february 28

@ 11a | 2 cents...

The Friday Five

1. What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)? Magazines and fiction.
2. What is your favorite novel? Watership Down.
3. Do you have a favorite poem? (Share it!) if everything happens that can't be done by e.e. cummings.

if everything happens that can't be done
(and anything's righter
than books
could plan)
the stupidest teacher will almost guess
(with a run
skip
around we go yes)
there's nothing as something as one

one hasn't a why or because or although
(and buds know better
than books
don't grow)
one's anything old being everything new
(with a what
which
around we come who)
one's everyanything so

so world is a leaf so a tree is a bough
(and birds sing sweeter
than books
tell how)
so here is away and so your is a my
(with a down
up
around again fly)
forever was never till now

now i love you and you love me
(and books are shuter
than books
can be)
and deep in the high that does nothing but fall
(with a shout
each
around we go all)
there's somebody calling who's we

we're anything brighter than even the sun
(we're everything greater
than books
might mean)
we're everyanything more than believe
(with a spin
leap
alive we're alive)
we're wonderful one times one

february 27

@ 10a | 2 cents...

Last night I finished the bird of paradise pastel and posted a brief demonstration, watched Big Night (which I think would have made a better play), returned our movie rentals and proofread Eric's application. My brain is tired, so I guess it's a good thing I don't have a lot of work today. Did I mention it's raining and cold out? Talk about wanting to just stay in bed.

february 26

@ 3p | 2 cents...

The photos from our hike at the botanical gardens on Sunday are now posted.

I got an email yesterday right after I picked up that application at CEP regarding a possible opening as a painting teacher for their summer camp program in June. So, I sent along a proposed description of my class and am keeping my fingers crossed. On one hand I am scared to death of the possibility of teaching 11-14 years olds about pastel painting, but it would be such a great opportunity to get my foot in the door for further teaching considerations.

I am also in talks to hang my artwork at a local coffee shop later this spring. I need to get the series I have been working on matted and framed and then it's time for the spotlight.

I am planning to add a "work in progress" demonstration to my online portfolio. The piece will be a bird of paradise, and it is almost completed. I took a few pictures along the way to illustrate how I develop my paintings. I hope to have that up by the end of the week.

february 25

@ 12p | 2 cents...

This or That Tuesday

1. Holland or Netherlands? Netherlands.
2. Emu or Ostrich? Emu just sounds more exotic.
3. Biff or Happy? Happy.
4. Quincy or Braintree? I have no idea what this is refering to.
5. Cassius Clay or Muhammad Ali? Muhammad Ali.
6. Instabul or Constantinople? Constantinople, I love that song.
7. Pig or Swine? Pig for the animal, swine for a person.
8. Barf or Puke? Um, neither.
9. Potatoes or Spuds? Taters.
10. Squeeze Box or Accordion? Accordion.

@ 11a | 2 cents...

I picked up an application today from the Community Education Programs office to teach a pastel drawing/painting class this fall. While I have no previous teaching skills (except that analytical chem lab in college), I am hoping a portfolio review and my sparkling personality might give me the benefit of the doubt. I'll keep you posted.

In other news, I had a friend phone me last night to see if she could change my mind about the triathlon in April. She didn't succeed, but I appreciated the effort. ;) After a chat with Eric, I realized that I needed to admit that I simply didn't want to do the race anymore, even though it's a hell of a lot easier to make a million excuses as to why (i.e. bike issues, shutting down gram's condo, etc.) But I will say that I won't make a big deal out of something like this again unless I am absolutely going to go through with it.

On that note, my one year journal-versary is approaching and I have been thinking about how to adjust things around here. I am going to pick a few hobbies/goals and write about how each of those things is progressing in my day-to-day life. In other words, the entries will have a more theme-oriented nature to them. This journal will not only be a window for others, but it will become a healthy daily outlet for me to stay focused on a few key things in my life. Stay tuned.

february 24

@ 12p | 2 cents...

@ 10a | 2 cents...

Considering that we have booked up our weekends lately, it was nice to relax during this one. We walked around the local botanical gardens for an hour yesterday (I'll have photos up tonight) and rented a movie after Chinese food on Friday evening. Spring is about two weeks behind schedule, but the cherry trees are in full bloom and the magnolias have lots of fuzzy buds waiting to open.

