i like the way

before i go into the usual, droll, "this is what's going on in my dull life" chatter, i'll let you know that something potentially funny and of interest awaits you at the end of this update. exciting! so now you have something to get you through this first bit. excellent.

one minor thing: my work schedule for the summer is awesome - we work four ten-hour days as opposed to five eight-hour days. mostly it's an effort to save some electricity during the summer, which would be good for the CSPS to do. not all departments get to do this, for example, the CS Monitor editorial still has their deadlines. but luckily, CS Monitor Publishing (that's me) get to have the Friday's-off schedule. Score!

the news!!!: well, if all goes well, i should be getting an apartment (yes, a real one this time!) soon. Tracy and I would move in September 1st. it is gorgeous! well, for boston especially. what's fantastic is that it's in a pretty good neighborhood (suburb of boston, but easily accessible by T), has been renovated by it's owner (the whole building is individually owned condo apartments, and the guy who owns our place made it all pretty before deciding to start renting it out a couple years ago), has stainless steel appliances in the kitchen & extra counter space, a nicely done bathroom, a balcony!!!, and is cheaper than some of the one's we had seen the day before that weren't really that nice. the funniest thing of all is that, before seeing the place, we had looked at some others, and they weren't that great, so when we got home we decided to take another look on craigslist. tracy mentioned how awesome it would be to live near our friend jessica, esp. since her apartment is really great, so i did a search for jessica's street, and found a bunch of apartments on that same road. one, in particular looked fabulous, so i decided to take the step and call the poster. the realtor lady answered, we set up an appointment to see the place, and the next day, it turns out that the apartment is not only in the same building as jessica's, it's directly underneath hers!!! we were like, uh oh, she's going to think we're creepy, but when we told her the next day, she was quite excited. so, needless to say, we're anxiously waiting to hear whether we got the apartment or not today.

next item: "Special Months"
so, i've been elected to manage the production of the Monitor's 2008 Centennial Wall Calendar. Fabulous, huh? well, it's going to make my life uber-crazy starting right about now and for the next two or so months. but that's OK. it's going to be a fun project, and then forever after now, i can look at the calendar and say, dang, i'm responsible for that! unless it's ugly. then i'll be like, dang, they shouldn't have trusted me with that project!

anyway, as one step of the calendar production, i had to consult an almanac thingy of dates and such to get the exact 2008 holiday dates. swell. but besides having interesting facts about each day of the year (including the ever-exciting, although rather easily accessible information about celebrities birthdays , and yes, i looked up my birthday, and hell yes, jim henson, f. scott fitzgerald, kevin sorbo (hercules! heh), and nia vardalos (my big fat greek wedding) ALL share my fabulous Sept. 24 birthday. well done, famous people. maybe someday i'll be on that list as a brilliant writer!?! not at this rate, but we'll see) ... BUT the book also had this funny section - which is the point of all this chattering - with special months. for example, there are respectable ones like March is Small Press Month. April is Celebrate Diversity Month, etc. However, if you ever thought there were way too many of those things, you were right. so i copied some (many) of my favourites, and am recording them here for your benefit. Hopefully you get a laugh. And of course, as is my usual habit, i'm going to comment obnoxiously after each one. it's just in my nature. Here we go:

January
Be On-Purpose Month (good, that means the other 11 months i can be not on purpose. score)
Clean Up Your Computer Month (when i first read it, i saw "clean up your computer mouth. which, as you can imagine, struck me as humorous.)
Coffee Gourmet International Month (yum!)
Hot Tea Month (ah hah, coffee and tea - compete!)
Mailorder Gardening Month (what can i say?!)
Oatmeal Month (i get it, it's cold out in January, but still)
Radon Action Month (i'm just wondering why they decided a month was necessary for this?)

February
Bird Feeding Month (wont the poor birdies get hungry if they're only fed once during the snowy months?!)
Expect Success Month (OK!)
February Is Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month (well thank god)
Get to Know an Independent Real Estate Broke Month (i can get to know them, but i can't guarantee i'll buy anything)
Library Lovers' Month (i knew there had to be something out there for me)
Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month (absolutely. i'm planting right now)
Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month (i just have to laugh at this one. it's so applicable in the boston for sure)

March
Caffeine Awareness Month (yes, i'm aware. now what?)
Collision Awareness Month (i assume they mean vehicular collision, which no, is not funny, but maybe it's refering to just bumping into people on the sidewalk? there, that's better.)
Eye Donor Month (i had no idea...)
Frozen Food Month (i do love me some good frozen food. no, for real. it keeps forever!)
Humorists Are Artists Month (true that)
Listening Awareness Month (thanks month. i love listening too.)
Mirth Month (true, march is so bleak, it needs some good mirth)
Optimism Month (ditto)
Umbrella Month (umbrellas rule!)

