crystallyn.com

March 07, 2007

How to find me

My main blog is now on Vox... http://crystallyn.vox.com

But you can also find me in all these places....

Posted by crystallyn at 12:51 PM | TrackBack

June 27, 2006

sleep freak

More and more studies are showing the benefits of a good night's sleep. I'm somewhat ambivalent about sleep. I enjoy it but at the same time I feel like there are things I could be doing or missing by going to sleep. I'm not someone who necessarily wants to sleep more than 8-9 hours at a time. But I wish that when I slept that I slept more peacefully overall. I wake up a lot and I dream like a freak. Some nights my dreams are so detailed and intense that I feel completely unrested. I feel always on the verge of waking up--that half lucid dreaming, half sleep state. It's not restful at all.

But to our credit, we have managed to follow most of the healthy sleep tips from the National Sleep Foundation. We go to bed and get up at mostly the same time--and even on weekends we're not too far off the mark, usually only sleeping an hour or so more than normal. We keep our room cool and dark, use it only for sleep and other private things ;-). We have a new mattress. I exercise regularly (most of the time). We eat many hours before we sleep. And we don't smoke. Sometimes we'll have a drink before bed--but usually several hours before with dinner. Otherwise for the most part, we do all the right things. We even have white noise. And I've trained myself to do two things I would have always thought impossible--to only hit the alarm once and to NOT look at the clock if I wake in the middle of the night.

That latter point is important and I know it's helped quite a bit. I would often look at the clock and see that it was 4 or 5 and think, oh crap, I have to get up in an hour or two hours. And then I would never really get back to sleep. I manage this much better than I used to, thankfully.

But more frustrating to me is the crazy dreaming. I have such vivid, elaborate, colorful and often very linear dreams. I wish I could remember them better or had the werewithal to write them down. If so I would have a gazillion novels or screenplays screaming to be written. But for the most part, they keep me partially awake and extremely vivid ones can also have a tendency to sit with me throughout the day, like a little weight in the back of my mind. Thank god they are not usually scary or terribly disturbing dreams.

This morning I was dreaming about sleeping in my old basement room in the house that I grew up in. I was the same age that I am now. For some reason, I knew that the person who owned the house--a woman I was not related to--would be home at 4AM which only gave me a little time to fix the special shovel that I had which I had been carrying with me throughout the rest of my dream (which I don't recall). I remember that there was a little compartment near the shovel head that I had opened and was going to put something into but the woman drove up and parked next to the ground-level window, which oddly, the window shade was open and it was bright sun (although I knew it was only 4AM). I rushed to climb into bed and pretend that I was asleep, trying to arrange myself on the bed like I was sleep tousled. I was wearing my red velvet bathrobe and I was worried she would wonder why I had that on in bed. But she didn't seem to notice as she got out of the Blazer she was driving and peered briefly in the window before heading into the house. When I finally heard her opening the front door, I bolted up and looked for ways to hide the shovel, which I knew was going to be the only way I could escape later.

It gets weirder and weirder after that. And it was only a tiny portion of a much grander, highly complex dream. I know that dreaming is supposed to be healthy but some nights I sort of feel them to be a curse as I feel on the verge of waking for most of the night and then when I finally do awake I only want to go back to sleep and catch up on all that I've missed. Even now, I'm sitting here yawning, wishing I could nap.

I don't think it's insomnia because I am technically asleep. I can't find any information on chronic dreaming though. I would love to be able to just sleep peacefully through the majority of the night rather than feeling as though my brain is in high-gear for the duration of my respite.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:20 AM | TrackBack

June 07, 2006

recap

Joe, the amazing human being that he is, remembered that I wanted this:

It's tiny, cute and perfect.

Dinner at Spire was AMAZING. The five course tasting menu was delish.

Next weekend--part of the late celebration--is the Chocolate Bar at Cafe Fleuri at the Langham. The menu alone is enough to make you gain ten pounds. Mmmm I can't wait!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:51 AM | TrackBack

June 05, 2006

i hope i've got good grapes

Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place. ~Abigail Van Buren

Posted by crystallyn at 08:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

May 24, 2006

the coolness of a day 12 days away

This is SO cool.

--------------------
You entered: 6/5/1971

Your date of conception was on or about 12 September 1970 which was a Saturday.

You were born on a Saturday
under the astrological sign Gemini.
Your Life path number is 11.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 3 & 6. (Joe is a 6, but he's Aquarius which IS the most compatible...)
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 9.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2441107.5.
The golden number for 1971 is 15.
The epact number for 1971 is 3.
The year 1971 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/27/1971 and ending 2/14/1972.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Pig.

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 11 April 1971.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 18 April 1971.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 24 February 1971.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 30 May 1971.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 6 June 1971.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 21 September 1971.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Sunday, 11 April 1971.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 23 February 1971.

As of 5/24/2006 10:42:05 AM EDT
You are 34 years old.
You are 419 months old.
You are 1,825 weeks old.
You are 12,772 days old.
You are 306,538 hours old.
You are 18,392,322 minutes old.
You are 1,103,539,325 seconds old.

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.99882583170254 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There are 12 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 35 candles.

Those 35 candles produce 35 BTUs,
or 8,820 calories of heat (that's only 8.8200 food Calories!) .
You can boil 4.00 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1971 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.
In 1971 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.
In 1971 in the US there were approximately 2,158,802 marriages (10.6%) and 708,000 divorces (3.5%)
In 1971 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

Your birthstone is Alexandrite
The Mystical properties of Alexandrite

Alexandrite can assist one in centering the self, reinforcing self-esteem, and augmenting ones ability to experience joy.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Pearl, Moonstone, Opal

Your birth tree is

Hornbeam, the good taste
Of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, tends to egoism, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads reasonable, disciplined life, looks for kindness, an emotional partner and acknowledgment, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with her feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

There are 215 days till Christmas 2006!
There are 228 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing gibbous.

----------------------------
And for my name (this is really freaky, btw. Oddly accurate.):

There are 14 letters in your name.
Those 14 letters total to 64
There are 2 vowels and 12 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 1

The characteristics of #1 are: Initiating action, pioneering, leading, independent, attaining, individual.

The expression or destiny for #1:
A number 1 Expression denotes the skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving, and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have much potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to one running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment on ones talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours, as you develop a strong unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.

Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.

The negative attributes of the 1 Expression are egotism and a self-centered approach to life. This is an aggressive number and if it is over-emphasized it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfill your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss; adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.

Your Soul Urge number is: 1

A Soul Urge number of 1 means:
Your Soul Urge is the number 1. With a Soul Urge number of 1, you want to lead and direct, to work independent of supervision, by yourself or with subordinates. You take pride in your abilities and want to be recognized for them. You may seek opportunities to display your strength and usefulness, wanting to create and originate. In your desire to manage the big picture and the main issues, you may often leave the details to others.

The positive 1 Soul Urge is Ambitious and determined, a leader seeking opportunities. There is a great deal of honesty and loyalty in this character. If you possess positive 1 Soul Urge qualities, you are very attainment oriented and driven to success. You are a loyal friend and strictly fair in your business dealings.

The negative side of the 1 Soul Urge must be avoided. A negative 1 is apt to dominate situations and people; the home, the spouse, the family and the business. Emotions aren't strong in this nature. If you possess an excess of 1 energy, you may, at times, be boastful and egotistic. You must avoid being too critical and impatient of trifles. The great need of the 1 Soul Urge is the development of friendliness, and a sincere interest in people.

Your Inner Dream number is: 9

An Inner Dream number of 9 means:
You dream of being creative, intellectual, and universal; the selfless humanitarian. You understand the needy and what to help them. You would love to be a person people count on for support and advice.

To find out your birthday and name stats check out the Birthday Calendar.

Posted by crystallyn at 05:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

May 17, 2006

ramble ramble

I was looking back at old blog entries and I've realized how much my blog has changed over the years. I used to care little about who read it...I mean, six years ago there were so few blogs that it didn't really matter. Search wasn't what it is now and although I had had my site since 1995, it really hadn't been indexed by search engines because there wasn't much of anything on it. I was young, in turmoil--in the process of trying to figure out how to end an unhappy marriage. My blog was a place where people could know me, or know what I chose to show them. I was flip, I cursed a lot, I spouted off all sorts of things that in looking back, I wouldn't say now. Not that I said anything that I regret, but that I'm just different. My purpose is different. The way I choose to present myself to the world is different.

TONS of people that I personally know read my blog but I don't even realize it. I find out later--at parties or running into friends on the street. "Oh, I read that on your blog..." People that I meet for the first time but are friends of my friends will say, hey, I read your blog and feel like I already know you. It's such a strange bizarre thing to me. I think my mom reads my blog although she won't really say. Colleagues probably read it. And now a new audience may find me--my students. Suddenly the exposure is completely different. It's not the same audience that I was writing for in 2000. And I've changed a LOT since then.

In looking back, I find that my writing was freer. I didn't feel restrained. I blogged about the most random things (thankfully--I just discovered my rumball recipe that I thought I lost but apparently blogged about). I rarely posted pictures--mostly just blathered. And the weird thing is, I think I was rather interesting. I don't feel that way anymore. Not really. It feels like so much WORK to be interesting. To say the witty things I once said. To write and espouse my feelings. My blog feels BORING these days. To me and probably to everyone else. The readership has dropped off significantly, most notably over the last year. I used to have 300 readers that would swing on by...now it's about 30. Probably all people I know. Or people searching for stupid Timecube...which I wrote about a long while back when I attended a lecture by the nutty guy. Number one reason people come to this blog is because of the Timecube phenomenon. Or searching for gnomes when I blogged about the Travelocity gnome ad campaign.

And now? People see boring random pictures of things that have only a little personal connection. I don't write so much. Some of it changed because I realized that I don't feel as free to write about whatever I want. I mean, anyone can search and find this blog. I lecture to my students to be thoughtful about what they put on their websites because ANYONE can uncover it. Parents, employers, colleagues, stalkers. I did a search for Crystallyn, for example, and came up with a 22 yr old perpetually drunk college student with the same name, just a few towns away. I felt such an overwhelming sadness and pity for her, blogging all this angst and anxiety and insecurity that is hidden by the college cool factor of alcohol. The Crystals on myspace are equally sad and scary (maybe my friend Mike was right and Crystal is a mostly trashy name--all the other Crystal's I have met are pretty darn trashy). All the young women look like they are ready to fall into bed with someone. God, maybe it is true that you can't trust anyone over 30. And the thing is, I'm no prude...far from it, but there is a subtlety that is lacking in the social connections of what you can find on the Net.

I can tell you this much...when I hire in the future you can bet I'm going to be checking out websites--I want to know what I'm getting myself into.

So I think that a part of me feels massively censored. I miss the freedom of me, the unfettered cursing, the writing of whatever is top of mind. But since I've began teaching, I feel a sense of responsibility that is, at the same time, hindering. Combine that with the growing Big Brother feeling--I'm sure I'm on a watchlist for blogging my political views, for IM'ing them, and since I have Verizon, it's a sure thing my telephone number is secure somewhere at the CIA. Employers are increasingly aware of the web presence of their employees. And I'm more well-known in the mobile industry where I write often on mobile technology. Plus at some point I need to get off my ass and sell a non-fiction book and will be needing to find and impress editors. People know other sides of me--the "responsible, knowledgeable, expert, mature," blah blah blah. And I AM those things, but I am a lot of other things...and as a highly expressive, gregarious person, it's hard to compartmentalize it. I've tried to do that with crystalking.com, which I'm proud of and want to write more for. But I find that it doesn't change how I feel about this site, the feeling that my parents, my students, my colleagues could read what I write and shape perceptions of me. It's not like I'm ashamed of who I am or the things I think and say, but for people who know me in particular contexts, my political view shouldn't matter. If I wanted to talk about things of a sexual nature, I feel extra super restricted in a way that I never would have in my past (sorry mom, it's just too weird. Not to mention, I don't want my students even remotely thinking of me in that way). I will rarely talk about parties where things became excessive. Or about weirdness in friendships or relationships. You'll notice that I won't ever blog about my current job...maybe a past job, but not my current one, unless it's something positive to say. NOT worth having any repercussions for that. When I started blogging, everything was fair game.

And that brings me to the conundrum that many bloggers find themselves eventually faced with. What is the blog for? And what is appropriate to blog? I think the answer is different for many people. My blog has changed over the years. I have changed. And I do love my blog...but I think I am in a transition... a place where I need to discover how to feel that freedom and unfetteredness when I write here, but at the same time maintain the respectable distance that is needed for particular audiences. At the very least though, I would hate to be perceived as boring...

Posted by crystallyn at 11:01 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

April 18, 2006

spring run-off

Southern Idaho is having its rainiest season in nearly 50 years. Here's a picture of Shoshone Falls, right outside of Twin Falls, where my grandfather and aunt live. Joe and I were here a couple of years ago but it was in the midst of a drought and barely any water was flowing over. Not quite the same this week!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:57 AM

April 17, 2006

lately

** vivid crazy dreaming, including a house that was haunted/alive, with walls that slowly turned to stone and tile, peeling the wallpaper from the ceiling off in huge massive strips

** standing room only tickets for yesterday's Red Sox game. Awesome game. Too many people running around with bunny ears. Great lunch at Eastern Standard

** new Morrissey, Imogen Heap, Goldfrapp and Bitter:Sweet on my iPod

** dark cherry red hair that glows really bright in the sun

** saw the fattest cat ever this weekend. Our friend Jess acquired a 28 lb kitty. He's so big that he can't clean most of himself... Sweet kitty but oh my is he a beast!

** juju has the most adorable leather bags. While you can't order online, its worth the call to order one. I have two and can't wait to get a third!

** going to a David Allen seminar on Wednesday...very excited about that. Maybe I'll finally feel organized.

** weather is nearly warm enough to start thinking about flowers for the back porch. We picked up a table at IKEA a couple of weekends ago...oh oh I love that place.

** in a couple of weekends we'll be celebrating spring in the Berkshires and hopefully can go to one of my favorite places, MASSMoCA. Gallery 5 (which is a massive warehouse) has Carsten Höller's installation exploring midway carnival rides!

Posted by crystallyn at 06:46 PM | TrackBack

April 13, 2006

rant rant rant

These are my rants for today.

1. Friends who think they are corresponding with you/know what's going on in your life because they read your blog. Honestly, it makes me want to delete my blog altogether sometimes.

2. When people you care about get sick and they don't bother to tell you because they don't want to "worry you." Who the hell are they to determine how I should or should not feel? It's my perogative to worry or not worry, isn't it? Like the time my mom told me months and months later that she had to go into the hospital for some sort of procedure that was life-threatening. Never bothered to tell any of us kids, even my sister who lived just mere miles away. Usually it's old people. WTF? I don't get it. If I were ill I would want the comfort and love of friends to surround me. And it saddens me that my love and support aren't wanted or needed in those circumstances.

3. That running on pavement is so so much harder than running on the treadmill.

4. That the taxi driver who was (definitively and without a doubt--we can prove it based on the timing of the lights), speeding and took our lives in his hands a year ago and nearly killed us, has decided that since he was also in the accident, that he's entitled to the miniscule amount of money that we have coming back to us, despite the fact that he's ok but my husband is permanently disfigured and I'm scarred and still missing feeling in my upper lip. And that because of this jerk we have to wait even longer for our money because we have to sue him (which will probably eat into more of our money). Our only saving grace is that we literally have the best lawyers in town (thank you Paulette).

5. That American politics is like a trainwreck that everyone is too ashamed to watch so they just turn away and pretend that nothing is happening while their freedom, environment, economy and privacy are being obliterated.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:15 PM | TrackBack

February 20, 2006

Naughty naughty?

Greg is keeping me updated on the whereabouts of my panda. Turns out that my little friend is a bit of a wild one!

Apparently Greg came across "this photo of our little friend doing something covert. i didn't ask but when I got home last night he smelled of smoke and had lipstick on his scarf!"

Posted by crystallyn at 08:55 AM | TrackBack

February 10, 2006

bits of random-ness

I realize that I haven't blogged lately. I've been busy. Or lazy. Maybe a bit of both. But I'm always interested...

Some of the random things that have caught my interest:

* Zillow, a very cool way to research real-estate
* EQ2 and all of the enjoyable time-suck that it is
* How long it will be before they indict Cheney
* CB2 has a new catalog! But when are they going to open up a store in Boston?
* When you wash clothes and oil gets all over them, it means that your seal around the agitator is cracked and that basically a new washer is on your agenda. And new clothes. Argh.
* I hope to soon have the courage to join this club.
* Apparently up in Canada they aren't just fond of poutine (BLECH), but also eating pig's tails.
* Hanging out in the wonderfully clever Kingdom of Loathing

Posted by crystallyn at 07:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 12, 2006

2005 Cities Meme

Following in Jason Kottke's footsteps...

All the cities I stayed in 2005, not including Boston, of course.

Las Vegas, NV
San Francisco, CA
Provincetown, MA
Waterloo, ON*
Dublin, CA
Boise, ID
Pittsfield, MA* (Berkshires)

One or more nights spent in each place. Those cities marked with an * were visited multiple times on non-consecutive days.

The lack of travel denotes two things--one, I managed to get out of going a lot for work and two, we is poor... We tended to go to the Pitt a lot for vacation because it's free to stay and we have a great time when we go.

Joe pointed out that my list is full of "rainbow" destinations...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:27 AM | TrackBack

January 05, 2006

Happy New Year!

So I figure I should blog something...people are starting to worry about me. :)

Should I do the obligatory resolutions? Let's look at last years:

1. To lose another 35 lbs and become even healthier. I AM healthier but I actually went up 15 lbs, then lost those 15 lbs again. That said, I'm more fit and I began running.

2. To find an agent for my book on creative writing exercises. Ok, here I was lame, but I DID beef up my resume quite a bit--became a published columnist and a college writing professor. I needed the extra credibilty.

3. To be a better correspondent with my aging grandparents. It took me till December to manage this but now I talk to my two grandfathers on a weekly/biweekly basis.

4. To write one poem a week. Ok that didn't even remotely happen. And I'm not sure why. One poem really isn't difficult. Maybe I'll add it back this year.

Sooo this year:

1. Run a 5k by my birthday on June 5 (but am really going to try and aim for a 10k on April 30). This is a lofty, but I believe achievable, goal for someone who has never been a runner until I began training this fall.

2. Strive to be better at remembering people's names--this is essential since I started teaching.

3. Find an agent for my book. The research is done, the proposal is done and I have thumbs up from several people--I know it will sell so I have to get off my rear and sell it. But oh that means I'll have to write it!

4. Write one poem a week. I better get cracking, huh? I think I have resolved this every single year--man I suck.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:23 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

December 21, 2005

Absolutely Delish!

My favorite cookie evah!

Mayonnaise Sugar Cookies

1 cup mayonniase (no substitutes...lowfat makes them taste and act like rubber)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix together mayo, sugar, almond extract and vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt. Roll into balls and roll in sugar (you can use colored sugar if making around the holidays). Flatten slightly with fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until crispy (they shouldn't be brown, just barely golden-barely).

Posted by crystallyn at 07:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 20, 2005

chocolate overload

After our fabulous xmas party this last weekend we found ourselves overloaded with sweet treats. Multiple towers of candy, plates of cookies, buckets of chocolate truffles, and if that wasn't enough, one of the directors at work decided we were going to have a cookie swap yesterday.

