lorioriori

so that Lucas doesn't feel left out....

2008-07-01T23:45:00.000-04:00

we have the baddest kitties!

2008-07-01T23:43:00.001-04:00

EMMETT IS SO NAUGHTY!!!

we outta here baby

2008-06-23T21:53:00.003-04:00

title is from barry bonds, a song off of kanye west's graduation. not my favorite line though - that's "you can get barry to suck my bat, bitch" which just makes me giggle.

back to the monthly post. not much to say that is new EXCEPT, as i compose this, my lady is installing a new faucet in our bathroom sink. isn't that the coolest faucet ever?

30 minutes of nothing

2008-05-06T15:27:00.002-04:00

argh. in huntsville, alabamer. meeting was a waste of time (for now). might end up worth my while later, but certainly not today/this month/this quarter/this calendar year.

it's a lot of cash money to fly from DC to the backyard of space camp for a 30 minute meeting. i wonder how we make money? 'specially since i eat a LOT. well, not really. i never (hardly ever) do room service, and that is very expensive, because hotels charge a 20% fee to bring the food to your room plus a $3 fee to... bring the food to your room, and then the check that needs to be signed has a space to add in a tip, and the delivery person does that pause that really means "you can give me a tip now." a pasta dish and a salad can turn into $50 in a new york minute!

and that's in dallas. damn.

speaking of dallas, i head there next. love that i have to fly from huntsville to charlotte NC to dallas (flying right over huntsville again).

bad kitten!

2008-04-11T22:21:00.002-04:00

every morning, i find either a whole or part of a tissue in the kitty's water dish. i just realized that lucas is pulling bits of tissue from the box on the living room table, because there are torn up tissues coming out of the box. naughty kitten!

and... action!

2008-03-02T10:16:00.001-05:00

new computer!!!

2008-02-23T21:55:00.004-05:00

i finally upgraded the old iBook to a new MacBook! yay! now i can do so many more things so much faster! here is a picture of us from the photobooth! and yes, i do wear this sweatshirt every single day that i can. but i swear, it's clean! i wash it!

banged up

2008-02-21T09:14:00.002-05:00

i was walking - ok, sort of half running, and i slipped (no ice to blame), fell in slow motion onto the frozen jakarta-esque sidewalk that surround my ghetto fabulous neighborhood (jagged and dirty, i am sure some drunk dude prolly peed in the spot in which i landed) and not only did i ruin my fave jeans, i busted my knee something serious AND i missed the concert to which i was heading. argh oooowwwwch!

it doesn't even look that bad in the pic. i ended up in the ER and had to get an iv of antibiotics AND i am taking drugs every four hours. 11, 3, 7, 11, 3, 7, repeat. sucks eggs! it got infected (duh) and the nurse said there was little i could have done to avoid an infection - i cleaned it real good, i swear! the worst part was i had to wear a brace on my leg. i couldn't bend it anyhow b/c of the infection and swelling, but then they wanted me to keep it totally straight (effin' heteros and their agenda) for, like, 5 days! i rebel today. no more brace. i am gimpy enough. though i must say, i felt a sudden comraderie with the handicapable people of the world. you know, those minor little ramps that lead to crosswalks? totally vital. jessica has assuaged my fears of losing my whole leg by telling me "there are plenty of successful amputees in the world, you know".

from Jan 24th....

2008-02-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

Back on the road, my little holiday break of no travel, at least for work, ending (what kind of break was that, with 2 hospitalized and two throwing and going? F that. Do-over.) This has been an especially grueling week thus far – visited the folks last Thursday, left on MLK Day to head to somewhere Alabama, then to Little Rock (where is the rock anyhow) for 2 gloriously freezing days – yes, Alabamer gets cold as shit, who know – and I currently sit on a plane route to sunny – nope, raining Laguna Beach. Dag!

I return mid-Atlantic-side Sunday night. What is that, 10 days away? Eleven? Fortunately I had the foresight to wash me undies at me mom’s place. I think I can make it without a day of commando. If I need to go bare, it will be Sunday, the day I spend from 10 until 7 on planes. Think about that. How many people sitting around me are panty-less? Gross.

Still awaiting the day when all these miles flown translate into auto upgrades to the front of the plane. American sucks because so many people have status higher than my first-level Gold status. Rumor has it US Air bumps you more often. US Air happens to not be the easiest transfers for my trips of late. Damn you US Air!

Oooo – snackies! This isn’t Delta – I looooove those Biscoff cookies! – but it’s something.

getting hit on by a "member of the band" blah blah

2007-12-12T22:19:00.000-05:00

at the swankiest, coolest, most perfect hotel ever - the colcord in oklahoma city. ice storm shut down this state earlier in the week, and this hotel is full (so said the two girls at the front desk, checking me in last night). they also couldn't help themselves when they said "there's a rock band staying here too!" it took a single raised eyebrow to get it out of them - kid rock! ha! i don't even like him but still! cool!

"and he's downstairs in the bar, you should come with us, we'll be there in 10!"

i did. and i got a beer, a grilled cheese, and a very attentive musician - not kid rock - hanging all over me. kid was sitting about 5 feet away from me, not really paying attention to anyone. and musician man was thinking he would get somewhere, anywhere, with me. which he wouldn't, of course. not only is he a man, he's a studio musician who lives in detroit and is, a-hem, 55. that's 4 counts against you, buddy. not interestingly, he disappeared (i almost wrote disapparated, harry potter much?) within 15 seconds of my telling him, in a conspiring tone, that i'm gay. poof. gone. done.

he had already given me his card and told me he'd put me on the list for the show if i called him. i thought about it but i bailed. no need to put up with that nonsense again, or to send mixed messages, or to use someone just to get into a free show to see someone i don't really like.

makes for a most entertaining story though. finally, all this travel leads to an interesting night!

tex-ar-what-a?

2007-12-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

in yet another hampton inn. another hotel that smells of sewage. the last time this happened (i think last week?) they said it was because the city was digging up the road and the smell was coming up through the pipes. that was in dallas, at the swanky hotel. now it's happening in texarkana, sans road work, sans swank.

i walked over to the olive garden (hey, it was there or sonic) and talked to J for a minute. she said "you are probably the only person walking in texarkana." she was right. i ventured over to pier one imports and bought a candle, only to have the little energy saver lightbulb go off over my head (delay and all) when i realized i don't have any matches with me. this is probably the ONLY time i wished i was near a smoker. no restaurants within walking distance had matches either, so i hopped in my impala and drove to a gas station. the man behind the counter said he didn't have matches either, so i pulled out a dollar and complained about how i would have to throw away this cheap mini lighter tomorrow at the airport when he reached under the counter and found a book of matches, miraculously. now i wait for this cheap candle to, at a minimum, cover the scent of OPP (other people's poo).

sorry, no fun to report here. no interesting places to eat, nothing fun to do. wait until tomorrow, when i am in oklahoma city!

Juarez, almost

2007-12-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

El Paso. I am intrigued by this place. Mountains, border control, Spanish spoken everywhere. It’s like no place I’ve ever been. J says that there is no way in hell she’d live here, but I find it charming.

I was upgraded to a Mustang. Awesome! I think people looked at me funny whenever I got out of that hunk of a car, thinking “what is that girl doing in a muscle car?” I wonder that myself. Once I got used to the giant hood, and once I adjusted the seat so I could see over that hood, I started to have some fun. Racing at red lights means something completely different in a ‘stang. You always win.

I expected the gas mileage to be horrendous but it wasn’t too bad, surprisingly. What was horrendous was the roadkill I spotted on the drive from El Paso to Alamogordo and back: dogs (like pets, not like wild dogs), foxes, birds and bunnies, and 2 cows. Yup. Cows. Too many animals die on the side of the highways in this country. But never did I expect cows.

back from the stomach bug

2007-12-03T19:26:00.000-05:00

last wednesday, i made a huge mistake in eating at chipotle after going to the 8pm yoga class. around 3am, i awoke with an intense tummy ache. i thought it was because i ate some quacamole (i have an avocado allergy but it tastes!so!good!) and i figured i was paying my dues for sampling. an hour later (an hour of moaning and scaring the cats), all that i ate came roaring back up - undigested. from 4am thursday morning until 8pm thursday night, i was throwing and going. ugh. lovely imagery but screw this, it's my blog! i begged J to stay home with me from work - she obliged - and i was a miserable patient i am sure. sick sick sick. like i haven't been since elementary school.

not sure if the culprit truly is chipotle or a virus - though i had no other symptoms (no fever until friday morning when the scale revealed that i also lost 5lbs, no aches, no pains aside from the knives in my gut, no sweats or chills) it matters not. the mere thought of that cheap vegetarian friendly burrito joint brings the taste of bile to the back of my throat. damn IT!

5 days later and i am back on the road. in dallas now - at my favorite hotel! they upgraded me to their swankiest suite - i have a balcony and a full kitchen and a soaking tub - but unfortunately i am only staying one night. i am still under the weather a bit and go from feeling nauseous to feeling hungry and back again. i ate my first full meal last night and then today it's been touch and go. just had dinner and though my hunger won at the table, i feel too full for my own good. i have to work but in an hour, i am going to use that soaking tub. this is the good life... or it can be... wait until i report from texarkana and see what swank i'm experiencing.

yoga update

2007-11-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

Yoga update, as promised. Oh my goodness! Shame on me for poking fun at yogis for all these years. It is hard! It is grounding. It is the best!

My neighbor Mary invited me and J to attend class with her a few Sunday mornings ago. We decided to pay for one month unlimited, and those of you who know me know that I absolutely needed to use up the free month in excess of what it would have cost to attend so many classes in a month. Right now, I’ve brought it down to about $8 a class (normal charge for a drop in is $20).

There have been a few instructors that I haven’t liked that much but even so, each and every class been a work out like nothing I expected. My arms are killing me today, and other days it’s been my hamstrings (one teacher talked about making our hamstrings “juicy” which made me a bit nauseas) but I got through it. I don’t really love the meditation part but I find it useful in grounding me. And I can’t stand the exercise of squeezing out every last fraction of a breath of air before inhaling because that makes me feel panicky. All the complaining aside, I love yoga! Love! It!

In between yoga classes and flights around our large country, J and I went to see Tegan and Sara. I can’t say enough about these two! Their music is fantastic – fresh, interesting, catchy. Ok, so the critic that is my brother probably won’t love them, but then again, maybe he will. I can’t predict his taste in music anymore. And if he does take my advice and listens to them, mark my words, in two years he’ll be trying to introduce them to me (as he did with The Glands).

I am en route to St. Louis for work and I get to squeeze in dinner with Sarah G! It’s the best when work coincides with friends. If only I didn’t have to fly back tomorrow.

sugar spell it out

2007-11-19T19:07:00.000-05:00

You know when you learn a new song and it takes all of your strength to not sing it aloud? That's what The Con - the album in it's entirety - is doing to me! I am crazy with Tegan & Sara songs! I am also still at work and it's after 7 pm because my ride had a late meeting. I would have worn smarter shoes had I known she'd be 2 hours late. I can't walk to the metro in gold heels. Really.

Off to ABQ for work/turkey day. I might be missing out on some good family time because my brother and his GF are introducing the parents to each other on Thanksgiving Day. Dang! That just smells of drama. Especially since my dad is hard of hearing and her dad speaks Spanish. So I think there is going to be a lot of "huh, what did he say?" and "CAN YOU PLEASE PASS THE TURKEY" (because my dad simply speaks louder when someone doesn't understand him) and I am going to miss out on every last moment of it. Good luck, J and M. May I suggest you have a bottle of scotch handy to ease the aggravation. I'll be drinking at a casino with my faux-in-laws. Hells yeah!

southwest airlines, argh

2007-11-12T19:05:00.000-05:00

On Southwest Airlines. In the second-to-worst seat on the whole plane. Last row, but at least it isn’t the middle. I am heading back to AZ, this time to Flagstaff. I have an exciting executive team presentation to give tomorrow morning (yay!) so that’s something to look forward to. But my ass is aching and we have 2.5 hours left to go on this flight from hell. The gentleman seated in the aisle mentioned that he has an upset stomach and that’s why he wanted the last row to be close to the loo, “but don’t worry, I won’t throw up on you!” Perhaps not. Instead, he’s been farting. I want to throw up.

My opinion on this airline? Even with the new herding system (I was B29) it still sucks. SUCKS! However, they gave me a little snack box, which is more than American Airlines gives. So.

Mole update: big nasty scab. I think something went wrong at some point because everyone else I’ve spoken with about mole removal hasn’t had such an ordeal. I think it’s my weak constitution.

Can’t write a sentence more. The man in front of me is in full lounge position, forcing my laptop into my gut. Next time, I’ll update you on my discovery of yoga! I need some of that shit right now, in fact. And if you are bored with your music collection, click on over to iTunes and download Tegan & Sara’s The Con. It’s the best.

in search of good pizza

2007-10-30T21:19:00.000-04:00

greetings from dallas! if ever you find yourself here, i highly recommend staying at hotel lumen and eating at a small italian joint called olivella's. i had the best pizza since my last visit to pino's in boston. DC pizza sucks (as a rule) and i dream of opening a pino's II one day.

good news - the giant hole in my leg was all for nothing as my mole is benign. that's great and all, but i did THROW UP for this. what am i saying? it's not like i'd be happier if it was bad news bears. if i toss my lunch based on a little mole removal, imagine me going through chemo. how did my dad do it? ugh.

packing for this trip, i didn't have a new book to take with me, so i pulled the tao of pooh out of the bookshelf and started to read it again. i'm not sure if it's going to help me much, but it's nice to revisit. maybe the book will chill me out a bit.

boss sent me an email tonight asking for time to chat before friday and then said "don't worry, you are absolutely not in trouble" which sort of makes me think i am.

mole be gone

2007-10-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

One week without travel and I am totally off my game! I loved being home for the past 10 days, but I hated being in the office. Cubby hell makes me feel completely crazy. As I write this, I am happily on a plane to Tucson AZ (again). Warm Arizona weather…just like warm DC weather I guess.

