Thank you...where ever you are

I have many different things to say...especially since I spent 5 short lived days at home in sunny SoCal, but I am going to use these last few minutes of work to send a special shoutout to a kind stranger.

Yesterday I flew into Boston on a Redeye flight, not to worry, no one tried to blackmail me while I was on it- but I did get a row all to myself. Anyway, I got in at about 6 am, got my bags (one was big because I have started to really settle into Boston and I smuggled some homey goods over with me) and took public transportation all the way home.

Public Transportation from Logan to my part of The Ville: Bus to T (Subway), Blue Line to Orange Line (I sent this post to Anastasia for editing purposes and she told me I should include the part about how I broke the T, so here ya go:

Oh ya, I broke the orange line. The doors were about to close and i ran and stuck my foot between them so it would trigger the sensor and open...it did...i got in....and they stayed open......open...........open........................open.....I started to wonder if other people also thought i broke the T....but no one was looking at me.......then T guys started running back and fourth and a woman's voice kept saying "close the doors"....then nothing would happen.....then she said it again and they did close.....but then nothing happened.....then they opened them again and a few minutes later they told us to de-train because it was disabled. Then we had to wait and watch the train sit there some more and finally it left and another came...GUH....I BROKE THE T!)

, then I got off the Subway and began walking (rolling one small bag and one big one AND carrying a satchel....after years of experience I have the technique down) to look for a cab....and I walked....and I walked, and finally I got on a bus (my mother specifically gave me money for a cab because we figured the bus would be too much hassle but it was cold).

By the time I arrived home I was tired, so I left my bags downstairs and took a one hour nap before going to work. Then I got up and took the same bus back to the subway station...

Here is where my wonderful stranger comes in:

I went to swipe my "Charlie Card" to use the T and it wouldn't work, so I got in the long line to buy a token. Then people on the other side of the turnstile started to run...I knew my train was coming and being three people back in line for a token I knew I would miss it.

Then, out of nowhere, a scruffy looking middle-aged man came up to me and held a card out in his hand.
"Do you want this?” he asked.
"(Blank stare)", I replied, holding out my hand and taking the card.
"It is only good on the Subway," he said, turning around and walking away.
"Thank you," she mumbled, still unable to register the interaction.

I stumbled over to the turnstile and swiped the card...pushed the bar and walked through...Suddenly the reality of how nice the man had been, and how soon the train would leave hit me at once. I ran and barely made it in the doors before they closed.

Now granted this is only a December T pass and will expire on the first, but considering that the T is much more convenient than the bus and I can take it back and fourth to work- it is at least a $10 value for me...that man stood there and handed me ten bucks and I didn't even have my wits about me to thank him...

To the kind stranger who gave me an unsolicited present: Thank you very much, I promise I will find some way to pay the present forward (you know, like that movie, always thought it was a genuinely simple and profound idea...)

When Life Hands You a Lemon...

At some point early last week I decided that my Karma must be fucked up...why else would so many things randomly be going wrong? I started searching my brain for what I could have done that was causing my karma to be so bad...had i casually bumped too many cars, was I too wrapped up in my own life and petty drama to notice all that needs to be done around me?

Now, a week later, I have decided that my Karma is not messed up. Instead life decided to show me just how BAD things could be.

The Wallet:
On Wednesday the 7th I lost my wallet in a bustling section of a big city....we're talking big department stores, jewelry stores and pawn shops everywhere you turn + 6pm + 2 weeks before Christmas.

On Tuesday the 12th I picked my wallet up at the Somerville Police Department. A man had found my wallet and contacted me, we decided the police department was a good place for him to leave it for me. I was sure that this man had found my wallet AFTER someone else had, since I had retraced all of my steps within minutes of loosing the wallet. Because of this I was sure that my $31 bus pass and my $10 cash money would be gone. NOPE everything was there...EVERYTHING!

This could have been a devastating experience, someone could have taken my cards and bought stuff and stolen my bus pass and cash, but instead I emerged from the experience with no harm done. That is amazing!

The Hit-and-Run:
On Sunday the 11th my car was totaled in a hit-and-run accident. I only have liability car insurance, meaning that if the culprit was not found, no one would be giving me ANYTHING for my loss! Instead of this devastating outcome, a neighbor heard the crash and wrote down the vehicle's description and license plate. But the story doesn't end there, if the responsible party is never located, I STILL will get NOTHING. On Friday the 16th sergeant Rooney called me to let me know that the driver was found, would be coming in to fill out a report and had FULL INSURANCE.

ANOTHER possibly huge loss completely avoided....

...now, if only my laptop would magically come back to life...I may just by the $100 hand crank laptop and a good green guide dell desk top once I have a little side cash....

I had a few different interesting/ funny things I was thinking about posting today...BUT I just got lost, in my building on my floor (work)... it went something like this:

karin (my supervisor) sent me on an errand

"go to the third floor and deliver this to terry andersen" (I work on the fourth floor)

so i took the elevator down

as i was waiting for the elevator to go back up i felt foolish, "I'll just walk up to the 4th floor", i thought

so i followed the exit signs to the stairs

I emerged from the stairwell to an office i did not recognize...i stood there dazed...i got a little dizzy...

"what in the world....I am sure I was on the third floor and I went up one flight"

I walked in circles for a few seconds and almost ran into someone

then i started feeling dumb....I can't ask someone for directions, I am in my building, on my floor!

So i decided to just start walking like a knew where I was going....it took a while...few turns and such, before I could finally recognize my surrounds....

I had gone up the stairs on the opposite side of the building, and I had never been over there before....I've been working here for a month!

Man! and I call my mom "directionally challenged"!

Quote/s of the day: Tookie Williams

"And for anyone to think that murder can be resolved by murdering, it's ridiculous. I mean, we look at all of the wars that we have throughout other countries and other nations, and all it does is – this violence, all it does is engender violence. There seems to be no end, but a continuous cycle, an incessant process of blood and gore that doesn't end. And through violence, you can't possibly obtain peace. You can, in a sense, occupy a belief of peace; in other words, through this mechanism of violence, you – it appears that because there is a standing army or standing police that is used in brutality or violence or a system that uses brutality or violence that that is going to totally eliminate or stop criminous behavior or criminous minds or killings or what have you, but it doesn't."

"I apologize to you all -- the children of America and South Africa -- who must cope every day with dangerous street gangs. I no longer participate in the so-called gangster lifestyle, and I deeply regret that I ever did.... I vow to spend the rest of my life working toward solutions."

Healthy Living Tip of the day:

To reduce your chance of catching one of the many colds that fly around this time of year- add ginger, cinnamon and horseradish to your diet. These herbs have warming and antiseptic qualities that will help you fight off colds!

fresh ginger

A Happy Birthday message to Hungary

Join me in wishing Maria (Master) Bates a very very happy 24th birthday. Yes, ladies and gentlemen she has hit her mid-twenties!

Bates is one of my best friends from college. Here is a list of some of the reasons I love Bates:

1. She is always willing to share her bed
2. If you need a friend, she'll be sure to be there
3. She is a very genuine person
4. She is wild and crazy and full of energy
5. She is in med school in Budapest (I miss her, but that is really cool!)
6. Her ass is as hard as a rock!
7. She let's me use her as a job reference (she was my safe ride boss)

Man, that list was terrible....there are so many more reasons that I love Bates, but I can't quite figure out how to put them into words. Anyway, she is wonderful and 24 years old!

So Long Cindy...

I have lived in and around Boston for a year and a half now. For a little less than I year I have been parking my car on the perilous streets of the city. If you have ever owned a car while living in a city, without the convenience of a driveway or the ability to afford to garage your car, then you know what I mean. Actually, you probably know what I mean if you have ever owned a car while living in a city period.

Over the last year my car has collected an outrageous number of bumps and bruises. People just bump your car while paralleling or driving and figure, "Hey, it's a big city, they'll never find me." And we're not talking small un-noticeable things either, im talking dents as big as my head, and cracks in my bumper.

It is so expensive to keep a car in the city! Because not only does the value of your car drop monthly as new dents and scratches are added, but there are also numerous simple ways to rack up tickets. There's street cleaning (can't park during), meters (malfunctions & forgetting to pay), driveways (can't block um), intersections (can't park too close), two hour visitor parking (can't stay too long), resident permits only, overnight restrictions (stupid Brookline) (I have gotten tickets/ towed for each of these), fire hydrants, snow emergencies, and the list of ways to get a ticket goes on and on and on....Not to mention that gas costs soooo much!

For a while I have been contemplating selling my car and investing in zip car and buying a bicycle/ scooter instead. This would be both more economical and more convenient (albeit more dangerous as my mother heatedly pointed out). Well, on Saturday night/ Sunday morning as I lie in bed dreaming of sexy ladies, someone decided to give me a very very forceful push forward in my planning....

Sunday morning, around 9 am, I woke to the doorbell ringing. Despite the fact that I have three roommates I knew I was the only one who would both answering, so I got up and headed downstairs. As I was walking I suddenly thought, "This has something to do with my car" (the section of street right in front of my house is permit parking only M-Sat, so when ever I go out late on a Saturday night I gleefully park right in front of my house and relish in my 24 hours of freedom). Sure enough I spied through our small stained glass window that something did appear to be wrong with my car. I opened the door and a police office was there to greet me.

Here is what I saw next:

I think the pictures speak for themselves, but I do want to point out that the sticker on the right (mangled) side of the bumper reads "Be the change you wish to see in the world". Yes, someone smashed into my car, effectively destroying the bumper sticker and then took off...oh, you read correctly, I was hit and run.

At first I stood there in shock, then I thought, "Hm, there is a good chance my 'liability only' car insurance is not going to cover this", so I called my mom to confirm. My mom's response, "You may just have to be without a car for a while...that is when I started crying. But amidst my tears I noticed a note, neatly preserved in a ziplock bag, sitting on my windshield. I grabbed it and lo-and behold it was the description and license plate of the vehicle. A neighbor had woken up at 4:30 am to the sound of the crash, they wrote down the drivers info. and left it on my car for me. This just occurred to me: my karma may be messed up in some ways, but really these bad experiences have just been forums for others to emerge and come through for me in huge ways.

So now all I can do is wait. Wait to hear back from the police (please please tell me you found the person and they have insurance). Wait to hear back from my insurance company (please tell me you will be there for me if this person's insurance is not. Wait to figure out what the best course of action will be. Scooter here I come?

Speaking of scooters, my scooter loving friend Anastasia made me this to commemorate the occasion (note the bumper sticker changes...AMAZING):

There is always a bright side to look at:

• I wasn't in the car
• The neighbor took their info
• My car was dirty anyway
• I've been dying to drive stick again
• I can seriously consider the zip car & scooter/ bicycle idea
• I got some cool artwork

....end thoughts: That is a lot of pictures for one post....This post may not flow very well because I kept having to leave it and come back, and I don't feel like fixing it.

I get by with A LOT of help from my friends...

Now you may think that this is the beginning of a John Lennon memorial post, since yesterday was the 25th anniversary of his death, but it is not. Rather, it is a post about me and my amazing friends, who are always willing to come to my rescue.

On Wednesday I left the office and went to CVS to buy some hairspray. The bus I take home is right in fornt of cvs, so I left my wallet (with my new bus pass) in my coat pocket. I soon (like 1 minute) realized that the bus would probably not be coming because the street was all blocked off with emergency vehicles. So I walk toward the T station (subway), and on the way a woman asked me for money. I looked at her and thought, "it is winter, she says she has kids, I have two five dollar bills in my wallet, I should give her one", but I just walked by. As I walked down the stairs to the T station I reached into my pocket to get out my wallet, and to my horror I did not feel it. So I retraced my steps looking very carefully (it was a 1 minute walk). I went back to CVS and asked if I left it there...nope. I checked my purse....nothing.

Enter angel #1:

Bekka
I went back to my office and immediately called Bekka (she was on her way from work to my house to watch America's Next Top Model with me). I told her the situation and we decided to meet at a T station. After much deliberation we decided to get some food to make and head to her house (she lives close to the station). After providing me with warmth, food, entertainment, and warm socks, Bekka gave me money for the T and Bus so I could get home.

I got to Sullivan Station (where I normally catch the bus home) close to 11 pm. I was waiting and waiting and waiting for the bus, freezing my butt off and wondering what time my bus stopped running (I had never attempted to catch it this late and there were no schedules available). There was another bus at the station that had been there when I arrived (this was the second time it had showed up), it said (town) via Broadway. I live off of Broadway, and somehow I decided this bus would take me near home, and I was so confident that I didn't even check with the driver.

And of course, it went the opposite direction (didn't think of THAT possibility, did you Melanie?). I walked up to the driver and asked him for a transfer and to let me off at the next stop. So I got off the bus in the freezing cold and walked to the bus stop on the other side of the street. It wasn't long before I decided that since it was 11:20 pm I had very little chance of catching a bus back to Sullivan and then another bus to my house.

Enter angel #2:
Molly 
I decided since I had no money, my only option was to call a friend with a car, but who to call? I tried my roommate first, but she did not answer. I thought about calling my ex, Cameron, but I didn't think she would answer either. So I called Molly, and sure enough she answered. She told me that she had been drinking, and then I panicked, but she came up with the perfect plan. I flagged down a cab, took it to her apartment, she came out and gave the cabbie $20 and I took the cab home- the whole trip including tip was exactly $20.

I do not know WHAT I would have done without my two angels. Both times I was stranded, with no money, no way to get money, insufficient clothes for the cold weather, and too long of a walk in heels for walking to be an option. I honestly do not know what I could have possibly done with out the help of my friends. It is a scary feeling to be so incapable of helping yourself, but it is so comforting to know that when I am defenseless my friends will always be there to help me.

