Friday Five
only a day late....
1. What was the last TV show you watched?
"Good Day Live." I watch it to get ideas for my radio show.
2. What was the last thing you complained about?
People who call my show but no matter how hard I try, I can't get them to say anything of interest.
3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say?
Oh, that's a hard one. I don't think I've complimented anyone in awhile. What a bad person I am . . . I really can't recall.
4. What was the last thing you threw away?
A bunch of empty shopping bags that were cluttering up my room.
5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited?
The South Bay School of Music Arts (sbsma.com) to look at the May rehearsal calendar.
I have this condition...
My short-term memory is gone. I went to the ATM after work to deposit my paycheck. Just as I was about to leave the handy Washington Mutual drive-up ATM, I remembered that I also had my tax refund check in my wallet. Well, I went through the motions again to deposit the check, thoroughly aware that a monster truck was breathing down my tailpipe. So, I hurried along, feeling guilty for taking two turns at the ATM. But in my haste, I must have left my check card (which I use for everything) in the ATM.
When I got to Target and realized I was short a Visa card, I called the WaMu 800 number. I was rather impressed that I was only on hold a few minutes. Then, a nice lady took down all my info and said she'd cancelled my old card and would send me a new one. At least I caught my error quickly, but now I have to make $40 cash and a third of a tank of gas last me until sometime next week.
Thursday Threesome
Onesome: View- What is your favorite scenic site, either around your place, where you've traveled, or just that one special picture (like that Ansel Adams "Half Dome" shot)?
When I drive home at night on 680 (a freeway that runs on a hillside), I love the view of all the lights spread out below. You can see a good portion of the South Bay, and it's all lit up.
Twosome: From- How far is it from home to work? Are you a long distance commuter or do you just schlep on into the dining room/office?
I found my job when I was out for a walk one day. I've only walked home from work once after that, but it's a four-minute trip by car. School is a bit more. It's about 15 minutes to the parking lot, and another 10 from the lot up up up to campus (there are a lot of stairs involved).
Threesome: Afar- for the travelers out there, just how far have you gone? I mean, is the trip to Grandma's about it? ...or have you made it farther abroad?
The farthest west I've been from home is Hawai'i and the farthest east would probably be either Quebec or Miami (I'm not sure which is farther). Of course, even the trip to Grandma's is a 2-hour plane ride to Seattle.
Time for a lesson in interpersonal communication. Today's theory: reciprocal attraction.
The theory of reciprocal attraction is simple--we like people who like us. Now, this makes sense. How many friends do you have that don't like you? We generally don't get along with people who are antagonistic towards us. In a platonic sense, reciprocal attraction is great. In a romantic context, it may or may not be problematic.
For me, romantic reciprocal attraction is dangerous...emotionally. I'm such a sucker for it. I tend to be so flattered that someone likes me that I begin to like him in return, even if I wouldn't normally. It's brought me two boyfriends that have caused my friends to ask, "What are you thinking?!" It has led me to make some very bad choices. It also left me wondering why I don't date guys I actually like.
So now I worry that I've fallen prey to reciprocal attraction again. But maybe not, and I just think I have. It's terribly confusing. Then again, the one time I know it wasn't reciprocal attraction but one of the other several theories that drew me, the relationship was still a disaster.
It's time for the soul-bearing blog. Woo. Not that I feel you need to know this, but maybe I'll look back and laugh...or say, yeah, I was right.
So for the past month or so, a friend of mine has been trying to set me up with her boyfriend's best friend. Well, "set up" isn't quite the right term....more like relaxed, low-key double dating. I've had a lot of fun (e.g. see the entry about going dancing). Anyway, he's a great guy, and I like him well enough, but I have a lot of baggage (and who doesn't?). I fell in love with my last boyfriend (and I'd never done that before); then he left. Men leave...that's what they do, no matter how sincerely they tell you they won't. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for pity. Lord knows I know there are millions of people with far worse problems than me...this is also why I said you don't really need to know this. I just like to get my thoughts out in the market of ideas.
