I'm a particular person sometimes, this should be no surprise to many of you. One thing I'm particular about is my pens. I tend to keep one good one and one spare to lend out. I keep good track on my pens, right?

In class the other night I'm taking notes, which is what one does in such situations. We have to move places for facilitated discussion so I reluctantly join my group. I don't care for my classmates, but I'm willing to do whatever I need to do in the pursuit of LEARNING. So I attempt to join in the discussion, all the while feeling excluded since discussion turns to a previous class I was not in. The discussion was interesting, but there were a lot of cliches being tossed around and if there's one thing I can't abide, it is a bad cliche.

We finish and I head to my seat. now, all the while, the girl who took my seat is sitting there playing with MY PEN which I left on my notebook. As she leaves I ask for my pen back.

"Uh, this is actually MY pen."

"Oh, then mine must've rolled off the desk because I was using that same pen."

"I use the same kind of pen, I get it from my office."

"Well then, I'll look around. I don't think I brought another pen though."

"You can just keep it."

"No, no, I don't want want to steal YOUR PEN."

"No, keep it. I'm known to be a pen thief."

What a pain in the ass. You might think that I was too harsh, but listen, the pen had my toothmarks on it. I also knew about how much ink was left because I'll need to replace it soon.

I mean, really, it's a pen.

Labels: drama, school

I twittered many times about this so it may be old news but I wanted to offer an update.

In the middle-end of November I got a bill from my mortgage company. Once again they messed up my escrow so I owed them several hundred dollars. On top of that I had just paid vet, tuition (which had gone up), car insurance (which had not gone down as I had thought), and condo insurance. Basically, my coffers were very empty because I hadn't planned for this at all. I made a budget and it came up short. It was looking to be a crappy birthday and christmas season but, you know, whatever. I've got a home, I've got a job, life is all right.

I immediately went into belt tightening mode. I sold the first wave of things I didn't really need that would bring in some money. I cancelled a gym membership. My friends and family really came through and gave me financial gifts for my birthday that helped me greatly. I drained the last bit of my savings account. Even with all this it has still been a lean month.

I tried staying at home away from temptation but it didn't help my mood. I got out and made it to estate sales and thrift stores with a very strict budget. That helped but at the same time I was somewhat sadder--it really reminds you of your own mortality.

Once again I have to stress that I am very, very, very thankful to my friends. They are patient and kind and will be rewarded in the next life as well as in a month or so when I am more financially sound.

Now that the end of this month is near I am feeling better, like I can actually do things, go places. There are other luxuries I can do without, and if needed I will do just that.

I'm just glad to know that it can be done and I'm not the princess I thought I was.

Labels: drama, thanks

The Dunder Mifflin hosting co has changed my terms without letting me know. I am now looking for new hosting. You will notice that pictures as well as podcasts are missing but I hope to have them back soon. Meanwhile, if you need something e mail me, I will be happy to send it along.

Labels: drama

It's still ridiculous. People have been queueing up at stations everywhere, and from what I hear it's often just to top of the tank. If anything comes from this I hope it's that people will trade in for more fuel efficient vehicles.

Another thing to remember is that there ARE busses and they don't anticipate that the shortage will affect public transport. My plan was to get gas today and if I couldn't I would take advantage of the MTA.

Luckily I got gas at 6AM today. My mom calls me on her way to work and tells me that a station about a mile awasy has gas and short lines.

"But I'm in my pajamas!"
"Put a t-shirt on over them!"
"But I might be late for work!"
"Just tell them you had to get gas!"
"Mom, I don't think the people in line would be symp--oh you mean my boss. Right."

So I got there, got my gas ($3.99 for regular which isn't terrible--at least the stations aren't gouging like they could). No line and I know at least one pump was open, possibly more.

I might add that I wore no bra to the station--four years ago it would've been a necessity, now it's an option.

Labels: drama, nashville

It's ridiculous. People are lining up everywhere. So I've got a quarter of a tank and a fuel efficient car so I've decided to park it and wait until monday. I think people are panicking and acting silly about the whole thing. how about you take advantage of this and stay at home? Take a walk? Not wait in line for hours?

That's what I did. I had a brow appointment for 12:30 so I loaded up the backpack and headed to the salon. It's only a mile and a half away and made me feel like such a slacker for not walking over there more often! I made it in time and decided to run a few other errands. I had a prescription that needed refilling so that was taken care of. I went to the TJ Maxx and replaced a broken umbrella and bought some good socks for my trip. I had a delicious lunch at a new place in the strip mall. I intended to walk back but my mom was at the dog groomer's so I hitched a ride back with her.

This made me set a new rule for myself: I can buy whatever I want at the TJ Maxx as long as I walk there and can carry said purchases back.

