Wednesday, June 30, 2004

My Days are Numbered!

So here I am, preparing to take my first car load of shizzle over to my new humble abode...

The Rogue Towel

And not a moment too soon, I must say. Today, the MP green police came by for another inspection. After a month of idle threats, they finally made good on their memo. Now if only someone would actually see the bobcat that has supposedly been terrorizing the neighborhood-they wouldn't appear to be such overt liars afterall. But don't tell anyone I said that because there's still a 30 day window for them to toss me in the goulag...

This morning I washed my bathtub...granted, I was taking a shower, but I ran a cloth over any soap scum that had accumulated and across the floor of the tub to gather anything that had settled in the textured-for-traction surface. After my morning routine of later, rinse, condition, rinse, shave (and cut self horribly-that's my explanation for the big bandaid on my thigh), wash, rinse, I dried off and hung the towel over the shower curtain rod as to adhere to my own policy of "no soaking wet towels in the hamper!" Soaking wet towels in the hamper, you see, make for really nasty towels that don't get washed for the better part of the week. Since I've started traveling all over creation for work and putting in long days at the office, I've stopped being so religious, er obsessed with the laundry-now all my towels are washed on the weekends, along with my massive loads of everything else. No more of this doing laundry every to every other day for me. Anyway, I see practicality in letting towels air dry all day before taking them down at night, tossing them in the hamper, and starting the cycle again come morning. But alas, this afternoon when that lone, mighty towel fell into the tub...half in, half out, that caused my tub to cease being clean and begin being a filthy, filthy tub in desperate need of cleaning. If I lacked class, I'd be making a lewd gesture in the direction of the green police headquarters...but then again, just how much less classy would it make me? And who here hasn't done that before?

The Ultimate Fate of the Dead Palm Tree

Some mysterious green, leafy plant is starting to sprout from the remnants of my long deceased palm tree. It doesn't appear to be illicit...but I must admit given the environment where the plant and I used to live, I'm surprised it's not.

However, if I wanted to go ahead and read too much into the new plant (as I tend to do with most things), it makes a pretty cool...metaphor for a new begining.

The Battle Plan

Tonight I start moving items to the new place. Same routine for tomorrow and Friday, so if you're free and have nothing better to do...like America, if you have a strong back, we can use you! Parents are bringing furniture down on Saturday so if you're in town and want to meet Ma and Pa Sparky, or move stuff, come on over. Finally, I'm getting cable tv/internet on Tuesday afternoon, but need someone present. If you're free around 2:30 pm, please volunteer to just chill in my a/c'd place and help yourself to sodas in the fridge...all you have to do is be my representative so that they will install the cable and internet. Volunteers, post in comments.

Friday, June 25, 2004

Obligatory LAN Party Post

:w00t:

Leave messages of (tech) support here.

And with that, I'm out to wait in the shadows to dispense wedgies to my fellow party goers...normally I mug, but in honor of MSUR being 2, I'll um...wedgie.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Uhh...

I have stories about my travels home and evening at the mall and two days of work, but overall, I just don't really know what to say. Thought about typing a long...prose about going to the underwear sale at Vicki's and realizing, upon seeing bins and bins of a pair of underwear like a pair I have and like (red and green plaid briefs, for those who want to know) and spacing out for a few minutes while pondering why I wanted that underwear and no one else did...what it was about me that makes me want the underwear no one else does. I could rant about the stupid "Mrs. Celebrity" purses (Mrs. Affleck, Mrs. Kutcher, et al ugh!). I could post here what I've decided I think/feel about a lot of people (it's all positive, don't worry) and how I'll never say it because I'm afraid of alienating my friends and scaring people off because yes, I can be overenthusiastic, but when it's all said and done, does it really matter what I think? Would that make any difference at all? Of course, there's always the old standby: work. I love and loathe my job simultaneously. There's always rambling about how someone can one day just become the epitome of rude and how it doesn't really matter what is said because nothing will change them...not even all the patience in the world. But all of my stories are boring and all of my thoughts...it's nothing that hasn't been pondered before. And what am I going to do about all of this? I'm going to do what any rational, weary, and utterly nerdly girl in Murray on a Tuesday night (or any night, for that matter) would do...I'm going to Wal-Mart.

Friday, June 18, 2004

Adventures in Air Sampling

This week I've been at a facility in Paducah taking air samples...attaching personal air pumps to employees for wear while working an 8 hour shift and then sending the samples (which are captured on cassettes, in tubes, and in other forms of media)to a lab so they may be analyzed and the findings given to me to interpret so that I can make recommendations to the plant managers on what must be done so that the employees are not overexposed to chemical and physical (because I took noise samples too) hazards. Leave Murray around 5:15 am and return a little less than 12 hours later. I won't bore you with the intricacies of the process, so here are the random highlights of the past few days:

Wednesday: Day One

- Discovered the Little Castle in Lone Oak and their yummy hamburgers. Hamburger + 3 Cups of Coffee = Breakfast of Champions!

