tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1 2007-12-18T15:34:21Z 100 Things 100 Other Things 10 Measly Things Reading Login Movable Type 3.31 tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.111 2007-12-18T15:34:21Z 2007-12-18T15:34:21Z

Eight days and seven nights at Walt Disney World with the in-laws and three children under 10, and no threats of bodily injury or disinheritance were carried out. Go team!...

Eight days and seven nights at Walt Disney World with the in-laws and three children under 10, and no threats of bodily injury or disinheritance were carried out. Go team! Crocs, which saved me from crippling foot pain. Why is it that no matter what pair of shoes is most comfortable at home, it simply can't meet the demands of all that damned walking? Even with far more comfortable footwear in place, my feet were swollen and miserable by day 6. -- Tinkering with beloved park fixtures has its place, as the refurbishment of the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean goes. The latter has become Captain Jack of the Caribbean, which is a little disappointing. I love seeing Mr. Depp it is true, but shoehorning him into every other scene in the ride seems a bit excessive. It doesn't help that his animaerotictronic visage is a little too realistic for the other piratey compatriots, so that the overall effect is rather like a good but not great photoshop attempt. As for my beloved Haunted Mansion... upon reflection I don't mind the feminist rewriting of the bride in the attic, for it is certainly better storytelling. What really shines is the new Escher-like staircase room, and the simple yet effective improvements to the portraits and wallpaper. The whole thing is very spiff. -- I adore the Polynesian. The convenience of being on the monorail is well worth it. Also, they upgraded us from Lagoon view to Castle view, which meant that we had a clear shot at the Magic Kingdom fireworks every night. Fantabulous. -- Expedition Everest, the new coaster at Animal Kingdom, is fabulous. It's dark and scary, whoooooooooo! -- Space Mountain went down several times for various reasons, and so we hopped on the People Mover which goes through SM and were able to see the works with the lights on. It's a much smaller coaster than I had imagined -- very compact and all angles. -- The dinner at Royal Akershus (sp?) in Epcot's Norway was surprisingly vegetarian friendly, and the kids loved it because various princesses stop at each table for chitchat and pictures. We also ate at Jiko, California Grill (vegetarian sushi to die for), Wolfgang Puck's, and Mama Melrose's (best vegetarian minestrone I've ever had). Did I mention the whole gaining five pounds thing? I'm a big bloated ball o'Disney and really need to get my ass on the exercise bike again. -- Our flight back was delayed before we even left for Florida, then delayed again that evening due to bad weather in Chicago. Then there was the half hour spent trying to find the parking ticket which would get the car out of hock. Then there was the horrific drive from Indy to the Land of Nod in drifting snow and icy patches. We finally got home about 2:30 am and released the hounds, who had spent the previous four days or so separated in different rooms because the dogsitter was terrified they would start fighting again and kill each other. Yeah, she deserved and got hazard pay. -- Going in December was wonderful in that we had beautiful weather and very low crowds; Thursday at the Magic Kingdom we practically walked onto every ride with no wait. On the other hand, I'm late getting presents in the mail and I can't even begin to contemplate that we are hosting Christmas guests this weekend. ::dies:: And that's all the Disney news that's fit to print.]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.112 2007-12-04T17:49:00Z 2007-12-18T17:59:19Z

November 2007: Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World by David Koenig Batman: The Complete History by Les Daniels Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of...

To Infinity is a gorgeous book that the library now owns (whee! for knowing how to work the system), but definitely a history of the company and not the films. A good read if you like businessy history as I do, or are interested in the technical innovations that Pixar has developed. Realityland was a riot. I'm not sure I'll ever again be able to ride Space Mountain without being afraid of getting hit on the head and put into a permanent coma. Good shtuff! Heh. Batman was a piece of crap thrown together to make money. Very disappointing, despite the pretty pictures. Not Buying It wasn't what I expected. Both off putting and surprisingly moving. Rally the flag of economy, boys, and let the terrorists win if it means saving the planet. Hoorah.]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.113 2007-11-08T16:38:09Z 2007-12-18T17:53:28Z

Ms. Thing woke us up somewhere past midnight panting as if she had been set on fire. It's not that unusual for her little Cocker thermometer to go awry, and Mr G showed who ranks where in the family hierarchy...

