Body piercings saved my life

I just had to blog this before I forgot. This morning I was behind a car that had a window sticker that said (obviously) "Body piercings saved my life." I thought, "Oh, neat," and I'm sitting there trying to figure out - what is that picture of, anyway? Then I saw the bloody wrist and I'm all, "Holy shit, they're suicidal!"

And then I see the nail in the wrist and realize it's a Jesus thing. God am I an idiot.

My blasphemous tendencies aside, I thought this sticker was pretty neat - way more clever than, I dunno, "Seven days without prayer make one weak." Any time you can get goriness and religion in one bumper sticker, that's just plain cool.

My boss is supposedly supposed to be here all day today - which may unfortunately mean that I will be too. I left yesterday around noon when he still hadn't shown up. And if you thought my blog ended suddenly yesterday, it's because I thought I heard him come in and go into his office. My guilty conscience likes to mess with my head.

Last night... class... I'm so tired (seriously) that I can't remember much. I spent a few minutes with LS beforehand and went into the scary-lab (all labs scare me, except for the math lab which is just boring). Class itself was okay, but if we have to read, hear, or do ONE MORE assignment regarding James Joyce's "Eveline", I'm going to lose it. Regardless of I haven't read him before, JJ is not so great, and Eveline is a stupid bitch for staying home with her drunk dad and whiny siblings instead of heading to Buenos Aires with her sexy sailor boyfriend. The end.

We turned in a couple of our writing assignments online and I checked the points last night. 20 out of 20 on one, that's cool. On the other - 8.5 out of 10? I realize this is like a B, but I didn't think it was that bad. I don't know - I guess I'm still just comparing my new teacher to SA, who was very sweet and supportive of everything we did, even if it was crap. I don't think that was necessarily wrong... it's creative writing, not math, there is not just one answer. Eh, maybe the challenge will be good for me.

God, waking up this morning was not cool. I got in bed around 10:30 last night, tossed and turned for almost an hour, and woke up at like 5:00 and was half-awake until my alarm went off. I need the sleep cure.

If only for today I am unafraid

I have that one really annoying Producers song stuck in my head. You know, "What's he got that I ain't got / he's got you, that's what he's got." It's kind of driving me up the wall. Out, out! I've always wondered if there's some sort of psychological meaning behind which song gets stuck in your head at a certain time. What's that about anyway.

Ha, yesterday I wasted way too much time on OK Cupid. I'm sure all of you will be glad to know that:

- I would not have been a Nazi;
- I would probably survive a zombie attack;
- My true color is... green, I think, which means I dislike incompetence and injustice, and something else that sucks.

I woke up fifteen minutes before my alarm was to go off this morning and I thought, "Damn, now I'll sit here like a dumbass for the rest of the time." Somehow I fell back asleep and started to dream - something about going to a discount grocery store with some girl, and I thought it might be closed because there were these huge ugly curtains around and I couldn't see inside. The alarm went off right as we were going up to look in the windows and I got totally discombobulated (sp?) by it all.

I've got class again tonight. Whoo hoo. I still have to write one more journal entry though... at least I did my short pieces last night, in a surprisingly short amount of time. I started around... 6:30, I think, and finished up just before nine*. One of the pieces I actually had written before but started over for the exercise to make it shorter. I tend to run on, as you know.

*Actually it was even shorter, because after I finished up - and I'm fairly sure this was around 8:00 - I went through and read my original version of the one rewritten piece, and read other old stuff.

Do you ever have days where you just feel really cute? Right now my hair is not being a fright and I'm wearing my new fake-layer shirt... and, for some reason, just feel cute. I may not necessarily be cute, but feeling it is better than not. God am I a dork. (No, sorry, I'm a nerd, according to OK Cupid. I was actually thinking I'd turn out geek but there ya go.)

I have no idea where this weekend went. Saturday I actually did quite a bit of work for my "Epitafios" site... the only things I really have left are character profiles (I guess I am a nerd, after all) and episode guides. Which are not going to be easy, because it's been super weeks since I've since most of them. Even more recent ones, I'm having trouble remembering what happened when. All I know is, it's all been great. Yes, everyone, this is my most newest obsession. Go watch it now!**

**If you're reading this on Wednesday night, 9:00. HBO Signature. Just be there.

Yawn! I could fall back asleep right now... except for the whole being at work thing. I don't get people who can fall asleep anywhere, like school... too weird.

Oh, yeah, and I did a bunch (okay, two-and-a-half hours worth) of work on an insurance project on Saturday. There's are only a few things I just can't get the prices of (my bosses laptop computer, the cubicles) so I can take care of that when he's in today). I didn't really mind doing this at home, partly because I had a yum junk food lunch, and partly because I could watch the "In Living Color" marathon on BET while working. I loved "Men on Books" reading "Little Women": "Hated it!" I was rolling for days. And the skit with the girl pretending to be Tracey Chapman, "I write a fast song" while observing a domestic dispute outside her bedroom window. That show still rules.

Oh god, I saw a commercial last night for some reality show with Lisa Loeb trying to find a husband. Gag. Retch. Barf. With that one move she totally lost all the coolness she might have once had. Bitchin granny glasses won't save you now, sister. But I have to laugh when I think of her now anyway, because of the hilarious way Colton and Aboud (Modern Humorist) twisted the song "Stay" on "I Love the 90's." That still doesn't beat their homoerotic dancing to Mick Jagger's and David Bowie's "Dancing in the Street", though. Whoo hoo.

What I am is what I am, are you what or are or what

Man, did I have some wild dreams last night. Something about going to the gynecologist, something about being in a fight, something about shaving my legs and then cleaning my bedroom. Whew. I'm not sure how these things go together... nor do I really want to know.

