The ass you see when you think of a plumber.
coined by Matt… March 25, 2009
Posted by: patriciamar | March 25, 2009
Plumberbum
Posted in Etc., language | Tags: ass crack, plumber, Plumberbum
Posted by: patriciamar | March 24, 2009
Vaandel: The New Dutch Treat
Happily enough… Our grocery store, the C1000, has just begun to stock a new and very cheap beer.
Ahhh… Vaandel. It’s like a whole neighborhood of fans has just developed. I see old men, young men, young couples, teenage boys (p.s.-that’s legal here…) trucking to the C1000 to buy a can or 24 of Vaandel. Holland Beer. Biere De Luxe.
I was just looking on my green can for a Since date, but alas, I could not find one. This is likely because they are simply a new kind of shitty beer that fulfills the cheap beer craving, but no real [delicious] beer taste…
Though it’s no pride of the Dutchmen, it is oh so cheap at 42 cents for 50 cl. Not bad.
(p.s. 50 cl = tall boy)
Posted by: patriciamar | March 24, 2009
Happy and Sterile
Why is it that being professional- especially in the U.S. (maybe other places as well, I’m just not sure)- means that you are “happy” and sterile?
The life of a stressed professional is all about making money, hiding your true personality, and releasing it all on the weekend. Why is that having a “real” job comes with a “work voice?” I was always made fun of for this by my friends (who, by the way, made me feel very nervous already if they called me at work), but when you don’t have a work voice, you just do not seem to sound professional. Or should I say sterile?
For the same reason Facebook and Twitter (whatever that is) are causing youth today to lose job offers (this infamous Cisco-Twitter example) or get fired (one of many Facebook status update/message to friends incidents). Technology today is set up so that everyone can watch everything. If you don’t know how to control yourself and you don’t know how to properly set your Facebook privacy settings… you are pretty much screwed.
I’m not in any way saying you need to choose a more boring or sterile life- maybe just say No to Facebook, or just Read The Privacy Setting Manual! I don’t think this is really that difficult.
Just to make sure, I think I will check mine right now.
I also randomly to a “friend” thinning. Clearly, I do not talk to or send messages to these people, and in some cases, I don’t even know where these people or living or what they are doing.
… so no real offense if I defriend you. I think you are a nice person, we’ve just grown apart.
And when your security settings aren’t on… neither are mine. It’s the truth. Give it a Google.
In truth, I wish that we could all just be free-er and do what we want (on the weekend, at least), but this is just not the way society works. Sorry.
When I had a job, I sometimes tried to be more relaxed. If someone asked me how I was doing, I responded honestly… even if I wasn’t “great, thanks, and you?”
It is sad that when you search for a job, you are usually rushed and (more or less) desperate? You don’t really have the time (or energy) to search for a job that you love. This is really my ultimate goal… a job that I love. Not just like a lot and this is reasonable, but a job that is worthwhile, good for the world, positive for children, and that I love.
In keeping with this, I just found a post and excerpt of advice on OvercaffeinatedKatie that I thought was in line with my thoughts. http://www.overcaffeinatedkatie.com/index.cfm/2009/3/24/a-little-advice
Posted by: patriciamar | March 22, 2009
Gray Days
Gray days are one aspect of spring that people appreciate, but that you do not really hear much about. For the last two weeks, it has been pretty sunny in Leiden. The type of spring day when you just have to go outside because It’s Spring! You have to Enjoy it! People are out playing basketball, walking, running, cycling (even more than the usual), walking multiple dogs, playing soccer, drying their laundry outside, beating rugs, walking to the grocery store, and of course, buying more colorful flowers (both more in quantity, and more in color!).
Today, the morning was sunny, though a bit windy, and the afternoon was… gray. Though no one will admit it, and no one will comment positively on it, these gray days are important as well. Gray days are a chance for people to recover after playing hard outside for the last two weeks. They are the chance to relax inside with a book and a nap without having to miss a day in the sun And- without having to admit that they are just exhausted! from all this playing in the fresh spring air. Our winter bodies are just not used to all this warmth, sun, and fresh air, so a day inside is… nice.
