Back to My Geek Roots

The hubs and I enjoy Netflix, as does pretty much everyone else in this great nation of streaming TV and movies. It's one of the best things to think of something you've always wanted to see and find it streaming, to watch at your leisure. Sometimes Netflix's "suggestions for you" are a bit off, but sometimes they're amazingly spot on. Take for example, Farscape, the great Australian-American science fiction series. I loved watching that as teen, and of course immediately added it to my instant queue. Which sparked an adding frenzy of all the old goodies. Sliders, The X-files (David Duchovny is the awesome), Firefly, Xena: Warrior Princess, and then, because it happened to pop into my head: Rainbow Brite! My sister and I would re-rent and re-watch that movie over and over and over again. I remember we would choose our favorite characters, who we would be if we were Rainbow Brite and friends. I can't remember what I wanted to be, but my sister wanted to be her horse, Starlite.

What a treasure trove of awesomeness right on my laptop! It's so exciting it makes me want to heat up some hot chocolate, wrap up in a thick quilt, and lay down on the floor to enjoy my favorite TV shows as I once did so many years ago.

Life-Line of a Cold

I have been sick for the past couple of days, and it just so happened to coincide with the week that tests and OMG A PRESENTATION!! are due. That little freak out? In the previous sentence? That was in real time. I just remembered about the presentation. I was supposed to give it last Monday, but my professor has been sick, so I'm assuming this week will be the week she decides that I'm not too sick to reschedule. :/ Anywho, I've decided to outline the lifeline of the common cold, as experienced by me, because I'm bored and relieved my first test is done with, and I'm sick, so I'm allowed to complain.

In the beginning, all you notice is that your throat feels funny. It's not sore, it's just - weird. It might itch, or be sore, but pretty soon you're coughing.

Next day, you start to get snotty. Not too bad, but along with the snot comes the realization that you are indeed getting sick, and that you're body is letting you know by letting you feel crappy.

After that, you wake up with enough mucus to drown a walrus, a barking cough, and a head-ache. You miss church.

Next day, surprise! It's Monday. You actually can't miss today, because you have a test. A test for which you tried to study for the day before, but you just felt too crappy and ended up laying down in a cool room. So, hacking and coughing and sniffling and throat clearing loudly, you go to your school's library and study for 3 hours, all the while listening to sounds of rain and thunder on your iPhone because the library is more of a social place than a study place for these students, and you can't concentrate when there are so many conversations. Also, you can't hear how loud you're being, which makes blowing your nose/coughing, and throat clearing less embarrassing. I KNOW they can hear me, and they are thinking what I would be thinking, mainly, "Go home, you sick loser! No one wants your germs! Why are you here?!" but I soldier on through studying and the test.

Home, food, bed. In that order. Wake up from a relatively short nap to find that you are snottier, coughy-er, and achier than when you went to sleep. Also, if you don't have something good to drink soon, you may die.

I hate being sick.

So I've implemented a plan. I will now eat the suggested servings of fruits, veggies, meats, nuts, and dairy for my weight everyday. It's been three days running, and I'm doing pretty good. I'm also going to begin working out, three times a week. I haven't begun this part of the plan, as I am currently too sick to breathe, let alone do kick-boxing. I am also increasing my water consumption. From nothing. Today I have had 9 ounces. And yes, there is an app for all of these plans. Yay apps!

BUGS!!!

The hubby and I are house-sitting for a friend, and that requires that we stay for awhile. They have three cats and an ancient dog; all of them require food early in the morning (6:30 AM) and early evening (again 6:30). On top of that, the dog needs medication morning and night, as well. So, we've been staying n the house, catching glimpses of the two shy kitties, Ernie and Suki, and talking to the brazen kitty, Helen, and being careful of Missy, the dog so old she could probably tell us stories about "the good ol' days" when Full House played in the early afternoons and the ice cream man actually stopped and gave you ice cream for a dime.

The point of all of that set-up was to tell you about the terror I was confronted with when I went to take a shower in the house, which is rather old so bugs are something that must be confronted, I suppose. Anyway, I turned on the light and *tried to* gasp. I say *tried to* because I have a bit of a cold, and my throat is dry, hoarse, and pretty much useless right now, so the best I could do was squeak almost inaudibly. As a result, my husband didn't exactly come running. He didn't really coming running when I sprinted back into the bedroom and squeaked "There's a huge freaking bug in the bathtub!" either. But he did get up, and . . . the bug was gone when we went back into the bathroom. THE BUG WAS GONE!

