Recap

Oh look at that!  That date can't be right, can it?  It's been two months since my last post!  Someone has been busy!  Honestly, I can't remember what was keeping me so busy during the month of April, but May was chock-full of business trips, vacations and other social occasions...

So, now that I'm back here, I'll try to catch you up (you 4 people that read me, that is).  While I've been remiss in my blogging activities, I've mirrored that in my WW vigilance.  My tracking has been sporadic, starting in late April with my friend's daughter's birthday party.  It's hard to track during parties (it can be done, and I've done it, but I got lazy) - there's excuse number 1.  Past experience has taught me that I need to track my food or I slip quickly into old habits...which I did.  As a result, my weight loss has been pretty much flat-lined for the last 2 months.

I'm still down over 15 lbs, so I'm not using this plateau as excuse #2 to stop trying!  Nope, excuse #2 was the last minute whirlwind business trip to Long Island, NY.  Traveling on-plan is tough to start with, and I didn't plan ahead.

Excuse #3 was the bachelorette weekend in South Lake Tahoe that immediately followed the business trip.  After 2 weeks of not tracking, the old habits were just waiting in the wings to take over.  I discovered Ben & Jerry's Frozen Greek Yogurt and the fact that I have no control with anything that comes in a single pint container.  Still a better binge than their regular ice creams, but heavy on the points...

Enter Excuse #4 - vacation in Florida visiting my old college roommate, Moriah.  We hit the beach, the zoo, St. Augustine and had an all-around good time.  (I'm hoping she did too, as I can only speak for myself.)

After that, I did half-arsed tracking for about a week before slipping again.  I managed to maintain during the week that I tracked, though I did use all of my weeklies.  I blame cheesecake, which has a direct correlation to my lack of control.  That cheesecake was fully tracked and accounted for, though.  So, that's something.

Excuse #5 was all of the recent activity surrounding my step-brother Mark's wedding this past weekend.  I got permission to work remotely last Thursday and Friday so that I could attend the rehearsal (I did half of the prayers of the faithful during the ceremony) on Thursday evening and the luncheon on Friday afternoon.  Naturally, much food was involved...not to mention the wedding on Saturday and the brunch on Sunday - none of which was tracked.

So, my WW week has reset as of today, and I am done with the excuses!  (Please hold me to that statement.)

Why I'm Still Single

This will pretty much stand alone, with no need for me to add much commentary.  I recently re-joined Match.com, and what you are about to see is an excerpt from the profile of someone that showed up on the site as a possible match for me.  Read on, cringe, then understand my spinsterhood. 

*Warning.  What you are about to read has been copied exactly and no grammar, punctuation or spelling has been altered from the original form.*

"Wow this whole dating online has gotten way out of control. People wake up this isn't a fairy tell land where you can pick your perfect image of a person, then close your eyes and bam there they are. I notice how women tend to " Rule the Roost" on this site. Superficial and ridiculous wants and needs. OK women you all have a vocabulary for men " Douche bag, Tool, Meathead etc" well what about you. Im sure you know a few women out there with the same mentality. This is what makes a women super lame on a dating site. If your profile includes the following.......... Live Laugh Love......Seriously did you take that from your grandmas plaque hanging in her kitchen....Lame !! Passionate about life.........Hahahhah.....It's a dating web site who isn't ,your a prude...lol I love to laugh......Oh this one kills me, your super boring i can tell already. Is that the best you can think of ....wow! I am just looking......Is that why you made a extensive profile? Obviously your not to be trusted. Every picture has a shot of your boobs.........Did daddy not love you enough, you got serious issues. lol I just want a honest man...... hahahahahah wait i cant stop laughing hahahahahah.... These are just a few things.....Look stop trying to make a glorified Glamour magazine profile. Be your self tell us men what really makes you tick.... Have some creativity and use your brain.....Life is short don't be such a prude or you will be that single older lady that all us guys look at and say " Ya i remember her she's worthless" for we will not help you when you fall....... Now if you feel the need to vent please do .....lol.......I can handle the truth and some sarcasim....I wear boxer briefs not butt huggers.......who wants to play......"

~Back to reality again.  At least it's Leap Day, and I can ignore this match as an aberration that will hopefully only recur once every four years. 

Early Days

I am so off of my normal schedule today...  I had a conference call to attend this morning at 7:30am.  Way too early!!  I usually start work in the late morning and work into the early evening, so I knew this would be a challenge and I was determined not to be late to the call.

Normally, I would have simply gone to bed a lot earlier, but I had a hair appointment last night that was sorely needed.  As I told my hairdresser, there was so much white at the top of my head that I looked like a really short snow capped mountain.  That may have been the teensiest bit exaggerated...but my roots were grown out over an inch and I can see the white (maybe I wouldn't see so much of it, if I stopped looking for it).  Anyway, the hair appointment was not something to be put off, and I didn't get home until 11:30pm.  By the time I got to bed it was midnight, and naturally I could not fall asleep.  Isn't that always the way?

I must have fallen asleep at some point, since the alarm jarred me awake at 5:30am.  I really had to drag myself out of bed.  It was an effort, but I was successful.  Yes, miracles do happen.  I made it to the office in time to get my coffee (serious meeting necessity) and ended up as the 2nd person to call the conference line.

