Road Trip

I took today off of work, and managed not to get dressed until after 5. After some reading (and falling asleep while reading), surfing the net, talking to Girlzoot, and petting the kitties, I decided I was hungry and it was time to get moving. While chatting with Girlzoot, she suggested taking a drive. This suggestion stuck with me, because after a relatively quick dinner at Red Lobster, I got on I-25 North and just kept driving.

As I drove, I had Bowling for Soup as company, and I thought how nice it was to just drive, not have somewhere to be at a certain time, just to drive. The lure of the open road is quite attractive and I enjoyed watching the sun go down as I drove with the window down and my hair blowing all around. The landscape was familiar. When I went to school at CSU, I drove the highway at least twice a month. Some of the landmarks / businesses had change, but most of the way felt the same. Now, rumble strips lined both sides of the road, and about 10 miles north of home, a little fence ran in the median to prevent people from crossing it to the other side. I suppose they're serious about the signs stating "Median Crossing Prohibited". Who knew?

As soon as I passed my own exit, I knew where I was heading, and today it felt right to be going back to my old stomping grounds in Fort Collins, home of the CSU Rams. Kerri and I spent a lot of time in the four years I attended CSU, both at the dorm and in the two places she lived in off campus. And since I've been thinking of her all day, a trip down memory lane seemed like a good idea.

I got into town before the sun completely set, and drove up Mulberry to Wheedbee. The last house Kerri lived in college was just off Wheedbee and Myrtle. This was the house we played Secret of Mana for hours instead of studying, painted the ceiling, celebrated my 21st birthday with a bowl full of fuzzy navels (I couldn't drink orange juice for months after), where I became Goddess of the Yard (for one night only), and where she had the best graduation party complete with an ice block for shooters and a gaggle of old friends and new faces. We scrubbed jello shots out of the carpet there, and smoked our first cigarettes on the front porch. As I drove past, thoughts and images came to me of the memories and times I spent in the little white house with green shutters. It looked exactly the same as it had 12 years ago when she drove off in her black 4Runner with the dogs in the back and her dad sitting next to her.

After I drove by, I swung back around to Mulberry and went to the 7-11 we used to frequent. The clear plastic lids for the Big Gulps (with or without a cape) are not new, but back in the day, we used to carve our initials in the translucent plastic lid so we could tell who's was who's when we got back to the little house on Myrtle. After grabbing some gum and a drink (putting my initial on the lid in honor of the memory) I swung through Old Town and headed for Walrus Ice Cream, the best ice cream ever. Back when I was in college, it was right on College (basically Main Street) but I think shortly before or after I graduated they moved a block west, just off Mountain. After circling the one way streets for about 10 minutes, I finally just laughed and pulled into the pay parking lot which did have a few spots. I could remember circling the Corbett parking lot every night looking for a spot, and the night of the Billy Squier concert, Kerri was driving and we couldn't find a spot in our lot or remotely near the dorm. Surprisingly the charge was only $0.50/hour, excessively reasonable. Walrus didn't have my favorite (Cinnamon) but I had a nice scoop of strawberry in a chocolate waffle cone which I ate in my car listening to P!nk. Quite tasty.

Next door to Walrus, the Rio Grande has a back porch area gated off under a big arch. Kerri used to love going there, the food was good, the margaritas were really good, so good that there was a 3 margarita limit. I also remembered the Spring Break of my senior year when Shaych and I went to the Rio for dinner. I ordered a margarita (what the heck! I thought) and the waitress asked if Shaych wanted one as well. He said he did but had left his id at home so he'd just have a virgin margarita if that was ok. Well, no, it wasn't, but how old was he anyway? By the end of the evening, he had imbibed his own margarita and mine to boot. Suffice it to say, there is a reason for a 3 margarita limit... But we had fun and talked about the most outrageous things that night.

I decided to take a spin around the Oval then head to my old dorm for a bit of nostalgia. When I got onto campus at the Oval, it had gotten pretty dark. Oddly enough, there were tents and awnings pitched with a bunch of empty animal crates (the big metal bar kind). Apparently some sort of bazzar had happened today, and people were either bedding down for the night or packing up to leave. Part of the Oval was blocked to traffic so I ended up driving on the east side of campus, past the building that was reputed to have stairs ending in nothing and doors that opened to the open air. Now, I'm not sure I believe that, but I remember the story from my days as Campus Mail Delivery.

I made my way back out to Laurel and west toward Corbett Hall, conjoined with Parmalee at the kitchens (where I used to work). I entered the parking lot and circled around, pleased at all the available parking. I slid my car into my favorite spot, right in front of my old room H107, the sweetest single on campus. I had my own entrance separate from the rest of my hall, a nicely sized room, and my own bathroom (the best part, I didn't have to share with any neighbors). I also didn't have any upstairs neighbors, I was under the lounge between A and H halls, so it was blessedly quiet. I got out of the car and wandered up to the door leading into the dorm. Instead of a big lock, a pass card controller rested next to the door, and a nifty call box (like those in some apartments where you have to be buzzed in) was right outside the door. When I was in school, it was before the big cell phone boom (I didn't have one til years later, and it was still 15oz and clunky as all get out) and if you wanted to get in, you had to have your key or know a friend was coming down to get you. Yanno, uphill in the snow both ways and all.

I stood beneath the window where I used to shout up to Shaych to play something, anything, and play it loud so I could hear it. I couldn't smoke in my room, so I would hang out outside and chat with him in his room or he would come down and join me, enjoying a brief respite from the many hours of study and paper writing. I smiled as I walked under the underpass and into the courtyard. Corbett is the biggest dorm on campus, and at the time (and I imagine to this day) is also the football dorm. It's shaped like a big D with two wings flaring off by the kitchen. In the center of the D is a huge courtyard with a sand volleyball court, concrete basketball full court, and a grassy area with several huge trees. By now, it is full dark, and school is not in session yet, so I'm a bit wary, but I wandered in and sat down for a bit and enjoyed the warm night, thinking about my old room and the many many times I crossed the courtyard to go eat or pick up mail or meet someone. I thought fondly of the first time I met Shaych at the mailboxes, his warm smile and friendly manner invited me into his circle of friends. We walked across the courtyard, mail in hand, and went up into his single suite, catty-corner to mine one floor up. He was building a montage on his wall and we talked about music and politics and Madonna among other things. Since that day, he has been one of my dearest friends.

I had one last stop to make, so I gathered myself and drove up North Drive and headed toward Elizabeth Street. Campus West looked as lively as ever, the Subway still a staple of the area, with a new Qdoba and McD's. The little mediterranean food place I loved was gone, and I saw something had taken over the downstairs spot where Marshak's was until the flood of 97 destroyed the merchandise. They reopened down in Old Town and I just learned they closed for good in October 2005. I played my first ever MtG Tournaments there and bought my first serious comic book series there.

When I got to Prospect, I turned west and headed down the dark road that had few streetlights (after the blazing bright lights on Shields, this was sort of a blessing). When I got close, I had to start looking at street signs. Azalea is a winding street that loops from Prospect up to Overland. I found the correct turn and drove past a very quiet neighborhood to the little townhouse that Kerri moved into just before finals our freshman year. We had recruited Jon, the pet store guy and all around fine fellow, to help move the 55 gallon fish tank Kerri had started in her dorm room (and purchased from Jon earlier that year). Kerri's new roommate had a female basenji and during the year she lived in the place on Azalea, she had a litter of four pups, one of each. Male and female red and white and male and female tri-color. Reeses, Caramello, Snickers and Junior Mint (could you tell they were on a diet when the naming happened?)

After my final drive by, I went back to College and drove down the main strip out of town. The local market had been bought out by King Soopers, and there was a Whole Foods right there as well. I waved to the mall where we spent many many nights buying music and visiting Jon. I noticed all the chain restaurants that popped up, Applebees, Olive Garden, Lone Star. As I made my way to the highway to head for home, I saw the moon hanging on the eastern horizon. It was huge and a golden yellow-orange and it followed me all the way back. Weird Al got me home again, and I thought of the time Kerri had bought walkie talkies so we could be connected as we caravaned home for winter break. I told you it was before cell phones...

