Jun 26 2011

Sunday Somethings, 26Jun11

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 11:59 pm

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that makes me happy: Finally finishing Atlas Shrugged. What a tome. I’m glad i read it, and i generally agree with most of the ideas, although they go to an extreme i don’t support. Anyway, i’m happy to have it over with; i am ready to dive back into Martin’s world of Westeros.

Something i am struggling with: A few issues relating to a summer student i’m working with.

Something tasty: I craved Mexican fajitas for most of the week, and finally got to have them last night.

Something i learned: I got a bunch of book suggestions from a friend who has similar interests in books as i do. I could only suggest a few things for her, as she’s read nearly everything i’ve read, but she had a ton of suggestions for me.

Something i am reading: A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

Something happening around the house: I spotted two fleas on Nugent last night. That dog is going to get a bath and a good scrubbing tonight, then perhaps an early application of his flea medicine. He’s been scratching something fierce the last couple of days.

Something i am thinking: It would be great if it rained. This whole area needs a nice big drink.

Something i am looking forward to: July 4th and a 3-day weekend!

Something i am hoping: That my dear Momma had a wonderful birthday!

Something random: It’s always baffled me a bit why grocery stores and gas stations have the electronic card reader thing… but after you slide your credit card through, you have to use an actual pen to sign a paper receipts. Why do they have this contraption if it doesn’t help them reduce the small bits of paper they have to keep track of?

Something planned: Book club meeting to discuss The Giver by Lois Lowry.


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Jun 25 2011

Dog Haiku

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 9:57 am

I have had a newspaper clipping of dog haiku on my office door for years. It’s traveled with me through many office moves, many jobs. Someone at work noticed it recently, and word has spread. Many people are stopping by to read my dog haiku. I reread it myself, and it’s so great, i just had to share it here.

Love my master;
Thus I perfume myself with
This long-rotten squirrel.

I lie belly-up
In the sunshine, happier than
You ever will be

Today I sniffed
Many dog behinds—I celebrate
By kissing your face.

I sound the alarm!
Paper boy—come to kill us all—
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

I lift my leg and
Whiz on each bush.
Hello, Spot—Sniff this and weep

How do I love thee?
The ways are numberless as
My hairs on the rug.

My human is home!
I am so ecstatic I have
Made a puddle

Sleeping here, my chin
On your foot—no greater bliss—well,
Maybe catching cats

Look in my eyes and
Deny it. No human could
Love you as much I do

The cat is not all
Bad—she dots the neighborhood
With Tootsie Rolls

Dig under fence—why?
Because it’s there. Because it’s
There. Because it’s there.

I am your best friend,
Now, always, and especially
When you are eating.

My owners’ mood is
Romantic—I lie near their
Feet. I fart a big one.

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Jun 23 2011

GOT: Finale

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 6:40 pm

Too soon, it’s over, but what a ride it’s been!

This episode started right where the last, heart-wrenching episode left off – with the bloody sword that chopped of Ned’s head. Despite being dead, Ned does make one more appearance in the form of a head sitting atop a spike, which King Turd, first of his name, forces Sansa to look at. The scene between them atop the wall is great, and the murderous look in Sansa’s eyes is wonderful. She is set up for amazing growth next season, and i think all the people who hated her this season will grow to love her as i have.

There is a little more plot development, but most of the episode is setting up each character’s adventures for Season 2. Arya is now Arry the orphan and falls in with her rag-tag bunch of that’s headed for the Wall. Jon and the men already on the Wall are heading beyond it, to face whatever menace lies beyond. Tyrion is getting sent to King’s Landing to serve as the King’s Hand. Robb is now King in the North. (“The King in the North!!”) What a great scene. And Dany…

Dany has woken up from her terrible ordeal to learn that her son was born as a monster and is dead. Khal Drogo still lives, but he is a vegetable. She tries to revive him by telling him about their many happy memories, but it is no use. The maegi reveals that she was basically teaching her a lesson. Dany learned the real lesson, though “only death can pay for life” and extracts the maegi’s life on Drogo’s funeral pyre. The result? Dragons!

An excellent season, can’t wait for the next one. To tide me over, i’m working on a a reread of the first four books (two down, two to go), and book 5 A Dance with Dragons is coming out on July 12!

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Jun 19 2011

Sunday Somethings, 19Jun11

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 11:59 pm

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that makes me happy: Dragons!