As tired as I have been all day long due to the lack of sleep, it was kind of nice to leave work while the sun was still shining.  I made a detour to Target on the way home and found a gift for my nephew, who is turning 2 on Saturday.  A few other items somehow found their way into my cart, too, but most of them were things I needed (I made an effort to avoid the clothing/shoes/accessories area of the store since I didn't want to spend all evening there, which is entirely possible).

My victory of the day though (non-work related) is pushing myself to hit the treadmill when I got home.  So far, I have been only following the food portion of WW, and had not started incorporating the exercise part.  I know I can't keep putting it off, or I will plateau.  I'm down 5 pounds over the last 4 weeks, which is a better weekly weight loss average than I've ever experienced in the past.  I am fully convinced that it is related to me tracking 24/7 instead of just the 3 days before weigh-in.  Making the effort to follow the good health guidelines has to be helping, too.

That being said, I did hit the drive-thru yesterday for the first time in weeks.  I needed to grab something quick between work and my hair appointment (which is close to my home, but an hour from my office).  I checked out the nutritional information before I left work and stuck to my pre-determined order when I got there.  And then I kept my hand away from the candy bowl at the hair dresser's...

Previously, I would have let that trip to Burger King derail the rest of the week through the end of the weekend.  I am consciously not doing that this time.  Today I was right back on plan, including the exercise.  I pre-planned/packaged my lunch for tomorrow too.  I'm still hoping that I can maintain this motivation!  Wish me luck!

Scales & Pins

We'll start with the scale issue:

Since I've been back on Weight Watchers, I have pretty much been following the program online, and have not been back to the meetings.  I'm still debating whether or not to switch my membership to online-only in order to save some cash.  I hadn't been getting much out of the meetings for a while, since I don't find the current leader very motivating.  In fact, she's downright irritating and condescending.  However, I like the women that do the weighing in, and have thought of going back just to see if the meetings are any better...

The point of my rambling is that I have been weighing myself at home on my ancient scale with the old-school dial.  I want to get a digital one, so that if I've lost (or gained) less than one full pound, I can see the difference.  It appears that I've lost a full pound a week so far, but I'm really estimating based on the dial read-out.  The scale is a bit touchy, too.  My weight will fluctuate depending on the way I'm standing.  That doesn't make me feel very confident about the readout either.

So - any suggestions for accurate digital bathroom scales?  I don't need a lot of bells & whistles.

Now, onto the Pins portion of my post:

It's official.  I've joined Pinterest.  So...now what?

I created 2 pinboards to start with.  One will be dedicated to recipes that I want to make, with the other one dedicated to crafty-type stuff.  I figured that it would be a good way to keep track of the recipes I am interested in making without having to bookmark each one.

Aside from having pinned about 5 recipes and 1 craft, I really don't know what else to do with the account.  Does anyone else have an account (of my readers, that is)?  What do you use it for?  Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

I Hate Technology

Alternate Title:  I Do Not <3 Computers
Alternate Title 2:  How Technology Ruined Both My Day and My Appetite
Alternate Title 3:  Rage Against the Machine

Warning - The following post contains a rant.  The views expressed in this post are solely those of the author during the specific time period of 2:00 PM to 3:27 PM Pacific Standard Time and are subject to change at any given moment.  By continuing to read the post that follows, the reader hereby agrees to hold the author harmless against any damages, perceived or actual, be they physical, mental or otherwise. The author also hereby acknowledges that the actual post that follows this warning statement is likely to be far less entertaining or interesting than the information preceding said post.  Reader acknowledges that she/he has chosen to continue reading at his/her own discretion.

Post:

I am so frustrated right now, I can't even describe it, but I'll try.  I have been working on this project at work for over a month now, with no set deadlines.  It involves a long and complicated series of Excel Spreadsheets in which I have to create mathematical formulas that make sense.  That's the overly simplified version of my task, but any of you that know me know that math is not my strongest subject.  On the upside, I'm getting pretty good at Excel.  On the downside, I am probably going to be totally blind by 40 if I don't learn to look away from the screen to rest my eyes.

That's not the frustrating part.  This morning I received an email that hardened up my deadline to the end of business on 1/28.  I'm not sure the sender realized that the 28th is Saturday, but I was trying to complete this spreadsheet portion of the project this week anyway, and if I need to work through Saturday from home to complete it, I'm not going to complain about the extra 24 hour window (don't tell my bosses that, though). 

That's not the frustrating part, either.  The frustrating part is that what happened next to completely ruin my day is almost certainly my own fault.  I was making great strides on the project this morning, nesting logical tests in my formulas, tightening up the math to really align with the original methodology...I know, blah, blah, blah technical speak, blah.  Whatever - I was making excellent progress on one of the difficult sections that I had hitherto tried to ignore until necessary.  I was determined to finish up that section before emerging from my cozy little office cave (only cozy because the closed door keeps the warmth inside) to heat up my lunch.  Oh, I was so close!!  Almost 2pm, getting hungry, with the end in sight!  Yes, I do normally wait that long before eating lunch - my work schedule is not the norm. 

All was right as rain when I needed to correct a character in one of the long and complicated formula calculations.  I think the computer froze for a second (taunting me, no doubt), and I reached for the back button.  I thought I hit it, but an error message popped up on my screen.  I closed the annoying grey window (duh, I was trying to fix that error), reach for the back button...hit something...

BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH

Okay, there was some rapid window closings before the blue screen hit, with the "Windows is shutting down," message thrown in my face, but still, the effect was the same.

Total despair.  I stare at my keyboard in shock and dismay.  I feel sick. What is that?  Did I hit something by mistake?  Did I save?  Wait...what?  Who?  WHY!?  WHY is the Power key so close to the Back Space key!??  Is this some computer designer giving the finger to every user out there because they think they're better than us?  (Hmm...probably not, but I'm not ruling it out.)  Honestly, I don't know if I hit that Power key or not, since it's quite a reach for my little pinky finger, which makes me wonder.  WTH happened if it wasn't me?

So, the power down may have been my doing, albeit accidental, though I have experienced this type of random shutdown in the past that I know wasn't self-inflicted.  I'm willing to accept possible user error for this...but I don't have to like it.  But that's not even what I'm the most irritated by.  Apparently, in my excel-induced hypnosis, I had neglected to save at each stage of my work this morning.  Knowing the company systems here, I usually save every time something is done right.  Apparently not today.  I know IT can't do anything for me, because they could only retrieve the data from the last save, which is what I already have.

And if it wasn't the Power key, then there is something seriously wrong with this computer.  I really do think this is the case, too.  It does weird things.  I've had my cursor jump to different sections of the page I've been on, without me tabbing or using the mouse.  (No touch pad on my desktop, either, so it wasn't a hovering issue.)  My boss's computer is even worse.  I've told her I think her office is haunted, mostly joking (ghost in the machine, right?).  Maybe it's been taken over by the Judoon and there's an alien in the building (I have some guesses as to who that might be).

Regardless, I thought technology was supposed to make our lives easier!  That is not the case today.  If I'd been doing this project manually, this never would have happened!  (Of course, if I'd been doing this project manually, there are a whole host of other problems that I'd be ranting about, but I digress...)  I was also irrationally angry at the computer.  Well, maybe it was rational.  I really wanted to physically harm this inanimate object - yes, just like in Office Space.  I was having visions of tossing it out the window, but since they don't actually open in this building, and are most likely plexiglass, it only would have bounced back to hurt me.  (I know this computer is intent on causing me harm.)

After confirming that none of my work was saved, I was seriously close to tears.  This was probably not helped by the fact that I hadn't yet eaten.  Close to tears and tensed as if for attack.  I had the old lady pursed up lips and everything.  I had to pop over here to get it out before someone at work tried to speak to me.  That wouldn't have been pretty.

So now I have to attempt to remember and recreate all of my earlier brilliance from the day, which is most likely lost forever.  I'm in a mood, and even though it could have been my fault, I still blame the computer and the poor design of the keyboard (in case that Power key was really depressed).  I mean, really.  Put the freakin' Power key as far away from the keys most commonly used as possible.  Like way over above the number pad or something.  Does anyone really even use that key to shut down the machine?  I never have. 

Phew, that felt rather good.  I have an appetite again.  I am still not happy, but I'm resigned (no - that doesn't mean I quit my job.  I may be feeling rather stupid at the moment, but not that stupid).  I'm still irrationally angry at the computer and resenting the fact that I have to do everything again and wasted an entire half of my work day on unsaved work.  And judging by how this day is going, I will probably end up having to appear for jury duty tomorrow, ensuring that there is no way I can complete my project by my deadline.  (This is a distinct possibility, as I do have a jury summons for tomorrow.)

*As a further example of how technology is apparently out to get me, after I previewed this blog post, the formatting changed completely without me entering any commands.  Technology looks out for itself...

We All Scream...

I don't even have words for this one... I found myself alongside this thing while driving through my old hometown on Saturday.

Possibly the most effective stop sign I have ever seen.

The eyes have it. And whatever it is they have, I do not want!

Feel free to discuss...

Back on Track...Again!

I knew I had a busy weekend chock-full of celebrations and temptations coming up for Father's Day weekend. Aside from Father's Day, Sunday is also my mother's birthday, and I had been invited to a graduation party at a swanky steakhouse. Since I just re-dedicated myself to following the Weight Watcher's plan and have been doing so well on it, I decided that I was not going to make excuses and allow this weekend to derail me. I was going to plan ahead, track my meals and snacks and be in control! Yeah! No one can stop me but me!

Stop...back to reality... Nothing ever really goes exactly as planned, right? My plan was to spend Saturday afternoon with my Mother celebrating her birthday. Since she's also on a diet (lifestyle, I know), we were going to simply meet at her house and have a healthy lunch there. I was also going to go through the WW materials and make a list of point-friendly steakhouse foods, so I'd have an idea of what I could order at the party without going overboard. I wasn't too worried about the food at my father's house on Sunday, since he typically cooks pretty healthy meals and the key for me would be to avoid foraging through his pantry.

Here's what actually happened...Mom and I were both running late (this must be a genetic trait), and I had to stop at my step-sister's house to drop off some stuff for her community band's fundraising garage sale, I got to my mother's much later than anticipated and was faced with a freshly baked peach pie and a cherry pie (my absolute favorite) in the making. She asked me to help assemble the cherry pie while she did some other stuff, and I managed not to sneak any tastes. So far, so good.

