Barcelona in July

How exciting! I have just fired off an email to book a great place in Barcelona for the month of July. It's a room in an apartment shared with a woman who does this regularly. There is a roof-top deck! And it sounds awesome. Will cost me about the same as a month's rent here. I'm excited to hear back that I got it, and to get the deposit paid. Sweet!!

Update: got it!! Just have to wire the deposit. And the cat's name is Mickey...

Cheap sleeps Paris?

I was scoping out cheap places to stay in Paris, and found an ad for what seemed to be an affordable and modest little studio, sounded interesting until I read this: "There is a 'bombsite' (i.e. 'hole-in-the-ground' style) toilet down the hall. This is a turn-off for many people." Um, yeah, right....

It's interesting exploring options.... maybe rent an apartment, or a sublet, or an apartment share / spare room arrangement, housesitting possibilities... what am I missing?

Sleep and other things

***The cartoon above is cut off in this view - click it to see they guy who answered **

Reflections today:

• A couple nights of not going to bed until 3 or 4 am are catching up with me, sleep please!
• This weekend I was listening to the stereo that I traded on Craigslist for a suitcase
• I realized I really am going to do this Europe thing
• Today my car for a 1 hr errand was a Toyota Matrix (cost under $5 from CAN), I like driving this one, other than the fact it looks stationwagony
• Fixed up my bank account about an hour before my rent would have bounced
• Amused that I got a big cheque in the mail that I forgot I was getting, sweet
• Almost at the end of my portable sketchbook, and just remembered I bought a couple neat cheap ones from the Met in NYC - nice red cover
• Oh, yeah, NYC, wasn't that a month ago... I should unpack sometime soon...

Reflections today

Random reflections today:

• I am very glad I took a day off to regroup
• holy shit, I don't have a job (soon), gasp
• yeah, I get to recreate myself
• I feel ok
• I am ready for, and optimistic, about what comes next
• I am blown away by all the kind words that have come my way in the last 24 hours
• 3pm and I am still in my pjs - bliss!
• there isn't much vodka left from last night
• good thing I slept in
• I really should have a nap
• everywhere I look I see: doodles and travel books
• my apartment looks like it has been vandalized
• as I had a smoke on my deck today, I picked up a newspaper section to read, from May 2007!
• I'm amused that my wireless access is slow today, it's a sign, I really should be doodling instead

All amusing, but I have had another reflection. This job was where I went to get some stability in the final year or so of my sister's life, to have structure and an outlet to grieve her death, and a safe place to refind myself, a different self, as the years passed. She would want this for me now, the courage to walk away and see what life has next, including travelling the world. This time in my life is about moving on from illness, death and grief to life. Hell, I didn't even break down sobbing as I wrote that, there's a change ;-)

Making a dream come true

I have long wanted to get back to Europe, I have seen so little, but the past 3 years it just hasn't happened... But my world changed today. I will be jobless in 2 months, so my thought is to give up my apartment, head to Europe with my laptop, and do contract work remotely while I travel. I figure there are no jobs in my field at the moment, and I can always come back if I find something, so why not uproot myself? I am a little in shock that a dream is coming to fruition, but it all seems to make sense with turning 50. Interesting times ahead

Awesome backstage pics of life as a model

These are awesome pics from backstage at NYC Fashion Week - not normally a topic of interest to me, but the full series of pics is quite remarkable. Pics are by Kevin Tachman; you can bet I'll be checking out more of his stuff.

There are Alps in Antarctica? Apparently so...

Quite a story today:
OSLO (Reuters) – Jagged mountains the size of the Alps have been found entombed in Antarctica's ice, giving new clues about the vast ice sheet that will raise world sea levels if even a fraction of it melts, scientists said on Tuesday.

A pic a day for 10 years

I am following the most interesting story. Jeff Harris is a guy who has posted a picture of himself every day for the past 10 years.

I liked last month's pics, and got hooked. So I went back to the beginning at January 1999 when he started it.

At first it was disappointing that there were no captions, but I've decided that this is part of what makes it so interesting. You have to guess. So far I am up to January 2001. I've seen him change his hair, change cities, and all sorts of things. It's a cool new pasttime, looking at a couple of months a day.

He's also a photographer, so some of the pics are amazing (and some amusingly lousy too).

I hope he carries on now that his 10 years are up.

