SuzeLynqs

A handy guide to radiation sources

2011-03-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

The gods want me to eat Arby's - and apparently, to pay cash

2009-06-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Even though I packed leftovers for lunch, my gut told me to get Arby's instead. I went there with a ten dollar bill, ordered a sandwich and a small fry, and received a ten and four ones in change. Of course, I didn't notice this until I was back at the office. I am now wrestling with the ethical dilemma of returning the cash or pocketing it, and thanking my good karma. Unfortunately, something tells me that if I keep it, I'm daring karma to bite me in the ass. I also don't want anyone to get into trouble -- I picture a stern discussion with the manager, with horrible allegations of stealing nine dollars; the cashier crying into packets of Horsey sauce.

Honesty will win out yet again, but at least this time it made for a fun little lunchtime story.

blind pilot

2009-06-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely addicted to this band lately.

Check out the original post if you're reading this outside SuzeLynqs.

PETA or pita?

2009-05-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

I went to PETA's website yesterday, after the amazing, heavenly Arby's sandwich. This same action solidified my veganism ten years ago, but somehow I didn't think twice about it. I read and read about all the bad stuff I've been ignoring for four years, and in an instant, decided that I would no longer eat meat. As Karen and I sat down to eat at one of our favorite burger places, I ate my black bean salsa and toasted pita chips and began to tell her tiny factoids about how community-oriented cows are, and how chickens like to spend time in groups, all the things that PETA taught me. She looked around, and tried to change the subject by asking:

'How about you tell me what you know about pita'
me: (blink. blink, blink.)

How often is it that one tries to change the subject, and randomly picks another word that sounds exactly like the word they're trying to avoid? Probably not often.

there may be more to life than pregnancy

2009-05-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

The other blog became the focus while we got all used to the idea of a baby, but now the idea is starting to settle in and I must write about other things once in a while. After several weeks with very little updating, I've vowed to post here more often.

I have also vowed to read more (non-pregnancy-related books) and found this link today, and have vowed to do it!

http://www.infinitesummer.org/

I have started Infinite Jest several times, but have never finished it, and this is the summer for it. Any bookies, feel free to join me. I may post some thoughts about the book as I go.

We also visited the Greek Fest this past weekend...

I absolutely LOVE spanakopita and should've simply ordered thirty of them to hoard for the summer.

foiled again

2009-04-27T14:21:00.001-07:00

can't get enough of this song...

2009-04-17T10:31:00.001-07:00

(click Read Original Post to view video)

it's spring, people!!!

2009-04-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

After so many months of dreary weather and dreary skies, we finally have a sunny, warmish day on our hands. I would like to thank this bush, for making my morning a little brighter.

And, I'd like to point out that this counts as updating my blog, since Carrie pointed out that I've been remiss. Thanks, Carrie. I'll try to be more diligent.

Completely rational conversation, overheard this morning:

2009-04-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

A: I'd like to see that new Sunshine movie this weekend
B: Okay, is it playing anywhere nearby?
A: I'm not sure, we'll have to check
B: (checking on iPhone) click. click click.
A: I wish you wouldn't use that thing all the time
B: You use yours all the time, what are you talking about?
A: We used to talk
B: OH MY GOD. Are you serious?
A: ♪♫ You don't bring me flowers... ♫♪
B: You are a crazy person
A: Fine. I am not talking to you then
B: You're just mad that you didn't bring your phone
A: Well, yeah... (sniff)

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-03-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Love this trailer... (Click View Original Post if you're reading this in Facebook)

Grey's Tunes

2009-03-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this in Facebook, please click View Original Post to see the videos.

I thought for sure this was Paolo Nutini - I know, Karen, I owe you a buck.

and, my favorite of them all:

If you'r reading this in Facebook, please click View Original Post to see the videos.

sale

2009-03-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

Best household cleaner around (geranium, my favorite cleaner scent)... and it's on sale here

'Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Geranium Products are one of a kind. Oh so pleasing to the eyes on bright summer days, geraniums are said to uplift and soothe the mind with their refreshing floral scent. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day GERANIUM PRODUCTS give you peace of mind while you clean, and as always, are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.'

What I'm reading

2009-03-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Growing up on Facebook

Interesting article on what happens when you recap your life for your family and friends, and how that idea of staying connected may mean something completely different for younger generations.

Radio Lab

2009-03-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Podcast Alert:

Radio Lab

It's the best science show I've heard, and they take normal questions, like 'Why do we sleep?' and answers them in very interesting and well-written ways. It's available on iTunes and they even have an archive on this site. Check it out, find a topic that interests you, and tell me what you think.

:) Enjoy

An ode to meatloaf

2009-03-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Oh, lunchtime meatloaf
even better left-over
your crust is divine

maybe I can find
a way to make an all crust
meatloaf - ideas?

I never wanted to be a parrot head more

2009-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Happy, tanned and wearing a Margaritaville mask.
Looks like a great time, guys. :)

Don't say 'irregardless' around me

2009-03-05T07:19:00.001-08:00

irregardless
It's inefficient, and it sounds like an unresolved chord -- all twangy and just wrong.

grace in small things - 2

2009-03-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

7.   The sun is shining today and the sky looks like a periwinkle crayon.
8.   I'm getting together with friends from grade school this saturday for dinner.
9.   I have eighty-nine podcasts on my phone waiting for me.
10. I ate breadsticks for breakfast.
11. I found a huge chunk of music I don't know yet, by artists I love.
12. I remembered my gloves today.

