More from Ohio

Monday
In the morning, we went on some errands and got some really delicious peppermint mocha coffee from Starbucks. Those Sullivan boys just crack me up. When we got in the car, Patrick asked me if I liked some song that sounded like Rambling Rose. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about and said I didn’t know. He asked, “You mean you don’t like Rambling Rose?” “I don’t know, Patrick. I have to see.” When Helen got in the car, both boys expressed their wish for that song. Helen told them they could hear it one time. She pops in the CD and out of the speakers ours a rather jolly Irish drinking song. The boys were singing along. It cracked me up! Patrick gets very shy about singing when he notices that people are watching him. But seeing a 4 and 5 year olds singing Irish drinking songs was a sight to see. Throughout the car ride, Joe will almost always enlighten us about the animal kingdom. The facts that he shares are I am sure completely true. I can’t tell you what kinds of snakes live in Burma, but Joe can. He is can also spell crocodile. Very gifted. Patrick is also one to share information. And they both have a sharp wit, which they get from their folks. Mikey impressed me with his recorder playing. Patrick had a recorder that he had been using as a weapon and when Mikey picked it up, he blew into it like a master of the instrument. Very talented. Thanks to the snowfall from days earlier, Joe and I were able to play outside in the snow. Though the snow wasn’t very snowman worthy or even snowball worthy, we were able to make snow angels. I took some video that I am hoping to post. In the evening, Helen and Mike went on a date while I baked pizza and hung out with the kids. It was a nice and mellow evening. They have one of those sectional couches in their den, which is super comfortable and easy to snooze on.

Tuesday
I woke up feeling icky. I had a cold/cough/achy/hot-cold/throat thingy. That didn’t stop Helen and I from shopping. Patrick and Joe went with Mike to the Philadelphia Zoo. We went to Target (I had a certificate and there isn’t one in Vermont) where I bought two shirts and pants. I was feeling pretty poopy, so I napped when we came back. We went out in the evening to Mike’s brother’s pub/restaurant in their old neighborhood of Lakewood. They have THE BEST cheesy potato wedge thingys! (I am sure I wrote about them when I drove out to Vermont.) We met up with Mary (whom I have met a few times) and Laura. We had a really great time. They are really nice people. I think I fell asleep about two seconds after my head hit the pillow. Though the start of sleep was good, I think I woke up about every 30 minutes coughing and sneezing.

Wednesday
Still felt like crap. The throat was feeling worse. I was kind of hoping that my plane would be delayed so I could stay another day and sleep. That was not the case. Joe, Patrick and I spent the morning playing and then it was time for me to go to the airport. When Helen dropped me off, I checked in my bags and waited in a very long line to get through security. When I was passing through the security screeners, they stopped on one of my carry on bags. As soon as I realized that they were eyeing my bag, I knew exactly what they were looking for. Years ago, I got a pocket knife from working on America’s Funniest Home Videos. It is a great knife. I had forgotten to put it in the suitcase. The guard pulled it out (after warning me, of course, to not touch anything until he said so – no duh!) and told me I could either throw it away or mail it back. Now I ask you, why would I throw something like that away? That’s just stupid. I was feeling really, really crappy. I asked about mailing it back and he told me where I could go. It would be out back at the beginning. I asked if I would have to go through the really, really long line again. When he told me I would, I said in my best Joe voice, “Are you kidding me?” I couldn’t believe that I would have to start in that line all over again. I began to cry because I was so tired and feeling like crap. I explained to the guard that I was sick. Thankfully, he told me I could go through the first class line, which was shorter. So I went out and put my pocket knife in a bag with $7 and went through the shorter line. I still had to get screened again, but this time I passed. I sat around the Cleveland airport for about 45 minutes before boarding. Thankfully, the plane ride was short and uneventful to Newark. When I got to Newark, it took me a bit to find the terminal I was suppose to go to. But I had about two hours before the flight. I tried to sleep, but between the throat hurting and the constant cough, I didn’t get any rest. Finally, we were able to load the plane. I tucked myself into my seat and tried to sleep again. Nothing doing. Cough, cough, cough. Again, I was glad there was short plane ride. I arrived into Burlington at about 10:30pm. I was so glad to not be on a plane. Though I didn’t have a sound night sleep, I did sleep better than had the night before.

Christmas Weekend

Thursday
I worked until about 3:30 on Thursday afternoon. Carrie had agreed to take me to the airport at 5:15, so I thought I should leave a little early to repack my suitcase and check on the airline schedule. Most of the people in the office had also gone home by that time, and my boss had suggested we leave early. Before I left, I checked the flights to see if I would be late. I found that the flight from Burlington to Newark was about 45 mins later and the flight from Newark to Cleveland was about two hours late. I figured I would just watch DVDs while I waited.

I got home and repacked my suitcase, as the main one was heavy with Christmas presents for the Sullivans. As I was rearranging the suitcases, I got a call from Continental that said that there might be a delay or cancellation with my flight. I didn’t call them back until after Carrie and her brother Jim arrived. When I got on the phone with Continental, they said the flight was cancelled. The next possible flight for me wouldn’t be until Christmas Day in the evening. I was a little freaked out, needless to say. Though I feel I am adjusting to life in Vermont, I had been planning to see the Sullivans at Christmas for weeks, as I was not going home to California. This would be my first Christmas away from home since college. I remember my brother, sister and I left for Easter Island and Chile on Christmas Day in 2000, but here I was with no old friends or family to celebrate with. Flight Cancelled. Damn Newark, New Jersey. I heard that there was some technical error. Don’t know if it really was the weather or a computer malfunction. At least I was in good company, as all flights had been cancelled in Newark. Still…. So I called Helen to share the bad news with her. I cried because I had looked forward to this trip for what seemed like AGES. Helen and I talked about alternatives like coming in late January or February. Carrie called her mom and they invited me to spend the night Christmas Eve at her house and the day with her family. I called my parents and in the consolation that my dad gave, he suggested that I still go. I thought there would be no way I would go for just one day. That would be a waste of money and time. We talked about trying to extend the end date of the vacation. As I have just started a new job, part of me feels a certain dedication to my employer and the responsibilities of the job. I thought I should talk to Tom about it anyway. I called him with the proposed end date of Wednesday. He said that was okay and he would work things out. It was very kind of him. I really appreciate it. So, I called the airline and was able to bump the end date to Wednesday. I called Helen and all was well. I spent the rest of Thursday evening recovering from the crying fit I had earlier that evening.

Friday
I thought it would be awesome to sleep in, so I didn’t set my alarm clock. Despite my good intentions, I woke up at 6:30 in the morning. It wasn’t a very restful sleep. I suppose part of it was the excitement of Christmas as well as the trip. I just couldn’t sleep anymore, so I rolled out of bed and cleaned up a bit around the house. I watched a really stupid Regis and Kelly as well as The View. I have to say that Kelly Rippa showing her domestic side was humorous. She has a really busy life with the husband, three kids and two tv shows. Who knows what else she has going on in her world? I have to say that watching her bake cupcakes and pandering to her childrens’ bad behavior was sad. I wonder just how much time she spends with her kids and how many nannies she has? I am sure she is a great mom, and it is hard to tell in a 10 minute segment. There was a cute kids’ chorus which was fun to see, and everybody was wearing pjs. As far as The View goes, I am sick of Star talking about her wonderful husband and the fact that she wouldn’t dream of having sex at her in-laws, before or during the marriage. I suppose it sends out a nice moral comment to all of the mothers and college girls who watch the show (who else besides unemployed actors are around at that time to watch?) I think Babs Walter has become antiquated for the show. She isn’t funny, and does anybody really care if Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of her personal friends? Now I must speak for a moment about the Phantom of the Opera. Some of you dear readers remember the 90s when the Phantom Phenomenon was all about. It was incredible. Women would cry when hearing the song “Music of the Night,” which was the Phantom’s big number. There were Phantom towels, mugs, posters, buttons and I am sure somewhere in the world there are even Phantom lighters. I am sure families named their children after the main characters Christine and Raoul (I think that was his name…) I actually snuck into a performance with Steve S. (there are four Steves plus Steve my cat.) Of course the sneak in was only for the last half hour of the show, but that was all I needed. I did buy the cassette, which I actually have in my car. Why I have it in my car I just can’t explain. I won’t, so don’t try to make me. I digress. Well after that sintilating television, I decided to go to the movies with Carrie and her brother James. We went to see Christmas with the Kranks, starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. It was mildly entertaining, if you don’t mind Tim Allen in yet ANOTHER Christmas themed movie. It was totally worth the $3 I paid. We stopped by Hanneford’s, the local grocery store, where I got things I didn’t need to buy before a four day vacation. Carrie and James left me with the promise that I would spend Christmas day with their family before flying out. I spent the evening talking to various people on the phone, repacking my suitcase and watching TV. The best part about the evening was having my Christmas beef burritos. It is a Borneman family tradition. It was a very pleasant evening.

Christmas Day
I left at about 8:00 to drive to Carrie’s family’s house in Virgennes. It’s about 30-45 minutes south of Burlington. Along the road, there was some snow on the ground (though not much) and a maple farm (which I must stop at one of these weekends) as well as an apple farm (another stop for a weekend visit perhaps in the spring.) The craziest thing I saw was a two-humped camel. It was on a farm with curly horned rams. Oddest thing I think I have seen on a farm, not that I have been to that many farms. When I got to Carrie’s house, I met her parents, Larry and Pat and her sister Mary. They had a stocking for me with treats as well as some very Vermont gifts – a stuffed moose, some maple syrup and a New England puzzle. I also got some candles. We opened up presents and had a delicious ham supper. I left at about 3:00 so I could make it to the airport early enough to check in and relax before the flight. The Burlington airport is a little bigger than the Burbank airport (now known as Bob Hope International Airport, I think.) While I waited for the plane, I watched one of the DVDs I had brought with me. It took us about an hour to fly to Newark, NJ. On the plane, there was a teenage boy who couldn’t say anything other than “Awesome” and “Cool”. I documented that in a 1 minute time period he must have said “Awesome” at least 12 times. Whew! So goes the degradation of the English language. Not much to say about Newark, other than it is a big airport. I don’t know if it is the size of LAX, or bigger, but it is pretty darn big. It took us a long time to pull into the gate. There was a problem with the stairs/passageway/connection thingy not fitting close to the plane. We didn’t have to hop or jump to disembark, but the gap between the plane and the connection thingy was about 6-8 inches. The plane ride was a little over an hour. Not too bad. I arrived on time at about 10:15. I called Helen and she picked me up. I think the air temperature was about 15 degrees. It was a tad cold. We talked for about an hour before going to bed. It was nice to be in Cleveland.

