At Least One Of Us Has Moved On

I accidentally found a piece written about me by my college boyfriend's sister, recently. Ouch.

I'm not sad that her opinion of me is crummy or that she saw me as a monster, because if I'm honest with myself I know I was. Her story is definitely biased, but it's only biased in the sense that that was the me that she knew. Save for the tidbit about the scarf. I don't know why she thought I threw away his "$150 cashmere scarf" that she had scoured the city for because I had "knit him one that Christmas," only because the Christmas she's referring to was two years before I learned to knit, so I question the integrity of all of her facts. I don't remember throwing away a scarf. I remember college boyfriend being really careless with his shit, though. I've forgotten most of the details, but reading her words was refreshing in that it gave me an accurate insight into my character at the time, but is was shoddy when it comes to actual factual events.

Anyway, the issue here is that she knew me as a "walking scowl", and I couldn't have made that impression more strongly had I actually disliked her the first time I met her. And honestly if there is a bunch of people whose bad opinion of me really doesn't bother me, it's that whole family. Her story about my "just desserts" (i.e. her brother dumping me...worst punishment, ever!) is only funny because she clearly still sees me as that person; because she wrote it as if, by god, I should heed her words or continue to be treated the way her brother and his family treated me FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. DUN DUN DUN. It was downright hilarious. It's not like I had no idea I was this big crazy bitch back then. Plus it's good to know that while my anger was obviously wasted—as all anger is—my suspicions of their hatred weren't signs of paranoid schizophrenia. I smile a lot more now that I have a boyfriend who loves me and friends who I actually acknowledge (who love me, too).

It was because of college boyfriend's family, mostly, that I was terrified to pieces when I first met J's family. My experience with the cb's family had been so mind-numbingly terrible—so much like driving an ice pick through my eyeballs—I was convinced that no one's mother could ever love me and that I was doomed to be seen as a "walking scowl" forever. I don't dispute that over the years my attitude grew worse, but I know that I did say thank you the first time I met them. I was, though, and am still painfully shy, so I probably didn't come off as grateful. They also scared the crap out of me; they were overbearing and overwhelming and just plain scary the whole time, and they mostly kept to themselves when they weren't being nice to the point of insincerity.

Two significant things changed after college. First, that it's important to me that my boyfriend has a good relationship with his mother, and J has an excellent relationship with his. Secondly, more importantly, his relationship to me is one of love and trust that we have built over the years by ultimately being kind to each other. It is his unquestioning faith in my goodness that makes me want to be a better person. I am still crazy, and I am still mean-spirited and judgmental sometimes, but J knows how to diffuse it, and he knows when and how to step up and be a man about it, which is precisely why I am putty in his hands. It's also why I don't have to resort to silly antics or petty jealousy just to get him to stay.

The crucial ingredient missing back then was maturity on everyone's part (mine, yes. Absolutely. But his especially. And his family? Yikes), which is why it made me sad to see her holding onto that anger for such a long time—enough to post about it online, anyway, and without a hint of irony. I have no delusions about the impression I made, and although they'd be the last people to believe me, I have a few stories about how woefully ungracious he was to my family the first time he met them, too.

Anyway, the long and short of it is this: a lot of bad things happened in my college relationship. Mostly it was because we were the worst fit that two people could probably be. And I never wonder what would have happened if I might have been more gracious—more like myself—when I first met them. Losing him was the best thing that ever happened to me, and prolonging the end of that misery would have actually ruined my life. I've made some mistakes in my time, but the length and significance of that relationship in my life was probably the biggest.

And with this story, another chapter of that time in my life is closed forever. Sometimes I wish that my slate had been clean before I met J, but I realize that our relationship wouldn't be as rich and purely happy as it is if I hadn't made those mistakes. They're mine, and for better or for worse, they've shaped me. I figured out what happiness and love are when you don't try to force them. I'm not saying that's worth a hundred ex-boyfriends of that caliber, but to end up being with someone like J it has certainly been worth the journey it took to get here.

United Airlines Sucks. But I Guess That's Not News.

While I was typing up my complaints to the BBB about my recent nightmare trip to El Paso with United Airlines, I stumbled across this video. It's catchy and it's cute, but I'm still too angry with the way United jerked me around to laugh about it. Maybe I'll laugh about it when I finally get my luggage back (oh, yes, they "misplaced" it on the outgoing and return flights! United, FTW).

Odosketch

A friend of mine emailed me this really cute sketch from the site odosketch, which is a flash based drawing application that then replays your sketch for you. She sent me this really cute sketch that is now my desktop background




Also, I sent out the last of my holiday cards this morning, and I downloaded *the pattern* for this beautiful box for one of our Christmas gifts from this website, here:


I'd say it's been a productive morning!

Things I Love Thursday: Anniversary Edition

Three years feels like such a long time ago. We've both grown so much in that time—and it's so amazing to know that I'm growing with someone. J grounds me. He stays calm when I cannot, and he's strong and confident and so smart—and look at how smoking hot he is!

I love him because he makes me laugh out loud, daily. He makes even the most mundane tasks seem fun.

I love him because he makes me see beauty in myself. It is because of him that I try to be a better person. Whenever I am angry or sad, he is there to remind me that the world isn't all pain and suffering.

I love him because everywhere we go together is an adventure, even if we're just people watching in Harvard Square.

I love him because I smile every morning when I wake up with him and every evening when he comes home to me.

To me, home is J's heart and hands.

Three Years

Our three year anniversary is coming up—this Thursday, in fact. To celebrate, we're having dinner at Houston's, courtesy of a very generous Christmas gift card we got last year.

I got this little bouquet of flowers last night at trivia, though, so that I'd be able to enjoy them for a few days before we leave for Texas. I guess J was going to give the flowers to the bartender before I arrived, so that they'd be there waiting for me, but he didn't want me sitting there all by myself with flowers for a half-hour.

There are three roses: one big one for this year and two little ones for the two years past (and some pine because the florist asked him if he'd like some holiday cheer in the bunch). I'm still smiling as I look at them sitting here on my desk. J is not one for flowers, but when he does them, he does them well.

Outdated Browser

I only thought this was funny because I'm using Chrome on my Mac, so it's not so much an "outdated browser," as mint.com needs to catch up with the times, already. The Chrome for Mac launch was so last week. GOSH.