- Realized an uncomfortable aspect of air sampling: attaching the pumps to the workers. The best place to put the pumps are on the waistbands of pants because there they are held in place most securely. However, this involves me having to go up to strange men and basically play with their pants. Thank goodness I've become proficient at being able to clip on the air pumps with one hand in one quick movement.

- Amazed at how much waiting is involved in the whole process. Rekindled my love affair with crossword puzzles.

Followed by coming home, kicking off my steel toed boots and staring at the damage they'd done to my feet, followed by Los Portales with Nichole and a scary drugstore encounter with the on-speed and covered in warpaint CVS cashier. "MAY I HELP YOU?!?!?" The answer is "GAAAAAH!"


Tuesday: Day Two

- Heard Kenny Rogers' "What Condition My Condition Was in" (LEBOWSKI!!!) on the way to work and decided the day was going to rock.

- Got a breakfast burrito from McDonalds and drove over my first curb of the day.

- Ran to the CVS in Lone Oak during lunch hour to get book of crossword puzzles and made the impulse buy of a stick of deodorant because I smelled so darned bad from sitting in a hot and humid office and walking around the facility. Sat in the safetymobile (company truck) and applied under shirt with the a/c hitting me full blast. Drove over my second, third, and fourth curbs of the day. Had Wendy's for lunch...I drove over the curbs (and a sidewalk) there too.

Wednesday: Day Three

- Cinnamon raisin biscuit from Hardees followed by wrong turn and somehow ending up on the way to the airport. Saw some nice houses though.

- Wandered around KMart over lunch because I wanted some gum and bandaids...I've been rocking out to the Don Henley tape I found in the console of the safetymobile Tuesday afternoon. Feeling the need for some new tunes and figuring I'd be taking a few more trips in the safetymobile this summer, I raided the cassette tape bin and emerged with some Creedence and Three Dog Night.

- Finished the day by driving over one last curb with the safetymobile after filling it with gasoline.

So, in conclusion...I dig air sampling, the safetymobile doesn't make tight turns (and likes the curb) and I'm really, really tired. Tomorrow I drive home to Illinois and return to Murray on Sunday afternoon. Projected mileage from Monday to (this coming) Monday: ~800 miles.

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Ten Things I'm Currently Digging

1. "Float On" by Modest Mouse. I've been listening to this song on a continuous loop for the last 10 minutes or so. Thinking about getting the album.

2. Old School Zelda on Gameboy Advance. Picked up the last copy from Murray Wal-Mart on Wednesday and I've been playing it often since. In a little while, it'll be time to storm Death Mountain. Wish me luck.

3. Marriage. Went to two weddings yesterday and have decided that perhaps matrimony isn't for losers. I used to have this marriage = death mentality...that when you said your vows, you were pretty much hanging up your spurs. (Based on past experiences with relationships) I used to be in the mindset that whoever I marry would run off with some other (inferior) woman and never let me see the dog again (again). But seeing all the love in that room last night as my friends took their vows made me realize that it's worth being blind to all the things that could go wrong and only seeing what's right and taking life as it comes. And if anything else...you get to throw a really good party.

4. Raspberry Scented Grooming Products. Dude-I smell delicious! Seriously, smell me.

5. Meat-based salads from Kroger Deli. Chicken salad = peace. Ham salad = love.

6. Packing. If all else fails, it's a good excuse for finding everything I've misplaced...and tossing out/giving away the old and obtaining fresh, sexy, and new.

7. Having longer and darker hair. I feel softer and more...noticeable. I can't stop touching my hair.

8. Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Watching this on adult swim has become something to look forward to. I'm contemplating getting a boxed set so I won't have to stay up as late to watch.

9. Coca Cola Classic. I want one now, actually...over ice and in a paper cup. So basically, I'm seeking one of those 32 oz for 59 cent cokes from McD's.

10. Bic (Medium) Ball Point Pens (Black). I've been doodling with one all weekend and it's great because the pen writes nicely and the cap is great for chewing!

Feel free to comment on my choices and share the things you like.

Also, if any one wants to take a peek at my new place, just give a holla. I'm also currently taking suggestions for a name for my new abode.

Saturday, June 12, 2004

Sound fX

Raise your hand if you remember when the Fx channel was born, circa 1994! In the first 1 1/2-2 years of the fX channel, all shows were original programming filmed live from an apartment in New York City. "Television made fresh daily!" Sound Fx aired nightly (save Saturday and Sunday) around 10 pm and was hosted by some now famous people (Orlando Jones, Jeff Probst). This quirky little show featured interviews, music videos, album reviews, and guest performances by some really cool acts and acts that went on to make it pretty big. Shortly after the show was cancelled (?!?) in the summer of 1995, I started taping the final 2 week run off the television. I really wish this show were still around and yes, I actually shed a tear when I discovered that my favorite tv show was doomed because it was so cool and different from anything else on tv that it was very frustrating to see it go.

