Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
I've never dressed Murphy up in a Halloween costume, but if I did, this year I'd dress her up as James Dean - because she's a rebel. I'll tell you the story later...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Letting go
There comes a time when you just have to be real with yourself. You have to take the rose-colored glasses off and just face facts. Just because something once worked for you doesn't mean it still does.
Sure, it was great when it started. You were excited about it. It became a big part of your life. It was good in so many ways. You felt good about it.
As time passed, things changed. Maybe it didn't offer all it once did to your life. Maybe you made some changes and things don't "mesh" like they once did. But you held on, through good times and bad, slow periods and periods of renewed interest. It was so good once! It can be again!
But you're not going back. That's clear. And to hold on to dead weight, hoping it might once again come alive for you...well, that's just sad.
So, I'm letting go. I'm giving up my gym membership. It was an amazing deal when I signed up for it. $10.80 a month for life. FOR LIFE! It's been something like 10 years - maybe more, and it's never gone up even a penny. I still pay just $10.80 a month. I'll NEVER get that again! So, I've held on to it. When I've gone through periods of not using it, I just hang on, and eventually I start using it again. For a while. But here's the thing. I can't remember the last time I stepped foot in the doors, but I vaguely remember that it wasn't even to work out. I just used the locker room to get ready to go out one evening after work.
J says he knows I haven't been once in the entire year we've dated. That's $130 right there that I've spent for NOTHING. And the dry spell is probably even longer than that. It's not that I don't exercise or work out. I do. But I do it at home. For free. And I recently discovered a place downtown with a locker room I can use for free if I'm ever in dire need. So, it doesn't make sense to keep paying for a gym I'm not going to use. Even if it is a great deal.
So, I'm cutting the cord. I'm setting it free. It's been a good run. No one can say I'm fickle. I've been steady, I've been true. But it's time to take an expense off the books that isn't actually delivering anything. Should the time ever come that I want a gym again, I may look back whistfully at this moment. But hopefully, I will look back fondly, and not with regret.
Thanks Gym. It's been good knowin' ya. Now get your meathooks outta my bank account!
Sure, it was great when it started. You were excited about it. It became a big part of your life. It was good in so many ways. You felt good about it.
As time passed, things changed. Maybe it didn't offer all it once did to your life. Maybe you made some changes and things don't "mesh" like they once did. But you held on, through good times and bad, slow periods and periods of renewed interest. It was so good once! It can be again!
But you're not going back. That's clear. And to hold on to dead weight, hoping it might once again come alive for you...well, that's just sad.
So, I'm letting go. I'm giving up my gym membership. It was an amazing deal when I signed up for it. $10.80 a month for life. FOR LIFE! It's been something like 10 years - maybe more, and it's never gone up even a penny. I still pay just $10.80 a month. I'll NEVER get that again! So, I've held on to it. When I've gone through periods of not using it, I just hang on, and eventually I start using it again. For a while. But here's the thing. I can't remember the last time I stepped foot in the doors, but I vaguely remember that it wasn't even to work out. I just used the locker room to get ready to go out one evening after work.
J says he knows I haven't been once in the entire year we've dated. That's $130 right there that I've spent for NOTHING. And the dry spell is probably even longer than that. It's not that I don't exercise or work out. I do. But I do it at home. For free. And I recently discovered a place downtown with a locker room I can use for free if I'm ever in dire need. So, it doesn't make sense to keep paying for a gym I'm not going to use. Even if it is a great deal.
So, I'm cutting the cord. I'm setting it free. It's been a good run. No one can say I'm fickle. I've been steady, I've been true. But it's time to take an expense off the books that isn't actually delivering anything. Should the time ever come that I want a gym again, I may look back whistfully at this moment. But hopefully, I will look back fondly, and not with regret.
Thanks Gym. It's been good knowin' ya. Now get your meathooks outta my bank account!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Zeppelin - not the Robert Plant kind
Interesting aeronautical news today. Zeppelins have returned to the skies - 71 years after the Hindenburg disaster put a damper on people's enthusiasm for the giant airships.
I know what you're thinking - why? I mean, aside from the $500 price tag, what's the point? Blimps have been around for years, so why do we need zeppelins? And what's the difference anyway?
Well, to answer the last question, according to the article, the difference is that zeppelins have an internal frame. Blimps, I guess, are just giant balloons with a motor.
To the second question (what's the point?), the point appears to be marketing. You can put a big logo on the side and rent it out for parties, etc.
But none of that really answers the question of simply "why"? I mean, you can rent a blimp, right? You can put a logo on a blimp, right? You can even rent blimps with electronic signs on the side. So, why zeppelins?
I figure it's just so people can say the word and sound superior. "We rented a zeppelin for our wedding rehearsal dinner." "Robert Plant played your rehearsal dinner?" "No, you plebe - we rented an airship. A zeppelin." "You mean a blimp?" "This is why you weren't invited to the wedding."
I know what you're thinking - why? I mean, aside from the $500 price tag, what's the point? Blimps have been around for years, so why do we need zeppelins? And what's the difference anyway?
