Karmic balance is kicking my ass

I received word this morning from my boss that I am getting bumped up in dollars and in job grade effective 9/25. Yay! And by bumped up in dollars I mean BUMPED. (Ok $5k a year but it is sorely needed I tell you). Plus, this new job grade means I am no longer a non-exempt employee. I love it! No more time sheets! So that's the good.

The more than annoying:

Tonight's the first Service Unit meeting of which I am in charge. I have to go to the Girl Scout office to pick up the keys to the church. A - their hours are only from 9 - 4:30. Ok, that sucks. What about those of us who work. So I check out a flexcar and was going to take a long lunch today to go get the keys and some 'door prizes' in the hopes of attracting people to the damn meeting. (Typically there are 5 of us there. There are WAY more than 5 troops). I start walking over, in pain because the boot is at home because I can't drive with it on, when I suddenly think about the keycard to get into the flexcar. I check my wallet. It isn't there and I forgot my cell phone. Fuck. I walk the 3 blocks back to campus and search my pack and jacket. No dice. I have no idea where it is. Fuck. So I call the Flexcar people and now with the new smartcard they can't remote unlock like they used to. Fuck. So I'm out of luck. So now I'm being billed for flexcar time that I didn't use. I don't have the crap I need and I have to leave early instead to catch a bus to the damn Girl Scout office and deal with this.

Acceptance

I don't like indy films. I really need to just accept this fact. I keep getting my hopes up, though. I'll see one that makes me think, 'oh they aren't that bad', and then I'll see 4 more that make me think 'I HATE indy films'! Netflix delivered to me Friends with Money. I love Joan Cusack and I like Jennifer Aniston. But Friends with Money was just painful. It just kept meandering to me and I wanted to shout at the screen 'get to the bloody point already!' So I'm back on the I hate indy films belief and I think I'll stick with it.

Also, unrelated but it may help me remember things, I don't like Raspberry Cream Italian Sodas.

Tired of life

Sometimes I get tired of my life. Not in a 'goodbye cruel world' type of way, just in a 'can I tuck my head under the covers and wake up when things are a little less crappy. And sadly, things aren't actually even that crappy. In all honesty, my life is actually pretty darn good. But every once in a while, I look around me and think, this can't be all there is. Like Ariel "I want more..."

V and Isa are both afflicted with a condition wherein when they are talking about someone (usually smack) they turn around and that person is there. It is uncanny actually. Today that actually happened to me. Big R and I were in a coffee shop and I was trying to remember what kind of Italian Soda I liked and whether or not I liked it with cream. And so I playfully smacked his arm and chastised him for not being Matthew who would know that. We sit down at a table to work on his resume and not two tables away is Matthew who had been sitting there working. We said hello. That was it.

I went to Dim Sum with Isa, and Big R and a bunch of other people today. I think I'm not going to go anymore. I just order off the menu while the others do all the Dim Sum. I just think it is way pricier than necessary.

I think a fun name for a drag queen would be Anita Dix.

It is hard to stay totally blue when one is watching Grease 2. That's just fully cheesbally.

Also, I'm so glad that the WB and UPN combined because otherwise how would we have valuable channel space for My Q TV channel? I can't believe I'm paying for that non-existent useless channel.

Finally, how can you tell if your desire to just sit on the sofa and do nothing including eat is depression or laziness? I'm leaning towards laziness but it would be nice if it were depression so that I'd have an excuse.

Taxation without something or other

I was all full of righteous indignation about getting hit with a 32% tax on some random extra money I received this month. (My office does supplemental pay when you do random extra work which I did a shit load of earlier in the month so it definitely is NOT a bonus which would be taxed at an outrageous rate because that's how bonuses are). Then I double checked and did the math. Unfortunately $125 out of $500 is 25% which IS my tax bracket. Sigh. Ahh well, difficult to come by, easy to go. :) I did use the remaining $340 (don't forget FICA the bitch she is) to buy my plane ticket to see Michelle over Thanksgiving! A break! I am so excited. I'll arrive Tuesday night. She'll 'work from home' on Wed and I'll hang out. We'll eat with her fam on Thanksgiving. We will get up at the butt crack of dawn on black Friday and be done shopping by noon. (or thereabouts) I will get to eat at all the places I love that we don't have here in Seattle like my favorite Chinese place over by my old work. Ooh and Mongolian BBQ. I love that! And I won't even drag her to Disneyland. :)

Tomorrow I'm taking the girls on an adventure. (The ferrety girls not the Scouty girls). Tess has to go for her shot and I signed up for the Flexcar for a longer period of time so I can also go to my GF bakery and to the Pet Store so I can get their treats. They can go in with me at the pet store so I'll take Rigby too (if I can find her).

My apologies to smokers around the globe.

I just read on yahoo news that New York City is now looking to ban trans fats in restaurants, bakeries, fast food joints etc. They are currently running a voluntary program to reduce trans fats but apparently that's not working, so they are looking to ban altogether. Chicago is apparently currently considering a similar voluntary program. I found several things intereting about the article. (I never link to articles because eventually the article will be gone and it will be a broken link and I hate that!) First of all I found it intersting that it is New York and Chicago doing the banning. I would figure that someplace like LA and even my own home of rock and twig lovers Seattle would be the first two to do something like this.

My next thought was what's next? We've banned smoking. Now we're banning being fat. What's next? Being single? Being an unwed parent? (Oh no, they tried that it didn't change anything). And while smoking IS a health risk to others, my being fat doesn't really hurt anyone else. It does, I suppose, with regards to health care coverage costs since hypothetically we fatties are more likely to need medical care I know in my own life that isn't necessarily true. Although I can tell you that our current health care costs are outrageous at my job and that's because of all the cancer people we've had who 20 years ago would've died a lot sooner than they did and none of those were due to fatness. With the exception of the tendon (also not related to fattness but to short achilles tendons, something else probably genetic), I'm actually rather healthy. (Oh yeah and the celiac thing but that's genetic and totally unrelated to fatness. That's my parents' fault.) And as some of the things I've read suggest being sickly underweight is actually worse for you than being moderately overweight. (Ok I'm NOT moderately overweight, but I'm not necessarily the poster child for the argument either.) I was going somewhere with the rest of this, but I've lost my train of thought. Darn my job. :)

Happiness is...

Thinking how nice a snack would be and then remembering you actually have a dollar in your backpack so you can get one.

Also, in the potential husband's names I would be unwilling to take catagory, we can add Dickson and Butts to the list.

Nightmares & Dreamscapes

Last night I was having this totally wild nightmare that for some strange reason I wanted to go back to once it woke me up. Luckily this didn't happen.

I was living in this house like a dorm or a frat house on a college campus. (Although I think it was more just a big old house but there was an implication that more people would live in it). I was the only one living there except this ghost that lived on the 2nd floor. She was not a nice ghost, she was kind of evil. She was trying to get me to leave so she put boobie traps up on the 2nd floor. Like if I tugged a door knob a cherry bomb would go off. Or if I touched a lever I think at one point a gun went off. So while this is happening the 2nd floor is just falling apart. I have to escape at once and me and a dog and a guy who had been coming up the stairs race down the stairs with her chasing after us and we run out of the house. And then the house collapses. And then I woke up.

Ghost: In general, ghosts symbolizes aspects of yourself that you fear. This may involve a painful memory, guilt, or some repressed thoughts. You may be afraid of death and dying. Alternatively, ghosts are representative of something that is no longer obtainable or within reach. It indicates a feeling of disconnection from life and society. This dream may be a calling for you to move on and abandon your outdated modes of thinking and behavior.

House: To see an old, run-down house in your dream, represents your old beliefs, attitudes and how you used to think or feel. A situation in your current life may be bringing about those same old attitudes and feelings. Alternatively, the old house may symbolize your need to update you mode of thinking.

Haunted House: To dream of a haunted house, signifies unfinished emotional business, related to your childhood family, dead relatives, or repressed memories and feelings.

Gun: To see a gun in your dream , symbolizes aggression, anger, and potential danger. You may be dealing with issues of passiveness/aggressiveness and authority/dependence. Alternatively, a gun can represent the penis and male sexual drive. Thus the gun may mean power and impotence.

Destruction: To dream about mass destruction, suggests that there is some chaos occurring in your life. Things may not be going the way you want it to. Perhaps the choices your are making are self-destructive.

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.

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.

Apparently I'm more screwed up than I know. :) But the man and dog represent getting out if it I guess? I don't know.

Square pegs... square pegs...

I was thinking of that theme song because there's a line in the song about having to wear glasses. Don't ask, it worked in my head. :)

I went to the eye doctor on Thursday before Carlos Mencia. I always have such a hard time with the eye doctor. I worry about giving the 'right' answer. I also had my eyes dilated for the first time. My eye guy said that we didn't do it last time because I had some sort of infection, which was true. But all other times with other doctors, they've never done it. I now kind of get why those people have a hard time when their eyes are dilated. It wasn't so much all the light that was being let in, although that was part of it. But it genuinely made my eyes feel weird and not right and periodically I felt like I had to adjust to see through them. I also ordered new glasses which is fun and exciting. I picked them out in less than 20 minutes. There was another woman there who had been picking since before I went in for the exam and still hadn't decided after I made my decision. She asked me my opinion and I said it depended on what she was looking for. The one pair made her look younger and fun and the other a bit more librarian and if she's going for being young and hip she should go with the others. Freakishly enough she took my advice. :) Hopefully I won't run into her when I'm picking up my glasses and she has had a chance to hate them or anything. :)

Also I hate my hair. Completely and fully. I was looking at it in the mirror at the eyeglass place and the color seems to mostly have left it. Although there must be still some color since the roots are a distinctly different color. But the part around my face seems to still be a different color. I'm sure it is the chlorine from the pool, but in any case it does not look good in my opinion. I also hate its current length. So currently it gets worn in a pony tail every day because I hate it so much. Really. I hate it. I'm considering shaving my head but I know that's no solution.

Finally how much do I love Amazon.com? I had a brief flirtation with a boycott of them after I spent 5 hours interviewing for a job I didn't get. (bastards) Although hindsight being what it is, I would've hated that job and wanted to quit 10 minutes later I'm sure. Anyway, I found the book I need for the class I'm taking for $50 less than I would pay directly to the group that does my class. How awesome is that?

Also in answer to Mishka's question about where I find my volunteering gigs. I go to a multitude of sources. My number 1 place is volunteermatch. However, for several places I am now on their books so to speak so I get reminders or requests when it is time for other things. The Paramount actually sends out volunteer emails monthly to say these are the shows we have this month and if you're interested in volunteering let them know. Others I remember from year to year and seek them out myself, AIDS Walk and Firefighter Stairclimb (that one I actually have a calendar reminder to myself to register for because we love doing it so much). (Also thanks to the Paramount I'll be seeing the Killers on the 12th of October. I love The Paramount! :) )

Wicked!

This weekend has been another volunteerfest for me.

Saturday was my college's Day of Caring where the new students participate in volunteering all across the city. This year, unlike previous years, we only did environmental activities. I signed up for neighborhood beautification. I was kind of under the impression that there would be a variety of activities for neighborhood clean-up. That is totally and completely not what happened. The guy from the agency didn't show up until we called him. He had no supplies. Luckily the student leader I was working with grabbed some before we left. Apparently we were picking up trash. Picking up trash from 4 blocks right next to campus. It was obnoxious and ridiculous and we were not thrilled. The guy from the agency left and so it really was just the 8 of us. In past years, people from the groups were there and participated and there were a lot of different activities. We were supposed to be working until 3:00, but honestly by 1:15 the students and I were tired of bending over and the futility of picking up cigarette butts in front of 3 local bars wore on us. We gave up. I told the coordinator from the college and she understood and totally didn't blame us for bailing very early. The students that participated, though, still like volunteering and we had a good time because we had good attitudes, but man it was disenheartening.

Today I volunteered to be an usher for Wicked. It was so good. I really enjoyed it a lot. I missed the opening song and had to come down just before the first act ended, but it was still a great show! I highly recommend it if it comes to your town.

And tonight... Pizza and I want to make a coffee cake! :) What a perfect and good weekend!

It's like I'm hungover

Without the fun the night before. My head aches. My stomach was a bit twitchy this morning, although now that I've eaten it has settled down. And I'm tired. Bone tired. I'm supposed to go to this bbq tonight and I'm seriously considering backing out.

Actually I did have fun last night. I volunteered for the Carlos Mencia show at the Moore Theater. I have to say he is funny as hell. I laughed so hard the whole show. The people who were touring with him are also great. The little person who has been on his TV show before was there. He did some jokes. There were 2 or 3 other warm-up comedians. The whole show was just laugh bring tears to your eyes funny. If you get a chance to see him, I would highly recommend him. Well, I should clarify, if you aren't easily offended you should see him. The two older women who volunteered with me left somewhere during Carlos's show. I believe they had had enough. Although one stuck it out a lot longer than the other and I think I could hear her laughing. So maybe he does have mass appeal. :)

Am I a wuss?

I'm having angst. The swimming class I take in the evenings is in a less than desirable neighborhood. On my way to catch the bus after class, I walk past at least 2 completely boarded up buildings and then some other questionable homes. (I say quesitonable because at least 1 has had an eviction notice attached to the door for the entire time I've been taking swimming class and and several others have windows broken out indicating they may or may not be housing people.) During the summer this didn't bother me in the least because it is still light outside at 7:15. Not so much anymore. Now it is darker (and progressively getting worse as we get into fall). Am I a wuss for not wanting to go past these homes at night? I walk in my own neighborhood late at night all the time with no issues. (Although in my neighborhood's defense no boarded up houses, but then again at least 2 halfway houses so...) There is a closer bus I could grab which would not force me to walk past the worst of it, although it comes later in the evening so I would be standing waiting longer. Or am I just being a wuss and looking for an excuse not to exercise? :)

I hate it when that happens

I am a bad citizen. I forgot to vote today. Dammit.

10 Things

I got this from Jujubee.

LIST TEN THINGS YOU WANT TO SAY TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW BUT YOU NEVER WILL, FOR WHATEVER REASON. DON'T SAY WHO THEY ARE. USE EACH PERSON ONLY ONCE.

1. You are a big part of the reason she is dead. And I have no qualms about all the bad karma I've incurred since then hoping, wishing and praying for your death.

2. Don't listen to your father. Your life will be a whole lot easier if you learn to get along with all types of people and not judge those who have different lifestyles than you. (This may be cheating because I may find myself saying that to her some day.)

3. When someone is doing you a favor, it is your job to make that favor as easy as possible for them to do. Also, don't assume that just because someone knows you have a limit they are prepared to accommodate it for you.

4. I will no longer tolerate your irrational anger.

5. Just kiss me already! ;)

6. I hate that I still miss you being my friend.

7. You haven't learned a damn thing and that's alarming. And ultimately I don't trust you anymore.

8. You will never get married because you refuse to relax any of your ridiculously high standards and open your mind to the possibilities that are out there.

9. I don't want to do this anymore.

10. Please stop asking me stupid questions.

Geeky excitement

I have mentioned before that I like the show the Amazing Race. I think it is very cool. I only semi-recently got into the show last summer when the Game Show Network ran a marathon of every episode all summer long. You can imagine my geeky excitement over the discovery that tonight's race left out of Seattle. I just like it when I see places I recognize on TV. I know that's silly of me. :) (They started out of Gasworks Park.) Also, they are starting out going to China. I've always wanted to go there. If I had any physical abilities and could stomach the possibility of eating gross food, I think I would do something like this. Oh wait, I don't think I'd want to be on TV either so never mind. :) (Of course if I had physical abilities I'd be skinnier than I am and that may affect my decision to be on TV.) (Also fun is seeing the racers get confused trying to get to I5 from Gasworks which can be a bit confusing.)

Bad for the environment

I know it is bad for the environment, but honestly there are days when I could spend forever standing in the shower. This morning's shower was one of those. It was just lovely. (I think because the shower was so hot and my apartment is arctic right now so my feet and hands were so cold that when I got in my hands and feet burned) (Ok now I feel like I should explain why my apartment was arctic this morning. We're currently experiencing the weird Seattle weather where it is cold but then warms to really hot. So my windows are all still open and I have fans going so it doesn't get all hot during the afternoon.)

Have another drinky poo.

I first must warn you that this post may contain both swearing and one potentially offensive and completely embarrassing story. (I may not do the story as I am sobering up and hence feel less compelled to share.)

I went to a party tonight with Big R over at V's house. V and I have been hanging out more (ok 2 times in a week I suppose that is MORE than before). I think it is important for Big R to hang with the gays. He doesn't know too many of them. So we went and I met a bunch of new gays I hadn't met before. They were fun and we laughed. Big Gay Queen is back in town and we talked and I talked to some other folks I know. I met V's roommate who I think I might have a big ol' crush on. He's 32. He volunteers! He asked me about other volunteering stuff. It was a great conversation! V did embarrass me though and make me tell a story I'd rather not but I told it and it was funny and everyone laughed. (I'm not sharing it. I'm too sober now) :) Maybe some other day. Big R had a good time at the party and that makes me glad.

I'm going to the fair tomorrow! I'm rather excited. I can't wait! I've never been.

Two posts two subjects

So here's one of those things I think about when I'm thinking too much about everything... Now that Eva Longoria has made this big stink about how she's never doing another TV show (ok not big stink so much as public statement) I hope her movie career tanks. I think it is important for actors to remember where they came from and where their fans are from and it is kind of insulting to both TV actors and TV fans to imply that somehow TV is a 2nd class actor's job. (Even if I know that's the perception and you can't make 50 mil for a TV show the way you can make 50 mil for a film, although if you were to talk to the Friends cast they may point out their 1 mil per episode which I think ran for 2 years at least... plus residuals.) I don't think there's anything wrong with working on a regular basis doing what you really love. (Hm. Before I started writing this I didn't think I had that big an opinion on this. :) )

I receive Family Fun magazine in the mail. (I used to subscribe to Disney magazine and when the magazine folded, my subscription was transferred to Family Fun. I know...) This month has homemade Halloween costumes. Every Halloween I volunteer at the Pacific Science Center because they do Halloween candy give away and if you are there you dress up. The past 2 years I've worn a poodle skirt and gone all 50's girl because that's easy and I made the skirt 2 years ago with my own hands thankyouverymuch. On the cover of this month's Family Fun is a picture of (drum roll please) an easy to make penguin costume. For years and years I collected penguins. My family would give me penguin things all the time. I still do but not quite on the grand scale it was. So I think this year I am going to have to be a penguin at the Pacific Science Center because seriously, how fun will that be? Ooh and I have at least 1 stuffed penguin here so I can be a mama and baby. :) (Also incredibly coolio, the Dead Sea Scrolls are currently there. How freaking cool is that?!)

THIS is why I'm going to die alone

So the artist formerly known as WC came into my office at the end of the day today. And we were chatting about the deep cleaning that's occurring in our building the next couple of weeks. So he said that his new office needed deep cleaning and I joked that the cleaners weren't allowed in his super secret space. And he said something about heads back in his super secret space and I replied that I've been back there and there are no heads. And he says that he is talking about his super super secret back room where he keeps his super hero costumes and gadgets and cars and stuff. And I joke back with 'what does a girl have to do to get into the super super secret room?' (Here's where I reveal myself to be the big giant dork I really am.) So he says I have to have a super power and I say that I have one. And he asks me what it is. And I say I can read minds. He replies that if I can read minds I should know how to get into the super secret room. I said that I've tried but he has some sort of mind shield that won't let me in. And then we both stopped and kind of looked at each other and it got weird. We laughed nervously. And he stepped out of my office for a minute and stepped back in. And to highlight the weird, I commented that it just got weird. And then we talked about other stuff. But there was like 4 hours (or 30 seconds) of total awkwardness. :)

I told Isa the tale and she thinks we should end up together just to save the rest of the world from either of us.

I think too much

I was a quiet, introspective child and now I'm a quiet, introspective adult. Sometimes that's really tiring. I thought I had more to say on this subject, but I don't now.

I know stuff

I'm watching Jeopardy and I'm vaguely fascinated by the random things I actually know. There was a picture of a painting and the question was about what battleship was sunk in the picture and I totally knew it. I rule. :)

The artist formerly known as WC actually asked me how my weekend was yesterday. He's never done that before. I, being ever the gracious person I am, did not point out that he has never done that before. Although the first time he swore in front of me I totally pointed it out because it cracked me up.

I'm going out to skaryoke tonight. (Really it is just Karaoke but with the gays. Have you seen some of them perform? Honestly... Scaryoke is a much better term.) :) Big R and I are going to a party at V's on Friday night and V suggested I invite Big R to Skaryoke. Big R NEEDS to hang out with more gays. Although part of his problem is that he has a whole lot of diva and not a whole lot of princess points to back it up.

I have an ass load of work to do this week and tomorrow is convocation. That means a whole 1/2 day wasted.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually considering voting for a moderate Republican. Before I fully confess to this I need to say that a - I won't do it. Even if I consider it, I still won't be able to bring myself to actually do it. and b - I like what he is saying. And c - I was talking with our former workstudy today and she loves political science and as we chatted it started to make sense. She's as liberal as I am, but we're both seriously concerned about how polarized the nation is. His message is mostly about the fact that the nation is too polarized and this is why we can't get things done. And as a senator for a ridiculously liberal state as Seattle is (I know that Seattle isn't a state, but the entire rest of the state is a 'red' state and yet Seattle and Tacoma can cause the entire state to end up a 'blue' state) he'd have to be much more liberal than your average Republican. I have to make up my mind by the 19th which is when our election is. I have a bunch of things to read too so I know what I'm voting for. I am not, however, voting for Mike the Mover or Somebody or other "The Science Guy." They are just too weird. :)

AIDS Walk

I volunteered to be a course monitor fo the AIDS Walk today. It was fun. I always enjoy it. It looks like the walk did well this year raising $775,000. I'm glad to hear that because it really seemed like there were a lot less people walking this year than there were 2 years ago, the last time I volunteered. It may have been, though, that I was towards the end of the course and the crowd had spread out a lot. This time I was at the beginning of the course and most of the walkers were clustered together. It was also sunny the last time I volunteered as opposed to raining today. :) I saw Stephen there. He was looking fabulous in a great green scarf I may have a little envy of. :) Now that I've read Kyra's blog entries, apparently she was there too! That's kind of funny. It was fun. I cheered and shouted and raised a ruckus. While we were waiting for the walk to start, there were several of us standing outside a house talking and this guy shouts out the window that we needed to shut up. I'm sure he was less than thrilled when about 30 minutes later the street was filled with people. Heh. :)

Ack! It's Sideshow Bob!

I was sitting in my office yesterday after my new faculty orientation and Sideshow Bob came up my stairs and into my office.

Ok it wasn't really Sideshow Bob, but it was this annoying new faculty member who has big Sideshow Bob hair and apparently creates his own job title. He was pleasant enough though and got his form, but it took every ounce of my job professionalism not to call him Sideshow Bob!

I have spent the past several months working on a new faculty orientation. I invited all the profs. I set up the speakers and the rooms and the food and on and on. I've spent the past 2 mornings at the new faculty orientation. Now that it is all done, I know what I need to do next year to make things better, but we did get pretty good reviews on the evaluations I had the new fac do. (Completely unrelated but I'm ever so excited that the 'skinny' pant is back. Goodness knows my wardrobe has been missing those.) I'm really glad it is done, though, since I was at work late on Wednesday night and even later Thursday night. BUT and this is the most important part, I got all but 1 of my new faculty their benefits information. This means more to me than a couple late hours. It means that I don't have to do 25 special appointments that last approximately 45 minutes each. I did run out of time, though, and as time wound down I found myself talking faster and faster and I ended up 25 minutes over my time. I was the last one, though so it wasn't too big a deal except they had to be someplace by noon. Next year apparently I give myself an hour and a half. :)

I'm still addicted to Pirates the computer game I've been playing. That's why I haven't posted much. :)

I got the movie Lonesome Jim from Netflix. I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I put it on the list. I generally don't like indy films. I got about 20 - 30 minutes into the movie where Casey Affleck and some other guy were talking about who was more depressed and I thought now I want to kill myself. That was enough. It may have gotten better but I'll never know. Today I got Mean Girls in the mail. I'm excited for this one. :)

Oh! I took the boot off yesterday. It has been 6 weeks. (Maybe 7 actually). I was doing good yesterday but I skipped it today and perhaps that was too much. I'll wear it tomorrow for my volunteering at the AIDS walk. I think part of the problem was I was standing A LOT today and yesterday. Also I threw out my back on Tuesday morning. It was totally stress related because now it is barely hurting. Stupid body.

Most Perfect Friday Ever!

Friday was probably the most perfect Friday ever. (OK maybe not ever since that's quite a while but it was the most perfect Friday in a long time. Beware of multiple product placements in my story)

First I got to leave work at 2:00. It was the last Friday of our leave early Fridays. I'm going to miss those.

I got home and took a nap. Naps are awesome.

I've clearly been spoiled by the Flexcar. I got up from my nap and took a Honda Element to the Ballard Fred Meyer. I think that IF I were in the market for a new car and IF they made a hybrid I would get a hybrid Element. I like the car. Also the Ballard Fred Meyer is totally like the Fred Meyer I loved in Fairbanks. All big and airy and light and full of very cool things. I LOVE Fred Meyer.

At Fred Meyer I bought a new computer game that I've been wanting for awhile. I bought Sid Meier's Pirates. It is really fun and I may never leave the house. :)

After leaving Fred Meyer, I went to Baja Fresh. There's one in Fremont (which is near Ballard for those of you not from Seattle). I LOVE Baja Fresh! I got the tres tacos to go. I LOVE tres tacos.

Then, just when you think it couldn't be any better, it was. I went to Cold Stone Creamery. I LOVE Cold Stone. I get sweet cream (which is so yummy) mixed with chocolate chips and dark cherries. So so yummy. Plus I had a newbie who didn't know the proper amount of ice cream to take out of the tub so that the mix was a whole bowlful more than a regular pint and so I ended up getting it all for the pint price.

I came home and ate tacos and ice cream and loaded up the game and after a small amount of trouble with it, I managed to make it work and played much of the evening. Honestly, I may need to die now because I will not have another perfect afternoon like that again. (Slightly sad that it was all by myself, but what am I going to do?)

One other tale to tell

So the crush on the artist formerly known as work crush may be coming to an end. His office is being moved. No more 52 treks past my office door in his way to or from his own office. If he continues to appear whilst moved, then it is a sign, otherwise I doubt I'll see him except randomly around campus. :(

Hee today's horrorscope: Daily singles love (by Astrology.com)A situation with romantic possibility comes to an end. There's no need to grieve for too long, though -- endings are just beginnings in disguise. A bright new opportunity will soon come your way.

Tales from the busline, or how Myspace isn't completely useless

I have several tales to tell. I'm just going to compile them into one really long post. I won't be offended if you don't read it all. Ok that's a lie I might be... :) Also not a tale, but how much do I love it when a DVD comes that has both wide-screen on one side and full on the other? Being a hold out I love full screen. I dislike the black bars.

Forgetful Jones - Firstly, apparently I should change my name to Forgetful Jones. I was so excited this morning to remember to bring an extra plastic bag to put my bathing suit in after water aerobics and liquid soap to wash the chlorine off. However compared to what I forgot today I may as well have given up on water aerobics today. I forgot my quarter for the locker. This was no big deal as I found a random wad of change in my pack. (Ok by random wad of change I mean 80 cents.) I forgot my comb for after class. Again no big deal, I have short hair now so I do the finger combing thing. Here's the big deal. I forgot my damn bus pass. I had the new pass for next year (September 06 - August 07) but not the one for now. I spoke to the bus driver and he let me on but I totally forgot about the going home part. So first I try to think of ways to obtain my additional needed 60 cents for the fare. First I go in and try to do a cash back thing at the 76 station. They don't let you do that. Then I figure I'll try the ATM. It only lets you take out 20 bucks at a time. I was hoping for one of those that does $5 options. So that's a non starter. Then I go back out and wait for the bus and hope for the nice driver. Luck was on my side and I got the nice driver who totally let me on so I could go home. Yay! :)

New Work Study - We're currently trying to hire a new work study student. Our old one went and got herself a TA position, the brat. :) So we interviewed one this afternoon. He was nice and what we need. Isa's checking her references. I hop off the bus after my swimming today and there are 3 gays walking down the street. Two in front and a 3rd trailing along. The 3rd one looks at me and says hello and looks a little abashed. It would be the work study student we just interviewed. I think he was a tad embarrassed. He said that these were the friends he was showing around and I said something inane about how this is a good place to show them. They randomly and suddenly cut across the street and as they did so, the 2 looked back at me. I waved and smiled because you know, I'm cheerful like that. I found it hysterical.

Myspace isn't completely useless - So today I was perusing myspace and I randomly decided to search for a person I used to know. My best friend from elementary school. She doesn't have the most uncommon first name (which is all I used since at one point in our years her last name changed for a short time to her dad's name but then I think it went back to her other name and then she got married.) . When I searched just the first name there were only 3 pages worth of people. And the very last person on page 3 was a person with her name, who looked vaguely like she would look now who was the right age and lives in the right place. Hence, I have a pretty good idea that she is who I think she is. I've put in a friend request. This could be kind of cool!

Little Manhatten - Thanks to Netflix, I am watching a movie called Little Manhatten. I'm only part way in but so far it is cute.

Joy in the inane

I get a weird sense of joy in participating in the U. S. systems. I received something in the mail yesterday indicating that I am going to be a part of a random sampling for the U. S. Census. I am inordinately excited for this. It is sad I know. I've also always wanted jury duty, not just where I spend the day in the little room waiting to be called, but to actually serve on a jury. Only I want to not be the one who holds out (which I can tell I totally would be) nor would I want the responsibility of acquitting someone so I would prefer it if they would come to an agreement before I have to deliberate. :) If someone could arrange THAT for me that'd be great. :)

Sometimes things just buzz about in my head

Blogger still won't post my picture. :( And I just clicked on the channel that was advertising "Circle of Friends" because I love that movie ever so much. What I saw was very clearly not the "Circle of Friends" I was expecting as it was some random blonde woman whoring it up with bearded guy. Sigh... (I started this post an hour and a half ago)

Have any of y'all watched How I Met Your Mother? I was not a regular viewer but I'm finding it really funny. There's something about Doogie Howser as this total manwhore that cracks my shit up.

Tomorrow is our office picnic. The theme is Beach Blanket Bingo. (I came up with that.) I get to wear my denim capris and a t-shirt to work tomorrow and that makes me happy. We have cute little blow up beach balls and other beach themed toys to give away as party favors.

Random inappropriate question... why do lesbians name their kids weird names? I was walking past a couple and their son. His name Winter. Which then caused me to ponder about naming kids after seasons and who would do that? But then I remembered that I actually knew an Autumn and I currently know a Summer (although she spells it differently). So then I was thinking why are Summer and Autumn acceptable as names but not like Fall or Spring. (Well and in my head Winter, although I think it might be growing on me. He was an incredibly cute little kid).

My notboss came in with her new baby. He is 9 months old and very very cute. He is muy gordo. And his little baby fat rolls all over his body. He's trying to learn to crawl but having a hard time with it. (He is adopted from Guatemala and there they tend to hold infants for a lot longer than here in the states so they are slower to walk and crawl.) I was kind of fascinated by his mom and how she treated him. A couple of years ago, my boss went out on mat leave and had a baby. And she was a FREAK about the baby. She didn't like people touching his hands because then he put his hands in his mouth and germs. She wouldn't let him play on the floor of the office, she'd put a blanket down and then kind of herd him to keep him on the blanket. My notboss didn't do any of that. She was much more laid back. It was interesting the contrast. (Of course my former boss was a freak who drove me nuts so... any time in an interview if your would be boss makes a point of saying she's not a micromanager, she totally is.)

I think I no longer like my new haircut. It isn't a big deal and since I don't want to cut any more off I'll just leave it, but I was looking in the mirror today and I think it makes me look mushroom headed. Or it could have just been a bad hair day today. Sometimes it is hard to know. :) (Although I am finding that I'm constantly pulling my hair back out of my face. I hate my hair in my face. A mullet... seriously a mullet is tempting. :) )

Ooh ooh ooh, very exciting. I've been taking my water aerobics class for 5 weeks now. Yesterday while I was out with Big R, he commented that he noticed that I'm looking a little thinner. I'm thinking it is probably too soon to tell, but I was pleased nonetheless. (Especially because I have been thinking that my jeans are a bit too big but then I chalked it up to stretch denim. If I can squeeze my ass into the jeans that I bought that although are technically my size, they clearly will not fit my ass then I'll know it is true. I do not and will not own a scale.)

Movies movies movies!

Apparently today was movie day. Who knew?

This morning I went and saw Snakes on a Plane. I didn't really want to see it. I went because friends were going. And it was $5 at the matinee at the good theater. I'm not afraid of snakes, but was totally against the whole buzz thing. Honestly it just looked so mind numbingly stupid I couldn't cope. But it was better than expected. I've seen it once and will undoubtedly never see it again. It was funny. I had to cover my eyes a couple of times. But I had a good time.

Later in the day instead of going to the beach, Rickey, Isa and I went and saw Little Miss Sunshine. If you haven't seen it, go. GO! It was HYSTERICAL. I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face. It was just awesome and I can't recommend it higher. Seriously... go.

Ride the ducks!

Dammit, I hate it when blogger gets weird about pics. It let me post all but the first (last) one. (I post them in reverse order so I don't have to do a bunch of rearranging later.)

So, yesterday I went to Ride the Ducks. I've wanted to do this for some time and never managed to go so I just decided I am going to do it. I'm not 100% sure it was worth 25 bucks... oh who am I kidding, it was totally worth 25 bucks. :) They have the funny tourguides like you'd see on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland.

So here we are at the start of our 90 minute tour. The boat is some carry over from WW2. There are multiple places you can ride the ducks and I highly recommend it. The breeze was nice although every once in awhile we would get this blast of hot air from the way the air moves in the downtown area.

This is our captain, Captain Lee King. Kind of handsome isn't he? I was in love instantly. Here he's demonstrating where to put our asses in case of an emergency.

The view of the University of Washington from the 99 bridge. This section of the 99 has a speed limit of 45 mph, so we were scooting along pretty quickly. If you ever decide to go on one of these things, the right side seems to be the better side for pictures. (I was on the left).

Here's the skyline from Lake Union.

Gas Works Park. Apparently this area used to be a refinery of some sort and according to the tourguide the land under the park is so toxic that the builders who originally wanted to put condos there were unable to. But somehow, it is okay for a park. :) Actually they put in like 3 cubic feet (or maybe meters) of good dirt to try to protect the people. Kite hill is here and is supposed to be a great place for what? Kite flying. :) I think I want to get a kite for next summer.

Sleepless in Seattle! This is the floating house that was Tom Hanks' house in that movie. I learned the difference between a floating house and a houseboat. (It should be semi-obvious but I had actually never heard of such a thing as floating houses which is what we call houses on barges that float but don't have engines.)

Sailing sailing over the bounding main... Pretty sail boat.

Me at the end of the ride. The white lace around my neck holds my quacker (basically a duck noise maker with a beak shape).

Down at Westlake Center they were doing the sand castle building again. I stopped by and snapped a couple of shots. I find the sand building so cool. It is something I would have no skill with but I find awesome.

There's another picture I wanted to post, but blogger isn't having it. It is just a shot of the Space Needle, but I like the angle.

Lots and lots to post!

So I'll break them up into several posts, especially since a couple acutally include pics.

Friday night: Friday night I went to a party hosted by the incomparable Stephen. Now I believe I posted a whole bit of angst about going to a party where I wouldn't know anyone but it was a really good time. All of Stephen's friends were super nice. At least one was talkative so that helped too. :) I have a bit of house envy, he has a very nice house in northern Seattle with a yard and a deck and most importantly... a dishwasher! :) He is an amazing cook and had prepared all sorts of wonderful things. He's also as nice as can be and as sexy as his myspace pics imply. I left a lot earlier than the party ended, but I had the flexcar and needed to get it back. Next time I translate invite time to Stephen time and it will work better. :)

On the drive over I was contemplating social anxiety disorder. I was fine until I got off the 5 to the next part of the trip and I started getting more and more nervous. I couldn't decide, though, if this was the proper amount of nervous or an inappropriate amount of nervous. I actually went, though and had a fun time and talked to people so that probably means I don't need paxil or zoloft or lamasilk or silkience or whatever it is the TV tells me to get for social anxiety disorder. :) (Seriously, I spend too much time on my own which allows my thoughts to just drift unfettered.)

And now for something cheery

Completely unrelated to the previous post, I went out and saw a play tonight. One of my Girl Scouts was in it and it was performed all by children under 18. It was a good play and my Girl Scout was good in it. She loves performing so she was very into it. I had a fun time. I laughed and applauded and screamed my heart out for her. And I picked up some fun flowers because that's what you do right? :) I did enjoy the chance to see her in it, though and I did appreciate the mom for emailing me and telling me she would be in it.

Political blogging

Ok I almost never blog about my politics except to say I am liberal as all hell and support many of those godless views like pro-choice and gay marriage blah blah blah. I was thrilled to read today that the Plan B pill has been approved for OTC distribution. I think that's a great step forward.

I read a Dear Abby letter today that represents in a nutshell why I'm as pro-choice as I am. (I don't go in for that only in certain cases bullshit or don't use it for birth control. Anyone who wants one should have no problems having one even if it is their 10th one in 10 years. I don't believe in forcing anyone to be parents who wouldn't or shouldn't. I honestly believe this for the sake of the children. In the parenting class I used to teach and in some of the children I used to teach I saw what happened to kids whose parents shouldn't have had them. I know plenty who say my beliefs deprive a child of a life, but the way I see it, they save a potential soul from a whole lot of grief. Let that soul go into a child that IS wanted and will be nurtured (You know if I believed in souls and all that crap I'd be down with reincarnation more than the whole heaven and hell thing)) So here's the letter:

DEAR ABBY: I'm 26 and have never wanted children. Last year, however, two
lines appeared on a pregnancy test and 41 weeks later the girl was born. I
pleaded and begged my husband throughout the pregnancy to sign adoption
papers with me. He refused. He is in the military and was gone through most
of the last seven months. We now live thousands of miles from my family, and
I am miserable, stuck with a colicky baby who still doesn't sleep through
the night.
I find no joy, no pleasure and no love being a mother. I can't sleep knowing I must
wake up to a crying baby and the same routine of feeding, diapers, baths and
bottles. I have become more and more detached from the girl and have nothing to
enjoy. Showers are short. Dinners are rushed and usually cold. I can't even
enjoy a cup of coffee without looking over my shoulder to see where the girl is.
I don't want her to touch me, and I can barely hide my revulsion when I have to
pick her up.
I am exhausted beyond belief, and my thoughts are turning darker every day. It's
not the girl's fault she was born, but I can't help feeling resentment and
anger toward this little person who more and more resembles a block of
concrete on my feet.
We can't afford day care, and we have no friends or relatives remotely close by. I can't stand to wake up much longer, and these long stretches of crying have my nerves shot and my hands itching to shake the girl until she shuts up. (I have never shaken her.) I'm scared of my feelings. What's wrong with me? Why can't I love my child? Should I put her in foster care? My husband can't stand her, either, but he's adamant that we keep her. Yet I'm suffering, and so is she. She deserves a mother who loves her.

The letter makes me so sad.At the rate this child is being raised she is well on her way to one fucked up adulthood. The right always goes on and on about kids being given up for adoption, but that doesn't happen as often as it should. (Now clearly in this case, abortion wasn't even an option since the husband apparently made the decisions.)

I may have to start getting involved in political volunteering. I don't want to do it, and I feel my skills are better used elsewhere, but it is becoming too big an issue to me to just sit idly by and allow others to do all the work.

I don't like it.

I was about to come here and post that I don't like Cameron Crowe movies. The 2 movies that I knew that were his I didn't especially like - the one with Kate Hudson about the rock and roll thingie whose name escapes me but might be... yeah I can't remember and now Elizabethtown. I will say this about the movie, there were 2 scenes that cracked my doodie up. One was the scene with Rusty's video and blowing up the house. The other was the burning bird during the memorial. Otherwise it was kind of rambling and I suppose that's the whole point. (Ok the end was a little cute.)

But then I went to IMDB to look him up and discovered he was also responsible for Say Anything and Jerry McGuire. Now both of those movies I LOVE so how do I resolve my dislike for Cameron Crowe movies with my love of those two movies? Then I thought I think too much and what difference does it make? :)

I will say, totally unrelated to Elizabethtown, I love the Gray Dawn South Park episode. How can I not, they spoof one of my favorite movies, Red Dawn. Awesome.

On Friday I'm facing one of my fears. You should all be supportive. :) I'm going to Stephen's party. I hate going places where I will have to socialize but I don't know anyone. However, it has come to my attention that I need more friends. Matthew left and I never replaced him and we spent a lot of time together. I noticed on Saturday that I might be a little lonely. So I am going to force the butterflies down and go someplace new. If you haven't heard from me in 3 days, call the police I'm sure that means the fear and butterflies have killed me and ferrets are feasting on my nose.

Psychosomatic

In one of those little things that makes me weird, I've found that lately I frequently wonder if a fix to an irritant or issue is because I think it should fix it or if it really did the job. For example, my back was itching this morning and so I cut the tag out of my shirt. I felt pretty instantaneous relief so I started wondering, is it really better or is it better just because I think it should be. I think the boot is responsible for this new line of thought. Whenever I wear it I keep thinking, is it better because the boot is actually helping or is it better because I want it to believe it is helping. I don't know what to make of this new line of thought, but I don't especially like it and need to think about how to stop.

Adventurous Interruptus

I should start this post out with the following from my horrorscope for today: Daily extended (by Astrology.com)Moving from place to place will be challenging today -- there are limits on your independence than will be significant. The good news is that this restriction can help you put off things you don't want to do! If travel is not an option (or your travel is interrupted) right now, there is a reason for this, and the situation around you is something you need to observe more closely. Until you have a clearer picture of what is going on around you, you will not be able to move on. (This will be pertinent I promise. Although I did not observe closely.)

I headed out on my Sunday adventure today to try letterboxing. I had picked a hunt that began down at the Space Needle because it didn't require a compass and I figured if the walking became too much, I could hop a bus to the next destination. The basics for this particular one is that I had to find a plaque in the first place and then using this code I would find where to go to the next plaque. So I found the first plaque and there was someone sitting in front of it! So I waited and read my book until the guy moved. I was about to make my move when another guy sat down. Crikey. Finally he left, and I sat down and did the code thing. It was time consuming, but I started to finish words with what was most logical and that helped cut the time.

My clue sent me down to the waterfront. I field tripped down there and searched for my next plaque. Whilst down there, this guy asked me to use my phone to call and get a ride back to Everett. I figure he's coming off a shift at one of the restaurants which is why he is so sweaty. It is hot outside and he's wearing the waiter's uninform of white shirt dark pants. He tries 2 different people and gets the 2nd one. He then stands for awhile near me while I'm still working on my letters. Then he asks to use it again and I say sure. He offers me a dollar, but it was just sad. I can afford a few minutes for this poor guy to get a ride. Then he says he isn't feeling well. The whole time he was sweating profusely (about 15 minutes). And he asks if he can use the phone again to call an ambulance. Yikes. He calls and says that there's an ambulance coming for him but then wanders off. I follow him because well 1 - now I'm worried about the guy and 2 - I don't want 911 chasing me down for making a false call. So he walks down the block where a fire truck and police car are but then walks back because they were responding to some other issue. So I catch up and wait with him. We chat for a few minutes and I ask about the sweating. Turns out that's a side effect of the chemicals he's been putting into his body. For years now. He's waiting for a call for a bed at a rehab facility. Clearly I am naive since I had no inkling that he was high (or going through withdrawal I don't know.) We chat and wait and he keeps taking his pulse. He said it feels like he is dead but he knows he isn't since he has a pulse. In retrospect it was actually kind of sad for the guy. We see the fire truck coming out of the parking lot area and he walks over to it and talks to the firemen since we hadn't seen the ambulance. I don't know how it works, maybe the dispatcher could tell he had problems and so he wasn't a priority. I don't want to invade his space so I hold back while he talks to the firemen. Then he heads back to me and we walk back across the street and wait for the firetruck to turn down the block we're on. They stop and get out of the truck and I feel okay about leaving him.

By now at least a half hour has passed and I'm too hot so I stop into a Starbucks to work on my clue (I had written down the whole plaque because I had gotten hot and wanted to sit down and work out the puzzle.) I had a banana frap and decided to head for home. It was already almost 5 and I had dinner to cook and there were still 3 clues to do so I figure I can finish another day. I'll hold on to what I've done so far. It was kind of fun and I think other ones may be more fun.

Sunday adventure!

For this Sunday's adventure, I'm going to try something I've not tried before but am thinking about doing with my girls. I'm going letterboxing! This is similar to Mishka's hobby, geocaching, but it doesn't require a GPS. Some do require a compass, though and if I decide I like doing this type of adventure, I may invest in a compass. The first one I'm trying goes through downtown area and will send me to various plaques in the city. I'm kind of excited and I'll post pics of the adventure (but not of where the plaques themselves are because if someone else were to do it then I wouldn't want to ruin the adventure for them.)

Dorms!

(Or as Sheesh and Peeved Michelle would correct me, Residence Halls!)

Here is my artist rendering of our dorm suite. There were 4 of us in each suite.

You will notice that Kate and I only have 1 bed. No we weren't participating in subversive lifestyles, Kate would insist upon moving in each year that the beds get bunked. (We actually only lived together a year and 3 quarters. And the moment she moved out the 2nd year, I unbunked the beds... actually I think in a fit of passive agressivity, I did it before she moved out but I digress.) Kate liked the beds bunked because it provided us with more space so she could do her step aerobics in the room. I got locked out daily so she could do it, although usually she did it when I was at class. It would drive her nuts when I skipped and then she'd boot me out. She also would only sleep on the bottom bunk because she couldn't climb up to the top. Also she didn't have the body strength necessary to heft the damn metal beds up to upper bunks so guess who did it. (You know when I type it all out like that she sounds kind of bitchy. She isn't really.) Also, my bedding was that fugly. My mom had a warped sense about sheets and crap and bought it all at an outlet that specialized in irregular crap. It was god awful pink and purple and teal and tacky as shit. She figured if it was obnoxious looking, no one would steal it out of the laundry room. The towels were similar. Sadly, I still use those towels.

The thin rectangle is a closet or a window sill depending. (If it is along the 'top' of the photo it is the window sill. I would use it to climb up onto the top bunk)

The 2 rectangles by the beds were bookshelves and the one in the corner is a dresser. There were also 2 shelves above each bed (well not Kates & mine because of the bunking thing) that I didn't draw in.

In the middle you see the toilet room and sink. Because we were the only dorm on campus with our own bathrooms, we were not given toilet paper. In our own goody 2 shoes act of rebellion, Kate & I were constantly stealing toilet paper from the building next door. Parkas are good for that.

And then the study with the desks. What is not shown is the amount of crap strewn all over Kates & my side. It drove Nicole CRAZY that we were messy.

The room next door was Nicole & Jen. I think they were friends in North Pole before moving in together. I feel like their bedding matched. It was all very Laura Ashley before there was a Laura Ashley collection. Nicole was also very proper, although not quite as prudish as Jen. She did try to talk to us about using those words in front of Jen, but you know how that kind of thing can backfire. :)

Naming conventions

I was speaking with our workstudy student about names and naming children. She apparently will be one of those evil moms who names her kids things like lyly (lily) or ryver (river). Of course her mother named her a conventional name but used y's instead of i or e or a. I told her when we were going through the hiring process, that acutally counted against her in my book. I almost didn't even want to have them interview her because it was annoying. She chuckled.

But it did remind me of a whole afternoon my friend Marion from college and I sat in the study in my suite and discussed baby names. (Before you go thinking I went to some fancy schmancy college, know 2 things... 1 - I went to a state school and 2 - I lived in the all girls hall. Also, by suite all they meant was the 2 bedrooms and a middle room with 2 'shelves' that were desks along the 2 side walls. I may have to draw this out in like paint for it to make sense but I've digressed). So we were discussing baby names and I have to say my friend Marion was inappropriate. She was fabulous but totally inappropriate. I had a roommate at the time, Jen, who was a prude. Now I'm kind of prudish, but she took it to whole other levels. You couldn't say masturbate in front of her because she'd get all weirded out. Marion loved nothing more than to come into our room shouting words like masturbate or penis just to make Jen squirm. That too was awesome. So my friend Marion was talking about baby names and she decided that she wanted 2 kids... a boy and a girl. The girl would be named Regina (which pronounced the Canadian way rhymes with a certain girly body part.) The boy... he did not get off so luckily. She would name him Penis. (Pronounced Pennis, rhymes with Dennis). So she spent the whole afternoon in our suite chattering and shouting the words Pennis and Regina until Jen was practically blue. She had been speaking with her mother who was an even bigger prude (is that possible?) and she was mortified by Marion. That was a truly awesome way to spend an afternoon.

Thursday's thoughts (for now)

My nose itches.

I bit the inside of my cheek and apparently I am now going to keep doing this for the next 6 months.

My boss comes back from vacay on Tuesday. I should do some work so it looks like I actually do work.

I feel less full of self pity today than I did yesterday, although Michelle may be right and I should visit sooner rather than later. It is good to talk to people who I have a history with.

I'm thinking about going to a party I was invited to. It would surprise the person I think if I accepted and went. At the same time it is in Kirkland. Who lives in freakin' Kirkland? Although I haven't flexcar'd this month so I have time.

I think I'm going to clean the bathroom and the livingroom this weekend. (I make optimistic thoughts like this but let's see how they pan out.)

OH OH OH! I can't believe I forgot to share THIS with the internets. I agreed to be the service unit manager for my Girl Scout Service Unit. That means I'm important or something. I'm secretly slightly terrified that now that I've agreed to do it for this year, I'll never ever be able to get rid of the task. (I coordinate our service unit meetings, set up trainings if people are interested, keep track of stuff, plan stuff out, blah blah blah)

Ok workey workey time.

Missing

I was reading some past posts today and got a bit sad. I miss some of the people who have wandered out of my life in the last couple of years. I guess, in actuality, I miss who they were, not who they became. And now it is as though too much time has passed and things would never be the same. Not that I even have the option to be friends with at least one of them again. Maybe I'm just lonely here in the big city... Blah blah blah I'm tired of my own self-pitying rant already. Is there such a thing as post-menstrual syndrome? I'm going to bed in my comfy new sheets and leaving this day behind me.

Soooo cozy

I bought new sheets over the weekend. It was time. I don't think I bought new ones since I lived in California and after destroying the flannel ones and my current gingham ones have all the elastic stretched out, I figured it was time. I bought a set of jersey ones by Tommy Hilfiger (on sale at Ross). I also bought a new pink fuzzy blanket that is so soft I could cry. I love it. I put the new sheets on the bed last night and I totally didn't want to get up this morning.

So the new hair has been noticed by the guy at my taco place. Oh wait, all 3 guys at my taco place. It has been noticed by random campus security officer (who based on his over effusiveness about my new hair makes me question his straightness). But the artist formerly known as workcrush has not noticed. Despite having been into my office at least twice a day for the past 3 days to talk to me. AND since it is all cute and new, I toss my hair like 52 times a minute. boys suck. However, there was at least 1 new one at orientation that might be replacing the former wc.

While I was walking a cute guy asked me about my foot as he rode by on his bicycle. That was nice. :) Except you know it was a quick fly by. :)

I'm watching She's the Man. It is kinda cute. Cuter than I expected.

A review of good things and notso good things and other stuff...

Flexcar - I got my Flexcar bill in the mail over the weekend. It was for $310. Holy shit! I checked it over and discovered that in error they double billed me for the weekend $100. Ok, no prob. I call them and leave a message about that. I got an email from the billing person and not only did she credit me (which is only correct) but she reprocessed my other part of the bill. I was signed up for one of the Advantage plans (where you get 10 hours for a flat $85 as opposed to paying $9.00 per hour) but I totally didn't use 10 hours worth of time. I was expecting that fact and kind of kicking myself for forgetting to change the plan. She fixed it for me! That was awesome.

Mr & Mrs. Smith - I watched this on cable last night. It was fun in that I like movies where people shoot at other people, however except the action part I thought the rest was kind of boring. Maybe that's some deep metaphorical point that I obviously missed.

Losing it - (book) As far as chick lit goes, I like a lot of it. I'm not sure how I felt about this one. It ended the way one would expect it to. But there were some definite points where I almost put the book down because I could not believe any adult would act or think this way. In chapter 3 she goes to the doctor because she thinks she might be pregnant since she missed 2 periods. She hasn't had sex in years and so the doctor and her mother laugh at her. It was painful and unnecessary and in this day and age, anyone can google symptoms and come up with a better potential diagnosis than that. I checked the Amazon reviews, and people found it funny. I did not. Of course that may be because some of it hit just a touch too close to home for me. (The mother who never has anything nice to say about the daughter... A few others...) I did like the friendship between her and the older woman though. That was probably my favorite part of the whole book.

Romantic Fiction - I liked this book. It was cute and fluffy and so everyone fell into stereotypes, what's wrong with that? Honestly stereotypes come from somewhere, so there's always a bit of underlying truth there. And there were several places I just busted out laughing, so who needs more than that?

Welcome to the Great Mysterious - I just finished this one Saturday at the bus stop. At the bus stop where I'm close to bawling my head off because of the whole last quarter. That's not at all embarrassing. :) I really enjoyed it and I liked the idea of the book the sisters put together as children. During one family trip to an uncle's cabin, the girls put together this book of life questions. Then they asked each family member to write down their answer. The family each wrote an answer on a slip of paper which was then tucked into the book and the next day everyone drew one out and read it aloud. It really was just a sweet book and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm really liking books by Lorna Landvik. I read Patty Janes House of Curl and Oh My Stars some time ago and I remember enjoying both of those as well. I've just started Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons and I may have to check out the rest of her books.

Good luck for a year!

I had nothing else planned for today so I went to the zoo. I love the butterflies and blooms exhibit. I also went to the new Willawong exhibit where we get to feed the birds. It was not as much fun as I wanted it to be.

Pretty orange butterfly in the butterfly & blooms exhibit.

Globe thistle. We have them growing on campus and I never knew what it was. I really like it.

Feeding the birds. I know that the pic is out of focus, but that's my hand feeding the parakeet. (In retrospect I think that wasn't as fun as I wanted it to be because it was parakeets dammit. I had those growing up.)

Pink hibiscus. I thought it was pretty.

Here's where the title comes from. Have any of y'all read Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself. It is by Judy Blume. I read it a bunch of times when I was a child. Anyway, according to Sally's grandmother, if a bird "plops" on you you'll get good luck for a year. That better be true since I was just minding my own business when plop. I wasn't even in one of the aviaries! I had to field trip through another aviary and into this whole other area just to find a damn bathroom to wash it off. (You'll all be glad that I didn't take a picture pre-wash.) Stupid bird.

These orchids were in the tropical section. They were GIANT.

Me in that same tropical animal section. Go me. :) (Also I like photoshop. I totally fixed the chip in my tooth that I'm self conscious about because I haven't gotten it fixed yet. Which now I've just defeated the purpose of fixing the picture because I've told y'all that the chip is still there. Seriously sometimes I should think. Except I think that I look purple in this picture. I may need to re-edit it.)

I went to the Rose Garden as well. I have wanted to go there for awhile. It was pretty. Apparently there was going to be a wedding some time because there were some chairs set up at the gazebo.

Clearly this is not a rose. I don't know what it is but I liked these pink flowers.

I liked these 2 roses.

An overview of the garden. You can see the gazebo in the background.

New Hair Pics

From the front. I especially love how this angle gives me a double chin. :) It is mostly one length but she did a tiny bit of texturizing around my face just so it curls inward.

I don't know if you can tell there's a new color or not. But there is a new reddish auburny kind of color too. But that's how short it is which I think might be shorter than I usually go.

Cute new hair!

My hair had gotten too long and I was tired of it so I made an appointment at the Gary Manuel teaching salon. Isa goes there all the time and vouched for them. Plus they are fancy pants, so I'd be getting a fancy pants haircut at a cut rate. :) I showed up for my 9:00 AM appointment and it was like nothing I could've imagined. The reception area was crowded with people checking in and there was a fairly long line of women and men dressed all in black waiting to whisk their client off for their services. I hadn't expected it to be so big. My stylist was Bethany and she was rather interesting to talk to. She is going to school because she wants to be a Hollywood make up artist/hair stylist. We chatted quite a bit about why she was there and what her plans were. It was interesting. We had a lot of time since she was doing coloring and between each step she had to get an instructor for approval. I really liked what she did and since I was rather vague I think that's even better. I basically said to take off a foot so I could donate it and then I wanted something fairly simple that would look good and doesn't require a lot of work on my part. And that's what she did. :) I am a tiny bit concerned about the color but only because she had to do 2 different shades/intensities, one on my roots which hadn't ever been dyed and one on the upper part. That's what her instructor told her to do and I'm sure the upper part (which seems very bright compared to the lower part) will fade in the next day or so. I was amazed by the instructor, she asked what type of color I used before and of course since I got it done at a salon I had no idea, but she nailed it almost exactly when I got it done. It was kind of like when you talk to a sales associate at one of the hoity toity stores and they can tell you your size. (I'm simple I admit it. ) ) All in all, though, I love my new cut. It is very flowy and although it is shorter than I think I went last time, it is still long enough for me to put up the sides and have it cute, or like today and put it up in a little tiny pony tail when hanging out at home. (OK Blogger is doing that stupid thing where it won't post pics so I'll try with another post)

Houston, we've gone live!

The Super Fantastic Reading Group has just hit the streets! If you would still like to join, please let me know. Otherwise I've sent most of you that expressed an interest an invite to join and hopefully you'll agree. If you did not get an invite, it is because I am dumb and didn't think about how I'd need an email address for you. I ruthlessly searched some of your blogs to find one, but others I couldn't find. T, Middle Girl, blaugra, and Kelli, I need an email address so that I can send the invite. Please email it to me at joanne 3482 at yahoo dot com. I am very excited about this new endeavor!

Virtual Book Club?

I know many of ya'll are readers, as much as I am and I was thinking it might be fun or interesting to do an online bookclub. I've wanted to join a real life one in the past but I never feel like I like what they're reading (oh and their times usually suck). :) Peeved Michelle has graciously offered blog space on typepad so that we could put each book into a catagory (which blogger does not offer) that way it would be easier to search for past books. The way I would envision it working would be for anyone who wanted to join have a login to typepad and then they could post their thoughts or discussions about the book. We could come up with a list of books to read and do maybe 2 a month? I would have to come up with some timelines I suppose too because I would hate for someone to post a thought about the ending when half of us are still at the beginning. :) I think in order to make it interesting and perpetuating enough we'd need at least 5 to 7 people. Please comment if you're interested or you can email me at joanne3482 at yahoo dot com. :)

Currently Frost Free!

I spent far too many hours yesterday defrosting my freezer. In some places the ice was 2 inches thick! That's just crazy. I found a lot of ice cream embedded in the back and threw out a trash bag full of freezer burned food. Sigh. Clearly I need to do this more often but it is such a pain in the ass. However, I found a tip online about using non stick cooking spray and theoretically the ice will just 'pop' off. I have sprayed down the freezer but we'll see if it actually works.

I also did a very bad thing yesterday... I washed and dried my credit card holder. It contained my flexcar key card, my 2 ATM cards, my campus card, my blah blah blah. You get the picture. I have no idea if any of them are going to be negatively impacted by the heat. My flexcar keycard will never be flat again I think. Oh and I washed the card that I use for the pool, the prepaid thing. I hope they will still take it. You can see where the guy has x-ed out some of the $$ for my class.

I think I am going to get my hair cut and dyed this week. There's a foot to take off and I'm tired of it again. In my continuing effort to find a good place, I'm going to try one of the schools. Isa goes to it all the time and raves about it and it is much cheaper than going to a regular place. Plus she says they have the instructors there in case something goes awry. Plus, it is just hair I don't get all worked up about it like some people.

Finally, I wish there was a job where I could just lay in bed and read books. I finished The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell this weekend and started and finished Have you Seen Me? It was interesting and I couldn't put it down, but by the end I felt a little flat. I don't think that we really got a sense of the character and I had a hard time really believing the descent from college graduate into stripper into prostitute. Her reasons for becoming a stripper - she liked to dance, she didn't want to work in a 9-5 office job, she never got to run around naked as a kid - were odd to me. (Not that I know reasons to become a stripper, and maybe it is my own repressed waspy upbringing that assumes there have to be better reasons to become a stripper than that... or maybe that was something I missed in the book, the subtext that made this descent more logical.) The author can write though and her descriptions are amazing. I just thought the main character was rather emotionless and flat.

Good deed for today. :)

My water class was good tonight. I'm really enjoying it a lot. I've got to get into a better rhythm for after class. So far I've done take out for dinner but I don't want to get into that habit. It is expensive and unhealthy. (Not that I'm the queen of health or anything.) I used Ivory soap to wash my hair after my swimming so my hair is not thrilled with me today. :) I'm just so tired after class, I barely even want to walk to the bus.

On my way home from getting tacos, I noticed an American Express Gold card lying on the ground. I was about to walk past it but thought better of it, Capitol Hill is a haven to all sorts of transients. So I picked it up and turned it in to Blockbuster.

I had a dream that Big R's dad died. His dad and stepmom work at the same place I do and his dad is kind of important there. I'm easily intimidated and so his dad makes me nervous. Anyway, I dreamed his father died and I was terribly terribly upset. I was just crying and crying. I comforted his stepmother. There was a whole wake thing going on. It was incredibly vivid and kind of weird when I woke up in the morning, I was almost confused for a moment.

We did actually have a colleague die recently. I went to the lunchtime mass that was in her honor. It was so weird how all the Catholic stuff came rushing back to me. I haven't been to a Catholic mass in a very long time. I've been to a couple of weddings, but that's about it. Yet I knew most of the responses and I still knew the Lord's Prayer. I don't think I've said the Lord's Prayer since my little sister and I shared a bedroom. It's like all the Catholic is stored in my DNA. :) Everybody went up to do the communion and so I held my hands over my chest indicating I didn't want communion and so the priest blessed me instead. He called me the wrong name. I found that so inappropriately funny I leaned forward to tell Isa he called me the wrong name and it came burbling out like laughter. (He called me by my other coworker's name. Somehow she and I are frequently mixed up. Apparently not thin brown haired chicks all look alike. You know, despite the fact that I wear glasses and long hair and we really don't look a like)

I can't wait for this week's episode of 30 days. A die hard atheist spends 30 days with 'true believers.' (The kind who pray with their hands in the air!) I like that for a change they aren't having an episode where a conservative is being forced to open up their opinions.

I may have found a new work crush. This one will be unrequited but that's okay. He's a new prof. Although the old WC did make me laugh the other day. He used slang when talking to me and so I had to call him on it. We were talking about lead singers for his band and I asked if they would ever pick a woman. We talked about what she'd need and he said "and she'd have to be hot." Now hot isn't the most slang term ever, but this is the guy who has used the phrase 'make love' instead of sex and 'genetalia' instead of... well anything except genetalia. So I cracked up and then he tried to amend it by saying attractive in really proper phrases and then he cracked up. It was funny.

What do they have??

This is unkind, I'll admit, but do you ever find yourself talking to someone and they are going on and on about how they got hit on here and there and blah blah blah and your first thought is, really? You got hit on by these hot guys? Are you serious? I've been feeling that recently. Now I'm fully aware that hot is relative, (I have somewhat unique tastes myself so I get that difference) but honestly, I keep looking at the people who are saying this to me and thinking that we've been to some of the same places and I have a hard time believing you are that much hotter than me. (Ok actually, I have a hard time believing hotter than me at all) I do not like that feeling. I also do not like the one I have been having lately where I look at a couple and think ok... she's got a man who isn't unattractive, what am I doing wrong? It will pass, it always does...

Also I watched Queer Eye for the Straight Guy last night. I bawled my fool head off. The straight guy was actually a transgendered female to male person. The party they did at the end was his sort of coming out and he went to see his friends from high school and college now that he was living fully as a man. I really liked that the queer eye guys asked him the questions I kind of always wanted to know about. Whenever I'd ask someone who knew transgendered persons that person would always make me feel kind of dumb for asking, so I liked that I got some answers. Like they asked him how he had felt his whole life and to hear it from the person's mouth made it more real to me I suppose. They also asked him how his family was and how his mom felt having had this beautiful little baby girl who now is a boy. That's one I always wonder about, because I know that you're supposed to love your kids no matter what and accept everything about them and who they are but inside I can kind of understand the loss or the frustration or the heartbreak that happens when your kids don't turn out exactly how you hoped they would. And the best part about the question is he answered it honestly, that she was upset and confused at first and she accepts him but that she still sometimes struggles with it. And I liked that answer because it was very honest. It is a bit of a change. But they were really great parents and at the boat thing he got offered an internship with a transgendered non-profit that talks to students about trans issues. And his parents got an award for being so accepting and understanding and all that. The guys also had him take his regular shirts off so you could see the garment he uses to strap the boobies down. It really looks like a tight tank top, although I suspect it is even tighter than it looks once on. Eventually he's going to go in to get the top taken out and the guys made a joke about taking them away from him and giving them to someone who needs boobies. :) It was a good episode.

A different moral dilemma

One I've already solved actually. I have been given back a task at work that used to be done in our Payroll office. It is a big and disgusting task (benefit bill reconciliation) and although I don't mind doing it, the way it was given back to us was less than okay and basically I'm not thrilled about the whole thing. Especially since it was decided in a meeting with biggest boss and the payroll office's big boss and I was kept out of the whole thing. The new payroll employee complained enough about having to do it and so now she no longer has to. I suspect that her boss, the payroll manager, has been wanting to get this task out of the payroll office for a long time and found her opportunity and jumped on it. So back to my different dilemma... Do I do the job I know how to do in the quick and accurate way so that they are done on time and kind of make the payroll office look like idiots for taking as many days as they take? Or do I drag my feet and do it slowly because gosh it is just so hard and our office just doesn't have the time or man hours to devote to it? Well... pride won out. I am bound and determined to get these done by the 5th so they can get sent on time.

I've been reading several books lately. One I found on Spritely Chicks Read called The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell. Freemind Sprite liked parts of it but didn't like the hatred and violence of the actions of the KKK. I'm not finished with it yet, but I am fascinated. It is amazing to me how insidious the KKK is and how they slowly build their following by preying on the fears of the people. The culture of hate has always fascinated me. And so to read (a fictionalized account I will admit) about the building of it from the ground up is very interesting. I also like the main character Belle and I think she's the kind of woman I would like to think I'd be if I had been around then, opinionated and willing to stand up for what she believes is right.

I also finished Accidental Happiness recently. I really thought I'd read it before, but as I read it I realized I hadn't. I enjoyed it. It isn't necessarily a light beachy read, but it was a good book. A woman loses her husband in an accident. In her grief she has been living on their sailboat. His former wife comes back into her life towing a child who may or may not be his. He didn't know about her until just before he died and it is mostly about how the two women bond and ultimately end up being the family that they all needed.

I finished Journal of Mortifying Moments about a week ago. I liked it, although I see on Amazon it got mixed reviews. I found it funny and sweet. For some reason every time I read the phrase "high to medimum risk teen" I chuckled out loud. It does follow chick lit formula... Girl has boyfriend who is not good. Girl and boyfriend have troubles. Girl jumps into her own life and tries to change. Boyfriend comes back and girl takes him back. Girl realizes mistake blah blah blah...

Finally I read V for Vendetta. I had a hard time reading it. I don't know if it was the medium - a graphic novel - or the writing style or what. If I hadn't watched the movie I think I would have had no idea what was going on. With the obvious exception of V and Evy, I had the hardest time discerning which character was which. Since it is a graphic novel characterization is done through the drawings and conversations so I never got a real picture of each of the characters. Plus, to my eyes, many of them looked enough alike that I could never really tell who was who.

Dilemma

Here's a dilemma and I'm wondering y'alls opinion.

You and some friends are going hiking. You park at a trail head and there are signs around saying you need a parking permit to park, but you do not see an obvious place to pay and get one. You go about your merry way and do your hiking thing. When you come back to your car you see a warning issued by the forest service. This is not a ticket like a police ticket but they do provide you with an envelope to send the $5.00 parking cost to them. It does not appear that there would be repurcussions if you do not pay. Do you:

A - Not pay. Why should you? It isn't a ticket.
B - Pay. Even though it isn't a real ticket, you still pay because the money benefits the trails blah blah blah.
C - Intend to pay but forget about it and find it like 2 months later mixed amongst the bills.

Final Jeopardy Question

The number one thing a person should not be when s/he goes to the grocery store.

30 Seconds on the clock. Please phrase your answer in the form of a question.

You all know the answer. After my class I went to the grocery store. I had about 4 items on my mental list: hamburger, taco seasoning, red sauce, taco shells, cheese and soda. (Already you see a problem? There were more than 4 items on my mental list and I totally forgot the ever important laundry detergent.) Somehow I spent over 50.00. What the hell did I buy? Stuff to bake. My gluten free crap is expensive y'all.

In an unrelated note, is MTV Cribs the most useless and dumb show MTV has ever produced? Please feel free to discuss, but my take is yes. I think it has the potential to be cool and interesting but basically every episode boils down to this: (I base this after listening to 13 minutes and watching 11 minutes of the show. I was in the kitchen baking during the first 13 min and then Leah Remini was on the next section and I kind of like her so I watched) So here is my impression of MTV Cribs.

This is my living room. We play pool here.
This is my kitchen. I like to cook so I have food in here.
This is my bedroom. I have a bed.
This is my
This is my
This is my.

I think the show might actually have potential but it is killing me!

Finally, KTP I know you'll agree with me on this one, Wes from the Real World/Road Rules Challenge is the dumbest dumb that ever did dumb. I can't believe he goes through this whole pretense of saying let's have an alliance with another team and then he votes that other team into exile. THEN he gets upset when they, rightfully, vote him in. I hope the gay guy beats his ass in exile.

EW Creepy this basketball guy just had his shower redesigned to fit 3 - 4 people. I don't think I ever needed to know that!

Aquajog was great again tonight. I'm glad I keep going back. The only bad thing is that I get done at 7:00 and catch a 7:25 bus. And on nights like tonight I had to go to the store so I didn't get home until 8:30 and didn't eat until 9:15. Crikey that's late.