...sigh...My vacation is over. I had a great time in Chicago with my mom and wish I could have stayed a little longer. We went downtown and did some shopping on the Mag Mile and looked at the holiday window displays at Marshall Field's and had lunch at the restaurant where my brother works. It's a really snazzy place and I had a yummy pot roast sandwich with horseradish and a baked to order strawberry shortcake that we shared. I wanted to go to Navy Pier but they didn't have anything interesting at this time of year and it's too cold to run the big ferris wheel. Daley's big freakin' money pit, I mean Milleneum Park, looked like it was just about finished. They had this big snowglobe thing that I think you could walk thru...hm...still not sure what I think about that. Even X-mas day with the family was normal and relatively non-dysfunctional. All in all, a very nice holiday and a nice weekend spent with friends when I returned. I loved that we *smudged* the fast approaching New Year! I hope it helps;>

Time for some naughty blogger fun. I should be working but I think I need a break from all the stress. Hee! At least the work keeps me from stressing over waiting to hear if I got this internship or not. I will feel like the world's biggest idiot if I get rejected. I mean, here I am with a college education and *some* post-undergrad work experience and it's still not enough. It's hard to keep hearing that "we hired someone who had a little more experience in XYZ area but we really liked you and we will keep you in mind for future openings." Crap, crap, crap. Being second best does NOT get you a consistent paycheck or real health insurance. Whatever. Trying to stay positive and not wish to hurry up and be *thirty* already. 30 seems to be the magic age, I think. Your 20's are behind you and you (hopefully) have a job you like in the career of your choice (or one of the many that you will have in your lifetime) and you have a little freakin' stability. So, that's that. Hmmm. I think I feel a little better. Yay blog! I knew you had a purpose.

...sigh...Just taking a break from data entry. It's just so stimulating that I can hardly tear myself away from it. Aren't you just so jealous? Hee hee hee. I went out and cut down my first X-mas tree this weekend. For the first 10+ years of my life, we had an artificial tree and when it finally kicked the bucket, we started buying fresh ones, but I've never gone to a tree farm and cut it down myself before. It was fun but then when I got home, I started to feel guilty for cutting down a tree just so I could put lights on it and present beneath it and then turn it into mulch in 4 weeks. But it is a very nice tree and it smells very pine-y and fresh. Well, must get back to the data entry. Wish me luck on Thursday--I'll be having THE interview in the afternoon:>

Hope everyone had a nice Turkey Day...I think this is the first year that I hardly ate any leftovers since Shana swiped our turkey 7 years ago. Anyway, I had a nice holiday with all of my favorite people present at some point or another. Good to see all of you!!! Can't wait to see you again in a month:> I finally got my drivers license/license plate thing taken care of and now I am good to go. Of course, I find out AFTER election day that I am still elegible to vote in PA at my usual polling place. Jeez. And now that I've switched everything over, I just know that I will end up taking a job that requires that I move out of PA. I have one interview scheduled for tomorrow and expect to have another one scheduled within a week or so and HOPE to schedule THE interview very soon. They are all social services positions and I hope that at least one of them makes an offer. The job thing is all that's happening at the moment. I'm starting to feel a little ambivalent about visiting my mom at the end of the month. Actually, it's not my mom but rather her family. It's only for a week so I'm sure I can deal. I can't believe that I am leaving my baby girl with my dad while I fly out to see my mom. It won't be the same on X-mas morning without her always trying to take off with wads of wrapping paper in her mouth or putting her nose on all the gifts and leaving little snot marks on everything. Dear goddess, I am a crazy dog lady! Better to be crazy about dogs than kids, if you ask me. All in due time, I suppose...

Today was my last day at my job at the UW. It doesn't feel like it's over yet and I can't believe that I don't HAVE to go into the office on Mon. or Tues. of next week. I say HAVE as opposed to SHOULD because technically, I don't have to go in but I should just to tie up a couple loose ends. Hey! That qualifies as volunteer work and that's okay, too. But for now, I will spend the holidays with friends and adopted family and try to relax and enjoy myself. I go to the temp agency on Friday to take my typing test so that I can get myself some temp work while I wait for my interviews to start. And that's pretty much it around here. I already got my PA drivers license and am just waiting on a title certificate for my car to arrive so that I can get my car registered in PA. I am totally psyched about my new car insurance. I have a great plan and my agent is really nice and super helpful. Yup...I've definitely reached adulthood. Only adults would be excited about car insurance. And health insurance. And all things having to do with insurance, I suppose. Did you know that they even have *cancer insurance*? Crazy...but then again, maybe not.

Bbbrrrrrrrrrrr! Ok. It's officially cold outside. But here in the House of G., there is a fire in the fireplace and a too hot hot tub to sit in. The too hot part was my own stupid fault. I quite enjoy t.v. or books in front of the fire with my baby girl curled up against me...yak, yak, yak. So, it looks like it is going to be a very Lanky Thanksgiving and a very Dysfunctional X-mas with the fam. Did I just write "fam"? WTF?!? Anyway, looking forward to being present for the annual fight b/w Nanny and Aunt Mamie over the neck and the wings (Nanny corrected me a dinner last night, Ang:>) and Larry saying "This is delicious, Dollllllllll" in that nasally Larry voice of his. Hee! This year will be a little odd since normally I go the G house for pie after dinner with my parents but this year I will do dinner with the G's & Co. and have pie (maybe) with my dad and his girlfriend. You know, I think that having your parents separate/divorce when you are an adult is probably more difficult in some ways. When you are a kid, and your parents split up and you start splitting the holidays between them, it's just something that you have to do. But when you are an adult, you don't HAVE to do anything and you have to make a decision to attend or not. Because then you have to take the high ground and go be nice to your mom/dad's new boyfriend/girlfriend and his/her kids and grandchildren even tho you don't want to. Bleah. And if you're my brother, you get to skip out on it entirely b/c you are 700 miles away. But he'll get his when he has T-giving with my mom's dysfunctional family;> Aren't I a downer? The only thing worse than holidays spent with your dysfunctional family is not having a job yet and having to say "No, I'm still looking" to everyone who asks.

It's a rainy Sunday afternoon and all I want to do is curl up with my dog and take a nap/read a book/watch t.v. or maybe do all three. I must, however, do job stuff and cannot allow relaxation to commence until I have finished with my appl. and essay. Fun, fun, fun...I suppose I should be thinking about holiday cards, as well. I always get really excited when I buy the cards and writing the first few is fun but then I get bored and wish I hadn't bought any at all. Maybe I should stop sending them...But then, how often do any of us send "snail mail?" And so it begins...