Actually, this might do it justice.

We searched everywhere, and the hubs even ran the faucet for a few seconds in case it was hiding in the drain, but I've already told him I will not take a shower until he does and comes out unbitten/unstung/unattacked.

*shiver**gag**OMG it's looking at me*

Fun Little Game

So, I sometimes like to play random point'n'click games that don't take long, you know - just to kill some time and whatnot. I know myself, and I know that starting a game of Myst is like signing away at least 4 hours of my day, so sometimes I make do with online casual games *gasp*. I found one today that I quite enjoyed. It was a fun diversion, and I thought it had great graphics and a sweet interface. It took me maybe ten minutes to get through, and I was very disappointed to find it has only 1 installment, whereas 10 installments are currently in the wings. But, as indie game creators, the makers are asking for donations. If you play and enjoy the game, or just support the indie gaming movement, maybe you should donate! Here's the link. ;) Make me a happy Geek Girl!

P.S. Their goal is quite . . . expansive, and they are nowhere near it. With less than a month to go I will not get my hopes up, but still!

Inside a Geek's Bag

I was carting my giant purse around today and realized that although it was heavy, I felt as though everything in it was essential for the day. I know not everyone would have the same detritus in their purses/bags/backpacks, but that's what makes me a geek, and YOU a normal person. So, a list! Not a top ten for Tuesday, but close enough.

Inside my bag:

1. Outside, left pocket - three different pens and my iPhone. Keeping my phone close at hand is a MUST everyday, but if I threw it into the main part of my bag, there is a possibility I would never find it again.

2. Outside, right pocket - enough spare change to purchase a myriad of delicious snacks and beverages in case of emergencies, like 2 minutes until class but I'm starving/thirsty/need caffeine!

3. Inside, hidden pocket - lip balm, cherry Chapstick, and a tiny vial of white jasmine perfume. I suffer from chapped lips and I also have this stupid habit of biting my lips, which contributes to chapped lips. Also, the little perfume smells amazing and is "supposed" to relieve stress.

4. Inside, giant Mary Poppins pocket - a family-size bag of strawberry twizzlers, because they are freaking delicious!!

My Nook - because you don't go anywhere without something to read.

A book of cryptograms - because they're fun and entertaining and I like puzzles.

A huge spiral bound, college ruled notebook, with two inside pockets - because you don't go to college without taking notes if you want to be an A student. At least, I don't.

A planner - I usually use my phone for dates and times and important events, especially since it has a way to send an "alert" to remind me of the event/paper/project. However, there is just something very satisfying to crossing something physically off of a list.

A large gray wallet - because every girl needs a place to keep the dozens of little rectangular cards that identify her, her insurance, her bank, etc.

Medicine - because I take some.

What's in YOUR purse? Do you carry anything unique or have a favorite item you wouldn't leave home without?

Saturday General Conference - (Hopefully) A New Habit

Usually, when general conference rolls around, I start out with the intention to listen, but if I don't engage myself, or have a strict goal in mind, I usually end up with sleeping, or doing other things, which end up distracting me. But I recently started following quite an inspiring blog by a woman who has so many good tips and ideas, as well as just fun posts, so I decided to follow her trail.

She had these packets, which she said she used during conference, and offered them up freely. They had pictures of the prophet and other likely speakers, as well as lines to write about covering the topic and any "ah-ha" moments you might have. She suggested a Friend page for littler ones. Naturally, I went there. Lol.

I printed out a packet for conference, each page giving space for writings or drawings for each speaker. It also gave ideas at the beginning, such as "What would you like to learn from this conference?" And an afterward of how to better use what you have learned. I printed these out, then sat directly in front of my laptop, and watched as well as listened. And I wrote. I was even impressed upon to write out a testimony concerning enduring, which I plan on giving next Sunday. (I may chicken out; we'll see).

All in all, I felt like I really gained from this conference, and I plan on doing much the same for following conferences, because my goals (which are personal) are always going to need to be rebuilt and built upon. I can now join others in saying I love the feeling conference gives me. :)

Edit: The blog can be found here. Enjoy!

A Rose by Any Other Name . . .

