Sunday, August 31, 2003
So that's what it's like to do it standing up
http://195.92.224.73/j20/content/host.asp
Current mood: Amused
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:43 PM EST [Link]
OMG
http://www.scarefactory.com/catalog/springlineskelerectors.htm
Current mood: Smiley
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:25 PM EST [Link]
Friday, August 29, 2003
Where is the justice?
My BF and I do not share any days off any more. That will provide me with lots of down time -- and probably blogging time -- on my nights off, but more importantly, I will be lonely and miss him. His new days off, at least for the next several months, are terribly shitty.
When he went to his supervisors, and ultimately, the head of the department, for an explanation, he was told that his days off were changed to help handle the busy football season and a new publication his department is producing. They had tried to accommodate requests, but few, if anyone, in the department in which he works got a weekend day off (though one co-worker mysteriously ended up with weekends off that he did not have before).
The Big Department Head asked my BF if I couldn't change my days off to match his. My BF, inflamed, coolly replied, "That is not an option. She has xxdays and xxdays off. I could never ask her to give up those." (Also, my BF said to me later: Once you lose those days, you never get them back; so don't ever voluntarily give them up.) In our line of work -- in which the engines are running and drivers are needed 24/7/365 -- what days off you have are a precious commodity, second only in importance to a paycheck.
Toward the end of their talk, the Big Department Head finally wound his way to the real point: There were too few people in the office during the weekends last football season to get the job done properly, so this year, it's all hands on deck.
That's probably true. My BF left work battered and bruised nearly every football night last year.
However, asking everyone to work is totalitarian and unnecessary. It's a knee-jerk reaction to the extreme that will result in people playing Shockwave games, online shopping and watching TV to pass the down time. Why not let some stay home? Too many people is just as unreasonable as too few. Plus, with a few open positions finally filled, there will be three more bodies in their department than there were this time last year -- three more bodies to whom to spread the pain.
The part that my BF says disappoints him the most, however, is that dedication, good work and reliability get you nowhere there. He's hardworking and honest, is never late and never uses a sick day as an excuse for a day off. And he's often been told by several managers that he's the best copy editor the department has. But what has that earned him? Worse days off than he's had in years. Good work is not rewarded. The underachievers are given the same opportunities and the same days off as the ones who bust their asses.
There is no merit or reward for being better than your average copy editor.
And nothing is ever earned or gained -- assuming he wanted to continue copy editing, he still may have the same shitty days off 10 years from now.
Is that how it is at other places? Or is that the career path to nowhere we've picked for ourselves?
A day later, the Big Department Head backed off his totalitarian edict and proposed weekend days off -- either Saturday or Sunday but not both -- on a rotational basis between my BF and several others. My BF is a little relieved at that prospect, which would give us at least a night together here and there. But it's still a compromise, a meeting in the middle, which I have a feeling was what the Big Department Head -- who once told my BF he needed to learn to "play the game" -- had hoped for all along.
Current mood: Outraged
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:54 PM EST [Link]
Welcome to the jungle gym
I was in my own little world at the gym today, headphones blaring -- but not loud enough not to hear the word "Madonna" from a nearby personal trainer to a client. I immediately knew they were talking about The Kiss. Curious, I turned down the volume on the iPod to listen while continuing to stretch.
The trainer described the kiss, then his voice became malevolent. I heard the word "fag" and flinched.
"It must be a political agenda they're trying to get across, what with all the gays in the news lately, like they're trying to get people acclimated to their lifestyle. Like it's normal or something."
I turned the volume back up as loud as I could stand and made myself busy.
Later, toward the end of my workout, a female client who was not there for the previous discussion also happened to bring up the VMAs, this time to her trainer. I turned the volume back down while continuing to work out.
The homophobic trainer chimed in from across the room, describing the kiss again: "Oh yeah, tongue and all. What if your child had seen that?"
The female client, a middle-aged, overweight, pair-shaped woman sporting lots of black spandex, giggled, "My teenage daughter sees that every day. I'm just sorry I went to bed early!"
Current mood: Impressed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:51 PM EST [Link]
OMG
My IE at home inexplicably crashed, and when I relaunched it, all of my 50-odd bookmarks were wiped out.
IE is cruel and evil. And yes, it's personal.
