Wednesday, April 30, 2003
I feel so dirty
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Fifth Level of Hell!
The river Styx runs through this level of Hell, and in it are punished the wrathful and the gloomy. The former are forever lashing out at each other in anger, furious and naked, tearing each other piecemeal with their teeth. The latter are gurgling in the black mud, slothful and sullen, withdrawn from the world. Their lamentations bubble to the surface as they try to repeat a doleful hymn, though with unbroken words they cannot say it. Because you lived a cruel, vindictive and hateful life, you meet your fate in the Styx.
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Very Low |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | Low |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | Very High |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | Very High |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Low |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | Very High |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Low |
| Level 7 (Violent) | High |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | Moderate |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Moderate |
Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test
Current mood: Guilty
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:17 PM EST [Link]
Damn your eyes, Apple
Current mood: Inadequate
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:19 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Dear God
The computer system at work has been down for hours. We are now having to do eight hours' worth of work in less than half the time. This has been the longest week in recent memory.
Current mood: Wack
Posted by Lynniechan @ 08:54 PM EST [Link]
Monday, April 28, 2003
eBay Lesson #2
Do not, as the very first item you've ever sold, put something big and heavy -- say, a 10-year-old shelf stereo system, for example -- up for auction. Start small.
The item would not fit into the box I thought it would. It was also the box I used to calculate shipping.
I had to go to a bigger, heavier box. Now, the stereo is packed into a large Dell computer crate, stuffed with bubble wrap, about the equivalent of two balled-up Sunday newspapers, another small, empty Amazon.com box to take up some space and a couple of towels.
The BF groaned and reminded me for the nth time that this is becoming more trouble than it's worth. "That thing is going to cost more to ship than what the guy paid you," he said. "I know, I know," I replied. "But it's too late to complain. Let's just get this thing out of the house and not let it happen again."
He grudgingly volunteered to hoof the thing into his car -- I could barely lift it -- and take it to the post office. At least the box has holes on each side for handles. We -- er, he -- loaded it into the back seat and took it to the nearest post office, which also turned out to be a big mistake.
I'd never been to this particular post office. Walking into it was like walking into a mom-and-pop package store circa 1955. It was a tiny, dirty, white room, with two windows, a single small shelf to write on -- no priority mail or express mail slips provided -- and one nondescript white door leading to the back. On the other side of the windows were two old mustached men. One was round, the other small and skinny with glasses. The BF and I were the only ones in there, so I walked up to the nearest window. The larger of the two, complacently resting on his crossed arms, said, "How can I help ya?" I thought, in my usual pleasant way, "Look. I just stepped into a post office. What do you think? I need to mail something."
"I need to mail something," I said, pointing to the large box Stephen had plopped down in front of the door to the back.
The round man, instead of going through the door, craned his neck through the window to look at the box. "Ah, I'll have to measure it. We only mail boxes up to a certain size."
Oh c'mon! I've never been to a post office that wouldn't mail a big box. Where am I, Mayberry?
The round man grabbed a tape measure -- not one that rolls up you'd find in any old toolbox, but a dinky one from a sewing kit -- and opened the door. The little man followed behind. The round man held the box up on its side while the other wrapped the tape measure around it.
"Ah, we only mail boxes up to a certain size. This box is too big."
The BF gave me an icy glare. I rolled my eyes. "Well can you at least weight it for us?" Stephen said.
The round man picked it up from the bottom, carried it through the door and appeared again in the near window. He hoisted the box onto a small metal scale obviously not meant for a box that big. "49 pounds."
OMG.
He recommended sending the item in two separate boxes. He didn't think it would cost any more or less but would at least be less cumbersome.
The buyer really wanted it shipped by today, but I won't be able to try again until tomorrow morning. I'm going to have to take the box to the big regional, 24-hour post office near the airport. I'm afraid to recalculate the shipping.
How did I get myself into this? How could I possibly make a simple task this difficult?
Current mood: Bitchy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:33 PM EST [Link]
Brutal city
I recorded my fastest time yet on the rowing machine -- called an erg -- this morning (er, Sunday morning) before rowing practice.