Things I Love Thursday

{photo from photojojo.com}

This Instax instant camera by Fuji. I have had my eye on this thing for a while, now, but only recently has it occurred to me to spend some gift certificates I have on procuring this thing. I'm still about $50 shy of the camera, and then I'll still need film, but I'm on my way, and it will probably arrive about when I'm using the last of the Polaroid film in my freezer.

Boston breweries. I went to the Harpoon brewery with my friend Jon yesterday, and the Sam Adams brewery with Jessica on Saturday. Free beer? Sign me up. Not only do they allow you to taste a lot of beers you might not be able to readily find outside of the brewery, but straight from the brewery on tap is the best way to experience beer. Plus it's a cheap date.

My gocco printer. In the way of Polaroid, gocco has ruined many lives by ceasing production, but I'll get a few last runs out of her, yet. I am loco for gocco.

Strictly Game Covered by Dave Monks

{source}

I love this guy.

Ways I'm Going To Try to Have a Stress-Free Christmas

Make A List
Make a list of every person you need to buy a present for. Carry it with you wherever you go, and cross names off as you buy.

Set a Budget
Set a budget and stick to it. This way you won't get carried away.

Christmas Cards One Day At A Time
Write a little very day until around the 14th. Then you can mail out all of your cards at once.

Wrap As You Buy
Wrap your presents the night you get them home to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the task of wrapping all of your presents at once.

Shop Online
Make sure you account for shipping time, but shopping online is a great way to avoid the crowds. And the malls. Ugh.

Buy A Real Tree
This might not be for everyone, but the smell of pine in my house always calms me down and makes me feel festive. Maybe if you don't want to go all out and get a tree, you can buy a wreath. We don't have room for a tree this year, so I plan on getting a wreath for our living room.

Say No
You don't have to do everything. Learn to diplomatically say no.

Buy Batteries
Nothing like unwrapping the presents on Christmas Day and finding out you won't be able to use them until you can get to a store to buy batteries!

Watch Christmas Movies
My personal favorite is It's A Wonderful Life. My grandmother and I used to watch it together while we wrapped presents. I like seeing it at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, which has an old timey stage with curtains and everything. It's magical.

Take a Day Off
Once you've done all the shopping, wrapping and cards, take some time to unwind and do nothing.

Enjoy Yourself
Even if everything doesn't get done, the holidays should be about this above everything.

Depressing Unemployment Statistics via mintlife

This video that i saw on the Mint Personal Life Blog was a little bit depressing, a little bit enlightening, and incredibly depressing. I may have some leads on a few jobs, but right now, all I want to do is crawl under the covers and wake up in the spring.

The video is a little bit annoying, but you have to get to the end to get the point. However, there is a graphic on the post that shows the same information. Click on the image to make it larger:

Thrive Says So

Things I Love Thursday

This comic about how to design a website. The best part is that the whole thing is composed of things actual clients said to the guy. Oy!

I told you there would be more dachshunds to come:

{via Brian Hathcock's flickr page}

Las Vegas . I had a lot of fun in Vegas over Thanksgiving. J and his friends don't "do" Vegas like some people do, but I had fun, anyway, taking a lot of memories that I will hold near to my heart. Mostly memories of very inappropriate conversations and dirty playing cards, plus driving nearly all the way to the Hoover Dam before seeing the long line of cars, pulling a U-turn on the highway and going back.

twitter . I may have made a business contact just because of a simple tweet. If nothing comes of it, all it cost me was 140 characters and an email!

Fabulous Philippe Starck Watches

{Palindrome Too} {Tailgate}

These watches are so great, I think if I ever decide to start wearing watches again, I will probably get one of these! Too bad they're analog :)

Things I Love Thursday

Paper Source . I was buying paper to make retirement cards, and also found animal menu stamps. They will be helpful when I make my next set of wedding invitations! I've seen them all over the internet on bridal blogs, but never knew where I could get my own. I will probably use them now in one of my journals, just because I can.

Skinny Pants . I was finally brave enough to take the plunge, and I'm glad I did. They're super cute.

The weather . I rode my bike to Paper Source today, which is something I never thought I'd say in November. I wore a jacket, but not gloves, and by the time I came back, I'm not sure I really needed the jacket.

TWLOHA Day

"Two out of three people who struggle with depression never seek help...and untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide. In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression."

Untreated depression can lead to addiction, ruin relationships, and leave you unable to face everyday situations. Work suffers. Sleep suffers. Depression affects the way you eat, the way you feel about yourself, the way you treat other people. People who suffer from depression can't "just pull themselves together" and get over it. Clinical depression is not just "feeling blue." Left untreated, depression can last for years, and some people choose to deal with it by adopting addictions, turning to self-injury, or worse.

The good news is that depression is very treatable. Talk therapy, antidepressants, even diet and exercise can all be paths that lead away from clinical depression.

The Numbers

• 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression. (The World Health Organization)
• 18 million of these cases are happening in the United States. (The National Institute of Mental Health)
• Between 20% and 50% of children and teens struggling with depression have a family history of this struggle and the offspring of depressed parents are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression. (U.S. Surgeon General's Survey, 1999)
• Depression often co-occurs with anxiety disorders and substance abuse, with 30 percent of teens with depression also developing a substance abuse problem. (NIMH)
• 2/3 of those suffering from depression never seek treatment.
• Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. (NIMH)

*statistics all from TWLOHA site

How You Can Help

If you know anyone who suffers from depression, you might have faced the feelings of helplessness or fear that you might lose someone you love. While there are many things you can do, talking to them—reaching out, picking up the phone, sending an email—is the best thing you can do If you suffer from depression, make an appointment with a counselor. Find treatment. Call a hotline. Not only are you not alone, you don't have to go through this by yourself—you can find someone to guide you.

Some good places to start:

National Hopeline Network (U.S.A.) - www.hopeline.com – 1-800-SUICIDE
S.A.F.E. Alternatives - www.selfinjury.com – 1-800-DONTCUT (Self Abuse Finally Ends)
Childhelp – www.childhelp.org – 1-800-4-A-CHILD (National Child Abuse Hotline)
National Domestic Violence Helpline - www.ndvh.org – 1-800-799-SAFE
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - www.rainn.org – 1-800-656-HOPE (National Sexual Assault Hotline)
National Eating Disorders Association – www.nationaleatingdisorders.org – 1-800-931-2237

Today is To Write Love On Her Arms Day. To Write Love On Her Arms Day is a day when anyone can write the word love on their arms to support those who are suffering from depression and recovering from depression. So write love on your arms today and show it off. When people ask, you can tell them about To Write Love On Her Arms, and what they are doing for people with depression, addiction and pain. Buy a T-shirt. Make love the movement.

Things I Love Thursday

I didn't update last week because I had a craptastic week and was not loving anything very much. My nails are mostly gone (bitten away), but after a few conversations with J, I mostly worked through it. He had a craptastic week, too. It was really emotionally toxic in our apartment. Bleh.

Anyway, this week is looking a little better, but I think this will still be a short list:

Figuring Out Why Illustrator Hates Me . My option (alt) and my shift keys—my most used keyboard shortcuts—stop working All The Time. This has been an ongoing problem for months, and I couldn't figure out what was causing Illustrator to deny me my most precious shortcuts. I was literally banging my head on the desk at one point this week, due to excessive use of Illustrator. Anyway, turns out you can't run the Hulu desktop app and Illustrator at the same time. All this time I was trashing my preferences every time I shut down my computer, and yesterday I restarted it three times! I figured it out when someone on a forum mentioned that he has this problem when boxee is running in the background, so I immediately exited Hulu, and voilà! Keyboard shortcuts working, again! It was downright religious moment. I suppose I will have to listen to music in the background from now on, instead, which will probably improve my workflow. Bonus.

Pictures of Sleeping Puppies . The Dreaming of Puppies stream merged with the Daily Squee recently, and I was not amused. It's not that I don't think other animals are cute, just that I usually have over 1000 unread feeds in google reader on any given day, and this is why lolcats exist. If I had wanted to subscribe to all of the Daily Squee's content, I would have. Anyway, you can subscribe to just the dreaming of puppies stream here: http://dailysquee.com/category/dreaming-of-puppies/ And then all was right with the world. SLEEPING PUPPIES!

Sonic . J and I drove 15 miles out to the 'burbs so that we could eat at the first Sonic in MA (okay, I'm not sure if that's a fact, but it's certainly the first one within reasonable driving distance from us!). I had forgotten how wonderful cherry limeade slushes are. Sure, we both felt kind of gross after gorging ourselves on over 1000 calories of fast food that night, but tater tots! Also some teenagers let us go ahead of them, then showed us how to use the credit card machine. Teenagers? Nice? Sonic is a magical place.

Financial Freedom . I paid off my credit card today! I had a 0% APR offer from Capital One, which I took advantage of in order to buy my Mac on credit to pad some of my initial unemployment expenses (I had been saving for the computer, already, when I was let go). The offer lasted for one year, and after paying for school, textbooks, groceries, the balance was never $0. One month after the 9% APR kicked in, I paid off the whole thing. I knew that it was coming, but it still feels pretty damn good.

NextRX is the Suck—A Dissatisfied Customer

I got a phone call from my doctor's office yesterday, concerned about the "amount of asthma medication I've been using lately." I needed to set up an appointment ASAP to the tune of a $30 copay, so I could explain myself to my doctor.

My doctor knew about the "amount of asthma medication I've been using lately" because my pharmacy called her. The pharmacy I am obligated to use if I want to pay $50 instead of $75 every three months for my inhaler(s). I get one inhaler a month, twelve a year, three at a time. Enter NextRX.


For starters, they are a bitch to deal with. I can't find a list of medications they cover anywhere on their website, even though they point out their handy, easy to see link to print out covered medication. I go to their site through my health insurance provider's proprietary link, not to the NextRX website, so there should be a list of covered meds, but they refer me back to my insurance provider's website. Useless.

My second complaint is that they call. All the goddamn time. Any time a prescription is up for renewal, they call. And they call and they call. And they don't leave messages, because it is a moronic automatic system that can't even leave a voice mail. You can't opt for email, you can't opt out of the calls. Your only option is to get the phone calls. They always call at the worst time, i.e. during the week wasting my daytime minutes, every two hours until I answer and go through their automated routine. It's a machine. It can't work on weekends?

So because it's easier than writing a lengthy email to the company, I just refill the stupid prescriptions. It's better than having my phone ring incessantly. I guess I could say no, but then I have to remember to do it myself. It's not a big deal, but then I'd have to refill them even sooner than the machine calls, and the machine calls roughly halfway between the pre-order time and the refill time.

So they "snitched" on me to my doctor because I was refilling so "frequently." I don't know what they said to her, but my doctor was concerned even though my prescription hasn't changed in the four years I've been seeing her.

Am I using more medication than they want me to? I'm not using more than I've been prescribed. Do they not want to have to pay for it? I don't really think that's their call. What if I needed more than what I currently take? PS, my asthma is stress induced. THANKS, NEXTRX.

I called my doctor's office and told them I'm not paying $30 to let her listen to my chest for no reason and sort this out. Because even if I could afford it, it's a hassle to go out to Arlington, MA to see my doctor, and I only like to do it when I'm sick or need my yearly violation and prescription party.

I don't know what NextRX's problem is, but I'm not the only one who hopes that they all go to hell. Here's a webpage with some stories of really shitty things they've done across the country:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Pharmacies/NextRx/nextrx-wellpoint-wellpoint-n-ayw29.htm

Things I Love Thursday

My polarizing filter, which I finally figured out how to use • H&M for making such fabulous clothes • employee discounts at Macys (I will not abuse. I will not abuse. I will not abuse) • scarves, mittens and leg warmers • new business cards that say what I do! And were designed by me! • being a regular at trivia night - and now being applauded, hugged, or wolf whistled at by the bartender whenever I arrive • spinach quiche • this video of Sleepyhead by Passion Pit:

How I've Tried To Save Money

I've been talking about saving money a lot recently, and I figured I'd share some of the ways I have managed to do that. The biggest savings I have seen in recent months has been in school supplies. I searched high and low for an inexpensive binder for all of the materials my professor has been giving us, but ended up going with something at Target that was functional—I was looking at the start of the school year, of course, so I was left with the bare bones. A day later, while we were at the recycling center, J pointed me towards a whole box full of binders! They were basically brand new, and after cleaning them off, they were even better than the cheapo one I'd picked up at Target for nearly $4 (after taxes)! So here are some of the ways I've been saving:

• Getting binder from recycling center ($4)
• Finding my T-square at Goodwill. They usually run around $20, and the wood ones can be even more expensive, but we'll just say that after paying $7 for this barely used wood T-Square at Goodwill, I saved ($13)
  
• Getting my textbook from the library. I did end up purchasing it after reading it, deciding I'd use it long after the class was over, and getting a 25% off coupon from Borders.com. I also had it shipped to the store to save on shipping costs (they were out of stock at all of my local stores and amazon, so shipping was necessary). I ended up getting a $21 (at brick and mortar stores) $17 (online) book for $13 ($8 if for some reason I had needed to buy it Right Now at the store, $4 if I could have waited for shipping, but not a coupon).
  
