i'll defriend a bitch

I have five types of friends on Facebook: family, close friends, work friends, high school friends, and friends of friends; each one of them with their own personal opinions and agendas. I am very opinionated myself and am typically not afraid (queue the nerd music) to express how I feel via status updates, link posts, etc. There is a fine line between respectfully putting your opinions out there and doing so in a way that is hateful, though. But how do we judge where that line blurs?

I should give you some background. I consider myself pretty liberal. I’ve always voted democrat – mostly for social reasons. I’m pro-choice, for gay marriage, etc. When the 2008 election rolled around, I frequently changed my profile pictures to the Obama change campaign pictures, lent my statuses to get out the vote for him and so on. Okay and sure, there were the occasional McCain/Palin jokes that floated around in there, too. It was all in good fun. The night Obama won, like usual, I was on Facebook and chat talking to friends that live around the country about the awesomeness that was his win.

It was then that really hateful status updates started popping up. The N word was flung around a few times; people were pissed he had actually won. I deleted all of these people. I don’t care who you are, a family member, a close friend, a friend of a friend… I don’t put up with hate. It’s just so ugly.

But here’s the question, when do you delete people and when do you say “well, it’s their opinion,” and let it be what it is? Obviously in the above scenario, deleting them seemed completely kosher and I don’t regret for one second some friends I lost that night.

Most of my friends are smart people. They understand that if two gay people get married it does not imply the next law to be passed will allow their neighbor to marry a horse. I would say 90% of them have good common sense, are respectful and awesome. The other 10% are questionable. But does that mean I shouldn’t be friends with them just because they don’t feel the way I do about certain issues?

I had a friend in high school who stopped being my friend because I didn’t believe in God. In high school that was a big deal. I was trying to garner all the friends I could. I was confused and mad at her. I didn’t go around and shove my opinions in her face. I didn’t ridicule her for thinking differently – but she felt strongly enough about it to stop being my friend. This is where the blurry line stems from. Would I want someone to de-friend me because I had a differing idea about a concept held so closely as a belief in God?

I guess I’m suggesting that friendships on Facebook hold meaning. And I know “it’s just Facebook.” But, trust me. I’ve deleted people who have come back and said, “WHY DID YOU DELETE ME!?” with puppy dog eyes and horrible accusatory tones in full flourish. There are people I thought wouldn’t even notice, who’ve added me back a day later. Facebook is serious business.

I have 179 friends on Facebook. Can I even afford to lose the friends? There are things I feel strongly about but let’s face it; I don’t want to hurt my numbers.

how was your weekend?

You know the people who only ask how your weekend went because they desperately want to tell you about theirs?

Well, I've decided I'm no longer going to ask. There is one person in particular who does this almost every Monday and I've decided that I'm no longer going to participate in the ole bait and switch. When they ask me how my weekend went, I'm going to go on and on and on and divulge every little detail. Then, when I'm done - I'm going to immediately change the subject so there is no room left in the conversation to talk about weekends.

Here it is, in story format:

---
Laura waved her key in front of the little electronic locking system at the front doors of NET, listening for the click of the door to let her in. The air smelled musty and warm as she walked through the front doors. Her pants were slipping off her hips, but as not to pull them up in front of the cameras pointed directly at the entrance, she begrudgingly walked a little farther towards her desk before grabbing the sides and giving them a quick tug up.

Placing her purse and freshly cleaned coffee mug on her desk, she reached down to turn on her computer. She hadn't even risen from below her desk when a familiar voice, like nails on a chalkboard said "Hi Laura. How was your weekend?"

Laura rolled her eyes before turning her head to face her questioner. This scenario played out every Monday. Laura would say, "Good. How was your---" and then be cut off by a slur of details, event plannings, minute tragedies and happy endings. Unfortunately for her fellow employee, Laura had had enough.

"Well let's see," Laura exclaimed, "On Friday, Bryan and I went to see Harry Potter. It was so good but there were these kids sitting in front of us that just would not shut up. Normally, in a movie like that we don't care because they're Harry Potter fans who are just overly exciting, astheyshouldbe, who are having a good time but still being respectful."

She took a quick breath and continued. "Saturday we just hung out at home, relaxed, you know... it was just nice to spend a day at home. I pulled a few weeds. Didsomelaundry. Readabook. Didthedishesandwatchedsometelevision." She went on and on for a few minutes, trying desperately to fill each second with every agonizingly boring detail.

Then, when the details of Sunday had been disclosed, Laura picked up the phone receiver on her desk and said "Oh, shoot. I have to make a call!" turned her back, and quickly dialed the number to get the mornings time and weather forecast.

Laura could hear the person still standing behind her, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for her to get off the phone. A few seconds more of waiting, and she finally heard her sigh and turn to walk away.