Sunday found me terribly sick, not hung-over sick, but my cold worsened to miserableness. Joe babied me all day as he is so excellent at doing (I have such a kick-ass husband!). But at 7:30PM he suddenly realized we hadn't made the cookies for the swap. I wanted to just bring in a tower of something but there wasn't enough of the same thing for everyone so we settled in to make my favorite cookie of all time--mayonnaise sugar cookies (oh my they are AMAZING). With Joe helping it went three times as fast as I would have muddled along on my own.

So now we have mayo sugar cookies at home too. We're going to bring them all to the Pitt over Xmas, which is what we call Pittsfield, MA. All the cousins and aunts and uncles will hopefully devour them. I've become a total slug over the last four days because of being sick and so having all the sugar, being sick and not going to the gym is taking a toll on me. Argh. And I was doing so well with my training too.

But the good thing is that I finally figured out what to get Joe for Christmas. This is always a huge travail for me--he's terribly difficult to buy for. He just doesn't want much--or they are things that are bigger than our budget. If I had my way we'd take a trip somewhere. There's nothing more awesome than running away with him and getting away from everyone and everything.

The holiday season is such a huge time of reflection for me and one of the things that I realize is how completely happy I am right now. I love my job. I have really wonderful friends. I love where we live. I have the best fucking cat on the planet. My in-laws love me. I have family that is all getting along and cares deeply about each other. I am accomplishing things all the time even if it feels like I sometimes do them slowly. With the exception of this last week I am becoming healthier than I've been since childhood. And I have the most amazing relationship with Joe. It gets better all the time. He's the single person that I could literally spend every second of the day with and not want to kill them. I am always amazed by this. After five years you might think that would change as we get more settled into marriage but it just gets cooler all the time.

I'm also looking forward to going to Ikea with AJ next week--we both have the week off and the only possible time of saneness would be mid-day. You can't get near it otherwise. And New Years--for which Joe and I finally have a party to go to!

Posted by crystallyn at 06:57 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 15, 2005

woohooo I'm on my way!

This morning I ran a whole mile straight without stopping!! I don't think I've done that since I was 13 or 14 so I consider this a massive accomplishment!!! Granted, it was a 13 min mile but still! I can work on getting faster.

I've been averaging nearly two miles every training session but it's always interspersed with walking so this is just plain cool to me. My boss wants me to run the James Joyce Ramble with her at the end of April. It's a 10k so that's a rather lofty goal but I'm going to aim for it! If I keep on the same training schedule I should be able to manage it! I think that running a race like that for my first one is actually terribly apropos since I'm such a literary lover...

The James Joyce Ramble is a charity-driven event of a nature not offered anywhere else in the world, fully integrating the elements of culture, literature and athletics.

In its second decade, it is known throughout the world. Among its attractions is the scenery and ambiance of the course where each mile is named for a literary work by James Joyce, with costumed professional actors all along the way interpreting these works with staged readings accompanied by traditional music of the British Isles.

The venue of this respected 10-kilometer road race and fitness walk is in the historic New England town of Dedham, adjacent to Boston. Dedham is the government seat of Norfolk County. The race by tradition is always held on the final Sunday of April. Ramble participants are college educated professionals who are drawn from all over the country by the event's reputation as a grand spectacle of a race sanctioned by USA Track & Field and conducted on a certified 6.2 mile course with records held by Olympic medal winners.

I REALLY want to be able to do this...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:55 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 07, 2005

quality comfort and price--that's annoying

So last night at our company party at the Metropolitan Club, we saw Bernie of Bernie and Phyl's furniture store. And for those of you who aren't from Boston, you can just imagine. Car lot and furniture store owners all feel the need to be in their own commercials no matter where you go--WHY IS THAT?

I was glad that he was without Phyl because she drives me nuts. Most people can't tell who is Bernie and who is Phyl. She's terribly manly. Anyway, Bernie was there without Phyl. He was there with a bunch of good ol' boys, including one of his sons, who is also now featured in the commercials. WHY DO CAR LOT AND FURNITURE OWNERS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO BE IN THEIR OWN COMMERCIALS? I don't get it. They are nearly always terrible and annoying. And when you annoy me too much, I boycott your stuff.

Take Bob, for example. Bob's Discount Furniture stores. Bob, who I won't even link to because I can't stand the guy. Every time he opens his mouth I change the TV or radio station.

And he has Mrs. Bob on the commercials, who is equally annoying. We have no clue who she is (we're assuming it's his wife) but she just shows up, lately without Bob, and talks about how "right" Bob is. Bob is so annoying that he refers to his stuff as "My Bob." And the commercials try to get clever but they flop miserably. Like the one where they cartoon Bob or they have dozens of Bobs (oh my god, RUN!) in the showroom. It's just plain frightening.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:35 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

December 05, 2005

check out

crystalking.com to find the link to my latest mobile marketing article...

Plus you really should bookmark it anyway, don't you think?

Posted by crystallyn at 06:12 PM | TrackBack

December 02, 2005

Things I Love About December

* Getting a tree, wreath, poinsettas, mistletoe
* Decorating the house! I go all out!
* Decorating the tree with our annual Xmas ritual beginnng with a really nice Joe-cooked dinner (this year it's pheasant!) followed by champagne and chocolate during the trimming--It's a Wonderful Life playing in the background.
* The annual work party. There are only 7 of us in our location so we pick a nice restaurant and go out to eat. This year it's the Metropolitan Club.

* Buying a new holiday dress
* Our annual Holiday party!
* Christmas lights up in the neighborhoods
* Snowstorms on quiet nights, a fire in the fireplace with all the xmas lights on
* Getting Christmas cards
* Christmas carols! I'm so sappy....I have tons on my iPod and I listen to them all month long.
* Catching up with lots and lots of old friends.
* Finishing up the semester (this year as a professor, not a student!)
* Cookies and candy!!
* Eggnog!!
* Christmas Eve at my in-laws. They have all the relatives drop in over the course of the night--it's such a wonderful, fun, loving evening (where we invariably all drink a little too much)
*

Posted by crystallyn at 06:16 PM | TrackBack

November 22, 2005

there is a light that never goes out

On Sunday night, my grandmother passed away. Although it wasn't completely unexpected--at the same time, it was. Ironically, I had returned from Boise on the same day.

Although I haven't seen her often in the last few years, she was a strong force in my life as I was growing up. We used to spend every summer in Burley, ID at my grandparent's house, which I remember perfectly, like I was just there yesterday. Her friends called her Perk because she was like a percolator, always on the go, always bubbling, never stopping. It was even on her license plate.

When we would go places, everyone knew my grandmother. We couldn't get through a store in town without at least 2-3 people stopping to chat with her. She ran the cafeteria at the now defunct Heyburn, ID Simplot plant. I remember we would go pick her up from work and we would sit in the car when my mom would go in to get her. The stench from the plant was overwhelming. But she always brought home bags of french fries and chicken patties--a little kid's dream to be able to have McDonald's french fries at home.

She was always smiling. Even when I last saw her and she only sort of knew who I was, she was smiling and seemed happy.

Her light won't ever go out--it shines on, deep inside me, an indelible part of who I am and who I have become.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:04 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

November 16, 2005

Home on the Range

Heading out to Boise this morning. Oddly, the company I work for acquired a software company in Boise. What are the odds of that? My mother is ecstatic. She thinks it means more trips home. Maybe a few more but for the most part there isn't a lot of reason for me to go there for work. This trip, yes, because of transition stuff but once that has happened there isn't much need for me to go back. We'll see.

Other than seeing my family, I'm never very excited to go back to Boise. It's flat, full of cows and lacks character. Well, at least the character I'm interested in hanging around. It's becoming such an awful sprawl of cookie cutter houses, strip malls and chain restaurants. I don't agree with the politics and the general religion of the place. Just doesn't do it for me. There is a lot of outdoor things there--skiing, hunting, fishing, but well, not into those either. Their little downtown area is perking up a bit, finally, but it's less than a square mile of the entire town.

My mom thinks that I bolted right after high school because I was running away from them. That's not really true--I was running away from the dead end hole called Boise. Still, I'm excited to see my family, especially my adorable little nephews who are growing up so quickly. But coming back to Boston will be a big breath of fresh air otherwise...

So dang tired. I never sleep before trips. So I tossed and turned all night and finally got up at 4:30, even though I don't leave until 6. Argh. And of course we're out of coffee. *pout*

Back in a few days...

Posted by crystallyn at 05:26 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 14, 2005

take me seriously!

My latest endeavor is a blog about things a bit different than that I would normally post here. I realized that while this blog is fun and a great place for me to interact, rant, share and connect on a casual level with friends and interested people, it's not the best forum for my professional ideas. As a marketer, my #1 product is really myself and as a result, I needed a place to be able to better showcase my talents and my thought leadership.

Sooo that said, help me spread the word about Creator of Circumstance!!

Posted by crystallyn at 09:12 PM | TrackBack

September 14, 2005

i've got the power!

Today I had the weirdest fortune ever in my fortune cookie.

Many people who have power become a deaf mute.

Ummm...

Posted by crystallyn at 10:56 PM | TrackBack

August 29, 2005

calculate your life expectancy

found on one of my favorite sites, Lifehacker, you can determine how your health and history may affect the length of your life.

Here's my expectancy:

Life Expectancy: 89.53
Lower Quartile : 82.99
Median Lifetime: 91.53
Upper Quartile : 98.37

Unless I add in my asthma, which is mild and only during the winter. I wouldn't consider it the type of asthma that compromises my life much at all.

Life Expectancy: 85.74
Lower Quartile : 79.04
Median Lifetime: 87.84
Upper Quartile : 94.49

Check yours out:
http://gosset.wharton.upenn.edu/~foster/mortality/perl/CalcForm.html

Posted by crystallyn at 04:07 PM | TrackBack

August 15, 2005

weirdly homesick

homesick for a bit of my childhood really, not for Spokane itself. I don't really miss Spokane although the first half of my life and college was spent in its vicinity. But I found myself with nostalgic tears when I found the SpokaneCarrousel.org site.

The site showcases Spokane's Looff carousel which are some of the finest ever made. It was originally housed at Spokane's Natatorium park from 1909 to 1968. They moved the carousel to Riverside Park after Expo 74. Nearby is the super wicked cool bronze goat that sucks up garbage that you feed it. It's a remnant from the World's Fair and a favorite of little kids.

Here's Athena, the horse I always tried to get when I rode the carrousel and had high hopes for the gold ring.

If I couldn't manage to snag her before some other kid, I always tried to get the giraffe.

I remember that when I first went to the Flying Horses in Martha's Vineyard, I thought that it was cool since it's the oldest running carousel in the country but it just didn't hold a candle to the Looff in Spokane.

From the site I learned that in Riverside, RI there is another Looff carousel. Might be worth checking out. They're so beautiful. Going to ride the carousel was the biggest treat whenever we went downtown. That and seeing the incredible moving Christmas displays at the Crescent department store.

I feel like an old fart telling stories to children of days gone past, sigh.

Posted by crystallyn at 02:33 PM

August 02, 2005

little taxi?

Last night Joe and I were lounging on the balcony with a glass of wine after dinner. We were listening to old Cure songs on "Pod" as we call it (Pod has a personality, you see, choosing the songs and artists it feels like we want to hear) and watching the squirrels get all squirrely in the trees. Somehow we started talking about having children.

ME: The only reason I want children is to have someone take care of me when I'm old. I know I say that a lot but more and more its true and it's selfish and awful.

JOE: It IS awful! Besides, that's what nurses are for.

ME: But really, who will take care of us when we're old? Look at the F____ (VERY elderly landlords who live below us). They have their children within a phone call if something happens. Who will we have?

JOE: You worry too much. But actually, having a child would mean a tax break.

ME: I suppose there is that.

JOE: We could call our child "Little Tax Break" or "Taxi" for short. And really, since it's a tax break, we won't have to worry so much about raising it like other people do. If our little Taxi gets into the cat box for example and starts playing around, we can say 'woohoo...don't have to worry about changing that diaper, now will we?'

It probably says a lot about both of us that a. Joe can crack jokes along lines like this (and god knows how his train of thought got him from the name Taxi to the catbox...) and b. that it made me laugh so hard.

And yeah yeah, don't give me the comments about how great kids are and they will change our life, etc. etc. We KNOW. But the thing is--we don't WANT our lives changed--at least not in that way. That's why we get to be the favorite aunts and uncles; because we love kids--we just don't want them to be ours.

Unless, that is, they'll take care of us when we're old--but there really isn't much of a guarantee there, now, is there?

Posted by crystallyn at 07:28 AM | Comments (9)

July 27, 2005

irresponsible construction workers

this morning I had a crazy dream. Well, all of my dreams are vivid and pretty messed up but this one was really strange.

I dreamt that I was driving on a freeway and I came to a tunnel that was having some construction done to it. It was a HUGE tunnel and probably 4-6 lanes ran through it but what is very notable is how high the roof was. Anyway the flagmen and cops were allowing cars to go through even though they had to drive right through the center of the construction.

And I mean the center. Essentially the construction was being done by a massive dual backhoe, big enough (and tall enough) that cars could drive on the two lanes beneath it. It had buckets on two arms that could work on the outside lanes while the inside lanes were still being used by traffic.

I was a bit skeptical but when the cop waved me through I drove through the center, right beneath this backhoe thingy, realizing that the body of the machine came down really low and of course they must have calculated it so that cars could go through unharmed. Then I saw in a flash that it was going to come down too low and I would be crushed! I felt the roof of my car crunch a bit and I was sent skidding out from underneath the metal monster and out of the tunnel. My car was still movable, unlike the pieces of cars that had already been spit out and littered the road with twisted debris and glass. I pulled to the side and tried to find my cell phone, which looked more like my cordless home phone. It wasn't working because it was cracked on top. There weren't any cops or construction workers on that side of the tunnel and it was like they didn't realize that the cars were being harmed as they go through.

Some of the wrecks were pretty bad and I could see people in the crashed up cars. I kept trying to get my cell phone to work but nothing. Finally some cars came through unharmed and realized that a massive accident scene was upon them so they stopped to help. I was wondering what would happen when the cars began to back up in the tunnel.

Finally there was someone there to help me although I didn't need it very much. Or so I thought. I was trying to drive forward but it turns out that the front of my car was torn off when I tried to go through. Not sure how I missed that when I was standing next to my car watching the scene but suddenly four people came out of nowhere with a new car front and they slid it into place on my car. They said they couldn't fix the dent in my roof (and commented how lucky it was that my sunroof didn't break) but that I should be able to drive the car now. I remember thinking that it was good that I bought the extra insurance when I rented my car (because apparently I was in Canada and when you do that w/my company you are supposed to get the extra insurance, unlike in the US where the company insurance covers you).

I had stopped my car next to some shops on the side of the road and one of them was a cafe where it turned out a friend I have purposely lost contact with worked. I was shocked to see her and was trying to find words so that things wouldn't be so awkward and yet I was happy to see someone I knew in the midst of such chaos. I was spared the long awkward discussion when a plain clothes cop came up and told us a series of complicated things that each of us that had been involved would have to do in order to expose this fiasco to the rest of the world and to get the government to pay for our accidents and injuries. Something about pretending to be a reporter or a cop investigating the scene--that would scare them and they would come clean. Yah right.

I'm not sure what it means. Maybe that I can go through the thick of danger and still come through mostly unscathed? No clue.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:47 AM

July 07, 2005

little things today

like standing in the shower (before I knew Joe had turned the TV on) and thinking that something big/lifechanging/tragic is happening. Toweling off and just realizing that the TV is on...and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is "breaking news" even though I have no clue what it might be about. And then the sick freaked out shock that I was right. I didn't know how to tell anyone. It sounds too weird.

Standing in the elevator today after I was leaving a PR meeting. A man in the elevator with me had a television camera. I realized that he had just come from the British Consulate, who was in the same building. When I left the parking garage...another news crew was set up on the lawn.

Finding out that our friend Phil was safe, but not sure how on earth he was going to get home from work downtown without any buses or subways running. His girlfriend expressed her relief to me today--it sounded like how running through a sheet of water on a hot day must feel. I don't know how to explain--the waves of fear rolling away from her as she explained he was okay.

Wondering why some stupid kids movie (with Paul Giamatti making a monkey of himself) was on channel five instead of Reign of Fire (not that it was a particularly stellar flick but I rather liked it). I mean, why is a futuristic apocalpytic movie about dragons toasting up the earth a big deal? Then I saw that it was set in London.

Thinking about how it is when 37 people die (and 700 wounded) in a big, modern city that it sends waves of shock through the world but we don't really seem to bat an eye at the 25,000 civilians dead in the Iraq War, the 3.4 million people that died of AIDS in Africa in 2004 or even last month when 36 people died and hundreds were wounded in Ethiopia during protests of the country's allegedly rigged elections...I could just go on and on about other losses of life in tragic ways in places out of the way. The well-developed countries are outraged when something tragic happens to them but we are sort of immune, blind, unwilling to see...when it comes to human life in places that aren't on the same "level" as those same developed countries. Note that I am NOT minimalizing what happened in London--only that the media perspective skews things so wildly. Those other tragedies seem so minimal in comparison even though the loss of human life is in many cases far far greater. Why is one life worth more than any other? I find myself very saddened by it all.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:15 PM | Comments (2)

June 24, 2005

Does he do the dishes?

From the Week Magazine:

Spanish lawmakers introduced a new marriage contract this week that stipulates men must do half the housework. The new vows will be used in civil marriage ceremonies starting this autumn. Wives won’t be able to take their husbands to court for being lazy, but in the case of divorce, a husband who has done less than his share will have to pay more alimony. “Men have to learn to start taking more responsibility in the home,” said Margarita Uria, the member of parliament who authored the bill, “and women have to help them do it.” A recent survey found that 40 percent of Spanish men do no household chores whatsoever, even if their wives work outside the home.

I feel really lucky. When I'm at the gym or in social settings and hear wives complain about their husbands how never cook or clean I just sort of shake my head and feel fortunate. Joe cooks--half the time dinner is on the table when I come home from work! And it's delicious, plated beautifully and easily fine restaurant quality. No shit-on-a-shingle in our house (although I grew up on it and love the stuff).

But we also are pretty good at sharing the house responsibility. Well mostly. I would say he's better at it than I am. I'm definitely lazier. But we share doing the dishes, share the laundry, share the cleaning before guests come over, share all the basics. It's just a part of how we work--in a partnership. I'm always amazed at how many conversations I overhear where the wife or the husband is ripping on their spouse for not being more domestic. Half of those husbands are complaining because the poor woman isn't waiting on him hand and foot while holding down a job and taking care of the kids. And I hear wives digging in about how their husband wouldn't know a vacuum if it bit him in the ass. I feel so sad for people like that. I just find conversations like that to be such a dishonor to their partner, regardless of any truth or validity. And then I realize how really and truly lucky I am, to find such sharing, partnership and true bliss in my marriage that most people can probably go find a bucket before I cause you to puke now...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:13 AM | Comments (1)

June 02, 2005

womply

is a great word. My friend made it up. I sort of ascribe different meanings to it depending on the mood. Tired, sad, depressed, lethargic, apathetic, but most especially when you feel sort of down but can't really put your finger on why. Been feeling that way a lot lately.

The weather is changing, however, finally, after weeks and weeks of record-breaking cold and dreary rain. Maybe that will help.

Maybe graduating will. Joe scores his M.A. in Education and I walk the line for my M.A. in Critical & Creative Thinking tomorrow. I'm not sure if that's going to be as interesting as watching Steven Tyler get his honorary degree.