Well, to answer the last question, according to the article, the difference is that zeppelins have an internal frame. Blimps, I guess, are just giant balloons with a motor.
To the second question (what's the point?), the point appears to be marketing. You can put a big logo on the side and rent it out for parties, etc.
But none of that really answers the question of simply "why"? I mean, you can rent a blimp, right? You can put a logo on a blimp, right? You can even rent blimps with electronic signs on the side. So, why zeppelins?
I figure it's just so people can say the word and sound superior. "We rented a zeppelin for our wedding rehearsal dinner." "Robert Plant played your rehearsal dinner?" "No, you plebe - we rented an airship. A zeppelin." "You mean a blimp?" "This is why you weren't invited to the wedding."
Monday, October 27, 2008
Amazing Race
Well, I was wrong in my prediction about who would be booted this week from Amazing Race, but not by much. The Frats just barely hung in there. I'm sorry to see Aja and Ty go. I didn't like when Aja tattled to the Divorcees about Starr, but overall, they were fine. I was suprised Ty said he'd be moving to LA to be with Aja, though. I thought she had gotten on his nerves during the race. Oh well - good luck to them! On with the race.
Fly to Cambodia. As usual, Terence needed a Midol. He got pulled over for speeding on the way to the airport, and when Sarah commented that she always thought of him as a slow driver, he petulantly responded that she was a jerk and "Is that how you console someone who just got a ticket?" Really, dude? You have GOT to grow a pair. She wasn't criticizing you - she was just making an observation, and her tone was clearly that of someone trying to lighten the mood and let you know she wasn't upset or pissed about the time delay. So, yeah, that's how she consoles you - by letting you know it ain't no thang but a chicken wang. But since you live in a constant state of PMS, I can see where you probably needed a hug and a good cry instead. HOW is she attracted to that?
At the airport, the Divorcees once again showed their true colors by making fun of Dallas's hair. Yes, Dallas - a nice guy who has never done one nasty thing to them. MAN those women are bitches.
Cambodia. Hand crank gasoline. Maybe if we had to crank our own, we'd use less in this country. Or at least get a little more exercise. There might be more explosions from idiots with cigarettes trying to smoke and fill up their cars at the same time, but that would probably cut down on our lung cancer expenditures, so again, not a bad thing. The Frats really shot themselves in the foot on this task - or I should say that Andrew did. He just couldn't seem to grasp that he needed to pump faster to get the pump to work. Dan knew it, and told him, but Andrew wouldn't listen, and for some reason, Dan didn't just jump in and do it himself until a bunch of teams had already passed them. Was he not allowed to take over or something? Did they have to choose one person to pump and they had chosen Andrew? I might've missed that - I was making pie while I watched this episode. Seriously. I was making a pie.
Murky water. Terence may have actually put on a bra and panties during this leg. He was marginally manly by pushing the boat after the engine failed, but he blew his man points all to hell by the way he pushed it. Plaintively and repeatedly asking Sarah in a tragic voice how far he'd gone, I swear he was crying by the time they got to the restaurant.
The tasks during this leg were kind of odd. It was like a scavenger hunt more than a challenge. But I guess wading around in the murky water for the next task was risk enough. And the fish couldn't have smelled good.
The ancient temple was cool. I'd like to see that place. And I enjoyed watching Tina lose time by wandering around and not just asking someone where the Chamber of Echoes was and then getting lost after she found the clue. Could her voice be any more annoying? I don't know how Ken listens to it. And I don't know how J listens to me imitating her when we're watching the show. He's probably going to throw a glass at me one of these days if I don't stop. And yet I can't...
Nick and Starr won the leg, which is fine with me. I'm not rooting for them, but I'm not against them either, and with the teams that are left, that may be what I'm stuck with by the end - just hoping a team I hate doesn't win. But I guess if the only teams left were teams I liked, it would cut down on my motivation to watch, since I wouldn't care anymore who won, since I'd be happy with any of them. I'm still gonna root for the Divorcees to bite the dust, though. I don't like them in case you hadn't noticed.
Fly to Cambodia. As usual, Terence needed a Midol. He got pulled over for speeding on the way to the airport, and when Sarah commented that she always thought of him as a slow driver, he petulantly responded that she was a jerk and "Is that how you console someone who just got a ticket?" Really, dude? You have GOT to grow a pair. She wasn't criticizing you - she was just making an observation, and her tone was clearly that of someone trying to lighten the mood and let you know she wasn't upset or pissed about the time delay. So, yeah, that's how she consoles you - by letting you know it ain't no thang but a chicken wang. But since you live in a constant state of PMS, I can see where you probably needed a hug and a good cry instead. HOW is she attracted to that?
At the airport, the Divorcees once again showed their true colors by making fun of Dallas's hair. Yes, Dallas - a nice guy who has never done one nasty thing to them. MAN those women are bitches.
