Return to Life

I have been busy:

1. Not sleeping
2. Too much emailing
3. Swimming
4. Eating
5. Drinking
6. Worrying
7. Job hunting? Maybe?
8. Obsessing
9. TV Watching
10. Hulu Watching (my brain is more gelatinous)
11. Not doing various of my teaching duties

But now I'm here. I'm here for you. Really I am. I must go.

My Obsession, You're My Obsession....

New Obsessions:
FiveThirtyEight.com: more poll information that one human being needs or would want. Simultaneously comforting and disconcerting.

Huffington Post: Okay, not really new, but I check it hourly now instead of daily. Where else can you get political news and find out that Joaquin Phoenix says "I Quit!"? Good for what ails you. Maybe.

Boots: Can I get a pair of boots now? Please?

Cookies: Can there be a cookie that tastes delicious and doesn't make me feel guilty? We'll see.

That's all for now. While I should have been planning for class, I was obsessing. Now, off with me...

7 Facts about Me

I was tagged by Hightouchmegastore to do this 7 Facts about Me list. You know I love lists!
So, only 7?

1. I'm an anxious, anxiety ridden individual, plagued by self-doubt and insecurity. Often this expresses itself in certain habits. Such as: drinking too much wine and talking really loudly, allowing my attention to wander so that I'm not paying attention to friends I should be listening to during conversations, saying things I shouldn't and then regretting them later, feeling a sense of competition with, well, pretty much everybody, worrying about my weight, my eating habits, the eating habits of Son, my exercise habits, saying cruel things I don't really mean but then can't take back. Basically, worrying about everything.
2. I have these OCD habits like: picking up trash and straightening things up at events where I'm not responsible (wine and cheese get togethers, kids birthday parties, restaurants, friends' houses) but not, I should point out, my own house. (Perhaps I do it because I am nervous and insecure?)
   
3. I love to read mysteries. Once, in my high school AP class we were doing presentations on Greek gods from Edith Hamilton's Mythology and I had an Agatha Christie book stuck inside my mythology book. Then, when it was my turn, I took Agatha out, stood up and did my presentation, sat back down and continued to read Agatha. I mean, I was reading, right?
4. I hate fantasy books. I don't mind sci-fi, especially sci-fi that's like our world, but only slightly different. But I hate books with dragons and fairies. Especially fairies! All my friends read those Anne McAffrey novels in junior high, but I couldn't stand them!
5. My favorite book in junior high was Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater. I love that he's a commentator on NPR now. He's so legit! If you haven't read it, you should. It's like Vonnegut for the tween set.
   
6. My favorite movie in high school was "Casablanca." I was such a romantic! Now...hard to say. I still love "Annie Hall" and probably always will, but I think "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is riding high, because I wish I could write something that original and inventive. (and I kind of hate that guy because of it, see? competitive!!) But then there are all those other movies I love: Grease, Ladyhawke, Hannah and Her Sisters, Lost in Translation, Notes on a Scandal, etc, etc, etc.
7. I'm running a fun race on Thanksgiving at City Creek. I think y'all should run with me. It's fun. If we can find someone to watch Son, MB will run too. Anyone?

So, I'll try to tag seven: Susansinclair, academom, not a folk singer, scorpion's tail, ErinAlice, SuziQ, Strange Polkas.
I did it! Success!

For HighTouch: Why the American Version of "The Office" is so much better than the British

First of all, to get this out of the way, let me just admit that I am a huge fan of the British series "The Office." In fact, I resisted watching the American version because I just didn't think it could live up to the British.
It is a well known fact in my household and in other parts of the United States that the Brits are just funnier than Americans. In general, this is true. I think it is caused by their flavorless cuisine and their far superior beer, but it could also be attributed to the sogginess of their environs, which leads to wet socks, and everyone knows that causes one to make dry and acerbic comments. I'm sure there are Brits who are not funny, but I don't know what rock they are hiding under. Let me also say that one of my favorite office moments is when Tim puts Gareth's stapler in gelatin (since it's England it's not Jello, or maybe it is).
That said, the American version has far surpassed the British version, in my heart if not in reality. Partly this may be a function of the length of the series. The American version is beginning its fourth season, and the British version was only two, plus the bonus special. The additional seasons have allowed for more character development.
In the British version, the minor characters remained minor characters, colorful, funny, but never wholly human. In the American version, as the seasons have progressed, minor characters have come to the front, so that "The Office" is not just the story of Michael, Dwight, Pam and Jim, but also the story of Toby, Phyllis, Angela, Kevin, Kelly, Ryan, Creed, Oscar, and Roy (etc. I know I'm leaving some out). And this, I contend, is what makes the American "Office" a superior television product. If a series is to survive, it can't simply be funny. It must be funny, yes, but it has to be funny with heart. I know veteran readers of this blog will balk at my use of this word, but I mean it. "The Office" has been engaging my emotions, and not just on the Pam and Jim front. (I will admit here that I was obsessed, in every sense of the word, with Pam and Jim when I finished watching Season 2 and was waiting for Season 3 to come out on DVD. I googled the actors and found out all I could. I looked for pictures online. What was I going to do????)
The greatest surprise, and reward, of Season 3 has been the emergence of my favorite sub-character: Toby. And the fact that Roy becomes more than just the "bad boyfriend." And the episode when Michael shows up at Pam's art show and buys her watercolor of the office building for the office is truly touching. And this is what elevates Michael Carrell's character above his British equivalent. Even though David Brent is witty, and, we guess, ultimately a nice guy, we get to see that Michael is a nice guy; in spite of his being an ass in many situations, ultimately he does care about his employees. And I think the decision to humanize Roy was a good one. He moves beyond the stereotype of the boyfriend who only cares about sports to become a person.
And Toby! My favorite scene is when he must accompany Michael to New York for the salary negotiation. Ryan and Kelly are fighting in the cubicle next to his and Michael tells him he has to go with him. When Toby asks why, Michael says, "I'm going to hit you in the head with a hammer." Toby listens to the fighting for a minute, then picks up his bag and follows Michael.
I notice that I have not yet mentioned the cringe factor, which adds to the appeal of "The Office" but I fear I have overstayed my welcome. I'll leave that for another post.

