2010 in Review

Reading: Cosmo (I'm between books and, yes, it feels weird)

New years eve is a time when most of us remember all the resolutions we broke and all the things we didn't accomplish, rather than everything we have. So this year, armed with a mini-carton of ice cream and some awesome Wizard Rock, I'm going to do both.

Last New Years, I got home from a party with my friends and stood for a moment in my back yard. It was quiet and snowing and really quite beautiful and I wanted to enjoy it all. The picturesque snowy yard and the lingering high I get from laughing for hours with the people I love. I made my one and only resolution for the year then. I decided that this was going to be my year. I'd put all 2009's screw-ups behind me and start actually accomplishing something. Well, I sort of did. So without further ado - 2010 in review.

• I moved out. It may not be Toronto, but still, it's a step in the right direction. I'm loving it too.
  
  
• I got into the program I wanted. Unfortunately it was part-time in Ottawa and really not doable, but I also made it onto the waiting list for the full-time one in Toronto and that was more a timing thing than a lack of qualifications, so I'll try again this year.
  
  
• I stopped worrying about my body. I've (mostly) learned to be content with how I look right now. Constantly worrying about it and trying to diet will never make me as happy as enjoying my food and learning to dress for, what I've accepted to be, my body type*.
  
  
• I put Dumbledore up (twice). Years ago I got a huge Dumbledore poster circa CoS. It's got Richard Harris on it instead of Gambon and is one of those huge vynil things they hang in theatre lobby's for big openings. The bottom's still rolled up 'cause it's taller than my room and it creeps my sister out, but I love it none the less. It's probably the nerdyest thing I own and it's completely jokes. When I moved I had to take it down and only just got him back up this week.
  
  
• I put all my messing about on Photoshop to good use and got it published. I joined the Publishing volunteer committee for Infinitus and helped design the program. It was more rushed than I expected, and involved late nights and a fair amount of frustration on all sides, and in the end a lot of it got changed, but my names in there and there's enough of my stuff to make feel feel proud when I look at it. Oh and about 2500 people recieved a copy so, y'know, it was pretty cool.
  PS. I no longer have any of the files since my computer got wiped. So, guess that's a con.
  
  
• I went to Infinitus. I may still be paying for it, but I went. And it was amazing.
  
  
• I discovered several new interests and generally embraced my nerdiness. I am so much more comfortable in my skin now and I wear my mens Griffindor sweater with pride (and carry my wand when the occasion calls for it).

So in short, not a bad year. I made changes, both big and small. I made some amazing new friends and I met someone I think I really like. So here's to 2011, let's hope it's as 2010.

♥ G

Talk Nerdy To Me

Reading: A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens

I've known for a
while now that I have 'a thing' for slightly (or not so slightly) nerdy guys, but I only just realized how serious it really is. Take The Big Bang Theory. Even on a show about nerds (and Penny) I go for the nerdiest. Sheldon is my absolute favorite. I recently stumbled upon some Penny/Sheldon pics that have blown my mind. So here it is, my top nerd crushes in no particular order.

1. Dr. Sheldon Cooper

2. Dr. Spencer Reid









3. Sam Winchester
That's early Sammy. When he still did research and was the moral-compass of the duo. Y'know. Before he became a giant douchebag.





4. Hank Green
'cause he never FTBA.






5. Michael Moscovitz
God bless Meg Cabot for bringing him into my life. And I'm talking about Book-Micahel, not the spazzy movie-Michael.




6. Matt Smith as The Doctor
Bow-ties FTW.










It's late and I know there are more, but right now my mind just keeps coming up with the same RL example so before I do something stupid, I'm signing off.

♥ G

Perfection in The Snow

I just had an interesting experience and I wanted to get it down and 'out there' before it starts to fade. I have literally just finished Paper Towns and "At Hogwarts" by The Remus Lupins is on the iPod when I step off the bus into lightly swirling snow. Everything is muffled and snowy and beautiful and the sky is pinkish from the light polution and it's all so unreal with The Remus Lupins and the after-effects of an amazing book and I'm almost giddy and tearing up at the same time. I turn onto my street when I realise why. It's a perfect moment. My two worlds, the outer world I share with people, and my inner world at at peace simultaneously. Then I reach my door and the song ends as I punch in the code and step through.