Laura sighed with relief and hung up the phone. Sitting back down at her desk, she gave herself a congratulatory metaphorical pat on the back and logged into her computer.
---

So now, I ask, without any sense of sarcasm... how was your weekend?

mcbarfy

We've all seen the commercials 8 million times. McDonald's new campaign to shove their McCafe' coffees down our throats (literally) has been going on for awhile now. Their goal? Steal business away from the ever-popular Starbucks.

Being that my very best friend works at a Starbucks - I have been financially supporting her (that's my excuse, at least) by only buying my coffee from the delicious, delicious coffee chain. A few friends and I used to have Starbucks Fridays. We rotated weeks and each Friday we would switch who bought our delicious, delicious lattes. Have I mentioned they're delicious? It was a bright spot at the end of our work week.

This morning, running late like usual, I didn't have time to wait in line at Starbucks so I opted for the drive-thru at McDonald's - I figured I'd get a sausage biscuit (my favorite) and maybe try one of them there new McCafe' Mocha's. I considered it research. Was it possible for a McDonald's coffee to even compare to my beloved Starbucks?

Complaint #1: I ordered a small Mocha and the darn thing was too wide at the top to fit in a normal-sized cup holder. WHY is the cup so wide at the top? Starbucks 1, McDonald's 0.

Complaint #2: BARF. It wasn't even remotely good. It tasted like cheap creamer mixed with some chocolate syrup with a little bit of regular coffee thrown in the mix. It wasn't hot enough (which, okay I can't really blame McDonald's for. I let it sit for awhile to cool like I usually do with my Sbux latte... b/c IT is actually hot) but even if it had been hot, it wouldn't have detracted from the graininess of the coffee flavor. Starbucks 2, McDonald's 0.

Complaint #3: I thought, "Maybe it's an acquired taste." So, I forced myself to sip on it for awhile. Sure enough, maybe 10 sips later I thought "Okay, so it's not so bad." But really, yes it was. By this point, it wasn't even lukewarm anymore. Which brings me to the conclusion that the cup doesn't hold the heat in very well. Starbucks 3, McDonald's 0.

Pro #1: It's cheaper than Starbucks. A small mocha only put me out about $2.60 while a tall latte from Sbux would've been about a dollar more. But... here I sit with a small mocha from McDonald's that is still half full b/c I can't bring myself to drink the rest. I would've rather spent a dollar more and had a warm, happy tummy. So, Starbucks 4, McDonald's 0.

So, there you have it.

McDonald's should stick to what it does best - sausage biscuits. Because that, my friend, was delicious.

hbp, ftw!

Freak the heck out. Harry Potter came out this week and I still haven't seen it yet. I usually go to the midnight release but because of some changes in plans and the hubby's travel plans for work - I have to wait until Friday night.

I talked to someone about the release today and she mentioned what a HUGE Harry Potter fan she was... and then proceeded to ask if Dumbledore died in Order of the Phoenix.

*silence*

ANYWAY.

It's hard to wait when I keep hearing how this is the best Potter movie yet. I thought Order of the Phoenix was by far the best out of the 5 that were already out. If you've read the books, you'll know how the first few movies just don't quite live up to the awesomeness that is Harry Potter. It doesn't help that I've had to wait even longer than I thought to see HBP in the first place. The darn movie was supposed to be released in November (I think it had the same release date as Twilight, even) and then was pushed back due in part to said Twilight.

While I love me some Edward Cullen, he just does not compare to Harry Potter - and Potter fans everywhere were pissed that HP6 (which has always come out in the Fall) was pushed back due to some stinkin' vampires.

In fact, check this out...

"Howler" w/ Hank Green

Curse you July release date!

on why i'll always buy apple

My first experience with Apple products came when I was a senior in high school. My theater teacher had a powerbook he swore by. When it came time for me to buy my first computer to take to college, Mr. Kimball convinced me a Mac was the way to go.

I saved some money to which my Dad contributed to, and I excitedly ordered my 14 inch iBook G4. When it finally arrived in the mail, I was beside myself. This beautiful piece of stark white technology was mine all mine. Every little feature amazed me. "It talks to me?!"

I carted this computer around through my freshman, sophomore and junior years of college. It went with me everywhere. To class, home to my parents, on any trips I took. I loved it. It wasn't until my senior year of college I began to have problems. Occasionally, the screen would go all wiggley and I'd have to do a manual restart.

I decided to take it into the Apple store where they informed me my logic board was bad. She did a little searching and found that the logic boards in some other computers had been recalled, but I was past the recall date by over 2 and a half years.

When I bought the computer, I also purchased the extended warranty. Unfortunately, my warranty was already a year and a half out of date. I drooled over some of the new macbooks in the store while the nice lady told me she was going to try sending my computer in to be fixed. Since the warranty was so over it's mark, she wasn't sure if they'd cover it or not. They were supposed to call me and let me know how much it was going to be. I mentioned to her that if it wasn't going to be fixed for free, I would probably just purchase a new macbook.

