A room with a view

Apparently at some point in the whoknowshowdistant future, I will be losing my city view. Why one may ask, because the old folks home on the next street over is expanding and adding a base and another 19 story tower. I strongly suspect that that 19 story tower will completely obstruct my view of the tall city buildings that I have currently. I will be sad about this a little. Lately while working on my latest transcript project (more on this in a min) I find myself sitting at my table in the dark just staring out the window at the lights in all the other buildings. Then I think that these are all office buildings and what a bloody waste of electricity since they all seem to have lights on but still. :) I think I should ask Jaddua, my landlord, if my rent will go down once I lose my view. :)

The subject of my latest transcription tape would make any straight man drool. Bisexual stripper... isn't that every man's fantasy? :)

I have death cough again. I hate death cough. This time I don't even know why I have it. Usually I get death cough, basically this really nasty cough that sounds like I'm hacking up a lung or something, after a cold but I just woke up with it this morning. It also means that I get winded fairly easily... just climbing the stairs at work makes me exhausted. For some random reason whenever I'm having breathing issues like this the middle of my back itches. So totally driving me nuts right now. Kind of like when I'm coming down with a cold the roof of my mouth itches.

Today's Horrorscope for me

Not that I'm a big believer in them, although I'd like to believe. Of course I'd also like to believe I can just twitch my nose and make what I want to happen happen or just recite a few words and make a dream come true but... Horrorscopes are slightly more believable (although really not)...

Courtesy of yahoo.
Overview: Someone you haven't seen in a very long time will cross your path now -- someone who, believe it or not, is still carrying a torch for you. So what are you going to do about this? Think hard.

There are a couple of people that I can think of from my distant past that I would jump on in a heart beat. Let's hope this one is right... :)

Ooh... on another section of my horrorscope...Daily singles love (by Astrology.com)
You are discovering all kinds of things about yourself lately. Whatever you do, don't confine your self-image to what others think of you. You are so much more interesting than most people will ever have a chance to learn. -

Well isn't that special? :)

Assanine System

Ok... I have a teeny tiny student loan from when I was in college in Alaska. Seriously... I totally should've paid it off by now but I haven't. Now that I'm poor, I have been just doing the min payment. Originally I was on some sort of auto pay system where it just deducted the amount on the 23rd ish. Now somewhere in June they switched systems and I ended up paying twice and blah blah blah. It isn't that I'm stupid, their system is just weird. (or maybe I'm bad about reading instructions). So I get a notice in the mail today that I'm past due. How the fuck can I be past due since I'm on autopay? Apparently I was supposed to have surmised that my due date was the 15th and auto set it up for that date. How the hell should I know this stuff? If I had known that I would've set it up for the 15th. I called and they are changing my due date to the 26th which is when I have autopay set up. Wouldn't it be logical just to automatically set up autopay to be your due date??

Random Job stuff & random rant

Part of my job in HR is customer service, which is funny because most of the time I hate people. Recently we had orientation where I had to explain a deductible to a new employee. That's no big deal... nothing shocking there. Our deductible is 250.00. Then stupidassemployee started asking me about health savings accounts. For those of you who don't know, (and care) these are accounts where you can take out money on a pre-tax basis to pay yourself back for things your insurance doesn't cover. These differ from Flexible Spending Accounts in that these can be rolled over from year to year and used when needed, and don't have to be tied to your company either. Flexible Spending Accounts are use or lose. The big deal about HSA's though are that you have to be on a high deductible plan. For the record, 250.00 isn't a high deductible. I explain this to her. She asks me about the out of pocket maximum (which is 2500). I explain that that is not a deductible that is the out of pocekt max. She says well it is high so it should count. No, it is not the deductible it is the out of pocket max. Well it is over 1000, so it should count she counters. No, it is not a deductible. We go back and forth on this several times before I say, No, it doesn't apply moving on... I wanted to kill her!

On a wholly different rant, I'm so sick of people who say abortion is okay for the life of the mother or in the case of rape but not as a method of birthcontrol blah blah blah take responsibility cakes. Oh please. I'd so much rather these little stupidass 14, 15, 16 etc year old girls who get knocked up abort than have the baby, head down the welfare highway and poorly raise another human being to be another crap person. Yeah potentially we're losing out on another Albert Einstein, but more likely we're losing out on a potential Jeffrey Dahmer, or Manson or Green River Killer. Studies show these girls do not give up their babies for adoption as the blissful idyllic world would have them do but they keep them and if FORCED to keep them as in if abortion were less legal than it is now, we'll add to the too young/too foolish mix too bitter. That makes a great parent... one who is pissy about having been forced to 'take responsibility.' I have no issue with a young woman who gets pregnant accidentally and decides on her own to do whatever she thinks the right thing is and raise the baby. I have an awesome neice that I wouldn't have otherwise from a good little sister who works very hard to be a good mother. I think that's amazing... obviously since I sure as shit ain't doing it myself, but this was a choice my sister made... not one forced upon her. That whole step up take responsibility thing is what makes bad Lifetime movies, not intelligent parenting. /end of political rant...

My job...

Sometimes my job makes me do weird things like when I had to check out malaria on the web and then call Group Health to find out how it is transmitted and whether or not our employee has it, only to discover that if he had any infectious disease, they couldn't tell us. Malaria is transmitted via mosquito so it was a moot point... but still it did make for an entertaining afternoon.

Now I have to put off a meeting with a new faculty because her contract might be revoked. I'm not a good liar. I hate knowing stuff like this before I'm supposed to.

Darn

I bought water chestnuts to put in my dinner tonight. I am so bummed... I forgot to put them in. I was looking forward to their crunchy vague texture in my dinner.

Surprising Dream

As I was watching Dead Like Me tonight, one of the characters made the sign of the cross and it completely reminded me that I have been dreaming about that lately. That I'm in church, I make the cross, light a candle and pray. Slightly alarming for a devout athiest like me... Pieces together:

Pray: To dream that you are praying, signifies a need to turn over some matter to a higher force and let it go. You need to learn to relinquish and let go of your worries. It may also be an indication that you need to pray more.

Candle: To see a burning candle in your dream, signifies that good luck and hope will be coming your way in small and steady amounts. You are in a comfortable stage in your life and may be seeking spiritual enlightenment. Lit candles are also symbolic of intellect, enlightenment, awareness or the search for truth.

Cross: To see a cross in your dream, signifies suffering, martyrdom, death, and/or sacrifice. Perhaps your dream is telling you that you have a cross to bear. Ask yourself what is causing you to suffer or what is causing you great difficulties.

Church: To dream that you are in a church, suggests that you are seeking for some spiritual enlightenment and guidance. You are looking to be uplifted in some way. Perhaps you have made some mistakes in the past which have set you back on your path toward your goals. With proper support, you will get on the right track again. Alternatively, it may also mean that you are questioning and debating your life path and where it is leading. You are reevaluating what you want to do.

Well... one could say the meaning here is quite obvious. What does one do with it though?

Clothes...

Sigh. When it rains it pours. I noticed that my favorite jeans are starting to get worn patches so that means maybe a new pair or 2 AND my blue shirt that was one of the few short sleeved shirts that I can wear to work... bleach spots. BLAH! Now I'm trying to decide do I bleach the whole shirt white or try to redye blue. I'm leaning with bleach whole shirt white. Then I guess I could try dying it a color. It isn't like I can ruin it any more than it already is. AND 99% of the time I am the only person in the laundry room until at least 9:00 AM. This morning, I got sucked into 90210 and was about 15 min late picking up my dry clothes (so not dry useless dryers) and there were 2 people down there like vultures waiting to swoop in on my dryers (one load had already been taken out of the dryer). I was quite shocked but I think they're new. Damn newbies.