Anyways, here I am with my buckets full of doubt. My friends said, "Give him a chance." And I'm all for giving people a chance, because everyone deserves a chance. Still, I have a lot of reservations. Am I ready to go through all of this again? My last relationship left me with several months of depression and a mild dependency on sleeping pills (the latter has since passed, if you were worried...the former has become merely occasional). Even better, starting in a month or so, I'll be forced to see my ex on occasion throughout the summer. *sigh* The last time I went out with a guy (in January) I burst into tears when he kissed me. Thankfully said guy was a good friend who understood. I guess it's time to move on. I sure hope I'm ready. I just...well, new relationships can be scary. I mean, do I really have that much in common with him? Do we have anything to talk about? Conversation so far has been somewhat stilted because he's kinda shy, and apparently I make him a little nervous. Honestly, beyond the sterling recommendation of my friend and a handful of conversations, I know very little about him. I don't know what the hell I'm getting myself into, and that's really frightening to a control freak like myself. If things go badly, will I fall apart again like I did last year? I can't do that again. I really can't.
Still, I want to be fair to him. I feel like I should try. Does that make any sense? I really don't want to hurt his (or anyone else's) feelings. That's me, the great peacemaker--such an expected stereotypically feminine role, but I'm sure I'll rant about that in a later entry on feminism.
Friday Five
1. Who is your favorite celebrity?
Favorite, how? I like Alexis Denisof on "Angel," but I haven't seen him in anything else. I've seen many Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn films. I think Danny Kaye is hi-larious.
2. Who is your least favorite?
Well, I can't stand Keanu Reeves or Leonardo DiCaprio's acting (I use the term loosely), but I don't hold it against them, personally. I just don't think I'm well-read enough on that whole celebrity trash thing.
3. Have you ever met or seen any celebrities in real life?
I crossed paths with Bill Nye, the Science Guy once. He was at the Chittenden Locks in Ballard (Seattle), just walking and talking with a woman. I walked passed him and then whispered to my mom, "Isn't that Bill Nye?" The people right behind us asked the same thing.
I've also received e-mail from Kevin O'Rourke and Hugh O'Gorman of "Remember WENN."
4. Would you want to be famous? Why or why not?
Yes, because I'm vain and attention-hungry. However, I think I'd get annoyed with the lack of privacy. Still, I think there could be a whole lot of perks to living in the limelight.
5. If you had to trade places with a celebrity for a day, who would you choose and why?
I wouldn't want to. For one thing, there's no celebrity that I know enough about to have half a clue what I'd be doing in his/her place. It's confusing enough just being me.
I have outwitted the laws of physics. Thanks to the miracle of radio, I managed to be in two places at once this morning. I was on the radio from midnight to 6 a.m. and I was at home, sleeping in my little bed.
Yup, welcome to the wonderful world of voice tracks. This particular method is the cost-effective way the Clear Channel corporation rules its section of the airwaves. Basically, the DJ records everything he or she is going to say and often sends the tracks to other locations. In my case, I recorded my voice and told the computer when to start and stop the songs and public service announcements. I spent about an hour and a half to get the entire 6-hour shift done. And for the first time, I was able to actually hear myself on the radio...weird.
And, because it's Wednesday....
Things I have to share with you from yesterday's radio show:
-Daytime TV will get its first lesbian kiss on ABC's "All My Children" next Tuesday. Hollywood apparently considers the daytime audience to be conservative, which is why soaps are so far behind the rest of TV. I mean, remember Willow and Tara on "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" in 2000?
-MTV announced the nominees for its 2003 Movie Awards. The top nominees are Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Spider-Man with five nominations each. Four furry-footed hobbits versus your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? You decide.
-Dreadlocks: they're fun, fashionable, and they make a great wallet. Prison guards in Norway found 2500 euros (about $2700 USD) in a prisoner's long dreadlocks. Can you imagine how nasty that money would be by the time the guy got out of jail? Eww!
I went "dancing" last night. I use quotation marks because I don't exactly agree with what kids these days call dancing. I prefer swing or salsa--something with an actual variety of steps and moves (and I think I found a place for those, yay!). Anyway, five of us went to the most prominent 18 and over club around, and the music was not only loud, but not exactly what I'd choose to listen to. (Except for the really odd dance version of "Hella Good." Did you know Gwen Stefani is part chipmunk?)