It was only 2 days later the Apple store called me. My computer was back in and ready for pick up. They had replaced the logic board, and b/c my case was cracked in the corner, gave me a new bottom shell - all for FREE. Who does that? I had even told them if it wasn't going to be covered I was going to purchase a brand spanking new computer. And still, they fixed everything for free.

I skipped home with my computer who lasted me another 2 years. She still runs today but the call of the new macbooks finally came knocking on my door and I purchased a new 12 inch macbook last October.

Just recently I purchased an ipod touch. I was itching for an iphone but I settled, still having a contract with USCellular for another 2 years. After having my ipod touch for about 2 months, the itch finally was too bad to stand and I sold the ipod touch to a friend at work, paid the contract cancellation fee to USCellular, and finally bought my iphone. I immediately began my search for the perfect iphone case. I had my ipod touch case still, as my FAW didn't want to purchase that along with the touch. I put the ipod case back in it's original packaging and went into the Apple store again, explained to them my situation. I had an ipod case, but now needed an iphone case. "No problem," he said. Because I still had the case in it's original packaging, they let me exchange my ipod case for an iphone case, no charge to me. I was in and out in a matter of minutes.

This is why I will always buy Apple products. I know there is much talk about how Apple takes advantage of people - putting out a first generation product at a high cost only to make a better product later and cut the price in half. Well, of course they're going to put out a better product later. That's just how technology works. There will always be something better, something new, something cheaper. "People just buy it because it's pretty," is another thing I hear a lot. And to that I say, "Duh." If you make your product appealing, people will be more interested. Apples sleek look is not the reason that keeps me coming back. It is their great customer care, their products that have outlasted any PC I have ever owned, their ability to make great and interesting products, that keeps me coming back.

I will always buy Apple products as long as their support remains high. I love my macbook, my iphone, my ibook G4. And I always will.

welcome to my desk

I don't have a lot to do today at work. The big-ups are doing some work on our system so I'm kicked out of any invoicing I would normally be doing until lunch time. So, I took this opportunity to take some pictures of my desk. I have a fun little window seat now. Let me show you around!

here is my little slice of window. i can just barely see outside, sweet!

mimi loves her new plant. she loves to wiggle around. also, note the cute cactus!

and this is the fun stuff i have pinned up. wheee!

Well, that's about it. It's exciting here at the NET. Having an iPhone is so fun I can hardly stand it. Just think all the work I'll avoid sending pictures of the fun things happening in my cube. Hooray for menial office employment!

bitch mode

Why do all the girls in the new Transformers movie look like they have a STD?

B and I went to the midnight showing of Transformers the other night. The theater was packed to the brim mostly with young guys - some toting their girlfriends along. I was excited to see the movie as I really liked the first one. I can remember the holy shit that was awesome feeling I had when the first one ended in the theater. So needless to say, I was pumped.

With all the buzz around Megan Fox, I was prepared for numerous close ups on her boobs. And boy, was I smart to be prepared. There were so many lingering closeups that I even became uncomfortable a few times.

And, it really started bothering me that all the girls looked sweaty ALL the time. I mean, isn't there a/c in the house? Why are you so sweaty? And don't even get me started on the amount of lip gloss that girl wears. WHO WEARS THAT MUCH LIP GLOSS MEGAN?

I know I'm coming across as just another bitchy female who thinks all pretty women are bimbos, but that's just not the case. I like guy movies and I know with that comes watching half-naked girls in completely ridiculous and unbelievable scenarios ie, Megan Fox draped over a motorcycle, her butt sticking up in the air. (That cannot be a comfortable way to sit.)

The more I've thought about it, the more I realize it goes both ways. Megan Fox draped over a motorcycle is really no different than Rob Pattinson going shirtless and running through a forest. They do whatever it takes to get the fans in the door and happy, eager to pay 20 bucks for the DVD when it's released. And let's be cliche', sex sells.

The problem I have is, well, I guess I don't really have a problem at all. It's a movie. Who cares. She's not an ugly girl. Megan Fox is very pretty. I just think she's way prettier when she's clothed and does not have obscene amounts of lip gloss and sweat dripping off of her.

There. I'm done.

i love you, learning

It's not a secret I like to read. I always had my nose in a book as a child, as an uncomfortable middleschooler, highschooler, college student. Some of my favorite memories are the ones I share with a good story. Even as an adult, I still love to read.

B is not a reader. He doesn't enjoy fiction and doesn't understand really why anyone else does. "Why would I read something that didn't happen?" He thinks of fiction purely as a made-up story. Something false, not real, pointless. He will happily read a book about real-life WWII accounts, military explorations, etc - but when it comes to fictional classics, he turns up his nose.

I've been stumbling over this idea, trying to see his point. Fiction to me is always more than just a made up story. There are many facets. You identify with characters, find morality, ethical situations which stimulate your mind to think of the bigger picture. You don't just read it and throw it to the side. Each story sticks with you somehow. You see the characters as people - the inner workings of each makes them human.