One of my brothers-in-law is what I call a youngun', at only 17. So he has access to some classics that I would love to read and whatnot, as that's what they tend to go over in high school English. So when I saw the No Fear: Shakespeare in Plain English, I got very excited and asked if I could borrow it. But when I got it home and cracked it open. . . I was aghast! I could only read through five sonnets, and then had to put it away, lest my ranting cause my head to ignite in flames of ire. (I feel like I may have been channeling him a bit there. Lol.)

See if you feel the same. Here's a very short example of a piece of work from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream:

Egeus: With duty and desire we follow you.

'In Plain English':

Egeus: We're following you not only because it is our duty, but also because we want to.

OMG. . . It kind of hurts, actually. Imagine what just happened there, but with one of your favorite sonnets or plays, or even a favorite line! It completely ruins the flow, the feeling, that Shakespeare evokes! When I was in high school, we read a few plays; we acted them out; we debated what Shakespeare might really have meant, what it was like when he lived, what the characters felt and must be like.

All of that, ruined by one simple act of trying to make things easier for the children. Poor dears! They shouldn't worry their pretty little heads about great works and masterpieces! They have enough on their plates, what with the Wii acting up and a 1 page, double-spaced paper to write this week on how they're going to spend their summer vacation.

I honestly wonder if in the coming years, teachers won't just sum of literature and classics. "Julius Caesar is assassinated. His famous line is "Et tu, Brute?" which means, "You too, Brutus?" Brutus was a friend of Julius. Don't forget to write this down for the test! It will look really good it you used that quote."

This is why the next generation is going to be illiterate, and then libraries will die out, because who needs to read when you have someone else to just explain it to you?

Not a Geek for Math

I admit, I am a geek, but I'm a literary geek. I love books, words, sentences, even syntax! I love languages and cultures. I love games. I HATE math. However, I am a research assistant for a math professor at my local university, and she has shelves and shelves of books. And every time I go into work, I peruse them while she thinks of things for me to do, or gets things ready for whatever project she ne

eds me to do. And while I peruse them, I think, "Some of these look really cool." And then I remember - they're abut *math*. Here are a few that have tempted me to put up with numbers long enough to get through a good book. . .

History of Pi -Petr Beckmann

Nature's Numbers - Ian Stewart

Alice in Quantumland -Robert Gilmore

Seven Life Lessons of Chaos - John Briggs, F. David Peat

I admit it here and now: I'm basing my judgments of these books on their covers. So sue me; I'm only human!

I Know, I Know. . .

I'm a horrible blogger! But I've been enjoying a much needed break in which I have done absolutely nothing, except clean house. So, where was I?

HECTIC WEEK PT.2:

Thursday: Thursday was kind of an off day in that nothing was really due, although I did edit and submit my literature review. Thursdays are a special day in that my hubby and I go to a friend's house, eat foods and snacks, watch basketball, play Call of Duty, and then ARCHER! We call it: "Archer Night." However, that Thursday it was cancelled. :(

Friday:

10:00 - Get to school, pray my professor is actually in his office. Yes, he is. Borrow his Lab book and rush downstairs to the computer labs where I quickly do the first chapter. However, the computer is actually an admin computer, meaning I have to have a password in order to use my jump drive to save any work. No biggie, I'll just save it on the desktop. Homework #1 done and uploaded, but not yet submitted online. Opening a new document page to complete the second homework, when a security alert pops up saying that certain "properties" of the program have been blocked due to their unsafe nature. You know, unnecessary properties like "Save" and "Analyze Data". I restart the computer, only to realize what was uploaded was not submitted (because I have to submit both together or she only gets one), and was therefore deleted from both the attachment page of the homework submission page AND the desktop to which it was saved. Awesomeness.

11:00 - I move computers. I redo Homework #1, save it to my jump drive, and thank goodness I did because this computer also blocked "properties" when I tried to do Homework #2. Restarted computer (which temporarily fixed the problem) and did Homework #2, uploaded and submitted both. Whew. Sigh of relief!

12:10 - Sent off an email to a lab coordinator letting them know that their security program is screwing up OUR lab program. Pretty sure they could give a crap.

Saturday:

9:30 - Paint-ball with the young men of our church. If you've never gone paint-balling before, you should know, it requires much use of muscles and quick reflexes. There's a lot of crouching in bushes and behind trees and brush, and inside forts or behind anything that can be used for cover. There's also a lot of crouched running, a lot of scanning the horizons, a lot of protective clothing (if you don't want it to hurt TOO bad when you get nailed), and a lot of heat. Oh, and ants that I did not realize were present until after crawling through brush.