I had a long Friday yesterday, but at least my time at the office is nearly over. I do have one big insurance-related project I brought home to work on this weekend. Boo. It's basically looking up how much it would cost to replace whatever... it's a fairly long list but I think I should be able to do most of it. And what I can't, J can do on Monday. You're darn tootin'.

Since I have class Monday night, I should probably also do my homework. Eep.

So, now I will leave you with promises of more stuff to the site in days to come (lyrics, images/galleries, lists, blah blah), but until then I'll leave you with a very amusant survey. You remember that whole thing everyone did on Google typing in, "[Their name] is" and then posting the results on their blogs? I got an idea to do something a little bit different: "Yvonne isn't." I like the results for these even better than my original survey.

Yvonne isn't:

- weak; she's strong, very strong
- around to keep an eye on him
- credible
- satisfied writing puff pieces
- laughing
- even breathing hard
- going to lose vision
- ready to leave
- getting what she wants out of her marriage
- yet another victim
- the sort of person to let things get her down
- one to show her true colors to the world
- going to let u get away with this one!

I wanna holler but the town's too small

Right now I have a bunch of kickass songs stuck in my head, thanks to the kickass mix CD I listened to on the drive to work this morning. I should really start posting those playlists in the lists section.

Another thing I want to add to the site: An "Epitafios" section. I haven't found any fan sites so far. In fact, most of the sites (other than US newspapers kissing its ass, as they should, it's bloody brilliant) are in Spanish, which quite frankly leaves me confused.

It looks as if I may actually have the time to make the site better, as I promised I would. Yesterday my boss said he's starting traveling next week (work or rest, I don't know) and he's going to try to wrap up everything with me before then. He may have more projects later on but not right now (though the A.R.D. has a couple, luckily nothing painful). Damn, I was just getting used to steady income again too. Well, I'll find something else. And I'll have my tax refund, but I'd only use that for regular stuff in case of emergency, I really do want to take a vacation this year. I was going to take tomorrow off to go shopping with my mom, but it turns out next week is better for her too so yay that.

Speaking of my boss, he's locked up in his office right now writing a column. If he ain't done by noon, I'll have to interrupt him to ask if he has time to go over the inventory/insurance project he has me doing. This is one of the boring and painful ones.

So I finally got all the tax stuff the accountants office wanted, but one of the girls who worked there called me twice today asking for business' addresses. You can't tell me you don't have a local phone book there, and you sure as hell can't tell me you don't have Internet access, what with all the irritating e-mails you've sent. It took me five seconds to look up each address.

I also have a million papers to shred. They should invent a vaporizer (sp?) dealy where you put in all the papers, and they implode, or explode, whatever. Spontaneous combustion and all that.

My parents bought some more fish to put in the new big tank with Pinky. There's one that's her almost-twin but he's very white. The other two are small and silver. I'm proud of Pinky for pushing them around, hee. Pepe is still trying to eat them.

I hope I get to leave early today. I need various necessities, and of course I left the list at home but I think I can remember it all. And I'm still obsessed with getting my hands on that new Tutti Dolci lip gloss.

A down payment on another one at Salems lot

I don't know what was up with Brad Renfro's hair on L&O:CI on Sunday night... it scared me. In fact, he, in general, freaked me out. And of course I drifted off and missed the end of the show. So I don't really know if he and his cousin killed those prostitutes, but I bet they did.

Annabella Sciorra scared me almost as much as BR. There's something about her that is just freaky. In my watching of "The Sopranos" reruns, she just shows up... and I just know she's bad news. The only reason she didn't terrify in "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" was because of the even-psycho-er Rebecca deMornay.

Yesterday... Monday... what did I do? Went to work, felt really "ugh", came home. Made a couple of mix CD's and went to school, which was pretty groovy. The parking lot was so packed that I thought I was going to have to parallel park (eep) on the back road. When it soon became apparent that it was an impossible feat, I went back into the lot and managed to yoink a space pretty close the building. I'm awesome.

Class itself was pretty groovy. We read through this Woody Allen short story that was hella funny. Did a small writing exercise that I'd post except I was not pleased with mine very much. It felt weird to be writing, which is not good, so I guess it is good that I am taking this class again.

I guess LS had called me at home, and then on my cell while I was at school. I owe her, and JH, and EC a call. Way for me to be out of touch with everyone.

Today, went to work... spent 20 minutes on hold for Blue Cross only to find out that I'm not authorized to get a quote for someone who is not an employee yet. Who didn't see that coming? Got to leave fairly early again, and went to Fashion Bug. They had some pretty cute stuff, and I got three tops. A nice gray one that is the layered-looking kind, an "Ireland" t-shirt with sparklies, and a blue one that says "I (Heart) Rock & Roll." Also sparkly. They had a lot of Irish-y t-shirts that were cute, but I didn't want to overdo it. I almost got "Everybody loves an Irish girl" (I'm enough to count right?) They also had "Everybody loves an Italian Girl" that was cute, but they didn't have one in my size. Not to mention I didn't want to spend every blessed dollar in my checking account.

Oh, and I filed my tax return today. There is a bonus in only having one W-2 for an entire year, and filing online: it takes like half an hour to get everything done.

I've been having to clear my throat all afternoon. No sickness! Stay away!

I know I had the 4-day weekend recently, and the week of Christmas off, but I already feel like I need a vacation again. Only, being at home with your parents and brother and sister and dogs doesn't feel like a vacation. This year I must get some time actually away from home.

