Random Tidbits

So by now you may have noticed I've actually started a new blog:

LaurasDailyLookbook.blogspot.com

I wanted to have a more focused place to keep track of my style and daily outfits and sewing and stuff, so that's what that is all about.  I'm still debating what to do about this one, considering I never really liked the URL (I was mostly just annoyed that there is another LMcWethy in the world), and I will no longer be rambling around DC, since I'm moving to New Jersey in 2.5 weeks!  I think I might as well keep it up though, for all my random thoughts that don't fit in with the theme of my new blog, but who knows.  I'll let you know what I decide. :)

And since I titled this post tidbits, I figure I have to include more than one tidbit, so here is my story of the day.  I've had a bit of a love/hate relationship with my phone for a little while now.  It's about 1.5 years old, and I paid full price for it (ouch) because I didn't want to sign a new contract with Verizon, so I want it to last as long as possible.  Unfortunately, it's been showing signs that that is not going to happen.  Twice in the past month it has factory reset itself.  Twice.  Yeah, not cool, Motorola Razr M.  Anyway, I've successfully demonstrated that it isn't the end of the world, despite the fact I lost about a years worth of progress on Mystery Manor (level 104!!!!).  Anyway, this morning my alarm goes off on my phone like it does every morning.  Unlike every morning, the lock screen is frozen and I'm unable to turn off the alarm.  And, oh yeah, my phone is the one phone that happens to not have an external battery.  Not cool, Motorola Razr M.  So it goes off for 20 minutes or so, and it's really loud.  Due to my amorous neighbors, I happen to know the walls are not really soundproof, so I hid the phone in my workout clothes drawer.  When it had finally decided to stop, I was like, ok, I will take it to work with me I guess and see if it ever fixes itself (still frozen at this point).  That is, until the alarm starts going off a second time.  Back into the workout clothes drawer it goes.  When I left for work it had just started it's third cycle of the alarm.  My hope is that it will eventually use up the battery (battery life is not great anymore, another indicator it's on its way out), and will magically be all better when I start it back up.  Here's hoping!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

It's 96 degrees outside and I was excited to just go pick up something from the printer, because I was able to warm up my hands on the paper.

This Sums Up How I Feel Right Now

"Work when there is work to do. Rest when you are tired. One thing done in peace will most likely be better than ten things done in panic.....I am not a hero if I deny rest; I am only tired."

--Susan McHenry

I have a bone to pick with geography

So I was reading a blog post about traveling around the world, and the writer talked about Equatorial Guinea, and how expensive it was. And I thought, oh, bushwoman was supposed to have gone there for Peace Corps, but then there were riots or something, and so she went to Botswana and lived in the bush instead. But then I thought, oh wait, there are multiple Guineas, let me check on that. Yeah, turns out she was supposed to have gone to just plain Guinea, not Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, or French Guinea (another continent altogether). Well, French Guinea is technically Guyane, but it's also called French Guinea, so it's close enough.

So my gripe is this - with all the millions of words in the hundreds of languages in the world, four countries have to be named essentially the same thing? I would think the makers of geography could be a little more creative than that.

The Great Divide

So boyfriend is starting a new job in a week and a half, which is awesome, except for one little thing. It's in Virginia. And not just like, across the river Virginia like where he currently works. It's out there. I'll fully admit it - I'm a city snob. I refuse to ever live in Virginia and pretend that I'm from "DC". But I'm trying really hard to be supportive and encouraging, because that's what girlfriends do. He currently has no plans to move, but that could change once he tests out the commute, but hopefully he wouldn't move all the way out there, just into the across the river territory. But I was doing a little google-mapping for work, and I came across a road that I fully support him living on, because it's awesome. Who can resist living on Frying Pan Road? And no, I won't even make him buy an alpaca, which is the current requirement for him moving to Fairfax County.

View Larger Map

Life To Do List

So awhile ago I decided to start a "Things to accomplish before I die" sort of list. This kind of petered out as I haven't added to it since. But I was reading Martha's blog today (gotta love Martha), and she will be making pierogi with her nieces on her show next week.

