Verstand

Moved.

2009-01-14T15:38:00.000-05:00

For those of you wondering about my silence as of late, head over here.

Who Knew I Could Look This Good?

2008-11-21T14:01:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Pedigree - Family pictures

Animals Gone Wild

2008-10-17T16:33:00.003-04:00

Sorry I missed a few days. That doesn't bode well for the post goal...

As I am sure you guessed, I have taken MANY more photos of the kitten, so it's time to post them...

First, artsy Dudley...

Kitten tries the "head in the lion's mouth" trick with Dudley

"Help me!"

Kitten getting the upperhand?

Dudley looks like he is being scolded for playing to rough by kitten

Dudley apologizes

Everyone kisses and makes up

Kitten needs a drink after all that activity

Milo and Otis

2008-10-12T21:48:00.001-04:00

I have never been a huge fan of movies that involve talking animals. However, there is one exception to that rule - Milo and Otis.

The movie is about the adventures of a dog and cat that meet at birth and are friends for life. I always wanted to have a puppy and kitten that could grow up together and get along.

Kitten No Name has become Dudley's new best friend. He is fascinated with the kitten - goes running to it every time he hears it's meow. The kitten seems to be a fan of him as well, rubbing his tiny face against Dud's big wet nose, licking it (and occasionally biting it).

I still have no plans of keeping this kitten, but I am enjoying the next four weeks of my personal Milo and Otis.

Listening to: (watching) Batman Begins

Art Festival Photos

2008-10-12T21:23:00.001-04:00

This weekend was the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival. Here are some random shots taken while there.

Car on Park Ave

Entryway in an alley on Park Ave

Dolphin fountain by entryway

Brick pathway in alley

Lunch under a bright green umbrella

Painting of a giraffe (the original was a bit different...I liked it better this way)

Booths and fountain in the park (REALLY bright out, the tents looked like they were glowing)

In the rose garden...

No Name Part 2

2008-10-10T17:19:00.003-04:00

A quick update to let you all know how No Name's vet visit went.

Negative on Feline Leukemia/AIDs tests (yay! I was nervous one of those would come back positive and I would have to put him down). He does have a parasite, but he is on meds and that will be better in just a few days.

He is an otherwise healthy, 4 week old kitten.

The Cat With No Name

2008-10-10T09:03:00.002-04:00

Day 2 of Save the Kitten...

You wouldn't know to meet him that just yesterday he was a wild cat roaming the streets (or more accurately, bushes) of our neighborhood. After responding to his cries with feedings, the kitten has accepted me, as well as everyone else it meets.

I purchased a bottle yesterday evening (I broke my NO Walmart rule doing so...a forgivable offense when there's a hungry kitten waiting and the Pet store is closed) and some kitten formula, and tried feeding him while we sat at a friend's house. Excited to be eating, it completely bit through the nipple of the bottle. So, we switched to an eye dropper, which seemed to hold up better against the surprisingly firm bite this tiny mouth has.

At 2 am, the cries began again, so dropper in hand, I approached for another feeding. This time, the kitten gave me a small heart attack by biting through the GLASS dropper. I managed to grab the piece from his mouth quickly and switched to pouring the formula in a spoon. It took a little figuring out on his part, but after a few seconds he learned that he needed to lap up the formula, rather than bite the spoon.

4 am, another round with the spoon.

This morning, after a feeding, he played on the bed with J. Grabbing his fingers and rolling over on his belly, chewing on his hand, all the cute kitten things you would expect. He also walked right up to Dudley (who is scared to death of him) to see what he was all about.

And now, he is curled up in my lap falling asleep.

Everyone wants to give him a cute name, but since I am determined to get him healthy and socialized and then find him a home, I refuse to name him, thinking that somehow that will leave me slightly less attached.

My mom, brother, or sister, however, are welcome to get attached. :)

Listening to: These Photographs by Joshua Radin....and the sounds of a purring kitten
Current Mood: awwwwwwwwww

It's Raining Cats and Dogs

2008-10-09T17:23:00.004-04:00

The weather outside is really unpleasant and stormy, but that is not what this post is about.

Last night, we went to meet with a no-kill shelter to see about adopting another dog. Dudley loves to play with others, so we thought that maybe it would be good to have a "sibling" in the house. I never was a fan of the idea of the only child, and it would seem that mentality carries over to my animals.

We picked out two dogs that they would bring to an agreed upon dog park. One dog was a Pug/Corgi mix that the previous owners paid $1800 for (What is the deal with people breeding MUTTS and calling them designer and selling them for ridiculous amounts of money?? I hate people sometimes...plus, this dog looked more Pit than Pug...), and a Shepherd/Corgi mix that was rescued from Kill shelter in Tennessee.

We picked out the Pug/Corgi based on the descriptions of how smart it was, responding to simple commands, etc... The reality was that, as sweet and attentive as the dog was, I don't think it was as smart as the people made it out to be. I don't think they lied - I just think they misunderstood his eagerness to please his people with intelligence. AND it seemed to like people a lot more than dogs, as evidenced by its growl at some of the dogs in the park.

The Shepherd mix was ADORABLE. It looked like someone had literally taken a Shepherd and shrunk it down to 18 pounds. It was playful and confident, but had NO clue what its name was and obviously had no training. The lady was telling us she thought it was two years old, but when she walked away I made a bet with my husband that if his paperwork was accurate it wasn't more than a year, based on his puppy behavior. (I won.)

Neither dog interacted with Dudley much, but that was probably due to the distractions of the dog park, and the fact that they weren't allowed off their leads.

While I was in love with the Shepherd, my plan was to find a dog who wasn't an untrained puppy, so I decided today that I would continue my search.

Helping me along in that decision is what I found on Duds early morning walk:

Yup. Not so much a dog. A very small baby kitten. One too small to be away from its mother. Unfortunately, it meowed all day long, and no mother showed up, so I decided that I needed to save it. With the help of some gloves and a towel, I pulled it from its hiding place in the bushes and took it to my house. It is currently living in the dog's crate, curled up in a towel. Tonight I head to the Petsmart to get some kitten formula, and for the next week or so, I'll work on getting it strong and socialized (it's a feral cat).

Then off to find it a home (NO, I am NOT keeping it. I haven't named it for that reason...no betting on how long I will be able to keep that promise...)

Listening to: Cuscutlan by Frente
Current Mood: Is mom a mood?

Land o' Lists

2008-10-07T18:35:00.002-04:00

Admittedly, I am not the world's most organized person. I have a tendency to lose things, or forget why I am walking into a room. Just minutes ago, I grabbed my phone and couldn't remember why.

Due to the fact that I am not innately together, I have recently become a fan of lists. Lists of what needs to be done at work, what has been done, what I ate, immediate needs in the house, future needs/wants for the home, etc... Each have their space in a notebook on or in my desk. (el cuaderno es en la mesa, indeed!)

Seadragon introduced me today to listingly.com, a tool that allows you to keep your lists online. You can print them, OR pull them up on your iPhone. I am very excited about this function.

Since I am a big fan of lists, I generally make one for the weekly grocery run. A window into how obsessive I can be, I generally have to make a rough draft list, containing all the items I plan on getting, then a second list in the order of where things are located in the supermarket (I warned you...obsessive). This final copy (usually handwritten so I don't have to deal with our old printer) ends up folded up and shoved into a pocket before I head out the door.

With listingly.com, I will be able to create the list on my computer and save it to the site. THEN, whilst browsing around the Whole Foods aisles, I can simply pull the list back up on my iPhone.

I am so easily taken with technology.

Listening to: Another Hundred People from Company

New Music Monday

2008-10-06T08:01:00.000-04:00

Since I am posting with some regularity, I could in theory make this a regular Monday thing. And that gives me ONE more thing to post about.

Today's recommendation: Kings of Convenience

They are a "Folk Pop" duo from Norway that has been described as the "indie set's Simon & Garfunkel". Very chill harmonies. Below is the first song that drew me to them, "Cayman Islands".

iPost

2008-10-04T19:38:00.001-04:00

This post is a test of my newest toy - an iPhone.

Woot!

A Dedication...

2008-10-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

...to my multilingual Arizona friends...

I don't know if I can single out one favorite, but I do love "Bonjour mon petit bureau d’échange".

(And for those of you who are fans "Chuck", you may recognize this song from the first episode of this season)

Weird Cat Facts

2008-10-02T22:30:00.002-04:00

As much as I would like to be snuggling up with my pillow right about now, I made a commitment and I am sticking to it. So here I am, posting.

About cats. And the weird things they d0

Not speaking generally, but more specifically about Oliver and Elliot, the two cats that reside in my house.

They go for walks.

Every evening, before bed, I take Dudley, our dog, for a walk. Every evening, I am joined by the two cats. They walk exactly where we walk, sometimes right alongside the dog. We've become known in the neighborhood as "those people who walk all their pets".

I guess there are worse things to be known for.

Like Himmy, a tabby in Australia that weighed 46 pounds and died of heart failure. At least these cats are known for their regular exercise habits.

Currently Listening to: The Most Beautiful Girl by Flight of the Conchords
Current Mood: Sleepy
Current favorite line in a song: "You're so beautiful, you could be a part time model...but you'd probably have to still keep your normal job..."

Weekend at the Beach

2008-10-01T20:06:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago, we went away with a good portion of the family (both older brothers, their families, and my parents) to Don Pedro Island for a little relazing. (yes, not a word. Deal.)

The trip mostly entailed laying on the beach, taking photos, and hanging with my incredibly adorable nephew:

Seriously, I know I am partial, but you really can not deny the cuteness that is Squeakles...

There are about a million photos of him on my computer now, so I'll go ahead and move on to beach photos before I get carried away...

I loved the texture of this grass (?)...

..and I am not exactly sure WHAT this is, but there were several of them lying around on the beach...

...and this is probably one of my favorite shell pictures. Although, it did involve laying on my stomach, and probably did not do me any good in staying away from the no-see-um's that ate me alive on the trip.

Fortunately, having my sister in law along was nice, since she did not think I was crazy for taking photos of practically everything I saw.

What would taking photos at the beach be without a proper sunset?

And maybe ONE more picture of Squeakles...

This is one of my favorites. It reminds me of a photo of my mom with me as a baby. So peaceful.

Entries that are predominantly photos still count. Shush.

Listening to: nothing!
Current Mood: nice

Challenge!

2008-10-01T08:02:00.001-04:00

If you are old school and watched The Cosby Show back in tha' day (the show that inspired my father to buy our first VCR), envision today's blog title appropriately. For those of you not familiar:

Challenge!