Yesterday, I went to the dermatologist about a mole that my doctor didn’t like. I had a full body mapping which involved me lying in a paper gown, completely naked, with the doctor looking me up and down. Far more intimate than the average physical. The only point of concern was the mole on my leg, and she asked if I wanted to come back or if she could simply take a biopsy of the mole right then and there. Those of you with any medical knowledge would have understood what she meant. Fool I am, I thought she was going to take a piece of the mole – to “biopsy the mole” as opposed to remove the mole. Right, I get it now, it’s the same damn thing. Plus, who wants a half-mole left? But I was unprepared. And alone. And I had to return to work, and then ride my bike home. You can see this is going in a bad direction.

The “little pinch” of lidocane was more like a huge giant pinch. (I am on a plane and feeling nauseous just thinking about this)… she took a big chunk of my leg off. I was queasy so she had me remain horizontal for a few, and then I had to sit up for a few. I felt relatively ok 10 minutes later, but as I walked to the check out counter, I had to use every last ounce of energy to keep, as the page on 30 Rock would say, “the sick down.” Since I was about to ralph, I tried counting backwards and then forwards and WHY IS SHE TAKING SO LONG TO RUN MY CREDIT CARD and out to the waiting room, into the bathroom, up with lunch.

Sadly, our neighbors made us dinner the night before and I had leftovers for lunch, food that was delicious going down that I will likely never be able to eat again.

I suffered through the rest of the day’s meetings and slowly rode my bike home, wincing the whole ride. When I got home, I passed out for over an hour. Of course, los gatos were running over me and Lucas wanted to sleep ON my sore spot. It wasn’t until J came home (armed with white bread for toast) and changed my bandage that I realized the whole mole was missing. Mole to hole. OUCH!

It hurt about 1000x worse than “a simple cut, like if you cut your leg shaving” which, for the record, I haven’t done since I was 14. It still hurts now. I can feel a phantom mole in the hole. I’ll know in 2 weeks if it was cancerous or en route to becoming cancer. To be honest, I liked that mole. It looked good. Mole no more. Wonder if I’ll get used to the hole. For now, Hello Kitty bandages….for a long time.

a toothpick holder IS a good gift!

2007-10-10T14:46:00.000-04:00

This week proved to be relatively slow for travel, save for October 9th. My acting assistant (my real one is on vacation) scheduled me for a visit on the day after my birthday. In Gallup, 2 hours west of Albuquerque. Seeing as I didn’t want to travel on my birthday, I was creative and tried to solve around this issue by implementing the following travel schedule: get up at 4.30am to catch the 6am flight to ABQ via Dallas, arrive at 10am, pick up a green chile breakfast burrito, drive 2 hours to the meeting at 1.30pm, drive back to ABQ for a 5.30pm flight home via Dallas, and be back home at 1am. As I write this, it is 10.30pm EST. I’ve been awake for 18 hours now, save a nap or two on the multiple planes. Best practice is to avoid day trips to the west. Lesson learned.

When I travel to warmer climates, I typically wear flip flops, especially in the summer. I always keep a pair of socks with me in the event of hot pilots. Somewhere between landing in New Mexico and taking off from New Mexico, I lost my socks. This tragic incident reminds me of Tom Robbins’ Skinny Legs and All which, incidentally, I just read for the second time. I am not a huge fan of re-reading books, but since the last time I read it I was in undergrad, I gave it another go. I love that book! A tale of a dirty sock, a spoon, and a can o’ beans learning how to be animate inanimate objects (along with some stuff about fighting in Jerusalem which rings true today as it did the day it was written). Oh lost socks, may you learn how to wiggle around in this big world without me.

I had the glorious opportunity to have dinner from the bookstore in DFW: Fig Newtons (fruit, fiber) and Reese’s Pieces (protein) and an apple juice (fruit again) on the plane. Who is jealous?

Oh! I had a birthday! Most creative birthday ever, courtesy J. She came up with a scavenger hunt and each clue led to a present. I was so impressed and I have to share it with my loyal readers (if you exist).

Clue #1: When Lincoln was president, he did a lot for the relationship between blacks and whites. I wonder if he were around today, if he’d do the same for gays and straights.

This required a little extra help from J. She told me to start walking where I think the answer would be. My first guess was a new gay bar that’s 2 blocks from our house. Fortunately, it was hot out and she didn’t want to walk to the wrong place. I guessed another place but I was wrong again. “You’re thinking about the wrong part of the riddle.” Ah-ha! Lincoln Theatre on U Street. But…. Most of the shows there are very expensive (believe it). The GLBT Film Festival is taking place there and she got us tickets to see Itty Bitty Titty Committee which I’ve been dying to see! Awesome.

Clue #2: Creamy, sticky and sweet. Here are some hand-sewn concoctions you’d love to sink your teeth into.

Mayday! What the hell? Candy….sewn? My simple brain struggled. It wasn’t until J mentioned the Daily Candy and a new place she had just pointed out to me the day before. She had me lead her to where I think it might be and we arrived at a new boutique called Caramel. She had a purchased a gift card for me and I got to try on all of the clothes (well, the ones in my size) and pick out a fancy article of clothing that I’d never buy for myself. Awesome! (This gift forced her to take me to Nordstroms the next day to buy another gift – Spanks. If you haven’t tried them, go now! It’s like a crash diet without the diet!)

Clue #3: Don’t let your new digs sit out too long or they’ll attract these.

Got it! Shoefly! She had another gift certificate to this cute store with funky shoes.

Kudos to J. Not only did she come up with a creative way for me to discover presents, but she kept it all local and at locally-owned stores/venues! Rock star girlfriend.

What did I get her but 10 days prior for her birthday? I bow my head in shame. I got her a toothpick dispenser, a belt, and a pillow. But she loves toothpicks!

Travel back to NOLA

2007-09-24T23:03:00.000-04:00

I am going to turn my blog into a travel diary of sorts. I am really bad about updating it, but now that I have hours upon hours on airplanes during which I can work (boring), read (averaging about ½ a book per flight I am wearing out my library card), and listen to my tunes, I reckon I can also create documents that I can simply cut and paste into this blog. Plus, I have a terrible memory, and some random shit happens to me on the road, stories that, left unrecorded, will slip away if not caught in the net of my blog.

And I certainly can use practice writing.

When I travel, I try to make it as exciting as possible. I like to eat at cool restaurants and run in the great outdoors and shop in locally owned stores. Though I respect the joys of eating at Panera Breads all across this land of ours’ (internet access is always free and always works), I enjoy discovering quirky eateries and learning new neighborhoods.

Last week I was in Little Rock, AR. I hate this town. Ok, that’s not exactly fair. I hate Hertz at this airport in this town. Every time (ok, twice) that I’ve flown in and tried to pick up my car, reserved with GPS, they never have GPS. Whoops, we just gave away our last car with GPS! Whoops! Can I give you directions? Would you like a map? No, woman, I’d like a little computer telling me where to go. Argh.

I landed in the early evening and checked into the Hilton (in name and toiletries alone – overall a slight disappointment). After a quick search online, I discovered Loca Luna’s as a vegetarian friendly restaurant that uses local produce in a cute little neighborhood… which looked cooler on the map than it did in person. It was a tricky place – the front door evaded me and I stood waiting for a long time at the back door before a waitress asked me “honey, you waitin’ for a seat?” and directed me to the host. I was seated outside, alone with my book in tow. Within minutes, the host seated two ladies who I think are gay too (guessed by the universal cues: smoking, baseball hats, baggy clothes, and 2 Miller Lights. They were also a little chubby. Why my mother believes that lesbians are always skinny, I’ll never know. Hasn’t she seen Rosie O’Donnell?) Dinner was rather nice – I ordered a vegetable and rice skillet, and it was a literal order. It came in a skillet, handle and all, hot off the stovetop. For dessert, I had a decadent dark chocolate crème brulee, which wasn’t eggy at all but like a dense mousse, topped with caramelized sugar and whipped cream. Delightful!

For shame, I didn’t make it to Central High. It is the 40th anniversary of that day when segregation ended in schools and a few brave students, escorted by men with guns, entered school. I wanted to drive past the school, but I was on a tight schedule and it was seeing a landmark or eating lunch. Had I more time, Central High and the Clinton Library would have been on my tour de Little Rock. Instead, I dined at Starving Artists Café. As the title suggests, it’s run by a group of hungry (for money) artists. I had mushroom soup and a lovely, if small, salad of greens with toasted pecans, gorgonzola, and apples. Yum. The joint is covered in art for sale by local starving artists. My eye has not been formally trained in art, but I’ll leave it at this: there is a reason some of these self-appointed artists are hungry.

From the Rock, I flew to New Orleans. My car (Hertz again) had GPS but smelled a bit like Katrina. I had a bare bones Corolla, but that car gets gas mileage to brag about! It was 7pm and I decided to wing it, to drive home the backroads I used to take when I lived in the City That Care/Government Forgot. You know, it’s really not that nice there – still. Two long years and there are tons of boarded up houses, businesses closed for good, cars abandoned on the side of the road… though they might be recent abandonments, truth be told. I drove to Flying Juan’s Burrito, the one on Carrollton and Canal, and ordered a Veggie Punk burrito. It took what felt like an hour to get my take away order. In the meantime, I watched the bartender mix margaritas and pour them into paper cups with lids and straws to boot. Sometimes, I really miss the drinks-to-go policy in NOLA. It cracks me up, the freedom that I feel when I am allowed by state law to walk around in public with an open container of booze. The drive-through daiquiri bars are my favorite. Well, if people wouldn’t drink and drive, I’d like them much more. Just pick up your drink and drive home, then drink. “One for the road” literally translated into action, I suppose.

I stayed at the International House on Camp Street, on the other side of Canal from the French Quarter. My room must have had ceilings 15’ high. I love New Orleans architecture. Aveda-stocked bathroom and a robe for my relaxing pleasure all added up to a great hotel. The next day, I got up early for a conference call and then drove over to Audubon Park for a run. The path around the park seems to have shrunk, that or I was a lazy runner when I lived there. The park looks good, but on my run past the zoo I couldn’t help but wonder about the animals when Katrina hit. Did they starve to death in their cages designed for the general public’s viewing pleasure? Then I started to get sad.

Whole Foods on Magazine is up and running as it was before the storm. It was busy, too. In fact, that’s the only place I actually saw other people. I drove around the Quarter and it was empty, a ghost town. I know it was a Wednesday afternoon, but I expected to see a few shoppers. Nothing. Creepy!

I had lunch at Thirteen on Frenchman and again, I was the only one around. Me, the bartender/waitress, and the cook. Good food for standard lunch fare. It was a strange experience to be there again, and to explore New Orleans all alone. I had an appointment in Slidell, and I drove past New Orleans East on I-10. The damage out there is exponentially worse than anything I saw downtown. Even from the highway, the scenery was depressing. Shopping plazas closed for good, Six Flags a skeleton of an amusement park, and highway signs broken in half, left for the driver to decipher the full exit name. Across the lake, Slidell was fine, undamaged. What a few miles can do for your property.

guess who's back

2007-09-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

like eminem, i am back. but i date myself because i think he's gone again.

all things green

2007-06-04T11:45:00.000-04:00

not only does lucas love chives, he also loves broccoli rabe, arugula, and lettuce. he doesn't like swiss chard. the experiment continues. perhaps i should find out if any of these greens are good for him..... iamabadmom! damn!

i am going to (one day) put pictures up. *promise*

we saw baby lucas again this weekend (j's cousin's baby) and he is cutest! but the jury is out on whether i can do the real mommyhood thing. the cats are enough work, and require enough attention, for me and j. if we babysit a lot and enjoy it and save a ton of cash, maybe we can consider it in a few.... i want to say years, but then i will be too damn old. maybe in a year. who knows.

right now my job is my focus, that and planning a vacation. i miss the beach!

travelin' girl

2007-05-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

new job at company z means lots of travel. thus far, i've been to tennessee, central PA, chicago and rhode island. every week i am going to be on a plane for at least 2 trips. i am starting to have mixed feelings - excited to travel because it gets me out of the office yet dreading the constant eating out/running around/packing and unpacking.

right now i need to prove myself at work. i need to succeed. they test often - "let's role play!" and that drives me a little crazy. i prefer to just hit the road and do my job. i don't like pretending. i am too impatient.

what else..... we are growing a few herbs outside in a pot. the other day, it was forecast to be cold overnight,so we brought the herb garden inside. lucas decided to help us out with the chives and mowed them for us. lucas the cat with chive breath.

Nose Faucet

2007-03-20T22:30:00.000-04:00

AARRGH! I hate having a cold! I hate the first few days like nothing else! Drip drip drip. I am sore and cranky and weak. My last day at my job is tomorrow and I want to call out sick. But that will be total scumbag of me (though the truth). I will, however, go in quite late and leave quite early. I think I'll take myself out for a congratulatory hot toddy in the bar downstairs. J is going to Bal'mor for a conference. Oh well. No one likes to hang out with a drippy nose companion.

Ah, the wonders of Nyquil... starting to work magic sleep tricks on me.. must sign off... zzzzzzz

The Notice.

2007-03-13T17:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I gave it... the dreaded Notice of Resignation. Oh how I hate making that call, writing that letter! I feel like SUCH a jerk, even when I know (from many a confirmed story) that company A would fire me in a heartbeat if they wanted me gone. It must be the old Irish|catholic guilt kicking in. Those years of exposure rubbed off. There is no fighting it.

Today I have become the classic lazy last days of work employee. Why bother? My last day is next Wednesday (yes, the workaholic in me can't even take a full week before staring my new job with company Z - i took 4 days). Between now and then, methinks I will get a novel to read while sitting at my desk. Truth be told, anything I sell will be money in the bank.. but I only make 1/2 of my money. Company A takes 50% of my cash. And my guilt has just been reduced by the same percentage. Freedom!