• I use cereal boxes to ship things that I sell on half.com and ebay. They're sturdy, and we're going to recycle them, anyway. If I cut them correctly, I don't use that much tape, so the cost of supplies I might have to buy is negligible. To pad them, I use newspaper or packing materials from things we've had shipped. I doubt I've saved much (since you can usually get packing materials on the cheap with very little effort), but it also saves me a trip to the post office/store, and thins our recycling pile, which brings me to the next item:
  
• Buying my postage online. You can get free priority boxes delivered to your address (I usually only use cereal boxes when my stuff doesn't fit in these boxes). If you purchase priority shipping on usps.com and print it out yourself, you save 10¢, and you get free delivery confirmation, which is a savings of about 85¢ per box shipped. I still have to go to the post office if the package is too big for a mailbox drop, but it's a faster trip. (I've saved $4.25 in the past month)
  
• I downgraded my cell phone plan. I'm lucky enough not to be under contract, so I have some options that I can easily change on a month-to-month basis. I'm contemplating a change in carrier in the near future, but for now I determined I could save $5/month by downgrading my daytime minutes. I rarely use my phone at the moment, anyway. ($10 so far)
• Taking reusable bags to the grocery store. I usually need two bags, which gets us a 10¢ discount (5¢/bag). Since we've started cooking more, I've gone to this store about once a week, sometimes less sometimes more, but I'd say it averages once a week. It's kind of insignificant at 5¢ a bag, but over a year we end up getting $5 for doing something we are already doing. Our local Target has now implemented the same policy, which I think is a great reward for a habit we already have. (~$5 this year)
• Buying generic milk. We both drink different kinds of milk, but I buy half-gallons for us every week. The generic is not only 50¢ cheaper, it's equally sustainable as the name brand we used to buy. This will save us up to $52 in a year. ($4 so far)
  

So, $50 later, I thought it was worth documenting. There are lots of little things I do these days that don't take much of my time, but because I do have the time (and not the money) it's worth the extra effort to save a few dollars. I could further calculate things like making our own pizza, which I know for a fact saves a ton of money (as often as we eat pizza!), but I thought I'd stick to things I've consciously done in the last two months.

Even though I can't fathom the time when I can start markedly saving up again, I have some significant financial goals I'd like to reach sometime in the next five years. If I can learn to live like this when I have a more appreciable income, it will be so much easier.

Things I Love Thursday

This video from Improv Everywhere:

People breaking out into spontaneous song and dance? Count me in! I wish my life were a musical.

Getting great news . Good news is one thing, but getting news that makes me jump up and down and want to dance...well, it made my week is what.

The Tightwad Gazette . I got this book from the library and the lessons inside were pretty inspiring. It came into my life in a time when we really need to start cutting back, and while some of the methods she employs in the book are a bit extreme (read: "cheap" rather than "frugal"), the overarching lesson is great. It made me sit down and evaluate how to reach some bigger financial goals, even now that times are tight. You can get it here at Amazon, or pick it up at your library (funnily enough, buying the book goes against the whole purpose of the book :)

Glee . Glee is the best new show on TV. If you're not already watching it you should be. If you are, well, then you already know.

The Official Resume of Mac and Charlie

"Duties that include ordering supplies and taking care of business..."
"Mmmhmmm...TCOB."
"For several years, I've been in complete charge of pretty much everything in my life."
"I don't miss a beat."

Relevant because after a conversation we had yesterday about client relationships and freelancing and being my own boss, J said, "I know just the thing that you need," went over to his desk, grabbed the following newspaper clipping and taped it to my computer.

Things I Value More Than Money

Mental health . Being able to express my feelings in a healthy way, finding someone who can relate to me and sympathize with my problems, and being capable of addressing issues when they bother me. Seeking professional help when all of these options fail to make me feel better. Being free of anxiety and depression; feeling a sense of contentment and a zest for living life.

Physical health . Getting up and moving around every day. Not huffing and puffing when I walk up a flight of stairs. Eating better, exercising more, and making choices that will make me fitter, healthier and happier.

My relationship . Bringing someone else into my life who accepts me in a non-judgmental way. Someone who helps me grow, who supports me no matter what I want to do. Someone who I can open up to, who I can let into my whole world. Someone who knows the best and the worst and still wants to wake up next to me every morning.

Friends & family . People I care about who share my interests, whose relationships with me involve shared experiences. People who make my life richer and fuller just by being present.

Experiences . Interacting with people, seeing new things, facing my fears. The rush I get from experiencing something new and exciting isn't something I can buy.

Personal passions & hobbies . Activities that make me feel truly fulfilled, things that excite me and get me out of bed in the morning. Hopefully finding that seeking my passions can lead to a career, and eventually even making money doing something I love.

Personal Growth . When I look at how much money (and time) I've "thrown away" towards therapy, I remind myself how much I've reshaped and defined my life in the last two years. I have found many opportunities to grow as a person, to change my behaviors and my beliefs, to challenge my life's narrative and re-write a new story for myself. In my case, working to grow as a person has cost me a lot of money, and a few personal relationships as well. But knowing that I can change my outlook on the world for the better is invaluable.

Bicycles!

Here's a video about Idaho's "Rolling Stop" Law for cyclists. It is highly rational and educational about things like momentum and how a rolling stop is not "blowing through a stop sign."

Bicycles, Rolling Stops, and the Idaho Stop from Spencer Boomhower on Vimeo.

Also Here is an article from Slate about how to get cyclists to obey the traffic laws. Written by a cyclist, of course, and offering no new information, but still well written, presenting both the "vehicularist" and "facilitator" arguments towards cyclist traffic laws.

How to Work Out From Home

Gala Darling posted this video on her website today, and I couldn't stop laughing. This guy reminds me a lot of Charlie Day, or maybe more specifically his character in Always Sunny. You know, if Charlie had kids.

This weekend is going to be a cold one. Evidently we're going to be getting SNOW! Ack! Yeah, this is why I moved to the East Coast (seasons, y'all), but SNOW? In OCTOBER? Yeah, it's not supposed to stick or anything, but still. Stay warm, everyone.

Things I Love Thursday

This dog as a taco, which was in a link J sent me today. See more puppies dressed as food here.

