Spelling Bee

I'm sitting here watching the National Spelling Bee on ABC. Wow. These young kids have to spell the most outrageous words. It's amazing that they succeed. I only wonder how much time they spend studying.

Also...I feel sorry for them. Many of these kids likely get teased and more in their daily lives. They clearly are "nerds". They are showing little biographies of the kids and I can just see how their peers would torment them. And the parents seem clueless. They describe their kids' talents with pride and giddiness and yet I can see that what seems great to these parents will ultimately torment these kids as they hit high school.

It's sad that this happens...but ultimately I guess it is a form of "survival of the fittest". But still...it can be painful to watch. As a class "brain" I know how that can feel.

Back at work...

Well, after a very short vacation from work (two days), I'm back. And obviously since I'm writing this right now, I'm none too interested in actually working. It's amazing how I forget the certain annoyances when I'm away. Today they all came rushing back. The stupid people, the loud condescending jerks, the pompous boasting...and that's all from just one guy.

I guess if I want to be an optimist...this is a very short work week.

But...I don't want to be an optimist. I want to be home watching General Hospital.

:)

TXT MSG 4 ME

I've never really used text messaging on my cell phone much. It never seemed that interesting...I could just as well email people...and that's free.

However, today I've been text messaging a guy I met online a few weeks ago. We haven't met in person yet, just emailed. Last night I gave him my phone number and today he texted me. At first I was wary (I have to pay 10 whole cents for each one I send and receive) but now I'm starting to get addicted to it. It's so easy to just send off quick notes and get quick replies. And it's especially easy on my new phone that has a QWERTY keyboard on it.

Just what I needed...another means of communicating that is fraught with possibilities of misunderstanding. :)

Two old friends, a sushi bar and a mall

Today I got to spend some time with a friend I've had for well over 20 years. We grew up together, went to college together, roomed at college together, partied after college together, etc.

It's funny no matter how much time elapses between our visits we can pick up like we saw each other the day before. It's easy and comfortable and fun.

Today we just went for sushi and shopping. I can't remember the last time I got to spend time with just her (no kids in tow). Don't get me wrong, I love her kids, but sometimes you want a little "girl time" where you can talk about things the kids shouldn't hear. And that we did. And of course I won't be sharing that here.

It's fun to relive moments from our past by just saying a few choice phrases that almost no one else would understand. Such as: "I still haven't found better medisterpolse," or "Oh look, the grim reaper, that's a good sign" or "meow". Nobody but she will understand those phrases a bit...it's all random statements that have me giggling like a teenage girl as I write them down.

Thanks for a great day "Lis"!

Now that's a hill!

Whew. Just got back from a walk. I decided to take a walk on the path near my house today instead of the usual trek to the gym. I like to shake things up.

Today I got about 20 minutes in and found the path was closed due to some flooding. I started to turn around when I had another idea. I decided to walk up the monster hill on Grand Ave. Now most people who read this blog know what hill I'm speaking of. It's a long, gradual hill...and it's a killer. I took it walking as fast as I could and I have to say I felt like I'd jogged a mile after I finished (that's a lot for me). I'm still cooling off from it. But I feel good after taking it on. I think I might try it every week and notice if it gets any easier. Hopefully it will.

I hope everybody's having a great Memorial Day weekend. I intend to be lazy for the rest of the day. Ah......

Less crabby, more hungry

Yes, I know it's hungrier. But that title isn't as catchy.

I'm feeling less pissy today (see yesterday's post below)...thanks in part to some soothing thunderstorms rolling through. I can't help but wonder how that's affecting the festival in my hometown today. I wonder if the parade is cancelled. Meh. Whatever. Same parade every year. Old cars, old tractors, new tractors, kids walking, horses, pooper scoopers, fire engines, crappy floats, candy, the end. Then it's off to walk around town seeing people and being seen. I don't care to do either, so I'm perfectly happy not going anymore. It's not like anybody is wondering..."Where's Webgal?" I'd guess only one person.

Anyway...I said I was less pissy today didn't I. I am. But I'm also hungry. Not sure what's different today, but maybe it's being here on the couch at home that's making me want to eat everything in the refrigerator. I'm not going to do it...and that does make me a little frustrated. I'm sitting here thinking what I SHOULD eat for lunch and what I WANT to eat for lunch. Neither of my choices are bad for me, but one has more points than the other. In the end both will make me equally satisfied, so that helps me make the decision for the lower point meal.

Well, this Webgal has rambled long enough. I have to get working on a website for a friend. She's a body builder and I don't want to miss the deadline and have her kick my ass. :) I'll post the site when I'm done and you'll see what I mean.

Have a happy weekend. I know I'm trying to.

I'm not your consolation prize

So, today I'm feeling pissy. Why? Lots of reasons. That was your warning before reading on.

