lime mine aria

Really Beautiful Christmas Present

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:09:30 PST

Amusing viral video for pre-Christmas Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:10:31 PST

The Unbummering: Days 21-24

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:52:29 PDT

When life feels like a struggle I think I should remember that many people are having to deal with things much, much worse than whatever is bothering me.

The Unbummering: Days 16-20

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:41:50 PDT

Whoops! Lost track of the blogging for a bit there. It was not for lack of face time with the ole computer, since the last several days have been spent writing a paper at a glacial pace. I got it done on time, with literally minutes to spare. I think I'll lose some points for not getting my formatting/citing details perfect, but I did my best with the resources I had. This week my reserves felt pretty limited.

The needless thinking about work problems in my non-work hours continued full force, creating a sensation I'll call the Superbummer. I tried to trick myself, most notably by internally shouting "DOLPHIN!!!!" or "PICKLE!!! when I caught myself obsessing. This was because I figured "STOP IT!!!" or "NO!!!" might feel kinda punitive and wouldn't work any better. Sadly, this seems to be not a strong enough strategy. I've tried reasoning with me. I've tried things that have worked before, like instituting a rule where I refuse to speak of work or even say the word, unless I'm actually at work. All to no avail. Although I think I do need to reinstitute that last rule, because it's worked pretty well before.

As I think I've mentioned before, I'm hesitant to talk online about my ADHD, but not so hesitant that I'm not doing it, I guess. Basically, I'm just wondering if the trade-off of being able to concentrate and prioritize is that I will feel wound-up and tense. Or would I be tense anyway? I can't tell. I guess that's why I have a doctor to help figure such things out, huh?

Three last thoughts:

I am grateful for the ways that today was good. I got to go to the farmers market for breakfast, which is one of my main unbummers. I straightened a bit, which was surprisingly pleasant. And Oktoberfest at Blob's Park was fantastic. I got to eat German food with pals and faux-polka with Lou, who is a wonderful date. The power went out and it made the whole thing nicer, for some reason. It's funny how we all have some form of portable electronic flashlight these days. An iPhone lit the disco ball and the band kept playing. No one could see our ....er...non-traditional polka style in the dark.

Second thing: I reread this lecture by Pema Chodron (about shenpa) today, and found it comforting.

Last thing: this song is also a nice, hopeful reminder that people get through bummers ok.

The Unbummering: Days 14 and 15

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:12:02 PDT

The midpoint of the Unbummering has arrived. Sadly, today and yesterday were both a bummer. I am having the problem of thinking about work when I am not at work. I am having the problem of "What Ifs" and worries regarding things I can not control. I am also having to read management textbooks and write papers about the library during my off time. This relaxes me not a bit.

That said, I did go to an AMAZING show last night. Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel fame. The band wrote two perfect albums that influenced indie rock ever so much and earned him a die-hard following. He hasn't toured in over a decade so him playing again is VERY EXCITING. They worked out a way to foil scalpers (checking tickets against IDs) and the show was a group of people who were super-excited to see someone who totally deserves the acclaim and sounded incredible. It was a really good feeling to hear songs that I like so much live for the first time. Everyone was singing along, but not in an irritating way. In a happy sing-a-long that seemed to be making Jeff Mangum happy way. The acoustics at 2640 are good, plus he sings loud.

I had a musically hip friend who loved Neutral Milk Hotel when we were 16 and probably saw them play then. I asked him who it was every time I got in his car for years. Then would say "they're awesome" but forget their name until the next time I got a ride. So I was too late to the game. Until now...

Here's Neutral Milk Hotel's best known song (I assume)In the Aeroplane Over the Sea:

And Holland, 1945

And lastly
Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone

So how much of a bummer were the last two days if they contained one of the best shows of my life?

Oh and my success rate for taking the ritalin went from 48 percent (last month) to over 90 percent (since I started doing this). So that's a win for oversharing.

And hey, speaking of that, any employers or future employers that may be reading this as you assess my web presence, stop reading! My (great) management teacher pointed out that she never googles potential hires because she would then know all kinds of things that she would not have a legal right to ask in an interview. She thinks it's unethical to then gather that information in other ways. I'm not going to get crazy or anything, but it was a comforting thought.

The Unbummering Days 11-13 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:33:28 PDT

All I can say is that I spent friday afternoon worrying and most of the weekend writing a paper. My new desk and chair are great and Lou made homemade pesto, so there's that. I did get to see a pal passing through town on friday night and had time to actually hang out with pals last night, at this opening which was good, though I was out of sorts and tired. We bought an awesome Bigfoot sculpture that I love. Not my best weekend ever, though. Basically I've been sitting here for two days straight pondering and researching ways managers can foster morale for library employees during a recession. But my rough draft is DONE!

I have remembered the ADD meds for all but two days since starting The Unbummering. They definitely work, since the two days without them were MUCH harder for me in terms of focus.

I started watching the sitcom Happy Endings and it's cute. It is NOT about a dirty massage parlor, like the name might imply.

We are now almost midway through The Unbummering. Exercise did not happen. I believe that may be the missing piece so far. I also think that my very slow pace at grad school homework is a SUPERBUMMER and I would like to fix it. I am not having my desired level of social contact. I wonder if my need for company means I could never be a real writer. Writers are forever saying how lonely writing is. Still maybe those writers do not represent all writers. Maybe after I finish grad school I could take all the time it now sucks up and apply it to writing what I want. I also don't get how people with kids get shit done. If you have kids and you get ANYTHING done EVER, my hat is off to you. Still, I'm thinking that plenty of writers and artists in the history of time have had kids, and that a good portion of them had friends too. They just didn't have Netflix instant...

Sweet dreams,

me

The Unbummering: Day 10 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:29:49 PDT

I want this time to read, so I'm off!

But the three things that made me happy today were:
Lou
pals
sushi

The Unbummering: Days 8 and 9 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:31:47 PDT

Day 8 did include that walk, though after a giant meal (delicious!) with cake and beer (also delicious.) So weight gain wins over whatever weight loss I thought I could achieve by ambling a quarter mile. But the company was excellent.

Two days in a row with not enough sleep made me pretty grumpy though. I must go to bed in a minute.

Thanks, SarahMarvelous for a great ladydate to see Sherman Alexie speak. If the dude wanted to work shitty comedy clubs instead of swank auditoriums, he'd be perfectly able to positively kill in that venue too. As it stands he's certainly the funniest "author on depressing topics" you could hope to find. Don't take my word for it- as Sarah pointed out, his twitter feed is pretty brilliant. A few examples:

The NBA strike: Billionaires telling millionaires they make too much money.

Men, if you don't trim your toenails then you don't get to wear flip-flops.

My neighbor's dog is a fetching genius. He makes me chase the ball.

Every woman knows that every man looks good in a pink shirt.

I make enough money to know that rich people who complain about taxes are evil.

Marilyn Monroe married Arthur Miller. That's like Jonathan Franzen marrying Angelina Jolie.

If you haven't read Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Mr. Alexie, you probably should. Don't you want to read the second most banned book in America? Gay penguin book was number one last year.

And how is the Unbummering going? As a tool to remind me to take the ADD meds? Perfectly. And they really help. As a vehicle for changing my life? Maybe that's too big a charge. Here's the thing though that I think is keeping this exercise pretty shallow: I can't write about anything work-related, because that's not smart. But like most people, I'm happiest in my time off and a lot of my stress comes from my professional life and my struggle to get stuff done in the hours I'm not at work. So in avoiding writing about how I spend the majority of my day I'm writing mostly about the things that make me happy and aren't really serious bummers anyhow. But I guess that's not such a bad thing. It helps me notice nice stuff more. The other things in my life that make me actually sad, like worry about aging loved ones, also seem too personal to share here. Plus, I think about them plenty anyhow. So maybe one approach I can take is just using this to document the good things that each day has held?