Current mood: Pissed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 04:06 PM EST [Link]
Me vs. wall
I apologize (again) for not keeping this updated these past couple of weeks. I feel as though I'm allowing the blog rot on the vine. It's been hard to keep my head above water lately. Work, train, sleep, wash, rinse, repeat. That hasn't left much time for putting my thoughts to paper, so to speak -- if I had any thoughts to speak of on anything. I've been pretty much making it through this week on autopilot -- no inspiration, no spark.
I hope to regroup this weekend. I should have plenty of time as the BF and I no longer have any days off together.
Current mood: Overwhelmed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:49 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
The scary things people actually bid on
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2947844789&category=1469
Current mood: Bored
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:27 PM EST [Link]
Sunday, August 24, 2003
Star light, star bright
The bright red point of light hovering straight overhead that lately has greeted me as I come home from work each night finally was the catalyst that had me lugging out my telescope for the first time in years.
Mars is as close to Earth as it has been in nearly 60,000 years. I had blown off several eclipses -- they will happen again -- but I just couldn't let this one go.
I came home from work several nights ago and looked up, between the oak trees. No clouds, no haze, and the half moon was just starting to rise, about 30 degrees up, so it was far enough away from the planet that the moon's light would not wash it out.
It was The Perfect Night.
I had viewed Mars the week before with a pair of old binoculars long abandoned in the trunk of my car. It was bright and beautiful indeed, but I was curious how much detail I could see with my telescope, which is weak but perfectly suited to a fairweather hack like me who is only drawn out to view the heavens when a big event happens.
"I'm think this is the night to see Mars. If I don't do it now, I may not get another chance," I said to the BF after we ritually pet Big Boy and unlocked the door.
The BF quickly and dutifully hauled the heavy telescope out to the driveway for me. It's harder to carry than you might think, because the telescoping legs of the tripod move up and down, the top part swivels and it's awkward to hold.
After he stood it up for me and secured the legs, I aimed the telescope almost straight up. I used the little sighting scope on top of the telescope to find Mars, which took seconds. It's by far the brightest light in the sky right now (other than the moon and sun), and it will be until it slowly inches across the horizon night after night and is washed out by dawn's light.
Good, Mars was right in the middle of the sighting scope. Now to choose an eyepiece. Hm, I had three, but I barely could remember which was the most and least powerful, much less their magnifications.
I was really excited. I was actually doing something for a change and not just talking about doing it. Big Boy's tail snaked around my legs as he walked circles around them. Bless him for keeping me company. The skeeters had found me and had started feasting; better make this fast.
Somewhere along the line, in the several years I've owned the telescope and moved it, I must have lost the little L-shaped mirror that aims the eyepiece up toward you, making it easier to look into it. Annoying, because now I had to bend over and then crane my neck to look up into the eyepiece. Grr. Oh well.
I picked what I thought was the least powerful eyepiece, thinking I would work my way up as I centered Mars in my sights each eyepiece at a time. Whew, I chose the right one. I hadn't totally forgotten everything.
I put the eyepiece in the holder and started wiggling the telescope around just slightly and turning the fine-tuning knobs, trying to find Mars in my view. The sighting scope gets fairly close, but when the magnification is that great, it is not exact.
There it was.
I turned the focus knobs a bit. With this eyepiece, Mars was super-bright red star. I stared in awe.
Big Boy continued his laps around my jeans, then used them as a scratching post for his clawless front paws.
I switched to the middle-powered eyepiece, and then to Big Daddy. It's actually fairly weak as far as telescopes go, but it's the most powerful I have.
A few more searches and knob turns, then focus.
I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw Mars as a rusty red disk -- tiny, in my weak-but-functional telescope, but definitely a disk -- and I could see a faint white area along one edge. I could actually make out one of Mars' polar caps, even if barely.
Awesome. It was hard to believe that I was staring at another planet, one that inspired Isaac Newton and Galileo hundreds of years ago, somewhere seemingly so unattainable yet is only one hop back from the sun. I hope we find life on Mars -- just a microbe would substantiate intelligent life elsewhere. I can't believe that the rock we're on is the only one in an infinite universe that can support life.
I took another few minutes to take some mental snapshots of my prize, then beckoned the BF for help. The skeeters had called for backup.
Current mood: Tired
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:03 AM EST [Link]
Saturday, August 23, 2003
Easily amused (one in an ongoing series)
Ad painted in a window of a McDonald's in my neighborhood: "We got your Big Mac right here!"