Something i am struggling with: Working a lot lately, and i’m not making enough time for myself.

Something tasty: Watergate salad.

Something i learned: There is an internet poker bill in the works on Capitol Hill. It doesn’t touch on the legality, but it does lay out a lot of rules for how online poker would be regulated. This is very good news for Lance and other poker players.

Something from the bridge table: I played 3 days of 60% bridge at the Raleigh sectional this weekend. Didn’t win anything, but played well the entire weekend and finished 4th, 5th and 6th in the 3 events we entered. I’m starting to love bridge again.

Something i am reading: Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I have been reading forever it seems, yet i am not quite halfway through. It’s very interesting. I like books about dystopic societies, and this is certainly one. Lots of interesting ideas.

Something happening around the house: A bridge challenge between Lance and myself concerning our bridge software. Who can get the most problems right?

Something i am thinking: Not limiting expectations has been a very big deal with my two summer students. They continue to blast through all projects. Each time i think “this will take them the rest of the summer,” they finish before i can blink, and i have to come up with something else. It’s wonderful.

Something i am looking forward to: Hearing what mom thinks of the George R. R. Martin books. She’s hooked now, after watching Game of Thrones.

Something i am hoping: To catch up on sleep.

Something random: I love the word “ensorcel”.

Something planned: Lots of reading.

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Jun 15 2011

GOT: Episodes 7, 8 & 9

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 9:50 pm

Too quickly, we are approaching the season finale of HBO’s Game of Thrones. One episode left, this Sunday at 9 pm.

Episode 7: You Win or You Die – After the shit hit the fan last week, with Ned getting attacked in the street and Tyrion winning his freedom in the court of swords, things were a little calmer in this episode. All the actors are superb, especially Littlefinger and Queen Cersei. So far on the show, they have done exposition (backstory) while some sort of sex scene is going on in the background. This episode is no different, with Littlefinger’s story in the brothel. It’s a bit over the top. Cersei has a nice exposition scene about her wedding night, again bringing up Lyanna. They have done a good job reminding viewers about the important deceased characters.

Episode 8: The Pointy End – Superb scene with Syrio. I know a lot of fans have held out hope that Syrio gets away, but they leave it just as open-ended in the TV show as they did in the book. Can’t imagine that he got away, personally. And Ser Meryn does survive, we know. Tyrion’s clansmen are less intimidating than i wanted, and much of their banter with Tyrion was cut. Ned’s in the dungeon now, and i was wondering if they would somehow fit in his dream/flashback about the Tower of Joy. I talked to my mom about the show after this episode, and she told me a few different ways she thought Ned would get out of his jam.

Episode 9: Baelor – More Harry Potter actors! Filch makes a nasty old crank in Walder Frey. Tonks has been great as Osha the Wildling as well. Ned’s still in his cell, and there’s still no Tower of Joy. I guess that would be hard to do without giving away one of the big secrets. Maester Aemon had a good monologue where he did his big reveal to Jon Snow. Totally lame that they knocked Tyrion out during the battle of the Green Fork. I guess battle scenes are expensive. And where is Roose Bolton? Shae was foreign, that was a surprise. Not at all what i imagined, but i’ll keep an open mind; they must have chosen this actress for a reason. In the Dothraki camp, things aren’t going so well for Dany. Mirri Maz Dur isn’t yet as sinister as she is supposed to be, but she will get hers. The final scene is of course, the scene outside the Great Sept of Baelor. Any reader of the books knew what was happening in the final scene after seeing the title. I knew it was coming, knew it, and still bawled like a little child. That has to be one of the best, most gut-wrenching death scenes ever. With the daughters screaming and crying. Magnificent.

Love it love it love it. Mom called me immediately after watching the last scene and expressed her disbelief. I love hearing her take on it as she is new to the series and doesn’t know what’s going to happen in advance.

I have a new actor to swoon over, too, at least until Jacob Black returns this fall. Jaime Lannister, i hate your House, but maybe i’ll keep you in my dungeon.

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Jun 12 2011

Sunday Somethings, 12Jun11

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 11:43 pm

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that makes me happy: Catching up with mom. Every so often we have these hours-long phone conversations and get all caught up.

Something i am struggling with: Work is crazy, and i feel i have no time for going to the gym lately.

