float vase by Joe Doucet
lamplamp by hironao tsuboi
Category Archives: goodness
Archaic meme
How could I forget about shoes? This was a long-lasting source of totally harmless amusement during college. No one could mention anything foot-wear related in a crowded classroom without someone muttering, “omg shoes,” or “let’s party.” To this day, even my dad quotes this video.
Watching it now, I’m pretty horrified at how shitty this video is. It’s like that guy I had a crush on in elementary school. He was totally perfect at the time, but I see photos now, and he looks like everyone else in the class: a dorky kid with crooked teeth trying to fit in. I’m talking about you, Richard M.
I love you, walking carpet
If you don’t have even one friend who would laugh and then hug this… your friends might suck. Plus it’s on sale at Things from Another World, my favorite online comic shop. They’re always having some kinda sale, bless ’em.
he's great with the kids
Flexing my friendship muscle
With Boyfriend in Europe, I’ve had the chance to spend more time with friends, mostly High School Roommate, and Little Iron Friend from the Kung Fu studio (watching Serenity, making ramen at her place, going to bars). I forget how important friendships are when Boyfriend is so available most of the time. I should really make time for them more often. I’ve been foregoing sleep to hang out, but it’s been easy to deal with since I’m not waking up every four hours because of Boyfriend. I have more energy then even a week ago, and it feels great. I’m having a really nice time.
Side note: My arms are getting cut. A few people at work, friends, and some family members have all commented that my arms are hulking out. I’m pretty psyched. I think a powerful body and a friendly smile are super sexy on a woman. I’m diggin’ it. Tummy’s getting flat and toned again, too. Naturally, I’m also covered in bruises most of the time, but if that’s the price to be paid for a slammin’ body, sign me up to start turning colors.
I went to Princeton, bitch.
A truth about being a martial artist
Being a martial artist is great for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that it makes me feel like a total badass. Being athletic for so long means I’m pretty coordinated, I move gracefully, I don’t trip and fall and injure myself… ever. Plus, being a female martial artist automatically puts me in a special category, and everyone loves being special.
And all that sounds great, but if I’d be lying if I said that any of those topped my list of why being a true martial artist is worth all the training, sweating and pain. Having been punched and kicked until I bled may sound brutal; having sharp eyes and fast feet that can flash above my own head may sound pretty sweet; but it’s the sum of these skills and experiences that produces the best part of being a good fighter: the quiet. I’m confident that my training has prepared me to survive (and win) most fights, and I find that to be incredibly soothing.
yes, there is a little solar eclipse in my tummy
I rediscovered this sensation while interviewing someone at Office Job. I’ve only been there less than a year, so I still feel like the new kid. However, during the interview, I realized that I would be looked to for counsel on how to handle this situation or deal with that person, and that I could give sound advice. I’m getting good at my job, and that’s really quite… relaxing. It’s the same feeling I had when I got my black belts: a sense of pride and confidence. Of course, when I got my black belts, my body felt like it was pulsating with potential, that the ability to fight (and fight well) practically coursed through me. It was all I could do to contain it. It was exhilarating. My whole body was buzzing with power and fluid motion, and amidst all that there was a still, quiet core to keep me from flying in all directions.
That buzzing feeling has faded to a hum, but its silent anchor remains. The best part of being a true martial artist is the silence.
It’s code for rom-com
Boyfriend and I have been dating for just over three years now, and we’re still very much in love. This is new for me. Usually I leave after about two years. I guess when people say, “The magic was gone,” maybe that’s what happened in my past relationships. I just wasn’t in love anymore. I wasn’t as happy as I knew I could be. So I left. Imagine my surprise when anniversary number two came and went without any change between Boyfriend and me. Our love stayed strong, and I’m happy.
One night when Boyfriend came home late from work, he tip-toed over to where I was fast asleep to say hi before getting ready for bed. This is common for us; to prioritize a loving greeting before all else. Of course, I was notorious for talking my sleep at the time, and was completely passed out. Boyfriend’s hands are usually cold, and I’ve always been known to generate heat at an alarming rate. So when he touched my face and hand that night, I apparently reacted in typical sleep-talking girlfriend fashion: I said, “No no, frozen pizza, no.” Then I insisted that “Pizza goes in the oven,” and put his ice-cold hand against my white-hot stomach, and pulled my shirt down over it, encasing his hand in my own personal furnace-tummy.
Thus were our pet names born: He is Pizza, I am Oven.
with anchovies and green olives
He left town today for a great job, and he’ll be gone for two weeks. I’m really proud of him. He’s going to make it, and he deserves to. Meanwhile, though, I miss him pretty bad. I always cry when he leaves for a job, even if it’s only for a few days. The act of separating is what’s so hard for me. Being apart is pretty lame too, but I’ve always been good at entertaining myself. He says he loves me because I’m strong. I cried when we said goodbye this morning. I can’t help it. I love my Pizza.
Ren Faire costume!
optional hood? YOU BET
I went to the Renaissance Faire with friends last weekend. So much fun. Now I need to get a real costume instead of just pairing that bodice I have with a tank top and long skirt.
Which means I’d have to start working nights as a security guard, because those costumes are really, really expensive. I’ve been eying this little number (pictured) from Ravenswood Leather for a ranger-type costume, something tough but feminine, because that whole damsel look is pretty but just not me at all.
I’d have this stuff forever, too. Every Halloween I don’t want to wear the full dog-suit costume, BAM! I whip out the Ren Faire getup instead. It’s a totally foolproof plan.
My old friend, science fiction
I love Science Fiction as a genre for the same reason I love anime: There are no limits. Anything is possible. Who wouldn’t love that? It’s not just for science/computer/gamer geeks and nerds. Science tears down the walls within our minds and builds roads to the horizon.
I love you, too, Isaac Asimov
A few of my favorites:
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card- Kids! It’s about kids! Show it to your kid! It’s an amazing book for adults, but it’s about kids, so kids eat it up. Synopsis: In a world where the Earth is at war with an alien race of “buggers,” our last hope is the children bred to have the qualities of great military leaders. One boy, Ender, is clever and reluctant to fight, but shows promise…
The Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein- My first trip to Mars, courtesy of one of the pioneers of novel-length science fiction.
Dune by Frank Herbert- Such a fantastic book. I re-read it a few years ago, and I’ll read it again soon. A strange new world where water is scarce means constant skirmishes with the natives who turn out to have more secrets and power than anyone dared imagine. It falls to a young prince to follow his father’s example of generosity and strength to lead the people, prevent war, and rule an entire planet, or perish. (also, this)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle- This book was a must-read by kids in my elementary school, and it messed with our brains. For example, it featured fantastic creatures who gave visions of twelve-dimensional shapes to children, then explained how time travel was achieved by “wrinkling” the fabric of space/time, stepping across the wrinkle, then smoothing out the fabric. At age ten, I was thoroughly impressed. I need to re-read this; it’s been too long.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein- I like the ideas in this (a human raised on Mars as a Martian, brought back to Earth with fantastic abilities), but can’t get over the lack of strong female characters, and the way the women are treated, as caretakers and comforters. Women aren’t made of moms and blankets, we’re people. It’s the era in which it was written… very hippy-driven, free love, which means the men get laid all the time, and the women too, but the women tend not to have any power. But he was strongly against racism, and wrote minority characters often, which is awesome.
Be Random, Be Clear 