I've participated in two podcasts for the CWSource, and already, people hate me. Wheee! Obviously, I must be doing something right.

Ariel has requested RSS feeds. I'm working on it. But you must remember, Ariel, that I'm much more a word person than a tech person, so it might take a while. (Unless anyone has advice for how to implement a feed on blogger?)

We're now entering the gray expanse of winter here in Chicago -- cold gray skies, bare gray trees, everything leeched of life and color. What's worse, you learn to fear bright days here -- usually, when the sun is shining in January of February, it means it's too cold for there to be any humidity in the atmosphere, so you're looking at the sort of weather that freezes your eyelashes together if you blink too much. Good times.

So far we've been lucky -- nothing arctic -- but it's only a matter of time.

In other news, jury service has been postponed -- I'll be leaving town soon after I'd be called, so I've got a three-month extension. We'll see what happens.

My downstairs neighbors got Rock Band over the holidays. God help me. They seem to favor Should I Stay or Should I Go and Say It Ain't So -- or maybe those are just the ones with bass lines that I really pick up on. I don't tend to hear much of the singing, but bass and drums carry. Someone (Wendy? Jane? Dean?) suggested I go down there, knock on the door and fling my bra at whoever is performing when it gets too loud, if only to make their heads explode. So far it hasn't been that bad (and bras are expensive, yo), but I'll keep that in mind.

I am also quietly obsessing over Linked In -- something the rest of the internet world has known about forever, but I'm just getting into. It's proved the most effective means of tracking down people I used to work with in Hong Kong, which makes it worthwhile right there. If I can actually use it to get jobs or sources, so much the better.

I am woman, hear me podcast -- well, hear me participate in a CWSource podcast about Gossip Girl. Yes, now I can actually listen to the sound of my own voice! Ah, the navel -- let me gaze upon it.

In other news, the kids I tutor were appalled to realize that I am, in fact, an adult. They asked me what I got for Christmas, and I told them: Window blinds. They were horrified for me -- worse than socks! -- and even more horrified when i revealed that no, I asked for blinds. This is what I wanted. I'm sure my street cred is shot.

Suddenly, without warning, I reappear! Bwah hah hah hah!

Yeah, I'm back, and blogging at least sporadically. I've been having a blast doing TV blogging for The CWSource and Zap2It, but occasionally I want to talk about subjects other than The Biggest Loser or the various ways the CW is screwing things up.

How often will I post? No clue. I'm all about keeping people guessing.

Right now the things that have moved me to comment include:

The birth of my new niece, for whom I have not yet determined an adjective. "Enchanting" is in the running, but I'm not sure... it has to be something with the same emotional and connotative weight as "adorable," so "cutest" is too light, and "beautiful" is too heavy, you know? I'm taking suggestions...

My very first jury summons. Yep, I just got notice that I'm a "standby juror." No clue whether that means they'll actually need me, and if they do, whether a lawyer would want me on a jury. There's a weird part of me that actually thinks jury duty might be cool. I'm sure I'll get over that real quick.

The fact that a weasel apparently got into my right ovary and is currently trying to gnaw its way out of my abdomen. Most likely, this is an aftereffect of having a 5-year-old nephew hurling himself at my stomach for several days on end as we wrestled. He's juuuuust about getting too big for that -- or I'm getting too old.

Politics -- and the fact that, as a registered independent, I'm thinking of voting in the Republican primary. None of the Democrats move me much one way or the other, but there are damn sure a few Republicans (I'm looking at you, Mike "evolution, schmevolution" Huckaby, Rudy "911" Guliani, and Mitt "Ignore Massachusetts -- I swear I'm a hard-core conservative!" Romney) that I would hate to have in office. Is it better to help a Republican I don't hate (McCain, most likely) get the nomination, or try to parse out which of the Democrats -- who I will probably end up voting for in the election -- I want?

The WGA strike, and the massive stupidity on the part of the producers. It's your fault I'll be covering Paradise Hotel @ as of February!

OK, you know what? I'm apparently on hiatus from the blog. I started this as something to ensure I was writing every day, and it's not working for that any more. I need to reevaluate and figure out what I want to do with this thing.

