| I has gud grammer! |
[28 Aug 2008|03:40pm] |
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Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test... English GeniusYou scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 80% Expert! You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!
Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy
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| Stargate: Atlantis and Universe |
[22 Aug 2008|10:49pm] |
They say every ending is also a beginning, and that seems to be holding true for Stargate this year. Atlantis is ending after season 5, and Universe is supposedly beginning next year.
I can't say I'm exactly sad to see Atlantis go. While the show had promise in its first season, it was never as good as SG-1, and it certainly didn't connect with me the way the first 5 seasons of SG-1 did. There were a lot of plot threads that were either completely forgotten about (the Athosian's hidden technology), or had a disappointing conclusion (what clone!Weir was up to after the replicator planet was destroyed). It felt like the writers didn't quite know what to do with Atlantis or the characters, which would explain all the cast and plot arc changes and why Shepherd and Rodney got the lion's share of screen time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching the show, but too much of it seemed thrown together and forgettable.
Universe... I don't really know what to say. Part of me wants them to let Stargate rest for a few years. Maybe with some more time to develop, the next show could re-invigorate the franchise. Instead, I'm worried Universe will be like Atlantis except with even less gate travel, more space ships, and more generic plots. Continuum has given me a little hope that Brad will be able to pull it off though, so I'll wait until the show airs before making a final judgement. Until then, I'll look forward to the rest of Atlantis.
and I'm using my ronan/keller icon because this is probably the last time I'll get to use it and because I'm still annoyed at TPTB for teasing us with that ship and then throwing it out. *shakes fist*
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| Fay? Bah! |
[20 Aug 2008|09:16pm] |
Just in case any of you were worried, I'm safe.
I don't know what the news coverage was like everywhere else, but down here in South Florida it was "Fay Fay Fay" for almost a week up through Monday, when it hit. The TV people were making an unnecessarily big deal about the storm. It was only a tropical storm, which really isn't all that bad. A little wind, a little rain, and that's it. The storm hit Monday and half of Tuesday, and that's pretty much what happened. But then, this is Florida.
I spent the days inside, and most of Tuesday was spent on the phone. I'm planning a trip to Orlando in October for my friend M's birthday. We're going for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, with a side trip to Epcot for the Food and wine Festival. I spent most yesterday booking the hotel room through RCI, the timeshare company we have a membership with. What was supposed to be a fairly simple thing ended up taking hours and multiple phone calls. Long story short though, I ended up getting 1 week in essentially a dual-condo unit for $139. I think that was worth it.
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| Clearing up Continuum Confusion |
[09 Aug 2008|11:27pm] |
Some people (namely ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) sjhw_tolerance) are a little confused about what happpens to a certain bad guy in Continuum. So I've prepared a brief illustrated guide to help people understand the whole time-travel aspect of it. There be spoilers for the movie, so continue at your own risk.
( Follow the bouncing Ba'als )
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| Family Weekend |
[20 Jul 2008|11:27pm] |
We had some family visiting this weekend (I should say "have", since they're not leaving until Tuesday), so it was busier here than usual.
We went to see The Dark Knight on Friday. It started out good, but ended up about 45 minutes too long. There were just too many false endings and new plots. It felt like they should have cut the movie in half and made it into 2 instead. Plus they really hit you over the head with how dark a hero Batman is.
Saturday we went snorkeling in Key Largo. We got there too late for the boat we had signed up for, but as it turned out they had a smaller private boat that they gave us a deal on because we had so many people. The snorkeling was great. I hadn't been in almost 2 years, and the time just flew by. I should go more often.
Today we went kayaking near Hollywood beach. We each had our own kayak and were out for about an hour. It was fun, and after I came home while the rest of them went to the beach.
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| Who? |
[09 Jul 2008|09:37pm] |
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Kosh
A reclusive seer shrouded in riddles, you reveal very little and only what is deemed congruent with your plans.
Understanding is a three edged sword. Your side, their side, and the truth.
Kosh is a character in the Babylon 5 universe. You can read a few tidbits about his race at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5.
