Day to think...

(completely unrelated to Thinking Day but why can't the ferrets be trained to bring me a soda? They're supposed to be smart & shit.)

Today was Thinking Day so the girls & I went to a Thinking Day event. Basically each group picked a country and had to do a little presentation of something either from that country or a dance or a story or information about that country. Then we also put up a little display and gave out fortune cookies. I had originally thought of doing more Chinese food wise, but the more I thought about it, the more expensive it was going to be and I just couldn't cope with that. I frequently go to these things and feel like I'm inadequate as a leader. Mostly because I tend to put off until the last minute. In fact for our display, the colored pictures I put up were not done by the kids, but by the cult of the virgins today at lunch. I typed out the story of Lon Po Po (Chinese Little Red Riding Hood) into parts and the girls got to "perform" it. They had a good time and a lot of people complimented them on it. We were really no better or worse than any of the other groups that went up. My girls are hams, what can I say? :)

To suck me further into the world of the Girl Scouts, I've told 2 of the moms that if they can find enough girls, I'd take on their younger daughters in a Daisy troop. It would have to be separate from my current group because of the age gap between my oldest and these little ones. It is way too wide a spread. It takes a minimum of 5 girls to have a troop.

Finally, a cute little tale to end the evening... When I walk home after work, I walk past Lifelong AIDS Alliance. On the block just past their building in the late evening is a van that does needle exchanges. Every year I think that I should stop and give them (the volunteers) a box of cookies. They're stuck out there in the cold for hours exchanging needles with the local junkies to prevent the spread of AIDS. Every year (ok I say that like it has been a lot, it has been 2 years) I don't do it. Tonight as I was dropping off my big display board (which we will reuse dammit) I grabbed a box of mints from my stash (I ordered 10 boxes some of which to give away like this). When I got to the van spot, I walked up to the 2 kids in it and offered them the cookies. At first I didn't say anything just offered the box like a dork. So I told them they could have it and they were both excited. Apparently they're the girl's favorite kind. It was nice. :)

Finally (I know I said finally a minute ago) i just read in the PI that the smoking initiative that passed in November includes the bus shelters. YAY! There's little as obnoxious as trying to stand under one of the little bus canopies and breathing in a lungful of smoke.

Oh finally finally... The Amazing Race is back on! YAY! Although it is currently on against Supernatural which I also love so I missed the first hour. But Supernatural is moving to Thursdays so YAY! :)

4 years

That's how long legally your employer has to keep your employment records after you are no longer employed there. Now thanks to computers, a hire date and a term date for you can probably be found fairly easily. But, as I tried to explain to a very nice much older woman, it is impossible for me to truly verify that she worked here in 1977 - 1979. She wouldn't have been entered into any computer programs since they weren't around then and once there were finally programs, why bother entering info on a person who had been gone that long. She seemed to find it a tad disturbing that there was no longer any record of her employment here. Which got me to thinking...

It has been 4 (more like 7) years since I worked in Indiana. Since I never rented or bought property there or paid any bills to utility companies. There's no real record of me living there anywhere anymore. It is like my whole 9 month life there is gone. As is the year I worked in Arizona and we're almost to the point where the 3 years I worked in California are expunged. (I know the CA years won't be because I'm in their databases but you know what I mean.)

Another Adventure

I headed over to the Girl Scout office today. That office, to me, is a lot like Target. I can't leave the store without spending 70 bucks at least. At least this time it is girl money and not my money. :)

On my way (2 busses I might add) I stopped at this health food store that advertises Gluten Free food. I've stopped there in the distant past but all it had were like 2 different varieties of Pamela's cookies (which I don't find go0d.). But today I found something so wonderful I was very happy. Amongst shelves and shelves of Ener-G foods (which I also generally don't like), was a couple of bags of Kinnickinnick Foods' fried chicken stuff. I am so excited! I love the fried chicken coating stuff! That's totally what I'm having for dinner tonight. :D

Jodi Picoult

So awhile back I professed my undying love for an author (Jodi Picoult) I had just started to read. (Ok I liked one of her books...). I've started reading more of her books and I'm finding that while I like some of the book, I tend to not like the whole thing.

Perfect Match: I started to read this one and then jumped to the back (I tend to do that.) and didn't like where it ended up. The heroine's son is molested and he claims his priest did it. She, in open court, shoots he priest. She is an ADA, she should know better. So more of the story actually centers around her trial and the justification the heroine feels over shooting the priest. So I didn't finish it. It just pissed me off too much.

Salem Falls: I liked this one actually.

Mercy: I'm currently slogging through this one. Due to Picoult's tendency to write prologues that give away more than you know, I already know the police officer is going to have an affair. I don't know if I'll be able to read this whole thing. I have a pretty strong stance against reading books whose sole story is the affair (hence I won't read Horse Whisperer or that other one, Bridges of Madison County). The story is SUPPOSED to be about this guy (A cousin of the police chief) who has killed his wife who is so riddled with cancer that she is going to die anyway, he just speeds up the process for her because she has asked him to.

I have several others at the apartment to read. We'll see if I actually get to them or not.

A myriad of things

I receive an email of comics each day. In honor of yesterday this one cracked my shit up.

I look cute again today. That makes me happy.

I didn't make it to the gym this morning. I went out to wait for the bus at the appropriate time according to both my cell phone and the time thingie on one of those parking ticket machines. (Instead of parking meters we now have these ticket dispensers that you put the ticket in the window of your car.) I waited and waited and waited. I hadn't seen the bus go by when I was on my way. If it had gone by, I would've seen it. So after I stood outside in the freaking freezing cold shivering for about 15 minutes I gave up and decided this was a sign I was to go back to bed and be warm. If I had waited for the next one, it would've been a 30 minute wait and by then I'd have only enough time at the gym to shower and I may as well do that at home. But this afternoon my cookie mom is coming to pick up the boxes I'm holding so that'll be my exercise for the day.

Yay panties!

I couldn't do it. I couldn't go the whole day without them and just wearing pantyhose so I went home at lunch and put on panties. Clearly I am not a person meant to ever go commando. So then since the weather was so rainy and blustery and cold I couldn't convince myself to put back on my skirt that I love (which is dry clean only and probably one of 2 articles of clothing I actually dry clean) that might get damaged by rain so I put on pants. And that made me even happier. :) I wonder how many people (if any) will notice I went from a dark red skirt with embroidery to khaki colored pants.

It was bound to happen sooner or later

Warning... this post may contain more information on my panties than you need...


This morning I got out of the shower at the gym at about 7:40. I went into the locker room to change. Sweater, check. Skirt, check. Tights, check. Bra, check. Shoes, check. But wait, that's the bottom of the bag. That's right... no panties. Ok, not my favorite thing ever but I can put on the tights with no panties. Life goes on. Except... as I struggle to get into them... these aren't tights. They're black pantyhose. Who in the hell owns black pantyhose? Me apparently. So I struggle into them. And I mean STRUGGLE. Clearly these were from a time when I was a size or 2 smaller than I currently am. And now they're killing me. But I head to work. (I know you are thinking why doesn't she just go home and change? It is an hour for me to do that. If I walked it is 20 min minimum and if I bussed it would be wait for the bus 5 min ride.. home & change... wait for the bus 5 min ride.) Once the bookstore opens I pop in to pick up a pair of tights or at least a pair of pantyhose that isn't black. I'm cornered by my least favorite bookstore employee and now have to have a long convo about crap I don't care about and answer questions my boss has already answered for her once. And of course the bookstore only has pantyhose for girls who are this big... :) I did find a fatchick sized pair which I am now wearing. But at lunch I am soooo going home to put on panties and proper tights.

This day will not end

How can it not be 4:30 already? I've been here for 57 hours by now I'm sure.

McDonalds Brouhaha

(Side note A - I love the word brouhaha. I learned it from my friend Shelley when I was in college. I had never heard it before. She used to try to fight me and call it a brouhaha. Awww... now I miss Shelley. I just heard from my college friend Kate that she had a baby... I miss old Shelley though because after she had to leave college for $$ reasons, she got a little crazy... Also she decided that she would cure me from being tactile defensive by hugging me randomly until I would hug her back. I don't know that ever worked...)

(Side note B - Robin, the fancypants pasta is Bionaturae pasta. I thought it was good, but upon reheating it wasn't great. It got squishy. That could be a pasta thing and I just don't know it but it is a celiac pasta thing.)

So on with the McDonalds brouhaha...

McDonalds Brouhaha:

For many many years McDonalds has claimed their french fries are gluten free and many many celiacs have believed them. Suddenly there is a report that there is a flavoring that has been derived from wheat. The response from the celiac community has been mixed. There have been 3 lawsuits filed. I've spent some time after work today reading a couple of celiac forums and the response is not what I expected. Instead of everyone jumping on the class action lawsuits, most people are deriding the suits, which gives me a tiny bit of hope for the celiac community as a whole.

