Too Early?

I decided to change my background to something appropriate for the season. However, I am not a fan of Thanksgiving other than it being a day off from work. So I didn't want a background with a turkey or leaves. I decided to go to the next holiday - Christmas. I don't think this one is so bad. Sure it says "merry Chrsitmas" on the side, but it's not all up in your face.

Bored Again

Once again there is very little to do here at work...at least until next week, for me anyway. And it's only Wednesday. Here is another rundown of my day:

• listened to more Pitbull - I downloaded the unedited version of his new album this morning


• looked up Pitbull concert dates - in Vegas on the 26th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


• answered a work-related question for Ron S.


• spent A LOT of time on facebook


• dragged Carol to Sbux again for lunch - I'm in love with the fruit and cheese plate!


• took a quiz about the Constitution sent to my work email - I got 9/10 correct


• yawn

My Day

The boss is gone today and it is also a pretty quiet crew in our group today and I still don't have any work to do. This is what I've done with my day thus far:

• logged onto FB
• checked my email (personal and work)
• played a prank - well, not really. I just put something funny up at someone's desk
• listened to Pitbull on my ipod - I bought his new album last night and realized this morning that I bought the clean version. I guess I'll be dropping another $9.99 tonight.
• logged onto FB
• attempted a little work
• talked to "Julio"
• logged onto FB
• got Carol to go to Sbux with me at lunch since I couldn't find any of the guys and pitifully ask to join them for lunch.
• annoyed Carol by working "Sound of Music" song titles into conversation with her
• logged onto FB
• got caught making a funny sign to put at another person's desk
• tried to help Julio with something work-related. We joked how my birthday is next month.
• started writing this blog

Go Kitty, It's Your Birthday, We Gonna Party Like It's Your Birthday!

Yesterday was Mandy's 1st birthday!! My kitten is now a cat. :-( We started the day with a special treat. Or at least I thought it was. I opened a can of tuna to give Mandy the water. Now this was a very special treat for Faler kitties. My old cat D'Art would coming running instantly the second he heard you take the can opener out of the drawer. Mandy started to runaway when I went for the can opener!! I had to call her back into the kitchen!! I gave her a plate of the tuna water and Mandy obediently drank it, but almost like she was only doing it for my benefit. She left some of the water on the plate and it was still there when I got home from work. By then it was time for part 2 of Mandy's b-day treats. I stopped at Arby's and got a roast beef sandwich since she really likes the roast beef. And by "really likes", I mean she will eat a few offerings and that will be it. I should have got a sweet of some kind at Starbucks because Mandy has a sweet tooth. She has even knocked a pastry out of my hand once! Hmmm...maybe she was just trying to tell me I don't need anymore sweets and wasn't trying to steal it from me. Mandy also got extra loving yesterday. However, the party was over by 1am when she woke me up by batting at something at the screen door. She was locked out of my room for a whole 20 mintues!! I'm quite the tough guy, huh?

Mandy

On Friday, Mandy met my brother for the first time. This is the first male that she has met since getting spayed. I am happy to say that Mandy gave my brother two paws up! He got an introductory hiss, but after that, she was fine. She was very interested in him to say the least. Her reception to my brother was actually quite similar to her reception of Mr. X. My brother however is a cat person so he didn't refer to Mandy as "psychotic." My brother just didn't appreciate Mandy trying to play and sticking him with her Howard Hughes-ish claws! They are pretty darn long and sharp right now. My dad tried to claim that Mandy didn't like him because she wasn't spayed at the time.

On Tuesday, Mandy turns 1 year old!! I think I am going to get Arby's that night so she can have some of the meat. I also thought about getting some (canned) salmon, but I'm not sure if she will like or not and it's not like I will eat it if she doesn't!!

Arts and Crafts

Yesterday I went to Michaels and spent probably close to an hour there. There was a craft project I wanted to do and needed just the right supplies. I can't tell you what the end product is just yet as a couple of the recipients are readers of this blog. I found what I was looking for, more or less, and back home I went to start my project!

I did the prototype last night and finished the other three today. Oops! Did I just hint at something there? I'm terrible, aren't I? I really want to hand these out, but I will have to wait a few days. Although they look really good, they aren't exactly what I originally planned on. I hope the recipients like it!

Usually I don't think of myself as that creative, but sometimes I get a good idea and I have a lot of fun creating whatever it is that I thought up. Today though I really wished I had that Cricut machine whose infomercial I see almost daily while I have the TV on in the mornings. I really have the urge to do some scrapbooking!

You'll Get Nothing and Like It!**

**This is a quote from the movie Caddy Shack, which is also the name of the team we bowled last night!


Here are the highlights:

• Dallas kicked ass! She bowled a 130, 124, and a 141!! That is a almost a 132 average for the night and 27 points above her current average! Way to go Dallas!!
• Sandra finally realized that the two of the guys on the other team are brothers. They are only identical twins, so it makes sense why it took her so long!
• I had a slow start to the first game - enough to make the girls worried. I needed to get used to bowling with my glasses. The trick? Wear my glasses but keep my right eye closed.
• Apparently Dallas doesn't like to bowl at the same time I bowl. I'm bad luck or something.
• We consumed no alcohol last night.
• I held a baby younger than 10 months for the first time.
• Our team is currently in third place and will most likely stay there after this week.
• Clarice and Sandra drooled over this really hot guy in a pink shirt on the lanes next to us.
• We won two out of three games!

A Few of My Favorite and Not So Favorite Things

On Carol's blog today she listed out things she hates and things she loves. Carol said it was okay for me to copy her. I asked first incase she blog-slapped* me for being unoriginal. I don't know how many of these come as a surprise to you all, but here we go anyway!

*Blog-slap: the electronic version of a bitch slap. (just made that up)

THINGS I HATE:

Movies, TV shows, etc. about "special" people

Pearl Jam

Corn, except when on the cob or by itself in niblet form

Babies crying on airplanes when the plane is below 10,000 ft. (ie when I can't use my ipod)

Being wrong

Losing

Making phone calls to starngers

People who invade my personal bubble

Birds

The guy in the garage who parks his big ass truck so that you can't get out of your parking space

People trimming their fingernails at work

Horses

Clowns

92% of Ben Stiller's movies

Being tall

Hives

NASCAR

Green beans

THINGS I LOVE:

Giving exact change when buying things

Cookie Dough blizzards

Mandy

Proving people that I am right

My heritage

The house I grew up in

Getting really long hair cut really short

The smell of salt water, the smell of the pier

Going to the movies

Travelling

The sound of fog horns

Blogging
People who pronounce my last name correctly on the first try

Being tall

Curling up on the couch with a blanket and watching the rain

Rollercoasters

Treading the Mill

I got a new treadmill this weekend. Well, it is new to me. I bought it off of Dallas. So she and Chi came by Saturday to deliver the treadmill. It fits nicely in my living room. I was going to put it in my bedroom but it was too wide to fit through the door and since Dallas had left at this point, I didn't have someone to help me turn it sideways and move it through the door. Huh. Just realized I could have taken it out the sliding glass door in the living room and through the sliding door in my bedroom. Anyway, Mandy was reasonably well-behaved. I think she only hissed a few times. But all the swats she made at Chi and Dallas were in play.

I ran on the treadmill this morning. Mandy just sat under the coffee table and watched. I don't think she knew what to make of it all! Thankfully she didn't try and jump on it with me!

Random treadmill note: I think all the Charles Dickens' novels I have read mention the treadmill or the workhouse at the very least. It always makes me think that Dickens would probably be astounded to know that we now use a treadmill for exercise instead of as a method of labor and/or punishment. Like I said, random treadmill note!!

