ASL

From today's Dispatch--an article about ASL classes. 
I took ASL in high school--as well as French--and let me tell you, it was one of the best things I ever did. When I began to lose my hearing, I used ASL to communicate in some situations, and my little sister took ASL in high school, too, so she can 'translate' for me, if the need arises.
It's a fun, rewarding language--and the way everyone's blaring iPods and yapping on cellphones, we might all need it, sooner or later!
(Even with the CI--there are times I can't use it, like when I go to the beach. So it's nice to have the ASL option.)

The PERFECT blog post

 

The “Austen Hermeneutic”: Old Mass v New Mass

CATEGORY: Lighter fare, SESSIUNCULA — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf @ 5:08 pm

There is a fun post over at St. Louis Catholic:

If today’s faithful Catholic is represented by Elizabeth Bennet, bright, hopeful and coming of age, then the liturgical forms would have to be represented by Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.

Mr. Wickham is immediately accessible, loves to talk—especially about how bad ol’ Darcy is—has some initial minor flash but soon proves to be tedious and unreliable.

Mr. Darcy at first glance looks stuffy and condescending, but proves over time to be noble, true, of high quality and charitable.

The ordinary and the extraordinary.

_____________

Yes, I actually thought this, and then typed it, and therefore I am a loser.  [No… people who can’t refer to Austen are the losers.]

P.S. Mrs. Bennet would represent Marek Bozek. Just sayin’.  [LOL]

What makes you happy?

 

Got this great idea from Jane!  I'm going to tag ALL of you! (That blog that is.)

You have to write 10 things that make you happy. (And that picture? That is one of them. Love it.) 

So, here are mine: 

1. My parish
2. Time w/ my family. The four of us (Mel is in Chicago) had lunch at Mohawk in German Village after Mass today, and it was so fun. A perfect day so far. 
3. Hockey! Watching the gold medal game now. 
4. The snow is melting, and tomorrow is March 1! Spring nears.
5. beaches
6. Good books
7. Jane Austen movies (watched the new BBC Emma and Sense and Sensibility yesterday)
8. Babies (such a cutie in front of us at Mass!)
9. Yankee candles
10. Soft, warm blankets to snuggle under while watching hockey.

What makes you happy? Share in the combox!

• 
  

Figure Skating

I am in love with Evan Lysacek. That is all.
Did you see that Program? Did you see it? If you didn't, go to www.nbcolympics.com or YouTube and WATCH IT. It was perfection. True, beautiful, glorious perfection, to the "Firebird Suite."
Right now he's in second place, right behind Plushenko. Great position going into the long.
I would marry him right now. As would probably every woman in America.
Here's the NBC wrap-up. 

The Saturday Evening (blog) post--Vol. 2 (for me)

IT's that time again! On the first Saturday of the Month, Elizabeth Esther hosts The Saturday Evening Blog Post over at her blog. Pick your favorite post of the previous month, and join in! Rules and linkage instructions are on her website. 

I chose this one. 

Cutest. Thing. Ever.

http://cuteoverload.com/2010/01/11/a-public-service-announcement/

What I learned at Trivia Night

Tonight was Trivia Night at St. Pat's. Here, in a nutshell, is what I learned (more details tmr.)

• I have ESP. 
• I have the same blood type as GOD. (yes. It's true.) 
• My dad is a sports trivia BEAST. 
• St. Pat's has some of the cutest babies EVER.

The first 2010 Boden Q&A!