My mom was nice and did the dishes for me last night (my usual day), so I'll do them tonight since she has to pick up my brother from school at ten. Unless someone gets in the kitchen and cooks something huge and gross (unlikely). I've been too out of the habit of cooking/baking lately (I've been a real downer these past few weeks, haven't I), I should start that again.

I did join a book club recently, called Crafter's Choice and I'm eagerly awaiting my first selections. You know, the ones you get for like a dollar each plus shipping, and then you buy however-many books at regular price in the next year. I got a book called (approximately) "Great Paper Crafts", "Canning and Preserving for Dummies", and... oh, "Really Jazzy Jars." The book has lists of ingredients to layer in jars to give as gifts... to make cookies and soups and the like, and cute ways to decorate jars. Jeez, you guys know I don't decorate enough jars!

Cruel to be kind means that I love you

Okay, we all know I'm generally against (or just too lazy about) posting twice in one day, but I had to make a note about this. Brad Renfro is going to be on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" tonight. Brad Renfro!





According to the episode description, he gets questioned by Logan (Christ Noth) and Barek (Annabella Sciorra) about the deaths of various prostitutes. I don't know but I'd rather he got "questioned" by Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio). You can take any meaning you like from those quotation marks.

Anyway; obviously this was all filmed before Brad's latest adventure in getting busted before trying to buy heroin. Note to him: Brad! Lay off the heroin, dude, because you had finally turned from skinny-kid to hot-guy. And heroin is very bad for the hot-guy look.

Lasagna for dinner, Brad Renfro on TV, and a pina colada which I will have if it involves injury to a third party; Sundays just do not get any better than this.

No thoughts to move my head until she comes again

I still haven't had my pina colada. That situation must be rectified immediately... well, maybe not immediately, it's only 10:30 in the morning.

I had some interesting PMS yesterday. For a couple of perilous hours I was in the "Must-buy-everything-ever" mode. I pored over eBay for straight days but managed to not buy anything. Then I suddenly decided that I had to bake things, and take them to everyone I know. I was literally making lists of what ingredients I needed, what I would take to who, etc... luckily this passed before I put any real effort into it.

For dinner last night, my grandparents took all of us out to this new Chinese restaurant in Discovery Bay... which is so new that it is in fact not finished. So we went to where they are currently, also in DB. There was yum sweet and sour chicken and lots of extra sauce I drowned my rice in, mmm. The duck was good but I've always found it hard to eat in public because of the way they cut it up, and all the little boney-bones (right now I'm in baby-talk stage, don't mind me). I still miss the duck from the Chinese place in the mall...

The last two fish tanks we had ended up leaking so my dad got this huge new one for Pinky. It's on this shelf between the living room and formal dining room, which is used as like an office. Pepé finally notices Pinky and keeps poking his mouth at the tank to bite at her... hee hee.

My boss sent me two e-mails sometime last night about work stuff... yeah, not going to do anything with those until TOMORROW. Workaholics annoy me, mostly because they make me look (more) lazy.

As part of my Watch More Movies resolution, I watched "Kinsey" on Friday night. I liked it very much, but I think I would prefer something more documentary-ish about the actual data as opposed to Dr. Kinsey's and friends personal lives. Though if the movie is accurate there wouldn't have been any study if not for his and his wife's issues. Once again, Laura Linney astounds me with her semi-bad-but-must-watchness. Peter Sarsgaard was cute, and nakey. If that's not reason enough for you...

So, my class starts tomorrow. I'm usually vaguely nervous around this time, but right now I'm feeling too stressed to even be excited.

I had this long dream before I woke up that I was going to write down, but I didn't and now I've forgotten almost all of it. All I do remember is being in a mental hospital, doing research or a news story or something like that, and it was evening and time to close up. They had these huge steel doors with motion sensors and I barely made it out before it closed for good (there was a robot on the intercom counting down, and I jumped through the door at the three-second mark). I was alone and had to figure out how to get to the office so I could leave the hospital. It had happened to me before and I knew if I went through the motion sensor on the (stopped) escalator an alarm would go off, so I just went up the stairs. I was hoping it wouldn't take them more than a couple of hours to figure out I didn't belong there as a patient.

Also, there was something about me being at work and hurrying to get home because EC was here on a visit. She'd been here a few days but we hadn't hung out much because I'd had to work, and I decided "Fuck it, I'm going to take the rest of the time she's here off." I was hoping that she'd be at my house when I got there so we could go to dinner, and I thought about calling on my cell but decided to just go home. I also wanted to call LS and JH about going to either a late dinner (it was already six as I was driving home) or brunch the next day so they could see her before she went back home.

With dreams like these, is it any wonder I never seem to be rested?

Your leaving has made me strong

I was just reading the Brentwood Press, and this one columnist was talking about when her family moving when she was a child, and the bathroom was decorated kinda funky (something about black and butterflies?). She loved it, but her mother insisted on changing it because "it looked like a bordello."

1: I don't think that really happened. I think she stole the entire thing from "Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself" by Judy Blume.

2: How did her mom know what a bordello's bathroom looked like? Heh, heh...

I will get around to doing an entry about the fantastic Ms. Blume (she's one of the badass brunettes), but right now it's Friday and I'm way too frazzled.

God, I thought today would never end, even though it wasn't half as irritating as yesterday. I was at work yesterday until 3 PM, which I know didn't sound like much, but I hadn't eaten since like 7 in the morning. My own fault, but I'll still bitch and moan about this like it's J's fault. Picture one annoying chore after another and there you go.

Also on my shit list are all the bitchy women at our accountants office, who keep pestering me for the tax info they need for 293084390432 people. It's not as if I have it all and am hoarding it; if people don't answer their phone and don't call me back, that's not my fault.

