I woke up with bad alleries today. The sneezing, the stuffy nose, itchy eyes, the cloudy head, all the classic symptoms are present and accounted for. It could be worse but I dont like to take allergy pills because they always make me sleepy and/or makes my nose uncomfortably dry and boogerific. It can be a tough call but right now I am going the non-medicated route.
I also realized today that I am one of those people who needs caffeine in the morning or I am grumpy. I am not sure when the change from "coffee drinks are a nice occasional morning treat" to "I think it is in everyones best interest not to talk to me until I have had caffeine in some form or another" officially occured but I fear I have gone to the dark side. The dark side of coffee deliciousness where energy is plentiful and people are a lot less annoying. Does this mean I am an adult or an addict?
Friday, March 28
Basketball Update
Here are the latest and greatest in rankings:
Annie - 40
Ed - 38
McNally - 37
Kasey - 35
Katie - 33
Kendall - 33
Mike - 32
Nick - 31
Games continue today. And here are our winning picks per Eds request:
Nick: Kansas over Tennesse, Xavier over Kansas, Kansas over Xavier
Mike: UCLA over Memphis, Georgetown over UNC, UCLA over Georgetown
Kendall: UNC over Kansas, Stanford over UCLA, Stanford over UNC
Katie: UCLA over Stanford, UNC over Kansas, UCLA over UNC
Kasey: UNC over Kansas, UCLA over Texas, UCLA over Kansas
McNally: UNC over Kansas, UCLA over Texas, UCLA over Kansas
Ed: UCLA over Stanford, UNC over Kansas, UCLA over UNC
Annie: UNC over Georgetown, UCLA over Texas, UCLA over UNC
Annie - 40
Ed - 38
McNally - 37
Kasey - 35
Katie - 33
Kendall - 33
Mike - 32
Nick - 31
Games continue today. And here are our winning picks per Eds request:
Nick: Kansas over Tennesse, Xavier over Kansas, Kansas over Xavier
Mike: UCLA over Memphis, Georgetown over UNC, UCLA over Georgetown
Kendall: UNC over Kansas, Stanford over UCLA, Stanford over UNC
Katie: UCLA over Stanford, UNC over Kansas, UCLA over UNC
Kasey: UNC over Kansas, UCLA over Texas, UCLA over Kansas
McNally: UNC over Kansas, UCLA over Texas, UCLA over Kansas
Ed: UCLA over Stanford, UNC over Kansas, UCLA over UNC
Annie: UNC over Georgetown, UCLA over Texas, UCLA over UNC
Belly, Bachelorettes and Basketball
I haven't updated or even looked to see who won the 3rd round of games yesterday because I had a mild case of food poisoning yesterday (shrimp tacos) and the toilet was my friend for awhile. At least I wont have to do any sit ups for a few days after the workout my stomach got.
Then there was bachelorette party madness after finding out the bride thinks that I do not care about planning it and that I am not happy enough for her that she is getting married because apparantly I am bitter that I am single. I can't even begin to tell you how much that pissed me off. I have already put in a ton of work in planning this party for her that she doesn't know about because she shouldnt be involved in it at all. She needs to trust Kendall and I, show up and have fun. The party is going to be awesome and she just needs to chill the fuck out.
I know she is really stressed because of the wedding and her job right now so I tried not to be too offended by her crazy talk and everything did get worked out but wow that was really offensive. She needs to be less crazy and I need to be more super excited about everything having to do with the wedding and that should make everyone satisfied.
So I will get to some March Madness updates and Ed's request later today. Right now I am kind of backed up at work and dealing with bridezillas.
Then there was bachelorette party madness after finding out the bride thinks that I do not care about planning it and that I am not happy enough for her that she is getting married because apparantly I am bitter that I am single. I can't even begin to tell you how much that pissed me off. I have already put in a ton of work in planning this party for her that she doesn't know about because she shouldnt be involved in it at all. She needs to trust Kendall and I, show up and have fun. The party is going to be awesome and she just needs to chill the fuck out.
I know she is really stressed because of the wedding and her job right now so I tried not to be too offended by her crazy talk and everything did get worked out but wow that was really offensive. She needs to be less crazy and I need to be more super excited about everything having to do with the wedding and that should make everyone satisfied.
So I will get to some March Madness updates and Ed's request later today. Right now I am kind of backed up at work and dealing with bridezillas.
Wednesday, March 26
LeBron James-Gisele Bundchen-Vogue-cover
Recently (I believe it was the April issue), LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen were the cover models for Vogue magazine. I remember when this cover came out because it was somewhat groundbreaking since it was only the third cover to feature a man, the other two men featured being Richard Gere and George Clooney. I remember thinking to myself that it was pretty cool that a black man was on the cover (considering this magazine has more of a white readership and I would venture to say mostly women) and also that he was an athlete, not an actor or a model. The issue of the magazine was a "Shape Issue" with "Secrets of the Best Bodies: LeBron & Giselle and The Worlds Top Models and Star Athletes" being the cover story. I didnt think much of it until people started getting pissed that it was racist.
So I took another look and apparantly the problem is that LeBron is remniscent of King Kong while Giselle plays Fay Wray, the damsel in distress. That would have never crossed my mind, but having that pointed out, I can see the similarities. But to me it shows a strong, powerful, perhaps dangerous black man with a dainty, beautiful smiling happy women. She really doesnt look like she is in much distress to me and the guy is a professional athlete, it would make sense that he has an intense persona, plus he is actually dribbling a basketball in the shot.
What people have been complaining about though is that is racist. I didn't see any complaints that it is sexist because a woman is being "possessed" by a man, even though it is racist for the same exact reason, which I found interesting. I think that to most people it shows a two rich and recognizable celebrities with good bodies. I think it would have been more effective and better for women if they had reversed this and showed the body of a female athlete with the male model but its a high fashion womens magazine, female athletes arent the ideal.
