I better get a 5 on my employee review this month!



(I'm the brown dinosaur on the right.) If the video doesn't work, here's the link to the segment Dino Dance Party

I get an yzavela today!!! I'm so excited that I've been up since 9:00 on the one day I have to sleep in. There is something wrong with me.

However, whether there is something wrong with me or not, I still get the whole day off from work! And since I've already finished my exams I don't even need to feel guilty about not doing school stuff.

AND it's 70 degrees and sunny today, so I get to have my windows open and wear a cute skirt!

Yes, I'm manic today. The only thing keeping me from bouncing off the walls is that I've been having some serious pain issues this weekend, and I am NOT going hurt myself before the festivities today.

Since I haven't actually given anyone an update on what's going on in my life, I'll give a quick synopsis...

( No reason to get excited, it's only the end of a break from LJ )

And, most importantly, thank you for putting up with my spastic posting habits. Even when I'm not posting much, I do read everything you post and I adore you all. ::tacklehugs and smooches to all of her flist::

If you wanted to render someone unconscious using a robotic raptor, how would you do it?

Happy New Year, everyone!

While my New Year's Eve pretty much sucked due to being sick and doped up on NyQuil, things quickly improved today! I got to spend time with past and future Long Branch staff. Got to see Jason, Emma, Megan, Chad, Danny and Sarah again. Also got to meet Monica and Matthew. I love these people. Jason manages to assemble the most interesting group of people ever. Emma, Chad and I worked at LBF together for the 2006 and 2007 summers. Danny joined us in 2007. Megan and Sarah are former teen volunteers turned staff members. Monica worked summer camp with Emma, Megan, Danny and Chad this past summer and Matthew is Jason's intern. Great folk all around.

We started the day with a hike around the trails, of course spending a good amount of the time throwing things at each other, stealing water bottles, imitating campers, reminiscing about camp seasons past, giggling at in-jokes and sharing future plans. Then, for some reason I still don't understand, we had an impromptu soccer game. I even participated, as entertaining as that must have been. Then we rapped it up with a potluck at Jason's house. I really enjoyed spending time with them. I'll consider this the start to my year, since it makes me much happier than the actual start to my year!

For a new look in the new year, I get my hair cut tomorrow. No more long hair for me! I'm thinking something similar to and a little longer than the wig I was wearing at Dragon*Con. Any thoughts?

I was leaving the exhibit as a visitor was walking up the hallway with his kids towards a life size Santa. He turned to the kids and said in a pretty good imitation of the Bodies audio tour "Welcome to Bodies: the Exhibition. Here is the first exhibit" and pointed at Santa.

I'm not sure it's a good sign that my first instinct in stressful situations is to quote Firefly*

Me, after being rearended coming off the highway by a very confused old lady: "But it was my birthday." :( I'm pretty sure, had you seen my face, it would have been full Simon puppy dog eyes. Car needs some work, but no injuries. At least it wasn't a school bus this time.

Also, more Quotes from Undergrads:

(our exam question was "Explain the causes of the Crusades and why they failed.")
Girl in class: I didn't even know the Crusades failed!
TA: Is the Catholic Church the major power in the Middle East now?
Girl: But that's today. It's not the same.

No, she is not the same girl who made the comment about how the United States never used an Atomic bomb, but I had really been hoping she was.

Dear universe,
Please let today get better. And please save me from the stupidity of your inhabitants.
Sincerely,
-Emily

Nano Wordcount: 1,525 (I keep getting distracted by research. I'm going to know more about the Catholic Church than any self-respecting Atheist ever should.)


*Quoting Firefly was actually my second instinct. The first one was sitting in my car yelling made-up obscenities at the top of my lungs before getting out to talk to the other driver. It was a very calming moment.

So this year I have the wankiest idea for a novel EVER. I'm trying to talk myself out of writing it, but the idea has caught hold of me, and like a turtle (doesn't really do), it isn't letting go until the cows come home.

Abelard and Heloise, in a post-apocalyptic world.

So, who wants to help me create a post-modern constructivist Dead God theology from scratch?

Some people interview their characters.

Some people research time periods/local customs.

Some people evolve entire civilizations in their head, complete with social mores and a slew of pseudo-Catholic religious orders.

