Last night this creepy man at Botanica bought me a shot and rubbed the mole on my cheek and asked, "Is this real? Is this real? Can I lick it off?"
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
dry winter air
All I've done tonight is uninstall malware from my computer while rubbing lotion all over myself and I'm still so dry and itchy that I could just die.
strengthsfinder 2.0
As part of thesis, we were all instructed to buy a book so we could take a quiz this week to discover our strengths.
My top five strengths:
1. Empathy
By nature, you naturally sense when a person can benefit from your support, kind words, or thoughtful deeds. Perhaps you have an ability to lift certain people’s sagging spirits by what you do or say. In the process, you might enhance some individuals’ self-confidence enough that they dare to acquire knowledge, gain new skills, or broaden their experiences. Driven by your talents, you know how to brighten others’ lives when you sense they are feeling low or despondent. You probably have a hard time ending a conversation or a visit when the other person is still sad, grieving, or anxious. It’s very likely that you are filled with awe by beauty in the world, in people, and in the cosmos. Whether you gaze upon nature’s wonders or marvel at the work of human hands, you are filled with wonder. You can suddenly stop what you are doing to watch a sunset, listen to the rustle of leaves, stand before a work of art, hear a piece of music, look through a telescope, or hold a newborn child. You experience beauty at a level many people cannot imagine. Once the moment has passed, you can still picture the scene or hear the sound in your memory. Chances are good that you greatly prefer to spend time with people who respect and approve of your talents. You usually sense when individuals belittle your abilities or discount your results. Instinctively, you rely on your awareness of others’ feelings, thoughts, and needs to guide you into and through partnerships. You consider various ways to initiate, nurture, and sustain the linkages between individuals and groups. You bring people together. You help them discover reasons to cooperate and support one another.
2. Input
By nature, you derive much pleasure from reading one book or publication from start to finish before beginning another. You prefer to concentrate on one topic, plot, or author at a time. Driven by your talents, you may have labored to broaden your vocabulary. Perhaps your collection features theoretical or complicated words. If you use these to write or speak, some people might conclude you have official authority over them. Perhaps certain individuals assume that your elaborate language somehow confirms that you are in a position of dominance. Because of your strengths, you may gain the advantage by using difficult-to-understand words in your speech or writing. To some extent, this forces certain people to ask questions. When they must depend on you for answers, perhaps you become an authority figure. Possibly much preparation goes into your examination of the subject prior to these interactions. Because you realize knowledge is power, you might be inclined to delve into specific topics for the sole purpose of making discoveries or acquiring new information. It’s very likely that you may be attracted to assignments that demand original and inventive thinking. In some cases, you track down new ideas, facts, or data. Your out-of-the-box thinking might challenge some people to abandon, or at the very least to question, specific conventional practices. When you cause one or two of them to suggest options, maybe their need to protect the status quo will be replaced by a desire to gather more information. Instinctively, you can simplify the most complex, convoluted, or intricate procedure. People usually rely on you to offer clear and easy-to-comprehend explanations.
3. Adaptability
Driven by your talents, you sometimes monitor progress and adjust your plans for the coming months, years, or decades. Perhaps you expect the unexpected. You might prepare for the future by taking time to think about it. You may be a flexible rather than rigid organizer. Some people might admire your ability to reach long-term objectives with apparent ease. Instinctively, you keep your distance from those who fail to slow down long enough to take in the world’s loveliness and recognize the goodness of individuals. Aware of life’s fleeting nature, you discover something admirable in common objects, ordinary people, and everyday experiences. You choose to live in the present. You exhibit the flexibility required to deal with change. By nature, you may feel best about life when you take time to envision how you might react to future situations. To some degree, forethought helps you adjust to unexpected problems. It sometimes prepares you to take advantage of new opportunities. Chances are good that you now and then picture events or situations you might find yourself facing in the coming months, years, or decades. Sometimes you consider ways you might react when these circumstances materialize. It’s very likely that you enjoy reading. It allows you to gather information to expand your storehouse of knowledge. When surrounded by individuals who cannot sit still, giving your full attention to the printed word is apt to be difficult, if not impossible. You have a habit of avoiding the company of restless people when you want to give your undivided attention to a book, magazine article, newspaper account, personal correspondence, or official document.
4. Strategic
Driven by your talents, you might recognize recurring sequences in data, events, information, or people’s comments. These insights might enable you to form links between things that others cannot. It’s very likely that you sometimes work diligently to generate several alternatives. Perhaps you notice new as well as unusual configurations in facts, evidence, or data. Others, however, may see only separate, unrelated bits of information. Periodically you are fascinated by problems that puzzle, confound, or frustrate others. Instinctively, you might feel satisfied with life when your innovative thinking style is appreciated. You might pinpoint trends, notice problems, or identify opportunities some people overlook. Armed with this knowledge, you may devise alternative courses of action. By evaluating the circumstances, available resources, and potential consequences of each plan, perhaps you can select the best option. Because of your strengths, you characteristically find the right words to express whatever you are thinking. You offer explanations, discuss ideas, give examples, or share stories. You effectively use the spoken word. Chances are good that you sometimes delve into opportunities or situations to find clues for handling them. Piecing together patterns of cause and effect from past or current events sometimes allows you to propose alternate routes to a particular goal. Perhaps few things take you by surprise. Why? You might study several options or craft innovative solutions that short-circuit problems before they arise.
5. Communication
It’s very likely that you relish talking to others. Frequently you help people express their opinions, thoughts, or viewpoints with enthusiasm. Your words frequently energize individuals or groups. Driven by your talents, you sometimes can admit that you participate in friendly rivalries for fun. Perhaps you are comfortable letting certain people know what you do and do not value. Instinctively, you readily initiate conversations. Your talkative nature compels you to say whatever is on your mind. You have an ability to talk informally and persuasively. You are completely at ease with an audience. Seldom do you find yourself speechless. By nature, you delight others with your stories and adventurous tales. You are a natural conversationalist. You gravitate to discussions and engage in casual chitchat. When the dialogue begins to lag, you probably keep it moving by asking questions, introducing a new topic, describing an incident, or offering an explanation. Because of your strengths, you frequently amuse people with stories, examples, or playful capers. Your style of delivery often distracts individuals from the mundane and numbing routines of their lives. Typically you know what to say and how to say it. Why? You are keenly aware of the full range of human emotions.
My top five strengths:
1. Empathy
By nature, you naturally sense when a person can benefit from your support, kind words, or thoughtful deeds. Perhaps you have an ability to lift certain people’s sagging spirits by what you do or say. In the process, you might enhance some individuals’ self-confidence enough that they dare to acquire knowledge, gain new skills, or broaden their experiences. Driven by your talents, you know how to brighten others’ lives when you sense they are feeling low or despondent. You probably have a hard time ending a conversation or a visit when the other person is still sad, grieving, or anxious. It’s very likely that you are filled with awe by beauty in the world, in people, and in the cosmos. Whether you gaze upon nature’s wonders or marvel at the work of human hands, you are filled with wonder. You can suddenly stop what you are doing to watch a sunset, listen to the rustle of leaves, stand before a work of art, hear a piece of music, look through a telescope, or hold a newborn child. You experience beauty at a level many people cannot imagine. Once the moment has passed, you can still picture the scene or hear the sound in your memory. Chances are good that you greatly prefer to spend time with people who respect and approve of your talents. You usually sense when individuals belittle your abilities or discount your results. Instinctively, you rely on your awareness of others’ feelings, thoughts, and needs to guide you into and through partnerships. You consider various ways to initiate, nurture, and sustain the linkages between individuals and groups. You bring people together. You help them discover reasons to cooperate and support one another.
