I Have a Date

It's a lunch date on Saturday. Place to be determined by phone call Thursday evening. I really don't want to jinx this so that's all I'm going to say. For now.

Revamped Blog

Inspired by Sarah, I switched to the new Blogger and redid my header. Since my blog is still named Chokmah, I kept the chokmah symbol on the left. The middle is an utitled painting by Monet. I wanted something with brighter colors because blues sometimes make me blue, you know? The right is the Chinese character for dragon since I was born in the year of the dragon. So, tah dah.

MY EYES, MY EYES DEAR GOD MY EYES!

I really didn't need to see this. I feel dirty and wrong. Does that make me a Muggle?

Star Wars Personality Test

Here's a link to the quiz

Click to see my Star Wars Personality!!

I Love Roslindale

This past weekend, I spent a lot of time in Roslindale and remembered that I LOVE the area. When I was little, one of my aunts and uncles had half a triple decker in Rozzy. It was the coolest home to a little kid. My cousin had a bachelor's staircase going from her bedroom to the kitchen - which was perfect for hide n'seek. The house was also close to Jamaica Pond which added to the magic in my 5 year old brain.

Roslindale hasn't lost the magic in the intervening 25 years. My friend's place is the top floor of a 3 story Victorian which a porch. She has skylights and lives surrounded by various churches. Sunday morning, I was woken up by sushine and church bells. Very Disney, no? Every block, there was some architectural masterpiece. The quaint little shops, the fantastic restaurants, and the small neighborhood feel made me fall in love with the area.

What Has Happened to Battlestar Galactica?

I used to think that Battlestar Galactica was one of the best written shows on TV. I couldn't wait for new episodes. I don't know what's going on with the most recent season but I have a faintly familiar reaction to it. My favorite characters are pissing me off, I am bored during the show and when I see previews for the next episode, I think to myself, "AGAIN?!" This happened to a show before. Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons 6 & 7. I will not use the term "jump the shark". But I will make an analogy:

Willow's magic addiction = Dee/Apollo/Starbuck/Anders (Storyline Killers)

"He has a SOUL now" = Starbuck and Apollo's mating dance (unhealthy relationships are never fun to watch)

The First = The Final Five (a very cool plot development that will probably be mangled/ruined)

Spike = Baltar (a character good in small doses, annoying when crazy)

I really hope the show gets better soon because I heard that a new season hasn't been ordered by Sci Fi, possibly due to slipping ratings.

Friends of God: A Road Trip With Alexandra Pelosi

I TiVo'd this documentary and finally had a chance to watch it today. As a Northeast Liberal almost-Jew, I was a combination of amazed and horrified.

The good aspects I saw about Evangelical Christians:

-Mega-churches creating small-town life for modern Americans.
-The support systems built into the church.
-A viable safe social life for kids.
-A lot of happy people.

The bad aspects I saw about Evangelical Christians:
- The Reverend Ted Haggard acting as the documentary's liaison. (schadenfreude is oh so sweet)
-The over-riding belief that Evangelicals need to spread Christ's love. (Crusades much?)
-Opinions not based on facts/evidence. (the number of times I thought, "Cite?" = a million)
-A lot of closed minds. (Maybe that's why they're so happy?)

I know I'm pretty biased against Evangelicals due to personal experience. I wonder what informs Alexandra Pelosi's bias?


My personal experience happened when I was 18. I had always been defensive and a little insecure about my lack of religion. The music director of my summer theater asked me to join his Bible study group. I joined because I like to read and debate. It turns out he asked a bunch of kids from the theater to join. Most were Catholic so I didn't suspect anything. We had weekly meetings where the Bible was discussed maybe ONCE. Mostly, we spent time playing games, singing, and eating. He picked me and another girl to go with him to "cell meetings" which were held in a strangers home. This is when I started feeling a little weird. That summer I wound up accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior because I thought the music director was hot. He even had me testify at his church. I was young and naive. It was only at the end of that summer that I found out he was a Born Again. I was an easy mark plus I had no idea that Evangelicals don't consider Catholics to be real Christians. I ceased contact with him as I left for college. He wrote me one creepy Jesus-speak letter then in the winter for a Bible study reunion (which I didn't attend), he used me as an example of how people can "fall away from Jesus".

I clearly remember how it felt to be used and lied to. To this day, I am wary of discussing spiritual beliefs even with close friends. When I decided to convert to Judaism, I told my parents first and kept quiet for a while. Not out of shame. Being so callously used years ago made me doubt my spiritual beliefs and whether I had any place to speak to God. That is why Judaism is so cool and fits for me. It has built up my spiritual confidence and no question I ask is dumb. In fact, many questions I ask have been debated by Rabbis for milennia!

The summer theatre Born Again guy wasn't allowed back on staff of the theatre and he lost support among colleagues due to his targeting cast members to convert. Also, he was a deeply closeted man. He wrote a letter to his college paper saying how Jesus helped him to resist his sinful homosexual urges.

Newsflash: Sent Home From Work

My company shut down today at 11AM. Why? Our office is located on a hill with one driveway as an exit/entrance. The road we exit onto had a water main break at 10AM today. We didn't have running water and, most importantly, fire suppression capabilities. So, the office closed.

The way the news spread was hilarious. It was a combination of old timey village and the game Operator. What heightened the drama was our General Manager is out on vacation so the two second highest managers had to make the call to close. It started with the receptionist rushing by my cubicle calling for one of our managers and I overheard something about no toilets and closing early. So I wandered out of my cubicle to find out what was the hubbub. The water main break news spread fast. What heightened the tension was an employee who wound up coming in late announcing that the entire street we're on has collapsed. So that got people freaking out about how to get home then it lead me and a couple others to wonder how an office park with over 200 employees can have ONE exit/entrance and pass safety codes? Each department had an emergency meeting at around 10:30 explaining the situation and calming nerves(only part of the road had collapsed so we could still leave but only take a left turn).

So, woohoo for a long weekend! Another woohoo for my cold getting better! Tomorrow night is the wine party/bar crawl. Today, I'm going to level up my Blood Elf. Yes, I am a complete geek. Do or do not, live long and prosper.

Womenses

I'm a pretty practial "Our Bodies, Ourselves" reading kind of gal. I wasn't raised to use euphamisms for body parts. Though some are pretty damn funny. Over the years, I have gotten a good sense of how my body functions and when things aren't right. It took having a stroke to actually trust that sense.

I have a ritual when I get my period. I note the days in my planner and count forward to know when my next one should be. Basically, I hate being unprepared (I'm sure there's some sweatshirt around the waist incident in Junior High that I blocked out). So, I knew I was due this week. The typical chocolate cravings and crampiness were the normal harbingers. Somehow I have honed my body sense so well, that I can tell the minute when my period starts. It was a weird moment of pride in the bathroom stall yesterday morning. I didn't do victory arms but I did whisper trumphantly under my breath, "Ha!" Maybe it takes 19 years to come to terms with the monthly inconvenience and focus your senses?

First Spring 2007 Class

Last night the spring semester officially began for me. I'm taking a Brand Management course Wednesday nights. I enjoy marketing courses and I liked the professor, who is a former co-worker of mine. That connection lead to an awkward interlude. Usually first classes are spent going around saying your name, student status and company you work for. So, when it came to me, the professor said, "Anna, my fellow co-worker." So I paused and corrected him by saying, "I haven't worked here for a year. I work for..." Yeah, AWKWARD! In fact, I haven't worked there since Oct. 2005. That goes to show how isolated and invisible my former position was. Which is basically why I HATED the job.

The class was a lot of fun and since I'm 8 semesters into the program, there are a lot of familiar faces. I've already formed a group for a project due in February. I met a fabulous funny woman before class. We were both early and started chatting. She's graduating this semester like me and she has strong opinions, like me. Plus, she used the word "dullard" to describe a classmate of ours. I like people with a broad vocabulary and who red flag people as "dullards". So yeah fab lady is in my group, Jewish Connection gal from last spring is in my group, plus we have a token male.

The class is a mix of full-time and part-time students and there's a heavy international representation. My Latin American eye candy guy from last semester is enrolled in class too, yet sadly he didn't show last night. Every 5 minutes, Fab lady turned around and whispered, "Where's this hot guy of yours?" Hee! I appreciate people who help me regress to 15 years old. I have to say the full-time students are really obnoxious. Overly aggressive when volunteering, poor listeners, and ass kissers. Generally, I like the international student's input because they usually volunteer something I haven't thought of or ask a question from an interesting perspective. But I do have to say, they have volume control issues. Either they speak way too loud or soft.

