List #59: 5 People I like (and one thing I like about them), pt. 5?

List #59: 5 People I like (and one thing I like about them), pt. 5?

1. Chops: for making me the best arts and/or crafts known to man
2. Ms. Barry: for not being my 3rd grade teacher Ms. Barry (and also for leftover barbecue)
3. Yankee: for serious brain teasering skills
4. Brant C: for letting me hang with the music grove gang
5. Tyler F: for having the academic stamina to do what I really wish I could have

Bonus: one place that pretends to be a person on facebook that I like
1. Lake Superior Zoo: for many wonderful family memories of my youth (and otters)

List #58: Why you should watch the NCAA HOCKEY tournament instead of March Madness

List #58: Why you should watch the NCAA HOCKEY tournament instead of March Madness

1. Anyone can win (and they do). Only one of the 4 #1 seeds made it out of the first round this year, and 6 of 8 lower seeds won in the first round.
2. If you knock someone down they don't usually cry and ask for a free shot on net.
3. It's a lot harder to make a "buzzer beater" (but two have happened already).
4. Way more Canadians
5. Overtimes are sudden death (unless you're Air Force... then it's a slow and painful death)
6. This year's field wasn't just all the usual suspects (except Michigan)
7. It's a great tournament for the states that don't get much other credit (when are Vermont or New Hampshire going to have a shot in basketball).
8. The last minute of a hockey game only lasts 1 to 2 minutes. Not 10.
9. "Frozen Four" is cooler sounding than "Final Four"
10. Fewer Blow-outs
11. Bemidji

Bonus list: 1 reason not to watch
1. The WCHA teams are all out already.

List #57: Favorite Sauces

List #57: Favorite Sauces

1. A1
2. the Summer-roll peanut-sauce at Pho Dat Thanh
3. Basil heavy marinara
4. Frank's Extra Hot
5. Tabasco
6. Teriyaki (esp. from Tokyo Garden on The Ave)
7. Lemon/Saffron cream
8. Barbecue (I'm not cool enough to have a specific kind, though I like Kansas City style barbecue the best)
9. Tahini (because it goes into hummus)
10. Pesto

List #56: Combinations by which I cannot abide

List #56: Combinations by which I cannot abide

1. Peanut Butter + Chocolate
2. Fruit Ice Cream + Chocolate Ice Cream
3. Worms + Pavement
4. Cellphones + Entertainment Events
5. Food + My Library

List #55: Songs I'm playing on this weekend at the Love Concert

1. You and I (ukulele, vocals)
2. Soft Serve (Guitar, lead vocal)
3. L-O-V-E (bass)
4. Got you on my Mind (?) (Bass)
5. Sunflower (guitar, vocals)
6. Right as Rain (bass)
7. Little Wing (bass)
8. Brown Eyed Girl (uke, background vocals)
9. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Bass)
10. Sex and Candy (bass)

List #54: TV on DVD I have watched in the last 6 Months

List #54: TV on DVD I have watched in the last 6 Months

1. Dexter, seasons 1 and 2
2. Pushing Daisies
3. Sports Night, Complete Series
4. Wonderfalls
5. How I Met Your Mother, season 3 (rewatched)
6. Mad Men
7. Alias, Season 1 (started)
8. Bones, Season 2

List #53: 10 random songs on my ipod

List #53: 10 random songs on my ipod (out of a potential 10,928)

1: All Mine, Portishead Roseland Live
2: Senorita, Bela Fleck & Chick Corea The Enchantment
3: It'll Be a Long Time, The Offspring Smash
4: The New East St. Louis Toodle-oo, Duke Ellington Smithsonian Classic Jazz
5: Hit the North (pt. 1), the Fall 458489 A Sides
6: Venus (Time Stereo Dub Version), Low K/Low EP
7: I've Got a Fang, TMBG 2001 Radio Sampler
8: 1,001 Nights, Shahin and Sepehr 1001 Nights
9: Academy Fight Song, Mission of Burma Signals, Calls, and Marches
10: A Good Idea at the Time, OK Go Oh No

List #52: My favorite things to teach

List #52: My favorite things to teach / activities to lead

1: Archery
2: Ground Initiatives
3: Watchmen
4: Copyright / Fair Use
5: Counselor Hunt
6: Understanding Comics
7: How Google Works /Search strategies
8: Positive vs. Negative / directive vs. example leadership
9: Course Initiatives
10: Prisoner's Base

