Archive: May 2008

It’s a funny thing about weekends. On the one hand, I want to be relaxed so that I feel rested for the next work week. On the other hand, I like to get things done so that I don’t feel like a lazy bum when it’s all over. There seems to be a long distance to travel between wanting things done and actually doing them. It’s just that, oh, I hate to fold laundry, but I love having clean clothes and the satisfaction therein. All too often, I wind up asking myself how I squandered 48 hours of time by simply considering my good intentions of doing this chore or that project.

Happily, this past weekend boasted no such regret. Behold! Seven accomplishments!

• Attended the spring concert of our favorite a capella group from college.
  I wanted to be a part of the Deltones all through college, but they had so few openings for altos that I never auditioned. I love singing back-up and harmony, but I am only an adequate soloist, so I doubt I would have made it. Instead, I settled for being a groupie, and JG and I try to make it to their concerts every semester. Our friends’ son is a Deltone now, so it’s fun to see him in that venue. The highlight of the night was hearing the “clap-clap…clap” rhythm and opening chords of the Counting Crows’ “Accidentally in Love.” I gave a little yelp of joy and happily found the alto line in my head. Every time I hear that song, it makes me think of the summer when JG and I got engaged. I’m listening to their newest recording now, but I hope that new song gets onto the CD next year.
• Did two loads of laundry.
  Sorted, washed, dried, and folded. Reward, please!
• Made another batch of soft pretzels.
  JG made a special request, so I obliged and whipped up the dough, which was a real pain to roll out and twist up. Luckily for me, pretzels taste good no matter how mangled they end up in the oven. I tried to make a cinnamon-sugar version for me, but the sugar burned. I should have seen it coming, but I wasn’t thinking. Farewell, dream of a dessert pretzel.
• Got my palm henna-ed.
  My book club discussed Jhumpa Lahiri’s first short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies, which I had read last year. Our hostess made a delicious lemon tart, and one of the girls, Tammy, applied henna designs to our hands and feet as we talked. I felt both literary and multicultural by the end of the night, and that’s pretty good for a Saturday.
• Cleaned out the DVR.
  How else can I justify watching What Not to Wear, House, and Ace of Cakes in swift succession? I say that deleting items from the DVR counts as a chore.
• Rented, watched, enjoyed, and returned Enchanted.
  Hooray for Redbox rental kiosks! And Amy Adams!
• Made pasta sauce and an enormous three-cheese baked ziti with it.
  I’m not much of a cook, but I can make pasta sauce and casseroles with my eyes closed. I will be microwaving my lunch portion shortly, and I am so looking forward to it. The fall-like weather today is begging for some comfort food.

Next on the list: account for 48 mixed-up references for an article about cerebral palsy. Sigh.

#85

We are halfway through May’s Mission: Put Together endeavor! So far, I have been amazed at the pictures folks are posting in the photo pool and the supportive comments in response. Everyone has been really put together (PT), and I could not be more pleased. So, what better reason do we need to bust out the spreadsheets (again), crunch some numbers, and see just how much fun we are having?

As of press time, there are 23 members of the photo pool who have added 130 pictures! I had this sneaking, silent desire that we might have 100 pictures by now, and look! Talk about exceeding expectations, people.

Yesterday, I went through and entered data on each photo, which I compiled into a data set to represent the pool as of 1:30pm Eastern time on May 15. I’m sure the numbers have changed since then, but the 118 pictures in the pool at that point generated the following statistics.

Views:

• Total: 10,497
• Average views per picture: 88.96 (SD=59.74)

Comments:

• Total: 790
• Average comments per picture: 6.69 (SD=3.67)

The following graph shows how often participants thought they were PT. These numbers do not exactly correspond with submission rates, since some pictures were delayed for various reasons, and I thought it was best to highlight the occurrence of feeling PT rather than when the photo appeared online. There is a noticeable drop-off on the weekends, and May 14 reflected the largest spike of submissions so far with 23 pictures.

On their photos, M:PT participants noted 72 different brands of clothing, shoes, and accessories! Each time a store or brand name was mentioned, it logged a “vote” in my spreadsheet, so multiple items in a single outfit and multiple occurrences throughout the pool (wearing a pair of shoes again) garnered multiple votes, but redundant entries (the same pants in two different photos) did not. The question is: when participants feel PT, what are they wearing?

Generally speaking, people shop at nationwide chains. Yes, there were pockets of handcrafting jewelry, hunting in flea markets, and receiving gifts from friends, but 57.6% of the items in the pool came from the following chain stores, ordered from most to least frequent:

• Ann Taylor Loft
• Target
• Gap
• Old Navy
• Ann Taylor
• Banana Republic
• NY & Co.
• H&M
• Express

When examining the brands associated with clothing, the pattern is largely the same: 54.6% of these items came from the first six stores listed above, with the exception of Ann Taylor. This repetition is not surprising, since clothing items make up the majority of one’s wardrobe. Between Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft, the two (related) stores provided a whopping one-third of all accessories noted in the pool.