Current mood: Silly
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:16 PM EST [Link]
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Next on Springer
From BostonHerald.com:
The Southbridge family that's holding a public competition to find a suitable suitor for a daughter, has a history of financial and relationship problems.
Donna Wood and her family had caught the imagination of the public recently when she advertised for a man to marry her daughter, Kimberly Devlin, 22, and then interviewed candidates on her front lawn, setting off a media frenzy.
The attention also caught the eye of Hollywood and captured a free trip to California for the family to appear on Sharon Osbourne's new show next month when Devlin's beau will be chosen on air from two finalists.
But the family stopped giving interviews after the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported yesterday that the family is receiving welfare payments.
According to sources familiar with the family, Kimberly, who works as a part-time nanny and is the single mother of 4-year-old Kara, is collecting $518 a month in Transitional Aid for Families with Dependent Children and $211 a month in food stamps.
Wood, 44, is collecting $428 a month in TAFDC for her 20-month-old granddaughter who was left in Wood's care by Devlin's older sister.
Beth Lavine of Oxford, Devlin's best friend, said the family's financial straits have nothing to do with Wood's matchmaking.
Sources said the family was also investigated for child neglect in 1998 when they were living in Dudley and Donna Wood was married to Mark Bonneville, 36.
After Bonneville was arrested for alleged domestic abuse on Wood, officials investigated allegations that the couple was doing drugs with Wood's two daughters and the daughters were not going to school, sources said.
"The older daughter moved out after the investigation and left her kid with [Wood] to take care of," said a source.
Devlin's biological father, Paul Devlin, is deceased, and Wood and Devlin are collecting Social Security benefits as a result of his death, sources said.
Of the 10 finalists who meet the judge's criteria and will go to the next round this weekend, at least one is not fazed by the family's background.
"They seem like a normal family to me. Nobody's perfect," said Bill Beck, 24, of Clinton.
Yep, it's the American Way for a welfare mom to pimp her 22-year-old daughter -- who was a teen mother and now living at home -- on national TV to a total stranger.
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:36 PM EST [Link]
Monday, August 18, 2003
Bad hair day
Am annoyed that I paid $30 at a hoity-toity salon for a haircut that would have cost me $15 at any of the soulless corporate hair-cutting chains. My haircuts -- usually just a quick tidying trim around the back -- are not worth $30 (and it shows, being the daring risk-taker that I am). The lady did do a good job, though. But it's still about as uncomplicated a cut as can be. I feel like I just spent $60 on a pair of Guess? jeans instead of buying an identical pair at Old Navy for half the price, only in my case there's no obnoxious corporate logo slapped on the back of my head telling the world I shelled out too much money for a label.
Current mood: Cheap
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:57 PM EST [Link]
A sad, sad sight
My ass sticking up in the air as I hunched over a garbage can next to the microwave and fridge at work, rummaging through and scavenging a bunch of used yellow mailing envelopes that co-workers had discarded.
EBay, you are evil.
Current mood: Pathetic
Posted by Lynniechan @ 10:19 PM EST [Link]
Cuckoo
I finally found out what that cute creature I attached to my purse is, the little name tag thingie my Japanese relatives gave me.
It's a corporate mascot for a fruit drink called Qoo (pronounced "coo") that's sold throughout Asia. I also have a little pink tote bag that also has Qoo on it.
My relatives gave me Qoo swag!
Current mood: Satisfied
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:50 AM EST [Link]
Patio update
Some pictures of our progress on the Project That Wouldn't End:
18-inch x 18-inch 'Ceramiche di Sassuolo' tiles
Like icing a cake they tell us (OK whatever) What a freaking mess.
As of two nights ago, no grout yet
I must add that I would never have the initiative on my own to do any of this without, er, um, encouragement from the industrious BF.
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:36 AM EST [Link]
Girlfriends
BF's phone rings.
"May I speak to Andrew or Stephanie please?"
"Uh, I think you have the wrong number."
"Wait. Is this 407-XXX-XXXX?"
"Yes."
"And is your address 3309 XXXXXX XXX?"
"Yes..."
"So there is no Andrew or Stephanie there?"
Then it quickly dawned on my BF: WE are Andrew and Stephanie -- I being Andrew, and he, Stephanie -- our names so butchered that no one would have been able to make the connection.