List #51: 5 People I like and 1 reason why, pt. 4

List #51: 5 People I like and 1 reason why, pt. 4

1. Laney: for almost dunking one time
2. Evgenia: for superb written communication skills
3. Tiff: for snowshoes
4. Henkel: for loving GWAR
5. Daniel J: for liking trains

List #50: 49 Things I Already put in Lists

List #50: 49 Randomly selected Things I Already put in the first 49 Lists. (if you want to see where it came from http://nicsyearinlists.blogspot.com

1. 2009: Began the "My Year in Lists" project / hope to accomplish something...
2. Secrets that I'll never tell
3. Many plastic stars
4. Soup Arrow of Justice
5. Celery Root
6. French Horn
7. Julee B: "Girl for All Seasons" by Northern State
8. Return to Normalcy
9. Jeannette's Exorcism
10. Reality TV and those who obsess over it
11. Miracleman (Moore, Gaiman)
12. Space Luge
13. UMD Hockey
14. Little Baby Ducks
15. Muffin
16. "the First Rule of Counselor hunt is..."
17. Madmen Season 1, Disc 4.
18. Nextwave 1-12 by Warren Ellis
19. If you don't, Alan Moore will send his Roman Snake God to eat you.
20. Barney Stinson - Justin Timberlake
21. Plastic baseball (not official wiffle brand): "Stanley"
22. Sigur Ros
23. Heikki
24. Anthems for a 17 Year-Old Girl -- Broken Social Scene
25. "Your heart felt good / It was dripping pitch and made of wood" -- Modest Mouse 3rd Planet
26. Los Campesinos @ Black Cat (2008)
27. Martin OO-16C Nylon String Guitar (late 60s): named Emily
28. Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Part 2: No World For Tomorow Coheed & Cambria
29. Visit from Hannah (that led to her Ph.D.)
30. Carpentry
31. I have good neighbors
32. Mike Flower: for becoming an architect
33. Carleton College, Northfield, MN
34. Not being married to Anne Hathaway
35. The use of "All Along the Watchtower" in ch. X
36. Peanut Butter and Banana on a Bagel (or Toast)
37. Hans A: for Ad Hominem
38. I was being entertained by general Facebook Banter
39. Molly, dog
40. No Squid
41. Waving Communist Russian flags at our enemies.
42. Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff
43. Right now I am thinking... but I try not to.
44. Marybeth: for commanding the best section in the DEHS Wind Ensemble
45. A Green Lantern ring (or a Blue Lantern ring)
46. Human Voice (vaguely muppet sounding)
47. My green Banana Republic Jacket (that will never die)
48. FAVORITE SOUND(S). Banjo, maj7 chords, add9 chords.
49. "All Along the Watchtower" being the most important song in the universe (oh, wait... it still is!)

List #49: 5 Things I will miss now that BSG is over

List #49: 5 Things (of many) I will miss now that BSG is over

1. "The Old Man"
2. "All Along the Watchtower" being the most important song in the universe (oh, wait... it still is!)
3. Use of the word "Frak"
4. The leader of all humanity being a Teacher
5. Paper with cut-off corners.

List #48: 48 Things

List #x: 48 Things (another Facebook meme, this one was filled out on March 1, but saved until list #48)

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I don't think so

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? for realz: Christmas Eve '07. Due to media: the harmony in Joss Whedon musicals makes me misty

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? it's not good, but it's mine

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Corned Beef

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not now

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I'm not sure.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Yes, but not in this statement.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? no

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Grape Nuts with Banana

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Cinnamon

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Smile

15. RED OR PINK? Red

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? that I dislike several things about myself

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Duluth

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? all 6 billion

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue Jeans and red socks

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Owen "A Bird in Hand"

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Sepia

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Lemon Juice, Apple Juice, Bleach

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Zieger

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? hockey or baseball

27. HAIR COLOR? Brownish

28. EYE COLOR? greenish brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? not anymore

30. FAVORITE FOOD? right now: Plantain chips

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? hmmm... I like TV more. we'll say Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White and Red Wales shortsleeved Rugby

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? One is for Camp the other is for beauty

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Not enough of either

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? N/A

38. LEAST LIKELY TO? N/A

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Like 15 or 16 books, but most happily "Watchmen" Alan Moore (for the 7th or 8th time)

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? East High Shool Greyound (with a pink fountain pen inkstain)

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Started watching an episode of "Dollhouse"

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S). Banjo, maj7 chords, add9 chords.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? both

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? London

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? writing library book notifications

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN: duluth

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? N/A

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? I don't know, but I hope I have (or do soon)

List #47: Favorite Clothes

List #47: Favorite Clothes

1. My green Banana Republic Jacket (that will never die)
2. My Black "nickel" loafers (since 9th grade)
3. The Blue and tan checkered tie
4. The brown Michigan sweatshirt that's falling to pieces
5. REI zipper pants
6. The Gramicci drawstring pants
7. Any Camp T-shirt
8. Blue and Brown zipped sweater
9. Brown Pinstripe 3 Button suit (will be my favorite, when I find one)
10. Red under-armor socks

List #46: Instruments used in the recording of "The Nickel Song" 1997

List #46: Instruments used in the recording of "The Nickel Song" 1997
Roughly in order of appearance

Download Nic - Nickel Song with Commentary
The "Without Commentary" version is available on request. I can't make it work correctly right now.


1.Casio Keyboard (not a Yamaha, like I said in the commentary)
-Pipe Organ Setting
-Harpsichord Setting
-Accordion Setting
-Flute Setting
-Marimba Setting
-Drum setting
2. Fender Rhodes Piano
-with distortion
3.Yamaha Fretless Bass
4. Peavy Predator (Strat) electric guitar
5. 60s Fender P Bass
6. Upright Piano
7. Trumpet (Getzen) w/Harmon Mute
8. Martin Nylon String Guitar (named Emily)
9. Rickenbacker 4001 Bass (1972?)
10. Fender Telecaster (1969 Thinline 50th anniversary re-issue)
11. Screamtracker MOD player
-samples of Homer Simpson and Miles Davis
12. Metal cups filled with water
13. Rainstick
14. Coconut 'thumb-piano'
15. Violin
16. Cornet (King)
17. Piano strings strummed with a Nickel
18. Martin steel string guitar
19. Human Voice (vaguely muppet sounding)
20. Mandolin (pear backed)
21. Whistling
22. Handful of Nickels
23. Probably some other ones too (half-size acoustic guitar?)

List #45: Fictional Objects I would like to own

List #45: Fictional Objects I would like to own

1. A Green Lantern ring (or a Blue Lantern ring)
2. The Marauder's map
3. A Decanter of Endless Water
4. The Boat from Waterworld
5. Callandor, "The sword that is not a sword"

List #44: 5 People I like (and one reason why) pt. III

List #44: 5 People I like (and one reason why) pt. III

1. Pancakemilycoralbrian: for having the best music taste of anyone I've yet met
2. Coach M: for being the best dang coaching partner ever
3. Lindsay B: for eyerollingly good listening skills and lighting design
4. Marybeth: for commanding the best section in the DEHS Wind Ensemble
5. Kris S: for hanging out on the beach

List #43: 22 Complete-that-sentences

List #43: 22 Complete-that-sentences
Finish the sentences. Some may be uncomfortable, but you'll manage. Repost it as "Finish the sentences" when you're done! Don't forget to tag me back!
(another Facebook meme list... sorry, I'm behind)

1. I've come to realize that my last kiss... was probably the last one for another 5 or so years. such is my life.

2. I am listening to.... Yeasayer "Sunrise". Just 'discovered' them this weekend.

3. I talk when... I'm comfortable (and then far far too much)

4. I love my... family (remarkably!)

5. My best friend.... is unknown at this time (assuming Best Frienditude requires reciprocity)

6. My first real kiss... define "real"

7. Love is... only a feeling (drifting away) / When I'm in your arms I start believing /It's here to stay /But love is only a feeling /Anyway, anyway

8. Marriage is... a superstition, and a religious construct: something for religious people, and something the government should stay out of completely (separation of 'church' and state and all). HOWEVER: _Any_ two people who wish to make lifelong commitments to each other should be allowed to be civilly united and reap full legal benefits (inheritance, medical decisions, etc.). If churches want to be intolerant, let them. Intolerance has no place in the law.

9. Somewhere someone is thinking... less (or more) of me because of that previous sentence

10. I'll always... like blankets

11. The last time I really cried was because... my family gets complicated around the holidays

12. My cell phone... is a wonderful convenience (thanks for sharing, Mom !)


13. When I wake up in the morning... I hit snooze 4 or 5 times. I eat a banana on the way to work, workout, eat a protein bar, shower and go upstairs.