But back to the topic at hand...as I have been slack about updating the blog, I decided to create a challenge. For myself. I have decided to revive the blog to the glory of it's first year. So before December 31st, I have a goal to have my total post count equal that of 2005.

Let's do the math on that, shall we?

Not counting this post, I have posted 13 times this year (so sad).

In 2005, I posted 119 times. That would be a difference of 106 posts.

Today is October 1st. There are 92 days left to this year. So I need to post every day - and twice 14 of those days. Can it be done? With your help, it can.

Feel free to submit topics/comments/questions and I'll blog about them. OR if you are feeling particularly adventurous - why just comment when you can GUEST POST!

And now I am off - likely to figure out what's next on the agenda to blog about.

Listening to: Knock Knock by Lenka (Attention Seattle friends - she will at Chop Suey this month)
Current Mood: Happyish

Travel Time

2008-09-30T11:23:00.006-04:00

Sliding back into my old ways, I have been noticeably absent, once again, from the blog. (Noticeably is a bit subjective I guess...)

I just returned from yet another business trip - this time a conference in Brooklyn, which included a company sponsored event at the River Cafe. If you happen to be in/planning to stop by Brooklyn, this is a must see place. The most amazing views of Manhattan, set under the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, this restaurant was the perfect location for our event. Just be aware that if you intend to dine in the main dining room, it's a jacket required type of place. (while I am sure its worth dressing up, a glass of wine on the deck is, where no jacket is required, is even better in my opinion)

After a couple of days in Brooklyn, I went back to my office in Mass, and spent the weekend wandering around Cambridge. The plan for the weekend was to enjoy downtown Boston - shop on Newbury St, take pictures in the park, that sort of thing. However, it seems that tropical weather follows me no matter where I am, so the weekend was a bit wet for outdoor excursions. At least it gave us (J met me out there) an opportunity to feed the geek within through our visits to the MIT Museum as well as the Harvard Museum of Natural History (sadly their Art Museum is being renovated - I'll have to catch that on my next geek trip).

The MIT museum is small, and they recommend 1-2 hours to tour it, depending on your level of interest. Between the time J took in the AI Exhibit, which included the head of Kismet, and me laying on the floor taking pictures in the Gestural Engineering exhibit, I am pretty positive we exceeded the 2 hour recommendation.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History was full of cute kids (I didn't run into one terror the whole time) ooo-ing at the animal displays, dinosaur bones, and arthropods (creatures that rule! according to the exhibit). It felt a little fourth grade field trip, but I liked the fourth grade, so it was good times.

Things I don't recommend when in Cambridge:

ImprovBoston - To be fair, it is entirely possible that they were having an off night when we attended their main stage show. It felt a little high school (although the Super Mario and Facebook references WERE appreciated) and uninspired. Each participant seemed to have certain characters/styles they fell into no matter what the scene...and there was the inevitable "Improvtress" who's Broadway dreams have yet to be fulfilled so she sings in scenes where the singing adds little to nothing.

I won't sit here and claim that I could do better, but when sitting around with friends/officemates provides more opportunities for improvisational comedy, you have to wonder what you are paying for.