Prebowling

Today I met up with Clarice and Dallas to prebowl for Tuesday. Sandra couldn't make it. I will be out of town on Tuesday for a stupid work thing, so I will miss bowling. We decided to prebowl so that I was able to bowl and so that the girls could get a Tuesday night off from bowling. We got three lanes - two for us to bowl on and one for Kaitlin (I hope that is spelled correctly!) and Chi. Not my greatest bowling. I think it worked out to be just slightly higher than taking 10 points off my average. Clarice however discovered a new way to bowl. She held Parker with her left arm and bowled with her right. I think she had one open frame that game! After we were done bowling, we actually went into the proshop.....after looking through the window for a few minutes. Normally whenever we are at the lanes, the proshop is closed. So that is how we have to look at the merchandise! I saw some shoes and a bag I liked. I have already have my own bowling ball so I'm not in the market for one of those. However, I wouldn't mind some new bowling shoes or a cooler looking bag.

Okay, this was a boring post. Oh well.

Signs of the "Apocalypse"

We joke at work that when Freddy wears pants other than jeans to work, strange things happen. A few weeks ago he wore khakis and it rained that day. (This is Vegas, remember? That is strange for us!) Yesterday Freddy wore non-jeans again.....on jeans day no less. We thought the "apocalyptic" sign was two co-workers who generally don't share the same opinions, actually agreed on a couple topics within a short period of time. However, I think that was just the beginning. Because today I went to DSW and bought not one....not two.... but three pairs of heels. Yes, you read correctly! In the tallest pair, I stand a ginormous 6'4"!!!! The purpose of my trip to DSW was to find a pair of shoes for next Saturday when we go out for my birthday. I want to wear the 4" heels, but I'm afraid no one would dance with me because I would tower over them! I bought a shorter pair that might be more comfortable. However, as I type I am wearing the 4" heels to break them in!

A Good Idea...In Theory

Before I left for Seattle, Clarice gave me the good idea to scan my journal entries from September 1989, leading up to the very first New Kids On the Block Concert I went to. That was a great idea in theory. That was assuming the journals were where I last saw them in December. Well, they have since been moved. Not to Las Vegas in April with my parents. Not to the garage. Not to the closet. Most likely to the storage unit my parents have somewhere. Great. The journals don't move for months, and when I want them for something, they are no where to be found. So there will be no blog about my journal entries from the beginning of 6th grade. It's a shame because they were awesomely bad!

I Miss My Kitty

Today was the first time since I got Mandy in November that she wasn't at the kitchen door greeting me when I got home from work. She is being boarded at the vet. The entire evening has felt off without her running around. And I could have used a nice hug from Mandy today too.

The Fall of BIG BALL

Last night was of course bowling night! We bowled against Team 7, aka "BIG BALL." Going into the night, they were in 3rd place and we were in 4th!! It was once again a fun night out with the girls. We got our pitcher of beer but didn't get any chili cheese fries or chicken bites. They kind of sucked last week. Anyway, we kicked ass the first game. At one point we were more than 150 pins ahead of the other team! We all bowled a 130 or better in that first game too. And Dallas got her personal best that game as well. I didn't really like the bowlers on the other team. They were slow, had bad bowling etiquette, and at times were plain rude. Hopefully we don't have to bowl them again.

We should go up in the standings for next week - fingers crossed! Going in to last night, us, BIG BALL, and CADDY SHACK were all tied for points. Well, both CADDY SHACK and we won all the points last night so it will come down to the number of pins. We definitely have a higher handicap than CADDY SHACK so we might be okay! Reports have MUSHED (Al Pacino's team) winning their games. They are currently in first place. Next week we bowl against THE FIRST TIMERS. Well, Clarice, Dallas, Sandra, and Kelly (my sub) bowl against them. They were in 2nd place going into last night.

There were a few complaints during the course of the night. Some players, who shall remain nameless, do not want to pay the one-time fee of $18 for league sanctioning. Also, there was some disappointment in learning that no bowling trophy or certificates would be handed out at the end of the season. I have to miss next week. I don't want to, but it is for a good cause - meeting the New Kids On The Block!

Reunion of Sorts??

Today JF sent me an article about a guy we went to high school with. Apparently his band is having a CD release party at a bar in good ole' Burien this Thursday. For some reason I really want to go! I avoided my 10th high school reunion a few years ago because I didn't want to be the only single gal in a sea of married former classmates. I felt like I didn't have anything to brag about - no wedding, no rock on my finger, no kids. Honestly who would be jealous of my life? And this event on Thursday is sure to be nothing but HHS alums and maybe a few from MRHS as well. Maybe now I think my life is pretty cool. Or I realize that I can be successful and still be single and without kids. Or maybe I know that the girls who would feel sorry for me because I am single most likely won't be at this event! Hopefully we can go!!

Adios Señor Equis

I recently found a few things out about Mr.X that kind of change my perception of him. No longer someone I really have a desire to date (if that chance even arose). Kind of disappointing. He's still fine as a friend but I know it's going to be hard for me to switch to friend mode without acting like a bitch to him. I figure I have to change the way I act around him. I just don't want a drop in contact to seem like I am mad at him or something. Kind of goes back to the Tears of a Clown thing I posted about the other week. I have to act like everything is hunky-dorey because I did not learn this info directly from him. ¡Que chingados!

So, anyone know any single guys, 25-35 years old, over 5'10" tall????

Doctor's Visit

Today I took Mandy to the vet for her shots. My poor Little Girl. The vet tech comes in to weigh Mandy and get her temp. What does Mandy do? She hisses and tries to bite the nice girl. She tried coaxing Mandy onto the scale, who wouldn't even go for a cat treat. I had to pick Mandy up and hold my arms around the scale like a little bubble to keep Mandy on the scale. I finally realized how tiny Mandy really is. She only weighs 6lbs. 9oz.!!! As we wait for the doctor, Mandy checks out the exam room. I think she was looking for an escape route! Of course the vet is a man and you know her track record with men. At one point the vet even takes a step away from the counter so Mandy can't take a swipe at him. I am completely embarrassed by this! Why is my loving kitty so mean to other people??? He even takes Mandy to the back in her cat carrier!

Mandy is getting boarded next week while I am in Seattle, and so I decided to get her spayed during that time (yes, I know. I have procrastinated on this one!). That meant she also had to have blood drawn too so they could do pre-op blood work. And I had them trim her "Howard Hughes" claws. I'm such a mean mom, huh? So she was pretty exhausted after all the poking and prodding she got. We got home around 12:30pm and she has done nothing except sleep on my bed for the last 8 hours. I feel a little sorry for her. I'd feel even more sorry for her if I wasn't spending over $500 on her for all of this!!!

Stayin' Alive Against Team 5!

Last night was our third week of bowling and as usual it was a fun night!! We bowled against Team 5. They were apparently too lazy to name their team. There are just two bowlers actually and two vacant spots. The vacant spots are a minor source of ire for me because these two "bowlers" score 150s across the board. Que chingados?! I thought vacant spots were given 100 as a score. 150 is a little generous. So of course Team 5 is ahead of us in the standings. Well, so are 8 other teams, but who's counting? Anyway, the two real bowlers didn't even show up!

We started the night with our usual pitcher of beer and order of chilli cheese fries and chicken bites. The weird thing was all the sausces came on the side. Still tasted good though! We bowled near "Al Pacino" again so that was fun. Not too much to say about this week except we actually won all but one game!! I bowled a 136, 148, and a 153. My goal this summer is to beat my personal best of 180. I think I can do it!

Movin' To Brazil!!

Just now we decided that should the US go to war with North Korea, we will move to Brazil. Dallas had suggested Canada, but Jake (who apparently has put some thought into this) suggested Brazil because of their reluctance to extradite. This is so Jake and Dallas don't have to go to war.

