Graceful Walking

The other day I caught the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Rear Window" on TV. I so love old movies like this. "Rear Window" is by far my favorite Hitchcock film. The story line is easy and I totally love Jimmy Stewart's wheelchair bound act in it. When Grace Kelly joined him on screen, my flat-mate and I agreed that she walks in heels like a woman should. I just was shocked how amazing she looked when she was literally prancing in those high heels. Usually I see girls walking around the city like they have no idea they are wearing heels. The do like a clop-clop kind of walk. Hence the real reason I don't wear heels that high. If I was light on my feet and could walk that graceful, then it would make sense to wear them. But I like to walk fast and without thought to my poor ankles. Also in the movie "The Birds", watch how Tippi Hedren gets out of a car and walks with full out poshness she carries herself to the doorway. Very cool.

Thanksgiving

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Headed out to my Uncle's place in PA to have the big turkey dinner. The weather was unbelievably warm, and the trees still had a lot of leaves. Usually it's freezing cold and the trees are totally bare. My Aunt thought we could have dinner outside, but the wind picked up and we decided to enjoy it inside. =)

That night I went out bowling with my Jersey cousin. What else is there to do in Jersey? Good times. Eventually by the 3rd game we were just tossing the bowling balls down the lane. Then they (my cousin and his buddy) played a game of Area 51 in the arcade. Which is silly cause at his place they have the Wii. LOL Went back to his parents place and ate some more of the yummy pumpkin cheese cake my (other) Aunt made. I did ok on the Wii, but I really should have my own to practice more on. Santa, do you hear me?!

On Friday did a bit of shopping then met up with a friend to see Beowulf. The animation of the movie was amazing. I didn't care for the story so much though. Maybe if we saw it in Digital 3D the experience would have been even better. Oh well. Finally got home late Friday night and was happy to see Marley alive and well. I missed him so.

Today I'm back to work. I'm thinking about that next big holiday meal at mom's place. Can't freakin' wait!

My So-Called Life

Enough about the cat... now other stuff happening in my life. Today I went for a sushi lunch for my buddy's birthday. It was so freakin' good! I love when sushi is that fresh and tasty. Tonight is my mid-term for Money and Banking class. Looking at it now, not fun.



Last week I got to see two theater shows. First was "Pygmalion" with Claire Danes. The show My Fair Lady is based on it. I liked it, but some of the scenes ran long and drawn out. The sets were very cool and lots of details. The 2nd show was "The Rise of Dorthy Hale". It was based on the true-story of a woman in the 1940s who committed suicide and then Frida Kahlo painted her portrait. The show was good, the actress who played Frida was in the movie "The Lady in the Water". She was very good, I like how she played the part.

Marley's progress

Early this morning I was greeted not with biting by a sleeping kitty in my bed. It was the 1st time Marley decided to grace me with his presence while I slept. He had been sleeping on the shag rug or my rug, never far from me, but not with me. It was really sweet and I'm glad he trusts me more than before. Of course he stretched out and slowly pushed me towards the edge of the bed. LOL! Can you imagine, he finds a warm spot and I get shoved off the bed!? =) His thing is to lay out on his back and put his paws in my face. And boy oh boy, he has some smelly breath. sigh

Per the suggestion of my cat knowledgeable friend, I started giving Marley L-Lycine in his breakfast. It is really helping with the crap in his eyes. Guess he had a virus, but even though it didn't get worse, it wasn't getting better.

The funny thing is, I think he has already gained another pound or two. When he trots now his little pouch swings side to side. Too damn cute!

Note about my allergies, they are doing way better now. A bit of it is because I got used to the cat and I think the air filter thingy is helping. I got a Honeywell True HEPA with a silent mode (low setting). It's in my room and I pretty much got used to the noise already. Haven't taken a Claritan in days now.

Feral Cat Saga

The feral cat saga in our neighborhood continues. Some with happy endings and some we are still working on.

Last week myself and 2 other ladies were out like 4 nights trying to catch three kittens. 1=black 1=gray 1=white with black spots The white with black spots, Stewy, was 1st caught. Totally friendly. Second was the gray one, Gizmo, but not so friendly. Finally another lady who had been feeding them got the black one, Underhill. They are all safe and sound.... doing well and hopefully will be adopted out.

Last night I helped a neighbor catch a pregnant feral in her backyard. She just had kittens, maybe like 3 months old and is already pregnant again. Poor thing. Her other older cat is also in the backyard, Jiro (second born son), we will catch him next. The trapping was quick since they were pretty hungry and willing to get close to us while we waited. Got to see the 3-month old kitten that is being adopted by another lady in their building. Cutest little puff of fur! He is black with one small white spot on his chest. His name is Shinju-chan, "cute little pearl" in Japanese. They named the mother cat Suiginmama, which means Mercury Mama.