We prepared ourselves some healthy sandwiches, and out of the blue, the phone started ringing and my stepfather came inside to say he just got a call and his sister suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Shock and chaos ensued. I did not know my step-aunt well, as my mother got remarried after I was grown and out of the house, and I only met her a few times, so while still shocked and upset, I was able to support Mom and step-dad while the phone kept ringing and they tried to contact my step-siblings to tell them the news. They were both very much in shock, understandably. I wasn't sure if I should still go the graduation party that night, and wanted to be there for Mom if she needed the support. My mom and step-father were originally also attending, as the graduate is my youngest step-brother's girlfriend. I talked to my mother and asked her if she would prefer that I stay home with them, but she said she wanted me to go and sent me with the gifts and cards.

Since I got lost on foot between parking in downtown Sacramento and getting to the restaurant, I very likely got in maybe 1 activity point. I wandered around downtown in my ill-fitting (but very cute!) chic silver retro-looking high-heeled sandals for at least 20 minutes before I found the restaurant. I was getting close to panicking when I found a city map on a corner across from the capital building. (Good thing that's the area I was in or I would have really been in trouble.) It confirmed that I had wandered in the complete opposite direction from where I should have. I already knew this, since I didn't park that far from the restaurant, and should have only had to walk about 2 blocks. Too bad I didn't take the Garmin from my car and use it while walking.

I am glad that I went because my step-brother was there and in shock and able to talk to me a bit about stuff without ruining the celebration for his girlfriend. He wasn't sure he should have gone to the party either, but then he and his girlfriend also reminded themselves that it's what his aunt would have wanted (they were telling me that she was quite a spitfire and was pretty no-nonsense). With all that had happened that afternoon, I didn't end up prepared for the meal as planned, as I didn't have a chance to look up the points for common steakhouse items. I did try to be moderate with sauces and dressings (though I do think I could live off of Bearnaise now) and didn't finish my dessert.

After the party, which was fun and lively, I drove the hour to my father's house. I didn't have a chance to track my points that day, since I've become dependent on my computer for tracking and it was so late. I didn't end up tracking on Sunday either, since I was spending time with my family and honestly just not thinking about it. I did cave to a craving yesterday though, and stopped at McDonald's on the way home. Instead of the usual extra value meal that I would normally have ordered, I got a cheeseburger Happy Meal. Bonus - toy!

This morning, I tracked everything from the weekend, and managed to somehow still have weekly points left (a whopping 16). Considering the Chocolate Mousse I had for dessert at Morton's, which per the online points finder is 25PPV (and absolutely worth every single point), I am kind of amazed that I have a any weekly points left at all. Granted, I did not get all of my healthy oils or fruits/veggies in yesterday, but I still think I did pretty well with the hectic and emotional weekend.

Nobody's perfect, after all.

Curioser and Curiouser

I attended my cousin's wedding a few weeks ago in Fredericksburg, VA. It was a beautiful and touching Jewish ceremony (the rabbi was a really good speaker) and a lovely reception, and my cousin and his bride seem very happy. I wish them continued happiness together and hope to see them more often!

(The toasts went on for a while, and were all very sweet, but I did catch the bride eyeing the champagne.)

As a personal touch, the bride chose to give everyone two bags of M&M's as their favor. The two bags were tied together with a ribbon and a note telling the story of how when the bride's grandfather would take her to the movies, they'd both get a bag of M&M's. The bride (Jess) would finish all of her candy during the previews, and her grandfather would notice and share his candy with her. So, the first bag of M&M's was for us, and we were all to share the second bag. I thought that was a neat idea for wedding favors, and one I hadn't seen before.

So, diet be damned! I cracked open my candy and chowed down the whole first bag on my plane flight home. I ate the second bag at home a few days later. I would have shared it with my cat, but chocolate doesn't mix well with the kitties, so I had to act as proxy. As I was eating the candy slowly, I ran across this oddity:

(Yes, I did eat it. No, it did not taste like banana.)

How did this make it past quality control? Do they have quality control? I don't know why I felt the need to take photos, but my camera was right there, so why not?

Scarf Project Update

If you read a few posts back, you'll remember that I was itching to start working on whipping up some scarves for the Special Olympics. I finally received my yarn (the ever elusive blue #886 from Red Heart), and settled on a granny square scarf to start with. Then I was reminded of why I love self-striping yarns:

(Way too many loose ends!!

If this was a book or a movie, I'd hate it!)

Shortly after starting to work on the scarf, my left wrist starting feeling stiff and sore, which I figured was probably from typing in a poor position at work, so I was trying to rest it, and didn't do much in the way of crocheting for a little while. I'll admit that I did make attempts, but probably shouldn't have (and won't be letting my doctor in on that tidbit, even though it only hurt me in the long run). My wrist got worse, with pain at the base of my thumb, and loss of functionality. I broke down and went to the doctor, who confirmed that I have Tendinitis de Quervain. (See here for my feeling on the subject.)

In lieu of the cortisone shot, I opted for large doses of Ibuprofen and a splint to immobilize the wrist/tendon area. If it's still not better by mid-week, I'll go back in and face the shot. (I think this is what's going to happen, because it's almost been a week, and it doesn't seem to be better.) In the meantime, I have not made much progress on the scarf, and don't know if I'll even finish it. I'm annoyed by that, since I was really psyched about the project.