However, the right company can change all that, and I was out with some great people. Even though the booming bass was deafening and my high heels were causing my knee to spasm, I still managed to have fun. I learned some lessons, too:
1. People are easily led. If four of us went out on a completely empty dance floor, 10 minutes later, it would become a moderately crowded dance floor.
2. Having a Marine around is handy. My friend's brother came with us in his Marine Corps uniform. We got to cut in line (unintentionally, but they didn't kick us out) and we got a lot more respect than we would have without him.
3. If you can't pronounce "tequila," it's time to leave the bar. Hehe. Our extra light lightweight said she'd had a shot of tekwila. Then we got her some water.
I took the CBEST today (that's California Basic Educational Skills Test). With it I can get a substitute teaching permit in the state of California (or Oregon). Really, I wish they'd just let me submit my SAT scores. This test was so easy. They give you four hours and I took just over two and a half. It consists of 50 multiple-choice questions each for reading and math and two short essays. The most difficult math question was 2x + 26 = 50. And this is part of how we determine who can teach the kids?
Anyways, it was short enough that I was able to get home in time for a 12:30 showing of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers at the cheap theatre. Everyone loves the cheap theatre, but the price is creeping up. It's already at $3.50 (having started at $2 two years ago)! Of course, compared to the $9.75 you'd pay at the Century theatre down the way, it's a bargain.
Friday Five
1. What was the first band you saw in concert?
Save Ferris at Santa Clara University in spring 2000. 300 people in one small room, and I ended up sitting on the horn section's monitors to avoid getting stepped on.
2. Who is your favorite artist/band now?
You don't know how hard a question that is. Right now, the album I play the most is by Evanescence. But my other favorites include Save Ferris (who broke up recently) and Dance Hall Crashers.
3. What's your favorite song?
"Mistaken" by Save Ferris. I find the lyrics often pertain to my life, e.g. "You said that you would never leave/A lie you told and I believed..." You get the idea.
4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
Guitar. I can kinda play, but I'd like to really be able to play (like solos and fast-changing fancy chords).
5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why?
I don't think I'd want to. We form our own ideas about these people we've never met, and perhaps I don't want to be disillusioned by meeting the real person. That, and I can't think of anyone I really want to meet.
Thursday Threesome
Time to: Are you a punctual person, always on time? Or do people have to tell you that everything starts an hour earlier than it really does, just so you'll be on time? Or are you somewhere in between?
I'm usually quite punctual and am often the first person to arrive. However, I can get lazy about class or work (especially this week!) and be a couple minutes late. I also have terrible luck with traffic. See, Californians can't drive anywhere without taking the freeway, and our freeways are a collection of champion bottle-necks.
Spring: After a long week, what puts a spring in your step? How do you spend your downtime?
Reading...music. No, not reading music (though that's fun, too). I like to just stay in bed with a good novel. I also like music...but sometimes it can add to my stress rather than relieve it.
Forward: As we enter Daylight Savings Time and the clocks spring forward, do you like having that "extra" hour of daylight or would you rather just not mess with it? Or do you live in an area that doesn't follow DST?
I don't like having to adjust to the time change, but I like leaving work at 6:30 and the sun hasn't set yet. Maybe if I got up at 4 or 5 a.m., I'd prefer to just stay on PST, but since I'm more likely to be out at 8 p.m. than 8 a.m., I'll take my PDT, thanks.
Things I need to share with you from yesterday's radio show:
-Blue ketchup. Yup, Heinz, the folks who brought you green ketchup in 2000, introduced "stellar blue" ketchup on Monday. Heinz has actually sold over 25 million bottles of colored ketchup (green, purple, orange, and teal) in the last three years. Now, in light of salsa verde, I can understand green ketchup, but orange....and teal? Um, ew!