I always wanted to be: A ballerina
If I ever owned a luxury yacht, I'd: sail the Mediterranean all summer.
I always feel sentimental when: I hear "Wonderful Tonight"
Favorite Italian food: ALL OF IT
Best way to survive a blind date: Order a good meal
Favorite vacation spot: The beach
What's your New Year's Resolution: Lose 10 pounds
Last thing I have at night: milk/tea/water
The man of my dreams: Is out there...right?
Companion animal of choice: Karen's westies
Best place to be in spring: outside
When I grow up, I want to: be a mom
Fastest way to get in a holiday mood: Start packing
Best thing to wake up to: Sunshine
I've decided I'm a frustrated: Diva
Most romantic thing a man can do: give me flowers
What do men think about when they're fishing: the fish
A friend will: be loyal
When a man gives me flowers: I give him a big kiss
Best person to be with when I want to celebrate: My best friend
My signature dish is: Carbonara
Favorite guilty pleasure: Jeni's ice cream
I could spend the whole day shopping for: Books/Clothes/make-up/food
If I was more of a risk taker, I'd: sky-dive
My proudest achievement: Doing Parade
You know a man is committed when: he hangs out with your family voluntarily
On Sunday afternoon you'll find me: reading
My favorite beach is: Duck, NC
Thing I'd change about the 21st century: teleporting would exist.
Best thing to do on a deserted beach: swim without a suit ;-) (almost did this with Di in Galveston!)
Best person to talk to after a bad day: Tiffany
What's always in my picnic basket: some sort of dessert
Survival tip for long flights: A big fat book, my iPod, and crossword puzzles
Greatest athletic feat--on water:  bodysurfing
Survival tip for a night in a tent: A very good sleeping bag and pillow
If I didn't need to work, I'd: travel, sing and write
Don't knock: Jane!
When was the last time you cried: Hmmm...can't remember

Tidings of Comfort and Joy--Branden's Christmas Party

Every year, my friend Branden has a Christmas party at his house for all our high school friends. Most of us manage to come home at least once during the Christmas season, and Branden throws the party then. This year it was the day after Christmas, as opposed to the week or so before, so the crowd was a bit smaller, but lots of fun was still had.

Tom (aka Joe Cool) with his wife Andrea in the background. Tom and I met the first day of high school, in French class.

Tiffany. What more needs to be said? She cracks me up.

The gang's all here.

Back row: (L-R) Sean, Bill (Tiff's fiance), Gary, Tom and Andrea, Casey (Lindsay's boyfriend)

Front row: Amanda (dating Gary), Tiffany, Branden, Lindsay and me.

Tiffany (the bride) with three of her five bridesmaids: Me, Andrea, and Lindsay. The wedding is in August! Tiff's twin sister is the matron of honor, and our friend Amilia (from high school) rounds out the bride's side of the bridal party.

The Ghost of Dickens' Drafts

The manuscript of A Christmas Carol 

A meme

From Karen (I was perusing her blog archives today, and I liked the look of this one).
Bold things are things I've done.


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (DisneyWorld)
8. Climbed a mountain 
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (can't do it anymore, can you? Is the crown back open?)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (with Di and Suze in Galveston)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (I hated doing it. I'm awful at selling things.)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (on New Year's!)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (right wrist, upper right arm)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Boomer Eiason, V-P Cheney, G.W. Bush, Ann Coulter)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day


And while you're at it--read Karen's Guide to Advent. 
And order her book. 

Today's trivia

(Brought to you by Caribou Coffee....)

What literary character said, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be?"

Have you SEEN this?

Google Moon

Google Sky

And....google MARS.

These are so fantastic. Go play.

For Girls

Jane talks about her emergency kit.

I think mine needs updated.

And stored here.

Me in Threes

Three names I go by:
1. Em
2. Emmers
3. Emmy

Three Jobs I have had in my life:
1. Old Navy
2. Swim Club concessions
3. Congressional Intern

Three Places I have lived:
1. Pickerington, OH
2. Reynoldsburg, OH
3. Bexley, OH

Three Favorite drinks:
1. Diet Coke
2. PEach iced tea
3. coffee

Three Favorite hobbies:
1. acting
2. reading
3. writing

Three Pet Peeves:
1. Smoking
2. whiners
3. bad drivers

Three TV Shows that I watch:
1. Bones
2. Pushing Daisies (until it died. Wah!)
3. Glee

Three places I have been:
1. Houston
2. OBX
3. Chicago

People that text me regularly:
1. Mom
2. Bub
3. Tiffany

Three of my favorite foods:
1. carbonara
2. pizza
3. burgers

Three friends I think will respond
1. Abby
2. um...I got nothin'.