This time I made a list of things to mention, so here goes...First, I have to say that often times doing the right thing is hard. Really hard. I did not get the job offer that I was hoping to get and today the person who got the job over me had her first day. We were all expected to congregate in the lunch room for a "meet and greet" type-deal with fruit and bagels, etc. I had planned to sleep late and then take a leisurely stroll (ha!) to New Holland to pick up $$$$$. Then this morning I decided to take the "high ground" and not let them get me down. After all, it's not the new person's fault that I applied and interviewed for the same job twice within 2.5 months and got rejected twice within 2.5 months. So, bleah. She's very nice but that doesn't mean that I am volunteering to hang out with her. So, that's that. I am currently looking for employment elsewhere and hope to find something soon. I don't really want to have to talk about the Stamp Act to a room full of 8th graders:> I guess I could be Alissa's assistant...Second, I went to church for the first time since I was 12 or 13 years old. Well, not including weddings, etc. I tried out the UU church in Lanky and it was a very nice service. I didn't get that feeling like I was going to be struck down where I stood like I felt in my former church of long ago. I think I could get into this...it's a lot about community and tolerance and "thinking globally and acting locally" and that's something that really appeals to me. Third, I think that instead of being cremated and having my remains tossed any old place (upon my death that is--not just taking a stroll down to the old crematorium for fun) I think I'd like to have my remains made into diamonds. They did an article in the Sunday newspaper here and it was quite interesting. I think funerals, on the whole, are a ridiculous waste of money. I mean, you're dead. Why would you waste thousands and thousands of dollars to prolong decomposition? Just a plain old pine box costs $700. WTF?!? Put my ass in a cardboard box and shove me in the oven. Besides, burials are such a waste of space. I mean really. You're dead. What are you going to do about it? Use the life insurance money (if there is any) for a vacation or give some to charity or fund a scholarship for a family member or something. Or use it to create diamonds from the remains of your loved one. They reported in the paper that it only costs about $2-3k to do it. That is so much cheaper than a funeral and you could have a little piece of mom or dad or whomever to carry with you, unless you lost it and that would be bad. And they say that these diamonds are frequently of higher quality than diamonds found in nature. Interesting. Definitely some food for thought...

No time to blog today. Must be up at 4 am (well before the butt crack of dawn) to do some presentations. Only 2.5 weeks left of insanely early presentations. Then I will have a week off for the holidays and it will be back to looking for a job/temping/whatever the hell else comes along. I always have lots of things to address in my blog, but like Alissa and Scott have already mentioned, it's hard to remember what you wanted to say by the time you get to sit down and blog...sigh...Another day perhaps. Will blog soon--I promise:>

...sigh...I'm a bad blogger. Anyway, I think that the worst of the campaign is behind me. I had 3 ridiculously busy weeks and now things are slowing down and it's time to start getting the $$$$$. I interviewed with a total of 5 people in the last 2 weeks and hope to hear their decision by the end of this week or early next. Hopefully they will want to hire me and I can get on with my life. I need to get a PA driver's license, change my plates, get PA car insurance, and a place to live. I can't do any of this until I get a permanent job. So, it's been an eventful 3 weeks since last I blogged. I've done close to 30 presentations, walked in 2 parades, and my dog was sprayed by a skunk. Oh, and by the way, tomato juice does NOTHING for the god-awful stench of skunk. Shana has had 5 baths and will get a bath once a week until the smell is gone. She smells okay right now, but when you are sitting next to her you can kind of smell it a little. We've taken to spraying a little perfume on her:> Poor baby.

On Saturday I went to Sugarloaf Crafts Festival with Alissa. Very nice show with lots of fun things to see and taste. The maple syrup stand was yummy:> I did a little holiday shopping--always nice to support craft show carnies (HA!). Some of the vendors had bright blue or neon pink hair--interesting. I visited the silver bracelet lady that I visit every summer and fall at the Guild show at F&M. Someday I might actually buy one of the bracelets I try on every time I see her. We had a nice time, tho and then it was time to return to Lanky. I cleaned my car inside and out on Sunday and ran some errands and now I can cross a bunch of things on my "to do" list. I feel betty already. One of these days I hope to cross "move into own apartment" off my list...

What a busy week...of course I say that every time I get on here but it's the truth. Better than being bored out of my mind and wondering when I am going to get a job. Speaking of job, I had my interview at the UW yesterday and I hope to make it to the second round. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I am doing the Panheim Marade tomorrow night. Woo! Aren't you so jealous? Hee hee. Going to walk beside the raffle car and throw candy and try not to get mobbed by greedy ill-mannered children (and adults). I had a lovely time on Sunday with Gwen and Amanda. We didn't do much but we did get to Cactus and I had half of a swirly margarita. Hey, I had to drive home after that. It was a gorgeous day in D.C. and stupid me wore a black turtleneck. Duh. But once the sun started to set I was in good shape. Gwen's new place is so neat! I loved the orange bathroom:> Too bad your fireplace is tiled up, G, that would be so cool! Thanks for a nice time, G and A! It's always nice to see your friends. Time to go do some vegging out before bed. Ta!

MAJOR kudos to Gwen or fixing my f-ing blog!!!!!! Wooo! So, yeah, new blog with new name and now I have comments so there better be some mad comment action going on here. Is that what the kids are saying these days? Life continues to be a whirlwind for me but I'm okay with that. I still really like what I'm doing but I am so glad that I am wrapping up presentations at Sigh Hteel this week. Last night I had to give a talk at 11 pm and 12 am, which was fine b/c I can leave work early the next 2 days to make up for it, but the 2nd talk was kind of amusing. I was doing my thing after the various supervisors gave their safety talks and now I know not to expell bodily fluids near my co-workers and that if I MUST chew tobacco, that I must also carry around a bodily fluids container in which to place said bodily fluids. Eeeeeewww....Anyway, job is good but FT and P job is better. I have applied for another open position with the UW so we will see what happens. Not too much else is going on since all I do is give presentations at odd hours of the day and night. Hung out with Phil and Larry (oh, God, I can't believe I wrote that) Saturday night and actually had a nice time. Larry totally cracks me up:> This Sunday I am going to D.C. to see Amanda and Gwen for the day and I hope we are doing something that involves Cactus Cantina (hint, hint, nudge, wink).

testing archives.

now we're really testing, baby. watch me change color.

Ooh, I am a bad blogger. I'm also very busy now and so that's my excuse. My new job is great and I'm very excited about what I'm doing. I gave my first presentation on Friday at LGH. Well, we've been practicing in front of each other for a week so this was my first real presentation to people that haven't heard the "dog and pony," as my boss calls it. Yesterday was the Day of Caring and I am proud to say that Lanc. UW has the highest volunteer turnout per capita in the nation. That is darned cool! Over 3,000 people participated this year and we were all very successful. And we got cool red t-shirts to wear. I almost participated in the mucking out of the Conestoga River but I was on food detail instead. I'm glad my years at I's really did count for something b/c I can make a sub in record time. It was just like doing the sub fundraiser for ORCA. I should call Doc. Hmmmm. I went to the HHS vs. MC football game Friday night. Go Black Knights! We kicked some serious Barons butt. HHS won 26-10 and it was a really good game to watch. Except for the guy kicking the field goals (I thought Mrs. P was going to go down there and show him how it's done) the team played well and it was very exciting. Both the team and cheerleaders had new uniforms as did the MC band. Remember how ugly their uniforms were? They have white ones now with maroon and gold sequined sashes. V. nice. We got there late and missed the HHS band but I'm sure we'll catch them another time. And the line for Finks' was as long as ever. And after I waited in line forever to get mine, the bag split open and all the fries fell out on the ground. I guess I'll have to trek out to Roots this week for more or (gasp) I might have to go to another football game. Go Black Knights!

