Category Archives: Me!

Revisiting the guitar

Posted by Leaf on May 4, 2012 4 comments

Revisiting the guitar
I bought my guitar maybe close to 10 years ago.  I went to a local music shop, picked the scratched one, and asked for a discount.  It was a toy for me, who knew how long I was going to keep at it?  For the first year or so, I played it a good bit.  At least enough to get callouses.  Then I took a few lessons over a summer in one of those adult education programs where everyone was at different levels.  It doesn’t matter what I learned because I put down my guitar and never picked it up for years. I don’t know what got me to take it out of the bag but I started plunking it a little again.  So today, we went to the guitar center for a stand and some new picks.  Of course, I came home with the stand, picks, a beginners book, new strings, a string winder, and a capo.

I’d never changed my guitar strings since I bought the guitar and today, I learned they only last months.  Youtube taught me how to do it.  Gosh, what can’t you find there?  Word of warning to you out there trying this for the first time, watch those wires!  I snapped the high e string (the skinniest one at the bottom) and boy is it sharp.  I’m not sure I did a very good job, but it still sounds so much better with new strings.  We’ll see how long this stretch goes, but I think having it handy on the stand certainly doesn’t hurt and I’m having fun.

The best time of the year, the worst time of the year

Posted by Leaf on April 10, 2012 None comments

Spring. Need I mention the best parts? Longer days? Beautiful greenery? Warmer weather?

Oh but the allergies! They are totally messing me up. This by comparison turns my usual indoor dust allergies into a walk through a server room. This attack of the flower pollen requires antihistamines and a box of tissues. Constant drippy nose and itchy eyeballs. The antihistamines help of course, but only enough for me to catch a few sneezing breaks and maybe get to work with just a handful of tissues versus the whole box. Plus there’s a catch, I feel like a sloth when I take them. Even the non-drowsy ones. And the ones that claim to work for 24-hours? It just means I have to suffer the last few hours without meds before I can take more.

Reminder to self!

Posted by Leaf on April 4, 2012 2 comments

Next year, I MUST plan time off between President’s Day and Memorial Day. March or April is perfect! I NEED a Spring Break. And I mean, okay, what am I waiting for? I could do it right now. But I can’t because it feels too rushed. There isn’t the time to anticipate for the trip. Really it would shortchange the amount of good feelings I get from looking forward to a trip if I rush through it. And everyone knows one of the best parts of planning a vacation is the time you get to spend looking forward to it. At this rate, I ought to be planning for a Fall trip so I have all Summer to look forward to it. Besides, I’m not one of those people who can drop everything on a whim and take off. I need to think and plan and adjust my routine-loving self out of its routine. Geez I sound like such a stick in the mud. Well so it goes, I am now reminding myself next Fall to plan for a nice March or April trip or time off to do something, or nothing. It is imperative for my mental health and general happiness! I’m thinking Prime Rib in SF. Or Ad Hoc again in Yountville. Of course it’s about the food. What’d you think I was talking about?! I travel for no other reason than to eat a good meal.

Giving it up

Posted by Leaf on February 22, 2012 None comments

Shopping. With certain exceptions, of course. Groceries and medicines only. I just have to get rid of all my crap and make room during this time. I am getting buried in crap!

What’d you say?

Posted by Leaf on February 18, 2012 None comments

“Our floor is dirty.”

“The corndogs are ready?”

“Horndogs?!”

“Corndogs”

“Our floor is dirty.”

Allergies Gone Wild!

Posted by Leaf on February 3, 2012 3 comments

I just got back from an allergy specialist who tested me for a list of common allergens. Amongst other things I’m allergic to: mites, peas, rice!!, and trees of every kind. No wonder I’ve been having sneezing fits every morning year round so it’s nice to finally find out the cause, but rice?! When it comes to food allergies, ignorance is bliss. How do I not have rice?! It’s a staple. I’m bummed about every food allergy actually. I don’t intend to give up anything either. Maybe cut back, but never give it up completely. I just can’t imagine not eating any of the listed foods forever.

Blue

Posted by Leaf on January 27, 2012 None comments

I have a bad case of the winter blues! I think fall and even up to Winter solstice I’m just working my way down to the blues. Mostly I can deal with it by self-medicating with lots of cheesy poofs, cereal, beer, and coffee. Then sometime around early February, I’m a blob of give-up-ness. Uncle! Give me some sunshine! It’s made worse because the only time I see sun is if I’m running late in the morning so instead of enjoying the sun I’m scurrying to my sunless Dilbert-cave. Those advertisements I’m seeing online for Hawaii is looking mighty tempting!

Mustard

Posted by Leaf on November 26, 2011 None comments

I was in elementary school when I first came across this condiment, mustard. I’d seen other children put it on their burgers and hot dogs but I just couldn’t bring myself to try it. It looked sort of poopy yellow. One day, maybe in third grade, I decided to try it. I pocketed a packet of mustard from my lunch tray, and took it home. I went to the bathroom (because that’s where anything poopy-looking belongs) opened it, and took a small taste. It was odd but I sort of liked it. And now, I think it may be one of my favorite condiments.

Modern Stone-Age Family

Posted by Leaf on July 14, 2011 2 comments

We lost Internet for 3 days! On Monday night, we thought it was a fluke, maybe weather related but when Tuesday night came and we still had no Internet, we called Verizon. First, it was a challenge trying to even find their customer support number. They bury it in their website. Next, the first woman we talked to got disconnected, we think she conveniently hung up on us. Even though she had our phone number, she never called back. When we called back and got another lady, she couldn’t help us so we asked to speak to her supervisor. 30 minutes on hold later, said supervisor transferred us to another department saying she couldn’t help us. The transferred office had a recording saying they were closed for the day. Shouldn’t this supervisor have known that? Yet a less clever ploy to hang up on customers. They must have a manual on how to hang up on us. So tonight (obviously, since I’m posting) we finally got Internet. For a while there I felt like Wilma Flintstone.

It’s just a job

Posted by Leaf on June 9, 2011 3 comments

I have job-ennui. A case of ADHD for work. I am grateful for having a job especially in this economic environment, but lately, it’s been feeling pretty empty. Unrewarding. Uninteresting. I wish I could take more pride in my work but I just feel indifferent. It’s so process-oriented and after learning the process I’m left wanting something more. I have thought about what I would do if I could do whatever I wanted, and I have no clue. A gardener? An animal rescue worker? A hand model? I don’t know. I don’t think it’s this though.

I am fully aware that this whining entry is on par with those yuppie women who complain to their therapists how awful their lives are because their housekeeper ironed their table napkins all wrong. Not belittling their complaint, nor mine, but I think I need something to snap me out of this. Maybe a new job.