WanderingAmylessly 2.0

That photographer guy I live with just won another award. We don't know the details, but the ADDY awards "show" is Feb. 25. If you see Tim, congratulate him. He'll be all humble and *aww shucks, it's nothing* but we know the truth. He totally deserves it. He's an amazing artist. While they haven't revealed the actual award he won, I do know which pictures were entered. Check them out. Click here for a slideshow from Dance Gala. They're gorgeous images.

People post a lot of junk on Facebook. But I kinda liked this.

New favorite song...

At Saloon, on the Ped Mall in downtown Iowa City, there's a margarita with my name on it. That margarita is salty and seductive, and it calls to me. I'd call back. But I'm continuing to keep my voice at a respectful level. In fewer than 8 hours, I'll be sitting with my drink in hand, winding down after a truly forgettable week. They call it Happy Hour for a reason. Wanna join us? 5 p.m. today. Cheers. (Someone reminded me that National Margarita Day is in February. I think we should definitely revisit this conversation in a few weeks...)

So today, I went for chuckles on Facebook. I posted a diagram that, in a nutshell, claimed that the only men who are handsome, smart, and nice are also gay. I think I may have offended my betrothed. I'm now going to tell a story, one that may get me in more hot water with the hubs. But it's true, and I love it. And I love him. I hope he forgives me. It was the summer of 1996. I had just had my heart broken by a man I thought I could trust. I told my mother I was never going to date again. I moaned and whined and cried and wanted to lock myself in my apartment and never come out. Then I got a phone call from someone. Turns out he was the photo intern at the paper where I worked. He and I had a mutual friend who suggested he call me and see if I wanted to have lunch. So we met. And after, I was on the phone with my mom, bemoaning my miserable life. She kept wanting to hear about this guy. "He is just a guy. We went to dinner. It was just dinner. Nothing more, Mom. He's a...

OH. Will this day never END. I had to sit through a two-hour conference call, juggle three deadlines, and remember to occasionally do necessary things like go to the bathroom or drink liquids so as to not become dehydrated. I am ready for a run. I can't wait to do something I want to do rather than HAVE to do. I WANT to leave my space in this chair in front of this computer before I HAVE a breakdown. But just in case you were wondering, I have managed to keep my volume (and/or my boisterous sighs and occasional fits of tears) at a respectful level.

There's a volume war going on in my office at work. The copy editors sit in a row of cubicles smack between two major hallways. We also sit just over the wall from project managers who lead conference calls all day every day. It's not exactly a library-voice volume in our area (although have you been in a library lately? it's not all shush-ey like back in the day). I used to work in a newsroom. At various places in my employment past, I had to write coherent, page-one stories while the people around me talked on the phone, watched the evening news, yelled at each other, told dirty jokes, chain smoked, threw things across the room, played trash can basketball, paced while thinking of the perfect lead, and asked me every five minutes when my copy would be ready. I kind of miss that. Maybe that's why I didn't much notice when the other editors started complaining about the noise in my current location. To me, it seemed perfectly normal when people walked past, chatting...

Someone posted this on Facebook. I stole it. Because I think it's brilliant.

Today is the Chinese New Year. This year is the Year of the Dragon. How will you celebrate? According to the Internets: Expect this to be a very energetic year, filled with optimism, power, and entrepreneurship. However, the year is of the water dragon, which means that even the most powerful will give a patient hearing to the weaker, and will try to see through their point of view. Better alliances and decision will take place. Will the politicians follow this prediction? Try to see each other's point of view? Don't hold your breath. Optimism and power? That does sound positive. Through my surfing adventure this morning, I learned that my Chinese zodiac sign in the pig. Not thrilled about that. However, I did learn that I'm a good match to my rooster husband and am seen as "nobel and chivalrous" and my "friends will be lifelong." Aww, shucks. Do you think my boss would buy it if I told her it's a holiday and skip out early? I'm in the mood to si...

“I love you, Not only for what you are, But for what I am When I am with you. I love you, Not only for what You have made of yourself, But for what You are making of me. I love you For the part of me That you bring out; I love you For putting your hand Into my heaped-up heart And passing over All the foolish, weak things That you can’t help Dimly seeing there, And for drawing out Into the light All the beautiful belongings That no one else had looked Quite far enough to find. I love you because you Are helping me to make Of the lumber of my life Not a tavern But a temple; Out of the works Of my every day Not a reproach But a song. I love you Because you have done More than any creed Could have done To make me good And more than any fate Could have done To make me happy. You have done it Without a touch, Without a word, Without a sign. You have done it By being yourself. Perhaps that is what Being a friend means, After all.” - Roy Croft

It may snow 1 inch. It could snow 8-10 inches. How's that for nailing it down? When I left the house this morning, there were a few stray flurries. Nothing like the near-blizzard Channel 9 had claimed would descend upon us today and bring us at least 7.5 inches. It boggles my mind that, in the age of apps and smartphones and instant information, no one seems to be able to accurately predict the weather. I'd do better to not listen to anyone and just stick my head out the window every morning and dress accordingly. I guess SOMEONE will claim a correct prediction when all is said and done, because, most likely, we will get at least 1 inch and no more than 10 inches. That someone probably went in a back room somewhere and threw a dart on a board. Or flipped a coin. Or consulted the Ouija board. Or shook the magic 8-ball. Will it snow? Yes, definitely. Will it snow more than 5 inches? Signs point to no. Click here to try your turn at the magic 8-ball. Edited to note: The superinte...