In the shoe department, our favorite brands and stores, which constituted 50% of all shoe brands listed, were:

• Aerosoles
• Nine West
• Target
• Macy’s
• Bandolino

It must be noted that many members denoted their sale savvy by citing bargains at outlets, gift cards, and clearance racks, which only proves that being PT does not mean having to spend a lot of money. Thank goodness.

Other notable bits of trivia:

• 20 pictures noted issues or techniques with hair.
• Janet’s casual day outfit has accrued the most views and comments with 377 views and 17 comments! It must be those cherry shoes!
• M:PTers are getting ideas! In general, we want to experiment with patterns, find necklaces, look for jackets, and try new color combinations.

Two housekeeping items:

• Erin contacted us with the following brilliant idea: “I have a drawer full of random accessories that I never wear because I don’t like them or they look weird on me. Do other people have similar drawers? Perhaps, in the spirit of looking put together, we could arrange an accessories swap.” If you are interested in taking part, feel free to contact her. Erin plans to post details for the swap next week.
• Don’t forget that being PT extends outside of the workday! Show us your looks for walks in the park, dinners out, and those upcoming Memorial Day cook-outs!

As I mentioned before, I am absolutely tickled by everyone’s participation and positive energy in this project. It is lovely to see snappy conversations, admire creative fashion, and hear about thrifty habits. I’ve really enjoyed clicking around to see what people are donning, and it’s great fun getting positive feedback on my own looks. You all are too nice, especially when it comes to shooting down my insistence that I have chubby arms. I appreciate.

If you’re looking on and you want to join in, don’t hesitate! The invitation stands for put-together men and women, and we’d love to have you. If you don’t have a Flickr account, just send us your photos with any corresponding description, and we will make sure to submit for you. As OPH puts it, “If you’re going to put a cute outfit together, you may as well get credit for it on the internet.” So true!

See you at the pool!

Last Sunday, May 11, was Ted’s birthday! He is now a one-year-old doggie!

In preparation for the festivities, I researched birthday cakes and party ideas, and I promptly came to the conclusion that it was a bunch of hooey. I mean, Ted is great and all, but he’s a dog. He’s a dog with no capacity for recollection, and I was not about to manufacture a semblance of a party, despite what any froufrou website told me was “all the rage.” I waved off the ideas with the roll of an eye.

Despite my pragmatism, I wanted some photographic evidence that we marked the occasion, so I headed to the kitchen on Sunday afternoon to make some dog birthday magic. I smoothed a layer of peanut butter on two milkbone biscuits, and then crushed two smaller treats for sprinkles. I laid out the treats on a birthday napkin on the kitchen floor, and JG released Ted, who had been squirming the whole time I had been in the kitchen.

Now, I had been told that every dog loves peanut butter, so that’s why I used it to frost the biscuits. However, Ted had never had peanut butter before, and he was somewhat confused as to what to do with it. He nosed the biscuits all over the floor, as though he knew they were familiar, but what was this foreign substance on top? When I picked up a treat and handed it to him, Ted grabbed it in his mouth, suddenly territorial. He headed straight for the living room, despite my cries of “Not on the carpet!”

I trailed after Ted with the camera and a damp paper towel to dab up any peanut butter traces, and he eventually figured out that he could chomp down on the biscuits. I suspect that the peanut butter got stuck to the roof of his mouth, since he had some intense lip-smacking action.

After he finished his treats, Ted was bouncing off the walls, just like a typical birthday kid. It’s strange to think that he is officially full-grown at this point. Even though Ted is a little small for his breed, and he exhibits a lot of puppy-like behavior, he’s on his way to becoming an adult!

They grow up so fast.

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JG and I have been together for over five and a half years, and he he has only recently realized that when I say, “I feel like a chunky monkey,” it doesn’t mean that I think I actually am one or that he should simply say, “No, you’re not.” Last night, JG’s progress showed itself in full force.

The scene opens with RA standing in front of the full-length mirror in gym shorts and a hoodie, frowning.

JG: (from bed) You do not have thunder thighs.

RA: I guess not. But they seem out of proportion.

JG: Running would trim you down if you had anything to lose.

RA: My calves look better, I think. So that’s good.

JG: Do you really think you’re fat?

RA: (coming over to the bed) Not really. But I feel like a heifer right now.

JG: Well, I think you’re pretty. Do you know why?

RA: Because I am pretty?

JG: Yes! I would not have married an uggo!

RA collapses in laughter. End scene.

I must disclaim that “uggo” is not in any way part of JG’s normal vernacular, and he would never, ever say that about anyone. He only used it to make me laugh, but what can I say? He knows me.