Finally a cat was being dumped by a woman around the corner from my place. My friend caught the woman and basically grabbed the cat out of her hands. Today a call went into the ASPCA to report it. The poor cat was yowling and howling while the woman pulled it out of the carrier. The cat is about 3-4 years old and would never survive on the streets with winter coming. The cats in our hood already have their territories and would be tough for the new guy to get in. Plus he is fixed... no way to mark his area at all. Poor cat.
UPDATE: The ASPCA will be investigating the cat and the people trying to dump him. Hopefully it sends a strong message in our area about how wrong it is to dump a cat on the street. And the cat is friendly and being fostered at the moment.
UPDATE #2: The "Dumped Cat", DC, has found a great home. A real nice lady with a nice apartment near-by has taken him in. We are sooo happy that it all worked out perfectly in the end.

There have been a few cats who got adopted out to new homes. It helps when they get into loving homes and become wonderful pets (like Marley "the Monster")!

S&H Green stamps

Anyone remember those things? A friend of mine mentioned them during our subway ride into work. And bam a rush of memories came at me. I totally remember going to the grocery store (I think it was Giant) and as we checked out watching how many of those little green stamps we would get. As soon as we got home I would pull out the book and start sticking them in. It was one of those Saturday routine type of things that was exciting as a kid. Now that I do it all myself, not so exciting. Anyway, while talking to my mom I mentioned this memory rush. Funny thing is, she was also just talking about the same thing with her friend while traveling for a conference. (Probably came up while they were shopping). Just did a little hunting on Google, and the company is still in operation. Now its all geared to online shopping. Should I sign up? Won't be as much fun as licking stamps into a booklet, but could get some nice stuff out of it.

Music Industry

During a random morning brainstorm, I was thinking what will bands do when more than 12-15 songs can be put on an album. CDs are basically on the way out, right? Will DVDs replace or just downloading albums from the internet. Either way more songs can be put on the album. No need to make a cut of songs that won't "fit". I asked a friend who is in a band and follows the music industry a lot. He says the industry is dead. Major labels only put their effort into a few bands and the rest are just left to deal on their own. It's true. Pop music and Top-40 chart bands are still the only ones to get radio play. So many bands are out there now attempting to get noticed and at least a fan base. I could go on a tangent about this, but it's too much to explain. It makes me sad to think that the few bands I really enjoy won't be able to continue to tour and make albums because a major label won't give them a boost. Maybe Radiohead will find the solution with their plan to offer their next album at the price that the consumer chooses. What a novel idea.

The Life of Marley

The little monster is doing good. Went to the vet on Saturday for his booster shots. He did not enjoy the experience at all. Poor thing. He did gain 1 pound since we got him. Already becoming a fat lazy indoor cat. Must be nice not to have to chase after your food, huh? He has climbed up on top of everything now, even the fridge as seen here. Also, he is now opening doors on his own. If I leave them open a crack he either barges in or uses a paw to open it to get out. So far the kitchen cabinets still elude him enough that he isn't opening those too. Other than all of that, he is doing real well and I'm happy to have him around. I'm looking at getting an air purifier for myself, the allergies are still pretty harsh. Oh well, it's worth it. =)

SpongeBob

Ohh Who lives in a pineapple under the sea
"Spongebob squarepants"

Absorbant and yellow and porous is he
"Spongebob Squarepants"

If nautical nonsense be something you wish
"Spongebob Squarepants"

Then flop on the deck and plop like a fish
"Spongebob Squarepants"

kitty aggression

What I find truly amazing and annoying is the kitty aggression. Marley has been way more active lately than before. I'm hoping that some cold weather will chill him out. Last night as I sat on the couch and him on the floor, he was finding new and inventive ways to bite my hands. I literally watched his pupils go from normal to HUGE in like 2 seconds. Too bad my reflexes aren't that quick. He got me, got me good. Then he ran away. Little monster.

Bocce Ball!

On Sunday I played league Bocce ball. That's right, I'm on a team. =) It was so much fun. We had 2 games with 3 rounds in each (best 2 out of 3 rounds wins the game). Well, we totally kicked ass and won both games. We didn't even loose a single round. Next we have to get t-shirts or some kind of outfit to wear. Otherwise I'll have to come up with an actual outfit each week to wear to the bar. Usually on Sunday's I just wear what ever is left laying around or something comfy. Not always "cute". Haha. Anyway, gotta do some more practice games to get used to it. I scored a few points for the team, need to work on my stance.


Bocce - Wikipedia

One Night in NYC

Got to see the Montel Williams show taping last night. A friend got tickets (no idea how), and it seemed entertaining enough to check out. Plus it was free. We got there in time and they had served pizza and soda. After a bit of waiting we finally got in to the set. Apparently they tape 3 shows twice a week. That's a crazy schedule. I guess since we were dressed pretty good (straight from work black suits) we got to sit right in the front row. Remember to tape the show "I Shouldn't Be Alive" when it comes on... you will totally see me making a goofy sad face. It was actually a pretty cool thing... Montel was very down to earth, believe it or not. He chatted with the audience a few times and really made the guests feel welcome. Pretty cool.

