Thursday, November 30, 2006
And then there was one
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: Are you going to post tomorrow?
I think so. I'll probably take the 2nd off though ;)
So Im guessing just about everybody's post today will be about the end of NaBloPoMo. I did my best to not jump on the Thanksgiving bandwagon, but this is one wagon I cant stay off of.
I am really happy that I took the challenge. I have a sense of achievement now that I accomplished posting every day, and didnt have any "ohshitit's1145andihaventposted" moments. I'd also like to think that I even had a tad of content every day. Even the one day that I was too cranky and didnt want to post due to the overload of negative vibes I still made a point of putting something rather than just mentioning that I didnt want to post.
Im also happy because I felt a weird sense of "we're all in this together" with over a thousand other strangers. Ive also read more blogs in the last month alone than I had in my entire previous life. Im not going to stop reading other blogs either. I cut and pasted the list into a word file so that I can bold the ones I liked and delete the ones I didnt, and I WILL get through to visit everyone who participated, even if it takes me till spring.
Thanks to all of you who have visited me during this time. It's nice to know that someone out there is listening.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Ipod ADD with a side of manic depression
Question du Jour: What gets you all choked up?
Im a big dork. I get choked up easily, but the things that do it to me the worst are the stupidest- songs, and when people get eliminated on reality shows. (I cant believe I just admitted that to the whole blogosphere!)
So I used to think I was the only one who got all choked up and emotional over music, but after reading Poppy's blog a while back I learned that I wasnt and that made me feel better.
This morning I was having my usual case of Ipod ADD. I will listen to the first 20-60 seconds of a song then hit next. It's not like I dont like the songs- it's my ipod, clearly they wouldnt be there if I didnt like them. It's just that sometimes I cant find one that fits my mood. None of them can hold my attention for long. Often, Ill play them till the first chorus, or a favorite line or part. The other day "Nothing My Love Can't Fix for you Baby" By Joey Lawrence (Whoa!) came on, and I wanted to hear the rap part. I was quite cranky to realize that it didnt come till right at the end. (another scary confession!) But today I just wanted one that felt right. After about 20 songs in 8 minutes, Better Things by Dar Williams came on. This is one of those songs that is eternally optimistic, and never fails to lift my spirits...
Here's wishing you the bluest sky
And hoping something better comes tomorrow
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses too
Follow all the doubt and sadness
I know that better things are on their way.
Here's hoping that the days ahead
Won't be as bitter as the ones behind you
Be an optimist instead, And somehow happiness will find you.
Forget what happened yesterday,
I know that better things are on their way.
It's really good to see you rocking out and having fun,
Living like you've just begun.
Accept your life and what it brings,
I hope tomorrow you find better things.
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.
Here's wishing you the bluest sky
And hoping something better comes tomorrow
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses too
Follow all the drudge and sadness
I know that better things are on the way.
I know you've got a lot of good things happening up ahead.
The past is gone, it's all been said.
So here's to what the future brings,
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.
And so I stuck with it. And cranked it up. And sang along loudly. (this is the manic part in case you didnt get that) And then all of a sudden I was crying. Sobbing. I think it was just that I couldnt handle all that optimism this early, when Im not really feeling that way. So I cried because that's how I wanted to feel. (Or something like that) I cant explain it really. It just hit me hard.
Fortunately the next song was probably one of the most happily pessimistic ever written- Dear God by XTC. I sang that loudly too and was able to stop choking on my sobs. I felt better after a good upbeat depressed song like that and was able to pull myself together again.
I am aware Im a dork though, so you needn't worry.
Im wondering though if there is a treatment for ipod ADD because I am going to wear out the next button...
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
And the good news is...
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What kind of car do you drive? Does your car have a name? What is your dream car?
I have a purple saturn sc. I bought it because it is purple and no other real reason :) I have always wanted a vw bug (preferably in purple). Youd think I was a purple freak based on this, but although I do love it, I just think it's a great color for cars. My 4th grade teacher (who I loved) had a Purple Dodge Dart and I thought it was the coolest car ever. (give me some slack, I was 9 or 10) I guess I never got over that purple cars are cool thing. My current car is named Barney.
So the good news is that there is no bad news. It's a shame that it's the best I can do, but it's not bad. My appointment did not go badly yesterday. I didnt get exactly what I was hoping for, but I did get hope and that is a good thing. Im frustrated, but not down or done.
More good news- my car has not been acting up. About a month or so ago it randomly decided to stall on me while I was going about 40 mph. It started right back up again and no issue after. Of course I couldnt get it "fixed" because it was showing no signs of broken. Then about 2 weeks later my service light came on. I looked in the book to see what that meant and it said that if it wasnt blinking I should ignore it for a day or two if it had rained lately or if I just got gas. Now THAT is my kind of advice! Im a huge proponent of the "it'll either get better or it'll get worse" method of deciding what to do about something. If it gets better, Im off the hook, but if it gets worse, then I'll deal with it then. Works for everything from headaches to car trouble. And fortunately it usually just gets better.
So anyway, apparently if it's rained and this light goes on it can be just a wet wire. Or if you got gas and your gas cap isnt on right that'll do it to. Well fortunately I had just gotten gas in the rain so I was happy to ignore this for a while and guess what- the light went out!
I am still waiting for something to go wrong with it though. I feel like it's been testing me or something, seeing if I'm ready. I dont want to project these bad feelings on to it though. Good thing it doesnt have internet access and can read this post. Maybe me being a dumbass and locking myself out of it last week was the bad car thing that Im fretting over and now it's behind me. Yeah that's it...
Ok so the other good news is NaBloPoMo is just about to a close! And I know it sounds weird but Im actually going to miss it. I hope that the randomizer doesnt go away because I love it. Ive tried doing the "next blog" thing on blogger, but I always end up with foreign languages, and that also does get me to all these other great non-blogger blogs. Anyway, in alphabetical order, here are 10 more that Ive marked as worth returning to in the future!
The Fashionable Commute
Gab Lab
geezohpetes!
I'm Not Sara.. or maybe I am
In Pursuit of Happily Ever After
jessica
Juggling Zen
Lately Bothered
Maliavale
This Could Only Happen To Me
Monday, November 27, 2006
Lucky Charms
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: Do you have any lucky charms?
I have lots- sorta!
So when I feel like I need some extra strength I have what are kinda like lucky charms. I'll wear earrings that a friend gave me, because I feel like her support is carried with them. I have a tooney that I got when I visited a Canuck friend who I love and loves me that I carry in my pocket. I am wearing shoes that I bought when shopping with another friend because that was a good day. I am wearing pants that I bought when I lived in Lancaster, because I was happy there. I am wearing undies that have pictures of chocolate stuff on them because well, duh, chocolate rawks. I have pink ribbon socks on because they remind me of a friend who showed nothing but strength and grace while dealing with her breast cancer. The top I have on is the same one that a friend who has been very good to me also coincidentally owns. I have the hair stabby sticks on that I made last weekend with good friends at a place that has always brought good times.
Other than the tooney in my pocket, nobody would think I was carrying lucky charms, but I am actually decked out head to toe. Even the lipgloss I have on reminds me of a friend. I started doing this back in college when I had to do something that was tough- and my roommate loaned me her shirt that I loved- she told me it would be like she was there with me hugging me through it. I thought that was the best idea and have been hooked ever since. It's subtle and if I hadnt just confessed it to the world, nobody would know. But right now I feel surrounded by support and love and I will carry that with me to my appointment at 9 and I will pray that it gets me through it. I need all the help I can get!!!
Wish me luck! (she says as she rubs the coin in her pocket)
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Stress Sucks
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What's your wine of choice? (If you choose)
Right now- Relax Riesling is what Im choosing :) 
So Im wicked stressed.
Kitty weigh in was today.
I brought Ringo too to make sure that this diet isnt affecting him negatively. Guess what- it is. He's down to 7.1lbs. Doc says 8-11 is healthy for him. Suggested bloodwork to be sure, since a 2lb loss in 2 months could be more than diet related. Im going to sneak him food this week when his brother's not around and weigh him again next week. We'll see how that goes.
Seamus put back on the pound he lost last week and then some. I dont know what to do. I think Ill give up on him losing if it's going to not make a difference anyway, and just end up harming Ringo.
Tomorrow I have a major huge important appointment. Im trying not to project what I think will happen (although Im pretty damn sure) and hope for the best. (I confess, I expect the worst) Maybe Ill be pleasantly surprised. Any good thoughts thrown my way at 9am would be appreciated.
Depending on the results of this appointment I will have either much more of the old stress, or a whole new stress.
And my apartment is messy. I cried yesterday just trying to put away laundry. Ive made a list of all I wanted to get done this weekend and out of 2 pages of stuff, Ive accomplished 4 things. There's still time to get another one or two done, but that's about it because I may have time but not energy.
So Im going to pour myself a glass of Relax, get in the tub with bubbles and a book for an hour or so, and hope that even though the stress wont be gone, it'll be more manageable...
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Hours and hours of randomizing...
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What cool blogs have you come across since NaBloPoMo started?
So Friday at work it was wicked slow (thankfully) due to everyone thinking we were closed. I spent about 7 out of the 8 hours surfing through the randomizer. I made a list of all those I saw, all that were out of the running, those that Id like to check back with because they were pretty interesting and/or funny, and those that were not ones I want to go back to but were still in it.
I confess, some of the incredibly boring ones might be out of the running but I just couldnt even bring myself to go through the whole blog to check the dates. I know that sounds bitchy, but I figure since Im not mentioning those by name here, it's ok ;)
I'm am going to list the first 10 alphabetically that I marked for return. I have not really looked at them in 2 days so I cant comment at the moment why I marked them :)
So check those out and let me know why I marked them! ;)
Oh and FYI, a billion hours of randomizing down, nary a hit on my own. What's up with that??
How about you? Have you randomized on yourself??
Friday, November 24, 2006
Moral/Ethical Quandry
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What's your favorite kind of pie?
For me id say berry types, triple berry, razzle berry, and in lieu of the mishmash of multiberry, just plain ol blueberry. Huckleberry too!
Moral Ethical Dilemma at hand...
I just overheard a coworker say she is going to do a minor something that she should not do. There's a chance that squealing could lead to possible termination.
I cant stand this coworker.
If I squeal, it'd be because of that, not because I truly believe what she is doing is wrong. If it was someone I liked, there's a good chance Id probably keep my mouth shut unless directly asked.
If I squealed, and nothing was done about it (very likely) then that would just make life even more uncomfortable with her. If something was done, MANY people would rejoice.
There is an anonymous corporate compliance number I could call, but the likelihood of them knowing damn well it was me anyway is extraordinarily high.
What to do???
Thursday, November 23, 2006
I know I was stupid the other day but really...
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: Who will you be eating dinner with today?
I havent decided yet. Ive had a few pity invites, and a few real invites. If I go to any it would be my friend Ali (not to be confused at all with the dumbass roommate of yesteryear) and her husband and her parents. I might just stay home with kitties though. Ill decide last minute, and fortunately Ali gets it and suggested to me that I dont stress about deciding ahead of time. I did plan ahead and bought a bottle of wine to have if I do go... ;)
And on another note, spam- it cracks me up. Today I got this very important email from "paypal". In it it says "If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choise but not temporaly suspend account We ask that you fallow at least 72 hours for the case to be investigated and we strongly recomanded to verify your account in that time." and I cant even begin to fathom what this sentence means- "Paypal is misappropriate at the request of law"
The best part is how friendly they are- "Thanks for your patiance as we work togheter to protect your account."
So my question is- is anyone stupid enough to believe that paypal wrote this? If I did believe it, Id have to suspend my paypal usage because they hire illiterate people to write important emails and I dont think that is the best business practice.
My suggestion to spammers out there- SPELLCHECK!
I very rarely actually open these things, but usually just in the subject there are misspellings. "is your penis to small?" or "your a winner!" and Ive never seen correct usage of there and their.
If only I could redeem all of the free laptops on them that Ive won. Or the target, home depot, taco bell, walmart, jcpennys or circuit city vouchers that Ive won overnight. And all of the loans that Ive been approved for! Id be rolling in it.
I know someone must fall for this or they wouldnt still be sending it out. But who???? Have you ever heard of someone who actually did?
OK one last totally unrelated topic, but I have the news on so they just did this story and I need to comment.
The NC State womens basketball coach's breast cancer has returned. I knew this last week because she was at the hospital for a test, but I wouldnt have even THOUGHT to mention it to anyone. I was just in awe of how tall she and her people who came with her were. I just saw that they did a story of her having cancer again on the news. I wonder if someone at the hospital was unethical and violated hippa laws and tipped them off, or if she decided to go public since she is taking a leave of absence to fight this. I REALLY hope that she shared this with the news, and not someone else. I dont know why this is bothering me, but I guess it's just the possibility that it wasnt her choice that is upsetting. A person's health status is their business. If they want to share it with others to gather support and strength and prayers, then that's great. (hell anyone who can work a computer knows I have an owie) But it should be that persons choice. I think it's great when celebs who have cancer share their battles to be inspiring. I also think it's perfectly acceptable when nobody has a clue till they are gone (like Ed Bradley). But it needs to be there choice. So Im off to check all of the local news sources to see if any of them state if they got Kay Yow's info from a source or from a statement she released. I hope it's choice B.
Ok one last unrelated thing I want to share.
Doesnt it suck when you actually have the day off of work but you still are up before the sun thanks to that pesky circadian rhythm?? At least the good news is that I can nap today :)
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
too bad I already did a dumbass award...
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What's the stupidest thing youve done in the past month?
This is an easy one for me. Yesterday I had an appointment that I was very early for. I got out of my car with my book and my waterbottle and left my purse with my keys on the front seat and locked the door.
Oh did I mention yesterday was one of the worst days weather-wise since Ive lived in NC?
So I had let my AAA expire, but I was pretty sure I had roadside assistance with my car insurance. Of course the number was in my wallet, locked in the car. SO I look in the phone book, pick an agent that looks like it might be the right address, call and she tells me that I dont exist in her system, sorry. Um hello?? So it seems that she only knows her own clients, there is no big database. I ask if there is an 800 number or something I can call. She says no. I didnt believe her. "Isnt there some type of main number that has all clients info?" "Oh yeah- but it's not 800. It's 877" (insert head banging here)
I call the main non-800 number and they give me the roadside assistance number. I ask them that before I call, I just wanted to confirm that I did, in fact, have this service. They transfer me. The guy who answers seemed nice, I told him my sob story and asked him if he could confirm if I had roadside assistance. He asked for my policy number. (insert more head banging here) I explained AGAIN that my life was locked in my car. Oh ok, what's my name, he can look it up that way.
So he looks me up and then says "we dont have roadside assistance, it is not a service we offer, but you do have towing". (insert me with a concussion thanks to more head banging). Im curious why the first 4 people didnt tell me that they dont offer a service I was asking about, and what if I had called the number for the service they dont have?
So screw it, I call AAA and rejoin and ask for service pronto. They say no problem, it will be an extra $35 stupid person punishment fee. Im ok with that. They then tell me that it will be 2 hours before someone can get there.
Did I ever mention I live in THE STATE CAPITOL OF THE 11TH MOST POPULATED STATE? Wouldnt you think that there would be more than one man who owns a slim jim around these parts?
Ok so fine, I have my appointment (no longer early for it). I then hang in the waiting room for a while. A long while. Then a state trooper pulls up and walks in. Apparently he has an appointment in the same office. I think - YAY ME! So as he's sitting down choosing a magazine I say to him- "Excuse me, but do you think I could bother you to break into my car for me?" The best part is that he doesnt even seem to think this is an odd request. He tells me that he wishes he could, but with locks so complicated now and the potential for doing damage to them that they arent allowed to carry car-breaking-into-tools anymore. I then ask him if he knows any good car thieves I can call. He did laugh at that. (um, I wasnt trying to be funny!) Alas, he said all the good ones he knows are locked up. Oh well.
45 minutes later the AAA guy comes and his truck says he's from a town 30 minutes south of Raleigh (without traffic). I find it hard to believe he's the closest man with carbreaking-into tools in the capitol of the 11th largest state in the nation. I guess it's true. Anyway it took him about 45 seconds to break into my car in the pouring bitter cold rain (yeah, my umbrella was locked in there too)
And then I get home and GET YELLED AT by my cats for being so late. As if it was my choice...
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
40% improved chance! (and the Dumbass of the Day award)
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: If you could do any job in the world (and since this is hypothetical, assume you are already trained/educated to do it) what would you do?
Philanthropist would be my first choice, but in lieu of that Id like to work with House at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital. (I'd also like the fictional life to go with it that problems can be solved in 48 minutes)
So last night I looked at the first 31 blogs on the list. Since I was one of those first 31 that's why it's an odd number. I found that of those 31, 12 of them have failed to post daily. That means 39% of the blogs Ive looked at already have dropped out of the running. If this trend continues through the rest of the list, I can say my odds have almost doubled based on just not failing. Not bad!
I thought Id also post links to my top 3 of those 30. (think of these as the top 10% of their class based on my grading ;) )
100 miles from where?
I dig this woman because she spells her name backwards (like me), is into kitties, (like me), she isnt afraid to admit that her kids make her tired (like me if I had kids), and has visited my blog (but Id like her anyway!)
117 hudson
I dig this one because her tone is somewhat snark without any nastiness. I get the sense that she'd be cool to hang out with.
the 8 to 5 experiment
"there was going to be a cat circus Saturday night. Turns out that was actually tonight, and we had to leave in the afternoon so Chrissi could work the overnight tonight. So, no cat circus for us, but I am going to spend the rest of tonight pretending I am at the cat circus. You should too." This made me laugh out loud. So I continued to read and laughed out loud several more times. Unfortunately when I was reading the bit about the drawer cake eater guy I was drinking some water- it did get snorted out my nose. Very ladylike!
So Ill try and get more looked at tonight. I have an appointment after work so Ill be late getting home, and then I have to finish my mom's stellar sweeper pogo badge for her, and house is on, so I wont make any promises...
Ok on to crankier news...
Yesterday I looked good. I had just colored my damn roots and I was wearing a color that's flattering to me. I had enough sleep over the weekend so the usual dark undereye circles were missing, and I think I might have been running a low temp so my eyes were shiny and my cheeks were pink. (why is it that Im most attractive when Im feeling like crap?) I got multiple compliments. All of the women either said "That's a good color for you" or "your hair looks good today". The men all said something related to "my boyfriend". Or non-existence thereof. One had the audacity to say "youre wasting those good looks on sitting home with cats?" another said something like "you need a man who can appreciate you". These 2 men win the Dumbass of the Day award! It's pathetic it takes TWO dumbasses this time to equal one normal dumbass!)
WTF?????????????????????????
Maybe I should move back north where it wasnt such a stigma to be a spinster...
Monday, November 20, 2006
2/3 done!
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What do you want Santa (or insert appropriate gift-giver per culture/religion) to bring you this year?
I want a digital camera so I can actually take pictures that are better quality than my cellphone ones.
So today is the 2/3 mark in NaBloPoMo! Congrats to all of you who have made it thus far. I had great plans this weekend To go through the list and see how many were still in the running, but my laziness was too great and did not get to it.
Im proud that I havent failed yet. I was worried about the weekends mostly. Not because I have such a life that I wouldnt get to it, but because I have so little of a life that Id figure I had time and put it off and then forget. Only one weekend left in the month so I think I can do it!! The crazy part of me is pondering challenging myself to continue through December too. I'd need a catchy title for it like MoPoEvMoMo (Monica Posts Even More Month). Feel free to leave any more creative suggestions. :) Or maybe Ill be quasi lazy and make the challenge to post for 21 out of 31 days. That will be less pressure but keep me from being a giant slacker. And then being the overacheiver that I like to think I am I might actually do every day.
So how has this month inspired all of you? Anyone think they will keep up this pace?
So I do have one bit of a complaint about this thing. Almost every day I check out the randomizer for a bit. I have yet to come across myself. I have seen some other blogs multiple times, but never me. Has anyone out there found themselvs? Im getting a complex here. I know I show up on there because I see on sitemeter that people got here from there, but Im wondering if there's a big ol conspiracy to keep me from finding my own. Maybe today's the day...
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Kitty Weight Watchers
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What's your favorite fast food restaurant?
Definitely Taco Bell for both me and my boys
So today was weigh in day for Seamus Patrick O'Kitty. Every Sunday for the last two months or so we've been going to weigh in at the vet's. He's always been a bit of a corpulent kitty, but this past August he hit an all time high of 23 lbs. In September he had some dental work done and afterwards he went from 21.6 lbs to 19.0 lbs in 3 weeks and his vet was worried that was too fast.
Supersized kitties have an increased chance of developing something called Hepatic Lipidosis which can be fatal. So she wanted me to make sure he was eating and wanted us to come for weekly weigh-ins. He lost another pound the next week and she was even more concerned.
So now we're at a weird place. Seamus needs to lose weight. He has a heart condition and getting his weight down would be a good thing to help with that. However, getting it down too fast is bad for his liver. So we've switched to primarily wet food (less carbs) and no more free feeding. He's been playing chase with his brother more and it seems like that exercise has helped too! From Sept 24th to October 1st he lost one pound. Since Oct 1 he's lost .5 oz. Plateau much? This week he lost a whole pound. He's now down to 17.11lbs! Im a little stressed that it was a whole pound in one week, but the fact that he 4 weeks prior he had only lost .3 of an ounce I think it's probably ok.
So if he went to real weight watcher meetings he'd get a nice star tonight and he's 2lbs lighter than the weight he had been holding at for a good 8 years. Im very proud of him :)
Every time we go to the vet we stop at the Taco Bell drive through on the way home because he likes the nacho cheese. Yeah, maybe Im enabling his weight problem a little bit, but he only has a lick or two so I dont think it's that bad :)
Just cross your fingers for us that he doesnt put this pound right back on for next week!!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Beadazzling!
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What's your favorite ethnicity food?
Id have to go with Italian, but Ive been into Chinese alot lately. PF Changs or Pei Wei spicy chicken rocks my socks. 
So today was Beadazzle day. Every monthish I get together with some girlfriends and we go to this great place called Beadazzled. It's a jewelery making place for both the talented and for the creatively/artistically challenged (like me!) Basically you can pick out any bead type stuff you like, string it or put it on a stick, and they do the hard part for you and voila, instant beautiful creations. Today I made myself an earring/bracelet set, a pair of stabby sticks, and some stuff for my sister for Christmas that I wont show or mention here in case she peeks in and reads ;)
I am so pro
ud of how nice my stuff turned out I thought Id share :)
Close up of the earrings, which are the same as the bracelet
Close up of the top of the stabby sticks
The color seems off, which is odd because I actually scanned the jewelery rather than taking a picture of it, but oh well.
Anyway, Im off to snuggle with kitties and eat my lunch leftovers (Pei Wei!)
Friday, November 17, 2006
Does this make me a bitch?
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What do you wear to work?
I am very happy to say that I wear scrubs. Ive always wanted a job where you can wear your pj's to work!
So this morning 3 people tried to do something nice for me and it annoyed me each time. The first was just some car who stopped at the crosswalk between the employee parking and the hospital. Because of this injury I walk very slowly. I hate when people stop for me, Id rather they go on and Ill just go on with my own pace. I feel like if they were kind enough to stop for me then I should hustle across the street. And that hurts. But if I walk my normal slow pace, I feel like they are tapping their foot regretting being nice to me.
The second niceness was someone who held the door for me. Same thing- I was nowhere near the door, but they stood there and held the door while I tried to speed up so they werent standing there forever being annoyed with me. Again, I hurt :(
Then someone asks me if I am ok. People do this all of the time as they see me walking slowly and carefully with a bit of a limp. Clearly, I am not ok, but Im not having a heart attack either so how do I answer? I am not ok, that is a fact. But there is nothing any random person in the hall can do to fix me. So I usually just smile and thank them for asking and ignore the actual question. Somemtimes (like today) Ill just say something like "Im happy it's friday, that's for sure!" and that will satisfy. The more annoying ones are the ones who ask me what did. "None of your fucking business" seems a bit harsh for the concern, but it's too long of a story to even bother to tell to a stranger. I might start lying and telling them fun stories like "oh I injured myself climbing Mt Killamanjaro" or "I was a stunt double in an upcoming action flick and my scene went horribly wrong". Right now I just go with "oh it's a long story, but thanks for asking". Bleh.
So does it make me a bitch that people's nice gestures or concern for me just annoys the piss out of me?
Almost forgot! Friday Shuffle!
1. Don't Go Back to Rockville - REM
when i lived in md and worked in sales rockville was one of my territories- i tried to tell my boss i couldnt keep going back there, but he didnt buy it
2. Angel Mine - Cowboy Junkies
this is from the soundtrack of one of my favorite movies, truth about cats and dogs
3. Fear - Sarah McLachlan
i used to work with some guys who were trying to figure out if another coworker was a lesbian or not and used the fact that she went to a sarah concert as proof that she was. go figure, i love sarah and have seen her live and always thought i was straight...
4. Waterhole (Express Bongo) - Marillion
this is another one of those fairly obscure bands that it's a shame more people dont know.
5. New England - Billy Bragg
this song just brings back memories of a st patricks day of yesteryear... not that i remember much!
6. Love Ridden - Fiona Apple
nothing much to say about this song. fiona has a gorgeous voice.
7. The Ocean - Dar Williams
i dont think ive ever had a friday shuffle dar didnt show up on!
8. You Can Sleep While I Drive (live) - Melissa Etheridge with Jewel
"c'mon baby, let's get out of this town, ive got a full tank of gas with the top rolled down..."
9. You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth - Meatloaf
when i was a wee kid and quite naive and underexposed to popular music (my mom listened to ewwcountry) we were over family friends' house and the boy who was about my age had bat out of hell. i was aghast and thought it must be some dirty evil album. who would have guessed years later it would be one of my favorite all time albums!
10. Least Complicated - Indigo Girls
"So I just sit up in the house and resist/And not be seen until I cease to exist/A kind of conscientious objection/A kind of dodging the draft" classic jaded spinster tune. good thing im not jaded, just a spinster- i still love this song though!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Dumbass of the day
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What was the first CD you ever owned?
I already answered this yesterday- Pearl Jam - 10
So since Im a wee bit brain dead Ill share a story about a brain dead girl from my past.
My last year in college (the first time through) the housing I was supposed to have fell through at the last minute. Literally. I was supposed to be house sitting for a professor who was going on a year sabatacal. I arrived, key in hand, everything I owned loaded up in my plymouth horizon, walked up to the door to see a note- "Monica, do not move in, we need to talk, call us at xxx-xxxx" So I went to the campus police department (where I worked- it's not as weird as that sounds) and called and they told me that their daughter who had lived out of state had a nervous breakdown and moved home and would be there so sorry. Um ok, thanks for calling me before I left NJ to come here!
I was tired and grossly in need of a shower and now homeless. I had stopped at my friend's the day/night before and we went to the B52/Violent Femme's concert at an outdoor venue in the pouring rain (one of the best concerts ever BTW!) and then got up early and drove to school so you can imagine how gross I was. Fortunately the cops I worked with were great and let me into the gym to shower. Since everything was loaded in my car and school wasnt open yet for the semester I didnt even have a towel so I had to dry my hair with the shirt I had been wearing. Pathetic, to say the least.
My sister lived about an hour away from where I went to college so I drove there rather than live out of my car. I made a bunch of calls after I got to her place and found one of my sorority sisters was also screwed out of her housing and was staying with an alumna in town, and I could come sleep on her floor too and the two of us would find a place together.
Since this was a few days before school started you can imagine the pickings were slim out there. I wont even go into detail about some of the scary places we looked at. The scary place we ended up at was pretty far off campus, but since we were both student teaching that semester so we didnt care- it was pretty close to the bars and that was more important! ;)
The place was a duplex. The kitchen had a shower in it for starters. You could fry eggs and get clean at the same time. Then you went upstairs to the scary living room. It had wood panneling circa 1974 and -Im not kidding you- blue bandana print carpet. The big bedroom with it's booger green rug was through there and a tiny bedroom and bathroom with a tub and no shower was off that. There were no doors, just screens. Oh and it came complete with a roommate! (this is the brain dead girl I was talking about) She was nice enough, but I'm pretty sure that she is the reason people started making blond jokes. If one could personify a stereotype- it was her! Jen (the cool sister roommate) and I were tight, and if I have to confess- a bit snarky when we got together. We enjoyed tormenting Alison in very subtle ways. Our favorite way was to put on either Alive by Pearl Jam or Shiny Happy People by REM on repeat. For Hours. and hours. and hours... Shiny Happy People Holding HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDS over and over and over and over. Ohooohoohoooh I-I-Im still alive.... Ohooohoohoooh I-I-Im still alive.... Ohooohoohoooh I-I-Im still alive.... Ohooohoohoooh I-I-Im still alive.... you get it. The best part was when we realized that she was too stupid to even notice. What she said one day was (and I quote) "I dont know how you can make fun of Wilson Phillips for having songs that all sound alike. That Pearl Jam's songs REALLY all sound alike". Yeah, she was too stupid to realize it WAS THE SAME FREAKING SONG!
Whenever I have a dumb moment, I think of that, and realize that I'm not that bad off afterall.
Another fun stupid thing about her- She had this boyfriend, Chris, who we really liked. Chris got kicked out of his apartment a few weeks before the semester ended, so he moved in with us for that time. What we realized and she didnt was that he was over her, but using her for a place to stay. On the last night before the semester ended (also known as "the night that never happened", but that's a whole OTHER story...) He decided to break up with her, right after sleeping with her. Of course we had the pleasure of hearing this whole conversation thanks to the screens instead of doors. It went something like this-
C- "when we come back after break I think maybe we shouldnt see so much of each other anymore"
A- "no, I think we still should"
C- "well I was thinking it's time to see other people"
A- "no, I am happy with you"
C- "well I think maybe it's time we just ended this"
A- "no, I dont think it's time for that at all"
and on and on. She was too stupid to realize he was dumping her. I'm not sure if he ever got it through her thick skull or if she and he are married now...
So that's my dumbass of the day story. Maybe Ill make it a regular feature...
So to sign off- a Thursday haiku or 4
dumbass of the day
a new story concept here
so many to choose from!
friday is almost here!
i hope i can make it through
work sucks monkey balls
made it past halfway
only 14 more days left
in nablopomo
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Too cranky for a real post but dont want to be a NaBloPoMo slacker
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment.
Question du Jour: What was your first concert? What was your most recent concert?
My first ever was U2, Joshua Tree tour. 10th row. It was mindblowing. My most recent I think was Rick Springfield about 3ish years ago. He still is a hottie and still rawks.
Im too cranky to write anything upbeat today so Im going to just go with a few lists.
Some of the Concerts I can remember having been to (in no particular order)
- U2
- Sting
- The Alarm
- Rick Springfield
- B52's
- Violent Femmes
- Spin Doctors
- Gin Blossoms
- Cracker
- BNL
- Sarah McLachlin
- Billy Joel
- Rush
- Candlebox
- Aerosmith
- New Kids on the Block (ok my brain scares me that it thought of this one right after Aerosmith- apologies to Steve and the guys)
- Lisa Loeb
- Duncan Sheik
- I went to the BCN River Rave one year (95?) and there were oodles of artists there and I cant think of anyone but Cracker who I already mentioned
- oh yeah and The Presidents of the United States of America (millions of peaches, peaches for me)
- I went to that United We Stand or whatever it was called concert to benefit 9/11 in DC
Concerts I didnt choose to go to but was dragged to
- New Kids on the Block
First Cassette Tapes I had after giving up LP's
- Working Class Dog - Rick Springfield
- I forget the name of it - Hall and Oats
First Cassette Tapes I bought with my own money
- Syncronicity - Police
- Cuts Like a Knife - Brian Adams
- Pyromania - Def Leppard
First CD I owned
- 10 - Pearl Jam
Last CD I actually bought rather than downloaded
- Wreck of the Day - Anna Nalick
Hours I have left till at work today
- 4.25
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Stating the Obvious
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment. If enough people actually do it, it could be fun!
Question du Jour: Do you color your hair? From what to what?
I started going grey back in HS (part of being black Irish) but I didnt start coloring till my mid 20's. I use Colorsilk Brown-Black which is exactly my natural color, minus the grey.
I know I should get over it, but it always bugs me when someone says I have black hair. I know it's brown black because that's what the bottle says. But even before that, it is the darkest possible brown without being black. I dont know why it bugs me. Especially since it's usually done with a complement. Im just an uptight dork I guess.
Part of the problem with almost black hair with serious grey roots is that those roots SHOW! I mean it's the difference between (almost) black and white, so it's disgustingly obvious. Ergo, I need to touch up every few weeks. If I go three weeks then the roots are about an inch long and it makes me look like I am going bald. It's obvious. I know it is. Yet occasionally the random person will point it out to me. Why do you think this is? The thing is, it's usually people I like who dont usually have a tendency to be rude. Yet it seems to be the same as saying "wow, your hair looks like shit, you should do something about it". Thanks.
Someone who has told me this also shared with me recently that I had a lot of hair on my arms. Again, I am aware of this. It's something that I used to be very sensitive about. Back in third grade a boy told me and I cried and my grandmother bought me bleaching cream for it. I know it sounds stupid, but it's something that is actually one of my warmest fuzziest memories of her. She got how traumatic a stupid vain thing like that can be to a 8 year old girl. She didnt just tell me to get over it and accept who I am, she tried to make it better. Over the years I did just get over it and accept who I am, and I dont bother bleaching it, Im just grateful that it's only on my arms and not on the backs of my hands! But the other day when someone pointed it out to me I felt breifly like that 8 year old again.
So why point out the obvious to someone if it's not a positive thing? I just dont get it. Dont tell someone they look tired either- that's another way of saying "wow, you look like shit". So make a point today of saying only good obvious stuff to people. Cuz trust me, they know the bad already. And yeah, Im touching up my roots later tonight...
Monday, November 13, 2006
How Rude!
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment. If enough people actually do it, it could be fun!
Question du Jour: What smells/fragrances do you love?
I love the smell of my kitties (even their breath- I thought I was totally weird till that was mentioned in the Truth About Cats and Dogs), the smell of a campfire or fireplace fire, most teas or coffees, fall leaves, baked yummies.
What I DO NOT like the smell of is this coworkers perfume. It is horrific, and literally hurts my nose. It triggers migraines for me. It just makes me sick- literally. I have heard others complain about it on many occasions too, and yet, she still wears it.
I wondered if patients complained if anything would actually be done, but one fo her coworkers said that was unlikely that they would complain- since she's so lazy she hardly sees patients! Unfortuanately for me, she's right, and because of this, she's always hanging around HERE, where I am. I wish we had an actual policy against fragrances. In the hospital I trained at we did. Many patients are sensitive to smells, so we were told to not wear any. I think it's a good rule of thumb. Ive been told by chemo patients that almost any scent can set them off hurling. Im hoping one day they get set off by her- ON her, and it might be a wake up call to her.
But I doubt it. Some people are just completely oblivious to how they affect others around them. It's a shame.
I cant wait till the day is over and I can go burry my face in kitty fur and get this stink out of my nose :)
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Does this seem wrong to you????
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment. If enough people actually do it, it could be fun!
Question du Jour: What is your favorite Christmas/Holiday special?
Mine is, without a doubt, Emmit Otter's Jugband Christmas. Jim Henson at his finest. Kermit hosts it, great tunes, what more could one want?
Oh yeah, for it actually to be Christmastime.
What inspired this post? Well I was channel surfing right now and what did I find on but The Grinch. Um, it's not even Thanksgiving yet! Why are holiday specials on already??? There's a local radio station that is already playing Christmas music. Now I love good Christmas tunes, but I choose not to listen till at least December. It just seems wrong otherwise.
I used to be a Christmas yuletime junkie in the past. But then I spent a few too many years working retail and I think it killed my holiday spirit. I used to work for Bath and Body Works the year the snowmen exploded in the store. We had snowman EVERYWHERE! Lotion and showergel bottles shaped like snowmen, giftsets shaped like snowmen, snowglobe soaps, and had to wear snowmen aprons. I was management so during the holidays I was working 70 hour weeks, so that was 70 hours of snowmen, 70 hours of the same songs repeating every 2 hours... you get the gist. Oh yeah and we put all this out in October.
It wasnt enough to completely kill my holiday spirit, but it definitely squashed it. I cant take any large quantities anymore. And I NEVER set foot in a mall anytime after Thanksgiving if I can possibly avoid it. I think Santa made the internet just for me!
So OK, I confess, while channel surfing I found the Grinch, but instead of keeping going to the next channel, I've left it on. It's for inspiration for this post...really ;)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer or linking from the NaBloPoMo list, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment. If enough people actually do it, it could be fun!
Question du Jour: What are some of your favorite sounds?
For me it's purring kitties, crickets chirping, crackling fires, and rain falling
Today I spent most of my day on my porch that I love so much with a purring kitty. Now I hear crickets chirping. It's too hot to have a fire and too beautiful to have rain, but I think that'll be coming up this week sometime.
The fire and crickets take me back to my youth and girl scout camp. For many years I went to Camp Lou Henry Hoover on beautiful Swartswood Lake in New Jersey. There I learned to sail, took a trip down the Delaware in a canoe for several days (I see that they even still have that program!), learned to get along with people not at all like me, and made some friends that I am still in touch with today. We drank "bug juice" and sang silly songs, and cried our eyes out at the last campfire. I think that the summers I spent at Hoover truly helped me grow to be the person I am now. It's weird to think that, but I know it is true. I remember one year when I was miserable at the beginning of the session because I was having trouble finding a group I fit with. Something clicked and I realized it was because I was being a pain in the ass. I thought I was all that because it was my 3rd or 4th year there and I was being Miss Knowitall. I dont know what made me realize it, but suddenly it clicked. I made an effort to tone that down, and then the other girls started being more friendly and by the end of that session I was crying at the last campfire and was tight with a big group and had a blast. And I learned something about myself that summer... I dont know what's got me thinking about camp and that year in particular. I guess it's those crickets chirping outside. Im sitting here with a goofy smile on my face though, and I think I'm off to google Hoover some and try and find if I can locate any of those old friends...
"Happy Campers are we, having fun beneath the trees, and when we are gone, we'll remember our song- Singing Camp, Camp Hoover, Camp, Camp Hoover, Camp, Camp Hoover CAMP!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Let the Bible Belt come and save my soul...NOT
Ok For all of those of you strolling through from the randomizer, I'm doing a question of the day to answer via leaving a comment. If enough people actually do it, it could be fun!
Question du Jour: Do you like to read? Who are some of your favorite authors?
Im a mystery/suspense fan, and also just your basic fiction. I dont do historic fiction though, Im a 20th/21st century kind of girl. My top two mystery/suspense type authors are Jeffrey Deaver and Kathy Reichs. My favorite fun fiction is Marian Keyes, and my favorite combo of the two is Jennifer Crusie. I would pay hardcover prices for any of these 4. (But only if I have my extra 15% off coupon and preferably they are also the extra 30% thing too!)
I LOVE to read! I guess my mom did something smart when she signed us up for the Weekly Reader Bookclub back as children. We had a kick-ass book collection then, and I have a pretty decent one now too. Or at least decent to me, full of all of my favorite authors.
Yesterday I had my dentist cleaning after work, but I had an hour to kill before I had to be there so I went to B&N to use my 15% coupon and get my free latte. I picked up Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes and am very excited. For those of you who arent familiar with her, you should be. She is hysterical, but also has great stories that will make you feel. Many of her books center around a family of 5 sisters, but each book focuses on a particlar sister, and is from her point of view. This one is about Ana and I REALLY just want to go home and read it and not be sitting here in hell.....err work.
Something that struck me as funny was when the chick at the dentist told me that she wanted a hobby that wasnt expensive so she tried to take up reading. Unfortunately, she said, she would get through a few pages and just fall asleep. I suggested maybe she should try reading more interesting books...
Another book I read recently was one of Kathy Reichs' latest, Cross Bones. In this book the main character is a forensic anthropologist who has found some bones that could possibly be those of Jesus Christ. Of couse as anyone who knows the basic gist of Christianity would know, this would trash the whole concept of the resurrection and could be a huge issue. So I was chatting about this book with one of my yankee co-workers who warned me to be careful who I talked about this with because since we live in the Bible Belt there are people who could get a bit tense about it.
This really made me start paying attention. I realize in concept that I live in the Bible Belt now, but I guess it didnt hit me till recently. I grew up in Jersey, home of Irish and Italian Catholics. In my town if you didnt go to St. Joseph's it was because you went to St. Lukes across town. I think there were about a dozen non-Catholic families in my town. But honestly, those who wnt to other churches seemed cool to us, because their youth group did neat things different than what we did. It was never about the actual religion part. We werent all like Catholics of our parents generation. It was what we were, not who we were, if that makes any sense.
Down here religion defines a person to a huge extent. People are also less careful about being "politically correct" with the religious references. McDonalds signs wish you Merry Christmas. I saw a commmercial for a construction company that boasted it's values came from the bible. Nobody worries about alienating people of other faiths because they assume everyone either is or should be the same as them. I cant tell you how many people told me that the best way for me to find a man is to go to THEIR church. I told one woman who was fairly insistant that I was Catholic, so it seemed wrong to go to another denomonation just to pick up a guy, and she said that she thought He would just be happy to have me there. I kindly disagreed- I think He would prefer me not to have underhanded sneaky intentions or to pretend to be someone that I am not. I think He is happy for me to be who I am and have my relationship with Him to be whatever it is that We are comfortable with.
Now I may get a bit slammed for writing this all outloud. I dont know if I even have a point to it, but it's been on my mind. I suppose I was just feeling censured lately and I hate anything being shoved down my throat. I know with Christmas coming it's going to get worse so I thought Id do a pre-vent. I hope Ive offended nobody, but I guess we'll see if I get any comments...
Ok I also have half a Friday shuffle- I got 5 songs in this morning
1.) When I See you Smile - John Waite
(In college we used to joke that it was John Wayne and sing When I see you smile, pilgram)
2.) Love is the Seventh Wave - Sting
(remember how cute this video was with the crayola Sting?)
3.) Rush- Big Audio Dynamite
(These lyrics are WAY too appropriate for today- "Situation no win/Rush for a change of atmosphere/I can't go on so I give in/Gotta get myself right outta here")
4.) At Last - Eva Cassidy
(I dont have anything much to say about this song. Eva is awesome though- go get some of her stuff)
5.) Hold Me Down - Gin Blossoms
(I got to meet them back in the mid 90's when my roommate won a radio contest. Nice guys! Love their stuff. When we went to their concert (The Spin, Gin, and Crack tour) (spin doctors and cracker in case you didnt figure that out) we noticed the drummer was hanging out in the lawn seats during the Spin Doctor's set. I thought that was cool.)