The wheat in question... it is in the oil that is used to parfry (pre-fry) the french fries before they are shipped to the restaurants for real cooking. Further, the wheat in question has been processed so that the offending protein has been removed. (All the protein has been removed which means the offending protein, gliadin is also gone.) This is scientifically possible. Vinegar is processed from wheat but the protein is pulled out during the distillation process making vinegar safe for celiacs. Now there were some people in the forums that I read (specifically looking for info from the celiac community, I generally don't read the forums because I mostly think the celiac community is a bunch of freaks...) who are wanting to do a class action suit. There are also some who are cracking me up who claim it all makes sense now and this is why they were always sick after eating McDonalds food. But the bulk of people are against a suit and some have said they've never had a problem... others say now they're concerned.

The reasons most say they are against the suit is the same reason I'd be against the suit. This kind of thing does not help our community. It totally is bad for us since when a restaurant makes an honest effort (which they were. They didn't know about the stuff in the oil. It is only since the new labelling laws started that they found out) and they make an error they are going to be sued. If these suits go through, this could set the celiac movement back years, which is a depressing thought. At least now, I can get a list from a few restaurants and know what's safe and what isn't. If restaurants shy away from that, where will we be?

There has been a test done by a fancy pants doctor who is the head of something or other but allergins is in the title at the University of Nebraska. He has tested the fries. (There is a gluten test that can test up to some nano bajillionth ppm of the protein). There is no gluten in the fries. He has come out and said so. Again I go back to the boards to see what those who want to sue are saying and to see what the general reaction is. Again it is interesting. There are still some who claim they will sue (no case but whatever...). There are some who criticize McDonalds for using fancypants doctor, or who claim fancypants doctor is in the pocket of McDonalds. It is just so weird to me. My thought is simple... Fancypants doctor says fries are okay. Tests prove fries are okay. Where's the question.

Peevery

Aww... It isn't as though all of the peevers have suddenly gotten wonderful, special, joyous lives... the peevery is sick. That's why nobody has had a peeve in 3 days. :( We at Joanne's life hope it has a speedy recovery.

(You know, or the webhosting is having issues. Damn webhoster...)

Bark Bark

I have a cough. No sneezing. No aching. No stuffy head. No sore throat. Just a cough. A deep, periodically barking as though I'm coughing up a lung, cough. I wonder what the hell that's about.

Cupcakes

Dammit. Setting the kitchen timer only works if you actually turn it on. I now have slightly cajun cupcakes. I'm sure once I slather on chocolate frosting they'll be fine. :D

I just frosted the cupcakes with the most divine dark chocolate frosting. (The recipe for Stephen who always asks me... 1/2 cup butter, 2/3 cup cocoa (I used dark cocoa), 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup milk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Mix the cocoa & melted butter together first. Then alternating mix in the powdered sugar and milk. At the end put in the vanilla.)

I'm eating pasta for dinner. I bought this fancypants pasta (more expensive by far than my usual quinoa pasta) that is supposed to be 'just like the real thing.' And 'so good your non-celiac friends won't know the difference.' Now Michelle & Matty & Kate will all say that that is rarely ever true. There's always this texture or taste that is just slightly off. (Or in some cases, completely off.) So I'm always tentative about anything that is just like the real thing. I will say this new fancypants pasta rather different than the quinoa that I usually eat. I don't know that I'd go so far as to say it is just like the real thing, but it is good. That's always exciting to me.

Cookies, cookies everywhere and not a box for me.

Yesterday I picked up our Girl Scout Cookie order. I checked out a Honda Element. It is a funnish car to drive. I was so good, I walked over to the car wearing the boot like I'm supposed to. And then realized I forgot a 2nd shoe so I could drive. So I had to just drive barefooted. Not all my parents showed up so I had a lot of cookies left over to store until they pick them up. I was exhausted and had to get the flexcar back so I just loaded all the boxes into the main part of my work and left them until today. I went back this morning and luckily one of my moms who has a lot of cookies picked hers up. I have one more mom coming tomorrow after work time and hopefully my cookie mom will pick the rest up this week. That would be nice.

James Blunt

I really like his song "You're beautiful." That's the only song I've heard of his but so far so good. I have to say, though, I disagree with the VH1 announcer guy. I don't really know that I'd call his slightly gravelly voice "Angellic."