Morals of the story:

Always be there for your friends
Leave an emergency cash stash in your office
Leave an emergency cash stash at your house
Follow your strong instincts (if I had tried to give money to that woman I would have notice my wallet was missing sooner). Unless your instincts have to do with buses, because as my friend Anastasia once said, and in the words of my crazy friend Corrie: "Buses, they do what they WANT".
The winter is cold and lonely, do something to help those in need

WELCOME, now let's get to work....

So you may have noticed that I have been MIA for the last couple of weeks. That is because two days into my new job at the Department of Public Health, Division of Perinatal, Early Childhood and Special Needs Health, as a Program Coordinator (try saying that 10 times fast), I was told that we had a grant application due the following Friday.

I was one of three people who were wholly consumed by the "Healthy Weight in Perinatal Women Project" grant application. Everyday my supervisor would come to me to add 5 more things to the list of things I still hadn't accomplished to ensure that the grant got out the door safe and sound. I went from grading sophomore history papers to "editing" a narrative written by an adult woman. It was wonderful!

I think I may be a workaholic of sorts because now that the application is out (we mailed it off 2 minutes before the deadline) there is a lot less for me to do and I am less excited to go to work everyday. But, it means I have time to update my blog (if anyone still bothers stopping by to see if I've actually written). Oh man, I have some good things stored up in my noggin!

Addendums

On my Harriet Miers Post I meant to add that to find the picture of Bush I used for my pin I googled "Bush + Monkey".

Anastasia feels that by calling her a "cute visitor" I made her sound like an elf. Since she is not an elf I have decided that "sexy visitor" is more appropriate.

The Stephanie Miller Show

Sometimes I am lucky enough to have a very cute visitor for a sleep over. This visitor works very close to my house and doesn't have to be in to work until 9 am, so consequently I end up leaving for work MUCH later than usual (I usually leave at 7:20 to arrive by 8 am).

These are always good mornings for me, for two reasons: 1) I get a kiss goodbye. 2) I get to listen to The Stephanie Miller Show. I have been listening to the Stephanie Miller Show for a few months, since I started listening to Air America Radio. She is on, at least in the Boston area, starting at 9 am, if you get a chance you should listen in- it's really funny.

Anyway, I was listening on Monday and she played an "American Idiot Montage" including sound clips of Bill O'Reilly and Pat Robertson making frightening comments last week, and for added flair she included the terrible comment Bill Bennett made a while ago. She announced that the clip would be available on her website. You must must must click on the link and listen, it is sooooo good and scary!

As an added bonus, while on her website, I discovered that Stephanie Miller is hot! So now when I am driving I get to imagine her speaking, and the experience is just that much better.

Politics and Anarchists

That title makes this post look more interesting than it is.

This was my costume this Halloween (I know Halloween was weeks ago, I kept forgetting to bring my cord into work to transfer the pictures).

I went to two Halloween parties, one was at a gay club, the other was at a friend's house. I purposely did not wear this costume to the club because I thought it would not go well (I was the faux French D.E.B instead....if you have not seen D.E.B.S go see it right now! More on that later).

I got all dressed up on Saturday night, excited about my totally fun costume. I entered the party and within minutes realized my folly. Most of the attendees were Angela's (party thrower) boyfriend's, Anarchist co-op mates (did you follow that?). Basically most of the people there were Anarchists, and Anarchists don't pay particular attention to politics because they see it as obsolete (or something). Because of this only one person in the whole party recognized who I was. He came up to me and told me he liked my costume, "Very topical". It made me happy, but I wish more people had known.

Another strange thing about the reaction to my costume is that I kept getting hit on. I was supposed to be Harriet Miers (there yah go) for christ's sake! I was trying to look frumpy!

Anyway, this post was just an excuse to put my Halloween costume on my blog since most people didn't see it and I was very proud of it.

Comments

So I don't know how many regular readers I have. I am guessing that the number is somewhere around 6 or 7. And of that handful of readers I think only one actually has a blog (and a great one to boot), so I thought I would inform you all of a blog writing fact. Comments are very very important to blog writers. It is cool to see the numbers your stat counter gives you and know that people are reading your blog, but it is really important to know what they are thinking.

When no one comments on your blog you begin to question how good/ interesting/ worth while it is. My friend claire's blog gets tons of comments (click link above to read), because it is genuinely good. My blog on the other hand only has one comment on the whole page, and it is my cute friend Leilani just saying hi.

A few weeks ago my blog was getting pretty regular comments and I was feeling fairly good about it, but now I hear crickets every time I look at my page. Is anyone out there? If you are, please consider posting a comment....you can post a comment anytime one of my posts means anything to you or makes you think of anything. Claire has readers that post very regularly and it is always interesting to read what they have to say.

So be kind, post a comment next time you think of one...

Sorry about the shameless plug!

Field trip

If you live in the Boston area you should make your way to the DeCordova sculpture park and museum.

My sexy artist friend Anastasia took me on a feild trip there on Saturday. The park is tucked away in the hills of Lincoln Mass, and the beautiful winding drive through quaint wooded countryside (reminiscent of the drive from MHC to Smith) is just long enough to get you mentally and phsycially out of the city and ready to relax and take in the art.

The park itself was magnificent, and being led by an actual sculptor made it even better. The park had everything from a tree with eyeballs, to a Trojan Pig (which prompted some fun Monty Python quoting) to an archway made of tires. And almost as exciting as the art were them children everywhere, running around giddy and genuinely excited about the experience.

After it got dark we went in the cute gift store and talked dreamily about the day when we could afford to buy lots of cool stuff to decorate our house with (that last statement made it sound like we are talking about moving in....we're not, we may be lesbians but there are no Uhauls in site!).
All in all it was a great trip, and we didn't even get a chance to check out the indoor photography exhibits, so we are definitely going back.

Below are some of my favorite sculptures:

Spiral in Flux, 1999, Caroline Blessing Bowne Court

Pine Sharks, 1997, Kitty Wales

Two Big Black Hearts, 1985, Jim Dine.

I am tempted to take these pictures off because none of them even comes close to experiencing these sculptures in person. So it's decided, you have to go!

It's time to play "Find the Lesbian"

Contestant #1 Contestant #2

Information about Contestant #1: On any given Friday night you can find her wearing cargo pants and a flannel shirt.

Information about Contestant #2: On any given Friday night you can find her wearing a tight shirt and tight jeans.

Which one is a homo?....cast your votes!

Revealing factor about Contestant #1: She can be found cuddling and kissing her bearded boyfriend whilst wearing said outfit.

Revealing factor about Contestant #2: She can be found at a gay club, dancing and making out with women whilst wearing said outfit.

************************************************************************************

On Sunday night my roommate had a boy over, she had informed him that one of her roommates was gay.

On Sunday night I (contestant #2) had a girl over (a very cute one).

We (and contestant #1...the other roommate) all sat together watching football. Anastasia (the girl) and I sat on a single seating recliner, together. We were cuddly and holding hands and such. Anastasia has a faux hawk (a haircut recognized by many as decidedly gay). Anastasia made a comment about picking up chicks on her scooter (thus confirming her gay status). We both left and headed up stairs to go to bed...