After that we hit the Maritime Hotel for my friend's co-worker's birthday party. They were so nice. We just ate a little nibble of food and a drink. Sang the birthday song to her and got a cupcake. =) Good times.

Got in late, but thankfully my flatmate fed the monster (Marley). He is doing well, just always hungry it seems. We figure he is going to be a big boy when he grows up.

Creepy Movies

My top 5 creepiest movies:

5. ??
4. ??
3. The Shining (great movie, but freakin' creepy)
2. PeeWee's Big Adventure
1. Nothing But Trouble

What was mine, is now Marley's

Apparently the rule is that everything I once owned is now Marley's. And if he doesn't like where it is, he'll move it. Or bite it. Or knock it over. He was able to take 1 plant down yesterday. Guess it was in his way. Now he can sit on the little table that was used for the plants to get light, and look out the window at a higher vantage point. I'm not keen on his decorating skills, but not much can be done if he is alone for 10 hours a day to work on his art. Oh, and he is no longer a gentle biter. He bites a lot more and harder. I've been using my own type of biting, pinching his neck to get him to cut it out. It's more likely that he is simply laughing at me. At least the laser-light keeps him running around. Also he seems to think 4:30 AM is feeding time. So I get a purring cat face in my face at that time. If only he had a snooze button. That would be awesome!

Litter box

Apparently the litter in the litter box must be in a little litter mound. As soon I clean up and lay down flat again, Marley comes in and pushes into a mountain again. Too funny. By the way, I've crossed over to crazy cat lady for sure. I'm chatting up with Marley when we are hanging out in the apartment.

Good Morning Brooklyn!

It was a bit of a late night last night. Went to the Comedy Cellar cruise show. It was like 4 hours on the Hudson River. We saw the early show and then just hung out looking at the city. It was funny to watch the comedians try to do stand-up comedy when the boat would swing from side to side. Good times.

Marley is doing pretty good. He is getting more and more playful. And a bit crazy. After I feed him he goes bonkers. Running from one room to the next and then to the window to look outside and then comes running back to me. He isn't letting me pet him much now, he just wants to bite and play. I just want him to be more social, which will take some time I guess. I'll take some more pictures. He didn't like the flash much, so I was attempting to take it without, which makes the picture come out blurry. If there is enough light I don't need the flash. Plus I need some pics of him standing up instead of all laying down. Haha.

Tonight going out to dinner with the Aussie before she heads home. Oh man, feels like I'm on the boat still. My monitor is swaying. LOL Ok, back to work.

Marley takes over

Ok, now that Marley is fully awake and fed, he is playing much more. He loves to chew on my fingers, arms, feet... everything. Good thing the vet clipped his claws down. I would have some serious bloody marks otherwise.

Not getting much homework done either. He figured out how to lay across my papers and walk on my laptop. Maybe the prof will accept the excuse that my cat ate my homework.

His appetite is pretty good. Eats everything I put in front of him. The dry food goes down whole, he doesn't bother chewing it. Haha! That's my boy!

It will be tough to leave him tomorrow when I go to work. But for now we are having fun playing and making a mess of the place.

Marley is home

Marley's first night was great. He has been around the whole apartment like a million times. He is feeling right at home. I fed him a little, like the vet said, but he was begging for more. And he was trying to get into the garbage. Hard habit to break. So I fed him some more and a bit more a few hours later. Of course I'm the one who spent the money and fed him and taking care of him... and who's lap does he lay in when he naps. That's right, my flatmates! Imagine that. He did stay in my bed for a bit, but only to try and chew my hand. He doesn't play real hard, which is good. He just kind of nibbles.

He is certainly a hunter. As we watched a movie he suddenly moved in crouched stance into the next room. It was pretty dark, so I turned the light on to check it out. He caught a huge ass spider. The thing was already curled up and barely alive. Didn't even know we had spiders like that. This place will be cleared of any insects pretty quick.

We both totally love him... he is doing all the cute things that a kitten will do. More pictures to come soon (after breakfast).

Marley update

Just called Mr Alex for an update... all is well, but he did have fleas. Marley got a flea bath. Poor baby. He'll get extra treats this weekend. Haha All test came back negative. Yippie!

Marley goes to the vet

Marley was dropped off this morning. I let him out to explore his new home a bit. He avoided the shag carpet for the most part, I think it confused him. My flatmate said "what's up?" to him so much, he may think that is his name. Haha. He is adorable. Comes when I snap my fingers and loves to bat with his big paw.