Once a month, the rowers in our boat meet to pull a timed 2K on the erg to see whether we've improved. It's called an erg test, and it's absolute hell. Some of us sometimes wuss out and don't show. What if you end up the weak link? What if you can't finish? It's not uncommon for rowers to get sick and have to stop. It's nerve-racking. Stressful. Stomach-turning. Exhausting. Dreadful.
I went in thinking I would never beat my previous best time of 8 minutes, 20 seconds. Hell, I was proud of that score. I guess because of that, I wasn't that nervous. Plus, I had managed to grab a shitty erg with a rusty chain. Oh well. The pressure was off; do what I can and get it over with.
Eight minutes, 10.8 seconds after we started, I was done and lying on the floor gasping for air. OMG, I had shaved 10 seconds off my personal best. My finish time ranks me squarely in the middle of my boat -- which I'm perfectly satisfied with, considering I'm the second-shortest person (height is a big advantage because your stroke is longer). By comparison, the strongest rower -- also the tallest -- pulls a 2K in 7:23.
Our coach would like us all to be able to pull 8-minute 2Ks by the end of the summer. I'm getting there.
Current mood: Excited
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:17 AM EST [Link]
Boing boom tschak
I've been listening to a little bit of electroclash lately, trying to familiarize myself with it. I'm such an electronic/new wave fan, I feel like I'm almost obligated to like it.
But for some reason, it's left me feeling underwhelmed and flat. I downloaded and listened to some of Ladytron's 604, and after about three songs, I'd heard enough. All of the songs sounded the same to me. Now a non-electronic music fan would probably say the same thing about some of the techno I listen to, and that's fine. But this was the same keyboard playing the same rhythms over and over and over. I imagined one of the band members (all in black, of course) standing over a Korg, with his index finger pointing straight down, hunting and pecking the same three keys.
Fischerspooner is a bit more tolerable to me, and I've been on and off listening to their latest.
I just remember the feeling of excitement I got when I first heard GusGus' "Polyesterday" or Underworld's "Dirty Epic" or New Order's Technique -- that feeling when you hear the song or see the video for the first time and think to yourself, "OMG, that is fucking brilliant. Must. Have. Everything. This. Band. Ever. Put. Out." This electroclash stuff isn't doing it for me -- or at least hasn't done it for me yet. I'm really trying hard to give some of this trendy new music a chance, but I'm worried that most of my appetite for new music ended sometime around 1994.
Of course, it doesn't help that as I typed this, the bloops, bleeps and boing boom tschak's of Kraftwerk's Electric Cafe blared from my iPod's headphones into my head.
Current mood: Techo-poppy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:57 AM EST [Link]
Bidding continues
High bidder on the wrestling biography with 2 hours left: 1disturbedmaggot (0)
Current mood: Nervous
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:05 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Confidential to Uptownfive
Powerblog apparently doesn't have commenting of its own, much like Blogger. It seems that you have to use third-party software, like HaloScan. Good luck.
Current mood: Jittery
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:57 PM EST [Link]
Lesson #1
Note to self when an eBay auction is getting close to ending: Check e-mail often.
I didn't check my e-mail yesterday, and I had three inquiries about the stereo sitting in my mailbox from potential bidders. I didn't answer their questions in time for the auction to end. Oy. The bidders are now probably going to flame me in feedback.
The stereo did sell, though, for more than double the $10 original asking price.
Current mood: Nervous
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:09 PM EST [Link]
Friday, April 25, 2003
Make a wish
Tonight was another lazy night alone, with nothing in particular to do, so I headed over to Borders for some coffee. I tend to like Borders better than Barnes & Noble, because it's less crowded, smaller and more intimate. I should add that I think Barnes & Noble probably has a better selection just because of sheer volume, but Borders' cafe is cozier and quieter.
What a perfect night for me: sipping coffee at a small table, reading Wired, my favorite magazine, while relaxing to Torch Song on my iPod. I'd missed reading the past two issues of Wired because I've been so busy, and once I pick it up, it's hard for me to put down. I tend to read it front to back, and thus it takes a significant time commitment when I do get to it. (Aside: That can somewhat be blamed on my mild case of OCD. Once I start something, I feel like I have to finish it before moving on to something else. That compulsion can make me come across as lazy -- I tend to be very unmotivated to do something if I think I won't be able to finish it.)