Jake sealed the deal for the move by saying we could have mojitos. I said we could rumba. From there we decided that we are opening a bar. I will be the hostess. Dallas is the bartender. Jake is the bouncer. Clarice is the eye-candy waitress. Freddy is the old dude who sits at the corner of the bar, wearing a Panama hat and drinking whiskey we import especially for him. Carol runs the bed and breakfast next to the bar with help from Rosie. Ron is our dance instructor. Marc is our DJ. Justin provides our intel. Malachi will become Brazil's next soccer super star. He will be known simply as Chi (since Brazilians tend to go by one name only). Caitlin will become Brazil's gymnastic superstar. Dallas' mom will be the bar manager. Perry is the cook.

And if the bar thing doesn't work out, we can always get some land in the Amazon and grow a certain cash crop!!

Música en otro idioma

When I was younger I always wondered how people like Michael Jackson and Madonna could have fans in countries that didn't speak English. How did they know the words to the songs? In the "few" years since then I have realized it is all memorization. I think the first song I learned in a foreign language was "Frère Jacques" when I was preschool or kindergarten. But I don't think it was until Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias became popular awhile back that I liked a song in another language without knowing its meaning. I bought Ricky Martin's Spanish language album and can sing along to a couple of the songs. I have no idea what I'm saying though except for a word here or there. I tried this weekend to learn some of the lyrics to a few Pitbull and Daddy Yankee songs, but that is muy difícil!! I can follow the more lyrical parts of the song but once they start rapping, I am lost!! I have no desire to have the lyrics translated into English though. I think I can pretty much guarantee that they are dirty!!

Happy Anniversary???

My parent's 40th anniversary is tomorrow so I thought I would send them a nice bouquet of flowers for the event. On Monday I ordered th bouquet pictured above and had it scheduled to be delivered on the 19th. It never showed yesterday. So I get a text from my mom today around 2pm saying they still haven't received the flowers. I call 1-800-FLOWERS and after navigating through the damn voice-activated system, I finally get to an operator. They tell me the order was sent to the local florist but never got printed out. The florist has no idea the order even exists. Apparently, this is a "glitch" in the system that happens when you order online. The operator was going to contact the florist and see if the flowers could be delivered Sunday morning. If? IF? FUCK THAT SHIT! So I cancelled the order. Even though I got my money back, I am still pissed. At least I sent a card.

Things That Go Bump In The Night - Part II

About six months ago, I came home to find the faucet in my backyard running. The pipe had burst or anything. Someone actually turned on the water and left it running. It was that night that I freaked out and thought I was going to be killed. Last night I thought someone was trying to break into the house.

I woke up around 3:30am to Mandy practically throwing herself at her favorite window perch by my bed. She normally sits on the sill and tries to play with the blinds. I wasn't going to take any of her crap at 3:30am so I locked her out of the bedroom. Not even 5 minutes later, I hear her growling. I open the bedroom door and that is when I start to hear something on the patio. It sounded like someone trying to open the sliding glass door to my bedroom. My heart started pounding fast. I grabbed my phone. Who was I gonna call? 911? Mr.X? Ghostbusters? I thought if I was going to call 911, I should at least confirm someone is trying to break in. My gameplan: confirm intruder, call 911, run out of house through garage, go to neighbor's house, call Mr. X (no way I'd go back into my house alone!), and wait until the police showed up. I'd wait until next time to call the Ghostbusters.

So I go over to the sliding glass door in the living room where Mandy is growling. I carefully move one of the blinds so I can take a peek. At this point I think I am crazy for doing this since I am completely unarmed. I look outside and to my great relief the only thing out there is a ginormous stray cat! It left after a few attempts to scare it away. Then I picked up Mandy, gave her a big hug for alerting me (even though it was just a cat and not an intruder),told her I wouldn't have her declawed (her reward), and let her back into the bedroom. I realized that she lept to the window because she saw the cat enter our yard. I wonder if she would do that if she saw a person come into the yard at night?

Unlike last time, at least I now have phone numbers for people I can call in the wee hours of the morning when I get scared! But I was fine once I saw that it was just a cat. Phew.

Crushed by MUSHED

I know this is a few days late, but it's not like the good ole' days of bowling blogging when I could go home and blog before my teammates even made it back home! Ah, the perks of living less than 2 miles from the Ft. Myer! But I digress......

On Tuesday we bowled against Team 8, aka MUSHED. Going into the night's bowling, they were in 5th place. We were in 9th which is technically last place because Team 10 is vacant. This week also marked Sandra's first week as a Chick with a Ball!! We won the first game by 20 pins. Then "Al Pacino" threatened bodily harm, so we threw the 2nd and 3rd games. I so did not want to say hello to his little friend. Ew! That just sounded really gross - sorry!! We lost the 2nd game by 87 pins and the 3rd game by 121 pins!!! Sorry Dallas, but we are cutting you off after the first pitcher of beer!!

One cool thing from the night - we did get some snazzy discount cards because we are league members. One is a punch card good for 100 free games of bowling. Of course there is a catch - you get one free game per day and it can't be during cosmic bowling. The other is a "League Member Benefit Card." It is good for $2 open-play rates, 10% off non-sale items at the pro shop, up to 25% off locker rentals, and 20% off at Kids Quest anytime. (Not sure what the Kids Quest thing is.) You better believe that I am going to use my discount cards this weekend!!!

Next week we bowl the incredibily cleverly named team, TEAM 5. After the first week they were in 4th place. We have a chance against them - as long as they bowl poorly and we bowl average or better than average. We will also be near "Al Pacino" again, so maybe Dallas can get that autograph after all!!

The Tracks of My Tears

A comment from a co-worker today made me think of the old Smokey Robinson & the Miracle song, "The Tracks of My Tears." I asked why he said hello to someone standing near me, but not me. He said that this person was having a bad day and since I am always cheery and happy - I believe he also said "glowing", he didn't think he needed to say hello and ask how I was doing. It made me think how sometimes when I am not in a good mood, I feel like I have to put on an act because people don't expect me to be in bad moods. It's not often that something upsets me to where I can't hide the bad feelings, but it happens. I feel like I am not allowed to be in a bad mood! So, just know that even though I may seem happy, I may pretending.**

People say I'm the life of the party,

Because I tell a joke or two

Although I might be laughing loud and hearty

Deep inside I'm blue

So take a good look at my face

You'll see my smile looks out of place

If you look closer, it's easy to trace

The tracks of my tears..

**NOTE: I am feeling fine!! I have thought of this before from time to time and just thought I would blog about it! Also, sorry for the Debbie Downer of a post!!

Dinner Date?

This past Saturday I invited Mr.X over to my place for dinner. I didn't go too overboard with dinner - lasagna, salad, and bread. Shortly after Mr.X showed up, Mandy appeared in the kitchen to come check him out. I was very curious how she would react because up until this point she has been a man-hater! Mandy didn't like my cousin. And she had a sort of love/hate thing going with my dad. She would hiss and growl but keep approaching him for attention. Mandy hissed once at Mr.X and that was it. Mr.X didn't seem to be a big fan of cats, but at least he offered a hand to try and pet her. Mr.X made it through the night with only a few scratches. He was also nice enough to tolerate Mandy's behavior as queen of the house. My dining table has a lattice shelf under the tabletop. Well, Mandy crawled around that. She also tried to get on the table numerous times. On one of these attempts, Mr.X gave her a gentle nudge back down onto the chair. But Mandy's claw had hooked itself onto a place mat and began taking that, and the bottle of wine sitting on the place mat, with her. Thankfully I caught the bottle in time!

I am a little confused as to what exactly Mr.X's feelings are towards me. We have gone out a few other times and there is plenty of flirting and little touches here and there. And we also exchange flirty messages. But the last two times we got together, all I got was a hug. Hugs are good, but sometimes you want/need more!! I am pretty sure Mr.X likes me. Could it be that he doesn't realize that I am attracted to him? Is he just "slow"? It's a little frustrating. No plans have been made for another get-together - I hesitate to use the word "date." I just want some clear sign that he is interested in me.