Ms. Thing woke us up somewhere past midnight panting as if she had been set on fire. It's not that unusual for her little Cocker thermometer to go awry, and Mr G showed who ranks where in the family hierarchy by turning down the house temperature in response. Fan, my dear man -- ceiling fan! No need to shiver the rest of our timbers. The fright came circa 5 in the morning, when her breathing had turned shallow and she was shaking so badly I had flashbacks to Alex's last day, when the poor kitty was curled under the covers with me trying hard to retain any body heat. By a little after 6 we resolved to go to the emergency pet clinic, got everyone else fed and tended to, bundled Em in a blanket and piled into the car. Driving up and down 3rd Street produced no clinic at the designated address, however. So I called, which if I'd had any sense I would have done before we set out, and got an answering machine saying that the ER was open in the Spring and Summer. WTF? We dithered a bit more and finally landed in the parking lot of a vet clinic that advertised itself as opening at 7 am, which indeed it did. Blood work and X-rays later, it turned out to be a neck injury of some kind. She has been walking rather tentatively for the past few days, and the night before had cried out when Mr G lifted her head to administer the usual final round of eye drops. Apparently the Little Cocker That Could simply refuses to complain except when she's in dire pain, but we didn't recognize it as anything other than a bit of retort to pinched skin. The vet diagnosed the symptoms as her body's response to the pain level and sent us home with anti-inflammatories, which do seem to be helping as Em has regained a little range of motion. We're supposed to keep her off the furniture so she doesn't do any further damage by jumping down unaided. If I hadn't gone through the horrific with Alex I probably wouldn't have freaked out quite as much. I'm just not ready to lose Emily, though, so what a relief that it's something that will heal eventually.]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.114 2007-11-08T16:34:11Z 2007-12-18T17:54:56Z

This week's 10: ">Words to Describe You Easily 1) amused, 2) disappointed, & 3) worried, fairly 4) antisocial, 5) mercurial & 6) well-intentioned, unabashedly 7) punny, 8) chocoholic, 9) window shopaholic, & 10) loveaholic (a polite way of saying needy)....

Words to Describe You Easily 1) amused, 2) disappointed, & 3) worried, fairly 4) antisocial, 5) mercurial & 6) well-intentioned, unabashedly 7) punny, 8) chocoholic, 9) window shopaholic, & 10) loveaholic (a polite way of saying needy).]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.115 2007-11-06T13:55:24Z 2007-12-18T17:57:03Z

From the recent natal celebration: Obi-Wan trumps SurlySith Look at that blubber fly! The gingerbread cofffin cake...

Obi-Wan trumps SurlySith Look at that blubber fly! The gingerbread cofffin cake]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.110 2007-10-10T15:11:40Z 2007-10-10T15:11:41Z

Ten on Tuesday is having technical difficulties, so based on my dream last night that I won $500, what would I spend it on (putting it in savings does not a 10 item list make!): 1. A beading class at...

Life is Good longsleeve ($25) 5. The New York Times Crossword Answer Book ($4.00 used) 6. Dance Dance Revolution for the Wii ($70) 7. Harvey Birdman vol 3 on DVD ($24) 8. Deskjet color printer with inkjet print cartridges ($253) 9. Rubber ducky shower curtain ($22) 10. Queen Amidala Halloween costume ($35) Whew! Digital window shopping is exhausting!]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.101 2007-09-25T19:59:51Z 2007-09-26T19:51:20Z

10 Things You've Been Putting Off 1. Putting away the last of the books from the move 2. Having a rational and persuasive discussion with Mr G about dropping the price on the South Bend house so as to entice...

10 Things You've Been Putting Off 1. Putting away the last of the books from the move 2. Having a rational and persuasive discussion with Mr G about dropping the price on the South Bend house so as to entice a buyer 3. Dropping the price on the South Bend house 4. The inevitable crushing heartache of making new friends 5. Updating my mood chart (it's a bipolar thing) 6. Starting the novel that's moved into my head 7. Steam cleaning the living room carpet 8. Paring down my wish list to reasonable levels 9. Hauling the boxes to the attic 10. Being practical ]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.102 2007-09-19T09:09:15Z 2007-09-26T19:56:01Z

It's still Tuesday somewhere. Maybe. 10 Things You Do When You Have Nothing Else To Do 1. Play Civilization II on the computer. My #1 time waster. 2. Sleep. I'm trying to do less of it (napping, I mean. I'd...

