New pennies in 2009!

The state quarter program will be ending, but the Mint will not let me down! They're releasing four new pennies:

Over the years, there have been many design changes for the one-cent coin. Usually, the 25-year minimum has to pass between redesigns. But, thanks to the 2009 Lincoln One-Cent Coin Redesign Program, there will be four design changes within 2009!

Abraham Lincoln's image has been on the front of the penny since 1909. That image will remain in place for all four coins in the new program. On the back, four different images will highlight four parts of Lincoln's life. These coins will be issued about 3 months apart in the order they happened.

* His birth in Kentucky (1809 to 1816)
* His youth in Indiana (1816 to 1830)
* His professional life in Illinois (1830 to 1861)
* His presidency in Washington, DC (1861 to 1865)

Besides the regular circulating version of these coins, a special version may be made for collectors. This version would contain the same metals as the original 1909 cent (95 percent copper, 5 percent tin and zinc) instead of the modern cent's normal mix (2.5 percent copper, the rest zinc).

Beginning in 2010, the design on the back of the one-cent coin is scheduled to represent the unity of the states, which Lincoln worked so hard to restore and preserve, and not to change again any time soon.

No pictures of what they'll look like yet, but this is exciting because instead of having to figure out how much change to give the cashier to ensure you get 75, 50, or 25 cents back, now you can just give them bills and there's a reason to WANT pennies! They're also releasing four new Native American-themed gold dollar coins, in addition to the current presidential gold dollar coin series. But those are nearly impossible to come by in general circulation. Pennies, though, are the exact opposite!

Update 9/24/08: Check out the new designs!!

Word geek

I like to read the New York Times online. I get headlines delivered to my inbox daily, and although frequently I don't have time to do more than scan them, on lazy Sunday mornings I delve deeper. I was reading an op-ed piece on Hillary vs. Obama, and came across a word I didn't know. I think my vocabulary is pretty good, but they (NYT writers) always manage to use one or two words that stump me. Often I just skip over them, but today I was going to look one up: perorations. I double clicked on it, to highlight it so that I could copy and paste it into Google. Lo and behold, double clicking caused a new window to open with a dictionary definition of the word! I'm sure this is not new to many people, but holy cow, that's fantastic! Ingenious!

By the way, peroration means a flowery and highly rhetorical speech.

The Mint's got my back

The state quarter program is winding down. We only have two more years, and people like me were already beginning to wonder what life would be like without a reason to check our change. The U.S. Mint to the rescue! They just announced that they are starting a new series, the Presidential $1 coin program.



The Mint people are really going wild with this one, folks. The inscriptions "In God We Trust," "E Pluribus Unum," the issue year and the mint mark will appear on the edge.


You can check it out here. And the schedule for release is here. The first one will appear in January, a mere two months away!

The only problem with this is going to be finding them. The Mint is really itching to get the public used to $1 coins, because they are much more durable than $1 bills. But when was the last time you bought something and got any Sacagaweas or Susan B. Anthonys as change? Probably never, unless you got change from a post office stamp machine or a mass transit ticket machine. According to CNN, the problem with Sacagaweas was that the Mint did not make enough of them, and collectors like me stashed them away, so there was never an opportunity to become accustomed to using them. So hopefully the Mint will positively deluge the public with these new coins. If not, I'll have to make quarterly trips to the post office and pay for a book of stamps with a $20 bill just to get the change!

Books, books, and more books

I went to the Wake County Public Libraries annual book sale after work today. Holy cow, talk about a lot of books!


I suppose your average Borders contains just as many, but when they're spread out before you in a single layer on tables in a former Kmart, it looks like a zillion! After about 90 minutes I had to force myself to leave, because my two canvas bags were pulling my arms out of their sockets. But come on, paperbacks for a dollar?!