Hmm... Vaguely interesting...

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have low extroversion. You are quiet and reserved in most social situations.A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you.You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people. Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness.You're generally good at balancing work and play.When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have high agreeableness.You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism.You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium.You are generally broad minded when it come to new things.But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it.You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

No words on asses!

Matty & I went to the UAF vs my employer basketball game today. Now we went last year and I was appalled at the fact that the women's basketball team had the word "Nanooks" scrawled across the ass. Words on asses are my 2nd biggest pet peeve (right behind random stoppers) and so I emailed the coach and got a response blah blah blah. This year I was thrilled, THRILLED I say, to see no words on asses. The coach was true to her word. Now it doesn't change the fact that she is either a bad coach or they are a bad team or a combination of the two, but still. No words on asses. I consider it a moral victory. :) The Nanooks were not so lucky, they lost. It was a close game, though, and somewhat exciting. If they hadn't made a bunch of bad passes and errors they may not have lost.

On my way home, I witnessed an accident (fender bender type not call an ambulance type). I didn't go over to the people though. I never know what the proper thing to do in the situation is. There were a lot of people around, though since it was at the corner of Pike & Broadway.

Weird...

Three times I have put up a post, and 3 times it has disappeared all of its' own accord. I guess I'll leave it like that because obviously that's a sign.

Disappointed

I think I've mentioned that my favorite restaurant is closing for a short while. Even though I knew they would be out by the 28th of Feb, I hadn't realized how soon that meant they'd close their doors. So today I headed up there for lunch. They're already closed and shut down and they are cleaning the place out. :'( I'm a bit bummed about that. I headed over to Baja Fresh and got tacos instead but I was really looking forward to GF cupcakes. I may have to make some myself this afternoon.

Thunder stolen

So tonight was supposed to be the big smackdown of the girls post 'bathroom incident.' I was all ready. I was planning on what I would say. It was on...

Except it wasn't. Only 2 girls showed up. I was 100% positive these 2 had nothing to do with the whole bathroom thing. So no lecture occurred. I did tell them what happened and they were both suitably grossed out. Although 1 girl thought maybe her little brother did it, but seriously, he didn't go into the girls' bathroom so how could that happen? We have no meeting next week due to the kids' mid-winter break. The following week we have Thinking Day so it will be awhile before I have the chance to lecture.

The boot is proving to be problematic. Not the walking part, but it is too narrow for my fat little duck foot. I am going to have to go back to Rick the cast guy and let him know. I'm blistering on the outside of my foot.

So sleeepy

I could so fall asleep right now but I'm waiting up to watch Veronica Mars. It had better be a new one or I'll be so pissed.

Apparently in a weird balance in my life whenever I do something good I do something bad. I went to yoga today. It was just me there so I had the instructor one on one which was nice. :) She managed to do a lot with just me. So the bad part, I picked up a Cadbury Creme Egg on the way home. Now I only ate 1 so that's good. :) I also picked up juice for the girls for our meeting tomorrow. Is it bad that sometimes I buy the snack juice based on what could be a good mixer with my cherry rum? I at least cut open the juice box and pour it into the glass rather than mix it in the box directly. Isn't that good? :)

Why yes I AM stubborn, why do you ask...

So yesterday picked up the boot and was given some vague instructions about it. I should wear it if I'm going to walk long distances. I have chosen to reinterpret that phrase as a permission to walk long distances provided I wear the boot. So this morning I set out on my way to work. WALKING! I haven't walked to work in months. I prefer to walk because I'm free of the time constraints the bus requires. I have to say, the boot really helped. I can't believe how much a difference it made. Usually when I walk the pain starts up my heel, through my calf and eventually a bunch settles in my lower back. With the exception of the 2 rubbing spots on my foot (which I have purchased moleskin for and apparently will put another layer) I was completely pain free while walking to work this morning. PAIN FREE. This was very exciting and opens a world of possibilities for the return of the Sunday Adventure! (Although not this Sunday as I will be picking up boxes and boxes and boxes of Girl Scout cookies! :)

Scaredy Cat, Scaredy Cat

I have finally discovered that the hospice behind me is closed down. I noticed something was off when I discovered that the parking lot was closed off but I figured that the employees were parking somewhere else. Then one day I noticed the bottom floor windows are boarded over. Now here's the thing I've recently noticed that has me a little scared. There are some lights lit. It may have been like that for awhile and I just wasn't aware because I didn't realize the hospice was closing down, but now I make a habit of checking each night to see if different lights are lit than usual. You know, it was a hospice... Who knows what kinds of ghosts are wandering around in there. (This is a true sign that I watch too much Supernatural on the WB.)