-For those (like me) who can't stand screaming children: A Northwest Airlines flight attendant was convicted of trying to quiet a "severely rambunctious" 19-month-old passenger by slipping Xanax in the baby's apple juice. So maybe drugging the kid was wrong, but I bet there were several passengers who were extremely grateful to this flight attendant.
I had the strangest dream last night...well, this morning really...that just goes to show my subconscious can't even come up with anything new. It just rehashes other people's plots.
So, from what I can recall, I've joined what we at Television Without Pity call the MoG on Angel. Of course, the title character is not there because I think he's a dork. Mostly the dream was about me and Wesley (mmmmm) saving the world. So the talking trees (from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) tell us how to get rid of this worm-like thing (I think my mind was trying to come up with oubros, but could only remember Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). Wesley and I are gathering clues as to what this worm thing is doing and how to get rid of it. At one point we have all the clues lined up and have almost figured out the message. There's a lot more that I can't recall at the moment.
Then I remember the end...I'm driving somewhere, though I don't know that I'm actually driving, because I'm going backwards! I swing the car around because I need to exit soon, and run right into a car that's trying to merge left by signaling but otherwise sitting at a standstill in my lane. Well, no one was hurt because I saw them soon enough to slam on the brakes, but still, I was going to be late to go save the world (or at least greater Los Angeles). Then the alarm went off. *sigh* I only have the good dreams right before my alarm is scheduled to go off.
P.S. Ignore the post below. I typed an HTML tag incorrectly, and now I can't edit or delete the darn thing.
I had the strangest dream last night...well, this morning really...that just goes to show my subconscious can't even come up with anything new. It just rehashes other people's plots.
So, from what I can recall, I've joined what we at
I've spent all day sewing. From 10 am to 6 pm, and boy, does my back hurt. So now I'm sitting at the computer. Big posture improvement there...heh. (So when are they going to develop the sarcasm tag?)
I bought five yards of navy blue fabric with white polka dots, partly because I have a great love of polka dots. I was thinking of making a dress kinda like a cross between Gwen Stefani's in the music video for "Don't Speak" and a swing-dancing dress. Well, after 8 hours of working, it looks a little too 1950s--instant June Cleaver; just add pearls.
Grrrrr....due to an Internet Explorer error, my post was eaten. Twenty minutes of typing down the drain. So anyways, let me teach you today's lesson in the art of radio. No matter how large (or small) your audience is, pretend you're speaking to just one person. Never say, "To all of you out there in Radio Land...." Radio is like being on a telephone, but you usually can't hear what the other person is saying, and there's a lot more music involved.
This past week, I've been on a Remember WENN kick. I watched my old tapes of the third and fourth seasons, and I resurrected my website. If you have never discovered the joys of WENN, check out my site or Linda's. So last night, I was watching their spoof of Casablanca, and at the end, our ingenue protagonist, Betty, must decide between the two men in her life: the staid, upright, and altogether good Victor Comstock or the roguish and occasionally unscrupulous Scott Sherwood. Betty types eight letters, but the last names of both men are eight letters long. I had a bunch of ideas about whom she chose and why, so I wrote them up today. You can read them yourself, because it's too long to rehash here.
Also, this being Saturday, I had rehearsal. I play keyboards and sing a bit in a pop-punk band called Senseless. For the first time in over a month, all seven band members were present. This includes three singers (well, including me). One of them just had a baby two weeks ago, so no one expected her back so soon. Not only is she back, but she has more songs than the other two of us, combined. I think something's a little off, here. I hope that when we finalize what songs we're doing (I keep rehearsing the wrong things!), we'll redivide the set to make it a little more fair. Poor Morgan. At least I have an instrument to play when I'm not singing.
Oh, no, we're on the air, and I haven't hired a writer! Well, I've been peer-pressured into the blog business. Okay, not really, but I've been terribly impressed by my friends' blogs (Mike, Linda, and Daniel). Thanks to the Remember WENN chat group for helping me with title suggestions. And the winner is...Mike, and his constant endorsement of anything named "Betty."
Once I figure out what the heck I'm doing, I'll make this all pretty with links and a new background, etc. But for now, this is a small-time operation running on an impossible budget. (There's a budget?)
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