Hopefully, I'll get some relief from this quickly - from the shot, if not from the Ibuprofen. Maybe then I can power out some scarves for the states with later event dates, like Louisiana and Alaska. Northern CA had their numbers posted wrong previously, and it turns out that they have already met their actual goal. So, much as I'd like to help my most local event, I am glad that they have received what they asked for, and would be happy to help out the other locations.

*Warning - TMI coming up*

Side Note: I'm also annoyed by the fact that I'm on 800mg of Ibuprofen, 3x per day, and yet I still have menstrual cramps! The fact that they're as bad as they are with all that medication makes me wonder how bad they'd be without it! I'm afraid I'd be bedridden!

Nerd? Nope. Colossal Dork? Absolutely!

Okay, so I guess the first lesson I learned last night was that one (i.e. me) should not attempt to configure technological devices after 10pm. Thank God for techie-friends! I need to put in a special thank you to Kyle and Kailyn, both of whom stepped up to the plate in record time last night to assist me with my woeful inadequacies!

The second thing I learned was that I'm a dork, as evidenced by the incredibly simple solution that I failed to see, even though it was staring me right in the face. Seriously. As I was attempting to decipher Kyle's advice (he's more technologically advanced than I am), I was so focused on the fact that my existing modem didn't have a second ethernet port that I missed the obvious fact that the new router had 4 extra ports. The detailed instructions that came with the router (completely wordless, only drawings with arrows) did not include an artistic rendering of this situation.

Uh...duh! Hook the ethernet cable from the modem directly into the router, using one of the additional ports, and hook the main cable from the router directly into the computer! How did I miss that? I'm so glad that Kyle and Kailyn responded so fast, or I would have ended up explaining my situation to the tech guys at Staples and I just know they would have made me feel like the biggest fool on the planet. And rightly so...

At least it's figured out now, fully installed and working, too! This is my first blog post written entirely from the cushy comfort of my couch. I've even connected my Literati to the network. Next up, what to do with the connection now that I have it on the Literati. I guess this means I'll have to crack open the user's manual! At least I know it will be written, and not pictorial.

Oh, and before I go, I thought I'd mention the third lesson learned. My cat makes a great armrest between bouts of typing. (That is, when she's not attacking my hands or trying to sit on my neck or keyboard. Yes, she tries to sit across my shoulders and neck when I'm on the couch.)

I'm Not That Nerdy After All

Seriously. I'm as surprised as you are. But it's been proven.

But first, a little background...this Christmas was a veritable technological windfall for me. Just like that Target commercial hinted, I was visited by Electronic Santa Claus. My mother gave me an e-reader, my brother Joe gave me a Garmin Nuvi 255 WT (GPS), my brother Tony gave me a Canon PowerShot S95 digital camera and my father gave me a Toshiba laptop computer. I was not expecting any of these items for Christmas, especially not from either of my brothers.

Needless to say, since I now have the laptop computer and the e-reader, it's about time I got wireless internet access at home. So, with that in mind, I looked up some wireless routers on-line and settled on one that looked like it should work. I even looked up the actual model of my current modem (Siemens Speedstream 4100) to try to figure out what might be compatible with it. I figured I might have an issue when the most recent information I could find was from 2005 (especially considering that I didn't even receive the modem from SBC until 2006). Any information I could find was in techno-geek-speak and made no sense at all to me. So, I checked out the self-help section of my internet provider, AT&T/SBC/Yahoo/Whatever they are calling themselves this week. The modem type I have is not even listed in their options given for upgrading to wireless, yet I got it from them, mind you.

I checked out some more things on line and then went to Staples to pick up a basic, simple and easy to install wireless router. I asked the tech on duty to clarify one of the items listed on the box under system requirements, and he said he didn't know what it meant either and had never seen it or heard of it, and had never run into any installation problems. (The requirement was Broadband Ethernet Internet connection with RJ45 - I still don't know what this means...but I have more of an idea...I know I have broadband ethernet, but what the heck is RJ45? Is that like R2D2 or C3PO?) I verified with tech-boy that I could bring the product back even if opened (he said within 14 days as long as I have the receipt) and then took the plunge.

Fast forward to home. I take the router out of the box and it looks simple enough. Plug into wall socket, plug into ethernet port on modem, insert CD start-up disk and go. I found a spot to place the router, shuffled cords around in order to fit in the elongated wall plug, and then took the ethernet cable to the modem. Wait... there should be another ethernet port here... Oh crap! Is that what the RJ45 is? (I still don't know, really!) That's right, my modem is so old and archaic that it only has two ports total. One for the the phone line, one for the ethernet cable to the main computer.

Looks like I'm headed back to Staples tomorrow. And it had better be easy.

Poop.

Ye Olde Catholic Guilt

UGH – guilt. The life of a Catholic. Add in the Italian part, and it’s probably compounded…

Today is the day on which we Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It’s a day of holy obligation. I know this, because the priest said so last Sunday. (For you non-Catholics, this means that there is a mass said during the week that we Catholics are supposed to attend – this particular one is in honor of the Virgin Mary’s conception without sin.)