My parents should be driving back through to Chicago from Florida this weekend, but they haven't decided exactly what day yet.

I finished two paintings in the last week, a daffodil and a foxglove. I also added a commission section for the florals on black series. It would be wonderful to sell a few paintings; but regardless, I am feeling more confident with every piece. I plan on showing these paintings at local establishments this spring once I complete a few more and get them all framed.

february 21

@ 11a | 2 cents...

Is it just me or is ER becoming less satisfying in it's old age? I have been watching this show regularly for seven years and lately I feel like I have to watch it because, well, I always do.

I finished another painting last night and I'll have it posted on my art site this evening. Since my day job has been rather slow lately, pastel painting has improved my overall mood considerably. Plus, it was such a beautiful day yesterday; I spent 40 minutes walking around campus for some exercise and fresh air.

The Friday Five

1. What is your most prized material possession? I am having a tough time coming up with one specific thing as I don't put a lot of stock in material things. I guess my artwork would qualify.
2. What item, that you currently own, have you had the longest? My baby blanket. It is completely deteriorated and you can barely see the little animals and letters that used to adorn it.
3. Are you a packrat? Yes, but I have gotten better as I get older about tossing/donating things I don't really need/wear any longer.
4. Do you prefer a spic-and-span clean house? Or is some clutter necessary to avoid the appearance of a museum? I like a clean house, but I will not spend my days cleaning to acheive it.
5. Do the rooms in your house have a theme? Or is it a mixture of knick-knacks here and there? We aren't knick-knacky people, but we do have a lot of artwork on the walls. The living room is mostly my work, the office is mostly photography and the bedroom and kitchen are a mix.

february 20

@ 3p | 2 cents...

I've been a day ahead of myself all week, so I'd better get straightened out before I skip work tomorrow thinking it's Saturday. I am still planning on going to the gym this afternoon even though there have been several bomb threats phoned in across campus over the last two days, including the Rec Center. Even the buses were shut down this morning. I'd feel terrible if something really happened, but you just know it's some stupid idiot trying to disrupt everything for laughs.

Eric and I have been talking about putting together some black and white photos for a frame collage of sorts over our bed because we have this haphazard thing going on now. I have been going through our photos to pick out about 6 pictures to frame. Of course, I have completed a few pastels lately as well, so I am going to need to locate some simple frames for those too. A trip to The Pottery for affordable framing options may be in order. I just love the look of black and white photos with a clean white mat and simple black frame, I can't wait to get started!

I am also looking forward to our trip to Florida in a few weeks. It's supposed to rain all weekend again, so it looks like hiking may have to be postponed another week. At least it's not snowing!

february 18

@ 3p | 2 cents...

This or That Tuesday

1. Black or white? White.
2. Plaid or stripes? Stripes.
3. Paperback or hardcover books? I love the feel of those trade paperbacks.
4. Color or B&W printer? Color!
5. Golden oldies or the newest tunes? The 80's never go out of style.
6. Ice cream: in a cone or a dish? Cone.
7. Bath or shower? Shower.
8. Are you outgoing or shy? Outgoing, but private.
9. Answer the phone when it rings, or screen calls? Answer the phone (unless it's during dinner).
10. VCR or TiVO? The husband wants a TiVO.

@ 12p | 2 cents...

If most of you come straight to this journal without going to the front page, I'd like to show off our new design for spring.

I also posted some photos from our trip to Harry's. I could be a little more free with the camera than at the Dekalb Market which had posted signs forbidding photography. (shrugs) Who knows?

february 17

@ 2p | 2 cents...

We rented Monsoon Wedding on Friday night to accompany our chocolate fondue. It was a more subdued, Indian, My Big Fat Greek Wedding-type film, lots of crazy moments and some sweet scenes too. Overall, I liked it but I could have used some more views of the country, not just the family house.

On Saturday we drove into Atlanta to meet some friends for lunch at La Madeline and then visited Harry's Farmers Market (photos soon). The selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, olive oil, meat, and fish was incredible, but the Dekalb market has better selection and prices on wine, bread and spices.

That evening, we had some friends from my work over for stromboli and wine. We were up pretty late, so I wound up sleeping in until 11a on Sunday. Since it rained all day, we nixed the planned botanical garden hike. I spent the afternoon watching Wuthering Heights (which I had never seen) and completing another pastel painting.

