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.