Monthly Archives: November 2007

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Curl Up and Dye

 

I stopped dying my hair a while ago (Dec. of ’05 to be precise). Covered up the “Road Hazard Orange” with a color approximating my own, blogged about the experience, and didn’t touch the stuff again.

 

Until tonight. I keep picturing my hair as dark brown. And it mostly is. But the ends were getting sort of… well, lighter. My hair was taking on the reddishy tinge which was the impetus for me to start dying it back when I was 17 anyway. Two boxes of Brown, Cool & Collected and my last box of Copper Craze later, and… not bad. I like the effect of having the orange underneath, instead of on top, tho’ it inexplicably came out more muted than it has in the past. The brown is warmer than I had hoped, but it now gets darker at the ends (where the hair is older and therefore more damaged) instead of lighter. And the conditioner they package with dye is the BEST stuff. My hair feels crazy-silky right now.

 

And my peony is coming up in the front yard. Yay!

 

9:09 PM

 

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

SO frustrating

 

It wasn’t at all a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad day. Plenty of worse things could have happened, but thankfully didn’t.

 

However… I am increasingly frustrated with certain people at the office who don’t seem to realize that the production/prepress/press/mailing schedule is a carefully crafted ballet between us, our vendors, and their other clients. When a VIP on my end decides that we’ll send files out a day later, or now two days later, it creates a potentially difficult scheduling shift that effects many people. And, an immediate concern to my own stress level, I spent three anxious hours making damn well sure that the files would make it to a FedEx dropoff last night, only to be called — at the moment during which I had sealed the envelope and was getting up to grab my jacket — and told that we wouldn’t be sending the files after all. Argh!

 

Now, I want the job to be right just as much as anybody else. Maybe more, because I’m the person who will be at fault if a typo or a factual error is discovered. But I respect the schedule, and I know that it isn’t set at random. It’s bad business, not to mention rude, to continuously tell our vendors that they have to do whatever it takes to accommodate us. As if it’s their fault that we keep screwing with the timing.

 

I have actually had a VIP suggest that I cancel a photographer, who had been booked for weeks, the day before a shoot. And to explain to him that we would not pay a kill fee. Instead of calling the photographer, I made the shoot happen on schedule.

 

And today, dammit, today I’m going to make it outside to appreciate the 73-degree day. Maybe go for a brisk walk around the pond. My narcissi have woken up and are stretching in the sun. They officially bloomed this weekend. Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is. Well, right in my front garden. If I leave for work early enough today, maybe I can pick up some daffodils at the store on the way in. That might be nice.

 

8:12 AM

 

Friday, March 16, 2007

when life hands you lemons

 

It’s time to make lemonade! Whoo-hoo! Organic lemons are on sale at Wild Oats, as are organic Braeburn apples. I already have some strawberries starting to turn in the fridge, so it’s time to haul out the fancy juicer and get crankin’. Mm-mm-mm-mm-mmm.

 

1:15 AM

 

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

 

The weather changed. The time changed. Okay, you could argue that time, such as it is, didn’t change; merely our interpretation of its passing. Fine, be that way. You know what I mean. The point is, I’ve been driving home from work during daylight hours, with my car windows open, giddy with Springiness. My narcissi are budding. My tulips have broken ground. The buds on the trees at the office visibly change from morning to evening. And I have found myself sifting flour twice in two weeks. Which seems unrelated, but I’m willing to bet that it isn’t.

 

I cannot keep asking my mother to cook her specialties for me, and she has left me her hand-lettered, hand-illustrated cookbook in her will… but not a minute before she dies. Which I am wholly not prepared for, and the cookbook will be of little consolation to me at such time. So I am trying to fake my way through some of her standards. Now, the black bottom cupcakes that I made last week (or the week before? I am actually so busy that I have lost reasonable track of time) I actually do have her recipe for, but it calls for a box of cake mix and I don’t play that. People really seemed to enjoy the version that I came up with, but in my own mind (mouth?), it wasn’t right. I’ll have to keep trying (I can almost hear the cheers of glee from certain friends). Tonight’s recipe, identity withheld until clear of potential disaster, is most definitely off from my mom’s. I had a feeling going into the oven that the dough/batter was too wet. It looked generally right-ish, and the kitchen smells right, but a quick peek in the oven just now has proven to me that the dough was certainly too wet. I’m sure it will be mostly fine, but tweaking shall ensue. And this being a possible surprise gift (and here, a number of people hope that they are the surprise recipient, most of them being wrong), I may have to tweak the recipe, say, tomorrow. Mmmm, more flour-sifting. Coworkers will reap the rewards of recipes slightly amiss. And if this comes out even half right, I may have to screw the diet for another day.

 

Okay, I have just removed the experiment from the oven. Perhaps not a disaster, but my mother, were she here, would be giggling herself silly at the result. Of course, if she were here, she likely would have offered some assistance in the first place. Tomorrow is Test #2. Maybe I shouldn’t sift the flour. Have officially left voicemail for mom, asking advice.