It is not merely the story or a "Once upon a time, here's the middle, now the end, what did you learn from this?" It is so much more than that. It's not only an escape from reality, but a whole other world you're living while staying planted in the physical.

I love reading. I love the critical analysis that comes with it; finding the little nuggets the author has hidden for you to find. When I look back to high school - I don't think I was stimulated enough. I had to learn to find those things on my own in most of my English classes. Because some of my fellow highschooler's weren't at the top of their game my teachers would let me sit outside the classroom and read ahead. Most of the time the teachers had to read aloud to the class just to keep their attention. I am both thankful for this, and sometimes resentful. It is because of this I read as much as I did. But it is also because of this I didn't get to dive in as deep as I would have had I gone to a better school.

I guess this is why I get so enamored with people like John Green who seem to have such a strong understanding of literature. We never had to read Catcher in the Rye in high school, but after stumbling upon John Green's youtube video about it - I am inspired to read it and youtube along with his pseudo English lesson. It takes me back to my comfort zone - the happiness I felt when I was stimulated in English class (heh, heh.)

i'm ready for my close up, mr. demille

As I made my way to the breakroom to garner more coffee from the work coffee Gods the other day, I was startled to see myself walk by on someones computer screen. I did a double take and realized they had a little camera positioned on the top of their monitor. It wasn't until then I realized we have cameras positioned all around the office. One pointed towards the front door and the receptionist desk, one in the break room, one in the main office, etc.

I panicked. How many times have I adjusted my bra, pulled my pants up higher, picked a wedgie?? UGH. And let's just say when I'm at the front desk and no one is around I am so not a lady.

Let's not lie to ourselves. Everyone does it. When no one is watching you lose all shame. I sometimes have reached down my shirt and re-adjusted my boobs in my bra. I'm not even joking. Why would not? There is no one around to see. Or so I thought.

All of this camera stuff has me very paranoid. And for no other reason than complete and utter vanity. There have been no secret love affairs in the break room. I don't have to worry about theft of office supplies. No, the only thing I'm worried about is someone seeing me picking food out of my teeth.

Don't they have to tell you there are cameras? Even worse yet, I'm sure the cameras have been up for a long time. I doubt this is something new. I've just been too oblivious in the past to notice. Now, when I walk into an area I know is monitored I suck in my stomach and walk a little straighter. I don't want to be known as the fat girl with the bad posture, who picks the underwear out of her butt and grabs her own boobs.

Ugh.

i love you, reading

So here's the situation.

There are people around me who are just now getting into Twilight, which is great. Add that in with all the movie buzz, and the award show appearances of Bella and Edward (no, they do not have real names) and I have myself a problem. I am itching to read the books again. I own all four, so this shouldn't be too hard a goal to conquer, however, I have like 8 million books in line to be read before them. My bright and shiny new library card is just calling out to be used. I have two library books in my possession presently and two on hold. Not to mention the other 8 or 9 books sitting on my bookshelf at home that burned a hole in my pocket which still have not been opened.

I'm weighing my options. Do I put all other books on hold and pick up the Twilight series again, only to have it rip my life away like it did last time? Or, do I tuck them away - a prize to be reached only when finishing all other books in line before them? Ugh, the torture. Please, feel free to stop and point and call me a nerd as you pass by.

I know not everyone holds Twilight in such high regard. And I admit it might not be the best piece of work ever written, but I won't lie that it doesn't suck me in like a fat kid wearing spandex. The books are like cocaine. (I decided against comparing it to Edwards desire for Bella's blood, citing good taste. No pun intended.) And I also know once I pick the books back up my tone with Bryan will turn condescending for the simple fact that he is not Edward Cullen.

Can my relationship sustain such a thing?

omg why isn't the tivo recording?!

I like to watch tv. A lot of tv. So much so that B and I had a minor panic attack awhile back when we realized we still had time slots open on a Monday night to record shows. I realized then we had a problem - but it was an addiction I was willing to feed. We even invested in a dual tuner Tivo - so we could record two shows at once. Tivo has both helped and hurt us. Because of it we are no longer slaves to the TV in the usual sense. We don't have to be home at a certain time to catch our shows. But it's because of this feature we end up having 8 hours of TV to catch up on later in the evening. I've caught myself saying "Let's not go out, we have 4 episodes of The Office to watch still," and saying it begrudgingly.

TV has slowly taken over my life. It's the first thing I do in the morning, and the last thing I do at night. I plan my nightly routine by how much time it takes me to shower and get in bed to catch Chelsea Lately and Conan. I wake up in time to get ready and catch the first 15 minutes of the Today Show.

