Since it is the day before a softball game and it's raining, I present to you a softball haiku:

softball--a dream that
never becomes realized
because it rains so

Last night I had a dream where I was a Transformer-like Eliza Dushku (yes, I was listening to the soundtrack to Transformers last night--why do you ask?) and I really wanted to read the as-yet unpublished manuscript of some famous author--dunno who. I could get anywhere I wanted because I was pretty and rich and then could, you know, transform to get out of there. So I go to this author's place, grab the manuscript, but the police come before I can leave. Thus, I run out of the house, throw the ms. in the air, become a car, and careen off, but the policeman shoots and knocks off the license plate. Since I am a bibliophile, after the policeman has given up the chase, all he finds is the piece of plate with part of a plastic plate protector. The partial plate says OO, and the plate protector says "ublic Lib"--get it? The plate reads BOOKS (or something similar) and the protector promotes some city's Public Library.

And then I told it all to Eliza Dushku, who was apparently at a garage sale with me. Go fig.

On a serious note: one of my favorite authors (and one who probably played a part in my wanting to be a fantasy author), David Eddings, passed away last night. He will be missed. I brought the first book in the Elenium, The Diamond Throne, with me to work to read in memoriam.

  The Diamond Throne, David Eddings
file under: books , dreams , getmoving , reallife Posted by Jen at 9:47 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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Let's hear it for the beginning of the season of pretty trees.

Also, huzzah to the Drumsticks, who capped off their week 22 of 12 with a winning the post-season tournament! Three games, played a week after they were scheduled, thanks to Hurricane Ike's leftovers, one beaned ankle (mine, because I *still* can't field freakish direct-to-the-second-baseman ground balls), and one fake-marble trophy later, you get this.

And happy birthday, Mike. Hope you enjoyed your cake. It is not a lie!

  Inara's Suite, Firefly sdtk
  Hell and Earth, Elizabeth Bear
file under: celebration , getmoving Posted by Jen at 10:29 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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As much as I hate the name, today is a day to remember those lost seven years ago. Seven years. How could it be that long ago?

Today is also the day in which a large white sheet is covering the in-progress building across the alley at work. We think they're fireproofing things, and the sheet is to keep our building from getting inadvertently sprayed. But it looks like it's snowing out there. Looking out the window just gives a blank view, and it's very disconcerting.

Today is also the day of our last regular season make-up of a rainout of a rainout softball game. As my coach put it, nothing short of biblical will stop us from playing, so I forsee a soggy evening on a muddy or grassy field. Maybe my cleats are dried out from last week...

  Whiskey and Water, Elizabeth Bear
file under: getmoving , reallife , serious Posted by Jen at 10:14 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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Five years ago this day I was down in Georgia, at Emory University, winning the 100m, the 200m, anchoring the gold-medal 4x100m team, and placing fifth in the 100m hurdles. The only time I ever openly celebrated the moment I crossed the line. Beating my "rival" Nyota Pieh, of Emory, who had won every year since in the three I won. Being part of an unbroken WU women's outdoor track conference championship streak. Getting gum on the hem of my dress on the plane ride back.

In a few hours I'll be on the road, once again on my way to Georgia, to cheer on this year's Bears. I'm missing the WU 5-year reunion and a few friends b-day parties, but this will be worth it. I was sorely tempted to try to pick up my golden spikes (no kidding. That was the only color they had, honest) as a rallying point, but that is pretty silly. I don't know where my medals are. I think I got them, unlike the ones from junior year outdoor UAAs...I'll just cheer...and try to be motivational. Life is a journey, time is a river, the door is ajar, that sort of thing...

Here's what I said the day after, all those years ago:
Well, here I am again. No more UAA competition for me.

Somebody up there really loves me.

Let's go Bears!

  something off the Blood Diamond soundtrack
  Karavans, Jennifer Roberson
file under: celebration , competition , getmoving Posted by Jen at 1:21 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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How do you get from blood to pineapple in four steps?

Blood>saliva>salvia>pineapple

Let me explain. In the lab we have procedures to follow should a blood sample be spilled. The same rules apply to other potentially infectious material, such as saliva. On this sheet of procedures, 'saliva' is misspelled as 'salvia.' Salvia is a flowering shrub or bush, more commonly known as sage. There are many kinds of salvia, some that smell, some that don't. And one fo the varieties is a pineapple sage, the leaves of which smell like...take a guess.

Ah, the fun things that happen in the lab.

