“It eases the gouty person, clears up the melancholy spirit, and refreshes the pensive lover.”
Chomps and I have gone through phases of enjoying various games: cribbage, backgammon, Risk…but lately I never felt like playing any of them. I have a fixation on cards. I’ve started playing Solitaire left and right. In class, at work, at home when I’m feeling stressed. Nothing like a good game of Solitaire to push aside those annoying thoughts of homework. So when Chomps and I wanted to play a game together, I wanted to play cards. I like the simplicity of it, I guess. And the portability. So we decided we should look up some 2-person card games, since I didn’t know any other than that one where you’re always slapping the cards. I prefer games of strategy, not reaction time. Enter…
(click that giant word to see a sweet old book)
It took Chomper a few hours (?) of research to get the rules straight, but we successfully played an entire game of 6 parties last night. I like it. I also like that I can picture things like this while we play:
Could not believe it when Chomps read in a recent edition of Urban Velo that there’s a Bollywood movie inspired by Breaking Away. And guess what? It stars my favorite heart throb, Aamir Khan. Here’s a song from it. You can see some nods to the original, in between all the other ridiculousness.
When I was a bachelorette this past weekend, I was inspired to make some summer-themed cookies for my boo, who has a gigantic sweet tooth.
They’re s’mores cookies! From the most recent issue of Everyday Food. The recipe is here.
The only problem is: turning on the oven and then the broiler in the middle of summer is a bitch. I’d say it was worth it, but I don’t know if I’d do it again. The cookies are pretty tasty, but can’t compare to real s’mores - especially where novelty and clean-up are concerned. But hey, these are like the first kind of good pictures I’ve taken in YEARS.
While in office, President Franklin Pierce was arrested for running over an elderly woman with his horse. The case was dropped in 1853 due to insufficient evidence.
During his term, “feelings in congress were so intense that fist-fights broke out on the floor of the congress.” (source)
One Democratic party slogan during Pierce’s campaign was: “We Polked you in 1844; we shall Pierce you in 1852.”
Pierce gave his entire inaugural address from memory, and was the first President to do so.
As a sophomore at Bowdoin College, Pierce had the worse grades in his class, but he somehow managed to graduate third in his class.
Franklin Pierce was the first President to put a Christmas tree in the White House.
He installed the first central-heating system and the first bathroom with hot and cold water in the White House.
He died of cirrhosis of the liver thanks to years of heavy drinking.
Handsome, affable, charming, and possessed of a certain superficial brilliance
“Old Man Eloquent” - John Quincy Adams
“Old Hickory” - Andrew Jackson
“His Accidency” - John Tyler
“Old Rough and Ready” - Zachary Taylor
“Dark-Horse President”- Rutherford B. Hayes
“Kid Gloves Harrison” - Benjamin Harrison
If I was president my nickname would be “Bare Bones” because I would destroy all excessive affluence (is there any other kind?), either by killing the aristos or by taking their money away through taxes. It could be a double-entendre. I had a hard time choosing between this and “the Terminator” because they’re both alliterative with either my first or last name.
As I was telling Chomps when I was convincing him to attend the Stanley Cup parade: my two biggest Pittsburgh regrets are not going to see Muse when they played in Oakland (practically my back yard) and not going to the Steelers Superbowl victory parade. So it figures I’d be in Illinois when the Pens and their board shorts brought thousands of fans into the streets once again. Sigh. I feel like fate is trying to deny me my role as a sports fan. But Chomps was large-hearted and got me this t-shirt (I couldn’t find a pic of the one he got for himself):
Pretty close to what I wanted, minus the lightning. I could add it with a glitter pen I guess. We’ll probably be splitting the cost of that Harrison/Fleury shirt because it is too good to pass up.
So much homework. Trying to stay positive.
To all my non-Pittsburgh readers (all 3 of you): I promise to stop gloating soon.
I just ate two of Panera’s baked egg soufflés. What else is there to do in Urbana-Champaign!??! Plus these things are effing delicious. In a half hour I have to go be in class for 8 HOURS. Not that it’s not interesting. But still. Also, I’m having trouble just processing the fact that I’m in the middle of Illinois. It’s hard to reconcile this with my reality. What am I doing here?!!? It’s bizarre when distance education gets all up in your face like this. Also it’s just really surreal here. The streets and the entire campus are deserted. It’s like there was a plague or something. Actually this morning I did walk past a dead squirrel that was partially decomposed and covered in flies. Now I wish I had taken a picture of it. I am really not taking advantage of my cell phone camera.
Also, to complete my bitching and moaning, let me just note that it sucks to be away from Pittsburgh on this of all weekends. The weekend that the world was finally forced to acknowledge the infinite awesomeness of this CITY OF CHAMPIONS. I feel so lucky to live in Pittsburgh this sports year. “Thanks for the memories!” etc. I had to get up at 4:30 the day after the game. That entire day, as I navigated airports and social awkwardness, I kept seeing Jordan Staal’s beautifically beaming face as he skated around with that gleaming cup. Penguins, you stole my heart. I will try to show my love for you by purchasing as many bootleg t-shirts as possible. Chomps and I are hoping there will be a shirt that’s half a Steelers helmet and half a Penguins helmet, ideally with a bolt of lightning separating the two.
I’ve discovered something about myself. I don’t know if I’m really comfortable with it.
I like military sci-fi. Especially with a badass female protagonist. Does this mean I secretly want to be in the military?! I’ve been reading Tanya Huff, and now I realized that Elizabeth Moon, who wrote a book I read last year, has an entire series of “marines in space” type stuff. I guess liking Battlestar Galactica should’ve tipped me off. I think it’s the camaraderie and the snarky humor and the suspense-filled battles that suck me in. I just need to keep reminding myself that the real military is not like that; or that there’s a lot more terrible stuff to it. Yeesh.
I kind of blame this on Marc. Yes, you, buddy. The recommendation to read The Forever War and Starship Troopers could have been what lead me down this path. But now that I think about it, I wasn’t seeking more military stuff after I read those, because I didn’t think they were that great. I thought the protagonists were deadpan and couldn’t identify with then (nor their weiners). (c’mon wordpress you are not spellchecking the word wieners). So maybe it’s just a coincidence that Tanya Huff was on my reading list of authors to try since the days when I used to actually read and contribute to message boards on LibraryThing.
I get to take a fake vacay this weekend, to URBANA, IL. Hold me back! I’m flying there. Ridiculous. But it does make me feel kind of grown-up to be taking a trip for grad school. I’m sure that feeling will wear off when I’m doing group work and sleeping in a dorm room for two nights. But I get to take Monday off. That is a blessing. If I can just get through my flights without unbearable anxiety, things should be good.
And then I will index an entire g-d book. Uh. Maybe I’ll index something about hot lady marines fighting aliens.