Later, as he recounted the story to me -- I could not stop laughing -- I told him I thought he had said, "Andrea and Stephanie." I thought Andrea and Stephanie were a lesbian couple.
"Well hell, if I had said 'Andrea,' " he said, "They at least would have gotten ONE of our sexes right."
Dumbasses.
As it turned out, the person on the phone was a representative from a company who is going to appraise our house as part of our refinancing. We suspect that the woman on the phone wasn't really to blame for the name screwup. The loan coordinator at the mortgage company we've gone with, Castleview Home Loans, is a complete DINGBAT -- sorry for the all caps, but it's necessary here -- and she probably provided the appraiser with bad names.
The loan coordinator has screwed up my BF's name previously on paperwork, called my work number -- multiple times -- trying to reach my BF (even though she has separate numbers for each of us), put my monthly income on my BF's set of paperwork (we have to fill out two sets of paperwork because we are not married) and even got key figures wrong on the good faith estimate she sent us to sign, which would have ended up costing us $70 more a month than the quote she had originally given me over the phone. Just talking to her is an exercise in annoyance; while you are talking, she often just starts up a sentence herself, about something completely unrelated, as if you weren't even talking. We found other figures on the paperwork that needed fixing, too. She is sending us both corrected sets of paperwork to sign. Again.
She has been nothing short of a complete moron.
If you are refinancing (and maybe even stumble across my blog online), please heed my advice: DO NOT finance with Castleview Home Loans. Run, do not walk. I feel partially responsible for this mess we're in because I found this company on LendingTree.com. They -- Castleview, not Lending Tree, which gave us several other companies to choose from -- are definitely getting bad feedback from us.
Someone as careless and absent-minded as our loan coordinator should never be allowed to be responsible for someone else's finances. We cannot wait to get through with this so we never have to deal with this dingbat again.
Current mood: Exasperated
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:55 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
What was that again?
I've been hooked on reading fark.com lately, and I think the reason is because it's much like how I like to watch TV -- with absolutely no attention span, switching the channel every 3 minutes or so to stay away from the commercials and taking in bits and pieces of whatever catches my attention. It must drive my BF crazy. We rarely watch TV at the same time, because I can't stay on the same station for too long before becoming irritated or bored, and he can't stand getting sucked into something only to have me switch the station. I think that's why I immediately head for MTV2 when I flip on the TV. First, I hope to hear something interesting, but mostly, it's noncommittal TV.
Current mood: Content
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:32 AM EST [Link]
Monday, August 11, 2003
Moving to Europe, stat
BLOOMBERG -- Workers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands get fewer days off than employees in any other countries in the European Union, according to a survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
British and Dutch employees are allotted 20 days of annual leave and eight public holidays, Mercer said. Workers in Finland get the most paid days off, with 25 vacation days and 14 holidays. The figures apply to employees with at least 10 years of service.
''There is still a sizable gulf in the amount of minimum paid holiday between member states,'' said David Formosa, a Mercer partner.
The average number of paid days off in the EU is 34, Mercer said. Workers in London get the least time off and they pay more for cars, housing and alcohol than other Europeans, said Mercer, which collects data on work conditions for companies that send employees abroad.
Austria ranked second on the list of paid leave for workers with 38 days off, followed by Greece, with 37 days, and France, with 36. French employees are required to work shorter hours than counterparts in most European countries.
Current mood: Overworked
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:09 PM EST [Link]
Note to Hollywood
Most of the worst films of all time have been made in the past 10 years: http://us.imdb.com/bottom_100_films/
And there's no end in sight...
Current mood: Lethargic
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:22 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Terriers
I laugh every time I listen to TERRIERS, a Kids in the Hall skit:
Kevin (in drag, holding a dog): "I just got him and I love him and I'm going to name him and it's going to be a perfect name 'cause he's the perfect dog and I love him... Isn't he great?"
Bruce: "No. I don't like him."
K: "What?"
B: "Sorry."
K: "What's wrong with him?"
B: "He's just not my type of dog... He's just not... A terrier."
(Music starts, Bruce sings)
Terriers are my very favorite breed
They're cute and cuddly, easy dogs to feed
They'll bring you up whenever you are down
Terriers average 20 pounds
When I walk around in this terrier town
One thing that makes me down
Is when people put... bandanas... on their dogs
Terriers are my very favorite breed
Cute and cuddly, easy dogs to feed
Terriers were there in the 11th century
Napoleon had one to prevent misery
Terriers are good with the aged
Studies show that they prolong old people's lives
No one wants to die
Like this guy died (points to grave)
Die die, die die
Die die, die die
Worms eating your eyes
Bass solo
(Standing in cemetery, notices women behind him in black bikinis and veils)
Ah, excuse me ladies, you're scantily clad and have nothing
to do with the narrative. Therefore, it's sexist. Sorry.
(They go away.)
Wow, that hurt.
You know those mornings that you just can't get out of bed,
and you'd call in sick, if you had a job.
You know those mornings when you just wanna watch TV,
eat corn chips and masturbate.
Sure you do.
Well, when those days happen,
what you should do is start thinking about my friends.
My little furry, waterproof pals.
You know I'm talking about...
Les terriers sont mes types favourites
Jolies, charmantes
Pas de probleme a maintenir
Il donnent du joie
Quand tu es "blue"
Les terries sont a peu pres
Vingt livres
Give terriers a chance (Yeh!)
Do the terrier dance
No, let's not
But if you want your love to show
If you want your love to grow
Then go terri-, go terri-, go terri- errrrrrrrrrrrrrCurrent mood: Silly
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:36 PM EST [Link]
Cool moblog
Wishing I had a camera phone: http://www.dollarshort.org/moblog/
Current mood: Industrious
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:25 PM EST [Link]
Saturday, August 9, 2003
Enough already
If I never read another item about the NYT I will be happy.
Does the public care what happens internally at the paper?
Current mood: Tired
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:11 PM EST [Link]
Friday, August 8, 2003
Special photo ops
I really should carry my digital camera with me everywhere. Just to take pictures of everything and nothing in particular. I'd like to develop a keener eye for composition and color. And you never know when you'll stumble upon something cool.
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:06 AM EST [Link]
The bish
As removed as I am from any form of organized religion, I was happy to see that the Episcopal Church voted to confirm Gene Robinson as the church's first openly gay bishop. Sadly, organized religion is not synonymous with tolerance and compassion in my book, but this served as a needed reminder to me that not all Christians, or religious people in general, are intolerant.
One observation: After the vote, Robinson appeared for a news conference with his adult daughter and partner. Of the photos of the conference I looked at that night -- and it's possible I did not see them all -- none showed Robinson and his partner making obvious physical contact. I think there might have been one in which his partner had his hand on Robinson's shoulder. I'm sure the distance was deliberate. Robinson and his daughter were front and center in many of the photos, while his partner stood behind them, obviously trying to keep a lower profile. In many, Robinson's daughter stood between him and his partner.
It's disappointing that Robinson and his partner felt they should not openly celebrate together in front of the TV cameras and national audience, but I guess the event and the step forward is of greater importance, and for that I am heartened.
Current mood: Listless
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:48 AM EST [Link]
Greedy
After commenting that I have done what I've wanted to do in life, I realize I've recently stressed over wanting to go to Boston, wanting to go to NYC and buying a laptop.
Want want want.
Current mood: Annoyed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 02:57 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, August 7, 2003
Boston revisited
After much stressing and talking it over with the BF, I've decided to go to Boston after all.
Which means I'm postponing the laptop purchase until whenever, probably next year sometime. And the BF has selflessly (as always) put me before himself, postponing his/our trip to NYC, which was planned well before the possibility of Boston came up.
Mantra: Do what you want to do now in case you never have another chance.
Current mood: Sleepy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 09:51 AM EST [Link]
Facts of life
Because my life has come to a screeching halt and I have nothing else to write about, here are
25 (1 sentence) THINGS ABOUT ME (in no particular order):
25. I have lived in Florida most of my life.24. I got two Ds in college, both in computer programming courses.
23. The first computer I personally owned was a Mac Quadra 605 (160 MB hard drive; started out with 8 MB of RAM, eventually maxed it out at 128MB).
22. I have been obese most of my life.
21. I was a tomboy growing up, much preferring to play Hot Wheels, video games and sports the with guys.
20. Despite that, my one girlie pleasure was Barbies; my sister and I shared a huge collection that included all of the most expensive and ridiculous accessories.
19. I rarely get lost.
18. Rice pudding repulses me.
17. Although I'm a technophile, I did not own a DVD player until this past Christmas.
16. My most embarrassing drunken experience was when two men -- one a friend, another a stranger -- had to carry me out of a club slung over their shoulders because I was lying on the ground near the dance floor.