Greetings from the Land of JOB! Yay job! I was going to complain about my suspicion that F**d M****r Co. is conspiring against car owners who want to do an oil change themselves but it seems so ridiculous now that I did it and it's done and I don't need to do it again for another 3,000 miles. Whatever. I think I'll just pay somebody else to do it for me b/c it wasn't worth the headache of trying to find the unusual type of oil required and it cost me almost as much as having it done at the dealership. Anyway, my new job is really cool so far. We are all still in training until Monday but I think we will be very well prepared to go out and get the $$$$$$$ for the United Way of Lancaster County's 48 member agencies and services. I am really excited about this opportunity to do something that really makes a difference. One of the great things about UW Lanc.Co. is that in Lancaster County, one person DOES make a difference as opposed to Philadelphia who has thousands and thousands more people. We were able to tour a few of the member agencies on Tuesday and we will be going again on Friday. It was really neat to see how UW support can do so much at these agencies, and in turn, for the clients and no one is ever turned away. I really think this is going to go well and hopefully it will turn into something permanent after the campaign is over. Keep your fingers crossed for me:>

Well, it's official. High school football has begun. Tonight, HHS will not play Central but will play E-town instead. Last night on the local news they discussed nothing but football and the re-org of the L-L League. For about 10 seconds I missed all the hoopla. And then it passed. But still, it reminds me of a less stressful time. I mean, of course there was homework stress, and first day of school stress, and marching band stress and having to wear a uniform that consisted of well-placed bits of sliver lame over WHITE SPANDEX that became totally transparent in the rain!!!!! Ahem. So, as I was saying, there was no "I don't have health insurance" or "I can't believe this ridiculous quote for car insurance" or "I totally got shafted on my stafford loan." It's tough to be a grown-up sometimes and I think that's all I'm getting at here. But I do sort of miss red and black face paint, confetti and "Basin Street Blues." But now I'm starting to sound like an idiot so I'll go get ready to take the girls out to play at the tennis courts. Shana and Killian are really into chasing tennis balls and each other around the courts until their tongues hang out. It's pretty darnded cute.

I tried to avail myself of commenting services from YACCS but they are no longer accepting new YACC users. Perhaps another time. I did go to Roots yesterday and got an awesome parking space. I also effectively managed (can you tell that I recently worked on my resume?) to avoid Finks French Fries-- the best fries ever! Thrashers fries are good, but Finks fries provides a touch of nostalgia lacking in Thrashers. Yay fall weather and football games and the Time Warp in the stands! Woo! I am such a nerd. Anyway, I was unable to discover the legend behind Whoopie Pies. Will have to don my anthropologist hat (exactly like Indiana Jones' fedora) and go out into the field for some research. And now I'm an even bigger nerd. I suppose I should stop while I am ahead.

Hmmm. You know, I'm not exactly in the Windy anymore. I'm in the Lanky now. Hmmm...Fummer in the Lanky...uh, not so good. So I get an email this morning from the Office of Annual Giving about participating in the Phonathon in 2 weeks. Hmph. I really like my new friend M, but she's on the Alumni Board and is the one who gave out my email address so that they could ask me to participate. She also gets on my ass about donations. Not too bad, really, since I've been unemployed, but I had to promise to donate $15 after I start working. "It's not the amount that you donate, it's that you donate." Blah, blah, blah. And you know, I don't mind the idea of donating to my Alma Mater since the school was kind enough to give me a full-ride scholarship, but I have to tell you that I am not impressed with the new Pres. and I'm not sure I like where the College is heading. Still, the time to give back is soon approaching and I will do my duty and give a little something. And I do mean little b/c my first priority is to get an apartment and go haul my crap out of my mother's house and into said apartment. Off to Roots now. No more outtings to Roots in the middle of the morning after today. I will have to go at 5pm when everyone else that is not a tourist or a stay-at-home mom goes. I can smell the Whoopie Pies already...Whoopie Pies...I'll have to ask why they are called Whoopie Pies...hmmm...

Well, my last week as an unemployed person is upon me. So far, all is well. I got up at 7:45 (trying to get myself back on schedule) and am ready to get busy. Just the usual chores of laundry and grocery shopping and going to the gym ("Oh, the GYME" for Simpsons fans). I'm quite excited about my new job and getting to meet lots of new people. I think it will be good:> I wish I had the financial means to go *skydiving* before going back to work--I'm envious of J's excursion into the world of 120 mph. And hey, the "trash can mouth" thing is pretty darned sexy:> Maybe when I have a permanent job and real health insurance that does not threaten to void my policy for participating in said activity. I would much rather jump out of a plane than go skiing down a hill. Ooh, laundry's done--must go! Happy First Day of School to Amanda and Alissa and HEF!!! You guys are awesome!

RAIN!!!!!!!! It has finally RAINED in LANKY! Wheeeeee! I mean, Lanky isn't the only place that's afflicted by drought, but I am way excited about rain. Except that my dog refuses to go out to pee while it is raining. It's supposed to rain all day but it's not right now, so guess it's taking a break. Now it's a lazy rainy day and I don't want to do anything but lay around and nap. Must do work. Have things to do. Maybe after I post my blog:> So, I have to admit that I saw Kyle from the Real World at Park City last Sunday. Alissa made me do it! Well, truth be told, I had forgotten. Alissa and I were having dinner at T.G.I.F.'s when SHE reminded me. I swear. So, we decided to go check it out. He walked right past us with his big stupid head. And all the while A and I were getting hit upon by some guy at the little kiosk that sells those rainbow coloring things from t.v. He told us that he was too old for us, or something like that. Skeevy mall guy. But you should have seen how many girls (and 2 guys) were lined up for Kyle's autograph. The line was 3-4 across and all the way back to Formal Affairs (the store immediately inside the doors of that entrance). I read in the paper that he was there until 10 pm signing autographs. I wonder if he signs body parts...Just kidding. And you should have heard the girls scream when he came out flanked by mall security. Oh, so funny. Stupid Kyle on Podunk Mall Tour. What an idiot. I should have heckled him. I should have yelled that I'm not impressed by his "dry, rythmless humping." Hee hee hee. So very, very funny.

You know, I'm starting to lose my faith in the justice system a little more each day. Now, for those of you who keep up with the local news here in Lanky, the MT graduates who were arrested on charges of assault while at Senior Week in OCMD are going to get off scott-free. I knew this was going to happen. And the description of the assualt changes every time. Now the guys just threw food at the naked body of an underage girl while she was passed out. JUST THREW FOOD AT THE NAKED BODY OF AN UNDERAGE GIRL WHILE SHE WAS PASSED OUT. What the hell is this?!? The one kid is at Princeton already at football camp and they are acting like nothing happened. Now, only one of the three guys arrested is actually facing charges and he will probably get off, too. Who in their right mind thinks that it is acceptable to videotape a girl who has passed out from too much alcohal while others take off her clothes and throw food at/insert food in her???? And now they are getting away with it with less than a slap on the wrist. No one is going to hold these men accountable for their despicable acts and it won't be long before everyone forgets about it. It just makes me sick.

Okay. Have regrouped and blown off steam. Not a good idea to freak out on one's blog if that is all one does on a regular basis. Have managed to procure a 12-week gig with potential employer discussed in previous blog. Got a call yesterday (only 2 days later than promised but is okay now) and was told that they chose the other candidate b/c she has previous fundraising experience. That's a valid reason not to pick ME. Hee hee hee. Anyway, have been offered a short term position with the possibility that it could turn into a FT permanent position at the end of the 12 weeks. If there is no extra funding to support such a position, I am sure to find another job as 12-week position will allow me to meet with many bigwigs in Lanky. Then maybe I will end up with something in the for-profit sector--we will just have to wait and see what happens. I remain in the LAND OF SUCK until I receive a paycheck (in about 4 weeks). I start my new job the day after Labor Day and until then, I will try to enjoy the remaining days of unemployment, like going to Roots in the middle of the morning and sleeping in until 8 am and then leisurely drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper. And no more trips to the gym at 2 pm. Will have to go at 5 with all the other alumni who want to work out before going home for the day. I realize that I COULD work out in the morning but that would mean getting up at the crack of dawn just to go get sweaty and then having to take a communal shower with a professor or something. I am NOT going to go there. Yay new job!