Sunday
Helen and I opened presents with the kids. For Christmas, my folks had sent over presents for me to the Sullivans. I got some pretty great things. I got gift certificates, jewelry and some cat themed things. I got some really wonderful lotion from the Sullivans as well as a calendar, gift certificate and more. I gave them a bunch of things too. It wasn’t the usual Mrs. Han Solo spectacular in the gift department. It was mostly practical stuff. I could tell the kids were a bit bummed. But I know the stuff I got them will be used. We had Boca burgers for lunch and some really yummy chicken thing Helen made for dinner. As it has only been two months since I was here last, it was like only a week had passed. The baby, Mikey, was a little bigger and had only days before taken his first few steps. Joe and Patrick were just the same – funny and zany 5 year old and 4 year old. We played games, crawled on the floor, built a pirate ship, made cookies and watched some videos. It was a pretty full day of fun.

Happy Holidays, I am off to Cleveland!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I am off to Cleveland with the Sullivan clan. It's been a busy week with my brain on vacation.

I spoke with my LA client and he told me that I should stop by and visit him the next time I am in LA. Isn't that sweet? I don't think I will, though. I am practically breaking out in hives just thinking about his website. It's going well, there is just so much to do. But I am going to Cleveland and won't be thinking about the LA client or anything but Joe, Paddy, Mikey and their parents. Okay, I will also be thinking of many of you and wishing I was going to the beach with brother Bob, seeing a movie with the family and eating our traditional burritos. But I think Helen told me we are having filet mignon. Yum!

It will be a very WHITE CHRISTMAS. I am super excited. I don't think I will be updating the blog over the holiday time. Stories about the vacation upon my return.

Have a great holiday, no matter what you may do.

Peace to you and yours.

Weekend shopping, movies and celebs and -10

What a busy weekend! Starting out at WW, then I bought supplies for making cookies. Ironic, isn't it? Weight Watchers and cookies CAN go hand in hand. Just because I make them doesn't mean I need to eat them. Of course, I will eat them, but I have tried my best to use some control. After that excitement, I went home and ate lunch (can't eat before the WW meeting.) I waited until about 12:45 whereupon I went to Church St., which as I might have mentioned in another post is similar to 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica, CA. Lots of big shops (Old Navy, Pier One) and lots of small and unique shops particular to either the East or Vermont. I met up with Elissa and we went about our Christmas shopping. I had a few people to buy for still, including a hard-to-shop-for brother and easy peasy dad. Plus I still wanted to get a couple more things for the kids in Cleveland. We had a fairly successful time. The Pier One here is like three types of stores combined. It's got your basic Pier One stuff, then it has all kinds of office crap and kitchen tools. Crazy, huh? We ventured into Borders, which proved to be a successful stop for me. We took a break (since shopping is so hard) at a coffee shop/fufu place for coffee and dessert. That is where the celebrity part of the story comes in. REAL CELEBRITIES!! Okay, they were all of the women from the News 3 (local Burlington CBS tv) team, but still.... I saw that one on tv! Hey! I saw that one too! Too bad I didn't have my camera. It would have made a good photo op for my celebrity cards. Of course only people in Vermont would know who they were, so I guess it is pointless.

I digress... Saturday's shopping took all afternoon. By 6pm, Elissa was beat and I was getting there. She left and I did a little more shopping before heading home to watch my Netflix movies. I then addressed more Christmas cards, wrapped and boxed up some presents, AND made a batch of cookies. I think I went to bed around midnight. Oh yeah, I did. I watched a bit of Saturday Night Live with Robert DeNiro. It wasn't that good. I do have to say that DeNiro has improved in his improv. He's a good actor, so I wasn't suprised. Perhaps one of these days I will go see SNL in person.

Sunday - I went to church and then went to the movies.... I saw Finding Neverland, starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. A truly dreamy movie couple for me. I think Oscar will be calling Mr. Depp in February. Academy members like period pieces and Johnny was nominated before. Anyhoo, after that I went home and continued baking cookies and watching my Netflix movies. It was a really calm and peaceful weekend.

Monday - Work was going well until I had to talk to the SoCal client. He is a little challenging. I spoke with CL our sales rep and the client about changes he wants to his site. Being a good car salesman, he is rather pushy and insistant. He also has a problem listening. And I think he likes to hear himself speak. We all go through phases of that, but I think it is permanent for him. It was draining. We have lots of work to do on his site and he can't understand why, during the 20 times a day he checks the site, he doesn't see much progress. I think he wishes there was a magic wand that would make it all better. I finally went home at around 9pm. It's nice and quiet at that time of night, plus I don't have anything else going on, so why not? Working late helps me with the 5:30-8pm what-do-I-do-now void I tend to feel each night. I really think I need to start swimming at the YMCA. I was going to go today after work to use the free pass, but I think I might do it tomorrow.

BTW - The weather has been in the -10s for the last two nights. Nippy, to say the least. Thankfully I have a nice, warm apartment and clothing.

White Christmas and Oh, what a partaaaayyy

Tuesday night I plopped down in my Lazyboy chair to watch White Christmas, starring Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby. I figured it would be appropriate seeing as Christmas is just around the corner. Little did I realize that the majority of the movie takes place in VERMONT. Who knew? I have to say that when I was in SoCal, movies and tv shows that took place in that area are a dime a dozen. Seeing a movie that takes place in my new homeland (albeit a sound stage in Hollywood circa 1954) was a real treat. I think more movies should be filmed out here. Sure the weather is unpredictable, but that just means directors need tighter shooting schedules.

Wednesday started out like any other day here in Burlington. Though I did dress up a bit and cut my own bangs (they were out of control before) for we were to have our company's Christmas/holiday/winter solstice party at Coyote Grill (or something like that.) In the middle of the afternoon, the Big Enchilada boss (BE for short) gathered us all together for a few announcements including stuff about the party. There were lots of people there. Our sales people, who live and work across the country, were there. It was nice to meet these people who I have had only phone, email and IM contact with. So, later that day, we went to the party. Carrie and I carpooled.

Let me speak a moment on parking in downtown Burlington. It's as bad as Santa Monica or Hollywood. Parking is metered all over the place and there are a few (and I mean few) multi-level parking lots. There are also those restrictions signs about parking on one side of the street or another. Needless to say, it was a pain in the butt trying to find parking. I dropped Carrie off and found a spot. It was bloody cold when I got walking to the restaurant. I think it was in the high 20s. Whew! I thought my nose was going to run. I think I have gotten use to the 30-40 degrees. Maybe we will have the 20s for a nice spell so I can acclimate to that. Back to our story....

The restaurant is a Southwestern/Mexican restaurant. They had a bar (cash only) and appetizers. I couldn't squeeze in for the appetizers because there were so many people. But since I was freezing my fingers off, I went for a hot beverage at the bar. Bailey's and coffee -- just the right amout of external and internal heating up and I was feeling fine. The Big Enchilada had asked that we mingle. (You know, dear readers, how these things usually go. You go to a work party and hang out with your friends. You don't talk to the person who has that office down the hall because you never interact with them on a daily basis, so why should you interact with them at the company party? Unless, of course, it is that guy/girl you have had your eye on. If they didn't bring a date, then you spend the entire evening with your suave game face on, vying for their attention. Forget your friends or that person down the hall (that you woudn't talk to anyway.) You need to score date. Then, you have been drinking so much that you let your self go a little too far. Then embarassing things happen. THEN, you have to face your co-workers in the morning.) Well, all that being said, I didn't stick with only the people I have befriended here, nor did I try to pick up on that guy I have been eyeing at work. Nor did I drink so much I did something embarassing. No. Being the social butterfly that I am, I moved around. Talked to quite a few people I usually have little interaction with. Here are a few highlights: Big Cheese Mike who has kids, brought the family to the party. I enjoyed playing with the kids and just watching them. Kids crack me up. Brian brought his wife and adorable daughter. An absolute darling. Greg, Mike D. and Chris, some of our sales people are hilarious people to talk with. Chris is from California and kindly brought me a Trader Joe's gift of No Pudge brownies. I miss Trader Joe's! Mike D. does voice over work and I think Greg must have a second life as a stand up comic. Freakin' hilarious. Wick and his wife and I plotted our next cookie event and how to make gifts without breaking the bank. Elissa loaned out her husband Rocky to do a Kamakazi shot with me. I bought PG a drink for the pain he has been through with that difficult client from CA. There were a few people who had a little too much to drink. I won't embarass them by recounting the particular moment, but it was pretty funny to watch. Though I did two more shots (courtesy of Jesse) after the one I did with Rocky, I have to say that I was still pretty lucid. I think that was the most alcohol I have had in about 6 years (I remember a particular event with a couple of college friends when one from England was visiting. Tequila shots all night long.) At the end of the evening, I took Jesse and Nate home, and Carrie back to her car. Poor Nate had fallen when I was out getting the car, and chipped off his front two teeth. But I think he was a little affected by the drinky to notice at the time. Nobody threw up in the car, for which I am grateful. And we all got home safely - at least Carrie, Jesse and I did. Not sure what happened to Nate. I did see him go up a driveway, but that was the last time I saw him. I think I got home at about 12:30, which says quite a bit about the party. Parties usually last only 3 hours. This one went on for waaayyy longer than that. There were still quite a few people at the place when we left. It was a good party. It was great getting to know people from the office in a non-office environment.