Now don't get me wrong - I did have a really good time with Mr.X on Saturday. I enjoyed cooking and entertaining, the conversation, and the company. He did make me do one thing though that I hate - making phone calls to strangers. I force myself to make phone calls for work. But other than that, I do my best not to. For example, I will order pizza online rather than calling on the phone. I told Mr.X this and he made me call Papa Johns. I was to ask for "Antonio." (Mr.X didn't know any Antonio, he just figured that there would be one working there!) Once I asked for Antonio, I could give the phone to Mr.X and he would do the talking. I begrudgingly made the call. I think that was almost as bad, if not worse than just getting a hug a goodbye!!

Double or Nothing

So my great caffeine bet went belly up before it barely began! Stupid me got a decaf mocha (today and yesterday). And as it was so lovingly pointed out to me by Dallas, a mocha has chocolate which has caffeine. If you guessed I dropped an F-bomb at that point, you'd be correct!! I am getting another chance next week, but the stakes of course have been upped. In addition to no caffeine, I am to avoid all sugar!! Holy cow - this is going to be tough!!! Especially because I know my co-workers will taunt me. My track record with bets lately has not been the greatest so winning this bet would be extra nice!! So it looks like I will be eating A LOT of fruits and veggies next week. I can't even have my usual Cheerios for breakfast or my yogurt with lunch! I feel sorry for those of you I see on a daily basis - I'm not going to be a very happy camper!!

I Heart Caffeine

As you all know by now, I am severely addicted to caffeine. I go to Starbucks waaaaayyyyy too much. Today was kind of a boiling over point for me. Usually I'd go to Starbucks regularly until they knew my drink or my name. Whichever came first. I haven't done this since moving to Nevada. My local Sbux has recently picked up their game. I'd walk in and am asked, "grande?", "iced?", "the usual?" Then they got to the point where they didn't have to ask me my drink when I got to the register. Today topped it all. I was a couple people back in line when I saw the barista put a coffee on the counter and tell the gal at the register that that coffee was for Sue - aka me. My drink actually beat me to the front of the line!!!

So at work today, I made a bet with Dallas. In a week I am going cold turkey off all caffeine - coffee, pop, chocolate, my favorite headache pain reliever! I apologize, over a week in advance, for the bitchiness, bad attitude, lack of caring about you, the whining, and the complaining. I'm sorry for snapping at you because you had the nerve to ask me a question when I have a raging headache I can't get rid of because stupid Excedrin tension headache contains caffeine! But I'm not scared.....Okay, maybe just a little.

Welcome to Nevada!

I finally got my Nevada driver's license and license plates this weekend. I got in the Information line at the DMV at 8:25am and walked out of there all done exactly an hour later. That was a lot faster than I thought! All went well except I had to cheat a little on the eye exam. My right eye is so bad I didn't see the final box of letters that I had to read. I read the first two and the lady prompted me to read the last one. Oops! So I closed my right eye and viola! There were the missing letters. I guess now that I have the DMV crossed off my list, I can work on getting myself to the eye doctor! Even though I am happy to be in Nevada, I am kind of sad about getting my new DL and plates. Maybe because I wasn't allowed to keep my old plates. When I moved to Virginia, I was allowed to keep my Washington plates. Oh well. I'm also a little disappointed that my temporary license doesn't have a copy of my photo. I know I had some stupid cheesy grin. I could tell. At least I have a way at work to look up my picture! I was facing some pressure at work (from one individual in particular) to get my stuff changed. So, is it bratty of me to not say anything and let this person discover the change on their own????

Going to New Heights

My old cat, D'Art (short for D'Artagnan), was the king of "perching." He would sit on top of the fridge alot, but his favorite spot was the top of one of the two armoires in my parent's bedroom. After getting in the morning to eat his breakfast, he would go to his "perch" as my family called it, and would stay there until 10:30am or 11am. Longer if it was rainy. Well, it seems that Mandy has found her perch in the house.

When I came home Friday afternoon, Mandy promptly showed me what she had been working on all day. She hopped up on the counter, the the fridge, then the tops of the cabinets, and THEN she hopped up onto the wall around the kitchen. I measured this morning and that wall is 9 feet tall! But of course my crazy kitty wasn't done yet! She then leaped across the hallway to the ledge by the front door. Mandy ended her journey in the half-circle window above my front door!!! It was at this point she freaked out a bit since she couldn't turn around to go back the way she came. She made a few leaps to the floor that really scared me. I was worried my Little Girl would hurt her leg or back or worse!! But she seems to enjoy herself up there!

I just know that the day I finally do have people over to my house, will be the day that Mandy decides to go to her perch ,and because she can, she will leap down onto someone's shoulders. Most likely the person who dislikes cats the most!!

I don't wanna grow up.....

So this weekend I went somewhere I haven't been in years....wait,....I was there at Thanksgiving. It was years before that though that I had been this place - Toys R Us (Please forgive my non-backwards R). I was there looking for a birthday gift for someone but thought I'd take a stroll around - for fun. I found Legos - I LOVED those as a kid. Then the board games. Trivial Pusuit with three levels of difficulty? Who wants that? Now the stupids of the world can compete in that game? Not when I'm around!! There was also the revamped Clue - two thumbs down on that too. Then I saw them. Little. Belgian. Blue. It was Smurfs!! I guess it is the 50th anniversary of the Smurfs. One item they had was a small stuffed Smurf that spoke when you pushed its hand. I find something terribly wrong with the fact that the first thing Smurfette says is " hey there boys!" The others say something like "have a Smurf-tastic day" or something else Smurfy. That just proves that Smurfette was the village bicycle!! Well, I'm guessing Brainy never got a ride. But I digress....I even found GI Joes and they actually looked like the ones from yesteryear. I think the Barbies were the weirdest. When did their look change? Not quite Barbie, not quite Bratz. And I even saw a Barbie doll with fishnet stockings! That didn't seem right! The only toy of my youth missing was Playmobil. I loved those more than Legos - probably because my brother couldn't control things as much. I wanted the old Victorian house SO BAD, but had to settle using my Fisher Price house for them. It was pretty cool though. It opened in the middle and locked so you could even carry it around. The garage door opened and closed and even had a working doorbell. But it just wasn't the Playmobil house that cost over $150 - in the 80s!!

This is the Playmobil house I wanted......

This is the exact Fisher Price house I had....

Tag! I'm it!

I was tagged earlier this week by Carol to post the 6th photo from the 6th folder of my My Picutres folder. Well, I too am super organized, and my folders are divided into subfolders. So I went to the 6th folder (2009), but there were only 4 folders (February, January, MLK Weekend, and March)! What to post? The 6th photo from the first folder has actually already appeared on this blog! So maybe the 7th? Nope. That's been on the blog too. Okay, I know - I'll go with the 6th photo I took in 2009. Well, it's kind of boring. I was trying to get an action shot of Mandy jumping for a toy and all I got was a shot of the carpet. Hmmmm....I'll go with the 6th photo from the 4th folder! So here it is!! I present my friends Diane and Dallas at lunch on St. Patrick's Day.

Chi-town Adventures - Day Three

I got up this morning and actually didn't feel too bad or hungover. The eyes weren't too bloodshot or really even red. I was still a little unsure of my stomach though and the fact that we'd be flying. I did not want an episode like my trip home a Christmas a few years ago where I got really, really, motion sick.

We found a place to grab a quick breakfast and then headed to the airport. Everything went smoothly there. I was a little worried as everyone was boarding the plane and a guy stops and my row and starts to place a car seat in the seat next to me (I had the window.) I kind of started to tweak out a bit. It didn't help when the guy made a little comment about getting ready for an interesting ride. Say what? Thankfully his little girl (who boarded later with her mom) was perfect! She was a little cranky at first after getting strapped in but once I got my headphones on, I was dead to the world!

