life’s vexing questions: bert and ernie

THE PROBLEM

I recently sent out an email to several friends and family members, asking them three questions:

1. Do you like Bert or Ernie better?
2. Why?
3. How old are Ernie & Bert?

I thought that my blog would be an ideal medium for “publishing” the results of this little, informal survey.

But first, some background. For the last few months, I’ve been living with my sister while I figure out a more permanent place to live. About a week ago, she asked me whether I liked Bert or Ernie better. Her 4-year-old daughter had been watching Sesame Street and informed her mother (my sister) that “Ernie is always mean to Bert.” My sister was shocked by this response to the duo, and wanted to know what I thought about them; then, she wanted to know how old I thought they were. We disagreed on both points, and that sparked a friendly debate between us, in which her 14-year-old daughter soon joined. So I decided to take more decisive action.

By the way, my sister likes Ernie better, and I like Bert better. (It had never even occurred to her that some people might like Bert better, until her 4-year-old daughter brought it up.) She thinks that they are both around 6 or 7, and I think they are grown-ups, in their 20s or 30s.

THE RESULTS

So, here are the answers I got (including mine and my sister’s):

1. Do you like Bert or Ernie better?

Bert: 4

Ernie: 8

2. Why?

Bert: Bert is more responsible, level-headed, and sensible. Ernie is annoying; he moves in on Bert’s territory and doesn’t even seem to think about Bert’s feelings; he’s insensitive.

Ernie: Ernie is fun-loving and outgoing, likes to laugh and joke; he is creative and casual. Bert is too serious and stiff; he doesn’t see the fun side of life, he has boring hobbies (collecting bottle-caps, talking to pigeons), and he’s always bugging Ernie to grow up. Also, Bert is the “classic straight man” (which I completely agree with), which means you’re not supposed to like him as much (which I completely disagree with; does that mean that I’m not supposed to like Bud Abbott or George Burns? ‘Cuz I do!).

3. How old are Ernie & Bert?

4-12: 2

teens (13-19): 1

20s – 30s: 5

40s or older: 1

neither old nor young: 1

(P.S. Yes, I know that all the numbers don’t quite add up; that’s because some people had more than one opinion on one of the questions, and others didn’t answer one.)

THE CONCLUSION

Well, it appears that Ernie is generally more popular (although I found it very interesting to note that my closest friends preferred Bert, as do I).  Likewise, the general consensus is that they are in their 20s to 30s–but there is certainly room for doubt!

So, now I turn the question over to the rest of you out there. Whom do you prefer, and why? What age do you think Ernie & Bert are?

 

random thought

It never ceases to amaze me, just how much I can get done, or how little I can done in 24 hours. And “how much” or “how little” seems to depend solely on myself: my motivation and effort.

 

ah, the joys of a new phone!

This post seems particularly ironic, given the subject of my last. But I got a new phone this week, and am so excited!

My old phone had all kinds of issues with texting, and it annoyed the heck out of me–especially since I do so much more texting now than I did two years ago, when I got that old phone.

My new phone is an LG Rumor, with full QWERTY keyboard, which makes texting much faster! And easier. And it doesn’t seem to freak out on me if I want to insert, say, a dash, hyphen, or apostrophe. That’s definitely a bonus.

Actually, my sister has had this same phone for a few years, and has always liked it. That was when I first decided I wanted a phone with full QWERTY keyboard. (And, since we’re already on it, may I just say: I love typing QWERTY. Try it. QWERTY. Pretty fun, huh?)

Sprint had a deal on until June 6th, where you could get this phone for about $30, after a $50 rebate. So, I had to pay about $80 up-front, but I’m looking forward to getting that check in the mail. And, based on delivery service of the phone, I am expecting that it may not take the full 10-14 weeks (that’s right–10-14!) that they say to expect before that check comes. They told me to expect 2-5 days before I got my phone–but it was here the next day! Wow. I was impressed.

If you want, you can take a look at the cheesy Rumor by LG website for more information. (I find it helpful to my sanity to turn off the music.) I got the black one (with a blue keyboard!), in case you’re curious.

