supercheesegirl

I had the day off on MLK day. I always forget about this, so I never plan anything exciting, but that was perfect because instead I got a lot of useful things done. And I always feel like I never get useful things done, so I am posting my list of things I accomplished that day so I can look back on it and feel better sometimes. Like now, in fact.

Things I Did on MLK Day (January 17, 2011):
had breakfast with F
showered
reorganized my cookbook binder (while watching all the HGTV shows I could get On Demand)
wrote a letter to Leilani
sewed patches on my backpack (again, while watching HGTV shows)
played nintendo
had lunch
worked on my poetry
worked on poetry submissions
4:30: got ready for yoga class
4:45: started dinner
had dinner with F
attended yoga class at East Eagle

NPR's Top 100 Beach Books ( Read more... )

Things to do before F's visit:

swap summer clothes for winter clothes
put out halloween decorations
vacuum, dry swiffer floors
wipe down kitchen
clean bathroom
wet swiffer bathroom, rest of apartment
hide F's christmas presents
take clothes to consignment shop
iron suit and put away
take dress to dry cleaners
mail packages
write fandom_grammar feature about verbs
come up with list of questions for St. Joe's open house
do church website research (or inquire RE putting off till next month)
change sheets

Full title: Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door. Truss wrote Eats, Shoots and Leaves, which I loved, and which is really a very well thought out and well researched rant about how people should use correct punctuation and how the lack of correct punctuation both contributes to and is a result of illiteracy, and therefore by using good punctuation and correcting bad punctuation we are supporting literacy efforts in society. I picked up this book because I was excited to see her name on it. In essence, Truss rants about rudeness for the same reasons that she does about punctuation: that the lack of good manners and the escalation of rude behavior both signals and contributes to the downfall of society. She makes a good argument for just being nicer to each other, for pity's sake.

Truss covers all varieties of rudeness, from drivers who cut you off on the highway and give you the finger, to loud cell phone conversations on the train, to the endless automated menus you get when you call your bank, to retail clerks who can't be bothered to be pleasant, let alone helpful. She also covers the "Universal Eff Off Reflex", by which any person's response to any sort of criticism is to tell the other person to "Eff Off", rather than considering whether maybe just maybe oneself might have been at fault.

Truss talks about how in modern society we've lost all the social niceties that characterized, say, upper class Victorians, and in a way that's a good thing, because a lot of those "manners" were there to exclude and mark out the lower class people who didn't belong. However, nothing has really replaced those old rules--we don't have a new set of social values to act on. Everybody has their own set of rules they think are correct, and everybody's set of rules is different, and everybody thinks they're right and everyone else is wrong. Everyone disagrees about what constitutes "good manners". Also, Truss argues that people are becoming less aware of each other, and less aware that other people deserve respect, and so don't notice or care when they are rude.

One thing I liked was the following list (pp. 152-3), which Truss describes as "twenty (mostly lapsed) reasons to show special politeness to other people that have nothing to do with class":

1. they are older
2. they know more than you do
3. they know less than you do
4. they got here first
5. they have educational qualifications in the subject under discussion
6. you are in their house
7. they once helped you financially
8. they have been good to you all your life
9. they are less fortunate than you
10. they have achieved status in the wider world
11. you are serving them in a shop
12. they are in the right
13. they are your boss
14. they work for you
15. they are a policeman/teacher/doctor/judge
16. they are in need
17. they are doing you a favor
18. they paid for the tickets
19. you phoned them, not the other way around
20. they have a menial job

For me personally, I am courteous in the vast majority of situations on that list just by instinct. Clearly my mama raised me right. It comes as a shock to me that (for example) someone would not be polite to a person who had been kind to them all their life. I have always been horrified to hear stories of people being rude to someone while in that person's house, or after that person had bought the tickets, or to someone who's doing them a favor. I think one of the scariest aspects of those situations is that the rude person has no idea that he's being rude, and it's rude to tell him so, and he'd tell you to Eff Off if you did, so in essence you're helpless. I find that really horrifying. I think it's really sad that Truss needed to make a list of these reasons to be polite to others. I thought it was an interesting and useful list, and that we can all use some reminding to be kind to the people on that list, so I am posting it without an LJ-cut even though it's long. I hope you have all read it.