I tried using my WUMS UPass for the Metrolink today, but I was foiled. I biked to the station, 'cause I am too lazy (and it was too hot) to walk. Supposedly there are bike racks at the station, but I didn't have time to look, and I wouldn't be too comfortable leaving my bike there all day. In order to take your bike on the metrolink, you need to be in the front of the first car or the front or rear of the second car. I was waiting by the entrance to the second car. Unfortunately, and as is my luck, there was already a biker there, and there can be only one per space. So I moved up to the first car, but before I could get in, the doors closed. Curses!

I ended up not wanting to wait for another train (since by the time it got to the platform and then to work I could already be there, or close to it), so I biked the rest of the way. Did I mention that it was already in the 80s at 9 AM? The ride itself wasn't so bad; it was the cooling off period afterward that sucked. I have to decide if I want to try to take the train back to the nearest station and bike the rest of the way home, or bike all the way back.

It's such a short drive/bike/light-rail ride that I really shouldn't drive every day. But it is SO annoying once you get out of the heat and drip sweat. I don't like to offend people by smelling like I just worked out, so we'll see how often I manage. One day I'll have to walk the distance to the station(s) to see how long it would really take. It's probably better to walk. Sigh. Maybe rollerblades.

  John Mayer: Waiting on the World to Change

file under: getmoving , working Posted by Jen at 1:04 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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So, I went to my last game at Busch Stadium (well, the original Busch Stadium, anyway) last night. I think it was my first game at Busch in about seven years. I'm sure I've told you how every time I actually attended a game in the past, the Cardinals (bless their souls) lost. Even when I went with my dad on Father's Day and got to sit in the Post-Dispatch box, they lost. It was sad. And then when I stopped going to the games (because they stopped giving me free tickets for getting straight A's...ah, the days of high school when I actually got straight A's...) and just occasionally watched the games on tv, they lost. It got to be that I just didn't want to pay attention. It was like if I ignored the games, then they'd wiin. Sometimes it would work, sometimes not. Though of course last year when they went to the World Series and majorly flopped against the Red Sox (wonder how that movie Fever Pitch is selling in our town, since it's got the ignoble loss of our Cards to said Sox in it) and I was paying attention...see, they lost.

So, last night I went with my parents, they'd gotten some free tickets for the terrace (read: highest level) along the left field line. Good seats, as it turned out, because it rained a little last night during the game but since we were so high up, we were underneath the distinctive arches so we didn't get rained on at all. Yay! I got to see two home runs (Edmonds in the 1st and Molina [Yadier? His first name is really Yadier?] in the 2nd), which was glorious, but unfortunately there were no fireworks, since I think they're trying to save money. Oh well. The Cards were winning until the 7th inning even though they had only gotten 5 hits (vs the Pirates' 17 or something like that) when the Pirates tied up the game. Boo! The Cards went through three pitchers that inning, and alas that Chris Carpenter didn't get his 22nd win. He pitched well until that inning though, so go him. Finally the Cards got some hits in the 8th but no runs...so onto the 9th with a tie. We held 'em til it was our turn, then Hector Luna gets on base and steals 2nd, to be in scoring position...and then Eckstein made a nice base hit that ESPN termed a 'bloop' but allowed Luna to score, so yay! We won! And I was there! Yahoo! I just hope they can keep winning.

The magic number is down to two. If the Cards win today they'll have a tie on the division championship...if Houston loses they'll be the champs! Go Cards! I would really love to see you be able to play the World Series at Busch one more time (and make a better showing than last year!)...

So, softball stuff and biking stuff now.

The softball tournament was last weekend, but it was rather shorter than last year's marathon. We won one, we lost one. I don't even know what the scores were other than we won the first by at least 10 and we lost the second by at least that much, since both games ended in the 5th inning because one team was ahead by at least 10. Let's hear it for odd little league rules. The first game we figured was a lock, since we'd played the Thursday night version of the team, and they weren't very good, and yes, we won. Nothing spectacular, I did get to cross homeplate a few times, and the lady ump was almost hit by a couple of bats (by someone on the other team) and she wasn't too happy about that. I can't remember if it was a shut-out or not. Bad Jen, not keeping track of scoring. [Side note: I looked at the scorecard for that game and was utterly bewildered. It's been a long time since I've scored a ball game, and I don't remember any of the little conventions.]