10 Things You Do When You Have Nothing Else To Do 1. Play Civilization II on the computer. My #1 time waster. 2. Sleep. I'm trying to do less of it (napping, I mean. I'd like to do more sleeping during "regular" sleeping hours). But I do love a good nap. 3. Crossword puzzles. They're particularly useful for avoidance of things that must be done, so maybe they don't belong on this list. But I'm actually getting to the point where I know the names of specific puzzle writers, so I'm certifiably an addict. 4. Color. I love to color, though I haven't done it in ages. 5. Cook. It used to be less of a chore than it seems now, but I do enjoy pulling out the cookbooks when I have nothing else claiming my time. 6. Read cookbooks. Heh. 7. Read, in general. Working in a library combined with a job that is far less stressful mentally has really left me a lot more time to read, and I love it. 8. Arrange, add, and delete music on my iPod. I love making playlists. I'll be glad when our computer can burn CDs again AND when we have a printer again so I can print labels/CD inserts. 9. Watch DVDs. Actually, I don't watch so much as listen to in the background as I do just about anything. If it weren't 4 in the morning, I'd have one on right now. 10. Write personal emails with Too Much Information that invariable scare, piss off, or otherwise freak out the recipients. Oh wait, this isn't "Things You Do When You're Bipolar". 10a. Clean. It's a last resort. I generally do it best first thing in the morning on a weekend, when I'm too tired to resent it. Happy week, all.]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.100 2007-09-17T14:46:05Z 2007-09-17T16:54:44Z

One thing about living in the oh-so placid Land of Nod is that when there is something to do, everybody does it. Case in point, this weekend's air show (which is, as far as I can tell, the only reason...

One thing about living in the oh-so placid Land of Nod is that when there is something to do, everybody does it. Case in point, this weekend's air show (which is, as far as I can tell, the only reason the regional airport remains open) -- I was able to do grocery shopping and errands on Saturday with nary a muttered curse against my fellow man because there weren't any about. I think there were more people in the parking lot of Wal-Monster watching the whiz bang jets from the hoods of their cars than were actually in the store. Hooray for me. It was a lovely week, weather-wise. Weather is not actually a favorite conversational topic of mine, but last week was absolutely gorgeous. LoN graced us with a preview of Autumn, and it sparkled. Things will be heating up this week, but I can't wait for Fall. The shadows in the light, the layering of decay (yes, I like it when plants start to go into hibernation) and crispness in the air, and the texture of the iconography of Fall (straw, pumpkins, gourds, falling leaves). The prospect of Autumn makes me happy. I wish I could say the same about my meds. I like my new doctor, even if he keeps harping on the unfinished PhD in my past. He suggested that I try a new drug that could eliminate both the lithium and Depakote, but didn't push it. I waited until I was feeling somewhat settled here to broach the subject again, because although the lithium/Depakote therapy works well, it's a lot of pills to take. I got a little worried when Dr. Z changed his mind about which "new drug" I should take because the one he initially had in mind is a bad cocktail with Depakote in your system. Um, why didn't he think about that before suggesting it? Regardless, he gave me an alternative, Abilify. I should have refused to take it just based on the stupid name. Backache. Stomachache. Constipation. I couldn't sleep as I was in so uncomfortable. Frankly, I would have prefered out and out pain to the nagging aches. I paced so much throughout the week that by Sunday I was nearly crippled (how pitiful... I better remedy that grievous lack of leg stamina before Disney). Argh. Supposedly Dr Z is going to give me a different scrip today. If he doesn't give me the muscle relaxant I also requested, I may have to switch doctors. tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.99 2007-09-14T21:08:09Z 2007-09-14T21:21:54Z

Load iTunes, hit Random, list the first 5: 1. Rihanna - Pon de Replay 2. Marilyn Manson - In the Shadow of the Valley of Death 3. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll 4. Robert Plant & Justin Adams - Win...

