One Week.

This past week my boyfriend came in for a visit from Chicago. He had never been to Pittsburgh, so many adventures were planned.

He arrived Sunday afternoon, Easter Sunday afternoon to be exact. Which meant I had familial obligations. Which also meant Chris got to meet my family, save for my parents who are in California. I admit I was dreading introducing him to my family because they are loud, obnoxious, and are bound to attempt to hug you at some point. Don’t get me wrong, I love them, but there’s just no way to prepare someone for what they experience at a family gathering. Much to my relief, the meeting went extremely well and everyone liked him. Chris even managed to walk away from the experience with little emotional damage. Sunday evening was pretty lax despite the run-in with my ex-boyfriend at Walmart. Awkward.

Monday was “The Day of Science”. I took Chris to the Carnegie Science Center because that was the only thing he told me he actually wanted to do during his visit. Much science was done at the Science Center. Chris particularly enjoyed the wind tunnel and the earthquake machine. After that I took him to the Overlook to see the skyline, which had little to do with science. This was followed by dinner at my favourite restaurant, Ichiban, with some of my closest friends. Did I mention I also found out on Monday I passed my CT boards? Yep, I did. Good thing, I didn’t want that ruining our vacation.

Tuesday we began our journey to Niagara Falls. We would’ve made record time except we missed the exit for the peace bridge and ended up in an infinite loop through Buffalo. Luckily Ontario Man saved us and we made it into Canada. Our hotel suite was amazing but the weather was horrible. It was that awful rain/snow mix that doesn’t stick to anything but soaks you completely. We spent all of five minutes at the falls and went back to the hotel to dry off and get ready for dinner. We went to a Brazilian steakhouse, which was decent but in no way compared to Brazzaz in Chicago. Wednesday morning the weather was more favourable. We went back to the Falls and did the Journey Behind the Falls tour. We wandered around Clifton Hill a bit, I chased a squirrel around and Chris yelled at me for it and we headed back to the states. After some very personal questions from the American border patrol we were on our way back to Pittsburgh. On

Thursday I took Chris in to the hospital where I work so he could see what I do. I’m sure it bored him to death, but maybe now he has a little better understanding of what exactly it is I do. We rode the incline up to Mt. Washington, but the weather was typical of Pittsburgh (rainy and foggy) so the view was basically non-existent.

Much to my dismay, Chris went home to Chicago yesterday evening. It gets harder to say goodbye every time.  It sucks, but in five weeks I’ll be living in Chicago with him so I won’t have to say it anymore. I had a great week, it went by too fast. Now I’ll resume my normal life of staying up all night and tweeting too much. I’ve updated my flickr account and my .mac account with pictures from the week so check them out.  

Eight things-Tagged by Richard

I was tagged about a week ago in Richard’s blog to talk about eight random things about myself that you may or may not know. I kept meaning to do this earlier but I kept forgetting, so now that I have a free moment I’ll work on this:

1. Present day Maggie: I’m a CT Tech at Children’s Hospital, and despite the occasional complaint its a good job, I’ve read a few books this year already, and so far 2008 has been fantastic.

 2. I spent my spring break of ’04 in Osaka, Japan visiting my friend Christen. It was the first time I left the country alone, and also the first time I flew anywhere by myself. It was an experience that was truly something I’ll never forget.

3. When I was about to graduate high school my intention was to have a dual major in radiologic technology and computer programming.  Computer programming had been a huge interest of mine, but due to the strenuous schedule of the radiology program, I was unable to do both. I still consider going back and working on a degree in programming from time to time, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards at the moment.

 4. When I was younger I was very into gymnastics and was asked to compete. I never took the opportunity, but I don’t regret the decision. I did it for fun, and competing would have taken that away. Plus, I’m terrified of people watching me.

5.  I have been playing the violin since I was in junior high. Again, it’s something I do for pleasure and rarely play in front of others. My training ranges from classical to contemporary and everything in between. I have a gorgeous violin and unfortunately haven’t had much time to play it lately. I plan on resuming it once my life calms down a bit.

