I was tired of this design and frustrated with Blogger, so I gave in and bought a domain and set up wordpress. I'm still playing with it, and when I have it where I feel confident enough to plug it, you'll read it here!

I want to thank Oso here for having such a gorgeous blog. I was so fascinated with his blog that I had been seriously considering setting wordpress up ever since his redesign. So thanks, oso!

For my regular readers, whomever you may be, I'd like to thank you for keeping up with me. I'm not giving up on blogging, just on blogg-er.

Oh, and thanks to Charlie for helping me come up with my domain name.

These were my ideas (not chosen):
whereorwhen.net - obvious
animadvert.net - cool word
perpend.net - cool word
viennarain.net - poem I wrote in college
candentbeam.net - cool word

Hopefully I can play with it enough this weekend to make it open to the public! I'll keep you posted.
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The INSIDER Online: News: Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Dating
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Hmm. I love this group, but I HATE the Backyard, where they will be playing in June. I just know they would be a great concert, but I can't stand the setup of the Backyard. The last concert I attended there was Lyle Lovett. The crowd talked drunkily over the opening act, Keb Mo (who we love), so we couldn't hear him. Some tall man with a cowboy hat was seated directly in front of us, so we couldn't see. People were smoking all around us, and the air was so still. I felt cheated out of my money and haven't seen a concert there since.

Will it be better for Alison Krauss and Union Station? I just don't know. Plus, if we go to the Kerrville Folk Festival, it would be financially better for me not to go to another concert for a while.

Also, I see on the BY's website that Los Lonely Boys is playing next week with opening acts Calexico and Ozomatli. Man!
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I am reading Marie Antoinette: the Journey (see the link on the left). I have been reading it for what seems like an eternity, but what is probably only a week and a half. I am only half-way through. I am determined to finish this book! Not only is it good biography, but I have spent so much time on it already, I might as well finish it. There is a reason I don't read much non-fiction - I can't skim through this book, because I am already getting enough names mixed up. All the Countesses and Princesses. . . the only ones I can tell are obvious relatives are her sisters and mother, because "Marie" was a family name.

What have we learned, Charlie Brown:

- King Louis XVI was not a very sexual man. He had no mistresses (well, not yet anyway, I'm only half-way through the book) and was not physically close to his wife for the first few years of their marriage.

- Marie Antoinette's favorite composer was Gluck (not a familiar name to many outside of music studies). She missed a chance to patronize Mozart, as she was pregnant with her first child.

- She was not a very literate person, was near-sighted and was not able to concentrate very hard on things.

- She had issues with bossy older women like her mother, oldest sister, and others.

See! I can always make do with more random trivia!

Not so much related, except for the mention of trivia - I finally watched my Bringing Up Baby DVD this weekend. Included in the set is a documentary on Howard Hawks. I didn't realize the variety of movies the man directed! He told a funny story about Faulkner and Clark Gable, which you may already know.

He and William Faulkner were planning on going on a hunting trip and Gable asked if he could tag along. While on the trip, a discussion on great literature was started. Gable asked who the great writers were. Faulkner answered, Ernest Hemingway, Willa Cather, a couple other writers from the canon, and himself. Gable said, "Oh, you're a writer?" and Faulkner replied, "Yes. And what is it you do?"

Too funny.
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Sweet. It fascinates me how chick-lit as a term creates a dichotomy between female writers. I just found this angry response to the publishing of a book titled This Is Not Chick Lit, "a collection of original stories by America's best women writers". Here you go: Beatrice.com: Guest Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Jennifer Weiner has a response to it, also. This one is funnier, though.

Oh, and I'm 27 today. *whoo-hoo*
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Besides the bug bites, snake threats and scorpions. . . she's still having a good time in Costa Rica.

I'm back in the village where the renewable energy course was held. I don't know if I'm getting all the fullfillment I was hoping for by volunteering at Rancho [X], but I am learning some cool stuff. I'm getting more enjoyment from the homestay I'm doing. I'm staying with a family that has a small farm, so on some occassions, I help the mother and daughter milk the cows in the morning. It's been really great staying with them.

The reason why I don't feel satisfied with the work I'm doing is because we've been building a house out of natural materials, which is great, but it is for the owners of the ranch. They're great people and they are doing a lot for the community, but I would rather be helping out more in the community. I skipped work for two days to help the family plant squash at another farm that is funded through the government. It was tough work as you can imagine, especially because they don't have much equipment. Literally, all they have is a shovel and a few machetes. The machetes are used in conjuction with a stick to cut the brush. I wanted to try it out, but was scared to get bit by a snake, especially since there are venemous snakes in the
area.

The family has much interest in opening up a guesthouse with the expectation that more tourists will come to the area. Their oldest daughter is working on a proposal to get funding/financing from the government. The village I'm staying at doesn't have a phone or internet, so I traveled to the nearest town with internet, which is
two hours away. I brought their daughter with me, so she could open up an email account, so she could email her proposal to the appropriate person in hopes to get things rolling along a bit faster.

Well, that was a quick summation of what I've been up to. I've been doing well with the expection of being attacked by ants and other miscellaneous bugs. I pretty much wake up each morning with a few more bug bites. Oh, and I killed my first scorpion yesterday - not to worry, it was a little one. I hope you are doing well and fill me in on what has been going on in your life.

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I spent most of yesterday at the Habitat warehouse, building the frames for the Women Build house. It was awesome. I was so worried that I had lost my touch, since I hadn't done any construction since 2001. But as soon as I started hitting the toenail into the cripple over the door, I was back. I was very happy that I still had it. It was terrific to spend the day with a group of other Austin-area women interested in building affordable housing and excited to use tools. One of the women in my group had never nailed before, but she did a fantastic job of it! Her technique was down.