I know that this is in fact, the case, because mother and father nature feel the same way. For the same reason, there is always that freak blizzard in late March in Minnesota…or April, or May, and once in June… People need a break from the spring rush to the head and a day for a nap without the guilt of being inside. I think this type of gray day and/or blizzard, depending on your location, also helps to remind people to appreciate the spring- and to not tire yourself out too quickly.
I went out in the gray late afternoon today, and there was a strange sort of peaceful calm. There were some people out doing the mandatory dog walking and a few serious cyclists, but other than that, there weren’t many people out at all. It made me satisfied with my morning coffee and book reading, and with the fact that I was about to go right back in to the same.
My springtime advice… Play in the sun and get out in the fresh air, of course, but also appreciate the gray days. Take a nap, lay low, and be happy that tomorrow will probably be sunny again.
Posted by: patriciamar | March 22, 2009
Do you eat, sleep, dream…?
There always seem to be times in your life when you are plagued with sleeplessness.
Sometimes one night, sometimes two, and sometimes a year – I have decided to spend more time thinking about why it is that one can’t sleep, rather than worrying about not sleeping, or worse, counting down the hours and minutes that are left before you have to wake up.
There are always things to blame sleeplessness on- caffeine, stress, worry, excitement, life failure, success… But since life really does always seem to go on, and you always fall asleep eventually- it seems that most people don’t stop to think whether or not there is more to it than this.
When I was younger, I was frequently not sleeping. This is a strange sentence, but it really does put it best. I was known for two a.m. showers that screwed up the water softener cycle, running on the treadmill at midnight, reading- and then finishing a book at six a.m., or waking up to write a paper because I wasn’t about to go to sleep anyway. For almost a full year I started the night in my bed, by two-thirty a.m. moved out to the couch, and then fell asleep watching You’ve Got Mail. It was actually quite effective, and really my only hope for actually going to sleep. My parents of course thought I was on the verge of death- getting by with so little sleep, and my mother (and grandmother, and aunts…) used to find aromatherapy candles and lotions for me that were called, tranquility, sleep, or peace.
My mother used to blame my overall sleeplessness on my lack of a man. Dear Saint Anne, please send me a man… she used to chant. Although at one point after I had found a man, my sleeping habits supposedly improved, I refuse to accept this as a reasonable explanation.
Now that it’s been a few years, and I graduated from college, lived in a few different foreign countries, got married, had a real life job, and many other things, this sleeplessness still awakens every once in a while. Since I am currently not working, and am back in school and writing my master’s thesis for the next four months, I have a pretty flexible schedule. I really do have the once in a lifetime opportunity of waking up when I want and going to sleep when I want. I more or less try to stay lined up with Matt (who does have classes, and almost a real schedule), but I will admit that sometimes, like last week, for example, I was going to sleep at six a.m. and waking up at twelve thirty. Don’t be jealous of this, it’s really not that great of a lifestyle.
Redirecting my stream of consciousness… I was thinking today that this is a period in my life when I can really think about why it is that I sleep. Or don’t sleep.
Thus far, I have concluded that location is not really an issue. As much as I can freak myself out about the wind that seems like it is going to blow in my windows… this isn’t really an issue. (Though I do sleep wonderfully when it is raining, but who doesn’t???).
So why is it that sometimes you just can’t sleep and you know it???
You have that strange feeling that you will just not be going to sleep for a while.
Posted by: patriciamar | March 22, 2009
A bit disconcerting
I have just admitted to myself that I drink coffee everyday. I am not too extreme, I usually only have a cup or two, but everyday. Okay, some days I will have six or seven cups- but not usually.
This is a bit disconcerting for me, but what is interesting is that it isn’t that I wake up tired and really need the caffeine. I don’t even use an alarm most days because I am just writing my thesis whenever and however I can. It is the calm that comes with sitting in my coffee corner in the morning that I like. I can look out at the canal at that time of day when the sun reflects of the water and makes it sparkle. This is my favorite time of day to sit and have coffee.