A black journalist wrote an article that made a good point that the people who get mad that this portrayal of negative stereotypes are also the same people who laugh at Tyler Perry's portrayal of " a single mama with three baby daddies, her loud-mouthed, weed-smoking, gun-toting Latino best girlfriend, a deadbeat daddy, a drunk sister and a deceased father who was a pimp-turned-preacher" in his recent movie. I suppose it is all dependent on the source. The comedy is written and produced by a black man while almost certainly the photographer and editors of Vogue are white.
I really don't have a main point with all of this, I just find the discussion intriguing and would be interested in hearing what other people think.
My Sponsorship Kit Came!
A month or so ago I posted about how I signed up with Women to Women International to provide financial and emotional support to a disadvantaged woman and yesterday I got my welcome kit with a picture and description of the woman I was matched with. Just to recap how this program works, women sign up for it and it lasts a year in length. During that time they go through this program to get life and job skills so they can be self sufficient and provide for themselves and their families. I provide monthly financial support and write her letters to encourage her and get to know her.
The woman I was matched with is Remzija Muhic from Bosnia. She is 51 years old, widowed and has 2 children. She is unenployed because she cannot find work due to her age. They send a picture with her information and her face reflects the difficult life that she has had. She looks tired and sad, her face is heavily lined for her age her expression blank. She only completed primary school and has lost family members from war and violence. They also provide you with information on Bosnia so I can understand the country where she lives and the problems she encounters. One fact that stood out to me is that 40% of the population is unemployed.
The next step is for me to write her a letter to introduce myself and hopefully get some kind of conversation going. I sat down and tried to start writing this letter but I am struggling with what to say. What do I say to a 51 year old mother who lives in poverty and cant support herself when I am 27, living comfortably, complaining about such petty things as people getting more time off of work than I do? I dont want to sound condescending, I feel very fortunate to grow up the way I did and she never had that opportunity. The only reason I have what I have is because I happened to be born in the right place. It really puts things into proper perspective. I have the opportunities to do whatever I want to do when so many people do not and I should take advantage of that and do not let anything like laziness or procrastination hold me back.
I am very glad I decided to do this. I am excited to forge a relationship with Remzija and I hope that this program can help her improve her life.
The woman I was matched with is Remzija Muhic from Bosnia. She is 51 years old, widowed and has 2 children. She is unenployed because she cannot find work due to her age. They send a picture with her information and her face reflects the difficult life that she has had. She looks tired and sad, her face is heavily lined for her age her expression blank. She only completed primary school and has lost family members from war and violence. They also provide you with information on Bosnia so I can understand the country where she lives and the problems she encounters. One fact that stood out to me is that 40% of the population is unemployed.
The next step is for me to write her a letter to introduce myself and hopefully get some kind of conversation going. I sat down and tried to start writing this letter but I am struggling with what to say. What do I say to a 51 year old mother who lives in poverty and cant support herself when I am 27, living comfortably, complaining about such petty things as people getting more time off of work than I do? I dont want to sound condescending, I feel very fortunate to grow up the way I did and she never had that opportunity. The only reason I have what I have is because I happened to be born in the right place. It really puts things into proper perspective. I have the opportunities to do whatever I want to do when so many people do not and I should take advantage of that and do not let anything like laziness or procrastination hold me back.
I am very glad I decided to do this. I am excited to forge a relationship with Remzija and I hope that this program can help her improve her life.
Tuesday, March 25
Ok, I Have Calmed Down Now
My moods can change like the weather in Texas and just a few hours later I am in a better mood. I took care of a few problems that I have been putting off which helped. Kendall and I are hosting our friend Melissa's Bachelorete party and we were going to have it at my cabin, however it has 4 feet of frozen snow around it and digging it out would be too difficult so we had to change the party to down here instead. I was afraid that she would be dissapointed but she took the news well. I tried to get it to take place down in Tower (multiple bars within walkin distance you know) but Kendall wasnt having any of that, she thinks I am a Tower Rat, which I probably am with good reason. With the group of girls going, they probably wouldn't appreciate Tower anyway (some of them are awfully prissy) so it worked out for the best.
I also get to get out of the office and go on a job walk in Reedley so I am not stuck behind my computer, which is always good news.
So thats it. I am not nearly as bitter and miserable as my last post sounded, just thought I would let you know in case anyone cared, which isnt likely but oh well.
I also get to get out of the office and go on a job walk in Reedley so I am not stuck behind my computer, which is always good news.
So thats it. I am not nearly as bitter and miserable as my last post sounded, just thought I would let you know in case anyone cared, which isnt likely but oh well.
Bad Mood
I am not in a good mood today. I got 8 hours of sleep last night yet I am still tired. Everyone at work is irritating me even though they aren't doing anything to irritate me. My computer is acting up, I tried to scan for viruses and it came up that it had expired, but for some reason it didnt warn me that I was about to expire. So I re-newed and I am scanning now but it will literally take the whole day and of course using a computer that is scanning for viruses is almost unbearable since it is so slow. My gmail and my work email are not working which are my most important addresses, but I can email through yahoo and hotmail.
I am really starting to despise my job and I am thinking about making a big change but that also scares me so I am stressed out about that as well. And it is quite possible that I am pmsing. I am not sure if thats the cause or just an addition to my bad mood but I am quite a peach today.
I probably should have just stayed in bed, but I am the only one around here who cant just take time off when I feel like it. My mom comes in whenever she feels like it, Susan takes Fridays off when she has people coming in town over the weekend and Tennesse took 4 mornings off last week (he didnt get to the office until 2 and then proceeded to give me a crap load of work when my day ends at 4 so I had to work overtime) to watch his son play golf in a tournament. When I ran my marathon last year I couldnt even get the next day off even though I was traveling from LA after having run 26.2 miles the day before. And people think that working for your family is all benefits and perks.
Sorry about the vent but I needed that.
I am really starting to despise my job and I am thinking about making a big change but that also scares me so I am stressed out about that as well. And it is quite possible that I am pmsing. I am not sure if thats the cause or just an addition to my bad mood but I am quite a peach today.
