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Noncho

Please do not call it a poncho. This is an asymmetrical shawl. At least that's what my friend in Chicago told me when she proudly showed me her first knitted creation.

"So, that's not a poncho?" I asked, trying not to burst out laughing.
"No, it's an asymmetrical shawl," she replied. "I don't like the word poncho."
"I see - so it's a Non-cho?" I snarked. "I get it."
"No! It's a shawl," she cried. I nodded, she smiled and started to walk away.

"Whatever Non-cho."
 Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | Sunday, October 31, 2004 at Sunday, October 31, 2004 | |  

Spooky, spooky, spooky

I love the Halloween – not so much for the dressing up and begging, but more for the opportunity to watch dozens and dozens of scary movies. God do I love a good (and frankly, a not-so-good) horror movie.

I have no idea where I got it from. It’s like being liberal or liking spicy food – I’m the only one in the family.

Anyway, if you too enjoy the spooky and scary, you might want to hit the video store tonight (if you did not already plan ahead with your Netlfix) to pick up a couple of movies.

Over on RogerEbert.com (I heart Ebert), there’s a nice essay about four overlooked horror films that are now out on DVD. Sadly, Rog didn’t write it – but the list is still valid.

Sidebar - Did I mention I heart Ebert? (I hearted him even more when I read about the crossing of literary swords he’s been having with Lord Black. Seriously, just because you’re a Lord doesn’t mean you should engage with Ebert – you’re going to lose man!)


Anyway, I think it’s worth mentioning a few others – you probably know about some, but others are a bit lesser known.

The Classics:
The Haunting – a tremendously atmospheric spinetingler. The movie had a horrible remake a few years ago – avoid it at all costs. I think Ray Wise’s original is spooky and if you watch it in a dark house you’ll get creeped out.

House on Haunted Hill – I think this is a fine Vincent Price/William Castle collaboration – equally funny and dark, with a few good “jump moments” you can enjoy this classic again and again. (For the record, avoid the remake like the plague.)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051744/

The Changeling – Another great haunted house movie, I think this movie is probably the creepiest of the three. George C. Scott hasn’t made a lot of horror flicks, but this thriller/ghost story is as compelling as it is spooky. (I’d also make the argument for renting the underrated, Exorcist 3, starring George. If you ignore the whole “Exorcist” angle, it’s not a bad flick and it’s a quietly creepy film with disturbing imagery.)


The Gross
You know about Wes Craven, John Carpenter and Peter Jackson’s grosses movies: Nightmare on Elm Street, The Thing, and Dead Alive(respectively) however you might want to try something a little different.

Everyone is talking about the new Asian horror wave - and they're right, the Koreans and the Japanese have absolutely pushed horror films into a new realm. Those people aren't wrong. But I say hit the video store and look for anything made in the 70s by Italian directors.

People like Fulci, Bava and Argento excelled at making garish films in the Guginol style with over-the-top effects.

I think Fulci personally perfected the squishing eyeball which I believe appears at least once in every movie (it’s his signature, like John Woo and those doves). And Bava's works influenced everyone in Italy and across the world - you can see his influence in more recent works like Pitch Black. And of course, he brought a bit of S&M to his most saturated, technicolor works.

Argento’s masterpiece, Suspira, is his most coherent and watchable film. Let’s just say he’s one who prefers style over plot, but this time they almost kind of merge.

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By: Alyssa | Friday, October 29, 2004 at Friday, October 29, 2004 | |  

No matter what you say

In the interests of fairness - I present Macaroni (left) and Peanut (right). Together they fight crime, poop their pants, and make a mess. I would not want anyone else on my team. Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | Thursday, October 28, 2004 at Thursday, October 28, 2004 | |  


Thank you! Goodnight! Seriously. I can't turn this into the "look at these freaking cute kids blog," but it's tempting. Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Thursday, October 28, 2004 | |  


I think they look like old men having a heated discussion that quickly came to a halt when them both started spontaneously napping.Also - don't ask me to tell you which one is which, cause....I do not think I know. My guess is Jay is on the left and Bran is on the right. Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Thursday, October 28, 2004 | |  

Gavin

Gavin and his mom sat in the seat behind me on the plane from Boston to Chicago. I’d say Gavin was about 4.