The classwork looks pretty decent. Not too heavy readings, interesting cases, a group project, a mid-term paper, and take home final. Major due dates are spread throughout the semester - which is a nice change from my previous classes. I'm enrolled in two other classes both 1.5 credits. One of those classes is an intensive weekend elective. The other starts in March on Tuesday nights. A nice light final semester!

2007: Time for Change

I've been living in my current apartment for five years and it really feels like a home to me. The furniture and decorations all fit and look good. The space is perfect. I even have my own laundry area downstairs so I can do my laundry at 2AM in my PJ's if I want. On the surface, my apartment appears to be 700 square feet of perfection.

However, five years of making excuses for my apartment has taken its toll. I can't keep the heat on at night because the radiators make so much noise, I can't sleep. Every 6 months the bathroom faucets break. None of the utilities are included in rent so I have to pay for oil heat and electricity ($200 extra). The street I live on only allows parking on one side and during snow storms, there is a parking ban. My bi-annual sinus infections started 5 years ago. In the summer, my apartment is 10 degrees hotter than outside and any breeze I get is hot since my apartment faces South.

Since I am receiving my MBA in May, I am planning on moving either June or September. I'd like to stay in Waltham because of my awesome commute and it's a great city. I'd like a place with utilities included, off-street parking, and cat friendly (within my budget of course). Doing some initial apartment searches has given me hope. Even in January, there are a ton of places that meet my criteria and budget. Imagine what will happen in June?

Good News Everyone: My Throat Isn't Pregnant

Medical science still continues to amaze me. There is a desk toolkit that can test for strep infection. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and after they took a swab of my throat, they stuck the swap in this tiny receptacle. As I sat waiting in the room, I saw a blue line appear on the receptacle. The thing is, I didn't know if a blue line was positive or negative. So, I had a full check-up and I have my bi-annual sinus infection without strep throat. I got a prescription for the 3 day Z-pack. That stuff is simply amazing. In one day, I am feeling better! I know that since I get prescribed Z-pack at least twice a year, the effectiveness will wear off soon. So far, it is still the magical medicine that makes me better in a week.

Sick & Blech...

The cold I had been fighting off for a week caught up to me Friday. On the up side, thanks to a weekend of R&R, the sinus part of the cold has moved to my ears and throat. I'm at work today and it feels awful. I am either freezing or boiling plus the air in the building is so dry I am parched no matter how much water I drink.

Tomorrow, I have a doctor's appointment so I am expecting some relief in pill form and I'm going to take another sick day. I went to bed early last night and I knew the Pats game was close because my neighbors were shouting about it in the backyard. Since I didn't hear any cheering/partying, I was pretty sure the Colts won as I fell asleep. It's too bad but we have dominated the Super Bowl so I think it's okay to allow some other team a chance. In fact, if the Colts win the Superbowl that would make me feel better.

In WoW news, I got the Burning Crusade last Thursday and promptly set up 1 Draenai and 2 Blood elves. Unfortunately, my Horder server, Mug'thol, has become insanely popular since the Burning Crusade was released. I get queued or booted every time I try to play. I don't want to spend $25 to transfer each character so I'm switching servers. Thank goodess none of my Hordes are past level 8! So far, I am liking Hunter Blood Elves. The music in their land is pretty cool too, kind of like a combo of Battlestar Galactica and Ligetti. It got ridiculous with all the new characters trying to run the same quests. Early on there's a quest to kill a guy at the top of a tower. So when I made my way to the top, he was already killed and there were a dozen players lingering around to kill him when he resurrected. I know which quests to delay finishing when I find entire fields littered with bodies of the animal I'm supposed to kill. Being a Draenai shaman is pretty cool but I have to say one of the quests is a bit manipulative. I was supposed to heal 1 crash survivor. So I did. But during other quests or exploring the land, I find other survivors littering the area begging for help. So, I stop and heal each one. I know, I know it's just a game... It's the begging that gets me.

Silly Survey

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to good manners and elegance. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring. You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it. In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Eerie Resemblance

Public Service Warning

If you are on any kind of a diet, AVOID, these Hershey's kisses. Mint white chocolate with candy cane bits embedded in them: you can't eat just one. I'm covering reception and inhaling these babies! Luckily, I have Tae Kwon Do tonight...