 

I have caught Erin’s “fitness” bug, as much as my personality can. Suzanne Deason’s BalanceBall workout has left my entire body oh-so-lightly ache-y for a couple of days, but Wii Boxing kicked my upper body’s ass. Then pinned me down, and kicked me some more. And just when I thought it was going to leave me alone, it beat a little more crap out of me. I played for four rounds, and hurt for four days. So it’s more BalanceBall tomorrow. Erin, you are literally and figuratively a stronger woman than I. You’ve been spending an hour(?) three times a week with a personal trainer who is trying his hardest to paralyze you with pain, and I am spending half an hour on those days bouncing a giant playball around. But at least it’s half an hour that I’m not spending glued to the laptop.

 

Turns out that I won’t feel like I’m missing anything by skipping the Louvre while I’m in Paris this Spring (there’s a phrase I could say over and over) because “Selected Treasures from the Louvre” will be at the Denver Art Museum this Autumn. No ‘Mona Lisa’ I’m sure, but I’ve had the distinct pleasure of seeing ‘Starry Night’ in person, and I like that painting better anyway. Sorry, Leonardo. I mean no disrespect. VanGogh is just a little more my style.

 

8:51 PM

 

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

my coffee shop

 

Okay, it’s not MY coffee shop. Plenty of people go there. But it’s the one I consistently go to, and I consistently go in the morning, so I always see the same two baristas. Roland and… the girl. I’m sorry I’ve never noticed your name, Girl.

 

The other morning, there was a customer ahead of me as I was approaching the counter. She had caught Girl in a conversation that Girl was trying to cut short, without being outright rude. Roland, who had caught my eye and nodded recognition, was bustling around behind the counter. By the time the friendly customer finally left and Girl was able to take my order, Roland was handing me a steaming cup. I looked at him curiously, and he said,

“Non-fat cinnamon latte, right?”

“Half the syrup?”

“Well, not HALF, but LESS.”

“You are so sweet for remembering my drink. Or, I’m coming here way too often.”

“I prefer the former.”

 

I think I only go about once a week, but I’d better start keeping better track. There are 230 calories in a full-syrup flavored latte, 160 in a no-syrup… mathematically, my drink falls in around 195 empty calories. Mmmmmm, empty calories.

 

7:54 AM

 

Friday, March 02, 2007

bloodletting

 

I gave blood on Wednesday. I failed for one reason or another the last three times I tried, so it was a relief to pass the entrance exam AND get a good stick. What a rush. Many thanks go out to the rock-star nurse person who was in charge of me and my needle action. Good job. You did such a good job, in fact, that I don’t even have a bruise. No lightheadedness, either, which I attribute to the two hot cocoas I drank before heading in. Yay, sugar! But boy oh boy, climbing the stairs back to my office afterwards took the wind right out of me.

 

If I don’t get my ass in gear with this next tattoo, I’ll probably be able to give again before I have to keep my tainted blood to myself for another year.

 

11:04 PM

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Another good thing about living alone…

 

I can eat Ben & Jerry’s directly from the container. Which is how it tastes best. (timber is shuddering at the mere thought of putting a spoon into my mouth and then BACK INTO THE CONTAINER OH MY GOD YOUR GERMS WILL INFEST THE ICE CREAM YOU’RE CLEARLY TRYING TO KILL ME. Apparently, licking my tongue doesn’t cause the same infestation.)

 

Also, there’s nobody to argue with about the housecleaning.

 

Should this really be filed under Romance and Relationships?

 

Double-digit hits, and I haven’t even posted yet this week. Interesting.

 

9:27 PM

 

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Inappropriate behavior of my almost mother-in-law, final installment

 

If there’s anything else outrageously major, I’ve wiped it from my memory. If you’re familiar with the Marie character from Everybody Loves Raymond… it was really like that. Really. Not an exaggeration. Painfully, sadly accurate.

 

Boyfriend eventually couldn’t take it any more, and we broke up. I moved out. Actually, we were back together within a couple of weeks, but I moved out anyway. I stayed in Boulder, he moved to Denver. I got really good at driving the 30 miles to I-25 and South Pearl very, very quickly. He eventually moved closer, to Arvada. That helped.

 

For the next couple of years, Maleficent refused to believe that her son and I were still dating. For instance: on the phone with Maleficent, Boyfriend kept referring to Us and We while making plans for a picnic. Yet, when Maleficent arrived, she acted surprised to see me and, in a stage whisper that the neighbors could hear, said “I didn’t know she would be here. I don’t have enough food for her.”

 

Boyfriend became Ex-Boyfriend, and is now married to a woman hand-picked for him by his mother. Though last I heard, the two women were no longer on friendly terms.

 

Last night, a friend said that she looked forward to the story where I “kick her ass.” But you know what? Maleficent is a miserable person. Nobody will ever treat her “well” enough to make her happy. She’s been divorced twice. Her children don’t respect her. During the time that I knew her, she was unable to maintain any friendships. She rarely had a second, and never to my knowledge a third, date. She is kicking herself in the ass, and doesn’t need any help from me. Karma can be a bitch, lady.

 

10:33 PM

 

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Inappropriate behavior of my almost mother-in-law, Part 6

 

A short one tonight, because I’m tired and I want to go to bed early. And by “go to bed,” I mean catch up on some reading. I haven’t been doing nearly enough of that lately.