The Unbummering: Day 7 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:56:18 PDT

Today had some bummer elements. I woke up thinking how angry I still am that the lawyer for Chrissy Lee Polis' attacker was able to get her just five years and tried to portray her as a penitent, normal person. I appreciated that Ms. Polis said she did not forgive her, because, though forgiveness has it's place, that place isn't really while the person who brutalized you is trying to evade punishment. Sociopath. Not good sleeping in thoughts. I struggled to shut the brain off because today was a day I could have slept in peacefully. Later in the day I read mention of a terrible, upsetting news story and that stuck with me too.

On the other hand, I was productive (again!) and I had THE BEST dinner at Silk Road Bistro in Pikesville. Cheap, delicious, enormous portions, surprisingly veg friendly. So that was nice. It was a busy day, which can be draining, but also I do like to help, and the time goes fast.

Lou made me a great cd for my car, entitled LADYMIX!!!. That, and the Uzbek restaurant, were the highlights of the day.

I did have time for a quick call to a pal. But I may have slightly squandered by obsessing out loud for seventy percent of the call on the mixed feelings I have for One Day and about how crazy the gorgeous Ms. Christina Hendricks' figure is. Then it was an hour and a half of homework. Which brings us up to now. Past my bedtime. Stupid homework robbed me of reading time. Or Mad Men time.

Feh. Now Blogger's not saving. Double feh.

Somewhat Bummered, I go to sleep. This was supposed to be the kick-off for Unbummering Phase Two: Exercise. Maybe I'll start with a walk tomorrow.

The Unbummering: Days 4-6 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:48:25 PDT

It was the weekend and that equaled less, not more, time for blogging. But fear not, for it also meant more, not less, time for doing enjoyable stuff.

Work on friday was good. I would give it a focus rating of excellent. I have remembered to attend to my ADHD stuff every day of The Unbummering so far except for yesterday when I did not blog either, and so forgot. But it was Saturday so it mattered not.

Friday night was super extra fun. My wonderful visitor, The EKT, documented our evening well. Based on visual cues Baltimore residents should be able to guess where we began. Can you then indicate where we went? Hint: it's the only place in town that pays tribute to Scottish leader William Wallace AND to the importance of obeying all traffic signals and laws. Concluding this excellent and instructive walk, we picked up my lovely beau and headed out for a bit of this. No, not an abandoned donut! But a great game, the king of all leisure sports at Baltimore's Best Bar. Can you tell where it is? I am not the only one who thinks it is the number one bar in Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun agrees. Why are they the best? The food is yummy, it's not too crowded, they have fun games to play, the jukebox is good, the Greyhounds are fresh and cheap and the bartenders are always actively nice to the customers. We followed this up with the city's best gelato (you don't even need to guess) and had the rhubarb sorbet.
But the night was not over! Baltimore has many less obvious places from which one can get a good view of the water. Have you ever noticed this? It is near one such spot.

I had not! Do you know about it? It is notable. Do tell us more. Fun fact: the artist who created this monument to a great man also made my favorite installation that MICA exhibited this year, with the help of the excellent Exhibitions Department, of course.

So all of that was fun and the weekend persisted in being fun. But I can't continue to write about it, as it is imperative that I go now and read, or I will NEVER finish my book.

Thanks for playing this clicking game. A very Unbummery start of the week to you! Maybe you'd like to hear this album as your reward? I approve of it. Or you could listen to this. It's very good.

Provincetown PIctures

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:08:40 PDT

All the shower and wedding photos and one of the landscapes were taken by Lisa Harbin. Lou and I took the rest. I'll label these another day. If anyone in a picture doesn't like the shot let me know and I'll take it down.

What a beautiful town and a super-fun, sweet wedding!

Silly romance novel update

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:17:02 PDT

Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book is incredibly dumb. Why is the protagonist so obsessed with her love interest's henley (a long sleeved t-shirt) that she mentions specifically that he's wearing a henley at least four times? I thought that I'd made it past the last henley mention, then BOOM, the stupid henley/jeans outfit description popped up again in the last few pages. Sometimes he even wears a "graphic henley." Also, why must they run into each other every thirty seconds so that he can discuss the depth of his feelings. Was it not sexy enough that he is physically perfect, but he also has to be a contractor (who makes all the furniture and stained glass in his homes himself, by hand) and a lawyer and a bartender and THE MAYOR of the effing town and part owner of most businesses. At one point the townspeople literally call out his virtues including that he personally bought flak jackets for the police from his own wallet. HE IS SELFLESS. HE IS HOT. GET IT??????????????