Not a word of this is fictional or embellished. It is one of those fluke things that can't really be explained or relived. I could recreate those few minute a million times and I'm sure it would never feel quite like that. So tonight, as the snow continues to fall outside I wont worry and I wont complain or dream of the future. Tonight I'm going to enjoy this feeling and this moment.

♥ G



Please don't judge the song by the video.

Time to Shake Things Up

OK. I'm settling again. I can feel the rut I am digging for myself.

The Plan:

1. New Job. I hate my job. And I need full-time work anyway.
2. Volunteer at the Library. I love the library and I can use the experience.
3. Clean Room again. K, so not really radical, but I should do it anyhow.

Now. To bed.

<3 G

I Found One!

Reading: Paper Towns John Green

Fairly recently I discovered John and Hank Green. I had heard of them before of course (I'd even read Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines), but hadn't really known much about them. Then I watched all their videos, got completely sucked in and joined the thousands (millions?) of made-of-awesome people who consider themselves Nerdfighters. One of the things these Nerdfighters do is put little notes in John Greens books at book stores and libraries for others to find. This either recruits new Nerdfighters or is an awesome surprise for a current Nerdfighter.

So there I was on the bus, reading Paper Towns (which had finally come in at the library) and this fell out

Yes! A Nerdifghter note! This means there is a Nerdfighter here. Somewhere in my crappy little town. So now I am trying to figure how I might find this person because if there are people that awesome nearby, I need to meet them.

In other news. I am loving this book. Review to come once I've finished it because if there's one thing I've learned from John Green's books it's that they can end very differently from the way they start.

DFTBA <3 G

Never Pay for Cards Again

Reading: OOTP JK Rowling
I am always amazed when people come through my register and drop ten, twenty, thirty dollars on greeting cards. True, some are kind of cute, but usually it's nothing special and at five-bucks a pop, you want something a little neat. I myself, haven't paid for a card in years. I make all mine and so can you. All you need is a printer really and an internet connection.

What You'll Need:

• Printer
• Internet Connection
• A computer program that allows you to work with graphics and fonts. I use Photoshop, but you could use something as simple as Microsoft Word just as well. For a free PS-type program check out Gimp.
• Cardstock (optional)
• Glitter (optional)

1. Get some inspiration.
   Visit your local Hallmark, do a google search, look at some of your own cards. Scrapgirls has a full gallery devoted to cards that members have created (here) and Hallmark has some of theirs up on their website (here).
2. Get some supplies
   You can make a basic card using clip art you find online, or already within the program you are using and some nice fonts or, if your feeling a little more creative, there's a bevy of digital scrapbooking freebies and fun fonts available online for anyone to download (I have a slight font obsession, and as a result have more than I know what to do with). If you want some more details on fonts you can checkout this post. A basic Google will give you a tonne of results, but a lot will be crap to be honest. I get most of my supplies from Scrapgirls, Shabby Princess and Digifree.
   
3. Assemble your card.
   Last step. Put it all together and print it out! Easy peasy.
   

If you want, you can enhance your card with some glitter or bit of ribbon afterward. It's simple and fun and looks pretty damn impressive and best of all, you're only really paying for the paper and ink.

♥ G

Carrie Vs Gen

Reading: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix JK Rowling

Like thousands of other women, I have fallen in love with Sex and the City. There's something about Carrie, vapid and unrealistic as her life can be, that I can relate too. I have however noticed that as fun as the show can be to watch and as much as I love spending a half hour in Ms Bradshaw's fabulous world I always come away feeling dissatisfied with MY life. In the (recent) past I had a lot to be dissatisfied with, and I suppose I still do, but I'm a lot happier now than I was before and a lot more grounded too, in my opinion anyway.

I'm house-sitting for the fam an thought I'd take advantage of the access to my mothers complete set this afforded me. Sure enough in the time it took to change discs I found myself wishing I had weekly brunches with friends and an endless parade of fabulous events to attend in equally fabulous couture. A certain amount of envy is to be expected, but I have trouble seeing the good things I have.

I won't stop watching, but I'm hoping that now I'll be able to keep things a little more in perspective and remember to never FTBA.