I got home around 3pm this afternoon and to say that Mandy was happy to see me is a gross understatement!! I cleaned up her litter boxes and gave her some hugs and kisses before I had to take a nap! It's nice to be home but I think I am actually a little lonely after spending almost three days with two other people and spending almost every waking minute with them. That's even more than when you just see people at work! I am just glad that today is Friday and that I still have the weekend ahead of me to recuperate!!

Chi-town Adventures - Day Two

Today was the day of our meeting. We got to the office around 9am or so. It was just a quick cab ride from the hotel. We had stopped at Einstein Bagel for breakfast before the meeting but there was a pretty good spread there - coffee, doughnuts, bagels, water. The meeting was interesting to say the least. DB was getting fired up and for some reason I am always entertained when he gets fired up! But we were done by about 3pm. It was back to the hotel to chill for a while before going to dinner with a friend of DB's who works in the CHicago office.

We met up around 4:30pm in the hotel bar and watched some basketball. We were just waiting for the call from DB's friend. He had to go home first and switch cars before heading back into the city. We went to dinner at this really neat place. I can't remember the name though! It was an Italian place. We all got the pizza pot pie, which this place is known for. Your pizza comes to your table still in the dish it was cooked in, looking just like a pot pie! Then the waiter inverted the pizza on a plate so that it was like eating out of a pizza bowl! After dinner we hit the restrooms before heading out and I got a little nervous because the bathrooms were single rooms only. I warned DB that I have a penchant for getting locked in bathrooms. My fears did not subside either when I got in the bathroom and saw on the door a label saying "push to lock door." I'm guessing there have been problems in the past. I was worried because I kind of turned the locked as I pushed it in. But I made it out without having to call one of the guys!! I know I would never live that one down!

The Pizza Pot Pie.

We then drove to Wrigley Field for a photo op. before heading to a blues club. I have never been to a blues club before so I wasn't sure what to expect. All I could think about was that scene in "Animal House" when the guys take their dates to the blues bar!! Apparently, so did DB because he kept quoting a lines from that scene! This place was awesome! it was almost like two bars. Two bands were playing that night and instead of switching spots on stage, there were two stages and the patrons moved back and forth! I ordered a beer which caused some concern with the guys since I drank the night before. I was also ordered a second Corona by mistake even though I didn't really want one. But I drank it anyway - just slowly. At one point I made a comment to DB and ML about feeling like I was in the scene from "Adventures in Babysitting" when they end up in the blues club (in Chicago) and can't leave until they sing the blues! Then not 5 minutes later, DB's friend says the exact thing and calls me Elisabeth Shue! The guys tried to get me to go up in front of the stage ans dance with the lead singer since he was standing there. I got my picture with him but I was too chicken to dance with this guy. They were trying to help me create a "story" since I don't have any good ones.

Me and the blues singer.

The evening there was a lot of fun except towards the end of the night, I kind of felt like a third wheel. Like I was keeping the guys from talking how they really wanted to talk because I am female. At one point DB said something I really never wanted to hear him say - I have even blocked what it was that he said! - and he turns to me and says "ear muffs!" I almost felt like they were talking about me too. Things were fine and dandy until DB orders some greasy fish and chips. That combined with the fact that I drank more beer than I wanted to, made me get a little queasy. I only threw up a little. I get perfomance anxiety about puking in public places! I can usually hold on until I get home!! Okay, that was probably a little too much info for you there - sorry! Anyway, it was still a great night!!!

Chi-town Adventures - Day One

So for the past few days I have been in Chicago, theoretically for work. LOL! I left on Wednesday morning with two of the guys from the office. (They don't know about my blog so I kind of feel bad talking about them by name, so I'll use initials: ML and DB.) I of course had to get to the airport early because I'm not allowed to skip security like they are. But I entertained myself with free wireless access which was pretty cool. Most airports charge...anyway....we got to Chicago around 3pm Chicago Time. Somehow we took the long way to baggage claim because by the time we got there, there were two bags left on the carousel - the guys' bags! (I carried mine on with me.) We then got a cab to the hotel. It was right by the river which was no longer green. My room was really nice. We pretty much dropped off our bags and headed out to find food. We were all pretty damn hungry.

We walked around the hotel trying to find a place to eat. I can't remember if we got any suggestions from the hotel staff or not. We ended up going with the recommendation of some random utility worker on the street. Yes, just some random dude. He sent us to the Rockit Bar and Grille. I think it was a cruel joke on the out-of-towners! We started dinner with the Rockit Shrimp. Nothing special. Then DB and I had the angus burgers and ML had the "kobe" beef burger with date aioli and truffle fries. My burger was overcooked and the fries kind of sucked. The pretzel bun wasn't too bad. DB was kind enough to share his sweet potato fries with me though. I tried the date aioli - yuck. I tried the truffle fries - quadruple yuck. I had never heard of truffle fries before. Apparently they are french fries sprinkled with truffle oil. At least dessert wasn't bad - we all shared a hot fudge brownie sundae. I really just wanted the cherry that came on top of it!

The Rock It Bar and Grill - it didn't really rock.

After dinner we tried to go to the House of Blues but there was a private event going on and it also looked pretty dead. We actually ended up going to a bowling alley right across the way from the House of Blues. That rocked! I haven't been bowling in a couple years and am proud to say I kicked the guys' butts! DB had a slight impediment to his bowling. Let's just say he had an accessory on his waist that he was a little worried about and it wasn't his cellphone. It even made him take this cute little hop in his approach!! There was a jukebox and when your song came on, the video would be played on a couple big screens at the end of the lanes. ML tried to psyche me out with "Under Pressure" but it didn't work. I of course annoyed the guys with "The Final Countdown"! DB tried to find a favorite song of his at the jukebox but was accosted by a pack of cougars!! That was HILARIOUS!

10 pin bowling alley - now that place rocked!

The bowling alley also had the black lights on so it was kind of a cosmic bowling atmosphere, but not totally. I was wearing a sweater and a t-shirt and I was getting pretty hot so I took off my sweater half-way through the first game. Towards the end of that game or the start of the next, I was waiting for the pins to reset and noticed that my shirt was glowing in the black light. I thought, "that's odd, my shirt isn't white." It was at that point that I realized it was my WHITE BRA showing through my apparently thinner-than-I-thought t-shirt!!!!! The guys didn't' say anything and acted like they didn't notice and would have said something if they did. Somehow I am not buying that.....what do you think? I put my sweater back on but it was too darn hot, so I said screw it and eventually took it off for the rest of the time! After bowling we went back to the hotel (which was just across the street) and had a drink at the hotel bar before calling it quits for the night.

Mandy's Dirty Little Secret

Mandy does a bunch of things that are super cute. She does a lot of things that I once found cute and now, not so much. And she does one thing that I find simply disgusting.....so that is why I am sharing it with you! Is it her penchant for leaping onto my shoulders from the kitchen counter? Nope. Or maybe her desire to be "bitey" and "scratchy"? No, I wish. It's not even her endless supply of nocturnal energy.

I was cleaning out my closet over the weekend and Mandy was in there with me doing whatever she does while she is in there. I see her go towards her favorite corner, but she stops at the pile of dirty laundry. And then she rolls in some dirty underwear! (I told you it was gross!!!!) I picked her up later to give her a kiss and this one spot by her neck and shoulder reaked!!! It's almost like a fetish or something. I just don't understand why my cute little girl would do something so disgusting! It is now Tuesday morning and she FINALLY smells good again. Or at least the stench is gone from that spot.