This American Life

2009-03-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

I listen to a lot of TAL, and I'm not sure if you've all had the pleasure...

this american life - episode 361

This episode is about sleep, and the lack thereof. Act one is about a man whose body's lack of dopamine caused him to sleepwalk, and act out his dreams. Fascinating.

airport reading

2009-03-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

1980 Paul Simon article

For my mom, who's stuck at the airport/renting a car/not on a beach while she starts her vacation.
Here's hoping that tomorrow brings you the sunrise and a good book.

a lunch haiku

2009-02-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

Taco Bell taco

you make me full and sleepy
love you most of all

Follow up to lunch haiku:

Taco Bell taco
um, not feeling too good now
blaming you; nice work

Kina Grannis and Ingrid Michaelson

2009-02-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

New tunes...

(If you're reading this in Facebook, follow the 'view original post' link at the bottom of this note to see this video.)

And, follow this link to hear a song you might recongnize from an Old Navy / Gap commercial by Ingrid Michaelson. I do enjoy those singer/songwriters.

Thanks, James. :)

Album Cover Project

2009-02-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

Below is my randomly assigned (though carefully designed) album cover.

To do this:

1. click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
     The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2. click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
     The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.
3. click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
     Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.
5 - Post it to FB with this text in the "caption" and TAG the friends you want to join in.

new obsession

2009-02-23T07:18:00.000-08:00

I decided I wanted an iPhone about a month ago, but sat on the idea to make sure it was something I really, really wanted, so I could be good and anxious when we went to the store.

We met Will and Jess at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch yesterday (great food, btw) and meandered around some of the shops at Legacy Village afterward. I had it in my head all morning that we'd go to the iStore, so I let the anticipation carry me through Crate & Barrel and Z Gallerie. Around 2:30pm, we walked into the store, and I was immediately told that, while they were happy that I'd like to buy an iPhone, AT&T's network was down. They said the network was scheduled to be up by 4pm, and that they could schedule a personal shopper appointment for me around that time. So, like any good three year-old would, I pouted for a bit. Then decided to go in, and see if I could at least get the process started.

KAPLOWEE!

The network was back up, and within ten minutes, I had my phone all activated and shiny.

Fast forward an hour or so, and I was glued to my computer looking up apps for it. Karen is a very, very patient girl for putting up with Gadget Mode Susan.

I have subscribed to a bunch of podcasts, so I have entertainment in the car. I also had to pick Karen up from the Toyota shop this morning, so I got to use the iMaps function.

I'm such a child.

Holy crap, I'm drinking water

2009-02-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me will be shocked by this. I have been downing a twelve-pack of diet coke since my teens, and ever since I gave up caffeine a week ago, I realize how difficult it is to find decaffeinated diet coke in stores, and worse, how idiotic I look lugging a twelve-pack into work every day. So yesterday, I decided to try a new beverage. We bought some new swanky stainless steel water bottles on the interwebs, and the office has UV filtered refrigerated water (whatever that means) so I figured I'd try the adventure. I realized that water quenches thirst. Who knew? Plus, they're just so cute, I want to take them everywhere. :)

find them here...

Bat For Lashes

2009-02-19T10:57:00.001-08:00

I love this video. Kind of Lily Allen meets Donnie Darko.

When I first saw it, I focused on the guy second from the right, and thought he'd fall off the bike while he clapped.

Then they all did that jump trick; I suppose maybe he can ride no handsies.

weekend in pictures

2009-02-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

10 songs

2009-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Once you have been tagged, you are supposed to write down the top 10 songs you cannot live without. The ones you can listen to over and over and never get tired of. They don't have to be in any particular order. These are the songs that make you laugh, cry, think of an old friend, whatever the reason. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If you were tagged, it's because I want to know more about you. To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 10 songs, tag 25 people, then click publish.

1. Mykonos by The Fleet Foxes
2. Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel
3. Waiting for the End of the World by Elvis Costello
4. Bones of You by Elbow
5. Limp by Fiona Apple
6. Australia by The Shins
7. Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon
8. Astair by Matt Costa
9. Hasn't Been Long Enough by Eric Hutchinson
10. Girl That You Lost to Cocaine by Sia

this is my suitcase

2009-02-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

Last night, we met Joe, the bass player for This Is My Suitcase. He told a story about overhearing a kid critiquing their show, who said 'I saw them open for Fallout Boy and they sucked.' Gotta love a guy who can tell a very funny (if self-depricating) story to a bunch of people he just met. Their music is poppy and fun, and defnitely doesn't suck. :)

grace in small things

2009-02-12T12:38:00.001-08:00

I have been reading posts that fit the GiST theme for a few weeks, and felt I should contribute.

1. I have tomorrow off work, so today acts as a bonus Friday.
2. I get to have lunch with Kay and Ruthanne tomorrow.
3. I get to hang out with friends tomorrow night, and see their daughter in a school musical.
4. I have been in an astonishingly good mood for over a week.
5. Karen surprised me with lunch from Chipotle. Yey!
6. The sun came out for a few minutes.

My advice

2009-02-11T07:30:00.001-08:00

Ruthanne always says that nothing is forever -- no change will impact you every day, and nothing is the end of the world. She also says that the masses are asses. She is a wise, wise woman.

