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taxes!

2:31 p.m. - Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009

I am in tax class. It is a very interesting class. Based on this class, I propose we do away with the tax system we currently have and have one of the following taxes:

• A world lump sum tax
• A world lump sum tax on men only, who cost society more than they produce
• A random tax that changes every year for each person

I'll update you with more brilliant ideas as the quarter progresses.

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tonight

3:00 p.m. - Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009

I'm going to see this guy:

In Muppet form:

Not this guy:

There better not be shouting. If so, I'm out.

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bye mr. peps

11:27 a.m. - Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009

Yesterday morning my doggy of 13 years, Pepper, aka Mr. Peps, aka Dogis P. Magogis (his Latin name) was put to sleep. We will miss him very much.

He was the best dog in the history of dogs, but if not that, he was certainly the blackest and most difficult to photograph. He was the perfect size to hug when he was sitting down, he was five feet tall when he stood on his hind feet and therefore good to dance with, and he was pillow-shaped when he lay down and therefore good to nap on. He was very warm. He had big brown eyes. He liked clearing plates after dinner. "Love" does not describe how he felt about tennis balls. He could catch them in the air from 30 feet away. He knew all our names. He could shake hands. He liked helium balloons. He liked to eat cats. He couldn't abide puppies. He liked to drink from hoses. He couldn't roll over but he could do front somersaults. He liked to wag his tail. He didn't like wearing clothes. He liked to lie on his back. He liked being on the couch. He ate ripe tomatoes off the vine. He dug holes. He liked to rest his head on pillows.

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cornflakes...

2:00 p.m. - Friday, Oct. 09, 2009

A few weeks ago the Ward got a letter or email from Hyde Park Cats, this group of people who I think started out just spraying and neutering feral cats, and feeding them, and are now rescuing cats, fostering them, and putting them into new homes.

So when I got this I thought "the people in our community have REAL problems." But then I went to their blog, hydeparkcats.blogspot.com and I a little bit fell in love. Especially with a cat named Cornflakes, who had horrible things happen to him and was just as sweet as could be. And I thought about fostering the kitties and the doggies. I really want to foster the doggies, to give back to doggy-kind for all they've done for us. I want my mom to do it too. Then I found out that Chris and his sister have both rescued and/or fostered doggies and I fell in love with him just a little bit more...

And today I go back to the blog and I find out that they had to euthanize Cornflakes. And now I'm really sad. And it's all rainy and dark here in Chicago, which it will be for the rest of our lives. Meh.

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trubs

12:08 p.m. - Monday, Oct. 05, 2009

I'm having trouble re-acclimating to civilization. I was sitting around at home, thinking about how easy my life is in grad school, when I realized 45 minutes late that I had had a meeting at 10:30. So I biked to Harris as fast as I could with my apologizing face on. Even though the ladies were very gracious and said I didn't miss much, I feel like a total tool. And now since I didn't make lunch or put on makeup I have to eat this crappy sandwich and not get my picture on the website replaced with what might have been a better picture.

Though it's not like I need to use the Harris directory to attract men any more.

Moral of the story: Check your calendar EVERY NIGHT for the next day. Turn on alarms.

Also I got up in the middle of the night last night to finish some reading because 1) I've put it off so long and 2) it was stressing me out. But that's pretty much a good thing.

Time to read 100 pages on the Economic Development Administration's construction projects from last year.

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things that are stressing me out

9:46 a.m. - Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009

• My bike doesn't have any pedals
• I didn't get into my top choice class and now I need to apply to my second choice class, but if I don't get into that I have no idea what I'm going to take
• As I unpack I am finding things already in my apartment that I want to organize/get rid of. Does anyone have dandruff? I have a LOT of dandruff shampoo.
• I need to apply for financial aid so I can get work-study so I don't only get paid like two hours a week this year
• My volunteers won't sign up for college fairs
• My car is rusty and has a lot of noises
• I have to meet with my potential lover Chris soon and we've been emailing all summer and what if it's just not the same in person ZOMGZ!