Got a ride over to the vet on Flatbush. They weren't opened yet, so I had a coffee at Dunkin'. Anyway, I went in at 8 AM and the guy Alex was just cleaning up the place. We started to chat, he got the Muffins cert, so that is all set. He asked for my last name to start filling out the forms. As soon as he heard Horvath he started to speak in Hungarian. Haha I had to sadly tell him I don't speak in the language. Well, he didn't care, he was so happy to meet a fellow Hungarian. Alex was on the Hungarian national soccer team when it beat the Ukraian in the Olympics in Mexico City. He has an Olympic gold metal! Imagine that. Let's just say Marley will be getting extra special treatment cause he is a Horvath. LOL!

He is getting tested today for FIV and FELV. The test results will come back tomorrow AM, then we will decide what will happen next. If he is ok then he'll have surgery tomorrow and I can pick him up after work Friday or Saturday AM. I'll be worried about him all day. There was only 1 other cat being boarded there.

Oh, he is about 5 months old, he has his adult teeth already. Which means his birthday was in March. Same as me!! =)

I'm smitten

After a few days of begging my flatmate to let me get a cat, he finally agreed. I'm good at convincing people. Haha. So I thought we would get a Siamese, because technically I'm allergic and read that they are the least likely to make me sneeze. The flatmate wanted a long-hair Persian. Well, in the end we got a little dirty boy from the streets. He is orange and white striped, with white socks. On his front paws he has an extra thumb (decedent of the Hemingway cats?). The adoption process is underway. He needs to go to the vet tomorrow and get his shots and the BIG snip-snip. After that is over I'll feel comfortable calling him mine. After a year of working with feral felines I worry what the test results will be. If I get attached (which I am already cause we've named him - "Marley"), and something is wrong, I'll be real upset. Crossing my fingers and asking for mother-nature to be nice. :)

Looking for a job...

... then I found a job, heaven knows I'm miserable now - Morrisey

Read in the news that Monster.com has been hacked and information on a million people was stolen. Does this mean the hackers are going to hire us all? Are they going to go out hunting for jobs for me? That is awful nice of them.

Ringing Rocks, PA

Worst commute ever

You know it's bad when this is said:
"No subway line was unaffected by the heavy rains and winds, according to the M.T.A. For the time being, the M.T.A. was advising commuters to stay at home."

It certainly was an interesting morning. The trains were a complete mess and since I didn't have an alternative train to take (they were all shut down), I decided to find a taxi. Met up with my neighbor, hoping it would make the fare cheaper. We went up to Flatbush (major street to Manhattan) and it was a parking lot. Blaring horns and jam-packed buses. Since it looked like walking would be the next option, I went to Bergen Bagel for breakfast to fuel the long haul. After that we started our trek and right away we saw people boarding a double-decker tour bus. We were like, "Hell, why not... better than walking". So we got on, cleaned off the wet seats and enjoyed the ride. I've always hated those buses in Brooklyn, don't think they should be coming to my hood. But since it literally saved me a huge long sticky HOT walk, I have new respect. Anyway, we rode in, went over the Manhattan bridge and finally walked into the office around 10:30 AM. Worked out fairly well, but it was one of the worst rides in I've had to deal with in a long time.

Looks like the trains are still screwed up and everyone in the city is trying to grab the same cab. Let's just hope the ride home is easy smooth and quick. Water taxi?

Pictures of the tornado in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

August

It has been a busy few weeks. Not much breathing time. Went to the Rock the Bells concert out on Randall's Island last weekend. It was awesome! Got to see Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, Wu-tang Clan (they really rocked), and Rage Against the Machine (kicked ass in concert). Even besides the rain, we had a good time in the mud and then the sun came out for the last half. When it was all over we were able to escape from the masses and found a back way out. Even with security hot on our heels we did it. Walked over the bridge to the upper east side of Manhattan and hailed cabs to take us back to the hotel. Good times!

The weekend before I entertained a friend's cousin who is from Texas. It was his first visit to NYC, actually first time north of Madison, South Carolina. He was so fun and a real cool guy. Lots of great stories to tell. We went to South Street Seaport, then had dinner at a mexican place called Mary Ann's. Then finally went to White Horse Tavern for beers at the outside picnic table. I believe that was a good tour of NYC.

Yesterday I spent the whole day in Park Slope, walking around and window shopping. My girl from Australia made it to town finally. We had a great time catching up.

BIG News

I finished Harry Potter #7! Yippie. But that isn't the big news. Haha. My brother and sis-in-law have decided to adopt a baby from China. We are all so happy and proud. Mom can't stop crying. To follow along with the progress, here is their blog:

jonathanandkristal.blogspot.com

shhhh...