Global girl

In the last 48 hours, my thinking has totally changed. New ideas about how to travel this globe. Lots of possibilities to ponder.

To prosecute or help?

A sad story here not that long ago, about a panhandler who assaulted a senior at a church who often gave him money. What did the church do? They helped him instead of prosecuting him. Here's what happened.

Moments from my Deepak Chopra evening

It was a good event... but I am compelled to note strange moments...

• I arrive at the theatre in time to get a vodka before they start and... guess, what.. no bar!!! LOL.
• I'm on the aisle, guy 3 seats in - with the most enormous glasses since Elton John - saying, "do you think i should pee before it starts? will there be an intermission?" (he doesn't)
• Lots of white women people wearing white flowing robes and white turbans
• Endless promotions and marketing in the opening remarks, along with "all they flyers in the lobby are for the betterment of the world and our spiritual journeys" or something like that. Sets me up for a 'what crap' thought. my comfort is I like Deepak
• Deepak delivers with a joke about all the commercials - with his wonderful voice
• I sit back and doodle throughout
• Deepak: 60% of our bodies share the same DNA as a banana
• Intermission, out for a smoke break, how unspiritual, then chat with a woman with an accent who says she has some of her most spiritual moments when smoking
• I'm standing outside in short sleeves thinking how nice it is for Feb - and see a crowd of drunk teenagers wearing toques - one with a reb pom pom
• back to show, more doodles, more enlightenment
• Afterwards, someone has a limo pick them up - isn't that out of sync with being really spiritual? treasure mother earth and all that
• I go to a great spot for a crepe or 2, and a glass of wine or 3, doodle and flirt with the bartender - 15 younger than me and probably gay, but fun anyways, then me tipsy enough to cancel my own Interac transaction
• Walking home 3 girls with no coats, fancy very short dresses, high heels - are they going to meet the boys with toques?

Here are my doodles from the show.

Postscript added the next day: despite the silliness of my post from last night, it was actually a pretty powerful evening, and I have been thinking about the coincidences that got me there

Happy Follow Friday

Today I learned what #FollowFriday is and, suddenly, a whole new world of what Twitter is all about has opened up to me. 'Tis cool. If you know, then you'll know and wonder why it took me so long to figure out. If you don't know, and you Twitter, then you really must figure it out - but you gotta do it by Twittering.

Google Earth has found Atlantis

OK, now this is cool.

Daily Routine - Day 5 (finale)

TGIF indeed!!! My morning today:

• 6:15 slowly awake
• oh, thank goodness its Saturday
• roll over
• hmmm... something's not right
• oh! it's NOT Saturday
• it's Friday
• GRIN
• it FEELS like Saturday because I have the day off - start of a 4 day long weekend!
• roll over again

That's it.

This has been an interesting adventure, to blog my mornings for a full week, but to be honest, it was more fun and funny the first couple of days... though at some point i might look back at all this and find it amusing... i

I also left me thinking that i could write a fictional blog and have a blast with it... as soon as i thought about that, "Dell" went through my mind... hmm.... a girl named Dell in a big city blogs her daily life?

Odd moments from my day

Enough odd moments today that i've gotta capture them:

• Sign seen at a gas station: NOW HIRING ALL DIESEL CARS WELCOME
• I met with my boss today, and she said nothing about the fact i now have purple hair
• pulled out my chapstik to light my cigarette
• on my way home on skytrain, feeling totally broke, i look in my purse to see if i can find enough loonies and twoonies to buy smokes ... and find $40 US!! bonus!
• Burrard & Georgia, crossing the street, a guy walks by talking on the phone, and the snippet I hear is "did you ejaculate?"

Morning Routine - day 4

Ran into the aforementioned colleague who sparked this whole daily routine thing today, and she said, "you're taking editorial liberties with all that, right?" I assured her, no, this IS my life!! She then said, "please tell me you don't have Red Bull for breakfast?" LOL. Yes i really do!