SoCal - Epilogue

I forgot this great tidbit of info from my trip.....I find out that my brother will be coming to Vegas in two weeks with his girlfriend. The purpose of the trip? One of my brother's friend's is hosting their fantasy baseball league draft. And I guess my brother's girlfriend decided to tag-along on the trip to Vegas. No other wives/girlfriends are coming to the "draft." I was told, "oh, by the way, you will be entertaining Heather that day while I'm at the draft. And she isn't good with self-entertainment." Great. I've met her twice: once at Christmas the other year and once in DC while my brother was visiting her (she lives in Virginia.) I was hoping television and the internet would be enough for her. It's enough for me and my immediate family! Well, I wouldn't mind some Diet Coke thrown in the mix and I'm sure others wouldn't mind beer. But at least we are capable of entertaining ourselves! It's not like I know his girlfriend that well and it's not like she has tried to get to know me. She sends my mom emails for some reason. That's nice. My mom has a daughter - a darned good one too if I say so myself!! And my brother even makes it sound like taking the girlfriend to lunch and a movie will be a task. From what I gather she will want to go see some ultra chick flick while I want to see the latest Ah-nold movie or something. She's only one year older than me yet she somehow had her head in the whole during the 1980s because she gets practically zero pop culture references. I guess I should be more open-minded since she is probably going to be my sister-in-law in the next year or so. Ay carumba!

SoCal

This past weekend I went to the OC to visit my brother. My mom also was there - she flew down from Seattle. The main purpose of our trip was to help get my bro a little organized in his office. His office assisatant sounds like she pretty much sucks (as in she doesn't do a darned thing) and I think my brother is too nice to fire her. ANyway, mom got there THursday and was put to work right away. I drove out on Friday. The drive was actually really nice and went by fairly fast. It was the first time I drove out to California by myself.

After I got to California, my mom met me at our hotel - there is no way in hell we would ever stay at my brother's apartment. Then we drove back over to my brother's office. My duties included printing mailing labels and putting postage on envelopes. We had an early dinner at Black Angus. Since all I had previously in the day was basically coffe, coffee, and more coffee, I was more than able to down the 12 oz. prime rib I ordered!! After dinner we took a drive to Huntington Beach, walked out on the pier, and then grabbed a drink at a bar. Yes, even I had a drink! Originally I wasn't going to since I had a couple the night before, but I figured with the big dinner I just ate, there'd be no problem!

me and my bro

my mom and my bro

View of Huntington Beach at sunset

Saturday was another day, or rather morning, at the office. My brother only put us to work until noon when the Husky basketball game started. He went back to his place while my mom and I went shopping. Later in the afternoon we met up and headed north to Culver City to visit my cousin and his wife and son. We had a great evening visiting with them. Unfortunately we had to cut the night short since I had to get back to get a decent amount of sleep since I was leaving early Sunday. I dropped my mom off at the airport in Long Beach around 6:30am. I took the wrong on ramp to the 405 and instead of going south, I was heading north. I just wanted to turn around but the stupid GPS wanted to take me some other convoluted route. I was getting really frustrated. Finally I saw a sign for the Long Beach airport again and just retraced my steps to the 405, this time getting on the correct ramp! I decided to stop at McDonalds near where we stayed so I would at least eat something that morning. Otherwise it would be another day of Starbucks coffee until I got home! The drive out of Cali was great! There was barely anyone on the roads. I made good time and rolled into my garage at 11:21am. After unloading everything and getting the laundry going, I got in bed to take a nap. Then my friend called which delayed my nap, but for a good cause! The rest of my afternoon was spent in bed dozing while watching vH1 reality shows.

Me, my cousin, and my brother

I Really Love My Mom & Dad!!!!

WARNING: what I am about to share is sad story my mom shared with me. It's a little heart breaking too, so take a second and go grab a kleenex!

On Sunday my parents were settling down to watch The Oscars when a stray dog showed up at the backdoor. The thing was really old and just didn't look well. My parents had never seen her before and they walk their dogs enough to know their canine (and human) neighbors. So they took the old gal inside since it was cold and let her stay the night in the laundry room where she could be kept from the other dogs. She ate and drank some water. My dad even placed a notice on craigslist hoping that someone out there loved this dog enough to miss it. I guess on Monday morning though the dog had thrown up and had diarrhea and just was not doing well at all. I know my parents would have liked to keep her but they couldn't. So my dad did the tough thing and took her to the humane society where she will or has already been put to sleep. (sorry, gotta take a second and get a kleenex myself!) My parents did admit that it did seem like it was time for this dog to go. If it had been their dog, they would have been agonizing over the decision to put them to sleep. Their guess is that someone just dropped the dog off on the road somewhere instead of doing the humane thing. How disgusting.

The touching thing to me is that this dog was lucky enough to find my parents and spend at least a few hours with caring people. She didn't have to die alone in the woods. She was able to die with dignity, like every living creature deserves. And I don't think it is a coincidence that this dog found my parents. Their house is a mecca of sorts for the nieghborhood dogs. It's as if the other dogs told her to go to my parents and she'd find two very caring people willing to do what they could. So I am thankful for all the people in this world like my parents who take that extra effort to be kind to someone or something in need. I wish more people were like them.

Dare to be Different

Lunch today took us once again to the Strip Shop! Today it was myself, Diane, and Dallas. All three of us failed to bring lunch. I took that as a sign from above that we were to go to the Strip Shop, especially since Dallas missed our last trip and I had cash in my wallet. (The SS is a cash only establishment.)

The usual order is of course the Chef's Salad with either ranch (me) or Thousand Island (Diane and Dallas). But today I dared to be different!! I ordered a hot sandwich. I had the Italian sandwich and added provolone cheese. It came with red peppers. Boy was it good!!

Betty Crocker in da House!

Once again I brought treats into the office. Hey, I'm single, no kids, and like to cook/bake for people. So my co-workers are the ones who end up benefitting...or suffering. It depends how you look at it! Today's treat was caramel brownies and I would like to think they were a success. It was the first time I made the brownies so I was a little nervouse about how they came out. Poor Carol had no choice but to look at the brownies since they sit out in front of her desk. I seriously don't mean to bring treats in to tempt people! It just makes me feel good knowing people like my baking. Here are a few examples of our co-workers' reactions:

Most brownies one admitted to eating before 11am: 3
Requests for recipes: 1

Qutoes: "This is the best thing I've ever had in my life."

I also heard that someone referred to the brownies as being "wicked good."

Anyway, I'm glad everyone liked the brownies! You can also thank/blame raine_days since I got the recipe from her!!

Famous Last Words???

What do you think of me? I know, I know -do I really want to know the answer to that question? I ask because today at work Dallas described me as "outgoing." Now I have been called many things - good and bad - but I have never been called outgoing. I shared this my mom and I think she even laughed a little! I would always describe myself as shy or reserved. Or that I even seem mean or cold because I don't say much to people when I first meet them. I have to be comfortable with or get to know people before I truly open up. But even then, in a group I am usually the quiet one. Maybe I have turned over a new leaf, so to speak, here in Las Vegas? Actually, writing that last sentence made me remember something that might be connected. This is pretty lame, but about 4 years ago while at Quantico for intel school, someone told me that I was a shrinking violet waiting to bloom. Or something to that effect. I can't believe the person actually said what they did. I feel like that is something my grandmother would say - not a 30 something year old man in law enforcement!!! I even feel stupid even typing it! But maybe I have finally blossomed! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Mandy's Heritage

I used to think that Mandy was half cat, half flying squirrel because of all the amazing leaps she makes. I believe 5 feet is her personal best. And yes, I measured. She especially likes to leap from counter (kitchen or bathroom) onto your shoulders. I find it cute except for that brief moment when she lands on my shoulders and scares the crap out of me because I had no idea of what she was about to do!