I was pretty busy today, but did manage to do some web research and found out that the guy who's the killer on "Epitafios" is also a musician, with CD's out and all. I'd buy one, but... he scares me. He could play Gandhi* and still terrify me.

*If Gandhi was Argentinian.

I was on the (brace yourself for a total shock) Bath and Body Works site yesterday and saw they had a new Tutti Dolci lip gloss... Fantasia di Cioccolata, or something. I went today to buy it but it wasn't in... bummer. But! They were having a sale on the older ones and I scooped up Chocolate Fondue, Cinnamon Frosting, and the ever-elusive Angel Food Cake for $2.50 each. Somewhere up there (at B&BW headquarters, that is) loves me.

I'm off, to gloat over lip glosses, watch "Judge Judy" and maybe have a pina colada after (or in place of) dinner.

Try to keep it together, you try your best to forget her

Because it is possible that my boss might walk in at any moment (what's up with bosses coming to the office anyway, they should really stop that) I am typing this in NOtepad and then I'll paste it in.

During my long weekend, what I did was mostly watch TV... wait, that's everyday. But anyway, what I caught:

- Most of an episode of the original, British "Touching Evil." I'd like to see more of it, I guess, but I still prefer Jeffrey Donovan. And Vera Farmiga.

- More of "The Sopranos." I wish my mob boyfriend would buy me a nightclub.

- The "Wifeswap" marathon on ABC Family. Man, I hate that I'm into this show. The thing I like best about it is ridiculing both families... because there's always one too strict, one too lenient. One too loud, one too boring, etc. Can't these people find a middle ground? I guess no one would watch if they did.

- "Red Eye", which my mom rented from the video store... I surpisingly liked this movie a lot. Cillian Murphy gives me nightmares.

I decided to have one resolution in 2006, after all: Watch more movies. I used to be all about movies and not-much on TV. Now I'm pretty much the opposite. I resolve to now see at least one movie in the theaters each month, and at least two that I haven't seen at home.

Last TV bit for the entry: Epitafios. All I can say is OH. MY. GOD. These Argentinians know how to do a thriller. After what happened last week, I thought, "No way can he (the killer) top that." And last night, he did. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

My boss is now here, but on a conference call... that's the only time I can be sure he won't suddenly pop in. The first thing he did when he came in a few minutes ago was to ask me if I would move his car to the auto shop "next door" (it's actually down the street, he refers to everything as next door). Okay, he drives a brand new BMW... I drive a teenaged, dented, different-colored-drivers-door Jeep. He should probably not trust me... but yeah, I didn't feel good about that, so I didn't do it.

In fact, I'm not feeling good about this job (again) in general. A couple of days ago, he was itchy (ugh) and wanted me to call his dermatologist to make an appointment. I was near leaving-time and asked if he wanted me to call before I left. "Nah, we'll wait till tomorrow." Tomorrow was yesterday, and I left before he got back from the dentist, so I don't know if he made it or not. My thoughts... call your own damn doctor, dammit.

Oh yeah, another resolution: Be more girly. I have approximately a million beauty products such as lotions and perfumes and nail polishes that I don't use nearly enough... so now I must*. Today I'm wearing Coty's Wild Musk, and my nails are painted. The bottle says "Pastel Pink" but it's really light and iridescent (sp?). I used to do my nails religiously every week, but the last few years it's been hit-or-miss... mostly miss.

*I need to wear all of my jewelry more often too. At least I gave a bunch away when I went to the Goodwill this last time.

Today I read an annoying letter in "Dear Abby" from some guy who was scolding her about her response to some other guy, who complained his girlfriend never picked him up at the airport or something. The guy who wrote today said men shouldn't encourage or permit women to do such travelling alone at night because of carjackers, rapists etc. Excuse me - permit? Sorry, asshole, the days of treating women like children or property is over. You're not too much lower on the scum scale than those others you're worried about.

Yesterday I came in to work late, but first I dropped by (or tried to), Fashion Bug... but they weren't open until ten. Most people need to be at work by nine or earlier; so should you. Eh, maybe it's a good thing... because next week my mom and I will hopefully go check out all these neat stores in downtown Antioch. I didn't buy hardly anything last time because I wasn't working, but now I am.

The weather yesterday was wacky. Rain, then sun, rain, sun, and so on. I wasn't sure how long I'd be at work so I actually went out to grab lunch. I would have gotten something good, but it was raining and I didn't want to leave my car, so I went through the drive-thru at McDonalds. I got a cheeseburger and the large fries... which are apparently too large to put in a bag with anything else. They were nice and salty though.

Hopefully I'm not here too long today, either. I was ready for this week to be over, like, as soon as it started.

And why has no one hit up the tagboard? Actually, I'm not surprised... it is kind of sketchy-looking... and it ate a couple of test posts I made. Maybe you guys are saying really awesome, sweet things and I don't realize it. Or maybe my last few posts have been as shallow and un-commentable as I suspected. Note to self: blog better entries.

Dr. King is my favorite

photo source


"This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi - from every mountainside.

Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring - when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children - black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics - will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Read/hear the entire speech at History and Politics Out Loud, and learn more about Dr. King on Wikipedia.

I've written pages upon pages trying to rid you from my bones

It's raining... boo, just as we had the sun out yesterday and all.

I went to Mervyn's yesterday and got two shirts... they're both peasant-y style, one green and one red-pinkish. They're pretty cute. Now that I've got them, all I need is the right weather to wear them in. They didn't have many clothes I was interested in. There were these kinda neat quilted jackets, but the pink one was way too much. I wish they'd had black. (The only other colors were a lime green, and a few patterned ones.)

