Sunday, January 30, 2005

life soundtrack

on the topic of a soundtrack, the following is a list of songs that would be on the soundtrack of me, if i were a movie. and this would be a 2-disc set, also.

1. the wretched by nine inch nails
2. dry the rain by the beta band
3. protest by skinny puppy
4. sheela na gig by pj harvey
5. kid fears by indigo girls
6. darkness by peter gabriel
7. fragile by nine inch nails
8. fuck and run by liz phair
9. fade into you by mazzy star
10. let go by frou frou
11. such great heights by iron & wine
12. gave up by nin
13. precious things by tori amos
14. the magnificent 7 by the clash
15. for sure by tiger trap
16. it had to be you by billie holiday
17. i wanna be sedated by the ramones
18. get the time by the descendants

that's where it's at for now. more to be added at a later time.
and you? what's on your soundtrack?

the actor's studio

i'm watching the actor's studio on bravo and although james liptom can sometimes make me feel like i'm being rubbed with a cheese grater, robert redford is on and when asked by james lipton "what turns you on?", he replied "you." that's good fun.
the students are now asking bob redford questions and he is so gracious and it's funny, b/c he has the ability to make EVERY woman (and probably many men) just blush when he speaks to them. there's just something about him.
dustin is listening to rap music right now and it creates an interesting soundtrack when i'm doing things that are pretty calm, like folding laundry or, like right now, blogging.
i'll find my foot tapping or my head sort of nodding and then i wonder "what do the words say?" and i realize i don't really care at that moment in time, it's just nice to have a soundtrack.

lasso puppy


lasso puppy
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

the dog enjoys playing with anything that could be used for tug o' war...rope, socks, christmas ornaments, what have you...

dustin & dixie


dustin & dixie
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

he likes the dog.

dj dustin


dj dustin
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

i have nothing further to comment. he's just too much.

a cat called wanda & a dixie


a cat called wanda & a dixie
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

Friday, January 28, 2005

day of achey noggin

migranes suck arse. the pain of mine only (only?) lasted about 11 hours, so i guess i have THAT to be happy about. the pleasant side effects of weird colored lines in my vision came on early and were the last to leave -- nothing like poor vision when driving your child to a birthday party on the verge of rush hour traffic.
so i was at home today, missing work hours that i really can't afford to be missing, but there is nothing to be done about that.
tis now nearly the 9 o'clock hour and abbey is working on a spool knitting project.
i've begun knitting. and not with a spool kit, but with real, grown-up, shiny blue metal knitting needles. i can now cast on (did i mention this all in a previous post? i don't remember) and do some stitching, however i can't keep my little knits loose enough, and pretty soon it's all really, really tight and really, really difficult to get past six rows.
suggestions, anyone? would a bigger gauge needle help? are there knitting support groups out there?

"hi, my name is kari, and my knitting is too tight."
"hi kari!"
applause follows. there are some women with tear-stained faces, some men looking very ashamed. people are drinking watered-down coffee and chain smoking marlboro reds. we all have name tags on.

maybe my man hands are just not knit-friendly. maybe i should try crochet. wait, that may not be the solution. maybe just stacking bricks is better for my dexterity (or lack thereof).

i definitely think that having something to keep me occupied in the manner that knitting does is good for the non-smoking effort.
i think in the morning i'm going to make french toast for breakfast. DRATS! no eggs in the house, and i'm lazy. crunchberries it is.

the dog is doing well, and i shall soon post another -- hang on, i'm watching "fairly odd parents" with abbey now, and there is a bit on the show that, only with the aid of fairy god parents could north and south dakota get past their differences and consolidate into one state, DAKOTA, thus leaving the flag with one less star.

okay, i digress. i shall soon post a few more photos of the dog, how the "dogs and cats, living together" (name what movie that quote came from!) situation is progressing.
but why do dogs chew on plastic? why is that? any kind of plastic and dixie is all over it.

