Two weeks to Halloween; then the madnesss will be over. Work is sooooo crazy this time of year. Then again, it's never boring. Apparently now the upper management has decided that having employees wear costumes is good for business. At Sarah's behest, I donned the Snow White costume to go with her Cinderella outfit. While I've never seen myself as Snow White, it was an okay ensemble. (And strangely enough, Kirk has been pushing for me to get a different Snow White costume--one with a much shorter skirt that, obviously, we don't sell.) I'm not sure what costume I'll pick tomorrow, but I think I need to bring different shoes. Black Vans and long dresses really don't go that well...I think jazz shoes would be better.
Well, it's off to finish making my batch of fudge. I've yet to ever get fudge to turn out properly, so wish me luck.
Thursday Threesome (on Friday, just to keep you guessing)
Onesome: Ain't- There's a lot of slang floating around out there. Some of it has even found its way into the dictionary. Is there any one word that you find more annoying than others? That you just wish would fall off the face of the planet, never to be heard again?
I can't really think of one super-annoying term right now. Of course, I'm a valley girl and commonly overuse words such as "like," "y'know," and "dude."
Twosome: It- It's/Its, they're/their/there. Just a few of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language. So the question is, when you blog, do you worry about grammar, punctuation and spelling? If you notice a typo do you go back and edit? Or do you shrug it off because everyone makes typos?
I wish everyone would not make typos. I try to use proper spelling and grammar. I'll fix it in email and in the blog, but I tend to leave errors in chat and IM simply because I don't notice the errors until after I've pressed return.
Threesome: Purty?- Purty/pretty, crick/creek, warsh/wash. All common pronunciations, whether they sound pretty or not. And one is mispronounced. What's one commonly mispronounced word that just drives you nuts?
Nuclear. All too often I hear people say nu-kew-lur. I can't stand it. Say it with me now: nu-klee-ar. The word "poosey" also bugs me, but that's because my boyfriend and his best friend say it all the time and laugh hysterically.
My goodness, I've gotten lazy. I just haven't felt like writing of late, so now, let me update you.
First of all, I can't go to Santa Barbara for Elysia's senior recital this weekend. That really sucks, 'cause I know it's going to be a great recital. But because one friend flaked and I didn't tell the other about the recital soon enough (and a whole bunch of other things) I can't go. But Khristine and I sent flowers, so that makes it a little better.
More bad news. Apparently not all California drivers know that when there are two left turn lanes at an intersection, they both turn left. Because of this, someone squished my mom's car. Don't worry, she's all right, and even the car didn't look as bad as I expected. Still, it's very annoying and a very stupid reason for an accident. At least our insurance provides a rental while mom's Corolla is being repaired.
Now for some good news. After weeks of house hunting with Adam, Brad, and Sou (and David, too, but he doesn't join us as often), they've found a house. (I'm so tempted to say "we," even though I'm not actually living there.) They're moving in this Sunday, so it should be exciting, especially since Sou and I both have to work that afternoon because it's the once-a-year inventory.
And on Monday I start my internship at a real live radio station. So I'll now feel like I'm working 40 hours a week, but my weekly paycheck will only average out to $3.50/hr (it's an unpaid internship). So we'll see how that works out.
Best radio jingle ever...
"Channel 104.9, the new music alternative, spending our nights killing the zombies that roam freely through Sunnyvale." - KCNL Sunnyvale, CA (Gotta love the Buffy reference.)
It's Wednesday, and thus time for....
Things I need to share with you from yesterday's radio show:
-There's a cat in London with more money than you and me put together. A lady left her cat a half-million dollar home and a $160,000 trust fund. That cat is living in style!
-From the San Jose Mercury News: Who knew McDonald's was so dangerous? A kid got his head stuck between the legs of a statue of Ronald McDonald. Employees had to coat the child's head with soap to get him loose. And by the way, the dad blames McDonalds, not himself for not watching his four-year-old.
-Can't wait to get your hands on Harry Potter, Book Five? Well, England's Sun Newspaper reports that stolen copies of the book were found in a field in Eastern England. But aren't you suprised the books were found in a field and not on eBay?
-Most everyone has visited Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Well, Fred Rogers now lives on as an asteroid somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. In honor of his work with children, the International Astronomical Union has named an asteroid Misterrogers. Just think, if that asteroid ever comes hurtling towards Earth, it's correct to say, "Mister Rogers is coming...we're all gonna die."
Flashback! I decided to archive the whopping two posts from my old "my-diary.org" journal:
June 5, 2002
In the beginning...
Just to introduce myself to you, my unseen public, I'm 22 and just about to finish college. You know, at the end of high school, everyone asked, "what do you want to do?" I said, "I don't know." Four years later...I still have no idea. Really, the end of the school lifestyle is a bit scary. 20 years of school, but now what? I'll just take the Scarlett O'Hara approach: I'll think about it tomorrow.
What else do you want to know? I have a boyfriend, Jeff, whom I've seen but three times in the last three weeks. Long distance? No, not really. Just the mess that is the end of the school year. However, I haven't dealt well with his sudden unavailability. Last Friday, I thought it was all over. I wanted to go salsa dancing, as there was a free event at school. You can't go wrong with free. But no, he couldn't spare three hours of his life to do that. He had to finish all his papers by Sunday morning, even though they weren't due til Monday 'cause he wanted to start moving out on Monday. Still, I only asked for three hours. I'm sure he lost much more time than that just messing around doing everything but writing his papers. So I called him and swore horribly at him (I rarely rarely swear). He had nothing to say. We hung up. I thought that was the end. But the next day, he calls. It's like nothing happened. I don't get it. Nothing fazes him. Ever.