The travel section was my Achilles' heel--xix books on Walt Disney World alone! But I KNOW I will get there some day soon, and I will of course need to to tons of research beforehand. Yes, they may take up a lot of room on my bookshelf, but I got $90 worth of books for only six bucks. I couldn't pass it up! I also nabbed a few books on Savannah, Hilton Head, and the Bahamas for my upcoming trip, as well as "dream books" on Australia and London. Oh, and a couple on Washington, D.C., since I know I'll be going there for sure as well. I also found a couple of old Crock Pot cookbooks that I might be able to find a few good recipes in. And of course, a stack of chick lit, which I bought in the hopes of someday having a lunch hour again during which I can take a break and read. The obligatory Grisham novel, a cool British copy of Angels & Demons, the Civil War classic Killer Angels which I am ashamed to say as a history major I've never read (in my defense, it was never assigned, but still). A couple political tomes by Michael Moore and Al Franken (I might've picked up Ann Coulter's out of morbid curiosity if they had it in paperback, but I'll be darned if hers is the only book I'm forced to pay hardback prices for) and a few other assorted reads about the environment and such. Quite a haul for 40 bucks.

I could have spent at least another hour (and probably another $20) looking around but I didn't get home until quarter of nine as it was (which meant that my Crock Pot dinner had been stewing for over 12 hours...it was kinda mushy but not bad). I may go back on Sunday when the prices get ridiculously cheap--you can get a whole bag of books for $2. I guess people can get crazy about it, though. There were signs on the front door pointing out where the line started, and talking about how if you leave the line you lose your place. And there were signs taped up inside about not hoarding books you don't plan to buy. It must have been crazy when it opened at noon today!

Meet Ginny

Friday afternoon, if you had asked me while I was standing on the beach what my plans were for the weekend, I would have said, "Nothing." Who knew that I'd end up right outside of Washington, D.C. less than 24 hours later on a spur-of-the-moment trip?

My parents and I made the five-hour trek not to gaze upon the seat of our nation's government, but rather to gaze upon a 2005 Honda Accord coupe.


I'd been searching for a new car, as you may know, and after considering everything from car auctions to Honda dealerships for certified pre-owned vehicles, I ended up back at Carmax. But not the Carmax in Raleigh, because they didn't have what I wanted. They offer a transfer service, but who wants to pay $200 and wait seven days? So off we went to Sterling, VA, to pick up Ginny (so named because of her state of origin--thanks for the idea, Mom!). Ginny is dark gray, as you can see, and has 13,000 fewer miles than my previous car, is a whole year newer, has all the same options, and yet was only $500 more. What a deal!



Of course, there were some logistical details that needed to be worked out since I was buying a car outside my state of residence. But it's really not a big deal. I was not charged VA sales tax, because I will pay NC sales tax when I go to the DMV here to register the car. One Virginia feature that I only noticed after I got home: the license plate holder attached to the front bumper (VA requires two plates, like CA, whereas NC only requires one). I don't think I want to remove it, because I think it would leave holes. But that's okay. I can find something cute to put there.

It was definitely a very long day of driving, but the trip home was in my fab new car, so it's all good. Oh, and she rolled over to 20k on the way, so of course I had to snap a photo.

And I have to give an Ellen-style "HOLLA" to my parents who are so generous to drive me all the way up there on a whim to pick up a car. And I will also give credit to Carmax, who, unlike last time, got us out of there in about an hour and 15 minutes. Pretty quick, no?

P.S. Holy cow, people! It's October already. What happened to September?!

Tips or TMI?

I was shopping at Target today and in the hair care aisle almost one entire side was taken up by Pantene. How on earth did we reach this point, people?! How many different kinds of shampoo, conditioner, mousse, gel, and hairspray can one manufacturer sell?! Apparently like a hundred. Anyway, I was contemplating trying a new kind of mousse (named "Pantene ICE," apparently due to the way it will make my hair shine like an Arctic glacier) when I noticed another woman pondering all the options. I said, "They're trying to confuse us," and she agreed. She appeared tobe at a loss for what to pick, so I decided to offer my opinion. "My favorite conditioner is this one," pointing to Pantene's Daily Moisture Renewal. "It's as good as the stuff that comes in hair coloring kits." She seemed grateful for the suggestion, and even asked my opinion on shampoo. I said that I've tried Pantene shampoos but have found that Suave works just as well, and I directed her to Suave Humectant. She said, "Thanks! I'll try these and see how it goes." I of course had to insert a disclaimer: "Everyone's hair is different but I hope it works for you!"