 

frasier clips

So, I recently discovered that I can find almost every episode of Frasier on YouTube, and I’ve been completely obsessed with the show for the last few weeks.

I remember watching the show sometimes during high school, but it wasn’t until college that I really started to enjoy it.  One night, in particular, I saw the episode called “The Seal Who Came to Dinner” (from Season 6), and thinking to myself, “Gee, this show is hilarious! I ought to watch it more.”  I did watch it a bit more after that–but nowadays I just can’t get enough of it.  I love re-runs.

 

hi, gang!

So, just a quick update about my life.  Here’s what’s going on:

This past Monday and Wednesday I rode a horse for the first and second times in my entire life–and I did it bareback!  Not bad, eh?  I’m taking a horse class through BYU-Idaho, and I’ve been loving it so far.  Next week we’re going to start using saddles.

Also this past week (and still this weekend) I’ve been moving back into my parents’ house.  Since Februrary I’ve been living with a girl named Jennifer I met at church.   She owned her own house, and I rented a room from her for a nice, small rate each month.  But now her brother and his family are moving here from California, and Jennifer has decided to rent the entire house out to them, so we are both moving in with our parents.  I’m not overly thrilled about it (especially since it’s in the middle the semester), but it’s fine.  I like my parents, they’re nice to me and feed and house me for free, so what do I have to complain about?

I have also been writing more lately, and I just love it!  I find writing invigorating, especially when I get something done–even just a rough draft–and it motivates me to accomplish more in other areas of my life.  In addition to the horse class I mentioned earlier, I am also taking a Creative Writing class on fiction, which scares the daylights out of me but also motivates me to get things started and finished.  Which, really, was the whole point in the first place.  I am anxious to hear back from my first-string readers (you know who you are!) and then start revising things.

Finally, I just got the first disc of the first season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” from Netflix yesterday and watched it last night (mostly) while I packed my books onto shelves in Mom and Dad’s house.  Pretty entertaining stuff.  I will definitely be continuing this foray in Joss Whedon-land.

 

repenting

So, I’m repenting.

I have really slacked off during the past few months, especially since the Summer semester got over at BYU-I. It’s been like an extended vacation, but it turns out that I really don’t like it. It keeps me lazy and unproductive, and that just depresses me in the long-run.

But today I went running and then finished my other exercises (a few strength exercises for my back and ankles, as well as some push-ups and sit-ups, which are pretty pathetic at this point). And I feel great! I tend to forget just how wonderful I feel when I really work out, so I’m enjoying this feeling tonight. I did go running once last week, but it wasn’t very good, and I didn’t feel very motivated afterward to continue it. After this, though, I’m ready. I’ve adopted a new workout program, and I’m really excited for it–even though it’s going to require some really early rising, and that’s going to be rough for a while.

I also have been writing more regularly, and I find it very energizing. I have to admit that I’m deeply indebted to my good friends, who have all been very supportive of my desire to start writing for real–and especially to Ellie, who has helped me find all kinds of great hints and tips from writing magazines and such. The whole thing is really scary prospect for me and feels highly vulnerable, but I do love it as well.

In addition to these two steps, I have also started attending my singles branch again (they were starting to wonder whether I was still alive, even, after I’ve missed so many weeks there from illness or going out of town or visiting other wards), and I am also reviving my blog. I don’t have many readers, but they are important to me, and really you’re all the reason I even started this blog in the first place–so that I could keep my loved-ones posted about what’s going on in my life, even while I’m too far away to be able to talk regularly. So, starting today, you can expect at least two posts each week: one for Musical Monday and one for some miscellaneous discussion about my life.

(Oh yeah, and I’m totally obsessed with Betsy Brannon Green lately. She’s an LDS suspense author, and I just love her books. The suspense plots are decent–she’s no Agatha Christie, but she does keep you thinking about the mystery through the whole book–and the romance plot that inevitably weaves into the story is usually top-notch. Such a fun writer! I’m eagerly awaiting the second installment in her Duty series, which comes out this October.  Check out her website and her page at Deseret Book.)

 

end of the semester

OK, OK, OK! I get it. You miss me. And, by the way, Erin, I returned your phone call at least twice — the ball’s in your court, now. (So there!)

