So after looking at my last post, I realized, its exactly 1 month to the day that we will be moving to the new place. We are moving on the 28th. No. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to move. I'm not ready to say goodbye to my old room. My old familiar street. I don't have much of a choice. I will be ready by the 28th, mostly because I will be sick of boxes.
I got a card from my first 'boys' today. God I feel old. My little Ben is 15 years old!!!!! Eek!! I can remember him stepping on ants with my brother and being impressed because my brother can step on so many at once. I remember Nicholas coming home from the hospital, so tiny. Now 13 years old, apparently girls think he's "hot" umm. NO! Hes just a little boy! I know he would DIE if he knew I was saying this but my goodness!!! We used to play with bubbles together. The look on his face when I told him to hit the birdie in badmitton, 'You hit the - birdie??!!!' They grow up too fast.
moving.
my house is for sale.
There is a sign out front and everything. Its kinda surreal. Not quite sure what to do with it. I feel a bit out of it. 
I grew up in this house. This is MY house. Of course, I get upset when they move my cube at work but I get over that quickly too. I am sure I will like the new place as well. I just need to move there and make it MY house.
I figured it out!!!
So I am so excited. I figured it out!!! When I am not home to keep an eye on my goose, I can keep an eye on my goose!!! I am not posting the url here because I have this whole thing about who will know when I am home and when I am not but those of you who want it and should have it, let me know and I will e-mail it to you! Its remote goose watching! This budgie is being monitered. One of my concerns about selling the house was keeping my Little Baby Goose safe. I don't trust people to treat him right. This way, I can keep an eye on him from work or Grandma Betty's or where ever. You see, he will soon be kept up in my room. When that happens, I will turn on my remote watching and I will be able to watch my goose. Now, this will ONLY be on when I feel like watching my goose. Don't get any pervy ideas. It may be on when I am making faces at Lily or whoever may be out there watching. But I do unplug it when I am not using it. I'm just excited. I figured out budgiecam!!! Teehee!
It's official. We're moving.
My folks signed the contract today. Our house is going on the market. I have to pack up 20 years worth of crap and and get my room looking like someone normal lives here. I really am trying. Very VERY hard. I am just trying to repeat: I own my stuff. My stuff does not own me. I own my stuff. My stuff does not own me. Again. I own my stuff. My stuff DOES NOT own me. Maybe if I keep repeating it I will actually believe it and will be able to get rid of my stuff.
Especially since my HLM told me there was no way I could ever be buddhist because I like my stuff way too much. Go figure.
House hunting...
So my mom is looking for a new house. Yes, I still live with my folks. I don't mind. I don't want to live alone. I think I would get lonely. Plus, the price is right. It is just a bit awkward. I mean, my dad doesn't want to move... I don't know if its that he really likes this house (which I don't think is possible) or that he doesn't want to move all our stuff... My mom wants to move because she has this fear of getting old and not being able to deal with the stairs and that also bugs me. I mean, she's not old. I don't want to move because then I would have to pack up all my crap and my god, do I have a lot of stuff. Its mind numbing when you think about how much crap you can accumulate when you live in the same house for 20 years. Ugh. I have a LOT of stuff. I really don't want to have to move it. Of course, I also think maybe it would be good. I can start new. there is something to be said for a clean slate. Fresh walls, a new space. The latest house she looked at she said I would get the smaller bedroom at the back of the house, ok? smaller? umm.. but then she also said I would get the finished basement as my office/lounge area... Its a HUGE basement. The closets aren't that great but the fact that I wouldn't need to keep my TV, Computer, Books, DVDs, CDs, Comics, all in my room along with all of my clothes would make a huge difference. Plus there is a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom and a hot tub out back. Someone liked jets. The kitchen was very nice. My mom said it was the type of kitchen for someone who does a lot of entertaining. She said we never entertain. I told her if we had a kitchen that would allow for entertaining, maybe we would. I told her that I have friends. I have people. I am not sure if she liked that idea or not. I don't know if I like that idea or not. Sometimes I wonder if I did something like that would it even work out. I'd like to think it would but it seems like I have those friends who tell me they will do something but then they forget or something better comes along and well, nothing happens. The "we'll do that next weekend," personally, I think that means we made plans. That is until I call and ask them and find out that they made other plans and so I have no plans because I turned down other plans assuming I had plans. Does that make sense? I guess not. I am babbling which I think is the whole point of a blog. Whatever.
Why is it that....
So, I took the day off, just to bum around. I finally got all my summer stuff packed up and my winter stuff pulled up into my room. I realized 90% of my winter clothes are sweaters. What do sweaters equal? Static. Joy. So I thought I would run to target and fetch me a can of that anti static spray stuff. Now, keep in mind that I have not done anything today. I am wearing junky clothes, my hair is in a hat, I am in desperate need of a brow wax and my hair needs to be trimmed. I am sorta getting a she-mullet that is really unattractive. I am walking through target and I notice this guy, kinda familiar. Oh my goodness...its ****. (I'm not releasing the names out of pure shame). Now, I have had a crush on this guy since I was able to have crushes. I always had a thing for him. Now, no way in hell am I going to let him see me like that. I just turn down the aisle and go the long way around the store to get my anti static spray and move on. That worked great. Trauma avoided. Or at least I thought so. I pick up the last little thing I needed (watching carefully so I don't run into him) grab my packet of floss for work (be good to your gums!) and I head around the corner... Right into him. "Hi!" How are you...made some pleasant small talk and I really just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Ugh. why is it that when you look like crap, no make up, grungy t-shirt, two pimples, you run into that guy that you want to see you when you look fabulous. when you look fabulous he is no where to be found? I am never leaving the house looking like crap again...unless its just to Target to pick up one or two quick things.
Today was one for the books
The joys of being a phone rep. Today I got told to drop dead. No. I am not making this up. At the end of the call, when I asked if there was anything else I could do for him, he told me to drop dead. I am going to get right on that. I have had customers call me vile names, accuse me of lying to them, but this was a first. Definitely one for the books.
Something that is just a bit scary.
| The Unreported Vietnam-Iraq Parallel |
| by Danny Schechter |
| There is a word missing in most of the coverage of Iraq. It's a ghost-laden word that conjures up distressing memories that Washington and most of our media prefer to keep in that proverbial "lock box," hidden away in dusty archives and footage libraries, The word is Vietnam. Its absence was never more noticeable than in the coverage this past weekend of the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam war, marked in Vietnam with celebrations, but largely ignored in America where CNN led with the story of a bride who went missing when she had second thoughts. Is this denial or is it deliberate? Just this past month, the national Smithsonian Museum of American History installed a new patriotically correct permanent war-positive exhibition, "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War." If you want to know about the pain of the war offical America wants you to forget, you have to head a few blocks south on the mall in Washington to the Vietnam memorial with its nearly 60,000 names engraved in black marble. That's where you will see the tears of visitors every day and their lingering memories three decades later. While American media outlets avoid any parallels--with pundits insisting that none exist---overseas some see what many of us don't or won't. A BBC story by Matt Frei reports, "Thirty years after the end of the war, Vietnam continues to divide and haunt America far more than the country that lost 50 times as many people." His is one of few Vietnam reports that references Iran even though the Iraq connection is buried in the last paragraph, an association even the journalist seems uncomfortable with: "Iraq is far from becoming another Vietnam. But today the ghosts of the jungle are busy getting resurrected in the sands around Baghdad." What are those ghosts? And why do they deserve more than media burial in the jungles of Asia or the sands of Iraq? Here are some of the largely ignored parallels: l. Both wars were illegal acts of pre-emptive aggression unsanctioned by international law or world opinion. Earlier, U.S. interventions involved successive US administrations. JFK's CIA helped put Saddam in power, Reagan armed him to fight Iran. George Bush, 41 led the first Gulf War against him. Clinton tightened sanctions. George Bush, 43 invaded again. Five Administrations--Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford fought in Vietnam. 2. Both wars were launched with deception. In Iraq it was the now proven phony WMD threat and contrived Saddam-Osama connection. In Vietnam, it was the fabricated Gulf of Tonkin incident and the elections mandated by the Geneva agreement that were canceled by Washington in l956 when the US feared Ho Chi Minh would win. 3. The government lied regularly in both wars. Back then, the lies were pronounced a "credibility gap." Today, they are considered acceptable "information warfare." In Saigon military briefers conducted discredited "5 O'Clock Follies" press conferences. In this war, the Pentagon spoon-fed info at a Hollywood style briefing center in Doha. 4. The US press was initially an enthusiastic cheerleader in both wars. When Vietnam protest grew and the war seen as a lost cause, the media frame changed. In Iraq today most of the media is trapped in hotel rooms. Only one side is covered now whereas in Vietnam, there was more reporting occasionally from the other. In Vietnam, the accent was on progress and "turned corners." The same is true in Iraq. 5. In both wars, prisoners were abused. In South Vietnam, thousands of captives were tortured in what were the called "tiger cages." Vietnamese POWs were often killed; In North Vietnam, some US POWs were abused after bombing civilians. In Iraq, POWs on both sides were also mistreated. It was US soldiers that first leaked major war crimes and abuses. In Vietnam, Ron Ridenour disclosed the My Lai Massacre. In Iraq, it was a soldier who first told investigators about the torture in Abu Ghraib prison. (Seymour Hersh the reporter who exposed My-Lai in Vietnam later exposed illegal abuses in Iraq.) 6. Illegal weapons were "deployed" in both wars. The US dropped napalm, used cluster bombs against civilians and sprayed toxic agent orange in Vietnam. Cluster bombs and updated Mark 77 napalm-like firebombs were dropped on Iraqis. Depleted uranium was added to the arsenal of prohibited weapons in Iraq. 7. Both wars claimed to be about promoting democracy. Vietnam staged elections and saw a succession of governments controlled by the US. come and go. Iraq has had one election so far in which most voters say they were casting ballots primarily to get the US to leave. The US has stage-managed Iraq's interim government. Exiles were brought back and put in power. Vietnam's Diem came from New Jersey, Iraq's Allawi from Britain. 8. Both wars claimed to be about noble international goals. Vietnam was pictured as a crusade against aggressive communism and falling dominos. Iraq was sold as a front in a global war on terrorism. Neither claim proved true. 9. An imperial drive for resource control and markets helped drive both interventions. Vietnam had rubber and manganese and rare minerals. Iraq has oil. In both wars, any economic agenda was officially denied and ignored by most media outlets. 10. Both wars took place in countries with cultures we never understood or spoke the language, Both involved "insurgents" whose military prowess was underestimated and misrepresented. In Vietnam, we called the "enemy" communists; in Iraq we call them foreign terrorists. (Soldiers had their own terms, "gooks" in Vietnam, "ragheads" in Iraq) In both counties, they was in fact an indigenous resistance that enjoyed popular support. (Both targeted and brutalized people they considered collaborators with the invaders just as our own Revolution went after Americans who backed the British.) In both wars, as in all wars, innocent civilians died in droves. 11. In both countries the US promised to help rebuild the damages caused by US bombing. In Vietnam, a $2 Billion presidential reconstruction pledge was not honored. In Iraq, the electricity and other services are still out in many areas. In both wars US companies and suppliers have profited handsomely; Brown &Root in Vietnam; Halliburton in Iraq, to cite but two. 12. In Vietnam, the Pentagon's counter-insurgency effort failed to "pacify" the countryside even with a half a million US soldiers "in country." The insurgency in Iraq is growing despite the best efforts of US soldiers. More have died since President Bush proclaimed "mission accomplished" than during the invasion. The Vietnamese forced the US into negotiations for the Paris Peace Agreement. When the agreement was continually violated, they brilliantly staged a final offensive that surprised and routed a superior million-man Saigon Army. Can the Iraqi resistance do the same? The BBC is wondering too, reminding us, "As the casualties mounted so did the questions about how much a threat the Vietcong could really pose. Today another pre-emptive war against an enemy far from home has posed similar questions." As the insurgency in Iraq escalates and continues to seize the initiative with the capacity to attack where and when it wants, is it unthinkable to suspect that another April 30th campaign of the kind that "liberated" Saigon is possible in Baghdad? We have already seen "the fall" of Baghdad. Can it "fall" again? Of course not! Repeat after me. We are winning. Democracy is on the march. |
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Ugly Betty
Well, there is a new episode of Ugly Betty on tonight but I thought I would post my thoughts on the first episode first.
It felt a little like The Devil Wears Prada meets 13 Going on 30. Now, I adore America Ferrera, but that Real Woman has lost some of her Curves. I read that she was going to go through a transformation during this season, I just hope she dosen't turn into everyone else. I like her spunk.
I don't know what I would do...
Following is a letter from Gail Simone:
Early this morning, the Texas home of award-winning writer/artist Lea Hernandez, my friend and co-creator of the graphic novel Killer Princesses, caught fire and burned. Half her house is now gone, and the rest is smoke-damaged. In addition, she lost at least six of her family’s beloved pets, two dogs and four cats. If you knew Lea, you’d know how devastating that is.I honestly don't know what I would do if something like that were to happen to me. What has really impressed me is how quickly the folks at the Bendis Boards have rallied around the cause to help out one of their own. It shows that we are more than a bunch of comic groupies but an actual community. We make a difference.
She’s lost a great deal of her family’s possessions, including irreplaceable art. She doesn’t yet know the full accounting of what’s been lost at this time.
Most know Lea as the brilliant creator of such works as Rumble Girls and Cathedral Child. She drew the Marvel Mangaverse PUNISHER book, and has drawn for TRANSMETROPOLITAN, among many other accomplishments. She is also the co-founder and original editor for GIRL-A-MATIC, one of the most important venues for female-friendly comics created to date.
She’s also my friend, and it’s entirely possible I wouldn’t have a career in comics if she hadn’t asked me to write Killer Princesses for her to draw.
And finally, Lea is one of the last great firebrand hellraisers in comics.
Lea has two (wonderful, amazing) special needs children and right now they need a place to stay and some clothes to wear. More than that, they need
some help, and fast, in the form of donations to her paypal account. Lea’s a proud person so I’m going to ask FOR her. This is important, and a great chance to do a wonderful thing for a creator who has consistently enriched this industry we all love so much. Please, take a moment and send WHATEVER YOU CAN to Lea’s paypal account and help make this time a little bit less painful for someone who would do the same for you if the positions were reversed.
If you’re a retailer, I ask that you set up a donations jar. If you’re a creator, I ask you to think of how devastating this would be to your career and donate what you can. If you’re a reader, I’m asking you to take a moment and hit the paypal link. You’ll be doing something heroic and you’ll feel great about it, I promise.
Read what Lea had to post on a neighbor’s computer while wearing her pajamas at: Livejournal.com/users/divalea
Donate (PLEASE) to her paypal account at: divalea@gmail.com
Finally, if I understand the story correctly (as told to me by Lea’s good friend and current Girl-a-matic editor), it was Lea’s daughter hearing the smoke alarm that allowed the family to get out in time, so for God’s sake, do everyone you love a favor and CHECK YOUR SMOKE ALARMS.
Thank you so much for helping. Really, any amount you can send will make a difference. That’s all I can say.
Sincerely and gratefully,
Gail Simone
Just 3 Days 23 Hours 34 minutes 55 seconds 54..53..etc
I have myself a little countdown clock on my computer that is now keeping track of how long before I land in Baltimore. Yes. I have a vacation planned. An actual trip going somewhere outside of the tri-state area. I'm freaked. I haven't been anywhere by myself before. Sure, I am meeting folks I know there but still. It is a bit intimidating.
11 months...
Keep meaning to post...
I keep meaning to write up about Wizard World. And I will. I promise. I just need to gather my thoughts. It was a wild weekend. Here is just a bit:
Tonia decided to attach jewels to someones head. Fun stuff. 
This is one of the few photos taken at the convention itself. This is at the Dorothy booth, one of my favorite comic books.
Home.
I am home. I like it here. It was an amazing weekend at the convention but I am glad to be home again. I am so exhausted. Don't worry. I will post details but not today. I am far too tired to even know where to begin. Much love to Jeff and Tonia, The crew at Dorothy, Rafael, Lily, Kari and Noble, and oh hell I am just to tired to do this. I have to be at work in less than 12 hours and I feel like I am falling. Good night to all.
Another Day another...
Screaming customer. Is that how it goes? If there is one thing I have learned during my short tenure thus far as a Customer Service Representative (CSR), it is Do NOT yell at the CSR. No matter what it seems like to you, we are there to help you. Yelling at us only pisses us off and makes it less likely that we will do anything to help you out beyond our normal required function. We are, all in all, a fairly Passive aggressive bunch. The more you irritate us, the slower we are going to comply. Following is a little tip sheet for those of you who find yourself with a need to call a CSR:
1. Just answer the verification questions. We don't do this for our amusement. We aren't trying to make your life difficult. We wouldn't have to do it if there weren't people out there calling in trying to pretend to be other people to commit fraud but there are, so now we do have to give you a pop quiz every time you call. Sorry, but just please answer those questions before even telling us why you are calling.
2. We already know the automated system is irritating. You do not need to spend 2 minutes reminding me how irritating it is. We also know it sends you to a representative after 3 errors, so don't even think about telling me you entered your account number 7 times. You are lying. What else are you going to lie to me about?
3. We don't want your opinion about pressing 1 for English and 2 for Spanish. If you don't think you should have to press 1 for English, what number do you feel is more appropriate? How about 38 for F-U?
4. Do NOT call in and DEMAND that I do something for you. If you are nice to me, I would be more than happy to see what I can do about expediting that fax, waiving that late fee, getting something shipped to you overnight. If you tell me I HAVE to do something? Um, no, I don't. No where does it say I HAVE to waive that late charge. You were late. Our turn around time is 24-48 hours. Then you can call back and complain about me being slow.
5. Your payments are due ON the DUE DATE!!! Not the day before we add a late fee. Not the day before we report them as delinquent to the credit bureaus. They are due ON THE DATE DUE ON YOUR STATEMENT. Back to the waiving late charges. Don't tell me you were only 1 day late. If you have a late charge, you were at least, AT LEAST 11, yes ELEVEN days late. And don't lie to me about not knowing. I can tell when you called in, we note the accounts every time you call in. The system also notes every time you log into your account on the website. We KNOW. We're like Big Brother
6. We don't care about your sick daughter, bladder infection, bunion, college tuition, ugly divorce, no we cannot remove you from the contract, I don't care if you aren't dating anymore, that's why you shouldn't co-sign for your brand new girlfriend. I am not going to get in the middle of it. We just need your payment.
7. I'm not your new best friend. Don't chat. You don't really care about the weather here, so don't ask.
8. I am not your: Honey, Sweetie, Darling, Sugar, Baby, Peaches, sweetheart, Babe, Hon, or any mutation, combination, or synonym of the above. No it is also not Raja. I am sure there are awesome and equally frusterated CSRs in India thinking the exact same thing, but my name IS Madeline. I told you that when I answered the call. You do not know me, you are not allowed to use a nickname. You may call me by my name, which I gave you and I will give you again, or ma'am. Or hell, I answer to Maddie, Madeline, Melanie, Natalie, Maggie, Margaret, or any variation of whatever you call me as long as its a real name.
9. When I ask you if you there is anything else I can do for you, do not ask me to payoff your loan. Cause it might have been cute the first time I heard it, but its been over a year. At least 3-5 times a week and it has gotten REALLY OLD. You're not the first and won't be the last. Its not funny. I also don't know the meaning of life, the winning lotto numbers, where you left your keys, how many licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop, I am not Ms. Cleo.
10. Unless I gave you my extension or last name...you don't need it. I PROMISE I will have left adequate and sufficient notes on the account that anybody who answers the phone can help. Even the stupid ones. You problem is not so special/difficult/unique that we haven't done it 1000 times before. Trust me. You don't need to ask for me the next time you call. I don't need a new best friend. I like the one I have. We will make fun of you.
and FINALLY.
When I say "Thanks for calling and have a great day!" Just say thanks, you too, and hang up. After that, you had your chance to ask more questions. I'm done with you and moved on. I already asked you if there was anything else and you were too busy coming up with a lame one liner to actually ask me the one question you did have and so, because I am not psychic, I didn't know you also wanted to know about Home Equity Lines of Credit I didn't bring it up because we were changing your billing address. Please don't say as I have closed your account by this point. "Oh yeah, I did need to know..." or "Thanks for nothing" or "Uh huh." Its just rude.
Please. Just answer our questions, be polite, Say things like "Please." "I'm so sorry its late" "Thank you SO much" and "I really appreciate your help today." We really like that. Then we really like you. We will then say, "Its not a big deal, and I will go ahead and waive that late charge for you." "Let me see what I can do to help you out." "Why do you need it so soon?" "Oh wow, well, our standards say we won't be able to have it shipped for 30 days, but its a special circumstance. I might possibly be able to make an exception." Be GOOD TO US. We will be good to you.
Thank you for your time and future consideration of mine.
Have a great day.
A note about the paypal link...
I need to mention something. I sabotaged the paypal link on purpose. I really only accept donations in the form of cashiers checks and gold dubloons. Jewelry is nice as well. Unless its by Loretta Swit. That stuff is just UGLY. 
I mean...EEEW. Okay. Thanks for understanding.
I accept PayPal
I keep hearing commercials on the radio about how people can transform debt into wealth and how you can make a fortune with no money, and blah blah blah. Its not that easy. In America today, you have to have money to make money, if you don't have any money you aren't going to make any money. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The middle class is shrinking. Too bad its not my waist thats shrinking. In any case, the gap is huge. Lee Raymond's retirement package was worth over 400 MILLION. Yes, MILLION! I can't comprehend that kind of money. I used to say I wouldn't know what I would do with that kind of money but I do know. I would pay off my credit cards, buy myself a nice simple home somewhere quaint, (yeah, like the Geneva Conventions) and create a foundation to support education and libraries and feed small countries and fight AIDS and provide health care for those in need. Bill Gates is worth 27 billion. Thats BILLION, He's got say, 50 years left on him? Okay, lets give him 65. 27 Billion/65/365= over 1 million dollars a day. Is it even possible to spend that much? I mean, The hardest thing I ever did was sign the loan on my car and that was less then $15,000. Not 1,500,000. So yeah. I have decided that I am going to start taking donations. If anyone wants to help me pay off my car, my student loan, my Visa bill, my cell phone, my diet coke habit, help me support my sweet baby goose, 
or just cause you're nice, as the title says, I do accept paypal. Meanwhile, I am going to see about getting Billy or Lee over here to show their generosity. I am sure they don't notice gas is over $3.00 a gallon, but I sure do, even if I do get 35 miles per gallon in my little car.
Just some photos.
It was time to cut my hair again. It had been about 3 years. Anyone who knows me knows I don't do anything half assed. If I am going to do something, I put both cheeks in. So yeah. I got my hair cut. What do ya think?
This is what they spend their time doing??
How do they sleep at night? I just don't get it.
This just makes me so @$%!&% proud to be an American. The headline: Senate Kills Minimum Pay Boost. Basically, our senate decided they weren't going to sign a bill that would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to 7.25. Don't get excited, its not like they would get a $2.10 raise all at once, it would be gradual so those working minimum wage wouldn't get slap happy with all that extra cash lying around and go waste it on things like gas and a new pair of underwear at walmart. Imagine, making $5.15 an hour. Thats $206 a week at 40 hrs BEFORE taxes. Lets go crazy here and pretend you make some extra so you have a flat $200 a week. That is 800.00 a month to play with. Wow! I'm rich! Lets find a place to live. Now, its just you so ya don't need anything too big, even a studio would suffice. Found a place, not too bad, its better than the really tiny studio, its still a studio but the place has a pool. its $525 a month and includes everything but Electric. So add that in . Its about $600. Ya need a phone. Just for emergency. Get a US Cellular plan as then you have the free call me minutes so you don't feel completly cut off, but nothing extra. Its $35 a month. Pretend you have a car already, and bonus, its paid in full. So you still have a whopping $165 to play with. Except you don't. Feel that growling in your stomach? You're hungry. So ya go to the grocery store. But you need to stop and get gas. Thats $30 per week, at $3 a gallon. So now you have $65 to cover groceries for the whole month. But you slammed your hand in the car door and need 17 stiches. You have to go to the emergency room and now you have no money, no food and a hospital bill and no insurance. Now imagine all of this with a kid.
Instead, congress was talking about violent video games and how we need to put a better rating system on them. THEY ARE VIDEO GAMES!
Game: n. A way of amusing oneself; pastime; diversion. 2. A sport or other competitive activity. 3. A single contest between opposing players or teams. etc
IT'S NOT REAL! Just something to do. A waste of time. Kind of like what they are doing all day. Wasting time.
I forgot...
Hi Grandma!!! okay, that was really it. Just wanted to say Hi! Love you grandma. Momma said you read my blog and so I wanted to say Hi! Love you. It's late so I am going to bed now. But just wanted you to know that you rock like socks!!!!
Schedule Bids
Its been awhile. I guess I've not had much to say...or perhaps too much. Maybe its that I worry I might say the wrong thing. Whatever the case may be. We had schedule bids a few days ago. I thought this time I might give the 4x10 a try. Basically that means I work from 7:00 am until 5:30 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I get every Wednesday off. It will give me time to do stuff and things or nothing at all. Plus, with gas getting so expensive it will save about 45 miles on my car every week. That's about $3.50 in gas right there! Okay, so my car doesn't take that much gas. Its a Scion xA but still. Every little bit counts!
I was told by a girl at work the other day that I make people feel stupid. Now I know I make snarky and sarcastic comments all the time...cause that's just who I am... but she said that she was sarcastic and I was just mean. I don't think I am a mean person. Sure, I tend to be kinda blunt, and if you have to ask me what color the white horse is because you honestly don't know you begging for a dumb joke. I never intend to be mean. I could have said, "I'm sorry if you feel stupid, but did it ever occur to you it was because you are stupid?" No. I wanted to, oh did I want to. But I didn't. Because that would have been mean. I just apologized and told her I didn't intend to make her feel that way and since then I haven't really said anything to her at all. My HLM (hetero-life-mate) told me that, as English grads, we tend to use larger words and give our opinions more. It never really occurred to me until she said that. She is right. I do use bigger words without even thinking about it. However, it comes naturally to me. My grandma (Hi! Grandma!!!) went to college and took some grad school classes, my mom, dad, and big brother went to U of I. Both of my grandmothers and my dad do crossword puzzles. Everyone in my family reads constantly. At any given time, we all have a book in progress. Sometimes I have two...or three. All of those things leads to larger a vocabulary. Of course I am not denying I am a dork about it. I do differentiate between dictionaries. I have an American Heritage dictionary that I use for everyday things, but when I want a real definition - I pull out my OED. I *love* my OED. I look at it for fun. My HLM and I have had conversations about dictionaries and even about specific words, i.e. Plethora. So yeah. If I make you feel stupid I am sorry, but maybe you just are stupid. That isn't my fault, so don't blame me.
No list today. Maybe tomorrow.
I saw my shrink yesterday. Needed a refill. She said I looked tense. I said I don't sleep. She asked what was going on. I told her nothing. Nothing is going on. Nothing has changed. Same job. Same life. Same room. I shouldn't complain, its a better life than many. Some days I can't help but want something more. I wish I could figure out what that more was though. Maybe that more I really want is a good nights sleep and a week of sunny warm weather.
I hate working tired. When I am tired at work my boss asks me things like "Will you stay an extra hour today?" or "On Monday can you work til six?" and I will say stupid things like, "yeah, sure" before realizing that I just agreed to work from 7am until 6pm on Monday! That is 11hrs at work! What is the matter with me??? Oy, as in Vey.
there should be another list or two this weekend. I am just too tired right now.
G'night.
26 Albums
Today's List? Its all about the music, baby.
- Abbey Road - The Beatles
- Graceland - Paul Simon
- Tapestry - Carole King
- Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel
- Hot Rocks 1964-1971 - The Rolling Stones
- Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle, Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits
- Riding with the King - B.B. King and Eric Clapton
- Unplugged - Eric Clapton
- Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
- Come Away With Me - Nora Jones
- The Best of the Song Books - Ella Fitzgerald
- Hey! Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology - The Ramones
- Essential Clash - The Clash
- The Best of Blondie - Blondie
- Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
- She's So Unusual - Cyndi Lauper
- The Immaculate Collection - Madonna
- Heaven on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
- The Bangles - Greatest Hits - The Bangles
- Songs About Jane - Maroon 5
- Pieces of You - Jewel
- Classic Sinatra - Frank Sinatra
- Whoa, Nelly! - Nelly Furtado
- No Angel - Dido
- Cheap and Evil Girl - Bree Sharp
- Legend - Bob Marley
26 Places
Todays list is: 26 Places I want to go before I die.
- Hawaii -cause I want to smell the plumeria in the morning breeze
- Oxford -cause thats where they make Giles'
- San Francisco -cause they have cable cars, I'll be sure to wear some flowers in my hair.
- Library of Congress -cause they have the biggest collection of books in the US.
- Japan -cause I like sushi.
- Hong Kong -cause I like Chinese
- Lake Titicaca -cause I know the song from Animaniacs
- Roswell, NM -cause the aliens were there.
- Venice -cause they have rivers instead of streets.
- The Louvre -cause they have the Mona Lisa
- Disney World -cause it IS the happiest place on earth.
- Santa Claus, IN -cause I don't think there is a tackier place on earth
- Guggenheim Museum - cause it's fun to say Guggenheim.
- Lyon -cause my dad said that France was amazing but Parisians can be rude.
- Dublin -cause I am sure I can meet someone names Seamus.
- Deadwood, SD -cause its a cool show.
- Las Vegas - Cause I love the Vegas.
- London -cause I want to get on a double decker bus.
- New Orleans -cause my dad loved it there.
- Grand Canyon -cause the last time I saw it, well it was a big whole. (Avoid the Best Western in Flagstaff.)
- Anchorage, AK -cause I would love to see the Aurora
- New Zealand -cause they have sheep.
- Australia -cause I should visit the land of Baby Goose's forefeathers.
- Maine -cause I love lobster.
- Waterbury, VT -cause that's where they make Ben and Jerry's.
- Home -cause it is always good to go home again.
26 Shows
Today's List? No order, no reason, just 26 television shows I watch or used to watch. I do not claim that any of them are thought provoking or really wonderful (except Deadwood, a bit vulgur but the fastest hour on Television since BtVS)
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Never missed an Episode)
- Angel
- Deadwood (New Episodes on June 11th!!)
- E.R.
- House
- Gilmore Girls
- The O.C.
- C.S.I.
- My So-Called Life
- American Dreams (Why oh Why did they cancel that show? Now we will never know what happens to Meg? Did she really go to Berkley on the back of a bike? Did Luke and Roxanne stay together? How about J.J. and Beth? )
- Carnivale (Are we ever going to see Season 2 on DVD?)
- Iron Chef
- Roswell
- Star Trek (TOS; TNG, Voyager, Enterprise, basically anything but DS9. The reasons DS9 doesn't count is a different list altogether)
- Fraggle Rock
- Punky Brewster
- The Wonder Years
- The X-Files (Before it got bad)
- Rome
- Monk
- Law & Order
- Numb3rs
- Popular
- The Daily Show
- Mr. Rogers
- The 4400
26 Things...
In honor of my upcoming Birthday, I am going to start making lists. Todays list? 26 things I want to do before I am 30.
- Fit into a size 10.
- Figure out office politics.
- Have *something* published.
- Go on a roadtrip with no destination.
- Get a stamp in my passport.
- Read (or re-read) those books that I should have read in High School but didn't because my High School was Ghetto and barely could afford paper for the copy machine.
- Buy my own place. (Note BUY, not rent)
- Fall in Love.
- Figure out what I want to DO with the rest of my life.
- Pay off my car.
- Learn to live simply.
- Attend A Really Big Protest.
- Learn to do basic home improvements like install ceiling fans and fix toilets.
- Go back to college for a graduate degree.
- Get Married.
- Be asked to dance. (A real dance, not get your freak on type dance)
- Bake a perfect chocolate souffle.
- Eat healthier.
- Drink more water.
- Keep a plant alive for more than 3 months.
- Get my photos organized and scanned into my computer.
- Learn to solder.
- Finish things I started.
- Start playing piano again.
- Spend more time with my family.
- Pursue my art, whatever my art should be.
Twenty Six.
I am going to be twenty six. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around that. Twenty Six years old. I have been asked the perennial question: What do you want. What do I want... What do I want? I want to not be twenty six. I want to not be single. I want to not be frusterated with my life, I want direction, I want more than this. However, I also realize how lucky I am to have a full time job, with a 401K and health insurance. So, its not quite enough to move out on my own but still, its more than many have. I also want a new watch. My favorite watch died over the weekend. At first I thought it was the battery but after I replaced the battery it still didnt work. I am very picky about my watches too. It had the date, indiglo, numbers 1-12 but not huge, I loved that watch. I also really thought that the way the character Melinda on Ghost Whisperer had her watches on was really cute but I don't have watches like that. I've been trying to find a picture of it but I can't seem to locate one. Oh well. Well, catch ya later.
Part of being a faithful reader...
So, its been awhile. I've been meaning to write. Honestly, I really have been. A big part of being a faithful reader of The Unfinished Adventures is that I basically never finish anything. There are all sorts of things that I intend to finish. I just don't get to it. I get distracted. I lose track of time. I forget. I'm sorry, I really am...but I am not going to promise not to do it again because I will. Don't give up on me. I am trying to improve.
Thats pretty much it for now. I'll write again....eventually.
So, you know you have been MIA...
So, you know you have been missing in action when the owner of your local comic book shop calls to do a dead check. What I mean by dead check is: Hey, just wondering if you were dead. Apparently I haven't been in there in so long she wanted to know what was going on. The truth is, nothing has been going on. Been going to work, coming home, repeat. I've just gotten lazy. I keep saying to myself, I will go tomorrow... which by the way, is tomorrow... And by that logic tomorrow never actually comes because tomorrow tomorrow is actually the day after tomorrow and so tomorrow will never actually happen... I am not making any sense. I know that. I am okay with that. Well, hopefully by the end of the week my tomorrow will become today and I will stop my procrastinating ways. Especially since I have #13 of Astonishing X-Men waiting for me!
And I just realized its March. March already! My goodness. Where does the time go? Any ideas??
Happy Hump Day!!!
I always thought these were Speed Bumps...
and they call this Breaching?
They've Put a Brassiere on the Camel,by Shel Silverstein
They've put a brassiere on the camel,
She wasn't dressed proper, you know.
They've put a brassiere on the camel
So that her humps wouldn't show.
And they're making other respectable plans,
They're even insisting the pigs should wear pants,
They'll dress up the ducks if we give them the chance
Since they've put a brassiere on the camel.
They've put a brassiere on the camel,
They claim she's more decent this way.
They've put a brassiere on the camel,
The camel had nothing to say.
They squeezed her into it, I'll never know how.
They say that she looks more respectable now,
Lord knows what they've got in mind for the cow,
Since they've put a brassiere on the camel.
Hey?!?? What did you think I meant by hump day??? Gutterface!
I think I am gonna write a book...
I went to the library after work today. I like the library. Most of the time. Although I miss the shushing. It was very loud in the library. The library should be quiet. Peaceful. Sedate. No screaming stomping shouting stupid sixteen yearolds. Just nice quiet people. Anyway, as usual, I wandered through the shelves of new release books. I slowly wove my way through the stacks, browsing carefully. I really just stopped to see if they had any interesting books on Lefton China. My mom is going on (yet another e-bay spree) this time she has really gotten into Lefton. I figure if she is buying it, we should know what we are looking for. I ended up also looking at some of the diet and health books. It seems like anyone can write a diet book. I have never been so confused in my life!
This one says I can eat all the fat I want, just no carbs. This one says that fat is evil and stick to carbs. This one says only fruits and vegetables. The next one says it is all about overall calories. The next one says I can eat this one type of fat. The next one says it all depends on my blood type. Another one says its not what I eat but what combinations. Plus, all of this will fix every single one of my problems. If I follow this diet, I will lose weight which will make me prettier, healthier and solve everything. Apparently it is my weight that is causing me to have headaches, stomach aches, be single, depressed occasionally, not beable to afford my own home in the northern suburbs of Chicago (and not the fact that its bloody expensive to live here!) But if I was skinny and followed their No Fat No Carb Type O- HypoADHD UberSuperDuper BobChowAtkissmyassdiet, I will be the happiest lilbitch on the planet. Everyone around me will be miserable though. And see, I always thought a pint of Ben and Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Dough Ice Cream was the way to true happiness.
So I think I am going to write a book about how everyone else is nuts when it comes to writing diet books and nobody really has a clue. Maybe if we didn't supersize the McDonalds and ubersize the Wendy's and DeepFry the twinkies (although that does taste pretty damn good) we wouldn't need to worry about all of this in the first place.
Well, I must go, My boys are waiting for me.
I'm coming Ben. I'm on my way down Jerry. Don't melt!
A few life lessons.
Just a few recent observations.
I really just want to share with you, my faithful readers (all three of you), a few things I have learned in my life. This also will serve as a reminder to myself. There are some things I just don't want to forget.
1. Give your friends the benefit of the doubt. They will surprise you.
2. If you like to cook, be sure to have friends that like to eat. It just works better that way.
3. Make a point to spend one day a month in 'comfy pants' being a bum. Appriciate all you have.
4. Read something stupid and silly. Just because you can understand Kafka and Nietzsche doens't mean you shouldn't enjoy a Cosmo Quiz.
5. The guy in traffic didn't cut you off because he hates you. He cut you off because he is a jerk. Don't take other peoples stupidity personally.
6. Never underestimate other peoples stupidity. That way, it won't surprise you.
7. Never ever discuss The O.C. in front of anyone unless you are sure they have seen that episode.
8. Sometimes you just have to wear silly underwear.
9. Admit what your favorite movie is, even if it isn't 'a movie for the ages' because your friends will find out the truth... especially after the 100th time they rented Lawrence of Arabia for you when you are having a bad day, just because you love it so much. Nobody can understand why you keep popping the NoDoz.
10. Be good to your mommy. She loves you. Speaking of...I am gonna go hang with mine for a bit.
Driving around Milwaukee
So, last night, while Lil and I are trying to find this pizza place, we drive by this place, it looks like a run down liquor store. Out side there are several signs but two catch our eye... Mostly this one. Maybe now I should call this blog the Home of the Meat Deals. For some reason, Lily and I found this really amusing. Maybe it was the hunger. Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe it was the Meat Deal.
Nothing yet.
That was a bust. No Baby yet. After seeing Poor Lisa in labor I am thinking I may just want to adopt. It looked beyond painful. Throw in the fact that I Really don't like hospitals and, well, maybe I am just not made for Baby making. No big loss. One cannot make a baby on ones own. I am very single and that status hasn't been quick to change I don't think there will be anything to worry about. Besides, most people begin to irritate me after a few months or so. Or I get Distracted. Throw in the fact that hollywood has Created this Idea through movies and television of what Love should be that nothing could ever really live up to that False Expectation. Plus my parents are so Unbelievably Adorable and in love still that I refuse to settle for anything less. My chances are pretty slim. Anyone here good with math? Can we figure out my chances? Percentage wise?
Well, I have been up since 5:30 am (that would be over 20 hours for those of us keeping track) so I am going to get some sleep. Hopefully by the time I wake up my Best Friend will be an Aunt.
G'Night!
Today is a good day
I have this thing about 3s. I like 3s. Its a good number. Jonathan was born on a 3, I was born on a 3. Lily was born on a multiple of 3. So I am very excited to hear that Lisa was induced this morning. Hopefully her little boy will be born today too. Another 3. I really like 3.
I love the fishes cause they're so delicious!
Mr. Poppers and I went to Hayashi tonight for dinner. I like sushi. I ate a lot of sushi. I also made an exciting discovery! Hayashi is now open on Sundays! Woohoo! So now when I have those urges for sushi on Sunday afternoon, I can simply hop in my xA (also Japanese) and get some nummy num nums. Yes, I did just say Nummy Num Nums.
So, for the first time in 'I don't know how many' years, I missed the state of the union address. I just was not in the mood. From what I hear, I didn't miss much. Its not like Bush got up there and said, 'Well, folks, The state of the union is really bad. We need to make some drastic changes. First we are going to bring all of our troops home. Then we are going to take all of that money we spent on blowing up a bunch of brown people because we wanted their oil and use it to help pay for education, health insurance, and housing for people who need it here at home. We have also decided we are not going to give huge companies with record profits any subsidies or tax breaks... (such as Wal-Mart or BigOil) and instead help out those of you who make less than 30k a year and may actually need it.'
No. Its not like that happened. From what I hear he said that everything is peachy keen. Perfect. We rock like socks, he should be allowed to peep in our windows, read our diaries, go through our underwear drawers, whatever he wants, why? Because he is the president of the United States of America damn it and he wants to. But there are laws against it? So, they don't apply to him because he is the president of the United States of America. Wait. If the laws don't apply, doesn't that make him a dictator? Lets take a look at the dictionary:
President: The word president is derived from the Latin prae- "before" + sedere "to sit." As such, it originally designated the officer who "sits before" a gathering and ensures that debate is conducted according to the rules of order.
Dictator: A ruler who is not restricted by a constitution, laws or any opposition.
A president ENSURES order... a dictator is not restricted by any order. Hmmmm. Sound a little suspicious.
Well. I should probably stop now seeing as Just typing the word President probably got me on some lists thanks to the Patriot Act. Wait...I probably am already on those lists. I AM a card carrying member of the ACLU...Why aren't you?
Weekends go by so fast.
It is already Sunday night. Hard to believe. So, it turns out I didn't hose my computer. Frank came through like a trooper. All working and well. I am exhausted so I will be off to bed soon. I just remember weekends as being two long days of watching T.V. and playing around, goofing off. Now there just never seems to be enough time. Before they even begin it is already time to start getting ready for work on Monday. And boy, the Monday mornings come faster and earlier every week.
Well, I am off to bed. Tomorrow is another Manic Monday.
I think I hosed my computer
So yeah. I think I finally did it. Well, not really hosed. I mean I am here, aren't I? But it is a bunch of little things that are adding up to equal a giant irritation. For example, I got myself a webcam, but everytime I try to hook it up to my instant messenger the thing freezes and I get strange error messages and I can't close it out at all. So I try to reboot and the entire thing freezes. I have so many old games on here that I don't play. I have saved files from the dark ages. I have mp3s from cds saved in 3 different places. I think it is finally time to start over. I think this may actually solve several issues. I can clean up the old stuff, organize the stuff I actually want to keep, and oh yeah, maybe even get a bigger hard drive and a new tower case. Ever since I got the flatpanel the desktop case is just too cumbersome and a tower would be much nicer to have. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that I can talk poppers into that. It shouldn't be too hard. Just fill his tummy with some pot roast and say, 'daddy?' and he is all mine. Sometimes- or should I say it is Always - nice to be his little girl.
It has been awhile...
As you can see, I tend to forget to update this. I hope you shall forgive me. It has been a very hectic few weeks. My family has lost a very dear friend. Arlene Peters was kind, loving, talented, patient, and will be with me always. She taught me to play the piano and to remember that there was no failure as long as I tried my best. She was not just a friend of the family, she was family to me.