Thursday, October 13, 2005
I don't even want to talk about it!!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
You know ...
1. I am in serious need of a manicure ... did I go get it at lunch? No... I just grabbed some food and hung out here. Tomorrow it has to happen. Actually, part of me is thinking that I'll get my nails yanked and just take a break from that for a while. I have tried that twice and end up going back the next week to get them put back on. The thing is, I really need a full new set and I just don't want to do that right now. I want to try and drag these out til November or even December and then start fresh. Err... what to do and why do I bitch so much about something so pointless and of no consequence?
2. One thing I AM going to go do today - although I don't want the trek out there - is get my eyebrows waxed. Why oh why do I go halfway across town to do this when 1) I could get it done super quick at the same place that does my nails right down the street or 2) I could get it done at one of the salons in the town I actually live in now. But no... I paid to park my car (only $2) out in the burbs today so I could get the early train in this morning for my early shift and then take a later train out (thats why I couldn't park at my friend's place, don't want to block her in) and then I will take a bus all the way down Michigan Ave (and I forgot my bus pass so I'll have to pay cash for that), go thru a 15 minute (if that) procedure... pay more than I probably should... and then have to either 1) get back on the bus 2) catch a cab or 3) walk back to the train station to take my later train home. Siiiigghhh...
3. My parents are coming for a visit next weekend. Now ... do you think I am actually even close to being unpacked from my move that was now like 2 months ago now? Ummm... no. Well, I overstate that. The whole place is fine except for the second bedroom which is either going to serve as either a 1) computer room 2) storage room or 3) combination of both... Its in complete disarry. I just keep moving things from box to box and getting nowhere. Can I just tell you how much of a pack rat I am? Before I moved to Lincoln Park from my old place downtown, I got rid of 9 trash bags of clothes. Before I moved to the burbs, I got rid of another 5-6 bags. Now I say "trash bags" but all of these were like kitchen-sized trash bags. I still have too much stuff. So as I was working on this room last week, I decided to go thru my clothes yet again and this time I filled another huge black trash (actaully the largest bag that Hefty makes) and filled it full. So that helped some. Moving sucks so much and you would think that moving actually helps you weed thru things and get rid of junk but in my experience, it doesn't. I got rid of so much stuff before I moved this time but now I'm of the opinion that I need to actually go back thru every single thing that I own and get rid of a ton more stuff. BLAH!! I know that little project definitely will not happen before my parents' visit but I needs to happen sometime, at least before I move again which I'm guessing won't be for another couple of years!!
One thing I have learned...
Another soldier from my home county killed in war on terror
Staff Sgt. Matthew Kimmell, 30, was killed when on a military vehicle he was riding in came under attack, said Larry Kimmell of Paxton, the soldier's father. Paxton said Army personnel told him Tuesday of his son's death.
He said he was told two soldiers who were with his son were injured in the attack.
Kimmell was a career soldier and had been serving in Iraq since June, his father said.
The Pentagon's media office said today that it could not immediately confirm any information about Kimmell's death.
Kimmell's hometown of Paxton in Sullivan County is about 25 miles south of Terre Haute.
Kimmel is the 46th person from Indiana to have died after being sent to the Mideast since the buildup for the invasion of Iraq began in 2003.
Today...
Today is a unique anniversary for me. Today is the 10-year (TEN YEARS?! I AM SOOO OLD!) of when I first started dating the guy I guess I would technically call my ex-ex boyfriend. Hmm... There were a few randoms in that timeframe but, you know what I mean ... my second to last serious boyfriend. Anyway, I was a junior in college at the time and we ended up dating for 2 1/2 years. So... we had this pact... you know ... the "backup plan"... that if neither of us was married by TODAY ... that we would get married. HA HA HA! How funny is that? So as you can guess, I'm letting him off the hook for this one. I do think we need to mark this occasion somehow though. He's actually still a fairly good friend of mine NOW... although he wasn't in the initial time period after we broke up, but I guess that is to be expected. I've heard so much more from him in the last year than I had heard in probably the previous 5-6 years.
So anyway, thats where I am today. Other than that, trying to avoid doing as much work as possible. I'm also seriously putting off getting this manicure I desperately need. I'm just not in the mood to go over there. I guess it can wait til tomorrow!
Later!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
More classic customer feedback...