Turning older definitely isn't going to do anything to change the womply. It could make it worse. But I suppose that with Mr. Wahlberg I'm in good company. Perhaps I should go to Dorchester and celebrate. Nahh, maybe not.

But I will share that day with my little nephew Clement, who turns 5 on the 8th. He gets pirates on his cake. Lucky him. :)

Posted by crystallyn at 06:59 AM | Comments (5)

May 18, 2005

what do you do when the sun turns blue?

Twenty-five years ago, I went outside our house in Nine Mile Falls, WA and looked at the sky. No, I looked at the sun...and it was blue--a strange electric blue. I'll remember that for the rest of my life, staring straight up at that freaky blue sun. It was about 3PM. Then the strange gray snow started to fall and I had to go back in because we had heard that breathing it in was bad--flecks of glass. There was very little light because the cloud above was so thick and black. We sat on the back of the couch and stared out the window to watch it fall and layer up, turning everything a powdery puffy gray.

We had an early heads up though. We were out weeding the front lawn earlier that morning. On the horizon was a dreadfully ominous storm cloud. I was excited because I really love thunder storms and that cloud looked to be the blackest I had ever seen. My grandmother called--she had heard the monstrous boom that morning at 8:32 AM. She told us to get the cars in the garage and bring the cats in. We spent the next couple hours moving things around in the garage so we could move the cars in before the cloud was upon us. We were so excited and scared at the same time. The cloud was such a mystery and to my 9-year-old imagination it was an incredible adventure, I was sure.

We didn't realize that we would be staying indoors pretty much for the next week. My mom's birthday was the next day so we celebrated with her sans dad--he was stranded in Montana on a sales appointment and couldn't get home because the roads were all closed. It took him two days to get back home to us. When we finally did go out, we had to wear free surgical masks provided by the fire department. School was cancelled for three weeks. I think my mom was ready to kill herself by the end of that time, cooped up in the house with a 9-year-old, 7-year-old and a 5-year-old. Our typically outdoor cats were unhappy. They were stuck in the garage for at least a month. We just didn't want them outside walking around in all that muck.

When my father made it home a few days later, he climbed up and washed the roof off. Something about how it wasn't good to let it sit there and ruin the shingles. I'm not sure why I remember that, but I do. It was strange how it accumlated. For many months, you would travel across the state of Washington and see piles and piles of the powder along the sides of the road, almost like snow but a weird dirty gray color. And I remember that it took well over a year for all the signs to dissipate. For a few years when driving through Ritzville, WA you could see whitish gray smears along the edges of the tarmac.

Best yet, when we went to see my cousin in Twin Falls that summer, who was the same age as me, he implored us to bring jars of it down for him. He put it all in baggies and sold it to his friends for a dollar.

Happy Anniversary Mount St. Helens

Posted by crystallyn at 06:28 AM

May 01, 2005

useful things

In Harvard Square, there is a great little store called the Museum of Useful Things (MUT) (which is nearly as cool as its sister store, Black Ink). In the store you can find all sorts of great things that are, yes, highly useful. Kitchen gadgets, cool cleaning tools, little things to organize your office, etc. Last time I was there I picked up this great little thing that keeps your kitchen sponge in one place.

So in the spirit of the MUT, here are some things that I consider highly useful...

everyday gadgets

The Drop Stop is awesome for keeping wine from dripping.

This bracelet fastener has saved me OODLES of time.

Joe gave me this wicked little Cross Ion pen for Christmas. I keep it on a keychain with my memory stick. Very handy in a pinch and it writes beautifully.

Super Cool/Handy Websites

43 Things ~ Map your goals out with this great community tool.

And another 43, this time Folders. Tips, tricks and "lifehacks." And the wiki (I recently added my coffee hacks--cleaning your coffeepot and novacaine)

And the excellent Lifehacker.

Also can't quite say enough about del.icio.us. You'll notice I streamlined my left nav and cleaned it up a bit. Now you can just click on my list of links to see what I'm checking up on here and there. Let me know if you are a del.icio.us user--I'm always curious to see what my friends are up to. Funny how links can say a lot about a person.

And Angela, you asked about Flickr...yes, its great! It's easy to use, great display capabilities and I like the community aspect--seeing when friends have new pictures and the like.

I'm also excited about the possibilities of Trumba...

I much prefer gMail these days. I have a ton of extra invites if anyone wants one. It is infinitely better than Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.

The Mentat Wiki which is right up my alley as a recent MA grad in Critical & Creative Thinking. Tools, articles and information galore.

Software

Well, I have to give a strong plug (and yes, yes, I'm probably biased here) for AvantGo. Simply put, the best mobile web content provider around. They just keep improving. Now available for BlackBerry too so if you have a mobile PDA or a smartphone you don't really have an excuse. It's the best way to keep up with news and information when you are on the go. Even better, it's free!

Firefox ~ If you are still using Internet Explorer as your web browser, all I have to say to you is STOP! If you don't have tabbed browsing, you are missing out on the best way to quickly and easily use the Internet to your best advantage.

Open Office ~ The best free productivity suite you can find. If you can't/don't want to shell out $400 to Microsoft for its Office Standard Edition, check out Open Office. I use it for my writing--I like the organization of multiple chapters better than the way Word does it. It IS compatible with Microsoft, however, so if you create a spreadsheet in Open Office and send it to a friend who has Word they won't have a problem opening it. All in all a great, cool software suite and the best part is that it's free.

Picasa ~ Google's free picture album/sharing/editing tool. Best free software for quick fixes and the way it organizes all photos on your hard-drive is awesome.

The A-9 Toolbar ~ Amazon's search tool which is based on Google. You can easily search Google, Amazon or A9. The way it displays your searches is especially helpful, with thumbnails of images and other related searches that you can set up. Quickly search for your results on Creative Commons, NASA, Flickr, Feedster and a host of other great sites. One great thing about the toolbar is that you can easily track bookmarks between computers if you have a toolbar on each machine and are logged in. I keep a lot of my private bookmarks (bank, journals, etc) here--that I wouldn't want on del.icio.us.

iPodder --software to quickly subscribe and download Podcasts into your iTunes. Check out PodcastAlley to find podcasts galore. My current favorite? >Grape Radio.

Posted by crystallyn at 04:05 PM | Comments (1)

April 14, 2005

i had this freakish dream

this morning that I was taking care of puppies. Three of them. Cute and fuzzy ones that looked like this:

I have no clue why. I was in a park and there was this strange portable pole-like contraption that allowed me to leash the little puppies to it while I read a book in the sun. I remember one got loose and ran to a girl down the path (I was on a hillside). She cuddled it and then I started to call for it and it heard me and immediately wriggled free from her grasp and ran for me. I leashed her back up and said a few friendly words to the girl who had followed, then went back to my book.

Very odd, peaceful dream. Nothing was chasing me. No monsters were there. Just sunny and puppies. WTF? I turned into a cheeseball in my sleep apparently.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:00 AM

April 10, 2005

Joy, gentle friends, joy and fresh days of love accompany your hearts! ~ Shakespeare

I spent yesterday in the company of good people. My entire day was filled with them, from the moment I awoke to the time I went to sleep. There is nothing more wonderful than waking up and going to sleep with your best friend, and that is something I feel grateful for every day.

And so, after Joe ran off to go play a winning nine inning baseball game, I went and hung out first with Paulette, and met her new kitty Leilah, who is a sweet little tortoise-shell calico. Then we went and had a good lunch at Not Your Average Joe's and then went and did a little shopping before I went to my hair appointment at Leon & Co, which Paulette got me going to a year and a half ago.

Now Leon's is consistently rated as one of the best salons in Boston and I can tell you, when I walk out of there I feel like a million--no, a zillion!--dollars. I've not had Leon cut my hair but I've seen his great work. He only does haircuts though so a designer would do your color. And he only has the best stylists working for him. I go to this really beautiful woman from Turkey named Fulya, who is just the sweetest, most talented person to ever come within 5 feet of my head. I would let her do anything she wanted to my hair because I always end up looking incredible when she's done with it. Yesterday I felt so bad for her. She was running nearly 45 minutes late because a woman came in with a picture and she wanted the same cut and color as whatever celebrity it was. So Fulya does what she can and the color is pretty much exact, but the woman (who had never had her hair colored before) flipped out and wanted it done over because it was too blonde and she felt like she was wearing someone else's hair. So Fulya's doing her best to get his woman straightened out while trying to take care of the other clients that come in. And usually I don't mind if she's running late or anything, but it was the one time that I needed to meet someone, of course. She was trying so hard to make everyone happy. She didn't want me to tip her, but I did, because she made me happy--I love going in there because when I leave, I feel good and compliments galore from all sorts of people. Friends, strangers. And sure enough, all day afterward, people told me how great my hair was. I felt so bad for her, she was so sad about the woman not being happy with her hair, but it wasn't her failing--I really believe she could turn mud into gold--it was the woman with unrealistic expectations of wanting to look like a picture of someone she wasn't. And seriously, if you want an amazing cut and color, call Leon & Co. and see if you can get in to Fulya (but do it at least 2-3 weeks in advance!!).

And then I went and met up with Mike and his son Alex. I remember watching Alex when he was young, but now at 15, he's taller than me. I got him playing Everquest a few years ago, ironically, as I stopped playing. I've always felt bad about that. I actually took it off my computer a few months ago, but seeing Alex made me wish I hadn't. He would be fun to play with, plus he would twink up my lowly character I bet!

After, Joe and I headed over to Michelle and Mary's for a great casual potluck. It turned out to be eight of us, which is a perfect number of people. We had the most fantastic time, drinking cheap wine, eating homemade macaroni, taco dip, brie and apples and we brought whoopie pies! And we attempted to play Cranium but we were all a bit too toasted so it degenerated into lots of laughter about merkins and breasts and humming the Commodores "She's a Brick House" which, if you ever try humming and have someone guess what you are humming, is pretty damn funny.

And so, my day ended early this morning, with a few ibuprofin, leftover macaroni and a need to paint my toenails before I go over to Wilson Farms to find some fruit and dinner for tonight.

I just felt the compulsive need to spout off about what a really wonderful day yesterday was for me, surrounded by good, happy people. I've needed more days like that since the accident, and I feel so grateful that I'm still around to enjoy them.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:47 AM | Comments (2)

March 27, 2005

give me dignity

If there is anything that the Teri Schiavo case has shown us...it's that we need to be very clear in our wishes as to how we would want medical treatment to be given or not given to us in the case of being mentally or physically unable to do so ourselves.

Get your living will in order. They're very popular these days as a result of the endless media circus!

As for me, let me state clearly, if I became vegetative, massively disfigured or unable to function on my own over the long haul--put me out of my misery. Please. There is no way on earth I would ever want to be sustained unnaturally and indefinitely. I figure that if I could only live hooked up to some crazy machine then God probably wouldn't want me living anyway--it's man playing God then, not the natural forces of the world that brought me into them.

I look at it this way--if it were me in a vegetative state for 15 years--my soul would be going bonkers trying to get out and to move on to bigger and better things (heaven, reincarnation, whatever may be in store!). It would be the most awful thing ever to be trapped, watching my family go through terrible sadness and pain; wondering when I would ever just get back up and move forward; wondering why natural forces hadn't just taken the course they were supposed to.

The thing that saddens me most about the whole Schiavo case is that the poor woman is now, in the last days of her life, the center of the world's attention...in a way that I'm sure she would never ever have wanted. It's sick and disgusting and we should all be ashamed of ourselves. We're all waiting with baited breath to find out if she finally passed on. I'm sure I'm not the only one who checks the news first thing in the AM with the primary goal of finding out--did she make it one more day? Or finally, did the end of this horrible media nightmare arrive? I just want her to be at peace.

And reading about people who want to kill to help her--I just don't understand. I don't understand how the religious right seems to decide to throw the teachings of Christ right out the window when it suits them. I mean really, an eye for an eye was SO Old Testament. Christ taught us to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to love our neighbors, and to live by example. He was a pacifist--the most pure and true of them all. So much so that he, with all the power within him, didn't lift a finger against his oppressors, dying on the cross at the hands of people who in the end, he FORGAVE. Isn't that the whole point of Easter? Sometimes it seems so strange to me, how I, bordering on agnostic that I am, know so much more about the Bible than the people who profess to it being their favorite book.

It really really saddens me. The older I get, the more crazy the world seems to be.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:58 AM | Comments (3)

March 13, 2005

there are lots of things

that I have been wanting to write about but have felt an internal "blah" sort of feeling and haven't done so. The accident threw Joe and I really out of sorts emotionally. We don't look or feel 100% and that's been a struggle. We both may end up with facial scars out of the whole ordeal. I have a pea-sized chunk of scar tissue inside my lip. The lawsuit could be a very lengthy process. We haven't been to the gym in three weeks. Joe has lost nearly three weeks of income and that is, of course, stressful. Our awesome Vegas vacation seems like it was ten years ago. Taking time off from work for doctor's visits is a hassle. The antibiotics have Joe feeling lethargic. We're both tired of watching TV and being cooped up in the house. We go through periods of being elated that we are alive, still have each other and that it wasn't a lot worse--to being angry that our lives were thrown into such stress, pain and turmoil. We just want our lives back and moving forward.

I have an itch to throw a cocktail party.

Other things:

I want to see Spamalot!

I'm tired of snow. I want to see crocuses and daffodils in people's yards, not piles of dirty ice.

It's rather irritating that I have to take a vacation day in order to walk at my graduation on June 3. Why can't they have it on a weekend like other schools??

I, for one, am glad that Martha's out of jail--she got so shafted. Did anyone see that horrid Ken Lay piece on 60 minutes? If that slimy man gets less jail time than her I'll be ticked.

I have always wanted a Clapper.

There's a new online magazine out that is worth a look if you are a foodie like me--Saucy.

I'm gearing up for Duran Duran on April 1!!!!

An absolutely fascinating look at how people work.

And to round out your day with overwhelming cuteness...

Posted by crystallyn at 01:45 PM | Comments (1)

February 28, 2005

thanks for all

the concern that everyone has expressed! We really appreciate it. It's wonderful to have people in our lives who care about our well-being. Nothing like a scary accident to make you realize that you can't take the people in your lives for granted.

The update:

Both of us have broken and displaced noses. Yay. That means we check in with plastic and sinus specialists tomorrow to see where we go from here. My face is starting to look a bit more normal again though. The puffiness is now a sweet jaundice-yellow color and will hopefully be gone in a day or two. My lip sports a smaller scab than before. I don't think my lip will scar but there are marks between my lip and nose that I worry about. My neck is stiff so they gave me some muscle-relaxers to take at night. Hoping that goes away soon too.

And yes, we have good lawyers.

The sad thing is that it looks like I could have been in a bad fight or something rather than a car accident. When I was getting my nose x-rayed today, the radiologist asked me if I had fallen. But the way she asked me was more of in an expectant sort of way, as though she assumed that is the "story" I had. She seemed surprised when I mentioned it was a car accident. I suspect she sees a lot of battered women coming in to that office. Made me sad. It's hard too, to be in public places, e.g.: going to the grocery store to get my prescription filled, walking downtown to go to the lawyers or even in the hospital itself. Everyone stares at me, wondering why my face is such a strange sort of yellow. I'll be extra glad when I just look normal again.

Posted by crystallyn at 05:48 PM | Comments (3)

February 25, 2005

you win some and lose some

Vegas was wonderful but the trip back was a nightmare. Barely three miles from home, on Tuesday night, our maniac cab driver was speeding across Storrow and as he was crossing the intersection at Western to join up with the main part of Storrow, he never slowed down...kept his 60mph speed, which meant that when a guy decided to run the red light, there was no time to react. We t-boned. Blood everywhere, our faces up against the plexiglass. Both drivers were okay, however we were carted out on stretchers with neckbraces, with lovely facial injuries. The friends that we had just left at the airport to head home came back to the hospital to pick our mangled selves up and get us home. We're pretty beat up. Joe has 7 stitches down his nose...the gash tore all the way through. I have lacerations and stitches in my upper lip (which split).

Our dear friend Paulette came the next day and got us groceries and took Joe to pick up percoset perscriptions and my glasses from the impounding place. We really needed the help and it's been good knowing she's around this week if we need it.

We keep looking uglier by the day...or at least I do. My face is nearly unrecognizable. It's a massive puffy mess. Bruises around my eyes. Lip is scabbed and puffy. My body aches and aches. This morning I don't seem to have full range of movement in my neck. I'm not going to be able to sit at the computer much longer today. Joe was lucky to have a plastic surgeon give him his stitches...they look like they will heal up nicely. His nose is surely broken though...he had a bump there that is missing and he is in considerable sinus pain.

But we're alive and that's what really matters. Please, please, think about putting your seatbelts on the next time you are in a taxicab. Most people I know don't when in a cab...and take it from us, you should.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:50 AM | Comments (8)

February 02, 2005

jetting around with the jetta

This little friend has a new home...in my driveway.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:12 AM | Comments (4)

February 01, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE!

Joe is probably cringing as sees this, but really, it's all just a bunch of numbers. He has the looks of someone ten years younger, easily. Throw a baseball hat on him and he'll get carded everytime. He has better 8-year old humor than even Bart Simpson. Yet at the same time, he has the wisdom and experience that make him the perfect package. He has excellent style, superb taste in music and he's artsy without the fartsy. He knows more about wine than most people would ever dream of knowing. And boy, can he cook! I want to send a big huge NYAH-NYAH to all the girls that let him slip through their fingers. Because now he's mine all mine! It's me that gets to be lucky enough to spend the next 40 years with him!

Happy Birthday Joe!

Posted by crystallyn at 06:31 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

January 30, 2005

had a crazy dream

last night--a zombie dream. Very vivid, like I was living in a horror movie. The world had been taken over by zombies and I was with a group of people in the basement of an activity center of some sort. Then, later, I was by myself in an abandoned hospital on the 15th floor or so, peeking out the window at all the zombies milling around below. Lots of zombie kids, I noticed. One of them was a young Ricky Schroeder (who had been talked about on the Michael Jackson childhood expose thing on VH1.com last night). Then I heard a noise in the corridor and I knew that it was a zombie. I ran to the door and tried to hold it closed, but woke up when the door was wrenched out of my grasp. Strange strange strange.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:05 AM | TrackBack

December 31, 2004

Resolution Time!

Well, I achieved my primary goal of last year--to be on track toward getting healthy. I lost over 35 lbs and dropped a few dress sizes. I didn't do quite as well on the writing front, however. I had vowed to submit at least 1-2 poems a month and I dropped off on that about halfway through the year. But I was fruitful in my writing, garnering a Pushcart nomination, developing the draft of my book proposal and writing more on my fiction novel. So putting resolutions together are worth it if you set your mind to it.

So here goes it:

1. To lose another 35 lbs and become even healthier.

2. To find an agent for my book on creative writing exercises.

3. To be a better correspondent with my aging grandparents.

4. To write one poem a week.

Check back in next year and see how I did...

Posted by crystallyn at 09:57 AM | TrackBack

December 19, 2004

FINIS!

I turned in my final thesis paper today. And my exit self-assessment. I'm done with my Masters degree in Critical & Creative Thinking. FINISHED! DONE! WOOOHOOOO!!!!

Now maybe I'll start getting some semblence of my life back. For a moment...until I find an agent for my book, then have to write my book. Problems I will be overjoyed to have!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:55 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

November 25, 2004

Happy Thanksgiving

Today I am Thankful For:

~Being married to the most amazing man on the planet.