Three Things I am looking forward to
1. Christmas
2. Fall/winter musical auditions
3. Christmas :)

(Note on the musical auditions: they are--Wizard of Oz with Columbus Children's Theater; Jekyll and Hyde (AGAIN!) with Emerald City Players, and THe Music Man with Pleasure Guild (directed by one of my J&H castmates)

The 1,000 post

(Wow, can you believe we've hit a thousand?) 

In honor of this momentous occasion, I'm doing a meme I derived from the current Boden catalogue. If you're a new or old reader, it should interest you (I hope). 

And if you've stuck around for all 1,000 posts--THANK YOU. I hope you've learned something, or, at the very least, been entertained. 

Stay on, will ya? The best is always yet to come. 

1. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Hair
2. Age I feel on the inside: 17
3. To feel better after a bad day, I: take a bath
4. Most attractive quality in a S.O: kindness
5. Most overrated invention: video games
6. I'm told I look like: Claire Danes, my mom
7. My breakfast consists of: coffee and cereal 
8. Last saintly deed: Um....hmmm. 
9. I'd love to be able to:Play the violin
10. It's not what you know, it's: How you use it
11. High point of my week: Friday night
12. The way to a woman's heart: consideration
13. I could talk for hours about: books
14. I wish I'd spent more time: writing
15. I'm surprisingly good at: mechanical things
16. I'm notorious for: my voice
17. What makes me feel glamorous: diamonds
18. If I were handed $1,000 tomorrow, I'd: buy books and Met Opera tickets
19. Favorite author: Jane!
20. What's your driving style: Fast and signal-using
21. Recent re-discovery: Beverly Cleary's Ramona books
22. I've never mastered: Math
23. Never ask a man: About old girlfriends
24. Scariest thing I've ever done: Ridden the Magnum at Cedar Point (I know, I know...)
25. Most precious (non-human possession): Caroline the bunny and Coach the bear
26. Thing that gets easier as I get older: Driving
27. If only men could: read my mind
28. Best thing about the internet: Shopping!
29. I wish I had a dollar for: Every book I've read
30. Recent discovery: L'occitane soaps
31. Never ask a  woman: her clothing size
32. If I had a year off, I would: Finish my novel and travel
33. I'm constantly embarrassed by: The way thoughts pop out of my mouth without being censored!
34. At school I never saw the point of: Diagramming sentences; the 'effort' grade
35. If my phone rings at 7 a.m.: I don't hear it
36. Survival equipment for_____ (Rehearsal): a book 

Emology

(From Jane) 

1) What is your salad dressing of choice? Italian

2) What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Bon Vie! 

3) What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of? PIZZA

4) What are your pizza toppings of choice? pineapple, sausage, pepperoni, cheese....

5) What do you like to put on your toast? peanut butter

6) How many televisions are in your house? 1

7) What color cell phone do you have? red

8) Are you right-handed or left-handed? right

9) Have you ever had anything removed from your body? major organs :) but other than that, no. I still have my tonsils. Go figure. 

10) What is the last heavy item you lifted? all my computer stuff, up the stairs into my apartment. 

11) Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Knocked? No. Unconscious due to drugs/medical conditions? Yes

12) If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No. Absolutely not. 

13) If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I like it. No changes. 

14) Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Sure. As long as I didn't have to keep it down. (yeah, I stole this from Jane. )

15) How many pairs of flip flops do you own? Three. 

16) What’s your goal for the year? be happy

17) Last person you talked to on the phone? I don't really talk on the phone, but it was probably mom. 

18) Last person you hugged? My grandpa

19) Favorite Season? summer/end of summer into fall

20) Favorite Holiday? Christmas!!!

21) Favorite day of the week? Saturday

22) Favorite Month? August/September

23) First place you went this morning? church in PA

24) What's the last movie you saw? The Hiding Place 

25) Do you smile often? Yup

26) Do you always answer your phone? My favorite button ever is iDivert. (OK, stole this again too, but I love it!)

27) It's four in the morning and you get a text message? I'm not even aware it happened. 

28) If you could change your eye color what would it be? I wouldn't

29) What flavor drink do you get at Sonic? Anything. Sonic's drinks are the best. 