Life is a Foreign Film without Subtitles

Another one of those late nights in Murray when my mind starts running 60 miles a minute just as everyone goes to bed. When awake though very tired, I enter this odd state of alertness and introspectiveness marked by the propensity toward spouting out random philosophical bits, which is fun when other people are around...not so much when all alone.

About the foreign film metaphor...one of those random thoughts-a billboard on the side of the highway of my mind...even when you don't know what the hell is going on because you just don't understand life, it can still be beautiful and enjoyable. Conversely, it can be the feeling that those around you just don't speak your language. Though frustrating, it makes the joy of finding someone who does all that more meaningful...it's as if you've been overseas for months and happen upon a fellow American/English speaker somewhere. Then there's always asimilation-just letting the world absorb you until you find yourself in Rome...acting um, Roman. Or, perhaps it's just an overly abstract way of saying that sometimes you can feel so alone, even when other people are there.

Thursday, June 03, 2004

Home 2004-2005

Central heat and air. Dishwasher. Washer and dryer. Self-cleaning oven. Spacious bathroom. Cavernous bedroom. Walk-in closet. Wooden deck underneath trees.

Sounds nice, eh? That's my new place. I've got the keys, so I'll be glad to show you. I can't put a stitch of furniture in the place until July 1, but when it's time to actually move in, the carpets will have been cleaned, the place spruced up nicely, and a few minor repairs/adjustments made. The baseboard that was broken yesterday has already been fixed today. I really hope this works out well...both the apartment and living on my own once more. Granted, it's only been a year I've been sharing living space with other people, but in that year, it's been nice to have someone tangible to talk to when I don't want to spend time in the company of myself. My door will be open (when I'm home), so just come on over (call ahead so I can put on some pants).

The First Week of June: A Week in Review

Tuesday: Used my lunch hour to call about apartments. Within 6 hours, I had found my home base for the next year. Went to Los with Devin and requested my $3 change in singles, thus further gaining sympathy from the waitstaff there. Seriously, I can't go to Los without doing/saying something utterly stupid anymore. I guess that makes me a good customer though: I'm a fairly regular customer that tips and I'm entertaining. Fell asleep around 10 pm and woke up at 6:30 the next morning. 8 hours of sleep on a weeknight...a rarity.

Wednesday: Obtained keys to apartment and took care of necessary paperwork for the place. Took one of my final sweet, sweet naps on the sleep-trap couches, then ate a sandwich and watched a Harry Potter movie with Devin #2 and The Petersens. Then, we watched Kangaroo Jack, starring John Gibson, and sat mesmerized by the wonder that was...Kangaroo Jack. Seriously, the whole time we were watching it, we kept commenting on the fact that we were actually watching Kangaroo Jack. And to be honest...silly as it was, it wasn't that bad. And I'm pretty sure I caught Devin (#1, for those keeping score) enjoying it as well (don't deny it-you know you did!).

Thursday: Spent the morning scrubbing boots, gloves, and hazmat suits in the rain. Came home, ate a salad, took a hot shower, went back to work. I'll be glad when the equipment trailer is finished. Fell asleep in the chair while watching tv with Devin #2 and then took two phone calls while half asleep. Dinner at Bees, with enough left over for lunch tomorrow. Score.

But for now...Snickers Blizzard and Family Guy.

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Memorial Day Weekend Wrap-up

Sunday I partook in a typical Illinois Memorial Day weekend activity: grilling out with the family and then watching a tornado blow through town. Then, after the first storm passed and before the second one hit, we hopped in the car and drove around town surveying the damage.

This weekend was quite good and featured a trip to the site of the soon to be new family homestead. Met the neighbors and played with their dogs, Beth the miniature collie and Max the pembroke welsh corgi. CORGI!!! After playing with the dog, Mom wants a corgi now too. After all of that, we went to Ruby Tuesday in Litchfield and ate a bunch of chicken wings. So Saturday in a nutshell: new plot of land, corgis, wings. All the makings of a good day. I was sent back to Murray with a big bag full of grilled goodies and fruit, so by the end of the week, I may be recruiting people to help eat all of it. I've already informed Devin that he'll be eating bbq'd pork steaks this week for lunch (meaning, if you're reading this from work, you should be gnawing on a pork steak as you read).

This Week

Starting Tuesday, I'm calling around town to find a new place to call home next year. I really hope my first choice place is open because I already have decorated and moved into the place in my mind. This place will feature a washer and dryer, a dishwasher, and central heating and air conditioning...all the things I said I wanted in a place. Thanks to Gibson, this place will also feature a picture of Don Johnson. I haven't mentally made a place for him yet, but if you have any suggestions where to place him, please let me know.

I'm also considering getting some sort of rug for the place. You know...something to tie the room together.


It's All been Done before

Watching Futurama and saw yet another reference to those anti-littering commercials of the 80s where a can hits the feet of Eagle Eyes Cody and he sheds a tear. I rest my case. It's all been done before. All of it. Every single bit.

And with that, I'm going to bed...that I've done before as well.