~My wonderful, loving family, who have always supported me and been there for me, even as I am now 3k miles away.

~My husband's family, who have accepted me completely into their lives and who always make me feel warm and welcome.

~My friends, of whom I have too many to name, but they are in places both near and far. I feel blessed to be a part of so many lives.

~My little kitty, Romeo, who is, as I tell him everyday, the most beautiful, special, awesome, (keep going...I always do), cat in the whole world.

~My improving health. I am in better shape now, for the most part, than I was entering college. I feel more confident, I know I am more beautiful, and I love that my body is changing into a strong, powerful disease fighting weapon.

~My mental faculties.
***I'm a senior manager in public relations at a company that really treats me well and respects my knowledge.
***I'm finishing up my Masters in Critical & Creative Thinking, with a book proposal at the end of it that will propel me into a book deal that will change my life.
***I am co-editor of the wonderful magazine, Plum Ruby Review--and I say wonderful not because its my magazine, but because I feel so grateful to be working with so many incredibly talented writers and artists.
***My poetry has received recognition....with a nomination this year for the Pushcart. I feel such awe, amazement and a surge of gratefulness to the universe for giving me the chance to stand with the best writers of this year.

~The chance to live in a beautiful place--New England, which is second only the beautiful place I used to live in--the Pacific Northwest. I love being able to be part of such history, culture and culinary adventure.

~And you, dear readers, for letting me spout mush and gush and you still read it. :)

Posted by crystallyn at 10:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 04, 2004

random things, thoughts, etc.

* Upgraded, finally, to Movable Type 3.1+
* And Blacklist for 3.1x (because I hate the crapspam I get on my blog)
* THIS speaks for itself.
* Joe is making me popcorn with Old Bay seasoning. Yum!
* I'm not reading the news, watching it, or anything else. I'm happy living in my own bubble where nothing evil invades.
* Making plans for Boise for part of Xmas. I want to see my family but its not exactly a vacation spot...
* Don't go to Aura in the Seaport Hotel in Boston for a romantic date...atmosphere was all wonky but the food was quite good. Best duck I ever had.
* Trying hard to find a way to ground myself. There is a terrible energy in the air and I'm working a way to avoid it. Key tools include:

--Trust Your Vibes Oracle Cards by Sonia Choquette (one of my absolute favorite motivators)
--Smart Girls Do Dumbells by Judith Shermin-Wolin
--How to Sell, Then Write Your Nonfiction Book by Blythe Camenson

*Just finished Sara Douglass' God's Concubine and am anxious for the third book!
*Am haphazardly doing NANOWRIMO but it's a difficult thing...since I'm writing TWO books at the same time.
*I've lost 42 lbs since the same time last year. Pretty cool, huh?
*The weird thing about that is that I lost a shoe size! I mean really...my feet were never fat, but dang, what a surprise that was!
*I really really love the new Pink Martini album, Hang On Little Tomato.
*I'm not sure what Bible that the other 50% of America grew up with, but I don't remember Jesus ever preaching about war, guns, etc. He used to hang out with Lepers, whores and the poor. He taught us to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, and ultimately forgiveness. Judge lest not ye be judged. I dreamed on the morning of the third and I awoke in a terrible terrible sorrow, just pure sorrow. I have not yet recovered from my deep sadness.
*I have two philosophy papers due this week. One on abortion and the other on euthanasia.
*I should be writing on my book right now. One of them at least. Instead, I'm rambling here.
*I took the Halloween stuff down today.
*The dealer (Peter Fuller in Watertown...CRAPTASTIC!) wanted to charge us $700 for a tuneup and $450 for a sparkplug change! I assumed they were goldplated sparkplugs! They said it would take 3 hours to change them! At $85! Little do they know I was married to a gearhead in my past. So I took it elsewhere and the corner garage is giving us a diagnostic for free (the dealer charged us $85) and is doing the work for 1/3 the price. Going to trade the car in soon, wethinks.
*I can't understand how my husband can watch "wrastling" as he calls it....

Posted by crystallyn at 08:21 PM | TrackBack

October 08, 2004

okay okay

I haven't posted in awhile because I've been crazy busy!!! But I have had lots to say...so here goes:

1. Went to Barry Manilow last week. I was one of the youngest ones there. My friend ticked off the old people in front of us because she was screaming like a madman. He played ALL of the old hits. But the thing that cracked me up the most was that he played three MEDLEYS. I didn't know that anyone did medleys anymore!

2. Seeing Mt. St. Helens going nutso brings back memories of being in the 3rd grade, standing out on the lawn in back of our house in Nine Mile Falls, WA on May 18, 1980, the day before my mom's birthday. At about 3PM I was staring at the sun. The sky was a thick gray color. The sun was blue. Then the ash started falling and we ran inside and watched out the windows for hours as an inch or more of the strange gray powder fell like snow. My father was trapped in Montana unable to get back to us. School was canceled for two weeks. We had to wear surgical masks for nearly a month. I remember when my father did make it home, we rinsed the stuff down the driveway and he got up on the roof to rinse it off. That summer we took jars of it down to my cousin Rhett in Twin Falls so he could sell bags of it to his friends for a $1. It didn't rain ash that far south.

2. MORRISSEY ROCKED on Tuesday night!! We had killer seats (until 3/4 of the way through the show when the widest guy with the fattest head decided to stand in front of us) and he was just amazing. I was SO thrilled when he played "Rubber Ring" which is my favorite Smiths song. Out of the gazillion songs off his 20 something albums (between the Smiths and his solo career), he played the ONE song that I was dying to hear. I was so so happy! And to see him do "How Soon Is Now" was wondrous...like when I heard David Byrne do "Burning Down the House." I felt blessed to be able to see it played. Silly, but true. I am a massive Morrissey addict now...

3. We went to P-Town this last weekend. Turned out it was Pet Appreciation Weekend and Leather Weekend. So we saw lots of poochies on leashes and leathermen with leashes. Never a dull moment in that town! We stayed in the most adorable little inn, The Snug Cottage. Very high recommend.

There is more rambling I could do, I'm sure, but I will save that for later this weekend...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 22, 2004

creepy scary not halloweeny

I talked to my father today, who told me that my brother had been bit by a brown recluse spider, one of six poisonous spiders in the US. They are common back out west, as are black widows and we used to see them all over the place. I remember black widows in our basement even, and we just knew to stay away from them.

So my father is telling me about this as I'm driving home from work (with a headset mind you). Apparently Chase got bit several days ago and finally, two days ago he showed my dad and at that time it was a hard nodule raised about four inches off the skin, with a swollen red ring and a brown mark in the center where he had been bit. My father wigged out and told him to get to the doctor, but Chase doesn't have medical insurance so he was balking. In the morning though, it was bad enough that he told his boss (he's a foreman at a construction company)--his boss made him work the whole day first. So after work he went to a "doc-in-a-box" as my father calls them, just a local emergency center.

Well, of course they were highly concerned and immediately went in to dig it out. They had to dig out the nodule, which was at least an inch under the skin as well. They gave him a shot in the cheek (did my father mean actual cheek or asscheek?) and then three localized shots as well as drugs to take overnight. He went back today and they were going to have to dig more out. Apparently it's more severe than they thought.

But as my father was telling me this, I had to have him stop, because I was driving and I've noticed, as I get older, when I hear or see things sort of "disturbing" I get extremely nauseus and faint. This has happened a few times, once while reading "The Penal Colony" on the bus, once when I saw a co-worker have an epileptic fit, once when watching a movie at a film festival about heroin junkies, and a few other times. I'm not talking about seeing a horror film that's violent or anything, but rather more cerebral things, or things related to people close to me or by people close to me. So as I'm hearing about the bite and them digging it out, I feel my stomach starting to get queasy. Had to shut my father off in mid-sentence. I think he thought I was insane. Instead I told him that the place I'm contracting at wants to hire me! So that was good and when I got to the grocery store, I let him tell me the rest of the story.

When I got home, I wanted to find out more about what happens when people get bit. Oh my god, oh my god. I still feel so completely sick. I just hope to god that my brother got help in time.

Here is one URL (of several I found), but BE WARNED NOT FOR THE QUEASY: Brown Recluse Spider Bites

Please keep him in your thoughts.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:36 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

September 02, 2004

Happy Belated Birthday!

to crystallyn.com that is!

I didn't even realize it, but it slipped by in July, marking nine years of existence! I didn't begin blogging until 2000 but I did have a website which went through various incarnations in the five years prior. It's come a LONG way. Back in 1995 I owned two domain names. Now I own three (down from five last year).

I am a geek.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:30 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

August 29, 2004

summer's end

Friday and Saturday nights this weekend really spoke to the foodies in us. We dined in style at both 33 and then at Mantra. Mmmmm. Mantra is a definite recommend. Interesting, innovative food and the atmosphere is delightfully modern and stylish.

Labor day is going to be a quiet one for us, with an evening with friends on Friday night and then me hoping that the beach will be in order at least one of the subsequent weekend days! I want one more day at Crane's before the season ends!

But what I'm really looking forward to is Brimfield, which is September 7-12 this year. If you live in New England and love antiques, this is the place for you. Every kind of antique you can imagine...linens, dishes, furniture, sports equipment, posters, jewelry, art, ephemera, and on and on! We're going to take off Friday the 10th and head on down to see what we can find. In past years we found our dining room table, our really nice wire plant stand on the porch, jewelry

and this wonderful antique egg print for our kitchen:

I need a dresser, so we'll be on the lookout for a good bargain. I'll also have the chance to look for antique postcards of Seattle and Boston. My collection is really growing these days.

After Brimfield, back to the Berkshires to spend time with Joe's family, who are the most wonderful people in the world. I really love the Berkshires, and it's been too long since we've been back. We didn't make it at all this summer, even though I vowed I would finally see a concert at Tanglewood. Next year.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:55 PM | TrackBack

August 20, 2004

French food and conversation, turkeys and giants!

Very cool things:

Joe, who is the coolest in my book, picked us up tickets to go see They Might Be Giants in a few weeks! They're playing here in September, and I'm SO excited! If you don't have The Spine yet, you HAVE to go grab it...it's a great album!

After two weeks of not seeing turkeys at work, finally five of them, picking away at the grass along the parking lot. They crack me up. ;-)

That same cool Joe grabbed us reservations at Lumiere for Restaraunt Week (which is pretty difficult to get right now...all the restaraunts are booked up). Lumiere picked up accolades from the Food Network for one of the best French Bistros. Can't wait!

I'm brushing up on my French too, and it's definitely coming back. I picked up a Pimsleur set of CDs for the car. I'm flying through them pretty fast though but the brush up is good and I think that it's helping me with pronunciation quite a bit. The big set of Pimsleur CDs are pretty expensive unfortunately. But after this semester, I think I'm going to take a course at the Boston French Center and see if I can get back in the swing of things. I may get Joe to take a one-day beginners immersion course with me on a weekend too. He thinks he can't learn French, but I don't believe him. :)

Then again, he would tell you I never believe him (not true!)...

Posted by crystallyn at 06:31 AM | TrackBack

French food and conversation, turkeys and giants!

Very cool things:

Joe, who is the coolest in my book, picked us up tickets to go see They Might Be Giants in a few weeks! They're playing here in September, and I'm SO excited! If you don't have The Spine yet, you HAVE to go grab it...it's a great album!

After two weeks of not seeing turkeys at work, finally five of them, picking away at the grass along the parking lot. They crack me up. ;-)

That same cool Joe grabbed us reservations at Lumiere for Restaraunt Week (which is pretty difficult to get right now...all the restaraunts are booked up). Lumiere picked up accolades from the Food Network for one of the best French Bistros. Can't wait!

I'm brushing up on my French too, and it's definitely coming back. I picked up a Pimsleur set of CDs for the car. I'm flying through them pretty fast though but the brush up is good and I think that it's helping me with pronunciation quite a bit. The big set of Pimsleur CDs are pretty expensive unfortunately. But after this semester, I think I'm going to take a course at the Boston French Center and see if I can get back in the swing of things. I may get Joe to take a one-day beginners immersion course with me on a weekend too. He thinks he can't learn French, but I don't believe him. :)

Then again, he would tell you I never believe him (not true!)...

Posted by crystallyn at 06:31 AM | TrackBack

August 05, 2004

so it turns out

that I have a wedding to go to the day after Manilow. In New York. From one magnificent party to another.

Other things of note:

1. I have a tan. Really. Imagine...pasty white me, tan. :)

2. Joe forgot to pull the paper off the disposable litter box while we were out at Mirror Lake in NH on vacation last week and Romeo decided that the big rubber plant in the living room was a suitable cat box. Well, he is smart, I have to give him that. We at first thought he was disgruntled, but then realized that he was just using his next option. Besides, how could he be disgruntled? He had Paulette taking care of him (in between hanging out with Jerry Springer (literally!) that is).

3. CONGRATULATIONS TO BRENT AND MARY ANN!!!! WOOOOHOOOO YOU TWO! You better be sending some pictures in my direction! I want to see this Dreat guy once and for all. ;)

4. Joe and I have decided that we're going to France next year. No clue how or when, but it is going to happen. We're targeting 10 days. I minored in French...figured I better actually put all that education to use. But it's been 10 years now and a brush up is DEFINITELY in order. Would welcome any recommends on places to eat or stay in Paris or any of the wine regions.

5. When I get my first paycheck from the super cool new job (I haven't had a paycheck in a month!!), I'm getting one of these:

6. I learned about the wicked cool Archimedes Palimpsest today.

7. Urbanoutback pointed out what someone else pointed out...in that every day you think of a monkey. OMG it's SO TRUE! Every day since then, a monkey has surfaced at some point during the day. Amazing. EVERY DAY YOU THINK OF A MONKEY.

8. In case you ever wondered about the evolution of food, now there is the Food Timeline

9. WOOOHOOO I made the Wikipedia. Who knew that a little jaunt by Joanie and I would end up being a bit more than 15 minutes of fame?

And I'm sleeeepy.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:19 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

July 13, 2004

the equivalent of no fun...i.e. pity me

Scenario:

Canada. Remote college town.
Me. Meeting new colleagues for the first time. Desiring to make a good impression.
Me sick.
Me getting sicker.
Me with watery eyes during meetings.
Me carrying a box of Kleenex with lotion to these meetings.
Me with a runny nose that won't stop.
Me with a cold drug-induced haze clouding my senses.
Me unable to sleep at night despite a gorgeous hotel room and super cozy bed.
Me with cough syrup that doesn't help on the nightstand next to the bed.
Me waking up every twenty minutes every night long.
Me not tasting a single bit of the expensive meal my bosses boss paid for last night.
Me wanting nothing more than to be at home curled up with my kitty, cold compresses on my eyes and Joe hanging out with my miserable self.

Posted by crystallyn at 03:54 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

July 10, 2004

turkey time!

So I've started a new job...filling in for a woman who is out having triplets! That poor girl. I just can't imagine. She won't sleep for a year.

It's a six month stint, but the pay is good and I needed a change from what I had been doing before. The old job wasn't challenging and it was a strange strange place.

So far so good! The new job is EXACTLY what I have been looking for...crossing my fingers that it turns into something permanent. But the people are nice and normal (WOOHOOO NORMAL PEOPLE!), the work is challenging and it's perfect for my skillset. It's 20 min from home, decent hours, did I say normal people?

But the abnormal bit about it is that there are lots of turkeys around. It's a very rural area in one of the most historic towns in the country. I usually see a couple turkeys each day, out the window that looks toward the woods. Coming from the West coast, I never saw wild turkeys till I moved to New England. Truth be told, I think I thought that there weren't any left, that, like chickens, they were mostly domesticated for good eating. The first time I heard a turkey gobble in the woods I was amazed. Then when I saw one! Wow, very different than the squatty types that I was used to seeing in books or that I assumed I was eating. They are huge birds, with really long legs, necks and freaky long wattles. Nearly as tall as me, I would bet, if they stood tall with their necks high.

When I met the controller for the company, she told me about how a few years ago a female turkey flew through one of the windows at work. I was incredulous...first of all, we're on the third floor, and second of all, turkeys could fly??!! I guess it had never really occurred to me. In my mind, turkeys still held the status of eating bird, looking a bit like these:

They don't fly.

Wild turkeys look a bit different...taller for one thing. Their legs are much longer and their heads are a bit smaller. Their tallness makes them look much more foreboding when they are walking around.

The other big difference is that wild turkeys do fly.

The woman who was telling me about the turkey that flew through the window says that in the winter you can see the whole flock...about twenty of them, flying. Crazy, huh? How terrifying would that be, to see a whole flock of 30 lb birds darkening the sky?

As for the turkey that shattered the window and freaked out the poor people sitting in the cubes there, it turned out to be alive and okay. Bit banged up but animal control came and took it to a vet where I'm sure they rehabilitated it. Or maybe had Thanksgiving dinner.

Wild turkeys are really freaky, I think. I wouldn't want one coming after me! In a way, I can understand why Ben Franklin wanted to make them the national bird. In a letter to his daughter he wrote...

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country....

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

Interesting...perhaps America has lived up to the image of the Bald Eagle in many ways. Maybe Ben was on to something.

"Don't fuck with Ben Franklin," Joe says.

Incidentally, Joe makes the best turkey gobbling noises.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:36 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

June 10, 2004

no pinocchio for me

Unlike others, I have a tough time when I lie. I agonize over it, and worry. This is ironic because I grew up learning how to be a very effective liar.

When I was young, my mother was the very very overprotective hen. She watched over us kids like a hawk, questioning our every move, who we were with, where we were going, etc. I can appreciate this more now, but unfortunately, it fostered a very very bad habit--lying.

I was a wilful child. Others have even told me, in my adulthood, that they imagined me being so. I wanted my way and I had to have it. If I was told no, I would usually find some way to get it anyway. My sister was like this as well, but worse. The fundamental difference, however, is that I was adept at lying and she wasn't. By the time high school rolled around, Misty was always in trouble, with teachers, with boys, with grades, you name it. She became such a handful and I seemed more responsible. Key word--seemed.

But really, I was responsible...although my parents wouldn't have believed me. I didn't drink till I was in college. I never did drugs. I didn't smoke. I was a virgin till I was 18. I had straight A's (except algebra) but I looked like a freak. A waver/punk rock/Cure/Depeche Mode/wannabe sort of 80s batcave chick. This appearance is probably the ONLY reason I didn't get away with more in high school. They were just a little worried about me. But my career as a liar went into full swing.

I was never where I said I would be. If I was spending the night at Camille's I was probably at a party, or babysitting my friends dropping acid. If I was supposed to be staying with Traci, I was probably out clubbing till all hours of the night because she didn't have curfew. I never got caught. I always called at key times to reassure my mother. That was the ticket. Hearing my voice at midnight was enough. My sister? She missed those key calls...never occurred to her to VOLUNTARILY call. I called my mom all the time...she never had to ask me. And thus, she never had to worry.

And I became good at lying. As I moved on in life, in relationships, at work, where needed, I became even more adept...to get what I wanted, or thought that I wanted. I was not an honorable person.

The thing is, the other thing my mother instilled in me was guilt. Extreme guilt. Well, not as extreme as hers (it always baffles me when someone who fervently worships Jesus doesn't ever feel forgiven for their sins). We should have been Catholic. I always felt guilty when I lied. Terribly guilty.

