oh, canada

i don't have time to get caught up on comments, but wanted to post a quick "hello" from st. stephen, new brunswick. (gotta love these free internet stations.) i've got a pile of pictures to tinker with when we get back to south carolina (possibly the d.c. area the night before), and a few subjects for posts when i get back.....thrilling things like:

~perhaps maine has lobster rolls at mc donald's after all
~how not to give yourself a hot oil treatment
~how to stop the pain after burning yourself during a hot oil treatment
~border crossings- a whole new sort of pain in the butt

okay- my fifteen minutes is up......off to hopewell rocks (and, eventually, prince edward island) we go.

i love free access!

just a quick "hello" from st. johnsbury, vermont....where they offer free internet access at the welcome center. i have a bunch of notes from the road to share- but a ten-minute limit on this computer (and you know how long-winded i tend to be), so i'll have to save it for later. i've been taking pictures, too, but i doubt i'll be able to put them up until after we're back in south carolina. (bear with me- i'm on vacation, after all.)

however, i can share the tragic discovery i made last night when we stopped for dinner (drive-through, of course) at mcdonald's: there are no lobster rolls at maine mcdonald's this summer i am crushed......and mentally composing hate mail to mickey d's.

okay- time to hit the road...take care of yourselves, gang.

i'm still here?

plan a: leave work after the class trip to our children's museum. be on the road by 2 p.m. and in washington, d.c. by 9 p.m.

yeah, uh....that didn't work out the way i'd planned. i wound up staying at school until a hair after 4:30, rana couple of quick errands, and now i'm at the radio station, taking care of five hours' worth of work i woul have done last night, had i not found myself dozing off in my car coming home from my afterschool job after midnight.

at this rate, we may be in d.c. by noon tomorrow.

but that's okay. after all, it's vacation...whenever it officially begins.

which reminds me:

~i will continue to collect a picture a day for my photo blog, though i might not be able to post them until we get back into town. bear with me- i'll make it up to you. (however, it's easier for me to post updates here, so i'll try to pound out at least a sentence or two whenever the opportunity presents itself. in the meantime, you can check out my favorite posts on the left sidebar......or my favorite blogs, also on the sidebar.)

~bodhi will be joining me on this trip, so feel free to check his blog for updates, too.

~i forgot to pack socks.....and a razor......and i need to locate my contacts so i can haul out my fancy (old fashioned, non-digital) camera.

okay- back to work so maybe i can hit the road sometime in the next twelve hours..........

afterglow

i am tired. dead tired. dog tired. pooped.

duran duran

we didn't get to meet the band- the "meet and greet", we were told, had been cancelled. however, we had great seats...which worked out well, because the digital camera we'd borrowed for the concert (no zoom on ours) had a dead battery. we were in the 13th row, though one of the security guards was kind enough to let me run to the front of the aisle to take pictures during the encore. (this was after walking up to me- right after i'd taken bodhi's picture- and said "what's with the gnome?")

in addition to the permitted cameras (folks who'd forgotten theirs could purchase disposables for a mere $15 each), there were camera phones all over the place. i'm afraid i found it more than a little unsettling when i counted more folks waving cell phones instead of lighters during "ordinary world". what a sign of the times........

but it was totally worth it.

i am what i am...or what you want me to be

okay, back to my mission to get in touch with myself.......i'm sure you've googled yourself, but have you checked out what google really thinks of you? i found this on jurgen nation.

my results? well, if you're really interested, here's an abridged list:

*duff is under pressure to what? under pressure to what???
*duff is the real thing like coke classic?
*duff is the real thin i may have lost a pound or two lately- thanks for noticing.
*duff is online yes i am...unless i'm at work. please leave a message at the beep....
*duff is close to signing a new contract with blackburn how many zeros are we talking about here?
*duff is desirable because the litter is usually much less dense than the duff i know googlism did not just call me dense.
*duff is a supporter of the effort to restore the bird island lighthouse sure- wherever that is.
*duff is group leader of numerical analysis in the computational science and engineering department crap- would i have needed to pass statistics in college for that?
*duff is tackled by liverpool's jamie carragher only because i let him (hope he's cute)
*duff is ready to make trouble always
*duff is happy to have three new members let's see- i pick you...and you...and you
*duff is a musical instrument similar to a tambourine so you have to hit and shake me to play me? i think i'll pass.
*duff is single and he's taken up astrology in hopes of increasing his chances of finding a wife errr...no.
*duff is anne marie / theresa *checking birth certificate* sorry- not even close.
*duff is one of irelands leading architectural companies so we'll move the blarney stone about 50 feet, then?
*duff is known as a "players coach" sure- what am i coaching?
*duff is overpriced nah- i'm worth every penny
*duff is up to lately? find that out what am i up to? 5'2", if i stretch.
*duff is springfield's leading brand in beer it took this many results to get a simpsons reference? jeez.
*duff is a widely published author i didn't think i was there yet, but if google says so, who am i to disagree?
*duff is a native of the texas gulf coast and spent time as a child attending school and playing with children from the nearby alabama uh, not quite. i was born in colorado.....and have been to alabama a grand total of three times.
*duff is a bed and breakfast with ambiance that invites you to relax and enjoy genuine "down under" hospitality whoa- what kind of hospitality am i providing here?
*duff is more amusing than elmore leonard well, thank you.
*duff is founder and ceo of bold ventures group does this mean i can stop working weekends?
*duff is poised to move from blackburn rovers to either liverpool or manchester and i'm moving the blarney stone....because you said i could.
*duff is not for sale everyone has their price- mine just happens to be out of your budget.
*duff is completely consumed by work
*duff is not there either as you can see maybe you can't- i am short, after all.
*duff is worth more yes- yes, i am.
*duff is a mother and the editorial page editor at the coloradoan no and no
*duff is one of nine defencemen the rangers have signed for the upcoming season is it a high dollar contract? if so, maybe i should take up the sport (whatever sport we happen to be talking about here.
*duff is from sonoran desert of the southwest no, but i've been there.
*duff is burned when the moisture content of the upper duff is below 30 percent note to self: keep moisture content above 30%
*duff is busy in the studio recording with a talented vocalist this is old- the vocalist in question was sinatra
*duff is the inspirational leader of the university of michigan women's gymnastics team this alter ego sounds pretty cool
*duff is the oskar klein professor of physics and director of the michigan center for theoretical physics at the university of michigan in ann arbor i'm teaching psychics? oh- physics? isn't that a complex science? it is? can i get a tutor, perhaps?
*duff is to work on a document on the status of the charter of fundamental rights of the eu you have the right to remain silent. anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.... not those rights? oh. sorry.
*duff is remarkable for the energy and determination with which he has pursued a difficult and thorny path hmmm...i seem to have had a sex change no one bothered to tell me about.
*duff is supported by voluntary contributions from fans all over the world sweet! when can i expect the first checks to roll in?
*duff is another indication of a superior intellect e=mc2
*duff is a chief flight surgeon sure- as long as i don't have to see any blood
*duff is a seasoned professional with ten years experience a professional pain in the butt? i'm your huckleberry.
*duff is close to signing a new contract with the ewood park club another high-dollar deal, i hope.
*duff is a former standout at glen este high school and a sophomore golfer at kent state university only if those little windmills are involved
*duff is taking a different boat around new zealand than ireland anyone care to join me?
*duff is pumice not quite, but that reminds me- i could use a pedicure.
*duff is quick with a laugh aha! they finally found me!
*duff is our fave actress thanks *blushing*
*duff is a managing partner in the law firm of baker donelson in washington "managing partner"? that must mean i'm rich.

my favorite part? the "duff is overpriced"/"duff is worth more" contradiction.

a few monday morning diversions

my birthday got pretty much rained out, so i had ample time to find things to amuse myself with in an effort to further put off the real work i could have been attending to.

the movie poster quiz

i got 15 out of 15- how about you?

oh- i found this a little late, but here's what they had to say about my birthday over at blogthings:

Your Birthdate: July 17

Your birth on the 17th day of the month suggests that you are very lucky financially, because this date indicates a solid business sense. Although you are probably very honest and ethical, this birthday enables you to be shrewd and successful in the world of business and commercial enterprise. You have excellent organizational, managerial, and administrative capabilities enabling you to handle large projects and significant amounts of money with relative ease. You are ambitious and highly goal-oriented, although you may be better at starting projects than you are at finishing them. A sensitivity in your nature, often repressed below the surface of awareness, makes it hard to give or receive affection.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

and another contribution from blogthings:

In 1978 (the year you were born)

Jimmy Carter is president of the US US Senate votes to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999 Israel and Egypt reach a peace settlement at the Camp David Accords The US and mainland China announce that they will restore full diplomatic relations Members of Jim Jones' People's Temple commit mass suicide in Guyana Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pope in centuries Ted Bundy is captured in Florida The first computer bulletin board system is created Garfield debuts in newspapers Ashton Kutcher, Kobe Bryant, Usher, Clay Aiken, and Nelly Furtado are born New York Yankees win the World Series Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl XII Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Saturday Night Fever and Grease are the top grossing films "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees spends the most time at the top of the US charts Diff'rent Strokes and Mork & Mindy premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

just when i wondered if i'd ever amount to anything, this came along:

This has been another pointless
diversion by Bijouriel

finally, something for larry:

Which monkey are you?
Another pointless diversion from Bijouriel

funny...i don't feel old.

well, it's happened. i'm officially 27 (by almost exactly three hours).

how am i celebrating? well, i'm at work.......all day. however, working at the radio station means i can play last year's birthday serenade from my sister again....which i just did. you can listen to it here: sister_bday
i'm also spending the day demanding that would-be requests be prefaced by "happy birthday, duff". (yes- that noise you just heard was yours truly cracking her whip.)

while we're at it, if you're really lucky, i'll put up my biggest fan's birthday wishes from last year. (when he called today, not only did he forget to wish me a happy birthday, but he also called to tell me that if i hear from a particular listener, i am to tell her that he saw her on t.v. when she was 8 or 10, and thought she looked very pretty.)

radiofan_bday

anyway, back to me.

in honor of my birthday, i'm starting a new blog. it's going to take me a little while to perfect it, but if you'd like, you can sneak a peek at it here.

i don't know about you, but my birthday tends to depress me a little. if i sit still too long, i start pondering my own mortality and dwelling on my (lack of) accomplishments.

so, instead, this year i'll try to focus for a moment (or two or three) on what i've accomplished thus far. (i'm allowed to toot my own horn on my birthday, right? right?)

1. i was born on 17 july 1978 at 5:28 a.m. (or was it 5:22? i can't remember...feel free to correct me mama- after all, you were there.) since so many things could've gone wrong between conception and my debut, i consider being born my first accomplishment.

2. a tornado tore through our neighborhood (in a denver suburb) when i was three. obviously, i survived. (i thought it was a train and kept heading toward the window for a better look.)

3. despite my underachiever tendencies, i scored high enough on the ACT to earn a scholarship.

4. i was voted "class clown" my senior year of high school.

5. i've been to mardi gras.....sober.

6. i made it through college in four years...with three BAs.

7. shortly after college, i moved halfway across the country- by myself. i pulled into columbia, sc, five years ago today with a carload of my worldly possessions and directions to keith and rhonda's house. (on a side note, when i called each of my parents to let them know i'd arrived, both of them forgot that it was my birthday. i was crushed.)

8. i've had a paying job in radio since i was 21. (an NPR affiliate in college, followed by classic rock and modern rock stations upon my arrival in south carolina, and i've been on the air at wnok for over 3 1/2 years.) i was on full time briefly at one point.....i'd like to get back to that sometime in the next two years.

9. i've hiked to the bottom of the grand canyon.....and made it back out again under my own power.

10. i've kayaked on the colorado river.

11. i've been to every state except washington, oregon, idaho, montana, utah, texas (i don't count airports), alaska, and hawaii. i've also been to spain twice (madrid on one trip, barcelona on the other), france (mostly paris), mexico (twice...once in a stroller, and the second time this past april), and canada (manitoba, quebec, new brunswick, nova scotia, prince edward island).

12. as of this coming wednesday night, i will have seen three out of my four favorite bands in concert...twice each. (inxs in april 1994 and september 1997, depeche mode during the devotional and exciter tours, duran duran in november 2003 and on wednesday night, and u2 during their popmart tour.)

okay....so i suppose i've got a couple of entries for my life resume. over the next year, i'd like to add the following:

1. visit three new places. (i've got two planned- just need to work on a third.)

2. eat 100 tacos (no problem there)

3. find an intact conch shell at the beach. (this seems to be the holy grail of shells for me....i can find broken ones, but an intact shell seems to be just out of my reach for some reason.)

4. get in a position (financially) where i can afford to work less and play more. (actually, i may need a couple of years for that one.....)

5. take a picture every day...and remember to post them on my new blog.

oh- and don't think that just because i'm 27 now i'm going to start acting like a grown up. maybe i'll consider it by forty...though i doubt it.

a few new faces

in the interest of broadening one's horizons once again, it's time again for a cruise around the blogosphere.

first, as you may have read, i passed the 10,000 pageload mark on the fourth of july. as promised, here's a link to the blog of number 10,000.

while exploring that blog, i stumbled upon this one.

also, while clicking around other folks' blogs, i found this, this, and this- all interesting and worthwhile diversions.

also, while i'm providing links, here's one of my regular readers. and here's another.

which reminds me- one of these days, i need to tinker with my sidebars again. perhaps after the rollout of my supersecret project.

finally, here are a few blogs found by clicking that convenient "next blog button" (and skipping the sales blogs, offers to see various actresses naked, and anime click-throughs):

songs about coffee
nuudlings
jane loves tarzan

any other suggestions?