I sat next to the human elbow – in my side – the entire flight. But that’s a different (less interesting) story.

Things went okay. I napped for about 15 minutes until the airline steward decided to wake me up to give me some pretzels. Gee, thanks lady.

Then I read the crappy techno thriller I picked up a few days earlier. (I can do another whole entry about my new-found love of cheesy techno thrillers. I heart them so!)

I was having an enjoyable if uneventful flight. Gavin was chattering away the whole time, in his squeaky kid voice. He’d say stuff like “twee” and “afwaid”. I thought he might be faking it. But I’m cynical.

Just as I was settling down to an exciting jungle chase I felt this sudden jolt. Gavin was closing the seat-table behind me. Okay, no big. You’ve got to do it sometime and I’ve been known to jostle people.

But it didn’t stop with once. Gavin apparently found it very entertaining to open and close his tray – slamming my seat over and over again. I let this go on for a few minutes, figuring his mother would say something. Even the elbow was getting a little indirect jostling. I waited a few more minutes, because I wasn’t totally convinced Gavin’s mom would do nothing.

I was wrong.

After about 20 or so minutes of this – I started looking around, like “Gee, what is that jostling all about?” I hoped Gavin’s mom would get a clue.

Nope.

Finally, after about 30 minutes I turned around and spoke to his mother.

“Hi,” I smiled to Gavin’s mom.
“Hi,” Gavin’s mom replied.
“I don’t know what he’s doing,” I said, still smiling. “But he’s kicking my seat or something. He needs to stop.”
Gavin’s mother gave me the “How dare you!” look. I sneered at her, turned around and sat down again.

The elbow seemed relieved that I intervened.

I heard Gavin’s mom gently chastise Gavin. He started to get all weepy. But then the overly-attentive steward arrived and presented him with some pretzels. I continued to get the “look” from Gavin’s mom and the flight attendant.

Whatever.

This is why I don’t have kids. Cuddles, stop asking when.

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By: Alyssa | Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at Wednesday, October 27, 2004 | |  

Faking it like a fan

So the Red Sox are in the World Series and they beat the dreaded Yankees. (For the record, I do not dread them – but I hear they’re Boston’s arch-rivals/enemies.) I guess it’s a really big deal.

Well, I know it’s a big deal because I hear about it EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY.

In the past week I have watched not one, not two, but three games. I only watched one completely (with my Dad), bailing on the other two because baseball is really, really slow and incredibly boring (to me). I’d prefer to watch something where stuff blows up or someone slept with someone else’s brother or whatever.

I have also learned a lot about the Red Sox, despite my best efforts to ignore them (in fairness, they ignore me back). I know theyir names and their weird hairdos and their strange rituals. We reside in the same city, but I’m starting to wonder if this town is big enough for the both of us.

To make nice with the natives, I’m faking like I’m interested when needed. For example, the residents of the area are very interested in chatting about the game all the time. I have my standard questions responses.

“Boy, these late games are killing me.”
or
“What time does the game start tonight?”
or
“Wow, Schilling is just a workhorse.”

These three comments, especially if you can combine two into a paragraph seem to be just enough to get you by with most folks. It’s a lot like knowing how to order a beer and find the bathroom in a foreign country – you’ll be amazed how far it gets you.

But one thing I’ve noticed about Red Sox fan (I hear they are a nation!) vs. non-Red Sox fans is how they watch the game. I think >Rob Corddry summed it up best – the fans are cautiously optimistic.

But they are not overly confident that the Red Sox will win. For example, I was in Chicago last week with several colleagues from the Boston office. We watched the game at Harry Caray’s bar. The Chicagoans watched the game and kind of lost interest after the second or third inning when the Sox were up like 6 over the Yankees.

The Boston fans could not lose interest and they were visibly tense. Basically, you watch they leading and hope they can continue to fend off the opponent. Everyone else is like, “The Sox will probably win, and I’ll watch something else.”

The tension for the Sox fan is so great that they’re not totally sure that the game is “in the bag” until the last pitch (if even then).

I can’t believe that something so slow and boring (to me) can be so tense – but it is. I’ve seen it myself.

For now, I’m resigned that for at least another few days people will be tense and freaked out. They’ll be stressed about baseball. I’ll be stressed about the elections. I guess the people of Boston and I are both looking to reverse the curse.