Singing

True story: Once upon a time I was a freshman in college. I was lying on my bed, headphones on, Pearl Jam's 10 blaring through my walkman (yes boys and girls this was BEFORE the proliferation of CD players) and singing along at what was probably the top of my lungs. My friend Shelley, who roomed with my Vermont friend Kate whom I've mentioned a couple of times here, walked in and without a word, took the tape out of my tape player and then walked back across the hall. At no time does she say anything to me. I, of course, hop off my bunk and wander across the hall after her. She says to me, "Joanne, I'm sorry, I had to do it, you sound like a dead baby dying." That's some pretty harsh singing criticism. That's on par with good ol' Simon Cowell, but she's right. I can't sing. I know it, but I refuse to accept it. I started doing dishes tonight about 7ish and was listening to a wide range of MP3's on my laptop while doing them and singing along. After I was done with the dishes, instead of turning on the TV, I just kept listening to music and singing along. My throat hurts. Apparently that's another downfall of all this singing... I am slightly amazed that for the past 4 hours, I've not repeated a single cut in my current play list. A sampling of what I'm singing along to (in case you care)
Tatu: All the things she said, Not gonna get us & How soon is now.
Evanescence: Haunted, Imaginary, My Tourniquet, Whisper & Bring Me To Life
Pearl Jam (still love em after all these years) Master's of war, Elderly woman behind the counter in a small town
Puff Daddy Feat. Jimmy Page: Come with me
Puddle of mudd: Blurry & Control
Dave Matthews Band: Crash, Devil Went Down To Georgia (feat. Blues Traveler)
Duran Duran: Wild Boys
System of a down: Toxicity, Ariels & Chop Suey (one of my favorites)
Joan Osborne: St. Theresa

Michelle's Dream Snippet

My dream last night was endless and disjointed, but I do remember this hilarious part...
My husband and I were at the parent's house of a high school friend. We were watching a video of us in high school that was taken by another friend; we commented on her bad videoing techniques. On one part of the video, I started playing the piano. I turned to my husband and said, "I guess I used to know how to play the piano." I can't play the piano. Then, on the video, I started singing along to whatever song I was playing. My husband was trying to say something but I shushed him with, "Quiet! I'm a really good singer!" I am not a good singer, but I was on the video. I watched myself sing the whole song.

Dreammoods.com says this:
Friend: To see your childhood friend in your dream, signifies regression into your past where you had no responsibilities and things were much simpler and carefree. You may be wanting to escape the the pressures and stresses of adulthood. Alternatively, the childhood friend may be suggesting that you have been acting in a childish manner and you need to start acting like an adult.

Video Camera: To dream that someone is using a video camera, indicates that you are reflecting back on your past and old memories. You may be trying to learn from previous mistakes or relive the good and bad times.

Piano: To dream that you are playing a piano, indicates your quest for harmony in your life. Consider where the piano is placed as a clue as to what aspect of you life needs accordance.

Singing: To sing in your dream, represents happiness, harmony and joy in some situation or relationship. You are uplifting others with your positive attitude and cheerful disposition. Singing is a way to celebrate, communicate and express your feelings.

Husband: To see your husband in your dream, signifies your relationship with your husband and the unconscious feelings you have towards him.

Unsafe Activities & Fuddy duddy

So (and maybe boys will relate to this a little easier because well... boys are dumb. :) ) have you ever seen something that you just wanted to do even though you KNOW it will end badly and possibly with you in the hospital? I work on the 2nd floor of my building and there is this big wide open space in the middle forming like a courtyard open to the 1st floor. There is a half wall and on top of the half wall is a bannister/railing. I have the strongest urge to hoist myself up onto the bannister/railing and do like a handstand. Now I have no body strength to do this and I'm pretty sure the bannister couldn't hold my weight anyway and this would end with me plunging to the 1st floor injuring and quite possibly killing me. But damn. I really want to do it.

Am I a fuddy duddy? That is my left over question from yesterday. This student employee was walking around in a t-shirt that said "Naked hiking, get some color on your cheeks." She is not OUR student employee but one in the building in which I work. Now while I realize this is a student job, but shouldn't there be SOME level of professionalism? Or am I a fuddy duddy? (dammit where's my broom! I need to shake it at some kids in the yard)

Random Mexican Food Question...

As I sit here consuming chicken & cheese enchiladas for the 3rd and final day (thank goodness, they were good but still...) wearing a green napkin for a bib because I am 5 and would spill red enchilada sauce down my pretty white shirt, I am assaulted with a question... Does Mexican food get spicier or hotter the longer it 'sits'? The enchiladas in question have been in my fridge since Monday when I made them, but each day at lunch they seem a bit spicier than they did the day before. It is entirely possible that this is all in my imagination and I am crazy. Your thoughts?

Scent

You know how taking a whiff of something can take you back to years past where you may have first smelled it? Today as I was drying my hair in the gym (note to self, if I ever own my own home I am so buying one of those industrial hand driers and installing it high up to dry my hair... I LOVE THAT!) I caught a whiff of something I have not had to suffer through in years... One of the Eastern European Swimming Women (EESW for future reference) had used rose perfume! When I was in college I lived across the hall from CindyLouhoo... Or really her name was just Cindy. She was a bit off, had FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effects for those without the benefit of having lived in Alaska and gotten a degree in something that would tell you all the details you need to know about it) and was a native adopted by a white family (ok most of those mundane details are fairly unnecessary to the story). She also had a penchant for rose perfume. All rose perfume all the time. She STANK of it. She frequently reapplied (we believe before she left the room every time she left the room). And as a result our hallway stunk of rose perfume (when it didn't stink of burnt popcorn, the kitchen being next door to Cindylouhoo or tanning moosehide which she also did in her dorm room). In just a few minutes, I was transported back to standing in the hallway with the rose perfume stink all around me. Then I thought.. Damnit another reason to hate Eastern European Swimming Women.

I think I'm going to field trip to a fabric store this weekend and pick up some fabric and a simple pattern to try out my new pre-owned sewing machine. Just a simple skirt or dress nothing with sleeves since I'm so not there yet and looking at my drawstring pants, I may not be skirt/sundress yet either. :) I also need to buy fusable webbing to start my real sewing project... my quilt. I'll keep ya posted. :)

Self Pity Rant

GAH! She isn't quitting. No matter how many psychic "Just Quit" vibes I sent her, she is returning after her mat leave is over. Luckily she is only returning to 1/2 time but still... DAMMIT!! Why can't I ever win?

/end of rant


My cake obsession is almost over, this would be because I only have 1 piece left. :)

I was thinking of going to see Rent on Sunday at a matinee, but I can't rationalize the 50ish bucks it would cost. Sigh. If I could have my boss's job and she would just quit and be a stay at home mom like she wants to be I wouldn't have to worry about $$ like this. GAHH!

I've been reading this book, The Fat Girl's Guide to Life and I really liked it, until I got to the part where she lumped my Gluten-Free diet in with the fad diets like Atkins, Macrobiotic, Sugar Busters and the like. That made me a little annoyed. It isn't like I WANT to be on this diet. It isn't like I LIKE eating weirdass baked goods that don't taste exactly right. I emailed her a very nice letter explaining that a gluten-free diet is necessary to those of us with Celiac Disease or Dermatitis Herpetiformis (no relation to Herpes, sorry Timmy). I also pointed out that most GF foods are actually higher in calories than their non GF counterparts so this would be a foolish diet for real dieters. In a, we'll go with society although I don't think that's the true word I want, society where fad diets are the norm, to have a true medically necessary diet called into question and likened to those that are typically unhealthy and just passing fads (oh when will the Atkins revolution end?!) is disturbing. Wow... I rambled on about this a bit longer than I thought I was going to...