One Word

2009-02-09T18:08:00.001-08:00

1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Your significant other? kind
3. Your hair? growing
4. Your mother? clever
5. Your father? funny
6. Your favorite thing? sunrise
7. Your dream last night? confusing
8. Your favorite drink? DietCoke
9. Your dream/goal? Writer
10. What room you are in? living
11. Your hobby? photography
12. Your fear? wetWillies
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? beach
14. Where were you last night? kitchen
15. Missing Item on Jaylene's list? Fifteen
16. Muffins? cranberry
17. Wish list item? iPhone
18. Where you grew up? Chesterland
19. Last thing you did? reading
20. What are you wearing? jeans
21. Your TV? off
22. Your pets? lounging
23. Friends? hilarious
24. Your life? happy
26. Missing someone? nope
27. Car? silver
28. Something you're not wearing? tutu
29. Your favorite store? grocery
30. Your favorite color? skyblue
33. When is the last time you laughed? now
34. Last time you cried? wednesday
35. Who will resend this? some
36. One place that I go to over and over? Atwood
37. One person who emails me regularly? Ruthanne
38. My favorite place to eat? home

Why I love the interwebs

2009-02-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

My blog, summed up in one picture.

courtesy of Wordle

Real Age

2009-02-05T11:38:00.001-08:00

Seriously?

Longer drive, but better pics

2009-02-05T07:48:00.001-08:00

This morning is gorgeous, even though it took me an hour to get to work. Here's some of what I saw on the way in today:

And, for some reason, my Flickr set is acting up. To see more of my trip this morning, go here .

Oh, and the obligatory shots out my desk window:

Another Snow Storm

2009-02-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

Ah, winter in Cleveland. Gotta love it.

If you haven't listened to Fleet Foxes yet, listen now. I saw them a few weeks ago on SNL, and Mykonos has been in my head ever since. Kind of a cross between CSNY and the Shins. Listen now, it's on the playlist to the right, two-thirds of the way down.

I've also been reading more these days, which is a nice switch from the constant stream of TV I usually allow to flow over me. (Though, I have to admit we watched 'True Beauty' last night after Karen got home from school. If you're not familiar with this particular brand of crap TV, they take a roomful of 'attractive people' and give them pseudo-challenges where they're secretly watching to see how kind and considerate they are. The nastiest is tossed off, and they reveal that, in true reality TV fashion, they've been duped. Crap TV incarnate, but we watch it.) Back to books - I found a site called Good Reads that lets me rate books, and find recommendations from people who like the same books I do. That, and I get a cute little widget for my sidebar. (Ooh... Look at that!)

Biggest Loser started this week at the office, and I've been eating nothing but home cooked meals, which is a HUGE switch. A typical week used to consist of eating out every day for breakfast and lunch, and three or four times a week for dinner. This is big stuff, people! We've also started working out, which is an interesting challenge for someone who hasn't really broken a sweat since summer. I got my hands on a copy of the 30-day Shred, with Jillian Michaels from TV's Biggest Loser. The menu setup could be a little more efficient, but all in all, I love this workout. Between jumping jacks and push ups, sit ups and weight work, I'm pretty much exhausted when it's done. That, and the fact that it's only twenty minutes (albeit a TOUGH twenty minutes) keeps me coming back.

I'll leave you with a shot out my desk window here at work. Have a nice Wednesday!

I don't want to say I gave up on "Infinite Jest" cause I'll read it now, dang it!

2009-01-31T11:59:00.001-08:00

So far, it's amazing, but it's such a monstrous book to lug around. When I come home from work, my go-to reading is usually a blog. My goal is to start it again this week, and finish it in the next few weeks. We'll see what happens.

I'm tempted to write a book

2009-01-30T16:10:00.001-08:00

While Karen participates in Research Paper Night, I trawl the internet for goodies.

These are some of the things i found:

If I were a cooler, younger, eukelele playing hipster who sat in front of my open fridge this would totally be me.

How to write a novel in 100 days or less
Tempting -- we'll see how far I get

More to come...

This made me laugh so hard diet coke came out of my nose

2009-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

If I had easy access to a helicopter, I'd get married in Amsterdam then honeymoon in Mykonos.

2009-01-30T07:54:00.001-08:00

Crazy cats

2009-01-30T06:08:00.001-08:00

It's funny how often I write about our crazy cats. Yesterday morning, Moxy knocked the bedside lamp over in the middle of the night. She does these things to get attention while we sleep and this morning, she actually turned on the clock radio. I can only assume she hit the sleep button, but it's pretty disconcerting to wake up to music that your cat turned on.

These photos are from Research Paper Night, which I'm pretty sure is turning into a weekly if not twice-weekly holiday. Note how angelic they all look...

Snow days

2009-01-28T09:56:00.001-08:00

I'm sure there are people out there who can, with a clear conscience, stay home from work when the weather is bad. I am not one of these people. This morning I woke up and turned on the news (which I almost never do) only to find six-hundred seventeen school closings (that is not an exaggeration, btw...) and 'road conditions so bad you should allow at least twice your travel time to get anywhere' so trust me, I thought about it. I walked outside to find that they hadn't plowed the side street we park on, and I told myself that if I couldn't pull out of my parking spot, then I'd have a legitimate excuse to stay home. Of course, I had no problem pulling out of my spot. The drive to work is typically about fifteen minutes of hassle-free highway driving, but today was over an hour of stops and starts, near-misses and countless gasps as I could feel the road slipping under me. This guy got here THIS MORNING. I kid you not.