The second game was against a team that we've never beat (except, my teammates told me, last year in the tournament when we barely won and royally pissed them off. So I guess this was payback). They really shouldn't be in this league. They're way too competitive for the rest of the teams that they play against, and they've obviously got people who play softball for actual teams (or at least more than just one night a week during the summer). They win a lot of games because of that 10-run rule, and it just seems like they should find another league that actually tests their skills instead of letting them beat up on other teams. Not bitter I am, no. Anyway, we weren't getting any breaks against them...neither of the fields had been dragged (or mowed) so there was grass all over the infield. Two grounders came my way and they hit a patch of grass and bounced clear over my head. It didn't help that it had been pretty dry and hot so the ground was hard as a rock. Stupid field. I really don't like SB7. If you're ever at Tower Grove Park and you want to play a ball game, use BB1 instead. Usually. Unfortunately both fields were in dire need of dragging and mowing, but since I don't even know if we actually scored a run at SB7 I suppose I can't lay it all on the field. Oh well. We figured we would lose that one. Luckily we had already had our end-of-season bbq (with yellow jackets and mosquitos, natch) and we were prepared for a long one, so it was nice to be able to go home and sleep, which I did.

On Sunday, I helped Kate relearn how to ride a bike, since she wants to have the proper experience for her practicum. Go Kate! I'm proud of you! She's a little bit shorter than I am, though, so we had to adjust several things so she could ride. But ride she did, all along the nice flat parts of the Forest Park trail, and I rollerbladed with her. So yay for working out. Then later that night we watched Hello, Dolly! (well hello, Dolly!) and saw the Anheiser Busch clydesdales (which never meant much to California-girl Kate before, lol) and I saw Almost Famous for the first time. Good stuff! I'm hopeful for Elizabethtown, since it's the same director and in a similar style. I've read some bad reviews on it, but of course I'll still see it, because Orlando rocks my socks and I don't care what you think about that The week ETown comes out will be a good one, Orli-wise, since Kingdom of Heaven comes out on DVD the tuesday before the movie opens.

Wish me luck on the Anatomy & Physiology class. Looks like it will be interesting to take but not easy to learn.

Go Cards!

  Elizabethtown Soundtrack & Switchfoot's new one: Nothing is Sound

file under: celebration , getmoving , muses Posted by Jen at 9:32 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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Shortly, I hope to get some MCAT studying so this day isn't a total lazefest. I have a bit of an excuse in that I spent the last four days getting up at 7 am and not getting to bed before 1 any night. Erm. Which is partly my fault, the late getting to bed part. Ah well. This is what you get when there are Important Studies in the Advancement of Science going on.

The only thing befitting of the title of 'activity' this afternoon when I finally dragged myself out of bed (after finishing The Wounded Hawk, the second book in the Crucible series by Sara Douglass...a must read for historical fantasy lovers...I hate that I have to wait for the next book!) Cece and her bf and I walked to the Loop for some Fitz's root beer floats. Mmmm. At least it was sort of exercise-y, if totally negated by the ice-creamy goodness of the floats. Then I came back and slept until just a little while ago.

Soon. Soon I will be productive. I really don't want to have to take the MCAT again, though I probably will. Oh well. More time to study science.

By the way, happy 25th birthday to Harry Potter (and JK Rowling, of course, who is 40 today...) Yes, I just am that much of a fangirl. I always thought it was sort of cool that JKR decided to set the series up so he was only a month older than me Cece still hasn't finished the sixth book so I'm still waiting for someone to chat about the book with. So silly. But fun. So there. Though, I can't believe I'm going to be 25 in less than a month. I feel so old, sometimes.

Eh. Back to business, I guess.

  Anggun: Snow on the Sahara

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 6:56 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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A bunch of random babble while I stare outside at the really pretty snow.

When I left work I was worried about various things. Still am, actually. But this makes it all better. Anyway, when I left, it was spitting little icy balls. This was about 7 pm. So, in the course of putzing around and after watching the extras on the Troy dvd, I turned on regular tv and caught a weather report, and the lady says, "there's already a half-inch on the ground downtown..." and I was like, I'm almost downtown, and I looked out the window and lo and behold, there was snow! It's so pretty! *awww* It makes me happy when it snows and I don't have to drive in it. At least not yet. It will probably be gone by tomorrow when I have to drive to the Fox to see RENT . Yay RENT! No Day But Today, baby! And there will be Kate-Crazy-Bowls'n'Wraps-ness which will be fun and possibly Rams football. You all know how much I love football, right? *sarcasm*

What do you think about a Phantom layout? just until we get some more Kingdom of Heaven pictures And I need new layouts for LJ and blogger. There goes artistic Jen. Someday, I hope. Maybe I'll get to see Phantom again. My mom told me there's a new big screen theater out in Chesterfield that's supposed to have great sound too. Wouldn't that be a blast! And I'm sure my dad is looking forward to Elektra

I'm supposed to get a new computer at work. That will make things nice. Pablo's leaving, which is sad. But on the upside, if I ever get a chance to go to Sweden I'll have a place to stay

On a totally different note: I just found out that I passed Orgo I! Sigh. That's a relief. Now I just have to get reading for the next semester. Bah.