Although we aren't experiencing the Blizard of 2003, everything was icy this morning in Georgia.

february 14

@ 10a | 2 cents...

It's rainy and lousy outside but we are planning a nice evening in with cheese, crackers, champagne and chocolate fondue. Neither of us buy into the Valentine's Day hype, and I don't need one special day to be convinced that my husband loves me. We got each other little gifts two weeks ago: I got an orange pen/stylus for my orange Visor and he got a photo he was eyeing in Hawaii on our honeymoon. I am looking forward to relaxing and watching a movie with a tummy full of milk chocolate and strawberries.

Friday Five

1. Explain why you started to journal/blog. After we got engaged, I began looking around the web for ideas on starting a wedding page. My favorite wedding site was Dawn's and that's how I got the idea of creating a planning journal. Our website started out as a "what's new with the wedding" kind of thing and after we were married turned into a general website about us. I started an online journal (my webhost doesn't support blogging) because I really enjoyed reading about a handful of other people online and thought this would be a good way to let people know a little more about me besides what I comment on in their blogs. Plus, it's an outlet.
2. Do people you interact with day to day or family members know about your journal/blog? Why or why not? My mom reads my journal and my mom-in-law and a few of the people I work with know it exists, but it's probably mostly read by online friends and aquaintances.
3. Do you have a theme for your journal/blog? Nope. Sometimes I post pictures, other times these memes and I talk about whatever's on my mind otherwise.
4. What direction would you like to have your journal/blog go in over the next year? I have a one year journal anniversary coming up next month and I may alter the look a bit, perhaps by posting some more photos. I have decided against adding a blog-like comments section because I've had good feedback so far through my comment form even though I don't post them with each entry.
5. Pimp five of your favorite journals/blogs. My favorites in no particular order:

Life Uncommon
Tampa Tantrum
Chaz720
Ericalynn
Dooce

february 12

@ 10a | 2 cents...

This or That Tuesday Wednesday

1. Bacon or sausage? Sausage, but I rarely eat it.
2. Eggs: scrambled or not? I prefer my eggs sunny-side up and the yolk mopped up with toast.
3. French toast or regular toast? Eric makes great French Toast.
4. Pancakes or waffles? Either.
5. Muffins or bagels? Bagels with cream cheese.
6. Coffee or tea? Chai Tea in the morning.
7. Juice: orange or grapefruit? Orange.
8. Hot or cold cereal? Cold and dry (no milk added).
9. To put in cereal: bananas or strawberries (or some other fruit)? Bananas.
10. Eat breakfast at home or at a restaurant? Always at home.

february 11

@ 10a | 2 cents...

I had the Westminster Dog Show on while I was doing some work on my website last night and now I really, really want a mini schnauzer. We have been talking about rescuing one for over a year, but because we travel so much it doesn't seem realistic right now. And can you believe there are people asking us when we are going to have kids? Sheesh!

I have been a good little productive artist lately by completing one pastel this weekend and choosing some good reference photos (thanks Eric!) for future drawings. I am armed with a current list of local businesses seeking artwork and I'm starting a series of florals on black paper to give myself a theme.

Prospective student weekend went fairly well. The girl who stayed with us for a few days was very nice and although the organization was lacking, I think she had a good time. The downside was that the grad students in general were being used as hotels and taxis for four days. To cement this feeling... somehow the shuttle reservations got screwed up on Sunday and the girl we hosted and another prospective were booked on the 11:45a shuttle instead of the 9:15a shuttle we were dropping them off for. Since their flights left at 12:30p and it takes an hour and a half to get to Hartsfield airport, we drove them to Atlanta to catch their flights. I didn't mind too much and we will be reimburshed for the cost of gas, but I am flat out exhausted from all the socializing and running around.

february 7

@ 9a | 2 cents...