(By the way, I’m not complaining that you miss me, folks.  I quite like to feel missed, so thanks for all the emails, phone calls, and comments asking about why I haven’t updated my blog in forever.)

Here’s what happened. First, I moved. Then, I didn’t have the Internet in my new place. It has taken from mid-Februrary until this week to finally get the Internet in my new place, for one reason and another. You all know how it is. For some reason, I had decided that I would wait until we did get hooked up before updating my blog — just one of those funny, almost superstitious things that we do, you know? So, now that we do have the Internet at home, it is also the final week of the semester, and I am busy, busy. Things seem to be getting out of my control, and I’m spending a lot of energy just trying to reign them in. Ironically, I am writing this post from my computer at work.

But I am hereby returning to my blog. And I will be reinstating Musical Mondays, since at least one person who reads my blog likes to read them.

For now, just know that I am alive, grading lots of portfolios and final papers, and loving American Idol. That pretty much sums up life for me these days.

 

randomness

While I love Idaho in many ways, I have found that I’m not so fond of snow as I remembered.

While I don’t love snow as much as I thought I did, I’m getting used to it.  And I still prefer it to heat.

As long as I’m on the weather–in many ways, I miss the great rain-storms in Texas.

I am more than curious to see how events will unfold after President Hinckley’s funeral (which I’m currently watching).  Who will serve as counselors to President Monson?  When will the announce the re-constitution of the Quorum of the First Presidency?  What will President Monson’s administration be like?  How will his General Conference talks change?

I’m frequently disturbed by the mis-representation of the quote that starts, “Anyone who imagines bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around and shouting that he has been robbed.”  While I love this quote, I’m frustrated that people don’t recognize that President Hinckley did not say this.  Rather,  he quoted it from an article in the Deseret News from 1973.  If you’d like to read the quote in full, take a look at the following article (just one of many in which President Hinckley used it): “A Conversation with Single Adults.”

I love teaching at BYU-Idaho.   I can expect so much more from my students than I could at a state university.  Plus, I don’t have to avert my eyes when talking to my students (because they all dress modestly); I can talk about the Gospel openly (which is nice, since it’s a strong vein in my thinking); and I actually feel like I’m a real member of the faculty (which I never really did at UNT).

I would be willing to teach full-time at BYU-Idaho, at least for a few years.  Especially if I could teach some linguistics-related classes, like History of the English Language.

If Sen. John McCain wins the nomination as the presidential candidate for President, disaster will soon follow in the Republican Party.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it caused a major party-shift.

If McCain wins the nomination, I refuse to vote for him.  I will write in Mitt Romney as my choice for President.

I’m on tenter-hooks, waiting to see how things come out in the many primaries and caucuses on “Super Tuesday” (Feb. 5).

I’m wonderfully grateful for the in-depth coverage that has been given to this presidential race.

Although I love my new PC laptop, I still wish I’d gotten a Mac.  *sigh*

While I appreciate the great love that members of the Church–and especially the youth–have had for President Hinckley, I don’t quite “get” the deep sadness at his passing.  I have no doubt that he is much happier now than he has been for some time.  Meanwhile, the Church will move on here on the earth, and can only progress.  What is there to be sad about?  (I don’t mean to trivialize the grief of so many, I am merely expressing my own feelings on this occasion.)

I didn’t realize until just recently that there was some lag-time between the passing of the President of the Church and the re-constitution of the Quorum of the First Presidency, even after Brigham Young had cleared up the succession problem.

One of the most destructive weapons against the productive use of our time is the invention of decent computer games.  I am currently obsessed with Jojo’s Fashion Show, and a few weeks ago was obsessed with Chocolatier.  Now I can hardly stand not being able to play Chocolatier 2.  And I am addicted to the 60-minute trial scheme.

I have been trying to work up the courage to leave the country for a few years as soon as I finish my doctoral degree.  I’d love to teach English abroad, perhaps in Mongolia or Jordan, perhaps through the Peace Corps or the BYU Kennedy Center for International Studies.  And I frequently think that I’d like to learn a “less-commonly-taught” language like Arabic, Hebrew, or Bengalese and then work as a contract linguist for the FBI and/or NVTC (National Virtual Translation Center).