  Medical Investigation (ok, it's not music, but it does have a cool theme song)

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 9:35 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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Remember how I told you that I was really enjoying Ben Jelen? Yeah. Rocks is a beautiful song. I'm really going to have to get this album someday. Lyrics follow
Deidre, please, let's go...Alta Meadow Ranch (check out the rainbow), or Zephyr Adventures. But we have to find a place that lets us get our gallop on! haha. Of course, there's always the Grand Canyon. (Want to know what it looks like there?)
I need a vacation.

Strokes of dark, a brush of light, I watch you bring your canvas into light
Oh I know that's how you see the world, I know that you see anything you like
But now I'm doubting me, I know I shouldn't be but
I've been down, I've been down

'Cause it was love wasn't it?
Well it's killing me not having it
It's hard to not remember, forget it's not the same
When still you come and tell me
"Sorry I came without an invitation, just wanted to be loved"

The last perfect thing, you know that you bring me back to life
On and on and on and on, I think about you all day long, I need you to be stronger
'Cause now I'm doubting me, I know I shouldn't be but
I've been down, I've been down

'Cause it was love...

Yeah, I hear the sound, and I know that you'll be
Coming 'round, you know I'll wait for you

Oh love, it's killing me not having it
I need you to be stronger
Don't wanna hear the sound
'Cause rocks upon my window mean that you're coming 'round
And how could I resist when I think you're still in love
How can I move on when I wanna be in love with you

  Our Lady Peace: Innocent

file under: getmoving , music Posted by Jen at 3:14 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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I can't believe the Cards were shut out of the World Series. It's like they weren't even the same team as just a week before when they played so hard to become champions of the National League. Dad said he thought it was the first time that a team had lost four straight right off the bat. Poor Cards. While I'm happy that the Red Sox aren't cursed anymore, I really wish there could have been a better scene for the fans the last two nights at Busch Stadium. Ah well. At least Busch might make it into a Jimmy Fallon-Drew Barrymore movie. It's sad that the last season played at Busch couldn't have ended better. But congrats anyway, Cards, you won 105 games this season and played well until that major bump in the road called Boston. Oy. Alrighty then... I'll send out a big ol' GO RAMS and shush about sports.

I also can't believe that it's the last week of October. Where did the year go? I've been 24 for two months already....but on the other hand it feels like much much longer than two months, what with organic chemistry and attempting to work on writing...of course, with orgo I could stand to have many more weeks between me and the next test, which as it stands now is only two weeks. Sigh. Didn't we have a test last week? Yes. Wasn't it horrible? Relatively speaking, not horrible, but not anywhere near low-stress. I guess we'll see if I can handle writing and working problem sets at the same time. I want an iPod. (That seems random, doesn't it? But it would allow me to get away from the computer which contains a wonderful selection of music, yet is quite stationary sitting on my desk. My other desk, that is, the one at work, which doesn't help me when I'm studying at home.)

Kate's halloween party is this weekend. I'm excited. I hope she will dress up also...I missed dressing up all this year since I didn't do it at the StL renfaire and didn't go to the KC one. Ah well. Too bad I didn't have time to work on a HP robe. One day, grasshopper.

If all goes rightly, there should be a new layout up tomorrow. Cross your fingers that I actually got all the coding to work right. I hope I did.

artorius rex novare

  Moulin Rouge Soundtrack: Bolero

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 3:05 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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How cool is this? The Missouri Botanical Garden's MBGnet made Scientific American's 2004 list of Sci and Tech awards...Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Science & Technology Web Awards 2004: BIOLOGY

And oh yeah, the Cards play at home today! Silly American league winning the all-star game and getting homefield advantage. They should have played here last weekend (and won, I bet) when the weather was nice, not this week when it's supposed to be rainy, whereas it was crappy and cold weather up there in Boston last weekend and this week is supposed to be nice. Ah well. I've got my NLCS long-sleeve tee on today so hopefully that will project the winning spirit over to Busch and they will WIN! Go Cards!