Quiet, reading Harry Potter... doing nothing but reading. Up to chapter 18 now. =)

Ferals

Ghost Hunters

This show always freaks me out. I love it. It is one of the few ghost shows that doesn't go over-board with the dramatization. They kind of do it with a "just the facts" kind of experience. Basically these two Roto-Rooter guys decide to explain paranormal activities in places of interest and people's homes. They get real emotional if a child is being haunted in a home. They are family men. Anyway... they walk around creepy places with cameras and other fancy equipment. They explain everything. And are actually pretty jumpy for doing this all the time. Guess sitting in a dark room waiting for a sound makes you jittery no matter what. Tonight they go to some old navy ship. Those things always make noise. The thing is on water, duh. Can't wait to watch it. =)

Boston road trip

Went on a road trip to Boston over the weekend. Had a great time. Had lunch at the "tourist" Cheers. Did some walking around. The weather was fanatistic. Then Saturday night we hit the North End for Italian dinner. Finally a few Irish pubs for beer and sailors. Good times. Had brunch on Sunday then started the long drive home. I've got more sleep to catch up on.

a little advice

You boys can take it or leave it, but here comes some advice. First off if you are in your early 30s, read something else besides the Da Vinci Code. Next, drinking with your buddies (every other night) is not the way to a girl's heart. Do something interesting. And don't call/text said girl to tell her how drunk you are. Maybe I've grown out of that or maybe I'm a bit angstful. But either way, its annoying. Like when I was little and boys would pull at my hair or something.

"birds do it, bees do it
even educated fleas do it
let's do it, let's fall in love"

Lost Drives and Props

Where have the A & B drives gone? Its not fair that as we advance in technology, and old technology is left behind, it is very difficult to clean up. The old 5" and 3 1/4" floppy drives are gone, PCs don't even come with them anymore, yet the OS still refers to those drives as A & B. Can't get them back. Anything after C is given letter assignment automatically. Sure there are like 24 letters left to use, but it just stinks when you are working in an enterprise environment. Space can get tight when applications and departments are fighting over the use of the letter M because they like it. Anyway, the OS would need to be altered anyway to make it work. Who knows maybe they'll actually do this clean up work on the next version of Windows.

Also, big huge mega props to the firemen in my hood. There were at least 2 rooftop fires that I watched. Those poor guys in heavy coats and equipment trying to get up ladders quickly and make sure that a little grill fire doesn't get even worse on a sweltering hot day. Plus I always like men in uniform. So thanks, you guys rock Prospect Heights.

Elvis

Garbage Card Game Rules

Garbage Card Game Rules

HAND	Card Combinations	Wild Cards
1	2 sets of 3	1 in each
2	2 runs of 3	1 in each
3	1 set of 3 & 1 run of 4	1 in each
4	2 sets of 4	1 in each
5	1 run of 5 & 1 set of 3	2 in run & 1 in set
6	3 sets of 3	1 in each
7	1 run of 7	3
8	1 run of 6 & 1 set of 3	2 in run & 1 in set
9	2 runs of 4	1 in each
10	2 sets of 5	2 in each
11	1 run of 9	4

Notes:

• Jokers and 2's are wild
• Low Score wins
• Aces are high
• Deal 11 cards to everyone. If the exact amount is picked for deal - subtract 50 points from score.
• if discard is not wanted - cover and player who discarded picks up.
• If discard is wanted - pick up. That card does not have to be played immediately.
• Wild cards can be picked up from table if replaced with their value.
• If you can't play before someone goes out you stay on that hand until you can.

Points:

Joker 50

Aces and 2's 50
8 - K 10

3 - 7 5

Emily Songs

Here are a list of my favorite Emily song's

• "See Emily Play" - Pink Floyd (vinyl is best)
• "Emily, Please" - Luke Doucet
• "Emily" - Barbra Streisand
• "Emily" - Bowling for Soup

....more to come!

Feral Cats

This week I'll be taking care of a feral cat colony in my hood. The usual people are both away and I raised my hand to volunteer. There are about 10 of them in this backyard. They recently moved from an empty lot because it is going to be torn up soon. It is really important to keep the colony of cats together. Anyway, one of the neighbors commented on finding "caca" in their yard. I had to listen to this whole explanation about the "caca" and the cats jumping into her yard. She totally has a legitimate right to voice her opinion about this... but I just can't help to laugh at the work "caca". Love it! Haha!

Summer Movies

Here is my must see summer movie list:

Spiderman 3 - it was going to be a must see, but now I don't feel it so much.

Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - going to the Ziegfeld baby (digital!)

Daywatch - Russians know how to do it with less money, can't freakin wait

Fantastic 4 - never had anything bad to say about the 1st, the 2nd will kick ass

newly added... Stardust - Neil Gaiman finally gets what he deserves, a big budget movie, with big name movie stars too. (another novel movie coming out next year starring Dakota Fanning, very cool).

The Bourne Ultimatum

Transformers (duh!)

The Simpsons Movie - it just can't possibly be bad, so it will be funny.

Hot Fuzz wasn't exactly on the list, but I went to see it last week, laughed through the whole thing. It is brilliant!

last by not least, Harry Potter, a book and a movie... what more could I ask for!?

School's out for summer...

The finals for school are over and I'm freakin' happy. Catching up on all of my shows tonight. The Sopranos, then the Tudors, and finally Entourage. I laughed and I did shed a tear. They always throw in the best episodes at the end of the season. Love it.