Ok, my morning today:

• woke up about 5:30, slept well, but fatigued
• ponder the morning, and the knowledge that i do have a red bull in the fridge, but nothing for breakfast
• went outside for a smoke and thought about my day... really hoping to pull off a 4 day long weekend, so there is much to do to pull that off
• figure I might as well stay up and go in early and get at it
• tune to MSNBC for Morning Joe
• take prescriptions, pleased i hadn't forgotten once this week
• look to my right - it's a Panago box - ah yes!! I'd ordered pizza last night and ordered some of those sweet breadsticks that you dip in icing (how evil) - yes!!
• nuke the box, grab my red bull, and slip into my easy chair and pick up my laptop
• put the laptop down when i start dipping the breadsticks in icing
• wait for the "what we learned today" segment on Morning Joe, then turn to CBC Newsworld at 6
• ah, yes, Obama day! it's a camera on Air Force one in DC waiting for Obama to arrive by helicopter to get on and head our way
• log into work email and catch up
• check my calendar and remember i have a 9:00 coffee meeting
• there's Obama boarding Air Force One
• start twittering, and find it very easy to NOT get going, yesterday was a rough day, so figure it's good for me to chill
• decide that it is also a taxi day - on plastic
• manage to pass 2 hours, doing what, i cannot recall, but at some point decided to hang out til Obama lands
• at some point, another smoke
• gave twitter a play by play from a Canadian's perspective
• VERY cool to see the photo op of the first Black American President and the first Female Black Governor General -- and they weren't stiff and all that shit, they were genuinely laughing and smiling - VERY cool
• ok, it's 7:50, I guess I'd better get going
• out for a smoke
• quick shower
• as i dress, i pick my nice yellow t-shirt with the 3/4 length sleeves that I bought in NYC -- the fabric is soft and i want to wear it, it feels like a caress on my skin and somehow comforts me and balances out how vulnerable i felt at the end of yesterday
• 8:10, I've cut that kind of close, i'd better go
• log back into email and send a message or two, and pick up the phone numbers of the person i'm meeting, in case i am late
• doddle and leave about 8:20, oops
• flag a cab and off I go
• doodle
• all well until we end up behind an accident on Kingsway, looks like time to chill
• call my meeting to let them know i'm late
• doodle
• pull up at the office at 9:10

Morning Routine - day 3

Today was a rough day, so I'm hoping I will find my funny bone as I blog my morning, and help me chill.....

This morning, really began with last night, and so would not be complete without including it:

• must have fallen asleep watching the news, as I woke up at 1:30am in my easy chair before the tv
• slighty disoriented, so not ready to drop into bed, so pick up my laptop and start twittering and surfing
• 2:30am now starting to feel sleepy, just a few more minutes before I go to be... then come across the Facebook ToU story and gotta know more, and the more I know, the madder I get and .....
• 4:45 am, ok, enough is enough, time to get some sleep
• laugh as I set my alarm, as it's usually set to go off at 5:15... I settle on 8:00 am, and fall into a dead sleep
• 8:20, the snooze cycle finally wakes me up, sigh, i roll over and get some SAD light time as I think about my day
• my first meeting is at 10:00, so if I leave by 9, all's well
• get up, take prescriptions
• sit down to check work email, slay any dragons, and see what's up
• contemplate giving myself a break and taking a taxi instead
• 8:40, I see an email that indicates that my 10:00 meeting might be rescheduled
• shower, and dress
• no food, no redbull...
• 8:55, still no rescheduled meeting, i need to leave, yet, i figure the meeting will be rescheduled, so I figure it's worth not rushing, and I can always take a cab if need be
• 9:00, still nothing
• 9:10, yeah! meeting rescheduled to another day!
• decide that this is still a cab day
• about 9:20 I leave
• waiting for the elevator, I hear someone's keys as they lock their door, so I hold the elevator for them, "nice young man" gets on, surprised and grateful that I waited so he could get on, yes, he's cute, but he's half my age! but still a positive ride down
• wave at the building managers as i walk out the door, a sure sign that i'm leaving late
• stop at IGA to get cash and fuel
• the bank machine spits out my $80, but tells me my balance is shockingly low - what? less than $40 left? it's still 2 days to payday
• I pick up a cinnamon raisin bagel, a couple redbull (1 for tomorrow) and yogurt
• I unfold the bills in my pocket, pull out a $20, then fold it before I give it to the cashier, lol, that's backwards, you're supposed to unfold it before you give it to her, i guess i am more sleep deprived than i thought, the cashier and i laugh as I stuff my fuel in my bag
• grab a plastic spoon... and a handful of napkins for the tp thing
• head down Burrard to the Sutton Place to get a cab, if one doesn't come along sooner
• a few steps later, a cab is coming my way, i flag him down, but he seems clueless and keeps driving by, sheesh... oh well, I see cabs at the hotel, 1/4 of a block away
• i hear a honk, turn, and there's my cabbie afterall
• I get him in, give him the coordinates, and lay my head back
• he turns up the radio, but i ask him nicely to turn it off
• breakfast in the backseat of my cab
• then start doodling.... not great shocks in this cab, so bumpy for doodles, but we are making good time, so it's cool
• start thinking about the cash situation, and figure i have a better chance of getting to friday if i use plastic for the cab
• as we get close to work, i put away my sketchbook and dig out my security pass and put it in my pocket
• as we pull up the building, something feels odd.... i check my pocket, no security pass, but i had put my vpn token in my pocket instead - doh. i do the switch
• arrive at the office at 9:50