Welcome to the LAND OF SUCK! A new term coined by Amanda that accurately describes my current state of affairs. My blog is frequently full of the negative and I had vowed that if I didn't have something positive to say about my life then I wasn't going to post it. Well, screw that! Today, I got another big blow off by a potential employer who, once again, did not have the fucking courtesy to at least let me know that they had decided upon the other candidate. And it's okay that they didn't choose me, but for god's sake they could have at least called like they said they would. I feel like my fucking college education means nothing since the only jobs that anyone would want to hire me for require only a high school diploma or a GED. How sad is that? Well, I guess it's off to the LAND OF SUCKY WAITRESS GIGS.

I made it to NJ for the remainder of the weekend. I made good time, too--only 2.5 hrs. I was under the impression that people from Jersey are crazy drivers and speed everywhere, however, almost all the drivers with NJ plates were driving UNDER the damned speed limit. That is so annoying. Nevertheless, I allowed my roomates to drag me on a whirlwind tour of their favorite weekend hot spots. I finally saw the notorious Rich Meyer show and a good time was had by all. Then we were dragged to a club a few blocks away full of good looking young people wearing too tight clothes. Dancing was good, tho, and great music. Now, I am not really a clubbing kind of person, but we had a good time and I might be ready to do it again in another year:> And stupidly, I wore impractical shoes that hurt the hell out of my feet all because they looked great with my outfit. That was so dumb. And I knew that when I packed them. After a few short hours of sleep, we had brunch and headed to the beach. SB had to work so M and I just hung out by the guard chair and had some fun in the sun for a couple of hours. Water was nice and I managed to excape with only a slight burn on my shoulders. That's what happens when you wear expired sunscreen. Oops. It was nice to see my roomates and can't wait for Alumni Weekend in October so we can do it again. Shana is recovering nicely from her little bout with gastritis. And, she played with Killian for the first time at the tennis courts last night! This is a big deal for her since she's been traumatized by attacks by other dogs when we were in Chicago. I'm very excited for her--she is making excellent progress.

I am sooo bad at blogging. Anyway, weekend in NJ with the roomates cancelled on account of doggie gastritis. Poor baby. If I had to miss this weekend for any reason, this would be it. So, now I am home boiling hamburger and rice and cleaning up little piles of vomit and forcefeeding doggie Tagamet to my dog. Whew. I don't know if I can handle all this excitement. There is a possibility that I can drive to NJ tomorrow evening and come back Sunday. We will have to wait and see. It depends on a certian furry mutt butt. Still no job and starting to realize that it's soon time to head for the temp agencies. Unlike someone I know, I don't collect unemployment while I look for a new job. Not going back to I's, tho. No way. So....last weekend was a lot of fun. And I really LIKED our salmon (Scott). It was awfully darned good for having been purchased at Stauffer's in Lititz. Craft show was okay. Too many vendors selling chenille scarves. It was the same old group of carnies like every other time. We had fun anyway. I hate to say this, but Austin Powers was very funny. It should have been shorter, tho, by about 45 minutes. Fun nonetheless. Thank you all for a nice weekend. Must get back to boiling rice and hamburger. I want to come back as my dog in my next life.

This was an ACTUAL conversation that I heard yesterday, I swear.
Girl 1: Oh my god! Kyle from The Real World is going to be at the mall on Aug, 18!
Girl 2: Oh my god! He is SO cute! We totally have to go.
Girl 1: Yeah. He IS cute! We should totally go.

Yep. I did not make that up. In the meantime, Ang and I were laughing about it and wanting to go harass him or something, but whatever. It is so sad that Kyle has to go on Podunk Mall Tour now that the show is over. Doesn't he have a life? Dumb question, I guess. Whatever. Stupid show. I can't believe that Angie made me watch it. I refuse to accept responsibility for watching that show, so I'll just blame Angie. Never again, I tell you. Anyway, it will be a fun-filled weekend in Lanky b/w craft show excitement and accompanying Nanny and Larry to their Saturday night dinner spot. Oh, good god! What is my life? My life is driving the G's and P's to Carlos and Charlie's b/c I need to get the feel of the NannyMobile before I take her out to dinner. Do you know how ridiculous it looked to see me driving with all of them squished in the backseat?!? What am I doing here?

I am so bad at blogging. Must stay positive, tho. I am blogging today. Spent a lovely weekend with Amanda in D.C. Saw lots of good stuff, but was very tired when it was all over. 5 museums in less than 2 days is rough. I should have skipped the Air and Space Museum b/c it hasn't changed since I was 12 and it was full of hot, whiny, bratty kids who were all screaming at their parents and hitting their siblings. V. good time and I'm glad I went! Thanks, Amanda! Still looking for a job. It's only been 3.5 weeks, so it's not that bad but I need to get something soon. I don't particularly relish the idea of temp work. We will just have to wait and see and send lots of resumes and cover letters in the interim. Going to the Craft Show this weekend and having taco dip with Gwen and Alissa. V. excited! Ah, the craft show carrnies...always a fun bunch. And since I am unemployed this year, I won't be making any purchases. Just looking and making mental notes so that when they come back T-giving weekend, I can do some shopping. I would love a hat like Gwen's made by "The Sheppardess." I would love a hat like that--even more than I would love a fairy lady (hint hint--just kidding). Unlike Jason, I still know what day it is despite my unemployment status, but only b/c I have so much stuff to do. I can't believe I'm this busy and I don't even have a job yet.

Good Goddess! Blogging in a timely fashion is like trying to remember house plants. Although, I have to say that since my days as a groundskeeper I have been very successful with keeping houseplants. And I'm still not convinced that giving plants birth control pills truly acts as an effective fertilizer. Gwen, I have some for you to use if you want since you have a hundred houseplants. So, well, I moved out of Sam's house and into Jand H's place. Besides my mother's house, no other place feels like home to me. Not even my grandma's house. I have been here a week now and I'm content to hang out for a bit, hope they don't mind! I did go look at a one bedroom place on 1st and Ruby but he decided to give it to someone that actually had a job. Smart guy. I wasn't ready anyway. In the meantime, I have been looking for jobs and networking my little heart out. This time, I am leaving no stone unturned in the job search. Except maybe the juvenile justice stone. I'd rather take a Dilbert job over that b/c I can't live on the kind of salary that they give. Not unless my sugar daddy finally materializes (hopefully in the shape of Harrison Ford) or whathaveyou. Today I have an appt with career services to discuss my resume and job opps and all that. The major advantage to being back in Lanky and near my alma mater is that they have to help me find a job--which is a lot easier when you live here. Jason and I are going to I's for lunch today. I thinkI will have a southwest pita with chicken. And pickles with lots of gerkhins. No wait, they stopped putting them in ages ago. Sorry Gwen! I could have some tort. salas with all the black olives picked out. Hee hee hee. And then I will stop by to see Nanny and check in on her. That's my day. Before I go, it's time for a belated birthday tribute to my friend, Scott, whom I have known since 3rd grade (by the way, they are adding on to the elem school--it's so weird). Scott, as much as I love you, I lack the talent to write a song about how wonderful you are so I will just tell it like it is. Happy Birthday to the one dressed as Mark Twain for our 5th grade rendition of "Fifty Nifty" and the one who threw entire slices of white bread at (and hit on target) seagulls at Long's Park. To the one that has only positive things to say about people and listens to the girls gossip and giggle and be ridiculous and doesn't seem to mind, many birthday wishes of good fortune to you. To the one that is always there with an open heart and a big hug and a big, huge, slobbery bohemoth of a dog, you rock! For accompanying me and Manda to see the Indigo Girls (sorry Ang!) in Philly and having a fabulous time that still makes me smile every time I think of it (oooh! Mufasa!), love to you! Hope it was happy and wishing you happy days on your birthday and every day! Alright, gag, retch and so on. Well, must go--time for Shana's am poop walk.