Being "of polish heritage" myself (Martha's politically correct way of saying that), I have also grown up with this polish staple at holiday dinners, although mine are usually of the Mrs. T variety.

So anyways, I've been wanting to learn how to make them from scratch for a while now, so that is a good addition to my Life To Do list.

To Do:

1. Travel around southern Europe for one month (accomplish by mid-forties).
2. Make pierogis from scratch.

(photos courtesy of: 1: the Martha blog, 2: Mrs. T's)

What's good for the goose...

Odd side note, for some reason, spell check doesn't believe that Michigoose is a word, but does for Michigander. Think I have a case for sexual discrimination?

Moving Issues...

I hate having to make the bunch of phone calls that go along with moving. It would be nice though if they could go smoothly, but RCN has it out for me, I swear. They have the worst menus ever, and after recalling them at least 4 times, I finally got through to the point where I supposedly can talk to a human. But how is it that every time I call, they are experiencing unusually high call volumes? Doesn't that just make it usually high call volumes? And after all that, I had to leave a message.

So it turns out I'm old...

I've been ignoring that fact that I'm a grown up for a while now, but it has come to my attention that I can ignore it no longer. Yes, this past weekend I found not one, but two gray hairs. I pulled them out immediately and blamed them on work, but that does not change the fact that in one month I will be in my late twenties. :(

Chew on This

I love to chew gum. But who would have thought it would help me lose weight? According to the Washington Post, chewing gum has a small impact, by reducing calorie intake (by about 50 calories a day), increased calorie burning and distraction from potentially fattening foods. So yeah, it's not much, but it's nice to have my habit validated.

Goodbye summer....

The pool has closed, I must put away my white shoes, and I had to wear a long-sleeved shirt this morning. Summer has gone...

The Ah-Ha Moment

Anyone who has ever done any kind of computer coding will know exactly what I'm talking about here. I'm sitting here at work, at 8:45 p.m., getting very frustrated because I have to have approximately 20 different models estimated by Monday, and I can't even get one to work. It doesn't exactly help matters that I'm using a new program that I just learned yesterday. So awesome. I was pretty much at the bang my head on my desk until I knock myself unconscious stage, when lo and behold, I thought about a tiny little adjustment I could make, and voila! A model is born. Now off to see about the 19...

Breaking All the Rules - Wearing the Short Pants

So, all the fashion rules say short people shouldn't wear short pants or capris. I've been a big fan of the capris for a while, blinding flying in the face of the fashion gurus, but I've avoided the short pant (i.e., just above the ankle). This week I wore two pairs of short pants, and I love it! It gives me a chance to show off my shoes, while still not freezing in the refrigerator that is my cubicle.

What are your thoughts on short pants? And do they look better with heels or flats?

(Image courtesy of gap.com, aren't those sandals adorable?)

And I'm Back, Not to Mention Pink Poodles Actually Exist

So my vacation was way too short, but it was a good time. Despite the fact it rained at the cottage and we had to play games inside all day, instead of playing on the water outside, it was great to see all my friends and family. I had a few ideas about blog posts this morning, but then I happened to run across this photo on Habitually Chic:


Now, you may not know this, but when I was little, I was obsessed with the color pink. Really obsessed. My bedroom was pepto bismol pink. And, since I like to plan out every aspect of my life, I had a plan for my future that contained a lot of pink. I was going to live in a pink house, with pink furnishings, and I was going to have a poodle and dye it pink. So there you go, it's my dream dog.

C is For....

