294 - Guess what?

It's my birthday. At this point I am only three years away from the dreaded 4-0. It's surreal. I'm not freaked out by it (yet), it just doesn't seem like I should be this age... BTW, happy birthday to Laura!

I know I said I wasn't going to blog over the weekend, but I'm at that point in the day where the mania sets in... 5-1/2 hours to go and I've already cleaned the house, my clothes are on, my makeup and hair are done, most of the food is made. I even finished rating all 13,387 songs on my playlist, so the music is ready to go. Now I have cabin fever. My friend Debra is coming around 2 or 3 and we're going to go have some Italian food at an awesome restaurant that recently opened. That'll help. But I still have an hour or so to wait.

I hate waiting.

I try watching tv, and I can't sit still. I try to get on the computer, I keep surfing. I try to play the piano, I play too fast and my fingers trip all over themselves. In short -- manic. Can't find anything to satisfy. I've been like this ever since my first birthday party... it would be better if someone could hide the fact that there's a party from me, so I wouldn't be so antsy.

Got a nice surprise today. My best friend from the 8th grade through college is going to be in town and is going to be able to come and join in the fun tonight. She's awesome. Someone once said that she has a smile that lights up a room as soon as she walks in, and it's true. She's a good egg. I miss her. I miss having a best friend close by. My best friend now is my cousin, but she lives over 600 miles away... can't just call her up to hang out. Anyway, I KNEW sending out those 'no-way-in-hell-can-they-make-it-but-I'm-gonna-invite-them-anyway' invitations would pay off!

Sooooo... yeah... not much going on in my head at the moment that would amuse you, so I should go do something else... and then I'll do something else...

293 - Tar

They're reroofing my building at work. Still working their way around site and repairing damage from Ike...

Let me just say... you never adjust to the smell of tar... It stinks. Plain and simple. And being on the top floor, right next to a window doesn't make it any more pleasant...

So just a few minutes ago the smell was overwhelming. I wanted to stop breathing rather than inhale that putrid stench any longer... it actually sort of burned my lungs a little.

Then, in the midst of it all, I looked up and saw my savior... a giant grey rainy looking cloud. Rain = no roofers. No roofers = no tar.

Unfortunately, I realized it probably wasn't a rain cloud after all. It was just an innocent white cloud that hovered over our building a little too long and turned grey from all the tar.

Buggar.

Hey, it was a really cool week on the blogosphere! First Missy Kimmy dropped by, and now Kate is back to blogging! I like those gals so I just wanted to throw that out there. Now if Kato will pop in we'll come full circle!

Tomorrow is my birthday (and Laura's... please keep your fingers crossed for her... she has the worst luck on her birthday), so I probably won't blog. I'll be busy doing party prep. I love throwing parties, but dang they wear me out... gotta put stuff away, gotta get the cat hair off the floor, gotta clean the guest bath, gotta make the guest bed, gotta make the food, gotta put together a playlist, gotta, gotta, gotta. But then... come party time... I get to relax and enjoy being with my friends. So it's worth it in the end... I think. ;P

292 - Random Facts Re: Moi

Here are some random facts about me:

Mosquito sprayer trucks... terrify me. I don't know what it is about that sound, but I hear it, and I pretty much try to insinuate myself as deeply under the covers as possible and become inconspicuous. It's like I think they're alive... and have super sensitive hearing... because I try not to move... because moving makes sound. Even when you do it really slowly. Breathing also makes noise. So I sometimes stop doing that, too... just until they're out of range... I remember as a kid, playing outside in the summer months, and as night fell, the mosquito trucks would come and I'd have to skitter for the safety of the house. The smell... blech! If that happened to me today I don't know if I could move. I know. That's silly. It's completely ridiculous!... It's no less true.

