Empty Elizabeth

In front of something, yet still behind...

Friday, March 31, 2006

I've been all over the internet and all I found was this silly meme

I've been across the internet and back and I've found this "meme" (whatever that is... oh, wait. click on the title and find out. wow.) everywhere. This one I actually got by email from my friend Amanda (Hi Amanda!). Enjoy.

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. Reference Page at the local library
2. Circulation and Stacks employee at college library
3. Soil, plant, water and feed tester (I don't think I had a title there) at a little lab in Oshkosh
4. MT at a large hospital

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. When a Man Loves a Woman
2. Emma (with Gwyneth Paltrow
3. Jurassic Park (it's Knee Socks!)
4. White Christmas

Four places you have lived:
1. Fond du Lac
2. Oshkosh
3. Waukesha
4. New Berlin

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Grays' Anatomy
2. What I Like About You
3. NOVA Science Now (in HD!)
4. TOH

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Mexico, in high school
2. Cinncinnati, OH (3EB, baby!)
3. Key West
4. Fort Knox, KY, to see my little (ha! he's 22) brother graduate from basic

Four places you WOULD LIKE TO GO on vacation someday:
1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Boston
4. Maldives

Four websites I visit daily
1.
Go Fug Yourself
2. various blogs (see list on your left)
3. work intranet (woo, exciting)
4. yahoo!

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Dark chocolate
2. Home-made macaroni and cheese
3. Tomato soup and grilled cheese
4. Green beans

Four of my favorite drinks:
1.
Good Earth Original tea
2. Black cherry vanilla Coke(diet)
3. White Reisling
4. Water

Four pets you have had or want to have someday:
1. Muffin Marie (cat)
2. Alex/Ally (cat)
3. Rocket (fish who was eventually eaten by one of my sister's fish)
4. Baxter (cat)

Four Friends that I have tagged that I think will respond
1. Hmmm...
2. Could
3. Be
4. Anyone!

Thursday, March 30, 2006

I'm killing time, killing time, I think it's killing me

I've been quite busy the past couple of years... only to find out recently that one of my favorite bands had broken up in 2001! Woe is me.
AND! I can't find Amphetamines & Coffee on Yahoo! Unlimited.
Shoot, I just remebered that they did an awesome cover of TLC's Creep. I have to rush home to find my cds.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The DMB Effect**

I sort of liked Dave Matthews band way back in high school (94-96) when their debut album was released. It was something new, something catchy, something to hang your hat on.
Then the frat boys got a hold of them.
I don't know what it is about DMB, but it seems to me like that is the band to listen to if you're in the greek system. Part of pledge-week hazing, possibly. They make you memorize all the lyrics and sing them while doing keg stands*. Or immortalize the lyrics on a nice little wooden picture frame along with your call letters*.
I did some searching, and DMB (as the cool people call them, and have on their bumpers) are still going strong, coming to an amphitheater near me, or you. There are certain to be large groups of them, wearing their greek letters and proudly acting out the lyrics in front of unsuspecting normal people*** who would simply like to hear some good live music from some middle-aged men.

Fraternization and sororitization aside, it is my theory that Coldplay are the new DMB. Discuss.

*Clearly speculation on my part, but it could be true: aren't they sworn to secrecy?
**Patent Pending
***Not to say that "greeks" aren't normal. But who's to say, really?

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Didn't You Know?

I started out this week thinking I was going to break down and get my hair cut by a professional. The last time I did this, it was October 2004. Well, yesterday, I read this post, and it got me thinking: hey! I cut my own hair all the time(aka: clipe les cheveaux). (I also read this post last month*). I think I really know what I'm doing this time. It also helps that I have curly hair: little mistakes are easy to disguise.

So, for your enjoyment, this is what i started the week looking like:

Sexy. Yes, no**? Sorry, my hair kinda blends into the living room there.

Anyhow, since it is National Cut Your Own Hair Month/Year***, I've taken matter into my own hands (and saved beaucoup des dollars). Viola, internet, behold:


Oh wait, it's dry now (and some makeup):

And some cuteness, just in case: SM looking worried you're cutting it again, mom?


*She does a nice job. Yes, no?

**I had a virology professor in college that said this after practically every question she asked.

***Heck, when is it not time to cut your own hair?!

Friday, March 24, 2006

F.Y.I. for nurses

Using endearing words like honey, sweetie, dear while you are demanding that I do something immediately because YOU have to go home and God forbid, I have to call the call-center (as is policy anyhow) does not make it sound like you are being any less of a bitch.
Also? I don't think that giving your lab specimens to the security guard to put on the (wrong) dumbwaiter since you are too busy on Saturdays to do it yourself is kosher according to H.I.P.P.A.
And one last thing: please use your name when answering the phone (as is also policy) so that I know who's name to put on the form when I write you up! (or maybe on the "pat-on-the-back" form, if you were nice) *smile*
Love,
Your friendly neighborhood MT

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Sunday Driver, Baby

Story teller, maybe..

One of my all time favorite bands is coming back to town after a 4-year hiatus.
Ten years ago, a group of friends and I saw them at a tiny club on the east side. Now, they are coming back to that club, to celebrate the recording of their first new album in over six years.

too bad it's SOLD OUT and I can't go

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

I Need More...

cowbell!!!


Found this over at Supafine.

An Open Letter to "Work-Clippers"

Now, I work in a clinical lab. We get our fair share of "gross things". Along with the blood and urine, we get occasional stools, nail clippings, skin scrapings, swabs from all over the body and ginormous amounts of fluid from places where there should be none. Albeit, not as much "gross things" as one would see in a hospital (eg, dead bodies, amputated limbs and all matter of odd injuries through the ED)... but our share.
Ew.
At least I get paid.

Dear Clippin' Co-worker;
I don't think that the fact that we work in a lab, where all matter of "gross things" can be seen is a good excuse to clip your own nails here. Right over in the next area, where I can still hear it despite the noise of this confoundedly loud centrifuge.
I guess I can see the necessity if you chipped one of your nails, but HELLO! you're over there working in pee-land, directly behind 5, count them! FIVE bathrooms. One of which would work perfectly well for clipping your injured nail, in private. Where I can not hear it!

Thank you that is all,
Your unapreciative co-worker

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Project Update

I'm currently working on a tote bag. Neat, huh? Maybe I'm really a little old lady.
Whatever, it looks like it's going to be cool. I used some of the fabrics I picked up at the FFFQF way back when. I mean, once you buy all the stuff, you eventually have to make something out of it!
I beaded a few bracelets last month, too.

In other worlds, today was a relatively good kid day. SE was doing more talking than I was yelling. That is always a good day in my book. He explains things to me and embellishes things to his liking. Or he sees some fish on TV and launches into his "aquarium" spiel... it always ends up with "and Auntie Becky was at the aquarium."
SM is growing up fast. At 21 months, he is becoming aware of his bodily functions. He will tell me when he pooped his diaper. And yesterday, he said "potty" and took me to the bathroom, where I put him on the toilet and he peed. He also did this for daddy once. This is quite a change from SE whom we didn't really start potty-training until he was around 3.
The house, with it's 3 boys is holding up well, all I have to do is convince daddy to watch them so I have more time to work on all my projects!

Friday, March 03, 2006

The Impression That I Get

The boys and I did a little painting today: finger painting. Well, SE and I used brushes and SM actually did the finger painting. I think they use the impressionist style. I prefer pseudo-realism when I paint.

SM was excited and jumped right in by scooping blobs of paint onto his paper. The end result was quite nice, like a big reddish-brown rainbow with spots of blue and yellow. This was the first time he has ever finger painted (I'm scared of the mess) and it was quite messy. Despite having a towel tied around his neck and tucked tightly around his mid-section, he managed to get paint all the way up his arms and onto his sleeves, on his face, all over the table and on his booster seat. He didn't mind it one bit. I tossed him in the shower when we were done, shirt and all.

SE demanded the use of a brush. This is the third time he has ever painted (again, the mess). He did pretty good. He was painting waterfalls, with pipes and spots where the pipes went "sploosh" (burst open, I imagine). The brush created nice texture to the paint. He was quite pleased. And SM being the neater of the two, would wipe his fingers on his smock whenever he got a little bit of paint on them. This helped a little with the cleanup, except that he demanded to be put in the shower too. This entails SM taking of his clothes and telling you to help him into the tub. So, there are 2 wet shirts on the bathroom rug (somehow, SM got paint on the back of his shirt).

I'm sure the two of them will be excited to show daddy their artwork when they wake up from their naps. (I already showed him my painting before I left for work: large flowers).

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Test Patterns

In a fit of violent creativity and insanity, I bought the trappings for a cushion for our window seat. Along with that, I bought some stuff for the making of chair-pads/cushions for the dining room table. Not only did it cost way too much for a DIY-type thing, but it took WAY TOO LONG in the store.
Oddly, during the week, in the afternoon, is the worst time to go shopping at the fabric store. Not only are the old ladies out and about, but so is everyone else.... including me: complete with 2 tired kids, one of whom has to go "pee on the potty!!!" every 15 minutes. I think I was there over an hour.
I found the foam... and waited at least 10 minutes to get it cut (only to length, they won't cut it any other way!). Then I found some fabric that I liked and had to roam around the store while I tried to figure out how much yardage I would need. This was a gigantic feat unto itself. You try doing abstract math in your head while your 20-month-old throws things out of the cart and you are interupted for yet another potty break by the 3 1/2 year old. I finally decided how much I needed, and had to take another number. This wait was as long, if not longer, than the first wait. The "cutter" was neither friendly nor socialble.
To top it off, I almost stole 4 chair pads.

Cut to Saturday night. I think the thing that slipped my mind (my harried, crazy, busy, over-worked mind) at the fabric store was to get a pattern. That would have made my life much simpler. Instead, I decided I could wing-it. I guess the chair pad turned out OK. But I am less than thrilled and am now trying to decide if I should look for a
pattern (which would most likely entail buying yet more fabric), or just scrap the whole project.

Or, I could spend the rest of my free time coming up with cute craft puns.