As of today I am now the wearer of a boot. Well only when I'm walking a lot. I don't have to wear it around the office or around my house. I did walk home today and discovered that it is difficult to get on and off the bus, it does make walking in general a bit easier. I think it is the significantly curved bottom. (And yes, Matthew, you told me so. Happy?) I think I might decorate it with some of my fabric paints. A few daisies might brighten it up a little. :) Also, the boot guy was kind of pissy. At first I felt bad about bothering him. And then it dawned on me, this is his motherfucking job! This is what Group Health pays him the big bucks to do. I am not inconveniencing him. Sometimes I'm silly.

This Valentine's day was not great but not bad either, so I guess technically that makes it great. :) Nothing exciting happened but at the same time nothing bad happened so I think that makes it a perfectly balanced day. Ooh I did get a cool Valentine's day present from Michelley and 2 cool Valentines from my coworkers and that's more Valentines than I received last year. Maybe next year I'll get a Valentine from the cute boy in the bed next to me. (A girl can dream can't she?) :)

Today's going to be a great day!

Do you know how I know? It was SNOWING as I left for the gym this morning! Snowing at 5:55! And it was beautiful. I love the snow. I miss the snow. I should move somewhere it snows more. It was so peaceful and quiet and beautiful while waiting for the bus. It made my ride on the methadone bus so much better this morning.

I feel now that I've mentioned the methadone bus I should explain (although it is kind of obvious). The bus I ride goes right past the methadone clinic. There are always between 5 and 10 people riding that bus that are going into the clinic. A couple of mornings ago there was this older woman and she made me sad because she was clearly needing a fix by her behavior. She was jittery and unable to really sit still on the bus. She made me sad because she looked like she should be hanging out with her grandkids on the porch, not riding a bus headed to the heroin addict's next fix.

Finally it is Valentine's Day. I do not have a good track record with the day although there is no dead ferret in my bed so already I'm doing much better than 2 years ago. :) (Seriously for those who have read this a long time, I know the story is getting old but come on, there's very little that can top finding a dead pet in your bed and getting bumped into by a car all in the same day. Plus now that it is 2 years later I can laugh about it.) Isa put up a little envelope and wanted Valentines so I bought some Bratz ones. Somehow these Valentines are not appropriate for a Human Resources office yet are appropriate for 6 year old girls.

Oh also, I have put on a new necklace. It isn't the same as the old one but Isa has a theory that maybe letting go of something that was very precious to me will allow something new that will be precious to me into my life. One can hope. :) Anyway, I strung 2 fish beads on a leather strap and now have a new necklace on. I had to. I really felt weird without anything around my neck.

Have a great day!

Ooh one more thing I almost forgot... Matty thinks that I shouldn't discount potheads because clearly they love me- the 2 that hit on me and Jeffy my gay, pothead, bartending husband. I commented that my non love for the potheads is not really what is keeping me from a relationship since those 2 people had far more to be rejected about them than just pot. That was the tip of the rejection iceberg. So I'll just say that... yeah, I'm still rejecting potheads. :)

I rock!

I packed my pack last night. I checked and rechecked to make sure I had everything I needed. I bought bananas just for the occassion. I was up at 5:30 this morning and on the bus at 6:10. I hit the gym by 6:20. Yay for me! It has been almost a year since I've last been to the gym. They have new elliptical trainers! Yay for new elliptical trainers. (And yes, skinny people everywhere claim the elliptical trainers are like a magnet for fat people. They burn a huge amount of calories and are kind to the knees, what more could I want?) I only went for 20 minutes (and a 5 min cooldown) because I didn't want to die my first day back in the gym, but I'm psyched and ready to go again tomorrow. And for the record, Pearl Jam's Release Me is probably the best cooldown song I've ever found. It is either right at 5 minutes or just under (like 4:30?) and it provides a kind of trudging beat that I find good to slow down to. Plus I just love the song. :)

Edited to add this picture of an elliptical trainer. I love it because it is a gentle gliding kind of thing rather than picking up your feet. I never use the arm option because that's just too much for me to manage. I usually don't hold onto the handles at all. I only will hang on a little bit when I'm doing reverse motion because it helps keep me from falling off the damn thing. It looks kind of intimidating but really when I was going regularly I could burn like 600 calories in just 30 min of working out. How can you not love that? Plus once you get used to it, it actually feels really good to me. Like a treadmill it has various levels (or heights I guess) so that it simulates either running (lowest setting) or stairclimbing (highest). And according to sports medicine guy it is good for my achilles tendonitis so I'm all over it.