I started thinking yesterday about how hard it would be to not watch tv. I've been trying to write more lately but my words all come out jumbled and screen-play esque. Well, I'm not writing a screenplay nor do I want to. I cannot describe things the way I should because I expect the reader to know what I'm talking about. I mean, they can see it on the screen, can't they? It really occured to me that in order to write sentences that do not sound like the newest episode of 90210 I would have to do something drastic.

So, how hard could it possibly be? And to what lengths would I go? Cut TV out completely? Well... I figure I could still watch the news. That means the Today Show still counts. Chelsea Lately really isn't a fictional show so that shouldn't matter... Conan, sure why cut him out? But then there are shows like The Office. 30 Rock. Roseanne?! How could I cut out Roseanne? Greek? So you Think you Can Dance? My breathing gets heavier just thinking about it.

So I thought about catching a few select shows only on Hulu. But what's the difference? All I'm doing is giving myself excuses. I just don't know if I can live my life without Family Guy. I really don't.

I wouldn't be honest with myself if I said I wasn't a technology-driven person. I enjoy having constant access to everything. Full cable, 24/7 internet, my friends socially networked at my fingertips. I'm not sure I could cut out such a huge part of my life.

How does the saying go? Anything hard is worth doing? Or, if something is hard to do it's not worth doing? Wait. I think I'm channeling my inner Homer Simpson.

oh, it's go time

I think I'm being attacked.

It started yesterday as I peacefully sat at my desk minding my own business working on work related work stuff. I was type type typing away when I saw it out of the corner of my eye. A tiny little minuscule insignificant gnat. It flew at me from the left and then continued its buzz buzz buzzing right around me as I type type typed.

I flailed at it. I tried shooing it away with my hand, clapping my hands together in an attempt to squash it, slapping my computer screen when it landed for a rest. Nothing worked. This little gnat kept narrowly escaping my attempts at its demise. Finally after a few more flails and claps it flew away. Relief washed over me. I looked around. Had anyone seen me flailing about? Nobody seemed to be giving me the old crazy eye so I let out a sigh of relief and went back to my typing.

Today, it was back. It waited until I was completely unsuspecting, taking a sip of coffee when it planned its air strike. This time it came at me from above. The little bugger flew right into my face. In my attempt to flail I narrowly escaped spilling coffee down my shirt. I went into cat mode and started grabbing at it with my paw but again, every time I missed. Again I clapped my hands together as it swan-dived in front of me, slapped my desk each time it thought about landing and every time I missed.

I don't know what this gnat is on, or why he's targeting me. I don't have any food at my desk. I checked for pungent body odor and was pleased to find myself smelling of fresh soap. I checked the mirror. I don't have a sign on my forehead that says "Gnats fly here." The only two things that could possibly be gnat attractors are Mimi the fish and my small pokey cactus but even so I'm not too quick to pass blame on either two.

All I know is this gnat is out to get me and the game is on.

live long and prosper

Distance is a crappy thing.

I had a brief pang of sadness as I pulled out of the driveway on Dunstone Drive this past weekend. 5 days of vacation time spent with the parents is usually enough to have me wishing for Madison but this time I found it harder to leave.

Saturday was spent bouncing around town with my sister and then meeting up with some of her grade school friends at St. Norbert's school picnic. It was crazy listening to them talk about the kids they went to school with. "So and so has 5 kids." "I just ran into whats her face last weekend!" Listening to the back and forth of the who's who and who's where made me a little jealous of how far away I am from my best friends. If you had asked my 17 year-old self I would've scoffed at the idea of staying in the same town, having kids and socializing with the same people I went school with. Yet, there I sat feeling jealous of the experiences these people spoke of. What I wouldn't give to live in the same town as my best friends. Be a part of each others day to day lives.

I have to be careful not to discount the experiences I've had because of our choices to move around the country; the friends I've made because I was out of my comfort zone and knew no one else. I am thankful for where I am and the friends I have now. I am also thankful for how close my friends and I are despite our physical distances, and the appreciation we have for each other because of it, too.

On a slightly more nerd-tastic note, I must share my new crush. I saw Star Trek this weekend and was given heart-palpitations by one, Spock. I definitely recommend it. In fact, I'm gonna make B take me to see it again this weekend! MmmZacharyQuinto.

i'll take a Cook brother, please

It was 6am. My alarm had just gone off for the first time. Like usual, I hit the snooze button; the first time of many. It was then, in my last 20 minutes of sweet, sweet sleep that I had the oddest dream.

I was in soon-to-be Mrs. Holladay's wedding. Front row and center. Jenny was sitting next to me, and next to her was Nicholas. Being that Nicholas, apparently, was a bridesmaid - I'm not sure who Holly was marrying but it surely wasn't her husband. Across from us was a gentleman who looked like he had walked in from the street holding a bouquet of hair. Yes, hair. He was eating it.

