I’ve watched this video three times now and even though the title spells out very clearly what I’m about to see, it surprises me into laughter every time.
Love it. Now please accept my apology for my absence lately. Pretty please. I’ve been studying. Also, there’s this long weekend coming up during which I will not be blogging. Like, at all. But I’ll be back!
(By the way, the video came to me courtesy of The Daily What and was originally posted on Say OMG.)
All this rain means walking the dogs is out of the question. So maybe it’s gloomy for them. It’s been raining almost non-stop all day long. Very good for the lawn. I wish I could send some of this rain to Texas. They need it.
Wait – it stopped. Walking the dogs is back on the table. Well, not literally. I would ruin our pretty (expensive) dining room table if I walked the dogs on it. And it wouldn’t be good exercise for them. Not long enough. Aaaaannnnd…that was dumb. Moving on.
But not very far. Since I find myself incapable of writing anything anyone might want to read today, I’ll leave you with this video (courtesy of the The Daily What and Say OMG (I think that’s where the original came from)). It’s only 2 minutes, and the payoff is totally worth the wait.
My mission in life, at least for today, is to show you the most adorably vicious thing on the internet (as presented by The Daily What).
I was waiting for its mother to show up and rip the guy’s face off. Or something equally horrific. Although the title on the video would probably be different if it ended that way.
Over the last year or so, I’ve noticed something weird about the house. Very weird. Every once in a while, in the middle of the day, the house shudders. The whole house. You can feel it more downstairs than up. The first few times it happened, I dashed to the basement to see if the furnace had just died or if the washing machine had attacked the dryer. Nothing was out of place, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then I started to wonder if it was an earthquake. We did have an itty bitty one not that long ago. But it had happened at least half a dozen times – wouldn’t there be something in the news about half a dozen earthquakes? Then I started to worry about crazy things, like sinkholes. Invasions of mole people burrowing up from under the foundation. Being stalked by bio-engineered Tyrannosaurus Rexes. Tyrannosaurus Rex. Tyrannosauruses. Tyrannosauri. It’s like the glass of water in the movie, only with a bigger thud. Earlier this week, I realized the house shudder thing has never happened on a weekend. Only on weekdays. And, except for this week, I’m rarely home on weekdays. This week, I noticed that it has happened around 11:30am each day. I mentioned the weekday thing to John yesterday or the day before, wondering if maybe it happens every day during the week, and he had a brilliant thought. We live not far from a quarry. Things explode at quarries. Maybe that’s what we’re feeling. And they’re only open on weekdays… I put “call the quarry” on my to-do list. So today, I was working from home, 11:30 rolled around, and a few minutes later, the house shook. I picked up the phone and called. “Do you make things explode at 11:30 every weekday?” “Well, it’s not always exactly 11:30, but…yeah.” “Thank you. That makes me very happy.” Mystery solved!
Note to self: if we’re ever in a position where we can sell the house, make sure potential buyers leave before 11am or show up after noon. It’s like that scene in Mary Poppins, only not as entertaining. “Posts, everyone!”
We started Doctor Who a while back, but after six episodes we weren’t really thrilled, so we took a break. I didn’t mention it because, well, because. I knew I was supposed to like it. Not liking it undermines what little geek cred I have. At the urging of yet another friend (which is a reason I felt like I should like it – a large number of friends whose taste in this stuff I trust think it’s great. What’s wrong with me? Yeah, yeah, I don’t have to like everything my friends like, whatever…), we tried again the other night. And all of our friends are right. It’s better. I’m not going to quit. For those who are counting, we watched the 8th episode last night.
Is it weird that I switch pronouns (we to I and back again) like that? I feel like I do that a lot. I can’t decide if it sounds like I’m controlling John’s opinions or he’s controlling mine. Neither of those is true, of course. We just have similar opinions about TV. And movies. And vacations. And dogs. And friends. And lots of things. Mm. We sound boring. I swear, my mind is my own. We rarely read the same books. He doesn’t like spicy food. I don’t like Sons of Anarchy. He doesn’t like to admit that he finds cat videos amusing. (Some of them. I mean, come ON. Cat videos are what the interwebs were built on.) Etc.
To sum up, here’s a video (from The Daily What) of a mariachi band serenading a whale.
…that so far, I’ve managed to keep only as drafts. You don’t need that crap. You need this, though.
I want to see this movie. You do, too, admit it. (Okay, Margaret might not, and Mom almost certainly doesn’t, but the rest of you do, I know it.) Found it following a link to a Scalzi article at www.filmcritic.com from his blog post from the other day. I mean today. What day is it?
This (from The Daily What) made me cry. A little. At the end. Margaret and Mom (and the rest of you) will probably like it, too.
