Mennogirl

The one upside to packing is that it does give one an excuse to look through all the random things that I have deemed worthy of saving over the years. As much as I hate “stuff” I have a strong streak of packrat and therefore every move ends up being a battle between the two. This afternoon, Jess sat down with me and we sorted through several boxes that hadn’t been unpacked since my move a year ago (which says a lot for the usefulness of their contents). Along with pictures from high school banquets, family vacations and the blurry results of my first roll of film taken on the pink vivatar I got for christmas one year I discovered my box of special treasures.

Started at a wee age, this box was supposed to be full of special treasures that I would save until I became an adult. Each item would have a special significance and bring back memories, I would probably treasure it for years and maybe even eventually pass it on to my children. However upon examining its contents, I must say I was indeed a very strange child.

Contents of Abby’s box of treasures:
one canoe like structure made out of gold foil
one plastic medalion from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
one mini multi-colored slinky
one swimmer registration card from 1995 stating my membership in the Concord Clippers Swim Team
one gummy ball man who at one point may have had the ability to stick to walls
one gold heart pendant missing chain
one plastic medal of unknown origins possibly discovered along the road
one bead bracelet
two beaded necklaces
one plastic necklace which I am pretty sure I chewed on as a child
one plastic prism
one heart shaped rock
one small oval box filled with little stick figures
two balls of wax (one plain and one rolled in broken crayons)

See more normal children collected pretty cards, pins, shells, animals, etc. For example, Jess let me see the box that she has kept since childhood, note the difference.

The two other great finds of the afternoon was this picture of me from elementary school (sometime after second grade, due to my glasses):

Pardon the crappy picture, but seeing as my nice camera is currently on loan and I have no scanner, this is the best I can do. It should be noted the elastic waist jeans sitting well above my belly button, the large glasses, striped shirt, and braided hair. I think what really adds to this picture is the random boy jumping into the picture and my steadfast refusal to acknowledge him. I think this picture really demonstrates the nature of my school years.

The other find I can’t really demonstrate seeing as it an audio experience. We found a cassette tape labeled “Abby’s Everything Tape”, so of course I immediately played it. Turns out in typical 90s manner I had attempted to tape some songs off the radio, however instead of actually taping individual songs I managed to tape 40 sold minutes of the best of U93 pop music. So Jess and I got the pleasure of hearing Backstreet Boys, Cher and Shania Twain and even some authentic radio commercials. All in all it was a very productive afternoon, although I have to admit my room looks way worse now then it did before, but I do have a few boxes packed up!

Well you see, I noticed the other day that that little calender doohooky on my sidebar seems to be telling me I haven’t updated since June, which granted is pretty silly seeing as it almost through July. But what you can’t see is that I also have a whole bunch of half written saved drafts, although you probably don’t want to see them because in them I mainly write about television and why I haven’t been posting. And nothing says, “stop reading my blog” like yet another post about how you don’t post anymore.

Um well about that one, I don’t really have a good excuse, I guess I just dropped out of the habit. But for the sake of my future self who may, “wonder what on earth was I doing back in July of 08?” here is a brief summary.

First week of July - I went to the beach with Erini and her family, it was amazing. Granted the beach was a day and a half drive away in North Carolina, but it was so worth it. We stayed in one of those condos where you walk down some stairs and over a ramp and there you are, BEACH! So basically I read books, played with Erini’s younger sisters, did half the suduko puzzles in Erini’s suduko book, worked on my tan (watched my freckles connect), swam a lot and wrote some postcards. Oh and I took these pictures.

Second week of July - Though an exciting turn of events which warrants its own post (which doesn’t mean that I actually will write it), I will be moving in 9 days. And no, this won’t be to the tattoo loft of my boyfriend Spike, as I may have informed some of my friends. It is instead to a household connected to the intentional community I have been connecting to for almost a year now. Basically I will share a large old (late 1800s) house with 5 other adults and eat meals together and get to know more of what it means to intentionally share ones life. It is a really exciting thing for me, also rather crazy and a bit sad, seeing as I am leaving a situation that I really love. And despite the house’s location just a few hundred feet away (actually one of the most annoying distances to move) from my current house, this will indeed change things. I will no longer be able to get advice on my outfits from Jess in the morning just by talking through the hole in my closet. I won’t be able to get annoyed at the kitty (she is staying with Jess) for waking me up at 5am, hold on, maybe I won’t miss that. I won’t be able to talk to Erini just by walking down a few steps and I will have less opportunities to indulge in Becca’s amazing suppers. But in the end I have every hope that I will follow the advice to “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.”

Third week of July - I did some kinda boring, kinda nerdily interesting work for a tech project at the school. I must have some odd connection to large surveys of various forms of jacks. The summer after my sophomore year of college I spent almost 3 months recording and labeling every light switch on campus and also pulling data wires. Now I am helping map and test each data jack in the school building. But thankfully I am being paid almost 2.5 times more now per hour.

