So there's been some setbacks in the Great Summer Project of 2010. First, Lowe's couldn't match the color (the placemat was too reflective), so I had to break out a color wheel and go with what looked closest. (Pineapple Mousse, in case you were wondering.) Then IKEA rudely discontinued the doors I was going to use. There were as of last night approximately 10 left in the entire United States. This apparently caused quite the run on my back-up choice as it too is unavailable with an estimated availability date of "unknown." So now I'm going down to talk to an IKEA associate to see if they can order from other stores or at least tell me when the ($30 more) back-up doors will be back in stock. I can order them online of course, if I'm willing to pay $100 delivery fee for $70 doors. (Hint: I am not. I'm not really even pleased with $70 doors, when my first choice was a more reasonable $40.) Finally, the side I had a little trouble with the primer on but didn't bother fixing it because that was going to be the side that didn't show? Yeah, that's totally the side that's going to show and it's the only part I screwed up on.
In positive news, I have been bravely forging ahead nonetheless. The bookshelf has been disassembled, primed, and painted completely with one coat. I am now off to a different Lowe's to get another sample-size jar of Pineapple Mousse for coat #2.
Oh, and I forgot to take pictures.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Great Summer Projects Begin, Or The Return of Boredom
Exactly one week to the day when I finished my last final and I've kicked into high Summer Project mode. Project one will be to paint, add doors, and add feet to a generic small IKEA bookshelf and move it into the dining room so it can be used as a pantry. I intend to have Lowe's custom-blend the paint color to match the green on the placemats currently decorating the fridge. You may remember them from last year's Summer Project: Kitchen Border. That never really got off the ground, but if the bookshelf goes well....Anyway, the bookshelf now in the dining room will be turned on its side and moved into the second bedroom, where I can display all of my Barbies on top and fill the inside with drawers of video games, art, and books. Aesthetically, both rooms will come together better and storage-wise, the space will be better distributed as well.
I'll take (blurry) pictures with my cell phone (curse you, lost camera!) of each step of the process, just in case things go hilarious awry. I plan to prime the small bookshelf tonight and paint it tomorrow. That way I can rearrange and reorganize the books as soon as possible, instead of keeping them in piles which are starting to take over. How did we get so many books? No, wait, I know this one. It's because I never say no to books. They are always worth the money.
Well, got to go. Those DVDs aren't going to rearrange themselves.
I'll take (blurry) pictures with my cell phone (curse you, lost camera!) of each step of the process, just in case things go hilarious awry. I plan to prime the small bookshelf tonight and paint it tomorrow. That way I can rearrange and reorganize the books as soon as possible, instead of keeping them in piles which are starting to take over. How did we get so many books? No, wait, I know this one. It's because I never say no to books. They are always worth the money.
Well, got to go. Those DVDs aren't going to rearrange themselves.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The Shirt
Here's a picture of the very awesome t-shirt Paul got me for my birthday. The first image is a generic picture of the shirt (though mine is white, not olive).
Here's a picture of the poster the shirt is based on, so you can read the writing at the bottom more easily.
It took all my force of will not to wear it two days after my birthday when a delegation of visiting Chinese scholars was in class. So tempting, but must...not... cause...international...incidents...until...degree...in...hand.
Here's a picture of the poster the shirt is based on, so you can read the writing at the bottom more easily.
It took all my force of will not to wear it two days after my birthday when a delegation of visiting Chinese scholars was in class. So tempting, but must...not... cause...international...incidents...until...degree...in...hand.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Done with the School
Done with school, done with school, done with school, done with school, done with school, done with school, done with school, done with school, done!
(Well, until August anyway.)
(Well, until August anyway.)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
No, We Are Not a Cancer Hospital
No, we are not a cancer hospital. Yes, we are sure. Yes, that is the number, but it is a private residence. PLEASE STOP CALLING AT 6:00 AM!