If I had been unaware of the holy day coming up mid-week, I would have missed the mass with no regrets. Since I knew about it, I felt like I would have to make the effort to hit up one of the masses. Yesterday, I checked out the mass schedules for my church at home and the one close to my office. Both of them had vigil services (held the night before the holy day) at 7pm Tuesday, or 7am masses on Wednesday. I decided to get up early (shocking!) and go to my local church so that I wouldn’t miss the Christmas episode of Glee. Yes, I know I’m pathetic (but, I LOVE that show!).

This morning, I did manage to wrench myself out of bed earlier than normal (more shocking!), and made it to my church by 7:08am. I was feeling pretty good about that as it was not too late (for me). I walk through the rain, through the double doors into the narthex (or nave – I looked up the definitions, and I’m still confused) and see the very sparse scattering of people sitting in the pews. Entering the inner double doors, I hear the priest speaking to the congregation.

Uh oh…he’s not reading. Is that… Could it be… Yes, he’s already performing the homily! How is that possible? Mass only started at 7am, right? Now I’m convinced that everything I saw had the wrong mass times listed, and while I sit through the rest of mass I hear my grandfather saying that if you miss the Gospel you have to go again.

After the end of mass, I checked the mass times printed on the sign in front of church. Yep, 7am for daily masses. In confusion, I turned around and asked the elderly woman behind me what time mass started. She told me it started at 7am. That priest must be the fastest reader on the planet! He read all 3 readings, plus the opening prayer and responsorial psalm, in 8 minutes! (This guy needs to do the weekend masses…) I was back in my car at 7:36 am – no kidding!

So, now I’m torn. Even though I would have felt no guilt at missing the entire service if I hadn’t known it was today, now I feel like I should try to go to one of tonight’s masses because I missed the beginning this morning. The lady I spoke to about the start time told me in a hushed voice to just read the readings at home (I wonder if she thought the priest would hear her if she said it any louder). I already read the readings while the church was silent during the preparation of the gifts… I really don’t want to go back tonight, because the evening mass is at 7pm, and I’d miss the last half of my Weight Watchers meeting (they’re still explaining the new program, which I stayed on all week and hope to see the results tonight!).

Did I mention that the 7pm mass at the church nearest my WW meeting is in Spanish? Forget it! I’ll just live with the guilt. I do it daily anyway!

On the up side, I got to work extra early today...

Just in time for Christmas!

Mattel introduces the newest innovation for aspiring doctors...it's "Sucking Chest Wound Barbie!"

After the fairy tale ends, reality sets in...

This toy is labeled "A Fashion Fairy Tale" and there appears to be ties to a movie. Based on this particular doll, I'm assuming this fairy tale was written by the Brothers Grimm.

It seriously looks like her chest is exploding...and it gets worse. If you press her belt buckle, the open chest cavity lights up and emits music. (Like fireworks on her chest.) Here's a close-up - if you look closely, you'll see the lights in her chest.

I just do not understand this doll. But, that being said, I am 99.9% certain that if I was still 9 years old, I would HAVE to have one. (And yes, I was indeed standing in the toy aisle in Target taking photos of Barbie dolls with my cell phone!)

Speaking of when I was 9 years old...I don't remember my Barbies being quite this anorexic looking, do you?


For all of those that are wondering what I was doing in the toy aisle scrutinizing Barbies to begin with, it all started with a search for batteries. Since they've added the grocery section and redesigned the store, I can't find anything anymore! I stumbled upon the toys after the "Twilight" Barbies caught my eye.

In Honor of Election Day...

...and without espousing any political opinions (this is my blog and I make the rules), would any of you out there allow your husband/wife to fill out your absentee ballot?

A co-worker mentioned to me today that she and her husband both vote through absentee ballots, and she always just lets him fill hers out for her. ???? I'm sure my jaw dropped and my brows hit the roof when she said it. It really shocked and bothered me, even though I know that her husband's political beliefs are closer to mine than hers. I can't imagine handing over my vote to someone else, let alone to someone that I knew had different views. To me, it's like stepping back in time to when women didn't have voting rights. The suffragettes fought for us, don't let them down! Use your American rights to influence the country, and be happy that we live in a place that gives us that right. Don't take it for granted, and don't give it away! (And, don't air your grievances if you didn't truly provide your own input.) Honestly, I think letting someone else complete your ballot is worse than not voting at all, as I see it as akin to stuffing a ballot box.

So, I don't care what your beliefs are - go vote and be heard! (And own your own vote - don't give it away!)

*Please keep your comments non-partisan and friendly - thank you.*

Chop Chop and Other Random Thoughts

After all of my recent baking and the non-stop eating, I decided I need to hop back on the Weight Watcher's wagon. Yes, it's true, I do come to this realization at least once a week, if not more often. Regardless, this time the realization caused me to cook, or at least prepare to cook. One of my co-workers re-dedicated herself to WW last week (she calls it food rehab) and had printed out the recipe for the zero point soup, which I found on the printer. This inspired me, and today I chopped up a ton of veggies and threw them in the crockpot, which I'll leave on low all day tomorrow so I can come home to a nice hot dinner. I did change up the recipe a bit, since I used chicken broth instead of veggie broth, left out the sweet red bell pepper (there is no way I am paying $2.50 for a single pepper - what are these things grown in? Pure gold soil? Crazy.) and the swiss chard. I also finally found a use for that sugar pumpkin I bought weeks ago. I peeled, seeded and chopped that puppy up and threw half of it in the crockpot, too. (I roasted the other half and ate with some butter and brown sugar for dinner.) I hope it turns out okay, but am a little worried that I overfilled the crock... I guess I will find out when I get home, based on how much soup ended up on my counter...

