the day last week! Big hugs to you :-) And thanks to all who visited!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Friday Fill-In #50



1. Away in a manger, no room for a diaper genie.
2. Dashing through the snow, in a sports car that needs new tires is scary.
3. Hark! The herald angels call to me.
4. It's coming on christmas and I can't wait.
5. When I was small I believed in Santa Claus, Though I knew it was the tooth fairy in disguise.
6. That Christmas magic's brought this tale to Maryland for the weekend.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing Enchanted with MaryEllen, tomorrow my plans include visiting the Corcoran and going to a Christmas party at a swanky hotel in DC and Sunday, I want to not have to drive in a raging snowstorm on the way home!

make it stop

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #98

T13
Thirteen Pictures on the Christmas Cards I sent out this year


pictures for 2007 Christmas cards


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Tipping during the holiday

frozen lilac1


I've got a question for you; it's about holiday tipping. How many of you tip or get gifts for your mail delivery person, the people who pick up your garbage and recycling, hairdresser, vet, pet walker/sitter, doctor, dentist, etc., etc.? If you do tip, what do you tip? I was talking to a friend today who does tip these folks and she said she knows lots of people who do this. She's the only one I know who does it! I've heard of it, obviously, but other than the mail delivery person and my hairdresser, I don't gift or tip. Love to hear your thoughts about this!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Led Zeppelin live at the O2 Arena in London...

Oooh, how I wish I was a fly on the wall there! And this is how it began:



Set List:

'Good Times Bad Times'
'Ramble On' [leaves are fallin' all around, it's time I was on my way *shivers*]
'Black Dog'
'In My Time Of Dying'
'For Your Life'
'Trampled Under Foot'
'Nobody's Fault But Mine' [love this song!]
'No Quarter'
'Since I've Been Loving You'
'Dazed And Confused'
'Stairway To Heaven'
'The Song Remains The Same'
'Misty Mountain Hop' [I'm SO psyched they did my favorite song, Misty Mountain Hop! If anyone finds that on youtube, please email it to me!!!]
'Kashmir'
'Whole Lotta Love'
'Rock And Roll'

They didn't play any songs from their album, "In Through the Out Door"; I would've loved to hear "Fool in the Rain", which is one of my favorite songs, and "Hotdog".

Read more here!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Manic Monday by Lisa!

Merry Christmas!


It's Monday! That means it's time for Lisa's Manic Monday meme :-)

For the holidays, are you a last-minute shopper or do you shop well ahead of time? I actually do both!

If you had to pick a new first name for yourself, what name would you choose? In my 20s, I hated my first name and asked my friends and family to call me Beth (from my middle name). My mother HATED that and when my boyfriend called the house and asked for Beth, she'd say there's no one here by that name. He'd sigh and say...ok, can I speak to Janet, then?

What's worse,having expectations that are too high, or having no expectations at all? Expectations that are too high. Nothing worse!

Week 253, Unconscious Mutterings

From here:

  1. Master :: Mistress

  2. Tour :: Led Zeppelin!

  3. Input :: output

  4. Downtown :: Crossing

  5. Pricey :: caviar

  6. Acceptable :: margin of error

  7. Terrace :: sunny

  8. Sunday :: Freedom

  9. Payoff :: Mafia

  10. Jack and Jill :: ran up a hill

Sunday, December 09, 2007

The weekend so far...

Born 9 October 1940; murdered 8 December 1980 at the age of 40 :-(


I could never choose my favorite Beatle...it's always been a tie between John and George. What I loved about John was his wit and his artistry, he was irreverent, rebellious...what was not to like?

When he was killed outside the Dakota in NYC, I was living in a bus in the back of my boyfriend's father's sawdust factory. We woke up that morning, cold and shivering. He turned the bus on for heat...and I turned on the radio. We both froze when we heard and I felt a chill that was far deeper than the cold day outside. All that talent, snuffed out in a second. I still miss him and always will.
He died the day before my Mom's 57th birthday...and today would've been Mom's 84th. I miss her, too.



Also, last night I went to see Hall & Oates with Megan & Jimbo.



They were great, Daryl's voice was in fine form, and they started out their set with some Christmas carols from their new CD, seen above. Apparently, some in the crowd thought this was past wrong, and after about the 6th song, they began booing the band. Now...what the hell were they expecting? It's the Christmas season. All around us people were screaming out the names of songs they wanted them to play, plus such niceties as "Daryl, you suck" etc., etc. The band took a break, then came back out and performed many of their hits as the crowd went wild. It struck me as very disrespectful and unkind.

After the show as the crowd was leaving, a couple of guys smacked the tour bus sitting out there and expressed their displeasure at not hearing "Maneater" or "One on One"; then discussed where'd they go to drink for the rest of the evening. The hell?