As I made my way up and down the aisles filling my basket, it occurred to me that I have pretty strong brand preferences when it comes to many products. Now, I'm no Consumer Reports, and I have done no scientific testing, but I thought I'd list a few of my favorites in case anyone out there is not happy with what they're currently using. This is a very self-indulgent post and I forgive you if you stop reading right here because you're thinking to yourself, "Who the heck cares??!"

Dental care:
Toothbrush: Oral-B Cross Action, regular size head (which used to be "compact") with soft bristles--who uses the hard ones??


I think the "Cross Action" thing is new, but I have used Oral-B for years. I like the way the handle feels in my hand and the bristles are soft from the start--no "working in" period.
Toothpaste: Colgate Tartar Control Whitening. I've used this solely for years now, and I have zero cavities.


I like the way it tastes and foams up. Can't say it does much in the area of whitening, though.

Hair products:
Shampoo: The aforementioned Suave Humectant. Lathers well, rinses well. Not expensive.
Conditioner: Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal. Super thick. Worth the extra couple of dollars compared to Suave's less rich (ha, ha) conditioner.


Mousse: Pantene Extra Fullness mousse. It doesn't necessarily make my hair fuller, but it definitely makes it easier to comb and style, and when I don't use it, my hair does not feel as conditioned. I used to use Suave, but this is better.

Shaving:
Razors: Venus. Three blades means a close shave and, ironically, less likelihood of getting cut.


It kills me to buy the refills because they are ridiculously expensive but, again, it's worth it. I tried going back to cheap twin blades and it was a mess.
Shaving cream: I usually just use soap lather.

Paper products:
Toilet paper: Cottonelle double rolls. (Honestly, why does anyone buy regular rolls anymore? Does anyone really enjoy changing the roll?)


It's single ply but does not feel like it at all. They have a thicker version but I don't like it as much.
Paper towels: Viva select-a-size. I think I've mentioned this before. I used to use Bounty select-a-size but now that they offer it in Viva, Bounty is only a backup. Viva is almost cloth-like, and is worth the few extra cents. Select-a-size is an easy way to make a roll last longer, because most jobs don't require a full sheet.

Air freshener:
Oust fragrance-free.


You really know it works because the smells are gone, not just covered up by some putrid flowery scent.

Pet products:
Kitty litter: Feline Pine (or, preferrably, the pet-store-generic brand, but they always seem to be out of it).


This stuff truly absorbs odors, and you don't have to scoop it every single day (unless your cat is super picky about that kind of stuff). It does have some tracking issues, but I've never used any litter that doesn't. I used to use the crystals but they are sooo expensive.
Scratchers: Comet loves the corrugated cardboard scratchers.


I've tried scratching posts but he was never interested in them. I had a roommate a while ago and her cats loved these cardboard things, and when Comet started using them, I was surprised but grateful. I have several around the house and he luuuuuvs them, especially if I put fresh catnip on them. He started scratching the carpet a little while ago, right by my bedroom door, so I moved a scratcher there and he started scratching that instead. Marvelous!

Food (this is more preference stuff, not so much advice--again, I don't know why you should care, but for what it's worth, here ya go):
Macaroni and Cheese: Kraft Thick & Creamy. So much yummier than the regular.
Butter vs. Margarine: I was raised on margarine but recently switched to butter because it all has the same amount of fat anyway (reduced fat margarine is WATER, folks), and butter is at least all-natural fat. Plus it is soooo much tastier.
Milk: 1%. I was raised on skim, but switched to 1% when I moved out on my own because skim expires too fast. I'm very accustomed to 1% now, to the point where skim tastes and looks yucky.
Drinks: I prefer Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke, although it used to be the other way around. In college, the cafeterias served Pepsi products and when I came home for vacation I tasted Diet Coke and was like, "Eww, what is this?" I'll take either but if given a choice, Pepsi it is. Although I don't usually buy soda at the grocery store. I like flavored sparkling waters, usually peach. Most stores make their own brand. I don't even know if there IS a national brand. Wal-Mart's has the best peach flavoring. It seriously tastes like you bit into a peach!
Crackers: My favorite is Cheez-It Twists, in Cheddar-More Cheddar flavor, followed by Cheez-It Crisps. But I've switched to Triscuits recently because my doctor said I should eat more whole grains. I like the Triscuit Thins, as well as the Rosemary-Olive Oil flavor. Stay away from the Garden Herb. It tastes like a cracker with soup mix on it. Yuck!
Chips: Oh there are so many yummy ones, but if you're looking for something a little less unhealthy, try Doritos Baked Nacho Cheese. They are quite good. You don't miss the extra fat at all. Stay away from baked potato chips though. They are nasty (at least in my humble opinion)!