Nothing + Nothing = Nothing

Here's an update on what I've been doing: nothing. Well not strictly nothing, but nothing productive. Son was supposed to be in a language camp this week, but there were not enough people signed up, so it was canceled. Which means that we've been holed up, plus MB's computer troubles, so you can probably imagine for yourselves the domestic drama that we've been embroiled in.
What have I been obsessing over this week? Thanks for asking. My current obsessions are

1. Entourage
2. The Sopranos
3. The Office, and all that entails: John Krasinski, Evan Almighty, Toby, etc.
4. Studio 60: Why does it have to end, sob, sob, etc.
5. New Music: I need some, I'm getting bored, etc.
6. I'm not writing
7. Maybe writing doesn't matter, after all, when I'm dead, I'll be dead, not looking down from above saying "Look how much everyone enjoys my writing!"
8. Swimming
9. Running (I'm doing a 5K on Saturday)
10. Reading shallow things
11. Disliking successful writers whom I won't name, but who might have some talent, but also get things published in magazines, like The New Yorker, for example, not because they are good, but because of who they are.

So now you're up to date. I hate everyone who's not blogging, by the way. Please blog and save me from my shallow reading and self-loathing.

Addictions

I'm addicted to the following things, in no particular order:

• Potato chips (specifically: salt & vinegar, thai spice)
• Chips and Salsa
• Avocados
• Thai Food
• American Idol (we will now celebrate the departure of Sanjaya. Yeah!!)
• Chocolate (dark)
• Red Wine
• Crossword puzzles/sudoku (alternately)
• Listening to music late at night on my iPod when I should be sleeping
• Procrastination
• Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies (in season)
• Rice
• Smoothies
• TV Shows that are in danger of being cancelled or that networks just stop showing (Love Monkey, Studio 60, Men in Trees)
• All of your blogs (you know who you are!!)
• Gossip (my new fave: Jake & Reese!)
• Imagining myself in really sexy outfits when I'm wearing khakis and tennis shoes (my uniform)
• Counter-transference
• Talking about stuff I really don't know about (Judith Butler?)
• Talking about all the stuff I'm working on when I'm really not doing anything
• Rewarding myself when I feel bad by eating bad stuff (see Potato Chips)
• End of the semester pep talks from self and MB ("It's all good! It's almost over!! Good job!!")
• Imagining dancing while listening to Shakira
• Protein
• Cookies
• Hugs from Son
• Sunshine
• Days with no school
• Saying I will do things that I'm not sure I can actually do (more on this after the 27th)
• Lists

So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright

I've had that song in my head ever since I got back from Spring Break, where I visited Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's haven in the desert. The development in Scottsdale is so insane that it almost reaches out to the site. But when he bought the land (in 1937) there was no running water, no electricity, no road. He's spinning in his grave!
But the place was gorgeous, and the structures amazing. FLW was way before his time. He would be happy now, with the developments in environmental architecture and what not. But I had a good time. My father and I went on the "Behind the Scenes" tour, which included a snack inside the dining room, and several talks by intimates of FLW. What sticks with me is that FLW said that "architecture is frozen music" (actually I think someone else said it and he was just fond of it) and that architectural fellows used to be asked to bring a musical instrument and a formal outfit. Every once in a while they had big dinners and the fellows provided all the entertainment. That was back in the day when people were well-rounded. Now we just want to be good at one thing.
I'm in a bit of architecture obsession. I'm reading Devil in the White City, which Frank Lloyd Wright appears in, however briefly. The book has a lot of architecture big wigs in it (Olmstead, Sullivan), which I didn't know. Of course it makes sense, but I wasn't aware before I started reading it. The book combines two of my major obsessions: architecture and crime.
My obsession with architecture really has to do with an essay project I'm researching, but not really working on yet. It's called First Person Spaces, and it connects to the stuff I've done before, but I want to do a more sustained project, maybe linked stories and at least one essay.
I appreciate all the comments (two) about my blog silence. I've been busy and tired. Doing what, you might ask. Who knows? So far I know I'm not allergic to wheat, corn or tomatoes. I'm not allergic to decaf coffee. I've snuck in some beer and wine. I also ate three vegan cookies at a potluck and I didn't die. So I guess I'm okay. Slated for this week: oats, yeast, and maybe butter. I'll let you know. I have two boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in the freezer that call to me incessantly. The prognosis is not good.
On the up side, I did run a few times and I'm sore! I've also done yoga. Also sore.
I love you all, my pretties.