The only thing I longed for was a laptop. The dude sitting at the 2-top to my right sat down about 5 minutes after I did and quickly pulled out a titanium PowerBook from his bag. Sigh. I continually snuck a peek at what was on his screen. Soon, he was playing some sort of RPG, maybe Warcraft. Ohhh, I was jealous -- and feeling a bit pathetic, as I just got the big-daddy 20GB iPod and still don't feel like I'm keeping up with the Joneses.
I wish I had the money and initiative to open an Internet cafe. That would rule.
Current mood: Discontented
Posted by Lynniechan @ 02:56 AM EST [Link]
Everything must go
Ooo! The bidding on the wrestling book, which I slashed in half to $5, is now at $12.50! And I have a bid on the stereo!
OK, I'm having more fun with this than when I first started, considering I should make my money back and then some. I realize anyone who's been using eBay for any length of time probably did the same thing at first, but now I find myself looking obsessively throughout the house for junk gathering dust that I can put up for auction.
Current mood: Giddy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:36 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Another silly quiz
borderline
Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:29 PM EST [Link]
Ka-ching
Someone bid on the wrestling book! Whoo hoo!
Current mood: Easily amused
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:39 AM EST [Link]
Queue theme from Deliverance
SANFORD -- Shirley Razor saw her daughter's longtime partner facedown beneath a tree and simply went about her business. It wasn't unusual for Danny Ray Privett to get drunk and sleep it off, she told jurors Wednesday.
Current mood: Silly
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:35 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
The number you have dialed is not in service
I have yet to hear back from my second cousin, Kaoru, to whom I sent a blind e-mail about a week ago. The "mailer-daemon" didn't kick back and "undeliverable" message, so someone received an e-mail. It's entirely possible that in relaying the e-mail address from my mom's sister to my mom, both of whom are computer illiterate, that a letter or letters got scrambled, and a complete stranger received my "Hello from Florida!" message.
It's also entirely possible that he received my e-mail and has failed to respond.
Without him, hooking up with my mom's relatives is going to be 10 times more difficult. He's the only person out of all of us who speaks both Japanese and English. I may still hear from him, but time is ticking.
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:33 AM EST [Link]
Fire sale
I've slashed the starting price of both of my eBay items in half. Ugh. This "eBay" thing frightens and confuses me. How come my friends can sell shit left and right -- including one who sold a readily-available CD for double its retail price to some yahoo in Georgia -- and I have yet to see one bid on either of my items?
Patience has never been one of my strong points.
Current mood: Crabby
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:21 AM EST [Link]
Nerd alert
| Lynniechan's Battle Imp is |
 Ilon |
Backstabbing: 9 Dodgin': 4 Guts: 9 Magic Mojo: 2 Smackdown: 6 |
(Thanks to LJer thebitingfaery)
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:28 AM EST [Link]
Monday, April 21, 2003
Working on an ulcer
Well, I have finally entered 1995.
I have posted my first eBay item. It's the BF's old shelf system from when he was a bachelor. He wanted to throw the thing out, but I just couldn't let him give up a perfectly good CD player. So naturally, it's been gathering dust in the closet for nearly two years.
I'd never bought or sold anything on eBay before because I'd never had much cause to. But mostly, what kept me away is my aversion to dealing with people I don't know. I'm still uncomfortable with the idea of shipping something to a stranger. What if they're dissatisfied? What if they for some reason don't receive it in the allotted time? What if they want a refund? What if they try to screw me? I don't like having to worry about those things.
No one's bid on it yet. I wonder if I'm asking too much. Someone please bid on it. Uh oh, I'm already more than a buck in the hole. This is like gambling. I'd like to at least make back what I spent.
Current mood: Paranoid
Update: I've since posted a second item, which was a freebie given to me from someone at work.
