Tuesday, August 29, 2006

i think she wanted to throw down

Picture it, Sunday, grey gloomy and cold. After spending all afternoon on the couch watching the movies Derailed and Crash I decided to go grocery shopping - even though I really wanted to shoot myself in the head, man those movies are awfully uplifting! In my jeans and sweatshirt I ran in for the essentials - soda, cereal, pasta, and some veggies for a salad. It was in the pasta aisle. There were two girls shopping there as well. One of them turned and gave me a really nasty look. Then she turned to her friend and said, rather rude and loudly "I wish some people would stop staring at me!"

Since I was the only other one there I assumed she was talking about me.

I wasn't quite sure how I should break it to her that I, in fact, was staring past her at the pasta so that I would know which box I was going to get when I reached around her, politely saying excuse me, and grabbed my groceries. I was tempted to slap her in the face as I reached for the Barilla - but I refrained. That was a good choice, because we ran into each other in a similar situation in front of the lettuce. However, it was she who was staring. In my head I definitely said "God, I wish people would keep staring at me and not at that crappy lettuce", but then I'd just seem crazy - talking to myself and all.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

the way things work

I flew to New Mexico on Sunday - I was really tired when I woke up and headed to the airport. I got there and checked in at the Delta kiosk and it nicely asked me if I wanted to change my flight. I was scheduled to be on a flight from Boston to New York to Cincinnati to Albuquerque and now I was being asked to go Boston to Albuquerque with a stop (not a plane change) in Atlanta. I would leave about an hour earlier and arrive in Albuquerque about 4 hours earlier. hell ya I wanted to change flights. I got my boarding pass, hurried through security sans any liquids - sans anything really, it was all checked. I managed to find time to scarf down a bagel and then I boarded.

I fell asleep before we even left the gate. I woke up as we were pulling up to the gate in Atlanta. awesome. But I was struck with this weird feeling I have sometimes when you have to go on faith that things happened. It felt like I'd been asleep a long time, but had I? Were we really in Atlanta, could this just be a different gate at Logan? A similar thing happened when I had my wisdom teeth out. I had all four out, and was heavily HEAVILY sedated. I have recollections of him ripping the top right tooth out, but nothing else. I also felt that no time passed. For a week I was convinced that he only removed the one tooth instead of all four. It wasn't until I went back to get the stitches removed that I was sure there was a hole where each tooth had been. I've had this similar thought when in an elevator that is completely closed off (i.e., no windows). I know it sorta feels like you are moving, and lights are telling you that you are...but couldn't it be that you haven't actually gone anywhere and the floor you were on just changed around you? come on, it's POSSIBLE!

So, I supposedly flew to Atlanta - although the airport could have just changed around me while I slept. In Atlanta some people got off and new people got on and then we headed to Albuquerque. While in Atlanta, however, my luggage decided it looked nice and was one of the people to get off the plane. Bye clothes, bye lens solution, bye hair brush. You can imagine my anxiety when I arrived in Albuquerque and my luggage was no where in sight. Luckily a nice Delta woman assured me - "oh, it's in Atlanta, it will be getting on the next flight and arriving in Albuquerque at 930pm. Our driver will bring it to your hotel." I did not get the luggage until the next morning, but I did get it. I hope it's learned to stay on the plane with me from now on, do you think there is suitcase obedience school?

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

pop quiz: the results don't lie

In college I was introduced to the multitude of quizzes available at emode.com Ranging from an IQ test (179), to which TV family are you (the tanners), to which theme song is yours (laverne and shirley), to which pop star are you (christina aquillera), to which n'sync member are you (jc chasez), to are you Jennifer or Angelina (Jennifer - ok, so I took that one two weeks ago!). I could go on and on. But, the one thing I've found...it seems they don't lie.

I took one over and over and over. I remember clearly. It was the "which celebrity hunk is yours?" I took it, with high hopes of Brad Pitt, or Tom Cruise (i promise this was college, when he wasnt a psycho), or even Tom Selleck. And in the end, the anxiety as I waited for my hollywood hunk to be revealed. . . . .

fabio. yep. FABIO. I took it over, and over, and over. Fabio. Fabio. Fabio. And one time, as the page loaded, I noticed that the long flowing hair was not in the picture. It was true. I had gotten a new, real hollywood hunk to call my own.

richard simmons. Now, how he was even an OPTION - I will never understand. No one else I ever knew saw either of these choices. But, leave it to me to trade-up Fabio for Richard Simmons.

Likewise, I've taken the "which desperate housewife are you?" quiz a million times. I just want the shirt that says "I'm a Susan" and I want it to be true. But, no. Everytime...I'm a Bree. BREE. One of these days I'm just waiting for it to say "I'm a Richard Simmons" and thats the day I buy myself the I'm a Susan T-shirt anyway...I'll live the lie, I mean, I'm a Bree!

