Archive for the ‘Musings’ Category
This can’t be good
June 24th, 2008
On the way into work this morning, I heard an ad for Applebee’s. Apparently they want you to send in videos of you and your friends having fun at Applebee’s, “like shown in our ads.” The kicker? “The funnier, the better.”
OMG! Do they have any idea of what they may be in for? It’s like they’re giving carte blanche for people to be as obnoxious and annoying as possible. Yeah, that’ll go over well with the other patrons.
Look’s like I won’t be visiting Applebee’s any time soon.
Posted in Musings, What were they thinking? | Comments (0)
Bleah
May 8th, 2008
I’ve started eating a little bit better in the past week and have felt much better. Basically eating breakfast at home and having a reasonable evening meal. But last night I gave into laziness and ordered a pizza. Ugh. I could really tell a difference, both in how I felt when I went to bed and when I woke up.
I was going to start taking my lunch to work, but I think I’ll just work on breakfast and dinner for now. But the cafeteria at work has been closed for a few weeks. It changed management & apparently they have found several “unexpected surprise guests.” So while the guests are being shooed away, a catering truck, aka “roach coach,” has been supplying lunch. Their specialty is beef hot dogs with all sorts of toppings (I prefer sauerkraut). I love hot dogs, so I haven’t been complaining. Their pork barbeque sandwich is also pretty good, with tasty cole slaw and potato salad.
But I just didn’t feel like getting a sandwich today and ended up eating a lunch of sunflower seeds. We also had a bake sale going on, so I sandwiched the sunflower seeds with two pieces of cake. (Temporally sandwiched, not physically!) 
So of course I continue to feel bleah. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last day for the roach coach, so I think I’ll celebrate it with a couple of hot dogs. Who knows when I’ll have them again?
New Supernatural tonight. It better be better than the last 2! You hear me, Kripke??
Posted in Musings, Supernatural, Work | Comments (0)
Thursday Thirteen (minus 8)
March 27th, 2008
Because I can’t come up with 13, even though I have several of them in my drafts.
1. I was once again taking a look at the houses Sue showed me yesterday. Man, I want this one so badly, my mouth is watering.
2. I signed up for a business course for next week. I’m pretty excited. I’ve been thinking about starting a home business (had a couple very different ideas in mind) for a long time, but it’s mostly been a pipe dream. But I started reading “Home-Based Business for Dummies” and am actually getting pretty excited. (Oh, I guess I said that already.) 
I’ve even been thinking about how to market the business, which is the least favorite thing I want to do.
3. I managed to officially piss off a Supernatural cyber-queen yesterday. (I don’t mean that derogatorily. She really is an internet celebrity in the Supernatural realm, and deserves to be.) I suppose it’s the natural outcome of things. I’d met her last summer when I went to see “A Few Good Men” with Jensen Ackles in Fort Worth, TX. I guess the age thing raised its ugly head, because I felt her friends were very uncomfortable with me around. And when I went to talk with them at intermission, I was totally ignored. I tried to be magnanimous about it, especially when she wrote that she loves meeting new people and welcoming them into her world, but the hurt is always there in the back of my mind. And while I feel a little bad about her being pissed (which was a misinterpretation on her part), I think it’s actually cathartic and will eventually help me give up my LiveJournal activities.
4. Ok, so I can’t count, but this ties in with the attempt to quit LiveJournal. I may be getting a handle on my icon-mania. I did not enter any icon contests (called icontests, isn’t that cute?) this week. I actually made some of Jensen Ackles, but am not going to enter them. I will post them though, because they’re pretty nice, and one of them is (at least in my humble opinion) fabulous. Of course, the subject matter is pretty amazing.
5. I ordered the Dark Angel DVDs from NetFlix. Batch #2 came yesterday. But I’m not watching them in order. I saw the next to the last episode on the SciFi channel a couple weeks ago, and was anxious to see the series finale. Can just say, I was underwhelmed. But then, I think they might have been expecting to have a 3rd season so they didn’t want all the questions to be answered.
Posted in Couch Critic, Musings, Supernatural, Work | Comments (3)
Thursday Thirteen #5
January 17th, 2008
This week’s Thursday Thirteen is brought to you by someone who has no idea what to write about.
Thirteen Random Thoughts
- I’m an official Thursday Thirteener! Woot!
- Showtime’s movies sucks.
- Dexter really is as entertaining as they say. Who’d have thought I’d enjoy a show where the hero is a serial killer?
- The L Word (the reason I switched from HBO to Showtime) is okay. But sometimes I feel it needs to decide whether it’s a drama or a comedy.
- I think I’m going have a Jonathan Rhys Meyers overdose (and not in a good way). He’s everywhere!
- I really liked the one episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles I saw. (I missed the premiere.) I loved the original movie (you know, the one where the governor of California played the bad guy). The main characters and actors are quite compelling.
- Who knew the future leader of the world has emo-bangs. (And if you don’t know what emo-bangs are, you need to watch Supernatural.)
- Supernatural is still the best tv show you’re not watching.
- The real, original Grimm’s Fairy Tales are incredibly gruesome.
- Last year I liked this blog layout a lot. This year, not so much. (ETA: I have now changed the layout. This is one I still like and keep coming back to.)
- I can now personally verify that sprains are more painful than breaks.
- Peapod by Giant is wonderful, even if they do get several things on the order wrong.
- My keyboard is giving me fits. Probably caused by all the crumbs and spilled liquids it’s had to endure.
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! | View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
Posted in Couch Critic, Musings, Thursday 13 | Comments (3)
Miscellany
January 16th, 2008
I’m officially a Thursday Thirteener. Woot! Thanks, Carol, for being patient with me. I thought about doing this post as a Thursday Thirteen, but can’t seem to come up with 13 idle thoughts.
With all the advances in modern medicine, you’d think they could come up with something better and easter to use than crutches. I fell down the stairs at work last Monday (Jan 7) and broke my left foot. This is the first broken bone I’ve ever had. I spent over a week in a semi-cast (a “splint,” which has all the negatives of a cast) and on crutches. Not fun.
I had my follow-up with the doctor yesterday. When I was getting ready to go (my first time out of the house since I broke the foot), I looked out the window and it was (f***ing) snowing! Why couldn’t I have gone last week when it was 60 degrees and beautiful? Oh yeah. I had to wait for the worker’s comp paperwork to go through.
The place I went to is the same medical facility where I had my sinus surgery last October. So how come when I went there for all those post-op check-ups, I could find a great parking spot, but when it was cold & snowy & slippery, and I was on crutches, I had to park in the boonies? Oh life, you are a cruel mistress.
Oh, and I can now verify that sprains really are more painful than breaks. I injured the same foot about 20 years ago—doing the same thing. I missed a step and fell down. My friend who was with me said she heard a crack. Nothing was broken, but I’d severely sprained my left ankle. (Apparently you can hear tendons and ligaments break, too.) The sprain was indeed more painful than the break, but that’s not to say I didn’t need the pain killers.
I’m now in a boot & still have the crutches. I can walk a short ways without the crutches, so at least I can pick things up around the house and put them away. Last week I was putting everything in plastic grocery bags and carrying them to & from my destinations. So I guess that’s progress.
Posted in Couch Critic, Musings, Work | Comments (0)
Friday Fifteen
January 4th, 2008
So, here are two things I forgot for Thursday Thirteen #4. (Then again, it wouldn’t have been a Thursday Thirteen had I included them.)
- Transfer MS Money and all financial data from my laptop on the dining room table (see item #1) to my primary computer. Obviously, this wasn’t accomplished as planned.
- Hold the “Great Mary Kay Give-Away.” At one time I was a Mary Kay “personal use” consultant with thoughts of actually selling the stuff. Never happened. Consequently, I have a boat-load of products just taking up space. This goes along with my goal of getting the clutter in my home under control.
Posted in Musings, Pack brat | Comments (0)
Happy 2008!
January 2nd, 2008
(See, a day late this year, too.) I prefer even-numbered years to odd-numbered years. It seems all the good things happen in even years: I was born, graduated from high school (& various colleges), was commissioned in the Navy. Good times! I like leap years even more! Feb 29 (besides being my grandpa’s birthday, as well as a friend’s) is Sadie Hawkins Day. That’s the day when women can ask men to marry them. (Ok, maybe it’s a little outdated for modern times, but the emphasis is still on the guy to propose.) Dr. Joyce Brothers once said it’s actually a good thing, because women tend to pick partners for better reasons than men.
And new years bring new “resolutions.” This year I’m trying to get my home in shape. First up is the kitchen. I spent some of yesterday cleaning up the dirty dishes. But the main intent is to clean out the cabinets and get rid of old/duplicate/unused items.
I say “some” of the time was in the kitchen, because I also welcomed in the new year with my very own Supernatural marathon. I didn’t get through all 10 or episodes I’d planned to watch, but it was fun to go back and watch some favorite episodes I hadn’t seen in awhile.
Tags: kitchen, Supernatural
Posted in Musings, Pack brat, Supernatural | Comments (2)
Success is measured in the little things
December 30th, 2007
This morning I sat down to pay a few bills after breakfast. I’d gotten my credit card into a small mess last June when I decided to treat myself to a trip to Texas and tickets to “A Few Good Men.” Not a big mess, but I’d kind of over-extended myself. (”Over-extended for me does not mean having maxed out my card. It means the bill was over $2000. [Which reminds me of a story I'll relate in a minute.]) This month’s bill was for nearly $2000, but I was determined to pay it off in full, thus starting the New Year clean. I made out the check, then realized I’d sent in last months bill late. I went back over my account and was able to subtract over half the amount due. Yay! I feel so “clean.” 
While I was at it, I decided to pay off my line of credit. Now, I’m pretty good with understanding personal finances and loans, things like principle and interest. But lines of credit just confuse the heck out of me. I know they’re a good deal (or at least mine is), but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to pay them off properly. Or perhaps I set up my account wrong. I think that’s as good a reason as any to close out the account.
And now for the credit story. Many years ago, I bought a very unusual, one of a kind ring in Amsterdam. (I’ll tell that story some other time.) However, a few years later, I lost it. Eventually I decided to have a ring made to “replace” it (even though nothing could replace the sentimental value of the ring). I went to a jeweler to discuss what I wanted. I decided to apply for a store credit card to pay for the ring. While the salesman was in the back verifying my credit, I overheard another salesman telling a family they were over their credit limit and couldn’t purchase whatever it was they wanted. I thought to myself how credit has allowed so many people to live beyond their means. When my salesman returned, he whispered in my ear, “I’m sorry to tell you… your credit limit is only $10,000.” And yes, he was joking.
I guess that’s one of the ironies of life. The people with the highest credit limits are the ones who never come near it.
Tags: credit, finances
Posted in Money, Musings | Comments (0)
Good aromas make for good memories
December 1st, 2007
One of my favorite memories of everyday life occurred many years ago. I was on my own for the first time, living in Rochester, NY. I had a nice studio apartment, complete with a full kitchen (& even a dining area), a private entrance, and two large picture windows. The larger of the two was in the living area and faced south.
In those days I was experimenting with my way around the kitchen. One winter I began the habit of baking bread about every other week. (And I mean rolling and kneading and raising, not putting a bunch of dough in a bread machine.) One cold, sunny Saturday, I’d put the bread in the oven, set the timer, then went into the “living room.” The sun was coming through the picture window, and my cat was lying in the spot where the sun hit the carpet. I laid down beside her, just to rest and relax.
I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was warm and comfortable in the sun, the cat was still beside me, and the smell of baking bread filled the room. It was heaven!
I had a somewhat similar moment today. I decided to bake one of the pumpkin pies I was supposed to make at Thanksgiving, but never did. After I put the pie in the oven, I decided to take a nap. For some reason, I was very tired. (It was probably the two helpings of macaroni & cheese I had for lunch.) I set my watch timer, laid down on my bed in an attempt to relax and get the (chronic) kink out of my neck. Gigi was lying on the sheets that had come out of the dryer (one of her favorite things), so I laid down next to her. Shadow, who is never very far from me, jumped up and laid down at the foot of the bed. And then Kimmi came in! She seldom sleeps with me, so this was a real treat. Gigi on my right, Shadow on my left, and Kimmi on top of me. (She weighs only 5 lbs, so I hardly notice her.)
This time I didn’t fall asleep, but I rested and enjoyed the moment. Relaxing on the bed, unconditional love all around me, and the aroma of pumpkin pie filling the home.
The pie is now out of the oven. Unfortunately, I have to let it cool for 2 hours before I can try a piece.
Posted in Musings | Comments (2)
Stupid “smart” alarm clock
October 30th, 2007
Ah, and yet another reason I’m pissed at Congress. Sunday morning I woke up refreshed and ready for the day. I looked at the clock and it read 6:58. I was thrilled! I’d be able to get an early start to the day & get a lot done. I got up, looked at my watch, which said 8:05. Huh? I looked at the clock again. 7:05. Huh? Then I remembered…
The clock is really cool. You set it once, when you first get it (& then only if you don’t live in the Eastern time zone). After that, it remembers the time, even if you lose electricity. Granted, it doesn’t work when the electricity is out, but it has a little battery (or computer chip) that still keeps track of the time. AND, it automatically adjusts to daylight savings time.
Well, it did until Congress screwed around and changed DST. Of course, the computer and DVR didn’t change, because they communicate with the outside world and were able to be updated by external forces. But the alarm clock just sits there & keeps remarkable time. Until Congress stepped in.
Of course, now I have to manually change the time not once, but twice in the next couple weeks. (Obviously, I’d gone through this drill earlier this year, but I must’ve blacked out the experience from my mind. I still don’t remember it.) Still, I guess that’s better than some of the places like New York & San Francisco, where some of the clocks automatically changed; and residents were told to just wait a week and the clocks would be back to the right time.
Posted in Musings | Comments (0)