Rosacea Relief

I was diagnosed with rosacea a couple years ago. I just thought I was jolly and lucked out on skin coloring so I didn't need blush. I was given Metrogel to treat the redness. After a while, I realized the gel is useless.

A couple months ago, my electrologist mentioned that Eucerin has a redness relief cream. So, I looked into it and not only do they have a cream, they have a kit! Since my health insurance will run out Nov. 30, it's pretty smart to check out over the counter options. I cannot rave enough about this kit. It really works! The price ($15) isn't too bad for what you get. Metrogel =0 and Eucerin = 1.

My Waterloo

It doesn't matter how much time has passed or how good a day I've had, I will always cry when I talk about my stroke and I will always feel like an idiot. I started out fine talking to my physical therapist last night. She even prefaced her questions, "If it's okay to ask..." I was all blase saying how it happened six years ago.

I was fine when I talked about how I was found on the bathroom floor already paralyzed and barely able to speak. I can easily explain why I had my stroke: heart hole, blood clot from flying to Ireland, bing bang boom, stroke. I can also see the flip side. If I hadn't had the hole in my heart, I would have died in my bed from a pulmonary embolism. If I had to choose drowning on my own blood or stroke, I'd choose stroke.

Then I said that I was terrified. I have never told any non-family member about how scared I was. The moment I said it, the remembered feeling washed over me. The hopelessness, the fear, and how my entire life collapsed into focusing on the minute to minute. I was fine talking about it, just a bit rattled and had to take a deep breath to go on.

Then I got onto talking about how awesome my family was. That is when I lost it. The reason why I don't want to ever forget my stroke is that I never want to forget the love and support my family gave me. Maybe talking about that aspect is extra upsetting because this past year my family was amazing and awesome with my grandmother. I lived, she died.

I Hate Candy Corn

Candy corn is the most disgusting candy ever. It shouldn't even qualify as candy since it's hardened corn syrup. There's a reason why a bag of them only cost $1 - they're complete utter crap! I really appreciate Lewis Black' stand-up routine about candy corn. About how it's the alzheimers candy, every year you forget that they're crap and you shovel a handful into your mouth, then "Godamnit!"

LAY OFF DATE

My last day of employment at my current company will be November 16. I will be getting a month's severance pay. So, I will be okay until mid-December. My health benefits will end Nov. 30. I'm in an okay space now. I did have tears and panic earlier. 3 weeks to find a new job. Easy as pie! AAAHHHHH!

Horror Movie Update

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane - hands down awesome.
Turistas - has a good amount of gore and creepiness.
The Skeleton Key - pretty good, awfully acted and a good twist at the end.
Habit - really boring and no horror in the first 30 minutes so just deleted it.
The Howling - cheesetastic, creepy and not too gory.

The Trick to Winning the World Series

Just like last time, I wasn't watching the game. I was in bed reading when my entire neighborhood went nuts. So, I turned on the game and saw that we won. Man, I wish I had bought Jordan's furniture!

Horror Movie -A -Thon

This month, in honor of Halloween, I have been TiVoing every horror movie I can find. My goal is to work myself up to Saw on Halloween. The thing is, I hadn't realized that horror movies are kind of like porn. The more cheesetastic, the better. Plus, acting? What acting? Here is what I have managed to check out:

When a Stranger Calls - the remake. I did get a little freaked out when I received a hang up call in the middle of the movie. The cheese factor was pretty low.
The Fog - so terrible. Not at all scary. Bad special effects, bad acting, and the storyline made no sense.
Child's Play - one of my favorites. Definite jump out of your seat moments, funny dialogue, and oozing cheese.
Phantoms - I couldn't finish watching this. It was a bit scary but the acting was so painful I got embarassed for Peter O'Toole.
Venom - definitely scary but the acting makes my eyes bleed.
28 Days Later - a rewatch and still holds up well. Some edits make no sense but good gore and creepiness.
Pulse - even Veronica Mars can't make this a good movie. A wannabe The Ring w/ computers.
The Wicker Man - remake. So awful, sexist, and ridiculous. I have no idea why this is considered horror.
2001 Maniacs - I tried but I couldn't make it over 30 minutes into this garbage.

I have a bunch waiting for me such as:
Turistas
The Skeleton Key
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Habit
Children of the Corn

Blogtoberfest 2007

Last night was a blast! Unfortunately, I didn't stick around for long due to blinding pain in my bad foot.

You know how I predicted slack jawed yokels tying up Charlie machines? Well, I was the one with Charlie issues going into Boston. For some reason the machine couldn't read my credit card and it cancels the order after 2 swipes. I wound up using cash and have tons of dollar coins in my wallet now. Woohoo!