 

This one actually predates yesterday’s birthday/baseball story. Maleficent still hates me. In spite of everything she has tried thus far, her son and I continue to live together. She and her then-husband are preparing to leave for a trip to Hawaii, but before they go… she calls me AT WORK. To tell me that her son “has something to discuss” with me while they’re gone. And so she wants to say good-bye (and good riddance, likely) before they leave.

 

I spend the rest of the day waiting for Boyfriend to break up with me. When he manages to get out of me why I’m acting so weird, he hits the roof. Of course, by now his mother is safely on a plane and out of phone’s reach.

 

She just liked fucking with my head THAT MUCH.

 

10:00 PM

 

Inappropriate behavior of my almost mother-in-law, Part 5

 

1. I was going to discontinue this series early, but my readership has suddenly spiked. My Public needs me.

2. Sorry for the delay in getting this one posted. MySpace was having issues last night, and I needed sleep.

 

Picking up where we last left off…

 

Springtime. Boyfriend and I still live together. Maleficent still openly and actively hates me. She is planning a birthday outing to a baseball game for her son. My boyfriend. With whom, if you recall, I live. And yet somehow, she neglects to ask me if perhaps I’ve already made plans for his birthday, or to invite me to her event. I don’t know a thing about it until she eventually forwards the email invite to me… the day of her deadline to RSVP. I reply as soon as I read the email, and though she doesn’t reply back to me, she does inform Boyfriend that I “didn’t get back to her in time” so she didn’t buy me a ticket to the game. If he wants me to go, he’ll have to buy my ticket, and the odds are that my seat won’t be with the rest of the group, so why bother?

 

Grrr. This is bad enough to piss off even Boyfriend, who generally takes an “if I ignore it, it will go away” attitude towards his mother. Don’t screw with Boyfriend’s baseball, lady. That was a mistake.

 

The two of them eventually work out that I will go, and Maleficent will go to the game with a date who conveniently has seats in the same section of the ballfield. So we can all be together, but not together.

 

Game on. Boyfriend is sandwiched in the stands between his best friend and his girlfriend. Maleficent is with her date, many rows behind us. Between innings, she comes down to tell Boyfriend that he should really come up to her area, there are lots of attractive girls there. And she walks away. I am used to this sort of comment by now, though it still infuriates me. Boyfriend acts as if he never heard a word, and it is entirely possible that he’s learned to tune her out entirely. He’s had years more practice than I have. Best Friend’s jaw drops, and he starts yelling at Boyfriend for not saying something. But truly, Boyfriend is exhausted by this particular subject matter.

 

to be continued…

 

7:05 AM

 

Monday, February 19, 2007

Inappropriate behavior of my almost mother-in-law, Part 4

 

Thanksgiving, 199X. Atrocious behavior by everybody present. I am alone in apologizing, and it is never accepted. Now is when things start to get really bad. Maleficent doesn’t like me any more.

 

Boyfriend and I live together. Have been living together for some time. A year-ish, I think. And everything has always been fine… until now. Now I come home from work to a blinking light on the answering machine, and it’s Maleficent scolding Boyfriend for having my voice as the outgoing message. Because I shouldn’t even live there. He should kick me out. It is, after all, his house. I never hear anything further, because I learn to stop the machine as soon as I hear her voice, and save them for Boyfriend to do with as he will. Boyfriend, to his credit, deletes all of these messages without listening to them.

 

But they’re daily. Usually in multiples. Days turn into weeks turn into months. I go into therapy.

 

to be continued…

 

11:31 PM

 

Sunday, February 18, 2007

inappropriate behavior of my almost mother-in-law, Part 3

 

Maleficent and I are shopping again. In Fort Collins, this time. It must be homecoming season or something, and there are fancy dresses in the window of one boutique. I make the mistake of commenting that the white one is pretty, and Maleficent decides that it would be Fun for me to try it on! Because it would make such a lovely wedding dress! You know, for my wedding to her son! To whom I’m not actually engaged! I’m talking to you, Crazy Lady!

 

This is not a woman to cross, and it actually could be kind of fun to try on a fancy dress. Okay, I’m game.Two girls are working in the boutique, and Maleficent and I are, at that moment, the only customers. So we get their full attention. Maleficent does all the talking, and informs them that I’m dating her son, that I’m trying on the dress and considering it for my wedding dress. I am quietly attempting to hide my mortification. The girls get really into it and start helping me with the dress and are running around the store picking out jewelry for me to try on with it. Probably pearls. Maleficent is so pleased that she decides she has to have photos of me in the dress. Alas, she has no camera (this era predates camera phones and the like).

 

She LEAVES ME IN THE STORE so she can run elsewhere and buy a disposable camera.

 

The girls are politely making small talk… how long have I been engaged? Have we set a date? And I have to admit that we’re not engaged at all. His mother is just a bit pushy. And a total wack-job. They are shocked, AND they know they’re not going to make a sale. Awkward silence ensues.

 

Maleficent finally returned with a camera, but I never did see those photos.