Cambodia. Hand crank gasoline. Maybe if we had to crank our own, we'd use less in this country. Or at least get a little more exercise. There might be more explosions from idiots with cigarettes trying to smoke and fill up their cars at the same time, but that would probably cut down on our lung cancer expenditures, so again, not a bad thing. The Frats really shot themselves in the foot on this task - or I should say that Andrew did. He just couldn't seem to grasp that he needed to pump faster to get the pump to work. Dan knew it, and told him, but Andrew wouldn't listen, and for some reason, Dan didn't just jump in and do it himself until a bunch of teams had already passed them. Was he not allowed to take over or something? Did they have to choose one person to pump and they had chosen Andrew? I might've missed that - I was making pie while I watched this episode. Seriously. I was making a pie.
Murky water. Terence may have actually put on a bra and panties during this leg. He was marginally manly by pushing the boat after the engine failed, but he blew his man points all to hell by the way he pushed it. Plaintively and repeatedly asking Sarah in a tragic voice how far he'd gone, I swear he was crying by the time they got to the restaurant.
The tasks during this leg were kind of odd. It was like a scavenger hunt more than a challenge. But I guess wading around in the murky water for the next task was risk enough. And the fish couldn't have smelled good.
The ancient temple was cool. I'd like to see that place. And I enjoyed watching Tina lose time by wandering around and not just asking someone where the Chamber of Echoes was and then getting lost after she found the clue. Could her voice be any more annoying? I don't know how Ken listens to it. And I don't know how J listens to me imitating her when we're watching the show. He's probably going to throw a glass at me one of these days if I don't stop. And yet I can't...
Nick and Starr won the leg, which is fine with me. I'm not rooting for them, but I'm not against them either, and with the teams that are left, that may be what I'm stuck with by the end - just hoping a team I hate doesn't win. But I guess if the only teams left were teams I liked, it would cut down on my motivation to watch, since I wouldn't care anymore who won, since I'd be happy with any of them. I'm still gonna root for the Divorcees to bite the dust, though. I don't like them in case you hadn't noticed.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Time travel
So, I got back from my work trip on Friday, but am just now getting a chance to post. This will be short, but I just had to mention a very cool aspect of my trip. We stayed at the Westin Oaks hotel in the Galleria.
Why is that cool? Because it's attached to the Galleria mall, and when you step out into the mall, you're overlooking an ice-skating rink. Why is that cool? Because I had my 10th birthday party at that exact ice-skating rink - it was a little trip back in time for me! It was my entree into the world of double-digits, and boy was I excited!
Somehow, aging is less exciting now.
Why is that cool? Because it's attached to the Galleria mall, and when you step out into the mall, you're overlooking an ice-skating rink. Why is that cool? Because I had my 10th birthday party at that exact ice-skating rink - it was a little trip back in time for me! It was my entree into the world of double-digits, and boy was I excited!
Somehow, aging is less exciting now.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
In my email...
Another winning set of job matches from Yahoo! Hotjobs. Today, I have offers to apply for:
"Restaurant Workers and Shift Leaders" for a sub shop. Because apparently two degrees gets you nowhere these days.
and
"IT Audit Associate" for a company that's someone's name followed by LLP. So, I'm guessing an accounting firm, or possibly a law firm. Let me assure whoever matched me with this job that NO ONE wants me messing with their IT or their audit functions - much less both in the same job.
If only someone would offer me a job as an airport shuttle driver, part-time, for a six-figure salary, we could end all this madness.
"Restaurant Workers and Shift Leaders" for a sub shop. Because apparently two degrees gets you nowhere these days.
and
"IT Audit Associate" for a company that's someone's name followed by LLP. So, I'm guessing an accounting firm, or possibly a law firm. Let me assure whoever matched me with this job that NO ONE wants me messing with their IT or their audit functions - much less both in the same job.
If only someone would offer me a job as an airport shuttle driver, part-time, for a six-figure salary, we could end all this madness.
Monday, October 20, 2008
No more Pinkies.
A little bit better result this week on The Amazing Race. But let's start at the beginning.
So, the Divorcees don't want to try and mend fences with Starr and Nick? Shocking. What a surprise that they want to keep a war going if at all possible. I really can't wait for these two to be ousted.
Fly to New Zealand. Ty and Aja are really starting to argue on a regular basis. They're not ugly with the way they argue, but I'm not sure their long-term prospects as a couple are good with the way they butt heads. Admittedly, though, this would be a pretty rough jump from being long-distance. It would be hard to be together all the time in a high-stress situation involving alot of decision-making even if you were used to one another. When you haven't even been together on a daily basis and you toss yourself into this situation? I'm not sure it's the best relationship builder.
Did anyone notice Terrence's estrogen showing itself when the teams got to New Zealand and had to drive to their first challenge? He was driving and asked Sarah if she would touch his hair or something and show him some love. Good gravy, man, change your maxi pad!!