3:00 - I nailed at least one guy in the four games I played. I may have hit another, but it was hard to tell. I had tons of fun and did not get hit, although from the popping sounds coming from the other side of my cover (a piece of upended plywood) it was not for lack of trying on my enemies' part.

5:00 - OMG! My thighs, my butt, my knees, and my lower back are killing me! Please, knock me out and wake me up when my body decides to adjust to abused muscles that are rarely used.

Sunday:

12:00 - Go to my primary class and teach a lesson.

1:00 - Leave early to clean house we've been pet-sitting and get all of our gear in order. Take Sophie home along with myriad other supplies and a bagful of laundry.

2:30 - Go straight from hauling things back and forth and up and down stairs (my thighs and butt are dying!) to the new singles branch that has just been established, in which my husband has been made 1st counselor.

6:00 - Four hours of church. Done. Must eat lest I die. Cannot move; muscles hurt. Thank goodness Monday is the start of Spring Break!

Week: Pt. 1

My past week has been one heck of a full week. Hectic day faded into hectic day until I was ready to just climb into bed, under the covers, and stay buried in an ursine manner until my food reserves forced me to come out and face, if not the world, at least the kitchen. This is why this blog post is in two parts.

Part 1: Monday through Wednesday

Monday: After a quick run-through at work; errands, copies, mail check, shredding, mailing - I went to my Monday class in which a demonstration was shown. Coming home, I immediately set to work reading necessary chapters for my History and Systems of Psychology class. The rest of chapters 6, 7, and 8 took 4 hours to read. Not because the content was boring, or I am a slow reader, mind you, but because that book is SO FREAKING DENSE. Afterward, I took a shower and finally went to bed at 11:00 pm but didn't fall asleep until 12:49 pm, according to my sleep cycles alarm clock.

Tuesday:

6:30 - Went to seminary to speak to the high school kids there about what a blessing a temple marriage is.

7:10 - Went home, fell back to sleep. Hit snooze one too many times; thank goodness I wasn't missing anything important in my first class. After a run to work in which the professor gave me time off to study, I quickly made a cheat sheet (relax, it's allowed). After using most of a page to cover just chapter 5, I realized that there was no way I would be able to fit my notes on one side of a sheet of paper, and gave up.

2:00 - Test time.

2:40 - Ran to the library and bulked up on some extra research for my literature review.

3:25 - Went to Walgreens, waited awhile in line. Ran to the apartment to grab my Psych book for the next test and a jar of pasta sauce to make dinner with at the house we were pet-sitting.

4:10 - Made it to the other house.

5:10 - Immediately began work on my literature review as soon as M left for class. Five hours later (forced break between in which my husband made me eat), it was finished. M refused to proofread it, as it was past his bedtime. Tried in vain to submit it online, but the web application refused to accept. Sent a frantic email explaining the situation to my professor, even though the paper wasn't technically due until the next day at noon.

Wednesday -

9:00 - Lab. Demonstration where we broke down "what's wrong with this research?" Deadlines for lab work AND paper I wrote in panic and desperation extended to Friday.

10:00 - Lent my Lab assignment workbook to another student. The words, "Mine has somehow disappeared" should have tipped me off. I informed her that I still needed to complete my lab work, but that I was going to use the extra time to study for the test that afternoon. I was promised I would get the workbook back before the test that day.

2:00 - Test begins. No sign of fellow student with my workbook.

2:50 - I turn my test in and inform the instructor that I now have no lab workbook. He tells me to meet him after class and he'll lend me his.

3:15 - I see the professor walking in the hallway of his office floor; he stops to talk to a student whom I was talking to, I assume he sees me. I go wait in his office.

3:45 - I give up after the secretary informs me he's probably in a meeting. I tell her I'll be back during his next office hours. When might those be? Oh, not until Friday morning: the day the lab work is due. Fantastic.

Send off an email in which I do not let my ire show, but DO tell the student that I want my lab book back pronto. Still no reply as of today. Awesome.

Tomorrow: A fun-filled view of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Stay tuned!

3D Blind

I had to do a little experiment for my health class in which my vision was tested. On several of the tests, I had to pick out the 3D images and select them as quickly as possible. When the screen popped up with the 3D objects that I was supposed to determine, I found that I could see nothing. After a couple more tests, all utilizing 3D technology, my teacher and I came to the same conclusion.

