Back at work

[chanaleh]

Happy birthday, jweiss!

Only 200 e-mail messages to sift through at work. Of course, 30 of those were spam (the spam that *didn't* get pre-filtered out), so even easier.

Things I learned at Saturday night's most fabulous and life-affirming party:
(1) Apparently, and despite all campaigning and common sense, I am still not entirely over [deleted]. Dammit, dammit, sonofabitch.
(2) But I have wonderful and supportive friends, old and new. (This is not a news flash, but still noteworthy.)
(3) There are other, less destructive crushes that still persist 12 years later.
(4) The roozle-sunspiral estate numbers among its marvels a Room of Requirement. (Bet you didn't know that, eh, guys?)

Things I learned yesterday from eesti:
(1) Divan, chemodan, sakvoyazh, Kartina, korzina, kartonka...
(2) Russian lessons before bed do not promote restful sleep.

Comments

[xdaemon.livejournal.com]

I've always found it amazing how crushes/love interests/etc. just don't go away without major incentive. I'm not entirely over one of my exes, who broke up with me in 1997. I doubt I ever will be, either.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but there are some that settle into a pleasant sort of wistful awareness (present company included), and others that still sit like rocks in the pit of my stomach. Arrgh.

[xdaemon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hear you. I find the rocks are the ones I was more emotionally involved with/attached to.

[navrins]

A "Room of Requirement?"

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Have added link (q.v.).

[points.livejournal.com]

If I could get over suchlike things that happened, even over a decade ago, I think I'd certainly sleep better at night. *Hugs*

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Well, you know, my crush on you persists after 12+ years, too. :-)

[points.livejournal.com]

Ah, but -this- particular crush, I haven't tried to grow out of. *Grins* *Blows you a kiss*

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Hi Erica! Off-topic, but I just now saw your reply on my weirdjews post, and you're on like 5 og my friends' friendlists. Do you mind if I friendlist you too? At least when you're talking about work, I'll know exactly what you're referencing. :-)

-Mare

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Of course, of course! I friendlist everyone I discover that I know, basically. Glad to have found you; this way we're even more likely to keep in touch.

And you are quite right about how awesome scholargipsy is. :-)

[dragonfriek.livejournal.com]

You too are learning Russian? Awesome! What are you using? I got the Pimsleur Instant Conversation CDs for cheap, though I keep not progressing past the third lesson.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Right now I'm not using anything to speak of -- except that eesti brings me children's books in Russian as a hostess gift whenever he stays with me (once every couple of years), and during the visit sits down and reads me some of the stories, translating on the fly while I gleefully follow along and try to pick out the letter sounds.

But Russian is certainly next on my list to learn (and has been since I was in college, mostly because my God but it's sexy to listen to... or is that just me?), and I'm finally thinking that maybe I will dabble in some self-teaching.

[dragonfriek.livejournal.com]

It is sexy to listen to. And my God are Russian Jewish men sexy to look at. Although that could just be my bias. It makes me very sad that there aren't Russian mail-order husbands like there are or at least used to be Russian mail-order brides.

You're quite welcome to borrow my Pimsleur CDs if you like.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Hey, we should have a Russophile girls' night instead. We can have lessons for an hour, then drink vodka and watch White Nights. ;-)

[navrins]

(makes note to use what few words of Russian I (still) have, once I have a voice to say them with...)

Bwa ha ha!

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

By all means, lay it on me. >:-)

[besamim.livejournal.com]

Hm. Just like that scene in A Fish Called Wanda where John Cleese discovers he can drive Jaimie Lee Curtis wild by uttering random Russian words.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Dude! I haven't seen that movie in way too long; I remember the scene but I'd forgotten that Russian was involved. I was thinking of Morticia speaking French to Gomez Addams. But yeah, kinda like that. :-)

[sunspiral.livejournal.com]

Can't say I'm too surprised to hear about the Room of Requirement. There are secret places in the house that I know about, and there's the missing Third Floor, too. You'll have to tell me what happened.

Багаж

[eesti.livejournal.com]

i malen'kaya sobachonka!

Here's a couple of links:

On Chukovsky (of "Moydodir"):
http://www.odessit.com/namegal/english/chukovsk.htm

And the original illustrator's cover for Bagazh:
http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/russian/bagaz.JPG

Fondly,
Alesha

[(Anonymous)]

Having been alerted that I should catch up on your LJ...Thanks for the birthday wishes!

And since it seems to be relevant to the thread, I'll note that my recent trip to Croatia has renewed my interest in Russian. I was surprised at the number of similarities between it and Croatian.

--jweiss

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Your spies are everywhere! Hee hee... I'm suddenly going to find out *exactly* how many people I know have ever taken any Russian, I suspect :-)

[(Anonymous)]

How else could I keep track of everyhitng I need to know. I've never actually taken any Russian, but I did spend a few years at MIT hanging around a bunch of Russians. :-)

[navrins]

Oh, right. Of course you did.