Twiddling My Thumbs and Blowing My Nose

The Burning Crusade came out yesterday and my copy is in the mail. I tried playing regular WoW last night to level up my characters but the knowledge that there's a whole world out there that I'm missing out on, drove me nuts. I even tried to have my Night Elf swim to Exodar but she died in the process. When I do get the game, I'm making two Blood Elves on Mug'tholl and one Dranai on Cho'gall. My two main alliance characters are stymied at levels 15 and 16 right now. I'm happy I was able to get my level 16 to the Deadmines at least! When I'm up for some mindless killing, my Horde characters come in handy.

I'm also getting some sinus/head cold now that the weather has turned. My cubicle neighbors are coughing and sneezing as well so whatever this is, it's companywide. I'm just happy that I don't have that stomach norovirus! I'll tough out this week and see how I feel after a weekend of R&R. There is also some company drama today. Monday, my boss asked me and PRH to make up a list of employees who were no-shows at the company holiday party. We did and nothing happened until today when our boss sent out a nastygram to the no-shows. At least one guy is threatening to go to HR. That guys should take a chill pill, the email was pretty even-handed. If you cost your company thousands of dollars and hours worked, I think a nasty email is getting off pretty easy!

What Celebrity Do You Look Like?

http://www.myheritage.com

A Tale of Four Shampoos

I have a compulsion that doesn't allow me to have just one shampoo and conditioner set in my apartment. Right now I have four sets and rather than have them sit in my shower partially used, swapped out and thrown away. I have decided to review them.

Expensive

Bumble and Bumble - I cannot describe how much I love this brand. My new hair salon uses their line exclusively. My hair eats up the moisture and doesn't get weighed down. The only down-side is that their bottles are small so the price feels even more outrageous.

Biolage - my old hair salon uses this brand heavily. It definitely makes my hair feel stronger and smell great. Normal sized bottles which is a bit of a down-side because my hair gets sick of this brand pretty quickly.

Mid-range
Federic Fekkai shine travel size - this brand is a collosal rip-off. My hair feels like hay and doesn't look any shinier.

Cheap
Aussie Moist - a bottle runs $3-4. This brand is very dependable, smells great and leaves your hair feeling light.

Word to the Wise

Keeping up the theme of cursed neighborhood parking, PRH had her tires stolen Wednesday Night/Thursday morning. She lives in Medford and three of her Honda Fit's tires were stolen. I had never heard of wheel locks until this week. Getting the car towed was a huge chore plus she has to pay the deductible. She was a trooper though, she came into work and got a rental Thursday. If it happened to me, I'd take a day off and get shit done in between crying jags. Imagine walking to your car in the morning and missing 3 tires...

Crazy Neighbor Run-In

I live on a hill and technically we can only park on one side of the street - the side that faces uphill. From first couple of years of living here, I learned parking uphill during the winter is a complete disaster. My dinky Ford can't make it up an icy/snowy hill and that is the problem if I'm able to actually pull out (if my car isn't stuck on a patch of ice). So during inclement weather, I try to park facing downhill.

I was trying to find a parking space facing downhill today and found a very tight one. I did my best parallel parking and I was reasonably in line (except for my car's ass that stuck out an inch or two). Satisfied, I got out of my car when one of my across the street neighbors told me:

- I better move my car.
- I can't park on that side of the street.
- She's going to call the cops and get my car towed if I don't move.

My response to her, "Okay, I'm going to get the hell away from you." I wound up having to park on another street. I'm completely flabbergasted by this run-in. I've never spoken to this woman and I have been a good neighbor for 5 years. I shovel, I usually park well, and I don't throw noisy parties. The threats and general pissiness from her was completely uncalled for. The fact that it was directed at me rather than the SUV down the hill that was parked perpendicularly on the corner, makes no sense. If I break my neck tomorrow morning, at least I know who I'm going to sue!

Holiday Party

Friday was our company holiday party. It was held on the Odyssey Cruise ship. 135 people RSVPed for the party. We also negotiated a discounted rate with the Financial District Hilton. Since I was sharing a room with PRH and she is the Activities Committee chair our room was upgraded to a SUITE!

I was able to leave work early and check-in before PRH. When I saw our room, I wound up gasping "Oh my God" and laughing hysterically. We had a living room, full minibar, a vanity, and a bedroom with two full beds. I have lifetime experience of discount travel so staying in a room of this caliber was a big deal for me. As I surveyed the contents of our minibar, I half-expected my father to burst into the room and scream at me. Since the hotel offers valet service, I decided to drive.