Wandering in the rain...for hours - It was kinda fun initially in brief spurts. But I was pining for an umbrella and cute rain boots after a very short period. And damp jeans become unflatteringly large, not to mention uncomfortable, after a while.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and relaxing weekend after a week of conference madness. Now back to work - AND much needed exercise after a week of some really great food. (Frankie's and Jack the Horse Tavern in Brooklyn, Oleana and Rendevous in Cambridge...yum yum yum.)

~~~~

News for the coming weeks/months:

I am headed to Mexico for a REAL vacation in November with one of my former Seattle roomies (yay, E!). 10 days wandering from Puebla to Oaxaca (which I am proud to say, I can now pronounce) and back again. I get giddy when I think about it.

Listening to: Damaged by Plumb
Current Mood: energetic

Food Time!

2008-08-12T19:33:00.002-04:00

Recently I have been put on certain restrictions to make me healthy. As a result, I've received a list of foods that, I am told, I am sensitive to.

Amidst that longer-than-expected list of foods I eat on a regular basis, were tomato and wheat. So this evening, I was on a quest to make a pizza sans both of those ingredients. Which was a slightly daunting task, being that I tend to judge a pizza on the sauce and the crust. But, always up for an excuse to make up something new in the kitchen, I decided to go a completely different direction taste wise. So for those of you who like to try new things, I have documented the process.

The crust was obtained at Whole Foods - a gluten free creation made up of Tapioca and White Bean - in a frozen section specializing in non-wheat products. Not incredibly glamorous sounding, I know, but I was hoping that it would do the job.

From the fridge I grabbed a some ricotta, fresh mozarella, onion, yellow squash, and orange and red bell peppers. Grilled veg is always delicious, so I thought this would be a good way to do something different, with the squash giving the pizza a heartiness worthy of dinner.

Ricotta is a bit bland without seasoning so I rummaged through the spices in my pantry and came up with cumin, oregano (regrettably, dried oregano, not fresh, as I long ago killed that plant), and of course, some freshly ground salt.

Using the grill pan, coated with a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking, I grilled all the veg. Easy easy way to make veg delicious.

While I was watching the vegetables cook, I got to work on a balsamic reduction. Having never done a reduction before, at least not on purpose, I overdid it a bit - which resulted in more of a balsamic caramel than a drizzle. Hopefully this would be salvageable.

Once the veg was done, I threw a couple of dollups of the ricotta mixture on the crust, several slices of the fresh mozz, squash, peppers, onions, and tossed it in the oven at 350. Part way through the cooking process, I figured J would want some kind of meat on his pizza, so I took cut up some smoked ham and tossed it on during the last 5 minutes.

When the pizza was done, I finished it with the balsamic "caramel", which turned back to a nice glaze when it met with the heat of the pizza.

The end result? It was actually really tasty.

The next time I make it, I would opt for fresh herbs (oregano and basil) and a nice pancetta in lieu of ham. And I wouldn't overdo the reduction.

Listening to whilst cooking: the 80's station on the TV

Bring on da' Pain (Bring on da' Funk)

2008-08-04T20:12:00.005-04:00

Day one of the Couch to 5k is upon us.

And I have to admit, I didn't think it was going to come to fruition.

But first, for any of you who have stumbled upon this blog and are not familiar with my relationship with running, let me start by saying this.

I hate to run.

Really. Hate. Loathe. Despise. Abhor. Detest. Me no likey.

Got it?

Buuuut...I did run a 5k not too long ago. Yes, I am quite the enigma. And I did, on some level, enjoy it. Maybe it was the sense of accomplishment I felt when I ran through the finish. Maybe it was my inability to move my legs several days after. Whatever it was, it did pique my interest in doing another 5k in the future. However, I promised myself that should I go down this path, I would do it the wiser way; I would actually train for this one.

My sister-in-law's decision to start the program upon the arrival of her new fancy stroller was the motivation I needed. A long distance partner in my madness.

So today, after shopping this weekend for some appropriate shorts, sneakers, and a stopwatch, I decided I was ready to begin. Being that this is Florida and I occasionally feel like I can't breathe when standing absolutely still, I decided that it would be best to schedule the walking/jogging regimen for either a) early in the morning, before sun up or b) in the evening, when the sun wasn't quite so strong. While the morning would have been the cooler option, that would have also meant giving up sleep. I'm not quite committed enough to this project yet to give up precious minutes away from my pillow, so I opted for the hotter early evening.

As I left the house, stopwatch and iPod around my neck, I thought to myself, I wonder how bad this will be. After the 5 minute walk to start, I began my jog. A slow, lumbering jog. I imagine that if I ever saw a sloth run, it would look something like this. (begin the youtube search for a running sloth now...I'll time you)

I was suprised at how quickly 60 seconds went by. Not that I enjoyed the 60 seconds of jogging, but they seemed to pass faster than I expected. The downside of that, is that the 90 second walk in between jogging stints went just as quickly. I was proud of myself for jogging the full 60 seconds several times - but at about the 16 minutes mark, the alternating between jog and walk became more like 30 seconds of jogging, 2 minutes of walking.

At one point when crossing the street, I wondered what would happen if I were to pass out in the street. Maybe it would look something like this.

I returned home (23:06 on the stop watch) face bright red, shins feeling like they might snap at any given step, soaked in sweat, and wondering who was the brilliant man that created air conditioning and that he couldn't have possibly been paid enough for the invention.

After a bath and several glasses of water, I am feeling refreshed and somewhat normal.

Since I am truly going from couch to 5k, I decided that this was an acceptable first go at the routine. We'll see how I feel about it Wednesday, Day Two.

In other non-running related news...

Also acquired this weekend - a Le Creuset Dutch Oven - which I am incredibly excited about. My interests appear to be in conflict maybe, no? I am considering its first use for braised short ribs, which I have never made, but have had and would love to master. Cooking excitement awaits me!

And also, I'm a dork.

In frighteningly large bird news, this crew has been hanging around the house lately:

They are Sandhill Cranes. They are HUGE. And could probably peck my eyes out. So I risked life and limb (or at least eye) to get you this shot. No fancy zoom here. I just had to get this close.

Currently listening to: the sounds of nothing good on TV

Dreamer...Healer...Slacker?

2008-07-24T16:16:00.005-04:00

All those grand plans of posting...can I blame my lack of follow through on my personality?

It would seem so.

I recently had my team (yes, yes, I have a team now) take the Myers Briggs personality test, partly for fun, and partly to gain some insight in how they all interact.

The good news is that I already knew I had a great team, and the personality blends confirm that they should be working well together.

Since I subjected them to details on their own personalities, I thought it was only fair that I share mine as well. It's funny, as many times as I have taken this test in the past, I always seem to learn something new (or maybe its just that as I age, I start to see more of my personality matching up with the descriptions of who I am).

Sooo...here are some previously unshared details for you to enjoy:

Some famous people who are INFPs (or so they say):

Homer (not Simpson)
Virgil
Shakespeare
AA Milne

See a pattern there? Yeah...that's right. Writers. Maybe my aspirations of writing for a living aren't so terribly delusional. Of course, I haven't written many epics lately.

Other interesting tidbits:

When it comes to the mundane details of life maintenance, INFPs are typically completely unaware of such things. They might go for long periods without noticing a stain on the carpet, but carefully and meticulously brush a speck of dust off of their project booklet.

Former roomates, take note! It's not my fault that my room often looked like the closet threw up. And yes, Mom, this would explain why I pre-fold my laundry when sorting it...in fact...

INFPs are not naturally interested in administrative matters such as bill-paying and house-cleaning, but they can be very good at performing these tasks when they must. They can be really good money managers when they apply themselves.

...Ha. I am not naturally inclined to clean my house. Validation for my slobbishness. (Yes, I am pretty sure I just made up that word. Whatever.)

They are usually quite perceptive about other people's feelings and motives, and are consequently able to get along with all sorts of different people. However, the INFP will keep their true selves reserved from others except for a select few, with whom they will form close and lasting friendships.

I do get along with most people I meet. But I have very few close friends - or at least friends that realllly know me. Friends that aren't shocked to find out that I am not an extrovert, for example.

INFPs can make outstanding novelists and character actors, for they are able to efface their own personalities in their portrayal of a character in a way other types cannot.

Wouldn't it be great if the results of a personality test could be presented as evidence that you are an ideal fit for the profession of your choice? Sigh. (and with that, the "dreamer" title often attributed to INFPs makes sense)

In the meantime, I'll just be satisfied that it is the norm for me personally to have a desire to write and a lack of desire to clean.

In other news, as I have been absent from the blog lately, you will be happy to know that I should be back more frequently due to two new developments (neither of which involve pregnancy...so stop guessing).

Development 1: Tomorrow, my new camera arrives. A serious camera. Not serious, like somber and stern serious. That would be weird. And frightening.

But back to the camera...after spending some time in Philly experimenting with seadragon's camera, I decided that I loved taking pictures more than I had previously remembered.

Enter the EOS Digital Canon Rebel Xti (400D) with Kit Lens and Normal EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens. I will probably spend the next month reading up on how to properly use the thing. But with the experimental picture taking will come posts about picture taking. And hopefully, the pictures themselves.

Development 2: The aforementioned seadragon (my sis-in-law for any of you who haven't made that connection) recently got a new stroller for Squeakles (my nephew) and we had previously discussed that upon the arrival of this new fabulous contraption, we would start the Couch to 5K program together. Being that we live in separate states, this would be more of a long distance encouragement thing ("hey, did you get off your butt today?") rather than a "run alongside me" deal.

Which is good. Cause I am slow. And probably not a good running partner. So this should be an interesting way to further attempt to get into/stay in shape.

That and those Bollywood Dancing videos I just got. (that will be another blog entry, I'm sure)

I haven't started the Couch to 5k yet, as I am waiting to recover from two injuries. One was a slight strain of the right ankle after eating it in a parking lot. In a dress. And heels. I am so classy.

The other is the result of a middle of the night charley horse in my right calf. Although this happened on Saturday night, I have only today been able to walk without limping.

Drink your water friends. Hydration is key.

Listening to: Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in the Sky...everyone should have a "cool music" friend, the one who recommends amazing stuff you won't hear on the radio, and therefore requires effort for you to discover on your own (particularly if you live in the stinkhole that is Florida)...mine recently recommended Explosions in the Sky

The Quest for a New Me

2008-03-17T20:52:00.002-04:00

...ok. You're on to me. I'm not really on a quest for a new me. The current me is a fairly pleasant model and doesn't exactly need replacing, but a little remodeling here and there couldn't hurt. To that end, recent changes are as follows:

1. Eat better. A lot better.

All who know me well are aware of my affinity for food. Not in a gluttonous, can't get enough o' 'dem cheeseburgers and fries way, but in more of a fascination with the variety of flavors and sensations provided by something that serves as our daily sustenance. Having said that, a busy lifestyle and bad habits over the years have led to a lot of convenience eating. Not just your fast food fare, as I started tapering that off a few years ago, but processed, bagged, canned; anything that can be prepared by just opening it and/or heating it.

This habit of convenience eating has also meant a fridge that rarely had much to offer in fresh fruit and veggies. Which is a shame, since I actually LIKE fruit and vegetables, and if they around (particularly if they aren't competing with a bag of chips) I will eat them.

After doing some research online, I discovered an organic produce DELIVERY service in my area. Now this sounded too good to be true. Someone will bring me a regular supply of fresh, organic veggies? And not only am I helping myself, but I can also help the environment? Score!

The service so far has been great. The veggies taste amazing (there really IS a difference with organic) and since I know that I have another load coming the following week, I make sure that I eat them all, which crowds out the appetite and desire for the, well, undesirables in my kingdom of food.

Now I won't have you all thinking that I have made some completely radical change. I still enjoy my regular cup of coffee (yeah, I haven't kicked that...does putting organic milk and raw sugar in it make it ok?) and dark chocolate when I crave something in sweet (this in particular...worth every penny).

But the changes in the past few weeks have already manifested themeselves in fewer headaches and fewer pounds. (woot!)

2. Get a tan.

