Archive for October, 2009

Things That Spell Our Doom: Roanoke Edition!

I’m not sure if I was the only one obsessed with the Lost Colony of Roanoke as a kid. I found the entire thing extremely eerie, especially since I would stop listening or reading when they got to the theories about Native American attack or Spanish attack or relocation to some other part of the East coast. As a child, I firmly believed that an entire colony of people had just mysteriously vanished without a trace, possibly into some other dimension, like they had slipped too close to the edge space between Life and Death and fallen through. Or something. Whatever, I was a weird kid. Later I decided Lawrence Stager’s theory about cannibals was maybe the most ridic and therefore the most credible.

Anyway, my childhood ambition is ABOUT TO BE FULFILLED! No, not the one where I become a mailman. I am going to solve the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke! As we speak, I am on the Outer Banks, tirelessly searching for clues. I realize that generations of fellow archeologists and crack pots have come before me, but I have one thing they don’t have: a belief in time travel. Armed with that, it should be way easy. Even easier than the time I solved the murder of Merriweather Lewis (the butler did it). So far, here is my list of time traveling suspects on this case:
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I want to marry a lighthouse keeper and keep him company…

THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER from THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER team on Vimeo.

Going to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse this weekend! I hope I too am attacked and then rescued by a giant lightning bug.

Baked Goods Self-Portrait Contest II: The Cupcakening

Due to the rampant success of the Cookie Self-Portrait Challenge, Steven and I were recently challenged to a rematch by Houston-area artist James Fox, who generously agreed to fly up for this showdown.

On the plus side, I finally had an excuse to buy a cupcake pan. On the downside, I am not very good at art in any medium, especially not frosting. I was therefore forced to make two cupcakes in the hope that quantity would finally win over quality. So my entries included:
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Misguided Travel Guides: Weiner Dog Day

The day I knew that I would love living in Carrboro was the day I saw Weiner Dog Day listed on Weaver Street Market‘s events page. This was back in July, and I have been counting down the days till October 18th, envisioning a carpet of disproportionately long puppies frolicking in front of the co-op.
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Things That Spell Our Doom: Google Analytics

Google Analytics has opened my eyes to a lot of things. 1) That I apparently have a growing following in Barueri, Brazil, 2) that my review of Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus is by far my most popular page to date, and 3) my picture from Deussen park in Humble was used in an article on Viral Eruption about ridiculous exit signs. If they think the sign’s ridiculous, they should see the buffalo.

However, the best part of Google Analytics, by far, is the ability to see what search terms led people to the welcoming embrace of The Plaid Pladd. Naturally the top searches this month were “patricia ladd” and “plaid pladd” but some other great ones include:

human leash (8)
dmventures (5)
“listen to showdown throwdown by miley cyrus” (3)
“oh no bella don’t you go” (3)
“it’s my fault for loving you too much” (1)
“scent-confusing” (1)
anna baron humble texas (1)
can we kill the people that don’t like twilight? (1)
cynthia bova blog (1)
edward undress bella (1)
is cookie crisp healthy (1)
plaid pants “murderer” (1)
sharks natural enemies (1)
timeline of plaid (1)
vampire egg love me twilight meyers (1)
waffle killed (1)

It’s almost like poetry.

This information is going to help me a lot. Clearly this is what people want out of me, so I should include more articles about vampire egg love me twilight meyers, twilight porn, and stalking Anna Baron. Don’t worry, gang, I have heard your silent call. Through google. And the software it gave me to spy on you.

Times I Have Almost Died: Helping Others

I know I have a job tutoring math, but I mainly do that for the Lying to Children aspects as much as the Helping Others part. So you can tell how hard this is for me. I wouldn’t be doing it at all, except instead of having a Wafflemaker Off of Epic Proportions last night, I made Steven watch Labyrinth with me instead.

Blockbuster Guy: I have the Collector’s Edition of this.
Me: Cool!
Blockbuster Guy: Yeah, and the Jareth action figure.
Me: Of course you have the Jareth action figure.
Blockbuster Guy: This movie is so awesome… it even makes me forgive David Bowie for trying to act.
Me: He was SO acting! He changed tight pants in like every scene! Just when you think there are no more tight pants in the world for David Bowie to wear, HE FINDS SOME!
Blockbuster Guy: I mean… if you’re into that.
Steven: I am already having doubts about the goodness of this movie.