Other crazycakes stuff in this book:

-The protagonist's southern sister is named Tara and her indie sister is named Chloe

-It only takes a few weeks to totally renovate a house with just one person working (stopping often to moan about the unspeakable, unprecedented, total emotional and sexual arousal the chip-eating main character constantly causes him)

-Each chapter starts with a supposedly witty or touching quote from the sisters' mom and they are all just the dorkiest possible cliches

-Even though this is a book for adults and people are sexin it up somewhat explicitly, the author is maddeningly coy about mentioning lady body parts. "She felt a tug in that place below her belly button. Yoooooooooouu know the place. Yeah, that place. A few inches below the belly button. No, not that way. Straight down. If you know what I mean. Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiink."

-This is the first in a series

This is only sexy stuff if you think pushing paper dolls together and having them say ridiculous shit about how they can never trust again is hot. Then again, this is a bestselling author and the book has a great cheesy movie-type premise. So somebody must love it.

I had to read it for work and I'm glad I did. It highlighted for me that I need to read more romance novels so that I can find ones that I like better to recommend.

View all my reviews

The Unbummering: Day 3 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:04:33 PDT

I feel listy. Not listless, listy!

Enough sleep: check
Took ADHD meds: check
Was productive all day: check
Called mom: check
Answered e-mails: not yet
Did more homework: not yet
Cleaned bathroom: not yet
Was not excessively hard on myself: check
hugs: check

NET UNBUMMER!!!!

Bonus unbummering post leads toooooooooooooooooooo...
Whales! I was on the sister ship to the Captain John. And boy did I see some whales.

New(ish) Black Francis song that is very much like his Pixies stuff:

This sunset on my street!

Plus much beloved visitor, The EKT, arrives tomorrow.

And as a final thing, Christina Hendricks played the accordion during the episode of Mad Men I just watched. I was able to watch tv after homeworking like a champ yesterday.

As Lou pointed out, her sexy French song is made all the better by the super-icy "Fuck, you, I'm doing this for you" look she gives her fiance (husband?) who pressures her into singing. But, as always, she does the best possible job. That Joan. Wow.

The Unbummering: Day 2 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:05:22 PDT

Oh no! The dreaded bummers seem like they are winning. I have mere moments to write this post though, before I have an in-house date with my very unbummery boyfriend. So there's that.

I would like to thank my kind commenters who have already given me suggestions and approval. I love suggestions and approval! And I did not know so many would respond to The Unbummering.

So, why was today a bummer? It wasn't entirely. But I did not sleep more than a few hours last night. I did cook, I did write a little and I did do my homework. I also remembered the ADD pill and was pretty productive all day. This should not seem like a net bummer. But the homework meant I had no time to call my mom and I forgot it was craft night. I couldn't have attended but I feel like a chump for saying I'd come and then not showing or calling. I totally forgot! And I might have gotten to see friends! Babies! Baby-friends.

Also, someone was a jerk to me in traffic and the anger stuck to me. And I misread the schedule and missed going to the reference desk when I was supposed to. And we had a meeting at work and meetings make me itch because I'm a blurter and I have to fight to control it.

TIME!
Until tomorrow, my fellow Unbummer Questers. Unbummerers. Unbums.

ps, I have decided to insert this photo.

Gay marriage is The Unbummer for sure. Especially when it's my friend and she's gorgeous and happy. Congrats, Crystal and Amanda. Your wedding was The Ultimate Unbummer.

