All's Well:  But busy...and I'm lazy today.  Weekend was good...chiropractor on Friday for x-rays and assessment (assessment is my neck and back are fuc*ked up),  moving Emily on Saturday (I was the crew chief, since I was trying to be good to my back), a great Yankees vs Red Sox game which ended in a 9th inning victory for the Sox, volunteering at the DNC (stories aplenty, including getting in an argument with the Lyndon LaRouch people and having the anti-choice protester stage a die-in surrounding my table....200 people falling to the ground "pretending" to be the fetuses that abortion kills), another fantastic Yankees/Red Sox game (sorry Major Mocha) that ended in a win, and the chiropractor again today (who told me that they want to see me 3 times a week for 4 weeks, then in decreasing amounts)  They showed me an x-ray of my neck, that is supposed to have a curve in it but mine is just vertical.  Crap!  Good news is that I will be overjoyed (and then some!) if they can take away the subtle pain I feel every day for 14 years and the major pain I feel several times a month.  Then work today, where there were about 10 of us because everyone took this week off to avoid the DNC and just enjoy summer.  Tomorrow morning I leave for Martha's Vineyard for 3 days, to return to host a "Kerry House Party" on Thursday night for his acceptance speech.  Well, that's my brief summary of lots of stuff.  Tootles!

Weekend Preview: Tonight I am going to the chiropractor after work (unless I find someone to go to the Lowell Spinners game with me?????).  Then I will go home, maybe go on a walk, watch my DVD of Six Feet Under, and straighten up my house a little.  Saturday I will go to Emily's old place, to join about 8 other people as we move her to her new place, chez Nat.  Don't know what the evening holds...but laundry needs to be done at some point this weekend.  Sunday I am volunteering with the DNC (Democratic National Committee) for the Convention, which I am looking forward to.  More sneak peek to upcoming event...I will be at work on Monday but then am going with Amy and her adorable twin Andres and Alejandro to Martha's Vineyard for Tues, Wed and Thurs.  Then I am having a "house party" for Kerry's acceptance speech at my house in Thursday night.  Some friends are coming, and so are some people who read about the event on the Kerry website.  Should be cool.

Last Night At Em's Friday Five: (random questions related to random conversations with Em as we packed her house for tomorrow's move)

1. If you didn't have scissors, what would you use to cut? When I am home, I use a knife (usually the one that is always just sitting on the counter...even if the rest of the kitchen in clean)  If I am away from home, I use my nail clippers on my key chain.
2. What is the farthest you have moved? From Washington DC (where I was born and lived until I was 6) to Mission Hills, KS (where we thankfully left when I was 9)  It was about 1073 miles according to Mapquest
3. What is the oldest food product in your house? When I was looking in my pantry for shelf-stable items to bring to a food drive a couple weeks ago, I found some cous cous that said it should be used by Sept 2002.  I know some of my spices are older than that!
4. If you could only save one thing (pets excluded) from your house in a fire, what would it be? My photo albums
5. What is your ideal indoor temperature? 70 degrees (not like the 83 degrees that it was when I got home at 9:00 p.m. last night)

Beauty and the Geek: "Hold on to your pocket protectors—MIT alumni have accomplished yet another first: Erika Ebbel '04 has won the Miss Massachusetts pageant, and now has her sights clearly set on becoming Miss America." Read this funny and interesting article by my colleague Jim about this ever-exciting MIT event. (apparently this article has 40,000 hits int he last 24 hours!)

Look!  It's Me! Thanks to Jamie, I now know how to create a virtual model of myself.  The result was frighteningly realistic.  Now you try...

Donut Drinks: First donut shops take over reign as best place to buy coffee (especially in the East) and now Krispy Kreme is making a donut drink!  Are you supposed to dunk your donut in the donut drink?

Bad News: Some days I wish I didn't even read the news.

Starting the Week on the Funny Foot:  Aprropriate after seeing Farenhiet 9/11 this weekend, Lauren sent me this FANTASTCI little movie.  I was cracking up at my desk...hope it brings you as much joy! 

Follow Up:  Is it "even worse than me" or "even worse than I"????  I think it must be "I"...even worse than I am.

Even Worse Than I: Two years too late, it was noted that a sign on the wall commemorating the World Trade Center attack states that "September 11, 2002 was a pivotal day for the country and the world"  Um, close...but a year after the event.  On a connected, but not nearly as significant note, I was in a meeting yesterday where we were discussing marketing pieces for next year.  My boss showed the "communications team" a sample from two years ago, at which point the person from communications said "Looks great, but are we changing the spelling of 'Revoloution'"  Again, two years too late.  Makes my careless editing seem much less glaring. 

News of the Obsurd: In this week's News of the Weird it is reported that "Nurse Jackie Tvedt held on to her state license even though she was fired in January from a nursing home in Newton, Iowa, for allegedly providing a reduced level of care to those patients whom God had told her that He would take care of."  What is this world coming to? Don't answer that...I fear that I know. 

Supporting the Troops: As Emily's bumper sticker says, "Support the Troops, Fire Their Boss"  A touching story out of Chicago, where 8 first-class passengers gave up their seats to soldiers coming home from Iraq.

Colorful Friday Five (in honor of the new color capacity of Blogger):

1. What color are the walls of you bedroom? I painted them a light, kind of slate-y, blue.  It needs another coat though...cuz I tried to be lazy and paint only the places that needed a bit more and now you can see where I did that.
2. What was your favorite color in fourth grade? Purple.  Anything purple.  Especially Shaker-knit sweaters and coily bracelets.
3. What color are your undies today? Rainbow stripes!
4. What color is your natural hair color? Red. Not orange-red, but more of a rusty red.  With some strawberry blonde mixed in.  I am often asking those around me if someone's hair looks like mine because I really don't quite know what mine looks like.  Not to mention that sometimes forget to include the descriptor "redhead" when arranging to meet with someone I don't know.  Silly!
5. What color pen do you prefer to write with? Blue medium ballpoint.

Fancy Schmancy: Blogger got all sorts of formating capacity overnight!  How cool!

Tibetan Food: Also from Chowhounds (this time the Boston board) I learned that there is a new Tibetan restaurant in Davis. Kinda interesting since this is a sort of "rare" cuisine and there is another Tibetan restaurant about a half mile away. I definitely want to check this out...who wants to come?

My Pet Peeve (well one of them) Validated: I had to post this thread from the Chowhounds site..."Why do guests ignore the RSVP request?" As someone who loves to entertain, its hard when you don't know if you are cooking/planning for 10 or 40. I care much less about WHO is coming, than HOW MANY are coming. Oh well, the toils of being the hostess with the mostest.

Much Ado About Something: Last night six of us braved the cold and mist to see the free production of Much Ado About Nothing in the Boston Common. It was an *excellent* show! I didn't even know the story of the play (sorry Bill Bennett) until earlier this week, but it was wonderfully done. I am quite tired though, because I didn't get home until almost midnight...definitely past my bedtime. But worth it.

Do You Want A Boy or A Girl? Today is apparently the day for pondering this question. First I got in a conversation with Lauren at lunch about raising kids with neutral gender roles, exchanging stories of people we know. Then we met up with Krista in the office, who independently was talking about how much she wants to have a girl when she has kids, and how special her relationship is with her mom. As soon as Lauren got back to her desk, she told me to log onto MSN because the front story is called "Who's Easier: Boys or Girls?: When it comes to raising kids, gender matters. But our own personality and expectations may count even more."

Martha Does Produce: Before going to jail, Martha has decided to share her insights on selecting the best produce.

Beat Bush House Party: For those of you in the Boston area (or those that want to travel to the Boston area) I will be hosting a house party on July 29 for Kerry's acceptance speech. If you go to the website, you can sign up to attend (or just let me know).

Kim Gets (Has) the Traveling Bug: Yeah! It has been a splendid week for travel plans! Yesterday I confirmed a frequent flier ticket to go to Phoenix to visit Eva in January. Today I got my e-ticket for my "women's trip" to Israel during Thanksgiving week. (My mom, grandmother and aunt are going to Israel...and probably Crete...to see my aunt, uncle and cousins that live in Israel) I am also in the process of making arrangements to go to Cleveland in early December to see Chip and Abby's new baby (well, she's not even born yet, but she should be about 2 months old when I go in December) This is all after I hopefully see Judi and her family in New Hampshire in early August, go to Cleveland in mid-August, and maybe go to NYC in late August. On top of all that, for work, I will be going to Seattle and LA in November, LA and San Diego in February, London in March and DC in April. Love it!

Political "Humor": The following email was sent to me ftom my dad. I have heard some of this before, but thought I'd still post it.

It is very tough to be a Republican in 2004, because somehow, you have to
believe concurrently that:

1. Jesus loves you, but shares your deep hatred of homosexuals and Hillary
Clinton.
2. The United States should get out of the United Nations, but our highest
national priority is enforcing UN resolutions against Iraq.
3. Standing Tall for America means firing your workers and moving their jobs
to India.
4. A woman cannot be trusted with decisions about her own body, but
multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all humankind
without regulation.
5. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a
conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for
your recovery.
6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in
speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
7. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins, unless you someday run for
governor of California as a Republican.
8. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
9. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, but
then demand their cooperation and money.
10. HMOs and insurance companies make huge profits and have the interest of
the public at heart.
11. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health
care to all Americans is socialism.
12. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but
creationism should be taught in schools.
13. It is okay that the Bush family's Carlisle Group has done millions of
business with the Bin Laden family.
14. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him and Rumsfeld reassured him he was our buddy, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy
when Cheney did business with him, but then a bad guy again when Bush junior
needed a prop for his reelection campaign as the war President.
15. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable
offense. A president lying about WMD existence to enlist support for an
unprovoked, undeclared war and occupation, in which thousands soldiers and
civilians die, is, somehow, solid defense policy in a War against Terrorism.
16. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution,
which should include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.
17. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George
Bush's Harken Oil stock trade should be sealed in his Daddy's library, and
is none of our business.
18. What Bill Clinton or John Kerry did in the 1960s was of vital national
interest but what Bush did in the 80's is irrelevant.
19. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade
with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.
20. Affirmative Action is wrong, but it is OK for your Daddy and his friends
(here and in Saudi Arabia) to get you to graduate from Yale without studying
much, to dodge the draft in the Texas Air National Guard, to bail out your
companies (Harken Oil and the Texas Rangers), to get the Governorship of
Texas and then to have the Supreme Court appoint you President of the USA.
21. You are a conservative, but it is OK to spend like there is no tomorrow
and run up deficits that your grandchildren will have to pay, while at the
same refunding as much tax money as possible to rich people who do not need
it.

In honor of my going to a volunteer training for the DNC tomorrow I present "50 Nifty United States..." Friday Five:
What was the last state (other than your own) that you visited? I was in Rhode Island for my alumni relations training in June.
What state were you born in? It is a district, not a state. I was born in Washington DC, in George Washington University Hospital I believe.
What state would you like to visit next? I would love to go to California so I could see Judi, Paul and Shelby...although that would be a lot of traveling since Judi and Paul are in LA and Shelby will soon be in Davis, CA.
If we were to have only 49 states, which one would you eliminate? Alabama. Not much positive seems to happen there, and they also will probably vote for Bush.
What is your state of being right now? Kinda sleepy but slightly anxious too. I slept for a LOT of hours last night and am still tired, but have a LOT of projects running through my head and am making lists etc so I feel more in control of all that needs to get done.
(Feel free to answer these questions in the Comment section below)