I have nothing else for you today. Worked from home (worked a LOT) and then studied. I’m getting tired of statistics being all I do. But I did get an A (100% ’cause I’m a nerd and it was absurdly easy. Did I mention it was 20 multiple choice questions? No? Well, it was.) on my midterm. So…there’s that.
One last thing. Cat as martini glass. I love her.
Start your Monday off right with a duck parade, clones singing Queen, a lion trying to inhale a baby through glass, and two guys messing around in an airport in the middle of the night, all courtesy of The Daily What.
Midterm’s done. I’ll let you know how it went (it took me almost two and a half hours) when I find out my grade.
The band is rehearsing for the first time in weeks, if not months, and the classical music I’m listening to isn’t loud enough to drown out the bass line two floors below me. I might need noise-canceling headphones. Tonight, statistics is on the menu. Because, oh yeah, right, I forgot. I’m taking statistics, too. And I have a quiz due Sunday. So I should start reading. I can’t get away with not juggling two classes anymore.
Blah blah school and stuff. Not what I want to write about. Oh, I remember. I heard this on the radio on the way home from the test and liked it.
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
What is this sign telling me to do?
Should I wait? Should I walk? Break into song? (Either “Stop! In the Name of Love” or “Walk Like a Man” would be acceptable here. Maybe “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'”.) Should I look both ways and dash across the street if no cars are coming?
How are the citizens of New Orleans not in a state of constant bewilderment? Stop! I mean, go! I mean, gah! Get over here and don’t forget my drink! Ah. The sign has been drinking. I knew the truth would come out. It is right across the street from the casino. It’s broke AND drunk.
Seriously, though, is it broken? Or is it supposed to do that because of the Street Car Signal sign next to it? Is it telling the street car to stop so pedestrians can cross the street? Seems likely, but how is the pedestrian supposed to know that? And what does it look like when pedestrians have to stop but the street car can go? And isn’t streetcar one word?
My head is spinning. Like a record, baby, right round, round, round.
That sign reminds me of this sign (had to comb through The Daily What to find it again).
I have really enjoyed my few days stuck at home. Really. Except for one field trip on Sunday with John, I haven’t left the house. I’m not saying I want to do this every day (I’d feel much better if I could go to my fun classes at the gym or run), but I kinda like not working. And I was SO productive. I finished one book, read two more, and started a third, spent countless hours cataloging the internet (kind of), watched several movies, including one today…what movie did I watch today? Seriously. I even liked it. Hang on.
The Recently Watched section in Netflix tells me I watched Desk Set today, a movie with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy that I really liked, except for the dumb ending.
These are from several days ago, but you should watch them anyway.
Adorable ticklish baby penguin (Watch to the end. It’s short.)
And this is beautiful. My favorite part is near the beginning, when the movement of the clouds looks like ocean waves.
The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.
These are the wines Mom, Mindy, and I had at the Grapevine Wine Bar in New Orleans. The first one is a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. Grapefruity. Found it at Wegman’s for $16.99.
The second one is a pinot gris from Oregon. This one tasted like apples (but not like apple juice) and was Mindy’s least favorite (but I really liked it). I found this one at Wegman’s for $12.99.
The third one is a viognier from Argentina. I don’t remember what it tasted like, but it was GOOD. Wegman’s doesn’t carry it. I’ll check Total Wine next time I’m out.
Last, watch this video, courtesy of The Daily What. It’s not long, it’s super-cute, and the tiny bit at the end is John’s favorite part.
I’ve never cows look as happy or move as fast as the ones in this video. If I’d been confined to a muddy yard and barn all winter, I’d be happy, too.
(A very special happy-cow-in-spring thank you to nn.c for the video link.)
More credit goes to Nancy for finding Tom and Lorenzo. If you like celebrity fashion (if, like me, you browse through People magazine after the awards shows to see all the dresses while waiting in line at the grocery store) and you want to read snarky critiques, you will love their blog. This post about Daniel Craig is hilarious.
If you’ve ever gotten tired of listening to your three-year-old (or four-year-old or five-year-old or thirteen-year-old) tell jokes badly, you may want to watch this. Or maybe you don’t.
I’m supposed to be packing. Not packing tonight will lead to panic in the morning. Actually, it will lead to not sleeping tonight, since the clothes I’m going to pack are strewn across the bed. (I may be over-packing. A bit. Don’t try and stop me!) So I’m packing.
Have I said where I’m going? I don’t believe I have. From tomorrow night through Friday, I’ll be in New Orleans for work. I have to support a conference for the client. Or support the client at a conference. Whatever. I’m going to miss John’s band’s first gig that isn’t a block party. (Hey, if you’re in or near Bethesda and you want to see a band Saturday night, let me know. I can get you in.)
Right. Packing. I’m going.
