UM 202

(a palindrome!)

Hardball ::
Sleepless ::
Graduation ::
Presents ::
Toe ::
Lotion ::
Snicker ::
Eve ::
Investment ::
Pain ::




Hardball :: financial negotiations
Sleepless :: in Seattle
Graduation :: cap and tassel
Presents :: ribbons and bows
Toe :: stub
Lotion :: "it rubs the lotion on its skin ... "
Snicker :: -s candy bar
Eve :: Adam
Investment :: portfolio
Pain :: broken heart

Oh, Say! Can You See?

The overcast skies in the DC area today are supposed to continue through the night, but hopefully people in other areas will be able to see the meteor shower.

Its been a fantasy of mine to lay in a wide open, secluded place with no artificial light and watch a meteor shower. I imagine myself in a desert or maybe on a beach. I'm laying on blankets or a sleeping bag, and a special person is there with me. We have wine and snacks. The air is cool, and our embraces are warm.

I *heart* KMA

Today's Super Awesome Award for Making Me Smile Out Of The Blue goes to ........
KMA!!!!

clap--clap--clap--clap--calp-dammit-i-mean-clap

Not only did she propose marriage to me, she called me "boobalicious" and threw in a reference to Flava of Love.
... All in the same day!!!

She rocks!

I don't know anyone else who would have accepted my challenge to a dessert-eating contest at the end of a working lunch in front of all our co-workers.
AND she's a Scorpio. And even has an awesome t-shirt that announces her as such.
In some ways, we are kindred spirits.
Except I don't have the t-shirt.

If we should ever again meet in person, my friend, I'm totally taking you out on a date. Stupid amounts of chocolate and ice cream and high-caloric, low-nutritive food will be involved.
Stupid, I tell you.
I know the way to your heart.

Gender and the F-Bomb

I just came from a 30 minute meeting that started two hours ago.

My team is facing an accuracy-vs-timeliness dilemma. Data has been so sloppy for so long that, we have come to realize, it will take much longer than is practical for us to make everything perfect. So we're faced with making the data good enough quickly enough for us to actually benefit from it.

Understandably, CEO is unhappy to be told this.
"I'd better start brushing up my resume because I'm about to get fired. I've always known you assholes would cost me my job. And I'm not happy about it."

He used the a word, many derivatives of shit, and a few sonuvabitch-es without batting an eye. However, when he let an f-bomb slip, he genuinely apologized to K and I, the females in the room; mostly to me, as everyone who has had the pleasure of conversing with K for longer than five minutes has been subject to her prolific usage of the word. Not only did CEO apologize, he begged my forgiveness and did not sit down until I granted it.

When he left the meeting, he exited the room, turned around in the hallway, re-entered and addressed me, "I'm really sorry for my potty mouth earlier."


Why is it such a violation of social and professional graces to utter this word in mixed company, but less inappropriate to do so when interacting with men only?
Does it have anything to do with boobs?
long hair?
repressed issues of maternal psychopathology?

Mutterings 199

No snappy intro, just the down and dirty...

rhyme ::
substantial ::
instant::
greed::
Brad::
season::
accomplished::
invite::
sparkle::
rainbow::




rhyme :: the seven seas of
substantial :: massive
instant :: breakfast (♪ Carnation instant breakfaaaaaast! Youregonnaloveitinaninstant!)
greed :: green
Brad :: Pitt (I'm so ashamed!)
season :: spice
accomplished :: resumé
invite :: disaster
sparkle :: eyes
rainbow :: leprechaun

Typhoid Mare-eesa

It seems that after reading blogs of other people who have been sick, I too have succumbed to an infernal, tortuous viral coup.

I do not suffer illness stoically. I am whiny and annoying. I want my mommy. Or someone who will give me equally selfless and abundant TLC. I want to be in bed with lots of blankets. I want movies playing that I can drift in and out of without missing anything. I want soup and tea brought to my bedside, and the empty dishes to magically disappear. I want a glass of room temperature water that never empties. I want to rise from bed only to take a steamy shower and change into a new pair of jammies. And I want a warm dog curled up close to me, happy to lounge with me, even as I hack and wheeze.

Ogden gets it...