Gum:
Mint: Orbitz, in original flavor. Very nifty packaging that fits neatly in your purse (Friday I discovered that Trident has recently adopted similar packaging), and a great pepperminty taste. Chewable for a loooong time (I frequently pop a piece after lunch and keep it until dinner time).


Other: Bubble Yum Sugarless, in bubblegum flavor. Sometimes you're in the mood for something besides mint. This has a classic bubblegum taste yet is not bad for your teeth! You can blow good bubbles with it too, although it loses its flavor pretty quickly and becomes unchewable after about 30 minutes.

So do y'all have any tips or preferences?

Bullet blogging

My little trips are full of simultaneously insignificant yet memorable moments. Does that make any sense? I find myself wishing that someone was with me so I could turn to them and say, "Isn't that hilarious," "Whoa, check that out," or better yet, just share a glance and a giggle, or a meaningful look. But I guess I'll have to settle for bullet blogging for now.

• There were Confederate flags everywhere in Rutherford County. Flying outside of houses, stuck on bumpers, and printed on all manner of souvenirs. A couple times I thought I'd taken a wrong turn and ended up in Alabama.


• There were also all manner of "hillbilly" souvenirs (no doubt the coexistence of the two is not coincidental), some of which were good for a chuckle. Like the "Bald Man's Hairbrush," which was basically a wooden paddle with no bristles. Or the "Wooden Exercise Block," directions printed thereon: "Place block on floor. Walk around it. Congratulations, you've taken a walk around the block!"


• Asheville is not anyplace I am dying to return to. I would like to see the Biltmore Estate still, but the town itself is a little disappointing. I'd heard it described as "artsy," but "bohemian" is more like it. Nearly every shop had patchouli burning. The ratio of shops selling new merchandise to those selling used was about even. The median age of the people I saw: 19. The median age of the buildings: 90 (and showing it!). Fashion statement of choice: clothing meticulously chosen to achieve the "I'm too concerned with real life and important issues and my art to care about how I look, so I just wear clothes I find in the trash--ok, I buy some at thrift stores but only independent ones" look. Which are not necessarily bad things, but it's just not my scene.


• I am officially a fan of Holiday Inn Express hotels. [Sidenote: I am going back over what I wrote, and this line made me laugh, especially considering the paragraph before it! I am so clearly the polar opposite of your typical Ashevillian--you would sooner see donkeys fly than hear them comment about their favorite upscale budget hotel!] Anyway, this is the second one I've stayed in, and I've found that they offer the best amenities for the price.
  
  
  My room was awesome--good bed, good linens/pillows, nice furniture, fridge, microwave, granite in the bathroom, free wireless internet, and a great free breakfast in the morning. The Renaissance Hotel, a big fancy establishment which I booked cheap on Priceline, was nice too, but there was no free internet (they charged $9.95/day), no free breakfast, and no fridge/micro in the room. I rarely find a microwave necessary, but the fridge is always good to keep my water cold.


• I think they accidentally hung the wall art sideways in my room though:



• The absence of a free breakfast, paired with a very tight and early schedule this morning, meant that I had no other option than to order room service for breakfast. Twist my arm why don't you. It was my first room service ever, if my memory serves. I went for the Eggs Benedict Florentine, and it was mighty tasty.



• I got not one, not two, but three brand new Colorado quarters as change from the Zaxby's in Forest City! The excitement and glee were abundant. And luckily confined to the privacy of my car since I was in the drive-thru. ;)


• On the way home I saw the most unusual truck. I didn't know they made these.
  



