Puppy!!!

I had a house guest this weekend!


His name is Somner and he used to be my sister's dog. Unfortunately, he used to be their baby until The Baby came along and Somner proved to be a bit of a handful. He now lives in New York with my brother in-law's cousin. He needed a place to crash over Christmas while his family went on a cruise or something so we got to spend Christmas together!


One night, I guess he woke up in the dark, confused and scared. I heard a howling like no other howling I've ever heard before. Poor doggy, he must have been so frightened.


Sometimes, I think I might want a dog. Then, I see those people, bright early in the morning, cold, wet and miserable looking, walking their dog before work, and I think, "Nope. Cats FTW!" Michael has his dog trained to a point where all he has to do is just open the door. Bundle runs out, does his business, and runs back in. If I could find a dog like that, then maybe... maybe.

Coordinated

Jamie recently mentioned that she knew someone who matched their toilet paper to their bathroom wall color. We wondered, why would anyone chose to match their toilet paper and where does one find colored toilet paper? I thought I vaguely recalled using baby blue toilet paper when I was a kid... Or was it tissues...

I've been through several toilet paper aisles and I just can't recall ever seeing colored toilet paper. I mean, they'd be pretty hard to miss, right? You'd think some colored toilet paper would stick out like a sore thumb amongst a sea of white.

Today, I went to Wegman's to pick up some ingredients for dinner and, on a whim, decided to swing by the toilet paper aisle. Oh, oh, oh! What do I see?!


They do exist!


I checked, they are septic safe. Guess who's getting what for their birthday....!!! I can't have her in-laws thinking she's tacky. Now, if I can just remember the color of their guest bedroom...

Back to Normal

Christmas is over!!!

I try not to complain about Christmas because, as soon as you say something negative about this season, everyone just assumes you're a Grinch.

Personally, I like this season, I really do. I buy into the whole Christmas miracle, sappy Christmas specials, and what not. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. However, working retail has exposed me to overly commercialized nature of this season. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that Jesus is the Reason for the Season and, you know what, Baby Jesus really doesn't care if your stupid grown up son doesn't get something on his Christmas list.

So, a big sigh of relief... My life can go back to being normal.

What did I get for Christmas? Lots and lots and lots and lots of chocolate and coffee.


Lots of chocolate. I mean, I like chocolate, but I'm about to go into a diabetic coma.

I also got several gift cards. Gift cards are awesome but I'm always torn as to how to properly utilize a gift card. Do I do the sensible, fiscally responsible thing and use the gift card to pay for useful necessities, like toothpaste and underwear and contact lens solution? Or, do I use it to splurge on something I would normally never buy, like a Rodarte for Target Kimono Rain Coat?


Hmmm....

I'm going to eat some chocolate and give this some thought.

Book Mark Clean Out

Hi!

Apparently I am the Grinch who ruined people's Christmas. Yes, yes... absolutely. It is totally my fault that your kid cannot get the item that was on their Christmas list. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you waited until Christmas Eve.

Yesterday I spent over half an hour with a crazy lady who was hell bent and desperate to get this one particular item that sold out two days ago. Well, by hell bent I meant she was totally hell bent on wasting my time and by desperate I meant she was desperate enough to completely embarrass her self but not desperate enough to make a 40 minute drive.

The most popular question yesterday? "Well what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Here's a thought... How about learning from this experience and, next year, not wait until 2 hours before the mall closes on Christmas Eve to squeeze in your Christmas shopping? Hey, feel you, I'm only about half way done with my Christmas shopping, but it's cool. The people on my list are not hung up on gifts.

Maybe I'm betraying my profession but people... people... Despite what children's Christmas Special shows teach our youth, gifts do not make or break this season.

While I recover from the stress of this week, here are some articles you can read (none of which are Christmas related!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- Hmm... Pumpkin and chocolate? I don't know... It does look really good though, all soft and cakey looking.

7 Horrifying Moments from Classic Kids Movie- Oh yeah, that boat ride scene... oh and that freaky elephant scene...

Hot Chocolate Mix- During winter I always get a hankering for some hot chocolate. Unfortunately, I rarely have milk in the house so I don't have it very often. I usually get a gift of hot cocoa that I can make with hot water. So far, no tins of hot cocoa... I guess I have to make my own.

Walmart Now Offering New Hardcovers for $9- I don't know, it's been awhile since I checked out Walmart's book sections but I don't really recall them selling any new releases. All I recall are Chicken Soup for the Soul, devotionals, Christian romance novels, and cook books.

Flickr Finds- Lanterns- Very pretty, but I always thought red paper lanterns signified prostitutes...

Bank of America Will Introduce Annual Fees Next Year on Some Cards- Good thing my credit card offers zero rewards. I've been meaning to switch to some cards with some kind of a point system or money back or miles or something but I've been too lazy. I guess I'm glad that I didn't...

Another Reader's Home- I've always wanted to live in a small, angular, white house.

Trent Reznor Celebrates 20 Years of NIN's "Pretty Hate Machine"- Yeah, finding my copy was damn near impossible. Michael got an import copy for like $9.99 at some place, forget where. I got mine at a forgotten FYE for like $18 (well worth it, btw). I was not able to rip my copy but the import copy did not pose any problem. Oh, and I just read the entire article and WTF, Trent Reznor is married?!

Whatever Trent. You broke my heart when you broke up Nine Inch Nails and now you're just some old dude trying to live the married with children life and be all happy and what not.

This Stuff Sucks: The Worst (And Weirdest) Vampire Product- Not that I would ever spend the money but, sadly, I think Michael would be thrilled to get the Buffy stake. He had himself a Buffy/Angel marathon awhile back he won't shut up about those shows. Oh, and the Blood energy drink is already out and I've been meaning to try it, I heard it tastes like Hawaiian Punch with whey protein. As for Tru Blood? Can't keep it in stock even though it retails for $24.99.

Hello Kitty's Insides- OMG so want!

The DumbLittleMan Guide to Comma Use- Okay, you're not going to believe me but, believe it or not, in high school I was a Grammar Nazi. I loved grammar ever since middle school. Proper punctuation usage, subject/verb agreements, blah blah blah, I had it all down. Maybe I'll dust off my Strunk and White and try to speak like a n educated grown up again.

Lonely Hearts Website for Beautiful People Only Goes Global- I wonder if they offer a guest pass. I would love to see what kind of people they accept. I'm picturing a lot of kissy faced/"w'suuuuuup" head tilt self portraits.

I Hate My Hit! 10 Songs Disowned by the People Who Made Them Famous- Yeah, on one hand, I can understand the artists point of view. However, when you sell your music, be it through CDs, downloads, concerts, merch, etc., they essentially work for for the consumer. I think it's an insult to the fans they shun the very song that made them famous.

RIP: Lulu Guinness

I love the smell of big white flowers, that strong, heady scent of gardenias or magnolias. When I first smelled this Lulu Guinness perfume, it was love at first smell. It doesn't have any gardenias or magnolias but it just smells like a big white flower. I also loved the bottle.


I got this perfume as a birthday present from Heidi several years back and I've just now finished it. I enjoyed wearing it, I really did, but after smelling it every day for a few months, I'm happy to move on.

I'm trying to work through my perfume collection and now I only have 6 more bottles!

Never Outs

We were at Trader Joe's and Michael recommended I try their clam chowder.


Cool, I like clam chowder. Oh wait... Condensed? Add milk? Pass. I have nothing against condensed soup but I do have something against pantry stable foods that require milk. I very rarely have milk at home. I don't drink it, I don't really use it. When I do buy milk I always buy the smallest container and it still ends up going bad before I can finish.

Michael was surprised, who doesn't have milk? Milk, bread, and eggs, those are the three things that every household has at all times. Oh yeah, bread... I very rarely have bread at home...

So what are my staples? My never outs? My guaranteed to be there's? What will I eat if I was snowed in and unable to go to the grocery store?

Butter.


Yes, they are pretty useless as food but it will make any food that you do have more edible. Three boxes of butter in the fridge might be a bit excessive but I do go through them a lot. Hmm... If I include butter, than I have to also include olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, etc. So um... let's just say condiments? No, they're not really condiments... spices? Flavor enhancers? Yeah, let's go with flavor enhancers.

Marinara sauce and pastas.


Fettuccine, spaghetti, linguine, orzo, penne... Dude I am covered. Is there anything simpler than pasta? Well, yes, rice.


See, I'm covered. Who needs bread and milk?

Since it is hot chocolate season, and since I've grown quite fond of green tea lattes, I did pick up a small thing of milk. I tried the clam chowder and... It's good, a bit bland but nothing some pepper can't fix.

Snow and I Stopped Being BFFs After High School

Snow.


Lots and lots and lots of snow. It started Friday night and continued into Saturday. This is how much snow we had Saturday afternoon.


And it continued to snow and snow and snow and snow.

Should I tell you about digging my car out of the snow? I should have taken pictures but I don't think I need that reminder. It was harrowing. What I was feeling yesterday night, thinking about driving to work, was the closest thing I've ever felt to a panic attack. I was thisclose to not going into work. However, I thought of poor Liz at work, all by herself and damn it, if anyone's going to show up for work, it should be me, right?

The commute wasn't that bad at all. I had a bit of a rough start but, overall, pretty smooth.

I am really glad I was prepared for this blizzard. A few days before I stopped by JC Penney and picked up some Cuddle Duds.


Cuddle Duds are the most wonderful thing anyone can buy during the winter times. They are kind of like long johns, only much better. They are thin, comfy snug (but not at all restrictive) and has the miraculous ability to keep you toasty warm but not at all hot. Blizzard? Waist deep snow? Crazy cold winds? Not a problem! I got my Cuddle Duds on, I don't feel a thing.

Know how fantastic these are? These are like the only things JC Penney sells that does not go on sale. Things go on sale at JC Penney about a week after they land. Sometimes, they come in on sale. These, however, stay full priced until mid December when they go on a very modest (by JCP standards) sale to make room for the spring/summer stuff.

I would stock up on these but they're kind of expensive at $26 for one pair. In reality, $26 is a very fair price for something that is down right indispensable during the winter time. I've paid more than $26 for a sweater that I've only worn a few times. If I could wear Cuddle Duds every day, I would. But, since in the past, I've only owned one pair at a time, I really had to ration and ask myself, "Sure, today is cold, but is it Cuddle Dud cold? Is tomorrow going to be colder?" So yes, $26 is a very fair price but I, for some reason, find it pretty steep. Maybe it's because I kind of group it with underwear and, well, $26 is a lot to pay for underwear.

But, I lucked out and not only were they on sale, but, after digging through a mountain of XL's, found two in my size.

Sold!

The only down side to Cuddle Duds is that they have a really long rise. I understand they're marketed towards a more mature clientele and I understand that I have a short torso. But, I am not exaggerating, I can pull them almost up to my chest. These make granny panties look like low rise. Oh well, I guess my tummy needs to stay warm as well.

Bye Taco!

Taco is back in the states.

He plans of packing up, tying up some loose ends, and flying back to a far away country to live happily ever after with Internet Chick.

Dude tells me Taco bought a ring today and plan on being with Internet Chick by February.

...

I don't even know Taco that well and yet it appears I'm the only person expressing concern. Why am I such a naysayer, why do I have to rain on his happy love parade.

I wish you well Taco!

Note to self: Stop taking so much interest in other people's life.

RIP: Crappy Old Navy Sweater

Recently, I bought this sweater from Old Navy.


It's the perfect, cozy, winter sweater but there's one problem...


It pills like crazy after just a few hours of wear.

Now, I don't expect the highest quality from Old Navy but this is just ridiculous. I'm going to take it back. I normally don't like returning washed and worn stuff but this is clearly an inferior product. Shame, I really liked that sweater, it was quite warm and cozy.

Maybe I'll just keep it... I do have a sweater shaver... It's so warm and cozy.

Nope. Nope... Must stay strong... no more hoarding of crap.

Oh My...

So...

I got my credit card and...

WTF?!

It was... incredibly high.

My first thought:

Oh no!! I must have forgotten to pay last month's bill!!!

Wait... "PAYMENT-THANK YOU". So I did pay last month...

My next thought:

Oh no!!! Someone must have stolen my card! There must be fraudulent charges!

Wait... no... no fraudulent charges...

I knew this month will be higher than usual. I charged by car maintenance services and that was almost $300. However, I did not think it would be this high. How high? Ugh... high enough that I am embarrassed. Let's just say that um... there was a lot of celebrating going on in November?

Okay. As penance, I will break down my credit card statement.

11.06: $24.45 at Shell Oil (gas)
11.08: $25.41 at Outback Steakhouse (I got a steak dinner and, for some reason, I agreed to pay for Michael's Bloomin' Onions. Oh right... I really wanted to eat out, he really wanted to eat in and save money. I told him that since I'm the one that wants to eat out, I will pay.)
11.11: $3.90 at Dulles Greenway (Toll- Michael forgot to print out the non-toll direction. Since we were going to his Birthday dinner, I figured it wouldn't be fair to make him pay).
11.11: $114.04 at the Melting Pot.
11.11: $27.99 at Akiras (Birthday lunch)
11.12: $25.33 at Shell Oil (gas)
11.18: $24.19 at Shell Oil (gas)
11.24: $200 at amazon.com (presents)
11.25: $25.24 at Shell Oil (gas)
11.27: $35.89 at Uno's (celebratory dinner... or was it a thank you dinner... details are fuzzy)
11.29: $31.80 at usps.gov (stamps)
12.02: $21.66 at Shell Oil (gas)
12.02: $271.43 at Honda (car maintenance services)

The grand total: $831.33!

To put things in perspective, my last statement was for $243.85.

Ugh. I'm not even done with Christmas shopping and I have to deal with this. It's a good thing my last paycheck was a bit bigger than usual. Next one should be higher as well. I already knew I wouldn't be able to put any money towards savings this month but I still plan on throwing another $1,000 towards my car. Come February, my car should be fully paid off!

Note to self, stop being so freaking nice with food!

Shrimp Pasta in Foil (Or Covered Casserole)

I've been feeling pretty bad about all the money I waste at the food court. I haven't kept a budget in a long time but I think I might actually be saving some money on food. Because I come home so late I haven't really been cooking or eating out much. My health is probably deteriorating but my grocery bill has been pretty small. Because I haven't spent money on grocery I felt okay about spending $40 to make one dish.

Yup. $40 for one dish. What did I make that was so freaking expensive?


Shrimp Pasta in Foil

Okay, I know it looks like left overs, but that's because it was really good. The only thing I was thinking about was eating it as soon as possible. It wasn't until I was full that I remembered about the picture. For a more appetizing picture, check out the recipe.

It's actually not that expensive to make. Half of the cost was spent on shrimp and 1/4th was spent on wine (since I ran out of white). I was surprised at how much 2lbs of shrimp cost. It was way more than what I was used to paying but I figured Wegman just shafted me on seafood prices. It wasn't until I got home when I realized these shrimps were so expensive because they were the jumbo shrimps. Jumbo shrimps are awesome but I'll gladly save $6 to get the smaller ones. Oh well, lesson learned, pay more attention to the packaging.

I definitely plan on making it again but, next time, I'll use this:


It's like $6 for one pound (at Trader Joe's) and I get squid and scallops. With a bit more mindful shopping, I can probably make this dish for around $24-$30. It still sounds expensive but it serves eight and that comes out to $3-$4 a serving. Sure, not the cheapest dish out there but it's quick, it's super easy, and it tastes fantastic.

The recipe calls for a foil packet, and I tried, but it's impossible. I ended up dumping the entire thing in a dutch oven. I don't think it made a difference in taste.

Sak's Silverlake in Amber

Check out my early present!


Yup, it's the Sak's Silverlake in amber!

I have been wanting this bag ever since I saw the silver one on clearance at Lord and Taylor this summer. I held off because, well, I really do not need a new bag. Frugality aside (since it's a gift), it just seemed too... I don't know...Excessive? Wasteful?

Maybe I'll tire of it after a year but right now, it's the best bag ever! It's the perfect size, perfect color, perfectly what I need.

Awesome!

Smart Phones

GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD. YOU. STUPID. iPHONE!

I have been dreaming of an iPhone. Not, you know, of owning one but of... um... owning one. Okay, okay, okay, let me clarify.

A couple days ago, I had a dream that I got an iPhone. It was a dream full of regret and fear. Being locked into paying an extra $50 a month for two years?!?! OH GOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE!!! Oh man, I hope I really like this phone. But... but... no matter how much I like it, I'm not going to "an extra $50 a month" like it! It's too late! I'm stuck! I can't back out now! Noooooooooooo! All that money wasted!!!

Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit melodramatic but, that fear and regret felt real and, ever since that dream, I have been 100% positive that I do not want an iPhone, or a smart phone in general. I just need a phone for talking and texting and my little Rumor does me fine.

I'm just not an iPhone kind of girl. You know, I watch the commercials of the people using those cool aps to ease their cool lives and I think, "Yeah, I would have no use for that ap."

Then, today, I had another dream...
Dude! Get the iPhone! If you don't love it, just cancel the plan and boom! You have an iPod touch! You were thinking about getting one of those anyway, right? It's the same price as a touch! Just test it out...

This dream... It almost makes sense... except it doesn't...

I can't just cancel a plan, I would have to pay the ETF, and even if I just downgrade to a cheaper plan, I still need to buy a non-smart phone, which aren't cheap without a plan purchase or an upgrade.

Why do I dream of an iPhone? What is my subconscious trying to tell me? I checked out the phone and the plan, again. I am still sure that I do not want this phone. I will have to pay an extra $50 a month for a phone that does not have actual keys. I've tried typing on the touch keys, it's frustrating. All the cool aps? I don't care about those aps. Internet on the go? Okay, that part is pretty cool.

Just for fun, I decided to check out Sprint's smart phone since I am on Sprint. Currently, I pay $50 a month for 450 minutes, unlimited nights and weekend, 300 texts, free sprint to sprint, and tax, fees, etc. I could get an unlimited data plan with unlimited texts and and the exact same calling plan as what I have now for $69.99. After all the fees, tax, and etc. that would only be an extra $25 a month...

Hmmmm... Tempting...

Too bad I'm not a fan of any of Sprint's smart phones.
Though... the Android looks interesting... Maybe I'll check it out.

This Will Not End Well

There's this person that is near and dear to my heart, I'll call him, "Dude". But, this post is not about Dude. This post is about someone who is near and dear to Dude's heart, I'll call him Taco. I'm going to give people stupid nicknames because I don't know Taco very well and I feel bad for talking about his personal business. Not bad enough to not do it, but bad enough to use stupid names.

Dude tells me that Taco is taking a trip to a far away country... to see his girlfriend (Taco has a girl?), a girl he met on-line (?!?!). She is a girl that Taco met a few years ago on some on-line forum. They recently declared their undying love for each other and he's going over there to meet her in person and to explore the possibility of moving there to be with her.

We were at Dude's place, and he's all nonchalant as he tells me the news but I am full of questions. How long has he known her? What does she look like? What's she like? What the heck is going on? How do you know she's not just scamming him for his money? Dude doesn't know the details, those are none of Dude's concern. Dude's says, "He's a grown man, he knows what he's doing. It's his life. I'm happy for him."

No, no no... This matter can not rest. Pull up Google right now! We're getting to the bottom of this matter!

Here's what I pieced together from obscure social networking sites and blogs:

A month ago, both Taco and Chick came off a bad relationship. Honestly, and I know this sounds mean, I was kind of surprised to learn he had a girl friend. Taco is kind of socially awkward and chronically shy.

After the breaking up with a secret girlfriend Taco posts a very emo rant about how love sucks, love hurts, he'll never heal, eternal blackness, blah blah blah.

A day or two after the rant, a day or two, both networking site pages of Taco and Chick are filled with goopy, sappy, kissy faced devotional posts and comments about their undying, unbridled, passionate love for each other. Chick promptly starts a blog devoted to her LOVE for Taco. It is full of all kinds of rosey, cupidy, two cwuddle-wee bears holding a heart kind of outpouring. Their love is so cute it's lame.

Two weeks, two weeks, after the start of their relationship (which, I would like to remind you, happened like a day after they broke up with their respective ex's) she proposes, he accepts. They're engaged! Yay!

This absolutely blows my mind but Dude can't comprehend why I care so much. Well, for one, it's fascinating. However, the main reason I'm fascinated is because I don't know how I should feel about all this.

Part of me is happy for Taco. Love is awesome! Love is great! This is just proof that there is someone for everyone! Soul mates FTW! Yeah! When you know, when your heart just screams "YES!" why wait? Why not make a bold move and change your life to spend the rest of your life with "The One", right? It's awesomely amazing!

Another part of me is thinking, this isn't going to end well.

I mean, come on now... You have two recluses with a bigger on-line circle of friends then off-line, who are coming off of a bad, dramatic relationships, clinging to each other via the internet. She lives really far away in a completely different country! A day after "GRRRR!!! I HATE LOVE!!" all of sudden it's "I LOOOOOOOVE LOVE!!!!"? They've may or may not have known each other for a year or two previous to all this, however, knowing someone from their posts and comments, blogs, and web chat is not the same as knowing someone in person, right? Best case scenario: Taco and Chick discover they don't quite mesh as well in person as they do on-line and the relationship fizzles. Worst case scenario, Taco moves to far away country, marries the chick, then wakes up one morning going, "WTF have I done! This chick is crazy!!!"

I would trust this more if it had a slower build up but I just don't see how you can go from zero to "My soul is on fire with my looooooove for you!! I breathlessly count the seconds until we you can hold me in your arms and gaze into my eyes!!!! I want to spend an eternal forever with you!!!" in like a day.

Am I being realistic or cynical? Is my heart three sizes too small? Should I have greater faith in the power of LOVE?

Well, I hope I'm wrong. I hope Taco and Chick spends the rest of their lives together in a love haze bliss.

YES I CAN!

My car needed a new battery.

I'll spare you the details of me BLOWING up at Michael and how I was angry at him for talking me out having a professional take care of it all. I'll spare you the details because, after it was all done and over with, he was right.

When I was discussing my options with Daria, or, more specifically, discussing if I trust Michael to know what he's doing, she asked a very good question, "Can't your dad do it?"

Oh yeah! My dad! Oh my goodness, he used to be an engineer for Kia!

Michael was all, "Oh, I see how it is, you don't trust me but you trust your dad." Well... yeah. He's my dad. Even if he never worked for a car company, I would still trust him because he's my dad. Much like a five year old, I am absolutely convinced that my dad is a total bad ass who can make and fix anything.

So, today, a slight drama ensued, causing me to flip my shit at Michael inside the car (which I am still semi sorry for) but, in the end, I have a brand new battery, I saved $30, and my dad's pretty awesome.

Oh, and everyone was right. Switching out the battery was unbelievably easy! Okay, technically I didn't do the work, but I watched my dad and yes, it is very easy. I have always categorized car things as tasks that are way beyond my DIY skill set so it was very, very empowering to know that I can do this! Yeah! It's a very powerful feeling. Why don't I do these things more often?

I went in to say bye to my mom and, still riding high on my self confidence, told her that if her car battery ever gives her any issue, I got her. I'll take care of it!

"You need to find a man who will do those things for you so you don't have to worry about it."

Oh right... That's the reason I don't do those things more often. Gee, thanks mom.

Winter Unpleasantness

What cures dry skin? Don't say lotion because lotion isn't doing much for me right now.

My hands are chronically dry due to my excessive hand washing. During the winter time, they get pretty bad. I expect this. It's the price I pay for cleanliness (craaaaziness).

By the way, this is the best hand lotion:


It's kind of pricey, but, as the saying goes, "a little dad will do ya".

This year it seems moisture has been sucked from my entire body. My neck and forearms are constantly itchy. I have red marks under my chin from all the scratching and my arms aren't looking too pretty either. I was afraid I might have eczema but I don't have any weeping lesions. I'm not too sure what weeping lesions are but it sounds kind of gross.

I wonder if it's a dryness issue or a skin irritation issue. My hands have always been dry but rarely itchy. Why is the itchiness concentrated under my chin and on my forearms? I haven't switched to any new products recently. Odd.

Hello Big Head

It snowed today, the first snow fall of the year!

It was a massive storm of giant, chunky, wet snow and the roads were very treacherous. It was very pretty and magical, but scary- very, very scary. To cheer myself up and make peace with the crappy weather, I bought this:


It's all fleece lined and cozy warm.

Now, I am perfectly aware that I shouldn't wear knit hats. My head is quite large and anything knit just makes my head look like a giant mushroom. Normally, I stay way from knit caps but how could I resist? Besides, I'm not the only one with a giant head:



I made a lot of people smile and laugh. Now, maybe they were laughing with me, maybe they were laughing at me- I don't really care. I'm in good company.



I'm ready for you winter, bring it on! Kidding, don't... please.

With the Sincerest of Appologies

I'm not a music snob, I'm really not. My taste in music is far too mainstream and pedestrian to be for me to be a snob. However, some bands are just universally lame, right?

Today, at work, we were talking about one of our associates. I commented, "Yeah, I had reservations about hiring him when he told me his favorite band was Audioslave," and Liz gave me a look, "Audioslave?! Who has Audioslave as their favorite band?"

Not saying that Audioslave is lame (per se) but it's like saying that Marcy's Playground is your favorite band.

Later on that day, I was hanging out with Heidi when her sister called. After she got of the phone, Heidi told me that he sister had won tickets to a Nickleback/Breaking Benjamin show. I was about to make a snide comment about a Nickleback/Breaking Benjamin show but, before I could, Heidi mentioned how happy her sister was because her sister was about to buy tickets to that show.

Buy?

Buy?!

Buy tickets to a Nickle... back... show...? These words... It didn't really make sense... Why would anyone buy tickets to a Nickleback show? That would mean they like... Nickleback...

It got me thinking...

It's really lame to hate on a band. Nickleback is, well, Nickleback but they've sold like a gajillion albums so they're making a lot of people really happy. How is that lame? It's not. I remember when Liz told me that she went off on some dude's for making fun of Kill Hannah.

YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY'RE MAKING A LOT OF FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRLS REALLY HAPPY OUT THERE! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE? WHERE'S YOUR FUCKING BAND?!!?

So true, Liz, so true. And I'm not just saying that because I not so secretly like Kill Hannah.


So, to make penance for my day of closed minded, douchey, "elitist" thinking I will disclose my musical secrets. I'm not going to list off my "guilty" pleasures because I make no secret about the fact that I thoroughly enjoy NSYNC or, well, Kill Hannah. Instead, I will disclose who I don't like. It doesn't sound like a big deal, I know, but work has conditioned me to think that these people are saviors of music. There has always been a small pocket of Resistance and we would huddle together and whisper, "Yeah, I... I don't get it either... But shhhh!!!!"

So who are on my list?

The Misfits.


Question: Why are the Misfits so popular?
The most popular answer: ... Because it's the fucking Misfits!

They are are HUGE influence on many of my favorite bands, AFI included, but I just can't get into them. Sorry.

Radiohead.


I once told Michelle that I never got into Radiohead and that one of their song sounds like they're wailing about hamsters. I don't think I ever earned back her respect.

Tool.


Apparently, I'm not smart enough "get" Tool.


My biggest secret? The band/artist that I'm most afraid to admit I don't like?

Morrisey/The Smith.


I'm so sorry! Don't kill me!!!

So, rock on Nickleback, rock on! I, personally, think you suck, but who am I to judge? Did I mention I'm also not a fan of Bloc Party? Clearly, I don't know awesome music if it bit me in the butt.

OMG! Now I Know I'm Old

My last laundry basket was purchased for a dollar ten years ago. That works out to 10 cents a year! Well, it eventually fell apart and I had to replace it with a $10 basket.

I knew I wouldn't' get the same rate of usage as my old one but I didn't expect it to crap out on me after a few months.


This was taken a few days ago and since then, the handle has completely snapped. Useless!

Sigh~ They just don't make 'em like they used to...

Oh My, That's So Much! Yikes! What Should I Do... (Slight Pout)

One of my favorite features about the new Civic is the maintenance minder. The car just tells you what it needs when it needs it! I can go to a Honda service center and say, "My car tells me I need B" and they know exactly what I'm talking about.

Well, "B" costs $265, which sounds a bit like a rip off but it's factory required.

I hate paying for car maintenance but I especially dreaded taking my car in tonight because I knew they were going to tell me that I need new tires, a new battery, and new brake pads. Guess what, I was right! I need new tires, a new battery, and new brake pads... or do I?

Almost exactly a year ago, I took my car in for state inspection. They told me that my tires and brake pads are one level away from the threshold to pass. Guess what they told me tonight. Yup, the exact same thing. So... does that mean that my tires and brake pads haven't seen any wear and tear in a year? And... if I'm one level away from the minimum threshold then that's okay, right? I mean, I can drop a level and still pass. They're telling me that I might (fingers crossed!!!) be okay for this month but I should really get it all replaced in January- like really really. Really.

Hmmm... Do I smell BS? Should I get it all fixed? Ugh, tires and brake pads are so expensive! If I get it all done, I'm looking at spending close to $1,000!

I just checked last years records and did some quick research on line. I won't bore you with the details but it looks like the dude wasn't completely full of BS (just a little bit) but I think I have more than a month to get it all done.

There is, however, no denying that I need a new battery soon. Michael called Track Auto and they sell the battery I need for $90. He says he's switched out the battery on his car before and he's 100% confident he can do it without causing my car to blow up. It's only $120 to have a professional do the job. I don't know... is my life (and my car) worth risking to save $30?

I tried the whole poor, befuddled, "Oh my..." stint in hopes of getting a discount. Dude, laugh and think less of me if you will but it's gotten me some savings and freebies with car people in the past. This dude was impervious. Figures, turns out he's the manager; he probably has quotas and whatnot at stake. Come to think of it, he's probably scaring me to get it all done in January so it go towards this quarter/fiscal year. Sneaky bastard!

I guess I should start shopping around for tire and brake service prices... Fun!