In honor of Chinese New Year, Lena and I have been analyzing our zodiac animals. I am a rabbit.
I find these characteristics from chinesezodiac.com particularly insightful in terms of my personality:
- The Rabbit symbolizes such character traits as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity.
- Rabbits are friendly, outgoing and prefer the company of others.
- Classy, sophisticated, expressive, well-mannered and stylish, those born under the Sign of the Rabbit enjoy learning about cultural issues and learning about people from other countries.
- Rabbits are most comfortable being home, and their homes are always neat and organized.
These traits are comical but also at least somewhat valid:
- Their serene nature keeps Rabbits from becoming visibly upset. Because they’re serene animals, Rabbits are easily taken advantage of.
- Rabbits are articulate and good communicators … good careers for Rabbits include: writer, publisher….
- Rabbits could benefit from more everyday activity, which would reduce their stress levels and better their health.
- Fire Rabbits – Years 1927 and 1987
Fire adds spark to the Rabbit’s personality and all that Fire Rabbits do. Fire compels Rabbits to seek new adventures. Prone to tantrums (ha!), Fire Rabbits prefer to avoid conflict.
On Friday afternoon one of my coworkers sent me the link above and wrote something like, “Hey, have you seen this? It’s a little extreme…and perhaps a little creepy, but I thought of you.”
After reading about the “interactive pillows that allow lovers to sleep together — even if they’re separated by continents or oceans,” I’ve determined that it is, indeed, creepy. Another section of the article suggests that the pillow “might make for a delightfully romantic gift on the next anniversary of your long-distance relationship!”
David’s birthday is one week from today, and he will NOT receive this pillow for a gift then or on any future anniversary. No way, José.
theeconomist:
For many ordinary citizens, dual passports seem dodgy: a convenience for the cosmopolitan few or a sop to the menacing many, rather than a natural feature of a migratory world. But multiple citizenship is on the rise, even if some states continue to deter it.
Have I ever told you about my Peruvian sister?
She exists.
Okay, it’s just Cora, but apparently she has become Peruvian since marrying Harold.
I think Harold used to be Peruvian and Bolivian, and he might still be Peruvian and Bolivian, or he might be Peruvian, or he might be Bolivian.
Cora can be Peruvian in spirit and in legality but never Bolivian.
When Harold becomes a U.S. citizen he will most certainly not be Bolivian anymore.
(I repeat: I think.)
Goodness, I don’t know why some states are deterring multiple citizenship. This situation is so simple!
Also, since Peru seems to be a constant here, we should take a family vacation to Machu Picchu. I’ll start saving my pennies.
(via npr)
This just in from my best roomie:
lenayue:
So I finally finished Laura’s birthday present. I’m only a few months late (her birthday is a bit after Halloween). But better late than never? … Right?
Anyhow, I made her a min-book called Things We Love: “Inspired by Kate Spade’s book of the same title, these pages are filled with things we love. While Kate’s book is a tribute to style and fashion, this one is a tribute to us. Happy birthday.”
The long-lost (and over-fed) blogger returns!
I apologize for the infrequency of my posts this month. I have been busy traveling, celebrating Christmas through binge eating no less than five times, welcoming in a new year, and getting back to work after a rejuvenating 10-day vacation.
I decided to break my silence to wish you all a Happy National Trivia Day!
My friend, Jen, introduced me to the link above on Twitter today. Twitter is an excellent resource for discovering obscure links and initiates at least one case of the giggles for me every day. People in this world are crazy…and hilarious.
Anyway, I can’t guarantee that all of the facts presented are truly “amazing,” but I’ll let you be the judge. I had a couple “Ah ha!” moments, and I’m a trivia junkie. Those of you who have known me since childhood can probably remember my strange addiction to the Disney Trivia board game. I’d probably still be playing if the game didn’t live in Minnesota.