<3 G -- Post From My iPhone

Mmmmm Crackers

Reading: How To Ditch Your Fairy (Justine Larbalestier)

What does one do when one has (delicious) cranberry goat cheese, but no crackers and no money to buy crackers? Well, if like me, one does have flour, milk butter and salt, one makes crackers! That's right. This morning I made my own crackers. And they were delicious. Here's the recipe I used from the Towards Sustainability blog. Thanks for the recipe Julie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Basic Cracker Recipe


Ingredients

2 cups of plain flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons softened butter
approximately 1 cup of milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150'C/ 300'F.

2. Add the salt to the flour, and in a mixing bowl or food processor, cut the butter in until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

3. Slowly mix in enough milk to form a soft, but not sticky, dough.

4. Divide the dough into two or three portions and roll out one at a time, until paper thin. You can do this on a lightly floured workbench, or you can do it straight onto a large, ungreased cookie sheet, as I do. This recipe makes enough for my two 10" x 15" trays, so divide your dough accordingly.

5. Using a sharp knife or pizza roller, cut the dough into crackers. Prick each one two or three times with a fork and transfer carefully to the cookie sheet if you rolled it out on your bench.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp. Allow to cool on the tray and then store in an air tight container for up to a week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am happy to report that they were delicious, if uneven due to my lack of a rolling pin. I sprinkled them with sea salt and they went perfectly with my goat cheese. Mmmm goat cheese. I even shared them at work and no one died. I may never buy crackers again.

<3 G

Crazy Bones!

Reading: Harry a History (Melissa Anelli)

Yes! Crazy Bones! I don't know where it came from but something reminded me of these colourful, contorted little characters. Though shorter lived they were, in my opinion, better than Pokemon. I mean yeah Pokemon were bigger. Yeah they had games and cards and movies and a tv show, while, as far as I know, Crazy Bones were confined to the things themselves, the latter was so much more fun. They were colourful and cute and 3-dimensional. Also the game was far less complicated. Throw Crazy Bone. Knock down opponents Crazy Bone. Collect your booty. I never actually played 'for keeps' because I only had a few Bones and was very attached to them (I even built them a house), but I spent many a recess camped out on the tarmac with my friends and occasionally my sisters comparing and occasionally trading. Then they got banned. School yard gossip said teachers were concerned about a game in which kids threw little plastic figurines at each other and then went home with another child's toys. *sigh*
I cannot even imagine the hell the teachers must have gone through with Pokemon. Older kids were cheating younger kids, fights were started over cheating and game rules and then there was Collectors Corner A corner of the schoolyard dedicated to trade, battles and just showing off. It was the thing to do and I remember being to nervous to go alone. I always went with my braver friend. It felt like going somewhere exclusive and somewhat shady. It's amazing what a 9 year old's mind can conjure up . I can think of several things that felt so real at the time, but thinking back were ridiculous. That's the power of imagination.



<3 G

Tradition

Reading: Going Postal* (Terry Pratchett)

When the leaves begin to turn and there's a definite crispness in the air, before our thoughts turn to free candy and costumed shenanigans, it's time to remember the good things. Okay, so that sounded a bit trite, but Thanksgiving kind of is. It's all about tradition. Take the food served. squash, turkey, pumpkin pie all of these are foods readily available in the area at harvest time. Our diets are no longer dictated by geography or time of year yet we continue to prepare variations on the same dishes every year. It's tradition. Some of my favorite traditions are the strange ones unique to my family. They're more special because they're ours alone and came about accidentally in most cases.

Tradition 1: Several years ago I found myself home alone on Thanksgiving while everyone ran to and from lessons, stores and work. As well as our family of six we were expecting some family friends, bringing our dinner party to 10 and our prep time to nothing. I figured I'd help and after raiding the kitchen came up with a can of mixed marinated beans and a few fresh pears. Viola, 10 second salad. I've made it every years since. We all contribute a dish to our dinner now (though I think I'm the first to 'invent one :p) making it truly a family affair.