As much as it injured me to do so, I didn't let myself buy a purse. And they had so many great ones! Polka dots... and they had some super-cute Dickies messenger bags. And get this weird bit of news: I went by Target and didn't get anything. Gasp! But I went back to Raley's (I'd gone the day before, Thursday) to get some more of this "Romance FiXations" stuff by Upper Canada Soap. I'd bought some hand cream on Thursday... it's jasmine and neroli scented and oh my god, I have never smelled anything better. And so yesterday I bought the body butter. Mmm... stick me in a room with that stuff, and food, and I'll never need to come out.

There's some zucchini in the fridge that should be cooked today... I think there's enough for me to do a quiche and have some for the orzo salad. I think I actually dreamed about the salad last night, and eating the bell pepper in it. Yum.

There's way too much sweet stuff in my room right now. I still have a bunch of Christmas candy left over, cashew brittle from See's, and a pack of French Vanilla Milano cookies.

Right now I'm listening to a bunch of MP3's that I never listen to... just because I hate when I make a mix CD, then later hear a song that would've been perfect for it if I'd known how it went.

I've continued with my cleaning efforts around my room. I managed to clear out enough space in my closet to put my laundry hamper in there. This involved:

- Moving stack of games from closet floor to closet shelf, after:
- Moving (aerobic) step risers from closet shelf to under my bed.

I had to dust off my step hella bad... how embarrassing.

Earlier I used some of the cucumber facial stuff from Avon/Mark... and the smell of it is just ugh. I swear I can still smell it, but it may just be this surprisingly unpleasant lotion with cocoa butter, also from Avon. I'm not sure what this is supposed to smell like, but it's not very good. At least it was cheap. (Well, maybe the smell is why it's so cheap.)

I'm going to go type up a dream I had last night... it was at a haunted house that may have also been a school and/or hotel. Which makes sense because I started reading "The Shining" again. Eep.

Don't blame this sleeping satellite

Just a few minutes ago, I called one of the business who just would not pick up their phone yesterday... and I almost fell over when this guy actually answered, and actually knew what I was talking about. He said he was going to fax over their tax ID as well as "some other information," which is probably an unpaid bill. Sir, I've got nothing to do with that, but thank you. I hope he sends it fairly soon because I can only fake work for so long. I could leave and come back tomorrow, but I'm planning on not coming in and having a four day weekend. Whoo hoo.

Though: I am going to hate myself next week when I get the tiny paycheck from this week of... if I can stay until eleven today, fifteen hours. D'oh...

My mom and I watched "Dark Water" last night. What's with all these movies (this, "The Ring") about evil, ghostly girls who are bent out of shape because they drowned as a result of their mom's craziness or neglect? We still have to watch "Skeleton Key" (why do they keep putting Kate Hudson in movies?) and "Must Love Dogs", which you couldn't drag me to except for the fact that John Cusack is in it.

So yesh, barring J suddenly materializing in the office, I'm taking tomorrow off. No, I haven't finished the tax project, but I literally can't. I spent some time upstairs (where the business files are located) looking for contact info for several that seem to have disappeared. I was excited at finding a number for the elusive "Diablo Home Improvement", but when I called the number was disconnected. I've already sucked all the usefulness out of the phone book and the Yahoo yellow pages. Whatever I have done by the end of my day today, I'll send to the accountant with promises to provide the rest next week. Dude, it's all I can do.

One of the people I can't get in touch with: The lawyer. I called the accountant because they know him, but they say they have no number and stuff they've tried sending him always comes back. That's not good. Also on the list is E., who is either M's son or grandson... and M's wife doesn't have his number. Harsh.

No matter what I do or how much I kiss my template's ass, I can't get comments to work for anything. So this weekend when I update, I'll probably take out the comment tags that are working out of the template. Let's admit it, this was never a big comment-getting blog (which is not to say I don't appreciate the ones I did get, you guys rule). I am considering getting like a tagboard, but every site I go to seems very poorly put together.

I had a deliciously unhealthy breakfast of leftover snacks from last night: Emeril brand pineapple-flavored meatballs (so. good.) and olive oil-parmesan potato wedges (o. kay.) Despite my poor-ity, I must get some kind of groceries for this weekend. Wait, since I won't be back in tomorrow I can take and deposit my check today. Bitchin. I also have a bunch of stuff to take to the Goodwill. (Christmas guilt, remember?)

Goddamn, but I wish I'd brought something to work on... I knew I was going to be sitting here with hella nothing. Either something to update on the site for this weekend, or a writing-type dealy. It's been too long. I was scribbling and thinking over some stuff earlier this week, but I guess I can't get into it because it's too much like several stories I've worked on before (I kind of have issues).

Whoo hoo, my fax came in! Damn, I feel bad for this guy and his business... not getting paid is pretty shitty. And he was very nice and understated about it in the letter he wrote, as opposed to some of the psychos I had to deal with before.

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th! (Insert ominous theme music here.) You know, that's like the one "classic" horror movie I just flat-out refuse to watch (okay, there are more, many more). I just don't get it. Maybe you have to go to summer camp (I first typed that as "cramp"; been there, done that) to enjoy it. I was considering going to see a movie tomorrow (either "Brokeback Mountain" or "Last Holiday"), but I don't want to go to Regal, and I'm still afraid that Brenden might be having their field-mouse infestation. Yech. Just Mervyn's and then I'll force myself to go home.

We all know I should have gone awhile go, but now I really will go. I need a bathroom break, to take this fax up to MD and to continue calling people who never answer.

There's nothing here but what here's mine

How annoying... lately, the earlier I go to bed, the more tired I am in the morning.

