1, 2, 3, 4... Sunday, January 17, 2010
Somehow this year I sort of managed to avoid the New Years Blues. Maybe I got a little sad but it's been much better than it has in years past. I'm attributing it to having done so much in the last year, checking things off my to-do list.I'm not a fan of resolutions, because most don't seem to stick. But to-do lists seem different. So far I've gotten a couple of them already taken care of, granted they are simple easy things but totally worth it.
1. Call and cancel HBO and see if there is a special running to lower my bill.
Done. I used to watch HBO all the damn time, then I got a DVR and started watching a ton of regular tv on it and never used it anymore. Plus True Blood isn't going to be back on until June. With the special I qualified for I've knocked almost $40 off my bill. HELL YEAH!
2. Reduce my Netflix plan
Done. Again the DVR is to blame for this, I just haven't been watching as many movies. At the moment I'm only saving $4, but I might drop down to 1 disc a time.
3. Figure out what to do about my damn cell phone.
Partially. I spend about 4-5 hours yesterday looking at plans and contemplating options. My brain hurts. A lot. I'm thinking of upgrading to a smartphone but holy jesus, plans are expensive. Do I really need it? Probably. Then again, maybe not? I'm really hoping to lower my bills but this is one area where it seems like almost any change I make is going to make it go up. Which annoys me and my cold, penny pinching heart.
The issue is that my family, whom I talk to the most, is on Verizon which gives me opportunity to call them without using my minutes. Bad thing about them is their free calling doesn't start until 9pm, so I'd be limited in my calling to everyone else.
ATT is an option since you can add earlier nights and weekends for $9 (starting at 8pm instead of 9pm). Plus you get the pretty iPhone. The con is again, my family is on another network.
Both plans are about the same cost, and I can't fucking make up my mind. I made a spread sheet and I still can't decide.
Part of the reason I'm leaving my current carrier, Sprint, is because they sent me a notification that from here on out I'd be charged an extra $5 a month for having an Account Spending Limit. Which means that should I accidentally go over my minutes or texts I'd could only run up a bill to $200 before they would cut my phone off. This has never happened but I like the added protection and have had it since I became a customer with them 10! years ago. They'll remove the fee from my account if I give them access to automatically withdraw from my bank account. Which is a big, fucking hell no. I pay my bill every month, but I know that giving someone access to your account is a huge mistake and there are horror stories of people's accounts being wiped out when the company accidentally charges your account multiple times in a month. Which has overdrawn people's accounts and taken all their money, then it's a fight to get it back.
There is no administrative cost associated with this, it's all computerized and they've never charged for it before so it pisses me off. It doesn't help that their coverage in my area can be sketchy and their options for cells phone upgrades is limited to 5 options and all of them suck.
Holy hell, did I just write a freaking Trieste on cell phones? Sorry, but I did. Suggestions or flat out telling me who to chose would be appreciated as I am uncharacteristically frozen with indecision.
Snooze button Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I'm beginning to think there is something very wrong with me, African Sleeping Sickness perhaps? Except I believe one must have either been in Africa recently (not I) or slept with someone who has (and that is an absolute impossibility since the drought continues unabated).For the last month or so I've been unbelievably tired, falling asleep at positively early hours (last night I was completely conked out at 7:45pm) then sleeping straight through till morning. My house in shambles because I cannot muster the energy to keep it in anything other than a semi-tidy state. And almost forget going to the gym, I've managed to keep my appointments with my trainer but beyond that you'll not find me there. Which means that I'm absolutely not going to be ready for tri season.
Rather than languish on I've made an appointment with a doctor to make sure it isn't something else less exotic than my delusions of it being African Sleeping Sickness.
I did, however, manage to watch the entire series of Lost in Austin tonight on DVD. It made my little Jane Austen loving heart beat rapidly and was a most excellent expansion on the book. And Elliot Cowen does a bang up job as Mr. Darcy, so much so that (all over again for the millionth time) I found myself wholly in love with him. And for the first time a touch in love with Mr. Wickham. Oh my. I should qualify that only applies in this adaptation.
Really though, Elliot Cowen does a bang up job of casting a smoldering looks at the heroine. And now I covet the shiny red locks of Amanda Price (said heroine).
Labels: cleaning, gym, lazy, triathlon, TV
My train of thought has become disastrously derailed Sunday, March 22, 2009
My grade school was Catholic and therefor everyone wore uniforms, which was nice and boring. Hot lunch was only served twice a week (Tuesday always being pizza day, horrible, terrible sheet pizza that was not worth the $2 it cost), sometimes they would also make the most awful mac and cheese I've ever tasted. It was horrific, noodles reduced to the consistency of mush and oily cheap cheddar cheese served in a small styrofoam cup. I would like to know who the fuck was running that kitchen. They were also crazy about everyone drinking their milk, like stand over you and make sure you finished every last sip out of that damn cardboard box. Absolutely frightening women they were.I can remember that at some point, 7th grade I believe, they decided to do away with those cardboard waxy boxes filled milk and were going to switch to milk in a bag. Seriously, MILK IN A BAG*. What looked like a zip lock bag filled with milk. You would stab the bag with a sharp little pointy straw, similar to the way you would stab a Capri Sun (although I wouldn't know because my mother refused to buy that damn sugar water), stab it anywhere. Oh, but make sure your thumb was over the top of the straw or it would be a milk explosion with a fountain of milk spraying forth from the un-capped end. There was also a video they made us watch about the milk in a bag, hey no sex ed or anything resembling a real health class but you will watch a 10 minute video about milk in a bag. There was a horrible song that was in the video and to this day most everyone who I went to school with can remember at least part of the lyrics and only because they were sooo lame. "Mini-sips are MAXI cool." Really? Ugh.
My family was never big on milk so thankfully except for that one quarter at gradeschool when I asked to have it I never had to drink it. Frankly I never understood why people liked it so much. Oh I know all the crap about strong bones and shit but personally I've got large, dense bones inherited from my mother. My sister on the other hand has bird bones, they are just so tiny and delicate. Her rings only fit halfway down my pinky fingers but I would like say that my hands aren't scarily large. It isn't as if I've got hands the size of those giant foam sports fingers attached to my wrists, they are just larger that my sister's hobbit like bones.
I much prefer a glass of iced tea for dinner or water, those were our options. Water or tea. Granted I've now expanded that to include alcohol but I'd say that most days I still prefer water or tea.
At this point I've rambled so far off the original point and purpose of this post that I've completely forgotten what the hell I was trying to express in the first place. Shit. Total shit writing and narrative on my part, although hopefully better than my last post which was clearly a dud except for my bit of exclamation about men in kilts.
And since I've totally fucked this up already I would like to mention that I am completely obsessed with the British show Top Gear. I'm currently watching a marathon on BBCAmerica and it's awesome. It looks like so damn fun, they curse, drive awesome cars, and I desperately would love to do their time test. Go watch it.
*I have been informed by some relatives that milk in a bag is very common in Canada. That may be true, but for Americans it is quite a odd concept.
Labels: TV
nothing of consequence Sunday, January 25, 2009
I've been seriously boring lately. I've not gone out in weeks, preferring instead to hide from the sub-zero temps by spending ungodly amounts of time squirreled away inside my apartment. Inside, where I'm either staring blankly at the TV or cooking. I think there is some sort of disastrous disconnect in my brain that causes me to forget entirely that I'm one person and end up cooking for about a family of 45. So then I've got entire pans of chicken enchiladas and double batches of Swedish meatballs. Ridiculous.In good news though I finally finished a blanket I started working on when I was a junior in college. Finish is entirely subjective though because the yarn I bought, lo those 8 years ago, has gone missing. Pth! So I just bound off the edge and considered it done. And since I've finished it I've found it to be the perfect couch companion. It's exceedingly warm and perfect for snuggling under since it is so freaking enormous (originally slated to fit a queen sized bed).
This following bit is stolen from my facebook, but since it took me over a whole day to write I felt it should get a bit more mileage. Also, have I mentioned sometimes I'm epically lazy?
So 25 things about me:
1. I occasionally can be a horrible procrastinator, this is a perfect example considering I got tagged over a week ago.
2. I love a good dirty martini with a shot of hot sauce. Or a glass of bourbon. Or a Bombay Sapphire and tonic.
3. I could easily spend days knitting and being completely happy doing so.
5. Yellow roses are my favorite, hydrangeas are a close second, peonies are third.
6. I have deep and abiding love of good corned beef. A good reuben (with sour cream and mustard instead of thousand island) might be the most perfect food in the world.
7. I could easily spend the GDP of a small ex-U.S.S.R state on makeup and other skin care items from Sephora.
8. I miss playing softball.
9. When I was about 8 I was in a grade school talent show. I've blocked most of it from my memory but do recall there were very sparkly tights, big hair and a choreographed dance routine involving bouncing a basketball.
10. My two favorite books are Pride and Prejudice and East of Eden.
11. I hate eHarmony commercials. I want to throw a lamb shank at those overly happy, smug couples.
12. I want a dog.
13. When I was a little girl I had to wear braces on my legs to correct my walking. I shared an orthopedist with the Cleveland Browns. This makes me feel special.
14. My grandparents gave me a claddagh ring for my Confirmation and a few months later I lost it when I was playing hide and seek in a cornfield. I felt awful about it because I loved that ring, luckily the next time they went to Ireland they bought me another one and I hate to admit I like the second one better than the first. It's prettier.
15. I hate it when people call me Susan or Suzy. Yet I let my Grandmother get away with calling me Suzy, only because she is very old.
16. I remember Sr. Nancy who taught American History would let Katie M and I talk all the time in class and never yelled at us for it. She sure did yell at Devon for telling us to be quiet.
17. Thinking of 25 things has been immensely hard.
18. I'm wickedly allergic to cigarette smoke.
19. I still love the times I had in Apartment #2. The Bitchin' Bitchass Bar was the best home bar ever. It was totally Ro-bitchin'.
20. Apartment #2 had two squirrels that lived on our back porch, we named them Gwen and Ron. Ron fell into our keg bucket and drowned. We felt really bad about that as we dumped him over our porch railing to his final resting place on the roof of the house below us.
21. I love trashy romance novels, especially if they are British period ones.
22. I love to shit talk and am very competitive. Consider that fair warning.
23. I've been weirdly obsessed with the idea of living in Wisconsin for long time. I think it is the availability of cheese curds and lots of breweries.
24. Currently I only have 5 minutes of hot water, my landlord is sending someone out to fix that this next week. Thank god.
25. Even though I don't go out without sunscreen my freckles have suddenly reappeared after having been missing for nearly a decade. I love them.
Labels: food, knitting, lazy, TV
A post in which I even bore myself Thursday, September 04, 2008
I have been entirely meaning to write more but I just cannot seem to get my ass in gear at all. Everything lately seems to move very slowly and it's all I can do to get my laundry put away. Or not. I've had a bunch of it sitting in basket for 2 weeks now. Crappity crap crap.Instead, I seem to be practicing the sort of things that would make a person you'd want to be married to in case of an apocalypse. I spent the whole of the Labor day weekend knitting, canning and refinishing furniture. Really, come on over once all hell breaks loose- I'll have whiskey and vodka and knit you things while preparing a meal from homemade canned goods.
Granted, I only canned one jar of tomatoes this weekend...I thought for sure I'd get two out what I brought home from the farmer's market. This weekend I plan on buying a boatload more, since I'd like to think that my homemade canned tomatoes will be better than what I get from the store. I might try to oven roast some of them to concentrate their flavor and make it deeper.
I also canned up a couple more jars of pickled okra. Because one can never have too much pickled okra- delicious for eating straight from the jar or in your Bloody Mary.
When I moved my parents brought me a table from my grandparents basement. A table that my grandfather had randomly drilled holes into and splashed a million different types of paint on. It was a dingy green color and in need of some serious loving care. After scraping off the layers and layers of paint, removing a few random nails and filling all the holes I was ready to paint.
Before:
After:
Oh my, this is boring isn't it? Fuck, it really is. I'm sitting here reading my own crap and drifting off.
So whatever. I painted, knitted a bunch and canned some food.
Really, I think whatever I write will not compare to the drama surrounding the Republican VP nominee. It's like the best lifetime movie ever. I can't get enough of it.