Guilty enough that I pretty much washed my hands of it all four years ago. I flipped over that slate, deciding that I needed to live my life with honor. To be straight with the people in my life, regardless of the outcome. (Okay, we're not talking about common sense white lies...lying when you know it means nothing is one thing, like telling a child it was the best story you have ever read but of course it wasn't). I decided that if I needed to lie, there was something wrong with the situation and I should face up to it.

Recently I was faced with another dilemma...a situation that technically meant I needed to lie to preserve a particular appearance, because I wasn't ready for the situation to change just yet...it was a catch-22. If I lied, it was good for my future. If I didn't lie, it would be bad for my present, which in turn could mess up the future.

I agonized over this...trying to figure out the best, most believable lie. It was pretty pathetic. I had conversations with girlfriends and with Joe about the best lie I could tell. All the while I was agonizing over it, probably WAY more so than the situation even demanded. Probably no one would have cared if I had lied anyway. But still...I wanted to be true and I was trying to figure out how to reconcile that.

And miraculously, the answer came that helped me get out of that predicament. I was able to just be honest, because my situation had changed positively and I could tell the truth without negative consequence. I have to believe that my agonizing over it...that feeling it was a real moral dilemma, moved the universe to really help me out. I believe that to be so, that because I wanted to honor this base belief...to be honest and true to the best of my ability, is along the path I should be leading, and so the doors opened up.

Karma.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 05, 2004

it's official

33 years ago...both me...and Marky Mark.

"There was a star danced, and under that was I born."
--William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

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May 20, 2004

let's get physical

So we joined a gym. A really nice gym. Well, not just a nice gym, an expensive gym. Expensive enough to make most people choke--sort of gym. But you know what, I'm really excited about it.

This gym has pretty much everything I could want and more...pool, weights, pilates studio, spinning classes, tennis, all the weights you can imagine, classes galore, a cafe and even a spa.

We committed for a year.

And this time it's not going to be like other times I've joined a gym and skipped out after 4 months. Not when I pretty much gave them my first born child to go there (lucky them!).

I have my first personal training session (one of four included in my membership) tonight. Basically it will be the lay of the land, understanding the equipment, figuring out my goals and plotting a course to move forward. I know that I want to take water aerobics classes and start doing some weight training. They have so many fascinating classes...if I get bored I can just try something else.

It seems so strange to me that I'm excited about exercising. I think that this is the first time, in my entire life, that I can say that.

Many years ago, I spent some time with someone that was in love with me but didn't love my body. I made the bold move of asking what they thought about my body and the response was, "I wish I could be in your body for awhile, because there is so much I could do to change it." Talk about a major blow to my self-esteem. Even now, ten years later, it still stings.

The thing is, I don't want anyone else to change my body...I want ME to be the one to do that, and I want to do it for the right reasons--not to make someone love me. I really rebelled against my feelings back then. Other people may have felt motivated to do something about themselves upon receiving a comment like that, but I was quite the opposite. My father often harped on me about my weight as well, telling me that I would never get a job or a boyfriend unless I lost weight.

I set out to prove them wrong. And I did. I have a career in marketing that has usually been upward, have had many boyfriends and now have a loving husband. Regardless of my weight.

But it was a true statement, really...there IS so much I can do to make my body better. I have been eating extra healthy for quite awhile now, making sure I have lots of fruits and vegetables in my diet. I walk 1-3 miles a day at least 5 days a week. I feel better than I have in a long time.

So the gym is just the next step, to help get that heart rate up and to begin to tone my muscles. Next year I want to be in great shape and join a softball league!

"Health, south wind, books, old trees, a boat, a friend." ~ Emerson.

Sounds good to me.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:15 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 05, 2004

things to remember

~ What goes around comes around. If you dish it out, you will receive it back so be thoughtful about what you are serving up.

~ If you continually give, you will continually have. --Chinese proverb.

~ Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. --Eleanor Roosevelt

~ The Four Agreements:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don�t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won�t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don�t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

~ Sometimes people you thought believed in you don't actually believe in you. This is really their problem, not yours.

~ The only thing we really have control over in our lives is how we choose to think about ourselves and care for our bodies.

~ Be the change in yourself that you want to see in the world. --Ghandi

~ All is well with you even though everything seems to go dead wrong, if you are square with yourself. Reversely, all is not well with you although everything outwardly may seem to go right, if you are not square with yourself. --Ghandi

~ Illusion is the first of all pleasures. --Oscar Wilde

~ One's real life is often the life that one does not lead. --Oscar Wilde

~ Eighty percent of success is showing up. --Woody Allen

~ Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself - and thus make yourself indispensable. --Andre Gide

~ Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world. --Annie Lennox

~ No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. --Eleanor Roosevelt

~ Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are in essence ignoring the owner's manual your creator gave you and destroying your design. --Oprah Winfrey

~ Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don't fight them. Just find a different way to stand. --Oprah Winfrey

~ Little by little, one travels far. --J.R.R. Tolkein

~ Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. --Dr. Seuss

Posted by crystallyn at 06:02 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 02, 2004

spring fever

I haven't been writing much...and in some ways I'm not sure why. I can think of all sorts of things to post, but then I haven't been coming here to post them. So what has been happening with me?

I've been out walking nearly every day...along the Charles in the morning and/or lunch and often around Fresh Pond some evenings and on the weekend. I live about 3 blocks from Fresh Pond so it's a great place to head to...lots of doggies along that walk. Everytime I go I see some funky breed of dog that I haven't seen before. I walk it enough now that I see some of the same people when I go. My landlords told me that they used to walk it every day when they were younger. One trip around the pond is 2.25 miles and when I tack on the distance to and from our house, it is around 3.25 miles total. Yesterday morning was so warm and humid, despite the clouds. It was such a beautiful walk, with the wind in my hair, cooling my skin. I feel torn...I want a good MP3 player to walk with but at the same time, I like just hearing the birds, the waves lapping the trees lining the pond, the dogs barking and panting as I walk by them. Add that to the fact that IPods are still $300 and that there isn't any good knock-off yet (which I fail to understand).

Trying to get geared up for the Cystic Fibrosis walk that I'm doing in a couple of weekends. Six miles to raise money for a good cause. If you are interested in donating, send me an email at poetess AT crystallyn.com and I'll send you a link to my online donation site. I wish I could just link it here but they have a funny set up where it generates a unique URL for people to donate at otherwise it just comes in like I have been the one to donate. You can also PayPal me money at that same email address as well.

Finishing up this semester at school as well. I can't wait for it to be finished. I've been so frustrated with my current class. I dread Mondays and sitting in that classroom for 2.5 hours. My motivation is lacking so much this semester...I know a lot of it is attributed to how I feel about that class. My project is one that will carry me through my last few classes, so it's annoying that because I'm so frustrated with this class that my excitement for my project has dropped off. It's amazing how much teacher/managers can motivate or demotivate a person, even about something they are passionate about.

And I am frustrated by the world climate these days. The job market isn't any better, really, and the numbers become more skewed as more and more people drop off of unemployment. More and more people are dying the longer we stay in Iraq (and to top it off we have a few renegade soldiers over there humiliating prisoners and embarassing the US even further). More and more lies and contradictions unfold every day (our little fiery friend hangs in our living room, btw...excellent gift options for your friends!). Don't even get me going on the whole gay marriage thing, or our environment falling to pieces around us or how my tuition seems to raise everytime I turn around. Sigh. More and more...

I think mostly I just want a few things...

* School to be over.
* Politicians to be dissolved by aliens.
* To win the lottery.

Well of course! This month will be busy though, even once school lets out. Need to get the next issue of Plum Ruby Review ready for its June 1 launch date. Going to help my dad get his Website up and running for his business. And somewhere in there we need to go to Brimfield again. And I need to do spring cleaning on the house!

But mostly, despite all those need-to-do's...I just feel this incredible need to vege out these days...

Posted by crystallyn at 06:15 PM | TrackBack

March 09, 2004

QOTD

�Do or do not. There is no try.� -Yoda

and stolen from wheniridemybike, a quote from Julia Cameron's Walking This World, which I have been perusing myself lately.

''When we shift our inner statements from "i'd love to" to "i'm going to", we shift out of victim and into adventurer.''

I'm reading the Four Agreements right now. I need to remember the second one: Don't Take Anything Personally.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:44 AM | TrackBack

March 05, 2004

mystery solved--sort of

That YM Magazine subscription? Apparently some company, MLI Inc. of Valdosta, GA is sending me a complimentary gift subscription...a thank you of some sort for purchasing a product or something along those lines. The thing is, I can't figure out who that company is--Google is sort of unclear and the names that do come up for MLI are entirely unfamiliar.

At any rate, they changed my subscription to Health , which I've been meaning to subscribe to anyway, so all is well in subscription land!

Posted by crystallyn at 06:37 AM | Comments (32) | TrackBack

March 03, 2004

i am so confused

some sweet person got me a gift...but I have no idea who it could be...or why...

I received a gift card in the mail that someone had purchased me a year subscription to YM Magazine. I have to think it must be a mistake, that perhaps the magazine fulfillment center messed it up somehow.

I last read YM when it was Young Miss--and I was probably 13--when I needed advice on zits and boys and dresses. Oh wait, I still need that advice.

I'll call the number tomorrow during business hours and find out who the kind soul behind the gift is and if they confused the order with a different magazine--I am so touched that someone got me the gift, I'm just confused about who and why. It's not my birthday, Christmas is long since past and I just can't think of any other reason. Anyone want to fess up?

Posted by crystallyn at 05:55 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 15, 2004

i really want to

believe it's going to be spring soon. I saw a fluffy robin today, perched up high in a barren tree in the Mt. Auburn Cemetery. Joe and I went for a really long walk there today, despite the frigid 15 degree temperature. It was actually quite nice if the wind wasn't blowing. We had to be very careful due to the ice that covered many of the paths and was scattered about the roads. It's a great place to walk, with lots of hills and beautiful trees and ponds. There is always something to see, ornate headstones, striking tombs (EQ fans will be delighted to note that we saw Sleeper's Tomb today) and discussion-sparking names to behold.

We had just finished our walk and were getting in the car when I noticed the little splash of dull orange color up in the tree. It's such an interesting little herald of the upcoming change in the seasons. I found this awesome Web site about the American Robin which allows you to track first sightings and first songs heard. My mother mentioned she saw one yesterday in Boise, ID and my Mother-In-Law apparently also has seen a few out in the Berkshires here in MA. So that's a very good sign...maybe this cold snap is nearly over and we can start wearing jackets instead of coats, opening the windows, hanging around outdoors, potting the plans on the porch.

Oh, on that site above, you can also check out first sightings of other signs of spring--caribou migration, hummingbirds, first tulips, whooping cranes and monarch butterflies. Pretty nifty.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:31 PM | TrackBack

January 25, 2004

you think you know me?

Do you really?

The Ultimate Quiz--How Well Do You Know Crystal?

And OOOPS...I messed up on where I put the points for the correct answer, so I'll just give it to you. The correct answer to where I went to high school is Meridian, ID BUT you need to put Boise, ID to get it right on the quiz...

And you thought you knew me... ;)

Shamelessly stolen from Katey.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:27 PM | TrackBack

January 13, 2004

lovely

Joe is watching the evolution of beanbag use in crowd control on the History Channel. Hmm. Watching people get shot by beanbags or professional wrestling. Which is worse?

I wish I had more time. I need a pill that eliminates sleep, I think. I have SO much that I'm doing and no time to do it all in. I'm so excited about my coursework...the development of my thesis, which really leaves me believing in new avenues for my life and career. School starts the 26th and this semester is going to be a bear. I'm doing an independent study in which I managed to wrangle the writing of my novel in conjunction with developing my thesis (my thesis is on creativity exercises for advanced writers). So I'm doing active research on my thesis, writing a novel, keeping a writer's notebook on process and production and in the midst of that, I'm editing Plum Ruby AND working fulltime...ten hours a day.

I want more time to read and to play. I got one of my favorite friends, Alex, started playing Everquest and I have NO time to even play it with him. Totally sucks. I have so much fun hanging out with him and by the time I will probably be able to play again he'll have LONG surpassed the level of my characters. sigh sigh. I even cancelled my Star Wars Galaxies account; I haven't played that in months.

I am trying to maintain some semblance of a social life, at least, and I do manage to get out and spend time with friends. Tomorrow I'm hanging out with my good friend Melissa and the night after, dinner with Joe's cousin, which is always good. And the weekend finds us having dinner with his parents and brother's family. I feel like my life is not my own sometimes. The problem with having a social life is that I get backed up on my writing and editing and housework and well...

Basically, it's REALLY good that life is busy. I love having direction, having purpose, knowing that I'm going to do amazing things in my future.

Oh, incidentally, The M.A.G. has taken three of my poems. :) Look for them in the mini-mag coming up and then in the biannual July issue.

Posted by crystallyn at 10:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 12, 2004

luck

My mother-in-law has a knack for finding four leaf clovers. She just looks down at a patch of grass and they nearly jump right up. She must have passed on a little bit of luck the last time she loaded me up with clovers...this time I found a whole passel of them on my own.

Yesterday I was planning on going to the movies with one of my girlfriends...to see Big Fish. I usually buy the tickets ahead to save a bit of time but this time I decided not to. I was on the page to buy them not once, but twice and in the end thought maybe I should just wait until we got there. I'm glad we did.

After lunch at nearby Jacob Wirth's, we headed over to the Loews theater down on the common. We were about to go in the front door when we noticed that there were fire alarms flashing and that the entire cinema was standing across the street!! We opted out and went and got the car, thankful (and shocked) that they let us into the garage to get it, despite the sirens and flashing lights. On the way to the garage, we discovered the cause of the fire trucks and the evacuation...a burst water pipe in the restaurant next door.

And so, we ended up antiquing in East Cambridge near my old house. I picked up some 50's black and gold highball glasses that match ones that my Grandma King gave me many years ago. And then I saw it. An old book on a table.

It had a tattered green cover, waterstained in places and a bit frayed. The top of the cover bears the words "A Dictionary of Synonyms." I picked it up, noted the wonderful old print, the inch margins on each page and the words...a perfect source of new poesy, I thought. I thumbed through a little further...and discovered that the book is full of pressed four leaf clovers. 25 of them to be exact. You can't pick up a $4 1884 book full of four leaf clovers and not buy it!!

Afterward I found some of Joe's birthday present, unexpectedly and also the poster that I had been searching for for months.

Plus I got to hang out with one of my favorite people and that's always a bonus.
Lucky start to my year, methinks.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:42 PM | TrackBack

January 10, 2004

contortionism

We bought a new bed today. After a few months of waking up knotted up and with Joe having the flu for an eon and him tossing and turning and driving me up a wall since we sleep TOO cozy in the full bed, we gave in to Jordan's Furniture and let a sleep technician show us the mattresses. We ended up with a nice Simmons mattress with a pillowtop. I can't WAIT until Tuesday night so we can sleep in it (the day they deliver it).

The freezing cold weather has been tough on my cold-induced asthma. After leaving the sushi place last night, I thought I was going to die I was coughing and wheezing so hard. It's a really awful feeling. Before leaving this morning to get my haircut at Leon's (Paulette got me going there) I remembered my inhaler. Good thing...sitting in the car for ten minutes in subzero temps while the engine warms up really sucks.

I have a FABULOUS new haircut though. Very cute and Reese Witherspoon/Drew Barrymoreish. Much more dramatic color with a little flip on the ends. I have a new stylist, Fulya, who did wonders to my hair. I end up paying more for it, but my hair looks better than ever since I started going to this place. Leon (who brings his little terrier in to hang out while he cuts hair) is known for coiffuring hair on European runways and he hires only the best talent for his salon, which is, oddly enough, down the street in the center of Belmont.

Getting ready for issue two of Plum Ruby Review which has become a labor of love. Trying to finish it up before we head to New York for a few days at the end of the month--and before school starts again. I have a very heavy-duty semester coming up. I really love school though--I would give anything if I could go fulltime and not work. Sigh.

Guess I need to win the lottery soon, huh?

Posted by crystallyn at 05:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 01, 2004

Day 1, 2004

Well, resolutions are usually the topic du jour and I have only a few. One is the same one that every single person vows to do...to get healthy.

Really.

I know, you don't believe me. No matter.

My other resolutions are related more to my writing and the volume I want to do and the amount of submissions I have planned.

For those of you who are having trouble with your resolutions, never fear, with the Internet help is always here.

How To Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Top Ten New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions vs. New Year's Goals

Right now my first goal for the year is to not get Joe's flu. He was at 101 degrees for three days, felt fine last night and came out with my good friend and I for a really nice dinner at the Blue Room. I refuse, refuse to succumb.

Posted by crystallyn at 03:31 PM | TrackBack

December 31, 2003

Happy New Year!

All in all, it was a good year. The recap is in order, I think.

1. Married the best boy in the entire world! In Vegas, no less!
2. For the majority of the year, I worked at the best job I ever had.
3. Ended the best job I ever had working for the worst boss I ever had.
4. Landed new cool job that could end up being the best job I ever had yet again!
5. Bought a new car.
6. Fell down the back stairs and hurt myself badly....a week before the wedding. There is a weird, permanent bump under my skin on my shin now.
7. Traveled to Vegas, Denver and Montreal.
8. Saw Elvis Costello.
9. Turned 32.
10. Became a NaNoWriMo winner.
11. Drank two bottles of Dom Perignon this year!
12. Created (with my dear friend, Greg) Plum Ruby Review.
13. Published a poem in the Rose & Thorn as well as one forthcoming in the Winter issue of Astropoetica.
14. Romeo had six teeth pulled.
15. Joe shoveled more snow this year than probably ever...over 75" all together through the year.
16. Re-united with a long lost friend.
17. Had my parents visit for the first time from Boise, ID...dragged them all over Massachusetts for a week.
18. Began my Master's thesis project in developing creativity exercises for advanced writers...will carry me through the entire year of 2004.
19. Cracked one of my back molars.
20. Celebrated three years together with my best friend, Joe.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:08 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

love is

when your husband boils all the silverware he's washed in the last few days so that you won't catch his flu. ;-)

Posted by crystallyn at 06:48 AM | TrackBack

December 28, 2003

and so

i find myself making the obligatory blog since it's been over ten days now and I'm not sure I have a lot to say. I went away. To the Berkshires. Saw Ventfort Hall which was pretty nifty. Read the whole Dragon Mage series by Katharine Kerr. Got steak knives, a gorgeous bracelet and a new pocket PC. Played Civilization the board game. Started on my writer's notebook for my independent study next semester. Drank Bellinis, lots of red wine and cherry lambic beer. Now...I'm sleeeeeepy.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:35 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

December 13, 2003

karma is a funny thing

shortly after having my kitty's teeth yanked, I chomped down on a particularly crunchy french fry at a nice restaraunt and my back molar on the bottom cracked, taking a nice chunk out of the side of my tooth. Fortunately for me it doesn't hurt at all, just is fairly sharp...sigh. And so, holding out till January if I can to go to the dentist. I have a terrible fear of the dentist, sigh sigh sigh.

Romeo is doing much better, finally. He hated me for a long while. Would run when we came near, would hide behind the couch and wouldn't sleep with us at night. It was awful, seeing him so changed. He's better now, and every day he is becoming more like his old self.

Posted by crystallyn at 04:16 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

December 09, 2003

romeo || bumble

We're eating dinner tonight (the wrong pizza from Bertucci's) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is on TV and Joe suddenly says,

"Romeo is like the Bumble!"

That's because poor Romeo spent the day under anaesthesia having SIX teeth yanked.