For reasons I do not understand, we are constantly getting calls (on our cell phone!) from elderly women looking for a cancer hospital. They usually call in the wee morning hours, but the two calls I fielded today were at least after 10 am. It's always elderly women, and it's always a cancer hospital. I think that is the only reason when Paul stumbles out of bed only an hour before the alarm goes off, trips over the Japanese books I pushed off the bed after studying, mutters what I suspect are choice words under his breath, and then answers with an uber-patient "I think you have the wrong number. No, that is this number, but it actually a private residence. Sorry about that." By now, unless I'm feeling particularly cranky, I just say, "Sorry, but this is a private residence. Don't feel bad, it happens all the time." (If I'm feeling particularly cranky, I say "You have the wrong number" and hang up. It's hard to hang up on little old ladies though.)
The worse part is I don't even know what number they should be calling. Because at this point, I'm ready to just hand it out to the elderly callers myself then call the hospital and tell them how sick I am of their 6 am wake up calls!
For reasons I do not understand, we are constantly getting calls (on our cell phone!) from elderly women looking for a cancer hospital. They usually call in the wee morning hours, but the two calls I fielded today were at least after 10 am. It's always elderly women, and it's always a cancer hospital. I think that is the only reason when Paul stumbles out of bed only an hour before the alarm goes off, trips over the Japanese books I pushed off the bed after studying, mutters what I suspect are choice words under his breath, and then answers with an uber-patient "I think you have the wrong number. No, that is this number, but it actually a private residence. Sorry about that." By now, unless I'm feeling particularly cranky, I just say, "Sorry, but this is a private residence. Don't feel bad, it happens all the time." (If I'm feeling particularly cranky, I say "You have the wrong number" and hang up. It's hard to hang up on little old ladies though.)
The worse part is I don't even know what number they should be calling. Because at this point, I'm ready to just hand it out to the elderly callers myself then call the hospital and tell them how sick I am of their 6 am wake up calls!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Oh, You Wacky Legislators!
Living in Utah, it was hard to imagine sillier/more time-wasting bills existed, but then I moved to Arizona. And holy cow, it's a whole new kind of crazy. The state is in the middle of a horrific budget crisis, with massive cuts to education, social services, and a slew of other departments. Perhaps you've hear about the many state parks that are being closed or the vast number of rest stops the state has already closed. (Side note: someone sent in a letter to the editor supporting the closures arguing it would force people to develop stronger bladder muscles. Sadly, it was not satire. Guess even bladders need to pull themselves up by the bootstraps.) In light of all this budget hemorrhaging, here are a smattering of bills the state legislature has taken up:
Bill 1024 aka "The Birther Bill"
This bill would require presidential candidates to submit proof to the state of Arizona that they met the conditions for presidential office holders in the federal Constitution (natural-born citizens over 35). Aside from not being the purview of the state, the fact that it was spawned by a person who doesn't think Obama is natural-born citizen alone makes it cringe-worthy. I swear, I think some people would only be convinced if they had a time machine and watched every moment of the man's life beginning at birth. Of course, I also don't see what makes Kenya such a terrifying place, but YMMV. The bill passed the House and is awaiting a Senate vote.
Bill 1104 aka "The We Don't Need No Stinkin' Permits Bill"
This bill (since signed into law) repealed previous legislation that required training and a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Now any US citizen age 21 or older may carry a concealed weapon virtually anywhere. (Exceptions include federal buildings, airports, and private property where the owner has explicitly forbidden concealed weapons.) Needless to say, the police and responsible gun enthusiasts are not pleased. (The paper published this gem from a life-long NRA member and current concealed weapons permit holder: "The problem is that everyone thinks they know how to use a gun.") This comes on the heels of legislation permitting guns in places where liquor is served unless a sign of certain size forbidding it is displayed at the entrance--it's really weird to walk into P.F. Chang's and see "No Guns Permitted" hanging above the bar--and exempting guns manufactured and sold in the state from federal regulation including registration. I don't even begin to see the logic in that. Which brings us to the granddaddy of bad Arizona legislation:
Bill 1070 aka "The Illegal Immigration Bill"
I don't think I need to tell you much about this bill given the media coverage it's received, other than it requires immigrants/legal residents to produce documentation when asked by police. Police may make such a request if they have "reasonable suspicion" that a person may be in the country illegally. I shouldn't have to tell you how bad that looks. (No pun intended). Recently signed into law, it is certain to be challenged in court by a number of groups including the US government (immigration is a federal right). I feel sorry for any cop out there--either ask every single person you interact with or risk being sued for racial profiling. I don't think there are many people who don't think our immigration system needs a massive overhaul, but this isn't the answer. What really galls me about this particular bill (besides that it's very much based on racial prejudice) is that the legislature passed the bill knowing full well that it was going to be tied up in courts for years at a SIGNIFICANT cost to the taxpayers. The state is so broke that it had to sell and then lease back most of the government buildings, scrapped its state healthcare programs (putting it at risk for losing all government funding for Medicaid and Medicare), and had to have a judge issue a two-year stay on an order mandating treatment for the mentally ill in the state's care, and raise taxes. And after all that, the legislature still thinks fighting for a bill which will certainly not pass judicial muster is a good use of its limited funds. Garrrr!