Fashion boots ain't snow boots... Rockin' cookies

This morning when I got ready for work, I thought about the party tonight. Do I go home to change? Do I not? I think I will end up going home, but in case I didn't I wore a party pleasing outfit. But I also wore my Bongo brand boots. They are black with six pairs of eyelets and two pairs of hooks. They are butt-kickin' boots, but not snow boots. I have on hose AND socks, yet when I was plodding in the snow, sweeping off my car I could feel coldness seeping into the boots. I don't think they are really water proof. Resistant, maybe. I need to get another pair of boots like the brown snow boots I have. Those are awesome.

Oh, I brought in chocolate chip cookies to work this morning. I made the dough last night. Baked them at 7am. They are going pretty quickly. I have had a very good response to them. The people are happy, and I am happy. Let them eat not cake, but chocolate chip cookies!!!

I think I should go home to get my camera to take pics of the party tonight. Then I can post the pics on this blog. We shall see. Now I must go to the post office to mail out a present and get more stamps. I have about 100 cards to mail out. Whew!

Snow, trash tv, burnt steak and Jake the dog

Snow. Lots of snow. There was snow on my way home. It was lovely. I could watch the snow outside my window at work for hours. Okay, maybe not hours, but deffinately minutes at a time.

When I got home, I had mail from my PO box (thanks to Doug) which was really exciting. I also got my second Xmas card of the season (thanks Stephanie A. ) I turned on my Christmas lights and lava lamp in my bedroom and the little Christmas tree with lights in my livingroom. It was so cosy. Then I popped a steak into the broiler. It took a really long time for it to cook. Sheesh! I think that electric ovens are just slower heating than gas. The juice burned and almost set off the smoke detector. I had to open the kitchen window to let out the smoke (it was a chipper 30-35 degrees outside.) After that ordeal, I settled into dinner by the tv. Yes, more reality tv. It is Monday night, which means it is Fox's Wife Swapping show. (Switch wives for a week.) It was part two of last week's episode. After that, I watched a DVD from Netflix. I went to bed somewhere around 11pm, but was having a hard time sleeping. Then, at about 12:30 am, I heard the recycle bin outside being kicked over and people laughing. I took a peek outside and saw that the trash was all over the driveway. I got dressed and went outside to pick it all up. It was so strange being outside that late at night. The earth was very still. There was lots of light from the street lights reflecting the snow. There was about 4-5 inches of soft, powdery snow all over. It was really beautiful, but felt strange. The only sounds I heard were my own footsteps crunching on the snow and my breathing. I could have sat out there for a long time, but after I cleaned up the trash, I thought I should go to bed.

Wick, one of the tech guys, brought in his dog Jake today. Jake is so sweet an adorable. He is a really mellow dog, which I really like. Again, it made me think about my kitties. Too bad I can't bring in my cats to an office. That would be so cool!

The weekend...snow...Costco

Friday night after work I just went home and did the usual thing - watch TV. Nothing much to write on that one. I am sure, dear readers, it gets so boring hearing that all I do is sit and watch TV. But that is how exciting my life can be. I am sure you are jealous that I am able to poison my mind with such fantastic shows as Nanny 911 and The Biggest Loser.

Saturday
I woke up and went to WW. Nothing too good to report. I was up .6, which in the scheme of things, wasn't too bad. After that adventure, I went to do some errands, which included going to Costco. Costco is a wonderful warehouse filled with all kinds of deals. I was there to window shop and turn in my photo for my big Christmas mailing. If you are interested in getting a fabulous Christmas photo, be sure to mail me. But you will have to do that within the next week (until December 18) so you can get it in time for Christmas. I digress... After Costco and the dollar store, I went to the library to return some videos I rented. By that time, it was raining/sleeting and I went by the office where Carrie was working. She helped me decorate the office in some holiday cheer (garlands and a few lights.) That was fun. I also put peppermint candy canes at everybody's desk. Then we went to dinner at a Carribean restaurant where I ate spicy, warm steak over a bed of greens. Quite tasty. I would go back there, for sure. Then we went to see Ocean's 12. If you liked the first one, you really should see the second one. If you didn't like the first one, that's too bad for you. If you like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, or Julia Roberts, go see it. If you don't, that's too bad for you. I think Brad, Matt and George should do another movie together. Freakin' funny guys. The script was pretty good (even the Julia Roberts as herself part.) Of course there are things I could pick at, but why? It was an enjoyable film. Then I went home and finished watching a video I had borrowed from the library. That was fun. I think I went to sleep around 11:30 (I know these details are important.)

Sunday
Church in the morning. I then went to Costco and picked up my Christmas photos. They look great! Just you wait and see!! When I came back, I found that my landlord had put up rails on the stairs in the front of the apartment. That was really swell of him to do that. It is so much safer now. I need to get a broom for the front stairs, but otherwise we are set in the front of the house for winter. I stayed home all day and all evening watching movies. I saw MASH, not the TV show, but the movie that prompted the TV show. I had forgotten that the now famous opening song had lyrics. It was all about suicide. Funny song, really. The movie was pretty funny. More bawdy than the TV show, of course. It has Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland, just to name a couple. It was a really lazy day. I addressed envelopes and I phoned a bunch of people and talked to my friend Gail for about an hour+. (We tend to do that.) I really need to get a land line so I can use my computer at home. What to do, what to do?

Where has the week gone?

I have been so busy at work, that I haven't had time to post. I suppose it is a good thing.

The snow melted rather quickly. Have no fear, it should snow about 6 inches over the next 12 hours. I am really looking forward to seeing that. I think it will be fun. My landlord said I could park in his driveway, which is mighty kind. I will begin shoveling snow tomorrow. Yippee!!

Last couple of days, not much going on. I sawa Spanish film, "El Crimen del Padre Amero", starring Gael Garcia Bernal. It was one of my Netflix. Sad, tragic, passionate film dealing with a young priest and one of his congregants. I thought the movie was okay. Gael was much better in the Motorcycle Diaries, which I saw in the theaters here in Burlington. I have had a peaceful night sleep. I made a chili chicken casserole, which is really yummy. It costs about 7 WW points, but is totally worth it. Yum.

This weekend I would like to finish up my Christmas shopping, and get things ready for the mail. We will see how that goes. I know Ocean's 12 is out and I MUST see it this weekend. It really depends also on the snow. One of my greatest highlights will be laundry. Laundry around the block costs me one dollar per wash and drying is about $.25 every 10-15 mins. I MUST do laundry, otherwise I will be wearing my pajamas to work.

Oh, yesterday at work, I dropped off Almond Kisses at every work station. It went over quite well. Tonight or Monday, it will be candy canes. tee hee!

Beds and fajitas

I got the bed. Sears came to deliver and was able to get the mattress upstairs with little effort. However, when trying to get the foundation up, they couldn't fit it up the stairs. It was tragic. I asked them to take down the icky, old frame and I would just use the mattress on the floor. They tried. It also wouldn't go on the stairs. So I have a great mattress and a horrid foundation. One out two isn't too bad. Thankfully they will reimburse me for the foundation. Charge it back onto my card.

After work, I went out with Elissa and Carrie from the office. We went to the Daily Planet, a small restaurant/bar in the heart of downtown Burlington. We all ordered the same thing: chicken fajitas. They were pretty good, too. We had a really nice time. I think we shall be doing it again, only next week we have the Last night was the last night to sleep on my icky mattress. I woke up to a nice, powdery, white world outside. Snow. It was lovely.

Pearl Harbor, oil and Iraq?

Today is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. In remembering what happened so many years ago, don't bother renting the Ben Affleck shlocky movie by the same name. Please. Check out the real thing. You can go check out things at National Geographic's website: http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/or read up about it at the Naval Historical Center. You can see some photos taken by Japanese an Americans at http://www.navsource.org/Naval/arph.htm. To say it was all about oil is prehaps a little simplistic, I am sure. However, it is one of the main reasons the Japanese attacked. We had sanctions placed against Japan so they couldn't expand into other countries and get more oil. Today, we are in Iraq. They have oil. We want oil. Our government says was to free the people of Iraq and end terrorism. But is it not also about oil as well? Just remember what happens to governments who get too greedy. It didn't work out so well for the Romans, British, Germans or Japanese. Who's to say how long we can stay on top of the world in power? As we are taught in basic science, what comes up must come down. Oh, by the way, Iran has lots of oil too.

I digressed. Back to remembering Pearl Harbor....I have been doing research on female pilots of WWII for a story I am working on. One of the interesting stories I read was about a flight school pilot who was training one of her students up in the air in the harbor when she saw a series of Japanese planes fly by her. She thought it was extremely odd and just before she turned back, they had begun bombing. She was able to get her plane and student safely to the ground. But I can't even imagine what was going through her head when she saw the Japanese bombers fly by and then carry out their mission. Woah.


Though I am not that familiar with that many good movies about the battle in the Pacific, there are two great prisoner of war camp movies that are really great. Stalag 17 and The Great Escape are two of my favorites. Stalag 17 stars William Holden and is deffinately one of my favorite war films. I think Harrison Ford must have modeled his sarcastic, suave heros after William Holden. The Great Escape has an all star cast featuring Steve McQueen and it is based on a true story. Years ago, I saw a documentary on the real story behind The Great Escape. It was amazing. The men who engineered their escape from a Nazi prison camp were men of desparation, dedication and intelligence. They wrote out "official" papers by hand, meticulously replicating the type style of a typewriter down to a off-center key. You can read up on it by checking out a book I found about it at Amazon.com. It is a truly amazing story. Though the movie is good and entertaining, it doesn't hold a candle to the real story of these courageous men.