We found a pizza place that's still delivering today, so I'm not going anywhere.

My first job: Grocery store checkout girl

2009-01-26T17:34:00.001-08:00

I worked at Russo's in the center of my town. I was sixteen, and I remember driving to work listening to my Michael Bolton tape. I hated that job and lasted three months. I then got a job at the local video store, and my obsession with movies began.

I recommend checking out The Blue Mosque when you're in Turkey

2009-01-26T12:46:00.001-08:00

Weekend recap

2009-01-26T06:02:00.000-08:00

Tobogganing was a big hit. The stairs up to the chute platform were a little steep, and you have to carry the 9,000 pound sled yourself, but it's a great workout. We had a blast, and went out for drinks afterward.

Karen's new car

2009-01-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Karen.

We picked this up yesterday after tobogganing, and drove out to see Will and Jess for dinner. I'm now in need of a new car. Nice work, Shaniuk...

It's a good day for tobogganing

2009-01-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

We've been planning a snow day for a few days, and it seemed like a really good idea when it was in the 40s here... But we just got back from walking across the street for breakfast, and it's pretty flippin' cold. So, we'll get layered and head to the chutes. If you're in the neighborhood, join us!

The video makes it look a little steep and fast, but I'll suck it up and try it. I'll see if I can add my own video this evening after we get back.

We're also picking up Karen's new ~~wagon~~ SUV today.

Enjoy your Saturday!

the wonder that is facebook

2009-01-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

I joined Facebook about a year ago in an attempt to woo Karen, then didn't do much with it until about two months ago. I have since found seventeen-hundred friends and family members to chat with (okay, maybe not THAT many). I like reconnecting with people I haven't seen in years; many have husbands or wives that I've never met, children who weren't around back when I knew them. Some live in other cities or other states now. I've even become closer with family members who live both nearby and far away. The one thing that I've learned recently is that you can update people about the little things in life -- what you're having for dinner: 'Susan is making meatloaf', what you need to buy for your car: ' Susan is in desperate need of a new windshield wiper' -- but it's very difficult to give any real glimpse into your life in a single-sentence format: 'Susan is contemplating the meaning of life. Relationships seem to be the only...' and more than half of my followers have lost interest by that second sentence. Facebook is the attention-deficit way of blogging these days, and it is contagious (note that I update FB more often than this site... sorry about that folks... wanna know what I am making for dinner? Cause I can totally blog about that every day.)

Why is this? If facebook had a blogging section, would people read (and write) more often? Are we just that lazy, that we need to be able to give people quick little updates throughout the day? And, do people REALLY care if 'Susan is tired'?

More on this after I leave work and update my status, and figure out how to import this into FB... :)

L&O Special Letters Unit

2009-01-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

Chunk chunk!

and, worth it just for the opening:

pretty pictures

2009-01-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

Oh, to be somewhere warm in the middle of all this snow!

How the Tremont Convenience Store saved the day (or, how I walked five miles in the snow, unintentionally)

2009-01-19T07:37:00.000-08:00

We woke up early on Sunday, around 7am. I made breakfast, we watched some TV, played online, and soon got bored with the lounging. I decided I'd go for a short walk in the snow, maybe take some pictures. I pulled jeans over my yoga pants to keep me extra warm, and layered to the best of my ability. I am coated and scarved, gloved and hatted. Oh, and I am booted -- Very important in a foot of snow. (Sidenote: if you find a pair of really cute pink and brown winter boots that have been marked down from $35 to $18, maybe try BOTH of them on before buying. Maybe they were marked down cause the liner on the left one is all ripped up, and maybe the plastic ankle support thingamajobs bend into your foot like angry little knives. Maybe.)

I grabbed my own keys, but then saw that Karen's CSU parking pass is waiting to be put in her car. Her car has also not been started in about a month, since we've been driving mine exclusively. I figured I'd grab her keys, the parking pass, and start her car. Maybe even dig it out of it's cocoon of snow.

Her car starts right away, and I then realize that I'm just sitting there, in a snow-covered car, with nothing else to really do. The shovels are inside, and since her keys are in the ignition, I'm stuck. I ponder leaving the keys in the ignition to let it melt itself out of the hole, but figure that'd be a really hard thing to explain when it's stolen. So I turned off the car and went on my merry way, and figure I'll dig it out after I get home. Or maybe tomorrow...

I remember putting the keys in my front right pocket, where I always put keys. I remember specifically thinking 'nothing ever falls out of my pockets' (can you say foreshadowing?) and then I looked at my watch. It was 11:30am. I continue to turn and twirl, taking pictures and finally making my way down the street. I crossed paths with many church-goers, took some nice cathedral shots, almost fell forty-three times on slush, and made my way back up the alley, maybe a mile total. It's warmish in my many layers, and I am enjoying the snow and the cold and the almost-silence.

