Monday, July 28, 2003
Get to know me!
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
01 | Thrill rides that drop you
02 | George W. Bush
03 | Confrontation
THREE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ME LAUGH:
01 | Dave
02 | Paul
03 | Richard
THREE THINGS I LOVE:
01 | Stephen
02 | Amber
03 | Music
THREE THINGS I HATE:
01 | Loud people
02 | Living by the clock
03 | Talking on the phone
THREE THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND:
01 | Myself
02 | People who keep guns
03 | Conservatives
THREE THINGS ON MY DESK:
01 | Kurt Angle
02 | Spider Man
03 | Super Grover
THREE THINGS I'M DOING RIGHT NOW:
01 | Ruminating
02 | Procrastinating
03 | Reading
THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
01 | Learn to speak Japanese
02 | Live in Colorado again
03 | Live in Japan
THREE THINGS I CAN DO:
01 | Type fast
02 | Row
03 | Navigate
THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY:
01 | Perfectionist
02 | Introverted
03 | Melancholy
THREE THINGS I CAN'T DO:
01 | Speak a foreign language
02 | Articulate
03 | Eat pork
THREE THINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO:
01 | Your better half
02 | The The
03 | Silence
THREE THINGS I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO:
01 | Network or cable news
02 | MTV
03 | Statistics
THREE THINGS YOU SAY THE MOST:
01 | OMG
02 | Shit
03 | Why
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:
01 | Ale House onion rings
02 | Cheetos
03 | Sushi
THREE THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN:
01 | To speak Japanese
02 | To play the violin competently
03 | Color theory
THREE BEVERAGES YOU DRINK REGULARLY:
01 | Water
02 | Coffee
03 | Milk
THREE SHOWS YOU WATCHED WHEN YOU WERE A KID:
01 | Galaxy Rangers
02 | Doctor Who
03 | I Dream of Jeannie
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:00 AM EST [Link]
Yum
Damn I love crunchy Cheetos.
Current mood: Content
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:50 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, July 27, 2003
Looking up
I try very hard to avoid writing about work, but this one is important enough to be posted here.
I think I’ve figured out what I want to do with the rest of my life.
It all came to a head last week, as I sat in the darkness of my car in the parking lot after work one night and sobbed uncontrollably over all the injustices at work that I am powerless to change: the overstaffing during the day -- some complain or boast of their boredom -- while people like me who either prefer or are stuck on the night shift leave blood on the keyboards every night; the fact that I will probably never be promoted, while there are others with less experience, seniority and responsibility who have passed me by; the opportunities others are given to work on fun projects, while the night folks are left to churn out the same shit every night; the mistrust, which makes for ridiculous micromanagment from above; and the inattention to the night-shifters in my department, who are left to carry an inordinate amount of the workload, are looked upon as second-class employees and are rarely rewarded or even acknowledged unless something is screwed up.
The realization that none of this will ever change just overwhelmed me.
My BF was understanding, as always, but could only sit there and provide comfort until my frustrations ran their course. I told him I am now willing to move, but I don’t think he’s as open to the idea, though he didn’t flat out say no.
I will be poor. What I want to do earns a fraction of what I now make. The BF is supportive; he would rather see me happy, and as long as I bring in X amount of money, we won't starve. And being poor doesn’t scare me at all. I have done most of what I've wanted to do, I own what I need and neither of us are in debt. I’d much rather be poor and happy than financially comfortable and miserable.
More to come as I figure out how to make this happen.
Current mood: Content
Posted by Lynniechan @ 07:29 PM EST [Link]
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Science is like, cool and stuff
http://www.msnbc.com/news/942734.asp?0dm=T14QT
Current mood: Depressed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:15 AM EST [Link]
Monday, July 21, 2003
Ugh
I'm bidding on my very first eBay item.
But now dammit I hope I don't win. I found it cheaper elsewhere online.
Current mood: Antsy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 09:39 PM EST [Link]
Saturday, July 19, 2003
Life expectancy calculator
The BBC says I'll live to be 89.4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/health/gigaquiz?infile=health_calculator&path=calculator_living
Current mood: Exhausted
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:55 PM EST [Link]
Friday, July 18, 2003
The schtupperware party
I attended an interesting party last Friday night, though I can't say whether or not I'd care to go to another one. I mostly just attended because I like seeing weird stuff. I'm into freakshows.