14. Before I go to bed to sleep... I look at all of my glow in the dark stuff.

15. Right now I am thinking... but I try not to.

16. Babies are... pretty neat (well, they're actually really messy)

17. I get on Myspace... or maybe don't

18. Today I... made fish tacos.

19. Tomorrow I will be... on spring break, reading books.

20. I really want to be... awesome

21. Someone that will most likely repost this... Barack Hussein Obama

22. Where did I... lose the way

List #42: Books I might read during spring break

List #42: Books I might read during spring break
* means I've already started it and need to finish it

1. Copyright's Paradox* Neil Netanel Weinstock
2. Name of the Wind Patric Rothfuss
3. Born Digital Palfrey & Gasser
4. Relevance* Tim Manners
5. Bad Monkeys Matt Ruff
6. Ice tristan Jones
7. The Ten Cent Plague David Hajdu
8. The Difference Engine Gibson & Sterling
9. Confessions of an Eco-sinner Fred Peace
10. Molecular Gastronomy Herve This
11. iBrain: Surviving the technological alteration of the modern mind Small & Vorgan
12. Speaking Up: the unintended costs of free speech in public schools Anne Proffitt Dupre
13. Totally Wired: what teens and tweens are really doing online Anastasia Goodstein
14. Fragile Things Neil Gaiman
15. Ice: Great moments in the history of cold, hard water Karal Ann Marling
16. Crunch time Mariah Fredricks
17. Knife of Dreams Robert Jordan

List #41: State Tournament Memories

List #41: State Tournament Memories (Minnesota State High School Hockey)
(East went to state all four years when I was in HS, and the year after. and I went down with the band. So much fun )

1. The "Apple Valley Game" 5-overtime Debacle in 1996 (with the unseen goal)
2. Three games, three Hat Tricks -- Dave Spehar in 1995 tournament (champions)
3. Being Forced to wander the Mall of America all day long waiting for the games
4. "Duluth East 5, Bloomington Jefferson 0, Any questions" 1995
5. The called back high-stick goal in the 1997 Championship game loss to Edina
6. Making friends with the Edina Band in 1997
7. Getting together with friends to go as 'civilians' in 1998 for the championship
8. Waving Communist Russian flags at our enemies.
9. Being taped-in by Torm... "You'll go home on the Fan Bus"
10. Going down on the Fan bus as freshen for the BJ semi-final in 1994

(11). Wondering how the 'Hounds are losing 4-2 to CDH right now even though we're out-shooting 30-10...

List #40: 5 Things Wrong with the "Watchmen" ending [SPOILERS]

List #40: 5 Things Wrong with the "Watchmen" ending [SPOILERS]

WARNING: "Here be Tygers...or Spoilers" (not so much for the movie, but for The Book)
1.No Squid. Yes, Squiddy is sort of ridiculous and unbelievable, but it's just so ridiculous and believable to be believed. Plus, for the ending to really “work,” at least in my opinion, the common threat that unites the planet needs to truly be an external (extra-planetary) threat. It's much harder for me to buy that all of the United States' enemies would suddenly rally with them when it was the US's ultimate weapon that attacked them all (even if the US was harmed as well). If I were the Russians, and there was a big “Boom” on my soil in that political climate, those missiles would be in the air faster than I could say “boil a beet for borscht.” Even if it didn't elicit an immediate response, once it became clear that it was the American “Superman” that caused the damage, I doubt that it would endear the United States' enemies to their common cause. It was 'tidier' for the movie, but ultimately less satisfying than Squiddy.

2.Bodies well within my wildest imagining: As much as the rest of the movie was overly violent, the ending was far too bloodless. Chapter 12 of The Book opens with 6 full-page, wordless shots (distinctly different from the normal 9-panel grid layout) that give a panoramic view of the utter atrocity of the results of the attack. These are the “Bodies beyond your wildest Imagining” that the “Veidt Method” promised. It is graphic, bloody and Shocking. We see nearly all of the 'regular' people we've met in the book have died horrific deaths when all they wanted was some Tandoori to go. In the movie the body count is just a number, albeit an even bigger, yet still less meaningful, number than in the book. There's also very little emotional connection to the non-super people of the movie's Earth. Without the depth of connection to the '40^th & 7^th' people', there's very little 'humanity' in the movie. Bernard and Bernie's deaths are nothing but a nod to those who have read the book.