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| They're Back! |
[04 Jul 2008|12:59pm] |
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music |
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Sarah McLachlan w/ DMC - Just Like Me |
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The lizards are back! And they're so out to get me! I was minding my own business in the shower this morning when a little pale head poked up from behind my shaving cream. I screamed like a little girl and cowered in the back of the shower for 5 minutes splashing water on it and trying to make it go away. When it finally moved off, I braved using the shaving cream, wary of booby-traps. Thankfully it didn't explode.
I have no idea how these things are getting in the house. We don't leave doors open, and I don't think there are any lizard-sized holes in the wall. They're probably coming in through the ducts or something. I can just see them with their little black ninja outfits and grappling hooks sneaking into the house, trying to get me. Damn them!
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| Look! Another post! |
[01 Jul 2008|06:45pm] |
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music |
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Sarah McLachlan- Ordinary Miracle |
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Over the weekend I:
- saw Wall-e
And it was amazing. Wall-e is without a doubt my favorite movie of the year, and now one of my favorite movies of all time. I can't say enough good things about it, so I'm just going to you all to get out an go see it as soon as you can!
- caught a pokemon
Deoxys, to be precise. Ever since the days of Mew way back when, I've always wanted one of the special event-only pokemon that Nintendo puts in the games, so I made sure to pick up Deoxys when Gamestop was giving them away.
- bought some CDs
Sarah McLachlan's Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff 2 and Alanis Morissette's Flavors of Entanglement. I haven't listened to Alanis' yet, but Sarah's... some of the songs I had as mp3's, some are new, but the CD as a whole has made me fall in love with her all over again. Her version of Ordinary Miracle is so beautiful.
- went to the beach
It was hot! The sand practically burned my feet, and even the blanket we put down was uncomfortably warm. On the upside though, the water was very nice.
- played videogames and ate pizza
My friend and I finally finished Dragon Quest VIII for PS2. It's a great game, and really got me in the mood to play some more RPGs. I also had true Chicago deep dish pizza for the first time. It was good, and the dough was interestingly flaky. I'm going to have to try and make it myself one of these days.
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| *rises from the dead* |
[26 Jun 2008|05:52pm] |
Yes, I'm still alive, even though I haven't been on LJ lately. Things just got well, boring over here. In fact, the only reason I'm posting now is that sjhw_tolerance badgered me into it. I got to see her over the weekend, which was really nice. She was in Boca for a medical conference for a few days, and I picked her up from the airport on Saturday and drove her to her hotel. Unfortunately it rained most of the evening. We still ate at a nice place on the beach though (where Sue had 3 drinks!), and the weather cleared up enough for us to walk off dinner on the beach.
Other than that, life has been pretty uneventful here. I'm not taking any classes over the summer, just working on my thesis. As much as I can, anyway. My adviser has been MIA for the last few weeks, and I sorta need to speak with him about a few things. Hopefully I'll be able to get in touch with him soon, and the thesis can move forward.
Oh, and homemade marshmallows and crenshaw melons rock!
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| Karakoe meme |
[16 Apr 2008|10:46pm] |
Your Karaoke Theme Song is "Baby Got Back"
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You're a total show off who is willing to risk looking like a fool to get a few laughs.
In fact, you'll go for the cheap laugh if you need to... because it's better than no reaction!
Your friends can count on you to get a party started, and you'll party hard until you can't remember their names.
You're charismatic, charming, and a total character. With or without a few drinks in you.
You might also sing: "I Touch Myself," "Oops I Did it Again," or "My Humps"
Stay away from people who sing: "Candle in the Wind"
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| Cheese Fries |
[07 Apr 2008|12:37pm] |
I made really awesome cheese fries over the weekend. Everything was from scratch and came out perfectly. It's not the healthiest thing in the world, but as a treat every once in a while it's so good. Recipes below.
Baked Steak Fries
3 large Idaho potatoes
4 tablespoons vegetable or other non-olive oil
1 Tbs salt
1 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 450F. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" fries Toss with the oil, salt, and pepper, then spread out in a single layer on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir/flip and bake for another 10. Check for doneness. If needed, bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Cheese Sauce
3 Tbs butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbs flour
1/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese. I used a combination of fontina and cheddar.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the wine, then the milk and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes, whisking often to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to the lowest possible setting, and add the cheese in half cup increments, whisking constantly and making sure each addition is melted completely before adding the next. Season to taste.