Teen Empowerment Comes to Somerville: In an article entitled "Somerville firing sparks an outcry: Latinos criticize mayor's removal of youth director" it was announced that Teen Empowerment, where I worked when I first moved to Boston, will be starting a program in Somerville. Interesting.... (notice I am still listed as working there, even though I left 3 years ago)

The Return of Kimpossible: After an extra long July 4th weekend, I begrudgingly returned to work today (and the computer on which it is easiest for me to do my blog) It was a long weekend, so I will stick to the highlights for the masses...After a painfully boring day at MIT on Friday (where everyone spent most of the day hitting 'refresh' on the email to see if an announcement would be made that we could leave early), we finally got let out at 4. Later that evening, Emily & Nat, Kathy & Pete (who were on their way back to San Fran from their 5 week honeymoon), Jack & Mary, and I went to The Barking Crab. I had never been to the Boston mainstay...it was very good and we all had a fun time in each other's company. E&N, K&P and I went back to Davis for ice cream at JP Licks (yummy mint Oreo). Sunday's highlight was our amazing picnic in Arlington for the fireworks. About 20 people eventually stopped by our city of blankets/chairs for some Frisbee, fried chicken, pound cake with berries and Cool Whip, homemade lemonade, copious photo taking/showing, and giggles. We were there for over 5 hours, from picnic through the amazing fireworks on Boston (Which could be seen from our PERFECT spot on the hill). Monday I saw Mean Girls (B+) while it rained and rained and rained. Tuesday I took the day off, went to Curves, went to Target (and got really cute bowls on sale...gotta stop!), and then got together with Paul. We went on a mini-road trip to Newburyport, where we walked around for a couple of hours. We then hopped back in the car so we could meet Emily at Tu Y Yo (A+). (Including strong and good sangria.) Now I'm here back at work.

Inter-dependence Day: On July 4th, my parents celebrate their Inter-dependence Day, aka their anniversary. One might say fireworks went off on their wedding night. Mazel tov to one of the most happily married couples I know. ULI.

A New Era in Health Education: We never had exhibits like this when I worked at the Cleveland Health Museum! (now HealthSpace Cleveland) Although...we did have Juno, the transparent talking woman...whose script still pops into my head sometimes... "Hi, I am Juno..." Can you imagine..."Intended to teach people about human skeletal, cardiovascular and other systems, the final exhibit includes 25 bodies that have undergone a process called "plastination" in which body fluids are replaced with clear, pliable plastic. Most have been skinned or dissected to reveal muscles, bones, nerves and organs. Some show damage done by illnesses such as cancer and lung disease."

The Fourth: In honor of the 4th, a Friday Five of Fours...
What four celebrities would you invite over for a dinner party?
Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Ashley Judd, and Kofi Ananan (who went to Macalester)
What are your four pet peeves?
People who are late, bad drivers, entitlement, pessimism
What four words would you use to describe your job?
Multi-tasking, cyclical, nomadic, collaborative
What are your four favorite foods?
coffee Oreo ice cream, chicken tikka marsala, cheese pizza, Sam Camera's Pad Thai
What four life experiences have most shaped who you are?
Meeting Judi in 4th grade, Brian and my car accident, Lisa's death, my internship at Planned Parenthood in college

A Love Letter to My Cleveland: The CNN homepage has a whole article about visiting Cleveland...no longer the Mistake on the Lake. It includes many highlights including the Flats, the Jake, CWRU, Great Lakes Brewery, Edgewater Park, the Rock Hall, and Cedar Point. Yeah Cleveland!

Craziest News of the Month: Two nights ago, Erika Ebbel was named Miss Massachusetts and was selected to represent the state in the Miss America pageant. Why is this big news you might ask, because she is an MIT student...and member of the pistol team. Not only that, but of the 12 finalists, there was ANOTHER MIT student, Joanne Chang! And further more, in the entering class of 2008 is Miss Korea, who will be in the Miss Universe pageant! Who knew!?!?