I've been tanning as of late. I decided that white really isn't my color. When I went today, they actually closed the salon and moved it down 10 blocks. Totally annoying. But in the end, it's all good. Got 2 more sessions plus $9 lotion. Plus I got to try the Diamond bed. You won't get red from it. Pretty cool.

Anyway... I'm happy for the chilled out nights to come and a bit less stress. At least for now. :-)

UPDATE: got an 80 on the final and total class score of 84.3 (B)!! Yippie!!

Give Blood

Last week I gave a pint of blood. Haven't done it a long time and it felt really good. There has been a huge need for it, there is always a huge need for blood in not only this city but because we are at war. I even plan to give again in a few months. Next time I'll go see a movie afterwards instead of attempting to stand on the subway train for an hour. Hey, you live and learn. And the best part... got cookies after it was all over. :-)

Trip to Florida

Just got back from a lovely, relaxing trip to Florida. Had a great time hanging with mom and step-dad. Then for a few days I was with my big bro and sis-in-law. She has this amazing way of looking at the world. It's a treat to hear her latest thoughts. We were admiring the big yachts in the harbor where we at a late lunch (early dinner?). I always love the boats that actually have another boat on board. Assuming its used for taking to shore or something. My sis-in-law remarked that is how you know you've made it. When you are able to have one form of transportation carry another form of transportation. Since they have a bike rack on their car at home, they now know they've made it. I'm still working on it. Maybe if I have my bike on the subway. That's about as close as I can get. :-)

what new york is

For me New York City is observations, people watching, and walking commentary. Like yesterday, the first thing I said was "Medium hazelnut with cream and sugar". Funny, huh? Today a woman on the train had two different shoes on. I felt bad, I mean one was brown and one was black, totally different. What can you do? Now that I'm on the east side of the island, working in Murray Hill I've noticed a lot more. People are generally just walking around here. In midtown west side, people are going to work, going to a meeting, going to lunch, no real leisurely walking. The other afternoon I saw these two police officers chatting a guy and his little boy. The officer was giving the kid a low-five. The boy then demanded(!) a high-five. It was too cute. More to come...

Birthday Wishes

Today is my birthday, and here are my wishes. To my friends and family I wish all the joy and luck in the world. I got this totally sweet and out-of-the-blue email from a long time friend. She reminded me that the little things matter and that she is just as nice as she says I am. As for myself, I just want this new job to go well and I get a nice tan in Florida. Can't expect all my problems to be fixed in one day. :-)

By the way, I dreamt of an ice cream shop this morning. Maybe the weather will get warm enough to get a cone this weekend.

Fortune Cookies

A few of my favs:

"People find it difficult to resist your persuasive manner"

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

"You love Chinese food"

"Time is the wisest counsellor"

"You will experience small success, especially in romance" (7/17/2007)

ADDITION - on 3/26 started my new job, went out for Chinese for lunch, and here is my cookie fortune: "Financial prosperity is coming your way!" Haha!

The Year of the Horse:
Independent and sporty, the Horse is the male sign. The often flamboyant Horse tends to be the life of the party and is great fun to be around. They tend to love sports and, or, outdoor activities and don't mind some rough and tumble action. They function best when they have lots of freedom. The downside is they function poorly when bridled, e.g., tied down by routine. The Horse tends to be selfish and self absorbed, letting others fend for themselves, which is the Horse's preferred mode of operation. In spite of the enthusiasm with which they begin things, they tend to lose it rather quickly. You have to work to keep their interest. Ah, but it's worth it!
http://www.firepig.com/astrologysignhorse.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_(zodiac)

Other thoughts...

I totally froze my ass off last night. Then like 1 and 1/2 blocks left to go, my iPod dies. Damn battery. I really have been sucked into the work/school thing lately, cause even with the cold I was happy to go out. Plus I was reminded what living in NYC really is like. Lately I've noticed this new trend of guys tieing the front of their pants into their shoes. Sounds weird and so strange for 20 somethings to do, but I tell you it looks cool. Fly. Where else can you find a trend as such before the rest of the world? I used to wonder why headphones can be so expensive and survive among so many people who own cars. Just look at everyone (practically) on the train or walking on the street. They've got headphones on. I think my love to the big apple has resurfaced.

Happy Valentine's

I truly believe my iPod knows it is Valentine's day. It has been playing (in shuffle mode) some of the sappy songs in my list as well as a lot of jazz. Can you imagine that?! It must be evil. Bastards.

Looks like a lot of flower deliveries will be delayed, iced over and generally a mess. Since I won't be getting any (I'm not sad, just bitter)... I won't have to worry about it. Nice not to worry about such things.

Most people did not show up to the office today. Probably would have been a good idea to turn around and stay home today. But oh well. Such is life. Tonight I've got class, at least the prof has not yet canceled it. We've got an exam next week, much to review tonight. Yippie!