 

to be continued…

 

10:26 PM

 

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Inappropriate behavior of my almost mother-in-law, Part 2

 

I don’t remember if the following two events happened on the same day, but if I don’t write about them in one post, my darling readers (that would be you) will think that I’m retelling the same story.

 

At this point in our history, Maleficent still likes me. Maleficent also likes to shop, and so that is what we’re doing. The details are hazy, but I know that we’re in a store/boutique, and that the store has a podium on which rests some sort of bridal-type magazine. Maleficent, being the first one to assume, nay, insist, that Boyfriend and I will get married, is hovering over me while I glance through a few pages. Lo! I see a dress that I like. No lace, no pearls, no sequins; but yards and yards of cloud-white tulle and a classic satin strapless bodice in a totally “me” persimmon color. I point it out to Maleficent, pronouncing my deep admiration for such a beautiful gown, and, horrified at the thought of me marrying her son while daring to wear a COLOR, she SLAPS me. Open-hand, across the shoulder. Loud enough to be heard.

 

Perhaps the same day, perhaps a different, torturous shopping trip. This time we’re in a shoe store. I’m pretty sure it’s a Bakers. I do remember that we’re in the rear of the store, looking at a shelf on the right-hand side. If you know me, you know that I love shoes. And that I am, in general, attracted to the dramatic and to the underdog. That being said, I see an outrageous pair of incredible, heavy, platform wedges. Years ahead of the current wedgie craze, and decades after the last one. I pick it up to show Maleficent, who takes it from my hand, and HITS ME WITH IT while exclaiming that the shoe is awful and that I can’t possibly wear it. The entire population of the store pauses for a moment to watch.

 

Coming up: part 3.

 

11:35 PM

 

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Inappropriate behavior of my almost mother-in-law, Part 1

 

Intro: People don’t believe me when I tell these tales. I promise, every word is true. Perhaps if I break them down into smaller bites, one story at a time, they won’t seem as far-fetched.

 

First time I’m at the home of The Parents. Dinner is almost ready, Boyfriend is chatting in the kitchen with his folks, and I’m quietly looking at the framed photos in the dining room. There’s one of those collage-type frames on the wall, with photos including Boyfriend, so of course, I’m interested. Some photos show Boyfriend with a girl I don’t recognize. Maleficent comes up behind me and says, “He always has been attracted to heavy girls.” As I stood there in shocked silence (mute horror?), she told me that it was okay that I was heavy, that I was probably just eating more because I was happy.

 

She later offered to join Weight Watchers with me, as my “moral support.” If you’re familiar with my current build, I was probably 15 pounds lighter then.

 

This is when she liked me.

 

 

TOTALLY UNRELATED:

I was visiting my flickr page so I could cut-and-paste my current album link here, when I noticed that one photo in particular had recieved an outrageous number of views.

 

8:42 PM

 

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

mutterings

 

When that long-abandonded car in my lot finally gets towed on Friday, I might park in that spot just because I can.

 

Oh frabjous day! It didn’t snow this weekend. Seven weekends in a row, and we were expecting an eighth. Instead, it snowed last night.

 

 

Spring would be great just about now. Maybe I’ll have some folks over to celebrate the time change in March. You heard it here first.

 

My buddy, my pal, a fave peep at the office, gave his notice yesterday. His absence should have little-to-no effect on my job, but I’ll miss his devious, twinkle-eyed presence. I hope his new place of employ (I didn’t want to pry… just yet) is still close enough for after-work margs. Best wishes to you, Sweet Cheeks.

 

I’m now officially Late For Work. I’d better bring my lunch ingredients with, and make it there. No time for a latté stop. Not an auspicious beginning to the day.

 

8:44 AM

 

Friday, February 02, 2007

Groundhog Day

 

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this morning, which indicates an early Spring. As I sit here in Denver, where it snowed again yesterday, where the forecast high for the day is 9 degrees, with wind chills of up to 25 below, I very much want to put my faith in a pudgy rodent.

 

8:13 AM

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Nectar. Gods.

 

Three Greek Gods (though the container says The Greek Gods) “Hermes” (honey) Organic Traditional Greek Yogurt. On sale at Wild Oats for $.99 per 6oz. cup.

 

I cannot remember the last time I ate something that tasted this good. I seriously considered slicing the cup open so I could lick it clean. Lobster? Meh. Give me a cup of this yogurt. Foodgasm.

 

Caveat: FOURTEEN grams of fat per serving.

 

http://3greekgods.com/Hermes.htm

 

8:24 PM

 

Monday, January 29, 2007

mooooood

 

stressy day (stressy deadlines)

 

currently very mellow, due to situational circumstances. a beer. candles. incense. Damien Rice. other additives.

 

I can’t quite describe it. Sleepy, but not tired. Awake, but far from alert. Eyes half closed. Kinda like being in a warm bath. Not a half-bad idea.

 

melllloooooowwww.

 

Currently listening : 

O 

By Damien Rice 

11:26 PM

 

Monday, January 29, 2007

no WAY

 

Six weekends in a row. Snow. You know what they’re predicting for next weekend? You guessed it. Snow. SEVEN WEEKS OF SNOW. SE-VEN. SEVENNNNNNN. SSSSSSSSSEVEN.WEEKS. OF. SNOW.

