Earth Week Adventures

Oh, I'm sorry, you thought there was only an Earth Day? Not when you attend a university with a college of global sustainability that runs on wind power. I get a weekly e-mail called the Grist about various ways I should be saving the earth. (Stop eating sugar and start using organic, fair-trade agave nectar instead.) On campus, there was even a solar-powered concert. (It was exceedingly lame. Solar-powered men in capes are still men in capes.) Add to that the proliferation of what Paul calls "smoked-some-bad-granola hippy" grocery stores. Periodically, it gets even to me. Me who:

Recycles everything recyclable (except styrofoam because they don't take here)
Uses her own bags for grocery shopping
Filters her own water (I'm actually okay with tap, but it tastes dirt here)
Lugs a reusable water bottle around
Replacing the lights with CFLs as they burn out
Has a "sensible" (my view)or "Nazi-esque" (Paul's) policy of energy use
Heck, even my cat eats food that contains "no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, rendered meat, poultry or fish, animals or plant meals."

But still, because I am not an agave nectar-consuming, locally-grown produce-eating vegan who bikes everywhere, I am an eco-failure. Sigh. Is there no middle-ground?

Today's My Birthday, Well Yesterday Anyway

So it's my birthday again...or it was yesterday anyway. It was a pretty chill birthday, mainly because I am so busy right now. Birthdays should not fall between Mondays and Wednesdays this semester. Don't they know I am extra busy those days? Anyway, Paul insisted on a dinner not made by us and presents at the least. So he ordered take-out from P.F. Chang's which we eat while watching Bones. (Squeeeeel! That was an excellent birthday present! And there's another one on Thursday!) Paul got me a new purse and some DVDs and a CD, but the big new is that he's taking me to Tuscon for our anniversary in May! He picked out three B&Bs and now I get to pick the winner and plan a little vacation. He even did a bit of planning himself and found a decked-out Spanish Mission style cathedral with tours and a state park created around the ruins of three other mission churches. This is amazing, because as you'll remember, Paul hates travel. (Why go somewhere when you have a home? You know, that place that has all of the stuff you want.) He also hates bed and breakfasts (he doesn't eat breakfast and especially hates eating with strangers) and looking at a bunch of the churches in similar styles (they all look the same, what's the point of seeing more than one?). So you see, it was really quite the sweet gift. Of course, that's what happens when you have really quite the sweet husband.

I'd like to thank everyone who called or sent their birthday wishes. It's always nice to hear from you.

A Bummer of an Easter

It's been a bummer of an Easter. First, it's the last month of the semester and the last two weeks particularly were extra-busy and stressful. And now I'm sick. Not the low-level cold I've had since who-knows-when, but a nasty one that beats me up and takes my lunch money. I move at a slug's pace and I'm so congested my nose whistles when I breathe. Seriously, there's no excuse for that at my age. I was valiantly pressing on though because I wanted to have a little fun in the little time I have before I go under again. Paul suggested we go to a Russian Orthodox midnight vigil because they're interesting and fun. Unfortunately, there is no Russian Orthodox church here. Oh sure, there's a Serbian Orthodox and a Romanian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, possibly Macedonian Orthodox, and multiple Antiochian Orthodox churches, but no Russian. None of them were very close and the vast majority seemed too small to really be busting out the mosaics of which I am so fond. So we went Greek Orthodox, of which there are many. They're large and fancy and brand-new and everywhere, so we picked the closest and investigated. It's a good thing we did. Apparently, they've been infected with a horrible Protestant sparseness. Maybe it's the practicality (haven't raised the funds for lavish decoration yet, but that's no reason not to start using the building), but there were no mosaics. Just white walls and a big crucifix. There wasn't even an iconostasis. How can an Orthodox church not have an iconostasis? It was very disappointing. Paul was surprised and disappointed by the presence of benches. (True Russian Orthodox churches--which this obviously wasn't holding itself out as--don't have benches. Sitting shows a lack of commitment.) Anyway, we gave up on a midnight vigil and returned home. I didn't even get to go to our own Easter services this morning because I was too sick and apparently a snoreosaurus in the morning (given Paul's fleeing to the couch). I found an Easter talk from President Hinckley, which was nice but not the same. I downloaded the Easter hymns and tried to sing alone but it didn't have enough of a voice. It was really pathetic-sounding.

So, it's been a bummer of an Easter. Now, I have to go take more dayquil.

The Further Adventures of Piper McGee

While I try to press through the last month of the semester, I offer adorable kittyness to tide the disgrunted legions over. Miss Piper McGee, as our cat is formally called, has two great passions in life: the Xbox and the printer. She likes to knock discs out of the tray of the Xbox as she "pounces" it and will even anticipate you turning it on. If you sit down on the right side of the sofa, she will sit in front of the Xbox. If you turn the Xbox on, she will come running at top-speed from anywhere in the house. She does the same thing with the printer, except she attacks the arm or whatever the part that moves the ink is called. So far the printer has proved hardy, which is fortunate since she does not hold back. I've added some pictures for your amusement/daily dose of adorable catness.

This is Piper playing dumb. "La la la, I am completely unaware of the printer."


Now she is plotting the printer's imminent demise.


Sad after I've prevented her from slaughtering the printer.

Proof of Life

Paul spent the week in Wilmington, North Carolina on business. He says it was a very picturesque but boring town. He stayed in a bed-and-breakfast with theme rooms. ("More tasteful than the Anniversary Inn" he said.) His room was the Cousteau room. Here's a picture of him in it. You don't get much proof of life for Paul, so I thought perhaps you would enjoy it. He almost got trapped at the Wilmington Regional Airport, but his flight was able to depart in a brief window of clear weather and the weather delays actually helped him make his connection flight. And thanks to the winds, his flight arrived 30 minutes early here. His father, I hear, was not so fortunate. He was stuck in Gainesville, GA last anyone heard. Let's hope he makes it home soon.

A Very Special Double Post: That's What You Get

When you let you heart win. (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!) I'm very excited because a certain event--holiday, even--is approaching. Yes, birthday season is less than a month away. And I already know what I'm getting! No Doubt concert tickets! Hurray! Certain gentle readers (my mom, Mary) will remember that going to a No Doubt concert was how I celebrated my 18th birthday as well. Then, tickets were $35 for general admission. Now, tickets are $80 for mid-level seats. (Which is what I got. There's not point in spending $60 for bad seats when you could spend $80 for decent ones. Whether bad seats should be $60 is another story. Did I mention that Fleetwood Mac tickets are $144 for a half-way decent seat?) Anyway, Paramore is the opening act which really sealed the deal, hence the cheesy blog title. I'm quite excited (did I say that already?) to go (but not to find a parking place--I hope I can get there using light rail). I do feel a little bad though that Paul's first concert experience (at age 27) will be Paramore and No Doubt.

A Very Special Double Post: Talking in Your Sleep

Sorry for the long lag in posting. March is like a marathon, I can only wonder what horrors April will hold. I thought I'd have time to post something over Spring Break, but Spring Break went like this: wander about aimless for 2 days not knowing what to do with self, 1 day on enjoying a vacation, and 2 days of jumping back into the old routine so that homework is finished on time. (It's those Daoist texts, I tell you! They're like word vampires that feed off my precious time.)

Anyway, I am finally getting around to posting. And it's a funny story, so you should read it and maybe comment on it, eh? Paul, as those of you who have lived with him know, is a heavy sleeper. He is such a heavy sleeper that no matter what he is doing or saying, he is asleep if his eyes aren't open for more than 10 seconds. It's the saying that's really tricky. Usually, he can carry on a pretty coherent conversation. But Wednesday, he slipped up. Below is an actual, word-for-word account of a conversation I had with a sleeping Paul.

[Setting: Living room, on our awesome futon sofa]

Me (shaking Paul after he fell asleep during House Hunters): Hey, I think I'll sleep out here on the couch.
Paul: I'm glad you got the den on house #2 that you wanted.
Me: Um, okay. (Pause) Where's the cell phone? I should set the alarm.
Paul: (No response)
Me (shaking Paul again): Where's the cell phone? I need set the alarm.
Paul: What are you going to use for a defense?
Me (giving up on really waking him up): Oh, the usual.
Paul: No, really. Tell me. I want to know.
Me: Uh, knights?
Paul (smiling): Tee hee.