All in all, I expected this trip to be more emotionally draining than it was. Mostly I smiled and didn't even think to shed a tear. To tell the truth, I really enjoyed my trip and I think it was a great idea. Thanks, Girlzoot.

Sestina for Kerri

Sestina for Kerri

I still remember the day we met, Kerri
How you shared with me your brilliant smile
Our friendship blossomed and soon after
Inseparable much of the time
We played on the roof beneath the stars
And laughed as snow fell in cold moonlight

Among our friends you always were the light
Bright laughter sparkled in your eyes, Kerri
Your home shone like a beacon; it was the star
We orbited eager to share your smile
Arcades and games filled our time
With much giggling after

We grew and laughed and planned for after
High school days that finished fast as light
Soon we tasted freedom, unfettered by time
Remember midnight bowling or Jon at Foothills, Kerri?
Puppy and ferret antics would make us smile
Your love of animals always shone like a star

Then for a while you followed a different star
Your travels and freedom came only after
You searched for home and for a moment lost your smile
Somehow you managed to retain the light
Of your bright blue eyes and easy way, Kerri
And let yourself settle down for a time

Family ties called you forth after a time
Spent with friends in your hot tub beneath the stars,
Along with dancing to fiery rhythms, Kerri,
And hours spent discussing literature even after
You decided to move to back the heat and light
Of the Texas sun that always made you smile

What happened to that beautiful smile?
It shines now only in snapshots of time
Taken in long lost shafts of sunlight
Now you live in gentle twilight as the stars
Twinkle softly above the earth and only after
My eyes have dried do I smile, thinking of you, Kerri.

In my heart you smile at things I whisper beneath those stars
In my heart I hold close our time, making new memories so after
We meet again in the Light we can share them together, Kerri.

Last look at Lyrics for now

He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times
- Tubthumping, Chumbawamba

I look up at your house
And I can almost hear you
Shout down to me
Where I always used to be
And I miss you-
Like the deserts miss the rain

And the years have proved
To offer nothing
Since you moved
You’re long gone
But I can’t move on
And I miss you-
Like the deserts miss the rain
- Missing, Everything But the Girl

Same thing that turns you on
Can turn you off
Same thing that makes you hard
Can make you soft
Same thing you thought was wrong
Could be right
Same words you speak for peace
Can start a fight, start a fight
Same same thing that brings you down
Can make you high
- Higher than High, Tony LeMans

In the midst of my bubble

I'm riding along, in my mist of music and memory, trying my best to reconcile the past with my future, and things just keep happening. As I have learned, life continues on, the world keeps spinning, opportunities are presented and decisions need to be made.

Sorry to be so vague, but since I began this post, it has gotten inordinately late making me somewhat loopy and tired and I'm also in a decision making process (which can be long and painful).

Goodnight for now, I promise more soon.

Songs of memory

I’ve been thinking maybe I’ve been partly cloudy
Maybe I’m the chance of rain
And maybe I’m overcast
And maybe all my luck’s washed down the drain

I’ve been thinking about everyone,
Everyone you look so lonely
But when I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
When I look at the stars, I see someone else
When I look at the stars
The stars, I feel like myself
- Stars, Switchfoot

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
- How to Save a Life, The Fray

Daniel my brother you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal
Your eyes have died but you see more than I
Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
- Daniel, Elton John

More Lyrics in my head

If someone said three years from now
You'd be long gone
I'd stand up and punch them out
Cause they're all wrong
I know better
Cause you said forever
And ever… who knew?

Remember when we were such fools
And so convinced and just too cool
Oh no no no
I wish I could touch you again
I wish I could still call you friend
I'd give anything

When someone said count your blessings now
’Fore they're long gone
I guess I just didn't know how
I was all wrong
- Who Knew, P!nk

Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are

As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up
When September ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up
When September ends
- Wake Me Up When September Ends, Greenday

I've seen fire, and I've seen rain.
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again.
- Fire and Rain, James Taylor

Lyrics in my head

Come back to Texas
It’s just not the same since you went away
I bet you missed your exit
and drove right on through the Lone Star State
There's a seat for you at the rodeo
and I've got every slow dance saved
Besides the Mexican food sucks north of here anyway
- Ohio (Come back to Texas), Bowling for Soup

If I could I relive those days
I know the one thing that would never change......

Every memory of looking out the back door
I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
Its hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
Everytime I do it makes me......
- Photograph, Nickelback

Four take 2

In honor of Shaych's addition

Four Favorite Books:
1. Prayer for Owen Meany
2. Wicked
3. All Quiet on the Western Front
4. The Great Gatsby

Jimmy Stewart is cool

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I Believe

The Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again played last night in my living room. My favorite part is always when all four comedians (Jeff Foxworthy, Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy, and Bill Engvall) are up on stage finishing off the show. This particular show was actually filmed in Denver (which is just funny).

Some of the funny lines:

I believe that anyone who wants to wear a thong should go through an application process. - Bill Engvall

I believe you show me a three year old running around the flea market in just their underwear drinking Coca Cola from a baby bottle and I'll show you a future NASCAR fan. - Jeff Foxworthy

I believe guns don't kill people, husbands that come home early do. - Larry the Cable Guy

Ron White ended the segment with this verse:

I believe if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade and try to find someone who's life has given them vodka and have a party.

I love Netflix.

Take Four

I got tagged by EDog for this meme. Have fun!

Four jobs you have had in your life:

1. Teacher’s assistant @ daycare
2. Customer Claims Auditor
3. Sales Support Coordinator
4. Account Reconciliation Specialist
   

Four movies you would watch over and over:

1. The Princess Bride
2. The Mummy (1999)
3. It’s a Wonderful Life
4. To Kill a Mockingbird

(this was hard to drill down, and now I want to watch them all tonight)

Four places you have lived:

1. Schaumburg, IL
2. Lakewood, CO
3. Aurora, CO
4. Ft Collins CO
   

Four TV shows you love to watch:

1. Quantum Leap
2. X-Files
3. Firefly
4. Medium
   

Four places you have been on vacation:

1. San Diego, CA
2. Saco, ME
3. Glenwood Springs, CO
4. Vancouver, BC, CA

Four websites you visit daily:

1. Various Blogs
2. Yahoo
3. Gmail
4. Work website

Four of your favorite foods:

1. Nice medium rare ribeye steak
2. Mushroom Swiss cheeseburger
3. Steamed broccoli
4. Deviled Eggs

Four places you would rather be right now:

1. On a beach watching the tide come in
2. Out on my porch reading a book
3. Playing cards with friends
4. At a rock concert singing along

Four places you'd love to visit:

1. Ireland
2. Paris
3. Rome
4. St Petersburg
   

Four foods you don't like:

1. Tomatoes (in any form really)
2. Spicy peppers
3. Onions
4. Raw Tuna in sushi

Four friends I am tagging that I think will respond:

1. Girlzoot
2. Shaych
3. Mitch
4. Dave, whenever he gets a blog… :)

Intelligent Shoes

Sometimes I think it’s cruel giving machines a personality. My mate Petersen once bought a pair of shoes with artificial intelligence. Smart Shoes they were called. It was a neat idea. No matter how blind drunk you were they could always get you home. Well, he got ratted one night in Oslo, and he woke up the next morning in Burma. See the shoes got bored just going from the local to his flat. They wanted to see the world, like, yanno. He had a hell of a time getting rid of them. No matter who he sold them to, they’d show up the next day. He tried to shake them off, but they’d just kick the door down, yanno.

Is this true?

Yeah, last thing he’d heard, they’d sort of robbed a car and driven it into a canal. They couldn’t steer, ya see.

Really?

Yeah. Petersen was really really blown away about it. He went to see a priest. The priest told him that it was alright. He said the shoes were happy and they’d gone to heaven. Ya see, it turns out shoes have ‘souls’.

Oh, what a sad, sad story. Wait a minute… How did they open the car door?

Dave Lister / Arnie Rimmer
Red Dwarf Queeg

Christmas in July?

I'm listening to my iTunes party shuffle tonight, trying to get some juices flowing for writing on my sadly neglected novel. Admittedly, I am using most of my time catching up on favorite blogs, playing a little word game online, and doing a bit of chatting with friends.