"tahks alot melissa i love you"
Monday, October 10, 2005
Friday, October 07, 2005
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
How old do I look?
The last few years I have been getting the strangest reaction from female bartenders. And I guess I should be grateful but when I look at myself in the mirror, its difficult to believe...
I am 31 years old ... I get carded all the time...
Three notable times - 2 in the last year, all at different places:
Bartender #1 cards me, reaction: "OH MY GOD!"
Bartender #2 cards me, reaction: "I need to retire!!"
Bartender #3 cards me, reaction: "WOW!"
So I contemplate this... could I potentially look like I'm carrying around a fake ID? I mean seriously ... I had less of a problem getting into bars between ages 20-23 than I do now.
So I guess I'll just be thankful and chock it up to good genes. My mom doesn't look anywhere near 58 years old (that freaks him out actually) and I would say my grandmother doesn't look anywhere near 84.
Still, its weird to me... I mean, I may not look 31 but I know I don't look 20 either!
Best game of my life!!
Linking to a few good stories in the press this morning...
White Sox `clout' brings antagonists together for day
Pierzynski has fun under gun
Outstanding—any way you say it
Iguchi's gutsy toss to 3rd stuns Millar
Sporting a red 'C' at Sox park? Good grief
Time to Jump on the White Sox Wagon
Video I took of the opening! : )
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Daily Leo Forecast
Ummm... yeah...
So I'm like ... what the hell... and my hand was sort of hurting. Its OK now, I don't think its really "injured", my wrist and top of my hand may be slightly sore but I don't think its worth a court case. So I go in and the first guy sitting there says "What did he say to you?" And I'm like "Well, he called me a really nice name." So I guess this UTTER LOSER was some sort of homeless person or whatever - although he didn't look too homeless in those pretty nice clothes he was wearing - and was in the restaurant begging and got kicked out. So I guess he decided to take it out on someone and that lucky person happened to be me. Yeah, well, sorry if I'm making a generalization here... perhaps he wasn't a homeless person, maybe he was just a DRUG ADDICT!
Thats life in the big city I suppose...
And speaking of life in the big city, how about life in the suburbs?? You know you read all of those news stories - horrific stuff that happens in the burbs? And you think, but why? this is the suburbs? how could it happen? Well, let me tell you, the burbs are full of creepy dudes and don't I seem to run into this on morning walks (runs) to the train station. Last week I parked at my friend's place to take the 10 minute (or less) walk to the train. On the way there is a house whose occupants have decided to make the whole yard and even the grass out by the curb into this massive garden. Back home I would say it was just someone who doesn't mow their lawn and therefore its all overgrown with weeds, but no, this is actual flowers and plants and stuff (some of it taller than me) but the place is a freaking jungle! So at 5:45am on this corner, its super dark and freaky so I usually try to pass by there quickly. Of course last week as I'm walking past this truck with two guys in it stops and asks me if I want a ride. Umm.... NOOOOO?????!!!! They drove on and I sort of hightailed it out of there. Of all places... And then this morning when I walked from my place, I was standing at a long stoplight and this guy in his car was sitting there with the window open LEERING at me. Thats the only way I can describe it. So yes, freaky people in the suburbs. I know there has to be tons more freaky people in the city but I think I got so used to it, it seemed the norm. I used to say that I could not walk down Chicago Avenue to the red line subway stop without running into at least one crazy person. I'm not even kidding about that.
The wrist seems OK, but it also seems sort of popp-ish too. Its definitely some kind of strain.
Happy thoughts...
Monday, October 03, 2005
Saturday night's karaoke song list!
1. Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter
2. I Fall To Pieces - Patsy Cline
3. Life #9 - Martina McBride
4. I May Hate Myself In The Morning - Lee Ann Womack
It's official - I now have FANS!!
LOL!!!
Friday, September 30, 2005
Quote of the day...
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Don't you have to question their "balance" in the first place? ; )
A: "If the teams are not directly competing against each other, the idea of a Cubs fan rooting against the White Sox becomes a little pathological," says Dr. Robert Burton, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University. "Technically, it probably stems from some unresolved sibling rivalry kind of thing. Otherwise, you have to wonder what a Cubs fan has to gain by pulling against the White Sox. Not too much, really, unless it's to feel better about himself. If the White Sox lose, then they're both in the doghouse.
