Saturday, December 30, 2006

Up in the Gym, Workin' on my Fid'ness...

Goal one of the Technology Diet has been met! (---> insert crowd cheers here)

Actually, I met the goal over a week ago. But I finally rewarded myself last night with a congratulatory haircut. As the first goal was a mere five pounds, I still have a far too round (ahem, fat) face to wear short hair, so I just had my hair trimmed and layered a bit.

Today, I gave myself a bonus reward. Not a "bonus reward", as in a reward in addition to the already planned haircut, but a "bonus" reward, something I purchased with my year end bonus.

A new cookbook!!! (yes, yes, I am a dork)

The book is "Nigella Bites" by Nigella Lawson, a cook I saw on the Food Network. This is a woman who has my life. Or at least the kind of work life I wish I had.

She's actually an English journalist, who in the states is best known for her appearance on the TV show Nigella Bites, and her series of cookbooks. This woman has managed to combine the two things I love - food and writing - and make a living out of it. Since my father isn't a person of influence (her dad is some sort of important politician - my ignorance of British politics is amazing) I have not yet figured out how I could do the same.

So in the meantime, I continue on at my normal every day way of making a living. And working on my fitness.

Rock. Rock.


Currently Cooking: Double Potato and Feta Bake - from my new cookbook. This dish is, and I quote, "so upliftingly beautiful to look at: real good-mood colors". Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, red onions, red and yellow pepper...mmmmm

Monday, December 18, 2006

Food, Glorious Food

As my work week grows more hectic, I find myself really revelling in doing very little onthe weekend. I tend to be excited to find out that we have no actual plans for the weekend, and I can instead spend it cleaning and catching up on laundry.

And watching the Food Network.

Ahhh yes, glorious cooking shows. One of my favorites is actually broadcast on BBC America, not The Food Network. It features Gordon Ramsay, a chef known in the states for the series "Hell's Kitchen", where he goes around yelling and cursing at the chefs competing for their own restaurant. His BBC series "The F Word" (F as in food...) is much milder and humorous. I have especially enjoyed following the storyline of raising his own turkeys for holiday dinner, and teaching his children that these turkeys are going to be eaten. Cute, yet slightly disturbing moment, when his kids say "hello" to Anthony, a turkey that they have helped feed a raise who is now roasting in the oven. Classy.

As a result of watching close to the equivalent of a day of cooking, I have declared that all future gifts bestowed upon me must involve something culinary. A mezzaluna, a mandoline, a dutch oven; I'd prefer any of these over jewelry or flowers. (I have also, as of this moment, decided that there needs to be a wikipedia exclusively created for cooking terminology).

The bad thing about taking in so much cooking in short period of time? I spend a lot more on my weekly groceries. Suddenly I feel compelled to purchase pancetta and prosciutto to make my meat sauce, rather than cheap Italian sausage. I purchase fresh cranberries and leeks, feeling that, if Iron Chef can make so much out of a simple ingredient, why can't I?

Sometimes I wish I could just cook for a living...but then I remember I would hate the hours and pressures of being a chef. The risk of that ruining my love of cooking is just not worth it.

So instead, my friends will just have to suffer through my culinary experimentation. Any volunteers?


Current Listening to: Last Girl on Earth by Supreme Beings of Leisure via Pandora.com - If you have not tried Pandora.com, it is AWESOME. You must try it. You'll love it. Trust me.
Current Mood: Excited about the impending visit of my brother and sis-in-law

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

in Absentia

Hey again...

Work has been busy, which in turn means I don't want to be on the computer typing when I get home.

But here I am. I thought you all deserved an update. (Those of you who do not have the luxury of IM'ing me on a regular basis ;) )

The Technology Diet (or DDR Diet) is cotinuing to go well. I have been wicked tired lately, which means I haven't been getting up every morning to hit the dance mat. However, I have been trying to do something remotely active each day, and my new subscription to Cooking Light has been helpful in keeping the calorie count down. Also helpful? Eating out less (which also helps our slightly tighter budget, with our now one-income household).

All in all, I have lost 4 pounds since day 1. That doesn't include the gain (I went up 4 pounds fromthe original weight). So, in a way, I lost 8 pounds. But only 4 count towards the first milestone.

So I am currently one pound away from a haircut. Which is good...'cause it's getting long and split-endy.

And that's it for the update. Tired now.


Listening to: (watching) Law and Order: SVU
Current Mood: satisfied (by Tuscan Chickpea Soup)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

How Much Does a Lung Weigh...

Day 2:

Still eating well, and spent an hour on the dance mat this morning. Woo hoo!

An addition to my bevy of technological aids in the quest for better health (and better body) is SparkPeople.com. This site is a great way to track your exercise and your caloric intake. Best of all - it is free.

Unfortunately, I am spending the evening on the couch hacking up a lung. I caught a bad cold when I got back from Hollywood over a week ago and I have yet to fully recover. This evening the coughing is violent which is in turn causing my head to hurt. Not conducive to getting more dance mat time in (jumping around doesn't mix with a headache).

This will be an evening of Excedrin and lying down. (I wonder how many calories are in an Excedrin?)

Listening to: Victor Garber as an arrogant attorney
Current Mood: gah! the pain in the head......

Monday, November 06, 2006

Weight a minute....

Day 1:

Me eat good.

But really, I didn't once break down and hit the office bag of Doritos, or bucket of candy. And despite the amazing smell of homemade pumpkin cookies (made from an actual pumpkin) filling the air in my house at the moment, I haven't eaten one. Willpower tastes like...ummm...ice water, I think.

Exercise went a little differently than I originally planned. The idea was to get up at 6:00 am and hit the elliptical before work. Unfortunately, a late night fight with a coughing fit that was only won with the assistance of a healthy (or not so healthy) dose of Nyquil made 6:00 am a rather impossible feat. I still got up early enough to eat breakfast (organic shredded wheat in organic lowfat milk), so at least I succeeded in one part of my morning plan.

When I arrived home, I knew that I needed to exercise some, otherwise I would feel like my new plan had failed before it started. So out came the DDR mat. Dancing around with the the game's voice telling me that I was "no ordinary man" (uh thanks) and that I had "smooth moves" was just as good as having some personal trainer at a gym count reps for me.

Prior to working out, I weighed myself for the first time (for the spreadsheet of course). 179 pounds. (Did I not mention that I am actually going to give you guys weights and measurements? More accountablility - and seeing the numbers in print makes me more adamant about changing things.)

After lots of dancing, which was a LOT of fun, the screen told me that I had burned 400 calories. Woo-hoo!! I jumped back on the scale, just to be funny to find...that I had gained 2.5 pounds since before I started working out. I believe this has to be the fastest weight gain in the history of...well...I don't know. I took a shower, came back downstairs, and stepped on the scale again. Still the same.

Nuts.

This 5 pound goal is going to be harder than I thought...

Listening to: Jamie Oliver talking on the TV. I love him.
Current Mood: A bit tired, actually. And wicked thirsty.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Fitness Redux (or Retrix?)

Things have been busy...but I need to get back to writing regularly.

Recent events include:

Business trip to South Florida for a week.
Newly unemployed hubby.
Recarpeting the office.
Throwing out the couch (thanks, Elliot)

But the most recent occurence would be my decision (yet again) to lose weight. Yup. Again.

Helping me along in this process are the following:

1. Pro-form XP 110 - I purchased an elliptical trainer. The idea being, if it is right here, in my house, in front of the TV, I WILL work out. And if I instead choose to sit and watch TV, the guilt of being in such close proximity to the machine and not using it will eventually drive me to exercise whether or not I want to. Bonus: Getting up early to work out is a lot easier when you only have to walk downstairs to get the "the gym".

2. Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova - On an evening of hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law, we discovered the fun of a dance pad. We also discovered the sore muscles and burnt calories that result from this fun. So now, I have one in my house. Now, when I am bored, rather than playing a video game that does nothing for my ever expanding posterior, I can sweat it up in my living room to Crystal Method and The Boggles.