Tradition 2: My fathers birthday is a little before Thanksgiving and my Mom got him Planes, Trains and Automobiles one year. PTA is a John Hughs movie staring Steve Martin and John Candy as to travelers trying to get home in time for Thanksgiving. Every year after dinner we take our dessert into the luivingroom to watch Dale and Neil struggle their way across the country. It's the only time we watch it and it's probably my favorite tradition.




It's my first Thanksgiving on my own, and while I am still going to be having dinner at the house with my family it's still going to be different going as a 'guest'. I'm looking forward to these traditions even more. It's nice when everything's changing, even when it's good change, to return to something familiar. I made my salad in my little kitchen with my crappy plastic dishes and I feel that same pride to be contributing that I felt at 12.

Happy Thanksgiving ♥ G


*In my pants

Poor Writing and Making a Difference

Reading: Kingdom Keepers: Disney in Shadow Ridley Pearson

The other day I received a (belated, but lovely) birthday gift of chocolate, a sweet card and a Kiva gift certificate. Kiva is an organization which "...empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe." Basically, you can lend a small amount to an entrepreneur of your choice in a developing country. The website lists the entrepreneurs, how much they need, what the need it for and how much of that has been raised. Once the loan is repaid, you can either donate it Kiva or loan it to someone else. I chose a woman in South Sudan who wants to build a shelter for her firewood business. I definitely intend to get more involved in this, and hopefully I can get some more people into it too. Guess what people are getting for Christmas this year :D!


I have a confession to make. In addition to my Harry Potter obsession, I am a die-hard Disney lover. It's completely magical to me, no matter how much I see of it. This led me to begin reading the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson a few years ago. The basic premise is that Disney World is using some new tech to create virtual "hosts" to act as tour guides in the parks. Through a glitch in the system however, the kids who were the models for these "DHIs" (Disney Host Interactive) become their holograms when the go to sleep at night. So they basically get to run around Magic Kingdom after hours. Oh, and they have to save the world and stuff. I loved the first one and really enjoyed the second one. As for the third "Disney in Shadow".... it feels as though Pearson had planned a third book (indeed, the second ends in almost a cliff hanger), but then didn't really have time, or didn't want to write it when the time came. The result is a choppy third installment reminiscent of a pre-teens first FanFic. It's a bit like listening to your favorite song through a bad radio. You can tell there's something good there, but it gets a bit lost amid all the static. As a result it has taken me ages to get through a book that should've only taken a few days. It's disappointing to say the least, especially coming after "Insatiable" which was amazing. I'll keep going though.

<3 G

Have You Seen My Salt Shaker?

During my adventure in Geekdom, the roomies and I took a lunch break at Citywalk. After much (OK, almost no) debate we settled on Margaritaville. It was really, really dark and yes, Margaritaville, plays often (not constantly, but it'll still be stuck in your head. Upon sitting down I mentioned that I had never, in fact, had a margarita. Well, it was decided, this was the place to try one.

Oh, and we stole a bottle of hot sauce to make Firewhisky, but that's a story for another time.

Drink Responsibly ♥ G

**No sooner had I posted this, than my mother came home with this. Weird coincidence.

It's Good to Be Back

Location: Cloud 9
Reading: Kingdom Keepers III: Disney After Dark Ridley Pearson

So after a long hiatus and many technical difficulties, I am scrapbooking once again. So here it is - my first LO in ... 5 months? Something like that.


No time to chat. I've got pics to scrap!

If you like my LO's, or Digi-scrapping in general there're all kinds of tutorials, freebies and examples over at my first blog, Rain

♥ G

Infinitus Pics are Up!

Location: My Room
Reading: Insatiable Meg Cabot Infnitus pics are up. Rather than upload them one by one, I've put a slideshow to the right >>>.
Some were taken by myself, and some have been stolen from friend Facebooks. Enjoy :)

♥ G

Gen Returns to the Muggle World Pt. I

Location: My Room
Reading: Insatiable Meg Cabot

So it's been about 3 weeks since Infinitus and while I still miss it all terribly, I'm settling back into normal life (i.e averaging more than 3/4h of sleep a night and being in constant HP geek-out mode). It was ... an amazing experience. Far more than I was ever expecting. When I made this plan, it was all about me. I was going to do the discussions and lectures and exclusive park event for myself, and likely do these things solo. I was also going to put a concentrated effort into socialising with my roommates in order to avoid awkwardness. What I didn't expect was, what quickly became, six days of laughter, love and even some tears (mostly at the end). The 3 girls who were initially just nice people I could split the cost of the room with became (almost instantly) 3 of my best friends. I love them (and the other people I met) to death and cannot wait until I get to see them again in July.