I'm watching the episode of Friends where the girls do the bad boyfriend ritual and burn the stuff the bad ex boyfriends gave them. I would do that, but I don't think I have anything that came from an ex boyfriend that wouldn't give off potentially fatal fumes. Or maybe I just don't have anything left over from an ex boyfriend... Probably one of the best lines ever though:
Phoebe: Now we need the semen of a rightous man.
Rachel: If we had that, we wouldn't need to be doing the ritual.
HAHAHA

Response to Timmy's Request for an audioblog

Timmy,

Upon careful reflection of the intracies of carrying out the plan to audioblog the random moaner, I must deny your request to record random moaner for the following reasons:

1 - She hasn't returned since that day. I'm not sad about that.
2 - I don't own a cell phone or any recording device actually that would ease the recording of random moaner.
3 - The complexities of sneaking a recording device into the shower area are a little too difficult for me to work out, seeing as how I would have no place to hide said recording device, and I have the feeling that not hiding it would have me branded a freak and run out of there.

I apologize for any inconvienence this may cause you and hope you have a nice day.

Sincerely,
The management of Joanne's 30 angst.

PS in answer to your other question... what kind of pervert are you pervy mcperv? :)

Wiccan thing michelle was talking about...

Michelle was talking in her blog recently about some wiccan belief wherein if you want to bring something into your life you must act as though you already have it. The Wiccan version of dressing for the job you want not the job you have I guess so here goes:

I have my boss's job. She has decided not to return after much soul searching and nagging of husband to accept real job. I get a modest increase (I wouldn't turn down her salary, but I don't even need as much as she makes presently) that allows me to put more toward credit card bills and makes me a little less stressed about $$. As a result of this new found inner calmness I am able to go out on adventures a bit more often (and not adventures in gay bars). Whilst on adventure in the big city I meet a rather nice, not excessively handsome, tall, beefy guy with a sense of humor who sweeps me off my feet and I ride off into the sunset on the back of his motorcycle. :)

A bit of this & bit of that

Obsession... You're my obsession: I seem to be obsessed with cake lately. This whole morning while I worked out at the gym (more on that in a few) I had this little ditty running through my head... "If I knew you were coming I'dve baked a cake." It is either a song from like the 30's or earlier or maybe from a cartoon. I don't know... but then it made me think about the cake I have at home and I got hungry. After this brief 2 - 3 month cake obsession, I'll stop eating cake again for years and you won't have to hear about it.


Let's get physical... physical: At the gym today I hit 190+ strides/min. Wahoo! I could only maintain that for the last 2 minutes of my workout but that was very good. I also discovered that the way to stay cool at the gym apparently is to wear a rain soaked t-shirt while working out. Yesterday I upped my twisty weight to 70 lbs. Things are cruising right along. Of course my cake obsession is currently ruining any good things all this gym going may be doing but c'est la vie.

I don't want to work... I just want to bang on the drum all day: I've figured out why I don't want my boss to come back so much... I like not having a boss here looking over my shoulder all the time. My job now is so much like what I had with Carol vs having this manager who is always all up in my bizness, checking on what I'm doing. :) Plus I have the chance to be involved in meetings and plan design and all that and I like that. When she gets back I just go back to being sad little lackey. I don't relish this. I keep hoping though... that's all I can do... that the time away from her precious new born baby is too much for her.

She's my cherry pie... Okay that's the only song I could come up with that had fruit in it... but this last bit is completely unrelated to either Poison or Cherry Pie girls.... I bought fruit today from our law school coffee bar and it was yucky. The cantaloupe was too mealy. I am not amused.

Ethical Contemplation Du Jour

So here's the scenario... What would you do?

You are selling your older kinda beat up SUV privately. You have someone come over, a grandmother and her grandson, who looks at the car and likes it and offers you 1500 for it. This is 200 less than you are asking for it, but you want to sell to move on to your next car so you accept. However, you do know that the reason you are selling it is that it has an issue that if it was repaired would be a roughly $500 fix, but if it breaks will be several thousand dollars to fix. Grandmother asks about the noise said car makes (the repair that needs to happen). Do you...
A - Fess up about repair car is going to need in the future.
B - Have already come clean early on about this issue so just say that's the issue we already spoke of.
C - Lie and say you have no idea. Since Granny isn't asking for a mechanic to go over it before she purchases it, it is her loss.

I know my answer and I'm just trying to gauge if I am a weirdo or not...

Happy belated Birthday Matty P!

I didn't even know it passed. Hope you had fun!

Eastern European Women...

tm Timmy for that name... but I have discovered something more annoying than when the Eastern European swimming women (ok to clarify, they are not Eastern European women, they are just swimfreaks and spend every shower morning going on and on and on about their swimming times and swimming in the lake blah blah blah swimcakes)discuss their own swimming. This morning we were subjected to The Eastern European Women analyze the Olympics! Yes ladies and gentlemen, we got to listen to their commentary on the events, swimming in particular (big surprise), the commentators, diving, gymnastics, the coverage, and on and on and on. Yawn. Some morning I may snap and yell shut up! just shut up! god! Although probably I won't.

Book vs. Movie

I have loved the movie Moll Flanders with Robin Wright Penn & Morgan Freeman for many years. I bought the book to read, but found it fairly dull reading, so I've been listening to the book on tape while working out at the gym. Thus far, I'm finding the book and the movie nothing alike. I know they change books for movie adaptations, but seriously... Except for the fact that in both movie & book, Moll is a child born of a woman about to be hanged who is saved until after Moll's birth, thus far at where I am in the book, there are no other similarities. Makes me a wee bit sad.

Drunkenbloggen

Is that anything like farfegneugen? (Ok I have no idea how to spell that word from the old VW commercials, just accept what I'm trying to spell and move on.) The nice thing about the fact that I haven't been drinking in quite a while (2 + weeks) it means that it doesn't take too terribly much to get tipsy again. As we were walking up the hill, I thought I saw a mouse. V seemed to think this was funny and asked what I would've done if it was a mouse. I said I would've grabbed his arm and screamed. So I said... "I'm afraid of mice, I'm afraid of bugs." Two totally unrelated items apparently. We laughed our asses off as we walked up the hill... In the retelling it perhaps isn't as funny... I think I want cake. I love cake. Now I'm watching Clerks and falling asleep. Awww... I don't know where I was going with that awww... Cake. I think I'm having some cake. Did I mention I love cake. Sleepy, oh so sleepy... Later kids... behave!

Satan Saga Redux...

So apparently Chris in his naivete did not believe that Satan would actually throw him out on Friday. Satan (unsurprisingly) did. Chris had 200 bucks to his name and his car insurance due like this week. Chris will be heading to my little sister's house on Monday and somewhere around next week my father will be flying to Florida to drive back with Chris. It is a good thing. We can wrest Chris from Satan's grasp. I'm slightly surprised by this turn of events but glad of it and glad that the saga is over. Funnily enough, my mother (and the rest of us really) never really worry about Chris's sister, Alexa. Probably because we never hear from her and because she is Satan's natural daughter, Chris isn't his natural son.

Paint Out

Well, V & I went to the paint out today. It was a good time of course. We were originally assigned to Capital Hill but when we got up there they needed people on 1st Hill (Where we actually live) so we volunteered to come back here and work. Strangely enough we even got assigned to our own neighborhood. I got goof off in my eye. Two drops dripped straight into it from a sign. It burns worse than anything I can think of. Luckily we were right across the street of Virginia Mason hospital when it happened so we went in and I was able to go into the bathroom and run water into my eye. Otherwise it was fun. We worked with a cute old couple and this other random guy. Tomorrow is the celebration at the Outback. I'm also looking forward to that... Outback YUM! :D We were all done by 1:30 (lunch time) so I am home earlier than I originally thought and am now totally ready for a nap. :D

Interesting...

