Mad Greeks and Alarms

Oh my GOSH!!!!!! A second alarm has just chorussed in with the first alarm that has gone off three times within the past hour -- this time, it has been screeching for at least 20 minutes solid. I may begin to pull leaves off the basil plant in a minute and burn them. Or draw on the walls with coloured pens. But we wouldn't want to jeopardise the bond (deposit) now... so burning basil leaves it should be.

Ooh, it has stopped! Both of them!

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Anyhoo, the purpose of this post is to (besides the obvious avoidance of writing) attempt to promote the festive occasion that was the Greek's birthday last night! And naturally, the pictures don't seem to want to have anything to do with this phenomenon called uploading. Damnable BloggerPhoto.

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Oh, listen! The alarm has started up AGAIN! Get out the matches.

It stopped!!!!! Thank the Good Lord.

Oh, wait. NO -- J.K., kids, J.K....

Stopped.

(pause 12 seconds) START!

Stopped (2.1 seconds pause)

START!

Stop... (nope)....

Can you smell the herbal smoke from where you are sitting?

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Anyhoo, a lovely time was had by all. E provided champers for the birthday girl, which started the evening off in a bubblier than bubbly manner! Plus, we made a private party area on the sofas upstairs in Central over the window floor -- be alert if you wear a dress.

It was so great to get out of the vortex of mental drain that is this dissertation (for four of us, at least) and have some lightness and sparkliness for a while. We have made our own little support group this year and, although the group is much smaller now since a lot of people have gone home, it is a shame not to utilise each other's shoulders in our feelings of vacuity more often.
'Hi! My name is Amrie and I haven't written a word in TWO days...!!!!'

Dawn and I decided that a foray into the wild and wonderful organic world of pear cider (aka, perry) was called for. It was a lovely foray. And there was much rejoicing.

Note: The Greek is very rarely motionless and so is a blur in most of my photos :)

List of a few pictures which, thankfully, Flickr has aided me in displaying to all and sundry (that'll teach you, BloggerPhoto):
* D&G (not Dolce and Gabana)
* A warmly lit shot of Steffi, the Greek and Alex (note amusing comment in Flickr re: t.v. caption)
* This is The Greek, me, Kat and John being all confused about the picture taking, and not at all on the same page, partly because we had just had two movies taken of us -- that's why the camera didn't flash!
* And two Welsh gangstas (that's my best guess)

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In other corners of my world, am fighting with SPSS (a social science data manipulation program. And which, by the way, stands for Stupid Program is Stubborn and Squirrelly). When I try to get it to manipulate my numbers in any sort of way at all, but hoping against hope that something will come out significant and angels will begin to sing, it gives me this pompous reply:

'All variables in the working file or in the sets in use are inappropriate for this dialog box.'

Stupid dialog box. Who said I wanted dialog in the first place? It won't even make senseless charts with coloured lines. Stupid program. And the SPSS Survival Manual is not throwing me much of a life preserver even though there is one drawn in hideous orange pastel on the front. Stupid book.

If this weren't enough to make one's head ache, I am trying to compute ages of Subjects in my data set with only my brain and my fingers (the toes are a bit cold to be out). It seems I have misplaced a certain computer person who could perhaps make Excel figure out ages in years and months.

Have been introduced this week (very cruelly, I might say) to the most FABulous shops for home, garden and crafty things, now that someone has access to a car! It is a really good thing I have remained ignorant of their existence so long, or I would have far, far, far too much stuff to move. Must try to forget about these stores now, and how near they are to my home, due to need to focus and fact that do not have job -- where is a good hypnotherapist when you need one?

Today, I heard thunder! Oh my goodness, I miss thunderstorms so much. It rained a really good spell today and I wanted to go outside and play in puddles so badly. But instead, I ate a burger from a burger stand in a parking lot and retained a smidgen of dignity.

Got letter from Oma this morning and actually caught her at home (before she went to water aerobics). Lovely mail!

Talked to parental units as well (after finally finding them... it is 8am. Do you know where your parents are?) as today is their anniversary! I want to say 38 years (hoorah!), although as evidenced above am not so good at annual computations. Am missing celebratory dinner at Smith's Cross Lake Inn tonight. Slightly bitter about missing this and am on hunger strike (well, actually, just being too lazy to go fix self sustenance).

AND, talked to Cousine Lindsey briefly as well! So much to talk about, so little time... boo :(

In further computer news, I heard a report two days ago on the radio about Dell computers spontaneously bursting into flame due to faulty batteries. Have investigated and found that indeed my battery is one of the 'Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.' ones... have made an inquiry into IT at Centenary for it. In the mean time, I shall perhaps need to start backing up my data more regularly. Well, backing it up at all, since am a silly monkey. And will turn computer off completely when not attended. How vexing.

Additionally, I do NOT WANT the Yahoo! toolbar on my task bar area. Why won't it stay turned off?!?
And DO WANT the clever little personal clock thing that E wrote for me to stay ON when my homepage is on instead of being blocked by pompous virus alert system! aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh........

(Readers may sense that many things are occupying my fragile little mind right now... At this point, the alarm has gone on and off at LEAST 72 times. Those muscles on the back of my neck are approaching the relaxation state of, oh, say a rock. I am now completely mad and must go and wipe the drool from my chin. And then burn things.)