On that note... I'm going to have one more Krispy Kreme heart-shaped donuts that "cupid" brought in. Sugar high will help me get through the day.

Gin

This may seem funny, but I just had gin for the 1st time last night. I guess it never dawned on me to try it. Started off with a Tom Collins (with rail gin), and.... it.... was..... refreshing. Totally liked it and finished it off. Then we got talking about other types of gin. Found out some interesting points about how gin is infused with different flavors. So I had a Tanqueray and tonic. Wow, very tasty. There was some actual tastes of junpier and pine needles. Imagine that. I started to imagine drinking it in the warm southern afternoon sun. Sipping it slowly, without a care in the world. Good times. By the way, this is my quest to try some new drinks. Got bored with beer.

Someone suggested tequila next. That could get pretty funny.

The dentist appt went well, only one little cavity. Will be taken care of in 2 weeks. And I got a new toothbrush for being such a good girl. :)

Destiny

Ever start off wrong? Today is Monday, not my favorite day. But not only that, it just started off wrong. Couldn't wake up on time. Was totally slow moving. The walk/ride to work was brutal. It seemed like I kept pulling my own hair trying to keep my bag on my shoulder and walk into the brutal 0 below wind. But what if there was one little thing I could have done differently to make the day go smoothly. Can destiny be changed that easily? Am I over-qualified for this new job?

It's now about 6:30, and time to go home. Back out into the cold. It was a fairly good day in the end. Too bad I have to go work on calculus now.

Direction

So here I sit, I'm 28 years old and I'm trying to figure out my direction. That is, I think I know what I want to do next, it just depends on the direction. The way IT is running now it's hard to say what is the best way. I've been doing a fairly good job of becoming an engineer, actually focusing on one set of skills and gaining experience in it. It may not be a huge need for it, but I've learned how to tear things down and build them back up and work around them. (The life of a desktop software package engineer... taking an install from a vendor and re-working it into a package/script to use for deployment to workstations). I actually started to enjoy the work. And on the side taking a management training course and my college courses (math, English, etc.). Now that has all changed. The new job is way more hats. Nothing specific, the school of thought is that it's an enterprise and each person on the team should know all about it. Which in a sense is good, I could learn more about the server side of things and maybe even some networking bits. But on the other side, I can't delve deep into any one thing because I'll be too busy with everything else. It feels like a step backwards, which worries me, I like the direct route forward. It sure is a bit of a dilemma, because if I don't do the new job, what do I do?

Been lazy

This is the perfect weather to be completely lazy. Most of this weekend I kind of hung around and did some cleaning and catching up on TV shows. No laundry this time. Actually I barely did anything productive. I walked as far as a block each day. Once for brunch and groceries. And once more for a cup of coffee. Sad? I think not. Today class started, Fundementals of Calculus. That's right kids, life is over. Plus I'm trying (not very hard) to catch up on the management training. And also I started some Six Sigma (google it) training. All wrapped up in a neat little bow, and soon to be torn to shreds. Work is total madness, heance the lazyness on the weekends. I'm excited about the news that Beckham coming to America. Now if only they would actually show American soccer games on TV. Well, it would be nice. Currently reading a series by Steven Burst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhereg_%28novel%29) Think Bond in a world of magic. Lots of great plot twists and a world that keeps you guessing. I recommened if you want to get sucked in to such a thing. I'm on my 4th book now, that sounds soooo geeky, but none of the books need to go in a specific order. He uses little clues to let you know where in the time line the story is taking place. Pretty clever.

Ok - that's all... back to work.

Gothic Lit Final - Grade 92

I'm very proud of my final, got a 92 on it. Enjoy!

FI. Short Answer (50 pts)

2. Explain the significance of the unicorn dream in the director's cut of Blade Runner. In what way does it relate to the unicorn origami Deckard finds at the end of the film?

The unicorn is an imaginative thought implanted into replicates. The humans were trying to give the replicates a sub-conscious mind. As I read further into the film, there are some repeating themes. It goes on to prove that even Deckard himself is a replicate. The origami left as a calling card by Gaff, in a sense saying that he would not come after him. Gaff knew about the unicorn dreams because he knows that they were given to the replicates.

5. Briefly explain two ways that 19th-century American writers transformed Gothic literary conventions. Use Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" to illustrate your answer.

As society changed over the century, so did the social fears. Poe’s use of poetic writing to describe the story gave people a chance to completely delve into it. He describes the surrounding estate and house with dark details. Instead of a castle being used to describe the Gothic theme, a large estate home was described. The story itself is about deep social fears of the time; incest, insane aristocrats, and being buried alive. These new themes helped carry readers along and such made the story set in “modern” times.