I ran into Greta and Danny on my way back into the building. They joked about Karen's buried car, and we laughed. They held the door to let me in. I walked up the stairs, and at the top of the stairs, went to grab my keys from their snug, secure front pocket. Nothing. (O M G. Seriously?) I did that thing where you check the same pocket twenty times, sure that THIS TIME you'll find them there, hiding. Silly, silly keys. But nope -- nada. It's now that I remember that not only have I lost keys, but I've lost Karen's keys. (dun dun DUN!) I immediately walk back outside and retrace my steps two more times -- staring at the ground, not really enjoying the snow or the slush or the semi-quiet anymore. I kick around the snow by her car, on the street, the whole way around the block, but nothing. I have to admit defeat. I get Stephanie and Brendan to let me in the building, and knock on the second floor door. She doesn't hear me. I walk up to the third floor door, and knock there. She's on the phone, and somehow doesn't think it's odd that she had to let me in. I remove my many layers and listen to her talk to her mom on the phone. This is not going to go well. I write a note on a post-it (brave, aren't I?) that says:

'You love me? Unconditionally?'

She puts her hand over her heart, and shakes her head yes. (Still not wondering why I'm acting so weird -- silly girl.) I motion that she should look at the next post-it, that says only:

'I lost your keys.'

She conveys this little story to her mom pretty calmly, and we venture outside to retrace my steps again. Long story short, we went back around the block AGAIN, and didn't see them. It's possible that they've been covered up by snow, or that someone picked them up. Not a good start to the Sunday. We're just around the corner from the house when I decide I'll stop at Convenient for beer on the way home, you know, since we're out...

'How are you?' asks Mike, Mr. Convenient Store. Most days, regardless of what's been going on in Susanland, I give the pat answer of 'I'm doing well, thanks. How are you?', but for some reason, I answered honestly, and told Mike that I lost Karen's keys, and I've had better days. He says, 'hmm. someone dropped some keys off... let me look...' I'm sure they're not ours, of course. He turns around, and I reconigize the red bottle opener she keeps on her keychain. Holy shit, what are the odds?

After I show them to Karen, she throws me into a huge snow drift, and admits that she had already thought of the worst-case scenario... someone steals the car, realizes we live there, since it's parked outside, and returns to steal all our things. I didn't even care that I was covered in snow, I had never been more relieved in my life.

Next time you think of doing something nice for someone, don't. Let this be a lesson!

(Or, secure the keys in some way before you go for a mile walk in the snow.)

a plea, from Charlotte

2009-01-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Susan, for not killing me in the shower today.

I know that Karen is very afraid of my kind, and would've made you banish me from the house if she knew I was around. But you took pity on me; you allowed me to linger as you washed your hair, even though you watched me a little nervously before and after you washed your face.

I was just there to get a little drink of water.

You fill the sinks for the cats, but if I venture in that direction, they tease me. (and just a month ago, they ate uncle Lester.) But, the shower is perfect for me. When you're done getting clean, sometimes I just need a little sip, and I scoot right back into the walls.

Thanks for understanding.

P.S. Maybe Karen just needs to read Charlotte's Web again...
P.P.S. Maybe she should read this again too.

shoes and socks

2009-01-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

Karen: What shoes are you wearing?
Susan: My new ones, why?
k: I was going to wear them if you weren't.
s: oh, you can. I'll wear my black ones
k: no, no. I was only going to wear them if you didn't
s: no big deal, you wear them.
(a few minutes later in the car)
s: I hope you're enjoying those shoes, cause I have white socks on with black shoes
k: Um, maybe we should switch socks... (pulls up pant leg, to show gray and black trouser socks.)
s: No way, my feet were cold all day yesterday, and I wore thick socks to stay warm. Besides, I am a sharer, and I have shared my shoes, damn it!
k: So you're selfish about socks, then.
s: Well, technically, these are your socks too.
(pensive silence)

A condo of waterfalls

2009-01-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

We decided to stop at Lava to eat dinner last night, before we stopped upstairs. We calmly (if coldly) ate, and walked back to lounge, and within a few minutes, Karen starts this panicked 'something is really wrong' mantra in the next room. (This is the point where I can't tell if she's just noticed the overflowing recyclables bin, or if a wall has caved in.) Turns out, the roof above our west-facing windows is leaking... technically, the wall is leaking, but that's a strange mental picture. The bricks are soaked, and a different color than the others. There's water on the floor, on the windowsill, on the window, on chairs, in the cat bowls, it was just lovely. We went to the roof to see what might have caused it, and found a lot of slush beneath the surface of ice and snow. We shoveled, and it seemed to stop the dripping. She's home to assess / fix and I'm sitting at work freezing. For anyone who doesn't live in Cleveland, have you realized that you're missing all this? :)

Help the police...

2009-01-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

new year's eve weekend

2009-01-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, the fun we've had. We have had several small gatherings in the past few weeks, and have (of course) taken some pictures. There was the new year's eve party where we were actually awake past midnight (yey, us), the game nights where friends proved to us that we are not as good at games as we think, and the pot of chili we made for Mike, Denise and Ally that we subsequently left on the stove 'to cool' for what should've been half an hour, and ended up being all night. What a pleasant wake-up surprise THAT was. I actually called mom to ask if I could boil the germs out of it, and she was appalled at the suggestion. Clearly, she's never eaten an unrefrigerated day old chicken sammich. Sheesh!

Here's the proof. Enjoy.