3.“Jon would say 'Nothing Ever Ends'”: You're darn right he would! In fact he did in The Book, and it was in what was probably the most important panel/scene of the entire story. Veidt, showing the tiniest sliver of self-doubt, asks for Jon's vindication to help him justify his means. Jon replies, “Nothing Ends, Adrian, Nothing ever Ends,” and disappears to Mars, leaving Adrian's need for Jon's approval unfulfilled, and leaving him to contend with the consequences of his Stronger, Loving World. Giving the line to Laurie cheapens it. It would be better to cut it entirely than give it to someone else.

4.Jon as Scapegoat: Making Jon the scapegoat fundamentally changes his character arc. Instead of leaving earth having had his faith in humanity restored (at least enough to want to go create some of his own in another universe), and leaving humanity without his protection from the “Alien” threat (and thus giving them one more reason to rally together), Jon is now leaving no longer welcome on the planet. I will grant that this probably doesn't really matter to Jon himself, but it does matter to the character's story.

5. Rorschach's Journal: The stillness of the final panel really does put the ending “entirely in your hands” as a reader. The camera's slow zoom to focus on Rorschach's diary doesn't. And therein is the true failing of the translation of “Watchmen,”a comic designed to exemplify the medium, to film. The movie will never never really be in our hands (unless you have it on your portable video player, but you get the point). We are pushed and pulled at the pace set by the filmmaker.

List #39: The 39 facts

List #39: 3X13 Facts.
(another Facebook meme/chain thing, but it seemed fitting)

THREE NAMES I GO BY

1. Nic
2. Netzel
3. Netzy

THREE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE

1. YMCA CAMP MILLER!
2. Dishwasher, Hacienda Del Sol
3. Librarian


THREE PLACES I HAVE LIVED

1. Duluth, MN
2. Seattle, WA
3. Northfield, MN

THREE TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH
1. How I Met Your Mother
2. Smallville
3. Battlestar Galactica

THREE PLACES I HAVE BEEN
1. Washington D.C.
2. Bangor, Wales
3. Toronto, Ontario, Canada

THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO
1. New Zealand
2. Sweden
3. Iceland

THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
1. Chickpeas
2. Tortilla Chips
3. Bananas

THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
1. Starman Omnibus, vol 2
2. Sailing on Pike Lake
3. Iron Man II

THREE PETS THAT YOU HAVE OWNED (Ive never owned any live pets, and don't want to. my family has though
1. Rufus, dog
2. Molly, dog
3. Stanley, wiffle ball

THREE FRIENDS WHO WILL REPLY
1. Does
2. not
3. apply

THREE FAVORITE BANDS/ ARTISTS
1. Miles Davis
2. Los Campesinos!
3. Bela Fleck

THREE FAVORITE TEAMS TO WATCH

1. Minnesota Wild
2. UMD Bulldogs Hockey
3. Minnesota Twins

THREE FAVORITE DRINKS
1. Water
2. Diet IBC Root Beer
3. Original Gatorade

List #38: Reasons I didn't get enough sleep last night

List #38: Reasons I didn't get enough sleep last night

1. I played guitar and sang a lot, and that kept me up late
2. I was on the phone for part of "Big Bang Theory," so I had to re-watch it
3. I was being entertained by general Facebook Banter
4. I had to read from "Absolute Sandman"
5. I had to write my stupid list of the day

List #37: 5 More people I like (and one thing I like about them)

List #37: 5 More People I like (And one thing I like about them)

1. Scott P: for introducing me to Broken Social Scene
2. Hans A: for Ad Hominem
3. Justin D: for his cool arm-bars tattoo
4. Yuko SB: for beefsteak plant
5. Michael H: for letting me borrow a GI Joe Hovercraft a looooong time ago

List #36: Favorite Breakfasts

List #36: Favorite Breakfasts

1. Peanut Butter and Banana on a Bagel (or Toast)
2. French Pancakes
-a: w/ peanut butter and banana
-b: w/peanut butter, cinnamon and maple syrup
-c: w/mixed berries and powdered sugar
3. Oatmeal with blueberies, honey and toasted walnuts
4. English Muffin with fresh mozzarella, olive oil and fresh basil
5. Grapenuts with banana (and sometime half & half)
6. Breakfast Pizza & Breakfast 'corndogs' at Camp
7. "take a piece of bread..." (aka eggs in a basket, or nest, or whatever)
8. Homemade breakfast 'burritos' (of my own design)
9. Cream of Wheat (sorry Northfield) with Raisins and milk
10.Egg McMuffins and a hash brown
(11): Banana before workout, protein bar and glass of milk after (that's been my current weekday breakfast for the past year)

