If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

here I am

2009-08-17T20:12:00.001-04:00

Come say hi.

2008-04-07T15:47:00.000-04:00

"Death is always on the way, but the fact that you don't know when it will arrive seems to take away from the finiteness of life. It's that terrible precision that we hate so much. But because we don't know, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless."

Paul Bowles, The Sheltering Sky

So it's only 4 months later..

2008-01-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

When Mike met Sam, Part I

I think it unnecessary to admit there may not be regular posts, it's apparent.
Anyway,

Following the car/truck show/swap meet, I continued to be a sucky recruiter and Mike continued to do whatever he was doing at the time. We met up again in April I think. He was playing hockey one night during the week in Toms River of all places, which is at least 100 miles from here, but only about 20 minutes from where I lived in Jersey, so I stopped by after work and hung around for a little while. Again, no sparks. He did buy me a chicken sandwich combo from Wendy's. What a chivalrous man, I know.

So we trudge on to May 2004, and the infamous (kidding) Memorial Day weekend. I was presented with a rare holiday without work and he was planning to go to Atlantic City later that day to give them some of his money, so after a casual invitation I figured it would be a change of pace. He followed me back to my apartment to bring the dog home and change clothes and we headed down the Garden State Parkway. Twenty minutes later we turned back and I retrieved my wallet.

After a false start we made it to A.C. and spent the next 6 or 7 hours wandering around, pretending not to be attracted to each other. After nearly four years, he's still one of the most polite considerate people I know. He has his moments, but who doesn't. As we walked through the casinos we chatted about various, inconsequential things. What I remember vividly is getting into an elevator at one point. I decided to kiss him and thankfully he kissed me back. It could have been the other way around, but the point is a few minutes later I tried to be clever and said it was too fast. He thought I was referring to the kiss being to forward of him, I was referring to the elevator ride.

We ended up spending about 36 hours together that weekend. And yes, by the way, if you're wondering. We got to know each other pretty well in a day and a half. I'm no preacher and I challenge anyone who thinks they are. Almost a year later we were trying to determine an anniversary date and decided that we couldn't use May 31st because it wasn't really the day we declared ourselves a couple, it was just the day we spent a day and a half together and he discovered I put out. So our anniversary is June 20th, Father's Day 2004. Not an arbitrary date, but not a fascinating story either and it works for us.

Maybe that's why we've never had a day pass without seeing each other, making a phone call or sending an instant message since May 30th 2004. We made it work for us.

I'm a hooker.

2008-01-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

Crochet, that is.

As a unsolicited favor to my fellow craftsters, here is the dream catcher pattern (with corrections):

Dream Catcher

12 inch square

By Sherri Welch
Copyright December 2001

**I'm not familiar with copyright rules, so I don't want to break them.**

Here's archived link from 2004:

Dream Catcher 12" Square

Here's the current link:

Dream Catcher 12" Square

Words of wisdom, courtesy of the movie "Elf"

2007-11-24T20:19:00.000-05:00

"There are, like, thirty Ray's Pizzas. They all claim to be the original. But the real one's on 11th."

"Oh, by the way, don't eat the yellow snow."
"Oh, I know that."

"You see gum on the street, leave it there. It's not free candy."

"And if you see a sign that says 'Peep Show', that doesn't mean that they're letting you look at presents before Christmas."

NY Times Op-Art: Service Advisories

2007-10-29T14:03:00.000-04:00

Click to view full-size since you probably can't read it (my picture embedding skills are lacking).

Save the Ta-tas.

2007-10-15T08:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the fifth annual cut-a-thon at Elaine Hayes' salon Special Effects in East Hampton, in honor of my fiance's mother. We broke all previous records raising $30,000, bringing the 5-year total to over $102,000. All proceeds go to Breast Cancer Help, Inc. We had a great time selling raffles and helping the stylists, and I'm very proud to be a part of it.
This year: $30,000
2006: $27,000
2005: $20,000
2004: $15,000
2003: $10,000

Greener.

2007-10-15T08:31:00.000-04:00

I think it's fitting that I spent yesterday helping people and this morning discussing the environment. I've read a bunch of feeds this morning discussing creative ways to be more mindful of the environment, so I'm going to take the elementary route.

1. Conserve water. Whether you turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth or wait for more dishes before running the washer, every little bit helps.

2. Recycle. We're all consumers. Take your old stuff and bring it down to the Goodwill or whatever you have in your neighborhood. Someone will appreciate your old sweatshirt.

3. Buy local. If you have a farmer's market or co-op, use it. Not only are you supporting the local economy, but your purchases are made at locations where a gas-guzzling delivery truck didn't have to sit in traffic for hours on end to deliver your vegetables.

New York Islanders Recognize Bloggers

2007-10-08T15:55:00.000-04:00

SI.com: New York Islanders Recognize Bloggers

The New York Islanders are the first NHL team to integrate bloggers into their media corps. I think it's awesome. Let me also mention I'm a huge fan of the Islanders and my fiance is one of the charter bloggers. It's nice to see hockey getting more attention this season.

I'm not explaining it.

2007-10-02T03:32:00.000-04:00

Here's what I do, I know it helps someone.

5th Annual Special Effects Cutathon
Sunday, October 14
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
1 Osborne Lane, East Hampton, NY

http://www.breastcancerhelpinc.org/

When Mike Met Sam

2007-09-21T14:45:00.000-04:00

I'm loath to admit this, but we met online. There's a stigma attached to relationships that "began" over the internet, and honestly, I tend to agree. There are exceptions however, and I'd like to think we're one of the many.

I probably wouldn't have met Mike if I had decided to buy a compact car. In mid-2002, I traded my five year-old Chevy Cavalier for a 2003 F-150. It was a 5.4 liter, V-8, 4x4, and brand new. I was tired of my Cavalier, as well as the Dodge Neon before it, may she rest in piece. So there I was with this big ass truck and no one to drive through puddles with. As a side note, I had just moved to New Jersey from my last assignment in Georgia after being stationed there for almost 7 years. My only local friends were my fellow Army recruiters and the bartenders and old guys at the nearby pub. A very nice maintenance man in my apartment complex suggested an online truck club that had local chapters. He had been a member for some time and enjoyed the people who participated, so why not give it a shot? I believed I logged on for the first time in January 2003 with very low expectations. I was looking for inspiration for modifications to the truck and perhaps a local car show.

Within a month or two I found myself checking in every day to say hi, tell jokes, etc. Being a new truck owner, I was pretty shy in the "real" forums. I didn't realize it then, but one of the moderators had greeted me the first week I was a member and would eventually play a much larger part in my life. Skip ahead to April, where I had my first opportunity to "meet" my new friends. A popular Spring car show/swap meet was coming up and our chapter was planning a big get together to hang out, drink beers, buy some crap, and stare at other people's trucks and cars. In the spirit of expanding my social circle I decided to go for the afternoon. I met Mike for the first time that day, and I'd be lying if I said it was remarkable moment of stars and butterflies. He was a nice guy from Long Island, pretty cute and had a very nice truck, but I had just gotten out of a debacle of a relationship and wanted no part in anything resembling male/female relations. Not that he hit on me. At all. I met a few dozen people that day and went on my way. At this point, I had a new friend named Mike. No phone number, no last name, no flirting, no problem. I could have cared less. I wouldn't have known the difference until a few weeks later when we happened to hang out again.

to be continued...