As I exited Hynes ICA and turned onto Bolyston, I had to weave my way through dozens of people with their camera phones out taking pictures of something above. It was the GO SOX sign on the Pru.

Once I got to the Pour House, I met tons of people and had several STRONG cocktails. Of course Sarah, Jenny and Caity were the first gals I saw. I met the fabulous Ulli, Andrew, Jason, and Jeff. That's all the people my strong cocktailed brain remembers. Since I had forgotten that I have plantar fascitis and was wearing kitten heels, slowly yet surely screaming pain started emanating from my right foot.

Thankfully, I found Diana whose dogs were also hurting so we had a nice seated chit chat and blew out of the Pour House.

Cat Advice Needed

Rasputin has been doing really well lately. I think he has beat his cold. The whole spray bottle discipline technique is working really well on him and he does jump down when I tell him to (and gets treats as reward). We have a really nice loving routine.

One personality quirk I have been struggling with hasn't been going too well. I've read books and scoured the internet for tips but haven't had any success. Every morning around 4/5AM, Rasputin decides all my appendages are evil and attacks me fairly visciously. Yesterday morning he launched himself at my shoulder and chomped on it. Yelling no doesn't work. Chucking him out of bed doesn't work. Hissing or making high pitched screaming/whimpering noises doesn't deter him. I'm getting sick of the scars on my arms and hands so any new ideas would be appreciated.

It's weird, I don't use my hand as a play toy with him. He usually sees my hands and arms as something good and uses them as pillows. If he does nip at my hand, he follows with a lick. It's like some crazy force clicks over in the dawn hours.

I Can Do Stuff!

My second PT session today went really well. I'm pooped and sore. The coolest part of the session was an exercise where I closed my eyes and the therapist posed my left arm and then let it down. My job was to mimic the positioning of my arm with my eyes closed. I thought I would stink at this because the last time I had to do a similar task was in outpatient rehab and I failed miserably. I didn't really connect the memory with any logic, the memory was connected to failure.

The logic behind my failure years ago was my muscles were still weak from paralysis and my left side was still numb so it didn't really feel like I was moving anything. Today, I kicked ass at the blind mimicking! It's nice to mentally erase an item off my list of "Thing I Suck at Thanks to My Stroke". That list is getting pretty darn short and time goes by. Thank God!!!

Plans Tonight

Yes, tonight at the Pour House you can meet me, AnnaB, author of Chokmah (I know, hold your breath) If there's ever a need to speak to a manager or supervisor tonight, I'm your gal! Just buy me drink.

Unfortunately for this green line chick, there's a Sox game tonight so I have to plan things carefully if I want to avoid the drunks on the T. Since there's a game, I can count on yokels standing slack jawed in front of Charlie machines. Since I hate being a dope publicly, I plan any trip into Boston down to agonizing detail. Since I have never been to the Pour House, I had to figure out what it's near. Since I get off at the Hynes ICA stop pretty often, I was all set triangulating the location between the Pru and Vox Populi.

Baby FINALLY!

After an 8 year dry spell, my family finally has a baby! She was born Sunday October 21 and her name is Cora. She's my first cousin once removed or second cousin (means the same). Hopefully, her birth will kick off an avalanche of babies.

I'm very pro-baby because as I was growing up, I had a new baby cousin every year. It didn't feel like a family function if there weren't babies. Sometimes, I got two baby cousins in the same year. 22 years of babies and non-stop baby-sitting opportunities then years of nothing. Seriously, the last time I baby-sat cousins was five years ago. Cora has blonde hair, the typical family block head look and pretty pink skin.

Some Answers

This is why I love physical therapy. You aren't treated like an idiot. You are treated like a partner in your own care so asking questions is okay. Also, being in PT makes you feel like a weak invalid but a lot of exercises they put you through, you can do so that helps your mental state!

I had a PT assessment this afternoon. My shoulder problem is a combo of neck and shoulder issues. The neck stuff can be fixed with exercises and fixing my posture. The shoulder stuff will be interesting and it all stems from my stroke. So, the week I was paralyzed and the months with no feeling let my rotator cuff muscles slack off to the point that my actual shoulder bone is not sitting in the socket, it's below the socket. Which is why I have limited motion. Another interesting factoid is my rotator cuff muscles are firing but not in the right sequence and with a delay. I hadn't noticed but I do still have to mentally tell my shoulder to do stuff plus I still don't have complete feeling on my left side hence the delay.