Pub Trivia. I like that we now have more people coming to trivia. Not that it wasn't fun when it was just me and Jess, but more people means more answers. Usually. Sometimes.

Law and Order: SVU. I Can't. Stop. Watching. Thank you, Netflix.

Cute Squirrel Crashes Photo

I saw this image on cute overload, along with the explanation of why it's not photoshopped on the National Geographic blog.

What a great capture! So lucky.

Earplugs and Vodka

Today has been a test of my patience. Like, the SATs of patience. Upstairs neighbor walked around in his shoes for about 20 minutes this morning, then when he was taking a shower, stompy tried on some stiletto heels.

Then, the construction workers who are working on the house kitty-corner to our apartment building joined the chorus with their drilling and sledgehammering. That was fun.

So I came to the front of the house. And DPW started jack-hammering in the streets. Yey.

There was some peace for about two hours, but then stompy dragged a dead body down the stairwell did something so noisy in their stairwell (which is adjacent to the length of our apartment), I couldn't even imagine what was going on. Turns out she was sweeping. SWEEPING!

I know this post is going to come off as typical angry me, but the reason I even felt the need to write it down is that I think that today wasn't actually so bad. These things happened, almost consecutively, and for long enough to cause disruption in my work flow, but I got through them. If I'm not going to have a heart attack at 26, then I should probably learn how to let these things happen without my anger, because they're going to happen, anyway.

Every day is a new day. I would go upstairs and reintroduce myself to stompy, apologize and gift them a bottle of wine (and maybe some slippers), but that would require I be a bigger, better person. I'm not quite there, yet. For now I'll stick to earplugs.

David Cross: An Open Letter to Larry The Cable Guy

I can't wait to pick up a copy of this book from the library (it's waiting for me at the front desk)!

The following YouTube videos will play an excerpt from the audiobook I Drink For A Reason, by David Cross. The backstory is this: Larry the Cable Guy apparently wrote some stuff about David Cross in his book regarding a (mis)quote of David Cross in Rolling Stone magazine. "I have to warn you that this letter is nearly 11 pages long, but...who gives a shit? You're not reading it, I'm reading it to you—so don't be lazy." —David Cross


Part One


Part Two

Things I Love Thursday

New Couch Pillows - I finally used the marimekko fabric I bought last year for its intended purpose and made my couch pillows. They're a little...really bright orange, but they make me happy. Maybe I can find a way to bring another pop of color into the room to make the pillows look a little bit less OHMIGOD, PILLOWS, but I'm really happy with the way they came out.

A Day at The Magic Kingdom Park - It has been quite a while since I last went to Disney World, and I'm not a fan of crowds, but there is something so magical about this video; I kind of look forward to the distant future when I have kids with whom I will be able to share this joy:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2009/10/a-model-day-at-the-park/

Earplugs - Take that upstairs stompy neighbor, passersby and traffic. Especially stompy. Yeah, my computer needs to be a little bit louder, and it's taken some adjustment, but it's remarkable how well this solution is working!

Autumn Leaves - I got a polarizing filter for this autumn. I can't wait to see some leaves a'changing. Let's go fall! Also, I really wish I lived here:

image by lidarose

Ten Ways To Feel Better in 60 Seconds

Ten Ways to Feel Better in 60 Seconds

Usually I see posts like this one and I roll my eyes because it's the same old stuff, and none of it ever works for me. Maybe this post was different, or maybe the way it was written resonated with me, but I liked it so I thought I'd share.

Drinking water and sitting up straight are two things I really need to work on. If I ever find a way to really de-stress, though...I'll let you know.

Things I Love Thursday: Special Sunday Edition

Dachshunds: I love little wiener dogs. Ever since we puppy sat, I see wiener dogs everywhere, and I love their little legs and their floppy ears. They're so long! And cute! Here are two Pedigree commercials that demonstrate how cute dachshunds are, and also how adorable David Duchovny is (even though he is a sex addict):





And don't worry. There are a ton more commercials where those came from—probably to be featured in a future TILT. Here's a photo demonstrating how unnaturally long a wiener dog's tongue is:


And yes, I paid dearly for being that close to a dog for five days straight. How could I not let her sleep on my lap, though?

And if you're not convinced yet:

Joann Fabric: I get their e-coupons all the time, and usually don't even bother until there's a 50% off coupon, which happens a few times a year. Most of the time I don't need anything that badly, but this time I got a giant cutting mat (good for graphic design classes) that basically came with a free rotary cutter and quilting ruler. After the 50% coupon, there wasn't a better deal to be found. Yey, cheap school supplies!

Things I Love Thursday

Decluttering: I got rid of two of my old Coach bags this week, and I even managed to get some money for them on eBay. Later today, I'm going to take some clothes to the Garment District to see if I can get a little cash for them, too. The rest are going to Goodwill. It feels so good to look into my closet and know that I'm wearing all those clothes. And eventually making room for new clothes ;)

I also cleared off my bulletin board, which now actually looks somewhat organized and inspiring, and this week we were able to eat at our kitchen table for the first time in about a month.

Winning Things: I won a free exercise DVD from SparkPeople on Tuesday. I can't wait until it comes!

Amazon: They consistently under-pomise and over-deliver when it comes to their shipping estimates. And it never fails to elicit warm fuzzies in my tummy—especially when their products are also consistently the least expensive.

Typography: I am loving this class I am taking. I love type. I love learning about type. I love wearing typographic T-shirts to class (I have TONS) and finding signs all over the city whose fonts I can identify. This is the first time in my life that I know a bit about the classes I'm taking as I go into them, and I am eager—no, thrilled to learn the rest.

DNA Staircases

When Architecture and Science collide

from EeStairs

Things I Love Thursday

Chamomile Tea: I caught a cold over the weekend, and since Monday have been nursing it with soup, lots of water and chamomile tea. It reminds me of my grandmother, and makes me feel a little bit better. I like to drink it with lime and honey.

My boyfriend: J's company awarded one of the teams he was on with gift cards to thank them for a grueling project they completed last year. The team leader mentioned that he had given his wife his card the year before because he didn't know what to do with it, and she bought a dress. J thought this was a great idea, and gave the card to me to thank me for "putting up with" all the travel he had to do for that project. So far I have gotten a pair of shorts, but I still have most of the gift card to play around with! This is one of those things that would have been appreciated either way, but because we don't have much money to play with at the moment, it was really special. Maybe dinner out in our future?