I am The Sun In the tarot the Sun symbolizes vitality and splendor. The Sun is definitely not a meek and retiring card. You have total confidence in yourself. You are not cocky, but profoundly sure of your power. You have unlimited energy and glow with health. You have a greatness about you and stand out brilliantly. Finally, you see and understand all that is happening within your sphere. When you see this card, know that you will be successful at all you undertake. Now is the time to let your light shine. For a full description of your card and other goodies, please visit LearnTarot.com

What tarot card are you? Enter your birthdate. href=">http://www.obeythefist.com/tarot/index.php" method="get">Month: Day: Year:

FRIDAY!!! :D

Today is one of the last Fridays (in fact for me, it is THE last Friday) that we get to leave at 2 while the 3rd of us admins stays until 4:30. Next Friday is the last one and it is my stay late week. Sigh. I really like leaving at 2:00. When it happens on Orientation Fridays it means that the bulk of my day is nothing. Those are the most awesome. Thus far this morning, I have spent most of it counting down the seconds until I get to leave... BUT I have had 2 people gripe at me. One is my fault. I should've stopped a deduction and didn't do it in time so he had the deduction on his July paycheck and they had been on vacation blah blah blah fishsticks. So ok, it is my fault and usually we would just credit his money back to him on his next check. No, that's too late. He wants his 300 bucks NOW... If he were an employee who made like 1900/mo I could understand this. That's a lot of money to one of those employees. He doesn't. He makes 5k/month. You're pissing me about a lousy 300 bucks?! YOU. MUST. BE. JOKING! So I went over to payroll and they're processing and no problems but still... The other was calling on a loan request whining in the phone about how she has no money... a - not my problem and b - I faxed the paperwork back 3 days ago, also not my problem... Student worker came in and filed a bunch of crap for me yesterday. I heart student worker. He does all the crap jobs I don't want to do. :D (Technically I'm not allowed to heart student worker... sexual harrassment and no fraternization and all that)

In other news... V & I are volunteering at the paint out tomorrow. I did this last year. It is hard work but the benefits really pay off. They will feed us lunch (ok not me because lunch is sandwiches, but lunch IS at the firehouse and yum fireboys). They feed us breakfast. On Sunday is a celebration where they feed us again AND have tons of door prizes and alcohol. Last year I think they had a door prize for almost everyone who volunteered. Last year I ended up with a 25.00 gift certificate to this shop downtown where 25 bucks would hardly make a dent in the cost of ANYTHING. This year I hope to win something slightly more useful... a gift certificate to one of the health food co-ops maybe. :)

Finally on the health food front... I was so excited to see that now that my local QFC has been redone, they are carrying a bunch of GF mixes that I used to have to travel to the Fred Meyer to get. My excitement was quickly dashed when I discovered that the markup was a dollar more than what Fred Meyer's sold theirs for. So that a mix I can get by ordering it online at 4.59 (already expensive) was usually about 5.50 at Fred Meyer and is 6.79 at QFC. Asshats. They also don't carry my crackers. :(

Shower etiquette

To the random moaner in the gym shower this morning:

I realize that you were just moaning because the shower was warm and probably felt good/great after your workout, but in the future, please don't do it. It is just weird...

Thank you.

I'm so clever...

Everybody wants to be like me! :) I have figured out how to use my sewing machine. The only thing I can't do is figure out how to make the bobbin. The 'what's the worst that can happen?' attitude really worked for me. :) Now I want to get some more material and a pattern to practice a few more things. Not the coming weekend, since V and I are volunteering, but maybe the weekend after that I'll field trip to a fabric store. There may actually be one downtown somewhere...

I wish...

Which Rock Chick Are You?

Sigh...

Yet another reason to hate Satan... he makes my mom totally crazy. Much crazier than she usually is and that's actually pretty difficult so we must spend the days having conversations about such fun topics as: why does satan do the things he does... well duh, he is satan. Why won't Chris wake up & smell the sulfur? Well that's the hardest thing for a kid to do & Satan's the only dad he's ever known. And on and on and on... I will rue the day forever that she got MSN messenger.

My sewing machine does not exist...

It is apparently imaginary. I have looked all over online for a manual because apparently to little selling girl, manual means transparent piece of paper that shows how to thread a needle using a needle threader... So no manual for me. I just called Sears Kenmore and the model number that I read on the back of this, does not exist as a sewing machine. This will cause me to have to do more research...

Satan Rears his ugly head again...

Satan in this case refers to heinous-ex-brother-in-law-who-I-hate... He has decided that my beloved nephew, Chris, is an adult now and should be living on his own. So Chris gets the boot this Friday. He decided this about 2 weeks ago or so... not really giving Chris sufficient time to find a job that pays a living wage, a place to live etc. And pulling the rug out from under Chris's feet since they had done all the pre-college stuff like go to orientation etc. My mother believes, and for a change she is probably correct, that the financial aid office turned Chris down for financial aid because Satan makes a buttload of money. If Chris lives on his own, then he'll qualify for aid. Chris does not believe this is the reason still wanting to believe the best in Satan and that Satan really believes that Chris needs to be on his own for a year (or 6 months? I can't remember which) to 'become a man.' What is it about kids? They want to believe the best about their parents even when the truth is so glaringly obvious. I know this is true, but it doesn't make it any less sad to me. So I have offered to let Chris come live with me and we could get a 2 bedroom apt and I would only hit him up for the increase in rent between the 2 apts and something for food since I'm sure he eats like a horse (what 18 year old boy doesn't?). I'm pretty sure Chris won't come here, though. I'm pretty sure he won't leave NC. He'll find a job and an apartment and struggle even though he doesn't have to because Satan says it is a good idea. Sigh.

One of THOSE mornings

I woke up this morning at 3:45. Three Fucking Forty Five! I then proceeded to spend the next hour and a half before the alarm went off tossing and turning and cursing. At 5:15, my alarm finally went off and I began to get ready to go to the gym. I went into the kitchen... was putting rice into a bowl to take to work, poured half the rice on the floor. Had to get down to clean it up... and on and on the morning went until I looked at the clock and realized it was 6:00 and I still wasn't ready to go to the gym and by now it would take me at least another 10 minutes to get ready so I wouldn't get to the gym until like 6:40ish - 6:45 depending and we stop to shower at 7:00 so I gave up and went back to bed. This was a good thing actually because when I woke my mood had improved a great deal. I had 2 dreams that I can remember the high points of while I was sleeping for 48 minutes...

The first had me sitting in my office talking to a coworker and my back was to her but as I turned around there were just jackets. Empty jackets everywhere but the one that scared me was the one in the doorway suspended in the air with no hook or no person in it...

Coat: To see or wear a coat in your dream, symbolizes your protectiveness and defensive persona. You may be isolating yourself. Consider also the color, appearance, and type of coat for additional significance.

The second which should've been more traumatizing but strangely wasn't had a man in my apartment. He was bleeding. A lot. I don't remember if it was due to an injury, but he was getting blood everywhere.

Blood: To see blood in your dream, represents life, love, and passion as well as disappointments. If you see the word "blood" written in your dream, then it may refer to some situation in your life that is permanent and cannot be changed.

Man: To see a man in your dream, denotes the masculine aspect of yourself - the side that is assertive, rational, aggressive, and/or competitive. If the man is known to you, then the dream may reflect you feelings and concerns you have about him.

After the 1st dream I awoke with a start but fell right back to sleep. After/during the 2nd dream it became clear to me that Linkin Park was playing on the clock/radio and I woke up naturally. Hmmm....