The next morning my roommate informed me that her boy (Rex) said, "So, Emily (Contestant #1) is the gay one, right?" When she informed him that in fact, it was the roommate who was cuddling with a lesbian that was gay, he was taken aback and made a comment about how pretty I am.

So, apparently lesbians are not pretty...for one thing, AND I am so decidedly straight looking that even sitting in the lap of and cuddling with a girl who has been established as a lesbian is STILL not enough to make me appear to be gay...

Sometimes stereotypes fail people... They are built on something, but they certainly do NOT hold up for everyone. How much proof do you need before you can let go of your preconceived notions and open up your mind to the fact that everything you have ever been told (by other people that do not know) could possibly not be true all of the time for every person.

....AND, I am stepping down from my soap box....

The Lesbian Drama Scene

You might have noticed that I have been M.I.A for a while, or if I did update it was very boring. That is because I have been fully sucked into the lesbian drama scene in Boston, and trust me, there is SO much drama.

Last week I made a chart for my girlfriends from high school to help keep them abreast of my life (just the previous two weeks) it is so complicated that I felt they needed an actual map to help them keep up. If you would like to see said map, shoot me an e-mail at hyperextendedjoints@yahoo.com (side note: I just made that account and somehow I accidentally set the language as Spanish- I am definitely leaving it)...

Drama: I have come to learn that a circle of lesbian friends is a breeding ground for drama, the reason for this is obvious to me, but maybe it is not for you. When you're a lesbian (I use that word more and more lately, even though I usually refer to myself as gay) there is a great chance that your group of buddies includes people that you are interested in dating or are possibly interested in dating you. Because of this, tons of drama ensues. In lesbian relationships there are no boundaries like there are in straight relationships. Generally if a man and woman are friends people always assume there might be something there:

"Harry Burns: no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally Albright: So, you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry Burns: No. You pretty much want to nail 'em too.
Sally Albright: What if THEY don't want to have sex with YOU?
Harry Burns: Doesn't matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story." (When Harry Met Sally, Act I, scene 5)

(I just treated that like a supporting quote in a research paper...sometimes I think im witty...but not really) So, I don't know about the whole unable to be friends thing, but, there is certainly always that sexual element there. With lesbians that is the case with all their relationships, and by that line of reasoning lesbians can only really be friends with gay men. Now with my friends from college there are pretty set boundaries that everyone pretty much understands. But on my football team, we're all just getting to know each other, so it is basically a free for all and drama abounds.

The whole friends and lovers are one and the same thing also complicates the lesbian break-up a lot. When lesbians break up they loose so much, because it is inevitable that your partner has become your best friend. I know this happens with men and women too and I try not to speculate about things I do not have experience with, but I generally think it is more severe in the lesbian relationship.

This is another hurdle I am in the process of dealing with, how to become just friends with my ex... (Because she became my bestfriend and when we broke up I didn't really know what to do with myself for a while.) We talk a lot, she calls me every morning, but have we become friends? Not sure. Will I always hurt a little when I think of us and what happened during our year together? Will her current (who she cheated on with me) ever be able to accept our friendship? If I can ever spend time with the two of them, will it hurt me? I am hopeful that things will work out in the end...I'll keep you posted.


(I am not sure how good this post was...might have been hard to follow...I think my head has just been so full of all this drama that I have a hard time focusing on anything else)

The Lesbian Drama Crew

Which Rovey?

The other day I was thinking to myself: "Rovey's going down" and just as I thought it I realized that it represented to real possibilities, one great and one frightening:

1) Karl Rove, turd blossom, gets indicted
2) Roe v. (Wade) is overturned

...man, I am so excited about number one...and so frightened about #2...Harriet, I don't know how you would have voted, but I am afraid of who they will dig up in your place.....

Commercial Break

This is a raised sugar donut. It is not a powdered sugar donut...raised sugar, granules. It is my
favorite type of donut, so when I ask you to grab one for me, don't look at my weird. There was a box of Krispy Creams in the kitchen and I got the only sugar donut because I was there when the box arrived. WOO!

Next time you get a chance try one...they are good.

Internet Radio

I found an AMAZING internet radio station!

Accuradio

They have categories you can choose from including:

Classic Rocktober
A Flock of Eighties
Listening Post (discover new rock)
Celtic
Brit Rock
Twang
Broadway
Piano Jazz
High Fidelity (Indie Rock)

And on top of having such awesome options, they also give you info about the song that is playing: Song name, band name, album title, year, and a picture of the cover. AND you can skip songs, and you can click off on artists you DON'T want to hear songs from. AWESOME.

I am listening to Classic Rocktober, and learning more about bands that I have been trying to familiarize myself with for a while. Seriously, if you enjoy the luxury of listening to web radio then you should click on the link (I have already added it to my favorites!)

Friends with benefits?

Are friends with benefits ever really friends? Can you really go back to seeing someone as a friend after you have had sex with them, after you have become privy to information that only a select group of people know.

How can you look at them without thinking about what they look or feel like naked? Or talk with them without thinking about the noises they made?

What do you think? Can you go back to being friends after having sex?

(yes I do realize that last sentence sounded like a poor excuse for the end of a "sex and the city" column)

Whatcha gonna do wit all that breast...

...all that breast inside that shirt? I'm gonna make make make you work. Make you work work, make you work.

If you have seen me since yesterday you know that I was watching the My Humps video non-stop yesterday at work. Every time I finish I project I watch it as a treat.

You have to click on the link and watch the video and you HAVE to pay attention to what Fergie does during the red "works" in the lyrics above. And then look at Fergie's and will.i.am's facial expressions.

other great moments to watch for:

1. Every time will.i.am goes "Ohhh" after they say "she's got me spendin'"
2. The dance move the girls do when they say "Make you scream, make you scream."
3. The dance moves during the "Imma start some drama, you don't want no drama." part...Fergie looks really silly.
4. The way Fergie sticks out her butt when she says, "And move my hump."
5. The way Fergie sticks her chest out when she says, "In the front" and the facial expression she makes.
6. After #5, the dance move will.i.am does during his "Ohhh"
7. All the random and amazing stuff that goes on during the breathing part
8. Finally, the little chuckle Fergie gives at the end.


what's that you say? I am spending too much time watching this video...yes, that's true, but it's not gonna stop me from watching it at least 5 more times, and wishing that Toast wasn't retro so they would play the song and I could bust out my moves tonight!

Fighting Irish

This is my flag football team, The Fighting Irish. We won our first game this past weekend! WOOHOO!

I lost my position as running back and am now officially an outside linebacker. (Yes, that is a big kid position, and yes, as Cam pointed out, I am the smallest person on the team). The top picture is of the Defense...my new team. See the woman in the white in the back center? She is who I was up against most of the time (thats my head poking out in the back). That woman is twice my size and I did such a good job shutting her out on one play that she gave me a disgruntled shove after the play was over. GRRR...I am tough!

I love my team, we all hug every time we leave each other. Lesbians playing football and hugging, so cute!

It's just head...

So Jerry just cited a study done by the CDC surveying 13,000 teenagers across the US, and they reported that 50% of teenagers have had oral sex by age 17.

He pointed out what my generation grew up believing: "that oral sex isn't a big deal, it's not like it's sex... you don't even need to be in a relationship...no body's going to get pregnant."

He then went on to say that when he was young oral sex was considered a bigger deal than sex..."You could have sex, but if you got to oral sex, then you were really intimate, then you were really serious."

I agree with that, there is a really intimacy with oral sex that doesn't have to be present during non-oral sex (I may be gay but I have had sex with a man)...you can detach from sex much easier (that's why I was able to do it). But I have to admit, when thinking about other people, say my high school students, I wouldn't be as worried to hear they were having oral sex, because "it's not as big of a deal"...that is just the idea that has been socialized into me, and it is hard to overcome that.

(...this post got too personal...but I'm going to leave it...)

What needs to be done to reinstate this idea of oral sex actually being a big deal?

Our intelligent president

I just heard this clip on Springer on the radio (yes im listening to Air America while I work):

"We have a saying in Texas, they may have it other places...It goes: 'Fool me once, shame on...on you. Fool me twice...uh...you can't fool me again." ~George W.

...WOW!...I agree with Harriet Miers, "The president is the smartest man I've ever met!"


....um....if I were her ex husband, or a man who had ever met her, I would be really insulted!

Some good quotes

Here are some good quotes that I have heard in the last week:

"Democrats need to quit complaining that Hillary Clinton can't win the presidency and just get behind her! I am tired of it! If the democrats would just get behind her she could win, of course she could!" (paraphrased) Ed Schultz

"When we make mistakes we say, 'How fascinating. How fascinating'." Benjamin Zander (founder and conductor- Boston Philharmonic) after realizing the mic he was speaking into was turned off.

"I am a non-practicing, non-believing Catholic" Peter Mansaeu, author of "Vows : The Story of a Priest, a Nun, and Their Son"

"Looks like Miers is gonna get the boot...I am just scared to see who they're gonna dig up in her place!"(paraphrased) Mark Reily of Morning Sedition (which is the best name ever for a progressive radio show!)... finally someone else is voicing my big fear! I mean, it is the conservatives that are raising the biggest stink about Miers because they don't think she is conservative enough! So you know they are going to dig up a very obviously conservative slanted judge in her place!

That last post was like a spelling bee, because I began it and ended it with the same word.

Antsy

Something is making me very antsy. Here are the possible causes of my antsyness:

1. It is Friday.
2. I have really fun and exciting plans for tonight
3. I have already had two cups of coffee today (I rarely drink coffee).
e. All of the Above

...I do realize that I switched from numbers to letters, it just felt like a multiple choice scantron test, didn't you hate it when "all of the above" or "none of the above" were ALWAYS an option?

another tangent: I had an assistant coach my senior year in college, Roni (everyone thought she was soo hot), and she used to always say, "1st of all....b of all....c of all"...it always made me chuckle.


go clock go... go go go....GOOOOOOOOOOO!

antsy

Idle no more...

I think someone at the office must have found my blog. Ever since I posted that I had time to update in the office they have been giving me non-stop projects. But it is good, I am a true American- I live to work. Even though the tasks are mundane, having a reason to get up in the morning and a way to be productive is really good for my mental health. I actually enjoy coming here everyday.

Last night at India Quality my friend Bekka said that people really just need structure to their day, and I totally agree. It made me think about unemployment, I guess I have always focused on the psychological stress of not having money, not being able to provide for yourself and/or your family. But there is also the psychological pain of not having structure to your day, not having some place you are expected to be, some way that you are expected to be productive. It makes you think with the unusually high unemployment rates in our country, how come more psychologically tormented people aren't using their pain as a catalyst to rise up against our incompetent leader who not only hasn't been helping find solutions to the problem but is clearly a huge part of the problem! (wow that sentence was a terrible run-on wasn't it?)

I should stop now...

I need my moment of Zen

The daily show has been showing reruns all week, and it is making me really sad. I do get my news in other ways- the paper, democracy now, wonkette (thanks claire), other peoples blogs, but I must say Jon Stewart is my favorite place to get the news. Although I could watch Jon's impersonation of George W everyday, it is sooo awesome! "eh heh heh heh...."

Ha..ha..ha..ha..HAPPY BIRTHDAY

This is Priscilla. She is amazing, and adventurous, and crazy, and UBER stylish (clearly), and
today is her 23rd birthday. She has joined the rest of us in our last year before we hit MID twenties! Priscilla posted a comment on my Chaz Tenenbaum...post, so check it out to get a first hand insight as to what she is like.

Here is some information for you:

• When we got our star tattoos Priscilla got one that could fit inside of the rest of ours because her father threatened that he would stop paying her tuition if she ever got a tat.
• Her voice message on her cell is sexy and sultry and she never says her name.
• We have dubbed her the "Samantha" of our group of four. (I know what you're thinking and that's not why, but it would be fine if it was ;))
• She is Romanian
• She lived in Spain during the summer and is going back soon.
• The night after she wore this outfit she wore a shirt that scooped down to her naval and she had to tape it to herself, but not before Adrian, Lindsay's boyfriend, saw her tit!
• She has a thing for barrel chested men.
• She is completely WILD and random, and amazing and I am proud that I can call her my friend!

I Love You P! Hope your birthday is amazing!

Alia my fashion consultant

As promised, this is Alia (the one on the left, the one on the right is Suad). I don't have a picture of Lori which is sad because she has really awsome style.

Chaz Tenenbaum took his lunch at his desk...

Is it weird to sit in your sparsely decorated gray cubicle eating lunch and updating your blog?

It is only my second day here at Insulet and I don't really have any friends or anything- not that it's a big deal since I will only be here 3 or 4 weeks. I think most of the people working here are considerably older than me, the receptionist is around my age and very nice, but I don't want to go up to her desk and ask what she is doing for lunch.

I brought a bag of lunch supplies with me because I didn't have time to make my lunch this morning. Is it weird that I have a shopping bag with a loaf of bread, a safflower mayonnaise jar, mustard jar, package of turkey slices and a package of provolone slices in the office fridge? I have never worked in an office before so I don't know, do people do that? It makes sense to me, but so did putting my produce in the freezer in order to preserve it (just in case you are dense like me, here is a warning: NEVER PUT YOUR FRESH PRODUCE IN THE FREEZER, it doesn't preserve it, it kills it!). Maybe I should change the name of this blog to: "The True Adventures of a SoCalGal Living on Her Own for the First Time". What do you think? Too long? Trying to be funny but not succeeding? Anyway, I digress, what do you think about my office lunch supply? Is it weird? I need help with these things. Either way I am leaving my stash here for the week.

