Easily Led Astray
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Emily" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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09:41 pm
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GIP
From the iconing genius that is ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lanning!!
Current Mood:  chipper
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03:44 pm
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Inattentive doesn't quite capture it
I've been in class since 9 this morning and paid attention about ten minutes total. I have, however, nearly finished my Spanish presentation for tomorrow, which is something.
Word to the wise: Don't hand out the final, based entirely on the readings, the first day of class and then tell students that class participation is only 5% of the grade. If it were boring, but it mattered, I'd pay attention; if it didn't matter, but was interesting, I'd pay attention. My professor has hit the magic combo of boring/doesn't matter. Fabulous.
Current Mood:  bored
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09:18 pm
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More depressing flood stuff
I helped clean out my sisters' apartment today. That was disgusting. I suited up in long pants, long sleeves, a bandana, a mask, and rubber gloves, so of course it hit 90. Fun times. The best part is, I managed to get sunburned! How I did that, I'm not sure, but my face and half my neck are bright red. Again, *half* my neck? Not sure, but it happened.
For the curious, pictures are here; the link is to a Photobucket slideshow. It really shows how dirty the flood was. I think that's what stunned me--all the danger from the mold, dirt, sewage, etc.
Anyway, we're making it. I was tremendously lucky, my sisters already have a new apartment (and have possession even!), Iowa is rebuilding. We may be rebuilding until I have grandchildren, but we've started.
Current Location: home
Current Mood:  indescribable
Current Music: the rain outside
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10:55 pm
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Floods
I didn't imagine this. Nobody imagined this. "Five-hundred-year flood," they keep saying, like that explains something.
Cedar Rapids's downtown, my city's downtown, is gone. The courthouse, the old City Hall, the jail, sit on an island in the middle of the river. That island is completely underwater now. There are no bridges open over the river except for the interstate; it's a superhuman feat just to get from one half of the city to the other. The main branch of the public library--water's halfway up the doors. I cried when I saw that picture.
My sisters had to evacuate their apartment in Coralville; they had an hour to grab what they could. Well, one of my sisters had an hour; the other was at class and would've lost everything. The water is going to rise there for another week. It's likely they'll lose everything they didn't carry out. They've got some clothes, their laptops, and their cats. Everything else will be gone.
They're telling us that the river here isn't supposed to go below 20 feet, *the former record crest*, until next Wednesday. It's cresting Friday at 32 feet, but that could change; it's still raining. Flood stage is 12 feet. Twelve. Thirty-two. So this is what a natural disaster looks like.
We may yet lose water; only one water-treatment plant of the city's four is still operational. We're not supposed to do dishes, do laundry, or even bathe. Drinking only, they say. We're the lucky ones, my husband and I in our apartment. We still have power, still have cable (and thus Internet as well). We still have a home.
Current Location: home
Current Mood:  sad
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03:57 pm
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I'm a greeting!
 
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05:43 am
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Wherein I Play Pollyanna (sort of)
So, yes, the OSBP is totally appalling in every way (I link to a semi-comprehensive reaction summary post), and I'm totally skeeved out by the whole idea of this occurring in a public space.
The fantastic posts and comments made about it by so many wonderful people, however, have really helped third shift fly by for me this evening. So thanks, theferrett! Your overwhelming creepitude has provided entertainment for the wee hours. Good job.
Current Location: work
Current Mood: tongue-in-cheek
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01:44 am
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It's oh so quiet
The thing about third shift is, on a quiet night, you start to feel like the only person on the planet. Everyone here but me is in bed--just me, the computer, and the security monitor showing no movement at all. The hum of the CPU seems deafening because it's the only sound. Third shift, particularly in this job, is six hours of nothing at all going on, then a gradual awakening to the day cut off by my own journey home to bed. It's not the worst thing, but I'll be glad when this job is over and I can wake and sleep with everyone else.
Current Mood: quiet
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12:37 am
[Link] | Over and over again, I make elaborate plans in my head about how I'm going to post every day, or every other day, and then two months go by and I write *nothing*. I know better by now than to make promises, but I am working third shift now, and I don't have much else to do, so I may be posting for a little while.
Tonight, KANSAS WON! Oh, that was sweet, and about damn time! Twenty years is too long, friends! (Sorry about all the exclamation marks)
I've been rediscovering Smallville fic in the past few days. There's just so much out there that's well-written, it's hard to stay away from, even though I think I've seen all of three episodes. Anyone got Chloe/Lex recs for me? *crosses fingers*
Current Mood: happy
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03:49 pm
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Yipe
It's a mess out there. Everything has a coating of ice on it, and we were out of power for about four hours. Not too terrible, really, since our heat isn't electric, but it did screw up my plans to have chili tonight (no power = no Crock Pot). It's mostly a pain--I'm finally healthy enough to go back to work, and there's no school today and probably none tomorrow, since this junk isn't even supposed to stop until late tonight and then it's all going to freeze, turning the roads from lakes into bobsled runs. Fun! Also, my Internet is intermittent at best--fine for five minutes, off for ten, repeat ad infinitum. Whatever. I guess I'll post this later, when it comes back.
