yummy

Okay, check out all of these foods that are, according to Bill Bryson, unique to our hemisphere (and were introduced to the Europeans when they found the New World): white potatoes, sweet potatoes, the peanut, the pumpkin, the squash, the persimmon, the avocado, the pineapple, chocolate, vanilla, cassava (the source of tapioca), chili peppers, sunflowers, the tomato! Even green beans and strawberries were much better over here than there. Those are some of my favorite foods - I wonder if it's a concidence that they are all native to American soil? Mmm....I'm getting hungry just talking about it!

I just finished watching M - very interesting movie. I like the story. I also wonder how many people got the "joke" when MTV ran those ads several (many? - it's been a long time since I've watched TV, particularly MTV) years back with that shuffling guy who was always looking over his shoulder - here's a picture, 'cause I can't seem to do it justice with my description:


Anyway, very good film. One I'd been meaning to watch for a while; it's been hovering around the #50 spot in the imdb.com top 250 movies probably since the list was started, so I definitely have been wanting to see it for a while. I have got to keep working on that list! I keep encountering such good films that I wouldn't probably otherwise have any way of coming across!

I read an article at CNN.com today about the most expensive places to live ("the most expensive housing markets"), and the least expensive. No surprise that the top 4 places on the "expensive" list are in California (La Jolla, Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Palo Alto); the last one (once again not a shocker) was Greenwich, CT. Way to go, my home state. Heh.

The least expensive ones weren't that noteworthy to me. There were 2 from Texas (that might say something about the state that Bush used to govern...but I won't get into that), two from Montana, and one from North Dakota.

I guess U.S. housing markets don't much matter to me; Dan and I have decided that we're moving to Holland, anyway. I don't quite know when, and I'm definitely planning on becoming an expatriate whether or not we go together, but that could be fun. I definitely enjoyed Amsterdam when I was there! And no, that was not just because marijuana is legal there!! Hehe.

But, either Holland or France. I could definitely enjoy both those places much more than here. *Sigh*

Let's see what else...oh, today I had a lot of fun dealing with my insurance company! Mmm yeah I know everyone enjoys that, but I got told that all of these appointments following up on the surgery I had done in April 2004 (a periacetabular osteotomy - I'm sure I'll get into that more another time) weren't covered! I am being denied claims I made - even though I have made dozens of phone calls each time an appointment is coming up, making sure that the correct doctor is sending in a referral and that I'm all set for the appointment, etc. UGH! So, I'm quite upset with my insurance at this point. Of course. I had to email my surgeon and ask him to write a letter to them telling them why I need to have all these follow-up appointment and x-rays and PT. Yeah, like I just like to head over to get poked & prodded at the Children's Hospital once every month or so for my own amusement. Sure, guys. That happens.

It's not like I'm a hypochondriac or anything, either! Before this surgery, I'd never even been near a hospital, really. I hate taking medicine. I hate seeing doctors. This, I definitely wanted to fix up (my hip problem, I mean). And I'm glad I did, it was important. But come ON! I'm probably seeing my doctor less than I even should be, but I need some kind of guidance post-surgery! Like, just before Thanksgiving I'd LOVE to be told that I don't need to use my cane anymore. That would be a lovely holiday present. :)

In other rather exciting news, I'm thrilled to hear Green Day might try to make a movie out of their punk rock opera, American Idiot! More of a movie and less of a musical though, Billie Joe promised. Yay. I'm happy because I was supposed to go see that show last weekend but that didn't happen; now there really are no other chances for me to see it performed live. So hopefully I at least have the movie to appease me! Hehe.

Okay, I've been trying to put it off for as long as possible, but now I must talk politics once again: Shame on you, America. I'm severely, severely disappointed in this country.

I have discussed most of this stuff to death with my friends in the past 24+ hours, so I won't go into much more detail than that. I will just say I really am looking forward to moving out of this godforsaken nation! Ugh.

I have started biting my nails again - something I haven't done in ages. THAT's how bad it's been. THAT's how nervous all this is making me.

But, I'm becoming much more militant and much more vocal, so I guess that's not bad! I'm all about protesting any and every misstep Bush makes from now on. I've had enough.

Whew. Politics are making me very impassioned these days.

As Judy used to say: finis. (For now.)