As usual the best commentary is coming from The Daily Show:
Perfection; in relation to happy hour Friday, March 07, 2008
Last night I was watching TV and there was commercial that caused me to stop and laugh for good 10 minutes. I also happened to be on the phone and luckily my phone companion thought the commercial I saw was as awesome and hilarious as I did (and wasn't annoyed that I was watching TV while on the phone with him).And what was this a commercial for? Tudor's World of Biscuits.
Shall I repeat that? Tudor's World of Biscuits. A world of biscuits, people. A whole world, how have I never known that such a place exsisted?
I like biscuits, perhaps I will take a trip to this Tudor's World of Biscuits since they are franchise and are scattered over the region (apparently). I love a good biscuit, I mean- who doesn't? I would probably think you were a zombie or alien if you didn't.
Here is the thing, I'm a little drunk. Actually I'm the perfect amount buzzed. You know where things are lovely around the edges yet I'm not ridiculously screaming at random college students on the street about how they are dressed (which would be 'like sluts').
The only problem is now I'm starving and tired. Yet, I've eaten two very sizable pieces of pizza and yet the belly is still clamoring for more. I could make myself a salad, but who the fuck eats a salad when they are drunk? It's not exactly the perfect drunk food, more like the worst drunk food. Whipping up a dressing seems like something I would mess up in my slightly altered state (and no, I don't own bottled dressing- so that isn't an option). So I'm pretty much screwed on the food front- I don't have any good snackable items on hand. Damnit.
Tired? Oh yes, I'm wiped out. Too many late nights this week (hello after midnight bedtimes!). Not the best idea, I'm just sleepy.
Ok, I'm off to forage in the kitchen. I know I've got some frozen corn, but again frozen corn does not a good snack make.
Also where have all my readers gone? Too much erratic posting? Lame entries that don't inspire comment at all? I'm sure it is all of these things and for that I'm sorry.
Labels: Awesomeness, beer, drinking, food, TV
Nuts! Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Lets discuss that my favorite show, Jericho is back. With a nod to it's fans it showed a character eating peanuts in the first couple of minutes. Whoohoo. That is how you treat your fans. You also treat them right by giving them a kick ass episode, with lots of Skeet and Stanley and Mimi. Toss in some Heather too (I could use more though) and I'm a happy girl.Not so much the Emily. She's still a dumbass, who can't bake a cake.
Also the whole Stanley/Mimi proposal scene made me cry. Cry like I was being the one proposed too. It was awesome. I covet Mimi's skin. She has that beautiful healthy glow with lots of freckles. As someone who recently re-discovered her freckles this summer (I didn't get them for 10 years) I am covetous. I'm sad that I don't have them now that I'm trapped in the dregs of winter.
And since I'm lacking a perfect transition I'll just throw myself into another topic entirely without regard to flow. What? You don't want to hear me talk about dating again? Tough.
Recently I was reading a popular online magazine and the discussion of who pays for what on a date came up. I have to say I was SHOCKED at some of the responses from women. There was no shortage of women who would refuse a second date with a man if they took them up on their offer of going dutch. Really?
You offered, what is so wrong about them accepting it?
I don't know, personally I've always preferred going dutch on dates...at least in the beginning. For me it's about the sense of independence I've had ingrained into my psyche since I was a little girl. I come from the school of thought that I can pay for my own damn dinner, thank you very much. At Christmas time I went out with a male friend and he was totally shocked when at the end of the night I pulled out my wallet to pay for my share of drinks. He kept saying "But you are a girl you don't pay for things, right?!" At some point I missed the memo that said no penis = not having to pay for your drinks.
There was also more than a few who thought that the man should pay for dinner because he is getting the pleasure of her company. Ok, why not just call your self a hooker and be done with it?
I don't know, maybe that was harsh?
I think there is entirely too many expectations of what the other person should and should not do, sometimes it feels impossible to get it right. But perhaps you have to believe it will all shake out correctly in the end?
The Graduate Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I woke up this morning with a weight on my chest. It felt like someone was sitting on it and that at some point during the night I had scrubbed my throat vigorously with sandpaper. I have a feeling this one is going knock me on my ass. And I'm not really looking forward to it but if does really knock me down it will give me a chance to watch more Lost.What? I'm a woman obsessed.
