9 posts from May 2008

Here's a list of TV shows that I keep up with:

Dirty Jobs

            
                                                                                                                                                                 

 

The Closer 

Perhaps that I have a thing for witty, sarcastic, intelligent, somewhat-to-pretty-good-looking male TV personalities?

Jeff Corwin, Alton Brown, and Mike Rowe are my boys. But I think that Alex Trebek might be a little too old to be my boy.

When I worked at my old job, I took the 6 through my neighborhood and down to market street. This bus is a colorful route filled with fascinating people no matter what time of day you ride it. It goes from my house up the hill in the inner sunset down through UCSF and Cole Valley, Ashbury Heights, and then down the length of Haight St. to Market. Really an excellent mix of riders.
Anyway, when I started my new job, I also left the 6 and started taking the N-Judah because it loops around the bay and back down to the Caltrain station, near where I work. Which is easy. But much less fun. And also, I don't get a seat by the time the N comes near my house - it's already standing room only. And really, it takes even less time to take the 6 on all the surface streets to the same place that the N would drop me off underground.
So I switched back recently.
And good lord I am glad I did.
There is a Russian guy who rides the bus and gets on very near me. He is quite terse and abrasive, but is clearly friends with the bus driver that always seems to drive the bus I'm on, and many of the other riders are familiar with him. Today, he was regaling a fellow passenger with the tragic story of how his car was stolen.
    "12 years, I live in this neighborhood. Nobody touch it. Nobody. Then Friday night - STOLEN. Stolen."
    "Well, did you have insurance?"
    "Of course."
    "Did you call your insurance company?"
    "No. They give me what, 5,000 for it? Pff."
Dismissed.
Now, I was terrified of this guy at first. Not in a real I-think-he-might-harm-me-or-someone-else kind of way, but more like the way that I am just scared of a lot of people. He's very purposeful,  gruff, and a bit difficult for me to approach or reconcile. Or something. He's also the type of guy who leans in real close to tell you something he doesn't want other people to hear
But really, he's the kind of guy who helps the woman with the baby and the stroller off the bus. Like she says "can you hold him?" They are not friends. I know this. They are bus riding acquaintances. She wants to hand her baby to him. I love this. Instead, he takes the stroller at her stop, gets off the bus - but leaves his bag - sets up the stroller, and makes sure she and her baby get off the bus all in one piece. And then almost misses the bus because he is being helpful. We all yell for the driver to stop so he can get back on. His kindness does not go unnoticed.
Today, a woman was sitting in the front, and a man was standing in front of her, wearing an X-Files varsity-style jacket. Apparently, the back of the jacket said "the truth is out there." Big surprise, I know. Anyway, she asks, "where did you get that jacket?"
He replied, "a catalog. It's from the X-Files TV show."
"Oh."
"Yeah, 'The truth is out there' is the slogan from the TV show."
"What does that mean?" (super sincere, all philosophical like.)
"Beats me. I guess that there are aliens out there somewhere. On earth."

Oh 6 Parnassus. You're so lovely! But I'm still taking the N home because I get a seat that way.
The girl next to me and I snicker a bit. This could be a huge and fascinating can of worms.

I think not: me and my best friend Adam in the 7x7 blog. About halfway down through the pictures.

Ugh. What happened to my face? I look like some weird puppet or doll or something. Stupid chin, cheekbones, weird eyes.

but I love myself, really!

Recently.

I think I just met my next academic/intellectual crush - Sherrie Inness. This is my shit, people! I'm so pumped! I'll surely be reading one of her books this summer (if not several), but just check out these awesomely nerdy and right-up-my-alley interests that she has:

Teaching Interests

• Nineteenth– and twentieth–century American literature and culture
• Composition, gender studies
• United States popular culture
• Children’s literature and culture
• Gender and food culture

Research Interests

• Nineteenth– and twentieth–century American literature and culture
• Gender studies
• United States popular culture
• Children’s literature and culture
• Girl’s studies
• Food culture

Whaaaat. Awesome. I know. Right? Anyone else in?

Now I have to think about what life in Ohio, in a Literature department would be like. At least I have several years to drive myself crazy with this stuff.

I enjoyed a lovely meal on Saturday night at Spork. It was the first time in a while that Fred and I have really gone out, for nice a leisurely meal together that promised to be delicious, etc., etc. It really was good. I had seared day boat scallops, and Fred has the mussels and pork with a spork. The best part was that his mom paid for it. Awesome.

It's good to know that in this time of economic uncertainty, the price of neighborhood punch hasn't gone up. Driving home from somewhere on Saturday afternoon, we pulled over to a punch stand staffed by two girls and a mother (sisters and their mother? who knows.) I was fully prepared to pay 50 cents for a small Spongebob Dixie cup of punch, but was pleased to find out that it was only 25 cents a cup. We paid a dollar for two cups.
This led to an interesting discussion about what those girls will be doing with their money. Fred said it freaks him out a little when he finds out that kids are saving money for things, because it's sort of a part of childhood that you spend your money on useless crap. We hoped they would buy candy. Or Pokemon cards. Or plastic toys from a vending machine. But we really hope they didn't save it. I think we need more kids buying Big League Chew and less kids begging for cell phones from their parents, personally.

Sunday we loafed and then I spent some time at the nearby Target. It was a mess. Really. I don't recommend it. No, I'm serious. Every time I go there on the weekend, I remember that I should go on a weeknight, but I go so infrequently that I always manage to forget my own wisdom. Funny how that works. Anyway, I bought some stuff I probably didn't need (I mean, let's be honest, I don't really "need" much at all. Except the toilet paper. Definitely needed that.) After that, I watched a lot of TV on DVR, mended a pair of pants, and ate a chicken salad sandwich for dinner. My favorite chicken salad sandwich. At 930pm. Oh well.

This coming week includes a short, busy week and a long weekend. This would be exciting if it weren't for Fred's impending departure on Saturday for nearly 3 months. I hope he comes back with all his fingers and toes and the limbs to which they are currently attached. Who knows what Alaska will do to him. Don't get me wrong, I'm not actually too sad about the departure part. I am sad that it is occurring during my birthday weekend, and also I have to take his ass to the airport at 6am on Saturday morning. Ugh.
I am going out with a freshly engaged friend tonight, the supporters from work tomorrow, relaxing on Wednesday, and having birthday dinner smallstravaganza on Thursday. Does anyone want to join for drinks on Friday? Let me know and I might put something together.

http://www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno

Happy Birthday, Krissy.

This is the first time I've stayed out so late with work folks, and also the first time having so much fun in quite a while. Here's to this news.

News!

Colleen

The US has the highest incarceration rate and the largest number of persons behind bars.

Ugh.