April
Car Care Month (okies)
Couple Appreciation Month (really? i'm pretty sure it's around april that i stop appreciating couples. damn, i've gotta fix that)
Daffynitions Month (define daffynitions! haha, OK, i'm done. that was lame.)
Grange Month (ok, good for the grangers. i like produce as much as the next.)
Holy Humor Month (dear god, i can't live without all that holy humour)
Kunckles Down Month (uhm, OK?)
Pecan Month (YES! pecans are so delicious, they completely deserve a month)
Prepare Your Home to Be Sold Month (but i don't have a home to sell!)
School Library Media Month (do school libraries really have that great of media?)
Soyfoods Month (yay! i heart soyfoods)
Twit Award Month (admittedly, i don't know what a Twit Award is. but hell, it's called the Twit Award! let's hope it's not something noble, because i think it's funny.)
Workplace Conflict Awareness Month (oh, i'm aware. watch out workplace. i'm on to you and your lame conflict.)

May
Egg Month (what about the poor chickens! they do all the work. eggs just sit there looking square. err?)
Hamburger Month (mmm... how i miss little hamburgers.)
Learn German Month (!!! yes! so, there are other months for spanish, french, italian, etcetera, but German is overlooked so frequently that i felt it was time for me to overlook the others. actually, i just didn't want to list them all. i'm clearly playing favourites. but yes, let's all learn german, shall we?)
Moving Month (actually, we used to always move in June. we got it all wrong!)
Prepare to Buy a Home Month (again, give me the cash, i'll buy a home)
Revise Your Work Schedule Month (really, can a month give you that sort of permission? i can see it now: "you're three hours late, andrle." "oh, it's may. i've revised my work schedule." or "where are all the start reports, andrle?" "hello, it's may, i've switched things around. i wont be doing those reports anymore." Yeah, that'd go really well.)
Salsa Month (the dip or the dance or both!?)
Sweet Vidalia (R) Month (for reals?! if you say so!)

June
Accordian Awareness Month (really, does one have to be "aware" of accordians? is there a shortage of accordians? are they being imported from mars? what's the issue here?!?!)
Candy Month (and since i was unaware, i didn't have nearly enough candy in June)
Celibacy Awareness Month (oh, i'm pretty aware of celibacy. but really, is this to counter the whole, it's springtime, must-mate frenzy?)
Dairy Alternatives Month (woot Vegans)
Iced Tea Month (no offense june, but i'm still drinking iced tea, and it's july. and i'll keep drinking it in august. take that.)
June Dairy Month (well that's kind of harsh. the vegans and lactose intollerant clearly come alphabetically before you with their "dairy alternatives" title. you should have come in october. although... i really do like cheese. mm.)
June is Turkey Lovers' Month (turkeys do like to love)
Men's Month (? to do what? be men? i'm pretty sure they have no control over that. well, at least without surgery)
Pharmacists Declare War on Alcoholism (what did an alcoholic ever do to a pharmacist?!)
Potty Training Awareness Month (yes, every time i see someone using the bathroom like a big boy or girl, i'm thankful and aware of their potty training. hurray.)
Steakhouse Month (ah, and now the cows are trying to show off to the turkeys, who, again, clearly beat them to the month.)

July
Bikini Month (you'll no doubt be glad to hear that this year i am not participating in bikini month)
"Doghouse Repairs" Month (their quotes. don't know why. but ok. repair those doghouses. go!)
Home Inspector Appreciation Month (i'm sensing a house buying theme. anyone else?!?)
Hot Dog Month (bah!)
Roots and Branches Month (they do serve a purpose, true)
Skyscraper Month (this makes cities happy, but how do you think it makes rural areas feel? come on, think next time, you insensitive month-assigners.)
Wheelchair Beautification Month (is there a wheelchair beauty pageant i'm unaware of?)

August
Get Ready for Kindergarten Month (you heard them! go! get ready!)
August is lame and has very few special month titles. they only had one good one. boo August. September, however, as you'll see, rules.