Monday Morning Snoop Dog

Michelle's Crazy Ass Dream
Starring: Snoopy Doggy Dog

It was raining really hard. I was driving to a shopping mall to return a mattress that had a giant hole in the middle of it. I parked and was carrying the mattress into the mall. When I was near the door to the mall, I thought, "Fuck it" and abandoned the mattress and went back to my car. There was a woman in a white car next to my red one. She was about to pull out of her spot when she noticed Snoop Dog and his entourage walking by. She got out of her car and was saying to me how much she loved him and asking if she should try to talk to him. She was very starstruck. I called out to Snoop Dog and waved him over. I introduced him to the girl and offered him her phone number. He took it and she drove off. Then he stayed and chatted me up. He was so into me.

Rain: To dream that you get wet from the rain, signifies that you will soon be cleansed from your troubles and problems. Rain also symbolizes fertility and renewal.

Driving: To dream that you are driving a vehicle, signifies your life's journey and your path in life. The dream is telling of how you are moving and navigating through life.

Mall: To dream that you are at the mall, represents your attempts in making a favorable impression on someone. The mall is also symbolic of materialism and the need to keep up with the trends, fads, and/or the latest technology.

Mattress: To see a mattress in your dream, signifies that you will have new responsibilities and duties that will need your attention for a short time.

Woman: To see a woman in your dream, represents nurturance, passivity, caring nature, and love. It refers to your own female aspects or may also represent your mother. Alternatively, it may indicate temptation and guilt.

Car: To see a parked car in your dream, suggests that you need to turn your efforts and energies elsewhere. You may be needlessly spending your energy in a fruitless endeavor. Alternatively, a parked car my symbolize your need to stop and enjoy life.

White: White represents purity, perfection, peace, innocence, dignity, cleanliness, awareness, and new beginnings. You may be experiencing a reawakening or have a fresh outlook on life.

Red: Red is an indication of raw energy, force, vigor, intense passion, aggression, power, courage and passion. The color red has deep emotional and spiritual connotations. Red is also the color of danger, shame, sexual impulses and urges. Perhaps you need to stop and think about your actions.

Man: To see a man in your dream, denotes the masculine aspect of yourself - the side that is assertive, rational, aggressive, and/or competitive. If the man is known to you, [Do I really know Snoop Dog?] then the dream may reflect you feelings and concerns you have about him.

Phone Number: To see a phone number in your dream, suggests that you need to make contact with someone and reach out for help.

Flirting: To dream that you are flirting or that someone is flirting with you, represents your need for intimacy and affection.

Dog: To see a dog in your dream, indicate a skill that you have ignored or forgotten, but needs to be activated. Alternatively, dogs may symbolize intuition, loyalty, generosity, protection, and fidelity. Your own values and intentions will enable you to go forward in the world and succeed.

Further evidence I'm dumb sometimes...

So as most of you dear readers are probably aware, I take fresh fruit to work with me every day. It varies slightly week to week... always a banana for breakfast then usually a 1 - 2 other fruits/veggies. This week it is cantaloupe & cucumber. I love both. So I always cut everything up because it makes my life easier, then I just grab what I need from the fridge and go. This evening, much to my chagrin (I like this phrase, deal with it...) I remembered that I am out of trash bags and I failed to buy new ones at the store this afternoon. Damn. So not really thinking, I proceed to cut up the cantaloupe and dump the seeds and rind in to a paper grocery bag. Briefly did it cross my mind that this would not work, but you know... I'm foolishly optimistic. You know what happened next... Yes, dear reader, I picked up the bag off the kitchen floor an hour later after I ate dinner to take the bag to the garbage with my very full last garbage bag (too full for all that rind and stuff) and the bottom falls out... all over my foot and the kitchen floor. Damn. Then I'm on my knees cleaning all that crap up and putting it into a plastic shopping bag that I should've used in the first place if I had half a brain...

In other news... I bought a sewing machine over the weekend and have rearranged the living room and kitchen areas. Bax does not like the changes which is not surprising. She rarely likes anything. I haven't tried the sewing machine out yet, though, I'm a little afraid of it. :) It is much older than the one I had been learning on. Maybe tonight.

Finally... what Michelley... no dream analysis for me? :)

This Morning's Dream..

I don't remember the whole thing, I can only remember bits and pieces of it. But here's what I remember of it...

So in my dream, I was living on a ranch. But the ranch owner was not a good guy. And somehow I keep going to these weddings that are being planned by this wedding planner guy and his partner (wedding planner partner not Partner partner...). So in the final wedding in my dream for some reason instead of chairs, we are all lying on beds and watching the wedding like a movie on a big screen. (Hence the inclusion of movie theater it was kind of like being at a drive in except we were all in beds). Anyway this wedding planner whom I had been flirting with at the other weddings was lying on the bed with me and he kept inching closer until he was lying on top of my left arm/left side of my body and we were whispering and talking. He was wearing a hat so I couldn't see his face too clearly but I remember being very contented and really liking his company. Suddenly I was walking back to the ranch where I lived. The gate was open and two horses were outside the paddock. In one paddock was an elephant. As I walked through the gate, more horses were loose and I was trying to shoo them into their pens when the man in the hat came up and we started talking about the horses and the ranch owner who he said didn't care about the fact the horses were free... then I woke up. A little sad because I was really happy in the dream. Although the basic pieces of the dream are not happy...

Man: To see a man in your dream, denotes the masculine aspect of yourself - the side that is assertive, rational, aggressive, and/or competitive. If the man is known to you, then the dream may reflect you feelings and concerns you have about him.
If you are a woman and dream that you are in the arms of a man, suggests that you are accepting and welcoming your stronger assertive personality . It may also highlight your desires to be in a relationship and your image of the ideal man.

Bed: To see your bed in your dream, represents you intimate self and discovery of your sexuality. If you are sleeping in your own bed, then it denotes security and restoration of your mind. You are looking for domestic bliss and peace. If you are waking up in different and unknown beds, then it represent the consequences of the decisions you have made.
To dream that you are going to bed with a stranger, suggests that you are making friends too fast. You need to be more cautious.
To dream of sleeping outdoors on a bed, signifies success.

Wedding: To see a wedding in your dream, symbolizes a new beginning or transition. Dreams involving weddings are generally negative and highlight some anxiety or fear. It often refers to feelings of bitterness, sorrow, or death. Alternatively, wedding dreams reflect your issues about commitment and independence.

Horse: To see a horse in your dream, represents a strong, physical energy. You need to tame the wild forces. The dream may imply that you have been horsing around. Or perhaps you need to be less arrogant and "get off your high horse". If you see a dead horse in your dream, then it indicates that something in your life that initially offered you strength is now gone. This may refer to a relationship or situation.

Elephant: To see an elephant in your dream, signifies that you are laying a solid groundwork for wealth and success. You hold a position of honor and dignity. If the elephant was wild or untamed, than it indicates tyranny and uncontrollable forces.

Fence: To see a fence in your dream, signifies an obstacle or barrier that may be standing on your path. You may feel confined and restricted in expressing yourself. Are you feeling fenced in? Alternatively, it may symbolize a need for privacy. You may want to shut off the rest of the world.

Ranch: To dream that you are at a ranch, suggests that you need to take stock of your life and what you hope to achieve and gain. The dream may also refer to your own livelihood and concerns about money.

Movie: To dream that you are watching a movie, suggests that you are watching life pass you by. Perhaps you are living vicariously through the actions of others. Consider also how the movie parallels to situations in your waking life. Observe how the characters relate to you and how they may represent an aspect of yourself.

Movie Theater: To dream that you are in a movie theater, indicates that you are attempting to protect yourself from your emotions and/or actions. Viewing them on a movie screen projects them onto another person and thus makes those feelings/actions distant . You may be protecting yourself from experiencing them.

Hat: To see a hat in your dream, signifies that you are concealing something or covering up something. Alternatively, it may represent the role you play or the responsibilities you have in life.