Bonus List/Fact: Best place to get breakfast
1. Amazing Grace, Duluth

List #35: 12 Favorite things about Watchmen (the book)

List #35: 12 Favorite things about Watchmen (the book)

1: "Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends."
2. "I leave it entirely in your hands" and the recurring visual of hands holding objects
3. The use of "All Along the Watchtower" in ch. X
4. The Veidt Method advertisement
5. Triptych panels
6. "Fearful" symmetry
7. The opening and closing zooms
8. Chapter 1, page 4, panels 4&6 (the Comedian's fall)
9. "Somebody has to save the world..."
10. The recurring visual motifs (Reflections, Circles, Clocks/watches, smilies, lenses/viewing-through-glass, symmetry, the 'splatter', hands holding things)
11. the multi-level meaning of the title (which does not specifically refer to any group of characters).
12."It'll happen today. I've seen signs"

List #34: 5 Problems I Need to Solve Soon

List #34: 5 Problems I Need to Solve Soon

1. The general disorderliness of my room, office and life
2. What to do and where to be this summer
3. Working on my professional "goals"
4. Lack of Brown 3-button Pinstripe suit
5. Not being married to Anne Hathaway

List #33:My 10 Favorite Places in the World

List #33: My 10 Favorite Places in the World

1. Grandpa's House, Pike Lake, MN
2. Camp Miller, Sturgeon Lake, MN
3. Carleton College, Northfield, MN
4. Hartley Field, Duluth, MN
5. Lake Superior Zoo, Duluth, MN
6. Gas Works Park, Seattle, WA
7. UW Bangor, Main Arts Building, Bangor, Wales
8.RedSquare - Rainier Vista, UW, Seattle, WA
9. US Botanical Gardens, Washington, D.C.
10. Coming around the hill in to Duluth on I35 near Cody St.

List #32: 5 people I like, and one reason I like them (part 1)

List #32: 5 people I like, and at least one reason why I like them
(part 1, of potentially many, interspersed throughout NYiL: don't be offended if you didn't make the first go-round, I still probably like you)

1: Biscuit: because he respects grammar, style and good writing (and can be a "D" about it)
2: Rainbow: for making me better at what I do (and for our realization that we work best together when we work separately in proximity)
3: Creepy: because she makes me, albeit grudgingly, admit there's importance in fashion
4: Mike Flower: for becoming an architecht
5: K. Bjorkman-Barthel: for remembering little details about stuff in high school

List #31: A few things I actually like about Maryland

List #31: A few things I actually like about Maryland

1. Snow nearly always equals Snow Days
2. All of the trees blossoming in the spring
3. It's relatively easy to get to DC
4. It's easier to watch Lacrosse here
5. I have good neighbors

List #30 Skills I Would Like to Have (or be better at)

List #30: Skills I Would Like to Have (or be better at) in no order.

1: Sewing (it'd be cool to make my own suits, ties and pants and Also a T-Shirt Quilt)
2: Languages (Welsh, Swedish, Portuguese, Latin, ASL)
3. Writing clever and intricate plots and meaningful lyrics
4. Carpentry
5. Baking
6. Ice Hockey (stick-handling and shooting)
8. Jazz Improvisation or general guitar soloing
9. Miniature sculpting / modding
10. Comics Illustration
11. Harmony Singing (and writing)
12. Gardening
13. Biathalon
14. Reading Music
15. Impressing the Ladies

List #29: Favorite Wales '99 Memories

List #29: Favorite Wales '99 Memories (10 of many many great ones)

1. Whistlestop tour of N. Wales with Skippy (Harlech, Snowdonia, Beaumaris, Pen Mon, Dolwyddelan, the "Lost Film")
2. Thanksgiving in December
3. Pub Quizzes at the Ffesant and Firkin and the Albion hotel
4. Trip to Ireland
5. Going out with the Field Hockey team
6. Visit from Hannah (that led to her Ph.D.)
7. Playing pool at the sports bar at the Ffridd site
8. The Questionable cheeseburger cart
9. Glenrafon Hill
10. The view out my window

Also, March is International Nic should try new things month (we'll see how long that lasts...):
Today's New Thing: I ate Kumquats for the first time.