6. I have lived all my life in Pittsburgh, PA. All my friends and family are here. Everything that is comfortable to me is here. Until a few months ago, actually leaving PA was something I just casually talked about but never thought I’d do.

7. A lot of my friends joke that they have never seen me cry. It’s true that I have a tough exterior, but I will instantly tear up at any story that has to do with animal mistreatment. Hell, I can’t make it through “March of the Penguins” because I become a complete blubbering mess. Animals are a true soft spot for me.

8. As of May 1st, I will be living in Chicago. Some people think I may be making a hasty decision, but I need to find out for myself by giving it a shot. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous or anxious, but it’s because I have not found a job yet. I have a feeling everything will turn out alright. I will be sharing a gorgeous apartment with the most amazing person I’ve ever met and I can’t wait. 


So thats eight things about me. I know I’m supposed to pass the torch on to others, but I’d be tagging people who were already tagged.  Feel free to post eight random things about yourself though, getting to know others is so interesting. 

Ides of March

Today is the 75th day of 2008! Only 291 days left this year. Also known as the “Ides of March”. 

 

I love the phrase “Beware the Ides of March”. It’s such a great metaphor for some sort of catastrophic or ominous event. It’s probably the only part of the play “Julius Caesar” that I remember, when the soothsayer gives Caesar the warning. Some count today as a day of superstition and dread, much like Friday the 13th. 

 

Whether you’re superstitious or not, happy Ides of March! 

 

Our aspirations are wrapped up in books

I’ve been searching for a topic to post about and it finally came to me. Books. I love to read. I truly have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and once I pick up a book I am attached to it until I have finished. I try not to limit myself to one author or one genre. I try to give them all an equal opportunity. I have been looking for a few new ones, since I find myself reading the same old familiar stories over and over. I asked my twitter friends for some suggestions for new reads, and someone asked me what my favourites were. This got me thinking, so I compiled my all time top five favourite book list. These are in no preferential order, as I love all of them equally:

5. The entire Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling- Go ahead and laugh. I don’t care. I truly think this is the best written series I have ever read. The style of writing is so simple, but J. K. Rowling has developed such  an amazing story line  that it leaves her audience thirsting for more. This series truly is for everyone. 

4. Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito-I purchased this book for my ex boyfriend as a Christmas gift. It’s coined as an Apocalyptic Sci-Fi novel, not usually my cup of tea. I read the blurb on the back and was immediately intrigued. Yes, it is an end-of-the-world story, but it is the most intriguing and exuberant one I’ve ever read. It is both satirical and philosophical. I couldn’t put this book down.

3. A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut-Of all the works I’ve read and loved by Vonnegut, I picked this one. Vonnegut never wrote his memoirs, but this is as close to one as he ever came. This book made me feel like I was sitting down with him at a table and listening to him tell the tales of his life. Although it’s a short one, just 146 pages, it’s a must-read if you are a true Vonnegut fan.

2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath-I don’t remember how old I was when I purchased this book, but my copy has become so tattered over the years. The semi-autobiographical tale follows Esther Greenwood on her downward spiral into depression. The emotions are eerily real, and she writes with such articulation about them. I read this book at least once a year, and every time I experience the same emotions as the character until I finish.

1. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max-I wasn’t sure if I should include this on my top 5 all time list or not, and I’m still not sure. I really love this book, but at the same time I feel ashamed that I do. Tucker certainly portrays himself as a disgusting, womanizing asshole, and clearly takes pleasure in the humiliation of others. Am I just as bad because I find myself laughing out loud while reading the stories? Shouldn’t I be appalled, as a woman, for how he treats them? I should be, but I can’t help but love this book, and I don’t care who knows it. If nothing else, it gives me a good laugh.


Of course there are many, many other books I love and have read multiple times. Some honourable mentions:
• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Like the Red Panda by Andrea Seigel
• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
• A Million Little Pieces by James Frey


 I have read hundreds of books. Each one has influenced me in some way, and I always look forward to starting a new one. I am always open to new suggestions so please send some my way.