Today, dear readers, you get two ... two ... two posts, instead of one! Because I couldn't get online last night, due to my clumsiness and computer-dropping abilities. Lo siento.
I have an anklet that I never take off; it's an amber piece of jewelry that my dad gave to me once upon a time. It's one of those adjustable pieces, it's just thread and amber beads, and you slide the thread around to make it bigger or smaller; there are two pieces of threads hanging out the end, each with an amber bead. Well, one of the threads can't seem to hold on to its amber bead. I lost it once while I was sleeping and found it the next morning while I was making the bed. On Monday, I was working out and noticed my ankle was being tickled by something -- it was the thread minus the bead, again.
I thought it was probably lost for good, since I didn't see it in my workout room and had no idea when it actually fell off. Well, yesterday I was walking around the office and a small amber bead happened to catch my eye next to a cubicle down the hall. It wasn't even my cubicle, which makes it all the more amazing that I found this bead -- the office is pretty big, it could have been anywhere, and I just happened to see it.
I picked it up and put it in my purse for reattachment later. I figured since it was such a lucky day, I'd spend some $$ on a scratch-and-win. And I did win! I won $15. Yee-haw.
I also got a new water bottle yesterday (which I have already almost lost once). It's green with rubberized grips for my fingers and a pop-up straw from which to drink. Pretty awesome stuff.
On the down side, I have cramps, and I can't take any Midol until I've written all my pieces for the day. That shit is no joke.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Take Two
Random things I like:
Advice columns.
Hollywood gossip.
Dating sections on websites. Funny, because I don't need to read any of them -- but I can't stop!
My hair.
My nails.
My dog.
Reading -- even books that are terrible, worthless crap. I still have to finish them.
Fitness blogs.
Tyra's shows on TV -- all of them. Even though I don't really like Tyra.
SmartBalance popcorn.
Shaun T.
My laptop, even though it doesn't like to stay charged.
My bed, even though it sags in the middle.
My Merrell shoes.
Red toenail polish.
Copper eyeliner.
Workout clothes.
Advice columns.
Hollywood gossip.
Dating sections on websites. Funny, because I don't need to read any of them -- but I can't stop!
My hair.
My nails.
My dog.
Reading -- even books that are terrible, worthless crap. I still have to finish them.
Fitness blogs.
Tyra's shows on TV -- all of them. Even though I don't really like Tyra.
SmartBalance popcorn.
Shaun T.
My laptop, even though it doesn't like to stay charged.
My bed, even though it sags in the middle.
My Merrell shoes.
Red toenail polish.
Copper eyeliner.
Workout clothes.
Restaurant Advice
Computer issues kept me off yesterday -- so today you will get not one, but two blogs, dear readers, so I will have kept my promise. (I keep saying "readers," even though I only know for sure that one person is reading this blog -- hi, Jocelyn! I guess plural is okay.)
I want to be an advice columnist someday. I was thinking yesterday that one industry that could really use an advice columnist is the restaurant business. I would even like to gear my advice column, specifically, toward one restaurant -- the one in which I work. It's not a bad restaurant, per se, but there are some things that just need to change. If I were ever to write this column, here would be the first entry:
"Dear Restaurant Worker:
You may have noticed that our coffee pots have some special attributes. Not only are they Thermos-like in their ability to keep coffee and other liquids warm, but the lids also contain certain additions to make your job easier. Note the funnel shape in the lid, ending in a hole. This is so when you must refill the coffee, there is no need to remove the lid. Simply place the coffeepot beneath the brewer, fill with fresh filter and coffee, hit "Coffee" and "half" and the coffee will fall directly into the pot, through the lid! It is amazing, isn't it?
In other words: YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE GODDAMN LID OFF THE POT WHEN YOU BREW COFFEE, STUPID! IT KEEPS THE COFFEE HOTTER IF YOU LEAVE IT ON!!! DO NOT REMOVE THE LID!!!! THERE IS NO NEED!!!!!
And, anonymous to A: Don't think I haven't heard all the shit you talk about me. You think just because I'm nice and don't tell you that you're fat (you really have gained a lot of weight since you started working here, by the way), that I don't know about your little campaign. Well, I know. Because some people like me better than they like you. So you can just go ahead and stop. I know it pains you that I do so well in my one shift a week, that I have people who come in just to see me, and that you don't get that shift anymore. Cry me a fuckin' river."
Whew! That feels better.
I want to be an advice columnist someday. I was thinking yesterday that one industry that could really use an advice columnist is the restaurant business. I would even like to gear my advice column, specifically, toward one restaurant -- the one in which I work. It's not a bad restaurant, per se, but there are some things that just need to change. If I were ever to write this column, here would be the first entry:
"Dear Restaurant Worker:
You may have noticed that our coffee pots have some special attributes. Not only are they Thermos-like in their ability to keep coffee and other liquids warm, but the lids also contain certain additions to make your job easier. Note the funnel shape in the lid, ending in a hole. This is so when you must refill the coffee, there is no need to remove the lid. Simply place the coffeepot beneath the brewer, fill with fresh filter and coffee, hit "Coffee" and "half" and the coffee will fall directly into the pot, through the lid! It is amazing, isn't it?
In other words: YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE GODDAMN LID OFF THE POT WHEN YOU BREW COFFEE, STUPID! IT KEEPS THE COFFEE HOTTER IF YOU LEAVE IT ON!!! DO NOT REMOVE THE LID!!!! THERE IS NO NEED!!!!!
And, anonymous to A: Don't think I haven't heard all the shit you talk about me. You think just because I'm nice and don't tell you that you're fat (you really have gained a lot of weight since you started working here, by the way), that I don't know about your little campaign. Well, I know. Because some people like me better than they like you. So you can just go ahead and stop. I know it pains you that I do so well in my one shift a week, that I have people who come in just to see me, and that you don't get that shift anymore. Cry me a fuckin' river."
Whew! That feels better.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
quickie!
This is going to have to be quick, since my computer should decide to shut off at any time.
It's not the Mac's fault, it's mind for dropping it one god damned time too many.
javascript:void(0)
Out!
It's not the Mac's fault, it's mind for dropping it one god damned time too many.
javascript:void(0)
Out!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Every Little Thing Is Gonna Be All Right
My brother told me some sad news yesterday. Art and Justin had a little dog, Marley, she was a mutt (a beagle mix, they think) that was found out in Missouri. They'd had her since December or January. My mom accidentally (obviously!) backed over her on the 8th and she died; they actually just had her cremated.
Marley was pretty light, not even thirty pounds, and when I came over she liked to stand on her hind legs and put her front paws up on my torso. I used to grab her paws and sway around with her and sing the chorus from that Orleans song, "Dance With Me," only I don't know all the lyrics, so my version went like this:
"Dance with me,
I want to be your partner,
Dance with me,
Ba da da da da da da
La de da dah
A wa wa wa wa
Dance with me"
I'm going to miss being able to dance with Marley. She also had a little white stripe on her top lip -- thin, like a baby milk mustache. She was super cute.
We'll miss you, Marley.
Marley was pretty light, not even thirty pounds, and when I came over she liked to stand on her hind legs and put her front paws up on my torso. I used to grab her paws and sway around with her and sing the chorus from that Orleans song, "Dance With Me," only I don't know all the lyrics, so my version went like this:
"Dance with me,
I want to be your partner,
Dance with me,
Ba da da da da da da
La de da dah
A wa wa wa wa
Dance with me"
I'm going to miss being able to dance with Marley. She also had a little white stripe on her top lip -- thin, like a baby milk mustache. She was super cute.
We'll miss you, Marley.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
All Hands on Deck!
I was going to blog today about my eating habits -- what I generally eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, including drinks -- but I'll spare you for at least another day. It's not all that interesting anyway, trust me.
Instead, you should go read this story. It made me laugh so hard I almost spit water out my nose ... is that even the correct verb to use? Spit? Well, whatever, it almost made water come out my nose as I was drinking and laughing at the same time.
Funny stuff.
Instead, you should go read this story. It made me laugh so hard I almost spit water out my nose ... is that even the correct verb to use? Spit? Well, whatever, it almost made water come out my nose as I was drinking and laughing at the same time.
Funny stuff.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Hot, Hot, Hot
This morning I did something really dumb. I was heating up water for my morning cup of tea, and after the water was boiling, I picked up the teapot with my left hand and my travel mug with my right hand to pour the water (normally, I leave the mug on the counter when I pour; it's safer that way). What's really stupid is that as I was getting ready to pour the water, I thought, "I'm going to hurt myself here."
Well, I did hurt myself. I splashed boiling-hot water on my index, middle and ring fingers of my right hand. I was kind of in a hurry (I lost my passkey to get into the garage, and I was hoping to get to work early enough that the two spots reserved in the parking lot for visitors would still be open, and I could nab one of them, but that didn't work out as planned. Of course.) so I spent some cursory time running my hand under ice-cold water until it was time to go to work.
And my hand hurt the whole way to work. Throbbing, burning pain. There is nothing like burn pain -- it sucks. I got to work and thought I'd try some of the aloe vera gel I keep for sunburn relief in my cubicle, but that didn't help at all. So then I went to the kitchen to investigate and see what we have for burn relief in the freezer.
There are no ice packs in the freezer, but there is ice. I looked around for something to put the ice in, and for some reason I ended up just grabbing a length of Saran wrap. When I got back to my desk, I thought to myself, "This is silly; when the ice melts, water is going to get everywhere." I went back to the kitchen to find one of our plastic cups to put the ice in, but we were totally out of both plastic cups (for drinking water) and Styrofoam cups (for coffee).
That meant I had to start looking through the cupboards to see what was available. The best thing I found was this big, shallowish mug with Mickey Mouse on it. So I put the ice in there and spent most of the morning with my right hand chillin' in the mug, and trying to use my mouse with my left hand (not nearly as easy as it sounds).
It was a really good look.
Well, I did hurt myself. I splashed boiling-hot water on my index, middle and ring fingers of my right hand. I was kind of in a hurry (I lost my passkey to get into the garage, and I was hoping to get to work early enough that the two spots reserved in the parking lot for visitors would still be open, and I could nab one of them, but that didn't work out as planned. Of course.) so I spent some cursory time running my hand under ice-cold water until it was time to go to work.
And my hand hurt the whole way to work. Throbbing, burning pain. There is nothing like burn pain -- it sucks. I got to work and thought I'd try some of the aloe vera gel I keep for sunburn relief in my cubicle, but that didn't help at all. So then I went to the kitchen to investigate and see what we have for burn relief in the freezer.
There are no ice packs in the freezer, but there is ice. I looked around for something to put the ice in, and for some reason I ended up just grabbing a length of Saran wrap. When I got back to my desk, I thought to myself, "This is silly; when the ice melts, water is going to get everywhere." I went back to the kitchen to find one of our plastic cups to put the ice in, but we were totally out of both plastic cups (for drinking water) and Styrofoam cups (for coffee).
That meant I had to start looking through the cupboards to see what was available. The best thing I found was this big, shallowish mug with Mickey Mouse on it. So I put the ice in there and spent most of the morning with my right hand chillin' in the mug, and trying to use my mouse with my left hand (not nearly as easy as it sounds).
It was a really good look.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Progress Now
Looking in the mirror this morning, I swear I saw the slightest bit of definition in my abs. It was up at the top, where the muscle meets the ribcage. Only very tiny, but noticeable in the right light.
Now, I'm not blind, and I also still have my sense of touch just fine. I know there's still a layer of fat there. But I've never, ever had any definition in my abs, so to see even a little smidgen of a hint of some was most certainly progress.
Also, I beat Diner Dash. The whole game.
Now, I'm not blind, and I also still have my sense of touch just fine. I know there's still a layer of fat there. But I've never, ever had any definition in my abs, so to see even a little smidgen of a hint of some was most certainly progress.
Also, I beat Diner Dash. The whole game.
Monday, July 7, 2008
I Hate Plateaus
If you're wondering whether I've been keeping up with the whole healthy-living lifestyle, the answer is yes, I have. Which is damn frustrating, because I've actually been amping up my workouts for the past couple of weeks, and guess how much weight I've lost?
Pretty much none.
I've lost some body fat, I think, at least based on my bathroom scale (which I love, by the way -- the digital body-fat reader isn't for everybody, but it helps me keep things in perspective; I may be within the correct height/weight ratio, aka BMI, but I'd like to cut the fat down by quite a bit). But the scale refuses to budge, and it's driving me a little bit crazy. I tend to get obsessive about these things, and when I've been working out six days a week, and my workouts finish with me dripping sweat, you'd think I'd have more to show for it.
Of course, I know I could be putting on muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. And really, it's not so much the weight that bothers me (it's not!). It's the fact that I still can't fit into my favorite pair of jeans. It's the size that bothers me.
The real kicker is that I know what I need to do. Lately (over the past couple of weeks, actually) I've been getting ravenously hungry at night. I know why -- it's because I'm burning more calories, and my body, which would like to maintain its weight, is pushing me to eat to regain those lost calories. And I, mindlessly, agree. It's not like I'm binging late-night on fried food and doughnuts (god, I wish sometimes ...), but even though it's healthy, it's still keeping these last stubborn five to ten pounds on my ass and thighs and belly.
Frustrating.
So ... no more late-night snacks. Dinner, and that's it. I find that a cup of tea and a glass of wine helps, but not lately; lately, it's food or nothing. But I can deal with a little before-bed tummy growling for a higher cause.
And on the bright side: I've lost more than fifteen pounds to date and -- most important -- kept it off. No signs of a fat relapse. If I have my say, I'll never see 130 pounds on the scale ever again. Unless I become pregnant. But what I really want to see on the scale, repeatedly and forever, is 115 pounds or thereabouts. Maybe even 110 if it's healthy for me to get there. Is that so much to ask for my 5'4 frame? Apparently so. Apparently, 120ish is where it's at for me right now. But not for long ... this I promise myself, which is more effective than promising you, elusive reader.
And to close, a random thought: Morning glories are kind of weird, don't you think? I do. I see them every morning as I'm leaving for work, and I think, "pretty flowers." They are pretty -- white with hints of pink and purple sometimes -- and then when I get home, I forget we even have flowers in the yard at all. They vanish, only to reappear again the next morning. I've never sat to watch and see at what point they decide to hide. I just think they're weird. But pretty. But weird.
But still pretty.
Pretty much none.
I've lost some body fat, I think, at least based on my bathroom scale (which I love, by the way -- the digital body-fat reader isn't for everybody, but it helps me keep things in perspective; I may be within the correct height/weight ratio, aka BMI, but I'd like to cut the fat down by quite a bit). But the scale refuses to budge, and it's driving me a little bit crazy. I tend to get obsessive about these things, and when I've been working out six days a week, and my workouts finish with me dripping sweat, you'd think I'd have more to show for it.
Of course, I know I could be putting on muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. And really, it's not so much the weight that bothers me (it's not!). It's the fact that I still can't fit into my favorite pair of jeans. It's the size that bothers me.
The real kicker is that I know what I need to do. Lately (over the past couple of weeks, actually) I've been getting ravenously hungry at night. I know why -- it's because I'm burning more calories, and my body, which would like to maintain its weight, is pushing me to eat to regain those lost calories. And I, mindlessly, agree. It's not like I'm binging late-night on fried food and doughnuts (god, I wish sometimes ...), but even though it's healthy, it's still keeping these last stubborn five to ten pounds on my ass and thighs and belly.
Frustrating.
So ... no more late-night snacks. Dinner, and that's it. I find that a cup of tea and a glass of wine helps, but not lately; lately, it's food or nothing. But I can deal with a little before-bed tummy growling for a higher cause.
And on the bright side: I've lost more than fifteen pounds to date and -- most important -- kept it off. No signs of a fat relapse. If I have my say, I'll never see 130 pounds on the scale ever again. Unless I become pregnant. But what I really want to see on the scale, repeatedly and forever, is 115 pounds or thereabouts. Maybe even 110 if it's healthy for me to get there. Is that so much to ask for my 5'4 frame? Apparently so. Apparently, 120ish is where it's at for me right now. But not for long ... this I promise myself, which is more effective than promising you, elusive reader.
And to close, a random thought: Morning glories are kind of weird, don't you think? I do. I see them every morning as I'm leaving for work, and I think, "pretty flowers." They are pretty -- white with hints of pink and purple sometimes -- and then when I get home, I forget we even have flowers in the yard at all. They vanish, only to reappear again the next morning. I've never sat to watch and see at what point they decide to hide. I just think they're weird. But pretty. But weird.
But still pretty.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Sunday, Liquor Sunday
Work was super lame today. To give you just a taste of how bad it was, I'll merely say this: The power went out at the end of the day, and I had to calculate all my remaining tables' tabs, plus sales tax, by remembering exactly what they had. Less than fun.
I wanted to report mostly on my very first purchase of alcohol from a liquor store on Sunday in the history of my life in Colorado. (It seems weird that in Missouri, you can buy whatever you want at the gas station -- talk about convenience -- and yet Colorado makes noise about being a more forward-thinking state, doesn't it?) I actually made it all the way home after my shift was over and the power-outage fiasco had taken its toll on me, then said, "Oh, shit! I forgot to go to the liquor store!" I mostly wanted to go for the novelty, but there's also something about serving people alcohol all day long and then not having any for yourself when you get home, that makes it extra-terrible when the liquor store is closed on Sunday.
I bought: A six-pack of iced tea, a box of cabernet (four bottles' worth, and it's decent wine) and a $5 crossword puzzle scratch-and-win. I lost.
But it was nice to be able to embark something as trivial as a visit to the liquor store that, while trivial, also has political significance -- who is anyone to say you can't buy alcohol on Sundays? It's a silly and arbitrary rule. As the Colorado legislature proved.
I wanted to report mostly on my very first purchase of alcohol from a liquor store on Sunday in the history of my life in Colorado. (It seems weird that in Missouri, you can buy whatever you want at the gas station -- talk about convenience -- and yet Colorado makes noise about being a more forward-thinking state, doesn't it?) I actually made it all the way home after my shift was over and the power-outage fiasco had taken its toll on me, then said, "Oh, shit! I forgot to go to the liquor store!" I mostly wanted to go for the novelty, but there's also something about serving people alcohol all day long and then not having any for yourself when you get home, that makes it extra-terrible when the liquor store is closed on Sunday.
I bought: A six-pack of iced tea, a box of cabernet (four bottles' worth, and it's decent wine) and a $5 crossword puzzle scratch-and-win. I lost.
But it was nice to be able to embark something as trivial as a visit to the liquor store that, while trivial, also has political significance -- who is anyone to say you can't buy alcohol on Sundays? It's a silly and arbitrary rule. As the Colorado legislature proved.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Lazy Saturday
Actually, it's not all that lazy -- I'm getting a decent amount done -- but I'm also indulging in one of my favorite past-times, which is sure to make everyone laugh.
Here it is:
I like watching exercise DVDs.
Don't get me wrong; I also like doing the exercise DVDs. That's my fitness program, after all. But I like getting the chance to watch the videos at lesat one time all the way through before I actually am ready to do the video.
I just started using the Hip Hop Abs series a couple of weeks ago (visit beachbody to learn more about this) and so far I've only had to do two videos as part of the program. But this is the start of the third week, introducing two new videos. Plus I got the deluxe package, which includes six extra dance workouts and three advanced workouts. So what I've been doing today is watching a video, then doing 15 minutes' worth of cleaning/decluttering, then watching another video, then another 15 minutes. I've managed to get quite a bit done this way. The 15 minutes on and off is one of my favorite cleaning tricks.
Here it is:
I like watching exercise DVDs.
Don't get me wrong; I also like doing the exercise DVDs. That's my fitness program, after all. But I like getting the chance to watch the videos at lesat one time all the way through before I actually am ready to do the video.
I just started using the Hip Hop Abs series a couple of weeks ago (visit beachbody to learn more about this) and so far I've only had to do two videos as part of the program. But this is the start of the third week, introducing two new videos. Plus I got the deluxe package, which includes six extra dance workouts and three advanced workouts. So what I've been doing today is watching a video, then doing 15 minutes' worth of cleaning/decluttering, then watching another video, then another 15 minutes. I've managed to get quite a bit done this way. The 15 minutes on and off is one of my favorite cleaning tricks.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Glorious Fourth
Today, as announced, I went to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, where I was duly annoyed by humanity: First by the man at the gate who told me that they highly discourage dogs from coming into the arts area (coulda told me sooner!), then by the teeming hordes of pretentious people, which were everywhere, and which prompted me to don my "VIP Media" badge so they would stop shoving me out of the way while I tried to take pictures, and finally, by the man who told me I wasn't allowed to take pictures because he was too self-centered to see my "VIP Media" badge.
Oy.
Also, I got sunburned just on my neck. Not a good look.
But the art, as it is every year, was way cool.
It feels weird that I have tomorrow off, too. Like a real weekend. Usually I only have one day off a week, and really not even that, since every other week I do volunteer work. I keep thinking I have to go bartend tomorrow, but I don't.
My brothers want to go watch fireworks later and I guess they expect me to go with them. I don't really feel like it, is the problem. I couldn't care less about fireworks and brouhaha. I love my country, but I don't really like the Fourth of July and all the surrounding accoutrements.
Oy.
Also, I got sunburned just on my neck. Not a good look.
But the art, as it is every year, was way cool.
It feels weird that I have tomorrow off, too. Like a real weekend. Usually I only have one day off a week, and really not even that, since every other week I do volunteer work. I keep thinking I have to go bartend tomorrow, but I don't.
My brothers want to go watch fireworks later and I guess they expect me to go with them. I don't really feel like it, is the problem. I couldn't care less about fireworks and brouhaha. I love my country, but I don't really like the Fourth of July and all the surrounding accoutrements.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Always On My Mind
Not always, actually, but here's what's on my mind today:
* I got a phone call from a woman who set up an interview for me with Alex Gibney, the man behind the new Hunter S. Thompson movie, Gonzo. She was brusque -- actually, kind of rude -- and wanted to know why the interview wasn't in the paper. Well, it wasn't in the paper because a) we don't run interviews in the movies section of the paper, as a general rule; there isn't enough space to run as many movie reviews as I would like, and I'm not wasting that space on an interview, and b) I arranged for the interview with the understanding that it would be posted online as a supplement to the film in the paper. I did make Gonzo the top film for the week -- because I thought it deserved the standing: I fully enjoyed it and think everyone interested in Hunter's life should go out and see it immediately (or at least when it opens tomorrow).
So anyway, she calls me and she's rude in the voicemail, so I call her back and leave what I thought was a very nice message explaining that there must have been some kind of misunderstanding, that the interview is posted online and I would be happy to send her a link if she would like one. And then she figures out that she was, in fact, wrong, and sends me an e-mail saying "Sorry! And could you send that link?"
It miffed me. Mostly because for me to even get the screener for Gonzo, I had to explain exactly what I was going to use it for, and I told them we would use that and the director material for supplemental stuff online. The paper is shrinking, and we simply don't have the space to run everything in print, but I personally have been posting a lot on the website to make up for the fact. To the point: People shouldn't be rude until they have their facts in order and are certain that they actually have a reason to be rude.
* Aside from that, work today was kinda brutal. I have tomorrow off (good!) but that means I have to do my usual Thursday and Friday tasks today (not so good). It seemed to go pretty smoothly until about 3 p.m. when I realized I was missing a story for Night&Day. And not missing a story as in someone was late turning it in -- missing it as in no one realized it was missing until just then. Luckily, I had something I had written for online that could fill the spot. And it was especially fortuitous because while writing this particular online piece, I had told my contacts that it was going in the paper (people get a little weird about being "only" online, even though quite a few people still see it on the website). I figured I would just deal with the fallout next week when they didn't see it in the paper, but now it actually will be in print, and I didn't have to do any extra work to get it there. Then all I had to do was upload the online stuff and wipe down my desk with my grapefruit-scented cleaner to get rid of the toxic black dust. Hello, weekend!
* I'm wearing these cute slide wedge shoes that I bought one or two summers ago (can't even remember). I never wear them because they're not properly broken in, so they tend to hurt my feet (although they must be getting close; they're rather comfortable today), and also because summerwear is so time-consuming. I usually miss it when it's gone and can't wait for it to come back so I can put on my cute summer clothes, but seriously ... you have to shave, if you're wearing open-toed shoes then your toes should be painted, and that by itself is more maintenance than I usually give my body. But today I've got a green shirt, my brown city shorts and the shoes, which go perfectly with the shorts. I guess it's worth the effort.
* I get to go to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival tomorrow! I love the arts festival. It's all way too expensive for me, but the work is beautiful and it's fun just to walk around and take it all in.
* I have about four or five broken small appliances that need to leave my home, but I'm not sure what to do with them. I can't just throw them away; how wasteful! I'm looking into recycling them -- but some places charge to recycle small appliances. Which I guess makes sense if they can't make their cash back through the actual recycling, but it still feels a bit extortionate to me.
* Why is it that vitamins make your pee bright, radioactive yellow? I've been taking this stuff called Passion4Life that my brother Art introduced me to; it's a good vitamin. It's liquid, so 98 percent of it gets absorbed (way, way more than regular vitamins). It tastes nasty, so I blend it into a breakfast smoothie every morning. And then I pee bright yellow. Why is that?
* Finally, if you want to read my blog (and the following comments) on Widespread Panic that I wrote for Westword, go here. And if you're so inclined, leave a comment; it'll help me with my plans for world domination.
* I got a phone call from a woman who set up an interview for me with Alex Gibney, the man behind the new Hunter S. Thompson movie, Gonzo. She was brusque -- actually, kind of rude -- and wanted to know why the interview wasn't in the paper. Well, it wasn't in the paper because a) we don't run interviews in the movies section of the paper, as a general rule; there isn't enough space to run as many movie reviews as I would like, and I'm not wasting that space on an interview, and b) I arranged for the interview with the understanding that it would be posted online as a supplement to the film in the paper. I did make Gonzo the top film for the week -- because I thought it deserved the standing: I fully enjoyed it and think everyone interested in Hunter's life should go out and see it immediately (or at least when it opens tomorrow).
So anyway, she calls me and she's rude in the voicemail, so I call her back and leave what I thought was a very nice message explaining that there must have been some kind of misunderstanding, that the interview is posted online and I would be happy to send her a link if she would like one. And then she figures out that she was, in fact, wrong, and sends me an e-mail saying "Sorry! And could you send that link?"
It miffed me. Mostly because for me to even get the screener for Gonzo, I had to explain exactly what I was going to use it for, and I told them we would use that and the director material for supplemental stuff online. The paper is shrinking, and we simply don't have the space to run everything in print, but I personally have been posting a lot on the website to make up for the fact. To the point: People shouldn't be rude until they have their facts in order and are certain that they actually have a reason to be rude.
* Aside from that, work today was kinda brutal. I have tomorrow off (good!) but that means I have to do my usual Thursday and Friday tasks today (not so good). It seemed to go pretty smoothly until about 3 p.m. when I realized I was missing a story for Night&Day. And not missing a story as in someone was late turning it in -- missing it as in no one realized it was missing until just then. Luckily, I had something I had written for online that could fill the spot. And it was especially fortuitous because while writing this particular online piece, I had told my contacts that it was going in the paper (people get a little weird about being "only" online, even though quite a few people still see it on the website). I figured I would just deal with the fallout next week when they didn't see it in the paper, but now it actually will be in print, and I didn't have to do any extra work to get it there. Then all I had to do was upload the online stuff and wipe down my desk with my grapefruit-scented cleaner to get rid of the toxic black dust. Hello, weekend!
* I'm wearing these cute slide wedge shoes that I bought one or two summers ago (can't even remember). I never wear them because they're not properly broken in, so they tend to hurt my feet (although they must be getting close; they're rather comfortable today), and also because summerwear is so time-consuming. I usually miss it when it's gone and can't wait for it to come back so I can put on my cute summer clothes, but seriously ... you have to shave, if you're wearing open-toed shoes then your toes should be painted, and that by itself is more maintenance than I usually give my body. But today I've got a green shirt, my brown city shorts and the shoes, which go perfectly with the shorts. I guess it's worth the effort.
* I get to go to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival tomorrow! I love the arts festival. It's all way too expensive for me, but the work is beautiful and it's fun just to walk around and take it all in.
* I have about four or five broken small appliances that need to leave my home, but I'm not sure what to do with them. I can't just throw them away; how wasteful! I'm looking into recycling them -- but some places charge to recycle small appliances. Which I guess makes sense if they can't make their cash back through the actual recycling, but it still feels a bit extortionate to me.
* Why is it that vitamins make your pee bright, radioactive yellow? I've been taking this stuff called Passion4Life that my brother Art introduced me to; it's a good vitamin. It's liquid, so 98 percent of it gets absorbed (way, way more than regular vitamins). It tastes nasty, so I blend it into a breakfast smoothie every morning. And then I pee bright yellow. Why is that?
* Finally, if you want to read my blog (and the following comments) on Widespread Panic that I wrote for Westword, go here. And if you're so inclined, leave a comment; it'll help me with my plans for world domination.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Just for Jocelyn
My car has a ghost in it. I've taken it into the mechanic and he doesn't know what's wrong, so I'm saying it's a ghost. Every once in a while, it refuses to start. The only thing you can do is just wait for about five minutes and then try again, and usually it starts right up.
The reason I think it's a ghost is because it always refuses to start when I'm at the post office. And I have to go to the post office every day because I don't have a mailbox, just a P.O. box, and I have to check my mail.
I went today to check my mail (there was a really ridiculous packet in there from Dodge urging me to buy a new car; it said "OMG" on the envelope. I wanted to mail it back and be all, "OMG, Dodge! I'm not buying one of you!) and when I went back to my car it, of course, would not start.
I'm not the most patient person on the planet, and it's frustrating to wait for the elusive start, so what I've been doing is playing my new favorite game on my phone. It's called Diner Dash. It follows Flo, a waitress who's trying to make her diner into an empire. You go through different shifts with Flo and it gets progressively harder. First they add tables. Then they start adding different types of customers -- old people, businessmen and food critics. If you ever take too long to get to a customer, they start to get mad, until steam comes out of their head and they leave; if they leave you lose 750 points. Then they add a drink station, a host podium, appetizers, that kind of thing.
I'm on level six of the seafood restaurant and I cannot get past those unlimited free crab cakes for the life of me.
The reason I think it's a ghost is because it always refuses to start when I'm at the post office. And I have to go to the post office every day because I don't have a mailbox, just a P.O. box, and I have to check my mail.
I went today to check my mail (there was a really ridiculous packet in there from Dodge urging me to buy a new car; it said "OMG" on the envelope. I wanted to mail it back and be all, "OMG, Dodge! I'm not buying one of you!) and when I went back to my car it, of course, would not start.
I'm not the most patient person on the planet, and it's frustrating to wait for the elusive start, so what I've been doing is playing my new favorite game on my phone. It's called Diner Dash. It follows Flo, a waitress who's trying to make her diner into an empire. You go through different shifts with Flo and it gets progressively harder. First they add tables. Then they start adding different types of customers -- old people, businessmen and food critics. If you ever take too long to get to a customer, they start to get mad, until steam comes out of their head and they leave; if they leave you lose 750 points. Then they add a drink station, a host podium, appetizers, that kind of thing.
I'm on level six of the seafood restaurant and I cannot get past those unlimited free crab cakes for the life of me.
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