I can watch Baby Boom, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Look Who's Talking, and Maid to Order over and over and over again and not be bored by the fact that I've probably seen each of them upwards of 20 times. In fact, as I type this, Baby Boom is on cable, and I'm watching it. There's nothing more interesting. Bear? I'd DVR him. Baby Boom is on. Are they great cinema? No. But they're simple to watch and on some level they appeal to me. I love it when JC Wyatt moves to the country. I love the dancing in GJWTHF. I love the humor and the adorable kid in LWT... I'm not quite sure what I love so much about MTO... maybe it's the 'Schoop-Schoop' song. *shrug*

I wrap my bacon slices individually. I know I've revealed this before and it caused great controversy. *mean look* For me, it makes perfect sense. I'm a single girl... and despite how it may look -- I don't (often) eat whole packages of bacon. (by the way, I'm finally into the next size down! but the scale still taunts me) So I wrap a slice or two in aluminum foil and stick it in the freezer. If I want bacon, I grab what I need and the rest is safe as houses in the freezer.

If you thought the great bacon controversy was bad... I wash my hair in the kitchen sink. Go ahead. Scoff. I take a bath at night. If I washed my hair at night and slept on it... it would scare people. Hell, I've seen girls who can wear a ponytail all day and they're hair is stick straight when they take the rubber band out. Me? If I wear it for five minutes, my hair is bendy and uncooperative. Imagine 8 hours of my hair on a pillow! So, each morning, I lean my head over the kitchen sink and wash my hair. I even installed a faucet that sits up higher so I can do it more comfortably. That, and it makes washing lettuce a hell of a lot easier.

I type without looking at the keys. I'm doing it now. Sometimes I can talk and type at the same time. It freaks people out. When I really get going on a numberpad, people have actually come from across the room to watch. I don't know why it's so amazing, but it is. So I'm added it to my random facts. Don't like it? Write your own random facts! Pthbbb.

Um... I guess that's it for now. I'm random facted out... it's sleepy time. First thing this morning when I woke up, I promised myself I'd take a nap when I got home (yeah... it really started out as that kind of day) and that didn't happen, so I'm zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... See you on the flip side!

291 - Random

Today I was full of random thoughts:

1) If/when I ever have kids, I'm going to convince them that on their birthdays they should give me gifts and not the other way around. After all, I'm the one doing all the hard work. Now I know you're thinking, 'but that's what Mother's Day is for'... No. Don't think so. If you have two kids you still get only one MD -- how is that fair?

What?... They'll get their big day when Christmas rolls around...

2) Today was the longest day of the year. Unfortunately, the long part happened to me at work and not at home.

3) I was reading an article about how talking on a cellphone, even if you use a hands-free device, can impair your reaction time, and I found two things funny in the first five pages. If you read boring droll informational pamphlets the way I do, they can be quite entertaining:

Something about this doesn't add up:

"Cell phone use has grown dramatically over the past 15 years. In 1995, cell phone subscriptions covered only 13 percent of the U.S. population; by 2008, that had grown to 87 percent."

So I kinda don't know if I can trust the rest of the data in your report... (ironically, even though they're unrelated, 13+87=100...hmmm... is it meaningful?)

And, my brain is being stolen from, just like in Office Space. No wonder my memory sucks!

"Longer reaction time is an outcome of the brain switching focus. This impacts driving performance. The cost of switching could be a few tenths of a second per switch. When the brain switches repeatedly between tasks, these costs add up."

That is all.

290A - This cracked me up

Thanks Jerry! That's a game I could get into, lol.

290 - I met Ms. A!

I just got back from an early dinner with Ms. Anthropy. In case you ever had any doubts -- that is one awesome lady. And she's GORGEOUS! Just sayin'. Jealous much? You should be. Cuz you didn't have dinner with Ms. A, and I did. (have I rubbed it in enough?)

It's been an unusually social week for me. Trying to sort of break out of the box I've put myself in and get out and enjoy the world more. So I went out on Thursday (impromptu happy hour), and I went out on Friday (sort of a high school reunion, and then to see a friend's band), and again today (Ms. Anthropy! Did I mention?). Tonight is a movie night (at home on the couch). I'm pooped.

So in the process of enjoying myself last night, I came home and realized my new phone was no longer in my possession... not a good feeling. I don't have a belt clip for it, so I had it in my back pocket and it must have fallen out, or I laid it on the table and forgot about it. I was pretty panicked... I don't have a landline, so other than email, I have no other means of communication (and replacing it would not have been cheap). I searched the house like crazy, thinking maybe it fell under the couch... I even looked in the refrigerator. It's not like I normally put non-food items in there, but sometimes in movies people miraculously find what they're looking for in the fridge... or they find Zuul... I did grab some water out of it... so you never know... Anyway, I went back to the bar and miracle of miracles, it was there, it wasn't smashed all to hell, and it still works. Phew is not a strong enough word to describe my relief...

Let's see, earlier this week I did my first stint at jury duty. Always managed to dodge it in the past because I was a student, or I moved to another county (not specifically to get out of jury duty... but it was a perk). I got lucky again... Didn't get picked that day, and in our county you have to call in every night until they dismiss you... they didn't call any of us up Monday or Tuesday night, and by Wednesday night they dismissed everyone. Score. And I made $7. I even enjoyed the drive. The traffic was so good that I had to keep my eye on the speedometer or I would have been up to 90 in a heartbeat.

What sucked most was seeing that sign that said, "Hurricane Season is here. Are you prepared?" Waah.

Since it's been so long since I posted last, I'll just respond to the comments from my last post here (saves you a trip):

Sarah - One of the things I love about blogging is that it showed me people can relate to us a lot more than we think they can. I used to be timid about posting some of my thoughts, and then I realized sometimes it's a relief for people to know they're not the only ones that feel a certain way, or they're not the only one who has that fear. It really helped me to become more confident and feel less awkward about myself. So I love comments like yours, because it proves that point. We are rarely alone, there's usually someone who feels the same way. And thank you, the feeling is mutual, you are one cool chica!

ABAO - LOL, I wouldn't even sit and have Breakin' marathons with me! Once every three decades is plenty enough of that! But thank you for the encouragement.

Joe - Damn! I'm a catch! LOL I just see myself differently than others see me, and I feel sort of handicapped when it comes to relationships. Never dated much in high school or college. It's not that I didn't have the opportunity, I was either just too shy to let the guy know I was interested, or too picky. I tend to not bother with a guy unless I see potential in it. If things don't click on enough levels for me, I don't see the point.

Jimmy - I love stories like that. More than you know. It's hard to overcome the fear, but I'm doing my best. Right now I feel pretty good. I feel like I'm on the right path.

Indie-grrl - Thank you for the award and the kind words! It always feels good to hear nice things about the blog. =)

Jen - LOL, I will have to remember that breathing thing, sometimes I forget!

289 - Less thinking, more living...

Somehow I got this idea in my head that everything in my life has to be sorted out before I can pursue the things I want in life. "If I lose 10 lbs...", "If I pay off that debt," "If I save this money," "If I move to a house with more land", "If I figure out where I want to be in life"... I realized that I'm feathering a nest for a future life. I realized that I don't think I can have this life until everything is perfect. I realized I'm not currently living the life I want.

I realized that's bullshit. The longer that kind of thinking continues, the further I'll be from that life. It's a vicious cycle.

I've spent years overanalyzing things... situations... people... I've wasted a lot of time. I've passed up opportunities I may never get again. I've missed some opportunities altogether, because I was too afraid to try or didn't trust my instincts.

Truth be told, I don't think I'm half as cool as other people think I am. Truth be told, I don't see what anyone else would see in me. Truth be told, I am not nearly as confident on the inside as I seem to be on the outside. Truth be told, my life is pretty boring and I feel like a fraud because I can boil 24 hours down to a 5 minute highlight, and most people think I'm interesting. I don't talk about heavy topics, I keep it light. I'm not as deep as people think I am. Not by half. I just know how to nod at the right time or ask the right question. I am semi-impressive because I know a whole lot of insignificant trivia... just enough to skate by, but not enough to be an expert.

I'm so afraid to fail. I'm also afraid not to try. I feel like I'm so close to something, and so far away.

I'm turning 37 in a couple of weeks. I'm ready to settle down. I don't even know where to begin. Well... I do, but that has to work itself out. I suck at relationships though. I don't know what people do all day, what they talk about, how they share a space, how much time do you spend together, how much time do you spend apart... none of it. I think about that stuff too much, maybe because I'm an only child and I've lived on my own for so long... I don't know how to fit other people into my life. I don't know how I did it when I was married, I don't know how I did it the one time I had a roommate. I just... argh!