 

my brain is making a small popping noise.

_______________________

 

I just noticed a veterinary school ad on TV. A string of clips of models posing as vet students, talking about how being a vet is going to be so fulfilling. Each model is cradling a different Cute Animal in his/her arms. Dog. Cat. Puppy. Bunny. And what the heck was the last guy holding? I really couldn’t tell. It didn’t even LOOK like anything. Perhaps something with an exoskeleton. Or an armadillo.

_______________________

 

The Joy of Cooking contains a recipe for cooking peccary. Just in case there’s a sale at Safeway. Now you know where to look. Because epicurious doesn’t list anything. And we’re all lost without epicurious.

_______________________

 

Erin and Tim hosted an absolutely lovely dinner just for me the other night. Decadent steak tartar, succulent coq-au-vin… I felt so special! I very much look forward to returning the favor. But no peccary, I swear.

 

7:25 AM

 

Friday, January 26, 2007

Friday night. Rough day.

 

Cream puffs and bourbon.

 

Might need more cream puffs. And bourbon.

 

9:14 PM

 

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Simultaneously Slap and Hug

 

Scenario: Sunday brunch with friends at hip metro dining establishment. Recorded music is playing.

 

Wife: Oh, I love this song! (turns to Husband, jokingly asks) Did you have them play this just for me? You’re so sweet! (kisses husband)

Husband: (literally does a little happy bounce in his seat) Hey! Freebie!

 

I love them, and yet I want to slug them. Damn happy people. Meh.

 

11:51 PM

 

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

cookie season

 

I was a Brownie for two years. According to the rules and regs of Girl Scouting, it’s supposed to be three, but my small town could only manage two. I remember this only because we received a wedge-shaped badge for each year of Brownie service, and those badges were designed to be topped by an arch-shaped “graduation” badge called the Bridge To Juniors. Our bridges looked a little funny with a big blank space where that third wedge should have been.I quit after earning my wings (another badge) and crossing the Bridge To Juniors. That would be the physical bridge at the ceremony where one Becomes A Girl Scout. Why? Because my mom said I’d have to keep my room clean if I wanted to stay in the scouts. I hated scouts. It was no contest. My mother, by the way, was kicked out of the Campfire Girls and Bluebirds. I don’t know why, and she’s not talking.

 

Troop 155. Lenni-Lenape Council. Indoctrinate! Assimilate!

 

So go and buy some overpriced cookies from some little girls who earn something like a penny a box for their troop, and buy them from the girls who are working for it instead of having their parents bring the order form to the office. It’s a terrible thing, going door to door hawking cookies. I wish I could have gotten out of it, but instead, I’ll repay the girls who, like me, were forced to do the work themselves.

 

9:15 PM

 

Monday, January 15, 2007

Another child leaves the nest.

 

I sold my Mac Mini tonight. Brian, its new owner, seems like Good People. He lives in San Francisco, and the Mini has always wanted to go there. It should be a good fit.

 

My dearest Mini, you served me well. You deserve more than I can give you. Brian will use you for music editing, and I know that’s something you’ve been interested in trying. It will certainly be more fun for you than holding up my desk lamp has been. You’ve been all alone down there in that cold office all winter. I will miss you, and you will always have a special place in my heart, along with your brethren the 6100/66 and the Yosemite tower.

 

May the Force be with you.

 

10:20 PM

 

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Saaaturdaaaay Morning

 

Woke up

Fell outta bed

Dragged a comb across my head

 

Actumally, no. The heat hummed on. The timed light in the living room clicked on. The combination is a gentle alarm clock of sorts… and I woke slightly, not enough to open my eyes, but thought, “It’s Saturday. I don’t have to get up.” It was oh-so-pleasant.

 

The pleasant moment was followed immediately by “I need to get a new filter thingie for the furnace” and “Ugh, Rocket, don’t lick my EYE please” but then I conked back out and slept for another hour or so. Waaaarrrrmmm in bed. Cold and treacherous out there.

 

Conflicting plans for this evening. Which never happens. It’s my own darn fault. I’ve never been the type to use a date book. I carry one around, I simply don’t remember fill it out. I’m better about entering stuff on my computer calendar, but my Palm died and I never replaced it.

 

things to do, things to do…

 

9:23 AM

 

Friday, January 12, 2007

Nine

 

The forecast high today is NINE degrees (that’s -12.7 to my Celsius friends). Our wind chill right now is -16. Kohoutek has taken to very casually sitting directly in front of the heat vent in the living room. Oh, the forecast high for tomorrow? SIX. Brrrrrr. It’s the most bundle-ing tiiiiiime of the yeeeaaar.

 

The CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) has released “guidelines” for runway models. The guidelines are, to make a pun, shockingly thin. No way to enforce them, not that there is much to enforce in the first place. In fact, one of the “guidelines” is that models who are under treatment for an eating disorder cannot work without medical approval. Um, doesn’t that just discourage the seeking of help in the first place? Another guideline is to “introduce more nutritious backstage catering” because, you know, models don’t eat simply because they don’t know where to find food. Yeah.