New Fun Site

Oooh... I just found this site, I can't remember how now that I think about it, but it is funny for any of you who have ever worked in the hell known as retail...

http://www.livejournal.com/community/customers_suck/

More Dreaming

Joanne, you need to sharpen your dream analysis techniques, so here is another one for you...

I was surfing the website of my company and we had some vacation pics up. I saw one pic that was of a perfect looking beach. I thought that would be a great place to take a vacation, so I asked where that beach was. Whoever I was talking to said it was in Connecticut. I wondered if there were beaches in Connecticut, because you don't really here much about that. The water was a very deep blue.

Then I was in the photograph, in the water with the surfers. The surf is mild in Connecticut. I was bodysurfing with them and caught a couple waves, but then the waves got to be too big so I came in. I thought that the waves always seem to get big in the late afternoon and that I am always in the ocean in the late afternoon in my dreams. (I think, in reality, that is actually when the waves are pretty small.) The last wave that broke on the shore was so big, I barely made it to my towel before it crashed right in front of me.

My Aunt Penny and my cousin Matt's girlfriend were one the beach with some other relatives I don't remember. I dried off and had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (what I always ate at the beach when I was a kid).

There was more to this dream, but it was unrelated to this part.

Dreammoods.com says:

Beach: To see the beach in your dream, symbolizes the meeting between your two states of mind. The sand is symbolic of the rational and mental processes while the water signifies the irrational, unsteady, and emotional aspects of yourself. It is a place of transition between the physical/material and the spiritual.

To dream that you are looking toward the beach, suggests that you are returning to what is familiar to you. Alternatively, you may be adapting or accepting to the changes and circumstances in your life.

Photograph: To see a photograph in your dream, indicates that there is a relationship that needs your attention. It may also be telling of a false image and that something is not what it seems to be. Alternatively, it suggests that you are clinging on to the past or to some false hope.

Vacation: To dream that you are on vacation, indicates that you need a break to recharge your energies and revitalize yourself. You need to break out of your daily routine and do something different.

Blue: Blue represents truth, wisdom, heaven, eternity, devotion, tranquility, loyalty and openness. The presence of this color in your dream, may symbolize your spiritual guide and your optimism of the future. You have clarity of mind.

Surfing: To dream that you are surfing, indicates the ups and downs of some emotional situation or relationship. You may feel overwhelmed. One minute you can be in control of your emotions and the next minute you are not.

Afternoon: To see a warm and pleasant afternoon in your dream, foretells of long-lasting friendships.

Towel: To see or use a towel in your dream, suggests that you need to deal with your emotions in order to move forward in your life. You need to find some sort of a resolution. Alternatively, it represents completion, a fresh start and new transition.

Aunt: To see your aunt in your dream, represents family characteristics and values. It is a connection to your own heritage. The aunt may also represent aspects of yourself that you like or dislike. She can also be seen as a substitute mother.

Peanut Butter: To see or eat peanut butter in your dream, suggests that you are having difficulties communicating your thoughts and ideas. It may also mean a misunderstanding; your words are coming out all wrong.

Jelly: To see or eat jelly in your dream, represents some suspicion or insight into a situation you are wondering about. The dream may be a metaphor for something that is finally taking shape. You have come to some understanding. Alternatively, it indicates that you are preserving or maintaining a sweet relationship

Sandwich: To see a sandwich in your dream, suggests that a lot of pressure and stress is being put on you. It also reflects your ability to do two things at once. However, sometimes a sandwich is just a sandwich. [I swear, I didn't add that last sentence myself. - Michelle]

Furniture

Michelle and I have discussed rearranging my apartment to accommodate my new sewing machine and what to do with existing crap. Sounds like I'm going to be spending the entire weekend moving things from pt a to pt b. And cleaning piles of crap off flat surfaces. So then I thought if I'm moving piles of crap all over the apartment, I should just paint it with the peacock blue paint I bought to paint my living room with. Now this simple sewing machine purchase is becoming an entire weekend project! Yikes. :)

Whipee!

Ahh, life is good. So tomorrow is Friday the 13th. What's the worst that could happen?

I am buying a sewing machine. I'm rather stoked about this, mostly because I have all these optimistic high hopes that I will be able to make cute little skirts and dresses etc. Who knows if this will actually come to fruition or if I will end up like my mother... stacks and stacks of material and patterns just piled on the table. Of course since I don't have the kind of cash to just randomly buy material when I see it & like it, this may not be a problem. It also isn't like I'm spending a huge deal of money on this sewing machine... 30 bucks. If I hate it, I can just resell it on Craigslist.org. My mother has decided she has more crap to send me. One of these days you'll go to craigslist and there'll be this headline... Damn, I can't remember the exact wording that I sent to Michelley this morning but something to the effect of... For Sale all the crap my mother insists I need... It will include such quality items as the latest thing she's sending.. a coatrack, this antique desk that I have in my living room that is broken and she doesn't grasp why this is a problem, letter sorter thingie that is in my kitchen that I will never use... And I still turn down at least 1/2 of the crap she offers. Today's offering were things like a pot, (No I have enough thank you), a variety of costume jewelrey (I don't wear regular jewelrey why would I start wearing tacky stuff?), and a jewelrey box. Sigh.. I think I've mentioned before that it gets to the point where it is just easier to say sure send it... I know it means more crap in my life but she wears me down... I say no to like 10 things and finally yes on the 11th offering. Then she slips like 15 more things in the box with the 11th offering.

I finished my sewing project last night. My yellow pants are cute, and not terrible. Button holes are fairly difficult on older machines. The seam is fairly crooked on the waist band, but that's okay for my first completed sewing project. The tube dresses I made barbie when I was 8 don't count.

My big boss gave me a nice compliment today... At least I think it was a nice compliment... He said that my emails to him are concise and to the point and he appreciates that. That kind of makes me chuckle. Although I did say in one today that an employee was chagrined to find out... blah blah blah benefitcrap. Hee...

The latest transcription project is going very slowly. I just can't seem to get into this one, although this lady speaking is fairly clear with enough pauses in her speech to allow me to catch up. I still find myself yelling at the tape at the interviewer though. :) Her story is supposed to be sad, although I haven't gotten there yet. She and her partner have been together 27 years and battled breast cancer together. Somewhere around the recording of this tape, the partner found out that there was something in one of her breasts again. I should've taken the woman who was a tomcat instead... she cheated on her husband all their marriage blah blah blah...

I think I just tortured a poor survey taker. I called like 10 minutes before the office closed for a 15 minute survey on coffee. I don't drink coffee, but have found myself at Starbucks twice in the last month. I love their double chocolate creme frappacino (I don't care if that is misspelled). So the bulk of the questions are about coffee choices and how important those are. Since I only drink hot cocoa or those blended drinks most of my answers were no or low importance.

That's all she wrote folks. Happy Friday the 13th!

My latest good deed...

No, unfortunately it wasn't working on the transcript that I'm supposed to be working on and have had finished by last night. I was far too distracted by other things... namely craigslist. A gentleman had written into the missed connections asking for advice on how to get this bartender to notice him. He had gone in recently but it was crowded blah blah blah... So I emailed him. My advice to him... duh... don't go when it is crowded. Go early in the week when it is slow and sit at the bar. Find things to chat with her about... shit, here people are always willing to talk about the weather. Don't go with like 20 other people. And always... always over tip. :) If nothing else that helps you get better booze service. Duh... yet another sign that boys are dumb... like she is going to notice him at an hour before last call on a Saturday night. Unless he really is Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise... not gonna happen.