Sunday I was a good girl and cleaned. And watched "The Sopranos." Christopher's dream of hell (or purgatory, they weren't sure) as an Irish bar made me giggle. I used to know what purgatory was but now I quite forget... crazy ol' purgatory and limbo. Way to hate on unbaptized children (that one is limbo right?)

Monday was a long day at work - long by my terms, that is. J is out until next week and it took him forever to be ready for our meeting.

Yesterday... Tuesday? Yeah, that one. I paid the cable bill (more Comcast salesguys should be cute and flirty) and went to the college bookstore to get my parking permit... and, surprisingly, books. Anything softcover shouldn't cost $60, but there ya go. Regrettably, the spending of all this money demolished my chance of taking the Italian cooking class. Sob. I'd borrow the money from my parents but they're dazed enough after paying for all my bro's stuff. Or my grandparents, but they're already always giving me money when they shouldn't. They never do really fun stuff for themselves.

Oh yeah, here's an odd story. My grandpa (my dad's dad), who is the total black sheep of the family, is in the hospital right now for I'm-not-exactly-sure-what. I'd be more concerned, but I haven't seen him in straight years and he's not a good guy. Anyway: Yesterday while we were watching "Judge Judy", my dad gets a call from my grandpa, who was insistent that my dad had just called him from the psychiatric ward of the hospital, going on about how some bikers had beat him up. (I'm not sure why he called the house if he was so sure my dad was in the hospital.) And, that the guy in the bed next to him was some biker who was out to get him. So my dad went to visit him last night and talked to the nurse, thinking my grandpa's having some kind of morphine hallucinations, but the nurse did admit that the hospital gets lots of weird prank calls. This will evidently remain a mystery.

The project I'm working on right now is making me wish I was back on website duty. I have to get addresses and tax ID's/social security numbers for all of these companies and people... I'm at least halfway done, but of course this other half is full of buttwads who never pick up the phone. I'm also not appreciating the "Oh, your company* is still in business?" or yesterday's "I've been trying to get in touch because we're owed money and no one ever answers, like they don't want to pay us (fake laugh)."

*It's not the company I work for, but an associated family-owned one... that, indeed, has had financial and legal troubles.

I got my Bath and Body Works stuff Monday... I have the feeling this will be the last stuff I order for some time**. Now I have almost all the Tutti Dolci lip glosses (the only one I can think of that I don't have is angel food cake). The pink grapefruit scrub smells divine, and the Jaqua body butters are instant orgasms. Except for the marshmallow cocoa... too cocoa-y.

**I'll probably go to Mervyn's this week, though. Me needs clothesies.

Just one heartbeat away from everything I mean to say

Awhile ago I saw some commercial that featured the unlikely pair of Raven Symone and California's First Skeleton, I mean Lady, Maria Shriver. Guh? It was about earthquakes or disaster preparedness or some such notion. I'm sure they're both extremely knowledgeable on the subject(s).

Now that I'm signed up for my class, I really want school to start... but my first one won't be until the week of the 23rd. Dude. But, I did find an Italian cooking class at a local adult school I might take. It'll be only four meetings, starting this week... yay foodie.

Thursday afternoon my mom and I went to Raley's... we got this fondue stuff we're going to make tonight. Cheese rocks. We also bought strawberries that need to be used, and I'm thinking smoothies. Having a homemade fruit smoothie/juice is just as healthy as actually eating a fruit, right?

Yesterday was a short work day. My dad got up early to take my grandpa to the doctor, and I went ahead and got up since I woke up when he was making his coffee. I got to work around 7:30, dug back into a project I thought I'd finished (I hate that) and left around 11:00. On Monday J and I are meeting to go over the stuff I have left on my to-do list, which he added to after I left by e-mailing me random lists of things his accountants office needs for taxes and such. Why do I always get the plum assignments?

Oh yeah, that reminds me; When J and I had a meeting the week before Christmas, he gave me this pen of his he wanted a refill for. It's a gold pen (not real gold, but something golden and heavy) which I guess is part of a desk gift set he loves. It's not my job to order things any more, but I just said "Okay", took the pen, and set it aside to think about it later. Yesterday SC (my replacement) tells me how J gave her the other gold pen from that set, demanding a refill immediately, and upset because he thought he'd lost the one he'd given me. I could understand a tantrum over someone losing, say, a nice watch if he gave it to them to fix*, but a pen? Oy vey, he hurts my head sometimes.

*I just thought of a watch because he got a package from Cartier the week before Christmas. I only knew it was Cartier because he had me open it. He has this thing about opening packages; that is to say, he will never open them. In the time it could take for him to do that, he instead calls someone else (me or SC) to do it. Is this a rich person thing or is he just wacky?

I didn't work on anything this week for the site... bummer. Going back to work after a week off is like a Monday times ten. Since I (hopefully) won't have company website stuff this week, I can do that when I get home.

Are there people who can really leave work at work? Because even when I have a project I only work on there, and even if it isn't a big deal, I always find myself thinking about work. It's almost like, "What's the point of going home?" I do tend to obsess.

I've only used a few of my new beauty products so far. Verdicts:

- Burt's Bees "Vanishing Facial Powder." It's very light-feeling on the skin, which is nice I suppose, but I don't think it's as good as my Physician's formula. Ah, well.
- Meet Mark's Megavitamin Facial wash: Nice smell; it doesn't really lather up, but my skin was quite soft and clean feeling.
- "Pink Suede" skin softener. The scent is a bit too strong to use as much as you'd use a lotion, but a dab here and there is lovely. It's worth it just for the neat pink container:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... again

When I got home today, I was finally greeted with the arrival of my stuff from Burt's Bees and Avon. More on that, but first I want to bitch about yesterday.