 

I’ve been crying a lot lately. Not depressed-crying, but sad-book crying, sad-movie crying, sad-events-being-touched-upon-during-The Today Show’s-55-year-anniversary-montage crying. Why does that happen? In all of these instances, I was already familiar with the subject matter. I’d read the book before, I’d seen the movie before, I’d lived through the tragedies before. No surprises. So why do I have these emotional attachments?

 

Anyway. Must get ready for work. And chip the ice off my walk. Brrr.

 

And just for fun: cake!

 

7:26 AM

 

Friday, January 05, 2007

more snow

 

It’s snowing again.

 

Now, I realize that everyone outside of Colorado thinks that we have snow all the time. And it’s an image that we try to promote, for the sake of the skiing industry and to keep intruders (such as myself) from moving here. But the honest truth is, we don’t get much snow outside of the “high country” and even when we do, it’s usually gone within 24 hours. I dealt with a LOT more snow when I lived in NJ. But we had that blizzard right before Christmas which dumped 21″ in my back yard and varying similarly huge amounts throughout the metro area. It was followed a week later by another 8 or so inches. It was finally back up to 50 degrees yesterday, but that’s an awful lot of accumulation to try to melt. And now it’s snowing again. We’re expecting another 6-8″ by the time it’s done this afternoon. Let me just say this, and only because I have to go to work today: I AM SICK OF IT.

 

Yeah, yeah, pretty white smooth clean canvas, stunningly quiet, all that. I recognize the beauty of a fresh snowfall, but it’s much more enjoyable with friends, and barring any attempt to drive on already-rutted-with-ice-and-now-covered-with-snow roads.

 

Grrrr.

 

8:03 AM

 

Monday, January 01, 2007

New Year

 

First things first: I certainly hope that everyone rang in 2007 in their respectively desired ways. Yay, new year!

 

Yeah, yeah, friends and family and sharing and laughter and all that. I know. Those are the bits about the holidays, any holiday, that I love most. But here’s the thing: a full three years after my car accident, I finally received a settlement check last week. It doesn’t make me rich by any definition of the word, but I can pay off my minimal credit card debt (it took years of hard work to get it down to minimal, I assure you) and give the rest to my uncle-the-financial-guy to invest after I buy myself something extravagant (uncle’s professional suggestion).

 

I bought myself a $535 pair of cowboy boots. They are beautiful, and the design that they’re a very well-made (hand-made, actually) knockoff of rings in at $895, but oh.my.god. I do not spend that kind of money on shoes. On anything, really. Except computer equipment, and that’s got a whole tax advantage going on. I really don’t think I can amortize these boots. My mind is reeling.

 

Also, for anyone following along, the snow globe is shaking and I haven’t dropped it yet.

 

9:11 PM

Friday, December 22, 2006

The best presents

 

Are home-made. My favorites so far: a bee-yoo-tiful apron made especially for me, a mix CD, and a totally riotous silkscreened tee (black, of course) of Mistah Cash flipping off the photographer. A thousand thank-yous to my talented and gracious friends. You bring me great joy.

 

Currently listening : 

A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 2 

By Various Artists 

12:29 AM

 

Thursday, December 21, 2006

stiiiiiiill sick

 

I awoke. It was dark, but given the severity of the storm, I knew that the power could go out. My throat still hurt, but I was so proud of myself for sleeping through the night, and breathing through my nose.

 

And then I realized that it was only 12:30.

 

I woke up about 27 more times before morning. Uuuuuuggggghhhh.

 

On the other hand, I did manage to breathe through my nose all night. I seriously wonder if I need to go to the doctor. But I keep repeating the mantra: “A cold will last seven days if you treat it, and a week if you don’t.”

 

So, back to the snow. Yeah, it snowed. Or rather, it’s still snowing and the experts are saying we’ll get another 2-5 inches before it stops. There is a LOT of snow out there. Cars are buried, my front door is snowed shut (and I repeatedly cleared it out yesterday/last night so that wouldn’t happen), and last night I noticed that the furnace chimney on the clubhouse is buried under snow. Isn’t that, um, a bad thing? The airport, I-25, I-70, and I-80 are all closed. The office is closed, too, which means that this (expletive deleted) illness is only costing me a day and half more than anyone else is missing.

 

Some photos posted here.

 

7:46 AM

 

Monday, December 18, 2006

This is NOT the flu

 

At least, it’s a (thankfully) mild flu. No fever. Every other symptom, but no fever. Not miserable at all. Heck, I’ve had worse colds than this. And, as an added bonus, if I get this out of the way NOW, then I won’t be sick for Christmas. Right?

 

Deck us all with Boston Charlie,

Walla Walla, Wash., an’ Kalamazoo!

Nora’s freezin’ on the trolley,

Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!

Don’t we know archaic barrel,

Lullaby Lilla boy, Louisville Lou?

Trolley Molly don’t love Harold,

Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!