Go hang yourself, you old M.D,!
You shall not sneer at me.
Pick up your hat and stethoscope,
Go wash your mouth with laundry soap;
I contemplate a joy exquisite
In not paying you for your visit.
I did not call you to be told
My malady is a common cold.

By pounding brow and swollen lip;
By fever's hot and scaly grip;
By those two red redundant eyes
That weep like woeful April skies;
By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff;
By handkerchief after handkerchief;
This cold you wave away as naught
Is the damnedest cold man ever caught!

Give ear, you scientific fossil!
Here is the genuine Cold Colossal;
The Cold of which researchers dream,
The Perfect Cold, the Cold Supreme.
This honored system humbly holds
The Super-cold to end all colds;
The Cold Crusading for Democracy;
The Führer of the Streptococcracy.

Bacilli swarm within my portals
Such as were ne'er conceived by mortals,
But bred by scientists wise and hoary
In some Olympic laboratory;
Bacteria as large as mice,
With feet of fire and heads of ice
Who never interrupt for slumber
Their stamping elephantine rumba.

A common cold, gadzooks, forsooth!
Ah, yes. And Lincoln was jostled by Booth;
Don Juan was a budding gallant,
And Shakespeare's plays show signs of talent;
The Arctic winter is fairly coolish,
And your diagnosis is fairly foolish.
Oh what a derision history holds
For the man who belittled the Cold of Colds!

You should probably go wash your hands now.
I hear there's something going around.

Faux Paux

I definitely suffer more from keeping silent than by speaking up, but every now and then, even I put my foot in my mouth. I have a co-worker, K, who is beyond manic. The thought crosses my mind at least twice a week to figure out a way to slip mood stabilizers into her system. And I generally have a pretty high tolerance for mania. (After all, I live with myself!)

K, in her crazy-hyper-angry state, mentioned that she wants to take a trip to Paris. But she doesn't really want to go to Paris. She just wants the money to go to Paris. Because she really wants to go somewhere else. She doesn't like Paris. Even though she's never been there. She doesn't want to go though. Because, I mean, she's not in love or anything.

Because I was curious (and OK, maybe also the tiniest bit of an instigator) I asked her, "where would you go, K?"

"Amsterdam."

Another colleague who was present, D, exchanged an amused glance with me.

"Why Amsterdam?" I ask.

"Well ..... you know ....", she responds, prompting us, presumably regarding the drug culture.

"Is it for the tulips, K? Do you like tulips?" D stirs the pot.

I jump on the bandwagon and list everything that comes to mind regarding the Netherlands -
"clogs!"
"windmills!"
"cheese!"
"dike----"
--- I caught myself too late.

I really didn't mean it in the slang sense.
(But I do think its funny.)

Blake has been to the Netherlands.

I Sang to a Homeless Guy

... because the voices told me to.
I thought about doing it because I'm cool like that, or because that's how I roll, but the white shirt needed to be ironed, and its so dreary outside that I decided against the black one.

I picked this up from Spinning Girl. She's a scorpio.

1) Your birth month:
January--I kicked
February--I loved
March--I smoked
April--I dry humped
May--I choked on
June--I murdered
July--I did the Macarena with
August--I had lunch with
September--I danced with
October--I sang to
November--I yelled at
December--I ran over

2) Your birth date:
1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a lunch-lady
6-------a gangster
7-------my cell phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbor
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19-------myself
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------my sister
27-------my brother
28-------an ipod
29-------a permanent marker
30-------a llama
31-------a homeless guy

and 3) the color of shirt you are wearing:
White----------because I'm cool like that.
Black-----------because that's how I roll.
Pink------------because I'm NOT a homosexual.
Red------------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want.
Green---------because I hate myself.
Purple---------because I'm cool.
Gray----------because I was drunk.
Yellow --------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars.
Orange-------because I hate my family.
Brown--------because I was high.
Other-------because I'm a ninja.
None--------because I can't control myself.

4) Now, put the sentence together.

Blake, by the way, dry humped an iPod, I'm guessing because he's sexy and he does what he wants. But it could be because he's cool like that. He should be glad he wasn't born on six days earlier!

Anyone else need to confess something?

Explorative Expedition

I am off to Nepal.
The following e-mail exchange should explain it all.