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By: Alyssa | Tuesday, October 26, 2004 at Tuesday, October 26, 2004 | |  

Twice as nice

Twins!

Honestly, they're cute - you don't have to deny it. I know. Okay, they do kinda look like little old men. But cute, little old men!

Both are home. Probably sleeping if I had to guess. Or possibly eating. Or maybe pooping. You can't ever tell with those two. Scroll down and see the pictures.

I'll also be posting more on my adventures in Chicago and Indy. Oh the stories I have.

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By: Alyssa | Monday, October 25, 2004 at Monday, October 25, 2004 | |  


Brandon again - he was really tired. But he's a good eater when you wake him up. That's usually my job - either I wake them up taking their picture or with my poking. It's been my official job now for 4 of 6 babies. Sweet! Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Monday, October 25, 2004 | |  


This is Jay with his eyes open. You can see that he's still hooked up to all kinds of fun monitors and stuff, but that's just to keep an eye on him. And he was sprung from the NICU with his brother on Sunday, just 5 days after they were born. Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Monday, October 25, 2004 | |  


Brandon - he's a little smaller, but still has mighty lungs. Also completely zonked. Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Monday, October 25, 2004 | |  


Jaylen - he's totally passed out. Cute, huh? Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Monday, October 25, 2004 | |  

Adventures on the Red Line

So I was in Chicago. Okay – Chicago friends, do not get mad. I’m sorry, I kept it under my hat because I was swamped with meetings; with a quick family visit with Cuddles, the Kids and Life Coach BIL; then I flew south to Indy for big baby fun. See, it was hard?

I rode the El down to my sister’s house on Thursday. Now I’ve been reading, with interest, some hilarious articles about adventures on the El.

Anyway, I had my own adventure. The ride down was uneventful. Well, it was eventful – but low-key. Mostly it was just a gorgeous evening, a fast ride and a great way to see the city. All for a $1.75!

I left Cuddle’s house around 9ish, still early enough to ride the El back to my hotel. I climbed on, found a seat and headed north. Somewhere around… Loyola, things started to get a little dicey. Some gigantic dudes got on the train and sat very close to me. They were talking to the woman behind me, giving her hell. Note – they also reeked of like, somewhere around 500 metric tons of liquor. Gah.

They weren’t bothering me and I wasn’t bothering them. But then they figured out the chick was married or something; they started scanning the car for other marks. And all eyes went to red hair apparently. It’s good and bad to be a redhead. You are recognizable and easy to spot in a crowd. Of course, those things work against you when you’re a beacon for belligerent drunks.

So it began.
HEY RED.
Kee-rist.
I’m evaluating my options. It’s Chicago, so I’m on my own. I’ve learned that women in Chicago are more likely to come to your rescue than men. However, there were not a lot of women and these guys were approximately the size of a small building. I figured the fastest and easiest way is to just hop off at the next exit and head to another car.

For the record, in living in Chicago for six years and riding the train regularly at all hours – I had never had a problem. Well one time, but it was pretty low-key. Anyway, this is problem two in like eight years.

So the train stops, I hop off – giant dudes stay on and I get caught in a big crowd. I back up a bit and bide my time, waiting for the next train. In a few seconds, the train pulls away and the platform empties. Down the way, several hundred feet, I can see a man with a backpack. Considering we’re close to campus it’s not unusual or anything. I sit and wait for a few minutes. I sense he’s getting closer. Then I hear him.

He’s ranting. And quickly it becomes apparent that he’s raving. To no one. It’s just him, and me and he’s having a very heated argument – with lots of yelling and cursing – with someone I cannot see.

WHY DO YOU DO IT THEN? WHY DO YOU DRAG YOURSELF HERE EVERY DAY? TELL ME! ANSWER ME!

He rails against the empty sky. I sit quietly, trying not to actively participate in his delusion. But I start to chuckle a bit. Just like me to go out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Luckily another couple of people showed up. They started walking past me; they were about 4 feet away when the Lunatic starts ranting again. They quickly turn and walk back to me. I smile at them. They smile back.

It’s just another Thursday night in Chicago.


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By: Alyssa | Sunday, October 24, 2004 at Sunday, October 24, 2004 | |  

Baby, Baby

So the twins were born on Wednesday. My sister, Peeper, had a C-section after a full-day of excruciating labor. I figure that C-section came about a day late, but whatever - everyone is fine and healthy.

