is that your bike?

Image_36.jpg
Originally uploaded by amyr.

i just saw this random bike along the highway on my way home tonight. it was a super cool bike, did someone abandon it? why is it there?

mariposa update

mariposa back
Originally uploaded by amyr.

i have been knitting mariposa for a while, it's coming along. now the front and one of the backs is done, so one more back and then the straps and then i can piece it. woo hoo. i think it is turning out pretty well, but i guess the proof is in the wearing.... there's a closeup of the back in my flickr acct.

country quiz link

post what country you are, sorry for the bad link

http://bluepyramid.org/ia/cquiz.htm

ps: after just seeing a rhcp concert on the television, i think ihave a little crush on anthony keidis, it's like it's 1992. that is all, don't tell anyone, ok?

who knew? in my internationally minded work environment, this was passed around

You're France!
Most people think you're snobby, but it's really just that you're better than everyone else. At least you're more loyal to the real language, the fine arts, and the fine wines than anyone else. You aren't worth beans in a fight, unless you're really short, but you're so good at other things that it usually doesn't matter. Some of your finest works were intended to be short-term projects.
Take the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

introduction to pittsburgh culture

my sammich
Originally uploaded by btezra.

i know some of you will immediately be able to recognize what this is a photo of, others will need the introduction.

this is a sandwich from primanti's in pgh. yes, i know it looks totally messy and slightly gross, but trust me it's delish. i usually get the cheese sandwich, melted cheese plus the coleslaw (not really mayo-y, more sour i guess) and the fries and no tomatoes. it's the kind of place where they will yell at you if you don't want the fries or slaw, i get scared asking for no tomatoes, and typically you should split one with someone.
here's another
(somehow this one looks so tidy, don't know...)

meeting the neighbors (subtitle: hopefully lightning doesn't strike the same place twice)

lightning
Originally uploaded by amyr.

so, i met some of my neighbors last night. you may ask, where did you meet your neighbors, did you have a neighbor get together. well, sort of.
i was chatting with michele when it started storming, we finish talking but not before i hear this huge lightning/ thunder extravaganza. get off phone. 1 minute later POUNDING on my front door is my neighbor (now known as eric, which is apparently his name, who knew..) i slowly open door to see pouring rain, eric soaked and him telling me get out b/c lightning just struck the building. my reaction, i can't even remember what i said to him. (side note: as it is past 5:30 PM, i have showered and have my pjs on...) so i grab my purse, my laptop and my knitting and run across to eric's apartment (he lives in a building perpendicular to mine) where others from my building are gathered. also a md. state tropper lives over there, he saw the lightning strike and called the fire department and police. he and his girlfriend and the other guy from that building knocked on all the doors to get everyone out. i decide to run back in to my apartment to put on jeans and real shoes (i was wearing my slippers which are now soaked due to rain). i should explain my building first, two levels, 16 apt. total, 8 on each side of hte building, clustered in groups of 4. so i live on the bottom level, 2nd of 4 apartments from the left. the lightning struck between the first and 2nd apartments on the right. i guess people who live on the first floor on the right said the lightning came into the apartment, i didn't even know it was possible. the fire trucks show up, probably three and they get up on the roof. i don't know if there were even more firetrucks on the other side of the building. from what i could see and heard they opened up the roof since there was smoke up there (i never saw huge flames or anything, but it did smell like smoke) and went into the top apartments of the people on the right side and i think broke into their walls to make sure nothing was smoldering. the people on the four right hand side apartments aren't allowed back in and there are notices up. i guess they have smoke and water damage. after the fire department searched and checked my apartment, i was allowed to go back to my apartment. of course i was totally freaking out and slept very little last night, but i knew that no matter where i was trying to sleep, i would not be able to get any rest last night so i stuck it out. and the fire department assured me that they wouldn't let me back in unless it was really safe. i hope they put those other people up someone... one of the neighbors from the other building offered for me to stay there and d said i could come down to hers, but it was ok.
sorry for the boring camera phone photo, i forgot my camera inside (urgh!!). ok, so end of the story, everyone's ok.

reality sets in.

windmills
Originally uploaded by amyr.