I have yet another freebie WWE wrestling book that I know will sell, and I was just about to post it before I canceled. It was just published; I searched eBay and no one else is selling it. But I'm afraid the WWE will find out who is hawking all their freebies and cut off my friend who's receiving them from the company. Guess I better hold off for now.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:40 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, April 17, 2003
My life is boring
I read a couple of blogs regularly, but I don't know anyone else I care to read about. I need to live vicariously through other people. Anyone out there going to start a blog soon?
Current mood: Bored
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:59 PM EST [Link]
Amazing
This is real. And here's a story about it.
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:35 AM EST [Link]
Contact
I just sent that e-mail I'd been meaning to send to my second cousin in Tokyo. I hope to hear back soon. Mr. Mail Daemon hasn't kicked the e-mail back to me, so that's a good sign.
Current mood: Anxious
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:30 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Highway to hell
I saw my first Amber Alert tonight, on I-4, as I drove home from the gym. It was for a 1995 dark green Buick, but beyond that, I can't remember the rest of the description. In my defense, they practically flashed the description on the sign and I barely had time to read it all before it changed back to the "CHILD ABDUCTION ALERT" intro. I saw the license plate number but there wasn't enough time for it to sink in. I read fast, so I can't imagine a slow reader would have caught any of it.
Dammit, that sicko is going to get away, and it's all my fault.
The interstate makes a good segue to another story from my trip to Miami:
We saw a horrific car crash on I-95, just north of downtown Miami. Well "saw" isn't the most appropriate word.
We were one car away from being in it.
There were about four or five lanes of traffic; we were in the middle. The car right in front of us, a beat-up, tan-colored hooptie, which was about two car lengths ahead, swerved suddenly into the lane to our right, then sharply swerved back, as if coffee had spilled in the driver's lap or something caught him/her off guard. Well the driver must have quickly turned the wheel back as far as it could go, overcorrecting, because the car started fishtailing.
The driver lost control of the car at that point, and it sideswiped a white, full-sized van in the lane to the right. The van of course turned to try to dodge, but the van then pinballed into a blue car to its right. It was blue car vs. full-sized van, and the blue car ricocheted off the van. It slammed into the concrete barrier wall, and the right-front side of the car crumpled, a la Dale Earnhardt.
I hoped to God that the driver of the blue car was OK. But we all were moving down the interstate at 60 mph when all this happened. I can't imagine the driver of the blue car got out alive.
Everything happened right in front of us. Our jaws dropped, and I started shaking. I don't know how on earth we didn't touch another car. We were powerless to do anything. My BF, who was driving, slowed smartly and gradually, taking care not to slam on the brakes. I know this sounds cliche, but it all seemed to move in slow motion. Like we were watching it on TV, and the windshield was the screen.
We kept moving down the interstate, somehow untouched, while a wall of cars backed up behind the accident in our rear-view mirror.
OMG, OMG, OMG, I said over and over. The BF wasn't saying anything. Visibly shaken, he was trying to concentrate on the road. I said, "I'm calling 911."
I don't think I'd ever called 911 before. For anything.
I called, and they patched me into the FHP. I wondered if they would make us turn around and go back to the scene of the accident, because we were just about the best witnesses they could hope for. I'm going to sound like a cold-hearted prick for saying this, but I hoped they didn't, because I had to meet my crew at the regatta site in an hour.
The FHP asked me where the accident was, what exit, and then said, "We're on our way." Click.
Whew. I felt like I did my part.
I wondered whether the driver of the car that hit the wall got out alive. I went online the next day and did a search, but I couldn't find anything on the accident.
I would mark that as No. 3 on my list of most frightening incidents in my life.
1 and 2 are:
- Riding the Big Shot at the top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. A friend and I went up there, not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into. When we got close to the front of the line, it all sank in, but we were even more chicken to turn around. I was shaking and nearly cried when it was over. She was the same. I don't think we talked to each other for an hour after it was over.
- A pregnancy scare in college. I'll leave that one for another day. Suffice it to say, it was a false alarm.
Current mood: Creeped out
Correction: That was the first Amber Alert I've seen in Florida. I saw one on an interstate in the D.C. area late last year.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:13 AM EST [Link]
Monday, April 14, 2003
I suck
I have to create a flyer for an event my rowing club is putting on later this month, and I've gone into procrastination mode.