So imagine my surprise when We Wish You a Merry Christmas starts pouring through my computer speakers. Here I am sweltering in the heat with a fan pouring directly on me, and a Christmas song just shocks me out of my flow. Thank goodness I hadn't been writing at that moment; it would have turned from spring into winter by the end of the paragraph!

After flipping to the next song, I start hunting out all my holiday type songs and unchecking them. Now, I realize that the genre is defaulted when the music is downloaded or imported. I just couldn't believe the various genres my holiday music spanned. From Country to Electronica/Dance. Sweet! That means I'm eclectic, right?? Or maybe it's eccentric?

I'm due for my NyQuil (we love you, you giant fucking Q!) so I shall bid you all adieu.

Sweet Dreams.

A Toothy Matter

Today, I went to the dentist to get a filling. I haven't had a filling since I can't remember when, but I was probably in high school. For those of you keeping score at home, that's been a few years. Anyway, my hygienist, Kaylee (she's very sweet and I love her name!), told me that she thinks that one of my tooth-colored fillings had chipped at the edge and they just needed to reseal it. It didn't hurt when she found it, so that was a good sign.

I got to the dentist today and within half an hour I had a new filling. The dentist didn't recommend anesthesia and I agreed. He told me I could stop him any time and get it numbed up if I wanted. He proceded to drill in my tooth, which sounded awful and loud, but didn't hurt a bit. He filled the hole with the funny smelling sealant stuff and was done before I even had a chance to think it might hurt. I had a completely painless procedure. Right now, I still can't believe it was so easy. Truthfully, I don't want another cavity. If I have to have one, I sure hope it is as easy as this one was.

Color Quiz

Here's a quiz I found on EDog's blog. I'll leave it to you to determine how accurate this is. Most of you who read my blog would have a good idea.

Arcadiajoy took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Seeks an affectionate relationship, offering fulfi..." Click here to read the rest of the results.

Back to Work Tomorrow

After the nice long and relaxing (mostly) weekend I just had, it's hard to get ready to go back to work. Ah well, I have to eat, and the kitties tell me that they have to as well.

Check out my nifty word counter in my side bar. I'll update it every day that I write. This time around I'm not going to post my novel as I'm going, but I'll post any little snippets here that I think are spiffy.

Since I do have to work tomorrow, and I am tired already, I bid you all good night. Sweet dreams.

Happy July!

Today is the first day of July, and the first day of EDog's 100 Days Novel challenge. I'm feeling frisky today (and have been working on plotting it for over a week) so I'm going to start. The goal is to write an 80,000 word novel in 100 days (July 1 to October 8, roughly). I have a rough outline, that I am going to continue to work on in parallel to writing the actual novel. I figure I can get the rest of the plotting work done in a week or so, and I won't be THAT far into the actual story to make the changes I anticipate from the background work I've already done.

On another note, I did not get the job that I had interviewed for a few posts back. Thanks to everyone who gave me moral support. I will keep my eyes out for a new challenge as I go boldly forward in the position I already hold. In this uncertain job market, I am quite pleased to have a good job with benefits, my true desire is to find something that is a challenge to me, as I have been doing a similar job in the last three companies I've worked for. And I wouldn't scoff at a sweeter compensation package, or more growth opportunity, either, mind you. I appreciate everyone's good thoughts and I will keep you up to date if anything else comes along.

Now that I've made a little post, I'm going to set up my word counter and get to work on the novel.

Longest Day

I usually put out the quote from The Great Gatsby on the longest day of the year. While I didn't exactly miss it (someone reminded me in the evening, and I took a walk to celebrate and enjoy the day) I didn't manage to get a post up for it either.

*sigh*

Welcome to Summer 2006!

Nervous and excited

I just put in for a new position at the company I currently work for. I’m a bit nervous, as we have already lost 2 of our team to this new department, and my manager is understandably concerned. She is not standing in anyone’s way, which is a nice surprise. Since she came I have felt both more cared for as an employee, and more free to develop myself, and that is in large part due to her style. While I haven’t liked everything that has come down the pike in my tenure here, I’m still a big fan of my current department. I don’t want to leave them high and dry, however, I feel that it is time to spread my wings and take off into the unknown.

Wish me luck!

Things I have Done: The PG-13 Rated Version

I found this on EDog's page and thought I'd break my blog-fast with a fun little game.

I have done 94 of these 150 things.

[1] I have read a lot of books.
[ ] I have been on some sort of varsity team.
[ ] I have run more than two miles without stopping.
[2] I have been to Canada
[ ] I have been to Europe (well, the British Isles)
[3] I have watched cartoons for hours.
[4] I have tripped UP the stairs (I really don't think I've ever done this).
[ ] I have fallen down an entire flight of stairs
[5] I have been snowboarding/skiing
[6] I have played ping pong
[7] I swam in the ocean.
[ ] I have been on a whale watch.
[8] I have seen fireworks.
[9] I have seen a shooting star
[10] I have seen a meteor shower.
[ ] I have almost drowned.
[11] I have been so embarrassed I wanted to disappear.
[12] I have listened to one CD over and over and over again.
[13] I have had stitches.
[ ] I have had frostbite.
[ ] I have licked a frozen pole and got stuck there.
[14] I have stayed up til 2 (and beyond) doing homework/projects.
[15] I have been ice skating.
[ ] I have been rollerblading.
[16] I have fallen flat on my face.
[17] I have tripped over my own two feet.
[ ] I have been in a fistfight.
[18] I have played videogames for more than three hours straight.
[19 ] I have watched the Power Rangers
[ ] I attend church regularly.
[20] I have played Truth or Dare.
[21] I have already had my 16th birthday.
[22] I have already had my 17th birthday
[23] I've called someone stupid.
[24] I've been in a verbal argument.
[25] I've cried in school
[ ] I've played basketball on a team.
[ ] I've played baseball on a team
[ ] I've played football on a team.
[ ] I've played soccer on a team
[ ] I've done cheerleading on a team
[ ] I've played softball on a team.
[ ] I've played volleyball on a team
[ ] I've played tennis on a team.
[ ] I've been on a track or cross country team.
[26] I've been swimming more than 20 times in my life
[ ] I've bungee jumped
[ ] I've climbed a rock wall.
[27] I've lost more than $20 at one time.
[28] I've called myself an idiot.
[29] I've called someone else an idiot.
[30] I've cried myself to sleep
[31] I've had (or have) pets.
[ ] I've owned a Spice Girls CD/cassette.
[ ] I've owned a Britney Spears CD.
[ ] I've owned an N*Sync CD.
[ ] I've owned a Backstreet Boys CD.
[ ] I've mooned someone
[32] I have sworn/yelled at someone of authority before.
[33] I've been in the newspaper.
[ ] I've been on TV.
[ ] I've been to Hawaii
[34] I've eaten sushi
[ ] I've been on the other side of a waterfall.
[35] I've watched all the Lord of the Rings movies.
[36] I've watched all the Harry Potter movies.
[ ] I've watched all the Rocky movies.
[37] I've watched the Three Stooges
[ ] I've watched Newlyweds
[38] I've watched Looney Tunes
[ ] I've been stuffed into a locker/I have stuffed others into lockers.
[39] I've been called a geek.
[40] I've studied hard for a test and got a bad grade.
[41] I've not studied at all for a test and aced it.
[42] I've hugged my mom within the past 24 hours.
[ ] I've hugged my dad within the past 24 hours
[43] I've met a celebrity/music artist.
[44] I've written poetry.
[ ] I've been arrested
[45] I've been attracted to someone much older than me.
[46] I've been tickled till I've cried
[47] I've had/have siblings.
[48] I've been to a rock concert (just last week!).
[49] I've listened to classical music and enjoyed it (and still do).
[50] I've been in a play.
[51] I've been picked last in gym class.
[ ] I've been picked first in gym class.
[52] I've been picked in that middle-range in gym class.
[53] I've cried in front of my friends.
[54] I've read a book longer than 1,000 pages.
[ ] I've played Halo 2
[55] I've freaked out over a sports game
[ ] I've been to Alaska
[ ] I've been to China.
[ ] I've been to Spain.
[ ] I've been to Japan.
[56] I've had a fight with someone over instant messaging.
[57] I've had a fight with someone face-to-face.
[58] I've had serious conversations via IM.
[59] I've forgiven someone who has done something wrong to me.
[60] I've been forgiven
[61] I've screamed at a scary movie
[62] I've cried at a chick flick
[63] I've watched a lot of action movies.
[64] I've screamed at the top of my lungs.
[ ] I've been to a rap concert
[ ] I've been to a hip hop concert.
[65] I've lived in more than 2 houses
[66] I've driven on the highway/been on the highway (and I was even in a CAR!).
[67] I've driven more than 40 miles in abday/been in a car that went more than 40 miles in a day
[68] I've been in a car accident.
[69] I've done drugs
[70] I've been homesick.
[71] I've thrown up.
[ ] I've thrown up on someone
[72] I've been horseback riding
[ ] I've filled out more than 10 MySpace/LiveJournal surveys.
[73] I've spoken my mind in public
[74] I've proven someone wrong.
[75] I've been proven wrong by someone
[76] I've broken a leg.
[ ] I've broken an arm.
[77] I've fallen off a swing.
[78] I've swung on a swing for more than 30 minutes straight.
[79] I've watched Winnie the Pooh movies
[80] I've forgotten my backpack when I've gone to school.
[81] I've lost my backpack.
[ ] I've come close to dying
[ ] I've seen someone die.
[82] I've known someone who has died.
[83] I've wanted to be an actor/actress at some point.
[84] I've forgotten to brush my teeth some mornings
[85] I've taken something/someone for granted
[86] I've realized how good my life is.
[87] I've counted my blessings.
[88] I've made fun of someone.
[89] I've been asked out by someone and I said no.
[ ] I've slapped someone in the face.
[ ] I've been skateboarding
[90] I've been backstabbed by someone I thought was a friend.
[91] I've lied to someone to their face.
[92] I've told a little white lie.
[93] I've taken a day off from school/work just so I don't go insane
[ ] I've fainted
[ ] I've had an argument with someone about whether cheerleading is a sport or not
[ ] I've pushed someone into a pool.
[ ] I've been pushed into a pool.
[94] I've been/am in love.
[ ] I have children.
[ ] I have been on a cruise

Second City Laughs

Last week, I got a chance to see the Second City: The Red Scare down at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. A good time was had by all; there was much laughter and many smiles and nudges as we enjoyed the skits. One of my favorite sections was an improv skit with an audience member.

Grandma: I'm so excited my grandson is coming to visit today! Oh there he is! Introduce yourself to my friends, dear.

John: My name is John.

Grandma: What a wonderful name, John. It's a good American name.

Friend 1: Yes, it's a lovely name, like John Travolta.

Friend 2: Or like a toilet, John. Oh, or maybe like a ho has a John.

Grandma: Yes, such a wonderful name!

All: God Bless America!

Grandma: Are you still single, John?

John: No, I'm married. (gestures to a woman at his table, his wife)

Friend 1: She looks like she's twelve.

Friend 2: Yes, they both look very young.

Grandma: Do you all have any children yet?

John: No, not yet.

Grandma: Good! Any time you get the urge to have a baby, you just go get yourself a cat.

John: We already have two cats.

Grandma: God Bless America! Throw a sweater on the fat one and call it good.

Postie Post Post

It feels like I have been sadly neglecting my blog. Mostly because I have some great ideas about what to blog and no posts to show for it. Ah well, here’s a quick post at any rate.

Sunday was Book and Lover’s Day. A bittersweet day for me, as it will be the last time it will be held at the Tattered Cover in Cherry Creek. They are moving their flagship store to the newly renovated Historic Lowenstein Theater in June. I’ve been assured that it is a lovely new location for my cherished bookstore. Change is, and I will certainly shop at the new location, it will just take a while to feel like home.

At any rate, I bought some yummy books (less than last year even!) and enjoyed the day with my friend Girlzoot, her new beau, and my mom. Ice cream, books, and a nap, what a lovely rounding out of a spectacularly beautiful and clear Spring day in Colorado.

Here’s the list of the books I bought:

100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda
The Tale of Desperauex by Katherine DiCamillo
Eats Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss
Lamb by Christopher Moore
The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
The Best New American Voices 2005 ed. John Kulka, Natalie Danford, and Francine Prose
Shardik by Richard Adams

And now all I want to do is read... ah, books.

Clouds

Clouds
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy.

Last weekend, instead of working, I went with a friend to the San Luis Valley and we spent some time outside. We hiked up to Zapata Falls Sunday morning and this was the view from the trail. You can see the Great Sand Dunes just before the mountains. It was simply beautiful.

Random Jack of Kindness

On Tuesday I got a call at my desk at work and a nice lady at the other end said she wanted to bring pizza to my office. Who was I to say no? I had registered on Jack 105.5 FM to win a lunch for my office like the day before. It was really cool!

Being the slightly paranoid bundle of joy that I am, I double checked the caller ID number before I let my department know that pizza was coming. Once I was sure, I checked with my manager (she said free food is always welcome) and then sent out my massive email.

The department has grown more than I thought and I estimated 35 people for pizza and wings. When the time came, there was a large line to the conference room. I got a t-shirt and a nifty certificate and everyone said I should go first. Well, I'm not much of a pizza person and my mom brought me a sandwich (we were supposed to have lunch anyway). Everyone came and went, and thanked me for getting the lunch (which was nice). In about 20 minutes nearly all the food was gone. I took a couple of slices to the security guard and the receptionist and brought one of the facility managing type people up for a slice. A couple of people came in for seconds, but it was pretty slim pickings.

Then my supervisor, my manger, and my director all came in about 30 minutes after the food arrived. There was like one wing left. I felt bad, they hadn't told me they were going to be in a meeting. I did say it was first come first serve. One of the other directors said not to feel bad, I brought joy to many other people. There was even a guy who always looks dour and he was smiling and laughing being personable and everything. So I shrugged it off. Not my fault.

So anyway, thank you to Jack 105.5 FM for a lovely Random Jack of Kindness. Now I just need to call them and leave them a message so they can play it on the radio *grin*

Commercial appeal

Today is the first day after turning forward our clocks for Daylight Savings Time. I have one less hour to do all that I want to do today (and I stayed up late last night watching a movie because it was there.) And I've spent probably another hour (or two) messing around on the Chevy Tahoe website to make a Tahoe commercial. I've made four, because I'm an overachiever like that (and easily distracted by shiny things).

Here are the ones I've made (so far... someone please help me!)

Get it
Not a stalker
Sitting around
Documentary


So much fun!!

I got the idea from EDog - check out his commercials!

If you make one, send it my way :)

Bubbles on the wind

It is now the end of March, and Spring has begun, for the most part, with temperatures in the 60’s and beautiful blue skies and lots and lots of wind. I was driving home the other day, thinking of a quick note I had sent a friend of mine, and I started having a bit of a little girl daydream, thinking about what my wedding would be like someday (if I were getting married, having found the person and made the commitment and all those lovely things that haven’t quite happened yet).

I wandered in and out of this musing as I drove down to Aurora through an incredibly dull and drab industrial complex over long and somewhat bumpy highways and overpasses. The best parts of this drive are that one, I’m not driving into the sun, and two, when it’s over I get to have dinner with my mom. So my daydream was a pleasant diversion, giving my usually overactive imagination something to grab and shake a bit.

I had visions of a poufy (but not meringue) white dress with lace and tiny buttons, a thinner, healthier me, a handsome groom (somewhere in the distance and a bit out of focus), and my friends and family. In the past I had thought about who would give me away and the friend who graciously accepted the honor stood beside me, looking quite dapper in his tux. As I looked around to see the rest of the wedding party, my daydream burst into tiny bubbles and drifted away into the bright blue windswept sky. The image left in my mind was both comforting and sad.

I had always imagined I would have my two best friends stand up for me when the day finally arrived. I could see them in whatever puffy sleeved, sateen dress in some shade of blue the bridal party were forced to wear, one brunette with warm dark eyes filled with love and laughter, and one blonde with bright blue eyes filled with joy and mischief. For the first time, it struck me; one of my best friends won’t be there at my wedding.

I know she is gone, and I have accepted it with as much grace as I can. On the trip down to her funeral we had discussed needing more road trips for glad tidings, weddings, successes, vacations. It was not to be in those hot August days where you could hear the heat reflecting off the pavement drowning out all other sound. She has passed beyond us and nothing I say or do change that simple and final fact.

After the daydream disintegrated, I had this vision of her there, at my wedding, watching over it and smiling. The ones you love never really leave you; they live on in your memory. I only wish that I had more than my memories of her to share with me those milestones I have yet to reach.

The smell of the ocean

I've taken a step in the direction of better health. I've joined my local Curves, an exercise club for women. The little perky teenage girl at the desk showed me around the machines, and since I'm a pretty quick study, I think I have the workout down. I have an assigned locker in my office lockerroom. I bring in my sweats and tennis shoes, and I've gone to work out three times since Friday. The plan is to go every MWF after work. Maybe if I get in gear in the morning, I'll go before work... but probably not for a while (so not a morning person).

The first night after I did the training turn around, I sat in my car with the window down and my bottle of water, gathering myself for the drive home. Looking up, I saw the sign for the strip mall. It said, in big blue neon letters, Pacific Ocean Marketplace. I'm on the phone with a friend and I tell her cannot believe the audacity of whatever corporate conglomeration that sadly mis-named this area. I live on the Front Range in Colorado. This makes the Pacific Ocean over the Rocky Mountains and across three and a half states and what, a thousand miles away? I mean can you really see the ocean, let alone smell it so far away?

Bittersweet chocolate missing the funny

Last week I had a surreal little email exchange with Girlzoot about an octegenarian named Daisy noticing that Spring was two weeks away. I got the reference to the line in The Great Gatsby (one of my all time favorite books) where Daisy Buchannan asks "Do you always wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it?" Literary bizareness, very good. Then I talked to her again today.

G: Her name was the weird thing.
J: Glory? or something?
G: No, Daisy, like in the book.
J: Ohmigod, you're kidding! I didn't get that!

And today I got a Happy Pi Day email from another friend. I saw it and smiled that she emailed me and let it go. Seems I missed something here too...

G: Did you get that email, Happy Pi Day?
J: Yah, I didn't open it because I was at work. Was it funny?
G: Um, yah, today is 3/14.
J: It is...
G: Today is 3/14...
J: OH! Hehe, I get it!
G: Ok...

I guess I'm just missing the funny in my life lately. Need to look more on the funny side. One of our later exchanges was funny, but not in the traditional sense:

J: I am on my way to writer's group.
G: Well, what are you working on?
J: Not much right now. I mostly go for the social occasion, lately.
G: I need a little less social occasions. I miss my house; I miss my bed.
J: Yah, I hear you.
G: I want to sleep in my own bed.
J: You poor baby.
G: Shut the fuck up.

Here's to enjoying the lighter side, or at least the funnier one.

Another good day...

Today, I brought my copy of Heart of Gold with me, because I was going to show one of my writerly fellows at writing group tonight. When I got into the office, one of my coworkers asked how my novel was. Pleased she asked, I told her I had it in the car. She wanted to see it, and later in the afternoon, I went down to get it and show her. She liked the phrase "supporting her words with numbers" on the back in the little about the author blurb. Warm fuzzies all around.

Then, a friend from another floor came in to say hi, and I showed her the book, and she was suitably impressed. Beyond the book, I was glad I ran into her, since I rarely see her anymore. We used to work in the same department and now we're on different floors. And she's been very busy flying hither and yon for the company. So all around good to see her :)

Then I showed the book to the security guard, who's a very nice man who always says hello. He was amazed. He asked when it would be published and how did I possibly write a novel in 30 days. More warm fuzzies.

I went up to the executive floor and showed another friend, the EA for the president , my book, and she was just floored. We chatted for a moment and then I went back downstairs to show my former supervisor (who gave me a day off in November to help finish the book). She had already left for the day *snap* so I'll just have to bring it in tomorrow.

Not like I mind, after all the positive reactions... I should write a book every November... Oh wait, I do!

And now, back to the writing or editing or something resembling such.

Good Things about Thursday

Today I had a good day. A handful of small things come to mind that made me smile or laugh or touched me in some way.

First, on the news this morning, the winning lottery ticket for the $365 million jackpot story made me smile.

Later, I went to Chick-fil-a for lunch (which is a good thing all in itself) and when I came back to the office, I made the day of one of our IT contractors by telling him where the nearest Chick-fil-a was located.

Back in the car, I decided to turn on my cd player instead of the radio and found unexpected music from my youth that made me smile and sing along. We Didn't Start the Fire got a double play even.

Finally, driving down to Aurora, I passed a large dump truck that had a giant Transformer Autobot sticker on the driver's side. It caught my eye and I laughed out loud as I passed the truck.

Somedays it's the small stuff. Today was one of those days.

Day of Quizzes

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft. You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily. You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

The Story of the little Christmas Tree

My mother still has her Christmas tree up. She's got a project this year to write down all the stories associated with all the lovely ornaments she's collected and displayed over the years. I'm going to help.

Here's the story of the little felt Christmas tree that hangs on her tree every year, usually in the back, because I made it when I was six. The tree itself is green felt, with a bit of stuffing between the two sides, with a silver corded ribbon and some shiny sequins shaped like candles, stars and moons glued on with Elmer's glue.

The day I made the little felt tree I was in kindergarten. Some time before the craft happened I was pulled away from the group, probably to take some medicine. I tended to be a sickly child and was always taking some sort of medicine, usually some pink bubblegum flavored syrup. By the time I got back, all the big gold star sequins were taken to top the other children's trees. I gathered what I could, which looks like two gold moons, two red stars, two gold candles, and a tiny blue star, which topped my tree. I decorated the tree with the glue in paper dishes in the middle of the table (which is why there is glue on the front sides of the ornaments) and had the nice teacher stuff and glue it together. The teacher also wrote "To Mommy 1978" on the back of the tree.

Today when I was sitting in Mom's living room waiting for her to get ready for the play we were going to see, I looked at the little Christmas tree and started to cry. I took it down and turned it over in my hands and realized that the nice teacher, so many years ago, had spelled Mommie wrong, on top of everything else. I really was feeling sorry for myself. I had a very trying day at work, was told I was letting things get to me, that everyone felt the way I felt, that I shouldn't be as frustrated as I clearly felt, and not to make a scene as it wasn't good for the team. As I looked at this little ornament, I felt like my whole life had gone the same way as that long ago craft project. Everyone got to the table before me and got the good stuff, and I was left to make the best of what I got, which was pretty pathetic and sad. Every time I try, it seems I fall on my face, and everyone has something I want, but I am too afraid to go after it. Hell, I don't even know what my gold star would be at this point.

Since getting home from the play, I sat down to finish writing this post. I'm not saying that I had any epiphany and now realize that if I'm given lemons I should make lemonade, but I did think that I'm possibly the only child who still has their little ornament from kindergarten on the family Christmas tree. I'm just trying to decide if that's enough.

Good Day

I had a list of things to do today, and as I was writing them down I thought that it might be too many things. Sometimes I get carried away and write lists and lists of things I want to accomplish that would take an entire week, and I want them done in a day or a weekend. Not so with this list. except for the cleaning (one specific cleaning thing) I did everything on the list. Huzzah!

Silly, I know, but it made me happy in many ways to get a pen and cross the things I'd finished off my list. Maybe I'll make another one tomorrow.

(And as a post scriptum of sorts, I posted two days in a row...)

Writing

I feel that for too long I've been too busy to write. I'm not talking about the wonderful and crazy time in November, but just every day, every week kind of writing. I don't think I'm ever going to be an every day blogger; I just don't see having that much interesting to say, let alone having the time every day. I have a daily journal that I manage to find the time to write five lines about my days, and most days that's more than enough to write. I know people who do write daily, who make the time every single day for one if not more entries on their blogs. These people inspire me; their dedication and devotion to their writing, no matter the subject, is amazing.

I've recently been told that I should blog more. My jaunts through blogland show that it is possible. I know that a few people consistently read my blog. I find that I want to be entertaining, and I'm not sure if I achieve that. (No, I'm not looking for validation here; I have a fairly good view of my own writing - I just am thinking on the screen here.) I suppose not every day is a circus.