"A resolved sibling rivalry would let you enjoy the success of your neighbor, or whomever, and root against each other only when you're going head-to-head. Any kind of sibling rivalry is commonly referred to as arrested development. Then, you get history and other issues layered on top of everything, and it can compound things. I personally pay more attention to whichever team is succeeding."
-- Mike Conklin
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
19 year old Iraq war widow ...

Maddison Campbell, 19, right, wife of Sgt. Jeremy M. Campbell, of Middlebury, Pa., is presented the U.S. flag by Maj. Gen. Howard Bromberg, left, during funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005. Campbell died on Sept. 11, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during patrol operations. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Blah...
Whatever, dude!
Monday, September 26, 2005
You know...
I actually had a pretty good weekend, lowkey, but good. Sang karaoke Saturday night. The place was dead so I sang like 7 songs. It was like "Me... in Concert"... I was good too. I'm getting better. If I took voice lessons again I know it wouldn't take long to get back to how good I was ... Blah ... something to consider I suppose.
So yeah I was in a pretty good mood all weekend and even this morning coming to work, although I didn't want to come to work...
Then its just like CRASH DOWN! Why do people - friends, coworkers, etc. always seem to insist on bringing you down with them? And why the hell do I allow it?? I've just been in knots all day long today and I'm sure it would not have happened if I hadn't been treated like crap almost as soon as I walked in and if I could just learn to assert myself better.
I talk about not being friends with people... You know, it isn't that. I don't want to lose friends but I just don't want to deal with the personal drama of other people. I hate how some people just seem to always bring you in. I mean, come on!! I try not to do that. I guess I'm the opposite of that and perhaps I should try and bring others in but you know what I mean, right??
I guess I'm just venting today and that makes me sad cause I really have nothing bad going on to vent about... I'm just so tired of some of this ongoing crap. You know, sometimes I would just love to run away, to make a total change in my life, to get the heck out of here - my job, this town, etc. etc. and really just start over new. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know ...
More about Yaga's...
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Friday, September 23, 2005
White Sox
At the very least I'll get a nice chunk of change back.
Just goes to show you ... stick with your teams, never "adopt-a-team"... See.. if I just would have stayed a Cardinals fan like I was when I was a kid, we wouldn't have problems now.
Its seriously something to reconsider!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
No... This isn't Texas, is it?
Prepared in his own way
I got about 40 lbs of rock salt, two bags of charcoal, two cans of ligther
fluid, 14 gallons of whiskey, and put my socks and clothes in garbage bags. I
got my waders and about 35 lbs of meat that'll keep with the whiskey and salt.
Other than that, you don't need electricity to bar-b-q and the rock salt is
non-lethal in the shotgun, and good as a preservative and for seasoning. Whiskey
is an old friend -- the best thing for cuts, snake bites, meat, and rainy
days.
--Tony Fairbanks, Houston, Texas
A few thoughts...

Seeing that JetBlue plane land at LAX safely last night was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen on television. Was watching the news on the Rita coverage yesterday and they broke in with the story so saw it from the beginning to end... Crazy stuff!!
And speaking of Rita ... Oh man... this is gonna be a bad one!! Looks like its heading straight to Galveston - another one of my favorite places! Looks like that place is gonna get pummeled. My cousin goes to grad school at Texas A&M at Galveston and the school has closed and all of the students have evacuated so she is now home in Houston but who knows if that will even be any safer. My uncle owns a condo on Galveston where Ellie and I guess some roomies live but I'm not sure where it is located. He used to have a house right on the beach there (may post some pictures at some point) but he sold that a few years ago. Its wood, its up on stilts, its maybe 50 yards from the ocean. My guess at this time is in a direct hit, that place won't make it. Chatting with my other cousin Mandy yesterday, I guess they're staying - not sure, she said she and her roommate went looking for batteries and they were out of batteries everywhere. She also said places were running out of gasoline which I saw reported today. So... Its going to be bad.
Horrible storms in the Chicago-area last night. Really bad lightening and thunder - scared the crap out of me - totally jarred awake!! I hate storms, I mean really really hate them! I think it has something to do with growing up in the country and having a huge backyard and fields around which look something like Dorothy's farm in The Wizard of Oz - ha ha! So I told him this morning that as I was lying there shaking about the storm I thought that at least I didn't have a Category 5 hurricane barreling towards me (you know, I'm all about putting things into perspective these days). He says I have to stop watching the news!! : )
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Crappy night/crappy day...
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Holy crap!
Monday, September 19, 2005
I don't care...
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Agreed...
Friday, September 16, 2005
Interesting...
Random thoughts...
My cousin is crashing at the apartment tonight cause we're all driving down for Corn Fest bright and early tomorrow morning. He gets the couch - he can sleep with the cat! I hope to be out of there by 7:30am at the latest, hopefully earlier.
Keep asking Mom when the damn parade starts and she thinks its 1 but my cousin Lisa said something about it being 11. So I don't know. Anyway, I think we're going to head uptown immediately without stopping by my parents. I'm sure we'll find them easily. I told her I was just going to go up to people and ask "Have you seen my mom?" Easy enough to do in my small hometown, especially when EVERYBODY knows my mom.
Not sure what the plan for the weekend is though especially since we'll only be around one night. My dad has his class reunion so they will be gone to that for several hours. I think we should just go drinking with my cousins. We sort of did that last year and it was fun. Sound good? The bar we would go to is within walking distance of my parents' place. You can't beat that! Other than that we'll probably just hang around the carnival or whatever. Maybe we'll try out the new Mexican restaurant in town. Yes, Sullivan officially has a real Mexican restaurant and my parents say its good. My sister tried it and she said it was good so... I'm going to have to believe her since she loves Mexican food too. Plus, they actually serve ALCOHOL! I'm really impressed they got that liquor license. There aren't many places in town that serve alcohol. I guess its mostly margaritas and Coronas but hey, thats pretty cultured for Sullivan!!
Will have to spend some time with my grandparents which reminds me that I need to go get a birthday card for my grandfather on my lunch break!!
Ummm... other than that, my cousin Lisa and her family are down so we'll probably at least bump into eachother. I don't think I have seen her in like 8 years. Haven't seen her much in the last 25 years or so anyway. Her daughter recently had a baby which makes my parents great-great uncle/aunt. I think thats kind of funny.
And, other than that I'm guessing church and a nice meal on Sunday and then back home.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Whoo-hoo!!
Perturbed...
Quote of the day...
-- Joan Didion (American Journalist and Novelist, b.1934)
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Girls...
Thanks!!
You ever have one of those days ...
Fun stuff that makes me smile : )
Melissa, You Rock!! (:
Thank you.
Julia
You can't beat that!!
And, I got a mention on a blog!! I like to be interesting. In fact, I think I'm way more interesting than this blog portrays. No, I don't go into detail on stuff because I sort of learned my lesson on that the hard way - unbelievably, I've had people stalk me from blog to blog for whatever purpose, people break into my blog and email accounts, etc. etc. etc. Its a very long story.
Although I can be a paranoid freak (ie, oh my god, did I turn the curling iron off??!!), I'm not being paranoid about this. I used to have an awesome blog too that I kept for almost a year. I LOVED that thing and it was really a part of me. I even had several regular readers. Unfortunately I had to give it up because it was causing me just too much grief.
I've tried starting over so many times but ... I don't know, although you may think you are anonymous on these things (if you want to be), you really are not. Maybe I'll get back to all of that someday, I hope so, because I really had some fun with it. I am thinking of starting a new little project perhaps next year.
So for now, I AM writing for myself, perhaps telling the incidental story, or just venting, but writing is something that I like to do and enjoy doing every day. It has always sort of been a part of who I am and no one is going to take that away from me.
Cool...
The cover story of New York Magazine this week is Baby Panic. This goes
perfectly with the other magazines on my coffee table -- Where Are The Babies?
(US), Why Haven't You Had A Baby? (People), and, For God's Sake Have A Baby
(Time). Thanks Time Magazine, this is just what I need -- another article so
depressing that I can actually hear my ovaries curling up.
According to author Sylvia Hewlett, career women shouldn't wait to have
babies because our fertility takes a steep drop-off after age 27. And Sylvia's
right -- I definitely should've had a baby when I was 27, living in Chicago,
over a biker bar, pulling down a cool 12 grand a year. That woulda worked out
great.
But Sylvia's message is feminism can't change nature, which is true. If
feminism could change nature, Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be all oiled up on the
cover of Maxim.
Ladies, there's no reason to panic though: it's out of your control
anyway. Either your cooter works, or it doesn't.