Hm. No dishes to wash. No floors to mop. Maybe I'm hungry. Yeah, that's it. I'm hungry.
Current mood: Sucky
Posted by Lynniechan @ 07:38 PM EST [Link]
Homeless no more
We -- er, I -- finally settled on a hotel: the Shinjuku Prince Hotel.
Even though my mom is a country girl (northern Japan is like being from the south here -- rural, slower, different accent and drawl), she says she's actually been to Shinjuku before. It's downtown, bustling, with a shopping district. I'm sure it's much different now than it was when she saw it, though.
I could hear the excitement over the phone when I told her about the hotel. I wish she would just come with us. I know how she is, though. She's so stubborn; routine is very important to her, and she doesn't want to disrupt her life for two weeks. But my God, she hasn't seen her sister in almost 25 years.
Current mood: Restless
Posted by Lynniechan @ 07:28 PM EST [Link]
Saturday, April 12, 2003
Free Lynnie Part II
After lamenting how bad I've been eating the past few days, I'm now eating a huge slice of cheesecake, compliments of my dirty little Programme.
Current mood: Naughty
Posted by Lynniechan @ 07:40 PM EST [Link]
Romper room
I just got hit in the back by two balled-up pieces of paper, from two different people.
I am at work, though it doesn't seem like it.
Current mood: Irked
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:34 PM EST [Link]
Weak moment
After days of online searching and reading my Frommer's guide, I think I've finally settled on a hotel at which to stay in Tokyo.
But after I saw the final price tag for 8 nights, I got weak-kneed and couldn't hit the "reservations" button. Dammit, I always get cold feet when I'm about to spend hundreds of dollars, no matter how excited I am about my purchase. I need someone to push me over the cliff.
Current mood: Still full from dinner many hours later ("Free Lynnie")
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:10 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, April 10, 2003
More double standards
"The U.N. can be an important partner," Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told the Senate Armed Services Committee. But as if to damn with faint praise, he quickly added that he hoped the international organization could play "a much more positive role in the future" than it has in the past. "And I think there's reason to think that it can and will," Wolfowitz went on. "But it can't -- it can't be the managing partner. It can't be in charge..."
The U.S. firmly and repeatedly points out that Saddam Hussein defied "the will of the United Nations," but it does a horrible job of hiding the fact that it doesn't give a flip about the U.N., either.
Current mood: Annoyed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:05 PM EST [Link]
Ew
From a feature story on a local boy in Iraq:
When Jill Zerniak thinks of her cousin, she doesn't imagine blistering sandstorms, tanks and gunfire. She thinks of grapefruit.
Current mood: Antsy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 09:58 PM EST [Link]
Meat
For some reason, a co-worker's desk reeks of hot dogs.
Current mood: Still sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:58 AM EST [Link]
SO two years ago
Is "good times" the latest "it" phrase? I've heard it from no less than three people in the past week.
I feel like an older friend of mine who said recently that "back in the day" was "what they're saying these days."
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:32 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
Family sapling
I made a lot of progress this weekend in researching our trip to Japan.
I went home to visit my parents and sister, whose birthday was earlier this month, and got into a long discussion with my mom about the trip.
She asked me what we are going to do and where we are going to stay. Of course, true to my nature, I still have no clue. I really need to get moving on that. I don't particularly enjoy having every minute of my vacations mapped and scheduled out; I'm a free spirit that way. I generally like to have the big stuff picked out -- maybe some tickets for an event or a dinner scheduled with someone -- and otherwise just go when and where I want to go. But she's right -- I need to choose our base of operations immediately.
She then asked me whether I had any plans to visit her relatives. I said I had thought about it, but I was leaning more toward "no," because (1) they're practically strangers to me, (2) they are complete strangers to Stephen, whom I don't want to make uncomfortable, (3) almost all of them don't speak English and (4) my mom, who could help, wasn't planning to go.
She went into a bit of detail about her relatives, to the point that I wondered if she really did hope for me to go there, for her.
