It's Wet Outside.

Here are three Hurricane Sandy related pictures for your wet and wild afternoon pleasure. For those of you wondering about the window situation, so far, so good . . . mostly. So far everything is still intact, but there are some fun leaks springing around my A/C units.

Stay dry east coasters!

So true.
I'm the one with the bow.

This actually went around the office on Friday.
It was hilarious to hear people randomly burst out laughing. 

A friend of mine shared this picture.
It was taken this morning at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
That is dedication.

The Purrfect Little Lady

My favorite kitty is so dainty when she sits with her toes all lined up.

She's so cute ♥

Now This is What I Call a Preemptive Strike!

As most of my family knows my living room window and heavy winds don't get along very well. In fact, in the year and a few months that I've been living here, my window has popped out four times.

The first was during Hurricane Irene, when my window popped out at 4 a.m. Fortunately my mom was there and (after nearly an hour of holding in place ourselves) we finally came up with the ideal to lean my empty bookcase against a box against my window. That worked pretty well and a few hours later we hit up Lowes for some tape to hold it in place a little less cumbersomely.

It next happened a few months later. This time I was prepared and taped it in right away.

And then two more times after that. . . .

Well, when I heard that Hurricane Sandy was supposed to pound us with mad winds on Sunday and Monday (and maybe even Tuesday), I (with my parents' urging) decided to make a preemptive strike this time around.

Enter the 2 x 4.

For the record, a full 2 x 4 will fit in my car. Who knew?

My window is now taped, braced, and as I discovered today, it's also screwed into the window frame. I guess maintenance got tired of visiting my apartment armed with a caulk gun. However there's only one screw and it's not flush with the frame, so I'm not convinced that it will do much good, except to prevent the plexiglass from falling completely out. I've also got towels packed around the A/C unit to catch all the leaking water that inevitably happens when it rains hard.

So, BRING IT Sandy. I'm ready for you.

Just don't take my power. . . .

Ballet is Hard!

I just watched this video and just about died laughing. This little girl is 100% the cutest thing I've ever seen. She also reminds me of exactly how I felt every time I tried to do a turned-out first position.

I feel her pain.

I think I'll watch it again.

Pigs May or May Not be Flying Right Now. . . .

Why yes. I did just win in Words with Friends by more than 100 points. 

Thanks for noticing.

This will probably never happen again.

Ever.

Feeling Legit

I was in Barnes and Noble the other day and I saw a book on display that I (thats right . . . me, myself, and I) copyedited. It's the first (and hopefully not the last) time that's ever happened to me!

That was exciting.

How an Idea Becomes a Book... an Infographic

This little gem was going around our office last week. We all pretty much agreed that this perfectly represents how an idea becomes a book.

This may be why I'm slowly going crazy. . . .

 



Thanks weldonowen.com

Somehow This Makes Me Feel Better

I've had a super stressful work and school filled couple of weeks and something about this story (which a friend of mine just posted on Facebook) makes me feel like things can and will get better.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two Beers.  

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty glass mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.  

The professor then picked up a jar of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open spaces between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.  

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous yes. 

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the grains of sand. The students laughed.  

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions—things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. "The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.  

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for your life." 

"If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.  

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.  

"Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Hang out with your friends. Play another 18.  

"There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.  

"Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." 

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked," he said. "The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend."