Vocab lesson!!!

i've decided that we all need to learn some new words (or reacquaint ourselves with some fab ones that we don't use as much as we should). so, i've picked 26 words (hmmm, where did i get that number? that reminds me of the time when allyson and i were watching ms america and they kept talking about the 51 contestants. we kept looking at each other saying, "when did they add another state? how the hell did we miss this? what is going on here?". then we figured out that number 51 was ms washington dc. duh).
we are going to have a new word for each letter! everyone ready to learn?

1. abecedarian (noun) 1. a beginner in any field of learning. 2. a person who is learning the letters of the alphabet.

2. bathos (noun) 1. in speech or writing, a ludicrous descent from the sublime to the commonplace; an anticlimax. 2. sentimentality, mawkishness. *related word- bathetic- adj

3. chrestomathy (noun- plural chrestomathies) a collection of choice literary passages, especially to help in learning a language.

4. dipsomania (noun) an uncontrollable craving for alcoholic drink. (you know who you are!!)

5. existentialism (noun- ok we all know this one, but i love it too much) a philosophical theory emphasizing that a person is responsible for his own actions and free to choose he development and destiny.

6. frisson (noun) 1. an emotional thrill. 2. a shudder of emotion.

7. gloaming (noun- again, we know this one, but i love it and we don't use it enough) the evening twilight; dusk.

8. houri (noun) 1. a beautiful and voluptuous woman. 2. a beautiful virgin provided in paradise for each faithful Muslim.

9. inamorata (noun) a lover; a sweetheart

10. jeremiad (noun) 1. a prolonged mournful complaint about one's troubles. 2. a lamentation.

11. kismet (noun- we know this one, too) fate; destiny.

12. lucubration (noun) 1. laborious work, especially late at night. 2. a literary work, especially one of pedantic or elaborate character.

13. metier (noun- we know, we know) 1. a person's trade, profession, or field of work. 2. a specialty, a forte.

14. nugatory (adj) 1. trifling, worthless; futile. 2. inoperative, ineffective, not valid.

15. orison (noun) a prayer.

16. paronomasia (noun) 1. word play; punning. 2. a pun

17. quidnunc (noun) 1. a busybody. 2. a gossip.

18. repine (verb) 1. be discontented. 2. fret.

19. sciolist (noun) a superficial pretender to knowledge.

20. tarantism (noun) a mania characterized by an irresistible urge to dance, popularly and incorrectly supposed to result from the bite of a tarantula.

21. uxorious (adj) 1. foolishly fond of one's wife. 2. of an action, showing such fondness.

22. voluptuary (noun) a person whose life is devoted to indulgence in luxury and sensual pleasure, a sybarite.

23. wunderkind (noun) 1. a child prodigy. 2. a person who achieves great success, especially in business, while relatively young.

24. Xanthippe (noun) a shrew, especially a shrewish wife; a scold.

25. yclept (adj) called (by the name of)

26. zeitgeist (noun) the trend of thought and feeling in a period of time.

to continue our norwegian theme...

i would like to talk about the author Knut Hamsun and at the same time pose a philosophical question that has moral implications (thank you, issac).

Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian author. A nobel prize winner for literature, at that. He was also a Nazi.

about his work- it is said by some that his first novel, Hunger, presaged the writings of Kafka with its internal monologue and bizarre logic.

his most common theme is that of the wanderer (who is often the narrator in his novels), a man who shows up and insinuates himself into the life of small rural communities. this theme shows itself in at least four of his novels.

He was a naturalist, and often wrote huge passages about the wonders of nature and the beauty of the Norwegian woodlands. for this he is associated with the spiritual movement pantheism. He saw mankind and nature united in a strong, sometimes mystical bond.

He won the nobel prize in 1920.

POLITICS- for this i am going to quote straight from another source as it's just to much to paraphrase and i can't even bring myself to write about these horrible things--

Hamsun was a prominent advocate of Germany and German culture, as well as a rhetorical opponent of British imperialism and the Soviet Union, and he supported Germany both during First and the Second World War. Following a meeting with Joseph Goebbels in 1943, he sent Goebbels his Nobel Prize medal as a gift.
While in his 80s, and largely deaf, Hamsun met with Adlof Hitler.

this is my own now-- as the story goes, after Hitler's meeting with Hamsun, Hitler was so disgusted by how despicable Hamsun was that he told his assistant that he never again wanted to meet the man, and that he was the most horrible person he had ever met in his life. that's saying a lot coming from fing Hitler!

Hamsun wrote Nazi propaganda and after Hilter's death called him, "a warrior for mankind".

Here's my philosophical question: Hamsun is unarguably one of the greatest writers of all time. His works are genius and his portrayal of the human condition is astounding. Should we ignore the fact that he was such a horrid person and take his art at face value, respecting it as we would had he been a great man, or should we boycott him? should we refuse to read the works of a man that was obviously such a horrible human being?

in short- can you separate the art from the artist?

jan saudek

i would like to draw everyone's attention to a not so new photographer who i am infatuated with. i've loved this guy's work for about a decade. even his prints run into the 100s of dollars, but he is bloody fantastic!! here's an example of his work (one of my faves). google him and check it out.

ohhh the recipe cards...how i love them (still)

i'm not going to take credit for any of this. meeg was the one who found them about 5 years ago and when i saw them i laughed so hard i woke him up (this was when we were living together and i think he was napping or something). i'm going to post my faves and this woman's hilarious commentary that goes with them. seriously, she's a genius!!

Chicken Liver Bake: enjoy it with the ashes of a loved one.
Or maybe what's left of the chickens are in that urn. Maybe the chickens were your loved ones.
But chickens never love back enough. And that's why you have to KILL them. And eat their livers ritualistically. And then they're a part of you forever. Forever.

These are the saddest diet beverages ever.
The one on the right is skim milk and orange pulp. The one on the left is made with water, sherry extract, and two beef bouillon cubes.
No, really.
Well, there's also celery in it. Oh, and SELF-LOATHING.

I have no idea what "shashlik" is. All I know about this dish is that it's meat. And that the meat's, uh... caucasian.

My guess is they tried being consistent with the plural at first, and then decided that SNACKS ON STICKS sounded too disturbing. Like Apocalypse Now food or something.
This is frozen coffee, people. Yeah, it almost sounds kind of good, until you freeze a whole bunch and take them out and look at them and hit a few of them together and hear them go thunk thunk, and say, "oh fuck this shit," and drop the whole tray on the floor in disgust.

ok, you'll just have to read the rest of them for yourself. they are all just too funny. here's the link... enjoy!!! http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html

shocker!!! brangelina shop for kids in nola!!!

ok, so we all know that the world's most famous for being overrated couple in the world are sometimes inhabitants of our fab-fab city. we also know that i love brad for his 'make it right' program and for all of the work he's doing in the city and for all of the positive attention he's bringing our way. what i hate is that angelina is doing NOTHING. she doesn't appear with him when he does press stuff about new orleans, she's never seen tooling around the 9th ward with him, NADA. what she does do is go out to bars (shall i mention where she can be found? i think i shall-- she loves the circle bar the most apparently) and she eats. a lot. they love to go to angeli in the quarter (they have money, you'd think that they would be able to afford better food. i guess it's a good, kid-friendly place though. anyway, it's not surprising that they blow a lot of cash when they're here. they shop a lot (don't they always).

also, they are here right now. brad's doing his 'make it right' thing and they have told everyone that they are spending the christmas and new year holidays at their home in nola. they have been seen around, so this ain't no lie. best of all, they were seen just a few days ago at a place that is very familiar to me (and should be to meeg as well given that we lived just down the street). here are some shots of the famous duo shopping at the kid's store Pippen Lane (it's right there by that CC's near where we used to live, it's in that same little shopping center thingy). it's super, super expensive (not like they care), but i've shopped there for friends who've just had babies or for baby birthdays. their stuff is fab, and if i had their money (and an ass-load of kids) i'd be all about that place.

enjoy your new toys, shiloh!!

ps- doesn't she look totally bedraggled? she needs to head across the street to belladonna for some serious spa therapy!! he doesn't look that bad, though.

ok, well this is just funny (and kind of gross)

A Catholic priest in Colorado went jogging one morning before sunrise – naked. The priest said that he didn’t think anyone would be around so early in the morning, and that he sweats profusely if he wears clothes while running because he’s heavyset, according to police reports. The priest was placed on administrative leave.

um, is it just me or isn't sweating part of the point? maybe if he broke a good sweat he wouldn't be so "heavyset".

hmmm....

Crackhouse

ok, i know that we are plagued these days with celeb queens (and i don't mean the drag kind) going ape and acting like total fools (hello, britbrit!!!), but there is one that i think takes the cake (or snorts it, most likely), and that's amy winehouse. now, when i first heard her i thought, "awesome. i like her songs(ish), she has a great voice, she doesn't conform to that pop-tarty look, and she seems kind of cool". but what the fuck is she getting into now?

first this insane-o marriage to a man whose main goal in life is to be just like pete docherty (we won't go into how much i love 'the libertines' or how hot i actually think our little petey is because, let's face it, he's a junkie mess).

so, back to amy. her husband is now in jail because of some weird-ass plot he and some friends cooked up to fix some sort of trial (i really don't know what happened here, but bribing witnesses never turns out well, unless it actually turns out well, and this is not one of those times). since her husband, blake, has been in jail amy has been a mess. she's lost weight (is that possible?!!), she's been seen wandering the streets of london in her underwear (which usually i wouldn't mind but she looks like death), she has been photographed with coke in her nose (literally), and she is just generally falling to bits.

her talent is now moot. she is now famous for being a trainwreck and it's such a shame.

latest breaking news about Crackhouse-- she's going to end up in jail in Norway for some drug offence!!! wtf!! can someone tell me why this woman who has a great voice and who could have a great career can't get her shit together? i mean, look at her!! someone save her, quickly! she looks like she's about to die!!!

i think my soul might need saving...

but i'm not sure which direction to go in. there are so many faiths, so many off-shoots of so many faiths, so many crazy people...what is a girl to do? how about we do a little investigating and decide what path i'll take, shall we?

HINDUISM- ok, so first of all hinduism isn't actually one religion. it's more like a catch-all phrase for a bunch of different yet similar faiths that began in ancient India. there are dozens upon dozens of deities in the hindu pantheon, the most important being Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the sustainer), and Shiva (the destroyer). the destroyer isn't actually a bad thing though. life without shiva would be impossible, as the hindus believe that life is cyclical. there can be no rebirth without destruction.

some of the most important beliefs in hinduism are 1) the belief in karma. hindus essentially believe that what goes around comes around. if you are bad, you will be punished either in this life or the next. 2) hindus believe in reincarnation. after we die, the atman (the immortal soul) is born into a new life, and so on and so on. this endless cycle of death and rebirth is called samsara. what you're reincarnated into is determined by your karma (so be good, people. buying me presents will get you far). the ultimate goal in hinduism is freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth (moksha). there is no real vision of heaven in hinduism. the idea is there but there's no real description of the experience. i guess we can assume it's supposed to be a good one.

BUDDHISM- buddism and hinduism are not all that dissimilar. in fact Sidhartha, the Buddha himself, was raised as a Hindu. both religions believe in reincarnation and karma. one of the key differences between the two religions is that there are no gods in buddhism. buddha himself was not a god (he was more like a prophet). anyone who meditates to the point of enlightenment can become a buddha as well. there are good rules in buddhism (as in all good organized religions), like the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path. these are basically instructions on how to lead a good life and how to reach the level of enlightenment.
the key in buddhism is meditation, meditation on emptiness (sunyata). it is the key buddhist concept that teaches that life and the universe is impermanent and illusory. as in hunduism, the ultimate purpose of all of this is to escape samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth). when one does they are liberated to nirvana- where they will be free from longing or attachment. reaching nirvana is very difficult and you'll go through ages upon ages of reincarnation until your karma is such that you deserve to be at this highest of high levels.

ZOROASTRIANISM- (this one's for you, meeg) according to zoroastrianism one cannot convert in, you must be born into the faith. it was founded about 3,500 years ago and it's one of the earliest monotheistic religions. it shares ideas with Judaism and directly influenced Christianity and Islam. zoroastrians believe that there is only on god (Ahura Mazda), who created the world and is entirely good. They believe that the duty of man is to align himself with Ahura Mazda through "good thoughts, good words, and good deeds". There is a devil figure as well (Angra Mainyu), who is the source of evil (including death). They also believe that the spirit of evil contaminates dead bodies, making them so impure that they can contaminate the ground. so, they dispose of bodies in the most interesting way possible. it is common to hire corpse bearers to take bodies to a "pillar of silence" where they are exposed to the sun and scavenger birds. they also believe that Ahura Mazda's infinite mercy will eventually allow everything and everybody to be perfected- emptying hell and providing the happiest of happy endings for everyone.

SHINTOISM- it's the traditional religion of japan (and i think it's kind of the coolest). it's so ancient that nobody can say when it was founded or who it was that founded it. rituals vary between families and locations but their basic goal is the same- to strengthen the relationship between people and kami (kind of like gods, but more like spirits). kami can be anything from forces of nature, to deceased loved ones, to mount fuji. getting in touch with kami requires personal and group purification and elaborate rituals.

in the shinto faith humans are born pure and good, but our souls can become 'dirty' as we age (either by bad deeds or just bad luck). all impurity is seen as the work of evil spirits, which are banished with rituals.

shinto has no absolute moral laws, no leaders to obey, and no rules against adhering to other religions (many people who practice shinto also consider themselves buddhists). shinto doesn't really have much to say on the afterlife. death consists of a 'dark land' or a 'high plain of heaven', but it really doesn't go into much more detail than that.

SCIENTOLOGY- now it's time for fun!! it's totally unclear how many people are scientologists. the actual church claims it's in the millions but independent researchers have found far fewer than that. it was founded in 1954 by crazy-ass L Ron Hubbard. they believe that every person has an undying, unchanging soul called a thetan. for most of us, that soul is locked in an uncontrollable cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. the only way to alter this is to become enlightened (which means realizing that you are an undying soul and understanding the fundamental truth of the universe). problem is, everyone's truth is different, so you have to follow your own truth. you must rid your body of dangerous chemicals (even if you have postpartum depression) and rid yourself of all of the traumas of your past (both past life trauma and childhood trauma). to do this you go through counseling (that is scientology-specific, and for which you must pay. in fact, the higher you go in terms of your teachings, the more you have to pay). what makes scientology even weirder is that because your truth (and your universe) is unique to you, so is your afterlife. if you reach the highest level (an operating thetan) you can pick what your afterlife is going to be like (they can even opt to be reborn as tom cruise).

ISLAM- according to the Qur'an, there is only one God who is worshiped by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Muslims believe that God keeps sending prophets to try to set us straight, but that we keep messing it up. only followers of the last and greatest prophet, Muhammad, no what's really up. to be a really good muslim you need to live in submission to the will of god. to do that you must follow the 5 pillars of islam- 1) believing that there is only one god and that muhammad is his prophet 2) praying 5 times a day 3) taking care of the poor and the needy 4) fasting during the month of Ramadan and 5) making a pilgrimage to mecca.
for most mulims heaven doesn't come until the final day of judgement BUT there are shortcuts. you can bypass the waiting by becoming a religious martyr and there are some who believe that people who die by fire, drowning, or some other gruesome means can head straight into the arms of the virgins as well.

YORUBA- yorubans were brought from africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. they were victims of the slave trade and were forced to meld into the melting pot. in the process they created small but prominent religions in the americas, like santeria and voodoo. the pure yoruban religion believes that there is one supreme god (olorun) who rules over a pantheon of smaller, lesser gods. worshipers might follow a particular deity or seek help from any of them if need be (i think of them sort of like the catholic saints). fortune-telling is very big in yoruban religion and most practitioners believe that fortunes can be told and even changed. they believe that people can be reborn if they still have unfinished business or lessons to learn on earth.

SIKHISM- founded in india in 1499 by the founder Guru Nanak. he set out to change the oppressive caste system by declaring that all people should be treated as god's children regardless if class or sex. he emphasized the importance of an individualized relationship with god, banning religious icons, pilgrimages, fasts, and everything else that feels like superstition (including intitiation rites). if you want to be a sikh, you just start being one. it's that easy. they focus their spiritual energy on prayer and honest living. they believe that this builds good karma for the next life and that they will eventually leave a mortal existence for an eternity of oneness with god. the one symbolic thing that is most associated with sikism is that males wear turbans to cover their hair, which they never ever cut. it is seem as a symbol of god's gifts to man and leaving it uncut symbolizes gratitude for those gifts.

i think that that's about it for now. i'm going to write a post later about Christianity and Judaism (as i think that those two are big enough subjects for their very own posts).

hope you've enjoyed our little lesson.

Scotland leaving Great Britain (and possibly the EU)?!?

As many of you probably don't know the Scottish Nationalist Party now has a majority in the Scottish Gov't. One of their biggest platforms is a call for Scottish independence. In the short term this might seem like a good idea. Scotland does have the North Sea Oil, after all. Problem is, that's only going to last for about another 10 years. Where does Scotland get their money after that? And if they pull out of GB does that mean they lose EU member status as well (which would be tragic and detrimental to their economy).
I know that Scotland has wanted to be free of the English yoke since Edward I, but come on! I feel like they're only going to hurt themselves here.
Check out part of the SNP's manifesto and tell me what you think about them pulling out of GB.

I agree with a lot of what it says (like pulling out of Iraq), but doesn't some of it sound a little ambitious (cus yeah, they'll be like Norway in no time!)

passionate about independence and equality for our nation.
The 300-year old Union is no longer fit for purpose. It was never designed for the 21st century world. It is well past its sell by date and is holding Scotland back.
The SNP believe Scotland and England should be equal nations – friends and partners - both free to make our own choices.
Scotland can be more successful. Looking around at home and at our near neighbours abroad, more and more Scots believe this too. Independence is the natural state for nations like our own.
Success for Scotland
Scotland has the people, the talent and potential to become one of the big success stories of the 21st century. We can match the success of independent Norway – according to the UN the best place in the world to live. We can do as well as independent Ireland, now the fourth most prosperous nation on the planet.
With independence Scotland will be free to flourish and grow. We can give our nation a competitive edge.
Peace and Prosperity
Together we can build a more prosperous nation, a Scotland that is a force for good, a voice for peace in our world.
Free to bring Scottish troops home from Iraq.
Free to remove nuclear weapons from Scotland’s shores.
Free to invest our oil wealth in a fund for future generations.
Peace and prosperity - equality and opportunity.
These are some of the best reasons for independence and why the SNP trust the people of Scotland to decide on independence in a referendum.

i forgot to mention...

for all of you who celebrate christmas (or xmas) i wanted to say that i hope that you have a wonderful day!! i hope you get everything you want. oh yeah, and if you need my address to send me my gifts, just let me know. hehe. question is... am i joking about that one? i'll let you be the judge!!

i'm so hungry i could die

so i was reading this article about foods that people will die to get their hands on (literally). surprisingly, many of them look nasty (almost as nasty as nato looks, but that's a post for later).
here are a few that i thought were, um, intriguiging.

1) Iwatake- when one happens to be exploring the artic (like you do) sometimes food becomes a little scarce. in order to survive some explorers have been known to scrape papery-crisp lichen off rocks and boil it into edible food. one explorer even said that if she took the leather from her shoe and boiled it it would taste better than this crap. this is where the interesting part comes in...
turns out that this very same food (if it can be called that) is a delecacy in japan (hot damn, the japanese know how to make some nasty crap-- see comment about nato). the best part is how they obtain it... for this i am going to quote directly from the article-

"iwatake (iwa meaning rock, and take meaning mushroom) is so highly sought-after that harvesters are willing to rappel down cliff faces for the precious growths. (It takes about a century for the lichen to get to a worthwhile size.) Needless to say, this is specialty work. As if the rappelling isn’t tricky enough, iwatake is best harvested in wet weather, because the moisture reduces the chance that the lichen will crumble as it’s pried off with a sharp knife. In its preferred preparation, the black and slimy raw material is transformed into a delicate tempura. And while iwatake in any form doesn’t taste like much, it’s esteemed for its associations with longevity. As for the harvesters? Their longevity’s more questionable. “Never give lodging to an iwatake hunter,” goes an old Japanese adage, “for he doesn’t always survive to pay rent.”"

scaling a wet mountain for litchen to eat? mmm, i think i've found my calling!!!

2) Bird's Nest Soup
this one is so crazy i'm going to quote again as i can't even bring myself to paraphrase this kind of insanity...

"Cantilevered high off cave walls and cliffs along the seas of Southeast Asia are the nests of the white-nest swiftlet—a bird that’s managed to turn an embarrassing drool problem into a useful D.I.Y. project. The nests, sturdy constructions no bigger than the palm of your hand, are made from the birds’ spit. Yup, these swiftlets have specialized saliva glands powerful enough to turn their tongues into avian glue guns.You’d think being stuck in caves high above the ground, and the fact that they’re birds’ nests, would protect them against humans—but no. Ever since sailors first brought the nests home for the Chinese emperor and his family in the first century CE, bird’s nest soup has been a favorite among the country’s elite. Never mind that it’s virtually tasteless; the dish is revered for health reasons. Of course, acquiring the main ingredient is less healthy. Nest harvesters must stand on rickety bamboo scaffolding hundreds of feet off the ground in pitch darkness. They must also endure unbelievable heat and humidity as they try to avoid all the insects, birds, and bats that live in the caves. In addition, the extraordinary value of the nests means the zones are patrolled by machine-gun toting guards. Harvesting rights are multiyear, multimillion-dollar deals arranged with national governments, and poaching is ruthlessly prohibited. Unarmed fishermen have been shot dead after accidentally beaching in swiftlet territory, and local tour group operators pay exorbitant fees to avoid rifle-assisted leaks springing in their kayaks. It all underscores the fact that being a nest harvester is less of a career choice and more of a life sentence—especially considering that the skill is almost exclusively passed on from father to son."