I probably should have just stayed in bed, but I am the only one around here who cant just take time off when I feel like it. My mom comes in whenever she feels like it, Susan takes Fridays off when she has people coming in town over the weekend and Tennesse took 4 mornings off last week (he didnt get to the office until 2 and then proceeded to give me a crap load of work when my day ends at 4 so I had to work overtime) to watch his son play golf in a tournament. When I ran my marathon last year I couldnt even get the next day off even though I was traveling from LA after having run 26.2 miles the day before. And people think that working for your family is all benefits and perks.
Sorry about the vent but I needed that.
Monday, March 24
Weekend Recap - Bachelorette Hell
Let me just start at by saying I really dislike bachelorette parties, at least the typical bachelorette party. I just dont get it. For some reason it revolves around the penis, which is weird to me because it is supposed to be about women coming together to celebrate their friends upcoming nuptials so why is the penis the center of attention? There are penis straws, penis wind up toys, penis waterguns (I won one of these), penis lipstick (I also won this), penis necklaces, penis drinking cups, penis cakes, pin the penis on the guy, make a penis out of chewing gum, penis water bottles,penis balloons, penis ring toss...penis, penis penis.
Then there are the games. The ones we played this weekend were who could peel a banana and put a condom on it the fastest. This is the game that I won, my parents would be proud. Then we had to write down or most naughty sexual experience and our most embarassing sexual experience and then someone read them aloud and we had to guess whose they were. It was lame and I felt like I was in high scool (except in high school I wouldnt have anything to write down really). Then we played a sexual word scramble that I won and we had to think of something sexual for every letter of the alphabet. Apparantly everything has to be associated with sex and the peni which is funny because lets be honest you are getting married and the sex is going to decline. They should have parties like this when someone loses their virginity so the girl can learn a few things plus you would be younger and the maturity level of the party would be more appropriate.
We didnt go out while we were up there, but the going out bar hopping parties can be just as annoying. You can see them coming a mile away, a group of drunk and loud girls, one of which is wearing a veil (most likely with a penis or 2 or 16 hanging from it). Her herem of girls will tell everyone that they see that their friend is getting married and try to get drinks and shots paid for them all night. Then there are the checklists that say you have to find a guy to do this and that and get them all checked off by the end of the night. I went the one where she had to get a pair of guys underwear, and she did.
I am not a big going out girl in the first place nor am I much of a girly girl, both of which seems to be what bachelorette parties are all about. This is why I love Landmark so much. I much prefer just sitting and hanging out having a drink with friends (dice playing always a bonus) as opposed to going out to some packed club where talking isnt even an option and everyone is just looking to hook up anyway. This however wasn't a problem with the party this weekend. All the girls but 3 were asleep by 10 (10!!!) and the girl I drove up with got sick so I had to convince her for 2 hours to just let me take her home so she can sleep in her own bed since we were leaving first thing in the morning anyway. My efforts did get me home in time to join Ed, Brian and Abigail at Million Elephant for last call and a much needed drink.
Lucky for me, I get to host a bachelorette party for Melissa in two weeks so I get to do all of this all over again. All penises(peni?) will be outlawed should I get married and have a bachelorette party and we will do somethin fun like go white water rafting or rock climbing or sky diving or something thats actually fun!
Anyway, anyone want a penis water gun?
Then there are the games. The ones we played this weekend were who could peel a banana and put a condom on it the fastest. This is the game that I won, my parents would be proud. Then we had to write down or most naughty sexual experience and our most embarassing sexual experience and then someone read them aloud and we had to guess whose they were. It was lame and I felt like I was in high scool (except in high school I wouldnt have anything to write down really). Then we played a sexual word scramble that I won and we had to think of something sexual for every letter of the alphabet. Apparantly everything has to be associated with sex and the peni which is funny because lets be honest you are getting married and the sex is going to decline. They should have parties like this when someone loses their virginity so the girl can learn a few things plus you would be younger and the maturity level of the party would be more appropriate.
We didnt go out while we were up there, but the going out bar hopping parties can be just as annoying. You can see them coming a mile away, a group of drunk and loud girls, one of which is wearing a veil (most likely with a penis or 2 or 16 hanging from it). Her herem of girls will tell everyone that they see that their friend is getting married and try to get drinks and shots paid for them all night. Then there are the checklists that say you have to find a guy to do this and that and get them all checked off by the end of the night. I went the one where she had to get a pair of guys underwear, and she did.
I am not a big going out girl in the first place nor am I much of a girly girl, both of which seems to be what bachelorette parties are all about. This is why I love Landmark so much. I much prefer just sitting and hanging out having a drink with friends (dice playing always a bonus) as opposed to going out to some packed club where talking isnt even an option and everyone is just looking to hook up anyway. This however wasn't a problem with the party this weekend. All the girls but 3 were asleep by 10 (10!!!) and the girl I drove up with got sick so I had to convince her for 2 hours to just let me take her home so she can sleep in her own bed since we were leaving first thing in the morning anyway. My efforts did get me home in time to join Ed, Brian and Abigail at Million Elephant for last call and a much needed drink.
Lucky for me, I get to host a bachelorette party for Melissa in two weeks so I get to do all of this all over again. All penises(peni?) will be outlawed should I get married and have a bachelorette party and we will do somethin fun like go white water rafting or rock climbing or sky diving or something thats actually fun!
Anyway, anyone want a penis water gun?
Sunday, March 23
Tattoo Update
Well there is none. Monica said she would be calling me the middle of last week so I could come in and look at her drawing but I have yet to hear from her. I called Friday afternoon and left a message just in case they had my phone number down wrong and I still havent heard anything. Hmmph.
Bracket Update and Final Four Pics
Here are the current standings:
Annie 38
Ed 34
Brian 34
katie 32
Kasey 31
Kendall 31
Mike 30
Nick 29
Here are everyones Final Four picks that Ed requested:
Annie: North Carolina, Texas, UCLA, Georgetown
Ed: UCLA, Stanford, Kansas, North Carolina
Brian: North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Texas
Katie: UCLA, Stanford, Kansas North Carolina
Kasey: North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Texas
Kendall: Stanford, UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina
Mike: North Carolina, Georgetown, Memphis, UCLA
Nick: Tennesse, Stanford, Xavier, Kansas
We still need to decide on where we can watch the final game. The game is on Monday April 7th. I am more than willing to have people over, but I do have the small tv that everyone complains about and I am not planning any tv purchases anytime soon (particularly since I wont be winning that 80 bucks). Suggestions?
Annie 38
Ed 34
Brian 34
katie 32
Kasey 31
Kendall 31
Mike 30
Nick 29
Here are everyones Final Four picks that Ed requested:
Annie: North Carolina, Texas, UCLA, Georgetown
Ed: UCLA, Stanford, Kansas, North Carolina
Brian: North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Texas
Katie: UCLA, Stanford, Kansas North Carolina
Kasey: North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Texas
Kendall: Stanford, UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina
Mike: North Carolina, Georgetown, Memphis, UCLA
Nick: Tennesse, Stanford, Xavier, Kansas
We still need to decide on where we can watch the final game. The game is on Monday April 7th. I am more than willing to have people over, but I do have the small tv that everyone complains about and I am not planning any tv purchases anytime soon (particularly since I wont be winning that 80 bucks). Suggestions?
Friday, March 21
Underdogs & Updates
There were a lot of upsets in todays play that was great to see (I love me an underdog) unfortunately for most of us, it hurt our points. Points have spread out some but the money is still up for grabs. Here are the current standings:
Annie 26
Brian 24
Ed 23
Mike 23
Katie 22
Kasey 21
Kendall 20
Nick 18
Annie 26
Brian 24
Ed 23
Mike 23
Katie 22
Kasey 21
Kendall 20
Nick 18
Oh Upsets...Shesh
So far today has been a bit more exciting. Two games have gone into overtime, and both winning teams were the underdog. Western Kentucky took out Drake, Mike was the the only one to call that game right. San Diego came out strong and ended up beating UConn in an exciting OT ending. I wasn't able to watch it because I am at work but Nick gave me the play by play on the phone so I felt like I was there. Also Katie was the only one to call that game correctly.
Some more games to come shortly. I will be heading off to the gym soon so hopefully they will have basketball on the tv's in the weight room because yesterday they had on ice skating. Yeah, fucking ice skating. I quickly fixed that but was suprised that no one else had yet. The room had at least 15 jocks/guys in it and as soon as I changed it, they all beelined over to it and stood there mesmorized. They were either too dumb or too lazy, probably a little of both.
Some more games to come shortly. I will be heading off to the gym soon so hopefully they will have basketball on the tv's in the weight room because yesterday they had on ice skating. Yeah, fucking ice skating. I quickly fixed that but was suprised that no one else had yet. The room had at least 15 jocks/guys in it and as soon as I changed it, they all beelined over to it and stood there mesmorized. They were either too dumb or too lazy, probably a little of both.
Thursday, March 20
Current Standings
It was a good day of basketball and the competition is heating up. Highlights include Duke barely squeaking by Belmont, which would have been a exciting upset. Xavier also struggled but ended up pulling off the win. I think the only upsets were USC losing to Kansas (we all got that wrong) and Texas A&M beating BYU. A low light for one of the teams was Kent States lackluster performance that resulted in an embarassing score of 10 at half time.
Now to the good stuff current standings are as follows:
Brian 14
Ed 14
Annie 13
Katie 13
Mike 12
Nick 12
Kendall 12
Kasey 12
As you can see everyone is very close at this point. Games continue tomorrow, I am all basketballed out for tonight.
Now to the good stuff current standings are as follows:
Brian 14
Ed 14
Annie 13
Katie 13
Mike 12
Nick 12
Kendall 12
Kasey 12
As you can see everyone is very close at this point. Games continue tomorrow, I am all basketballed out for tonight.
More March Madness & The SPCA
Thanks to everyone for getting your brackets to me. Currently we have a total of 7 people playing and I should get an 8th this morning, so the pot should be 80 bucks. I will update wins and losses each day there are games so we always know where we stand (and we can taunt those who aren't doing well. Also, if you didn't keep a copy of your bracket and would like me to scan it and email it to you, let me know. This is my favorite day of the tournament because it's when all the upsets happen and it looks like the first game starts at 12:20 ET with Xavier taking on Georgia. Good luck everyone!
In unrelated news last night I went to volunteer orientation at the Central California SPCA. I want to run my next marathon as a fundraiser but I didn't want to do Team in Training which raises money for lukemia research because they already get a lot of people running and raising money for them. so I started to look at local organizations. I also wanted to start volunteering somewhere and helping animals sounded like a good idea.
The orientation was really long because the woman just wouldn't stop talking and consistently went off on tangents. Someone asked something about why ferrets were illeal in California and she went off for 10 minutes even though it had nothing to do with the SPCA. Anyway they have a lot of various jobs that they need done like cleaning the cages, walking the dogs, greeting and helping people who come looking to adopt or find their lost pets, education, special events, taking pictures of the dogs and so on and so forth. I am not sure yet what I will be doing but probably a little of everything. They are also really flexible with their volunteers, you basically just show up whenever you want to and do something. I plan on going in every weekend to help out.
They took us on a tour of the facility and it was definitely hard to see all of the cats and dogs in cages that were sometimes dirty and marred with feces and urine. Some of the dogs growled at you, some were very friendly, and some seemed sad and depressed. It will not be easy knowing that some of these animals will be euthanized but I figure if I can't stop that from happening, then maybe I can help either prevent it by educating the public or just make the dog a little bit happier and more comfortable for a short time. What is also is going to be hard is not being able to take one home with me! They had some beautiful big dogs there that I would have loved to take with me but alas, I have no yard, someday though. I even thought some of the cats were cute and I could take home with me and I generally don't care very much for them.
Anyway they need a lot of help and a lot of money at the SPCA so hopefully I will be able provide a little of both. Fresno is way behind in spaying and nuetering their anmials which is one reason for such an abundance of homeless animals and seeing as you can get that done for free there as well as get free obedience training, there is no reason for it.
Thats all folks.
In unrelated news last night I went to volunteer orientation at the Central California SPCA. I want to run my next marathon as a fundraiser but I didn't want to do Team in Training which raises money for lukemia research because they already get a lot of people running and raising money for them. so I started to look at local organizations. I also wanted to start volunteering somewhere and helping animals sounded like a good idea.
The orientation was really long because the woman just wouldn't stop talking and consistently went off on tangents. Someone asked something about why ferrets were illeal in California and she went off for 10 minutes even though it had nothing to do with the SPCA. Anyway they have a lot of various jobs that they need done like cleaning the cages, walking the dogs, greeting and helping people who come looking to adopt or find their lost pets, education, special events, taking pictures of the dogs and so on and so forth. I am not sure yet what I will be doing but probably a little of everything. They are also really flexible with their volunteers, you basically just show up whenever you want to and do something. I plan on going in every weekend to help out.
They took us on a tour of the facility and it was definitely hard to see all of the cats and dogs in cages that were sometimes dirty and marred with feces and urine. Some of the dogs growled at you, some were very friendly, and some seemed sad and depressed. It will not be easy knowing that some of these animals will be euthanized but I figure if I can't stop that from happening, then maybe I can help either prevent it by educating the public or just make the dog a little bit happier and more comfortable for a short time. What is also is going to be hard is not being able to take one home with me! They had some beautiful big dogs there that I would have loved to take with me but alas, I have no yard, someday though. I even thought some of the cats were cute and I could take home with me and I generally don't care very much for them.
Anyway they need a lot of help and a lot of money at the SPCA so hopefully I will be able provide a little of both. Fresno is way behind in spaying and nuetering their anmials which is one reason for such an abundance of homeless animals and seeing as you can get that done for free there as well as get free obedience training, there is no reason for it.
Thats all folks.
Wednesday, March 19
Thaank You Jay! (Alcohol and March Madness)
So Jay sent a link on Ed's blog to Modern Drunkard magazine online. It's a fantastic time waster. My favorite article is The 86 Rules of Boozing. Some of the highlights include:
71. It's acceptable, traditional in fact, to disappear during a night of hard drinking. You will appear mysterious and your friends will understand. If they even notice. (For you Nick)
55. If you think you might be slurring a little, then you are slurring a lot. If you think you are slurring a lot, then you are not speaking English. (For you Ed)
You really need to read them all if you havent though, you will laugh outloud and since it is Wednesday, I figure a little reading on alcohol is appropriate.
Speaking of tonight, those of you who are going to be a part of the March Madness pool, i need your filled out brackets by tonight. I can collect the money whenever you have it. I know of at least 7 people who are definitely in and possibly an 8th and 9th so the winner gets at least 60 bucks. C'mon Adam, last chance...you were pretty good at picking winners last night, live a little!
71. It's acceptable, traditional in fact, to disappear during a night of hard drinking. You will appear mysterious and your friends will understand. If they even notice. (For you Nick)
55. If you think you might be slurring a little, then you are slurring a lot. If you think you are slurring a lot, then you are not speaking English. (For you Ed)
You really need to read them all if you havent though, you will laugh outloud and since it is Wednesday, I figure a little reading on alcohol is appropriate.
Speaking of tonight, those of you who are going to be a part of the March Madness pool, i need your filled out brackets by tonight. I can collect the money whenever you have it. I know of at least 7 people who are definitely in and possibly an 8th and 9th so the winner gets at least 60 bucks. C'mon Adam, last chance...you were pretty good at picking winners last night, live a little!
Tuesday, March 18
Well, At Least You Aren't This Guy...
So St. Paddys may have been a bit lackluster for some of us but even if you stayed home you fared much better than this guy:
Not everyone experiences the luck of the Irish on St. Paddys day.
Source
One of last night's more unusual arrests happened near a police substation. A man wearing only his underwear was found passed out behind the wheel, after apparently hitting several parked cars. He was taken into custody near 4th street and bulldog lane.
Not everyone experiences the luck of the Irish on St. Paddys day.
Source
Monday, March 17
Hmmph
The past few weeks I began to notice that I can't seem to get the water in my shower very hot. I used to have the the shower knob halfway between hot and cold and it would be plenty hot. Now I have the knob turned all of the way to hot, it takes about 5 minutes to get it tolerable enough to be able to step in and it doesn't get any warmer the entire time I am in there. Taking a shower while you are shivering and have goosebumps the whole time is just miserable. Of course my landlord was out of town this weekend so he is supposed to come by today to take a look at it. I just hope this isn't a problem that takes awhile to fix or else I will have to start taking showers at the gym or something. You are reminded of how fantastic it is to take a hot shower when you cant take them anymore.
March Madness, Colorado
Two quickies:
1) I booked my ticket to Colorado and I got on the same flights both coming and going so I will be tagging along with you all. Is there room for me to crash in someones hotel room for Wednesday and Thursday night? Also what about the rental car? Of course, I would be pitching in my share of both the hotel room and the rental car as long as you can make the room.
2) Its that time again,the Men's NCAA basketball tournament has been seeded and the first round starts on March 20th. Anyone interested in starting a pool? I think we put in 5 or 10 bucks last time so we could do that again or just make it friendly if no one has any balls err is willing to put a few bucks on the line. Here is a link to a bracket, let me know.
1) I booked my ticket to Colorado and I got on the same flights both coming and going so I will be tagging along with you all. Is there room for me to crash in someones hotel room for Wednesday and Thursday night? Also what about the rental car? Of course, I would be pitching in my share of both the hotel room and the rental car as long as you can make the room.
2) Its that time again,the Men's NCAA basketball tournament has been seeded and the first round starts on March 20th. Anyone interested in starting a pool? I think we put in 5 or 10 bucks last time so we could do that again or just make it friendly if no one has any balls err is willing to put a few bucks on the line. Here is a link to a bracket, let me know.
Friday, March 14
Happy Birthday Sissy Poo!
Tomorrow is my sister Kristen's 30th birthday so I wanted to post a little something about her for those of you haven't been lucky enough not to know her:
When I was a baby, Kristen used to wake up me up in my crib in the morning. She would crawl in (both of us wearing matching pink footsie pajamas) and start my morning off with a hug. I don't have a clear memory of this but I have seen pictures of it, both of us smiling sleepily in my crib, and it is what I have been told. Kristen was my very first friend and remains my best friend to this day.