One of the big incentives for me (apart from the park of course) was the Wrock. If you don't know, Wrock (or Wizard Rock) is an honest to god genre of music based on and inspired by Harry Potter. They had several shows over the course of the con and it was just and amazing atmosphere. I can't even finish this post because I'm distracted by the vids on YouTube. So here's some Wrock for you until I've gathered myself enough to actually write. :)


Night of Frivolity Ball
If you're wondering, that is the sound of 2500 HP Fans collectively loosing their shit.

Jena, one of my roomies, has a channel and she and Kristen both have excellent summary videos. Yes, that is me in my Gryffindor sweater at the beginning.
Jena's
Krysten's


If you want to see any of the vids I took, you can check out my channel (they're the only things up there).


As I said, more soon. ♥ G

Eff This, I'm Going to Hogwarts.

Reading: Harry: A History Melissa Anelli

It's finally here. In under 2 days I will be leaving for the awesome geek-fest that will be Infinitus, the latest Harry Potter Con from HPEF. It's my first one and I've been planning for just over a year now. It's been so long in coming, that it's hard to beleive it's actually here. Infinitus will run from Thursday the 15th till Sunday the 18th at Universal Studio's Royal Pacific resort. Why Universal? For the Wizarding World of Harry Potter of course. The new HP themed 'park' at Islands of Adventure. I've treated this park as I would any new Potter release and done my best to avoid photo's and reviews so as to remain un-spoiled prior to that moment when I finally set foot in 'Hogsmeade'. The fact that this will happen after-hours and exclusivly with fellow fans makes it all the more magical.

This will also be my first major solo trip. I have flown alone before (in fact that was my first flight ever) and made the odd jaunt to nearby Toronto to meet-up with friends, but this cross-border adventure involving two buses, a flight, and a shuttle is rather a larger undertaking. It'll be nice to decide for once how I want to spend my vacation days entirely without input (apart from the Con. schedule of course). To mark this occasion and what will hopefully become a tradition of travel and adventure I purchased this gorgeous leather travel wallet from Danier.

Originally $49, I returned a week later and picked it up on-sale for almost half that. I love the bright blue colour which is summery and fun and will also make it easy to spot in my bag. Inside are divider tabs for passport, tickets, and other documents as well as a zipped pocket for money and another slot for my boarding pass.

The inside is lined in yellow making it just as sunny as the exterior. I know I'll only be using it for a short time durring the trip, but I'm so excited about it.

I promise to get plenty of photo's and may even update from Orlando.

♥ G

Miley Fails at Parenting

Reading: Pretties Scott Westerfield

I woke up this morning to my favorite AM radio show, Scott Fox and the Z103.5 Morning Show. Between the traffic reports and usuall banter there is discussion of last nights Much Music Video Awards hosted by Miley Cyrus. Surprise, surprise: fresh scandal. It seems Miss Cyrus once again has scandalised concerned parents and self-righteous bloggers everywhere with her skin-baring costumes. Apparently as a role model, these outfits are far too risque to be viewed by the impressionable minds of our young children. One article seemed offended that Cyrus had "been turning her back on her clean-cut past" since leaving the show that made her famous and even go on to point out that, "as a role-model to teenagers and with many young fans in the audience ... perhapse [her] outfits were a tad unsuitable for the family show" (The Daily Mail). Does no one remember Lady Gaga last year? Let me refresh you:

Oh yes. This is so much worse

I actually think the one above is fabulous. It looks so cool. It's a costume, she's not wearing it out. In fact, this is what she wore to rehersals earlier that day



Apart from Lady Gaga, I don't think anyone really carries their stage persona into their daily life. Beyonce even gave her's a separate name. As for all those outraged parents and young children supposedly in the audience, why are they there? It's the MMVA's not a Jonas Brother's concert. Maybe these people should raise their children themselves instead of counting on a 17 year-old to do it for them.