This may come as a surprise to many people, but I'm not desperate for your attention. I don't sit by the phone or pine for an email or a blessed opening in your calendar. How often am I the last person on the list to make plans with? You can tell me. I already know it's often.

I can't count how many times I've been the one who gets the shaft for other plans. Other people are more important, yada yada yada. No, they never say it, but the actions show it. I'm not going to go into specifics because I'm not just talking about one person or even two. This is common in my life. I do realize the issue starts with me allowing this.

And guess what? I'm done with it. I've been making changes in my life lately with working out and eating healthy and all that other crap I've been doing. So this is just one more thing. If you can't plan ahead or keep plans with me, don't bother. I am not the person to call for last minute plans. I'd rather stay home or go to the gym than feel like another consolation prize. I think I deserve more than that. Well, that's the theory anyway. Other people get to feel important. I want a turn.

Blog This

I've been told again to blog something. Hm.

I had sushi today. It was good.

(...crickets chirping...)

Yeah, not exactly award-winning prose, huh?

The Power of Dispensing Beer

Tonight I had my first shift at Clive After Five. It was a blast! Perfect weather, plenty of people, and lots of beer.

My job was to just pull the Bud Select Tap for each person who wanted a glass. Pretty simple, huh? It didn't start out that way. I'm no expert in pouring beer. I didn't start to like beer until recently, so I don't have much keg expertise to draw on. (get it...draw on...) Anyway...my first few glasses were awful. Almost half the glass was foam. But thanks to some help from a patient (and hot) patron and my fellow beer pourers it all finally clicked. The patient patron even returned for another glass to test my new-found skill. And then he had to give me a hug because he'd helped teach me the finer techniques in pouring beer.

This patron was my first for another reason. He was my first beer flirter. I've never known how powerful the power of dispensing beer is. People love you. Guys flirt with you. Hot guys. I had guys telling me I poured the perfect beer or that my beer was the coldest and on and on. I can't remember the last time I've been flirted with so much. It was great! I almost thought I'd forgotten how.

All I can say is, I can't wait for next week! Behold...the power of beer!

Woo to the hoo!

OK. It's been a while since I posted something. I just haven't felt like writing I guess.

But tonight, I am patting myself on the back. I had my weekly WW meeting and I lost 3.6 lbs this past week! Yes! FINALLY some of my hard work paid off. I have to admit that I think it might be due to the weight training I've added lately.

My goal is 3 times a week. I do it every other day when I'm there for cardio which is still averaging 5 times a week.

I've totally noticed the change in my clothes, so that's good. It's nice to see a good jump on the scale too!

Now just 100 more pounds to go! :)

OK...not quite...but close enough.

Working from home

I'm working from home this afternoon. I've been waiting for a package to be delivered from FedEx. I have yet to see that package by the way.

Back to the topic...I like working from home. It's much more comfortable and I think I'm getting much more done. I can solely concentrate on my tasks without hearing loud or annoying people in other rows. Sure, I have the TV on and I might check out what's on from time to time, but on the whole I'm focusing much more on work because I'm comfortable. I'm in my workout clothes and have kicked my shoes off.

Now don't get me wrong...this isn't something I want to do every day. I'd miss chatting with some of my team members and generally being out of the house, but some days it's just nice to be able to work from home.

Well, enough of this lallygagging on my blog. I gotta get back to work.

And FedEx still isn't here!

ARL

I went to the Animal Rescue League today over lunch. I had seen a couple of kittens online that were adorable and was considering adopting. Of course, by the time I got there, they were gone.

Being only a few weeks away from Del's death, it was a bit hard for me to be there (I'll admit I teared up a few times). But it was nice to be able to rub a few heads and see the cats. There were a couple of real cuties there. I did not adopt today, but one is cat really sticking with me. He's a beautiful orange one year old. He was very friendly and certainly enjoyed my attention (as many of them did). Most likely he'll be gone before this weekend. But if he isn't...he may just be one of my new cats. I've decided to get two cats so they can have buddies to play with.

I'm still not 100% certain that it's time to get more cats, but to be honest, my place seems very lonely with just me there. Something is definitely missing. So...we'll see what happens.

One of those days

Ever have one of those days where you just want to tell people to shove it? I'm having one.

I'm not particularly sure what the cause of my crabbiness is...but it's just rumbling beneath the surface just daring somebody to do something that will cause me to lash out.

I have about an hour left at work today and I know it'll probably seem like 3 hours. I don't want to work out tonight. But I will. Sure it MIGHT make me feel better. But I doubt it.

I just want to go home and curl up in front of the TV and ... just be. Or at least just be away from annoying people.

Is this fun?

Yesterday was Niece's 1st birthday party. It was a fun day of presents, food, and balloons.

I think my favorite moment was when we were watching her eat her frosted cupcake. Everybody was watching her and taking pictures and ooohing and aaahing over her expressions. Nephew, who is 2, was sitting next to me eating his own cupcake. He watched her for a while and then turned to me and said, "Is this fun?" I couldn't help but laugh.