Meme Assignment

Since this morning is dead with most of the dept is in meetings, thanks to Sarah I have found something to do:

Five Things I Am Good At

1) Baking desserts - one of the plusses of having a sweet tooth is that you are able to create sweets really well. Ask me about my peanut butter chocolate pie sometime.
2) Languages - it's very easy for me to learn a new language. I'm better at aural and speaking skills than writing. French, German, Spanish, Hungarian and Hebrew are all languages I have learned.
3) Directions - I can't get lost. Even crazy-ass Boston streets make sense.For fun in high school, I used to drive around trying to get lost.
4) Planning - I enjoy planning parties, meals, and trips. Since I'm good at it, I don't overpack, serve a cold meal, or have bored guests.
5) Music - I can sight read and play several instruments. Since I can sight read, it makes memorizing pieces easier.


Five Things I am Bad At

1) Minding my own business. I like to know things too much.
2) Follow Through. I get bored too easily. A project that seemed so exciting winds up undone because it's repetitive and boring.
3) Seeing the glass half full. I'm not an optimistic person so my glass is half empty with poison.
4) Discipline. I am lazy by nature and sometimes that voice talking me out of working out is SO STRONG. I also stink at discipline for my cat. I don't care that he walks on tables.
5) Cheering people up. I'm too empathetic. When I try to cheer someone up, I wind up crying with them

Tip for Not Getting Lost
The way I never get lost is that almost all streets make up a box. So, if I think I missed the street I needed to turn onto, I use the box to help me turn around. 3 rights or 3 lefts get me back to the main street so I can turn back. This is handy as well for finding a parking space - rather than driving for eons down the street, try to park on a street parallel or perpendicular.

OWWWW!

Today I had my appointment with the orthopedist. First, they needed to take X-rays. That turned into an ordeal because whenever you have a painful injury, they have to take a shot right in the most painful pose ever. I didn't cry but practiced deep breathing. The upshot is that the doctor doesn't think my shoulder problem is my shoulder. He thinks it's a pinched nerve in my neck so he's sending me to PT for 6 weeks and if that doesn't work, I have to meet with a spine guy.

As I was driving home, my entire left arm fell asleep so the neck theory is making sense. The second I got into the office, I made a beeline to the ibuprofen in the first aid kit. My Lord, I am in such pain now. I've mentally made up a song. David Bowie's song, "Fame" is now "Pain" with the chorus repeated over and over. My left hand is still not entirely awake - ugh!

Road Trip: Portland, Maine

Saturday was the big road trip to Portland. Megg and I left around 10:30AM. Traffic was phenomenal as well as the foliage views. I have been to Portland years ago just for shopping so this was my first extended tim in the city. First off, I have to highly recommend the Kennebunkport rest-stop (exit 25). It is huge and very clean.

We got to Portland, with a side trip over the Casco Bay bridge, around 12:30. The weather was perfect: sunny and mid-60's. After parking on Fore St, our first stop was Condom Sense. Lots of really funny raunchy stuff. I picked up a couple magnets and adult Mad Libs. We also encountered a historical moment in a lady's life. At age 50, she got her first dildo. Awww.... First they crawl and then they run, right?

Famished, we lunched at Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub. Their Halloween brew is amazing. It's like Guinness but lighter and creamier. The food is excellent too.

Lots of shopping and perusing ensued. I don't remember all the places we checked out but here's a little list:
China Sea Trading Co. - very cool store of old sea junk. They had hats that fit my ginormous head so big thumbs up.
Stonewall Kitchen - Simply amazing place if you like to cook and/or eat. I picked up a nice linen spray and pumpkin spread.
LeRoux Kitchen - this store is fabulous. Lots of wine and kitchenwares. I realized that I need a decanter to complete my wine loving ways. They also have a huge selection of aprons and textiles.

There are a ton of nice pottery places where I couldn't afford a single item but I could admire the glazes. One store actually had a Judaica shelf! I was tempted to get a Kiddush cup. Some stores were very nice but horribly cramped and overheated. So after a circuit, we had to leave fanning ourselves. After we left one store, I commented, "So that's where hippies go to die, huh?" Ugh, incense and pachuli overload!

Many deep discussions occured throughout the day. We discovered that yawns can be "addictive" and money = food = love. If you're stingy in one area, it usually spreads to others. We ended the day dining at Bull Feeney's. Their popcorn shrimp is to die for. I think I declared at one point, "I want to marry this sweet chili dip." If you like old school martinis, this is the place to go. I didn't see a single girly,umbrella drink on the menu. We left the city around 6:30PM thoroughly convinced to quit our jobs and move up there.

The drive back had more idiot drivers on the road but on the upside, radio stations had excellent music. All in all, it was a great exhausting trip. That night we sipped wine, watched the Sox and did a couple Mad Libs.