2. Input
By nature, you derive much pleasure from reading one book or publication from start to finish before beginning another. You prefer to concentrate on one topic, plot, or author at a time. Driven by your talents, you may have labored to broaden your vocabulary. Perhaps your collection features theoretical or complicated words. If you use these to write or speak, some people might conclude you have official authority over them. Perhaps certain individuals assume that your elaborate language somehow confirms that you are in a position of dominance. Because of your strengths, you may gain the advantage by using difficult-to-understand words in your speech or writing. To some extent, this forces certain people to ask questions. When they must depend on you for answers, perhaps you become an authority figure. Possibly much preparation goes into your examination of the subject prior to these interactions. Because you realize knowledge is power, you might be inclined to delve into specific topics for the sole purpose of making discoveries or acquiring new information. It’s very likely that you may be attracted to assignments that demand original and inventive thinking. In some cases, you track down new ideas, facts, or data. Your out-of-the-box thinking might challenge some people to abandon, or at the very least to question, specific conventional practices. When you cause one or two of them to suggest options, maybe their need to protect the status quo will be replaced by a desire to gather more information. Instinctively, you can simplify the most complex, convoluted, or intricate procedure. People usually rely on you to offer clear and easy-to-comprehend explanations.
3. Adaptability
Driven by your talents, you sometimes monitor progress and adjust your plans for the coming months, years, or decades. Perhaps you expect the unexpected. You might prepare for the future by taking time to think about it. You may be a flexible rather than rigid organizer. Some people might admire your ability to reach long-term objectives with apparent ease. Instinctively, you keep your distance from those who fail to slow down long enough to take in the world’s loveliness and recognize the goodness of individuals. Aware of life’s fleeting nature, you discover something admirable in common objects, ordinary people, and everyday experiences. You choose to live in the present. You exhibit the flexibility required to deal with change. By nature, you may feel best about life when you take time to envision how you might react to future situations. To some degree, forethought helps you adjust to unexpected problems. It sometimes prepares you to take advantage of new opportunities. Chances are good that you now and then picture events or situations you might find yourself facing in the coming months, years, or decades. Sometimes you consider ways you might react when these circumstances materialize. It’s very likely that you enjoy reading. It allows you to gather information to expand your storehouse of knowledge. When surrounded by individuals who cannot sit still, giving your full attention to the printed word is apt to be difficult, if not impossible. You have a habit of avoiding the company of restless people when you want to give your undivided attention to a book, magazine article, newspaper account, personal correspondence, or official document.
4. Strategic
Driven by your talents, you might recognize recurring sequences in data, events, information, or people’s comments. These insights might enable you to form links between things that others cannot. It’s very likely that you sometimes work diligently to generate several alternatives. Perhaps you notice new as well as unusual configurations in facts, evidence, or data. Others, however, may see only separate, unrelated bits of information. Periodically you are fascinated by problems that puzzle, confound, or frustrate others. Instinctively, you might feel satisfied with life when your innovative thinking style is appreciated. You might pinpoint trends, notice problems, or identify opportunities some people overlook. Armed with this knowledge, you may devise alternative courses of action. By evaluating the circumstances, available resources, and potential consequences of each plan, perhaps you can select the best option. Because of your strengths, you characteristically find the right words to express whatever you are thinking. You offer explanations, discuss ideas, give examples, or share stories. You effectively use the spoken word. Chances are good that you sometimes delve into opportunities or situations to find clues for handling them. Piecing together patterns of cause and effect from past or current events sometimes allows you to propose alternate routes to a particular goal. Perhaps few things take you by surprise. Why? You might study several options or craft innovative solutions that short-circuit problems before they arise.
5. Communication
It’s very likely that you relish talking to others. Frequently you help people express their opinions, thoughts, or viewpoints with enthusiasm. Your words frequently energize individuals or groups. Driven by your talents, you sometimes can admit that you participate in friendly rivalries for fun. Perhaps you are comfortable letting certain people know what you do and do not value. Instinctively, you readily initiate conversations. Your talkative nature compels you to say whatever is on your mind. You have an ability to talk informally and persuasively. You are completely at ease with an audience. Seldom do you find yourself speechless. By nature, you delight others with your stories and adventurous tales. You are a natural conversationalist. You gravitate to discussions and engage in casual chitchat. When the dialogue begins to lag, you probably keep it moving by asking questions, introducing a new topic, describing an incident, or offering an explanation. Because of your strengths, you frequently amuse people with stories, examples, or playful capers. Your style of delivery often distracts individuals from the mundane and numbing routines of their lives. Typically you know what to say and how to say it. Why? You are keenly aware of the full range of human emotions.
anti-yogi
when i'm in yoga class i typically end up thinking about all the ways in which i am not yogi-like at all, like because of my sports bra or my glitter hello kitty nails, or my wandering inappropriate mind and my reminders-to-self that i should note all this in my blog.
