Engrish.com

Welcome to Engrish.com!

This is excellent! Very funny.

And having taught ESL, I know that all those misspellings and grammatical errors are commoner than most people think...

Sorry for the lack of posts lately...

...I was away in New Jersey visiting relatives last weekend, and then I had a horrible migraine for the last two days. I didn't want to go anywhere near a computer yesterday, since all light was hurting my eyes. I wore sunglasses indoors. I'm reminded of that '80s song, "I wear my sunglasses at night." I totally can't remember another word of the song.

Apparently my settings have all gone wacky on the blog...I will have to check.

A very insightful website...

Spoons

"But You Don't Look Sick?"

I can relate to this article. I don't have to ration my 'spoons' the way I used to, but I still have to be careful so as not to deplete my reserves.

But considering a few years ago I could barely get out of bed, I am doing stellar now.

Edited to add: I should specify that I don't personally have lupus. What I have is hypothyroidism. I never got an official "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" or fibromyalgia diagnosis- even though I had all the symptoms- more often, I got idiot doctors telling me I was hypochondriac. I really appreciated that, considering I felt like the walking dead.

But it turned out I was hypothyroid. Thank God for Dr. Ilagan, who diagnosed me. I wish it had come earlier- most of my twenties were prostrated to overwhelming fatigue- but at least it came at 29, not 39 or 49.

I'm sure I'll post more on that subject later.

Successfully edited the template!

Woo-HOO!

Now I gotta add the HTML tutorial to my links section.

I have WAY TOO MUCH TO DO!

and not enough time to do it!

AAARGH!

That is all. You may resume your regularly scheduled blogging.

I could use some pointers on how to customize this sucker.

Thanks in advance...

I'm scheduled for my international travel shots!

July 28th, starring Blogchik the human pincushion. The Health Department will give me the shots. I'll get Tetanus/Diptheria (free, fortunately), Hepatitis A ($26), Hepatitis B ($35), Typhoid (Oral is $37, Injectable is $43), Polio (free), and I'll probably get a TB test. I wish I could get the TB vaccine, but they don't vaccinate for TB in this country, the more fool they. I know there is a vaccine for TB because my dad got it in Iran back in the day.

People are always yakking near my desk.

AARGH. Especially the cleaning ladies. Yak, yak, yak. They're either yakking with each other or they're yakking on the phone. Clean the dang bathroom and go away!

Ah, finally, SILENCE....

Teologic's guide to religions (below) is quite interesting..

...later on I'll post my responses to it.

I also like his 'short history of China': it matches well with what I learned in my college course on the subject.

Teleologic Blog

A heartwarming story.

Stevens Point Journal - Firefighters rescue ducklings from sewer

This is truly an inspiring game.

SheepGame

This is actually cool.

I am such a nostalgic fool.

Frozen Dairy Bar poster

This is great...

It's a collection of the "You haven't lived here if..." stories from the Washington Post. Locals recommend their favorite haunts. Of course the Frozen Dairy Bar is there...

I will probably stop there tomorrow! :)

Visitors Guide Feature

More on the Frozen Dairy Bar...

...maybe I should give it one more try. I still think it can't taste as good as it did on the old machines.

Frozen Dairy Bar Returns--Again!

By Dave Conway, 21 April 2001

That's right! The 50 year-old Frozen Dairy Bar that used to be located in a freestanding building on Route 50 near Annandale Road (the site of the current IHOP) is back! The new location is a stone's throw away from the old one in Sleepy Hollow Center between IHOP and CVS.

Those of us who remember the smooth, creamy taste of the chocolate and vanilla ice cream also remember the long lines and high prices. When the original owners returned to Sleepy Hollow Center a few years ago, the long lines were replaced by unfriendly service, stark décor, and random closings.

The new owners have been customers of the Frozen Dairy Bar since their early childhood. If you stopped by over the last six months, you probably noticed that the servings were bigger, the prices cheaper, and the service friendly. Just recently, they redecorated by turning the counter to give customers more room and by adding some décor.

Unfortunately, the taste was not quite as creamy as it used to be many years ago. The original machines had been poorly maintained, and the former owners replaced them years ago with a more traditional ice cream making machine. If you stop by now, you will taste a difference. The current owners have purchased a new version of the old-fashioned custard machine that makes a smoother, creamier ice cream. It slowly drops into refrigerated buckets and must be scooped by hand-just like it used to be!

The new owners have a passion for the local community. They are partnering with Westlawn and other area elementary schools to provide certificates for free ice cream cones, which they call Sweet Treat Awards, to students for various accomplishments. They also pay to advertise in our newsletter, and give us a coupon to boot! The more we frequent them and other businesses that advertise in our newsletter, the more likely they are to stay and provide our community with useful services. Bon appetìt!