i have a great deal of energy now that the headache is gone, which explains this REALLY LONG AND UNIMPORTANT blog post. there is something really exhilarating about pain in the sense that once the pain is gone, you feel freakin' amazing.

my dream last night: bizarre. i woke up at three with the headache and, upon falling back to sleep, dreamt about having a headache, in addition to there being big grizzly bears in our house. two bears, actually, and they kept taking swipes at all of us as we ran from room to room. and we had a rifle but no shotgun shells to use to get rid of them, which is bizarre, b/c even if there were bears in my house, i wouldn't shoot them. i'd offer them tea and cake and a lift home. but no gunfire.
anyhow, without shotgun shells and with a throbbing headache, i took the dog for a walk but had no leash, so i had to walk for blocks while holding onto dixie's collar so she would not run away. when i found a leash for sale, it was only 35 cents, which is a steal if you've ever shopped for leashes. then we were walking home but i kept taking what i thought were shortcuts home, but every yard i walked through was blocked off by a big wall or on the edge of a cliff and i couldn't find my way home. and all the time a big effing' headache.
so that was my dream. that's the first time i dreamt about bears being loose in my house. usually my dreams are in the following order:
2 days a week -- teeth falling out.
1 day a week -- tornado.
1 time a month -- we live in a weird military state and have to ride in buses that drive up and down 90 degree angle hills.

the other dreams i usually don't recall, but those are my staples, if you will.

i can tell i've not blogged much lately b/c for some reason i can't be stopped right now.

except to let the dog outside, b/c she's not capable of opening a door, attaching her chain and letting herself back in. she's trained but not that trained.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

movie night at our house

abbey doesn't have school tomorrow (school conference day), so we've been watching a movie. and what could that movie be? why, it's none other than "princess diaries 2: royal engagement."
me (to abbey): did you like this movie?
abbey: yeah.
me: more than the first movie?
abbey: i liked this one more than the first.

now she's got a digital thermometer in her mouth and is taking her temperature. that's the thought progression of a third-grader.
"i liked this movie. i wonder what my temp is."

things with the new dog are working pretty well -- but the oldest cat will stand in front of dixie and sort of, um...intimidate her. she won't make a noise, but she'll just stand there and probably think belitting thoughts about the dog. so then one of us have to intervene to "rescue" the 38-pound dog from the 12 pound cat.

crap. time to get ready for bed. must sleep.

dready kari


dready kari
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

dude, i'd be so cute with dreads.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

TWO FRIGGIN' WEEKS!


TWO FRIGGIN' WEEKS!
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

that's right, homeys. two weeks. and i have now begun knitting to keep the hands busy.
two friggin' weeks! i'm 1.5 months away from the ipod shuffle...go me!
and props to my boy TERRY for hitting the two week mark, too!

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

what marriage does to people


how marriage has changed you
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

congrats to my dad and leona on their wedding! (i heart photoshop)

my favorite smoky


popesmoky
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

aahhhh, it's the pope-ah!

pirates of the litterbox


piratesmoky
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

arrrrr, matey.

punk smoky


smokyispunk
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

he likes the clash.

a handsome cat


smokyisregal
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

this used to be our cat, until our cats tormented him and he now lives with sarah m. his name is smoky and he had a portrait taken of him. i feel it's a fine portrait, however i think some added touches would be lovely.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

...but she liked the snow


abbey snow
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

abbey felt pretty good about the snowfall. good enough to possibly chuck a snowball at me as i had a digital camera in hand.

i'm delighted!

so i just turned to NBC after a day filled with episodes from season 1 of "little house on the prairie," and what's on NBC? why it's "bridget jones' diary," of course! i like this movie. i own this movie and i could watch it any old day, but since it's on the damn tv, i'll watch it now.
colin firth.
this is pretty much the only way i like to see renee zellwegger. i've not yet seen the second bridget jones movie, although i heard it was less than stellar. that's why the dollar theater exists. maybe that'll be my tuesday night thing.
can i say this again?
colin firth.
my dog is sleeping next to me on the couch for the sixth consecutive hour, which means that:
1. she's cute and funny and snoring; and
2. she'll be wide awake tonight, thus keeping us awake by playing with a cat called wanda.
oh, and the non-smoking experiment?
according to the quitplan site:

Time Smoke-Free: 11 days, 14 hours, 46 minutes and 49 seconds

Cigarettes NOT smoked: 139

Lifetime Saved:  1 day, 1 hour

Money Saved: $19.80

so there. and dustin has proclaimed that, after 2 (TWO) months of not smoking, he'll purchase for me the new ipod shuffle. huzzah!

abbey with some pets


abbeypets
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

so a cat called wanda and the dixie dog napped next to abbey while she enjoyed a little bit of ibook time. and i love her pajamas.

let it snow? MAKE IT STOP!


lookatallthateffingsnow
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

holy crapola. it snowed a lot on friday. a lot. i was none too happy.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

pharmaceutical commercials

oh crap, this commercial is disturbing. "enzyte," where it's for "natural male enhancement," which is FINE, but the creepy guy in the commercial has a frozen smile on his face and he looks like a psychopath.
in fact, all pharmaceutical commercials are disturbing on some level. know what i'd be willing to trade? the money spent on those effing commercials for AFFORDABLE MEDICATION. but i guess that's just the silly idealist in me.
now i'm watching a new game show on comedy central, i don't recall the title off hand, but basically they make you get your ass kicked to win a prize, then make you guess more questions to not have your prize destroyed. this moron didn't know that:
a: the gene in KISS was gene simmons; and
b: "she blinded me with science" was sung by thomas dolby.
what does this prove? that knowing too much about pop culture is not bad, and that if you win a brand new ford mustang, it won't have it's windshield smashed in by a sledgehammer.
lesson learned.

hell week is finished...i hope...


oneweek
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

thanks to the handy folks at quitnet, i now have a ONE WEEK certificate for not smoking. one week. but what is staggering is that, according to the stats, i've not smoked 85 cigarettes, however i've only save 12 bucks. and 15 hours. that doesn't really rock my world at this point. but i'm sure it shall matter when it comes down to my last 15 hours on earth and i think, "hmm, i would have died by now, but i've still got 15 hours to go!"

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

back to the lunchtime blog

when you are no longer a smoker, you find that your lunch break is actually quite lengthy. so lengthy that when you blog, you put your feet up on a chair so that you can move the typewriter into your lap and be all comfy. i'm all comfy.
well i'm on ye olde day seven of not smoking and it's going alright today, i am sure that i'll have a burning urge to put my head through a window at some point, as that urge hits about once or twice a day -- but maybe with enough of my delightful Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin cookie, i can keep that horrible urge at bay.
what's tough especially is having it in my mind that i am not a smoker anymore. i kind of feel like when i'm not smoking, i'm not a non-smoker, i just a smoker in denial -- a fraud, if you will. even last year when i quit for four whole months, i still felt like a smoker the entire time. so getting out of that mindset will be what really keeps me from smoking again.
the quitnet site has been really helpful, and there are some nice folks who will post reassuring messages on the forum when you type in things like, oh, for example:
"if i don't smoke i'm going to put my head through that window!" they assure you that no, putting your head through that window won't actually keep your cravings away.
my blog is a bore since i've quit smoking. that's all i talk about...blah blah blah. oh, and a big THANKS to all of you who have ordered cookies through my wee tot -- she's set herself a pretty high goal (250 boxes, down from her ORIGINAL goal of 490) and it's nice that she'll be able to meet it.
word out.

Monday, January 17, 2005

if i lived in london...

i'd be going to see NIN at the astoria at the end of march. but since i don't, i'll have to wait. nuts.
who wants some darn cookies?