Possibly the best $150 I'll spend this year.

2007-09-11T15:33:00.000-04:00

I received fantastic news by email this afternoon. Here it is:

Dear Samantha L_:

A premium Stadium Parking Permit, valid only at the Stadium and Commuter Lots, has been reserved for you to purchase, provided that you still qualify for this permit type. This permit, if you choose to buy it, will be valid until September 30, 2008 - there are no other expiration date options available for this permit. All outstanding tickets and obligations, if any, will have to be paid before you can order this permit.

Please log on to the Stony Brook Parking Permit System to place your order:

http://www.stonybrook.edu/parking

After you place your order, a $150 fee will be charged to your student account. Once charged, there will be no refunds.

IMPORTANT: The deadline is September 18, 2007, close of business day. Any permits that have not been purchased by then will be forfeited and offered to other people on the wait list.

Thank You,

Parking Services
254 Administration Building
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-2001
Phone: (631) 632-AUTO
Email: parking@stonybrook.edu
WWW: http://www.stonybrook.edu/parking

Hells yes, I want one! If you've ever experienced the misery of commuter parking at a large university, feel my pain. I reserved it before writing this sentence. Mine, all mine. No more stupid parking tickets. Life has meaning once again.

Back to school

2007-09-05T03:19:00.000-04:00

A brief, before I hit the hay. Back to school today, pretty jazzed. I like school. I'd like to be a career student, but there's very little income in that. Still working until 2:30 am most days, yay. We're also in the process of moving. I'm looking forward to that being over. I'll catch up and elaborate later in the week.

Hvala, Danke, Merci, Köszi, Grazie, Spasibo, Mahalo, Gracias, Thank you.

2007-08-31T03:24:00.000-04:00

*Bosnian, French, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Hawaiian, Spanish, English. "'Thank you' in many languages"

I'm trying very hard to get my thank you notes before the holiday. I was going to buy card stock and stamp them, but my suggestion for a 28 hour day hasn't been approved yet, so I bought some simple blank thank you cards and have begun to address them. I have around 50 gift thank you's and maybe 20 "thanks for coming" thank you's. I needed some inspiration on what to write without sounding impersonal or cheesy and I found a great essay/advice column on Thank you etiquette. Here is a summary, for your viewing pleasure. This article was originally published at The Morning News.

"...I will also grudgingly tell you the hidden secret of thank-you notes: They improve the frequency and quality of the gifts you receive. People like being appreciated, and if they feel you actually notice the nice things they do for you, they’re more likely to give an encore performance.

1. Greet the Giver
Let them hear their ow name and see it in ink. No typing or pre-printed.

2. Express Your Gratitude
Avoid the "just writing" trap. You are not ‘just writing to say’ as in I am just writing to say; that's stating the obvious. Write as if whatever you say is happening in the moment.

Never directly mention money. All cash denominations become ‘your generosity’ or ‘your kindness.’ If you feel the giver overspent, the farthest you can go is appreciated: ‘Your generosity is appreciated,’ or ‘It is such an extravagant gift—your kindness is appreciated.’

If you’re writing to thank someone for an intangible (such as them putting you up at their place while you were in town for the weekend), first define what the intangible thing is, and then make the gift sound as attractive as possible. Don’t say: ‘Thanks for letting us crash at your place.’ Instead say: ‘Thank you for your hospitality.’ The point of writing the note is to create a simple expression of a heartfelt sentiment.

3. Discuss Use
Say something nice, but don't lie, find something positive.

4. Mention the Past, Allude to the Future
Fit the giver into your life.

5. Grace
Say thanks again.

6. Regards
Wrap it up.

A thank you is for thanking the giver. It isn't a life achievement newsletter.

Don't forget to mail it.

-Leslie Harpold, 1 October 2003

I think there is incredibly sound advice here. I was clueless what to write in each, but I actually feel a bit better now.

Planning Advice

2007-08-30T12:57:00.000-04:00

I've always loved planning things. I'm a bit exacting (read: anal) at times, so planning events or activities is my idea of a good time. I'm finding that one the most important factors in planning is others' opinions. I definitely have my own vision, but it's so helpful to hear stories from friends and coworkers about venues and vendors. I realized last night that I've heard one thing over and over again:
"If I did it over, it wouldn't have been so elaborate."
It's so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of wedding planning. I remind myself constantly not to lose focus. I want to have a wonderful party with good food, booze, and music. I'd like it to be pretty as well, but the first three are truly the most important.

Engagement Party Recap

2007-08-28T11:44:00.001-04:00

What a great day we had Sunday. So many people showed up, many stayed a while, some for a quick hello, but we had such a blast. The first guests arrived around noon (while I was still in shorts, trying to unfold chairs), and the last few party goers got going at 10:30 pm or so. I'm pretty sure I said no more than hello and thanks for coming for the first 3 hours. We decided to cater and cook, which worked out wonderfully. Mike's dad and sister ordered a sheet cake and we also made some sweet plates. Even though we've been engaged since Christmas Eve, it's strange how I feel "more engaged" now. 2 more years to go before the big day, or sooner if my money tree starts blooming.
From top to bottom: Mike and Sam (Me); Me, my sister Erica, and my future sister-in-law, Lauren; brother and sister

It's My Party

2007-08-26T09:42:00.000-04:00

We're heading over to the house in a minute. I'm anxious about the weather. It's pretty damn gloomy outside. Oh well, we'll just get 'em all drunk and no one will notice. I made the icebox cake last night. I thought it came out well, I guess we'll see who vomits first. See you in a few hours.

Location, Location

2007-08-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

*Edit*
I do intend to review each of these and probably more locations in detail, exciting, no?
*Edit*

As our wedding is slowly becoming a sporting event, I've realized we need to reserve the reception hall as soon as possible. We're estimating 200-250, so we're narrowed down by that, as well as the fact that we aren't independently wealthy. It's going to be on Long Island, preferably eastern Nassau/western Suffolk County. I'd like a venue that isn't too stuffy or closed in. We want August in the afternoon so I'd rather not have chandeliers be the only source of light. Also only one event at a time. Of course the places I like are over $100 a plate. I think I almost threw up again. So I'm on the hunt. I have ideal and realistic choices. The money estimates are from a few sites. Here are a few:

Oheka Castle
135 West Gate Drive, Huntington, NY
Gorgeous. Holy expensive. The only way would be if I learned how to manufacture money.

Woodbury Country Club
884 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury, NY
They can have 2 events at a time, but the place is huge. $75-$150 a plate.

Carlyle on the Green
Bethpage State Park, Bethpage, NY
My favorite so far. Unfortunately $100-250 a plate.

North Ritz Club
7150 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY
$80-150.

The Cottage at Milleridge
585 N Broadway, Jericho, NY
$59-150.