See, what's happening is, I'm spending a lot of time writing for/commenting on the CWSource blog, which, you know, pays me. If you want confirmation that i'm still alive, check there -- stuff I write tends to get posted three or four times a week. It's all fluffy stuff about CW TV shows, so don't expect deep thoughts.

I'm also spending an inordinate amount of time onthe Television Without Pity boards. My user name is Jerslix, so you can find me there.

Lest you worry that I've turned into a TV-watching hermit (well, more so than usual), fear not -- I do actually get out of the house on a semi-regular basis. Chicagoans have actually seen me emerge from my apartment. Seriously. I'm alive and well. Just not blogging particularly.

Also, to set the record straight:

1) I totally kicked Jeremy's ass at Kill Dr. Lucky, and Becky, Matthew and Cristina* were witnesses. I also kicked his ass at Kahuna many years ago, and he's still crying like a baby over it. I will admit that Jeremy won at Ticket to Ride, but as that game puts cities in the wrong states, I'm not too bothered by that.

2) Aunt Elaine sent the following e-mail:

If Sarah is at your house tell her to get on with blogging. I'm tired of reading about the Wisc.dells (sic.) (dalles).

OK, here's the thing. According to Webster's New World dictionary,

Dalles: The rapids of a river between the steep, rocky walls of a narrow canyon.

According to the history section of Dells.com

One of the oldest sites to appear on maps of the western Great Lakes region is the "Dalles" of the Wisconsin River. It was identified as a convenient reference point by French explorers in the 1700's.

The name stuck after the French explorers left Wisconsin, with the spelling and pronunciation Anglicized as the "dells".

So sure, if I wanted to be pretentious, I could call it the Wisconsin Dalles. But pretentious -- moi? Quelle horreur! I think not.

Besides, the only evidence I had of there being a river, much less rapids on said river in a narrow canyon, was the view of some running water out the window near the hot tub in our hotel suite -- and that might have been the wave pool. We weren't there for the majesty of nature; we were there for the water parks and troughs of mashed potatoes and bounteous tequila. We were very much visiting the Wisconsin Dells.

3) Amy, I really want to know if you put TWMAN up to this: When I was taking care of said Nephew, and I said no to something, he said "Titi Amy is my favorite aunt. I like you 20; I like Titi Amy 100."

If so, that backfired on you, because it meant I could tell him to go play with his favorite auntie instead of me when he was getting overhyper at Christmas. If you didn't, and he came up on this on his own -- wow, the kid's turning into a manipulative little twerp. I have to respect that.

* Edited because Jerm tells me Cristina doesn't spell her name with an h. I'm willing to make corrections, and admit when I'm wrong. Unlike some people, who continue to insist, against all evidence, that they were not utterly crushed at Kill Dr. Lucky and Kahuna. Twerp.

Note to previous commenters (Jeremy) -- I am considering drawing up a will just so I can write you all out of it. Can't a girl take a break from blogging without her alleged friends dividing up her stuff? No books for you, Noz.

In other news, my life lately has been like this:

... but substitute a bowling ball of a cat with her head in a cone for the squat little troll, and replace the diaphanous gown with Kermit-the-frog pajamas. I took the cone off today, so hopefully (1) we'll both get more sleep, and (2) she's stopped chewing on her leg, so I don't have to go to the vet and continue the conehead misery for both of us.

Edit:

subversified: although it does make one wonder about your state of depression.....
sjerslix: Heh. No, just the cat literally sitting on my chest
sjerslix: while I try to sleep
sjerslix: Looming over me with that damn cone
subversified: well, you say your _life_ has been like that. not your sleep.

It's my sleep. Not my depression. I was trying to be funny.

Wisconsin Dells. Cheese, both metaphorical and foodstuff. Condo for the weekend. Five of us, with two to three more joining tomorrow. Guitar Hero, mullet rock on the iPod, hot tubs and water parks and joy and squee and happiness. Life is good.

We're here for Dawn's b-day. there will be much rejoicing and drunkenness and the occasional reptile park. there's snow. It's going to be a very, very good weekend.

Don't rob me -- and I'm too busy doing other things things to come up with threats, but come on, I left nasty traps there. So don't rob me.