And the Bumble had his teeth yanked. It made him less dangerous. Except that kitty wasn't very dangerous before he had his teeth pulled. And he's definitely not now. He's super groggy and he is really unstable when he walks. He won't close his mouth all the way, understandably.

He really needed to go in. The pictures don't really show how bad they are. His large fang there was nearly hanging out of his mouth...3/4 of the tooth was terribly infected. You can sort of see how the third tooth in has a hole in it. A lot of them were like that. He still needs to have 3 more pulled but they just couldn't overwhelm him like that. Poor little kitty.

There was a woman there who said her cat had to have a lot of his teeth pulled and that he was like a whole new cat afterward and that mostly she didn't even have an idea how miserable he was until she saw the new pain-free personality emerge.

Oh, and like the Bumble, Romeo LOVES pig dinners. Can't wait till he feels better to enjoy one.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

December 07, 2003

let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

Paulette woke me up this morning asking how bad the weather is here. She's stranded in Washington D.C. and since the airport is still closed it might be awhile before she is home.

The drifting snow is the strange part. There are weird trenches around some of the houses and piles against some sides of the buildings and cars. The neighbor's car across the street is invisible with the snow and the car on the other side of the street has been divided in half...snow piled high on one side and barely any on the other from the wind.

Joe shoveled yesterday morning and by mid-day you couldn't even tell...and he removed nearly a foot. The landlady was so pleased though that last night she asked me to come down to the cellar so she could give me something (that way we didn't have to go outside). She made us a blueberry pound cake. Half the time in the winter when Joe shovels, she makes pasta with meatballs. Yummy.

The shut-in weekend is gorgeous from the inside, however. The way the snow falls on the windows along the drifty side of the house...it piles up and gets caught in blotches in the screens and looks beautiful. Yesterday I made the usual holiday treats, peanut butter logs, sugar cookie dough (making the cookies today) and a Martha recipe in the December issue for vanilla crusted hazelnuts, which turned out great.

But the best one that I made were the Mayonnaise Sugar Cookies, always my favorite. They sound icky and the dough tastes weird and unappetizing, but the final product literally melts in your mouth. DEE-LISH!

Mayonnaise Sugar Cookies

1 cup mayonnaise (no substitutes...lowfat makes them taste and act like rubber)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cup flour
1 tsp. soda

Mix together mayo, sugar and vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt. Roll into 1" balls and roll in sugar (you can use colored sugar if making around the holidays). Flatten with fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until crispy (they shouldn't be brown, just barely golden).

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December 05, 2003

methinks

that Mr. Cohen has no clue about being a Presby and I can tell him that at least I CAN EAT THE FILTHY PIG and thus enjoy pure unadulterated bliss.

You poor Jews. Don't know what you are missing when it comes to bacon. ;-)

And tonight, after a fabulous meal of pork chops in bourbon cherry sauce--a bottle of Dom Perignon while we trim the Christmas tree and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Being a Presbyterian isn't so bad. Sappy, but good.

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December 03, 2003

i am once again

gainfully employed!!! Woohooooo!!! And right in Cambridge near where I used to live, so no massive stupid commute to Salem anymore. Plus I'll be near my pal Melissa so it will be easy to hook up for lunch and drinks.

Just in time...severance runs out next week. ;)

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November 24, 2003

my laundry list

of my life and why I have been a bit incommunicado...

* Crazy busy on my two classes for my M.A. in Critical & Creative Thinking. One is the online literary journal, which is nearly ready to launch, on December 1, Plum Ruby Review. The other is my research class in prep for my thesis. I'm going to be developing creative tools for advanced writers--I'm SO excited about that. I can see all sorts of cool possibilities for my future.

* Showing one of my best friend's kids how to play Everquest. A new addict has been created. I haven't been able to play as much as he wants me too though...life has been too crazy, but he really is having a good time.

* LOVING not working for the meanie boss. I've already lost the ten pounds (and then five more!) I put on during the month I was working for her.

* Interviewing here and there. I'm waiting to hear from a company in Cambridge that I REALLY want to work for...keep your fingers crossed. If that doesn't work out though, there is a consulting job I might take from Jan-Apr, so we'll see.

* Gave up on giving kitty medicine every day. He was starting to puke after we gave it to him so we called the vet and he said not to worry. Kitty goes under and gets at least three teeth pulled, including a fang, on December 9.

* Submitting poetry in many places. Look for a piece in the December issue of the Rose and Thorn.

* Still working on NaNoWriMo. I'm behind now. Only on 37736 at the moment and no foreseeable time in between Thanksgiving and my 10-20 page paper that needs to be written before December 1. I may try to get at least one more chapter in to get me over 40k and include all the backstory on the pantheon that I've been developing simultaneously...include it as the appendix, which it will probably be in some form for the book anyway. I HAVE been writing all that as well, essentially creating stories for who the gods are, their history, etc. I really want that 50k...I'm irritated that I slacked off in the middle, sigh. But I AM at about 84 pages and that's pretty cool. :)

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November 12, 2003

one of the nice things

about both Joe and I being unemployed is that we have a chance to go out in the middle of the day and do things that most people can't do because they are holed up in an office or behind a counter somewhere.

Today we went walking at World's End.

It wasn't nearly so green, but it was beautiful. The smells were very pungent--the mud mixed with the rotting leaves. Was wonderful being out when no one else was. No other people, no dogs, just us. It was very foggy, however, which was beautiful over the water but it meant that we couldn't see the Boston Skyline, which is a wonderful view from World's End.

I think that Joe and I are going to join Paulette and purchase a Trustees of Reservations membership. We'll be able to receive discounted or free admissions to places like World's End and Crane's Beach, but we'll also be helping preserve some of the more beautiful places in all of New England.

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November 07, 2003

kitty got the glove

poor Romeo. We had to take him to the dentist today--he has a fang that is swollen very badly near the gum line and is being pushed out of his mouth. He had his initial checkup today to see what the diagnosis is.

As expected, his teeth are pretty messed up. They have so much tartar on them you can't even see the teeth anymore and if you can, the back ones are fairly black. He's going to have to have the fang extracted. Apparently kitty dentistry is sort of a strange art...there are only 72 specialists (ones that can do full dental care--rebuilding entire mouths) in the country. Most vets won't even look in the mouth when they give checkups but most cats have dental issues. I guess that with all the bacteria growing in the mouth like that--it's a cesspool for viruses and it can lead to a myriad of other problems including heart and kidney issues.

Wet food is a main contributor to bad dental health in cats. I guess that's why he's been pretty lucky to make it to ten years old without any other problems...we mostly only feed him dry food.

He was pretty good today, all things considered. First they weighed him (14.8 lbs! big kitty!) and did all the regular stuff...and my suspicions about him are partially true, I think--he liked the thermometer part. He didn't like them looking much at his teeth as they hurt him quite a bit. Cats will pretend they aren't hurt for a very long time (to protect themselves from appearing vulnerable in the wild), until the pain is nearly unbearable. He's been acting fine, but we noticed that he's been chewing out of one side of the mouth for a bit.

Then they had to do labwork. They took him out of the room for that and we could hear him yowling. He didn't like the needle much. They tried to get him in the neck but he wouldn't have it, so they had to stick him in the leg. When he came back, he had two more shots--vaccinations since he hasn't had any in ten years. He was shedding like MAD at this point and starting to get a bit stinky.

He does that...gets stinky when he's nervous. The assistant mentioned that it was probably his anal glands backed up (lovely, huh?). Another freakish thing--cats can spray that stuff at attackers if they need to. PEEEE-EEEW! So the vet came back, got the glove and the KY out, did the finger thing and "uncleared" the glands. Gross. I turned quite green but thankfully no one noticed. Romeo was less than happy, let me tell you.

Niki, that one thing that vet did made me realize there is NO WAY IN HELL I could ever be a vet. No way am I going to stick my fingers up animals' asses to clean out stinky stinky stuff!

So we put him on an antibiotic treatment for ten days to get the swelling down. This will involve us putting a syringe into his mouth twice a day. That should be fun. Plus, he has wax plugs in his ears so we get to put fluid into them and massage the ears and eventually he should shake the wax out. Blech. Can't wait to clean that up off the floor.

We take him back on December 6 to do the dentistry. They'll clean off the tartar, determine how much damage there is and how many extractions. The fang will have to go. Who knows about the rest until they knock him out and start clearing off all the junk. I just hope he starts to feel better.

He's really lethargic now because of the shots. Joe made him a fire to sleep by. Talk about spoiled!! But after that, he deserves spoiling in my book.

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November 02, 2003

back

from the Berkshires where I had the pleasure to spend more time with the in-laws. I swear, I really lucked out this time around!! They are truly the most wonderful people. Joe's mom wants to steal Romeo so badly. We took him along because he loves their screened in back porch.

Saturday, Joe and I wandered down to West Stockbridge and stopped in at Charles H. Baldwin & Sons. Martha even recommends them! The store, like the town, is quaint and quiet. It smells incredible when you walk into the tiny old building. In addition to vanilla (which is at astronomical prices no matter who sells it, due to crops in Madagascar being destroyed by a cyclone a couple of years ago), they sell all sorts of extracts and different baking supplies and some classical types of toys. Methinks cookies are in the future this week.

We also stopped in at Hilltop Orchards, producers of Johnny Mash Hard Cider. Joe said that the store he used to work for was one of the first stores to start selling Johnny Mash. We were one of the last people who were able to get in for the tastings that day. We ended up picking up some Apple Cidre, which is amazing, as well as a bottle of Riesling, Merlot and Cab, which they make from grapes brought up from Long Island.

We also stopped into a little known place in Richmond, MA, the general store, which is next door to the post office. Not your average general store, they sell a small selection of gourmet cheeses from all over the world so of course we had to pick some up. They also specialize in olive oils, gourmet food, regional wines and pastries. Worth going out of your way if you are ever in the Berkshires.

And now, well, I'm doing VERY WELL at procrastinating on my NaNoWriMo novel. I'm doing better than expected, but it's best to get my nose back to the grindstone. Thank god for chinese food!

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October 26, 2003

a very disturbing trend

in the US in particular is the way that we are feeding our children. An article on Yahoo News describes how children between the ages of four and 24 months are eating alarming amounts of french fries and soda pop.

"French fries are the most popular vegetable eaten by children 19 to 24 months old," researcher Dr. Kathleen Reidy said at an American Dietetic Association conference. "Twenty to 25 percent of these kids did not eat a single healthy vegetable on the day of the survey, and 25 to 30 percent did not eat a single fruit."

The article goes on to talk about how infants as young as seven months are being fed soda pop in their bottles.

It just makes my jaw drop. And when I see fat kids, I mean fat LITTLE kids under the age of five, I can't understand it. I sort of look at it as akin to a form of abuse--these are kids who don't buy their own food, they don't make decisions about their health, they don't have a sense of what is good or bad for them--their parents are the only ones who can control this. And they don't, subjecting their kids to a childhood of verbal and potentially physical harm by other kids who taunt and tease them; significant impact to their child's self-esteem and how they view their own bodies and subsequently relationships; and worst of all, they put their children in the hands of potential health complications, including higher rates of cancer, diabetes, heart problems, etc. I can't understand how any parent who really loves their child would ever put them in harm's way like this. Amazing.

My parents being here this last week was fairly eye-opening to me. It was very disturbing to me that when we went to restaraunts, my father and I would invariably end up ordering the same thing (or wanting to...I often would switch my order after I realized it). I have always known I was cut from the same mold, but that was eerie. The main bad habit was dessert after every meal. Joe could never understand my affinity for dessert--why I view it as sort of a right rather than something for a special occasion. I think he gets it now. It was pretty obvious where I got that bad habit. It's interesting to me, how much my parents have influenced my eating. I never really ate seafood or fish until I came to live in New England. My parents don't eat any sort of seafood or fish unless it's shrimp...or tuna. The other thing is, they don't want to TRY anything. My father was adamant that he hated calamari. After we talked more about it, we discovered that it wasn't fried calamari, which of course is very different. It took my in-laws prodding him to try it and he liked it, as I knew he would. Other things they wouldn't try at all. It was funny, being in the reverse position, the child trying to get the parent to eat something!

But for all the bad habits I acquired, I was still a skinny child up until high school. We didn't sit in front of the TV playing video games all day (we had some Atari time in the evening, usually with dad, but not all day, and we never were allowed to have a TV in our bedroom). We played outside, we were active, and they at least tried to get us to eat vegetables. Aside from not being the weight I want to be at, I have always been pretty healthy--good blood pressure, strong heart, decent cholesterol (olive oil and garlic are diet mainstays now). One really awesome thing about my parents being here is that my awareness of food and activity and health is sticking with me...I even managed to lose a pound while they were here, despite not eating as well as I should and skipping a week at the gym.

Every time I see one of those fat kids, I feel a mixture of pity, sadness, disgust and fear, but mostly anger. Anger at those parents who are putting the lives of their own kids in jeopardy.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:58 AM | TrackBack

October 25, 2003

no longer

out of comission...my parents just left after a whirlwind week. This was the agenda:

Day 1: North Shore, Salem, Rockport, Ipswich, Hampton Beach
Day 2: Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Dinner in North End.
Day 3: Freedom Trail except Constitution and Bunker Hill
Day 4: Rte. 2 to the Berkshires, including Shelburne Falls potholes and the Hairpin turn.
Day 5: Bennington Vermont and then down Rte. 7 through the Berkshires.
Day 6: I-90 back to Boston. Constitution and Bunker Hill.
Day 7: Plimouth Plantation, Mayflower II and Cape Cod...down to Chatham and back up 6A to Boston.

Whew. I think my parents enjoyed it. It was good to see them...being so far away is tough. At the same time, it's also really good to have our bed back and to be able to relax again. And kitty hated us being gone all the time.

Back into action...job hunting, school and writing writing writing.

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October 12, 2003

treasure trove

today, I dumped water yet again across my computer area. I do this about every six months. This time I lucked out and didn't get anything electronic, rather, instead the water dripped across the back of the shelf and down into some papers that I haven't looked at in years.

I found a little book that kept school information for me through all my grade school. Each year had a little pocket and inside was some hilarious little bits of papers from each year. I stopped adding things into the pockets during high school, but the other pockets have great stuff in them.

The best thing that I found was a poem that I wrote in the 8th grade, utilizing all the names of the songs from every Duran Duran album (there were three at the time). Read on if you want a good chuckle.

Duran Duran

as i sit here on Planet Earth
my heart fills with happiness and mirth
i know i must go My Own Way
for indeed it's my Last Chance On The Stairway
The Seventh Stranger comes tomorrow
do not let your heart fill with sorrow
for you i Save a Prayer
yes, i know you're Lonely In Your Nightmare
come now, it's time for fun
indeed, I've begun a New Religion
walking along, I'm looking for Cracks In The Pavement
thinking of Careless Memories which came and went
and, as the sun shines
i see coming towards me Friends of Mine
telling me of distant cities such as Tel Aviv
delightful stories they do weave
inside we watch tv, Girls on Film is the show
next day we decide to leave for Rio
and while we are Waiting For the Nightboat
The Sound Of Thunder makes us take note
and as the waves rock us, we wonder Is There Anyone Out There?
and before we know it, we are suddenly there
Hungry Like the Wolf are the animals
upon us the wind pushes and pulls
we are soon in the Union of the Snake
we're wary of an earthquake
Tiger Tiger here does abide
but do not worry, there are Shadows On Your Side
looking up, i see the New Moon on Monday
Is There Something I Should Know? i hear my friend say
i only hope the weather will Hold Back The Rain
turning, i see the Chauffeur has just came
on the radio, The Relfex is playing
and i lie here dreaming of instant fame
anmials trying to leave their cage
i'm talking of Crime And Passion's rage
this game shall suffice
i say as I Take The Dice

Even more horrid, which I know where it is but haven't read it in many years, is the story I wrote about me and my three best friends in 7th and 8th grade, about the adventure we had with our boyfriends. John Taylor was mine, Cassie had Nick, Leanna had Simon, and Paulette had Roger. Andy was a bit too homely for us. hehe.

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October 09, 2003

blasts from the past

I have so much personal history with people that always remain such a big part of who I am. Once people get under my skin emotionally, they tend to remain, and that's definitely the case with many friends that I don't see much or in some cases that I've lost touch with.

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Stephanie, has announced she's getting married soon...which is VERY exciting. She was in my first wedding, was my closest childhood friend and is connected to a myriad of wonderful memories that will always be a part of who I am. I still have dreams about us being kids together. I'm so happy that she's found someone--that's one hell of a lucky guy that's catching her, let me tell you. Congrats Stephanie!!! You deserve all the happiness in the world.

My friend Tracy, who I worked at Disneyland with all those years ago, just sent me the picture of her newborn, Siena Jane. She's gorgeous! It's so exciting to hear such wonderful news from her...we haven't talked in quite awhile.

I get so excited when people I care about share the experiences in their lives. When I heard Stephanie was getting married I started whooping and yelling and bouncing around the apartment--it made me so happy to hear. Romeo looked at me like I was on drugs. And seeing Tracy's baby was such a happy thing too. I really love to hear and see the excitement--and to have the chance to share the excitement with these people who have touched my life.

I've been looking for a long-lost friend, Jen, who I was close with in college. We lost touch after she moved to a different city...this was many years ago. She never agreed with my choices during my first marriage--many of my friends didn't and well, when you are young, you charge ahead and don't listen sometimes (hind-sight is 20-20, right?). I really regret our losing touch--she was a real kindred, poetic spirit that I often wonder about. I've tried to find her many times, but to no avail--I keep looking for her poetry on the Net or in print. Finally, on a bizarre whim, I looked her up in Amazon.com on the friends list--I took a stab that she was still living in the same town she had moved to. I think I found her. Of course, Amazon keeps everything private, which is GOOD, but there is one way to connect...buy something on the wishlist and send a note. I hope she's both surprised and happy to hear from me...and that she will write. We'll see. She should get the book in a few days.

People--connections...these are the most important thing in life. I know this to be the real underlying truth.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:56 PM | TrackBack

October 07, 2003

3 degrees from Kevin Bacon

1. I went to college with Trevor St. John. He dated my roommate Anne during our freshman year.

2. Trevor was in Dogtown with Mary Stuart Masterson.

3. Mary Stuart Masterston was in Digging to China with Kevin Bacon.

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October 05, 2003

is it whooping cough?

seriously! I've been coughing for three weeks straight now. But the odd thing is that this last week, it's only been random coughing...maybe once an hour or so and at night, maybe once in the middle of the night. And the coughing is SEVERE and lasts for several minutes and I am often gasping for breath after. Cough syrup does nothing. Cold medicine does nothing. My asthma inhaler does nothing.

The odd thing is that I feel fine!! I was pretty sick for about a week, but the last two weeks, I've been ok...just this cough, and a residual rattle before I cough. No phlegm, not much blowing my nose (maybe twice a day and mostly in the morning). Not tired, not anything. Just this freakish cough. I keep saying that I'll go to the doctor, but the next day I feel fine...then after an hour after I decide not to call, I have another coughing fit, then I am okay--I'm constantly changing my mind, should I call or not call? Today I resolved that I'll call tomorrow no matter what, because it's not going away even if I feel fine otherwise.

So, you know how synchronicity works, right? Joe and I are eating dinner and I pick up the latest issue of Discover magazine, which arrived a couple of days ago. And wouldn't you know it...there is an article about adults getting whooping cough!! Usually children get it, but apparently more and more adults are being diagnosed as the years wear on and their early immunizations wear out.

