Archive for May 2007
And They’re Off!
Totally packed? Almost check.
Great big bag of chill out? Check.
See y’all on the other side of the pond. Or in Canada. Boing!
Greatest Gift
Anyway, the story on NPR at the time was about a recently published book that talks about a man, who though born with sight, lost it at age three and a few years ago was given the opportunity to regain it through an experimental surgery. It was mainly an interview with the author – not the man who lost his sight – though there was a brief time where the blind man had a chance to say what he thought. When asked why he decided to go ahead with the surgery – apparently, according to studies, severe depression usually follows the gaining or regaining of profound sensory ability – he replied that he hadn’t read the studies and also, he didn’t have much to lose from regaining his ability to see.
The interview goes on to explain how our brains, when learning how to decode sensory information, learn how to calculate depth and height and so on and so forth. Apparently, learning how to see and learning how to speak are similar in that there’s a certain critical period where one must learn languages or it becomes increasingly difficult to attain a high level of fluency. I found this fascinating, that the brain has a critical period for sight as well. There’s an anecdote in the interview where when the man was being driven home from the hospital, he was convinced that they were going to run into the highway signs because he simply could not tell that they were 50 yards away and 30 feet up. Imagine a life in 2D.
I can’t remember if it was early on in the interview or towards the end – it really doesn’t matter – the author said something that has been weaving in and out of my mind all week: in his opinion, the greatest thing that could ever happen to someone is to gain or regain sight. While I can agree that it would be a profound gift to someone who has never had or lost their vision, and I don’t speak from experience, I cannot say that it would possibly be the greatest gift. In fact, the man in question says in the book that he didn’t particularly care if he could see or not – he’s a very accomplished person to begin with – but he didn’t have anything to lose. He didn’t really care what his wife or daughters looked like because he already knew them.
That got me to thinking. What would be the greatest gift someone could be given? Being on the sensory track and being a musician, I immediately thought that someone who was deaf being given the opportunity to hear sweet music. But A. I’m biased in that direction and B. like I said, that’s just in the sensory area. I’m still trying to think this out. I’m not entirely sure I know, though I’m certain that it’s going to be fundamentally different for virtually everyone.
Random Happenings in the Life of AM
Last night on my way home I was followed by some crazed weirdo in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He’d stop a couple of houses down from me and then slowly follow my car. Not wanting to give up where I lived, I ended up driving around the blocks in my ‘hood for a few minutes. When it became obvious that he was folllowing – tailgating me, driving in figure eights around the blocks like I was – I started driving towards the police station here. When I got there, he made a U-y and sped off. Turns out, according to the cops, that the plates are fictitious too. What’s with the stalker types?
Turns out that one, if not both, of the boys on the upcoming trip may not be going after all – even though they both have tickets across the pond. One has not been able to come up with the dough needed to fund three weeks of room and board in Europe as well as any other additional expenses that ALWAYS crop up – like, oh, other forms of transportation – and will just scrap the whole idea of going. The other boy has fallen victim to the wonders of American bureaucracy in the passport office. I’m sure you can appreciate the frustration of this, Brianne. He calls and calls and calls and always gets answers that lead him in circles of growing anger. He applied 12 weeks ago and was told it’d take a maximum of 10 weeks to receive it. Now the passport people are just shrugging their shoulders and saying, c’est la vie. This’ll make for an easier yet slightly less entertaining trip. heh.
Deep Breath Needed
Nyah!
If these guys are lucky, the places I’ve booked will still have beds when we arrive, otherwise, I suppose they’re SOL. I feel like a first class bitch doing this because the likelihood that the hostels will have availability is slim to none. The hostels I wanted to stay at and have stayed at previously were all booked and, well, looking at it now, the hostel I’m staying at in London now has no beds available on the first night we get there, unless you want to pay $92 for a single twin en suite. Sucks, eh?
Oh well. I offered to help, but help doesn’t mean I’ll be your mother.
Suffering from Really Bad Blogger’s Block
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
The phone bill. It’s always more than I’m expecting and it comes at a really bad time of the month. hmph.
2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Alie has never had a romantic dinner. Isn’t that really freaking sad? This needs to be rectified.
3. Last time you puked from drinking?
I need to knock on some wood for this one, but I have never puked from drinking. Ever.
4. When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar?
Never danced on a bar either. I think this should be rectified as well.
5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Cogburn. I loved that woman. Taught me my most used phrase when dealing with kids to date, “I’m rubber, you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.”
6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
hmm. Sitting on a beach in Greece with some good friends and reading a good book. This Greece dilemma keeps cropping up. Kinda thinking of Cinque Terre now too. Dammit, too many choices!
7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
At the ripe old age of 4, I stated that I was going to grow up to be a lawyer. Not only that, but I also declared that I would attend Yale Law School. Oh, how times change.
8. How many colleges did you attend?
Une.
9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
Erm, they were clean?
