30 December 2005

mice are nice

by Cecily

The rodent drama around here never ends. I think my mom catches about 4 mice per day, in those little live-trap box things. Then she puts them in a holding cell for a few hours ("about six or eight hours" according to my brother) before releasing them back into the wild.

She doesn't actually do the releasing, she makes one of my brothers do it. And by "the wild" what I really mean is "the back yard" and by "holding cell" I actually mean "empty decorated Christmas Popcorn tin, covered by an old canvas on stretchers."

My stepfather is convinced that the same mice are coming back into the house every day, being punished in the popcorn tin, and being put outside. He is trying to convince my mom to paint the mice different colors ("just spray paint them! Or use one of those tiny-ass paint brushes you have all over the damn place. You have enough paint, if that's what you're worried about. You're not gonna run out any time soon.") so that we can see whether or not it is in fact the same mice or if
there really are that many.

I said a more fun idea would be to capture them, dress them in little outfits, and then give them to people as pets for Christmas presents.

My mom is ignoring both of us, so far.

21 December 2005

Mighty Morpheme Power Rangers

by Cecily
Remember a long time ago when I said I was constantly thinking of fun but useless projects? Well I really made the one that was the cartoon of Power Rangers. And here it is! You have to click on the strips to make them big enough to read, unless you have super crazy vision powers.

Also, some of the jokes are not very funny unless you are in grad school for linguistics, like I am. But since I only really care about entertaining myself, it won't bother me too much if you don't laugh uproariously. Because I certainly am. Laughing uproariously.

linguistics cartoon, strip oned
linguistics cartoon, strip twod
linguistics cartoon, strip threed
linguistics cartoon, strip fourd
linguistics cartoon, strip fived

20 December 2005

East vs Midwest vs Wild West

by Cecily
Now I'm in Montana. It's cold here, but before I complain I would like to first of all take back everything I ever said about Washington having "fake" weather. The Gods of the Constitution (some would say Founding Fathers, but really let's call a spade a spade, here, folks) were not pleased. And last Thursday, it rained, and rained, and rained, and froze, and rained, and froze some more. I ruined my gloves. Or at least, they got very wet, and so did I, and it was far more unpleasant than any other weather I've experienced so far this year.

Minnesota and Montana included.

So last weekend I was in Minneapolis, where it was cold and snowy but delightfully free of humidity. And now I am in Montana where, surprisingly, it is just as cold as it was in Minnesota. But with worse roads, better traffic, and more drive-through liquor stores. Again, though, no freezing rain.

I'm in the living room with a fire in the fireplace and several piles of books and magazines to read. And none of the books or magazines have anything to do with linguistics, at all. (except for one, but I'm not reading that one because I am on vacation)

In general, everything is as you might expect it to be. My brothers are tall. The Christmas tree is fragrant. My mom's dog is endearingly neurotic. Constitution Gods, bless us every one.

13 December 2005

Hooray!

by Cecily
Well, I'm all done with my schooling.

I just posted my last final end remaining essay on the fancy school bulletin board. No, you can't read it. It's private.

I'm a little punchy. And excited! Here's what I'm doing today, now that I have ZERO homework:
1. meeting my sister at a bookstore
2. meeting friends for a drink of delicious beer
3. reading a murder mystery
4. going to bed

Tomorrow I have all kinds of other exciting jobs to do. Like clean my room. And pack. And do my laundry.

Probably not in that order...

05 December 2005

I have better things to do

by Cecily
It's my last week of classes so I don't have time for all this "internet" malarky.

Until I come back, here is a fun place to waste your valuable time: Ring Tone Dancer. It's a kid I went to college with. He's dancing to the tune of a ringing cell phone- "in the hall of the mountain king" according to my sister.

talk to you next week

CORRECTION: Sorry, Jocelyn, the Mountain King is wrong. It's from Swan Lake.