TV, movies, life changes and the weekend...

This past week has been rather eventful. There was sad news, and good news. The sad news is that a friend from my church in California died last Sunday. What's interesting, is that he (Terry) died whist at church! He had just finished playing a set (he played drums) and went to sit down. Died right there. That would be a good place to die in, I think. I am not sure what the cause was. Another sad news is that a friend of mine from an old job is splitting with his wife. They have a child together, which adds to the sadness. Not sure what that is about either, but it's between them. I just hope they can work things out or at least be kind to each other over their child.

Good news - this seems so shallow after that, but I am finally getting my new bed. I should get it Tuesday morning. I am really excited about it.

Saturday I went to my W2 meeting and met a nice, old lady named Kay. She and her husband are going to Florida for a month, so I won't be seeing her until January. Then, I went to the library and got some videos. When I got back, Charlotte and I went down the street where there was a co-op craft fair. There was pottery, scarves, hats, jewelry, handmade boxes. Most of it was over my budget, but it was nice to see. Then I did some errands and watched some of the videos. I took a break from my tv fest to go to the Teddy Bear Factory. Yes, I took pictures. Yes, I will post them. I know you are eager to see them. The tour was about 15 minutes long. I even made my own bear. His name is Elwood P. Dowd, after the Jimmy Stewart character in Harvey. If any of you ever want to go to the factory with me, it is a fun easy thing to do. That night, I went to see Alexander, starring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie. It had lots of fighting, bad dialogue (shame on you Oliver Stone), some historical basis, and some lovely looking men and women. I can't say that I would reccommend it to anybody. If you are a big fan of the two stars, I would say go see it, but seeing as you are already a big fan, you've probably seen it a dozen times already.

Sunday after church, I went Christmas shopping and took a nap. A perfect afternoon! I watched more tv (becoming quite the PBS addict) and made a lovely dinner with a ham I got from Schwann's. The Schwann guy might be coming tonight for another order. I don't know if I will be around, but perhaps next time. I think I am good for now with the food.

All in all, it was a good weekend. I would like to find out about going up to Montreal this next weekend on the bus. That would be a blast.

Frogs is frogs, but dogs is man's best friend...

That was from a Cajun kid on the reality show Trading Spouses. There was a Californian vegan woman who went to live with a Lousiana Cajun man and child while his Cajun wife went to live with the vegan family. The Cajun woman is 10-15 years older than her husband (20 years married) they have a 12 year old boy who is sassy and talks back to his momma. The Cajun family runs a river boat tour and 'gator park. They live on a river boat. They have gator heads all over the property. Not sure what the vegan family does, but they live in a spiffy house in what looks like the canyons of the LA and San Fernando Valley. One of those homes that is affected by fire and flooding.

The vegan dad and kids are intimidated by their vegan wife/mom, who rules with an iron fist. The kids have never eaten meat, as the family has been vegan for 8 years. The families swap for one week. The Cajun mom learns quickly about the vegan family. Though she isn't use to eating that way, she seems pretty game and follows the rules set up by the vegan mom. She meets the vegan friends who practically cry when they hear that she eats gator meat and works with gators. Then the vegan mom freaks out when she sees all of the gator heads and sees that the family is a bunch of meat eaters. The Cajun dad takes them out to dinner at a "fancy" restaurant, where there is little vegan food on the menu. The kid orders crawfish and friedfrog legs (appetizer), much to the dismay of the vegan mom. She tells them that if dogs were the only thing on the planet to eat, she would eat a dog. Would they? The dad said he wouldn't and the kid agreed. She asked why not, if they eat frogs? That's when the boy said,"Frogs is frogs, but dogs is man's best friend." It was a beautiful and touching moment. The vegan mom is critical and chastizing. She keeps saying that "In California, we eat healthier.... In California, we don't live like this...." The Cajun man retorts, "You ain't in California."

I have to say, that both dads were pretty good with the new moms. If I was the Cajun man, I wouldn't have had the patience to live with that vegan woman. She was horrible. Made vegans and Californians look like crazy people. (Sure, some of us are... but the perception becomes a generalization.) The vegan would pick, pick, pick on everything. At the end of the show, the two women get to decide how the other family gets to spend their $50,000. The vegan mom actually did some good things and the Cajun family was pretty pleased. The Cajun mom gave the vegan dad thousands of dollars to put together his orchard, which I thought was really cool of her. And she gave a thousand to each kid (her kid got $2000 for his mud boat.) Also a trip to Hawaii for the family. But when the vegan mom heard about the thousands going to her husband, she flipped out. She even cried at how reckless the Cajun was for doing that. The vegan dad had been happy about the gift until the vegan mom started freaking out. Then, they also got a jacuzzi. The daughter had told the Cajun mom that she really wanted one. When the daughter heard that they were getting a jacuzzi, she laughed. The vegan mom snapped and wiggled her finger at her daughter." This ins't anything to laugh about." The girl replied,"I thought you would like it." "Well I don't. How could she do this to me?" (yes. It's all about her.) Then she continues reading and finds that she gets $20,000 to do with what she wants. She whoops and hollers. The husband meakly says in the "diary room"," What's mine is hers, what's hers is hers." I think this marriage is doomed. If I were him. I would get out. Oh, I forgot another stunning part of the story. The vegan mom has a BIG confession with her family. She ate gator. The family is shocked. The husband laments that after 8 years of preaching no meat, she goes against everything they believe in. "Just when you think you know somebody, you find you don't really know them at all." Like I said, doomed.

That was a great show. Even if it is on Fox.

Turkeys, treasures, pearls, beds and transvestites

What a weekend!

The weekend started out with me leaving the office on Wednesday at about 3:30. People here warned me about the traffic for the holiday. I thought,"Well, I know how holiday traffic is in Los Angeles, I should really prepare myself for bumper-to-bumper. Afterall, it IS the biggest travel day of the year." How shall I describe the traffic situation? Hmm... Well, THANKFULLY the sky was clear. There was a little rain as I got closer to Manchester (going to Jeff's house.) And the traffic? It was terrible. I mean, I was only able to go 65-75 the whole way. Bwha ha ha ha ha! Traffic? To the people here, traffic is 6 cars at a light. It's just plain crazy, I tell ya! There was one spot where I had to go 55-65, but man alive, it was a smooth route. I was a little early to meet Sherri and Jeff, so I went to Target and bought a humidifier (much needed) and a few other thingys. When I got to Jeff's, we had dinner (pizza) and I met his friend Grumpy Gus. Grumpy Gus seemed a little grumpy, but he had said something about being tired and working quite a bit. When Sherri asked Grumpy Gus if he wanted to play Cranium, he balked at the idea of playing with clay. He wouldn't even entertain the idea of playing the game. That was too bad. What a poophead. While that was going on, we were waiting for two of Jeff's other friends to show up. They called from a bar saying they didn't know when they would be over. After much deliberation and a few more calls from the now very drunk bar friends, Jeff and Grumpy Gus left to join them. Sherri and I had a good time just hanging out and talking. We also made cranberry sauce and baked sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. At about 1:30, Jeff came back sans Grumpy Gus. We asked where the VDBFs (Very Drunk Bar Friends) were and he didn't know if they were coming over or not. Then the VDBFs arrived about 15 mins. later. VDBF#1 seemed pretty lucid considering he had been drinking all night. VDBF #2 passed out about 5 minutes after she arrived on the futon I was to sleep on. Thankfully, they ended up sleeping on an air mattress in Jeff's room. But they snored up a storm (what? louder than moi? ) keeping Sherri awake. Jeff had to take them home at about 6:00am. Not a night of sleep, that's for sure.

Thursday early afternoon, Sherri and I arrived at her sister's house. Her sister, husband and three kids live on a 6 acre plot of land in New Hampshire. It is very woodsy. There is even a stream that runs through the property. We had a delicious Thanksgiving meal with all of the regulars - turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pies. It was really yummy. After dinner, we taught two of the older kids (Boy14, Boy5) how to play blackjack. Boy14 thought he was quite the card shark, but when he was losing, realized there is more to playing cards than being a smarty pants. (Actually, he wa a really good sport, just taken aback when he would lose a round and gloat like any 14 yr old would when he won.) We older folk were able to give him some pointers. I lost a whole $1. It reminded me of the days when I went to Las Vegas. For me, Vegas isn't fun unless I have lots of money to spend. Seeing as I never seem to have lots of money to spend there (I am talking wasting thousands and thousands in my dream world) I don't enjoy going. I really admire the people who actually like penny and nickel slots. I just can't do it. Always looking to win. Thank heaven there is a built-in keeper of common sense, otherwise I would have sold a kidney by now. I digress. The food and merriment of Thanksgiving was really fun.

Sherri and I got back to her place at about 7pm. She lives right near the Atlantic. Sadly it was too dark for me to go check it out. Next time I will be sure to. I was able to have a little reunion with her cats Jon and Sis. Sherri and Doug found Jon when he was just a wee ferral kitten. He has become a lovey-dovey with her through persistance and training. However, the ferral cat in him likes to come out at the most inopportun times. Sherri has had Sis since before she met Doug. I think Sis is part Maine coon cat. She has a huge fluffy tail and is a big fluff ball, but not in a Persian cat way. She's a very sweet cat. I think she remembered me too. I was happy to see them. Poor Sherri had a migrane and needed to rest. I was able to talk to a bunch of people to give them Thanksgiving wishes. My brother is in Argentina for a week of vacation. I can't wait to hear about his travels. He always has great adventures. He went to Cuba earlier this year. Maybe I should get into teaching so I can travel too? hmmmm. Anyhow, Jeff joined us at about 9 or 10. I think we ended up going to sleep around 11. I was so tired. Jon, however, didn't want me to enjoy my sleep. For hours, he would mew to go out. I was ready to strangle him. In the past, Sherri had been concerned about letting the cats out at night (she lived near a freeway) and therefore, I didn't want to let Jon out (it was really cold out too.) But in the end, at about 3:30am, I couldn't take it anymore. I let him out and got a good two hours of sleep.