3. Google - Is there anything it can't do?? Not only can it find me all sorts of great low calorie ways to eat things I actually like, but it also gives me spreadsheets. Spreadsheets? Yes. I have been too cheap to purchase MS Office for my Mac. But with the advent of Google Docs and Spreadsheets, I can now track my weight loss, calories, measurements, and anything else I can think of. I love me some spreadsheets. (E knows what I'm talking about, don't ya? Now if only I could translate my loss into a relational database....droool)

4. Victoria's Secret Sports Bra - Quality, my friends. That's all I'm gonna say.

5. Rewards for Milestones - I've decided to give myself a reward of some kind when I hit a milestone. I am starting small. When I hit my first five pounds of weight loss, I get to go to the salon and get a new hair cut. I have been dying to get it cut, so I thought this would be a good reward to get me started.

6. Verstand - Yeah. My blog will be a tool. Back in the day, when I started this, and I was attempting to lose weight for my sister's wedding, I found that I was doing good when I was "reporting" the results here. It was some odd feeling of accountability. So I am going to give that a try again.

I am sure there will be more tools that I will be adding - feel free to give your suggestions.

Listening to: Robogirl by The Crystal Method
Current Mood: Other than frustrated with the coughing and sniffling from a fading cold...

Monday, October 16, 2006

Nelgect

Everytime I think to make a post...

I have been busy with work and such, so I haven't been terribly motivated to sit down and type lately. Not that I haven't been writing anywhere, mind you.

As a matter of fact, I am currently writing for a publication that will be published in the not to distant future. What am I writing? Restaurant reviews. Which means in addition to getting some writing done, I am also getting a lot of eating done.

That being said, I have been on a "snack healthy" kick to be sure that the sudden need to eat out more doesn't cause my waistline to grow. My relationship with all things green and edible has gone to a whole new level. (Which also means burning calories with more frequent trips to the bathroom. ha!)

There is probably more to write, but alas, I have not time.

I'll come back soon. Promise.

Currently Listening to: Henry Krinkle's Lament by Steve Burns
Current Mood: Hungry. Cucumbers don't exactly satisfy hunger for long...

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Highlights

No, this is not a post about my hair. I have not touched my hair in at least two months (I think). It's probably some kind of record.

I am referring to the highlights of my recent escape to Seattle. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Eating Gra Tiem at my favorite Thai place.

2. Cuddling with Paquito, JC and S's parrotlet.

3. Drinking tea whilst having a House marathon with L and E, my former flatmates and current best friends.

4. Singing along with the various Digital Cable music stations with L, E, and CG. Stations with the most wear? 80's, 90's and Arena Rock. Favorite sing-a-long? Total Eclipse of the Heart. E has video. Awesome.

5. Bleu cheese stuffed baked figs. Eat that, Gourmet!

6. Not touching a computer for a week.

7. Playing a homemade version of Time's Up with a hyper Cambodian.

8. Reassuring a friend that breaking up with someone does not make you a jerk.

9. Discovering that I don't fit in with a crowd of screaming girls/women at the first show of the So You Think You Can Dance tour. Ears still ringing....

10. Sleeping in.

It was a great vacation - I actually got to relax and be with people I love, which makes for the best kind of trip.

Now if I could just get caught up on sleep....

Monday, September 04, 2006

New Music Monday

Don't let the title of this post fool you. The implication that I will regularly be posting a music review every Monday is misleading, as is this implication that I would be posting anything with any regularity.

However, this post is about music, so at least I haven't completely misled you.

Last night I went to The Social to see not only the headline artist of the evening, Anna Nalick, but also the opening act, Joshua Radin. It has been quite a while since I have been to a concert, which is suprising since I love music and thoroughly enjoy listening to it live. Being at The Social last night reminded me why I miss going to concerts and why I haven't been in so long.

First off, the why I haven't been...

I don't seem to like people. Ok. Maybe that is not entirely true. Actually, if you know me, I seem fairly outgoing and sociable. But at a concert, I suddenly dislike people. I dislike the 15 year olds that get in with fake ids, standing in front of the stage telling the artist to dedicate a song to them, then talking through his set. I dislike the mass by the bar who chatter loudly through the entire concert (are there not 50 other establishments where they could be drinking and talking?). I dislike the girl with the plunging neckline who eagerly pushed in front of J to tell someone on the stage to tell the guitar player that "Lee from St Pete" is here tonight, then looked bored with the music the rest of the night.

Sometimes I think I am too young to be this cranky. But I just want concert audiences to be filled with people that truly appreciate music. Is that such a horrible thing?

Happily, the music itself was well worth the annoyances of the evening. The headliner, Anna Nalick, was better in person than on her CD (and I like her cd). She not only has an amazingly powerful voice, which I believe does not come across fully on the CD, she is an entertaining performer. Not in a Vegas, outlandish way. It was more like hanging out with my sister for the evening. (My sister, as those of you who know her are already aware, is more than mildly amusing.) Towards the end of the evening, she imitated all of the people she has opened for the past two years, including the Wallflowers, Sting, Dixie Chicks, Aaron Carter (yeah, that's right), Train, Rob Thomas and Chris Isaak. Again, very entertaining.

The opening act was the big suprise of the night. Joshua Radin, who you may not have heard of yet (I emphasize yet) has had his music featured on Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy, and The Last Kiss soundtrack. I had heard a song or two before the night of the concert and thought, "This sounds nice." Nothing to get too excited about.

This guy is really good. His lyrics, his voice, even his presence...it was all beautiful. He was accompanied by Priscilla Ahn, who is also worth checking out. Her voice perfectly complemented his - it was just sad that their performance was so short. If they tour in your area, you should check them out.

All in all, it was a really great great evening, as far as the music goes.

Listening to: Only You by Joshua Radin
Current Mood: ?

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

The Demand for Camel's Milk is On the Rise

Things I have heard lately, and the possible meanings:

"You should have been a lawyer."

Compliment: You are good at following a line of reasoning to a logical conclusion, and convincing others who would not naturally have been inclined to reach that conclusion.
Insult: You sure to do like to argue.

"You should have been a doctor."

Compliment: You seem to really care about people, and have a surprising knowledge of how the human body works.
Insult: Your knowledge of pharmaceuticals is disturbing OR you have the worst handwriting I have ever seen.

"You should have been a writer."

Compliment: Your stories are entertaining and well thought out.
Insult: Spending your life on the couch pretending to work seems to suit you.

"It's like Bridget Jones diary!" (said in reference to a piece of your writing)

Compliment: Wow. Funny stuff. As a female, I totally relate to what your saying. Cheers!
Insult: Hey, fatty. Is your weight all you talk about?


These are the sorts of things that run through my head whilst heading home on the 429. Sigh.


Favorite bit of information on the radio today: The title of this post. Not often you get to say that.
Currently Listening to: Hold You in My Arms by Ray Lamontagne (from The Last Kiss soundtrack --- goood soundtrack)
Current Mood: cozy

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Post, post, post

I keep meaning to post something here, but then I get to my blog, see the last sad post, and then lose all interest.

sigh.

So what's new? Enjoying the new house - although moving has resulted in misplacing the cable for my digital camera - which means no new house pics for ya'll. (sorry!)

Also new...my elliptical trainer, conveniently placed in front of the TV to guilt me into working out more often.

Going to Seattle next month to see my friends (you know who you are!) so I am mostly just looking forward to the time away from work and time with my old roomies.

And that is all for now.

I promise, a real post in the near future.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

...

Sasha didn't make it through her surgery yesterday. She was J's favorite cat and I have to admit, I was pretty attached to her too. So now I get to spend the week depressed about the loss of one of my cats.

And because I am dumb, I keep looking at Elliot and wondering if he misses his mom. And then I start crying again. (Then I make the dumber move of watching "The Land Before Time" and cry some more. Poor Littlefoot.)

sigh.

Monday, July 31, 2006

The Save Sasha Initiative

Sasha is back at the vet today.

For those of you who haven't been keeping up, she spent about a month at the vet vbefore she was ready to come home. Despite the continued antibiotics and the vet's claim that she was ok, her infection returned and manifested itself in oozing puss-filled sores. (ew)

So, tomorrow morning she'll undergo surgery to remove the necrotic tissue in her underside and we will try a different medication.

She only weighs 5 pounds right now (which for a full grown cat is underweight) so I am hoping that this will be the final time and that the new meds will work.

Bah.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Writer's Block

A good friend recently sent me a gift subscription to "Writer's Digest" (thanks, L!). I finally got around to reading the first issue and found myself motivated to spend some more time on my writing. What motivated me? The fact that it seems that I have the cards stacked against me when it comes to writing something of interest to the public.

Since I have never been a 12 yr old alcoholic, a willing participant in an incestuous affair, or worked in high fashion (take that, Weisberger!), I don't exactly have the real life inspiration that a lot of best selling authors seem to have lately. Not that I am complaining. I am really quite ok with lacking this kind of experience.

I have led a fairly normal life, free of any major drama. Since I have no plans of going down the autobigraphical route, this should not be an issue, but it does beg the question, is it best to only write what you know?

I always believed that this was good writing advice, as you can always be more convincing in your tale if you have first hand experience. At the same time, the story I am currently writing involved experiences that I can't say that I have had, so this would seem to be contradictory to my own belief. However, I think one of the beauties of crafting a tale is to take the elements of "what you know" and present them in a new way. For example, while I am not a huge fan of science fiction, I can appreciate the elements that an author can take from his own life (experiences of fear, statements on world conditions, politics, religion) and present them in a completely foreign environment and/or character, one that he obviously has not experienced firsthand. It allows the writer and reader to explore something familiar in a completely new way.

So is my continued quest to complete my story. I still refer to it as a story rather than a book, as it feels weird to call 20 pages of a notebook a "book".

Currently Listening to: Prenzlauerberg by Beirut (this song also makes me want to write - something about Beirut's music makes me think there should be a story behind it)
Currently Reading: Besides the Writer's Digest?
Current Mood: Hective! :)

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

New and Improved

In a correspondence I received recently, "hective" was used to describe the person's day. As it sounds like a combination of both hectic and active, I adopted it immediately as it describes my life at the moment.

Guess who is moving?

No, I am not talking about my sister's upcoming move out of my house, although that is quickly approaching, and with it, a big "painting party" at her new place.

I am moving. Yes, I know. I just moved. Ergo the adoption of "hective" into my vocabulary.

The landlord informed us that they decided to put our house up for sale. While we are still living in it. We were given one of two options. 1) Live out our lease, which has another 9 months or so on it, and be subjected to strangers walking through our house to view it on a regular basis, and potentially a new unknown landlord if the place sells OR 2) be released from the lease with no penalty, if we gave a move out date immediately.

We were given this news about a week and a half ago. We went for option 2 and then promptly proceeded to house hunt; online for a couple of days, then in person that Saturday. I fell in love with the first house we visited, and as we left we both agreed that since we both liked it so much, there was no reason to drag out this already tedious process of finding yet another place to live.

We have a move in date of July 15th (although we don't have to officially be out of this place until August 8th) which means I have not a whole lot of time to re-pack everything, research movers, hire movers, clean the house (I am seriously considering "Merry Maids"), and unpack again.

I really hope we stay in this house for a VERY long time.

As for details on the house, it is in a lovely neighborhood - very safe area in the same town I spent a good portion of my childhood. It is a decent midway point between my job and J's job, and it has all of the important shopping areas located near by. Two story but relatively small compared to the house we are in currently, which I am happy about. Smaller means less maintenance, and less furniture needed to fill it. (As a matter of fact, we have to get rid of our big dining room table...again. Anyone in the market for one??) Once we get the keys I will take photos. (And since you all know how long it takes me to take photos and then actually post them, expect to see pics of the new digs sometime this fall.)

Speaking of all things new, I am also driving a new car. I traded in my "Box on Wheels" (Honda Element) for a new Honda Civic. I love it, and it actually turned out to be a better deal to have the new car than my old one.

Also new...my desire to keep things neat and clean. And following through with that desire. (That's right former roomies! Believe it! No more mound of clothes so large you can't find the floor...)


Currently Listening to: Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera
Currently Reading: Nada. So sad.
Current Mood: tired

Thursday, June 15, 2006

In Other's Words...

I finally finished The Know-it-All. The amount of time it took me to read this book is a testament to the fact that I actually enjoyed it. I wasn't just reading to finish. Part of the reason I like it so much, as I mentioned in another post, is how I felt like I was reading something I would have said or written. (That makes it sound like I love me...I guess I mean I liked that the book felt familiar)

For example, here is an excerpt from his book, describing his father after an experience where he and sister were lost in the mountains:

"...He liked having us nearby before then, but after that, he became obsessed with physical proximity. Nothing pleases him more than having us in the room, watching TV, even if no one's allowed to talk except for those fifteen seconds when we're fast-forwarding through commercials. After that, he wrote me a note so uncharacteristically earnest and emotional, a note all about how proud he was of me, that I can't even think about it without tearing up."

If you know my family well, you understand why this paragraph struck a chord with me. For those of you who don't know, the above describes one of, what I believe to be anyway, my father's favorite things. Sitting in his family room, watching TV, surrounded by his family. We don't have to be talking about anything, just that "physical proximity" is enough.

And those of you who know what I think of my father know that hearing him say he is proud of me is a guaranteed way to start the waterworks.

And, if you have ever watched TV with my dad, you know there is no talking except during the commercials. :)


This evening someone was complimenting me on a statement I made, and made the observation that I seem to be very analytical, much like my mother. I always feel awkward when I receive compliments, and was definitely feeling awkward then. But also, really happy. Happy to be compared to my mom.

It is a really nice feeling to be proud of your parents and pleased to be compared to them.


Currently Reading: nada!
Currently listening to: Powerless (acoustic) by Nelly Furtado
Current Mood: not a mood - but I am DIZZY...phew.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Blue Tags

I stopped at Publix this evening, my grocery store of choice here in Florida (as well as the place that employed me for a good portion of my teenage life). As I was standing at the register watching the bag boy attempt to banter with the cashier, I noticed the blue tags they were wearing. Blue name tags at this store mean you are under 18.

I remember when I was a blue tag. Required 30 minute breaks every three hours. No working past a certain time. No over time.

Some days work included running around the store with a pricing gun, tagging unsuspecting co-workers. Or sitting in the stock room chatting. Or locking the new obnoxious guy in the freezer. Or telling same obnoxious guy that is was necessary to shake all the salad dressing bottles at the end of the night. Or making an extra five bucks every couple of nights for being the only kid who knew the company's mission statement. Or hoping that the cute bag boy was going to be bagging for you on a busy night.

Work was fun then.

And then I felt old. Somewhere between blue tag and blue hair.


Currently Listening to: Nelly Furtado's acoustic cover of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy
Currently Reading: nothing tonight - but still working on A.J. Jacobs

Monday, June 05, 2006

Mall Hair

Thanks to my blog (and my ever increasingly obvious roots) I realized that I was overdue for a salon visit today. I considered returning to the guy who gave me the initial cut and color, but in an effort to save money, gas, and my innocent mind, I decided to try someone else.

Finding a last minute appointment is a bit of a task. Most reputable (or overpriced) salons have a bit of a wait. So I opted for the salon inside the local JCPenney. Yep. Actually, my sister had found a really nice stylist there, so I thought I wouldn't be taking much of a risk by asking for her specifically. When I called however, they informed me that she no longer worked there. Due to the fact that when I get it in my head that I want to get something done, I HAVE to do it right then, I went ahead and made an appointment for 5 pm.

It has been quite a while since I had my hair done somewhere other than an overpriced snooty salon or a "we are too cool for colors that occur in nature" salon. The stark contrast between those and the JCPenney salon did not go unnoticed. But the prices are much lower, I reminded myself as I stared at the ceiling tiles, oddly reminiscent of my seventh grade English classroom ceiling (yes, I spent a lot of time staring at the ceiling in that class).

I tried not to be troubled by the average age of the clientele and stylists (49, maybe?). I tried not to be disturbed by the bag lady hair styles sported by some of them. I tried to be positive.

While the woman worked on my highlights, reminding me periodically that it is very difficult to do proper touch up on someone else's work, I thought about how I looked in a hat, and how that may need to become my new fashion statement of the next several months.

The woman took her time, so I kept hope that maybe, just maybe, her seemingly meticulous nature would prove successful in the end. As she pulled the foils out and rinsed my hair, I was thinking more positively. (the girl in the shampoo chair next to me who was actually my own age and had cute hair also assisted in my new found optimism) But then, as the stylist was rinsing, she would pause, pick up a few strands of my hair, then pause again. She did this several times. All optimism was now dead. I was not close enough to a mirror to see what she was examining. After some more rinsing, she walked away, saying "I'll be back in a minute."

This cannot be good, I thought to myself.

She returned with a small bowl and a brush. For the boys who don't know, this is the same thing she has when she is highlighting my hair. Bowl and brush usually mean color of some sort is being mixed. My mind started to race. Why color?! And why am I not being informed of what is going on??

My suddenly mute stylist began to dab areas of my head with the moist brush. Since I was laying back, still over the sink, I couldn't see what was going on. I could only feel and imagine.

The dabbing in small areas began to grow to all over my head. And then, with gloved hands, she began to massage whatever the moistness was all over my hair. Massage, massage, massage. Pause, inspect strands, massage some more. Finally, after a great deal of massaging (which I would have enjoyed if I wasn't busy worrying that my hair might be orange) she rinsed, shampoo'd, conditioned, and threw something else on my hair for good measure.

I walked back over to the styling chair, fearing the inevitable reveal that would take place as she removed the towel from my head. As I watched with one eye open, I saw nothing terrible. Having done horrible things to my own hair in the past, I have learned that wet hair can fool you into thinking that everything is normal. So I had to wait for the styling process to be complete (which still included some trimming....yet another thing to fear) before I could asses the damage.

Amazingly enough, my hair looks fine. It isn't wonderful mind you. I didn't walk out of there praising the stylist's skills, but it definitely doesn't look bad. And the price was definitely an improvement on past styles.

Who knows...after I give myself a day to get over the initial shock of being sure that my hair was ruined, only to find it wasn't, I may even really like my new hair.


Currently Listening to: Breathe by Tristan Prettyman
Currently Reading: Still working on the A.J. Jacobs book - I think this may be the slowest I have ever read anything

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Lists and Learning

Still Reading: The Know-It-All (One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World) - I am still enjoying this book, even if I am reading it slower than I normally would read a book. I especially enjoy his decision to join Mensa. I always thought it was funny how people make a big deal out of Mensa. If you watched the Apprentice this season (which may automatically disqualify me from ever joining) there was one guy on there who is a member. Man, did he do and say some really stupid things. I mean really. If I were Mensa, I would totally revoke his membership. His and Sharon Stone's.

Someone once asked me if I thought about joining. Evidently, if you took your SATs before certain year, you only need to score higher than a 1250 to automatically qualify. Since I took my tests after that year, I would have to take the actual Mensa test. I can't seem to get past the fact that I would be paying to take a test, just so I could be be part of a group that boasts membership that ranges from Stephen Hawking to Scott Levy. Somehow, I don't feel all that smart paying to take a test (my PSATs and SATs were the one time I paid to take a test....which is why I only took them once). I must admit though, I did derive no small pleasure in scoring 27/30 on their practice test (in 15 minutes, rather than the 30 minute allotment). I guess I would be lying if I sat here and pretended that I didn't have some ego. (Gah! And now I hate me.)

Currently Listening to (song): John Wayne Gacy Jr. by Sufjan Stevens - Really lovely sounding melody, creepy and haunting lyrics. I knew I had heard of John Wayne Gacy Jr., but I couldn't place where. After some reading, I now understand why my fear of clowns is not all that unusual. This guy killed over 30 people, the majority of whom were buried under his porch. Oh, and the clown part. He often dressed up like a clown. CrEEpy. But aside from the creepy content of this song, Sufjan Stevens has a pretty interesting sound.

Repeatedly Listening to (album): The Gulag Orkestar by Beirut - If you are looking for something far less creepy and very unique, this is a great album. With song names like Prenzlauerberg and Mount Wroclai, you already get the idea that this isn't your normal pop fare. Amazingly, Zach Condon, the man behind Beirut, is only 19 years old. You wouldn't guess that to hear his voice. (At times it makes me think of Rufus Wainwright, but with far less whine.) The music contains an interesting combination of instruments - what sounds like accordions, violins, and perhaps a glockenspiel. Now how often can you say that about a band? What I love is that the music makes you feel as though you are somewhere else - location and time. And evidently this guy, while not popular by most standards, is blowing up the blogosphere. Check him out.

Currently eating: Gelato. Whilst driving around today, we checked out a dessert shop, in hopes that it was the shop that served gelato (my boss had mentioned it recently, and I have been wondering about it since). I just ate some tiramisu gelato that was as good as(if not better than) eating the real thing. If you are local, you must try this place.

Currently loving: My MacBook. Best present ever.

About to: Get some sleep. It's past my bedtime.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Gym Revisited...

So I bet you can guess what I did this morning.

Yep. That's right. As promised, I returned to the gym.

After failing to find any gyms close to my house (other than a Bally's in the ghetto and Curves, which apparently is targeted to obese unemployed women) I decided that I would try a gym that I already have a membership with by my office. I have never actually set foot in this gym, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. But I decided that rather than waiting until I got around to stopping by to inspect, I would just get up early and go.

The getting up early part was suprisingly easy this morning. I am pretty sure that had something to do with the window cover that mysteriously dislodged itself late last night, allowing a bright stream of light to enter directly over the bed this morning. It's as if it knew that I needed to get to the gym. (Dude, does that mean my house just called me fat?!)

When I arrived at the gym, I noticed that there was a definite difference between this gym and the last one I frequented. The woman to man ratio had changed drastically. As I go to the gym to work out, not look pretty, I like for my gym to have a high female population, preferably females of assorted shapes and sizes.

There were ZERO women working out this morning. The only women that were there were annoyingly thin and blonde employees. Blech.

On the plus side, there was no one in the cardio area. Evidently, the men that work in this gym don't believe in sissy machines. And, while the women's locker room was TINY with only two showers, it seemed a lot bigger with no one to share it with.

The workout itself went fairly well, considering the long break I have had from that kind of early morning physical activity. It felt good enough to actually want to go again tomorrow.

So hopefully, this new gym will bring with it some new and interesting stories.

A moment of silence observed for Clappy. (pour a 40, ya'll)


Listening to: Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
Currently Reading: The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs - really like this book so far...this guys writes the way I think a LOT
Just Finished Reading: In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson - thanks to the guy who bought me my first Bryson book...if you want to know about Australia, this is an entertaining way to learn a lot about the place

This post has been brought to you by: My new MacBook!! Thanks to a desire to get my Ipod to work consistently and my weakness for Mac ads , I have now wandered away from the world of the PC over to my long lost love Apple. My intial introduction to programming was on an Apple (that was 16 years ago!)..

Monday, May 08, 2006

Playing Doctor

More meaningless posts here...

In my frenzy of getting ready to leave for the conference last week, and the subsequent return, I never filled you all in on the results of all my tests.

The blood work was all fairly normal, although I am doing some research, since some of my "normal results" seem to be on the border of normal. Seems to me if you border on normal in enough categories, the end result is abnormality. (chew on that!)

My echocardiogram, however, was not normal. The echo showed evidence of prolapse of the mitral valve, and the "color doppler" shows tricuspid regurtitation. The doctor didn't really explain too much about what those things mean, but did refer me back to the cardiologist.

In the meantime, me and google did a little footwork. After all, when someone tells you your heart is regurgitating, you can't imagine that that is something good. And of course, you all know how much I love to pretend I know what I am doing when it comes to medicine and the like. (Ahhh...yes, who can forget the vicodin pukes of aught 5)

So first off, what is this pukey heart business? Evidently, not much. It might cause me some fatigue, but everything else about it was rather vague. Lots of "this could mean something serious" or "it's really nothing at all".

Thanks.

On to the prolapse. This proved to be more interesting. For example, some doctors (those who appreciate the value of natural medicine in addition to traditional) seem to belive that the mitral valve prolapse can be an indicator of other issues. I took a look at the list of symptoms these types of people posses and attempted to match it up with problems I have had of late:

~ Migraine headaches - ummmm...yes.
~ Dizzy, spacy feeling - often, sometimes when I am just sitting doing nothing
~ Difficulty concentrating - this was not an issue when I was younger, but it does happen here and there now
~ Balance problems, vertigo - Did I ever tell you about the time I fell down a driveway and tore up my knees?
~ Insomnia, sleep disturbances - If I am not taking my amitryptiline, I am the world's worst sleeper
~ Hyperventilation; shortness of breath - when I get nervous this happens
~ Palpitations of the heart; skipped or irregular heart beat - yup
~ Panic attacks, with pounding heart beat - I hide them well, but yes, I sometimes freak out. I have only had one really bad one so far. I had to leave the building I was in and stand outside in tears, shaking.
~ Phantom chest pain with no apparent physiological cause - I have had this one for FOREVER. My brother would always make fun of me and imitate that old lady from those Life Alert commercials.
~ Hypersensitive startle reflex - Does the fact that I constantly get the life scared out of me by people I live with count?
~ Cold sweats - Yep again.
~ Cold hands and feet - All. the. time.
~ Numbness or tingling in the fingers or toes - Yes. Once after I hung drywall I couldn't feel my fingertips for several weeks
~ Sensitivity to drugs, including alcohol, caffeine, and medications - Any meds I take affect me way more than the average person. I am a "cadbury" when it comes to alcohol, and when I drink caffeine, I occasionally get the shakes. (shakes of joy when its coming from coffee!)

As you can see, I am a textbook case of this stuff, if there actually was a textbook that recognizes this disorder of sorts. You can also see that I sound like I am about 50 years older than I am.

Evidently my body is somehow wired wrong. Where normal people's catecholamines (like epinepherine and adrenaline) only show up when the body needs them, my body likes to pump them way more than I need them. This results in a sort of hyper/exhausted state (I always called it "slap-happy"...who knew there was an actual reason for my behavior?).

The nice thing is that there are things I can do to get better. Wouldn't you know that one of them is exercise? So guess who is going back to the gym? ("Wow, Amber, your blog is so totally cyclical...cool.")

Next post: The quest for gym that isn't too ghetto, and isn't too pretty

Currently Listening to: Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies fame covering Hit Me Baby, One More Time
Current Mood: slap-happy (perhaps I should not have had that coke....)

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Hello all - I am back from a conference, which is one of the main reasons I left the gross open wound pictures up on the site. Sorry. I forget sometimes that some do not posess the strong stomach that I do.

The conference was in Vegas, and was interesting enough as I continue to learn about the industry I have found myself in. I had the chance to meet several people I have been in communication with, people my company partners with, and some that have had no association with our company, but now will now be giving us a try.

It was definitely an interesting environment. I have been to several conferences and seminars in the past, but they were always more about business suits and taking notes (or delivering the material in my case). This conference seemed to be more about meeting people and making contacts.

And despite being severely outnumbered (it's like a woman in the men's room), it was actually quite fun.

I'm still trying to catch up on some sleep, and waiting for the airport to deliver my luggage (it evidently wanted to stay overnight in Salt Lake City for some reason).

A busy week ahead as I catch up on some work, and touch base with contacts made at the conference.

Fun fun fun.

Listening to: Walk the Line by Live
Current Mood: Tired...and wondering where luggage is now.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Reason #87 I Can't Have Kids....

Our cats have for most of their lives been indoor cats. When we adopted them, it was strongly recommended for the sake of their health. Since we lived in townhouses and apartments, this worked out well, since I didn't think a parking lot was a very inviting place for them to play.

When we moved into the house, we started letting them go outside. They loved it, so we would let them stay out all day. It made them happy, so I figured, what's the harm?

I am a bad pet owner.




Sasha came home last night with this very unpleasant looking wound. The picture is much tamer than how it appeared in real life. (The way she is laying down there it appears smaller than it is)

So last night we spent our evening cleaning and dressing the wound. She spent the night in the dog crate, so she couldn't wander off and take off her bandage. This morning I took her to the vet first thing, to find out how much damage had been done.

The 2" X 4" wound was thankfully superficial. Whatever she managed to slice herself on, she only sliced through skin. So she was intubated, sedated, and stapled back together.

For the two weeks, she will look like this:



She has to keep that Elizabethean collar on for two weeks, to prevent her from taking out these staples.


Posted by Picasa
Every time I walk by her cage I feel so horrible. I can't imagine how I would feel if the wound had been more serious.

Can you imagine how nuts I would be if it were a kid?

Sheesh.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

I'd Rather Be...

If I could be doing anything else right now....

* I'd be sitting in a coffee shop with my Ipod and a notebook.
* I'd be sitting on the beach with my Ipod and a notebook.
* I'd be sitting in a tree by the lake where I grew up (with my Ipod and a notebook).


Listening to: Wreck of the Day by Ana Nalick
Current Mood: Missing my Ipod and Notebook

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

...

I am not good with serious. I usually make a habit of avoiding it. But today my mind was unfortunately nudged into that serious place I don't enjoy being.

I received a phone call this morning that a girl I knew had been murdered. The news took a while to sit in before the inevitable sadness kicked in. I cried more than I expected, as it has been a long time since I have seen this person. I think this was due partly because I have been friends with her family for most of my life, and also because I feel like I have known far too many people who have died tragically in my relatively short adult life.

Aside from family members who have passed from sickness brought about with old age, I have known someone who died from:

cancer in their 30's
pneumonia in their 20's
a drug overdose
suicide(s)
and now murder (murder is always tragic, but she was 24, so it is especially sad)

I am happy to know that my faith gives me hope when such tragedies take place, and I can not imagine how I could cope with such unpleasantly frequent news without it.

My thoughts and prayers are with Kendra's family.

Friday, April 07, 2006

I'm a Big Kid Now....

Ok, now that Lindsey lives with me, getting my camera back has become MUCH easier. So let me welcome you to...


...our home. Isn't it cute? If you ignore the dead grass of course. Except for the green part over there - see it? - right over the septic tank.

When you walk in there is a living area on the left, then our dining room on the right.



It's so awesome, Lindsey broke her neck in awe.


Maybe it was the big screen TV that did her in. Or the fact that I haven't actually hung up any of my pictures yet.

These two rooms have "wood" floors, while the rest of the house is tile.

In the middle of the house there is a family room...


...which does have art in it. A painting by Lindsey. It really looks pretty cool - but it won't be staying there, as it looks much better with the decor in her bedroom.

Next to this room is a nice open kitchen, which allows me to watch the Food Network WHILE I cook. And I thought I was going to have to get one of those fancy fridges with the TV built in the door for that.

Lindsey is pleased with the kitchen, and the carrot cake cookie that she purloined from its pantry.

There is also a lovely little breakfast nook, which is great, since I NEVER eat in the dining room, unless we are having people over.


Off of the living room there is an open patio, perfect for entertaining guests (hint, hint, everyone, come visit)


Those windows Lindsey is leaning out of are huge! They are off of Riley's room. Riley is Lindsey's dog. She has a room with a TV and hi speed internet access. She is one spoiled dog.

We also have a large, albeit browning, yard.



Back inside the house, the master bathroom has a great tub next to a big window...which I love, and plan on spending much of my time.



And the bathroom itself is nice and large, which is good, cause I evidently leave everything on the counter...


Check me out in the mirror...I couldn't quite squeeze all of me out of these photo. Also take note that the toilet is off to the side in its own tiny room. This is a wonderful thing. Now, if I am relaxing in the bath, I don't have to be disturbed by any "emergency dumping".

(Speaking of stench, this is the coolest thing I found at the Super Target down the road to keep the house smelling fresh and fruity)



There it is. A brief tour of our new digs. Come see us! Although you may want to wait until I actually clean the place...I would like to point out that in every messy picture, there where cleaning products/tools out. So I have PLANS to clean.

Stop laughing at me.


Currently Listening to: Rick James by Jude (for you "Lost" fans - DriveShaft's one big hit was actually performed by this dude, Jude, who I am a big fan of)
Current Mood: Hungry! Time for dinner...and also a little drowsy from the meds...

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Oh, Crap!

Saturday we moved my sister and her husband into our house. They will be staying with us for a few months while they find a new place of their own. Their apartment complex was raising their rent by about $400 a month, so staying there was not a very good option.

The move went smoothly, so we were all trying to relax a bit after a very long day. I heard the toilet running in the master bathroom, which was odd, as no one had recently used that toilet. I yelled to my husband to confirm this was the case.

"I haven't used it."

Hmmm. I walked into the bathroom to inspect the running, and noticed the water in the toilet appeared to be rising. Not a good sign. As I turned around, hoping that our plunger made it to the house in the move, I noticed that there was water coming up into the tub from the drain. I leaned closer and stumbled back when I realized what I was looking at. And smelling. I opened the shower to see the same "stuff" coming out of the drain there.

Crap, I thought. Literally.

I walked out of the room to hear my sister yelling about the stench filling up her side of the house. Her tub was filling up as well.

Not good.

My husband made several phone calls, while my sister and I hung out in the jacuzzi outside. (Hey, it was a good place to escape the smell.) Our time in the jacuzzi was cut short when we were sent to track down a wrench to open some sort of emergency valve. We threw some clothes on over our bathing suits and knocked on a couple of neighbors doors. No answer.

We remembered that someone we knew used to live not too far away, so we called information, and showed up at their door, wet from the jacuzzi, begging for a wrench.

We returned home with the wrench and dinner plans for the following weekend. The wrench, unfortunately, was of no help.

The Roto Rooter man finally arrived, and fixed what was evidently a clog in our septic tank. As soon as he did this, the crap water receded. I sprayed an excessive amount of tub cleaner in both bathrooms and lit a bunch of candles.

Happily, we are now back to a normal smelling life.


Currently Listening to: My husband making fun of my sister
Current Mood: Full! Yummy steak for dinner. Sooooo goood.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Doctors, Doppler, Drugs, and 'Dos

Last week I finally made it to the doctor. It's been about a year since I attempted to enlist the help of a doctor. That failed rather miserably when the doctor decided that I was healthy, based on my age and low blood pressure. This doctor was recommended by a receptionist at my beloved chiropractor's office, but I am pretty sure it was based on proximity more than anything else.

This time, I picked out a doctor based on photo. I know that sounds horrible, but I figure if my doctor looks unhealthy, then chances are, I am not going to trust their advice. So my doctor was this young blond woman who was smiling in her photo.

This woman was very different from the last doctor I went to - she actually listened to me. At the end of the visit, she had prescribed a couple of medications to help with my headaches, ordered several blood tests, ran an EKG, and set me up for an Echocardiogram.

The echocardiogram she ordered included something called color doppler. I was amused that the same technology used in weather reports was going to be used on me. It was kind of cool, even if I didn't know if what I was looking at was good or bad, watching my heart on the monitor.

I won't know the results of of all of the testing until my follow up visit next month. In the meantime, I am taking a daily medication to prevent my headaches. I also have another medication to kill any headaches that do dare to show their face. So far, they only make me a bit sleepy. And so far, I don't have a headache. So we shall see how that continues.

In other news, I am getting my hair done Wednesday. ("Didn't you just dye and cut your hair?" Yes, I did. The key to that being, I did. I don't like what I did, so I am breaking down and going to a professional to fix it.) Perhaps, by then, I will have my camera :).

And on Saturday, Linds and Ian are moving into our house for a couple of months.

Busy we shall be.


Currently Watching: Law and Order: SVU
Current Mood: feeling rather nice, thank you

Descent

I turned 27 this morning.

I think that means I should feel like a grown up - considering that 30 is now only a few years away.

Perhaps I should rethink the Hello Kitty nite lite in my kitchen.

Or my messy car.

Or the collection of Pigeon books on my desk...


Currently Listening to: How Soon is Now by The Smiths
Current Mood: awkward

Monday, March 13, 2006

Dead Man Walking

I am still oh-so-sick.

Since last I wrote, I have done very little, which is bad considering that I was supposed to be moving into the new house this weekend. Fortunately, my husband jumped in and took over, but I couldn't help but feel guilty about not being able to help.

That is, of course, when I have had the strength to feel guilty.

I can't breathe. My eyes burn. My throat is scratchy (an improvement over the previous days of soreness). And my head hurts. A new kind of hurt. My parents tell me its called sinus pain.

I spent the weekend at my parent's house, where my mother gave me an assortment of goldenseal, vitamin C, tea, and chicken soup.

And I am still pretty miserable.

When I am feeling a little more like myself, maybe I will get around to taking photos of the new place.

Until then, I'll be sitting somewhere comfy with a tissue over my face and my eyes half closed.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Blood in the Water

This morning as I got ready for work, I had a small fit of coughing. Not terribly scary. Until I looked in the sink to see what I had coughed up.

There was blood.

I looked at it and thought, hmm, blood. Bad. Better get to work.

As I sat in my office, contemplating why my throat was on fire, and sipping a cup of tea handed to me by one of my coworkers (yeah, he's awesome), I thought about the blood once more. Still thinking that's a bad thing. Still not doing anything about it.

Then I coughed a bit more. A little more blood.

So I asked the next best thing to a doctor, my medical transcriptionist friend, if I should be worried. She proceeded to tell me to get to the doctor YESTERDAY. And if I didn't, she would call my mother, husband, sister, and the police.

I decided the walk-in clinic up the road would prevent the chain of phone calls.

I arrived a little before 3, after stopping by my apartment to pick up my insurance card. I brought a book with me, anticipating a wait.

The chain of events that followed, while extremely dull, reminded me why I hate going to see the doctor.

Sat in waiting room reading. Waited about a half hour. Name is called. Gave my symptoms to a nurse who seemed annoyed that I was there. Got weighed. Now, in addition to having a sore throat and bloody cough, I feel fat and sad. Temperature is taken. Nobody tells me anything. I get sent back to the waiting room. I look at a woman who was called in the same time as me that gets escorted to an actual room. I decide my fever wasn't high enough or I wasn't fat enough to merit a doctor's attention yet.

I sit in the waiting room and read some more. And more. I realize that I am on page 121 of a book I just started when I arrived at the clinic. This disturbs me. I get called back.

I am led to a small, cold room, brightly lit with horrible flourescent lights. I read some more. A nurse takes my blood pressure. As usual, it is low, and this makes the nurse happy. She leaves and tells me the doctor will be with me shortly.

100 pages later, I am still sitting in the room alone. My toes are turning colors from the cold. I again am wondering how this process will make me better.

I move my chair closer to the wall, curl up in my chair and lean my head on the wall. I fall in and out of sleep. I have no idea how much time passes. Things seem quiet. I wonder if the nurses forgot about me, and left. I wonder what fun things I could find to do locked inside of a clinic. I start planning what cool things I will build using tongue depressors and cotton balls.

Sometime well into my reconstruction of the Bilbao Guggenheim, a doctor finally showed up. After sticking various objects in my nose, throat, and ears, and some other prodding, the doctor tells me I have an icky case of bronchitis, writes me a prescription and tells me to stay home and rest the next few days.

I look at the clock as I walk out. It is 6:30 pm. I don't remember where my car is. I haven't seen it in so long.


So now I am home, waiting for my husband to bring me soup and my prescription. I guess my body decided this was the only way to make me stay home and rest.


Currently watching: House - he is the one doctor that is the exception to my I hate doctors/hospitals rule
Current Mood: Soooooooooo sick feeling.......
Started/Finished Reading: the curious incident of the dog in the night-time (I liked it - it was different...it was a far better choice than all those stupid books currently aimed at my demographic)

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

The Misadventures of Thing 1 and Thing 2

Before I was married, I lived with two girls who would have to be, hands down, the best roommates a person can have. I miss them terribly, but we find the time to keep in touch regularly, sometimes through this blog, and sometimes through IM (I do on occasion pick up my phone as well).

Here is conversation we recently had (names have been substituted):

Thing 1 says: hey did you hear about Conan O'brien's elections campaigning?
Thing 1 says: Lolo... send her the link
Thing 1 says: Por Favor.

Amber says: no I did not

Thing 2 says: http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/16/finland.election.ap/
Thing 2 says: "Why do I support Tarja Halonen? Because she's got the total package: a dynamic personality, a quick mind, and most importantly -- my good looks," the comedian, whose show is broadcast on cable in Finland, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Thing 2 says: Makes me happy! =D

Amber says: heehee

Thing 2says: It's a redheaded coup!

Amber says: that is funny
Amber says: she does look like him

Thing 1 says: thought you'd enjoy...

Amber says: I did

Thing 2 says: Oh, gotta tell you something else funny... this came on a chart earlier today.
"When I asked the patient what the year is, she replied, 'Holy Cats! I don't know.' She then guessed, '3000.'"

Amber says: Ha! That is awesome. If my mind ever goes I hope I say clever things like that

Thing 2 says: Me too! Jen, my coworker, is quoting from www.chucknorrisfacts.com right now.... =-----DDD not sure if that's the exact address, if either of you madly clicking on it right now.

Amber says: Can I use this one (but sub my name):The chief export of Chuck Norris is Pain.

Thing 1 says: =- - - - - - - -DDDDDDD i"m WEAK

Amber says: I am totally getting a T-shirt that says that - The chief export of Amber is PAIN
Amber says: I think I might get a series of things I export
Amber says: HOTNESS

Thing 2 says: We are hysterically laughing right now.
Thing 2 says: The Chief Export of Thing 2 is Leg Hair.

Amber says: awesome...and also...ew
Amber says: I will get one for [removed to protect the not so innocent] - chief export? Flatulence
Amber says: maybe he can wear it to work on casual friday

Thing 2 says: DUDE....

Amber says: *amber ponders*

Thing 2 says: this is sooo funny.

Amber says: http://customglamgirl.com/subtitletee_page.htm I'll get them made here
Amber says: sweet

Thing 1 says: i come back from answering the phone and then have to nose laugh for five minutes.

Thing 2says: Excellent.

Thing 1 says: it's all coming out as sweat
Thing 1 says: hey... my export!

Amber says: Ha!
Amber says: now we all have a tshirt to make

Thing 2 says: I'm changing mine.........
Thing 2 says: thinking.....
Thing 2 says: shoot....

Thing 1 says: Currently my chief export is marginal advice and nose laughter.


What does this show? (Other than the fact that we are easily amused and can go way off on a tangent...) That great friends are ones that can laugh with you about the silliest things, and who don't have to share your sense of humor, but can definitely appreciate it. It also means that Thing 1 and Thing 2 (one of them HATES Dr. Suess, so it is extra fun to use those names) should really just move here. Got that, ladies? MOVE. HERE.

Dude. Nose laughter is STILL funny. I don't care who you are.


In other news, EDGAR IS DEAD! I can't believe it. Well, actually I can. It's always the fat ones that get killed off in the end. And there is no way that he isn't actually dead. That is what the silent countdown at the end means, folks. Silence = dead.


Currently listening to: God's Comic by Elvis Costello (off one of my FAVORITE albums, Spike)
Current Mood: Hungry

Monday, March 06, 2006

Updates and such

Work has been pretty busy lately, so I have been uninclined to come home and write on the blog. But in the back of my mind I am always thinking, "Man, I didn't write anything on there again today." And then I feel guilty. Leave it to me to come up with hobbies that make me feel guilt for not doing them.

We recently let go of another employee. A new one I had not mentioned here previously. I guess I figured if I did not acknowledge his existence, he would soon go away. Apparently it worked. (*fill in long story of how this person made me want to stab someone/thing on a regular basis here*)

This week I have been working with our newest employee. And since I am writing about it, yes, that means that I would like this one to stay.

So far, this guy has picked up really well on all the work, which is great, since we all have our fair share to do in my office. But, the bonus is that this guy's sense of humor often overlaps with mine. He understood what I meant when I told him that bears were souless creatures. And he did not judge my library of pigeon books. He also was amused (not horrified) when my sister sent an IM to my computer, which he was working at, that simply said, "CRAMP-A-SAURUS REX!!" So this one is definitely a keeper.

In other news, we move into the new house this Sunday, so much spare time has been invested in packing. Packing for me is also an opportunity to determine what junk to throw away, so it's actually a whole process involving piles and cutting off emotional ties to inanimate objects. Fun stuff. The move also means shopping for a refrigerator sometime this week (ooooo....I do so love appliance shopping...) and introducing the cats to yet another traumatic move.

So if you don't hear from me for a little bit, I promise I have a good excuse.

Currently Listening to: people downstairs either moving or killing something (and Better by Plumb)
Current Mood: Excited about the move, and a little weird after coming off a cyclobenzaprine dose

Friday, February 17, 2006

Happy Blogiversary!

Today the blog is one whole year old. Awww...isn't it cute?

One year ago today I decided that I had something interesting enough to say that it should be public information.

One year ago today I had a job that gave me so little to do I had time to make posts at work.

One year ago today I was trying to lose weight.

One year ago today, the journey began...

I wonder if I was as cheesy one year ago?

Since it is the anniversary of the blog, I thought a gift to the blog was in order. What is this gift? A new venue from which to write. A house. Yes, that is correct. I said a house. Last night we signed some paperwork and made it official.

Officially rented anyway.

I am still excited, as I have been living in apartments or townhomes for the past 6 years, so I have missed house living. This is where I would show you pictures of the new place, but I still seem to be missing my camera. (*AHEM*)

The house has three bedrooms, giving us a true spare room for guests (in the apartment, guests get to sleep in the office). So to all my out of town friends, I will reiterate. We have a guest room.

Guest bed, no. But we have to start somewhere.

You've come a long way, oh blog o' mine.


Listening to: Wasting Time by The Judybats (from Pain Makes You Beautiful, one of my all tiem favorite cd's)
Current Mood: excited (about the house) and hungry

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Another Reason to Go to MadagascARRRRR

This is my new favorite....errrr....crawly thing.

They are called Assassin spiders. They are notorious for stabbing helpless spiders with their sharp, venom-filled fangs attached to their super-sized jaws. Unlike most spiders they do not spin webs.



Look at him. Tell me he is not cool.

The fact that they pose no threat to humans is also a plus.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Waxing Quixotic

My quest is over. I have finally found an aesthitician to wax my brows who neither scares me, nor forces me to have tiny white girl eyebrows. I may have scared her a bit with my enthusiasm. ("You are my NEW BROW LADY! I am so happy...") But really, it is good news for me. Those of you out there who get anything waxed with regularity know it's true.

After my already euphoric experience of having my brows properly shaped with little pain involved, I was led to a dimly lit room for my massage appointment. If there was one luxury in life I could have constantly at my disposal, I believe it would be a good massage therapist. ("What? Not a brow waxer?" --No, that is a necessity folks, not a luxury)

The therapist did a lovely job, and even explained that I seem to have the beginnings of tendonitis - all those hours in front of the computer - and recommended some therapy to eliminate some of that pain I have been experiencing in my wrists.

I also need to soak my calves. I let her believe it was from my intense workout regimen. More likely it comes from driving a stick and living on the third floor.

Work was busy today, but had its enjoyable moments. My boss was explaining to our engineers some business principles. He used the idea of a scoutmaster trying to get the whole troop to a destination. How do you keep them together? By putting the fastest kids in the back and the slowest at the front. You also give the faster kids more stuff to carry.

Later in the day, I received an e-mail from one of the engineers asking me to take care of a task. So I responded:

"This must be what *boss' name* meant by the "fast kids" carrying the supplies on the hike. Guess I must be a fast kid, fatty. "

Name calling like that is what makes you well liked by your peers.

I am hoping to get some more writing accomplished this weekend. There is a writer's conference in New York in April that I was thinking about attending, but I feel I need to have a solid amount of work done to make it worthwhile. (This would be in addition to the whichever conference we make it to in the fall, L, so no worries, I am not ditching you.)

And that is all...

Favorite thing overheard in a Starbucks this week:
"Organic! Well....woooooo....fancy." -- local businessman in reaction to my latte with organic milk

Listening to: J watching Whose Line Is It Anyway
Current Mood: still relaxed (although I originally wrote "relazed" which, while not a real word, may be more accurate)

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Useless Information In My Head

It is already February. I still haven't quite caught up to the shift in year yet.

Did you know that February was the last month to be added to the Roman calendar? Evidently, they considered the winter to be "monthless" and March began their year. (If you live in Seattle, winter does seem monthless, so I can understand this reasoning.) That is why we have September, October, November, December (7th, 8th, 9th, 10th months).

January and February were added later, January being named for Janus, a two faced god of gates and doors, beginnings and endings, while February was named for the god Februus, the Etruscan god of purification, who incidentally, hung out in the underworld. Februus got a promotion (not sure how that happens...) and became God of the Underworld, or Pluto and then later somehow melded with some Greek ideas and became the goddess of purity and love and all that. So February had a festival for this goddess, which is where Valentine's Day has roots.

Interesting, no? ("Um, yeah. No.")

All those years of studying Roman history in Latin class, gotta let that info out sometime.


In other news...I think I am gearing up for another run at going to the gym regularly. I have noticed that I lost some weight (cause my jeans are more comfortable than usual) and thought I should run with the accidental progress.

Well, maybe not "run" exactly, but perhaps some nice cross training.

And now, for a list of random things from the past week:

Overheard in a grocery store:
Mom to Little Son: "No honey, we have yogurt at home already."
Son (very matter of factly): "But this is GOgurt. Its better."
Proof that marketing works.

Favorite celebrity couple: Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy - saw them on the S.A.G awards (yes, I watched them because I am a dork) and they are so cute...and actually have talent.

Most creepy celebrity child: Dakota Fanning. I don't know what it is, but she creeps me out. Something in the eyes. Everyone else thinks she is cute - maybe there is something wrong with me.

Weirdest dream: I had a dream a few evenings ago that I had heart surgery. It was exploratory. Evidently, to figure out what is wrong with me, they needed to cut my heart in half and then switch sides so they could look inside. (If you have ever seen The Cell [I saw it on TV], there is a scene where a horse gets chopped into slices and you can see all his organs functioning...it looked like that). As if this procedure was not odd enough, I was having it performed in the portable at my old elementary school that used to be the room where I met for art class. Way weird.

Most disturbing exercise trend: Bosu. Just look at it. Ummm....yeah.

Cute unexpected movie: My Date with Drew. Warning: If you hate Drew Barrymore, don't watch this documentary. I however, like her, so I thought it was cute.

Movie I Couldn't Finish: Fever Pitch. Maybe if you are in love with baseball you will enjoy the movie. I just could not get interested enough to finish watching it. Which is pretty bad, cause I will watch some pretty dull stuff, just to see how it ends.


The blog has been rather pictureless lately, because my sister has my camera. When she returns it (AHEM) I'll post some photos. :)

Currently Reading: The book I am writing. And the New York Times.
Currently Listening to: I Was Made To Love You by Polly Paulusma (check out this song - I love it!)

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Home Work

The joys of working from the comfort of your own home office. Of course, this only happens when I am ill, so comfort is subjective, but still.

I am sitting cross legged in a desk chair doing buyer support and listening to Phantom of the Opera, dressed in pink striped pajama pants and one of my little brothers t-shirts. No makeup, messy hair. Actually, aside from the striped pajama pants, this is not all that different from an "in the office" work day. Still, there are definite advantages to working from home.

No flourescent lighting is a biggie. Besides not be able to spell them, those lights kill my head when I am not feeling well.

Being able to lay down when you feel dizzy. The past two days at work the room spun several times. Putting your head on your desk doesn't really do much.

Access to water and healthy snacks. I haven't been good about stocking the work fridge with things I like (can) eat. So when I am thirsty, I end up drinking soda (we keep Zephyrhills water in our fridge, which makes me ill) and snacking on whatever happens to be there. Home means access to soup, tea, and water that doesn't make me nauseous.

Not answering the phone is also nice, especially this week, since it would seem that everyone calling our office has lost their mind. I have been yelled at, falsely accused, endured "man-crying" (I think I would have rather been screamed at), and an assortment of other delights. The drawback of living in an age of technologically advanced communication seems to be that people forget how to be polite. If you don't have to see the face of the person you are screaming at, it becomes much easier to treat them as if they weren't a person with feelings. (I don't exactly go home crying, but you can only take so much abuse in a day. On especially trying days I try to warn my husband before I get home, as my usually high level of patience is worn to almost non-existence by time I get home.)

So, aside from the nausea, dizziness, pain, and other details you don't need, I am quite comfortable today.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Bears and HDTV

Hey all...

I spent most of my day today curled up on our latest piece of furniture (I am sick, so staying on one piece of furniture is allowed). We purchased a SuperSac from the LoveSac line on Saturday. One of the two covers we purchased was a brown "Phur" cover. So sitting in this thing is like cuddling with a giant teddy bear. This morning I woke up with a grand pain in my head (ever get hit in the back of your head with a baseball bat? this is what I imagine that would feel like...) so I had to seek a room in our apartment that didn't get much light. It happened to be the room where the SuperSac resides, so I slept most of the morning on it. Sweet bear sleep.

In my waking hours, I enjoyed the 42 inch HDTV that was sitting in the same room, fully equipped with surround sound. The Discovery channel fascinates me more than ever before. I just watched geysers (with absolutley no commentary, just the sounds of nature) for a full half hour.

If there was a mini fridge in here, I would never have to leave.

In other news...work is still busy, but the new hire seems to be picking things up nicely. Once she is on her own, my day should be less hectic. Remind me to tell you about some of the calls I had this past week.

For now, I am heading back to my pile o' phur.

Currently Watching: Discovery Channel - but changing over to West Wing
Current Mood: dazed

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

A post!!

Hi all....

Man. I haven't written in awhile. At least not here.

I was reading J's blog and decided to fill this thingy out:

1. Seven things to do before I die:
- Visit Scotland
- Write a book (working on it!!!)
- Publish a book
- Write a screenplay
- Work at a job I REALLY love (almost did that...but not quite)
- Learn at least one other language
- Write some more

2. Seven things I cannot do:
- keep my mouth shut when people make close-minded statements
- ignore my health issues anymore
- watch Katie Couric (bah!)
- listen to people smack when they eat
- keep my car clean
- keep my closet organized
- watch Oprah without yelling at my TV

3. Seven things that attract me to... [people]:
- Sense of humor (preferably a slightly abnormal one)
- Honesty
- Open-minded
- fierce loyalty
- intelligence (not necessarily in the traditional sense)
- creativity
- hmmmm.....one more.....people who can put up with me :)

4. Seven things I say most often:
- And your point would be?
- No.
- Thank you for calling....
- Seriously
- Ya' think?
- Yello.
- Hot.

5. Seven books (or series) that I love (strong word - I would say really enjoyed):
- A Confederacy of Dunces
- several books by Orson Scott Card I can't remember the names of
-The Otherland series by Tad Williams
-The Pigeon books (see last entry.....so awesome)
-The Myst series (gift from my husband when we were dating)
-
-(here is where I realize that I desperately need to read something......)

6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would if I had time)
- Ever After
- Sliding Doors
- Any movie with John Cusack and Jeremy Piven in it
- You've Got Mail
- The Court Jester
-
-

7. Seven people I want to join in (fill this out), too:
- Lori
- Eden
- Dee
- Crystal
- Tamara and Lindsey
- Joe and Sara
- Anyone else who feels so compelled..... :)

I tried to fill this out of the top of my head - so I may make some changes/additions to it when I have had time to think about it.

And one of these days I will write a real entry (most of my writing time has been going towards the above mentioned book...)

Listening to: Silence by Kate Earl (love this chick's voice, and she sang with Damien Rice at a concert, so that earns her bonus points) AND I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie
Current Mood: Tired! Off to bed.....