Well that kinda updates you on my life, but in case you had any burning question related to this post, the answers are that our couch still smells weird even after spraying it with anti odor stuff; I resisted the urge to get my hair chopped, but only barely; we do have eggs now; I don’t think the boy and I have any non-friend future and it is driving me just a little bit crazy; and I still have seen the rifle range and it really was creepy.

*She likes to cuddle when its hot, or more aptly likes to sit on what you are doing (in this case my typing hands)

P.S. Tonight I flee the city with Lane K and her family to spend a week on the beach of North Carolina. Updates may or (more likely) may not occur, but trust me there will be pictures. Wish me luck and lots of sunscreen!

10:15 AM Tara: so anywayhow is my absey mariei haven’t heard much about your life recentlyother than summer break and helping with steph’s wedding

Yesterday was my first official day of summer (who cares if it doesn’t actually start for another 4 days). I slept in to the respectable time of 8am and went about my day. I dropped off Becca’s poor unlucky car, took the L back to Evanston and walked to the library, bought a yummy muffaleta sandwich at Becca’s bakery before walking home. There I ran into a friend who came and chatted with me on the back porch for a bit before I went to see her new piano. From there I biked over to the garden and picked some mint, took it home and made meadow tea and a dish for potluck. Where we sat in the back yard under the trees.  Then it was on to a co-op meeting and back home before an early bed time.

As I walked and biked along yesterday I was reminded of how much I miss having a more active lifestyle.  Don’t get me wrong, I love some good quality couch potato time, but the simple acts of biking, walking and just being outside and moving emphasized how life in the real world has become a lot more sitting and staring at computers for me.  Intentional timed exercise has never been an easy part of my life, the concept of walking/running only to get my heart rate up and muscles moving appeals much less then activity that just fits into my life.  Probably one of my favorite summers (and my most in shape summer) was when I worked at a day camp in N. Ireland.  I didn’t once go “running” or “walking” the entire summer, but just doing my job of leading a pack of little kids throughout the day meant that I was rarely immobile (This also demonstrated for me the appeal of Ireland’s national food.  After a hard rainy morning spent leading kids up cold water creaks or over low-ropes courses, nothing tastes quite as a good jacket potato.)  So while I don’t want to use such a strong word as “goal” in the season of beach reads, iced tea, strawberries and sun burns, I do hope to enjoy of this active lifestyle.

I am sitting here on my bed with a purring cat curled on my foot with rain pounding the windows.  I have been on and off awake since around 5:30am, despite a close to midnight bedtime.  For the first few hours of unsought awareness, I tossed over and over again trying to find the magical combination of covers on, feet out comfort with which to return back to sleep.  But eventually the gray color of the sky and ever increasing wind caught my eye and I realized I should probably attend to my back porch herb garden.  I think there is something so basic about the nature of rescue, that even when ones’ only grateful recipients are wounded chives, broad leaved basil shoots and a newly repotted clump of spearmint, the slight adrenaline rush is enough to ensure I won’t be getting back to sleep anytime soon.

For those of you who don’t allready know one of my dearest friends, Steph (aka ladyingreen), is getting married this Saturday evening and I am indeed back in Goshen helping with all the last minute prep work.  That means mainly that I won’t probably be blogging for a few days (but hey I do that even when I don’t have a good excuse) and that come early next week I will have lots of wedding pictures.  But more importantly it also means I have to come up with a good maid of honor toast for the reception, which actually has me wigging out just a little bit.  Yet in the end, the really important thing is that Steph is signing up for a lifetime of hanging out with a pretty cool guy who happens to love her a lot, and that my friends is the really important thing.

See you all Monday/Tuesday!

The song of the day just came on over the speakers and call me a sap with an occasionally overly romantic taste in music, but I love this song.  Something about the light tenor voice of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and the light strumming ukulele instantly brightens my day.  If I had the capability I would try to provide a copy of this song so you all could listen to it, but believe me it is worth heading over to iTunes or Amazon and giving the song a listen.

I figured after that “love” fest and all the oogling of the males I should also include a list of my favorite actors/performers of the female persuasion. So while this list is less of the hubbahubba and more of the gush gush gush (which totally made me think of GusGus from Cinderellie!), I hope it alleviates any of your fears that I am too boy crazy

UPDATE: Apparently this list ended up taking way more time than I anticipated, considering I started writing it last week. But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean the list will be a profound or particularly well written one It has more to do with the fact that I kept flip flopping on my choices.

5. Anya Jenkins aka Emma Caufield - Oh Anya, the fun, sarcastic, terribly direct, ex demon, Xander (who I can’t believe I left off my one true loves list!)loving character who manages to continually annoy her fellow Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters and also endear the audience. Portrayed with brilliant comic timing and a razor sharp wit, Anya even holds her own in the famous musical episode despite her pretty blatant lack of singing talent. But most of all Anya is such a great character because she says the things the everyone is thinking but is too polite to mention.