Just a quick add on to my previous blog concerning a certain birthday boy--I forgot to mention that you are so wonderful that you willingly walked thru SaveMart for 15 minutes helping me look for eyelash curler refills. That is the kind of wonderful person you are! Ladies, this one is a real catch! Well, I am officially unemployed as of right now. I can't believe I no longer have a job. Dear goddess, what have I done? I left a job with major stress and crappy pay and a long commute made worse by the fact that they are increasing tolls 90% soon. Thankfully I'll miss out on that. My boss offered me my job back if I ever decide to move back here. That was nice of her. And she wrote a really nice letter of recommendation for me. So now I am unemployed...sigh...And moving day is nearly upon me and none of the stuff I am taking with me is packed. Although, to be fair to myself, I can't pack my toothbrush, deoderant and clothes before I leave. And how the hell did I accumulate so much crap in one year. I am leaving Chicago a year to the day that I came here last year and I have so much crap. Again. How did this happen? Oh well, hopefully I will find a new job soon that pays decently so that I can fly back and move all my crap into the imaginary but hopefully not for long apartment. I wish I didn't have to leave my plants. I decided to give them to Matthew as a housewarming gift since he is moving into an apt in the city next week. My mom and I are going to go see it on Friday. I think he is in for a BIG surprise. He has no idea what it is like to live with other people who aren't related to him. And I can't wait to see what happens when it's time to do laundry. Well, off to bed for some shut eye. I have so much to do before I move that I'll have to get up by 8 every day to get it done...sigh...so much for sleeping in.

What has happened to my blog? There are no entries since the 9th. Bad. Where are the blogger fairies who come at night and write funny, insightful and brilliant entries? Where are they? My blog is long overdue for some funny, insightful and brilliant entries. Ahem. Next order of business will be my own personal tribute to Jason the Birthday Boy. Happy Birthday to you my first ever band geek boyfriend! Bet you're glad I posted that on my blog. And the one who always smells so yummy and is quick to offer hugs and a shoulder to cry on. And the one who is always a gentleman and who will absolutely make a wonderful spouse and father someday. A huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Jason! Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks.

Blogging is starting to turn into all of my other previous attempts to "journal." That was for Gwen b/c I know how she loves to verb words. hee hee. I am totally exhausted after the second consecutive Sunday spent at a quilt show. It was fun but I am so tired and I didn't get anything done and I still can't find my resume and I still haven't packed a damn thing and moving day is in 21 days. BLAH! And I had a scheduled sick day for tomorrow (you don't get paid for sick time after you quit but you get all your vacay time paid) and I am the idiot that volunteered to come in b/c there are a lot of patients scheduled for Monday (which is quite unusual) and I didn't want C. to do it all herself. I am so dumb. Whatever.

And b/c moving day is only 3 weeks away I am riddled with doubts about moving and I have no idea what the hell I am doing. What am I doing? What? Can someone help me? I did start a new quilt last week. I only work on it a Q.G. but it was something nice to start instead of doing applique. I am terrible at invisible applique. Maybe I should just do red work b/c then I wouldn't have to worry that anyone can see it since it's red work, after all. Why am I even telling yout this? I think it's time for a shower and bed b/c this is going nowhere fast.

I.Hate.My.Life. What is this? This is not the life I want. BLEAH! The countdown to moving day begins and my family has turned into supremo a**holes. As if they weren't already. If I didn't resemble my parents I could totally concince myself that I am adopted. Really. I had intended to tell you all about the lovely quilt show I attended on Sunday with my grandma but I'm in a horrible mood and it's about to hail and thunder or something so I will save the wearable fabric art fashion show and the flower power applique for another time. I saw a gorgeous quilt that was selling for $1000. Here comes the storm--must go.

I always find that the first day back at work/school after having a few days off is the absolute worst. Well, I took off 4 whole days (2 were my usual days off) in a row and had a nice time, albeit totally dysfunctional, with my mother. We went shopping and went to the casino one night ( I'm too anal to gamble properly and I always lose even tho I only play the slots) and went visited a couple of museums and saw Star Wars and then I had to go with the Q.G. ladies to lunch for my grandma's birthday. I needed another day off just to recover from that. Seriously, that is the last time I will go to lunch with them. I wouldn't have gone but it was my grandma's birthday lunch and I couldn't skip it. And I got a free thimble out of it:> I swear that when my children are in their late teens and early twenties that I will NOT be a clueless annoying person (read like my mother). And when I am a grandma I will not go out to lunch with my friends and run the poor waitstaff around asking for more bread sticks/bicuits/bread and more lemons and more water and more napkins and then tell them not to leave more money on the table b/c gratuity was already added to the check. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! So, yeah, I had a nice time. We went to the Museum of Sci. and Ind. which was fun but it was full of kids and I had to wait in line behind 20 of them so I could ride the tractor in the farm exhibit. And my mom wouldn't wait for me so I didn't get to harvest any soybeans. I got to take a picture of my iris, tho. And we saw the "Super Croc" that measured 40 feet long. And after we couldn't stand the little kids anymore we went to lunch at Berghoff's, a yummy German food restaurant, and I had chicken schnitzel and stewed tomatoes and some Berghoff's house lager. Very tasty. And then we went to the Art Institute and saw the Ansel Adams exhibit. I saw some gorgeous Georgia O'Keefe's and Impressionist paintings (too numerous to mention) and an amazing stained glass window by Chagall dedicated to the Mayor of Chicago in 1977. And I saw a painting by El Greco (can't remember the name--something rising virgin something. Don't tell Mrs. Minnich I forgot the name:>) and it was so unreal to see it in person. It was absolutely huge. Yars. Very fun indeed. We wanted to go to the Mag Mile and Navy Pier but it was chilly and windy and we decided to go in a couple of weeks when it the weather is nicer. I didn't want to sit on the ferris wheel for 20 minutes in the freezing cold. And then the next day we saw Star Wars and I rather enjoyed it. And Hayden Christiansen is a total hottie. He's probably, what, 18 years old or something? Anyway, I highly recommend seeing it. And now that my little vacation is over, it's back to work as usual. At least I get to give notice in a few weeks...

