Thursday, October 29, 2009

10 Sounds in Everyday Life That Make Me Smile

aka 10 Onomatopoeias

1. The satisfying schnick of opening a new jar of tomato sauce.
2. The spi-twang spi-twang spi-twang of the cable hitting the side of a flagpole in the wind.
3. The mechanical hssssst of the bus door opening.
4. The hilarious sproink that my dad's coffee maker used to make (we were both so sad when it broke. We referred to turning a coffee pot on as "doing the sproink" for years after).
5. The hollow pock of dropping an empty paper ketchup cup at work.
6. The "prrrrrrow!" noise that my cat Emma makes when I walk in the door, which is shortly followed by...
7. The thrump of her head over-enthusiastically trying to rub her head against the nearest object (usually the kitchen island).
8. The crink of popping that disk in my neck just right.
9. The pok pok SQUICK... pok pok SQUICKITY SQUICK *grunt*... pok pok *applause* of people playing tennis on TV.
10. The sawing chzuuuuuuh chzzzzuuh of my boyfriend snoring (yes, it makes me happy. Call me crazy but I sleep better when he's snoring).

3 Simple One-Pot Meals I Make Frequently

aka, 3 Pieces of Evidence Proving that I Cannot Cook

1. "Mexican Rice" - Prepare two boxes of Goya brand beans and rice (Red beans or Black beans, or one of each), adding one package of Kielbasa (they have chipotle flavored in some stores now, which is awesome - not very spicy but lots of flavor),sliced thin, about a cup of frozen corn and hot spices (either cayenne pepper or chipotle powder) too taste while the rice boils. Sometimes I add chopped onions and bell peppers as well.

2. "Tuna Casserole" - Cook about two cups of pasta, with the canned or frozen veggies of your choice. Dump one can of condensed cream of mushroom soup into a sauce pan and melt a cup or two of your favorite cheese into it. Toss with pasta and one can of drained tuna fish. Don't forget to save the water from the tuna can for your cat.

3. "Herb Tortellini" - Prepare fresh or frozen cheese tortellini according to the package instructions, with a cup or two of frozen broccoli added while boiling. Drain and put back into the pot. Add pats of butter to the mix, stirring, until everything is nicely coated. Stir in a tablespoon or two of dill. Add garlic and salt to taste if you like.

Monday, October 26, 2009

7 Cool Things About Carving a Jack o'lantern

1. Unleashing your creativity in a manner that your whole neighborhood can see.
2. Getting out your anger by stabbing an inanimate object repeatably.
3. Roasting pumpkin seeds (I have never done this, but will attempt it tomorrow. I'm excited!)
4. Getting into the spirit of a holiday without having to spend much money or feel too commercial.
5. It smells good. No really, it does!
6. Knowing that you can totally smash it later on.
7. How awesome mine turned out.

5 Reasons I Haven't Updated the Blog in a While

1. I actually forgot I made it.
2. I used up a ton of my good ideas on the first day.
3. I forgot to write down all the other good I ideas I had on the first day.
4. This has literally happened every other time I have started blogging.
5. I suck.

Monday, October 19, 2009

4 Videos That Make Me Laugh

1. Ninja Cat


2.Pachelbel Rant


3. Giraffe in Quicksand


4. The Count Censored

Sunday, October 18, 2009

8 Reasons Why You Should Participate in National Novel Writing Month

1. If you don't get that novel you've always wanted to write out of your system as fast as you can, you will probably never do it at all. It will most likely be an awful first draft, but the bulk of the work will be done - it will be WRITTEN!

2. All night crazy last minute writing sessions to try to finish on time can produce some of the most wonderful spontaneous results.

3. 50,000 words in a month may sound insane, but it really isn't. It's only 1667 words a day - about 3 pages. Many people can get that done in less than an hour a day! You can do it!

4. You will have thousands of people to cheer you on and message boards full of people to help you when you're stuck or need someone to talk to.

5. If you live in Maine (like me), you can be a part of one of the most close knit NaNoWriMo communities in the country! There will most likely be a write-in (a group of people who get together to write outside the house) near you! Not only will you have encouragement, but creative, crazy over-caffeinated new friends!

6. Sometimes there is nothing quite as fun as art for art's sake. Even if you never edit it or even look at it again, the accomplishment of finishing feels amazingly satisfying.

7. Deep down inside, you really want to.

8. There are tons of other reasons that you can find at NaNoWriMo.org!

11 Things I HATE That Start with the Letter "S"

1. sickness
2. snow
3. screaming
4. slugs
5. Syphilis
6. snake-bites
7. sneezing
8. suffering
9. smoking
10. smelly stuff
11. shit

36 Things I Like That Start with the Letter "S"

1. squirrels
2. string cheese
3. star gazing
4. sunshine
5. squid
6. simplicity
7. sushi
8. silver
9. slip n' slides
10. silliness
11. stilts
12. sambuca
13. sing-alongs
14. Slinkies
15. surprises
16. super-balls
17. scribbles
18. socks
19. Sox (Red ones)
20. saxophones
21. Spanish Inquisition (could be considered a surprise too, as nobody expects it)
22. Superbowl Sunday
23. salamanders
24. soap
25. samples (specifically free ones)
26. sambas
27. snuggling
28. sandwiches
29. sopranos
30. seafood
31. salsa
32. sugar
33. spice
34. string
35. shopping
36. stuff

5 Good Things About Today

1. So far I have not had to leave my pajamas.
2. My cat is being really cuddly.
3. My boyfriend isn't bothering me.
4. I have actually been somewhat productive, as I have done the dishes, cleaned the cat box, talked to my mom and made a blog.
5. I think there is more coffee in my immediate future.

3 Awesome Movies I Have Seen Recently

1. Where The Wild Things Are - A lot of people I know were disappointed with this movie. It certainly was not the book. It was visually stunning and really felt the inner workings of a child's mind brought to life, but it reminds the audience that kid's minds aren't always the innocent lands of rainbows an happiness that we act like they are. It explores loneliness, depression and violence and how they can make keeping a family together difficult and even frightening. Go and see it, but I wouldn't bring any kids younger than 8 with you.

2. The Fall - I have 2 words for this movie: eye candy. The plot is simple - a little girl in the hospital meets a man who tells her an epic story in order to get what he wants. The movie is simply stunningly gorgeous. Filmed all over the world with little to no CGI, the girl's vision of the story unfolds before you and takes your breath away. Find someone with a nice big HDTV and watch this.

3. Toki o kakeru shôjo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) - This is a movie that will win over even the most anti-anime people you know. It's an innocent story about time travel and love in high school. You laugh, you cry, you don't have to wrap your mind around insane time paradoxes (I'm looking at you Primer!), and you will love it. Convince your buddies to read subtitles and watch this one.

5 Reasons I Made This Blog

1. I am very bored.
2. I want to make something that encourages me to write, especially since National Novel Writing Month is fast approaching.
3. I find that random lists can be some of the most fun things to write.
4. My past blogs have always failed becuase I don't know what to write, but I think I can easily come up with something fun to make a list about everyday.
5. Why not?