Enough about my boring looming sickness or my obsession with Lost (hey, I'm only 3 years late to jump on that bandwagon). This weekend I got hit on by a dude in his early 20's. Besides the fact that he clearly doesn't remember the first time a Bush or Clinton was in the Presidential Office (not that Hillary is assured of that place) he was also in a punk band. And wearing a leather jacket, with lots of shiny grommits and studs. The kind I suppose punk boys wear. I don't know, I don't have much experience with punk boys, they really aren't my bag.
The thing was he just seemed so damn young and I'm not really into being anyone's Mrs. Robinson.
I'll admit I was flattered. But when he asked me to come to a party with him I realized the music was way too loud, my ears were ringing and I wasn't interested in swilling Pabst for the rest of the night. Sure realizing all that made me feel old, but I'm completely ok with it. I like my music at a reasonable level, I like my beer to taste good and the men I date to understand the difference.
Labels: Awesomeness, beer, TV
Too much Tuesday, January 22, 2008
I promise I've not fallen into some sort of black hole, unless that black hole is filled with entirely too many books to read (I currently have 8 books scattered about my house begging to be read) and then I've been ordered to start watching Lost too. I've got season one sitting on top of my TV which I started watching last night.Oh and almost totally ruined dinner because I became so wrapped up in the first episode I forgot I had mac and cheese in the oven. Lets not even discuss the first 3 discs of My So Called Life that I've also got from Netflix that also need to be watched so that I can get season 2 of Lost (look at me planning for the future!)
The truth is I've got entirely too many leisurely things to do to work (or blog apparently). Somehow quitting my job to keep up with my reading and television watching habits doesn't seem to be the most adult thing to do. Yet so deliciously wonderful sounding that it a tempting idea.
But not really.
Since I don't feel like being homeless
Siblings Monday, November 12, 2007
Friday night my brother proposed to his girlfriend and will finally be giving my parents the wedding of their dreams. They have 4 grown children ranging in ages from 37 to 26 and up until this point they've been denied a big, fancy wedding. The only one of us that is married is my sister Melissa, and she eloped. But really in the end that is fine since my brother appears to be more girl than his actual sisters.He is having 8 groomsmen. Eight.
Actually the whole thing is very sweet and I'm really happy for both of them. He was absolutely adorable in the way he proposed and all I have to say is that he clearly benefited from being the baby brother of 3 older sisters. All those hours we dressed him, did his hair, put make up on him and painted his nails only seem to have made him a very smushy romantic guy on the inside with an Army Lieutenant coating. It is perfect really, since I've never wanted a big splashy wedding and I was truely afraid I would be roped into having one since I'm the last girl and all.
In other family-related news, Melissa has become a Friday Night Lights addict. And like any good older sisters she's involved me in my her addiction. I spent all of Sunday camped out on the couch watching the first two discs of FNL, in my defense it was raining and shitty out. I also got a ton of laundry and knitting done. I don't care if that is justification of my burgeoning addiction, I can stop any time I like. I just don't want to.
All rise Friday, October 26, 2007
I'm more than a bit in love with How I Met Your Mother, which, if you not seen it is awesome.Seriously. Awesome.
Go rent the season 1 and 2 DVDs and then tune in Monday nights at 8pm. Because it is consistently the one show (besides the office) that makes me laugh so loud that I'm worried I'll wake the neighbors.
It is also eminently quote-able, such as Legen....wait for it...dary. Not only that but they also use the word 'awesome' quite a bit, and that alone is, well, awesome.
The problem is that this week the one line running around over and over in my head is "I got to go get me some strange." Which makes me want to say it, and that could be very bad. (Or good depending on your opinion of hooking up with strangers).
Labels: Awesomeness, TV
I'm sorry baby... Thursday, June 07, 2007
CBS, I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to violently outburst like that, you know I love you it's just that you get me so angry. I wouldn't be like that if you didn't cancel good shows. Well, I love you now that you've decided TO BRING BACK JERICO.Oh god. My heart is all aflutter.
Sarah! Let the freaking out commence. SKEEEEETTTTT!
Mary, thank you for emailing me. It totally made my morning.
Now we can only hope that the piss poor Emily was caught in the crossfire and then Jake and Heather can live happily ever after kicking some ass and being super smart together.
Also they better not fuck with Stanley and Mimi.
Labels: Awesomeness, Jericho, Skeet, TV