The Pavilion at Sunken Meadow
Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park, NY
$75-85. This one might be a sleeper, owned by the Lessing family.

A few more days...

2007-08-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

I've become completely obsessed with the weather for Sunday. We have a tent for the backyard, but I really don't want rain. Please? Can't it be partly cloudy in the mid 70's so I can blow my hair straight and not have it morph into Roseanne Rosannadanna?

I'm getting more and more into adding "personal touches" lately. Now that the decorations and favors are bought/made, the future sister in law and I decided to make a few side dishes to add to what's being catered. Lauren makes a great taco dip and cookies, and I'm going to make buffalo wing dip and icebox cake, or what I've always called "fat cake". I hadn't had it in years, so I was jazzed to find the recipe, if you can call it that.
I enjoy cooking, but I don't want to go overboard when I know I'll already be anxious, so this is a great dessert to satisfy my need to make something.
photo courtesy Smitten Kitchen
3 cups heavy cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (9-ounce) packages chocolate wafer cookies
Unsweetened cocoa (or chocolate shavings)

These proportions are for 6 servings apparently, but here is the breakdown for making it bigger or smaller:
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon sugar for every cup of cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract for every cup of cream
Just under 1 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies (Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers are awesome)
Unsweetened cocoa (or chocolate shavings) for garnish

In a cold, large bowl (preferably metal), beat cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. The cream should whip to about twice its original volume.
On a flat serving plate, arrange 7 cookies side by side in a circle, keeping 1 cookie in the center. (I'll make it bigger than that to serve more people.) I'm also thinking of using a trifle bowl instead of a serving plate.

Spread with 1/2 cup whipped cream, making a circle covering the first wafer layer. Repeat with remaining cookies and cream, making 11 layers of cookies (or however many you feel like making) and ending with a layer of cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. This is where the magic happens. The wafers will absorb the cream while it sits, resulting in a cake-like dish with layers of chocolate and cream.
To serve, dust top lightly with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.

Of course there are other ways to make icebox cake. I know a popular shape is a log, but I like this way, I find it easier to assemble.

After reading a few experiences with the cake, I started worry I wouldn't find the Nabisco wafers since they aren't even on the Nabisco website. Happily my local Stop & Shop was very well stocked, so crisis averted. I need to stop worrying about cookies, it isn't healthy.

Getting Ready for the E-Party

2007-08-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm a reluctant diy-er. I enjoy the intimacy of hand crafted items and I get a kick out of seeing the fruits of my labor, but it's also a pain in the ass, and I have little to no personal time most days. I did decide to make favors for the engagement party, and I think they turned out very well.
I bought blue and brown m&m's from their website. I also bought small plastic bags, personalized stickers, and card stock from a favor website. After putting everything together, I found a basket in the basement, and voila. We expect to have around 100 people so I made @ 70 favors. Let's be honest, most people don't care about the favors. We aren't going crazy on decorating, so I wanted to add a few details here and there.

I'm not thrilled with the last picture. I'll take a better one this week to show what each favor looks like. Most pics here are taken with my cell phone, btw. That's my excuse.
Cingular 8525
M&M's 22 Colors
wedding FAVORites

Monkey Thursday

2007-08-09T18:09:00.000-04:00

I was searching through Google News for the story about the gentleman who smuggled a marmoset under his hat on his way to Laguardia, and apparently my search for "monkey hat" wasn't specific enough. Lo and behold, there were two featured articles. Who knew monkeys were such a hot item?

Wanted Monkey in Madison, Wisconsin
Man Flies with a Monkey Under His Hat

Mmmm, cupcake.

2007-08-07T23:20:00.000-04:00

I saw this gem on one of the dozens of blogs I subscribe to. It's a giant cupcake. It arrived today, and I can't wait to make one. Yum, yum, yum.
Want one?
Right here: Sur la table - Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan

Evidence

2007-08-07T02:08:00.001-04:00

Here is one of the ways I'm blowing money (preparing) for the engagement party:

Mini paper lanterns with cherry blossom design. We're hanging them above the deck. Precious, aren't they?

Money, That's What I Want

2007-08-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

It's a good thing my father and future father-in-law are kind and generous. I've spent a bit of my own dough already, and this is just for the engagement party. We wouldn't be eating if they weren't helping. I've spent @ $160 on dishes, cutlery, tablecloths, and so on. $150 has gone to favors, which I have to say, are damn cute. I just spent $70 on lanterns to hang in the backyard. I spent @$40 on invitations and another $50 on stamps. The food, chairs, and tables aren't coming out of our money, for which I'm eternally grateful. Tables and chairs with 1 tent is going to b @$300, thanks to a wonderful friend of the family. That leaves food and booze. Good lord.

160-cutlery, etc
150-favors
70-decoration
90-invitations
=$470 (I'm dry heaving)

300-chairs, tables, tent
?-food, booze

Makin' an honest woman outta me

2007-08-04T23:24:00.000-04:00

So now that I'm betrothed, I'm thinking of keeping track of things and thoughts here. Not too fluffy, I promise.

prodigal daughter?

2007-03-23T11:26:00.000-04:00

I'm casually entertaining the the thought of resuming my babbling. We'll see.

Life's Lessons

2006-07-11T10:58:00.000-04:00

If the Army taught me one thing, it has to be pissing on command. Even if i don't have to go, I can squeeze at least 60 ml out, just in case I don't have the opportunity to go for a few hours. It started with the urinalyses. 0530, I already peed an hour ago, and now i have to go in a cup with someone watching. Next came the 5 hour convoys across the desert with no scheduled stops. If that isn't motivation to squeeze it out, nothing is. The only other options are pissing in a gatorade bottle (very complicated for a girl inside a tank in motion) or hold it. or piss yourself. Urinary tract infections galore with the holding it in. So now that I have a job that requires me to clock in and out, its muy importante that I get it out on my breaks.

2006-06-18T13:17:00.000-04:00

My dreams are rarely about me. My memories also. I can recall plenty of things about my childhood in terms of environment and objects, but often not my own experiences. From infancy to about 12 years of age I lived in a one bedroom apartment. In through the front door was a long hallway. There were two closets to the left. The living room was beyond them on the right. Beyond them on the left was an alcove, my room. I had a twin trundle bed with a bookcase at the foot and an end table on the side. I think it was almost room sized. The hallway didn't continue straight on, but shifted to the right and continued. On the left was a dumbwaiter that must have been last used 30 to 40 years before. One the right was a pantry and then the kitchen. Continuing to the end of the hall was the bedroom on the right, and terminating the hall was the bathroom. The living room was pretty large by Bronx apartment standards. To the left was a television caddy corner. To the right was a large upholstered chair. The Christmas Tree would go there. On the wall next to the tv, the wall shared with the kitchen was a huge book shelf. The stereo, books, and liquor were there. Beyond that was a swinging door to the kitchen and dining room. The far wall of the living room had two windows. The love seat was between them. There were side tables on either side. On the clockwise wall was the sofa. There was a kidney shaped coffee table made of driftwood and glass. And then another side table. There were always books and magazones around, as well as my toys. Into the kitchen from the hallway. The refrigerator was to the left. Shelves lined the upper portion of the wall from the fridge to the end of the kitchen. Next to the fridge was a double sink with cabinets underneath. It was an old style double sink with one deeper sink. There was flanking couterspace. At the end of the counter was a wall that extended about one foot past. On the right side was a fllor to ceiling cabinet and then more lower cabinets with counter space. The stove/oven was next. It was gas. I never had electric until 3 years ago. At the end of the stove was another foot of counter and then another wall sort of. Into that opening was the dining room, which was on the other side of the swining door from the living room. We had a drop leaf table. On the left behind the wall was a huge plant. There was a window at the far wall. A large window with glass shelves that always had plants. The wallpaper was this metallic blue chevron design. The bathroom had a sink on the right, then the tub. The toilet was at the far end, under a window. My parents' bedroom was shag carpet. My father's dresser was on the right and then a sliding door closet. It was a decent size also. There was a window in the middle of the next wall with a desk. Then a bureau with mirror. The next wall had two windows, with the bed between. The more left window had a fire escape. We had a grill out there in the summer. I don't remember what was on the last wall.

