Fun things that have happened recently
1. I rode a Segway!
Last weekend Rob and I rode Segways for the first time! This was Rob's birthday gift to me from last year (after much hinting on my part): Segway tours of downtown Columbus, provided by a company called Segaway Tours.
We were part of a group: 8 customers and one tour guide. It was a real tour; the guide was miked and we each had a little speaker in our helmets, so I actually learned a few things about Columbus, as well. We had fantastic weather for the tour, too. Brisk, but sunny and not too cold.
Riding the Segway was actually pretty easy. It took about five or 10 minutes to get comfortable enough to ride out among other people on the sidewalk. By the end of the two hour tour I felt like an expert on the thing.
I have been fascinated with the Segway since it came out. Getting to ride one has been something of a bucket list item for me. I was thrilled that we were able to do this. It was just as cool as I imagined it would be. :-)
I may look goofy, but I'm having a ball!
2. I switched Amandas
Rob introduced me to the writing of Amanda Marcot, a feminist blogger at Pandagon. At some point I added her feed to my LJ Friends page. Her writing is pointed, and I have learned much about modern feminism and the constraints that our culture puts on women in the years that I have been following her blogging. It has been good and eye-opening for me.
But she is also judgmental and snobbish. She's an admitted music snob whose tastes I mostly don't share. I'm even turned off by her posts on buying local organic food and simple home cooking, which is surprising, because I love both those things. Lately I have been more and more annoyed by her, and feeling like the time had come for us to part ways.
So last week I dropped the feed. But in the spirit of the conservation of energy (or something like that), I added another Amanda to my LJ feed: Amanda Palmer.
I doubt that anyone on my F-list is unfamiliar with Amanda Palmer, lead singer of the Dresden Dolls and wife of writer Neil Gaiman. She is bold, full of life, intensely creative, and amazingly positive.
I am not a fan of the Dresden Dolls, but I think AFP is just wonderful. And I am learning to love her newer music. I was rewarded this week by this clip on her blog, where she is singing her brand new song "The Ukulele Anthem" at Occupy Wall Street. This song, with Twitter-crowd-sourced lyrics, makes me want to buy a ukulele as a revolutionary act.
And her blog post about writing the song (including lyrics).
3. And finally, socks. And arm warmers.
I just spent $90 at Sock Dreams. I bought warm knee-highs, thigh-highs, and arm warmers in readiness for winter. Also a pair of Van Gogh "Starry Night". Socks. Oh, yes I did!
Last weekend Rob and I rode Segways for the first time! This was Rob's birthday gift to me from last year (after much hinting on my part): Segway tours of downtown Columbus, provided by a company called Segaway Tours.
We were part of a group: 8 customers and one tour guide. It was a real tour; the guide was miked and we each had a little speaker in our helmets, so I actually learned a few things about Columbus, as well. We had fantastic weather for the tour, too. Brisk, but sunny and not too cold.
Riding the Segway was actually pretty easy. It took about five or 10 minutes to get comfortable enough to ride out among other people on the sidewalk. By the end of the two hour tour I felt like an expert on the thing.
I have been fascinated with the Segway since it came out. Getting to ride one has been something of a bucket list item for me. I was thrilled that we were able to do this. It was just as cool as I imagined it would be. :-)
I may look goofy, but I'm having a ball!
2. I switched Amandas
Rob introduced me to the writing of Amanda Marcot, a feminist blogger at Pandagon. At some point I added her feed to my LJ Friends page. Her writing is pointed, and I have learned much about modern feminism and the constraints that our culture puts on women in the years that I have been following her blogging. It has been good and eye-opening for me.
But she is also judgmental and snobbish. She's an admitted music snob whose tastes I mostly don't share. I'm even turned off by her posts on buying local organic food and simple home cooking, which is surprising, because I love both those things. Lately I have been more and more annoyed by her, and feeling like the time had come for us to part ways.
So last week I dropped the feed. But in the spirit of the conservation of energy (or something like that), I added another Amanda to my LJ feed: Amanda Palmer.
I doubt that anyone on my F-list is unfamiliar with Amanda Palmer, lead singer of the Dresden Dolls and wife of writer Neil Gaiman. She is bold, full of life, intensely creative, and amazingly positive.
I am not a fan of the Dresden Dolls, but I think AFP is just wonderful. And I am learning to love her newer music. I was rewarded this week by this clip on her blog, where she is singing her brand new song "The Ukulele Anthem" at Occupy Wall Street. This song, with Twitter-crowd-sourced lyrics, makes me want to buy a ukulele as a revolutionary act.
Click to viewAnd her blog post about writing the song (including lyrics).
3. And finally, socks. And arm warmers.
I just spent $90 at Sock Dreams. I bought warm knee-highs, thigh-highs, and arm warmers in readiness for winter. Also a pair of Van Gogh "Starry Night". Socks. Oh, yes I did!