Brandon is smaller - he's 4 pounds, 13 ounces and Jaylen is 5 pounds 4 ounces. They're both about 19 inches long which is long for kids that were a little over a month early. So instead of being turkey babies they're Halloweenies. They've got lots of black hair and aren't too wrinkly - they're pretty cute. Also, they've got mighty lungs. I fear for their mother in the coming months. Seriously, lungs.

I'll post pictures on Monday when I'm back in Boston (the city that goes from zero to riot in less than 10 minutes).

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By: Alyssa | Saturday, October 23, 2004 at Saturday, October 23, 2004 | |  

I Noodle You

I was watching TV the other night – flipping around, wondering what lame thing I could watch on a Monday when I saw a listing on my cable guide for the Okie Noodling documentary.


Huzzah – great day! I can see the dudes who do something that the fine folks at King of the Hill referred to last season as “catfisting”. (From the episode the Redneck on Rainey St.)

Yep, these men fish in swamps, creeks, and rivers for 80 pound catfish with their bare hands.

I thought I’d be in for a night of hilarious laughs. And while there are some genuinely funny moments, I was more struck by the evident pathos of the film. This is a way of life – albeit their sporting/recreational life – for these men. And it’s a dying artform that has been passed down from father to son for several generations.

Throw the movie in your netflix queue, it’s not something you’re going to see everyday.

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By: Alyssa | Wednesday, October 20, 2004 at Wednesday, October 20, 2004 | |  

Babywatch - again!

Apparently today or tomorrow will be the big day. It's very exciting around the ol' Boehm homestead as we'll be waiting for babies and my step-mother is having the gastric by-pass surgery. Oh yes, we're working out our Blue Cross cards this week.

I'm thinking about getting some shots or something so that I can also participate.

Instead, I'm flying back to the land of corn and babies to visit babies (they better be here by then), hang with my sister Cuddles in Chicago, and do some excellent work with my fine Northshore colleagues. Sometimes they forget what I look like, so I have to leave the Boston confines and travel west.

But more about babies - the twins are clocking in over 5 pounds, so they're probably in pretty good shape for post-birth adventures. We're hopeful they won't have to go to NICU for any real period of time. My sister is more than ready to deliver, but apparentlyt the babies are not - so she's being induced this morning. I voted for a C-section, why not get it over with? But I'm not a doctor and no one cares about my opinion.

Except you dear readers. And for that - I thank you. All three of you.

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By: Alyssa | Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at Tuesday, October 19, 2004 | |  

That city that never sleeps

Some might think it's NYC - but last night, apparently, it was Boston. This morning, the city had quite a hangover. Apparently everyone (except me) stayed up late to watch the game.

I have exactly zero interest in baseball. But I have empathy for the hapless Sox fans who watch their team struggle. It's better than thinking about the war in Iraq or how almost 2 million more Americans are living in poverty or about the looming deficit or even about the looming election fiasco.

Nope. I'm with you. For tonight, it's baseball.

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By: Alyssa | Monday, October 18, 2004 at Monday, October 18, 2004 | |  

Jon Stewart Goes Nuts

I'm so sad that I missed this. Thank God for the Interweb - I'm able to recreate the entire event in the comfort of my home office, which is really nice because it smells like wood in here.

Anyway, if you hadn't heard - Jon was a guest on Crossfire and went after the lame-o hosts. Good for him. You can find some interesting transcripts of the event at CNN or read the highlights at Media Matters.

If you've got the high-speed Interweb, you can watch the video clip highlights. Or visit Wonkette's site for a fine collection of alternative viewing locales. They are all delicious.

Mr. Stewart, I salute you.

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By: Alyssa | Sunday, October 17, 2004 at Sunday, October 17, 2004 | |  

Fashion Police

I hate the poncho. It's a horrible fashion trend. It's like wearing a tablecloth or a curtain. It's not good for you. It's not flattering. It's not practical.

Cuddles - do not buy a poncho!

Ahem.

I do enjoy covering the poncho count daily when my husband picks me up from the T station in Harvard Square. It's the favorite topic of discussion during the short drive to our apartment. Last week I had a record high 9 ponchos. Yesterday I spotted a hideous fashion abomination: Ugg botts, shorts, and poncho worn by a short blonde woman with big Jackie O sunglasses. Hideous.