Speaking of things I need to know: I am not blessed with the ability to color coordinate. Is this yet another deficiency that I can blame on my mother, or was I born lacking this ability? Right now I am wearing a light tan/khaki colored shirt, forest green cords, and talc blue shoes with tan/khaki colored stripes. What do you think? Do I match? Maybe I will start planning my outfits the night before, then if color coordination is in question I will snap a digital pic, upload it onto my blog, and ask you, my readers, to tell me if it works.

Last year I lived with the people I worked with (very long story, maybe I will share it here some day). Anyway, whenever I had a color coordination issue I would step outside my room and find one of my fashion consultants: Alia and Lori (I will try to find a picture of them to upload after work- such stylish ladies!). I would ask them if I matched or I would run through my shoe options and ask what would work best. The shoes are usually where things go south for me, I can figure out how to match the top and the bottom, but the shoes, ugh! In the past my solution was to have such a plethora ("would you say I have a plethora of pinatas"...there's a prize for the first person who can name that quote!) of shoes to choose from that it was not a problem, but unfortunately during my move from MHC I lost a box with all of my favorite shoes! Thinking about it still makes me cry at night.

Anyway, it seems I have updated my half hour lunch away. More updates later when the inevitable happens and they run out of things for me to do.

Check out my new counter at the bottom...it gives me all sorts of nifty stats- more on that later!

Girls

I need to relax...if you see me tell me to get a grip!

Headlines

These are the top three headlines from Democracy Now:

- Pakistan Death Toll Tops 42,000
- Over 2,000 Feared Dead In Guatemala from Mudslides
- Car Bombings Kill Dozens in Iraq

...so much death and distruction. I am having a hard time processing all of this...

Live From the Cubicle

First of all, I have decided that my previous print size was too small. My blog is boring enough as it is, I don't need to make it difficult to read to discourage people from reading it.

I am now getting the first taste of what my good buddy Claire does all the time. I am updating my blog during work. As I type I am sitting in my own little gray cubicle in the Insulet building in the middle of suburban Massachusetts. My job so far is to enter data, scan sheets and upload, name and save said sheets. Images of Dilbert comics keep running through my mind...

Things I have decided/ observed:

1. I need to decorate my cubicle (I will be here 3-4 weeks...that's long enough right?)
2. 7 or 8 men in the office have a "weight loss pool" going on (I will describe this more below)
3. While in the bathroom the idea of doing coke while in the office flashed through my mind.
a. no, I have never snorted coke (long story), but I could understand how someone
doing a mundane data entry job like mine would want to.
4. I like the power that my access card (which is clipped to me and has a zippy string) gives me.
5. Fall in New England is cold but gorgeous
a. since this is my 6th year out here I already new that, but I was just reminded
6. I have noticed some people wearing jeans...nice jeans + nice shirt= dressy cas.?

The weight loss pool

Dear readers, it has happened again, I have written a detailed account of something, and then pressed spell check only to have my changes disappear due to a pop-up blocker. This is at least the third time this has happened to me, you'd think I'd have learned by now! Anyway here is the gist:

• men, no women, just men in a weight loss pool
• participants are weighed weekly
• for each pound lost you are paid one dollar by each of the other participants
• if you gain weight you pay each participant $2
• you must pay $50 for early evacuation from the pool
• there is no consideration for percentage of body weight lost (big guys and small guys get paid the same for each pound lost)
• some guy was upset and having a fit about his less than pound weight loss not counting since he was small to begin with....if he was small to begin with why did he enter the pool? (my guess is it was peer pressure, like when the "cool kids" tried to get you to smoke cigarettes in Jr. High!)
• I appreciate men complaining to each other about their weight loss problems
• of course men found a way to make weight loss a competitive sport!

In Celebration of Mass Genocide?

I know that this is no longer a radical or unusual thing to say but: Why do I not have work today? Why does my daily organizer say Columbus Day? Why are we still celebrating today as a holiday?

I suppose an argument could be made as to why today can be celebrated, we are here and Columbus is the person who sparked European interest to go West. Regardless of whether it should be celebrated or not, the devastating affect that Columbus, the conquistadors, and the multitude of early settlers had on the natives and the land should not go unmentioned and should receive at least equal reflection.

A few things: It is queer to name Columbus the discoverer of the New World when he himself died thinking he had reached Asia, and had no idea that he in fact had reached a land mass relatively unknown in Europe. Columbus has even less to do with the discovery of what today is the USA, since he only ever set foot on the islands of the Caribbean. I believe Ponce de Leon was the first of the conquistadors to "discoverer" North America- he landed on Florida in 1513.

The following are excerpts from the first chapter of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States", it's a great book and it reads like a novel. Columbus' contribution to the world:

"...They found no gold fields, but had to fill up the ships returning to Spain with some kind of dividend. In the year 1495 (this was during Columbus' second voyage), they went on a great slave raid, rounded up fifteen hundred Arawak men, women, and children, put them in pens guarded by Spaniards and dogs, then picked the five hundred best specimens to load onto ships. Of those five hundred, two hundred died en route..."

"But too many of the slaves died in captivity. And so Columbus, desperate to pay back dividends to those who had invested, had to make good his promise to fill the ships with gold. In the province of Cicao on Haiti, where he and his men imagined huge gold fields to exist, they ordered all persons fourteen years or older to collect a certain quantity of gold every three months. When they brought it, they were given copper tokens to hang around their necks. Indians without a copper token had their hands cut off and bled to death.

The Indians had been given an impossible task. The only gold around was bits of dust garnered from the streams. So they fled, were hunted down with dogs, and were killed."

"...Among the Arawaks, mass suicides began, with cassava poison. Infants were killed to save them from the Spaniards. In two years, through murder, mutilation, or suicide, half of the 250,000 Indians on Haiti were dead."

And that was just the beginning...in total Columbus and his men are believed to have been responsible for the death of up to 3 million (some say 8) Natives and the complete genocide of the Arawaks. The Arawaks were a people who swam out to meet the Santa Maria, showering its captain and crew with gifts, but to their great demise one of those gifts was made of gold.

Howard Zinn concludes his chapter:

"Was all this bloodshed and deceit...a necessity for the human race to progress from savagery to civilization?...Perhaps an argument can be made- as it was made by Stalin when he killed peasants for industrial progress in the Soviet Union, as it was made by Churchill explaining the bombings of Dresden and Hamburg, and Truman explaining Hiroshima. But how can the judgment be made if the benefits and losses cannot be balanced because the losses are either unmentioned or mention quickly?

That quick disposal might be acceptable ("Unfortunate, yes, but it had to be done") to the middle and upper classes of the conquering and "advanced" countries. But is it acceptable to the poor of Asia, Africa, Latin America, or to the prisoners in Soviet labor camps, or the blacks in urban ghettos, or the Indians on reservations- to the victims of that progress which benefits a privileged minority in the world?...And even the privileged minority- must it not reconsider, with that practicality which even privilege cannot abolish, the value of its privileges, when they become threatened by the anger of the sacrificed, whether in organized rebellion, unorganized riot, or simply those brutal individual acts of desperation labeled crimes by law and the state?