Devastation...

For the past 14 years I've worn an aquamarine crystal around my neck. I bought it when I was a freshman in college at the annual holiday fair. I almost didn't buy it but it spoke to me. I had to. I went back 3 times to look at it before commiting to the purchase. I've been wearing it on a leather cord for the past several years because the chain broke and was unrepairable. I've looked for another silver chain, but finding one that was fine enough to fit the necklace and yet still long enough to surround my fat neck was impossible. Today represents the last day I will wear it. It's gone. I pulled off my jacket after going to the library and noticed a black string hanging off my t-shirt. It wasn't a black string, it was my leather cord. The crystal is gone. I walked back to the bus stop head bowed trying to find it, but I didn't. It could be on the bus or at the library and I'll figure out how to submit a lost & found item but in reality, it doesn't look good. I feel weird without it now, like something's missing.

What is it with me & potheads? Do I give off a pheromone only they can smell and thus must come hit on me? Does something on my back scream please rub your potheaded hands on me?

Friday's Pothead Experience - I went out kind of late and joined Big R at a gay bar. We sat down at the bar and Big R went to the bathroom leaving me alone. The guy on my other side introduced himself and asked for my name. He chatted with me telling me I was really pretty and asked if I was waiting on someone. All the while rubbing my back. I told him I was waiting for my boyfriend who just went to the bathroom. He gave me one of those "hey I tried" looks and just chatted some more with me. Big R returned and I turned back to him to chat. When Big R went to get a 2nd (or 3rd I'm not sure) drink, the guy tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to him. I heard him say something about a bull and said "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're asking me?" Apparently what he said was smoke a bowl, pot. I declined and he said there was nothing wrong with smoking pot he's been doing it for 50 years... and that the offer still stands if I wanted it. Luckily Big R returned and I didn't have to chat with old man pothead.

Tonight's Pothead Experience - Isa and I went to listen to some live music. We had a good time. During the last band I felt a tap in the middle of my back. I was hoping it was this one guy, heh, who am I kidding. My life never works that way... It was this shortish guy who REEKED of pot. He told me I was beautiful, multiple times and that he was glad he came over to see me and he gave me his number. The whole while he's rubbing my back. The smell was overwhelming. He gave me his card and asked for my number. I tried to get out of it claiming to have no pen or paper, of course he did. So I fake numbered him. It is such a rite of passage, fake numbering someone. I've never done it before. :) Finally he left and I felt briefly nauseus. We left shortly after that. I did look cute in a purple tank top and black jacket. :)

Night Brace 3 days so far

Every night I dutifully put on my night brace. Every night about 2 hours after I put it on, I take it off. That's it, in the picture. It kills my foot to sleep in it. My toes go numb. It is somewhat heavy and my foot always feels so weird in it. I will keep trying it. Maybe I can keep it in for like 15 minutes longer each night until I'm sleeping a full night in it. Damn tendon.

Also I've inquired about getting a boot for my vacation. Only because we are going to be walking a lot since we're going to Disneyland, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. So yes, Matthew, I'm getting the boot. You don't gotta be all Mr. Smugpants on me.

They're lucky they're not dead!

I went into the bathroom after the meeting tonight and somebody had locked 4 doors from the inside and crawled out underneath. Now since the building is essentially empty after 6 PM (our meeting time) and really college girls wouldn't crawl around on this disgusting public bathroom floor I can only imagine it was MY girls who did this. Had they all not left already I would've lit into them immediately. Instead I crawled around on the disgusting public bathroom floor and unlocked the 2 locks I could and tried the other 2 but since those 2 stalls have doors that actually extend all the way to the floor I couldn't crawl under the side enough to get them. I had to go get someone from public safety to use their little tool to open the door. (He used a flat tool on a leatherman type thing to scrape along the top of the sliding lock until he had moved it enough to open the door.) Next week there will be a lecture to end all lectures. This is just completely unacceptable.

Hysterical... just hysterical

Ok maybe it is only hysterical to me, but I don't think I've laughed as hard as I did today at lunch in a long time.

