Cognitive dissonance avoided

I hate You tube. I mean I really HATE You Tube. I also hate it when people send me You Tube links and expect me to look at them as if I care and then ask me questions about it. So you can imagine my chagrin when I was googling Somali children's songs and getting hits that brought me to you tube. Oh no, it could prove helpful! How to readjust my thinking? Luckily I didn't have to. The links were totally not useful. Phew. That's much better. My world remains in place.

Unrelated, I have a bunion. What the hell is that about? I went to the store to buy bunion pads or something and the best I can do is buy moleskin. The bunion pads are more to protect the foot on the side and I need to protect the bottom and then I was also reading about putting a spacer between the big toe and next toe to force the big toe back into alignment. (because that's what a bunion is... a growth that causes your big toe to start moving towards the little toes.) Seriously, we could amputate my right foot right about now and I'd be fine with that.

Passport

I've printed out my pre-filled in application for a passport. Now two pics and $95 later, I will be on my way to passport status. Yippeeee! The last passport I had was issued in 1986 when I was 12. And the pic... oh so unflattering. Maybe I'll take a picture of it and post it because it is funny.

Checkin' it old school

Robin would be glad to know that use of the libraries is alive and well. I spent quite a bit of time at the library on Sunday trying to find out about Somalia. My troops have Thinking Day in two weeks and for the little girls I decided to pick a country rather than ask them to pick one since we've got such a short time. I chose Somalia because I have two girls from there (as they remind me almost weekly). Little did I know that according to google, Somalia's only characteristic is that it is a war-torn country. That's all I could find using various searches, including words like somali children's games and somali culture. Wikipedia gave me some information, but I needed more. So off I went to the library where I found that not only are there plenty (well 4) kids' non-fiction books, but there is apparently enough of a Somali population in Seattle and I found a bunch of children's books in Somali or in Somali with an English translation. I thought that was cool and checked all those out for use on our display table. My next quest... to find an easy to make food that the girls can give out to sample Somali food.

Prettyified part 2

Well obviously married Michelle knows something. I've gotten several compliments today. :)

New Websites!

Two websites I'm currently smitten with...

Discover Ireland. Com

And

Visit Dublin.com

I know I talk a good game sometimes, but I really really think I'm going to do this vacation! :) (Of course it could mean top ramen for the rest of the year but whatever.) :)

Prettyfied

So over on Michelle's new blog, I asked how a spinster like me can improve her odds at finding Mr. Right (NOT by asking out every guy who may catch my eye, Stephen). To that end, I've got a new goal. I'm going to try to make an effort by wearing a bit of makeup every day and doing something with my hair. Today I'm wearing it down with a headband. I'm also wearing a bit of eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss. I think I might take a bit of my tax refund and buy some matching under garments. I remember back in college my mom went on a weird buying spree and bought me quite a few matchy matchy things and although nobody else saw them, I still felt kind of sexy wearing them.

So today's outfit: Off white sweater that I always have liked, blue jeans, white socks with cute flowers on them and brown mary janes that show the cute socks. :)

Ending on a high note!

So today obviously started out grumbly and gripey. But now it has ended in a pretty good way.

1 - I had to call the candidates we didn't hire. That wasn't as bad as I worried it would be. It did make me sad to do it though, but I survived. :)

2 - A faculty member who I helped a couple weeks ago brought me cookies today. AND she is wheat/gluten free too so they are GF cookies! Awesome!

3 - I'm doing a study tonight that will pay me money. Yay!

4 - I'm leaving in 2 minutes and am picking up tacos. Yay!

Further Gripeyness

I cannot get warm. My office is like a refridgerator. I want to go home!!!

3 Things that might make me lose my shit

1 - Committees: The biggest thing I miss about the corporate world (besides corporate world salaries) is the lack of committees. Decisions just get made. You don't have to have a 12 person panel to discuss something to death. At least one of those 12 people doesn't feel that s/he should be on the committee since they "don't represent the people" or some such shit (I dislike those people the worst.). And at least one of those 12 people doesn't pay attention and so gets confused and asks a lot of questions. One of these days I may just stand up in a meeting and say "Just make a decision already!" Of course 10 minutes later I'll be cleaning out my desk but I'm sure it will be a cleansing moment. It will also be a blaze of glory moment which Michelle and I have talked about doing before.

2 - Panhandlers: I am fairly liberal. I regularly contribute money to the food bank and 2nd Harvest. I volunteer for food drives. I am pretty sure that I get panhandled every day I leave my apartment - either actively or passively. (Actively being the "Spare change?" or "Got a dollar?" and passively being just the sign that expresses their need and "God bless".) It's exhausting. It is also the number 1 reason I do not carry cash.

3 - My right foot: So the tendon with the achilles tendonitis hasn't healed yet. That's fine. Whatever. (Ok it isn't fine but I'm dealing.) Recently the joint where my toe and foot join up has decided to get in on the act. It is painful to put weight on it, to bend it one way or really bend it the other way. I think it might be gout. Or else the fact that I'm frequently walking on tiptoe on that foot anyway (due to the tendon) and now have done something icky to that spot too. Either way... walking SUCKS.

Safeway might Rock!

My friend Lyday just called me to tell me that a specific stain remover I have been searching for is sold at Safeway. Rit Super Stain Remover is the most awesomest stain remover I have ever found. (Do I sound like a commercial for them??) I mostly use it for those weird dark spots I get on my solid t-shirts (grease? Maybe??). But this morning I used the last of what I had on two sweaters that had these mysterious spots that apparently only appear in the flourescent light of my office (I've missed them twice when putting on the sweaters at home). Both stains are gone. How awesome is that? It's probably got all sorts of terrible horrible chemicals that are polluting the environment and my boobies (since that's where the stains usually hit) but whatever. At least I'm not totally THAT girl. :)

Sofas!

So if I'm buying a new sofa, I'm trying to get a balance between the crazy expensiveness that they can be and Ikea. Buying a sofa is a big commitment for me. I originally thought that the commitment fear was being a grown up, but I actually realized that my fear is because I'll own it practically forever. I'm trying to find a balance between the holy cow that's so expensive and Ikea.

I like these two from JC Penney.com. But I think I'd have to go to JC Penney to sit on them to test them out. I'll also want it to be in a dark color (like the top one) and hopefully a microfiber.

What a great day!

I'm having an awesome day today.

1 - I have my last candidate interview in about 15 minutes. I have really strong candidates so I won't have to do a second round of this. (Although the hard part is picking a person. Yikes!)

2 - I got to tell an employee who had a back injury that we've been fighting Worker's Comp on that they have finally agreed to pay up and she will be getting a check for all her sick and vacation she had to use due to her injury so she'll be able to buy it back from us. She was speechless.

3 - An employee who yelled at me several years ago because we do not offer reproductive assistance just handed me a form to add his new baby to the health insurance.

4 - I did my taxes last night. Apparently my refund will be enough to do BOTH - take a vacation and buy a new sofa. Yippee!!

5 - EEK! I have a new hire. Now I just have to call and make her the offer (and yuckily enough call the other two and say no. :( )

Vacation!

It has come to my attention that I have not had a vacation in a long time. And by vacation I mean a trip where I go somewhere and stay in a hotel - not in friends' or family homes. (Although technically I did go to Disney with my sister and niece in July but only for 2 or 3 days and the other days we were at her house and I am sorry Mandy (who reads this) but sometimes I want a vacation without family.)

I've been thinking about my tax refund. You know I get one every year. I've already calculated what I think I should be receiving. I was originally thinking of spending it on something useful and slightly necessary - a new sofa. But now I'm thinking vacation. I think Ireland might be nice. I can fly on my sister's benefits. So I would just need hotel/whatnot in Ireland and food. I'll have to stew on this.

Oh so busy!

Today was a relatively really good day, but ever so busy. Work is kicking my ass right now, but I did get all my interviewees called and scheduled for interviews. They'll be coming in on Wed, Thurs and Friday. I feel kind of bad that I am going to have to turn two of them down. They all seem rather nice.

I went to my first water aerobics class of the quarter tonight. That was fun! Totally different instructor than we've had before. My only real concern is this is shallow water aerobics (4 feet) which doesn't diminish the joint impact the same way deep water aerobics does since we are still jumping up and down and touching the ground. Also... when I'm wearing my bathing suit and jumping up and down the top of my suit dips down low enough that my tattoo is visible. Also... unlike the other classes I've taken, this one is not so great for the tankini I usually wear. It floats up and down as I jump. Although this all may be moot as again... there are only 2 people signed up for this class. Sigh. It will probably get cancelled.

Then I had my service unit meeting. I hate that meeting BUT tonight was actually good. We made ice cream and did something with eggs and it was all very cool. What a good day! (Does that mean tomorrow is going to be crappy??) :D

Shop til you drop!

On Saturday I left my apartment at about 10:30 in the morning. I didn't get home until 4:15. That's a LONG day of errand running for me. (And then I left again at 4:45 when I went out to dinner with a friend.) But it was an awesome day.

I mailed out a bunch of cookie order forms to my little girls. I hadn't had them on hand when our Wednesday meeting rolled around. Cookie sales started Friday. Support your Scouts. :) (If you click on the link it will take you to the cookie website where you can do a zip code search for your local council.)

I picked up my present from the Peevery white elephant exchange. I was briefly worried that what I sent wasn't up to par and then I opened it... Hahaha. I am now the posessor of Dream Angels Heavenly scented lotion.

I then caught the bus up to Northgate. There I shopped! I had a bunch of things to return so I ended up doing things like getting the Juno Soundtrack for $2.00 because I had books that I took back to Barnes & Noble. And I got two new Nintendo DS games for $16 total because I had taken back 3 DVDs. Life is good. :)

I also picked up the right kind of wire to try potato batteries with my girls this week. I had bought one kind of wire last week but it was too thick and it was too difficult to twist without pliers. I got some from Radio Shack and it is thin so I have high hopes that we can make it work this week and it will be cool. Of course they'll be annoyed that they have to do it again but too bad for them. :)

Tim Lykis/Danny interview

So several of you wanted to know what Danny said... What I managed to find didn't have the whole interview. I know this because I know that at some point Adam C actually called in to call Danny on his shit. So I only got to listen to the part where they were both being very self congratulatory about how their shit don't stink. Ultimately Danny said that originally he didn't know what was going on and that he came in one day in December (just before their hiatus) and Adam wasn't there and Teresa and the sound guy were panicking about no Adam and he (Danny) took control of the situation and being the professional he was did what he had to do. And that Adam didn't do several things that week including his own party with the fans. This is true. He implied Adam wasn't a professional for skipping out on that and that he (Danny) had done over 100 radio appearances to Adam's 7 for the year. He also had seen Adam in the audience at various events when Adam was supposed to be at a radio function so he knew Adam wasn't sick. (Like in the audience at a Jimmy Kimmel show which was taped at the same time the party was recorded.) He then went on to say that he got a letter over the break about his new show that would be on the 2 - 3 slot every day at his same contracted rate. He knew what that meant and interpreted it as Adam being threatened by Danny. Adam also wrote him a letter but I can't recall what the details were. I know there was something about a band not having two lead guitarists and that was what it was like with him and Danny. Danny mused that bands should have 2 lead guitarists... that makes it the best band ever. (I can agree with Adam on this. Danny needs his own back up guy. He's not good at playing second banana.) Then they started taking callers and everyone was fawning over Danny and how it is great he has his own show blah blah blah.

Could've been worse

In general I don't talk about my work too much here. Mostly because I ultimately have fears of being fired. I don't know why. Currently we're so short staffed the rest of us could show up drunk and insult the president and we wouldn't be fired. (Ok maybe if we did THAT.) But you get my point...

Anyway, since I've been here (4 and a half years) we've been trying to figure out how to get an online benefits solution going. Currently everything is done paper to pencil. Ew. So finally we were on the dockett for the committee that decides the IT stuff and the subcommittee I worked on had two different proposals for that committee. (Remind me sometime to expound upon how much I hate that colleges all use committees to decide everything. The profit world was so much easier on crap like that. We just did what we wanted - with input of course - but we weren't stuck examining our navel for meeting upon meeting upon meeting..) Our proposals were 1 - expensive 3rd party option (oh please yes!) or 2 - less expensive but time consuming and soul crushing letting our IT department build it and take 3 years to do it option. THREE YEARS. (Oh god no!) Well I met with the chairman of the subcommittee who is on the real committee and she had well not the best news but really not the worst. My biggest fear was that we were going to get approved for the 3rd party option but when the budgets were decided we were going to be denied the $50k annually needed for the project. That would've defeated me. I was also braced for the build it ourselves possibility. Not horrible but really not good either. I wasn't prepared for the answer I received... The committee thinks we (the college) needs to fully look at the system we are using for financials and payroll and HR and determine if it needs to be replaced or whatever. On the one hand it means I continue to limp along with paper and an instable Access/Sequel (I know that's not the right spelling) database. On the other... we could be out from under the oppressing thumb of the most crappy HR/Finance system known to man. I can live with our current situation for a bit longer with that as a possibility. However please feel free to remind me of this post 5 years from now when we're still with crappy system and still doing benefits by paper and I've become a depressed drone... Because well... that's how long committees take.

I hear the bells

Is a song by Mike Doughty. I love it. I think I first heard it on Veronica Mars. My favorite line: You snooze you lose, well I snozzed and lost. It cracks me up every time.

Wrong...

Is it slightly wrong that I'm listening to Tom Lykes (Lykis?) in my office when I work in Human Resources?? :) (I'm listening to an interview with Danny post firing from the Adam Corolla Show)

Crazy dreams

I had a dream that I was at the Pioneer Woman's house. I don't know why I thought it was hers but it was in my head. But I wasn't there as a guest of her, it was like I knew a person who knew a person so we were there. She introduced around a bunch of people. Then they all left and for some reason I was on my own. In the foyer I could sense ghosts. So then I end up in a sort of telekenetic battle to get the ghosts out of the house. And it is all very ghostbustery but without the ghostbuster tools. I don't even know how to describe it but the room is whirling around and kind of gray and green and purple. But I win against the ghosts and they all leave. So trippy. Maybe it was my potato & chicken casserole that gave me weird dreams...

Worst radio commercial ever.

I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard a commercial that was just horrifying. It was a commercial for an at home DNA testing kit. Now I don't really have an issue with one of those. Whatever. My horror was at the ad itself. A woman is going on and on about how her husband doesn't believe that their child is his despite her assurances that the kid is. So she got the test and proved it was. Here's my issue... well there are several. 1 - These people obviously need therapy. Either she cheated on him or they had the kid before they were married (and she cheated on him) or he's a total control freak. In any case... it doesn't sound like a healthy stable marriage and a DNA test won't really help it. 2 - What advertising firm thought this was the best way to go? And for that matter what marketing department thought an ad was even necessary. It isn't like it is a product that most people will use. Know your audience. It is a niche product at best. Unless they were trying to hit the men since they played it during the Adam Corolla Show. Maybe it was trying to appeal to all those guys who listen and who aren't sure if they are their baby daddies. I don't know.

I can't decide...

If the annoyingness of Hulk Hogan outweighs the awesomeness of the new American Gladiators. Because seriously... I love this insane show.

iPod

So I posted a posting on craigslist. I also tried to post on the PI site but that one wasn't working for some reason. (You can post found things for free.) The iPod still has music on. I meant restart not reset. So the ad says that they have to let me know color, style and some of the music on it. I can't identify everything on my iPod but I'm pretty sure I could identify a lot. Actually now that I think about it, all I'd have to do is open iTunes and there'd be pretty much everything that is on it. Although now I am thinking I should've gotten my email engraved on the back. I think I figured that if it was found they probably would keep it anyway.

I don't really expect a response, truthfully. But in any event, I feel better that I'm at least trying to do the right thing and not just keeping it outright.

What am I not doing today?

I'll tell you what I'm not doing. I'm not doing laundry. I'm not running things down to the basement to put into storage. I'm not taking out the trash. And why... why might you ask... the fucking elevator is broken AGAIN! AGAIN! Today is what, Jan 4th or Jan 5th (Apparently Jan 6th). The elevator has been broken 3 days of the 6 days this new year. Ridiculous!

Also ridiculous. I went down to the post office to pick up my package that came in while I was gone. It came in on the 24th and I returned on the 1st. I wasn't able to go to the post office until yesterday because the post office has such ass hours. (really 7 - 4:30, I have to be at work at 8:00 how would that work?) Well apparently the post office returned it because I didn't come in to pick it up. Are you fucking kidding me?! The guy asked if I wanted to talk to the manager and I was like, what is that going to do for me? That won't bring my package back.

WWYaD

(What would y'all do?)

Whilst walking home from Stephen's car tonight I noticed something shiny on the ground. It was an ipod mini. I picked it up and looked at it and continued into my building with it (it was 1:15, there was nobody on the street who potentially could've dropped it). It seemed to be stuck but I did that thing where you push the top and the center button and it totally reset. Do I

A - Turn it in to the police station?
B - Advertise in lost & found on Craigslist and in the paper and in my apartment building?
C - Turn it in to the police station and advertise on craigslist and the paper that it was found and turned in to the police station?

Smugpants gets punished

I was feeling all smug because I didn't catch Michelle's cold over Christmas break. Heh. Ask me today about sneezing and tired and well really just the sneezing. I definitely don't think I have it too terribly badly. I haven't even broken out the medicine yet. I'm hoping I don't have to...

Also I was feeling pretty groovy about my tattoo. No problems blah blah blah... Today and yesterday. Itchy. So much itchy I just want to spend the whole day just scratching the hell out of my chest. According to google, this is normal. I don't remember it with my back one but whatever. Also is normal the faint peeling that it is doing. Good to know because I didn't remember that with my back either. Of course it could've but how would I have known since it was on my back.

New Tattoo Picture

This may be more personal than you all want to see but that's the new tattoo (Actually, oh please it isn't like there's a nip in the shot. :) ) I like it.

2007 in Review

I had to post this second so that in 2009 I didn't have this be the first post. :)

January: Round two of pictures from Long Beach with my usual silly commentaries. Strangely it was actually the first round of pictures I actually posted. So weird. :)

February: The lady from the management company called me back this morning.
The first of two rent increases in my building this year. And yet... today the elevator is broken AGAIN and I had to climb 4 flights of stairs lugging a 40 lb suitcase.

March: I just got flowers in my office!
A gentleman at work gave them to me. How nice!

April: I have put off posting because I was going to post this long April Fools Joke post, but then when I thought about it, I felt bad because I didn't want to trick anyone.

May: Forgive me a moment or 4 of bragging. A work post about the benefits fair that I put on. Crap, now that my employee is leaving I'll have to do it again.

June: I have blogger's block. Apparently that struck me semi-frequently in 07. I noticed several posts about blogger's block.

July: Actually I'm back, didja miss me? I had come back from Michelle's baby shower in CA. CA is nice.

August: I have a 3 year plan. Who am I Stalin?

September: Here's another option for the potential tattoo in November. It was a forget-me-not. I love that flower.

October: Saturday morning I volunteered with my employer's Day of Caring. I volunteer a lot, although I notice that I don't do it too often on the first of the month.

November: Ok so now the last thing... shoes. You, the readers, got to control what I wore. In reality you all could probably control what I wear far better than I can. :)

December: Go on... Guess! It was snowing. I LOVE snow!

I'm Home!

Did you miss me?

Oh and Happy New Year!

Fucking Blogger just ate the post I typed so this is not going to be nearly as clever as the other one was. (Ok the other one wasn't clever either but whatever.)

I've just gotten back from CA and my visit with Michelle and baby and her hubby and the whole rest of the clan. I had a good time. It was very relaxing. I got 3 books read and napped in her big comfy leather chair and ate at all my favorite restaurants. One of my favorites... El Pollo Loco. I wish they would have one here. If I had a million dollars I would totally open an El Pollo Loco franchise here in Seattle. How could I not, they're awesome. Oooh also I played with her little baby who is cute and funny and makes me laugh.

We spent New Year's Eve chilling. All we did was watch movies and well watch movies. I actually dozed off during Transformers. We toasted at like 9:30. That's enough I think. :) I think next Christmas break I'll stay home. Oh of course I will because I'll be married and my new husband and I will be planning our life together. ;)

I am not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. My employee's last day is Friday. I have to hire a new one. Yuck.