My goddess! It has been a while since I lat blogged. What a funny word. Anyway, so, the sh*t sort of hit the fan when the relatives came to crash at my house. Blarg, but I am not goint to get swept up in their total dysfunctionality. The 4 of them and my grandma have some crazy-assed dynamic and whatever. Everyone has this in their family b/c we all know that NO ONE has a so-called "normal" family. Hey, I am still convinced that I am adopted. That might be a little more believable if I didn't look so much like both of my parents. Yeah. And then I had a rather stressful week at work (when is it not stressful tho? I mean really, it's every day. I should just take it as a given) although my high school presentation on sex and preg. prevention and STDs went very well. No time for STD Bingo but it was still fun and I think the kids got something out of it. And a big salute to Substiture Teacher Angie for bravely going where none of us have gone before. A foray in to the high school atmosphere (AHHH! The atmosphere! AHHH!--does anyone remember this commercial for the Discovery Channel?) is weird and unsettling. It even smells the same. And the hallways are jam packed with kids. I always hated that. At least talking about sex makes them more inclined to pay attention. I just can't get over the fact that they are allowed to eat and drink in the classroom. And there are soda and vending machines in every hallway. As if kids didn't have a hard enough time with nutrition as it is. BAD soda machines in the high schools! BAD! And as if 4 years (or more for some of us ;>) of unhealthy eating in undergrad was not bad enough. And I'll tell you, having to teach teenagers about sex makes me not want to have kids myself b/c then they, too, will need "the talk" and why put myself thru that? Maybe I'll just adopt a 25 year-old kid who has already finished college. Hee hee. Maybe I will be a more sane version of Emily Dickinson with lots of dogs. Excuse me, I meant animal companions. You know Gwen, a comments option on here would be nice:> hint, hint, nudge wink:>

This.has.been.a.long.week.blah. Well, to be fair, the whole "no root canals for Kelly" thing was rather exciting and "Kelly is going to get her money from dog owner lady" was also quite good (she was true to her word and dropped off 2 months worth of payments) but the rest of the week and the weekend ahead is making my head spin. My mom opened her big mouth and told my grandma that I plan to move back to Lanc and so now she tries to talk me out of it every time I see her. Work absolutely sucks. And my mom's brother and sister are coming this weekend to see my mom and spend time with my grandma but didn't tell their other sister and the sh*t is going to hit the fan tomorrow morning when they show up at my grandma's house. Not going to be good. But! It will get better. I am going to get through this and move back to Lanc and get a new job and try to have a fun and more me kind of life. And by godess, I am going to take a pottery class if it kills me. Or maybe I will take another yoga class from the weird lady at Hempfield Rec. Or maybe I will join another quilt guild that has fun eccentric ladies whose racist attitudes don't interfere with their quilting and socializing. And then I can make more handmade gifts and send them to everyone at their half birthday;> I hope BANG is enjoying her D.V. workshop, it sounds very exciting and I can't wait to hear about it. And if I had any money left over after the bills are paid Alissa, I probably wouldn't know what to do with myself. Well, no, I got my hair cut for some ridiculous price but it was worth it, and anyway, all my left over money for 2 months paid for that. And the rest just stays in the bank so that I can pay the bills after I move. I wish I was spending it on something more exciting. To be fair, if my grandma didn't just give me quilting supplies, I'd probably spend money on getting my own 1/4" presser foot and a new ruler. And then there's fabric. I now understand why the Q.G. ladies like to help my grandma press and fold fabric b/c it's so much fun and it feels nice and you can fantasize about all the quilts you could make with it, etc. Oh god, I have turned into an old lady! EEEEEEEEEE!

HURRAH! No root canals for Kelly! Wheeeeeeee! My new dentist said she didn't even see a cavity. Yay! I cannot believe that I got so stressed out about this for 2 long weeks. No, actually, I'm not surprised b/c I operate under "Murohy's Law," and as we all know, anything that can go wrong will. So, the new dentist thinks that part of the problem is infected sinuses (so what else is new?) and she also thinks that I grind my teeth at night and wants to fit me for a mouth guard. She said that I am slowly grinding away my enamel and so the mouth guard will protect my teeth and prevent further sensitivity due to worn away enamel. I'm sure that part of it was psychosomatic b/c my teeth def. hurt less since I was told that I didn't need any root canals. I have decided to write a letter to the bad evil dentist's office to tell them what a horrible experience I had and that I will never go back nor will I refer anyone to them. I'd like to tell them I wouldn't even refer my worst enemy but that is a little over the top. And I went to court today (this week has been total hell, I'll tell you) and we managed to work out a payment schedule for the bills and court costs. I used Amanda's suggestion of a dollar a day. She had already filed for bankruptcy and if I waited to get paid until after that ordeal, it would take forever, so she promised to pay $30 a month until it's paid off. I told her that if she has any problems making a payment deadline to let me know so that I don't go back to court and file again for failure to pay. She seemed very sincere about making payments and it went very well. So, now that all of that is out of the way, I guess I'll be refocusing on the job search. Must get new job. Must get new job. Must get new job.

HURRAH! No root canals for Kelly! Wheeeeeeee! My new dentist said she didn't even see a cavity. Yay! I cannot believe that I got so stressed out about this for 2 long weeks. No, actually, I'm not surprised b/c I operate under "Murohy's Law," and as we all know, anything that can go wrong will. So, the new dentist thinks that part of the problem is infected sinuses (so what else is new?) and she also thinks that I grind my teeth at night and wants to fit me for a mouth guard. She said that I am slowly grinding away my enamel and so the mouth guard will protect my teeth and prevent further sensitivity due to worn away enamel. I'm sure that part of it was psychosomatic b/c my teeth def. hurt less since I was told that I didn't need any root canals. I have decided to write a letter to the bad evil dentist's office to tell them what a horrible experience I had and that I will never go back nor will I refer anyone to them. I'd like to tell them I wouldn't even refer my worst enemy but that is a little over the top. And I went to court today (this week has been total hell, I'll tell you) and we managed to work out a payment schedule for the bills and court costs. I used Amanda's suggestion of a dollar a day. She had already filed for bankruptcy and if I waited to get paid until after that ordeal, it would take forever, so she promised to pay $30 a month until it's paid off. I told her that if she has any problems making a payment deadline to let me know so that I don't go back to court and file again for failure to pay. She seemed very sincere about making payments and it went very well. So, now that all of that is out of the way, I guess I'll be refocusing on the job search. Must get new job. Must get new job. Must get new job.

Hello! Well, I have to say that I am totally excited for Alissa b/c she is currently "clicking" a lot and I am still busy enjoying not having to read a million articles on the differences b/w slave pottery in America vs. slave pottery in Jamaica and the meanings of the cosmological symbols inscribed on the bottoms. Although, to be fair, slave archaeology is very interesting but you can only look at so many slides of pottery sherds before you start to lose your mind. Whiteware and creamware look so much alike that you can hardly tell the difference. Anyway, the point of mentioning that is that I am very glad for Alissa who like to study and schlepp $100 worth of cookies to the presentation at the library. I am very excited that you and your chosen method of schooling and future career are "clicking." Now all I need to do is find mine. No rush. Still enjoying not shelling out a crap load of money on text books. Hell, I still haven't paid off my books from undergrad that I put on my credit card...sigh...So, going to new nice dentist tomorrow, I hope, and hopefully she will have better news for me and my checkbook. Please, please, please let it just be cavities! And then I get to go to work and work on my std and pregnancy presentation. Unfortunately, I think that we have decided that "STD Bingo" will have to wait for another occassion b/c we have so much material to cover that I am not sure we will have time to play. We even had funny multiple choice questions like a symptom of std's being hairy palms. Hee hee hee. Well, must run and W-A-L-K the dog (she knows the word so it must always be spelled) but before I go, a very Happy Birthday to BANG! and my beloved Shana (she's 49 in people years)! My mom says to tell your dad 'hello,' Alissa. And what is this about Harry Potter being postponed indefinitely?!?!?!?!?!? Gwen, use your insider edge to get us an advanced copy. Will let you know how it goes tomorrow a la dentista. Must whiz--byeeeee!