Brimfield: I went to Brimfield again this year, and instead of coming home with five unusable vintage cameras (for display!), I came home with something useful: Pyrex mixing bowls. I am so in love with them, and they match my kitchen color scheme. I also found a charming necklace for $5 and some pendants I might use as Christmas presents.

Sweater Weather: It is the season for colorful tights and hand knits! YEY!

Things I Love Thursday

Jogging: I never jog. I can't think of anything more pointless than running around and sweating when I can be on a bicycle (and sweating). Anyway, some days the bike seems too big to handle at the moment, and jogging felt like a good substitute. So now I "jog." I kept pace for 20 minutes today! What a sense of accomplishment.

Falafel!: Before today, I had never had the falafel wrap from the food truck in front of MIT. I was missing something really special. There's no competition, not even the falafel palace in Central Square (and they're great, too!). Next time I might skip the pita, though.

Updating my resumé: Not really, I actually loathe updating my resume, but boy does it feel good to be up-to-date. These days it's changing on a bi-weekly basis!

Fancy shampoo: I had some fancy shampoo left over from some boutique hotel I stayed at in D.C. once because there was some ridiculously good rate that weekend. I don't know what I was saving it for, because it smells delicious, and my hair actually feels soft! I didn't know what soft was until I tried this shampoo.

I Love it When Other People Are Embarrassed; For Once It Isn't Me

I was on my bike today riding home from an appointment when I encountered a near-miss by another cyclist who was running a red light straight into me (I was turning, though, so even if he hadn't had time to stop, I would have been able to avoid him). Because I was in control and in the right, I was completely serene during this encounter, and while I know human suffering is never the answer, I would have been even more pleased with the outcome if he had actually fallen from his bike when he tried to swerve since the street was dead at the time - although I know I wouldn't have been remotely amused if he had run into me or put either one of us in danger of being hit by a car.

Unfortunately, he managed to stay on his bike after the near miss which made sitting at the next red light with him incredibly awkward, yet totally hilarious and satisfying because obviously he didn't try to run that one.

Things I Love Thursday

Having a Puppy - We only had her for five days, and I am a little bit sad now that she's gone, but puppy sitting for our friends has got to be one of the most exciting experiences I've had this summer. It was also nice that we got to give her back in the end, because our allergies were pretty violent by that last day. The conversation of "can we get our own" is only tempered by the fact that our lease won't currently allow it (and aforementioned violent allergies). Stay tuned...?

Mastering the Weber - A coworker friend of mine gave us her old Weber charcoal grill last summer. It's red and happy and always ready for burgers. We didn't get much use out of it last summer, but this summer we have tried to find many opportunities to grill. Thanks to another friend we found great sirloin burgers at Whole Foods, and that coupled with learning the grill has made for the perfect burger.

Finishing my First "Whole" Project - I have been paid for design work before, but designing an entire website start to finish felt like such a big accomplishment, and I'm terribly happy with the result.

Jessica - I love my friend, Jessica. That's basically enough said, but I could expound on that to say that I'm really glad she moved back to Boston. I would have been thrilled regardless, but she moved here as three other friends moved away, so it's twice as exciting to have here here. Now she'll have get to deal with me All The Time. I'm sure she can't wait.

Phenomenally Proud

I just finished my first freelance web design project. There are a few changes that the site owner would like to make, but my part - the design and coding - is done!

Click on the image to visit the page!

Seen on the Boston Globe

Non-motorists include children, construction workers, cyclists, family pets, farm/wild animals, homeless, illiterate pedestrians, those confined to wheelchairs. Traffic laws were expressly written to protect them. None of them require a license to be on a public right of way. Motorists, however, do. All the onus for safety falls directly upon them. If you don't agree, as you signed on when applying for a license, you should immediately surrender yours

getting better

I had a rough night last night, but it was one of those situations that you simply can't do anything about. The resulting conversation actually made me feel way better, so even uncomfortable and sad situations can happen for a wonderful reason. I read this quote in zen habits after I'd calmed down, and so creating this today felt natural.

Melt Down

null

Thoughts On My Bike by Andrea Dorfman

From the NYC Bicycle Film Festival '09:

Who glued these quarters down?

"I don't feel that I need to explain my art to you, Warren."

Bike Accident - For Real This Time

So, earlier this summer I was involved in a "hit and run" of sorts with a Boston cab driver (Boston Cab Associates, for the record - one of their hybrid cars). On the [very busy] Mass Ave. bridge, the cab had "stopped" [for me], but when I took my right of way he decided to go instead. He just hit my back wheel, and I managed to keep control of my bike and more importantly, I stayed on. It all seemed so scary at the time, but it really wasn't. I wasn't even hurt—just shaken.

But I survived it. I survived my first "accident." I felt victory as an urban rider.

Well, I spoke too soon, because on July 25th, I was thrown from my bike here. It was actually kind of funny because there were no cars involved in the accident part of my accident. I was too busy paying attention to the cab (go figure) that had cut me off, and my wheel got stuck in the train tracks, locked, and then I was thrown.

I lost a little bit of blood, but mostly I felt stupid. I felt stupid because it didn't occur to me that coming parallel at the tracks would catch my tire and that it would lock when I tried to turn.

Anyway, I had a lovely array of injuries:

I also had a pain in my shoulder. I couldn't move all day Sunday, but I laid on an ice pack for hours and then went to bed with one, and I felt fine on Monday. Again, I was grateful. Again, I had avoided a "real" accident. Yeah, I fell off my bike, because I'm stupid. I wasn't thrown in traffic. I wasn't hit by a car.

Well, I had my laughs about it, but I'm not laughing today. Mostly because it HURTS to laugh. It hurts to cough. It hurts like HELL to sneeze. I think I have a rotary cuff injury.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Is physical therapy the way to go? I'm running out of Ibuprofen and also the hope that this will heal itself. I thought it was a bruise, but I know I'm not qualified to diagnose my insides.

Where to Seat the Attendants

by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette Expert

After the guest list, the seating chart is probably a bride's biggest headache. And the hardest part of THAT is, "Where should our attendants sit?"

The classic is the head table with all the wedding party, including bride and groom. But this has its flaws; if your attendants are married, or if their sweethearts are attending, this means you'll have to find those people a seat assignment elsewhere that they'll enjoy* (I'm sure you can imagine some of the complaints that result). You can weave the spouses into the head table, of course, but that can get to be pretty big!

Have you thought about seating for your attendants? What are you considering? And have you seen a solution you particularly like?