Monday, January 27, 2014
fraggle
In celebration of my recent decision to one name one of my future dogs Fraggle, here are some pictures I like from Fraggle Rock:
gorgs
trash heap
lina from la
I went to open level vinyasa class at noon today and there was this unbelievable goddess-like girl who was exotically beautiful and incredibly good at yoga. She had the best body with a narrow waist and long long legs like some kind of albatross winging through the air effortlessly and mercilessly while the rest of us clunked and quivered in place.
She talked to me! after class and it turns out she's Lina and she's from LA too.
She talked to me! after class and it turns out she's Lina and she's from LA too.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
the river
Over a thousand miles and more raced the meandering mountain heights. Like the giant rampart of some endless fortress they rose above the plains, now as a yellowish cliff, a gullied and pitted wall in appearance, now as a rounded green prominence covered, as if with lambswool, with young shrubs growing from the stumps of cut trees, or, finally, with dark forest so far spared the axe. The river, sometimes faithful to its high banks, followed them in their angles and bends over the whole expanse, but at other times abandoned them to go into the meadows, meandering there through several meanders, flashing like fire in the sun, then vanished in groves of birches, aspens, and alders, to rush out again in triumph, accompanied by bridges, mills, and dams that seemed to pursue it at every turn. (gogol 257)
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
rip trouble
I hear Trouble has passed away. RIP
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/11/tia.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/07/deadmau5.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/04/remixed-media.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/04/sunday-afternoon.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/03/spring-break.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-three-am-i-just-left-my-phone-in.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/11/lap-warmer.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/11/lapcat.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/11/valerie-and-trouble.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/10/hurricane-comin.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/10/hurricane-cabin-fever.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/11/tia.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/07/deadmau5.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/04/remixed-media.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/04/sunday-afternoon.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/03/spring-break.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-three-am-i-just-left-my-phone-in.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/11/lap-warmer.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/11/lapcat.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/11/valerie-and-trouble.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/10/hurricane-comin.html
http://blomstringsfestival.blogspot.com/2012/10/hurricane-cabin-fever.html
Monday, January 20, 2014
alex mack
During the show's heyday, children who met Larisa Oleynik (and were too young to understand special effects) would often ask her to "morph" for them. Rather than try to explain things, she would quickly glance around, then tell them "Not here - everybody would see!".
chocolate rink
Mrs. Tuckersman and I did not end up going ice skating yesterday. We had sushi at Osaka and then went and ate chocolate cake and drank hot chocolates with espresso ('torinos') instead. And then we went and watched reality tv ('World's Fattest Man' and 'Prison Wives') and ordered Thai delivery instead. and then we went to a mostly-puppet variety show in Williamsburg. Great day.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
birthday weeks
birthday with bagel: osteria mamma and harvard and stone
birthday party in la: masa and prince with lmo, lc, kat, rj, katya, john, bagel, candy, khenkel, cathy, max, steph, willis
birthday with family: belmont brewing co. with ma, pa, cliff, rosie, char, bagel
birthday day: st. felix with khenkel, cody
birthday party in ny: mominette, pine box and tandem with cerrito, aijia, rothy, sslover, sam, jay, vanessa, mike, dan, cvc, moe, weaver, colin
birthday tsukerma: is today! sushi, ice skating and more with mrs. tuckersman
what if instead of 26-year-old me at my birthday parties 10-year-old me and 16-year-old me were present instead?
birthday party in la: masa and prince with lmo, lc, kat, rj, katya, john, bagel, candy, khenkel, cathy, max, steph, willis
birthday with family: belmont brewing co. with ma, pa, cliff, rosie, char, bagel
birthday day: st. felix with khenkel, cody
birthday party in ny: mominette, pine box and tandem with cerrito, aijia, rothy, sslover, sam, jay, vanessa, mike, dan, cvc, moe, weaver, colin
birthday tsukerma: is today! sushi, ice skating and more with mrs. tuckersman
what if instead of 26-year-old me at my birthday parties 10-year-old me and 16-year-old me were present instead?