2006-05-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

I have a migraine, poor me.

In English Only?

2006-05-07T10:59:00.000-04:00

Why translation is good for us.
(CBS) Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News anchor and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.
In the ongoing effort to make our national debate about all the wrong things we may have reached a milestone with the controversy over whether its alright for the National Anthem to be sung in Spanish The blogs went nuts about it of course -- going nuts is their natural state. Talk radio saw danger ahead -- cover the children's ears. I'm with them on insisting that everyone who wants to be a citizen should learn English. In an increasingly diverse country, common experiences have become rarer and rarer and our language is one of the few things we all share. There is strength in that. But the anthem in English only? I don't get it. It made me proud to be an American when they tore down the Berlin Wall as We Shall Overcome -- an American spiritual -- played on the young people's boom boxes. And who among us can forget how we felt when those brave Chinese students brought a papier-mache Statue of Liberty into Tiananmen Square. When people take our symbols of freedom as their own, it doesn't weaken our values, it affirms they are universal. That makes us stronger, not weaker. So I hope our anthem will be sung one day in a hundred languages and I am not worried that translating it will somehow dilute its message. Translation hasn't seemed to hurt the Bible. And since I speak neither Hebrew nor Greek, I'm glad they went to the trouble on that one. Otherwise, I might have missed the whole thing.

Red Rover, Send Me on Over

2006-05-03T09:13:00.000-04:00

Where have I been?
I was in Florida from Friday until last night, visiting relatives, drinking, and getting a sunburn. I participated in a fundraiser for Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. We missed our return flight and had to wait for the next, which thnkfully had empty seats.
For the past 2 months i've lost 20 pounds. I've gained more than that in the last 2-3 years, and got tired of it, so I've been "dieting", exercising, and attempting to avoid the computer. That added to getting out of the army has made me a naughty blogger. i don't really find myself very interesting right now, so not much to write about. I'm still ever-present though.

free at last, free at last

2006-04-23T13:56:00.001-04:00

That's it party people, I'm a civilian, in the flesh. No more 15 hour flights to nowhere with my M-16 under my seat. It's a little strange feeling right now.

Doggy Update

2006-04-10T19:20:00.000-04:00

He's still here. We're keeping him in when anyone's outside and I bought a soft nylon muzzle for when I take him out. It's for everyone's peace of mind. I think it'll be okay. Until he eats a kid.

2006-04-02T22:53:00.000-04:00

I'm having trouble writing this without crying, and I think I'm an idiot. My dog bit a kid today, and the kid is fine after 2 stitches. I rent form my boyfriend's cousin and they have two small children. How can I keep my doggie whom I love so much? I can't with good conscience keep him in the vicinity of more kids because now i have a dog that bit a kid and I'm afraid he might do that again one day. He's such a sweet heart and he's lovable but he's had a bad life before me and it stays with him. When there are too many people around he gets funky... I'll sleep on it.

I have a twin.

2006-03-26T12:03:00.000-05:00

She's from Ireland and her name is Katrina, well, she isn't really my twin. She's 6 years older than me but there is a striking resemblence. I went to a kick ass wedding yesterday, and she's a sister of the groom. My boyfriend's cousin married an Irish guy and his awesome family flew over for the week. I have Irish ancestry, but it was ridiculous. I'll have to scour for some pics.

2006-03-17T20:41:00.000-05:00

my new commute for the next five weeks is 80 miles one way. Through New York City. not Manhattan, but through Brooklyn and Queens and I could seriously fucking scream. I wisely check the traffic report and the parkway was closed a few miles up due to flagran shithead behavior no doubt, forcing me to take local roads for the last 30 miles of my trip. Joyful.

My cup runneth over

2006-03-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Between moving, wrapping up my ten year adventure, trying to eat well, and every other fucking silly thing in my life, I have no time to sit and create clever strings of words. I'm not gone, I'm just really fucking productive right now. I will definitely be here.

2006-03-09T23:12:00.000-05:00

I hate moving. I really do. From the bottom of my cold heart, I do. i want to be in my new place. Not making 47 gajillion trips up and down my second floor ghetto apartment. Frig.

2006-03-07T15:33:00.000-05:00

busy busy busy

2006-03-02T08:12:00.000-05:00

The weather forecast today for Fort Monmouth, New Jersey is "Ice Pellets".

Speak up please

2006-02-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

I am losing my voice. My melodic, nasal, New Yawk voice is fading into the moonlight in a very Brady way. I just called my fav buffalo chicken delivery with the madness that's escaping my mouth. Good times. I sneezing pretty much constantly and cough a bit also. Maybe I need hairball formula buffalo wings.

So much time and so little to do

2006-02-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

So it's only Tuesday and I'm learning a wealth of things:

Dental hygenists are cruel and get off on shredding my gums with their evil tools of torture.

My truck stereo can play fm through the front speakers and satellite through the rear speakers - at the same time - all by itself.

I need a job, soon.

I'm not the only person who buys a Valentine's Day card on Valentine's Day.

Thoughtful ... and totally implausible.

2006-02-09T10:07:00.000-05:00

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all youwant.

When you say, "I love you," mean it.

When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

Believe in love at first sight.

Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreamsdon't have much.

Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's theonly way to live life completely.

In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

Talk slowly but think quickly.

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer,smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

Remember that great love and great achievements involvegreat risk

Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it inyour voice.

Spend some time alone.

2006-02-07T18:23:00.000-05:00

Check out my cheesy countdown. I haven't updated my page in a fucking while, but hey looky there.

a study in random thought

2006-01-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

How is it that I don't cry when someone dies, but an episode of CSI gets me tearing up?

2006-01-19T19:41:00.000-05:00

"Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk."
Henry David Thoreau

2006-01-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

A deep sigh and it settles to the bottom. Each death is silt in the river.

And I thought you might come home this summer
And maybe there will be sun in Seattle

Jen Foster, Sun in Seattle

2006-01-11T18:24:00.000-05:00

I sit here with my wine glass, french fries with vinegar, and internet. I had a close call with having the rug pulled out today and it scared the ass right off me. I hate being out of control sometimes.