Ken & Tina do the Fast Forward. First, let me say that climbing that tower would've been hellish for me. I'm not great with heights, so scaling the outside of the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere...I don't think I could've done it. No, I *could* have if I *had* to, but I would've been miserable and hated every second of it, and it wouldn't have been worth it to me. And I'm surprised K&T thought it was, considering they were already in first place. I'm not sure why they thought they needed to do that. J kept saying he thought it was the coolest thing ever, but he and I seem to have different survival instincts. We'll leave it at that.
Roadblock: Maori tattoos. J and I agreed this one would've been mine. If there's one thing I'm good at it, it's attention to detail. I wanted to slap the blonde who kept giving a little "eek!" and drawing her hand back when the warrior would grunt at her at the clue box, though. MAN, why do women like that think it's cute to act like a 4-year-old??
Gnome spotting. Nothing to say on this one.
Detour: stomp kiwis or sail go-karts. J is pretty mechanical, but I think I would've gone with the kiwis. The teams almost unanimously said the rocks in the bottom of the tank hurt their feet, but the Divorcees had no trouble with that, so J thinks that the lighter the person, the less painful the stomping. In that case, he and I would've done well - we're not heavy. And we would've gotten to drink kiwi juice at the end, though admittedly it would've been kiwi juice that had my feet in it. I'm not sure why Starr even tried to drive their car away from the go-kart place after hurting her arm so badly. I guess the rules must say you have to try or something. But I'll be curious to hear how bad her arm was hurt if they give an update on the next episode. I'm sure it wasn't broken, but it did look banged up.
In the end, Ken and Tina won the leg (again) because of the Fast Forward. Ick. I just do not like Tina. But the blondes were booted, so that was good. If only we can get the Divorcees outta there. I have a feeling the Frat Boys will be gone next, though. They've just barely hung on the last few weeks, and the field is narrowing. Barring a big mistake from someone else, I think they may be the next ones eliminated.
So, the Divorcees don't want to try and mend fences with Starr and Nick? Shocking. What a surprise that they want to keep a war going if at all possible. I really can't wait for these two to be ousted.
Fly to New Zealand. Ty and Aja are really starting to argue on a regular basis. They're not ugly with the way they argue, but I'm not sure their long-term prospects as a couple are good with the way they butt heads. Admittedly, though, this would be a pretty rough jump from being long-distance. It would be hard to be together all the time in a high-stress situation involving alot of decision-making even if you were used to one another. When you haven't even been together on a daily basis and you toss yourself into this situation? I'm not sure it's the best relationship builder.
Did anyone notice Terrence's estrogen showing itself when the teams got to New Zealand and had to drive to their first challenge? He was driving and asked Sarah if she would touch his hair or something and show him some love. Good gravy, man, change your maxi pad!!
Ken & Tina do the Fast Forward. First, let me say that climbing that tower would've been hellish for me. I'm not great with heights, so scaling the outside of the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere...I don't think I could've done it. No, I *could* have if I *had* to, but I would've been miserable and hated every second of it, and it wouldn't have been worth it to me. And I'm surprised K&T thought it was, considering they were already in first place. I'm not sure why they thought they needed to do that. J kept saying he thought it was the coolest thing ever, but he and I seem to have different survival instincts. We'll leave it at that.
Roadblock: Maori tattoos. J and I agreed this one would've been mine. If there's one thing I'm good at it, it's attention to detail. I wanted to slap the blonde who kept giving a little "eek!" and drawing her hand back when the warrior would grunt at her at the clue box, though. MAN, why do women like that think it's cute to act like a 4-year-old??
Gnome spotting. Nothing to say on this one.
Detour: stomp kiwis or sail go-karts. J is pretty mechanical, but I think I would've gone with the kiwis. The teams almost unanimously said the rocks in the bottom of the tank hurt their feet, but the Divorcees had no trouble with that, so J thinks that the lighter the person, the less painful the stomping. In that case, he and I would've done well - we're not heavy. And we would've gotten to drink kiwi juice at the end, though admittedly it would've been kiwi juice that had my feet in it. I'm not sure why Starr even tried to drive their car away from the go-kart place after hurting her arm so badly. I guess the rules must say you have to try or something. But I'll be curious to hear how bad her arm was hurt if they give an update on the next episode. I'm sure it wasn't broken, but it did look banged up.
In the end, Ken and Tina won the leg (again) because of the Fast Forward. Ick. I just do not like Tina. But the blondes were booted, so that was good. If only we can get the Divorcees outta there. I have a feeling the Frat Boys will be gone next, though. They've just barely hung on the last few weeks, and the field is narrowing. Barring a big mistake from someone else, I think they may be the next ones eliminated.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Boss's Day
Tomorrow is "Boss's Day." We non-Boss types are supposed to show our appreciation for our bosses by buying a card or a gift or, I guess, taking them to lunch, or some other act of generosity. Presumably, the sentiment behind this day is, "Thanks for being a great boss!"
I'd like to know when "You're Lucky I Don't Light This Place On Fire Day" is.
I'd like to know when "You're Lucky I Don't Light This Place On Fire Day" is.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Amazing Race!
