fishies for one dollar

Fancy dinner for friends tonight

2009-12-12T14:48:59Z

MENU:
Ham
Scalloped chipotle sweet potatoes
Mashed parsnips
Cornbread stuffing
deviled eggs
jalapeno cranberry relish
roasted brussel sprouts with parmesan cheese

also featuring:
mystery dessery from my friend Kate
mini-cheesecakes from Bridgette

thirdavatar @ 2009-12-11T07:19:00

2009-12-11T12:19:30Z

Although the cold is not my favorite, it is the darkness that is really bothering me. I can't wait until the solstice is over and it starts getting lighter again.

thirdavatar @ 2009-11-19T07:47:00

2009-11-19T12:47:34Z

I love rainy days.

Getting less sick

2009-10-26T11:55:41Z

So my annoying little cold seems to be on the up-swing. I have a tiny bit of chest congestion and some general snottiness but my throat isn't swollen anymore! Woohoo!! This means that I am back on my bicycle this week after a two-week hiatus. The first week was directly caused by tons of rain, then last week I was sick and just didn't want to. Can you blame me? I am excited for Halloween this weekend particularly because I want to put on my medusa costume and make Scott into a "Soccer Hooligan." The funniest part about his costume is that it involves him wearing some of my clothes. I think putting lots of crap in his hair is going to be awesome.

In other news:
-I planted bulbs in the garden this weekend so that (fingers crossed) we will have spring flowers. Hyacinth, Dutch Master Daffodils, Crocus, and some kind of crazy lily.
-I am going to go to the Enoch Pratt this week and try to find a historic city directory. By that I mean some really old white pages that might include my building. I am determined to find out if this place used to be a dentist's office or not!

"The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Bradley

2009-10-23T12:05:01Z

Ok, so i just finished reading "The Mists of Avalon" and it was really good. Being immersed in a huge crazy feminist arthurian epic has now made me want to listen to a lot of Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull. Some Led Zeppelin too but not as much. Those things may not seems related. but they are in my brain. Off to work!

Baby Steps

2009-10-07T12:10:18Z

Just like Bob Wiley in "What about Bob" I am taking baby steps. In light of the fact that life feels entirely less oppressive lately and my stress level has plummeted, I have decided to get back on track with grad school. I have always wanted to go and have been intermittently working toward it since I graduated Towson, but all the stuff I need to do to get there has always terrified me! Now that the bank is no longer the bain of my existence and DBCC is giving me a comfy cozy job-home, I can get started again with less anxiety! I selected a program a long time ago, took the GRE's in May and yesterday I completed step 3....I asked three of my professors for letters of recommendation. Best part? THEY ALL GAVE ME A RESOUNDING YES! I think that part that makes me happiest is that they all remember me and my work well enough to unhesitatingly e-mail me back almost immediately in the affirmative. I guess having them say yes makes me feel like some academics have faith in my ability to get to grad school. Alright, so 3 steps down out of a lot more. But baby steps is how it is getting done.

How Taryn is applying to get her MLS from Catholic University:

-write personal statement

-fill out application

-find out about scholarship opportunities and financial aid

-get transcripts sent to Catholic

-get $55 application fee

-collect all forms and deadlines (especially for Duncan, Hahn, and Slotkin to write the letters)

There are a million more steps but there are the main ones pressing on my mind. Any suggestions? Huge gaps in my plan anyone sees? Advice on getting the money situation sorted out? That is a big one.

Autumn

2009-10-05T12:03:28Z

Waking up is easier when you are going to a job that you really enjoy.

I thing it is a little surreal to think that up until just one month ago, I really felt that the crappy things in my life totally outnumbered the good. The only really good thing I could think of was Scott and I felt guilty all the time because I knew I was such a downer. And by downer I mean really really depressed and loathing every aspect of my life.

NOW I have to think hard to find things that I really don't like about my life. Scott is still pretty much the best best thing (because I am stupid-in-love-with-him) but now I don't have to feel guilty about that because I'm not a huge old downer anymore and I have the energy to invest joy in other things too! So even though he is my favorite person, thing, and activity, I do other stuff now too way more often.

Changing jobs has impacted my life even more positively than I hoped it would. Hells yeah!

thirdavatar @ 2009-09-24T07:18:00

2009-09-24T11:20:46Z

Dancers in Pink
Degas

St.George slays the dragon

2009-09-20T23:34:07Z

last few days at the bank

2009-09-15T00:16:12Z

Jan Vermeer "Lady Writing"

Today was the first day that I felt really useful at DBCC :)
It was a really really good feeling.

thirdavatar @ 2009-09-03T19:58:00

2009-09-04T00:00:43Z

Who has a new job? This guy right here (points thumbs at chest)! I am officially the new admin. assistant at DBCC. Thank you, big sister, for getting me the job and tolerating the fact that I am now going to be your co-worker :) You are getting a present.

ps: I am so excited but kinda nervous about walking into the bank and putting in my two weeks tomorrow. Whoa. I can't believe that I get to quit my job! Score.