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
massage
Ma and I went to get hour-long massages yesterday in Lakewood. I love massages but I also find them to be horrifyingly intimate and spend most of the time in disbelief that they're happening to me. I wonder what they think of my body. My masseuse hovered over my body making very full, loud inhales and exhales. When her stomach grumbled, I wondered if she was hungry.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
bday gifties
катя and i went out to short stop a few nights ago and she gave me these beautiful leggings for my birthday! they're so so soft and i love them. we had a lot of fun dancing to crazy funk music and taking pictures in ye olde photo booth
and then I received a surprise box in the mail from cerrito in queens!!! he made me a little ramen buddy and i was so surprised and pleased when i opened the box that i thought i was going to happy cry. i puppetted it for baby char and she was really really scared of it and kept shaking her head and saying "no"
feast day
The most obvious parallels to the legendary figure of St. Valerie are those that manifest the distinctive trait of cephalophory. France is fairly rich in these, including most notably the capital's patron saint, Denis. The severed head that goes on preaching is a powerful assertion of autonomy, or perhaps theonomy in the face of persecution, with the bishop Denis continuing his work of prophecy and preaching. In St Valerie's case, the severed head is returned to where it belongs, the deceased person's bishop, pastor and confessor. In both cases there is a continuity in the relationship to the Church beyond death.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Terrible declensions
Thought I'd start the day off smartly by casually reading one of my old Russian grammar books over morning coffee... I'm on chart number 1 out of 26 charts of Russian declensional patterns and my brain is about to explode.
"Russian nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and numerals are declined. There are two numbers, three genders, and six cases."
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Carnegiea gigantea
Arizona was filled with places with most daunting and excellent names, like Deadman Wash and Bloody Basin. I learned on this trip that the saguaro is one of my favorite plants. Wiki says, "They may grow their first side arm anywhere from 15-25 years of age." Saguaro always dreadfully tacky in southwestern art set against bad sunsets and ponchos but in real life they're incredible specimens - the only vertical growth in a wasteland of sand and dry shrubs. They stand in the thousands in the desert like unspeaking sentinels. I felt very disconcerted but awed looking at them.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Mystical vortexes
I'm here in Sedona where today I took pictures of deer, sat in a jacuzzi, drank two glasses of wine, got a massage, then ate babyback ribs and had a huge margarita. I feel very pampered and non-religiously blessed.
Something I've learned today is that Sedona is a New Age mystical mecca, where people come to experience "energy vortexes," where the earth is "breathing energy in and out."
"A vortex is a place of concentrated energy that people can sense."
"These vortexes are subtle energy centers where spiritual and psychic powers are enhanced."
"The energy resonates with and strengthens the Inner Being of each person that comes within about a quarter to a half mile of it. This resonance happens because the vortex energy is very similar to the subtle energy operating in the energy centers inside each person."
It must be vortex energy that's making me fall in love with every young man I see, from our hotel valet to our dinner waiter.
Chens depart
The Chens leave for Sedona now. They actually left for Sedona about six minutes ago but then they came back because Jerry forgot his jacket and Frances wanted to go to the bathroom.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
the sorcerer & the white snake
Ma and I watched the craziest Jet Li movie, called The Sorcerer & the White Snake, which is based on an old Chinese story about a thousand-year-old white snake that falls in love with a human and transforms into a beautiful woman in order to marry him. Jet Li is a monk whose mission is to destroy these sorts of shape-shifting spirits. It reminded me a lot of the selkie stories from Scottish/Irish/Faroese folklore. I liked the movie's bad-looking special effects, attractive women, excellent fight scenes and overly dramatic love angst. I'm feeling inspired to catch up on some more wuxia films.
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