I've been remiss. The Amazing Race is through Week 3 now, and I haven't blogged about it once! In fairness, though, I've been distracted by football, so it's forgiveable. But let's dish about TAR!
Okay, I missed the first week, so I didn't see all the introductions, but let's talk about the teams!
Terence & Sarah. From what I've seen so far, Terence is a whiney girl and Sarah is annoying me with her Spanish for some reason. I don't even really know why about the Sarah/Spanish thing, but that's where we are. I'm not rooting for these two, though, based mainly on Terence's estrogen.
Marisa & Brooke. Labeled as "Southern Belles." These two are just the usual, token, pretty little young blondes who think constantly wearing pink and perpetually shining a sorority smile is endearing. It's not. Not rooting for 'em.
Andrew & Dan. Labeled as "Frat Guys," these two more seem like nerds to me than frat guys, and I kind of like them. I haven't seen anything yet about them to annoy me, so I got no bad vibes for Andrew & Dan. Good luck, guys!
Aja & Ty. I didn't get any feel for this pair last week, but this week Aja really pissed me off. She felt the need to get involved in the drama between two other teams, tattling to the Divorcees that Starr asked her and Ty to U-Turn the Divorcees. There was NO reason to tell the Divorcees what Starr had requested other than to cause drama, and I have no patience for that. If you don't want to U-Turn them, don't U-Turn them, but shut up about it and just keep racing your own race. Don't get involved in people's drama, and don't cause even more of it. That kind of immaturity and negative energy is bad karma, and you can bet that Aja's got something coming. Not rootin' for 'em.
Mark & Bill. I'm so bummed these guys got eliminated this week! I liked them. I was rootin' for 'em. :(
Toni & Dallas. No real feeling for or against them at this point. J was annoyed that Toni is running the race and doesn't appear to be in very good shape, so she kind of held Dallas back in South America, but I think the altitude was just getting to her and that can happen to anyone, so I'm not going to hate on her for that. We'll see if I get a stronger feeling as the race wears on.
Nick & Starr. I'm okay with them for the moment, but if Starr wants someone U-Turned, then she needs to have the balls to do it herself instead of asking another team to do it. If she's going to war with the Divorcees, then she needs step up to the front line. Asking someone else to get in the firing line while she hides behind them is lame. Now, I didn't see what did or didn't happen with the Divorcee's sports bra. If she did knock it off the balcony, then I'm crossing her off my list. If she didn't, and Divorcee is just being paranoid (and probably jealous because Starr is pretty and younger), then I don't blame her for being in Divorcee's face about the accusation. Just stay in her face, not hiding behind someone else's skirts.
Anita & Arthur. I missed the first week - were these two the first team eliminated?
Kelly & Christy. These are my official "love to hate them" team right now. I can't stand these two. I can certainly see why they're divorced. I wouldn't want to live with either of them either. And I was sick that they survived this last week because of Mark & Bill's mistake with the cab. Arrrgh. Rooting against them.
Ken & Tina. Ditto on my reaction to Kelly & Christy. Can't stand them. Tina is a hag, and Ken kisses her ass because he feels guilty about his infidelity. Well, good lord, man, of course you cheated on her. *I* want to cheat on her! She's awful! That ridiculous scene at the airport where she ran around telling everyone that she got the airline to switch to a bigger plane for them?? PUH-LEASE!!! She's heinous. I hate that they're in first place and have already won two trips. Actively rooting against these two.
Anthony & Stephanie. Another team I haven't seen. Did I miss the first TWO weeks? Sheeeeeesh.
I'll do a better job of commenting on the action going forward, instead of just the racers, but you know how this works. If someone makes me want to slap them, I gotta share. And I welcome feedback from the peanut gallery, so if you're watching, be sure and comment! Love The Race, man!!
Okay, I missed the first week, so I didn't see all the introductions, but let's talk about the teams!
Terence & Sarah. From what I've seen so far, Terence is a whiney girl and Sarah is annoying me with her Spanish for some reason. I don't even really know why about the Sarah/Spanish thing, but that's where we are. I'm not rooting for these two, though, based mainly on Terence's estrogen.
Marisa & Brooke. Labeled as "Southern Belles." These two are just the usual, token, pretty little young blondes who think constantly wearing pink and perpetually shining a sorority smile is endearing. It's not. Not rooting for 'em.
Andrew & Dan. Labeled as "Frat Guys," these two more seem like nerds to me than frat guys, and I kind of like them. I haven't seen anything yet about them to annoy me, so I got no bad vibes for Andrew & Dan. Good luck, guys!
Aja & Ty. I didn't get any feel for this pair last week, but this week Aja really pissed me off. She felt the need to get involved in the drama between two other teams, tattling to the Divorcees that Starr asked her and Ty to U-Turn the Divorcees. There was NO reason to tell the Divorcees what Starr had requested other than to cause drama, and I have no patience for that. If you don't want to U-Turn them, don't U-Turn them, but shut up about it and just keep racing your own race. Don't get involved in people's drama, and don't cause even more of it. That kind of immaturity and negative energy is bad karma, and you can bet that Aja's got something coming. Not rootin' for 'em.