Sunday, January 16, 2005

golden globe award night

just "enjoying" a bit of pop culture tonight whilst taking in the golden globe awards.
ewan macgregor=lovely
zach braff=lovely
natalie portman= adorable
besides all that, i'm just longing for a chapstick that won't burn my sad, dry lips.
foreign actors are allowed to have bad teeth, it seems, whereas the teeth of american actors gleam like a freshly bleached shirt.
oh, i'm tired. oh, and i'm also nearing the end of my fifth day without smoking.
FIVE FREAKIN' DAYS!!!!
and for the most part it's not too bad, but everynow and then i feel like tossing whatever it is i have in my hand (remote control, bottle of water, poison dart) right through the damn window. and then a few minutes later i'm fine again.

celebrities i'm really tired of:
paris hilton
anyone from sex and the city (well christ! they're everywhere! gap ads! 7up ads! PLEASE! give us time!)
gwen stefani

general quiz: who are YOU sick of?


(as a side note, charlie kaufmann just got screwed -- he should have won an award for "eternal sunshine." and why the hell did "garden state" see no nominations at all?)

Saturday, January 15, 2005

three days


three days
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

the quitplan website is pretty cool, they give you little certificates to print out when you have hit certain milestones, so here's my three day quit certificate!

Thursday, January 13, 2005

girls scout time...

okay, so abbey is selling girl scout cookies beginning sat., jan. 15...and not only am i pimping out friends and family but also complete strangers. so whoever is interested in the following cookies, just comment and let me know:

Caramel Delites
Peanut Butter Patties
Shortbread
Thin Mints
Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Reduced Fat Lemon Pastry Cremes
Animal Treasures
Iced Berry Pinatas

they are $3.50 per box and the proceeds go to her Girl Scout troop for camp, field trips, supplies, etc., with the remaining going to charities in the Twin Cities area. payment is due either at time of ordering OR time of delivery, and the cookies will be ready for delivery around the end of february/beginning of march.

i know you wanna.
and remember: nobody puts baby in a corner.

lunchtime sans cigarettes

i've just eaten some of the least pleasant soup ever canned. it's one of those "healthy" brands ("healthy" meaning "lacking in flavor"), chicken, veggies and garlic. all that's left in the little bowl in some bland broth and the weird canned chicken chunks.
i wanted a better lunch for day 2 of not smoking. i wanted luscious fruits and vegetables, dense breads and gallons of juice...for dessert? strawberries dipped in that yummy cream cheese fruit dip. but i have the lame soup.
i'm sad.
i think before i could rationalize eating bad soup by saying "well at least i'll have a really enjoyable cigarette after the soup!"
today?
"well, at least i'll have....a piece of gum after the soup." and guess what...i'm not at that place where gum=better than cigarette. yesterday was edgy day. today is sad/irritable day...i can't WAIT to see what tomorrow brings!
i think my problem is that i don't really want to quit. i mean, i know i need to and it's not healthy etc etc etc, but i still WANT to smoke. however i don't think this is something that will ever really go away. i think i'll probably always want to smoke.
so instead of smoking tonight, i shall do another mile on ye olde elliptical machine that, until yesterday, was collecting a great deal of dust.
at least i picked the coldest damn week of the winter thus far to quit... word on the street (by "street" i mean "minnesota public radio") is that the gov. might cancel school tomorrow if it's dangerously cold as predicted. and i'd be okay with that. working and getting paychecks is good, but watching movies and reading all day with my daughter is better.
have listened to the "garden state" soundtrack for the gajillionth time today -- can't really get enough of it and sadly, that means in a week or so i shan't want to hear it for up to six months. i don't really know the meaning of moderation.
(confession: i do actually know the meaning of moderation, but in my previous sentence i was using that phrase as an exaggeration.)
ahh...sidenotes....another dandy excuse to italicize some words.

day twoooooooo

this is sucking a bit here. somewhat depressed, somewhat melancholy, somewhat irritable. my head hurts. i want an effing cigarette. but i shant, or i'll face ridicule from co-workers and that might make me cry. anything might make me cry today, i guess. nuts. except finding a big bag of money. i wouldn't cry at that.

a bag of money!


moneybag
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

props to em for this!!!

