Arcadia

For all you eighties children who remember spending hours in the nickle arcades, this is a fun challenge. I find that I am horrible at multitasking, but I sure laugh a lot at myself while playing! This is probably the real reason I like it, 'cause it makes me laugh. However, I will have you know that last night I made 16th on the daily global scores...

But I know that pretty much anyone I work with can beat me blindfolded, with both arms tied behind their back all the while swimming in a tank full of sharks and doing their taxes online.

"Have you ever noticed," said Dimble, "that the universe, and every little bit of the universe, is always hardening and narrowing and coming to a point?" (283)

from That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

Wait! don't leave yet. Yes, this is "grapesky," your favorite blog. We have made some changes around here, a new look. Its fresh! Lively! Exciting! Well, the real reason why is because I must have had some corrupt html on my other template, and no matter what I did, I couldn't figure it out. I am not at all in any form or fashion an expert on html. I am not even an amatuer. I am a "cut and paste" kinda girl....

But never fear, all your favorite links are here! And a new addition.....Dante. Try to get him to howl at the moon.

Thanks for your patience.

Out.

A few days ago, I posted about a red balloon. Today I woke up with a balloon for a head. Hoping to shrink my head back to normal size, I took a couple of tonic shots. Mind you, that's Master Tonic. If you've never had it, well, ah....lets just say, that I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Fire, is the closest thing I can approximate it to. But, it does clear the head for a little while! Currently, I am lamenting that though I went to the grocery store today, I forgot to get cold medicine. But, hey! It's an adventure, right? I'm off to bed with my cranberry juice and box of tissues.... 'Night.

I received an award today at work. Part of this award was monetary compensation, so I went to Target and bought and Osterizer blender and a very cool lamp. Not only is it nice to be given accolades, but it is fun to be able to buy somethings that I have been looking at for a while. Come over and I will make you a smoothie by the light of my new lighting device.

Today's History: The Highlights

www.mazdausa.com

www.kcls.org

www.en.wikpedia.org

www.muse.com

www.schillersny.com

www.wired.com

Red Balloon Day

This morning, when I walked out to my car, there was a red balloon sitting near it. Wow! That doesn't happen everyday. What is it about a red balloon that brings a smile to the face and a spring to the step?

There is a quaint little French movie called The Red Balloon. It is a great movie to watch because there is no talking in it, just a story about the adventures of a red balloon. Maybe you are thinking that you would not like to see this movie. You are wrong! See it!

I wonder if the red balloon will still be there when I return home this evening?

There are times when I think, what in the world am I doing trying to be a graduate student? And tonight is just one of those nights. I look at the assignment laid out for me in the syllabus, and though I plug away at it, I do not seem to be making any headway. Is it because I have never actually ever done a literature review? Is it because I am hungry, even though I ate dinner less than 2 hours ago? Is it because I am cold, sitting in this cubical at the Univeristy of Washington Allen Library? Of course, I will finish this on time and I most likely will even get a decent grade, but at the moment, all I want to do is stare out the window and the lighted brick walk below me or walk over to Allegro Cafe and buy coffee.

For all the non-Seattle based readers, especially ones who live in Pittsburg...

Sunday, January 22, 2006 7:00 PM

Finally! Seahawks going to Super Bowl for first time

Like a well-oiled machine, the Seattle Seahawks used the combination of a wide-open offense and a ferocious defense to beat the Carolina Panthers 34-14 today to win the NFC Championship.

For more, see http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seahawks/2002755714_webhawk22.html

its called DOMINATION.

Movie Adventures

Today, while chillin' at a friends house, I was watching TV. Don't fall over. Yes, TV. I was just watching to normal saturday afternoon TV movie flop when all of a sudden I realize that I was about to enter into a new level of TV movies...

Nick Fury: Agent of Shield
1998
Starring.....none other than......

DAVID HASSELHOF

A treasure..... (actually, I could only handle about half of it....I fell asleep.)

Last night, I saw The End of the Spear. Excellent. Great story. (I did not fall asleep)

Some recent forays of mine out into the internet:

http://ladyinthewatermovie.warnerbros.com/

http://moretimeforliving.blogspot.com/

http://criticaldreamer.blogspot.com/

http://www.postalservicemusic.net/

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4245337360492479670&q=lazy+sunday

School Supplies

I felt like a little schoolgirl again as I was standing in the school supplies aisle at Target last night. Realizing that my little calendar that I had been using to keep track of assignments was not going to cut it this new semester, I thought that I would find something different, the first priority being more space to write. But looking at all the pens, tape, paper and notebooks, I felt myself wanting it all. I wanted to take all of it home with me, bright and new. Shiny. Precious.

I resisted tempation and only bought what I needed....

my precious

My Heart has an Echo

Today I had an echocardiogram. I have a Heart Murmur and my doctor, the famous Dr. Frank Marinkovich, wanted to check it again. Its been about 8 years since I had my last test, so I guess it was about time for another. It is the oddest thing, laying down with this cold metal thing pressed to your heart, and seeing your heart beating on a little computer screen. Mine sounds like this thump-squish-thump. I wish I could get the recording of it.

And as this Website informs me: "An echocardiogram is a test in which ultrasound is used to examine the heart. The equipment is far superior to that used by fishermen."

This is good to know. I was wondering in the doctors office today about that. Thank God.

Bern, the capital city of Switzerland has a Starbucks. My friends like to spend their lunch hour on the second level. Its very expensive to get a latte, around 5 dollars US! WOW!

The university in Bern is gorgeous. and very old. Its really what I have imagined a european university to look like.

I have decided that the train is really the best possible form of transportation ever invented.

I will be home in a few day totally loaded up with chocolate. The nice thing about having lots of friends in Switzerland is that they buy the chocolate as a gift, so I don't have to buy any!

I'm going to need a refresher course on my native language when I return as I am starting to speak Swiss-English...

Ahh......Switzerland. Courtney, Just for your information......I am not coming home.

Tonight, I am packing and finding that my two suitcases are mostly filled with gifts for people. It's so amazing that in just a little over twenty four hours from the writing of this post, I will be in Switzerland!

I will spend my first few days there in the Alps on a snowboard, so I won't be blogging much at all, but then the rest of the week, I will be able to keep you all informed of my wherabouts and adventures in the land of Chocolate....