OK, I'm going back to the Frozen Dairy Bar now...

...I gotta see if it tastes the same. Nobody else in the world made ice cream like the Frozen Dairy Bar. Nobody!

I like it that the new owner is a local who grew up with it. Ya gotta love a place like that.

From the March 27, 2003 edition of the Falls Church News-Press

Auto Paint and Body Works, or Johnston's Garage

...is famous in the area for the random figurines on the building.
A lot has been taken down in the past 14 years. The article below
tells why. The original owner of the shop retired, and the shop is
threatened by potential highway expansion. The highway expansion
has been postponed (just learned it in the Washington Post), but
it's probably just a matter of time.

Sigh. And people wonder why I want to leave this area? You get to
love something, and they tear it down. The bastards.

johnstons_garage

The 29 Diner

...is still open! It survives from the '50s or '60s (not sure which). I'm told that Greeks own it. The Greeks in Troy, New York told me this. I don't know how they know this, but I guess they all know each other. Or they know people who know people. Six degrees of separation and all that.

Fun place to eat.

Route 29 Tastee Diner

Evans Farm Inn....

...also fell prey to the developers, that horde of locusts, a pox on their houses.

I had my "Unwedding" there just before the locusts swarmed over it. The "Unwedding"? Oh, that. I was supposed to be getting married on that day, but it got called off because he was/is [a string of unprintable words]. But my folks had already reserved the reception hall, so we had kind of a family reunion party thing. It was good. It stopped me from staying home and moping and feeling sorry for myself.

Evans Farm Inn

Whitey's has also bit the dust

Although thankfully I got to see it before it went. It was a restaurant/bar that played live music.

Whitey's

Frozen Dairy Bar

What the Frozen Dairy Bar used to look like. Classic. But, alas, gone! Stupid Fairfax County developers...grrr...

Frozen Dairy Bar

Article on the current home of the Frozen Dairy Bar

The original Frozen Dairy Bar had a '50s era building and a '50s era ice cream machine, with a neon sign. It was an area landmark. An IHOP now stands where it once stood, thanks to the soulless landlord who owns the property, the asshat. I am skeptical of the new Frozen Dairy Bar. Could it possibly taste the same with a 2001 machine? I think not...

I had my first kiss at the Frozen Dairy Bar...

Falls Church News Press - June 17, 2004

random poem

I gotta breathe, man
I gotta be free
I gotta get out of here
If I'm gonna be me

I've been here too long
And I got out of breath
Sucked the life out of me
Til I was wishin for death

But baby I'm out of here
Baby I'm gone
Two more months, shed no tears
Cause I gotta get out of here

Can a non-gourmet cook actually MAKE this recipe?

It sounds awesome, but jeez louise, how complex can it be?

EPICURIOUS: RECIPE: GINGER-LIME COCONUT CAKE WITH MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

*sigh*

I am such a recipe-collector, I saved it to my Epicurious recipe box. With all the other recipes. I don't even know how many are in there. I've never made any of them. I just collect them, in the hopes that one of these days I actually will.

I collected a whole box worth of recipes from here and there. One day it wound up in the garage. I don't know if it's still there, but if it is, it's probably in awful shape. Pity. It took like 5 years to collect all that. But no worries, I've started a new recipe pile...yes, pathetic, I know...

This is the kind of story that makes America great.

Note how the crowd cheered for the Chee-to.

CNN.com - Giant Cheeto goes live - Mar. 15, 2003

Behold the Giant Dreadlock

of the World's Longest Hair...20 feet long and hasn't been washed in 6 years. EW!

Yahoo! News - World Photos - AP

Another description of an ENFJ...by D. Keirsey...

...I don't know how much of this actually applies to yours truly. I'm definitely not in the 'absolutely reliable' category...

from http://keirsey.com/personality/nfej.html

Portrait of the Teacher (eNFj)

Copyrighted © 1996 Prometheus Nemesis Book Company.

The Idealists called Teachers are abstract in their thought and speech, cooperative in their style of achieving goals, and directive and extraverted in their interpersonal relations. Learning in the young has to be beckoned forth, teased out from its hiding place, or, as suggested by the word "education," it has to be "educed." by an individual with educative capabilities. Such a one is the eNFj, thus rightly called the educative mentor or Teacher for short. The Teacher is especially capable of educing or calling forth those inner potentials each learner possesses. Even as children the Teachers may attract a gathering of other children ready to follow their lead in play or work. And they lead without seeming to do so.