Must remember MorgueFile for stock photos.

  Billy Joel: We Didn't Start the Fire

file under: getmoving , thoughts Posted by Jen at 10:12 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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THE CARDS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! Yahoo!

I luff my hostee Sara. Yay for Californians cheering for the Cards!

Cardinals at Boston, Saturday. I really want a Cardinals shirt now. Sweet! The hometown team is going for the whole show. Rock on, Redbirds! I guess I avoided the 'no watch and they win' bit tonight since the AHS drama rehearsal was tonight and they 'happened' to have a tv in the room, so it was on while we were singing. I was holding my music up in front of my face so I wouldn't stare at the screen. I saw the replay of Edmond's (ouch!) diving catch that probably saved the game (and was incidentally the cover photo of the early edition Post-Dispatch that was printed up sometime around the 7th inning, before they knew we'd won. I love that my dad works for the newspaper. You learn the most interesting things.) and I was the only one who noticed that we got that first one. Not so good for 'not watching the game,' eh? lol.

But I guess it was a good thing the rehearsal was tonight, even if they decided that we really do need weekly practices instead of just monthly if we're going to be the slightest bit ready for this celebration, even if they decided to do every other tuesday/thursday so I'll miss more tv (I know, I know, tv should not be so important to me, but hey, it's not like I've got anywhere else to go, so I've gotten attached to it...), even if they want to have the next rehearsal this coming tuesday when I was finally going to get to go to a Writer's Meetup before NaNoWriMo started (which I think I'll go to anyway, just because I really do need to get whatever kind of jumpstart on the 'novel' that I can, and I already know how to sing "America" from West Side Story), but I got to go home and 'watch' the last few innings of the game with the 'rents. My dad is so happy. He really gets into the games, and I know how much he would like to go to one in the stadium, especially since Busch is being torn down this year...*sniff* Tickets were something on the order of $125 for bleacher seats. Ugh. Would be cool to go though. Unfortunately I don't trust my record of watching games to even think about jinxing a World Series game. Superstitious? Who, me?

I realized that I don't think I've ever had a Cardinals jersey, and I'm about at my limit of red shirts, although my mom pointed out that I still have a Fredbird head that I suppose I could wear if I wanted to freak out my coworkers (Apparently I went through a phase when I was three or four when I absolutely loved Fredbird, the Cardinal mascot. And my mom [whom I love] made me a Fredbird costume. I worry about myself sometimes). I really want a Cards jersey now, perhaps Rolen (27, my favorite number!) or Pujols (5...that vision of Pujols really pulled through! For those of you who don't know, my dad is a very accomplished artist who did a painting of Pujols for an art show recently. It was really good. ) or Edmonds (15, after that spectacular catch). But I'd settle for one of those Band of Sluggers shirts.

Heh. I didn't even realize it, but this morning, I chose to wear RED SOCKS (or at least white athletic socks with a red puma) instead of my blue socks of the same type...and the Cards are going on to play the RED SOX...

It had to have been the rally beads. And the hot dogs that my dad made. And me not watching. I'm so proud of my hometown team. GO CARDS!

I guess I should get to bed. Even though it seems like it should be a friday night, it's only friday morning, and I have to be at work in eight hours. Sheesh. See you on the flip side. Yahoo! Rock on, Redbirds!

file under: celebration , getmoving Posted by Jen at 1:02 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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So yeah. This is just a silly entry, really, I just wanted to cheer for my hometown team, since they're playing another playoff game tonight. It's at home but of course it's supposed to rain tonight. Lovely. I'll just make sure I don't watch, and they should win! Right? Right.

I just discovered Ryan Cabrera. His song On the Way Down has been getting a little airplay on Y98 and I liked it enough to get it on iTunes...then I sampled the other songs and pronounced it good enough to get the cd. Which I now have (you can too), and since ELISAs are the most boring thing and take the longest time in the world, I've listened to it several times already today. Check it out. The record is produced by John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls (and he contributes a few background vocals) so it's pretty cool from the start.

One of these days I'm going to get Songs about Jane and II. Once I stop spending money on frivolous purchases. I really need to actively save for that new laptop/keyboard/digital camera. Meh. Hopefully essentially closeting myself in my room in front of my comp (please please stop flickering, monitor!) for NaNoWriMo will keep me out of the stores. Yeah. Need to write an outline for that, btw. Soon. Just as soon as I get some of the homework done for orgo. Ugh. Another test in a week and a half or something like that. Damn. Did I mention how the days were going by quickly?