Friday morning, I drove straight to work. Tom let us go early, so I began some Christmas shopping. Between Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I was on the hunt for some good bargains. There weren't many out there. I went to Big Lots. I went to the malls. I went to the grocery store. I did end up buying a bed from Sears. I should get it next week. I am really excited about that. And they will haul away the old bed. Yippee!!! And Charlotte shared some turkey soup and stuffing with me from their Thanksgiving dinner. I had some of the stuffing yesterday and it was rather yummy. I think I will be trying the soup tonight.

Movies - I had borrowed Girl with a Pearl Earring and Harvey from the library. I can watch Harvey over and over. It is one of the best movies around. GWTPE had lovely cinematography, but wasn't that great as a movie. I love Colin Firth though. He was playing a brooding Flemish painter. (Colin Firth, brooding? No!) I went to the movies and saw National Treasure. There were only two reasons I saw the movie - a gal from work (Carrie) wanted to go see it, and Sean Bean (yum.) There was too much Nicholas Cage in it. I look back on my three week Nicholas Cage infatuation with disgust. I just don't see it. What was I thinking? Anyhow, Sean Bean wasn't in it enough. I thought the movie was a little blah. The acting and dialogue was not so good overall. I thought that if a person thought the history was interesting in the movie, that maybe they will take the time to look up the true facts about the masons and our Founding Fathers. Who knows? It might inspire a whole generation to exlpore the past. (Somehow I doubt it.) I can tell you that this wanna be Indiana Jones AIN'T no Indiana Jones. I also signed up for Netflix and got my first three in the mail. I watched Amores Perros and The Passion of the Christ. Amores Perros is a dark movie about distructive relationships. There are some pretty graphic dog fights too. Ick. Still, it was a good movie. The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson was a very controversial film this year. As a film, I thought Mel took a good deal of artistic license around the story of Jesus Christ. I guess that is his perogative. I didn't care for the Satan/woman thing. Didn't feel it added to the story at all. I thought it was great that is wasn't in English. And the scenes of the beatings, walk to Calvary and the crucifiction were really well done (horrible and gruesome, very realistic.) The Roman guards were nicely brutal and evil, as were the priests (wicked, that is.) Mary Magdalene almost seemed like an extra. I felt it really stayed true to the words that Jesus spoke and was probably a good representation of what crucifictions were like in those days. I thought it was also a good film. I was really glad that Mel wasn't in it himself (except for his hand.) I also thought Jim Caviezel did an outstanding job. Today, I turned in those two Netflix. I have Bad Santa to still watch. I will review that later.

So Sunday after church, I went with Charlotte to the downtown mall. It's the two story one that is about a third of the size of the Glendale Galleria. It is a decent mall. I didn't buy anything there except for Spin magazine who's cover featured U2. However, the mall trip was not in vain. I saw my first (recognizable) Burlington transvestite!! Fabulous! I felt like I was in Los Angeles. How refreshing. So Burlington isn't all just cruncy, granola, flamin', straight-laced liberals. I dig it! I think Charlotte was a bit shocked. He was about 5'11"-6', with long brown hair in loose pigtails, lots of makeup (of course) and wore a short skirt, sweater, long scarf and colored tights with baby doll shoes. A rather cute outfit.

So it hasn't snowed and it rained for a good part of the weekend. All in all, that was just fine with me. And I am in love with my humidifier. I think it has helped me sleep better. Maybe I should cancel the bed? Ha! Naw.

Like I said, what a weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!! 

Monday, Tuesday and Teksture

You know, I really have nothing exciting to report today. Monday was a really busy work day. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. I came home and watched that really trashy reality show, Trading Spouses. Where do they find these people? I know that they play to the camera to a certain degree, but it really is absurd. When will we get quality programming?

Today was pretty busy too, but less overwhelming. I am sure there is stuff that I should have done and forgot to do. I also got three new clients. I had a unfullfilling lunch, so I am starving now. I am making chicken again. Looking forward to that. Tonight is a big TV night, however, I must read before watching TV.

My friend Jesse's band, Teksture has a great video out. Check it out below. For more information on their band, check out the link on the side of my page. ( I am just so excited that I could copy this video. Now if I could just load the pictures onto the site....)


Enjoy!

Crafts, movies and oil changes

What a weekend!

It started Friday night when I went outside of Burlington to see a movie. Team America. It's certainly not a movie for the family. It's crass, disgusting, obscene and freakin' hilarious (in parts.) It's made by the people who created South Park. I knew it would leave theaters soon, so I went to a theater just south of Burlington to see it. It was at a Megaplex called the Majestic. It is located in an open mall. I have to say that their popcorn isn't as good as the stuff I get at the Roxy, but it'll do.

Saturday I weighed in at Weightwatchers and gained 3 lbs. Well, if ya don't follow the program, and you pack in popcord and cheese-garlic breadsticks, plus M&Ms and Junior Mints, you are bound to gain weight. I am annoyed with myself, but it's not like anybody forced me to eat that crap. So I drowned my depression in food over the weekend, and made a promise to myself to get back on track this week. So far, so good. But it IS only Monday, and Thanksgiving is in a few days. After the weigh-in, I picked up my landlady, Charlotte and we went to a couple of craft fairs. It was really fun. Her grandkids were at one of them. I bought some Christmas presents and we drove over to the second one. Not much there, but it was fun to look around. People make the same kind of crap whether they are in California or Vermont. There are some subtle differences, though. At the ones we went to Saturday, there were more Vermont-esque things - more winter wear/accessories and maple syrup products. I met a man who I had seen on TV who makes pens out of used wood from great old trees and buildings that have been cut down. That was cool. Well, after the craft thingys, Charlotte kindly took me to Costco (love it!) in Winooski and then we went to Big Lots in Essex Junction (don't I sound like a native?) The Big Lots amazed me. It had furniture, including mattresses!! I am closer to getting a mattress. It's now a matter of budget. I WILL get one. I will. After that exciting time, we went to get my car oil changed. Everything turned out well. I am so glad, since I traveled 4.700 miles before landing there. After the shopping spree, I went home and watched movies and tv.

Sunday I went to a church in Burlington. It was pretty big. I thought the service was great. It is a place I would go back to. Hopefully I can start meeting people there. I don't have money for a class yet, so church is a free way to meet and make friends. After church, I went to the Roxy to see Bridget Jones sequel. I remember liking the first one, and I enjoyed the second one. Normally, I would break it apart and talk about the merits of the film, but Colin Firth and Hugh Grant were just dandy. Sigh. Nothing else to say about it. It is a chick flick. Then, (as if that wasn't exciting enough) I went to the library to check out a few more movies. I will let you know how those go. Sunday night was filled with Prime Time tv.

I had a dream last night that I was in Mexico swimming in a triathlon and building a house for a poor family. Then, as I finished both (didn't even swim in the dream, but you know how dreams are) I saw a missle launch from the far south end of the coast (as we also built the house near the beach) We were in the Middle East (of course. Mexico is part of the Middle East. Didn't you know that?) and I watched with a crowd of people as the missle left our view. Moments later, a large plane on fire came crashing through the sky and blew up several miles away from our location. I ran to find somebody who could help me get out of Mexico and nobody spoke English. Nobody seemed to be able to help me. I had no identification on me. I could only name food in Spanish and say,"Como se di se?" I found a woman who spoke English and was willing to help me get out of the country, though she was risking her life doing it.

That's about all I remember. I don't know if I ever got out of Mexico.

About last night - Prince Harry and President Clinton

Last night, after I had a fabulous dinner of salad, chili and garlic bread, I settled down into my Thursday evening television routine. "The OC" had a band on called the Walkmen. Apparently, they are a band with growing popularity. I thought they sucked. My friend's band Teksture should be on "The OC". Come on now. By the way, if you click on their link, you can hear a couple of their songs and sign up for their email list. They play in the LA area mainly. They just did a gig in Las Vegas this past weekend. They are a band to watch.

Anywhooo, after the show, I channel flipped a bit and waited for the Diane Sawyer interview with Prince Harry. I came across a Peter Jennings interview with Ex-Pres Clinton, who just opened up his Presidential library in Louisiana. They walked inside the building and Clinton showed off various points of interest. He seemed really proud of the replica of the Oval Office. Jennings seemed impatient and didn't want to hear about the details of the library. I thought that was rude. Maybe Clinton has ADD and talks too much? He seemed so enthusiastic. They said that when Harry Truman left office, he would give daily tours to people in his library. I think that is really cool. Did Regan? Nope. I bet he only stepped foot in his library on the day they opened it. Okay, that might be harsh. I bet he went to it a few more times for presentations and to see the portrait exhibit I saw when I went there. There was a particularly interesting one made out of jelly beans (Regan's favorite treat.) Back to Clinton... Clinton has on display images and text about some of the scandals during his presidency. One of the great things he pointed out was that while he was receiving a standing ovation from the United Nations (a rare thing for an American president) the news only showed the Impeachment trial. Hmmm. And they interviewed Kenneth Starr who said he has no issues with Clinton and forgives him. Forgives HIM? Who is the man that brought on the hysteria? Uh... Kenneth Starr. Sure, Clinton was the Center of the hysteria, but Starr was into the hunt of it all. I could go on, but as Clinton said, "forgive."

Now, I also watched a special with Diane Sawyer who interviewed Prince Harry. It was really great. He is taking after his mother in terms of helping bring awareness of AIDS in Africa. He worked with a village in the Southern region of Africa. It was really moving. It's a village of primarily children who are either infected with AIDS or whose parents dumped them there because either the parents had AIDS or they thought the kids might. There is a superstition/custom in that culture where a man will have sex with a baby to prevent them from getting AIDS. It's horrible. It happens all the time. The people don't understand how the disease is spread. Prince Harry took his "gap" (the time between high school and university in the English school system) to work with the children. I hadn't seen him since his mother's funeral (except for the tabloids talking about his pot smoking.) He seems to have grown up into a smart and thoughtful young man. There is hope for the future. :-)

This just in... Geo.W.'s patsy

Got a moment? Check out the latest in political humor.