10. Gas Prices?
I HATE EXXON. And Shell and BP and ConocoPhillips and and and and … the only sort of gouging that SHOULD be going on at the moment is the gouging out of the eyes of the people who run these companies. grr grr grr.
11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you?
Umm, let’s see, where does AM weally, weally want to move to? Oh, I dunno, maybe Canada? Possibly. Perhaps. Would I take someone with me? Hmm, I dunno. Maybe. Dunno who.
12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I actually beat my alarm awake this morning, I was sooo proud of myself. I got a good night’s rest, no alarm! And I’ll still make it to work on time.
13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
I copied and pasted wes’s version of this survey and damn, I can’t stop laughing. How many porn subscriptions do you have, dude? And how can I ever live up to the hilarity of your answers?
14. Favorite style of underwear?
Ohhh, on guys, definitely boxer briefs. Yum.
15. Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex?
See above. These questions need to be more specific. I’m not telling you what sort of underwear I wear, then you’d think I was strange. And now curiosity is killing you.
16. What errand/chore do you despise?
Cleaning house. I HATE cleaning house.
17. If you didn’t have to work, would you volunteer?
I volunteer to be Premier Universal Authority On Everything nearly everyday but no one has ever taken me up on it.
18. Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in. Without a doubt. Night owl all the way.
19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
Tigger! And I know the WHOLE Tigger song.
20. Favorite NON sexual thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
Really good conversation that goes on for hours. Over drinks.
21. Have you found real love yet?
Yep. Did I manage to keep it? Nope.
22. When did you first start feeling old?
My birthday last year. Turned 24 – no longer early 20s. Really pissed me off. But then, a couple weeks later, a bartender accused me of having a fake ID, so I guess I still look like I’m 12.
23. Favorite 80’s movie?
Amadeus. Nerd Alert.
24. Your favorite lunch meat?
First off, it’s munch meat and secondly, I don’t have a favourite. I despise them all unless it’s home baked, still warm and juicy, turkey or chicken. Otherwise, no thanks.
25. What do you get every time you go into Sam’s Club? Or Walmart?
I’m sure I’d get pissed off if I ever went into those places, but I don’t, so I don’t.
26. Beach or lake?
Lake. ‘Cause it doesn’t have the freaking jellyfish. eek!
27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
To each their own, I say.
28. How many people do you stalk on Facebook?
Stalk? hah! No one. I engage in surveillance. I’m sure there’s a difference, I know Alberto Gonzales would totally back me up on this one too. Bertie? Right?
29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
Spending gobs of money on travel, but I’m trying to learn not to feel guilty about that anymore.
30. Favorite movie you wouldn’t want anyone to find out about?
I think I admitted that earlier in this survey, and I’m not terribly embarrassed about it.
31. What’s your drink?
Cape Cod.
32. Cowboys or Indians?
I live in Texas so that includes the cowboys, yet on my mother’s side, I have a bit of Indian blood. So both?
33. Cops or Robbers?
Cops. ‘Cause they get to use the handcuffs. heh heh heh.
34. Who from high school would you like to run into?
The one person I choose to associate with from high school, I do. The rest of them? Forget it.
35. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
Whatever station is needed to pick up the iPod transmitter.
36. Norm or Cliff?
I think this is a The Office question and I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t have an answer. Mea culpa.
37. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons?
Neither.
38. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Not paying attention to the red flags that were jumping out at me, screaming my name and plastering themselves all over my life.
39. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?
Depends on which class I have. There are some kids that I want to take out into the hall and teach a lesson to, and those kids, no, I don’t particularly like them. But for the most part, they’re all very charming and cute.
40. If you could get away with it, who would you kill?
I think we ALL know the answer to this one, but honestly, no one. Come to think of it, don’t kill him, just suspend the Geneva Convention for him and him only. Stupid war criminal.
41. What famous person(s) would you like to have dinner with?
Hmm, GWB so I could verbally bitchslap him. I’d also request that Madeleine Albright be present so that I’d at least have someone to converse with intellectually. I’ve gotta say, I used to want to be her when I was in high school.
42. What famous person would you like to sleep with?
Clive Owen, Daniel Craig, Colin Firth. Notice a pattern?
43. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Nope.
44. Last book you read for real?
The Time Traveler’s Wife. Highly recommend it too.
45. Do you have a teddy bear?
Nope. But I have a stuffed cat named Muffin.
46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
What the hell kind of question is this?
47. Somewhere in California you’ve never been and would like to go?
Anywhere other than where I’ve already been which includes … drumroll, please … LAX.
48. Do you go to church?
Sometimes. I’m comfortable in my faith nowadays to the point where I’m ok with not going to church. This is a long story relating to the death of a friend. Maybe later.
49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Let’s go with plain ol’ START a career and clear off the slate and try for a new, real, mature relationship. Oh, that’d be nice.
50. Just how OLD are you?
Have you been paying attention? This was already answered.