Sounds incredibly shallow, and I know that everyone says laying in the sun is horrible for you. But even with SPF 50, I get a tan. And after returning from our trip in the Caymans, I am my more natural color. I look healthier. I feel healthier. And as everyone knows (and if you don't, prepare to be schooled) tan fat looks less fat than pale fat.

3. Be nicer.

I know. I am not exactly mean. At least not to your face. But privately, in my mind (or with those closest to me) I can be pretty brutal. And while I must admit, sometimes I can be hilarious in my execution of insults, I don't really like that side of me. It's a judgmental, dare-I-say elitist quality that I find repulsive in others, and therefore, need to work on in myself.

4. Be More Outgoing

Again, what? I am not outgoing? In reality, I'm not. I pretend to be, but it's exhausting. And lately, I haven't been bothering much with pretending. Which in of itself isn't a horrible thing. But you can't get to know others if you don't ever talk to them. So, instead of spending my weekends solely keeping house or hanging with my family, I am determined to be more social...making friends is healthy.

5. Take Time

...for a lot of things. Take time to meditate on the important things. Take time to breath and appreciate things on the postive. Take time to nap just because I want to. :)

And now, I am going to take time to read a book and go to bed early.

Current Mood: warm and sleepy...drinking tea made with fresh stevia leaves (I forgot to mention the herb garden I planted that is providing me with even more fresh deliciousness)
Currently Listening to: Beethoven's String Quartet No. 5 in A Major
Currently Reading: Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Tales of a 5K Nothing

2008-02-11T07:46:00.000-05:00

subtitled: I Paid Money* for Pain.

Yesterday morning was the Florida Hospital Lady's Track Shack 5k. After 5 days of grueling preparation, I was ready. Oh wait. That's right. I didn't prepare.

As we arrived at the starting area, we saw signs that designated what kind of mile you run. There were 6, 7, 8, 9, 10+ minute mile signs, and then a sign that said "walkers" (not to be confused with the device that aids one in walking). The three of us looked at each other, as if there was much of a decision to make, and headed to the 10+ minute mile section.

When the race began, I realized that there wouldn't be much running for the first minute, as it is somewhat difficult to run when there are 1000 people right in front of you. Once we cleared the bottleneck, the running began. We ran surprisingly longer than I expected. (in case I haven't made this clear I don't really run much. Or ever.) Hitting the first mile (a combo of running and walking of course) was exciting. There was a little mile marker and a clock that let us know how long it took. As we approached it, we saw that it had not quite been 15 minutes yet, so we suddenly sprinted to be sure we got in under the 15 mark and then cheered wildly at our accomplishment. People around us were amused.

Somewhere into the second mile my sister attempted to point out a squirrel, but the lack of air in her lungs led to a very weak and breathy "squuiiirrelll" which set us off laughing. Which stalled out any running. Laughing and running are two things I can't do at the same time.

Shortly after that, we hit the halfway mark, where there were volunteers providing us with a tiny Dixie cup, half filled with water. The water to Dixie cup ratio resulted in quenching your thirst with liquid that tasted a lot like, well, Dixie cup.

Second mile marker I didn't even see. It may have had something to do with the man standing on the corner we rounded yelling (yes, truly yelling) at us, "Don't walk! No walking!" It was more of a "I will kill you" yell, then a "way to go" one. So, of course, we ran, all the while yelling back that negative reinforcement was our favorite motivators. (and again, there was amusement to be had by the crowd around us). Fortunately, Linds noticed the mile marker and our time - 31 minutes.

The next corner we rounded was manned by a police officer, who yelled "GO NEW YORK!" as we passed. I realized that he was talking to me (I was wearing a Yankees cap), so I felt the need to run again. I didn't want to let my new NY friend down.

The last mile was tough. My heart was not happy with me. My sister kept wondering aloud why her legs were itching so much, and our third friend kept wanting to run more. I was very happy as I realized we were approaching the third mile. And then I remembered that 5k is slightly more than three miles. So we started to run again - we could see the finish and the big clock and were so close. Run run run. As we ran the last .1 mile, I could feel the valves of my heart that actually work properly cursing me, but there was now a crowd of people on the sides cheering us in, and as much as I wanted to give up and just walk it in, I kept running.

47 minutes and some number of seconds I didn't quite care about - I had finished my first 5k. I felt like I was going to pass out, and was wondering if there was a defibrillator close by, but I finished.

Despite the pain during the run (and, oh my, the pain now) I have plans to do another in April, although this time, I will actually prepare.

Can anyone tell me at what point exactly I became this special brand of crazy?

Listening to: The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by the Postal Service
Current Mood: Feeling good! Oh, except for my abs, shins, butt, thighs, etc...

*the money was for a good cause - the proceeds went to the local hospital's breast screening program, which pays for screening and mammograms for women who can't afford it

Awesome

2008-02-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

My favorite response to my decision to participate in a 5k this weekend comes from my mother:

"Have you done an ANY K?"

It's so perfect, it deserved its own entry.

Run, Freedom, Run!

2008-02-04T21:36:00.001-05:00

Phone conversation with a friend this evening went something like this:

"So you want me to sign you up?"

"Yeah, why not. It's for a good cause, right?"

"Yeah. It starts at 7:30. We can park at my office and walk over."

"Ok. Sounds fun."

And with that, I signed up for a 5k. This Sunday. The long time readers of this blog will recall that I have mentioned in the past that I generally only choose to run if chased. And even then, if I think I have decent odds bludgeoning the pursuer with a tree limb or whatever else is close at hand, I will probably take my chances.

Yet, Sunday, a mere 5 days from now, I will be participating in an event where I am expected to move my legs at a pace faster than the one that gets my from my computer to my coffee maker.

I decided (about 10 minutes ago) that maybe I should read how one goes about preparing for a 5k. I clicked on the first thing google spat back at me and right off the bat, I was told:

"If you have not attempted running before you may want to go easy first, so that your body can get used to this activity, more specifically your legs. You will have cramps, a lot of uneasiness and will find yourself gasping for breath most of the time. You will have a lot of sore muscles. You might even wonder whether this is for you, believe us this is for you. Don't give up."

I am about to participate in an activity that causes cramps, uneasiness, and shortness of breath. These sound like things I should be avoiding. Or taking medication to eliminate. And yet the internet people are telling me this IS for me. As I continue to read, I see that the plan for preparation they have laid out is an 8 week plan. This proves to be problematic, as I only have five days. At this point, I ask Google to show me how to pretend to prepare for a 5k, but Google fails me.

But wait? What's this?

"You've just turned 50 and you've decided to run your first 5K. Why not? You already exercise. And even though you're not a competitive athlete, you've wanted to do it for quite awhile. Now you have the time and motivation to prepare."

This site sounds like it may be more my speed. What does the AARP recommend?

Get organized. Make a training schedule to help you stay consistent and on track. - Check. My training schedule currently consists of Dudley's daily walks, a little pilates to prevent pulling anything, and...well, that's it. But I am organized about it.

Go easy. Don't overdo it. Set reachable goals so you don't get discouraged or hurt. - A 5k is approximately 3 miles. So my goal is to finish no later than 10:30. 1 mph. That sounds reachable, eh?

Eat well, stay hydrated. Experts recommend a wide variety of minimally processed foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Drink more water than you think you need before, during, and after workouts. - Does this mean stopping for a fruit smoothie half way through is a good idea?

Love your body. Be sure to get enough rest - don't let yourself get run down. - Sleeping is VERY important. So in order to prepare for the 5k, I will be sleeping more. Midday naps start tomorrow.

Buy quality gear and clothes. Make sure you have all the equipment you need for your event. - Sneakers? Check. Layering of sports bras? Double check.

Don't mess with Mother Nature. Be careful when it gets hot - drink plenty of water, wear light clothing, and try to stay in the shade. - This is Florida. If they wanted us to be careful about the heat, they probably shouldn't have planned a 5k within state lines.

Have fun! Enjoy the benefits your mind and body are reaping from physical activity. - In all seriousness, this is what I am looking forward to. I am going on this excursion with a friend and my sister, which guarantees high entertainment value. Add in the fact that we are all non-runners and will probably still be half asleep when we start the race, and I am pretty sure hilarity will ensue. Is it possible to kicked out of a 5k?

So, I will be updating you all after the weekend on the results of the 5k. Who knows? Maybe this will inspire me to actually train for one properly.

What? Stranger things have happened.

Currently listening to: The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson
Current Mood: Sleepy. See? I am already preparing...

The Forecast is Optimistic

2008-02-01T17:54:00.000-05:00

As you may or may not have noticed, I changed the template I use for this blog (again). This one felt clean and light (neither of which I am feeling at this precise moment. ha! and also, ew!)

One thing I noticed after making the change, was the post count it gives by year and month for the blog. So if you all will take a moment to look to the right of your screen (uhhh...the other right...the hand that makes the backwards L) you will notice that in '05, when I started this blog, I posted 119 times. Not a daily blogger, but respectable. Enough to make you check back on a regular basis.

The following year, I had dropped to posting only a third as much (look at me and my use of fractions...woot.)

This past year - 10 posts. Not even a monthly update. So sad.

So I have resolved (not be confused with "I made a resolution") to post more regularly this year. Considering I already am posting at 50% of last years activity, things are looking good. So expect some odd posts that arise solely from the need to post.

Not unlike this post.

Listening to: Run, Freedom, Run from Urinetown: The Musical
Current Mood: optimistic. i thought we covered that. you all really need to start listening better if I am going to post more. i mean, really.

Woo!

2008-01-31T13:12:00.000-05:00

...And March's vacation location is....

Vacation Planning...

2008-01-30T18:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a long while since we've taken a real vacation, one that didn't involve visiting people/places we already know. So we broke down and did a little planning.

We originally were looking at going the cruise route. Lots of people we know LOVE cruises, and the idea that everything is there - activities, food, places to laze about - seemed promising.

But after much researching, we came to a non-cruise decision. And I am VERY excited.

When I was about 11 or so, some friends of the family told me about this wonderful place where they vacationed. The clearest water they had ever seen, perfect weather, turtles (particularly appealing facet to an 11 yr old me); this place had everything as far as I was concerned.

And now I am going. We are finalizing the dates this evening for early March.

Wanna know where? Do 'ya?

Newbie

2008-01-16T19:19:00.000-05:00

So I realized that I mentioned in an earlier post that I was excited that there would be a new little person in my life. I neglected to go back and clarify that this new little person is my oldest brother's first kid, a little boy. They've yet to pick out a name, although we for some reason refer to him as Vladmir when talking about him (my brother programmed his wife's cell phone number in my phone as "Mom o'Vlad").

We threw a baby shower for them when they last visited a few weeks ago, which was great fun. Being that they live in Philly, we all felt the need to be sure that the baby was clothed solely by us for the next two years, or so it would appear by the massive amounts of clothes and shoes they went back with.

Mom o'Vlad recently posted on her blog about the baby kicking my brother in the face, which made me a proud aunt. I already think this kid is awesome and he isn't even out yet.

She is due in March, so I can not wait to meet him. With the parents he has, he is bound to be the smartest and funniest baby ever.

Babies are so cool (when you aren't the one having them :) ).

Listening to: Jackson Cannery by Ben Folds Five
Current Mood: Optimistic

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeze.

2008-01-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

...not to be confused with Wheezie.

I can't believe I have not written anything since November. I mean, I can believe it, but it's sad that I find myself so unreliable. But I've already told you all about my commitment issues, so the fact that this blog even still exists is a testament to me growing up and changing.

Or something.

I am sick with a horrible cold, for the second time in a span of about three weeks (if that). I managed to get well enough the first time to resemble a living being when visiting my corporate office in Massachusets last week. Then, upon my arrival home, I started the entire miserable cycle again. In my weakened state, I was not able to fend off the germs of a populated office, so I have been spending my day attempting to cover up my extremely nasally voice while talking to clients.

The joys of a sleepy immune system.

In other news, the wedding I attended in Seattle last month was wonderful. It was great to be able to be there for a friend who deserved it. I was happy to play Carmelita* through the whole affair.

There probably won't be a ton of posting this month either, as I am off to L.A. on Monday for a conference.

So this was mostly a pointless post, to let you all know I am alive. And movin' on up...to the east side.

Favorite reference of the day: "It's like the Donner Party here!" Most of my fellow employees were snowed in today, leading one of the higher ups to say the above. I wanted to comment on the disturbing scene that painted if he were to run out of oxen, but then I worried that there might be another Donner Party he was referring to, and left it alone.

Current Mood: I am too out of it to have a mood. I merely exist at this point.

Currently Listening to: The Secret Marriage by Sting

*Carmelita is my former roomies' make believe maid, whom they blame when things aren't tidy...

non sequitur

2007-11-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

I'm so tired. And it's only 9:30. Gah.

I haven't posted since August, and I am having the extreme guilts about it. I sometimes will think, "That was interesting, I should blog about it" in the course of my day, but then the being tired at obscenely early hours takes over.

So now, that I am actually sitting down, scanning iTunes for some new music, and forcing myself to post, I have nothing to talk about.

(it was just pointed out to me that I am audibly breathing weird...I just had to explain that sometimes I forget to breathe. welcome to the wonder that is my brain...forget walking and talking at the same time, I evidently can't breathe and type at the same time)

So what's new?

The puppy is improving in his ability to use only the outdoors as a bathroom, in part thanks to the many regular walks we take throughout the day.

I found out I am having a (edited until the mom posts about it first :) ). Which means buying lots of tiny adorable clothes and shoes. You know what looks cute when it's small? Everything. I am going to go broke.

I am off to Seattle in a week and a half to attend the wedding of one of my fabulous former roomies. I haven't taken a vacation since...well I can't really remember the last time I took a vacation, so I can not wait.

When I return, my living/dining/office area will have new floors.

I am in the process of figuring out what kinds of plants I want to plant in our flowerbed (since we have successfully killed everything off). I have killed every plant I have ever owned, so this should be interesting.

A strange looking mime waved to me as I was on the way to the store today. And I realized that my fear of clowns evidently extends to anyone who paints the majority of their face. Creepy.

So...random and useless information, no?

Hopefully coming back from Seattle will mean stories and pictures worth posting.

Until then....

Currently Listening to: Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John
Currently Downloading: Once (Movie Soundtrack)
Currently Comparing: Paramore's lead singer on Misery Business to Save Ferris. Just Me?

It's Me!

2007-08-27T06:42:00.000-04:00

And it's early!

Well, early for me. Especially considering I have been up and active for over an hour already this morning.

So this would be an opportune time to catch you all up, as I have basically abandoned the blog this past summer. It would be lovely to say I was taking an extended vacation from everything, but that was not so much the case.

And so, the highlights since last post:

May 31st - We closed on our new house. I am now a home owner. Which is exciting and also makes me feel old.

June 8th - Moving day. The week leading up to this day involved lots of packing, and painting what was the kids room in the new house. You know what isn't fun? Painting a room when you have no power and it's already 6 o' clock. It's dark, hot and fumey. But I managed to get it done, with some assistance from family members.

June 19th - You know what you should do when you have barely settled into your new digs? Leave for a week. Took a last minute business trip to New York, although I can't complain too much. Staying in a nice hotel in the city is not a bad deal when someone else is paying.

July - I don't really know what happened to July. I do know I fell. I was on the phone in my bathroom, cleaning the tub. I went to step out of the tub (which is a wide step out and a slight step down) and lost the front foot. Phone went flying, and I more or less did a split, which I do not have the skillset to perform. I couldn't walk for two days. July hates me.

August 3rd - My 10 yr reunion! Yeah, I didn't attend.

August 5th - Another trip to the Northeast US, this time, Boston. Or more accurately Waltham, to my company's HQ.

August 25th - I adopted a puppy.

WHAT??!!

Yes, I adopted a puppy. His name is Dudley. We are still deciding what exactly he is. The shelter said he was a Pug mix, specifically a Puggle (one of those "designer breeds" - this would be Pug and Beagle). However, he is not a Puggle. Or a Popple. (Oh! The 80's were so cool...)

We have decided that he is a Chibug or a Chugger or Boghuahua. To be more precise, we think he is a boxer mixed with some pug and chihuahua. So he looks like a small boxer with slightly larger eyes that usual.

Dudley (that is the name he came with) is 6 months old, and while he is attentive and seems very smart, he has not been trained. So I am working at having a regular "let's go outside, instead of in the house" schedule. He seems to enjoy peeing in front of guests. (who wants to come over? :) )

Oh, and for those of you thinking I am selfish getting a puppy who will have to be home by itself while I work, did I forget to mention that I work from my house 4 days a week now?

That's right. Shame on you for thinking I was selfish.

And now, back to work.

Listening to: My Funny Valentine by Micahel Buble
Current Mood: is waking up a mood?

Nice.

2007-05-09T17:09:00.000-04:00

Yo, yo!

I decided it would be best to take a little time away from the work laptop to move over to the "play" laptop and blog, so this doesn't become a once a month occurrence. (I am not in the mood to check my spelling today, so please excuse any errors in today's post.)

The recent events in my life:

Starting last Tuesday, I have been feeling less than well. I had a fever and felt my heart pounding harder and faster than usual. With the back flow issues that my heart is susceptible to, I find it very disconcerting when my heart acts funny, especially for long periods of time. I made an appointment with a new doctor for this week (since I still have not settled on a primary care physician, due to my last physician's decision to prescribe meds that contained an ingredient I told her I was allergic to - way to go Med school!).

Yesterday was my appointment. The usual (for me) took place. A conversation about my 800 symptoms, comments on the fact that I look 18, not 28, and further conversation on my non-existent blood pressur ensued. (My blood pressure obviously exists, but it is VERY quiet. Nurses and EMT's have always experienced much difficulty in hearing it.) I was prescribed several meds, for my heart fluttering, for pain, for nausea that might come with the pain - nothing terribly out of the ordinary. Just a new run of drugs.

This morning was my appointment with the lab for the blood draw (4 vials! ugh) and urinalysis (which is oh-so-fun, as it would appear that no matter how badly I have to pee, my body freezes at the thought of peeing into a cup). So at home I sit this week, still working, but comfortable on my couch, with easy access to meds, water, and the reassuring feeling that if I were to pass out, I am in my own house. I return to the doc for more testing and review of the labs on Tuesday.

The meds are pleasant so far, which is suprising, since most meds I have tried have "interesting" side effects. One of the meds just makes me feel...nice. I can think of a better way to describe it at the moment. Not drunk, not tired, just...nice. And the pain meds actually accomplish eliminating pain with just a bit of drowsiness (these are controlled substances that I am not allowed to drive, operate heavy machinery, etc on, ergo the suprise that there are no weird side effects yet.)

So, at the moment, I am no closer to having any reason for why I am falling apart at such a young age, but at least I am one step closer to finding some relief.

Speaking of age, the hubby and I were driving the other day and he got pulled over (one of those speed traps where the limit changes 10 feet away from where you are). We were within less than 1 mile of the house and I had, for some reason, not put my seat belt on yet. The cop, after asking for license and registration, said the following:

"Is there a reason your daughter is not in her seat belt?"

Yes, the cop mistook me for his daughter. Those of you who have seen my husband know that he does not exceedingly old. Even with his greying hair, he still looks very much his age (39). Which can only mean that I look like a teenager still. I even had makeup on and brushed my hair! Even after he told the cop that I was his wife, the cop leaned forward to look at me, and asked if I was old enough to receive the citation for not wearing a seat belt (and he used that voice you use with someone who is not an adult).

I guess I should take all this as a compliment. Ew. I am finally old enough to consider looking younger a good thing.

In other news, the WW diet is going really well. 9 pounds down (according to the doc's scale). Good to have some good news this month!

Listening to: Hickory Dickory Dock by Wynton Marsalis (off of one of my FAVORITE jazz albums)
Current Mood: Nice.

How Many Points in a Tear?

2007-04-25T21:22:00.000-04:00

Hi! Much neglect, and the same story as always - life just seems to get in the way of my blog. There could be worse things, I guess.

Work has been very hectic, and I am learning that when you are in sales, the end of the month is brutal. 'Nuff said.

The new house adventure is progressing nicely. We are closing in May, and are planning (so long as things work the way they should) to move in over Labor Day weekend. The house is closer to all the important things in life, so I am looking forward to it. Looking forward to the extra minutes of sleep living closer to everything in life will afford me.

On the "lose weight, feel great" front, I have started doing Weight Watchers. Yup...I know. I have mentioned them in the past, and I am pretty sure that I wouldn't try them, as they require that I do math. How many points is that? How many points have I eaten? And so on.

But...my brother and sister-in-law have been doing WW and have had great results. Visible results. So, currently, if you run into me at Publix it is likely that I will be staring at the Nutrition Facts on something, or typing numbers into my handy-dandy WW calculator (yes, I have a calculator specifically designed for figuring out points, thanks to my sis-in-law).

As much as I want to hate this diet, it is already working, and I am not starving myself - I actually eat more, just healthier. So updates shall be forthcoming, I'm sure.

I plan to post again before the month ends...

Current Mood: Sleepy, slightly stressed, and a bit teary from watching children in Africa, but otherwise suprisingly at peace

Currently Listening to: Elvis and Celine Dion duet...weird. In other news, what was the big deal about Elvis? Am I the only person on the planet who doesn't like him?

DEUCE!

2007-03-31T23:39:00.000-04:00

I forgot! March also brought aging with it.

As of the 27th, I am now 28. Dangerously close to thirty.

I may have to take that "List of things I will do before 30" more seriously now.

(...and with that, I posted twice in March. Boo-yah!)

March!

2007-03-31T22:57:00.000-04:00

Wha' happened!?

Sorry, once again, for my great neglect. I figured if I jumped on here and said something before the evening ends, at least I didn't let the blog go blank for an entire month.

I have good excuses, though. I promise. No, really. Don't give me that look.

The first week of the month I was travelling - another TRAFFIC conference in Vegas (ooo...I just revealed something about my job - ready, set, GOOGLE!). While I generally enjoy traveling for work, there is something about Vegas, aside from the 5 hour flight, that I find absolutely draining. I returned exhausted, only to be greeted by an earlier than usual time change that robbed me of yet another valuable hour of sleep.

If I could have spent the month playing catch up on the sleep deficit presented in the beginning of the month, I would have.

But, with the changes in my job, (wait for it...another reveal!) I have been busier than expected. New bosses, new position, new office; it has been busy to say the least.

In addition, there has been the stress of waiting around to find out about a friend who was enduring all sorts of scary tests, who was diagnosed with a scary rare disease, only to find out that the diagnosis was not final, and was in fact, incorrect...then waiting for the real diagnosis. (Happily, she is ok - and no doubt looking fantastic as ever ;) )

But wait, there's more! There has been casual house hunting intermingled in all the madness. Casual house hunting that somehow resulted in placing an offer on a house and now being in the process of signing lots of papers and nodding like I understand what is going on. (No, escrow is not a leafy green vegetable favored by Italians, served best with garlic and olive oil...)

Is that all? Probably not. The discovery that caffeine IS in fact as bad for my sensitive heart as they say (this was confirmed by the shakes and jitters) has been a joy. And, well, I won't go into detail about what happens when you mistakenly take t0o many magnesium pills, but I will say that you shouldn't try it.

So how is that for a March update?

I will be back in April...when in April has yet to be determined. And at some point, I will start posting pictures again.

Currently listening to: the sweet sounds of Vincent D'Onofrio's voice (Law and Order is on the TV)
Current Mood: Jittery. There is caffeine in far too many over the counter pain killers...

Feb BRU rary

2007-02-05T19:01:00.000-05:00

Conversation the other day in my office:

Sister on Phone: Tell D (my German coworker) I said, 'wassup'.
Me (to coworker): My sister says, 'wassup'.
Coworker: Why?
Me: It's Black History Month. She's representin' our 3%.
Coworker: Really?
Me: Sure.
Coworker: Wow.

On the same day, discussing Beyonce's Irreplaceable:

Male Coworker: So what does that song mean, anyway? 'To the left'?
Me: That's where the guy's stuff is. In a box. On the left. She wants him to know that he can take what is in the box. And only what is in the box, cause she paid for everything else.
Male Coworker: But why?
Me: Cause he is no good, so he needs to get ta' steppin.
Male Coworker: Get to what?
Me: Steppin'. He needs to leave. She doesn't need him anymore - and she can have a better man in a minute because she is a strong black woman.
Male Coworker: *looks confused* Oh.

Man, my office is white.

CHOMP..chomp...chomp

2007-02-05T18:45:00.000-05:00

This morning was my first TMJ therapy session.

After meeting my chiropractor for my rib a week or so ago, I asked him about the constant popping sound my jaw was making (it is really loud - upon checking it out, the doctor said, "you can't sneak up on anyone, can you?"... which I guess would be true, if I snuck up on people like I was PacMan). It has been making it for some time, but I am trying to be better about taking care of myself, so I decided it was about time that I address the problem. As a result, Dr. Levine set me up for an appointment with one of his massage therapists. Since I love my chiropractor and I love massage, I couldn't imagine that this would be a bad thing.

When I arrived, I was shown to one of the massage rooms and the therapist worked on my neck and shoulders for a while. This seemed like the kind of therapy I would enjoy. The work moved to my head and face, which was still enjoyable...and then the latex gloves went on. And he asked me to open my mouth.

And then there was pain.

For anyone who ever has to have this therapy, I would like to forewarn you, it is painful. Think dental work painful.

But I suffered through it. No tears, no whimpering, just lots of slow breathing. When I could remember to breathe. (I forgot several times.)

The good thing is that my jaw is popping way less already. And this may help my headaches. So with pain, there is hope.

Current Mood: Aside from a slightly sore jaw, just dandy
Currently Listening to: Jon Cusack

New Addition

2007-01-29T20:03:00.000-05:00

Since the cat count in our home had dwindled down to one (Sasha and Bink are both gone), we decided a few weeks ago that the remaining cat, Elliot, needed a friend. So after spending an afternoon visiting many a shelter, we decided on a 4 month old kitten named Oliver.

Oliver's extremely soft spotted coat made me curious, so after a little research, I discovered that he is a Bengal. In reading more about his breed, it seems that many agree that these cats show a lot of doglike qualities.

One of these qualities that Oliver (we still have not determined if that is going to be his permanent name - feel free to recommend...) shows that is very doglike is his love of fetch. His favorite thing to do is chase a rolled up piece of paper, pick it up, bring it to one of us, then wait for the throw. Then it starts all over again. It would probably get old if he wasn't so cute.

I'll have to take a picture someday soon, but until then, he looks a lot like this.

In other news, I popped a rib on Friday. (Yup, again.) Fortunately, I went to the chiropractor first thing this time and that managed to keep me from experiencing the same level of pain I had last time (Dr. Levine is the best!). Under doctor's orders, I went in for a massage before my adjustement today.

Every day should begin like today - listen to Steve Harvey on the way in to work, get a massage, then get to the office at about 9:30. Just as productive, but in a much better mood. I highly recommend it.

Currently Watching: Scrubs
Current Mood: Relaxed
Words of Wisdom for the Day: "Don't jump from the fish grease to the chicken grease..."

Funny Girl

2007-01-19T18:52:00.000-05:00

Last night I was talking with two youngs girls, young enough to (sadly) be my own kids. (Frightening, eh?) While I joked with them about whatever silliness we were discussing, one of them informed me of the following:

"You are a funny girl adult."

To which I responded:

"Better than being a funny boy adult."

I then asked if it was a bad thing to be a funny girl adult. I was informed that it was not bad, just strange. Evidently, there are many funny boy adults in this world, but when girls become adults, they become serious. They tell you stories about purses and clothes and while they may laugh, they are NOT funny. They agreed that a funny girl adult is something they like, but they had to think about it, since it hadn't come up before.

I was happy to hear that I can be counted among such a small minority. And sad to hear that as a gender, we are so dull to be around.

Listening to: Hints by Jose Gonzalez
Current Mood: HUNGRY...and I was going to order food, because food cooked and brought to me is the best kind of food when I am starving, but the place is not answering the phone. Curse them.

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

2006-12-30T18:39:00.000-05:00

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

Food, Glorious Food

2006-12-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

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

in Absentia

2006-11-29T19:40:00.000-05:00

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)

How Much Does a Lung Weigh...

2006-11-07T18:48:00.000-05:00

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......

Weight a minute....

2006-11-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

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.

Fitness Redux (or Retrix?)

2006-11-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

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...

Nelgect

2006-10-16T16:50:00.000-04:00

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...

Highlights

2006-09-21T12:39:00.000-04:00

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....

New Music Monday

2006-09-04T18:44:00.000-04:00

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: ?

The Demand for Camel's Milk is On the Rise

2006-08-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

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

Post, post, post

2006-08-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

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.

...

2006-08-02T20:22:00.000-04:00

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.

The Save Sasha Initiative

2006-07-31T19:46:00.000-04:00

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.

Too Busy to Blog...

2006-07-18T15:55:00.000-04:00

So you get this instead...

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Writer's Block

2006-07-04T19:00:00.000-04:00

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! :)

New and Improved

2006-06-27T21:47:00.000-04:00

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

In Other's Words...

2006-06-15T22:46:00.000-04:00

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.

Blue Tags

2006-06-07T21:48:00.000-04:00

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

Mall Hair

2006-06-05T20:20:00.000-04:00

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

Lists and Learning

2006-06-03T21:53:00.000-04:00

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.

Gym Revisited...

2006-05-30T19:22:00.000-04:00

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!)..

Playing Doctor

2006-05-08T19:46:00.000-04:00

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....)

2006-05-06T15:20:00.000-04:00

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.

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

2006-04-26T19:48:00.000-04:00

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.

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.

I'd Rather Be...

2006-04-18T01:59:00.000-04:00

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

...

2006-04-12T16:44:00.000-04:00

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.

I'm a Big Kid Now....

2006-04-07T18:15:00.000-04:00

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...

Oh, Crap!

2006-04-06T08:24:00.000-04:00

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.

Doctors, Doppler, Drugs, and 'Dos

2006-03-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

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

2006-03-27T13:23:00.000-05:00

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

Dead Man Walking

2006-03-13T16:03:00.000-05:00

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.

Blood in the Water

2006-03-09T19:03:00.000-05:00

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)

The Misadventures of Thing 1 and Thing 2

2006-03-07T17:48:00.000-05:00

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

Updates and such

2006-03-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

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

Happy Blogiversary!

2006-02-17T17:36:00.000-05:00

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

Another Reason to Go to MadagascARRRRR

2006-02-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

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.

Waxing Quixotic

2006-02-08T19:33:00.000-05:00

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)

Useless Information In My Head

2006-02-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

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!)

Home Work

2006-01-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

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.

Bears and HDTV

2006-01-22T19:48:00.000-05:00

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

A post!!

2006-01-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

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.....

Book Recommendations

2005-12-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

Best two books ever!

Caldecott Award Winner!

My Favorite...

I highly recommend reading them aloud with a friend in the children's section of your local bookstore. I love this pigeon. He's real.

So go! Now!

An Open Letter

2005-12-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Christmas Sweater Lady,

It is not my fault that you chose to shop today. So please, stop eyeing my grocery cart as if I stole milk from your starving child.

Sincerely,

Shopping for Breakfast

Dear SUV with a Christmas Wreath on the front,

I am pretty sure that the date for Christmas is posted somewhere. Had you planned ahead, you wouldn't need the parking spot that I just pulled into. Calm down. Walking that extra twenty feet to the Target will probably keep you from getting a heart attack for Christmas anyway. Consider it my gift to you.

Warmest Regards,

I'm In the Shorter Line Too

...but seriously folks, why is it that those who celebrate this holiday don't plan ahead? I guess I will never understand....

Today's Observations

2005-12-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

This morning I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts to get an Egg and Cheese croissant and some donuts for my coworkers. Being that it was a chilly morning and I did not sleep too well last night, I decided a coffee was in order as well. As I pulled up to the drive thru window to accept my goods, the girl handed me my coffee cup and the sleeve for it. Not the sleeve over the cup, just with the cup. I wondered if Dunkin' Donuts' training program had forgotten to include an explanation of what the sleeve is for, and the importance of it actually being AROUND the cup, rather than next to it. I pondered this while my hand was seared in the distance from the window to my cup holder...

A woman driving on the wrong side of the parking lot was visibly angry with me for being in her way. In her way because I had the nerve to be driving on the correct side of the parking lot. Her Christmas ornament earrings swayed back and forth as she spewed forth what I am sure must have been holiday greetings in my direction. I watched in my rearview as her Jesus-fish tagged SUV fumbled out onto the highway...

On the drive home, a man on a motorcycle caught my eye, as he zipped down the road in shorts. His legs, his very large legs, were beet red from the cold wind that slapped them as he rode. His shorts had ridden up from a combination of his girth and the wind to an almost obscene height. As we neared a red light, I watched as he gave car passengers next to him the "nod of acknowledgement". I couldn't decide if I envied his level of confidence, or if it supported my belief that too much confidence was a dangerous thing. He then shot snot out of his nose, making my decision far easier...

Listening to: Out of L.A. by Jude
Current Mood: contemplative
Currently Contemplating: personality disorders and the purchase of a domain name

Hiding Out....

2005-12-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

Today is one of those days that I am relieved that a lot of the communication I do in my job is over e-mail. It is cold and grey outside and I would much rather be sitting in a coffee shop writing in my notebook (especially when I have ideas a'brewin'). But, alas, the bills must be paid.

I thought yous guys deserved some sort of update.

Work has still been very busy - but thankfully a new employee will be starting in January, so hopefully things will be slightly less crazy. At least being busy tends to make the day go by quicker.

Other than that there hasn't been too much excitement. I have a story in my head that needs to make its way to paper at some point, so I am looking forward to the little bit of time off I will have the in the next few weeks. It's been forever since I have been able to just sit down and write.

Hopefully there will be time for more exciting tales to tell in the near future. For the moment, I am boring. Boo-hoo.

Currently Listening to: Pixie by Ani Difranco
Trying not to listen to: Elevator Jazz...what is up, Launchcast? Have you turned on me? (speaking of music, guess what is coming in the mail for me in the next few days? it's small and shiny....)
Currently Reading: info about Cyclothymic Disorder and BPD
If I could be any creature with a hard shell I would be....a hermit crab.

Dressing Room Music

2005-12-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

I had to take a moment from doing some laundry to let you all know I am dancing around my apartment at the moment.

I am listening to Michale Buble's "It's Time". I purchased it the other day after seeing his Great Performances concert on PBS. (That may have been one of the geekier sentences I have uttered in recent times.)

But seriously, this is happy music. It makes you want to dance around the house. Is it wrong that I love this cd and I am not over 40?

If they piped the first track, "Feeling Good" into dressing rooms, I would be less likely to make stabbing motions at the mirror when trying on jeans. Instead I would dance. And I would think that my dancing looked good. ("Oh, so this music makes you delusional!")

I must get back to my happy and ridiculous dancing.

A Terrible Foe

2005-12-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

I am actually writing a post!

Yes, my neglect has been great. And I would probably be continuing my pattern of neglect (because I would normally be asleep prior to 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning...) but I was awakened by stomach pains, so here I am.

No. For the 197th time, I am not pregnant. Sheesh.

My stomach and I have a long history of animosity towards each other. I would treat it badly in high school, living off of Mountain Dews, Publix cookies, and Extra chewing gum. It would decide to get nauseous every time I ate for about a year or two.

In more recent times, it has allowed me to eat again, but nausea is still something I have the pleasure of experiencing frequently. It's latest trick is being painfully hungry at about 5 a.m. This means if I wake up later than that, I have a headache AND I am nauseous. Yay for me.

So here I sit, with my bowl of fruit, taking this rare bit of time I now have to talk to you all. (Or ya'll, as I should be saying, now that it has been a full year back in Florida)

Why so busy lately? My work days have been very full...so by time I come home and take care of all the regular day to day things one takes care of at the end of the day, I don't particularly feel like sitting in front of the computer. One of the reasons work has become so much busier is the hiring and subsequent firing of someone at work.

When I arrived back from Nicaragua, my company had hired someone new. I knew about this prior to my trip, so I knew that I would be training this person on support duties when I got back. I was happy to be training someone new, as this would take some work off of me. That is, once she was trained. Until that happened, I would actually have extra work.

So Wednesday morning, I show up a little early, to get myself situated before she comes in. She arrives, and the training begins. Her liberal application of a perfume made my eyes water and my head pound. This was not the way to start. Despite the pain I was now in and my inability to breath normally around her, I kept a positive attitude. Someone's aroma is not an automatic disqualification from a job. (I used to work with a guy everyone nicknamed "Fumes" when I was in high school - he was a hard worker, despite the smell).

Attitude, however, is something I find more difficult to tolerate. As we started the training, I would try to explain things to the trainee and she would interrupt me. Not interrupt, like waiting for me to take a breath and then jumping in, but completely jumping in mid-word, asking completely unrelated questions. At first, this habit was merely annoying. I kept telling myself that she was just eager to learn, which is a good sign in an employee, right?

That's when the correcting began. Now, believe it or not, I have a very high level of tolerance and patience when teaching/training. The combination of teaching know-it-all techies and 5 year old children gives you a special kind of patience. I may go home and scream at the end of the day, but I remain collected and understanding while with my student/trainee. One thing that I can not stand, is a student who very obviously has NO knowledge of a subject, yet believes that they can correct everyone else, including the teacher. My trainee was one of those people. The first time she did it, I was in shock. I just stared at her for a moment, not sure what to say, then simply said "no, that's not how that works," and proceeded to go back to explain the proper procedure.

This process of being corrected by her and having to readjust her way of thinking went on throughout the day. By the end of the day, I was very ready to go home. Before I left she started asking me about the job placement agency I got my job through. I was placed in my position through the same placement company that sent her, but this was information that she didn't need to know. She started asking me questions about who I worked with. She then showed me a piece of paper that the agency had printed out, that was obviously not meant for anyone outside of the agency, that mentioned that "this candidate (her) should not expect to be promoted as quickly as" and then there was my name.

I looked at her in disbelief. She had been bugging me during the day about who I worked with at the agency, and I had told her I didn't remember. She now showed me this paper and said, "See, you know them, why did you say you didn't know them?" She has essentially just accused me of lying. I do not care for being falsely accused. I looked at her and explained that I never said I didn't know the agency, I just didn't remember who I worked with. She continued to "accuse" me, so I just turned around and walked out the door.

This was all in one day.

The next day, I decided that I would try extra hard to be understanding. I was tired and getting over being sick and getting back from my trip, so I could have been moody. Maybe I was being picky about her behavior. Maybe I was stressed knowing that I had a hundred things to catch up on. So I showed up even earlier, got caught up on a few things, and prepared for her arrival.

This day was NO better.

At one point while I was training her, I stopped talking for a moment to set something up on her computer and she got up and left. Not a word. I figured maybe she suddenly needed to use the restroom, and just didn't have the "home training" to excuse herself from the training. Slightly annoyed, I finished what I was doing, then headed in the direction of her voice (she was not in the bathroom). I found her asking one of the guys a question that I had already answered. Evidently, she didn't like my answer, so she went elsewhere. The guy she asked is just about the nicest person you will ever meet, so he stopped what he was doing, got up, and came over to her workstation to explain things to her. Things that I had already explained.

If it had been a matter of her not understanding what I explained, I would have been less bothered. But that wasn't the case. She assumed that there was a shortcut to what I showed her. When I told her there wasn't, she evidently didn't believe me. The Cuban/Italian temper that I have been so good at controlling for so many, many years, was getting more difficult to contain.

By the end of the day, I was completely done with her. As I went to leave, she stopped me to ask a question (I stared at my imaginary watch several times) and then we had this lovely exchange:

Her: "Do you work two jobs?"

Me: (hand on the doorknob, tapping foot) "No."

Her: "Are you still sick or something?"

Me: "Uh...no."

Her: "oh."

Me: "Bye."

As I walked to my car, I thought about the string of questions. I thought about a random question she asked earlier in the day ("Do you have kids?") and I tried to connect the series together. What did they all have in common?

They are all reasons for being in a bad mood. She was trying to figure out why I wasn't paricularly friendly. I laughed at this revelation. Being unfriendly/moody is something I am unaccustomed to being considered. But evidently, she had managed to tap into my unfriendly side. Good job.

The next morning she was let go. I have never been so terribly relieved to see someone go. The thought of continuing to work with this woman stressed me out. For the rest of the day, whenever I answered the phone and smelled her lingering scent on the receiver I was reminded of how close I was to hating my job.

That was last Friday. This week has been much better, with only the usual stresses of the job. Usual stress is good. Busy, but good.

Hopefully the next person we hire will make for a less interesting story.

Listening to: We Shout by T.A.T.U
Current Mood: sleepy

Nicaragua Pictures

2005-12-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

If any of you would like to see the many photos I took while in Nicaragua, I posted them on Snapfish. Send me a message if you didn't get the e-mail :).

2005-12-03T10:27:00.001-05:00

Wrath of the Volcano

2005-12-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

Drinks of Choice

2005-12-03T10:26:00.002-05:00

In Granada

2005-12-03T10:26:00.001-05:00

On our way

2005-12-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

First Meal - Plato Tipico Nicaraguense

Post Trip

2005-12-03T10:09:00.000-05:00

I'm back!!

Actually, I have been back since Monday night, but the hectic week of work I returned to tired me out, so I haven't had much time to update the blog.

Even now, I don't have much time, but I thought I owed it to you all to at least let you know how the trip was.

Having never been anywhere in Latin America, I wasn't completely sure what to expect. Our friends who moved there this past summer have been telling us bits and pieces, but it was definitely something to experience for ourselves.

Nicaragua is a very poor country. While we were amazed at how inexpensive things were by American standards, we were equally suprised at how expensive some items were when you take into account how much people there are able to make.

It is wonderful to see how giving and kind many people we met were, despite how little they had.

In addition to meeting a lot of wonderful people, we got to see volcanoes, boiling mud pits, and eat lots of yummy food.

I know, more detail should be here. Perhaps I will have a chance to write more later. For now, I leave you with a few pics...more to come....

Baggage

2005-11-19T06:37:00.000-05:00

hi all...it is very early for me to be up on saturday. that is because we leave for our trip today.

our flight is out of miami, about 3-4 hours from here, so we have to pack up the rental car this morning and head down there to catch an afternoon flight. since we have 5 full size suitcases and 3 carry ons, and we live up three flights of stairs, the process of packing the car will take a little time.

before any of you start thinking that we are some kind of crazy with that many bags, we are bringing a lot of clothes and things to donate down there. and there are three of us going, not two.

i am excited - but i have to be quiet, as boys do not get up early if they can help it.

i will try to write an entry or so from Nicaragua...but if not you will get a full report when I return.

love to all my adoring fans..........

You Can't Spell Eyebrow without the OW

2005-11-14T20:02:00.000-05:00

I have a question.

How do you tell an aesthetician performing a brow wax that you are not happy with what they are doing? Think before you answer. You are trapped between their body and a chair, and they are armed with a bowl full of hot wax and sharp tweezers, which are already dangerously close to your eye. You are armed with only your charm and wit.

Yeah. That's right. It IS a difficult question.

Saturday, before I decided to go shopping, I went to have my brows "cleaned up", a bit of a necessity considering my Cuban/Italian heritage. (no way to avoid eyebrows ala Bert and Ernie) When I was living in Seattle, I found an aesthetician that I loved. She performed the procedure practically pain-free. I trusted her so much that I even went to her for a bikini wax (not so pain free). Moving to Florida, I had to find someone new. I have tried several since I have been here.

The first person I went to was a little Vietnamese woman who was doing my nails. She was inexpensive and I figured I could kill two birds with one stone by getting my brows done there. The key word there would probably be kill. She was not so pain free. She actually laughed when I flinched. The end result was nice, but I wasn't sure how I felt about someone who seemed to derive pleasure from my obvious discomfort.

The next woman couldn't stop talking about how "it was about time" I got them waxed. Rule number one of providing a salon service for me: Do not give me your "honest opinion" about my appearance. Not unless I ask. Or unless you are a gay man. So that was the end of contestant number 2.

Number three: crazy lady who I also tried in my run of hair stylists. She did a nice job on the brows, but I didn't care for my hair, and she was CRAZY. No matter how nicely shaped my eyebrows may have been, a crazy person cannot be trusted with items that can burn and maim me.

Next up, Russian lady in the pretty little hole in the wall salon down the road: After I insisted that I did not want thin eyebrows, over and over and over, she gave me thin eyebrows. Not a natural look for me.

Which brings me to our most recent candidate. Overpriced salon with a French name. I believe this is an attempt to make you think they are as cool as the French. I often find that it just means that they are as rude as the French are purported to be. I honestly think that the rumor of the French being rude comes from French named salons in America. Anyway, little blond person proceeds to wax my eyebrows. "Ow," I think to myself. Now just because it hurt didn't mean I should stop. Having tiny hairs pulled out of your head shouldn't feel nice. But this hurt a little more than usual. She acknowledged my flinching with the "I know, it doesn't feel good." So I am assuming there is no blood pouring down my face at this point.

Rip. Rip. Rippity rip. Then come the tweezers. There was actually a full-body flinch at this point, she just smiled and paused for a moment, then continued.

"All done." She handed me a mirror to examine. It appears that all of that ripping was only on the lower part of my eyebrow. No clean up had taken place on the upper part. I thought about mentioning this to her, but then the pain I was still experiencing made me think twice. She slapped some lotion on them, which kind of burned on the right side, and sent me over to the counter to pay.

I paid and then gave my eyebrows a closer look in the mirror when I got in my car. They were pretty red, but mine usually are after being waxed. I figured that maybe I had forgotten how much this process hurt.

Fast forward to that evening. Brows still red. Right side is actually a little puffy. These are not normal signs.

Today, a couple of days after the fact, I have visible abrasions on my right brow. Not pretty. And still painful.

So now I am going to battle with Beau Monde and their brow butcheress.

Listening to: Here With Me by Dido
Current Mood: Fierce! (but not really, just took a long bath, so I am far too relaxed for fierceness...) and also, apparently loving alliteration

Female Support

2005-11-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

For the small percentage of my readers who are male, don't worry, the following entry has nothing to do with shopping for undergarments. You may proceed safely...

Among the many tasks I have set before me on a daily basis at my new place of employment, member support is probably the one that takes the most time. It isn't all that different from teaching if you look at it from a different angle. When I did software training, I spent a lot of class time explaining things many times over, in many different ways. The key in my classes was to always make sure the student didn't feel dumb for asking a question (even if they asked it several times already) and to be very patient.

When people feel "dumb", their reaction is to place the blame on someone else rather than themselves. Nobody likes to think that they are unintelligent, so it is easier to believe that whatever it is they don't understand is severely flawed. And if you are the person associated with said flawed system, then you come under attack as well.

While I have had some irate people at times, I find that I have a slight advantage over the average support person. That is of course making the assumption that the "average" support person is male. My advantage then, as you may have guessed, is that I am female.

How exactly does this give me an advantage, you ask? (you don't really, but it makes me feel good to pretend you are interested)

I am not in anyway saying that as a female I am more intelligent, or that I am automatically more socially adept than a male, and therefore better equipped to handle more difficult people. In my experience of being the one supported, I would have to say that I often received more coherent and amiable support from males than females. So it wouldn't make sense for me to argue that just the mere fact that I am female is an automatic trump card in the world of support. Being female is merely a tool, that when used correctly, allows me to deal with situations in a way that I could not imagine working quite the same for a male.

For example, a member has a question to which I don't have an answer. I need time to obtain the answer, but this member is not going to take being on hold very well. Solution?

"Wow. You would ask me that question, wouldn't you? (--> insert charming laugh here) Well, tell you what, give me just a sec before I answer that, because I want to be sure I give you the correct information, k? (while digging up answer, engage in talk about the weather, or something that may interest the member, based on the little bit of information you have about them)"

Why do I think the above response needs a woman's delivery to be successful? Well, let's look at a comparison. Charming laugh from man to man does not usually go over too well. Charming laugh from man to woman comes off creepy, with the potential of being stalkeresque.** Charming laugh from woman to man has a proven succes rate of 97%*. Charming laugh from woman to woman comes off friendly. Winner? I think you all know.

But seriously, the support part of my job seems to be going well. It can be frustrating at times, but even the frustrating moments are often tempered with humor. And I do have to admit, I enjoy helping people (back to the why I enjoyed teaching...), so there is a pleasant feeling of accomplishment when someone thanks you, even if it took a long time to get them to that point.

So that's one aspect of the new job that, so far, is going well.

*may or may not be based on actual data
**may or may not be a real word

Listening to: Paper Doll by Rachael Yamagata
Current Mood: ...supportive?...
Currently Reading: Oh, c'mon...the same thing I was reading 10 minutes ago!

In Absentia

2005-11-09T19:10:00.000-05:00

I have been working for about a month now at my new job and I have said very little about what it is I do, which is probably a bit suprising considering how I tend to ramble about the most insignificant going-ons in my life.

The absence of any information about my job was due, in part, to the fact that the president of the company that I am now working for has my blog address. How did this happen? During the course of my interview, my writing ability came into question. In order to provide a sample of my writing "ability", I decided to rattle off my blog address. In all honesty, I did not expect the guy to check it out, so I didn't really give it a second thought.

However, after working there a few days, I sat down in front of my computer, prepared to write about my new job, and I thought to myself, what if he did actually read this? Not that I had anything negative to say. It was more of a discomfort knowing, yet not knowing, one of my readers.

To clarify, (since I am sure a couple of you went "wha?") the majority of the people that read this blog are people I am very close to. Family and friends that know me very, very well. These are people that I have an established comfort level with. Then there are those who may read this site that I am completely unaware of. Completely anonymous. This is also comfortable to me. I can't connect a real person with these anonymous readers, so I don't worry about possible judgements they may make about me.

Mr. President does not fall under either of these categories. He is someone I don't know well at all. Yet, I do know him, in that I see him on a fairly regular basis and we do have some interaction. End result? Weirdness in thinking that he may be reading my blog.

The other day he mentioned something he had read on my blog, so I know now that he has at least read it once. Whether he is or will be a regular reader remains a mystery.

Despite this fact, I have decided that I will have to write about my job here and there, as it does take up a large portion of my time, and there are things that I observe while working that I find interesting.

So Mr. President, if you are listening (er...reading), consider yourself warned.

Listening to: Paper Towel by Jude
Current Mood: good! went to the gym twice this week so far...mmmm the sweet smell of commitment
Currently reading: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (also reading the authors' blog)

Picture Time!

2005-11-04T20:53:00.000-05:00

There was a request by one of my many adoring fans (ha!) for recent photos of me. Being that I just finished dying my hair and it is all freshly styled, I figured this was as good a time as any.

And by good I mean terrible.

I hate having my picture taken. Hate hate hate. Sometimes I wish I was a member of one of those tribes who believe your soul is stolen when someone takes a photo of you. Then anytime someone goes to take my photo I can yell "SOUL STEALER!" and shake my fist at them. That would keep the picture taking to a minimum.

But because I love my "fans", I will set my vanity aside. And curse you all under my breath.

As an introduction, here is my poor husband, the "expert photographer" for the evening, who was coerced into taking about 100 photos before I could be convinced that I do not look like a cow in every one. He is a patient, patient man. Bless him. Him, and his David Brent-like pose.

"This is what it must be like to work with supermodels," he mused.

Of course, if I was going to be subjected to a series of photos, there would have to be quality mirror time. The expression on my face made it clear that I was not satisfied with how I looked, and yet my photographer insisted on taking this photo.

He felt it humanized me. It's important to be just like one of my adoring fans. They need to know that I have bad hair days too. Bad hair days and a messy closet.

The philosophy behind this shot? Everyone looks pretty blurry.

I like to share my dreams with my adoring fans as well. Take a close look at the following shot and you will see that I dream of...

...toilet paper. Perhaps my daydreaming is a good explanation for the lazy eye in this shot as well.

When I am not dreaming about Charmin softness, I enjoy a good cup of tea.

I also think about the "I'm a little teapot..." rhyme, and how it is so true. Short and stout. I really must get back to the gym.

And then I am back to the computer, talking to all of you again. My photographer is a fan of extreme closeup.

My pores and double chin are not.

And of course, a photo of me and my photographer.

(Actually, I love this accidental shot. The little bit of his silvery hair, pinky hued skin and blue eye(s), nexy to my olive skin, chocolate hair* and eyes just looks cool. The description of myself also makes me hungry.)

So now you have very up to date photos of us. Autographed copies will be made available for a nominal fee.

Listening to: I Was Meant for the Stage by The Decemberists
Current Mood: goofy

*did you notice that the dye/cut job did not turn out tragically? I, too, am shocked.

Self Destructive

2005-11-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

I am at this very moment dying my hair. This is what happens when I am bored.

The scary thing is that I am looking at a highlighting kit and seriously considering using it. This is NEVER a good idea. I have used them in the past. My hair never has those lovely even streaks that the pretty lady on the box is flaunting.

What else is there to blog about? Hmmm....good question. Let's see. Not too much. Which means, random list of unrelated items! Here it goes...

I made a declaration today to an officemate that Monday will mark my re-return to the gym. The idea is that once I say it, it must be done. I felt compelled to make this declaration as I now am officially a member of TWO gyms. There must be some sort of law against multiple unused memberships. You people really need to keep on me this time. It's getting embarassing.

Tommorrow I continue on my Nicaragua-shopping-quest. Last week, I sought out exotic spices to bring to my friends (turmeric and ground cardamom are more difficult to come across than one would think). This weekend, I shop for cotton sheets. I love shopping for other people. It's so much more fun. I will also be on the lookout for clothes that breathe.

I have decided that the Colbert Report is the only way I wish to have news delivered to me. Eat that Channel 9.

Yeah, that's about it. Dull.

There is a pair of scissors sitting next to the highlighting kit......hmmm.....stay tuned.

Listening to: St Augustine in Hell by Sting
Current Mood: fiesty...probably not the best mood to be in while dealing with scissors

Bad Day...

2005-11-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning, my grandfather passed away.

I was going to post about this yesterday, but I was a bit overwhelmed, unable to gather my thoughts.

It did not come as a surprise really. His health had been degrading for the past several months or so, and none of us expected him to last very long. My sister and I even discussed that it would probably be good if he went quickly, so he wouldn't suffer. It's funny how you can speak so practically about someone's death before it comes, but how your emotions kick in once it happens.

I got the call early in the morning, before 7. I missed a call from my mother, and since it was so early, I assumed it was important and got out of bed to call her back. My father answered and told me, "Abuelo died this morning." Before I could really say much he had passed the phone to my mother. We talked briefly, then I hung up and headed back to the bedroom. I looked at my husband, half awake and wondering why I was up on the phone, and I just started to cry. I loved my grandfather, although I wouldn't say we were especially close, so I was a little suprised at my own tears. After a little while, I was better and got ready for work.

At work, my mother called me to tell me that she and my father were driving to Miami for the funeral services, which would be held that evening. It was so soon that they didn't expect any of us to be there. I hung up the phone, and lost it again. I thought about my father. I was overwhelmed by just the thought of losing him, and how terrible it must for him to lose his father. I felt so helpless not being able to be there for him at his father's service. My boss kindly offered to send me home for the day, which I gladly accepted, as I could not seem to get the crying under control and I HATE crying in front of people.

Later that evening I called my grandmother, to say hi, as I didn't really know what else to say. This added a whole new layer of grief, as I thought about how I would be feeling if I had lost my husband. She and my grandfather had been together for many, many years and spent all their time together it seemed.

I cried again over the hamburgers I was cooking for dinner.

Today, my body dealt with the stress my giving me a stomach virus and cramps. But no tears today. I am determined today to not be sad, but instead, think only of happy stories of my grandfather.

Like chicharrones as a cure for the sugar. :)

Trip Journaling Begins!

2005-10-25T20:05:00.000-04:00

No...I haven't left yet. I still have several weeks until our trip to Nicaragua. However, I did go to the public health center today to be vaccinated for my trip.

I am not a fan of public health centers. They all seem so dark and depressing. (Not to mention that their bathrooms are gross - seems contradictory that they should be breaking health codes in a health center.)

I sat in a waiting room with about 5 other people, all of whom were well over the age of 60. An old man and woman in front of me were swapping navy stories, and what it was like to meet Jimmy Dean and Minnie Pearl. The old lady told Jimmy Dean that she didn't like his sausages. And I learned that Minnie Pearl is a delightfully tall woman. I am still not exactly sure how one becomes "delightfully tall". I was left to wonder if some people are considered morbidly tall, when my letter was called (I had a letter rather than a number, as I was the only one there not receiving a flu shot). I headed down a hallway to a small room with a nurse.

I hate needles. Hate. So I tried very hard to not think about the shots I was about to receive. I started to think of what I would tell you all about my visit. I examined many posters on the wall, like this one:

Yes, I took a picture. I was considering taking a picture of the old folks in the waiting room, under the guise that I was writing a report about public health, but then I decided against that, as it could possibly have unpleasant results. Instead, I only took a picture of this poster*, and that was in the brief moment when the nurse left the room.

I got one shot in each arm. It wasn't as bad as I worked myself up for, but I am sore now, and I have a slight fever and a headache (perhaps brought on more so from the anxiety then the actual vaccine).

It was rather uneventful (besides the aforementioned Jimmy Dean exchange) but I thought in the interest of keeping a true journal of my first trip to a third world country, I should record the experience.

Next time on "I Want Rick Steves' Job" I answer the question: What is a second world country?

Listening to: My DVR on pause...what's paused? Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Currently Feeling: Kinda in pain

*each map on this poster represents a disease...the colored in areas represent areas where you may contract said disease, and should therefore be vaccinated...kind of creepy with all those Precious Moment-looking children all around the edge