More than the blog, which can be a good source of discipline and feedback, I'm thinking of my other writing, what I write for the various groups I engage in and what I write that inspires me. Weekly, I sit with mostly like-minded writers and lately I tend to use the time as social and kick back time. I should be using it more for the actual process but I think I've needed a place to blow off steam and to have no requirements. Which is probably why I haven't finished any of the assignments given.

I think some blame belongs with my day job (which incidentally I just mistyped day joy) and the extremely hectic and stressful last two months. I got so run down that I got sick (just a little head cold but more than enough to slow me down a lot and make me feel woozy and unproductive). I'm working to get through the next month on a more even keel and just do my hours and leave; no over time, no late nights, no taking work home. I am working personally on letting all the junk the last two or three months go; getting past the anger, jealousy, resentment, frustration, and under-appreciation is important for my own mental and emotional, not to mention physical, health. As I work through that junk, I expect I'll become more productive in my professional life as well as more productive in my personal life. Free of all the negativity, I will be able to shake off this seeming cloud over my writing and get down to it.

I want this year to be a very productive year. I expect to have a large body of work, whether it be short stories, exercises, poems, or a novel or two, by December. I want to page back through the files, touch the pages, and generally tap the reservoir of ideas and stories I know I have in me to tell.

Lone Wolf

What Is Your Animal Personality?
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Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone! I don't really have any resolutions as such, so I won't share what I don't have. But I do want to make this year better than last year. I will strive to have my attitude to be a more loving and accepting one, both of others and of myself. I suppose that is a resolution, but don't tell anyone. I just want a better year ahead, to use my gifts to the best of my ability.

May you all have a blessed and peaceful New Year.

NaNoWriMo Finish

I finished my NaNovel (back on Nov 29th) and I'm so glad it's done! I am thinking of getting back to it in a week or so, give it some time to simmer, and start editing. This year I finished the book and the word count which was my goal.

Contgratulations to all other winners including these fine folks I consider my friends and Novelists all:

Girlzoot, Sasha, EDog, Survivor, and DaveToe

Huzzah for a great November!

You want to take a bite...

Ok, my NaNovel this year is about a stripper and I've been chatting with my writing buddy EDog about the whole book. We were talking about how there are no "adult" smilies on the IM service we use, but how you could dress your avatar like a hooker.

Now we were just being silly and it was pretty funny, but after we made our female hookers, we went to the male wardrobe and made some. Here's my favorite, the manwhore with his big smile and wink and his shirt open to the world. He's practically saying, "You want to take a bite..." in some heavy sexy accent of undetermined origin.

Ok, so I'm a little looped out on the lack of food and needing a shower and about 6000 words today, but I am still laughing.

Princess Princess I'm a Fairy Princess (aha!)

The Fairy Princess

You are youthful, cheery, and exuberant with a
sunny disposition and a mischievous sense of
humor. You are very lively and are always up
for a good bit of fun. You have a deep love of
nature and animals.

Role Model: Titania

You are most likely to: Convert a pumpkin into a
useful mode of transportation.


What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
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Princess Princess I'm a Fairy Princess

Well, not really, but here is what I got on the test.


The Noble Princess

You are just and fair, a perfectionist with a
strong sense of proper decorum. You are very
attracted to chivalry, ceremony and dignity.
For the most part you are rather sensible, but
you are also very idealistic.

Role Models: Guinevere, Princess Fiona (of Shrek)

You are most likely to: Get kidnapped by a stray
dragon.


What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
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Thanks to Girlzoot for posting her results.

All About Sevens

I learned something out at the Boulder NaNoWriMo Kick Off Dinner at Conor O’Neill’s, Tuesday night. Actually, two things. I just realized I hadn’t posted it.

First of all, I learned a practical and quick way to calculate the tip on a meal. If you take the amount you owe and divide by seven, you come darn close to a 15% tip. So, an easy one, if your meal was 14 dollars, your tip is 2 dollars. The exact 15% tip would be $2.10. So it’s pretty close.

The other thing I learned is about measurements, precisely how to tell the difference between a butt-load, a shit-load, and a fuck-load. Imagine you are at dinner and with your dinner roll you get a pat of butter. One pat of butter is a normal amount. Now, to reach the first unit of measure multiply the normal amount by seven, you have seven pats of butter, and that’s a butt-load. For the next level, you raise that by another level of seven, you have almost 50 pats of butter, and really, that’s a shit-load. And if you had seven times that, you would reach nearly 350 pats of butter, which no one would argue is a fuck-load. So that’s the secret.

And my friends and I always thought a butt-load was six. Hey, we were close!

Price Gouging?

I saw this gas sign on the way to my NaNoWriMo Kick Off meeting tonight and I did a double take. I pulled into the lot and looked at the sign from the other side and took a picture. Prices here in Colorado have come down some 50 cents over the last few weeks, however someone forgot to tell these folks.

Perhaps it was due to a shortage of fuel at this particular station. But the same company, just 20 blocks up the road (and it's a big road) had a much more normal spread. I pass that station every day and I believe it was 12 cents between 85 and 87 octane, and another 14 between 87 and 91. And another 20 blocks was a station I didn't get a chance to photograph, but it was a normal spread as well.

I sure wouldn't pay for this, and even when it was at it's highest, I don't think I paid quite as much as the premium price on the sign is. But after all this, you probably guessed that I pay a little attention to gas prices.

New Kitty Picture

Things in my house are pretty quiet right now. All the doors are open and I have one kitty on my hassock and one kitty in the bedroom. Everyone seems to have survived the first few days with the new kitty (Deke) here. There is some hissing and spitting, to be expected as they work out their pecking order (and everyone has to listen to me - especially about not eating the bird).

As quiet is good, I'm taking a moment to post a new picture of my new kitty. His grandma told me that he has a heart on his side, can you see it in the picture?

Kitty's Coming!

I'm adding a new baby boy to my household, one of the four-footed furry kind. I have some pictures from August, but I'm excited and posting this away from my home computer. I'll post pictures soon!

Deke should already be on the ground in Denver now and I get to go pick him up after work. I wish I could have taken time off today to go get him but I took tomorrow off entirely so I could spend it (barring the quick trip for kitty food and toys) with him and his new brother, my big fat sassy cat, Alec.

I am a little nervous, but I'm sure everything will work out fine. I am so excited to get him to my little home.

More soon!

Following the Yellow Brick Road

As I have so many other things to do today, I have been sitting with my laptop and bouncing around Blogland. Here are a few of the gems I picked up along the way:

Heimlich Maneuvers
Stories from Rick's Cafe
the study of an honest contradiction

And some really strange wild things that I couldn't understand due to a language barrier.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher. You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Guess I should go back to school... I'd be talented at it :)

What Serenity Character are you?

Which Serenity character are you?

Kaylee Frye 94%

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Birthday Blues

I am a big fan of birthdays, and I always try to have a good time on mine. Last year I went to San Diego and stayed on the coast so I could see the ocean. We walked on the beach every night, and ate lots of seafood and got sand in our shoes.

This year I just took the day off, as this week was packed with bright and shiny meetings and necessary work things (such is the life of a corporate accounting specialist). It was not the most stellar day, as when I got to my mom's house she informed me that her dog, Charlie, which was also my dog from high school, had died that morning. So the rest of the afternoon dealt with the great loss of a very dear friend and part of the family.

I'm kind of at loose ends this weekend, I've got nothing to do and a whole lot of time to do it in. And all I can think about is the fact that everything in my life from that time in my life is slowly slipping away. And there is nothing I can do to stop the sands running through my fingers, no matter how hard I cry.

Fun Game

Reply with your name and
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal. You MUST. It is written

I'm very late in posting this. Girlzoot, Shaych, and Valium, please accept my apologies.

You are Scooter.
You are a loyal, hardworking person, better known
as a doormat.

SPECIAL TALENTS:
Going for stuff.
LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE:
"Go For Broke!"

QUOTE:
"15 seconds to showtime."

LAST BOOK READ:
"300 New Ways to Get Your Uncle to Get You a
Better Job "

NEVER LEAVES HOME WITHOUT:
Coffee, clipboard, and Very Special Guest Stars.


What Muppet are you?
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Study conversations

Things overheard at Paris on the Platte by the very patient guy at the end of our table:

G: Mar-duck.

A: I think it’s Mar-duke.

