I have my third sinus infection this year. My doctor recommended that I try a neti pot . I picked this baby up today so we'll see how this helps my chronic sinus infections! I got almost 4 hours of sleep last night so today I will be sacking out on my sofa.
On the up side, at least the deadly heat and humidity has gone. But I was robbed of the cool summer thunderstorms that brought the cold front. I really look forward to those! I better be well by July 4...
Friday, June 29, 2007
Neighborhood Parking Enforcer
Technically it's only legal to park on one side of my street which means spaces on that side are at a premium. People can park on the other side but every once in a while the Waltham PD decide to go on a parking ticket spree.
Adding to the parking complications is that there is a telephone poll almost in the street on one side of my apartment and on the other side, there's a neighbor's driveway. You can fit three cars between those boundaries easily if everyone plays along. But I have new neighbors who seem to NOT GET IT. I got home last night with their car smack dab in the middle of two possible parking spaces. I was exhausted, hot, and sick so I took a page from Passive Aggressive Notes and left a note under the windshield saying, "Three cars can fit in this parking area but not if you park like this. Please be considerate of your neighbors." I don't know maybe it's genetic?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Love the Animal Kingdom?
Zebras and horse can mate! Very soon, we can look forward to animal/human hybrids. I call dibs on gills!
Orange You Glad You Don't Take Tae Kwon Do?
Last night, with 90 degree weather and 90% humidity, I took my orange belt test. It started off pretty routinely: 100 jumping jacks, 25 push-ups and 75 crunches. I was one of 8 yellow belts testing for orange. So the upper belts went in the next room for kicks and defense testing.
4 yellow belts tested on forms and I was on the sidelines waiting/watching. 2 guys asked to go again - which totally surprised me because that NEVER happens in testing. Then my group of 4 tested on forms. I think I did fairly well but I know what I could work on. At least I didn't need to go again! There was a poor lonely white belt testing for yellow who did horribly on basic forms. I felt so embarrassed for her. We ended this station by holding a horse stance for what felt like forever. My poor quads...
We were then moved onto the kicks station. I did the worst at this station because I lost my balance a couple times (my cold messing with my inner ear). It's like I can only focus on one extra thing while testing on kicks. Since I remembered the critique from yellow belt testing, that I don't pivot my hips enough, I went overboard on pivoting yet I sacrificed chambering my kicks. Basically, I looked like a flailing pivoting, spazz. We ended this part of testing with a sustained V sit-up. I was DYING.
The next station I loved. We did self-defense and were tested on memorized terms. I completely turned into a Hermione Granger at this station. If a classmate was asked to recite pledge #3 and struggled, I was bouncing on my toes and using eyes to plead to answer the question. In fact, one of the instructors teased me about it in the locker room. How should a geek act? Another cool part of this station was that I heard my first praise during testing. I have good footwork for self-defense! By the end, all of us were soaked with sweat and since we ended with self-defense, some of the sweat was someone else's. If I did pass this test, I bet I will have a lot of feedback!
4 yellow belts tested on forms and I was on the sidelines waiting/watching. 2 guys asked to go again - which totally surprised me because that NEVER happens in testing. Then my group of 4 tested on forms. I think I did fairly well but I know what I could work on. At least I didn't need to go again! There was a poor lonely white belt testing for yellow who did horribly on basic forms. I felt so embarrassed for her. We ended this station by holding a horse stance for what felt like forever. My poor quads...
We were then moved onto the kicks station. I did the worst at this station because I lost my balance a couple times (my cold messing with my inner ear). It's like I can only focus on one extra thing while testing on kicks. Since I remembered the critique from yellow belt testing, that I don't pivot my hips enough, I went overboard on pivoting yet I sacrificed chambering my kicks. Basically, I looked like a flailing pivoting, spazz. We ended this part of testing with a sustained V sit-up. I was DYING.
The next station I loved. We did self-defense and were tested on memorized terms. I completely turned into a Hermione Granger at this station. If a classmate was asked to recite pledge #3 and struggled, I was bouncing on my toes and using eyes to plead to answer the question. In fact, one of the instructors teased me about it in the locker room. How should a geek act? Another cool part of this station was that I heard my first praise during testing. I have good footwork for self-defense! By the end, all of us were soaked with sweat and since we ended with self-defense, some of the sweat was someone else's. If I did pass this test, I bet I will have a lot of feedback!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Y DNA Don't Preach
Remember how I got my mother a matrilineal DNA map for her birthday? I decided to do the same for my father but for his Y DNA. My mom's map had hits all over Europe, ranging from Poland to Portugal. Here is my dad's results. One hit. Pretty anticlimatic, eh? I think the lack of hits is linked to the fact that my dad is from Hungary. It's a former Eastern bloc country that has been struggling economically. So who would have the interest and money to submit their DNA in Hungary? The hit in Italy is intriguing though. I knew I had an Italian great great great grandmother but to have male DNA is a surprise. Here is something else the report had to say "Some customers’ matches are few and geographically very close together; other customers’ matches are more widespread. The deviation expresses how widespread your Y-DNA type is. As a general rule, a wide distribution means that your Y-DNA type is ancient and has had many thousands of years to spread. A geographically close distribution on the other hand would indicate you have a young Y-DNA type, with its defining mutation having occurred only a few thousand or hundred years ago. The origin of your young Y-DNA type is then probably not far from the geographic centre." Are we Roman?
Power? We Don't Need No Stinking Power
Ugh, I'm in the office at 7AM because my entire neighborhood had a power failure. So, rather than have a sweaty fitful remaining sleep where I will miss my alarm, I figured I would come into the cool glory of my office. I'm very proud of myself because I also found my circuit breakers and reset them all by myself. Now, to find work that can justify me coming in 2 hours early...
The power better be back on this evening because 95 degrees outside means 105 in my apartment. Plus, I am testing for my orange belt this evening so I'll need a cool place to recover. I was pretty confident until class last night. It turns out I had memorized the Korean numbers wrong, inverting 8 and 9. Plus, I thought my forms were pretty perfect but as I ran them, the instructor had a couple flaws for me to correct: forward stance and my inside block is looking like an uppercut. I'm solid on kicks and self defense. The creed and pledge have been memorized too.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Your Second Grader is Smarter than our Vice President
My World for a Coconut Bra
Several co-workers and I have been discussing the idea that a manager had floated; Fridays should be Hawaiian shirt days. I joked about Office Space and got to wondering where in the world could I buy a Hawaiian shirt in MA.
Sickness in the Summertime
I know I am sick when I go to bed early, 8pm last night. Plus, the whole stuffed up head and burning magma feeling in my throat confirms something is amiss. Being sick in the summer is horrendous, especially in the midst of a humid 90 degree mini-heatwave. I can't snuggle under comforters and sack out on my sofa surrounded by kleenex boxes. I have to crank up the AC in my bedroom which gives me the dry painful air to breathe. Lying on the sofa requires many fans pointed at me which basically blows germs back in my face. If I survive orange belt testing tomorrow without passing out from the heat and my cold, I'll be lucky!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Superhero Weekend
I finally caught up on movies this weekend. I saw Spiderman 3 and Superman Returns. Here is what I thought. Skip reading this post if you haven't seen the movies.
Spiderman 3 was decent. This franchise has gotten me trained to enjoy the introduction of new villians. In this movie, we got two! One bit it and the other learned the error of his ways (which bodes well for a reappearance). The love story was completely atrocious I blame the writing and Kirsten Dunst. She just hits two emotions throughout the movie: downtrodden and terrified. I also noticed a lot of unnecessary movie padding. Did we really need to see the Saturday Night Fever homage? Plus, what was the point of casting for Gwen Stacy if she disappears halfway through the movie?
Superman Returns was at first confusing and disappointing. Confusing because I had no idea what the timeline was supposed to be. It is 5 years after the last Christopher Reeve's Superman (3?) It was disappointing because I really like Margot Kidder's Lois Lane. She had an edge and spirit. But in Superman Returns, Lois is a mother and her "spirit" translates into nagging throughout the whole movie. Kevin Spacey was pretty good as Lex. I enjoyed all his bad wigs. Just a tip for moviegoers, if you see James Marsden in a movie, know his character will never get the girl. That is his acting niche. Brandon Routh looked enough like Christopher Reeves, I was pleased. He wasn't required to act too much. The effects of kryptonite was handled inconsistently throughout the movie so that was a little confusing. I would definitely check out the next Superman movie (especially with the whole son angle).
Spiderman 3 was decent. This franchise has gotten me trained to enjoy the introduction of new villians. In this movie, we got two! One bit it and the other learned the error of his ways (which bodes well for a reappearance). The love story was completely atrocious I blame the writing and Kirsten Dunst. She just hits two emotions throughout the movie: downtrodden and terrified. I also noticed a lot of unnecessary movie padding. Did we really need to see the Saturday Night Fever homage? Plus, what was the point of casting for Gwen Stacy if she disappears halfway through the movie?
Superman Returns was at first confusing and disappointing. Confusing because I had no idea what the timeline was supposed to be. It is 5 years after the last Christopher Reeve's Superman (3?) It was disappointing because I really like Margot Kidder's Lois Lane. She had an edge and spirit. But in Superman Returns, Lois is a mother and her "spirit" translates into nagging throughout the whole movie. Kevin Spacey was pretty good as Lex. I enjoyed all his bad wigs. Just a tip for moviegoers, if you see James Marsden in a movie, know his character will never get the girl. That is his acting niche. Brandon Routh looked enough like Christopher Reeves, I was pleased. He wasn't required to act too much. The effects of kryptonite was handled inconsistently throughout the movie so that was a little confusing. I would definitely check out the next Superman movie (especially with the whole son angle).
What am I 18?
I started the weekend off with a bang thanks to drinks at Biagio's.I had decided to wear wedges that I haven't worn for over a year that night. I'm a big fan of the wedge - it's an easy way to get height without killing your feet. 2 martinis, 1 mojito, and a glass of wine in, I headed off to deposit some money in an ATM.
Grass + wedges + booze does not make a good combo. I completely wiped out in front of my ATM and I got back on my feet the patented drunk way: sticking my ass up in the air completely doubled over. I wasn't in much pain so I went about my business and headed home. Then, I noticed that I was trailing blood from my left leg. My legs look like I was thrown down stairs. But I learned my lesson. I really should buy sexy flats for my next Friday nighter. Comme ca?
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Getting Old Survey
Any teenager can write a survey about their favorite class, or their secret crush, or how nice their car is that their parents paid for. This is the survey for the older crowd.
1. Do you have a college degree?
Yes
2. What was the amount of your last electric bill?
Around $56
3. Do you have life insurance?
Yes
4. How many hours per week do you work?
40
5. Have you ever attended a Toastmasters event?
No
6. Favorite place to attend Happy Hour?
Tempo
7. How many miles is your commute to work each day?
4
8. What time do you get up every morning for work?
7:15 + 9 snooze hits = 8:30
9. What is your definition of sleeping in late?
Past 10
10. Do you check your cholesterol on a yearly basis?
Yes
11. How large was your first cellular bill?
$25
12. Does your employer provide good health insurance?
Yes
13. Did you use the Internet to write a research paper?
Yes
14. Have you attended a HS reunion?
Yes. Class of '95 - woohoo!
15. How many jobs have you held in your career?
I don't have a career but I have held 3 jobs since college graduation
16. Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job?
No
17. What is your favorite drink?
Martini (vodka not gin)
18. What is the most expensive bottle of wine that you have in your residence?
Probably the $22 Pinot Noir leftover from the wine tasting party
19. Have you been divorced?
No
20. How old were you when you stopped getting ID'd for Alcohol?
I'm 30 and I still get ID'd
21. Favorite casino?
I've only been to Foxwoods. Staying in the Pequot tower is amazing
22. Are you happier now than you were in high school?
Yes
23. Did you ever have Hypercolor shirts?
No because I didn't need another reason to be beat up in middle school.
24. Do you remember when Michael Jackson was black and attracted to older people?
Yes. I adored Thriller and could moonwalk in first grade
25. Do you remember when MTV actually played music videos?
Yes.
26. Have you had a will made?
Yes
27. What music was in your cd / cassette player when you were 16?
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and U2
28. Favorite fancy / upscale restaurant?
Lumiere
29. How long has it been since you attended a kegger?
8 years
30. Where were you when you found out about 9-11?
At work when a professor came in and asked me if I heard about the planes going into the towers. Since none of the news websites worked, we pulled out a radio to listen to the news.
31. Do you remember Baby Jessica?
Yes
32. How many cars have you had since you turned 16?
2
33. Did you ever own/play Atari?
Yes
34. Did you ever play Oregon Trail in school?
Yes! My group always died from yellow fever or a broken horse leg.
35. What was your favorite cartoon growing up?
I went through phases. The Snorks then the Real Ghosbusters then Ducktales then The Simpsons then South Park.
1. Do you have a college degree?
Yes
2. What was the amount of your last electric bill?
Around $56
3. Do you have life insurance?
Yes
4. How many hours per week do you work?
40
5. Have you ever attended a Toastmasters event?
No
6. Favorite place to attend Happy Hour?
Tempo
7. How many miles is your commute to work each day?
4
8. What time do you get up every morning for work?
7:15 + 9 snooze hits = 8:30
9. What is your definition of sleeping in late?
Past 10
10. Do you check your cholesterol on a yearly basis?
Yes
11. How large was your first cellular bill?
$25
12. Does your employer provide good health insurance?
Yes
13. Did you use the Internet to write a research paper?
Yes
14. Have you attended a HS reunion?
Yes. Class of '95 - woohoo!
15. How many jobs have you held in your career?
I don't have a career but I have held 3 jobs since college graduation
16. Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job?
No
17. What is your favorite drink?
Martini (vodka not gin)
18. What is the most expensive bottle of wine that you have in your residence?
Probably the $22 Pinot Noir leftover from the wine tasting party
19. Have you been divorced?
No
20. How old were you when you stopped getting ID'd for Alcohol?
I'm 30 and I still get ID'd
21. Favorite casino?
I've only been to Foxwoods. Staying in the Pequot tower is amazing
22. Are you happier now than you were in high school?
Yes
23. Did you ever have Hypercolor shirts?
No because I didn't need another reason to be beat up in middle school.
24. Do you remember when Michael Jackson was black and attracted to older people?
Yes. I adored Thriller and could moonwalk in first grade
25. Do you remember when MTV actually played music videos?
Yes.
26. Have you had a will made?
Yes
27. What music was in your cd / cassette player when you were 16?
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and U2
28. Favorite fancy / upscale restaurant?
Lumiere
29. How long has it been since you attended a kegger?
8 years
30. Where were you when you found out about 9-11?
At work when a professor came in and asked me if I heard about the planes going into the towers. Since none of the news websites worked, we pulled out a radio to listen to the news.
31. Do you remember Baby Jessica?
Yes
32. How many cars have you had since you turned 16?
2
33. Did you ever own/play Atari?
Yes
34. Did you ever play Oregon Trail in school?
Yes! My group always died from yellow fever or a broken horse leg.
35. What was your favorite cartoon growing up?
I went through phases. The Snorks then the Real Ghosbusters then Ducktales then The Simpsons then South Park.
You Just Lost Me
I used to be a huge Kathy Griffin fan. I love her stand-up but I have to stop watching her Bravo show. I have to stop watching because it's just not escapist TV anymore for me. That's because Kathy's life was pretty turbulent for the most recent season. In the last episode, her dad died. I am in an okay place about my Grandma's death but I really don't need to be reminded about breathing tubes, DNRs, congestive heart failure etc. I can't see Kathy in mourning because it will drag me back.
I am still a fan of her stand-up and will definitely check her out when she comes to MA. I always need bitchy mean celebrity gossip. She watches way more television than me so it's nice to culturally catch up through her show.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Blame it on Madonna
For years I have had a huge movie star crush on Aidan Quinn. It all started with Desperately Seeking Susan. I don't care that he's 17 years older than me. Going gray is pretty sexy. Plus, gray hair accents his gorgeous eyes. He does really well in period pieces (see The Mission, Avalon, Legends of the Fall, and This is My Father). Since my TiVo recorded "Practical Magic" last night, I was reminded how many Aidan Quinn movies I love. I was pretty disappointed that his TV show, The Book of Daniel, got cancelled. Any suggestions from fellow Aidan lovers for movies or TV shows I should look into, would be greatly appreciated!
Awesome TKD Class
Last night, I signed up for testing on the 27th. As I was signing up, a couple female upper level belts talked up sparring. It doesn't sound too scary and one showed me the sparring padding and helmet. If I do get my orange belt next week, maybe I'll check it out. Since I would be the lowest level belt in the class, there's no way I will "hulk out" because I won't be attacked too heavily. That makes me feel better. Plus, what is the point of learning all these kicks and blocks if I don't know how to use them realistically?
Since last night we had 18 people in class, we started off with a warm up game of dodgeball. Me and another guy were chosen for a team because both of us last long in the game. Finally last night my team won and I threw my first person out. One of my team-mates gave me a helpful tip, aim for the feet. Last night was completely insane and fierce with balls whizzing past my head. It was SO FUN!
Since testing is coming up, the rest of the class was spent reviewing test material. I learned 3 ways to break a choke hold and I went over hook kicks and shuffle roundhouse kicks. Monday, I had killed my left ankle on a hook kick when I wound up mis-aiming and hitting the kickpad handle. Last night I learned a way to aim better thanks to one of the instructors. Monday, before I wrecked my ankle, I actually got complimented on my shuffle roundhouse kicks! I think I'm good at those because they are like dance moves.
Since last night we had 18 people in class, we started off with a warm up game of dodgeball. Me and another guy were chosen for a team because both of us last long in the game. Finally last night my team won and I threw my first person out. One of my team-mates gave me a helpful tip, aim for the feet. Last night was completely insane and fierce with balls whizzing past my head. It was SO FUN!
Since testing is coming up, the rest of the class was spent reviewing test material. I learned 3 ways to break a choke hold and I went over hook kicks and shuffle roundhouse kicks. Monday, I had killed my left ankle on a hook kick when I wound up mis-aiming and hitting the kickpad handle. Last night I learned a way to aim better thanks to one of the instructors. Monday, before I wrecked my ankle, I actually got complimented on my shuffle roundhouse kicks! I think I'm good at those because they are like dance moves.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Fun With Comic Life
Macs have a program installed on them called "Comic Life" and I was playing around with it tonight. Enjoy!
The Wines We Tasted
Reds
Attitude Jolivet, Pinot Noir, 2002 (9 - my favorite)
Chateau Pitach D'Aux, Bordeaux, 2003 (5)
Domaine Sarta, ??, 2005 (7 Can't read my handwriting)
Cuvee Traditionelle, Beaujolais, 2005 (2 - My first ass wine)
Louis Jaot, Beaujolais, 2005 (8.5 - finding my beaujolais groove)
Rose
Mouton Rose, 2006 (7)
Domain Hoocket(?), Rose, (6)
Whites
Jean Paul, Beaujolais Blanc, 2004 (8)
Macca (?), Chardonnay, 2005 (2 - another ass wine)
Can't read what I wrote but I gave it a (6)
Attitude Jolivet, Pinot Noir, 2002 (9 - my favorite)
Chateau Pitach D'Aux, Bordeaux, 2003 (5)
Domaine Sarta, ??, 2005 (7 Can't read my handwriting)
Cuvee Traditionelle, Beaujolais, 2005 (2 - My first ass wine)
Louis Jaot, Beaujolais, 2005 (8.5 - finding my beaujolais groove)
Rose
Mouton Rose, 2006 (7)
Domain Hoocket(?), Rose, (6)
Whites
Jean Paul, Beaujolais Blanc, 2004 (8)
Macca (?), Chardonnay, 2005 (2 - another ass wine)
Can't read what I wrote but I gave it a (6)
Meeting My Baby
Yesterday, I had my first visit with the kitten I'm adopting. The litter is now creeping around but their eyesight isn't too good. Rasputin is as big as my hand and is a grey poofball. When I first held him, he meowed a lot but eventually he settled since I laid him over my heart (I heard it's calming to kittens). He also licked my fingers and gave me a little baby nip. My dad was able to hold him too. Rasputin is the big boy of the litter and when we weren't holding him, we enjoyed seeing him play fight with his siblings. It was such an overload of cute, I was on cloud 9 all the way home. He's coming home with me in mid-August and I'm taking a week off to help him orient.
The cutest part of the day was coming into the kitten room of the breeder. I didn't see a single kitten but that was because they were all curled up sleeping together in the back of this. So, the breeder picked it up and I was able to pull Rasputin out from under his brothers. Hee!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Fait Accompli
The Wine Tasting Party was a success and I found several wines that I love. There were a couple I wasn't too fond of. I used "ass" as my adjective for those.
We had an imposing cheese spread with gouda, havarti, manchego, and goat cheese. People had difficulty with the name manchego. My favorite was mandingo.
At the end of the night, I wound up giving 3 tarot card readings which were pretty darn accurate. Maybe wine helps me connect to the universe?
We had an imposing cheese spread with gouda, havarti, manchego, and goat cheese. People had difficulty with the name manchego. My favorite was mandingo.
At the end of the night, I wound up giving 3 tarot card readings which were pretty darn accurate. Maybe wine helps me connect to the universe?
Friday, June 15, 2007
Illegal Alien in Red Sox Nation
For the past couple of years, it seems like every time I have something to do in Boston there is a Red Sox game. How can I tell? Well, there are mobs of middle class white people who don't know how to work the Charlie machine/figure out the T fare clothed in Red Sox gear.
Last night was a particularly choice example of taking public transportation (the D line of the green line) with Red Sox nation. At one stop, a gentleman with a Yankees cap got onto my car. He was constantly hounded by this obnoxious guy who either had some mental handicap, or was drunk, who sounded like Jon Lovitz. Yankee cap guy was much more patient than me. I felt like throttling the guy screaming, "Shut up about the friggin hat!" The Yankee hat guy grew up locally and spent a couple years living down in NYC (I learned since he had to defend his mere existence to my car).
I have never been so relieved when we got to the Fenway stop. Once we departed, a woman who is a NYC transplant struck up a nice conversation with Yankee cap guy. It was a nice denouement from the three town's worth asshattery he had to put up with.
Last night was a particularly choice example of taking public transportation (the D line of the green line) with Red Sox nation. At one stop, a gentleman with a Yankees cap got onto my car. He was constantly hounded by this obnoxious guy who either had some mental handicap, or was drunk, who sounded like Jon Lovitz. Yankee cap guy was much more patient than me. I felt like throttling the guy screaming, "Shut up about the friggin hat!" The Yankee hat guy grew up locally and spent a couple years living down in NYC (I learned since he had to defend his mere existence to my car).
I have never been so relieved when we got to the Fenway stop. Once we departed, a woman who is a NYC transplant struck up a nice conversation with Yankee cap guy. It was a nice denouement from the three town's worth asshattery he had to put up with.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Shallow Post
Since I just discovered that some bloggers post what they're wearing as a daiily entry, I decided to take a stab at it. Tonight, I'm having dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in the Pru with an old friend who I haven't seen in a while. I am wearing this today with black tights.
Party Throwing Headaches
This past year, I've thrown a bunch of parties at my place. Fun was had by all and after each party, I was on such a high I forgot the headaches of party throwing. Basically these headaches can be boiled down to two issues:
1. No one RSVPs anymore. I cannot tell you the amount of time and money I have wasted on party no shows. Back in Sept, I threw a murder mystery party where I assigned roles. One of the key roles went unfilled because a guest never told me he was not showing up. That role was filled by my teddy bear.
2. Guests decide to invite other people to the party. I'm lucky if the guest even RSVPs, so I get to open my door to A) someone who I didn't think was coming and B) a complete stranger. Which is creepy central since I'm opening up my home and live alone.
It's not fun how throwing a party build up all this bitterness and makes you swear that you'll never throw a party again. Yet, during the party every stressor evaporates which perpetuates the cycle of party throwing.
1. No one RSVPs anymore. I cannot tell you the amount of time and money I have wasted on party no shows. Back in Sept, I threw a murder mystery party where I assigned roles. One of the key roles went unfilled because a guest never told me he was not showing up. That role was filled by my teddy bear.
2. Guests decide to invite other people to the party. I'm lucky if the guest even RSVPs, so I get to open my door to A) someone who I didn't think was coming and B) a complete stranger. Which is creepy central since I'm opening up my home and live alone.
It's not fun how throwing a party build up all this bitterness and makes you swear that you'll never throw a party again. Yet, during the party every stressor evaporates which perpetuates the cycle of party throwing.
Job Myths
I haven't heard back from the company who I interviewed with two weeks ago. I thought it went really well and I sold myself. Apparently, that isn't the case. More and more I'm discovering that having an MBA is only a plus if it fits into a lifelong plan. If I worked in the finance sector, an MBA is great. Since I work in manufacturing, an MBA is overkill. This article in the Globe didn't make me feel any better.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tae Kwon Do Getting Better
Orange belt testing is Wednesday June 27 and I missed 3 weeks of classes in May so this month is crunch time. The only good thing about screwing up forms last week and costing my team points was that it scared me into brushing up on my forms (Il Jan).
Monday night's class was a doozy and I can still feel it in sore muscles. Warm up was jump rope and squats which didn't feel too intense but my leg muscles beg to differ. The class was small, only 7 people, so we ran through basic and Il Jan forms twice. I have the moves for Il Jan but not the crispness so I was asked to repeat the forms again alone in front of the class by count. This could be stressful but the black belt teaching class has been so supportive and helpful to me, I felt like I was safe. I messed up only twice and learned what to pay attention to. Then, we got into kicks. There are four new kicks I need to know for orange belt testing: shuffle roundhouse, side kick (back leg), hook kick and slide up hook kick. Shuffle roundhouse looks like a lame 90's dance move so whenever I do it, "Step by Step" is in my head. We did reps of 30 of each kick then we moved up the floor with each kick. By this point, I was dripping with sweat. We ended doing a V crunch for a minute.
My plan for next week is to attend Mon to Thurs and Sat forms class to get my stamina and forms ready for testing.
Monday night's class was a doozy and I can still feel it in sore muscles. Warm up was jump rope and squats which didn't feel too intense but my leg muscles beg to differ. The class was small, only 7 people, so we ran through basic and Il Jan forms twice. I have the moves for Il Jan but not the crispness so I was asked to repeat the forms again alone in front of the class by count. This could be stressful but the black belt teaching class has been so supportive and helpful to me, I felt like I was safe. I messed up only twice and learned what to pay attention to. Then, we got into kicks. There are four new kicks I need to know for orange belt testing: shuffle roundhouse, side kick (back leg), hook kick and slide up hook kick. Shuffle roundhouse looks like a lame 90's dance move so whenever I do it, "Step by Step" is in my head. We did reps of 30 of each kick then we moved up the floor with each kick. By this point, I was dripping with sweat. We ended doing a V crunch for a minute.
My plan for next week is to attend Mon to Thurs and Sat forms class to get my stamina and forms ready for testing.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Gay Man Trapped in a Woman's Body
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch this year's Tony awards. I don't get to go to New York City to see a show often but I try to get season tickets to Broadway in Boston every year so I like to pay attention to Tony winners. The past couple of years, I have been able to see a lot of Tony winners like Spamalot, Doubt, and The Light in the Piazza. I haven't been disappointed yet! My To Do list for the next couple of seasons is to check out Spring Awakening (Duncan Sheik did the music) and The Coast of Utopia (a 9 hour play - yikes)
Lennon+Social Action = Pony Up Cash
If you haven't heard, a bunch of artists have contributed to a Lennon tribute album that goes on sale today. All proceeds will be donated to Amnesty International's work in Darfur. Green Day's version of "Working Class Hero" is already on the radio. When I first heard it, I was excited that my favorite Lennon song was on the radio. But after repeat listening, it isn't that good. The emotion seems to have been stripped from it. But if you're a Lennon fan and are concerned with Darfur, I highly recommend getting this album (available via iTunes)
June 11 Deep Thought
Last night I poured a big glass of water for myself since I had just had an intense Tae Kwon Do class. As I was pouring, I noticed the water's expiration date was May 27. What I poured into my glass still tasted like water so I have no idea why water needs an expiration date. It's not like it evaporates or curdles over time.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Massage and Boxed Wine
I go to the Elizabeth Grady in Framingham because they have a masseuse who is fabulous. She uses just the right amount of pressure and doesn't talk a lot.
The massage Saturday was my first in about a year so I knew that I would need some major work. My upper back is the area where all my tension settles. It's funny paying attention to how my muscle groups respond to being massaged. My neck and shoulder area tend to tense/attack for the first pass, second pass they are tense but towards the end kind of give up, and by the third pass they are butter. There was only 1 point when I had to ask the masseuse to be gentler. My left side is still screwy from my stroke. My nerves like to scream pain (but are asleep when I burn or cut myself). She was working my back up and down my spine on my left side. It felt like I was being slashed with knives and there was no way to reason with my nerves. What sucks is that probably I needed a lot of work on that side and that's why it hurt. I know I had a good massage because I am still feeling the effects days later.
After the massage, I swung by Martys to restock my wine supplies. I was in the boxed wine aisle and figured what the hell. So, this weekend, I have had my first experience with boxed wine (Hardys). I like the spout and I like the ease of storage. I also like that 4 bottles of wine = 1 box. The wine itself isn't anything spectacular. But I have heard great things about Black box wines.
The massage Saturday was my first in about a year so I knew that I would need some major work. My upper back is the area where all my tension settles. It's funny paying attention to how my muscle groups respond to being massaged. My neck and shoulder area tend to tense/attack for the first pass, second pass they are tense but towards the end kind of give up, and by the third pass they are butter. There was only 1 point when I had to ask the masseuse to be gentler. My left side is still screwy from my stroke. My nerves like to scream pain (but are asleep when I burn or cut myself). She was working my back up and down my spine on my left side. It felt like I was being slashed with knives and there was no way to reason with my nerves. What sucks is that probably I needed a lot of work on that side and that's why it hurt. I know I had a good massage because I am still feeling the effects days later.
After the massage, I swung by Martys to restock my wine supplies. I was in the boxed wine aisle and figured what the hell. So, this weekend, I have had my first experience with boxed wine (Hardys). I like the spout and I like the ease of storage. I also like that 4 bottles of wine = 1 box. The wine itself isn't anything spectacular. But I have heard great things about Black box wines.
The Undefinable Pain
I believe that I have been chemically depressed for most of my life. This belief is based off of the memory that I had this gaping black hole that could never be filled for a while (at least since puberty). No matter what I achieved or experienced, I could never be happy. There was always something to mar it that made me feel that I am not worth happiness.
The first time I tried to kill myself was when I was 14. I have a vague recollection that what set me off was Andes Candies. I know I tried to use an art kit exacto knife on my wrists but chickened out so I wound up carving my name in my forearm. I bled a lot and I tried to clean myself up in the bathroom.
The next time I contemplated suicide was right after my stroke. I was on blood thinners so I realized that I could bleed out with little effort. I could not see recovery for me. I could not imagine being independent, getting feeling back on my left side and learning how to talk normally again. All I could see for myself was being a ridiculous, retarded dependent shell of who I used to be. But I had fought so hard to survive my stroke and I was so angry so the thought of throwing all that away upset me. I was sobbing in my room when my mother found me.
The last time I tried to kill myself was around age 26. I was living alone and I was upset. I had a good set of knives. There is a thrill of drawing my own blood. But that thrill wasn't as strong as it used to be so I paced up and down in my apartment sobbing until I found three magnets from my refrigerator poetry kit on the floor. It said, "Life, blood, music." That was so apropos and creepy in that state of mind, I have kept the magnets on my refrigerator for years. I wound up calling my mother and she stayed with me.
I have a family history of depression and encountered violence at an early age so that predisposed me to a chemical imbalance in my brain. In June 2005, I finally admitted to myself that I needed help and I could not feed the gaping black hole that felt like it was enveloping my life. I had gotten to the point where I fantasized about being hospitalized. Even though I had experience with being hospitalized and hated every second of it. I started on 10 mg of Celexa that month and I felt an immediate difference. I'm up to 20mg now and I don't know how I would be here without this drug (take that Scientologists). What I really liked was something my mother told me. She told me if my brain chemistry is fine, I would feel no change on anti-depressants. Since I felt a change, it means that my brain chemistry was screwed up.
The first time I tried to kill myself was when I was 14. I have a vague recollection that what set me off was Andes Candies. I know I tried to use an art kit exacto knife on my wrists but chickened out so I wound up carving my name in my forearm. I bled a lot and I tried to clean myself up in the bathroom.
The next time I contemplated suicide was right after my stroke. I was on blood thinners so I realized that I could bleed out with little effort. I could not see recovery for me. I could not imagine being independent, getting feeling back on my left side and learning how to talk normally again. All I could see for myself was being a ridiculous, retarded dependent shell of who I used to be. But I had fought so hard to survive my stroke and I was so angry so the thought of throwing all that away upset me. I was sobbing in my room when my mother found me.
The last time I tried to kill myself was around age 26. I was living alone and I was upset. I had a good set of knives. There is a thrill of drawing my own blood. But that thrill wasn't as strong as it used to be so I paced up and down in my apartment sobbing until I found three magnets from my refrigerator poetry kit on the floor. It said, "Life, blood, music." That was so apropos and creepy in that state of mind, I have kept the magnets on my refrigerator for years. I wound up calling my mother and she stayed with me.
I have a family history of depression and encountered violence at an early age so that predisposed me to a chemical imbalance in my brain. In June 2005, I finally admitted to myself that I needed help and I could not feed the gaping black hole that felt like it was enveloping my life. I had gotten to the point where I fantasized about being hospitalized. Even though I had experience with being hospitalized and hated every second of it. I started on 10 mg of Celexa that month and I felt an immediate difference. I'm up to 20mg now and I don't know how I would be here without this drug (take that Scientologists). What I really liked was something my mother told me. She told me if my brain chemistry is fine, I would feel no change on anti-depressants. Since I felt a change, it means that my brain chemistry was screwed up.
Myspace Petition
This week on my myspace bulletin board, there was a petition to shut down a myspace profile called "Fuck the Troops". I read the petition and noted the comments, "Fight them over there rather than over here." "Draft the people who made Fuck the Troops". So, I decided to do a little investigating. There is no such profile on myspace. Either it was taken down, or never existed and was invented to rile up the right winger faithful. I know I was warned that most of the myspace bulletins are crap but this got me thinking.
Aren't the troops over in Iraq fighting for the freedom that there can be a "Fuck the Troops" profile? Or does freedom of expression get forgotten (as well as the Geneva Conventions) in fighting the Iraq War II? What about the fact that Iraq doesn't have WMDs or never attacked the US? If I had to draft anyone, I would draft the children of the people who authorized the war and underfunded it. Jenna and Barbara, got ready for boot camp!
I sent a message to the petition poster on myspace saying "Petition Accomplished." I'm sure she didn't understand the irony.
Aren't the troops over in Iraq fighting for the freedom that there can be a "Fuck the Troops" profile? Or does freedom of expression get forgotten (as well as the Geneva Conventions) in fighting the Iraq War II? What about the fact that Iraq doesn't have WMDs or never attacked the US? If I had to draft anyone, I would draft the children of the people who authorized the war and underfunded it. Jenna and Barbara, got ready for boot camp!
I sent a message to the petition poster on myspace saying "Petition Accomplished." I'm sure she didn't understand the irony.
June 9 & 10 Weekend
I didn't do much except Tae Kwon Do forms class, an hour massage, party shopping, installing my air conditioner, and watch the Law & Order SVU marathon. This weekend is significant for only one reason: on June 10, 2001 I had my stroke. So, I am a 6 year survivor. I am so grateful that I have been able to come so far. Back in 2001, all I had to look forward to was a life in a group home. This is just to give you the background on why this weekend I was so reflective.
Friday, June 08, 2007
New Season, New Hair Color
I'm itching to do something different with my hair but have limited funds. So, I will be dying my hair this weekend.
This is my safe choice and this is my alternative:
If I feel daring enough, I might try this:
This is my safe choice and this is my alternative:
If I feel daring enough, I might try this:
Online Shopping Success
A while ago, I ordered a bunch of clothing online because I was missing key items in my summer wardrobe. Also, I was feeling lazy and reckless enough to trust sizing charts, This week, everything was delivered and everything fits perfectly! I got a bunch of tank tops, shorts, summer PJs, and loungewear. I have so many tank tops, I might venture into the layered look (if it's under 85 degrees out).
Urge to Throttle Rising
The other half of my paycheck has been overnighted to me today but accomplishing that required jumping over some hurdles and not killing or breaking down in tears. Basically, I was not paid for the five days I took for bereavement leave. When I called in after my Grandma died, the HR manager told me to take five days.
Yet, the receptionist coordinates time sheets. She was the first person I spoke to when I noticed a problem with my paycheck. She gave me contact info for payroll. That info lead down a dead end so I spoke to the HR manager who has a higher up contact who got my paycheck overnighted.
Then, I had to deal with the receptionist trying to cover her ass by telling me that I should have only taken 3 bereavement days. It didn't matter that I told her the HR manager told me to take 5. She roped in 2 other co-workers to agree with her as we stood at the reception desk. I was on the verge of tears so I asked the HR manager who told me 5 days were right. As I went back to my cubicle, I informed the receptionist, "It's always fun to justify the time you take to grieve."
Yet, the receptionist coordinates time sheets. She was the first person I spoke to when I noticed a problem with my paycheck. She gave me contact info for payroll. That info lead down a dead end so I spoke to the HR manager who has a higher up contact who got my paycheck overnighted.
Then, I had to deal with the receptionist trying to cover her ass by telling me that I should have only taken 3 bereavement days. It didn't matter that I told her the HR manager told me to take 5. She roped in 2 other co-workers to agree with her as we stood at the reception desk. I was on the verge of tears so I asked the HR manager who told me 5 days were right. As I went back to my cubicle, I informed the receptionist, "It's always fun to justify the time you take to grieve."
Puke Will Complete My Life
After reading this "news" story, I am hoping that he'll puke on a Prime Minister. It will bring a comforting symmetry to the last seven years.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
I Never...
Okay, it's time to admit how behind the times or terminally unhip I am. I have never seen a "Die Hard" movie. I have never had fondue which why I am dying to go here. I have never been to California or gone on a cruise. I have never seen an episodes of "American Idol" (which is something I'm proud of). I caught up on a lot of I nevers lately. I have finally ridden a horse and seen "The Godfather" trilogy.
Allergy Hell
Since breathing is an issue, maybe that's why I'm grumpy? My jaw and sinuses are aching.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Talents and Fumbles in Tae Kwon Do
Last night wasn't my most stellar in Tae Kwon Do class. I'm still mentally wincing over a couple parts. If the class winds up being big (greater than 12), for warm up we play dodge ball. I really like this game and I basically turn into a 5 year old playing. The reason why the game is cool, there are only 4 balls and headshots are forbidden. Take that you hyper-protective parents who outlawed the game from schools! I have a bizarre talent for the game. I suck at actually hitting people but I last a really long time. Basically, if I'm left the other team has an automatic win.
After best of 3 games, we made two lines. Each line was a team and each person competed with the person opposite. Whoever is best wins a point for the team. We were competing on forms. I've only been taught the yellow belt form, Il Jang, once. I hoped I could fake my way through. But I was so nervous getting up in front of everyone, I blanked after the fifth step and stopped apologizing, "I forget the rest, sir." 1 point for the other team. I paid attention to everyone after me doing the form so I could brush up. We won that round and the other team had to do 5 mountain climbers. I HATE those things. What you do is you jump up in the air, get down in push-up position and then repeat as fast as you can.
Luckily, we did a second round. I got all the way through with some minor fumblings but my competitor was more solid and confident. 1 point for the other team. I'm glad I got a second chance and showed that I had learned! My team lost this round and as we were doing mountain climbers I somehow tipped forward onto my shoulder/head getting up from the first mountain climber. It was at that point when I realized that the class was cursed for me. While still in teams, we competed doing 5 reverse punches in horse stance and 4 back kicks. I screwed that part up too because I didn't count my kicks correctly. Durrr! We ended the night with a mind over matter test: all of us got in a push-up position and stayed there as long as possible. I was the first person to crack because I was embracing my suckage by that point.
After best of 3 games, we made two lines. Each line was a team and each person competed with the person opposite. Whoever is best wins a point for the team. We were competing on forms. I've only been taught the yellow belt form, Il Jang, once. I hoped I could fake my way through. But I was so nervous getting up in front of everyone, I blanked after the fifth step and stopped apologizing, "I forget the rest, sir." 1 point for the other team. I paid attention to everyone after me doing the form so I could brush up. We won that round and the other team had to do 5 mountain climbers. I HATE those things. What you do is you jump up in the air, get down in push-up position and then repeat as fast as you can.
Luckily, we did a second round. I got all the way through with some minor fumblings but my competitor was more solid and confident. 1 point for the other team. I'm glad I got a second chance and showed that I had learned! My team lost this round and as we were doing mountain climbers I somehow tipped forward onto my shoulder/head getting up from the first mountain climber. It was at that point when I realized that the class was cursed for me. While still in teams, we competed doing 5 reverse punches in horse stance and 4 back kicks. I screwed that part up too because I didn't count my kicks correctly. Durrr! We ended the night with a mind over matter test: all of us got in a push-up position and stayed there as long as possible. I was the first person to crack because I was embracing my suckage by that point.
New Bionic Woman
The creators of Battlestar Galactica are resurrecting another 70's TV show. This fall NBC will premiere the new Bionic Woman. The commercials have been very cool so far. Plus, they have cast Katee Sackhoff as a bad guy. Oh yeah, this is going to be appointment TV for me!
Work Blahs Cure
I heard about this on the Stephanie Miller show. It really is hours of stupid fun. Here are a couple examples of what I got:
An accountant with a stutter is sucked into another dimension along with a sports agent with a failed rap career. Stars Wayne Knight and Vince Neil. Genre: Drama
A hare krishna with leprosy tries to find the identity of a rapper who only speaks in pig latin. Stars Vince Neil and Tina Yothers. Genre: Drama
A retarded surfing champion who is secretly married has a tryst with a traveling salesman who can see the future. Stars Gene Simmons and Robin Williams. Genre: Mini-Series
An accountant with a stutter is sucked into another dimension along with a sports agent with a failed rap career. Stars Wayne Knight and Vince Neil. Genre: Drama
A hare krishna with leprosy tries to find the identity of a rapper who only speaks in pig latin. Stars Vince Neil and Tina Yothers. Genre: Drama
A retarded surfing champion who is secretly married has a tryst with a traveling salesman who can see the future. Stars Gene Simmons and Robin Williams. Genre: Mini-Series
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Oops!
Remember my emotional visit to the eye Specialist yesterday? This morning, I noticed in my daily pill holder that I had forgotten to take my anti-depressant yesterday.
Monday, June 04, 2007
I Hate Know It All Doctors
Today, I had an appointment with a eye specialist regarding my possible decompensating exophoria. The two prep eye people were very cool. In fact, the second one told me that my eyes are really good which alleviated a lot of anxiety. Two things were feeding into my anxiety. 1. Over the past several years, I have gotten used to bad news from specialists due to experience. Heart implant? Sure. After effects possibly having another stroke and possibly contracting meningitis which lead to several painful unsuccessful lumbar punctures. 2. The last time I had been in the hospital, my grandmother was dying.
When I finally got to meet The Specialist, she took my patient history. I explained about my stroke and why I take aspirin daily. I have gotten used to listing what happened when I had my stroke matter-of-factly. I was paralyzed, blind in one eye and barely able to speak. I don't know what happened but it became apparent to me that The Specialist had decided I was stupid. She tried to convince me that I was blind in my right eye - even though she didn't have my medical files in front of her. I insisted that I was blind in my left eye. I could tell that I was getting really upset so I ended flatly by telling her my neurologist's name. I was so pissed and upset, I let her dilate my eyes because fuck her.
The second I could, I went to the restroom to have a good cry. I kept repeating to myself, "I know what happened to me." over and over. But that also made me even more upset because I can go months without thinking about my stroke. I was upset too because the last time I dealt with a doctor who didn't listen to me, I had a stroke. After the cry, I waited out my eye dilation by focusing on getting everything over with ASAP. I don't need eye surgery, just some exercises from another specialist. Luckily, I don't have to see The Specialist who thinks she knows about my stroke ever again.
I came home and immediately went through my files to find my neurological assessment. Yup, "left visual field cut". Hopefully, once this has been posted, the upset will be purged. Moral of the story: don't let a doctor make you doubt yourself.
When I finally got to meet The Specialist, she took my patient history. I explained about my stroke and why I take aspirin daily. I have gotten used to listing what happened when I had my stroke matter-of-factly. I was paralyzed, blind in one eye and barely able to speak. I don't know what happened but it became apparent to me that The Specialist had decided I was stupid. She tried to convince me that I was blind in my right eye - even though she didn't have my medical files in front of her. I insisted that I was blind in my left eye. I could tell that I was getting really upset so I ended flatly by telling her my neurologist's name. I was so pissed and upset, I let her dilate my eyes because fuck her.
The second I could, I went to the restroom to have a good cry. I kept repeating to myself, "I know what happened to me." over and over. But that also made me even more upset because I can go months without thinking about my stroke. I was upset too because the last time I dealt with a doctor who didn't listen to me, I had a stroke. After the cry, I waited out my eye dilation by focusing on getting everything over with ASAP. I don't need eye surgery, just some exercises from another specialist. Luckily, I don't have to see The Specialist who thinks she knows about my stroke ever again.
I came home and immediately went through my files to find my neurological assessment. Yup, "left visual field cut". Hopefully, once this has been posted, the upset will be purged. Moral of the story: don't let a doctor make you doubt yourself.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
The Light in the Piazza
I went to the June 2 8pm show this weekend. I had read this review and was a little worried about how accurate it was.
It turns out I had gotten excellent seats (Row L orchestra left) so that helped with the enjoyment of the show! Overall, only two songs were memorable but the show itself was hugely entertaining. I was surprised how funny it was. The sets were gorgeous too. The Boston.com review did have a couple kernels of truth. The leads were just pretty to look at, not compelling in any way. The mother, played by Christine Andreas, was amazing. I really liked the comic relief of the womanizing brother. He sort of embodied Chico Marx's bravado combined with Harpo's skirt chasing. All in all, I had a fabulous time and the show definitely deserved the Tony
Friday, June 01, 2007
Road Trip Entertainment
Yesterday, my company had a cookout where I wound up trying to help a coworker brainstorm ideas for entertaining kids on road trips. My family went on a lot of road trips when I was little. Up to PEI, to Michigan, down to DC and throughout central Europe. Reading was out of the question because I got car sick. The one time I tried reading on a road trip, my "Anne of Windy Poplars" flew out of the window on a Hungarian highway. My family enjoyed the irony that wind took "Anne of Windy Poplars".
The more I thought about it, I realized that my brother and I didn't really need entertainment on road trips. We just stared out the window to watch the scenery or have fun mentally messing with the skyline (making the clouds mountains or inverting sky and cloud). The radio was always on and sometimes we played the license plate game. The strongest memory of road trips for me was using the upper part of my seatbelt as a cradle for my head, humming as I hypnotized myself by lazily tracking the lines on the highway. For some reason, we got really excited if we saw cows. We'd yell "Moo cows!" and that excitement would wear off as the stench of manure wafted in. The worst smell I ever encountered on a road trip was driving through a paper mill town.
Nowadays, cars have built in DVD players to entertain kids on trips which I think is ridiculous. What is the point of taking a road trip if no one notices the changing scenery? Plus, how is it good for kids to find yet another way to hand them over to the TV babysitter? Also, I doubt the cars with DVD players have good mileage. So in order to entertain your kids, you are ruining their future lives on the planet. I do remember having fights with my brother if he was on my side. We used the middle seatbelt as a line of demarcation. By the time we needed to sleep a little, we'd try to curl up on our side. As long as we asked permission, we could stretch out to sleep. One of us had legs going down and the other could have legs on the seat. I was able to train my bladder through all these trips. Even now, I can joke that I have a "bladder of steel".
Since I was of no help at the work cookout, I got to hear other coworkers road trip entertainment ideas. I really liked all the word game suggestions like Ghost and a mental hangman type game.
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