Perhaps I will just let myself drink an abundance of coffee until I finish my thesis. Once I’m done then I’ll reconsider my health and my teeth and maybe switch to tea. We’ll see.
At one point Matt was talking to a company that I think felt the same way about coffee. They referred to certain job responsibilities- regular coffee tastings, working to appropriately describe coffee flavor and aroma. How nice. I should try to find the name of the company again. I’ll let you know.
For now, I will just enjoy the coffee and forget the addiction that may or may not be playing a role.
Posted by: patriciamar | March 20, 2009
Out of Context
Sometimes it is interesting, and quite fun, to think about things you say (or hear), out of context.
Take the following quote from Matt:
They were annoying me, so I tied them up.
Sounds a little harsh, don’t you think?
What was he really talking about??? In reality, he was referring to the new headphones we just got that have a 3 meter cord. Yes, I agree. It can be quite annoying.
This bread is really sharp.
…see post below.
My thesis work is somewhat related to native speaker speech errors, so here are a few more, that always make me laugh: (keep in mind that I gave my advisors a spreadsheet of these.) (Nice.)
…while trying to give Nicole a shower…
…funky spunk was a signature event for me…
…why a duck? Do they lay eggs?
…Mario is magic…
Others:
Can you imagine dogs doing this?
And this one… just explains itself- in or out of context.
I wish I had slippers made out of turkish bread.
Posted by: patriciamar | March 20, 2009
Sharp bread injuries
I just bought a half baguette from the Turkse pizza man, and it accosted me on the way home.
I got the bread as an afterthought for our spaghetti meal for just 50 cents. What a steal.
Then, when I was eating it in the elevator on the way home, it cut my upper lip on the right hand side.
It really stings.
I never knew that bread was so sharp.
Posted by: patriciamar | March 20, 2009
A.J. Abrams: Gopher Killer
I will admit, I am (or was) a Gopher. I was very saddened to watch A.J. Abrams almost single-handedly crush the hopes of a Gopher win.
Just to clarify, when I say single-handedly, I [obviously] mean that the Gophers ridiculously let him shoot his heart out for two minutes while they stumbled around trying to let their [Gopher] spirit out. Shoot.
Maybe next year.
P.s. Go Tubby.
P.s.s. Abrams, you have weird facial hair. You looked much better without it.
Posted in Etc., Minnesota, sports | Tags: A.J. Abrams, basketball, Gophers, NCAA tournament, spirit
Posted by: patriciamar | March 19, 2009
All About Alliteration
The Sweet Sixteen
The Elite Eight
The Final Four
People just eat it up. If you want a successful event, use alliteration in the title. If you want to build hype and excitement, add an adjective to go along with it.
The Linguist List is having Fund Drive Friday right now. I’ll tell you, when I saw that unique and exciting name – I was drawn in. Of course I spent a few minutes browsing around and contemplating a donation. It’s fun! It’s clever! It’s alliteration! (check it out if you like: http://www.linguistlist.org – This is the organization that posts jobs, articles, etc, that have anything to do with linguistics and gives me hope that once I graduate, I will be able to find a job. Eventually.)
Back to alliteration… Let’s say you’re having a bake sale. It’s for the kids. Maybe for… new playground equipment. You can’t just say Bake Sale: Sunday: help us raise money… You just must use alliteration.
Don’t be a cookie monster! Sunday is a fun-day for LHS! Attend the Bobcat Baking Bash and help us build our Jaw-Dropping Jungle Gym dreams come true!
Or this one, for the cheerleading car wash fundraiser… (But not so much for the kids)
[Car] Feelin’ dirty? Suds up Saturday with the Sunnyside Shouters!
(As a side note: I don’t recommend you actually use this one for a high school fundraiser. You are likely to be suspended.)
Rhyming also sometimes helps. Best of luck to you.
And be sure to watch the Sweet Sixteen next Thursday. It’ll be like nothing you’ve ever not missed.
Posted in Etc., language | Tags: alliteration, elite eight, events, final four, fun, Linguist List, sweet sixteen
If all were to go swimmingly... 