You know what's irritating about being a lower-level person working in an office? Everyone thinks you work for them, instead of just for the boss. Yesterday J and M had this huge meeting about their new marketing strategy with T, RH, K (ex-producer), these two guys who have filmed some stuff for their new show, and DL, who I've met once before and is fairly irritating. (They also had a conference call with someone famous, who I will not mention because J has figured out how to Google people. Of course he could Google and find me, but anyway.)

As soon as DL comes in, he wants me to figure out how to get his laptop connected to our wireless network. So I have to call our IT guy (somehow I'm always the one who ends up calling him, no matter who else in the office is having a problem), and find out that he wouldn't be able to take care of that until late afternoon. He tells me to just unplug the network cable from my computer into DL's laptop, which works, but of course disrupts my work (uploading stuff to the website).

And the whole point of this is so DL can print out directions back to the airport. (Can't he just backward-reads the directions he had from the airport to the office?) I offered to sign him onto DD's unused computer to do that, but he "didn't want to bother me." Smack! One of the film-y guys then also started asking me questions about the wireless thing, and I just gave him a blank look until he stopped. Hee hee... But, god, how annoying. I was surprised they didn't have me make them all coffee or take notes or something.

Yesterday registration begin, so I went by the center here in B-wood. I had called the day before, asking if I could since I needed the course repetition petition signed, and they said "Oh yeah, you can do that here." So I went right after work (around 1:00), only to have to return at 5:00 because the dean wasn't there yet. And why did I need said dean's permission? Because I got better than a C in the course, I'm not supposed to repeat it. I so don't get this policy. It's bureaucratic bullshit. I almost thought she might not sign it, because she said all snotty, "Why do you want to repeat it (Creative Writing) if you got a good grade?" Smack! I should have been snotty back and said, "Duh, because I want to spend $80 on a class I've taken before, and $35 for a parking permit, and possibly more on overpriced textbooks." Dork.

I've been writing long, frequent blog entries so far this month/year... that's good, right? However, I have yet to write one word in the neat diary I have, that I vowed to write in every day. Le sigh.

Anyway, fun things! Stuff I got:

Burt's Bees
- Honey lip balm (it really tastes like honey... it's kind of unsettling)
- Vanishing facial powder. I'm not dissatisfied with my current brand, and BB is more expensive, but you've got to spoil yourself once in awhile (for me, "once in awhile" is everyday. I'm such a glutton.)

Avon
- Cherry truffle lip gloss (and damned if it doesn't smell like a cherry truffle!)
- Juicy passionfruit lip gloss
- "Big Stixx" lip balms; they're just lip balms, but like huge. I was a good girl and gave the cherry to my mom and the strawberry to my sis.
- Skin So Soft gelled body oil and whipped body oil (sounds hot, huh? I hope I don't get too oily...)
- Body lotion with cocoa butter... because I don't have enough butter products
- Body building mousse... because my hair is not big enough
- A megavitamin facial cleanser (my face gets more vitamins than the rest of me, dude)
- The vitamin toner I use (I told you!)
- Some "Meet Mark" mini-facials in cucumber (balancing), carrot (hydrating), and tomato (brightening). The carrot and tomato smell good, which surprised me. I used to use a Burt's Bees tomato soap, but the smell was too much like, well, a tomato.
- "Pink Suede" scented skin softener.

Keep in mind that I don't even have my Bath and Body Works stuff yet (arrival Monday... that'll be a nice treat on Dumb Monday.) I'm going to be so fabulous this year! (Feel free to snicker now.)

There are some ribs in the slow-cooker and they smell so good... but it won't be ready for at least an hour... damn food, needing to be non-raw.

I don't know if its just because I've come off of vacation, but I haven't been sleeping well at all this week. Tuesday night was the worst, because I saw an episode of "The Sopranos" where Dr. Melfi had a bad dream about Tony being in a car crash... I think what messed me up about it was that I was half-asleep when I saw that part, and had to rewind it to understand it. And music from "The Wizard of Oz" was playing in the background, and for some reason that seriously freaked me out. I woke up at least once every hour, and worried each time that when I fell asleep again, I'd dream about TWoO. Which if you think about it, is a kind of super fucked-up movie. Lions, tigers, and bears oh my.

Happy happy birthday, happy happy birthday

Happy birthday to Blog,
Happy birthday to Blog,
Happy birthday dear Bloggie,
Happy birthday to you!

My blog is one year old today! It's seems like only yesterday I was... well, blogging.

Add this bit to the reasons why I hate that Kirstie Alley commercial (yes I'm still obsessed): The guy WHISTLES at her. Yeah, what a goddamn gentleman.

It was all right working at home yesterday. I had a brilliant grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich, watched "Roseanne", and ate yummy candy... all while working. The project I'm doing right now is basically ripping 229304823 (seriously) files from CD's, correctly (read: anal retentively) formatting the filename, then uploading. And since uploading takes longer than ripping and naming, I keep getting ahead of myself. Buh. So I'm going to head home pretty soon, with more stuff to work on.

I'm so impatient, I already used my Barnes and Noble gift card yesterday (online). I ordered the '2006 Novel & Short Story Writers Market Place.' How... trendy? Arrogant? Whatever, it's mine. I was amused by the fact that the tax pushed it $0.96 over the gift card amount so my credit card will be charged 96 cents.

Speaking of writing, I have decided that I'm definitely going to take Creative Writing this semester. Registration starts tomorrow so I'll go before coming in to work. Hopefully someone will actually be in the dean's office so I can actually get the form signed and actually register. I should probably call and check on that. But yes, I am proud of myself for deciding to take it, especially since it means I'll have to DVR "Prison Break" when it starts again in March. I think I keep dreaming about that show... or at least Wentworth Miller. Kick ass.