When one door closes a window breaks, or something like that

2005-12-30T19:51:00.000-05:00

20060311
11 March 2006
March 11, 2006

I'll stop being a Staff Sergeant. So what will I be then?

2005-12-28T17:30:00.000-05:00

Here I am, finally escaped from a pile of wrapping paper and honey balls.

So I've decided that the two greatest movies, ever, are So I Married an Axe Murderer and Strange Brew.

2005-12-19T20:44:00.000-05:00

Christmas sucks a big cock. The commercial part of the holiday annoys me to no end. I love doing nice things and giving gifts but the pressure drives me bananas. i can't wait til Sunday morning.

2005-12-15T19:27:00.000-05:00

So I'm abut halfway through an entire bunch of celery because of its alleged headache banishing qualities. It's a damn good thing I like celery. Fucking blood pressure.

Another reason I love South Park

2005-12-08T18:13:00.000-05:00

SmitHappens- South Park Come out of the closet Video!

zzzzzzzzzz

2005-12-06T19:12:00.000-05:00

this post is brought to you by my addiction to googling and the fact that sometimes i'm too tired to think creative unique thoughts... and punctuate

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast.~William Shakespeare, Macbeth

The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late. ~Charles Caleb Colton

You know you have a sleeping disorder when your filtered water pitcher has been empty for two weeks beacause it takes too much energy to "make water". ~random post in a sleep forum

I'm not asleep... but that doesn't mean I'm awake. ~Author Unknown

A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky;

I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless; and soon the small birds' melodies
Must hear, first uttered from my orchard trees,
And the first cuckoo's melancholy cry.

Even thus last night, and two nights more I lay,
And could not win thee, Sleep! by any stealth:
So do not let me wear tonight away:

Without Thee what is all the morning's wealth?
Come, blessed barrier between day and day,
Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health! ~ William Wordsworth, To Sleep

I reached for sleep and drew it round me like a blanket muffling pain and thought together in the merciful dark --Mary Stewart English novelist, The Hollow Hills, 1973

Lobotomized

2005-12-01T18:40:00.000-05:00

I can't think of a goddamn tihng to write about. Nothing. Busy at work. Visiting my pile of papers every now and then. Tired. Tired. Tired.

Lost is awesome. Love it. Especially this week. I haven't been committed to a show since Buffy.

2005-11-26T16:42:00.000-05:00

Just got home from North Carolina last night. My best friend is home from Iraq, so I drove down for the holiday. I made it back in 9 hours. I'm shocked. To drive 600 miles on I95 on the day after Thanksgiving and not hit a single traffic jam is unheard of. Maybe I drove through a wormhole. Oh and strangers don't sppreciate it when you show them how to use the hands-free papertowel dispenser at the Delaware rest stop.

On the 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

2005-11-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

2005-11-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

Howdy do neighbors. Yay beer. Woo, this dealing with life and stuff is a pisser. I'm lucky though. I get to make decisions every day. I'm not stuck. I have a wonderful, angel of a boyfriend, and happily insane family, and some fantastic friends. Not too many though. Just a couple. I'm not boasting, just counting my blaessings if you will. It's hard to focus when there are so many "real" things going on. I guess that's a good thing? I wish I were more creative writing inclined so I could wow and amaze, but alas, Samantha was not made for spinning tales of the open sea and such. She is much better suited to jokies and self deprecating humor. So Adieu, Auf Weidersen, good night.... for tonight, you dopes. i ain't going nowhere. duh.

Life and Bullshit

2005-11-08T00:06:00.000-05:00

Vegas was fun. Vegas is always fun. We ate, we drank, we looked at a lot of cars and trucks. I attended SEMA, an auto industry convention, with the boyfriend. My feet pretty much fell off.
There is a show on A&E, "Random 1". I teared up. It was amazing. Random 1

2005-11-01T00:24:00.000-05:00

I'm flying to Las Vegas tomorrow for 5 days. I'm psyched. It's my second trip, so I'm bypassing the requisite tourist shit and just enjoying it. Anyway, see ya's in a few.

Damn you Flu

2005-10-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

I was the lucky recipient of an inhaled flu vaccine yesterday. Bullshit. Now (shocker) I have a sore throat and congestion. Getting that shit misted up your nose isn' t too bad, but I was gagging for about ten minutes as it dripped. Stupid flu.

Too Many, Not Enough

2005-10-27T18:42:00.000-04:00

Operation Truth Ad: A Better Way

2005-10-19T13:10:00.000-04:00

I don't know why i haven't had much to say lately. I'm very opinionated so this is out of character. Between compiling all the ingredients for a kick-ass resume, not knitting, not grocery shopping, and not sleeping enough, I find myself pretty drained every day. I'm very happy with the weather this week. Highs in the upper 60's, lows in the lower 50's, my favorite. Our president is still a silly, silly man. I found a few tv shows I like, and my livingroom television crapped out two days ago. Sound's fine, but the screen consists of one horizontal line, one pixel high of bright colors. I have a 13-inch in my bedroom, but my evil neighbor's bedroom is right under the cabinet so I try to exercise noise discipline after 9pm. I am going to Vegas in two weeks, yeeha! I had a great time the first time I went, so now I can skip the cheesy, it's my first time crap and really dig in. I don't gamble, but there's so much going on. I loooooove the theater. Also food and alcohol, so I'm set. And that's it. Check ya later.

shit or get off the pot

2005-10-13T21:17:00.000-04:00

Hey sportsfans. Been real busy trying to get things together for the big career change. I realized that I can't too much accomplished standing still. I'm still here, but you know how that damn real world can get in the way sometimes. I'm still here.

2005-10-12T16:34:00.000-04:00

I saw a car yesterday afternoon with a wreath on the grill. An older Lincoln car. It wasn't an autumn wreath. It had a shiny gold bow and it was 3 inches off the ground. I've seen Christmas decorations lurking in the back of Target also. It's ridiculous.

2005-10-09T22:26:00.000-04:00

Go Yankees.

Oh my god, it's the fucking Apocalypse.

2005-10-05T23:10:00.000-04:00

The fabric of existence is ripping. I can hear it.

For fuck's sake.

2005-10-03T21:47:00.000-04:00

I couldn't sign the damn eval anyway. There were administrative errors so I have to wait until tomorrow.

i make myself sad

2005-10-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to run her obscene existence off the road and into a building, maybe the street lamp. All I wanted to was go to battalion to sign my annual evaluation. I had to leave at 3pm and take Route 70, one of the deadliest roads in the state, due in large part to the disproportionate population of senior citizen communities. It's the major East-West road from Toms River to Camden. Unfortunately much of the road is only one lane in either direction, barring traffic circles (roundabouts, rotaries, etc.) and every damn traffic light. At nearly every intersection, the lane divides into 2 to seemingly let turning people turn and non-turning people continue on their way. Of course the lanes aren't exclusively one or the other. I don't know why one lane can't be marked as left or right turn only and the other as straight. Irrelevent at this point. New Jersey is a densely populated state with a shitty shitty mass transit "system", so everyone drives, and drive terribly they do. So, I'm trucking down the road and this car comes flying around from my right side on the one lane per direction road. I proceed to lay on the horn and become the recipient of the special one fingered salute and this "jerking off" gesture. You know, like a hand monacle moving. At this point I was shocked but I hadn'tyet seen the face of this lovely creature. Everytime we came to an intersection this genius would attempt to get in front of another person by flying into the right lane, shoulder or the "jug handle", cuz lord knows you can't turn left without going right in Jersey. So fuckface keeps weaving back and forth and after the third or fourth time of not getting anywhere I got in front finally just to try to get away. I've seen so many accidents here and at home across the river and i find getting as far as possible from the psychopath is the best strategy. So I pull past the car and the driver is: 1. female, and 2. older! When I say older I mean at least 60. Not decrepit but possibly having incontinence issues. I was floored. Speachless. A grown woman gave me the finger and a "jerk off". I've given the finger. More than a few times. I've also spewed plenty of obscenities. For some reason I found this woman so offensive and disgusting I wanted to scream. And run her off the road. I thought about writing down her plate number and calling 911 or the agressive driver phone number, but I don't know the driver hotline and I couldn't find a pen before she sped off. She continued to terrorize people as she wove and jumped in and out of traffic until she passed over the farthest rise. I thought for a moment that there might be some emergency she was trying to get to, but there was so much anger and violence contained in her driving there was no way that could be the case. What gives her the right to act as though she's the only one on the road? Why aren't there ever any goddamn cops around? And why do all the fucking idiots have to drive near me? I hope no one got hurt, but I also hope her car gets stolen.

healthy as a 40 year old man who drinks

2005-09-29T21:09:00.000-04:00

my blood pressure was 153/103 at 8 this morning. I want to vent about everything going on with my medical board, but I know better than that. There are many things I don't know about when it comes to who's watching what. I don't hide my identity or my general location and occupation so I know it's in my best interest to wait on sharing and caring. Unfortunately that's the cause of my little hypertensive crisis from earlier today and it's pretty much the main thing going on right now. Such is life. I need to learn how to cope better.

2005-09-25T01:22:00.000-04:00

Sorry for having absentee blogger syndrome. The boyfriend had shoulder surgery this week and I've been tending to him. Be back in a few.

2005-09-22T13:08:00.000-04:00

For no particular reason I dreamt my teeth were falling out last night. Apparently this is a common symbol of communication issues or fearing how one appears to the public. I think it's because I have a few thousand dollars of dental artwork in my mouth and i think about it every now and again.

2005-09-20T19:43:00.000-04:00

If a person feels she might be special, is she actually special or is she wishing herself to be special, unique, different...

Is it possible, truly, to see sounds and smell colors or is it hallucination? And while we're on the topic, if you tihnk you're crazy, does it mean you aren't, or does it mean you're just aware of the fact?

chronicles from the 95th interstate

2005-09-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been in a bathroom so disgusting that you debated if your hands would be cleaner if you didn't touch anything in there? I95 in Delaware, North and South. It only runs through the key state for 5 exots, so there's only one gas stop. It's the cheapest one from NYC to DC so I always stop there to fill up, but holy hepatitis batman. Also, for those of you "disabled veterans" like myself having the misfortune of traveling to Walter Reed on a Monday morning, take heed: There aren't even any illegal parking spots. I found myself debating whether to sit in front of the main entrance and offer a ride to the car of any departing patients, but someone left after my 45th patrol around the lower level of the parking garage. Oh and if you're deficient on your "ghetto cruising" quota, please take a ride with me. Anywhere. I can find the most decrepit community in any town, anywhere. I get the adventure bug every now and again. On my way home this afternoon I decided to get on Route 1 instead of the good ole' thruway because I am tired of drive through food. Well I didn't find any food, but i did take a lovely tour of south eastern Baltimore. Understand that I'm in now way paranoid or scared. I'm not a thug or anything, but a neighborhood is a neighborhood. I grew up in the Bronx in a lower middle class urban area. Be that as it may, I also decided to venture forth sans map like a dope. I followed route 1 until I lost it and then just stayed in a North/Northeasterly direction until I ran into 695. Then I went to Panera Bread and felt better. Then I wasn't paying attention and got back onto 95 SOUTH for 5 minutes. So it technically took me 7 hours to get back to Middlesex County. Fuck it. It's not like gas is over $3 a gallon or anything.

Military word of the day

2005-09-09T12:26:00.000-04:00

Jacques Le Moyne, Plate XIX

"Blue Bark"

(DOD) US military personnel, US citizen civilian employees of the Department of Defense, and the dependents of both categories who travel in connection with the death of an immediate family member. It also applies to designated escorts for dependents of deceased military members. Furthermore, the term is used to designate the personal property shipment of a deceased member.

I've been on death detail before. It's a humbling experience. Sometimes when you go to another location for a training exercise or when you deploy, you end up bringing your dress uniform with you so you can ride in the back of a C-10 with a casket.We just got a guy in from Germany this morning whose wife passed away. He flew with her. His leave form and travel orders have "Blue Bark" emblazoned on them. Every time he has to turn in either of these documents people will know why he's here. Reminds me of the mourning veils widows wear.

So you want that nose medium, or medium-well?

2005-09-07T19:43:00.000-04:00

Hi. I'm a moron. Ocean and sand make sun more intense. And now you know.

My two cents, for what it's worth

2005-09-03T19:14:00.000-04:00

Lots of people fucked up. There are some serious issues. Racial, economic, micro and macro. Let's dust orselves off and take it like the big men and women that we are. Help yourself and others. HELP YOURSELF. HELP OTHERS. I have a big bag of clothes on its way somewhere. There is a time for redemption and reckoning. Now is the time for rescue and relief. The rest of it will come.

New Orleans

2005-09-02T10:10:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite places in the whole world. Still is. My thoughts are with those people suffering right now. That's all I want to say.

my favorite

2005-08-30T20:54:00.000-04:00

truth in advertising

2005-08-29T08:17:00.000-04:00

Desparate online personal ad (if the truth was told)

My name is Mary, I'm 32 years old and I am an elementary school teacher. I went to school to be a chemist and when I was working on my Master's thesis I blew one of my professors because he said he'd hook me up, but then his wife found out and I left before the end of the semester. I am very clingy, and I do put out on the first date. I think my ideal date would be dinner at my house. Well, when I say my house, I mean my basement sublet. I call it a studio, but seriously, it's like 300 square feet, and my 3 cats pretty much rulw the roost. So anyway, dinner. I'm a great cook. Of course, there's always cat hair in everything, but they're white, so you know, you can pick them out. So while we have dinner I'll get you tipsy on Franzia wine and then we can move down to the rug and make out for a while. The kitties get a little jealous because we don't get too many visitors, but I'll just corral them intot he bathroom and turn the music up to drown out the wailing cat noises. Did I mention they're all female and in heat? Isn't that adorable? You do like Yanni right? I want you to make sweet passionate love to my ass and mouth and then right when you feel it building up inside, I'm going to start crying, not because i was abused or anything, just that I'm selfish and insecure and the attention has to be on me. I'd love it if you'd stay the night. I know you have to get back home, but I love you now, and you're my boyfriend. Oh, and I love to dance.