Bill 1024 aka "The Birther Bill"
This bill would require presidential candidates to submit proof to the state of Arizona that they met the conditions for presidential office holders in the federal Constitution (natural-born citizens over 35). Aside from not being the purview of the state, the fact that it was spawned by a person who doesn't think Obama is natural-born citizen alone makes it cringe-worthy. I swear, I think some people would only be convinced if they had a time machine and watched every moment of the man's life beginning at birth. Of course, I also don't see what makes Kenya such a terrifying place, but YMMV. The bill passed the House and is awaiting a Senate vote.
Bill 1104 aka "The We Don't Need No Stinkin' Permits Bill"
This bill (since signed into law) repealed previous legislation that required training and a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Now any US citizen age 21 or older may carry a concealed weapon virtually anywhere. (Exceptions include federal buildings, airports, and private property where the owner has explicitly forbidden concealed weapons.) Needless to say, the police and responsible gun enthusiasts are not pleased. (The paper published this gem from a life-long NRA member and current concealed weapons permit holder: "The problem is that everyone thinks they know how to use a gun.") This comes on the heels of legislation permitting guns in places where liquor is served unless a sign of certain size forbidding it is displayed at the entrance--it's really weird to walk into P.F. Chang's and see "No Guns Permitted" hanging above the bar--and exempting guns manufactured and sold in the state from federal regulation including registration. I don't even begin to see the logic in that. Which brings us to the granddaddy of bad Arizona legislation:
Bill 1070 aka "The Illegal Immigration Bill"
I don't think I need to tell you much about this bill given the media coverage it's received, other than it requires immigrants/legal residents to produce documentation when asked by police. Police may make such a request if they have "reasonable suspicion" that a person may be in the country illegally. I shouldn't have to tell you how bad that looks. (No pun intended). Recently signed into law, it is certain to be challenged in court by a number of groups including the US government (immigration is a federal right). I feel sorry for any cop out there--either ask every single person you interact with or risk being sued for racial profiling. I don't think there are many people who don't think our immigration system needs a massive overhaul, but this isn't the answer. What really galls me about this particular bill (besides that it's very much based on racial prejudice) is that the legislature passed the bill knowing full well that it was going to be tied up in courts for years at a SIGNIFICANT cost to the taxpayers. The state is so broke that it had to sell and then lease back most of the government buildings, scrapped its state healthcare programs (putting it at risk for losing all government funding for Medicaid and Medicare), and had to have a judge issue a two-year stay on an order mandating treatment for the mentally ill in the state's care, and raise taxes. And after all that, the legislature still thinks fighting for a bill which will certainly not pass judicial muster is a good use of its limited funds. Garrrr!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Birthday Wishes
I'd like to thank all of you for your fine birthday wishes. I had a bit of a rough morning (eventually I'll write about that--it's part of an ongoing saga), but by afternoon things were peachy. I met Paul for lunch, which I had only done once before, and enjoyed a surprisingly tasty and unstomach-offending Brazilian flatbread pizza slice. It was nice to see Paul for lunch--he always seems so happy to see me! Anything to break up the workday, I guess. I made all my Chinese class, was "strongly encouraged" to come to a meet-and-greet for visiting Chinese scholars on Thursday, and came home to whisked away to a local steakhouse for a delicious prime rib dinner. Then I had to come back home and study for a Japanese test, which was a bummer but at least I was able to take the time to go out to a nice dinner.
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