A few randoms, III

(Do I just need to start a blog called, afewrandoms.blogspot? Slash, how many of my questions begin with "Do I just need to start a blog called..."?)

1. I came in late to work today. (Good thing Sarah came in to give me a rub, rub or I would have never gotten out of bed!) It's not news that my job is flexible, but actually it's quite rare for me to show up to the office late if it's an office day (as opposed to lab/teaching day). But it seems that on the days I do show up late, I've missed the memo or something. I get there and everyone is gone. That's what happened this morning, and so I asked, Sharon-style (where she kind of rolls her eyes, but not), "Who scheduled the Secret Meeting?" Seriously. Well anyway, I found out they were cleaning out a storage closet downstairs, so I guess I wasn't missing much. (Last time they had gone out to coffee. Boo for missing that one.) When I show up in room 24, the first thing my boss says is "Cute shoes!" (Okay, he is like a late 50s or early 60s man whom I adore.) "This is unusual," he ponders, "you're always wearing tennies or flip-flops." (Hey, those were Chucks, not tennis shoes; and sandals, not flip-flops. Okay, well sometimes they are flip flops. With a sweatshirt. And jean with holes in them. I'm going to miss this job. Well, good thing I'm going to grad school, where it won't matter what I'm wearing. Unless, of course, I'm "man hunting," as someone would say. Advice I got from someone else regarding this? "Sit next to the cute boys. They're all Christian. Stay away from the ones with wedding rings, of course.")

2. I hope you are all enjoying the hidden shout-outs. Sometimes I don't name the person, but you can figure it out using the "word bank" that is the labels of this post. It's like a matching game. Only, should I number/letter the hidden shout-outs so that you know what you're actually trying to match?

3. Hilarious article/video about great books you're ashamed to have not read. Authors confess all. Mine would have to be Hamlet, which is really awkward to admit. Of the 20 some plays by Shakespeare I have read, I had to pick the one that I haven't read in its entirety to be my favorite. (It's my favorite tragedy; Much Ado, my favorite comedy.) I've been assigned this book twice in my school career, and I've written three papers on it. Ugh.

3b. What's your confession?

4. Good essay by Orwell about writing. I appreciate efforts to cut away at excess. (For example, I believe that good recipes don't include ingredients that don't add anything.) I also appreciate this blog's attempt at conciseness, and the author's advice on better blog writing, which I would do well to heed better. (Slash, David, you must finish Elements of Style!)

5. Encouraging quote:

“The only people who get better are people who know that, if they never get better, God will love them anyway.”

—Steve Brown, A Scandalous Freedom (West Monroe, LA: Howard Books, 2004), 68-69

6. Yay for Cheeseboard with Annie!**



7. Should we do a Keep-On-The-Media(n) Cheeseboard party before I leave? (Some of you aren't even here, I realize. Sorry!) When are you free?

Seriously, how effective is that? It makes me think of the sign on Telegraph that says "Drug Free Zone."

8. Appropriately, for this number bullet, Happy August! (I can't believe it.)

**updated with pictures after lunch. Also, also! After pizza, we went next door to try some cheese. We ended up with baguettes fresh out of the oven. Armed with that and a small wedge of soft, double creme brie we sat next to the icecream truck man and had our second lunch. I was in love. (Not with the icecream truck man - I meant with the bread and cheese - though a lifetime supply of icecream wouldn't be too bad.)

More pictures here.