Driving in Boston is something I try to avoid because I am scared of crazy drivers and getting lost. I learned two things this weekend: I am actually a good driver (in the city) and I am pretty familiar with Boston so if I do get lost I can always correct myself easily. I took the Pike downtown and missed the turn onto Atlantic Ave that would lead me to Broad St. where the hotel is located. I knew what direction I was supposed to be going as I passed Faneuil Hall so I found the hotel eventually. The other bonus about driving in Boston is that there are a million landmarks.

Since I was driving in, I had all the party favors we assembled. At 6:30, the committee met at Rowe's Wharf to help set up and settle details with the DJ and the captain. People started boarding at 7pm. The bar was open from 7:30 to 9:30. Dinner was buffet-style. I was very good in my food selection since I'm hardcore Weight Watchers now. The splurging I did was with booze. My company isn't really full of people who like to dance so the dance floor was pretty sparse throughout the night. I have never attended a party where I haven't danced so I found a group of three other people to dance to "Great Balls of Fire". Between the drinks, the boat, heels, and a slippery dance floor, I fell on my ass towards the end. Luckily, no one besides my group saw me go down. I got up and very conservatively danced off the floor. VERY embarrassing. Booze makes me chatty so I had many rambling conversations (not with many higher-ups thank God).

Once the boat docked, I hobbled back to the hotel room and went to bed. Hobbled because me shoes had been squishing my toes for hours. PRH hit a couple bars with some co-workers. All in all, I think the party was a success. PRH and I talked the next morning and she brought up something I wasn't aware of. Only 100 people showed up and we had shelled out extra money to accomodate the 35 more who had RSVPed. That kinda sucked.

Party Time!

Apparently, January 27 is The Night to Throw a Party. I got invited to 3 parties for that night. One party is hosted by a co-worker I barely know. The second party is a board game night. The third party is a night of wine tasting. Guess which one I am going to? It was really hard deciding between board games and wine but wine won. Sure, I could try to do more than one party but I think double booking is rude to the hosts and an un-necessary hassle for me.

This Friday is my company's holiday party. We're going on a cruise of Boston Harbor. My company got a discounted rate at a downtown hotel which I am totally taking advantage of. It is even cheaper for me since I'm sharing a room with PRH! The company party will have an open bar for two hours and 6 drawings for prizes that total $1500. Since I'm on the Activities Committee, I get to know all the details.

With life going so well, an actually having a social life, I wish I could go back in time to 12 year old me and tell her that life gets better starting in high school and the daily harassment will end in the last term of 8th grade. That life won't always be easy but the bad stuff leads to a lot of good. Also that good friends are on my horizon. I will end my message with a big hug.

Random Thought of the Day

In my office building the ladies room is right next to the door to the stairway. Every time I walk by that area, I think to myself, "One day absent-mindedly, I'm going to pull my pants off in the stairwell." Hopefully I won't pop a squat!

My New Favorite TV Show

I got into "Six Feet Under" during its last season and was blown away so I caught up on past episodes via Netflix. Now, that the show has ended, I kept track of what cast members are doing. When I heard Michael C. Hall got a TV show based upon a serial killer who works for the police department I was intrigued. I saw my first episode two weeks ago. It is seriously addictive, funny and touching. Even though he's a sociopath, you find yourself caring deeply about Dexter. There are points where I had to stop myself and think, "You are cheering for a pyschopath. What's wrong with you?" I have to admit some of his kills are deeply satisfying. To top off my addiction to this show, his girflfriend is played by Julie Benz aka Darla from "Angel" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Basically this show is a culmination of the last decade of my TV watching tastes. Therefore it is PERFECTION. I don't know if the series is out on DVD yet but if you have Showtime, you can catch up on the first season's episodes via OnDemand.

On a completely shallow note, since it's cable there is nudity and swearing. Plus, a buff scruffy Michael C. Hall is very easy on the eyes (if you ignore the hollow dead eyes of a killer). You don't see guts gore but you do see blood splatter and body parts. I'm a wimp when it comes to horror movies and nothing in the show has made me queasy yet.

Coping Mechanisms

Max's death really effected me to the point where I started wondering if the recent refill on my anti-depressants was accurate (the pill color looked different this time around). I called the pharmacy and they told me they switched manufacturers so I wasn't going crazy. The good thing about being older and self-aware, I know what can pull me out of spiraling down into non-functioning depression: shopping, helping others, and being around people. So, that is what I did this weekend!