• On the way to Chimney Rock, I caught this stately but aging house up on a hill as I sped by on the highway below.
  
  
  I'd love to buy it and fix it up. But on second thought, it's more interesting to imagine all the events it's witnessed over the years as its paint has peeled. [Another sidenote: Why do old city buildings make me grimace, while old country buildings make me feel whimsical? The more I travel, the more I am becoming aware of how much I simply do not like cities, and how strongly I favor suburbs and countryside.]


• Couldn't resist this photo of more ivy monsters...they're practically leaping onto the road to scare passing motorists!

This post has impact...but does it impact you?

They say you learn something new everyday. Sometimes it's trivial (the only date that is also a command: March 4th) and sometimes it is logistically useful (take Hunter St. to avoid congested downtown Apex). Other times it is a real epiphany. Today's new brain wrinkle is a combo of the trivial and useful sort, and was stumbled upon at popurls.com, which is a clearinghouse of sorts for popular links. If you know me, you know that "10 Flagrant Grammar Mistakes That Make You Look Stupid" was quick to catch my eye. I love grammar. Well, let me rephrase that. I like things I'm good at, and I'm pretty good at grammar.

Anyway, I figured this article would be your standard rehash of the all-too-common their/they're/there kinds of mixups, and it is, but buried in tip #5 (affect vs. effect) was the tidbit that blew my mind. Impact is not a verb. Wha? Rainy weather impacts commuters. Consuming high amounts of fat impacts cardiovascular health. Turns out this is wrong. Who knew? Impact is a noun only. If you look it up at dictionary.com, you see that it is, in fact, listed as a verb, but has been slapped with the label "usage problem." Did you know there was a Usage Panel? News to me. Apparently this group of intellectually superior individuals decides what is proper and what isn't when it comes to using words. A whopping 95% of them think it is flat-out wrong to say "Today's high pollen count will impact allergy sufferers." You have to say "Today's high pollen count will have an impact on allergy sufferers." All righty then.

The usage note at dictionary.com refers the reader to the entry for contact, which also started out only as a noun, but has successfully transitioned into the verb category. Can you imagine it being incorrect to say "I will contact you as soon as possible"? The English language is always evolving, and my bet is on impact becoming acceptable as a verb, just as they/them/their will become acceptable to refer to a singular non-gendered entity ("Someone left their keys behind."). Heck, it's even hip to turn nouns into verbs these days. Think about how you find information online. Do you say, "I did a Google search on digital cameras," or do you say "I Googled digital cameras"?

Anyway, I know this is an extremely nerdy post and most people will roll their eyes or not bother to read, but it is fascinating to me and I thought I'd share. Still booooored at work. Obviously.

But travel is getting ever closer. June's locations have been finalized. I will be in South Carolina on the 21st; near Asheville, NC on the 22nd and near Wilmington, NC on the 26th. I probably won't have enough time to tour the Biltmore Estate but I definitely want to stick my toe in the Atlantic. Then I'll be in northern Georgia from the 27th through the 30th. None of these require air travel--even for Georgia, our customers are 2 hours from the Atlanta airport so it ends up being almost a wash. You figure, for a 4 pm flight, you have to be there at 3, so you leave the house at 2:30. It takes 90 minutes, so you land at 5:30 (assuming no delays). By the time you've gotten your luggage, rented a car, and hit the road, it's probably 6:30. I'm told the drive is about six hours, and from what I can tell, it's gorgeous country down there. I'm so looking forward to it!

100k!

Considering I'm female and drive a relatively nondescript domestic sedan, I talk an awful lot about my car. I mean, there was the whole deer incident, with the subsequent repairs. Then there was the license and registration saga. And today I'm going to write about my car yet again. First of all, my personalized plate arrived and I must admit that since I put it on the car, every time I see it, I do a double-take, and I get a little rush of excitement.


You gotta love the sun glistening on the chrome. I swear I did not stage that!

And the even bigger news--my car has reached a rather significant milestone (ha ha, no pun intended): 100,000 miles!