Amadeo Modigliani

2009-09-03T01:17:07Z

portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne

I like this painting a lot. I did not previously know that Jeanne Hebuterne killed herself the evening after this was painted. Shame.

Writer's Block: Kindness of Strangers

2009-08-31T21:42:35Z

Would you donate a kidney or bone marrow to a stranger?

View 533 Answers

Ummmmmm I would probably sooner donate bone marrow than a kidney. Although you can live with one kidney, you can't live with none and I feel like I might need it myself or, more importantly, one of my family members or friends might need it. I have a lot more bone marrow than kidneys.

Note: If the president or someone with Mother Theresa-esque credentials needed a kidney, I would probably do it.

thirdavatar @ 2009-08-30T19:06:00

2009-08-30T23:08:27Z

I think Chagall knows alot about the way love should look.

Or a really fun circus.

mix on sendspace

2009-08-23T17:42:33Z

http://www.sendspace.com/file/nsd90u

well, there it is :) The zip folder is all posted on sendspace and the playlist (in order) is in my last post. yay!

THE MIX :) "End of Summer 2009"

2009-08-20T14:54:20Z

If you would like a copy, I will gladly e-mail you a "file share" thing so I don't explode your inbox. Just leave me a comment with the e-mail address you would prefer I send it to. Happy Summer!

Playlist:

5 O'clock world                                                     - the vogues
Gotta Move                                                            - Barbra Streisand
A Little Respect                                                   - Erasure
Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show       - Neil Diamond
In a Big Country                                                    - Big Country
Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown                 - Neil Young
There's No Other Way                                         - Blur
Downtown                                                             - Petula Clark
The Obvious Child                                               - Paul Simon
Bang on the Drum                                               - Todd Rundgren
Mexican Radio                                                      - Wall of Voodoo
Why Can't This Be Love                                      - Van Halen
Rock On                                                                 - David Essex
My Man                                                                   - Barbra Streisand
Everyday I Write the Book                                   - Elvis Costello
Night Drive                                                            - Jimmy Eat World
Ray of Light                                                           - Madonna

VACATION!!!

2009-08-15T21:59:22Z

I am officially on vacation :) YAY!!

in part because of that and in part because of the awesome mix making going on around me, I am making a mix. It is going to be done probably by the end of tomorrow. The goal of it is to simply be high energy fun and full of songs I have been super in love with lately. Very summery and very dance-able lip-sync-able. I will post the playlist of it when I am done and if anyone wants a copy, I will happily oblige :)

Writer's Block: Commercial Appeal

2009-08-13T23:31:33Z

What is your favorite commercial from your childhood? Bonus points if you include a video of it.

View 502 Answers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v5FhPZhoYA

I have the hugest crush on the actor who plays the farmer fetching the "water." Aamir Khan is going to make my babies. My real favorite commercial of all time isn;t on the web, sadly, it involves an orangutan and an air conditioner :) Ben, do you remember that one? Lorien?

its totally been forever since i have posted

2009-07-29T21:53:41Z

So in the last century since I posted anything on here I have most importantly acquired a boyfriend and moved house twice. The first move was to poor Lorien and Mike's basement, They tolerantly and patiently housed me for a month while I waited until I could move into my new apartment in Charles Village (for those not in the know, that is in Baltimore City). I now live with a new roommate and her cute but incredibly annoying dog. Needless to say, there have been all kinds of kinks we have been working out together and individually pertaining to out 100-year-old apartment as well as the dynamics of living with one another.

(Let me just say this: One day I will live alone and have no one to deal with but myself and the world will be a more harmonious and less barking filled place for me. I love my roommate and her dog dearly but I love my sanity more. If it weren't for my therapist and my boyfriend, I would be in jail for murder by now. It would not have been done with a pleasant or quick weapon either, probably a very blunt plastic shiv of some sort. )

That aside: House warming party on Saturday and I am getting incresingly nervous about it. I think it should be fun but I fear the roomie and I have different ideas about what this is going to be. My idea is very loose and casual, very BYOB and relaxed. In my experience that kind of party works the best, is the most fun, and the most comfortable for everyone involved. Am I totally off base? I think not. I have thrown a fair amount of parties in my day and not a one of them has ever been "boring" in the classic party sense. Conversely, the roomie seems to have far more organized and funded ideas pertaining to possible theme-age and lots of food that we provide. The major glitch i see in her ideas is that we are both poorer than little church mice and she can't grill. Her food is grilling food. I want to grill at the party but I would greatly prefer we grill stuff other people bring :)-----note: see above mentioned poverty for explanation----

ANYWAY! I hope and pray we can come to a middle ground about this without her donning a pouty face or me losing my resolve and going broke for a fucking party. Maybe if I cook everything and she foots the bill for everything special she wants? Whatevs.

The new address is as follows for those who desire it

Taryn Walley
2818 St.Paul Street unit 1R
Baltimore MD 21218

If any of you want to come to the party on saturday evening, gimme a call! 443 827 8213 It won't suck, I promise, all bugs will be conquered by Saturday come hell or high water.

go me

2009-04-15T00:09:18Z

May 9th = Taryn Takes the GREs

April 23rd = Taryn Starts Driver's Ed

I Rule.

tihi

2009-03-18T20:03:32Z

Does anyone remember when i resolved to ask out that guy who comes into my bank and then totally chickened out? Well today i did it. He has my phone number and he is taking me to a party on Friday night. Giving me a ride too. The end. Just wanted ti share how much THIS RULES!!!

blah

2009-02-03T21:59:09Z

So i retardedly forgot I had a doctor's appointment today and now i owe her $60 next time i see her which I am putting off until March so I can actually pay the lady. Bah. Oh well there is nothing I can do about it now and I have a month almost exactly to get it together. It will be fine. Whatever. I am bored as hell right now and nobody is available to do anything. Not like have money to do any "thing" anyway. Instead I am just puttering around on the internet. bah.

One thing that sucks about having an early-person job is that when everyone else gets off work I am getting ready for bed and stuff so hang-out time is reduced to an hour or two at most before I lamely kick everyone out and retire. I am just not a nightowl and can't stretch the evening too much or I will be horribly tired the next day. Not gonna mess with that especially considering all the crap that has gone down at work recently.

Oh well.

stupid groundhog

2009-02-03T01:35:13Z

of course punxatawny phil had to pick the most hopefully spring-like day of the last three months to condemn us to six more weeks of winter. I vote we barbeque him.

work has gotten a little better and I think it mostly can be contributed to my renewed interest in going to grad school. Thank you Lorien :) More about that when it is more underway though.

Hung out with Sam last night and had a blast. I had almost forgotten how much i love talking about books. Especially while enjoying a couple of drinks and watching "Phantom of the Opera."

I'm watching "La Avventura" right now and it is really boring so far. Its just Italian people in black and white talking about nothing and now they are swimming. Hmm...hopefully something actually happens. I need conflict damnit! I hope this doesn't turn out to be like "La Dolce Vita" which was sincerely one of the more disappointing film experiences of my life. I'm just not cut out to watch important 1960s Italian art films...someone on the screen just yelled "Shark!" pease let something happen!!!

Watching this movie reminds me of the mother of a boy I went to school with a long time ago. She was Italian with dyed blonde hair and very large, possibly fake breasts. She always wore very tight t-shirts with logos like a rhinestone eiffel tower or gold cursive lettering stretched across her bosom. Had she been born forty years earlier, she would be swimming around on my TV screen wearing and elaborate bathing cap with a matching designer bikini.

the suck

2009-01-29T13:40:18Z

I hate my job, I hate the bank. I realize now that the stretches of okay-ness and even a good working environment are outweighed by the crappiness. I don't feel good at my job. I feel bad about myself and performance there more and more. It isn't a healthy environment for me and produces a lot more anxiety than it is worth. I am earnestly beginning the search for a new job. My project this weekend is to put together a kick-ass resume for myself. Thank god yesterday and today the bank delayed opening until 10am. tomorrow i have to be at work for something like 12 hours. At least I have a real weekend.

friggin cold

2009-01-16T12:44:39Z

After many hours of debate with myself, I have decided to take a cab to work today. Windchill of -7 is a little out of my league. My excuses include: 1)I am still under the weather after mystery illness that I called out with on Wednesday 2)I got paid today 3)it is just too damn cold and I will pobably have to walk home later. Better to walk at 18 degrees than at 10 :)

Theresa is gone for the weekend playing with snow.

Going out tonight with the girls from work but it will be bittersweet considering it will be the last time I see Ebony before she moves to New York. :(

Sunday is craft day with Meg! Woohoo :)