The sister she's closest to, Sachiko (sahtch-koh), lives about 2-3 hours north of Tokyo by Shinkansen, or bullet train, in a city called Haramachi City. I was more than willing to make the trip out there until Sachiko relayed the round-trip price to my mom on the phone: about $150 per person. Gulp. Oh well. How many times am I going to do that in my lifetime? Money is no expense to me, but of course my partner may think otherwise. And since it's his vakay and his money too, I have to respect that. That decision is still in the air.
According to my mom via my aunt, I have at least two relatives who work and live in Tokyo. One is Sachiko's youngest daughter, Kanako. She is in her early to mid-20s. Sachiko gave my mom her cell phone number. She says Kanako unfortunately is a bit shy, so I'm hesitant to cold call her. And she doesn't speak English, either, so that put a damper on things.
The other relative, my mom's first cousin, could be our break. His name is Kaoru (kah-oh-roo), and he speaks, reads and writes English after having attended some college in California. I've actually met him. He lived with our family briefly between school sessions when I was in fourth grade. He must be in his 40s by now. Funny thing is, my mom doesn't like him or his family. She says they're "stingy," whatever that means. He was always personally nice to me. But my mom offered to call him up for me anyway.
Sachiko gave me his e-mail address -- with some difficulty, since being from a rural area, Sachiko wasn't familiar with the terms "AOL," or "@"or ".com" and tripped over them while relaying them over the phone. I was just shocked that Kaoru had such a mundane e-mail address! I was also amused to find that my mom was familiar enough with those terms -- she's a complete technophobe -- to correct Sachiko (I'm paraphrasing here): "No! No! That's A-O-L, Ayyy... Ohhh... Elllluuu... not A-O-Eye! Ellluuu!"
So I have the e-mail address (and phone number if I need it) of a relative who speaks English and lives in Tokyo. Things are starting to get interesting.
This trip has unintentionally turned into a genealogical pilgrimage. I meant to make that family bonding trip someday with my mother -- who could do all of the introductions in addition to helping me with my Japanese that I supposedly had learned to speak -- but because she doesn't want to go, it's like she's just handed over the reins. And I feel guilty about dragging Stephen around a huge city on the other side of the planet just for my own personal reasons.
I can't comprehend why my mom doesn't want to go. I tried and tried this weekend to persuade her, and she paused several times to ponder the possibility. She seemed genuinely eager and excited about working with her sister to help coordinate our trip.
In the end, she thought it just not worth the effort to her to drive to the Japanese consulate in Miami to get her Japanese passport renewed, then make all the arrangements. She hasn't seen her sister or the rest of her family in more than 20 years, fercryinoutloud, but that still wasn't enough to convince her it was worth it. I won't ever understand that. Of course, there are a lot of issues with my mom I will never understand, but that's another story.
She may still change her mind. But time's running out, and she's stubborn like that.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:37 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, April 8, 2003
Time won't give me time
I have at least three more stories from this past weekend I'd like to tell you, but I need to set aside some time for them. Perhaps after work tonight.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:25 PM EST [Link]
Celeb fourth-tierdom
While on our way back from Miami, we stopped into an Ale House for lunch. While waiting for a table, we spied a menu signed by The Rock, who lives in South Florida.
That started an amusing discussion about celebs. L.A. has tons of A-list celebs. New York has Gwyneth Paltrow. Austin, Texas, has Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey. And Orlando has... Carrot Top. Well, a friend of mine did spot Britney Spears at a Starbucks once. But the way she's going, she'll be appearing with Carrot Top in those damn AT&T commercials before too long.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:30 AM EST [Link]
Monday, April 7, 2003
One down, five to go
What an exhausting but exciting weekend. The BF accompanied me to my rowing club's first regatta of the season, a sprint at Key Biscayne in Miami. We had a great time, especially since we won our race! This despite me stroking, or setting the pace for, our boat. Alas, there isn't much competition in Florida, it being the powerhouse rowing state that it is (heh).