I was eating lunch today with the cult of the virgins. There are only boy virgins in the cult these days since Isa's roommate doesn't join us anymore. Anyway Harry Potter has been seeing this girl and the Italian Guy questioned him how things were going which prompted a discussion of how far HP & girl have gone. Which then somehow melded into a convo between HP & I about things like one night stands and sex with out the a regular relationship. Harry P & I talk about his theories a little bit. He doesn't want to be controlled by the more base urges and he thinks he is above all of that. I said I wasn't discounting his beliefs, but once he actually has sex he may feel different but that I can respect that he doesn't want to be led around by Little Harry Potter. He looked at me dead on and said "How did you know that?" And then he got really red and embarrassed and started to laugh at what he just shared with me and so I started to laugh and neither of us could stop it. And neither of us could even look at each other because every time we did we just laughed harder. And neither of us could explain to the other 3 at the table what was going on. We were dying.

I went to see the doctor that I was finally referred to today. He was really nice and I liked him. He asked me a bunch of lifestyle questions. He did a bunch of checking and I really got the sense he knew what he was talking about. He did not boot me (as Matthew seems positive will happen) although he did offer me one if I wanted to do it. He says wear that for 6 weeks it may help. I am going to try 3 other things first. He gave me a night splint to wear (which looks like a boot without the traction on the bottom actually). He suggested accupuncture and suggested I up my Aleve dosage. I'm hesitent about the boot for many reasons. There's no guarantee that 6 weeks will be it. And I really think the size and weight will make my commute to & from work more difficult. I'll give it more time and see. The very exciting, though, about this appointment is that I'm released to hit the elliptical trainer again. I'm heading back to the gym next Monday morning! :) (Of course I'm still not allowed to hill climb so I'm heading back to the gym next Monday morning via bus, but whatever).

Brief political interruption

Y'all know I very rarely speak of anything political. I'm completely liberal on social issues, well and just mostly completely liberal. I read with interest about the president's new budget plan. I find it most interesting that even his fellow Republicans are against this. He's managing to piss off some very powerful lobbying groups, such as AARP. As shocking as this is, I don't know that I 100% disagree with him on his stance about entitlement benefits.

Bush, not on the ballot, took a different view. "Unconstrained spending in the nation's large entitlement programs poses a serious threat to the federal budget and to the health of the economy," the budget said. (Ok that's a direct quote from this article, but interestingly enough I'm pretty sure the budget didn't actually say anything.)

Now I'm not necessarily a fiscal conservative, well maybe I am. I am in the sense that I'd much rather see the money going to support the people it is supposed to support and not just for more layers bureaucracy or to make benefits excessively complicated. (Medicare Part D anyone? I work in benefits, I have to know these things, it is ridiculous.) If we were able to simplify I think the budget cuts would work so much better.

The other thing I read was the justification for eavesdropping power for the president. Now 99% of the time I don't care about what the president is up to with regards to these types of things. If the president wants to listen in on my phone conversations with the Chinese food place that's fine. If he wants someone in the CIA to monitor my IM chats with Michelle, whatever, I have nothing to hide. They can know about my scandalous emails with my coworker about one of several coworkers we find attractive. But now that I've thought about it further, I should care. It isn't just about me and that I have nothing to hide, but anyone who could be unfairly targeted because of their race or religion or their political ideologies. I also found it interesting that there is a special court to decide these things. If the administration isn't doing anything wrong, why hasn't this gone to that court? Why do they balk at it going there now? The whole thing troubles me for many reasons. I don't ever want to be one of those people who believes the government is out to get us or that big business is inherently evil. I know my govenrment does things that I don't approve of and most likely does things that I have no knowledge of. Things that we (as a nation) hate when another country does them. I'm not so foolish to believe everything is rosy and peachy, but I'd like to think that my elected leaders do have the nation's best interest at heart. I suppose it is a matter of whose best interest we're really talking about. And that's where things get dicey. This is an interesting article about the issue (seemingly) free of bias, just outlining the facts.

The return of the Sunday Adventure!

Today when I was sitting on the sofa, I noticed how sunny and glorious it looked outside. I had to get up off the sofa and go and celebrate the return of the sun! After looking at the different park options on the Seattle Parks website, I decided to head to Discovery Park. That was such a good idea for me! It was so rejuvinating. I didn't hike the entire loop trail (which is 2.8 miles) but I walked most of it.

I liked this little teeny path through the tree. Like something a fairy would use. :)

I think when the leaves are all on these trees this is probably a perfect little secluded grotto like I love. The potential is definitely there.

Just a crane in a field, but on the other side of the field was another crane. I don't know anything about cranes, but I wondered if there was a little flirting going on? The other thing (that I didn't take a picture of) was that these 2 guys were standing there looking at the crane. They were rather butch looking, I initially thought they were just standing next to each other, then I noticed the hands. They were holding hands. It was so cute.

This cute little chapel was on the bluff. I don't know if it was still in use, but I liked its colors and how cute it looked.

This sign made me laugh.

This cute little old couple (which you can't see the other person is a guy) was sitting on the log watching the water. I think it would be nice to have someone to sit on a log with on a cold February afternoon.

I liked the shape of this tree overlooking the water. If you look carefully, you can just see some Day of the Dead banners hanging in the tree. I don't know why they are there or how they got there but there they were.

The sky was so clear today that I could see Mt. Rainier from the bluff. It looked so cool like it was floating in the sky. It made me think of Bob Ross' the painter, the mountain just looked like it was painted on the background.

I liked the dark water/sunlight combo.

Shopped 'til I dropped

I went to 2 of my favorite places today. Baja Fresh for lunch and Fred Meyers for shopping! So while it was cold and blustery outside, I was safe and warmly ensconsed on a bus and in the most beautiful Fred Meyer in Seattle. I bought some completely frivolous things. It isn't often I get to do that! I bought a new lavender tank top to wear out (tank top, excessive boobage showing, it will need a different bra than what I own), a white shirt (that may have to go back actually) and a toasty, fuzzy fleece jacket. I'm most excited about the fleece jacket. It is so soft and warm. I can't wait until the rain stops so I can just wear this in the cold. :) I also got some craft stuff to make felt finger puppets. Although, I couldn't find any googly eyes. Do they not make those anymore? :) I'll have to field trip to the sewing store down the block to see if they carry them.

One other thing I want to get, a new video game. But I hate shoot 'em up kill things type. I like either go on a long quest to solve puzzles and find the ultimate answer or key to the treasure. Or I like simulation ones like the Sims or Age of Empires.

I looked at movies to go watch tomorrow instead of the Super Bowl. There is nothing out that I want to see that I haven't already seen. I hate it when that happens.

So cute, yet so evil...

Tess has shared her toys with me! Tess does not usually share these little fuzzy balls that she loves desperately. She carries them all around the apartment with her and hisses if I try to take one away.

(Yes I sleep on bear sheets in the winter. They're flannel)







This is Tess & Rigby sleeping in my sweater in the dirty clothes pile. Rigby is the one whose face we can see. You can just see her little pink tongue poking out of her mouth. What you can't see are her blood dripping fangs. She and I still can't come to an agreement on whether or not it is appropriate to bite my feet in the morning. I'm still against it. She seems to still be for it.

Thank goodness the week is almost done!

Popsicles - I wish I had some popsicles. I have to make due with a fun size Snickers bar that's been in the freezer for months.

Biggest waste of an afternoon - In the continuing saga of the achilles tendon, I made an appointment with a sports medicine doctor. I tried to make an appointment with the one my physical therapist recommended to me. I was told that I couldn't go to him because I had to have a referral from my doctor, which I didn't have and so they set me up with an appointment with a different doctor but who is in the same group. So I go to this other doctor this afternoon. He looks at my heel. He has me stand up and go up on tippy toes and says he can't do anything for me since he is a surgeon but he wants me to go to a different doctor who specializes in non surgical approaches to my tendon problem. The doctor he sends me to... the one I wanted to go to in the first place. I tromped all the way up there in the pouring rain to be seen for 5 minutes and then go back out and stand in the rain for 10 minutes waiting for the bus to take me back to work. Sigh. BUT I do have an appointment with the appropriate doctor next Tuesday so we'll see what happens.

Crochet - I tried to teach the girls to crochet tonight. Please notice the word TRIED. I only know the weird complicated way of doing things so I was not succeeding. Luckily, 2 of my moms had an easy way to do it and they showed the girls the better way. That made us all happy. And the 2 who really got it were so excited. I think this weekend I'm going to get some felt so that we can make felt finger puppets for one of their badges. :)

Best mail ever!

Yay! I got the most fun mail ever today. I'm ever so excited. :) It is about the only thing that is going to make the great American family vacation tolerable.