4. Emma Thompson - I probably saw Emma for the first time in the movie Sense and Sensibility and immediately I fell in love with her careful and exquisite portrayal of a sister so caught up in her responsibilities for others that she can’t allow her self to express her love. And as impressive as her performance in that movie (despite being over a decade too old for the part), I was surprised to learn that she also helped adapt the screenplay and produced the movie. She has played wonderful characters in Love Actually, Harry Potter, Wit, many others and most importantly she was incredible as Beatrice in Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing. Also as a crazy side note, apparently Emma ended up marrying the actor who played Mr. Willoughby, so crazy! See…

3. Marketa Irglova - Hopefully by now you have seen the great little gem of a movie from 2007, Once. If you have you know exactly what I mean when I say Marketa is one of my favorite people. Be it her voice, her stage presence or her incredibly articulate acceptance speech at the Oscars, Marketa wows in all catagories. Along with producing such amazing songs as The Hill and If You Want Me, Marketa also gets to snog Glen Hansard and that makes her one lucky gal.

2. Bonnie Hunt - From the first movie I saw her in (Beethoven, the movie based mainly on the fact that St. Benards drool a lot), I always thought Bonnie hunt would make such a fun aunt/older sister. Bonnie bring such a high level of fun and even a knowing wink to her roles. While she hasn’t always chosen the best movies, when she gets one right she hits it out of the park. For example the movie Return to Me (a small rom/com that is several steps above most movies in its genre) succeeds in part because of her brilliant role as the best friend. Also it should be noted that not only did she act in this movie but she directed and wrote it, talk about a busy woman!

1. CJ Cregg (aka Allison Janney) - Yes citing another character from West Wing is a good indication what my favorite all time TV show is, but seriously folks have you seen it? Because if you haven’t you are really missing out (I think both my parents would agree with me on this one, they watched all 7 seasons too (in fact they finished them before I did)). But enough about the show, who I am really talking about is CJ. She is truly one of the pillars of this show. From her start as a less then confident or politically knowledgeable press secretary, she evolves into a formidable/knowledgeable and completely in control White House Chief of Staff. Yet during all of this she looses none of her humanity, humor or humility. She also holds her own in an almost entirely male driven cast, trading both barbs and in rare cases flirting quips with all the boys. She walks the difficult line, often drawn for women in power, with both determination and grace. Oh and if that isn’t enough she has one of the most infectious and joyful laughs in Hollywood.

Those of you who hang out with me in real life may have heard me refer to my one true loves, yes you heard that right I have more than one. Most likely you have also heard this term in the context of watching a movie/tv show or listening to music, because as a rule none of my true loves are attainable/close to my age/or realistic in anyway. With that said, here are my top five:

5. Dimitri (from Anastasia) - Okay I know this one really knocks me into deep left field nerdom, but seriously this has to be the most charming cartoon man ever. Also the voice was provided by John Cussack who is almost deserving of his own spot on this list. Plus Dimitri even has the witty banter thing down pat, sigh gotta love the romantic tension filled repartee.

4. Gilbert Blythe - I think Gilbert gets on this list for two reasons, first his long held and deeply romantic love for Anne (of Green Gables). I mean come on he keeps loving her after repeated rejections, determined to eventually win the love of the girl with the grey eyes. And second, boy howdy that man knows how to wear a vest. As I have confessed to my roommates I am pretty sure any future husband of mine would be well advised to consider finding a few of these instant hotness factor fitted vests.

3. Eddie Izzard - Let me tell you folks, while I had been fascinated by this incredibly funny, deeply intelligent and completely wacky guy by watching his videos, seeing him live was a whole new experience. He is one deeply charming and attractive man, but oddly enough I don’t think this has much to do with what he actually looks like. In fact he really isn’t that attractive at all, but boy howdy seeing him perform live stand-up comedy is just a whole different ball game. The man oozes enough charisma to charm the pants off a newt and yes you can get a glimpse of it by watching his videos, but seeing him take the energy from the audience and just direct it in anyway he wants to is rather incredible.

2. Josh from West Wing (aka Bradley Whitford) - I am currently in the middle of watching the final season of West Wing and Josh is definitely a big part of why I love that show. Yes he is obnoxious, egotistical, loud, rude and seemingly completely oblivious to the wonderful Donna, but he also is disgustingly brilliant, extremely committed, loyal, boyish and totally adorable in a suit.

1. Captain Mal from Firefly (aka Nathan Fillon) - Okay this one does actually have a lot to do with how attractive this man is, but trust me it still has a lot to do with the wit, the loyalty, the gruff outer shell and the warm gooey insides (which I have to say would probably not actually be something I would want in a real life man, seeing as I would actually like to be able to communicate with someone I was spending the rest of my life with).