There were four boats in our race, two of which were from our club. Of the other two boats, one was from another Central Florida rowing club called OARS (I know -- gag -- how convenient and cute) and the other was from Miami Rowing Club, the home team. I wasn't worried too much about the other ORC boat, since it is full of novice rowers. They will be good with more practice. The OARS boat has never really been a threat. I was mildly concerned about the MRC boat in that they were hosting the regatta and it was their home course. I know I should have more confidence in myself than that, but that's just me -- forever the pessimist.
I guess I'm the stroke for our boat, at least for the forseeable future or until our fearless leader decides to change his mind, which can happen on a dime (depending on his frequent mood swings or however many drinks he's had the night before, but that's another story). I'm used to that, though, given the nightly style and rule changes that occur at my job.
I'll miss our next regatta, which is this coming Sunday, due to work. A big discussion/debate thus ensued among my crew after the Miami regatta over who would be stroke this coming Sunday. It still hasn't been fully worked out yet. I feel a bit bad about being the source of dissention, but they've known for weeks I can't go.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 08:37 PM EST [Link]
Manliness is funniness
Un-PC and amusing. I was mesmerized by the clicky Shockwave tiles, just like how I love shiny metal objects. :)
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:46 PM EST [Link]
Friday, April 4, 2003
The joys of homeownership (1st in a series)
I think we've finally got our pest problem taken care of. Several weeks ago, we had flying termites invade our spare bedroom, despite being told by our pest-control company we need not worry about termite activity that had turned up in the yard near that room during an inspection less than a month previous.
The company (finally) dispatched a couple of yahoos to assess the situation. One was an intense grouch while the other mindlessly followed orders. Grouchy got a bit defensive and standoffish when we told him his company had detected termite activity a few weeks back but paid it no mind. He and his No. 2 poked around the room a bit; then he guessed that the termites seemed to be coming in from under the windows, though he couldn't say for sure whether they had gotten into the wall. Then he rolled his eyes. "Because of that hedge up against your house," he huffed, "we can't easily drill holes on the outside of the house to spray the poison into the wall." (Geez. Sorry for the inconvenience.) So what are the options? "Well we can tear out the hedge (I put a mental check into the "nope" column), drill from inside the room into your floor (dear God no) or hope for now they're not in the wall and treat the soil outside the house."
Great. Not my beautiful terrazzo floor. Did I just say that?
We decided to treat the soil next to the house and hope that took care of the pests. We'll worry about the hedge or the terrazzo if and when we get to that point. But for now, I haven't seen any termites lately, so let's hope they're gone.
As for the critters in the kitchen that I've seen slowly inching across the kitchen counter lately: The pest control company dispatched another person to handle this, who told us they're flour beetles. The man was pleasant enough but apparently was a bit of a Milton type who took bookish glee in describing every household pest known to man. Anyway, as it turns out, flour beetles are extremely common and don't require treatment, just a cleaning out of the cupboards of whatever they find yummy. We had some dry goods that were stowed there that were, um, a couple years old, from before we lived together. They're gone now.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:45 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, April 3, 2003
Happy birthday...
To my sister, whom I can't believe is as old as she is!
And congratulations to her as well for scoring a cool job as an "environmental scientist" for a major metropolitan area in-state. A big birthday present!
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:56 PM EST [Link]
Lethargy
This week has been a struggle physically, and I really can't explain why. It's all I can do to get out of bed in time to make it to work (I work evenings, mind you). I nearly dozed off several times during an important meeting at work at which all of the high-level managers attend (which isn't to say that the subject matter didn't help or that others haven't done the same before). I usually try to make it to the gym two times a week, but this week, I passed on both trips. I've done the least amount of work I can get by doing. I just want this week over and done with so I can start fresh. I feel dumpy. Maybe my body is making up for last week, when I was Ms. Perky -- I had a lot of energy, was never tired and worked out like an animal.
I used to seriously wonder whether I am mildly manic depressive or bipolar or whatever PC term they're using for it these days. For most of my life, I've been afflicted with paralyzing ups and downs that don't seem to be affected by my diet or schedule. I'd be mentally and physically fine one day, and the next day -- wham -- can't get out of bed, don't feel like eating, socializing or doing anything other than wallowing in a depression (or a "shame spiral" as we like to jokingly call it at work when things aren't going right). The only thing I could do would be to sleep until the next day and hope it's gone away.