If there are necessary sacrifices to be made for human progress, is it not essential to hold to the principle that those to be sacrificed must make the decision themselves?..."

"Beyond all that, how certain are we that what was destroyed was inferior? Who were these people who came out on the beach and swam to bring presents to Columbus and his crew..."

"...Before the arrival of the European explorers, they were using irrigation canals, dams, were doing ceramics, weaving baskets, making cloth out of cotton."

"...The concept of private ownership of land and homes was foreign to the Iroquois (a nation of five separate tribes who lived in present day New York)...'No poorhouses are needed among them, because they are neither mendicants nor paupers....Their kindness, humanity and courtesy not only makes them liberal with what they have, but causes them to posses hardly anything except in common.

Women were important and respected in Iroquois society. Families were matrilinear...When a woman wanted a divorce, she set her husband's things outside the door."

"...The senior women in the village named the men who represented the clans at village and tribal councils. They also named the forty-nine chiefs who were the ruling council for the Five Nation confederacy of the Iroquois. The women attended the clan meetings, stood behind the circle of men who spoke and voted, and removed the men from office if they strayed too far from the wishes of the women."

"Children in Iroquois society, while taught the cultural heritage of their people and solidarity with the tribe, were also taught to be independent, not to submit to overbearing authority. They were taught equality in status and the sharing of possessions. "

"So Columbus and his successors were not coming into an empty wilderness, but into a world which in some places was as densely populated as Europe itself, where the culture was complex, where human relations were more egalitarian than in Europe, and where the relations among men, women, children and nature were more beautifully worked out than perhaps any place in the world."

"...They paid careful attention to the development of personality, intensity of will, independence and flexibility, passion and potency, to their partnership with one another and with nature. "

*****************************************************************************

That was a little longer than I intended, but I really love this book, and it sums up a lot of the most interesting works I read in college. I really believe in everything that I copied down here and the telling of these stories is why I think I want to teach history.

So, as you "celebrate" (read: sit on your couch watching TV instead of at your desk in front of a computer screen) today keep in mind what the real celebration is about. Never forget to question all that you have been taught. Just because this type of history isn't as buried as it used to be, doesn't mean that we should stop talking about it. I know it sounds risky or corney, but try mentioning the truth about today to someone else...word of mouth can be very powerful.

WE REJECT SIN

Since my mother is working on accepting me and understanding my lifestyle, I figure I should work on accepting and understanding her lifestyle: I went to mass today.

Today at 5:40 I left my apartment to attend Catholic mass at the Paulist Center. Since I decided to actively reject my Catholic up brining three years ago I have attended mass a handful of times. This was the first time in three years that I actually participated in the mass, I spoke the parts, took the host and wine, used the holy water...everything.

It felt good to be there, to be doing something for my mother and for myself. It is a pretty liberal church, it has a Lesbian, Gay, and Friends group that meets after mass, they never refer to God as "He", there were songs in Spanish, a song that referred to hearing a God rather than our God or the God. The priest took time to mention that 10% of the collection was going to a house for women and children who were victims of domestic violence.

There were some parts I had trouble swallowing. A child was baptized during the mass and the congregation sang things about rejecting sin and believing in God and Jesus...I didn't sing these parts and felt a little like I was being yelled at. I suppose if it was entirely easy it wouldn't be making a sacrifice for my mother, which was my main point in being there.

At the end of the mass the priest asked all new people to stand, and since the congregation seemed small and tight knit (thus I was probably already recognized as an outsider) I stood. There was a number of "new people" and the congregation clapped to welcome us. So I have decided that as a sign of respect and gratitude for my mother's willingness to work on accepting who I am I will continue to go to the Paulist Center whenever I can for mass. That is until I find a good Unitarian church to be involved in- even though the service was welcoming and the church is very liberal I still have problems with all the dogma and the long and sordid history that comes with Catholicism.

Solidarity Sunday

This is my beautiful, youthful, strong, loving mother.
The other day she wrote me an e-mail to let me know that today is called Solidarity Sunday.
Solidarity Sunday is a faith-based anti- gay violence initiative. She told me she is going to wear a rainbow ribbon to church today in support of me and my friends. She is not really ready to talk to me about my sexuality or my relationships, but she is trying, and praying about it. It is unfortunate that something that is so wonderful for me has to be so hard for her, but I am really proud of how well she has responded. I am ashamed and proud to have found out that my mother is a stronger and more accepting person than I ever gave her credit for.

It's unfortunate that we still live in an unaccepting society and that we still have so far to go, but we have come far and hopefully one day things will be much better. Maybe there will never be full acceptance but I do believe that things will get much better!

That's not my bag baby!

This is an awsome saying and more people need to use it.

Today at Costco one of the old women, we're talking like 70s, said, "Oh nah, I don't want the chili dogs, that's not my bag."

...let's all make a concerted effort to use this phrase more!

Spring Bloom

I know this isn't the right season, but this is how I've been feeling all day:

These are the days that you'll remember
Never before and never since, I promise, will the whole world be warm as this.
And as you feel it, you’ll know it’s true that you are blessed and lucky.
It’s true that you are touched by something that will grow and bloom in you.

These are days you’ll remember.
When may is rushing over you with desire to be part of the miracles you see in every hour.
You’ll know it’s true that you are blessed and lucky.
It’s true that you are touched by something that will grow and bloom in you.

These are days.
These are the days you might fill with laughter until you break.
These days you might feel a shaft of light make it’s way across your face.
And when you do you’ll know how it was meant to be.
See the signs and know their meaning.
It’s true, you’ll know how it was meant to be.
Hear the signs and know they’re speaking to you, to you.
************************************************************************************
Things are all coming together for me, and the world feels so full of possibility!

Sit Down Captain Crunch!

WOOT WOOT Way to be Angels!!! I stayed up way past my bed time to watch this game, and I'll pay for it tomorrow.

I'll be wearing my 2002 Championship shirt out to the clubs tomorrow.

Pictured above is the man of the game: Chone Figgins. Did everyone see his diving catch in the 4th (?). Now that's what I call not having a defeatist attitude. Oh man oh man, a center fielder after my own heart!

Queereoke

Last night after football practice I went out with my team to a bar where "Queereoke" was being held. Yes, it was as much fun as it sounds! We all decided (it wasn't the whole team- I think there were like 6 of us) to sing a song together, and I foolishly mentioned that I thought "Sweet Caroline" would make a good kareoke song. Just in case you were wondering- "Sweet Caroline" is NOT a good kareoke song, the chorus is too high and the song is too slow. But we had fun and that's what counts.

A little later when the bar had gotten more full, the "DJ" decided to sing "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. He was massacring the words and I was singing along and complaining. Linda told me that I should go up and join in, but I just shook off her suggestion. Then he said it, "Anyone who wants to come up and take over for me is welcome." So, with a couple beers in me, I shakily got up and took the stage. The song was only a fourth of the way through so I had a ways to go. Then something amazing happened, people stopped what they were doing and paid attention, and cheered me on, and sang with me- I am not ashamed to admit that I did a good job, and it was really fun. Afterward my teammates all congratulated me and told me I had a good voice and such. Then something weird happened.