I am not a fan of monograms. I guess I should actually rephrase that, as I just painted a monogram on my bathroom chair (which is so close to being done). I really am not a fan of monograms on bags. First, it instantly proclaims you shop at L.L. Bean. Not that there's anything wrong with that...well, maybe. Second, it's a little creepy, on my end at least. Let me explain. This morning I was doing my usual walk to the Metro, and I saw a monogrammed bag with CSG on it. My first thought was, ugh, L.L. Bean. My second thought was, I wonder what her name is....Carrie, Caroline, Cheryl, maybe? And then I thought how creepy I am to be wondering what a complete stranger's name is. Seeing as how I like to minimize my creepiness, and I wouldn't want someone wondering what my name is if I had a monogrammed bag, I decided I don't like monograms.

This Just In - It's Not Cool to Reuse Anymore

That's right kids, it's no longer good enough to just reuse something. To be really cool and trendy, you must upcycle something. I don't know about you, but I've been doing this for years, and have been perfectly content to call it what it is, reuse. Yeah, sure, you can take an old sweater from Goodwill, which someone could still wear, and make a trendy bag out of it, but I don't think you're any cooler than if you would have worn the sweater. Sorry, I just got annoyed and had to get it out. End Rant.

Glitter Your Way Out of the Recession

I love Martha, I really do. Back in the dorms, the girls called me Martha Stewart. But sometimes, I just have to laugh at her. My personal favorite quote comes from Top Chef, when she was a guest judge for the Quick Fire challenge, and someone made scallops. She said, moderately paraphrased, "Now is the perfect time for scallops. We go diving for these in Maine every year." Seriously, Martha, diving for scallops? Somehow I don't see that.

But I digress. I was reading my Washington Post headlines that I get emailed to me everyday, and come across this little gem of an article teaser - "Martha Stewart has a plan for how everyone can endure the economic crisis: by glittering, embossing and beading." It made a little more sense on reading the article, as her reasoning is that "People are staying home and enjoying it by crafting and beautifying their home with decorating and cooking. They can't afford to travel, but they can afford a [$23] glitter kit." I still had to laugh though....only Martha would think of glitter as a solution to a financial crisis.

Green with Envy (I know it's a lame title, but I'm lazy)

In the spirit of St. Patrick's day, I'm thinking about green. More specifically, I'm thinking I miss my old green apartment.

Case in point

I can never make up my mind as to what I want. Today, my brilliant ideas have been to reupholster my currently rusty-orange chesterfield so it is more neutral, stain all of my wood furniture dark, and go back to the green color scheme. I told boyfriend this, and he tells me I have to stop fighting my apartment. I thought about that for a bit, and it's true. I am always trying to change something about it, so I think I'm going to take a deep breath, relax, and learn to enjoy what I have (for the time being at least). And while I do that, I'm going to soak in the lovely greenness of the photo below.


(Photo courtesy of Domino by way of http://mywhiteshirt.blogspot.com/)

Going Over to the Dark Side

I've been debating for a while now as to whether or not to go over to the dark side. And by that I mean succumb to the need for a fancy phone that can check the internet, pay my bills, wash my dishes, you name it. Well, the last one is wishful thinking, but you get the picture. I think I've pretty much made up my mind to take the plunge and get the Samsung Omnia.

So here comes the even trickier bit. Do I give up the only cell phone number I've ever had, and switch over to a phone number that actually makes geographical sense? It's not likely that I will move back to Grand Rapids any time in the near future, but I will miss the 616, it's true. Not only that, it's a huge pain in the butt to tell everyone I know that I've switched my phone number. It would make my life a little easier in that I could actually buzz people into my building, as it's not possible with a long-distance number. What do you think?

Talking to Oneself is the First Sign of Insanity

I used to play a computer game called Hugo's House of Horrors where you had to type in what you wanted Hugo to do. Whenever the computer didn't understand what you asked of it, which was frequent, considering the game was released in 1990, it replied by saying "Talking to oneself is the first sign of insanity."

Well, if that's the case, I must be insane. My office is arranged in a square around the elevator shaft, and my corner of the office is sparsely populated. This has led to me whispering things to myself all the time, as I get lonely over here. That is, until someone moved into the cubicle two down from me, and now she gets to hear me muttering all day. I really should learn to curb that habit.