There's a huge uproar about an ABC television program. Again. No, it's not Dennis Franz's bare butt on NYPD Blue. This time, it's the F-word. Spoken by a toddler-ish girl. Bleeped out. The little actress didn't even actually say the word. The director had her say "fudge." But everyone's in a snit. Click here to read an article about the controversy. The show, Modern Family , was addressing the very real dilemma parents face when their children learn naughty words and say them out loud, often during the most awkward, uncomfortable public moments. I don't even watch this show. But I say, good for them, for putting a very real situation in a situation-comedy. Newsflash to the world: kids will say naughty words. Mostly, it's because they don't realize the wrong-ness of the situation. Or maybe they do know the words are taboo, and they say them for shock value. Henry and I were driving in downtown Iowa City on a gameday Saturday a couple years a...

Expect nothing and accept everything and you will never be disappointed. -- Laurence Overmire

Doogie's romance. I know he's on a new show that is wildly popular, and I should stop referring to him as Dr. Howser. But I can't help it. This was a sweet article (and the whole Love issue sounds perfect to gear up for V-Day). And the photos were lovely. I just kept wanting to say: Come to Iowa, Doogie! You can call him your husband here! Click here for a glimpse into The Love Issue

I realize I've been posting music a lot lately. In that spirit, I'm going to post a playlist to help me get through the day. Check out the tunes... Collide by Howie Day Tear in Your Hand by Tori Amos Forever and Almost Always by Kate Voegele The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson Catalyst by Anna Nalick What if You by Joshua Radin Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson Everywhere by Michelle Branch Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri Run by Leona Lewis Verdi Cries by 10k Maniacs Hands by Jewel Edited to add: Glitter in the Air by Pink Crash into Me by Dave Mathews Band Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol Fall Into You by David Hodges with Amy Lee Alone in this Bed by Framing Hanley Mad World by Gary Jules

I heard a song this morning that sounded more like poetry than a silly pop song. I'll share. Beside You by Marianas Trench When your tears are spent on your last pretense And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense. When it's in your spine like you've walked for miles And the only thing you want is just to be still for a while If your heart wears thin I will hold you up And I will hide you when it gets too much I'll be right beside you I am right be right beside you When you're overwhelmed and you've lost your breath When the space between the things you know is blurry nonetheless. When you try to speak but you make no sound And the words you want are out of reach but they've never been so loud I will stay. Nobody will break you, Trust in me, trust in me. Don't pull away Trust in me, trust in me. I'm just trying to keep this together, because I could do worse and you could do better Tears are spent on your last pretense And your tir...

There's a cat up a tree in Iowa City. Normally, that might lead to curious chatter with one's neighbors. But this made the local news. The evening news. The lead story on the evening news. The news hook to this story? The fire department refused to come rescue the feline from its 30-foot perch on the grounds that the cat had already bitten two people who had tried to rescue it and daring a rescue would only put the firefighters at undue risk. Undue risk? These men and women rush into burning buildings all the time. They're afraid a 10-pound tabby will nip at them? Ooh. I'm shaking in my boots. The cat was up there for five days, mewling and screeching pathetically. It was keeping the neighbors up, both with the noise and the concerns that the poor thing would waste away from lack of nourishment and exposure to the elements. Finally, yesterday morning, a local plumber rented a cherry-picker and swooped in to save the day. Kitty is resting at the animal shelter, being tr...

Not a huge Sting fan. But wow, I love this song. From the movie, "Sabrina":

I would like to take this opportunity, on the night when it's looking like Mitt Romney will win the New Hampshire primary, to give a shout-out to a terrific movie from 2004...just released on Blu-Ray! It's a movie I'm guessing Mitt would not approve of -- the story of a Mormon missionary coming to terms with his sexuality and his relationship with God.

So here we are, the second week of January. Blah brown landscape. No snow. Short days (but not nearly short enough when you're stuck at work). Nothing much exciting on the horizon to look forward to. I have a million things I could be doing with any free time I have -- among them, organizing the basement for a future renovation project, finishing several knitting projects, writing (something besides this blog yammering), reading (because when I can't make the words dance on the page, I'd like to experience someone else's attempt), making jewelry from the stash of baubles I collected last year. But nothing seems interesting enough to snag my attention and snuggle it close for more than a few minutes. Yep. Like I said, it's January. My mind's preoccupied with a mishmash of negative thoughts and frustrating inaction. I'm wrapped up in a frenzy of wishing. Wishing that I had more control over situations clearly beyond mine. Wishing some people didn't disapp...

First, Rick Santorum ended up a mere 8 votes away from winning the Iowa caucus on Tuesday night. Now, "Christians for a Moral America" (CFAMA) endorses him. (He was actually the group's second choice, but bat-sh**-crazy Michele Bachmann dropped out of the race so they needed to find some other ultra-right-wing, bible-thumping, come-to-Jesus kind of candidate to back while spouting their anti-everything agenda.) Ever heard of CFAMA? Piece of work. The group recently posted on Twitter a shout-out to pray for the death of British singer and former Wham! frontman George Michael, during his recent bout with pneumonia. And I quote: "Pray for George Michael's demise. He has chosen a satanic lifestyle and must meet an appropriate end." This is one of many reasons why being a Christian is, frankly, unappealing to me. Why would I want to associate with people who claim to be bearers of Christian love, yet clearly are driven by nothing more than hate hate hate. I spent...

Become a vegan. Join the ACLU. Donate to Planned Parenthood. Swear. A lot. Actively support legalization of marijuana. Faithfully watch Rachel Maddow. Recycle obsessively. Subscribe to The Advocate . Listen to every Dan Savage podcast available. Get a new piercing. Vacation in Canada (if I can't move there). Never drink tea -- party or not. Carry this bag: