November 2006 Archive

November 30, 2006
Whee!
You chose CY - your Enneagram type is SIX.

"I am affectionate and skeptical"

Questioners are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family,
friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontational.

How to Get Along with Me
-Be direct and clear.
-Listen to me carefully.
-Don't judge me for my anxiety.
-Work things through with me.
-Reassure me that everything is OK between us.
-Laugh and make jokes with me.
-Gently push me toward new experiences.
-Try not to overreact to my overreacting.


What I Like About Being a Six
-Being committed and faithful to family and friends
-Being responsible and hardworking
-Being compassionate toward others
-Having intellect and wit
-Being a nonconformist
-Confronting danger bravely
-Being direct and assertive


What's Hard About Being a Six
-The constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind
-Procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence
in myself
-Fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of
-Exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
-Wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right
-Being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations


Sixes as Children Often...
-Are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and
stubborn
-Are anxious and hyper-vigilant; anticipate danger
-Form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent
-Look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority
and rebel
-Are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families,
-And/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent


Sixes as Parents
-Are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
-Are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence
-Worry more than most that their children will get hurt
-Sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries
posted by Karabou at 5:18 PM EST
Top


November 28, 2006
Do you expect me to talk?
No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.

Kev and I decided to have a date night for the first time in...hell, I don't know how long. Anyway, we went out for some cheese steaks and saw Casino Royale. ¡Attención! ¡Attención! Spoilers:

It was the best Bond flick since early Roger Moore. I loved it. I felt like it really went back to the old style of Bond film. The opening chase sequence was quite possibly the most amazing one I've ever seen. And Daniel Craig was so ungodly lust-worthy I should have brought a change of panties...or two. I don't like blonde men. But every once in a great while, one strikes my fancy. I never found Matt Damon even remotely attractive until Bourne Identity. And after that, I'd have cut off a hand to touch one of his buttocks...but only for the Bourne movies. He still doesn't do it for me outside that role.

Maybe it has to do with the bad-ass factor. "Hey, he's beating someone to death with their own foot. That's HOT!" Seriously. I think that's what it is.

This pic isn't nearly as hot as Daniel Craig
covered in someone else's blood. Seriously.
Anyway, enough slobbering over Daniel Craig. Things that bothered me... Daniel Craig did this Robert Patrick Terminator II run like every 15 minutes. Which cracked me up because he always seemed to be running after fast-moving vehicles. All I could think was, "You're a super spy, and all you have as a mode of transportation is to run really fast?" heh But it usually had a purpose, and it wasn't hard on the eyes.

My other complaint is that it ended like 3 times. At least. It was akin to watching Lord of the Rings. "Hey it's over. Shit, no it's not. Hey, it's over. Shit, no it's not." It definitely felt like a long movie, but not in a bad way. I wasn't bored or restless or anything like that, I could just tell that it was a long film. I definitely got my money's worth.

And the bitch sitting in front of us is lucky I didn't start kung-fu kicking the back of her head. She whistled through a large portion of the movie. Yes, I said it. She f-ing whistled. And I don't mean that brief, astounded whistle. She was whistling jaunty f-ing tunes. We couldn't figure out who it was for a long time, and when we did Kev finally told her to shut the hell up. She acted surprised like, "OH! I was whistling?" This is why the mentally retarded should not be allowed to leave their house unattended. She ended up coming out of the bathroom as I was going in, and I briefly considered clothes-lining her and ripping off her lips so she could never whistle again. But then there would be blood on my shirt, and I really didn't feel like buying a stain stick tonight.

Overall, I thought it was phenomenal. I'm glad to see the Bond franchise get back to its roots. Go see it.
posted by Karabou at 10:45 PM EST
Top

November 27, 2006
Bunnies and pancakes still cotton.
We're scrambling to get mom's Xmas kids charity thing going. She still has to hold the silent auction yet. But we've got most of the gifts already. I still have to stop by Bookery and ask Chuck if they're willing to donate again this year. And my m-i-l wanted to donate some stuff. Plus, all the toys from the farm are in Amanda's basement, and we've got to dig them out and go through them with mom at some point in the very near future.

Tonight, I watched Lost Highway with Kev. I told him I'd watch it only on the condition he would be able to explain all the metaphor, etc. afterwards. And actually, I did pretty well with it. I got most of it and only had a few questions afterwards. ...unlike Mulholland Drive. Before Mulholland, I had only watched Blue Velvet, which is pretty straightforward. I thought I was doing okay with Mulholland until a little over halfway through it when everything just went to shit. I was lost and kind of pissed. heh But once Mike explained it to me and Kev, I got it. At least with Lost Highway, I was able to go into it knowing that at some point, I'd probably be totally lost and know to just go with it, pay attention to the details, and then figure it out later. I really enjoyed it.

posted by Karabou at 10:33 PM EST
Top

November 26, 2006
So I violated section 34-DD?
Looong holiday weekend.

Yesterday, we saw Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny. I wasn't disappointed. We were all amused at the family of seven, with children ranging in age from about 7 to 17, who wandered in and sat down. Did they think this was going to be like School of Rock? We couldn't figure it out. The only word they said more than "cock" was "f---." Soooo...I'm certain it was educational for the kids, not to mention a cock (fake, but still) tightly outlined in tighty whities. To each their own I guess. Hell, I wasn't even allowed to see naked breasts. I remember watching Revenge of the Nerds, and my mom kept gasping in shock and throwing a coat over my head. heh

Anyway, we watched Inside Man last night. It was all right. There were some plot holes that none of us could quite put together, but it was watchable. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, honestly.

Tonight, we watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It really felt like it was trying too hard. I enjoyed it, but it just seemed like it was begging to be cool. Pulp Fiction had this sort of ease about it. It just WAS cool. Kiss Kiss didn't have that easiness to it. I thought the acting was good, decent plot, etc. Totally watchable. But I think I probably went into it with higher expectations than I should have. /shrug
posted by Karabou at 9:54 PM EST
Top

November 16, 2006
Zzzzzzzzzzz
Aaaaah. Black Friday. A late, semi-luxurious lunch. And a horde of booty.

What more could a girl ask for?

I'm tired. Spent. Wrecked. But I refuse to go to bed at 8:55 on a Friday night. I didn't get my nap in as planned, so I suppose I won't be going out. I didn't hear from the people I was supposed to go out with anyhow...so not a big deal. I wouldn't have had anyone to hang with anyway. We missed the big cat fight at Kohl's. Apparently, two women went nuts and started beating the hell out of each other over a Doorbuster Discount item. Hah. People were talking about it as they left the store and we entered.
I got some candles that Kev actually liked. I have to stick to ones that smell like food or he'll have a headache...at least he used to. He's only had two since the surgery, instead of the everyday-all-day phenomenon that had been going on for at least 7 years. Men.

I also loaded up on 4 bottles of Bath & Body Vanilla Bean. That should last me most of a year. They're only available during Xmas until they run out, which is usually mid-December. I made the mistake of waiting too long last year and ended up buying some on Ebay out of desperation. Got some good deals today, though.

Memorable quote from today: "I don't care of Leonardo da Vinci took a shit on it; it's not worth $800."

Tomorrow, Tenacious D & the Pick of Destiny. Sunday is T-day with my family. And I might try to squeeze The Fountain in. I also want to see Casino Royale yet. /grumble That's what I get for not just going on my own on opening weekend. If I wait for everyone else, I don't get to see it.

Catfight!
posted by Karabou at 9:10 PM EST
Top

November 21, 2006
Another night in Bangkok...
Last night's dream was the usual vivid and terrifying trip inside my mind.

I was investigating some sort of resort where you can see horrific things like torture and horrific medical-horror-movie procedures going on. The owner is the stereotypical gamer nerd, and he's got about 20 people ready to start their stay. There are people getting tied down and whipped, and I don't mean cutesy S&M-type whipping. I'm talking full-on, blood-spraying whipping and people screaming in agony and terror.

Then, I suddenly split in two...one of half of me looks like some sort of Moonkin with a tropical fruit hat and skirt, and it starts killing everyone, ripping people's heads off, and goring them with claws. The other half of me is a polar bear, and I'm running for my life from the evil-Moonkin half of me. I fake it out and hide outside, but it's after me, and it's not going to give up. Then I find this nice, cool pond, and I realize I'm burning up. So I start dog-paddling around in it, and it feels FANTASTIC.

Then, I'm at my cousin's house, and his dad is hiding behind a chimney because he's naked. And he yells down, "I can't help it! We're nudists! We like being naked! Is that so wrong?!" And his mom is defending his dad. My cousin is taunting and laughing at them while sitting in a lawn chair at what looks like the remains of a cookout and drinking a beer.

Then, I'm running through spacious backyards at night with some guy who looks like the pompous, elitist ass from season 1 of Top Chef. I say, "There's a shed over in those trees to hide in." And he replies, "Oh, so THAT'S why you brought me here." I giggle and say "No, we've got to hide!"

Then I woke up.
Two more days till DAT! I'm doing some shopping tomorrow after work, and I'm looking forward to the long weekend. Hurrah
I was able to get the 45 min Strat run done last night but still no pants. /sigh
posted by Karabou at 11:12 PM EST
Top

November 19, 2006
"Why Kate, You're not wearing a bustle. How lewd."
"That was quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever done."

and

"Those HandHeats saved my life. And I'm not talking figuratively."

...were the first two sentences out of Kevin after his arrival home this morning. lol

His wooly hat made his whole forehead break out in an itchy rash--I assume from whatever detergent I last washed it in before packing it away last spring. But he couldn't take it off because it was far too cold for his shaved head. Sometime around 4am he said the temperature dropped deeply and rapidly. And one of the guys in the group snored so loudly that people 30 feet away were walking up the line to see what the hell the noise was and then snickering.

Even though he was wearing four layers on the top, two on the bottom, two blankets, gloves, and a hat, he said it was the most miserable cold he's ever felt.

But we got a Wii...! Kev's been playing Zelda since I left, and Sunny is sitting around looking indignantly at the loud monkey noises coming out of the controller.

I immediately smeared his head down with Benadryl cream and made him take two Benadryl tabs to stop the allergy. (I mean, he could just be allergic to the 20% wool in the hat, but the rash was ONLY on his forehead, not his whole head. Soooo...I dunno. He doesn't normally wear a hat like that for 18 hours. /shrug) Then I chucked him into bed and let him sleep until 2pm.

Tonight, me, Amy, my mom, and my sister went to the Magical Night of Giving at the mall. We had a good time. There were some nice deals on stuff. I finally broke down and got this vest I wanted that was too expensive to justify as anything other than a Christmas gift. I forgot all my damn certificates at home. /sigh I guess I'll just use them on DAT.

But a lot of stores had free food and drink samples, and they all ended up being pretty tasty. Afterwards, Amy and I got some delicious Indian fare and had some nice conversation. Hurrah!

I'm so sleepy, but I think I'm going to try to squeeze in a UD Strat run tonight.
posted by Karabou at 9:08 PM EST
Top

November 18, 2006
All chicks, no dudes '06
So Kevin decided to go queue up at Best Buy for the Nintendo Wii. He left around 2pm after much waffling. It's a bit chilly out tonight (30°F), so he'll be one miserable SoB when he walks in the door Sunday morning at 9am. heh
I cleaned the apartment, did the laundry, put up all my Xmas deco, and watched Tristan & Isolde. It ended up being more King Arthur than Romeo and Juliet, but the R&J reference at least prepared me for the ending. Then, as I promised, around 8pm I ran out to get food for Kev and the other 3 of our friends in line with him at Best Buy. I also stopped at Walmart and bought some HandHeats for their pockets, rain ponchos in case that 20% chance of "wintery mix" hits tonight, a bag of candy, a 2 liter of Mountain Dew, two extra blankets, and a carafe of hot chocolate.
Why? I want Wii Sports Boxing. Now, dammit. I'm gonna rock their faces!!!
When I got home, I snuggled into my pajamas and watched The Lakehouse. Never have I wanted a happy ending so badly and got it. If you got a 'gina, you'll love it. Although, the space-time continuum was irrevocably broken in that movie, and my mind is reeling from it still. heh
Rounding out the night was VH1's last two hours of The Top 100 Songs of the 80's because I didn't quite want to go to bed, but neither did I want to get too involved in anything I actually had to pay attention to. They actually picked some good stuff for that series. I wasn't disappointed.
I also watched Tombstone this afternoon while putting up my Xmas deco. I don't think I've watched it since I was with He Who Cannot Be Named. It was his all-time favorite movie, and I shit you not, he watched it at least once a week...for 5 friggin' years. So I know damn near every line by heart. I hadn't been able to watch it for a long time--almost 9 years, in fact. And now, I can watch it and enjoy it without stewing in hate over HWCBN's total obsession with Doc Holiday (which makes far more sense now). Val Kilmer was f-ing amazing in that movie. And really, I can watch it now and admire it for the good, simple flick it was.

"You're a daisy if you do..."
posted by Karabou at 11:53 PM EST
Top


November 16, 2006
*yawn*
I had every intention of going to the gym after work; I even changed my clothes before leaving. I got in the car and realized I just didn't feel like it. The funeral goings-on yesterday just made me feel tired and shitty. I'd like to go just one year without a single funeral. Just one.
I saw this on CNN.com the other day and thought it was interesting:
A series of secret U.S. war games in 1999 showed that an invasion and post-war administration of Iraq would require 400,000 troops, nearly three times the number there now. And even then, the games showed, the country still had a chance of dissolving into chaos.
Just for the record, we only have 250,000 troops there currently.
And now, it's time for a 45 minute Strat run.
posted by Karabou at 7:31 PM EST
Top

November 13, 2006
*Sigh*
My mom's cousin passed away this morning. They originally thought she had Picks Disease. But my cousin Ryan told me tonight that they recently thought she had early-onset Alzheimer's. She's been wasting away for at least 7 years. So sad. I went to school with her kids, Mike McKinley was in my class, and Kelly was a year older. I feel sorry for them. It's hard enough losing a parent, but watching them waste away at only 61 has to be horrific. I can't even imagine. And not just the kids...her husband has taken care of her the entire time. Despite it all, he said this weekend, "I'm not ready to lose her just yet." Sorry Joe. It was time.

I think back to my dad's funeral and how utterly bizarre it was. It was some sort of dog and pony show where people came out of the woodwork that I hadn't seen in a decade. Someone would come through line that I grew up with or was related to me but hadn't seen me in forever, and then it was this exchange of "Tell them what you do for a living, honey," and I would tell them. Then they would hoo-ha over how they'd have never recognized me on the street and how great it is that I do what I do. It was unreal and utterly, completely bizarre.
I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week. I kept thinking it was still two weeks away. I need to get a Sunday paper at the grocery, and I need to get my m-i-l's paper on Thanksgiving day for the DaT ads. I have pre-shopping to do, so I know exactly where stuff is that I want to pick up, at least clothing-wise. Trying to get into a dressing room on DaT is a joke, so you'd better know it fits ahead of time and where it is. Normally, I don't pick up too much clothing, but I need some new shirts I can wear to work and maybe a sweater or two. My cube faces the glass door in the back, and it's freezing in the winter. The space heater under my desk barely takes off the chill.
Last night, I dreamed my mom brought back a capuccino mug from Florida. I found it in the bathroom of the farmhouse filled with hot murky water. I held it up to my face to examine it closely, and two little eyes popped up on the surface--it was a tiny, cute, black tadpole, and it was swimming around. Then more eyes started popping up out of the water, and they were little teeny, square-ish, cartoon-like baby alligators--about 2 inches long--and there's like dozen in this capuccino mug churning like boiling water...but still stupidly cute.

My mom yells from the kitchen that the eggs must have dried inside the mug and the water must have hatched them. You know, like sea monkeys. LOL I tell my mom we've got to call a zoo or something because we can't take care of them. She tells me she'll get around to it. So I flip on the news, and they're talking about alligators and how in three months they'll be over a foot long. And in a year, they could be up to 20 feet long. (Yeah, I know that's not accurate.) And I start flipping out and telling mom we've got to do something NOW. And then I woke up. Bizarre.
posted by Karabou at 6:35 PM EST
Top

November 11, 2006
Mmmmmm
Last night I went out with some old friends from my old job. It was nice catching up with them. It just sucks being so out of shape. I used to be able to dance for a solid hour. Now, I dance 3 songs, and my legs feel like they're going to fall off. Not being able to exercise much April through September really sucks it out of you. But I can at least do cardio now. I still feel like I have one rib out of place but only a little. My muscles just feel a little strained yet. I ordered some Zyflamend, and I'm going to try taking that for a couple of months and see if it helps with the inflammation in my ribs, since that's what's causing all the problems. What I would give to just go back to being normal, to not have to feel limited in my exercise and enjoy being able to do yoga again. /sigh
After slithering into bed around 3am this morning, I crawled back out at 9:30am to get ready for a disgustingly girly event. Chantilly Cream, a local pastry shop, was having their annual holiday dessert tasting. My mother-in-law took me and Amanda this year, and we met her there this year. It's too fun. I ordered another Chocolate Mousse Log for Amanda's annual Xmas party. That thing is just awesome.
Then my m-i-l joined us for lunch at Pickety Place (another girly place I loathe to admit I love) and had a nice lunch. Now, I'm sleepy and full, and I'm probably going to play a few hours of WoW. Zzzzzzzz.
And good night, Jack Palance, I always dug you. A professional boxer, a purple heart recipient, and an Oscar award winning actor--I could only dream to live such a full life. Some people are truly blessed.
posted by Karabou at 12:28 PM EST

Top

November 9, 2006
Ahwatukee Sue
If you committed murder and got away with it, don't admit to it on a national talk radio show.
Lohan Fears She "Will End Up Like Diana"
Singer/actress Lindsey Lohan reportedly fears she "will end up like Princess Diana" following a car crash in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Mean Girls star was chased by a photographer who slammed into the back of her Mercedes after she left celebrity nightspot Hyde at around 2am. A source says, "She was apparently able to drive a short distance from the crash, but she later pulled over and called a friend to pick her up." Gossip site Tmz.com reveals she had been spotted looking upset earlier in the evening. It says, "La Lohan appeared a little upset and teary-eyed under a hooded shirt (before) speeding off, alone," Lohan's spokesperson, Leslie Sloane Zelnik confirmed the crash, but was unable to comment on whether the incident had been reported to the police, according to New York Daily News. It is the latest in a series of run-ins with the paparazzi for Lohan - a recent incident in which photographers tried to hit her Cadillac Escalade.

Sorry Lindsey, but brainless, two-bit, party sluts don't get to end up like Princess Diana. You're hot, stupid, and have about as much common sense as my shoelace.

And speaking of PWT, I thought this was hilarious...true or not. Im dvrcng u cltus.
posted by Karabou at 10:11 PM EST
Top

November 8, 2006
Victory!
It was a banner day; what more can be said about it? Dems in, hookers out. Rumsfeld pre-emptively resigned, and we have a woman Speaker of the House for the first time in history. Kind of cool, really.
I'm tired of posting and re-hashing today's events in detail, though. So instead of my cheering about smokers taking a fist in the ass in Ohio, have some light-hearted amusement:

Bizarre.
SNL using canned laughter? GASP! My question is: don't they sort of have to at this point?
Kevin has threatened to make this the next campaign we play.
And finally, this sums up today:


And this just makes me giggle:

posted by Karabou at 8:10 PM EST
Top

November 7, 2006
Ya ha
I went to the gym and did a little cardio last night. I can't believe how hard it is to get back into it after just 4 months off. I'm still having to take it easy. Something is still a bit wonky with my muscles, and my side hurts like hell after about 30 minutes of cardio. So it wasn't fun going home and scrubbing the bathroom down and mopping the kitchen floor and walls. The bathroom I decided to spray down with Lysol after scrubbing with The Works. So far, ant-free in there. The kitchen, I Pinesol-ed.

Sunny played on the kitchen chairs in the living like a jungle gym and stared at me in her mischevious way. She knows she's not allowed on the wet floor, and every time I turned my back she'd creep an inch closer. More than once I've had to seize her and wash her paws off before she licked off the Pinesol. I'm not sure it'd really do any damage to her kitty kidneys, but I'm not going to find out.

This morning, I didn't wake up with an ant jambaroo on my arm, so it looks good so far. I did drop my Danish bearclaw on the floor in the kitchen at work, and I was pissed. Which then splattered icing along the bottom edge of my pants. I'm a mess. I just cut off the part that hit the floor.

Kev picked me up a little after 4pm, and we went to vote, which I did fairly mindlessly on the candidates...but I voted. I do not approve of the tobacco industry proposing state amendments about smoking. But yes, screw you smokers. I want to enjoy dancing in a smoke-free environ. If you had an ounce of f-ing courtesy and didn't blow it directly into my face or at my table, I might think twice. But the majority of you are inconsiderate half-tards, and you deserve to lose your right to destroy my lungs. Eat it.
posted by Karabou at 5:07 PM EST
Top

November 6, 2006
Ant Jambaroo
The Great Ant Massacre began yesterday. I poured 3 gallons of bleach around our half of the apartment. Brian and Mike don't seem to have problems with them, so I figured I'd concentrate on our side.

So far, all it's seemed to have done is drive them INTO our apartment, thus solidifying my worst fear that there is a giant ant colony living directly under our half of the building. They were pouring through a whole in the kitchen floor last night. The cats were distraught that little ant friends were partying on their food, and they expressed their disdain by uncharacteristically refusing to eat their canned 9 Lives Super Supper until we moved the bowls away from the insect fiesta.

And this morning, I woke up to not one, but two ants crawling on my arm. WTF!!!!! I mean seriously, WTF!!!!!!!!!!111one

There is NO food in the bedroom. None. Zero. Zip. Nothing is edible in there. There is no edible foreplay going on in there at any point, and I only ever take water in there when I'm sick. Why the HELL are they in the bedroom? Mike's not having a problem, and his bedroom is on the other side of my wall. ARGH!

I'm going to break out the Pinesol tonight and scrub everything down. I know it's going to kill Kev's sinuses, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The walls and floors will be lemony fresh and full of death for ants. I coated the crack in the kitchen with about a 1/4 of a can of RAID and then covered it with towels and heavy objects to keep the towels from moving. Don't need the cats getting sick from it.

My next course of action will be to set traps outside with Boric Acid and sugar mixed together. That's supposed to kill the hell out of them. After that, if we're STILL having issues, I'm going to ask the landlord to call an exterminator. I'm trying everything else first because I don't want to have to vacate the apartment or mess with having to take the cats somewhere for a few days while the deadly fumes settle. Not to mention the amount of cleaning I would have to do to make the apartment acceptable to my flaming gay landlord or the furniture and storage crap I would have to move for an exterminator to even be able to spray.

This sucks. The little bastards are usually gone by this time of year. Make them go away!!!
posted by Karabou at 9:58 PM EST
Top

November 4, 2006
A little Pinot for your vino
Last night, I pretty much just relaxed at home. Did a trailer check and then watched Dr. Who and BSG. I’m so glad Starbuck is getting back to normal. She cut off the bad, bad extensions and got weepy holding her not-really child. Good stuff. I think it's only a matter of time before Col. Ty offs himself. Wish he'd just get to it.This morning, I felt ambitious and decided to finally weather proof the computer room window. I did the kitchen last weekend. This year, I decided to do two layers of plastic, and the difference is amazing. I need to put another layer on the bedroom window, for sure. I have the thermostat on 70, and I’m still freezing at night. The ¼ inch gap at the bottom of the wall doesn’t help, but I can’t move the furniture to get to it. But while I was in the process of covering the window, my favorite jeans split…in the EXACT same spot my last pair did. /sigh I’ve known for a while that they didn’t have long. I was just hoping they’d last until I could get to the GAP outlet this month. Oh well. I haven’t thrown them out yet. I’m contemplating patching them in some way. I’m just not sure if it will work. Guess it won’t hurt to try it. They’ll be trashed anyway.I enjoyed some WoW for the first time in two or three weeks. I just haven’t felt like playing much. I had some TiVO to catch up on, and I can’t play while Kev is writing; it’s too distracting. After that, I ran to Arrow Wine in Kettering to pick up a bottle of Rex Goliath Pinot Noir, known after tonight as the 47-Pound Cock, for Keith’s wine tasting party. It was on sale, so I picked up two (one for the wine tasting, and one for home). Then, I stopped at GAP to figure out if I wanted to pick up a pair of jeans, and the hookers didn’t have a single pair in my size. Not one. The jeans wall looked like it had been attacked by pygmies—all the lower shelves were in total disarray (the shelves with the sizes NOT made for anorexic stick insects). I dug through them all, and not one single one was in my size. A sales associate even went in the back and checked, and still…none. I realize I wear the most common size of women’s clothing, but COME ON. Oh well. Guess I’ll just have to get mom to go to the outlet sooner.I stopped at one of the three candy stores in the mall (overkill if you ask me). This place has 15 different types of candied apples. Feeling in the mood for something sweet but out of the ordinary, I chose two apples covered in caramel, covered in white chocolate, covered in milk chocolate. /quiver Yeah, it was as orgasmic as it sounds. And I got a mint-chocolate truffle. It was pretty amazing, also. On the way home, I decided to stop at Chipotle and pick up some tacos for me and Kev. My phone was dead, I tried to charge it before I got there, but it only managed to ring once and go dead. So I stood in line for 15 minutes, got the tacos, and called Kev on the way home. He'd already ordered me a half-rack of ribs from Longhorn. lol Oh well, tacos for lunch tomorrow! yay!
I headed out to Keith’s wine tasting party in my not-so-favorite-but-acceptable jeans, pink Nintendo shirt, and black velvet jacket. Everyone gave a good hoot at my 47-Pound Cock wine, and it was a hit…more so with the men than the women, surprisingly. After a cumulative total of around 3-4 glasses of wine, I just felt so sleepy and mellow that I decided to come home. It was nice to catch up with Chuck, one of the HALO party crew (who graciously took my ass whoopin’s like a man). And Keith is going to submit Kev for a proofreading job at a large, very desirable company in the area. Keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully, he’ll get more freelance work, too. Good thoughts, people, good thoughts.When I got home, I sat and watched the last hour of The Village. Shammalammadingdong’s movie’s are pretty hit or miss with me. Loved Sixth Sense, HATED Unbreakable. Loved The Village, HATED Lady in the Water. Okay, that’s not totally true. I only hated certain aspects of LitW, mainly that Shammalamma was the Christ-figure savior. It just seemed overly masturbatory. Other than that, it wasn’t a terrible concept, and I’m all for warm and fuzzy, yet oddly dark endings.Tomorrow, I’ve got to finish doing trailer checks, pick up 4 gallons of bleach to spray around the outside perimeter of the apartment, as well as pick up some breakfast items for the next week, and maybe cover that other window. Other than that, it looks like a nice, lazy day of relaxation. Aaaaah.posted by Karabou at 11:59 PM EST
Top

November 3, 2006
Great Ant Massacre of 2006
I woke up this morning, turned on my lamp, and began my ritualistic morning snuggling with Zen. As he’s looking at me all disgustingly cute and blinky, I realize there’s something on his head…and it’s moving. At first I thought it was tiny spiders and started to freak, wondering if they were all over the place…like an egg sac had exploded under the bed or something equally terrifying. Then I realized they were ants. On his head. I flicked the $#%@#$ers off, and then realized they were having an ant party on my lamp. Somewhere in the vicinity of 5+ years ago, when I was living the bachelorette lifestyle, I took a cough drop out of my mouth in the middle of the night and set it on the base of my lamp, so it wouldn’t sit and destroy the wood finish of my antique family heirloom night stand. $10 lamp vs. priceless, meaningful antique…you do the math. Anyway, they’re having a god damn ant jambaroo on that one spot. I realized in that moment that this has gotten out of control. They used to just be contained to the kitchen. I’d wipe them out, scrub everything down, leave a coating of deadly poison spray, throw down new ant traps, and life would be good for another 3 months or so. Now, they’re foraging in the living room, crawling into drinks. They’re crawling around looking for food in a bedroom that’s not had a single piece of food or drink other than water in the past 3 years. I can’t help but imagine this giant ant colony swarming under this apartment. I’m pissed. And despite my reservations about senselessly killing anything that’s just doing what’s natural, I want the $#%@#$ers to die. All of them. Tomorrow, I’m buying 4 gallons of bleach and a watering can. I’m going to coat the perimeter of the duplex with a bleach/water solution. And I’m going to dump every bit that’s left in the area I know the mound usually is. Mom swears it works. Living on a farm, she’s tried everything and knows. And then I’m going to mop and wash everything down with lemon-fresh Pinesol. I read that ants hate the strong smell of it. Let the Great Ant Massacre of 2006 begin.posted by Karabou at 11:38 PM EST
Top

November 2, 2006
Smoov
Sorry for the burst of 4 days of posts. Forgot to upload my page for a while. I blame my sad, empty digestive tract for devouring part of my brain in desperation.
I didn't feel sick at all today. I'm still sticking to bland foods for at least today, and then I'll see what happens. Hopefully, I'm finally over whatever that was. I had some cake, and my stomach gave a last attempt at revolt but was thwarted.

The days you start out thinking you don't have enough to do are usually the days you end up overwhelmed. /sigh Tonight I went to a Smooth Jazz thing at the Dayton Art Institute for work. There was some confusion about whether we were supposed to "work" the room or just observe. It ended up being more of a concert where people didn't want to be bothered. I figured it would. Oh well, this was a litmus test for if we wanted to do this event regularly, so nothing really lost.
posted by Karabou at 11:06 PM EST
Top

November 1, 2006
Pass the salmonella please
I talked to an RN here at work this morning. She said it sounds like I have a mild case of Salmonella. Ohio is one of 17 states included in the recent outbreak, and they think it's either in lettuce or tomatoes. The only thing I ate differently from my husband last week was raw tomatoes on the tacos we made. And that instance fell within the 72 hour incubation period it can take to manifest symptoms.

I'm really, really tired of feeling sick. At least I haven't been GETTING sick since Monday night. I'm desperate to eat real food. I see sandwiches and fried chicken and fast food, and it just makes me whimper. Eating anything tasty would be my doom right now.
posted by Karabou at 5:32 PM EST
Top