  Ryan Cabrera: Echo Park

file under: getmoving , reallife Posted by Jen at 2:29 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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Well, I guess we did, in a way. See, the Drumsticks (my softball team) played the end-of-summer-league softball tournament on Saturday (and man, can I feel it...seems like soreness from the very first track meet all over again) and we managed to make it all the way to the finals. We didn't win, in fact we were pretty well out of it (don't know the final score but it was something like 16-9 or such) BUT we did manage to barely beat the team that won the tournament last year and in fact several years before that in the second round. The were on the top of the league, undefeated I think, and since they had a bye the first round we beat them 5-4 in their first game. They took it really hard, which we didn't understand until one of the other teams told us about their winning status. Whee.

We totally surpassed my expectations...I figured we'd at least make it to second round, maayyyybe the semi-finals, but certainly not the finals. Well color me wrong. It was a LOOOOONG day. First game at 10, then one at 12:30, then one at 3 and the final was at 5:30. All this when we normally play at 7 on thursday nights. Needless to say everyone got a little sunburned. I have a rather interesting tan since I wore a tank top and couldn't quite get the back parts of my shoulders. But that's ok. I think it was worth it, even if we didn't really 'win' anything...just the satisfaction of getting as far as we did. And we most certainly have a winning season under our belts. I like to think I helped out with that My only big bummer was that I managed to get the very last out of the game. I had a great hit, it just happened to go right to the second baseman who caught it. Ah well.

Dawn from the Cat's Meow (the team we beat) asked if she could play the rest of the games with us because she didn't get to play in the tournament last year and then of course this year, she was only in one game. She didn't get to play much but she was darn good at cheering. Whenever I would come up to bat she'd say "Let's go, Speedy!" The coach of their team was really serious about the game, she got our entire lineup and kept score for both teams. And she would keep track of what player did what last inning, like "He was a 6-1 last time!" (Which I think means he hit to shortstop who threw to first for the out). And when I came up to bat the first time against the Cat's Meow I beat out the throw to first So they said, watch out, she's got legs. Unfortunately there weren't too many breaks like that. We had to play hard against them. But haha, we won!

Per the email our coach just sent out, the scores were 12-1, 5-4, 16-10 (us) and 13-6 (the Ballers). Too bad we didn't win, but we went so far past everyone's expectations that you just have to feel good about it. Of course, my *body* doesn't feel good about it, but that's just the way it is. Gotta have a few times a year when you remind yourself how out of shape you are and that you really should get back into something athletic with some sort of regularity. We'll see how it goes now that it's approaching fall and the cold season...So that's the wrapup of the Drumsticks' season. Here's to next year!

And here's something to squee about for the next year or so: 'Lord of the Rings' exhibit will visit the Midwest... in 2005.

And since at least one of my vote supporters loves me:

  The Lion King (Broadway Musical): Endless Night

file under: celebration , getmoving Posted by Jen at 1:38 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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From Meteor Watching 101: Tips and terms

Meteor Watching Tips

> The part of Earth where dawn is breaking is always at the leading edge of our planet's plunge along its orbital path around the Sun. This part of the planet tends to "catch" oncoming meteors left by a comet, whereas the other side of Earth, where it is dusk or late evening, outruns the debris. For that reason, the hours between midnight and dawn are typically the best time to watch a meteor shower.
> Allow time for your eyes to adjust to darkness. A good hour is smart, so that you can also practice some prior to prime observing time.
> Dress warmer than you think you need to, especially in winter.
> Bring a lounge chair or blanket, so you can relax and look up with ease.
> During meteor showers, shooting stars appear to emanate from a point in the sky called the radiant. There are different ideas about how to use this fact to aid in spotting meteors. Robert Lunsford has these thoughts:
One idea is that it is preferable to look away from the radiant so that the shower meteors you see will be longer and therefore easy to detect motion. As Mark Davis stated one should look 20-40 degrees distant. At this distance the radiant is still in your field of view so that shower association is still fairly easy.
Those who look directly at the radiant can see shower activity travel in any direction. Shower association will be fairly obvious. Meteors that appear near the radiant will be foreshortened and therefore the motion will be more difficult to detect.

I would suggest that new observers face slightly away from the radiant. Those who enjoy good perception over a large field of view may be able to directly face the radiant with no problems. Those who prefer to face the radiant must not do so unless the radiant is at least 50 degrees high in the sky. If you don't then you are wasting the bottom portion of your field of view on the ground!