Aside from the obvious fun we've been having, we have started a health kick. Yes, we are following the centuries old (?) tradition of making new year's resolutions, and we have vowed to pound get ourselves into shape. For Karen, this simply means adding exercise to her already healthy-esque eating habits. For me, that means no longer enjoying a few bags of Cheez-Its from the vending machine at work for breakfast, and no longer cooking very filling (and very comfort-foody) meals every day. To aid in our venture, I ordered Jillian's 30-day Shred workout video. I must admit I have never been a fan of workout videos, but this one is actually doable. As much as Jillian seems like someone I would never want near me in a gym when I watch her on TV, she is very motivating and almost kind in this video. I did it for the first time last night and actually woke up this morning and did it again. Jillian promises twenty pounds in thirty days. We'll see... Updates to come.

And, I think I mentioned a new camera for Christmas... It's a little plastic guy who loves to take strange pics. Here's his latest work:

oh, the mess Karen's coming home to...

2009-01-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

Karen left for Milwaukee yesterday and Phoebe, Moxy and Muffin decided to have a little get-together.

It started out small, the way parties always do. We invited some neighborhood cats, but then they invited some friends, and so on. They came over all kind, 'hi, thanks for having us over...' but before long, they were drinking all the diet coke. (Okay, they didn't really drink ALL the diet coke, because I made them leave before they could finish the last few. Diet coke is apparently like crack for cats. Catnip isn't as enticing as diet coke. For real.) We played some bridge and watched movies, and then for some reason, they decided to try on all of Karen's clothes... I told them not to, but you know cats. They also ate all the snacks in the place. And used up all the ice cubes. It was terrible... before I knew it, it was 5am and I had to put out a small fire in the kitchen and take away their beer bong. I made them leave, but I think they plan to come back for more tonight.

Okay, none of that really happened... We sat quietly on the couch all night and read books. The other story's more interesting though, admit it. :)

I'll be the one with a yellow umbrella

2008-12-29T07:50:00.001-08:00

Five days off, and some 70* weather

2008-12-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Give a girl some time off and some nice weather, and she'll show you what spring fever feels like. It was in the seventies here on Saturday. Um... in case you're not a native, this blog hails from Cleveland. Weather in the seventies -- in the winter -- is more than rare. I didn't wear a coat for the first time in three months. It gives me a little hope. It reminds me that everything changes.   It also makes it very hard to prepare for another work week tomorrow. Nice thing is, I can pretend that tomorrow is Thursday.

Oh, delusion. I so enjoy your company.

On the other side of blogging, I spent a few lovely days with family, opened a lot of terrific presents, and ate a lot of really, really good food. Holidays come around this time of year to remind us that we should eat together, with friends, in the dark of night, because we have to go back to work on Monday. And to recite old rhymes to new family:

There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead

When she was good,
     she was very, very good

But when she was bad,
     she was horrid

p.s. I suppose you might think that this might apply to/be written about me. I suppose you'd be right.

Go elf yourself country style

2008-12-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Go elf yourself disco style

2008-12-23T13:43:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Baby, it's cold inside

2008-12-23T05:53:00.000-08:00

The condo radiators only heat one floor at a time. We've tried everything we could think of, had Karen's dad and brother look at the radiators and the boiler-thing. (Clearly, my vast expertise in HVAC has helped immensely.) Sunday morning, we thought it seemed a little cold in the condo, so we switched the radiators to work upstairs, figuring that maybe it was just SO cold outside that the heat in the basement wasn't able to heat the whole place. By bedtime, however, she pointed out that she was freezing, and even though I'm usually always hot, I was cold too.

Cast your mind to the next morning. It was incredibly hard to get out from under the covers, but somehow I decided that was lack of motivation due to shorter days... it's dark outside... short workweek from the holidays.... Then I got out of bed and realized that I was walking around in a refrigerator. Not 'it's a little chilly, I need a sweater' inside temps, no sir. Try 'going to the grocery store and standing in front of the refrigerated section in shorts' temps. Don't even get me started on showering when it's 55* inside. It is not pleasant.

By last night, we wrapped presents in coats as if nothing was wrong. I added a scarf and a blanket as I sat on the couch. I put my hood up. Before long, I'm unable to warm my toes, and I start to wonder if people who get frostbite in the winter maybe aren't sitting outside without shoes. Maybe they're inside, where it's refrigerated... with socks and sweatshirts and blankets and hoods!

Don't worry, though. By this morning, the temperature inside had gone up to a balmy 59*.

To anyone who used to listen to me complain that the apartment was too warm all winter -- that I had to open doors and windows so I wouldn't roast -- formal apologies are in the mail.

Updates galore

2008-12-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss. I haven't updated this site properly in ages. For the record, we were very busy finishing up construction, and now it is officially complete. Now that all our non-work clothes are covered in paint and caulk and wood putty, I am free to write up a storm. I'm not sure what we'll do with ourselves after work or on weekends now, though. Read, you say? What is this reading thing you speak of?

So we've finished all the tasks we wanted to, and we now have a shiny new basement with a workout room/extra bedroom and an office and a project area and several new closets. Important note: K had absolutely no built-in storage before now. Any semblance of storage was courtesy of Ikea, and was put together by hand. Now we have closets and attic-like areas and it's like a new place. We can finally STORE things. Crazy what a little domestic upgrade can do to your attitude.

(Pictures have to come next post, since my camera card is at home today...) But trust me, it looks AMAZING.

And, I have the best news ever (to me). Grandma's Johnny Clock is hung! (I think it's completely possible that K secretly hates this with the fire of a thousand suns dislikes this item a little, but I'm kind of a sentimental fool -- shocking to all who know me, I'm sure.)

ps... I had to Google this, since my memory card is at home. The hinges at the top are white, and the hands are actually black. Hey, K... it could be worse... it could have GOLD HANDS!