The Wedding March started to play and we all proceeded to hold our flowers up in the air like we were hailing Hitler. Even the hair-holder held his high for Holly. (Holy alliteration.) Holly marched her way up the aisle and was wearing a beautiful white wedding dress that, turned out was just a bit see-through when she turned around. Her bright blue underwear shone through the back. I remember thinking, "That's unfortunate."

9 minutes later, my alarm when off again and again I hit the snooze button. This time when I fell back asleep Holly was telling me how she was sorry that David Cook couldn't stay for the reception, but "don't worry!" she had a surprise. It was then she pulled me around the corner into VOILA - David Cook's brother "Adam," who in my dream was really his brother Andrew. I then proceeded to freak out and get all sweaty. So sweaty in fact, my makeup started dripping down my face. I quickly excused myself to the ladies room. I tried feverishly to stop the steady downpour that was my sweat. No matter what I did, I couldn't stop the makeup from dripping off my face. I hoped Andrew wouldn't notice and made my way back to him where he was suddenly in a recording studio attached to the reception.

That's about when I woke up. I mean, WHAT THE H?! What did I eat before I went to bed? Did those chocolate chip cookies have something in them? And why do I suddenly have a crush on Andrew Cook?

i'm an impostor

This weekend B's parents were up to help us with the yard. We ripped up most of the backyard and spots in the front that needed to be re-planted. Our yard was a hot mess when we bought it. In place of grass were mostly violets and we had hoards of ant hills.

I don't think I've ever worked outside that much in my life. We were outside from morning until dark ripping out grass and flowers, and planting fresh greenery. Now I don't mind planting a few flowers. It's fun for awhile. And I'm sure I'll feel good about all the work we did when I see my flowers start to really blossom...but, I realized something this weekend. I am definitely an indoor kitty. Or, a kitty that likes to relax, rather. I can't wait until the deck is put back on so I can chill out in the backyard with a summery drink and a good book. I'm looking forward to seeing all the flowers but I will always be reminded of how much work it was to put them in. I guess a little hard work never hurt anyone but I just don't get how B finds all the laboring work relaxing. I was actually looking forward to coming back to work this week for a break.

I got down and dirty in the mud. Used my bare hands to spread soil and mulch. Planted flowers. It felt good to work but I have to admit I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to planting flowers. Lucky for me my mother in law is a flower crazy-person so she was able to help me pick out flowers that would be good for certain areas of the yard.

It was fun to learn and plant but I don't think gardening will become a huge hobby for me... The flowers I planted will be lucky if I get out there to weed and water them.

These are Geraniums I put in a little green pot out on our front step.

A little Jacob's Ladder accents our split rail fence down on the corner.

This is the said split rail fence along with the flowers. Jacobs Ladder, Forget-Me-Nots, Creeping Plox, and some grasses in the back.

Forget-Me-Not!

The boys had fun digging up the yard. Here is B riding behind his Dad's tractor.

panic! ...at the disco?

I am not a hypochondriac. The constant swine flu coverage, emails from HR with "helpful hints" about hand-washing, and recent Wisconsin school-closings gets two "Gahs," and a "Pfffft," from me. Okay, you get my point. But here's what I'm getting at - while I do not typically worry when flu season rolls around, I still do my part to stave off little microbes entering my orifices.

While at Chipotle yesterday 3 of my pet peeves regarding the containment of microbes were met.

Firstly, there were two children running around in their pajamas - making laps around the halfwall dividing the checkout line from the dining area. Please, ma'am. Keep your children near you or on leashes if they can't handle standing still. I'm not above leashes. I'll do it.

Secondly, said woman was blatantly poking her head OVER the sneeze guard protecting the food from any gross spittles flying from her overly lipsticked mouth. She then proceeded to reach over the sneeze guard to point at what salsa she wanted. Last time I checked the fine gentlemen working at Chipotle all have working ears and are able to hear when you say "Corn Salsa." They do not need to you to point. Stay behind the sneeze guard.

And thirdly, the stupid bald man sitting next to us kept coughing. And not just coughing, either, coughing without covering his mouth. This is a food establishment sir, cover your mouth when you cough. I do not need your swine flu dancing its way over to my burrito.

The combination of these three things made me put down the last 1/4 of my steak burrito (1/4!) and tell B I had lost my appetite and was ready to leave. This never happens. I always finish my burrito. Always. You can hardly get a word out of me while I'm devouring the deliciousness that is Chipotle.

Again, I am not a hypochondriac. Far from it. I am married to one, however. With this whole swine flu business going around it was only a matter of time before B mentioned an irritating cough and a "kind of upset stomach." Just a little background; B's tummy has a very low tolerance for well, anything. He gets an upset stomach a few times a week. We pledge our loyalty to TUMS. Do I think he has anything other than a little lactose intolerance? Absolutely not.

My point is this - while I might not believe that this whole swine flu business has enough merit to cause the panic it seems to be causing - the more people worry about it and not cover their mouth when they cough, the more I can feel my throat start to hurt. I am a firm believer I can stave off illness with a few capsules of Airborne and a good attitude. So if I'm starting to worry about dancing swine flu particles, there's a problem.