Load iTunes, hit Random, list the first 5: 1. Rihanna - Pon de Replay 2. Marilyn Manson - In the Shadow of the Valley of Death 3. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll 4. Robert Plant & Justin Adams - Win My Train Fare Home 5. Robert Cray - Do That For Me Pop, um... Goth?, Jazz, Blues, Blues. #6 was Country. tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.103 2007-09-13T21:10:20Z 2007-09-26T19:57:55Z

10 Cities You Could Live In (for a month, for a year...if you couldn't live in your own) 1. London, UK - Dirty, terrible to drive in, and I adore it. 2. Paris, France - Even dirtier, terribly rude people,...

10 Cities You Could Live In (for a month, for a year...if you couldn't live in your own) 1. London, UK - Dirty, terrible to drive in, and I adore it. 2. Paris, France - Even dirtier, terribly rude people, and I adore it. 3. San Francisco, CA - Not that I could ever afford it, but what a great city. 4. Frankfurt, Germany - Not as gloomy as Berlin, and close enough to some of the best sightseeing in Europe. 5. Boulder, CO - Okay, I've never been there. But I've almost moved there. Twice. 6. Someplace close to Orlando, FL - I'm obsessed. 7. Edinburgh, Scotland - These definitely aren't ranked in order, because Edinburgh is an absolute favorite. I don't even mind the constant rain. 8. Verona, Italy - Close enough to Venice (because nobody wants to live IN Venice), touristy enough that there are plenty of ex-pats. 9. Cambridge, UK - A perfectly liveable, beautiful area with plenty of things to do and see, without the hubbub you might think. 10. Someplace in the Pacific Northwest. I haven't been there yet, but every time we think about moving, it's one of the first places I look. ]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.104 2007-08-28T22:08:53Z 2007-09-26T20:15:17Z

The regular Ten on Tuesday is still blathering about work, so here's another golden oldie: ten good books that you've read (recently or not) 1. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore -- A tale of a man who becomes Death......

Ten on Tuesday is still blathering about work, so here's another golden oldie: ten good books that you've read (recently or not) 1. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore -- A tale of a man who becomes Death... but not quite in the way he thinks. Technically I'm not finished with this one, but with only 20 pages to go Moore would really have to screw up to pop my happiness balloon. I haven't laughed quite so much in ages. So barring mass destruction of puppies and kitties on the horizon, this is a treat. 2. The Cult of Personality: How Personality Tests Are Leading Us to Miseducate Our Children, Mismanage Our Companies, and Misunderstand Ourselves by Annie Murphy Paul -- Not nearly alarmist as it sounds, it's really a quite interesting history of the various types of personality tests used professionally and personally today. I love personality tests, so this was fascinating. 3. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout -- Probably my favorite of the Nero Wolfe mysteries, not only because it introduces the woman I always wanted to be when I grew up, Lily Rowan. I reread it, and the rest of the series, quite a bit. 4. Braniac by Ken Jennings -- Upon reflection, I can't tell you a damned thing about this book other than that it is by the guy who won so much money on Jeopardy and there are lots of neat tidbits of trivia in it. And yet I remember I was surprised at how well Jennings can write, and I loved it. 5. 1602 by Neil Gaiman -- What if Marvel superheroes lived in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries? I probably would have enjoyed this even more if it had been about DC characters, as I'm rather shaky on the Marvelverse, but nonetheless this was fascinating. Not nearly as dark as I was expecting from Gaiman, but still really good. I hope he continues the series. 6. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin -- I tend not to read historical mysteries, particularly medieval ones, because I am constantly distracted by what I know of the period. However, this story sucked me right in and I'm glad I gave it a shot. I believe it is Franklin's first book, so I will have to keep an eye out for her next. Addendum: It turns out, as Amazon notes, Franklin is "the pseudonym of a veteran historical fiction writer." 7. Livin' La Vida Dorka by John Kovalic -- We have a couple of the Dork Tower comic strip collections at home, but don't collect them the way we would if they weren't so role-playing gamer heavy. Nonetheless, the ISU library has a fine collection of graphic novels and I picked up this one last week to pass the time while I was working the circulation desk. I forgot how much I love Dork Tower. 8. Pop Culture Crossword Puzzles by Trip Payne -- Not really a book, I guess. But I still enjoyed the heck out of it. If you saw the fascinating (to dorks like me) movie about crossword puzzle tournaments "Wordplay" then you will probably remember author Trip Payne. 9. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach -- Much better than her second book, "Stiff" is enough to make you reconsider donating your body to science (unless you want to be a practice dummy for budding plastic surgeons). Fascinating stuff. 10. The perfect "haunted house" book -- I'm still looking for it, though The Haunting of Hill House comes close. ]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.105 2007-08-21T17:17:25Z 2007-09-26T20:27:46Z