:)

I Love Sushi

I love sushi. I can't be said often enough.

Today I went for sushi with Monnik. We go at least every other week. It's a favorite of ours. Today we went to our favorite place for it, which involves taking a longer lunch since it's not close to where we work. But it's sooooooooooooo worth it.

I find one problem with having sushi. It doesn't cure my craving for it. It actually exacerbates it. Tonight it's all I can think of. I want more. I've had my dinner and yet I still want sushi. I'm thoroughly craving it. Imkeep thinking of the spicy yellowtail roll or the creamy salmon roll or the cruncy and sweet shrimp tempura roll. Mmmmmmm.....

I guess it could be worse. I could be craving chocolate. But I want me some more sushi!!!!

Now for Something Political

This morning while listening to the news I heard a sound bite of one of the GOP candidates at yesterday's debate. He said, "We must with the war in Iraq". (I don't even know which one said it. They're all one homogonous blur so far to me. I'm not really paying much attention.)

What is the line we cross when we say we won? I'm not seeing how we'll cross that. I don't see anything that can quantify "win". And maybe I'm just missing it. But somebody please let me know what will constitute "win"?

Will it be when only 1 soldier gets killed in a week? Or only 12 soldiers lives are forever changed due to injury a week?

I don't see how violence will ever end as long as we're there. Innocent people are dying because of it. Soldiers and civilians.

Please...what is that magic line?

Weighing In on Weigh In

For those of you who are not familiar with the torturous WW day called Weigh In (WI), let me give you a little insight into the madness.

I hate the scale. But...if I have to step on one, it's best to do so early in the morning. I weigh my least then. That's how I've been tracking my weight for a long time.

Enter WW meetings. I have to do my weekly WI at 5:00 p.m. Yes, that's p.m. I likely weigh my heaviest for the day then, but just have to learn to live with that time's weight (then subtract 3 in my brain for what I consider my "true" weight).

Yesterday was my first WI when I'd show a loss or gain in front of another person. Since my bathroom scale and the WW scale aren't the same, I wasn't quite sure what the number would be. So I spent 15 minutes stepping on the scale and off the scale putting on different pieces of clothes until I found the lightest combination. Then I considered my bra. "Is my regular bra lighter than my sports bra?" I was planning on working out after the meeting, but I could pack that bra in my purse if it would shave .2 lb off my weight. On the scale with each bra. "OK...they're about even" (my scale only weighs to .5 lb).

Then when I was about ready to settle on what I was wearing, I considered the heft of my glasses. I have pretty bad vision, you know. Those glasses could account for like .1 of the WI. So...contacts it was. Now, I haven't worn my contacts in about a month, but I broke out a new pair for this occasion. And with that I was satisfied that I was at my lowest possible weight and took off for the meeting.

I got there and walked calmly toward the scale. No fear weighing me down. After kicking off my shoes and putting everything I could on the chair outside the special WI cubicle I stepped lightly on the WW scale and watched as the numbers did their little fluctuation before settling on a 1.2 lb loss. A loss. That's good. Not great. But good.

Hey wait...what if I hadn't worn a bra at all? Ah...something to test next week.

:)

Weird Craft Alert

I just came across this and thought I'd share it with my crafty readers (former fembot and reader who never comments).

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Bra-Purse

I can't imagine why someone would want one of these...but to each their own.

Happy Birthday Niece!!

Today is my niece's first birthday. Yay! Though she doesn't read this blog (nor do her parents), I figured I'd still give her a shout out.

I can't believe it's been a year! This Saturday I'll travel to her city to celebrate. I've got my toys all purchased and I'm ready to celebrate her special day.

Pinched nerves and hummus

Weird title? Yes.

I pinched a nerve in my back today and my back hurts more than it ever has. I can't find a position where I don't hurt. Turning my head hurts. Driving hurts. Not moving even hurts sometimes. So...I decided to not work out tonight. It seemed like a better plan to try and rest and hope this passes by tomorrow so I can work again.

It's my second injury in a week. What's up with that? Plus I think I did it when I was carrying a penny jar to the bank to cash in. I'm collecting change for a charity and the jar was full. Ended up being $20 worth of change so far. Pretty good.

So since I'm all couch-bound tonight I'm trying to eat pretty good since my WW weigh-in is tomorrow. I'm hoping for a 2 lb loss. Cross your fingers.

That's where hummus comes in. I had never tried hummus until last week. Now I can't get enough of it. It's awesome! It's calling me right now. Yes, I know it's healthy, but overeating anything is bad. And I have to hit the scale in less than 24 hours. Ugh! The stress!

Hm. Maybe all my injuries are stress related....

Well, this post has been...bad. Sorry about that. I just wanted to ramble a bit. I'll try for something more intelligible tomorrow.