*emphasis mineto finish reading the article (which offers a great solution), you can go here

Or you could forgo the seating chart, put everyone your age in the wedding party, seat them all at the enormous head table while the "sweetheart" fends for herself, and then accuse the "sweetheart" of knitting during your wedding—but not to her face, of course.

It seems like a sure way to make your wedding the funnest fun times, ever.

On Disordered Eating

I just read this on a website I stumbled across while looking for reviews about outofyourlife.com:

Show me a woman who loves her belly (thighs, ass, nose, etc) and I'll show you a woman with an eating disorder...

I literally did a double-take.

I re-read the sentence a few times, and I know where she was going with it, but I think that the insensitivity of the statement knocked the wind out of me. I probably agree with the overall sentiment - find me a woman without insecurities and I will show you a liar, maybe. I would venture to say that even the most confident women I know still have hang-ups, although as someone who feels more comfortable with my neuroses than without, I'll be the first to admit that I wouldn't know what that feels like. And let's just remember that sometimes people with eating disorders aren't thin. But they are incredibly insecure.

I read something on sparkpeople.com recently about eating disorders and just how scarily common they are. Obviously all eating disorders have self-esteem issues at the root of them, at best, but by broadening the definition of "eating disorder" to include "disordered eating," one starts to include many women they might know... it's sad, really.

Anyway, that was my lol for the night - except for the part where the topic isn't particularly lolsy.

it's the little things

from tea and toast

I saw these adorable journals on flickr today: what a wonderful idea it would be to document things I am thankful for every day. Also a creative use for those gocco supplies hiding in my drawer.

Friday Inspiration

HP - invent from Tom and Matt on Vimeo.

This is such a clever video! It's a creative idea with a brilliant and well done set-up. It makes me want to go to design school.

Gift Idea for Architects

This awesome memo book from geografia would make a pretty cute gift for any civil-design oriented people in your life. The contours and altitude marks make each notebook a playful and unique landscape.









The only problem is that I don't know if I'd be able to bear to write on these, myself!

Beautiful Stop Motion

I couldn't help but share this beautiful stop motion save-the-date video. What a beautiful way to announce your wedding.

Monday Spark

J and I have been traveling a lot lately which means I have gotten behind on a lot of things. Aside from work, which piled up like omfg, the one I regret the most has been my diet/exercise routine. I had a pretty good thing going about a month ago, and I even lost some weight. Sure, most of my weight loss was directly involved with swine flu related loss of appetite, but I'll take the help where I can get it.

from Articulate Matter

In the past three weeks, I have dropped yoga, entirely, and my back, hips and asthma have not thanked me for it. I haven't taken a class in about two years, now, so all of my yoga has recently been done either with help from free internet videos, or the Basic Yoga Book which is a decent guide for beginners and people who, like me, have a hard time coming up with sequences on their own.

This morning, I did Yoga Today's Happy Hips and Hamstrings video. By the end I had my heels on the floor during a downward facing dog, which is not something I have been able to accomplish since I was taking yoga at MIT during my undergrad years. So here's to yoga and its amazing ability to make me feel like I've accomplished something even though I have barely started my day.

Wierd Dream Week

For some reason my dreams have been much more vivid (and strange) this week, so here's another one for the vault:

I was lying in bed, which I tend to do after J leaves for work, because both of us would wake up a little later when he was in school, and damn if I'm going to break that habit just because his commute changed.

His iPhone rang, and I wasn't sure if it was an alarm or a text message, so I picked it up, and it started freaking out on me and suddenly I was in his google reader. I saw that there was porn in his reader (do porn sites have rss feeds?), and not just a little bit of porn. We're talking massive amounts of porn. I just kept scrolling down because I couldn't help myself. And I kept seeing more and more porn.

This one I knew was a dream, but let's face it - a little too close to reality for comfort, brain (I was in my bed, with my own covers, sheets, bedroom - every detail exactly as it would be in life). I'm a realist, and I know porn exists. I even know my boyfriend looks at porn, although I have no idea when or how often (and I like it that way. Even though technically I don't disapprove of looking at porn, it's not something you want to walk in on your S.O. doing). But on his iPhone?! That's the part that was gross.

Did You See My Pajamas? That's Because I LIVE HERE.

One of the perils of city living is that I occasionally frequently have to kick people off of our stoop. Usually it's some drunk or drugged up homeless person who is yelling at passersby or has passed out on our stoop so suddenly that they bang the doorway on their way down. Part of me has intense yuppie guilt about asking them to move it, then telling them to move it, then telling them that I'm phoning the police. The majority of my other parts have a short fuse, though, and would like to be able to step onto our threshold without also having to step on a vagrant person, so I end up calling the police about 70% of the time (I call often enough that I am heeded from time to time by the regulars). Occasionally, though, it's not a homeless person. Sometimes it's people in business suits. Or small families with noisy children. And for some stupid reason, it takes me longer to deal with them than it takes me to deal with the homeless people.

Tonight, as I was sitting at my desk trying to think of a good blog entry, I was debating whether or not to ask a woman who was having a cell phone conversation on our stoop to move it along.

Tonight, I finally reasoned that I kick bums off my stoop without a second thought, so why not someone who is clearly on the phone with work or their family, who might be on their way to a nice dinner, or a warm home? They have equally no right to loiter on the property I rent and bother me. Maybe there are quiet persons chilling out there more often than I know, and to them I say chill away - I only use my door a handful of times during the day, anyway, so rock on, because you're not bothering me at all.

This woman, however, was bothering me. So why was I sitting at my desk trying to enjoy a glass of wine instead of kicking her off my stoop so I could actually enjoy it? She was breaking both of the rules I use to determine whether to call the freakin' cops about the homeless people (being noisy and being relentless about being noisy), so why on earth wasn't I telling her to leave?

And now I segue to honestly ask: what the hell is wrong with people? I don't go and stand on her front porch and have loud, chatty conversations. There is nothing really so different about an urban stoop. I don't know how to describe why it's not okay to people not in this situation, except to tell you that it's private property (and that there are noise ordinances). I get that for some inane reason it probably seems okay to you, to stand "innocently" on my stoop and talk loudly (I'm sorry, at your natural volume? Really?), I really do. However, as a first floor urban apartment dweller I am here to tell you, world - it is not okay. It is not okay for you to be on someone else's stoop doing anything. Ever. Especially if you're doing it loudly!