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08:27 pm
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Wow
It's so much more bearable down in my computer room since the heater has been fixed. It's seriously 20 degrees warmer. I'm finally back!
Current Mood: happy
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12:35 pm
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A hundred little notes
-I'm sick. Yuk.
-I'm available to beta for Yuletide. The exhaustive list of fandoms I know is over in the Big Yuletide Beta Post (Here's the link). I had lots of fun betaing last year, and I'd love to do it again.
-Substitute teaching is fun, but exhausting. Also, I think I'm going to end up meeting every child in my city in the classroom at least once before the end of the year.
-I'm married, which is great. The wedding--I survived it, which is also great. It was fun and all, but I would've been just as happy with a tiny ceremony and no reception at all. That's me though; Mr. epj wanted a family thing, which we had, and I think it went well. My youngest sister toasted us with the words of Bret Michaels from "Rock of Love", which was the Best Toast Ever!!
-I've been reading a lot lately, and need to get back into book reviews. I'll take a second to recommend anything by John Scalzi; I've read his blog for forever and finally checked out his books, and they're pretty great.
-King-size beds are the best thing in the whole world.
-I need to decide which (Democratic) candidate to caucus for. Does anyone know of good websites that would offer the views of multiple candidates on issues?
-I'm a cook! I adapted a recipe for three-cheese enchiladas to make chicken enchiladas, and they turned out really well. Hooray!
Sorry about being all over the place. More coherent entries may or may not follow. No promises.
Current Mood:  tired
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08:37 pm
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Wait 'til next year
The countdown to the 2008 baseball season starts now.
Go Cubs!
Current Mood:  quixotic
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03:38 pm
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oops
Today I learned that if you dry a mattress pad on high heat, it melts. Unfortunately, I learned that *after* I pulled it out of the dryer and realized it was a crinkly ball of unusability. ARGH Back to Younkers I go...
Current Mood:  frustrated
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12:06 pm
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My new apartment!!
( Pictures of my new apartment )
Current Mood:  okay
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09:12 am
[Link] | Happy birthday, rhiannonhero! Hope it's a wonderful day!
Current Mood: happy
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10:20 am
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My Life, according to quizzes
So, did that career quiz nail me or what?
Top ten suggested careers:
1. Child and Youth Worker
2. Special Education Teacher
3. Elementary School Teacher
4. High School Teacher
5. Probation / Parole Officer
6. Social Worker
7. Anthropologist
8. Early Childhood Educator
9. Career Counselor
10. Adoption Counselor
I've done #3 and 8, worked with special ed kids in mainstream classrooms, and I'm planning to go back to school to be a social worker. The only one I'm not interested in is parole officer. Guess I'm easily labeled. :)
For those who haven't been memed yet, the quiz is here; username/password: nycareers/landmark Have fun!
Current Mood:  amused
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12:52 pm
[Link] | Hippo birdie two ewe
Hippo birdie two ewe
Hippo birdie, dear romanticalgirl
Hippo birdie two ewe
Current Mood: happy
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08:24 pm
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No wonder I'm tired
Since last Friday I have:
-Traveled to Pittsburgh
-Attended my bridal shower
-Traveled back *from* Pittsburgh
-Flown to Iowa
-Bought a car
-Negotiated transfer of money so I can pay for said car
-Applied for two jobs and called about five others
-Looked at two apartments, only one of which reeked of urine
-Set up appointments to look at eight other apartments
-Watched "Top Chef"
I'm pooped.
Current Mood:  stressed
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08:11 pm
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It's time for the quote meme
1. Because...the walls! Are very thin!
2. No mad dogs when the bread comes!
3. Where Wallace, String? Where Wallace?
4. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.
5. You could fry my toe and it would taste good.
6. What do you think I'm going to do, tie you to the bedpost and cover you in butter?
7. Do it, trees.
8. Are we in business?
9. Happy birthday to me / is how it ought to be
10. Did you just say solipsistic?
Current Mood: stressed
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03:12 pm
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I passed!
I passed, I passed
I pa-assed
I passed, I passed
I pa-assed
*dance of joy*
I am now, FINALLY, at the age of 28, a licensed driver!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Let the celebrations begin, starting with a celebration that it only took me 2.75 hours to get in and out of the DMV. O frabjous day!
Current Mood:  ecstatic
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