Thumbs Up Part I

My Blog's Mixtape

Germs and Other Messes

Did you know that the proper amount of time to scrub your hands equates to the time it takes to sing "Row Your Boat" three times? I have been washing my hands and singing this song a lot. Especially in an office where people can't be bothered to cover their mouths when they cough. I've also been drinking a lot of Echinacia tea...just for good measure.

Apparently, people who keep healthy day-to-day habits are better at fighting off illness. You know, people who exercise, stay hydrated, get plentyof sleep, don't smoke, etc. This bodes well for me, as I do the first three in the list almost daily. I still smoke a little, but really only when I drink, which isn't very often anymore either. I actually kind of miss drinking. Maybe it is the smoking I miss...no, I think it is the drinking. I think about a drink almost every night, but then I think of the empty calories and blah, blah, blah, and I think I better not drink...at least until the weekend.

Back to germs, though...I normally always disinfect the cardio machines before I use them AND after. I've seen some NASTY people get off machines and not clean them off, so I try to be pretty obsessive about the disinfectant. Yesterday though, I forgot. I had been on the treadmill for about, two minutes when I remembered. I immediately got off, disinfected the machine, washed my hands and got back on.

I don't think I am a germophobe or OCD. I just think that at this time of year, it is way better to be safe than sorry.

Wouldn't it be ironic if tomorrow I was sick?

Harry Potter and Other Etc's

Did you guys hear that the last Harry Potter book is going to be split into two movies? Some people don't like that idea, but I think it's great. It totally extends the Harry Potter magic a little longer. It also means that they are probably going to be very, very true to the book. Get ready for some hot Ron/Hermione action.

I joined a little weight loss program at my gym and last night was the end-celebration party. I won a gift certificate to the spa, so now I can get a massage. I am going to get a really long one too. It was a fun party as well. It was intersting to see everyone in real clothes, smelling nice.

It seems as though spring is moving quickly all of a sudden, although it isn't officially spring yet. Maybe Easter being so early makes it feel that way.

I am still waiting for word from NMSU. Each day I get a little more nervous, constantly looking at my phone, checking my email and regular mail. I think I am too nervous to call and find out anything. I hope I find out soon. My heart might beat out of my chest and then I wouldn't be able to go even if I did get in.

I've Got Some Tiny Problems

My clothes are dirty. I do laundry, but apparently if I don't CLOSELY inspect my clothes at the end of the day, I put away dirty clothes and then I pull them out to wear at a later date and wear dirty clothes. I don't know if I've always done this and just started noticing or if I've just started doing this. Needless to say, I am trying to make sure all dirty clothes get laundered before going back into the closet.

I am also tired. Every morning when I wake up (to the actual alarm, usually I am up a little before, but wait for the alarm to go off), I feel as though I could use another few hours of sleep. I move slowly, my eyes are droopy. As soon as I wake up I think, I am going to go to bed early tonight, but I am not tired enough to go to bed early. Spring Forward, this week you are my worst enemy.

I Sweat!

I know that technically sweating doesn't really measure how hard you work when you exercise, but I really don't understand how people can leave a kickboxing class looking as fresh as a daisy. I truly believe that if you don't sweat during that class, you can't be working very hard. I leave that class TOTALLY gross. Gross, gross, gross.

Gross.

I think I might go take advantage of $1 scoops at Baskin Robbins.

You Can't Wear Shoes Without Feet

I went to the New Balance store today to get some new tennis shoes. It was way past due; it had been about 11 months since I had last gotten a pair and the balls of my feet were starting to hurt after working out for about an hour.

The New Balance store analyzes how you stand and walk to figure out which shoe is best for you. This sounds good and in theory it is (I was told I have wide feet, which I know, and that I walk heavily on the outside of my feet). I love my new shoes, they feel great. But it was weird. They measured my feet (they are sized 7 1/2, I could've told him that) and they actually put the shoes on. He didn't really loosen the laces up and each time it felt as though I had to shove my feet in them. He said, "You don't have to force it."

He asked me what kind of socks I wore. I was like, "Champion, Columbia." I guess he meant if they were made of cotton. I don't really know if my socks are cotton. I think they are. It was a question I had never been asked before. It seems personal when someone asks you about your socks. I don't know, maybe I am weird.

I don't mind the analysis, but I think I prefer that they let me tell them what size I am and that they leave the boxes of shoes for me to try on at my leisure.

What A Saturday

It was windy. It was cold. It snowed. Not as much as Laura down Cincinnati. Laura is completely covered with snow. That is not a snowman, that is actually Laura covered in snow. Haha, I crack myself up.

But the weather kind of ruined the evening, well, not ruined, but postponed the evening. You see, I was going to make an orzo with shrimp dish (although now it is a penne and shrimp dish as I could not find any whole wheat orzo or any regular orzo) and Ashley was going to come over and have some. But I called her and said we could do it tomorrow if she didn't want to venture out in the weather and she called me back and said she would come tomorrow.

I am going to try my darndest not to forget to change my clocks tonight. Spring forward is so hard. I always feel that lost hour for a couple of weeks.

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.

So...

I was just watching E! News (whatev...I'm a whore for celeb gossip) and they had a segment about some guy who runs a website trying to get people to vote for the bad singers on American Idol. They showed him at the computer and on his desk was a large bottle of lotion on it. I will leave it to your imagination as to what he does with the lotion at the computer, but I personally wouldn't want to type on that keyboard.

In other not so news, it is freezing rain and hailing, but I still made it to kickboxing. Later it is supposed to snow 2-4 inches. I HATE you winter.

What's Cooking in Suzy's Kitchen - Part II

Been a busy bee in the kitchen.

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

Broccoli Soup

I've gone gourmet.

I'm Going Deep

So, yeah, last night's Lost. I was kind of confused by it, probably more so than any other episode.At first I wasn't. I was like, well, Desmond does see the future. Desmond did kind of go back in time when he was blown from the hatch a few seasons ago, so for him to be flipping out, it wasn't that surprising to me. But then Faraday said was a side effect and then the same thing was happening to this Minkowski fellow. Will it happen to anyone else? Is Desmond ok for now? Will he freak out again? Will Desmond being Faraday's constant come back into play? Just more questions that need to be answered.

Speaking of Faraday, I liked him until the episode last night. I thought he was quirky little guy. But he was annoying the crap out of me in 1996.

How does Penny know about the island? I have a theory. I think her dad is way into this Hanso/Dharma thing. Notice how he was paying a boatload of pounds for a book about the Black Rock being sold by someone named Hanso (by the way, all of those familiar Lost terms were flying so fast in that auction scene that I wished I had Tivo so I could replay it) and I think that Penny's dad knowingly sent Desmond on that trip to land on that island. Maybe he even sees the future. I mean, he hated Desmond before, why was he being so nice to him in the bathroom? I think Penny's dad is dead and his last dying breath was to say something about the island to Penny. (I just decided to make Penny's dad dead. The inside of my brain must look like Faraday's notebook. ) But wasn't Desmond and Penny's overlapping declaration of love, sweet? And, last time I saw Desmond clean cut, I liked the dirty, shaggy Desmond better. But last night, I really dug clean cut Desmond.

Anyway, now that they are on the freighter, I am anxiously waiting to see Michael show up and say, "I am Ben's man on the boat. I opened the door to the sick bay. I am your friend on the boat."

And PS. I can't believe Sayid handed over the gun. Is this foreshadowing of the thinking with the heart that Ben alluded to? Or what Is foreshadowing after the fact? Evidence maybe? I don't know anymore.

Another Monday

Ah, the Oscars are done for the year and it wasn't a bad Oscars at all. George Clooney didn't win. Cate Blanchet didn't win. No one old won. And the best song was a song from Once, which was a really great movie and if you haven't seen it you should. It will make you feel good.

Ashley and I went to that tiny Italian place on Main St. in BG and it was a truly craptastic dinner. I tried to be positive about it, but I eventually had to give up. The service started out well, but then started to suck. I thought the food was gross. And the lighting in the place was weird. It was really weird. It didn't have many lights on, but the few that were on must have had 600 watt bulbs in them.