One of our favorite things to do when we were kids was put on a stuffed animal parade. We would line up all of our stuffed animals down the hall and strut around goofily as we imagined our stuffed animals prancing behind us. I always looked up to my sister but at the same time I never felt that she thought she was better than me or that I was an annoying little sister, I always felt accepted by her.
Growing up we had a lot of fun together and as we became teenagers we had our moments of fighting which usually involved me "borrowing" an article of clothing (I used to think her Stussy shirt and poncho were sooo fucking cool) without telling you, but overall we got along pretty well for sisters. I remember riding to school with her in the morning and we would listen to "Mother" by Danzig and till this day everytime I hear that song I think of her. There was a lot of the Dumb and Dumber and Dangerous Minds Soundtrack on those drives as well.
When she went away to college was when we probably drifted apart the furtherst. I did however manage to ruin her 21st birthday (notoriously) as I took about 10 shots of scnhapps in about an hour and then spent the rest of the night throwing up in every corner of her apartment (while apologizing profously at least). Instead of getting mad at me though, she took care of me and didnt even yell at me the next day when I was extremely hungover.
Living with her in Austin was also a great time and we got to get even closer. I was fortunate to be able to see her relationship begin and grow with her husband Chris and I got to approve of him before anyone else even met him. Seeing how head over heels in love she was during that time made me incredibly happy because if anyone deserved to find the love of their life, it was her. She had been taken for granted by stupid idiotic guys for long enough!
Kristen has always been a strong, opinionated person but she also has a huge heart. She is the type of friend and sister that would do anything for you if you needed it. I cant even begin to tell you how many times I have called her to bitch about my parents or about work or that fucktard who cut me off. Whatever it is, she is always there to listen to me. She doesn't just hold your hand though, she is also the first person to tell you like it is and kick you in your butt if you are spending too much time feeling sorry for yourself. Sometimes we clash but overall I always respect her honest opinions.
Now that she is turning 30 and the chaotic 20s are behind her I look forward to seeing how her life grows and changes. I look forward to seeing Kristen as a mother and maybe someday as an aunt because she will be great at both. I love her very much and if anyone is reading this I hope they get a better understanding of how fantastic my big sister is and maybe someday if you are lucky you will get to meet her:)
Thursday, March 13
To The Person That Hit My Truck...
I would like to say thank you to the person who hit my truck, left a big dent and took off without leaving a note or taking responsibility for it. I don't know when or where it happened but your lack of integrity and respect for other people make you quite an upstanding member of this community. Keep up the good work, fucktard.
Wednesday, March 12
For Adam
Adam and I have had lengthy conversations about the amount of time one spends on the toilet, and I found an article that takes this to the extreme. A 35 year old woman in Kansas sat on her boyfriends toilet for 2 years. Perhaps there is a positive correlation with the amount of time one sits on a toilet and how crazy one is...
And since we are on the subject how about a heated/water spraying portable toilet.
This was you can stay warm and poop anywhere you want to. Priceless.
And since we are on the subject how about a heated/water spraying portable toilet.
This was you can stay warm and poop anywhere you want to. Priceless.
Tattoo Appointment Update
Yesterday I met with Monica at Tower Tattoos. It was a brief meeting, but it went well.
When I first got there I started flipping through her portfolio and I came across a familiar sight, a picture of Adams tattoo, prominently displayed.
Then when Monica came out I showed her my sketch and told her where I wanted to get it and she started to sketch some of her thoughts. The first thing she did was flip it so the peacock was facing in and not out, which went with the curve of my waist much better. Other than that she took my pictures I had for reference and told me she would have a drawing for me by the middle of next week. The picture she liked the best was the picture of the stained glass I posted last week which was also my favorite so it seems we are on the same page. After I approve of her work I wll make an appointment to get it done so I m looking at 2 weeks at the earliest before I get any ink done.
Monica seemed very cool but where is she from? I detected an accent but couldnt place it...
When I first got there I started flipping through her portfolio and I came across a familiar sight, a picture of Adams tattoo, prominently displayed.
Then when Monica came out I showed her my sketch and told her where I wanted to get it and she started to sketch some of her thoughts. The first thing she did was flip it so the peacock was facing in and not out, which went with the curve of my waist much better. Other than that she took my pictures I had for reference and told me she would have a drawing for me by the middle of next week. The picture she liked the best was the picture of the stained glass I posted last week which was also my favorite so it seems we are on the same page. After I approve of her work I wll make an appointment to get it done so I m looking at 2 weeks at the earliest before I get any ink done.
Monica seemed very cool but where is she from? I detected an accent but couldnt place it...
Monday, March 10
Sunday, Busy Sunday
My 6.1 mile race in Tower was yesterday at 8 am and it went really well. I was pretty cold and stiff when I began so I started out a little slow. Eventually I picked it up and ran a negative split which I dont think I have ever done before so that made me happy and finished averaging aout a 7:50 mile. For it being my first race in a long time I thought it went well and the race was well organized so I am sure I will do it again next year.
I need to look into running more shorter races like this one because it got me into racing mode again and it felt good to be competeitive. One of my mental running strategies is to pick people off to pass along my way. It helps me stay focused and it makes me push myself harder. It also just feels good to pass certain people, especially the boys and even more especially the boys that passed me earlier in the race (thats where negative splits come in handy) and damn that feels good. I do think I might have strained something in my right calf though, but it is just a minor annoyance.
I also had breakfast yesterday with Annie and watched some of the bike races, which was fun. I wish there were more events like that in Tower. Then I met up with my mom later and went for a walk around Woodward and had dinner. At the end of the day I was very tired and crashed out. I have been needing a lot more sleep lately and last week I went to bed early everyday but Wednesday. I felt a lot better during the day and I was able to workout harder so I think I need to keep that up. It is hard to think that I am missing out on something fun thats going onthough, but at the same time I have to keep my health in mind, which I need to do a better job of.
So that was my Sunday. Overall it was a good weekend.