My mom had me when she was 40, and this was back in the 70s when the
only "fertility aid" was Harvey's Bristol Cream. So, waiting is just a risk that
I'm going to have to take.
And, I don't think I could do fertility drugs, because, to me, 6
half-pound translucent babies is not a miracle! I'd rather adopt a baby. I don't
need a kid that looks like me. I was not a cute kid. I looked like a cross
between that chick from the Indigo Girls... and the other chick from the Indigo
Girls! Not a cute kid.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Friday night's karaoke song list!
1. Cowboy Take Me Away - Dixie Chicks
2. Crazy - Patsy Cline
3. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
4. ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
Umm... yeah... so this was an interesting night. #1 I sing a lot and I sound *if I may toot my own horn* pretty damn good on it. I'm actually a pretty good singer. I had six years of lessons, mostly classical stuff, so singing country and pop is kind of different. But anyway... I'm still good but I used to be so much better, but anyway...
#2 a fistfight actually almost broke out when I was singing this. I have never felt MORE like a real country singer - ha ha!
#3 another one I sound pretty good on
#4 I did this as a joke but ... I couldn't follow thru and be all goofy on it. The sad thing is that I ended up sounding pretty good on this one too
TOOT TOOT!!
Friday, September 09, 2005
Last night's little adventure...
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Oh the drama!!
Sis: Our mouse is back in our apartment! AAH!
Me: Set more traps or get a cat - ha ha!! ; )
Sis: I'd love to get a cat but Katie is allergic and doesn't like animals! I have to set another trap tonight. Minnie (our mouse) was in one of the drawers in the kitchen eating Hershey Kisses!
Me: OH NO!!! Did you get any poison?? I'd lend you Willow, but she's blind as a bat so I doubt she would be any help.
Sis: Yeah. I bought poison about 3 weeks ago. Guess it didn't work! This time, we
put the poison in the drawer that she was in though so hopefully that will work. 'll set another trap tonight too. I told Jaclyn I might have to borrow one of her cats too but they've only known the indoors so I don't think they've ever seen a mouse. I need Babe!! Or if I could disguise the mouse as a leaf, I could use Frisk!
Me: Exactly ... Babe hunted that one down that day that Frisk brought it in. That was too funny! LOL!!
Sis: Yeah, I don't think she really had any clue what she was doing! Silly kitty.
There is something bothersome to me that they have actually named the mouse and are calling it MINNIE!!
Ha-ha!!
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Some stuff...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0509060122sep06,1,785100.story?coll=chi-news-col
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0509070245sep07,1,6482254.column?coll=chi-news-hed
Quotes of the day:
The worst thing about Europe is that you can't go out in the middle of the night and get a Slurpee. - Tellis Frank
I take my children everywhere, but they always find their way back home. - Robert Orben
And, oh yeah ... I found the "missing" 'Bill Nye the Science Guy'. Seems he now has a show called "Eye of Nye". Not sure if it was on PBS but some channel like that ; )
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Bloggin'
More nonsense found on the web...
Sheesh!!!!!
http://amberie.blogspot.com/2005/09/unavailability.html
Anne Rice on New Orleans...
Yes, the Irish came too. Two branches of my family first step foot on American soil in New Orleans.
Friday night's karaoke song list!!
1. She's In Love With The Boy - Trisha Yearwood
2. Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
3. I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany
4. Crazy - Patsy Cline
Friday, September 02, 2005
You have to be kidding me...
THIS is actually what is wrong with America today:
http://www.repentamerica.com/pr_hurricanekatrina.html
Who are these people? Yeah right, the wrath of God and all of that. What are you people smoking?
PATHETIC!!!!!!!!
Hurricane relief
http://speakup.oxygen.com/campaigns/neworleans/register/ 5a10b9058a1f0b4004a3009d04097080/
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Spinal Tap guy gets it right ...
"Well, it is a real love affair, and like most love affairs, it‘s hard to explain if you don‘t partake of the emotion. But it‘s the closest you can get to someplace that‘s not in the United States without a visa or a passport. The culture, it has a totally indigenous culture that‘s unique and original, and it‘s been steeping there for 300 years. It‘s a mix of the Caribbean and the French and the African. Every day means something in New Orleans. There‘s a ritual or a meaning or a ceremony or something that marks each day as different from every other day, and it‘s a city that, you know, the joys are great and the sorrows are great, and we celebrate both."