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

crutch puppet


crutch puppet
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

today at work, margaret (a fellow designer) fashioned a puppet with a box top and a crutch to cheer me on in my quit-smoking efforts. good times! props to margaret!

day 1

okay, giving the "quitting smoking" thing a try...again. terry said that he's quitting today so, in accordance with my earlier statement to him -- something along the lines of "i'll quit at the same time you do" -- i'm quitting. yes, again. i know, i've said it before. but i've gotta keep trying, right?
so the patch makes my arm burn. nuts. my last cigarette was around 11 last night. so nine hours into it.
i kind of want to jab a pencil into my eye. i'll definitely keep you updated on that.

Monday, January 10, 2005

horrible commercials

okay, hating commercials. this, of course, begs the question, "why watch tv?"
because it's the "west wing" marathon monday, you lunatics!

earlier dustin overheard a commercial and his response was "i hate the world."

so i know i'm not alone on this.

and i kind of wish martin sheen could be our president.

and i KNOW i'm not alone on this, either.

let's take a vote: who would like martin sheen to be our president?

Saturday, January 08, 2005

ice girl


skatergirl
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

abbey went ice skating today w/her girl scout troop. a couple of spills but all in all, she's a skating fiend!

buddies


bedtime1
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

too cute. the dog likes to sleep by abbey.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

total f**king lunatics

so i'm on my way to cash my paycheck and buy groceries. i am backing out of our driveway and as i am waiting for a gazillion cars to go by, i eagerly anticipate that moment where i can dart out backwards into the road. alas! a break in the traffic and the nearest car -- coming from the west and thus will at some point be behind me -- is two blocks away. "no problem," i say, because it's not icy and i'm an expert at the backing out deal. well this fucking lunatic actually SPEEDS up and begins flashing his brights at me repeatedly. i drive normally b/c i choose not to engage in a battle of "who flips off who first" and i assume the person is not playing with a full deck anyhow.
so the supergenius continues down the block behind me, flashing his brights and honking -- i hit my brakes to give the "bring it, you fucker" vibe and he stops.
when i say "he," i don't actually know that it was a he for a fact. i'm only assuming and therefore making as ass out of both you and me.
anyhow, we are approaching a stoplight at white bear avenue and as i'm blinking for the right turn, he blinks for the left, begins flashing his brights and honking again. as we both turn, my left arm is extended up out the window with the middle finger raised.
however, this show of my middle finger did not make me feel better. why? it's because i can't help but think that i MUST have done something wrong for this person to act like such a lunatic... but really, i know this person was just out of their mind.
i continued on to my bank/grocery errands and even after wandering aimlessly around cub foods, looking for the frozen tasties called "uncrustables," i was still unnerved by the incident.
nuts.
as a side note, "uncrustables" are delightful. they are frozen, round little pb&j sandwiches that you thaw out and devour with all your might. i've only tried the grape jelly ones, but i'll now check and see how the strawberry jams are going over. and abbey's reply to my question of "how are the strawberry uncrustables?"
"they're good."
my follow up question:
"as good as the grape?"
her reply:
"no."
and that was all she wrote.

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

dogville...not the movie.

the third day with the dog is going pretty well. they were unsure on the first night. yesterday they were pissy and in seculsion. today... they are doing better. they are cautious but amused that she snores. for instance: right now the dog is sleeping, snoring and abbey is resting her head on her. litle brother is resting nearby, not four feet from the dog, staring and wondering what the freaky noise is. so yeah, much better than hissing.

naptime


naptime
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

abbey and her pillowy-dog...good stuff.

our kennel for the dog


kenneldog
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

this is where dixie lives when we are away at work. a decent pup in a nice foyer.

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

dixie


dixie
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

this is the final animal addition to the house. she's 1.5 years old and housebroken. and really funny.