Then we went to Becketts, and I was the indecisive one. I couldn't think of a thing I wanted to drink. So I finally settled on a Heineken Light, because it was on special and I basically just had to make a decision. So the bartender uncaps the bottle, puts it in front of me and then immediately lifts it back up and starts bringing it to his face and I honestly thought he was going to take a sip. I so thought that, that I literally said, "Are you going to drink my beer?" But he just smelled it, threw it away, opened another one, smelled it and threw it away and then told me I should pick something else to drink. So I did and I hated it. And I only drank half of it. And then I waited for Ashley to finish her drink and asked if we could go. I felt really old and pathetic. Thankfully Ashley was a good sport.

Then we went to Marble Slab Creamery and I ate too much ice cream and it too was kind of gross. The world was against my taste buds that night.

But don't feel sad for me, I made up for it yesterday. Everything I ate yesterday was delicious.

I Always Thought Gargamel Deserved an Oscar

Did you all know that the Smurfs are 50 years old? I would’ve never guessed that. I LOVED the Smurfs as a kid. It was my favorite Saturday morning cartoon. I have distinct memories of laying on the couch watching the Smurfs. The memories are so distinct, that if I closed my eyes, I could almost transport myself to those moments. Ah, memories. I bet if I tried to watch the Smurfs now, they would drive me crazy, but who knows. Maybe I will test that theory when the Smurfs3-D movie comes out next year.

So the Oscars are this weekend, and as most of you readers know, I love me some Oscars. This year, however, I am not really into the nominees. But I will tell you who I think I will win and who I want to win. Because I know everyone is chomping at the bit to know.

Best Picture: I think No Country for Old Men will win and it should. It rocked and it is a Coen Brother movie. And with the exception of that movie about killing the old black lady, and the one with George Clooney (barf) and Catherine Zeta Jones, the Coen Brothers can do no wrong. Come on, The Big Lebowski? Fargo? Raising Arizona? So awesome.

Best Actor: I think Daniel Day Lewis is supposed to win. I haven’t seen his movie (There Will Be Blood), so I don’t know if he deserves it. As long as George Clooney doesn’t win, I am a happy camper. I would like Viggo Mortinsen to win. 1. Because he’s Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. 2. Because he has the same birthday as me. 3. Because I liked Eastern Promises. And 4. Because he shows his penis in Eastern Promises. I respect any many who lets it all hang out.

Best Actress: This tough. I think Julie Christie is going to win for playing an old lady with Alzheimers who goes into a home, forgets about her husband and falls in love with someone else. It was a sad movie, but a good sad movie. I also saw the movie about French singer Edith Piaf and the woman who played her looks completely different. It was also a sad movie. And I liked Juno. I don’t know who I want.

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem will and should win for No Country for Old Men. Not just because I liked that movie, but also because he was totally psycho in it. Like, the kind of psycho that jumps off the screen and makes your skin crawl.

Best Supporting Actress: I have no real choices of who I want to win, so let me tell you who I don’t want to win. I don’t want Cate Blanchet to win. I am tired of the Cate Blanchet bandwagon. I am jumping off. Actually, I was never really on it; I mean, I think she’s a good actress, but she was never my favorite. And I don’t want Rudy Dee to win. I don’t think old people should get awards just because they are old. Call me an ageist or whatever, but I don’t think because someone is closer to death than someone else means they gave a
better performance.

Anyway, there you go. My Oscar analysis.

What's Cooking in Suzy's Kitchen

I thought I would share some of my recent culinary endeavors. If you would like recipes, please let me know.

Three-Bean Salad: It was cold and beany and pretty tasty. But I'll be honest, I don't know if I am going to make it again.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Chips: These were GOOD. Delicious, fast and most of the ingrediants are ingrediants you would already have.

Crustless Quiche: This was way more delicious than I imagined.

Bon Appetite!

Oh Lost, You Sneaky Little Show

Last night I texted Robin that it’s as if everyone on Lost has swapped personalities. Sayid is working for Ben. Hurley is tricking his friends. Sawyer is sensitive. Desmond wasn’t calling anyone brother. It was as if we were on a paralel Lost universe. Apparently one where people actually get to leave.

I always forget how much I like Sayid until I see a Sayid episode (or when he is killing people with his thigh). He is actually a lovely man. He was all concerned with giving Naomi a proper burial and what not. But then he might find her name on this mysterious list later and be all like, "Whew, one less I have to kill." And by the way, what happened to his lady, Nadia? Wasn’t he trying to get back to her?

A few comments:

> I thought that picture of Ben they showed last week looked like it wasn’t taken on the island. Sneaky guy, huh?

> I do not like Sayid’s hair straight and coiffed. It looks way better curly.

> I wonder what that guy in the beginning knew about the crash. He totally freaked when he found out Sayid was a survivor. But then Sayid did what Sayid does and we’ll never know that guy’s deal.

> I am kind of getting tired of the whole, "Oceanic Six" nickname.

> I wonder who else is going to be able to see Jacob’s Cabin? I want to see more. It creeps me out in a fun way.

I can’t wait for next week.

Dirty Dishes

I apparently have a subconscious issue with dishes. If you remember, over the weekend I had a dream that I did dishes that seemed so real that when I woke up, I was kind of pissed that I still had to do dishes.

Last night I dreamt that I had done a bunch of dishes, but then I put a dirty dish in the sink and the mess from that dish got onto ALL the clean dishes and I had re-wash them all. This time I was happy to wake up and realize I didn't have to wash any dishes.

What is my deal? I don't hate dishes. I find it an inconvience, but I do them. Sometimes I don't even mind.

Are the dishes in my dream a metaphor for something else in my life?

As my friend Laura say, "WTF? What the Fuck?"

Happy Lost Day! Oh, and I guess Happy Valentines Day too. But most importantly, Happy Lost Day.

Now I Can Get Back to What's Really Important

The Writer's Strike is over! Hooray! Hazah!

In anywhere from four to six weeks, we will be seeing new episodes of our favorite shows.

Welcome back Michael Scott and everyone from the Office. And to you to McDreamy. I've missed you Jack Doneghy and Liz Lemon.

It also means we'll get more episodes of Lost. And the Oscars! I love me some Oscars!

This almost makes up for all of the snow and wind chill and snow and wind chill. Almost.

Hazah!

Dreaming About Awake

The weirdest thing happened.

I decided to take a nap. A real nap. I went back to bed and everything. I always nap really hard when I go to bed. Anyhoo, I had woken up and made a peanut butter sandwich and washed the dishes.

But I hadn't woken up, I had dreamt all of it. It seemed so real, that when I did wake up, I was kind of annoyed it actually hadn't happened. I was hungry and I still had to do dishes. And then when I actually did do all of those things, it felt like deja vu.

Weird, huh?

A List of Things I Currently LOOOVE

Vodka gimlets - I recently read a book where the main character drank many of these. So I tried and I like.

Bones – I love my own bones, but I am actually talking about the tv show. I don't know when it is on. I have been watching it through Netflix.

Netflix – Ok, I've always loved Netflix, but I love it even more right now for bringing me Bones.

Cabbage Rolls – They are so delicious. And I don't really like cabbage, but you stuff them with delicousness and slather them in tomato sauce and they are like eating gold.

Kickboxing – Right now the class I am taking is doing a lot of routines where I can throw elbows and pretend to knife people. I get immense satisfaction from throwing my elbows and pretending to knife people. I give it my all.

Cadbury Eggs – Valentine's Day isn't until next week, but Easter candy is out now. I don't mind. I love Cadbury Eggs. They have like, 1 billion calories in each one, but I don't care, because I can throw my elbows and pretend to knife people in kickboxing class.

Bed – I love going to bed. I love reading in bed before I go to sleep. I love going back to bed to take naps on the weekend.

All the Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John – My newest favorite song. Go to my MySpace page to take a listen. I have decided that I like any song with clapping and whistling.

Reading – I am really into reading right now. I've always liked to read, but I've seriously read like, six books since the beginning of the year. Granted they are not all giant novels, some of them have been novellas and plays, but that's still a lot of reading.

And of course, last but not least, Lost – I hear there might be an end to the Writer's Strike very soon. If that's true, let's cross our fingers that maybe Lost can crank out a few more episodes for this season. In the meantime, watch it tonight.

GRRR!

As most of you know, I hate my job. It is just a way to keep me off the streets, good food in my belly, good movies in the mail, and a nice facility in which to exercise.

I hate my job for numerous reasons, but defiinitely one of the top five reasons I hate my job are the ridulous people I am forced to interact with. Apparently the new trend with these people is to wonder why I am not married. Every single person here thinks I should date an older man. One guy told me I should find a sugar daddy.

My questions is: how did my personal life become their business?

I never really talk much about my personal life at work because I don't care enough about these people to let them know about it. And to be honest, I don't want to know about their personal lives either, because people tend to give too much information.

I could have a rockin boyfriend. I could have nine rockin boyfriends. Maybe I like to have homeless men fuck me with their toes. Unless I tell them about it, why should they care.

Anyway, it's embarrasing. I am embarrased writing about it. Some people make me want to be a hermit.

But they'd probably still be wondering why I don't have a hermit husband.

The Biggest Sporting Event of the Year

You probably think I am talking about the Super Bowl, but I am talking about Puppy Bowl!

Maybe I should've said the CUTEST sporting event of the year.

I think I am hearing the world give a collective, "AWWWWW."

Holy Hurly Moly (SPOILERS)

Wow, Hurley has not fared well.

Six? Ok, so we know of three now. Who are the other three?

I did love seeing Charlie again. He's hotter as a possible non-entity. Can I just say I cried every time someone told someone else he was dead.

And I know Sawyer went through some shit at the end of last season, but he's become REALLY sensitive.

And who didn't love the, "If it's ok with you Jack, I would like to go with Locke" comment? I love Ben Linus! Like I love lamp.

I cannot wait for tomorrow when the Internet will be in high buzz about Lost. I cannot wait for next week!

Get Lost...Again

I just read that last year's season finale of Lost will be on tonight at 9 pm (ET) before this year's season premier tomorrow night. I just thought I would mention it in case anyone needed a refresher.

Oh and of course, I will be writing all about Lost on Friday and when I say all about it, I mean, ALL ABOUT IT. So if you haven't watched it, and are still planning to, don't come to my blog until after you've seen it.

I can't even tell you how excited I am about it. But I can tell you that I've heard this first episode is a Hurley episode and it is supposed to include flashbacks AND flashforwards.

I had goosebumps just writing flashforward.

Happy Losting Y'All!

Post Weekend (AKA Monday) Tidbits

I have a co-worker (well, he works out of the Atlanta office, so while he is technically a co-worker, I don't really work with him) who spells my name wrong. No one else in this office spells my name wrong. Actually, no one I make contact with in a business capacity spells my name wrong. Just this one guy. I am starting to get REALLY annoyed by it. I really want to be like, "By the way, Dave, I spell my name MegHan." But then I think, well, this isn't the first time someone has spelled my name wrong, but Jiminy Crickets, I think as someone I work with, he should know how to spell my name correctly.

This weekend while I was in Cincinnati, we tried to go to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. A piece of advice; don't try to go to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, unless you want to pretend you are 70 years old and want to do an early bird special. We were told there was a two hour wait and that we should come back after 45 minutes just to get a beeper. I had been craving cheesecake for, quite literally, months, and did not get any. It was a disappointment, but the only one of the weekend, so that's good.

I'm already tired of Monday. I'm already tired of Tuesday.

Remembering an Actor I Didn't Hate

So were you all as shocked as I was to here about Heath Ledger's death? (To clarify this, I was really shocked). It's sad. I liked Heath Ledger. I didn't love him. I always liked him in 10 Things I Hate About You and felt bad that he had to star opposite Julia Stiles, who sucks. I really liked him A Knights Tale. He made me cry like, three times in Brokeback Mountain, especially at the end...I was blubbering like a baby at the end. I've seen the preview for the new Batman movie, and Ledger looks totally freaky as the Joker.

People say he was a drug addict, they say he had pneumonia, they say he had a sleeping problem and accidentally took too many sleeping pills.

All I know is that he had a baby with Jen Lindley on Dawson's Creek. So that's really sad.

Oh yeah, he was in Casanova too. That was a pretty fun movie.

Anyway, if you get a chance watch a Heath Ledger movie.

Two Incredibly Stupid Conversations I've Heard In the Past 24 Hours

1. At a Holiday Melt Down meeting at my gym.The faciliator is talking about how cooking vegetables in the microwave isn't very healthy, that people should try to steam their vegetables.
Question #1: What about the bags of vegetables that are made to be steamed in the microwave?Faciliator: I think it's better to not cook them in the microwave.
Question #2: What about putting water in a dish with the vegetables in the microwave?Facilitator: I still don't think it's as healthy.
Question #3 (and I sweat I am not making this one up)" What if I cook them in a dish in the microwave?
Facilitator (with a subtle sigh of frustration): I don't know.

2. Last night it snowed and this is what one reporter had to say about it on the news this morning:
It snowed, it is covering the ground, which means, it is covering your car if you parked outside. You will need to clean off your car. Don't forget to do that before you drive this morning.

Socks

So earlier I was thinking about writing a blog about this pair of navy blue socks I have that never really look blue unless I am wearing black, but then I thought, what a dumb fucking blog post. Do I want people to know how lame my life really is that the only interesting thing I can write about is how hard it is to distinguish a navy blue sock from a black sock?

But then I actually looked at my socks and I realized that I am wearing one navy blue sock and one black sock. And it is pretty obvious. It also means that I wore a navy blue sock and a black sock earlier this week.

At that point, I had to write the blog, I don't even really care how lame my life sounds.

10 to 20 Degrees Below 0.

That will be the temperature on Saturday. I think I literally might shrivel up and die.

I just wanted to let you know in case you never hear from me again.

What I Could...And DO Write About

Bleh. That’s how I feel.

I really have nothing to write about because my life is boring, boring, boring.

I could write about the weather because it is supposed to be cold and colder in the next week or so. The high over the weekend is supposed to be 15 degrees. This, of course, adds to my boring life because I don’t really like to leave my warm home to do anything. I think living here could be considered masochistic, because spending any amount of time longer than a few minutes outside is torturous. I think we should make the terrorists live outside in Ohio with a kerosene or gas heater, because a heater only keeps someone 20% warmer than they would be without a heater, and really, that isn’t very much at all.

Have you guys heard of Banksy, the graffiti artist from England. I find him fascinating because no one knows who he is. He puts all of these videos on his website, but it never shows his face. I hope he stays incognito for as long as he can. It adds to his mystique. I also find him facsinating because I have studied visual rhetoric. I mean, we could all go nuts discussing something like this:



But I feel to bleh to start the conversation.

Monday Morning Tidbits

When I woke up this morning I felt as though I had slept for months. I seriously felt as though I had slept through winter because it is 57 degrees right now. It is supposed to be a record high of 62 degrees by the end of the day. Insanity, I say.

So I went and saw that movie Juno. It's about a teenage girl who gets pregnant and decides to give her baby to Jennifer Garner and Michael Bluth. It was a pretty good movie; some funny dialogue, some very moving moments. But I am not going bananas about it like some people..

But I will tell you what, or actually, who I am going bananas for: Michael Cera, aka George Michael Bluth (yes, both Bluth men were in the movie). You see, I always loved Michael Cera on Arrested Development. George Michael was one of my top three favorite characters. And then over the summer I saw Superbad and I loved Michael Cera even more.

But Juno has pushed me over the edge for Michael Cera. He was the sweetest thing about Juno. His puppy dog eyes warm my heart.

Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful weekend. Ran some errands, went to the gym, etc. Yesterday was Liam's second birthday party. The kid loves trains. He says the word trains, but it sounds like, "TWAAAIIINS." And then last night I had a dream that I saw a jogger run in front of a train and it took off his hand. It's weird that it was just his hand. And he was bleeding blue. Anyhoo, this is just further evidence that jogging is dangerous. Please, if you love your hands, don't run for health benefits.

I Got a Sausage on My Back

It is currently 13 degrees. If your keeping track, that is considered cold. Early next week it is going to be in the 50's. Then it will go back down to the 20's. Weather is so weird. I will probably get sick. But I guess that's next week's problem. Today I am healthy.

I keep thinking I would like to try be vegetarian.. Vegetables look so good, and I love nice, cooked, soft vegetables. I've thought, maybe if I eat lighter, I'll feel lighter. But then I think about how much I like sausage. Sausage is so good. In my opinion it is a superior breakfast meat to bacon. But I don't mind bacon either.

I also really like a great cheeseburger every once in a while. I also really like a nicely cooked steak.

So, I don't think I can really become a vegetarian. But I think I will eat more vegetables. And hummus. I currently really like hummus. And maybe some rice.

And maybe some sausage right on top like a cherry.

My Body, Your Body, Any Body

Today, my dad and I went to Detroit to see Our Body: The Universe Within. It was pretty fascinating. I will admit, when I first got in there, I was a little grossed out. But eventually I was able to look past the obvious grossness and think about the fact that I was seeing what I, essentially, look like on the inside. I think that eventually classrooms will have tools like these. It gives you a newfound appreciation for what your body can do. It looks delicate and tough all at the same time. I urge everyone, if they get the chance, to check this out.

After the exhibit, my dad took me to a Coney Island for chili dogs. Not just any Coney Island, mind you, but the one my parents went to when they were young and still in love. It was right across the street from the hotel they worked at when they both met. The hotel isn't there anymore, but the Coney Island remains. It was a pretty good chili dog too. And some good fries.

Tomorrow, I am off the shop a little. Have to exchange some Christmas gifts, have to get some Christmas gifts. I also have to find a birthday gift for my nephew. I've already found my dad a birthday gift. Christmas ends...so should the present buying. But for me it doesn't end until February.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's.

Everybody's Working for the Weekend…

...Or at least I am. Even after a short week, I can't wait for this Friday to come to an end.

Have a good last weekend of 2007 y'all!

Lost Starts January 31...Here's a Preview

On the First Day of Christmas

1. I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

On the Second Day of Christmas

1. I don't mind the commercialism of Christmas. I just wish it didn't start so early every year.
2. I collect Santas, right? I've never bought myself one. They have all been gifts or hand me downs.

On the Third Day of Christmas

Three Christmas Factoids:

1. When I was 13, I had a really bad stomach flu on Christmas. Nobody could come over for fear of getting sick. I felt like I had cancelled Christmas.
2. I was always nervous to sit on Santa's lap. And after seeing "Bad Santa," I think I had a reason to be.
3. We never made Christmas cookies. We made apple bread, but not cookies.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

1. I gave my nephew Logan a goldfish for Christmas once. The fish was an 80 cent feeder, but Logan loved him. Logan's eyes were huge when he realized what it was and said, "This is mine?" He named the fish Dorothy.
2. The Christmas dance at my high school was both a formal dance and a Sadie Hawkins dance.
3. I was obsessed with the movie, "White Christmas" as a kid. I watched it over and over again. I would sing, "Lord help the mister, who comes between me and my sister and Lord help the sister, who comes between me and my man," over and over again.
4. I was afraid to stop believing in Santa because I was afraid I wouldn't get as many gifts.

One the Fifth Day of Christmas...

Five more factoids...

1. Growing up, we always put our Christmas tree up the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was the first time we listened to Christmas music and we always drank egg nog.
2. I hate egg nog.
3. My favorite Christmas carols are "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "I'll be Home for Christmas," two of the most depressing carols ever.
4. My mom put all of our homeade ornaments on our tree for years and years. And then she threw them away.
5. A couple of years ago, my brother made tsiziki sauce for Christmas Eve and we dipped everything (like pizza rolls and mozzerella sticks) in it. Everything is good in tsiziki, except shrimp.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

I give you six Christmas factoids about me:

1. When I think of Ebenezer Scrooge, I think of Donald Duck's uncle.
2. I was the opposite of most children on Christmas mornings. I slept late. One Christmas I remember my father waking me up and asking if I wanted to open presents.
3. My favorite part of the Christmas tree as a kid were the real candy canes my mom put on.
4. My mom never puts my name on gifts. They are to "Marie" or "Matilda" or "Maribeth" or something with an M. She started it when I was little so I wouldn't know what presents were mine, and it has stuck.
5. I watch "A Christmas Story" once during the 24 hour period it plays on Christmas on TBS.
6. I prefer green Christmas's to white.

Only Tuesday

Something interesting happened today.

If you remember, some time ago I had an interview for a job that was in downtown Toledo. I found out a couple of weeks ago that I didn't get the job.I wasn't heartbroken; it didn't really want to pay me as much as I wanted and it is in Toledo, which is not all that desirable to me.

There was an ad in the paper for a Marketing Coordinator over the weekend, so I sent my resume to the email address it listed. They called today and they are actually a staffing service looking for a Marketing Coordinator for one of their clients. Guess who their client is? Yes, it is the same people with whom I had an interview with in downtown Toledo. I told the women that I had already interviewed there, and so I probably am not a good fit for their company. When the other staffing company told me that I hadn't got the job, they told me the job had definitely gone to someone else.

Wouldn't it be funny if they kept advertising the job and I kept calling about it? Maybe they would eventually break down, hire me and give me the money I want.

###

Yesterday I was reading an article talking about the best and worst celebrities at signing autographs. Guess who was the number one worst autograph giver?
No.

No.

No.

I am just going to tell you, because you probably won't guess right.
It's Will Ferrell. Can you believe it? And apparently, he doesn't just rudely turn people down, he makes fun of them. This article kind of makes him sound like a dick.
I mean, I love Will Ferrell, I watch and enjoy ALL his movies. But, I don't think he needs to be such an asshole. I always pictured him as a super-nice guy. I've been feeling like I felt when I found out there was no Santa; as though my whole life has been a lie.

Life can be so cruel sometimes.

Winter Wonderland?

It is a glisteny, crispy day in Toledo.

The snow didn't seem so bad last night, but around midnight, the freezing rain freed itself, quite loudly. And then I went to bed. When I woke up, snow was falling. Snow, had fallen...around 3 inches. And then it fell until about 2 this afternoon. I bet there is the minimum 8" they predicted. Much better than the 10" to 12" maxiumum that was the heavy prediction.

Thank God Ashley changed her flight from today to yesterday. Thank God the new Subaru has all wheel drive. But I'll be honest, I am a yellow belly in the snow, all wheel drive or not, I wasn't going out today.

It made it kind of a stir crazy day though. I eventually busted out a bottle of wine. Well, I had to celebrate a new car, didn't I? If it wasnt' so cold, I would've busted the bottle against the car, like a christening or whatever.

Thankfully in my stir crazy snow day I've had some good movies. I've watched The Darwin Awards (not bad), The Nanny Diaries (better than I thought) Live Free or Die Hard (I hate Bruce Willis, but if you've seen the first three, you almost have the see the fourth and it's not bad, not bad at all) and the finale will be The Bourne Ultimatum.

Ahh, a snow, day, coming to an end.

Holy Shizer

I bought a car.

And It's Only Wednesday

I am under no obligation to buy my bosses Christmas gifts. But once you start, how do you stop? Thankfully, I never have to deal with it. Someone else in the office comes up with the idea and asks everyone if they would like to contribute and I do. It's not going to kill me and I don't mind doing reasonable things as long as they don't kill me.

This week is going soooo slooooow. I wonder if every week until Christmas will be slow. Well, I guess it's actually just the rest of this week and next week. But still, that is a long time. But I have gotten ahead. Presents bought? Check. Cards in the mail? Check. Presents wrapped? Check. Now all I have to do is clean my house for Christmas Eve and make some food, but that actually doesn't have to be done until right before Christmas Eve, so I have plenty of time to procrastinate until the last minute.

One thing I do hate about working in an office at Christmastime is the abundance of food. We get tins and tins of candy and cookies and I have no willpower. I eat it all day long. Or, some days I will decide not to eat it, I will decide to stay strong, and I do, until about 2 pm. Then I feel so hungry and I think, just a little piece of chocolate will tide me over. Just writing about it makes me think about it and want a piece… NO NO NO. Today is the day that I go through the whole day without one piece of candy.

ICE!

Today I got to use my heated ice scraper for the first time. I don't know if that is such a good thing. But I am not a frozen block of ice…yet. Tomorrow, the next day or the next day could be a totally different story. If nasty weather is starting this early in the season, I am going to be severely irritated by spring.

That is all I am going to write today. Everything else is also annoying me, and I don't want to drag you all down with me.

Stay positive and stay strong everyone, and if you want a good laugh, check out the video below.

If You Want to See Me Snowboard

Not Quite Christmas Tid Bits

You know, I do like Christmas. I like the carols and the cookies and the lights. I like my family traditions and although it is a lot of work to put up and decorate, I like my Christmas tree.

But I don't really like leaving my house for Christmas. There are just more people everywhere. Even grocery shopping sucks. And I never really liked grocery shopping to begin with.

I did leave my house yesterday to go to World Market in Ann Arbor to do some Christmas shopping. I'll be honest with you. I spent $65 and I only bought one gift. But I needed a new backscratcher. And I wanted one of those cool wine bottle openers like Murph's. And one can never have too many bottles of wine. And who doesn't want to try Butter Fudge (it wasn't that great though).

Well, I guess, Merry Christmas to me.

Trying to Learn a New Trick

I've never been a bargainer. I'm not sure if it is a part of my wiring. I don't go to flea markets and I am a little nervous to buy a new car.

But I decided to try a little bargaining.

I was recently head-hunted for a position here in Toledo. It would be a pretty interesting job, but they didn't want to pay me as much as I am making now. I don't want to stay in Toledo for less than I make now. That's plum crazy considering I'm not all that into the Glass City. But I decided to do the interview anyway because interview experience is always good.

When the headhunter called today to ask how it went and what my interest level in the job is, I explained, I don't know if I would want to settle in Toledo for less than what I am currently making and I do have a Master's degree that should be accounted for. And the say, "if the company comes back with a counter offer of $X, would you consider taking the position?" And I said yes. Wouldn't it be crazy if I got the money I wanted and a cool job?

I also have a phone interview later today for a job near Columbus. That I would probably take for less money than I making now (not a lot less, I'm no fool) because I would be able to relocate and start fresh.

Most likely, everything will blow up in my face and I won't get either job. That's cool though, I still have a job and I can save for possibilities I have brewing on the backburner.

Without Further Ado

My Thanksgiving dinner:

And for an added bonus, a weird picture of my nephews and niece:

The blur of hand in the middle really freaks me out.

Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday weekend.

This and That - Monday Edition

I broke down this weekend and turned on my heat. I had forgotten how nice being warm can feel. I am done freezing my ass for the season. I keep it really low, but bask in the warmth when the furnace goes off.

Thanksgiving is practically upon us. I think I might've looked forward to Thanksgiving last year, but this year I'm just not into it. I've been eating like shit ever since I got back from San Francisco and a holiday, in which the whole point is to eat, is not really what I need right now. But, Grey's Anatomy is supposed to be "shocking," so maybe I will burn some calories being tense about what is going to happen. And then of course I can burn calories laughing through 30 Rock and Scrubs. But not the Office, because their new episodes are done. I guess their writers started striking early.

I had a dream last night that my best from high school told me she knows and goes to dinner with Clive Owen. But, she said, "He's always on hallucinogenics." If this were to be true, I think I would love Clive even more.

My goal for the day is to stay awake during Heroes. Wish me luck.

What I am Doing at This Very Minute

So, I am still at work right now. At 6:21 pm on a Wednesday. I am here because we are having an open house and for the first hour of it, it has been kind of a bust. I didn’t really have an opinion on an open house; having one wouldn’t be a bad idea, but I wasn’t going to jump for joy at it either. So here I sit with the vice-president of operations and the retail guy and we aren’t really talking to each other.

I’m not really worried about it; I am 99.8% sure my job isn’t riding on the success of this event, but I don’t want to have to deal with aftermath of it. I don’t want to have to discuss what we could’ve done differently and blah, blah, blah.

I mean maybe in 45 minutes there will be a stampede of people wanting to come in.

But in the meantime, I am going to go help myself to some more havarti cheese. It’s good.

My Super Power is Sleeping

Early Monday morning, around 2:30, I woke up to the sounds of a car window breaking and I flew to my window to see what car window was breaking. I couldn't really see my car, but I did see three people who looked liked they were up to no good. I watched them and they were fighting and someone was having to hold someone back and then I heard this guy yell, "I hate you Eric," and it sounded like he was crying too.

I started thinking I should call the police, but then I got kind of nervous because my light was on and if they were crazy people and the cops came and the peopel in my parking lot remembered my light being on, maybe they would put two and two together, and come back for revenge.
Finally they came into my building and I watched them through my peep hole and from what I understand, one guy was SUPER drunk and had lost it and broke his own car window.

An hour later, when I was still awake, I wondered if maybe I should've called the police anyway. Just because they live in my building and eventually quieted down doesn't mean some serious shit can't go down. I just hoped I didn't find a dead body in the lawn when I left for work. Because then I would have to tell police that I had heard some stuff in the parking lot and the would be like, "Why didn't you call the police?" I didn't want to deal with that. Fortunately, no dead body.

And because of the above fracas, it was the second Sunday in a row that I didn't get very much sleep, making it the second Monday in a row that I slept through some of Heroes. And last night I really slept through Heroes, which pisses me off. It seemed like a really good episode and I tried; I would wake up, and tell myself I must watch, only to wake up 10 minutes later.

But the few things I did observe and think:

I still hate the Mexican twins, I don't care what their backstory is. Take your black, oily tears back to where you came from.

What is the deal with the blonde girl? She is also really annoying. I hope she dies.

And what is Nicki's power? I don't think a mental disease counts as one.

Movies and More

I watched Sicko, the latest Michael Moore documentary, over the weekend. I was hesitant to watch it because I hate the health care system. I think it actually strips people of their basic human right to get well. I think it is a scam. I think they are criminals. And Sicko pretty much agrees with me, except it displays those feelings in a much more entertaining way.

You know, so many people don't like Michael Moore and some people love him. I don't really have a strong opinion either way, but you have to admit, he knows how to make a great documentary that are always sad and always very funny. And no one is better at finding quotes and sound bites that people wish never existed (my favorite example is when a woman tells George W. Bush that she has to work three jobs to get by, he replies with,"Well, that's uniquely American, good for you.").

Anyhoo, it was a pretty good watch. Way better than Ratatouille, whichI also watched this weekend. My god that movie was sooooo boring.

And I had an awesome, awesome sushi dinner. Thinking about it now is actually making my mouth water now.

Have a good Monday everyone.

Road Rage in the Morning

I am an aggressive driver and I fully admit to having issues with road rage (although I have been working on this and I have gotten better, not perfect, mind you, but better), but I never really drive aggressively in the morning. I guess when I am going to work, it is just to early to care; I'm still 1/4 asleep anyway, and if I am running a little late (which as an extremely punctual person, rarely happens anyway) then I run a little late.

This morning I shared the road with a car that was full of piss andvinegar at 6:50 am. I turned down a road that has a short segmentbefore the next light, so short that you can't really accelerate too much, because you have to immediately put the brakes on for the red light, that you clearly see as soon as you turn on the road. This car behind me, the one full of piss and vinegar, a red Pontiac, he passed me on this short segment of a road, he was in a hurry I guess. But passing me did not help him at all.

He was stopped by the red light. And then we all ended up behind a very slow driver. And then another red light.

You see, this is why I have been working on aggressive driving and road rage. I saw other people acting like me and they look stupid.Which means I look stupid when I let my issues with the road get the better of me.

And who wants to look stupid?

No Hero Worhsip for Him

I am going to start a club called,

I hate Mohinder Suresh.

Seriously, what an effing pansy. I would rather keep the weird Mexican girl who cries black.

This Blog is Dedicated to How Tired I Am

It was bound to happen. All last week I couldn't NOT sleep. I took naps and went to bed early. I could barely keep my eyes open at certain points during the day. Yesterday I took three naps. I guess I must've slept as much as body would let me because last night I barely slept at all. I hope the same doesn't happen again tonight. I enjoy sleep. I need sleep.

I hung out with Mike and Sara this weekend and they kindly gave me a gift card to National Amusement Theaters. Usually we just get each other six packs of good beer for birthdays, so this was quite unexpected. I will have to step it up next year. Mike and Sara are also currently at the top of my favorite people list because they watch and love Pushing Daisies as much as I do.

Well, it's another Monday. I hope everyone enjoys the early sunrise and sunset.

My Body's Tired and Sore

I don't know why, but I have been so tired this week. I come home and take a nap and then I still go to bed early. I think it is because the time is changing later than usual and my body is wondering what happened to the extra hour I usually have by now.

A month ago or so, Ashley asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I suggested a yoga DVD. To be fair, she did ask me if I had any DVD in particular in mind, but I said no. I thought, I only have one and there are thousands of different DVDs out there.

Hilariously enough, of all those thousands of yoga DVDs out there, she managed to get me the one I have. It was cool though, she's a smart cookie, she got a gift receipt. I exchanged. Everything worked out in the end.

I did said yoga DVD the other night and holy shizer…it was HARD. I mean, I could do all poses, they were just done at such speed that I was sweating and panting like I was a doing kickboxing class. And I am still sore. Yesterday I could barely lift my arms above my head.

Maybe I am a masochist, but I like that kind of pain. It reminds that I did something good for my body, that I should do it more often.

Have a good weekend y'all.

My Time in Alcatraz: A Photo Essay

A view of the island on the way in:

The third place new inmates are sent (after receiving and getting new clothes):

SOLITARY:

The Yard (kind of small, n'est pas?):

A view of San Francisco from Alcatraz:

The "Escape from Alcatraz" heads (pretty much the only reason I went to Alcatraz). If you look very close at the bottom left corner, under the sink, you'll see the hole this inmate dug with a spoon to escape:

An up close of a creepy head. It's made with real hair they stole from the prizon barbershop:

A view of the Golden Gate from Alcatraz:

Celebrating My 30 Years On Earth The Best Way I Could Think Of

My day in Napa Valley was awesome, not just because I enjoy wine, which I of course do. And not just because it was gorgeous, which it was. It was awesome because it was my birthday. I implore you all to visit Napa on a birthday or be with someone on their birthday. It provides a lot of bonuses, that much is for sure.

I had recently been in the mood for champagne, but you can't really just buy a bottle and leisurely sip out of it. But in Napa Valley, I was able to have some tastes of champagne (oh, excuse me, it has to be called sparkling wine in Napa because it isn't Champagne, France).
At the next winery, I tasted a delicious buttery chardonnay and totally got a bottle to bring home. I also got to have my tasting for free.

Then it was on to the Robert Mondavi winery for a tour. It was gorgeous there. Behind the vines were mountains. The tour was great. I learned that the wine country of Northern California began when Spanish missionaries grew grapes in order to make communion wine. I was also able to run out in the vineyard and eat the grapes. They were much, much sweeter than I thought they would be. I had a cabernet grape, a merlot grape, a pinot grape and a chardonnay grape. I saw the big vats and barrels the grapes and then eventual wine is put into.
Our tasting was of three of their reserve (i.e. super fancy wines) and when they heard it was my birthday, the tour guide opened another bottle for more tasting. And then everyone told me happy birthday. (Here's a fun fact; there were two couples in my group who were also named McGuire; one was spelled the correct way (McGuire) and one was spelled the wrong, Tom Cruise way (Maguire). And then we all ended up sitting in a row during the tasting).
By this time, I was pretty tipsy, but we stopped at another winery, where I not only received another free tasting, my friend's tasting fee was super cheap. This is where I got a bottle of red (Cabernet Sauvignion) to go with my white..

At this point, after a ton of wine and really, only lime tortilla chips to eat, I was starving. So we went to dinner. And shared a bottle of Chianti. I had never had Chianti before. After our large dinner, my friend kept saying we should get a dessert. When it came, it had a candle in it, and I guess, after so much wine, I wasn't really thinking much about it, and then I was told to listen and the singer in the corner was quietly singing, "Happy Birthday."
After dinner I felt sick from wine and food and pretty much spent the rest of the evening laying very still.

Happy Birthday to me.

My Uneventful Escape from Alcatraz and How I Lost $11 Worth of Salt Water Taffy

I have returned from SF/Napa Valley. It was honestly the coolest trip I have ever taken and the absolute best way to spend my 30th birthday.

The trip began slightly marred because my head got really plugged up and I could not get my right ear to pop, so while I thought I was shouting, everyone else heard it as slightly above a whisper.

Anyhoo, I made it to Alcatraz, which after all the carrying on I did, people probably thought it was the whole reason I went. It was a beautiful day for a ferry ride to prison. The Alcatraz tour was really cool. It was self-guided so you went at your own pace. I saw the heads that the famous escapees made to fool the guards. I saw solitary confinement. It made me really glad to never be in prison. Living day to day there was torture. They could hear freedom wafting across the bay from SF. Many people's families were told that they were dead. It made me feel a little sorry for them. Until I was riding the ferry back and I realized, they were criminals. They deserved to be in jail. But I liked hearing about it and thought it was interesting all the same.

Then I walked Pier 39. I saw seals. And I bought a clam that was cracked and had a pearl in it. I had the best crab cakes of my life and some clam chowder. And I ended buying a lot of salt water taffy to bring home to my nephews.

My friend, Jen and I found a tour that was on an old trolley car. It took us throughout the city. We saw all the different neighborhoods and the guy pointed out all the different architecture. We saw the Golden Gate up close (fortunately, no one jumped while I was there). We drove through Chinatown and their Little Mexico district. And when the tour was over, when it was dark and raining, the tour guide drove us back to our hotel so we didn't have to fight for a cab. While waiting for the concierge to bring us our bags, I used the restroom. And left my bag of salt water taffy on the back of the toilet. And remembered only when we were on the middle of the Bay Bridge on our way to Oakland. Needless to say, no one got any salt water taffy, not even me.

But honestly, I am not ruining the end of my tale by saying that was the worst thing that happened during my trip. And that wasn't that bad at all.

Return tomorrow (or in a couple of days) when I continue with my actual birthday in the Napa Valley.

Final Thoughts...for a week or so

Tomorrow I am off for my big 30th birthday celebration (I have decided that if I keep saying or writing 30, I might get used to it) and I am getting excited. I will feel better when I am sitting in the terminal. I will feel really good when I am in San Francisco with my bags.

So... a mindless tidbit to get you through:

Have any of you seen "Pushing Daisies?" CUTEST show ever. I just smile through the whole thing. Yeah, it's a little cheesy, but not annoying cheesy, sweet cheesy. And every week there is an interesting murder mystery.

And the lead character is a pie maker, so there are always delicious looking pies on the show. Tonight there was an apple and cheese pie. Even though I am stuffed to the gills with Italian food, the show makes me want an apple and cheese pie.

Ok, I am over and out. Have a good week y'all.

An Early Birthday Celebration

Today I celebrated my birthday with my family because I won't be in town for my actual birthday (a week from today if you're counting). I received some sweet cash for my big trip (see previous post for details), a grabber (which is a story all on it's own for perhaps a later post) and a couple of beautiful homeade cards from my nephews.

Of course when Jack and Logan are around, life is much funnier than normal. Like at one point, the boys, my mom and dad and I are in my mom's room. We don't hang out in the living room like, what I would gather normal families do. The boys wrestle and we wonder who's farting. Until one boy starts kneeing the other one in the head and then all the fun has to go and it gets serious.

And then towards the end of the evening, Logan asks if we can light the candles and enjoy some peace and serenity. I love that an eight year old wants to experience that. So they light a bunch of candle and we all end up (finally) in the living room, all the lights off, enjoying peace and serenity.

Until one boy starts kneeing the other one in the head and all peace and serenity flies out the window.

A City That Unifies

As most of you know, I am going to San Francisco and the Napa Valley next week (Weird! I can't believe I am going next week). San Francisco is a place that everyone loves. It is evident when everyone tells me something I need to do. Among the suggestions are:

>Alcatraz

>The Presidio

>Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge

>Take a bus tour to the four highest points in the city

>The seals

>The biggest Gap ever where clothes are cheaper than any other Gap (Gap was established there in 1969. Read the button of your Gap jeans people!).


I love all the suggestions. And if I had more time, I would still not do them all. But I am definitely going to Alcatraz. I'll probably see some seals (they run wild there, right?). I wouldn't mind going to the Gap, but I probably shouldn't buy a bunch of new clothes (unless I end up spilling some red wine all over the clothes I have and must replace them).


I am also going to eat some ever-lovin super fresh seafood.


And maybe try to score some drugs from the homeless kids the hippies want to kick out of Haight/Ashbury.

It's gonna be GREAT!

When Seredipity Strikes...

...you can't run and you can't hide.

Check this out:

This evening at the grocery store, I saw an aisle that was empty and decided to go down it so that I could get to the other side and it ended up being the light bulb aisle, which I never go down unless I need light bulbs, which I didn't need (or at least I didn't think I needed). But I saw those compact fluorescent light bulbs, those kind that are good for saving energy and money, so I thought, "What the hey" and I bought some to have some spare light bulbs.

After I get home and put away my groceries, I make my way to the living room and turn on my lamp, and boom, the bulb goes out.

ISN'T THAT INSANE?!?!!? I mean, I got the bulbs just in case and then I needed them.

You can't question serendipity, you just gotta go with it.

Oh God, How I Love Will Ferrell

Dreams....or NIGHTMARES?

Every once in a while, since I graduated with my Masters degree, I have a dream that I need to pass an Economics test to graduate and I haven't been to the class all semester.

It' a weird dream to have, after the fact. It's like I am afraid they are going to take my degree away from me.

If you also recall, I sometimes dream about Ralph Fiennes (it's not romantic, he's my friend in the dreams). I dreamt about him again the other night after a long time without dreaming of him. In this dream we went up to a snack bar at a pool and I ordered a beer and he was with me and said, "You'll like that one, it's like Miller Light."

Dreams are so weird.

Pens in Restaurants

I saw a super awesome movie last night. It was called Once, and it took place in Dublin and there was music and a sweet love story, but not like cheesy, and basically I recommend it to everyone.



After the movie, Jen A. and I went to the Brewhouse for some brews and loaded fries and at the end of the night, the bartender brings the receipts and some pens to sign said receipts. I don't know what happened, but I grabbed a pen and it flew through my fingers and back behind the bar and I think it might've landed behind something inconvenient. And I was embarrassed, but not as embarrassed as when the bartender comes over and says, "Was there another pen? Did I see it fall behind something back here?" Man, I was totally called out and totally apologized, but I don't think it mattered.



It reminded me of a time (and I think Laura was there) at Jeds and the waitress had a green pen that had green ink and I switched my similar looking green pen that had black ink with the green inked pen and the waitress was like, "Is that my pen?" What is it with me and pens and restaurants? It's a compulsion, a sickness perhaps. I don't know.

Should've Trusted My Gut

I said I wouldn't do it. But then I went out to dinner with my friend Molly and had a couple of margaritas and well, my good sense was down I guess.


I watched the Addison show (Private Practice).


And I know I am probably going to be in the minority, but this show sucks. I knew what was going to happen way before it happened.


And didn't another woman play her black best friend before?


And this Addison is not the Addison from Grey's Anatomy. She's too insecure and neurotic.


I am never going to drink margaritas on Wednesday again. It only leads to crappy television.

Tuesday Tidbits

The other day I was at a bar with Ashley and this guy starts talking to us. Him and Ashley talk and talk and talk about planes. And the first question he asks me is if I have kids. What is up with that? I mean, is it just me, or does that sound like a totally weird question to ask? He didn't even ask me if I was married or had a boyfriend first. That question came after the kids question. And it has actually bothered me a lot. And I think it has bothered probably more than it should, but let's face it, I am kind of neurotic. I mean, I can't be perfect all the time.

And here's a reminder (not that any of you faithful readers need one) The Office starts THIS Thursday at 9 pm Eastern time. Be there or be square. I watched some preview scenes on nbc.com and it looks pretty funny.

The Office coming back has made me realize that summer went by really fast. And it still feels like summer. It's been so warm I hadn't thought to even notice the leaves changing, but they are. I think today is the last war day though. But who knows, it could be super warm again in October and again November. Nature and weather are weird.

Jimmy Johns and Me: A Perfect Family

I had a beach club today for the first time in...well, I don't know. I can't even remember the last time I ate Jimmy John's, but it doesn't matter. Because it still tasted really good.

I am sad that it is Sunday evening already and the weekend is coming to an end. I hate Monday through Friday.

But I do have Clive Owen in Gosford Park to make the evening more bearable.

I love Clive Owen.

There's An Awards Show On...Yay

Ok, so we all know I love award shows and tonight is a good one. It's the Emmy's which are the tv award and we all love tv right?

Well good news so far...Locke won!!!! I thought that dude from The Sopranos was going to win, but it was Locke...hooray.

Izzie from Grey's Anatomy won. I was never a huge Izzie fan, but I like her with George. And I thought Knocked Up was super funny.

Yay, Conan O'Brien won. I like his show and I am excited for when he takes over for Jay Leno.

Anchorman is on! Not that that is
Emmy related, but I like having something fun to watch when the Emmy's get boring.

"LOUD NOISES"

"That's baby making music, that's what that is."

Ari from Entourage wins. Laura tells me that I am going to grow to like Ari, but I would've rather seen Drama win.

Ryan Seacrest is such s douchebag.

Alec Baldwin didn't win. What the...?!?!?!

30 Rock won! 30 Rock won!

Good night everyone, stay classy world.

The Baboon Knee

So my mom is now kind of like the bionic woman with her fake knee. She didn't seem bionic though, she just seemed really, really high. She starts her physical therapy tomorrow. They don't fuck around. They rip your leg in half and a day later they are like, "WALK!"

Anyhoo, I was in Atlanta for about 27 hours. I saw the CNN center. I also saw a Chinese guy smoking in the convention center. It was hot. Supposedly I was from Chattanooga, OK, but that's another story for another time, which is probably never.

Ah, it feels like fall. I was sad to see summer go, but apparently it is going to be back in the 80's next week. Hooray for global warming.

Let the Season of all Things Pumpkin Begin

Headstands and Bandstands

Yesterday I was at yoga and you want to know something? I am much closer to doing a handstand than I thought. I am going to practice and maybe in a few months I will be able to do it and totally impress everyone!



I thought I would shuffle through my iPod shuffle and bring you 10 songs again. I thought it would be funny if they were the same 10 songs from last week, but they're not.

1. Summer Time by Sublime.

2. One by U2.

3. Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie.

4. Under the Blacklight by Rilo Kiley.

5. Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson

6. Be Your Love by Rachel Yamamgata

7. Cos it Already Is by Pete Yorn

8. I've Seen it All by Feist

9. Hard Knock Like by the little girl who played Annie in the movie Annie

10. It Ain't Me Babe by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Johnny Cash and June Carter.



Have a good weekend y'all.

Tired Just Thinking About It

I am already looking forward to next weekend. No, not this coming weekend, the weekend after. I have a really crazy 10 days or so coming up. First of all, I have a bridal shower on Friday. I am really only going to know the bride at this one, so I'll be that awkward, odd-person out. But they are serving wine, so that's something.


On Saturday is the Black Swamp Festival. I might look more forward to this if I lived there and could walk, but I don't live there and I have to drive and well, I might back out this one.


Monday and Tuesday I will be in Atlanta for the National Glass Show. I am really not looking forward to this. It was sprung on me and I feel as though I was kind of guilted into going. And I have to be on a 6:30 am flight Monday morning. But I did get some new clothes, so at least I will look good.


And finally, on Wednesday, my mom has her knee replacement surgery. It should be no big deal, but the last time she had surgery that wasn't any big deal, she had complications and got seriously sick. So as you might've guessed, I am a little nervous.


I am already tired.

Let's Start the Weekend Off With a Bang

Here's a fun game that gets to know me a little better.

I turned on my iPod and the following are the ten songs that played.

1. "Let Go" by Frou Frou. Dumb band name, good song.
2. "I Try" by Macy Gray. This song makes me think of my Spring Break in New Orleans.
3. "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheaton. I always thought this song was sung by a girl, but then I actually listened to the words and I think it is sung by a guy with a high pitch voice.
4. "Breathe" by Sia. Very dramatic.
5. "Neon Bible" by Arcade Fire. This whole album is also very dramatic.
6. "Song 2" by Blur. Fast.
7. "Song for Karen" by Sonic Youth. A punk rock song about Karen Carpenter
8. "Sissyneck" by Beck. My most favorite Beck song. "I got a stolen wife and a rhinestone life and some good old boys."
9. "Where is my Mind" by The Pixies. Just plain good.
10. "Runnin Down a Dream" by Tom Petty. What list is complete without Tom Petty.

Have a good weekend y'all.

I am Glad This Fad Did Not Last

Just Try to Remember That You are Really, Really Good Looking, Hansel

This morning I read that Owen Wilson had been in an accident and was hospitalized. I clicked on the story thinking that he had been in a car accident. I was not prepared for the fact that it was supposedly a suicide attempt. I was really shocked. I mean, really shocked.

I guess it was weird because just last week I came across an article about this couple. She was a writer and had developed video games for girls in the 1990’s and he was an artist who had designed some album covers for Beck. In early July he had come home to find her dead. She had killed herself with Tylenol PM’s and Bourbon. A week later he drowned himself.

Suicide, in addition to being tragic and devastating, is really weird. I mean, all of these people were successful; how could their lives be so bad that they would want to end them. But how could anyone’s lives be so bad they would want to end them? How did killing oneself become an actual option?

Life is weird, I guess. But I am still living, and that’s apparently something.

The Reader I Am

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Book Snob
Dedicated Reader
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

A Self-Portrait...

of Jack and me on the occasion of his sixth birthday party.

Priceless

Have you seen the Mastercard commercial where the little boys are wearing backpacks and dancing to "We've got the funk?"

I love it. It makes me giggle every time I see it.

Small Stuff

I've discovered that it is not just midget and dwarf people that weird me out a little, it is midget and dwarf grapes also. They are tart and gross, just like midget and dwarf people.

Just kidding. I actually don't know if midget and dwarf people are tart and gross. They might be sweet and clean for all I know.

I also don't like dwarf or midget cars because they make me think there is an open parking space and there isn't. It makes me want to kick them, just like midget and dwarf people.

Just kidding, I wouldn't kick a midget or dwarf person. To be honest, I probably wouldn't get close enough to kick them.

Suzy at One With Nature

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I discovered a really awesome bike train this summer. It's not just long and flat; it has some hills and dips and curves. It gets me really close to nature. On Sunday I rode my bike with a butterfly by my side for some of the ride. He was my friend.

I also see lots of deer. They are really skinny. I saw a really, really skinny one yesterday. I bet Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows was thicker than this deer. And after seeing all these deer, I don't understand why hunters actually have to hunt. I mean, come on, they're just running in front of me. I could totally shoot one if I had or gun, or really wanted to.

And this bike trail connects and interlaces with horse trails. Yesterday, I was just riding along, minding my own business and I perpendicularly passed a horse and it's rider. I guess I kind of spooked the horse because it looked as though the rider had to work to control it. What the heck? You would think these horses would be used to bike riders. Anyhoo, to make a long story short, I almost saw a horse kill a person yesterday.

This is why I don't like horses, they are killers.

Tidbits to Get You Through the Weekend

"To alcohol, the cause and solution of all life's problems." - Homer Simpson.

I just thought I would start my blog with one of my favorite Simpsons quotes because the Simpsons movie comes out today. Did you know that they turned some 7-11's into Kwik-E Marts. I totally would've gone to one but the closest one to this area is Chicago. And I don't like the Simpsons enough to travel to Chicago to go to a Kwik-E mart.

This weekend I am going to Ann Arbor to go to World Market. I love World Market. It's so exotic and international. I am going to get coffee beans! Hooray for beans.

In other news, I got a new phone. My old phone broke in half while I was trying to make a phone call. So I got one of those LG's that plays music. My niece says it looks like an iPod. Anyhoo, it has all of these features...music, television...and I probably won't use any of them. Well maybe I will. I should never say never. But it just seems complicated. Actually, it's probably not complicated, I am probably just lazy. And I tell you, I've been really lazy lately.

Oh, oh, oh, I have to tell you all this. Last night I was at the grocery store and you want to know what I saw...Alouette Light. So of course I had to buy it and try it out. And it tasted just like the regular. There really isn't much difference in calorie count; 50 vs. 80, but it's one of those things where if you are counting calories, every bit helps right?

Alright. I want everyone to have a nice weekend. And just think a week from this weekend, three of us will be seeing each again! Yay.

I am going to talk about Harry Potter...READ at YOUR own RISK!

I was really, really sad when I read the last page. It all of a sudden occured to me, there was nothing to look forward to now (in terms of Harry Potter, not my life).

I want to start with the few things I didn't like. And by no means did the following ruin the book for me; I was just like, whatever.

1. The scene at the end where Dumbledore explains everything to Harry. I guess we needed it, but it seemed sooo heavy handed.
2. Uh, why didn't Harry, Ron, Ginny, or Hermione name their kid Fred?
3. Speaking of Fred...I was not expecting all the death. Mad Eye, Lupin, Tonks, Dobie, Snape, Fred, and of course Voldemort. Well, I was kind of expecting Voldemort, but there was still a lot of death. I thought Rowling said two characters? LIAR!
4. And going back to number 2, speaking of the future, why didn't she tell us what they do? Who is the headmaster of Hogwarts?
5. Didn't you think that Harry's aunt had something more important to play in the overall story? I mean, I thought that was hinted at in an earlier book.
6. And lastly, I didn't not like this, but when Ron left, I was SOOO angry. I felt horrible for Hermione.

But to move on to what I loved...
1. That when Hermione and Ron finally had their moment (or at least the first one we knew about anyway) that it was kind of steamy. I always knew Hermione had it in her.
2. When Harry summoned his mom and dad and Sirius and Lupin to walk with him to what he thought was his death.
3. The final battle at Hogwarts. It rocked.

I thought it was a good ending overall. I liked how all the major characters from previous books made some sort of appearance.

Don't you think this will make a kick ass movie?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter!

So have ya'll caught Harry Potter fever yet? I am on the verge. I am picking up my book on Saturday. I thought for a second of going on Friday, but it sounds like way too much work. Anyhoo, I get my book on Saturday and I may not do anything else for the rest of the weekend. I may just read and read and read. I want to savor the last experience and yet I want to know what happens. I think my desire to know what happens will win out. I've also been avoiding anything on the internet that has to do with Harry Potter. I do not want any spoilers.

I think I am going to go see the new movie this week too. I want to feel caught up on everything.

I also tried to get my mother to buy me Harry, Hermione and Ron action figures. She said no.

Well, everyone if, I don't talk to you again this week, Happy Harry Potter-ing!

For most of my life, I have not liked tomatoes. I have liked tomato flavored things like ketchup or tomato sauce for spaghetti, but never actual tomatoes. I never liked the texture. It seemed weird.

I have gotten better with age. I discovered I liked them on my pizza. Someone told me to eat them with fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar. I learned to like BLT's.Over the weekend I was having dinner at my parents house and my mom put out a plate of tomato slices and I decided I was going to have one. And I liked it. I thought it was very tasty.

So tasty that I actually bought some tomatoes and have been slicing them up and having them with my dinner.

I still don't really like them in salads or sandwiches, and I don't really like them cut into wedges, but I feel like a whole new person here. First it was mushrooms, then onions, now tomatoes. I wonder what other vegetables I should try?

Jack Tale #276

Last year Jack liked to run around naked yelling, "Penis Man!"

As he's grown, he's become more modest.

Now he runs around in his underwear yelling, "Underware Man!"

My mother is convinced that he's going to grow up to be a flasher.

Post 4th of July

4th of July in the middle of the week is dumb. I drank too many beers in the hot sun. And then I was tired. So I went to bed at 9:30 pm. I read until 10 and fell into a deep sleep. Until 10:20 when I thought I heard noises that sounded like someone was trying to break into my apartment. But it was actually fireworks.

That is how I lame I am on the 4th of July. I thought fireworks were a burglar.

I Guess I Have a Case of the Mondays or Whatever

Yes, yes it was serendipitous that my power came on exactly as I got home on Friday. But this morning it did me no good. I forgot to reset all of my important alarms. So my alarm clock went off a good half an hour before I usually wake up and I was sleeping GOOD. And my coffee brewed at midnight instead of its time. That actually makes it two work days in a row that I have not had coffee at home. Friday, it went off, but I had forgotten to put the grounds in, so I had hot water.

And today, I forgot to brush my teeth. I am pretty sure I have never done that. I ate an apple because apples apparently help bad breath (another good reason to eat apples) and brushed them while I am at home for lunch.

I think it is the screwy work week. I have Wednesday off. So it's like two little mini-weeks or something.