Mark & Bill. I'm so bummed these guys got eliminated this week! I liked them. I was rootin' for 'em. :(
Toni & Dallas. No real feeling for or against them at this point. J was annoyed that Toni is running the race and doesn't appear to be in very good shape, so she kind of held Dallas back in South America, but I think the altitude was just getting to her and that can happen to anyone, so I'm not going to hate on her for that. We'll see if I get a stronger feeling as the race wears on.
Nick & Starr. I'm okay with them for the moment, but if Starr wants someone U-Turned, then she needs to have the balls to do it herself instead of asking another team to do it. If she's going to war with the Divorcees, then she needs step up to the front line. Asking someone else to get in the firing line while she hides behind them is lame. Now, I didn't see what did or didn't happen with the Divorcee's sports bra. If she did knock it off the balcony, then I'm crossing her off my list. If she didn't, and Divorcee is just being paranoid (and probably jealous because Starr is pretty and younger), then I don't blame her for being in Divorcee's face about the accusation. Just stay in her face, not hiding behind someone else's skirts.
Anita & Arthur. I missed the first week - were these two the first team eliminated?
Kelly & Christy. These are my official "love to hate them" team right now. I can't stand these two. I can certainly see why they're divorced. I wouldn't want to live with either of them either. And I was sick that they survived this last week because of Mark & Bill's mistake with the cab. Arrrgh. Rooting against them.
Ken & Tina. Ditto on my reaction to Kelly & Christy. Can't stand them. Tina is a hag, and Ken kisses her ass because he feels guilty about his infidelity. Well, good lord, man, of course you cheated on her. *I* want to cheat on her! She's awful! That ridiculous scene at the airport where she ran around telling everyone that she got the airline to switch to a bigger plane for them?? PUH-LEASE!!! She's heinous. I hate that they're in first place and have already won two trips. Actively rooting against these two.
Anthony & Stephanie. Another team I haven't seen. Did I miss the first TWO weeks? Sheeeeeesh.
I'll do a better job of commenting on the action going forward, instead of just the racers, but you know how this works. If someone makes me want to slap them, I gotta share. And I welcome feedback from the peanut gallery, so if you're watching, be sure and comment! Love The Race, man!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
This is what I love about my friends.
A friend of mine sent one of those meme "Get to know your friends" things on email, where you answer a series of questions - "What color socks are you wearing?" and "What states have you lived in?" That kinda thing.
Well, one of the questions was "How do you vent anger?" It is this question above all others that reveals to me why I love my friends. They're just so honest and real! No bullshit politically correct (i.e. "I'm a superior human being") answers like, "I go for a jog" or "I meditate." No, with my friends, it's just honest answers that make you say, "Yeah, me too. Thank god I'm not the only one who hasn't evolved." A sampling of my friends' responses:
"A lot of swearing"
"I tend to spew at [my husband], poor guy"
"Silent seething, then biting 'discussion'"
"I drop the f bomb a lot or I am silent and [husband] has to beg me to find out what's wrong."
AND
"Yell, Cuss or shutdown (depends on who it is I am angry at)" - This one was from a friend, but it was also my answer. :)
I should note that these answers came from both men and women. And I want to thank you all categorically for being the cool people you are. It's only because you are yourselves with me that I can be myself with you, and I laughed reading each and every one of these. You guys are the best! And let's not get mad at each other, because it looks like there would be a lot of cursing involved, and some of you have children around now. ;)
Well, one of the questions was "How do you vent anger?" It is this question above all others that reveals to me why I love my friends. They're just so honest and real! No bullshit politically correct (i.e. "I'm a superior human being") answers like, "I go for a jog" or "I meditate." No, with my friends, it's just honest answers that make you say, "Yeah, me too. Thank god I'm not the only one who hasn't evolved." A sampling of my friends' responses:
"A lot of swearing"
"I tend to spew at [my husband], poor guy"
"Silent seething, then biting 'discussion'"
"I drop the f bomb a lot or I am silent and [husband] has to beg me to find out what's wrong."
AND
"Yell, Cuss or shutdown (depends on who it is I am angry at)" - This one was from a friend, but it was also my answer. :)
I should note that these answers came from both men and women. And I want to thank you all categorically for being the cool people you are. It's only because you are yourselves with me that I can be myself with you, and I laughed reading each and every one of these. You guys are the best! And let's not get mad at each other, because it looks like there would be a lot of cursing involved, and some of you have children around now. ;)
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
In my email...
So, back when I was actively looking for a new job, scouring all the sites and listing my resume on all the job search engines, I listed my resume with Yahoo! Hotjobs. Nothing substantial ever came from that source, but for some reason, I never told them to stop sending me emails when something matched my profile. So, I get job matches on almost a daily basis.
