Fuzzy Monday Edition

**No freaking digital camera yet . . . we wanted to get an entire EasyShare package, you know, with both the camera and photo printer, for ease of use, but the Sears did not have any more of them, and were not getting any more of them. We were buying it at Sears because (a) it was on sale and (b) we have a Sears card and could spread out the payments. However, after reflection, I realize that I was mesmerized by the shiny immediacy of having a whole kit, but the prudent course would be to do a bit more research and get a suitable camera (at least 5 MP), then find a suitable photo printer, and watch for the sales.

**Sometimes I get enviously needy. As in, “everyone else has cool stuff and I want some too!” – kind of like I’m a five year old who wants the Barbie Dream House that all the other little girls on the block have. Everyone else can show cool pictures on their website . . . everyone else has a DVD player . . . everyone else has a cool laptop. But, you know, once the envy subsides, I go on about my life, not really needing the stuff, since I am so busy doing other things. If we had a DVD player, it would sit on top of the TV like our VCR does now, collecting dust. I would probably break the laptop by dropping it, with my clumsy self, or get it stolen somehow. And after a flurry of activity, the digital camera would probably sit on the shelf, lonely and underused, like my other cameras. However the cell phone has come in rather handy thus far . . .

**This weekend, when we went to my parents’ house, my sister whipped out her teeny digital video camera and hooked it up to my mom’s laptop and showed the video she shot while she was in Spain. While the resolution was beyond crappy – at times I could not quite make out the pixels and dark shapes, there was enough there to be a pretty cool experience. She even taped a whole bullfight – and the accompanying murder of the bull, then a team of horses dragging it out of the ring. (I didn’t watch that part . . . I wisely found an old newspaper and was intently reading about the War of the Worlds premiere.) She also had CDs of her trips to the beaches near Barcelona, Oktoberfest, Paris on New Year’s Eve and tour of Dachau. She didn’t get to make it to England or Italy, but wants to go back in a few years, once her Army enlistment is concluded. I hope I will be able to join her!

**We didn’t get the Harry Potter book until this morning, because we had it shipped to the office out of habit, instead of at home. Virginia Gal, I’ll give a shout when I’m done . . . which I hope is by the end of the week. The book is sitting here on my desk, just saying “READ ME NOW!” – I can hardly get through the day.

**In the “It’s a small world after all” category . . . a Philly blog that I read very regularly (which I actually found through the set of academic blogs that I always read) linked to a post to another blog that commented on a blog that happens to be the one done by the best friend of the lovely Anonymous Rowhouse. (Did you follow that logic? I just don’t want to name names here . . .) It seems to have started some sort of hoohah this weekend on each other’s blogs. You see, this is why I stay away from discussing politics if I can help it – it engenders all sorts of name calling and bad feelings all around. The thing is both people are pretty good people (I mean, any friend of Justrose must be a peach among women) although I must admit that I have much more in common with the other person, and tend not to read the other blog because I really don’t want to have to invest in blood pressure medication on a regular basis . . .

***I’m trying to think of a way to get more comments on my blog without attracting any spammers or freaks. However, I don’t think I have quite ironed out the kinks in my content, or lack thereof – although I have improved my frequency of posting over the past few days. My strategy seems to be working - keeping a blank Word document open all day that I can add to it as the mood hits.

***I happened to watch a few episodes of MTV’s Pimp My Ride. You know, if those guys at the auto body shop were to channel their knowledge of technology, their innovative ideas and their energy into something, well . . . like some sort of science or industrial design, think of what amazing inventions would be coming out of the U.S. right now. I mean, we have all known people like that . . . people who are brilliant with their hands, but for one reason or another the academic world doesn’t float their boat, so their creativity is channeled into other venues. Wait . . . Did that make sense? . . . I seem to not be making sense today . . . there an actual idea in there somewhere, I promise.

***My co-worker just went home with food-poisoning from some tuna salad that she made over the weekend. Poor thing, working so hard on a huge project we have to get out in the next week and now this . . . I’m always wary of leftovers myself anyway . . . I’ve had similar stuff happen a couple of times – not fun!

***The day is winding down. On Friday, I should have ended with a Carole King song, so I’ll rectify that today . . . One of my faves – I know it's cheesy, but a really optimistic way to start the week:

You've got to get up every morning with a smile in your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
The people gonna treat you better,
You're gonna find, yes you will,
That you're beautiful as you feel.