Random girls started coming up to me to tell me I had a good voice. Keep in mind that I had come from football practice- I looked grubby, bag shirt and sweat pants with hair pulled back in a frizzy half pony. But somehow, despite my appearance i was being hit on more than I am accustomed to, and one of these girls was relentlessly throwing looks my way.

So if you ever find yourself at a kareoke bar trying to impress the ladies- Billy Joel is where it's at.

And if you find yourself in JP (Jamaica Plaine Massachusetts) on a Thursday night go over to the Midway....it's a wicked good time!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday....FOOTBALL!

The Fighting Irish (us) vs. Jeanie Johnston, part of the Boston Women's Flag Football Leauge. That's me in the bright blue shorts with the 9 on my shirt. If you have never played on a team sport you should try it. It keeps me sane to know that I have practice coming up and a reason to exercise and get in good shape. Plus I have met a group of amazing women that I love to hang out and talk with. No wonder all those studies show that being involved in sports keeps kids away from drugs and such. Team sports have always been a part of my life and I guess now I realize that they always will.

Three posts in one day! Can you tell how much I missed my blog?

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

If, like me, you are from a baseball loving Orange County family you are excited about the Angeles being in the American League playoffs. What I am not excited about is the perpetuation of the myth that Orange County is in fact just an extension of Los Angeles. Three years ago the Angeles won the world series as the Anaheim Angeles- ANAHEIM, it's in Orange County, it's where Disneyland is, it is NOT a part of Los Angeles County. Now, due to the marketability of "Los Angeles" their name has been changed to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Every time I see the score of and Angeles game go by under the title LAA I wonder, "What baseball team is in Louisiana?" Now if I saw LAD I would know it was referring to the LA Dodgers. To tell the truth I am more of a Dodgers fan than an Angeles fan, but it is not because they are from exotic LA, it's because I grew up in an Los Angeles County family with a grandmother who loved Tommy Lasorda- I too love Tommy and miss him.

Point being: LA is a city in Los Angeles County which is the county directly North of Orange County where Anaheim is. They are in fact two separate counties. I am tired of saying I am from Orange County and having people respond, "Oh, so LA"...I would rather they say, "Like the O.C.", because that (albeit sad) is a lot more accurate!

Kali- what the heck would we do without the internet- Down

So a few months back I was googling my then girlfriend's ex-girlfriend (we have since broken up and she is back together with said ex) Kali, and I stumbled onto her marathon page. She had already completed the Boston Marathon (I can't even imagine!) but had been unsuccessful in meeting her projected fundraising goal. After reading her little blurb I was inspired to donate and believed that hitting anonymous meant that she would not realize who the donation came from. I was shocked to learn that my donation was anonymous to everyone except her! Of course she found my out of the blue donation very unsettling and called Cameron. She eventually settled down, decided that the only fitting course of action was to google me and then promptly e-mailed me about it. Her e-mail was kind and we went back and fourth a bit, anyway, this is all to highlight how she signed off on the last e-mail: "kali- what the heck did people do before the internet?- down".

In my return e-mail to Kali I signed off as: "melanie- there was a time before internet?- lafav". I started thinking about how attached I was to the internet and other new fandangled comforts like my cell phone. For a while I lamented this attachment and wished that I was not so dependent on all this technology. After spending a week "without" internet I have changed my mind!

Without is in quotes because its not like I went to a remote village in Mali like my amazing friend Neda who has been working with the Peace Corps for over a year. No, by without I mean that due to billing problems I was unable to access the internet in the comfort of my own home. This fact stressed me out beyond all belief. Everyday I woke up wishing that I could check my e-mail to see if some far off loved one had e-mailed about their life, or more important if DPH had e-mail me about the "informal" job offer they made. I went to work and struggled through my day barely able to contain the feeling that I was missing out on some amazing opportunity due to my inability to jump on-line at a moments notice. A couple of times I called my mother and had her go into my various inboxes. Of course every time I finally was able to access my e-mail there were very few important messages.

I eventually found myself in the Boston Public Library, waiting again and again to use the 15 minuet express computer (by this time I had initiated a new e-mail relationship with the lady I am interested). Finally I made my way to my own public library in Somerville- right down the street. I am now the proud holder of a library card- my first since moving to Massachusetts over 5 years ago. While in the library I found a book by Joe Namath on Football for Young Players- oh yes I am very serious about my new sport!

Moral of the story- do not underestimate the importance of home internet access, you never realize how much you rely on it until it is gone (e-mail, yellow pages, mapquest, news, blogs, etc). But don't let home internet access and its ability to connect you to people and ideas all over the world keep you from becoming invested in your local community- go get a library card!

How do you shoot the devil in the back?...

...What if you miss?

Oh man! The Usual Suspects was just on TV. It is such an awesome movie!

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE USUAL SUSPECTS STOP READING THIS POST AS WHAT I AM GOING TO SAY WILL COMPLETELY SPOIL THE MOVIE!!!

How in the world does Kevin Spacey make being ruthlessly evil soooo cool! All I can think of at the end when its all coming together and his limp is slowly fading is: WOW he is the epitome of cool and really sexy...never mind the fact that he ruthlessly killed all these other characters that I have become attached to throughout the movie. He is awesome!

The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world that he didn't exist.
.........and just like that *pft* he's gone..................

Meghan and me in high school. See post below.

"He's cute!" "Yeah, I've got dibs!"

When I was in High School my best friend Meghan used to do that ALL THE TIME. By that I mean, we would meet some guy, we would both think he was cute, and she would tell me that she had dibs on him and that I couldn't try to take him. The point of this post is not to be hard on her- I have long since gotten over what I once considered ridiculous selfishness, not to mention the fact that I used her "dib calling" to justify kissing one of the boys she was dating after having called dibs. I was reminded of this past scenario when I found out I am interested in the same girl as a friend of mine.

Yesterday as my friend Newt and I were leaving football practice (yes, I play flag football) she mentioned that one of our teammates was cute. I agreed with her, then she agreed with herself, then I saw her agree and rose with a "she's very cute", and just for good measure I looked back in her direction. So, although no one called dibs, I find myself in a very similar situation as those from high school. What happens when friends like the same person? If either one of us ends up dating her will it be weird?

...it probably doesn't matter, she probably out of our leagues anyway.

To quote Linds: "Mel, I'm not really a fan of that picture from Vivid you posted. My neck looks weird. Do I really look like that?! Love Linds"
So I have settled on a third picture...hopefully everyone will be happy with this one, although I think I look kinda funny. Of course I expect I will get an e-mail from Lei soon saying her teeth are too white ;).

Apparently Priscilla likes this photo more than the one I chose: The Ladies in Las Vegas- Leilani (Lei or Lei-on-Me), Me (Mel), Priscilla (P not Pia), and Lindsay (Linds) in club Vivid. See Tuesday's post.