Apparently the best time for viewing in our area is around August 11-12, between midnight and dawn. Anyone want to go stargazing with me?

On the downside of life we were beaten severely at the game last night. The team we played was the first team to make us lose, back in the beginning of summer, and I hate their false advertising: they call themselves the Drunken Idiots when they most certainly are not. Argh. Mostly bad plays and several innings where we just hit to their players. Unless the ball was hit to left field, in which they had a stunning outfielder who covered all of left field and could do it, catching every long ball that went even remotely left. Argh. I did make it home once, but only batted four times. Almost caught a really high ball but I plead sun and general ineptness. I put my head down. Bah. Did make a really nice grounder bounce catch for an out at second, and a couple of pitcher/shortstop plays to second, but yeah. Not so hot out there, we were.

On the upside, grilling tonight! Friends over tonight! Harry's is a good place to eat at even when you've lost! Softball players like the Moonlight Ramble too! I actually have root beer and vanilla ice cream for a root beer float! Score!

Enough exclaimation points for you?

file under: getmoving , reallife Posted by Jen at 9:46 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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Getting fairly excited here. Going shopping with Kate tonight for the big camping trip this weekend. Although I don't know how much camping we'll actually do...we're sleeping in the state park campgrounds, but we'll probably spend most of the day out of them...yay swimming in the lake! swimming at johnson shut-ins! stupid jen for not telling her mommy she was going camping!

d'oh. I guess I told my dad, but not my mom. Sorry mommy! Do good at Hearts Hands and Voices for me. Sorry I'll miss it. Meh.

Avoiding aikido class tonight because I have to go shopping and I don't want to go alone. Here's hoping they don't mind alternate nights, Alex!

Someone remind me to sign up for Orgo. blah. And I have to check out the Hanson concert at the Pageant later this month. Hmm. Three concerts in two weeks? Yes, yes, I know. Hanson. But they have a new cd out and it's cool! Shut up. I'm allowed my silly music tastes.

King Arthur comes out today. Too bad I'll be busy...unless Kate wants to see a late movie. Most likely not. Sad, so sad. Kiera Knightley is just too pretty, even when she's blue.

  Counting Crows: Colorblind

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 5:55 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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I can't believe it's July already! And Independence Day is this weekend...seems like the year has gone by awfully fast! All of my Three of my movie premieres have gone by! Here's to King Arthur and I, Robot.

So that entry I posted a few days ago about the title of the 6th Harry Potter book is true. It will be called Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, who is neither Harry nor Voldemort for those of you curious. I can't wait to read it...hopefully, hopefully it will be out soon. Too bad JK Rowling doesn't keep her readers quite as updated as LK Hamilton...

No softball game tonight, in honor of the holiday, I guess. So we're going to the batting cages near my house, which is an odd coincidence. I mean, there've got to be many batting cages around, but they choose Tower Tee Then we'll go to Fortel's Pizza Den, which will mark the, oh, fifth time in a little over a week that I've had pizza for dinner. Maybe I'll just skip the pizza and have toasted ravioli. Yay St. Louis treat!

Have a good one if I forget to blog tomorrow. Celebrate your Independence! And yay holiday on monday

  Josh Groban: Remember Me (Troy Soundtrack)

file under: books , celebration , getmoving Posted by Jen at 5:12 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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something I forgot to mention previously...finally was able to get a scanner off ebay, and it arrived in prompt fashion, but was apparently damaged in transit, and of course I didn't have insurance on it, didn't think about it/didn't figure I'd need it. That is always the way. That is my life. Some piece that kept the scanning mechanism on track and level was broken. I found this out when I tried to scan something the first time...the scanner bar went down as it should but then could not return because one side had come out of line and when the mechanism tried to come back the bar jammed. So I got a prescan of the latest Orli-as-Will-Turner drawing I did last month, but then the thing jammed so we're out of a scanner again. I'm waiting to hear from the guy if I might get any money back. I don't really expect to, as it wasn't his fault at all (or at least I'm willing to believe that the guy wouldn't sell me something that was broken already), but maybe he'll feel generous. Eh.