I Hate Waltham Drivers

They don't act like they share the road with anyone and the fact that cars have mirrors doesn't enter their tiny skulls. I almost got creamed this afternoon by yet another Waltham asshole who didn't look before he changed lanes. Luckily I got to blast my horn soon enough to have him brake. Here's a tip, if you're stuck behind a bus that is going too slow and would like to change lanes, put on your blinker, check your side mirrors AND actually physically glance over your shoulder. If this is beyond your capabilities, get the hell off the road.

The Ides of October

All my grand plans for the fall haven't really happened this year. No apple picking, no visiting King Richard's faire or attending Homecoming. It feels like this Fall has been split between Rasputin, Tae Kwon Do, and my job search. Frankly, I'm a bit exhausted!

I'm still dealing with my TKD injuries. My foot problem is really annoying. My foot hurts more if I wear practical shoes with arch support. In the morning, I hobble around like a 90 year old. I hope months of R&R will help me avoid a heel injection! I have an appointment with an orthopedist for my shoulder pain. Since I've had this problem for 6 years and the pain has just recently flared up and become steady, when I get a diagnosis I will be relieved. Also, I would like to be able to raise my left arm above my head. The grinding sound is pretty gross. I had complained about my shoulder pain 6 years ago in my outpatient stroke rehab and the response I got, "Welcome to getting older." I was 24 years old!

This weekend promises to be pretty kick ass with a day trip to Portland. I expect a lot of shopping and drinking in the Maine scene.

Busy Day

Goodbye Tae Kwon Do

Last night I quit Tae Kwon Do classes after a talk with my doctor about my shoulder and ankle injuries. I was told that since I'm overweight and am trying to keep up with the class, I might be injuring my joints without noticing it (thanks to endorphins). My ankle probably has plantar fascitis which could take a while to get better. My shoulder is still a mystery so I have to see an orthopedist.

When I officially quit TKD, I felt light and free. I won't miss the anxiety and dread every week in class. I won't miss feeling like a bumbling idiot. I will miss the people. My classmates were very cool and supportive. No matter how many team contests I lost for them, they always treated me well. Overall, I highly recommend Tae Kwon Do if you're young and in shape. If you are neither, you might be able to progress to green belt but black belt is out of your ability.

Here's my history of Tae Kwon Do Posts:
First Class
Feb 1
Feb 2
March
Yellow belt testing
April
June
June 2
June 3
Orange belt testing
Aug
Sept
Sept 2
Oct
Oct 2
Oct 3

As you can see over time the excitement of challenging myself and doing someting new leads to frustration and injuries. Another insight into taking Tae Kwon Do classes is to make sure the instructors are certified personal trainers or sport medicine people.

Boston Globe Synchronicity

Since I've been struggling in my job search with a shiny new MBA, I have grown increasingly disillusioned with the value of the degree. The majority of part-time MBA students were getting their degree for a promotion at work or to add to their skills. I was part of the minority of students who were pursuing the degree to switch careers. Then there were the full-time students who amassed a lot of classroom knowledge with little workplace experience. This student population got the best recruiting opportunities and service from the school administration.

Today, the Boston Globe had this article. I nodded and murmured in agreement throughout most of it. Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

"Schools are trying to redefine what business leaders need to know."

Looking at my required business curriculum, business leaders need to know strategy, accounting, and organizational behavior. Yet, I found the most intriguing and useful courses were statistics and economics. Barely 6 credits (2 courses) were allotted to these subjects. There is one ethics class offered which is worth 1.5 credits.


"Other critics, like Warren Bennis and James O'Toole at the University of Southern California, have warned that business schools have grown overly academic and theoretical, far removed from the actual day-to-day operations of business and management."

Case in point. When I excitedly mentioned that I was learning activity based costing, a couple years ago, my boss told me that it's "bullshit".


"Why haven't MBA programs been more honest about where students are and where they want to go?"

NO KIDDING!!! Maybe it's because a lot of business school energy is focused on rankings and development dollars? Also, a lot of students don't need help on their destination and yet there's a minority, like me, who needs all the help they can get.

Failing Time = Quitting Time?

I got my green belt testing results this weekend and I did fail. The feedback I received reflected what I had expected. So, I am the only orange belt with the rest of my "class" progressing onto green belt. Even though I expected it, I felt a bit upset by the news. Upset lead to an overall "fuck this" feeling. I don't like being an out and out quitter so I'm going for a doctor's check-up to look at my still screwed up ankle and frozen shoulder. Hopefully, I'll get a medical excuse to quit.

Overall, I really liked this past year of classes but I have had the nagging feeling that only one of the instructors is actually trained/certified to teach any kind of aerobics/physically demanding class. I have so many outstanding medical issues, it's amazing that I haven't hurt myself before! They have this drill that I think screwed up my shoulder. What you do is get in push-up position, go down and as you're coming up you do it with such a jolt that you pop up. Popping up isn't too bad but catching yourself HURTS!

On the economic side, TKD classes cost 3 times what I paid for regular gym membership. Since I'm going to be laid off, dropping out of classes would save me some economic distress. Plus, my student loan payments start in Dec. Lots of gyms offer reduced membership fees in January so if I do get a new job, I could swing that. If I miss the whole kicking thing, I can always take a self defense course.

I am the Queen of Rationalization.

A Real Girl After All

I got into girly things belatedly. My first manicure was for my prom and my first pedicure was when I was 25. Regular facials started when I was 24 thanks to a gift certificate. Regular massages followed. A 60 minute Swedish massage is pure heaven!

A couple weekends ago, I finally purchased makeup from one of those department store counters. I chose Origins because it is affiliated with Dr. Weil. The makeup I picked up is fabulous and worth every dime. One of my mantras lately is "When I get a new job, I'll get a manicure, pedicure, and massage." Lord knows after almost a year of Tae Kwon Do, my toes need some loving!

Today, it just hit me that I'm a real girl after all because I'm wearing 3 inch heels, my makeup counter makeup and perfume. I was even able to work powder eyeliner in the pre-dawn hours and a pounding headache (too many beers last night).

The Agony and The Ecstasy

To sum up, I had several humiliating screw ups during Tae Kwon Do testing last night and I ended on a really awesome note.

Screw-ups:
- I tried to wear a bandana to testing. Apparently that isn't allowed so I borrowed an elastic from a classmate. Did I mention that I have short bobbed hair? So, going in I had already been thrown off my game.
- I messed up on the meaning of Tae Kwon Do. I knew the meaning but didn't realize the order of words mattered.
- I reversed the punch combination for a drill and the instructors had to tell me over a dozen times until I got it.
- I messed up on the slide up hook kick and jump front kick. I mixed the slide up with another kick we had learned so it had way too many steps and my hook kicks were shabby. The jump front, I accidentally did a jump roundhouse.

The Kick Assery:
- I did basic form with my eyes closed perfectly.
- My Il Jang was pretty good.
- I NAILED my forward stance for Ee Jang.
- Self defense was solid and I actually wound up hurting an instructor when he tried to pull a fast one on me. He started punching with the unexpected hand after a bunch of drills and since it was unexpected I kicked into a real world power TKD response Two knife hand blocks and a jab in the voice box left him coughing and gasping.

I know that there's a bunch of criteria for testing so I don't have to be 100% on everything all the time. The intangibles are respect, perseverance etc. I think I'm probably at least 8/10 on those. Self defense I'm definitely 10/10. Kicks are still hit or miss so I'm probably 5/10. I think I should get extra help. It's like what I imagine what I'm doing is not what my body does. Forms lack power but I have the movements down so that's 7/10. If I do get my green belt, I probably just squeaked by.

Testing Day

Tonight at 6:30 I'll be testing for my green belt for an hour. This is my third Tae Kwon Do test. Last night I went to class and generally did okay. The first half was spent reviewing kicks and forms. I knew I was shaky on kicks so I was glad for the review. I only messed up 2 kicks: outside crescent kick (my hips have trouble rotating that way) and slide up front kick (I was just a flailing mess with a kick at the end).

When we went onto forms, I was good on basic and Il Jang. My Il Jang skills completely surprised me. Ee Jang was another story. I had to do it 3 times because at first my forward stance stunk and then I got so flustered I mixed up my feet at the end. Sabunim said two things the first that completely upset me and the second that made me feel a lot better. He told me that my forward stance is completely unacceptable for upper levels and a while later he told me that I'm getting flustered because I'm trying to keep pace with everyone else and I should focus on "Anna's pace". In the end I felt okay.

The second half of class was spent doing speed kicks against the wavemaster. This is when my ankle started screaming at me. It was fine through kicks and forms but kicking against a surface meant pain throughout my ankle. After class, my right leg wasn't too happy.

Tonight will not be fun and I will go through the whole range of emotions in one hour. Today, I'll have a knot of dread sitting in my stomach which will expand into nervous butterflies. I just really hope I get my green belt.

Choral Frustrations

This season my chorus has a very challenging mix of music to perform. Unfortunately, my chorus requires no audition to join so we have a vast array of talents in the group. The ages range as well. I'm in the younger end. There are several very cool retirees in the soprano section. I have a buddy who likes books and cracks up at the silly struggling points in the music. I gotta say, it's a bit eerie that I consistently screw up a section where we sing "the holy ghost".

As someone who has sung her whole life and has taught music, I believe if you don't know how to read music, you better have an amazing voice or have developed your own method of singing in choruses. I have known dozens of amazing singers who can't read a single note and have no idea the difference between an eighth note and whole note so I'm not completely biased. But if you're an adult and decided to join a chorus on a whim with absolutely no music experience, you have to understand that everyone else around you has to carry your voice. Carry or mask.

There is a particular woman in my chorus who seems to think that she's not alone struggling with the music so when she asks a question it takes on the tone of a martyr who is standing up for the little guy. She asks SO MANY questions and bogs down rehearsals with ridiculous iterations of certain "difficult" sections of the music. C'mon, she has trouble singing down a scale! She doesn't bug me just because she's struggling. Hell, I'm not perfect this season either. She bugs me because she automatically dislikes difficult pieces and whines about them.

Last night after suffering through her struggles of jumping an octave (and forcing the entire soprano section to "struggle" with her), I wasn't too happy. When she complained to a group of us that a piece was pretty but it was ridiculously difficult, I replied with a verbal bitch slap, "Well, that will make it better once we get it." But that's my life philosophy. There is no joy in accomplishing easy tasks. Give me overwhelming challenges and I'm a happy camper (because I always accomplish what I set out to do).

I know I'm a snob when it comes to music and that's why I'm very happy with the challenging pieces we're doing this season. I'll grin and bear the sappy musical numbers we're doing as well. Being a soprano and singing choral arrangements of musical numbers is the most boring thing ever because we have the melody all the time. If I'm lucky, us second sopranos get to have a split harmony for a couple measures. Of course I am aware that my annoyance with the martyr of the soprano section could be connected to the fact that she won a solo I auditioned for last year. My solace was that the director told me that my voice was too big and rich for the solo (which means that she was looking for thin and weak voices - ha!)

Marriage Age is 32!

One of those goofy myspace quizzes.

Put a x in every box that applies to you
[x] You know how to make a pot of coffee
[x] You keep track of dates using a calendar
[x] You own more than one credit card
[ ] You know how to change the oil in a car
[x] You've done your own laundry
[x] You vote in every election
[x] You can cook for yourself
[x] You think politics are exciting

TOTAL SO FAR: 7

[x] You show up for school/college/work every day early.
[x] You’ve never gotten a detention
[ ] You have forgotten your own birthday at least once
[x] You like to take walks by yourself
[x] You've watched talk shows
[x] You know what ‘credibility’ means without looking it up
[x] You drink coffee at least once a week

TOTAL SO FAR: 13

[x] You know how to do the dishes
[x] You can count to 10 in another language
[x] When you say you're going to do something you do it
[x] Your parents trust you
[x] You can mow the lawn
[x] You can make adults laugh without being stupid
[] You remember to water the plants.
[x] You study when you have to
[x] You pay attention at school/college/work.
[x] You remember to feed your pets.

TOTAL SO FAR: 22

[x] You can spell ‘experience’ without looking it up
[x] You work out on a regular basis
[ ] The people at Starbucks know you by name
[ ] Your favorite kind of food is take out
[ ] The first thing you do when you wake up is get caffeine
[x] You can go to the store without getting something you don't need
[x] You understand political jokes the first time they are said
[x]You can type quickly

TOTAL SO FAR: 27

[x] You have realized that the weather forecast changes every hour
[] Your only friends are from your place of employment
[] You have been to a Tupperware party
[x] You have realized that no one will take you seriously unless you are over the age of 25 and have a job
[] You have more bills than you can pay
[] Most of all your friends are older than you are
[x] you can say no to staying out all night
[x] You use the internet every day
[] Your wardrobe hasn’t changed in a while
[x] You can read a book and actually finish it

TOTAL ADDED UP: 32

Add up all the x’s and title subject with the sub as “ My marriage age is ...."

Weekending

Since I have to work Columbus Day and most of our vendors are closed, I have time to blog in between job searches. Oh yeah, I got another job kiss off this morning. Going 5 months without a job offer and getting love notes from Sallie Mae about my student loan is starting to demoralize me.

I didn't do anything too extraordinary this weekend. Saturday Tae Kwon Do class went pretty well and I went without a bandage on my ankle. It's a tough balancing act trying to figure out when the bandage stops helping my ankle and winds up hurting it. It's time to strengthen and give my left ankle a break now! I am dreading the makeup green belt testing Wednesday. I know I can do the forms, kicks, and self defense moves but when I'm sweaty, exhausted and nervous that's when I can't depend on knowing anything. My two hopes are that I won't be the only orange belt testing and that I won't injure myself. I can deal with the sweat and feeling like I can't go on.

Autumn really began yesterday, Oct. 7 because the temperature was seasonal and I smelt the leaves and a wood fire at night. Rasputin spent most of the day sleeping. I thought I had hibernating tendencies but he is ridiculous! The problem with a sleeping kitten is just looking at them, you get sleepy yourself. I caught up on a couple movies while Ras slept: "Flags of Or Fathers" and "Blood Diamond".