I need to look into running more shorter races like this one because it got me into racing mode again and it felt good to be competeitive. One of my mental running strategies is to pick people off to pass along my way. It helps me stay focused and it makes me push myself harder. It also just feels good to pass certain people, especially the boys and even more especially the boys that passed me earlier in the race (thats where negative splits come in handy) and damn that feels good. I do think I might have strained something in my right calf though, but it is just a minor annoyance.
I also had breakfast yesterday with Annie and watched some of the bike races, which was fun. I wish there were more events like that in Tower. Then I met up with my mom later and went for a walk around Woodward and had dinner. At the end of the day I was very tired and crashed out. I have been needing a lot more sleep lately and last week I went to bed early everyday but Wednesday. I felt a lot better during the day and I was able to workout harder so I think I need to keep that up. It is hard to think that I am missing out on something fun thats going onthough, but at the same time I have to keep my health in mind, which I need to do a better job of.
So that was my Sunday. Overall it was a good weekend.
Thursday, March 6
Made My First Appointment!
I just set up a consultation appointment with Monica for my peacock tattoo. I will be going on Tuesday March 11th @ 6 to get this process started. I am very excited, I am not going to lie:)
I'm Bored At Work Today...
You have to watch a minute or so of this clip before it gets to the good part but the what I wanted to share was a runner who falls down pretty hard and gets up and wins the race, it's a great finish:
And this just made me laugh, a streaker getting flattened in Australia on a cricket field:
And this just made me laugh, a streaker getting flattened in Australia on a cricket field:
Quickies
Here are some quickies:
- Found this article about a British man going to try to beat the world record for the oldest marathoner. He is 101 and plans on celebrating with a pint of beer and a cigarette. Love it.
- I got Season 1 of Dexter yesterday and if you havent seen this show it is fantastic. The main character is a mild mannered forensic investigator who kills murders. The cast is great, Michael C. Hall is brilliant. I dont know of any other actor who can make a serial killer so likeable. Anyway if anyone wants to borrow it when I am done watching let me know.
- I just accidently sent a picture of a tattoo to an architect instead of the document I was supposed to send because I had left it in the scanner and didn't realize it. Gold Star of stupidity for me.
- Speaking of tattoos, its Tower Tattoos on Van Ness and Olive that Monica works at correct?
- Found this article about a British man going to try to beat the world record for the oldest marathoner. He is 101 and plans on celebrating with a pint of beer and a cigarette. Love it.
- I got Season 1 of Dexter yesterday and if you havent seen this show it is fantastic. The main character is a mild mannered forensic investigator who kills murders. The cast is great, Michael C. Hall is brilliant. I dont know of any other actor who can make a serial killer so likeable. Anyway if anyone wants to borrow it when I am done watching let me know.
- I just accidently sent a picture of a tattoo to an architect instead of the document I was supposed to send because I had left it in the scanner and didn't realize it. Gold Star of stupidity for me.
- Speaking of tattoos, its Tower Tattoos on Van Ness and Olive that Monica works at correct?
This Morning...
This morning when I walked outside my apartment to go to work I found a dirty men's t-shirt on my door step, Which I thought that was odd. I didnt want to touch it because it was filthy so I kicked it to the side and hopefully my neighbor has something to do with it and will take care of it, I kind of expect to see it when I get home this evening though.
Then I checked my mailbox on my way to my truck and when I closed it I put my hand in wet, dewy bird poop, ick. That stuff dries fast too because when I got to my truck mere feet away, it was already dry and I couldnt get it off. So I had to wipe my fingers on the dew of my truck to get it wet enough to wipe off on a scrap of napkin. I washed my hands when I went to work but they still feel dirty.
Then when I was almost at work I was at a stop light and looked over and there was a young asian man at the bus stop with his guiter (no case) dressed in an Elvis-like sequined (yes, sequined) jump suit and quite the coif of hair. He wasnt playing his guiter, but he had it strapped on.
Strange start to my morning. I dont know what it means but when find random soiled clothing, put my hand in bird poop and see an asian elvis before 7 am, but I dont feel like I am going to be having a normal day.
Then I checked my mailbox on my way to my truck and when I closed it I put my hand in wet, dewy bird poop, ick. That stuff dries fast too because when I got to my truck mere feet away, it was already dry and I couldnt get it off. So I had to wipe my fingers on the dew of my truck to get it wet enough to wipe off on a scrap of napkin. I washed my hands when I went to work but they still feel dirty.
Then when I was almost at work I was at a stop light and looked over and there was a young asian man at the bus stop with his guiter (no case) dressed in an Elvis-like sequined (yes, sequined) jump suit and quite the coif of hair. He wasnt playing his guiter, but he had it strapped on.
Strange start to my morning. I dont know what it means but when find random soiled clothing, put my hand in bird poop and see an asian elvis before 7 am, but I dont feel like I am going to be having a normal day.
Tuesday, March 4
Odds and Ends
Yesterday I went to Centerpoint Gym so I could try it out before I switched from my current gym. Some pros were that it is closer to my apartment, the hours are much better, there is a lot more equipment and amenities, and it is cheaper. On the con side I anticipate I will probably have to wait for equipment more frequently. Pretty much that is the only con, the gym is busier, so it was a pretty easy decision to make. Now I just have to break up with my personal trainer at my old gym.
This weekend I have the 6.1 mile run in Tower and also the 6th Annual Central Valley Bike Classic will be in Tower which is always fun to watch. Don't forget to spring forward your clocks and hour, as the time changes on Sunday as well (I really better remember this!).
I have signed up for volunteer orientation at the Central California SPCA on the 19th of this month. They have a lot of jobs for volunteers to do so I am hoping to work out a schedule where I go out there once a week and help out. I am going to fall in love with all of the dogs there though so it is probably a good thing I dont have a house with a yard because I would want to take them all home with me. Some of the duties they need help with are walking and socializing the animals, cleaning up cages, greeting the public, helping with special events, etc. so I am sure will find something I like. I would like to take the pictures and write the little blurbs they have on Petfinder because I am always dissapointed when they dont give any information and it seems like the animals from the SPCA rarely have any written info.