My friend EK in LA (that rhymes!) told me she sees it all the time. Do not yield to the horrors of the poncho! It is not the new black.

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By: Alyssa | Thursday, October 14, 2004 at Thursday, October 14, 2004 | |  

Clammy

I’m at the end of my gross cold cycle, which has lasted almost a whole week. Fun!

Right now I’m kinda clammy and a little sweaty. It’s very attractive. I’m pale and no amount of product can change that fact. Plus my hair is doing the weird red frizz/fro thing – so I look like a zombie Li’l Orphan Annie.

That’s kinda funny.

Heh.

I did learn some important things while I was sick. I haven’t had a nasty cold in a while – so I’d forgotten important things like:
The cat snores like a mo’fo and she is not allowed to take naps with me. Although, she really, really likes to take naps with me. Plus she’s warm.

Also the cat grooms herself really, really loudly. Seriously. Get a room, cat!

I have to give my husband very specific directions about what cold medicine to buy or he’ll come home with liquid Robitussin. I hate the taste of cough medicine and I’m a grown up and I don’t have to take it. That’s why we have the gel caps.


And I learned important things like:
I love tea, but after like 4 or 5 days, I hate it.

Same for chicken soup.

And toast.

Also juice.

Vincent Price movies do not aid in the recovery process directly, however they do not hurt.

I live with the world’s loudest quiet man – he’s most loud when trying to be quiet.

I sound like a scary man when I have a cold. Really scary.

I think some things are really funny when I have a cold.

Your inner ear is important for balance.

Do not mix cold meds and fire.

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By: Alyssa | Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at Wednesday, October 13, 2004 | |  

Babywatch

So my sister, Peeper, is very close to delivery - the twins are getting anxious and she's been having contractions for a couple of days. Apparently they're ready to be born, although not quite ready because they're not here yet. I expect she'll blow in the next few days.

I just saw a picture and blow is the term you'd use. Holy mother, she's like a house. A house of babies.

Fountains of Wah

My little sore throat turned out to be a cold. I've been in bed since...Friday night. It's been excellent. I did drag my butt out of bed on Sunday because I thought I was feeling better - but turns out it was a false alarm.

I missed seeing a free Fountains of Wayne show with my lovely friends, the Marrieds. I missed out on a gorgeous weekend. I missed out on some cool movies at the Harvard Film Archive. I totally just... missed out.

The weirdest part of my cold is that I've really avoided taking cold medicine. It makes me feel really drunk and I hate it. That's not a typo. Here's the thing, feeling drunk when you feel bad is not fun. It's hard. And I get paranoid that I'll set the house on fire or pass out in the shower or something.

Anyway, I was taking half doses because I was so weird and drunk-like from simple over-the-counter cold meds. I couldn't sleep but was really tired - so I'd just lay and stare. And get really fixated on something random, like old episodes of Soap. Man, that show was funny!

Meanwhile, my beloved is out of sorts without me dragging him around on the weekends. I left him to his own devices as I spent quality time on the couch watching SpongeBob and reading a trashy novel. I'm not sure what he did all weekend, but I do know that he now owns a shirt with French cuffs.

Or should I say Freedom cuffs? I love Columbus Day sales.

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By: Alyssa | Monday, October 11, 2004 at Monday, October 11, 2004 | |  

Blabbermouth

Anyone who has met my husband usually says he's quiet. He is, at first. When he gets to know you and you get to know him he's really chatty.

But he's like a skittish pet or a kid - he takes a little while to warm up to someone new.

Of course, this flies in the face of my behavior. I'm pretty chatty. I'll talk to anyone about anything. Unless I don't. But that's usually an experiment. Around me, it's hard to get a word in edgewise.

So today I have a little bit of a sore throat. Nothing major - in fact I feel totally fine otherwise, but my throat is sore. So I'm not talking much. This is deeply unnerving to my husband. He's been chattering for the past hour while I made dinner (this might be a personal record - I've made dinner four nights this week!).

When he figured out I wouldn't be doing much more than smiling a big and nodding, he went away. I was quickly reminded of an article I read a few months ago on Slate - a woman who conducts social experiments that readers send in did a 48 hour vow of silence. It was unnerving to her family too.