In the end, I didn't even kick her off my stoop because she was that annoying - I did it because of the principle of the matter. These poor homeless people have nowhere to go, but they drive me bonkers, so I ask the police to help me deal with them. This woman was wearing her "I'm an entitled cunt" business suit and having a chatty cell phone conversation on my front porch even though the weather outside is beautiful (i.e. no rain or snow she was taking shelter from). Let's take a moment to reflect on that. Poor homeless person. Noisy entitled asshole.

The only question I still have for myself is why did it take me so long to open my door and stare at her with a deadpan face, holding a glass of wine in my pajamas, until she got the hint?

The Naked Dream

I had that dream last night, the one where you're naked in impossibly uncomfortable situations.

I was shopping at a Payless with my mother, sister and grandmother, and for some reason didn't have clothing on most of the time (at one point, I put my ipod into my pocket, so why I couldn't keep that skirt on the entire time is beyond me). I was actually fine with it (I've been working out, lately), until I noticed someone from my former job was there, also. As it sunk in, and I started panicking and feeling very self conscious, I noticed large pockets of people from my former job milling around, for some reason taking a tour of the building (why a typical modern Payless in El Paso would be architecturally significant to a firm in Boston is beyond me).

I jumped behind a clothing rack, fully expecting to be able to throw a dress over myself and have them ring it up as I walked out, but in between me and the women's clothing section was a group of people my age being dominated by someone I particularly dislike, and she was coming my way, talking loudly about herself, as usual. I pretended to be casually browsing the toddler's clothing in my birthday suit while she kept creeping up around the corner, and I was willing myself to become invisible or sink into the floor, somehow.

Fortunately, this is when my alarm clock rescued me.

Maybe on a related note, I start my first class at MassArt tonight.

Global Warming

I thought this video presented something Really Important in a way that is both visually stunning and easy to swallow. I made a mental note to add even more energy saving measures to our list after this.




I just hope the message gets through to more people, and that instead of dismissing it as a myth, or crazy liberal bunk, they get on board with simple, everyday changes that can make a difference to the future of our planet.

It's really not that hard, and it doesn't even have to be more expensive, to stop supporting companies that don't do anything to change the current situation. Believe me, there's a lot more that J and I could do, but just think of what we as a city, a country, a planet, could do if every household simply reduced their waste, and stopped to think about their environmental impact every time they purchased something, or drove somewhere, or shopped for things. It would just be a start, but what a great start it would be.

P.S. The song, Treeology by Shady Bard (myspace), was also featured in an episode of Grey's Anatomy this season (as well as two other songs in other episodes), which is why it might sound familiar.

Sore Throat

I have had a persistent sore throat for exactly two weeks, now. I can barely remember a time when I didn't have a sore throat. I had my throat swabbed, and an initial swab test didn't indicate strep, but the lab results haven't come back, yet.

This is seriously hampering my ability to a) be a nice person and b) get shit done.

It may or may not have been swine flu. That's definitely what I told everyone at Josh and Chana's wedding I had. Heh.

For now, MedlinePlus recommends the following:

drinking warm liquids like honey or lemon tea.
Gargling several times a day with warm salt water (1/2 tsp salt in 1 cup water)
Cold liquids and popsicles (yey, popsicles!)
Sucking on hard candies or lozenges
Using a cold mist humidifier
Over the counter pain medication (I use Ibuprofen)

I suppose this is all I can do for now...Hopefully settling back at home will help, since I've been traveling quite a bit these past two weeks.

Also, apologies if I gave anyone the swine flu (kidding).

(I'm not really sorry).

Dear Upstairs Neighbor

Why has your stomping gotten worse?! For all the complaining I do on the Internet, I am wholly certain you have no idea that this blog exists, much less that I'm your irritated downstairs neighbor, and therefore your elephantine stomping can't possibly be retaliatory.

The only explanation I can venture is that you went away on spring break (which was sweet heavenly silence, you should go out of town more often. Like, permanently), where you spent the week eating cheeseburgers and small children.

And now you're eating trails of Cheetos that have been laid across your apartment (J's contribution to the theory) for exercise, since you clearly weigh 350 lbs, but I have to say - you would benefit more from a stationary bike, and so would my sanity.

Signed,
Please Sweet Jesus do not renew your lease.

“Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol is working like a charm!”

I found this article today concerning the overwhelming number of pedestrian deaths in LA: http://www.citywatchla.com/content/view/2148/

I wish I could say I thought there was a solution, but as long as people rely so heavily on their cars to transport them from place to place, this is going to be a problem. I can't count the number of times on my hands that I have nearly been hit by cars while I'm in the middle of a crosswalk, and once I nearly struck a kid while I was in my car because he darted into the street unexpectedly - in a crosswalk. For that reason alone, I can't blame the drivers any more than the authorities can, but at least I wasn't eating a sandwich when I nearly hit the kid

Long story...somewhat shorter: Some woman once came so close to hitting me that she actually tapped my leg with her bumper while I was coming home from the supermarket, just a block away from my house - in the home stretch if you will. It wasn't until long after she'd sped away, screaming at me to go fuck myself that I realized how close I had come to being sprawled out in the intersection, a bloody mess, with the eggs I'd so carefully packed smashed all over the pavement. The woman who blamed me for being in the street while I had the walk signal? She had been eating a fucking sandwich when she shit her pants realizing there was someone in the crosswalk. I didn't even have an opportunity to respond, I just stood on the street corner, jaw slack, eyes wide, while it sunk in what had just happened. For all the care I had taken to look both ways twice, she probably wouldn't have been held accountable, anyway - it was a sandwich, but it could have just as easily been a cell phone or a noisy child in the backseat, or she could have been rummaging for a CD. It still would have been my fault for being in the street; just as much consolation to a dead pedestrian than an injured one. If that's not a WTF realization, I don't know what is.

Let's please keep in perspective that this is in Cambridge, of all places - one of America's most walkable cities, not that traffic cesspit we call Los Angeles. To make matters worse, they seem to have been channeling Homer Simpson to come up with a solution. FTA:

Meanwhile, traffic engineers argue for the removal of crosswalks in Los Angeles, pointing to a study performed several decades ago in San Diego that indicates that less traffic fatalities occur without a crosswalk than with a crosswalk.

“By your logic, I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.”
“Hmm; how does it work?”
“It doesn’t work; it’s just a stupid rock!”
“Uh-huh.”
“... but I don’t see any tigers around, do you?”
“Lisa, I want to buy your rock...”

Bishop Allen Tickets Procured Today

Number 24 off the list!