From: CEO
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 1:59 PM
To: STAFF
Subject: Tennis

I am trying to develop a wellness program for the company. We have contracted with the unit at Affiliate Company that provides services in this area and will make an announcement on that in the near future. We are also trying to get some additional programs in place to promote exercise and physical fitness.

Our landlord, H&S, owns the tennis club that is located to the rear of the building. One of the ideas we have had is to try to see if we can get a set number of memberships at the club that could be used by Company employees. Before we make the request and before we try to push, I wanted to see what, if any, the level of interest would be. If interested, please send me an e-mail.

We are also going to try to get a group discount to Super Awesome 24h Gym With Locations Near Marisa’s Home and Office and Also Has a Swimming Pool.

I can't promise that we will be successful in these, but if we have buying power as a group it provides some leverage and is worth a try.

I would be open to other ideas as well.

Thanks,
CEO


From: Marisa
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:05 PM
To: CEO
Subject: RE: Tennis

I would absolutely love to get in on a group discount to Super Awesome 24h Gym With Locations Near Marisa’s Home and Office and Also Has a Swimming Pool.
The tennis ... not so much ... That fluorescent yellow ball just isn't big enough to withstand my frustrations!

Thank you!


((To tell the truth, I’m really not terribly well coordinated, and so have never been a big fan of sports in which small projectiles are launched in the direction of my body with great speed. But I don’t make a habit of sharing random weaknesses with my superiors. That honor is yours, dear blog-lings.))


From: CEO
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:07 PM
To: Marisa
Subject: RE: Tennis

We need to send you to a mountaintop in Nepal and let you get in touch with your inner spirit.


From: Marisa
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:25 PM
To: CEO
Subject: RE: Tennis

I’m game! Sadly, I have had trouble obtaining funding for the "finding myself" experiment. Apparently, getting in touch with your inner spirit doesn't pay very well. I don’t remember being advised of this in college.


From: CEO
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:25 PM
To: Marisa
Subject: RE: Tennis

If you are enough in touch you don't need money!


From: Marisa
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:26 PM
To: CEO
Subject: RE: Tennis

I tried to pay my loans using dreams and aspirations, but the payments were returned NSF.


From: CEO
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:27 PM
To: Marisa
Subject: RE: Tennis

If you go to a mountaintop in Nepal the bill collectors can't find you.


From: Marisa
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:28 PM
To: CEO
Subject: RE: Tennis

Hmm...
Good point.
I see I have much to learn.


From: CEO
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 2:30 PM
To: Marisa
Subject: RE: Tennis

yes, grasshopper


For those of you keeping track at home, Blake used to be a member of Super Awesome 24h Gym With Locations Near Marisa’s Home and Office and Also Has a Swimming Pool. But he cancelled his membership when he came out of retirement.

Walnuts, anyone?

You are a Walnut Tree








You are strange and full of contrasts... the oddball of your group.
You are unrelenting and you have unlimited ambition.
Not always liked but always admired, you are more infamous than famous.
You are aggressive and spontaneous, and your reactions are often unexpected.
A jealous and passionate person, you are difficult in romantic relationships.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

Random

Actually, to be honest, I have not yet pooped today. But I did poop yesterday. And the t-shirt makes me laugh. Blake and I disagree on the merits of the at-work doopie. Personally, I'm not a fan. If the need arises when I'm at work, so be it, but its definitely not a goal that I set for myself for the day.

I'm supposed to be productive for another hour and a half before the work week is through, but I'm afraid that I've already exceeded my quota for excellence for today. (Even without pooping!) I started a thrilling new spreadsheet yesterday with 1345 rows of data. I have currently analyzed up to row #93. Sigh.

I had a really hard time sleeping last night. I woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep. Well, until a few hours before I had to get up. At that point, the sandman unleashed his magical essence upon me with the fury of a hamsin. I picked up my journal and transferred some of the random thoughts running around my brain onto paper. There are a couple cool poems in the making in there, if I take the time to refine them.

