Sweet Mother of God

My life has sort of been all jostled around and turned upside-down in the last weekend. Chris will not be being my roomie (no hard feelings there, I cannot blame him for the choice he made), so now we are one roommate down as of Friday. July is okay, but I do not know what the fuck we are going to do after that.

We are looking for a temporary roommate, we are looking for people to take over the lease and start afresh in August. We are looking for anything at all that means someone else will be paying a portion of our rent come August. I am telling everyone I know who might have any sort of lead on any sort of solution to this.

Saturday night was hysterical crying panic night. I have moved beyond that to problem solving, moving past the shitty stuff mode. I just want it solved and done (and I would prefer not to be moving until October because I am leaving for a week and a half to go back to Washington between now and August 1st). So everyone think good thoughts for me.

Here is my horoscope for this morning (well the beginning of it): "You may feel as if your life has been dragged over the coals these last three weeks as Mercury retraced its steps in your sign." Yeah, no shit!

Oh, and our air conditioning is broken.

The Tale of the Terribly Frightening Girl

Subtitle of my life story, or so it seems lately. I feel like people from all over my life are waiting until way to freaking late to tell me stuff I probably needed to know sooner then I did. None of it is awful. Some of it is quite abrupt. Some of it requires nearly immediate action, but often immediate action after decision making--decision making that might take some serious thought. Much of it I feel I heard later then I needed to.

I could be wrong. These people could be telling me this random amounts of news as soon as they know it, but I am pretty sure there is some lag time. It is all fairly straightforward, so why can't people just tell me? None of it is really significant secret talk stuff. I don't think any of it that would make me explode. I can be a rational person, and I tend to not take things out on others indiscriminately. Am I really as scary as all that to tell things to? Really? Plus it all plays into fears that I already have about being a scary ogre of a person. This is crap.

Marathon of Fun: it's finally over

And I topped it off with a nap. I could've gone downtown and watched John Mayer in concert for free today, but it would be crowded and sweaty, and I am freaking done. Stick a fork in me people. Whew! Now I have a little less then three weeks to recuperate before I go vacation my little heart out.

Yesterday there was work and then drink or dare jenga. That game was totally awesome! We had a blast. I wore my pants backwards, Sara Jo and Shannon (a male) switched pants, Luke ate a spoonful of flour, Anna sang "Oh Canada" in the middle of the backyard at the top of her lungs pretty late, and we drank A LOT. I lost the first game and drank some pretty nasty shit out of a cup (everyone's drinks mixed together). Anna sang because she lost round 2. It was way fun.

Pictionary was the next game, and Luke and I are an awesome team. We got the most ridiculous things right in a unbelievably short amount of time. And then we won. It was pretty funny, especially because drunk Anna and Jamie were in awe of our mad partner skills.

This morning we all got up and breakfasted together, and we sent the kids back off to the airport.

Then I went home and napped and read some Harry Potter. Now I am watching Mythbusters. Later there will be movies. Awesome.

Marathon of fun: the leg where I am a bad friend

I killed my phone, but then I got a new one. However, this all happened while my friend Anna was having a show which I really wanted to go see, but I couldn't remember where or when, and I couldn't call her because I had no phone and no number for her. So I didn't see it. Instead I met other friends for dinner. This means I totally blew it on the being a good friend business. I did.

It was fun seeing the other friends. And my new phone rules. It is a Katana which is apparently Japanese (or Sanyo) for not quite a razr. It is blue, and I like it very much.

Tonight, "Drink or Dare Jenga" which is (as it sounds) a drinking game meets Jenga meets truth or dare. Imminent doom music plays now. Will I keep up my resolve not to be so drunk I puke? Stay tuned.

Marathon of Fun: Cast changes

So my brother is back in Cali, but Luke and Jamie are here. Last night we went over to Sara, Jon, and Angie's and bar-b-qued. There was kebabs and hot dogs (Chicago style and just with ketchup). We sat around in the backyard and hung out with Angela and Shannon and even Paul for awhile. There was much talk and laughter (and also Paul in full out motorcycle gear which I am not sure if that was funny or hot or something in between).

I am not sure what the rest of the plans for their visit are. Probably some fireworks on the 3rd (when Chi town does it up) followed by drunken jenga.

Also, I broke my phone completely. It is in two pieces and no longer works. Tonight I am getting a new one. Just FYI, so no one try to call me.

Marathon of fun: where I sunburn one half of each of my knees

Yeah, I very badly sunburned one half of each of my knees yesterday in Grant Park. I also got my arms a little red, but that seems to be browning up. The knees hurt like a bitch! I had aloe and vinegar on them all night.

However, they got sunburned watching some Kenny freaking Rogers live in concert in the park during Taste of Chicago. Kenny Rogers is down home good country people--complete with quaint stories to prove it. It was good to hear/see him, even if we were way far away. It was fun. Tasting all the things at the taste was good too. My favorite was the "grilled wings with pesto aioli." They were super yummy.

Then we threw Janna a going away party in our lovely backyard that was comfortably cool and not humid. It was great, lots of people came. There was drinking. A teacher friend of Janna decided that phone boyfriend is my "future ex-husband" which got big laughs last night, and some big laughs right now still. That is some funny.

My brother went home. He should be almost back in California now. It was wonderful having him around. However the marathon is not quite over because in a few more hours, I am going with Jon and Sara to pick up Luke and Jamie. Woo hoo.

Marathon of Fun: Clowns and Nazi boats

I saw the MacBeth, and it was in credible. The audience was small, but we were so with them! It was fantastic. It was intense. It was hilarious. I think everyone must go. I can't really begin to say more.

Then there was the part afterwards when I got a birthday hug from Angie and an aborted birthday hug from Paul. Anna, Branson, and I were talking to him and he found out it was my birthday, and he made the beginning of a move that would've been a "Hey, I am hugging the birthday person!" but he pulled the arms down in the middle of it and just didn't hug me. My roommates and brother thought that was hilarious. I swear to God. That whole thing has just entered a whole new phase of weird. Does he think I am going to hump his leg if he does anything at all that could be interpreted as encouragement? For the record, I am not going to hump his leg. At least not unless he asks me.

As for Nazi boats, my brother and I went way down to the Museum of Science and Industry where we played around with farm stuff in farm tech, and then we boarded a Nazi U boat that we had captured in WWII. It was pretty freaking amazing, and they let me sit on one of the stools in the little control room. It ruled.

Marathon of Fun: Yippi-ki-yay-motherfucker!

So "Live Free or Die Hard" kind of totally rules. My brother and I went to it last night and had pizza. Then I went home and did some laundry and chopped a bunch of my hair off.

It is quite full and bouncy now.

And it is my birthday. So, I look all cute (even wearing a skirt), and we are going to see the clowns tonight--yes, it is possible clown obsession/crush may have something to do with looking extra cute. There will probably also be drinking and other fesitivities.

Marathon of Fun: Where baby bears win baseball games

Dude, Wrigley Field is awesome!! It just is. You are as close to the players there as you are to them in little bitty hometown minor league stadiums. You can practically shake their hands, and in some places you can (Jeff Davis works for a big company that has seats behind the cubs dugout, and once the players shared sunflower seeds with him).

The bleachers (where we sat--Jeff, my brother, and myself) are some rowdy cubs loving fans. They get crazy about everything. Although since we were winning and the game was kind of close, we never got around to telling right field how much they suck (we were seated in the heart of left field). The stadium was almost entirely free of crappy top 40 music (thanks to the organist) and completely jumbotron free. This blew my little west coast mind because most of our shit is new and comes with big blinky Microsoft sponsored everything signs.

I am not the hugest sports fan, but watching a game in Wrigley is a pleasure. If you can ever get bleacher seats, go--even if you don't like baseball or sports. Bleacher seat people watching is a phenomenal sport in itself. A group of three late 20's, early 30's bachelors in front of us were our favorite people to watch--we knew they were bachelors by their behavior, ain't no way they were going home to a girlfriend or wife. They came up with a cheer to taunt the Rockies left fielder early on in the game, and boy did they stay with it! They were quite proud of their succint cleverness. The players last name was Holliday, and they just shouted "Holli-GAY" over and over again. Jeff and I just giggled because it was in fact so SOOOO so dumb.

Plus, Cubs win! It was awesome.

Tonight: deep dish Chicago style pizza from Pizzeria Uno and John McClane returns

Marathon of Fun: Fun in Circles

Monday my brother went to the zoo by himself, and then we met up with his friend Matt (who was stationed with him in Arizona but is from greater Chicagoland) and Matt's sister Heather (get it!!! they both have sisters named Heather who live in and around Chicago!--so not as amazing to she and I). Then we picked up one of Heather's friends and drove down to Navy Pier.

There we ate a Bubba Gump's Shrimp Factory--where I excelled at the Forrest Gump Trivia (imagine that I actually knew the name of the theatre Gary Sinise cofounded in Chicago, and I also knew Forrest went to the University of Alabama). Then we rode the Ferris Wheel, the Wave Swinger, and the Carousel. The Carousel at Navy Pier is for babies, and so not worth it. The Ferris Wheel is kind of awesome. The view is fantastic and we were up there as the sun was setting into the buildings of the skyline. The Wave Swinger was just so very county fair.

After that, my brother went out to punk rock Monday with my roommates and Branson. They closed the bar down. They also made all the guy friends of Janna and Renee (the people they see out at that bar) really antsy--because what were these guys they were at their bar with. I slept. I suck at fun marathons.

Today, there will be bleacher seats in the outfield at the Cubs Game. Tom will hold them for Jeff and I after he explore Wrigleyville on game day.

More later.

Some shopping math

I know, I know, three posts in one day. But I had to share this! At work we get to buy things for ourselves from our vendors as long as we have terms with them. Well a very trendy t-shirt place that sells dresses and yoga pants and just generally casual hipster clothers in plain yet vibrant colors with little to no decoration, is a favorite of mine. I however, I have never really been able to bring myself to shop there because $30 for a plain t-shirt is just way too freaking much!