15. I was one of two or three people in my high school class who did not own a car.
14. My family and closest, oldest friends call me Lynn.
13. I dated my rowing coach in college.
12. Not knowing how far it was, me, my ex-boyfriend and one of our friends once foolishly drove to Key West for a weekend.
11. I witnessed the shuttle Challenger blow up, and before it was destroyed, I had seen the World Trade Center.
10. People often mistake me and my sister for twins, even though I am more than three years older than her.
9. I love long, straight hair.
8. My sister and I sound exactly alike on the phone.
7. My last apartment had no heater, and to generate heat, I would keep the kitchen stove's burners running or turn on the oven (it didn't help much).
6. I am not big on birthdays, anniversaries or holidays, but I love Christmastime.
5. I played the violin for a year and a half in grade school and have taken guitar lessons.
4. I have never broken a bone or stayed overnight in a hospital.
3. I played tight end in a high school powder puff football game; I was never given the ball.
2. I have been in two fistfights, both with boys.
1. I used to take spoons from restaurants for no reason and once had a huge silverware tray full of them.
Current mood: SleepyPosted by Lynniechan @ 09:23 AM EST [Link]
Monday, August 4, 2003
Age of dissent
My rowing team is planning to enter an eight (a boat with eight rowers) into the Head of the Charles, a prestigious, ginormous international regatta held in Boston every year. Thousands of people line the shores of the Charles River to watch. The regatta is very hard to get into, and therefore a limited number of our rowers will be able to go. The competition is incredible, and chances are good we will get our butts kicked. If we finish in the middle of the pack, that will be a huge accomplishment. But for crews like us -- and I just speak realistically -- you really can't go there expecting to win; you go to say you were there (and maybe have a respectable finish).
This morning, the coach asked the rowers who are interested in going to stand over there, and he pointed to a spot far enough away that would segregate the crowd of about 25 women standing around.
All of the members of my boat walked over, except me.
When several of them realized I wasn't with the Boston group, they seemed worried. They started to call out my name and gestured at me to join them. I shrugged like a dumbass. I was put on the spot and clammed up like I normally do in those situations.
I felt horrible, because I had made my decision not to go a week ago but hadn't discussed it with them. This was their first and only indication I wasn't going. Understandably, they were shocked I had suddenly dropped out, in their eyes. I felt as if I were letting them down. I've been stressed all day as a result.
I must have been a topic of discussion after I left practice. I got a phone message from a fellow rower asking me to please either call her or another rower to talk it over. Then I got a series of e-mails explaining that the coach had planned for me to be in the Boston boat but now he doesn't know what to do.
I just don't think our pocketbook is deep enough to cover everything coming up on our plate: We're planning a trip to NYC in September; Boston is in October; yet another regatta is in November, one that the team traditionally goes to every year, which means everyone is expected to participate. And I had planned to buy a laptop while I still can afford one.
I'd love to go to Boston; it's one of two big regattas to which I've never been. Maybe I should pass on the laptop and just go. Something definitely has to give. I'm hoping a couple of nights' sleep will help me resolve this.
Current mood: Stressed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:15 AM EST [Link]
Home-baked
Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately.
Spent all day Saturday painting the patio/Florida room. I think I picked a really nice color for the tile we're putting in there -- a marble gray. Unfortunately, it didn't match the color of the walls, which were olive green. That was my fault. I picked a color I liked but didn't consider the big picture. And because we had already purchased and layed some of the tile, we had to take a step back and spend a weekend taping off and painting the room. The BF has more energy than I do, so he spent some of Friday knocking out most of the taping. I went through Saturday morning and cleaned up some of his crooked tape (groan), then tarped off the tiles that we had previously put down.
The room is "cobalt gray" now, and it looks pretty sharp. I can't wait to peel the tape off the baseboards and ceiling to see how the edges came out.
Next weekend, we finish laying the tile, and I figure the weekend after that we do the grout.
What a job. Neither me nor the BF are handymen, and I don't particularly enjoy working on the house or doing home improvements. I don't think it's that I'm that lazy, it's just that my interests are elsewhere. But when it's all said and done, there will be some satisfaction in knowing we did it ourselves. It'll be a room we can brag about.
Current mood: Disillusioned
Posted by Lynniechan @ 02:15 AM EST [Link]