Between this and my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I'm a psychiatrist's and a pharmacist's dream.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:40 PM EST [Link]
Ew
Dammit. I was so engrossed in reading something online that I didn't notice one of my cats licking cream cheese out of a tub I had left open next to me.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:12 PM EST [Link]
Maalox moment
I'm actually thinking of ordering some -- hey, beats cooking. Anyone interested in joining me?
Hartford Courant -- Haute cuisine, these meals are not. But fighting machines, as soldiers become in battle, are not looking for a four-star experience. What Meals-Ready-to-Eat, or MREs -- as they are more commonly called -- lack in finesse, they make up for in variety and an old-fashioned stick-to-the-ribs quality.
MREs, which fed the military during Desert Storm in 1991, refer to entrees, sides, desserts and snacks packed in heat-processed, flexible pouches. The food is fully cooked -- eating straight from the pouch is less appetizing but possible -- requires no refrigeration and reheats to the piping-hot stage with a minute or so in boiling water.
The Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., oversees the food program for the troops, but this boil-in-the-bag food is not just for the military anymore.
Another advantage to this pouch storage is a long shelf life -- years, in fact -- making them perfect for home pantries preparing for dark days, poor college students or anyone trying to discourage their taste buds.
Search the Internet for Meals-Ready-to-Eat, and dozens of sites pop up, each promoting ample supplies and reasonable prices.
The Ocean State Job Lot store in Connecticut carries a variety of entrees: Turkey with Savory Vegetables, Beef Stew and vegetarian pasta and beans among them, and side dishes. Don't expect fancy packaging. The pouches are tucked into a plain white cardboard box with navy blue lettering. But the meals are drastically cheaper than supermarket frozen entrees: 69 cents for an entree, 39 cents for a side dish.
"We're selling a lot of these," said the cashier as she scanned 12 boxes of entrees and a fruit dessert. (I didn't ask if most of those buyers also added duct tape, sheet plastic, flashlights and batteries to their order.)
But how edible or inedible are they? A small group of reporters gathered for an informal tasting, sampling each dish two ways: heated according to package directions and straight from the pouch. The tasters preferred the hot version, but it's far easier to be so choosy in the comfort of an office as opposed to the desert in Iraq.
Here are comments noted after several swallows:
* Turkey with Savory Vegetables: Thumbs down. "Something I'd only eat under duress"; "Not as bad as imagined, but not something I'd ask for seconds"; "If this doesn't turn you into a fighting machine, nothing will."
* Beef Chili with Beans: Thumbs almost up. Two tasters detected a slightly sour flavor, while two others thought it too bland. "Good; looks like they skimped on the beef and loaded up on the beans. Spicy, but not hot"; "Has kind of an afterburn. Might want to add some Tums to the beef and beans."
* Beef Stew: Thumbs up. "Like chunky beef soup; very tender beef"; "Probably the best meal in the group"; "It brings Irish taste buds to life." One dissenter: "Let's just say Dinty Moore isn't worried."
* Parmesan Chicken: Thumbs up. "My Italian grandmother would swoon in horror, but it sure beats the turkey"; "Interesting brio with a hint of Old World elan tempered by a slight piquant sense of kerosene."
* Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli: Thumbs up, with a reservation. Tasters commented on a strange aftertaste that one describes as similar to black licorice.
* Apple Slices in Spicy Sauce: Thumbs down on the spices. "Too mushy, too sour."
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:02 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
Get the surgical masks ready
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- An American Airlines flight from Tokyo was detained on the tarmac at the San Jose airport Tuesday after five people on board complained of symptoms like those of the mysterious new illness spreading through Asia, health officials said.
Two passengers and two crew members, plus a fifth unidentified person, complained of symptoms similar to those found in severe acute respiratory syndrome, which has afflicted hundreds in Hong Kong and killed at least 64 people worldwide.
It was not immediately clear when the people became ill, only that they reported to the crew during the flight that they "think they may have SARS," said Joy Alexiou, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
Walking through Shibuya wearing hazmat gear will definitely put a damper on our trip.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:03 PM EST [Link]