September
Backpack Safety America Month (i'm a little confused. is all of america involved in backpack safety? is it addressing backpacks, asking them for a safer america? who knows. in any case, i didn't realize backpacks were so unsafe.)
Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month (that's so true! be nice to me/them! ok ok, so i'm not an editor... or a great writer. whatever. still be kind.)
Biscuit Month (hot! mmm... hot biscuits!?!)
Chicken Month (ah, i get it. we celebrate the chicken after the egg. ok)
College Savings Month (I'm pretty sure if you haven't started saving for college by September, you're screwed. Ok, it could be a few years ahead. whatev'.)
Fall Hat Month (hell yes, fall hats. sign me up for one. or ten.)
Go Wild During California Wild Rice Month (i respect you, because you're about California. and i like rice. otherwise, i'd be thinking right now, wtf?)
Honey Month (how sweet. (sorry, i know, ouch.))
Library Card Sign-Up Month (i'm just thinking of the rush and crowds there'd be if you could only sign up once a year...)
Mushroom Month (no, i cannot accept this one. mushroom month, you lose.)
Organic Harvest Month (ok, that's better.)
Piano Month (if only i could play!)
Pleasure Your Mate Month (i can't comprehend a way that this wouldn't be sexual. but i can't comprehend such an overtly sexual "special month." so, ok. here it is anyway. go forth, and pleasure.)
Potato Month (delicious little tuber crop.)
Rice Month (september really does love its rice.)
Shameless Promotion Month (everyone needs an excuse now and then.)
Subliminal (you will) Communications (send me) Month (lots of money).
Update Your Resume Month (why? have you heard something at work? is my job unstable? oh no, oh crap! i'll get right on that resume updating... i guess.)

October
Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month (i would if my apartment (old or new) would allow it!)
Bake and Decorate Month (i will if i get to move in september.)
Celebrate Sun Dried Tomatoes Month (does celebrating mean we do or do not eat them?)
Chili Month (super hot)
Construction Toy Month (as opposed to all those other toys, which, apparently, don't hold anything to the hardcore construction toys. go away matchbox cars. shove off, barbie.)
German-American Heritage Month (solid! is that because of Oktoberfest?!)
Go Hog Wild-Eat Country Ham Month (what about city ham? is this to get back at skyscraper month?)
Go on a Field Trip Month (yes, please. can work have field trips?)
Popcorn Poppin' Month (golly gosh, i love me some popcorn poppin'.)
Positive Attitude Month (but i was already so optimistic back in March!)
Sarcastics Awareness Month (oh yeah, we really need a month just for that. i can't wait.)
Seafood Month (no thanks.)
Self-Promotion Month (i'm getting ready, as we speak.)
Spinach Lovers Month (finally! i heart spinach.)
Starman Month (i really hope they're taking about the David Bowie song!)
Vegetarian Month (so that's why my only real period of time being a vegetarian was in the month of October! how appropriate.)

November
Celebrate Empty Nester Month (yay parents who successfully got rid of their sponging kids. go renovate some rooms and walk around naked. not that i'm really in favor of naked empty nesters, let's be clear. but i was told to celebrate, so celebrate i will.)
Georgia Pecan Month (dang, pecans get all the love! i'm surprised the walnuts and peanuts and almonds and cashews etcetera haven't yet rebelled.)
I Am So Thankful Month (i'm pretty sure that's the nature of Thanksgiving Day. But sure, a month is better than just one day.)
Peanut Butter Lovers' Month (that's right!)
Pomegranate Month (!!! I had no idea November was so awesome!)
Vegan Month (well there you go! i could never be a vegan, but i'm glad they have a month, and that it's not the same as vegetarian month.)

December
Bingo's Birthday Month (B-I-N-G-O, Bingo was his name-o.)
Choose a Summer Camp Month (damn, that's thinking ahead! i guess they figure, what better time to think about sending your kids away than when everyone's stuck inside because it's so cold out.)
Learn a Foreign Language Month (i guess they had to just sum it up into Learn Some Other Language We Never Mentioned, so all the other languages don't get their feelings hurt. fair enough).

Well, my friends, if you stuck with it and read through the end, you are genuinely special. well done! There, that blog entry should hold until i find something exciting to post in the future, right?! let's hope so.

Kisses.