The story really can't stop there, as i have more demonstrations that i'm not so bright... such as a splitting headache that i dig out some aleve for. there was something else, but i can't remember it now.

not as interesting or funny as other days, but this is my life. I manage to have this kind of sleep-screwed-up morning every couple of weeks....

Facebook idiots

Just caught the story about Facebook changing their ToU yesterday. Actually a couple weeks ago, but the storm hit yesterday. Freaking idiots. Best said by one of my fav bloggers. When I first read about it, I thought I'll probably leave Facebook if they don't clean up this mess - and fast!

Turns out they ended their day be reverting to their original TOU (read here or here), but their arrogance on this has gotten under my skin. I just might leave anyways. idiots. There's a big protest of departures happening March 1, I might join 'em.

Also, interesting, this is one of the biggest news stories of the past 24 hours, and I am a news junkie, but not a peep on anything i saw on tv. Ahhh.... this is why people like online news.....

Oops says Twitter's HR Manager

This is an unbelievable story: Twitter's HR Manager sends rejection email to 186 applicants using cc (instead of bcc). Read about it here.

This is why you do that little thing of LOOKING at the email before you send it to gazillions of people.

And here's the perspective from 1 of the 186.

Morning Routine - Day 2

I shared my 'day 1' morning routine post with the aforementioned colleague, and she thought it was hilarious. actually, so did i... so, we continue with this morning - when it actually all stared..

Today (tuesday)

• woke up before my alarm, at about 5am, and fairly awake
• turn on the big light to get a bit of SAD treatment
• turn on Morning Joe - no Mika today, but still ok
• Think about my day
• Bring laptop to bed and do some stuff
• I decide it would be to my benefit to get into work early, if I want take the shuttle the first one leaves at 7:15, which means I need to leave aroud 6:30 - sheesh, do I have to wait that long?
• Get up anyways, about 5:45
• take presecriptions
• have a shower and dress
• munch on the 1/2 oatmeal bar i bought last night for my breakfast - would have been better if I hadn't eaten the other 1/2 before i went to bed last night
• crack a red bull - glad i'd bought an extra one yesterday
• sit down to Twitter for a bit
• turn tv to CBC Newsworld at 6
• how will I pass the time until 6:30?
• Decide to doodle, so pick up my largest black sketchbook and my fav blue and purple pens and start doodle
• After about 10 minutes, relaxed and happily doodling, the thought flits through my brain, "if only my colleague could see me now" (the one who has the organized morning routine) and i chuckle
• have an idea that i should blog a 'typical' Roberta morning, but realize I'd need to do a few as there is nothing typical about any of my days
• can't resist to start right away, it's about 6:20, i'll just start and take the next shuttle, meaning i have to go about 7
• I google to find the perfect "monday" image
• 6:30, I switch to my 3rd news show of the morning, now Global
• I write the "day 1 routine" blog entry - ha ha, this is pretty fun, and pretty funny, when I actually articulate what goes on in my brain...
• I am having so much fun, i keep putting off when i should leave, until i've been at it for an hour and a half and realize i need to scramble to make the last shuttle!
• email the colleague whose comment started all this, so she can share in it
• 8:05 i leave
• no cute guys in the elevator
• NICE morning out! bright, clear, nice snow up on the mountains
• head down Burrard
• Fire engines fly by
• No other strange incidents, other than more sirens
• As i get to Georgia, i can see flashing lights, hope there isn't an incident at the skytrain station, i have no time to spare
• wonder about the dorks who stand on the road at the corner of Burrard & Georgia, too lazy to step up on the sidewalk. r u crazy? morning rush hours the drivers practically plow pedestrians down at this corner, i wouldn't tempt fate by standing on street -no major incidents occur though
• fire truck and ambulance at the Hyatt, but they haven't evacuated (no tourists in robes on the sidewalk) and i get by with little delay
• another train dash, but no fav seat this morning, but get a good seat for doodling (sideways seats aren't good for this)
• doodle my way to metrotown, chuckling about my silly blog entry
• i'm second for the shuttle - it's weird, i think i am still on "smoking time" when I knew i needed 45 minutes to get to the shuttle so i'd have time for a smoke before the shuttle got there, now i am just early --but when i've gone later i've missed the shuttle -- so now it's my safety net
• shuttle, doodle, arrive at work at 8:50