In short, I'm freaking out. But this time I don't want to run away from it. I want to run towards it. I want to take the risk, because I know I can't lose. But it's out of my hands. I'm trying to stay positive, I'm trying to have faith... it's a battle... optimism is new to me. And I hate feeling neurotic... I'm normally a very even-keeled person, but uncertainty makes me anxious.

I know, I'm talking nonsense again. I'm getting it out of my system. Thank for allowing me that.

288 - Bwahahaha

That's right Obama -- you go on and threaten to kick that ass... (don't stop midstream, there's more...)



And on a serious note, this is more space shuttle stuff. Time lapse photography, gotta love it!

287B - Wahoo!

Got my HTC Incredible Droid phone this afternoon! Was originally bummed that I was paying $149.99 for a phone, but I decided to treat myself this time around and get the state-of-the-art-cool-kids phone. My friend having access to the internet in Florida convinced me of the value of a smartphone, plus this phone is Skype capable, so if I want to talk to people in far away lands, I can do that for free. And I can make my own ringtones. I think. I don't like paying extra for a data plan, but I'm giving in...

So anyway... I was excited, but still bummed about the $150. Somehow though, it ended up costing me $130.49. Not sure how, but I don't mind.

Fast forward to June 8. I received a flyer in the mail, and it quoted a price for the HTC that was $50 less than I paid. I called customer service and they didn't hassle me, they just said that when I received my phone, call back and they would credit my account with $50. Cool. Cost of phone down to $80.49. Then he asked if I wanted to renew for two years... thought that's what I was doing... because there's a $39.99 credit for that (one month's bill). Awesome. Cost of phone now down to $40.50.

Then when I call today, to get my credit, the guy told me there is a $100 gift card rebate, but he tried to convince me that I'd already gotten my $50 rebate. Was still happy, I made $9.50. But I got to thinking, and I think he saw the monthly bill credit and thought that was my 'private sale' credit. So when I submit my rebate, and straighten out the $50 credit... I got my new state-of-the-art-cool-kid phone, and I made $59.50.

Me likey my semi-charmed kind of life. Maybe they know that, in only 16 days, it's my birthday.  ;p

287 - Finding the humor in everything

Walked by the television and they were discussing heavy flooding in central Texas. Not funny.

Then they mentioned that 'all but one section of Schlitterbahn is closed due to the flooding.' Funny.

Mom -- "Hey honey... it's flooding out... wanna take the kids to Schlitterbahn and splash around in the water?"

Dad -- "Nope... not such a good idea... it's likely to be crowded today since all but one section is closed."

Mom (scowling) -- "Okay, I'll put the boat back in the garage... sorry kids, your father just doesn't want to make the effort..."

I mean seriously... I don't know about you guys, but if it's flooding out, I don't really plan on leaving the house unless I have to make a run for it. Schlitterbahn? Not high on my list of priorities...

286 - The Amazing Kreskin

That's me.

Today I saw the orthodontist and got a new tray (henceforth referred to as "tray 2"). You know there's a story...

Someone should tell him that I don't have a sense of humor when it comes to my wisdom teeth. I asked if I should be concerned that neither of the top trays covered my wisdom teeth. He waves me off and says, "Not at all, we're not concerned about those... if they become a problem we'll just pull them!" And he chuckles.

I said, "The hell you will!" A) He doesn't pull teeth, he's an orthodontist. B) NO ONE pulls my wisdom teeth.

No.

One.

Spurred on my outburst, he continues his maniacal laughter. He, mistakenly, thought I was joking.

I left the office, having an internal debate as to whether he was serious or just pulling my leg. Does this guy even have a sense of humor? I don't know... But it stuck in my craw... I began to doubt that he was kidding. He'd better be kidding... because I specifically told him my wisdom teeth weren't coming out before we ever took impressions. So they'd better be part of the treatment plan, or the plan is going to be revised.