so, next time you're craving some food and you think to yourself, "yeah, but that thai place is like 30 minutes away!" just think of these guys and it won't seem like such a big deal to go get your desired dish!

fuck off, kid. santa hates you

just a little entertaining piece of news i found.
if i were those kids i would cry. a lot.

Bad week for: Santa Claus, after the Canadian post office revealed that one of the 11,000 volunteers who respond to letters addressed to Santa Claus at the North Pole had written obscene replies to at least 10 children. “We firmly believe there is just one rogue elf out there,” said a spokeswoman.

Make It Right

i know, i know. if i have to see or hear or read one more thing about angelina jolie and brad pitt i'm going to vomit. this is something totally different though. i now love him. he has founded a project here in new orleans called, 'make it right'. they are building eco-friendly affordable housing in the 9th ward. he is donating his own time and money and encouraging his famous friends to do the same.

Please check out the site, see if you'd like to give or donate time. they even have merchandise you can buy and the proceeds go to building those houses. have you been wondering why he's always wearing those hats lately? it's because they are 'make it right' hats. you can buy them from the site.

http://www.makeitrightnola.org/index.php?isDirect=true

the site has info on the architects that they are getting to design the buildings, what they're doing to prevent flood damage in the future, and much more.

i'm still sick of angelina, but now i'm in love with brad.

louisiana rebuilds

i just thought that i would post this link to this site called new orleans rebuilds.
it's the most amazing site ever.

it covers everything from fema issues to recovery assistance to charitable orgs. really, it has everything you can think of that pertains to recovery in new orleans.
scope it out, have a wander. there's so much good suff on it, it's amazing!!!

www.louisianarebuilds.info

more dirty coast

dirty coast super cool nola clothes!! check out the gift cards!

god i love the uscis...

so so so
gavin and i had our big stressful usics interview yesterday. i had predicted that it was going to be a giant mess. i read horror stories about it online and was about to pull my hair out. i made all of my poor friends write letters attesting to the fact that they knew we were a real couple. i was told to do all of these things by the crazy people online. here's a recounting of how the interview really went.

we went in with our photo album and all of our assembled papers (i was worried because we don't have joint bank accounts, he doesn't drive so he's not on my car insurace, neither of us have life insurance, etc). we walked into the room and a stern looking man warned us not to put anything on his desk (like that had even crossed my mind!). he made us put up our right hands and swaer to tell the truth, blah, blah. he then went over all of the standard questions with gavin (have you ever been arrested, do you plan on engaging in any terrorist activity while you're here (cus, you know, who says yes to that one?!?), etc. then he asked gavin about his employment (at which time my nervous husband pretty much blanked on what he does. it was super cute). he then asked how we met, asked for our wedding pictures, and then asked what stuff we had in common. he asked about joint bank accounts, and we said "none". he asked about life insurance, we didn't have any. he then said, "what do you have?" we gave him our joint health insuance, my spousal benefits for his whole foods stuff and our lease and letter from our landlord that stated that he knew we lived together (as he lives right next door). the only sticking point was that i was missing part of my 2006 irs crap. he gave me a letter and an address to mail it to and said that as soon as i got that and sent it that he would approve us. i ordered a copy of it from them last night (should be here in 10-14 days).

so, after all of that studying (he had to learn my bra size and we quizzed each other on the colors of our toothbruses) none of it mattered.

i think that my fave part of the whole interview was when he asked how we met. we both sat there in silence not knowing who he was talking to. finally i piped up with, "are you asking him or me?" and the uscis guy said, "i don't care". i just kind of laughed and told the tale.

5 minutes in and out and now all i have to do is send in one piece of paper.

woohoo! my husband isn't going to get kicked out of the country. how super cool is that?

morning drink of choice:
coffee

book i'm reading:
the golden compass (yes, AGAIN!)

what i'm dreading:
leaving for work in 10 minutes

it is nice and cool out side so that's something!

happy tuesday everyone!