The party was called a Secret party. It's a Tupperware party for sex toys. They must be trendy now; Wired magazine recently had a short item:
Schtupperware Party
A sex-ed salon where women gather over cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to shop for sex toys. As New York magazine noted: "If the Tupperware party was the girls' night of the '70s, today's girls' night is the schtupperware party, where participants test vibrators instead of burp plastic."
There were about 24 women there, mostly young 20-somethings from the workplace of the hostess, N., with whom I row, plus a few rowers.
Another rower had hosted one of these parties several months ago. I couldn't go, but I heard I had missed an absolute riot. The hostess receives free merchandise for hosting one of these things -- the more people there, the more free merch -- so not surprisingly, a couple of the ladies were eager to host another.
I came in a few minutes late, and the saleswoman had already started in on the merchandise. She was a 30-something loud redhead, hair tied back in a high, tight bun, with a big chest protruding from a form-fitting black tank top. N. giddily handed me a long order form, plus a slip of paper to fill out for a door prize. Some of the items on the order form: Zenith Cream, Man in a Can, Peckermints, Golden Genie, Midnight Oil, Mighty Mite. I grabbed a Molson from the cooler and found an empty seat in the back.
The pencil I was given was topped off with a little pink wee wee-shaped eraser.
I felt a bit uncomfortable, but I imagine I wasn't the only one. Personally, though, it wasn't the subject matter. I'm typically just loathe to having to schmooze at parties with strangers.
"Now this one is edible," said the sales lady from the other side of the room, "but don't use too much or the inside of your or his mouth will go numb."
OK.
The saleswoman frenetically ran down the gamut of creams, powders and oils. She passed around each item for sampling. Most of it I just handed straight along to the people standing behind me who came in late. The edible stuff bores me and usually tastes nasty.
It didn't take long for my left arm to turn pungent and sparkly from all the creams. Ew.
"If you like this one, only use a couple of drops!" the saleswoman obnoxiously warned. "That's all you need. If you use too much, you and your partner will be slipping off each other!"
I kept passing along the merchandise to the crowd of about five or six behind me who were getting louder and sillier with every beer.
The saleswoman asked for a volunteer. She wanted someone to take a swab of the "Cli-max Cream" into the bathroom and report back to everyone what it felt like. She said you wouldn't necessarily do what the cream implied, at least not without a partner. But you'd feel something.
Drunk ladies started volunteering each other's friends. I didn't think I was in any danger of being singled out. People don't pay that much attention to me, and for the most part I enjoy staying underneath the radar.
"She'll go!" exclaimed N., pointing in my direction at the young, large woman behind me. The woman resisted, and they went back and forth. Finally, since N. couldn't get anyone else to go, she'd go herself. She took a small sample and disappeared into the tiny downstairs bathroom. N. quickly emerged without comment, but within five minutes, she said it had kicked in -- it was hot. She said with a smirk that it definitely wasn't bad. I thought "Ben-Gay."
The presentation continued. "I highly recommend this one," said J., a middle-aged rower who had attended the last party, to me as she passed the Zenith cream. We giggled. I don't quite know how I feel about knowing about the sex lives of all the middle-aged women in my rowing group, but I'm happy they've still got it.
Enough with the creams and oils. I smelled like a Walgreens perfume counter at this point.
The saleswoman eventually moved on to the fun stuff: the toys.
Toys of all sizes and colors started coming my way. Women's guffaws filled the room.
I was enjoying this. I couldn't help but push all the buttons on every gadget that went by. Some were small -- how do the batteries fit? -- some lit up, and all were of varying colors. Some were for "the two of you," others were for him to wear.
A buzzed N., fluttering between groups of her guests, proclaimed, "I think I'm going to get 'B.O.B.'! I think I want 'B.O.B.' "
I wondered who else was buying.
After the toy presentation, the saleswoman announced that she'd be taking orders in the next room. The women, loud and giddy, queued up surprisingly orderly.
You have to hand it to the company selling these products. This is the perfect way to do it. You get a bunch of drunk women together. They have a great time giggling over sex toys, wiggling "Thunder Bunnies" in each other's faces and telling each other an endless supply of jokes. Then you let them play with the toys for a while and then offer to let them buy stuff anonymously in a back bedroom. The bags and boxes are unmarked, so no one has to know what you left with. It's like going to Fairvilla (link NSFW) with a friend to gawk and laugh over what's there but actually being able to buy something without being embarrassed or mocked.
Leave it to me to respect the practicality of the whole thing.
Of 24 women, I think two left without purchasing anything. I'll leave it to you to decide what I did.