Saturday, I picked up some new clothes to perk up my ensemble for upcoming parties. That day I also collected blankets and towels for this drive for the Homeless. Do you know that the average age of a homeless person in MA is 8? The drive ends Jan. 15 so please raid your bedding and donate!

Sunday, I visited my grandparents with my mom. That was a combo of being around people and helping others so I felt extra good after that visit. My grandpa seems to get me and what I needed to talk about so we spent some time sharing pet stories. It turns out he has been a lifelong cat guy! My grandma is doing well after her mastectomy. She's starting radiation in 4 to 6 weeks. We had fun sitting around trading family stories. I got to see that my grandma also has a pretty cynical point of view regarding some family members. Sunday night, I caught up on my Netflix movies. "Vertigo" was okay but two things skeeved me out: Kim Novak's eyebrows and the fact that Jimmy Stewart was at least 20 years older than his love interests. I ADORED "The Great Escape". So many bad accents, suave smart alecky men... James Garner was very yummy way back when. The only part where I was bored was the never ending motorcycle chase.

World of Warcraft Update

I'm down to three Alliance characters now. Seregonna is my level 14 Night elf druid with herbalism and alchemy skills. I'm leveling her up in Darkshore now. That's a cool area that has a good mix of dumb and challenging quests. My human palladin, Ioreth, has been stuck in Westfall for a while. That area has annoying ridiculous quests with rewards that have no connection with quest difficulty. Her skills are skinning and mining. Westfall has nothing much to mine or skin unfortunately.


Basically, Westfall is the suck but I got to level up to 15. Even if you paid me, I cannot care about the Defias Brotherhood. I'm sick of their red bandana'd asses. Don't get me started on Harvest Watchers and Golems. Evil mechanoids who take over farms. What!?!? I found a cure for my human palladin questing blues.


Lakeshire is a very cool village in the middle of the Redridge Mountains with tons of quests and on the borders of challenging areas. Additionally, it has two hyppogryph flight paths: Westfall and Stormwind!

My third character, Sarna, is a level 9 dwarf warrior that I use as a workhorse. Her skills are herbalism and skinning (one Seregonna skill and one Ioreth skill). I have her mail loot and/or money to Seregonna or Ioreth. The Wendigo cave is an amazing area to go skinning crazy. Plus, at almost every crossroad in Dun Morogh there is a silverleaf bush!

I have 3 Horde characters on the Mug'tholl server. They're kind of new and I rarely play them but I want some Horde experience so when I get the Burning Crusade, I won't be a complete Horde newbie when I set up Blood Elf characters. Undead are a pretty cool race. Orcs and trolls are pretty interchangeable. My Tauren kicks ass. I gave her a good cow name: Gertie. Oh yeah, I didn't mention my brother's girlfriend's Xmas gift for me. She pre-ordered me the Burning Crusade! Not only am I getting the game, it is FREE for me.

Cat Funeral

Baby Max


Max was buried last night by all four of us in the back yard. According to cat age calculations, he was 86 human years old. My parents had put him on his favorite pillow case and put him in the garage for storage until burial. All of us got our time to say goodbye. I went in hoping he died curled up sleeping. He died in mid-stretch so the rigor mortis is quite striking. His fur and paws felt normal but his ears and tail were stiff. I think the grossest part weere his eyes: open and sunken.

Pre-burial, we went through albums and found as many pictures of him as possible. My mom scanned them into collages. They are now adorning my cubicle and apartment walls. I loved Max very much but since I'm the oldest, I was only around for 8 of his 17 years. I feel bad for my brother, Steve. A while ago, Steve told me that he felt like Max was his brother. They used to play all the time and had special attack games. Maybe that's why my brother dug the burial hole. When we were talking about Max last night, we remembered how he didn't have the heart to really bite us. He'd half-heartedly chomp on us without breaking skin and then would lick us to say sorry.

Just remembering what my life was like from age 13 onward, Max witnessed a lot in our family. I remember how he'd tentatively nudge himself into my room when I was crying on my bed. No matter how bad my Dad messed with me, Max was always there to comfort me. As I was falling asleep last night, I also remembered how when Max was younger he was fascinated with what we did in the bathroom. Since he knew how to work a doorknob, he'd come in perch himself on the edge of the tub and watch us do our business. He was a weirdo and he'll be missed.

RIP Max

Our 17 year old family cat passed away today. I remember when we picked him out. My mom's co-worker had a litter of kittens. Max was this tiny furball with huge claws and he just clung to us. We put him in a picnic basket lined with blankets and he meowed all the way home.