Georgie W.'s patsy - who is he? What has he done for America? Find out here.

Big, life changing news...

...Burlington is getting a HOOTERS! I know. You are just as excited as I am. Now I know where I can work part time, if I need to. ha ha ha ha ha! It was a big item on the news last night. From what the report said, Hooters will be opening up it's first Vermont restaurant in good ol' Burlington. Maybe it was South Burlington. I can't remember. It's like saying It's opening up in North Hollywood, and it is really opening up in Toluca Lake. Semantics. There was one in Plattsburgh that closed after a few months because of lack of interest. I am sure there is going to be protesting and people will try their hardest to prevent it from opening next year. Who cares? Does it demoralize women? Well, I bet the women who work their know exactly what they are getting into. Will men think less of us because of Hooters? I doubt it. Afterall, they just go for the wings, right?

Last night I went to Sears and checked out the University Mall. For those of you who've been to Southcoast Plaza or even the Glendale Galleria, don't think this is as big as those are. It ain't no Mall of America either, but it is neat, clean, well-lit and has about four department stores (Kohls, Sears, JC Penny and Bon Ton) a Victoria's Secret, Spencer Gifts and a dozen or so other shops to please Vermontiers. It is suppose to be the biggest mall in the state. Yup. That's what they say.

It's cloudy and warmish. No rain or snow yet. This weekend we are suppose to have lovely weather. Yippee!

Sears, Sleeping and Alfie

Still trying to figure out what to do about the bed. Sears is having a great sale. However, with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, I am SURE there are going to be better sales out there. Plus, I will have another paycheck to use towards it. Until then, I shall sleep on the contraption I have created, or the floor. I am not below sleeping on the floor if it means extra sleep. I do need to tell my landlord that the bed just isn't working out.

I saw "Alfie" last night. I would like to see the original, to see what they changed. I thought it was okay. I love Jude Law, so that helped me enjoyment quite a bit. Jude is in about 6 movies this year. Sheesh! I saw a preview last night for a movie that I didn't know he was in. I wonder if he broke up with his wife on account of him working so much or if somebody had an affair. Alfie is such a shallow fellow. I hope Jude isn't as shallow as that character he portrayed. I will never know. It's not like he will come to Burlington. Then again, maybe he heard about the wonderful skiiing (wait - we don't have any snow yet!)

Tonight I go to Sears to make a payment. Exciting, I know. For dinner, I might gorge on Kraft Deluxe Mac and Cheese. Oh, I would like to mention that I did read last night. I continued reading "The Hobbit". It's a damn fine book. If you haven't read it, you really should. There are so many books and movies that have been made in the last several decades that have been inspired by this series.

BTW, no snow. No rain. What's the deal? I didn't come to Burlington, Vermont for this. I came for SNOW, DAMNIT. Where's the snow? "It's a long, Indian summer," they say. What do our Native American brethren think about that? Why is it called summer? Why can't they just call it a long, dry fall? I don't understand. Please explain that to me. If you know any meterologists who know the answer, please have them post a comment.

Enough of this. It's after six and time for me to go. I know. This post really isn't that interesting. I do care. But today I just have nothing interesting to write about. I don't even have anything uninteresting to write about. I could go on, but why?

Work. TV. Eat. Read. Sleep. Poop. That's my exciting life. I haven't read Bridget Jone's Diary, but feel that with this blog, perhaps I should. But her fictional life is so much more exciting. Just looking at what they put in the first movie, if that was my life, I would make a movie about it.

I think tomorrow I will shake things up a bit. I don't know what I will do, or how. I just feel compelled to.

I would like to note, in conclusion, that there are several people in the office who have brought in their dogs. Buster (a bulldog) and Jake (a lab mix)Very nice dogs. I would love to bring in Smudge and Steve my cats, but think people might not warm up to them like people do to dogs. But I know they would have a great time here. In my company, I will have my cats in the office. I love the bookshops that have cats. There is something to be said about cats in a bookshop. Maybe that's what I need to do. Open a bookshop. But that might mean reading or encouraging others to read. Maybe not. Maybe I will just eat Snicker bars and watch tv all day. Yes. That's the life for me.

ha ha ha ha ha! Look at how much more I wrote after I said I wouldn't write more. I am now sounding really stupid.

Bank update

I got some temporary checks today at the bank. I am so glad. I was able to close out a couple of California debts. That made me feel really great. It is the little things in life that can make a world of difference.

My chicken lunch today was divine. Yum. Wow. Yum. I need to make this again.

Oh, there is a big craft festival this coming weekend. I asked Charlotte this morning if she wanted to go, and she said yes. I will get to see the craftsmanship of Vermont. I am really looking forward to that.

Tonight - reading. But that is only after seeing "Alfie". Then again, I might just go home and see "Alfie" tomorrow. I have all the time in the world. :-)

Sears, Reality Shows and an air mattress

I went to Sears after work to explore the mattress situation. The one I wanted wasn't on the floor. It was in a closet. The sales guy told me that it was for kids, not adults. (Bullcrap.) The next price up was on display. I tried it out. Omigawd. It was like floating on a cloud. But it was a $400 cloud. I went home to check on the current mattress and box spring. Both are really worn out. I was thinking the situation through, and then thought I would try the air mattress on top of the other two. I pumped it up and put my open sleeping bag on top of that. More on that later. I feel compelled to go in sequence....

After the bed set up, I had dinner from my leftover chicken/pasta. I sauteed onions and mushrooms and boyohboy, it was guuuuuud. I settled myself down for a night of lame television. Let me preface the tv experience by saying that I now have a change planned after spending hours of watching really pathetic shows. I caught the last bit of Seinfeld and watched a bit on a PBS show about Arlington (interesting and informative.) But I WASTED a good portion of my evening watching "Trading Spouses", on the Fox channel. This is almost exactly like the ABC show "Wife Swapping" or something like that. Women trade positions for a week and get to assign $50,000 to the family they stay with. At least with the ABC show, they spend two weeks and the first week, the woman has to abide by the house rules, wherein the second week, she makes the rules. Anyhow, it was about a Jewish family and a Christian family. Both were horrible. The Jewish family was bitter and non-responsive to the Christian mom, and the Christian family forced their beliefs onto the Jewish mom. The Christian family were made up of rather conservative Bush-Cheney supporters, whereas the Jewish family was made up of unbending, liberal Democrats. Watching that show, I wouldn't want to be of either religion or political party. Ick. The Christian woman was a little too hyper-positive, where the Jewish woman (always dressed in black) was down on everything the family did together. What a waste of my brain power. I am sure I lost brain cells by watching the show. After that horrible experience I continued watching tv and found an interesting show about the Maidenform bra - how it was created and by whom. That was a really interesting show to watch. We woman should be gratetful to Ida Rosenthal for breaking us out of the constricting "look like your brother" fashion of the Flappers and into appreciating the female form. All that PBS programming aside, I have decided to spend my hours reading more and watching tv less. I got "The Hobbit" from my brother for Christmas last year and have really be enjoying reading it. So now when I get home after work, I will break open one of the several books I have to read.

Now... the air mattress results. I had a MUCH better night sleep with the extra padding below me than I have in the last few days. It was great!! I still need a more permanent solution, but this should work for now....

Flannel lined pants - how sweet it is!

Just a quick note to say that I got my flannel lined pants Saturday. I can't wait to wear them! They look and feel so comfy!! Thanks for the suggestion, Stephanie of the Mountains!

Clear skies all weekend!! And the porch!!

Friday night after work, I decided to not go see Grease, but see a movie instead. I have lots of movie cathing up to do. I went to see Shall We Dance? starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon. I had seen the Japanese version a few years ago, which I thought was really good. I was hesitant about seeing the American version, since so many times the American version butchers the original foreign film. I waited until it came to the cheap theaters before seeing it. Well, it wasn't too bad. I am not a huge Gere or Lopez fan, but I thought they were good for their roles. I enjoyed it. I am always a sucker for dance movies. It isn't a musical, keep that in mind (for all of you anti-musical people.) If you like foreign films, see the Japanese version instead.

After the movie, I went to Hannaford's for my weekly grocery shopping. I am now loaded up for the next two weeks. That will also be good, in case my bank (the new one) doesn't give me my checks so that I can spend the money they now are in posession of. Growl.

Saturday morning, I went to my Weight Watcher's meeting. The week before, I thought I had gained 6 lbs, but that was a typo by the person weighing me in. I know some of you can tell if you gain an ounce, but when you have as much poundage as I do, I don't really notice it coming or going until it's about 10 lbs. Anyhow, the mistake was that I only gained 1.6 while on my trip. I lost 1.2 this past week, which made me jump for joy! There is something to be said about eating tuna and brown rice all week. I think I shall do that this week too (except for some modifications as I just went shopping...) After the weigh in, I went to do laundry. That was a lovely experience.

The laundromat is a block away from my apartment. It is small, but clean with paintings of sea life along the walls. The washers I used needed a knife inserted into a slot to push the button that actually starts the washing process. Thanks to my mom, I had a roll of quarters ready for usin'. I did two loads and was done with the whole thing in about an hour. Then I was off to explore Burlington. I went to one of the libraries in the area and got a library card. No, it's not for reading. It's for video and DVD rentals. Reading? Are you serious? It takes me months to read a book. I am currently reading two - the Hobbit and poetry by Kahil Gibran. I have about four other books lined up for my next choice, so the library is only for movies. I rented three - This is Spinal Tap, Bob Roberts and Idiot's Delight (which I have not seen yet.) For those of you who love the behind-the-scenes documentaries, you MUST see Spinal Tap, if you haven't. It's a look into a British hair band. It is really insightful. Deep. Touching. And the druids... wow. For those of you who like politics, see Bob Roberts. It is a very timely movie. Anyhow, the library doesn't have a wide selection of movies to choose from. I won't sign up for Netflix as an alternative until I know if I am staying here or not. On with the journal...