Something tasty: Lance made lasagna Friday night, when we had friends over before heading to a poker tournament. Yum.

Something i learned: I learned what the tax difference would be for me & Lance if we got married. Not insignificant.

Something i am reading: Still reading Atlas Shrugged, and also reading A Crown of Kings by George R.R. Martin.

Something happening around the house: Lots of laundry being done today.

Something i am thinking: The way the lanes have been changed on I-40 East after the Harrison Ave exit has made a huge difference in traffic and congestion. I like it! My afternoon commute is about 8 minutes shorter now.

Something i am looking forward to: The season finale of Game of Thrones.

Something i am hoping: To feel on top of things at work again.

Something random: Someone told me this week that today was Father’s Day. Dutifully, i sent the cards to our father’s, and now i’ve learned that i’m a week early. My mom intercepted the card for my dad, but i imagine Lance’s dad got a chuckle out of it.

Something planned: Our bridge club’s thrice-yearly bridge tournament is this weekend. I have left someone else the lovely opportunity of the partnership job this time.

Something captured: We went to Henry’s Gelato today, and they had a K-9 crunch, especially for four-legged critters. We brought home some for Nugent, but he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Despite it being his favorite flavor (peanut butter), he just sniffed it and paced around it. Smart doggie.

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Jun 05 2011

Sunday Somethings, 05Jun11

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 11:59 pm

Others writing the Sunday Somethings: Kerry

Something that makes me happy: Weekends at home.

Something i am struggling with: Whether or not to blog about certain personal things.

Something tasty: We started making coffee at home again, after 2 months without doing so. So much better than the other coffee i’ve been drinking.

Something i learned: Who is John Galt?

Something from the bridge table: Practicing lots of declarer play problems with bridge software. I still get a lot of the harder ones wrong, but every once in awhile i get one on the first try. It’s improving the “what is the only layout that will let me make this contract” skills. Such as how to play the trump suit J7 opposite K65432 for only one loser. (Hint: you can’t do it playing the suit in isolation.)

Something i am reading: Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

Something happening around the house: Lance played a lot of strat-o-matic baseball at the house this weekend.

Something i am thinking: The transportation authorities have changed the traffic pattern off of the Harrison Ave exit. It makes a huge huge difference that the on-ramp lane now continues, instead of ending and requiring traffic to merge.

Something i am looking forward to: Another productive week at work. It’s been busy. I like this kind of busy.

Something i am hoping: That the bridge club board meeting this week does not dissolve into petty infighting as it has the last few months. I am so ready to be done. Alas, i have another year and a half.

Something random: Just so.

Something planned: Having friends over Friday night before heading to a poker tournament.


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Jun 02 2011

Take Me to Hospital

Category: Uncategorized — podrey @ 8:21 pm

I was listening to BBC radio and heard a reporter talking about someone who was “taken to hospital.” Not how i would say it – i would say the hospital – but these are Brits and sometimes they talk funny. It got me thinking, though, about the article the and when we use it and when we don’t.

  • I go to work.
  • I go to school.
  • I go to college.
  • I (don’t) go to church.
  • I go to dinner.
  • Lance goes to softball practice.

However,

  • I go to the beach.
  • I go to the lake.
  • I go to the mountains.
  • I go to the hospital.
  • I go to the doctor.
  • I go to the game.
  • I go to the zoo.
  • I go to the bank.

And, in a class all by itself,

  • I go on vacation.

Sometimes you hear British people talking about going to university, which sounds funny to me, but i guess it’s the same form as going to college. I don’t know how else British speech might differ from ours, though.

However, i’m a bit fascinated by when we use the and when we don’t. All of the above concepts seem relatively abstract to me. Lance argues that college, work, school and church are all more abstract, so we must remove the when things are more abstract. Not sure i buy it. Beach and doctor seem pretty abstract to me, although i guess i have a specific place in mind when i say them. But i also have a specific place in mind when i say work, and it just sounds silly to say I’m going to the work.

Abstractness itself is not a good indicator, though. When you get very specific, talking about actual places, we again drop the:

  • I go to my friend’s house.
  • I go to China.
  • I go to IHOP.

Also, certain nouns are ambidextrous. I’ve only thought of one example of this – can you think of others?

  • I’ve never been to prom.
  • I hope he asks me to the prom.

Curious to hear others’ thoughts.

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