He was our third family cat. The first two had been hit by cars. Max was the first cat that we kept indoors hardcore for about 15 years. He grew into a chatty and affectionate cat. He loved my brother's shoes when we were in high school. During the night, we kept him in the kitchen and over the years, he learned how to work a doorknob so we'd wake up and find him purring away on the sofa in the living room. He loved stretching out in front of the radiator or the refrigerator.

We got a cat leash and took him outside occasionally. Every sound we made and step we took, he winced like an embarrassed teenager. During the summer, he would roll around in the grass and gnaw on certain weeds.

When my parents were away for the summer, my brother and didn't shut Max in the kitchen during the nights. He would jump on my bed, circle me, and fall asleep on my hair so I woke up with a tail in my face. The way he'd beg for food during dinner was priceless. He'd get up on his hind legs and tap our fork holding hand as we raised food to our lips. He had weird food interests too. Sometimes we had to explain to him, "Max, it's pasta. Cats don't eat pasta." It didn't matter to him, anything that came from our plates was manna from heaven.

We would have complete conversations with him because my family is delusional like that. He'd meow, and we'd reply, "Yes Max, the paint job in the kitchen looks great." If anyone was standing around, he'd meow and meow until he was fed. Around the holidays, he liked chewing on ribbon.

My parents brought him to visit me when I was in the rehab hospital after my stroke. When I got home, I think he knew something had happened to me. He used to sit quietly in my lap while I stroked him with my damaged left hand. He also loved being scratched with big toes. If he saw any of us sitting with our shoes off, he'd sprawl in front of us enticingly. His favorite lounging place was the upper chest/shoulder area. His purring would slowly lull you into a nap until he started licking your ear.

The last couple of years, his health had been touch and go. He lost a lot of weight, threw up a lot, and became so dehydrated he couldn't meow so my parents would take him to the vet. More medication or injections and his health would improve for several months then the puking and dehydration would come back. This last time, he did gain weight but not in the areas needed. There was a vet appointment for this afternoon but this morning Max was lying in front of the sink, let out a yelp, and died with my mother by his side.

2006: Slurm in Review

According to my tarot cards, 2007 is going to kick ass (hello Wheel of Fortune card)!

Since the New Year has come and gone, I'm feeling reflective and navel gazing.

January 2006 - I decided to convert to Judaism and resurrected Movie Nights.
February 2006 - I started my infatuation witb Adam and was in a car accident.
March 2006 - Lawyer boss left.
April 2006 - Hating my MBA project group.
May 2006 - Horribly sick and end the spring semester
June 2006 - Summer session classes and start Introduction to Judaism class.
July 2006 - The death of my Adam infatuation and increasing my anti-depressant dosage. I also joined Weight Watchers.
August 2006 - Switched departments at work. Lots of road trips.
September 2006 - Classes start again
October 2006 - Weddings, comedy shows, and course project stress.
November 2006 - An excellent election and turning 30.
December 2006 - Nailing my last fall semester plus beginning Tae Kwon Do lessons.

The World of the Living

Being back at work after a 9 day vacation hasn't been too bad so far. This morning I made my way through the back-log of work waiting for me. The worst part of today is the fact that I got about 2 hours of sleep last night so I have a splitting headache and nausea. 9 days of sleeping in completely spoiled me.

I had all this time off and what did I do? I played World of Warcraft, spent entire days in my PJs, and watched a lot of TV. I also ate absolute crap. One night, I had lindt truffles for dinner. I was able to level up my main two WoW characters at least! The game was pretty fun to play New Year's Eve because there was in-game free booze and fireworks.

Regarding TV, I have become a huge "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" fan thanks to back to back marathons on USA and Bravo. It's all about Vincent D'Onofrio for me. He's the exact sexy combination of quirky and damaged that I like. Speaking of damaged, I have been catching up on "Dexter". I'm surprised how funny the show can be! I tried getting into "Rome" but I lost track of who is who in the pilot and that usually nukes interest.

You know how there are studies saying that stress contributes to weight gain and sleeping well helps with weight loss? I think both those factors contributed to the fact that at my Weight Watchers weigh-in today I only gained 1lb! I had mentally prepared myself for 10. What a nice New Year's gift, huh? But I shouldn't coast on my good luck. I need to get back on the band wagon hardcore.