Definitely need a new job. Angie, I think you will find this amusing. I got a call from a patient today who wanted to tell me that her urine was yellow. I wanted to be like "EVERYBODY'S PEE IS YELLOW!" but that wouldn't have been very nice. So I told her to drink more water and stay away from excessive amounts of coffee, etc. I did get another raise, not much, but more than the last raise which is nice, but not nice enough to keep me there. I might have mentioned that already so forgive me if I am being redundant (sp?). So, lots and lots of ibuprofen has been keeping the tooth aches at bay but I am hoping to scootch my appt with new nice dentist to early next week. As long as it doesn't interfere with "STD BINGO"! That's right, I am going to play STD Bingo with a bunch of high school kiddies in about 10 days. We are going to vist some health classes and talk about std's and pregnancy and birth control and all that b/c according to the health teacher, every other girl is pregnant with her first or second kid. Scary. But anyway, STD BINGO! Very exciting! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. In light of Angie and Alissa's recent adventures in scary Miami and slightly scary rafting falling out of the boat fiasvo, my life is really darned boring. I will say that I prefer boring to mysterious yeast infection creams found within a liter bottle of Coke. And I really don't relish the idea of falling out of a boat but I would love to try whitewater rafting. Can't be that much harder than crew practice in the pouring rain.

Well, I am just going to say it...I wish I was back in undergrad!!!! Really truly. I can't believe that I am saying this. This is crazy. So, here's why I wish I was back in undergrad. To start, I had free health and dental insurance, no real job with sick days and vacation days to fight with HR and payroll about b/c I'm not accruing said time like I should be, no car or car insurance payments, I could sleep in and skip work/class if I really wanted to (but not if I have to violate the "3 skip rule"), free food (albeit crappy most days) at the DH, I would be using my brain for more than paper pushing at work and mundane housework at home and instead could be intellectually stimulated in the classroom, and I wouldn't have to wear heels and pantyhose to class or while mowing/trash picking/poop slinging. And I could take as many naps as I felt like taking. I'm sure most of you have heard by now about my disaster at the dentist's office. The horrible dentist told me I need 3 root canals on one side of my mouth(for a cost of about $800 to cover my copay) and it'll be another 2 weeks before I could get in to see a different dentist for a second opinion. In the interim, my teeth ache and if the pain becomes unbearable then I will be forced to let the bad dentist give me a root canal anyway. But only one per side. Why did I think life after undergrad was going to be so easy? I am such an idiot. I do have to admit that I rather enjoy not being forced to read dry texts full of anthropological theory when I would rather read Harry Potter or the latest issue of Bitch, Ms. or Bust. Stupid Border's by my house doesn't even carry Bust. So, there's my rant. Not only do I have to stay here longer than the first week of June to get this dental thing figured out and treated but I have to use my moving money to do it. And I was a bug idiot who chose the HMO not the PPO so I am even more screwed and will be stuck seeing the crappiest dentists in the area. HR knew that our dental HMO was bad but didn't bother to tell anyone that. How nice. BLARG! Where is my miracle job with the wonderful benefits, 401k, direct deposit, low insurance premiums and nice salary? I guess I'd better get my rear in gear so I can find the miracle job. Pushing back moving day does buy me a little more time to do a more thorough job search and does get me more vacation time to turn in in the end so that I'll get a nice little paycheck after I move. Well, that's all for now. I can't think about anything else other than my teeth and the dentist situation so this will be it for a few days until I have a better idea of what's going on.

What a day...and it's allergy season (when is it not, really?) and I wish it was the first week of June already. Since I don't have anything positive to say about my life, I will do a belated Friday 5 b/c I just have to concur with Gwen about 6 Feet Under. Truly a remarkable show.
1. What is my fav. t.v. show and why? Well, I have to say 6 Feet Under b/c the the story lines are brilliant and the subject matter is absolutely compelling. I never miss it. Although, I have to say that Frazier was my fav. show as was the X-files, but lately Frazier has been a little dull and the X-Files just plain old suck without Mulder. Scrubs is highly entertaining and I don't miss that one either, but it's just not of the same caliber as 6 Feet Under.
2. Who is my fav. t.v. star? That's a tough one. I love the cast of 6 Feet Under but I don't really have a favorite star of any show. I will say that I still love Fox Mulder now and forever. I are a big nerd. HA! Remember that? I know Angie does.
3. What was my fav. t.v. show as a kid? Duh! Didn't everyone love the Cosby Show? Followed by a Different World? And absolutely The Facts of Life but not so much Diff'rent Strokes which we has turned on in our waiting room today. And anybody who went to Centerville Elem. School (Scott) will remember that our 6th grade class chose Married with Children as our fave. t.v. show. Hee Hee. I can't believe I remember that.
4. What show should have been cancelled by now? Without a doubt, Survivor. What a horrible, horrible show. No wait, ALL "reality" shows should have been cancelled by now which includes stupid Real World, even tho I am hooked on the Chicago season.
5. What show do I hope won't get the axe this season? Scrubs. According to the Tribune, Neilson ratings aren't terribly high for this show but I just love it's campy humor. Besides, if it's cancelled, what will Angie and I do during that time slot if we can't call each other during commercial breaks to talk about the show?

So, there you go. Gwen, if everyone else has comments on their site, can I have some on mine? Then I could be cool like everyone else. Does anyone even read this?

Can't wait to move, can't wait to move, can't wait to move...sigh...of course, moving is a complex and hgihly stressful event full of what to keep and what stays and what goes and where it will all go. Not looking forward to the physical act of moving, as in, not looking forward to a 13 hour drive (lots of pee stops for me and MuttButt) and like, 20 bucks in tolls and goddess knows what in gas money. Did you know that the Chicago (Chick-ah-go for fans of Married With Children) has the 4th highest price for gas in the U.S? There are some advantages to living so close to the IL/IN state line b/c it's at least 30 cents cheaper in IN. I paid $1.29 for gas today. I remember when gas cost me $.75 a gallon. Of course, my parents remember when gas was 25 cents per gal so no contest. They also remember when a Coke was 5 cents and smokes were 25 cents a pack. Ah, the good old days of "cancer research" as Matthew calls it. Hee hee. Well, I've been thinking a lot about Gwen's Fri 5; the one about the definition of "home." When we moved to PA, home was always Indianapolis. And 1100 Harriet Ave was home for 14 years until the first floor of Weis Hall became home for 3 years. And now, Cal. City is home (but not for much longer) but PA is soon to be home again. So what is "home"? I think that home is where all or most of your crap is. I've been saying that since I went to F&M b/c technically, most of your crap is still at your parents' house at that point. And then for those of us who no longer live with both of our parents, "home" morphs into wherever you are, regardless of where your crap is. Soon enough, I will have crap at my mom's and dad's houses and I will not be residing in either place. So I guess that "home" is wherever my dog is b/c she is home to me. And let's not forget the Gaul House that has always been like home away from home but since I won't be living there either...And last but not least, home is also wherever "Bed Paradise" is and that can be anywhere you want it to be. It can be in a crappy hotel room or a dorm room or your ex-boyfriend's spare bedroom...Well, enough of that. Must go to Bed Paradise right now and read my new Alton Brown cookbook. Love to all, K.