Friday Five

1. What did you have for breakfast this morning? If you didn't have breakfast, why not? I had raspberry hot cocoa for breakfast this morning. I normally have a bowl of cereal or a bagel and cream cheese.
2. What's your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch!
3. How often do you eat out? Do you want that to change? We eat out almost every Friday. That's fine by me, I cook the rest of the time and it saves us money by only going out for food once a week.
4. What do you plan on having for dinner tonight? Got a recipe for that? I made a roasted red pepper baked ziti for a potluck dinner this evening. It's like lasagna only using ziti pasta instead. I mix the chopped red peppers and sundried tomatoes into a store-bought sauce with hot pepper flakes and lots of oregano and basil, then layer with the cooked pasta and an egg/ricotta/mozzarella cheese mixture. The best part is that I can prepare everything the night before and just pop it in the oven for an hour before I have to bring it anywhere.
5. What's your favorite restaurant? Why? In Athens, I'd have to say the Five & Ten. The chef is excellent and the menu changes with seasonal availability, so not only are you getting fresh ingredients but in a creative way. We had dinner here for our one year wedding anniversary.

february 6

@ 10a | 2 cents...

I just added a new recipe to the recipe page, go check it out if you like gorgonzola cheese.

Our prospective student arrives this evening, so I have some cleaning to do and a baked ziti to prepare for the potluck tomorrow night before we pick her up. I also cut Eric's hair last night so he doesn't look like a ragamuffin all weekend. :)

Last night after returning our rental I picked up a few things at Michaels and dropped by Barnes and Noble for some research on non-fiction writing. One of the many ideas I've been tossing around in my head is writing a non-fiction book for children. I have started working on a few ideas for picture books, but the whole thought of being rejected over and over has me running scared. I know I should just put myself out there creatively, because I don't want to be designing conference pages for the rest of my life.

february 4

@ 12p | 2 cents...

The photos of our trip to Black Rock are online here. My legs are feeling much better and I think I'll do my Pilates tape tonight to stretch out.

I have officially decided to skip the trialthon in April. I have various excuses, but the main reason is that I don't think I'm up for it yet. I wanted to have a goal to whip myself into shape, but I've stalled and there's no need to kill myself over the next two months to accomplish something that needs to be a lifestyle change. I'm unhappy and disappointed about not participating this year, but we are still looking into purchasing bikes and I am going to continue swimming as part of my better health/shape mission. I need to remind myself that not doing this in April doesn't mean it's not a future option. Meanwhile, I'm going to be satisfied with making it to the gym three times a week.

Alternatively, I've developed a resurgance in motivation regarding my creative side and recently revamped the design section of my other website. When I was shooting the chemistry instructional video last week, one of the camera guys asked me if I did any freelance work. He mentioned that he knew a web guy in town who is always looking for people to help him out when his workload becomes too much. I am dropping off my card this week and maybe something good and profitable can come of that conversation.

This or That: back to sleep edition

1. Morning or night person? Night.
2. Heavy or light sleeper? Medium, once I've had enough sleep anything will wake me up, but not before that point.
3. Remember your dreams or not? Almost always remember.
4. Do you need a lot of sleep, or just a little? I prefer a lot but I probably don't need as much as I get on the weekends.
5. Do you need something like a nightlight or TV to sleep, or do you prefer complete darkness? Complete darkness and silence.
6. Flannel sheets or some other kind? We have two sets of flannel sheets for winter, a t-shirt kind and the high thread count cotton ones for summer.
7. One pillow, or more? One pillow only.
8. Bedroom door opened or closed at night? Ajar.
9. Wrap yourself into blankets like a cocoon, or just cover yourself with them? I start out the evening just covered, but I tend to roll up in the blankets by morning.
10. Alarm clock: wake to music or buzzer? Music. snooze. DJs talking. snooze. Music. snooze.

february 3

@ 12p | 2 cents...

We went hiking yesterday at Black Rock Mountain State Park for about 3 miles and 2 hours total. The trails were listed as "moderately difficult" and from what my legs are telling me, that's about accurate. I would have been better off without the hour workout on Saturday as well, but I get overzealous when I don't workout for over a month trying to make up for something - lord knows what exactly - but here I am in pain again. Photos will be up mid-week.

We rented xXx on Saturday night because after watching the news all day, I needed a mind-numbing flick. This movie was just what the doctor ordered. So many plot holes it was silly, but the DVD had the Adrenaline video by Gavin Rossdale (rrowar!).

Coming up this week, we will be hosting a prospective student from Thurs-Sat, so that means a few free meals on the Genetics Dept. And unfortunately, the weather is going to get lousy again after a few days of plus-65 degree temperatures.