30) Have you ever had a pet fish? yes. Twice. Both times they died. 

31) Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

32) What's on your wish list for your birthday? Well I just had one....I got books/DVDs/ a fun Magic Kingdom mug. :) 

33) Can you do push ups? Um...probably a couple. I can do plank pose. :) 

34) Can you do pull ups? Ha. Ha. NO. 

35) Does the future make you more nervous or excited? very very excited

36) Do you have any saved texts? Yup

37) Ever been in a car wreck? a couple

38) Do you have an accent? apparently, some people thing I do. I'm from Ohio, we're known for being "accentless"

39) What is the last song to make you cry? "Do What You Have To Do"  (I'm not counting songs I sang whilst crying onstage. That's called acting folks)

40) Plans tonight? unpack, read Parish Council materials, clean. Yes, I really have to clean. 

41) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Yup. 

42) Name 3 things you bought yesterday: Candy for my cousins at my other cousin's school musical. :) 

43) Have you ever been given roses? Heck yes. I had one boyfriend who was particularly good at that. 

44) Current hate right now? That I have to vacuum. I really hate vacuuming. 

45) Met someone who changed your life?  Yup. 

46) How did you bring in the New Year? I stayed home.  Yes, I am boring, but I'm not a big New Year's Eve Girl. I spent it once in NYC, and that was plenty. 

47) What song represents you? There's not one. There's a million. 

48) Name three people who might complete this? Not sure. 

49) What were you doing 12 AM last night? sleeping at Grandma's house in the bottom bunk. Good times. 

50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? It's morning ALREADY? 

Fun with photo booth

Aw, shucks

Jane has awarded me the: 

Go check out her blog here. 

Oh wait, ha, I have to give it to 15 people now (well, supposedly. I probably don't have that many.)

So here we go: 

--Life In A Nutshell 

--Minnesota Mom 

--I Am My Kids' Mom 

--Conversion Diary

--In the Heart of My Home

--The Bonny Glen

--Praying for Grace

So go paste the above picture onto your blog! 

(I only got 7 too. Well it's one of my favorite numbers anyway) 

Open Mic Night

So tonight I did something brand new.
I sang at Open Mic Night.
Columbus, as I am discovering, is a hotbed of musical theater/theater talent. Really. There are just tons of us out there. We're like this little community within a community. One of the gathering points is at "Sing Out, Louise", a cabaret-style open night mic where people can come and sing songs they've polished, or songs they're working on.
I had never been, but tonight, I went out.
It's at Club Diversity in the Brewery District, in a renovated old house. This was my kind of bar--the bar TV was showing the 1990s remake of Sabrina on AMC. A baby grand sat near the windows. Some of the organizers had brought music, but I brought my repertoire binder (songs I can sing at the drop of a hat), as well as "The Gentleman Is A Dope" from Allegro, which I'd like to get ready for audition season.
We began around nine, and the organizer, Stewart, sang some pieces, then drew names from the list of attendees. Most of us got to sing twice. For my first number I sang "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret, and for the second, the piece from Allegro. I took it a bit fast--it was the first time I'd done it with an accompanist, so I gave her a pretty quick tempo--but the audience seemed to like that one better. It's a bit more fun to sing, and I think I'm really making progress on it. The bridge could use a bit of work for tempo, but that's about it.
A lot of friends were there--Dave from J&H with his wife, Katherine; Jay and Amy; Aaron H. from Parade, and Kristen and her husband David (Kristen was Parade's music director extraordinaire). Jay and Amy are in the middle of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown at the Little Theater Off Broadway; Kristen is the music director for Club Diversity's upcoming production of Cabaret. Jay and Amy did duets. Kristen often plays for the group and I can't wait to have her behind the keys.
There were a few people there just to hear us sing, which was cool. It was neat singing for them. any stage of development. It was great just to SING a piece, and not be judged on it. There was absolutely no pressure, because everyone there is there for fun. You took the mic, you picked your music, and you sang. Fantastic.
Now I just have to think about what to sing next month....