After the brief library experience, I drove home in the snow. Okay, it was just tiny balls that would melt quickly, but it was still snow. I got home and took a nap, since I had a headache. I woke up in time to go to Kmart. Kmart is really close to one of the movie theaters, where I was to meet Tom at to see The Incredibles. There was so much for me to see at Kmart that I was beside myself. I have no money to spend on extras (except gas, food and movies) so I just price shopped. I am looking into getting a vaccuum or a carpet sweeper. There is about a $10 difference. I also saw a bedside lamp that I would like to get. That is about $30. I am looking into alternatives. I don't NEED a lamp, but I would LIKE one. Anyhow, I spent about 30-45 minutes looking and ended up buying hangers and cat litter (for if I get stuck in the snow...) I saw The Incredibles, which is another fab Pixar flick. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate the fact that story is so important to them. It makes a world of difference. Sigh. Refreshing. Then Tom and I went to a place that is like the Sizzler. Cheap buffet. It was pretty good. Except for the ice cream and corn fritters, I think I did pretty well within my eating plan. When I got home, I watched the news for the weather reports.

Sunday morning I woke up a little earlier than I had planned. I wanted to watch the news to find out if it was going to snow. As I was going to be driving out to Moorebury, I didn't want to rish a snowy death. Well, the reporters didn't say a word about snow or rain. I watched a good show about the Crusades and how misguided the Crusaders were. For the first time, I heard the Crusades described as a Christian jihad. Many Muslims look at the Crusades as that, and therefore feel that they have much to revenge about. I understand that. People do all kinds of horrible things in the name of religion. These days, we don't emphasise the rapes and piledge as a plus to warfare, but we know it happens. Sure, not to the degree that it might have centuries ago, but it happens. I would go on with that subject, but my lunch break is only an hour. ha ha ha ha.

I drove to my dad's friend Steve's church south of Burlington. The sky was perfectly clear of clouds. While I drove, I looked around at the frost-bitten fields, so grey, tan and brown. So many trees have lost their leaves, it looks so bland and barren, but strangely beautiful. I am really looking forward to seeing what this area looks like with snow. It took me about 40 minutes to get to the church. There were so many friendly people there and the service was good. I hung out after church for a few hours talking with Steve. I had never met him, but he and my dad are good friends. We have heard about each other for years. It was nice to finally meet him and his family. When I got home, I settled in for another nap because I had another headache. I think my body is having a hard time adjusting to all of the new foliage. I haven't had a day where I haven't been plugged up. The headaches were very sinusy. After a restless nap, I got up and made a great dinner. I baked chicken (skinless/boneless) with wheat pasta and a salad. It was really good, if I do say so myself. I ended up watching a bunch of tv. My Sunday usual (Desparate Housewives) wasn't on because of the American Music Awards. I ended up watching Henry VIII, on PBS. Thankfully, I get two PBS stations. I really like that. I have also been watching Regency House Party, unlike American reality romance shows, the people have to dress in period garb and act like the people of the time. It is a hoot seeing people try to not bring in their 21st century ideals into the 19th century.

And finally, the porch... My lanlord, Bob and his son built out a porch and stairs over the small, cement steps that led up to our homes. They did it all on Saturday. It is awesome! I have room to stand and open the door without fear of losing my balance and slipping on the snow or ice (whenever it may come.) It is really great. Charlotte said they were going to build a rail around it as well. That will be just dandy too.

But the bed. The bed I sleep upon is horrid. I am glad that I have a bed, but it is so soft and broken down that when I sit up with my feet on the floor, my knees are not parallel with my bum, they are sloping upwards. Sears is having a sale on a full size bed. I might just have to get it. It would be a vast improvement. I might have to check it out tonight after work.

Bank hoodwinked

I went to the bank at lunch today. Now, just so you know, I had already signed online. I thought that would save time. The woman found my name in the computer but still had me repeat all of my information to her. I wanted a checking account, but she wasn't able to give me even temporary checks or an ATM card. Those will come in a few days. I was able to deposit my paycheck, which was a very good thing. I do have a reciept for it. No checks. No ATM. Not even my bank number. I feel so stupid. I was there for almost the whole hour lunch break. They have my money. If they didn't have such a professional display (with all the signage, logos, office) I would think I had been hoodwinked.

This week went pretty well. I have several clients now and several sites to work on. I am keeping pretty busy.

I am looking forward to the weekend. I will be seeing a few movies and exploring Burlington. I might even venture to Ethan Allan's homestead.

Veteran's Day... no bank; and white people who clean

I had a sleepless night just thinking about going to the bank today. Well, the bank was closed in honor of Veteran's Day. Tom, who is a veteran, should have had the day off, but is a dedicated employee and came into work. I, not remembering the holiday, went to Key Bank to sign up. But lo and behold, it was CLOSED. The gal at the parking gate didn't charge me for the time it took for me to check the bank door. Bless her heart. I then drove around downtown Burlington. Church street seems to be the place to go, so I will have to check that out on the weekend.

I heard on NPR-VT about "Grease" which is playing through the weekend. That sounds like something I might do on Friday night if I get the bank thing to happen. I do have plans on seeing the Incredibles on Saturday. I freakin' love Pixar. They are one of the best production houses on Planet Earth. That's because they believe in storytelling. That is key to their success. I could go on and on about Pixar. If you want to see just how great they are, check out their site: www.pixar.com.

Now, on to the second part of my subject line... Here in Burlington, the ratio of whites to non-whites is large. In my 'hood, I have found a nice mixture of colors. I have seen European types like myself, Sudanese (there is a Sudanese woman who lives across the street with about three kids) and I have seen Hispanic. But in the cleaning services I have seen (including this office building) I have only seen white people. Just an observation. Not a pro or con. It just is what it is. In the Los Angeles area, I have seen mostly non-whites in cleaning service jobs. It just struck me as different. How about that?

A good friend of mine sent me a certificate for LLBean. I will be buying lined pants and long johns online. I am really excited about that. They will come in handy with this crazy, cold weather.

Today I spoke with my clients about their sites. It was a good day of work. I also attended a training session. Also a good thing. There are lots of details to this job that it makes my brain hurt. I am that way with every new job, so I will survive.

:-)

Payday - how sweet it is!

So, today was payday. I got my check and to my joy, they didn't take anything out for taxes. Tomorrow I will go get a bank account and deposit that lovely check into it. Yippee!! Now I can pay some bills, buy food and fly to Paris for the weekend (just kidding about the paying bill part. Okay. I am really just kidding about the Paris thing.)

Joy of Payday
by Mrs. Han Solo

I sit waiting.
Waiting for a golden coin.
Here she comes, with bundles of white.
Like the falling leaves of Autumn, she drops one onto my desk.
I grab it and tear it, like a hungry animal, my eyes wild with lust.
It laughs at me, for Uncle Sam it does not know.
I will embrace it fondly until the day of tomorrow.
Tomorrow will draw it into less safety than it is in my hands.
Tomorrow will bring peace and piece for me.
Joy.
Payday.

More of the mundane....

After work I came home and made me some dinnah. I cooked wheat pasta and added some onions, mushrooms, tuna and herbs. It was rather tasty. I had enough for leftovers for today's lunch. Then I tried on some clothes I got in the mail as a present from my friend Helen. I watched a few hours of exciting television. However, I think tonight I might have to go to the movies again. I just need to find a way to fill up my time between work and primetime tv. One can only watch Seinfeld reruns so many times. Now, if the Simpsons were on during those hours, that would be great.

Last night... movie. Tonight... tv

Last night I decided since the library closes at 6pm, thatI needed to go to the movies. Also, I hadn't been to the movies in about a month. For those of you who know my movie passion, you know this is a hard thing for me. Well, the Roxy movie theater is located near the heart of downtown Burlington. It is only about $7 for a movie and the popcorn is pretty darn tasty. I saw Motorcycle Diaries, which is about the travels of two friends in the early 1950s in South America. One of the actors, Gael García Bernal, was in Y Tu Mamá También, and a few other Spanish/Mexican films that managed to get into the USA. It was a really good film. Not really a buddy picture, in the modern, slapstick sense. If you haven't seen it, go check it out!!

Of course, after the movie, I went home for my nightly tv viewing. Sad to say, not much on tv Monday nights except for sports. I did watch Las Vegas, which combined efforts with the cast from Crossing Jordan. Thank heaven for Tuesday nights. There is LOTS for me to watch. But I have to finish crocheting the baby blanket I am working on. Just started it. I plan on finishing it this week. Then I have a scarf to do. Already have the materials. If you are interested in a scarf for yourself or a friend, let me know. They make great presents!

Chocolate... THE TOUR

Today Elissa (co-worker) and I went to the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory, and took the "tour". I say "tour" since it was pretty much a let's-look-through-the-observation-window-while-I-talk-about-chocolate tour. The entrance to the factory is really the gift shop. There are rows and rows of products ranging from the dark and white chocolate turkey centerpiece to the milk chocolate-rasberry filled truffles. I will get to that in a minute. First... the "tour" begins. A young guy told us to go up to the observation deck and he would join us in a few minutes. True to his word, he did. He explained where chocolate comes from (and all this time I thought it was from chocolate fairies!) and showed us the cocoa pod from whence cocoa beans come from. Then there is this crazy fragmented stuff that comes out of the cocoa bean (our guide didn't seem to know himself what it is called.) Then, cocoa butter and cocoa maize are formed. Did you know that white chocolate has only cocoa and no maize? Anyhoo, there were workers adding chocolate faces to snowman molds and a worker who has the task of leveling off the pre-truffle truffles (I forget the name our guide called these things.) The chocolate is not made at this factory, ony melted and formed. The chocolate arrives from Belgium in little chips of white, dark and milk chocolate. Then it is melted down and formed. There is lots of manual labor to the process including powdering, decorating and stuffing the chocolate (stuffing the kind that has fillings is done by hand, mostly here.) The packaging room was off limits to our view. However, our guide did offer us a bunch of peanutbutter w/milk chocolate truffles and dark chocolate with cherry filling truffles. Both were really tasty, and that's coming from a girl who doesn't like cherry flavored things. It was a lovely experience. I think I might go back to buy some Xmas presents....