Moving hurts. Ouch. I hit the limit of what I could carry on Tuesday, and have been paying for it since. Thank goodness for Yoga, which lowered the pain considerably. I need to start a daily routine rather than just relying on the weekly class.

Anyway, moving isn't my favorite thing in the world to do, but I'll be done on Sunday. Whoo for new apartment! Right now I'm waiting for my new couch and bed to be delivered an leeching off the network of one of the neighbors. I get my internet connected on Saturday. And of course, being me, I forgot my power cord for my computer so it's about to turn off on me.

My street is really quiet, and I'm within walking distance of P.F. Chang's, Buca, Joseph-Beth, Whole Foods, the pub with Young's on tap and a Starbucks. This is probably dangerous, but it makes me happy!

I have an apartment! I can't move in until October 15th-ish, but that gives me time to pack, sort and throw out stuff. so I can't complain too much. For Cincinnati folks - it's in Norwood, near Rookwood Commons. I'll be able to walk to Whole Food and Joseph-Beth! My commute will be a half an hour shorter and I won't have to deal with 275 traffic.

Apartment search over! Yay! And now I have an excuse to go to IKEA!

Sound off! Anyone eaten by black holes yet?*



*Yes, I know it's not even colliding streams yet. Just watch the video and let me enjoy my morning moment of science geekery.

Bodies closed on Sunday! Now they're moving it out. In order to do this, they first moved all of the specimens into one room. If you've never seen 300 body parts laid out on five tables, I have to say it's certainly a *unique experience.

I'm now down to part time for the time being, which is okay right now, since classes start September 23rd, but eventually I'm going to have to tack on some more hours. I should be fine with scout programs, evening events and the like, but I'm looking for part time stuff elsewhere as well as keeping my fingers crossed that my position goes full time at some point soon (but not holding my breath).

My job is as a volunteer coordinator for Public Education, but right now I have no exhibit to coordinate volunteers in until October and only one big special event! So I've been rewriting volunteer opportunities and trying to find creative ways of explaining to volunteers that you must actually like children to work in a toddler exhibit. It's a difficult concept for many of them.

I have an appointment to look at an apartment tomorrow in Norwood, that I'm fairly certain I'll be renting come October 1st. Wish me luck!

For Dragon*Con updates, I'll be Twittering under the username Seelix. Add me if you're going to D*C, or if you just want to follow along in my journeys there.

Museum quote of the day:
"I like to root for the little countries that barely even register. Like Vatican City, whose Olympic team is really just the Pope and his bodyguards doing gymnastics."

This month I decided (at some prompting) to participate in dark__morning's 12 on the 12th idea. So here are 12 pictures telling about my day. I apologize for a couple of them being blurry, as my camera was having focusing issues for part of the day.

( 12 on the 12th )

Well, we only set the building and its surrounding landscaping on fire twice during today's event.

I consider that a success.

We had a fireworks display to celebrate Union Terminal's 75th year. It went surprisingly smoothly all things considered, but there was a bit of excitement during the fireworks, when the bushes outside of the Natural History Museum caught fire, and then after the display, when the Natural History garden caught fire (really, it needed a good razing, so no loss there).

And of course our trusty photographer caught it all and shared it with the internet.

Dictator Massa: Update your blog/journal!
Domina Meridia: Fine!
Domina Meridia: But I have nothing I particularly want to broadcast to the internet at the moment.
Dictator Massa: The internet does not care. The internet will take anything you have. It feeds on the useless.
Dictator Massa: Besides, you did get a new dog. That has to be postable... or you could talk about the game, or who knows
Dictator Massa: Your trip to Canada-land
Domina Meridia: Or you asking us to partake in your nuts.
Dictator Massa: I was being polite
Domina Meridia: "I got drunk in Canada instead of America this weekend!"
Dictator Massa: It's perfect for the internets!

I'm squarely in the 'home from vacation and back to reality' blues. Mostly because I'm sick as a dog and don't have a day off until late May at least. All I can see are day after day stretching out in front of me without chance to catch up on sleep.

Yes, I'm being whiney. Yes, I don't have a horrible job. Yes, I'm in school voluntarily, but dammit, I want to sleep in. And I want Browncoats to be there when I wake up. This whole waking up to an empty bed thing is utterly unacceptable.