During the chopping session, and pumpkin peeling (what a pain!), I discovered that I must not do enough cooking anymore. Why? Because I ended up with a blister on my pointer finger, right where I was holding the knife. Of course, I just might need better knives. Any suggestions?

Now to randomly change the subject...

I believe that the horde of 2-3 year olds at my friends' party yesterday must have worn me out. I believe there were around 17 little munchkins running around during the party. I don't know where they get their energy, but I swear I got tired just watching them go! And to prove it, when I set my alarm last night I accidently set it for PM. I haven't done that in years! I knew there was a problem when I woke up this morning feeling awake. Luckily, my new boss was really cool about it and didn't give me any grief (I gave myself enough). I also found that I had left a candle burning all night. I haven't done that in ages, either.

As I mentioned, I went to Kristin's party yesterday. I helped her out with some of the planning and stayed afterwards to help out a bit with the cleanup. After the party, I reached up to scratch my head and noticed that I had 3 brightly colored spider rings in my hair (probably what caused the itch in the first place). The spider rings brought back fond memories of my maternal grandmother (which is why they ended up in my hair after I picked them up off of the rug in the first place). Grandma used to cover the screen door on her porch with those artificial spiderwebs and place a bunch of the plastic spiders throughout her blonde hair. The neighbor kids called her the spider lady (only at Halloween, mind you. She didn't do this daily.) My family always had a great time when we visited my grandparents on the night before Halloween, which is when their town trick-or-treated. They called it beggars night, I think. Then we'd go out again in our own neighborhood on the day of Halloween. All of us, except probably my grandfather (usually in the living room watching baseball) got pretty deeply into the spirit of Halloween, and I wonder sometimes if that's why I still enjoy the holiday so much. And the reason why the spider rings always make me smile. I miss you Grandma! (And Grandpa, too, but I can't imagine him with a spider ring in his hair.)

My favorite photo of the spider lady and her husband - 1945

The Horror!

Today, before I even had my first cup of coffee, I discovered the bane of my existence…and it's twin.

Bane #1, thy name is Highway 37! More specifically, that stretch of the Mare Island Bridge right before the poorly planned out merge from 2 normal highway lanes into one lane of pure pain. Bane #1, you are entirely too isolated and temperamental for my taste, and yet circumstances beyond my control (i.e. the job that pays me) require your near daily use. You may believe that you were getting ahead in the world when you had all that "work" done a few years ago, but don't flatter yourself. We're all just using you for our own purposes. And as soon as we all get those flying cars that Back to the Future II promised us, no one will think twice about you anymore.

Bane #2, thy name is Infineon Raceway! (Disclaimer – the bane itself is the intersection at Highway 37 and Highway 121 – Infineon Raceway, which I still refer to as Sears Point , tends to be the cause of most of the traffic at that intersection.) You take 2nd place, because you only exert your power once in a while and usually limit it to race weekends (NASCAR, how I loathe you...). I should know better than to become complacent though, because you have a way of knowing just when to strike. Like this morning, when you and your evil(er) twin decided to join forces. Sure, the papers and traffic alerts all said it was an auto accident that caused that poor driver to go off the edge into the water, but I know it was your evil plan. How else can you explain the frustration that made those other drivers drive backwards down the side of the highway and continue backing down the one-way on-ramp? Or the panic that made certain other drivers turn off and drive in the wrong direction down that same on-ramp, risking traffic violations? (I'm sure they knew the cops would never get through the traffic to catch them.)

Ahh...I feel a little bit better after that little rant. But really, I sat in traffic so long this morning that people got out of their cars and were walking around. And after all that, all I could find on the news was that there had been an accident by highway 121 this morning, and that a car went into the water (this was reported, but not confirmed). For those non-locals that might be reading this, this particular stretch of the highway is simply a narrow 2-lane strip of pavement surrounded on both sides by water (in the winter - in the summer it's marshy stinky mud flats). The two banes of my existence mentioned above are at each end of this stretch where it rejoins a normal land mass.

Everyone out there - be happy this is not your morning commute! (Unless you commute over the Golden Gate Bridge each morning, in which case, this might actually be cake for you.)

Age Discrimination!!

Boo!

I heard a story on my local radio's morning show the other day that said the most common age for kids to stop trick-or-treating was 13. 13?! No way! I trick-or-treated into my college years, as did my Aunt and a bunch of my friends (I had to have someone to go with, you know). My siblings all kept trick-or-treating at least into high school.

I still like to dress up for Halloween too, when given a reason to do so. Don't worry though, I did finally accept that I shouldn’t trick-or-treat anymore.

So, I have a question for all of my readers (if I actually have any) – when did you stop dressing up for Halloween and/or stop trick-or-treating? If you had kids, are you going to have them stop at a certain age?

Lips, Inc.

No, I'm not taking you to Funky Town, but I couldn't think of a better name for the post, and now that song is stuck in my head. You are welcome.