I try to be reasonable. I think I succeed most of the time. Still, he makes me soooo upset at times. Not that I get mad at him. I just get disappointed. He really just doesn't get it. Now, don't go thinking poorly of him--it may be that I'm just not making things clear enough, but there are days where I laugh hysterically and think he just doesn't get it at all.
Men are from Earth and Women are, too!
Everyone really needs to read this book Gendered Lives by Julia T. Wood. It's a textbook, but it's the most fascinating textbook ever. It's all about socializations of gender and how people act and react. If you ever say "I don't understand women and/or men," you must read it. No, the world won't magically start to make sense, but you'll have a lot more insight to people's behavior.
For example, whenever I complain of a problem, my dear boyfriend [if you're trying to play along at home, that would refer to Jeff] lists 20,000 possible (but rediculous and highly improbable) solutions. It makes no sense and annoys me horribly. However, I learned that masculine persons figure the best way to help someone with a problem is to simply solve it. Feminine persons, however, often seek or offer support. The reason all the rediculous suggestions annoy me is that I'd really just rather receive a little positive support and comfort.
What other tidbits can I offer? If you talk to a woman, she will usually nod, smile, or make some verbal acknowledgment (yeah, mmm hmm, etc.) to show that she's listening. Of course, she may not really be listening...women are just socialized to be responsive. Men, on the other hand, are not. So just because he doesn't say anything, it doesn't mean he's not listening. It doesn't mean he is, but it doesn't mean he isn't.
Busy day yesterday. We went to look at Adam, Brad, and Sou's potential house. It's a little old for my taste (the kitchen and bathrooms could use a little remodeling), but the others like it, and they're the ones that are going to live there.
After meeting with the gregarious landlord, we went to watch the boys play (alto sax and trumpet, respectively) at the first show of the season. It was very dark and cloudy, but there was a decent crowd. Unfortunately, they weren't crowding around the stage. At any rate, it was nice to see what the bands had been up to in the off-season.
The one weird thing is that I did have to see Jeff (aka "The Ex"). I didn't work up enough nerve to actually speak to him, but I watched him sing with his band. Let me tell you, that evoked an interesting barrage of emotions. I was also rather alarmed to see that after breaking his leg in January, he's still walking with a cane. Maybe I should've been a better person and called him a few months ago, but I didn't think he'd speak to me, anyway. What a difference from a year ago.
After the show it was nice (albeit unusual) to not have to pack up the equipment. Sou and I just packed up the spiffy folding chair and let everyone else do the real work. It was also nice to not have to mix for House Band, but the whole time I was thinking it would've sounded a lot better if I had. I mean, for the first half a song, we only heard one vocalist because two of the mics were off. I then ran over to the sound board and hit the mute buttons on the two channels that were off. I wonder just how long it would've taken the sound guy to realize the problem if I hadn't done anything.
1. Name one song you hate to admit you like.
Abba's "Dancing Queen." People always look at me funny when I say I grew up on Abba.
2. Name two songs that always make you cry.
Well, songs don't really make me cry, but here are some sad ones: Selena - "Dreaming of You" and Josie and the Pussycats - "You Don't See Me."
3. Name three songs that turn you on.
Well, well. Getting a little personal. Turn me on to what, eh?
4. Name four songs that always make you feel good.
No Doubt - "Spiderwebs." Save Ferris - "Come On Eileen." Dance Hall Crashers - "Lost Again." Cyndi Lauper - "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without.
Save Ferris - "Mistaken." Mariah Carey - "Love Takes Time" (my first talent show song). "Seasons of Love" from RENT (I got a lot of performance mileage out of that one). "Joy to the World" (gospel rendition, not Handel). I'm sure there's more, I just can't think of something right now.
Asking me to name song-related stuff is dangerous business. My tastes still change fairly often.
I know I didn't post yesterday, so pretend it's Wednesday, and thus time for....
Things I need to share with you from yesterday's radio show:
-It rains a lot in Seattle. Well, the sun is such a big thing there that Seattleites welcome it with a parade. The summer solstice parade features the usual things: floats, dancers, and naked people on bicycles. Now a man is suing the Seattle PD to protect his right to bicycle naked in the parade. There's a guy who doesn't want to lose a single moment of precious tanning time.
-The show that made teens across America sound like they’re from the valley is almost over. The first of the three final episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" airs tonight at 8 on UPN. But don't wig; there’ll be more Buffy DVDs out in June.
-Jack Osbourne is apparently in rehab in Southern California, but no one seems to know what for. He's only 17...how much rehab can he need?
-Got some metalhead friends? If you know someone who's a member of the Metallica fan club, you can enter to win tickets to one of four free shows at the Fillmore next month.
Read this article. Now please tell me you are as disgusted as I am.
This high school's first integrated prom was held in 2002?!?! I mean, I didn't just jump 30 years back in time or something, did I? And now in 2003 these kids want a white-only prom? That is so outrageous that I lack the words to express myself. I can't believe that there are such narrow-minded people. This is why I really hate the human race sometimes.
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.