Archive for May, 2009

May
26
2009

Technical difficulties

by Andrea

Everything is broken. My computer is broken, OpenID is broken, the Internet is broken, etc. Last night my computer froze. I was like, I’m sorry is it 1996? No. It is not. C’mon!

So if you’ve been wondering why Andrea hasn’t been on your blog telling you how cute you are, that’s why, ok? Because you are so, so cute. So cute.

Did you really think I was going to do a post just to complain? Well, I was, but then I decided to also share a picture of the birdies who watch me procrastinate and waste time everyday.

chicks1

Let these little chicks distract you from the lack of thought-provoking content in this post, ok? Ok. I’m glad we had this talk.

May
25
2009

Top 5

by Andrea

I have been doing these Top 5 quiz thingies on Facebook. It’s a problem. I can’t stop. Top 5 movies, top 5 books, top 5 celebrity crushes, top 5 people I want to punch in the face (Dick Cheney, Spencer Pratt, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Chad Kroeger and Bill O’Reilly). I’m like, thank you Facebook, for asking my opinion on these things and allowing me to share it with 248 of my closest friends and relations. 

I did a top 5 tonight that I thought was interesting: Top 5 television characters that I wish were real so I could hang out with them. I kinda cheated. In no particular order, I present:

1. Mac, Dennis, Sweet Dee, and Charlie from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

itsalwayssunny

It’s not fair to pick the whole cast, but I did. Deal with it. This show makes me laugh until I cry. If you are some sort of delicate flower, don’t watch this show, because it is crazy offensive. But if you have a sick, twisted sense of humor, watch it. These kids are moral reprobates who are always getting into trouble, like opening their bar to the underage crowd, recruiting a priest to sell cocaine so they can pay off the mob, or setting Sweet Dee on fire– twice. Never a dull moment.

2. Julian, Bubbles and Ricky from Trailer Park Boys

julian_bubbles_ricky

Another set of reprobates. HILARIOUS. Highly offensive. Two guys on parole move back into their trailer park in Nova Scotia. They grow weed because A: they’re good at it, and B: if they sell enough weed, they’ll be able to retire from their life of crime. Bubbles has a lot of cats which he loans out, to keep the squirrels from peeing on the pot plants. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not sure I’d want to hang out with them because somebody always ends up getting shot in the bum.

3. Parker from Leverage

leverage_12_512x341

Leverage is a new show that finished its first season a few weeks ago, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s about a bunch of thieves who become modern day Robin Hoods, stealing from the rich and wicked and giving it to the poor and deserving. It’s clever and funny, and the characters are really well-written. My personal favorite is Parker, who is adventurous, fun, and just a little bit crazy. Ok, a lot crazy. But in a fun, adventurous kind of way. 

4. Dr. Walter Bishop from Fringe

fringe-waltbishop

Fringe is about FBI agent Olivia Dunham, who investigates paranormal events. She consults with a mad scientist named Dr. Walter Bishop, who provides scientific know-how and comic relief. The thing I like about Walter is that he expresses child-like glee over everything, from his favorite cereal to finding a remedy for a long-extinct strain of syphilis to the pet cow he keeps in his laboratory. 

5. Liz Lemon from 30 Rock

sandwich-day-liz-red-dress

Let me just come out and say that 30 Rock is brilliant, Tina Fey is brilliant, the whole cast is brilliant, and it’s pretty much the best show ever. EVER. And Liz Lemon, oh how I love Liz Lemon. I love how she’s awkward, how she embarrasses herself, how she eats her feelings, how she says things like, “I want to go to there.” Liz Lemon is me in 15 years… if I’m lucky. And doesn’t Liz seem like the kind of friend you’d want to sit with on the couch, eating take-out and watching The Facts of Life reruns? Yes, yes, she does.

So. Which fictional character would you like to make friends with?

May
22
2009

Whack-a-Kitty!

by Andrea

I realize that not everybody likes cats, but if you don’t like kittens then you are a mean, sad person, and you should get sterilized so you don’t pass on your mean, sad genes.

           

Calm down. I am pretty sure those kitties were secretly having a lot of fun.

May
20
2009

Please Mr. Postman

by Andrea

A while back I decided that I should start collecting something, so that people will always know what to get me for my birthday. Collectors are so easy to shop for. You always know that every year, so-and-so will appreciate a new Hummel figurine, more Elvis memorabilia, another shrunken head, etc.

I already have a little owl figurine that used to hold Avon cream, so I decided to start collecting vintage Avon stuff.  I got one of their “Pin Pals”, a brooch that opens up to reveal a cache of solid perfume. I got two vintage perfume bottles, still full of perfume that smells like old lady, and thus, they will probably stay full of that old lady perfume forever. Or at least until I’m an old lady. And today I got a vintage bottle of lotion that I’d forgotten I’d ordered. Surprise!

tigglesstanding

It came in the original box, which is very cute. I have Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle in the photo as well because a photo of a bottle of lotion? Not that interesting. A photo of a bottle of lotion with a hamster? I should win a prize.

tigglespissed

She was not a willing participant. She looks pissed off in this picture. That’s because she was pissed off. 