However, now I think Mandy is half cat, 3/8ths flying squirrel, and 1/8th dog. Yes, dog. Over the last few days Mandy and I have had a few good games of fetch. She fetches better than one of my parents dogs....who is a retriever!! Our games of fetch usually only happen though when I am in bed and Mandy brings me this one catnip toy of hers. She drops it near me and I throw it and try to aim it so that it goes out the bedroom door. Mandy scurries after it, picks it up, hops back up on the bed, drops it in front of me, and repeat. I love it!!!

What's In A Name? - Part II: Nicknames

The other at work I was introduced to someone new (new-to-me that is, not new to the office) and my first name seemed a little difficult for him to pronounce. He said it a few times but it wasn't quite right and I didn't want to send this guy down the road of perpetually saying my name wrong for so long that I don't have the heart to correct him years later. I don't really want to be known only by my last name (something about being too much like "one of the guys") but I suggested he call me by my that anyway. Even that proved difficult for him! So he asked if I had any nicknames, which brings me to this post!

I do have one nickname - Layna. My bro was the first to call me this since he had trouble saying my full name when I was born. I even went by Layna in preschool and kindergarten. But when I started 1st grade, it was a different school and I was always known by my full name. Only my relatives and close friends of the family (people who were friends of the family from before I was born) call me Layna. Only a few of my close friends call me this and even then it's not on a regular basis. It's not that I don't like the name, it's just that it has become something I reserve for those most special to me. It also seems to "cutesy" for the workplace.

Other Nicknames I have / had:

• Sweetfang - My dad calls me this (even at 30). It's a combination of two characters from the Soupy Sales Show.
• Doll - my mom calls me this sometimes too
• Lane
• Lanie
• Ursula- I was @ the Pike Place Market in Seattle where one of the vendors had names hand-carved out of wood. He had nothing close to my name, but had Ursula!
• Yolanda - even though I hate being called this when people think it is my name, one friend has been able call me this in jest
• Pick-Up Artist

NOTE: I saw the above-mentioned name-killer a few days later and he was able to pronounce my first name, so all is well!!

Lost Kitty....sort of

So last night I lost Mandy for a period of time. I was watching TV heard a really loud THUMP. At first I thought maybe the Water Bandit was back to finish the job, but then I realized I hadn't seen Mandy in awhile. The noise sounded like when mandy tries to break down the door to the bathroom when I am in there and choose to lock her out. So, I start checking all the rooms. Not by the hall closet. Not in the office. Not in the bathroom. Not in the spare bedroom. I cannot find her anywhere! Not under my bed. I check the guest room again. Then I decide to look in my closet. And who should I find? Yup. Little Girl was in there just chilling on the floor. The funny thing is I had put a bag in the closet an hour or so earlier and just opened the closet door and tossed it in. I didn't turn on the light and thought to myself that maybe I should check to see if Mandy was able to slip in unnoticed! Dumb story, but thought I'd share it nonetheless!

Oh How I Love Thee.....

Is it wrong to love an inanimate object? I hope not, because I think I am in love with my new KitchenAid mixer. Really. I am! It looks just like the one in the picture above. It's the 5qt. Artisan series...whatever that means. I bought it because A) the price was what I was willing to pay and B) it was black, onyx to be exact. I'm sure it wouldn't surprise many that I have always had my eye on the blue mixers, but blue just wouldn't go with my kitchen.

My mixer has inspired me to bake. I made cookies on Sunday (mere hours after purchasing my mixer) and brought the goodies into work on Monday. And most recently I made something tonight. So if you are reading this before work on Thursday - you have another treat coming your way courtesy of me and my handy, dandy, ever-faithful KitchenAid mixer!! Also, be prepared for something on Fat Tuesday (February 24th) because me and the mixer plan to strike again!!

Round Up The Usual Suspects

Earlier today I saw that Turner Classic Movies would be showing Casablanca as part of their 31 days of Oscar - where all the movies on TMC are Oscar winners. I made a mental note to come back this afternoon and watch it. I totally forgot as I got caught up in the Doctor Who season finale on BBC America. But that's okay. I've seen Casablanca several times. It's a great film. However, I think I enjoy it for a slightly different reason. There is a scene in the movie that always makes me cry. And it has nothing to do with the tragic love of Rick and Ilsa. It is the scene in Rick's club where the German solidiers begin singing "Die Wacht Am Rhein" - a song about World War I. Many of the patrons at Rick are disgusted, as they have fled the Nazis. So Victor Lazlo goes to the band and begins a stirring and emotional version of "Marseillaise", the French national anthem. Soon the Germans are drowned out and eventually stop singing. It the love of a country that has inspired this act. A love for a country occupied by another nation. I could easily see this as a group of Americans joining together to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" when put in a similar situation. It's a short scene, but full of emotion and it is one of the reasons why I think Casablanca is a good movie. Here is a link to that scene. Hopefully it works!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYbEPZVVIA&feature=PlayList&p=E0927E396BA081BF&playnext=1&index=2

I'm Just A Soul Whose Intentions Are Good....

Over the last week I have spent A LOT of time on itunes buying music. I bought a few golden oldies here and there and now I can't stop!! I have bought 31 songs since February 1st. That is more than a song a day for the month of February and it's only the 6th!!!!

I used to always to listen to the oldies station in the car with my mom. So I am pretty well versed in songs from the 50s, 60s, and to a lesser extent the 70s. Most of these songs I don't have on CD, so I went hunting on itunes for them. Who knew Gary Lewis and The Playboys were on itunes? I think I heard a song last weekend that I wanted and it Spiral Starecased from there! (note: Spiral Starecase is a group from the 60s. I suggest looking them up.)

I bought songs by the Zombies, Animals, the Byrds, the Turtles, Lou Christie, John Lennon, Three Dog Night, Bobby Darin, Del Shannon, the Contours, the Chiffons, and the Drifters to name a few. Then I bought some more recent songs: 50 Cent and two from the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." Then I got on a 90s kick: Timmy T, Tommy Page, Bryan Adams, Blind Melon. There were a few others, but those are my true guilty pleasures that I seriously won't admit to owning or knowing all the words. However, put me near a jukebox and you might, just maybe, catch me shelling out my hard earned cash on these guilty pleasures!

Mandy

Mandy posing in front of the computer. If you look carefully you'll see my blog on the computer.


I didn't really have anything else to blog about so I thought I'd share some more about my kitty. Hopefully that doesn't mean I'm turning into the old cat lady!


As I'm sure you have figured out, Mandy is a little on the spoiled side. She has 4 water dishes after all. And of course she has plenty of kitty toys. Catnip ones, ones with feathers, ones that make noise, stationery ones, soft ones, hard ones, etc. etc. However, I have recently discovered that she likes stuffed animals. After raine_days' recent visit, Mandy was granted unescorted access into the guest room. On the bed I had a little black lab stuffed animal. One day I'm in the office and who shouldI see trotting down the hallway with the stuffed animal in her mouth? So I hid the toy. Recently I put out a couple other little stuffed animals that proudly wear DEA shirts. well, this morning, Mandy comes out of the guest room with one in her mouth! The funny part is that the stuffed animal is hald her size! And it was sitting on the third shelf of a bookcase!!

Mandy looking guilty for some reason.......


I also have introduced Mandy recently to turkey. Yes, I bought turkey. It's healthier than ham sandwiches for lunch. Anyway, she practically assaulted me the first time I opened the packaging on the lunch meat. So now when I make my sandwich for my lunch, I have to give Mandy a "commission" on the turkey. Just a little piece to get her out of the way. I know this is how annoying habits and behaviors start, but how can I deprieve my little girl like that????

Facebook....sort of

I was going to write a post about the addition of my 50th friend on facebook, but think I'll take a different route. Plus, I know having 50 friends on FB is nothing. My cousin's 15 year-old son has something like 600 friends and Kristi has more than 50 friends and she has been on FB for only a couple of weeks!!