This has been a strange week.
Monica was in town for a conference, and I got hang out with her several times. She and Blake and I shared a yummy dinner last night, followed by dark chocolate mint ice cream with oreo cookies smashed in. Yum! At Flat Top, you label little wooden paddles with your name so that you know which plate is yours when they bring it back to the table (because it always looks different after its cooked up.) Only un-cool people (like Blake) put their mother-given name on the label. I mean, come ON, its your chance to really push the boundaries! I went with the moniker "Awesome Mouse", which the waitress misread Awesome Moose. That U didn't look anything like an O, either. Monica offered that perhaps the waitress thought I misspelled mousse, like the chocolate dessert. But I think she just had a thing for moose.
A friend of mine, Marianne, is not doing well. She's in a bad place right now. She'll get through it, but its hard for me to see her hurting.

My birthday is in FOUR DAYS! Mom, Monica, myself and Mother Nature are off the hook, but if your name doesn't begin with an M, you'd better get to shoppin'.

I have to work tomorrow. Boo!

My new favourite outdoor supply company is Moosejaw. They rock.

I'm going to carve a jack-o-lantern after work tomorrow. I'm sure it will be super-cool.

Blogger spell-check doesn't recognize the words "poop", "Oreo", or "Yum".

I did, however, misspell the words misspell and grammatically. Stupid superfluous double letters!

Although I know that it is grammatically correct to place the comma inside the quotation marks when used as in two points above, I have never liked the way it looks. So I don't do it unless I'm being graded on grammar. Damn the man!

I mentioned Blake three times in this post. This is funny because Blake thinks blogging is dorky, and he doesn't like to be blogged about.

I think I'm going to leave work early. Shh... don't tell.

Growing Pains

As I reached the end of my youth, I realized that I have not only the power to shape myself into the woman I want to become, but also the responsibility.

At this time, I prayed to be loving. I don’t now remember why this, among all other qualities, was what I desired; but it was. It was a quality that I already saw in myself, and I wanted to own it more wholly. So I prayed to become more loving.
Almost overnight, every soul with whom I had contact irritated me to the core. I came to learn that to be a loving person, I had to show love to people with whom I least felt like interacting.

On the cusp of my adulthood, I began to pray for strength.
I saw this quality, and I desired it.
I don’t see myself as a strong woman. Others see me so sometimes, especially at work. I can put on a pretty good face. But at the end of the day, when I change into my jammies and wash off my make-up and my mask, I feel like a little girl at the feet of giants.
I received a compliment the a few weeks ago. Someone who doesn’t know me all that well, but in whose presence I have revealed myself, told me, “I think that you have a great deal of strength and you are much stronger than you realize.” That really filled me. It also made me think that being strong is only a step away from having strength. I feel like I have strength now, but to be strong I have to put that strength to the test.

Since praying for strength, I have taken the first few steps away from the earth, onto a wall that rises to the heavens. I have scaled merely feet of it, and already, every muscle in my body screams for repose. My heart especially convulses and quakes from exertion, and I wonder if it might break in two.
But in the deepest core of my being burns a fire of resolve. I draw on it for rekindling, and it tells me that, sometimes, to get what you want the most, you have to do what you want the least. It reminds me that, at the end of the day, what matters most is that I can lay my head down, and sigh, and feel happy. Tenacity stokes my exhaustion with willpower and determination, and it arouses my stubbornness.
Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Perhaps I am learning that every tear I shed opens room in my heart for the qualities I seek:
love,
strength,
and whatever I am foolish enough to pray for once I make it to the other side of that wall.

Talent is produced in solitude; character in the stream of life.
-Goethe

O, to be a Gardener!

Out of damp and gloomy days,

out of solitude,

out of loveless words directed at us,

conclusions grow up in us like fungus:

One morning they are there,

we know not how,

and they gaze upon us,

morose and grey.

Woe to the thinker who is not the gardener

but only the soil of the plants that grow in him.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Book Report

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

How poignant! His eyes watered every time he thought of it. He had it tucked in his bedroom drawer, but now he got it out and turned it over in his hands.

I finished this book over the weekend. I really enjoyed it. The author is Australian, and I really appreciated how his writing reflected a non-America-centric viewpoint. I also liked that the protagonist is a strong female. There are three main female characters, and when I finished the book, I found myself thinking about which character I was most like. I would like to think of myself as the strong, dedicated, f-the-rules--no-one-gets-in-my-way character. She was, however, very lonely. And she made a habit of disappointing some of the important people in her life. I think I would forfeit fortuitous strength if it meant being more emotionally and socially sound.