I am also considering doing some kind of fundraising for my fall marathon. Team in Training is a popular way to do that but I frankly find them somewhat annoying. Dont get me wrong, they do a great job of raising money for luekemia research but any race I have been in they are easy to spot because they are wearing the purple jersey and they are always super excited and super happy. Also their main goal is just to raise the money and they dont care as much about the race, which is fine, but I want to focus on running well too. I could always set my own thing up and raise money for a local charity on my own though, maybe the SPCA.
So thats whats new with me!
This weekend I have the 6.1 mile run in Tower and also the 6th Annual Central Valley Bike Classic will be in Tower which is always fun to watch. Don't forget to spring forward your clocks and hour, as the time changes on Sunday as well (I really better remember this!).
I have signed up for volunteer orientation at the Central California SPCA on the 19th of this month. They have a lot of jobs for volunteers to do so I am hoping to work out a schedule where I go out there once a week and help out. I am going to fall in love with all of the dogs there though so it is probably a good thing I dont have a house with a yard because I would want to take them all home with me. Some of the duties they need help with are walking and socializing the animals, cleaning up cages, greeting the public, helping with special events, etc. so I am sure will find something I like. I would like to take the pictures and write the little blurbs they have on Petfinder because I am always dissapointed when they dont give any information and it seems like the animals from the SPCA rarely have any written info.
I am also considering doing some kind of fundraising for my fall marathon. Team in Training is a popular way to do that but I frankly find them somewhat annoying. Dont get me wrong, they do a great job of raising money for luekemia research but any race I have been in they are easy to spot because they are wearing the purple jersey and they are always super excited and super happy. Also their main goal is just to raise the money and they dont care as much about the race, which is fine, but I want to focus on running well too. I could always set my own thing up and raise money for a local charity on my own though, maybe the SPCA.
So thats whats new with me!
Monday, March 3
Peacock Tattoo Revisted
After writing off the Peacock tattoo because my mind wasn't creative enough to make it work, I have re-visted this idea with helpful feedback from all of you. First, here is some general information on the peacock:
The peacock originated from India. The term "peacock" is commonly used to refer to birds of both sexes. Technically, only males are peacocks. Females are peahens, and together, they are called peafowl. The male is what you think of when you think peacock because they have the long tail like feathers that display behind them. Females are more brown in color and do not have a long train. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains.
There is a lot of variety with peacock symbolism but in India where the peacock originated it symbolizes love, passion, luck, protection, and prosperity. In Christianity the Peacock flesh was believed to be incorruptible. This, together with its eyes symbolizing the all-seeing Church, elevated the Peacock to sacred emblem status, representing resurrection, immortality, and the pure soul. The peacock is also known as a symbol of beauty, dignity & pride. In Buddhism the peacock eye represents wisdom. Peacocks are said to have the ability of eating poisonous plants without being affected by them. Because of that, they are synonimous with the great bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva is able to take delusions as the path toward liberation and transform the poisonous mind of ignorance, desire and hatred [moha, raga, dvesa] into the thought of enlightenment or bodhicitta, which opens colourfully like the peacocks' tail. Particularly peacocks symbolise the transmutting of desire into the path of liberation.
Ok thats a lot of info you probably didnt need but I did the research so I might as well be thorough. Back to the tattoo now and the design. I picture it a lot like this stained glass window:
I like the positioning of the peacocks body and the head position as well. Instead of the peacocks tail/train out and displayed behind him, I like it down because I think that shape would look better on my body. If you look back at the first tattoo of the cherry blossoms, that is close to the placement I like. So the body of the peacock would be on the side of my back with the tail/train going down and wrapping around the hip a little. Here is a pic of a peacock tattoo whose style I liked because it is realistic looking, I dont want anything cartoonish/unrealistic:
You will also notice flowers and branches in both of those pics and I would like to incorporate the cherry blossoms similarly.
This wont be a small itty bitty tattoo either, I would expect it to take up a good amount of space and probably which is why it is taking me so long to figure out what exactly I want. Feedback is always welcome and also requested so please let me know what you think!
The peacock originated from India. The term "peacock" is commonly used to refer to birds of both sexes. Technically, only males are peacocks. Females are peahens, and together, they are called peafowl. The male is what you think of when you think peacock because they have the long tail like feathers that display behind them. Females are more brown in color and do not have a long train. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains.
There is a lot of variety with peacock symbolism but in India where the peacock originated it symbolizes love, passion, luck, protection, and prosperity. In Christianity the Peacock flesh was believed to be incorruptible. This, together with its eyes symbolizing the all-seeing Church, elevated the Peacock to sacred emblem status, representing resurrection, immortality, and the pure soul. The peacock is also known as a symbol of beauty, dignity & pride. In Buddhism the peacock eye represents wisdom. Peacocks are said to have the ability of eating poisonous plants without being affected by them. Because of that, they are synonimous with the great bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva is able to take delusions as the path toward liberation and transform the poisonous mind of ignorance, desire and hatred [moha, raga, dvesa] into the thought of enlightenment or bodhicitta, which opens colourfully like the peacocks' tail. Particularly peacocks symbolise the transmutting of desire into the path of liberation.
Ok thats a lot of info you probably didnt need but I did the research so I might as well be thorough. Back to the tattoo now and the design. I picture it a lot like this stained glass window:
I like the positioning of the peacocks body and the head position as well. Instead of the peacocks tail/train out and displayed behind him, I like it down because I think that shape would look better on my body. If you look back at the first tattoo of the cherry blossoms, that is close to the placement I like. So the body of the peacock would be on the side of my back with the tail/train going down and wrapping around the hip a little. Here is a pic of a peacock tattoo whose style I liked because it is realistic looking, I dont want anything cartoonish/unrealistic:
You will also notice flowers and branches in both of those pics and I would like to incorporate the cherry blossoms similarly.
This wont be a small itty bitty tattoo either, I would expect it to take up a good amount of space and probably which is why it is taking me so long to figure out what exactly I want. Feedback is always welcome and also requested so please let me know what you think!
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