The symptoms are exactly what I have had. During the first 1-2 weeks the person is sick like a regular cold--sore throat, coughing, runny nose, possibly a fever. And then, the person loses the rest of the symptoms, but retains the cough...which can stay for several weeks afterward. The coughing spells usually last over a minute and may or may not have the "whooping" or gasping noises as the person gasps for air after a coughing fit. Coughing fits may occur at random, but oftentimes, hours may go by between fits. In between, the person may report feeling perfectly ok.

That's EXACTLY what is going on...it's so bizarre. I figured something weird was happening when my asthma medicine wasn't even doing anything.

How do you treat it? Apparently, you don't really...it has to run its course. Doctors will prescribe antibiotics but that is usually to keep it from being infectious to other people. But the problem is, by the time its diagnosed, you are probably over the infectious stage, which occurs during the first week of illness (oh Greg and Lei, I hope you guys aren't sick!!!! If I had known I wouldn't have made you trapse all over Montreal with me!).

It can be really serious in children, and usually results in vomiting from the coughing, but in adults, it's often misdiagnosed because the symptoms are milder.

Going to head to the doctor tomorrow, but in looking all over the Net, it sounds like what I might have. I think I'll bring the Discover magazine article with me.

Very bizarre. Well the good news is that I haven't been around any children...they are far more affected by the disease than adults are. And I don't have the terrible "whooop," rather, for a few minutes, I just look like I'm going to explode.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:06 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

October 04, 2003

for the last four years

I have looked at the National Novel Writing Month with interest. I love the idea...being able to write 50,000 words in one month. I've never signed up though--me, the world's greatest procrastinator, sign up to write a whole book in a month?! When I can't even manage to get past 3-4 chapters on any full-length project?

I've always stuck to poetry. Why? Because it's short. I can finish it. It doesn't get started and stopped--well, not that often. I can see the beginning and the end. I can revise quickly. It's nothing like a novel.

And so, I've done it--Like others, I've signed up with NaNoWriMo. I think this is crazy, but I've done it.

It's crazy for several reasons.

1. I fully expect to have a fulltime job again come November.
2. I'm in the midst of my practicum class, which is a massive research project that prepares me for my thesis course.
3. I'm in the midst of another class, for which I'm developing the Plum Ruby Review, and that is a massive endeavor in itself, even with my dear friend Greg helping me.
4. Several evenings in November are going to be devoted to entertaining. Forget Thanksgiving...I'm talking about Joe showing off his amazing cooking (he's developing (including illustrating and MAKING) a really wild cookbook for one of his class projects) to friends.
5. Joe and I have one of those extra-amazing relationships where we miss each other terribly if we spend too much time away from each other (yes, you can go ahead and gag now)...and this will require a LOT of my time spent writing.

And so, I am throwing myself into the novel writing anyway. But I always find that when I'm most overwhelmed with things, I tend to be the most productive. I create more, I make more time for friends, I am generally better to be around. I don't do a lot of relaxing, but life tends to take on an amazing quality of its own and so that's okay.

I'm just tired of starting novels and never going anywhere with them. I have three in that state right now and I hate that I haven't moved past the first few chapters. I want to tell these stories. I have the beginning and end to one novel now and so I just need to fill in the middle.

Sooo this month is going to be spent in heavy research and development for my classes, while at the same time, building the worlds and taking massive notes for the novel--word 1 comes in November, but I can plan all I want before then. Who knows if I can manage this...but I want to at least try.

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September 29, 2003

here we go again

laid off once more, yes, once more. But it's all good. Decent severance package, no more horrid meanie boss, no more dealing with uncaring greedy executive management, no more dealing with wondering what is going on. They laid off over 30 people, mostly directors and middle management. Easy way to add $ back to the bottom line. At the expense of quality, customer service and the integrity of the organization.

It was the best job I ever had, so there is some sadness that is residual. But not a lot...that job ended in August when the new company merged in and my former boss resigned.

Besides, there are new opportunities around the corner. Three of them on my plate at the time being, one of which was waiting on my voicemail when I arrived home.

And Montreal was WONDERFUL! More about that later...

Posted by crystallyn at 05:09 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

September 22, 2003

Winds of Change

Fall has arrived. The tree in the yard next door is bright orange. The dining room is decked out in fall finery, sugar pumpkins and bright red-orange daisies adorning the table. It's beautiful during the day but chilly at night. People are beginning to take their boats in from the harbor.

Everything is changing.

1. My worklife is drastically different. To sum up a lot of what I haven't been saying, I have been, in not so many words, demoted, as a result of my new boss feeling threatened by me. My employees no longer report to me. My workload has decreased to the point where I might have about 3 hours worth a week to do. I'm not allowed to talk to anyone above her (VPs, CEO, etc.) although I used to speak to all of those people when I reported into the President. When I speak on conference calls, I'm cut off and overridden. I have been reduced to pure execution in all tasks. My input is not appreciated or expected. One of my former employees has backstabbed me in a scramble to get the attention of the new boss. It's ok. I'm not angry--sad, but not angry. She's young and foolish and just doesn't want to lose her job. I've been there before. But it all breaks down to karma, you see. I know that the new boss doesn't want her on the payroll (she still technically reports to another department) because she doesn't want to have to pay her more since her position has changed, but in the meantime before anyone figures that out, the new boss has overloaded her with more work than she can handle. At one point, I might have told her how she is being used, but there is no reason to do so anymore.

All this stuff at my work has happened for a reason. A good reason, in my opinion. I'm not supposed to be here any longer. I have done some GREAT things at this job. I have another CEO to add to my stable of references. But I have done all that I can here. I will either be fully pushed out or I will leave when the time is right. The wind has blown in and now I must ride with it to where it takes me.

2. The wind has brought me to new possibilities on my horizon. We'll see how they pan out. And before you ask, no, the market isn't picking up, in my opinion. I'm just doing something very innovative and in-your-face to get noticed. It's working. It's pretty amazing to be in a place where I have control when just a few weeks ago, I thought I had none.

3. Flying in on a brisk, clear breeze is a new Web project that I'll be unveiling in the next few months. I'm VERY excited about this. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Greg, is partnering with me and that in itself is wonderful--being able to collaborate with him.

4. I'm collaborating with my husband on a project as well--something wine related--a test, but it may prove lucrative if we can pull it off. Joe is the first person that I have ever been with that I could see working with as well--we have so many complementary strengths and one of my joys these last few weeks is the talks we've had, talking about how we can each achieve our dreams. It's an amazing feeling. I believe.

5. School is AWESOME! #3 is actually borne of a school project that I'm doing for a class, but truthfully, the class is just the impetus to do something that I've been toying with doing for a few years now...it's something that I'm passionate about and I can live my art--something that I think I've always felt guilty about. I've had a backwards thought...if I can't make money at it, well it's a hobby. Wrong attitude. I need to work this passion as a passion and if I live it and believe it, the money will show up.

My second class is actually the research class for my thesis. It's a LOT of work, but I'm equally excited about it. I'm researching how to take a particular group problem solving method and adapt it to individual writers in order to facilitate greater organization and enhanced creativity. If it works, I think my thesis will be a book about the method, which I'll write next semester. If that's the case, I will write the book...then utilize the method to write the ACTUAL book that I want to write, thus proving its possibility, then I'll publish the method. :)

6. Friends, family...all flying in, flying around, taking new precedence in my life. We spend so much time running around, not enjoying the people who we call friends and I'm working to change that. Montreal is around the corner and I'll be seeing Greg for the first time in nearly 8 or 9 years. My parents are visiting in October for a week. I've been talking with my father on the phone nearly 3 times a week, which is really wonderful. I'm trying to find time to spend with friends more often...to talk and see them. What is important in life are the people that surround us and we so often forget them.

7. Health. This should really be #1 but it isn't a prioritized list really. They all fill in needed gaps in my well-being. I am becoming healthier. I am committed to finding ways to eat better, to get more exercise into my life, and to treat my body as sacred--it's the most important thing I have and I need to take care of it so I can fulfill all the other wonderful things that are waiting on the other end of my breeze.

It's not a bad thing, I don't think, to be riding on Mary Poppins' coattails.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:27 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

September 16, 2003

my list of

things I don't understand:

1. our freaking weather ~ hot-cold-hot-humid-ick.
2. mean people.
3. why in HELL people aren't paying attention to this.
4. why I can never find shoes that feel 100% comfortable.
5. rotten service at car dealerships.
6. how kitties can sleep for 20 hours a day.
7. why I yawn when thirsty and when cold.
8. why the leaves are changing so fast. :(
9. why I didn't buy vanilla futures!!!!!

Posted by crystallyn at 06:22 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

September 08, 2003

i'm SO

excited about school. So many ideas, so many new opportunities jumping into my lap. Life has become so busy, so incredible. A new marcom job is around the corner--I feel it, so I just need to be patient. In the meantime, I have so much to focus on. I have two very cool projects (but a lot of work) for school, one of which I will probably unveil in November or December--or will talk more about if I need help. The other is a big research project on a topic that is pretty intriguing and I could see it turning into a sort of self-help book for writers. We'll see.

I'm working with Joe on an idea we have on the side to help people entertain...(more on that later too) I have Paulette booked for an astrology party that she doesn't even know about yet (but now she does! hehe) Joe and I are getting ready for a trip to Montreal later this month and for my parents to come visit in October. I've set my friend AJ up with orders for mirrors (GORGEOUS gifts so get your order in now for Xmas!! The pictures don't begin to do the final piece justice!).

I'm reading the new Sara Douglass (one of my new favorite authors) book, Hades Daughter, along with Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, which I haven't yet read--I wrote about the Fountainhead for a college scholarship ages ago but Atlas Shrugged has been on my to-read-list for a long while. Plus I have scads of great books for school (one of which is the Real Frank Zappa Story!) to read. I'm in heaven.

Posted by crystallyn at 10:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 04, 2003

when it rains, it pours

into my car that is. I went out a little bit ago to get my headset for a conference call I have later today and discovered that the driver's window was open. I turned the car on and tried to roll it up...nada. It wasn't catching.

Nobody broke into the car--it appears that the window just decided to fall.

Odd, huh? One errand I wasn't planning on running today--to take my car in to get fixed. We have a towel hanging in the window at the moment. It looks like it must have happened within the last 1/2 hour to an hour because while things were wet, there isn't a lot of water that has puddled up and we have had torrential rain this morning.

Thank god for warranties.

Posted by crystallyn at 01:49 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

woohooo back to school!

yes, I was one of those children who couldn't wait for summer to end and to be able to go back to school. I love getting new school items--notebooks, pens, bags, books, star-shaped post-it notes...

My class isn't until 7PM tonight and I'm already anxious to go! I just love the anticipation, meeting new people, taking notes, reading assignments, writing super long papers. I know, masochist, that's what you are thinking.

I just love how I feel when I'm in the thick of research, when I'm writing and creating and learning. Maybe someday I'll go for my Ph.D. after all...teaching college would make me happy happy happy. Then again, I couldn't afford to pay off my student loans if I did that, sigh. Talk about a conundrum.

Guess I'll need to keep working on that plan to become independently wealthy...

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September 02, 2003

you know those types

of friends that just manage to make you smile and realize that you shouldn't take life so seriously? I just got off the phone with my friend Payman, who I talk to maybe once every 4 months or so, and who always has a way of twisting my worries around into nothingness.

I was telling him about my situation and how when I started work here they didn't have any market presence and now, after a year, they do--"You just pulled a Crystal, that's all," he says, knowing exactly what I did without me even needing to say. "You know you are fucking amazing, don't you? And if you don't, then you need to." Payman is very free flowing with his expletives--he cracks me up.

But he also makes me believe him--he talks with such conviction, and it's not flattery, but honest conviction. He's always been a champion of mine--he knows that what I do isn't easy, but it seems easy and he knows how many people think they understand marketing, but don't. He tells me these things in the most off-hand way, like of course I must know I'm amazing.

He makes me realize that my downsizing into a tiny box is really inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. While right now I will continue to work with integrity, someone else will eventually find me, realize what I can do to kick ass for their company and will hire me. My track record is solid--very solid. I've made money for businesses time and time again. I have two CEOs who will give me references. I have a sturdy portfolio.

And besides, Payman is right.

I am fucking amazing.

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August 30, 2003

today

when heading outside to have breakfast on the patio, I discovered the first fallen leaf--green veined with splotches of yellow. A turning leaf, the first sign.

I'm seeing lots of signs these days--double numbers on the clock (11:11, 2:22, etc), my boat sailing away on a calm blue ocean, and last night, after talking with Joe about star tattoos (he's convinced that if I get one, it should be on my belly so I can be like the star-belly sneetches!), we see a girl on her bike, pedalling away from us with a big blue star tattoo on the back of each calf.

It's all good.

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August 28, 2003

hey joey

Driving to work and listening to Fountains of Wayne's Interstate Managers is a great way to start the day. Their lyrics are honest, easy to relate to and the tunes are catchy. I altered the song "Hey Julie" on my way to work this morning...

Hey Joey

Working all day for a mean little woman
With a Prada bag and a rub-on tan
She's got me running 'round the office like a dog around a track
But when I get home,
You're always there to rub my back

Hey Joey,
Look what they're doing to me
Trying to trip me up
Trying to wear me down
Joey, I swear, it's so hard to bear it
And I'd never make it through without you around

Hours on the phone making pointless calls
I got a desk full of papers that means nothing at all
Sometimes I catch myself staring into space
Counting down the hours 'til I get to see your face

Hey Joey,
Look what they're doing to me
Trying to trip me up
Trying to wear me down
Joey, I swear, it's so hard to bear it
And I'd never make it through with out you around
No, I'd never make it through with out you around

How did it come to be
That you and I must be
Far away from each other every day?
Why must I spend my time
Filling up my mind
With facts and figures that never add up anyway?
They never add up anyway

Working all day for a mean little gal
With a bad nose job and an abusive mouth
She's got me running 'round the office
Like a gerbil on a wheel
She can tell me what to do
But she can't tell me what to feel

Hey Joey,
Look what they're doing to me
Trying to trip me up
Trying to wear me down
Joey, I swear, it's so hard to bear it
And I'd never make it through with out you around
No, I'd never make it through without you around
No, I'd never make it through with out you around

Posted by crystallyn at 08:38 AM | TrackBack

August 26, 2003

zen

One of my very good girlfriends stopped by tonight and we hung out and drank wine and ate chinese food and chatted about life and our men and our horrible old friends that we aren't friends with anymore and all that stuff that girls talk about. The topic of zen came up in a funny way and I am always amazed when I run across some synchronicity in relation to what I do. I found a very zen-like quote in a newsletter from Sonia Choquette, a woman who has written some really incredible books that are very inspiring for the soul. Sure, it is new-agey but she is one the few that I have found that I have connected with...that I believe and whose message really resonates with me.

Her newsletter mentioned: "This all served to remind me that even if I am resting the Universe isn�t. My teacher, Dr. Tully, was the first to teach me this when he said in one particular class that sometimes the most powerful thing a person can do is nothing. By this he meant that we do not drive the Universe even though our minds would have us believe we do. By doing nothing, when it is time to step back and take a break, we surrender ourselves into the loving hands of God and the Universe which takes up where we leave off and works on our behalf. I know this intellectually. I even know this in my heart. But believe me, even teachers and writers like me are human, and stand to be reminded that God is in the driver�s seat not us."

I read this and realized the full impact. I've really had to just let go at work, to unlatch my sense of who I am from the work I do--to stop being wounded by the change and saddened by what I have done in the past as it is eradicated and the new regime takes hold. To stop feeling so angry. To just BE in the situation and to just let the greater force take hold (whomever your god or higher spirit is) and trust that all will work to your advantage. When you do, it will...and that's what I am trying hard to do. Still stumbling but feeling better.

In the same newsletter (you need to subscribe and I personally think it's worth it), she talks about chakras and what happens when things are out of whack: "If you are feeling unhappy, pushed around, or abused by others in your life, then clearly your third chakra is out of balance. As hard as it may be to believe, your unhappiness and oppression are not so much the product of your circumstances, and out of your control, but is rather something you are choosing to feel."

And this is true...very true. I'm working hard to refocus my energies toward the positive things. I had such a wonderful time tonight enjoying the company of my friend. I have an incredible husband who I can't wait to come home from his baseball game. I have parents who are going to be visiting soon...and in-laws who love me as their own. I have great friends, my writing is waiting for me anxiously (and so are some of Greg's poems!!), and school is about to begin. My life is full and happy and good and work is simply that right now--work--not a career. And so it isn't fulfilling anymore and that's ok. I can sit back and watch it unfold and in the course of it, I will be unfolding too.

Posted by crystallyn at 10:23 PM | TrackBack

August 22, 2003

new focus

1. School--which starts on the 2nd. I'm taking two classes, my Practicum (research engagements) and a class, oddly enough, with Joe, called Criticism and Creativity in Literature. I want to be excited about school and really donate a lot of my energy to it this semester.

2. My writing. Both my poetry and expanding that (thanks for the tip, Sean!). I also want to become more involved in Zeugma again and start submitting poetry FINALLY.

3. My health. Yep, how many zillion times have I said it? But I really need to. It's tough though--I wish I had a partner, or a personal trainer; someone to keep me accountable.

4. Journalling. I would really like to start doing my Morning pages again.

5. The other side business venture that I'm going to be exploring with a colleague and with Joe--it's an idea now and it will bring in money on the side if we work it right and well, we'll see how it all plays out. It's rather exciting though. :) As we get it figured out I'll let you know!

6. Finishing my silly guiltysecret bathroom rug.

7. Cleaning off my desk!

Posted by crystallyn at 02:50 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

well, now I know

what I need to do. And that helps me get closer to removing myself emotionally from my situation. I have been told, in no uncertain terms, how things are shaking out. So finally, I have some clarity. Now I can put on the hard shell, give up hope that it will work out rationally and create the new strategy. It's when I have hope that I get hurt. Now I can put that aside and place that hope in a new place.

I don't do well with uncertainty. I like to have the plan, like to understand the lay of the land. If it's bad news, fine--at least I know and can figure out how to get the best out of the situation. And that's where I am now.

What was the most loved job I have ever had is now a memory--but my portfolio is full and I learned a lot from very talented people. I know what I'm going to do and now I just need luck and to be in the right place at the right time.

I feel better now. Because my sadness is shifting toward pity. My anger toward apathy. If my hard work isn't going to be appreciated then I will find someone else who will.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:22 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 20, 2003

sad

and sad.

Sad that there are horrible people in this world. Sad that I don't know how to keep them from affecting me. Sad that in order to move through my world at the moment I have to find a way to just plain not care.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:08 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

August 15, 2003

dream

I had the oddest dream last night...that I took another job and had started work but it was such a strange haphazard working environment. My new boss was in the office and he never said hi to me. Later, I was walking by a room with an open door and two or three people were sitting around chatting casually and talking about non-work related things. I apparently knew them and so I went in and sat down. The guy from out of town looked at me and said why did you come into the room? I was stunned and said, the door was open so I thought it was fine. He became furious and said, just because the door is open doesn't mean I want you to come in and sit down with us. I apologized but he had already gotten up and stormed off. In the background the whole time, there were two people helping some guy move his stuff out of the office...it was his last day and I realized it was my boss who had never said anything to me.