My new mattress came, and it's still a firm one but is all cushy and squishy on the top. I'm sure my fat ass will have it properly flat soon enough.

Last night they showed the episode of "The Simpsons" where Sideshow Bob gets paroled to work with his brother on the new Springfield dam. For some reason I always crack up at the part where Cletus and his dumb Cousin Merle accidentally cover the dog in concrete. "Geech went to heaven, Mr. Ter-will-idger!" I also watched the second-season premiere episode of "The Sopranos." I spaced on the last five minutes or so... and naturally felt wide awake after that. Argh!

The sun was somewhat out when I drove to work this morning... the sky was pink in a few places but otherwise gray and blah. I'm so over the rain already.

I'm out... I have to stop by the bank, then go home and... work. How overachieve-ish of me.

I will surprise you sometime, I'll come around when you're down

Well, I had an exciting day at work today... for the whole hour-and-a-half I was there. I got there just before 8:00, unlocked and went in as normally (locking the door behind me because there's no one upstairs) and the alarm goes off. Eep. I called the security company and of course they need a passcode to shut it off. Ugh. Since I don't have one any more, I start madly calling everyone's cell... and of course no one answers. The alarm eventually went off by itself and RH disarmed the code when he came in. This is what I get for being so eager (ha) to go back to work this week.

But yeah... around 9:00 M came in and since RH and I were the only ones around, he told us to go home. Okie dokie. I brought some stuff to work on though. I need money which means I need hours on my timesheet.

Something really sweet and nice: On my desk this morning I got a Christmas card and stocking from J & M. A chocolate Santa (mmm), Ferrero Rocher, sugar cookies and gift cards for Starbucks, Blockbuster and Barnes and Noble. Whoo hoo! I'm sure it's all been sitting there since the Friday before Christmas, so now I feel guilty about not going in that day.

Have you seen the latest Kirstie Alley/Jenny Craig commercial where she (Kirstie) is walking down this creepy, darkened street and some random guy is all, "You look good!" And she's all, "He's talking to me?" She's all happy and this big choreographed dance with her and various dudes starts. So: the message of this commercial is, "Lose weight so rude guys on the street will leer at and make lewd comments to you"? First of all, we shouldn't encourage women to lose weight so they'll look sexy to men, they should want to feel healthy and attractive. Also, people (men and women) making suggestive remarks to strangers on the street should totally be frowned upon.

Am I taking this too seriously?

Scary movie news:

- There's going to be a movie about the Zodiac killer directed by the genius David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, Panic Room), and starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a reporter. I'm so there. (Sidenote: Damn, I should've gone to see "Brokeback Mountain" today. Oh, well).

- They did a semi-remake of "When a Stranger Calls" to be released in February. So there again. From the trailer, it looks as if instead of the story spanning out all these years, dumbass babysitter stays in the house (the kids are missing instead of all squishy and dead, I guess) and fights hands-on with creepy caller. Interesting.

Well, I better get back to the grind. I should clean up, too, because Simmons is coming this afternoon with my new mattress (and presumably to take my old one away).

Woke up this morning, got yourself a gun

First things first: Happy New Year!

Second things second (how come no one ever says that?): Comments are not working. So if you've tried to read and/or post a comment, it's not because I hate you, it's because templates hate me. Wah.

Last night was pretty uneventful... there were way too many appetizers, and too many marathons to watch (Law & Order CI, Twilight Zone, I Love the whichever-decade, etc. And I think the regular L&O marathon on TNT starts at noon today). After midnight my mom and I watched a bit of the Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest dealy... I made fun of DC a lot beforehand and now feel bad about that. God, the poor man can barely talk.

The music all sucked, except for The Bangles, and possibly Three Doors Down, who was kind of boring. The Pussycat Dolls need to vanish a la the Spice Girls. No, he doesn't wish his girlfriend was like you, in any way.

Right now the big thing I'm obsessing over is what to take this coming semester. I'll most likely take the online ten-key class, but that doesn't start until March I think. I had a few hours of madness this week where I was considering taking all these business, smart computer-y classes and then I remembered that I hate business, and I know as much about computers as I want to know. So now I'm thinking about doing either journalism or creative writing (again, on both counts.) I could do both, as journalism is only one unit, but I'm afraid I just might be remembering all the good things about it (basically the writing and editing) and forgetting all the stuff I didn't like (such as calling and interviewing people). But maybe it would be good for me to get out of my comfort level (insert Oprah-ish babble here).

Since I stupidly threw away the form I got earlier this year (permission to take Creative Writing again, since it's for some reason not repeatable), I'd have to get another from one of the wacky deans. And then go wait in line to register. I hate non-automated stuff... Also, I'd have to get a parking permit (did I mention I'm cheap when it comes to things I actually need?). But I seriously need some writing structure, and a classroom full of people might do it.

I was a moron all week and didn't do as much cleaning as I should have, so I've got to get around to that today before going back to work tomorrow (ugh, ugh, ugh).

Yesterday I saw a way-too-long commercial about the new season of Celebrity Fit Club, which will apparently feature Kelly LeBrock (the hot chick in "Weird Science"). Now there's a suprise (no sarcasm intended in that sentence). She doesn't look fat-fat, just vaguely overweight. Anyway, my point: In the commercial, they have a clip of her saying why she gained so much weight was because she was tired of getting male attention just for being thin and sexy. Dude: That's the excuse I'm going to start using for why I'm fat. And single. At least I'm too stubborn to humiliate myself on TV.