Here's to weekends off, to meeting new colleagues, and to cookie hour! Boo to working 9-5, but it beats 10-6 with a stick. Now that the sun stays out until the clocks read almost 7, I just want to be out of work that much sooner.

it's snowing!!

2007-02-25T13:58:00.000-05:00

wow, i almost forgot about how beautiful snow is in the city. the trees are covered in white branches, the roads are still white (and dangerous) not yet brown by sanding, and everything is framed in white. AND i got out of work today! bonus.

interview day went well, i think. there aren't any cringe-worthy moments that i can recall, but still, i don't know. i never expect anything from an interview anymore. a place that has cookie hour every day at 2pm is certainly going to be a cool place to work, i am sure. still i cannot get my hopes up (cannot!) because the dreary truth of the matter is i am parking my sorry arse in silver spring until i am not. and i have to be happy with my immediate situation. i have to figure out how to be happy in this situation, because i have to make money. there.

we had dinner with our neighbors last night (fellow tulanians, law school, graduated in 2002) and it was really nice. i am thrilled to know - and LIKE - my next door neighbors. it does make for potential discomfort, like when she told me she heard me coughing the other morning.. which means she can hear us making loud noises.. ugh.

i am going to spend the afternoon attempting to make irish soda bread. if i succeed on this test loaf, i think my dad would appreciate me sending him some. since the "fallout" with his side of the family (read: they hate the gays and my parents stood up for me - how cool are my folks? talk about support!) he hasn't received the bi-annual loaf from my cousin. i think my bro's GF makes it, or she used to make it. even so, my dad can handle two loaves of irish bread. i wonder whose will be better... :) those sound like fighting words!

ch-ch-ch-changes

2007-02-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

so, i have upgraded to blogger google whatever this is. i don't even know. but it should look better. hmmm. we'll see. and maybe one day i'll bother to post pictures!

work is a nightmare. i am being moved to a new project but first i have to clean up the mess of the old project and i am losing the potential to make any money by doing this. sales are frozen but i have to sit my sorry arse here and make everything perfect before running out the door.

jewls is coming to visit tomorrow (yay!) and i am looking forward to going to duffy's for a beer and a vegetarian irish burrito. yummm.

happy fat tuesday. 2 short years ago, i was surrounded by friends, elbowing drunk men out of the way for cheap beads, drinking the high life out of cans stashed in C's backpack. who knew what was coming in the months ahead. (um, well, a LOT of people knew what was coming, actually... but i'd rather not get all political/angry right now.)

BIG interview tomorrow. we'll see. 3 hours and a role play. i guess they'd only put themselves through that if they actually like me. who knows. as my brother can attest, some agencies don't have the guts to end the interview process when it's apparent that it won't work.

moody

2007-02-09T16:19:00.000-05:00

i really cannot function without sleep. i feel like a crazy moody lady today. last night i fell asleep ok, but at 4.30am, i woke up with a start. i read for about 1/2 hour but that distruption was long enough to make me nutso today. reading The Historian right now, well written and more than a bit creepy which isn't the best insomnia remedy but it was either the book or the Crate and Barrel catalouge, and then i would start buying things online....

the P.H. job called me again today. they are trying to coordinate schedules so i can come in for the second interview. it may be next week. ARGH! i will NEED to be ON. i will need to be better than good. i gotta wow them, because i need to get out of my current job. i never have a day off. ever. and it's stressing me out like nothing else i've ever experienced. plus, the joy of the weekend is lost when your weekend is during the week. yeah, it's nice to go to trader joe's on thursday afternoon instead of saturday (what with the crowds) but i spend my "weekends" alone. when i am taking appointments on sunday and my customers say "oh, we just had the best brunch!" it makes me angry jealous.

in other stress-related news, i need new running sneakers. i spent 25 minutes on the elliptical yesterday, and by minute 17 my feet were tingling. ouch. i think getting back into a good workout routine will work wonders.

time flies

2007-02-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

wow. i am such a blogga slacka. since i've last posted, i've banged up the new car (but it's a lease! who cares!) and we've upgraded to a 42" flat screen (thanks boss) so... yeah. that's all new. what else?

i would love to invest in a new computer, but no $$. sales have picked up so work has been busy, but i remain secretly busy seeking a new job in public health. no bites yet. one interview, big company tho' and it is still sales. the 2 week deadline passed since the interview - and by deadline, i mean self-imposed - but whatevs. if they don't want me, i still have income.

my brother visited, and for the record he is the most polite houseguest we've yet to host! he keeps his things put away, he literally glides up and down the stairs, he made us a fantastic dinner. and bought us tongs. i imitated the recipe he made us the day after he left and used the tongs. how did i survive so long tong-less?

that sets the bar, then. come one, come all, houseguests. just come ringing the doorbell with your elbows, as my pops used to say.

i am very sad right now. J bought karaoke nation for the xbox (thanks again, boss!) and she can't set up the xbox to work with our new tv system. i want to sing!

MAZDA!

2006-11-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

the jetta has kicked it. fare thee well, $500 tax donation! hello, mazda3 s grand touring!

cars are so blah these days, i couldn't get excited about anything except a benz or a bmw. J pointed out that to go from a '99 jetta with 100k to a brand new 3 series would be a bit much. she also doesn't think we "fit" a bmw. i told her to speak for herself and we went to the dealer. apparently, the salesperson didn't think we "fit" a bmw either. what an ass.

honda, 'yota, mini, mazda. i sort of gave it up to J and she picked out the car that i actually liked! of course, since we've had the luxury of driving my boss David's car (c class), i wanted all the options - heated seats, auto dimming mirror (redheads have very sensey eyes, you know), a good stereo, you know, like, EVERYTHING. and we got it! woooooohoooooooo!

bose speakers! ipod connector! only time will tell if these speakers can hold up to my usage. who cares! it's a lease!

and all at a price point that we can afford. finally. affordable luxury. well, you know, as luxurious as a mazda can be.

visitors!

2006-10-26T16:44:00.000-04:00

it has been a whirlwind week. J's aunt was here from nuevo mexico (staying in a cool hotel, with an old *nearly* manual elevator - no pressing buttons on this one) for 2 nights, then her cousin was here from london, then one night off and my sister was here for the weekend, then kp from oz was here! fun fun fun! i love having visitors, it makes me feel like #1 i know my way around DC and #2 i can tell people things about DC that they don't otherwise know. ok, neither worked with kp since she's from here... but still. somehow it makes me feel connected to the city. i want to represent it well.

(wo)man town [read: tv room] is well on it's way to being complete. we picked up a fab couch at the crate and barrel outlet for 45% of the normal price. steal. and a huge mirror for the bedroom, allowing us to see what we look like when we walk out the door. we still need a bookcase, a new desk, and a big piece of art for above the bed. but it's coming along. we have so much wall space we don't know what to do with it. and big art = big credit card bills.

work is fine/slow. the weather took a severe turn for the cold. and all else is great. oh! i have a new theory on gay marriage. how about instead of pushing for equal rights, we just strip str8 people of the rights that marriage gives them (tax benies, survivorship rights, what have you)? then people who remain single for life don't lose out either. i mean, come on, why should you get a better tax rate because you said some vows in front of a group of people?

morals

2006-10-03T15:58:00.000-04:00

hey, back again after another month off... oopsie. i don't really bring my mac with me to work anymore as i have a (piece of #@!!#@@ hp) 'puder at my desk.. and once i get home, the last thing i want to look at is a screen with tiny words on it. but hey, i have a crackberry, so you can just email me directly when you want an update and i *promise* i will respond quickly.

today i was faced with immoral, unethical and downright nasty practices here in the real estate business. i find it so frustrating, but there is nothing i can do but suck it up for the sale. a woman, licensed in another state, brought her daughter in. daughter purchased. there was a whole conversation about how mom isn't able to get commission b/c she isn't licensed here, yadda yadda, no biggie. the next day, mom calls all upset, telling me her broker (she's a part time agent) wants his name on the contract, they deserve the commission, etc. the law states that as a buyer's respresentative, you have to be the "procuring cause" of a sale. you know, YOU inform them of the property, you bring them to the property, you attend the first meeting, you do all the work, etc. the daughter found out about the property because of an email blast we sent out, the mom's broker never had anything to do with it, it's all BS. but "save the sale" and write them in.

makes me nutso. it's so wrong. not that i am trying to save the big corporation's dollar or anything. i could care less about that. but it's the practice of this other broker, the demands, the game just to get paid on something they don't deserve that makes me infuriated.

plus i am in real estate school now, so i am TOTALLY holier than thou when it comes to the letter of the law. well, as holy as an athiest can be.

in other news, it's nice being a homeowner, the gatos are really happy with the new place (i can tell!) and my big birthday is coming up. not that it's a big birthday per normal standards, but every birthday is a big one to me! wooooohoooooo!

moving!!

2006-09-11T11:31:00.000-04:00

after a lovely little text message calling me a blog slacker, i decided to bring back my blog! it's been over a month. sorry. i know you 3 readers out there have been missing me. :)

big news indeed - we've moved! (again) this time we did it right - with money. we hired a moving company to haul our crap out of the old place and into the new! it was quite nice to sit back and order my things to be placed where i wanted them. no back pain, no pulling jessica off the back of the truck accidentally, no blood, no sweat, no tears. at least not for us! well spent cash, for sure.

that was saturday. sunday was less fun. in order to get our deposit back (since we are breaking our lease), we agreed to paint our entire place and steam clean the carpets for the landlord. the sweat and tears came in abundance. sometimes, i think we plan too many things in one day. we patched holes, painted, cleaned, steamed, had to clean again, and ran around in circles trying to complete our work while out-running the homo depot deadline to return the steam cleaner. with one hour to spare, we completed our tasks! now i have to pick up all of our food and the vacuum and a few cleaning supplies, and we will be completely done with our old place! relief. well, once i get the check from the landlord.....

our new place is freakin' awesome but there is no running water in the kitchen right now. dunno why. no one else has this issue. we had running water the day we bought the place. where did it go? allegedly the developer is looking into it, but no word yet and it is just about noon. hmmmm. if that isn't fixed by the time i get home today i am not going to be a happy homeowner.

i can't wait for visitor! i can't wait to host dinner parties! we have rooftop terrace that's covered, so we can use the outdoor space well into the cold weather. i had my coffee up there this morning. ahhhhhhh. love it.

there's my update. a big move, purchasing a condo (details of stress far too many to repeat), oh and jess got a fabulous job that she loves! life is ok. indeed.

chubs

2006-08-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

OMG, i have gained weight. for real. everything feels a *little* bit snug. and visiting the family this past weekend confirmed it. they hold nothing back. so today i bid a sad goodbye to second dinner. now i can only have first dinner. so sad. food tastes so yummy.

we went to provincetown, showed J the atlantic - well, she claims she's been in it before, but come on, that was when she was 4 years old. that totally doesn't count. had a lovely time, my bro came with us which was wicked cool. and my sister rented a honda pilot. unfortunately, me and my girl got stuck in the "way back" due to our shorter legs. to think that we used to fight over the way back as children. that vechicle is more truck than SUV. and yes, they are evil and waste gas, but i think one SUV with 7 of us in it uses less gas than 2 cars, right?

los gatos were alone all weekend, save for C and L feeding them. i fully expected gato attitude last night, but instead they were snuggleheads! soooo cute. i almost forgot what it was like to sleep with 2 cats pushing against my legs. needless to say, it's easier to sleep without them.

but i love them! love them!

use a damn toothpick

2006-07-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

went for a bike ride today. 5 short miles, ALL HILLS. that's the thing about living at the highest point in a city - to go anywhere, you go downhill. to get home, you have to go up those same damn hills that were so much fun to fly down. i am in pain. J is in pain. we made pizza tonight, and after bending down to check on it as it bubbled up in the oven, i was stuck. j had to come pull me out of my crouching position. if 31 is this bad, 32 isn't looking too promising.

i love making pizza at home, but i think next time i'll make the dough too. trader joe's has decent, cheap dough ($0.79) but it wasn't quite good enough. plus i love to do everything from scratch. i even made the sauce! yum yum!

our tomato paste had some, uh, penicillin qualities to it, so j and i ran over to whole paycheck to pick some up... and have our appetizer of cheese and cakes and whatever they have on sample. j was trying to get a toothpick to get (yet another) cheese sample, and some pushy DC preppy ignorant chick walks up and reaches in WITH HER HAND!!! i say to her "there's a reason you should use a toothpick, that's nasty" and she giggles and walks away. i continue with "i don't want your disgusting germs on my food you stupid bitch." she didn't hear that last part and j reprimanded me, but i was so so so crazy mad! i mean, j was obviously trying to get a toothpick out because that's what you are supposed to do. and that she not only stuck her nasty fingers in there, but she cut in line! i wanted to kick her in the shin!

and that's when i realized that i needed a nap.

jade

2006-07-09T20:34:00.000-04:00

J and i were inspired by all the futbol watching (poor france - but i daresay italy's win is tempered by the fact that it was through penatly kicks. in other words, don't go celebrating too much italy. it was a keeper's game in the end.) she suggested we go outside and break in my new glove. oh my, i am a bad lesbian. if i can't throw a softball from 1st base to 2nd base, then i can't make the team... if i was trying out for a team, that is. J says i'm good, but after 20 minutes i hurt. i think i pulled my shoulder.

and in other bad news, when trying to catch a stellar throw, the ball hit my jade bracelet spot on, cracking it in three equal pieces. i know that jade bracelets are worn to promote health and long life, but what does it mean when it breaks? a quick google proved futile. (yes, i am using google as a verb in that sentence.) one site suggested that broken jade means harm was heading my way, but the jade broke in place of me.

regardless, i am without a jade bracelet now. i haggled for that thing! i played the game with a street vendor in thailand for my jade bracelet! i officially put it on and did not remove it when i moved to DC, to help me find a job. and now that it's broken, i fear negativity on my horizon!

what kind of atheist am i? i don't believe in god but i believe in a jade bracelet? oh dios mio!

blast from the past

2006-06-29T12:47:00.000-04:00

last night at a work event (in real estate, for those of you who still hold me in high esteem and think i took the not for profit job, sorry to disappoint but i changed my mind!) i was approached by a couple saying "are you from boston?"

they used to be friends with an ex of mine and now they live here in DC. weird. they are from so long ago, a world ago, and i am such a different person now. strange how running into an old acquaintance can do bring me right back to the past. right back to dancing at the upstairs lounge to cool 80s tunes. right back to crazy fun and then crazy crazy times when my life was turning upside down as i watched.

it all makes me miss boston terribly. i don't miss those times, i just miss knowing where to go and how to get around and, strangely enough, i miss my old apartment on commonwealth avenue with a fierceness that surprises me.

creative litter box

2006-06-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

i can't tell if one of the kitties is a genius or is a complete and utter fool. the other day, J changed the litter box but left the old litter in the bathroom trash can. she tied up the bag but since it was rather late, she decided to wait until the morning to bring the trash to the dumpster.

when i got up to go to work, i found a little kitty fecal treat on top of the tied trash can. somehow one of the kitties jumped into the... can... and took a dump atop the old litter sitting in the bag.

either his sense of smell was particularly acute this morning or he was sending a message to J about taking out the trash in a more timely manner. he must have been wondering why his moms bought a new round litter box that was really tall and hard to poo in.

here's the carrot, again

2006-06-13T17:19:00.000-04:00

ok, my boss countered AGAIN. with a HUGE increase. i sort of think that if i wait a few more days, i'll be offered six figures.

i am torn and i don't understand why... i can't say where my heart is at all. it's nowhere. the money? it's significant. the long-term happiness at either position? unclear.

pro/con list:

pros to staying in real estate - $$$, a whole new field that i actually enjoy, challenges, working under an amazing guy
cons to staying in real estate - not using my MPH, potential to be burned by sales

pros to taking MPH job - using my degree, networking nationwide, returning to my non-profit roots
cons to taking MPH job - living poor again, not feeling 100% sure about myself in this position

i have tonight. i have limited time to un-do my acceptance and sign a contract for a year in real estate.

i have a tummy ache.

decision made. argh.

2006-06-12T10:24:00.000-04:00

i took the public health job. of course i did, i have to try it at least. i have to give it my best shot. but i am feeling unsure and questioning everything - my reasons, my motive, what i am giving up and what i am getting into...

plus my car is acting like a piece of shit, as it does whenever it rains, which means trouble could be brewing for our finances if/when we need a new car. at least we can buy a hybrid though. i am hoping that greta the jetta lasts us at least one more year. but at 95k+ miles and a rocky history of issues, i am a wee bit concerned.

my start date is in two short weeks. i have two weeks to adjust to waking up so that i can be at work at 9am, as opposed to waking up at 9am. no more one mile commute. oh well.

decisions, decisions

2006-06-06T15:01:00.000-04:00

FINALLY i get a job offer in public health. what happens? my real estate boss counters the offer with 12k more and also tells me he is going to pay for me to get my license with his own money.

really.

do i take the best job i can imagine in public health, working on lesbian health issues nationwide? OR do i take the money and figure out my way in real estate?

which one will still be there for me years down the road, if i change my mind?

which one will help me sleep at night?

everyone says the same thing. my friends and family all give me the same, sound advice. but i am tired of being poor. then again, i worry i will kick myself for saying no to this perfect dream job.

why is following your dreams sometimes at the cost of enjoying the fine things of life, like no car payment?

chapel hill

2006-05-30T13:22:00.000-04:00

the research triangle is called, simply, the triangle. i learned that during our long weekend trip to durham, raleigh and chapel hill. i looked into attending UNC's MPH program. i hardly ever say this, but thank god i went to tulane. that place is too dang country for me. the gay scene is about as hoppin' as the gay scene here. lots of mullets, bad fashion, ugly sandals.

oh bay area, you spoiled me with your cute, trendy dykes!

we spent the weekend with my best friend from boston, e, and her GF. the gatos enjoyed the trip, though our little emmett was carsick on the ride home. poor guy. e's girl allegedly hates cats... but she came around to our little guys. she's such a fake cat hater! both kitties took turns on her lap purring. puh-lease! hate cats? not ours. no one can resist our boys.

imagine when i have children. i'll be one of those mothers with a "perfect" child. slap me if i become that person. please. do it for my own sake!!

it was lovely hanging out with e again. no time passes between us even when months pass. four hours away is closer than we've been in years, but it's still four hours. after all the moving around the country j and i did, i can't really stand being in the car. i thought i'd be thrilled to spend a short 4 hours on a road trip, but en route home, i just couldn't take it. i woke up cranky yesterday and i remained as such until this morning. i think it was the drive... knowing i'd have to be in the car all day monday was dreadful. this is what happens when you grow up in the northeast. everything - the ocean, mountains, outlets, amusement parks, cities, towns, lakes - it's all less than 2 hours away. during my childhood, our longest day trip was to maine. a few hours of driving, total. none of this four hour shit. ugh.

why am i complaining? i had an excellent weekend with my girl, my best friend, her GF, and my kitties. i have nothing to complain about!!

ah, extended family.

2006-05-22T16:40:00.000-04:00

J got a drunken/high on e call from her cousin last night. at FOUR in the morning. i was a monster. don't wake me up.

i mean, come on, he knew the time. he just didn't care.

it's sooo rude.

owning a saw

2006-05-21T20:30:00.000-04:00

my girlfriend bought herself a saw today. she is currently sawing a piece of wood into.. a smaller piece of wood. she considers this to be fun. the cats report mixed reviews. one of them is hiding, the other is hanging out in his kitty tent playing as though nothing out of the usual is going on.

calgon, take me away!

there's nothing that makes J happier than a trip to homo depot. there's nothing that makes me dizzier. well, fine, spinning around in circles with my arms outstretched and my head to the sky makes me dizzier. it's just that home depot has such high ceilings with crazy forklifts driving around and beeping that damned reverse beeping sound. i never know where it's coming from or if my safety is in jeopardy. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

torn

2006-05-16T14:19:00.000-04:00

i am starting to feel a lot torn about my job and where i want to be in the future. i had yet another phone interview for a public health job. it's a job that i am interested in... but the salary is lower than what i was making when i left for grad school. and i know it's doing good for the world (yadda yadda) but i am truly interested in this job. but but BUT, i like where i am although i spent today pushing a dead battery golf cart. i am feeling very torn. confused and torn.

the not-so invisible car payment

2006-05-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

argh argh argh! now i need a starter. car won't start without it. all said, by the end of the year, i will have spent more on my 99 jetta than i would have spent on a freakin' car payment.

the mechanic quoted me 224$ for the part. a little research proved that autozone will only charge 140$ AND i get 70$ of that back when i bring them my old broken starter. the mechanic wasn't too pleased with me but will put it in... but won't guarantee their work. at 115$ labor, if they don't do it right or if it "breaks" i'll be taking it to a new mechanic anyhow. but isn't that seemingly illegal? F them. F car ownership. thank goodness my GF's mom's BF is a mechanic. and if you can follow that, you are having a smart day. heh.

so J is off to landover, maryland to pick up the part. and i am sitting in the office coordinating all of it. puppet master.

14 days left

2006-05-08T14:40:00.000-04:00

to my habit. yay! i've managed to exercise about 5 days of the week, i think. and i'm not talking about exercising my liver either. i am such a lightweight, 2 hard drinks and i am done for the night. saturday we went to apex, and it was fun and whatever except for the $8 cover. wha? ridiculous. the music was good at first and then became terrible and so we left. but i finally found where all the cutest girls ever go! ahhhhhh. dyke-a-rama. yum.

the car died today. it was a pathetic and disturbing sound. J thinks it's the battery (i quote "simple solutions first" and what she meant was "don't get so upset about needing a new alternator if it's just the damn battery." she's right.)

at least i did pilates before i went to work. exercise does lift the spirits. but the rain compounded by the fact that it's monday morning and i was already running late certainly made the dead car situation feel the crappiest. argh.

21 days to a habit

2006-04-30T20:32:00.000-04:00

or so they say. 21 days to make, or break, a habit. i am trying to make one - i have to get back into my running clothes and go out for longer than 20 minutes once a week. for shame! to think i once called myself a runner. to be honest, i was only ever a jogger. i aspire (to return) to jogger status.

gorgeous day here in the district. i went to a lovely surprise 30th bday party for my friend's fiance, then went to work for 2 hours to work on a party my friend susan and i are planning. ok, she's planning. i am just offering advice now, and then i get the fun fun task of handing out palm cards at all of the local gay girl events. any excuse to go out! it's pretty cool, we are going to have it at halo, an uber-swanky upscale gay boy establishment. J created the name: angels at halo. sooooo cute! if i knew how to make links (like all of my bloggin' friends know), i'd give you a link to the club. but alas, i must force you to copy and paste it yourself: www.theartoflounge.com and yes, joe, i'd appreciate the tutorial. RTFM, right? well the manual is too hard to read while i am posting. so there.

cookies in the oven for my siiiiister's bday! tomorrow i think i am going to attempt white cupcakes for sandra's bday but i need to figure out the best way to ship cupcakes. plus i don't yet have a kitchenaid mixer (ARE YOU LISTENING JESSICA?) so it's going to be hard to get those egg whites *just so* for white cupcakes.

lucas and emmett are cuddling and sleeping together, right next to me. although the vet said not to worry about it, lucas snores. i mean loud, homer simpson snores. it wakes me up some nights. that's not right for a 9.7lb kitty. being the nervous mom i am, i wake him up when he snores, which cuts into his precious sleep and what will the long term affects be? oh my, em is having a dream. his whiskies are twitching like crazy, and his nose! i love my baby kitties. aw.

my HIPS, my hips my hips my hips

2006-04-26T21:16:00.000-04:00

Has it been longer than a week since I last blogged? My goodness, time flies. My girl will be here in days!!! Our life together will be, well, together. Yay!

Work is kicking my arse. I love it, though I can see how bored I will be soon enough if my duties remain as they are. Right now, I am learning, I am "getting my feet wet" or "learning the ropes" as it were. My boss loves me, the clients love me, I am far more of a people-person than I realized. (than the most recent blog hints at)

Today, I received an email inviting me to apply for a position at HIPS, an agency that does outreach to sex workers in DC. One of the women who sat on a hiring panel of a job I was not offered apparently forwarded my resume and email to the Execitive Director of HIPS. She wrote me today asking me to look at the job description and apply, and if I am not interested, would I consider volunteering? Yowza!

Salary: low 30s. WHO CAN LIVE ON THAT WITH 65k LOANS DUE SALLIE FRICKIN' MAE? Perhaps I will see about volunteering. I like the job idea, I like the thought of using my degree.. I like being able to buy nice clothes and pay down my loans and travel and have all that money brings. What do I do? Go for the job that provides money but has nothing to do with my entire career? Cut the shit and run towards the job that will make me feel as though I am doing some good in the world? I mean, this was my DREAM JOB when I was in school - working with sex workers, doing the gritty hard work that I was born to do. But basic survival on the salary (plus a schedule of two 10pm-5am outreach shifts/week) will be hard. But the honor of being invitied to apply is pretty cool too.

Argh, but I cannot even manage to workout with my so-called easy and brainless job! Speaking of my hips indeed. You know, your ass literally spreads from sitting on it for too long. There won't be much sitting while working in the sex work industry, providing condoms and health information to the folks providing services for clients. It would be so wonderful and groovy and perfect in so many ways.

Still, I hesitate.

working 9 (30) to 5

2006-04-17T20:11:00.000-04:00

i actually like my job! i like being in the real estate world. i am learning so much every single hour and i love that there is room to grow. i don't know if going the sales agent route is my thing yet, though. i am just enjoying the office managment stuff, and the drama. OH, the drama.

lately, the xmas debacle has been upsetting me again. case scenario: J and i raised $200 by selling our things in CA, and we were planning on giving that to a family in nola that i know lost everything. during xmas day, there were 9 people at my mom's house (and 3 cats). the money was in a white envelope in the back room, which was also the room with a ridiculous amount of candy. everyone went back there, alone, to get candy. some people made multiple trips. the day after xmas, the white envelope and the $$$ were both gone. i asked everyone, and the 2 people i couldn't ask, i had my brother ask (his gf and her 14 year old daughter). NO ONE CONFESSED. the cats didn't take it. someone did. was it my friend from college? my brother's partner? the kid? it wasn't me, it wasn't my gf, it wasn't my mom or dad or sister - i know that. but someone took it, someone close to my family, close enough to be there for xmas. someone that close to me stole money from me.

J says i have to let it go, that it's gone and it's not coming back. but so is my sense of safety, and that's bullshit. can i trust any of the 9 to be in my house? do i have to lock up my things now?

SOMEONE TOOK IT. AND YOU ARE KEEPING IT FROM ME. AND THAT SUCKS.

My siiiiiister is here!!

2006-04-08T19:10:00.000-04:00

Jill is visiting and the weather could not be worse.. nor could the car situation. Ugh. Yesterday, we were driving home after picking up groceries and Greta the Jetta made an alarming warning light blink - the oil pressure warning light. Fortunately, we were 1/2 mile from home. I kept on driving and parked it, feeling that old aggravated and frustrated feeling I get when my car misbehaves. I have spent a ton of cash on it over the past 5 months and I don't want another huge "invisible car payment." I want a new car, one that comes with a warranty and a transmission that has a serial # on it still.

This morning, I checked the oil level and it looked fine, but my astute sister noticed that we were on a slight incline. I moved the car to level ground, let it warm up and then cool for a few minutes, and wouldn't you know, the oil was a little low indeed. The light wasn't on anymore but the good old trusty check engine light was on (again). My remedy? Black electrical tape. Hells yeah.

We still got the oil changed and hit the local Verizon store. That's right, I am free of my Sprint contract and I am switching teams! Now I can talk to all y'all In Network people whenever I want. Well, once I get the phone. I want the Razr but I want it in PINK and I am going to wait until Thursday. I will wait for pink. I won't wait for much, but pink? Oh yes.

Two Words: Jodie Foster

2006-04-05T21:19:00.000-04:00

OMG. I am not one to go for the femmes, but holy crap, if you see Inside Man you'll understand why a girl like me could fall for a lady like her. Jodie ahhhhhhhhh Foster. Those legs. Those heels. That Alpha-Femme role she plays. It's a whole new world. I have a fantasy crush on a femme. Holy crap indeed.

In other news, life as a receptionist is rather, how do you say, boring. But but BUT!!! One of the 2 guys running the project is leaving for another project and it appears that there will be a little fight over who gets to keep moi. Oh yes. The guy staying behind pulled me in for a little meeting (during which he did most of the talking, even though he claimed the purpose was to get to know me and my plan better... hrm). Apparently he says I have 'the look' and he wants to know if he should waste his time grooming me for a more powerful position, if I'll be back to public health land in a month. Then he proceeded to tell me all about the riches in store and I must be honest, it holds appeal. Mucho appeal. Like I can't turn it down appeal. Um, mom? I am working for The Man. But he's gay and really stylish, so it's not that bad, is it?

I am not a believer in destiny or fate, mostly because it doesn't explain why a little girl would be raped by her father - WTF, that's her fate? I think not. However, I am becoming a fan of living in the moment and letting the current moment lead me to the next moment. Plus, when I checked my email today, there was a message from someone who ALREADY SENT ME A REJECTION LETTER. I don't need to be told twice that I am not hired. I got it the first time, thank you very much.

Goodbye unemployment. Hello Real Estate.

My Favorite Day of the Year

2006-04-02T18:40:00.000-04:00

How I love Daylight Savings Time! It's close to 7pm, but the sun still shines! What joy! What happiness! I don't care why we have it, I just hope no one tries to get rid of it. My mother hates it. How can you dislike something that gives us sun long into the evening?

I think I would have liked today even better if it didn't start off with so few hours of sleep. Thanks to my lady, I made it to my *new* job today on time. I was out at the clubs (or, as my older friend says, "the dance") and I was shocked to see the clock closing in on one in the morning when I checked the time. By the time I got home and washed up for bed, it was closer to two. I called my girl and we chatted for a little while, and suddenly she reminded me to set my clock ahead an hour.... SHIT! That made it almost 3am when I went to bed, and I had to be at work at 10.30am.

At least it is a simple receptionist job that requires me to look pretty and make coffee. I can do that. Even hungover on 6 hours of sleep, I can do that. It's a good thing I got my MPH. I should get my MBA or my MD.. then maybe I can be an Executive Assistant.

DUMBHEAD ME

2006-03-31T14:47:00.000-05:00

woooo! i got a job! i will be helping answer phones and show condos at an office i can actually walk to! and they pay well. it's actually a job with a woman i met last night. she knows it is temporary, but they need someone now and there is also weekend work, so i can bank some cash and perhaps buy a hybrid sooner than later! and organic kitty food, and new shoes, and a vacation for me and my lady!

i am getting ahead of myself. but still, knowing there is money in my future makes me very happy indeed.

the woman who hired me also alerted me to how stupid i am. "lori, i do want to let you know that your phone number is incorrect on your resume."

wha?

my heart stopped. "maybe it's not that you are unmarketable, it's that people can't get in touch with you."

my face turned crimson.

she still hired me though. i start sunday, training for 2 hours. yipppeeee!

getting hit on by an 18 year old

2006-03-31T11:05:00.000-05:00

well, folks, i still have it. hells yeah. even kids in high school want me. what an interesting night indeed. you may be wondering how a chick still in high school and i ended up at a place where she could try to ask me out? melissa ferrick's concert last night. ahhhhh. melissa. she's so hot and so good and so full of herself, i can't help myself from liking her.

i went to the show with a friend i've made here who is in her 40s. her friend has a daugher who is also gay, and daughter brought her GF (they are 15... so young! so cute!) and they made friends with the 18 year old. and so we all ended up at the same table for the concert. i was literally in between the ages - 44 the high, 15 the low. and then there's me. the high schoolers thought i was 23. ah. not anymore, thank god. the daughter asked me "what do you think about 18 year olds?" wink wink. i don't.

DC is proving to be interesting, but i'm not quite convinced yet. i haven't found my niche. not yet.

TAKE THAT, Republican lady!

2006-03-28T18:50:00.000-05:00

Dunno where Minnie got this, but it's frickin' awesome!

On Wednesday, March 1, 2006, in Annapolis at a hearing on the proposed
Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage, Jamie Raskin,
professor of law at AU, was requested to testify.

At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said:
"Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman.
What do you have to say about that?"

Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you
placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution.
You did not
place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."

The room erupted with applause.

Is it only Tuesday?

2006-03-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

Geesh. I felt quite accomplished this morning - finished a book, Jeannette Winterson's The Passion. I am not sure why my lady loved it so much. Apparently it is going to be a movie starring Gwenyth Paltrow and Julianne Moore. I found it too depressing for my current state of mind. Brilliantly written, yes. But sad.

And then I considered going for a run, but quickly changed my mind when I realized how cold it is outside. Ok ok ok, it's only 48 degrees, but that seems bone-chilling cold to me, especially in this apartment that holds no heat whatsoever. This will be handy when the promised warm weather comes.. but now? Chiiiiiillllllllyyyy. Even with the heat on, my nose is cold! The windows in the living room are cracked, but my landlord can't replace them because the condo association has a rule that the windows must be replaced by one specific contractor. Said contractor has gone out of business. That leaves my cracked windows cracked and no hope for a replacement. I wonder if the folks who belong to the condo association would drag their feet if THEIR windows were cracked. Bastards. I know it's not my landlord's fault and I don't want to get into a fight about it (yet), but come next winter? Either the windows get replaced or my heating bill is paid for by someone else.

Instead of facing the cold outside, I spent 30 minutes blowing up my Pilates ball with a handheld bike pump. That sort of counts as a workout, right? Nah. If I am to keep baking and eating like Martha, I have to work out daily. So I am back to Pilates. It feels gooooood. It's true - working out makes the mind happy. Getting there is hard, but doing it is gooood.

showering is tedious

2006-03-26T11:54:00.000-05:00

it's sunday morning, and i was awakened by the disco ring on my phone. second day in a row my family woke me up! i suppose it would do me good to go to bed earlier and get up before 10am. someday i will have a job, and i'm hoping it's not 2nd shift.

i got up, watched CBS sunday morning - the geriatric show that i love - and made eggs and toast. and then i took a shower. but why? it doesn't even matter. i have nothing to do, no one to see, and yet i keep to this american routine of morning showers. i dry my hair, put on makeup, throw on clothes, and sit around the house. a therapist once told me that if i start to change my routine, stop showering or getting ready or caring about what i look like, then that is a sign of depression.

what if i just don't want to waste my resources, my expensive products, and my energy on looking good for the kitties?

wrinkled nose

2006-03-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

what does it mean when the person interviewing you wrinkles her nose as you leave? there was a panel of 3 people - the other 2 were nice, but the exec dir was just plain strange. and tho' the interview went well enough, when i was leaving one of the nice women recommended an agency here that i could get involved with if i wanted to volunteer or get to know folks doing progressive work with sex workers. and i thanked her and mentioned that in NOLA, i wanted to get involved but there was nothing really going on because that city was pretty disorganized.

that's a fact. social services were disorganized, pre-katrina. nevermind now!

and she wrinkled her nose!! eh? i am not so sure i'd want to work with her. i had a terrible boss at my old job pre-grad school, and she made it hard to work. well, somedays she made it hard to work - most days she stayed out of my way. heh.

back to the drawing board i think. eh.

waiting for a package

2006-03-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

my baby sister sent me a package yesterday, and it's due to arrive between 9am and noon. it's 11.38am and still not here. i am waiting for it to arrive before i shower and my *nerves* are being *worked*. WTF? where is it?!?! i have an interview at 2pm and girl needs time to get ready! everything is ironed and ready to be put onto my clean body. T-21 minutes now. then i'm going in.

that girl is crazy anyhow, spending $22 to send an overnight package to me! love her.

for those of you unable to watch martha and ellen everyday, let me fill you in. martha's cooking school is becoming very meat focused - today was meatballs, meatloaf, and meatball lasagna. how to make the perfect meatball. ick. and ellen had musical guest natasha bettingfield or benningfield or whatever her name is, and girl sounds like a smoker. like tom waits. how is it that she's famous? oh, and for the last verse of her song, she brought in a choir to back her up. hrm.

and that's it. wish me luck!

grated skin

2006-03-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

i had a little chunk of parmesan leftover from.. hmmm. i can't remember. oh! from when i made C that pasta dish last sunday. last night, i made my potato kale soup and i was looking forward to the leftovers, but i was craving cheese. on the food network webiste, i found a super easy recipe for parmesan crisps - just grate parmesan cheese, put it in small piles (about one tablespoon each) on a cooking sheet with a silpat (this is necessary!) and press down lightly on the cheese piles. pop it in the oven (preheated to 400 degrees) for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. let them cool and they are like parmesan potato chips. salty and yummy and perfect.

except mine had a little problem. i grated my hand.

ooooooowwwwwwwwwwccchhiieee! frickin' hurts! i had to search for my piece of skin in the pile of cheese. *vomit* nah, just kidding, the skin remained on my hand, hanging by a thread of, um, skin.

the DC scene

2006-03-20T10:14:00.000-05:00

last night i went out to check out the dyke scene here in DC. i was pretty intimidated to go alone, but earlier in the week i chatted with this girl online who was going alone too. she put something out on craigslist and i responded, along with 8 other girls going solo. the plan was to all meet at the bar at 6.30pm. she said she was 5'7", slender, short brown hair, and would be wearing black.

just about 75% of the chicks there met that description.

i sat at the bar and a woman too short to be her came over and started to chat with me. she was super nice and it turned out she knew tons of people there. two of her friends came over, and the 4 of us were having a great time hanging out. i was younger by a decade (at least) and i really liked it. maybe hanging out with minnie and her over-40 club at toast showed me the light with the age issue. i'd rather be a decade younger then the crew instead of a decade older. i can't keep up with the 21 year olds. ugh.

i saw a girl with fantanstic shoes and i remembered jennifer's policy of saying nice things to people at random. i interrupted her and admired her shoes. she was tall, slender, and had super short hair, and creamy gorgeous skin - she's black. i didn't bother to ask her if she was the online girl - i just wanted to know where her shoes came from. "thanks! i got them in LA!" of course she did. "i'm relieved to see that you have smaller feet than me, otherwise you might take me into the bathroom and beat me up just to steal them!" of course i would.

our little group started to dance (the music was from my posse's generation) and some random chick was was staring at me earlier (not the online girl, too tall and not slender and had blond hair and was wearing stripes) came over and asked if she could buy me a drink. then, this woman she was with came over to one of the posse and asked her if she was my girlfriend. ??? she said no, then went back to report to tall stripes girl. OMG, i've been in the scene for 2 hours and i am in drama! then, the DJ comes over and says she wants to talk to me. she knows someone in the posse and we had met earlier. she brings me behind the DJ booth and asks me if i wear dresses. she proceeds to give me a crushed red velevet dress with faux fur trim that says stoli. OMG, i've been here for a minute and the DJ is giving me treats!!!

goldigger came on and i hit the dance floor (the generations knew the song but not how to dance to it). shoe girl comes over and is dancing up a storm all up on me, around me, she's hot and she knows it. she makes some comment about how i dance (me loves kanye west) and i ask her name. she's the online girl i was supposed to meet! she's not white! i thought she was white, i don't know why, i thought she'd have a bob and she'd be wearing black with jeans or something.

she's bi.

of course. this chick she met corners me and tells me she got the "bi vibe" from me because i was wearing tight clothes. and that she doesn't like girls who aren't proud to be girls. i get away from her and talk with one of the posse about it (i was steaming mad at the in-hating) and then i left. came home to watch the L word, slit my wrists and go to bed.

my stealin' days are over!

2006-03-17T12:54:00.000-05:00

my lady just called to inform me that verizon has turned us ON! she caught me sitting in my usual spot on 37th st. i think the old lady who lives in one of these houses has caught onto my robin hood ways. this is the last day, lady. IN YOUR FACE!

today my best friend e is coming to visit. yippeeeee! wooohoooooo! i can hang out with an adult! someone to talk to and ot explore DC with! i. am. so. excited!!!

in other news, the kitties had a very hard day at the vet yesterday. they are zonked. they got all sorts of shots, bloodwork, and a fecal examination. the vet is a smart man and took them away from me to do those last 2 nasty things. eewww, the vet stuck something up their buns and took a smear. i would have fainted.

me needs to go to the grocery store to stock up for my visitor! and for the bird flu. my sister said it's going to be bad, that we'll be under house arrest for 2 months!

this is what happens when someone with anxiety listens to NPR.

hire me because i am sooooo great. really.

2006-03-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

urgh. this is tedious. hire me, hire me, hire me please! all these cover letters, all this searching, it's exhausting.

and all the sweet words of encouragement are working on my nerves.

if i was so goddamned qualified, i'd have a F'ing job by now.

mornings with martha

2006-03-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

i am becoming a baker. i think i should have a total career change to chef or baker. it won't work because i won't touch meat, and because i don't have any money to open a bakery that features a few savory options. wish i could meet a rich person who wants to fund someone with zero experience to open a groovy cafe with FREE wifi and good tunes. i'd call it Sassy. oh dreams.

this month, martha has cooking school - every day she is giving good, solid tips on cooking. thus far, she hasn't taught me anything. but i look forward to learning a new trick. i love being in the kitchen, surrounded by the mess i make while i create food. i love cleaning up, i love serving food, i love making simple dishes and complex dishes and feeding people. too bad i've figured this out post-masters degree. don't need my MPH to bake. shiiiiiiit. wish i went to business school.

another monday. another week to job hunt and hear my phone ring only when my lady calls me.

Days Repeat

2006-03-09T11:20:00.000-05:00

I am going to practice typing with capital letters and appropriate grammar. I’m also thinking about giving up swearing. Perhaps this newfound desire to make change is influenced by my two local friends giving up things for Lent – C is giving up sweets and M is giving up dining out. Being completely unreligious, I don’t dig on the Lent thing. But I do believe in making attempts to be a better person, so I thought I’d drop the cursing. This is pretty classist, though. (Damn, classist came up as a typo. What to do, what to do!) Why is swearing looked down upon? Remove religion from the debate, and who gives a !@#$%! if I swear.

My new daily routine: up at 10am for Martha and a latte. I hop in the shower when The View gets boring. Around noon, I leave and try to find free WIFI. Thus far, I can get to two Panera Breads. I think there are two more in the area that I need to locate. I cannot wait to get online here at home. Yesterday, I picked up a signal in my parking spot. Pathetic.

The 25 year old chef on Martha just taught me a new trick – to get more juice out of a lemon, heat the lemon in the microwave for 10 seconds first. I’m into cooking and baking right now. I made baba ganoush last night and chocolate chip cookies in a cookie. That recipe sort of disappointed. You make 10 cookies but only bake them halfway, then let them cool and crumble them into the rest of the dough. It is supposed to give you crunchy and chewy cookies in one. Eh. Not so much. They turned out alright, but I wouldn’t make the recipe again.

My goodness, I am boring,

living in the capitol

2006-03-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

ok, ok, long time no blog. if you read this blog, you probably got the email detailing my whereabouts the past few weeks. oh the move to DC was hell. i came down with a wicked cold on weds the 22nd at precisely 9pm. i was pet sitting and had gone to the grocery store to make dinner. got back to lexington and worked up an appetite by working out for 25 minutes. i made some grub and sat down to watch QAF season 5 on demand. one eposide into my marathon and my throat began to close on itself, not in that "oh shit i am dying" way but in the "crap, i have a frickin' cold" way.

today, it still persists. i cough up, um, colorful chunks every morning. oops, hope you weren't eating while you read that.

so i hopped on the plane to houston at 6.25am friday the 24th, after my loving and dear sister drove me to the airport. i didn't sleep a wink all night due to anxiety that i would miss the plane. sister isn't known for her ability to get out of bed in the morning, and i never truly trust my phone as an alarm clock. landed in houston a few hours later and met my lady as she got off her one hour late morning flight. i was in what i thought was day 3 of a 10 day cold (my mom always says a cold is 3 days coming, 3 days with you, and 3 days going.. hmmm.. that doesn't add up to 10). we rented a toyota matrix which was a surprisingly nice ride, and stayed in a motel 6 which was un-surprisingly stinky. yes, you can spray too much disinfectant.

moving our crap from the storage unit to the truck went faster than i ever could have expected, what with me blowing my nose every 5 minutes. the downpours started as we loaded the last item into the truck. the drive to 'bama was boring and i was drunk on dayquil which actually makes me sleepy. nyquil makes me comatose. the drive from 'bama to VA was smooth and my lady proved she actually has a lead foot! she's usually a granny driver, but somehow she did a 70 mile stretch in 45 minutes. in a 16' truck. yowsa!

moving into our place went smoothly too, especially after i got us lost and took us on a tour of georgetown. oppsie. J's cousin helped us out and we finished in about an hour. then we hopped back into the truck and headed to MA. my parent's were so sweet to let me keep my crap there for so long. it was really sad to leave them, and even sadder for the gatos. my mom's kitty libby is still looking for emmett. aw. anyhow, made it back to DC and if it weren't for M and C, we would never have finished the move at all. J and i spent the rest of the week unpacking and then she returned to nola and i am all alone. without internet access. i have found all of the local panera's though. and here i sit, enjoying a bowl of fiesta con queso sopa and procrastinating on the job hunt.

someone hire me, please!

kitty and doggie sitting

2006-02-20T18:24:00.000-05:00

my friend M asked me to watch the animals while she trollops around NYC. recently she was published in a book and there is a party on thursday night in honor/celebration of the release. this is the same friend who i was going to hit cancun with, but too many charges for changing tickets ($550) left me out of the trip, and then a misspelled name on one of the kid's tickets plus a hurricane-induced change of hotel and all sorts of other annoyances has led to me to watching the garanimals while she sips martinis among other writers.

she never locks her house, or her car. but she locks her wireless internet with a password. people are strange.

anyhow, now that i am officially alone, i am sort of... lonely. i miss my baby kitties. these 3 go in and out as they please, which stresses me, because i am completely overbearing and cannot rest knowing that penny (rex), drooly mouth, and the other cat are out in the cold! crap, just let penny out and heard barking - owner called princess back - damn i am a worrisome girl. what if P&P got into a fight? where is the local vet? ARGH!!!!!

bonus - M has on demand and showtime. off to watch the L word over and over and over again...

head is spinning

2006-02-15T16:58:00.000-05:00

urgh. how can one possibly impress a panel of 8 people on a phone interview? "define leadership" and "can you tell us how many people you've supervised and what you would do if one of your staff needed discipline" and "do you believe that only crime victims should be advocates for crime victims"???????

31 of the allotted 40 minutes were used. i may have been breathing heavy. or panting, in fact. it was a head-spinning whirlwind interview and who the hee-haw knows what is going to happen.

eggs DEFINITELY not all in this basket. but i am a hopeful lass and i believe i would rock this position. i would, i swear. i am perfectly trained for this position.

oh well, no use fretting over it now. we'll all find out by the end of March. *phew*

waiting. and waiting.

2006-02-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

what fun indeed. sitting by the phone - what did we do before phones could travel with us? - and waiting. tomorrow, at 4.20pm, i have my phone interview. in the meantime, no news from interview #1. sigh.

i have plans to hang out with an old colleague, her husband and their 2 kids tonight. i am bringing dessert. dunno what to make. i am a terrible baker. perhaps i will just buy the dessert, we'll all be happier that way.

my mom wished me "happy VD" today, and i send that wish along to you.

take a ride on my rollercoaster

2006-02-13T11:00:00.001-05:00

i am supposed to be finishing up an interview, shaking hands and hearing "we'll be in contact soon." but alas, i am not. instead, i am blogging. i am sitting in a freezing cold kitchen, with feet of snow just outside the front door. i had to cancel the interview today through no fault of my own (thank you mother nature, and thank you useless brain for rescheduling my original wednesday interview to monday morning). i called them at 9am sharp and the 2 people i had to speak with weren't even in yet, though voicemail reported "office hours are from 8.30 to 4.30." when the coordinator called me back, she informed me that the wednesday appointments were all taken and that we could do a phone interview instead. with a panel?!? oh dear. i will have to step up for this one. i know i can give a good first impression in person, but over the phone? i sound like a 12 year old with braces and pimples. plus, i awoke a little conjested this morning. remember lily thomlin's character on SNL, the girl in the rocking chair? that's me.

however, in good news, we have pretty much secured an apartment in georgetown. all the man needs is our money. i have to run to the post office today, but i cannot do that until i hear back about this phone interview! everything hangs in a precarious balance right now. i can't even go to the bathroom without fear of the whole panel hearing me flush.

up and down and up again. it doesn't help that i have NO PRIVACY in this house. i know i shouldn't complain, it's so very adolescent of me to bitch about my parents, but good grief they work my nerves. once this interview phones me back, i am taking a shower and getting out of here. oh, crap, the stupid town plow just created a nice wall of snow around my car. GGGRRROOOOOOWWWWWLLLLL!!!!!

why the boston herald SUCKS

2006-02-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=125456

it's an article about that man who shot and killed his wife and 9 month old baby, then ran to england and pretended to want to kill himself. the article talks about how the couple's bad sex life led him to kill her.

WTF?

though it is apparent to those of us who actually have brains, bad sex does NOT justify murder. if that were the case, there would be plenty of men murdered by their girlfriends/wives. in fact, there would likely be a shortage of men in the world if the straight ladies offed their lousy lovers.

that the herald (a tabloid, by the way, even though it's many readers don't know that little fact) would even consider this as a logical explanation of why a man kills his wife is a glaring reminder of how "news"papers minimize domestic violence. and what about the baby? was she a lousy lay too? whoever wrote this article should be fired. whatever editor gave the green light to this piece of crap should be formally kicked out of any media work. scarlet lettered.

people kill their partners because they want complete and total control, not because sex is lousy. when sex is lousy, some people cheat, others work on it. the herald could have painted this man as the murderer he is, giving him NO out. instead, the herald found a justification for this heinous crime. it makes me sick.

it's OFFICIAL!!!

2006-02-08T18:55:00.000-05:00

i received my diploma in the mail today! it's real! i have earned my MPH!!!

whoopeee!

guess i don't need to attend graduation now. oh well. i'll save some cash on buying regalia.

flying to DC (again)

2006-02-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

another job interview. what is one to do? busy busy busy. this position was posted in early december, and i applied for it with my oakland address. damn. it's with the gov't, which is notoriously slow in filling positions. my interview is monday morning. this is exactly why i need to find an apartment. all this flying around is a pain in the ass!

now, to think positively, what if i am offered the other position while i am interviewing for this one? i don't expect the first place to call me until early next week, if they call me at all. but let's say they call me. how do i decide to take the first job when i am interviewing for the 2nd? how long can i hold out on them?

i didn't expect this to happen. then again, nothing has happened yet. maybe all this worry is for naught. ugh. i need a tums.

ikea

2006-02-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

It's embarassing, but my mother and i are becoming close friends with ikea staff, because we go there twice a week. Not only are we there frequently, but we have a routine. When we first arrive, we head directly to the As-Is department, where everything is broken and cheap. She spends about 1/2 hour longer than I do looking. I wait for her, resting on one of the As-Is couches. Then, we buy our crap, bring it out to the car, and return to the store for a snack. Mom gets the apple cake every single time (no fail) and sometimes we get food, sometimes just dessert. We walk through the Marketplace department, commenting on how much money we saved in the As-Is department, comparing prices. On our way out, we hit As-Is once more, you know, in case they brought anything else out... which has happened time and again. The staff recognize us. One lady said "You two were just here the other day!"

Great. I am an As-Is junkie. Everything in my new apartment will say "As-Is" in black marker, or will be Crate and Barrel schtickle. I just want to move into a place, any place, with all my busted crap. Fingers crossed, one of these apartments will work out for us.

spell hell

2006-02-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

FAAAAAAAACK!

why oh why oh why do you trick me, spell check? i thought i did everything i could do to avoid a mistake! i NEVER do spell check, and yet i relied on it tonight to ensure no errors!

BUT NOOOOOOOOO!

i frickin' can't spell SINCERELY. i wrote SINCERLY.

ARGH! thank you letters via email to the THREE people who met with me, and ALL OF THEM SHARE THE SAME SIGNATURE WITH THE GLARING TYPO!

i am never going to get that job now! i wouldn't hire someone who can't properly sign off on their emails! how could i be trusted to ever write anything worthwhile? there goes the dream, there goes the job. FAAAACK!!

maybe they won't notice?

we're the bank of america!

2006-02-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

sung to the tune of kids of america. i think that should be their theme song. it would make me a hell of a lot happier when i call them if i heard that one hit wonder. i call them often enough to have a say in this, i think.

direct deposit - so lovely when it works. so heinous when it doesn't. apparently, even though i've told everyone i possibly can tell about my bank woes (compromised account which i closed) good old TU, my employer, won't listen when a paper check is requested... growl... so i have some $ floating back and forth between my closed account and TU. i want that money in MY hands. it's mine. i worked for it. but no one can give me a straight answer. so! frustrating!

what else to blog about.. um, i have a lingering tummy ache. it's been around since monday night, before my interview. i thought it was stress-induced, but it's not budging. kind of sucks. i am also unbelievably exhausted. living with these noisy adults and 3 kittens doesn't help, for sure. i haven't slept soundly since the night before the night before i left new orleans.. when was that? saturday night? my lady and i shared a pillow for the duration of my trip, which was hard too. but i slept like a baby saturday night, or friday night. one of those nights i slept well. and since then, tummy aches and growing kittens (read: heavy) have made restless nights for me.

oh well. my mom got her new car (FINALLY!) and she is taking me to ikea. lori's taxi is on a break.

on the interview

2006-02-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

it went well. i think. let's just say i was there for THREE hours! yikes! actually, they were really nice, v. respectful of my time ("is your flight this afternoon? could you stay a little bit longer?") and i met with the president of the agency. and when he brought me back to lady who will *hopefully* hire me, he gave her a thumbs up and said "she's great!" or something, i had my back turned and couldn't really hear him, but when i turned back around he winked and she said "I know!" SO, who knows, well, they know. regardless, it will be at least 2 weeks before i know because of other interviews they are doing. and they might find someone way more fantastic than yours truly.

which is quite possible, i know. job hunting is exhausting. and so is apartment hunting. urg. katia was kind enough to drive me around the neighborhoods of NW DC, and i know exactly where i want to live now! just have to find a place that takes kitties and costs less than $1500/month and perhaps has a washer and dryer in the apt with all utilities paid. riiiiiight. a girl can dream.

it was a mixed reunion with the kitties after my week away. lucas snubbed me and emmett regarded me with disregard at first. about 1/2 hour later, lucas followed me into the back room and ran around in little circles, like he was saying "i can't believe you are really back!" it was too dang cute! the 2 of them fought for the top sleeping spot, which, unfortunately, is in my left armpit. neither of them want the right armpit. do our scents differ between armpits? emmett won, which left lucas down by my hip and his chin resting on my tummy.

sister says i have to do away with "the family bed." i reckon she's right... but i'm not ready yet. not until my lady is back for good.

DC in the springtime

2006-01-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

oh my, it has been sooo nice here! the weather was gorgeous yesterday. today, rain. but is ok. i can handle it. KP has been a lovely hostess, so wonderful that she left an umbrella for me! aw. i brought one with me just in case of rain, which was smart thinking. however, unsmartly i left my jacket in my luggage which i put in her car. damn damn. is colder out today than it was yesterday. but with all my nerdy nervousness for this interview, better to be a little cold than hot and stinky. by the way, i purchased real deodorant. that groovy non-aluminum stuff just ain't cutting it. i offend myself, which likely means i offend everyone within smelling distance. eeewwwwwww. stink girl. anyhow, when i have alzheimer's, remind me that at least i smelled good during the good old days. small price to pay. why can't we figure out how to keep our pits fresh WITHOUT killing our memory cells?

quick update re: new orleans. that city is in NO SHAPE to be populated. gross. if i had a little more energy, i'd figure out how to post pictures on this blog. for real, i think the people who moved back have just lowered their standards of living. the city smells, the water from the tap tastes and smells like pool water, and there are so few stores of necessity open, esp. downtown where the school of public health resides. i paid $3.80 for a HALF GALLON of milk! i told the clerk that it was criminal to charge that much. she just smiled. F that.

was good to see my lady, tho. very hard to leave her too. we have to be apart for these few months so she can finish her degree, i know that, but it makes me sad to leave her in that nasty city with no car. :(

lost jewelry and an interview in DC!

2006-01-24T16:30:00.001-05:00

woooo-hoooooo! a job i applied for last friday has led to an interview! it's very encouraging, because they posted the job thursday, i applied friday, and by monday afternoon i was called, screened, and invited to interview! now, it's not really even that i expect to get an offer. i may, i may not. who knows. but the opportunity to interview, to practice those skills, is most welcomed right now. and it sheds sunshine on my hopelessness.

i take a chance in blogging about it, for if it does not work out, i will have to blog about my failure as well. and that has the potential to be very embarassing and depressing. cross your fingers for me!

i have lost a ring and a bracelet. the ring disappeared the night i went out to eat with sara b. it probably fell off my finger, as it was a little big anyhow. the bracelet, i cannot think of how i lost it. i am very sad about that.

off to nola tomorrow (yay!) and then to DC monday to have wine with katia, my interview on tuesday and then i'll be back home with the 'rents tuesday night. i am going to miss the baby kitties very much.

it's girl scout cookie time

2006-01-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

around 11am this morning, i heard the doorbell ring. grrrr. who the hell rings the door this early? apparently, girl scouts do. my mom and i ordered a ridiculous amount of cookies last week, and they came today. what is this speed with which the local girl scout delivers my cookies? give me time to forget what i ordered, girl! $24.50 later, we have cookies. two boxes will travel with me to new orleans for my lady. i had to hide them, as my dad eats whatever is in sight. just the other day my sister left 2 cadbury cream eggs on the counter overnight. by daybreak they were gone, having traveled into the depths of my father's large intestine. it's maddening.

yesterday was balmy for a new england january day. jewls and i went into the city, had fantastic cream puff/eclair things at beard papa's in quincy market. i am almost positive that sarah g and i snacked on cream puffs at papa beard's while waiting for one of many flights in indonesia's lovely airports. delicious! afterwards, we walked down comm ave as the sun set. days like yesterday make me love boston.

and then there is today. i am freezing. emmett is sitting by the heating vent, as i did during my childhood. i remember eating my cereal on the floor with my butt pushed up again the vents during those brutally cold mornings. if i were a puppy, you'd be able to determine my healthy status based on my cold, wet nose. maybe, since yesterday was so warm, today feels colder than it really is. no matter. i'm typing this with icicle fingers and my turtleneck pulled up to my eyes.

though some bloggers (read: lizcano) hate this 3rd season of the L word, i am loving it! i go to minnie's tonight to watch it on her wide screen TV. i think those TV screens make everyone look short and stumpy. perhaps young girls growing up watching TV on those wide screens will have improved body image. dunno. i can't wait to sit back and be entertained by all of those gay ladies. if only i could move into the show. i'd have money but no job, a kid who is mysteriously absent, and wild sex with strangers.... ok ok just kidding. living at home with my parents is totally better than that.

my life as a retiree

2006-01-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

this is getting out of control. doesn't help that my mom crashed her car and has yet to find replacement. we spend our days together, and i cannot go out without her thanks to the guilt of leaving her home alone. my dad works out at the Y and then drives the school bus in the afternoons - he does special trips, like basketball games and the like. so he has his car, and my sister is never home, so i am the responsible sibling who takes mom out. we go to the library, to panera for soup, and to ikea for dessert. i have walked around this ikea more than i ever walked around the french quarter. it's sad. me, my mom, and the blue haired ladies sipping on swedish coffee for 75c a cup. free refills, though. what a bahgin.

I NEED TO FIND EMPLOYMENT!!!

writing cover letters and sending resumes is hard work. my eyes burn from the computer. plus, whenever i am online, i find someone to chat with. the students i met in taiwan have discovered my MSN username. oh, they are so very sweet! when one of them told me "may be date line not coming too soon" i had to bring myself back to the lessons i learned while traveling in asia - translation games. what he was saying was his homework wasn't due yet. aw, my taiwanese friends!

the cats are out of control today. we are having stormy weather, so stormy that we lost electricity for 3 hours! the cats were running laps around the house. lucas has picked up a nasty habit of kicking all of the litter out of the box, onto the bathroom floor. emmett is apparently trans-species, as he has started lifting his leg up to pee like a dog. libby, my mom's psycho-soon-to-be-fixed-so-she-stops-howling cat has mastered the art of standing IN the litterbox to poo, but aiming her crap OUT onto the floor. it's a three cat circus here.

so, there you have it. i got to the store, i watch the cats, i surf the 'net. i am losing brainpower. i am withering into a stay at home mom with no children to watch. save me, somebody. save me job! wherever you are; DC, hotlanta, LA, just be sure to save a position for me.. and make the salary 20% higher than my last job, please. ;)

getting back on track

2006-01-13T18:20:00.000-05:00

went for a run yesterday, and oh my goodness, it's been far too long since i've hit the pavement. this morning, my body ACHES. doesn't help that i went to bed far too late last night (2.30am) after drinking some ever delicious high life. ick. why do i do this to myself? beer is no good for body, especially beer that tastes like shit.

bought a new battery for the 'puder too. $135. yikes. me need job soon. at least i'm not as broke as my sister, who sold me a full coffee card so i could get a "free" drink. gave her $4. girl needs cash, and i ordered a $4 coffee drink, so it's all good.

tonight i have dinner plans with sara b. she has been here working as a consultant for the past 2 weeks. they put her up in a swanky swank hotel, the nine-zero hotel, which is located at 90 tremont st. it's so trendy, it puts my stay in the red roof inn to shame. i actually liked the red roof inn! but it's crap compared to the nine-zero.

last night was fun, A is ever the same and told me all sorts of entertaining stories. i missed our friendship. ooh - gotta cut this short. my *favorite* spanish chick is online!

stealing from neighbors

2006-01-12T12:45:00.001-05:00

the only way i can get online at my mom's house is to pick up my neighbor's signal. now, is it REALLY stealing if they don't password protect their wireless internet? i can't help it that my 'puder picks up every available signal in the area. i can't help it that they don't password protect their service. when i lived in new orleans, i didn't password protect mine either. why force the whole frickin' neighborhood to give cox or comcast or whomever additional money? screw that.

so my lady is in the cesspool city of nola. she has a cute little studio, she sent me pictures last night. i miss her. i woke up crying this morning. and the baby kitties miss her too. they don't understand why there is only one mommy around now. they both sleep as close as possible to me, which makes for a rough night of sleeping, but i don't mind. they are so cute and vulnerable and loving, how can i get upset at them for burrowing under my arm so they can sleep curled up next to me?

i am taking this lovely little machine in today to the so-called genius bar. maybe i'll bring the mensa test and see how many of these mac "geniuses" can actually pass any of the tests. believe it, i scored genius level on the IQ test... my brother found that very entertaining indeed. he's the one who gave me the mensa book, in fact. and i sucked. so don't be expecting too much from me. plus, the chick who gave me the test was practicing how to do it for real, which means it doesn't really count. me no too smart.

oh, right - 'puder problems. battery lasts less than 2 hours after it is fully charged. without warning, even if i have 40 minutes left per the battery indicator, my computer shuts down and i lose eVeRyThInG. that sucked during finals, for sure. lost pages of a research paper. also, safari (internet browser for macs) randomly dies. lost the function to open a new tab on safari too. grrrrrr. i bought the 3 year protection plan, but apparently that doesn't really cover anything, according to the last "genius" i took it to. i am going to a completely different store today.

last night, i went out with my friend M. she is sooooo cool. and she is going to cancun with her son, a friend of his, and a lady friend of her's. good news is her lady friend may not be able to go, and the ticket is paid for, so i am the backup! what can i do to ensure this lady can't go? trip her on ice, so she breaks something? drop some fecal matter in her drink, so she gets e coli? too evil! maybe i'll just bat my eyelashes at M and tell her how much i neeeeeeed a vacation. but her lady friend will provide her with the lovin' she needs. can't compete with that.

she also told me my ex-GF bought a house. it's strange, because i feel like i should feel some sort of emotion, but i don't care. i mean i don't care in a very apathetic way. whatever. life goes on. it's good. life should move on. even though XGF was a major bitch to me (called me post hurricane pretending to give a shit about me, but when i called her thinking we could actually be friends, she responded in a nasty email saying she only called me to see how i was, not to become friends... the way i see it, one should only call an ex if one truly cares for that person. i feel like she called me for the same reason all those effing people are taking tours for new orleans for $35 - disaster tourism. everyone loves to know someone from a disaster. SO. F'IN. CONDESCENDING.) what was i saying? oh, right - life goes on and even if i harbor some sort of angry emotion towards XGF, i am ok hearing about her new house. good for her/big deal/no matter to me.

tonight i am going out with an old friend A. we were friends, we hooked up, i got in trouble with XGF because our open relationship wasn't really open at all.. i think it will be a little strange to hang out because so much time has passed, but i think it will be fun too. no more drama, just catching up and having fun. i need some fun, especially with my lady so far away. sad face. sad pants.

bad habits

2006-01-04T13:45:00.000-05:00

i wake up at 10am, go to bed at 1am, spend way too much time in my jammies and barely job hunt. what am i doing? why am i wasting so much time? it's damn near impossible to do anything here. plus my lady is still visiting, and i reckon she doesn't want to watch me job hunt, thrilling though it sounds.

we are going to NYC tomorrow, taking the ever-unreliable chinatown express for $15 each way. i am going to miss the baby kitties! i can't stand being away from them for too long. of course, after this morning, i could use a break. lucas was doing the cha-cha on me from 7.30am until i gave in and got up at 10am. my lady just snores through it. she's fast asleep still. if ever we reach parenthood status, i think i am going to be the one getting up for the midnight feedings and the nightmares and the morning routine before school... ok, that's not completely fair. when we spent the night at my friend jude's, her 8 month old woke up crying and J was the one to get up and try to locate the binky. she couldn't find it, but she tried. the dad got up and took care of it instead. oh my, that was one rough night of sleep. babies make lots of noise. way worse than kitties. at least we can feed the kitties and kick them out of the room. child protective services would be banging on our door if we tried the same approach with little humans.

i have got to get moving on the job hunt. i have GOT to find something. part of me thinks i should just move to DC and take some crap retail job as i look for real employment. i do miss crate and barrel... and i was trained in tying a tiffany's bow. yeah, got my MPH so i can sell jewelry. it was really hard for me to go from C&B to tiffany's for my 2nd job. i kept telling customers that the open heart necklace was stainless steel instead of sterling silver. just to break the stereotype that people who shop at T's are rich, i must say that most of my customers didn't blink an eye when i said that. most of my customers were 16 year old pimply boys trying to impress their 16 year old pimply girlfriends by spending $120 on a necklace. the ads are right - it IS all about getting that little blue-green box with that perfectly tied white bow. it even works on me.

maybe that's what i'll do. i can just move. i'm not getting very far in the comfort of living off ma & dad. plus, that 30% discount at C&B is excellent!

adjusting

2006-01-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

xmas is over (yay!) and it's a lovely, snowy new year here in MA. i am glad the holidaze have ended. i need to start moving on my life, getting things in order, and making a plan. #1 i need to find a job. i cannot STAND to have no income. i've always worked - often two jobs - and this stagnant hell of no paycheck is killing me. plus, once my lady leaves in 10 short days, i'll only have the kitties to play with. waaaaah!

kitties. soooo dang cute. they are really happy here, and my ma's cat libby has turned a corner with the boys. she was none too pleased about them at first, but she's currently sleeping in their spot on the blanket my mom made me a few years ago, which is much better than her hiding behind my mom's dresser. most recently, libby has gone into heat, because that's what happens when you don't fix your cat. oh my god, the howling. it sounds painful. she wails and groans and sticks out her behind... the kitties can't stand it either. emmett jumped on her and bit her head, which my mom thought was emmett saying "shut UP already!" my lady and i knew what it really meant. emmett has always been the alpha male. lucas is horrified by all of this nonsense and wants nothing to do with libby's lady urges. he is truly the sweetest kitten ever. he's my mom's fave, and he was everyone's fave at xmas too. the two of them sleep in between me and my lady every night, lucas in my armpit and emmett next to my lady. i LOVE these kitties!

it's been a bit rough getting used to the cold weather and living with the 'rents again, but i must keep reminding myself that it's temporary. gotta keep sending out my resume. my lady thinks i'll find a job before february. fingers crossed.

took J to see a drag king show the other night in JP. it was really good, but too crowded. ah, the signs of aging. when it's preferable to watch dick clark than to hang out with those young fools downtown.

oh new mexico

2005-12-18T23:30:00.000-05:00

it's been very long since i've blogged... and i have gotten some complaints, which means more of you are reading than i knew. leave comments! it entertains me.

left california. packed up our house, raised $200 by selling our stuff, and will give it to a family in new orleans once my lady gets back there. moving out proved to be a nightmare. we put everything up for sale on craigslist, and our lovely roomie L decided she didn't need to do anything to help any part of the move out. NOTHING. she went out for dinner and had some fun with friends in SF. aw, soo nice to hear that she had a good time while my lady and i had all the craigslist shoppers of the bay area coming into the house to barter for our things. girl didn't come home for 3 days, showed up at 4.30pm the night that we had to be out. she couldn't understand why we were pissed at her. she said "i didn't know 'this' was happening." WTF? did she think tinkerbell was going to show up and empty out the apartment for us? she's a bleepin' idiot and i told her so. F her. wake up. *growl*

my lady packed up the car something fierce and we spent our last night in the bay area saying goodbye to everyone. woke up thursday morning and drove a painful 16 hours to albuqueerque. the kitties were better than i expected, but they wouldn't poo or pee no matter how many times i put them in the box. finally, as we pulled onto the street of our final destination at 1.30am, they both took a crap. the smell hit us in the face. i thought we might crash, that my lady might vomit.

been hanging in new mexico, introducing the kitties to their grandma and their, um, uncles harry and sally (doggies). the dogs really want to play with the kitties. the kitties really love to hiss at the doggies. fun.

i could eat breakfast burritos with green chili every single day. oh, wait, that's what i've been doing. if you ever travel through NM, make sure you get yourself some green chili. yum.

ok, that's the update. can't spend anymore time blogging, that's too anti-social of me and my lady will start to say i am lost in my cyber life. but having limited access to email has been tolerable. see, i'm not a complete junkie! i can interact with people NOT online!

off to save the kitties from the doggies, or should i say off to save the doggies from a clawed swipe to the nose. *hiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssss*

cheesy "i feel like this song" moment

2005-12-07T19:30:00.000-05:00

especially this verse:

i teeter between tired
and really, really tired
i'm wiped and i'm wired but i guess its just as well
because i built my own empire
out of car tires and chicken wire
and i'm queen of my own compost heap
and i'm getting used to the smell
and i've got a lack of information
but i got a little revelation
and i'm climbing up on the railing
trying not to look down
i'm going to do my best swan dive
into shark-infested waters
i'm gonna pull out my tampon
and start splashing around

oh ani difranco, if only you didn't go all weird on us by adding a horn section to your acoustic guitar and marrying a man named goat.

people suck.

2005-12-07T01:30:00.000-05:00

i am tired. i put so much energy into this report, and what do my (previously called) friends say? NOTHING. silence. well, nothing to my face.

i get a phone call from a "friend" who reports that 2 "friends" are upset with me. pissed. i wonder if the reporting "friend" stood up for me. riiiiight. no way. another friend wrote an email, asking us all for $ to give to the facutly and staff who lost their homes, because she wants to do something "positive, for a change." yet a third friend wrote my lady and said the report was biased and we need to stop attacking the poor tired staff and that the report was not in the right spirit.

that makes 5 "friends" - spineless gossip lovin' girl, angry at the world girl, immature and foolish girl, a republican pothead girl, and even someone i can't think of a single bad adjective about - all coming out against my efforts to create a space for students to have a voice.

fuck them all.

finals hell.

2005-12-06T02:11:00.000-05:00

here i am, at the end of my graduate school experience. it certainly hasn't been easy, but it is over over over in less than a week! of course, Tulane may be a pain in my ass, who knows. i was told (by my now-long-gone advisor) that since the ONE class i needed to graduate was not available here at my host school, another one would count instead. rumor has it that N. asked the department chair if this switcharoo could be made for her, and he said no.

doesn't he have more important things to worry about.. like the state of new orleans?

in fact, i know he has more important things to concern himself with - things like THE REPORT WE MADE! yup, me and my social-action-focused pals made a survey, tallied said survey, and printed that bastard up. it looks divine. it would look much less divine if L. did not help us. it would be quite ugly, in fact. that girl is magic on the computer!

so the dean here will bring it to our dean at APHA on thursday. we will send it out over email that same day - i want the dean to get it when everyone else gets it and not afterwards. don't know why, but for some reason that seems disrespectful. and then, we can wait and see. what action will Tulane take? who knows. only 2 of the 5 of us will be there next semester, as of today.

as this comes to an end as rocky as it began, i am actually happy that i landed in the bay area. i know i've said that i want to leave since the day i arrived, but now.. i don't know, i'm kind of used to it here. whatever, it's just pre-move nostalgia.

the waiting isn't over

2005-12-03T13:30:00.000-05:00

two articles today in the NY Times discuss two very important issues related to new orleans. the first to catch my eye was about the environmental safety of the city. seems that it is being debated, with the gov't on the "it's safe side" and the advocacy groups on the opposite side. the other story relates the lives of current - or should i say former - residents of new orleans and that bungled mess called FEMA. people are still (still!) living in cars, still without assistance, still unable to find any sense of normalcy.

and yet tulane demands our return, promising cruise ship living (at $5k/semester). the local people of the city are commuting "home" from miles away, arriving just to spend the day walking around aimlessly, trying to find out how to reproduce random paperwork that FEMA requires when everything they own has been under upwards of 8 feet of water. and tulane reopens. what kind of city is this to learn in? maybe if all learning was turned out of the classroom, maybe if all of those students who can afford such luxuries as higher education actually learned through helping those without - maybe that would make sense. maybe that would change the world. give those rich white kids an opportunity to live the hard life. that's an edcuational experience. who needs peace corps experience when you have new orleans to clean?

it's time the city truly engages the community in rebuilding. it's time people moved out of their cars and into the next step towards stability: the trailer.

how late is too late?

2005-11-30T23:50:00.000-05:00

how long do you wait for someone before you consider yourself blown off?

15 minutes?

remember, they have a cell phone, they can call you. you call them, they don't answer.

30 minutes?

45?

things are looking up and then, "gunk"

2005-11-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

there goes the old transmission. GUNK and a rubber smell and oily leakage and HOLY SHIT THIS DUDE QUOTED ME 2K.

can i reapply for FEMA?

everything feels unbelievably hard here. school, using my brain, job hunting, planning a move back east, my car....

effin' A. sucks sucks sucks. shitty thing? my transmission is (according to new mechanic) supposed to have a serial # on it, but it's been scratched off. eh? what does that mean?

2005. the year that was a pain in my ass.

my first earthquake!

2005-11-28T00:43:00.000-05:00

it JUST happened! i felt it! the house shook. official time is 9.37pm PST in Piedmont, CA, a few miles from me. it measured a whopping 2.4, and what is most impressive is information was online about it within seconds!!!

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/nc40181464.html

holy crap! a real earthquake!

facing the scale i don't have

2005-11-26T18:20:00.000-05:00

and thank god i don't have one. it's been ages since i last tied up my running shoes. for shame.

the un-turkey was ok, but i prefer the tofurkey i think. my lady said "oh, i hope next year we can be someplace that has both!" i thought she meant both the un-turkey and the tofurkey. she meant a place with a fake turkey and a real turkey. grrrrrr.

i have so much shit to do. 2 papers, one take-home, work for L, internship objectives (do you think "Fuck TU over" is a good one??) and a move across the country. less than one month until xmas. shiiiiiit. oh, and i have to send all of my school documents to TU so they can approve them. know what i want to say? you bastards, you didn't open, so you should just take all of my credits and shut the hell up. so! annoying!

kittens were wild today. lucas stole my jammy pants and dragged them into the living room. ridiculous! and he's only 4 pounds! wait until he's full-grown! em knocked his head a few times on the coffee table, but i think he's ok. they are both sound asleep right now. soooo cute, but sleep now = craziness at midnight. oh well, kittens must be kittens.

ok, group meeting at 4pm. feeling ready for school to be over. i'm done learning.

happy please don't kill the turkey day!

2005-11-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

this year, i'm trying out an un-turkey (in place of the tofurkey). i'll let you know how good it is from a vegetarian point of view, and my lady will likely make comparison to the real, dead thing. it's been 12 years since i've last intentionally eaten meat. i say "intentionally" because there have been a few times that the chef hasn't been honest with me about the ingredients in the food. like when my aunt M said that the boiled cabbage did NOT have a ham bone in it (oh st patrick's day) or when the waiter at a steakhouse in MN (yeah, what was i thinking?) told me that the pasta dish was NOT made with chicken stock. that's actually my all-time favorite story, because when i took a bite and tasted the chicken broth, my friend thought i was being a little nuts and she said all she could taste was garlic and butter. i waved the waiter over, he confirmed with the chef that it did indeed have chicken stock, and the chef came out to apologize to me. turned out that he was vegan, even though he was the head chef at a steak house - what does that tell you about steak? - and he made me a fancy little meal that was vegan and perfect.

what else.. oh, we finally sent out our report about Tulane from our little survey and we put our names on it! it's gone. it's out. and everyone knows it's us. telling them is actually rather liberating. i have to say, if it wasn't for J, this would not have happened. that girl knows how to make shit move.

ok, i have to attend to my lady in the kitchen. it's our first un-turkey day together, it's my first without my family and that makes me a little sad, but we have our own family here. speaking of which, lucas just jumped in the bathroom trash and knocked it over. bleepin' children!

can't... move.. body

2005-11-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

crapola! dodgeball certainly DID kick my arse! i can't frickin' move! ouchie! i have aged, dear readers. it hurts to cough, to sit in class, to get up out of my seat after class; really, to do anything. i am in dire need of a hot tub today.

i have to bring food to class tomorrow - we all take turns bringing snacks each week. oh i am so lucky, this week is special - there is a class of high school students coming into our class tomorrow. instead of feeding 16 people, i get to feed 30! how lucky.

i bought (and by bought, i mean used my meal plan points that the school gave me for free) chips, salsa, apple juice, diet coke, and twix bars for a snack. another student is bringing food too. my teacher emailed me back, asking that i don't bring the twix bars, because these kids have been doing work around nutrition and she doesn't want to send any mixed messages. the next thing she says is that she is going to bring pizza.

?

WTF. no, you can't bring the twix bars you ALREADY got because i want the snacks to be healthy, but i can bring frickin' pizza? hypocrite! soooooooo aggravating. be consistent. pizza, a healthy option? what an idiot.

dodgeball

2005-11-21T00:45:00.000-05:00

we played dodgeball today for a benefit for hurricane victims. hot damn, i sucked! but Team Nutria made it to the 3rd round, which is cool, but not so cool because one of those rounds we won thanks to Chi Omega sorority no-showing. winning by forfeit isn't really winning at all.

i don't want to bore you with play-by-play details, so i'll give you the highlight of the day instead. i was hit and, therefore, out. as i made my way out of the box, some jerk on Team Diseased Kumquats threw a ball at me something fierce, hitting me in the back. my lady ran like a bat out of hell towards the guy, screaming "she's already out!" and slammed a ball at him. mmmm. defending her lady. sooo awesome.

stupid TU School of Public Health student gov't president, A, didn't even come, even though she said she'd be there. what a piece of crap she is. i mean, shit, if SHE doesn't care about this, then who will? she's just like many an elected official. useless.

i am ashamed to admit this, but my body is feeling like a trainwreck. my thighs are aching, my back is sore, and arms are weak and wiggly. i have to go to bed. ouchie!

mountain biking is harder than i thought

2005-11-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

damn, we went out for a pathetic 30 minute ride and i was winded! i don't actually know where we went, but it was up in some oakland hills, and it was gorgeous. the weather remains mysteriously the same day to day, and me thinks i will be in for quite a shock when i return back home to the northeast for xmas.

it's been a long time since i last updated this puppy. let me see.. what exciting things have happened...

took the kitties to J and L's house for a playdate with their kitty Shinji. he wasn't too keen on the visit, but the boys made themselves right at home, and they also ate Shinji's dinner. all of it. apparently, kittens shouldn't eat special hairball-reducing cat food. it gives them the shits. em and luc were kind enough to hold it until we got home. they went immediately for their leftover dinner sitting in the bowls, and then they both went straight to the shitter and moved some nasty looking and smelling bowels. poor em was crying, he went back for round 2 and leaked something gross.

isn't it lovely, how poetic i am about my kittens' shit? dontcha love reading about it?

what else... i love spending time with J and L. i love their loft. their cat is just ok though. not too friendly.

cal dining gave us free meal plans for the semester, and part of that deal is buying food online in bulk, like study snacks and what not. i spent $131 on diet coke, granola bars, ritz crackers w/cheese, twix bars, cereal... it's all pretty terrible for the old waistline. but i still have $900 to spend before the semester ends!! damn!

i miss my sister. last week, she was here. now she is not. waaahhh!

off to shower. my lady is getting a haircut at the new bumble and bumble salon that opened a block away. because we do everything togther, my appt is right after her's, and unlike her, i thought i'd do the hairdresser the courtesy of showering before i sit in front of her for an hour or so. no one wants to smell me. plus, with this aluminum-free deodorant, i stink! what's worse - living a long, memory-filled life with stinky armpits, or smelling good today and forgetting it all when i'm 90?

happy

2005-11-16T02:34:00.000-05:00

i miss being happy.