I think I remember reading something similar to this that Jimmy Buffett had written.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Why are men the way they are??
The fact is, I can be fairly evil even when I'm NOT pms-ing. At least this really has nothing to do with him.
What I'm thinking about ...
2) I have always believed that state governors seem like some of the toughest people around. Most of them are a different breed from your typical national politician. Of course you have the exceptions... Anyway, what I mean to say about this is, I see them as strong people and to see governors crying on TV - even male governors - that scares me.
3) He is always telling me to stand up for myself. Now that I am, he's pissed. I can't help feeling this way and am certainly entitled to my feelings. I just do not know why he doesn't "get it".
4) Why Alanis' song "You Oughtta Know" ROCKS!!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
My small part...
Monday, August 29, 2005
Sunday, August 28, 2005
New Orleans...

Friday, August 26, 2005
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
One of the quotes of the day...
- Bill Nye
Which begs the question .... what ever did happen to "Bil Nye the Science Guy"??
Just plain evil...
: )
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
TMI
Yeah, well, like I should share that, but you're reading my blog and if you don't want to know about it, don't read it!!
Anyway, other than that, I did have an excellent birthday. Hung out in South Bend of all places. Went to a nice dinner at a nice restaurant there and other special stuff!! ; )
Took yesterday off and got back. Was going to go downtown to do my cleaning on the apartment but was feeling just way to sick to do it. So today I get a phone call from my landlord and he is wanting the status of all of this because apparently the person who is going to move in wants to move in THIS weekend... So.... that throws things off a bit in terms of my scheduling. I can't clean tonight cause I have my car parked at my friend's place and so I can't stay late cause she will be trapped in her driveway. So I guess I'm just going to go home tonight, do some cleanup and organization on the current place (its an insane mess at the moment!!) and then tomorrow will come to work early and leave early so I can get some cleaning done tomorrow. And, I will hopefully do the same thing on Thursday except I think I will drive to work cause I do have a few things I still need to cart back to my new place. Worst case I have my sister pick the stuff up and I get it from her another time. We shall see but I'm hoping that on Friday sometime during the day I may be able to go drop off the keys to the landlord. I don't think the cleanup is going to take too long. I haven't been there long enough to have screwed the place up that much - LOL!!
So thats my story, take it or leave it!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Things I have learned living in the suburbs, part 1
1) When taking the train from Union Station after work, try to sit on one of the back cars. I had always done this in the past but yesterday I was thinking about it and decided I would walk all the way up the the front. My thinking was, if I did this, that it would make it quicker when I got off the train because I would be right at the crossing instead of having to walk up there. Well, this was a bad idea. Walking further up in the tunnel sucked because it was like 200 degrees in there with all of the trains lining up with all of those engines. Plus, being closer to the engine, it smells pretty bad and this does not go away when you get on the train - you're sort of stuck with it the whole ride. So from now on I'm sitting in the back and I'll just do my extra walking when I reach my destination ; )
2) People are nice. I mean I knew this anyway, but some people are really nice, for example my friend Dawn who lives within walking distance of me (20-25 mins). The train station is also within walking distance of me but Dawn lives right along the tracks. She offered to let me park in her driveway (she owns her own place) on the days I drive to the train to avoid having to pay any meters or get a parking pass! How very nice of her. Now when I drive its only a little 10 minute hike to the train which is no big deal to me at all for the money I save. I only plan to drive on days when I have my early shifts or when I'm running late. Yeah so for some reason I've parked at her place both days since she offered - ha ha! She actually said I could park there every day but I'm not planning on that. I sort of like the exercise from my walks!
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
All grown up!
; )
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Another beef about Starbucks ...
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
I love staffing emails... this from a co-worker
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Bridezilla
So this past weekend my sister and crew went down to Bloomington for a friend's bachelorette party. Now I need to preface this with my sister and her whole bunch are still super close friends with everyone they were friends with in college. I'd say about 75% of them live here. In the last year or so a couple of them have moved down to Louisville, Kentucky, of all places.
So anyway... sis wasn't too enthused about going. She had been to a big birthday party the night before and was kind of hung over, plus she has recently started dating one of her guy friends and I think maybe she just didn't want to leave for the weekend. But she went anyway and drove a few other friends down with her on Saturday. A few others had already gone on Friday.
