snow...sigh

The snow is falling, and no matter how hard I try, I can't wish it away. Every time I turn around in my chair and look out the window, I see it - big wet snowflakes, collecting on the trees, the buildings and the ground. I knew I shouldn't take the hood off of my coat before April, but I did. It's all my fault.

Yesterday was gorgeous. I got an HOurCar and went to breakfast with Niels, then drove around the lakes with Joe. We checked on my bike at Sunrise Cyclery, but it isn't ready yet because he is having trouble finding the right kind of gear shift (apparently I chose a bike that HAD a really cool gear shift mechanism, but it is broken and he can't find one just like it to replace it. Oh well, I didn't even know when I picked it out). So, I guess that is for the best, because I couldn't have ridden it to work today anyway. hmmph.

March is going out like a lamb, but with any luck, next week will bring April Showers...

Computer Woes

Well, I had a stressful couple of days! On Monday, about an hour before I got off work, my computer died. When I say "my", I mean of course my work computer. So, basically the monitor turned off. The computer was still whirring away, but I couldn't see anything!

Now, maybe you only use a computer at home for personal use, and it doesn't feel like the end of the world when your computer dies.

Or maybe you work for a big company and are therefore are in a situation where a technician will pop up to your office while you go get yourself a cool drink from the vending machine. No biggy.

Well, I work in a church office. And it's Holy Week. And next week the newsletter goes out. And people who know nothing about computers (*cough* 90% of the congregation *cough*) tend to blame computer problems on me, the lowly secretary.

But God took pity on me today. In her infinite wisdom she saw fit to guide me toward the computer fixers about two blocks from the church. If you ever have computer problems in Minneapolis, may I please recommend General Nano Systems on University. They had me in and out in less then half an hour, for less the $100, and with a smile on their faces (haven't there been studies done about how the act of smiling can calm people down? I think it works).

So, my baby is fixed and all is right with the world!

Soon I will pop out of here and go to Campus Pizza to eat and chat with my friend Joe-joe about bike buying. Then I am heading out to happy hour with my screenwriting group to work on our screenplay presentation for a while, and after that it is off to meet up with Joe-joe again for bike shopping! That's right, the next time you hear from me I may be the proud new owner of a bicycle!

What's this Spring Break I always hear college kids talking about...?

Half Day Off

Today I do not need to Work at the Mall, which is good because it is TOO NICE OUT!!

This morning was chilly, but in true Minnesnowtan fashion, I chose not to bundle, and have been rewarded for my courage. The sun has melted the clouds as well as the thin layer of ice that appears each morning now.

I also had a nice treat this morning in that the treasurer's wife came in and hand delivered my mid-month paycheck. Having my student loan funds almost entirely still intact, it feels so good to put even more money in my bank account!

So that is my next stop, the bank, which is actually a co-op credit union, and then I am going to Target.

I can hear you now. "No! Elinor! Stay away from the big red bulls eye! Remember how good it feels to have money!? Don't go in there!"

But fear not, my foreboding friends, because I have a list. I realized last night when trying to watch my recently rented dvd of LittleBritain that the battery for my dvd remote is dead, which makes it hard to navigate the menu. So I need the battery, as well as orange juice (there are nasty things going around and I am determined not to catch them!), tall socks, and spinach. So, you see? I will be in and out in a matter of minutes!

Then back home for a relaxing evening cuddling with Winifred, perhaps some cleaning, and definite dvd watching!

I hope your day is going half as well as mine!

Friday Five

My mom invited anyone who wanted to to blog on the Friday Five:

Mother Laura Writes:

"Can you believe Daylight Savings Time is here already? It's hard to get used to the new, earlier onset. My family has been getting up and out a little late and a little sleepy in the mornings.

And can you believe that in two days it will be Palm Sunday for Western Christians? Our Lent is almost over, while our Orthodox sisters and brothers, whose liturgical year follows the older Julian calendar, are just starting theirs. Nicholas did a recent book report on George Washington, and we were surprised to find out that our first President's birthday was originally Feb. 11, since he was born just before the change to the Gregorian calendar. Apparently the change almost caused rioting, as some indignant people were sure that they were being cheated out of eleven days of their lives!

To help you adjust--and enjoy the process--here's a Friday Five about time and transitions...."

1. If you could travel to any historical time period, which would it be, and why?
Hmm, this is a very tricky one...the things that interest me most about history are the tiny, day to day life things. I guess if I had to choose only one I would go with sometime in the early 1800's. My brother and I were just talking about how cool it would be to have seen Lake Harriet (the lake we grew up near in the City of Lakes) before the parks and recreations board got a hold of it. Back then it was much more of a wetland then a lake, as I believe most "lakes" were in our city back then.

2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?
Transporters! My former roommate and I would lament about the lack of transporters daily; if only we could just transport to the video store two blocks away!

3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?
Definitely dreaming of the future! When I can't sleep at night I daydream about what my daily life will be like in five, ten and sometimes 30 years!

4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?
Well, there is a lot I will remember about the past few months, but about Lent in particular...one thing would have to be deciding to give up pop (soda) and then going out on Ash Wednesday (after services) and ordering a Whiskey and Coke! Ha! So, I changed my mind and decided to commit to walking more and drinking less pop, which has been going very well.

5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?
Holy week is my spring break, but since I still have to work, it is not that big of a deal. I will be scrambling to prepare the Prospectus and getting at least three bulletins made, hoping to catch my boss long enough for her to proof said bulletins, and catching up on school work. I think what I look foreword to the most is that on Palm Sunday my friend Stephen will be in church and I have not seen him in a few years. Then Lydia comes home for her spring break on Easter Weekend, so that will be great! I am hoping to get a few of the old youth group together to hang out, although where I don't know since my apartment is to small for more then two people!

springtime, redux

We are having beautiful weather again today, and I am stuck inside, as usual. But, only for another ten minutes! It has been a very slow and boring day today, as I was actually very productive on Monday and Wednesday. My boss was at a capital hill thing, so she wasn’t here to make more work for me, and the mail hasn’t come so there is no sorting and bill signing off on to be done either. Sigh.

I spent my day downloading some new tunes (only two that cost money as the others were “download of the week” selections). So I got Kanye West’s “Stronger” which has the wonderful lyric,

“You know how long I've been on ya?

Since Prince was on Apollonian

Since OJ had isotoners

Don't act like I never told ya”

Ok, so I don’t exactly understand the whole song, but these lyrics and the beat make it worth it!

The other song I got was Kate Nash’s “Foundations” which I absolutely love! I think I listened to it about ten times in a row trying to get the wording, beats and accent down (she is British, I am not, you see my problem). If you like Regina Spektor and Lilly Allen, you will probably enjoy Kate Nash. She adds a wonderful dark side to this otherwise run of the mill losing-love song.

So, I am going to leave work right at 1 today and walk slowly to the bus stop where I can enjoy the spring air (which will most likely make me sick from allergies) while I wait a little longer for the bus. Then I have to be at school early to meet with some classmates about a screenwriting project we are working on, and then my three hour screenwriting class.

Busy Spring Day Ahead! Yay!

the cool clip art

Well, if you ever read the Prospectus, the newsletter I put out every
month at work, then you may know that I love fun clip art! I found a
really awesome website that other clip art junkies may get a kick out of!

There are a lot of fun free ones and there are also ones you can purchase. The children
and goat from my last post are from this site, as well as this one!
Enjoy!!