Teachers expect the very best of those around them, and this expectation, usually expressed as enthusiastic encouragement, motivates action in others and the desire to live up to their expectations. Teachers have the charming characteristic of taking for granted that their expectations will be met, their implicit commands obeyed, never doubting that people will want to do what they suggest. And, more often than not, people do, because this type has extraordinary charisma.

The Teachers are found in no more than 2 or 3 percent of the population. They like to have things settled and arranged. They prefer to plan both work and social engagements ahead of time and tend to be absolutely reliable in honoring these commitments. At the same time, Teachers are very much at home in complex situations which require the juggling of much data with little pre-planning. An experienced Teacher group leader can dream up, effortlessly, and almost endlessly, activities for groups to engage in, and stimulating roles for members of the group to play. In some Teachers, inspired by the responsiveness of their students or followers, this can amount to genius which other types find hard to emulate. Such ability to preside without planning reminds us somewhat of an Provider, but the latter acts more as a master of ceremonies than as a leader of groups. Providers are natural hosts and hostesses, making sure that each guest is well looked after at social gatherings, or that the right things are expressed on traditional occasions, such as weddings, funerals, graduations, and the like. In much the same way, Teachers value harmonious human relations about all else, can handle people with charm and concern, and are usually popular wherever they are. But Teachers are not so much social as educational leaders, interested primarily in the personal growth and development of others, and less in attending to their social needs.



Mikhail Gorbachev is an example of a Teacher Idealist.

A full description of the Teacher and the Idealists is in Please Understand Me or Please Understand Me II.

Here's where the Meyers-Briggs test came from...

HumanMetrics - Internet online relationships, personality and entrepreneur tests, personal solution center

I can't imagine why they left out "free." They put in everything else, didn't they?

ENFJ Profile

ENFJ Profile

Let's see if this works. I'm going to have some editing to do!

OK, it worked. Author of the profile is Joe Butt...my, what an unfortunate name...

Apparently, today, I'm an ENFJ.

I took the Meyers-Briggs for the umpty-umpth time this morning. I usually wind up as an ENFP, although one time I wound up an INFP. This time I wound up in the ENFJ category. What does this prove, anyway? I think it's more that my self-perception has changed than my actual personality.

Your Type is
ENFJ
Extroverted Intuitive Feeling Judging
Strength of the preferences %
1 11 44 33

(So I'm 1% Extroverted, 11% Intuitive, 44% Feeling and 33% Judging. Allegedly. Whatever.)

Qualitative analysis of your type formula

You are:
slightly expressed extrovert

slightly expressed intuitive personality

moderately expressed feeling personality

moderately expressed judging personality

If you haven't checked out the Washington Post's Style Invitational...

You should.

The Style Invitational (washingtonpost.com)

Last Sunday's (June 20th) edition: Week 563: Take Two

Ugly Dress.com - Bridesmaid Dresses From Hell

Ugly Dress.com - Bridesmaid Dresses From Hell

What can I say. Wow. Check these out and watch your mind boggle.

I lucked out- I got to wear a tasteful red number with spaghetti straps to my brother's wedding. It would not qualify for this website. Thank God.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

(My motto. All rights reserved. Copyright 2004.)

You can guess by my previous post WHY that is my motto.

I accomplished something this weekend!

I went to LL Bean and exchanged my ancient (vintage '92) battered, loved-to-death red backpack for a brand spankin new one. Although now I'm debating on returning it for the "Turbo Transit" bag they didn't have back in the day. You could fit a VW Bug in the Turbo Transit. And let's face it, isn't that the kind of bag that you need? One that can hold everything and then some?

I also bought some squish bags. Squish bags are those thingies that you can squish all the air out so you can put more stuff in your suitcase. Relevant because in 2 months I'm off to St. Petersburg. (The one in Russia, not the one in Florida.) Barring disaster. Godwillinandthecrikdon'trise.

I have too many things to juggle to get ready for this trip, and I don't like juggling. As far as literal juggling...well, I can't. I can throw an apple back and forth, though.

FARK.com: (993403) Create a field guide for something unlikely to have a field guide

FARK.com: (993403)field guides for things unlikely to have a field guide

This is high-larious! 'Nuff said. Go there and see them.

Well, maybe just amusing. But still, check it out!

The Restaurant is open for business.

I'd like to welcome everyone to the blog. First of all, can I say how utterly shocked I am this name wasn't taken? There was a Journal at the End of the Universe, but no Restaurant.

You may have guessed that I am a fan of Douglas Adams. Well guess what? You guessed right!

I must return to my toiling here- my toiling? Oh yes. I answer the phone all the live-long day. The internet is all that keeps me sane. That, and the knowledge that I'm outa here in 2 months. I'm going to St. Petersburg, Russia!

I will blog some more tonight.

Rock on with your bad selves. (Apologies to David Segal of the Post.)