Summer Schedule

At my current job, we work a 4/10 schedule during the summer.  My schedule becomes 8:30am to 7pm, M-Th.  This is the week that we switched to our summer schedule.

Luckily (?), I teach on Mondays, so I left at 5:30pm, so I got out of my first 10 hour day!  Let's not talk about the fact that I taught until 9:30pm, because then it'd be a 13 hour day...

Today, I voted.  Our contract (secured through our union), allows us two paid hours to vote.  I got up at my normal time (okay, okay, may be a few minutes later...   Not more than 15...), voted, stopped at Fresh and Easy to pick up salsa for a Mexican potluck we had at work, and got to work only a half hour late!  Oh, I also got a skinny iced caramel machiatto from Starbucks; it was right next to Fresh and Easy!  Anyway, although I did stay until 7pm, it wasn't quite a 10 hour day since I got there a little late.  And, really, the Mexican potluck took some time, too.

I went to the gym after work, and remembered that I get better parking during the summer!  But it's very discouraging to get home at 9pm.  Then I got distracted by The Big Bang Theory, and watched a half hour of that.  After flossing, brushing, showering, and getting ready for bed, I was only 15 minutes after my bed time.  But still, it sucks to get home and pretty much only have time to get clean.  

Tomorrow will be my first full 10 hour day for this summer.  And another trip to the gym, so I won't get home until 9pm again.  Ug.

On the bright side, I'm leaving three hours early on Thursday (a 7 hour day!) to go to a Cirque du Soleil  show.  I'm seeing Iris, and am excited.  It's my first CdS show, and I'm sure that I'll love the physicality of it, as well as the film theme of this show.  Plus, I got a Goldstar discount on the tickets!



Sorry, there's no pithy ending to this blog.  It really is just a pointless anecdote, a First World complaint about my work hours.

Snow White and the Huntsman

I gave Kristen Stewart the benefit of the doubt, and went to see this movie.  The people that I saw it with really liked it.  I was all "meh."  Here are the problems that I have with it (there might be SPOILERS in here...):

• Someone who was locked in a tower her 10+ years would not have the stamina of a huntsman.  Or any stamina at all.
• Who gets to decide who's the fairest of them all?  What if I only like red-heads?  Or chubby women? What if my type is mixed-race gothic punk?  It's just sorta simplistic for today.
• The camera spent an inordinate amount of time on Bella... uh, Snow White when she wasn't really doing anything or expressing anything.  She was mostly just breathing (and then that whole scene where she wasn't breathing..."
• We also were looking at her back a lot.  I guess to show what she was seeing, what was in front of her.  But it was more breathing, really.
• The last scene was ridiculously uninteresting.  Again, she really just breathes.  And almost smiles.  
• Kristen Stewart doesn't close her mouth much.  She's a mouth-breather.  
• The rallying speech was uninspiring.  I don't blame that all on Kristen Stewart, though.  The writing does have to take some blame.  And really, in the context of the story, she wouldn't have had to rally too much.  Everyone was on her side, she just had to mention the little fact that she had the power to kill the queen.
• I'd like to have seen more between William and the Huntsman, to know what each of them were thinking of the other one.  I liked that bit in the third Hunger Games book where Peeta and Gale talk about their predicament with Katniss.
• The huntsman mostly just glowered for the first half of the movie.  The acting during that first half was really lackluster.  Director:  "Kristen- look scared.  Chris- glower.  Good!"

But it wasn't all bad.  Here is what I liked:

• Snow White was very persistent.  Against odds, she just kept running, kept trying.
• A Snow White story finally gave some background as to why a grown woman would care if she's the prettiest, why she would care so much that she'd destroy for it.
• I liked how they made Snow White peaceful and loving, a friend of animals.  
• Yay, the apple's back in the story!
• I liked that Snow White was unsuccessful in defeating the queen when she was basing it out of anger, but was successful when it was more like protecting herself.  That keeps with the theme of the character. 

What about diversity?  I care about that in a movie, too!

• Well, the whole cast was white, except may be for one evil guard.  Fail.  
• There were, obviously, two female main characters.  They did talk, to each other, about something other than men, so it passes the Bechdel Test.  And they both were strong characters, in their different ways.  
• There were little people; is that a disability?  
• Presumably everyone was straight.  Wouldn't it have been awesome if Snow White was a dyke?!

Blind Date

I dreamt last night that I was dating a blind guy. It was interesting, because I started to think about all sorts of ways to be attractive for him, and what he wouldn't notice.