I really liked "Flags" because it stripped away the ridiculous jingoistic fantasy that surrounds WWII in American mythos. Basically, the cynical manipulation of Jessica Lynch ain't new. Sometimes the Greatest Generation wound up being janitors or drunks. Adam Beach did an amazing job in his role.

"Blood Diamond" surprised me by being so good. I'm thinking Leonardo DiCaprio has become one of those actors who you need to follow. Back in college, I called him Fetus Head due to his weirdly large, round head. In "Blood" he did a really good job with a difficult accent. The only blemish on the movie was the love story. It made no sense and felt shoehorned in to pander to the audience. Poor Djimon Hounsou. He has become pigeonholed and the noble suffering character actor. Once, just once, I'd love to see him as a romantic lead. Ditto for Adam Beach.

Newsflash: Tubs Are Wet Sometimes

This weekend Rasputin discovered the tub as a shiny new place to play. Unfortunately, he hasn't clued into the fact that the bathroom is the water room. Yesterday, after I took a shower, there was about 2 inches of soapy water draining out of the tub and Ras jumped right into it. He didn't freak out immediately. He just sat there for a solid minute while it hit him, "This is odd. What happened to my playground? Wow, this is wet, I should hop out." I got him with a towel and helped dry him off. I actually have a kitty set of towels now. Hopefully, he's learned to check before jumping in.

10, 4 Big Poppa

I finally got my butt to TKD class last night. I think it went really well! I'm sore as all get out today but I had yet another affirmation that I should be a teacher. The orange belts who tested last week still don't have their green belts so it didn't look like I'm behind everyone else. I also got the straight dope on what testing was like - horrible (this is from an athletic 17 year old - crap!)

In my opinion, the trick to being a good teacher is like being a good magician. You don't see the steps behind a lesson or the ultimate goal. Once a student sees the goal, the learning stops. No matter how imginative your lesson plan is, if I can see that you are showing us a movie in class because you're behind on grading, the class is mentally blown off. So, at my TKD school we have a mix of teaching styles. The college kids, since they're younger, don't really have any lesson plans to fall back on so basically their classes are just filling up 45 minutes of random drills. Last night, I noticed our instructor was checking the clock a lot and when we had 5 minutes left, he had us get into horse stance. Since I knew this is how he's going to spend the last 5 minutes of class, I suggested that we name as many western movies as possible (get it, horse stance = you look like you're riding an invisible horse). Not only did we name westerns, we went onto sci-fi, and film noir. That is how 5 minutes in horse stance didn't kill me or my classmates. I know TKD is about self defense and not happy fun times, but it doesn't hurt to add in some laughs to get over the tough parts! Speaking of, oddly enough, doing push ups on my knuckles feels better than my hands!

Sundays are my chore days and have been for about 20 years. I make my work lunches and plan my week's meals Sunday night. I have to admit, I really did a good job this week! Sunday, I boiled up some Uncle Ben's brown rice and cooked a yummy Trader Joes vegetable melange. Throw them together and you have a nice casserole that is high in fiber and complete protein. Another bonus is that it's a kitty-proof meal. Even Rasputin won't eat it. I like making a week's worth of lunches because my kitchen becomes an assembly line. Paired bread, condiment & knife, deli meats/cheeses, cutting board, and sandwich bag. Rinse and repeat. Also this week, I have tried pineapple salsa for the first time. My God, it is AWESOME. In fact, I'm thinking of ways to make it a marinade. It would be perfect with grilled chicken.

It's funny how having a pet has changed the way I think. Now, I can quickly think through danger options before I let Rasputin play with something. That wasn't how my brain had worked. I was pretty laissez faire with pets and kids until the "Oh shit they can swallow that!" moment eventually hit. Now, when I see Rasputin intriged by something I have mental flip cards; choking, poisoning, expensive damage, sending a message, that I can consider in a minute. There is one habit that the jury is still out on. A couple days ago, I found out that Rasputin likes eating organic indigo chips. I think he likes the crunchiness since he's teething. It hasn't effected his stomach poorly and he doesn't make that big of a mess. But I'm still worried that it's wrong to let him munch on chips.

Sleeping With Kitty

The whole open door sleeping habit has gone really well. Rasputin knows my habits so he just wakes me up around 5:30/6:00 and sometimes on weekends lets me sleep in until 8.

When I fall asleep, he's usually on the bed either snuggled in the crook of my arm or at the foot of the bed gazing out the window. He's always somewhere else when I wake up. I had assumed he got out of my way once I'm asleep because I'm a restless sleeper. This morning, I dicovered who really is the restless sleeper.

I didn't feel like getting up (thanks to my allergy medication) when Ras jumped on my bed. So, I didn't move and opened my eyes enough to see through my eyelashes. I was lying on my side with my bottom arm stretched out on the bed. This is what Ras did. First, he tried to wake me with a nose lick and paw face push. I played asleep. He lay down across my arm curled up against me. Then, he didn't like that position so he rolled around on his back with his head on my pillow and tried to use my face as his own pillow. That knocked him out for a while but my breathing ultimately bothered him so he turned around again, put his butt in my face and fell asleep with his head hanging off the side of the bed. When I woke up again, he was curled up against my knees. Gee, who's the restless sleeper, buddy?

Weekend of Sloth

and gluttony (damn you Trader Joes for inventing a mint chocolate cheesecake).

Friday, I had a job interview that I was horribly late to. I was given bad directions, traffic was awful and when I stopped to ask for directions I wound up asking a clueless temp. Luckily, my interviewer was okay with me being late. I still apologized profusely. I take being on time very seriously. When I was in marching band in college, we had a saying, "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and to be late is to be DEAD." There's no better way to drive that principle home than doing jumping jacks in front of 250 people.

I had a lot of TV watching to catch up on my TiVo. That's basically what I did all weekend, occasionally interrupted by playing with Rasputin. Luckily, he has been in a slothlike mood as well. If I'm lying on my side, he likes to fall asleep behind my knees. He perked up Sunday afternoon so I introduced him to my apartment's shared porch. He enjoyed the new sights and smells. I did freak him out when I decided to demonstrate how windows work. I went back to the living room and waved at him in the porch window. He meowed, I poked my head into the doorway and let him know that I was there. I love how cats can't comprehend windows. It's like they think it's a television and each window should have a different program. Here is what I watched during the weekend:

Grey's Anatomy (via internet) - the season premiere was okay but this show is no longer must-see tv to me. I'll check in occasionally. Oh yeah, Izzie and the deer -= metaphorical hell.

Private Practice (via internet) - I really liked the premiere! But I feel like they're tinkering with Addison too much. She wasn't so slapsticky on Greys. Tim Daly is in it too so I must watch this show. HAWT!

Doctor Who season 1 - Speaking of hot, Chris Eccleston makes an awesome doctor. Rose has her ups and downs, stupid in one episode, sweet in the next and heart-breaking in the other. I like how they explained the new doctor and he seems to be much lighter and mischevious. I can't wait to catch up on season 2!

The Devil's Advocate - such sweet cheese. Pacino as the devil, Keanu with a Southern accent, and Charlize playing her best crazy wife.

Twisted - I have a soft spot in my heart for Ashley Judd. I know this thriller got canned by the critics but I thought it was pretty good (if I ignore the ridiculous sexual morality anvils).

The Cat's Meow - Eddie Izzard as Charlie Chaplin is completely brilliant. Kirsten Dunst isn't too annoying and the rest of the cast is superb. If I made movies, I would set every one in the 1920's. Hell, I could save budget money on bras!

French Kiss - stupid, sappy nonsensical romance but KEVIN KLINE! With a French Accent and stubble! I actually liked the movie.

Sundry Law & Order episodes - God bless the USA network. I've realized that I watch so many forensic/crime dramas that they are bleeding into my reactions. Bones has me anally critiquing how different shows handle crime scenes.

Dexter - the season premiere was excellent. It had me laughing and gasping at my TV. Rasputin even looked alarmed at my reactions. This season looks like one of those stressing me out feeling anxious for the character ones. I hate when a character almost gets caught in a lie or a crime - it actually makes my heart race.

Meerkat Manor - damnit I cried and gave Rasputin a big hug.

I did manage to get out occasionally. One particular outing was especially frustrating. I needed to pick up photos at the local Walgreens. I was standing at an empty photo counter for about 5 minutes until I realized that none of the Walgreens workers around me would help if I didn't ask. So, I asked and they paged the photo person. I waited about 10 more minutes since nothing happened, I asked for another page. After an additional 10 minutes, the assistant manager tried to help me. She couldn't find my order and kept asking the same questions over and over. I told her, "Listen, I've been waiting for a half hour so nevermind." She tried calling after me but I was having none of it. Thank goodness for digital photos huh? It's not like they lost negatives. It was disturbing that an assistant manager has no idea how online photo order submissions work.

I also swung by Martys to restock my booze. I have a ton of red wines but I don't really drink that unless I have company or actually cook a nice meal. Whites are less stodgy so I picked up a couple bottles: Oyster Bay and Meridien. Plus, I saw that there's a He-brew brand of beer. I was sooo tempted to pick it up but wound up getting a Pumpkin Ale - which turns out to be not so great. I guess you can screw up Pumpkin Ale.