I'll Let This Speak for Itself

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Morning

Mmm....a good cup of coffee and Celtic folk music. What could be a better way to start the day?

New Bruise

This morning I have a new bruise on my right knee, and a slightly bruised ego. Apparently, while I'd like to tell myself I'm good in an emergency, when it comes to huge Doberman Pinscher puppies (keep in mind that this "puppy" was half of my size) running towards me and my fiance's dog clumsily, I completely freak out.

In this particular case, I backed up as quickly as possible, and kept shouting "Please get your dog, please get your dog." This was all happening as (1) the owners of said Doberman Pinscher (Ronan, I later learned) were desperately trying to retrieve their dog (who was not aggressive, just extremely curious, as most puppies are), (2) our dog (imagine this dog about 15 lbs. heavier - our dog is also part Aussie Shepherd) was starting to get aggressive (probably in part because she's missing a back leg and a huge dog was running at her, in part because she sensed my distress, and in part because she's just a "pissy little dog," as my fiance would say), (3) and a random passerby was also trying to get a hold on Ronan.

All of this was over quite quickly, but it was stressful enough that I started to cry when it was all over. Not big gushing tears, but I felt kind of foolish, nonetheless - especially since Ronan's owners were so distraught at having caused me stress. They offered to get me something to drink and the random passerby put a comforting hand on my shoulder. Meanwhile, Casey, our little crazy aggressive dog, was acting very friendly (which she usually doesn't, as our friends can attest) - she's sometimes quite good at impression management.

I have hope that the rest of the day will be a bit calmer.*

*As a side note, I really wish I were at the place in that picture right now, instead of the summer heat!

I Admit It

I love Josh Groban.

I know that his music is derided by every man I know, including my father and fiance, who are quite sensitive men.

I know his lyrics are repetitive and lack much substance.

But have you heard him sing?*

As somebody who participated in numerous choirs throughout high school and college, I appreciate his form and clarity.

As a girl who does not get chills from just anything she hears, I appreciate the way Josh Groban's music makes me feel.

I have to face the fact that I love his music... even if he is among the latest classically trained, quasi-pop singers** out there, who are trying to blurr the lines of traditional music categories.***

*I can't help myself...he's also beautiful to look at. Check out that link.
**To this classification I would also add Charlotte Church, Hayley Westenra, and Il Divo, among others.
***This is a discussion for another post.

One Step at a Time

After allowing myself to not work for somewhere between 6 and 8 days, I find myself having already worked this morning for 2 1/2 hours. Woo-hoo!!!

I knew (as did my fiance) that this would happen. I was always one of those kids who wished school would start earlier than September (back when kids started school in September). I just get bored too easily without more interesting entertainment than Civilization IV, which is quite addictive, and mentally challenging.* I just can't stand staring at the computer all day.**

At this point, I'm babbling. I just wanted to send a virtual message to myself that all was not lost in sociology land, and that I can be a productive member of society.***

*My Civ addiction is similar to the SimCity addiction my best friend and I had in middle school. We figured out how to get free funds on the game, and would spend hours taking turns playing the game and watching the other one play the game. We did take breaks now and then to play dress up, watch Avonlea on the Disney Channel, and play wall ball. Life was simpler then, and we were very innocent...
**I also have the problem that I only want to play the earlier time periods, and never advance into the Industrial Age. Life was just so much more interesting when the 7 Wonders were around.
***The past couple of months have been really hard.