If you know me, you know that I'm freakishly obsessed with my odometer reading. I've been looking forward to this momentous event for months now. Pathetic, I know. It is not a recent affliction. I've taken pictures of it at 10,000 miles (I remember it clearly: I had just driven up to my friend Marcy's house in Valencia, California, during some sort of break from college. I think it was Christmas. I took the photo with a disposable camera. This was back in 1999 and digital photography was still budding technology and very expensive.) I also have a picture from when it read 77,777, just because.


I mean, how cool is that? (You can even see the Check Engine light in the lower right-hand corner...that blasted thing mocked me for over a year. No one could figure out what problem was causing it to go on. I finally got it taken care of last June. Had to leave the car with the mechanic for a week...luckily, I timed it so it was the week I was here in NC visiting my new niece!) But I digress...

So clearly you can see I take my odometer reading way too seriously. In addition to the 100k shot, I actually took a pic at 99,999 as well. And a video of it turning over to 100,000. It happened just as I was pulling up to my apartment after having gone out shopping. I could not believe my luck, because I had seriously fretted that I would be speeding down the highway when it rolled over and I wouldn't be able to take a picture. Even worse, I was afraid I'd get lost in thought and miss it altogether (shudder at the horror!). I even contemplated--if it read 99,999 when I got home today--driving around the complex until it turned over. I am not kidding! Seeing the odometer at an even 100,000 makes me not want to drive the car and "mess it up." Yes, I am aware that all this makes me very weird. So be it. I'm letting my freak flag fly, as they say!

So what was I shopping for, you ask? Why, some sweet new speakers for my 'puter! I've been wanting a set with a subwoofer for quite some time, and it was one of those things I told myself I could buy when I got a job. Well, now's that time! They sound awesome!!

It kind of feels like my birthday or something, because I also treated myself yesterday to some new cookware. I was still using the same set I got when I moved into my first apartment in 1998. They were a'ight, as Randy from American Idol would say, but the lids were starting to look scuzzy and the teflon was scratching a little. So I got some new pots and pans from Sears. They're not chef quality or anything, but they're nice. My theory is, you either buy one top-of-the-line set and forget about it for 20 years, or you buy bargain sets every five or six years. I don't cook that much, so I've never been able to justify getting the expensive stuff.

So last night I ate with my parents at the Cheesecake Factory in Raleigh. I adore that restaurant. This was our first visit to one in NC, but I'd eaten at California CF's in Pasadena, Woodland Hills, Redondo Beach, and Marina del Rey. I've also been to the one at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. I would eat at CF all the time except that the wait is always ridiculously long. But the food is sooo delicious. At the risk of reavealing all my lunacy in this single post, I will confess that I'd actually had a dream about their Avocado Egg Rolls the night before. Nothing absurd, just that I was at CF and I ordered them. So when my parents called and suggested I meet them at the restaurant for dinner, I jumped at the chance. And you bet I ordered the eggrolls. Yummo, as Rachael Ray would say.

So tonight I'm looking forward to my ABC block: Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy. At some point I need to finish my postcards for the swap. I can't wait to see what everyone sends!

P.S. What is UP with the birds here? Lately they've been chirping and singing full-bore at like midnight! I'm not talking about a tweet-tweet here and a tweet-tweet there. It's a veritable birdsong master chorale, and it's wacky. They're supposed to shut up at sundown and not peep until sunrise! Or at least that's how it was in CA. I suppose and extra helping of chirps is not all that whine-worthy in the grand scheme of things, but it's just a little odd to hear it so loud so late. But really, who am I to be critical of weirdness? I just rambled for 350 words about my car's odometer!

More deer, but innocuous this time

Saturday, I went to visit my parents. After the usual rundown of what's new (granite countertop replaced for the third time, new oven b/c last one was chipped inside, etc.), my dad was just about to point out the goodies he'd left in the backyard to attract deer, when lo and behold, a deer appeared!


We spent the next hour staring out the breakfast nook windows, first at the single deer, then after the corn was replenished, at two of them.