That being said, the next person who coughs near my burrito w/o doing into into the bend in their elbow is going to get a few strong words from me and maybe even a spritz of Lysol in their general direction.

Do your part people. Cover your mouth. Wash your hands. Keep your children away from me. Obey the laws of the sneeze guard.

on insomnia

I have been feeling guilty the last few days. Guilty for feeling bad, I guess. A good friend of mine lost someone last week, which I just found out about on Saturday. The images keep creeping into my head and I haven't been able to sleep. That's where the guilt comes in. Why am I losing sleep? I lost no one. I hurt for her though. It is unimaginable what she is going through right now.

As I laid in bed last night listening to the silence, the slow snore of the man next to me, and the occasional batting of a toy mouse in the hallway, a small part of me wanted to pray for her.

I am a sensible person. I do not believe that you can make things happen by praying. I do not believe that by praying you can make things not happen. I do not believe that my praying for her would give her any comfort. The comfort given by reciting the Our Father would purely be for my benefit. It's a learned behavior. A comfort tool. A child sucking their thumb.

I thought of what my dad would say. "Well, it can't hurt." And I guess he's right. Even if I'm against organized religion, against the belief that there's some man in the sky who has dominion over us, decides what happens to us by how much prayer we give - what is the harm in reciting a small prayer if it gives me comfort?

I didn't pray last night. I didn't say the Our Father or the Hail Mary. I let my conflicted mind wander all over the place. I thought about meditation. I thought about my friend. I thought about how short life is. I thought about war. I thought about the friends I used to have that are no longer here. I thought about life before moving here. About Chili's. About Ernie. About Scott. About Jaci planning her wedding. Laughing, playing, joking around. Trading shifts, comping food, Sunday parties.

I guess it's one of the downfalls of growing up. I look at my parents, people that are older than me and see that they've lost people too. Even if they're not my closest friends, in my inner circle; realizing a person you used to see on a daily basis is no longer on the planet, no longer goofing around, no longer comping food or telling jokes, no longer kissing their wife, their son... it makes you really think hard about your own mortality. How fragile life really is. How quickly things change.

How life forges ahead with or without you.

sunday, rainy sunday

Just another typical rainy weekend in Madison.  I spent most of my time finishing up The Host by Stephenie Meyer.  Like usual, this new book is one of my favorites.  Next up, Paper Towns by John Green.  

It's Sunday now and I'm currently engrossed in a Law & Order: Criminal Intent marathon.  I'm a little bothered at the Ray Lamontagne song playing in the intro that doesn't seem to fit the current murder taking place.  

My battery life has reached 8% and is quickly dwindling so... I guess that's it!

laura-ology

Jenny informally tagged me in this survey and since the days of Myspace are long over for me I thought it would be a fun distraction. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged too!

Foodology
What is your salad dressing of choice?
I tend to like Caesar salads or something with a light dressing like a vinaigrette.

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
It changes often b/c when I like a restaurant I tend to eat there until I get sick of it and move onto the next place. right now I'm really digging Buffalo Wild Wings and HuHot.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Pizza.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Just cheese or pepperoni, thanks!

What do you like to put on your toast?
Peanut butter and sugar or just butter and grape jelly.

Technology
How many televisions are in your house?
2 functioning TVs and one that sits alone in the cold basement unplugged.

What color cell phone do you have?
Black with a blue keyboard.

Do you have an Ipod?
Speak of the devil, I just got a new iPod touch since mine was stolen.

Biology
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right handed

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Not that I’m aware of...

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
My burrito at lunch. It was huge!

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
Not that I remember!

Bullcrapology
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No way.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I've always wanted to change my name. in 3rd grade it was Mitzy, and in 7th it was Jessa - but now I am happy to announce that I am perfectly content with the name Laura.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
As long as you don't dump anything gross into the hot sauce like gravy, mayonnaise, or pickle juice like we used to do at Denny’s circa freshmen year... for a thousand bucks? Sure!

Dumbology
How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
I do own quite a few but I have a hard time wearing them now. My ankle isn't too happy with me when I break out the flimsy little buggers.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
I called them when our neighbors car was shot out and then B called them when my car was broken into. I swear I don't really live in the ghetto.

Last person you talked to?
The friendly Conway delivery man who has a palette he's dropping off at our warehouse. we exchanged pleasantries and then I continued tap-tap-tapping on my keyboard.

Last person you hugged?
B. Palmer last night. :)

Favoritology
Season?
I like the transitional seasons, spring and fall.

Holiday?
Thanksgiving & July 4th.

Day of the week?
FRIDAYS.

Month?
October is usually my favorite month. I love all the Halloween/Fall type stuff that starts to pop up around town that time of year.

Currentology
Missing someone?
Sure thing. I miss my friends that are spaced out around the country.