Anyway, Steven learned a valuable lesson about goblins and I made friends with a Blockbuster employee (current life goal), so I feel that, despite a waffle lack, it was a night well spent. But that leaves me with nothing to write about today (besides Blockbuster employees). So, I have decided to help others. Sigh.

The Adventures of Cynthia Bova
As an integral part of THE 434, Bova’s blog is maybe my blog’s sister, or at least some kind of hot cousin. We originally battled for supremacy, but eventually decided that the Internet was big enough for us to coexist. She writes more about her personal life than I do (I only write about mine when it is AWESOME, which is often, so that’s okay) but definitely holds the market share on exclamation point use. My paltry attempts at Bova-levels of punctuation excitement don’t even come close. Also, it’s Bova. Come on.

NASCAR News
My cousin maybe knows too much about NASCAR, to the point where sometimes I don’t understand anything when he talks. Last time I visited, I asked if a NASCAR anchor was what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he gave me this withering look and said, “I am one already.” Clearly. I don’t know what I was thinking. Anyway, despite not understanding the content at all, I still think his videos are super cute, especially when Mr. Biffle, his dog, or Patricia Ladd, his intrepid cousin, are guest anchors. I can’t wait to say that I knew him when he was producing videos in his garage.

Andrew Coffin Fox’s Kind of Emo Extravaganza of Amazingness!!!!!!!
Andrew is apparently really bad at coming up with titles to draw people in (“Andrew Coffin Fox’s Blog”?) so I helped him out here a little. I know, so much with the helping people. I’ll probably have to skip class to go lie down after this. Andrew is one of the infamous Brothers Fox and may or may not be a time traveler (he always denies it when I mention it; that was my first clue). Sometimes it seems like he’s trying to become a modern day Emily Dickinson, but other times there are comics!! Both are good times. Also, the tales of his epic struggle with his arch nemesis, the University of New Hampshire Academic Calendar! One day, Andrew, one day you will prevail. And look! Even though I bet he will never read this (not everyone is generous and amazing and good at wasting time like me), I’m not even saying anything bad about him. THAT’s helping others right there.

Came to my Senses & I chilled for a bit
We all know about my love for Alex Crompton. Naturally I assume that anyone who can run for SA president on the platform that he’s a better kisser than the other candidates has to have amazing post-college adventures. Unfortunately, he does not update enough so I am forced to imagine what he is doing, which is pretty much just as exciting. If he ever does update, I am sure I will be vindicated in thinking that he is becoming pale and tragic in a Parisian cafe trying to win the affections of a deaf Bulgarian immigrant girl while playing the accordion for change in the echoing tiled tunnels of the city Metro. If not, why not?

Okay. I need to go take someone’s seat on the bus to balance myself out.

Modesty, Math, and Waffles

Steven: You can look at how many page hits and where they’re coming from with google analytics. Because I bet so many people are reading your blog and not commenting. You should think of a way to entice them to comment.
Me: Meh. I’m not going to cramp their style. I don’t need commenting. I know they’re there and they know I’m amazing. It’s like a symbiotic relationship. Just like how I don’t need an app on facebook to tell me who my top friends are.
Steven: Well, maybe a modesty app

Me: … so really the fraction bar is just a different way of writing a division sign. We could write this as 1 divided by 2 if we wanted.
Boy: Which is 0.5!!!! That’s so cool! I wonder if my teacher knows that.
Me: Probs.
Boy: What?
Me: It’s actually a math secret I invented.

This kid was literally ridiculously excited about fraction/division/decimal equivalents and could not WAIT to tell his teacher about them.

So last week while in H-Town Steven’s mom bought us some pots and pans. Yay! Now we can cook in more than just a soup pot or the World’s Littlest Frying Pan! However, she also included Steven’s old waffle maker in the box they came in, not realizing that, as part of his random gift giving every time I see him, my Uncle had already given me a brushed silver Industrial Size Belgian Waffle Maker. Literally the same one we had in the servery. Steven’s waffle maker looks puny and weak by comparison, but also scrappy and good at maneuvering. Clearly you know where this is going.

Stay tuned for WAFFLEOFF2009!

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