Today I received a friend request, not from some random foreigner, but from someone I haven't heard from in practically 5 years! I got a little frustrated waiting for my background check for this job and decided in early winter of 2003 to go to Prague, Czech Republic and get certified to teach English as a foreign language. It was a 4 week training/certification course in November/December. After going home for Christmas, I moved back to Prague to look for work. I shared an apartment with two other girls who also taught English. I actually never found a job and ended up with a 3.5 month vacation in Prague. I did a lot of reading in coffee shops, exploring of the city, more coffee, taking pictures, and watching crappy American tv shows dubbed in Czech. My favorites were 21 Jump Street and Walker Texas Ranger. The Czech version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire was also entertaining. Unfortunately I wasn't there long enough to develop any real language skills.

Anyway, the friend I received the request from I met through my roommates. We actually didn't know each other for very long but I always thought he was a cool guy. The last time I had any contact with him was sending him a text message on my way back to the States. I had to stay the night in Frankfurt and was having coffee and a pastry in the hotel lobby. That seems like ages ago. So much has happened since then. Wow.

I left Prague in April, right after Easter. Even though it was such a short time, it will always have a fond place in my heart. I would share photos of Prague with you, but my old computer crashed a few years ago taking all my photos with it. Gone. And I had taken some cool photos of the city that I was really proud of. I'm no photographer, but I thought these photos had an "artsy" quality to them. I really want to go back!!

Cha-Ching!!!

Today at work I was talking to someone who had recently gone out to the casinos and lost some money to the one-armed bandit. I have been in Las Vegas for 4 months now and have yet to go gamble once. In fact, I have never gambled in Las Vegas or the state of Neveda - ever! Now that is not to say I have never gambled. I have been to a few Indian casinos and have found myself in international waters a couple of times as well. I think I won $9 on a cruise once. I know that's not a lot but I was 16 and two years too young to be gambling on the ship. I'm not a big gambler by any means, but I would like to say I've played the slots once. Part of me though is disillusioned because you no longer get to pull the arm of the slot machine. That was most of the fun!! The other part also wants to see how long I can live here without ever betting a penny. I mean Smiths grocery store even has slot machines!! How crazy is that?? But I have never played any of the other games - blackjack, craps, roulette, etc.. and I would like to give those a go just once. I know I won't win anything substantial, I just want to quote Wesley Snipes once and say "I always bet on black." Well, that's a paraphrase really, but the other person in our group who most likely knows the answer doesn't follow my blog. So as far as you all know - that's the really quote! Oh wait, I told you it wasn't. Nerts. I guess I'll just have to go spend my money at Town Square instead. :-)

A Penny For Your Thoughts....

About 15 years ago I started collecting flattened pennies. You know, where you spend 51 cents to get a penny flattened and embossed. I'm not some serious collector, but generally if I see the penny machines, I stop and get one. Maybe two if the designs are good. I know I have gotten more over the years but I didn't always try and keep track of them. A few years ago raine_days gave me a nifty folder to hold my pennies.

It holds 36 pennies and after my trip to Universal Studios last weekend, I have finally filled it up! I have pennies from the Pacific Science Center in Seattle; the Space Needle; the Mariners; Leavenworth, Washington (a "Bavarian" town in Eastern WA); the Mall of America; Wild waves (water park near Seattle); Lake George, NY; Kings Dominion (amusement park in VA); Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum; American History Museum; Natural History Museum; the White House; the National Zoo; the Washington Monument; Oregon Zoo; Chesapeake Bay, MD; Detroit; San Francisco; Sacramento; Redondo Beach, CA; Route 66; Cherokee Nation, OK; and Cedar Point (an amusement park in Ohio). I also have two from London, one from Prague, and one from Rome. Technically those aren't pennies but they are flattened pieces of metal nonetheless!! If anyone took the time to count all the places, you'd realize they don't add up to 36. I do have some duplicates. Anyway, when you are out and about, you now know you can get me a souvenir for 51 cents (sometimes 76 cents at the more pricier locales) and I'll actually be happy!

Of all of these, there is one I wish I would have gotten when I had the chance. At one travel plaza in Maryland you had a choice of a couple designs. I believe I chose the Naval Academy and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I foolishly skipped over the one with Frank Zappa. It was so awesomely bad!!

Third Time Is A Charm

So this is my third attempt at writing a post tonight. My first two tries both went down in a blaze of glory in magnificant shame spirals. They started out alright but then took a turn for the worse. For whatever reason I am feeling a little emotional. (NOTE: it would be a very bad thing for me to watch "Field of Dreams" or "Delta Force" right about now. I would be bawling. And yes, you read correctly. I really do mean the Chuck Norris / Lee Marvin movie from the 1980s.) I think my self-esteem flatlined around 4:12pm because something very innocuous brought me on the verge of tears. I think my self-esteem is lying in intensive care somewhere. Thankfully there is no DNR, so it will be able to recooperate and get better before I have the chance to completely pull the plug!

Anyway, before the other posts went bad, they were about Facebook and about me wanting to have a party. I was thinking a game night would be fun. I'm just not sure if anyone would be interested in that. I don't won't to delve too much further into the details of those posts for fear of resurrecting the negativity!! Hopefully this hasn't been too much of a Debbie Downer post either!!

Feeling a Little Ho-Hum

I'm glad my friend came to visit but now I am the midst of a post-visit funk. You have no idea how great it was to have someone to hang out with and talk to! I wasn't a hermit. I was being social!! When people ask me what I did over the weekend, I will actually have something to share other than simply saying "it was good" or something to the like which is code for "I didn't do jack except go to Starbucks, Town Square, the grocery store, and maybe Target so I won't bore you with the lack of details." Now it is back to just me and Mandy.

Food Glorious Food...And Some Shopping Too!!

My visit with my friend was great! It seemed like the last 5 days have been nothing but eating and shopping....not that there is anything wrong with that! Friday we went to CPK. Mmm....red velvet cake. The last time we went to CPK was in the ABQ. We were on our way out to Vegas from DC and stopped for lunch in the ABQ (that was also the name of the shopping area) on our drive from Amarillo, TX to Winslow, AZ. That day we both were wearing sweats and t-shirts. It wasn't until we got up to leave CPK that we realized how severely underdressed we were and most other people realized it too! Thankfully this time we were appropriately dressed! Saturday we drove out to LA (well, Pasadena really) and met up with my brother for dinner. We went to the Yardhouse. Now before raine_days arrived, my mom told me that if we met my bro for dinner I could use her credit card to pay for dinner. HOWEVER, that is only if my bro was unaware of my mom's potential generosity. See, if he knew, he would order 4 or 5 imported beers and the most expensive item on the menu without hesitation. Since the bro remained unaware, he ordered clam chowder, crab cake sanwich, and one beer (he had two before we were seated but he foot that bill). But here's the best part! When the check came, he asked me "you still have mom's credit card, right? Why don't you use that?" LOL!!! Oh yeah, my bro is 33 years old - not 13! We also went to a few places I haven't been to before: Kona Grill, the Elephant BAr, and some Mexican place by my house.

When we weren't eating, or visiting Starbucks, we were shopping. We went to the outlet mall by work, Town Square, the outlet mall in Primm, Fashion Show, and the District. Phew! We found some great deals. Raine_days got a blazer/jacket from Ann Taylor Loft, originally priced at $100, for $7!!!! You read that correctly! I got a few tops from there for under $11. It was so cheap we almost felt bad....almost. We bought a few other things here and there. Banana Republic sucked me in once again. Why does blue have to be the "in" color this season??? Don't be surprised if I start wearing blue every day of the (work) week. I think I could go almost a month before repeating a blue shirt. What can I say? It's my "signature" color!