I also got invited to play in a softball game with a coworker's team. It was quite fun, made more interesting given the fact that it's been at least four years since I picked up a bat and glove...I used to be on a team in middle school and we played the obligatory few games in high school PE. The main reason I was good for the team was I could run fast... so if I was lucky enough to not strike out (mainly through the un-stellar skills of the pitcher--I walked much more than I ever hit or tried to hit the ball) I would be able to either a) make it to first base because the throw was too slow to get there before me or b) get on first somehow and then steal a couple of bases to be in scoring position by the time someone with hitting skills came up to the plate. Anyway, present tense...I actually managed to hit the ball each time I went up, and made it to at least first base each time...yay beating out the throw! But I only made it to third twice...not my fault the team I was playing with wasn't exactly the greatest We lost, which meant the end of season 'tournament' didn't last very long for us...ok by me because I actually had to get home and head to the hospital to see my uncle. The game was made even shorter by the fact we played double innings...you'd bat for three outs then another three and then you'd switch to fielding. A little odd, and it's a coed league so some of the rules are a little weird, but hey, it was something active. I need more of that in my life. They asked me to come back next season We'll see. They play thursday nights (!) Everything is on thursday nights. This, most of the tv shows I like to watch during the week, SCA meetings (which of course I've never gone to, but I'd like to)... meh. Of course, today I'm terribly sore and that bugs me no end. I keep telling myself I should work out...and then I don't. Where is my motivation? Scratch that. I know what my motivation is. I'm just to lazy to act on it. I can still fit into my jeans, after all.

So, before this post degenerates into a self-pity exposition, I'll go back to reading the UK GQ article on Orlando and then go to sleep, me and my achy body. See you tomorrow.

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 12:20 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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Yes, we did indeed have a family night out. There's this place which used to be just the Concord Lanes (we used to bowl there, and they had a roller-skating rink) but now it's still got the bowling, but it's got a Maxi-golf (not mini-golf, mind you) course, with a nice setup...it's a cross between Native American and Mexico. I lost to both my parents. Ahem. I have stated repeatedly how much I hate regular golf, and while I don't loathe miniature golf, I am obviously not very good at it but there were some spectacular hole in ones, and some spectacular gimmies. Ah well. good clean fun. They've also got a climbing wall, so someday if I'm feeling athletic I might hop on over there. It could never be the same as when I tried it with Justin...the real thing is so much better. But at least it's something.

I need more sleep, so it's off to bed. Bon nuit!

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 12:22 AM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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I finally did it. I went rock climbing yesterday with my cousin Justin and my Aunt JoAnn. Whoohoo! I loved it, although I am nicely sore today. We did a couple of pretty easy routes, which Justin made look easy and both of us girls gamely attempted. I made it up all four of them, Aunt JoAnn only did three cause there was a run-in with Thor (their miniature poodle) and a large black dog. Don't know what happened cause I was up on the side of a cliff at the time, but suddenly there was this barking and whining and Aunt JoAnn was rolling around on the ground trying to protect Thor from this huge dog. Weird. But all was well eventually, just Thor was all dusty

It was great weather for it, 77 deg F in the first week of March. Can you believe it? Then it got down to 37 later in the evening. Really windy though. Kite enthusiasts were having a ball, I'm sure.

Broke out my running tights and wore my shirt from indoor conference last year, in honor of the Wash U track team being at indoor conference this year. They weren't doing so well on friday night when my dad and I checked the scores, so I thought I might as well cheer them on ironically they're competing in the same place (Brandeis U) that conf was at last year, due to the shortage of indoor tracks. But hoorah, the girls won (again that's five conferences in a row. Hopefully outdoor will show up a sixth, and a sixth year of winning outdoor confs. The guys got third, so congrats to them. Better luck outdoors!

I miss track. I really do. And I know it's terrible, but I felt sort of good when I found out that the girls didn't win by as large a margin as we did last year. You know, me and my two golds and placing in two other events which garnered me a MOP (most outstanding player) for the indoor conf. I mean, I'm glad they won. And indeed, all the things I won were won by Wash U gals...just not the same one. ah well. I know it's gonna bug me for the rest of my life to have that one semester of eligibility left. I wonder what it would have been like if I could have run sophomore year, how much better I would have been when Coach Rubin joined us. But maybe it would have been worse. I don't know. I shouldn't worry about it. There's not too much more I could have done to be happier with myself, aside from making it to Nationals. Which I dearly wanted to do. Alas, it was not to be.

I think it's time for lunch

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 4:11 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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I'm actually entertaining the idea of getting to bed on a different night than when I wake up, I'm so tired. 32-mile bike rides after a two-month hiatus tend to do that to you. I am going to hurt so much tomorrow.

At least I got to see the LotR dvd and we (finally!) got a dvd/vcr/tv. Yay! Let's hope it works...

file under: getmoving Posted by Jen at 10:57 PM | Permalink MTIfCommentsActive>|

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