ca·pri·cious

whisky tango foxtrot

2009-03-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today is supposedly the first day of Spring. At the moment I see a smidgeon of blue sky, but it’s not promising, I can’t lie.

I NEED SOME SUNSHINE. Get me that beautiful Vitamin D. Oregonians, because of the lack of sunshine, only get something like 20% of their daily need of D. LAME.

I’m thrilled it’s finally Friday. Thing have been weird lately, and I can’t completely put my finger on why. Work is an adventure politically, I have friends with some issues going on in their lives, and I can’t decide what my next “goal” is. I mean, I’m done with school, I like my job, things are going well. I’d like to be able to take advantage of this great first-time homebuyer market that’s going on, but I need to pay down some student loans first. Sigh.

Maybe I’ll buy a lottery ticket.

I AM, however, going to Washington DC in May and I am P-U-M-P-E-D PUMPED. Yes, like cheerleader level pumped.

On a completely random off-note, I was googling something today, and typed in “where is” and got distracted for a sec. When I looked back to the screen, I noticed the drop-down of popular searches that start with “where is” and started cracking up to see:

I mean, I can’t decide which is funnier, “where is Chuck Norris” or “where is the G spot.”
So naturally I started doing other ones, including “who is”:

This one is a bit weirder, because whoever this “big poppa” is, he’s quite a popular fellow. I mean he’s got 4 searches. I’m also a bit concerned that people have to google “who is my congressman.”

Yikes.
Have a good weekend, all!

HORRIFIED

2009-03-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm going to delve into a little pop culture here, though I'm sure everyone has heard about the incident between Rihanna and Chris Brown. He "allegedly" beat her up one evening before the grammys.

I haven't followed it that closely, but since it was all over the news, I was aware of it. Well, I was listening to the radio the other day, and the dj dude said the two of them were back together and "working it out."

At this point, I'm pretty sure we are now all aware that Rihanna is a complete and total MORON. But then I just read this story on CNN and I am now totally beyond horrified.

Just a small sample:

"Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.
"Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, 'I'm going to beat the s--t out of you when we get home! You wait and see!' "

I'm just so saddened that there are women out there who for one reason or another, just cannot or will not escape their abusers. And apparently her family is making public comment that they're "going to stand by her decisions and support her." That's all fine and dandy, but supporting your daughter does not mean throwing your hands in the air and saying "hey, if you want to stay with that abusing asshole, go for it."

No no no.

I really hope she wakes up and leaves his ass before something worse happens.

OK, done now.

Would Suck

2009-02-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

So the great shut down of Analog TV signals for the switch to digital has been postponed to June. The argument at hand is that not everyone is ready for the digital switch. Others argue that no one really uses "rabbit ears" anymore, anyway, so why hold off?

Well, I have mixed feelings about it. I don't have cable--for many reasons, one of which is that I'm cheap, and the other is that I really don't see the need to have so many damn channels. I get about 12 over the airways, and that's plenty. I go over to friends' houses and they have like 100 channels, about 60 of which are crap. So what's the point?

A little over a year ago, my bad-ass console TV died. I had to give in and buy a new TV, so I figured I'd go digital, so I bought this even more bad-ass 32" LCD HDTV, and started getting the digital channels along with analog. The picture for the digital channels is definitely more crystal clear, but I lose the signal much more often than I did with regular 'ol analog. I live next to a bridge, and whenever a big truck goes over it, the signal goes out (no, I'm not kidding).

So the claims that the pictures are clearer with digital is true, but the signal sucks. I think it's just the man trying to get us down and give in and buy cable. I will not give in! I will not go quietly into the night!

Damn the man, save the empire!

On a side note, I am really loving this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bap-oZI-Grc

(I'd embed it, but it's disabled.)

A few things not worth mentioning...

2009-02-03T12:23:00.000-08:00

Thing the First: My oven caught on fire last night. It was kind of a dramatic moment as I had just turned the oven on, and suddenly it made this horrible buzzing sound and then a loud POP, which produced some good size flames. I was able to turn it immediately off, which stopped the flames, but then produced some impressive billows of smoke. So then of course I opened every window in my apartment to air it out, which promptly made my apartment FREEZING (but not smelling like smoke). So now I have no oven, and while it's perhaps safe to use the stove burners, I'm disinclined to do so. Now I'm waiting for my apartment manager to see if it's reparable. But for now I have to eat things cold or things that are microwavable. Bummer, dude.

Thing the Second: I have been having some trippy-ass dreams lately. First, I had a dream that I was a reporter covering the Blagojevich impeachment, and Mr. Pipo was called as a character witness, which horrified me. He came over to talk to me, bringing Mr. Blagojevich, who promptly decided to hit on me, so I ran away. As I was running, it turned in to me doing a marathon, and my iPod wouldn't work. I also have dreams fairly frequently where my teeth are falling out. Then last night I had a dream where I was invisible to everyone but children. Googling the themes of my dreams would lead one to believe I must have serious issues I'm unaware of, including worrying too much about how I look, thinking I'm not important, trying to remove myself from society, and putting my faith in man over God. Whatever that means. Really I think it just provides me entertainment the next morning when I remember them. Except the teeth falling out one. YUCK!

Thing the Third: Why does our mayor have to be scandalous? I mean, I'm feeling good politically, my President was elected, he's officially in office and Bush is puttin' his boots up on a coffee table in Podunk, Texas, and he can't send us to war again. But then the day before Inauguration, Portland's mayor has to go scandalize himself with an inappropriate relationship. I mean come ON. So I have decided to pay as little attention as possible to the whole shebang, even if I am technically a city employee. Whatev! Evidently in Portland, 18-year-olds can enjoy Sam Adams. Ba-dum kshhhh!

2009 is upon us

2008-12-30T10:08:00.001-08:00

So I've been reading this gal's blog for a few years now, and her latest entry included one of those annoying-yet-hard-to-resist-online-survey things. Since I am home with an overly irritating cold, I figured why not? You also looking for something to do? Join in the madness!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Graduated with a Master's Degree

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Not really a resolutions kind of girl...I'll make one right now for 2009, though: get prints of my zillions of digital photos I've taken and get them into photo albums/scrapbooks.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No, but two of my best friends (I actually introduced them!) will be having their first child in May!

4. Did anyone close to you die? Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit? Does Indiana count? I kind of feel like it should.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Hmm...maybe a date with a man that is not more boring than a grain of sand.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 16 - day of my graduation

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Surviving and finishing grad school

9. What was your biggest failure? Not being able to get my damn tub drain fixed so it actually drains water properly. Though I guess I have a couple of days left to turn this one around!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Well I have a horrible cold right now, does that count?

11. What was the best thing you bought? Probably my TV, which seems silly, but I had this bad-ass console TV from the 70's that finally died. I was sad about it until I brought my 32" LCD HDTV home and realized what a real TV screen is all about.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The 44th President of the United States had some darn good behavior.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Well, the 43rd is always on my shit-list, but I'm adding John McCain to that list. I don't know who that dude running on the Republican ticket was, but it was not John McCain.

14. Where did most of your money go? I would like to know that, too. Groceries, probably. I shop with a basket, not a cart, and I swear groceries are at least 40 bucks every time! How can 40 bucks worth of stuff fit into one basket?!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? A presidential election that finally went my way.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Probably the "Umbrella" song by Rihanna. Man that gets stuck in the head, doesn't it?

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? 'Bout the same
c) richer or poorer? I guess richer since I got a raise but still feel poor.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Traveling

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Can't think of anything.

20. How did you spend Christmas? It was kind of crazy because of the snow and my dad had to drive up to Portland to get us. So it was kind of a hectic Christmas season, but always fun and full of family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Nope. Maybe next year.

22. What was your favorite TV program? House, MD

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Nope

24. What was the best book you read? I will somewhat shamefully admit I read the Twilight series books (you know, teenage vampires?) and I really liked them. It's not anything particularly profound or educational, but I really liked the story.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I don't know. I really like how iTunes has a free weekly download or two, and Starbucks also hands out free downloads. I discover lots of music that way that I might not have listened to before.

26. What did you want and get? A new TV

27. What did you want and not get? A new couch

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Hmm. I don't know. I don't think I went to many movies. A friend lent me Fight Club, which I had never seen before and it blew my mind, so we'll say that.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27 this year, and the night before my birthday my friends and I indulged at Urban Fondue and went to a comedy club, and then on my actual birthday day, some friends and I did a 5K "Run Like Hell" walk.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More peace, less war.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? I do my own thang

32. What kept you sane? My friends and family...sometimes.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Barack Obama

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Gay civil rights. The whole issue makes my ass twitch and I'll never understand why people are so freaked out by gay people.

35. Who did you miss? Bridezilla--my best friend living in the midwest married to a jackass.

36. Who was the best new person you met? I really like this coworker of mine. He's funny, he's politically savvy, clever, and well...he's good lookin'.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Don't let your apartment manager try to unclog drains.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Whip it. Whip it good.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Inspired By A/B

2008-12-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

So over on A/B's blog, he likes to do a rundown of favorite/hot/smokin'/sexy girls. See his latest post here.

This has inspired me to do a little male objectifying of my own.

So I present to you Junniper's list of Top 10 Men

10. Ty Pennington

Ty and I actually broke up because he got a DUI last year, but he's still pretty to look at. Find him on ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Heartwarming with just the right amount of cheese.

9. Johnny Depp

Mmm, Johnny Depp. He's weird and quite bohemian, but also? Yum. See him in Pirates of the Caribbean, or my personal favorite, Edward Scissorhands.

8. Gabriel Macht

You're probably thinking "who?" And you know, he's not that great of an actor. But he's got the boyish-good-looks thing down pat. He was in American Outlaws and Because I Said So (both C movies).

7. David Beckham

Ah, David Beckham. You're married to a fembot, but I love you anyway. You all should be glad I refrained from posting his Calvin Klein ads if you know what I'm sayin'.

6. Relay Boys

Was that an awesome moment or what? Yeah, some of them are kinda funny looking, but also? RIPPED.

5. Shia LaBeouf

This guy's also sort of funny looking, but it works for him. I think he's cute, even if he has some questionable decision-making issues. And look at that, I threw in Megan Fox for you menfolk.

4. Gael Garcia Bernal

Oh, Gael. I think you should be my boyfriend so you can help me practice my espanol. You're so cute in Motorcycle Diaries, and who could forget that hilarious pool scene in Y Tu Mama Tambien? I'll be your Selmita.

3. Omar Epps

Omar, how do I love thee? Great in Love and Basketball, even better in House. I was so worried at the end of Season 3 that I would be able to stare at him on Tuesday nights anymore, so I'm glad he's still a House regular.

2. Hugh Laurie

Speaking of House, Hugh Laurie just barely edges out Omar Epps. But they're mighty close. Hugh Laurie is great for multiple reasons, only one of which is his brilliance on House. Anybody watch it last night? His "curvy and muscular...my penis is so confused" comment had me crying from laughter. Also loved his bit part in Sense and Sensibility.

1. Barack Obama

Mr. President, you are THE MAN.

"Let's Say Thanks"

2008-11-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

Visit www.letssaythanks.com to send a card to our troops overseas.

Remember, it's not their fault our dumb-ass President sent them there.

PEACE IN THE NEW YEAR!

Say What?

2008-11-18T08:55:00.001-08:00

I was on the bus on my way to work the other day when this quite good-looking man sat next to me. I was watching a Frontline episode on my iPod, which struck up conversation. He was probably 30 or so, dark hair, green eyes. In a suit. S-E-X-Y. We flirt for a while, joke about politics.

In the back of my mind I'm thinking, thank God, it's about time I meet a normal guy. Someone's throwing me a bone, here, huh? I mean, he's full-on flirting. There are at least two women burning holes in me for getting the luck of the draw on the bus today.

We have a moment of silence, he looks at me, and I can tell he's about to ask me out. I'm somewhere between being pretty flattered and hyperventilating. This must be the great payback for that date I went on last month with that SINFULLY boring dude who just wanted to talk about his iPhone, and convince me to switch to a Mac. The dating gods are fluttering around me right now, aren't they? This is my award for busting my date-less ass over the last couple years in grad school.

Bus Man, we're going places.

He asks "so...are you usually on this bus?"

"Sometimes. I've been kind of bad about driving to work lately."

"Yeah, I'll bet you're bad."

....

"What?"

"I bet you're bad."

"Are you being serious right now?"

"I bet you're dirty, too."

At this point, I start laughing. I sigh, realize I should have known better, and ask him to move his crazy ass to another seat.

He shrugs, gets up, and walks over to one of the women who has been staring at him since he got on the bus.

I hear him say, "are you usually on this bus?"

<><><><><><><><><>

I haven't seen Bus Man since, and part of me is hoping he's in some Psychology class doing an experiment about how quickly he can get rejected on a city bus.

Dating gods, you owe me.

Sam Cooke

2008-11-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a long, long time coming. But I know: change is gonna come.

Mr. President, don't let me down.

Ack!

2008-11-04T13:44:00.001-08:00

Holy shit holy shit holy shit.

It's Election Day.

Dear Lord, please let me be in a good mood tomorrow (if ya know what I'm sayin')

Una Semana Mas

2008-10-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

This time next week I will either be A) Celebrating My Brains Out, or B) In Mourning

Let's hope it's A.

I'm getting really nervous and the polls all saying Obama's way in the lead is not helping me. The polls can be wrong! I am going to freak if McCain actually sneaks in there and gets the nomination. Not to mention I will seriously question the validity of the election. In 2004, many polls said Kerry was ahead, but Bush eventually won out. It was close enough that I didn't suspect fraud, but at this point, I just can't believe that "wrinkly old white haired dude" (quoting Paris Hilton there) will win.

I can't do it, people.

Until then, I will wear this button in hope:

Yes, I realize this is a rather boring post. Just felt like putting it out there anyway. ;)

Luck Be An Old Lady

2008-10-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

What an old lady I am. I hit the big 2-7 about a week ago. Older...perhaps a bit wiser. More wise-ass at least.

I have this constant stomach twisting that I really hope will melt into pure euphoria next Tuesday. If McCain is elected I swear to Buddha I will freak.the.f*ck.out.

All the way out.

******

In more thrilling news, I'm going to try and be less old lady like and hit up a Halloween party on Friday. Some friends and I are getting a VIP room at a club downtown. I'm not much of a clubber, but the private room makes it more bearable I think. I kind of passed the club-goer stage when I hit 23. We'll see how it goes. I'm sure a cocktail or two will help that along.

I splurged and bought a costume online, which I think is pretty sweet:

That's right, I am Medusa. People look at me, scream, and turn to stone.

Oh, I crack myself up.

What's new with you?

Maverick

2008-10-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Have some time to waste?

Need a good laugh?

Visit http://www.palinaspresident.us/ and click on various things in the room.

"Something-stan"

Joe Six-Pack's Economic Plan

2008-10-09T13:02:00.001-07:00

Just a little current info to get you through the day.

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would nowbe worth $49.00.

With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1000.

With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left.

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have$49.00 remaining.

If you had purchased United Airlines, you would have nothing left.

But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago,drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recyclingrefund, you would have $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drinkheavily and recycle.....

Jon Stewart

2008-10-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Will you marry me?

Need Some Entertainment?

2008-10-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Movies these days are damn expensive. To make plans for dinner and a movie you gotta figure $20 for dinner (at least), $10 just to get in the movie, and if you want a drink? Forgetaboutit. Last time I went to a Regal Cinemas, I think a bottled water was like 4 bucks. I mean come ON.

Which is why I love this little theater by my house. They play first-run movies, and if you go before 5:30, it's only $4. Even if you go to the late show, it's only $6. PLUS, they serve pizza, beer, assorted candy and popcorn goodness, as well as other refreshing beverages. Where else can you go see a new movie, get a snack and a drink, and pay only 10 bucks?

Plus it's in an old historic building that's just very charming.

My friend and I went and saw Eagle Eye there on Saturday, and I thought it was pretty good. Keep in mind I am easily entertained in the movie world, but I thought it was a good action/thriller sort of combo. Plus Shia LeBeouf is adorable. Though I wasn't a big fan of the facial hair thing.

How about you? Seen any good movies lately?

Oh You Betcha

2008-10-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

MAN Sarah Palin bugs me.

I am glad for the sake of our global reputation that she sounded at least somewhat intelligent during last night's debate. And I'm sure her based looooved it. But the winks, the "darn its","doggone its", and "mavericks" make me want to vomit. Everywhere. Especially in her solidified hair.

Also? I know people from Alaska, and they don't talk like that. I read an article the other day about "Where Sarah Palin Got Her Accent" and they said it was an Alaskan accent.

Um, no. Wasilla is just north of Anchorage, so unless Wasilla has its own little weird dialect, she's just got some wires crossed somewhere.

*** *** ***

In other news, the two badess menfolk that visited my last post after such a long hiatus both agree that dating stories are good.

So far, I don't have any good ones, except that I lost my mind and tried eHarmony. My friends would not let it go and insisted that I give it a shot, so I paid for it with a Visa gift card I got for graduation. Not particularly impressed. I don't know how they match people up, but I had some really bizarre people. Including at least two men who were SO in denial of their homosexuality while they toted how much they love Jesus.

Wowza.

I am chatting with this one guy, but we haven't been able to meet up yet.

So here's a question I pose to anyone who wanders through here. I have dealbreakers. My three dealbreakers are as follows: Must be voting for Obama, must believe in a Woman's Right to Choose, and must agree that gay marriage should be allowed in this country. Many other issues I can let slide, but these three I can't.

Is that unreasonable? I realize that the pool of eligible bachelors may dwindle because of these dealbreakers, but they're important to me. Say some guy and I really hit it off, fall in love, bla bla bla. I couldn't marry someone who would be threatened by the thought of a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman. He would think our union had less value simply because two homosexuals wed.

You know what I'm sayin?

A/B Said it Best

2008-09-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

I am a big tease.

I had these grand plans of posting an update and then that went the hell out the window, didn't it?

Sigh.

So how did I get here. That is the question. Where the hell have I been? What have I been doing? Have I lost my mind?

Actually, I just got my mind back. I am DONE with school. DONE, people. Graduated. Cap. Gown. Master's Hood. The whole shebang. Now if only the university weren't so slow and would get my diploma printed already, I'd be a happy camper. It doesn't really feel real until you have that multi-thousand-dollar piece of paper, you know?

In other news, still loving the job. Yes, the one that caused me to pretty much abandon all blogging. But you know, today I have decided to break the rules, and post at work. Gasp! BAD public employee, BAD! But OSHA says I should take a 15 minute break for every 4 hours of work, right? See, I'm just following the rules.

So what's new out there in Blog Land? I have noticed that I'm not the only culprit who has slowed on the blogging front, so that makes me a little less lame, right? No? OK, fine.

I haven't blogged in eons, and I can't think of anything to say. My little sister started middle school this year which makes me feel like an OLD WOMAN. Not to mention the fact that I will be 27 next month. Yowza. That's damn close to 30, isn't it? I decided to make an attempt at breaking back into the dating world, so if you know any fabulous men in Portland, hook a girl up, would you? (Must be voting for Obama, must kill spiders for me, must like stupid movies...I don't ask for much).

I went on vacation in July to visit Bridezilla in Indiana. That was an experience. Had never been to the midwest before. I said "bitch" in front of this 40-something lady, and I thought she was going to have a heart attack. But I did get to visit 3 states I'd never been to: Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. My friend and I drove up to Chicago, which I looooved. Apparently, I really am a city mouse.

For graduation, my dad and I are going to DC--another place I've never been. Hopefully there will be a significant regime change when I visit in the Spring.

35 days until the election, people. Here's hoping.

I would say something like, "I'll try to post more often," but we all know I'm a dirty liar.

And A/B, now you get your own label:

Coming soon...

2008-08-14T21:38:00.001-07:00

An update.

Is anyone even still reading? Haha!

I know, I'm a loser.

2008-01-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

OK, I had every intention of actually posting in December after I had previously told myself I would post in November. Now, neither of those happened because I'm a dork. But at least I know it!

I'm sorry, I just don't like to blog from work (I'm allowing it for this time), and then I get home and I have other stuff to do so blogging's just not really on my radar. But I do try to visit your blogs so I know what's going on in the world, even if I don't comment.

Life has been flying on by, as usual. I have since decided that my blog's name is a cruel, cruel lie because my life is anything but capricious lately. I've got so much going on that it is rather predictable and too busy. But this should all change by August, when I plan to graduate with my master's. It's been a busy road, but I'm hoping it'll slooooow down after that.

So I love my job. LOVE my job. Yes, I'm a peon in this organization, but I won't be that way for long. I'm happy to say I've already made a name for myself by taking over marketing and outreach projects and even creating a blog for our department (no, I'm not giving the URL so don't ask.) :)

Holidays were good, life is good, for the moment even the weather is good (albeit a bit cold).

How are you my dear friend? I'll try to do better from now on.

Mea Culpa

2007-10-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

OK, so who knows if anyone is still going to check my page since I’ve been so neglectful lately, but

HI!

How are you? What’s new in your world?

Even though I haven’t posted in eons, I do still check your blogs fairly regularly—so I’m at least connected a bit. The problem is that I used to always blog from work, and I can’t do that with the new job. C’est la vie.

Speaking of French (a language I do not speak), I went and saw Carmen this weekend. I love the opera. There’s just something so fantastic about it. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that there are these phenomenal people singing like crazy for hours at a time while a flawless orchestra plays along. It’s amazing. If you’ve never been to an opera, give it a chance, at least once.

They say the first time you see an opera, you either love it or you hate it. I, obviously, am one who loves it. Carmen was actually the first opera I’ve ever seen, so when I saw that it was coming back to Portland Opera seven years after the first time I saw it (MAN, has it really been that long??), I knew I had to go again.

It was interesting because they chose to set the opera in 1940’s Cuba. The original is set in 19th Century Sevilla, so that was different, but it worked pretty well. The costuming for 1940’s Cuba wasn’t as much fun as the first time I saw it when it was set in the 1800s, but it was a good idea in theory.

Anyway, enough of that. Tragedy has struck my household. My fabulously retro badass console TV is on the fritz. Considering it’s probably like 30 years old, I can’t complain too much, but I’m sad to have to let it go and buy a new TV. It’ll be weird to actually have a remote. I did, however, buy a certain lambswool rug I’ve been eyeing for quite some time:

(Ivory of course)

It is soft and fluffy and fabulous and all I need is a fireplace to get the Danielle Steele romance novel setting going.

In other news, I started school again last week, and managed to have a flat tire on the first day so I was in panic mode because I didn’t have time to get it fixed or get the spare on. But I had a flash of brilliance and used a FlexCar. I heart FlexCar.

So this term I’m taking Statistics, State & Local Public Finance, and Managing Employee Performance. Should be interesting!

Some really fabulous news is that I will be spending my 26th birthday (October 19) at….wait for it….DISNEYLAND!

My sister and I are taking a 3-day weekend and living it up with Mickey and the gang and I’m so excited I could pee my pants. But I won’t, I promise.

OK. I’m going to go be productive…

TTFN, and remember: even if I don’t post, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.

One week survived.

2007-09-06T17:47:00.001-07:00

Hello children.

I knew my goof off time would be disappearing with the new job, but I never realized how convenient it is. I mean, now I'm at work all day on my computer for the most part, but I can't really check my personal email and I definitely can't blog. Then I come home and the last thing I want to do is get back on the computer, so it's quite a pickle.

But I'm sure I'll get used to the new schedule and things will just roll right along.

New job is good. People are great, organization is great. My boss is channeling Miranda Priestly from Devil Wears Prada sometimes, but overall she's pretty cool. I think she's just a very busy woman so things need to be done right now, right here, her way. But as long as she stays within reason, I don't think I'll have a problem with her.

Communication is definitely lacking sometimes. It took 3 days just to get a straight answer about where the hell I'm supposed to go to get the paperwork for my damn city ID. I had two women telling me that the other woman is supposed to do it and that she has obviously lost her mind. Then a third woman finally got into the snafu and pointed me back to Woman #1, who grudgingly got me the paperwork.

My work space....is....um. Interesting. I'm not even lying, the first time I saw it, I actually gasped out loud. It was the most ridiculous gathering of shit and papers and binders and folders and piles and boxes and crap crap crap that I've ever seen. Whoever had the job before me was obviously a pig lunatic, so the first three days were spent going through the piles and filing things that should have been filed months ago.

But I'm glad to have kicked down the public sector door. Now I'm in, so hopefully I'll be here to stay. Too soon to tell if I'll stay in the organization I'm in now, but I now have the elusive experience I've been wanting to get!

Hope all is well with you!!

Good-bye library world...

2007-08-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

New job starts tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Troublesome

2007-08-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

I had dinner with an old friend of mine last night.

He is seriously one of my favorite people—has been since high school. But I’m worried about him. He had something really tragic happen only a few months ago involving his significant other and I really don’t want to get into specifics. But the end result was his boyfriend committing suicide in their home.

My friend (we’ll call him Joe) is in the middle of beginning a new career in a division of law enforcement. At the time of the incident with his boyfriend, he was in the middle of basic training and getting placed and starting his new career, and it sounds weird to say it, but the suicide was horrible timing. He hasn’t had time to really accept what happened.

As a result, I don’t think Joe has really had a chance to grieve or to talk to anyone about what happened. I asked him if he’s gone to counseling or anything, and he’s gone a couple of times, but the counselors were too busy wanting to talk about when he “came out” than to talk about the problem at hand. My friend came out in high school (which had its own horror stories), but that’s part of his resolved past. What he needs now is to talk to someone about the suicide.

He hasn’t gone in the room where it happened since. Until a couple of nights ago, he couldn’t sleep in their bedroom—he slept on the couch in the living room for months.

He’s excelling in his career, but when I talk to him, I can tell he’s not the same. He seems hollow and unhappy. And no, I don’t think he should have gotten “over it” by now. Not at all. I don’t think that’s the kind of thing you can really ever get over. But he seems like he’s in denial and in depression. And I’m worried that it’s going to get the better of him and he’s going to succumb to it and perhaps never be the same.

I’m not really looking for any kind of response from my dear readers…it was just something I need to get off my chest. Maybe writing it down will help me see the situation more clearly so I can help him in any way I can. But for now I guess my only option is to be there… and to listen when he’s ready to talk.

Kill the Wabbit.

2007-08-20T15:40:00.001-07:00

I had a very productive weekend. I cleaned out my closet (resulting in 3 bags for Goodwill—many of these were handbags I don’t use), cleaned out my bathroom (why did I have 700 almost-empty shampoo bottles?), and finally cleaned out the closet under my stairs. I’ve been meaning to do it all summer, but I had horrible visions of being attacked by spiders and who knows what else, so I put it off and put it off, and I finally MADE myself do it this weekend.

Miraculously enough, there were no spiders!

But before I got started, I was reading the paper, had some coffee, and turned on the tube to see what’s on. Now, I only get a few channels because I think cable rots the brain, and “Saturday Morning Cartoons” were on. What is this world coming to, I would like to ask? What happened to the good ‘ol cartoons of the day? Looney Tunes, Bugs Bunny…all of that?! Now it’s all computer animated mumbo jumbo that’s not even fun.

Boo. Hiss.

So in the spirit of Taking Back Cartoons, I would like to share the best Bugs Bunny cartoon of all time:

Times, they are a-changin'

2007-08-16T11:20:00.001-07:00

It’s kind of strange to think I’ll only be at my job for less than two weeks. I’m finally leaving the library world…and it’s strange. My first job in high school was at a library, and then I was a work study student in college at a library, and now here I am post-college in a library. Other than one summer working at a resort, all I know is libraries. I will say, I’m glad to be leaving. I don’t mind library work, but it can get monotonous. Not to mention unless you have an MLS there’s no way to move up, and there’s little opportunity for leadership.

So here I go, on a new quest.

I can’t really get into the details of my new job, unfortunately. Because I will be working for a specific organization, I don’t want to write about it on a blog—that’s just not a good idea.

So the best way I can describe it is that I am working for a public agency dedicated to improving city life. I’ll start out at entry level, and hopefully as I gain experience and finished my master’s degree, I’ll move on up. I could see myself staying with this organization for a career—but it’s a premature decision since I haven’t been exposed to the culture yet. But either way, it’s a great experience and I am P-U-M-P-E-D.

It’s nice to think I’ll finally be in my career field. What a lovely thought! And I get a pretty substantial increase in pay from what I’m making at the library (thank GOD). Hello, new tax bracket!

I’m also happy to say I won’t need to move to a different part of town because where I am is perfect for getting to work. I won’t be driving because it is located in a downtown area where parking is big buck$. Luckily, there’s a bus that pretty much picks me up at my door and drops me off at work! I love Tri-Met. There is seriously no greater city transportation system out there. It has won national awards, people.

Show some love for MAX:

I will say the blogging will probably slow because while I have no qualms blogging at a job where I’m sitting with nothing to do half the time like here at the library, I won’t blog at my new job. I’ll be a busy bee, and it’s also a little different when your salary is paid by the public. But I will update on evenings and weekends when I can!

Countdown on!

"Developing Story"

2007-08-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

Does this seem completely ironic to you?

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

GASP!

2007-08-14T13:34:00.001-07:00

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!

Start date is August 29th!!!!

Tales of my airheadedness

2007-08-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

So my passenger side window in my car decided to stop working several weeks ago. It had been pretty slow to go up and down since I bought the car, but it worked so it was all good.

One day, it just didn’t want to go down anymore.

I figure the motor is dead and I need to replace it.

And that is spendy.

So I haven’t been able to afford to take her to Honda to get it fixed yet, which isn’t a big deal because the driver’s side window and the sunroof work, and that’s all that really matters. :)

::: :::

So I have Bridezilla and her husband in my car on Saturday, and he tries to roll the window down.

“Sorry, it’s broken.”

He looks over at me. “Well, your button is off.”

“What?”

“Your button. You need to turn it on.”

At this point I have zero idea what he’s talking about. He points at a switch on my door that says “MAIN” and then “on” and “off.”

I flip it to the “on” position.

Bzzzzzzzzzzst. Window goes down.

What. The. Hell.

I don’t even know what that switch did, not to mention how on earth I turned it off! I swear I could not stop laughing for like 20 minutes. I guess I hit it on my way out the door? Who knows.

But now we know that “childproof” windows also mean Junniper Proof.

All I have to say is…I’m glad I was saved the embarrassment of showing up at Honda for them to flip the switch for me.

Why do I feel sheepish? ;)

He asked for it...

2007-08-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Tristan, that trouble maker...

PS: Job interview went well. I won't hear for a week or two, but I survived!

OMG OMG OMG

2007-08-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

OK, I'm not usually one to type "OMG" but this is an OMG situation.

I have an interview on Monday for a job I would kill for. Kill. Bloody. Stabbed. Mauled.

Oh I'm nervous--wish me luck!!

Damn, now I have to figure out what to wear. Time to go shopping?

A Plea

2007-07-26T08:16:00.001-07:00

To all the would-be car-breaker-inners in the Portland Metropolitan Area--

Please leave my goddamn car alone. There is NOTHING in there, and it really irritates me to wake up and find my car in disarray because you've thrown my CDs around.

STOP IT.

This is the third time, so I think we're done now.

LEAVE MY CAR ALONE.

Madge said it well:

2007-07-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

"Ohmygodyoucrazyharrypottertypes!"

I finished The Deathly Hallows Yesterday.

DO NOT SCROLL DOWN AND READ THE REST OF THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK!!!

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I was right. And yet so wonderfully wrong at the same time.

But I'll tell you my heart skipped a few beats.

As I finished the final page, I was nothing but content.

It was bittersweet, but in the end, Harry's story was finished the right way.

It's a small world after all...

2007-07-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

I just read this story and laughed out loud.

That's the bachelor from Saturday night's party!!

Boogie down

2007-07-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Funniest pick-up line I’ve heard in a while:

“How much does a polar bear weigh?”
“Um….I dunno. How much?”
“Enough to break the ice. Hi, I’m ___________."

::::::

My friends’ big day is this Saturday. Seems like only yesterday I was plotting a hookup. It’s amazing how fast they grow.

We had the wild bachelorette party this weekend, and a good time was had by all. Also, why is “bachelorette” considered a misspelled word in Microsoft programs but “bachelor” is not? Damn sexists.

Anyway, we hit up the Olive Garden for dinner to get started on the night. Each of us had on our own “pub crawl” shirts with different sayings. Mine was “save the drama for your mama.” The bride had “Buy me a shot—I’m tying the knot!” We were quite the group.

After dinner we headed to Duke’s, which was…well…an experience. I was a little concerned upon arrival because there were guys in Stetsons and Wranglers everywhere. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Junniper was dragged to a country bar. There was even a mechanical bull. No, I did not ride it.

I will admit that we had a blast. We had little “bachelorette dare cards” with challenges on them. I am proud to say I completed my task first: get a guy to show you a hidden tattoo. *wink wink*

My next task was to get a guy to contribute $10 toward the cost of the bachelorette party, but I had no such luck.

We did somehow end up getting together with a bachelor party of about 15 guys. They had rented a van and put magnetic signs on it declaring “CHURCH OF LOWER STANDARDS” and such. It was damn funny. We ended up leaving Duke’s at about 1am and headed over to this other bar called 9Ball. It was a karaoke bar, but since it was close to closing time, we didn’t get a chance to get up and sing.

Just before closing at 2am, two of the guys in the bachelor party decided to get into with some other random guy and they started brawling right in the middle of the bar! Needless to say, I was like “bing! We’re outta here!”

Unfortunately, the Church of Lower Standards van was blocking my exit so I had to yell at the guys to move the damn thing because the brawl had taken itself to the parking lot, and they were full-on fighting. I had zero desire to be there when the police showed up, so I made them move the van and we boogied outta there.

It was an adventure.

Now it’s time to go marry her off!

"Dumbledore's got style."

2007-07-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

I’m going to do a short little review of the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. If you haven’t seen it, or don’t care to read my thoughts, go no further!

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OK. So I went and saw the movie last night. And I did love it, but I had some minor qualms.

First of all, I do want to say I think this director did very well overall—the opening scene was fantastic and really demonstrated the sweltering sadness. The lighting was perfect—the scene where Harry & “Big D” are running through the grass was great. And who know Dudley could run so fast? ;)

BUT. It felt rushed. I know it’s impossible to fit that phenomenal book into a movie without losing some of the fabulousness, but there was just so much important stuff missing! The incident with Mr. Weasley wasn’t explained very well. The Occlumency exercises felt boring, and the scene with the younger Snape was rushed and not explained, either!

But most importantly, the ending seemed pretty anticlimactic. I mean, HELLO, Sirius dies, and it was just like “eh, it happened.” It moved on so suddenly that it wasn’t even sad. And in the book it was SAD! I think I cried. And if I remember right, in the book Bellatrix makes him sort of fall into the archway, whereas in the movie she actually does the Avada Kadavra spell. What up with that?

I will say this, however. Imelda Staunton was fantastic as Umbridge. Absolutely perfect. There were several times I just wanted to reach into the screen and stab her in the forehead with Harry’s wand. And the girl playing Luna Lovegood was great, too—she definitely got the character down.

And the scene where they’re flying on broomsticks through London: magic.

Grade: B
Thoughts?

I can't dance...

2007-07-12T13:53:00.001-07:00

Wade Robson is a choreographer, and he often creates dances for the summer show I watch: So You Think You Can Dance.

The man is ridiculous. His visions are amazing, and his use of costume, character, and music is always spot-on. I can’t dance to save my life, but I can appreciate art when I see it.

Hopefully these videos will stay up for a while—these sites like to knock them off since it’s sort of a copyright restriction.

Top 10 - Zombie Ramalama Bang Bang Dance

Add to My Profile More Videos

Sexy Back-So you think you can dance

Add to My Profile More Videos

Tell me something...

2007-07-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

Am I mad or is it kind of funny?

I can’t decide.

I made a discovery on Friday—somehow, my employer has been shorting my vacation time for the last three years.

I’m supposed to get two weeks’ paid vacation every year—or a total of 80 hours. I took a closer look at my pay stub on Friday and thought…hmm…I’m only accruing one hour per week of work…that means I’m only accruing about 52 hours per year.

Well that’s strange.

So I emailed payroll and sho ‘nough, for the last three years, I’ve only been earning 48 hours of vacation per year, instead of 80.

So now I’m getting back 93 hours (which is almost 12 days!!). I can’t decide if that’s really awesome, or if I’m just really pissed about it.

I mean, while it’s nice that I can now take some more time off, I really could have used that time before—like I dunno, so I could stay longer in Alaska?! Or maybe when I was out for a week from my surgery and didn’t have enough sick time to cover it all?

And how did they even screw up that bad?! Thank god I figured it out, that's all I can say.

Human Resources in this place is a joke. I’d do a better job than them.

The answer comes in two weeks' time.

2007-07-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

I’m going to expose some of my dorkiness in this post. It’s about the final Harry Potter installment: The Deathly Hallows.

I’m kind of stressed out about it. I’m worried about what’s going to happen in this book (let’s say it right now, I have a funny feeling I’m going to be really pissed off), and more importantly, I’m worried that I’ll find out what’s going to happen before I get to read it myself.

For that reason, I’m staying away from all news stories about the book and JK Rowling, and the “will Harry die?” theories and yada yada yada.

But that still couldn’t keep my imagination from wondering if it’s going to happen. And I’m wondering if this is how—read no further if you don’t want to hear it.

I am wondering if perhaps Harry is somehow the final Horcrux. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry, Dumbledore said himself that some of his powers were transferred to Harry that night. I’m thinking that the final showdown will be Harry killing Voldemort or Voldemort killing Harry and in doing so one will destroy the other.

And I’ll be mad. I’ll be livid. And the series that I’ve loved so dearly will become bitter to me every time I watch one of the movies or re-read one of the books because I know, in the end that Harry will die.

Hopefully I’m wrong. JK, don’t let me down.

Yawn

2007-07-05T08:56:00.001-07:00

I think my neighbors’ decision to stay up until 2am setting off fireworks (what, does NO ONE ELSE have to work today?!) has decreased my ability to think and see clearly.

A headline on CNN that says “Virginia Fireworks Mishap” looked like

VAGINA FIREWORKS MISHAP

And all I could think was *ouch*.

Although it does kind of remind me of this guy:

D'oh!

2007-07-02T15:04:00.001-07:00

Be sure to visit this website and vote for

SPRINGFIELD, OREGON

to host the premier of The Simpsons!

It's only right---Matt Groening is FROM Oregon, not to mention the numerous references to Oregon in the show...like Ned Flanders.

Straight outta Flanders street, people! :)

I will tell you a story--

2007-06-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

I can’t really explain how fantastic my vacation to Alaska was.
Marvelous.
Fabulous.
Incredible.
Wonderful.
Nope, those words don’t really encapsulate it.

It was so great. Even though it was only four full days, I don’t think we could have packed more fun in if it had been a week.

On Thursday we left for Homer , a quaint little town on the Kenai Peninsula. The drive down was beautiful. I swear, at every turn I would gasp. The pictures really don’t do it justice.

We stopped here and there for pictures and sightseeing, and had lunch at Gwin’s, which I guess is a pretty famous stop! There were tourists everywhere, taking advantage of the prime fishing and weather.

Look how green the water is. It’s really eerie in person—the color comes from the glacial silt in the water. The silt never settles so the color remains the vibrant green. Very cool.

We got to Homer, and it was adorable. Homer is famous for fishing, boating, and of course, The Spit.

Down The Spit is where the fun starts—cute little shops, great food, great people, lots of cute fisherman doing their thang. This is where the Salty Dawg Saloon is, which is a pretty famous bar. We hit up some ice cream and some fish and chips, which were TO DIE. It was amazing to me how readily available fresh halibut was.

I love halibut, but it’s pretty spendy in Oregon. I was sure to get my fill on vacation.

We left Homer around 6 or so, and headed back north to Kenai to stay with my friend’s grandmother. She let us stay for the night so we could take the quick drive over to Seward for our glacier cruise on Friday! She is such a funny lady. She’s fabulously sarcastic and I was laughing all night. But on our way there, I spotted a MOOSE!

I also made a tally of how many bald eagles I spotted: 15! It was crazy. Before that, I had seen maybe 2 in my life.

Early Friday morning, we headed down to Seward. The drive was a little cloudy, but it wasn’t too bad. Seward is an adorable little town. Here we got on the boat for our six-hour cruise. It was so excellent. I can’t even begin. We saw humpback whales—

Harbor seals—

Puffins, dolphins, seagulls, sea otters, magpies, and many others.

Then we started coming up on the Holgate Glacier:

And it kept getting bigger:

And more incredible:

There were no words.

It might be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen…and I’ve seen some amazing things in my life and travels. It was so breathtaking that all 100 people on the boat just stood in silence. Just standing there you could hear it cracking and crunching against itself and the surrounding rocks. At one point, a huge piece of it broke off and fell into the water, making a deafening sound. Its sheer size was probably the most incredible thing. Explaining it, or even showing pictures really doesn’t capture it. We were freezing standing there on the boat with the wind coming off the glacier, but we really couldn’t look away.

It was beautiful.

We left Seward around six, and headed back to Anchorage. We met up with my friend’s boyfriend and goofed around and watched a movie. We left his house at about 1:00am—and it was still light out! Bizarre!

Saturday was spent toodling around Anchorage. We went to Moose’s Tooth for lunch and met up with an old friend of mine from high school who moved up to Alaska with her husband. She, like the friend I was visiting, is moving back to Portland. It served as a reminder that no matter how breathtaking it all is, the winter weather forces people out.

We then went to the Saturday Market in “downtown” Anchorage which was fun, but definitely can’t compare to Portland’s downtown or its Saturday Market. But I got some good touristy stuff and we had some great funnel cake, so you can’t beat that!

We had dinner at Bear Tooth (it was a toothy day I guess), and then headed out on the town at 10:30pm—still light out. We headed to Humpy’s, a bar with the strangest assortment of patrons I’ve ever seen. There were young people, hipsters, geeks, old guys, old ladies, rowdy folks, quiet folks…you name it, they were there.

We had a great time BS-ing and whatnot and closed the bar at 2:45. Then we started hassling this one guy to do a crabwalk around the block. Yes, folks, this is what the kids in Anchorage do. So we got him to race this girl, and whoever could make it all the way around the block first would win $250. We made this bet knowing there was no way they’d make it—it had started raining and they were both drunk.

It was very entertaining, to say the least.

We didn’t get home until 4am. I don’t even remember the last time I stayed out that late. Seriously, I was probably 21. I’m too old for that now, man.

Sunday was my last day, so we went and got some breakfast…I say breakfast loosely since it was noon. Then we drove around Anchorage a bit to see the city. Then we decided to take a drive to the Portage Glacier just outside of town.

On the way, we sall Dall Sheep on the rocks!!

The hoards of tourists gave it away.

On to Portage. This was kind of sad, actually—

The Portage Glacier is on the right. It was magnificent in its time, but global warming has made it recede so much that you can’t even see it from the official visitor’s center anymore. It was pretty funny because we watched a film about the “Voices from the Ice” and when it was over, the screen lifted in the most dramatic fashion to a big picture window where you SHOULD see the glacier, but because it’s receded around the corner, all you see is the lake. Tragic.

I know this was a long story, and who knows if anyone will really read this whole long thing, but I had a great trip. I’m still trying to catch up on the sleep I didn’t get, but it was all worth it in the end.

I'm headin' up north.

2007-06-20T09:06:00.001-07:00

Don't wait up for me.

Music To My Ears

2007-06-18T15:43:00.001-07:00

Here’s a little-known fact about Junniper.

I love opera. Nothing beats a great dinner, followed by a night of opera, and then drinks afterward.

I haven’t been able to see many of them, but my current favorite is Carmen. I just love the sets, the actors and actresses who have this amazing talent.

I also like to just listen to the music of operas—Pavarotti is one of my favorites. Favorite song within an opera? Hands-down “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot.

When my friend sent me a link to the following video, I was more than a little concerned. It’s just not OK to ruin things like Nessun Dorma and I was concerned this guy was going to kill it. It’s like when people other than the Righteous Brothers try to sing “Unchained Melody.” Not OK.

So I watched the video:

The little hairs on my arm stood up a little. No, he wasn’t perfect, but it was still beautiful! I was amazed, really. So I did a little YouTube searching for this Paul Potts character, and evidently he won “Britain’s Got Talent.”

I came upon another performance of his:

Seriously. With some training, this guy is going to be brilliant.

PS: I submitted my first new job application. The search is on!! [scary]

Summer is here!

2007-06-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Done with school until September....what on earth am I going to do with all this spare time?!!?!

How about show you this video that had me laughing so hard my stomach hurt:

Ode to my city---

2007-06-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Things I love about Portland

The view from the crest of the Fremont Bridge going south.

The view from the Rose Garden.

All of my bridges.

Especially this one:

The Lucky Lab on Hawthorne—even though I don’t own a dog.

The 7 million other brewpubs.

Powell’s City of Books

Portland City Grill

Cathedral Park

Waterfront Park

Tri-Met

The Blues Festival

The Bite of Oregon

The Irish Festival at Kell’s

Tiny horses tied up to the old horse rings on random streets.

Papa Haydn

The Montage

St. John’s Theater: first run movies for $3.75!

A pint of Ruby at McMenamins

The Willamette Week

Saturday Market

Farmer’s Market

Pioneer Square

The manic-depressive weather

Portland State University

Big Pink

Stumptown Coffee

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

Thirsty Thursday at PGE Park

Movies @ Pioneer Square in the summer

Zoo concerts

Sauvie Island

Ridiculous Portland Art

Metro

Christmastime in Portland

St. John’s

I’m missing about a billion things. City of Roses, I heart you.

Items of Note

2007-06-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the Friday before my last weekend of doing homework until September!

This is a beautiful moment for me. I have successfully survived my first year at graduate school without wanting to kill myself or others. For the most part, anyway. And I managed to do it while working full time, even though my boss made it very clear that she just “knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

The term “suck it!” comes to mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In other news, the Paris Hilton hoopty-doo is just so ridiculous and embarrassing that that’s all I can really say at this point. I mean, we’ve hit 3500 dead in Iraq (and that’s just our peeps), a poor girl was kidnapped and murdered yesterday, another missing girl was found after a year, and all the media can talk about is Paris kicking and screaming back to jail.

Man.

Although I would like to see footage of her tantrum. I’ll admit that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This weekend is my friend’s bridal shower, so that should be fun. I can’t believe their wedding is so close! It seems like only yesterday I was plotting their hookup. Sigh. They grow up so fast.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There are only 11 days (well, technically 12) until I am blissfully on vacation with my good friend Courtney up in the Last Frontier. I’m so fricketing fracking jumpety jackin excited that I use phrases like “fricketing fracking jumpety jackin.”

That reminds me I need to unbury my suitcase from my closet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In still other news, I’m having some cat trouble.

Does everyone remember Bob? Well, Bob never came back after I splashed his little hide with water, but now we’ve got a new friend.

We’ll call her Bobette. Bobette is now enjoying taunting Jane through the window. At least this time, if I open the window and yell at her, she bolts for the night. But the little ~~shit~~ keeps coming back!

Sigh.

Hey baby...what's your sign?

2007-06-01T14:05:00.001-07:00

Well that's just weird!

Secret's out!

Well that's rude.

I love that flavor!

A necessary service in life.

So how do you get in? The exit?

What?!

I've been looking for that...

And finally, on this beautiful Friday, I leave you with this riduculous cat video...

THE CAT WHO WILL BEG FOR ANYTHING:

Arrrrrrrr!

2007-05-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have a bone to pick.

I don’t understand what is up with all the bad reviews of the latest Pirates movie. I went and saw it on Friday, and I thought it was bloody brilliant. Perhaps not as good as the first, but better than the second.

I’ve heard from several people I know that they didn’t like the movie. It was just about a bunch of pirates fighting, yada yada yada.

What were you expecting? Rocket science?

The formal “critics” are cracking me up most of all, of course. First, there’s the argument that it didn’t make enough money. $401 million worldwide over four days seems like a lot ‘o money to me! But what do I know, I’m one of those silly people that actually liked the movie. ;)

The weirdest argument of all, though, is that several critics have been saying the movie was hard to follow. What brainiacs do they have critiquing these films? Everyone has different taste, so if you don’t like it, you don’t like it, but what was there to follow? Pirates fight, pirates win, pirates lose, pirates fight some more, boy gets girl, etc. Once again, not rocket science. Perhaps they didn’t see the first two so they didn’t know what was going on? It’s not like the eleventy million Halloween movies where it doesn’t matter if you see them in order. It’s a trilogy, man. It would be like watching Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers without bothering to watch the other two.

Who knows. That’s my pointless doesn’t-really-matter opinion for the day.

Needless to say, I will be seeing the next installment (which they are saying may be a prequel).

::::::

My brain is fried. I’ve got three weeks left until I’m done with school for the summer, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got gray matter leaking outta my ears. I hope that’s not the part I need.

I am So. Done. writing about administrative theories and ethics and planning and blah de blah blah blah. I can honestly say this is the worse term I have had. I mean, the other two terms I had only one class I didn’t like, but this time, all three are just crap. I think it’s probably a good thing that I’ve decided not to take summer courses.

I need a vacation! And I get one in three weeks! Hallelujah!

Happy Dance!

::::::

In other news, this disturbs me slightly because that’s the contact lense solution I use! And I’m 99% sure my bottles aren’t among the recalled ones (I’ll make sure when I get home), but it still makes me want to switch brands, that’s for sure! Unfortunately, I just bought this two-pack of big bottles, and I don’t want to just toss them because that stuff’s not cheap!

Sigh.

It’s hard to be me! ;)

Speedy Gonzales

2007-05-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

BORE-DUMB has taken over me.

Thank Buddha I have a 3-day weekend. Unfortunately, much of that time will be spent writing papers, but at least I’ll be at home instead of at work twiddling my thumbs. Seriously…at some point you run out of internet to surf and then what do you do?

::::::

In other news, I inherited a laptop last week. My best friend graduated a couple of weeks ago, and her parents bought her an iMac notebook thingy. I’m sure it has a fancier name, I just don’t know it. Anyway, she has a Sony Viao that she bought last year and has since screwed up. She has worse computer karma than I do. That woman has been through…hold on…OK, she’s on her sixth laptop in as many years. No, I’m not kidding. I wish I were. Actually two of those were desktops.

Anyway, this Viao was causing her trouble so she got a Mac and gave me the Viao. I’ve been wanting a laptop—mostly so I can take my work with me if I need to. So I got the Viao, started her up, and quickly figured out why it wasn’t working very well. That woman had so much crap on there, I can’t even explain it. Random ass programs that took up too much room that she never even used, all those “trial” programs that came on the computer that she never removed, and too much music for the size of her memory. So I cleaned all that off, defragged her, and now she seems to be working MUCH better. Still a little slow on startup, but I haven’t had any problems so far.

::::::

Tristan wrote about a debacle he had on Friday, which reminded me of a debacle I had last Wednesday.

I got a speeding ticket.

Whazzat?? Well, first of all, let me say I was on a highway and evidently this particular area had a speed limit of 40MPH. I thought it was 45 so I was going 52. So I get pulled over, and the police officer was really nice about it, and actually laughed with me about being such an airhead. He asked for my license and then asked me if the car was registered to me and if I had insurance. It was kind of weird—he didn’t ask to see them, just if I had them. I asked him if he wanted to see them and he smiled and said, “no, I trust you.”

So he gives me a $145 ticket and says to call this number because it will probably be reduced because I have a good driving record. Then the usual have a great day, drive safely speech.

And he marked my hair as “red” on the ticket. I don’t have red hair. Weird.

Now, let me ask you this: whatever happened to warnings? I have been pulled over twice in my life. Once when I was 18 and now when I’m 25. Both times, I was not speeding excessively, I was basically going with the flow of traffic, and I was not creating an unsafe situation. But BOTH TIMES I get a ticket. What up with that? My best friend has been pulled over 7 times. Yes, I said SEVEN and she has never once gotten a ticket. What’s the deal? Is it because I don’t cry and try to show my boobs? I prefer to act like an adult in these situations, but I guess I need to rethink my strategy here.

I just can't hide it...

2007-05-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited I'm going to give myself an aneurysm.

T minus 29 days until I'm in Alaska with one of my best friends partying it up Anchorage-Style!

And we're going to go on a glacier cruise, people! Cruising! Through glaciers! While the world still has glaciers! We're going on the National Park Tour -- see the tour info here.

LOOK, people...just LOOK at it!

Ack! Aneurysm, it's coming!

I think we're dead

2007-05-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

please send rescue

Blubber

2007-05-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Just another manic Monday…

Actually, that’s not true. I’m so bored I could watch paint peel. The students are back for summer session, but almost no one takes summer classes, so it’s dull.

But outside is absolutely incredibly fantastically sunny!!

And it’s going to be 80 degrees! Tomorrow too!

I just don’t know what to do with myself! Of course I can’t really enjoy it because I have to work all day and I have class tomorrow, but I’ll be breakin open the sunroof this week for sure!

So how was your weekend?

Mine was OK. I had my weekend class again and it wasn’t as good as the class we had last month. We did a lot of the same thing over and over and it just really wasn’t catching my attention.

BUT, in a strange twist of fate, I ran into an old classmate of mine at my Starbucks on Saturday morning. I’ve known the guy since kindergarten, and I see him every once in a while (may 3 times in the last seven years). So I asked him what he was doing at my Starbucks, and it turns out he lives two blocks away from me! He’s been there for 8 months, and somehow we hadn’t run into each other yet! It was crazy. He also drives this fantastic yellow and black Mini Cooper. Lucky bastard. His girlfriend seemed nice, but not very friendly.

Anyway, that was my trip down memory lane for the day. He and I were in the same class for kindergarten and first grade, and we were the “smart kids,” put in AGP or TAG or whatever they call it these days. We did this advanced reading program in first grade because the other kids were still doing the See Spot run hoopla.

On Sunday I started teaching my sister how to drive! She’s almost 27 but just never got on the driving bandwagon. She needs to be able to drive for her new job, so she bought a car and got her permit the other day. So we had a driving session for a few hours, and she did really well. Still takes corners a little hard, but she’s getting better! And now I won’t have to drag her butt around because she’ll have her own car!

In other news, I ran into this video on YouTube and about died. This happened about 50 miles south of where I grew up, but eleven years before I was born. I couldn’t stop laughing because really…what the hell did they think was going to happen??

Goodbye my lover

2007-05-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m afraid one of my husbands and I had to part ways.

This sort of thing just isn’t acceptable.

Bye Ty, you were a hot one!

……

In other news, I went and saw Spiderman 3 on Sunday – and only paid $3.75 bitches. I love cheap first-run theaters. It’s the best kept secret in North Portland, I’ll tell you that. The theater wasn’t even all the way full!

Has anyone seen this? I’d be curious to know your opinions of it. I was entertained of course, but there were parts where I just couldn’t help but think “are you kidding me?”

……

Now I’d like to tell you a little story about my friend Marie*. Marie dated Jason in college for a few years. They were pretty serious…talking marriage, the whole shebang. At one point, Jason had one of those early-20’s crises that seem to afflict men of this age—where they start dressing like slobs, don’t give a crap about anything, but still think they’re the shit. Now, thankfully, not all guys go through this, but Jason did.

Their relationship suffered, he started cheating on her, and they broke up.

Before they broke up, Jason actually failed out of college. His grades were so poor that he was kicked out. So he decided to go to culinary school. He didn’t tell anyone (except Marie) that he failed out of school—he said he dropped out to become a chef. Unfortunately, his credit was so awful that he couldn’t get a student loan for culinary school. So Marie, in the dumbest move of her life, co-signed a loan so he could go to school.

Most people would say that was very generous of her. Jason, after they broke up, didn’t give a rat’s ass, and wouldn’t pay his loans (any of them), so Marie has been stuck paying off the loan she cosigned for the last three years. She’s called him, emailed him, written him, hell even had me try calling him, but he’s ignored her all this time. So she steadily pays off the $5000 loan because she has no choice (he actually has a total of over $40,000 in loans that he isn’t paying).

Last week, Marie and I were having a MySpace marathon because we were both bored at work (Marie lives in another state now). At one point, she was on my page, then clicked over to a mutual friend, and then clicked over to another friend, who’s page had a comment from someone named “Jason.” She couldn’t tell who he was from the picture so she clicked over. Sho ‘nough, it was him.

Marie called me and we started looking over his page, discovering that not only was he getting married but having a child!! How he expects to afford raising a child I do not know. Marie was understandably pissed.

And then curiosity got the better of her. When they were still together, she used to check his email for him. So she tried logging in to his myspace to see if he would be dumb enough to still use the same password.

Yes, he’s dumb enough.

I made the suggestion, half-joking, that she should change something that he wouldn’t notice. Then she laughed and half-jokingly said that it was a good idea. Then we decided, not joking anymore, that she should do it.

His “about me” section said I went to college, dropped out, and became a chef. Well Marie decided to change that “dropped” to “failed.”

I thought it was beautiful. He still hasn't noticed, and it still says "failed out" on his page.

She’s now second-guessing herself and wondering if it was bad. Personally, I think the punk ass deserves it. But, my dear readers, what do you think?

I hope you enjoy this beautiful Thursday.

*Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

Where are the May flowers?

2007-05-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, they're hiding from the rain.

The days are filled with boredom here at work…the students have finished the semester and there is only so much internet you can surf, you know?

If you were a real friend, you’d go post something entertaining on your blog.

In the interest of time-wasting, I came upon a South Park Character Creator and envisioned myself as follows:

Had a hard time choosing the right hair…none of them really encompassed my style.

My best friend is graduating tomorrow, so it’s party time. She has struggled her way through school, and she’s finally earned her teaching degree. She had a rough start back in 2000 and got a little too much into the social scene at college. She took a year off, and then went to community college. She finally transferred to Portland State and completed her bachelor’s degree in December ‘05. Her transcripts weren’t great considering her rough start, so she had to fight to get into an MAT program…but it paid off, and she was accepted. She’s a good illustration of what happens when you’re finally doing something you love: she went from a 2.5 in undergrad to a 4.0 as a graduate student. Even though she doesn’t read this blog (or even know that it exists), I’m proud of her.

…

It’s 3:00 and I have nothing to do. This is baaaaad. It’s only going to get worse next week. Too bad I can’t bring in my homework!

So in the interest of keeping busy, I have been having waaaaay too much fun with Google Satellite Maps.

Here, you can see my hood. I live somewhere within this grid, but it's a secret:

Here, you can see one of my favorite downtown buildings...the Urban Center at Portland State. Also where I spend much of my graduate school time--

Then I found the 'hood where I grew up--

And hey! There's the house I lived in during college! I used to mow that lawn, y'all:

Then I got to thinking...I wonder if they have satellite images of Quito (where I spent five glorious months back in '03)

That was my house!!! (Bottom arrow). The top arrow is where I sat drinking coffee at my favorite internet cafe. Also where I got a bus to go to school...Hey! Can I find my school?!

Entirely too much fun, people. Satellite images are just the right mix of cool and creepy.

And I know this is mean, but laughed when I read this. Do you think she'll actually go?

Sunny

2007-04-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have found a need to create a new "label" : WTF?

This label is being borne from this discovery.

Oh. My. God. Have people no shame or sense of decency?

LOOK at this dog:

Is that not the saddest Please-Save-Me-Sweet-Jesus look you have ever seen? Torture!

Also, I went and saw 300 this weekend, which usually isn't my kind of movie flavor, but this video pretty much sums up what I thought about it:

Who doesn't love a man in nothing but skivvies and a cape?

Done with the April Showers

2007-04-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Wow.

It’s 9:30am, and I have nothing to do. This is not a promising situation here.

A few updates:

1. I did get stuck in a group with the annoying kid from yesterday’s post. And listen to how it happened: He came in late, so I didn’t have to talk to him, so I thought I was free and clear. So class started, the professor started talking about groups and he says “we have a group formed—it’s me, Brit, and the three Jennifers.” So I didn’t even get a chance to escape! The man is crazy! At that point, I figured there wasn’t much I could do, so looks like I’ll have to suck it up.

2. Recycling Guy: Haven’t mentioned him in a while—but there’s not much to update on. It’s still the usual witty banter, but that’s about it. He did come in the nick of time to get a wasp out of my office last week, though. It was stuck in the one window in my office that doesn’t open, and I’m allergic to bees (or at least I used to be…I haven’t been stung in years), so I was standing outside my office contemplating what to do when he came by to get my recycling. So he trapped it in a cup for me and let it outside. There’s something sexy about a guy that takes care of bugs for a girl, what can I say? I guess even I need to be rescued once in a while.

3. I am going to go buy myself a new digital camera this weekend! Mine sucks balls and takes horrible pictures, so it’s time to upgrade. I’m going to the camera store so I can be sure to try them all out, but I’m leaning toward this one. I had originally wanted this one but the lovely Madge suggested a Coolpix, and after cruising some pictures taken with Coolpix cameras on Flickr, I think it’s the way to go. I'll still check out the Kodak one, though. In a stroke of luck, my dad had about 60 bucks worth of gift cards for Ritz Cameras from when he bought a new digital last year, so I’ll be able to use them! Shweeeeet.

On this beautiful Friday, I would like to give you some entertainment. Another one of those "Funny Cat Videos" that are beyond silly, but always manage to make me laugh anyway:

PS: OH. MY. GOD.

I could use a milkshake right now.

2007-04-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have this weird tingle above my right eyebrow, and I don’t know why…it kind of tickles. I wonder what the cause be?

I also have a pinching problem in my left thumb.
Maybe I’m not drinking enough H20 today. I’ll get right on that.

What is new in your world, dear reader?

I got a new cell phone yesterday (thank you Verizon New Every Two).

It’s a pretty red Samsung. It also has an LED screen on the front so I can see who’s calling without having to flip her open.

And is it no longer possible to get a phone without a built-in camera? I don’t mind the camera, but I think it’s weird that non-camera phones seem to have become extinct. I did use it last night to set my phone wallpaper—a picture of Jane scowling at me.

I downloaded a ringtone that threw me off guard—the actual song plays, not just notes from the chorus. So voices come out of it like the radio. Trippy.

I’ve got it set to play “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

In other news, I have two papers to write this weekend. If you could see me, you could tell that I am not enthused about this. Especially because it’s supposed to be sunny this weekend.

While I’m on the subject of school, let’s discuss group projects for a moment. There’s this thing in my program where all of my classes have group projects. No, really. Every class I’ve taken has had a group project.

I don’t mind working with people, but I can’t stand group projects. I always get stuck with people who don’t do their share, don’t contribute anything intelligent, or just downright annoy the crap out of me. Not to mention, when you work full time and go to school full time, it’s hard to schedule group meetings.

So one of my group projects this year is in my Adminstrative Theory class. And there’s this guy in my class who will not leave me alone. It’s really weird. I can’t tell if he’s just persistent or if he might actually be trying to hit on me. I can’t tell! I don’t want to sound like I think I’m all that or anything…guys never hit on me—which is probably why I can’t tell.

Anyway, this kid is also one of those annoying people who talk just to hear themselves, rarely have anything worthwhile to contribute, and also does this bizarre running commentary under his breath during class. He's also bogarts presentations and does the "one idea I had..." thing when it wasn't even his idea. It doesn’t help that he grew up in Pendleton, population 1500, mostly from incest (OK, that’s an exaggeration). But rumor has it that he was the president of the Young Republicans club in undergrad, so that’s not very promising.

But he has asked me on several occasions if I want to be in his group for this project. I really want to say, “no, you bug the crap out of me,” but I feel like that’s kind of mean. Rather, I say “I haven’t decided what I want to do my project on, so I’ll let you know.”

But he won’t let it go, people. He’s asked me three times now, and we’re forming groups tonight, so I need to figure out if I’m going to try and get out of it. What to do??

Sigh. Maybe I should get over it and realize that I’m always going to get stuck with people who bug me.

Yes, I’m a mean person.

But you have to love me anyway.

OK, I’m done bitching now.

Ganache is the devil's bait.

2007-04-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Wedding season has officially begun.

Wedding #1 of 5 was on Saturday, and it was nice. It was my first Catholic wedding, but there wasn’t a mass, so it was only about an hour—which is long as weddings go, really. Most I’ve been to or been in are like 15 minutes, tops. But the bride looked beautiful, and the church was quite lovely. It was a little tiny church in a random neighborhood in Wilsonville (south of Portland). I never would have known it was there, that’s for sure. Their reception was held at the Museum of the Oregon Territory, which sounds weird, but it was a great space. It had a ballroom at the top of the museum, with windows around the whole area. All in all, a good start to the season.

Wedding #2 of 5 is this weekend, but I’m forgoing this one. It’s about 3 hours away, and I have a lot of things to do this weekend. This one is more of an acquaintance, anyway, so I don’t feel guilty for skipping it. I haven’t seen the bride in the better part of a decade. I’ll send a gift and call it good!

Let’s discuss for a moment the idea of bringing a date to a wedding. I never really understood that. I mean, weddings are fun and all, but would you want to go to one if you didn’t know the couple getting married? Let me ask you—would you want to be a date to a wedding? The other strange thing is when you’re in the wedding and you bring a date. It’s not like you can sit with your date because you’re at the wedding party’s table. OK, that was kind of random, but you get the point.

In other news, I went to a fantastic restaurant on Friday. The restaurant is Lauro which is on Division. It’s a self-described “Mediterranean restaurant.” It was so damn good. Had a glass of Tempranillo, which was excellent. Then we shared a plate of tapas, which were also heavenly—great calamari! For my main course, I chose the Paella, which can never live up to the Paella I had in Spain, but it was still pretty damn good. All in all, the restaurant gets an A+.

Even though we were stuffed to the gills, we decided to hit the Pied Cow for some dessert. Ordered a lovely banana crepe a la flambé, which was pretty. They lit rum on fire on the plate. Pretty cool. A crepe accompanied by a café au lait, and I’m in heaven. They also have a selection of hookahs, so if you’re into that, this is the place to be.

So how was your weekend?

Optical Intercourse

2007-04-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

What's that you say?

Read this fascinating story from March 2006's Chronicle of Higher Education.

A little excerpt for your enjoyment/amazement/disbelief:

Even couples who are not talking or touching can be reprimanded. Sabrina Poirier, a student at Pensacola who withdrew in 1997, was disciplined for what is known on the campus as "optical intercourse" — staring too intently into the eyes of a member of the opposite sex. This is also referred to as "making eye babies." While the rule does not appear in written form, most students interviewed for this article were familiar with the concept.

Visit the school's website.

This picture from the website looks pretty questionable...doesn't it look like that guy and polka dots are making "eye babies"?? And you know he's thinking, Sweet, a threesome.

Now they are definitely sitting too close here. And I'm pretty sure he's staring at her boobs.

A look at their application is interesting (you can find a PDF link to get a good look).

DISCUSS.

Yikes.

2007-04-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

This kind of thing just makes me sick inside.

The worst part is that we'll probably never know why.

To the left, to the left...

2007-04-11T10:05:00.001-07:00

BLAH BLAH
BLAH
BLAH
BLAH
BLAH

I just felt it really necessary to type that.

Life has gotten away from me for a moment, but I’m getting back on track. I started classes last week, and this term is going to be an ass-kicker, I think.

My Tuesday class is good (Admin Ethics), but there’s a lot of writing involved. I have three 15-page papers to write for the class as well as a group project. That’s a lot for an 11-week term. Little did I know that it could get worse—my Thursday class (Admin Theory) has an 8-page paper, a 10-page paper, a group project, and get this: a 3-page reflection paper due EVERY WEEK. Like I have nothing better to do, people! Not only is there a lot of reading to get through, I have to “reflect” on it? What a bunch of hooey. It’s like she wants to make sure we do the readings, which is beyond stupid in my opinion. This is graduate school. We don’t need a babysitter to make sure we read. If we choose not to read that’s our own stupid fault.

Grr.

THEN, my weekend course (the one I have one weekend a month) has its first class this Friday. This is Strategic Planning in the Public Sector, taught by Professor O’Toole. So imagine my surprise when a Professor Krause sends out an email regarding our first weekend class for Strategic Planning for Non-Profits. Whoa, what?? I’m on the public sector track, hence my decision to sign up for public sector strategic planning. Needless to say, I have a mini panic attack and email the administrative assistant to the program. She informs me that O’Toole is sick and can’t teach this term. So they merged the public sector class with the non-profit class, and didn’t bother to tell anyone! And seriously, not five minutes after I sounded the alarm, they sent an email out to the MPA listserv to let everyone else know about the change.

Clearly they are not on top of things. So I went to get the book for this Krause person, and things are not looking promising because the book is titled “Strategic Planning for Non-Profits.” Hmm.

In other news, I had to make some big summer plan decisions. Originally I was planning to visit my friend in Alaska & do that leadership conference I blogged about a while ago. The timing was pretty tight, so I planned to go to Alaska from June 13-18, and then do the conference from the 21-26. WELL. My professor has decided to hold class during finals week (which is a major no-no by the way), and has completely messed up my schedule. After much consideration, I have decided to forgo the conference this summer. I was getting stressed out figuring out my schedule because the only time I could go to Alaska is during June. Not to mention, the conference is $500 and I would have to use unpaid leave from work because I don’t have enough vacation time for both Alaska and the conference, so its affordability was stressing. So now I will be visiting Alaska from June 20-25. I’m feeling better already.

BLAH. BLAH.
BLAH.
BLAH.
BLAH.

Ahhh. I needed to do that again. Sorry for the ultra-boring post, but I needed to vent for a moment.

Here’s a funny video to make it up to you:

Be sure to watch to the end—he starts to “drop it like it’s hot” and I about died.

Nap time, I think.

2007-04-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

All I can really say about this is …whoa. Now we’re locking people up because they're sick? I mean, I understand him needing to wear a mask in public, but come on. Locking a man up for the rest of his life? Puleeze. Anyone else thinking what I’m thinking?

I mean, obviously something should be done to prevent him from infecting others, but incarcerating him in a prison-like cell indefinitely is a serious human rights violation.

Yikes.

In other news, I start my new term today. Tonight I have Administrative Ethics & Values. I like my program, I like my classes, but I am very upset because it means I have to miss House for the term. It's times like this that I wish I weren't too cheap for Tivo.

I also had to haul my butt downtown yesterday to pick up my parking permit because they didn’t mail it to me this time. So I got to wait in line for 45 minutes. It was such fun! I did get a good phone call into my friend in Indiana, though. So I was one of those annoying girls in line on a cell phone, but I don’t really care.

I had an eye appointment this morning, and I decided to consider contact lenses. I’m not very good about wearing my glasses. It’s not a vanity thing—glasses actually make me look smart (see? I have them all fooled!!). But I almost feel like they hinder my view, and I can’t wear them when I’m talking to people because I feel like there’s something in the way, and I can’t look them in the eye. My eyesight isn’t terrible, but it’s enough of an issue that I need to be able to see distances—to drive, recognize faces, see the presentations in class. One eye is worse than the other so I find myself often closing my right eye so I can see far way. Hence the need for contacts.

I have a trial pair in right now, and so far so good. They’re comfortable, but taking them out and putting them in is harder than it looks. They’re soft lenses, so I can’t really tell when I’ve grabbed them! Time to practice, I guess!

Good news for the day—I have a 3-day weekend coming up. That’s the good part about working at a Catholic-run institution. Even if I am a little Pagan.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2007-03-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

My window is open at work and I can hear that sweet sound of a ball hitting a bat from across campus. Oh how I love springtime and its baseball season glory.

You know what that means—Thirsty Thursday is coming soon!

In other news, I got a haircut that just about gave everyone around me a heart attack. In a good way, though, because it does indeed look fabulous. But I had quite long hair, and had long hair for a couple of years, and was ready for a change. Not to mention I have thick hair so it would take like 20 minutes to blowdry. Are you bored of this story yet and starting to scroll down? Anyway, I cut about 8 inches off, and my head feels so much lighter! You wouldn’t believe the pile of hair I left on the floor at the hairdresser’s. Now it’s about shoulder-length with fantastic layers that flip out and make me look like the diva that I am. ;)

The hairdresser was pretty funny. She was this cute little Asian lady who kept saying in her cute little Asian accent:

“Oh yes, this look cute. Make look younger!”

Then I had the

“Oooh, what yo friend say about you cut short??”

“I didn’t really tell anyone I was going to.”

“Oooh. Well what about yo boyfriend? What yo man say?”

Instead of saying “I don’t have one, and it wouldn’t matter what he said, anyway!” I just said, “Oh, I don’t have one.”

“Oooh, well this cut get you one.”

Hillaaaaaaarious.

Gotten lots of compliments already, so it was a good decision.

In other other news, my sister is moving back to Portland. She 1) Hates Seattle [sorry Tristan, I don’t know what her deal is] and 2) Hates the store she’s working in. So she got a job offer back in Portland, and she applied and was hired! It looks like she’ll be moving back in 5-6 weeks. Now I need to find a good excuse to get out of helping her move. ;)

Well that is all for now, my lovelies. Have a great weekend, relax with a beverage of your choice, and enjoy the sunshine if you have some.

A Rush of Blood

2007-03-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a dream about someone that was kind of…naughty? And then you see them the next day and you can’t really look them in the eye because you’re having graphic flashbacks from your dream?

Yeah, I’m having that problem today. And I’m not even interested in him that way (not to mention he’s only 21—no offense to you youngins out there). But he’s a cute guy, and we chat fairly regularly…but not like that. And it’s making me flustered. And it’s not helping that he keeps coming in my office. Damn dreams.

ANYWAY, what’s new? My blogging seems to have slowed, but then others have been slowing, too. Is it just that time of year?

I went and saw Children of Men on Friday and h-o-l-y s-h-i-t. That movie is intense. My friends and I were sitting there tense the whole time and then even after the movie we were so stricken and horrified that we had to go down the street and get some gelato. Wow. Great movie. I think I might buy that one.

And A/B, I had to laugh at your comment on my previous post because I did go shoe shopping! Haha! I only bought one pair, though. Just ONE. But then again…Spring Break’s not over yet…

So I donated blood on Friday, which was lovely because I haven’t been able to go in a long time. I was on antibiotics for most of the last year because of the Sinus Fiasco, so I couldn’t donate. Not to mention I wasn’t healthy so they wouldn’t have wanted my O-Positive Lovelyness anyway.

But there’s a new system called Double-Red Cell Donation, where instead of donating a pint of whole blood, they hook you up to an apheresis machine and take just your red blood cells. Red blood cells are the part most often needed in blood transfusions for sick people, so in theory, you can help two people from one donation instead of just one.

The apheresis machine separates the red blood cells from the plasma using a centrifuge that rotates at like a bazillion rpms. It was really fascinating. You can actually watch your plasma go into a bag as it spins! Then the red blood cells collected go into another bag, and the plasma is put back in your body with some saline. Then they do it again to get the other half of the red blood cells.

The plasma was pretty cool. It’s like a clearish liquid—she said mine was a good color and that she could tell I “didn’t eat cheesecake the night before, and that I have low cholesterol.” This was funny, actually, because I had eaten cheesecake the night before! Haha! It also had a very faint green tinge to it, to which she said, “you must be on hormones—birth control?” It was crazy that you can tell that much about a person by their blood’s plasma!

Anyway, the procedure did take a while, and it’s not without slight complications. When the saline/plasma goes back into your body, it makes your whole arm cold. It was weird. By the second time that they did it, I got really cold and actually had to sit with a blanket for a while. The other thing that happens is that you can become calcium deficient, and your lips go numb! They fix this by giving you Tums (yes, the antacid stuff) because they have calcium in them.

It was pretty damn cool.

And I saved two lives. So there!

Short & Sweet

2007-03-22T16:03:00.001-07:00

I’m on Spring Break! Woo-Hoo!

I’m done with classes and homework until April 2nd, and it’s a beautiful thing. It’s already going by too fast, though. Stupid work…

I’ll still enjoy my break time, no matter how little it is.

Next term I’ll be taking Strategic Planning, Administrative Theory & Behavior, and Administrative Ethics.

Speaking of Administrative Ethics, I think it’s time to send Bushy back to class.

And speaking of Bushy, have you seen this video? It’s beautiful...

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2007-03-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Items of note on this Monday:

1. I do not understand WHY people feel the need to mess with my damn car! I went out to my car Sunday morning to head to the store, and someone had broken into my car. Again. The first time was somewhat funny, but it’s not anymore. I don’t like people messing with my stuff. Whoever it was must have been disappointed not to find anything (I had my face plate off my stereo so they couldn’t take it this time). Then they got into my trunk to rummage around but once again found nothing. I think they were probably

A) Looking for my face plate—many people just take it off and leave it in the glove box, for example--

B) Seeing if I had a stereo in my trunk as many people do.

Luckily, once again, they just jimmied my door and did not break my window. And it’s a long shot, but I am actually wondering if it might be the same moron from before because the way s/he left my car was verrrry similar to the last time. My door wasn’t closed all the way and my trunk was partially open. Perhaps this person figured I must have replaced my stereo by now so they thought they’d snag stereo #2. Fool!

2. My mock arbitration hearing went very well. I am a damn good arbitrator if I do say so myself. It was interesting to see the two sides present their cases—they were ready to draw blood! It was pretty funny, actually. Not to mention there was some shameful sucking up going on since I was the arbitrator. I could get used to that. ;)

3. The Bachelorette Party was a blast and a half. We started off the evening at the bride-to-be’s house for some pre-drinking and party games. They were of course all dirty—including a contest for shaping the best penis out of play dough as well as a “deep-throat” contest using a banana. I won one of these two games, but I will not say which for I am a lady, dammit!

We then headed to our dance class, which I mentioned in my previous post. It turns out it wasn’t actually a pole-dancing class like I originally thought. It was just exotic dancing, but pole dancing classes are offered. We learned this fantastic routine of sorts to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” It was a lot of fun, I must say. It’s totally out of the comfort zone, of course, because there was much discussion of putting the va-jay-jay out there during the dance. We were clothed, but the idea when you actually perform the dance for someone is to be naked or at least be naked by the end of the dance if you know what I’m sayin. ;)

After we were all sexed up we headed downtown to the Irish Festival to get our drink on. Surprisingly, it wasn’t at busy as I would have thought. We didn’t have to wait in line at all to get in, so that was nice. There was plenty ‘o green beer and sody bread a-flowin. The band in the tent we were in was really fantastic. They were so damn energetic, too! After they finished their set I went to talk to the good-looking fiddle-player and he was bouncing off the walls, I tell you! He gave me a free pass to get in on Sunday but I had to finish up a term paper so I wasn’t able to go. :( Too bad. But it was a lot of fun.

4. I’m glad to have two weeks off from class, man! I still have to write up my arbitration decision, but then it’s free time until April. I just don’t know what I’m going to do with myself! I think perhaps I will have to visit friends who have been neglected by my busy schedule. I feel a game night coming on…

Ides of March

2007-03-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

There are little tiny daffodils popping up outside my office! Spring is on the way! It’s taking its time, though—I had to scrape ice off my car this morning.

And how is everyone in the blogging world today?

I read this story this morning and I was beyond horrified. Horrified doesn’t even cut it, really.

I also just saw this story, which is very cool. Finally having a black Disney princess is extremely cool. Also, I will admit that I am thrilled that they’re actually doing a hand-drawn feature again!! I love the Pixar movies and Shrek and all that, but there’s something extra special about the classic hand-drawn Disney movies like Cinderella & Snow White.

On a completely unrelated note, I wish to share this video with you. This woman is certifiable! It is important to note, however, that Boric Acid is not toxic. It’s found in antiseptics and athlete’s foot meds and such. It’s probably not the best idea to rub it all over your skin like she did, but still. She is definitely psycho, though:

This is my last week for the term, then it’s two weeks off for Spring Break, baby! Not that I’m really doing anything special, I still have to work. But it’ll be nice not to worry about schoolwork for a couple weeks. Then April’s a new term.

What is it about college campuses in the springtime? They just have this fantastic feel to them, don’t they?

St. Patty’s Day is this weekend, which means drunk Irish people (and people who wish they were Irish) running amok about Portland. I will probably be joining in the festivities because I have a bachelorette party I’m attending on Saturday. It should be an adventure to say the least. Our first stop is a pole dancing class (yes, I said pole dancing) at Euphoria Studios in southeast. Yes, I will be taking pictures, no I will not be posting them!

Should provide good blogging material come Monday. ;)

Spoiled Six-Year-Old

2007-03-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my little ~~brat~~ princess, Jane--

May she not go crazy like this cat.

Adventures in Vehicle Land

2007-03-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

My poor little car had a rough weekend.

She’s an older lady so she has a tendency to burn oil. On Sunday I was giving her a quart when my friend decided to be helpful. After I put the oil cap back on, I went to the trunk to put the leftover oil and my funnel back, and she decided to go ahead and shut my hood.

“Ouch!” said my car.

Turns out my friend put the hood prop back in the wrong place.

So instead of putting it in the pretty little prop nook, she put it behind my headlight, which as you can see from the sad car photograph above, is a pop-up headlight (so retro, I know). So the prop gets jammed behind my headlight so it will no longer go up or down and I cannot shut my hood. I tried to get the beotch out of there, but it’s wedged behind a screw that I cannot remove.
Shit.

So I called Honda yesterday because they very conveniently have a service department right by my apartment, and we set an appointment for 3:30 today to get the prop out.

WELL. My little car was pissed off and decided to have a dead battery this morning! Oh hip hip hooray!

I figure that it’s dead because my car thinks the headlight is up so it’s drained the battery. Of course at 8am, I don’t have anyone around to give me a jump so I hopped on the bus to work.

At lunch, my coworker takes me home to give me a jump. She didn’t know anything about jumping a car, so much to my dismay she was not aware that her battery is in the trunk of her car, latched down by big serious bolts that are impossible to get out (&@*$ Volvo). By now I’m really annoyed because if I don’t get my car started, I can’t get it to Honda, they can’t fix it, and I can’t get to school tomorrow.

So I suck it up and call my boss and she comes to my rescue. She didn’t know anything about jumping cars, either (what's the deal there? I thought everyone knew how), so they both stood around watching me (which lemme tell you is interesting when you can’t prop your hood up because your prop is stuck in your headlight). I hook up the cables [that spark that happens when you connect the negative clamp to the engine was funny—they both started freaking out], and let the good battery charge mine up for about 20 minutes. I let out a little “yippee” when she started, and I got her to Honda without a problem.

Imagine my surprise at the bizarre coincidence when they tell me the dead battery and the headlight problem were not related! I just had a bad battery whose time had run out. I was a little skeptical at first, but seeing that it is a licensed Honda shop, they can’t screw me over, and he explained that they ran all the necessary diagnostic tests to make sure. So I was a little miffed at having to buy a new car battery, but I lucked out because the prop didn’t damage my headlight motor.

So all in all, it’s a satisfying result.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t be breakin out the wine tonight.

Superman never made any money

2007-03-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am ashamed to admit that I have spent the better part of my day playing

THIS GAME.

I need to stop, though, because my first try I got a 134 and now I keep getting worse.

Centennial

2007-02-28T09:41:00.000-08:00

Good morning, and welcome to my 100th post in the post-hijacker days.

To celebrate this milestone, I would like to share this video with you, and hope you laughed as damn hard as I did!

True colors are beautiful

2007-02-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

This post may be rather boring, and if it is, I do apologize. But I found it over at the lovely Madge's blog, and thought it was cute.

COLORS

Red.
1. Closest red thing to you? My raincoat
2. Last thing to make you angry? My mother. She likes to make family reunion plans during the one weekend for which I said I cannot go. Then she guilt trips me about it.
3. Do you have a temper? For certain things, yes. I don’t usually have a temper with people I love, but politics often make my blood boil.
4. Are you a fan of romance? I used to be…I still am sometimes, but not like I was when I was younger. I hope this is just “growing up” and not cynicism.

Orange.
1. Closest orange thing to you? The wind-up giraffe I have on my desk.
2. Do you like to burn things? Actually I am kind of a pyro sometimes. I think fire is pretty.
3. Dress up for Halloween? Yeah, my friends and I usually hit up a Halloween party.
4. Are you usually a warm-hearted person? Yes, I think so. I cry when watching the news sometimes, does that count?
5. Do you have anything against redheaded people? Only that they have red hair and I’m jealous. I love red hair. I was a [chemically-created] red-head for a couple of years, but the up-keep was tough.
6. Are you usually full of energy? Yeah, I’m usually pretty energetic. (That didn't sound very energetic, did it?)

Yellow.
1. Closest yellow thing to you? My fantastic new handbag!
2. The happiest time[s] of your life? When I studied abroad in Ecuador in ’03. I really had the time of my life. So far, anyway. But it’ll be tough to top.
3. Favorite holiday? Christmas.
4. Are you a coward? Not about most things. But approaching a male I find interesting, yes, I’m a coward!!
5. Do you burn or tan? I try not to do either. Sunscreen for everyone!

Green.
1. Closest green thing to you? Highlighter!
2. Do you care about the enviroment? Hello! I’m from OREGON! (Translation = YES!)
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now? My best friend who is heading to Vegas next week. Beotch.
4. Are you a lucky person? No, definitely not.
5. Do you always want what you can't have? No, that’s not an issue I have often.
6. Do you like being outdoors? The outdoors is a wonderful place, isn’t it? I’m especially fond of bridges and waterfalls.
7. Are you Irish? Nope. Dutch and Czech.

Blue.
1. Closest blue thing to you? My post-it notes.
2. Are you good at calming people down? Yeah, I am pretty good at that, actually. Usually I manage to make them laugh.
3. Do you like the sea? Oh yes, I’m a beach girl at heart.
4. What was the last thing that made you cry? I don’t remember….. I think a few weeks ago when I watched Life is Beautiful.
5. Are you a logical thinker? Most of the time.
6. Can you sleep easily? Yes! It’s that beautiful new bed I bought myself.

Purple.
1. Closest purple thing to you? Vase on my desk.
2. Like being treated to expensive things? I like expensive things, but I’m also frugal so I usually don’t give in. And I have this annoying personality trait where I don’t like to let people buy things or do things for me. I’m working on letting that go, though. Sometimes you just need to let people help you out.
3. Do you like mysterious things? Yes, mysteries are always a good time.
4. Favorite type of chocolate? Dark with cayenne pepper.
5. Ever met anyone in royalty? I am royalty.
6. Are you creative? Yes, I am pretty creative! But not artistic. Those are very different things.

Pink.
1. Closest pink thing to you? My undies! -- Me too, Madge!
2. Do you like sweet things? Why yes I do. As a matter of fact, I'm eating some Junior Mints right now!
3. Are you sensitive? Not really.
4. Do you like music? Oh music...how do I love thee?

White
1. Closest white thing to you? My page-a-day calendar.
2. Would you say you're innocent? Um…I’m pleading the fifth on that one.
3. Are you good at keeping the peace? I can usually keep the peace, but I also like a good debate. 4. How do you imagine your wedding? I don’t, really. I often think I’ll do it Vegas-style if I walk down that plank. Then again, a reception would be fun. Plus, my family would kill me if I did it in Vegas.
5. Do you like to play in the snow? I love to play in the snow! Try to drag my butt to work in the snow? Not so much.
6. Are you afraid of going to the doctors or dentist? I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DENTIST. Doctors are OK.

Black.
1. Closest black thing to you? My shoes
2. Ever enjoy hurting people? Um, no. What kind of question is this?
3. Are you sophisticated or silly? Totally depends on the situation. Out with friends? Silly. In class? Sophisticated.
4. Would you like to go to space? I would love to go to space. I think the stars are fascinating.
5. Do you have a lot of secrets? Only a few---it’s more fun if you only have one or two. Like this blog, for example. No one in the “real world” knows I have it.
6. What is your favorite colour? Red. Also yellow and blue.
7. Does the colour you wear affect your mood? No, but I think perhaps my mood affects the color I wear.

Wine Down on the Coast

2007-02-26T15:39:00.000-08:00

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

That was a nice exhale.

I didn’t do a damn productive thing this weekend. I will probably live to regret that seeing as I have a 15 pager due next week that I have yet to start on, but it felt nice to just chill out and party hardy.

The Newport Seafood and Wine Festival was this weekend, and it was a blast! Some friends and I went last year, too—we’ve definitely decided to make it a tradition. The Festival is held in a big tent by the bay with over 100 vendors, 60 of them being wine vendors.

It’s the best place to get your wine on.

I of course hit my favorite, Hood River Vineyards, and found a new one, Honeywood Winery. Hood River Vineyards has the usual pinots and rieslings, but they also specialize in these fantastic fruit-based wines, including Marionberry, Black Cherry, and Raspberry wines. They are definitely dessert wines, so you need to be a fan of sweet wines to enjoy them, but they are fantastic.

Keeping with tradition of fruit wines, I found a new love in the Loganberry Wine made by Honeywood Winery. I must have a bottle (or five) right now. It has this lovely fruit flavor, with a deep color, and is the most perfect balance of sweet and tart I have ever had in a wine. It would be excellent with dark chocolate, I think.

Other favorites:
Hip Chicks Do Wine
Wine by Joe
Willamette Valley Vineyards
David Hill Winery (this one is right by where I went to college)
Oak Knoll Winery (their "Grape Eruption" wine is fantastic)

As was expected, I drank way too much wine. I will not admit to the number of glasses, but we’ll just say it was more than 3 but less than 10. Needless to say, my friends and I were in a happy place. We also managed to get adorned with quite a few Mardi Gras beads…I’m not really sure why.

And in a fantastic twist of fate, I randomly ran into this guy I studied abroad with in Ecuador back in ’03! I hadn’t seen him since we got off the plane when we got back to the states, so it was great to see him. He was pretty lit, but I told him to bring his friends and meet us at the pub that night after the festival, which he did. It was nice to “catch up,” but he was quite wasted so I’m willing to bet he doesn’t remember half the conversation. He must have asked for my phone number a half a dozen times after I gave it to him. He fiancée was being a sport, though. Most girls would have been horrified by his inebriated state, but she was having fun with him. Hopefully we’ll meet up soon and have a real catch-up session.

So I probably drank too much, and should have gotten some homework done, but I’m oh so glad I didn’t. This weekend probably ranks as one of the best I’ve had in a while!

Cheers!

She will purr while gouging your eyes out.

2007-02-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

So Jane decided it would be a good idea to catch a parasite. I really have no idea how she managed this, seeing that she is an indoor cat. I will admit it freaks me out slightly. Well, in a perfect world, one would simply go to any store, buy some wormer medicine, and administer it to the cat. Voila! Problem solved.

Well, Jane doesn’t work that way. I tried a liquid, I tried a paste, and I tried a powder. The little punk would not take her medicine. Finally, I had to give up and take her to the vet.

Jane does not like the vet. She has notes in her chart warning vet techs and doctors about her behavior. I do not like taking her to the vet. It’s embarrassing.

This trip was no different. Because they just needed to pop a pill in her mouth, I didn’t have to see a doctor, just a tech in the back room. They even have this little plunger thing that is supposed to make administering the pill very simple:

No comments from the peanut gallery---yes, I know what that looks like.

Pill Number One: Plunger goes pop, Jane bites down, spits out the pieces and smacks the vet tech’s hand away. Very loud guttural sounds begin. Two vet techs hold her down. Other techs and doctors in the back room start gathering around to watch the spectacle.

Pill Number Two: Plunger goes pop three times, Jane gags up the pill and spits it out every time. Bends one of the tech’s fingernails back. Tech fights off tears. They get a towel to wrap her little ~~weapons~~ paws up. Jane hisses and spits and bitches and moans.

Now they figure it’s time to give up and just give her a shot. This also pisses Jane off, but they manage to get it in her and then toss her back in her carrier. A should-have-been a $5 trip turns into a $33 trip.

My cat is a Ninja.

Splendiferous

2007-02-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

Man, they’ve been making me work lately. What up with that?

How are you doing today? Anything new?

My weekend was OK—I had class, so that took up a lot of it. BUT, it’s my advocacy class and we’re doing a mock arbitration hearing, and I get to be the arbitrator! So I get to pass judgement and all that fun stuff. That’s not until next month, though.

Actually, after class I met some friends for dinner at Autentica, which has fantastically orgasmic authentic Mexican food. Oh, it was so deliciosa. And even though we were stuffed to the gills we decided that dessert was in order at Pix Patisserie. Yum!

So Saturday I may have been in class, but I made good use of Saturday night.

Last night, instead of doing homework, I did a little shopping (Hello, take-advantage-of-dead-presidents-day sales!). I came away with some great deals! Then we hit one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Portland---The Montage.

Oooh, heavenly. I had my usual favorite, alligator linguini (did she just say alligator? Why yes, I think she did). It is oh so good. It just has the best atmosphere for a restaurant. First of all, it’s in this totally seedy area under the Morrison Bridge. It’s all dark and fantastic inside and it’s a bunch of long tables so you might end up sitting with people you don’t know. It’s great! OK, I just read that again and it doesn’t sound that fantastic, but I promise, it is! And when you have leftovers they put them in a fun tinfoil to-go animal or flower or something. My friend and I both had leftovers, and our person made us a cat and a mouse to go!

OK, all this talk of food has made me hungry!

In other news, I think I forgot to update that that guy in my class that I wanted to introduce to my friend already has a girlfriend, so that’s a no go. But I’ll keep you updated on any new developments.

In even other news, this kid just kills me. I went to high school with him, and he is the most brilliant, fascinating guy I’ve ever met. He’s even nice to boot! In high school he built a freakin Tesla Coil, so I’m not too surprised to see he’s winning $30K prizes for amazing inventions and succeeding like mad at MIT. Nathan Ball, you rock!

Also, I think this is fascinating. And I don't believe for second that it has nothing to do with the fact that Iraq has become a disaster. How long before the crazies go all “Freedom Fries” on the UK? So instead of English Breakfast Tea it’ll be American Breakfast Tea? Or English Muffins are now American Muffins? Can’t wait. Nice job, Blair—it’s about time you stopped being a lapdog.

And you know...it's been a while........ I want these shoes:

I ain't just whistlin' dixie

2007-02-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

Items of note for Friday—

I was perusing Flickr this morning (I can’t remember why, there was a reason) when I came upon this photograph.

Isn’t that just stunning?? So beautiful. Taken by sduffy (who I don’t know, but is now my personal hero).

In other news, I ordered some “business cards” this morning. I don’t have actual business cards, and when I make public service connections, I want something to hand out that has my contact info on them. So I went to Moo and ordered 100 cards with the following photos on the back:

Pretty, huh? Maybe some day I’ll actually have real business cards!

Finally, if you need something to do, please go visit my new favorite site, which had me in stitches all afternoon. Definitely one to add to the sidebar!

One of my favorites for the day:

4PM Too-Much-Information Technology

Coworker: Thank you for calling ABC Tech Support*.

Can I have your name, please?

... While we're waiting for the information to come up in our system,

you wouldn't happen to know how they execute their criminals in China...?

I just ask because I heard that they sell the organs of condemned

criminals over there..

Houston, Texas

Overheard by: Glad I wasn't on the phone at the time

Have a fantastic weekend!

Be Mine

2007-02-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Peachy Keen

2007-02-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

1. I’m pretty excited that we’ve already got a good pool of presidential candidates. This time last year I was very worried that we didn’t have anybody! Too soon to call who’s going to get the nod, but it should be an interesting race. If those elephants hold on to power, though, someone’s going to have some serious explaining to do.

He’s such a handsome fellow. And I would just like to state for the record that I liked him before he became Mr. Popular.

2. I was lecturing my cat last night about being a stubborn ass. She somehow has worms (gross!!) and she’s being difficult and won’t take her medicine. I keep telling her that if she doesn’t cooperate we’re going to have to go to the VET which she HATES. They’re scared of her, too. She’s even got a note in her file saying she’s a ~~little shit~~ difficult cat and needs several vet assistants present.

She’s such a cute little thing, though.

3. I have terrible taste in movies. I can watch just about anything and find some entertainment value. I feel sorry for those people who only watch movies to get some deeper meaning out of a film—they miss out on good laughs and brainless humor! My friend and I went and saw Because I Said So (chick flick!). We usually go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day but I have class on Wednesday so this was like our V-Day date. She’s mad I’m ditching her so she has already picked out the bottle of wine she will drink herself on Wednesday.

But the movie was pretty cute. And one the guys in it is scorchin! I mean, it’s a “romantic comedy” which of course always has the same plot “boy likes girl, boy dates girl, they break up for some reason, girl wants boy back, boy says no, eventually changes his mind, happily ever after.” But that’s why we watch them, isn’t it?

4. I had a follow-up doctor’s appointment today. Things are still healing well after the surgery, but he can tell that there’s some serious inflammation up there. This means I am very allergic to something, but because they’ve already tested me for everything they can test for, there’s no way to really know what it is out there. This annoys me greatly. So now I’m on a nasal steroid that I have to take twice a day, but it should help with the ridiculous sneezing and such. Eventually I’ll probably be able to get off the spray once I’m away from the allergen – which I really think is my job.

Time to sharpen that resume.

So. How was your weekend?

Is our children learning?

2007-02-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

On this fine Friday, I would just like to say, Happy Weekend to all!

I would also like to share this video:

I can’t decide if it’s funny or horrifying.

Or a little of both.

How embarrassing.

It's going to start raining again

2007-02-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

Items of note on this Wednesday:

~ I am so in love with the bed I bought, but it makes it very difficult to get my rear in gear in the mornings. I mean, if you were sleeping on clouds, would you want to get up?

~ I have successfully made Zuppa Toscana soup at home, and it tastes every bit as fabulous as it does at the Olive Garden.

~ I absolutely cannot stand Country Crock commercials. I don’t know what it is about them, but they drive me completely crazy. The cheesiness factor is too overwhelming, I hate their “let’s not show the actors’ faces” thing they have going on, and the voice-overs make me want to gag. And the chick sounds like maybe she was once a man.

~ I am currently reading Mountains Beyond Mountains for a class, and it is really excellent. Have any of you read it? The sub-title for the book is The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. I mean, that alone tells you you’re in for something crazy. I’m only 1/3 of the way through, and it’s already making me feel bad about myself because of all the incredible things this man did by my age. That’s not the point of the book, of course, but it’s really good. Go read it.

~ I’ve decided that this guy in my class would really hit it off with my best friend. I don’t know the guy very well, though, so I’m not really sure how to approach it. Should I just say “OK, I know this sounds weird but I think you’d really like my friend?” I suppose it’s worth a shot. Any suggestions on how to go about this? Usually when I hook people up I know both of them well so I can organize a group outing.

~ Why do some people have common sense while others have none at all? For example: A few weeks ago, we had a staff meeting that happened to fall on a coworker’s birthday, so we had cake at our meeting. Someone brought the extra cake and the knife used to cut it to the back room so people could graze the leftovers. When the cake was done and gone, however, whoever put the knife away did not bother to wash it. We wanted to use it today and it was covered in crusty old chocolate from weeks ago. I mean, hello!

~ And what would a Junniper post be without a statement of some item that I bought that I didn’t need nor can really afford?? But it was so pretty:

I mean, it has polka dots on the inside lining! Now Spring needs to get here so I can wear it.

~ Funny video for the day:

~ That’s all.

Portland Pride Barbie!

2007-02-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

My friend sent me an email with the new Portland-area-inspired Barbies, and I must admit I laughed my ass off. Now, with the exception of Madge, and maybe Tristan or Matt depending on how well they know Portland, this will probably go over your head.

Although really----they could work for any city, couldn't they?

I must admit I'm a little upset that there is no North Portland Barbie or St. John's Barbie. Hmph.

Vancouver Barbie
This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.

Hawthorne Barbie
This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her Willow. She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Midtown Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.

Lake Oswego Barbie
This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of Rolls Royce convertible or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won't be able to afford any of them.

Beaverton Barbie
The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Windstar Minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.

Stark Street Barbie
This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.

Clackamas Barbie
This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills) ..unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about.

West Hills Barbie
She's perfect in every way. We don't know where Ken is because he's always out a-'huntin'.

Pearl District Barbie
This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends. Percocet prescription available as well as warehouse conversion condo.

Forest Heights Barbie
This princess Barbie is sold only at The Galleria. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade, Prada and LV Handbags, Rolex watch a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a 25,000 sq ft. patio home. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.

Estacada Barbie
This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's butt when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

Gresham, Hillsboro, and other suburbs Barbie
This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Butler Barbie's house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top Also available with a mobile home.

Yowza

2007-02-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows comes out July 21st.

Yikes!

And in a very illustrative example of my prime nerdiness I was immediately disappointed because my friend's wedding is that day so I will not be able to march out and buy it and proceed to read the whole thing over the weekend without leaving my apartment lest the climactic ending of the book be uttered in my presence before I have read it.

*ahem*

ANYWAY, the world is a little less funnier today, and a little less liberal. Molly Ivins has lost her battle with breast cancer.

I met this woman in 2002, and she was a firecracker.

::::::

This video makes me laugh every time I watch it:

You kinda gotta give the guy some credit...at least the sleaze has a sense of humor.

::::::

And I'm going to apply to participate in the National Education for Women's Leadership program in Oregon this summer. It's a six-day extensive program to introduce women to leadership opportunities, so I'm really excited about it. It's not guaranteed that you'll get in, though, so I do have to take that into account. They don't accept everyone, it's pretty competetive. So keep your fingers crossed for me! :)

MUAH!

A short post for Adam Solomon

2007-01-31T15:19:00.000-08:00

Because Adam is so busy and important and my long-winded posts are causing him to get behind on his all-important Ivy League homework, here is a short post for him.

This made me laugh---

But I think it's a good thing that we've got several candidates out already. A year ago I was really worried that we weren't going to have anybody.

Speaking of worried, I was putting some lotion on last week and I noticed that I have a big freakin gap between my nasal bone and my septum.

I mean, I knew the surgery involved taking some bone out, but I didn't know I'd be able to feel it! So that kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies. So does putting a picture of myself on my blog, but hey, I drew an arrow on my face so that makes it OK.

And I know you were really concerned that I'd have a hard time shoe-shopping, but I think I found the silver shoes I'll be buying for my friend's wedding. Not too tall of a heel, and the sparkles will look good with the little buckle thing on the dress.

The end.

And I'm telling you...

2007-01-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

Where did the weekend go?

It was so fantastically beautiful (albeit cold) this weekend—and the sunshine is still upon us today! Not only that—it’s supposed to stick around for several days!

My favorite kind of day: sunny & cold.

::::::

OK, so I saw Dreamgirls this weekend. Originally, my friends and I were going to go see Stranger Than Fiction, but we changed our minds at the last minute.

Several things about Dreamgirls: 1. Beyonce didn’t bug me as much as she usually does on an everyday basis. 2. Eddie Murphy can actually (gasp!) act. 3. Jamie Foxx is so damn cute and I just hate that he’s a punk in the movie. And 4. Jennifer Hudson was absolutely-freaking-phenomenal. Phenomenal, people. All that hype? It’s completely warranted. She’s fantastic.

Of the two friends I went with, one gave it a B- grade and the other one said it was the worst movie she had ever seen. But we all agreed that Hudson was incredible.

::::::

I ordered my bridesmaid dress for my friend’s wedding this July. The dress isn’t too bad, and trying it on was great because unlike last July’s ~~disaster~~ wedding, the dress is well made and actually lined! I had to plunk down 90 bucks, but my friend is worth it.

And instead of wearing awful white flip flops, we get to choose silver shoes of our liking. That way my friend who prefers stilettos can be happy and tall, and I can get a sensible 3-incher and we’ll both be happy! So I’m on the hunt for silver strappy sandals, I think.

Oh darn, I have to buy another pair of shoes.

::::::

I also must add that this day is now totally mishmashed because I just realized I forgot to put earrings on this morning, so now I feel naked and incomplete. Time to go back to bed.

::::::

Tristan posted this website on his blog—

Find meaning behind your birthday!

So mine, October 19, 1981 gives the following info:

You were born on a Monday

under the astrological sign Libra.

Your Life path number is 3.

Life Path Compatibility:

You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.

You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 2, 5 & 11.

You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 7, 8 & 22.

As of 1/29/2007 4:47:26 PM EST

You are 25 years old.

You are 303 months old.

You are 1,319 weeks old.

You are 9,233 days old.

You are 221,608 hours old.

You are 13,296,527 minutes old.

You are 797,791,646 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Chris Kattan (1970)
Ty Pennington (1965)
Evander Holyfield (1962)
John Lithgow (1945)

There are 263 days till your next birthdayon which your cake will have 26 candles.

The moon's phase on the day you wereborn was waning gibbous.

There was also this site that tells you about your name!

Mine: Jennifer

What your first name means:
Welsh: Female Fair one. Variant of Guinevere. In Arthurian Mythology Guinevere was Arthur's queen.
English: Female Fair one. Variant of Guinevere. In Arthurian Mythology Guinevere was Arthur's queen.
Cornish: Female Fair and yielding. Variant of Guinevere.
Celtic: Female White wave.

Arthurian Legend: Female Variant of Guinevere: Fair one. Guinevere was King Arthur's mythological queen.

Your number is: 9 [Which is totally weird because my favorite number is nine!!]

The characteristics of #9 are: Humanitarian, giving nature, selflessness, obligations, creative expression.

The expression or destiny for #9:The expression that you exhibit is represented by the number 9. Your talents center in humanistic interests and approaches. You like to help others as you were intended to be the 'big brother or big sister' type. You operate best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion, and allow yourself to be sensitive to the needs of others. You work well with people, and have the potential to inspire. This suggests that you could successfully teach or counsel. Creative ability, imagination and artistic talent (often latent) of the highest order are present in this expression. It's possible that you're not using or developing all of these capabilities at this time. Some of your talents may have been used at an earlier time in your life, and some may still be latent. Be aware of your capabilities, so that you can make use of them at appropriate times.
If you are able to achieve the potential of your natural expression in this life, you are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. Your personal ambitions are likely to be maintained in a very positive perspective, never losing sight of an interest in people, and a sympathetic, tolerant, broad-minded and compassionate point of view. You are quite idealistic, and disappointed at the lack of perfection in the world. You have a strong awareness of your own feeling as well as those of others. Friendships, affection, and love are extremely important.
Undeveloped or ignored, the negative side of the 9 expression can be very selfish and self-centered. If you do not actively involve yourself with work that benefits others, you may tend to express just the opposite characteristics. It is your role to be very involved with other people and their needs, but it may be difficult for you achieve this role. Aloofness, lack of involvement, and a lack of sensitivity mark the low road of this expression.

Now I know that these things are written to be very general to fit anyone, but that’s pretty damn close! :)

What can I say...I'm easily amused.

A Beautiful Pea-Green Boat

2007-01-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank the Academy…

I was just looking over the Oscar nominations, and I’m very pleased to see that Little Miss Sunshine (the best movie of 2006) got a Best Picture nod, as did Abigail Breslin, AKA “Superfreak.”

I don’t think it will win, but it might be a dark horse. I think Scorsese will finally take home Best Director (it’s about time, too). My money is on “Babel,” even though I haven’t seen it. “The Queen” might have a close shave yet, though.

I love that I act like I know what I’m talking about.

Did anyone see Salma Hayek and that other guy announcing the nominees? It was pretty run-of-the-mill boring, but when the Best Actress nominations were announced, Salma Hayek was adorable when Penelope Cruz was announced as a nominee:

(You only have to watch the first teeny bit of the video to see her reaction)

Some people are saying that she was dumb and unprofessional, but I thought it was sweet! They are well-known friends and are both Latina powerhouses, so why wouldn’t she be excited for her?? And no, gentlemen, I’m very sorry to tell you they are not a lesbian couple.

::::::

In other news, I got my allergy test results back to see why on earth my sinuses got so out of control.

Yeah. I tested negative for everything.

This annoys me greatly. I want to know why it got so bad that I had to have damn surgery. It’s not enough for me to know that it will get better now. I want to know why it was messed up in the first place!!

Grr. I’m going to demand that we do more tests—after all, the first one wasn’t exhaustive. It just tests for the most common allergies, and I am clearly a freak so I should have a freak allergy.

::::::

But when life gets you down, especially on January 24th, you can always visit YouTube and find yourself a funny cat video.

Enjoy.

State of My Union

2007-01-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

George Walker is giving his ~~cowboy speech~~ State of the Union Address at the moment. I watched the first part of it, but now I can only listen from afar. I find that my blood pressure rises considerably when I watch him speak. Bastard.

But there was that beautiful moment when, for the first time in U.S. history, the melodious words were spoken at a national address:

"Madam Speaker..."

I will admit publicly that I teared up a little. Hey, I'm probably PMS-ing.

Anyway--

Look at this beautiful bundle of joy:

Yes, it's my bed. Yes, I realize it's weird that I just posted a picture of my bed, but it's NEW!

I bought it this weekend and had my first glorious night in it last night and it was heaven. It was a very adult purchase, I must admit. I decided to forgo a new digital camera or the lambskin rug in favor of this much more luxurious item.

It's fantastic. No buyer's remorse whatsoever.

Jane was pretty ticked when I had to shut her in the bathroom when the guys came to set it up. As I was shutting the door the bed-man looked past me and said "Holy shit! Is all that yours??"

I turned to see what on earth he was talking about--

Oh. It was my outrageous jewelry collection:

"Kyle! You gotta check out this girl's jewelry!"

[No, I'm not kidding]

So Kyle comes in, and the two of them gawk at my stuff while I look in amazement that this is actually happening. They actually start discussing my taste in earrings.

"So...did you want me to leave you two alone?" I asked with only a hint of bitchy--

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

I'm the first to admit that yeah...maybe I have a little too much jewelry. But that's just how I am. A woman has a right to her jewelry.

Ahem.

OK, I'm done now.

I leave you this---my Jane, looking quite tuckered out after the ordeal of having to change beds. Oh! It's so hard to be a cat!

Work work work

2007-01-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

Students are back so work is finally picking up! Of course, that means less blog time. But I will quit being a workaholic long enough to say I will be posting something of substance tonight.

Achoo!

2007-01-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

I cannot stop sneezing and it’s driving me crazy.

Crazy, I tell you!

I can’t tell if this is just healing or if I have actually been stupid enough to catch a cold. I just can’t tell! And sneezing doesn’t exactly feel good on sinuses that have just been roughed up.

::::::

So I’m taking another weekend class where I have class one weekend a month for three months—it’s terrible sitting in class for so long, but it’s a good way to get a class in without a weekly commitment.

Anyway, it’s something about advocacy training in the public sector, and it centers around speaking in public. Now, I’ve never had trouble speaking in public, so this class should be a breeze. BUT—I looked through the textbooks for the class and I swear they’re like self-help books for people who can’t do public speaking.

Now, I know it’s very difficult for some people to speak in front of others. But if you’re working on your MPA, a fear of public speaking is not a great attribute. And having to take a class about “finding your center” and all that is not appealing to me.

Oh well. Should be an easy A.

Speaking of speeches, the annual Tom McCall Forum has been canceled, much to my dismay. It’s a debate put on annually by my alma mater where they invite two political figures—one conservative and one liberal—and they debate over a set issue. It’s always a blast. I went last year with Tom Daschle and Pat Buchanan (I would link to my post but it was pre-hijacker). This year was supposed to be Jack Kemp and John Edwards! Since Edwards has put in his bid for the 2008 presidency, he had to cancel and previously scheduled paid appearances. Bummer.

::::::

I was glad that the little boy lost in Missouri was found—and even gladder that the other kid that was missing for four years was found. But the behavior of the families seems a little weird to me. I mean, if my son that was lost for four years was just found less than a week ago, the last thing I would do is a damn media tour. But this Shawn kid’s parents are dragging him from network to network and they’ve even already had an exclusive Oprah interview.

GO HOME AND BE WITH YOUR SON. Oprah and Company can wait.

::::::

I think I’m going to get this rug:

It’s pure lambswool heaven. It’s expensive ($150!), but the same rug sells elsewhere for over $500—no joke. My step-mom has the same one and she paid over $500. And it’s oh so soft and cozy. Now I just need a fireplace and we’ll have the perfect seduction location.

::::::

And now this is too cool---I found this at Tristan's Brilliant Blog.

Turn yourself into an M&M!

Here is my self-rendition, M&M style--

What's this fluffy white powder?

2007-01-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

Portland is snowed in, people.

Now before you northerners scoff at me and say “Hmph! THAT’s not snow. I’ll show you snow,” you must first and foremost remember that I live in Portland, Oregon. We don’t get snow. Occasionally we get freezing rain and when we do get snow it doesn’t stick, and regardless it’s always cleared out in less than a day.

So this ridiculous five inches we got yesterday has completely caught us off guard. The roads are very treacherous, and Oregonians generally can’t drive in conditions like this—we’re just not used to it. And the department of transportation can only do so much—because they’re not used to it, either. And it’s just not going anywhere! It’s so cold out that it’s just…staying. It’s bizarre.

I couldn’t get my car out, so I had to take the bus to work yesterday and today, which is an adventure in itself because they’re all running behind and very slow so it has taken me an hour each time to either get to work or home. And I live two miles away. It’s been quite irritating. And I would just give up and walk home, but the sidewalks aren’t plowed so I’ve almost fallen on my ass multiple times. Not to mention I just had sinus surgery and the cold air hurts like a mo fo.

And can someone please explain to me why we are the ONLY SCHOOL open in the Portland metro area? You’d think our administrators would take that as a hint and think, “Hmm. There must be some reason why everyone is closed…what could it be?” Perhaps that it’s dangerous for your employees to drive into work? It’s so bad that chains were required on the freeways and even the damn mayor told people to stay home? That only half of your employees were even able to make it in?

No, of course not. Instead, they think “Hell no, we won’t go!” and remain open for Round 2 today.

Punks.

::::::

I watched part of the Golden Globes the other night, and was pleased to say that my favorite actor on the only TV show I watch religiously won his second little gold globe. And his acceptance speech was hilarious. Here I will attempt to put it in my post:

I love the line about “newly mown grass.”

He’s so sexy.

And what us up with Beyonce?

Clearly she does not yet understand the difference between music award shows and movie award shows. A music award show calls for slutty showgirl dresses and poses such as this, but movies tend to have a little more class. Next time, less slut, Beyonce.

And Mary-Kate...

For the love of all that is holy. She looks like a ghost. And a strong wind would take her up, up, and away. She used to be such a cute little thing. How the mighty have fallen. I mean, look at her chest! It's awful!!

Yikes.

MLK Day

2007-01-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Ugh, back to life as we know it. The students are back to classes today, so you’d think I’d be busy, but I still have nothing to do! But that gives me primo time to post an update.

Sinus recovery is still going well. I had my post-op appointment on Thursday and doc said the healing is going well and that I’m obviously doing my sinus rinse like a good girl. Then I had some blood drawn to check for allergies—he’s pretty convinced that since it was a chronic infection without polyps or tumors or some reason for the fiasco that it must be an allergy issue that has developed in the last couple of years.

Bet you 50 bucks that the lab results will say I’m allergic to mold and/or dust. Now more than ever I’m convinced that it’s the building where I work. But we shall see. I don’t want to jump to conclusions before I know for sure.

But let me tell you about the sinus rinse. I bought it a few months ago (back when I was still optimistic) to hopefully prevent sinus surgery (which obviously didn’t work), but it’s also used post-surgery to clear out the after effects.

It. Is. Disgusting.

Disgusting.

Chunks, people. Big ol clods of mucous and blood. It’s like gross red egg yolks coming out of my nose.

I’ll bet you appreciated that visual, didn’t you?

But every time it comes out, it feels oh so good.

And I bought myself a get-well present.

::::::

This weekend I headed to the coast to put some new feet on my car. She wasn’t in total dire straits for tires, but the time was coming soon and I wanted to do it now while I could afford it.

My dad is a mechanic who owns his own business, so it’s pretty handy. I get a good deal on service for my car, and I know it will be done right. Not to mention, whenever my car makes a funny sound, I just call dad and say “What does this mean?”

So I got new tires and an oil change, and then dad went hog wild and put a new drive axle on her as well as new wiper blades and a new headlight. He’s funny like that. Then the punk wouldn’t let me pay for it!

I am independent to a fault. I know this about myself—I need to learn to rely on people sometimes, but it’s hard for me. I paid my way through school (hell, I still am), and I pay all my own bills and all of that since I was 18. My parents would have helped if they could, but just weren’t financially able to. In the end, that helped me because now I’m self-reliant unlike all (and I do mean all) of my friends whose parents help them pay car payments, car insurance, student loans, rent, and even groceries. It’s a good feeling to know I am taking care of myself and I don’t need my parents to bail me out at the age of 25.

Anyway, enough of that rant. My dad paid for my $600 bill (which is much less for him, really since he got everything at cost) because he said he was never able to help me before. It was really sweet, and I only argued with him a little. He forgot to wash and wax her, though. ;)

::::::

In other news, I started classes last week, and it looks to be an interesting term. In one of my classes I have to do…wait for it…a book report.

Saywhat?

Yes, a bona fide book report that we all did in like the seventh grade. But it gets better. Not only do I have to do a book report, I have to present it in front of the class on an overhead projector. As in one of those old school transparencies also from the seventh grade. This is mandatory—I cannot do PowerPoint.

It’s so retro.

::::::

A/B. I finally saw V for Vendetta and its complete brilliance inspired me to go out and buy a copy of it for myself the very next day.

Brilliant.

Back to the daily grind

2007-01-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

I'm still here, still great! Blogging should be back to normal next week!

MUAH!

Welcome to a new year

2007-01-06T20:18:00.001-08:00

I finally got the call late Thursday night that I was to report to the hospital at 7am. I was very happy about this because they originally estimated my time to be 10am and I would have been starving by then since I couldn’t eat or drink after midnight on Thursday.

So mom and I head to the hospital, and I check in just before 7. I was only in the waiting room for about 5 minutes before they called my name, so mom and I headed to the back. They put us in the prep room, where I changed into a gown and relaxed on the gurney. I don’t know why, but I wasn’t nervous at all. They took my vitals and then made an attempt to put my IV in. Unfortunately, since you can’t drink after midnight the night before, I was dehydrated. She pricked my hand several times before giving up and moving to my wrist. They don’t usually like to put IV’s in your wrist, but it seems to work fine for me.

They start with a lovely cocktail of fluids and a sedative to “relax you.” Within five minutes, I was HIGH AS A KITE, people. Couldn’t stop laughing, which of course made the nurses laugh. This is the glory of never taking drugs in your life. When you have surgery, it makes it that much more fun!

They rolled my high as a kite self back into the OR and I said bye to my mom, who looked far more nervous than I did!

We rolled into the OR and they asked me to scoot off my gurney onto the operating table (which is really a bed—why do they call it a table?). This was quite humorous considering I was totally high and my gown kept getting caught under myself. Then the nurses put the sticky heart monitors on my chest, adjusted me, and put the Oxygen mask on me. She asked me to take a couple of breaths.

Next thing I know, they’re waking me up and my mom tells me all went well.

Totally. Bizarre.

The only other time I’ve ever been under anesthesia was when I was like, four, so I didn’t really know how weird it was for a few hours of your life to totally disappear. It was a really weird feeling coming out from under anesthesia. I kept trying to make myself wake up, but my body just wouldn’t let me. Within 15 minutes or so I was pretty alert and they gave me some apple juice and crackers which almost immediately made me nauseous.

They gave me some anti-nausea stuff in my IV and then I felt fine. I had a headache (big surprise there) so they gave me some pain killers, too. My doctor came over to say hi and said I was looking “quite bright-eyed.”

The nurses in the recovery room came by once in a while to see how I was doing, and once I was a little less high, I got changed back into my clothes, which was interesting because I couldn’t really use my right hand very well because of the IV in my wrist—it would poke me when I bent it, so my mom had to help me, which gave us both the giggles.

Once I was dressed, they checked on me one more time and then put me in a wheel chair, and then took out my IV. Other than a big mustache-looking bandage on my nose, I was looking fairly human.

The ride home was fine, and my mom made me some soup for lunch, which made me a little nauseous, but it wasn’t too bad. Then we popped in a movie and I promptly fell asleep. I got up to go to the bathroom, which made my nose start bleeding, so my mom made me get back on the couch (after I did my business, anyway). She was being pretty funny. Every time I moved to reach for some Kleenex or get a drink she was like, “What do you need?!? Don’t get up!!” Her paranoia wasn’t totally unnecessary because every time I got up I would spring a leak. It’s totally normal for it to bleed, of course, but she didn’t like that too much.

Around six, my best friend came over to babysit me so my mom could head home to the coast. We watched some Sex and the City while I faded in and out of sleep. I only took Vicodin a couple of times last night, and haven’t taken any since, which is pretty amazing considering the surgery I had. Only a little swelling, and only slight bruising under my eyes. The worst really is the big-ass bruises where they tried to get my IV in!

All in all, it’s been a total breeze. Now I basically just feel like I have a bad cold. I’m stuffed up, which is normal after the surgery, and my throat hurts from the breathing tube, but nothing a little Chloreseptic spray can’t help. Honestly, I’ve been waiting for the ball to drop because I just can’t imagine this going so well! But maybe it’s because it’s finally my year!

I’m happy to be able to report such a boring story! All hail 2007!!

Rock N Roll

2007-01-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah!

I survived, and I am recovering well! No spinal fluid leaks, no blindness!

I will update with details later today or tomorrow, I promise! I'm pretty tired, but doing great. I haven't had to take any pain meds since yesterday, and haven't had any bleeding since yesterday, either (knock on wood).

Right now I just have a sore throat from the breathing tube, and I'm stuffed up like I have a bad cold. All in all, I'd say that's not bad!!

OK, I'm off to take a nap. Love you all, and thanks for the well wishes, they definitely helped!!!

MUAH!

It's all downhill from here---

2007-01-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

Alright, tomorrow's the day. I will try to update this weekend with all the gory details!

But tomorrow, think of me, having this shoved up my nose:

But to end on a happy note, let's pop the champagne and congratulate Cristina on her engagement!

Kim Family Auction

2007-01-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

I think most of the nation was riveted by the Kim family's ordeal this winter.

We were all disappointed and moved to hear that James Kim died while trying to save his family, never knowing that his wife and children were saved.

An auction is being held through January 7th on EBay for the Kim family. You can see the auction's items as well as links to Ebay at the following website:

Kim Family Auction

They are mostly arts and crafts made by artists nation-wide (many of them from the Pacific Northwest). Some of the items are pretty spendy, but I thought I'd pass it along in case you or someone you know would like to bid.

Pass it on!

Still here

2007-01-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

I’m having surgery on Friday. This recent realization has me slightly freaked out.

But it is the new year! And although the ridiculous things that happened to me over the year (blog hijacking, root canal, sinus fiasco, stolen stereo, random parking ticket, rat in my toilet, crazy bridezilla) offer good blogging material, I’d like to have a less eventful 2007. Sound good to you?

I ended up ringing in the new year in Seattle. My friends and I decided to get out of town so we stayed in Bellevue and drove downtown to the party at the Space Needle. It was fun and all, but not the “crazy fun party” the Seattle-ites insisted it would be. The fireworks shot from the needle were fantastic, though.

Then we tried to get out of Seattle, and inexplicably found ourselves on Queen Anne Hill. We kept going and went up and over the hill, only to come full circle back at the goddamn Space Needle. We found our way to I-5 soon, however, and headed back to the hotel.

So in honor of this new, beautiful year, I offer this New Year Survey, and suggest you fill it out for yourself! It’s a thinker.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?
Took graduate school classes.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I normally don’t make resolutions—they’re kind of silly. I mean, if you want to change something in your life, why wait until January 1st? Do it now!
I do, however, hope to up my exercise soon. I haven’t had a good work-out in months. I blame it on the ridiculous congestion that prevents me from breathing and makes me feel like I’m going to pass out because I’m not getting enough oxygen. But theoretically, 2 weeks after the surgery, I should be able to get it going again.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope, not in ’06.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Well, it might seem strange that I never mentioned this before, but my aunt died several weeks ago. I started to blog about it, but didn’t finish because I couldn’t really decide what to say. I hadn’t seen her in about a decade—she was a drug addict and estranged herself from the family. My mom went to visit her finally, and brought back pictures. At 45, she looked like my grandmother right before she died. My aunt was addicted to meth and heroin (as far as we know), and by the time she got clean, it was too late. She had Hep C & permanent brain damage and was living on disability. She got pneumonia and died.
5. What countries did you visit?
I didn’t go anywhere this year, really. I went to Washington, and that’s sort of close to Canada, right?
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Better health, please.
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
None in particular, really. September 25th was good because I started school.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Being accepted into and starting graduate school. And kicking ass while working full time and being full of snot.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I wasn’t able to convince my best friend that her impending marriage was a mistake. I hope I’m wrong and that they’ll live happily ever after, but I doubt it.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Hahahahhaaa. That’s funny.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Hmmmm…I didn’t buy anything really big…so I’ll have to say my new computer. And the following shoes:

Upon which I now feel the need to have these shoes:

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I’d have to say the American voter. Looks like they are starting to figure some things out!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
There’s the usual—the president and his blind followers who still fail to see the huge mistake that is Iraq. 3,000 of our own soldiers dead. How many more will we have to see?
14. Where did most of your money go?
Well, now that I’m an “adult,” the correct answer is rent, bills, car insurance, groceries and the like. But some went to school, a new computer, and you guessed it—shoes!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The election. I was jumping up and down. I don’t think I got anything done that day at work.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – Rolling Stones
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? About the same, really. Maybe a little happier, regardless of 2006’s fiascos. b) thinner or fatter? I’m pleading the fifth on that one. c) richer or poorer? About the same. My raise in June didn’t do jack.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I had seen more movies. But they’re so damn expensive that I probably won’t change that this year.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Getting frustrated and worked up over things I cannot control. I never thought I was a control-freak, but I think I may have to admit that I am. I don’t like things that I cannot change.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas was great. Just fantastic.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
Nope.
22. How many one-night stands?
Oh for crying out loud. This survey was doing so well. The correct answer is zero.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
House. I miss it. I have to wait until next week to see it again.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Uh, no.
25. What was the best book you read?
Ooh, tough call… I’m going to have to go with The Kite Runner. If you haven’t read it, go do it. Run, don’t walk. I also recommend The Time Traveller’s Wife and The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. I do not recommend Running with Scissors. I was horrified.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmmm…Snow Patrol, KT Tunstall, Hinder, Damien Rice.
27. What did you want and get?
Accepted into grad school.
28. What did you want and not get?
World peace.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Little Miss Sunshine, hands down.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
A few things—good friends, good food, good times. I hit the big 2-5.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I would have loved it if my sinuses had cleared up after the first round of antibiotics. Ah, what a lovely thought.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
The usual. I like fashion, but I’m too ~~broke~~ sensible to buy extravagant things. I do have a shoe-shopping problem, though.
33. What kept you sane?
My friends. My family. This blog.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy? Is this a British survey? Well, I fancy several famous people: Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Ty Pennington, Hugh Laurie, Barack Obama, and Taylor Hicks to name a few.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Yeah. Like I could narrow it down to one. But for the sake of this survey, I will say a pointless, violent, tragic war that is unnecessary and severely detrimental to the entirety of the world. Troy will fall again. Mark my words.
36. Who did you miss?
My friends that live far away (yes, even Bridezilla).
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I met a lot of people in 06—but the new people I like most are the friends I made in school.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
Keep your toilet lid closed at all times.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
nothing unusual

nothing strange

close to nothing at all

the same old scenario

the same old rain

and there's no explosions here

“Amie” – Damien Rice

::::::

If I don’t get a chance to update in the next couple of days, I promise I will keep you posted on my surgery this weekend.

Merry Christmas, Darling

2006-12-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

To you and yours, and all who celebrate it, Merry Christmas. For anyone else out there, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Boxing Day, Happy End-of-December.

All will be merry and bright—

I post this each year (which I would link to if Mr. Hijacker didn’t interfere), but it’s my favorite thing ever written in this silly little world. Here I post my favorite parts of the famous editorial.

September 21, 1897:

Dear Editor: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in the sun it's so.'
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
--Virginia O'Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside. But there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, and romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives, and lives forever.

A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

-- Francis Church

Fiddlesticks

2006-12-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

I had a really horrible dream last night. I dreamt that it was the day of my surgery, and I kept accidentally eating stuff, like a piece of toast or a sucker, and then freaking out because I’m not supposed to eat anything after midnight the night before the surgery.

So that was annoying in itself, but then I go in to have the surgery, and the receptionist is like, “Yeah, sorry—we’re not going to be able to do that today. You’ll have to reschedule for sometime in April.”

Needless to say, I was PO’d and started shouting obscenities. I guess I’m a total potty mouth in my dreams. So I ask the lady why we can’t do it and she’s like, “I don’t know, your doctor just didn’t want to.”

So I go hunting around the hospital and find him in a room making balloon animals for a bunch of kids. So I ask him what the deal is, and A) Why we’re not doing the surgery, and B) Why he didn’t call and tell me yesterday. And he says he just didn’t feel like it, so I go off again and say I’m going to find a new doctor. Then he says I can’t, or I’ll have to pay for it all myself.

OK, it may not sound like much, but it was really annoying. I mean, I’m not exactly looking forward to the surgery, but I’m so sick of snot, sinus headaches, coughing, and swollen eyelids in the morning (goddamn ethmoid sinuses) that I am ready to do ANYTHING to make it all go away.

Hrmph.

::::::

In other news, I’m still really really bored at work. So what does Jennifer do when she’s bored? She plays with Microsoft Paint!

I should do this for a living.

::::::

In other other news, I’m looking forward to Christmas—it’s my favorite time of year. I’ve had my radio tuned to the Christmas station since the day after Thanksgiving. I just love it because it’s a time when I get to spend time with my family (which sounds corny, but it’s true). I don’t get to see my grandpa, aunt & uncle, or cousins very often, so it’s always fun to get together on Christmas Eve to have general merriment! :) Not to mention I love watching my little brother and sister on Christmas morning—so much fun!

::::::

I am painfully bored here at work, so here’s a painfully boring survey that I filled out. If you are equally bored, please fill it out for yourself…it will give me something to read!!

1. Hi my name is...Jennifer

2. Never in my life have I...Done drugs

3. The one person who can drive me nuts...One person? Um, there's several.

4. Favorite Teacher?Of all time? That's tough... Byron Steiger (aka Mr. Burns)

5. When I'm nervous...I bite my nails

6. The last time I cried was...Yesterday I laughed so hard that I cried!

7. If I were to get married right now my maid of honor/best man...Crappety crap. Can't they just all be my MOH?

8. My hair is...Getting long!

9. When I was 5...My grandma died

10. Last Christmas...I didn't put any presents on a credit card.

11. I should be...Working...but I have nothing to do.

12. When I look down I see...My keyboard...exciting stuff going on over here.

13. The craziest recent event was...Inexplicably finding a dead rat in my toilet.

14. If I were a character on 'Friends' I'd be...Monica

15. By this time next year...I will be able to breathe freely!

16. My current gripe...That I might be stuck with a famously psychotic professor next term.

17. I have a hard time understanding...Why Oregonians can't drive in the rain. I mean, we're Oregonians! Helllooooo!!

18. There's this girl I know who...Is going to be a fantastic teacher.

19. You know what the weather is going to be by... Remembering where I live. RAIN!

20. If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be...Probably my dad.

21. Take my advice...Don't go out walking when zombies are on the loose.

22. My ideal breakfast...French toast...alas I rarely have it.

23. If you visited the place I was born...You would be unimpressed.

24. I plan to visit someone...In Alaska in June!!

25. If you spent the night at my house....I'd have a fabulous air bed for you.

26. I'd stop my wedding if...My fiance cheated.

27. The world could do without...Unnecessary war.

28. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than...Hold a spider.

29. Most recent thing that I have bought?I can't tell you, it's a Christmas present.

30. Most recent thing someone else bought for me...My friend got me a coffee mug in St. Louis.

31. My favorite blonde is...My little bro and sis.

32. My favorite brunette is...Me. I'm fantastic.

33. My favorite bald guy is...Um...Mr. Clean.

34. My middle name is...Lynn

35. This morning I...Begrudgingly woke up.

36. The animals I would like to see flying besides birds are...Giraffes. I mean, wouldn't that be funny?

37. Once, at a bar...I dealt with friends' bizarre escapades. Oh wait, that's more than once.

38. Last night I was...Watching "Bones." Booth is hot.

39. There's this girl I know that....Is getting married in July!

40: I don't know...The square root of 784,525,455.568

41. A better name for me would be...Jennifer, Princess of North Portland

42. If I ever go back to school I'll say..I'm in school.

43. my birthday is....October 19th

44. What I really want for Valentine's Day is…Flowers. I haven’t gotten flowers in a long time.
45. I'm wearing...My comfy purple sweater

46. Tomorrow I am...Going to my best friend’s for our annual dinner/gift exchange!

47. The last thing I ate was...A Clementine orange

48. I really want to learn...Everything.

Was Marie out of line?
	No, that punk ass totally deserves it.
	No, she should have done something worse to him, though.
	It's funny, but immature.
	Yes, she was way out of line.
	I don't know.
	Who cares?

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