They were quite tiny, and their fur is an unbelievable camoflage. If they are standing still in the trees, they really do disappear. I tried to keep at bay thoughts of my previous encounter with a deer, especially because these were so cute. The smaller one was either very hungry or very gluttonous, because he (she?) ate and ate and ate,


while the larger one did not so much as take a nibble of any of the treats. (In addition to the corn, there were apples cut in half, and peanut butter smeared on a tree--supposedly they like it but there were no takers Saturday.)

On the way out to visit my parents, I drove through quite the downpour, which is no big deal except that my windshield wipers were not functioning properly. I thought the blades had shifted or something, but upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the wipers were on backwards. The long one was on the driver's side and the short one was on the passenger side and it should have been the opposite. This resulted in the windshield not being fully wiped in the the appropriate places, and one wiper kept hitting the edge of the windshield and trying to go further. The only possible explanation was that the body shop had taken them off during the repairs, and then put them back on incorrectly--although I'm not sure why they had to take them off in the first place since the repairs were to the fender and door, not the hood or windshield. Anyway, today I took the car back to the body shop and they fixed it for me on the spot.

Afterwards I went to Target to do some grocery shopping. I miss Trader Joe's like you wouldn't believe. They had certain items that you couldn't get elsewhere, and their prices were always unbeatable. Well, I was delighted to see that Target carries some similar items under their premium brand, Archer Farms. For instance, mint chocolate cookie clusters (imagine Junior Mints and Oreos in a chocolatey clump) and parmesan sourdough twists (imagine the subtlety of parmesan cheese in the crispiest cracker you could ever taste!). Another thing that caused me to squeal with glee (albeit under my breath so as not to appear like a freak) was the discovery that Viva now comes in select-a-size! Viva paper towels are the best, but I was a devoted Bounty girl because I prefer using the smallest amount of paper towel possible. Waste not, want not, right? Now I can have the best of both worlds. Yee haw!

Movies
Watched Closer, with Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Jude Law, and Clive Owen. Should have known from the lousy rating on Netflix (two stars) as well as friends' reviews that I would hate it. Very crude and just all around sleazy and dysfunctional.

Also saw Ladder 49 again. I love the score. No surprise, since I'm a sucker for an Irish penny flute. It's such a riveting film, and although I am not married to a firefighter and thus am no expert, it seems very realistic. I couldn't imagine being married to someone who risks his life on a daily basis like that. There's enough risk in the mundane things, like commuting, let alone running into burning buildings and what not.

Knitting
Started a new scarf, another two-yarn effort. It's coming along nicely. It's only ten stitches across but it seems so wide.


Must be an illusion created by the Bernat Disco yarn. The fibers are longer and straighter than eyelash. They also have the appearance of being sparkly although there is no metallic in the weave. It comes across as rather dressy, which probably means I will hardly ever wear it. But you never know.

Also, I'm continuing to work on my purple scarf.


I started it weeks ago. I was going to do it all stockinette (one row of knitting, one row of purling). But I took it to knitting group, and wouldn't you know, I got distracted talking to everyone and I forgot to alternate. So I decided to invent my own pattern: alternating blocks of stockinette and straight knitting. It looks kinda cool, but it's taking forever. The yarn is the thinnest I've worked with, and the needles are the smallest (even though they're only 10's). I can't imagine doing something with 8's! I haven't the patience. But I am making progress and hopefully will finish in the next week or two.

Latest Geeky Game
I'm relatively new to iTunes. I used Real Player for a long time, but when I got an iPod around the middle of last year, it made sense to convert. I will never look back. iTunes rocks! It is so clean and simple and user-friendly. (Duh, Melissa, it's like everything from Apple!) So my latest thing is to play with the search box. I type in random strings of letters and see what songs come up. For instance, just now I typed in "rst" and it showed, among other things, the tracks from Erasure's greatest hits album, "Pop! The First 20 Hits." "Ghts" gets you REM's "Nightswimming," Matchbox Twenty's "Bright Lights," Faith Hill's "When the Lights Go Down," and Jewel's, "Leave the Lights On." Silly, but when you have over 2100 songs, so many of them go unplayed unless you pluck them from obscurity like this. The party shuffle feature is also good for bringing up random tunes, but I like finding wildly different songs that have something in common, even if it is as meaningless as a series of letters in their title or album name.