Wednesday, February 26, 2003

And the snow snow snow came down down down

UGH!!!

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Please, no more!

Another storm is heading our way with the promise of another foot of snow. All I can think about is how nice a beach sounds right now.

Mmmmm palm trees, warm sand, sunshine...

Monday, February 24, 2003

Something I miss

When you travel to another country and watch their translation of US shows. My favorite?

Rocko's Modernes Leben (Rocko's Modern Life) courtesy of Germany.

Ich bin Meister Glücklich!

Friday, February 21, 2003

Would you like a balloon?

There's a house on the road that I take to work everyday. Well the driveway to a house. Once a week, fresh mylar balloons appear tied to a stick next to the driveway of this house. This past week heart shaped, Happy Valentine's day balloons. The week before was Elmo. The week before was a ladybug. They stay there until they deflate and a few days later fresh ones appear.

The stick is almost completely covered in frayed remains of ribbon.

This is obviously a long standing tradition.

Wednesday, February 19, 2003

Nothing to say really...

Just really think Alton is super cool. Sort of the Mr. Wizard of cooking, in a slightly hokey, retro, and vaguely anal way.
But what will I do without my blankie?

OK so I've outgrown my blankie, but I seem to have acquired a new crutch in it's stead. Wherever I go at work I take a pen and a pad of paper with me, well mostly just a pen, unless I know notes of some kind will actually be required. You may think that's a professional thing to do. Most of the time it is a help. You never know if you're going to need a pen. Say the boss calls you into her office and asks you to take care of a few things, you want to jot those down so you'll remember them all, right? Or if you go to send a fax and find, not surprisingly, the pen that's ALWAYS by the fax has been borrowed and you have to go back to your desk to write the cover sheet.

The problem is I've never noticed before how addicted I am to carrying my pen around. Until today when I walked down the hall to chat with a friend. And took my pen. I walked into the kitchen to get a cup of tea. And took my pen. The very worst though was about 10 minutes ago when I went to the bathroom. And, you got it, took my pen.

Sounds like a new habit to break.

Tuesday, February 18, 2003

I've decided

I'm definitely not a snowbaby. I'm much more of a beachbunny. I've never in my life seen this much snow

Thursday, February 13, 2003

A most surreal experience

My new job requires a security clearance. "Tickets" to use the popular slang. The process involves a polygraph. I went for that on Monday.

Getting there was no problem, despite the snow. Getting in to the visitor center and getting a visitor's badge was no problem. In fact there was no real problem with anything. The experience as a whole was not unpleasant. The weird part was the actual polygraph test.

First, I was LARGELY dissapointed. Polygraphs are now digital. So I didn't get to watch little needles tracking me as I answered. Second, they track your blood pressure changes. To do this you had to wear a blood pressure cuff. Inflated. For about a five minute stretch at a time. Several times over.

The hardest part though, was sitting all hooked up, facing a door, waiting for the gentleman to ask me the next question, while trying to focus on not fidgeting, not breathing heavily (rather hard with the asthma), and not zoning out, while staring at a grey doorknob in a room that was 3 shades of gray.

Hopefully I passed and I won't have to repaet the whole process.
More snow for the mountain Daddy!!

Shrieked the 3 year-old atop his massive pile of snow. As Daddy dutifully continued shovelling the driveway.

Thursday, February 06, 2003

Thanks for the tip

My lifelong questions have been answered by the epitome of femininity that I had the opportunity to view yesterday.

Apparently a female version of The Mullet is not flattering. Nor is eyeshadow that matches the color of your blazer.

Wednesday, February 05, 2003

Amazing

In just three short years of hard work Dubya has finally beaten his daddy. At a record deficit.
This one's for you, Pato

I've been hooked by the media masses. I've become an American Idol Junkie. I actually know the contestants' names. I know some of their backgrounds. I have favorites that I'm rooting for. Last year I couldn't have given a flying fig. This year is entirely different.

Part of it is peer pressure. The girls at the office watch it and so I want to be able to talk about it with them. Part of it is just succumbing to the media. Which for the most part I've avoided. I never saw the Blair Witch Project, I never saw Pulp Fiction, I never saw several other things that have become mainstays of Pop culture, and honestly I don't feel the loss.

Feel free to laugh at me. Feel free to send Andy sympathy cards. And I'll feel free to gloat my little head off if Julia or Patrick wins!

Monday, February 03, 2003

How hard could it be?

We went to Friendly's last night for dinner, and while we were waiting for our sundaes I was reminded of another dining experience. Back about 9 years ago we were eating at an IHOP. I asked for a hot fudge sundae after our lunch. The waitress wrote it down and walking away into the kitchen, starting muttering to herself. "A hot fudge sundae. Now how do I do that?"