It was overcast and drizzly yesterday. A definite change from the crazy heat we've had lately. Since it was the first time in months that it wasn't hotter in my apartment at night than it was outside, I decided to take the opportunity to flat-iron my hair. (There is no way I'm putting hot tools to my temples in the heat!)

This morning, looking in the mirror after donning my mostly gray outfit (sounds drab, but I like to think it wasn't), I realized that my face seemed almost completely devoid of color. So, contrary to my usual routine, I actually put on some lipstick, because I felt that I needed it. Shocker, right?!

(Those who know me know that in spite of my obsession with make-up, I don't wear it on a day-to-day basis, and rarely to work.)

So, hair straight and shiny for a change, and lips all rosy reddish, I headed out for work. After 2 failed attempt to get gas in Vallejo (seriously, 2 stations on the same street out of gas? Really?), I got to work, got my coffee and stopped in my co-worker's office to say hi.

And here comes the reason that I rarely wear makeup at work...

"Oooh, look at you! You going somewhere? Got a date tonight?"

Ugh. It never fails. Of course I don't have a date tonight - if I did, I'd have worn more than just lipstick (at least mascara, too, if not the full face) and I wouldn't have gussied myself up for the 8 hours at work either. I touch my face too much, and it would all be gone before the hypothetical date. As I told my co-worker later, if I had a date nobody here would have a clue, and I'd put my makeup on in my car before I left!

She did tell me that lipstick looks good on me and I should always wear it. I've heard similar things before, including in a recent email from some random dude on a dating website (to which I did not respond), who asked if I wore lipstick often, because it looks good on me. I thought that was kind of a weird thing to say as an introduction, especially considering that it was pretty much the entire email. I mean, does lipstick look bad on anyone (besides those with poor color choice and failed application)?

I am taking it all as a complement for once instead of assuming it means that everyone thinks I look bad without the lipstick (which was not said...). I do see the difference when I wear it. I also noticed today that the color was starting to feather at my lip-line - I'm starting to get old-lady lip lines! Nooo! (It still beats jowls.)

Bizarre Phone Call

I just got the weirdest call on my cell phone. It was from a restricted number, so I almost didn't answer it, since all of my friends and family that would normally be calling me at 10:30 at night are programmed into my cell phone.

So, wary to start with, I flip open the phone and say hello. The person on the other line doesn't give any type of greeting, but rather starts out with a question that I think was something along the lines of "is this number my daughter's phone?" Or at least, that's what it sounded like to me, so I answered, "I don't think so." (My attempt at being polite, as the caller was obviously neither my mother nor my father.)

Other person asks if I've been calling her daughter, so I ask, "who are you?" thinking that maybe it's a friend's mom, which still really wouldn't make any sense, since all of my friends are independent adults to can choose with whom they associate.

She then tells me that her daughter is 8 and has been getting phone calls from this number. I told her that I don't think so, because I haven't called anyone whose number I am not familiar with, and certainly not any 8 year olds. She must sense the defensiveness in my tone, as she says "I'm not trying to accuse you." (Sure sounded that way to me.) She said maybe it was a similar number (? - wouldn't the exact number show on the cell phone's memory?), and asked if this was a CA number, as she was in CA. I don't see what difference that makes, since I have not called her daughter and she never even identified herself.

The call pretty much ended there. I'm totally annoyed, because I do feel like I've been accused of something, even though I know I never called any strange 8 year olds, and I have the phone records to prove that I never contacted her daughter. Though I can totally see how the mother of an 8 year old receiving strange calls would be concerned (I certainly would be), where did she get my cell phone number? I hardly ever make any outgoing phone calls from my cell that aren't to the same basic 5 or 6 people. Bizarre, I tell you! I wonder if she got the area code wrong or something.

Urgh. I wonder what kind of weird-o paranoid message I would have gotten if I hadn't answered the phone.

The person then says, "I'm in CA, is this a CA number?"

A Few Random Questions and Comments

I went to the grocery store tonight and purchased 11 items. After the cashier at the 15-items or less checkout line finished ringing up my purchases, I somehow ended up with 4 separate bags. Does that seem disproportional and/or wasteful to anyone else?

If my freezer door has that rubberized seal around it's perimeter to keep all of the cold air in, then how did all of those ants manage to cross the threshold in order to die inside? I'll spare you the photo that I somehow talked myself out of taking. But, yes, the ants have invaded.

Just how much do the couples that appear on Bridezillas get paid? And - how much of it is staged? I have a hard time imagining anything that could be considered enough compensation for me to consent to a TV show portraying me in the worst, most selfish light possible. The website states that the brides will be generously compensated. But what about everyone else involved in their wedding that ends up looking crazy on national television?

I received a $75 gift certificate to Amazon for my birthday (thanks Dad & AM!). Now, what do I spend it on? True Blood seasons or yarn/craft supplies? I'm torn!

Why does the thought of developing jowls as I age freak me out? Seriously, it is what I fear the most about aging. I guess I am more vain than I thought!

Random Commentary - I am so happy that Undercover Boss is back on TV. What a great show!

Final Comment - I've given up on the natural flea control attempts and am going to give Gracie her first spot-on treatment tonight. I am tired of the constant vigilance and of Gracie's physical attacks that signal the end of our nightly flea-combing session. My arms can't take any more abuse! And poor Gracie must still be getting bitten, too.