So my teeth are a little sore at the moment. The one that hurt most the last time is the one that hurts again this time... taking my tray out feels like I'm going to rip it out by the root. So I'm really enjoying that... And they're concentrating on my molars this time... feels like I have a spring loaded bar pushing against them. Guess they're moving them to make more room for my front teeth to spread out. Satan... The Sadist... The ortho said it may take more than 3 weeks for this tray to do its job because it's a lot more ambitious than the first one was. That's fine.

It's how they get you. The first time doesn't feel too bad... and you get suckered in. Maybe next time will feel better. And then you start to crave the pain...

So anyhoo, my birthday is in 18 days. The more the tray loosens up, the better my mouth feels... the better my mouth feels... the more I can enjoy my birthday (which, again, is in 18 days... in case you missed it...).

Enough of that. My teeth hurt and I get cranky when I think about my wisdom teeth.



So here's a nice factoid: Did you know that I have the ability to control the minds of those around me?

I do. *smugness*

This afternoon I decided that since my teeth hurt, I needed something fairly easy to masticate. Yes -- I planned to go home and masticate. I masticate at work, hell -- I start the day with a little mastication. Anyhoo. I decided on ice cream. Sure I could have gone for soup... or even mashed potatoes... but ice cream has calcium and calcium is good for teeth. Don't worry -- I stopped by the salad bar beforehand.

That said, I didn't get just any ice cream. No sir. I got Marble Slab ice cream. An ice cream so delectable that, upon sampling it's creamy goodness, my friend Brian, who lives far, far away, asked if I could mail it to him at some point. They were here a week and we went twice. If we'd gone earlier in the week we probably would have gone every day.  Rum with chocolate chips mixed in, in a chocolate waffle bowl -- that's all I'm sayin'.

So I'm waiting in line and I look at the guy in front of me. "Sweet Cream," I think to myself. "This guy looks like he's totally into Sweet Cream."

So, of course he ordered Chocolate Swiss.

Hmph. What does he know? He's wrong! My mind is screaming out, "Nooooo! Sweet Cream, ya moron!"

The guy behind the counter asks if he wants mix-ins. Of course he wants mix-ins... everyone wants mix-ins... I'm feeling a little disappointed. But I should never doubt myself. After all -- I'm almost always right...

So then it happened... my influence finally took control of this meat puppet... He said, "I'm sorry... can I change my order?... I'd like Sweet Cream instead."

YES!.... I knew he was a Sweet Cream kind of guy...

Soon I shall take over the world... Narf!

285 - LMAO

This is (mostly) for the ladies... this made me laugh my ass off... I can't believe she did it on camera, but I admire her for her candor! We could hang out.

283 - Free Software and Camera from Office Depot & A Talented Kid

If you're interested check out the deal here. I did it a slightly different way. If you go to EVReward.com there are cameras you get for free after $75 in purchases rather than $100. And I used Bing to get 7% cash back rather than 2%. Good deal!

Also, I'm a little late to the party, but oh my GOD is this kid talented! The emotion in his voice is amazing. I would seriously buy a record if he puts one out.



I know it's silly to compare him to Robert Pattinson... but if you've heard Let Me Sign... it's amazing. Don't scoff. Part of it is seeing the scene in Twilight that it's a part of, but the emotion in the song is just... ahhhh... So anyway, this kid's voice gets to me. That's all I'm trying to say.

283 - Hot as Hades

I hate summertime. I know people who look forward to it (I call them 'the crazy people') but I don't. The thermometer in my car has been registering triple digits for a couple of weeks now. Temperatures should be no higher than two digits in length and not exceed 82. Period. I think if I put something on the grill, and didn't even light a fire under it, it would cook anyway. Because it's hot. I can literally feel my skin burning if I open my sunroof. It's not a good feeling.

Just so we're clear. It's hot.

Since we're talking about hell. I've figured something out:

This is hell. We're already here. We've all been very, very bad, and we have been put in this place to redeem ourselves. If we learn our lessons and make our atonements, we may leave this place and move up a level, or if we don't... further down we go... until we share a suite with Hitler.

That's my theory. Otherwise, life wouldn't be so frickin' hard for everyone!

Just sayin'.