Sometimes it takes quite a stretch to make the connection between my profile and what they send me, but I think today's listings might take the cake. Remember, in real life, I'm a writer an editor. And yet, Yahoo! Hotjobs thought I might be interested in a position as a:
Store Manager (never done that),
Painter's Helper (uh...what?), or, and this is the lulu,
Nanny (do they even KNOW me???)!
I should probably share with you parents out there the name of the company whose approach to finding quality in-home care for your children is to shotgun an email to anyone looking for a job of any kind. But instead I'll just encourage you to raise your own kids and leave it at that.
Sometimes it takes quite a stretch to make the connection between my profile and what they send me, but I think today's listings might take the cake. Remember, in real life, I'm a writer an editor. And yet, Yahoo! Hotjobs thought I might be interested in a position as a:
Store Manager (never done that),
Painter's Helper (uh...what?), or, and this is the lulu,
Nanny (do they even KNOW me???)!
I should probably share with you parents out there the name of the company whose approach to finding quality in-home care for your children is to shotgun an email to anyone looking for a job of any kind. But instead I'll just encourage you to raise your own kids and leave it at that.
Monday, October 06, 2008
A grammar lesson
Why is there no love for the semicolon? I read this headline today: "Quaid reacts to his ex, Lohan's steamy holiday" - I didn't read the story, but I'm pretty sure Dennis Quaid did not respond to Lindsay Lohan's steamy holiday.
Here's the deal on semicolons (I'm putting on my editor's hat now, so just strap in). Semicolons are used to separate, yet connect, two independent clauses. An independent clause has a subject and a verb, just like a sentence. In fact, it could be a sentence. But rather than have the sentence stand alone, with a period, you can use a semicolon to sort of "attach" it to another independent clause/sentence, to create a connection between the two clauses.
In the case of the headline above, the writer should have said: "Quaid reacts to his ex; Lohan's steamy holiday," or better yet, "Quaid reacts to his ex; Lohan has steamy holiday" (since the second part of the original construction had no verb - it was just a noun with adjectives, and therefore, not an independent clause...or even a clause). By writing it either of those ways, you're saying, "If you click on this link, you'll be taken to a page that covers two stories: Quaid reacts to his ex and Lohan's steamy holiday." The way it's currently written, there's only one subject ("Quaid") and one verb ("reacts") but two nouns ("ex" and "holiday"), separated by a comma, so that means Quaid is reacting to those two nouns.
I know we're all so very lazy about grammar, because after all, we can all speak and use a pencil, so therefore we can all write, so who needs an editor, right? Well, trust me - being literate is not the same thing as being able to write. In fact, I'd like to change my lead sentence. I'm not so much worried about love for semicolons anymore. Why is there no love for writers and editors?
Hire me. I can help you.
Here's the deal on semicolons (I'm putting on my editor's hat now, so just strap in). Semicolons are used to separate, yet connect, two independent clauses. An independent clause has a subject and a verb, just like a sentence. In fact, it could be a sentence. But rather than have the sentence stand alone, with a period, you can use a semicolon to sort of "attach" it to another independent clause/sentence, to create a connection between the two clauses.
In the case of the headline above, the writer should have said: "Quaid reacts to his ex; Lohan's steamy holiday," or better yet, "Quaid reacts to his ex; Lohan has steamy holiday" (since the second part of the original construction had no verb - it was just a noun with adjectives, and therefore, not an independent clause...or even a clause). By writing it either of those ways, you're saying, "If you click on this link, you'll be taken to a page that covers two stories: Quaid reacts to his ex and Lohan's steamy holiday." The way it's currently written, there's only one subject ("Quaid") and one verb ("reacts") but two nouns ("ex" and "holiday"), separated by a comma, so that means Quaid is reacting to those two nouns.
I know we're all so very lazy about grammar, because after all, we can all speak and use a pencil, so therefore we can all write, so who needs an editor, right? Well, trust me - being literate is not the same thing as being able to write. In fact, I'd like to change my lead sentence. I'm not so much worried about love for semicolons anymore. Why is there no love for writers and editors?
Hire me. I can help you.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Ready to fly
Feelin' a little philosophical today. I've been struck lately by the differences in people's personalities when it comes to feeling "adult," and by "adult" I mean that mental place where you feel all grown up and capable and confident about your decisions and you don't need the approval of your parents or a consensus of "others" to believe that you are right.
I know people who have felt "adult" since high school. They've taken on the world, been afraid of nothing, never questioned their attack, never concerned themselves particularly with anyone else's approval, and lived exactly on their own terms. From the outside, I've disagreed with some of their choices and been able to make quite the logical argument for why they should've done things another way. But I never made that argument to them, because (a) it was none of my business to tell someone else how to live their life and (b) it wouldn't have made an difference in what they did anyway and probably would've caused a rift between us. And furthermore, even if I didn't always agree with what they did, I envied their hutzpah to do it.
