Saturday, September 26, 2009

"You have one new voice message"

Oh. my. god, Laura. You are the funniest person alive. I... (laughs) just got on your blog... and saw your pictures? (Laughter.) You made my day with that. Anyway, give me a call, I'll be around tonight. I might be drunk, though, if you call later... yeah, I really just want to get hammered. (Laughter.) Anyway! Love ya, dude. Talk to you later.
Facts:
A) You can receive joy from a voicemail.
B) We are all pretty lucky that we know the people that we do - myself included.
C) Some nights... you just want to get hammered.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

3...2...1... (beep!)

Today's joie de vivre is the absolute genius who created photobooth on mac computers. This application is an endless source of childish entertainment for me (with a touch of narcissism thrown in for good measure). After a particularly exhausting day at work there's no better way to transition out of the office than a quick trip to the Eiffel Tower or an opportunity to squish and stretch my face to bring out a kindergarten sense of glee. I salute you, photobooth. In fact, I might just take a picture tomorrow of me saluting you in the middle of the ocean, just to prove it.






Thursday, September 17, 2009

No more visitors, thanks.

Let's talk about insects for a moment. Now, I consider myself a pretty rational person. Even when upset, I can usually see two sides of a story. I can even comprehend how someone could have voted for McCain in the last election (although, under no circumstances can I wrap my head around why anyone could have been gung-ho for Palin).

Still, my rational responses come to a screeching halt at the sight of an insect. Maybe I don't hop on furniture, but spotting one sends me screeching and running towards the nearest exit. Cockroaches, as it turns out, scare me the most.

A few days ago, I met Mildred. Here I was, innocently enjoying my Tuesday evening, lounging on my couch eating sushi and watching Arrested Development for the billionth time (I literally heard my DVD sigh as I put the disc in). Mildred interrupted tranquility and scuttled toward the TV, causing me to absolutely panic. PANIC. IRRATIONAL, UNINTENTIONAL PANIC.

I think I named her to help diffuse the fear. Oh, Mildred- lost again, are we? You belong outdoors! That Mildred - always getting into shenanigans. The desensitization process, however, didn't work. It still ended with the same result: me making ill attempts to end things, growing discouraged, and heading to bed early to let Mildred have her space. Now I consider myself a pretty feminist-minded being, but I would give anything to have someone else deal (read: male) with my unwanted house guest.

Tonight, I finally brought out the big guns. Perhaps it's too preemptive to claim Raid my Joie de Vivre, but I need it (and the extra bait I bought) to work so badly, that I'm hoping this entry will put the positive/lethal vibes out in the universe and will it so.

Rest in Peace, Mildred... please?

Monday, September 14, 2009

My personal motto.



"All my mistakes have become masterpieces."
-Teitur

(photo by LinusVanPelt)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Birthday reflections.

As a child, I would almost hyperventilate over an upcoming birthday. Whether it was a McDonald's let's stack styrofoam burger boxes up real high for a game! theme or it was a pre-teen slumber party watching Edward Scissorhands (which was TOTALLY PG-13 and ohmygod, don't tell your Dad!!!), I lived for my birthdays.

I turned twenty-six today. This morning I walked into my office and sat down in front of my computer and I worked 8 hours. I talked to students about majors and careers, I prepared for some upcoming presentations, and then I logged off my computer and caught the bus home. There were no ball pits or Totally Hair Barbies wrapped in comic book paper. It felt like every other day.

Then I got home and checked my email and voicemail. I was flooded with messages from friends and family wishing me a happy birthday, letting me know that they miss me, that they hope I'm doing well in Texas. Then a co-worker picked me up and took me out to a nice dinner. We drank wine and talked about the importance of friendship. We shared stories about beginnings of relationships and our favorite "how we met" anecdotes that people begin to collect over the years like tea cups or baseball cards. I was struck by such a strong feeling of contentment, it caught me completely off guard.

At some point without even realizing when, the importance of birthdays have shifted from pomp and circumstance to reflection and humility. The people that make up my everyday are my joie de vivre. They create the stories worth telling. They help me celebrate who I am and help me aspire towards what I want to become. To me, that's a damn fine birthday present.