very life-dense

2005-08-23T14:42:00.000-04:00

And by that I mean i have no time whatsoever lately. I spent the majority of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in an automobile. This makes for a very cranky Samantha. I drove to D.C. again on Friday to get my head and vagina examined by medical professionals. i left my apartment at 7am, got to the hospital around 1130am, left the hospital at 430pm, got back to my house around 9pm, left my house at 10pm to go to the boyfriend's house, and got there around 11pm. The day at the hospital deserves it's own post. On Saturday we drove to Arlington, Massachusetts to visit with friends and go on a casino/booze cruise. Another 5 hours of my life I can never have back. I hate I-95. Anyway, the cruise was fun. I was waiting for it to become the Poseidon Adventure, what with the friggin swells, the damn boat was rolling all over the place. It made for a cheap buzz. I like the water so fuck everyone else. We got on the road around 1pm Sunday and didn't get back to the greater NYC area until 7pm. I was back in my truck at 530am Monday morning to go to work. From 6am Friday to 6am Monday I was in a vehicle for nearly 24 hours. Of course gas is like 40 dollars a damn gallon as well. And for my pick-em-up truck that's pretty bad news.

2005-08-17T19:36:00.000-04:00

I feel like I'm sneaking out of the asylum door that one of the orderlies left open. I'm all tip-toey hoping no one notices. I mean it was their decision in the first place, but still. I can't wait till I'm actually out for real and then I can be candid and share without fear of repercussion.

--In other news, James Brown's "Super Bad" is totally one of my favorite songs. Just because.

just a reminder that we're always the center of our own universe

2005-08-16T22:11:00.000-04:00

i really can't seem to get over myself sometimes. I've put on a rather good lot of weight over the past year. i'm inherently lazy, and with the amount of stress i've managed to put on myself in recent months, it's really no wonder. looking at old pictures brings it home even more. i have these miny breakdowns, the quietest anxiety attack you ever did see. i get terribly insecure and it eats at me and i feel guilty for feeling bad about myself and the boyfriend tries to be supportive and caring and i beat myself up, how endearing. i can't forget about overreacting and reading into everything. deep down i know that sometimes people are socializing and can't talk to me whenever i desire but it still sends my dramatic imagination into outer space about my out of shape fat self. Never mind the whole changing caree path thing. I'm trying to remind myself that there was a time i savored change like the intial incline of a rollercoaster. I get to pick my method of bacon bringing for the next long while, where other folks are bogged down in mediocrity. the source of the anxiety is said bacon. I have no savings to speak of. I probab;y have a negative net worth. But now I'm on the phone with my bunny and he's being his sweet self and I feel like a minor league loon who needs to get a grip. Gotta love that rollercoaster.

2005-08-15T22:44:00.000-04:00

The boyfriend is a doll. This is Matt, Monica, Mike, and yours truly at Matt's parents' house in North Carolina about 3 weeks before they deployed.

there is another

2005-08-15T19:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Monica. She's 28 today. She's a medic, like me. She's here.

Camp Ashraf
The Mujahedin el-Khalq (MKO or MEK) main base is at Camp Ashraf, Iraq, about 100 kilometers west of the Iranian border and 60 kilometers north of Baghdad. The People's Mujahadeen, also known by its Persian name Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK), has been classified by Washington as a terrorist organization. Washington announced on 22 April 2003 that it had reached a ceasefire with the MEK. The next day MEK officials said the agreement allowed the MEK to keep its weapons and carry on its activities in Iran from Camp Ashraf. But June 2003 the US Military Police took control of Camp Ashraf and the MEK was consolidated and all weapons secured by MPs. As of September 2003 the 4,000 MEK members in the former Mujahedeen base were consolidated, detained, disarmed and were being screened for any past terrorist acts.

The 530th MP Battalion, maintained the MEK Detention Facility at Camp Ashraf.

According to the U.S. military, it does not hold any Iranian detainees but Iraqis accused of serious crimes such as murder and rape.

She's on my short list of for real best friends and all around favorite people. I don't have any pictures of her online or i'd share. She rocks.

I love it when a plan comes together

2005-08-14T17:27:00.000-04:00

I can finally share what I've been working on for the past 2 months. The boyfriend turned a grand 25 years old on Friday.

His sister, her best friend, and I orchestrated a surprise party for him. He hasn't been the extra special birthday boy in quite some time so we decided to throw him a fete because he deserves it and he rocks.

It was quite the undertaking as he and I are on the phone constantly and I'm with him every weekend. He was totally surprised though, so yay us.

He really likes poker and gambling, etc. so we made out own casino theme. Of course he and the boys played cards for a while. This is what happens when you mix Jack Daniels and poker.

Happy Birthday Hunny Bunny

2005-08-11T19:56:00.000-04:00

I was jonesing for dinner and decided to drive straight to food from work, a direction i hadn't taken yet. Of course I got off the wrong exit and drove in a large circle for 30 minutes. Magically I decided to make a left and there was my yummy restaurant. I felt very psychic that moment, thank you.

2005-08-10T07:34:00.000-04:00

Back to work. woohoo. At least I don't have to venture down the NJ turnpike, or the devil's asshole, anymore for at least a few more weeks.So now I'm back and i have no idea what my timeline is. I might have two more months or 6 more months. So I have to gather myself together and make neat piles before I hit the skids. There's nothing real entertaining about any of this, just need to get it out. I have so much to do. I have to find a new job, get my finances together, get rid of some minor debts, blah blah blah. maybe after i get a full night's sleep I'll be funnier.

Yeah Buddy

2005-08-08T18:57:00.000-04:00

I am so goddamn tired. We spent a three day weekend in Carlisle, Pannsylvania at a huge truck show. Drank a lot of beer, ate hot wings, looked at cool trucks. It took 4 hours to get there Friday morning and almost 7 to get home on Sunday. The New Jersey Turnpike is a funnel for retarded people (no offense to retarded people) to go from New York to the rest of the country. I left Long Island at 4am and made it to Philly in less than 90 minutes, a personal best, but I encountered the most ridiculous people at a rest stop. There is no room for rude behavior at 5am. All I wanted to do was pull into a parking spot before i peed myself and this group of people stood directly in front of my truck having a conversation. I even rolled my window down and politely asked if i could get into the spot and received the reply of, "Just a second."!!! GET OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY BEFORE I PEE ON YOU, is what i should have said in response, but I just glared at him, because I was very tired. I got down to D.C. around 8:30-ish and got poked in the ears, eyes, median cubital vein, and got to pee in a cup. Lucky me. One thing I did not et, however, was answers. Some of my labs weren't beck yet, so I have to wait two weeks. Oh well. i have pics from the weekend and the drive, but mine eyes are weary, so till the morrow.

Get in Gear

2005-08-02T20:32:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like I may have some answers come Monday afternoon regarding my timeline for ceasing employment with my namesake Uncle. I have to go to D.C. again for more poking and then an appointment with the doctor. I have so much time and so little to do!*

pure genius.

2005-07-29T11:23:00.000-04:00

Seriously, you look about eleventy.

damnitalltohell

2005-07-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

For someone with a friggin sleeping disorder, I feel like I've been getting less and less this week.

Uneventful boringosity

2005-07-27T16:01:00.000-04:00

One of the buildings on post (one of the many) is going to be emptied out to accomadate another activity and I'm helping the soon to be previous occupant clean up. There are these two gnarly looking metal cabinets with 4(?) flip-up glass doors. They have to be at least 40-50 years old, probably all lead painted. The entire place'll be gutted so I asked H. if I could load them up in the pick-em-up truck for "someone who could use them". I'm determined to find a use for them. I'll repaint them. I have a decent bookcase, so maybe i could do Army and baseball memorabilia or something. I don't want to get lectured by a certain someone on how i already have no room. I'm well aware. I want them anyway. So there. (loving you)
--Ooh, I knitted last night. It only tok me 3 hours to cast-on and knit-stitch ten rows. I fancy myself to be pretty smart, but I am one of the most uncoordinated fuckers I know. So now I'm making shit. With my own fangers. Who wants a scarf?

Space Shuttle Discovery Launches

2005-07-26T11:47:00.000-04:00

I'm glad they're ok. I watched it fromt he NASA website at work. There's so much tension today. Egypt, London, New York, the shuttle launch. NASA Return to Flight i hope they fare well and return safely.

Above, below, and right here

2005-07-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

I think I've certified myself as a dork. I totally love Google Earth. I mapped addresses for at least 2 hours yesterday. It's the coolest goddamn thing. You can look at certain areas in 3D as well. It makes me nauseous when it zooms in to a new location though.

There are an alarming amount of Virgin Mary statues in dog houses. Trust me, they're definitely dog houses. I stared at it long and hard.

SO Penn Station was evacuated and I'm subject to search on any public transportation in my fair city. I'm more surprised it took nearly four years.
Bomb Scare Empties NYC's Penn Station

Idle Hands..

2005-07-22T12:42:00.000-04:00

I need a hobby. I also need money, energy, and central air conditioning. I'm thinking about knitting. I was never good at it as a child. My grandma taught me how to sew, embroider, cross-stitch and hook, but knitting always escaped me. not that i was any good at any of those either, but I was profoundly bad at knitting. Anyone out there knit? If so, do you enjoy it? Any tips are welcome.

no no no no, this is not important. no.

2005-07-19T19:52:00.000-04:00

This can't possibly be a priority. I'm fucking mystified. Pepole are dying, starving, killing, exposing CIA agents who may or may not have been covert operatives blah blah blah, bombing buildings, planes, tubes, and tube stations, raping, kidnapping, and so on, but this is going to solve everything. I think the pod people or the Scientologists or maybe the goddamn lizard men have finally gotten into our brains. My fucking head hurts.

Panel Backs Extension of Daylight-Saving Time
WASHINGTON (July 19) - A joint Senate-House committee working out the details of a broad U.S. energy bill voted on Tuesday to expand U.S. daylight-saving time by two months to help reduce energy consumption.

Negotiators from both chambers are racing against the clock to put a final energy package on President Bush's desk by a self-imposed deadline of Aug. 1.

Among the conflicts to be resolved is the cost of energy production tax breaks, which totaled $8 billion in the House bill and $16 billion in the Senate bill, and legal protection for oil refiners that manufactured a fuel additive suspected of being a carcinogen.

On Tuesday, the negotiators from the Senate and House agreed to move the start of daylight-saving time in the United States one month earlier to the first Sunday in March. The end of daylight time would be delayed one month to the last Sunday in November.

Daylight-saving time occurs each spring when clocks are turned forward by one hour. U.S. clocks go back one hour to standard time in the fall.

Supporters claim extending daylight-saving time would save about 100,000 barrels of oil a day because offices and stores would be open while it was still light outside and therefore use less energy.

Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman will try to amend the plan before lawmakers finish the bill by shortening the period that daylight-saving time would be extended. A Bingaman aide pointed out that farmers are opposed to the extra two months because they will have to start their workday in the dark.

Separately, Senate Democrats plan to offer an amendment to the final energy bill to cut U.S. oil consumption by 1 million barrels a day in a decade.

The Senate approved such a plan in its version of energy legislation, while the House rejected it in its energy bill.

House lawmakers with automakers in their districts are against the proposal, fearing it is a backdoor way to require U.S. minivans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks to improve their fuel efficiency.

However, some lawmakers believe it makes sense to tighten the mileage requirements of new vehicles because gasoline demand accounts for about 40 percent of total U.S. oil use.

The Senate's plan would not mandate any specific action to reduce oil consumption, and leaves it up to the president to figure out how to save the oil.

One of the major issues that still has to be worked out is whether to give oil companies that make the water-polluting gasoline additive MTBE protection from certain lawsuits.

The House put the liability waiver in its energy bill, while the Senate strongly opposes the lawsuit protection. Republican Joe Barton of Texas, who chairs the House-Senate committee working on the energy bill, is trying to reach a compromise deal on the issue.

Barton has proposed creating a trust fund to help pay for the cleanup, estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

MTBE producers would pay a "significant amount" of the trust fund, said one industry lobbyist negotiating the deal, who declined to elaborate. One sticking point to a deal is some MTBE producers, presumably the smaller companies, may have to pay more into the fund than their expected liability, the lobbyist said.

yay, it's monday.

2005-07-18T10:26:00.000-04:00

I saw "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" yesterday. I got a kick out the fact that I saw it a movie theater in East Hampton, NY. A movie about greedy little kids that get spoiled. In the Hamptons. Heh heh. Anyway, it was interesting. And by interesting I mean odd. Like an acid trip. I know that the original movie did not do the book any justice, but that is my vision of the movie, so it was different. I was actually kind of disappointed with the effects. It was so cgi'd. The Oompa Loompa is one guy that they multiplied. That's a whoel topic in itself. The Oompa Loompa songs were not what we all knew them to be. It was darker, and I enjoyed Burton's translation of the book. Johnny Depp played an insane Wonka. Where Gene Wilder's Wonka was crazyand clever at the same time, Depp's portrayal was absolute madness. The kids were evil little bastards too. Augustus, Violet, Veruca, and Mike had no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and the actors that played them were very entertaining. All in all I liked it but I know a lot of people are going to be bothered by the departure from the first movie, which was a departure from the book in the first place.

Oh, and I got really drunk all weekend and got about a gazillion mosquito bites on my feet.

2005-07-13T22:52:00.000-04:00

an afterthought

2005-07-13T22:43:00.000-04:00

I wouldn't be who I am today were it not for my experiences. I'm definitely the sum of my parts. And thankfully I've found loving, positive people and relationships who have been my "therapists" and I theirs. The bonds I share with my dad and sister and my best friend and boyfriend are the reasons behind my breaking the cycle of toxic relationships and people. There are plenty of people who have had life deal them a much shittier deck than me, and I'm thankful that I'm okay. ::smile::