Gung hai fat choi, my friends. Happy Chinese New Year! Thus begins the year of the Dog.

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit. (from Chinese Culture Center of SF)

And for those of you who *must* know, read on for my new look...

Posted by Jen at 2:30 PM | Permalink |

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Say goodbye to Sapphire, my little blue parakeet. He's off to the big bird place in the sky

Sapphire was close to thirteen years old. We're not sure of his exact age because he was a few months old when I got him for my thirteenth birthday, along with the albino hamster Ruby (Yes, I had silly naming conventions when I was younger). He used to do one trick when he was younger: the Turnaround. He'd cling to the corner of his cage and flip his upper body through his legs.

In recent years he'd really taken an interest in the bell of the circular roost than hung from the top of his cage. He could ring that bell for hours, and often did. He also imitated the "leave your message after the beep" beep of the answering machine.

I'm sort of amazed that he lasted this long, but it was sad to see him so sick. I bet the cold weather didn't help, and the fact that I was seriously sick while at my parents place recently probably accelerated things.

I hope you're happy wherever you are, pretty bird. May you have unlimited seeds and a big bell to ring.

Posted by Jen at 1:45 PM | Permalink

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New Layout Time! No particular reason, just thought it was time, and I'm still fond of the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (even after seeing it three times) so here you go. Hope you like it...should have everything it needs on there, finally got some issues worked out, so items should be in proper places. Let me know what you think.

I really need to tell you about Vegas, and find time to take pictures of my haircut (it's not that short, really) but I'm finishing up the layout for the archives, so perhaps later.

Oh yes. Happy Royal Birthday, Cousin that I love

Posted by Jen at 10:16 PM | Permalink

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  Channel 4 News

file under: webetcetera

I hate truly dislike the following:

being sick. broken furnaces. forgetting to print out documents needed for the early morning screen the day you get back from vacation. Oh, and freakishly bright blue headlights on cars at night.

Guess which ones were around to bug me this weekend? Oh yes. I'm sick, most likely an effect from my Vegas trip, which I might tell you about someday (I have pictures, really!). The furnace is broken (though we still paid for the gas it used as long as it was kicking on and determining that there was, in fact, no pilot light to be lit), supposedly being fixed today (thank you maintenance!) which might have contributed to me being sick. And I did, of course, feel crappy on Friday, therefore I was a little scatterbrained, therefore I forgot to print out the forms for the subject today. Sigh. I guess it will all work out, as the sickness is better (though not gone...begone, thou foul plague! er.) the furnace should be okay when I get home, and the screen went well today.

On the happy side, I saw the Senior Womens Free Championships in ice skating this weekend. We got to see the ladies that will go on to the Olympics Thanks to Daddy's influential friends, lol. It was cool to see people who were celebrities, or nearly that, and it was odd to realize that even the best in the nation fall sometimes.

And for something completely different: Kate finally got me into a salon for a (just a little belated) birthday present, and yes indeed folks, I have short hair. It's...very curly. I like it, it will just take getting used to. And a lot more hair product. I will have pictures for you, perhaps when I don't feel quite so sick.

Back to work.

Posted by Jen at 12:38 PM | Permalink

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  Phil Collins on the radio
  The Illuminator
file under: rants

The boy turns 29 today. Odd to think I've been wishing him a happy birthday for three years...let's see if I'm as successful as he is when I'm 29...

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

PS: supposedly there WILL be a director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven. Happy Jen.

Posted by Jen at 1:24 AM | Permalink

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  Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield

file under: orlando

It's weird to come back after a week off, only work four days, then head off to Vegas. I'm excited about that, odd to think that this time tomorrow I'll be on my way to the airport.

I got some good and bad news this week though. Good news is that I'm moving at work from the same place I've been for the past two years to the other lab where I've been spending most of my time anyway, and the head of the department is taking over some of my salary. Bad news is that I'm moving. It's a more private space, but I'll go from having a new computer (had this one since early Nov, after finally getting up the courage to ask for it) used only by me to sharing an old one used by a few other people. The new one will go to a new post-doc. And of course, there's the whole actual moving, which you might have noticed that I hate to do. But oh well. Such is life. I know I shouldn't spend all my free time on the computer, but it's a little galling to leave behind all the goodies I got on this one, and not be able to have my email open all the time and yada yada. I'm just a selfish brat, I know.

Whatever. I've got one suitcase packed for Vegas and will pack my carryon tonight, and hopefully get to fix Aunt Carol's VCR before I leave. Maybe I'll make some money. WIshful thinking, I know.

If I had a mood indicator on this entry, I'd say I was wistful.

Posted by Jen at 9:28 AM | Permalink |

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