Ch-ch-ch-changes

Or- ways I know that I am officially getting "older"*

• The station I usually listen to on the radio has changed from the "New Rock Alternative" to "classic" alternative. And while I think someone should tell them that Duran Duran is not really alternative, it does depress me when they announce "1994" before a song and I realize that it's a song that still feels as new as yesterday. Has it really been that long. Indeed it has, Smashing Pumkins, indeed it has.
• So I've been reading the Twilight books--totally enjoyable fluff--and looking forward to the movie coming out in December. And then I realize-- they're all just babies. There's something about the book that doesn't read like teen-angst fiction, but when you see the cast all dolled up, it looks likes one of those teeny-bopper reality soap things- One Tree OC or something.
  
• I went into a store called "Forever 21"--new at our local mall--because someone had said they had some cute accessories. Suffice it to say that I am no longer 21. Not even close.
• Old Navy is out. Express is out. Banana Republic--totally in. Thank goodness we have one now.
• Someone thought I was already 30 the other day. Sheesh- I get to go to Vegas before that happens.
  

*Not a bad thing- just an observation

Yet Another Reason....

why the big, bloated state university which I attend will never see a penny of my alumni dollars.

So we got paid today. Usually this is a good thing-- a very good thing. But when we looked at the amounts, they didn't seem right. Then, when I emailed our lovely departmental secretaries about it, I got the explanation. Turns out that getting a fellowship means getting a pay cut of about $200 per month.

Great.

So much for the fellowship's supposed goal to ease my stress and workload by giving me a release from teaching one class. Now, I'm making about $800 less this semester, so I have brand new things to stress about.

Some "award."

I know I should have read the fine print, should have tallied up the amounts before I accepted the award, and all, but I thought that a 33% appointment was a 33% appointment. That one would equal the other. They really should be more explicit about these things. Because when you live on a tight budget, with a child, and a mortgage, and bills, and car repairs... $800 is a whole lot of something.

uf.

Duh.

Study Links Drop in Test Scores to Decline in Time Reading

It's not easy being green....

especially when you're a pair of socks...

or a shirt...

or a tiny pair of Baby Gap jeans...

And yet, green they all were, because somehow a green Crayola crayon decided that today was the day it would sacrifice itself to the dryer gods.

Luckily, most of the clothes that are now sporting bright green spots were Little Man's. Not so luckily, all of them were his new fall clothes. Only a few of my clothes and Js were damaged, but now I think I have 3 pairs of socks left and no workout pants.

My hands now reek of WD-40. Apparently, that's the way you get melted crayon out of clothes. But so many were so green, so covered with crayon that they're now in the trash. In all the carnage was moderate- 3 of Little Man's shirts, two pairs of his pants, all but one of his pajamas (even the cute ones with little monkeys on them) and every pair of socks he owns, some of my undergarments and most of my socks, one of my shirts, and my only pair of workout pants.

It could have been worse. There could have been more our our stuff, that's much more expensive to replace, or so J says. Somehow that isn't helping me feel better right now.

Why Apple Will Eventually Take Over the World

Last night, I threw my ipod nano in the wash by mistake. I thought my days of listening to music while I work out were over.

This morning, the little bugger turned on and works just fine.

Go figure.
Yay Apple.