Weekend of Yay
Again with the meme, for lo, Scoffy decreed 30 Days of Yay, and I am powerless to resist her. *g*
Day 18
*My coffee maker started weeing itself all over the counter, which means that it is broken. Since I've loved this coffee maker and it has served me well all these years, I decided to take a chance and e-mail Bunn, enquiring about repairs or replacement parts. They got back to me right away (!), and although the bad news is that it's out of warranty and would cost more to fix than to replace new, they were very apologetic and polite, and as compensation offered to knock 50% off the price of a replacement. Given that the original lasted for years and years, I'm thinking this is a good deal.
*Finished a stressful joint project within the deadline, and although there were some tense moments, there were also some very cathartic, laughter-filled ones. I had forgotten for a bit how gut-splittingly funny things can be when you're both tired and punchy and snappy and frayed of nerves, and then suddenly something will spark the giggles and burn off all the tension, so you can get on with what you need to do. And then, of course, there's the great relief of finishing well, too. :-)
Day 19
*Extremely productive day. Errands run and many, many papers read and graded. This might not seem like the most exciting day in the history of ever, but I promise you, there is something deeply satisfying in seeing large and ominous stack of papers shrink down. Tangible progress is a good thing.
*One of the errands took me to a favorite place of mine, a local music store that is such a pleasure to visit that it never feels like a chore. It's like a little oasis of plush-carpeted, plant-filled, wood-paneled civility in an unpretty commercial jungle, all gleaming antique instruments and jazz on the radio. (Howard Moon would LOVE this place.) Plus, they have two big, sweet, adorable kitties who live there, and I got to visit with them both, dispensing head rubs as needed.
*I took time to watch Michigan State win their homecoming game! And they're still undefeated! For the first time in more than forty years! And they're... the last unbeaten team in the Big Ten? ~blinks~ Oh my. I'm ridiculously proud to be a Spartan right now, but I don't know if I can handle this much good fortune. I keep expecting to wake up any moment now and find out that I've been in a coma and hallucinated this season. *g*
*Gerard Butler proved himself to be a rather awesome person by showing up for MSU's Homecoming Game and making a weekend of it in East Lansing. It's one thing for celebrity alums to show up on Homecoming weekend, but he's not an alum. He's just a nice guy who once played a rather famous Spartan and has since adopted the University and its teams. This past weekend, he worked up the crowd with Tom Izzo at Midnight Madness, he guest-conducted the marching band, he gave the football team a pep talk before the game, he reprised his role as King Leonidas to lead the student section in their traditional cheers, and he signed countless autographs and posed for endless photos.
I tip my helmet to you, Mr. Butler. ;-) Thanks for proving that some film stars are still gracious people.
Day 20
*Got the front flower beds planted with these and these. I can't wait to see how these will look in the springtime, and gardening was a nice counterpoint to the more intellectual work of this weekend. Good to do something with my hands and give my brain a rest, and a lovely opportunity to enjoy the autumn sunshine while it lasts.
And for today, Day 21:
*The psychic iTunes alarm clock strikes again, waking me up to the strains of Blue Monday. Hee. Prophetic? We'll find out, I suppose. Certainly descriptive of the overcast weather, if nothing else. ;-)
*Another video, this one found courtesy of juniperus, who linked to this brilliant mash-up of Pink Floyd and the Bee Gees. That led me to uncover this absolute gem, which mashes up Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" with Black Sabbath's "War Pigs." The result is almost too cool for one video to contain it all. :D
Rock on, flist. I hope Monday is good to all of you.
Day 18
*My coffee maker started weeing itself all over the counter, which means that it is broken. Since I've loved this coffee maker and it has served me well all these years, I decided to take a chance and e-mail Bunn, enquiring about repairs or replacement parts. They got back to me right away (!), and although the bad news is that it's out of warranty and would cost more to fix than to replace new, they were very apologetic and polite, and as compensation offered to knock 50% off the price of a replacement. Given that the original lasted for years and years, I'm thinking this is a good deal.
*Finished a stressful joint project within the deadline, and although there were some tense moments, there were also some very cathartic, laughter-filled ones. I had forgotten for a bit how gut-splittingly funny things can be when you're both tired and punchy and snappy and frayed of nerves, and then suddenly something will spark the giggles and burn off all the tension, so you can get on with what you need to do. And then, of course, there's the great relief of finishing well, too. :-)
Day 19
*Extremely productive day. Errands run and many, many papers read and graded. This might not seem like the most exciting day in the history of ever, but I promise you, there is something deeply satisfying in seeing large and ominous stack of papers shrink down. Tangible progress is a good thing.
*One of the errands took me to a favorite place of mine, a local music store that is such a pleasure to visit that it never feels like a chore. It's like a little oasis of plush-carpeted, plant-filled, wood-paneled civility in an unpretty commercial jungle, all gleaming antique instruments and jazz on the radio. (Howard Moon would LOVE this place.) Plus, they have two big, sweet, adorable kitties who live there, and I got to visit with them both, dispensing head rubs as needed.
*I took time to watch Michigan State win their homecoming game! And they're still undefeated! For the first time in more than forty years! And they're... the last unbeaten team in the Big Ten? ~blinks~ Oh my. I'm ridiculously proud to be a Spartan right now, but I don't know if I can handle this much good fortune. I keep expecting to wake up any moment now and find out that I've been in a coma and hallucinated this season. *g*
*Gerard Butler proved himself to be a rather awesome person by showing up for MSU's Homecoming Game and making a weekend of it in East Lansing. It's one thing for celebrity alums to show up on Homecoming weekend, but he's not an alum. He's just a nice guy who once played a rather famous Spartan and has since adopted the University and its teams. This past weekend, he worked up the crowd with Tom Izzo at Midnight Madness, he guest-conducted the marching band, he gave the football team a pep talk before the game, he reprised his role as King Leonidas to lead the student section in their traditional cheers, and he signed countless autographs and posed for endless photos.
I tip my helmet to you, Mr. Butler. ;-) Thanks for proving that some film stars are still gracious people.
Day 20
*Got the front flower beds planted with these and these. I can't wait to see how these will look in the springtime, and gardening was a nice counterpoint to the more intellectual work of this weekend. Good to do something with my hands and give my brain a rest, and a lovely opportunity to enjoy the autumn sunshine while it lasts.
And for today, Day 21:
*The psychic iTunes alarm clock strikes again, waking me up to the strains of Blue Monday. Hee. Prophetic? We'll find out, I suppose. Certainly descriptive of the overcast weather, if nothing else. ;-)
*Another video, this one found courtesy of juniperus, who linked to this brilliant mash-up of Pink Floyd and the Bee Gees. That led me to uncover this absolute gem, which mashes up Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" with Black Sabbath's "War Pigs." The result is almost too cool for one video to contain it all. :D
Rock on, flist. I hope Monday is good to all of you.