Merry Christmas, readers :)

2008-12-19T10:47:00.001-08:00

Doesn't hurt that this is Ruthanne's fave holiday song, and I sang it at a high school concert one year.

Happy Winter!

2008-12-18T13:16:00.001-08:00

Survivor Gabon

2008-12-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

Great finale. Great winner, I LOVE THIS SHOW.

Today is link day - Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock

2008-12-12T13:16:00.001-08:00

The Weepies are my new faves

2008-12-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

I laughed at this, then realized Ruthanne and Don were part of the sample group

2008-12-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

If only these had sound...

2008-12-10T09:10:00.001-08:00

Untitled from Susan on Vimeo.

This one's for Laura

2008-12-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

Weekly wrapup

2008-12-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

I was sick for two days, and probably for a few days before I was aware of the sickness.
I went home from work early Wednesday and stayed home Thursday.
I ate a lot of soup.
I watched a lot of TV (thank you Dexter season pass.)
I laughed so hard last night at stuff I can't remember now, that my stomach really, really hurt.
Then I poured water on K.
Twice.
I then laughed even harder.
Then she threatened to retaliate by squirting lotion on me, but was kind and only threw water at me with vigor.

Water fight, adult-style.

The end.

Is it going to rain?

2008-12-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

http://goingtorain.com/

Ahhhhh time off work

2008-12-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

We had almost a week off work, and now it's time to go back already. (Though not for Karen... she gets another day, lucky &*>~%#!!) Had some good fam time, some good productive condo time, and lots of time for pictures. Enjoy.

Sunday night painting

2008-11-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we went to Kay and Dan's for the Browns' game, as well as some fabulous tapenades and spaghetti with meatballs. (Quick sidenote... why is it that I fall asleep every time we sit down to watch football? Get back to me on that, would you please?) Afterwards, we took a quick look at the Eastlake house, which looks really, really good. If anyone's in the market for a new house, this is the house for you and not just cause I'm being paid to say that!

We got home around 7pm, and little worker bee Karen was ready to organize stuff and do homework, while I was ready and excited to sit on the couch and watch TV all night help. But, it turned out to be one of those nights where work is leisurely and fun, and with a little Billy Joel, we sang and time flew.

I added sunny kiwi (??) to the stairs wall, and got out the new trimmer and went to town. I would like to point out here that I am MUCH BETTER at the quick and dirty jobs than I am at the detailed ones. (Ruthanne is nodding with a raised eyebrow.) I spent over two hours edging the outside of two walls, and about 30 minutes rolling them both. All of a sudden, it was 11:45pm, and time for bed. Aside from a few hits to the ceiling that we will never be able to reach will surely be able to touch up, it looks GORGEOUS.

KAPLOWEE! Painted accent wall.

We did nothing to this room, but I love this picture. (Hi, Muffin!)

Picture of the day

2008-11-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Mystery piano in woods perplexes police

Happy Birthday, Ruthanne! And, Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

2008-11-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

Peer pressure

2008-11-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what we'll do when prompted by friends.

We watched the Ohio State/Michigan game with Stephanie and Brendan yesterday, and we ate a delicious homemade balsamic onion dip, and some of Stephanie's now famous chili. We also had a few beers, which may explain why I can't remember how the topic of ear-candling came up. Stephanie even had some ear candles lying around somewhere. 'We'll have to candle Karen's ears later!!' Stephanie said. And after some karaoke and Kabookii, we decided to try it.

She lived through this, and I'll spare you the pictures of what is purported to be 'pulled from deep within the ear canal.' (Your imagination and the wiki page can fill you in if you're still curious.)

We're also open to try almost anything, as evidenced by the above scary photo. Maybe I'll post some of the video later.

All thumbs

2008-11-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

Wildfires

2008-11-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

See more here

If you don't frequent the Boston Globe's BIG PICTURE site, you should add it to your RSS feed.

It's amazing, every day.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

We've got our home back!

2008-11-17T05:45:00.001-08:00

Construction is almost finished, and we were able to bribe the boys into helping us move most of the stuff we'd been storing upstairs back to the basement. It's nice to be able to walk around again. And to host dinner parties. (Thanks, Will, Jess and Mickey for the help and the laughs.)

Thanks, Kay.

2008-11-14T05:45:00.001-08:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Embedding disabled

2008-11-12T05:46:00.000-08:00

Nice new video for Sia... stick it out till the shadowy part. Nice

watch here

Can I touch them? Now? Now?

2008-11-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

I can't get over how cute this little boy is, and I hope his parents are keeping a close eye, cause I'm heading over to kidnap him.

A Protected Class

2008-11-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

On a quiet Sunday night just outside Cleveland, Ohio, a storm was brewing.

"About twenty-five percent of the dishes you wash require additional washing," said Karen Shaniuk of the Tremont chapter of the Overly Thorough Coalition. Apparently, this is a rampant problem throughout the country, particularly among those who live with members of the OTC.

"I had no idea that the problem encompassed a quarter of the dishes I've washed. Can I even say that I washed them? Do I have to use air quotes, like McCain? You know, a quarter of the dishes I 'washed' required additional attention... " said Susan Kennedy, also of Tremont, who is "most certainly not part of the OTC."