♥ G

Death and Rebirth

Location: My Desk
Mood: Productive
Reading: Wuthering Heights

I've finally dug my desk out from under the mountain of laundry, books and miscellaneous papers covering it and am catching up on all my backed-up web stuff. Somehow I just don't feel as motiviated when I'm using my computer from the livingroom or my bed.


Since I lasted posted I have had my birthday, been to Space Camp and finished a couple books. Among other things (A hand-painted cocktail glass, gorgeous paper flowers and the softest green hoodie ever) I recieved a copy of Wuthering Heights from a family friend for my 21st. Apparently fashion illustrator Ruben Tuledo and Penguin Books have joined forces to re-release 3 classics (Emily Bonte's Wuthering Heights, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and Jane Austen's Pride and Pejudice) with new covers. I had to admit upon opening the gift that I was immediatly interested. The other two look pretty great as well. Though it took me a bit or mental-yoga to wrap my mind around the language and way of speaking, I find myself enjoying it. It hasn't 'sucked me in' as all my favorites have, but I'm not tempted to just put it down in favor of one of the other's on my list of things to read.

Prior to opening it, all i knew of Wuthering Heights was that it was a classic, somewhat tragic and "That times Twilight", which I am assuming refers more to the popularity and cultural impact than the writing itself. Oh and that Kate Bush song (of which I prefer the Pat Benetar version).

I've become fairly dependant on my local library's online audiobook service which allows one to download up to four audiobooks per library card straight to your computer for a limited time. This alows me to cram even more litereary fun into my life via my iPod and computer, though I have created a bit of a rule for myself that I cannot download any fiction that I haven't yet read. When Smart Mouths (awesome podcast from the 'Andrew Sims' franchise which includes Mugglecast and Imprint) anounced that they would be interviewing author John Green on their next Smart Mouths Book Club episode when they reviewed Will Grayson, Will Grayson I immediatly downloaded Looking for Alaska (they didn't have Will Grayson, Will Grayson and besides, I haven't read it yet). I cannot express enough how amazing this book is. No it is not a survival tale about a quest through the wildreness. Alaska in fact refers to Alaska Young a freespirited, though troubled Junior at Cullver Creek boarding school in Alabama. The book cleverly explores the way we look at death and what happens after. Despite the potentially depressing subject matter Looking for Alaska manages to stay engaging and entertaining with characters and incidents we can all relate to on some level. Read It.

♥ G

A Conscious Web?

Location: The Living Room

Mood: Sleepy
Reading: Wake, Robert J. Sawyer

What would happen if the Internet gained consciousness? It's not outside the realm of possibility. Essentially it is a big brain really, constantly being fed new information. What is to truly prevent that spark from occurring? This is exactly what occurs in Wake, the first in Canadian science-fiction genius Robert J. Sawyer's latest series. It is told through several different viewpoints, all intricately woven into a seamless and enthralling story, as Sawyers work always is. Caitlin is blind, at least until a Japanese scientist offers to 'cure her' using an implant. The technology gives Caitlin sight, but not in the way you would assume. She still cannot see the world around her, but she is able to see the Internet. Not the websites and codes that we view daily, but the actual network of websites and links and data. It is while exploring 'Websight' that Caitlin discovers a something out there.

It truly is a fascinating book. Caitlin often references Helen Keller's experiences throughout. Keller described her life prior to the breakthrough by her teacher Annie, as being rather wild. No real conscious thought, just impulses. Then Annie broke succeeded in bringing forth what Keller calls her 'Soul Dawn'. What is to stop something similar from occurring with the web?

I'm afraid I'm not explaining it very well, but trust me, it is well worth a read. If you like Sawyer's stuff be sure to check out Calculating God, and Flash Froward, which has been adapted into a fairly successful television show. And, if your a sci-fi fan, you'll like his lecture "A Galaxy Far, Far Away My Ass" which can be found on YouTube.

♥ G

Hey everyone. This is a test post to check the new stuff I just did. I've been messing with the HTML of my template and I'm not sure if it worked. I need to fill this post with actual cohesive text as opposed the gibberish of my last test post in order to determine if it is actually being cut off by my sidebar or not. OK, here goes.