As you stand in endless lines this holiday season, here’s a comforting thought: all those security measures accomplish nothing, at enormous cost. That’s the conclusion of Charles C. Mann, who put the T.S.A. to the test with the help of one of America’s top security experts.
My coworker, Travis, is such a little darling that he decided to provide me with this article about the flaws in airport security less than 24 hours before my scheduled departure to Minnesota.
Precious. He’s simply precious.
(The article is great and not, actually, as scary as you would think. So read it, unless you already have air travel panic attacks. If that’s the case, ignore this story entirely.)
Did you know that people say Savannah was a “Christmas gift” to President Lincoln?
todaysdocument:
December 22, 1864 - The culmination of Sherman’s “March to the Sea” was the capture of Savannah. With savage irony, Sherman invoked the spirit of Christmas as he informed his Commander-in-Chief that Savannah was taken, complete with 150 heavy guns, plenty of ammunition, and 25,000 bales of cotton. President Lincoln was thrilled to hear this news, which he immediately publicized throughout the nation.
(via npr)
1. Wash all of the clothes you own.
2. Start selecting outfits for the trip ahead.
3. Pick accessories that match each outfit.
4. Begin considering over-analyzing all of the possible activities that may await you, taking into consideration the unlikely chance that you’ll go swimming in Minnesota in December, need a costume, have to transition an outfit from day to night, be too cold, be too hot, be too casual, be too formal, or have absolutely nothing to wear to a specific event.
5. Add more outfits to the suitcase.
6. Add more necklaces, mittens, shoes, earrings, tights, belts, headbands, scarves, bracelets, gloves and pajamas to the suitcase.
7. Realize you have grossly overpacked.
8. Remove one pair of socks from the suitcase.
9. Hold the suitcase in mid-air and balance precariously on the bathroom scale to check the bag’s weight.
10. Remove one more pair of socks from the suitcase and say a little prayer.
Tonight was the first time that I ever went to a movie by myself.
It was a good choice.
For the first time in our three-year history as roommates and our six-year history as friends, Lena and I have lost weight at the same time. This is not supposed to be a post about vanity or our best impression of a Subway “Jared” commercial. I honestly didn’t realize that my clothes had become so incredibly huge until I brought home new pants and compared them to the glorified potato sacks I’d been wearing.
A couple nights ago Lena was kind enough to sit on the floor of my bathroom/closet/boudoir and help me assemble a few outfits from three new purchases and my previous wardrobe. Our goal was simple: to find ways for me to start looking like a working professional and stop looking like a prime example of my favorite new made-up word.
Let me introduce you to “the frumpster,” a person whose clothes are two sizes too big.
Here’s your visual representation:
The “Before” trousers
You know how people say that in order to lose weight a person should eat right and exercise?
While I believe this is probably true, the real catalyst that caused my shape to change was falling ill with some type of super-cold in early November AFTER jump-starting my metabolism through regular exercise. I like to refer to this as “the plague period,” and they were dark days indeed.
Lena lost weight because she literally worked her buns off during a collaborative group project for school. Apparently when someone’s body is awake and completing intense graphic design projects for 20 hours a day it burns a lot more calories. Go figure.
The “After” trousers
Lena is embracing her new slim and trim body and has started a collection for Goodwill. She is diligently adding more and more items to the pile daily. I haven’t set aside any clothes for charity yet and those ridiculous pants in the “Before” photo are sitting in my hamper, waiting to be washed, folded and put back in my drawer. My hesitancy toward purging my old clothes is probably due to a minor hoarding problem and the fear that those pants will become my correct size once again.
Do you think I should have the courage to chuck ‘em?
Finally, and because I’m not positive that I’ll have the opportunity to discuss the topic of pants on my blog again, I’d like to share some of my random English knowledge. I apologize if I seem a little crass, but I really have the best intentions.
In England, you must say “trousers” if you ever need to talk about pants, which the British understand to be underwear. And no matter how rainy it is in London, never — I mean NEVER — complain that your “pants” are wet.
End lesson.