G: Marmaduke?

A: Yah, the big orange dog.

G: I think he’s red, in fact I think it’s Marmaduke, the Big Red Dog.

A: That’s Clifford, the big red dog

G: I don’t know, they’re all big and red and they all created god.

Relativity of intelligence

You are smart; you can make it go.

I got this phrase from STtNG, from the episode where Geordi was kidnapped by a space-faring race that stole technology from other races, and wanted to steal Geordi for his talents.

It has now become a stock phrase in my vocabulary. And girlzoot just flung it back at me. I told her how smart she was after she learned me something new on the internet thingy. She said, "Yeah, I can make it go." Made me laugh, and practically snort hot cocoa out my nose.

Maybe you had to be there...

Don’t ask me what to wear

Don’t ask me what to wear

I have no embroidered
headband from Sardis to
give you, Cleis, such as
I wore
and my mother
always said that in her
day a purple ribbon
looped in the hair was thought
to be high style indeed

but we were dark:
a girl
whose hair is yellower than
torchlight should wear no
headdress but fresh flowers

Sappho
Translated by Mary Barnard

Four Years Ago Today

Four years ago tonight, I was soaking in a brand new hot tub in Aurora, CO, drinking wine coolers, smoking Marlboro Lights, listening to Lee Greenwood, and watching the footage of the World Trade Center destruction play over and over and over again on CNN or any channel we turned to. Later, when we were outside in the steaming water, the window open so we could hear the TV, we looked up in wonder and a little terror, the primeval terror of the unknown, as we heard the sonic booms of fighter aircraft take off from a nearby Air Force base. Our voices burbled over one another as we began to explain to each other the fact that military aircraft were flying overhead, it was ok, nothing to be alarmed by. But everything alarmed us that night. We were together and we were safe, but what did that mean anymore, what did anything mean?

It was a month ago yesterday that I spoke to her last. Only a month. The last time. How can that be?

Geekish Nerd?

Pure Nerd 78 % Nerd, 43% Geek, 34% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd. The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful. Congratulations! THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Katrina

It seems everywhere you go, Katrina and the aftermath finds its way into conversation. Last night when we were out seeing The Wizard of Oz at the Boulder Dinner Theatre it came up. How people could be in such dire straits and we be out enjoying ourselves?

I am lucky, I suppose. I have not lost any family or friends, no one I know personally was in the path of the storm. A friend's new boyfriend evacuated to Colorado, leaving behind his ex and their children against his will. There are so many other stories, so many faces of people, our people, my people, so many that have been devastated, have lost everything except their lives, that it is mind-numbing.

The single worst disaster that has ever hit us, and we seemed unable to move, unable to snap out of the spin. Pictures of the storm, pictures of the people, stranded, angry, calling for help; cameras capturing the images, able only to report not provide the water, food, and medical supplies so desprately needed.

Relief has begun to arrive, and is arriving, at least one of my friends is going down as I write this to provide relief services to the refugees, and another might be called upon at any moment. I feel so helpless, that my thoughts keep spinning, my private grief mixed with a national grief, one we all share. A grief with no end in sight.

Random Thought

And as he drove on, the rain clouds dragged down the sky after him for, though he did not know it, Rob McKenna was a Rain God. All he knew was that his working days were miserable and he had a succession of lousy holidays. All the clouds knew was that they loved him and wanted to be near him, to cherish him and to water him.

--So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish, Douglas Adams

Stargazing

Last night I sat on the sidewalk while Charlie lay in the grass, enjoying the cool night air. I looked across the way and saw Cassiopeia hanging over the end unit of the row houses, the one where Kerri lived when we were in high school. I’ve always liked Cassiopeia, the great big W in the sky; it’s one of the constellations I can almost instantly recognize.

I remember soft twilit evenings on the roof at Kerri’s house, watching the stars come out in the summer. Her friends tried to show her the different constellations, and she could see the Big Dipper, but she could never see Cassiopeia, no matter who tried to show her. Sitting on the sidewalk next to my dog I thought of those distant evenings with her, and murmured the little song we made up sitting up on the roof.

When the wind blows
On the roof-top
We are cold
Under the cat blanket

The view of the sky became blurry, my eyes glistening. I felt this hole in my heart big enough to hold the sky, knowing she had gone beyond my pale. In my mind, forevermore, she will reside in the soft grey twilight among the scattered stars as they begin to shine.

Sweet dreams, my dear friend. You will be forever missed.

Festival Banner

Festival Banner
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy.

Last Sunday, we went to the Renaissance Festival in Larkspur. Friends of mine are on the Royal Court of the Faire, and we visited and stayed for the fashion show and the final joust. It was a cool day, with the temperatures down in the 80s and a nice breeze practically everywhere.

Triumph for the Pack Rat

I keep stuff. More stuff than I need, but less than some of those poor souls who do not remember what color the carpet is under all the stuff (and can't tell from the pathway, because it has turned grey with wear).

I have about 4 boxes of papers in various places in my house (mostly in my garage) from different times in my life that I refuse to part with. During my last move, we moved them, and I promised I would look through them and toss what I could and file what I needed to keep. Well, it's coming up on my second lease renewal and I just haven't had a chance to get through all of them. I did get through part of one of them *yay* about a year and a half ago, and I occasionally go out to the garage and dip into one of the boxes, bringing out a treasure of incomparable worth, that sits on my dining room table for a while, then moves to my desk, where it collects dust in the open, instead of in its box.

I also keep things at work. I hoard my letters, with all their precious attachments, on the off chance I might need them again. This has worked for me in the past; I have found emails or letters that helped me resolve an issue. But at my office, I have one little drawer and one hanging file corral on my desk for all my files. We share a tall 4 drawer for all our customers' invoices, and that's it. I have had a pile, wrapped lovingly with rubberbands up in my cabinet for over a year now. I just put some of it with the 4 boxes of stuff I pulled out of our 4 drawer and shipped off to outside storage. But if I ever need it back, it is in a box, safe and sound. Just like I like it.

My files and emails are about in the same state of pack-rattedness as the rest of my desk. I don't ever delete emails, but I'm sure I should be, but I might need it three years down the line. You never know. And I store all my attachments, named with helpful names, on my personal network drive (which has not reached as gigantic proportions as you might imagine; it's still fairly reasonable). And every month, squish all the files down into a nice, helpfully named zip file. Which go back to, you guessed it, when I started at this company.

Well, today was exciting for this pack rat. I had an invoice for a 2003 charge that I could show we paid in our system, but the 2003 files are in storage (and I have never even requested one, isn't that amazing!). So I decided to go through my old email attachments and lo, there was my beautiful proof, including all the bells and whistles attached, laying quietly in the dusty old zip file. I was so excited I showed my co-worker, a wonderful woman with a daughter my age and a good sense of humor, and she laughed. She never keeps anything past its useful life: email, paperwork, paper clips... But she appreciated my triumph, and agreed that yes, today was a good day to be a pack rat.

Now, if I could just find my keys and my cell phone I could get on with my weekend.

Laughing Lord & Lady

Laughing Lord & Lady
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy.

I spent the fourth of July in the company of this noble couple, recent additions to the Royal Court. After a lavish repast, we explored the extensive grounds of their lovely estate, enjoying the pleasant summer evening air. After the sun went down, we enjoyed a fireworks display. Many thanks to the laughing lord and lady for a very enjoyable evening.

Alanis

Ok, so after the margaritas I shared with my co-workers this afternoon on a lovely shaded patio in Boulder, I get in my car to go run an errand. My radio is on and I hear Alanis Morrisette's Ironic. Which is only marginally ironic (I suppose there's irony in that...) but not the version from Jagged Little Pill. It's acoustic, and done very nicely. And when she gets to the part about the 10,000 spoons and only needing a knife she sings:

It's meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful husband.

I love Alanis.

I'm going to get the re-issue of JLP the acoustic version... the two songs I heard sounded really good.

UPDATE: Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is quite good.

Vancouver, anyone?

Ok I might be over reacting (my mother certainly thinks so) but Sandra Day O'Connor just retired. I'm not quite sure how things will come out, but with a mostly conservative Congress and a conservative Executive branch, one can't help but think a conservative justice will be confirmed. We needed Sandra Day O'Connor's moderate voice, and I think we're going to lose that. Along with the defense on some of our rights the Supreme Court has defended with sometimes the slightest of margins.