It’s also still full of honeysuckle lotion, which smells like what you’d imagine 40-year-old lotion would smell like, i.e. icky caca. Like industrial effluent. I could probably use it to grease my bicycle chain. Maybe I will.

In other news, I have decided against the white purse. It’s darling, but I’m poor, I won’t be able to keep it clean, and I have a perfectly serviceable purse. I washed it today, because a packet of Crystal Lite had burst inside and gotten everything all red and sticky and I won’t tell you how long it had been that way because you might judge me unfavorably. The point is: it’s clean now.

I also went to my first day of class for the summer semester. I am taking creative writing, in the hopes that it will force me to write, and my book will be a bestseller, at which point I will have the funds to move to Mexico City to pursue my real dream: telenovela actressing. Yep, I’ve got a plan. A mighty fine, well thought-out, realistic plan.

When we introduced ourselves to the class, we were supposed to talk about any past writing experience, and I admitted to a lot of self-indulgent diaries, but neglected to mention my blog. Shame on me, because aside from those self-indulgent diaries, this is where most of my writing happens. But now I have to do “real” writing. I’m supposed to turn in my first story next week, which at this point seems like an utterly insurmountable task. I haven’t written a short story since my junior year of high school, and for those of you counting, that was a long time ago. I’m scared! Say something reassuring.

May
17
2009

Bag Lady

by Andrea

bowpurse2I am a bad shoe/purse buyer. Just awful. Since becoming a vegetarian I have eschewed leather, which makes buying shoes and purses quite difficult, as you can imagine. But mostly it just doesn’t occur to me to buy purses and shoes. I already have purses and shoes that are not yet falling apart. Why buy more?

In 2005 I bought a plain black purse in Mexico City. I loved it. It was the right size, and it matched everything. At least I think it matched everything, but then I am the one who didn’t find out that brown and black don’t match until my first semester of college. (My exact words: “But they’re both dark!” True story.)

That purse went with me everywhere I went, logging thousands and thousands of miles, surviving customs checks, coat checks, and bounced checks (kidding!). And it started to show. It faded from too much sun. The stitching started to unravel. Still, I didn’t buy a new one until about 3 months ago.

Here in Alaska, a lot of people like to display their money on their arm with an expensive purse. I don’t get it. I really don’t. I don’t have money to spend on designer purses, and even if I did, I’m pretty sure I could come up with something more creative to waste money on than those ticky-tacky candy-colored Dooney and Bourke or Coach purses. At least go for something interesting. Gosh. And don’t get me started on logos. Chanel and Louis Vuitton may keep their logos; everybody else needs to calm down.

I realize that this is completely hypocritical seeing as how if I had the financial wherewithal, I would totally spring for designer clothing, and then pair my haute couture with shoes from Old Navy and my purse from the Gap. That I got on sale for $13.99. Oh yes. Yes, I would.

Convince me: why should I spend more than $30 on a purse? Whyyyyy? No seriously, convince me, because I really want this purse. It’s so pretty. I would gladly spend $65 on a dress, but on a purse? Ha.

bowpurse

Purse by Etsy seller Shecological

 P.S. I know I have been a bad blogger as of late, both posting erratically and not answering comments. I do try to answer every comment, and I’m just thrilled to bits when you take the time to comment on my posts. My schedule as of late has left me with a keen desire to spend every moment of my free time sleeping, but please know that I read all the comments, love them, and will answer them when I get a day off (Monday). I am also planning on luring more readers and keeping the ones I have with some sort of giveaway. What will it be? No earthly idea, but I’ll come up with something good.

May
13
2009

Poladroid

by Andrea

Ok, I know I am like a million years late to the Poladroid party, but have you guys tried Poladroid? It’s so fun! Some people were complaining on the website about waiting for the photo to develop and I’m like, duh. It’s a Polaroid. You’re supposed to wait. Go get yourself a nice cup of tea and wait for your pictures to develop.

I’m definitely a fan of digital film BUT, just as cassettes and records have a certain warmth that CDs lack, so does real celluloid impart a more human touch than digital photography. At least that’s my two cents. But alas, I do not have a real film camera, so for now, Poladroid will have to do. I got a little happy with it, and these are the ones I think turned out best:

sisters-001-pola02

There were never such devoted sisters.

dscn0180-pola

Yep, that’s my sister holding a pistol. It’s scary to me, too. But living in Alaska, we have to be prepared for the possibility, nay, eventuality of a wolverine attack at all times.

alldroid

Yeehaw.

And this one’s my favorite, maybe my all-time favorite photo:

dscn0306-pola

It maybe turned out a little too blue, but how cute is my grandma? I’m sure she would be totally horrified to hear that there is a picture of her on the Internet (whatever that is) so let’s not tell her, ok?