Mood?
Fidgety.

What are you listening to?
The silence of the front desk area. When I return to my desk I will be rocking out to the Lily Allen station on Pandora, though!

Watching?
I type for a few minutes and then look out the window and daydream about what it would be like to be sitting outside, reading a book, drinking a glass of wine.

Worrying about?
Nothing in particular, really.

Randomology
First place you went this morning?
Outside of my house? To work.

What's the last movie you saw?
I sobbed my way through Marley & Me the other night.

Do you smile often?
I sure try to!

Sleeping alone tonight?
I will be sleeping with the same boy I sleep with every night along with all three of our cats, all on my side of the bed.

Otherology
Do you always answer your phone?
Hardly ever depending on who's calling. I always answer texts though.

Its four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
Definitely somebody from Twitter. Either that or it's something witty from BG.

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
I’m good with what I was given.

If you could change any drink flavor at sonic what would it be?
Apparently a Sonic just opened up the street from where I work... I probably still won't go there so... IDK.

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes indeed I do.

have you ever owned a fish?
I owned a few goldfish back in the day and a beta or two along the way. I’m not a very good fishy mom, however and I’m pretty sure if I had one now my kitties would call it lunch.

Favorite Christmas song(s)
Meh, I’m not a big Christmas music fan.

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
It's too early to really start thinking about a birthday wish list...

Can you do pushups?
Maybe a few, but probably only the girl kind.

Can you do a chin up?
Heck no.

Does the future make you nervous or excited?
A little of both.

Do you have any saved texts?
Only the ones that stay in my inbox until it's full and I delete them all.

Ever been in a car wreck?
Nope, knock on wood.

Do you have an accent?
I’m starting to pick up a Wisconsin accent. I’ve been making the longer 'o' sounds I’ve noticed.

What is the last song to make you cry?
there's a Michael Buble song that always makes me cry called "Home."

Plans tonight?
Spending a little time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and then inside maybe watching some TV, snuggling' with the kitties.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Maybe not rock bottom, thankfully.

Name 3 things you bought yesterday.
Meat sauce, a new dish scrubber, and a cute top from Target. Wheee!

Have you ever been given roses?
Yep, a few times.

Current worry?
Eh, nothing too major.

Current hate right now?
I wouldn't say hate but I’m a little on edge with some people.

Met someone who changed your life?
I think everyone changes your life even if it's only in a little way.

How will you spend summer?
Sitting in the shade w/ a good book.

What song represents you?
Hmm... I can't think of one right off the top of my head.

Name three people who might complete this.
Jenny already did, so... I bet it shows up on Holly’s blog one of these days.

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Absolutely, but not to change anything. Just to re-live.

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
Yeah.

Do you have any piercings/tattoos?
Just the regular ear piercings and a belly button ring.

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?
That's the plan.

Does anyone love you?
Thankfully, yes!

Would you be a pirate?
From what I can guess, it doesn't look like pirates are given ample opportunities to shower. And, being one that likes to shower myself, this might be the one hindrance that keeps me from a life of piracy.

What songs do you sing in the shower?
Lately it's been a lot of Lily Allen.

Ever had someone sing to you?
Unfortunately.

When did you last cry?
A few weeks ago.

Do you like to cuddle?
Not usually.

Have you held hands with anyone today?
Not today, nope.

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Aiko da kitty.

What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?
anything that had cute boys in it. Hanson fo sho! Or wait, I guess Hanson was more in 7th and 8th grade. I think the first CD I bought in 6th grade was Ace of Base.

Do you believe in staying close with your ex's/prospects?
the grammar here is confusing me. my ex's prospects or my exes and my prospects?
(I couldn't think of a better answer than Jenny’s so I left it :)

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
A mixture of both with more weighing in around the old category.

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
No. Blech.

What is something your friends make fun of you for?
hmm, Erin likes to point out my short-comings when I typo. And Jess and Laura like to call me Short-Pants Palmer and question my taste in fake work boyfriends. Other than that though, nothing... I hope. :)

happy earth day!

In honor of Earth Day I let Aiko do a little more outdoor exploring than usual. He had fun rolling around on the concrete and eating the grass. He even got a little muddy trudging through the freshly laid potting soil.

It was a beautiful day - I couldn't have asked for better weather. We put the screen door on so the cats can lay inside and catch the breeze on nice days. I even helped a little spider find his way back outdoors instead of steppin' on him like I was at first inclined to do.

Ahh, Happy Earth Day!





The other two kitties had to watch from inside. Kiley isn't allowed outside as she's a dasher and loves to run when I try to catch her. I've had visions of her running into the street and meeting her untimely demise. Therefore, she will forever be an indoor kitty because her mother is kind of mental. I'm not sure if Tristan is to be trusted outdoors yet. He's a little too squirmy for me to feel comfortable trying it. Maybe someday Tristan, maybe some day.