today i said to someone from home about a project they are working on "cool, i'll see it next time i come home". then about 20 minutes later, i remembered, oh wait the next time i go home, it's for good. wow, that's still really weird to think about for me. i am so excited, and i should not be worried, but still some questions remain.
will i stay in pgh. for good? will my old friend (s) still want to hang out? will i meet new people? will i have loud neighbors like here (ha ha)? will i find a job??? (that one is really stressing at present)
from the beginning, i have treated DC as a temporary stop, was that wrong? is this why i don't exactly love DC?
i do have friends here that i will miss greatly, so i guess i'll be back to visit (maybe baltimore more so than DC...)
why do i love pinback so much ?(sorry, that one slipped in since they are NP in the background)
anyway, sorry to sound down in the dumps in this post, i'm not in reality. i am ready to go. each day work provides me more and more reasons as to why it's time to move on.

reminder of the day: wow, i really like the superdrag cds i have (thought while listening to regretfully yours and head trip in every key.

so that's all, i'm off to pack.

talk about cliff hanger...

who watched six feet under last night? was that like a season finale or what, so freaking dramatic. anyway, i won't pull a spoiler on here, but for those who haven't watched it yet, i'll just tell you this, it was so dramatic that they didnt' even have a preview of what happens next week. can you believe???? if you have watched it, post a comment, if you haven't watched it yet, don't read the comments until you have or unless you don't care about being suprised.

yum, apricot granola bar from starbucks

yum, apricot granola bar from starbucks
Originally uploaded by amyr.

i like that you are two servings at least, and your whole apricots, and the almonds. kudos starbucks, i guess a starbucks on every corner does have it's advantages.... or not.

the great magazine elimination exercise

the great magazine elimination exercise
Originally uploaded by amyr.

here's what a pile of magazines for the trash looks like.... so much waste, i know.

one last word on 80s movies

i watched st .elmo's fire yesterday in order to keep my quota of 80s movies on track for the weekend. one thing i forgot to mention about pretty in pink was, not to destroy the integrity of the movie, but are we really supposed to believe that blaine is THAT technologically advanced that in the days of DOS, he was able to send a photo of himself and Andi through a network in an instant? at least there could have been a delay while he entered some kind of intricate command. it was like instant messenger except, i don't think that existed back in 1985, maybe i just didn't attend the most advanced school and their school was a testing ground for aol?

ok, it's not like i have been packing every second of the weekend, but i am over it. i am upset i have purchased items such as salt and pepper shakers, why didn't i just stick with those disposable ones they sell in the grocery???? anyway. i have pitched some stuff, i'll have to post a photo of the magazine elimination project. that was quite fun until the bag broke on the way to the dumpster.
in greg dulli news:a documentary of the whigs 1993 euro tour is coming out, hopefully on dvd in the future.
anyway, enjoy the last day of freedom before we all go back to work for another fabulous hot ass DC week!

just saw the nick cave ATBS video for do you love me, when was the last time you saw that?? weird. sometimes the alternative really finds stuff that you haven't seen in a while, additionally, i haven't seen any cure nor paul weller nor morrissey/ smiths action yet... suspicious.

What about prom, Blaine???

i just watched pretty in pink on dvd, my fav of the genre. what a good friday night. now i am packing up some books and movies while watching anchorman (it's the fight scene now, too funny).

i cannot explain how terribly hot it was today, i felt terrible all afternoon and just felt scuzzy when i got home and had to rush to take a shower, yucko. i hope it's better this weekend. i did go have coffee this AM with my former boss. as always, that was great. she has helped me so much with figuring out where i want to go in my career and has really fostered my understanding and my desire to learn more about IT systems and databases. dorky but true!

ok, i have to go pack more stuff. did i mention that i don't like packing too much???

i just wanted to let you know

that is super hot out there. don't go outside unless you have to!! urgh!!!

something for my dc peeps

Welcome to D.C.; Watch Where You're Going
By John KellyPostFriday, July 22, 2005; C09
Hello! If you are reading this column, it's because you're a tourist visiting Washington.
Your hotel concierge might have handed this to you. Or your cabdriver. Or perhaps it was a resident of Washington, who encountered you on our acclaimed Metro system and, concerned for your well-being, thrust it into your hands.
So, what's this all about? Let's just consider it some friendly advice designed to make your stay in Washington more enjoyable. Or, more accurately, designed to make your stay in Washington more enjoyable for us , the people who actually live here. It's a little something I call "Rules for a Tourist in Washington, D.C."
1. Stand to the right. Even though Washington voted overwhelmingly for John Kerry in the last election, it is still part of the United States of America. (At least last time I checked!) And in the United States, we drive on the right and pass on the left.
That's an easy way to remember what to do on the escalators of our acclaimed Metro system. Do not clog the escalator like a blood clot in an artery. Do not stand in a big, impenetrable clump. Stand to the right so we may carefully climb past you. Hey, we have a train to catch!
2. Get out of the way. The rules of physics apply as inexorably in Washington as they do where you come from. That means two objects may not occupy the same space simultaneously. When the escalator deposits you on the platform, you must get out of the way. If you stand there, congratulating each other for having successfully ridden your first escalator, we're going to run into you .
Please move aside smartly so that others may complete their escalator ride.
3. Let people off the train before boarding, then move to the center of the car. When the train arrives and the doors open, there will probably be people on it who want to get off. Let them. You may then board. But don't tarry just inside the door. Keep moving. This makes room for others.
4. The train is not a piece of gymnastics apparatus. Yes, those silver poles inside a Metro train look like something from the Summer Olympics, but they are not to play with. They are to hold onto. Resist the temptation to entertain your buddies by seeing how many chin-ups you can do. Do not allow your child to spin on them, no matter how cute you might think it looks.
5. Single file please! Our sidewalks might seem wide, but, frankly, we've noticed that you're kind of on the wide side, too. And when five or six of you line up side by side you resemble a phalanx, the impenetrable Macedonian battle formation. We can't get past you on the way to our meeting with the president or, more likely, to the Starbucks.
Please don't hog the sidewalk.
6. Keep it moving. Perhaps you come from a part of our great nation that moves at a slower pace. It might be common for you to stop on the sidewalk, take off your hat, scratch your head, hike up your pants, then ask an old friend how his silage is getting on.
We don't do that here. The wheels of commerce and government turn constantly. We have places to go and people to see. Bills don't turn into laws by themselves, ya know! We don't expect you to be so hyperactive -- after all, you're on vacation. We only ask that you not stop dead in the middle of the sidewalk (see No. 5, above). If you must caucus with your fellow touristi, please move to the side so we can get past you.
7. Drive carefully. There might come a day when we all laugh about how you can't negotiate a traffic circle. Or how one-way streets flummox you. Or how you stop in the middle of the street to look at your map or snap a photo of the Lincoln Memorial.
But that day isn't here yet. If you think you might be a hazard to others, consider parking your car and walking.
8. Dress appropriately. We know it's hot here in the summer. (Although, arguably, it's not the heat; it's the humidity.) We understand why the ladies among you might be tempted to wear a belly-revealing halter with spaghetti straps and cotton shorts that say "CHEER" across the butt, and the men a mesh tank top, cutoffs and flip-flops. But, please, that is inappropriate attire for many of Washington's attractions: Arlington National Cemetery, the Senate and House, our war memorials. . . . Show some respect.
9. Enjoy your stay. Really. We mean it. You could have chosen to go anywhere and you came here, to our town. Thank you.

michele and her sling

Michele, Harry Potter, & Sling
Originally uploaded by michelesarti.

michele got in a fight at the sound of music sing along, ok, not really, but she did get hurt there. i love the coordination between the outfit and the sling. get better soon, michele

weekend recap

RJSS
Originally uploaded by amyr.

well, the weekend has come and gone, way to quickly.

left town on friday to make some afternoon appointments on friday. the highlight of the trip home was a stop at starbucks in breezewood. what possibly could have been so fabulous about the stop at starbucks? well, they have a new apricot granola bar that is so freaking delicious, i can't stand it. the apricots are pieces rather than the typical apricot jelly stuff.
was able to attend the greensburg stitch and bitch, it was acutally only fran (a former college english professor) and i, but that was ok, it's always nice to catch up with her. hung out with natasha a bit. she was not feeling too well so she just kept it low key this weekend.

saturday i went up to donegal to see my dad at his club, more photos in my flickr account and on their website.... it was fun to see the club, but it was sooooooooo hot, even in the mountains. short visit and then back home.

i ended up going to see woven hand, a side project for david eugene edwards from 16 horsepower
natasha still wasn't feeling up to going out so it was me, jason butter, dana, gabe and we met jason (dana's coworker) and his girlfriend at the show (at club cafe ). i was really worried before the show that i would be the outsider (since some of the people hang out together pretty frequently) and that i would feel weird, but it went ok. i guess it was irrational, but i was still nervous about going.

club cafe is TINY (check out the website for photos) and the show was really great. we all had dinner after the show at piper's pub , a fav. of mine.

sunday, i just did the drive back.
not much longer to go, let's see.... 18 working days and 25 real days..jeez louise. soon it will be pencils and notebooks for me... or laptops, whichever....

i'll be waiting for you on fountain and fairfax

fountain and fairfax
Originally uploaded by amyr.

so i have taken the day off tomorrow to take care of some appointments, etc. (for those keeping track, tomorrow is 4 weeks until i leave my job...and well, 4 weeks and a day until i leave town). it's getting a bit stressfull, making sure as much as possible is written down at work for others to follow and just making sure things there are in order. then there's the moving situation itself, i am majorly stressing on that, i am having the most insane nightmares lately. one about a group of people that i used to work with in pgh, i got mad at one of the guys and put gum in his hair and then everyone was really mad and me and basiclly told me that i was out of their group.
the other last night was that i had this large suede sack full of all of my stuff (yeah, right, on a few counts, 1. i don't like the way suede feels, and 2. like i could fit my stuff in a sack (like santa), so i take it on the amtrak (which is huge b/c it looks like an airport waiting room) and then i leave, leaving the bag behind, of course i come back and it's gone and i try to figure out who in the crowd has taken my sack of possessions, but really, a ha, right security has take said sack b/c i have left it unattended (gee, i wonder where that came from, surely not my daily commute train ride with people constantly saying, don't leave your crap behind....)
when i am not nightmaring, i am not sleeping well either. i need to figure this stuff out b/c i am starting to feel loco.

up to pittsburgh this weekend with P5 packed to the gills. she will be full of stuff to move into my new and improved circleville branch (aka, the homestead). lots to do this weekend, so hopefully being busy will allow me to sleep some?

can i just give a shout out to blow out, holy cow, why was i not watching this before??!?!?! it's one of the few reality shows i dig, and i dig it a lot. that johnathan, he's a rock star. i want him and greg dulli to hang out (they are similar, no?)i read on another blog that people were playing a drinking game (not that i am supporting this idea, kids at home) in which everytime he says johnathan, you have to drink. apparently he said johnathan 37 times last episode.

i was listening to the whigs today and i thought i would blog this photo. i love seeing the corner of fountain and fairfax everytime i visit michele. oh, greg dulli, how i love thy.

love to all, even if you're not greg dulli.

hello?

hello
Originally uploaded by amyr.

this is what my days amount to lately- me on the phone. work is so tedious lately, maybe because i am leaving? or maybe it just is anymore. i have been getting really upset about things lately, so i think i need to make some sort of conscious effort to disconnect from that situation. really, it will not be my business what happens after i leave, so i need to just chop the strings.

what else, the weather has been so hot the past few days. probably fry and egg on the sidewalk kind of hot. not to be vain, but my hair looks like a total mushroom, it's terrifying. (incidently, i am thinking of letting my hair grow, which i know is not the best it looks, but i just can't stand it anymore... opinions?)

i did my first batch of packing last night, i was so dreading it, but then i got really into it and needed to force myself to start. is there even a dent in the stuff i have to move, probably not, but at least all the glassware is wrapped and ready to move. 4 weeks and 4 days until the move, and 5 weeks till vacation in california. i will be so thrilled to go into the ocean.

that is all.

SFU

don't forget, Six Feet Under will be back on sunday nights starting tonight!!!

baltimore day...

baltimore collage
Originally uploaded by amyr.

yesterday was the official field trip to baltimore. i really like going to baltimore, especially over dc, and i think aside from work, i have spent more time in baltimore than dc. so d and i hit the road around 12, getting stuck in some traffic, but it was all fine. first we headed to the american visionary art museum which was great. it was the first time that i had been to AVAM, and i was sad that hadn't actually gone before. ester krinitz tapestries of survival was unbelievable (a series of approx. 30 tapestries which cove the history of one person's account of surviving the holocaust). of course the 12 foot Divine and the painted screens ala baltimore were great too. the gift shop of the avam is unbelievable, packed with so much stuff, minature toys of all kinds. d and i walked over to the harbour after, all the way around. stopping at barnes and noble. i picked up a few books, which i always do on sale at this particular b and n, this and

very interesting....

on this gloomy, more than rainy day, i shall provide you with some food for thought:

1. what is this all about? which one would you get?

2. an interesting article about bawlmer (balitmore to you folks who don't say things like yinz..)
john waters give some shout outs to some of the places that we all love

lastly i leave you with the craziest commute ever- my train was so bumpy this morning that we were literally be bumped out of our seats, like four inches into the air above our seats. it was crazy, we were laughing at the time, but then later i felt a bit sick. thanks commuter train!! i don't know if the car was weird or the whole train, or just the shocks were not there. anyway, that's all i got for now.

i lied

mariposa
Originally uploaded by amyr.

ok, the front of mariposa is done! only, well, a lot to go....

sure it's only wednesday....

but i am already thinking about the weekend....
i think that baltimore will be on the agenda. i have a few things i want to see before i leave town
- american visionary arts museum
- tapas teatro (how delicious!!) located next to the beautiful charles theatre
- fells point including sound garden (incidently, when did sound garden get such a real website??)
- inner harbour

anyway, so that's the plan. maybe since i have set the bar so high with lots of stuff to do, d may back out on me!! ha ha.

ok, that's the last post of the day.

can you believe i get to study here?

i'm so glad flickr is back from it's massage, now i get to blog this photo taken of the cathedral of learning!

Lobby of Cathederal of Learning
Originally uploaded by sahst23.

oh, how i love the cathedral of learning at pitt. i cannot wait to use the fab. wireless connections in the cathedral- i love the mix of gothic and well, technology.

also, did you know the new dandy's record will be out in the fall!?!?

Flickr is having a Massage Very Soon, If Not Now

who knew that flickr got massages (actually i did, i have gotten that message before- does it make me feel better when i want to access my photos on flickr, but can't? maybe...)
i'm having one of those days that if i was a baby, people would call me cranky or finicky. i am just tired of everything, the phone is blarring, i can't get stuff done, i feel out of the loop at work which i totally hate, and i just want to have a nap. anyway, i'll stop my bitching now and leave you the prospect of another post later today when flickr is all relaxed and massaged out.

weekend recap

gilbert
Originally uploaded by amyr.

so the middle of summer is now upon us with the passing of 4th of july. can you believe it's the middle already? i haven't even gone swimming yet...
the fam was here until sunday, we didn't do too much. there was the obligatory trip to trader joe's (the new one in silver spring, it's
ran to oldnavy yesterday and got this super cute sweater. knitty is out, the guy's issue....

just another warm day in dc

NMAI
Originally uploaded by amyr.

the weather has been so sticky lately, i just wish it would cool down.
i was out sick yesterday, but ended up doing a few things, this and that.

was a good day, you can view the details in my flickr acct.
ready for the fireworks and hot dogs?

use it, people!!

mcsweeney's offers some advice today:


M c S W E E N E Y ' SR E C O M M E N D S . - - - -
Here is where we will be recommending things to you. There will be many different kinds of things, from films to hairstyles, all of which have been researched, tested, and submitted to a month-long stay at a resort for people who appreciate the finer things in life, before finally being voted on in a democratic manner resembling that of our forefathers. We will add new recommendations as such time allows, and there will be no accounting for personal taste.

Triple dub
We're going on a decade with people still blathering about "double-you double-you double-you," while the ease and patter of "triple dub" is out there. It's available. We realize other countries are already working on this—"treb" and whatnot—so come on already, America. WWW is pronounced "triple dub."