The BYU-I English Department Secretary recently emailed all the faculty, asking for some help with a special project.  They are collecting favorite one-liner quotes from our favorite authors.  *chuckle*  I think I can do that.  My pick of my favorite favorite quotes ended up at about 2-1/2 pages.

I recently bought the actual album of Muse’s Black Holes and Revelations.  Not just the downloaded version, but the real-life CD, which I can now keep in my car and listen to whenever I want.  Oh, joy!

A few weeks ago, Mom and I watched the movie Dan in Real Life.  I loved it!  From the previews, I thought it was going to be a screwball comedy.  It wasn’t.  And it was so much better than I had expected.  Even if you’re not a Steve Carrell fan, I highly recommend it.  And if you are a Steve Carrell fan,  I still recommend it, as it’s an unusual example of his dramatic acting skills.

 

the name game

I realize I haven’t done any quotes for points since moving the blog to WordPress.  Sorry about that.  It started getting too hard to think of original quotes that people might recognize.  But, to make up for the points, I promise to offer as many opportunities as possible for you to comment in a useful way.  (Keep in mind, though, that you’re still allowed to comment in non-useful ways … any time you want, folks.  Hint, hint.)

So today, I’m asking for your thoughts on naming my new laptop.  I’ve narrowed it down to three, but I’d like your input on which one.  She’s a girl, and I decided I’d like to give her a Welsh name.  Here they are then, with my reasoning.

• Gwynedd The name of a region in northern Wales; it ultimately derives from Welsh gwyn, meaning “white, fair, blessed.” I like this name (which is pronounced like Gwyneth, as in Paltrow) because of its connection with Welsh history and tradition, as well as the beauty of the region.  I’d love to visit there someday: Caernarfon 1 – Caernarfon 2 – Caernarfon 3 – Snowdonia 1 – Snowdonia 2 – Snowdonia 3
• Glenys Derives from Welsh glan, meaning “pure.”  I like this because my own name — Katrina, a variant of Catherine — is often thought to derive from the Greek catharos, also meaning “pure.”  It’s kind of like the Welsh version of my name.
• Meiriona Apparently derives from the Latin surname Marius, from the name Mars, Roman god of war.  I like this because I’m expecting my new computer to be a warrior for me.  Also, it sounds  a little like Marian, which is a name I’ve always loved.

All right, those are the candidates.  Let me know which one you like best.  “I’m waiting patiently.”  (Anyone who can name the Muse song gets pretend points and a mega-kudos.)

 

tending tails

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I’d like to tell you about one more thing I’m now tending: my tailbone.

This morning, as I came down the stairs at my brother’s house, I took a foul step and fell right onto my bottom, hard.  I then continued to fall down the stairs in this way, my coccyx (aka, tailbone) hitting just about every step on the way down.  I also managed to grab hold of the picture of The Little One that hangs in the stairwell, pulling it off its nail, and pulling the nail downward in the wall, so that the picture no longer hangs there.

Mom was in the living room, right below the stairs, when this happened, having just finished changing The Little One’s diaper.  They heard me go crashing down the stairs, and Mom was seriously alarmed — she was terribly afraid that I would end up with a concussion or a broken leg or something.  The Little One was also highly upset and came over to the bottom of stairs, where she stood crying and stamping her feet in her alarm.

Happily, nothing was hurt too badly.  My back ached a little when I first stood up, and my tailbone continues to be sore.  Mom said I looked awfully pale when I first got up, and just before she left with The Little One to pick up The Big One from pre-school, I did indeed feel extremely pale, faint, and a tad nauseated.  But it passed.

In the meantime, I am afraid I may have seriously injured my tailbone.  But I looked up info on WebMD, and found that it is not particularly distressing.  I will have to check for bruising in the next few days, and I am supposed to avoid sitting for prolonged periods (oh, joy!), but such injuries apparently heal quite easily, with proper care.  I am seriously hoping that I won’t have to buy a donut cushion — it just seems so humiliating!