            — Walt Kelly

 

7:56 PM

 

Sunday, December 10, 2006

I’ve got rhythm

 

I’m in Milwaukee for work. I’m becoming accustomed to the concept of the varying schedule that a press check forces, but I’m still stunned at how quickly my circadian rhythm goes out of whack. I rec’d a call at 8am this morning, which should have been fine, but I didn’t go to bed until 3am and it took me at least 20 minutes to be able to grasp what DAY it was. The previous three days of sleeping and waking at all hours has really messed me up, in spite of my trying to maintain some kind of normalcy. So now, I’m giving in. It’s noon and I’m going to take a nap. I’ll try to get some Christmas shopping done during the Packers game this afternoon, when people will (hopefully) not be in my way. They’re printing a massive run now, so I’m not expecting another call before 2am…

 

10:53 AM

 

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Sentimentality

 

(or, taking a metaphor aaaaalllll the way to the edge)

 

I want to shake the snow globe, but I’m afraid I might break it. I have to learn to remember, replacements are available.

 

8:18 AM

 

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Saturday Morning Happy Things

 

(see if you can sense the theme before I reach the end)

1. my KitchenAid Ultra Power stand mixer

2. the lovely friend who GAVE me his KitchenAid (I am forever grateful, and still stunned)

3. that I need pliers to get the top off of my ginormous bottle of Mexican vanilla (I don’t know why that pleases me; it’s actually a pain in the butt. But I keep the pliers in the kitchen within easy reach.)

4. the splash guard for my KitchenAid

5. fresh whipped cream

 

9:46 AM

Thursday, November 30, 2006

November 30, 1968

 

Tamas,

 

Boldog születésnapot. Hiányzol.

 

Szeretlek.

 

(I finished Long Way Round today, for you. I know you would hate that I won’t ride any more. I’m sorry, Tomi. You understand.)

 

Remember me my love?

I’m the one you’re dreaming of.

I’m going for a ride,

I’ll keep you warm inside.

I’m gonna roll up the sidewalk,

I’m gonna tear up the ground.

I’m coming round to meet you,

The long way round.

Sooner or later,

I’ll get me off this track.

I gotta do what it is that I do

Then I’m coming back

Got sun on my face.

Sleeping rough off the road.

I’ll tell you all about it,

When I get home.

I’m gonna roll up the sidewalk,

I’m gonna tear up the ground.

I’m coming round to meet you,

The long way round.

 

4:00 PM

 

Sunday, November 26, 2006

five good things

 

A small and incomplete list of things that have already made me smile this morning, or at least didn’t make me cry:

1. Kim’s “Aloo Naan Song,” as inspired by a strong Grover Blanc de Blanc

2. That I was able to have dinner with Kim last night

3. My ugly temporary crown is only temporary, AND it fits

4. The small cut on my face from coughing while being drilled (oops) is also temporary

5. My car was once again NOT broken into last night

 

Bonus, because no. 4 is a bit of a stretch:

6. I will see Amy at some point today

 

Bonus, because I’m in a good mood at 8:30 in the morning:

7. I have to go to Meininger’s at some point today

 

Bonus, because I also enjoyed the Blanc de Blanc:

8. Those trees really ARE surprisingly fluffy and soft to fall into. Also, buoyant. I might do it again. :)

 

8:25 AM

 

Friday, November 24, 2006

oof

 

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu:

baked goat-cheese-stuffed bell peppers

shrimp cocktail

roasted garlic & tapenade

turkey

tofurkey

corn bread stuffing

mashed potatoes

Erin’s “company potatoes”

green beans

asparagus

sweet potato pie

pear pie

dark chocolate ice cream affogato

flowing wine, champagne, bourbon, gin…

two loads in the dishwasher

and best of all, good friends. impossible to have too many servings of those.

 

Currently listening : 

The Essential Marty Robbins 

By Marty Robbins 

12:26 AM

 

Monday, November 20, 2006

Nothin’ says lovin’ like…

 

…somethin’ from the oven.*

 

Tonight, I’m baking the cornbread for Thursday’s cornbread stuffing. And it smells goooood. I might have to eat a piece. To, uh, make sure it came out okay. Yeah, that’s it.

 

*Does anyone remember what that’s from? I don’t feel like googling it.

 

8:27 PM

 

Friday, November 17, 2006

Sucky McSuck Suck

 

It’s 9. I’ve recently returned home from my 6:00 dentist appointment. The filling that cracked was apparently the icing on the cake of a cavity that required a root canal.

 

My first root canal.

 

Relatively painless, actually. Tedious as all get-out, though. With the bite blocker and dental dam in place, it was practically an out-of-body experience. Well, except for the tugging and drooling and the stench of bleach (yeah, it seems that after they scrub out the root canal, they put some sort of bleach mix in there to make sure it’s squeaky clean). And now I have a happy (read: miserable) appointment next weekend for the crown to top it off.

 

AAAANNNNNDDDD, because they gave me THREE shots of whatever they give you, my face is so numb that I am incapable of eating without inadvertently chewing my own tongue/cheek/lip. Even my eye is numb. At this point, I’m glad I’m numb. The dentist scared me with a scrip for Vicodin, too late to get filled tonight. I hope everything is okay tonight…

 

8:59 PM

 

Thursday, November 16, 2006

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

 

That, my friends, is sarcasm. While the current time of year is, in fact, lovely, I am here making an ironic statement stemming from the annoyance of my Second Annual Broken Filling Moments Before Thanksgiving. Coincidentally, again involving black beans. Now, given that I live in Colorado and eat a fair amount of nuevo-Mexican-style food, the odds are high that any eating catastrophe WOULD involve black beans. But I still find it a little peculiar. It doesn’t hurt, but there’s a loose piece of filling wedged in the gap that used to have a larger filling, and I’m hesitant to eat anything that requires, say, chewing. (Dear me, this is all so familiar!) My dentist can’t see me until 6pm tomorrow, so I’m just going to have to deal with it. (The delay is partially my fault; I didn’t even call until 7 tonight. What on earth was I thinking? That the tooth would spontaneously regenerate?)

 

In happier news, a friend sent me a lovely 2GB “FireFly” thumb drive. It’s so small, I’m afraid I’ll lose it if I sneeze. I should tether it to my keychain post haste. It blinks with a blue light, as does my new itsy-bitsy Bluetooth headset. I’m still getting the hang of the thing, but felt All Powerful when I used it tonight to place a VOICE DIALED call to my mum. I do wish it didn’t look like I have a cockroach in my ear, though.

 

I have removed the 45 RPM Messenger Bag from my CafePress store. My dad ordered one, and called me to rave about the good quality of the bag… but also noted that the yellow spindle on the yellow bag was more, eh, “subtle” than as viewed on the web site. If anyone has imagery of a non-yellow spindle and could forward it to me for proper color sampling, I’ll create a messenger-bag-specific graphic.

 

Erin is not blogging from the road, but has been checking in with me regularly. (Thanks!) She is having a horrible week, but is still managing to laugh about it. Perhaps she’s actually hysterical. I wouldn’t blame her. If you will see Erin next week, I suggest showering her with flowers/chocolate/martinis. She might equally appreciate dry clothing and a long nap. And maybe to never again see another giant topiary bear. I really hope that this project doesn’t suck the Christmasy goodness out of her.

 

Currently listening : 

How We Operate 

By Gomez 

7:12 PM

 

Thursday, November 09, 2006

cats on drugs

 

The cats unearthed a baggie of organic catnip while I was at the office. They apparently react very differently. Kohoutek is now experiencing life quietly from under a chair, and Rocket is scrambling around trying to run faster than the speed of light and successfully be present in all rooms at the same time. It’s as if two sides of a furry Hunter S. Thompson have moved in.

 

7:37 PM

 

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

It’s usually the black one

 

I just received an alert from Cafe Press that I sold another t-shirt. And I’m thinking to myself, cool! Three shirts in three days! Then I actually read the email, and realized that this person bought FIVE t-shirts. I’m so excited! Thank you, patron!

 

Yes, I could have written about the election, but the media has said more than enough. I spoke with my vote.

 

8:04 AM

 

Monday, November 06, 2006

Another t-shirt brought into the world

 

I’m never going to get rich from my CafePress shop, but I am surprised at just how many people are walking around with one of my ’45’ t-shirts. S’kinda cool, yo.

 

Unrelated: Sui and Mike kindly left me with some peaches and their (ahem) berry sauce, but I had nothing to pour them over. So I baked myself a cake. Because that’s how I roll.

 

8:34 PM

 

Sunday, November 05, 2006

another unthemed post

 

I am, despite my best efforts, a morning person. I seem to have successfully trained myself to stay up later when desired, but it never results in a luxurious morning. I tried. The curtains are drawn, the alarm isn’t set, the only tasks that I must tend to today are tasks I’m not looking forward to, and should therefore be easy to avoid. The cats even, uncharacteristically, left me alone. But no, I’m out of bed at 8:30 because I had already been awake for half an hour and clearly wasn’t heading back to the Land of Nod.

 

Speaking of unpleasant tasks, how on earth did my house get this bad? I am but one person! Lucky for me, I’m not dirty so much as compulsively disorganized. There are piles of things everywhere! Yesterday, I managed to combine all of the piles into one pile which I’ll have to go through today. Two piles. Okay, three, but two of the three are pretty well organized piles and just need to be put away. This pile on the coffee table is the only one that scares me. And my bedroom, dear me. My bedroom hasn’t been this messy since high school. Again, I have combined all piles into one pile (entirely clothing), but that pile threatens mutiny.

 

Megan was surprised to discover that I was a metal-head back in the day. She was into alt-goth Robert Smith-y stuff. Well, so was I, to some extent. I favored hair bands, but I’ve always had an eclectic mix in my library. I was probably the only kid in high school to have a tape of Joni Mitchell with Motley Crue on the B side. Alphabetical, you see. I knew I was going to like Jane’s Addiction when they started getting airplay on both WSOU (metal) and WDRE (modern rock).

 

8:57 AM

 

Thursday, November 02, 2006

really, the last of the photos

 

(The following post lifted directly from villanovababy.com; thanks Erin!)

 

HOLY CRAP!

 

My dearest friend Charleigh took LOADS of awesome pictures of our Halloween party!

 

Check them out!

Oh, and here are more pics from the Taxi party

 

7:45 AM