Deoderant pennance

Sigh... I forgot my deoderant this morning and discovered this fact when I got out of the shower at the gym and went to put it on. Crap. Now admittedly I live only 1/2 a mile from work but that 1/2 mile takes me about 20 minutes to walk when I factor in stop lights and traffic and all that crap. So walking home is not an option. At the appropriate hour of 8:30, I head down to the student bookstore and buy one there. My choices... shower fresh or baby powder. By Lady's Choice... in a bright pink wrapper thingy. Yuck. Both options stink. This will teach me to never forget my deoderant again. And, now, it has just dawned on me that I totally could've walked to QFC which is like 3 blocks from here. Double sigh...

Final thought, what do you think that gritty stuff in the bottom of my 100% juice Tree Top Grape Juice is? It is kinda scary... Anyone with kids care to try to explain it to me?

Wasted Weekend?

Do you, dear readers, ever feel like you have accomplished nothing on your weekend? I have no children so I can sleep until noon if I want. I have no dog that requires maybe a weekend trip to the dogpark. Bax is fairly low maintenance as far as weekend needs go. She doesn't especially like the park, but I drag her furry little ass out there periodically. If it is too hot, though, she gets sick so I can't do it when it is too hot and she doesn't like the rain so pretty much most of the time I'm off the hook. I don't own a house that requires weekend repairs or yard work. I could houseclean, but who are we kidding... that's so not me. Here's what I've accomplished this weekend, TV, TV and more TV. I also played my computer game, went to the grocery store and washed dishes. That's it. Oh, almost forgot the all important nap. I feel like I should do so much more on the weekend. These are my two only free days of play all weekend long. On Sundays, I always do laundry and I'm usually done by about 8:30 in the morning. I could totally spend the entire Sunday doing something away from these 4 walls, yet I don't. Laziness, thy name is Joanne. I did entertain briefly the notion of dragging Jakob (the laptop) out with me today to some park and work on the transcription stuff I'm volunteering to do, but somehow a nap took precedence. Goodness, what a boring weekend description. Next weekend, I must get out and see the world, or something. Shouldn't there more to life than just this? Am I PMSing random thoughts of faux deepness? Do you even have PMS when you're on the pill? These and other pressing questions answered after a word from our sponsor. But now it is time for Dead Like Me...

Latest dream

Last night/this morning, I was having a dream about swimming with seals and whales. The tide kept threatening to pull me out but I would grab onto this rowboat and it wouldn't pull me out.
According to dreammoods here's what the symbols mean:

Seals: To see a seal in your dream, indicates your playfulness and your ability to use and incorporate differing ideas and thoughts into a situation. Seals are a symbol of good luck, success, and spiritual understanding. It also signifies prosperity, faithful friends, and security in love. The dream symbol may also be a pun and indicate you need to put closure on some situation.

Whales: To see a whale in your dream, represents your intuition and awareness. You are in tuned to your sense of spirituality. Alternatively, it indicates a relationship or business project that is too enormous to handle.

Row Boat: To dream that you are in a rowboat with others, signifies that you enjoy pleasures with people of a worldly quality. (except I wasn't IN the rowboat so maybe that's not the same)

Tide: (they didn't have anything for tide, but here's ocean): To see an ocean in your dream, represents the state of your emotions and feelings. It is indicative of some spiritual refreshment, tranquility and renewal.

Hypothetically this seems like a pretty good dream. All spiritual and tranquil. Michelle... if you want to take this. :D

Poor Bax

She's stopped sleeping with me which makes me a little sad. I like waking up and finding her little fuzzy warm body curled up next to my back or when she sleeps right by my head. I thought it was because I washed the sheets and she was unhappy with that. However, I figured out this morning what the problem was. I had picked her up and plopped her on the bed and after a few min of petting, she fell right asleep. That's when it dawned on me... I took away the quilt that lives on my bed because it is too hot for it, but without it, she can't climb up on the bed anymore. Of course it went back immediately.

Joanne is Retarded?

Here are the day's events...

This morning when I came in, my keyboard was typing weirdly. I had spilled coke in it yesterday. I blame my boobs because the coke was between me and my keyboard and I think THEY knocked the coke over. It had nothing to do with me. So, this morning when I get in, every time I hit the space bar key, instead of giving me a space, the cursor would go back to the beginning of the line. Never a good sign. I call helpdesk & they came up and replaced my keyboard.

Fastforward to lunch time. I'm sitting at my desk eating... what do I do. You know the answer. It is inevitible. Yup, dumped another 1/2 a cup of coke into my new, pre-owned keyboard. Sigh. Obviously I need a sippy cup and a straw or something. The extremely nice helpdesk guy came up, though, and just left another keyboard with me in case this one starts giving me problems. I lurrrvee him... Too bad married with baby. That is an inappropriate stalking... oops work crush.

Sewing Class

Whee!~ Sewing Class was fun. I never realized it could be this easy. I have done all the basic seams for my pants. I just have to put in the waist, hem the bottoms and put in the drawstring. I'll be cautiously optimistic about the funness of this. I may buy a pattern and material and just sew at the stitch shop a couple more times before I decide anything drastic like buy a sewing machine. The only downer... I'm going to have to go to a different store for patterns. She doesn't carry patterns in the size I would need. Sigh. The pants pattern had to be in the unisex variety because the women's patterns didn't go high enough. It would be nice, though, to be able to make some of my own clothes. I tried on my pants tonight and they will fit! Now I'm all paranoid that they'll just randomly fall apart... neurotic, I Know...

More 30 Action

Since this is supposedly a "30 Angst" web site, I thought I would post some news about my rapidly approaching 30th birthday.

1. 47 days and counting
2. I went to a bar two nights ago and was carded.
3. I was talking to a girl in my screenwriting class who is in her early 20s and said something about my husband. She said, "Oh, you're married?" I nodded. She said, "Do you mind if I ask how old you are?" I told her. She said, "I thought you were lot younger, like 25 at the oldest." She said she is definitely waiting until her 30s to get married and I told her that is a good idea.
4. Another classmate, upon hearing that I am turning 30 next month, said, "You're going to love it."
5. The bar I went to two nights ago was a test run to see if I would like to have my birthday party there. I would not.
6. The closer my birthday gets, the less I want to celebrate it.
7. I don't feel like I am having trauma about turning 30, but I am certainly not excited about it.

Dream Snippets

I don't remember my whole dream from last night, but here goes...

There was some sort of meeting going on at my house. It was just breaking up, so I was clearing up and heading to bed. There was a lamp with a cute cylindrical lampshade in the corner of the living room that was on. I tried to turn it off, but it wouldn't turn off. I even tried unplugging it, but it stayed on. Next, I moved on to the curtains. I pulled the curtains shut but they didn't stay shut because they were coming off the hooks. I looked back over at the lamp and it was now off. It took me a long time to get the curtains back onto the hooks and when I was done, I noticed that I had done it incorrectly. The next morning, my husband and I were on our way somewhere in a borrowed pick-up truck. He asked me if I wanted any of the marijuana orange juice. I asked him what the hell he was talking about. He said that one of the three containers of orange juice he bought last night had "lime juice added" which was code for marijuana. The distribution company had accidently shipped it to the US and my husband had accidentally bought it. I did not partake of the marijuana orange juice.

I have no idea what this crazy dream means, but here is what dreammoods says...

Meeting: To dream that you are in a meeting, suggests that you need to redirect your energies toward a more productive endeavor. Alternatively, you are learning to accept various aspects of yourself.

Lamp: (1) To see a lamp in your dream, symbolizes guidance, hope, inspiration, enlightenment and reassurance. (2) To see a dimly-lit or unlit lamp in your dream, signifies that you are being overwhelmed by emotional issues. You have lost your ability to find your own way.

Lampshade: To see a lamp shade in your dream, indicates a need for protection form some intense energy or power. You may be trying to hide or be less noticeable.
JuiceTo drink juice in your dream, represents the gift of life and vitality.

Curtain: To dream that you are shutting the curtains, signifies secrecy and a repression of thoughts. You are concealing a personal matter or an aspect of yourself.

Hooks: To see hooks in your dream, suggests that you will get caught for your mischievousness and deceit.

Pick-Up Truck: To see a pick-up truck in your dream, represents hard work. It also suggests the need to return to the basics.

Juice: To drink juice in your dream, represents the gift of life and vitality.

Marijuana: To see, smell or use marijuana in your dream, suggests that you are experiencing an expanded sense of awareness and consciousness. You need to take advantage and draw insight from this new consciousness. The dream may also mean that you need to look on your inner strength for stimulation instead of relying on outside forces.

Joanne, care to take a stab at this one? I am out of ideas. Although it may be important to note that I am coming down with a cold and I feel like crap. My husband did buy three containers of orange juice last night but, as far as I know, none of them contained marijuana.

I'm done!

With the 2nd tape of transcription. Very little is happier than when I hear the tape stop. It is funny, I started out liking the husband because he was so clear and concise in his speech and the wife was all over the place. By the end I totally liked the wife and thought the husband was an ass. He has issues with the word "Land lord"... He thinks pot should be legalized. And when asked why he loved his wife, he couldn't really come up with anything good. Oh and when asked what scares you... the wife gave the stock answer... losing the hubby... his answer was something along people telling him what to do. Jesus... what a stupid article (read that with an Irish accent). Hee... the phrase stupid article has been running through my head. It is from one of the Maeve Binchy books to indicate a stupid person.

Final thought of the night... new work crush... stalkingvictim... isn't as cute as I remember him being. I saw him today at work. Maybe there really IS something to the fact that we remember things the way we want to, not how they really are. He is cute, though, but not as out of my league as I originally thought he was... :D

Two date theory OMG!

I've long held this theory about dating, that two dates is all it really takes to determine if this person is worth seeing again and again. I believe that the first date, both are so nervous and weird that... you just disregard it altogether (unless there is something REALLY glaring like he punches a waiter or grabs the waitress's ass or something like that... that is a guaranteed no 2nd dater). The 2nd date really tells the story. SO... Imagine my amusement when one of the people on the tape I'm transcribing states that when she was dating, she liked to give the person two dates so that you could really tell. I just felt I had to sign into the net and post this immediately. (I'm sure it has absolutely NOTHING to do with my need to take a minibreak from this wife and husband where frequently I'm yelling at the tape recorder... "Just spit it out... Just say it already!")

Taco Del Mar...Taco Del Mar...

Ta-co... ta-co... tacotacotaco... That's my little taco song. You would have to hear it to get the full effect but since yet again I don't feel like cooking I will wander over to my favorite eating establishment and for $5.87 get three chicken tacos. They will make me happy for approximately 20 minutes while I eat them. Then I will wash them down with some nice Pepsi and finish off the last of last night's Orville Redenbacher's Cinnabon Popcorn (or maybe not that part, it may not be that good cold.) Is it a bad sign that the Taco Del Mar people recognize me when I go in there because I order the exact same thing every time??

The past

I find myself recently during my down time, (down time meaning time when I don't have something else on my mind or pressing, not depressed time) revisiting people and places from my past. Just now, I was printing out these reports that don't require any active thought... just click, enter date, click... So while I was doing this, my mind wandered back to... it doesn't matter really what... and I thought, I miss that. Or sometimes it is just a pang of I wonder what so & so is doing now. My friend Heath is (was?) in the Navy last I'd heard. Was he still in when Iraq started? Is he there? I don't know. I emailed a good friend from childhood recently. Will she ever answer? It was through classmates so probably not. I don't like old ghosts haunting me. So I Google them. :) I never find anything, but maybe some day. Or maybe not. And maybe it is better that I don't find them. Keep them in my memory as who they were, not who they are now. The last I'd heard from Heath, for example, was that he was rather bitter over the divorce and subsequent child custody battle for his son. Not at all the fun loving 17 year old I remember. Similarly, periodically I get these pangs about moving back to Alaska... but I know that I would want it to be the Alaska of my memory, not the Alaska it is now. (In my memory all my friends are there, in reality they are scattered all over the US). Maybe this is a sign of getting too old. Nostalgia... pretty soon I'm going to be grousing about how when I was a kid, I had to walk 10 miles to school, up hill both ways in the snow... or about how movies were only $3.75 (oh wait, I do that one now! :D)

I love voicemail!

More than is humanly possible... I didn't have to talk to MDA lady... I left her a voicemail. Yippee... my wussiness is enabled yet again.

Happy Monday!

Or something like that...

A few grumps...

The new shirt I bought last week some time shrunk when I washed it. Of course I didn't discover this until I was already at work and have just showered after my workout. I hate that gap that occurrs in the top twoish buttons where one's boobs are too big for one's shirt. My coworker says it looks fine and that it is just fitted and I'm not used to fitted clothing. That is very true, but doesn't change my uncomfortableness...

I tried to call to get out of the MDA Lock Up thing on Sunday night because I am a wuss and don't really want to have to speak in person to this woman, but her VM must've been full because I couldn't leave a message, now I really have to call her so that I can back out since the thing is August 5th.

I FINALLY have a new lease. It only took a month of prodding for me to get it from stupid Jaddua. I love on my new lease, they gave me a list of rules.. one of them being, no dogs allowed. Jaddua & Wick own a dog. Hee... I brought it with me to work so that I could photocopy it since he failed to do this for me last time. I find him almost more useless than our last apartment manager... and he LIVES ON SITE!

Oooh... I did buy cinnabon orville redenbacher popcorn (popcorn with the cinnamony & sugar popped right in then comes with a little pack of frosting to drizzle over the popcorn) this weekend. It is wrong how excited I am to try this, however I was saddened to discover that only 2 bags of popcorn come in the box.

Weekend update

I am some kind of tired right now.

Yesterday I went to the arboretum. I really enjoyed it, but unfortunately Matty P flaked on me. So I went on my own. I only wandered through about half of it because I just got hot and tired, which should've been a big sign to me. I went towards the lake and walked through this series of walkways and docks and then through a set of wetlands. There were a couple of times I just sat down and enjoyed the breeze, and the shade and the smells and the sounds. The lake was dotted with canoers and I so want to do that sometime. I miss canoing. The houses in that area are so cool too. Very cute. It makes me want to buy one. This is slightly startling since, 1 - I have no money to buy a home (keep hoping bosslady doesn't come back from mat leave) and 2 - I have never really had any desire to own my own home, but something about the idea is starting to apeal to me. But a house, not a condo. Something with a back yard and a front yard. Anyway... I got back from the arboretum and was very tired but V wanted to go downtown so I pulled up my bootstraps and went with him. We wandered around for a while and the headache that had started was getting progessively worse. We stopped and ate some dinner at my favorite... Taco Del Mar. I got home and layed on the sofa fully intending to work on the transcription. Didn't happen. Very quickly I was so ridiculously sick I wanted to die. Hot, and vomity, and headachy. Welcome pale girl to the world of sunsickness! I ended up going to bed at 8:00.

I woke up this morning at 5ish. Of course when one goes to bed at 8:00 that is only to be expected but I still felt kinda crappy. I mostly lolled around the house. I did manage to get laundry done and grocery shopping done. I spent part of the afternoon working on the transcriptions and FINALLY got one done. These take a long time to do... Much longer than I ever would've expected. At some point the guy asks about how much time he has left and is told 15 minutes. Over an hour later I'm finally done transcribing that '15 minutes.' I don't actually think it really was 15 min, probably more than that, but still... I have one more to do by tomorrow. I may not make it. I also have to call to get out of this stupid MDA thing I'm supposed to be raising money for. I am so terrible at fund raising. That's why I never do it.