Hello! Really must make an effort to blog more frequently but I am just so darned busy. I swear I work the "second shift." It's one thing to clean up after yourself but to clean up after your so-called roomates is a whole other crap load o' fun. Truly. Lots of sarcasm. So, I wanted to tell you about this hysterical thing I saw a dog down the street do--so funny. It's owner was outside with his kids and the dog and the kids have this little ride around thing with 4 wheels and a steering wheel. Not like a Big Wheels from back in my day, heh heh, but anyway, so this dog was pushing it around the yard by the steering wheel and it was pushing it in big circles in the yard. That is totally the best pet trick I have ever seen. Except for the dog that could jump up a telephone pole. Anyone see that on Letterman? It was before he left NBC. Anyway, so funny to watch this dog push the funny toy around the yard. My dog doesn't do anything funny like that. She chases her tail pretty well and can throw a ball to herself. Shana also enjoys napping in the sunshine and playing with her toys. She does not, however, enjoy other the company of other dogs unless there is a tall fence b/w them. I will also be writing a pet resume for Shananay when I can move out of Sam's house and into my own apt. Gwen, are you sure you don't want to live in Lanky with me? It'll make you feel good. Ew! Craig! Hee hee. Don't cry girl, have gum! Har dee har. And speaking of Gwen, pls tell me you saw 6 Feet Under on Sunday? Everyone was having sex all over the place. Sort of. Peter Krause is so cute. He can be my new boyfriend. Right after I'm done with John Corbett. So hot! Must be careful not to let my vagina run away from me down Stanly Blvd:> She might get bitten by a dog. Well, must go. V. tired. Will blog soon. K.

Good day to everyone! You guys crack me up! Your blogs are hysterical:> By the way, I can't find Scott's blog. Need help. Also need heat b/c my hands are so cold that I keep making typos. So Gwen, this whole "Queer as Folk" thing is getting out of hand. You know, Matthew watches it sometimes which just kills me. He also watches "Trading Spaces" but whatever. Instead of carrying around his book of poetry and hoping that someone will ask to read it, he watches "girlie" shows to demonstrate his "sensitive" side. Whatever. Yes, so Gwen, what are you doing renting old episodes?!? It's not that good. It is gay soft porn. But the guys are totally hot! Really! Just don't take my HBO away and make me miss "6 Feet Under," a show that is without a doubt superior to all others. That Brenda was so bad last week. Do you think there is sexual tension b/w Claire and her guidance counselor, Gary? If Mr. Bair looked like Gary I would have been in his office every week! Hee hee hee.
Alissa, today I was too busy to be bored so no one drew my blood to run a cholesterol test. I did however have to reschedule a vasectomy appt b/c the guy wanted to be able to have sex on his birthday. He wanted " to have a great performance, not a mediocre performance." WHATEVER, MR. I-Don't-Want-to-Be-Out-of-Commission! At least he wasn't telling me he wanted to be neutered like one of the last patients we saw. He kept telling me he was ready to be neutered. Eventually I just asked him if he really wanted us to cut of his testicles b/c that's what being neutered is. Duh. Sometimes the male patients are worse than the female patients. La la la, only 7 more weeks of misery. Wheeeee! Can't wait to move back to Lanky:> Gwen, come live in Lanky with me. Be my "sugar mama" and support me while I find a new job. Har har. Well, must whiz (I've been ready B.J. again--v.g.). Byeee!

Well, now that Gwen-baby has created this beautiful new blog for me, I suppose I should start posting some stuff, huh? As you all know by now, I am currently endeavoring to return to Lanky and procure some kind of gainful employment, and I plan to apply for a job in Annual Giving in Fummerland. They actually call it that. Seriously. Kind of stupid, I know. Anyway, I was reading the specs for the job b/c I plan to fax my resume, etc tomorrow when I suddenly remembered that I had sort of a little...problem, shall we say, with the asst director of Personnel and that is who is going to be reading my resume for this job. She got all mad at me b/c I was blowing leaves from behind the business office one day right before I left for Chicago and she drove her car right where I was blowing a huge cloud of dirt and leaves and so on and then proceeded to yell at me b/c I was getting her dirty when she had the audacity to to get in my way. Whatever. So she made a big stink about how I got her and her car dirty and called and cried to my boss. Whatever. No one likes her anyway. Just b/c she insisted on parking where I was working when there were 20 (literally) spots available. So now, I am just going to have to hope that she has forgotten about that. It's not like I don't have 5 contacts/references who are higher up in the chain of command to come to my aid. Bleah. This whole getting ready to move thing is really taxing and doubts are starting to set in. I know that I am doing the right thing by moving back so I am not going to worry unnecessarily about it. It looks like I am going to be moving in with Sam for a little while as I look for a job/place to live. Not the most ideal situation but I think we can work it out. Besides, it's only temporary. Other than that, just the usual is going on around here. I told my brother he and his girlfriend needed to find another place to have sex if me or my mom are at home. I have to go back to court this week to file again to get my money from that stupid woman. God, this is tedious. Actually, this stupid case is what's holding me up. I'd move sooner if it were possible. Um...work is okay. I've been having some issues with some of the patients. We have been seeing a lot of "repeat customers" if you catch my drift. The worst one of all was a 15 year-old girl who had an abortion in the beginning of Feb and got pregnant again 10 days later and returned last Saturday for another abortion. Totally insane. And in 2nd place is a woman in her late 30's that we saw in January and returned last week and this is her 5th abortion. She really has no excuse for that. That is just total lack of responsibility right there. I think that's the worst part of my job--the women who don't seem to take birth control seriously. But as terrible as that is, it's their right to choose and that's our mission statement. I wish our mission statement also included something about giving massive raises to the health educators:> Even after I leave this job, I would really like to do some volunteer work for Planned Parenthood or similar organization. I am truly committed to the cause, but right now, it just ain't paying the bills too well. I will say that it is the perfect part-time job. You go in for a few hours a week, you get out of the house for a little bit and you make a little extra money and then you go back home to your partner and kids or dogs or whatever and you get to feel like your life has meaning while still spending quality time with your loved ones. But since I am not at that point in my life, nor do I plan to be at that point for another 8 years, I will just have to get a full-time job that pays more than peanuts. So, that's all that is really going on. Target had a sale on underwear, but that's nothing to write home about. Well, I'm off to bed so that I can read a little Bridget Jones for a while and then fall asleep with my bunny bee curled up at my side. Have a good week!

testing again

Hello! Well, this is my third time posting a blog. The first two attempts were lost for various reasons--actually, I think it's a technological conspiracy against me. Or not. So, I am going to try this whole blog thing. If all of you are doing it and they are talking about it on NPR, then it can't be that bad. That's not to say that if you all jumped of a cliff or that NPR endorsed jumping off a cliff that I would do it. But as my friends of many years, you know that already:> Well, I have to go do some hopelessly mundane household chores. I will be sure to blog later. hee hee, that sounds so cool. K.

This is a test blog. Testing...testing...testing...