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| A post? ZOMG! |
[27 Mar 2008|10:03pm] |
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mood |
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 tired |
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Ok, I need to get back to LJ now. I'm 90% healed, I'm sitting on the donut, driving, and am back to being able to use the computer whenever I want.
First things first: yes, I turned 26 on Monday. Twenty. Six. I still can't believe I'm that old. I never thought I would be this old, and I don't like it. I'm going to have a heart attack if I ever turn thirty.
But still, thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! The celebrations have been very low-key this year. Last weekend I celebrated with some friends at a nice Thai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale and a Cold Stone Cremery cake. Celebration with my parents was postponed until today so my Dad could join in, since he was out of town Monday. We went to J Alexander's, which was nice. The main courses were good, but caesar salad was the best part of the meal, imo. Great dressing, and the croutons were fresh, garlicky, and still warm.
Other than that, not much is going on. I haven't actually been back to class yet, but I've been doing all my assignments from home. I'll go back sooner or later, once my fear of the hard seats goes away. Other than school, I haven't been doing much other than surfin' the net and playing Brawl. I miss having the Ren Faire to go to.
p.s. Sue is a meanie!
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| It's another over-due update |
[06 Mar 2008|06:18pm] |
Things are progressing slowly but surely. There's still no touching of the area or laying on my back, but other than that I'm feeling good. I'm sitting down using the donut, walking and bending mostly normally, and can use the shower again (I was sponge bathing before). And today, through a combination of strategically placed pillows, seat adjustment, and an anti-gravity device, I was actually able to drive my car.
As as been usual of late, I haven't been doing much, but I did get to the Ren Faire last weekend. My friend M picked me up and we spent the day there. I had a lot of fun, even though I had to stand the whole time. We're going again this weekend, and I'm even going to dress up!
I haven't been on LJ since my last update, so if anything important or special has happened, let me know! Also, happy belated birthday to everyone I missed!
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| Recovering |
[11 Feb 2008|07:28pm] |
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mood |
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 blah |
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It seems I've overdue for an update. Things have been going well, if exceedingly boring. I'm healing slowly but surely from the surgery. My mobility has improved, I can walk faster and my range of motion is increasing. I still can't sit for very long though, and laying on my back is a no-no.
I can move well enough to cook, which is good because it gives me something to do. I can't leave the house, so all I do all day is lay down (or sometimes stand) and play video games and watch TV. It sounds great, but after more than a week I'm starting to get sick of it. Definitely going a little stir-crazy over here. The biggest excitement I've had lately is when I went to the food store with Mom on Sunday.
I went back to the surgeon's office for a check-up last Wednesday. Everything looks go so far. He took out a few stitches and replaced the bandages with a smaller one. I have to go back again this Wednesday, so I have my fingers crossed for another good report.
I'm not on the computer much because of the sitting thing, just a few minutes each day. I'm hoping that'll get better soon; you don't know how much you'll miss sitting down until you don't do it for a week and a half.
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| All Stitched Up |
[01 Feb 2008|08:48pm] |
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mood |
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 sore |
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The surgery went well yesterday. Mom and I got there a few minutes after 7 am, and they took me right away to get prepped. One thing I was very happy about was that they injected the anesthesia through the IV rather than give me the gas stuff. I absolutely HATE the gas; it makes me throw up after words, and just the smell of it makes me nauseous. I don't know how long the surgery took, but the surgeon told Mom that it went well.
I'm writing this post standing up at my desk. As predicted, I can only lay on my side or my stomach. We got a donut for me to sit on, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm fairly mobile, I can walk around and go up and down the stairs, though I move slowly. I have trouble bending down, and I can't really pick anything up off the floor.
The pain hasn't been too bad. The area hurts a bit, and my throat is sore from being intubated during the surgery. I've been taking percocet for the pain. It works well, though it does make me very sleepy. I took naps soon after my afternoon dosage today and yesterday.
The area itself is heavily bandaged up. I'm going back to see the surgeon on Wednesday so he can check it and change the dressing and so on. Until then I have to keep it as clean and dry as I can and not exert myself too much.
Thank you to everyone for you well-wishes! They ment a lot. :-)
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| Cut me up |
[30 Jan 2008|08:15pm] |
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mood |
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blah |
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I'm having my surgery tomorrow morning, this time for real. Wish me luck!
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