Prof: So, when you go to 3D movies, do you notice any real difference?

Me: No. That's why I don't get what all the hype is about. It's pretty much the same stuff.

Prof: It sounds like you can't see 3D. 1/10th of the population can't see 3D images.

Me: *everything becomes clear*

When I told my husband and his family, they all had much the same reaction. "So, is that why you don't like 3D movies?"

I really never knew! I just thought people were going gaga for nothing! It makes so much sense now!

Top Ten: Movies That Should Have Been Books

Have you ever read an overview of a movie and thought to yourself, "Well, that would be a really good book! But I don't think it sounds so great as a movie." I hope I'm not alone in this way of thinking. I've run into many movies with excellent synopses that would make for interesting reads, but as movies I probably wouldn't have the patience to view them or the director's view will ruin what I think it should be, whereas I'm rarely ever disappointed by a good read. So, for my Top Ten this week: Movies That Should Have Been Books.

1. Sunshine Cleaning (Dark Indie Comedy): Two sisters team up to make money for their son/nephew to go to a good school by cleaning up crime scenes and bio-hazard removal. I can see reading into their lives, feeling connected, laughing at their crazy life, loving the way it all fits into words.

2. Women in Trouble (Indie Comedy): One crazy day in the lives of ten different women. And then a book would bring it all mind-meltingly together so you would smile and wonder for weeks afterwards, in the back of your mind, if lives really DO fit together that way.

3. Read You Like a Book (Drama): A movie about a book found in a quirky bookstore that changes the lives of several who find it has mystical powers; allowing the reader to go back and fix past mistakes. It's a MOVIE about a BOOK.

4. TiMER (Sci-Fi): Bio-technical advances have made it easy to find your soul mate in that you literally have "biological clock" that ticks down to the time when you are supposed to meet him or her. But the main character, Oona, is concerned. She's nearly 30 and her TiMER hasn't started ticking yet.

5. The Ramen Girl (Comedy): When the main character is left high and dry in Tokyo by her boyfriend, she finds solace in a Japanese ramen house, where the chef, a grumpy old man, agrees to take her on as an apprentice and teach her the ways of the ramen.

6. Dreamcatcher (Supernatural Horror): Four friends perform a heroic act and are changed forever by the powers they gain. Years later, they become lost in a blizzard that harbors an ominous presence. Seriously, I can't see this as a good movie. But a book? Yep, I'd pick it up.

7. Ondine (Fantasy): An Irish fisherman unexpectedly catches a girl in his cast net who changes his small village with her presence. Though I will say, this movie has Colin Farrell, so um. . . I wouldn't mind seeing the movie. Lol.

8. Time Bandits (Fantasy): A boy escapes his gadget-nutty parents to go adventuring with time-travelling dwarves.

9.Riverworld (Sci-Fi): After being killed by an explosion, this main character and his fiance end up in different parts of the afterworld. The main character teams up with Mark Twain (!) and a female warrior to find his fiance. Admittedly, I've seen the movie. It was great. It would make a better book.

10. The Answer Man (Romance): A reclusive author, famous for having penned a self-help book a decade earlier, is in need of some spiritual healing. And I'll bet he finds just the woman to help!

So there you have it. You may have seen them. Or heard of them. They may be fantastic. But I could totally picture cuddling up with these movies in novel form. Just no novelizations. If these ideas were books before they were movies! Then we'd have ourselves a reading list!

Tuesday Top. . .Seven: Favorite Love Stories

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.

Hoping to beef up my rather sparse ramblings, I am going to try to participate in Julia's Top Ten Tuesdays every Tuesday. Wish me luck! And to start the list off!

1. Beauty and the Beast - I've only read a few (updated, modern) versions of this classic French fairy tale, but Belle is without a doubt my favorite Disney princess, and I adore the entire Disney movie. So, take your pick of which version you want to read, go out, and read it!

2. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene - My mom told me that she read this book in middle school and that it was one of her favorites then. I, at the time, was also in middle school and may have been fishing for some new reads. Either way, I found this book then and read it. It is beautiful and fantastic; it goes far deeper than you would expect a YA novel to go. Beware, however, it is not a happy love story!

