This Blog is SO Interesting! You Just Have to Read It!

Why are you talking about how much money you make?

2006-07-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sitting on the computer, listening to Shanshu and Ebeth talk about their upcoming high school reunion, I decided to google mine and find out if plans have been made yet. I googled my class and school, and found an alumni site. Under my class year, there was only one person listed. I remembered him, so I followed his Myspace link and read his profile. Marital status, where he lives, what schools he went to, where he works, how much money he makes…how much money he makes? Why is talking about this on his Myspace page? Is he trying to impress people? The funny thing is, you could tell he was totally lying. I mean, last time I checked an associate’s degree does not garner you $100,000 a year; especially not as a Toyota salesman.

Okay, I admit I’ve talked about how much money I make. The thing is, I don’t do it the socially-retarded way, which is to brag about and exaggerate how much you make in order to make others think you’re better than them. I talk about it because everyone knows I’m poor. I’m a social worker, for heaven’s sake! It’s no stretch for someone to realize that I make about $4.25 an hour.

Then I started thinking about how many people I know who have ever said how much they make. I realized that not a single one of my financially successful friends has ever talked about it. I mean, one figures it out when they buy a nice house and a new car every couple of years. They never actually say it, though. The only people who have every mentioned their salaries are people who have claimed to make tons of money but logically you know it’s not true.

So what motivates these people to lie? Is it keeping up with the Joneses? Is it embarrassment? Those seem valid, but why the poor backstory? Why admit you’re a car salesman, and then triple your salary in your lie? If you want people to believe that you make $100,000 a year, then enhance the lie by saying you’re managing a dealership, at least. If they even make that much…I don’t know.

Now that I’ve figured out the way to tell if someone’s lying about their financial success, I will no longer feel badly about the ditzy moron who never went to college who tells me that they make $60,000 working as a manager at The Gap. I will never again look at my student loan balance and think, why didn’t I just go work at The Gap?

So Does This Make Me A Righteous Person or a Bad Person?

2006-06-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was in rush hour traffic, coming across an overpass. I was in the left lane of the two-lane road. My lane was slowing to a stop because the left-turn-lane ahead was full, and cars were stopping in the traffic lane to turn left. This is not an unusual occurrence during heavy traffic, of course.

In front of me was an old beater car. As I signaled and merged into the right lane of traffic (to avoid having to stop and wait for the cars turning left to get out of my way), the beater cut me off and forced me to slam on my brakes. The driver just decided that she was going to merge into the right lane, even though I was there, because she knew that I’d slam on my brakes to avoid an accident.

I think most people have this common experience daily. Some other driver decides that their life and task is more important than the rest of the world. They decide to force you to slam on your brakes so they can force their car into your lane. They decide that the smooth flow of traffic should be disrupted by their own selfishness. I also think most law-abiding people like me say in their heads, “One of these days, I’m just going to let some idiot hit me and pay the consequences.” Well, this was my day.

As we neared the next intersection, the traffic fell into the same pattern: the left traffic lane was stopping to accommodate turning cars. I merged into the right traffic lane and watched with fury as the same beater car forced her way into my lane. This time, however, something inside of me snapped. I didn’t brake, I didn’t move out of the way, and I didn’t honk. I just let her think I’d slammed on my brakes and watched as she hit me.

There were stopped cars in the left traffic lane, and our two cars fighting for the same right traffic lane. I allowed her car to hit mine. I then followed her out of the way of the heavy traffic into a parking lot and called the police despite her protests. I didn’t mention the fact that she had cut me off on purpose, or yell at her, or blame her. I simply took out my phone and called the police.

The officer arrived and gave her a ticket. Her insurance company paid to have my car fixed. Her insurance rates will go up. She missed her appointment. I am glad.

I feel vengeance now against all those people out there who know they can break the law because people like me will bend over and take it. I stuck it to one of them. I bet she was SO shocked that someone actually allowed her to hit them.

"Lost"

2006-05-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

I just watched my last episode of "Lost" ever.

Last night was the season finale. All season long, as they added more and more questions and ignored more and more of Season 1's unanswered mysteries, I thought to myself, "Well, they're not stupid. They will tie up the loose ends at the season finale, because they know if they don't it'll anger viewers." Boy, was I wrong.

Not only did they refuse to address A SINGLE unanswered question, they added more mystery. As I watched the episode, which was mainly about a new character rather than about the characters we've known for two seasons, I found myself growing more and more frustrated. I cared less and less what happened to the characters as I realized that the jerk writers/producers/whoever of this show were going to leave everything messy. In the last scene, when what's-his-name-bunker-guy's ex-girlfriend answered the phone and we learned something-I-didn't-care-enough-to-figure-out, my patience for this crappy series disappeared.

It's really too bad. This show was GREAT first season. It had all these unique and interesting facets that set it aside from the cookie-cutter dramas and sitcoms so often found on TV. They began to blow it at the first season finale. Yes, they had the great cliffhanger that makes season finales so fun and sets up the anticipation of the next season. The problem was, they answered NO QUESTIONS. I therefore watched the second season expecting to have the first season's questions answered and new plot introduced. Instead, I found that the first season was ignored and SO MUCH new plot was introduced that by the end of the season the show was just a shadow of it's original, creative self. Then, they had this B.S. season finale that addressed ONLY this new character I don't care about. How can I care about him? There are too many other characters' untended mysteries filling my head.

So, I am finished with this show. I might, MIGHT read a recap of the third season next May. That would only be to see if they had continued this idiocy or if they decided to make the show good again. I doubt they'll do it, though, and I'm afraid they've blown what should have been fantastic TV.

Can't Suppress It

2006-04-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Don’t forget to read the post below this, which is new, too.

I just have to rant on this. I can’t stand it. I try not to rant too much on my blog any more, because I became aware at some point that that was mainly what I was using my blog for. This, however…this I cannot stay shut up about.

Illegal immigrants.

Oh my God.

Are they serious?

One time at a local amusement park, as a pre-teen, I shoplifted a key chain. The undercover security guard caught me and hauled my bottom to the security trailer. They called my parents and kicked me out of the park. My parents were very angry. They yelled at me and they grounded me. If my parents were illegal Mexican immigrants, however, I’m sure this scenario would have been very different. They probably would have yelled at the security guards for making me accountable for my illegal actions. They probably would have argued that breaking the law is no reason to get someone in trouble.

That’s all I’m going to say. I could really go on, it’s so annoying. I could rant about the “Day Without Mexicans” protest that caused me to not be able to go to my favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch, and how I have a hard time patronizing that restaurant now because they didn’t fire the workers who refused to come in. I could go on about the fact that my mother is an immigrant who did things the right way, even though it was an expensive pain in the bum for her. I could go on about how I think that illegal immigrants no matter what nationality (even my mother’s acquaintances who just never got back on the plane to Ireland) should have no rights in this country. I could go on about how these people should be taking a good look at their own culture, and figure out why they have the guts to protest the American government but don’t have the guts to change the Mexican government in order to make it a place that they would be able to live with basic needs. I could go on about how our government is bending over to a third world nation. I could go on about how the erosion of the middle class and the widening gap between the rich and the poor can be related to illegal immigrants taking jobs at much less pay than Americans would demand. I could go on about how much social services money is paid toward people who make no tax contribution. I could go on about how many children are being supported by the foster care system but are not legal citizens. I could go on about how mad it makes me that our government is even considering amnesty for such criminals when I still have to pay that $30 parking ticket because I didn’t feed the meter downtown until five minutes after it expired, and how I could actually get arrested for that.

Fortunately for everyone, I won’t go on.

Long Time Coming

2006-04-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it’s been a long time since I blogged. Not that it matters, since I think only Shan and Pizzle read my blog. I thought I should update anyway, so I don’t end up in Shan’s graveyard. See, with my new job, I share a computer, so it’s a lot more difficult to while away time making a blog post. Since I don’t get home until 7 or 8 every night, I rarely have the desire to waste precious me-time on blogging.

New things…well, I began my new job, of course. It’s cool working for the government, although it most certainly makes me part of “the man.” I just started working my own cases this week, and now have a comfortable case load of 10. I should get a few more kids and then I’ll have a full caseload. It’s definitely an interesting change. My client base in foster care was kids who have already been pulled out of their homes, and my job duties were to help their families get them home. Now, I work with kids who are at risk for getting pulled out of the home, and my job duties are to work with the kids to manage the behaviors that may cause them to get pulled out. The families I used to work with were abusive or neglectful, but the families I work with now just don’t have the skills to deal with their childrens’ mental disorders. The families I used to work with had their children taken away against their wishes, but the families I work with now are at their wits ends and almost want the kids out of their homes. It’s definitely new. It’s also new that I am in charge of teaching these kids how to manage their behaviors. In my old job, I gave them consequences for their behaviors, but past that I would call in their worker from the mental health center. Now I am that worker, and when a child is having a psychological episode, I’m the one people call to help. I do think I’m going to like it just as much once I get into the swing of things. Oh, and I work a 4-day week now, so every Friday I get off. That is AWESOME.

More new things… I became an ordained minister. This may seem odd for a Catholic girl, but I assure you God takes no offense. I became ordained through Universal Life Ministries (after my little brother did it and I became jealous of his power). God doesn’t care because it’s not a real church, and I didn’t have to make a statement of belief or renunciation of my old church. Now I can seriously marry people. That’s creepy. Anyone need a minister? I’m cheap, I swear.

Further new things…Shan and I have decided not to move to the apartments in my previous post. They were a lot more demanding than any other apartment we’ve ever lived in, and that caused us to second-guess spending the money. After a couple of weeks of jumping through their hoops, we decided to just stay put. In one way, it’s disappointing because it would have been a beautiful place to live. In another way, it’s a very sound decision as the new place was very expensive and a lot smaller. At least now we’ll have tons of free money to through around that we’re not paying toward more rent.

Well, it’s becoming late in the morning and I must get moving for my lunch date. Let’s see…10am on a Friday…I got up at a nice leisurely 9am, had a cup of coffee, read the news, updated my blog, did my nails…yup, three day weekends rock. I wish I could have them every weekend. OH WAIT, I CAN.

The Woes of Apartment Hunting

2006-03-20T02:35:00.000-08:00

I had originally included this in my “Goings On” post, but decided that it warranted it’s own post. Hence, two posts in one day.

When Shan and I moved into our current apartment, we had hoped that we would not move again until we were ready to buy. Moving is not fun, and moving yearly is especially annoying. There are just so many things to do: forward the mail, change your address, tell your friends & family that once again you live somewhere new! Unfortunately, we have been faced with this necessity.

There are a couple of reasons that we’d LIKE to move, and one reason that we HAVE to move. We’d like to move because of our location. When we were hunting for an apartment last time around, we had certain limiting factors that narrowed our options. We ended up living a few miles outside of our ideal neighborhood. Now, where we live now is by no means a bad neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination. It is just not our ideal neighborhood. Another reason we’d like to move is that our apartment is situated in a poor location in the complex. We are on the first floor, and apparently a moose or two lives above us. Our windows face a fairly busy parking lot, which necessitates that they be constantly closed with blinds drawn. Anyone parking their car would see right into our private world with the most casual sideways glance, and this is a fact I simply cannot get over. A third reason is that since we have been here, upkeep has markedly decreased. The formerly attractive little ponds are now consistently half-full and unattended-looking. The bushes are overgrown for months at a time. The grass is uncut until it is noticeably shaggy.

We do recognize that want and need are two different things, and most likely would not be moving if it wasn’t for the final factor. The rent has dropped dramatically in the past year, and the resulting natural changes have occurred in the complex. For this reason above all others, we have come to the conclusion that we simply cannot stay.

A month or so ago, I began to look at the different complexes in our ideal neighborhood. Shan and I had this fairly large area of town in mind as being the only place we would move to if we were in the position to move again. Kind of the idea that if you can’t have what you want, why make a change? Looking at complexes in this area, however, was no small task. I would guess that there were roughly 20 complexes to choose from. I carefully researched each complex online, and then made a decision about which ones I’d visit. I visited about 10, and then decided to visit them all. It’s best to be informed, right? I looked at a couple a day during lunch or if I had a meeting in the area, and made a mental note of the ones that I liked.

My conditions were fairly simple. I wanted someplace fairly expensive, to ensure the quality would not degrade like our current apartment. I also wanted to get my money’s worth, either in the apartment itself or in the community and neighborhood. I’m fairly confident that we ended up getting both in the end.

After my little Tour de Overland Park, I narrowed it down to two complexes. Well, that is to say, I only felt that two complexes were worth dragging Shan to. In fact, they were the only two that even made the list…I’m telling you, I was being Picky with a capital P. Shan looked at them both, as I did for the second time. After a second look, it was an easy decision to make.

The place we chose has everything we want. The interior is well done. The complex is beautiful. The amenities are top-notch. The neighborhood is perfect. Our patio has a gate that leads to a 25-mile walking trail, which winds around the neighboring golf course. Our windows face the trail, a creek and trees.

We also have to wait an additional two months to get in. I'm taking this as a good sign, though. After all, it can easily be assumed that a long wait to get an apartment means this is a nice place at which people enjoy to live. So, we have concluded that we shall just live in our current place two months longer than expected and wanted. It might be nice to have all that time to prepare, anyway.

Hopefully, we’ve learnt our lesson. As Shan’s friend Lindsay put it over drinks last time she was in town, there comes a time when you realize that you just have to pay more to get what you want. We’re definitely paying for the neighborhood, but I firmly believe that it is a very, very sound decision. I think we’ve learnt that in order to get a place that’ll make you happy for more than a year, you have to weigh all the factors. You can’t just rent a place in an OK neighborhood because you like how much square footage you get for your money. If you do, you’ll end up being like us, disappointed to see the place going sharply downhill and being nothing like what you hoped. And, although it's draining to think of moving again, we are glad to do it. This time we're hiring movers, though!

Goings On

2006-03-19T22:51:00.000-08:00

I don't really have the will to post much anymore, and it may be because life hasn't been all that terribly interesting lately. Every day seems to merge into the previous and next...It might be the time of year, being as it's in between holidays and interesting things to do, or because it's not quite winter and not quite spring. It might be a general lack of desire to go do anything lately, or it may plain be that blogging has bored me as of late. Whatever the reason, I haven't felt the need. Anyway, it's not as though I have a massive readership.

However, since it's 1am and I can't sleep, I think I shall just post regardless of how interesting it is.

First subject: St. Paddy's. Good day.
It began the night before St. Paddy's, when I went with my mother to attend a trad session and dinner at the Marriott downtown. The music was great. The singer was Eddie Delahunt, a friend of Mom's, a local favorite and someone I've heard often. Mom made him two huge loaves of soda bread, which went over quite well. Dinner fare was, of course, corned beef and cabbage. This was somehow the very first time I'd had corned beef. I have to say, I'm not really a fan. It was kind of chewy and tasted like bologna.
The next day, I worked the morning, having tried unsuccessfully all week to get someone to cover me. See, I originally intended not to take off at all seeing as St. Paddy's is on a Friday this year. However, since I'm only working there for another week and have a lot of sick time built up, I figured I'd call in sick. Unfortunately, in my line of work, you can't just call in sick. You have to get your obligations taken care of by others, or else some child or parent is left very, very disappointed. I was unable to find coverage, so I had to work until 1pm.
I then went to what used to be an authentic Irish pub, McBride's, with Shan's mom. Back in the day, the pub was run by an Irish immigrant. Mom and all her immigrant friends would often meet up there to celebrate various things. About a year ago, they built a second location in another part of the city, and all the real Irish moved up there to hang out. Now, the place has turned pretty silly. Example one was my lunch. On the menu was a sandwich that they claimed was a real, Irish banger sandwich. I ordered this, having been granted a dispensation by my Archbishop. It wasn't a banger, and when the waiter asked how it was, I told him, "Well, it's not an Irish banger but whatever it is, it's good." He informed me that it was a Johnsonville. I then saw someone nearby be presented with what had been purported to be a scone. It looked more like a dinner roll. Example two, it was St. Paddy's, and it was an Irish pub, but neither of the live musicians played Irish music. They sang Jewel and The Beatles and American Pie. Example three, I saw not one but two Guinesses come to the table unfinished. Apparently the bartender had just poured the thing once and had not even bothered to let it settle before sending it to the table.
By the time Shan and his friends got around to coming, it was one-in-one-out. They didn't feel like standing in line, so we left and joined them up the street at another bar. After a couple of hours, we proceeded back to a friend's house to grill out and watch the basketball game. Once I remind you that I'm a Jayhawk fan, you'll know what that didn't turn out to be a good time. The night in general was very fun though, mainly because of the steady flow of alcohol and good company. I even managed to stop drinking early enough to get Shan and I home, and avoid the "passing out on the floor of a friend's house" scenario!

Second subject: My car.
My lovely little putter arounder is going to be paid off very soon, and I'm feeling the pride of ownership. After all, I bought the car practically new (it was three months old) all by myself when I was 22. As a result of my newfound interest in my car, I've had a couple of things fixed that needed to be for a while. First was my previously mentioned wheel bearings. Second was the sole cosmetic default: a nasty little crack that split the grill of my front bumper right in half. When I was in Europe, my car lived at my mom's. I left with the express instruction that my vehicularly irresponsible youngest brother, who is car-obsessed and lives with Mom, not be allowed anywhere near the driver's seat. I came home to find that my precious little brother had driven the car, slid in the rain, and cracked the front end against a gutter. I, of course, told him that he was going to be held responsible for fixing the bumper. Since he was in school at the time, I decided to let it go for a while. When he dropped out of school, began working full time, and continued to live rent-free at home, I decided not to let it go anymore. After about a year of occasionally nagging him about it, he finally replaced my front bumper. It's really soothing to have a whole car again!

Third subject: People from high school who made it.
I know of just one. I found out recently that a guy I "dated" in high school wrote and directed Saw 2. I put quotes around the "dated" because we didn't really date. We went on one date, to the mall, and his mom drove because we were both 14. We also hung out a school a lot and talked on the phone. I think after that we may have been friends for a while, but I can't really remember. That's not an insult to him; it's just a testament to how awful my memory is. Anyway, he's the only person from school that I've heard of having done anything even kind-of famous. Well, except the girl who had a scene with Doogie Howser (AKA NPH) in the movie My Antonia back in middle school. So, congratulations Darren Bousman and I hope you go far!

Anywho, it's now 1:55am and I stink at conclusions, so I'm just going to publish this now.

Our First Tornado

2006-03-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

We had our first tornadoes of the year in KC today. I love severe weather.

It came earlier than normal it seems, although I have to say I don't exactly keep track. Could be that we get tornadoes this early every year and I just don't pay attention.

There was nothing too near my home, although when the tornadoes hit nearby the sirens went off. I knew there was a storm and that it was bad, because the sky was yellow and green as usually accompanies bad spring storms. I didn't pay attention to the sirens much, though, because tornadoes never hit too close to the city.

This time, they hit right smack in the middle of Lawrence (thankfully not damaging Badtouch's home too much) and took the roof off of a hotel a bit west and north of us. I did, unfortunately, sustain some hail damage to my car. Crapola.

I love severe weather, though. I love when the streetlights come on at 2pm, and the sky gets all green and starts rotating around. I remember one time there was a crazy rotation on top of my and Shan's apartment building and we were sure a funnel was about to drop right on top of us. One time I sat on my friend's roof and watched a tornado drop right onto Clinton Lake, which was about 5 miles from us. I love when the thunder shakes the walls and the winds start blowing like nuts. It freaks a lot of people out, but it's like crack for me. Did I spell crack right?

Friday and Lent

2006-03-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

So, St. Paddy's is on a Friday this year and it's causing some angst amongst some American Irish.

Corned beef and cabbage is a staple of American Irish fare. While corned beef is unheard of in Ireland, it does have valid Irish roots. In Ireland, ham (or bacon, as it's called) is served after being heavily salted and boiled. It's yummy. It's also hard to find here. I imagine it was even more difficult when the waves of Irish immigrants were flooding the U.S. during the potato famine. So, they began eating corned beef, which from what I've been told is a decent substitute.

So, corned beef is staple fare, and is also meat. St. Paddy's is on Friday, and it's Lent. Almost all Irish are Catholics, and Catholics fast from meat on Fridays in Lent. You can see the dilemma.

This is an inconvenience, but it is after all only one year. It's not like they can't have a corned beef and cabbage dinner on Thursday night. It's kind of annoying to me, because I can't make my usual fry-up for dinner that night. I guess I'll have it on Thursday night. Not a big deal.

Smoking

2006-03-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

Two months since quitting smoking. Still not interested in cigarettes. How did I get so lucky? I've heard horror stories of quitting smoking. I've heard it's probably the most difficult addiction to conquer. So how is it that I've had smoothe sailing? I haven't even WANTED a cigarette (that is, I haven't wanted a cigarette while sober). Even when I'm drinking I rarely want a cigarette. I guess I was just ready. Or was it that I never really smoked much anyway?

I guess if you had the habit of putting a smoke in your mouth 20 times a day, it would be more difficult than if you had only smoked a couple of times a day. I've never been able to do that without getting sick. Maybe that's what's making it so easy...I don't think my body every really got used to smoking. The first time I had a cigarette, it was in the backseat of my friend Jen's car, in high school. She was driving and my boyfriend at the time was riding shotgun. They both smoked, and I smoked too. You know, to be cool. Ah, the teenage mind. I became really ill after I smoked it. It took a good 30 minutes for the dizziness and nausea to go away. Of course, the whole time I wasn't letting on that I was about to spew.

I definitely became addicted. If I didn't smoke, my lungs would get this funny, uncomfortable feeling that my mind told me could only be cured by a cigarette. If I didn't have one, sometimes it would go away and sometimes it would get worse. I never really could smoke very often, though. I'd get sick off it if I smoked in the morning. Sometimes if I smoked too much I'd go a day or two without smoking, because the thought of it would gross me out. I never really craved cigarettes during the day too much. I'd have the occasional smoke at lunchtime (maybe once a week), but otherwise I only wanted to smoke in the evenings. And then, it was usually two smokes. Four if I was going crazy. Any more than that, and they'd make me sick. So, for the entirety of my life as a smoker, I never moved up in quantity like most people. Don't get me wrong...like everyone else, I could go through a whole pack while drinking.

So I probably shouldn't be too surprised how easily I just stopped one day. I suppose my brain was smarter than me the whole time, and never really wanted to smoke.

Scary Life Decisions

2006-03-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

Onward and upward, as my mother says.

I accepted a new job today. Some may be surprised, as I’ve made it pretty clear that I adore my current job. Trust me, it wasn’t an easy decision to make. I do love my current job. The thing is, this new job is a better opportunity for me professionally.

The first factor was education. Where I work now, I couldn’t have moved up the ladder any further without getting a Master’s in Social Work. In order to do the job that is the next level up, one must be a licensed social worker. I’m not, because I don’t have the required bachelor’s in social work to become licensed. So, I’d have to go back to school for a social work degree. This means money and time, not to mention the fact that I’d be stuck where I am in the meantime. At the new job, you don’t have to be a licensed social worker to move up. A Psych degree will do just fine. Now, I do intend at some point to go get an MSW, but I like the fact that I can further my career in the meantime at this new employer.

The second factor was the almighty dollar. This new position is paid more, in both actual salary and benefits. Higher mileage reimbursement, cell phone reimbursement, more health coverage, more money in the paycheck. All of these are good things.

So, I’ll be leaving foster care and beginning to work for the county mental health center. I’ll be working a case load of severely emotionally disturbed children, or SED children. This may sound scary, but it’s really not such a big deal. Mostly it’ll be kids with PTSD, Bipolar disorder, etc..

Anyway, wish me luck!

People Who Don't Know What They're Talking About

2006-02-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

I’ve seen a couple of new articles lately followed by comments about student loans. Specifically, about how a college degree generally doesn’t earn you more money and how as a result, most people can’t pay back their loans. Most of the comments I’m seeing are pretty negative toward people who can’t pay back their loans. They are:
-Don’t spend money you don’t have. If you don’t have money for college, don’t go to college.
-Students knew that they were borrowing, should have anticipated having to pay back the loans, and should therefore not be whining about paying back money they owe.

This kind of attitude makes me crazy. These comments must come from people who either A. didn’t go to school and resent those who did, or B. had their parents pay for school and have no idea the reality of student loans.

First of all, throughout high school, most students are drilled by their teachers and parents that if they go to college, they’ll get a good job and make money. If they don’t go to college, they’ll never get anywhere in life. This is brainwashed into kids so severely that many feel like they don’t have a choice about the matter, and if they ever want to be anything more than the assistant-manager at the local grocery store, they have to go to college. I know that when I was a senior in high school, I felt that way. I was made to feel like only losers don’t go to school.

What kind of a choice does that offer kids? If their parents can’t afford to help them with school, then they think they have to take out loans. No one ever tells a high school student, “Well, if you don’t have the money, don’t go to college.”

Second, college students are not given a realistic picture of student loans. They are told by their high school counselors, their financial aid counselors, and society in general that student loans A. earn their worth because of the degree they allow you to achieve, and B. are easy to pay back because the low interest rate makes for low payments that can be paid over the long term.

This is serious bull. These are flat out lies that are used to dupe students into borrowing money that they will struggle a lot to pay back, if they are even able to. When I got out of college, I realized that a degree does not earn you a better job. You don’t make more money, either. In fact, you net less money because you have to take pay your student loans every month, unlike the guy with 10 hours at the community college in the cubicle next to you who is earning the same. I also realized that the affordability of student loan payments is a terrible falsehood. For every $10,000 I borrowed, I had to pay about $100 a month. That’s a lot of money. I had no idea that the payments would be hundreds of dollars a month. Not a single counselor or administrator nor anyone told me this. They even gave me a stupid little chart that erroneously tricked me into believing that it would be $150-200 a month. That was such a lie.

So, you go to school because you’re told you have to, only to find out that your degree is nothing more than an expensive piece of paper. You borrow tens of thousands of dollars because of falsehoods told to you and you find out that you pay more toward your student loans every month than you do your rent.

That is, if you can afford a home after you pay your student loans.

Then, you hear about ignorant people judging student loan debtors. Misinformedly talking about how they knew what they were getting into. I guess that just shows how stupid and judgmental people can be.

I guess the whole point of this was to say, have some sympathy for people with student loan debt. They were pressured and lied to, and now they’re trying to claw their way out of the hole their school dug for them and threw them into.

I Guess I Just Pissed Off Barley's Brewhaus

2006-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

So, according to the FDA, fast food and chain restaurants are required to be able to provide customers with the nutrition information on their food. You know, calorie and fat content and that type of stuff. You can find out from most restaurants on their web site (such as McDonald’s and Applebee’s). Sometimes you have to call them to find out, but they are supposed to be able to provide it to you. I guess this is designed to help fatty America make better decisions about their diets.

So, I called Barley’s Brewhaus, where I had eaten dinner the night before, to get the nutrition info on the sandwich I’d had. I just wanted to know how bad it was so I could decide if it meant I needed to eat salad all day today to compensate. Now, I know that they’re not really a chain (there are 2 Barley’s and about 10 restaurants under different names but owned by the same people), but I figured I’d see if they had the information. I didn’t know that this would cause them to be ugly, rude assholes to me.

Stacey answered the phone pleasantly and asked if she could help me. I told her my request, and she sounded perplexed. She put the phone down to ask other employees, but didn’t put it on hold. I could hear her ask the others around her, and heard them say things like, “Is she serious?” and “Tell her it’s bad for her and not to eat it.” Now, I have worked in a restaurant, so I know that restaurant employees hate customers. They see them as people they must be fake toward in order to get a tip. I understand this, and have definitely been on the other end of that conversation before.

However, I didn’t expect them to completely be assholes and blow me off. It’s not like I was asking them for something unreasonable. A lot of places have that information for customers. In fact, most restaurants do. I know, because I ask a lot.

Stacy got back on the phone and said that she doesn’t know anything other than it’s bad for me. I told her to get her manager on the phone.

Darren got on the phone and asked if he could help me. I told him my request, and told him that some restaurants are required to have the information, therefore it is reasonable for me to ask. Darren told me that the sandwich was bad for me, I shouldn’t eat it, and that he doesn’t have nutrition information. I mean, he acted like he wasn’t supposed to know and I was weird for asking. WTF?

So, I guess I pissed Barley’s off. I’m kind of mad at them, and will probably call their GM. Sheesh.

St. Paddy's Day

2006-02-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Real quick...
I was reading online a bunch of commentary about how St. Valentine's Day is all phony (Shan calls it Hallmark Day). I don't agree or disagree. I really don't have an opinion.

However...

This led into some posts about how St. Paddy's is phony. You know, people saying that St. V's day is phony like St. Paddy's Day.

Excuse me? St. Paddy's Day is phony?

Yeah, well, so is the Chinese New Year.

I mean, really! Just because you're not Chinese and don't attach any meaning to the Chinese New Year doesn't make it phony. Just because you're not Irish or Catholic and don't attach any meaning to St. Paddy's doesn't make it phony.

I understand that there are people who use St. Paddy's as an excuse to drink (not that I don't). They don't have any Irish heritage, but they sure love the party. But what about those of us who ARE Irish in America and consider this day a celebration of our heritage and culture?

I think if someone ever called St. Paddy's Day fake to my face, I'd pop them in the nose.

It's A Good Day

2006-02-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

I found an old CD the other day that I’d burnt somewhere in the last part of 2002. It brought back a bunch of really happy old memories.

When I burnt the CD, I was beginning one of the happiest parts of my life. I’ve had a happy life in general, but this period that began in about 2001 and has lasted all the way though now is definitely the happiest.

At the time I burnt the CD, I was living back in the KC area and finishing up school. I loved my job, my roommate, my friends, and my life in general. I made decent money for the first time ever (not a lot, but enough to live a lot better than during college), and I was happy to treat myself to new clothes, dinner out with friends, and a new car. I was in the middle of a 2-year period of being single, but it was the refreshing kind of single where you’re not hurting over an ex and you’re just having fun.

The CD really got me thinking about how happy I am. I made it a few months before I started dating Shan, or just right when we began to date. I think one of the reasons I love being with him so much is that I entered the relationship a happy person, with no baggage and no drama. I was coming from a couple years of really good happiness, and stepping into a really healthy relationship with another happy person. It’s funny, isn’t it, how two people can end up coming together at just the right time in life?

Anyway, I don’t want to make anyone puke by droning on about how great Shan is and how happy we are. I’m sure that with V-day around the corner, you’re already getting sick of people who are happily in love. The CD just got me thinking, is all, and I wanted to express myself.

Have a great day, selah!

Lazy List Post

2006-02-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

>2. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30am
>3.What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Walk the Line
>4. What's your favorite TV show? ER
>5. What did you have for breakfast this morning? Coffee
>6. What's your favorite food? Chocolate
>7. What food do you dislike? Green beans and peas
>8. What is your favorite chip flavor? BBQ
>9. Your favorite CD at the moment? Meteora
>10. What kind of car do you drive? Mazda Protege
>11. Favorite sandwich? Turkey, bacon and cream cheese
>12. What characteristics do you despise? I don’t like this question so I choose not to answer
>13. What is your favorite type of clothing? Pajamas
>14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Been there…it was Greece
>15. What color is your bathroom? Blue, white and tan
>16. Favorite brand of clothing? Ralph Lauren
>17. Where would you retire to? Dixie
>18. Favorite time of the day? 4-7pm, get home time
>19. What was your most memorable birthday? My 21st, even though I don’t really remember it
>20. What year were you born? 1979
>21. Favorite sport to watch? NCAA Basketball
>22. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? Not sure
>23. Person you expect to send it back first? Not sure
>24. What fabric detergent do you use? April Fresh Tide w/ Downy
>25. Were you named after anyone? Nope
>26. Do you wish on stars? Nope
>27. When did you last cry? A few nights ago, in my sleep, because I dreamt my mother died.
>28. Do you like your handwriting? Yes
>29. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? Maybe
>30. Are you a daredevil? Can be for sure, especially when I was younger
>31. Do looks matter? My looks matter, others’ don’t
>32. How do you release anger? I cry or I drink
>33. Where is your second home? Definitely my car
>34. What were your favorite toys as a child? She-Ra
>35. What was the most useless High School class? P.E.
>37. Favorite movies? Gone with the Wind, Harry Potter, Say Anything
>38. What are your nicknames? BB, Madame Queen, Niffer
>39. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Yes
>40. Do you think that you are strong? Yes, very strong for a girl
>41. What's your favorite ice cream? Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food
>42. What is your favorite color? Pink
>43. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? I exagerrate/embellish stories
>44. Who do you miss the most? My friend Kelli
>45. Do you want everyone you sent this to, to send it back? Yeah!
>46. What color pants are you wearing? Black
>47. What are you listening to right now? Silence
>48. Last thing you ate? Tacos last night
>49. If you were a CRAYON what color would you be? Hot Pink
>50. Last person you talked to on the phone? My brother
>51. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
>52. Favorite Drink? Captain Morgan
>53. Do you wear contacts? Yes
>54. Favorite Day of the Year? Christmas
>55. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Scary Movies
>56. Summer or winter? Summer
>57. Hugs OR Kisses? Both, and lots of them.
>58. What is Your Favorite Dessert? Anything Chocolate
>59. What Book are you reading? Too embarrassed to say
>60. What's On Your Mouse Pad? A purple, squishy anti-carpal tunnel thing
>61. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? I didn’t watch TV last night
>62. Favorite Smells? Armani Gio, vanilla, plumeria, freesia, Cool Water, cigarette smoke

I know, missing a couple numbers. Got this off Rowan.
>63. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Neither
>64. What's the furthest you've been from home? Istanbul, Turkey

Get With The Program, Uterus!

2006-01-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

The female human biological clock is outdated. It inhibits procreation for modern human females and needs to be reset.

Human females are physically at peak child-bearing age in their late teens and very early twenties; that is, around ages 15-22. During this time, it is very easy to get pregnant and very easy to bear children. Our bodies bounce back faster; the weight comes off, there are less complications, and less chance of scarring. Unfortunately for us, mentally and societally we are not ready to be mothers at this age. Most 15-22 year olds are too immature to care for and provide for children. Most of them are also still in school, and have not yet started the experiences which will grow them into adulthood: college, a real job, living out from under the assistance of their parents. Back when the biological clock was set, a 15 year old could reasonably expect to be married and provided for by this age. These days, a 15 year old is still 6-15 years away from being married and cannot expect that she will ever be provided for.

Even during the off-peak but still safe time for having children, the human female is in most circumstances unable to do so. This time period is from about 22-30. Most women marry at about 24-26. This is the reasonable beginning point for considering children, and most are unwilling to have children until this happens. A lot of women, however, are expected to establish a career that makes them financially able to have children before they do so. A lot of women expect/ are expected to purchase a home before having children. By the time a woman gets married at 25, reaches a success level at work after college by about 27-28, and saves enough to purchase a home, she could be 30 years old. That is pushing it in terms of biological clock.

By age 28-30, the average age of a college-educated woman to bear her first child, things have really started to slow down. She’s not as fertile, and physically not as able to carry a child. The body at this point, because of the biological clock, is starting to think, “Well, we’ve missed our opportunity and I guess we’re not going to have a child.” Pregnancy complications start to become a reality, because of age. And think of if she wants to have multiple children! If she has her first child at 29 and one child every two years until she has three children, then her third child isn’t born until 34. That is, if she can even manage to get pregnant when she wants to at that age! At 34 we’re talking very high risk for genetic deformity and the pregnancy being fairly dangerous.

What if a woman has waited to begin her family until later, because she didn’t meet her husband until later due to trying to establish a career, or because she went to grad school? What if she doesn’t start her family until 30 or 32? I mean, this age is very young relative to how long people live, but from a biological clock standpoint she’s late, middle-aged.

Reform is obviously needed. The biological clock needs to be reset because of the changes in society that have occurred. I propose that peak fertility and ability to carry a child be changed from 15-22 to 25-30. I further propose that it is no longer a “danger zone” to bear a child after 30. I propose that high risk does not set in at 34, but at 40. In this way, our biological clocks will no longer be out of sync from what we and society expect of ourselves.

Groping and the stupid Feds

2006-01-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

So recently a friend of mine had a yucky experience on an airplane. A man sitting behind her groped her during a flight. She freaked out, called over the flight attendant, and started yelling at the guy that he was a pervert. He started apologizing, and the flight attendant moved her.

She later learned that the flight crew was supposed to have called ahead and had the police meet the plane, because this constitutes sexual assault and he would have been arrested. As it happens, they didn't, and she had to have the airline call the police once they arrived and she deboarded the plane.

The police handed it over to the FBI, since it's federal if it happens in the air on a plane. The FBI turned it over to the local U.S. Attorney, who declined prosecution.

She is obviously outraged, as am I. Essentially it seems like the U.S. Attorney is condoning this man's behavior...basically saying that it's not illegal to grope strange women. My friend was very upset when it happened. She described to me that she had a very strong emotional response that she can't explain, a response which included shaking, crying and what she thinks might be shock.

So, she contacted a lawyer friend about how to make this guy face some sort of music for his actions. The lawyer friend told her that she can write a letter to any U.S. Attorney in the country (as they all have prosecutorial jurisdiction) and see if any of them will prosecute. She plans to write a letter to every U.S. Attorney on the flight path, and if that doesn't work to write to every one in the country. Her lawyer friend also told her that she could file a lawsuit against him.

The thing is, she doesn't really believe in suing people. She's told me that she thinks Americans are too quick to sue for money if they feel even a little, itty-bit wronged. So, she's leaning toward not wanting to sue. However, she has said that she refuses to let him get away with this with no repercussions whatsoever.

Any advice for her?

Doctors

2006-01-23T11:40:00.000-08:00

Why aren’t all the doctors called doctor? Why is it only medical doctor, shrinks, researchers and teachers? What about the pharmacists and lawyers? I mean, if you go through all the trouble to get a doctorate, shouldn’t you get the honor of being called doctor? If John Smith is a lawyer, then he’s called Mr. Smith. But Mr. Smith has a doctorate in Jurisprudence, so shouldn’t he be Dr. Smith? If John Smith is a pharmacist, then most people don’t even know that he’s got a doctorate in Pharmacy. Most people probably think pharmacy is some sort of technical program (there are pharmacy techs, which are a lot different). Shouldn’t we be calling our pharmacists Dr. Smith?

By the way, I just found out that Dr. Laura isn’t a shrink, like I thought she was. She’s a physiologist. She is licensed to do counseling, but not at a doctorate level because she doesn’t have her doctorate in psychology or psychiatry. Surprising...

Inspired

2006-01-23T08:10:00.000-08:00

I read an article in the paper recently about whether or not to take vending machines out of schools. There were surprisingly more vending machine defenders than opposers, it seemed. The main argument was that children need to learn to make good choices. Funny, I thought children needed to be taught by example to make good choices.

You know, when I was growing up, I can remember many a Saturday when my mother threw us all outside and refused to let us in for anything other than a drink or the restroom. We had to play outside. We weren't allowed to watch TV for 8 hours on a Saturday. She never bought chips, candy, or pop. Our snacks weren't always perfectly healthy, but they sure weren't processed. We weren't allowed TVs in our bedrooms, and the only way we got away with spending a day holed up indoors was if we were reading a book.We were all required to join sports. Not forced to continue, but required to give it a try.

Guess what? I wasn't overweight. Was I jealous of my friends with TVs in their bedrooms and potato chips after school? Of course. I felt totally deprived, but my mother knew that her primary job was to make healthy decisions for her children, whether they liked it or not.

To this day, I don't really drink pop or keep junk food in my home. I'm not in the habit of doing so. And when I have children, I'll kick them out for hours at a time like my mother did. I'll make them try out the swim team, the soccer team, the basketball team, the volleyball team, jazz, ballet and martial arts like we did. I'll make them complete a full season, and then if they don't like it, they don't have to participate next year. If they're like me and my brothers, though, they'll continue participating in sports all through their childhood.

I understand that fat kids aren't all due to poor parenting. I know that there are plenty of fat kids, like my little brother, who was raised by parents who made good choices for their children. So, I'm not condemning fat kids. I am saying that I think it's important for children to be parented, and not placated. I'm sure that my mother felt awful when we threw fits and told her we hated her for making us do stuff; fortunately for us, she didn't give in.

Mom: "Okay, you can watch that movie tonight, but you have to play outside until it starts."
Us: "Mom, that's in five hours. What are we supposed to do for five hours outside?"
Mom: "I don't know. Find something."
Us: "But MOM I want to play Super Mario Brothers!"
Door closing in our faces.

An hour later.
Us: "We have to go to the bathroom and we're thirsty."
Door opens.
Mom: "Okay, would you like water or water?"
Us: "We'd like pop."
Mom: "We don't have pop."
Us: "Okay, Kool Ade."
Mom: "No, it's water or water."
Us: "But MOM we don't like water!"
Mom: "Then go thirsty."
Us: "Fine, we'll have water. We're hungry, too."
Mom: "What would you like?"
Us: "Nacho Doritos."
Mom: "No. How about an apple?"
Us: "How about a cookie?"
Mom: "How about you don't eat until dinner?"
Us: "Fine, a glass of water and an apple. You're the meanest mom we know."

Several hours later.
Mom: "Come on in, dinner's ready!"
Us: "Yay!"
Dinner gets eaten.
Us: "Can we have seconds?"
Mom: "If you're still hungry in half an hour you can have another plate. Why don't you go watch that movie you wanted to see?"
Us: "What's for dessert?"
Mom: "Ask me on Sunday, because we only have dessert on Sunday."
Us: "We hate you. You're mean!"
Mom: "Then find another mom."

The next morning.
Mom: "Who wants breakfast?"
Us: "We do, we do! Cereal and chocolate milk, please!"
Mom brings out her one indulgence, sugary cereal, and glasses of chocolatey milk.
Us: "This isn't chocolate milk, this is Ovaltine!"

Mom has a poem hanging on the wall in her kitchen that I think sums this parenting style up pretty well. It is "How To Be A Mean Mother":

A mean mother never allows candy or snacks to take the place of a well balanced meal.
A mean mother insists on knowing where her children are at all times, who their friends are and what they do.
A mean mother breaks the child labor law by making her children work..
Washing dishes, making beds, learning to cook, and doing other cruel and unpleasant chores.
A mean mother makes life miserable for her offspring by insisting that they always tell thetruth. A mean mother produces teenagers who are wiser and more sensible.
A mean mother can smile with secret delight and pride when she hears her own grandchildren call their parents "mean".
What the world needs now, are more mean mothers.. and fathers!...

My Weekend in Prison

2006-01-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

I like to fly. I'm having a busy work travel week. I'm going to both Detroit and Norfolk on Tuesday. You know, one of those leave before the sun, spend a few hours in Detroit, fly out to Norfolk, spend a few hours, and get home just before bedtime. Yay. At least I get to pay for my own meals, and be reimbursed in two months. Stupid nonprofit.

I'd just like to say curses on Badtouch. We were in Lawrence on Friday night to hang, and he introduced us to the most delicious prime rib French dip sandwich ever made, courtesy of the Lawrence location of 75th Street Brewery. I seriously went to bed thinking about it's yumminess that night. Tonight, Eric and I were thinking so much about that sandwich that we drove 30 minutes to 75th & Wornall to get that sandwich. Oh, and it was so yum. Seriously, if you're ever in/or near Lawrence or the Waldo area of KCMO, go to 75th Street Brewery and eat that sandwich. Even if you're a vegetarian. Soy's not as good for you as you think, anyway.

Speaking of soy...I'm the first one to agree that red meat is not fantastic for you. We've cut it down to once a week or less. I also firmly believe that a little bit of red meat is very good for you. Now, my best friend in the world is a vegetarian. She does it for a great reason; she doesn't approve of the way animals are treated. I can't blame the girl for that, and if I was a better and richer person I would probably go organic and cut out meat, too. However, I also know that there are people who think that it's HORRIBLY TERRIBLY AWFULLY unhealthy not to be a vegetarian. They think that they are SO MUCH healthier than people who eat meat. Now, these people I don't care for, and something very interesting has been presented in the news lately that makes me want to go up to all these tofu freaks and say HA! I told you so!

Soy is not that good for you. It's not bad for you, but unlike what certain high and mighty vegan acquaintances have told me, it's not good for you either. It doesn't help your heart. So ha! Scoff if you will as you eat your tofu burger and I drink my glass of red wine. At least I'm doing something that's good for me!

No Tomatoes For You!!

2006-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

There is a tomato shortage, and it is already affecting your life.

I’m being serious.

Hurricane Katrina did a number on our nation’s tomato farms (I guess there are tomato farms…), and we are now in a TOMATO CRISIS. Things have gotten so bad that Wendy’s is no longer putting tomatoes on their sandwiches. If you want a tomato, you have to ask for it.

Now, I haven’t really checked at my local grocery store since finding out about the TOMATO CRISIS. I wonder if the price of ketchup catsup will go up? I wonder if there are no tomatoes in my grocery store? Or what if tomatoes are now like $10 a pound?

So, be warned. There is a serious TOMATO CRISIS hitting our nation, and you need to prepare for it.

Things That Are None Of My Business And I Don’t Really Know The Truth About But I Am Judgemental So I Will Talk About

2006-01-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

I normally don’t talk about celebrity crap, because celebrities annoy me. I’m sure they annoy most people too. I’m annoyed that they complain about having their pictures taken. I’m annoyed that they complain about anything when they make as much money as they do. I’m annoyed at the ones who are famous for being famous. I’m annoyed that marriage is flippant with them. I’m annoyed that they have award shows so that they can recognize how great they think they are. I’m annoyed that I can’t stop reading about them. I’m annoyed at a lot more things about them, but I won’t go on.

Right now I’m really annoyed at Angelina Jolie. I used to be really in to her. I always said that if there was any girl I’d sleep with, it’d be her. I’m straight, but I used to be attracted to her. I used to think that she was stunningly beautiful, and extraordinarily sexy.

Now I think she’s just a hoe bag.

My attraction to her started to wane around the making-out-with-her-brother/tattoos/Billy Bob Thornton era. She started to seem way too weird, and that made her less sexy to me. I mean, kissing your own brother passionately? Thinking about it with my brother makes me gag. Wearing blood around your neck? Ruining that amazing body with ugly tattoos? I found myself less wanting to have sex with her and more wanting to take a shower when I thought about standing near her. But still, she was so hot in Tomb Raider…

Then comes this Brad Pitt thing. Don’t get me wrong; I think Brad Pitt is a hoe bag in this situation, too, but I’m not talking about him right now.

Maybe I’m just some pissed off chick who has been cheated on several times and has a complex about it, but Angelina’s relationship with Brad annoys me to no end. Some people say that you can’t help who you’re attracted to, and I’d have to agree with that. But you can prevent yourself from developing feelings for someone who is married, attraction beside the point. It’s simple: you don’t spend any more time with them than professionally necessary. If you still get the hots for said married person, then ignore them. Why? Because like or not, that person is married. This is not just someone’s boyfriend. This is someone who has bound themselves to another person from sharing a bathroom to the eyes of God.

I feel it my duty to acknowledge to myself that I have gone from wanting to do Angelina to wanting to punch Angelina. I’m no longer a fan. I don’t want to see her movies, I don’t feel happy for her pregnancy, and I don’t think she’s a good person for her charity work. I think she’s a hoe bag.

I’m also annoyed with her media coverage. It’s all Angelina and Brad this, Angelina and Brad that. How painful must that be for their families and EX-WIFE. Not only did Jennifer Aniston get dumped by her husband, it’s rubbed in her face how wonderful they are: Oh, look at the new golden couple! Isn’t that great, they go to Africa and adopt babies and do charity work! Isn’t that great, they’re pregnant. If I ran the media, it would be more like this: Oh, look at the slut bag adulterers! Isn’t that pathetic, they’re trying to make up for their moral ineptitude by traveling to Africa and adopting babies. How trashy, they’re pregnant!

Okay, okay. It seems like I’m taking this personally, and maybe I am. I’ll stop my rant now.

End.

Car Repair Woes

2006-01-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

Ah, the sweet feeling of a freshly repaired car. Isn’t it wonderful to finally fix that thing that’s been wrong with your car…to feel the wheel beneath your hands without the thump-thump-thump and the screech-screech-screech…

My front wheels have been causing problems for a while. When they first started to get yucky, I was given a quote around $800. I decided that I would fix things a little at a time, so I authorized a $250 repair and decided to keep the rest for later. The mechanic assured me that my car would not be a danger any time soon. He said that I could drive it for a month or two before I had to get it fixed.

So finally the time did come when I had to get the car fixed. I was afraid to take it on the highway anymore, and when I did I didn’t go over 55-60 because of the vibration and noise. I know, I know. I should have taken care of it before it got to that point. Well, I didn’t, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it now.

I needed to get the wheel bearings replaced. I took my car to be fixed on Saturday, with the assurance that it would be an easy process.

On Sunday, I received a phone call that the work would be done that day. Whoopee! This was good news, because rarely in my life are things uncomplicated. Especially with cars. If something on my car breaks, it’s usually big. Engine block big. So, while wheel bearings are hideously expensive to replace, I was relieved that it wasn’t a big ordeal.

Later on Sunday, I received the bad news phone call. It turns out that my little foreign car has a quite unique wheel configuration. Instead of just popping off the wheel bearings as expected (because apparently that’s the way it is in normal cars), they had to remove everything, brakes included, to get at it. And, once they got in there, they discovered that my wheel bearings don’t pop off at all. They must, quite unusually, be sawed off with a machine. And, to make things all the better, another mechanic must be called in because this is a fairly rare machine.

Yay.

I was told that I would not have my car back now for several days. Not a problem for Monday, because even on Sunday I knew I was going to be too sick to go in. Tuesday, however, posed a problem. Luckily, my wonderful boyfriend gave me a ride to work. While at work, I was informed that my car could be picked up that evening. I was told that the mechanic had checked out the entire wheel/front end of my car, and everything was in perfect order. He estimated that sans brake pads, which can go often, I should get 75,000-80,000 miles out of the current parts. So, my brother came to pick me up from work that evening to take me to get my car.

It was fantastic. After a couple months of driving a defunct car, my car rode as smoothly as it did four years ago when I bought it new. I was elated. I pulled my little newly perfect car onto the highway and went 70 mph. It was great. No shaking, no vibrating, no noise. Everything was fantastic, until…

Grrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddddddd. Driving straight forward, I heard a grind. Turning the wheel either direction, I heard a big grind. Using the brakes, it was an awfully huge grind.

“Well, Jen,” I thought to myself, “Perhaps this will go away. This is probably just the sound that the new parts make until they get worn in.”

Delusion is divine, but it does not work. This morning I still have a horrible grinding, like when the brakes go out and it’s just metal on metal. Ick. It hurts my ears. So, tomorrow evening I am off to the mechanic's again with my poor little car.

Sigh.

Tuesday Highlights

2006-01-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

This has been a good week, so far. My car's been fixed, so it's no longer a road hazard. I just found out I'm taking a work trip to Virginia Beach in the very near future. I stayed home from work yesterday, and even though it was because I was legitimately sick, it was still a day home from work. This coming weekend is a three-day weekend. Badtouch has his family cabin at the lake this month, and has invited us to come next weekend. It's snowing and wintery today. All of these are good things.

I have one of those bugs that keep you from feeling hungry. I started to get sick on Friday, and by Sunday I was laid out on the couch deathly ill. Yesterday was better, but still awful. Today I'm back at work, and feeling 75% better. The only thing is, it's Tuesday and I haven't eaten since Saturday. I mean, I've had tons of juice, and last night Shanshu made me drink tomato soup. It's just that between cold meds and gunk in my tummy, I just don't want to eat. I know I have to, hence the tomato soup, but I don't want to. I really hope I get my appetite back before I die of starvation.

On kind of a downer note, Shan has succumbed to my disease. He's sick today, but at work. If it hits him like it hit me, he won't be moving off the couch for a couple of days. Poor Shanshu!

2006-01-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

I want winter now. I am a little bit tired of this mild weather. In the 50s in January? That's crap. I want my ice and snow and clustery conditions. Shan got me very nice leather gloves for Christmas that apparently I'm not going to get to wear.

I think I'm going to take a trip by bus. By bus, you say? Why in the world would one do this rather than just fly like normal people? Well, first of all, I'm going between Kansas City and Denver. Apparently NO ONE travels between Kansas City and Denver, because transportation options are severely limited. Normally I would just drive, since it's only about 8 hours or so. However, I am going to Denver to stay with my bestest friend for a couple of days, and then meeting Shan and some friends in Boulder for a few days. I'm hitching home with them.

I could fly, but since it's not a popular route, it's expensive. Like, might as well fly to Europe expensive. Seriously, it's only like $100 less than flying to London. I rent a car and drive, but a one-way rental is $200 more expensive than a round trip rental. At that point it's pricier than flying, even without gas. I could also take a train, but Amtrack doesn't run between KC and Denver. I'd have to go through New Mexico, which is hundreds of miles out of the way and would mean a 24-36 hour train ride.

So I'm going to bus it. It's only 10 hours, and it's only $55. I've bussed recently. When Shan and I were in England, we had to bus to lots of places because the train didn't run there. I don't remember it being that bad, at all. I just hope the bus isn't full of smelly poor people. (That was a joke!)

Random Old Faces

2005-12-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

During a recent night out with some of my girlfriends, I ran into someone I haven't seen in a long, long time. This particular person was someone that I'd had a heck of a falling out with in college, and someone I never thought I'd see again. It was my old roommate, Nancy (this is a fake name, but is a person who some of you will know, and will know why it is so interesting that I ran into her). Nancy and I lived together for two years in college, and she treated me pretty poorly. She was the type of person you end up walking on eggshells around because the most mundane, random things will turn her into a raging bitchy lunatic. At the end of our first semester of senior year, my other roommate and I got together and decided we couldn't take living with her anymore. We kicked her out after finals of the fall semester, and when she left she trashed our place. I ran into her a couple times after that, and things were fine. We had a long talk and exchanged numbers, but when it became obvious that she was trying to renew the friendship, I began to ignore her phone calls. When we talked, I had been very clear that things were cool, but I wasn't interested in being friends again. She is a toxic person, and I didn't want her in my life.

A year or so after I last spoke to her, I ran into her ex-boyfriend at Blockbuster. She had dated and screwed over this guy while we were roommates. I had always thought he was such a great guy, so I started hanging out with him. That person is...can you guess?...Shanshu.

It's been four years since my last encounter with Nancy. I went to an old friend's record release party at a jazz club a couple of nights ago, and Nancy was there. For the few interested parties, here is an update: professionally, she seems to be doing pretty well. She's in grad school for hospital management, and is currently working at KU Med in research. Socially, though, she seems as messed up as ever. Apparently she doesn't really speak to her family much anymore. She said to me, "This last year has been so awful. You have no idea." I didn't press for details, because I wasn't interested in the drama. She has been married, but is no longer. Again, I didn't press for details. Being married and divorced/annulled/whatever within the span of four years is more drama that I'm not interested in. She had that very day, unluckily, moved into a new home about four blocks from where Shan and I live. I have my fingers crossed that we won't run into her at the local grocery store or something.

The one positive thing that came from that conversation was the apology and taking of responsibility I felt I deserved from her. She admitted, quite uncharacteristically, that she had indeed been a bitch, her behaviors during our time living together were inexcusable, and she was sorry. I suppose everyone grows up at some point, and while I don't really care anymore I was glad to hear it. She also apologized to Shanshu through me. She admitted that she had "fucked up" with him and that he didn't deserve to be treated the way he had. When I later told Shan, however, it was obvious he could give a rat's behind about her at all. Nancy had heard through the grapevine that I was dating Shan, and told me that she thinks this is wonderful. She said that we always had a connection that she could see, and that we were both nice people who deserved each other.

I have to say, this conversation was well done on her part. I still have no interest in her, and maybe a little part of me still wanted to see her fallen on her face. But I'm glad that she's grown up a little, and I'm glad that she has begun to recognize the toxic parts of herself. Hopefully in the future the drama will cease to exist and she'll find happiness.

MovieTickets.Com Are Scamming Sons of Bitches

2005-12-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

Never buy movie tickets online through hollywood.com or amctheatres.com or movietickets.com. Both hollywood.com and amctheatres.com have you go through movietickets.com, and they are assholes. Stupid, fat fuckheads. To purchase tickets, you have to click on that little agreement box for the terms and conditions. Those ugly fart heads put a little diddy in there that authorizes them to take a $9 monthly membership fee to reservationrewards.com. I mean, who puts that in their terms of conditions? I thought I was going through a reputable site. God dammit. Spam is getting to the point where you can't even buy from major businesses anymore without getting fucked up the asshole with a big burly brush. Stupid cocksuckers. Imagine my surprise when, a month after purchasing Harry Potter tickets on the theatre web site, I find a random $9 charge on my bank statement. I call the 800-number my bank provides me and find out that they had stuck that in the terms. Who reads that shit, anyway? I mean, I'd read it if I was buying something off of pornwhores.com, but not AMC Theatres! Shit fuck motherfucker! Obviously it's not the money that's pissing me off, but rather the principle. Can't trust anyone these days.

That is my trashy rant for the year.

Apparently I'm not very logical.

2005-12-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

Your IQ Is 130

Your Logical Intelligence is Below Average
Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius
Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius
Your General Knowledge is Genius

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Crying Like A Girl

2005-12-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

Why can't women argue with their loved ones without crying?

I thought for a while that it was just me. On the rare occasion I fight with Shan, I end up a teary mess, and get so flustered from tears that I don't even make sense anymore. I had a fight with my dad once when I was 19, and the same thing happened. And, every other boyfriend I've ever had, it's the same story. If I'd ever had a fight with a friend, I imagine there would have been tears involved. I was sitting in my office yesterday and happened to overhear a coworker arguing with who I can only assume to be her husband. It was one of those quiet work arguments, where you don't want anyone around you to hear, so there is no yelling involved. There are only strained tones of voices and whisper yelling. Anyway, like me, she began to lose it toward the end of the conversation. She was doing that thing girls do where they are trying to pretend like they're not crying, but just end up choking up while they talk. Her husband, like boyfriends I've known, was getting angry with her for crying. I heard her try to tell him that she wasn't crying. This made me think. Why don't husbands and boyfriends just accept the fact that women cry? I've had a boyfriend who would get mad at me for crying, like my coworker's husband did. Mad because I'm crying? What kind of sense does that make? It's not like crying is voluntary. It just happens. Getting mad at your wife or girlfriend for crying is like getting mad at someone for saying, "Ouch!" when they've been hurt. Besides, every girl does it. Get used to it. It's a fact of life. Fight with your girlfriend or wife, and she will cry. I think that women cry during arguments for a very good reason: release. Men get angry and punch walls. Women cry. It's the same emotion, but it's being expressed in a different way. Just like guys get mad and release their feelings with aggression, doing it before they can think about it, women get mad and release by crying. Really, it's a very constructive thing. If I cry during a fight, I feel much more closure after the fight because I'm not penning up my feelings. I'm a lot less likely to retain anger and harbor resentment. Men should encourage their women to cry during arguments; or, at the very least, they should not exacerbate the situation by getting mad about it.

My Clients are Hilarious

2005-12-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

So I was just contacted by the Lawrence police department. One of my parents had robbed a store and used me as an alibi. Okay, seriously. Why would you do that? Do you not think that the police are going to check your alibi? Do you not think that they would call me to find out if I was with you during the time of the robbery? Do you not think that it would be bad for your social worker to be involved in your robbery case, when you're supposed to be trying to get your children back? Not to mention the stupidity of robbing a store while you're trying to get your kids back. Jeez. This is all going to look SO GOOD in court. Can't wait to testify on this one!

Preparation

2005-12-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

We have begun to prepare for our holiday party. What used to be "let's have a few friends over and have a little party" has turned into "can we fit all these people in our home?" This has left new decisions to be made, such as how to come up with more seating and where to place the large amounts of food and beverage we must prepare. Shanshu and I are differing a little in our interpretation of how to throw the party, but in general we seem to be planning together okay. One thing that I'm very excited about is that we got his mother's ham sandwich spread recipe, and those little sandwiches pretty much kick the crap out of everyone else's ham sandwiches. Tonight begins the cooking, since I would like to have most of everything finished before Saturday. There's nothing worse than spending the day of one's party racing around, stressed out. Hopefully, I can make it so that there are only a couple of last-minute things to take care of that day, and Saturday can be generally stress-free.

Speaking of stress, I have not started holiday shopping yet. I've decided what I'm getting most everyone (which in my book is half the battle), but I have not yet purchased said items. My plan is to take a half day off of work next week and get these things done when everyone else is working. Wish me luck!

Beliefs

2005-12-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired by Shanshu's post, and I'm going to create my own list of beliefs.

10 Things I Believe In:
-The blindness, stupidity and deceitfulness of the Bush administration
-A ban on driving while on mobile phones
-Psychology
-Non-Centralized government
-Traditional church services
-The importance of family
-Premarital sex
-Aliens
-Spanking
-Tolerance

10 Things I Do Not Believe In:
-The continued illegality of marijuana
-The validity of one religion over another
-Missionaries and Evangelicals
-That college gets you a better job
-Educating, giving amnesty to and giving social services to illegal immigrants
-Divorce because of Irreconsilable Differences
-People who don't immunize their kids
-Vegans and being granola in general
-Mormonism and Scientology (but according to myself, who am I to say?)
-Teaching anything but science in science class

Things I'm Still on the Fence About:
-The death penalty
-Michael Jackson's innocence
-Ritalin and ADD/ADHD in general...in fact, medicating children at all

Abusive Boyfriend

2005-12-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend is abusive. He doesn't do it on purpose, I swear. He loves me, and would never hurt me on purpose. When he hits me, it's an accident. And he always apologizes immediately and makes me feel better!

Here is a list of times he has hit me recently:

1. This started it. This is the first time he hit me. I was asleep, and woke up to being punched in the ribs. I looked up at him, and he was laying propped up next to me with his fist in the air.

2. We were on the couch doing what I thought was a fun time play wrestling, when all of sudden I get back handed in the head for no reason whatsoever.

3. I had done something he didn't like, and he kept telling me not to do it. I don't know why, but I kept doing it over and over again. What I got for my insolence was a punch in the knee bone. Now he threatens to punch me in the bone, and it shuts me up for sure.

4.This morning I woke up after him and went out to find him laying on the couch watching TV. I sat down next to him to give him a hug. Before I know it, he kicked me in the forehead so hard tears came to my eyes.

Of course, everyone knows Shanshu isn't the abusive type. It is funny to me how lately he has been genuinely accidentally hitting me...#1 was a dream. We both woke up in the middle of the night because he'd had a dream that he was in a fight, and had punched me in his sleep. #2 was a coincidence...he was moving his hand as I was sitting up, and my head collided with his hand. #3 was when I was play trying to do something that annoys him, and he kept stopping me by very lightly and playfully pretending to punch me. Somehow one time he hit that just-right spot on my bone that hurt like nothing helse. #4, we were rolling around wrestling (kind of) and his leg went out of control, causing his foot to hit my forehead.

I wonder if underneath the layers he has some sort of latent anger toward me that he's trying to express!

Snow Day!

2005-12-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, but I'm having a snow day. My office shut down at 2 yesterday, and is closed today. I feel like a little kid! We got a very decent amount of snow for KC (10-12 inches), and I really want to go out in it. Like, sledding or something. Sledding with hot chocolate. That would be great! I'm glad I work for a nonprofit, because most businesses don't care as much for their employees' safety as they do about a day's profit loss.

Last night we figured out pretty early that work wasn't happening today. The news kept talking about how much more snow we were going to get before morning, and the roads were getting worse and worse. It was too cold for the ice trucks, and my car was beginning to get buried. A couple of our friends figured this out too, and suggested that they come over for drinks. That was fine, since all 4 of us were positive we wouldn't be working the next day. Now, I was not willing to go out in a snow storm to drive to a friend's house to drink, but our friends were and they came over. It was nice, kind of like an extra weekend night. We played games and had drinks and talked about the weather.

In fact, this week is shaping up quite nicely altogether. I played hooky on Monday, worked Tuesday and half of Wednesday, didn't work on Thursday, and have an easy day on Friday.

Long Time No Blog

2005-12-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

What can I say...sometimes I just get bored with it and have nothing to say. If I wait long enough to blog, I can come up with a bunch of small random stuff that is worth typing out.

1. A moment of mourning for Shanshu's computer. It was only five days old when it was murdered by Spy Axe. It's probably my fault, because I'm not what one would call competent with computers. I learned from this experience, however, that you should never go to any site that isn't well known and reputable.

2. Another moment of mourning for the $50 that Spy Axe stole from Shanshu, through a nasty little scam.

3. This has been the best December in years. We're on our fourth snow, and this one is actually supposed to be decent. It's supposed to snow until tomorrow and drop several inches. I LOVE SNOW! Unfortunately it's not good sledding snow, and plus with the temps the way they are (which I'm sure is tropical for Canada, but around here 2F is COLD) I wouldn't want to be outside for too long anyway.

4. A third moment of mourning for the KU Basketball program. From championship game to worst season opener in 30 years. Why, God, why?

5. Our Xmas party is shaping up nicely. We've got a small group of people coming (a dozen or so), which is just enough to fill our apartment but not so many as to feel crushed. I'm excited about trying out a new drink recipe that Shan found. Godiva white chocolate liquer, Stoli Vanil, Peppermint Schnapps. Fabulous!

6. A few of our kids are being sent to our office for visits from their foster homes without proper outerwear on. A couple of weeks ago, when it was in the 20s, I had an infant who was dressed warmly but had no coat, hat or mittens on. She only had a thick blanket over her carrier. I wonder if this is normal? It made me nervous. On Saturday I was with a group of kids, and two of them only had on fall jackets. No lining, no thickness. I made one wear my hat and the other my scarf. I think I might just start keeping extra hats, scarves and gloves in my car just in case.

7. We put our tree up on Sunday, and decorated it on Monday. I know I'm biased, but I think it's beautiful. I think it's either the prettiest or the second prettiest tree I've ever done. Monday morning (yes, we both played hooky from work on Monday) we decorated with the ornaments and stuffola that I already had. I decided that the tree looked too bare, so we headed to the store and purchased a few new ornamaments, a few more strands of beads, and tinsel. I've never used tinsel before. Now I love our tree! I fancy that it looks like a Victorian style tree. Now it's time to put presents under that tree!

8. Science City on a Saturday afternoon with 9 8-year-olds is the worst experience a sane adult can have. I know, I did this past weekend. I almost cried at one point because I had lost all 9 of them. When I say lost, I mean that every single one of them ran away from me. Remind me not to have 9 kids.

9. I'm going to a jewelry party tonight. It's one of those things where one of your friends sucks you into coming and watching another person give a sales speech. Then you're supposed to buy stuff from the salesperson so that your friend can get free gifts for being the hostess. I hate these things, but I am going so that my friend can put on a good show for the salesperson. I'll probably get sucked into buying something, too. Who wants overpriced, crappy jewelry for Christmas?

10. I like to end lists on certain numbers. It's a little bit OCD, but I couldn't possibly have ended on 9. It had to be 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, etc..

Winter Wonderland

2005-11-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

First off, I'm bad in bed. Ask Shanshu.

And, while it's not quite a winter wonderland (it's not even winter yet), snow lovers such as myself are welcoming our first few flakes. Our second snow was Monday night, and unlike our first, it stuck. Granted, it was nothing more than a light dusting, but it was still beautiful to watch fall. We're lucky, because 150 miles west of us the same system was a blizzard that caused some pretty awful conditions. Tonight we are slated to get our third snow, and since the temperature has been hovering just above the freezing mark today and is currently falling, I'm hoping for another little dusting and some more pretty flakes. Now, what I would like is for it to give us a few inches of accumulation and for it to remain snowy and wintery through New Year's. I'm pretty sure, however, that we'll have our usual brown and ucky December, and I'll have to wait another month for my sledding.

By the way, have any of you ever been to Topeka High? I was there this morning. It is GORGEOUS. It reminded me of the little private English boarding schools I saw when I was there. The outside is designed like a Tudor mansion, and the inside looks like Hogwarts. Beautiful. The entrance hall with it's formality, the cafeteria with it's warmth...I know it sounds crazy to be gushing over a high school, but I was so seriously impressed I can't believe myself.

Later this morning, I was driving along the I-70 turnpike between Topeka and Lawrence, following behind a utility truck with a ladder attached to it's top rack. The ladder fell off the truck and landed on it's side, open, in between the two lanes of highway. I slammed on brakes, as did the truck passing me in the other lane. We both slowly went around the ladder on our respective shoulders. The van that had dropped the ladder did not stop. I happened to be exiting at the same exit as the van, which was a few yards away from where the ladder fell. When we stopped in line to pay the toll, I got out of my car and ran up to the van. They rolled down their window, and said that they knew the ladder fell off and were going back for it. I got back into my car, but I should have berated them for not stopping when the ladder fell off and retrieving it. After all, a ladder blocking both lanes of a 70 mph highway certainly poses a traffic risk. When I pulled up to the toll booth, I told the toll booth lady about the ladder. The guys in the utility truck hadn't even told her about it! (For those of you who don't know, the toll lady works for the state department of transportation, which is responsible for maintaining the turnpike and therefore would be the ones to remove the ladder if the owners failed to). Then, I watched as said utility truck drove on it's happy way into Lawrence, and realized that these guys were definitly not going back to pick up their ladder. Sigh.

Very Happy for Thanksgiving Time!

2005-11-22T06:06:00.000-08:00

First off, I am over the moon about the fact that after today I have 6 days off. 6 days off! I'm looking forward to sitting around the house in my pajamas on Wednesday, drinking coffee and watching girly movies until noon. Then I'm going to bake pies (my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner). Sound boring to you, but sounds like heaven to me!

I'm also excited about having lots of plans with my friends this coming season. Because of wedding planning/school/new jobs/new babies, I've felt pretty out of touch with them lately. We went out to dinner last night, and now have 4 get togethers on our calendars between now and January. Oh, and one includes shopping on Friday, the best day to go shopping ever! I wouldn't agree to meeting them at 6am, so they're going to hit a couple of stores, go have breakfast, then come over at 9, which I think is a much more civilized time.

I just looked at the puffy nipples on Shanshu's site and got a little grossed out.

I'm hungry and I don't know when I get to eat lunch.

Happy Turkey Day! As we all celebrate the harvest, I think it's important to keep in mind that there are more reasons than this to celebrate. Like, it's the one day of the year that you can eat and gorge and be very gluttonous, and it is highly encouraged by society. Mmmm...turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and sweet potatoes and green bean casserole and rolls and pumpkin pie and apple pie and pecan pie. I am a lucky girl who gets dinner twice on Thanksgiving, thanks to the lovely couple ritual of attending two families worth of Thanksgiving celebrations. I plan to be wheeled from our second engagement in a barrow and plopped onto my bed in order to enjoy my lovely Tryptophan induced kip.

On a different note, I had a "fuck you, I'm sorry!" experience today. A girl ran a stop sign that I was stopped at, cutting me off. I honked at her, and she flipped me off...repeatedly...for like, three blocks. Then I was behind her at a red light, and when it turned green she just sat there. Didn't move. Played with her hair in the rearview mirror. So, I went around her in the empty oncoming traffic lane. This caused her to tailgate me for half a mile. People can be so weird! She must have decided that today was her day to act like a bozo on the first driver she ran into.

Homemade Eggnog is NOT Very Good

2005-11-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

So I made homemade eggnog Monday night. You know, whipped up the egg whites and folded in the cream and everything else. It was not good. The nog was frothy and the texture was perfect, but ALL I could taste was the alcohol. I guess I'm so used to the eggnog that comes in the cartons at the store, with the wicked strong artificial flavor...but I tasted nothing but liquor. It was gross, and I couldn't get myself through one cup full. I have two theories on this: 1. homemade eggnog is not as yummy as artificial storebought eggnog and/or 2. the recipe I used called for twice as much liquor as should have gone into it. I am, however, unwilling to waste the effort and ingredients on a second round using less liquor. Well, maybe I'll try again, but doubtful. Darn myself and my crazy obsessions, I guess I have to or else I'll never know and that'll drive me bonkers.

On a different note, I am sick and tired of people not taking responsibility for their mistakes. I hate people that blame everyone under the sun for something they've done wrong. I admit that, like everyone, I sometimes don't think I'm wrong when I am. That's natural, but it's usually over things that could be easily mistaken, like being rude when I think I'm just being assertive. A lot of my parents at work are the same way...everyone has a reason about why the state was wrong to take their kids, and they were done an injustice. Just like everyone in prison was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the kid at traffic court last night who was arrested for failing to appear and said his ride didn't show up. Blah, blah, blah. I want to scream at them: Oh yeah? Well how is it that this stuff doesn't happen to smart people? Because you're stupid, and that's why this happens to you! You make stupid decisions and then try and reason your way out of the consequences!

The news article that triggered my tirade goes like this: A woman drove to her boyfriend's house, went inside for a while, then looked outside to see her Jeep being driven away by some stranger. She chased it for a while, then called the police. It turns out that her car had been repossesed. It also turns out that she had a sleeping toddler in the car, who was hidden under a blanket in the backseat. Now she's mad at the repo company, stating that they should have known her kid was back there and they're so awful and blah, blah, blah.

I have a few things to say to this woman, and since I'll never have the chance to I'll do it here. First, this is why it is illegal to leave you children in your car unattended. Your car could roll, or it could be stolen, or your kids could lock you out on a 95 degree day then pass out rendering you unable to save them, or someone could open the door and kidnap them, or whatever else could happen. It was a stupid move, and she needs to be brought up on charges for it because it is child endangerment. Second, the repo man stated that he looked in the car and saw only a blanket in the back seat. That is not his fault, and while it is not the mother's fault either, she needs to stop putting the blame on him, like he drove off with her kid on purpose. Third, she is the one who didn't pay her bills and caused her car to be repossesed. Repo companies don't take cars because they like to. It is dangerous work, and they do it because the car's owner is a loser who doesn't pay his/her bills. It is no one's fault but hers that the car was in the position of being taken away. I have a feeling, however, that no one will say this to her and she will continue to live her life thinking that she was wronged. Stupid idiot.

OSW

2005-11-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

Well, there you go. It's Wednesday...

Very, Very Awkward Work Experience

2005-11-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

My afternoon has been pretty slow. I have a meeting at 4, but otherwise I’ve been kind of twiddling my thumbs. I was deep into online research about pecan pie recipes when a coworker asked me to be a witness. She was holding a meeting with one of her kid’s mom, and she wanted another worker there to make sure there were no questions about what was discussed. This is pretty common when you’re dealing with something as important as children being taken away from their parents. I followed her into the conference room, and was taken aback to realize that I knew the mom. Her name was Sally* and we had gone to high school together. Sally and I weren’t friends, but we had definitely run into each other. I’m pretty sure that she also used to hang up at the pool with us when I was a lifeguard. I sat down next to her and made no indication that I knew her as I introduced myself, just simply out of professional courtesy. She didn’t say anything to me, either, and I have to be honest that I didn’t blame her. It’s embarrassing enough to go into an office and convince someone that you are a good enough mother to be trusted alone with your children; it would be excruciating to know one of the people you’re explaining it to. I know that a lot of the girls who work in offices in the small towns they grew up in have this problem. All of the sudden they see those kids that used to get suspended all the time drug in front of them in court being accused of beating their kids. Most of the time, those workers are not surprised to see these people’s children in state custody. I think it’s really different when you live in a county of half a million people. You don’t go to the grocery store knowing that you’ll recognize faces, and you don’t go into work thinking that one of your classmates will be there because she hit her child. This happened once before, about three years ago. I had gone for meeting at the county mental health center, and as I was wandering around looking for where I was supposed to be, I ran into a girl who had been my friend freshman year in high school. This was different, though. For one thing, while I was at work when I saw her, I didn’t meet her as a professional. I met her as a person who happened to run into someone they knew in public. Second, she wasn’t there because she had done something horrible like hurt her child. She was there because she had mental health issues. Besides, I was not surprised at all to find out that she had mental health issues; that kind of thing always seemed to lurk behind her eyes. And, of course, I attach no stigma whatsoever to mental illnesses. It would be like if I saw her in a physician’s office where she was being treated for diabetes. Sally had done something wrong and contemptuous. She had hurt her child, and I was one of the “them” that had taken her child away, and to whom she had to prove herself. The whole situation unsettled me, and I certainly hope that I don’t meet anyone else I know personally here again.

*Sally, of course is a pseudonym

2005-11-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

I am a little off today, because my sleeping schedule is jacked up. I went to sleep on Sunday morning instead of Saturday night (like, 5am) and it has really messed with me. I slept a little yesterday afternoon, went to bed later than normal last night, and slept through my alarm this morning. I didn't get up until 8:45am today, so while I still got in my shower, I didn't do my hair. I always feel bad if I don't do my hair before work, like even though I've bathed and have make-up on, I stink and look bad. I'm also really hungry and it's not even 11 yet. I'd like to have something interesting for lunch, but I have a feeling that when I get home I will find nothing other than Corn Pops. Not interested in Corn Pops. That's going to suck. Really need to go grocery shopping.

I'm excited about the holiday next week. Between this Friday the 18th and Tuesday the 28th, I'm only working 2 days. That's 8 days off and two days on. Sweet. AND, my best friend will be in town for the second half of my vacation. This means that we can spend time doing the stupid crap that amuses us but bores the toes off of our boyfriends. Like "grocery shopping" and ordering tomato soup at fast food restaurants. Long stories, not worth explaining because you wouldn't get it. :) I did, however, volunteer to be on call on Thanksgiving day. It was stupid because now I have to be on call on my holiday. It was not stupid because if I do end up having to work, I get time and a half.

Oh it's 11, I can go eat now and not feel like it's way to early! Later sucker!

Candy and Hamburger Helper and Dog

2005-11-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

Candy and Hamburger Helper make for a great dinner.

I'm a pretty good advocate of healthful foods. I like to cook low-fat, fresh foods. I have sucessfully reduced our red meat to once a week or so, replacing burgers and tacos with chicken and pork. I cook with whole wheat pasta and light sauces and fresh veggies. Sometimes I sneak in turkey meat or TVP instead in our traditionally red meat recipes. Our snacks consist of pretzels and baked chips and carrots and cucumbers. Our desserts (rare as they are) are low-fat puddings and fruit. Our salad dressings are light.

Last night, however, I didn't care. I wanted fatty, nasty, horrible, artery-clogging foods. I bought a pound of ground chuck and chili cheese Hamburger helper. I cooked it with lots of the grease still in it. We ate it all, then we had candy for dessert. LOTS of candy. And I liked it!

P.S. I love Dog Chapman. Dog rocks!

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T06:44:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure that just about everyone who blogs today is going to use that as their title.

First things first, thanks to John and Erin for throwing such a great party and letting us come. Your decorations were great and it was lots of fun!

In honor of Halloween, I've decided to not watch what I eat today. For example, I am currently breakfasting on a cupcake shaped like a spider that someone left in the lunchroom. I saw it when I was getting my coffee. Mmmm...someone just sent an email around that there are haystack cookies too!

I'm disappointed that I won't have any trick-or-treaters tonight. Just another reason I'm sick of living in an apartment. Last year, Shan and I bought candy and waiting hopefully for a child to knock on our door. I don't know why we did it; did you ever trick-or-treat at an apartment complex as a child? This year we didn't bother to buy any candy. I've actually never had the pleasure of trick-or-treaters coming to my door, even when I lived at my parents' house. We lived on kind of a really short block (it was us and two other houses), so most of the kids didn't bother coming up to our house. They stayed down the hill where there were lots of houses all together.

I'm also disappointed that I don't have a house because I'd really like to decorate for Halloween. I have a few things up, like a centerpiece on the dining room table and a witch's hat thrown on top of a vase. I would like to get one of those witches that are smashed into the side of a house, or a scarecrow for the front porch, or a ghost to hang from the front tree. Well, hopefully in a couple of years a house will be possible so I can have those things!

We went to a dress-up Halloween party Saturday night, which was a lot of fun (I won sexiest costume and earned myself a lunch box prize!). I only saw two people who came in a clever costume. One was very funny (he dressed in a large brown sack-like thing with flames, and called himself Hot Shit) and one was tired and lame (the old cereal killer routine). They got me thinking about other clever costumes I've seen. On the radio this morning, a man said that he wore chicken bits in a ziplock bag, tied over his neck with a cord, and a blue shirt. He was chick cord on blue. I like that one a lot. I guess the appeal of dressing like some sort of interesting, scary ghoul or whorish french maid just mostly wins out over creative costumes. Not that there's anything wrong with that! After all, I've never done anything clever for Halloween.

This Halloween, Shan and I thought we were going to be SO original. Months in advance, we decided to be pirates. We'd never seen anyone dressed as a pirate, and we were very excited to have come up with a good idea rather than a common one. We told the hosts of the party our plans a few weeks before, and they said, "Wow! That's the most clever idea ever!"

Just kidding. They said that they were going as pirates as well.

WTF! All that brainstorming and coming up with ideas and finally settling on something we've NEVER SEEN BEFORE and by CHANCE someone else did the same thing?

We discussed changing our ideas. I personally did not like the idea of showing up dressed like someone else, but after talking with the hosts again, we decided that it would be just fine. The hosts would only be one other couple out of everyone else dressed like us, and we could make it a two-couple theme instead of a one-couple theme. That didn't sound bad at all.

The night of the party, we show up. We're hanging out, talking with people, and we notice something strange...people keep showing up dressed as pirates. LOTS of people. There were about 8 people dressed as pirates at this party. Again, WTF! All that brainstorming and coming up with ideas and finally settling on something we've NEVER SEEN BEFORE and by CHANCE 6 other people did the same thing?

I have to say, it seemed to be one of those funny circumstances of chance that make you start to question God's sense of humor. Besides the disappointment of having thought so hard and then finding out you're not very original at all, it was kind of embarassing to be standing around and people saying to you, "I didn't realize this party was a pirate theme!"

However, despite it all, the party was a very good time and we liked being pirates for Halloween immensely. Now is the time, though, to plan out next year and make it the coolest costume every! I'm talking something bizarre and obscure that no one could possibly also be, like some sort of Japanese underground cartoon character that no one west of Tokyo has heard of.

Indiscriminate Babble (Warning, mostly shallow posting)

2005-10-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

- It's getting cold in the evenings and mornings. I don't want to turn on my heat, first because it's only October and second because I'm scared of my gas bill. I'm going to go buy a space heater, to put in the living room when we watch TV and to have in the bedroom in the mornings. I've already closed the vents in the guest room & bath, and I guess I'll close the doors too. No need to heat those unless someone's comin' over.

- I'm on call this week and I got a call at midnight last night. It ripped me out of REM and I was almost unintelligible. My notes from the conversation look like a child's handwriting. Speaking of handwriting, do you remember in the 3rd grade learning cursive? I liked it, because I have nice handwriting and the teacher always made an example of me.

- I really, really need to take care of my Halloween costume. I have two pieces of it. I've found a third online. I'm still debating, though. Witch or pirate? I was a witch last year, and it would be SO CHEAP to go as a witch since I already have most of the costume...but Shan is going as a pirate, and I don't want to be left out.

- I'm going shopping over lunch. Yay! I love new seasons, because you get to buy new clothes. Speaking of, I need a pair of black, pointy-toed mules. Anyone know where to find them? I don't want to spend much, and they must by low-heeled. At 5'9", I'm a stinking Amazon when I wear heels.

- I'm debating my new coat right now. I want a long, wool coat to wear to work this winter. I have a faux-fur trimmed black peacoat to wear when I dress up, and I have a cute white jacket when I'm dressed down. I have nothing to wear to work. I have an adorable pink knit hat, scarf and glove set, so I'm thinking white or cream would be a good choice. But then again, I would really love a pink coat. The problem with a pink coat is that my pink accessories would not match...and white is really easy to find this season. Man, the problems I face in my life!

- God, I really sound like a girl in this post.

- My dad called last night and said that he wants to host a Thanksgiving dinner for his kids & my stepsiblings at his place this year. The problem is, that splits the pie into four portions. Now Thanksgiving has to be divided between Mom, Dad, Shan's mom, and the Meyer Thanksgiving celebration at my aunt's. That's too much for one day. Here's what I'm thinking: First, Mom doesn't really care about Thanksgiving. It's an American holiday, and she's not American. Well, she is now, but she didn't grow up with the tradition, so while she likes it because she sees her kids, it doesn't have real meaning for her. So, I can cut Mom out on that day and go over to see her the day after. Also, I've been to the Meyer thing every holiday season except for when I've been in Ireland my whole life. So, they can do without me this year. It's not like it's the first time. Wow, that simplifies things a lot...so now Thanksgiving is just Dad and Shan's mom. Sweet.

Things That Make My Head Pop Open And Ooze Fried Brain Matter

2005-10-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

Trying...to get...anger...under...control...

Dumb Ridiculous Government Mismanagement Crap

Can someone explain to me what the purpose of this bullshit is? Why, oh WHY is our government concerning themselves with this issue.

Is it going to save the environment/a labor group/starving children if we get rid of analog TV?

Is the $3 billion they’re going to spend on this some sort of special money that will kill the schoolchildren if it’s spent on schools instead? HELLO, we have a very serious problem with our education system! It’s inadequate and underfunded! HELLO, are there any senators out there with PRIORITIES?

I think that if I was poor, I’d rather have money to pay my astronomically crazy gas bill than get a new digital cable box.

I’m glad that our government in taking the time to deal with this, because if not they’d have to spend time figuring out how to fix our struggling economy/decrepit public education system/health care crisis.

I'm Missing 6 pounds

2005-10-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Oh that's right...I'm not missing it, I'm glad it's gone! Yay for me! After finally deciding that I must get serious about dieting on the weekends as well as during the week, I've seen payout. Woo-hoo!

I stopped to get gas yesterday at this stupid gas station run by jerks. I filled up my car and went inside to pay. I opened my check book and started writing, when the guy behind the counter said, "We don't take checks." So then I began to take my card out of my wallet, and he said, "Our card machine is down." Um...okay. "Where's your ATM?" I asked. His reply? "We don't have one. But there's a bank down the street."

Now, why wouldn't this information have been given to me before I pumped $30 worth of gas into my car? I was running late getting back to work, and I didn't have time to spend 10 minutes hunting for a bank. "I'll have to bring it to you later," I told him. Then, he put on his asshole face. "Well, people who say that never come back. You'll have to leave something here." Ugh, fine. "What about a check?" I ask. "You can hold it, and if I don't come back you can cash it." He looked at me like I was retarded. "WE DON'T TAKE CHECKS!" He said in the snottiest voice I've heard in a long time.

Like it's MY fault. What an asswipe. Now, I suppose I could have screamed at him and just left without paying, but 1. it's scary because they're making such a big deal about punishing gas stealers these days and 2. it's illegal and I really didn't want to do it. So, I left my credit card wiht him (SCARY) and today I have to take him cash. Trust me, I didn't want to leave my card, but he was INSISTENT, as were his parents, the owners, who came out front during my argument with him. I probably should have called the darn police myself on these nutcases.

Anyway, we'll see what happens around 11am when I go back up there.

Drinking Everything in Site

2005-10-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

I can't keep liquor in my home. That is, liquor I like. I sit there on my couch and I see it in the cabinet and I want to drink it. It's like being 10 and having $5 in your pocket. You buy the first toy you see because you cannot stand to not use that $5. I can't stand to not drink my liquor.

I fail at having a stocked liquor cabinet. I'll go out and buy 10 bottles of wine and a couple of kinds of liquor to put in my cabinet. You know, so when people stop by they can have a drink if they choose. It never lasts more than a couple of weeks. I'll see that wine bottle as I eat my dinner and think, "I should have a glass of wine with my dinner." So I'll do it. Then the next night, I'll be eating my dinner, and I'll think, "Well, the bottle's already open..." Before you know it, my wine racks are all empty again! Then Friday night will come along and I'll find some excuse about why I can't go to the liquor store before I go to that friend's house. I'll just grab my stock of rum off the liquor cabinet and take it along. Then comes the guilt...I'll look at my empty liquor cabinet while entertaining visitors and curse myself for not buying more instead of drinking the stuff I have. I'll peer into their thirsty little faces and just know that they think I'm a terrible hostess.

I currently have a nicely stocked liquor cabinet. I have a decanter of white rum, a bottle of spiced rum, a decanter of gin, a large bottle of bourbon and a bottle of vodka. I need to reach down inside of myself and NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO DRINK WHAT I HAVE IN THAT CABINET. If I feel like drinking some night, I need to drive my happy butt down to the liquor store and purchase more liquor. I should do that anyway, as Bombay Sapphire liters are on sale for $28...

My first Tag!

2005-10-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Pizzle.

1. How old were you when you found out Santa was not a jolly man, but your Mom and Dad? I don't remember, because I really have the memory of an Alzheimer's patient.

2. Who was the first celebrity's poster you had hanging on your wall? NKOTB baby!

.3. How many times have you heard the phrase, "Please step out of the car Ma'am/Sir."? Once, but I wasn't in trouble...it was Shan. :)

4. What is the lamest reason for breaking up with someone you have ever gave or received? I'm one of those people who is really honest with people when I break up with them. I can't remember ever making up an excuse. I just tell them why.

5. What is the dumbest lie you ever told your parents to get out of something? I told my mom that my drill team coach had lost my uniforms. My school was threatening to not graduate me because I hadn't turned them in yet, but I'd left them in another school's locker room. My mom believed me and took on the coach. Mom won, and I always felt bad about that.

6. Paper or Plastic? Paper. I hate trees. Just kidding, plastic.

7. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were little (under 10)? An architect. I wanted to be an architect from, like 5 years old until my first year at college. I realized that what architects really do isn't my style so I dropped the major.

8. What do you want to be when you grow up now? I'd like to do private therapy, once I get my master's. Cha-ching!

9. What kind and color of underwear do you have on right now? Black G-string.

10. What CD are you ashamed to admit you own and listen to? NSync.

11. Who would you sleep with if you had the opportunity to? Shanshu. Or Collin Farrell. They're about the same in hotness, really.

12. Finish this sentence and say what movie this is from. The FBI is going to pay me to ______? (I know you will read this first, but if you didn't know don't lie.) No clue.

13. Are you a lame asshole who lied on the above question? No.

14. Why did you come to the blog that tagged you? Because I'm stalking Pizzle. Don't tell him.

15. What is your biggest fear? Falling. I dream about it, I get nasty vertigo, and I have trouble standing on chairs.

16. Do you watch reality television and why/why not? I used to watch it a lot. I watch it rarely now. I liked to watch it because it made me feel good about myself, but now I'm bored with it. I still love SuperNanny and Trading Spouses, though!

17. Have you ever slept with someone and wondered why the hell you did that? Oh God yes.

18. What is your biggest regret? Not taking my undergrad seriously enough the first two years. I really screwed myself.

19. How old where you and what happened the first time you got drunk? I was about 10 and it was at my parents' friend's house. He was feeding my Hot Damn behind my parents back. I just remember feeling REALLY tired. My dad went ballistic about that one.

20. Which would you rather be, the hammer or the nail? Nail.

21. What is your favorite curse word? "Fuck" because it has so many meanings.

22. If there was one thing you could ask your parents, but never had the guts, what would that be? I feel comfortable asking my parents anything.

23. What are 3 things that make you go Hummm? Religious Nutcases, the way a vagina feels from the inside (it's so weird!) and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch', which is the name of a village in Wales.

24. Real or fake boobies? Have? real. Like? both.

25. Do you like being tagged by people? Sure, why not?

Feeling Human Again

2005-10-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ugh...two days home in bed really throws off one's week. After spending the last two days sleeping on my couch due to a nasty little cold, I wanted nothing more than to join the real world again today. There are people who could happily spend all of their lives inside the four walls of their home, but I am not one of them. I missed work and I am glad to be back!

I've slept so much in the last couple of days that I woke up at 5:15 this morning, which is more than two hours before I normally stumble out of bed. It was kind of nice...I watched the news, folded some laundry, and still made it into the office 1 1/2 hours before schedule.

When I got into the office I had three messages from some collection agency looking for a broad named Beatrice. I don't know a Beatrice, and I've asked the collection agency to stop calling me. I called them again when I got in, and do you know what the rep (Mr. Chapman...the jerk wouldn't even tell me his first name) said to me? "I'm sorry ma'am, but for some reason our system isn't allow me to delete this number." So I guess now I'm just going to have to deal with getting Beatrice's collection calls. At least it's me work phone, and not my cell. THAT would really piss me off. I think I'm going to have fun with them when they call, though. I think it's time to play a little repeater. Do you wanna play repeater? Do you wanna play repeater?

The Vatican came out with a statement on gay priests last week. I was surprised at how relatively progressive the statement actually was. Essentially, the Pope has said that gay men can be priests, as long as they are not currently practicing and haven't for three years. Well, since priests can't have sex anyway, that doesn't seem like too bum of a deal. It seems to me that the Vatican realizes that it's not the time to be isolating any potential priests, but also realizes that because of it's traditions, they can't just say gay priests are OK. To me, it's a foot in the door for gay rights in Catholocism. Things aren't going to change all at once.

I got to thinking that in this way, the Catholic Church is turning out to be way more progressive than most large Protestant churches, especially in the U.S.. It makes me kind of happy to realize that the Church I consider myself a member of isn't joining forces with radical Christianity in condemning homosexuals. I happen to be one of those people who gets really, really mad about the lack of civil rights for gay couples. Any step in the right direction is what I consider to be part of the slow win (I hope, at least).

Anyway, since it's my first day of work, Happy Monday to everyone! I hope your week goes well.

MY APARTMENT BURNT DOWN LAST NIGHT

2005-10-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to ME, Happy Birthday to ME, Happy Birthday dear ME-E, Happy Birthday to ME!

So, I'm not as young as I used to be. It's funny...I still feel 21. I still feel like I can go to the club and dance and drink until 4 and then be fine at 8 the next day for class (or work, now). But my body, my TREACHEROUS body, is refusing to comply. Case in point, Wednesday night. If you've read Shan's blog, you know we had a few drinks that night. We were both kind of feeling yucky yesterday, and what happened? WE WENT TO BED AT 10 LAST NIGHT. That's right, 10 freaking o'clock. Our decrepit old bodies were so tired from our ONE night of drinking that they gave out on us before the evening had even begun.

The thing is, I'm only 25 (for 14 more hours). I should still be able to drink all night long and rock it the next day, right? It's not like I'm 35. I've begun to wonder when the average age a person slows down on their partying is. I can't handle going out and drinking on both nights of the weekend anymore, because I...(oh God I can't believe I'm saying this)...like to get up early on weekend days and get stuff done, and I hate wasting time being hung over. I've also noticed that pretty much everyone I know who is my age has done this too.

So is it that we just have more important things to do with our time now? Or is it that we feel like we shouldn't act like college kids anymore? Or is it that our bodies have begun that slow creep into middle age, and these are the first symptoms? Or is it that we don't feel that need to be out and about in order to convince ourselves that we're not social losers, because we've grown past that? Or is it that we just THINK we're maturing and unable to party all night like we once could, but when we hit 40 we're going to look back on our twenties and realize we were so young and party-hardy? Or is it all five?

I really like that one song...

2005-10-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

...on the radio. The one about the photograph. I'm fascinated by that man's voice. I was flipping channels the other morning and I caught the video. This did two things for me. First, it allowed me to find out that the band is Nickelback. Second, it allowed me to find out that the lead singer, Chad Kroeger, is really unattractive. It's disappointing to me that there isn't some hot guy behind that amazing voice, like Paul McCoy. Anyway, after finding out the name of the band, I went onto their site to look at what they've done before this new album. I looked at the list of popular singles they've had on the radio and realized that I am a big Nickelback fan and I just didn't know it. All of the songs were ones I really like; I just never knew they were all the same band. I need to get their CDs.

A Collection

2005-10-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

1. Filing is my least favorite thing to do. I hate the fact that when the paperwork builds up, it has to be filed or else it keeps building up. We used to have people that did our filing at my agency, and I wish we still had them. Tonight I'm taking home 3-4 hours worth of filing and doing it on my butt, in my pajamas, in my living room tomorrow morning. It's a little more palatable that way.

2. I'm really hungry, but I forgot my lunch again. I went into the kitchen to look at the vending machine, and it was full of chips and candy bars. I don't want that crap. There was ONE healthier thing in there, so I bought it. I officially had A bag of Baked Lays for lunch.

3. I've been doing really well following my Weight Watchers...that is, Monday-Friday. For some reason, after working all week to maintain my healthy diet, I fail miserably each weekend. I don't know if it's that I'm at home with access to my kitchen, or if it's that I have no willpower on those days, or what. I need to stop doing that, because I'm hardly losing weight when I'm eating cheeseburgers on the weekends.

4. I've given up coffee, because the way I like to drink is really high-calorie. I like to make a very strong pot, and put like 30 servings of non-dairy creamer in it. That's 300 calories. I guess I could just get used to black coffee or put one tablespoon of creamer in my coffee. I wonder if nonfat creamer is much better...I'll have to see if I can make that work.

5. My brother is searching for his first apartment. He wants to move out of my mom's in January or February. I've been helping him look, and I've realized that it's hard to find an affordable place to live in this county. On his budget ($600/month), he HAS to live somewhere that is either run-down and depressing or full of criminals or in a really shitty neighborhood. Or all three. I feel really bad for him, and it makes me appreciate my place all the more.

6. Friday is pay day. Yay!

7. Mom is starting to get pissy that no one is hosting a party for her 50th next weekend. She keeps bringing up how she wants a party. Of course, there is a surprise party planned that's going to be HUGE, but she can't know about it. She's actually ticking me off, because she's being really aggressive about having a party. I mean, if she thought someone might be planning a surprise, how does she expect the secret to be kept if she keeps bitching me out for not having a party? If she's not careful I'm going to tell her I decided to go out of town that weekend just to make her more mad.

8. I want to call in sick on Friday, but I have two appointments that I can't break. That was poor planning on my part. I should have left it empty. I have a full day Monday, too. Darn it. No three day weekend for me!

9. I stayed at Pizzle's over the weekend and got to pet his cat. I miss my cat. I wonder if she hates me for abandoning her? I mean, she has a good home at my mom's, but I know she doesn't get the love and attention she used to get from me. I used to carry her around all day while I did chores around the house. She would lay over my neck and shoulders like a snake for as long as I'd let her. I also bought a second pillow for my bed because she likes to sleep right next to my head. Am I a pathetic cat owner?

10. I just wanted there to be an even number.

Birthdays

2005-10-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

My birthday last year was like hitting a brick wall. For years I had been attending the weddings and baby showers of my closest friends, and buying going away presents for those who left college and found jobs far away from here. I had realized, somewhere in my brain I'm sure, that my circle of friends-to-go-out-with was dwindling away. I guess I just didn't realize that I was the last single, child-free one left until October of 2004.

That's when I celebrated my 25th birthday without a single one of my girl friends in attendance. Two have children and couldn't participate in a night of drinking, one is a workaholic AND obsessed with her new husband, and the rest have moved away. I still had a great time that night, because my boyfriend's friends were all there and they have, of course, become my friends....but there's just nothing like your girl friends.

Being the last one to marry/bear children/stay in the same city had never really bothered me before. I have a rich and fulfilling life, full of a job I love, a great boyfriend, many phonecalls with my girls, and a loving family. It's just that, this one night of the year, it strikes me deep and hard. (Leave it alone, Shan. I'll say it for you: "Like my D!")

So I had decided that this year, after fruitlessly attempting to get my girls to go out last year, I would forgo the party attempt and celebrate with my boyfriend alone. I asked him if he would take me out to Indian food (my favorite) and buy me a cookie cake with lots of icing. I had planned to go to Atchison for a ghost tour, but apparently the tour sells out months in advance. So then I had no plan except dinner.

Then I got to thinking...who is it that calls and wants to hang out every weekend? Who is it that I spend my free time and vacations with? It's Shan's friends. In fact, as often happens, I now consider them to be my friends too. I like being with them, and they make me happy just like my girl friends do (albeit not quite in the same way...you can't beat a lying around in pajamas eating brownies, watching Lifetime and giggling for hours). They even called Shan last week and asked what was going on for my birthday.

Why am I pouting about my friends all being boring, married mothers who live in Alaska when I have these considerate, fun people who I love to be around calling and asking about my birthday?

So now I'm over my pity party and ready to celebrate in style. I will, of course, ask my girls if they can get sitters and come out with me...but I know probably won't happen, and I don't mind. Want to know why? Because I'm gosh-darned happy knowing that these people will celebrate with me.

Getting Drunk at 5:01

2005-09-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, I am. I am leaving the office here in about an hour, and then I shall sit at home on my duff until 4:30, and then I shall go to happy hour. I shall stay there until well after dark; until it's just me and all of my coworkers have gone home for dinner with their happy little families. I will drink until I am out of money. I will then get in my car and go see a movie. I will stumble home at midnight and shall sleep until it is Saturday.

In the Ghetto

2005-09-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

As part of my job, I'm in the ghetto a lot.

I'm not talking about the ghetto as defined by a lot of my friends: lower middle class neighborhoods. I'm not talking about a place where blue-collar folk live in their small, affordable $100,000 homes and honestly make a living, or where hard-working immigrants plant the seeds of their new American life. I'm not talking about (for those of you who are familiar with KC) neighborhoods like 78th & Parallel, 83rd & Wornall, or Roeland Park, which are just crappy enough for me to say, "I'd never live there" but not crappy enough to be afraid to leave my car on the street for a couple of hours.

I'm talking about the ghetto where there are commonly drive-by shootings in schools. The ghetto where your 14-year-old client says "Make sure you lock your car and hide your CDs" when you are out of your car for 5 minutes while dropping her off at her group home. The ghetto where you don't stop at lights or stop signs, and where even a pack of 12-year-olds can pose serious risk to your person and property. The ghetto where good people don't go outside at night. Like, you know, 22nd & State or 12th & The Paseo. The kind of place that makes it hard to believe that wonderful places like Overland Park even exist.

I have an observation to make about the ghetto. EVERYONE IN THE GHETTO SHOULD BE FAT.

Let's say it's lunch time, and you need to buy food. You are in your car, in the ghetto, and you need to get something quick. You don't have the convenience of running inside the Super Wal-Mart to purchase groceries, nor would you have the place to prepare said groceries.You find a busy intersection with a Wal-mart, a KFC, a Pizza Hut, a McDonald's, a Chinese buffet, a Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits (I just wanted to write chicken & biscuits. I suppose just Popeye's would have sufficed), a Wendy's ... are you noticing anything here?

There is no healthy food in the ghetto. In my nice, safe, wonderful upper middle-class neighborhood, there is always a Subway or Mr. Goodscents or Chipotle or Baja Fresh or some other non-deep-fried-and-saturated-fat-laden convenience food place. These things do not exist in the ghetto. I had to drive 10 miles from the ghetto to find a Subway for lunch.

I have theories on this.

1. It is all a conspiracy by The Man to keep poor folks down. If we fill them full of fattening foods, and turn them into bed-ridden blimpozoids, they will no longer bother us.

2. Fried foods are tastier than wholesome foods, and poor folks fancy that they have too many other things to worry about than to add on the stress of eating unpleasant things.

3. These "restaurants" are cheaper than their healthier fast food competitors and therefore more accessible for poor folks. Or at least, that is the misnomer that the poor folks believe. In reality, a McD's extra value meal, a Wendy's value meal, a KFC meal, a Chipotle burrito and a Subway value meal are all around the same $5-6 range.

4. Poverty leads to depression and hopelessness, which leads to unhealthy adults, who become in turn shitty parents, who feed their kids McDonald's to shut them up, which establishes poor eating norms.

Thoughts

2005-09-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

- I really love my job. Now if I could just find a way to get paid for it...

- I don't like "Prison Break" all that much. I don't know why. It's a really good show. It's interesting and clever and fast-paced and well-acted. For some reason, however, I just don't like it. It doesn't keep my attention. Maybe it's because I'm a girl? I still love ER, and I can't believe that I've been watching it religously for 10 years without my interest waning. Man, if they ever cancelled that show it would really upset me. I look forward to my Thursday nights.

- I'm really hungry right now. I wanted Cheerios at lunch time, so I had Cheerios at lunch. Now I'm wishing I'd eaten something a little more substantial. You know how they say water curbs your appetite? Dieters are told to drink lots of water for many reasons, but a big one is because apparently you're not supposed to feel hungry with lots of water in your belly. Well, I just drank a big glass of water, and now my stomach is growling. It wasn't growling before. I didn't even notice that I was hungry until I drank the water. This happens to me a lot. Water also gives me hearburn, unless it's filtered. Then it doesn't have all that good fluoride, though.

- I'm going to Iola, Chanute, Gardner and Wichita all before Monday.

- I'm bored with my standard, favorite wines. I want something different. I'm tired of always buying the same stuff. Sure, it's good, but there are lots of good wines out there. I think I'm going to take Wine Spectator's top 25 and buy them all. I'll try them and hopefully add a little diversity to my life. I won't try them all at the same time. Can you imagine drinking 25 bottles (or even glasses) of wine? Talk about a hangover from hell. Plus that horrible, ouchy, stomach ripping wine puking that sometimes wakes you up at 5am. Ugh.

- My mom brought me back 2 jars each of Uncle Ben's Tikka Masala and Korma sauces from her latest trip to Ireland. YUM. I can't wait to have a curry night. I bought 2 bags of naan, too. I have enough to invite people over to help me eat it. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to do that, or if I'm going to be selfish and keep it all for myself. After all, it's a lot of trouble to get those jars seeing as they're not sold in the U.S.. I wish Indian would catch on here like it has in the UK and Ireland. I guess we have Mexican food, though. Have you ever had Mexican food in Europe? They don't even try to make it taste the same. They don't import spices, and they use this nasty chili powder to season it.

- I hope my kids aren't fat. Fat kids make me cry. My little brother was a fat kid, and he's got a lot of social problems that I assume are related to that. I can't help looking down on the parents of fat kids, and I know that's wrong. I don't want to be one of those parents who nags my fat kid into a self-image problem, though. I don't want my fat kid to have a stash of chocolates hidden up in her bedroom because she's afraid to eat in front of mommy. I don't think my kids will be fat, though. I'm a naturally thin person, and I was skinny as a rail until my early twenties. Of course, now it's all caught up with me, but that's an entirely different blog.

Thanks Guys

2005-09-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone has heard of the urban legend about flashing your lights at cars who don't have their headlights on. You know, that gang members drive around without their lights on as part of gang initiation, and that they'll kill you if you flash at them. This is one of those things that your dumb friends tell you and you laugh at them in your head for being dumb, kind of like alligators in the sewers.

Well, this morning all 500 employees in Kansas of my agency received an email from the CEO's secretary. She commonly sends out these mass emails, usually about charity events and free flu shots. This email had been sent to her by the SRO (school resource officer, who is a police officer that is assigned to a school) of a large local high school. This email stated that a gang in Kansas City is doing the headlights thing this weekend as part of their initiation.

Well...okay, everyone knows this is an urban legend, but if a cop is saying that it's true, isn't it possible that some gang members got together and decided to put the old urban legend into action? Seems believeable to me, especially when the info comes from a cop and the CEO's secretary. So I passed along to some friends, with the qualification that I am aware of the urban legend aspect of it, but that the source has led me to think it's better safe than sorry.

So what do I get? Ridicule and rudeness! I have a couple of friends actually email an urban legend site entry about it as if I didn't make it clear that I already know! I get responses like "you're gullible" and "hey idiot this is an urban legend"...

No fucking shit people! I said at the start of my email that I knew it was an urban legend, but that if a cop tells me it's true I'm going to go ahead and think it might be true. What exactly is the problem here, and why did these friends feel it necessary to treat me like a mentally-retarded five year old? Do they respect my intelligence that little that they thought they needed to "help me" out with this? Um, gee...thanks. I guess I know where I stand.

In case you're wondering, the secretary did send around an email with a link to the urban legend site...and I am currently wondering why this cop was stupid enough to send this out to her. I guess that's not really my problem, though.

On a different note, I hurt my ankle last night but it's only a sprain. I thought as much, but when I called my doctor's office's nurse, she said it might be a stress fracture. I went in on her advice and was relieved to learn that it is a minor sprain. Now my weekend plans aren't ruined, yay!

Another Wedding Weekend

2005-09-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

I had two weddings on Saturday, and they were such polar opposites. The first one was low-budget, no-fun, short and boring. The second was high-dollar, fun, and fantastic. I have a feeling, however, that the type of wedding was completely opposite to the genuinity of the marriages themselves. The first wedding involved a couple who have been dating for seven years, and who are so in love with one another that a tornado couldn't tear them apart. The second couple have been dating for a couple of years, but shortly before the engagement the bride "hated" the groom for a few months while they were broken up. At the first wedding, the bride and groom were glued at the hip throughout. At the second wedding, I don't think the bride and groom really saw each other much at the reception.

The first wedding was between a very good friend of mine since high school, and I was a bridesmaid. It was an afternoon wedding, and the couple was paying for it themselves. They don't have a lot of money, so it was a simple ceremony with very few people, and then cake & punch in the church gym. There was no alcohol, and no dancing. It was painfully boring. By about an hour into the reception, almost everyone had left. From ceremony start to finish (including cleaning up the reception hall) the whole thing lasted three hours. It was, however, an exact reflection on the couple, as it should be. They don't party, and they're not highly social, so what they wanted was to get married and then just be with one another. If I had been a guest, I might have thought it was a crappy wedding, but knowing the couple so well, it was just perfect for them.

The second wedding was my step-sister's that evening at an area country club. The ceremony was held under a canopy by the golf course, and was followed with cocktail hour and a full sit-down formal dinner. It was fantastic. The wine was wonderful, and according to my step-mother was a big fight because of it's expense. The food was delicious, but I forgot to have cake. For anyone who knows me, I'm crazy about wedding cake. It probably would have been really good wedding cake, too. Darn it. Dinner was followed by dancing outside under the canopy, and the music was done by a pretty good band. I wish I could have danced, but my feet were on fire from the three-inch heels I'd had to wear for my friend's wedding that afternoon. We drank way too much, and Shanshu and I broke in the golf course (heh heh heh). Thanks, Shanshu. ;)

Sunday was, of course, spent laying on the couch lamenting the terribleness of wine hangovers; that is, when we finally made it out of bed well into Sunday afternoon. As of today, the house is a disaster area because neither of us felt like cleaning up at all. That includes the empty boxes of Chinese food sitting around...ugh. Shanshu didn't make it to work today, and I'm seriously jealous of him as he lays in bed watching TV at this very moment.

So all in all, a pretty good weekend. I'm looking forward to a week of down-time, though.

Patriotic Songs

2005-09-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

I was reading the paper this morning, and there was an article on how few Americans know the words to The Star Spangled Banner. (Which is the national anthem. Apparently there are people out there who actually think that "America the Beautiful" is, or even that "The National Anthem" and "The Star Spangled Banner" are two different songs.) I did really well. I don't make the most common mistake, which is singing "For the land of the free" instead of "O'er the land of the free". In fact, I was suprised to find that I actually have the lyrics memorized correctly. Here are the lyrics if you want to check yourself:

Lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” by Francis Scott Key:
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

I was thinking about it, however, and this song doesn't really seem to capture it for me. It does give me goosebumps to think that we can still answer "yes" to Key's question of whether our flag still waves proudly over our land. I just think that "America the Beautiful" probably does have more of an anthemy feel to it. I mean, it does talk about America itself and how great it is, not just about our flag.

Does anyone else giggle every time they sing "My Country Tis of Thee" and think of "God Save the Queen"? I mean, that was balsy. It's got to make them mad that that song stuck.

By The Way...

2005-08-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

You really should take that $20 you were going to spend on those three drinks at the bar this weekend and go buy bottled water to donate to Mississippi and Louisiana. Things are pretty bad down there. You can find someone who's going down there somewhere in your city, I'm sure. In KC there are a bunch of radio stations who are taking donations at 119th & Metcalf.

Musings on Jayhawk Basketball

2005-08-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

Max Falkenstien is retiring. I'll miss him. It was comforting to hear the same guy announcing almost every game. :( At least we still have our old stand-by supporter, Dicky V. And yes, I still read the Journal-World. You can take the girl out of Lawrence, but you can't take the Lawrence out of the girl.

What's up with our thug players and ex-players (and ex-players)? I'm not trying to bash Self, at all, but we never had thug morons when Roy was in charge (oh wait...Lester Earl). I'm glad Self is a good enough man to boot these guys. Having a good team is wonderful, but it's not worth letting these guys get away with committing crimes. Coincidentally, the Chiefs are causing a ruckus at training camp, too.

I'm glad Roy won. I was mad and betrayed when he left, but I understand his reasons. He was a great coach for us, and he deserved another win. I will acknowledge, however, that I was not feeling so genial toward him two years ago.

Self is changing Late Night around a bit, I've heard, but I can't find any info on it. That's frustrating. Not that I've gone in a couple of years, but I am kind of obsessed and I like to know things.

So, this Rush kid finally made a decision and is going to KU. After wavering, a lot. I sympathize. Our team is a gamble right now for incoming freshman. On the one hand, you have have a team with a long, long history of being on top. Then you have the last season to think about...I think he made the right decision, though. Our team rocks.

Where can I find out what rank we'll come in at? Of course it won't be #1 like last year, but that was both a blessing and a curse anyway.

Chiggers

2005-08-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

I went to a barbeque on Saturday night and was attacked. Apparently I was sitting in a large infestation of chiggers, because my feet and ankles and legs are covered with dozens of red welts. I am in the middle of a war against my own skin. The itching is overwhelming. I almost died during a meeting this morning. I want to cut off the welts with a knife. I want to peel the skin off of my legs.

Shanshu's mom was over for dinner last night, and I was complaining to her about my chigger bites. I was sitting there, living in my own happy world, contentedly scratching the Jesus out of my ankles and feet, when she said the words that almost changed my life forever: "Don't worry, they'll die soon."

I think my panic-stricken face gave it away, or it could have been my screaming in horror. "You didn't know that chiggers burrow themselves into you skin, did you?" She asked. No I didn't know! Somehow all of my life I had thought that they just bite you and GO AWAY. I looked down at my red bumpy feet and imagined that 30 or so little bugs crawling under my skin. Then she proceeds to tell me that when the bites itch, it's the little bugs moving around.

Well, that did it. I thought I was going to get ill. I contemplated cutting the little buggers out with knives, and to hell with the scars. Bugs, under my skin? AAAAAH!

This morning I came into work, and the first thing I did was go on the internet to try and figure out the quickest way to kill my nasty little parasites. I found out some relieving and interesting things.

First, chiggers do not burrow into your skin. That's one of those old wives tales. They are above your skin, and attach to a weak point like a hair follicle or pore to eat. Second, they do stay on there eating for a few days; however, it's more likely that bathing and scratching has already brushed them off. Third, like I thought before, the itching is a reaction to the saliva they inject into your skin.

For more info, check out this enlightening, life saving article.

I am very relieved. I am so glad I looked that up and realized that chiggers do not burrow into one's skin. Life is better, as I sit here happily scratching myself.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

2005-08-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

What a car day this has been! I have been driving my mom's car this week, since she's in Ireland and mine broke down last weekend. My car is fine now, but I haven't had time to go pick it up yet, so I'm still driving Mom's. This afternoon I went out to get into her car and it didn't start...which is a huge problem. I have to take 2 kids to their foster homes at 5pm, which will be a little difficult without a vehicle! I called my brother, to ask for his help, but I couldn't reach him. So I called my boyfriend, but he was in a car wreck this morning and is too shaken up to drive. So I began wandering around my office, searching for someone who could take me to get my car. I found someone after a few minutes, and she drove me to where my car is...my car and it's flat tire. Sigh. So I drove on the doughnut to my local Wal-Mart to get a cheapie tire put on. Once there, they informed me that I was lucky that I hadn't come on a Saturday, because the wait is really long on Saturdays. They told me that I was lucky, and right then the wait was only 2 hours. 2 hours?? I had to be back at work for a meeting in an hour! After fruitlessly trying to call co-workers to come pick me up again, I decided to walk it. After all, the Wal-mart runs along the interstate, as does my office, and is only 2 exits away from my office. It couldn't be that far, right?

So I started walking, me in my little heels and the humidity sweltering. My long-sleeved dress shirt didn't help the humid sweatiness of it all, either. I walked quickly along the sidewalk, optimistic about the rightness of my decision. To my chagrin, the sidewalk ended about a half mile into my journey and I was stuck with two options: the wet, muddy grass or the fairly busy street. I chose what I deemed to be the safest option, which was the grass. Have you ever tried walking in heels in the wet grass? Your heels dig into the mud, making it twice as hard to lift your foot. Then, your feet get wet and the lotion you put on after your shower that morning makes your feet slippery. This causes you take itty-bitty baby steps to prevent ankle-twisting and shoe-losing. After a while of itty-bitty baby steps in the mud, I decided that this was slowing down my progress too much. So I began to walk in the street.

I'm sure the cars were very annoyed with me that they had to swing wide of the curb to give me room, but I wasn't too concerned with that. Do you want to know why? Because of the HUGE CRAMP in my side. In truth, however, the cramp wasn't so bad when you compare it to the massive amounts of perspiration I was losing. At least the drops of perspiration were falling on my by-now cracked, blistered feet.

Well, I made it to my office. Between the front door and my office I had two people ask if I was okay. It must have been the beet-red face and the profuse sweating. So here I sit in my office, the door closed and locked and my shirt off to cool down. I've been through two glasses of water already (it's only been about 20 minutes since I got back) and am ACHING for a third.

I'm going to go drink water. You all have a good weekend.

Shit, where's my shirt?

Scum-Sucking Little Virus

2005-08-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, no matter how much careful planning and double-checking you put into something, God comes down and takes a crap on your face.

I am going on vacation next Saturday. I've been planning this trip for months. It's all paid off, and all the details have been put painstakingly in place. I've spent hours on research and calculations, from getting the best car rental rates to getting the right mix of people to join me. I have spoken with representatives from airlines, car rental companies, and beach house rental companies more than I have spoken with my friends lately. Everything is set to be perfect; every bit of minutiae has been triple-checked. NOTHING can go wrong sans an act of God...

...and then I get an act of God. I share an office, and my officemate is sick. Like, really sick. Like, hasn't gotten out of bed in three days except to go to the doctor. Oh, and of course to come into work for an hour yesterday, the point of which I think was to try really hard to infect me as much as possible. Her doctor says that she has a virus that has been going around, and that this piece of dung virus puts people out of commission for 4-7 days.

As we all know, a virus can be in your system for 7-10 days before you show symptoms. She started getting sick on Monday. This means that for almost two weeks now, she has had this nasty little bug in her body. And outside her body, every time she breathed. Breathed in the same room as me for 8 hours a day. And she touched things, like the door knob, which I touch, too.

I swear to all that is sacred, if my trip is ruined because I am sick in bed for half the week, I will...I will...I will bitch loudly.

So my day today has been spent trying to reduce my likelihood of infection down to the smallest chance possible. I have wiped every surface, door knob, computer keyboard, phone and chair handle with Clorox wipes. I have been drinking water like I spent the last week drunk. I have taken every immune-boosting vitamin and herb I have ever heard about. I will force myself into bed early every night, tired or not. I WILL NOT FALL ILL!

So wish me luck as I try to ward off Murphy! Hopefully I shall find success...

Making out with a Movie Star.

2005-08-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

So I had an interesting night last night. I had gone out to get drinks with a couple of my girl friends at this really posh bar near downtown KC. We had all been staying home for a while, and decided to live it up for one night, work or no work. We also decided that money was not going to be an object...which always leads to frightening things.

We were all dressed like little hos, I have to admit. Sam is really tall and she has these ginormous boobs, and she was wearing a shirt cut so low that we had to use double-sided tape to keep her in. The shirt also had no back, and every time she bent over you could see the whole show if you were standing to her side. She did that a lot, and we got three free rounds of drinks off guys for it.

I was completely wasted within about an hour. We were taking double shots of Hypnotq in between our drinks. We ended up buying an entire bottle of the stuff from the bar after about 30 inutes, because we taking so many shots. My friend Liz was in a wine mood, and so we also bought two bottles of our favorite wine. We sat at a small table by the dance floor and had a GREAT time. We must have had at least 15 different guys at our table throughout the course of the night.

At about 1am, Kate came running back to our table from a restroom break and excitedly told us that Hayden Christensen was in the bar! Of course we didn't believe her, because wouldn't we have known he was in town or something? So Sam went over to the bar to check it out. She came back and was freaking out: it was him!

So of course, in our drunkenness, we decided that we HAD to get him to sit at our table. Kate is the hottest of our friends, plus she was wearing a skirt so short you could see her thong when she walked; and trust me, she has a GREAT ass. So we sent her off to get him and continued our partying. A few minutes later, Kate came back...ON HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN'S ARM!

He sat down with us and was being way cool. He was totally flirty, of course, but all four of us were, too. He let me sit in his lap, and so in exchange I let him take a shot off my boobs. It was awesome! Anyway, after a few minutes it seemed like everyone in the club was coming by our table, and it was getting really annoying. Especially when other girls came by to try and steal our prize. Hayden suggested that we go up to the VIP room above the DJ. Uh, dud! Yeah we'll go!

So up we went, and that's when things got nuts. I guess Liz decided that we needed to try and get Hayden to sleep with us. What's better than four girls, she figured? It was a sure thing. So in her drunken wonderness she whispered to him that we were all really horny and we were all really bi-sexual. He was, of course, very intrigued by this. He asked her to prove it, so she came over and sat in my lap. We started making out right there in the club! I have to admit it was getting really hot. Sam and Kate started getting jealous, because Hayden was totally get in the middle of us, so they tried to join in too. Before you know it, the five of us were practically doing it on the couch in the VIP room of the club! It was cool, because any other time that's happened at a club the bouncers have kicked me out. This time they left us alone, since it was a movie star.

Pretty soon the club closed down and the lights went on. At this point Sam was so gone she could hardly even kiss me anymore, so I decided to take her home. As far as I know, Kate and Liz went back to Hayden's hotel with him. I haven't talked to them yet today, but I'm guessing it was a good night!

I MADE OUT WITH HAYDEN! I MADE OUT WITH HAYDEN!

My blog is great

2005-08-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

I hate it when people don't update their blog daily. I get resentful toward them for not entertaining me. I'll click on their blog link from someone else's blog, and realize it's the same thing I read yesterday, and silently curse them under my breath. I'll say to them that their blog sucks and I won't keep reading it if they don't update soon.

I, of course, rarely update my blog daily. I'd like to, but I run out of ideas. So I know this makes me a hypocrite, and I am trying really hard today to think of something interesting to say as to not be one of those people. As of right now, my creative juices are dried up.

Some blogs are really good and some aren't. Some are just plain horrible. An author can never tell. The best blogs, I've found, are the ones that are mainly interesting stories, with the occasional daily life thing mixed in. I mean, who wants to read about some dumb social worker who hates temping? I like the blogs that have a real pizzaz to them, like Shanshu and Pizzle. By the way Pizzle, your blog has come a long way. You got out of talking-about-life and into the interesting stories quickly. Your blog reminds me of Seinfeld, somehow. And of course we all know that Shanshu's writing style is just plain cool, which keeps us all coming back. Shanshu would say I'm biased, but I think I'm right.

My blog, for sure, is not all that interesting. I do a lot of talking about my life and my day on here. Most of my posts have to do with the search for a job and working a job and things I've done lately. This is good for those friends like Ryan and Anna who don't live in this country, but may read my blog to keep up on my life. It is not so cool for those other bloggers out there who find my blog by links on other blogs, and don't give a crap that I have two job offers in one week.

But you know what I've decided? I don't care. I can't force myself to come up with creative ideas every day just to keep people happy. I mean, I love writing this blog. Especially when I bitch about stuff. It makes me feel like my voice matters more than it would if I was just bitching to people around me. It entertains ME, and that's really what it's all about, isn't it? Yeah, sure, there are those blogs out there that you read, that are really funny or interesting. Mine probably isn't one of them, but I can't MAKE it be funny or interesting.

Besides, when I take over the world this blog is going to become history. Millions, nay billions, of people will read through my old entries to get insight into how I was before I was the supreme ruler of Earth. It might even make them feel good to know that I went through the same twenty-something struggles as they did. I too struggled to find a job out of college, and then struggled to balance an entry-level salary against student loans and first cars and first nice apartments. I too had love drama (okay, well, that's kind of a lie since my relationship is actually really stable and healthy) and friend drama and hangovers and everything else. It will make them like me more and make them less likely to rise in rebellion.

Football Players

2005-08-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well, what do you expect when you take some thug with half the IQ of the average person, baby them through college by helping them cheat with "special tutors," and then give them a million dollars a year? That they'll have the same respect for society that the rest of us have?

Football Players

Autopilot

2005-08-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

I was on autopilot on the way to work this morning. I left my house, and the last thing I remember is looking at a white Mustang in my rear view mirror about two blocks from home. All of the sudden I'm a couple of blocks from work and don't remember the drive in between. Weird.

Shanshu is The Debil

2005-08-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Shanshu, you're lucky I like you or else I wouldn't be doing this. I will not subject anyone else by passing it along, however! So HA! Take my little rebellion against chains!

List five songs that you are currently digging - it doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words...or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions and the five songs (with artist) in your blog. Then tag five people to see what they're listening to.

Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani...Shanshu, I got you into this song so this is so not copying!
Lying from You by Linkin Park
Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson...I know. I don't know why I like her, but I do. Back off.
This Kiss by Faith Hill...she's so happy.

Professional Anxiety

2005-08-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, so I'm in a peculiar yet refreshing place right now. For two years I've been bitching about how the crappy the job market is, and how difficult it is to find work...especially in my field. Heck, it took me a year and a half to even find a job. Now I'm in the interesting position of having two employers vying for my mad skillz.

I've been feeling less than perfectly happy with my current employment. At the first of July, my role's job description was redefined, and I did NOT like the definition. On a whim, I mean not very seriously at all, I threw my resume out in the world to see what happens. In the meantime (like, this morning) my boss pulled me into her office. She offered me a new position within the same agency that will take me back to the job the way I love it, and then told me that the agency would support/encourages me to go back for a Master's. They'd work with me on my practicum and provide a recommendation for admittance. Hmmm...

The dilemma is this: I have an interview today at one of those places I just casually threw my resume at. The job is similar to what I'm doing now, but I would not be required to get further education to move to the next level, and it could potentially pay more.

Now, with this news from my boss this morning, my desire to leave the agency in search of greener pastures is nill. On the other hand, this other agency would offer me more money, and the not having to go back to school for a while thing is really, really tempting...but then again, where else could you find an employer like the one I have who will baby you through grad school?

I guess I'm going to this interview today to keep that door open. I'll see what they offer, and weigh my options again at that point.

Paralyzed

2005-08-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the radio this morning and learned an interesting little tidbit that solves one of the great mysteries of my life. Several months ago, I was lying in bed and I dreamt that a very scary ghost was in the bedroom with me. I woke up from this dream and was still scared, so I tried to call for my boyfriend, who was in the living room. To my horror, I could neither move nor speak. This scared the CRAP out of me, and I started panicking inside. All of the sudden, however, I could speak and move again. I decided in my own head that I must have still been asleep and dreaming when I tried to call for him, but that never really sat right with me. It was prefectly clear, and there was no becoming awake transition between being able to move and not being able to. Maybe, I thought, there was a ghost in my room and it possessed me so I couldn't move or cry for help!

Well, on the radio this morning I learned that while you dream, your brain releases a chemical that paralyzes your skeletal muscles. This is why you don't "act out" your dreams as you sleep. People who sleepwalk have a disorder where their brains don't release this chemical like it's supposed to. The DJ was asking the "sleep expert" about a very similar situation to mine, where he had woken up and couldn't move for a few seconds. The expert explained that what simply happened was that the brain accidentally kept releasing the chemical for a few seconds after it woke up. Very interesting!

I feel better now knowing that I wasn't possessed by some demon ghost in bedroom that night.

Soon, the Human Male will Die Out.

2005-08-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Stolen from Penny, but I thought it was really interesting:

"As I'm sure you know, human gender is defined by two genes the "X" (female) and "Y" (male). Females have "XX" and men have "XY". Right? Okay, here's where it gets interesting...Y'see, the "X" gene contains approximately 1500 strands of DNA and the "Y" gene contains (are you ready for this?) 78. Yep, just 78. Apparently the genes used to be the same size, but it seems that the male gene is having a shrinkage problem and will continue to do so until it's gone.Scientists have hypothesized that relatively soon (on the evolutionary timeline, that is) there will be no more male humans. They figure this could happen as soon as 125,000 years from now. I know, I know, this has nothing to do with us and ya gotta wonder if there will be a world left in 125,000 years, but I know all the women out there are snickering and thinking, "Who's the weaker sex? Huh? HUH?"All that girl-on-girl sex going on and no guys to buy the videos."

Put it in my Butt!!! - Warning, Explicit Posting!

2005-08-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

I don't understand the obsession with butt sex. Men love butt sex, and I don't know why. Most guys can't even be in the same room with someone who is pooping, but they want to put their penises in our poopers. They want us to use anal beads and "go real slow" and get used to stretching that little hole out so they can get in it.

I have a thing about butt sex. I'm scared to death of it, and for the most part of my life I've seen no reason to allow anyone to try it. Don't get me wrong, I know that a lot of people on the "receiving end" love it. I read an article about a guy who ruptured his trying to do it with a horse, he liked it so much. I have a really close friend who prefers it to regular sex. But I don't understand why regular sex isn't good enough, and I also am afraid of hurting it.

I mean, haven't you ever had one of those big poos that hurt? After you were done you were like, "Oh my God that almost ripped me a new one! Thank God that's over!" Why would I want to put something bigger and harder than the one of those poos in my bum on purpse? Wouldn't it, like, tear the delicate little tissues? Wouldn't I like, bleed and cry?

I've sought advice on this. I've been told to work up to it. You know, go to the local dirty store and purchase aids in increasing degrees of length and width. So does that mean that I'll get more stretchy, or that I'll get used to the pain, or that the skin will get tougher if I use these things? And anyway, if something is so very obviously structurally difficult to accomplish, is it worth doing at all?

I've also been told that there is pleasure involved for those on the receiving end. I've been told it's like that warm, fuzzy feeling you get after you've squeezed a large one off. I've been told that you can orgasm from it. I've been told that there are as many pleasure receptors in there as in the vagina. So, if that's true, why does it hurt for a while before it feels good? Wouldn't it just feel good from the get go?

I Love My Country

2005-08-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Reasons I LOVE my country:
1. Our foundational principles. Taking aside any hypocritical actions, this country was based upon very, very, very good principles and we should be proud. I will never stand for anyone to make blanket derogatory comments about the U.S. around me.

2. We have every possible beauty found in the world. Mountains, plains, ice caps, tropics, etc.. We have the privilege of being able to rely only on ourselves for every type of resource we need (not that we always d0). We have enormous diversity of ethnicity and race who live side by side in happiness.

3. Our ability to speak out against the things going on in our own country that we dislike.

4. We are nice people. We may be louder and fatter and richer than some other nationalities, but we are around the board nice people. We welcome strangers and we help them. We welcome each other and we help them. It's fantastic.

5. We are good at a lot of things. We do well at the Olympics, we have Hollywood, we have great business sense, and we are for the most part philanthropists. Other countries (as much as they make fun of it) admire our culture and want parts of it. You can't go to any country in Europe and NOT see our restaurants, movies, TV shows and products.

Reasons I dislike my country:
1. For allowing people like those backwards hicks in Kansas to debate not teaching evolution and consider teaching creationism/intelligent design. Let's stop teaching gravity, too, please. And most of physics. This makes me want to scream. I hate them. And let's not even get started on the gay thing.

2. People can't understand that we can't pull out of Iraq yet. We should never have gone in, but now we have an obligation to not leave their country in ruins. And this is coming from someone who's brother has been there twice already and is going back next summer.

3. President Bush. Although lately I've been trying to focus on the decisions he makes that I like, nothing he does that I'm in favor of will ever make up for even 5% of my dislike toward him for this stupid, stupid "war".

4. Gas-guzzling SUV drivers. With the exception of people who drive them because they have lots of kids or stuff to haul around regularly. Do you not understand that this country is overly dependant on foreign fuel sources? Oh, and stop bunnying about the price of gas. First, it's a lot cheaper here than in most other countries (including, like, all of Europe), and second, you could be like me and only spend $30 a month on gas if you bought a smaller vehicle.

5. We are so centered on ourselves. I dislike how few people study about other cultures and/or travel outside our own shores. And no, Mexico does not count. We live in a global world, and we should face up to that. We should go to Europe or Asia or Africa or South America or Australia as often as they come here, because it would make us smarter(sic). I also will include people who DO travel but don't respect the customs of the country they travel to. A friend of mine is going to Ireland with her husband soon. Her idiot husband told me "I'm going to go up to the first native I see and as them to say 'I lost me lucky charms'." Oh, my, God.

Wedding Etiquette Has Gone to Pot

2005-08-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Some may say I am old-fashioned when it comes to etiquette, especially given my age. I don't wear white or off-white below the waist between between Labor and Memorial Days. I write thank-you notes. I dress to the occasion, based on the time of day and style of invitation. I was raised in a family that puts value on propriety, and I was "finished", if you will, in a sorority that held weekly etiquette dinners. I know which fork to lay out when I'm hosting a dinner, and I know where to put the napkin when I'm leaving the table. Some people think I'm silly and antiquated. I think I'm doing the right thing to show gratitude toward and not be rude to people. Apparently I'm one of the few.

I have been to a few weddings this summer, and I am SHOCKED at how rude people can be. I'm talking both about those attending the wedding and those hosting. Here's a list of stupid things that people have done:

1. I've been to two weddings and seen a person or two in jeans. Trust me, you're not getting into my wedding dressed like that. It's disrespectful to the amount of care, time and effort the couple and their parents put into the event. Not to mention the fact that one was an evening wedding, which apparently doesn't mean dressy anymore.

2. I've been to two weddings in the last two years and received no thank-you note for the gifts I've given. I was asked to perform in a wedding and was not invited to the rehearsal dinner, nor did I receive a thank-you note for my effort. That's the last gift those people will be getting from me.

3. I recently received a wedding invitation that asked for donations to the honeymoon. Okay, first of all, you should never, ever, ever mention gifts on an invitation. You are asking the invitee to celebrate with you, not demanding presents. Gifts are optional, people; you should never expect one. If you are inviting people simply to get presents from them, then you are an asshole. Secondly, it is never acceptable to ask for money as a gift. The gifts you receive are not to finance your honeymoon, they are to help you fill your home with the things you need/want. That wedding invitation tempts me not to give anything at all because I am so shocked by it's extreme rudeness.

4. I've been invited to a shower that was hosted by the sister of the bride. When did it become okay for family to host a shower? I can remember being taught that family should NEVER host the shower, because again it's asking for gifts. The shower should always be hosted by non-family members, like close friends, bridesmaids, or co-workers.

I'm sure there are more rude things to come as people begin to become careless about offending their guests. I bet in 20 years I'll get something in the mail that says, "This is to announce the wedding of So-and-So. They cannot afford to throw a wedding, so please send your gift to blah blah blah."

Life Not Working for the Man

2005-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

So I haven't updated this blog in 5 months, and I'm sure that anyone who may have stumbled across it lately thinks it's a dead blog. NO - I just haven't had time. As you can see from my last post, I changed jobs and things got hectic...but now they're back to normal, and I have time to use the computer daily again.

Today is not a good day. I am allergic (I think) to beer, and I somehow keep thinking that I'm not really, and just drinking a couple of them won't hurt. And then I wake up and find out that I was wrong, again.

Last night I couldn't help it. When I was living in England, I fell in love with a wonderful beer called Stella Artois. It's all I drank. I bought a litre of it and carried it home with me. I put it in the refrigerator at my mom's house (where I was living while I got back on my feet in the U.S.) to save for a special occasion, since it wasn't sold in the U.S.. When I moved out, I went looking for it and discovered that my brother had gotten drunk and drank it one night. DAMMIT.

So I went out to dinner at Governor Stumpy's (cool place) at Gregory and Oak with Mom last night, and as we walked in I noticed a man at the bar drinking a Stella. I freaked out with excitement and of course ordered one. Then another. Then a third. (By the way, I spoke to the owner, a very nice man, who told me that Stella was just allowed to be sold in Missouri a couple of weeks ago. He said it's been in New York for a while, and is the trendy beer to drink there. No luck in Kansas yet, although one of the guys at my Kansas side Gomer's said that they're trying to get it in, as loads of people have asked for it.)

After dinner we went to Starlight to see Celtic Woman, a five-girl singing/fiddling group from Ireland who were really good...although kind of cheesy in a Riverdance way. Since I was already buzzed off of the my three 7% Stellas, I drank two beers at Starlight.

I wasn't drunk, but I was definitely intoxicated (any former college student can tell you the difference). This morning I woke up and thought I would die. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I am the dumbest girl in the world. Who knows that they are allergic to something and continuously ingests it? At least two or three times a year I drink beer. Each time I think I'll get away with it, and each time I die the next day. Is there a Stupid Girl Anonymous meeting I can go to?

Sigh.

My Last Day in Corporate Hell

2005-03-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Peter Gibbons: So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life ____________________________________________________________________ Today is my last day in this corporate hell that is the [Large Telecommunications Company] World Headquarters. No longer will I trudge in to work through the back door five minutes late, because I couldn't motivate myself to get out of bed to do this useless, menial job. No longer will I sit under florescent lights working like a drone, sharing a small space with three other drones. No longer will I get paid nothing to do nothing useful. No longer will I hate my job, no longer will I come home from work with no sense of accomplishment! Today, at 4:30pm, I will free myself of my chains and I will run screaming into the world, shouting, "I'm free! I'm free!" If you can't tell, I'm not a big fan of corporate life. It sucks the soul out of you. You're a tiny fish in a huge ocean, and you make no difference; and all the while you're making no difference, you're treated like poo! And now finally, after on year to the month of searching for work, I have landed a job doing what I love! Come this Monday, I will return to social work. My passion will once again be my profession and I am elated! I was a social worker for two years, working in foster care. I left to move to Europe, and in the year I've been back I haven't been able to find work. With the economy so poor, the job market so tight, and social programs being butchered to nothing, my fellow social workers leaving school with master's degrees are taking jobs that pre-Bush would have only required a high school education. And where did the leave little old bachelor's degree me? Temping, of course. But finally, Tuesday night I received the phone call that changed it all: I was offered a job in foster care again! Whhooooo hooooooo!

It's snowing right now.

2005-03-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

It was 75 degrees two days ago. Sunday morning I woke up and drank orange juice on my deck in shorts and a tank top. I even got a little bit of color. Today I am in my heavy, winter, wool coat watching it snow. It is 40 degrees cooler today than it was on Sunday. How does that happen in a two day period of time?

Ode to the Goddess of Spring

2005-03-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

It's going to be 70 degrees outside today, can you believe it? I find it hilarious that a month ago I was writing about how exciting it was that it was up to 34 degrees! I've decided that this is totally flip-flop weather, and so when I get home from work today I'm going to put on flip-flops. Oh, AND it's Friday! What better start to a weekend than a 70-degree Friday? I'm so pumped I can hardly work...oh wait...yeah, I can never really work. This just makes me think about all kinds of springy things, like giving my car a good cleaning (you know, de-mud and de-salt and de-sand it), purchasing a tanning package, planting flowers in the pots on our balcony, taking long evening walks outside, having a few drinks with friends outside by the grill!

17 days until the first day of Spring!

Moralicians

2005-03-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

This is the new word I'm going to give to people like Fred Phelps, and others who stand on the moral platform and abuse Christianity. I've decided that Phelps is not Christian: he doesn't follow Jesus' main doctrine of love. I mean, maybe I misinterpreted the Bible when I studied it as a kid. Maybe I was taught incorrectly. I thought Jesus' message was love and forgiveness and helping the less fortunate. That's my version of Christianity. I reject Phelps' version, the one where you ignore Jesus' teachings and persecute anyone who doesn't conform to the antiquated views of the First Testament. I don't think he can really call himself Christian, since he doesn't abide by Jesus' desires. So now I've decided to call him Moralician: he is an extreme Moralician.

There are lesser forms of Moralicians: people who call themselves Christian, but are really concerned less with Jesus' desires and more with the Bible's laws. Those are the people who think it is more important to persecute people for what they are doing wrong, than paying attention to what Jesus wants. They aren't really Christian either. They're not psychotic like Phelps, but they're certainly deluded in their belief that to be a Christian, you don't have to follow Christ, you just have to stop people who don't share your personal and/or church leaders' moral beliefs. They petition for constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, they blindly elect a government that is slowly stealing their human rights right out from under them and with their permission just because that government promises to help them persecute non-Moralicians, they decide that you can't watch a TV show that involves cursing because other people can't figure out how to just watch something else, they decide not to teach your children the best scientific theory to explain a huge human mystery because it doesn't comform to their religious beliefs, etc..

Sigh. I remember when having morals meant you were a good person. It meant that you stood up against the persecutors and the bad guys like thiefs and murderes. I'm sad to say that now, most people who flaunt their morals are thiefs and persecutors. "Morals" has become a bad word because of bad actions, and that's really sad.

P.S. One may try and consider the best option for dealing with radical Moralicians like Phelps, and here's my advice: ignore them. Any attention whatsoever lauded onto people (you know, like blog...oops) just encourages them. It gives them fire, because it affirms to them that they need to work harder to spread their word. Plus, they're not worth the energy it takes to turn your head in their direction. Phelps' website is www.godhatesfags.com, and someone has put up a website at www.godhatesfredphelps.com. Both of these sites are stupid, and the godhatesfredphelps site is probably worse than Phelps' site because it acknowledges him.

Damn the Man

2005-02-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, this post is going to be nothing more than a rant...pay attention all you poor, unemployed, college graduates - because I think you'll feel this.

TEMPING SUCKS. Why is it that people look at temps like little idiots who must be mistrusted and watched all the time? Why is it that temps must clock in and out at breaks and lunch, or that managers feel the need to sneak up behind them and double check that they're working? Hmmm? Do these "permanent employees" not realize that most temps are more highly educated, experienced, and qualified than themselves, but that we are just living in a time of a TERRIBLE JOB MARKET? This is not 1999, when the economy was great and only the bottom feeders of the corporate world resorted to being temps...this is 2005, and after 5 years of governmental mismanagement, temps are now young college graduates with master's degrees or former highly-skilled, downsized managers who can't get hired on at even a bottom-rung level. Give us a break, you silly, little, insignificant, middle-management supervisor! We are smarter than you, and we have more potential than you, and you have no right to treat us like high school dropouts! Then again, I suppose that in 20 years when we are your superior and you are taking orders from us, you will be glad that you had your shot at us. So revel in it, National American University Technical Certificate Graduate; revel in it while you still can! And in the meantime, as you sit there smuggly making sure I came back from lunch after 60 minutes, not 61 minutes, I will try my damnedest to do as little work as possible without landing on your radar, and I will abuse those Friday afternoons after you leave at 3pm, and I will resort to drinking ever night after work to wash away the insane terribleness of my workplace, and I will feel good about it like I never would if I, too, was a "permanent employee" or if I was just treated with some freaking respect.

The Random Ramblings of a Genius

2005-02-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

First off, the GREAT news: as of 6pm tonight, my brother (Marine Cpl. Bryan Meyer of New River, NC) is safely home in North Carolina...WHHHHOOOOOPPPPPEEEEEE!!!!!! I went over to Mom's last night for dinner, and we proceeded to watch the homecoming from his first tour of Iraq and cry our eyes out. It got us totally pumped up for this time around! She left this morning for NC to help welcome the unit home and because she can't wait the three weeks until his leave to see him. Mothers.

Second off, the GOOD news: as of last night, my check for the first half of the rent on our vacation house in Oak Island has cleared. We officially have Sea Mist from September 3-10th, 2005. A brief history on Eric and Jen and OKI (our affectionate little nickname): Year one, Eric and I had just begun our run together when he invited me to be his date on a couples vacation to Oak Island, NC. We went with four others, and stayed at Lucia Marino. It was a blast! We had a great time, and at soon as we got home to KC we started planning the next year's trip. For OKI 2, we stayed at Lucia Marino again, and again went down with 2 other couples: one the same, one different. That year it was a good time, too, albeit without the rookie excitement of OKI 1. This time, OKI 3, we're going with completely different people, 10 in all (singles and couples), and we're staying at a different, WAY COOLER house. We're are going to have SO MUCH FUN.

Third and finally, the BAD news: My Jayhawks have lost three in a row. For those of you who have lived in a box since the 1980s and don't understand, this is practically unheard of. They went from 20-1, playing most awesomely after their unnecessary loss to Villanova, to 20-4, playing like puke against teams that aren't nearly as good. WTF guys, come on?! I really, really hope they STOP before we play Oklahoma. We lost our league undefeated status, we lost our first seed, we dropped in ranking all the way down to #7... The losing streak is a fluke, of course, but let's all hope it's OVER!

Goodbye Iraq!

2005-02-18T09:05:00.000-08:00

The best thing in the world is happening right now...as we speak, my little brother is LEAVING IRAQ to come home from his second tour in the 1st Marine Expeditiary! Woo hoo! Mom got a call from his C.O.'s wife last night, saying that they had left their former base in Iraq and were headed for Kuwait. They will spend 48 hours in Kuwait, and then by the 23rd will be safely home in North Carolina.

Let me just tell you, a phone call like that REALLY relieves stress. I don't think you realize how much worry, anxiety and tension you carry around all day, every day in the back of your head. It's easy to force yourself not to think about it, or to pretend to yourself that he's not there and not fighting a war, but it's always sitting in the back of your brain weighing on you. I mean, you see signs of it: the uncontrollable fits of tears when you see another soldier has died, the inability to watch war movies or CNN, the occasional nightmares...but you don't really know HOW MUCH it was hurting you until it's over. And then all of the sudden you realize that there has been a fifty pound weight on your shoulders, but it's gone now, and you only know it because you feel so much lighter.

And it's over! So everyone say a prayer thanking God for sending him home safely, and asking him to watch over all the other soldiers in danger.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2005-02-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

I love this day. What an excuse to eat a ton of chocolate!

Last night we rented "Ringu," the Japanese movie upon which "The Ring" was based. In fact, the two movies are almost identical. There were a couple of plot differences, and the American version was much more frightening, but all in all it was the same movie. We watched later in the evening, and after it ended began to get ready for bed. I went into the bedroom and started taking my hair down, which involves the removal of about 25 bobby pins (anyone who knows me will tell you that I have THE wildest, curliest hair in the world, and therefore it takes a LOT to control it, including about 25 bobby pins...I am not exaggerating). After the pins were all out, I flipped my head upside down to make sure I hadn't missed any; when I finished and put my head up, I thought, "That's funny, my hairs covering my face like the chick in the movie." This thought led to, "I'm going to go try to scare Eric..." (who was quite innocently brushing his teeth in the bathroom). I walked up to the door with my hair still over my face and slapped my hand loudly on the doorframe to get his attention...

...holy CRAP I have never seen a grown man jump so far! He TOTALLY freaked out, jumping backwards, throwing his toothbrush into the sink, and yelling, "Aaaaah!" I, of course, started laughing, and all he could say to me was, "Go away right now," through clenched teeth. I walked back into the bedroom and painfully tried to repress the MONSTROUS laughter that was VIOLENTLY trying to escape me. After a few minutes I heard nothing except, "You do realize I am SO going to get you back for this?" from the bathroom. At that point I burst out laughing, as he warned me that I was lucky because he almost punched me (of course that's when he thought I was a ghost, not his girlfriend...now that I think about it, what good would punching a ghost do?).

So now I'm on the lookout...anyone who knows Eric knows that he's an eye-for-an-eye type of guy. He's going to get me, and it's going to be good, and I'm totally scared.

So I'm a Wanted Criminal Now...

2005-02-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's true: I am wanted in the state of California. How, you might ask, is this possible when I haven't set foot in California in three years? It's a funny story; you're going to love it. I do. I did NOTHING. Not a thing. Some stupid lawyer in L.A. arbitrarily had a judge put out a warrant for my arrest. And why, you might ask? Well, in order to answer that I have to first say that I work at Sprint, in Corporate Security. Somehow, this dumb lawyer got a hold of my name through, I imagine, some letter or something I had previously sent to his office. Well, when Sprint failed to comply with a subpoena of his in what I'm sure his little, teeny brain considered an appropriate amount of time, he stuck my name for no reason onto a warrant. Let me tell you how mad I am! I have been calling this guy for two days now and his wonderful secretary will not let me through to speak to him. Brilliant.

But on a lighter note: things are melting here in Kansas City and there's almost no snow left on the ground. Eric and I have just begun to make St. Paddy's Day plans, and it got me rememberin' that St. Paddy's is usually a warm day...and that it's in a month. So, with the combination of the thaw outside and the realization that spring weather is a month away, I officially have a case of early Spring Fever. I want to put all of my sweaters, coats, hats and scarves in a storage bin and banish them until November. I keep hoping that I'll step outside after work today and find that weatherunderground is lying and it is not, in fact, 34 degrees, but rather 54. I have noticed more birds lately...and they're the first ones to know! Oh, by the way, stinks to be anyone in New England; I see you're dealing with a hefty snowstorm today. :)

2005-02-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog! As you can tell by the title, I originally started this just so I could post on my boyfriend's blog...but now I think I'm going to start keeping this up. It's fun, after all. Well, my name is Jen, I'm 25 and I'm single (although I do live with my very wonderful boyfriend Eric). I'm a HUMONGOUSLY LARGE Jayhawk Basketball fan; actually, I'm really a generally HUMONGLOUSLY LARGE Jayhawk everything fan! So, wanna guess my alma mater? I'm a Libra (balanced...ha!) and a psych major, so watch out! I'll overanalyze you and everything around you until you want to stab yourself in the eye (ask Eric). I am recently returned from a long foray out into the world: I lived in England and backpacked the Continent (oh yes, when you use that word for that location you MUST capitalize it) for about six months post-graduation. It was, of course, the most awesomest experience ever (yes that was on purpose, I can totally use English good), and I would give my right arm to be able to do it again. Unfortunately, though, as many of you know, the economy is isn't so hot right now, so finding a job hasn't really been possible...and that leads right to not having the savings to go back. So that's me in a nutshell. Admit it, from what you've heard you love me!

First Posting

2005-02-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry if you came across this blog, but my boyfriend's blog doesn't take anonymous postings, so I had to have one too!