First off, my hair would definitely change. Now, when it looks good, it feels crunchy. But a blind guy would want soft hair! So I'd probably get a much shorter cut. I also thought about smell. He'd probably be more sensitive to smells, so I'd have to shower more often, pay attention to the lotions, hair products, deodorant, colognes that I wear, and watch my farting.

He wouldn't notice make-up, except may be the taste of lip gloss, so I could skip out on that a lot more!

I don't think dating a blind guy would affect how my partner would feel about my weight. Either way, he'd be touching me, so it's still a personal choice how firm or round (s)he prefers. Similar for breast size, although there'd be less focus on the look of them and more on the feel and grab-ability. :)

Vera's Hurt!

Yesterday, as I was leaving the school parking lot, someone hit Vera!

I was driving through the parking lot, when I noticed this SUV backing up.  My first instinct was to slam on the brakes (which I did), and I knew that I needed her to notice me.  So I yelled, "Ah!"  She didn't notice me until she heard my side mirror crunching in to my door.  :(  May be the horn would've been a better choice?

When she first got out of her SUV, she was still talking on the phone!  And not in an, "OMG, I just hit someone, I gotta go!" way, but in a "Yeah, yeah.  I should get off the phone..." way.  It was a speaker phone, but still.


Luckily, a campus security officer was in the same parking lot, so he came over to helped.  Unfortunately, he didn't see anything.  He helped us remember all of the information that we should exchange, and reminded me that the college's auto shop was still open.  The other person took FOREVER to get her insurance information, saying that it was her father's car.  Poor, broken Vera was blocking her SUV from leaving, and I wasn't about to leave until I had her insurance information!  Eventually, after talking on the phone several more times, she gets me her father's insurance information.  While I'm getting all of her information, she asks whose fault it was.  I just stare at her.  Then say, "Yours."  My Prius is quiet, but it's not invisible!

Since my side mirror was now dangling limply on the door, I went to the auto shop to get it removed.  I knew the instructor, Larry, so he was really nice.  He even asked me how I was doing!!  So sweet.  The students took off the mirror while I graded papers.  Larry looked up the part, and found that it cost over $250.  Who knew that Vera had heated mirrors?  Looking at the door damage, he said that the whole repair would probably cost over $1k.  The other driver had asked me not to call insurance because her father is a mechanic.  But for a thousand dollars of body work?  Heck yeah I'm calling my insurance! 

On my drive home, I sorely missed my mirror.  You don't know how often you use it until it's not there!  


The next day, I left Vera with the body shop that Allstate suggested, and got a very red Versa.  This is the second time that I've had a rental Versa, and they don't hold a candle to my Vera!  I mean, where's the back-up cam?  Why doesn't the radio show me what songs are playing?  Why can't I change the radio or the temperature from the steering wheel?  You really expect me to do math to figure out my average gas mileage?  Why do I have to click the fob to unlock the door?  Why do I have to put the keys into the ignition?  It's all so arcane.

After almost a week in the shop, I finally have Vera back.  Yay!!  I do miss some features of the Versa, though.  I like how you could choose how much face versus foot fan you wanted.
The insurance company called, too.  Although I paid my deductible at the auto shop, I'll be getting it all back because they've agreed that I'm not at fault. And Larry was right, it did cost about $1000!

All's well that ends well, I guess.

Glee Locker Room

While listening to all of the Glee soundtracks on my run yesterday, I was thinking about the show.  I was struck by how there have been a somewhat high number of scenes in the boys' locker room.  Then I tried to think of any scenes in the girls' locker room.  Nope, none.  What does this say about gender in the Gleeverse?  Are only men allowed to be healthy, fit, and strong?  You can't tell me that the Cheerios don't work out.  We have seen Rachel on an elliptical in her own room, but never with others.  We've seen Quinn in physical therapy, but that's about it.  I mean, even Artie and Leprechaun are in these locker room moments.  These skinny or dough-y guys are seen the locker room or gym, but no women?

Don't get me wrong, I am gleeful that there aren't gratuitous scenes of these girls changing in the locker room while having a conversation, but I do wonder what this pattern is telling the viewers about what's appropriate for girls and boys to do. 