So it sounds like everything was going well or whatever, they were going from bar to bar and then towards the end of the night my sister's roomie (who was also her roomie in college) asked the bride if they could go to a certain bar next. Well, the bride, who I'm sure was heavily intoxicated at the time was something like ... "No you f-ing bitch, this is my party and we'll do what I want." So my sister's roomie was like taken aback and all upset or whatever and left. Oh... I should also say that my sis had already headed back to the hotel to crash by this point so she did not witness all of this. So then I guess a few minutes later another friend, who was supposed to be a bridesmaid in the wedding, went up and asked the bride the same question and got the same response. So now everyone is pissed. I'm kind of unclear about what happened next but I guess there was some kind of falling out with the bridesmaid and the next thing my sis knows everyone is back and her roomie is asking people if they would like to have her shower gift.
The next day was supposed to be an informal shower. My sis left, a few of the others left and went home. Not exactly sure who was actually there for the shower. My sis didn't leave because she was mad at anyone, although she found the whole thing bizarre, pathetic, etc., she just really didn't want to be there. So I guess this pissiness goes on for the next couple of days to the point where the bride called the bridesmaid that she had gotten in the fight with yesterday and told her that she had discussed it with her fiance and they no longer thought she should be a bridesmaid, I'll pay for your dress, have a nice life, good bye. The whole thing makes no sense to anyone.
So the girl who was to be the bridesmaid is like all upset because she has been friends with this girl for like nine years and none of it is making sense to her either. Basically, no one can figure it out. So the girls who live in Chicago all got together last night and had a bitch-fest about the bride. Everyone is debating who actually will be invited, if the bride will try to "promote" another of their friends to bridesmaid just to be a bitch (I'm guessing she will) and if they are invited, who will actually go.
Right now it sounds like no one is going except one of them who is also a bridesmaid but they have another fun and I think awesome idea. This is the idea and I think its great and I really think they could turn it into somewhat of an event. The plan is instead of going to the wedding that day they will have a party at a bar where each of them will wear the worst bridesmaid dress they ever had and take a bunch of pictures and stuff. I think that sounds great. I was laughing my butt off. I told my sister she had to tell me the when and where because I wanted to come and take pictures of all of them too. She's like, yeah, we also want to get them posted on the internet somewhere and make sure the bride finds out about it. Heh-heh ... That won't be a problem.
So my sister and I were back and forth on what the bride's problem is and we have about 5 different theories but we really can't pinpoint anything specifically, but I think for whatever reason the bride is trying to break away from all of her old friends and she is just going to extremes to do it. Sis did tell me one other really bizarre story about the bridal party. The maid of honor is someone the girls haven't really spent much time with. She is the bride's old high school friend. Anyway, in all of the back and forth planning emails the maid of honor said something like ... "Tell all of those Chicago girls that they need to bring gifts to all of these events. They're all really bitchy and self-centered so they probably won't." Well... the bridesmaid who had the falling out with the bride was on these emails and she was like ... "Excuse me???" The maid of honor wrote back "Oh... you weren't supposed to see that." So yeah, these are the influences at work here. Basically, these people do not sound like very nice people.
Oh yeah, does this sound like these girls are about 21 years old??? Wrong ... These are 28 year olds we are talking about.
And, lastly, the bridesmaid who was kicked out is the one who had planned the entire bachelorette weekend including making a scrapbook, etc. The bitchy maid of honor didn't even show up.
I told my sister I honestly would have nothing to do with the bride anymore. What a piece of work.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Thursday, August 04, 2005
I love my new DVR!!!
So far so good...
I will say that it probably doesn't have all of the options that Tivo has - my sister has that and she loves it, I swear they don't watch "live" TV at all anymore - but its cool nonetheless. Plus, you don't have to purchase the unit and its also a little cheaper per month.
So we'll see how it goes but right now I think its just the coolest thing!! Also, I hear that Comcast is upgrading to actual Tivo next year anyway!
; )
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Jimmy Buffett tickets - Wrigley Field
I have two tickets to the Monday show at Wrigley Field. I am looking to swap them for the Sunday show. If you are in the Chicago area and are interested, please leave a comment.
If you would like to purchase the tickets instead, I will let them go for $400. These are the $99 seats in the stands. Yes, I'm a scalper, but what can I say. I'd like to go but the money might be more fun!
I do not have them with me today with the details about the seats numbers, etc. so if you're interested, I will have to get back to you on that!
Thanks!