Then I got their wholesale price list. I bought 24 pieces from wifebeaters and tank tops to a chemise to dresses and a bunch of cute t's with a tube top or two for good measure. They cost me $126.25 plus shipping regular fed ex from California. That is about $5.25 each not bad for t's and tanks--sort of like a good old navy sale. However, these are a little higher quality than old navy, and their retail value (if I had bought them online or in the store near the Pier 1 where I work part time) would've been $556 plus tax ($606.04 here). I saved $429.75 while buying really trendy, comfy clothes much of which I can wear to either job!!!!!! WOW! I am totally psyched about this. It rules!

Just FYI

Mingle² - Online Dating

Marathon of fun pt 1: Pride Brother

While people I love lots are in town (two groups from last Saturday until July 4), I am going to be posting under the headline "Marathon of Fun" because that is what it will feel like.

My brother came into town on Saturday afternoon--where my wonderful roommate picked him up from Midway. As soon as I got home from work, we left my neighborhood to go to the UIC Pavillion where we watched the Chicago Sky play the Washington Mystics (that is the WNBA for all concerned).

Ummm, the sky apparently don't are a little fuzzy on the concept of defense, and have all been reading "The Secret" so they have no use for rebounding. If they followed their shots that would assume that they wouldn't make them, and they believe they make them, so they cannot ever follow their shots. They also don't rebound defensively, so maybe they just don't like it. The Mystic chiquitas are MEAN! Holy elbow throwing under the hoop! Watching the game was pretty fun. They gave us fun noisy clapper things, and near the end of the game, basically the entire audience was invited to come out onto the floor and dance to that song that tells you what to do. Then we went out for beers and excellent appetizers downtown, while my brother rubbernecked at the very tall buildings before heading home and to bed.

The next morning, we arose bright and early to go to a champagne breakfast before the parade--the Pride Parade. That was fun, and we saw roller derby girls in costumes rolling down my street en masse on the way to the staging area. That was sweet. The Parade was fun, but we couldn't quite stay for the whole thing--we wer not quite drunk or gay enough. Even our token gay man got gayed out. So we went back to his place to barbeque and hang out.

Tonight will be Navy Pier and hoofing it around downtown. Tomorrow night cubs game, from the bleacher seats--which apparently is all fun all the time.

The internet in my apartment is ran by satan

I swear, just when we have it fixed, it gives up the ghost. However, my roommate Janna is the one who must deal with it, and she is gone until tomorrow. So this is a quick one from work.

Although, I am worrying about the fact that now that I think on it, it may have been connected to the internet but my browser just wasn't playing nicely. That could be a whole other problem. Well, crap.

Also, I might have to work at Pier 1 tonight because someone may or may not be quitting by just not showing up. That sucks, especially because I know it will impinge upon my freedom later in the summer too. Unless we freaking hire some people already!

Also, still keep forgetting to purchase birthday gift for a roommate who's birthday was almost a week ago now. I know what I want. I am just not getting my ass in gear enough.

Permission

Seeing the head of my grad school theatre department and his wife was outstanding. They are lovely, and we kind of surprised him for his birthday by making more people show up out of nowhere. We talked and laughed and drank, and had a marvelous time.

Then he gave me permission to kick people out of the theatre company we are starting because not everyone is helpful, and the person driving the boat needs to know that. I love him.

I also saw Chris Jozwiak. I am to tell everyone that he is a real, live socialist. Plus he bought dinner. I love him. He and Em and Holly and I bonded. He and I are plotting a terrorist action against a certain evil spawn we all know and hate. It was fantastic.

My weekend was fantastic, I love my life. I also love my dearest friends. I love the ones I get to see and the ones I am with through our blogosphere and all of them. No matter what stupid crap happens to or between them.

I got flowers

Or at least a little pot with two yellow gerbera daisies in it. My friend Shavahn gave them to me as a thank you for working for her tomorrow morning at Pier 1. It was very sweet of her.

There are no seamen at my house tonight (sorry Jim, this joke was just too easy, I have to make these jokes). There was a lockdown at their barracks, so they are stranded and hope to come up tomorrow. At least I didn't put seamen and come in the same sentence--wait, too late!

I am kind of sleepy mcsleeperton right now. So is Renee and I made her stay awake to talk to me. Also we had margaritas at work. It was awesome.

Clowns and monsters are good

Frankenstein was great!!! It really was. There were crazy great stunts, lots of funny, lots of scary, they made Kevin cry (which I don't like), there was Paul in a wifebeater, what was there not to like? My roommate loved it too. I want to go again.

I should be cleaning my room right now in preparation for seamen coming to my house. That's right, I said seamen. Three of them. And a sea girl.

Also at least by Sunday I get Lee-Painter hugs!!!!!

Holy comment drama

I mean, really. Wow.

I promise to shut up and quit being whiny.

I really should be cleaning my room. Or paying my bills or fucking sleeping, but I am chatting with my friend Matt, the sailor.

I should maybe be sleeping.

I am seeing the clowns tomorrow.

I need to go.

Computer scare

So, I was about to blog about how my stupid computer wouldn't let me log onto my user name with my password, that I knew was correct when (imposing music here) it wouldn't let me log onto blogger with the same password! At this point I pulled up a word thingy and tried it out, and it turns out one of the letters on my keyboard sticks like a bitch. This is a new development, but it should be pretty solvable now. This is a tremendous relief. Because I don't know what I would've done if I had locked myself out of my administrator user name. That would suck.

Actually, I would've called or emailed Donald or Chrissy's friend t-bert (who thinks I am a babe) since they are the biggest computer nerds I know. If anyone knew how to loophole around my password, they would. However, it did not have to come to that. Although feel free to be indignant if I didn't mention you, but you could've helped me.

I have a dilemma. Part of me wants to keep this little dilemma to myself and part of me wants to put it to my loyal public to see what advice they would give me. It is romantical in nature, and pertains to a certain someone far, far away who I talk to on the phone with freakish regularity (particularly since he is not related to me in anyway--well, because that would make the romantical nature really, really weird).

We are both going to be at a wedding this summer (that means you Sara and John). A wedding where many of the guests (like myself) will be renting hotel rooms. I was hoping to share a hotel room because well, I am kind of poor, plus hotel room slumber parties can be fun (I offer up many an ACTF as an example). Now, herein lies the problem. Chris Plummer has invited me to share with him and Luke Daigle which would be a way fun slumber party (and no I would not be stupid with/about the Daigle, I feel quite confident that it only took me two tries to learn that lesson in a pretty hard fashion). However, anything romantical with the certain romantical person would not work out so well in my room, if I were sharing it with the boys. There has been a wee teeny (and I mean hardly any) talk of me and the romantical person sharing a hotel room, but that gives me pause. I mean, that sort of implies a promise. If we share a room, we share a bed, etc. Now, I am pretty sure that the implied sharing is going to happen anyway, so why not save each of us a little money and get some privacy, but somehow I am still reticent about that, and I don't know why. I am a grown up. He's a grown up. Neither of us are seeing anyone. Why not? If we didn't live so freaking far away from each other, I have little doubt we would already be involved in some sort of relationship thingy, but we do live far, far apart. I don't know. But, if I am going to get a hotel room, I kind of should do it soon. Auugh. Why am I such a wreck when it comes to things romantical?

So tired

The great thing is that I am tired because I have been doing so much good stuff. The bad thing is that I am tired. I went to see my friend Sabrina's sketch comedy show tonight. Her sketch was my favorite. It was four girls on a car trip. Tough girl Sabrina with a three air heads who don't understand how to play road trip games. It was very funny.

Also funny, Bloody Pulp Fiction--which was just reworked scenes from Pulp Fiction with Dracula and Frankenstein in the place of Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta.

Ummm, I feel like I have a lot more to say but I am just too tired to type.

Holy Shit I had a busy weekend!!!

It was so busy I will just lay it out in the form of a list:

FRI:
went out to eat at the Chicago Firehouse
saw Wicked
stayed up way too late talking on the phone

SAT:
went to the printer's row book fair downtown
went to the Chicago Blues Fest (stopping by Buckingham Fountain)
went shopping
saw "Knocked Up" and "Shrek 3"
went to Navy Pier for fireworks (overheard some of the Fallout Boy concert on nearby island and ran into all sorts of random people I know)
went out for pizza
hung out and drank with my friends

SUN:
went to the Old Town Art Fair
went to the Farm at the Lincoln Park Zoo
went to the Lincoln Park Conservatory
went to work at Pier One
watched some of the Tony's

My feet hurt, and I am exhausted but happy

Everything

Today, it is just everything. So many random things are happening at work (random and vaguely awful, but not really bad for me) that are all bad. I would tell you about them if I could, but some of them are to be kept on the DL, at least for the time being--maybe later.

By the way, totally blogging from work since the internet at home is still not playing well with others (and by others I mean my freaking laptop).

So, this is all I really have time for. When my internet gets unbroken I will come back, I swear.

Hey, if Jim is reading this or Donald or anyone who has Alan's blog addy, please leave it in the comments for me. I lost it in the computer death this winter.

Quick Trip

The wedding was great fun. There was a giggle loop that just would not stop!!! We nearly burst out laughing at the reception during the little blessing the priest gave mostly because it started when he was talking about the Lord of the Rings during the homily at the wedding. We are truly terrible people, but this means Ken Franke's wedding is the nerdiest of all.

Plus we hung out and drank and chatted and watched Ken dance (because our little techie is a dancing fool when he goes and gets married on us). The trip was very quick and surreal.

The first bus trip was marked by a very angry woman on the bus who yelled at the bus driver for an hour. The second bus trip was chock full of sleeping and only memorable in the fact that I had to walk to the red line and take a long walk home at the end of it since it was before the brown line started running on Sunday mornings.

Umm, it looks like my brain is still fried from lack of sleep. Hopefully that will be fixed (at least somewhat) by Monday.

Tomorrow

Super long trip starts. Days off start. I hang out on a bus. There will be pizza for lunch. I might actually get around to running--stupid overtime.

I can't wait to see peoples. Also I had an epiphany about people (and by people, I mean one particular person in specific) who call me in the middle of the night. I am a stand in/suroggate/easier then for real because I am far away. This totally works for me. I am ok with this just being fluff and fun that may have a little pay off at a wedding, later (but without virgins, please) because I don't think it should turn into anything more--not in the least because I can't actually imagine how that would ever work out.

So, this was cryptic. On purpose. People at the Ken and Mandy wedding should feel free to ask questions in person if you actually care about the drivel that is my life. Everyone else, you might have to remain curious (although you are totally welcome to remain indifferent).

How I met myself

or, how I discovered I am Barney from How I Met Your Mother. Well, kind of. I bought season 1 on DVD, and it is in fact "Legen--wait for it--Dary!" We have been watching a lot of it in the basement (that's what I am now calling my pad, the basement--its wehere we live), and we feel we are each one of the people. Renee is Ted--painfully so at times (see the episode called "The Duel"). Janna and her boyfriend Shane are totally Marshall and Lily, and I am Barney. Random, strange, probably overly caffeinated. I am not sure who is Robyn, but it might be my friend Anna Schlegel.

I am getting kind of really excited that I am going to see lots of my peoples this weekend. Also there will be a wedding (where I will be avoiding virgins and anyone who might be related to me somehow distantly by marriage--sorry Robyn and Sally). Plus next week there is Wicked.

Also, I almost made myself really, really sick this evening by forgetting to really eat all day. Whoops. Food made me feel better.

Insanity has taken over my brain

Well, only kind of. Its possible this particular insanity can be directly traced to boredom with a nice dash of no sex in a pretty long time. I am just repeatedly drawn to making the same mistakes over and over (by the way still no sex, don't get your panties in a bunch). Which may well explain why I think/assume I may never get married. It may well be a very valid self defense--against myself. My self defense must defend me from myself because chances are, I am going to be the one doing the damage.

I am very sleepy now. I will go to bed and hopefully I will sleep through the night without getting phone calls from people in other time zones who find it amusing to wake me up.

Trip

So five states in one day was an excellent trip. There was much hanging out and talking, lots and lots of sleeping in the backseat of the car. I slept in a room with a tarantula and didn't scream, but I did scream when a bug was on my face on the river. I also fell into the river (for the second year in a row--money is now on me to fall in every year). I drank homemade peach wine. I watched Pirates 3. I mocked my roommates and was mocked in return. I fit in well with Renees family because I am mean at playing old family marble games (theirs' is 'Wahoo' and I grew up with a similar version called aggravation). Ummmm. . . and that is really all. Well the short version of all. Oh, and a bulldog adopted me but there were no baby goats.

Auuugh

For the next week and a half, sleep is my enemy. Well, maybe not my enemy, but I sure will be keeping my distance. In less than six hours, I leave for Pennsylvania (so the blogging will be light). That will be a four day trip. Two days fun, two days driving (maybe some time with baby goats, lots of time in a canoe with beer).

I may not get to sleep between now and then, but I have the whole back seat to myself for the trip (the one tiny bit of good news in Anna not being able to go). So, that starts the lack. The end of the sleepless week and a half is a whirlwind 36 hour trip to St. Louis that includes a wedding. Will I have to be all dressed up and fancy for it? I bet I will. Sigh.

Yeah. Awesome. Now I have more laundry to do, and I have to watch the second pirates movie, so that I understand the third one tomorrow night.

Fine.

I will talk to you all later when I return.

For Jim

It isn't that I didn't like the final Heroes. There were parts that I liked (Claire jumping out the window, Hiro in Japan, some of the emotional connections of the better actors--really HRG), but I was so disappointed in most of it. They had built me up for so much, and they didn't really deliver very much of what I wanted.

The battle was cool, but I wanted it to be Peter v. Sylar (which it really wasn't because everyone else joined in). I wanted Claire to be much braver then she turned out to be (not that her fear wasn't a totally organic choice for the character, but I wanted her to be more, to find the more that is in herself). I was really mostly pissed off that Nathan gets after the fact Hero points because at the last possible second he stopped being a total dick. He was always an ass, and then he gets to save the world. That just sucks. He shouldn't get to save the world, to get the credit for saving the world and to die a hero. He doesn't deserve that redemption.

Plus there was some really horrendous dialogue (you know its bad when HRG can't even deliver it well). I cannot handle when Milo Ventimiglia acts angry or strong by talking with gruff scratchy voice for NO REASON, and there was a lot of that.

I just wanted something more then what I got, so it was a huge anti-climax. I loved, loved, loved the second to last episode. There was bouncing in my chair and screaming during that episode. The finale there was some laughing and not a whole lot more.

Broken Internet

At our house. It works for a little bit, and then it says it cannot detect a dsl line out or something. Stupid comcast is working on the lines. It makes me very angry because I can't stay up to date with my podcasts which I listen to at work.

I did however get exuberantly greeted in Spanish by a bunch of cute young kids in a front yard near my work. I was walking past them on my way to the bus that takes me to Pier One, and they got very excited and waved and waved and shouted "Hola!" It was cute.

Also, I ate grilled octopus. That means it looked like octopus and I chewed on a tentacle. Looking at it freaked me out, but eating it was not too bad. Actually it was quite good, but when I got a part of the squishy body, I couldn't really take it. The squishy parts were not okay.

Yesterday night I was in the mood to post a long speculative blog on the events of the past weekend in my little sweet college town (the one in Idaho) and on all sorts of other topics, but the internet didn't work, so instead you get this--typed very quickly--from work.

Moscow Sniper

This was going to be a shiny happy post about how much fun the general convivial drunkeness that was Sara and Jon's wedding shower--a highlight was the hot dog eating contest (not what you think) and the soon-to-be-wed game (frequently interrupted by Sara to clarify what Jon's answers should really be). It was fantastic and fun, and I am still picking up after it this morning, but there is a pall cast.

Last night a sniper fired shots at the Latah County Courthouse from the Presbyterian Church where he barricaded himself inside and then shot himself. The Presbyterian church is across the street from my old apartment in Moscow where I lived for 18 months. Literally across the street. Not kitty corner (that was the courthouse), but across the street. My old block was barricaded with people asked to stay in their house. This was last night, as I was on the phone with an old friend from Moscow (who used to live right around the corner from me--he has since moved).

Most of the students have left, so it is just the townies, but I cannot imagine how people in Moscow must feel right now. Sally, I hope you and Dave were both safe and sound in your corner of the town. So, my thoughts are with Moscow and all of its inhabitants.

Perhaps I brought it on myself.

The receptionist did not come to work today (this is like her third or fourth missed day for not really any good reason as far as anyone can tell since she started near then end of March). Also, she missed last Wednesday. Plus she probably won't be there tomorrow. This leads to the inevitable conclusion that she may quit soon--you know, assuming she is not released from her position.

This just sucks. Because I did her job today and mine. I got there at 8:30, I didn't take a lunch, and I left at 6:20--working straight through the whole time. Good news, I will get some pretty sick overtime until we get a new receptionist. Bad news, this is exhausting. Fortunately, the reception job is not terribly taxing. However combined with my job, it is a lot of stuff to wade through everyday. It was especially bad because I stayed until I got everything done that I needed to do today. I had too since I don't know when or if she was coming back, and if I left stuff up in the air, I would've just been screwing myself. So, so, SO not fun. And more tomorrow.

This is what I get for shrugging to Renee that I have just the right amount of stuff to do. Well, not anymore. Tonight she stayed and helped me. I was grateful for her help. I needed it.

Just a day

A very rainy afternoon that I walked out into and got soaked. There is a new pair of jeans being laundered as we speak though--that is nice. I can wear them tomorrow while it rains.

We are watching "Children of Men" and my roomate Renee is pissed because of how it deviates from the book. I think it is pretty good. But I never started the book.

I feel like there was a half formed blog entry in my brain just a short while ago, but now it is gone.

And I am mad at amazon.com because I ordered "How I Met Your Mother" Season 1 on DVD on Sunday, and it hasn't even shipped yet which is total crap. Just total and complete crap.

Can half a glass of cab-sauv make you forget things? Maybe that is what happened.

Sometimes I wonder how much I allow my readership to dictate what I put in my blogs. Do I leave things out because I fear it will upset anyone who I know reads this? Do I scale particular topics and postings in such a manner as to ensure (or at least encourage) comments? Because somehow no comments makes it seem like whatever you wrote maybe didn't really exist (if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?). So, do I try to write comment friendly entries? I don't always comment on the blogs that I read, but I am sad when the blogger goes away for a while.

Podcasts are my new favorite thing. NPR ones especially. The latest episode of This American Life (which is actually a rerun from a year or so ago) is kind of amazingly brilliant. It is called 81 words, and you should all go to itunes right now and download it.

Okay, so I haven't run yet

I just got sucked into the computer last night. Then tonight I ran errands after work (and finally bought my first pair of new jeans in almost two years) and then it was the season finale of How I Met Your Mother and then Heroes and then darkness and wind.

Tomorrow? I think. Also, my mom got a kitten for mother's day and I am totally jealous. Plus, that is a totally underhanded gift for my sister to give. All I sent was a card. Kittens don't go so well airmail. His name is X, and he is orange and stripey, and I have decided he will sleep with me when I am home to visit.

I had musings earlier about how you can't expect other people to make you happy, at best you can share happiness with them and maybe be made fleetingly happy by them but true happiness is something you find within yourself or create for yourself, but then I got busy and never typed it in. That was the cliffs notes.

Also, v. good Heroes. Cannot wait for the battle (which better not suck)! Also, it makes me happy that I only realized Nathan Petrelli's wife was named Heidi after she miraculously started walking (I know, I know Heidi is the story the crippled girl was Clara, but it was close enough, plus his daughter is named Claire, so a wife named Clara would be too weird for TV).

I met a scale yesterday

Yeah, I stepped on one for the first time in a long time, and the results were alarming. I guess I think of myself as a person who is above all those petty little beauty thoughts, but that turned out not to be true. My actual weight is more then I thought it would be (coughingly, shockingly more--not explained by extra muscle mass more, crazy more). So, the running ids definitely going to return, and I plan to be very serious about it. If I were brave like Sally I would maybe go for the dieting and exercising naked thing, but I am not brave like Sally. Anyway, before it gets to dark, I am going to pull on my shoes and go for a quick run.

Illness in the house

Renee is sick. She is a little naseous and has chills and hot flashes and can feel faint. It kind of freaked me out. I made her drink water and take a nap after dragging her all over town this morning. Hopefully, she isn't too bad sick--the nap is still happening.

We went shopping for a new dress for me. So I brought home two movies ("Il Postino" and "The Way We Were") and no dresses. I tried some on at H&M, but nothing fit right or they didn't have it in the size that would fit me, so it looks like I have no idea what I will wear to the wedding in a couple of weeks. More shopping I guess.

Tonight I will be hanging out watching movies with the UI peeps. It should be fun.

I feel like my entries here have been kind of boring crap lately, but that is because I don't feel like I can really talk about what I want right here. It sucks.

My space makes me feel bad

Not always, mostly it makes me feel happy--like when my friend from grad school becomes enamored of a song by a friend of mine from undergrad that is the song on my page--but then someone random from your far past asks to be your friend. That isn't always bad either, sometimes it is someone you are thrilled to hear from again. Today however, it was a really weird girl from high school. She has two kids (and a new last name, so I am guessing she also has a husband). I can't even remember her real last name though--the one I knew her by--I can only think of her as weird Sonja.

I declined her friendship. I feel a little guilty, but I have actually thought about some random bored weekend going through and ditching people who are just randomly on there. I haven't yet but I probably will, and she would totally get nixed then, so why not nix her now?

And this is all I have time to write because my pretty nerd is on TV.

For Lauren

That picture is for Lauren. That is Jim True-Frost who I think is kind of brilliant and was also really nice to a drunk silly fan girl this weekend (PS I think we kind of look adorable).

Cotillion

It was fun, so very fun. There was fake salsa dancing, and being fools on the dance floor, and being fools in the photo booth (we wore all the props at once, it was awesome). I saw Meredith's dad, and the cast of Betrayal, and lots of Anne Frank types, and Prez from "The Wire." He talked to me a little bit and we took a photo together (which will be posted here next week), and he put his arm around me. It was awesome. I was kind of nerdy.

Oh yeah, and then there were at least 3 long islands and the inevitable vomiting, and yeah. Turpin was very nice and got me home and took care of me and put me to sleep. And then there was more vomiting in the morning and the afternoon, and I only got back on solid food about a half hour ago. Yeah, I am a winner. I am also on vacation from alcohol and I never want to see another long island iced tea ever again.

Soooooo tired

Looks like collapsing like a rag doll is happening sooner rather then later.

Also, black ace dress is the winner--unless tomorrow I buy a new dress that fits fantastic, so that is unlikely.

Busy, busy

With the Chris Plummer in town and working full time, my days have been chock full this week and will stay so well into next week--at which point I may just collapse like a rag doll. Yesterday I worked and then went over the Idaho house where many of us gathered to hug Chris Plummer, celebrate Johnny B's love life, and rehash my sexual history (because apparently that is everyone's favorite subject).

On an unrelated side note I need to put new batteries in my camera (or at least in my purse so I have them for my camera).

Today I worked all day, and then went to the art institute on free night downtown, ate some Jimmy John's, and went to our favorite theater to see "Fracture" which was way better then I thought it would be.

Tomorrow I have cinco de mayo festivities at work as well as more stuff with friends (possibly dinner and a play and possibly drinking/bar hopping). Then the zoo and navy pier sometime this weekend as well as the cotillion (to which I will most likely wear the lace dress Sally voted for as well as black pumps (not the ones she liked but ones almost like them except peep toe (and a little bit platform so the arch of the heel isn't quite so high and better for dancing). Sometime after that--imminent exhaustion.

Cotillion

I am going to one, courtesy of my friend Brian Turpin. He invited me to join him as his guest to the Steppenwolf Cotillion--which they throw in tandem to their annual gala. Apparently it is like prom for the staff members--which means a prom full of theatre people with an open bar. Also, sometimes the celebrities at the gala (happening right next door) sometimes wander over to this party because it is more fun (not being as formal and not having the mayor and really rich donors at it). My hope is for pretty cop or Danny from CSI NY or anyone from the Wire to come over (or Gary Sinise or Malkovich or Meredith's dad or Laurie Metcalf or Joan Allen), but I realize that I may be reaching a little high.

Anyway, I still think it will be a blast, even if Turpin has me on strict instructions not to cock block (where is the fun in that?--but seriously, I can be an excellent wingman). I have no idea what I should wear. Possible dress of my roomies, total fall back little black dress (that will need new undergarments to really work), the black lace over nude fabric dress I wore in Chris Plummer's Troilus and Cressida scene (the one where I wore actual clothing), or the blue and yellow dress I wore to banquet at UI the first year. Anyone who recalls ever seeing any of these outfits can feel free to chime in. Since I haven't tried on roomie dress, I am leaning to black lace dress (totally classic and kind of sexy) or little black dress (because it is foolproof). I would wear blue and yellow dress, but I very much fear that it is dated (which would be no surprise since it was fabulous and edgy four or five years ago).

Then there is shoe and hair dilemma. Both black dresses will be fine since I have killer black peep toe pumps to go with them (although they are way sexier then the word pumps would imply). Other dresses, who knows? I think I will wear my hair down and curly because it is pretty foolproof that way, but if it rebels against curling in a nice way, I may just straighten it and go with my sexy straight-hair look (yeah, take that hair, yes I am threatening you). Also the Anna Shlegs will be of help I am sure since she is coming over to do my make-up before the event.

This is so very much like prom it is frightening, but I had weeks to prepare for prom and less then one to prepare for this. Really, it isn't that big of a deal. With curly hair and black dress I will look good no matter what (take that modesty), but I haven't had a reason to get all dressed up and fancy for a long time, and I want to look good (in case Carmine Giavonazzo is there and takes one look at me and falls madly in love with me--and yes I do realize how preposterous and a little bit sad that makes me seem, whatever, I love Danny even if I do not approve of what is happening between him and Montana). Umm, so that is all.

Don't worry, I will take lots of pictures, and I hope to share them all with you.

Unspecial Janna

We took the abilities quiz on line, and I am Radioactiveman, Renee is the cheerleader (haha, Renee as a blonde cheerleader), and Janna hasn't quite evolved into supernatural powers. She took it twice.

Heroes the show was kind of awesome! Renee and Janna screamed a lot about Peter and Nikki hooking up. They did not approve. It was hilarious. I was very freaked out by the "President" as were we all. There was screaming at that revelation. "He's f'ing *****" was a direct quote (and I blocked so as not to be a spoiler for people who read this and may not have watched the show yet). I am excited to see what they do to fix the future.

Also, what they hell are they going to do for next season, or will this show just become kind of X-men?

On the cover

Today as I was walking to Pier 1 for work, I saw a picture of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes-Cruise on the cover of some tabloid-y-type magazine. It was proclaiming their imminent break-up (because that is what they do), and I thought, well yeah, Tom Cruise is probably a serious whack job, and I do think it is weird that Katie Holmes married him and had his baby, but isn't it possible that the look of utter irritation on each of their faces is directed at the paparazzi swarming them while they are in their car and not at each other?

Now, I would find the Cruise annoying probably mere moments after meeting him, but if she married him we can all hope that that isn't true. However being stalked by hoardes of paparazzi would definitely be annoying, and as Katie-Tom is a big get, they probably have some of the most stalkers. How many of those annoyed pictures are not of an unhappy with each other couple but of unhappy with annoying stalker/cameramen people? What don't we see on the other side of the lens and just outside the edges of the picture? How many other possible explanations are there for what we see?

Satisfaction

I find it amazingly satisfying to cram as much music as possible onto my little bitty nano. Well, not just music, but podcasts and whatnot. Two episodes of day to day (an NPR podcast), the most recent gray's anatomy podcast, and about 500 songs. That is what fits leaving exactly 1.1 of the little bits you can put onto it. I rule. Especially since mine is only a 2gig anyway.

Clean smelling city

After I went to work and work part two, I walked home to a city that had a fresh smell and a clean glow. Three days of rain had washed away some of the city grimness that can cling to thins when the sun isn't out (and even when it is). I like the city after rain--it feels reborn, and then I feel reborn, like anything is possible, and I have only to act and who knows what the possibilities will be.

I actually accomplished something tonight. I sewed up some tears in my light winter jackets, and I thought about cleaning up my room. But I did nothing on the room cleaning front. It was just too hard to bear thinking about. This weekend will be crazy too. I want to wake up and run tomorrow. Then I have a shift at Pier one, then dinner with Holly and then Em's play. And then I work what is almost guaranteed to be a whole shift at Pier One, followed by some more running. But John comes back and brings Chris with him next week, and I get some real time off.

I am planning a co-ed wedding shower for a few weeks from now. The guests will be a bunch of rowdy UI theatre folks almost exclusively, so does anyone at all out there have ideas on fun themes or games or really anything to do? I have some ideas, but I am fishing to help me get serious on the planning end. Plus I am calling my sister, the wedding planner.

Blech

It has been gray, drizzly, and rainy here, and it just kind of sucks the life out of me. Although this weekend I am going to go see my friend Emily (yes, once Gann) in a play, so that should be fun. And next week John is back and Chris Plummer is coming with him.

Thanks to Lauren

Okay, so everyone should go here and watch the clip and read this post and the next one. For all of you who read this who are artists or fans of art in anyway, I imagine it will hurt your heart as much as it hurt mine. But for all of that, it is also inspiring, especially the artist's reaction to the event in the aftermath.

I was going to write more today, but after watching that I am now just stunned. (Although there is always room to Heroes talk in the comments.)

Pretty on the street

Today at the bus stop on the way home, total strangers told me, "You're really pretty!" They were some late teenage girls and their boyfriends (?) in a car stopped at the light where the bus stop is, and they think I am pretty. It was a little strange, and very flattering (especially since it was t-shirt, jeans, and hardly any make-up day at work--although it was get bored while watching a movie and give yourself pin curls night the night before, so my hair was stellar). But it was a nice little cap on the day.

Other then that, nothing much interesting. I need to make myself bigger lunches for work though. I get way too hungry.

Beautiful Weather

That is what we have here in Chicago. It is literally hot when I walk to and from work, and I have had no need of a coat or even a sweatshirt. It is however also windy, in a dirty and a little bit gritty sort of way.

My flex shift was canceled today, so I went to work for a five hour shift, had some Chipotle and came home. Now I am blogging, recharging my ipod, listening to the latest Grey's Anatomy podcast, and thinking about the shit I should be getting done. Later today I plan to run a little (the cold weather has nixed that for the last few weeks), get some stuff at the local drug store, finish some blockbuster movies (so I can get another), pay some bills, and call it good. Oh and shower (that goes with the running).

I wish I had more interesting things to talk about. Well, I have other things to talk about, but I don't want to put them out in the blogoshpere since really all it is is whining. I don't really want to be whiny, even though it seems almost always to be inevitable. Whining happens, especially when you can't do too much about what you would like to fix, and I am stopping now before I get really going at the whining.

OOOOooooohhh, new Heroes tomorrow (for the first time in nineteen freaking years or something), and my house is a little worried about the Peter Petrelli "death" because I live with two very big, very committed, very passionate Milo Ventimiglia fans, and his impending 'possible' doom is kind of worrying them. However, I bet he can fix himself with his Claire powers. That is my prediction for this week. (Also the name Ventimiglia always makes me think of the 'venticelli' slow news day episode from Sports Night where they talk about the little winds that bring good news).

It has been a busy week.

A very, very busy week. Although I am not sure what I actually did. I worked, I lived, I got mocked at work by April and Renee. You know, the usual. I also had an awesome sandwich at work on Friday. It was fresh mozzarella cheese, marinated artichoke hearts, lettuce, and tomatoes on big crusty Italian bread, and it was awesome! Who knew, artichoke hearts could be a sandwich all on their own?

Busy working all weekend this one. Probably next one too, but then I take a bunch off in a row for a wedding shower, a trip to Pennsylvania, a trip to St. Louis (for Ken's wedding), and it will all be tons of fun--even if not so much with the tons of sleep.

I don't have curly hair

Apparently. I was on a website called curlygirls.com because, well, it has great advice on product and salons and all sorts of stuff for curly-headed types--it gave me this awesome recipe for a scalp exfoliant involving your usual conditioner and brown sugar. It also has a typing/descriptions system for what kind of curly hair you have (actually it types straight hair too, but it only has one type, 1). There is wavy hair (types 2 a, b, and c) and curly hair (also types 3 a, b, and c)and a fourth type of hair that I don't remember much about (mostly it seemed to be actual afro hair).

Anyway, it turns out that I have wavy hair; I am a 2B. That means my hair is wavy and medium to coarse textured--like Sandra Oh. Yeah, my hair is not curly. I guess (although I think some sections of my hair are actually type 3B--essentially curly, medium to coarse textured hair). This means that my hair does not truly coil. It is an s-curve (loosely) and it can lie flat against my head. Truly curly hair stands up, and my hair does not stand up from my scalp--even when it is short.

It weirds me out. I mean, I always thought I was naturally curly, but it looks like I am not. But, it actually means my hair is more manageable then people who really have naturally curly hair. Who knew? Wavy head.


Also, totally different story. WHAT THE FUCK??!! About Vtech. Oh my God. I am watching a Dateline episode about it, and it is so stunning. I can't believe it, and I can't believe that I didn't hear about it until I got home from work. Wow. My heart breaks for those students, teachers, and their families.

Love and Life

I read a review of a book the other day--a book I have heard of or come across many times in the last few weeks--and it got me thinking about sex and love. The book is called Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love, and Lose at Both by Laura Sessions Stepp, and the reviews describe it as a screed against the hook-up culture and the damage purely sexual relationships have on the psyche of American young women (getting quite a bit of flack for using data only from 9 young women she interviewed). I haven't read this book, and I don't imagine I will, but it got me thinking.

Sex gets blamed for a whole lot of wrong in our culture. I am not saying sex doesn't have its share of pitfalls but so does ice cream (if you want to get real picky) and we let little kids eat that. But I feel that a lot of the blame that gets heaped on sex, is really more about lying. People lie to eachother--about their feelings, their experience, their past, and even their present (because no one I know has ever told anyone that it felt better then it did)--and they lie to themselves. Oh lordy do they (really we) lie to themselves! They build a sexual experience up in their mind to be the gateway to something else, and it can be, but isn't a one-night-stand more likely then not to be something else? Isn't that how it got its name? So, let's not blame that let down on the sex.

Blame it on the person who convinced themselves sex would automatically lead to something more emotional, something more attached. Let's blame this let down on Hallmark cards, Valentine's Day, and the buttoned-up society we grew up in. This mother culture tells us that sex is special and only for the one you love, but, as many people I know have experienced, the corollary isn't also true. Having sex with someone doesn't magically make them into someone you love who (more importantly) loves you back--except when you have sex in the hot tub of love in Sims2, a couple rounds there=true love, but let's not start to get into all the ways why the Sims2 and real life are not the same--also it is the hot tub of LOVE.

Sex is a physical experience, love is an emotional one. Yes, it can be very, very nice when the two join forces like all those little kids with their magic rings on Captain Planet, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that the two are mutually exclusive--the kids all had separate live on Captain Planet too, they could only do their magic as a team, but they could still live without each other. Sex doesn't need love, and there are many, many kinds of love that require no sex (lets just start with filial, paternal, and maternal love for now, because seriously, seriously!). I can say from first hand experience, that you can have good sex with someone you don't even like, forget about love, and I love many people who I will never have sex with (not to mention a few pets).

Sex is about the quick, chemical spark between two sets of hormones. Love and commitment are as much about friendship, admiration, respect, agreement, promise, willpower, and trust. The best marriages (legal and otherwise) that I have ever known are between two people who have agreed to tread the same path together no matter what it takes. It helps that they are both a little ga-ga over each other, but the main point is that they share an emotional connection and bond of trust that makes it worth it to ride the sometimes rocky road. Yeah, they probably have some good sex too--again with making the rocky road worth it.

A hookup isn't necessarily some sort of life destroying, soul eroding experience. It is if you are always expecting it to end with a knight in shining armor or big diamond engagement ring. It is if you aren't being honest with yourself or your partner about what you actually want out of it. And it is if you keep pursuing it as an activity, if what you are really looking for isn't sex but someone to love and someone to love you. Temporary worship at the temple of orgasm ain't a marriage(or necessarily the best road to one), but it can be a nice holiday for a marriage to take (as often as possible)

Of course I say all of this being happily single and recently celibate (because, well, no one has been worth it lately). So maybe my advice on what makes a good marriage or a true love is all bullshit? My sister might say I am making this argument to justify some of my own personal lifestyle choices. Maybe she is right, but I also happen to believe in all of the theory I just spouted. . . . So there.

First things First

I have already said this Sara, but I need it to be known to everyone who reads this that my intention was never, ever to hurt Sara Jo's feelings or to make fun of her. If that is what happened, I am sorry.

My tone was puzzlement because I know that Sara and I have a very small amount of overlap in our taste in movies (we both love cheesy romantic comedies--even the high school variety--and we both enjoy deep serious dramas with big start acting turns, after that not a lot is the same). But Sara knows we never like the same things, and I somehow mistook her prodding to come and hang out with my friends as prodding to come and see a movie I was not interested in (and quite frankly probably would've openly mocked in the theatre). If my tone did not come across the way I intended it to, that is something I need to work on as a writer.

Also, it needs to be pointed out that they were seeing the movie at a super discount little neighborhood movie house, and it was $3 a ticket. No one paid anything remotely near full price for this film. It also was probably the most interesting thing playing at the cheap movie house. The choices there can be anemic sometimes.

Spring is starting to return

I must have scared the weather into submission with my angry rant. It is not ridiculously cold anymore, but it is pushing mildly cold at night. Whatever. It won't be that long until I am hiding from the weather inside my wonderful air conditioning, so perhaps it is best I just shut up.

Sara Jo called me today. She invited me to go to a movie with her and Angie. Normally I would totally go--I love those girls, I love movies, what could go wrong? However, this time there was no way I was paying money to see what they were seeing. I almost said it was a movie I 'might' rent, and then I caught myself and said, "No, there is no way I would even rent that movie." The truth is, I don't even think I would watch it if it were on TV. Maybe, just maybe, I would watch it if it was really the only thing on, also if the remote control was very far from me, and I was wrapped in a warm blanket on the couch in a cold house. Maybe then I would watch it.

The thing is, when I said that there was nothing at all about the movie that appealed to me, and I didn't know why she thought I would want to watch it, Sara seemed stunned. I think she really thought I would like it. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not the movie snob I once was. I am pretty open-minded, and I do love me some trash and some ridiculous in my movies, but it is a very particular brand of trash. Will Farrell as some odd profession tends to tickle me in the right place, and I am a sucker for romantic comedies, even when they are very, very bad (see "Because I Said So" or actually, don't, don't see it). So, I didn't mean it like my taste is soooo much better then hers or anything. I just didn't see what about this movie seemed like something I would want to see.

The movie? Wild Hogs. Yeah this movie. Do you think I would want to see it? Informal polling happening now in the comments.

FUCKING APRIL!!!

It was snowing today. Not just, oh look as flake or two of snow in the oh, remember how it used to be winter(?) sort of way. Not even, wait was that a snowflake? Not even snow that becomes water as it hits the ground. No, we had motherfucking SNOOOOW, snow! It accumulated. Now, I don't know about the weather where those of you out there in the internet ether live, but if you also had motherfucking snow, I am sorry.

It is April. April is a spring month. Not a month where spring starts, so okay there could be some winter. It is a spring, spring month. When I awoke this morning, in between tidbits about two strangers and a wedding, I heard in the forecast that it was snowing and raining today. I thought that was pretty shitty, and I could hear that it was wet out (my room is close to a busy street a little below street level), but I never imagined it would be anything but snow that becomes water. It might be really slushy snow that becomes water, but it couldn't be more then that; anything more would be against the laws of nature, this is April after all (spring!). But when I opened the front door to leave my house I saw a sight so horrifying I had to close the door again, retreat, and regroup before I actually left. There was snow on my stoop, and snow in my front flower bed. Not like little speck of snow, but snow. A blanket of snow. It covered things like a blanket. There was no dirt to be seen just snow. I could not believe my eyes. I gasped, there was gasping.

Later, when I had steeled myself enough emotionally to face it, it piled up on my sleeves like it does in a winter snowstorm. And I didn't walk from the bus stop to work, I trudged. I had too! There was too much snowy slush accumulated merely to walk through it. I had to trudge.

This is completely unacceptable. I want my spring, and I want it now. This is bullshit. We should not still have to have our heat on. Heat should be a luxury we turn on only because we want to, not because we have to! I want to be an imperialist dog using my heat to keep my apartment only marginally warmer then the temperature outside--not because I have to use it or my pipes might fucking freeze!!!!!!

I am sorry for the profanity in this post, but I just cannot take it anymore.

Drunk again

Okay, really only tipsy. Which is good because as I stated before, I am too old for this shit. Easter was a big Idaho Vandal shindig at Angie and Sara's. They were there, plus me, the Brians, Anna, and two of Angie's transplant Vandal friends. It was great fun and great food and great friends. It was good to see Turpin again (it's been almost a year), and it was good to see Bush again too. I had almost felt estranged I had not seen him so long (although just a few months, not even a record).

I made a salad. There was ham, and cheesecake and awesome deviled eggs. What more do you want from Easter?

I am too old for this shit!

I am. I am too old to be going out drinking and drinking so much more then I ought that I make myself sick. Usually, I am a pretty self-aware drunk, and I know when I am approaching my limit, so I stop. Then there are the times when I go out with new people, and they can't believe I am as much of a cream puff as I am, so they keep buying me drinks, and I get drunk enough that I think still drinking is going to be fine, and then I wind up where I was last night--lying on the floor of my bathroom with my head in the toilet.

But I am a trooper, six hours later I was at work being nice to customers and selling shit. We did however have a wonderful time at all three bars we went to. Well, Delilah's was great fun. Ravens was too crowded, and the blues bar we ended up at (Kingston Mines) was awesome. It was a very fun evening out with friends. Well, barring the puking and Anna Schlegs encouraging a quite old and not so much with the cute man to flirt with me at Delilah's. Although in her defense she was really mocking him to get him to go away, and he somehow thought that was encouraging.

Quote Day

Today, instead of stories, I give you quotes. My roommate Renee is in charge of the first one, "I think I have found my type," she says to me, "Someone who wears more black then me. That is my type." She said it with such conviction and sincerity that I had to laugh at her, even though she may well be right.

I am the source of quote number two. I walked outside of work today and was dioriented slightly by the fact that the ground was wet but even more so by the fluffy little things floating in the air, "Are those bubbles?" I asked of the sky full of light snow. Not bubbles, no--motherfucking snow in April! Plus a wind they call an arctic blast. Last week I wore shorts.

Idaho

Sometimes it is known as the land of potatoes and hate, but lately, for me it has been known as the land where weddings meet regrets. Maybe not regrets but uncomfortable and unexpected confrontations with one night stands.

Many of you recall last years eventful February wedding in Weiser, Idaho. I went to see my cousin get married, and I had all manner of fun with my family. Oh yeah, and I noticed half way through the ceremony that I had deflowered the best man at ACTF a few years ago (see James D. Clayton and any mention of "The Devirginator"), and did I mention that the best man was the grooms older brother? Yeah, so there was that. Apparently his family finds the women in mine irresistible.

This summer I am going to Idaho to see Sarah Jo and Johnny B get married. Twin Falls here I come! And I was very, very excited that my friend (and theirs) Laura Yaz will be making it in from NYC. She asked John and Sara if she could bring her ex-fiancee and good, good friend with her, and they said sure. This means that my second wedding in as many years in Idaho will have a guest appearance by a one-night stand.

Now these stories might make it seem that I am some sort of ho. That I have some long list of one night stands otherwise why would they be constantly streaming out of the woodwork, but you would be wrong. These guys make up about half, or actually more then half of all the one-night skeletons in my closet. There aren't a whole lot more, and I am still friends with another one of them, so I wouldn't call him surprising. Technically, depending on how you view the Luke insanity, you could maybe even count two one-night stands as guests at this coming wedding. They multiply.

But then it hit me. This all happens in Idaho. Idaho. I - da - ho. All right all ready (looks skyward) I get it dude. I get it. You work for my mom or she for you or something. Hahaha, you are sooooo funny. And, now that I think of it, this is your time of year to have some practical jokes at my expense. Not so good Friday is just around the corner. Seriously? Idaho? (Shakes head sadly).

Don't ask, don't tell

My family has a don't ask, don't tell policy about sex, and I feel that if I had more time and wasn't so damn tired I would write a story about it. But right now, I am just putting it in my blog in the hopes that I will remember it later.

Two jobs today. Kind of delirious right now. Wish that I could just find myself a couple more hours in the day, and I would sleep through them. Good night!

After a Break

Okay, so I have been kind of busy at work and either tired or spending time with people rather then the computer after/in between work. So I have a little bit neglected the blog. I also have only had two days off in all of the month of March, and my next day off is April 8th. Yeah, so there is that. I was kind of horrified when I discovered that at work. Although, I brought it on myself, and I have actually been doing a lot more stuff with people and out and about then I did when I had more free time. I can't really explain that, but I have been enjoying myself. Plus, it looks like I will be making $500+ a month more at the two jobs then I was with the Pier 1 job. This is good.

I have an office at work. I share it with someone else, but I have a key. There are not a lot of real offices at my job, mostly just a big open room. The CFO has an office off that, so does the general manager and the production manager has a big office/art/screen filing room that she shares with the night production manager and her assistants. The boss has his own office off the conference room, and accounting has an office. My shared office. I felt very important when I got to use my key to open it the other day.

I have also been a little totally lazy on the running, but Sara Jo may start going with me. She is supposed to come over on Monday and run with me.

Oh the running

Well, I do think that I get some points for running in a wee bit of wetness and a much colder temp then ever before, but it was way less fun. I did it though, and I will do it again-wouldn't want to ruin 'my girlish figure' with a giant attack of the office ass.

New job started today, so I have my own phone and my own half of an office. It made me feel much more important. I also got a raise (one whole dollar more an hour) which was great and kind of crappy because Renee (my roommate who they promoted when I started working there) now gets less money then me for a job that is at least as demanding and difficult. Somehow no one ever bothered to raise her pay grade to match her effort. I did tell her that she should have talked to someone about it when we both got the same paycheck, but she isn't entirely sure who her immediate supervisor it. Fortunately for me, my immediate supervisor is very clear, and she is in charge of payroll.

The new job seems like it should be easy enough in the bare bones sort of way. I am sure that there will be complications and confusing questions, but you know there is with everything.

Plus they took my computer apart and stuck more ram in it today, and I get a big kick out of watching that happen--even when I mostly have no idea what the heck is happening.

An Addendum

Tonight, after dinner, my roommate stabbed me, with her fork. That's right. Not accidentally poked me with her fork as we loaded the dishwasher, but she deliberately stabbed me with her fork. (She claims I deserved it--whatever). That's my Renee.

Also, quote of the day goes to Renee for saying, "I would throw you a party if you and Jeff dated." That was in reference to a guy at work it seems I might have a crush on. Whatever again.

("Oooooooh, hoooo," you say, "Heather has a crush?" Well, don't get your panties in a bunch, he has a girlfriend, so mostly I just find his accent really cute and leave it at that.)

Spring, spring everywhere

I spent the day training my replacement, and if it was boring when there is only one of me, well. . . yeah. Not bad, just weird.

Also, was listening to the podcast of "This American Life" today, and I was at the restaurant they talked about/used in their experiment. I was there on Saturday night. It is pretty fabulous, and I would reccommend it, but it was strange to hear about it like that. I also think that I may be the mean friend at ACT, and that my own personal meanness to stupid teenagers made me the cool sub. I was not nice to them, and that made me awesome. Go to thisamericanlife.org and listen to the lure of the mean friend, or you can download the podcast on itunes for free. I don't think that I am the mean friend in any way other then as a teacher. The rest of the time I think I am not aloof enough to be in any way mean. This makes more sense if you have heard the podcast.

I was going to write a whole lot more today, but it is gorgeous out, so instead I am going to go check out my neighborhood and jog and whatnot.

A whole mile

I ran a whole one without stopping tonight. It wasn't the plan, but I hit the take a walk for a bit portion of my run, and I thought, "Hey, I feel good, why not run a little further and see what happens?" And I kept running until one mile, and then I did the cool off walk home. My mile was by no means impressive time wise, but I ran the whole thing.

I also worked an entire eight hour shift today at Pier 1. Which was kind of a bummer because the weather was so beautiful.

Also, my roommate is watching the third "Bring it On" movie (which I think may be called "Bring It On Some More").

Crazy Dream

So I had an insane dream last night (after a little drinking and staying up late). I dreamed that Chris Plummer and I and I think Chrissy went to see a drag show, but it was sort of the worst drag show ever. There was a skinny, goofy really-ugly drag queen who couldn't sing and didn't really look like he had put that much effort into looking like a woman, and he was actually trying to sing rather then lip synch. The other main performer was a very hairy man in a ball gown who might have been a good drag queen if he had shaved his excessive body hair, but who also had a big reddish-pink still healing bypass surgery scar across his chest which you could blatantly see.

Chrissy and Chris start to heckle the shitty drag queens, which is fine for a while. Then the drag queens start heckling back, and then there is yelling and suddenly the drag queens are pulling guns and then suddenly Chris and Chrissy are pulling guns and then we have to run out of there in the middle of a gunfight, and when we finally get out (unscathed) the dream is over.

My advice would be to make sure that Chris and Chrissy are unarmed when you go to a drag show with them.

Oh shit Gray's Anatomy!!!

I admit when I discovered that George and Izzy did it, I was kind of disappointed and confused, not sure that this was in any way a direction I wanted the show to go. Then I saw the episode, and I actually thought they handled it quite well and believably. You know, sometimes when you are best friends with someone of your romantic preference, best friend can rub right up against lover. Add alcohol, and well, shit happens. But I was mad at them.

Now I am two thirds of the way through the after episode, and I am shocked to find myself cheering for them. Excellent job TR Knight and Katie Heigel with the acting in a dialogue free scene in the linen closet. They broke my freaking heart. This is good TV. Oh shit. Good TV.

New responsibilities

Today is the day that I got an email for work. My very own email with my name--actually two emails that are routed to the same place, the highly technical hkinion and heather @ my work. This means I can send out info on behalf of the company and ask for stuff which means people will respond to me and expect me to have answers. This is where it gets tricky because although I have some answers, I am still new enough that I really, really don't have some other answers--even really obvious ones.

The good news is that I have a lot more to do each day. Today I only spent about two hours reading stuff on the internet and blogging and reading my book as compared to six and a half yesterday. Having more to do is actually nice. It seems like it would be more fun to have nothing to do all day and get paid for it, but when you can't leave your chair (well, you can but like to go to the bathroom or drop a note off and not much more), it gets less and less fun. Plus everyone else is working, and somewhere between 2 hours and six and a half hours of goofing off it goes from fun to uselessness.

Back to work, everyone have a banana on me.

Bananas

I think I heard a story today to rival some of my usuals, and--for the record--it has nothing to do with me. One of my coworkers at my new gig only recently learned how to peel a banana correctly. I assume that most of you out there peel your bananas from the top (because it has the nice easy piece that breaks away), and it may not even occur to you to peel them from the bottom. He however had spent his whole life peeling them from the bottom (don't ask me how it never occured to him to use the other side). He is 24 and he only learned the new way a few weks ago when one of his siblings saw someone peel a banana (dare I say) the right way on a cooking show. This begs the question, why would you work so hard for so little payoff?

Solvency

It is a heady feeling to have spending money for the first time in more then a year. Well, spending money that isn't specifically earmarked for a particular outing or event. I have some money in my wallet that I could just use on anything I wanted to without first thinking, "Now if I buy a big gulp and a bag of chips, I can't go to the movies with my friends this weekend. Do I really want the big gulp?" I could buy a pop in the vending machine here at work, and it really wouldn't hurt anything. I could also afford to order lunch all week, every week--not that I actually would do that becuase I am kind of cheap bastard when I could just bring my lunch as leftovers or pb&j. I can afford to go to the movies this weekend. I can afford to actually start paying off my credit card debt, and I can still have spending money when I do that.

Okay so the debt paying down will happen very incrementally, and I mean very, teensy tiny increments, but I will be paying it down instead of watching it grow, or merely holding it steady. I had been living such an austere life for so long that this is kind of a rush. I feel like I ought to be cautious not to run out and buy any and every little thing I want. It is a concious choice on my part to stay out of shoe stores and cute boutiques, until the initial rush has passed and I can shop without the overload of a sorority girl and her first vibrator.

It is a relief. I like having the freedom of choice that a little solvency can brings and just in time for the fair weather Chicago.

Tired

The Wire is so good it makes me watch it even when I should be going to bed. Although, I am through season 2 now. Season 3 should start arriving soon from netflix.

I ran three quarters of a mile today. Well, jogged, and I did it in a time that wasn' too bad since my goal was in no way to run for time. More I just wanted to see how far I could jog before I thought I would die, and it turns out that a half mile is just fine with me, and three quarters of a mile is where it gets rough. Although since I haven't run in literally years, and I really haven't run on open ground and not on an elliptical in even longer, I find this impressive. I may be able to pick up this running thing, and at the same time maybe lose a little of the squishy around my waste, and if it means I happen to go home this summer looking fabulous and getting my mom to shut the hell up already about my weight, that would be okay with me. More then okay really. We shall see.

Very confused

I feel like the past two days have taken up roughly three days of my life, which is, I guess, what happens when you put in twelve hours of work at two jobs and then go spend four or five hours at a friends going away party (which when you add in commuting time, sort of swallows your whole day). Then I woke up bright and early (okay, so just at 9:30) to go see the river dyed green, people parade, and lots and lots of people act like drunken jackasses in the middle of the morning.

The green river will always make me a little happy inside my heart, so that was cool. The parade was kind of boring, as it always is, and we did not stay long. The most exciting part of the day was trying to get back home without getting stranded on a train full of drunken tourists, so we took the bus. That was a brilliant idea because apparently tourists fear buses.

Then I napped like the dead, and then we went to the movies. We saw "Because I Said So." Which was fun because it only cost three dollars. And it is decided, if my mother were ever to do that to me I would fucking kill her. Also, I need me a Johnny. That would be fine. Could someone arrange that please (just not my mother).

Day 13

Of thirteen straight days of work at one job or another. Two of those days I had five hour shifts only, and two of those days (including tonight) included both jobs (giving me a 14 hour day with commuting). Tonight after work (part two) I have a big going away bash for my friend Kristy and her husband Mike which I wouldn't miss for anything. Then I might die.

Actually, it hasn't been too terribly bad. I mean I have had bouts of the tired, and nights of being in bed before ten, but I have also had late nights out. I have even gone places and done things not related to work (jobs 1 or 2). Plus, this isn't as exhausting as the nannying/pier 1 from the summer. There are no toddlers involved and no dirty diapers either. Plus one job involves lots of sitting, so I am not even running around all that much.

The bash tonight may be another story entirely. It will probably kick my ass, and I should probably do some celebrating on Saturday because I am freaking Irish in Chicago for pete's sake. So, maybe I will die on Sunday. Sunday night. After work part two.

Okay, part of me is tempted to leave Pier One, but the money is kind of awesome with two jobs. I could use me some making enough money to start paying things off instead of just floating in debt and fighting off interest. I could use making enough money to afford to go home a little more often, and to afford to go visit friends and have vacations and trips and feel like a vital member of society instead of urban poor. And I only have short shifts at Pier One, and short weekends shouldn't kill me. I can ask for some of them off in advance if I want. No one would hold it against me. I wouldn't be in trouble or get less hours--I hardly get hours there at all, and I help to bolster their very few all the time sales associates. I am going to give it a real test drive before I decide to up and quit. At least that is the plan this week. (I know I know I sound more like I am convincing myself then convincing you, but so what).

Building my willpower

Last night my roommate Janna and I watched a TLC show about seriously, horrifyingly overweight people--people who weigh more then five and six hundred pounds, including one man who weighed MORE then 1,000 pounds. These people cosumed upwards of 15,000 claories a day--one man eating 36,000 calories in an average day. Mostly they get this from eating crap, and then it occurred to me: I eat crap! I do. I have a raging sweet tooth and devour ice cream and jelly beans and dark chocolate M&M's (especially dark chocolate M&M's). I keep a stash of candy in my desk, and I eat it steadily all day.

Now I recognize that it is a leap from some candy in my desk with limited portions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner (not diet portions but just a normal amount to make me feel statisfied and not stuffed). I am not fluttering on the verge of weighing 180 pounds much less four hundred pounds, but I did find it disturbing that I shared with these people an inability to say no to the things that I like when they are readily available or in front of me. Since I have candy in my desk, I am going to eat it, and I am going to eat it because it is there, not because I crave it, just because I like it and it is there.

So today, instead of just not eating candy or taking it out of my desk. I am going to test and build my willpower by putting a cap on the amount of candy I allow myself. Right now I have two coconut creme filled hershey's kisses sitting on my desk. They have been there for an hour and a half, and I have not eaten them. One of them is for the eleven o'clock hour and the other is for the twele o'clock hour. From nine until ten, it was really hard to see them and not eat them. Really hard. I wanted them, and the greedy, small child in me had to have her hand smacked by the reasonable grown-up in me in order to not gobble them up by 9:15 or 9:30 or 9:35, etc.

However, as I passed the ten o'clock mark, I gained a feeling of accomplishment and staisfaction. I am in charge of my sweet tooth. I can indulge in it without being ruled by it, even if I have been ruled by it pretty fiercely this winter (with some snugger pants to show for it). I am still going to eat my candy, but I am going to be better about the concept of moderation. I will moderately enjoy my favorite sweets. I enter on this plan, here, now, today.

Today I was just this much too fast

I had plenty to do, but I got a big pile at the start of the day and worked really hard to get through it fairly quickly--in anticipation of more work later. But then I didn't get any more work. Oh well.

It has been freaking gorgeous weatherwise for the last few days. Although I can see through the glass door that it is no longer gorgeous. It might not be cold yet, but I can see the colder weather rolling in. Somehow, I don't really mind that much. I know that the worst of the winter weather is now well behind us, and this will be temporary at best. We might have even turned off the heat for good at our apartment. Yeah, take that. Actually if it gets cold enough tonight, I bet we will all wuss out and turn it back on. I don't like to be really cold.

Promotion

That's right. I got a promotion after four days at my new job. Really it is more like an adoption. The accouting department likes me, and I am smart enough to figure out the little tasks they give me, and the junior half of accounting is being promoted to purchasing leaving a hole. They decided that they would love me to fill the hole, if I was interested, and they actually asked me if it was anything that I would be interested in, which was nice. It is however hilarious to me, especially when I really thought that I was about to be busted for possibly leaving the door unlocked when I left yesterday (although I am pretty sure that I did lock it, just not 100% positive). No, not busted, promoted, and they wanted to tell me before I heard rumblings of hiring a new receptionist.

They did say that I shouldn't expect to be a receptionist for very long, and I guess five days is not very long. Although I will be a receptionist until they find a replacement. If anyone here in Chicago is looking for a new gig, it is a fun office and an easy sort of job that still keeps you busy all day.

Yeah, now I get to go to my other job which I may have to leave for good when I actually have the promotion go through.

Weird part 2 (the way less weird sequel)

So Sara called me back, and apparently she has two friends named Heather in her phone (with no last initial), so she called us both to get the other one. Apparently no one thought I was in Moscow.

I am however loving being in Chicago when the weather is nice and people are out with their dogs and their kids. The sun was shining down on me, and my ipod was adding a fabulous soundtrack, and life was grand.

For Jim's perusal: there is a right and wrong amount of flirting from a married man. Good flirting is funny silliness. The kind that maybe is angling for a good deal but really is about enjoying life and shopping. Just a little being nice to strangers in a fun way. This kind stops short of anything important. No touching or contact, no risque content, nothing past genial fairly neutral appreciation. That is fine, that makes the job more fun. It probably makes shopping more fun too. ATF guy had that down. It was way fun to help him out because he made it fun. Anyone who has anything to add to the flirting conversation should feel free to speak up in the comments.

So much to blog, so little time

Thanks for all the wishes on the new job, so far so good. I seem to be liked and appreciated already, and the people I work with aren't too shabby themselves.

Second job/old job has me all weekend which is kind of exhausting. The sweet little high schooler who works there thought something was wrong with me today because I seemed so 'mellow' which is apparently a drastic change from my usual hyperactive psychosis, or something. I found that cute. I was mellow though. I am kind of tired, and it translates to mellow. I did however have a customer that reminded me of an old crush. He sounded exactly like the crush and had a similar energy, and then he was one of those fun customers that make working retail better. He was funny and joked/flirted with me just a little bit (the exact amount that would be acceptable/appropriate for the wedding band on his finger) in a non-creepy way, and I kind of had a little mini-crush on him before I helped him check out where I saw that he had a big fancy badge in his wallet and a DC ID. At this point I got a little excited in my head and hoped he was a G-man or CIA or something, but when I helped him put his furniture in his car (which had DC plates and was very shiny and black and imposing for a sedan--totally a G-man car) I saw some of his gear (lights for flashing and making cop car like stuff) as well as a packet of ATF labeled stuff. He was ATF which was kind of exciting for me today. Him with his tough talking cop-ness. It was a fun part of the day. It left me just a little bit tickled.

Yesterday on the other hand was a whole different thing. I had what turned out to be the weirdest bus ride ever (not to be believed but Anna Schlegs was there with me, so I didn't make it up in my head). More on that later. Before that Angie, Sara and I were stuck in a mini-traffic jam on a one-way street because someone fell asleep in their car in the middle of a side street, but since it was one-way and there was parking on both sides, no one could drive past them, and there were five cars, stuck. My favorite part is that the driver of the car who started this mess was 'asleep' which is the best euphemism ever for strung out on some drugs. Sara Jo got out of the car and started to call 311 (the non-emergency number) to see if they could send us a squad car, but then the driver finally 'woke-up' and we got the hell out of there.

The bus ride was its own adventure. Guess which of the following things we saw: two transvestites, a flasher, a two-part car accident involving the jaws of life, and drunk frat type people. If you guessed all of the above, you are correct! There were two separate trannys on the bus. Actually, it is possible that one of them really was a woman, possible but unlikely. And in the flasher's defense, he did not actually flash us, but he was wearing a big long coat (in the first warm weather in months) and kept his hands way, way inside it and kept walking back and forth past our seat in the aisle of the bus. We were almost flashed. We drove through the two part accident. Literally through it. No one was rerouting traffic, so the bus just stayed on its route, and there off to the side were a bunch of firefighters and the jaws of life. Very horrifying, so horrifying that the bus passengers all talked to strangers enough to decide as a whole that we thought it was horrifying. Definitely, the weirdest bus ride ever.

On the subject of weird, I got a phone call today from Sara Menssen in Moscow because she heard I was in town and she thought I should come over. I am definitely not in Idaho, and I won't be until July 21st when I go to Sara and John's wedding. Very funny to me. I am wondering who was telling people I was around?

New Job

All right two days in, and I think I like it pretty well. I mean the people are great at work. Most of the people who call are fine. I get some bitches. I just sit there and answer the phone. I also talk to people who come in the door (often speaking only Spanish) and want to fill out applications. That is pretty much it.

Obviously that is not a ton, so I also do some filing, enter bills into the computer, fax things, stuff envelopes and other general office type stuff. If I get too far ahead, it gets boring. So far. I imagine I will be getting more stuff to do as they realize that I am not a lame-o.

I also took a test run of the bus system to get myself from new job to old job (for when I start doing that next week), and it rocked. I totally have time to pretty easily get between the jobs and maybe even grab some food. So, while I was over there I picked up my new glasses, and they look good and very, VERY different then my old ones. They are very light and open up my face a whole lot. It also throws me off to have this much visible peripheral vision. This weekend when I buy some batteries I will post some before/after glasses photos.

Chrissy and I are geniuses

We have created in our im conversation, the world's most awesome kooky lounge act. It stars us (a la Kiki & Herb--or Chrissy & Heath as you will), and there will be songs and stories and monologues and lots of hair. We will be huge in Amsterdam and Thailand. We will tour little rock clubs and county fairs. There will be 'Honky Tonk Be-Donk-eh-Donk' (forgive my spelling) done ironically as a poetry reading (with cowbell and finger snaps). My 5th Beatle song stylings will make appearances as will us singing the song from Annie 'Together At Last.' Chrissy will be the master of the violin (that she is) as well as an ipod with little speakers. Part torch songs, part comedy, all hair.

Come out and see us when she moves to Chicago.

First day at the new job. It is way different then the old job. I think it will be fun. The people there seem pretty great, especially the people at the top (well the way they set it up and are with their whole team is great). Most of them are also nice and funny and fun. I answer phones and type stuff. It is a lot more sitting in a chair then I am used to. I like it so far. Although tomorrow I am a lot more on my own.

The black ratings

. . . for "The Black Donnelley's." Their ratings were even worse then for Studio 60, which is good for the S60 fans because if they were bad enough, maybe 60 will come back. At least to finish out the episodes that had been ordered.

I can hope.

Something is about to change

I just realized today that my life is in for a relatively big change. The day after tomorrow, I start a new job, in a new place, with new people. Instead of having my nomadic hours that wander all over the schedule and can be tugged and prodded certain places if I want them to be, I will now have a set (very, very set) schedule. My waking up weekdays will be routine, will need to be routine to catch the right bus. I will be commuting again and walking much less. There will be lots of riding the bus. And I will have to meet strangers and break them in (which means the process of other people being allowed to slowly discover I am weird has to happen again). I have a bunch of all new stuff to learn--just when I was getting good at this job.

I am not really scared of this change. I think I've been ready for something like it for a while, but it just didn't occur to me until today. Here we go. I guess.

[In a completely unrelated note, the boy who is the lead in 'The Black Donnelley's has a ridiculously sick body. It doesn't even make sense, but they showed LOTS of it in the episode this week, and that was all I watched. Just had to talk about it. His body is that beautiful--if really, really pasty.]

Astonishingly Unuseful

That was me. There was just being bums all day yesterday at my apartment. Later, Anna Schelegal came over and joined us, and we drank and stayed up until 4am. That was perhaps not the best plan, but it was great fun. It is her birthday tomorrow, and we are getting together then too.

Today, I made it up and out for work. It was a bright and shining day out, so it was a wonderful walk.

Then I took a nap that went too long and I didn't get to go see my friend Sabrina's improv show. I feel bad about it. I should never have napped in the first place because I had a suspicion that I would be difficult to wake up. That suspicion was right. Well, shit.

Super Saturday

Or slow Saturday, or something. I am washing some blankets and towels right now (hoping to banish the last of the smelly boy smell from our living room). I also All Fabric Refreshed all the furniture (so now it smells like we covered our furniture in freshly laundered fabric).

Later (or soon) I am going to the post office and the grocery store. I must buy stamps to mail bills, and then I will buy taco seasoning to make tacos secretly while Janna is gone (she's taking a mini-break in Ohio to see her boyfriend). We have to make them secretly because Janna strongly disapproves of the amount that Renee and I will eat tacos. She thinks once a week is MORE then enough, and we could pretty much always eat them. I mean, I like food variety as much as the next person, but I also could eat tacos about half of the week and be totally happy.

I should also do some taxes and some adjusting of the student loan info today. To get that all out of the way. Plus I was thinking of some fixing of clothes and maybe cleaning out my closet. There is a bunch of stuff in there that needs pitched or altered since I am not too busy right this weekend. Plus, I could always use more room in the closet.

Next week, really tomorrow it all starts. It is possible that I will be working for 15 straight days between both jobs. That will be a shock to my lazy little system that is used to a break every two or three days. However, it will lead to a very healthy bank account. In fact it could lead to me having a savings account for the first time since sometime back in grad school. Maybe my debt will start to go away to (although very, very slowly). We can hope.

Tornadoes

I am hoping that the many readers of this blog who are from the tornado-y portion of this country are all safe and secure and so are all their peoples. We just got weird rain and then not rain and then rain again (and back and forth all day), but I see this business about tornadoes, and it makes me worry about my peoples. So, I hope you are all wonderful.


In non-sad related news, I got a new pair of glasses today, or I ordered them. They are similar to the glasses that the character Danny on CSI:NY wears in that they have a thin light metal top frame and are rimless on the bottom. My favorite part is that they are the same prescription, so that means I can alternate them with my current glasses as I feel like it (a thing I have always wanted but have never been able to achieve as my prescription has always changed). So starting sometime next week, who know what I will look like at any given time! I cannot wait.