As I considered this (while still running), I realized that there are a lot of scenes in girls' bathrooms.  Like, a lot.  Including several songs.  I don't remember any songs in the boys' locker room, except Sam singing to himself in the shower.  Of course the writers want private areas for some of their conversations or songs, but is it necessary to have them be gender-segregated?  The library is a pretty good place for a private conversation, too.  A high school student in a library seems much more realistic than Leprechaun in the gym. 

What I see in this pattern of gender-segregated locations is that women are supposed to stare at themselves in the mirror, trying to perfect their hair and make-up, while men are supposed to be buff. For all of the groundbreaking that Glee does, this is a disappointing pattern.

How to Get Your Prescription in 11 "Easy" Steps!

Step 1:  Get prescription from your doctor(s).
Step 2:  Wait for vacation because you work 9 hour days and don't have time to get your prescriptions in your daily life.
Step 3:  Go to pharmacy that only serves hospital staff.
Step 4:  Get your mother's prescriptions at a CVS, but save your prescriptions because you have Target pharmacy coupons (and have used Target pharmacies before).  
Step 5:  Go to a Target that does not have a pharmacy.
Step 6:  Return home from vacation.
Step 7:  Go to a Target with a pharmacy, but learn that one prescription must be ordered so you'll have to come back.  Take back prescriptions because this isn't a convenient Target to get back to.  Also learn that your Target pharmacy coupons are expired.
Step 8:  Skip the gym to go to a convenient Target.  Drop off prescription. 
Step 9:  Go back to convenient Target a few days later (after that one prescription should've arrived) after a doctor's appointment.  Learn that prescription wasn't filled because your insurance changed prescription plans at the beginning of the year.  Wait 20 minutes while they try to get your insurance information correct.  Leave with assurance that prescription will be filled within the next day or two. 
Step 10:  Go back to convenient Target on your one day off every two weeks.  Learn that the ordered prescription was for a gel, but Target got a cream.  The pharmacist will not give out the cream until the doctor okay's it.  Super-nice pharmacist calls the doctor right then to get approval. 
Step 11:  Get your prescriptions!

Geek, Defined

I was reading this blog about geeks.  It discussed what geeks have in common with each other.  Her conclusion was what geeks, who love a variety of things (she lists: "science fiction, fantasy, video and tabletop games, comic books, science, technology, and math"), have in common is their attention to details.  They like the minutia of things, and delve deeper into their interests. 

I disagree, mostly because I don't see that in myself.  Sure, I can be pretty detailed or focus on minor points, or make sure that I know as much as possible about an interest (ahem, Firefly...), but I'm not all that interested in the minutia of most of my passions.  Heck, I'm not even watching The Clone Wars! 

What I see as the binding component is our passion.  Or passion for something.  And that we follow this passion unabashedly, unapologetically, and without reserve. 

I can't decide if that needs an addendum, though. Must the thing that a geek like not be adored by the general public?  I mean, people swoon over Justin Beiber.  Does that make them a kind of geek?  Is loving Twilight a "geek" thing?  Harry Potter?  The Hunger Games?  I'm not sure.  May be all that defines a geek is our fanaticism, regardless of the topic.  I mean, are high school drama geeks really stereotypic "geeks?"  Or are they just interested (obsessed) by theater?  May be it just so happens that many geeks tend to love nerdy* things, and that's why the term geek now covers the love of many of these things.  Unlike the original blog, I don't think "geek" and "nerd" are interchangeable.  To me, geeks are into sciencey, sci-fi, superhero stuff, but incredibly so, while nerds are into learning and thinking.  

As I think about what defines a geek, though, I'm starting to see how the passion component must involve the thinking component that I tend to apply to nerds.  Geeks use their brain about their passion.  That might make the difference between someone with Beiber Fever, and a Scooby (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fan).  That would definitely, in my opinion, put Twilight into the fluffy fan category, while HP and THG probably garner their fanatical base because they have messages, messages about friendship, sacrifice, and activism.  Plus, cool visuals and a rollicking plot.  Drama geeks, I assume, thought about their art.  I can't say the same about athletes; they weren't called "basketball geeks" for a reason, right?

The characteristic of social awkward is often attributed to geeks.  Not without reason, I grant you.  May be one of the parallels of being obsessed with your thing is social awkwardness.  May be being socially awkward means that you don't realize how far off of center your passion makes you?  

In sum, I believed that geeks are defined by their obvious passion for a topic, but this blog has helped me understand that it isn't just passion that makes a geek.  Geeks often think about what they're passionate about.  So may be I don't disagree as much with The Mary Sue blog as I thought...