It's 10 on Tuesday, after a hiatus last week (13 year wedding anniversary yay! Suckerific week boo!). Alas, I don't care much for this week's topic so here's one from the archives: Ten Favorite Movies to Quote: 1) Galaxy Quest:...

archives: Ten Favorite Movies to Quote: 1) Galaxy Quest: -- "It's a rock monster. It doesn't HAVE motivation." and -- "Whoever wrote this episode should die!" 2) Ghostbusters: "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!" 3) The Big Sleep: -- "You go too far, Marlowe." -- "Those are harsh words to throw at a man, especially when he's walking out of your bedroom." 4) How to Steal a Million: -- "Well, it was pitch dark and there he was. Tall, blue eyes, slim, quite good-looking... in a brutal, mean way, Papa. A terrible man!" -- "This tall, good-looking ruffian with blue eyes, he didn't molest you in any way, did he? ... Well, did he?" -- "Not much." 5) Support Your Local Sheriff: -- "This [dented badge] must have saved the life of whoever was wearing it." -- "Well, it sure would have if it hadn't been for all them other bullets flying in from everywhere." 6) Airplane!: -- "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue." 7) The Mummy: -- "Look, I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am... a librarian!" 8) Practical Magic: -- "Louis L'Amour, by the way, was not a foreigner! He was from North Dakota, you asshole!" 9) The Hunt for Red October: -- "Listen I'm a politician, which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops." 10) The Shawshank Redemption: -- "The Count of Monte Crisco... by Alexandree Dumbass. Dumbass!" -- "Dumbass? 'Dumas.' You know what that's about? You'll like it, it's about a prison break." -- "We ought to file that under 'Educational' too, oughten we?" Happy Tuesday, all. ]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.106 2007-08-08T18:48:19Z 2007-09-26T20:29:44Z

Yesterday was a bit busy. So it's Ten on Tuesday... on Wednesday. 10 Things You Will Never Do Again 1. Trust my dear mother. 2. Tequila shots. Anything else, but not tequila. 3. Travel without my own blanket, if I...

10 Things You Will Never Do Again 1. Trust my dear mother. 2. Tequila shots. Anything else, but not tequila. 3. Travel without my own blanket, if I don't have to. I'm weird that way. 4. Eat beef. 5. Look underneath the bed at a hotel. Ick. 6. Fly across the Atlantic in a military troop carrier with jury-rigged seats and my feet directly on one of the hinges of the loading ramp. 7. Live in a town without a decent bookstore (this is a COLLEGE town, for crying out loud!). 8. Work on my dissertation (take THAT, do-gooders). 9. Buy anything less than an XL in a t-shirt. 10. Go hungry again (thank you Scarlett O'Hara). ]]> tag:www.cageyklio.net,2007:/kelly/blog//1.107 2007-07-31T19:57:24Z 2007-09-26T20:32:00Z

I need a nap. It's Ten on Tuesday! This week: Ten Countries You'd Like to Visit 1) Germany -- Mr G needs to see Germany at Christmas time. We can even make a pilgrimage to the scenes of my childhood....

Ten Countries You'd Like to Visit 1) Germany -- Mr G needs to see Germany at Christmas time. We can even make a pilgrimage to the scenes of my childhood. 2) Egypt -- I want to see the Great Pyramids before they are closed to tourists for good. 3) United Kingdom -- I've spent so much time there it practically feels like home. If they didn't have those pesky quarantine laws, I would move there. 4) Italy -- I adored Venice, but I know it won't even compare to Florence and Rome. 5) Netherlands -- Wooden shoes and tulips. Oh, I love being a tourist. 6) Turkey (specifically, Istanbul) -- The giant dome of Hagia Sophia calls to me. 7) Russia (specifically, Moscow) -- Somehow, I don't think there will be anything for us to eat. Oh well. More Byzantine-type architecture to ogle. 8) Bermuda -- Sue me, I'd like to just go lie on a beach someday. 9) India -- Sure I want to see all the pretty things, but mostly it's about the food. 10) Epcot's International Pavilion -- My favorite foreign country. :)]]>