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Memo to Esther:

Dear Esther: Please take note of the following...
1. We should meet for a meal on Tuesday after we have fled from our workplace cubicles.
2. We should only eat someplace that will allow me to continuously smoke from not only my mouth, but also my ears and nostrils. But if they don't allow me to smoke from my eyes, that is fine. Smoking from the eyes is a filthy habit.
3. You should phone me on my mobile apparatus in order to arrange for the aforementioned food plan.

the coast is toast

watching tv... AMC is kickin' ass and takin' names this evening. i turn on the tv and behold, there is "Earthquake" from 1974 starring the gun-totin' charlton heston...now it's "Volcano" with tommy lee jones and anne heche. next? why it's "Towering Inferno!" a night of catastrophe movies!

the platypus man himself

dustin's site is good, clean fun. give it a look see.

minot has made national news again.

darling abbey


darling abbey
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

what a great kid.

us.


newyearcouple2
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

this is the best picture of dustin and i ever taken. really. i love this picture.

still ringing in the new year


newyearsgirls
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

emily & amy lein and myself on new year's eve. they look like hotties, i wore my faded batman shirt...all was as it should be.

ringing in the new year


dylan&idiotcousin
Originally uploaded by kllnin.

here we have dylan (emily's husband) and dustin at the new year's party we attended. dustin looks a bit like dylan's "exceptional" friend.

Saturday, January 01, 2005

hurrah!

Here's some dandy NEWS to bring in the new year for moi.

currently enjoying a day of quite whilst watching the special features on the dvd of "garden state" ~ zach braff is really freakin' great.

we rang in our new year at an acquaintance's party last night, accompanied by amy lein, emily lein and em's husband, dylan. it was a good time but this morning i had to take amy to the airport, which blows a bit but we had a nice wit filled breakfast at ember's.... good coffeecake, folks.

i think being an editor for a film would be a really great job and how it would require such instincts -- how could i just get into that? who do i have to know? hmm.

maybe i should stick to screenwriting. or even just writing would be a big step for me right now. but for today? watching movies all freakin' day.

my new year's resolutions:
blog more.
sing karaoke without fear.
i'd say "quit smoking," but i'm too lacking in will power. let's be honest: i may as well resolve to "exercise more" while i'm at it.


that's all i got for now. but it's enough.

it's blog, it's blog...

Dozens injured in sledding accident during party in Minot

Associated Press
January 1, 2005 MINOT, N.D. (AP) - Thirty-six children were injured in a sledding accident during an all-night New Year's Eve party.

Three of the children were hospitalized, but all were in stable condition Saturday, hospital officials said. The others were treated and released.

Police Sgt. Winston Black said more than 100 children ages 12 to 19 attending a Youth for Christ event gathered at a high school around 4 a.m. to slide down a hill using sleds built out of cardboard boxes.


A sign posted on the hill prohibited sledding.


The children and Youth for Christ staff piled eight to 12 passengers on the sleds, then went down the hill in quick succession, Black said. ``The sleds struck rocks, a light pole and each other,'' he said.


Black said he did not know if the organization had permission to use the hill. Police were investigating.


There was no immediate response to a call seeking comment from Youth for Christ headquarters on Saturday.

Dozens injured in sledding accident during party in Minot


Dozens injured in sledding accident during party in Minot
: "Dozens injured in sledding accident during party in Minot

Associated Press
January 1, 2005 MINOT, N.D. (AP) - Thirty-six children were injured in a sledding accident during an all-night New Year's Eve party.

Three of the children were hospitalized, but all were in stable condition Saturday, hospital officials said. The others were treated and released.

Police Sgt. Winston Black said more than 100 children ages 12 to 19 attending a Youth for Christ event gathered at a high school around 4 a.m. to slide down a hill using sleds built out of cardboard boxes.

A sign posted on the hill prohibited sledding.

The children and Youth for Christ staff piled eight to 12 passengers on the sleds, then went down the hill in quick succession, Black said. ``The sleds struck rocks, a light pole and each other,'' he said.

Black said he did not know if the organization had permission to use the hill. Police were investigating.

There was no immediate response to a call seeking comment from Youth for Christ headquarters on Saturday."

in honor of jerry orbach

word to christopher george for THIS.