My next two aren't technically love stories, but the friendships are never the less beautiful, the stories have stayed in my heart for a lifetime, and no one ever said the reader can't use their imagination to think of a great future for the characters! ;)

3. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgsen Burnett - I fell in love with a version of the movie before I actually read the book. This is not a normal occurrence for me, but I do tend to read a book when I find out a movie has been based upon it. I loved the description of the garden, the transformations the characters Mary and Colin make, and, to be honest, I had a bit of a crush on Dickon. Although they are much too young in my mind to be anything but great friends, I always liked to imagine that things could grow in the future.

4. Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery - I also read this book through recommendation by my mother when I was no more than ten. Of course my views have grown up since then in order to encompass the idea of a romance between Anne and her rival Gilbert Blithe. He grows up to be a fine young man, but the journey in this book is the most fun.

The next few I'm cheating on, or maybe it's just bias, but they are all by the same author, although "one of these is not like the others"

5. Son of the Shadows, by Juliet Marillier, part of what was once a trilogy and now seems to be an ongoing series, this novel is the second in the series, and was my favorite before I read another. But I thought they should be chronological. Take a strong, unusual man, with secrets he holds close, and have him kidnap a firecracker of a woman, et voila! A love story that shows exactly what true love can do. Marillier is always so brilliant in the telling of her stories, which makes them more than about love and yet all about it. Check out the series to see what I mean!

6. The Dark Mirror, Marillier - Another novel by Marillier from a different series, the Bridei Chronicles, tells of Tuala, a changling left on a doorstep. To save the baby from the bitter cold is accepting doom on the savior and his household, but one brave little boy, Bridei, cannot let her die. They grow up together, but their love is not an easy love.

7. Wildwood Dancing, by Marillier - This novel tells of two love stories, of two different sisters. It takes place in Transylvania, and seems to me to be a re-telling of an older fairy tale - The Twelve Dancing Princesses - but only on the surface. This is one of those love stories where you just want to shake some sense into the characters. So frustrating, but so satisfying when it becomes happily ever after.

OK, that is really all I can think of as far as my favorites go. I'm not usually a traditional romance reader, and a lot of times the "classic" romances aren't that romantic to me. I mean, Romeo and Juliet? C'mon! They only know each other for an extremely short period of time; before they met Romeo was madly in love with another girl! To top it off, they kill themselves in the end, which is just not healthy. If anything should be gained from that story it is that rivalries are pointless things. And although of read some Jane Austin. . .well, let me just leave it at that, lest I write something I may regret!

My Position on Snuggies

Mine is pink-n-brown plaid

We've all seen the extremely lame commercials advertising the wonders of Snuggies: the blanket that was invented to cover you and leave your arms free. Basically, the backwards bathrobe. I once wanted very badly a bed comforter with the same idea: cover me and my bed, but have little armholes so I can read in bed and not have to bundle under the covers with a flashlight when I'm cold (my bedroom gets poor ventilation; in the summer, it stays pretty warm and in the winter it gets dang cold). Anywho, after the general census was in (i.e., Snuggies are lame), I didn't really see myself as wanting one. And then Christmas came. My birthday came first at the beginning of December, and I received my Nook. It's as though my mother and mother-in-law talked, because for Christmas my mother-in-law presented me with a homemade Snuggie.

And like that, my opinion changed. I tried it on that day, and did not take it off. I wear it when I'm watching movies at my house; I wear it when I'm reading on the couch. I use it to cover myself when I take naps. It has become my all-purpose comfie blanket. Do I look weird? Probably. Would I "raise the roof" in it? Never. Will I defend its viability as a product? Yesiree-bob.

Morning Breakfast

Not my dog, but who can resist THAT FACE?

Tic-tack. . . tic-tack. . .tic-tack. . . tic-tack-tic-tack-tic-tack.

I was eating a sausage biscuit for breakfast this morning, when the above noise interrupted my e-mail checking/Google reading. My dog, Sophie, was slowly sneaking up on me, in the hopes of getting close enough to beg with big, brown puppy dog eyes for my breakfast. Unfortunately, her plans to do so ninja-style were thwarted by the fact that her nails make a distinctive staccato on my apartment's wooden floors. I caught her in the act of trying to get closer, and forcefully told her no. Sophie doesn't really take no for an answer. She usually blinks at me with her big ol' eyes until I give in. However, I don't feed my dog anything that is even mildly spicy because her stomach would not feel so good afterward, so I remained firm. Still, her antics made my morning.