I really hope I am not the bitter, impulsive character who is convinced that everyone is out to cheat her out her due. This character developed throughout the storyline more than any other. She just became so... whiny/bitchy/convinced of her own superiority, so repulsive.

I suppose I am most like the character in the middle; the quiet, stable one. (Funny, I don't feel stable.) The one who sits on the sidelines and evaluates situations. The thinker. The change-your-own-little-corner-of-the-world-as-best-you-see-fit. I suppose, given the options, that I'm OK with that. I would like to become a little more strong and a little less meek, however. This character did end up with what she had wanted, but as sloppy seconds. I think this type of person spends (needless?) time waiting for what she wants to come around, instead of pushing harder or working more proactively to make it happen.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Three

I got this meme from Spinning Girl.

1. Three things that scare me
-stagnation
-a really loud, sudden clap of thunder
-asking for help

2. Three people that make me laugh
-Blake
-myself :)
-Dad/granddad (two different people, but same sense of humor)

3. Three things I hate the most
-workin’ for a livin’
-debilitating pain
-hurting someone

4. Three things I don't understand
-myself
-everyone else
-the physiology of muscle twitch and movement

5. Three things I'm doing right now
-avoiding work
-drinking coffee
-appreciating the color change in the leaves of the maple tree outside my window

6. Three things to do before I die
-thru-hike the AT
-take the GRE
-xxxxxxx (for me to know and you to find out)
-have a baby (I think)

7. Three things I can do
-sort sperm into X and Y bearing constituents using flow cytometry
-give good massages
-sing the national anthems of 4 different countries, 2 of which are in foreign languages

8. Three ways to describe my personality
-stubborn/patient (really two sides of the same coin, isn't it?)
-loving
-competitive/perfectionist

9. Three things I can't do
-an unsupported handstand
-lie
-work on anyone’s timeline but my own

10. Three things I think you should listen to
-a child or baby giggling
-someone saying “I love you” so sincerely that it gives you chills (and/or makes your stomach flip-flop)
-the ocean

11. Three things you should never listen to
-a baby doing that velociraptor-like squeal
-anyone who has all the answers
-the neighbor’s dog, if its telling you to go on a killing spree

12. Three things I'd like to learn
-the right thing to say in a given situation
-how to be true to myself
-Dandayamana-Janushirasana (Standing Head to Knee pose)

13. Three favorite foods
-Tena Abel’s basil-mozzarella pasta
-fresh green beans and corn on the cob from grandma’s garden
-birthday cake homemade by someone who loves me

14. Three beverages I drink regularly
-H2O
-coffee
-adult beverages

15. Three TV shows I watched as a kid
-Fraggle Rock
-Circle Square
-Sesame Street (I still remember the episode when Mr. Hooper died *sniff*)

What Brings Us Together Today

Congratulations, Monica & Sean!!

Well Caffeinated

I have imbibed a lot of coffee today.

... A
... LOT!

Rebel Without A Cause

I'm wearing a skirt today, even though my legs are a little bit stubbly.
I feel so wanton!

Subconscious Silliness

Lunaniña says...

Running ::
Alternative ::
Cope ::
Lots ::
Sympathetic ::
Barn ::
Totally ::
Baby ::
Undeniable ::
Watermelon ::


...and I think:

Running :: shoes
Alternative :: lifestyle
Cope :: .... (I drew a blank on this one)
Lots :: many
Sympathetic :: hurt
Barn :: born in a...
Totally :: like, totally, valley girl, man
Baby :: mine
Undeniable :: attraction
Watermelon :: ... watermelonwatermelonwatermelon (what you repeat when you don't know the words to a song)

Next...

Subliminal, the return

Perhaps I should have done this at the beginning of my day. By now, my brain has succumbed to the mush that is gainful employment.

The words...

Italy ::
Honk ::
Shades ::
Tool ::
Modern ::
Tension ::
Conservative ::
Weight ::
Insurance ::
Political ::


My free association ...

Italy :: boot
Honk :: horn
Shades :: sunglasses (my future's so bright!)
Tool :: an annoyingly dense person
Modern :: appliances
Tension :: headache / muscle
Conservative :: dress / opinions
Weight :: loss
Insurance :: automobile
Political :: spin

Your turn.......

Props to Lunaniña.

Decisions, decisions ...

For a long time, I've considered myself to be an indecisive person. But now I'm starting to think that maybe its not my decision-making skills that are lacking, but my self-confidence in following through with decisions that I've already made in my heart. I've been pondering the difference between indifference - an unbiased, impartial unconcern - and ambivalence - the coexistence of contradictory attitudes or feelings, "which can be expressed by alternating obedience and rebellion, followed by self-reproach." (G.S. Blum) That self-reproach part really resonates with me.

I was told recently that just because a decision brings turmoil doesn't mean that it isn't a worthy decision. In fact, the more I think about going against the grain, and issues much larger than my own little circle on this Earth, it seems to me that a lot of really important decisions that led to long-term improvement and stability caused short-term upset and angst.

I'm also trying to not classify courses of action as better/worse. I think that only by watching events play out can you retrospectively evaluate a decision as having been beneficial or not. By then, some ramifications have taken their course, and others are still in the process. At that later time, you can decide to continue on the same course, or to re-evaluate and redirect. But one can waste a lot of energy asking "is the best decision?" At least, I can. But there is nothing to be gained from asking that question, because it has no clear answer. Two roads diverged in the yellow wood .... You can never know what really laid down the path you did not take.

I think that, at the end of the day, you have to follow your heart. You have to spend time in reflection and prayer, then take a deep breath and then a step. You have to pick a course and start the journey. Action is the antidote to anxiety.

I Want To Ride It Where I Like

Did everyone ride their bikes to work today?

Me neither. But I think its cool.

Hats off to those who did!

Wow! An Update?!

Since I'm having trouble coming up with something to consciously share, I thought maybe I'd try letting my subconscious roam free...

You say...

1. Immune ::
   
2. Together ::
   
3. Blank ::
   
4. Professional ::
   
5. Thousand ::
   
6. Penetration ::
   
7. Upside down ::
   
8. Neck ::
   
9. Unlisted ::

I think....

1. Immune :: vaccine
   
2. Together :: ...forever, and never to part
   
3. Blank :: mind
   
4. Professional :: masseuse
   
5. Thousand :: ...one, Space Odyssey
   
6. Penetration :: sex
   
7. Shutter :: heebie-jeebies (I know, that would be "shudder")
   
8. Upside down :: cartwheel
   
9. Neck :: kisses
   
10. Unlisted :: phone number

So, anyone want to offer insight on what exactly I'm revealing here?
Or have the guts to post their associations?

O yea, and I'm supposed to give credit to Lunaniña.

The wee small hours

Years and years from now, when younger generations ask what you were doing at 010203040506, what will you tell them?
Start planning now, so that 2 minutes and 3 seconds after 1am tonight/tomorrow morning, you'll be doing something noteworthy. And remember, if you can't be good, be good at it!

Blasts From the Past

I picked up the chart for my patient today and his last name jumped out at me. "H...," I said to my colleague; "I dated a guy in high school with the same last name." I set up the lab bench and went back to [colleague]'s area to get some supplies. "The H... I knew ended up being a jerk, so I'm glad that this guy has a different first name," I told him. He half-smiled and said, "yea, I could kinda tell that there was something there by the way you said 'H...' "

The funny thing is, I hadn't realized that I'd put any kind of inflection on the surname when I spoke it. I think its strange that people who you knew way back when can still evoke an emotional response when you think of them. I've read that people who move around a lot equate "home" with a set of personal relationships, and not a physical location. Is that why thinking of old contacts elicits such a strong emotional reaction for me?

I suppose that I'm thinking about "old friends" more than usual lately because I have recently come into re-contact with a couple, thanks to the power of the world wide web. [[Shout-outs to Jeni and Brian. Woop! Woop!!]]

That ol' Memory Lane sure is a wacky road!

The siren made me do it!

This uplifting ditty greeted me from the side of my morning cup of java:


Let go your sorrow.
Let go your blues.
Cuz I know tomorrow
is yesterday's news.
Let go your sadness,
give up the fight,
follow your madness
and take flight ... take flight.



Believe me, you crazy little siren, the world is not ready for me to follow my madness!

Resigned: An *almost* Haiku

You may tow my car
But you will never take...

... oh hell, here's $80. Can I have my car back now?

478 days

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Year of the (roo) Dog

Happy Chinese Roo Year!