A line I really enjoyed:

After discussing the many, many role models in pop culture for rudeness, crassness, and nastiness, Truss states, "Count the role models for respectfulness, on the other hand, and after a couple of hours you will have to admit there is only one: Babe. That's it. Just one small sturdy imaginary sheep-pig stands between us and total moral decay." (pp. 172-3) It's true. And I absolutely adore Babe, I can't help it.

Truss is remarkably funny and sharp in her writing. As in her earlier book, she is also extremely British, and focuses on the British specifics of the problem, but I'm okay with that because most of what she writes is completely applicable to Americans as well, and also because it's such fun to read her.

Conclusion: definitely a worthwhile read. I enjoyed Eats, Shoots and Leaves more, but this book is also highly recommended, particularly to old fogies who will enjoy having someone to rant about those hooligans with. I don't know if the hooligans in question would get anything out of it, but I would recommend it to them as well in the hopes that they would.

To Do this weekend:

- edit Lauren's group project
- dishes
- laundry
- purge filing system and file stuff
- read poems
- write!
- haul sorry ass to the gym
- send out submissions
- pack for Florida
- move rugs

See how I put some things on the To Do list that I already did? That's so I won't feel so bad about already having wasted most of my Saturday. Clever, huh?

To do today:
- take laundry to mom's house
- get gas
- go to CompUSA Walmart and the internets for external hard drive, new speakers
- stop at Target for stuff
- laundry, hang out with mom, maybe a movie
- get groceries on the way home (if not got at Target) (no longer necessary; Mom gave me milk)

To do this week:
- take down holiday decorations
- gym as often as possible
- figure out new security box and put things in it
- WORK ON FINISH ESSAY and make copies
- find doctor, make gyn appointment
- see Lisa and Trish
- put a hold on my mail while I'm away
- don't kill self with work
- pack for Key West (remember to make copies of essay!)
- pay bills and/or schedule payments, at the end of this week, for payment after 1/15
- wash dishes
- return library books

Okay. I have finally figured my shit out for the holidays.

Sat 12/23: make pumpkin cookies. get manicure. holiday party at the Chancellors'.
Sun 12/24: Christmas Eve.
Mon 12/25: Christmas Day.
Tue 12/26: taking the day off. maybe shopping with my mom, maybe shopping with amy. we'll have to make plans.
Wed 12/27: taking a 2/3 day off. maybe shopping with my mom, maybe shopping with amy. my mom was talking about going downtown maybe, so this might be a good day for that since I'll need to go downtown anyway for work.
Thu 12/28: normal day at work :(
Fri 12/29: taking a 1/3 day off. leaving work to catch the 3:30 R1 train to the airport. 5:50pm flight to Denver with sarah, arriving at 8:11pm Denver time. hugs and squees with pregnant amy & josh to follow.
Sat 12/30-Mon 1/1: festivities in Denver, exciting new year celebrations, getting together with chrysta and tammy.
Tue 1/2: 1:45pm flight from Denver to Philly, arriving at 7:08pm Philly time. sarah will have an 8:10 flight back to CT, and hopefully someone will pick me up at the airport.

These are my Official Plans. Now everyone who needed to know that can plan accordingly. \m/

To pack for this weekend (duffel bag):
- pretty dress, strapless bra, white sandals
- pretty skirt, black top, black sandals, black sweater-something, black bra? (or possibly: the awesome stripey pants, brown tank?)
- the hot jeans, comfy sandals, something appropriate to wear dancing, two cute t-shirts
- something to sleep in, three pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks just in case, bathing suit??
- cell phone charger, ipod charger, battery charger, camera, batteries

To pack for this weekend (backpack):
- homework: any essays for workshop, assignment for editing class, Orwell essay
- books - Lawrence, TotS v.4, something else?
- wedding card
- Bear
- toiletries in virgin atlantic bag (see below)
- lotion?
- sandals if they don't fit in the duffel
- leave some room for sweatshirt