The Unbummering: Day 1 of 30

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:01:39 PDT

So why would I even mention being bummed out at all after I just got back from a super-awesome vacation in gorgeous and fun Provincetwown? Well, I don't think that my daily life should feel like such a comedown, given that I have an incredibly sweet boyfriend, a nice new place to live and a job that's not awful and pays relatively well. But as we rolled back into town last night I realized that I've been in a rut of being anxious all the time and feeling kind of bad about myself and judge-y about other people. I think I complain a lot and that I don't use my energy creatively as often as I want- really hardly ever. I don't exercise, I don't have a hobby; mostly I rely on the people in my life to make me happy. It's a good thing that they do, but I probably need to figure out how to provide for myself better, entertainment and emotion-wise. And then there's that structure thing. There are tasks I need to do daily, like taking my ADHD meds and getting to bed on time, that I do about fifty percent of the time. Maybe I'm ambivalent about the tasks? Maybe I'm ambivalent about me? It's clear I need to be a bit more assiduous and make a bit more of an effort if I plan to get UNBUMMERED!

So what do I plan to do as part of the Unbummering?

Well I guess I can make a list of the things I think will Unbummer me and keep track of how often I do them and how often I instead engage in timesucks or activities that are not what I want to be doing most. This could be Unbummering Phase One. Any suggestions on how best to keep track of things? For now I will list them and see what I have done.

Here are things I have to do:
Took ADHD meds
Got to bed on time
Did my grad school homework
Took care of activities of daily living- Appointments, responding to e-mail, chores, grocery shopping, organizing photos and files

Here are Unbummering tasks:

Read
Wrote
Made art
Organized my house
Cooked
Stay in touch with family
Spent time with Lou
Saw friends
Reconnected with lost/faraway friends
Traveled
Took pictures
Walk outside
Pet the cats
Listen to Podcasts/Audiobooks
Yoga
Other exercise
Listen to music

Here are Dual Bummering and Unbummering tasks that I need or like to do, but need to do in moderation:

Facebook
Internet in general
Recreational eating
Shopping
Netflix Instant

Here are activities that are solely Bummers:

Complained/Ranted
Worried about my weight
Over-ate
Shopped to avoid doing other stuff
Did needed tasks so slowly I had no time for anything else
Quibbled and Quarrelled

So today I:

Took ADHD meds
Got to bed on time
Went to the bank
Read
Wrote a tiny bit
Grocery shopped
Cooked dinner
Spent time with the Lou
Listened to music and an audiobook
Cleaned and organized the kitchen
Researched who to vote for and voted
--------------------------------

I also:
Shopped to avoid doing my homework
Got sucked into FB
Ate too much
--------------------------------
I didn't:
Do any homework
Call my family

Since it's almost ten and I need to get to bed on time I am going to count this day as a net Unbummer and call my parents for twenty minutes before reading homework for twenty minutes. Adios!

I can't do Provincetown justice

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:13:17 PDT

Ira Kaplan sings me a song

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:11:11 PDT

Baltimore by the water

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:16:01 PDT

Lykke Li- Get Some

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:41:41 PDT

Super catchy tune. The whole album is good.

Lykke Li "Get Some" by Johan Söderberg from Kalle Lundberg on Vimeo.

Philly Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:23:47 PDT

YACHT can be counted on for good late summer jams

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:53:44 PDT

Give this song a listen. " I love you like a small town cop..." I'm not sure what that means, but it works for me!

Chimp photo from a rainy day at the zoo

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:20:34 PDT

Summer things

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:01:53 PDT

Peaches
Sweet tea
All the tomatoes in my yard. But why are the leaves turning yellow on the biggest tomato plant. Is it the dreaded blight? It has enough water and the tomatoes themselves look ok. It happened nearly overnight.

Some drinks for summer

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 21:22:04 PDT

The Gingerling- Mix ginger ale and a Yuengling
Lavender lemonade: This recipe came out a little too strong for me but would be good mixed with fizzy water
Shiner Bock Ruby Redbird- beer brewed w grapefruit and ginger
Air Kelapa Muda- young coconut juice, which I just had at Penang in Bethesda. It's so refreshing and puts that Zico coconut water shit to shame.

great episode of Wiretap podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Aria Minelime) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 11:02:32 PDT

'You will likely enjoy this episode of Jonathon Goldstein's podcast, that is if you enjoy dry humor.Plus the very short short story it opens with is a beauty.