yourmuse | Recent Entries

Hi there! I'm almost never here on livejournal any more (though I have kept current with my LJ bill, mostly out of nostalgia/appreciation for its existence), but as I'm here today on reading-a-friend's-post business, I thought I'd check in with everyone.

I've pretty much switched over to facebook now. The format is more suited to my lifestyle and tastes these days. If you know my real name and you don't already have me as a facebook friend, come find me.

Jeff and I got married on Valentine's Day (we eloped to our living room with a handful of friends), and we just celebrated 4 years of only having eyes for one another. I continue to be the luckiest girl in the world. Jeff makes me smile every day.

I've started my third year of teaching high school mathematics (second year in the same location, and second year teaching an engineering elective). I love my job. I love my job! It's so amazing to me that my job continues to inspire me. I adore my students. They're such good kids. Even the assholes. I finally feel like I'm good at what I do, too. I'm better able to respond to formerly-anxiety-triggering situations, and I laugh more often. Today, I (intentionally) made an entire class full of students erupt into laughter with a single word. I love my job!

I've recently joined a gym. I have to agree with Rabbit that exercise "makes the mind less obsessive, less broody." It's good stuff.

I'm happier now than I've ever been. It's a comforting feeling. I'm calmer. Jeff and I get along better as time goes on, which is amazing to me.

I still have terrible posture, but I'm working on it.

I bought myself a large (partial sleeve) tattoo (of a fruit bat in an apple tree) for my 32nd birthday. I'm scheduled to get the final coloring done today.

Life is good. I hope you're well.

-C.

I hope y'all are okay. I can actually smell the smoke, see the haze, and feel the heat all the way down here in Hancock Park, which sounds crazy even to me.

Many thanks to

battykat and Rick, who helped

zugale and me heft boxes and furniture today. There's still time to hop on the assistance bandwagon, if you're interested. We're trying to get out by next weekend so we can enjoy Thanksgiving at my parents'.

If you are within reading distance of this post, and you'd like to lend Jeff and/or me a hand with packing and/or transporting boxes this weekend, please leave a comment with the time and day. All comments screened!

p.s. Volunteers get dibs on the stuff that would otherwise be sold or donated. Also food.

Congratulations, President-Elect Obama!

Current Mood: farklempt

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE.

SRSLY.

This is a big one, folks.

If you're registered to vote in California, please vote NO on Proposition 8. I'm sure you've heard arguments on both sides. Since the pro-8 arguments have focused on education, I feel I am in a good position to refute those arguments. Here are a few things I can tell you as a teacher in Los Angeles, California:

1. Teachers throughout LAUSD and California are only required to teach to the California Content Standards.

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no content standard relating to the definition of marriage.

2. Within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), all employees are bound by the Non-Discrimination Statement. [It's a pdf, so the link is to the page where it can be found.]

Here is an important excerpt:

The Los Angeles Unified School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual harassment), physical or mental disability, or age (40 and above) in any of its policies, procedures, or practices, in compliance with federal civil rights laws: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (pertaining to race, color, and national origin), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (pertaining to sex), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II (pertaining to disability), and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. (State laws and District policies further provide that the District does not discriminate on the basis of religion, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, related), political belief or affiliation, or in retaliation.)

Emphases mine. So, since LAUSD employees cannot discriminate based on marital status, and marriage between two consenting adults, regardless of gender, is currently legal in California, no teacher is allowed to say that gay marriage is wrong.

Even if Proposition 8 passes, no LAUSD teacher will be allowed to say that gay marriage is wrong.

I'm sorry to have to burst the bubble of the Prop 8 proponents who think that the passage of this proposition will somehow "protect the children" from the idea that gay marriage is okay, but this is the reality: as a teacher, regardless of my beliefs or politics, I am not permitted to make discriminatory statements about marriage or homosexuality.

Besides, as an educator, my job is not to censor information - it is to expose children to as much information as possible, so my students can make their own informed decisions.

Trust your children. Vote NO on Proposition 8.

Specifically, I've been contemplating my future birthdays.

When I turn 32, I want to get a tattoo. Partly, yes, because it rhymes. But partly because this morning it finally hit me what I would like. If you have any recommendations for tattoo artists who can do lifelike representations of animals and/or are good with color, please let me know. I do have at least one artist in mind, but she lives in Austin at the moment.

When I turn 33, I really, really, really, reallyreallyreally want to go to Club 33 at Disneyland. I know some of you have been there. Is there any way I can beg or bribe you to let me in? Preferably with Jeff? The date will be July 15th, 2010.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua was SO CUTE! I laughed, I cried (only a little, and yes, I'm a total dweeb for doing so), I repeatedly produced squeals and jazz-hands of delight. Thank you to

sarahlicious13 for coming with me.

The only thing that surprised me was that the movie was not, in fact, a musical. The preview was a bit misleading on that aspect.

Normally, I only post about Jeff's comics over in

zugale, but these last two were just so close to my heart that I am compelled to post them here:

Only Different in Your Mind...

Mike Rowe Scoffs at Me...

I don't know what's cuter/more amusing: Diva, or these comics Jeff has written about her.

"Us and Them" is one of my all-time favorite songs.

Jeff gets home from Cabo tomorrow. Not a moment too soon, because I'm really starting to ~~resent cleaning the catbox~~ miss that guy.

Jeff wrote his latest comic before he went on vacation, but it's set in his current location. Enjoy!

First day of school is tomorrow. OMG.

Also: A moment of silence, please, for one of the best-known voices in the world, Don LaFontaine.

So far I only have addresses for the following, so let me know if your name is not on this list and you'd like a postcard:

brokenheather and

the_angelus

ruespieler

twistedcat

fyrebringer

clynne

apoundofflesh

novadrome

darklysewn

On top of the human rights violations and the horrific pollution, China decided that a little girl wasn't cute enough to visually represent her own singing voice. This was crap back when C+C Music Factory pulled it, so I'm not buying the claim that the deception (and destruction of a little girl's dream) was "[in] the interests of the nation.”

Current Mood: disgusted

I was just noodling around teh intarwubs this morning, and I stumbled on a sale:

Bésame Cosmetics (think WWII pin-up girls) currently has lipstick (and gloss) on sale for $6 a tube (as opposed to, like, $18). Sale ends tomorrow, so I guess I have good timing for internet stumbling.

It's been, like, years, and I still haven't figured out the band and song names for some of the (mix CD) music you sent me. For some songs, even googling lyrics has been fruitless. Some of these might be by Jesus and Mary Chain, but I'm unfamiliar enough that I can't be sure.

Ferrinstance:

* There's one song where a guy sings about being "a clown" and how he "falls down" (and "is down") and wonders, "doesn't anybody wanna fall in love any more?"
* In another, a guy sings "...I left you behind/It's a sick, sick city but it's never gonna make me..." (insane?) and something about "facin' a dilemma 'bout the way that you feel..."
* One starts with a guy complaining that, "You like to act like you don't care what people think/But if you didn't then you wouldn't do the things you do/It's only in your head so just act how you want..." and something about never having any fun, and then the music goes all ska-esque.
* There's one that starts with a guy saying (I think) he's "taking on the world" and "I guess you have a new guy(?)" and I think the chorus starts with "wake uuu-up" but I can't be sure.
* There's one that sounds like video game music from the '80s and I swear that at some point the singer says, "I am the cheese." Um, maybe I didn't even get this song from you.

I don't typically x-post Jeff Z.-related entries, but this time I had to:

Can I just say how totally freakin' proud I am of Jeff? His guest comic for Questionable Content is not only brilliant, it features a cameo by my favorite webcomic character EVAR.

Plus, the fans seem to like it. Yay, Jeff!

Well, he's going to get married to the man of his dreams.

And so am I!

Luckily, we're not in love with the same man.

Translation: Jeff Z. and I are engaged!

Friend

darklysewn is doing some spring cleaning. She writes:

I have 7 rolls of asst vinyls i'd like to give away.
2 clear plastic/vinyl
1 opaque purple
1 clear purple
1 roll is sheets of Black and White vinyl(solid each sheet is different)
1 has several sheets of printed Vinyl with weird prints on it-paisley, concrete, plaid, etc

If anyone wants them please let me know, or I am going to toss it all.

I have a HUGE roll of silver vinyl. it's very cybery and not metallic as more of a stainless/brushed steel look, but not shiny. it has a black backing and stretch. I'd say about 8-10 yards. claim it, it's yours.

So...

james_madison?

nakeygirl?

twistedcat? Anybody need any vinyl?

p.s. FYI,

darklysewn has an eBay store full of gothy goodness. I found one of my favorite necklaces there, as well as an awesome cameo pin.