Reading Is Good

I just finished a book! Yay me! That's the second book I have finished in 3 months. Might not sound like much, but it's a lot for me!

I don't know if I mentioned it, but my sister loaned me Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. So that was book #1. I liked the stories from when Sedaris was a kid the best, but they were all good really. And now I just finished reading 1906 - a tale of murder, conspiracy, and romance set against the backdrop of the great San Francisco earthquake. I was fascinated by the history of the city and the corruption that existed at the time of the quake.

Back at Work

But hardly working...

I saw Maria Full of Grace last night. It was pretty good. (And I thought I had trouble with "my system"!) We had a lot of time to kill before the movie started, which allowed for some great people watching: the guy in the “hotel” across the street who kept looking out the window, and I swear he was staring at me; the kids wreaking havoc in Ben & Jerry’s next door, including the kid who stuck a basketball under his t-shirt, pretending to be pregnant, and kept skateboarding in the middle of the street; the dude who was wearing just a vest (to show off his muscles?); lots of misunderstood people - must be misunderstood because they were dressed all in black; the woman who appeared to be oblivious to the fact that her belt (?) was dragging on the ground; and the cream of the crop - the teenagers cruising the street with the rap/hip hop music blasting, in a – wait for it – Subaru forester with bike rack on back!

Since they happen so infrequently, I thought I would take this time to express a Work Appreciation Moment: I work for a publishing company that produces lovely books. Because of this job I have access to all kinds of publishing knowledge and contacts. Because I work here, I was able to snag advance screening tickets to The Incredibles.
Why do I not appreciate that I work for the company that publishes the products I have admired in stores for years? Am I just that hard to please? Is it because I just don’t like being at the bottom rung? But would I be happy even if I were on the top rung? How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?

I have concluded that my lack of (real) journal writing has had a negative impact on me these last few months.

I did not go to work today

(said little Peggy Anne McKay)
I played hooky. Actually I do have an ailment that I'd rather not get into, and I did go to the doctor, so I so staying home can be justified. It was actually a much needed day off. I got quite a lot done, including some purging of the clutter that has been weighing me down.

And it turned out to be a fairly interesting day, too. While I was in the doctor's office, there was a knock and then the exam room door opened, and a voice says "keep her in here for a little while; we have a situation next door." It turns out the old man in the next room had some kind of panic attack that required ambulance, fire truck, and 5 burly EMTs to come and wheel him out on a gurney. Then after the doctor, I ran some errands including dropping stuff off at the dry cleaners, where I was engaged in a 10 minute conversation by an old man from Hungary who has lived in this country for 43 years and still cannot get over the fact that women here wear pants. Because where he comes from, men are men and women are women.

Yet another weekend update
On Friday night, after the cruel disppointment of missing another volleyball game (just kidding, hon) a group of us got shitty at the Blue Chalk Cafe in Palo Alto. After a few rounds of drinks, lots of chips and salsa, and much brouhaha over the melee (I just love using that word) at the basketball game in Detroit, we headed home, via the longest ever drive through wait at Burger King. Saturday was nice and lazy and then we had an early Thanksgiving dinner with Andrew's family, followed by a late evening round of Outburst. Sunday was more laziness on the couch and then lots of procrastinating and then finally getting my lazy ass home for my brother's birthday dinner with the kids. They ate crab! And of course, we had to wrap up the evening with another scandalous episode of Desperate Housewives.


Moral of today's blog entry: It is becoming very clear that work is getting in the way of my life.

The Song in My Head

A while ago, on a lark, I purchased a Be Good Tanyas album, and of course I loved their style right away. The song "Littlest Birds" has been running through my head all night and morning. My favorite part is

Well I love you so dearly

I love you so fearlessly

Wake you up in the mornin' so early

Just to tell you I got the wanderin' blues

I got the wanderin' blues

And I don't wanna leave you

I love you through and through

I just love the idea of loving someone "fearlessly." How amazing that must feel. I have added that to my Lifetime List of Things To Do. Here are a few other items on said list:

1. Have hot chocolate at Caffe Florian on the Piazza San Marco in Venice
2. Go to Hay-on-Wye, Wales, during the Hay festival in late May/early June
3. See the Aurora Borealis
4. Watch an Amish barn raising


And on an entirely different subject
I watched Butterfly Effect last night. I had the eeries for a long time afterwards. But you know how much I love "time travel" movies, so I was hooked right away.

A Little Culture, and a Little Too Much Alcohol

Ah, what a lovely weekend.

First an evening of theatre. On Friday after work, I met Andrew at Mel's for dinner. And then he surprised me with pre-show cocktails at the top of the Marriott, where we enjoyed the fabulous view. After lingering as long as we dared, we walked the several blocks to the Orpheum and got to our seats with only a few minutes to spare. And excellent our seats were - right on the aisle. And just in case you didn't know, The Lion King is excellent - just as good as everyone said it would be. The costumes, the animals, the grasslands, the lionesses' dance, the stampede, the waterfall, the entire "He Lives in You" scene - it was all amazing.

After the show we walked in the mist back to the car, and there was yet another birthday surprise waiting for me at home - flowers.

(I felt a little blue after the show, though. We had been looking forward to it for so long, and then it was over in the blink of an eye - just like Christmas. And speaking of Christmas, see my rant below.)

Saturday morning was nice and lazy, and it turned out to be a good thing that I rested up. That evening was the 4th Annual Turkey and Trivia party, which consisted of good food, good trivia, and getting good and wasted! Oh man, I don't even know what happened. One minute I was fine, and the next thing I knew I was out on the back stoop, in my bare feet, smoking a cigarette with some chick I didn't know! We didn't get home till about 4 am, and it was probably another hour after that before I went to sleep, so it's no surprise that I felt pretty crappy yesterday.

I spent most of the day on the couch, but I have definitely been worse. The gatorade helped immensely. We went over to my parents' house around noon to watch the football game and eat burritos. That evening we had to go back to the scene of the crime so I could get my car. Man, it was like I was back in college again!


I'm sorry, what day is it again?
A decorated tree in Fisherman's Wharf! Already?! Things are getting out of hand. Now, I love Christmas as much as the next kid, but starting the celebration 2 weeks before Thanksgiving is just a little bit silly.

People really are going crazy.

I Really Am 12

So I purchased some pads (yes, pads!) from Walgreen's today, and the cashier first put them in a plain brown paper bag, and then in the plastic Walgreen's bag. Was this to protect my privacy? To keep me from feeling embarrassed? Thanks lady, but I don't need you to protect me. And I resent the implication that this is something I need to be ashamed about..... ok, ok, I talk a good game, but I suppose when it comes right down to it, I would be a little embarrassed to walk around with the brightly colored pads screaming "period!" for all the world to see. It's the 12-year-old girl inside me I guess.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday to Me

I am experiencing the usual birthday blues. And having to come to work, and still feeling stuffed up is not so good. But I am going to see The Lion King on Friday. Uh, huh, Lion King on Friday. I will postpone my birthday dance until then.

An Open Apology to My Beloved Sister
...for not recognizing her voice when she calls me from Scotland! Thank you Kathleen! :-)

Friday Night at the Cow Palace

Cowboy up good people! We went to the Grand National Rodeo on Friday night. Yee Haw! I had been once before, and of course I love all things country (old-timey, reminiscent of the 1800's country, that is). We were a bit un-impressed with the performances - too many people were disqualified and a couple of the events only had 3 or 4 participants. But it was fun neverthless. We also walked around through the mercantile - there were too many mullets to count, and then through the animal stalls. All the naked sheep! I felt a little sorry for Miss Grand National. I don't think people clapped enough for her. I mean, come on! It's hard work carrying a Jack Daniels flag while riding a horse!

The rodeo was followed by a Reba McEntire concert. No offense to Reba, but when Andrew leaned over and asked, "So what does Reba sing again?", I couldn't think of a single thing. But I did recognize a few of her songs - including "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" (which I am pretty sure isn't actually hers). And it didn't matter anyway because she totally rocked. For a woman who has been around since the 80's and starred in a gem of movie like Tremors, she sure isn't slowing down.

And in other news
I have a cold, which sucks. I felt stuffy headed at the rodeo, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. We had a midnight McDonald's snack and then slept until 10 am. Saturday was a nice lazy day, with Mr. Pickle's sandwhiches, and several hours on the couch. We spent that evening over at my parents' house - and Elizabeth joined us for some yummy Aram's takeout, a Gene Kelly biography, and several amusing episodes of Hunter (a TVLand marathon). Every episode has the obligatory bare chest. You go, Fred Dryer!

And Sunday was even lazier - I didn't get out of bed until 11:30 and then did pretty much nothing for the rest of the day. Good times.

Thursday, one away from Friday

Ok, yesterday's post was a little pathetic. Things aren't really so bad. Although I did get up an hour early this morning because I never turned the clock in my bedroom back (and I hadn't been there since Friday morning). So I watched a little Nick at Nite and caught an earlier bus. No big deal.

If you aren't yet convinced that PBS is the best channel ever, then you must check out Regency House Party. Five men and five women get to dress up and play Pride and Prejudice at a grand country estate for a summer. How cool is that?

:-(

I had goldfish for breakfast this morning. That's the kind of mood I'm in. But I don't really want to move to Canada, do I?

Vote for Jan Brady!

For Most Popular Girl.....

It's a little weird because I have already sent in my absentee ballot, so I feel a little removed from the whole situation. I am also oddly calm, but maybe it's like the calm before the storm. Part of me is indifferent, but part of me would like to follow through on my threat to move to Canada if dubya is prez for four more years.

Votes for Women!

Cast off the shackles of yesterday!
Shoulder to shoulder into the fray!
Our daughters' daughters will adore us
And they'll sing in grateful chorus
"Well done, Sister Suffragette!"

Click here to find out about how the British women are faring today.

Repeal Prohibition!
(Oh, wait..... never mind.)

the jello shots will get you every time

[I am cheating again. It's actually Tuesday 11/2 and I am now doing the weekend update.]

Friday night we carved pumpkins and set them out on the stoop. I tried a free-hand design of a graveyard. I think it came out pretty well.

On Saturday morning Andrew and I got up early to go see The Incredibles in SF. I was lucky enough to get free tickets (through a lady at work) to an advance screening. The movie is really good. More "grown up" than Finding Nemo, and very James Bond-esqe. It might not be as big a blockbuster as Nemo was, but another success for Pixar nevertheless. There was also a short called Boundin' which I really loved, and not just because they used the word "heliotrope" which has inside significance for us.

We spent the rest of Saturday watching TV and being lazy - trying to save our strength for the Party. I kind of through my costume together at the last minute, and ended up looking like I was at an 80's prom. Not too bad. There was a pretty good crowd, good music, and of course the alcohol was flowing. I only had one jello shot, so I was fine, unlike some people. Ah, peer pressure. It is indeed alive and well. Besides the couple glasses of wine and couple cups of beer, I also chowed down some late night pizza. I consider myself lucky that I didn't get sick.

In the morning I felt crappy, but that's just because I only had three hours of sleep. After an insanely early trip to the pancake house, I spent the rest of the day in bed... until it was time to get up and go to dinner. (Hmmm... I am either sleeping, eating, or drinking in this story. What is the deal with that?) After a brisk walk around the neighborhood to tag along on a trick or treat excursion, we had a delicious, warm, homey meal of beef stew served in a hollowed out pumpkin! 'Twas the first meal of the holiday season, and it was great - lots of candles, lots of red wine, everyone talking and laughing and eating. I loved it!

And of course we wrapped up the weekend with yet another intriguing episode of Desperate Housewives.