| This is why I'm prolly going to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall |
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| 07:00pm 25/04/2008 |
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| oops |
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| 04:05pm 30/03/2008 |
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I would like to freely and openly admit that I made a mistake.
The new apartment is too small and it smells bad.
I guess it wasn't so great an idea to trade in an apartment that was already too small to save $200 a month.
I will update better later. Maybe with pictures? |
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| S A T U R D A Y NIGHT! |
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| 10:03pm 15/03/2008 |
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| All Day I Dream About... |
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| 02:14pm 09/01/2008 |
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Last night I put Jonny to bed by reading aloud to him from Cook's Illustrated. All in all, it's not a bad way to ease into sleep, provided of course that the magazine's rousing description of bread baking doesn't get you all riled up. Of course, the after effects of these gustatory bedtime stories have left me with a serious case of lust for the rustic, wintry foods described in the most current issue-- roasted broccoli, french onion soup, spice cake, and that damned bread. I had a ham sandwich for lunch. It's enough to make a girl cry.
In other news, I need a dutch oven. I don't know how I've lived to the ripe ol' age of 27 without one. |
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| This American Life |
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| 12:23pm 08/11/2007 |
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Last night (while knitting this: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3530/1325/1600/Falling_Water_2_forWeb.2.jpg) I started listening to my backlog of TAL podcasts. In listening to "In Dog We Trust" I was startled to find myself transported back to Spring Break 2000, the trip in which half of my crew were nearly killed by the lethal combination of a puddle, a Honda Accord, and an Alabama guardrail. With half of our convoy out of commission, the banged up but still breathing portion of our party took the train back home, leaving me, Jonny, and Tony to drive our way back to NC. Somewhere between Benson and Wilmington, I tuned the radio and hit upon a broadcast detailing a man's attempt at drowning his pet armadillo. It was unnerving and surreal, the perfect bedtime story for putting to rest a trip that started strange and ended up scary. I lost the station and never figured out what that armadillo story was about or where it came from... until yesterday. |
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| job! |
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| 05:40pm 23/08/2007 |
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I got another job! At the newspaper! As a proofreader/typist! Not glamorous, but at least it's a little bit more in line with my personal interests. The best part about all this is that it's full-time with regular nine to five, Monday through Friday hours, which is really my main requirement for a position to reach dream job status. If anything, I am not picky.
So long IKEA! Another dumb retail job bites the dust.
I would just like to say the job market in Northern Virginia is awesome. I lived in Asheville for two years and the best I could do was Lowe's Home Improvement. I moved to Greensboro and started applying like mad to anything that would get me out of retail-- it was exactly a year before I got the job with the City. I only ever got called back for two of the jobs I applied to during the Greensboro search. I move to Manassas and in two weeks I've gotten an interview for every application I've submitted. Things are looking pretty rosy in Northern Virginia (except for the fact that housing is stupid expensive). |
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| Ketchup |
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| 12:21pm 16/08/2007 |
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For some reason all I can bring myself to do these days is watch illegal movies via the internet. "Illegal" in the sense that I'm not paying for them, not in the "He's Sodomizing An Under Aged German Shepherd That Also Happens To Be Dead, I Know This Because I Watched Him Kill It Earlier" sort of illegal, though I have to admit that I've taken to watching internet porn like never before. I used to read stories about dirty stuff, but I've gotten really lazy. At any rate, all this illicit activity is not the way to keep in touch with friends both dear and far away. Since moving to Northern Virginia I've watched The Simpsons Movie, Tipping the Velvet, The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love, approximately half of Night at the Museum, Knocked Up, and about 8 episodes of LOST downloaded from a fan site. I've also watched the entire first season of 30 Rock, which I love and has convinced me that Tina Fey and I are soulmates. She need only start to form the words, "Let's go, Brandi!", and I will be at her side, forever, 'til death do we part. Shamefully, I've also watched the entire run of Shaq's Big Challenge, in which Shaquille O'Neil attempts to tackle childhood obesity. Terrible, but Shaq's little tidbits about the nature of black people kept me coming back (did you know, gentle white reader, that black people don't know the lyrics to songs, that they only know the melody? Doesn't Shaq say the dangdest things?).
The combination of fat-themed reality programming (I'm also embarrassed to say that I watched an episode of Fat March) and LOST gave me an idea. Why don't we use a secluded island (Survivor-style, I guess... I never watched that one), promise a bunch of fat people an island paradise, and then dump them on the desert isle to fend for themselves. Add a host, a few physical challenges, some voting, and you've got yourself a hit. Distasteful and demeaning, yes, but what's the big deal anyway? I just had some inspiration-- the winner of the challenge gets to take a walk down Dessert Aisle. I feel sleazy just writing it.
I suppose I should write about the job search. The interview I had for the Marketing Assistant position didn't go extremely well. I was told that they needed a few more weeks to make a decision, but that I would hear something when they do. I don't have my hopes too high. In the meantime, I've started working part-time at IKEA in the bed department. I've been in orientation this week so I don't have too much to report other than IKEA's break room is awesome. They provide the employees free coffee and tea (the vanilla chai is really very good), and they have $3 meals everyday. The meals are free on peak sales days. It's good that I work at a cheap furniture store as we left the gold couch and the bed in Greensboro (they were deemed too heavy to carry up the 25 steps to our new apartment, and we didn't have room in the U-Haul). We're sitting on a twin mattress in the living room and using an air bed in the bedroom. It's actually not that bad a situation.
I have an interview tomorrow with the Potomac News as a Typist/Proofreader. Wish me luck! |
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| Job interview |
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| 04:19pm 24/07/2007 |
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I've got a job interview next week for a graphic design/marketing/PR job. The want ad specified that applicants be comfortable wearing a great many hats. FYI, I happen to look pretty awesome in hats. The company mainly represents companies in the hair care industry. I think my sartorial inspiration for my interview will be Monique from The Big Tease:
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| crooked smiles |
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| 01:15pm 18/07/2007 |
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Today I sat in a chair for an hour and a half while my dentist labored to remove the decay that had accumulated since my last dental visit, 8+ years ago. I had to have seven cavities filled. Seven! When I went in for my cleaning I was told that I had 6, but today the dentist saw a small one he thought needed some attention after all. Half of my mouth and the entire right side of my face up to my lower eye is numb. The right half of my nose is numb too. It's the strangest sensation I've ever felt.
As strange as it is to feel numb on part of my face, even stranger is the disconnect between how I physically feel and how I look in the mirror. I feel like sewing with Nancy, but I only look vaguely amused.
This peanut butter milkshake I bought from Cook Out sure makes me feel a whole lot better. |
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| Singing Vs. Laundry |
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| 11:49am 21/04/2007 |
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My Dork-O-Meter is way into the red zone on this one, but I feel the need to share.
This morning I discovered an online karaoke site called SingShot.
Needless to say that I've been singing more than folding. |
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| Update! |
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| 10:48pm 13/03/2007 |
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Jonathan is out of town on important librarian-type business so that leaves me alone, bored, and listless. We should catch up, so here goes.
My job isn't bad. The money is better than I've made thus far, and I can fall down without worry about medical bills because I have health insurance. I'm just a little bit more relaxed because of that little paper card I carry around in my wallet. I actually have a doctor's appointment on Friday. I hope that I don't freak out as I did at my last brush with a medical authority. To make myself feel better, I've been researching all the drugs I can ask my physician to prescribe. I was happy to find that my insurance covers a whole range of acne-fighting prescriptives. But while I might get clear skin, it seems that United Health Care doesn't give a rat's ass about a fat girl wanting a pill that'll make her think less about food. I've looked up a whole bunch of anorectics on my covered drug list, but there's not a one that's covered. I guess I'll have to continue on my current plan of weight loss-- walking around and eating vegetables. Gross. So that brings me to my next update-- I've been exercising and eating a diet a little bit richer in fruits and vegetables. I'm shocked to say that it hasn't been that bad. Not that I've lost very much weight, but I feel pretty good. So far I've been migraine-free in 2007.
I just realized that "Frasier" is on, so I'm going to compose a quick list of stuff that's happened since last I updated. I'm listless no more.
1. Went on a little impromptu to DC on MLK Jr. weekend
2. Bought a straightening iron for my hair
3. Bought tickets to see the Decemberists and David Sedaris (the Decemberists on April 3rd, Mr. Sedaris on April 5th)
4. Hosted the one party we've had since moving to Greensboro
5. Ate about 13 pounds of cheesecake at that party.
6. Started having Monopoly Night every Wednesday with Louise and Laura
7. Become seriously house hungry.
8. Ordered cell phones. (They should be here in a few days!)
9. Become credit worthy.
Me + Washington DC + My favorite egg tray
( Read more... ) |
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| two pounds of crazy in a one pound sack. |
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| 08:42pm 04/01/2007 |
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I'm not good with situations where I'm not sure how things are gonna go. In fact, surprising me makes me a little bit unstable. There was the time I reported to badminton class expecting to play badminton only to be greeted with the news that we were going to play kick ball against a different section. Now, I don't really have any specific bad memories associated with the kick ball I played in grade school. I do remember Kent Bowen advising me to think about the person I hated the most when it was my turn to take a whack at that big red rubber ball. I also remember that same kid singing Salt 'n Peppa's Let's Talk About Sex. Nothing too awful. But for some reason, a surprise game reduced me to a blubbering crazy basketcase baby. I started to shake, to cry uncontrollably. It was awful. The teacher excused me and let me go home. She also let Jonathan accompany me. That was the only time anything like that happened to me... until today.
The City of Greensboro requires all new employees to undergo a physical before they are medically cleared for work. I went in at 8 AM. I filled out paperwork about my medical history. They tested my vision, my hearing, and my blood pressure. I had to blow into a plastic tube so they could check my lung capacity. I peed in a cup for my drug test. They checked my kidney function. After all this I was told to take a form to the office that would do my lab work and then return to the office at 2:30 so that the doctor could finish the physical. I thought I was just dropping off the form, but when I got there I was instructed to sign in and wait in the lobby. Twenty minutes later I was ushered into a small room and they took three vials of my blood. I've never had any amount of blood taken. In fact, this is probably the first time I stepped foot in a doctor's office in 7 years. I got a little bit freaked out during the bloodletting, but I managed to regain some composure after my attendant started talking to me. I got home about 10 AM, crawled in the bed with Jonny, and went to sleep until 12.
When I go back at 2:30 I have to sit in the waiting room for close to an hour. Finally, a nurse comes to get me and shows me to a small room with a table. She gives me a pair of paper shorts, a paper gown, and a paper sheet. She leaves me on my own to imagine all sorts terrible stuff. I started to sweat. I felt nauseated. I start to cry. I got so scared. My paper shirt got wet. It tore when I shifted. My paper shorts were too small. It was awful. It felt just like the kickball attack. I wanted to put my clothes on and bolt, but instead I daubed my eyes with my paper sheet and tried to breathe through it. The doctor came in all smiles and reassurances with two ladies. The very small room got smaller. He looked into my ears, told me to follow the lights with my eyes, and then instructed me to lie on my back. He did a breast exam and felt around my lower belly. It was all incredibly routine, but it scared the hell out me.
I wonder when I became afraid of doctor's offices. I guess it was a combination of nervousness about a new job, the fact that I have a pretty heinous cold, I'm pre-menstrual, and I feel guilty about not taking care of myself. My god, I hadn't felt as crazy as I did in that office for a long while now. |
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| Amanda is coming! |
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| 11:04pm 29/12/2006 |
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"Grandpa Amanda is coming this weekend. We'll need a carton of cigarettes and some George Dickel."
Check and check. |
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| so long mayor of creepytown! |
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| 07:20pm 26/12/2006 |
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I came home from work to find a For Rent sign posted in the front yard. It seems my weird and wonderfully quiet neighbor is moving. Sigh. Even with the dead crow, the wall banging, and his wanting to show off our American lifestyle, he's the best neighbor I ever had. |
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| Christmas Review |
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| 09:12pm 25/12/2006 |
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I've consulted with Ed McMahon and decided that this Christmas gets two and a quarter stars. It was nice visiting with the family, I got a decent haul of presents, and the food was good, but I'm subtracting one and three-quarter stars because I didn't get a big ticket item. In fact, my mother basically teased me into almost believing they got me a KitchenAid mixer. So that's a point deduction right there for improper form.
The other three-quarter point penalty comes from the use of 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner combinations. Both in Concord and Gaffney my families have forsaken hair care separates. I understand that both are bustling metropoleis and that there are only twenty-four hours in the day, but can't we at least take time to show our tresses the four minutes worth of attention that it would take to lather, rinse, condition, and then rinse again? I had long wondered how I got the best hair in the bunch. Now I know.
Christmas gift highlights include: a featherbed, a pair of black Chucks, $100 in cash, a new winter coat, and a Shots and Ladders drinking game (from my dear sweet mother).
Oh! I held my one-month old nephew, Noah. That'd be my teenaged half-sister's kid. I sorta hate holding babies. They make me feel a little bit nauseated. |
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| Still in Greensboro |
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| 04:06pm 22/12/2006 |
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Granny, because it is raining and because it's after 4, worries about my drive to Gaffney. She's asked me to wait and come tomorrow morning. So it's one more night in Greensboro. To tell the truth I wasn't exactly thrilled to be driving Sugar in the rain for 2+ hours, my poor cat alone at home, and the computer just one window smash away from bad guys.
My grandmother, my destiny!
I know two people who have had their homes burglarized. It makes me very very nervous. |
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| I Heart Hyphens |
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| 05:37pm 21/12/2006 |
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I don't know how people who live alone get through it. I've been Officially Without Jonathan for less than two days and a Jonny-less world is no kind of world I want to live in. I haven't even been leaving work early. I mean what's there to look forward to when all that's waiting for me is my bat-crap crazy cat and a sad, dirty little apartment. Say what you will about co-dependence, but I'm all for it. I'm the co-chair of co-dependence's fan club. I bought co-dependence a Christmas present. You know what it was? Cocoa mix. Der.
Somebody needs a little Christmas. That somebody is me.
Tomorrow's agenda: go to work, gas up Sugarfoot, hit the road to Gaffney. |
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| a real quick update |
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| 12:49pm 05/12/2006 |
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At this very moment I am at home when I should be at work.
I love skipping work.
Truthfully though I did go to work this morning at the regular time (6 AM) and I left for lunch fully intending to come back. When I got home, however, I decided I didn't want to go back. So let those fools do the paperwork for me on this fine, chillier than average, December day! I suspect my desk will look just as I left it and I'll have double the work to do when I go in tomorrow. Oh, well. That's easily taken care of.
While looking through that new cute (though not as funny as I'd thought it'd be) Amy Sedaris book I realized that I have no idea what Hugh (David Sedaris' boyfriend) looks like. Here's a link from 1997-- http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=50375286&cdi=0
Look at David's pants! Awesome! And "roommate". Oh, 1997! You were such a card. |
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| a city of dweebs |
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| 11:52am 25/11/2006 |
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I heard about a book called The Omnivore's Dilemma on Science Friday yesterday and I'm really interested in it. The bit I heard yesterday was about the preponderance of corn (and also soy) in our American foods. What stuck with me, aside from the mention of Chicken McNuggets, was that the author said that we were all basically walking corn chips. Niiiice.
So I check the local library to see if they have it. They do. It's on hold. It seems I'm 18th in line for this book. I'm only 9th in line for Amy Sedaris' I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence!
I love the library. |
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