I stayed home today, hoping for a quiet and restful day. I mostly succeeded (am still succeeding, really). My gym offers yoga classes at 9:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I took advantage of my day off . I’ve never tried yoga before. Turns out I kinda like it. Especially the end, with the laying down (big hit with me) and the quiet music and the breathing and the focusing. I still feel fairly calm.
I like it.
I also like these things from The Daily What:
1st – If you like Stephen Fry or Molly Lewis, you will like this video. If you like them both, you’ll be over the moon. Super-cute.
2nd – Speaking of super-cute, here’s a puppy going head to head with an ice cube.
When I don’t get geek humor, rather than feel good that maybe I’m not as far gone into geekery as sometimes seems to be case, I feel stupid. Well, I guess it depends on what kind of joke it is I’m not getting. Today’s XKCD is an example of the kind of geek humor that makes me feel dumb. My education didn’t include whatever the hell makes this funny.
Things I do find funny? I’m so glad you asked!
Air guitar in Parliament (from The Daily What):
Sign I think I want to post around my neighborhood (also from The Daily What):
Beyond those things, nothing is funny. Nothing in the world. Ever. And ever.
The first annual Waddle for Winter Ultra-Marathon:
Thanks to The Daily What for finding it.
Why so many title pages? This book has THREE.
First
Second
Third
They’re all in a row, one after the other, and that’s not even counting the page before the FIRST title page that basically works like the back of the dust jacket, with the title and author AGAIN (and a short bio). I don’t understand. Why so many? Does Random House think I’m going to forget what book I just picked up? Every one and a half seconds?
I don’t get it. But I do think Random House is a cool name for a company. Maybe I’ll call my bookstore Random Books. Or Random Reads. Random Readers. Random Shop. Maybe just Random. Maybe not.
Wanna see the worst haircut I’ve ever gotten? I hated it. It was the summer after my freshman year in college. I was going for a pixie cut, something really short, something I’d never done before (and have never tried since), but that Mom and Mindy do really well. If they can do it, I can, right? Maybe I wasn’t clear enough with the stylist. She gave me something that looked kinda like Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell in Hook. With a mullet.
With a mullet. And not so many layers, I think. I don't remember. I've blocked it out.
It was awful. I got home, cried, and went somewhere else the next day to try to get it fixed. Which wasn’t really possible. So I hated my hair that whole summer. I recently came across a picture of me from later that summer, and while I still don’t think it’s a good haircut, I don’t think it was quite as bad as it seemed at the time.
It’s not something I’d do again, though.
And to bribe you into saying nice things about this old picture of me (or at least non-commital not-mean things), here’s Mr. Toad.
Maybe only linking to two things doesn’t count as linktastic, but they’re totally worth it.
Link #1: Today’s XKCD comic. I’m a little twitchy now.
Link #2: By way of nn.c (and yesterday’s post, no less – I’m a little late), here’s a video both amazing and adorable. It’s making me wish for a really good video camera so I can do the same thing with Riley racing at full speed around the yard.
Yeah, yeah, it’s less a link and more an embedded video, but I think you’ll forgive me.
#)(*$%^&*%#!
I would choose to use a mouse over a touchpad any day of the week. If I’m sitting at a desk or a table or a coffee table or any flat surface. If my laptop is actually in my lap, a mouse is more of a hindrance. I mention this because I’m sitting at my little desk between the dining room and the kitchen, and I reached over with my right hand to move the mouse. The mouse that isn’t there. But my hand made the mouse shape and tensed to hold it under my palm. Weird feeling to tense for a mouse and miss. It’s very much like going upstairs while carrying something that’s blocking your view so you can’t tell when you’ve reached the top and your foot looks for the next step only to find nothing but air so you stumble a little as your foot misses and hits the floor. It’s like that.
It’s GROUNDHOG DAY! And in about half the country, no one can even find any woodchucks in the driving wind and snow. Have you seen that Geico commercial?
Dang woodchucks.
Happy 10th Anniversary to us! John woke me up with one of my favorite cheerful wake-up songs (“Carolina in the Morning”, Dean Martin) because he’s wonderful, and I started my day deliriously happy.
Then I went to work.
Work today wasn’t really any different than it is any other day, except that I’m trying to get everything I’ve been working on in order so I can leave it all in somebody else’s hands for a week and a half. I’m way more distracted then usual because I JUST WANT TO GO ALREADY, so even though I’ve made a bunch of lists to make sure I don’t forget anything, I’m having a hard time keeping track of all the lists. I got a little stressed out.
But then I got home and started doing stuff I want to do (like pack and check off the fun lists), and I feel much better. We’ll just celebrate our anniversary when we get there, which is kinda the whole point of the trip.
Anyway, happy anniversary to us. Enjoy one of my favorite songs.
Because the video is really funny (and the song is good, too).