I've often wish I had more...courage? Maybe that's the word. I spent much of my life being too afraid of what others would think - everyone from peers at school to my parents - or too afraid of some long-term, unlikely consequence to chase after dreams or leap off cliffs that I should have. I was afraid that taking that risk would lead to me lying at the bottom of the cliff bloodied and broken forever. So, I stood at the top, a safe distance from the edge and watched while other people threw themselves over the side with abandon, and it never occurred to me that there never seemed to be any ambulances screaming to anyone's rescue. No one needed any saving.
I wasn't always like that. As a child, I was fearless and totally convinced of my ability in any situation. It's true! I assumed I could do anything anyone else could do, and I threw myself head-first into everything I got a notion to do. And if you told me I couldn't do something, you should probably get out of the way because then it was my personal mission to prove you wrong. And it never really occurred to me that there might be a crisis of approval regarding my choices. Life was my oyster, and dammit there were pearls inside! Somewhere along the line, though, there was a shift.
Don't get me wrong. I've acccomplished a lot. I've been successful, in my estimation, and I've had a great many cool experiences and met some interesting, amazing people along the way. I've traveled. I've worked hard. I've made great friends and grown into someone I like and like being. I have a great family and a good life, by just about any standard. And I have an amazing, supportive man in my life that I waited a really long time for. I'm pretty confident in most situations, and I believe the word "spitfire" was used in reference to me recently by a co-worker. But I can look back and see so many times when I should have tried something but didn't out of one fear or another, and I regret not jumping off more cliffs and giving God the chance to show me how to fly.
My 30s have been a time of growth, achievement, strengthening and ever-increasing clarity and peace. It's been a good period for me. But I hope that as I approach a new period in my life, I will have not just the will, but the courage to start flying more - or more accurately, the courage to leap, trusting that God will show me to fly, regardless of what anyone else thinks I should be doing. I know I won't always have Other People's approval if I do so. But I'll have mine, and I'm pretty sure I'll have God's, and in the end, those are the only two people who take your entire journey.
Is this a mid-life crisis? Is it more growth? Or is it just a returning to who I was supposed to be all along - the essential me? I hope it's the last one. And I hope I'm finding my wings early enough to take all the flights God had planned for me. I hope that when I'm 90 and looking back on my life, I see a life well lived, not one safely seated on a bench, carefully back from the cliff, never knowing what was on the other side.
I know people who have felt "adult" since high school. They've taken on the world, been afraid of nothing, never questioned their attack, never concerned themselves particularly with anyone else's approval, and lived exactly on their own terms. From the outside, I've disagreed with some of their choices and been able to make quite the logical argument for why they should've done things another way. But I never made that argument to them, because (a) it was none of my business to tell someone else how to live their life and (b) it wouldn't have made an difference in what they did anyway and probably would've caused a rift between us. And furthermore, even if I didn't always agree with what they did, I envied their hutzpah to do it.
I've often wish I had more...courage? Maybe that's the word. I spent much of my life being too afraid of what others would think - everyone from peers at school to my parents - or too afraid of some long-term, unlikely consequence to chase after dreams or leap off cliffs that I should have. I was afraid that taking that risk would lead to me lying at the bottom of the cliff bloodied and broken forever. So, I stood at the top, a safe distance from the edge and watched while other people threw themselves over the side with abandon, and it never occurred to me that there never seemed to be any ambulances screaming to anyone's rescue. No one needed any saving.
I wasn't always like that. As a child, I was fearless and totally convinced of my ability in any situation. It's true! I assumed I could do anything anyone else could do, and I threw myself head-first into everything I got a notion to do. And if you told me I couldn't do something, you should probably get out of the way because then it was my personal mission to prove you wrong. And it never really occurred to me that there might be a crisis of approval regarding my choices. Life was my oyster, and dammit there were pearls inside! Somewhere along the line, though, there was a shift.
Don't get me wrong. I've acccomplished a lot. I've been successful, in my estimation, and I've had a great many cool experiences and met some interesting, amazing people along the way. I've traveled. I've worked hard. I've made great friends and grown into someone I like and like being. I have a great family and a good life, by just about any standard. And I have an amazing, supportive man in my life that I waited a really long time for. I'm pretty confident in most situations, and I believe the word "spitfire" was used in reference to me recently by a co-worker. But I can look back and see so many times when I should have tried something but didn't out of one fear or another, and I regret not jumping off more cliffs and giving God the chance to show me how to fly.
My 30s have been a time of growth, achievement, strengthening and ever-increasing clarity and peace. It's been a good period for me. But I hope that as I approach a new period in my life, I will have not just the will, but the courage to start flying more - or more accurately, the courage to leap, trusting that God will show me to fly, regardless of what anyone else thinks I should be doing. I know I won't always have Other People's approval if I do so. But I'll have mine, and I'm pretty sure I'll have God's, and in the end, those are the only two people who take your entire journey.
Is this a mid-life crisis? Is it more growth? Or is it just a returning to who I was supposed to be all along - the essential me? I hope it's the last one. And I hope I'm finding my wings early enough to take all the flights God had planned for me. I hope that when I'm 90 and looking back on my life, I see a life well lived, not one safely seated on a bench, carefully back from the cliff, never knowing what was on the other side.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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