There was one volunteer whose advice seemed patronizing to me, but I could tell her advice helped the newbie volunteers, so whatever. Overall, it was a diverse and delightful group of women there volunteering, and we really got a lot done. This was my first Woman's Build as a volunteer, so that was neat.

And can I say that I kick ass with a nail gun? Because I do. I still hate using it for the noise produced (it always freaks me out), but towards the end of the afternoon I was using it because my arm was sore from hammering and lifting.

Today I am so sore it's not funny. My glutes, legs and hammering arm are very achy. I'm hopped up on ibuprofen. But it was worth it. They said that they contract out taping and texturing, so I can't help with that (I hate taping, but love spraying and swiping the texture). I'm planning on helping put the sheetrock up, and maybe going another time before that. I can't do it every weekend, though. I wouldn't be able to survive the week!
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Elizabeth's Aliases

Your movie star name: Crackers Grant

Your fashion designer name is Elizabeth Vienna

Your socialite name is Lizardbreath Austin

Your fly girl / guy name is E Sto

Your detective name is Bear Johnston

Your barfly name is Cookie Margarita

Your soap opera name is Virginia Briarcliff

Your rock star name is Chocolate Roadrunner

Your star wars name is Elieve Stomar

Your punk rock band name is The Aware Remote

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The Barbwire Project is having a concert next Saturday evening featuring Michelle Schumann. Exciting stuff! I think I'll be in Kerrville that day, unfortunately. I always enjoy Michelle's performances, especially her concerts for John Cage's birthday.

For more information look here: Barbwire Music Project
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You scored as Christianity. Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins. Christianity 79% Buddhism 63% agnosticism 58% Judaism 50% Paganism 46% Hinduism 42% Satanism 29% Islam 25% atheism 8% Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com

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I just spent about 30 minutes on the phone with FedEx. I am so frustrated with them and am slowly calming down as I type. I won't explain the whole debacle, but it was damn worth it being on the phone so long to get credited for something that wasn't our fault. Even if it was only $7.07. Even then.

I don't get angry too often, but when I do, watch out! Seriously though, I have improved in my dealing with frustrating people. I can talk very calmly even though I want to shout. I can take deep breaths and retain a reasonable tone. I used to just get choked up with anger and teary-eyed. I am very pleased with my improvement. Of course, I would prefer not to get agitated at all. But it happens.
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I just found out Genevieve, my best friend from childhood (and really one of those people I can chat with like no time has passed), is participating in a 3 day walk in Seattle to raise money for breast cancer. I thought I should plug her page here so she might be able to pick up some random donations. It's 60 miles in 3 days!! That's worth plugging in and of itself.

2005 Seattle Breast Cancer 3-Day - General Donation
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Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English

25% Dixie

20% Yankee

5% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

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I'm so tempted to sign up for this class . . . Marriage of Figaro is my favorite opera, period. I would only have a problem possibly with the live chats, given that I do work 8 hours (at least) a day.

AllLearn: Online Course on Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro

update: I registered for it! So now I have to do it.
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This evening I went to an open house at the local library. I was the only non-librarian there. There was good food, at least!
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Flipping through channels this evening, I discover The Eyes of Nye, a new show hosted by Bill Nye. I don't know about you all, but I watched Bill Nye in high school. I swear that I learned more from his show than from my honors physics teacher. I just finished watching the first ep on Astrobiology. Good stuff, but it's just not the same! There was no dorky music video spoof.

Last night Leah and I saw "Beautyshop". There was a couple in front of us, which I thought was a mother and daughter. Not so much! When a gay character came up on screen, the adolescent got up and started saying, "fa**ot, fa**ot, fa**ot" at the screen. He got up and walked to the steps, repeating it to himself. As soon as the character was off the screen, he came back and sat in his seat. During this whole thing, I wanted to get up and talk some sense into him. Leah said later, he was fla-ming. I said, whatever, there's no excuse for that.

And, um, some of the characters from that film worked themselves into my dream last night. Which was very bizarre, including second-cousins I don't have and other strangeness.
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You Are 26 Years Old

26 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

Strangely enough, I am 26, At least for 21 more days. I think Degrassi and creme brulee equaled eaach other out or something. But I am damn addicted to Degrassi.
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I had the worst dream last night. In it, the Austin Statesman removed The Boondocks from the funnies because it's too political. Instead it was replaced with some British strip about a modern gal.

Later on in my dream (the most vivid part), I was listening to NPR. Scott Simon was hosting an interview with some muckety-muck, and you could hear Arabic in the background. Suddenly shots were being fired on the radio. Scott Simon told us Al Queda was attacking NPR. I started freaking out that such an open-minded part of our society would be attacked by the terrorist org. I ran into my parents' living room (all the sudden I was at their house) and told my dad to change the channel on his radio so he could hear. In my dream, he refused to take it off KMFA. Then I tried to find some TV news channel that would cover the attack, and no one could figure out what channel Headline News was (in real life, my parents have a different cable provider, so neither Leah nor I ever know the channels). My aunt and uncle who live in Kermit were over and they couldn't understand my frustration and fear. IT WAS HORRIBLE.

I woke up really scared, and thankful that it was a dream and not reality. In real life, this morning I went on to cut my foot on something near the kitchen, and I almost got killed on my way to carpool with my mom. I was driving on the access road to get to the house and this asshole silver truck-driver came VERY close to ending my life by swiping me. I honked for like a minute before he noticed me. He then slowed down after he realized my existence in that lane.

I was already freaked out from my INSANE dream/nightmare, hurt from cutting my foot, and this was just the last straw. I started shaking, and I was practically bawling by the time I got to my mom's house.

I will say now, the day has been very busy, but I am definitely feeling better. I think the Greek salad I had for lunch helped.
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