Monthly Archives: October 2007

We don’t get business cards at my job. Someone asked me for a business card yesterday and I didn’t have any. This left me thinking, “Hmm, maybe I need to get some business cards.” Now for the people who know me and the mind numbingly torturous sector I work in, you understand that my jobs have been sort of short-term. I mean, to have reached the one-year mark this August was, for me, a pretty big milestone. Because of that, I always figured, why bother with business cards when they’re obsolete in a few months anyway? That’s tantamount to lying. Here’s my email and phone, haha, kidding.

Anyway, now that things have sort of gotten a bit more semi-permanent (relatively speaking) with this job (translation of “semi-permanent relatively speaking”: up to 3 years) I decided to print out 12 business cards. Ghetto superstar: I made up business cards with the organization’s logo, took binder dividers, trimmed off the tab, printed on these dividers and used a paper cutter to cut out 12 cards. Hence only 12 cards and hence the 3 years max. Yes, I know about Kinko’s but no, I don’t want to pay for it or mess with that and I only wanted 12 cards. Looking at ‘em now, I’m thinking, probably should’ve put an expiration date on these things.

Every morning, on my way to work, if I drive by the neighborhood bus stop and there’s a crowd of kids there already, I know I’m late and going to get stuck in traffic. Just by experience, if I see the bus stop kids, I automatically sink comfortably into my seat and make sure I have a cd of music that fits my mood of the morning. I’m in for a long ride. Last Friday, I did just that. Only as I was driving up to them, I saw two boys fighting pretty hard. I looked at them and as I passed them they immediately stopped. I kept staring and they both turned towards me smiling coolly as if nothing was going on. Guilt written on their foreheads of course. Anyway, I thought it was pretty neat I had that sort of au-thor-i-tay! Ha!! Here I am driving by and my “look,” whatever it is, gets them to behave. Only I think my Friday morning “look” is more disheveled than stern but whatever, same result. Really, I think it was that I’m an old grownup which makes me feel… well, old. Great.

This is a disturbing and depressing movie. Michelle Pfeiffer offs some guy who totally scorned her in a bad way. I mean, he sleeps with her then tells her to leave his house because he has a date that night. What the!? He totally asked for it. She goes to jail and her daughter goes from foster home to youth centers to more foster homes. Yuck. I don’t even remember why I put this thing on my queue. Must’ve been some review or maybe I thought it was about gardening. Geez the last time I got what I thought to be a gardening movie (The Constant Gardener), that was a total disaster. I should stick to non-gardening movies.

Storyline aside, the actors did a good job.

Every time I go to Trader Joe’s, I end up with stuff other than what was on my list. I create lists specifically for the reason that I have this habit of wandering up and down aisles looking at everything. I’ve even stopped at pet food aisles. It’s good to know what’s out there for when I get a dog. Anyway, I don’t know why I bother with the grocery lists. It’s not like I listen to myself. I walk in to Trader Joe’s and pah! what list? You mean that crumpled up Post-it in the bottom of my bag? As if. To put it simply, going into Trader Joe’s elicits in me the same reaction as Target. Must be the T. I can’t help but wander and get caught up in the stuff. All this stuff! All this stuff that I might like. Stuff that I might need. Lavender lotion! All natural! All eco-friendly! It’s just calling out to the consumer in me. Maybe I should try it. I’ve gone in for cereal and come out with 8 boxes before. I like cereal, but 8 boxes!? See, here’s where my crazy logic goes. I figure, if I stock up on it, I will make fewer trips which will in the long run, save time and money. I forgot about the milk thing though. You can’t stock up on milk and you need it for cereal. Maybe subconsciously I was thinking it’d just give me another reason to go back. I have all this cereal sitting at home, gotta get some milk. So I went to Trader Joe’s Friday and got bread because that was on my list. But then I discovered these pretty British Muffins (english muffins essentially). So I threw that in the cart along with the other bread. Then I saw their cheese. Who can resist cheese? Especially when there are so many to choose from? So I got cheese. The next thing on my list: milk. But then I saw the ground meats and it was 50 degrees outside and I was thinking chili again. So I got that too. Didn’t get more cereal this time though don’t think I wasn’t tempted! It’s called self-control!

After weeks of planning and not going and finally going but they were closed when we got there, I finally made it to the farm yesterday to pick apples. Oh they had tomatoes too so picked some of those. And butternut squash, that’s good. I lurve acorn squash, may as well. Oooh broccoli and spinach, yum.

Hehe… it’s hard to stop once you start. If you are what you eat, I’m turning into an apple after I’m through with this year’s harvest. Not sure yet what to do with the squash. I just like eating them but in terms of how to cook them, I’m never quite sure. Last time I got butternut squash, I tossed it in the chicken soup. And I made acorn squash last Thanksgiving but the sea salt was so coarse-grained it didn’t turn out as good as I’d imagined. I was thinking of making pumpkin soup with them originally but they’d run out of sugar or pie pumpkins so that’s kind of out. Anyway, maybe I’ll browse around for some ideas. There’s always the roasting it in the oven idea to fall back on.

Since the weather suddenly chilled out this past week, I’ve had a hankering for chili. So I made a big batch this weekend and tossed in some of the fresh tomatoes that didn’t quite make it in the back of the car. I figured, if they’re gonna be cooked to oblivion anyway in the pot of chili, who cares if they’re bruised. This is what Fall is all about. FOOD!! I can’t believe it took me this long to figure out which season is my favorite.

Attention all slovenly sloths who hate hate vacuuming. Y’know, because it’s noisy and strenuous and whatnot. Plus there are much better things to do such as eating. It’s called a Roomba.

I learned about this thing when I got my haircut a couple weeks ago and my hairdresser was extolling the wonders of her iRobot. I was like what the?? Was Asimov consulted in the naming of this robo-maid? Oh it’s a good babysitter too. She has a 5 year old son who’s still enthralled by this new toy of his and follows it around the house. I don’t blame him. I do the same thing.


Here’s what I like about it.

• It picks up hair. I shed like a German shepherd in July – year round.
• It cleans wall edges with this little side brush duster.
• No need to monitor it, even though it is fun.
• No vacuum bags
• Goes under the bed and dressers, all the under-crevices that you may not be able to reach with a conventional vacuum.
• I just vacuumed three rooms today without breaking a sweat. I’d show you the filth it picked up in just three rooms but how embarrassing would that be?

And since nothing’s perfect

• It can’t go in places it doesn’t fit. Eventually, you’re going to need to grab your vacuum cleaner with attachments and attack the small spaces. Eventually.
• If you’re one of a small sick population of folks who actually like vacuuming, this is not for you. And I knew one such person so I know they’re out there.

Right now, I’m in the honeymoon phase so it’s hard to find anything bad about it in my pink spectacles.

Ok girls it’s all one big conspiracy, guys are trying to make us stupid by sticking lead in our cosmetics. Pb in LIPSTICK!! I eat that stuff. I eat lots of it. Heck, I’ll even put it on just to lick it right off. So next time your sweetie pie wants to smooch you, apply a generous layer of lipstick and commence Operation Right Back Atcha. Muahahaha. Does lead make people diabolical?