To pack for this weekend (virgin atlantic bag):
travel shampoo/cond., soap, toothbrush, travel toothpaste, lens disinfectant, contact cleaning cup, hair goop (curling or de-frizzing? or both depending on room), razor, deodorant, face cream, face wash, pills (tylenol, vitamins, allergy), contact case with lenses in it, makeup? just in case

To wear on Friday:
- the favorite jeans, t-shirt, favorite bra, green sneakers, grey sweatshirt, corduroy jacket, glasses

To do before Friday:
- go to CVS for travel-sized items, contact cleaning solution, allergy eye drops
- PRINT DIRECTIONS!!!!! PACK DIRECTIONS!!!
- shave everything
- try on clothes to make sure they go with each other

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The weather looks like it's going to be beautiful this weekend. I'm so glad. Wedding will be at the Maitland Art Center--if you click on their weddings/events link, you can see some pictures of past weddings there. The gardens and all look really pretty.

The Alli and The Amy, can you think of anything I should have that isn't on these lists? I can borrow a towel, right?

I am so excited to be going somewhere where warmness will not be an issue!

here's what else i need to do before the party (just so i remember):

tonight:
-call amica and find out WDP is up with my insurace/inspection/registration etc.
-call judy jetson hair and see if i can get an appointment for saturday
-call my mom
-prepare for my interviews tomorrow
-eat dann's yummy chicken, and hopefully watch last night's enterprise which jorn so thoughtfully taped for me

tomorrow:
-go to 8:00am interview, bring change of clothes so folks at work don't think i'm nuts for wearing my good suit on casual friday (i'm thinking i'll just switch to a white shirt with my suit pants to look a little more laidback, then switch back to suitness for my next interview at 4:00).
-make sure to leave work by 3:00 so i can be on time for 4:00 interview.
-tomorrow night, wear comfy pants and refuse to leave the house. bake bread, make fudge.

saturday:
-before i go anywhere, start the fondue cooking
-hair appointment?
-go to the Otis House for a few hours, hopefully in the morning, and try to shadow a tour or two
-make sure my room is clean, jorn's room is clean, and that someone is going to run to the store for mass quantities of strawberries and bananas
-set out candles, ask dann to light them while i cook cook cook
-cook cook cook!
-get changed, take tylenol, have fun

jorn and i are going to the movies after work today. hooray! i'm excited to see the pirates again, and to see them with jorn.

got a coupon in the mail from jiffy lube--i was glad i didn't follow my first instinct and just throw it out, because it's for $4 off my next "signature service oil change", which i'm thinking would be a really good idea before i try to drive the car all the way to boston. i also looked on jiffylube.com and saw that they offer a windshield wiper change service, so i'll do that too--i don't think i've mentioned it, but my drivers side wiper is doing this weird thing where it keeps sliding out, to the point where when it's raining the wiping motion makes it slide out further and further until the lower half of the windshield is covered with water and there's a big rubber piece flapping around at the top of the wiper. i certainly don't know what to do with it besides just slide it back, and it just keeps sliding out again, so i'll get it changed. i think i'm going to be trusting my car to jiffylube from now on. yeah.

if you see me around, remind me to do this stuff, okay?

things to do:

-stop at target after the movie to get sandwich bags and more packing tape (i've already almost used up the one jorn got for me on saturday)
-pancakes on wednesday
-keep packing! bring the rest of the boxes in from the car
-take car to jiffylube for an oil change and get the windshield wipers changed too
-make an appointment for a haircut for this weekend (and then remember to go to the appt)
-watch the last three episodes of buffy season four with rhett
-work on getting a new NC drivers license (so i can sneakily keep the one with the good picture after i move)
-tear the lining out of the lemon dress
-find out specifics about the bats game--time and how to get there
-stop by uncg: ask jim to write me a reference letter (hey, it can't hurt), and stop by CASA to say hello
-call uncg's career services people to make sure they received reference letters from everyone who was supposed to write me one, and give them my new address