Thursday, August 10, 2006

more pictures



Originally uploaded by with an eye.
The set of pictures from Siena is also online now. I've uploaded a grand total of 1,160 photos from my trip. The Singapore and Paris pictures will be up tonight as well!

I think I'm ready to go back now.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

oddities

I have my blog registered with a tracking site, so that I can see who reads it. That's right...while you get to spy into my life I get to spy into yours. It tells me things like where you are, the IP address, how you got here, how long you stayed, your favorite color, and what outfit you are wearing. (ok, not all of those are true!)

Everyday there are two people who visit me. One from Ohio and one from Connecticut. The odd thing, I know they are both my mom (who is neither in Ohio or Connecticut, but in Rhode Island!). Here's how she shows up:

Location: Ohio, Parma, United States
Hostname: wsip-XX-XX-XXX-XXX.ri.ri.cox.net

and

Location: Connecticut, Manchester, United States
Hostname: wisp-YY-YY-YY-Y.ri.ri.cox.net

There have been two people recently who got to me via web searches. One searched google for "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to fenway park" and indeed, there I am on the bottom of page one. And someone else searched for "above the influence" and found me too, right in the middle of page five.

And, also oddly enough, while I was abroad this summer people from each country I was in visited my site, along with someone from India, Canada, Australia, England, China, and Brazil.

So keep visiting, searching, and by all means keep not leaving comments...I kinda like it all uncluttered and stuff. (ok, not all of that is true either!)

the fort


the fort
Originally uploaded by with an eye.
My pictures from Rome are posted on the flickr site, so go check them out. This was one of my favorites!

Saturday, August 05, 2006

my mia

My cat and I have been together for a while. She was adopted by me and some apartmentmates our senior year in college (2001). She's gone everywhere with me. While I was gone on my trip this summer she stayed at my parents house - which she's done on various occasions before. They used to LOVE having her come over, it is nice to have a pet. Now they have two cats of their own, and while they still like having her come over I'm sure it's less fun because she hides the entire time and when she isn't hiding she's growling or hissing or otherwise making noise to fool the other cats into thinking that she is ferocious and scary. The only time I could take her down there was Memorial Day weekend, so she was gone for over a month. I was afraid that when she came back she'd forget who I am. Or she'd be super mad at me. I think it's clear we are both a little different since my trek around the world - but she's become a lot more considerate of my need to sleep at 4am instead of getting up to shake her food bowl and show her that there is actually plenty of food in it and she has my permission to eat it.

Recently she and I took some pictures of ourselves...see how much she loves me! (it may look like she could care less that I am there, you may even see a hint of annoyance in her eyes...but you have to understand cats...that look means she loves me. It must, I mean, it's the way she always looks at me!)

gold star number three

I've been bad at going to the gym lately. real bad. I don't go. I don't wake up. I snooze my alarm. I bring clothes with me to work so I can go on my way home. I don't go. I go right home.

Today is Saturday and instead of sleeping in I got up and went to a class at the gym. I've been wanting to do this class for a while. It's a group weight lifting class - so like an aerobics class, but not cardio...weights. It was awesome. We started the class and the instructor asked if anyone was new to the class. I was slinking around the back of the room, checking out all the equipment everyone else had pulled out so I could know what I would need (a step bench with two steps, a yoga mat, a bar with all these crazy weights...) I raised my hand all cool and non-chalantly, so that no one would know I was knew. Thats when the instructor says, into his microphone "Hi back there, everyone say hi to the one girl who's never done this before. All of you turn around and look at that small blonde girl who is wearing a Saturday Night Live T-shirt and watch as she has no clue which equipment to pull out! Turn! Look!"

Ok, so thats NOT how it happened. I think he just said "Hi" and/or "Welcome to Group Power" - but it felt like "turn and laugh..."

Thursday, August 03, 2006

gold star number two

I went to the dentist this week for a cleaning. Now, if you know me, the dentist is not my favorite thing. They always find something wrong, yell at me for not flossing, make my gums bleed, shove all those tools in my mouth and then sit there and laugh while I drool and spittle all over myself. It's such a confidence boost! Not to mention, the immense pain because I am basically immune to novacaine.

So I went to the dentist and they said I had beautiful teeth. They said my gums were beautiful and it was obvious I was a good flosser (which I am now - thank god for the Reach Access Flosser!). They said my teeth were brilliantly white. And then they said the best thing ever:
"See you in six months!!"

Now, my dentist is great, I really like him (if you are in the Boston area and looking for a dentist I'll give you his name if you want), but he's come out with some choice comments to me over my short 9 months with their office. Here are my two favorites:
"Has anyone ever told you that you have a very powerful tongue?"
"I can imagine how you blind everyone at the bars, the way that fluorescent light must bounce off your front teeth!"