Hey, one of my exes is Canadian... maybe he'll let me crash at his place...

Lyrics in my head

You've always been
Time and again
The one to take my hand
And show to me it's okay to be
Just the way I am
With no apology

Garth Brooks - A Friend to Me

Liquid Luminosity

Driving home tonight I was under a spell. I could barely keep my eyes on the road. An early summer thunderstorm and the setting sun painted the sky with a marvel of nature and physics, a stunning rainbow lit the stormy sky my entire drive home. At first I only saw a part of the rainbow, an arching swath of color and light spilling on the ground from the dark clouds. The colors glowed so clearly, like liquid light pouring from the sky. I could see the vivid bands of color spilling onto the ground and buildings behind it.

The other edge of the rainbow looked like a pastel drawing on dark grey paper, smeared smoothly with a celestial finger to blend the colors and light into a band of soft beauty. After a few moments the light came together and I could see the semi-circle from end to end. I thought of my great-uncle who told me a story of how he had stood on the side of one mountain and saw a three-quarter rainbow arching into the sky and dipping into the valley below him. I always wondered if there were a perfect spot to see a circular rainbow, from end to not end banded in bright liquid luminosity.

And above the main rainbow, the second rainbow shimmered at the edge of my sight, like an object in the darkness that you can't see straight on, but have to watch through your side vision. I couldn't be sure, but it seemed to me instead of being roygbiv it was vibgyor, a dim and fragile reflection of the main rainbow. Everytime I tried to look straight at it, the second one became blurry and smeary until I blinked and looked away.

The entire three-quarters of an hour I spent driving home became a study of the rainbow set as it seemed so close then moved back and back to finally become a faded rememberance of the shining glory it was, then to finally fade as the light left the sky and the rain cleared.

Happy Summer

Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.

- Daisy Buchanan The Great Gatsby

Good Day

I spent most of yesterday either with my mom or at her house. She had a salon appointment at noon, so I toodled myself and my shiny little laptop down to her house to hang out with the dog and to get some work done. More hanging out with Charlie happened than actual work (I still need to write out my bills, and finish the writing I had started).

All around, except for some extreme heat and some heated words, we all had a lovely day. Charlie was perky and alert, she sat in the grass in the sun for about 10 minutes, watching the world go by (not much exciting) and having the wind blow her clean white fur. Mom gave her a bath that morning so she was all shiny clean and smelling like shampoo. I brought her back up to the porch in the shade and got her some water with ice cubes in it (she likes that) and she drank some. She sat on the towel next to me while I surfed the web (I love wireless, oh, so much) and started work on my project. After a while I grabbed a slice of turkey and Charlie ate it all up, fairly daintily, but with vigor. And I brought her a pillow to sit on which she did until Mom came home.

Out in the hot hot sun (I should have parked in the garage while mom was out) we unloaded the stuff in my trunk and figured out how to put down my back seat. I'm not so great in the sun, and it was really hot (around 4pm) so I decided we were going to 7-11 and I got myself a Slurpee and an iTunes code. Much better with liquidy ice to slurp on. The trip revolved around getting some lovely bookcases that were on sale at OfficeMax. The nice manager guy helped us get the 4 bookcases and one major DVD stand (all assembly required) into the trunk, and complemented us on being prepared and not making him try to figure it out.

We ran the bookcases back to mom's garage, stacked them up nicely for her (she's got a project of vast proportions moving and organizing stuff in her computer room where the bookcases are going to live) and I went and got another Slurpee. Mmm icy cold. Thinking of getting one right now... Anyway, once we got back we relaxed a bit then decided to fill our bellies. We ran out after to Costco to look at a shiny white electronic device which shall remain nameless but they were closed.

We got back, Jeff next door was watering the plants, Charlie was enjoying the evening sun, and Mom and I started making a little stepping stone from a package I got. We mixed up the cement, poured it (well dumped it) into the little mold, and pressed Charlie's front paws into the middle. And washed everyone off. I'll post a picture when I see it next, it was dark last night when we were done (and half eaten alive by mosquitoes) so no piccy. While it was drying, and to finish off our day, we watched Hotel Rwanda, which was very good.

So all in all, good day. Oh and Mom's visit to the salon was lovely, she was all nail painted and hair coiffed and lovely herself.

Update

Charlie is home with Mom. She took her home on Monday, after a long weekend in the hospital. Monday night she ate some turkey and drank lots of water, and while visiting a neighbor stood up with the help of a sling (her front right leg was hurt from the IV and her back end hasn't worked well for a while) and while standing tried to chase a cat (slowly, but with vigor and much tail wagging).

So the vet said give her time, see if she adjusts to being home. She's been standing on her own as the wound on her leg heals, and last night she even had a bm (I sounded like the proud mother of a toddler getting toilet trained with all the encouragement). She even is walking around a little - after we'd been on the porch for a while, she walked over to the screen door and patiently waited for me to open it for her. Once inside she found a nice spot and laid down, pretty as you please under her own power.

I can see her spirit in her eyes, she's still very much Charlie although her body has slowed down considerably. She is not asking for much, and generally accepting what is given, when she used to be quite demanding. Her time is coming, but it isn't right now. No matter when, I am blessed to love and be loved by her gentle little soul.

More on Charlie

So Charlie went into the hospital on Wednesday, after being very lethargic on Tuesday night when I visited. Her bloodwork was not good, and she didn't seem to be getting any better. Friday night I came down after work to visit her at the vet's, and nothing looked promising. I left Mom's house after we watched The Aviator (pretty good flick, if LONG) and promised I'd come down in the morning to see how she was.

This morning we hoped for good news, but weren't really expecting it. We took Charlie out (with her IV unhooked and the tubing attached to her little leg) and she did a little duty (which was encouraging, as it is her kidneys they're worried about) and we sat in the sun and she slept in our arms. All the dogs getting walked that morning were interested in her, but the techs kept them at a distance. One really cute set of Boston Terriers (one black, one brindle) were quite interested and barked at her, or at us. After a bit it got pretty hot in the sun so we retired back inside.

We didn't have an appointment, but the staff was great and let us wander around with Charlie. We got her some water, which she was excited to drink, but she barely licked the food. Dr. James came in with her thick chart and showed us the results from this mornings' bloodwork. Three of the high numbers had come back down toward the normal range, one dropped 60 points from yesterday to within 12 of normal (I'm not a medical person, so I don't know what exactly that meant, but that it was good.) Dr. James was encouraged, and said if she'd eat, he'd send her home. He also said that at this stage, the kidney failure was controllable, but probably not repairable. But it was up to her, and he put B vitamins and some medicine to calm her stomach and encourage her appetite. Her stomach was probably upset from the way her body was acting.

So now we wait overnight again, and he'll call in the morning with an update. The office is closed Sundays so we can't visit, but he lives close and checks on his patients that are staying over the weekend in the morning and evening. He's a very good man, and has known Charlie since he bought the practice 16 years ago.

I know in my heart that it's not a great solution, and that she is getting older, as we all are. She's not in any pain, and I know she would like to be home again, to the only home she has ever known. Our mood is lighter, this afternoon. Our little fighter is still fighting, and as long as she's willing, we're happy to have her with us.

Charlie Lass

Birthday Pup,
originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy.

I didn't post this picture when her birthday happened back in February. Looking back, I find that a bit odd (especially with all the pictures we took of her that day).

At any rate, my baby girl isn't doing so well today and I wanted to get some positive energy going for her so I thought I'd share her here.

She’s been a part of my family for over 17 years, and except for one small issue with Mom’s favorite leather boots, she has been a wonderful, sweet, and loving dog. To my mom, she’s my sister, and we both love her very much. Even tho she lives with Mom, she’s still my dog, and I have pictures of her at work and at home.

I’m having a hard time with the eminent possibility of her passing. One of her most endearing qualities is in her doggy love; she loves us unconditionally. No matter what we say or do, we are her people, her family. And if we’re really good, she’ll give us puppy kisses.

I know this has been kinda disjointed; it’s hard to consider losing a member of the family.

Please keep her in your thoughts this week, if you would.