8. Briefly discuss and illustrate the two key cultural fears in Ridley Scott's Alien.

One of the first cultural fears I thought of from the movie Alien has to be what is out in space. This movie reminds us that maybe we are not alone in the universe. As we reach out farther into space, it becomes difficult to get help from others. The other fear is loss of human morals. At the expense of humans, the Company hopes to bring back alien specimens. Maybe the aliens are worth more than humans. Also the android is used by the Company to do their bidding. My thought is that we should be more fearful of ourselves than the aliens out in space.

9. Explain the role or function of the supernatural in Beloved.

Within the story of Beloved the supernatural theme is used to express the horrors of one’s own individual past. We learn from Sethe’s storytelling that her past is so horrible she can barely talk about, fearful of reliving it. Instead the ghost of Beloved and the eventual physical form allow Sethe to separate herself from the rest of society. Sethe is so deeply depressed about her past that she fears expressing those feelings. She basically wants it stay hidden away. This allows Beloved to feed off of Sethe’s guilty feelings to grow ever stronger. The supernatural powers feed off the fear of others. Even the rest of the town allows the ghost to existent because they believe in it. In the end Sethe needs people to help regain her sanity and completely exorcize the entity.


10. Briefly explain Angela Carter's use of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale in "The Lady of House of Love." What does Carter seem to be saying about the nature and power of love?

The fairy tale story within the short story “The Lady of House of Love” helps bring to light the essence of the tragedy. Like Sleeping Beauty the young vampire girl is under a strong spell or poison inflicted because of her family’s background. They both wish to be rescued by love. Their belief in love is that it will conquer all evil and set them free. It is their only hope of freedom. Our hero comes along, his kindness and innocence breaks the cycle of death surrounding her. It gives the vampire girl a true sense of what it feels like to be loved by another. She is ultimately able to become something she wanted to be, even though it caused her own death.


II. Essay Answer (50 pts)

5. Gothic narratives of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially those that can be included in the Science Fiction genre, sometimes explore the complexities of creation. Interestingly, these tales also blend Judeo-Christian belief with Greek mythology to explore the social and personal ramifications of a rebellious man trying to usurp the creative function of God. Explain how Mary Shelley in Frankenstein, Nathaniel Hawthorn in "Rappaccini's Daughter," and Ridley Scott in Blade Runner each merge the Promethean myth with Biblical accounts of creation. Discuss what these tales are saying about scientific hubris and the dangers of transgressing the bounds of human knowledge and ability.

As humans become more intelligent about themselves and the world around them, the idea of being a god comes to surface. A few of the gothic stories raises the question of what might happen if a human plays god (or even mother nature). Creation can not be duplicated by humans alone; it takes the miracle of Mother Nature to breathe life. Any other type of creation is truly deemed un-natural.

In the novel by Mary Shelley, Dr. Frankenstein wishes to save to save humanity from death. He believes he can create life from human parts. That it is within his power to do this completely consumes him. This idea and the possibility of proving it overshadows the question of if it should be done. The good doctor does not think of what the consequences might be by creating a life that is not truly human. There is not set plan to teach, love and live up to his own mistakes. He is such punished by the creature for abandonment. It may be that Frankenstein had noble intentions, but he was unable to fulfill his commitment of creation of life. Carrying forward with the love and caring it deserved.

Also in the story “Rappaccini’s Daughter” the doctor desires to help humanity with cures that are out of normal reach. The question remains if his daughter was created by accident or on purpose. She is capable of handling the most dangerous of plants and flowers in the garden. But on the other hand she is kept from society because of the potential of causing others harm. Her father had yet again some noble ideas but without concern of the possible consequences. How long did he think he would be able to control and keep her within his four walls? Just like any other human she wished to be accepted and loved by others. She wanted to experience life as others, instead of being condemned to a fate she did not choose.

Finally as move to the science fiction genre with the creation of robots or replicates of humans. In Blade Runner the replicates are created to do the dangerously harmful and mundane jobs that humans no longer care to do. But some of these tasks, like the prostitute, require a higher level of human-like characteristics. Here lies the true problem with un-natural creation, how do you create something to be just like you but be able to control it? This is impossibility, as the movie explains. The replicates believe themselves to be humans until their own intelligence is advanced enough to help them see that they are not humans. This is why their life span is set to only four years, the humans believe this will help control the replicates from experiencing this. Again as these non-humans come to find out the fate they did not choose for themselves they break away and attempt to be free. In the end they decide to kill their creator so that no others will be created in such a way.

All of these stories represent what could happen if humans try to take over for god. It proves the point that humans generally do not have the capacity for such a complex thing as life. Each creator in the stories met with suffering and sometimes an end of their own life because of the creature they designed. The twist on both Frankenstein’s creature and the replicates in Blade Runner is the very emotional thought process. These creatures are innocent to the world around them and see the beauty in it that most humans have become numb to. Does that not make them just as human as the rest of us? It also questions what is human and what deserves to live. Thankfully we have storytelling to test these waters before we ever attempt to test them ourselves. And hopefully stop anyone thinking of playing god.