Elizabeth

hotalinge @ 2006-02-15T17:45:00

2006-02-16T01:35:54Z

Okay, so I'm going to update quickly since it's been a while. I have very little news, but I wanted to write anyway. Ginger has returned, but not Gracie. I assume something happened to her. And Ginger now refuses to come in the house. She sits right in front of the back door and scratches on the windows, but when I open it, she just wants to come stand in the doorway. And now there are lots of very cute random kittens (my neighbors moved away and left a pregnant cat). I think I'll keep one or two of them and give the rest to my parents. In other news, Brad and I had a very nice Valentine's Day. I made some yummy steaks (well, he actually did most of the cooking of the steaks, and I made vegetables and potatoes) and we got a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake from Sam's. Work is work. I have a lot to do, and I don't really feel like I'm making progress because my projects just make no sense. But anyway, back to watching the Olympics.

hotalinge @ 2005-08-14T22:39:00

2005-08-15T02:59:14Z

I had a very busy weekend. Friday after work I went and swam at the gym, and then I came home and ate dinner. Then I went to karaoke night at this new coffee shop with some girls that I met swing dancing and a group of their friends. It was actually kind of fun. I even sang, which you know is very unlike me. But this guy kept insisting that I sing and threatened to put my name on some weird song that I never heard of and he kept saying songs and I kept saying I didn't know them... until someone else was talking about Fishin in the Dark and I said something about liking that song, so he knew I knew it and he wrote it down for us to sing together. But I survived and it was actually not so bad. I don't know how it sounded to the other people, but I guess I don't really care either.

Then yesterday I had to go pick Ginger up from the vet early (she had to get spayed so her uterus wouldn't get infected) so I went to the Saturday Market and got shrimp and grits for breakfast and bought produce and then picked her up and came home. Then I went to Turtleback Falls with a couple of people from work and some other people. It was fun. And it's really pretty in the mountains this time of year. They were sliding over the waterfall, but I thought that was really stupid, so I didn't. But apparently people do that a lot.

Then today after church I went to lunch at this Chinese place and then came home and cooked and cleaned and Melissa and Brad and Emmanuelle came over for dinner. The main point of this dinner party was that Melissa wanted to see the cats. She got to see Ginger, but Gracie wouldn't cooperate at all. She stayed under the couch the entire time they were here... and then 5 minutes after they left she came out and has been playing and fun all night since then. Crazy kitties.

And now it's very late and it's already Sunday night.

hotalinge @ 2005-08-10T23:14:00

2005-08-11T03:16:41Z

turns out there were 3... two more were stillborn at the emergency vet tonight. but hopefully ginger at least will be okay.

hotalinge @ 2005-08-09T21:34:00

2005-08-10T03:39:56Z

okay, so i guess i spoke too soon. the baby kitty didn't make it. i'm sad.

baby kitty (ies?) (!)

2005-08-08T12:49:27Z

So, a funny thing happened this morning... Ginger was very restless last night and very vocal, but I didn't think much of it. And the ladies at work thought she was pregnant, but the vet and I didn't think so.

This morning I got up, and as soon as I opened the door to my room (I don't let them into the bedrooms), she came down the hall to see me, like she does every morning. And then I fed them and she went in and ate a little bit. She went over in the living room to lie down in the corner (that's all she does) and I went to the kitchen and made breakfast and packed my lunch. I came back into the living room to say goodbye about 20 minutes later and I noticed this little thing attached to Ginger. And I looked and saw blood on the carpet. And then I realized that Ginger had a baby! While I was making breakfast, she was in labor.

So now I'm hanging out at home trying to see if she's going to have any more and keeping Gracie away. I'm keeping this first one (I think), but Gray, if there are any more... you want one? Or any one else?

Okay, back to the kitties. :)

hotalinge @ 2005-07-11T06:43:00

2005-07-11T11:03:20Z

Hey Bradley, I assume everyone is fine?

hotalinge @ 2005-07-07T22:11:00

2005-07-08T02:30:00Z

The kitties are precious. They are such good company. And so funny! But they're still a bit scared of me. I'm trying to get them to relax, but it takes time. They're making progress though.

hotalinge @ 2005-07-02T23:16:00

2005-07-03T03:24:15Z

Okay, so Jared and I broke up.

hotalinge @ 2005-01-23T13:44:00

2005-01-23T18:54:45Z

Okay, and also, a brief update. I had surgery to have my gallbladder out in December. I am feeling much much better now. Work is going well, and I'm feeling more and more at home here. I just bought a double bed for my guest room, so any of you are welcome. My parents came this weekend and it was very nice.

I have stopped doing housework on Sundays and I love having a day of rest. I think we need it.

hotalinge @ 2004-08-25T16:58:00

2004-08-25T21:07:03Z

Not better. Why won't my stomach stop hurting?

hotalinge @ 2004-08-24T18:10:00

2004-08-24T22:17:55Z

24. Along Came Mary by Jo-Ann Mapson
25. Goodbye, Earl by Jo-Ann Mapson
26. Risky Business by Dave Barry
27. Big Trouble by Dave Barry
28. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Things are getting better. Saturday was the turning point. I ran Saturday morning, stopped taking the pills for my stomach that weren't helping anyway, started eating better, started praying more, and cleaned the house. I expected this to make everything perfect at work Monday, which it did not, but I'm trying. After this week I think I'll be busier, which will definitely help.

hotalinge @ 2004-07-28T18:53:00

2004-07-28T22:56:43Z

23. Bad Girl Creek by Jo-Ann Mapson

hotalinge @ 2004-07-27T20:08:00

2004-07-28T00:11:43Z

I have been getting very tired and not motivated at work lately. I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm just not used to doing the same thing for so long. In the past I would have had some summer jobs and two different semesters of classes in the past year, instead of just one job. I really like my job, though, so I'm trying to get better. I think the key is to be in the right frame of mind and to get enough sleep.

hotalinge @ 2004-07-17T23:38:00

2004-07-18T03:42:56Z

Well, I did not get up when I was supposed to (8 am). And I did not run this morning because it was very hot by the time I did get up (11 am). I was pretty productive once I did get up though. I got 3 or 4 boxes unpacked and all the flowerbeds weeded and the poison ivy sprayed with RoundUp. Then I went to the Farmers Market (I really miss the one in Raleigh... this one has nothing), a random peach farm, the Fresh Market, Publix, and CVS to get my Oregon pictures developed. When I came home, it was storming (thunder shaking the house, lighting, hard hard rain, etc,), so I waited to run. It let up, though, and I ran 3 miles. Finally (I've been very lazy for the past couple of weeks). I had dinner and now I have zucchini bread in the oven.

hotalinge @ 2004-07-16T21:46:00

2004-07-17T01:50:05Z

I'm trying to clean and fix up my house for two reasons... one, Cheryl and Jonathan are coming next weekend. The second is that my new roommate (from France, moves in August 1) will probably come over on Sunday, and I would like for the place to look nice. However, I keep getting distracted.

I know that only alcoholics drink alone, but... I finally found a drink that I like the taste of: orange juice with a very teeny tiny bit of Razzmatazz. Yum. I am slightly tipsy on less than half a glass. Obviously, I have a low tolerance for alcohol.

hotalinge @ 2004-07-16T20:02:00

2004-07-17T00:06:07Z

21. Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Tringiani
22. Much Ado About Nothing

A long week of work is over and I am determined to rest this weekend. Several of the guys at work think I should date their sons. I just have to meet them first.

I had an excellent dinner tonight. Freezers are great for people who live alone. I had salmon that I froze from when I had one serving left the last time I cooked salmon, bread from when I couldn't eat the entire loaf of Pepperidge Farm Italian bread, and spinach salad (I always have the ingredients in the refrigerator because I love it that much).

I'm watching I Love the 90s on VH1. I always heard about I Love the 80s, but I've never actually seen it.

Does anyone know what the deal is with this Ken Jennings guy on Jeopardy? Is it just a play to get ratings? I thought people weren't allowed more than 5 times.

hotalinge @ 2004-07-15T22:24:00

2004-07-16T02:28:14Z

Random advertisement:

If you're in the Triangle and like bluegrass, you should try to go to see the Steep Canyon Rangers at the Pour House at 10:30 Saturday night. I think these guys are just great. They're young, started their band when they were all at UNC, write their own songs (mostly)...

hotalinge @ 2004-07-13T22:27:00

2004-07-14T02:31:09Z

And, to copy everyone else (in no particular oder)...

1. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
2. Lost in a Good Book by him too
3. Well of Lost Plots by him too
4. Prelude by BJ Hoff
5. The Purpose-Driven Life
6. Pride and Prejudice
7. Footprints by Shelby Hearon
8. Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
9. Life Estates by Shelby Hearon
10-14 (?). All 5 books contained within the ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
15. Devil's Dream by Lee Smith
16. Jewel by some guy
17. Last Girls by Lee Smith
18. On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah
19. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
20. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

There may be more that I forgot, since I didn't start doing this in January like a normal person.

the rest of the story

2004-07-12T21:13:17Z

So I did end up taking a nap. When I woke up around 5:30, I saw Bradley's comment, but I thought it was too late to go find the real rose garden (Little was due back between 6 and 6:30). So I took a walk and waited. He didn't get back until 7:15. Then we packed a snack quickly and headed off to find the ocean. We got there just in time for the sunset, which was beautiful. We walked on the beach for a while and then tried to find dinner. Amazingly, most places were no longer serving dinner (it was about 10:30), but we found one bar that still was, so that was good. We ate and headed back to Portland where we proceeded to stay up very late ("You can sleep on the plane...") and talk. Sunday morning we got up bright and early (6:30) and went to see the real rose garden before I had to leave. It was lovely, but too hazy to see Mount Hood. We got to the airport around 9 and I had a smoothie (more like the Route 66 from Crazy Juice this time... the other was Southern Sunrise) and an almond croissant (I really like those things!) before getting on the plane to Cincinnati. The view from the plane was pretty excellent... it was a clear clear day, and you could see Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters from my side of the plane and Mount Adams, Mount Ranier, and Mount Saint Helens from the other. Of course, on my side I could see all three at the same time (why would anyone not want a window seat, unless the flight is really long and you know you're going to have to go to the bathroom?) and on the other side I only saw them one at a time. But still. Next time I fly I'm reserving an entire roll of film for plane window pictures. There was still snow on the Rockies, too. Other than that, the trip was uneventful. Then in Cincinnati all the lines for food were really long (it was 6:00 pm at that point, eastern time) and I didn't have much time, plus the Cincinnati to Greenville flight is short, so I decided I would just get a pretzel and rush to the gate. Except the plane was delayed because it was late getting in. And again because they had to change the tire. And again because I don't know why. So we didn't end up taking off until 8ish. So that was annoying. And I was starving. But then the sunset was beautiful, because it was cloudy. And the flight attendant guy gave us warm towels (I had never seen that before, and I had to watch the other people to figure out what the point of them was). Then I got to Greenville and Steven met me at the gate and drove me to my car, which I then drove home. The end.

hotalinge @ 2004-07-10T14:18:00

2004-07-10T21:19:00Z

Okay, so I'm sorry that's so long. I don't know how to do that little cut thing, though, or even if I can, so you'll just have to deal with it.

update from Oregon

2004-07-10T21:17:56Z

Little had to go to some work thing, so I decided to type a bit about what I've been doing here. So, the plane was a little late getting here Wednesday because they took too long in Cincinnati checking to be sure there were no bombs. And since I had left Cincinnati at 4:30 eastern time (after eating a cinnamon sugar pretzel for a snack) and arrived in Portland at 6:45 pacific time, I was starving. And I couldn't find Little because he was at the loading zone curb for departures and I was at arrivals. So then we met at the rental car place and finally got on the train to come to his apartment. We stopped at this Super WalMart-type store called Fred Meyer so that I could get a snack, and some necessary food items for the duration. When we got to Little's apartment and I was putting the food in the refrigerator, I noticed that it was completely empty. I don't know what that boy eats. So then we went to his friend Andrew's sister's house to eat the salmon that Little and Andrew had caught earlier that day, which was very excellent. And we saw a couple walking their dog and their parrot. I also met his landlord people (he lives in an apartment over their garage). Andrew reminded me of Joey. So that was Wednesday. Thursday I got up and went to breakfast at this "hippy restaurant" called Cup and Saucer with Andrew and his sister (it was very good, and you could get scrambled tofu and tofu omelets). After that, we went hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, which is absolutely breath-taking. We saw several waterfalls in the Oneonta Gorge (not sure about spelling) and it was just a lovely hike. We also met a lady who used to teach at State and her husband, who now live in Greer and were following Lewis & Clark's trail. We had a late lunch at this place called Sandwich Depot and then went to Burgerville (kind of like Burger King, but with better milkshakes) for milkshakes. I got a fresh raspberry one and it was very yummy. We took a walk around their neighborhood in the afternoon and tried to see Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens but it was too hazy. Apparently, people think Mount Hood is the next of the Cascade volcanoes that will erupt. I'm trying to figure out what these people in Portland think they're gonna do then . Maybe they are far enough away, I don't know. Anyway, somewhere in there we ate apricots off the tree and I ate raspberries off the plant and it made me want fruit trees and raspberries and blueberries in my yard (again), but grass has to come first. For dinner we went downtownish to this place called the Daily Cafe, which is in an area of Portland called The Pearl. It was pretty good and I even drank about a fourth of a glass of wine. After that we went to some sort of bar thing called Salvador Molly's and I got a drink that I didn't like terribly much (surprise, surprise) and I was only able to drink about half of it. But we had a fun time there talking and stuff. Friday Andrew left so they were busy with airport stuff, so I went into downtown with Little when he went to work. I went to this huge bookstore called Powell's (it's an entire block and like 5 stories high) and browsed around and got a chai tea latte and an almond croissant and ate while reading a novel by Dave Barry (I didn't know he wrote novels, but this one was pretty entertaining) called Big Trouble. But I didn't buy it. Then I wandered around a bit and found Whole Foods where I bought some raspberries to eat while I walked and eventually made my way down to the river, just in time to get on a sightseeing boat that went up and down the Willamette River (which divides Portland into east and west). The boat was nice and the view was pretty, but I got sunburned and cold from the wind because I had not been planning on riding a boat for two hours. But anyway. Then I thought Little was gonna call soon (because he was planning to leave work early), so I went for a walk beside the river, but he never called so I went wandering some more and ended up at this mall place which is built into downtown but when you go in it's like an actual mall. They had a yummy smoothie place where I asked them to make a smoothie like the one I used to get from Crazy Juice, and I had that and orange chicken for a late (4:00ish) lunch. Little met me there and we headed off to get a rental car. Once that was accomplished we went to see Mount Hood up close. It is very pretty, and it definitely looks like a volcano, not just a normal mountain. We went to the Timberline Lodge, which is at the tree line, and there was still snow on the summit, even though it's July. It is also cold and windy up there. After that we just came back and relaxed because it had been a long day and I wasn't feeling very well either. Today Little had to go to some work function, so I explored the city a little more by myself this morning, armed with an unlimited bus pass. I went to the Saturday Market and bought some pictures and a vase thing and looked around the little booths. And this Hare Krishna lady told me she was giving me a ticket for being too good looking and that the fine was a $5 donation to providing wholesome, vegetarian meals for hungry people (does anyone else remember that delicious food from the Hare Krishna booth at World Fest? Apparently it's called halivah.), and then I walked around a bit downtown, ending up back at Whole Foods where I bought more raspberries and a slice of pizza for lunch. After I ate, I found this gelato place that I had seen yesterday and got gelato to eat while I made my way back to the bus stop. Then I went to see the Rose Garden (where the Trailblazers play) because I was under the impression that there was an actual rose garden. If there was, I didn't find it. Then I came back here, and I am tired. I don't know what I'm going to do until Little gets back, but I think I may take a nap.

hotalinge @ 2004-07-01T19:04:00

2004-07-01T23:07:57Z

I've been feeling sick most of this week. Melissa and I think it might be from the mold growing in the ceiling of the lab.

The Well of Lost Plots is an enjoyable read, but it's almost over. I will neeed at least a couple of books to take on the airplane... recommendations? I think I need to go ahead and read The DaVinci Code, after hearing all these people talking about it. And I want to read all the Harry Potters again.

Tomorrow I leave for home and Paige's wedding. Tuesday I'll be back here and Wednesday I leave for Oregon. I'm so excited! I've always wanted to go to Washington/Oregon.

And I managed to convince my boss that I shouldn't have had to use vacation days when I got my wisdom teeth out, so she let me go back and change it to sick days which means... I have two extra vacation days to use for a long weekend... perhaps a trip to Florida?

So yes, other than being sick, life is good. Only one more day of work.

hotalinge @ 2004-06-17T19:37:00

2004-06-17T23:40:57Z

So I ran that 8K. And I did pretty well if I do say so myself. 244/425 in 43:53. I was hoping for 10 minute miles (8K = 5 miles) , and I ran about 8:50 miles, so I'm pleased. And I've never raced anything that long before.

Inspired by a conversation with Steven, I have made a playlist of songs that always cheer me up, which is playing now. I'm not sure if there's a pattern, but anyway, it includes:

1. Fishing in the Dark by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (it's just great)
2. New York City by They Might be Giants (Bradley)
3. Broadway by Alison Krauss
4. There is a Reason by Alison Krauss
5. Steel Rails by Alison Krauss (okay, actually anything by Alison Krauss)
6. Grace by Siler's Bald
7. Sold by John Michael Montgomery (amazing how I used to think he was awful and he sings two of my favorite songs)
8. I Don't Love You Much Do I by Guy Clark (reminds me of my Mama)
9. Open Up the Sky by FFH (and most of their other songs)
10. Joe and Rosalita by Phil Vassar (yay)
11. The Danse by Caedmon's Call (the first Christian concert I ever went to, I really like them)
12. One Boy, One Girl by Collin Ray
13. I Love the Way You Love Me by John Michael Montgomery
14. Let Us Pray by Steven Curtis Chapman (I really like him)
15. I Just Wanna Be Mad by Terri Clark (this is defeintely me)
16. Perfect Love by Trisha Yearwood
17. She's in Love with the Boy by Trisha Yearwood
18. Return of the Grievous Angel by Emmylou Harris (actually most of her songs, thanks to my Mom... I would never have expected to include her in my list when I was younger)
19. Perhaps Love by John Denver
20. Don't That Make You Want to Fall in Love by Kenny Chesney
21. After all this Time by Rodney Crowell

Okay, so there are some definite trends. By the way, the order is essentially meaningless... I had a very hard time putting them in order so I eventually gave up trying.

I have a headache again tonight. I've been getting them a lot lately, but Excedrin Tension Headache is a wonderful invention.

I went sailing again last night. I love it! And (have I mentioned this?) one of the couples that I sail with is adopting 3 sisters from Russia sometime very soon and it's all very exciting. And one of the other couples is hosting a shower for them and they invited me, which made me happy because I wasn't sure if they would.

And all the big presentations for the week are over and I think tomorrow will be pretty slow. I guess I should go find food.

hotalinge @ 2004-06-06T18:49:00

2004-06-06T22:55:28Z

I did my 5 miles yesterday. I am very proud of myself. I also made it to camp for the afternoon, which was very nice, and I was invited to stay for dinner, so I did. Drove back down in time to get the the grocery store about 9 and didn't go to bed until almost midnight. Church and Pampered Chef party so far today. I need to get dinner in the oven. I also need to find some time to go see Harry Potter and someone to go with.

hotalinge @ 2004-06-05T00:31:00

2004-06-05T04:37:05Z

Quick update on this week:

Monday--Emailed a guy from my french class that I thought was cute. Went home after work for my (baby) brother's high school graduation.

Tuesday--Got up early early to drive back before work. Got a reply from the guy that said he wanted to get together sometime. Worked a long day because I had a presentation to prepare. Went to Bible study after work.

Wednesday--Gave a presentation, which apparently went pretty well. Went sailing after work (beautiful night, pretty sunset, enough wind, good company, very relaxing).

Thursday--Another long day at work... I was very tired and stressed out for some reason, even though the presentation was already over. Went to a "Pamper your feet" party with Katie afterwards. Bought things I probably don't need like this stuff you rub on your temples to help with tension headaches, but it did seem to work.

Today--Yet another long day. Came home at 6 (I was planning to leave work at 4, but things happen) and left at 6:15 to go see Shrek 2 with Steven. It was very excellent (even the second time). Just got home and I'm about to drop. It's been a really long week.

Tomorrow--I am planning to get up early and run 8K (4.8 miles) to practice for my race next weekend and then clean up the house a bit. Then I think I need some alone time, so I'm going to go off somewhere I can sit for a while outside, probably to camp, but maybe to Furman or somewhere. Then groceries and early (?) to bed.

Have a lovely weekend!