A little rest, a little tea and a little honey - I expect tomorrow I'll be back in full form. For now, I'm enjoying the peace and quiet.

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By: Alyssa | Thursday, October 07, 2004 at Thursday, October 07, 2004 | |  

If you're going to vote

You should vote if you have some information, are informed (see information), and have made up your mind. I don't do a lot of overtly political writing, so we'll see what happens.

I would say you should not vote if you don't know anything, and you're voting because some dude on E! is wearing a Vote or Die t-shirt. But that's not fair - you're over 18, you're a citizen, it's your right and you may exercise it as you will. I'd prefer that you have some ideas and have made some decisions, but I guess... well, you can't look a gift voter in the mouth.

Anyway, I'm a lefty. A liberal. A pinko. A tree-hugger. A feminazi. Whatever. Yep - that's me. I'm so crazy with my centrist, Midwestern sensibilities about good schools, a decent environment, reasonable taxes and responsible fiscal spending, the government staying the hell out of my bedroom, and not legislating what I can and cannot do with my body. I like the Constitution and I even know what the amendments mean - like the 4th amendment, it's all about illegal search and seizure. Ooooh, fear me. I'm insane with my college-educated thinking!

Ahem.

I've saw a quick throwaway headline on the news last week that men overwhelmingly support Bush, but that women are split. I think women may decide the election. So, if that's the case you should know some things that affect you directly.

For example, if you think that it's important that abortion remain a safe and legal medical procedure in the United States, you might want to think about who you choose in the polling booth. According to a recent survey, as many as 31 states would seriously limit or outlaw abortion procedures if Roe vs. Wade were overturned by the Supreme Court. (Just as an aside, allowing for the option of abortion to exist in the world does not mean that you personally have to have one - contrary to popular thinking.)

Maybe you're pro-life. That's fine - I can understand that position. But maybe you like having the right to use and enjoy birth control pills or other contraceptive devices. But with a new bill that's just moved through the House pharmacists and doctors have will have the legal right to deny you access to legal, FDA-regulated and approved medication and procedures because of their personal beliefs.

Perhaps you do not use BC, but for those of us who do - well, it's scary. This bill (it's not a law yet) doesn't just apply to things like the "Morning After" pill - it could be something like my beloved Seasonale. Do you want someone behind the counter deciding what you can and cannot have access to, based on his/her whims?

If you find this legislation and these trends unnerving, upsetting or outrageous - you should remember this when you vote.

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By: Alyssa | at Thursday, October 07, 2004 | |  

Desperate Housewife

I’m not really a housewife, as I log more office hours per week than my husband. And desperation isn’t really my bag either.

However, I did get in touch with my inner Martha this week – I can’t say it’s a role that I relish. But sometimes being old-school wifey is a necessary evil.

So far this week I have:
Roasted a turkey
Painted old radiators
Baked a cake (white chocolate cake with a dark chocolate ganache)
Made a mushroom gallette
Made tuna noodle casserole (see, old school)
Scraped old paint off of walls
Patched said walls
Painted said walls (2 coats!)
Had furniture delivered
Vacuumed everything I possibly could
Swept away yet more spiders
Scrubbed the bathtub within an inch of its life (well, former life)

It’s only Wednesday.

I’m not sure where this sudden inspiration came from. I have some suspicions – this apartment is not nearly as swanky as our previous place, so I wanted to spruce it up. And we’re running out of time to do such things easily (seriously, winter could happen any time out here). I have dreams of having a party soon.

Plus I came to the conclusion that if we want to buy a house next year we need to do a lot more eating in and much less dining out. I love the dining out because I’m just too tired to cook. Or too lazy. Or both. And while Deeps is many things, a cook is not one of them. But he does the laundry, which is something I’m loath to do. Plus he cleans up afterwards, so cooking is less of a chore.

And I ran the numbers on the amount of money we spend eating out per month. It's almost 4 digits long. That doesn't include the cents either.

With that in mind, I grabbed my two easiest cookbooks (The Cake Mix Doctor and The Dinner Doctor) and set to work making a menu, a grocery list, and a meal plan for the week. That’s when I felt my most-Martha like. Except I’m pretty sure when she does it she’s not wearing her old Yoga pants and a t-shirt with a stain on it.