After the boss left, I remembered that I hadn't quit my other horrible job with a horrid, insecure and verbally abusive boss yet--that I was just trying this one out. I wasn't sure I felt better knowing that the new job was falling to pieces and that I could go back to the old job.

I spend my nights trying to reach into the sky and tear down the stars to wrap around me for protection.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:30 AM | TrackBack

August 03, 2003

i'm looking over a four-leaf clover

Actually, I'm looking over a little round globe of water that is filled with 22 four leaf clovers!! I managed to get them back from the Berkshires where we were visiting with Joe's parents for the weekend.

His mom has a knack for finding them...I've never seen anything like it. She can usually pick up one or two from the yard or from up at the garden, and I've pressed them before and brought them home. Yesterday, on the way out to go see Edith Wharton's Mount, we stopped up at the garden (which is about 1/2 mile from the house--they take part in a community garden which gives them more room than the garden at home) where they were weeding and picking cucumbers and beans. Rosie found me a four-leaf clover right away (after she showed us where the woodchuck has been living under the garden shed). I placed it in my poetry notebook and we headed off to see if we might catch a glimpse of Edith, who is reportedly still haunting her old manse.

When we came back that afternoon, with a strawberry-rhubarb pie in hand (I had decided it was too hot to cook the cobbler I was thinking about), I discovered that Rosie picked me an entire bouquet of four-leaf clovers--it's amazing. I have only found one in my lifetime--and it took me three hours of lying in a clover bed when I was about 12. She just looks down and they seem to jump into her hands.

A little extra luck never hurt anyone, right? And 22 four-leaf clovers?! I'm bound for good things, I think.

Posted by crystallyn at 04:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 01, 2003

i'm ok

and thanks for all the words of concern. Just things are stressful--a lot of change happening in my work life. The sad part is that I no longer will be working with one of the best managers/CEOs that I have ever had the chance to work with.

I won't be talking anymore about work on this blog, but planning a very relaxing weekend just vegging.

Have a great weekend!

Posted by crystallyn at 04:20 PM | TrackBack

July 30, 2003

life has become

interesting. Leaning toward hell.

*whips out her fire extinguisher*

I wish I could say more, but well, I am mindful of the mistakes of others and need to be self-protective.

It just sucks--I thought that things were stable, but I should know better. Rarely is anything in life stable for very long.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

July 28, 2003

so i

joined the 100 Things webring because I fixed the Who Am I page...so now you know more about me than you probably even wanted to.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:31 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

July 19, 2003

i can be so

forgetful and last night proved it. Had Joanie and Mike and Sharyl and Jeff over for fried chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad and steamers. We had a great time and even though the weather wasn't the best, it was nice on the balcony. After Joe and I did dishes and I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I realized that I had forgotten to put the new bar of soap in the soap dish. Sigh. I knew I was forgetting something! So my guests had dirty hands--sorry guys!!!

But the night was a lot of fun and it was good to see them--I haven't seen Sharyl since Christmas!

Posted by crystallyn at 09:22 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 30, 2003

the ties that bind

my one-year-old computer died this weekend. Well, not really died, but basically the video card gave out and after going to Best Buy, Microcenter, CompUSA and PCs For Everyone AND calling Dell themselves, I discover a couple of things:

1. My computer doesn't upgrade to 64mb card, which means that I wasn't going to be able to play my copy of Star Wars Galaxies that Joe had picked up for me--I've been waiting for the game to come out for over two years now.

2. No one in town carries 32MB video cards that would fit in my Dell computer--Dell makes their cases very narrow, which means that the card is a proprietory card that you have to buy from Dell.

3. Dell has no stock on video cards that fit my computer.

4. I'm never going to buy a Dell again. And unless you never want to be able to upgrade, I recommend you don't buy one either.

5. I need to buy a zip drive and BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP my stuff.

And so we traipsed back over to PCs For Everyone, gave them my hard drive from the Dell (I will be heartbroken if all my work is lost...it's been a few months since I backed up, sigh) and they are building me a new PC... Pentium 4, 40mb (on top of the 40mb I am transferring in) 512 RAM, 128mb Nvidia video, 52x CDRW and fully capable of running any game or program I decide for at least the next year--and then it will still be able to upgrade.

The bad news is that I don't get it back till the 7th. I feel lost!! Joe is being very gracious about sharing his computer, however.

So a couple of things this weekend--I read the new Harry Potter in about two days...I read too damn fast and then I'm left sort of sitting there, wishing that I could keep reading. I envy people who take 2 weeks to read a book that size...there is a savoring that I am not as privy to. I mean, I savor every word that I read, but then I'm left wanting more and more and more. Anyway, the book is great.

J.K. Rowling has the killer formula for creating these books. Much like Beverly Hills 90210, Harry goes through high school, then it will be college...so there are at least 4-5 more books right there. After that he starts to lose some of the appeal for youngsters, so it makes sense that he does one or two things--one, he marries and has a child that begins the next phase of the books and/or two, he takes over for Dumbledore (we know that he doesn't live all the way through the series anyway) and takes on a protege of some sort.

I love the readability of the books though--they are fun, dramatic, lively and engaging and the appeal to both adults and children alike is the most amazing part. That's difficult to do. I also love how they wrap you up in the story--even now, several days later, I find that I'm still thinking of the books, wondering what will happen next, if that's the way it really is with Sirius, what role will Gwarp play, will Ron and Hermione get together? Ginny and Harry (come on...all foreshadowing points to this)? Very amazing when books linger with you for weeks and weeks and even years afterward.

And Star Wars Galaxies. Wow. Just plain wow. The graphics are incredible. The game premise is equally amazing, with options for many different types of gamers--casual gamers, hardcore gamers. Those who prefer to play solo and those who like to game with groups. If you are into crafting and building weapons and battlestations or clothing and food, then you are all set. If you are interested in the cut em, shoot em up stuff, it's all there too. If you are into questing...there are numerous seek and destroy or delivery missions. It's extremely complex, and if you aren't willing to put a little patience into figuring out the controls, I don't recommend it, but I have a feeling that this will end up being as addictive as Everquest, if not more so. There are bugs, since this is the opening release, but those will get worked out and in another six months with a full player economy in place, it will be a really interesting--and addictive--game.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:40 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

June 23, 2003

blah

testing this silly thing...

Saw Matrix Reloaded this weekend...
Hen party great success...
It's rained every weekend since May 1.

Is it better now?

Posted by crystallyn at 09:04 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 08, 2003

not so charming

First off, thanks for all the birthday well-wishes!!!

Today, we went to Joe's brother's to celebrate another birthday, nephew Clement's 3rd birthday. He's growing so fast, talking up a storm. We bought him a dumptruck, a construction hat and a water yo-yo. The yo-yo, the $1.25 toy, was the favorite one, of course.

They had just returned from a three week trip to Italy with Joe's parents...touring Venice, Rome, Milan, Pompeii, Florence and Monte Sant'Angelo, the birthplace of Joe's grandmother. That's a pretty interesting thing, actually, because what it means is that Joe's mom, Rosie, is able to apply for dual citizenship, which means that her kids (and their spouses!) are also able to receive that same citizenship. It is surprising...because including Clement, that's three generations down! It's exciting--it means that if Joe and I ever decide we want to retire to Tuscany, we can! ;-)

I guess we should visit first, however, right?

It turns out my sister-in-law, Boo, is quite the magnet for celebrities in Italy. American ones. She was in a bathroom in Rome on the last night there (about two weeks ago) and ran into Brian Krause, who plays Leo on Charmed. The bathrooms there all have unisex foyers and sinks and the toilets are separated inside, but that means you may be washing your hands with the men after you leave the toilet. She was doing that, and in the process, they discovered they were both from America. She asked if he was having a nice time in Rome and he pathetically began to talk about how his show, Charmed (he mentioned it, she didn't ask) was just renewed and how the people in Venice were all shouting his name in the streets. Boo had no clue what the show was, or who he was, and said it was really uncomfortable...him bragging about it to her in a Roman bathroom.

A few days prior, they were in Milan and Boo was lamenting the living statues, and how she was feeling annoyed with the crazy ways that people try to make money from the tourists. Suddenly, they saw this big transclucent ball coming their way. She started to groan, thinking about yet another crazy method to snag the dollars from the tourists, when she realized that inside the ball was Peter Gabriel!

Apparently it's called the Zorb. They took pictures of it, but the pictures here are from the Peter Gabriel site.

Rosie got me stationery from Italy and they picked up a great book on the Sistine Chapel for Joe. I wish I could go visit. I think I'm going to dig out my learning Italian CDs from the old car, and start learning again...

Ciao!

Posted by crystallyn at 08:24 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 07, 2003

things i wonder...

1. where osama is
2. where saddam is
3. where those silly WOMD are
4. when the rain is going to stop
5. why people still have mullet haircuts (including my brother)
6. how people can drive a stick shift, smoke and talk on their cell phone
7. why Romeo is such a crazy kitty
8. why more people don't appreciate poetry
9. why the best tasting things are always fattening
10. how Joe always knows what time it is
11. when we will ever be able to afford a house
12. why you always find shoes on the side of the road, or in the road
13. if ghosts are real
14. why I'm partial to lists lately...

Posted by crystallyn at 08:54 PM | TrackBack

June 05, 2003

32 ways to today

1. In a pink dress with a little curl.
2. Learned to read via Sesame Street, Electric Company.
3. Climbing up the rails of grandma's stairway, being scolded asking why I do it when I've been told not to... "My heart made me do it."
4. Caught chicken pox weeks before my brother was born. My other grandmother came to stay with us and she wouldn't let me play in the wading pool (hot hot July) because my sister had it--she wouldn't listen to my argument on fairness, in that she got to play in the pool while I was sick.
5. Only kid who could read in kindergarten. The teacher, Mrs. Magnus, used to make me do the storytime so she could get a break. She used me--smart teacher. They took Stephanie, my best friend, out of my class because we fought so much.
6. First grade, favorite student of Mrs. Miner in a brand new school. They moved me to 4th grade reading books right away.
7. Second grade, when I met Joel, who, until I moved to the East coast, was my only knowledge of Jewish kids...he was an oddity. He didn't celebrate Christmas and he could take out his glass eye and show everyone.
8. I fell in love with a little boy named Chris. At the end of the school year, Mt. St. Helens lost her top and we were out of school for 3 weeks and had to wear surgical masks for a good two months so we wouldn't breathe in ash. It was piled up high on the sides of the road like plowed snow.
9. Mrs. Ellis was the worst teacher I ever had. She used to space out in front of class, let us self-grade our SRAs and let us look at the gradebook whenever we wanted. I can't tell you how many F's for not turning in my homework that I drew a line across to change to A's...
10. I went through a phase where I thought no one liked me at all. Self-fulfilling prophecy that was. Straight A's and won every VFW essay contest there was. 4th place in regional spelling bee. I was teased because every year when the lists of words came out, I studied them religiously.
11. I went from no one liking me to being fairly popular, mostly because I was good friends with the popular girl, BJ. I started my period that summer. I skipped the training bra.
12. Marching band--Trumpet..Yes yes, band geek.

Read on for...

13. Played every sport available to me, softball, basketball, volleyball. Still a band geek.
14. Moved to the big junior high school in town. Space Shuttle Columbia blew up. An ex-nun was my geometry teacher. My Duran Duran mania was full-throttle.
15. Moved to Boise, within the space of a month had great new friends, new boyfriend, was popular, all set. Within three months, when it became plain that I wouldn't convert to Mormonism, I lost them all. Joined the school newspaper and became a geek there.
16. Adopted punk-rock, waver, bat-caveism. Best friend is gay. Was at the new high school, editor of the paper (usually reserved for seniors). My father and I stopped talking to each other because I wouldn't tame down my look.
17. Senior, lots of good friends, barely any of whom go to my Mormon high school, editor of paper, AP English, father still not talking to me, my mom a wreck because I'm going away for college. After I graduated, I went back and saw Mrs. Miner, twelve years later. She had a book of her first class--pictures of people that I still knew.
18. First year at college, journalism scholarship, family in shambles because of money and some serious life issues that won't be divulged here. Roommate is gorgeous and looks like a young Kirstie Alley. None of the phone calls are for me. Discovered radio.
19. Switched major from journalism to English. Became Music Director of station, which begins to absorb my life. Free CDs, concerts, backstage passes, what more could you want.
20. Program Director of station. Life consumed by it...met Johnny Rotten, Mick Jones, David Byrne, Michael Stipe, The Posies, Live, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and a bevy of other bands. I loved college.
21. Worked at Virgin Records and at Disneyland. Lived on Newport Beach. Graduated with no fucking clue what I was going to do with my life because being a woman in the record industry was equivalent to being dirt poor. Met my future husband.
22. Married, lived with no money. Had mother-in-law who was, I still believe, evil incarnate. Miserable, unhappy until we moved to Seattle, found some piddly job. Discovered the Internet.
23. Worked for glass and plastic company, then a business telecom firm. Sad, unhappy but didn't know why. Acquired the lover kitty. Main love was being in Seattle.
24. Still working piddly jobs, this time for a mutual company. Separated from husband for six months, but for some reason got back together. He was a really nice guy, what can I say? Moved from Queen Anne to Greenlake area of Seattle.
25. Up and moved to Boston. Life was strange. Was here for 8 months without my husband...I should have told him to stay, but didn't. Job with now defunct software firm, Open Sesame. Began crystallyn.com.
26. Settling in, still at Open Sesame which looked like it was going to be purchased by a company called Bowne. Made fast friends with the rest of the Cubers at that point.
27. Working at Bowne, boss was in Canada, starting to travel for work as I was in charge of all their tradeshows. Boca Raton, Vegas... Still unhappy in my personal life. My sister has her first child, Cameron.
28. Recruited to work at Event Zero. Started with scratch and worked my way into creating the entire department. Finally feel like I have stable friends. Jack is first of cubers to really move away...to New York. Discovered Everquest. Began to spend more and more time online as an escape from how I was going to figure out how to divorce.
29. Pushed out of my job at Event Zero by the new VP (who they fired 3 months later for burning through my $7 million budget frivolously). Divorced in the beginning of the year--he moves back to Spokane. End of the year, met Joe (woohooo!) and went to work for the even more evil boss over at e Maven. Still playing EQ. Misty gives birth to Nicholas.
30. The year of hell. After three months, let go at e Maven and began the year and a half travail of being out of my career. Started temping and consulting to get by. Very depressed, very melancholy. Had neigbors from hell. Landlady raised the rent $300.
31. The year to make up for the year of hell. Landed killer job and was promoted twice in 5 months. Have incredible new apartment. Joe asked me to marry him and six months later, I did--in Vegas. Loverkitty is vocal and happy. My parents finally coming to Boston to visit this year. My new in-laws are AWESOME.
32. We'll see...so far, rain, not traveling like I expected, brand new reddish cherry angioma appeared on my left cheek under my eye. Looks like I cut myself. The sales rep I hate started my day with a shitty email (he's fond of praising you then telling you that it isn't good enough). But to counter that, my oldest Everquest friend, Philip, in Switzerland, sent me a really wonderful uplifting email:

You're not old, get over it. And there is not even a need that I am saying this. You're not old when your bones hurt after two weeks of snowboarding, you're not old when are too tired to go out with friends and rather stay home and have sex or slay some everquest dragons, you're not old when your mom asks you if she is gonna be a granny anytime soon, you're not old while you have your own cool looking webpage and write poetry. I tell you when you are old, you are old when don't like the music your grandson listens to. You're old when you are the only one in town who remembers who Robbie Williams was.

Except that I don't know who Robbie Williams is... ;-) Well, I've heard of him, but what does that mean? I just don't keep up with pop music--it all sounds the same to me. No innovation in music these days, but that's another blog all together.

Otherwise, he's right.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:35 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

June 03, 2003

my brother sending me porno!

So I was checking my email...and as many of you with a personal website know, you end up on email lists that you don't really want to be on--mortgage lists, viagra, breast enhancement, and lots and lots of porno, many with pictures.

Today, I got an email from my brother, Chase, and I soon realized the bizarreness of it...the fact that someone named Chase King would send me an email with the title Insane Orgasms. Then I remembered one vital thing--Chase doesn't have email. I opened it, and thankfully, the pictures weren't showing through. But yep, it was porno.

I promptly called my wonderful mullethead brother (I love him dearly but the boy just needs to cut his hair!) and let him know that incest is DEFINITELY NOT best and I don't appreciate it. He got a kick out of it. I want to visit the site to see who THAT Chase King is, but well, I'm not really fond of popup hell and spyware and all that good stuff. So the delete button gets to take over, on the only email from Chase King that I've ever received.

The funny thing is that I have been playing phone tag with my brother for three months, literally, and I managed to talk to him a mere hour before I received the email (and of course, after when I called him back). What are the chances? It's not like Chase is THAT common a name...

No wait...the pictures show upon reopening my email...two "barely legal" teen girls with stars on the important parts proclaiming FREE 1 DAY TRIAL.

There is just something really wrong about thinking of ANY of my immediate family members doing anything sexual.

I remember at my sister's wedding, Chase brought his then girlfriend who ended up hanging out with the bridesmaids while we were all getting ready. Somewhere in there she decided that I was her new best friend and she proceeded to tell me about all the times she messed around with my brother.

I'm still scarred by that moment...

Posted by crystallyn at 08:10 PM | TrackBack

May 29, 2003

today

I saw:

A father teaching his little boy (must have been under five years) how to ride a bike in a park's parking lot.

A black shoe left near the old Salem jail on a stairway. I want to take a picture of it.

A tennis shoe on the on-ramp from 128S to 93S. Why do people lose shoes on the highway????

A man on the tip top of the mast of a sailboat, fixing a little flag. He made me dizzy watching.

Another person smoking, talking on her cell-phone and driving very slow in the fast lane. My favorite kind of person.

A pair of brilliant red cardinals flitting through the trees around our house.

I heard:

A woman in the apartments behind our house, singing, very loudly, VERY horribly, for at least a couple of hours. As Joe said...she's the type of woman who would try to get onto American Idol because she thinks she's got talent...and Simon would tell her she's "quite possibly the worst singer I've ever heard."

Posted by crystallyn at 09:28 PM | TrackBack

May 23, 2003

friday five

1. What brand of toothpaste do you use?

I prefer Crest but Joe hates it and so Colgate is what we get. Usually some whitening, tartar control kind but I think the whitening is worthless.

2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer?

I like the Cottonelle but Joe (see how this works? hehe) prefers Scott so that if he cuts himself shaving he is using the brand with the least amount of lint. Plus it IS inexpensive.

3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear?

Whatever ends up looking good! I have Steve Madden, Nine West...the boots I have on at the moment are Covington. I just don't end up keeping up with the brands...I wouldn't do well on Sex In the City.

4. What brand of soda do you drink?

Joe won't let me drink soda unless I have a sore throat... No really, he's NOT that restrictive! He just wants what is best for me and soda isn't in that category. I love regular Coke but never drink it. Diet Coke here and there and Sprite when I'm sick. I do drink more Ginger Ale these days than I have in my past.

5. What brand of gum do you chew?

I don't chew gum that often, but probably Wrigleys. My cousin, Rhett, taught me to chew gum when I was about 5. We were at his older sister, Marnie's, ballet recital on some afternoon and he had a pack of a brand new type of gum, Bubblicious. We chomped and chewed and made lots of LOUD bubbles. He showed me how to crack my gum. I remember that people were really angry with us for being loud and that we got yelled at. Marnie was really upset that we were rude during her recital.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:40 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack