A Naughty Mouse

an idea

2011-06-30T13:38:00.003-05:00

I've had an idea. It may be ingenious, or it may be the stupidest thing I've ever thought. Why do I need a big fancy schmancy wedding? How wrong would it be for me and the Schmoopy to be married with only our closest family in attendance? With the economy being a load of crap, I would feel bad about asking anyone to be a bridesmaid for me. Dang, I know I have expensive taste. The BMs dresses I've perused that I like are in the $250-300 range. The dresses I've looked at for myself are anywhere between $1500-3000. With all that, people having to travel, getting hotel rooms, and what not....I'd rather get a new car. Much more practical than throwing money away for one day of pomp and circumstance. What's wrong with my favorite priest, my family, and his family getting together some afternoon in a pretty park for a little 15 minute ceremony? It would still be done by a priest, under the auspices of God, but without a lot of hassle. I'm sure I'll change my mind on this numerous times. Ideas?

ah Tuesday

2011-06-28T13:01:00.003-05:00

I had a wonderful weekend with the Schmoopy last weekend. He had to come down for a job interview thingy (more of an audition than a real interview). I let him drag me all around NOLA even though it was hot and humid. I didn't get too much of a sunburn. I took the sunscreen, but we left it in the car. Whoops. Now it's just another week of work and I go home to Texas for the weekend. Whoopie! I gotta get me TexMex in a big bad way.

In other news, check the date. Um, people, we're like halfway through 2011 already. WHERE DID IT GO?!?!? Time to start thinking about all the latter yearly birthdays and Christmas. Ugh. Living where I do has made me uber poor. I hope people will be happy with my smiling face and a Christmas letter this year. I don't even know if I'll be able to go home from Christmas this year. I'm taking off the week of Thanksgiving so I'll have to let the coworker have some holiday time off, too. Ugh. Why am I worrying about Christmas in July? This is what I do folks.

FYI, the David Gray CD Foundling is quite good. Listen to it. Go. Do it!

happy hump day!

2011-06-22T11:22:00.003-05:00

I thought it was time to renew my interest in staying healthy. This morning I got up and did 75 sit ups/crunches. I did 25 regular and 25 to each side. I have a feeling that I'll have a lot more "feeling" tomorrow. I also did a whopping 10 pushups. Ooooh! Maybe tonight I'll go over to the workout room and actually use it. I keep trying to go in the morning, but my bed just won't let me out. Rude! I haven't been able to ride my bike to work since it's been so bloody hot! I'll take all the encouragement anyone can muster.

We saw a really strange looking grasshopper/locusty thing outside work yesterday, and it's still there today. Turns out it is an Eastern Lubber grasshopper. I call it uber icky. It is really big, but (thank goodness) it doesn't have wings. I have a feeling the Hbomb would have an absolute conniption if she were here to see it. =)

Other than that, not too much is going on here. I've decided that the summer in Texas is much more bearable than that in southeastern Louisiana. Oh, the humidity! Also, being right on top of Lake Pontchartrain seems to make the rain keep away from me. It rains all around the lake and up north of here, but I'm lucky to get anything. Weird huh? Later gators!

finally rain?

2011-06-07T20:31:00.002-05:00

Ah, there is lots of lightning and thunder outside tonight. I thought about sitting on my balcony, but the lightning and thunder started getting to be too close. We need the rain here, and I'd love to run around it. It's been that kind of a day. Mother is taking the kittens born in her kitchen to the shelter tomorrow morning. I was there when they were born, but I will be absent from their death (should that happen). So I raise a glass of cab to Gracie and her kittens. May God smile on you all.

hockey time

2011-06-06T22:01:00.002-05:00

So it's that time of year again. Stanley Cup season. I just watched Vancouver get bashed by Boston. It was so sad. My coworker and I disagree about who should win. I am cheering for Vancouver while he likes Boston. After dating that creepo from boston, how can I cheer for their team? Well, I guess that will be enough for my first phone blog. Yet another thing I can do with my phone!

TGIT?

2011-03-24T12:05:00.003-05:00

Happy Thursday, peeps! It's been a fun and eventful morning. We couldn't get one of the chemistries calibrated or QCed (just like yesterday except a different one). Arrgh! Sometimes this instrument makes me nutty. And I just missed the mailman again. Golly, it's not my day. That's okay--it's beautiful enough here to make up for anything. I'm telling you, I'm totally falling in love with southeastern Louisiana and the small town life. Who knew I could be so boring? Now if only the trees would quit making me sneeze and drip it'd be perfect. I can't wait to have my bike here with me.

In other news, I am now a part of a singing ensemble in NOLA. It has all its rehearsals at Loyola, so I feel very special. The group is REALLY good. Our first rehearsal was last Sunday, and these people can sight read like nobody's business. I love it!

Well, that's enough for now. Someone just brought me some work. I mean, I am at work so I guess I should do it, right?

tgif

2011-03-18T14:47:00.002-05:00

It's finally Friday, folks. This has been an incredibly loooong week. Not only has work been busy (until today), I had to work 2 days alone in the lab AND the bf is here. I've worked hard all day and tried to entertain at night. Monday night was The King's Speech up the highway. Yes, I can see why Firth got the best actor Oscar for that one. I must admit I thought the corgis acted rather well, too. Tuesday night we wandered around Pontchartrain and found a pubby place for dinner. We went down to NOLA Wednesday night for dinner and wandering. It was amazingly fun! We ate at a Mediterranean place called Byblos (yum), and wandered up and down Magazine street. Sadly I had to ditch him last night due to choir rehearsal. We did get to watch the end of the Stars game and Chopped though! I'm really glad my lab mate is finally back in the lab (as of noon today) so I don't have to do everything alone. Of course today, we haven't done much of anything at all--super slow today. I guess too many people are taking advantage of the FANTASTIC weather here. Now I can't wait to go home and take a nap (silly pain in the knees is making me tired). Then I'm gonna take the bf out for his first po boy. I was gonna cook, but why do that? I have no problem with eating fried shrimp on a baguette of french bread slathered with tartar and cocktail sauces mixed with Tabasco and Crystal. Nom nom nom.

back to blogging day 2

2011-02-23T11:14:00.002-06:00

Long story short: I don't live in Texas anymore. I've moved to the wilds of southern Louisiana. So far so good. Everyone here is super nice, and the food is fan-freaking-tastic. I can't quite figure out the accent; it's kind of a cross between southern drawl and Jersey shore. I've moved into a 3rd floor apartment, so my knees officially hate me now. Big surprise. I still have the same devoted man in my life, and he's hoping to get his arse in gear and get here soon. The job is going well--everyone seems to like us. The radio situation is lacking so we've been listening to an old NTX favorite online here. Everything here is classic rock (which isn't necessarily bad, but it's not my favorite). Oh, and the allergies. Damn, I thought Texas was bad. I've been sniffling, sneezing, and now coughing like a crazy girl for a week. Add to that: I woke up this morning with a sore throat. Dangit.

So there. There's another blog. Yay me!

our glorious national bird

2011-02-22T10:21:00.002-06:00

Yep. It's true kiddos. I'm back to blogging. And to make it even more exciting, I can tell you that I saw a bald eagle this past Saturday. I thought for sure I was mistaken. As Mother and I were driving from Madisonville up toward Covington there was this very large bird with a brown body, lighter underside, and white head flying toward us way up in the sky. Many of you know that I will someday die in a fiery car crash from trying to catch one last glimpse of some bird or another. Well, I didn't die this time, but I was sure that it was a bald eagle. Like any sane city person, I thought there was no way I could see a bald eagle in rural Louisiana. After much googling, I found that they do winter here, are common residents in Florida, and some were sighted within a 10 mile radius of where I saw mine within the past month. So there you go. I'm not crazy after all.

More stories from Louisiana to come!

survival

2010-10-06T23:41:00.002-05:00

I made it through working an entire week back on the night shift. Sadly, I still haven't fully recovered. Now I can't sleep until late, I don't know what day it is, and I totally forgot to communicate to the 2nd job (new manager) my lab schedule. Well hell.

In other news, I attended my HS 20th reunion last weekend. I was a skosh disappointed. I had fun, but it was more of a glorified happy hour with people I used to go to school with than an actual reunion. I took the man, and he did really well in the crowd of people he didn't know. Sadly, it was at the end of my night shift week, and I was soooooo tired that the adrenaline couldn't keep me going too long. Yep, I'm old now. What's really scary is that my 20th reunion from college is in 4 years now. 8^O

Also, my kitten has kitty acne. Really? Silly boy. Gonna have to clean that chin daily now. He's going to love that, I'm sure.

Okay, I should try to sleep before the boss calls me to come in early tomorrow.

the rest of the story

2010-09-21T08:22:00.007-05:00

Sorry I didn't post more about the vacation like I said I would, but the netbook decided it didn't want to play nice. So here is the rest of the story.

Saturday--After falling asleep the night before with a 90th birthday party right outside our casita window (it was lovely), we awoke and went the 30 or so yards to the lovely patio for breakfast. Mother and I split a fabulous French toast made from brioche while enjoying the chilly morning sun. I had a massage scheduled for that morning so we parted ways while I got rubbed. After the super relaxing massage, I sat in the sauna for a little bit. I was like sitting inside a jar of Mentholatum! The steam was uber-infused with eucalyptus. After getting all cleaned up, we got the car and headed to another resort called Encantado (http://www.aubergeresorts.com/hotels-resorts/encantado/) just outside of town. Mother had planned for us to have lunch there and meet with their sales person for a tour of the property. It was completely different from La Posada: more spread out, not walking distance from anything, but with a view to die for. Mom's friend who will be spending Christmas there with her entire family will enjoy it a lot! The rest of the afternoon was lazily spent until we went to dinner at The Compound (http://www.compoundrestaurant.com/indexmain.html). Needless to say, we were well fed all day long! Funny aside: people in Santa Fe eat dinner early! We had 7:30 reservations, and by the time we were finished, the place was not even half full. However, when we got there it was packed to the gills. Hmmm.

Sunday--Once again, Mother and I had breakfast on the glorious patio. Today we were joined by a couple of bacon loving bees. Damn bees. This was not the start to a good day. Mother went and had a massage, and I took the car and drove south for a 2 hour horseback ride. Holy mother of all that is good and beautiful, if you ever go to New Mexico, you must go riding at Broken Saddle Riding Company (http://www.brokensaddle.com/). To say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement of epic proportions. I was on a big black Tennessee Walker mare named Danvers. I want her. Holy moly, I've never had such a relaxing and comfortable gallop in my life. I barely even had to hold on to the reins! If I ever make it back to NM, I will go there again. So that was the highlight of the day. Sadly, the ride was delayed and then went long. I was expected back at the resort by 2pm, but we didn't even get back to the paddock until about 1:50. I had to walk around for a couple of minutes to get the feeling back in my knees and feet, then I was on the way back. I couldn't even get a cell signal until about 2:15 (yes, Cerrillos is in the middle of nowhere) to call and give an ETA. By the time I got back, took a quick shower, and was ready to go for lunch, it was 2:55pm. My poor mother waited for me and was starving! She'd spoken to the concierge, and they took us to a restaurant that closed for lunch at 3:30. "As long as you're seated, they will serve you" they said. Hah. They closed at 3, and we got there at 3:02. Needless to say, we didn't eat there. Mother was furious--likely so. We ended up walking back up the hill to the resort. After a little bit of grousing and pouting on both our parts, we ended up at the bar (with football on the tv of course). We moved outside to the now famous patio, imbibed with a drink, had a waaaaay late lunch/early dinner, and split the most random version of a banana split ever (chocolate covered frozen bananas, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice creams, some caramelly sauce, and whipped cream, shaved chocolate and fresh strawberries--yummy). When the Cuban band started to play, we went back to the room, got comfy, and listened to the band while watching MASH on TVland. It was a nice ending to a rather poopy afternoon.

Monday (last day, awwwwww)--Upon waking, we decided against a large breakfast and started the sad duty of packing our bags. Once I finished, I went to sit in the sauna for 15 minutes (sore from the ride the day before) to relax the muscles I hadn't used in a loooooong time. Then Mother and I walked and looked at the art she was considering. Then we finally moseyed our way back into the main plaza area to do some shopping. There were a lot of really nice turquoise pieces (duh), but the Natives are pround of their wares (and for good reason). I got quite of bit of Christmas shopping done, and I got a couple of things for myself (really beautiful silver and turquoise necklace and toe ring). Then we went back to the place that dissed us the day before and ate lunch (http://www.pasquals.com/). Oh damn, it was worth the wait. Mother had the most amazing tamale and chile relleno lunch while I had a fabulous grilled chicken sandwich. I mean, really-->how often can you really brag about a grilled chicken sandwich? It was perfectly cooked, had manchego cheese and caramelized onions, and was served on chile-cornbread. DAMN! Then we wandered slowly back up the hill to the resort to get the car and leave the beautiful burg of Santa Fe. It was sad to leave, but it was necessary if we were to catch our flight out of Albequirky. We did, however, skip the interstate and take the Turquoise Trail (state hwy 14) back to the city. It was a pretty drive through the Ortiz mountains. When we arrived at the airport (much earlier than we anticipated), we just happened to sit right next to the gate where the early flight to DFW was leaving. As it happened, they put us on that flight and gave us a new claim check for the bag! I love small airports where people are actually nice and helpful. We arrived at DFW about the same time our original flight was to depart (except the original flight was delayed so we got in even earlier). A good end to a good trip.

So now I'm home again. The boys haven't left my side much since I walked in the door. Thomas slept glued to me most of the night, and he's in here with me now. I'm afraid to go to work tonight and leave them alone. Thank goodness for the best BF in the entire world for taking care of them for me while I was away!

VACATION!!!

2010-09-17T21:04:00.002-05:00

As I lay here in my bed at the resort in Santa Fe, NM, I thought I would blog about the vacation so far.

I got the phone call from mother this morning a little after 7am saying that she had just gotten out of the shower. She was supposed to leave her house and pick me up at about the same time. Whoops. She picked me up about 7:30, but the traffic gods smiled on us. We still made it to the airport in enough time to check in and get to the gate with about 15 minutes to spare. We checked one bag between the 2 of us, but it failed to make the flight with us to Albequerque. Soooooo glad we paid for that. BTW--if you pay to check luggage on American, they will not guarantee that it will get there the same time you do. In fact, if you pay the stupid fee, you take it into your own hands. American will NOT refund the fee you paid for your checked bag. Stupid American Airlines!!! Anywho, we got to Albequerque on time, got our car (upgraded to a Hyundai Santa Fe--nice ride), and drove up to Santa Fe. Gosh it's pretty up here. And, OMG, the weather!!! So nice and cool and not the least bit humid! We got to the resort, got our room, and had a bite to eat on the patio cafe. I had the CLT (chorizo, over easy egg, lettuce, and tomato on sourdough sandwich--minus the tomato of course), and it was sooooooooooo yummy!!! Sadly, I totally couldn't finish it. Mother had some sort of Cobb salad that looked good (also had chorizo and manchego). Then we had a little mini tour of the town from the sales manager here--a friend of Mother's boss. Such a great little arty town! We finally got back to the room where I crashed for a good hour and a half. At 4pm, there was a Chef's wine and nibble reception in the main kitchen followed by an art tour of the resort. They sell a lot of original art here. Some of it is quite good, but the least expensive thing I really liked was $650. No bueno! We finished out the day with drinks and "dinner" on the patio with a really nice local couple. Now, I'm afraid it is time for bed. I look forward to much nap time this weekend. It's my VACATION!!!

who needs sleep?

2010-09-09T00:29:00.002-05:00

After all the bloody rain we've had here in the past 48 hours, the frogs/toads/wtf-ever have come out in force. I can't sleep for all the racket in my back yard. I hate these things whatever they are. To make matters worse, I'm trying to figure out what pitches and intervals they are singing. Yes, I'm a true and total dork. I gave up and took 1/2 a darvocet (my back was killing me) and a benedryl. Maybe some warm milk is in order. Arrgh!!!

what's a 2 month leave of absence?

2010-09-02T20:31:00.002-05:00

I really am going to hell. I've got the best freaking intentions all the time of posting something. Needless to say (since there has been nothing to read for two months), I have been remiss. And since the road to hell is paved with all them there good intentions, I'll keep a seat warm for you.

So a little recap:
July--It was the BF's birthday so I took him to the Ranger game with some friends. I started doing Bikram yoga. I worked like a fiend. August--I kept doing the Bikram. I spent almost $700 on my car on various problems. I worked like a fiend. I caught a cold (wish I'd missed it). Now it's September.

A few things I noted during my leave:
I have a new appreciation for grackles. Yep, the big loud black birds. When I was walking to my car one day, I saw a large male grackle catch a grasshopper midair and eat it. I detest grasshoppers/crickets/cicadas (except for the noise they make on summer nights) so this made me happy.
Kitten hiccups are almost as cute as kitten snoring.
My boyfriend is a total keeper--he rescued me at the Dallas Galleria when my car died one Sunday night. Then he drove me all around until we found a place to buy a battery. Sadly, that didn't completely fix the car so he drove me back to the mall the next morning to meet the tow truck guy. Keeper.
Like the boyfriend, my mother is awesome.
I've inherited a neighborhood cat. His owner just quit taking care of him. I'm a softie so he's mine now.

Okay, that's enough for now. I gotta go eat some ice cream now. <3

tmi

2010-06-30T23:10:00.002-05:00

That about says it all. I'm gonna tell you all way more than you want to know. Well, not really, but you'll be able to imagine.

For the next two weeks (or three if it doesn't work well), I've got to be on a low fiber diet. I've got to try and do low residue for a couple of days to kick start this craziness, but I'm not going to go overboard. Being on the stupid prednisone for 4 months really screwed up my GI system. Actually, it's more going off the pred that's causing the problems. Supposedly it is a common side effect. Can't say as I'm a fan. One good thing is that I get to eat cheese everyday. CHEESE!!!!! I love me some cheese. Sadly, all my favorite TV snacks are out: blanched green beans and asparagus, raw carrots and celery, and almonds. Damn. Oh, and no popcorn. Dangit.

Have fun eating all the wonderful fruits and vegetables of the summer season. Hopefully I can join you in a couple weeks.

Albertsons vs Central Market

2010-06-22T19:05:00.002-05:00

Color me all shades of perturbed. Last night I needed a couple basic grocery things so I went to the Albertsons close to my house. I got bread, a head of green leaf lettuce, ice cream (yes--it is a basic grocery in summertime Texas), and yogurt. Today I met Mother at Central Market after work to get a couple of things that I really only get there. While I was shopping for my fancy pants green beans, quinoa, and salami, I noticed something very disturbing. The lettuce I got at Albertsons was 10 cents less than at CM, but the heads at CM were bigger and of better quality. The same loaf of Oatnut bread was 40 cents less at CM. Most disturbing of all, the same Haagen Daz ice cream I got at Albertsons was more than a dollar less expensive at CM. And here I thought I was saving money by avoiding the basics at Central Market. Damn and double damn. On top of my fried chicken disaster, I've had quite the culinary awakening this week.

Granted, when I'm at Central Market, I do tend to get a few things I would normally not get just because they are there. =)

whirlwind weekend

2010-06-21T22:31:00.002-05:00

Friday: Take the day off work to relax before I head out of town. Hahahahaha! More like drive all over the place to run last minute errands then realize the car is overheating. Go to the garage for them to tell me one of the cooling fans is dead--don't take your car for drives over 10 minutes. Um, how am I gonna get to Waco? Thank God for Mom. Leave town at 5:30pm (yes, it was rush hour but we weren't rushing) and drive just past Waco to McGregor. Visit with the peeps til late and hit the sack.

Saturday: Start the day shooting bows and arrows then pistols at hay bales. Get cleaned up, drive to Waco for errands, short nap time, party time until late. Have tons of fun with the birthday girl and all her friends. Stay up too late like normal.

Sunday: Mmmmmm, homemade pancakes. Nom nom nom! Hit the road by 9:30am to drive back to Dallas. Home by noon, back out the door by 12:30 to hit the grocery and go to Dad's to cook Father's Day lunch (which got served about 3:30, but that's another post). Come home after making sure no one would be infected with salmonella and took a nap. Sooooo didn't want to get up so after I did wake up, went back to sleep within the hour. Haha! At least I watched Family Guy with my man.

There. Two posts in 4 days. I'll get back in the habit, I swear.

me versus the june bug

2010-06-16T17:06:00.002-05:00

Finally something blogworthy. This working 60 hour weeks has made the Naughty Mouse very boring. Let this tale from last night entertain you.

I got home from work and delivering cucumbers to my mother about 9:45 last night. After the requisite checking email, washing face, cup of tea, I hit the bedroom. While I was watching Robert Pattinson on Leno (yes, I AM embarrassed to admit that), I felt something tickling my neck. I reached down thinking my hair was caught in my necklace. Nope. There was something large and crunchy on my neck. Yes dear friends, it was a june bug. **shudder** I grabbed the thing and threw it onto the floor. I thought I'd either killed it or stunned it because that thing did not move. And trust me, I stared at it for a good long time. Ernest went and poked at it himself and found it to be quite uninteresting. Okay, back to the TV. A few minutes later--brzzzztttt! The damned thing flew at me and hit me in the side of the face. After I jumped out of bed squealing like the girl I am and flinging sheets and pjs in all directions, I realized that the thing was a stealth fighter. It was gone. I have no idea what happened to it. Needless to say, it was hard to get to sleep. Once I did fall asleep, I figured it was for the night. Wrong. About 1:30am, I had a weird feeling on my right thigh like it was being poked by a thorn or bitten by an ant or something. I turned on the light, flung back the sheets, and lo and behold, that damned june bug was back sticking his pokey icky june bug feet in my leg as he was crawling around. Ugh! Once again, I threw him on the floor. Once again I stared at him/her/it for a good long while. Then I put a cup on top of him so he could NOT disturb me again. Try going back to sleep after that.

And for the record, yes, it IS still under the cup.

the travails of studying

2010-05-10T20:04:00.002-05:00

It's official. As of today, I never have to darken the door of a center of higher learning if I don't want to. Yes kids, I passed my masters oral exam. I am DONE!!! Stick a fork in me to prove it. Ow! Yep, done! I took a few months to study, study, study, and then study a little more to prepare for today. Sorry for the lack of blogging, but this really was a little more important. From now on, I will try to update you much more often on my lack of anything really interesting in my life. =)

Anyway, congrats to me!

long time no blog

2010-03-26T23:03:00.003-05:00

Hello my one dear reader. =) Sorry for the prolonged absence. There's been nothing exciting to write about lately. Now, however, with the ides of April approaching, I've got a doozie. I owe Uncle Sam a boatload of money. Yes, a boatload. So much so that I'm sitting here contemplating cutting off the cable while I drink my sugar-free hot chocolate laced with Godiva liqueur and Kahlua. Hmmm, I wonder if I could squeeze in a few hours overtime at the lab a week? I should ask about that. If you know of anyone having a small dinner party or gathering who needs a cook, please send them my direction. All they have to do is pay for the food and a modicum of overhead for my fee. See, cooking allays my tension better than anything else! I was always a big "cooker" when finals came around during college. Heck, to this day if I get stressed out, people I know wind up with cookies or brownies or lasagne or something! Nope, there will be no trip to the beach this summer. I'll be working!

But first I have to pass that darned masters exam....

Who wants brownies?

I wanna go back to London now

2010-03-11T20:10:00.001-06:00

what a week

2010-03-05T22:24:00.002-06:00

Monday: I went to the doc first thing in the morning on my 1st vacation day. After a few days of intensifying ear pain, I was diagnosed with an ear infection. Okay, sure. I slept most of the rest of the day.
Tuesday: ♫ Happy Birthday to Me! ♫ I was actually up at 7:30am to go feed a friend's cats while she was out of town. When I got home, I cleaned up and dressed up and was whisked away by Mother. We had a lovely time out and about including a fantastic lunch. I wasn't home more than 30 minutes before the best friend arrived. We went and wandered around Whole Foods, I got a birthday massage, and we ate dinner before we went to the hockey game. Ugh, that was a beating, but it was fun.
Wednesday: Back to work day. Boo hoo. I wish I could've enjoyed my time off a little bit more, but I was just so puny. That's okay, it was good to be back at work and in good spirits. My ear was still bugging me though. I got to have dinner with my sweetie that night at our favorite Thai place. Mmmmmm, pad thai and sticky rice with custard for dessert.
Thursday: I got to start the day at the doctor yet again. Joy. I've learned a lot from this episode--trust your instincts and listen to your body. Turns out I'm having a minor flare up, but we caught it super early. Hallelujah!
Friday: Another day at work, but it was not a good day. Yesterday I had to give my best friend bad news about her dog. Today at the vet she had to make the hardest decision ever. I can't decide if I feel good about breaking it to her or if I feel terrible. I wish I could fix Mr. Floyd, but I can't. She was with me when I had to put my sweet Bennie Boo to sleep. She is the greatest and doesn't deserve this crap. Ugh, it makes me mad. Poo! In happier times, my father and aunt took me to dinner at our favorite German place (complete with singing accordion player). It was pretty fun. Now I'm typing when I should be sleeping.
But surely you wanted to hear about my oh-so-exciting week, right?

glorious Saturday

2010-02-27T19:27:00.002-06:00

For a brief moment, I could feel the beginnings of spring today. The sun was out, the sky was blue, my sunroof was open, and there were plenty of people driving around with their convertible tops down. For that last thing, I was a little jealous. I cannot wait for this interminable winter to end. Granted I know it's only barely March, but I'm done with cold for the year. I want at least one more day like today that I can enjoy. The hour before the sun went down that I could revel in it was not enough. Stupid work. I'm sure that in a few months I'll be begging for cold weather again. I mean, this IS Texas and it WILL get crazy hot. But for now, I'd like to order some warmer weather please.

chef mouse

2010-02-17T23:42:00.002-06:00

Good Lord, I am a cooking machine! Last night I roasted a pork loin in the slow cooker and shredded it. Today I carmelized onions, combined them with the pork and 4 different cheeses to make a killer mac and cheese. Then to top it all off, I made cheesecake brownies for a kid at work whose birthday was yesterday. Yes, I'm an idiot. But damn it felt good!

SNOW DAY!!!

2010-02-11T19:15:00.002-06:00

How not fair that when it snows in Dallas, I have the day off. Let me rephrase: how not fair that when work closes early for the day and everyone gets an extra day off, it's my day off. Oh well, at least I didn't have to drive in the slushy mess. I didn't even have to go to the second job tonight. I was hoping to lie around and numb my brain with the boob tube. No such luck there either. All the snow is caked on the dish so I have no signal. Really? It's cool though. I watched the last little bit of Dead Like Me. What a fantastic little show. I can't believe they cancelled it after only one season. I wonder what George is doing now? Anyway, I guess I'll go make another pot of tea. Enjoy your snow day, friends!

Geaux Saints!

2010-02-07T21:51:00.002-06:00

Granted I was rooting for the Colts. The reason I gave the men tonight? I like horses, and colts are cuter than saints. Yes, I know I'm a dork.

The man and I actually had our first real date this year last night. We went out to Campisi's, and he ate waaaaaaaaaay too much garlic. I mean, how long can someone burp up garlic smell? Let me tell you, you don't want to know! After that, we went and saw Up in the Air. It was better than I expected. It was also much more depressing than I expected. ***spoiler alert spoiler alert*** When he left everything behind and went to Chicago to find the woman, I knew what he was going to find. What a bitch! Man and I talked about that a little; she never truly lied to him. Ugh. Made me really despise her character. I think that was the idea. It was a great date though! After that, we came home and I went pretty much straight to bed.

Today was a nice lazy day partly due to sniffles and antihistamines. When I was asked if everything was alright due to my constant sniffling and nose blowing, I gave up and took some chlorphenarimine. Shortly after that, I took a two hour nap! Then it was sitting on the futon watching Law and Order marathons before we headed out to watch the game with friends.

Now, it is time for bed since my alarm will go off at 5:30am. I may or may not get up for the 6am yoga class, but the alarm is set. Tomorrow is a 2 job day so I may just sleep in (until 7:30 if you can call that sleeping in). =)

tgif night

2010-02-05T22:57:00.002-06:00

And not much left of Friday night!

I'm sitting in my office, listening to Massive Attack from the other room, contemplating things. I think I might be too tired to be reasonable. I worked for about 11.5 hours today between the two jobs. Hmmm, just noticed I still haven't changed my calendar to February. Hang on...done. It can now officially be the second month of 2010 in my house. Sheesh, Valentine's Day is sneaking up quickly. I've already spoken with the man about not wanting to do anything spectacular. I really think it's just a silly Hallmark holiday. Nothing but good old USA commercialism at its best. I'd much rather have someone show me they love me little bits at a time throughout the year--not just once on some day when there was a historic massacre. Restaurants have their specials, but the waitstaff will just want to shuffle people in and out as quickly as possible so they can make more money. Flowers are extra expensive--granted, the man has yet to ever buy me any flowers. Last year we stayed in and cooked and watched hockey (if memory serves me). This year...who knows what will happen.

All that being said, I often wonder about things. Tonight is not one of those times. Haha! Fooled you! One last item for the post: How do you catch a special rabbit? Unique up on it! Yes kiddos, it's time for bed.

Monday, Monday

2010-01-25T20:29:00.002-06:00

Why is it that Mondays are usually so crummy? There wasn't anything specifically bad about today, but it was so Monday. Crappy traffic going to work, long hard day at work, and now the idea of food is turning my stomach. WHAT? Me turned off by food? I know, right! Of course maybe watching Dr. G has something to do with it. Nah, never has before! =) I logged on because I had something interesting to share, but I can't remember it now to save my life. Oh well. I hope your mind isn't as whiffley as mine today.

and so begins another week

2010-01-24T21:51:00.002-06:00

Looks like the Saints and Colts are gonna be battling it out in a couple weeks. I can't believe the Colts were able to make such a come back and the Vikes just couldn't save their own skins for all the turnovers. Oh well, such is life. It's not like the Stars could ever make the Superbowl or anything. =)

The boy and I had a very nice weekend considering my body and hormones really wanted me to stay in bed the whole time. He got down here last night and took me to dinner before I dragged him off to a party with a bunch of people he didn't know. Technically, I only knew the hostess, but it didn't matter at all. Everyone was delightful! Today I did the singing thing, came home, and took a loooooong nap while I had the Flyers/Penguins game on the TV (I don't even know who won since I slept thru it all). Got up and made some tacky mac and cheese lunch for us and went off to a work meeting. Yep, pretty boring, but nice nonetheless.

Let's see what the week has in store!

happy humpday

2010-01-20T18:26:00.002-06:00

For my first trick I will put two contacts into one eye! Ya, I did that this morning. While I was at St. Arbucks getting some iced coffee goodness, my right eye decided it had had enough of the contact in it. I came back home and switched into a new one. Ahh, it felt so glorious I thought I should switch out the left one as well. Sadly, I forgot to take out the contact that was already in there. Oops. Needless to say, I learned that you can put two contacts in one eye and then take them out one at a time. Tada!

I think this is all because I did 80 minutes of yoga this morning starting at 6am. Makes for a sleepy and dumb naughty mouse.

dreams I dream

2010-01-19T20:33:00.003-06:00

1st off, lemme say that if there are a ton of typos, I'm typing without the use of my right index finger. Stupid cheese grater.

I was telling some friends about some of the weird dreams I've been having lately. They said I should write them down, so here I go!

Dream 1: My mother and I were on some sort of a trip at a bed and breakfast somewhere beautiful. While we were sight seeing, I kept seeing zombies. For some unknown reason I knew that the way to keep the zombies at bay was to keep diced sweet potatoes in our pockets. The zombies could hear the sweet potatoes singing, and that would scare them away from us. Yes, the sweet potatoes had to be diced: something about the size of the chunks affected the pitch of the singing. I ate cheese before I went to bed that night.

Dream 2: I was someplace like the State Fair. I decided to enter this contest where I was subjected to "added weight." I got hooked up to something akin to a bungee cord. First they added weights on top of my head (mind you, I was hanging in the air). When I could withstand the weights and then was touching the ground, they started spinning me in circles kinda like to induce G forces. When I could handle all of that, they added a large man on my back. He talked to me the whole time that they sped up the spinning. He was very complimentary telling me that I was doing such a good job. Then when I asked how I was doing, if I was winning/going to beat the record, he started berating me. Finally he started hitting me over the head and telling me I was a bad person unless I confessed my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I finally caved and quit the competition instead of confessing. That night, I had Snuffers cheese fries.

Now you understand why I wake up tired a lot. =)

happy new year!

2010-01-14T20:58:00.003-06:00

So I'm a little late. Sue me.

I have had a totally marvelous day. I didn't have to go to work at all so I took advantage of a few hours of freedom. I started off sleeping late-ish and then doing one hour of power yoga at the gym. I'm already starting to feel that. Hope I can function physically tomorrow. Then I cleaned myself up properly and met Mother for some darned good barbeque lunch. After securing the leftovers in my car, I hit two different sporting goods stores looking for the knee wrap thing my ortho wants me to get. Neither place had it, but the second ordered it for me. I should receive it sometime next week. Wish I could've had it immediately after the power yoga! When I got home from my exhausting morning (feel free to insert laughter here), I decided to take a nap. It was glorious! After the restfulness, I got up and scrubbed carpet freshener into the living room carpet. It may not be cleaner, but it smells niiiiice. Then I vacuumed and rearranged the furniture. (btw--the old big green sleeper sofa was out at the curb for bulky trash Monday morning.) I'm not happy with the arrangement, but I'll see what happens after a few days. Now, after watching the Stars lose yet again, I'm baking an apple cobbler. I've never done this before, but I bought a ton of apples and didn't eat them. Typical. I'll let you know how it turns out.

All in all, a pretty good day. I have to be at the lab tomorrow at 7:30am (ugh) and the Galleria at 6pm (double ugh). On top of that, I've agreed to meet an old friend for drinks after the 2nd job. It's gonna be a loooooong day. Oh well. Maybe I can just meet him for coffee at Cafe Brazil. I'm gonna need it!

he's baaaaaack!

2009-12-30T18:29:00.001-06:00

octopi tools!

2009-12-15T22:08:00.001-06:00

Just in case you haven't seen it yet.... Behold the tool using power of the veined octopus!

it's the little things

2009-12-13T21:52:00.002-06:00

Things that have made me happy lately:

* the happily purring kitteh in my lap
* the fact that both cats have been sleeping with me (Thomas is back to his old self!)
* the goodness that is the peppermint mocha at Starbucks (but only with half the amount of the syrup stuff)
* MUCINEX!!!
* cooking a wonderful dinner for my mother
* the part time mall job--who knew it would be so much fun?
* being done for another semester (even though it's not forever like I hoped)
* I have some really great friends
* homemade chicken and udon soup
* being on the mend after a couple weeks of puniness

I know there's more, but that's all I can think of at the moment. I now bid a fond adieu to the weekend. Bon nuit!

and now for something completely different

2009-12-11T19:27:00.001-06:00

Tiger Schmiger

2009-12-08T19:56:00.002-06:00

Are you as tired of hearing about all the Tiger Woods fiasco stuff as I am? Well, I think this is the better tiger to be talking about!

today is the day

2009-12-03T10:46:00.002-06:00

I take my masters exam today. I feel so terribly unprepared, but how can you prepare for an exam over everything you should have learned over the course of part time studentry for the last ten years? Yes, I know studentry is not a word, but fort this occasion I think I deserve a little lattitude/lassitude/thatsadude. I've got one of the worst headaches of my life. I hope it's all the knowledge trying to burst forth. =) I made cookies last night to share with my committee (meaning, I hope to bribe them with my baked wares). So far today, all I've done is take a crazy long hot shower, make a pot of Golden Monkey (http://www.adagio.com/black/golden_monkey.html), and play some word games on m-w.com. At this point, I think studying is pointless. I'd rather relax with the kitten in my lap purring like a fool (which he is).

On a completely different note, the trip to Ohio was wonderful except for all the driving. I still haven't caught up on the sleep--hence my anxiety today. I'd hoped to study in the car, but as it happens I haven't outgrown my motion sickness. I can't read in the car. =( The boy's family seems to like me fine. How could they not??? Hah hah!

forgetfulness?

2009-11-22T20:07:00.003-06:00

No, I have not forgotten to blog, I just haven't wanted to take the time. Things in my life are a little hectic lately. In two days I have my last test in my immunology class. After that, I have the day off, then the boy and I leave to go to Ohio for the Thanksgiving holiday. I get to meet the entire family. Then when I get back, I have to cram cram cram for my masters exam which is on the 3rd. I'm a little paranoid. Anywho, look for more to follow the second week of December. I hope everyone is as thankful for all they have as I am!

happy monday!

2009-11-16T21:52:00.002-06:00

Here's to a Monday well accomplished. Here is a list of things I got done today:

made a deposit at the bank
had a job interview
bought some tea
went to Central Market
went by Mother's to deliver olive oil
scrubbed and disinfected entire refrigerator and freezer
cleaned fridge again when I dropped a beer and it spewed everywhere
made shrimp bisque
cleaned kitchen

I feel like a nap now. Oh wait, it's almost time for bed. Thank goodness!

Thursday post

2009-11-12T20:31:00.002-06:00

Ya, I really don't have much of anything to say today. I have some fantastic friends who made me feel better at work today. I have a WONDERFUL boyfriend who offered to be my knight in shining armor and take me to lunch today, but work being work I couldn't take the time. Now I'm home and full of shrimp and asparagus stir fry (home made of course). It was something I could make from the junk I had in my fridge and freezer. Speaking of my fridge...it smells like something died in there. I tried to clean it out today, but it still reeks. Gah! Anyone have any suggestions?

move away from the Cheesy Puffs!

2009-11-10T21:12:00.002-06:00

I'm addicted to these things! Dangit!

So the real reason for this post is kitten antics. Ernest has done it again. Let me regale you with the tale....

Last night I was here at the computer typing something inane when I heard a strange rustling noise from the kitchen. It sounded like the kitten was playing with something plastic. I figured it was one of his noisy toys. When it didn't stop, I finally got up and went to see what the deal was. Lo and behold, he was up on the kitchen counter (a serious no-no for which he continuously gets reprimanded) chewing on a bag of bread. {rolling eyes} He smelled and found a fancy bread that was made with rosemary that I was going to use to make a fancy turkey and emmentaler sandwich for lunch today. I yelled, shooed him away, and threw the bread in the fridge. Needless to say, when I was running late for class this morning, I completely forgot about the bread. It's still in the fridge. Guess I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow. Maybe I'll have some of the cheesy puffs, too. =)

anyone hiring?

2009-11-09T20:46:00.002-06:00

Last week at work we had a meeting over lunch. The boss told us not to expect to get 40 hours a week. The workload has been shrinking of late (I thought the recession was over), and we don't have enough work for all the people we have. He said that full time employment was considered 30 plus hours a week. If we finish our work early, we have to clock out and leave--not futz around on the internet to make up time. Okay, I'm not one of the people who does that, but there are plenty who do/did. I always tried to find something to do. No worries; I've got the part time job at the vet clinic. Right? Wrong. Today I got the call from them thanking me profusely for helping them out when they needed help, but they don't need me anymore. I don't know if I ever mentioned before that the singing gig at the church was nixed as well months ago due to budget cuts. Luckily there is a manager at a store I love that has been trying to get me to apply part time. I have the application here next to me on my desk ready to fill out. Cross your fingers for me!

happy Sunday night

2009-11-08T23:17:00.002-06:00

Well, the Cowboys somehow managed to win the game against the Eagles. How in the world did that actually happen??? Granted, I don't really care. I'm a little miffed that the Packers somehow managed to get the wind taken outta their sails in the 4th quarter against Tampa Bay. I mean really, we're talking about Tampa Bay here.

Today is my father's 69th birthday. This means I had to go over and cook him dinner--a yearly family tradition. Every year I cook the same old (granted wonderful) thing, so this year I decided to mix it up a bit. I kept asking him what he wanted, but he hemmed and hawed and usually ended up saying something to the effect of "whatever you want to fix is fine." That gives a daughter no guidance whatsoever. I socked it to him and made something new that I'd never done before: lemon risotto with grilled shrimp and asparagus. Oh. Damn. That was a good choice on my part. Of course being risotto I was in the kitchen for damn near ever, but it was worth it. More importantly, I now know how to make risotto. For instance, when the recipe says "1 cup stock," it really means "you better have twice as much ready because that rice is gonna suck it all up and still be crunchy." It was worth it though. The recipe is in the Nordstrom Flavors cookbook. The whole book sounds good, too, by the way! It was a hit. The family raved, and my ego was stoked. Good times were had by all!

poopy head!

2009-11-03T19:10:00.002-06:00

You know you are in trouble when one of the people at work says "Every time I hear your name, people are talking about doo doo." Wow. Really? I hope this is a good thing. If you know me well, you understand.

Another thing happened at work today. I found out that I'm not getting my tuition reimbursement. I'm a little peeved about it. I'm going to ask tomorrow if I can appeal the decision. Supposedly a class in immunology doesn't help me in my job deciding whether or not animals are sick. Go figure. I think I rolled my eyes so hard at that one that my boss heard it from the other room. What's really funny about that is that not one hour later, one of my coworkers started asking me about plasma cells, B cells, and T cells. Nooooooooo, immunology has nothing to do with my job. {rolling eyes yet again}

my cat, the fruit loop

2009-10-30T20:54:00.003-05:00

Oh, sweet Ernest. What a character you are!

Actually, my cat is nuts. An absolute nut job. A fruit loop. One of his favorite things to do is play with water. Sometimes he'll jump in the shower with me. Sometimes he just attacks the shower curtain from the other side while I'm showering. Ya, that's a lot of fun when you aren't expecting it. He also loves sitting in front of his water dish and slapping his paw on the surface of the water thus splashing water all over the kitchen floor. Even better than that you ask? Yes, he likes to sit on the edge of the toilet and splash toilet water all over the toilet seat and nearby floor. I've started keeping a towel right next to the toilet so I can wipe the seat off. {shaking head} Outside of playing with water, he loooooves to roll on the ground right outside of his litter box where he has tracked or kicked litter out of it. What a goombah! I'm hoping he grows out of this messy phase. The sooner the better.

ewwww

2009-10-29T19:06:00.002-05:00

This is my attempt to gross you out. =)

As everyone should be well aware, I had gastric bypass surgery a year and a half ago. Where has the time gone? I can't believe it's been so long. Anyway, there is one side effect of the surgery that will never leave me. Gas. It is to be expected. They bypass a large section of intestines (basically all of the duodenum), and your body has trouble digesting some stuff. Let me just tell you...today I've been grossing myself out with the stink. One of my girls at work calls it "cropdusting." And yes, they are silent and uber-deadly. I will never get used to it. Ugh.

Now everyone go off and enjoy your fully functional intestines!

should be studying...

2009-10-26T19:18:00.002-05:00

This whole school thing is so overrated. Two more months and I can go back to being a lackluster TV watcher. Oh wait, I haven't really stopped. I did spend a good three hours studying this afternoon. I'll get back to it here shortly. Sadly, I can't quit sneezing and nose-blowing so leaning over the books is a little difficult. I can't take the Benedryl or I'll fall asleep like I did yesterday (which was for about 5 hours through out the day). Speaking of which, I really could used a nap. Ugh. Maybe I will study some more now. You've made me feel guilty. ;-)

2 quickies

2009-10-24T20:55:00.002-05:00

Why is it that if a commerical for a prescription drug says it is for "post-menopausal osteoporosis" they feel the need to tell you that if you "are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant" you shouldn't take it? Hello??? Do they think we don't know what post-menopausal means? Duh.

Also, why is it that when a party starts at 8pm, people think they don't have to show up until 9pm? Gah! It makes me crazy!

whoot to me!

2009-10-22T19:20:00.002-05:00

2 blog posts in 2 days??? What is the world coming to?

So here's today's rant: why do people insist on coming to work sick? Really? Do you have to come and spread all your germs all over everything? Ugh. There is a sickie at work right now who has real problems coughing without covering her mouth. Oh except when she does cover her mouth and then touch all over the microscopes. **eye roll** At one point today she was following me to our "drink and snackage" area (a little pseudotable by the timeclock). She was hacking the entire time--so much so that I actually backed away from her. Her comment? "Oh, it's only a cold!" Oh, because I am okay with getting a cold. As long as it's not H1N1 or meningitis, a cold would be fine. Here, just cough on my pretzels and make it easier for me. Thanks.

I'm gonna go cough and sneeze my way to sleep. Could someone pass the Mentholatum?

here I go again

2009-10-21T18:00:00.004-05:00

I keep thinking about blogging. Usually something happens and I forget, there's nothing interesting to say, or I physically (technologically) can't do it. My internet was down for almost a month a while ago, and since then I've just been lax. So.......here I go again!

Brief recap of my life since June:
Not much has changed. Well, that was easy. I still have the same job, the same house, the same boyfriend. Oh, and the kitten I never posted a picture of is now 7 months old! I love him desperately. I think he rivals the Benjamin as being the best cat EVAH! Summer came and went with nothing spectacular to report. I started class again in August, and (God willing) I'll graduate in December. My last class for the stupid masters degree. Didn't think that would ever happen. Mother and I took another one of our fantastic trips in September (a cruise up the Rhine). Man, was I relaxed after that one.

Anyway, the State Fair is over, fall is in full swing, and I decided it's just plain time to start this baby up again. I hope I haven't lost you all. Oh, and here's the kitten:

borrowing trouble

2009-06-15T14:45:00.002-05:00

That's what I do, folks! Yes, things are totally fine with me and my main squeeze. He just had to get over his little snit. We ended up having a lovely Saturday night. He even offered to stop on the way over and pick up Chinese. Ah, the way to my heart! We basically vegged in front of the TV watching Kill Bill Vol. 2 and then kicked some bootie at online Jeopardy. Ya, we lead the exciting life.

In other news, Ernest the Wonder Kitten is doing quite well. He and Thomas are now starting to chase each other around the house in play (instead of dominance). They have gotten to the point where they will BOTH share the bed with me instead of just taking turns. Aww, sweet kittehs! I also got a new sofa that I will pick up Thursday from the consignment store. Sooooo excited! It's a Quatrine that my mother found for an absolutely stellar price (for a Quatrine, that is). I'm gonna dig being able to throw the slip cover in the washing machine whenever needed.

Well, we finally got a driver at work. Gotta get working now!

confusion

2009-06-13T16:58:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been forever and a week since I really blogged, but now I have something I really gotta get off my chest. I think I may have really made the boyfriend mad. It's not really my fault though. I was invited to a party last night, and I was really excited to see some friends I hadn't seen in ages. He wanted to go along (I asked, he said sure). First off, he got to my house two and a half hours later than I expected him. Fine, I got to watch the hockey game and be fashionably late. Then we get to the party, and all he does is park himself in a corner against a wall with a beer in his hand and his arms crossed over his chest. I kept trying to get him to talk to people. Yes, I'm a social butterfly sometimes. He's a loner type. When we left (or as he put it, finally left), he commented that it was the "most tedious" hour and a half of his life. He was mad. We didn't talk in the car on the way home. We didn't talk once we got home other than his telling me to "go to bed" and asking me 20 minutes later "you alright?" We haven't really talked today, and he hasn't returned my phone call yet. I can't decide if I want to call again or not. I'm sure I will. Of course my mother tells me not to worry, not to borrow trouble, etc. Hellooooooo??? Do you know me? =) I hate being a girl.

tgif

2009-05-29T22:32:00.002-05:00

Kinda. I still have to work tomorrow. At least it is at the new vet clinic. Well, it's not NEW, just new for me to work there. In fact, the clinic opened the same year I entered the world. Whoa. And technically, it's a "working interview." What does that really mean? I think it means I have the job already since I'm uber qualified. The best part of the day will be when I head back home with the newest member of the family. I've given up. Thomas needs a friend (before he drives me absolutely bananas). I had an email this morning from the neighborhood animal alert, and a kitten had been abandoned in our neighborhood. I wasn't really all that interested until I saw his picture. Oh damn! Sooooo cute!!! Little black smudge on the nose did me in. I'll post pictures soon.

Anyway, hadn't posted anything in forever so there's my super brief update. I swear I'll get more in soon. I mean, I don't want to be bombarded by emails to see my new baby! BTW--I've named him Ernest (as in The Importance of Being...).
>^.^<

happy Monday

2009-05-18T21:32:00.001-05:00

kharma can suck it

2009-05-07T20:32:00.002-05:00

Why is it when things seem to be going well, someone comes along and pees in your half green half black no water no classic iced tea? Today started out to be such a good day. Then it caved. No, correction: it tanked. One of the girls at work is PMSing terribly and is uber sensitive. Well, all the girls started being girly and talking about our fat thighs. I mean, really...what woman (in the real world) is truly happy with her thighs? Exactly. Well, I made the mistake of likening hers to mine. Keep in mind she's a size 4 (yes, four) who complains about how fat she is. She went into this stone cold silent depression for quite a long time. Granted, she started it--the complaining. And she does this just about daily. A size 4! I apologized til I was blue in the face. I hate upsetting people more than I hate being upset by others. Then I got all teary, and she told me not to worry, it was all okay. Fast forward 2 hours. She got all snippy with me about something insignificant, I blew it off and didn't take it personally. Remember, PMSing size 4 girl. She came over a bit later and apologized to me to which I replied something to the effect of "whatever, no harm no foul." She wouldn't let it go until I accepted the apology that I didn't really need. This is when I did the evil deed: open mouth, insert foot. I said, "well, consider us even now." I meant this with all the best intentions and humor. I know, road to hell and all.... She got all huffy. Really, she "harrumphed" me and told me to never bring it up again (meaning the fat thigh thing). This is when I just about lost it. I started to take it personally. Really, am I so fat and hideous looking that the mere thought-in jest-of being likened to me is so horrifying that you have to have a conniption? I threw up my hands of the matter. If you can't please someone with anything you say, just don't say anything at all. Did I mention she wears a size 4? Oh, and her waist is like a 24 incher. Ooh ya, she's a real porker. Ugh.

Thank you for letting me vent. I feel a touch better now.

for your listening pleasure

2009-05-04T22:21:00.002-05:00

Okay, I've been searching for a particular Eric Whitacre song on the net, and I came across all these performances that were recently uploaded onto youtube. This is one of my favorite songs of his (my all time favorite is "Sleep," but this one is more fun to watch). I dare you to watch this and not end up smiling and swaying along to the greatness that is his use of words and chord tensions and all his magnificence. It gets really fun at about 6:14 into it. Yes, it's long, but it's so worth it! One of these days, I'll sing something of his. Enjoy!

ah May

2009-05-04T09:24:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's already May. Where has my year gone??? I guess spending most of it at work makes it go by faster. That's probably why time seems to go by faster as you age--there's just not as much time to relax and enjoy yourself. Anyway, I have a few little anecdotes to share that will hopefully bring a smile to someone's face.

I had to go to a birthday party for a 9 year old this weekend with the significant other (his best friend's son). Not only did I pick out the gift (he was sickly so I told him to sleep a little longer and I'd get it), I was told I had to sign the card. This means he and I together gave the kiddo a gift. Dun dun DUN! Not only that, I was at this party for almost 5 hours. Five hours of being the only gringa with a gabillion children running amok and killing the Spiderman pinata. Damn, they had some mighty fine food though! It was kinda fun--the friend's son is finally not scared of me. =)

I had to go back to the dermatologist this morning because the eczema thing on my face won't go away. While I was there I asked him why I get all itchy and bumpy after being in the sun. No, it's not my super sensitive skin, it's an allergic reaction to certain UV wavelengths. Are you kidding me? I'm allergic to sunlight. {rolls eyes}

I went by the car place to have my tires checked as one has a slow leak that needed to be filled. When the car was ready, the main mechanic dude came over to me and said "Is your name Michelle?" I looked at him a little dumbfounded and corrected him, and asked why he asked. Well, I have been going to this particular place for oil changes and simple things for years so I guess they know me there now. He got almost giggly and (acting all embarrassed like the aforementioned 9 year old) asked me if I'd lost weight. Guys are so funny! I said that yes, I've lost about 100 pounds. He commented that he thought so and "it looks good--you look good, I mean really good." Well, if that didn't make my Monday morning, nothing could!

Now the one not so happy thing. We've had quite a few bad storms lately (welcome to Texas in May!). As a result of high winds, my Direct TV satellite is askew. Great. At least I enrolled in their protection plan so they'll come fix it for free. What they didn't tell me at the time was that I may have to wait forever and a day for that to happen. I called yesterday about 2pm. They are sending someone out Friday. Hmmm, Sunday to Friday. I wonder if I can get my bill prorated since I'll not have TV for an entire week! I think I'll call on that.

things you don't want to hear from your doctor

2009-04-20T17:43:00.002-05:00

Today being my day off for the week, I had two appointments: one with the dentist and one with the internist. Dentist was first at 8:30am. Ugh. On my day off? Really? Anyway, so it was. I've been having issues with my whole TMJ problem, and he wanted to adjust my mouthguard that I sleep in. Oooh ya, it's sexy. So he's poking around at the different muscles in my mouth and around my jaw asking things like "is this sore, does that hurt?" Then he says this: "Huh, that's interesting." Not something you really want to hear from the dentist. I ask what is interesting to which he replies "well, no case is textbook." I still never really got an answer. Whatever. The man gave me valium. We love him.

Then after a lovely lunch with my delightful mother and a longish nap, I had to have a check up with the GP. When he walked in the room, he just looked at me with his deadpan face and said "so, why are you here?" Personally, I relished my reply of "I dunno, y'all called me." So there! Sticking it to the man! It was just time for a check up and a new and improved tetanus shot. When we finish with all the checking up issues, I always watch what the doc types in his little computer terminal, and he put in something to the effect of "patient denies STD testing." What? He asked if I needed it, and I said no. That's not denying. I called him on it, and he was all "well are you at risk?" Again, I said no, but that I wouldn't "deny" testing. Then he gets all insurancy on me and said they prolly wouldn't cover the testing anyway, does my OB/GYN do it, blah blah blah. Don't get me wrong, I loooooooooove my doctor, but he was being a patooty-head. Guess that was his way of rewarding me for losing 98 pounds. Strange little fellow. =)

Now I'm back home, chilling before I have to go to choir rehearsal. Our night got switched this week since the director has symphony stuff later in the week. I guess I should go. Oh ya, btw--feeling SOOOOO much better, thank you for asking. Just a little 48 hour bug-a-boo that's all gone now.

sickie

2009-04-18T19:36:00.003-05:00

Why oh why do people insist on continuing to come to work when they are sick??? Because of that, my 3 day weekend has been ruined. I have a fever. I never run a fever. I feel like hooey. All I wanna do is lay in bed (or on the futon) and sleep and complain. I even warned the boy he may not wanna come down to watch the Maverick game after all. Sweet boy said he just wanted to see me and make me feel better. Let's all say "awwww." Luckily for him, all that will involve is leaving me pretty much alone and refilling my cup of tea.

So, for all you martyrs out there, if you are sick, STAY HOME! We can work without you for a day or two. Darn it.

Holy (holey?) week

2009-04-09T13:37:00.003-05:00

Did I mention the hole in my roof? The one in my tv room? The gaping two foot square hole covered in black plastic? Yaaaaah. It now has a new problem. It is spawning waterbugs. If you are not from the South or live ridiculously close to a body of water, you may not know the atrociousness of these hideous things. Imagine a really big dark brown roach and give it wings. Also make it aggressive. Ugh. So, since all the rain in the past week or so, these bugs have been crawling in through gaps in the plastic. Heck, they may be chewing holes in the plastic. They do that, ya know. Okay, that's a little background info for what I'm about to type.

So it's Holy Week. Last night I had a 3+ hour choir rehearsal at church. When I finally got home absolutely exhausted about ten til ten, I noticed I'd not turned on the front porch light. Damnation. Fine, I can find the keyhole in the dark--I've done it before. When I did get the door just opened, *whoosh!* my cat goes running out the door. Are you kidding me? So I spend a good 5 minutes crawling around on my driveway trying to get the dumb beast out from under my car. He was loving it--rolling around on the ground where I couldn't reach him. This is why many of his nicknames are expletives. I finally corral him inside, and start my night time bed time routine. I was checking my email and winding down when I heard this scurrying noise. Oh damn. I know that noise. Little legs on plastic. Ewwwww! It was the biggest damned waterbug I've EVER seen. I swear it was as big as your face! Well, not really, but it may as well have been. It was at least 4 inches of nasty aggressive flying terrible-ness. I got out my bug spray, and I think the bug laughed at me. "Hahaha! You stupid woman! I'll get you!" And then he flew straight at me. Yes, I screamed like a girl. I kept trying to spray it, and it kept trying to attack me. Keep in mind, I was using the hornet spray that shoots across the room in a stream up to 5 feet. I hit him a couple of times, and then he just went ballistic shaking his wings and running 90 to nothing across the walls and ceiling and floor. Last I saw of him, he'd run back to the wall with the hole in the ceiling. I never saw him again, but I'm sure he'll come back to haunt me.

Thank goodness I'm having the carpets cleaned tomorrow. I'm sure there's enough bug spray in the carpet now to kill a squadron of those damnable beasts.

nom nom nom

2009-03-25T22:38:00.000-05:00

love and loss

2009-03-24T09:29:00.003-05:00

By now most of you know that I lost Cornelius last Friday. He was a great little kitty! He was only four and a half years old, and he had a bad heart. The vet and I think he had a massive heart attack while running through the house at break-neck speed. Not the thing to do with a really bad heart murmur and high blood pressure! I think he may have had a dozen or so brain cells to rub together, but he wasn't known for his smarts. I got him back from the vet yesterday in his new home of a little cedar box. I know this sounds morbid, but I swear it's not. Surprisingly, Thomas is handling this all rather well. Yes, he's been clingy, but he may be a quite functional only cat for a while. He also has a great clean bill of health. It's awesome working for a company where I can get all those tests done for free. Thank you Jesus! I had him tested for everything. So, that is my little update for Spring. I'll come up with more later I'm sure.

tgif?

2009-03-13T20:18:00.002-05:00

It's Friday night. It's been raining for 3 days straight. It's cold. Needless to say, I'm glad I don't have to play a softball game in this craptastic weather. There is nothing on TV tonight. I had such interesting things to blog about earlier in the day, but I worked all day and forgot all the exciting little nuggets of interest. I'm thinking the rest of the night will be spent finishing reading The Reader. I hope I have enough energy to sit and read. =) I hope you all have an exciting weekend.

just for some Monday fun...

2009-03-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

the L word

2009-03-09T16:25:00.002-05:00

No, this is not going to be a cable network show type of post. This is about the original L word. He finally said it. It seems to be rather official. We've both said the "I love you" thing, and he's mentioned that he plans on being in my life for quite a while. Good thing since I'm pretty danged fond of him, too. Generally it was a fantastic weekend. If only I hadn't scraped both of my knees and beat the snot outta my right index finger playing softball Friday night. I'm just not as young as I used to be. And for your reference, yes, it is hard to type with a band aid on your index finger. Also, the finger mouse thing on the lap top will not recognise my finger with the band aid on. Dangit. =)

On a completely different note, I went out and spent my birthday money today. I got a prefect LBD (little black dress) and 2 new skirts (one denim one khaki). Would you believe the skirts are a size 8?!?!? OMG!!! I still gotta tone up these thighs though!

long weekend coming

2009-02-25T22:08:00.003-06:00

Oh the joys of getting older. Yep, my birthday is Monday. Yippee skippy. Anyway, at least I know people like me! Tomorrow night I'm going to a Stars game with the May Boy from work. Friday morning, my father is picking me up and taking me down to a resort he built down in the Hill country. Saturday morning we'll be going on an hour and a half trail ride. Please dear God let the horses be good and the trail leader realize that I know what I'm doing. I gotta do more than walk that pony! Sunday morning I'll be getting the full spa massage. Sunday night, with luck, I'll be joining friends for a movie. Monday night, the BF is coming down to be taken to dinner at Abacus with me by my mother. Love Abacus. Love my mom more! Then to top it all off, Tuesday night we'll be going to see the Rat Pack musical. I won tickets on a local radio station. Who'd'a thunk it??? Ergo, after the Ash Wednesday service tonight, I came home and made some soup and watched Top Chef. Stupid sore throat. I will not let it ruin my birthday weekend!!! Now I'm going to bed after seeing Hosea take the title. Heck, if it couldn't be Carla, at least it wasn't Stefan. =)

caffeine and sunshine

2009-02-18T14:11:00.002-06:00

It's amazing the difference one can feel mentally just by being exposed to a little sunshine. Combine that with the re-inclusion of coffee in the morning routine.... Man, today is a beautiful day! I know I've been a bit of a lug lately. Lack of sunlight, crummy monetary situation (like the rest of the country), constant allergy "sickness" and all. It's good to be back. =) Although I am a little worried about the golfball like lumps where my lymph nodes should be in my neck.

awww

2009-02-15T21:11:00.002-06:00

So, my boyfriend just left my house. We finished watching Blazing Saddles on AMC. Damn, what a funny movie. Too bad they had to bleep some of the stuff out. Anyway, as he was leaving, he thanked me for the best Valentine's Day he ever had. Really? I made dinner (granted it was divine--poached salmon, steamed asparagus with hollandaise, and roasted red potatoes with rosemary), and we ate it while sitting on the couch watching the Stars get slaughtered by...huh...I don't remember who they were playing. Then we finished with 2 games of Trivial Pursuit (both of which he won) with truffles and sparkling Shiraz. Anyway, it really wasn't all that special. Maybe that's why it was so good. It was just the two of us not having to deal with all the crazy people out and about on a Saturday night V-day trying to make things memorable. It was a wonderfully lazy evening. Today we spent the afternoon shredding old mail and documents, gathering up recycling, and walking around the lake looking at the birdlife. Ya, I'm pretty lucky. Too bad you can't see my smile. Some might call it perma-grin. =)

polar blog

2009-01-27T12:03:00.004-06:00

Lately I've been feeling a little sorry for myself. I talked about it last night with the sax man. I feel like I've been forgotten by a lot of my friends. I know we are all busy with our jobs and commitments, but there are people I love that I haven't seen since before Halloween. I try. I try to plan parties/game nights, I call, I email, and I text. I know that people change and grow and drift and all that mess, but it makes me sad. For those who have stuck by me through the last year, I am so grateful. For those who haven't, I miss you.

On a completely different note.... Yesterday we had a potluck lunch at work for our monthly meeting and coworker's birthday. The boss brought a smoked turkey that he'd gotten from the building manager so everyone else brought stuff that would go with turkey. It was like Thanksgiving in January! The only problem with this was that I'm not crazy about smoked turkey, and the dressing was only so-so. Because of all this, I felt like I missed something from it all. I stopped at the store on the way home and bought a turkey breast and stuff to make dressing. Am I a total dork? Of course I am! But by the end of today, my house is gonna smell soooooo good like Thanksgiving all over again. Time to go make myself happy with the joys of cooking.

tgif

2009-01-16T15:25:00.002-06:00

What a Friday! I'm finally home after a crazy morning/early afternoon. I was back up at Presby today for an abdominal sonogram specifically looking at my gall bladder. Happily, everything inside me is beautiful! My gall bladder is totally empty--no stones. I'm so freaking excited that I don't have to schedule another farking surgery for the next week or so. Whoot to my gall bladder! Then I had to come home and wait for the shelter people to come by and pick up some clothes. I say "some" like it's not that big of a deal. Hah! I had 14 bags of clothing, 1 bag of shoes, and 1 bag of hotel soap/shampoo/consitioner samples that I donated to the Austin Street Centre. I hate to admit that it made me really smiley when they were so happy that I had so much. What a way to give when you don't have the money to give. Then I made the mistake of falling asleep all cozy wrapped in warm covers and was almost late for my hair appointment. Dang, my hair looks FAB-U-LOUS now! Dane is freaking amazing. Then I got my brows totally reshaped--I have arches now. I had fun talking with the esthetician all about France (she is originally from Provence). Now I'm back home, eating a protein bar (ugh) and contemplating another nap. What a fantastic day off work. Too bad I have to go back to the poop tomorrow. Have a great weekend my peeps!

farewell 2008

2008-12-30T18:15:00.002-06:00

I figured I should write a little something as I sit here and nom on my celery at the computer. Again, I've been seriously lax in posting of late. I guess it's the joy of being a adult with a life and too much to do during the holiday season. =)

Life has been mostly very good for the past couple of months. The ex that I met up with about a month ago is no longer an ex. He and I are officially a couple. It's nice to date someone who lives within 1000, nay 100!, miles of me. I've been good about going to the gym to meet with my trainer. I haven't lost any weight since that started, but I've been toning up a little bit. I feel pretty good too! Work is still work. We occasionally have scheduling difficulties with all the people who think they should be able to dictate their own days off without telling the supervisor in advance, but I'm thrilled to have a job in this economy. I've been watching all my friends succumb to the weather craziness that is Texas-everyone is getting sick all over the place. It's hard to not have allergy issues/colds/flus/etc when the weather is 77 one day and 44 the next! I got to see some out-of-town family for Christmas (Mama and I went down to San Antonio) that I hadn't seen since last year. That was awesome. Then on the way back we stopped off and saw the beauty that is my god daughter. I got some pretty amazing stuff for Christmas. My mother went WAAAAAAAAAY above the call of mom duty. Most of what I got was gift card and money related for clothes and the personal trainer. I was hoping to go shopping today, but my stomach had other plans. =( I found out today that I may be having another post-WLS-surgery problem, but for the meantime it is livable. I had planned to have a NYE party here at my place tomorrow night, but that got kiboshed since the 2 people I was really doing it for couldn't make it. No worries--now I don't have to spend the money for the snackage and drinks for everyone! I think the sax man and I will just have a quiet night alone (watching the Stars game).

Well, that's a good update for now. Hopefully I'll have something interesting happen sometime soon so I can post about something funny. I'd much rather entertain than inform! I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

you people

2008-12-08T23:03:00.002-06:00

Okay. You people that I call friends who call me a friend. You gotta back me up and tell me what you are thinking. In the past week, I've had at least 4 of you tell me that you thought the "man in my life" was playing me, jerking me around, and/or giving me the run around. Two of you told me you think I may even be the "other woman." Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Haven't you all figured out by now that I (fortunately or not) always see the best in people. Do you remember the jerk from Boston from a couple of years ago? You all officially have my permission to tell me when you think I'm making a mistake. Thank you in advance for helping me not make these ridiculous mistakes in the future. It does make life happier only seeing the best. This is why I keep y'all around. =) Thanks guys!

Gosh! All it takes is the ex that everyone liked showing back up in my life....
*swoon*

yay and ouch

2008-11-26T14:17:00.002-06:00

I finally have my baby Maximilian back. He had to get a new thermostat. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, I probably could've replaced that part myself. However, it was nice to have someone else do it correctly the first time. I always worry about working on systems that are full of fluids. I got him back yesterday morning and just about did a little dance when he got me to work safely without overheating. I figure after 148K miles, he deserved a new thermostat. =)

As to the ouch, I had a session with the personal trainer today. We started with 30 minutes of racquetball for cardio then followed with 45 minutes of arms and shoulders with weights. I wanna die now. I can hardly lift my arms to take off my sweatshirt! I just gotta keep telling myself it's good for me, it's good for me.

I got to see the Canuck last night. He was back for business again for a night or two. He's supposed to leave tonight, but he's gonna try and change it and fly out tomorrow so I can see him again tonight. Sweetie! Funny that neither of us has really done a whole lot in the month since we saw each other last. He did get to see Coldplay in Denver (good for him, I'm not a huge fan). When they dropped some crazy confetti shaped like butterflies, he caught and kept one for me. What a dork (rolls eyes). At least he was thinking of me!

Ya, that's about all I can come up with right about now. I think I might need a nap now so I can relax my poor arms.

things that make me happy

2008-11-24T23:05:00.002-06:00

1. Having people at the garage where I take my car (a) know me by name when I call, and (b) let me take a car {albeit a minivan} for the day when they can't repair my car fast enough to make them happy.

2. My first full stat run at the lab reading differentials (counting white cells, red cells, platelets and such under the microscope). Finally a new skill!

3. The boys on the back of the sofa looking out the window waiting for me to come home.

4. A perfectly brewed pot of Teavana Silver Needle tea.

5. Pillar Gypsy salami from Central Market to nosh on while trying to get tired.

6. Knowing that I have friends and family that are there for me if and when I need them.

My car is still in the shop, I'm getting PMSy crampy, didn't have time to go to the gym, and (because of the car) I can't finish my Christmas shopping for my family due to lack of fundage. Things should have really sucked all day today, but for some reason I just can't get out of a good frame of mind. In the grand scheme of things, I still have it pretty good. Hope I can keep it going in the morning!

(and yes, this is the 3rd post today--3rd time's the charm!)

zee update

2008-11-24T20:32:00.002-06:00

My poor Maximilian is still in the garage. He needs a new thermostat. In the meantime, the behemoth is carting me to and fro. I do like the tallness of the minivan, but the rest of the mom-mobile concept evades me. I'd much rather drive a station wagon. They're kinda hot. Not the wood panelled ones from the 70s mind you. The cool Subarus and Volvos with 4 wheel drive and car like driving abilities. Ya. I could dig that. Or another S2000. Hmmmm, station wagon or sports car??? My tastes do run the gamut.

Anyway, I'll have the behemoth until sometime tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll get my Max back without having to spend too much more money. If only I'd been able to make that tree actually leaf out in green bills....

ray-DEE-ay-tor

2008-11-24T13:27:00.002-06:00

My poor car. I finally get the title in my possession, and all hell breaks loose. Or brakes loose. Whoa, bad pun. Especially since the brakes are fine. I shouldn't tempt fate I suppose.

Anyway, as I was trying to drive to a handbell rehearsal yesterday after Sunday morning choir duties, I noticed my temperature gauge start to creep up. By the time I got home, Max belched out all his coolant all over the driveway. First thing I did (after calling my handbell director and telling her I wouldn't be there) was rinse all the antifreeze into the grass or down the drain. Yes, I know. Pollution and all, but I'd rather pollute a little than kill a neighborhood kitteh or puppeh. Then Mother came and saved me. She took me to lunch (wouldn't even let me pay), took me to Pep Boys for more coolant, then came back to take me back to church later for an evensong. Props to Kathy for driving me home after the service. In the hour break I was at home, I refilled the radiator with coolant, let it sit a bit, then drove about a 2 mile round trip. By the time I got half way through my circle, the temperature started to skyrocket again. NOOOO!!!!! Yes folks, Max belched the rest of the coolant out starting at the end of my driveway up until I stopped the car. That's when I called AAA and set up my towing to the garage this morning. Poor baby Max is still there. They thought it was just a kaput radiator cap, and they bled and refilled the system. Then before I could get to work, the dang thing almost overheated again. Now I am driving a minivan. Yes kids, a minivan. Don't think this makes me just a little bit unhappy. I'm driving a "mom-mobile." Ugh.

I'll let you all know how it turns out. Hopefully I won't have to give people Christmas gifts of cards saying "Thanks for understanding, but I fixed my car instead of buying you a gift."

tooting my own horn

2008-11-19T16:14:00.002-06:00

If you don't want to read about my recent successes, stop reading now. I'm gonna brag about myself a little bit.

So I had jury duty today. For the first time ever, I was out relatively early--11am today! I ended up going down to Neiman Marcus to wander and look at the Christmas decorations (hey, I'm not downtown often), and my father met me there for lunch. Would you believe their cafe has good turkey meatloaf? Well, they do. Then it was errand time. I came home, grabbed a bunch of clothes and went back out to consign those suckers. Would you believe no one wanted my stuff? The consignment stores either (1) would only take things less than one year old, (2) would only take "designer" brands (I thought Liz Claiborne was a designer...), or (3) already had too much stuff. Fine. A woman did hit me up in a parking lot asking about my red leather jacket. She said she gets paid tomorrow and may call me then to inquire about it. We'll see. Then I went to Vickie's to exchange a bra for a size that actually fit. Dammit.

Anyway, to the bragging. I went across the mall to The Gap. I had no real idea what size I would wear. My current Levis are 12s so I figured 12 or 14 would be the right size for me. Oh, ya. I have no dress clothes or skirts that fit right now. I figured I needed something to get me through the holidays. Now I do! I bought a black pencil skirt in a size 10. Yes people, a ten. This is the size I wore in high school. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!! (does a little dance around the store) I would've bought a lot more than I did if I'd had the money. As it was, I got one skirt and one skirt/jacket combo (on sale). So I now have at least 2 different things to wear until next year. Woo-hoo!!! Yay me!

Okay, that's it for today. I'm sure there will be something more exciting later in the week.

2 weeks, time to post

2008-11-17T16:51:00.005-06:00

Again, I find myself apologizing for my crap ass ability to blog on a regular basis. Right now I'm sitting at work waiting for the last driver to bring in samples to be analyzed by my amazing abilities of urine-problem deducing power. Actually, I'd really love to be home in bed with a cup of tea. I feel like ass crack. Well, I don't really know what that would feel like, but since it sounds bad, that's what I'm going with for now. Here: let me explain my weekend and you'll understand....

Saturday was glorious. It was super sunny and beautiful. The perfect day for a church chili cook off. Oh ya, except it was only about 55 degrees and the wind was blowing ninety to nothing. The wind even blew over the chili samples onto the judges (of which I was one). I thought these people were smart and would move the fiesta inside since it was so windy and cold. Nope. Ergo, your favorite naughty mouse was sitting outside in the shade with a thin long sleeved shirt, a vest, and jeans on. That was not warm enough!!! Would have been better if the chili had been spicy. =) By the time I left I felt like a popsicle. Then it was time for me to go to work. I got there at 5pm and left at 2:30am. Yes kids, 2:30am. I got home about 3:30 after having the wits scared out of me by all the drunk drivers out on the road. I sped like a bat out of hell getting home daring a cop to pull me over. If he had, then I could've pointed out all the drunk drivers!!! As it was, I was WIDE awake by the time I got home.

I got about 4 hours of sleep before I had to get up and go to church to sing yesterday. It started off badly when I got told to sing soprano instead of alto (a numbers issue). After so little sleep and all the coldness of the day before, my voice was not in its best shape. After church there was a choir party, and since I'm never one to snub a party, I went. I spent most of it outside in a beautiful backyard with tons of beautifully colored trees. About mid afternoon, I thought I should go home and take a nap before going and being counselor to a bunch of EYC kiddos. That nap didn't happen. By this time, I was getting very allergy-ridden. As soon as I laid down on the futon, I couldn't breathe. If I sat up I felt better, but I couldn't sleep sitting up. Screw that. I went to the store and go some exciting purchases of cat litter, milk, yogurt, and frozen dinners. Then it was time to go to church again. Poor kids. I sat there the whole night with my box of tissues at the ready. When I got back home, I put the flannel sheets and fleece blanket on the bed, got in, and holed up for the evening.

Then comes to this morning. I soooooooooooooo didn't want to get out of bed. I still woke myself up most of the night with congestion and drippy nose issues. Also, since Thomas looooooooooves the new sheets, I was extra warm all night because he wanted to be warm with me. I called and told work people I'd be in later when I felt like getting up. Yes, I brought in my special box of tissues to work with me. And my Mentholatum. And my Zyrtec and Sudaphed.

Yup, I live the glorious life of snotty allerginess. I hope you all are faring better!

bad naughty mouse

2008-11-02T17:10:00.002-06:00

Sorry. My blogging ability seems to be full o' snark lately. It's not that I haven't had things to blog about either. I just haven't made the time. Sorry. Let's see if I can catch y'all up to date. And don't worry, it'll be so train of thought that it'll prolly be very out of order. =)

Lessee...where to start. This weekend was Halloween, and I didn't do a damn thing to celebrate. I've been fighting a sore throat and cough, so I stayed home per Doc's orders. I was so worried about actually being home for kiddos coming by that I stopped on the way home from work and got 2 bags of candy. Ya, I'm taking all that chocolate crap to work. I didn't have a single trick or treater. And the Stars lost. Boo on Friday night.

I went with a coupld of kids from work to see Weezer Tuesday night a week ago. I hate to say, but I was actually disappointed. Number one, I was basically a chaperone, a third wheel, an outsider. That made for a fun night. Secondly, they really didn't put on that good of a show. I was surprised. The best part of the whole night was when they got this group of local amateur muscians on the stage to play Island in the Sun with them. The trumpet and accordian were the highlight of my evening. Oh, and I didn't received the tickets in the mail until 2 days ago. Thank goodness for Will Call and picture IDs.

Then the following Friday, I got a text message from the ex as soon as I walked in the door to my house. He wasnted to know what I was up to. Random. Then he calls me and asks if I want to go see REM with him. Hmmmm, cute man wanting to take me to a good concert I don't have to pay for??? Hells ya! Now that was an amazing show! Those men may be getting old, but they can rock hard! And we had kick ass seats. The only somewhat funny part of the night was when he asked if I wanted a drink before we went in to our seats. We're waiting in a bloody long line and he realizes that he's left his wallet at home. Really? Are you kidding me? After the way you just drove us here trying to get us here in time for the show? It's a miracle we didn't get pulled over. Anyway, he held our place in line while I went to the ATM to take out money for adult beverages. (shakes head and chuckles at the boy acting soooo blond) That's okay, the seats were incredible. It was worth buying a couple of drinks. At least he offered! =)

Lessee, what else.... Oh! The pre-Halloween party at Winny's was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! I only wish I hadn't had to work the next morning so I could've stayed longer. Granted my costume was uber lame (mad scientist--just wore scrubs and a lab coat--sooooo original), but everyone else looked great. JCC was the best as a carrot. A caniballistic carrot. (I have a pic of her eating a carrot--trust me, it was hilarious). Then the H-bomb was a naughty Magic Eight Ball. And WC was Chef from South Park. Too funny!!! They went all out on decorations and food. All the typical Halloween foods you can imagine: green slime dip, smashed bug pizza, jello brain in the blood punch, etc. Oh how I love my friends!

Anyway, that's enough of a catch up for you kiddos. I'll leave you with a pic from the party. Tell me Winny can't do it up right!

Tramontana

2008-10-19T21:48:00.003-05:00

Whoa. I had the best dinner last night. It was with my mother at a place called Tramontana (http://www.mybistro.net/). This place is sooooooooooo underrated; I can't believe it wasn't packed. My starter (skip over this one, H-bomb) was the local goat cheese with roasted garlic and grilled portabello mushrooms. It was served with a chunky marinara and bruschetta bread crouton things. I didn't even so much as lick the bread--just ate the good stuff! (breaks into song: "Heaven, I'm in heaven....") Mother had a salad of roasted beets, local chevre, granny smith apples, and buttered walnuts. OMG! That was fantastic, too, and I can't stand beets. Her main course was Texas quail that was prepared with honey and lavender. Wow. I had the Chateaubriand with a Cabernet demi glace. Mmmmmm, beef. Then I had some for lunch today and the rest for dinner tonight! =) Anyway, this place is in Preston Center (Preston Road and NWHWY) for anyone who wants to have an amazing dinner. Yes, it is not cheap, but considering what you are getting, it is well worth the price. Just plan ahead for a couple weeks (like skip your morning Starbucks or whatever). It is soooooooooo worth it. And wouldn't you rather support your local eateries than national chains in this tough economy?

OMG!!!

2008-10-14T21:17:00.001-05:00

Just a short note to update everyone on my WLS. I just tried on the dress that my mother made for me to wear for my college graduation in 1994. It is now a smidge big on me. Whoot! Yay me! I think that deserves a Reece's cup.

{shuddering}

2008-10-13T22:00:00.003-05:00

My mother can tell you that I've always watched commercials. I'd wait until they were over before I'd leave the room to go to the bathroom as a kid. Why I never went into advertising, I'll never know. Anyway, there is a new commercial on the television that creeps me out. It is for Jack in the Box; it's the one with the 2 men in the stroller. OMG!!! What is the idea behind two grown men whining about being hungry? It honestly creeps me out and makes me shudder. Physically shudder! It is soooooooooo wrong. Wrong, I tell you!

On the other hand, I made a pass at my local barista this morning. Gotta get back in the game somehow. I think I need more practice. =)

it's 1am--do you know where your naughty mouse is?

2008-10-13T00:48:00.003-05:00

Whoa. I despise working the night shift. No, I'm not at work now. I worked last night which means I slept very little last night before having to get up and sing this morning. Which also means I ended up falling asleep on the couch for a longish nap today. Which in turn means I'm still awake now. Arrgh! What better time to blog and catch you guys up on the lack of happenings in my life.

So, it's official. The guy and I are kaput. I actually broke up with him via email. He's been out of town for the past 2 months (save 3 days). How the heck are you supposed to have a relationship with someone like that? He wished me the best and said I deserved better. A woman in choir this morning said that if he admitted it, there must be some truth in it. Whatever. Still no fun.

Work is still work. I think the renovations are over for the time being. The bigwigs come to town tomorrow morning to see all the changes. Whoop dee freaking doo. I'm just glad it's over. Do you know how hard it is to work in a scientific setting with the smell of tile adhesive and the sound of drills? Well, my friends (sorry, too much McCain), it's not so fun. Hopefully the CEO will like it and we can work in peace for a while at least.

School is schooly. I had a big presentation/lecture leading thing last Friday. I was soooooooooooo nervous, but it seemed to go very well. When the professor quoted me toward the end of the class (something to the effect of "the point that she made about blah blah blah..."), he made me sound like I knew what I was talking about. I smiled about that one. Now I just have to get back together with the thesis prof and work out the timeline for my project. Hmmm, and if anyone has any suggestions on how to build a microsatellite library quickly, lemme know! =)

One last thing: I'm so glad for my friends and family I can't begin to tell you. It seems like a lot of bad things are happening to those around me. One of our coworkers passed away this past week from complications of lung cancer. A woman in my choir lost all her hair after her first bout of radiation for lung cancer. A dear friend's mother had to be admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and found out she needed triple bypass surgery (she is doing well, thank God). Another coworker is going through dialysis three times a week while waiting for a kidney transplant. Oh, and he has a brand new baby he can hardly enjoy in his weakened state. My ills are so banal in comparison. If I start to gripe about things, just remind me how good I really do have it. Because I do. I love you all and keep you all in my prayers!

toooo funny!

2008-10-06T19:57:00.002-05:00

While on my way home from work (ridiculously late I might add), I heard the funniest song on KNON's blues hour. It's called Oreo Cookie Blues by Lonnie Mack (and SRV). Hahahaha! Here are the lyrics for you for a giggle. Enjoy!

Chocolate on my fingers, icing on my lips
Sugar diabetes and blubber on my hips
I keep the night light burning in the kitchen baby
So I can go downstairs and cruise
I got them oreo creme sandwich
Chocolate covered creme filled cookie blues

I hide'em in a cabinet, I keep'em in a jar
For emergency's you know I keep'em in the
Glove compartment of my car
And I can't live without'em
They git' me higher than I can get on booze
I got them oreo creme sandwich
Chocolate covered creme filled cookie blues

Doctor says I'm crazy
You better give'em up and quick
Or you'll be pushing up daisies because
Boy you definitely sick
I couldn't quit if I wanted to
Yeah I don't wanna lose
It's them oreo creme sandwich
Chocolate cover creme filled cookie
Built by nabisco, ain't no rookie
Next best thang to nookie blues

can you believe the gaul?!?

2008-10-04T12:56:00.001-05:00

He's back!

the squirrel

2008-09-30T21:09:00.002-05:00

The other day I walked out of my house to go to work. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a curious sight. The bird feeder I have out under my American Elm by the street was on the ground, broken apart, with birdseed spread all over. In the midst of the seed was a squirrel busily chomping away on the Smörgåsbord. I calmly walked over saying "excuse me?" while doing so--he just continued to chomp away faster and faster with his little squirrelly eyes looking for the quickest way out. He finally dashed up the aforementioned elm, and I started to scrape as much of the seed into a pile to put it back into the feeder. When I picked up the feeder, I noticed something quite amusing: he hadn't just knocked the feeder off the hanger. That little shit actually chewed through the hanger and it was irreparable. Are you kidding me? I couldn't help but laugh. If he's that ingenious, let him eat as much of the birdseed as he wants. Silly squirrel.

Oh, I did go out and get a new and improved bird feeder. The hanger is not made of plastic, and it is un-chewable!

can we all say awww

2008-09-30T20:53:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I find this so unbelievably sweet and adorable. Enjoy!

random weekend

2008-09-21T19:00:00.002-05:00

Game night came off without a hitch once people arrived. It's funny, but just about everyone showed up at the same time. I'm just glad that the kitteh-allergic people didn't have problems. I vacuumed like a fiend! What was really funny was that at like 9:30pm, a couple of us started yawning and complaining about being tired. How lame are we??? I was kinda excited so I could get some sleep before the drive to McGregor Saturday morning. Not to happen! At 10pm, people started talking about leaving--ya, then we started talking, and that kept going on until almost midnight. Then I had to clean as much as I could with the injury. Oh ya!!! FYI--if you drop your favorite 8 inch chef's knife, don't try to catch it. =) I got lucky with that one. Only a small slice on my right middle finger. After being bandaged for 2 days, it's looking good. I hope a good time was had by all. Personally, I really enjoyed the Adult Mammoth Mad-Libs. I can always count on the H-bomb to keep it scandalous.

Saturday morning came very early. The alarm got me up at 8am so I could make it to my swim class by 9am. Dang, I might as well have stayed home because the brain/muscle connections were totally non-functional. I was so tired I kept forgetting to breathe. How does that happen?!? I'd turn my head, exhale, and put my face back in the water without getting a new breath. D'oh! After about 45 minutes of braindeadness, the coach finally decided we should do something different--back to dolphin kick. Thank goodness! That requires no thought.

After the class, I came home and finished cleaning up from the night before, threw some stuff in an overnight bag, and left for the burgeoning metropolis of McGregor, Texas. Surprisingly, I made it through crummy traffic in only 2.5 hours. The god daughter was soooooooo excited to see me; her mother hadn't told her I was coming. She's so freaking cute. Love that kid. After her birthday party, everyone involved took a short nap while she went to dinner with her father (the first time he's made an effort to be a dad since the split). Then KF and I went to the Founder's Day street dance thing downtown (if you can call that a downtown!). It was interesting to say the least, but we both pooped out by 10pm. As we headed back to the house, we noticed that the clouds had abated and the stars were out in full force since the moon was still below the horizon. When we got back home, we changed into comfy clothes and went outside to stargaze. It was amazing! It has been so long since I could actually see the Milky Way, but there it was. There were so many stars, I couldn't even decipher any constellations. Now for the funny part: while we were out gazing, someone came behind us and locked the deadbolt to the house. No matter how much knocking we did, no one heard us. Luckily, KF's brother lives across the street. We walked over and waited for him and his buddy to come back from coyote hunting (we could see the headlights coming through the field). Ya, did I mention this was all out in the middle of freaking nowhere? Across the street is still quite a hike. Well, KF was wearing all black, so I think he was quite surprised when she apparated out of nowhere in his headlights! He told us to get in the back of the pickup truck (which was outfitted with this homemade coyote hunting stand with chairs and all up over the truck) so he could drive us back to the house. It was so countrified, I couldn't quit laughing.

So that is my weekend in a nutshell. I got up at 6:15 this morning so I could be back in town to sing at 10am. The rest of the day has been a complete wash. I'm wiped out!

while I await party goers...

2008-09-19T16:03:00.003-05:00

typical

2008-09-19T16:03:00.002-05:00

I'm hosting Game Night tonight. I planned it since my house is (relatively) clean. Why not have my best friends over for a night of fun, right? Well, as of last Wednesday I've been feeling kinda crummy. I blamed it on allergies and the constant construction up at work. Well, I left work yesterday and haven't been back since. I still feel crummy. Yep, my head is ouchy, my body is achy, and I just generally feel like poo. I must prevail! I'm not gonna worry too much about tonight. I've got plenty of snack foods and soft drinks. The main room is clean enough for everyone, and all my friends understand that doing something on a Friday night is iffy anyway. Anywho, wish me luck kiddos. Oh, and btw, two of my friends who were planning on coming tonight also feel like ass crack. One backed out, and one hasn't decided yet. I sooooooooo understand guys!!!

you now it's bad when...

2008-09-16T21:41:00.002-05:00

I'm IMing with a friend tonight, and I get this from him: "you are tipping off the crazy scale recently with your paranoia." Really? Is it that bad? I know I have my moments/weeks/whatever. If y'all notice me getting a little more, um, "crazy" than normal, please let me know. I think it's just too much free time and not enough time reading my genomics papers. Maybe he's just a little sensitive because I asked him about something personal (to him, not me). Meh, whatever. Time to go color the roots now! Give me a reason to act like a crazy redhead....
;-)

100 omnivorous foods

2008-09-15T21:22:00.002-05:00

I got this from http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/uncategorised/the-omnivores-hundred/. Feel free to take part in the goodness! If you don't know what a particular entry is, the original post has embedded links to some of the food items on Wikipedia.

Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
5) extra from the naughty mouse--italicize the items you haven't tried yet but would like to try!

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (in the States, we have alligator)
6. xxxBlack puddingxxx (I know what makes it black!)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes (yes, I DID try them)
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. xxxBrawn, or head cheesexxx
26. xxxRaw Scotch Bonnet pepperxxx
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a xxxfat cigarxxx
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (as long as chocolate covered ants count!)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (nom nom nom)
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear (I tried picking my own once...wasn't successful)
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. xxxDirty gin martinixxx
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine (never again!)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. xxxKaolinxxx
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. xxxHaggisxxx
69. Fried plantain
70. xxxChitterlings, or andouillettexxx
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. xxxRoadkillxxx
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse (I didn't know what it was until after I ate it)
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Lessee, I've tried 79 of the 100. Good for me! How'd you do? =)

Monday Monday

2008-09-15T11:06:00.002-05:00

Well, after all the gloominess of Saturday and Ike, I must admit I'm digging our current weather. It was the perfect morning for a pumpkin spice latte from *bucks. Ah, the gloriousness of the PSL! When I left my house this morning, the thermometer read 62 degrees F. I almost needed a jacket! This can continue for quite a while as far as I'm concerned. I hope everyone else is enjoying the beautiful coolness.

Have a great Monday y'all!

another day, some more bad news

2008-09-11T21:24:00.002-05:00

I know I've complained a lot lately about how the new "boyfriend" has been out of town a lot on business. I know you are all sick of hearing it. Well, at least this time he's not on business while he's out of town. Poor guy! He finally got home (Irving) about noonish on Monday. Yay! He came over, we had dinner, and we watched Monday night football. (Dude, the Packers were playing!) Then we futzed around on my computer before he left. Tuesday night we met the mmvgang to see Death Race. OMG, one of the worst movies I've ever seen, but it was still soooooooooo much fun! Great car chases, bad dialogue, Joan Allen saying things a lady would never be caught dead saying, beautiful Jason Statham's chiseled body.... But I digress. Unfortunately I had to go straight home after the movie to take care of some school work, so I left him fairly early. We didn't get a chance to talk Wednesday night, but I called and left a message anyway. So let me tell you why we didn't get to talk: his house was broken into and ransacked. Keep in mind, he is a recent addition to North Texas; he still has a house out of state that he's been trying to get ready to sell. Well, I guess some people figured it out and took advantage. His neighbors had been keeping tabs on everything really well. When one of them went to take his mail inside, he noticed the door had been kicked in and the place ravaged. When he told me this on the phone today (as he was waiting for his flight), the sound of dejection in his voice just about broke my heart. So, everyone say a little prayer for my guy. I hope it's not as bad as his neighbor made it sound. I hope there are some things that are salvageable. I really hope the cops find whoever did this soon and ream the snot out of them. I just want everything to be back to normal for him. He's had a bad 5 weeks. =(

the most random Friday ever

2008-09-05T15:23:00.002-05:00

It's only halfway through the day, and so many bizarre/strange things have already happened. Maybe if I blog about them now, the rest of the day will be "normal."

First off, I was so stoked because I had a hair appointment this morning at 10am. I haven't had my hair cut in, um, I have no idea how long. It is so in need of shaping I could spit. So I head outta my place about 9:30--that gives me 30 mintes to get there right? Well, depending on how well you know me, you know it actually takes me a while to get out of the house. I forgot my phone: go back inside. I forgot to check which classroom my seminar was meeting in today at noon: go back inside and look it up online. Dang it! I forgot to take my vitamins: go back inside. So at this point it's 9:45--15 minutes to get there. Dagnabit! Needless to day, I wasn't necessarily the slowest person on the road. However, I wasn't passing anyone either. When I passed the cop hiding behind some bushes with his radar gun out, I knew I was toast. Yup, he pulled out as soon as he had the opportunity. Know what? He pulled over the guy behind me! Sweeeeeeet!!! While I'm sorry for the Caddy driving behind me, he was speeding, too. Thank the good Lord, my deferred adjudication wasn't screwed up by all that. I then obeyed the speed limit (to every other driver's chagrin) the rest of the way to the salon. Oh ya, I was on time, too.

Funny that I was on time. My stylist was not. Turns out no one ever told him last night that he had an early appointment (he normally doesn't go in until about noon). He felt awful when the front person called him and said he could be there by 11am; however, I had to be on the road for class in Arlington by then. Whoops. I just made a new appointment for tomorrow. In the mean time, my hair was a mess. I asked if there was anyone available to just wash my hair for me since I (at this point) really didn't have time to go home and do it myself. Not only did someone wash my hair, she then dried it for me, AND they didn't charge me a cent. How sweet is that?

You think that'd be enough randomness for one day right? No. Finally out at UTA (pronounced "ooh-tawh" in my world), I realized my seminar class is gonna kill me. That in itself was not too bad. I then had to go deal with parking issues. I forgot to get a parking permit when I registered, and since my parking fee in the garage was $5.75 for 2.5 hours, I needed the permit. I'm not paying that much or more every time I go out there! Then my thesis professor "forgot" we had a meeting after my class. I'm gonna kill this man. Yarrgh!

By the time I finally left the campus a little after 2pm, I was starvigating. What could I get that was high protein, low-ish fat and carbs, and portable? I did the drive through at McD's (not my fave, but hey, it's cheap) and got a McNugget Happy Meal. No, I didn't finish it. In fact, I picked off half of the "breading" and only ate half the fries. But onto the weirdness of the experience.... While I was waiting for my box of delight, a bee flew in my car. Dammit! I've only ever been stung once, and I want to keep it that way. Well, I opened the passender window and the sunroof. When it landed on my water bottle, I picked it up and bumped it on the roof through the sunroof. Aha! The bee was gone! Well, before I could close the windows and sunroof, the little bugger was back in my car. I almost had a really girly moment and freaked out. Deep breath. The windows got closed and the sunroof reopened. When it finally landed on a piece of paper, I tried to fling him out the sunroof. Little bastard must have had sticky goo on its feet because it wouldn't let go! Guess what I did? I closed the sunroof with the paper still sticking out. Yes, it prolly looked all white trash, but the bee was out of my car for good. By the time I got to the highway, he was gone. Then I had to get the paper back inside--couldn't be caught littering!

Wish me luck. I still have many hours left in this day.

poll

2008-09-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm watching reruns of Sex in the City, and an interesting question was posed. I'm going to pose it here. Please add a comment (anonymously or not) and let me know your answer/thoughts.

Do all women really just want to be rescued?

ah, a weekend

2008-09-01T20:47:00.003-05:00

Labor Day weekend. It's been nice not laboring much. I do, however, have a couple amusing anecdotes with which to entertain you.

Yesterday morning, I was running late for church because I slept late. Big shocker there. Anywho, we were supposed to be taking some pictures for the Rally Day choir table next week. I stuck my camera in my purse and started to head out the door. Then it occurred to me, I should put my contacts in my eyes. I was so tired that I was feeling extra vain for the "photo shoot." I get the right contact outta its case, stick it in my right palm, add some solution out of the bottle, and proceed to clean my contact. Well, as I'm rinsing the thing off, I notice the edges are all crenated (wrinkly). I thought it was because my hand was still too wet with water when I started the cleaning process. So, I added more solution. Are you seeing where this is going? Ya, it was not contact solution. I had used an old bottle to make a somewhat dilute solution of tea tree oil (to keep around as a natural antiseptic). Yes friends, I cleaned my contact with tea tree oil and put it in my eye. That smarted just a little bit. Luckily I guess my eye sensed the wrongness of it all and closed before I got it totally in my eye. Wow, I knew I was tired, but really? I then proceeded to rinse the contact with the real contact solution and insert it into the aforementioned right eye. Whoa nelly! That was the most painful (and stupid) thing I've done in a really long time! Either I didn't get it rinsed off well, or the original tea tree oil was still in my eye. It was difficult to get the contact out, and when I finally did do it, (after much tearing and wiping of tears without messing up the vanity inspired make up) I wore my glasses for the rest of the day.

Then last night, I was on borders.com because I had a discount code and was trying to get some Christmas shopping done. OMG!!! Their new website sucks ass! It kept kicking me out, not loading pages, or saying "we're sorry, this page is unavailable right now." Ugh! So I got back on today and had a little better luck until it came to entering the code. The code worked yesterday, the site just wouldn't let me check out. Today, it wouldn't accept my code. Yarrgh!!! WTF??? Both days, I've tried to contact the customer service line, but "the customer service center is closed." Really? I'm soooooooooo irritated. I'll try calling again tomorrow, and if they don't accept my discount code, I'm gonna kick some ass. I deserve this code, and if I can't use it, some people may not be getting what they deserve for Christmas. I love my family and friends, and I'd like to get them something nicer than I can actually afford. This was going to allow me to do that. Stupid Borders!

As an addendum: the border.com site now has a "gateway timeout." What in the world is that??? I'm gonna keep trying!

surprise me not

2008-08-30T18:51:00.000-05:00

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm.

Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men

You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Thanks to Army of Mom for posting this first!

odds and ends

2008-08-27T19:39:00.003-05:00

Just a couple things that have happened in the past few days are even worth mentioning. I'll go with that and if anything else comes to me in the meantime, I'll throw that in, too!

I called my mother on Sunday to see if she would accompany me to the local bougie mall; I wanted to go and walk around somewhere so I wouldn't just come home after church and sleep all afternoon. Going to said mall, I was also able to buy some new undergarments. Yep, when you lose weight, everything shrinks. Especially the boobies. =( Oh well. All things in proportion I guess. While we were there, my mother bought nothing. Besides the boring bras, I got a new pair of shoes and a sweater (that was NOT on sale but makes me look really thin). All in all, an expensive but necessary day.

I fell asleep on the couch last night while watching something on TLC. I woke up a little bit about 11 or so, turned off the TV, and went back to sleep. I slept the whole night on the couch with the light still blazing. Dang, I guess I was tired! I even had trouble getting up this morning. That couch is comfy! However, when I woke up, I had a fright. I was on my side with my hand on my hip, and I noticed I had this really hard lump on my hip. OMG, what have I done now??? Lo and behold, it was my hip bone. Wow, I forgot those were there! Another benefit of losing weight!

So when I was at work today, I got off of a meeting/conference call right at 4pm. As soon as I got back into the lab and to the microscope, I realized I had a killer headache. Ya know, the kind where it hurts to turn your head or move your eyeballs. Ugh. I took some Tylenol (ya, that worked--not) and waited a good long while to leave work. Trying to give the stuff time to kick in. When it didn't really, I decided that I needed to stop off somewhere and pick up dinner. There was no way I was gonna be able to cook. Anywho, did I go someplace simple or normal? Of course not. I called and stopped off at Outback for some good, bloody steak. Keep in mind, that even though it is not cheap, it is at least 2 meals. AND they have the baked sweet potatoes back on the menu. Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! What is better than meat, sweet potato, and caesar salad. Yes kids, I had salad. And it didn't hurt my tummy!!! Repeat after me: Hallelujah! My head is still achy, but I don't care quite so much. I have finally prevailed over lettuce. Sah-wheeeeet!

Oh, and in regard to the new guy--he was in town for one night this week, but he got stuck at the office until 9pm. I decided that was too late to try and meet for only about an hour or such. Boo. He will be back next week and won't have to leave again for quite some time. Yay! At least we got to chat a bit. I'm ready for him to be back.