No, really, people are being idiots about this whole thing. I can't believe it. We're supposed to get more supplies early in the week and as far as I know busses are still running.

Labels: drama, nashville

Well, minor drama. Fluidmaster broke at a weird time and had to be replaced. That is in your toilet tank if you didn't know. Luckily, my mom knew what to do as she'd done it before (she was glad I knew how to turn off the water--hey, that's the one thing I DO know!).

It made me late to meet up with Mandy. We managed to check out the art from the Tomato Arts Fest and then made it to the TN Arts League to attend an opening. Night ended at the hookah bar. Good times!

Oh, and the morning started with estate sales where i found nothing. well, I found a hit clips alarm clock. Do you remember Hit Clips? No? Because no one really does. I think it lasted for about five minutes in the late nineties/early naughties. They were clips only a minute or two long on a small chip that you put in the player. When the song was over you put in the next one. Do you now see why they didn't last long? OH, and few songs/artists were available. It was a lot of NSYNC and Britney.

Labels: art, drama

This image is of the lovely pie and pint jewelry from Cherry Blossom Designs. I'm very pleased!

I also got a product to test. I hope it works out. I can't share any details but it is timely.

Meanwhile, I was once again in close proximity to a car accident. That's three crashes in two days. Please be careful, you guys! This one was odd, though. I was walking denny and he poops near the entrance to my complex. I hear a crash and turn around and apparently one lady turning out of the complex didn't see a lady coming down the main road and ran into her front passenger quarter. Now, the entrance to my subdivision is hardy a blind area; you can easily see the cars coming down the main road. This means either ridiculous lack of observance or something was up with the woman coming down the road. The lady who was likely at fault (exiting the complex) swore that she looked and looked but didn't see the other lady, even asking "where did you come from?" Something strange.

I don't know what else to say except this is one of my few nights off and I'm ready for sleep. Can't remember last night's dream.

Labels: drama, mail

Today I saw two car crashes just a scant few feet from each other. they were far enough away that one likely didn't cause the other. the first one happened as I was sitting at the light and all I saw was an SUV spin around--I'm guessing someone was turning and hit a car going sraight (or vice versa).

Here's a diagram illustrating the proximity of the crashes and the order in which I came across them:

**|**
**|-2
**|**
-----
__1__

It was all very frightening!

So, it's bout preparation time here at the Dog Pound (although, given my derby name "tipi" might be more accurate--and more offensive). Friday I start with the feast of a thousand carbohydrates and the great water intake. Of course, I had an annoying practice tonight that had me wanting to yell back. Seriously--I was totally fed up.

Speaking of carbohydrates, I was in my parents' car yesterday on the way to the Ice Cream Crankin. I saw an ad in a magazine for a famous diet plan that promised up to 15 lbs lost in two weeks (as always, there was the note that results aren't typical). Listen, if you are losing 15 lbs in two weeks and you're not under a doctor's supervision in doing so then YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. Well, I hesitate to say that because if weight loss is the goal then losing is losing, but that's just too fast. You're harming your body and setting yourself up to gain that weight back just as fast as you lost it along with a few extra. Also, whatever means you use to lose should be something you are comfortable doing for the rest of your life. Weight loss comes from permanent life changes, not temporary fads. And any diet that severly restricts or prohibits fruits and vegetables just isn't worth it. Any diet that doesn't allow you to splurge once in a while is setting you up for failure.

Labels: drama, food, roller derby

I have to share this. Really. Disillusionment and all.

So, I had a snack attack. I usually don't get hungry until much later, but I couldn't control it and I didn't want my usual snack of carrots. Bread and Company has always had cheese toast that was really delicious and the price is right.

Well, that's the first snag. I order my cheese toast ($2.95 plus tax) and the total is $4.3something. Granted, my math skills aren't all that great in the morning, but I know there's not THAT much tax on food. I ask the clerk why and she says the mozzarella is $1. Well, then, which cheeses are included in the price? She looks at her register for a little while and tells me that cheese is $1 extra. Ok, but this is cheese toast, right? Well, she points out to me on the menu that there's a note that they add $1 for...cranberry bread (I wish the written word could appropriately display the shift in her tone as she finished reading that sentence). she goes to a manager. It's easily solved--and it turns out it's a feature in the computer register system (I'm guessing there's no way to put in the system which cheese you want, so it adds it on). Meanwhile, I notice the cashier next to her is wearing an "I'm Training" button. I've seen a lot of cashiers wearing this button lately--I guess turnover is high.

After this, I get to the section of the store where the breakfast items are made (if you're not familiar with Bread and Co, in this particular location you go to different parts of the store depending on what you're after. The breakfast counter later becomes the sandwich counter, and even later becomes the pasta counter). I see the lady using a microwave, and think how interesting, because I hate microwaves and wonder what she's up to because the restaurant isn't busy and I ordered toast. Well, she takes the item out of the microwave, does some things out of my sight, and hands me a styro container. I check the container first to make sure it's indeed mine and right. The first thing I notice is one of those napkin/condiment/cutlery kits sitting RIGHT ON TOP OF THE CHEESE. I grab it before it sticks.

I get to my office and sit down with my cheese toast. it's scantier than I remember, but hopefully still delicious. Nope, even that's a disappointment. It's clear that she didn't even toast the bread before microwaving it. Honestly, I could've made this myself in the office. They have one of those crazy toasters that runs the bread on a belt and drops it below and I know that logically, you can't make cheese toast with one of those. Still, I didn't go for soggy, microwaved bread with too much cheap mozzarella on it making it gooey (in a bad way).

I think Bread and Co has really gone downhill. The portions have shrank, the prices have risen, and the quality isn't the same. I used to love their pasta made-to-order but it's gotten too expensive to justify. The sandwiches are ridiculous. The chicken noodle soup is still wonderful (and now offered every day!), but the container has changed and I can't tell if I'm getting less soup. Probably not, but given the change in their other items I would not be surprised.

I tell a coworker about this and she says she's glad Panera is down the road and you can still get good stuff there. I'm fine with Panera, but I'd like for a local business to succeed without compromising everything.

Labels: drama, nashville

I have an opportunity. something fun. so I'm wondering if I've written a blog post that tickled your fancy? it can be old or new. probably old, since I don't update like I used to.

once this gets sorted out I'll let you know more. do not want to jinx it.

Labels: drama

Believe me, this is something I could've gone my whole life and not known and I would've been just fine. I'm only sharing it here because you have to find the interesting/borderline humorous side of things or you will absolutely die of sadness. Do not think I am posting this because it's funny. It's really not funny, but it is interesting and does prove that you can find anything on the internets, and this is not a topic I would've searched for if I didn't have a reason.

Dog Seizure search results on YouTube.

Tonight we three dogs were on the couch snug and comfy and little Flash starts writhing around. This being Flash I didn't think much about it because he's always doing spastic little things like this, and I assumed he was either trying to burrow under the covers or scratch his doggy nose. He then fell to the floor, wetting himself in the process. He was rolling around as though his legs wouldn't work, he was coughing. I took his collar off wondering if he was choking (he wasn't). I thought maybe he'd awakened out of a bad dream and tried petting him. After a minute or so he recovered and was fine, but he was scared as he could be, shaking and cuddling when I picked him up. While I was trying to figure out what to do I called my parents' house where my sister answered and promptly rushed over (Mom shortly behind her).

I took Flash outside (he ran over to the door where he usually stands when he's ready to go out), he peed like crazy. He was fine, and then the sister shows up.

I thought maybe if I could see a video of a dog having a seizure it would help me decide if this is what happened or if it might be something less serious, but sadly I now think it was indeed a seizure. Flash is staying with the parents/sister for the next few days where he can be watched.

Labels: drama, flash

I'm having some issues with dizziness and nausea. I'm pretty sure it's related to snri withdrawal but it was keeping me from working effectively. Anyway.

Denny woke me up at 4am panting heavily, licking at the air, and with his tail pointing directly at the ground. All signs pointed to the poops so I ran him outside where he proceeded to chew on grass and clover, this means I was off and he had an upset stomach. Poor doggie and all that but he could've vomited inside. So I take him in the house and point him to the water bowl where he drinks two bowls of water and the panting, etc stops. Dog only wanted water which annoys the crap out of me, he's got a nice water bowl upstairs that he won't touch because it makes a loud noise. Scaredy cat dog. Anyway, water was all he needed.

Still, it's kind of good that he woke me up when he did, I was having a terrible dream about an armed attack at a roller derby bout. I can usually get myself out of a bad dream but not this time. I thought about just staying up but no, I ended up falling back asleep. Do you know what's on TV at 4am? Full House, that's what.

Oh, and let me talk for a minute about the wonder of Heroes. Sure, it's SUCH an X Men rip off but damn if it isn't fun. Every episode has at least one "holy crap" moment, one breath holding moment, and it's always lots of fun. Where is my Hiro action figure????

Labels: denny, drama, dreams, television

Something is wrong with my tongue, it's been weird for about six days. The end of my tongue is partially numb, nothing tastes right. Spicy things are super spicy--I ate an ordinary snack size bag of nacho cheese Doritos and they were pretty intense. Not tears intense, but mild discomfort intense. I just finished some carrots and there's a prickly feeling hanging around in my mouth, like when you eat redhots or a fireball.

Also, my mouth just doesn't feel right. i normally brush my teeth when it's appropriate but also when my teeth just feel fuzzy. This doesn't mean I'm an over brusher, it's rare that my teeth feel fuzzy late in the day after a good morning brush. Still, my teeth always feel fuzzy, like, constantly. I stopped brushing, like, constantly.

any ideas? I have both my annual md physical and my semiannual dental appointment within the next month. i'm also going to cut out artificial sweeteners in a couple of days (have to finish off what I've got, bitches) to see if maybe I'm just overexposed to chemicals.

Labels: drama

Here's why:

• The phrase "mistakes were made." It's right up there with "it is what it is." Another way to avoid taking responsibility for your own screw ups.


• The cost of running a presidential campaign, even if you're unsuccessful. An NPR story estimated costs around 50-100 million. Let's say you've got two candidates per party, and since the US only has two parties, and let's average that out to $75 million per campaign, well that's 300 million. Wow. Now that would buy a lot of body armor for our troops, insure a lot of children, rebuilt a few buildings in Mississippi and Louisiana...well, the list goes on. I am considering not voting in the next presidential election because of this. I know that one person is only one person, but I could just as easily be voting for one peanut butter brand over another. Marketing--blech.


• speaking of marketing, people who use Jesus to market a business or product or candidate. This morning there was a story about a dude who is selling holy water, water that has been blessed by a clergyman. There's even a disclaimer that it could cause blah blah blah problems in sinners. Hey, you know what? part of being human means we are all susceptible to sin. In fact, WE ARE ALL SINNERS. Like it or not. If you're a Christian all you can do is pray for forgiveness, but you're always going to sin. Also, cashing in on your faith? Bad practice, man.


• Podcasters who ask for money. Damn. i'm freakin broke as hell and all I want is a froggin theme song.


• Still don't know if I passed the skillz test. Only a minor irritation, but still.


• A Jaguar I saw in a parking lot yesterday still had the Carmax decal on it. Honestly, the decals come right off, rich bastard. I'll never be able to afford a Jaguar used or otherwise but at least I know enough to TAKE THAT DAMN CARMAX DECAL OFF. I mean, damn, I took most of mine off my car (left only the Max part. I can't STAND when people leave just the "carma" part--first off, it's goofy as hell and secondly it's not even the correct spelling) and it's only a freakin toyota.

Labels: drama, politics

So remember the skills test I'm supposed to be taking on Monday? Well it might not happen. I changed my wheels from my good pink Radar Tuners to the crap Chicago wheels that came with my crap Chicago skates, as I don't want to mess up the pink wheels. So I go in the garage and practice my stops and I'm doing great, just great, right? Seriously, I have it down. So I skate up the road and do just fine and try to cross over but it was too sharp a turn and I fall. No biggie, though, I fall on my knee and elbow which are heavily protected thanks to my gear.

And then Dr Gay shows up. He's going to take pics which is very much welcome. I say ok, but before you take a picture here's a demonstration of what I'm trying to do. Then, as I try to show I fall, and not in a good, controlled way. I twist my knee and ankle a bit as I'm falling. Right now they're wrapped up. I'm putting ice on it when I think about it. I'm doing 4 ibus every four hours. Here we are.

I'd planned to spend all weekend practicing but nop, now I'm spending all my time with my leg elevated. I'm still hoping to tke the test monday. We'll see.

Labels: drama, roller derby

Every time I log in to blogger I see a picture of the club de ville in austin and a notice about a SXSW party. waaaah! i don't get to go to sxsw this year! not enough money, not sure if I have a place to crash.
sigh. this is why I need a job as a professional blogger so I can get a wristband and a small patch of floor upon which to crash.
i suppose in order to do that, though, I would need to be a better blogger.

Labels: drama

Dear Brit,

Hey. Looks like you're having a tough time lately. Listen, I know how it is, when you feel like no one in the world is on your side and you might as well just give up. And I think I know what you need.

Now I'm no psychologist, I leave that hard work to Dr Gay. I have, however, seen Pure Country on many occasions. I'm sure you're a busy girl so here's a quick recap: George Strait plays a big time country star, Dusty, who gets tired of the superstar lifestyle. He cuts off his signature pony tail, goes to the country, works on a farm under a cloak of anonymity, falls in love with a girl, and, well, I don't want to spoil the ending here.

So here's my idea, Britney: Do like Dusty did. You've already gotten rid of your extensions. Let your mom take care of the kids for a little while and get the hell out of town. Heck, I'll offer you my spare room. Yes, it's a little humble, but you need some humbling. Why not work in a bar or restaurant? Sheeit, you could be totally anonymous. we'll work something out. After all, the lower you fly under the radar the less likely people are going to believe that you've located to NASHVILLE of all places.

You know what else? You can come to roller derby practice with me. We'll find you some skates, some pads, and a helmet. I guarantee that after a few months you'll be one tough bitch.

You're under a lot of stress, lady. You're getting out of a failed marriage and you've found yourself the subject of much derision. It's time to get away from the cameras. Anna Nicole Smith is dead, don't be so quick to fill her shoes.

Sincerely,
LPC

Labels: drama, open letter, pop culture

So, I live in Tennessee. Living in TN means freaking out at the first sign of snow. We get a light dusting and PANIC.

So this morning I was due to drive to Memphis for a baby shower honoring young Holden the Guy. I look outside--snow. I don't think much of this, but then I look at the state highway reports and see that past Jackson there's some ice. I decide it's better that I not go. I fall back asleep, knowing that Jesse the Guy is probably not yet awake so I go back to sleep for a couple of hours intending to call in my regrets. During this time I have the television on MTV where they're showing a marathon of their stellar programming, in this case it's My Super Sweet Sixteen and Underage and Engaged (or vice versa). I drift in and out of sleep not knowing which part is on television, which part is my dream, and whether or not my mom really did tell me that Britney shaved her head overnight and got some tattoos.

You may be asking how my mom scooped me on entertainment news? Good question. She's never even looked at Perez Hilton.

Anyway. I also have not one but five (that I can recall) dreams where I get up, go downstairs, call Jesse the Guy and get on with my day. I hate that. by the time I actually get going it seems so DONE. you know what I mean? BUt I do eventually call Mr the Guy who fully understood, and I do intend to visit Memphis in the next few weeks to visit little Holden.

So I do my grocery shopping where I buy lots of sweets and some necessities. I catch up on DVRed stuff, good times, right?

So the time comes to get ready for Kate and John's engagement party. I debate going. I'm excited to go because I really do like Kate and John and am very excited for their impending wedding but the roads are not so good and the snow continues to come down. Basically, the later it gets the worse the roads will get. I take my shower, shave the parts that ladies do, clip my frikin toenails even, and hit the road. While the road doesn't really hit back, it does throw out a gentle insult that made me rethink everything I know. So I slip a bit, pull over, call in more regrets, and head home.

And here I am. THe picture above was taken of me in my engagement party finery.

Also, more pictures added to my flickr account, including a couple of pics from before the very first nashville rollergirls interleague bout.

Labels: celebrations, drama, pictures

This morning I found out that my partner in derby training, Strawberry Stompcake, has a torn ligament! Very sad to hear. Let's all pray for a quick recovery.

Labels: drama, roller derby

Good news: I found a little sneaky way (not illegal by any means, but not well known) way to find out which Target stores near me have Wiis in stock. Sure enough, one does.

Bad news: Tonight is the first night i attend roller derby practice. There's no way I'm making it to Target tonight.

Labels: drama

Tonight's MRI wasn't nearly as much fun as the last time. Not that the last one was great shakes. Anyway, they were at two different facilities. The first was at a boutique imaging center, the second was at the hospital.

This time I had to remove my brassiere which wasn't nearly as traumatic as it might have been a little over two years ago. But in that metal tube I was absolutely FREEZING. There was a cold breeze blowing over me that made my bralessness, ahem, evident. It seems as though I was in there a little longer than the first time and my head was strapped down this time. Also, there was no clever mirror over my eyes that allowed me to see my feet. I turned on my mental ipod wheich seemed to be stuck on dance music. Did I mention I was cold? I might have fallen asleep but I was too cold. When I came out of the tube this time I was a little lightheaded and needed help standing up. Of course, at first I didn't want to accept his help, after all I have been accused of being independent to the point of being a ballbreaker. But I did end up accepting his arm.

I didn't warm up until I got to the car and had the heater running. It wasn't that cold, I was just chilled so bad.

Labels: drama

Qu'est-ce que on dit? Vraiment.

It's been the season of the white elephant. I've been to TWO, third tonight. good times, right? Yes.

Thursday I recounted my misfortune at the department white elephant. Luckily the one that night was more fruitful. I walked away with a mexican marionette I named Pepito Calderon. Perhaps in a few days we'll have a vote for the official schmoovenet.com mascot (which is not Denny. Denny is a part of the staff here. if he had thumbs he'd have his own login). I then met the Nashville Rollergirls and Steve for a beverage (in that order). I am hoping to join the Rollergirls, I just need the bravery to go watch a practice and then the money to buy skates.

Friday during the day was drudgery. I managed to make my way over to Love Circle for an estate sale. Not just any estate sale, the estate was that of the vocal coach for *NSYNC. It was a bust. A total bust. No good.

Friday NIGHT was great times. I met Steve at the Mercy Lounge for Dr Dog (ok) and the Black Keys (rocked my FACE right off and on to the stage you see in the picture above left) (oh, and thank you again, Steve--if you had a nickel for every time I've said thank you you'd have, like, all these nickels). Someone of interest was there, Dr Dog pointed to them and made a comment. I don't know who it was, but whoever it was was standing not far from where we were. Apres, nous sommes alles a l'Hermitage, le cafe le plus bon, where I joined the clean plate club.

Late night led to late morning. Late morning was further latened due to the absolute worst headache I've had in some time. moving around didn't help, only made it worst. advil didn't help, 32 oz of water didn't help. Here's what I decided--I had eaten so much chocolate over the past few days that this could possibly be a caffeine withdrawal headache. See, I don't consume caffeine. I ate a few of the See's truffles and ta da! I was mostly headache free today.

Estate sale haul: Two small saccharine tablet bottles, a small book of etiquette, and some shuttles I hope to use to tat lace. One solitary doll hair.

Now I have to get ready for my hobo party.

Labels: drama, estate sales, music

So, today marks the first of the three white elephant/dirty santa gift exchanges I am expected to attend. The second is tonight. The third is Saturday.

so today I had a high number. I stole someone else's gift, a lovely faberge-style music box that played the Sleeping Beauty theme.

Let's pause the story right now and say yes, I understand this isn't your common white elephant gift. It was a mix of new things and old things. One woman's treasure is another woman's white elephant. one person ended up with a tile.

So, through a weird fruit basket turnover type exchange someone ended up giftless and took the music box. Ok, this happens.

then she gives the music box to the original owner. why? because she brought it. i suppose that's nice but it's also just MEAN. mean. i don't know what I did to this woman to deserve that.

Still, I won one of two grand prizes in a game, I got a box of hand made cards that are all pretty cool looking, I'm getting ideas just looking at them.

Labels: drama

As much as I hate their advertising campaigns and their devotees I do have to admit I like Apple. I make fun of the name Genius Bar but they do get the job done. seriously. Do you know what was wrong with my ipod? the plastic was mashed into the metal part causing issues with the hard drive so the dude just pulled the plastic part out a little and then put some stuff on it to make sure it worked. Dude was the same dude who checked it out before, so I like him and not just because he kind of looks like Parker Lewis's dad.

He put on some sports podcasts which really weren't interesting, and he also put some tech/sales staff podcasts intended for Apple employees. HMMMM. Yes, I did listen, and yes, they are as boring as you'd expect.

I also bought an external hard drive, as my computer may die any day now. When it does, I'll probably go for a mac. Now, you can shut up. I only resisted because for work I use a PC and I kind of like to have compatible equipment. Since you can run XP then that just rocks. It's rather progressive I'd say.

So I've got a working ipod. I've got an external hard drive. And, thanks to a kiosk in the mall, I now have some See's truffles.

Labels: drama

i've been having crazy dreams over the past several nights. i won't go into details on all of them, but will give you this taste:

i was a roller derby gal but it was the off season so i switched to foxy boxing. my first match was against a young, slender thing in a skimpy outfit. She was obviously the crowd favorite, I got booed. It's ok though, after seven rounds I was declared the winner.

Now whatever could that dream mean? Best not think too deeply on these things.

After work i'm headed over to the genius bar at the apple store, it would seem my ipod is officially dead. the hard drive is fucked and I'm pretty sure it's officially out of warranty so I may have to purchase a new one. I know it's not a necessity but really, it is. I'd rather have an ipod than a cell phone.

What does this mean to you, the reader? it means I'm practically GIVING AWAY THE STORE! seriously, over the next few days I'm relisting some jewelry at $15 (includes shipping) and putting some stuff up for auction on ebay. I've got too much crap in my house and it has to go.

Labels: drama

This morning my ipod died. I went the whole day without, got the frowny face, all that. for a minute I thought it was dead for good but a good smack (what did I have to lose?) brought it back. I restored it and it is now resyncing (8500+ sound files plus other stuff). Still, I'm going to keep looking. Well, as much looking as I can do considering that an ipod is an ipod is an ipod and there really isn't any comparison shopping.

In addition my final grade still isn't posted. Allegedly it was to be posted this morning, the system was updated at 6:30-ish, no grade.

Labels: drama, school

Have you seen Squidbillies? I heard about it through Sal who is an Unknown Hinson fan. Speaking of, Thursday, January 4, Mercy Lounge. It'll be gooder than hell.

I'm in a lot of pain right now. I don't know what's going on, but it feels like someone's jabbing a blunt dowel into my arm slowly but with a whole heck of a lot of muscle. Additionally I'm having muscle aches in a rather delicate area (hint: it's one of my boobs), an issue that's been going on intermittently since my surgery almost two years ago. I'll be fine, don't you worry.

You know, I almost share too much. almost. But seriously, there's a lot I don't share. Ask Dr Gay, or ask Sally.

So, I got the Dec/Jan Sampler in the mail. I MAY podcast with Dr G later, opening it during the cast. I'm getting a bit impatient so I may just open it and blog about it. Also I'm getting kind of tired.

Speaking of tee shirts, if you requested one during my last offering you will be happy to know that it's been ordered. Yes, I was a little lazy BUT my final has been sent to the professor and so the semester is OVER! Tune in monday if you're really interested in how I did. I'm predicting an A-.

Labels: drama, mail, music, television

So the short version is that somewhere in PA there was some sort of outage and Dunder Mifflin web hosting lost connection. The good news is my email didn't seem to bounce. Also, there was really nothing worth blogging about: I got my paper done, the guy in the next booth was playing world of warcraft, we watched the incredibles in our last class of the semester. Good times.

Listen to the podcast now.

Labels: drama, school

Your update, should you choose to read it.

Denny's just fine, no more ointment, but a few more pills. I can't get him off of the dog blanket to save my life. I moved it to the couch because he was obviously tired of sitting next to the window. I can get him to leave for treats and potty, that's about it.

Me, I haven't had a dizzy spell in almost two weeks. Occasional numbness but nothing as bad as it was before.

OH and I got a really cool book about Welles and Hearst in the mail. I'm not sure who sent it (I have a suspicion, message sent, awaiting confirmation), but thank you so very very much!

Labels: denny, drama

The dude came by to fix the heater--and not too soon I might add! Space heaters just don't do the job. I was either too cold or too hot all night.

so it turns out the folks who installed the compressor a few years back used the wrong connectors. I don't really know what this means but I do know that they BURNED OUT. This TOTALLY explains why I came home Weds night and smelled fire. Just think how dangerous this could've been! So the nice HVAC guy fixes this and tells me where I can find a replacement filter since my compressor is an odd size and has a reusable filter. See, my filter has a hole in it, a hole of which I don't know the origins.

So, heat!

Labels: drama

after dropping some major ducats on denny's care (and he's worth it, so no complaining) I wake up freezing to discover that my heater's out.

luckily I have a space heater, but of course this happens on a holiday.

Labels: drama

So, today is the day Denny stops being a good patient. That's not to say he's a BAD patient, but he's losing patience. Every time I'd get off the couch he'd walk off his ass blanket and jump on the couch. I decided that it wasn't worth fighting over and just moved his ass blanket on to the couch.

He's also growing tired of the kennel. As would you, right?

Luckily, the oozing isn't as bad as it was yesterday. It's still gross, but it's not as bad.

Me, it's the same ole thing. I haven't left much due to not wanting to put denny in his kennel for long spans.

Labels: denny, drama

I stopped by Target earlier and bought a loaf of white bread in anticipation of medicating Denny. I also bought jeans and work pants but that's neither here nor there. I don't want to get comfortable with this extra weight.

We're not here to talk about my gut (which I have named Prince, there's a reason for that but not right now).

So I go pick up Denny from the vet's and I'm given four separate prescriptions. FOUR. Two pills twice a day (wrapped in bread, of course), one pain pill once a day (it's meat flavored!), and an ointment to, ahem, apply. I've got this old comforter that's pretty much been dogified so I dubbed this as the ass blanket. We head home and denny is so, so stoned. There's also other stuff I won't mention because it's gross, all I will say that if you've ever had an abcess lanced you know what I mean. Gross.

We get home and my dad is there to meet me with old towels for his kennel. I'm so glad he was there when I got home because it helped me get the ass blanket and the bread into the house. Of course, the first thing denny does is scoot a couple of inches on the carpet. Gross. So dad takes him outside while I clean up the spot and lay out the ass blanket. So I get Denny to sit on an old towel (the ass pad) and bring him his friend Crazy Hedgehog and he promptly falls asleep. OH! before this I give him a Greenie. He manages to eat it, and why not? It's his very favorite in the whole world. Ok, so back to where we were--Crazy Hedgehog, asleep, etc.

He attempts to get up and greet my mom when she stops by. She brings doggie underpants and latex gloves. Now, the doggie underpants are a good idea except they're for girl dogs in heat and have, if you can believe this, little ruffles around the tail hole. Now it's not humiliating enough for him to have his ass shaved a bit and then get confined to something called the "ass blanket" but I'm not sure I can put the undies on him. Poor guy.

He's been pretty good about keeping his rear on the ass pad, but then he's a good boy. He doesn't like it when I try to move his rump to check the drainage but who would?

He drank a little water, and just a minute ago I gave him his meds and put him in his kennel for the night. Before you get uppity I would like you to know that Denny was kennel trained so he has no problem with it. In fact, I keep it in my craft room and when I go in there he usually follows me in the room and makes a quick trip into the kennel just to show me what a brave little man he is. I would also like to say that this kennel training has made my dog mostly accident free, I could count on one hand the number of accidents he's had in the last six years, and most of those times were submissive urination when he was getting used to Flashy.

He also went poo, I think it was kind of painful for him. It also smelled so, so bad.

He's got food, water, and Crazy Hedgehog in the kennel with him, and I heard him drinking water just a minute ago.

Anyway, dude on House is getting an MRI, but HE'S not wearing earplugs or foam blocks by his ears, and he's also not wearing that crazy cage over his face.

Labels: denny, drama

LEt's start with me.

As you know, yesterday I went on my freakin birthday to get an MRI and a carotid doppler, this all relates to some dissiness and numbness I've been experiencing. The carotid doppler was basically an ultrasound of my neck. I got to see AND hear my heartbeat! It was a bit unnerving, the ultrasound lady wasn't terribly friendly, but then maybe that's because she's used to happy pregnant ladies. The MRI was a little better, the MRI lady was nicer and did a good job of explaining the proceedure. I wasn't all the way in the tube, just to right above my waist. I didn't have to strip down, I did have to take off my glasses and tongue jewelry. It wasn't too claustrophobic, and the machine made some pretty cool sounds. I thought it would be fun to combine the MRI sounds and my ultrasound heartbeat sounds and make some electronica. Oh wait, but I don't like electronica. The coolest was one part that almost sounded like a call and response. It was really loud, I shudder to think how loud it would've been without the earplugs and foam they used to block the sound. The result is that there's no problem really. The MD scheduled me an appt with a neurologist and my regular doctor.

Denny is at the vet's office right now having an anal abcess lanced and drained. He'd been chewing on his bum for a few days. i'd planned on waiting until Friday to take him to the vet, thinking it was his anal glands bothering him. This morning I noticed his bum was red and raw and there was a large lump. A quick trip to the vet while I was being doctored revealed that it's an abcess, draining, antibiotics, blah blah blah poor little denny!

Labels: drama

Health: I looked up my lab results. THey didn't make much sense but I saw that a few were read which meant they were outside the normal reference range. I was googling how to interpret these results (ah, google, what CAN'T you find?) when I decided I'd be better off grabbing a nurse in our clinic. I was informed that everything was mostly normal except I was a bit anemic (which can happen to ladies on a fairly regular basis IF you know what I mean) and I have a bit of an infection somewhere (I was informed that my allergies could be causing this). So we'll see what the final verdict is.

Birthday: the second wave of birthday fun rolled in. Apparently my bosses didn't know that I wouldn't be in tomorrow and had a surprise planned. THis had to be aborted FAST apparently so they handed me a bag and informed me that yes, it included items from their offices but that shouldn't be an indicator of care level. Sure enough, it consisted of small bottles of lotion, snacks, gum, candy, pencils, and at the bottom was a brand new unopened Robert Johnson CD. Which means someone (and I have a good idea who, I informed her that I would take it home and rip it and then let her "borrow" it) had a perfectly good unopened Robert Johnson CD just sitting around her office.

Labels: drama, health

I'm in a bad mood so I'll keep this short.

My near-fainting spells are getting worse. I can't turn my head without my arm and leg going tingly and partially numb.

I can't get in to see my MD so they put me in to see some random MD who didn't really listen to me and just had me set up for an MRI (on my freakin birthday for crying outside), a carotid doppler, and some blood work. Sure, I'm thankful I've got good insurance and I was able to get in fast but, you know, whatever. Let's order a bunch of expensive tests, it's better than actually listening!

I'm not a traditional patient--I don't demand everything in the book when I'm having health issues. I'm slowly trying to get off the few medications I'm on. I know that my low copays are only a fraction of the actual costs and I know that the actual costs are what make insurance premiums so high. I'm an educated health care consumer and I don't like being passed off in lieu of actual treatment. She didn't even listen to all I had to say!

I've got a history of dizzy spells but never to near blackout levels.

I'm, understandably, freaked the fuck out.

So much for short. I'm scared, nervous, and I talk a lot when I'm nervous. Well, I suppose I type a lot when I'm nervous.

Labels: drama, health

I finally decided on what to eat for dinner (listen to podcast #31, coming soon) so I call my mom to ask if a recent management change means a menu change. No, but then their menu is very limited--see, they've closed. CLOSED. Now this sucks, I will list the reasons below.

• They had some of the best pizza in the world. BEST.


• When there were Titans home games they ran a shuttle service. This involved a plus motorcoach, a keg on the coach, and a meal once we got to the game. This meal was often their amazing pizza.


• NTN, the TV bar trivia.


• Pool and darts.


• Amazing pasta.


• Food food food. Great food.


• This has nothing to do with my food but my ex-bf used to come out to the Acres on friday nights. We'd start with a dinner and trivia at the sports bar and then home for a movie and VAlley of the Dolls night and other stuff I won't mention here. Those were good times.

Labels: drama, food