Kennedy declined an on-air interview, stating only that she plans to file for Protected Class status for her group, the Twenty-Five Percent of the Time Poor Dish Washers of America or TFPOTTPDWA, (pronounced TIFFpotPIDwa) and plans a community outreach for others who may be afflicted.

"This is a very real, very serious condition, and it's important that the public be aware of how sensitive our members are."

Shaniuk did point out that, while she has to re-wash some dishes, she "suppose(s) that seventy-five percent of them don't require additional washing, so that does help some."

The Home Bar

2008-11-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

Karen shoots pool in a local league, and we visit many bars for the matches. Last night we went to our 'Home Bar', which I used to love back when I was a smoker, because they allow smoking (even though there's a law in Ohio that forbids smoking indoors at public places.) Last night, as the bartender asked people for their dollar to smoke, I laughed to myself how silly these people were. I watched them all light their cigarettes and puff away. But after about half an hour, the strangest thing happened.... I wanted to smoke. BADLY wanted to smoke. I'm not sure if it was the nicotine in the air, or the combination of drinking beer and watching people smoke, but I was almost adamant that I could be one of those nonexistent 'Occasional Smokers'. Luckily my rebellion didn't take over, and we took me home to our nonsmoking house, where I continue to be a nonsmoker. Just goes to show you that even the girl who tells people how much money they'd save if they quit can also be tempted herself.

Oh, and very tempted to call the 1-800-NoSmokeOhio line, or whatever it is. Who IS this person, and what have you done to rebel Susan? :)

Even I knew that Africa was a continent!

2008-11-06T05:54:00.001-08:00

In case the vending machine guy reads my blog

2008-11-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

We have three beverage vending machines. Two dedicated to Pepsi products, one that has a range of options, including one slot for diet coke. Before today, that diet coke slot was empty weekly. I put a kind little note on the machine, requesting an additional option for DC, and lo and behold! I have one.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Diet coke for everyone, on me!

OH my new favorite song

2008-11-04T13:24:00.001-08:00

Base update

2008-11-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

I told myself I had to work for at least an hour, to prove that I'm not a complete slacker. I put on my painting clothes, and trudged downstairs. Turned on some tunes, and started painting the top of the bookshelves. Next thing I knew, it was 11pm, and I was exhausted. Voila! Newly painted walls!!!

By the way, I have paint ALL OVER MY BODY.

Clearly, when you're a crazy painting freak, things get a little messy.

2008-11-03T13:58:00.001-08:00

New Ray Above

2008-11-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, boy... I love new music. Listen to the first song: my new fave.

Office Halloween

2008-10-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Ah, the costumes....

Deskview - gorgeous day

2008-10-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Cubby Hole Tile Night

2008-10-29T07:44:00.001-07:00

woman, go make me some steak!

2008-10-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, boy! Monday!

2008-10-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

I can't believe the weekend flew the way it did. We learned several things this weekend:

having family help you paint makes painting go by MUCH faster.
garlic-stuffed olives make really good painting rewards
we underestimate EVERY task

Don and Ruthanne helped paint on Saturday, and they are the fastest, quietest little workers I've met. It was like a scene from a movie, where everyone just works, with a backdrop of music. A little creepy in person, but very effective. The second bedroom is completely painted. Now we have hallway and office walls, bookshelves, trim, cubby doors....... I can't count down all the work left, but we're getting there.

AND, we had chicken soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner twice over the weekend. If that's not blogworthy, I don't know what is.

Milkshake, er, labels

2008-10-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

My (customized) labels bring all the boys to the yard, dang right... they're better than yours.
I could teach you, but I'd have to charge!

'you are the day saver suzan, you need to sell pocket sized you's so people can carry them everywhere they go'

Dear reader, I couldn't agree more. Thank you for your continued support. And, WOOT FO DA MONKEY!

Cleveland in the fall - take two

2008-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

I know you are all VERY curious about the view from my desk, so here's today's shot.

update: here's a pool shot, to boot:

Last night

2008-10-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

I don't think we've worked in the basement without a whopper of a story (in our own eyes, anyway.) We started last night ambitious but realistic. Set small, attainable goals, grabbed some beverages. There was crawling into storage areas, there was trim that we painted. We even did laundry. (Well, Karen did laundry. We can't forget this, now can we?) And we started out pretty good. Got a lot accomplished for a short night after work. But then I somehow knocked over my beer. I was working in the cubby hole, crawling and painting (mostly getting paint on me, by the way) and I must've bumped something, cause my bottle splashed the new wall, and covered the top of the cabinet. No biggie, every great ship has a christening, perhaps our basement walls were the same. Grabbed a diet coke, put it on the washing machine below the newly painted cave I was working in, and crawled back in. After a few minutes, Karen came through to inspect praise my work, and offered to grab us beer. She placed it on the floor, a good distance from both of us, and we worked. Two minutes later, we heard a strange noise... While the washing machine was finishing its spin cycle, a can had fallen and sprayed diet coke all over the place. Karen (kind girl that she is) cleaned it up since I was a cave-dweller now, and as she did so, guess what her foot toppled over. Yep. Beverage number three. So, we have learned a few things. 1.) If you paint a very small area, your neck will hurt from bending to avoid paint in your hair. 2.) You will have paint in your hair regardless. 3.) No matter where you put your drink, it will either spill on its own, or be knocked over. And, 4.) taking pictures of all this makes it awfully fun to recap. :)