At least, not prior to her arrival in West Virginia.

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By: Alyssa | Wednesday, October 06, 2004 at Wednesday, October 06, 2004 | |  


Yaay! Sofa! Chair! Coffee Table! And look - I already bought some sassy new pillows! Oh the magic of vacuuming and new furniture. Take that extreme home makeover! Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | Tuesday, October 05, 2004 at Tuesday, October 05, 2004 | |  


This is my living room before - well, it's after I gave away the couch and all I had left was a chair and a footstool. Deeps and the cat fought over this chair for two weeks. The arrival of the new furniture cannot happen soon enough. Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Tuesday, October 05, 2004 | |  


This is the Dana kitty - note that she's got the glassy eyes and behind her you'll see lots of cat nip. That's how I've lured her to use the cat (dog) bed. Diabolical. Posted by Hello

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By: Alyssa | at Tuesday, October 05, 2004 | |  

The big day

The couch is arriving today. Along with the chair and the coffee table - it's very exciting.

I've taken the day off work to accept the delivery. They should be here within the next three hours. In the meantime, I've made myself busy in the bathroom doing some light plastering and painting.

The handyman henchman was supposed to come over yesterday to do some light electrical work (replacing an old outlet), repair the shower head plate, and repair and paint the walls in the bathroom. Exactly none of these things happened. He said he couldn't do it again until next week - I'm leaving the shower fixture repair to him, but we installed the electrical box last night and I'm going to town on the walls this morning. I already have bits of plaster in my hair. I'm hot!

The biggest benefit of being raised by a somewhat sexist man (he's really eased up over the years, but you know - this was the 70s and 80s) was that he treated all us girls the same way he'd treat boys. He also taught us stuff - like changing a tire, doing some light rewiring, light plumbing, a little carpentry, painting, etc. I'm surprisingly handy for a renter. I own my own tools. In fact, all the tools in the house (with the exception of Deeps' Swiss Army knife) are mine and were picked out by me.

I've learned more over the years because I've lived in crappier apartments than my sisters - so I was in the lead for a while. But then they all purchased homes so they've leapfrogged my skills. They have done tile work, floor installation, and more complicated repairs.

I'm still perfecting my spackling skills.

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By: Alyssa | at Tuesday, October 05, 2004 | |  

Undecided?
So I missed the debates. I slept through them actually– apparently my lack of sleep over the past week resulted in a spontaneous coma. I woke up around 3 a.m. confused and freaked out when I realized that I was still wearing glasses, was propped up with pillows and had a book over me. My husband just leaves me like that – what a prince.

Anyway, I slept the sleep of the dead.

But a lot of people watched these debates, including a group of 12 undecided voters that were interviewed by the local news station here in MA. I missed a good deal of the televised report, but I did catch the most important part. Of the 12 people who watched the debate, only 3 had been able to make a decision afterwards.

Seriously?

I didn’t even watch the debates and I’d made up my mind. One of the people said she didn’t really know enough. That’s for sure sister – I’m guessing you also don’t know enough to drive either.

Apparently I’m not alone in this thinking. Some people think you're doing it for attention. How sad.

Look, I don’t care whom you vote for. (Okay I care – but I’m not going to say you should do this or you should do that. That’s what the Government and Fox News are for).

It’s your choice. However, there’s not really a shortage of information available about the candidates. Have you heard of Google? Do you read a paper? Magazine? How about watch the news? The Daily Show? Anything? Hello?

It’s a month before the election and you still do not know. Really? Not even a leaning? One guy has been in office for four years – hasn’t he done enough stuff so that you might know if you agree with him or not?

Kerry and Bush are flying all across the country on a daily basis giving speeches and talks and outlining their ideas. They’re doing it all for you, undecided. I’m pretty sure you’re not going to decide. What if there’s a sale at the Gap that day. You might miss out.

I've included a lot of links in this entry. Click away and go visit some sites and figure some stuff out. Make sure that you're registered to vote.

If you can’t make a decision by say – let’s say a week from today – then you probably should not vote. You should probably start thinking about whether or not you’re going to have mashed potatoes or macaroni for Thanksgiving. I figure 6 weeks should give you enough time to make up your mind.

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By: Alyssa | Friday, October 01, 2004 at Friday, October 01, 2004 | |