Things that don't stress me out:

• I have coffee in my apartment
• I get to nom Tillie's head tonight
• I get to go to WBEZ this afternoon

That's pretty much it.

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i pricelined that shit

11:22 a.m. - Sunday, Sept. 06, 2009

Despite a two-year curse re: men and my birthday, I am spending my birthday with a Particularly Unreliable Man named Nate in Boston, and I just bought a hotel for us. I am about 60% sure he won't back out or something. I don't know. If it's been as long for him as it has for me, he will NOT be backing out. At least I didn't spend too much on it. Thanks, Priceline!

I'm starting to think about packing and getting back in the rusty car to start my trip home. I'm making some piles on my bed. I'm realizing I read zero New Yorkers and should probably cancel my subscription, since I'll never get to read it. However, I have about three years coming down the pike since relatives always like to get me New Yorker subscriptions. Oh well. Someday I'll be retired and then I can go back to all my 2008 New Yorkers and read them. There's a little fall cleaning frenzy going on in the house. There's also a US Open frenzy, and mom and I played tennis last night. I totes kicked her butt. I love John Isner and Melanie Oudin though. Isner is 24. So cute! And gigantic! I decided I would make a pretty good tennis wife. Way better than Roddick's anyway. Sure she's gorgeous, but my hair is better and I'd be way more into the game, and I'm also good at wearing loose gray jersey dresses. I'd be as excited as Isner's mother and brother combined, but a lovely wife.

Oh yeah, and when Oudin beat Sharapova I cried real tears, and got a little glimpse of what Jenn goes through when the Red Sox win. I'm a sports fan! Finally!

I put my Blockbuster on hold for a month, which I should have done ages ago. I do use it to get by during those cold nights in Chicago, watching The Wire in bed (which is not a good idea while there's a gang-related killing spree going on near your work). I just never watched anything this summer. Except Ran. What a great movie. So many buckets of red paint.

Training's going well. I biked down a really long hill yesterday, into the bowels of DC, until I was pretty sure I'd get lost, then turned around and biked back up it. It just never ended, that hill. I'm heeding Jenn and Tom's advice and running slower, which is helping me run faster later. Two miles slow let me run the next two miles faster. So many miles. I'm having trouble running all six. I hit a wall at about four or five. A wall I hope to break through in the next week.

Here's the itinerary for the next few weeks:

• Thursday morning - drive to Charlottesville
• Sunday morning - drive to DC
• Sunday afternoon - drive to Philadelphia to see Jeffrey
• Monday - drive to New Haven to see Kate
• Tuesday - drive to Providence to see Elisha
• Wednesday - drive to Northampton to see Jen, then to Boston to see Nate
• Thursday - drive to Durham to see Maria
• Friday - help Maria bake for farmer's market
• Saturday - do triathlon
• Sunday - rest and drive to Quebec City
• Monday - drive to Chicago
• Tuesday - trivia!

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People I know

Colin sucks
Dan was almost fired for his blog
Ellen digs things in England
Erin doesn't allow links to her blog
Jenn is an entire librarian
Kenny is from Lubbock, TX
Sam doesn't have a blog

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Links

The Harris School of Public Policy is where I go to school
The Alumni Schools Committee is where I volunteer
The 20th Ward is where I intern
College Admissions is my former job
Supersnatch is the frisbar team
Diaryland hosts this site
Speke's gazelle inflates its nose
Martha Stewart's blog
Marketplace is where I buy my furniture
Manor House completely obsessed
Chicago Public Radio I'm a proud member
Pay a parking ticket in Chicago
The Post-Punk Kitchen has vegan recipes
Ultimate Chicago pretty obv
Google Maps Pedometer to see how far you've run

Last five entries

i'm having children! - Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
notes from tax class - Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009
i am stressed out - Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009
taxes! - Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009
tonight - Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009