On top of that, Elissa and I found we have several interests in common. This might make for a delightful adventure buddy.

Okay. I will open a checking account

As soon as it is payday, I will open a checking account. I have done some research here and it seems that the banks I want require a $50 deposit in order to open. So I have to wait.

It is snowing here. It is so cool to see. I have seen snow before, but I am enjoying the view from my window on the 3rd floor.

Tonight I might go see The Incredibles, another Pixar release. I am really looking forward to seeing movies. I was going to go to the library, so at this point I don't quite know what to do. So many choices!!!

:-)

The Wonderful Weekend

Friday
After the Friday pity-party, I came home and discovered money. I had money to go to New Hampshire with! I called Sherri in New Hampshire and arranged to meet her at her house Saturday afternoon. My spirits lifted not just because I found the money, but because I was going to see one of my really good friends. Though I have only been gone for a few weeks, I am really impatient about making friends. I know I keep mentioning it, but it is a big issue for me, the social butterfly. This week, I am looking into clubs or organizations that may help me out in that area. There is also church. When the winter schedule for community classes comes out, I will sign myself up for a class or two. I need cheap social outlets. I will join the YMCA for swimming, which will also help me physically and mentally. I understand (and am beginning to accept) that I have only been here for a week and it takes time to make friends. I am so use to the pool of friends in California that I can call upon to go do things with and hang out with at any day of the week that this is going to be harder for me to adjust to than the snow. Okay, you snow-livers are probably laughing, saying "Just wait and see, you sheltered Californian!" Enough on that. I have a fabulous weekend to write about.

Saturday
I got up around 8am and putzed around the house for a bit. I was going to my first Weight Watchers meeting in three weeks, and I was sooo hungry. But one of the mental games a W2 person plays is that on weigh-in day, one does not eat before the weigh-in. Needless to say, I was looking forward to getting off the scale. The W2 meeting was at a Catholic church in the north end of Burlington. I had been to the area before which is near Hannaford's grocery store and the $3 theater. The meeting was held in the basement of one of the community rooms on the church campus. There were about 25 people there. I gave them my information packet that the Glendale W2 had let me take with me. They welcomed me warmly. I stepped on the scale and was not suprised at all to have gained 6 lbs. I am really glad it was only 6. I ate pretty crappy on my trip and this past week. It will be good to get back on track with the program. The leader was a really energetic man who enjoys what he does. It was a good meeting. I am looking forward to going this Saturday.

After the meeting, I went back home and packed a few things for the weekend. I think I managed to leave at about 11:30. The drive to New Hampshire was filled with sunshine and clear skies. It was an easy drive down the I-89 to I-93 into New Hampshire. Many of the trees have lost their leaves and it reminded me of the forrests of California during fire season. Only I know these trees are just "sleeping" for the winter. :-) As I was driving, Sherri called and suggested I meet her at her boyfriend Jeff's house in Manchester. It was about 40 miles closer to me than her house. I got to Jeff's place around 2:30. Manchester is one of the biggest towns in New Hampshire. Is it located right off of the 93 Interstate. It was nice getting to know Jeff while I was waiting for Sherri. Then, as if by magic, Sherri appeared. I almost cried when I saw her. I haven't seen her since January. We spent a glassy-eyed moment looking at each other. It was strange to see each other in New Hampshire. We kept talking about that all weekend. We made a trip to Target which is really close to Jeff's house. There isn't a Target in Vermont and I feel that I have been horribly teased by the ads on TV. I bought a scarf/glove set, a rack for the bathroom and a light for my closet. Then we went over to Pier One Imports and Michael's, where I bought some containers for the bathroom rack. It may not sound that exciting to you, dear readers, but for a gal who hasn't stepped foot in one of those stores (which she loves so dearly) in over three weeks, it was really exciting. After we shopped, we went to dinner with Jeff at a Mexican food restaurant. It was suprisingly good. We came back and vegged for a bit before playing a few rounds of Scattegories. It was a pretty perfect day.

Sunday
We woke up some time after 9:30 and slowly got ourselves together. We drove into the French section of Manchester and ate a big brunch at a French cuisine restaurant. It was also very tasty food. Sherri and I split an omlette and waffle (piled high with whipped cream and strawberries. So much for Weight Watchers.) After that, we went to a park that had a big rock then I headed home. The rocks in New Hampshire are big and granite. I was thinking about this while I was driving to and from New Hampshire. I am use to the sedimentary layers of sandstone and not igneous rocks like granite. The granite was a spectacular site to see. I really enjoyed my drive to and from New Hampshire. The weather was superb and the visuals were pretty good, even with the aforementioned vision of dead California trees. I look forward to seeing what it looks like with snow. Sherri has invited me to her sister's house for Thanksgiving, which I am thrilled about. I am still not sure what I will be doing for Christmas. Our company does take the day after Christmas off.

Sunday evening was good. I talked to a few friends and family and watched two good shows. The first one, Extreme Makeover Home Edtion was a real tear-jerker. Really it was. There was a dad and mom who were both deaf who had two boys. The oldest son was hearing normal, whereas the younger son was not only blind, but was also autistic. It was a really wonderful show to watch. The family is so loving and caring. The show not only gave them a bigger house, but it had safety features and accessories to accomodate the family's needs. After that, I saw Desperate Housewives, which is a really fun show. I think I managed to get to bed around 11pm.

Oh, my phone. I called Verizon to check on my minutes and found that I owe them HUNDREDS of dollars that accrued during my trip out here. That means that unless you are with Verizon, I won't be calling you much until I get a land line. It blew me over just how much I owed them. I am calling the phone company this week to find out about rates. Sheesh! I just need to not be so chatty. So emailing me and sending me snail mail is always welcomed.

Tomorrow I have a date with one of my co-workers to check out the chocolate factory during lunch time. I am really excited about that tour. I got coupons for free candy when I stopped at a rest stop on my way back from New Hampshire.

Next weekend, I will be going back to New Hampshire and visiting a friend of my dad's near Stowe Vermont. The Von Trapp Lodge is near there too. The hills are alive....

This weekend was really rejuvenating. I am excited about my second week at work and look forward to learning more each day. Tonight I might be checking out the library on my way home.

Here comes the weekend and what am I doing?

Not a whole heck of a lot.

I checked around the web, and couldn't find a check cashing place here. I am not exactly suprised. I suppose it is for the best. I can get out and explore the world around me without spending money. I will have to do that au pied, as to not use up gas foolishly. There is a park a about 1/2 mile from my apartment that I might have to check out. Downtown isn't too far away either. There is a place called Church Street, which is closed off like the 3rs Street Promenade in Santa Monica. I will explore that tomorrow and let you know what kinds of goodies I find. My friend Alex sent me an email about a good breakfast place for me to check out next week. All will be better after payday.

So, my friend Los gave me a book about odd places in Vermont to explore. I will have to take a look at that to see if there is anything local I can check out. There is always reading, but I need to be outside while the sun shines. I can read after dark. :-)

Work went well today. I had my first client contact. There is still so much to learn here. Lots of little pieces to the puzzle. I finished a diagram of the production flow. I feel pretty good about it. I got input from my team members, since they know the process and I am just learning it. I sent it to my supervisor for review.

I hope it snows tomorrow. That would be great. Now that I have a scraper, I am almost prepared for snow. I should go, as everybody else in my department has left for the weekend. More postings from the library this weekend...

No dough...no go...

Here's the thing. I have about $600 wrapped up in a retirement account from my temp agency I was with in MAY. When I opened up the mail from Doug yesterday, I found the document that shared this wonderful news with me. I called somebody from the firm today and I have to get some @#$%ing forms in the mail, fill them out and send them back. Then I am sure it will be three or four weeks before I get a little check in the mail. I can't wait!! I also have a check for a couple of hundred dollars from a California bank that I can't do anything with. Well, I suppose that isn't exactly true. I have options:

1. I could open a local bank account and deposit the check there. Of course, I should probably do that anyhow. I would have a three day waiting period on the account, so I couldn't take out the money that I need this weekend. So I can wait on that one.
2. I could mail the check back to California to deposit in my credit union there. That would probably take three days.
3. I could find one of those check cashing places in Burlington, which would take 1/3 of the money for "processing."

Why oh, why didn't I set up a bank account earlier in the week? I have just screwed myself out of having a nice weekend with my friend in New Hampshire, since I don't even have the gas money to spend (unless I go with the aforementioned #3 option.)

Poop on a stick. Between the money situation and Arafat in a coma, I just want to stick my head in a hole and die. Okay, I am being dramatic about it, but if I wasn't dramatic, I wouldn't be me. So LAY OFF the criticism. There are always options, Mrs. Han Solo. Hey, that reminds me of a story...

My brother the teacher and head of his department at the high school where he teaches told me a funny. One semester, as he was creating the course schedules for his department he had a teacher that came up to him with a problem. Bob (my brother, not to be confused with Bob the landlord) had given each of the teachers a few different selections for their class schedules. The teacher approached him feeling very frustrated. He didn't like the schedule. He snapped at my brother something like,"You aren't being fair. You aren't giving me any choices. There are only options." Bwhaaahaahaa!!!!

The lesson for me is, don't be a dumb-ass. Think before you speak. We all have options AND choices in life. I choose the aforementioned #3 (check cashing place) to solve my problem.