Morning Routine - Day 1

I had an interesting chat with a colleague the other day and she was so surprised by something I said about how I'd started my day, as she said all her days start the same. I mean exactly the same (wake up at the same time, eat the same thing for breakfast, leave for work at the same time). Wow. It was a great example of how different we all are. I am SO different. I hate routine, and she thrives on it. So, just for fun, I'll blog my mornings for a few days....

Monday (yesterday):

• my alarm started at 5:30, i hit snooze
• rolled over and wondered how, if the weekend was meant for rest, I'd managed only four hours sleep
• try to get in some light therapy (i have SAD and need to spend 30 or so minutes in front of a big light every day, it's by my bed), do a little kakuro (a puzzle like suduku but on steriods)
• several rounds of doze, alarm, snooze zzzz
• at some point, mentally calculate when i need to be in the office, and when i need to leave, decide 8:00
• get up, maybe 7:15
• shock when i look in the mirror, oh yeah, i now have purple hair!
• take prescriptions
• look in fridge - no red bull
• another morning of no breakfast food at hand
• check work email and clean out spam
• concoct how to gain some breathing room during the day by identifing meetings that can be postponed
• shower - including the famous vinegar rinse to keep my hair from fading, remember to use the dark towel
• dress, a good day, as i have lots of clean laundry, ponder a couple tops, and notice that the one i have in my hand has a lot of purple in it's pattern - laugh - it will go with my hair
• instead of reaching for my usual, fav, slip-on-when-i'm-half-asleep-shoes, i feel a twinge from a little blister so think i should wear something different, dig out chocolate brown part-suede loafer-things with the square toes that I got in NYC a year ago and always forget about
• reach for my fav spring yellow jacket, then remember, no light colours or fav tops in the first week after getting hair coloured - grab my long red denim coat
• glance in mirror - i am a jumble of colour, purple hair, red jacket, muticoloured bag
• look to see if i have any cash to quickly buy something to eat/drink on my way, nope, will involve interac, did i leave enough time for that?
• it's almost 8:00, time for me to leave, weigh the options of getting to transit with lots of time vs. taking time to grab something and cutting it closer... choose the latter
• leave home, cute guy in elevator i've not seen before
• out the door, cross the street to IGA, hang a left to the cash machine, gee, when do i get paid again, what's left? it spits out money, but shows a lower balance than i remember, count the days to payday
• go to the pastry bins, remember i am going back on my diet later this week, so decide to treat myself with a scone, but 'restrain' myself by getting one without icing
• head to the deli fridge, but no red bull there, so can't skip the main checkout
• scoot to the red bull fridge, grab 2 (one for tomorrow) and a small yogurt
• pay cash - impressive!
• remember to grab a plastic spoon, and extra napkins to stock up in case i still don't remember to buy tp on the way home
• 8:05, that went smoothly, shouldn't have to rush too much
• down Burrard to skytrain, no major incidents along the way, but wonder about the dork who gets out at a stop light to retrieve something from his trunk in the middle of the intersection
• duck the marketers giving out flyers at the skytrain station, and the 24/metro paper folks
• down to the skytrain, end up dashing to a train as it pulls in, triumph! i got in before the doors close, and see someone else who wasn't so fast on the other side of the doors -
• only seat open on the train is my fav seat, which i smugly take (so I do have routines!)
• breakfast on the train: redbull first, then scone, yogurt
• doodle
• get to metrotown, down to 8:45 shuttle, oh, i am the first one there
• doodle until the shuttle arrives
• sit in my fav shuttle seat (ah, more routine!)
• doodle more, but the bumps are tricky
• arrive at work at 8:50

I'm surprised what I remembered!! This is remarkably fun.....