Current mood: Exhausted
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:30 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Home improvement
The BF and I have decided to take on a home-improvement project.
We want to install tile in the enclosed patio. I'm thinking large, gray tiles -- a foot or more square -- with maybe a marble-colored surface.
Both of us are horrible home decorators. One of the main selling points of our house was that it was old but clean and recently renovated. All it basically needed was a fresh coat of paint on the walls, which we figured we could handle. Anything beyond that, though, makes us recoil.
The patio/Florida room/porch is rectangular, with no pipes, poles or shelves to have to build around. There's a small raised step in front of the sliding glass door, but that should be the hardest part. If there's an easy room to tile, it's this one.
Last weekend, we took up the nasty indoor-outdoor carpeting that was in there. It was a dingy gray, stained and dirty. The cats loved it. I feel bad that the cats now have nothing in there to perch on. We yanked up one of the carpet's sides and rolled it up. There are remnants of yellowish glue stuck to the surface underneath. The glue appears to have been smoothed on with a grout float of some kind, because the spread-on glue is ridged. We can't figure out what the surface the glue is stuck to is. It appears to be a very thin layer of particle board overtop the terrazzo that's throughout our house, but for some reason it's hard to tell.
We're armed with a tile instruction book, plus we're going to attend a ceramic tile-installation class at the Home Despot this Saturday. I was really nervous about doing this job with just the book. I'll feel a bit more reassured after having taken the class.
I should take pictures of the job from start to finish. I didn't take pictures before the carpet was taken up, but I'll start from the way it is now -- vacant, soulless, hot concrete room.
We want to prove to ourselves we can do this. This has to be one of the easiest jobs you can do. I almost feel like if we can't do this, we aren't fit to be homeowners.
Current mood: Optimistic
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:49 AM EST [Link]
Monday, July 14, 2003
If you haven't already seen it... (submitted by RJ)
Go to Google, type in "weapons of mass destruction" and include the quote marks. Hit the I'm Feeling Lucky button.
Current mood: Lethargic
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:30 PM EST [Link]
Sunday, July 13, 2003
BF goes to Tokyo
Current mood: Content
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:56 AM EST [Link]
Friday, July 11, 2003
Wishing I had Japanese TV
Found this link via someone's LJ blog: http://www.ntv.co.jp/channel/asx/hkzkt10.asx Current mood: Upbeat
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:23 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, July 9, 2003
And I thought my job was bad
http://nymetro.com/nymetro/news/media/features/n_8946/ Current mood: Thankful
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:09 PM EST [Link]
For no reason (sent in by toucan1759)
http://www.kawauso.net/index.shtml Current mood: Silly
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:13 AM EST [Link]
Up my medication
I've been an emotional wreck today. First, I learned about the conjoined twins who died during surgery to separate them. Then I found a gripping photo of a baby who was the only survivor of a plane crash in the Sudan. Later, my BF sent me a story about a baseball player who found and rescued a newborn kitten on a baseball field, and Tiff sent me a picture of a cute puppy that was rescued after being thrown onto an interstate. Tears welled in my eyes -- at work -- with every bit of sad news. I don't normally lose my composure over anything, even though I may be upset. But every now and then, whatever it is that keeps me from just losing it decides it just can't hold it back any more. I cry and cry uncontrollably, often triggered by the stupidest thing, then I'm good again for months. And then Britney came out and said she's not a virgin. OMG. I haven't cried in a very, very long time. Tonight might be one of those nights. Current mood: Unstable
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:27 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, July 8, 2003
Tragedy
I had tears in my eyes this afternoon when I read that both of the Iranian conjoined twins had died. They were so brave. Current mood: Depressed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:33 PM EST [Link]
Monday, July 7, 2003
Hide-chapper of the day
A shiny new yellow Hummer -- in the parking lot at Publix. Current mood: Outraged
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:53 PM EST [Link]
Friday, July 4, 2003
Dear Club Get-A-Life Gold Club Members
You've been blogged! Can you hurry up with that check? Thanks for taking time out of your busy weekend, K., to round out the reunion. It was great to see everyone! I miss you all. Current mood: Giddy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:52 AM EST [Link]
What I want to do for the rest of my life
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:41 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Today's PSA
What not to do to your sister or best friend on your wedding day. Current mood: Unproductive
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:28 PM EST [Link]
Tuesday, July 1, 2003
Word of the day
Byzantine Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:33 PM EST [Link]