Straaaange buildings

These are just 2 of the super cool 15 Strangest Buildings in the World.

Also, kinda cool, this was posted on Justin Moss' blog on February 15, 2009 - but it's only February 14th here. That means I referenced his blog post "before he posted it". lol. Cool. Had to check. He's an Aussy.

The girl with the purple hair & Valentine's

Got my hair done today, Valentine's Day, at a shop called Valentine's, by a guy who's name is James Valentine. No kidding. I really am the girl with the purple hair now!

Plus 2 crazy pics taken walking along Robson street: one of the craziness of people crowding a candy shop (I guess it's good for the economy though...) and a rather sorry window display at Roots. LOL.

I love public art

The Wooster Collective is all about public art. Very cool.


I especially love this piece as it has lines in it that remind me of beepdoodles!


This is pretty damn cool - a building that turns itself inside out.

And I swear I saw the 4th (last) item in this post - after a couple months of rain - in Montreal.... I am going to have to dig up the pic I took....

My 5 Interview Questions

Steph asked me these questions today; they were fun to answer so thought I would copy them in here....

Your 5 Interview Questions:

1. If you were a gift, how would you be wrapped?
Depends who the recipient is. I might like to be wrapped up naked with a big red bow sometime.... Otherwise, how about a light bulb or a ray of sunshine? Roberta is a version of Robert, which means bright light.

2. What would you like to revolutionize in your lifetime?
conformity, judgement, poverty

3. How do you feel when you are creating your art?
serene, grounded, in my 'zone'

4. What 3 books have rocked your world?
Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
The Bridge Across Forever, Richard Bach
An Unknown Woman, Alice Koller

5. How would you describe your best quality?
Cannot be put in a box!

The Big Countdown

It's 1 year to go, so I decided to walk by the Olympic clock on my way home today.

I look up and the clock says 392 days. WTF???

Walked over to the other side, and it said 364 days. That's more like it.

The CTV crew was hanging about (facing the 364 days side) so I asked them if they had seen the other side. "No, why?" "Well, it's wrong, it says 390+ days," I say. "That's the countdown to the Paralympic Games". Oopsie!! I should have known that!! Oh well, now I do.

I am totally unimpressed that there was no public event today - only ones for the dignitaries. Sheesh. The taxpayers are going to foot much of the bill for the games, and will make many concessions - give them something in return. Oh, and the big "cultural olympiad" is supposed to be on. ... Wouldn't this have been the night to have some sort of big free concert outdoors or something.

Paris dreaming...

I've GOT to get back to Paris...

http://peter-pho2.blogspot.com/

Topless Mona Lisa on the subway

http://www.thegeminiweb.com/babyboomer/?p=2313
Loved this story. When I poked around for a suitable image to put with it, look at what I found searching "Mona Lisa subway"...









This is a rice paddy...











This is made of spools of thread...







This one is made of used train tickets...

Upside-down hotel room

I would not like to wake up in this room with a hangover...

but I would like to see it, looks pretty coool...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/4397883/The-worlds-weirdest-hotels.html?image=8

25 Things About Me

25 things about me... written in about 5 minutes....

1. i can only skate backwards
2. i hate runny eggs
3. i like to doodle
4. in my family, a fish is a "pisky"
5. in my family, a spoon is a "poojay"
6. i am nicknamed beep
7. i am nicknaked snorkle
8. i used Bert for my first name for years
9. i just turned 50
10. i once ate lunch with Sophia Loren
11. i had my picture taken with the Man from Glad
12. i like to live above the 3rd floor
13. i often don't answer the phone
14. i once told a maitre d that my meal was fucking pleasant
15. i once wore 1 brown shoe and 1 black shoe to work
16. i want to see led zepplin live
17. my first album i bought was George Harrison, "All Things Must Pass"
18. i once wrote a book
19. i hate wearing make up
20. i can shower and be out the door in 5 minutes
21. i love avacados
22. i love vodka
23. i can curl my tongue in the shape of a cloverleaf
24. i really do love new york
25. i loved Atlas Shrugged so much I stopped 30 pages from the end -- three times!!