post no bills

office visit

2006-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had an appointment with a hematologist. I learned that the field of hematology and oncology developed together and hematology is considered the step child to oncology. This little fact I learned after sitting in the waiting room for nearly half an hour. It's amazing the speed at which thoughts can run through your head in that relatively short amount of time. It was like I was seeing several different scenarios of my life flash in segments before my eyes. "What if this or What if that." It was a challenge to get myself under control and to keep from this form of thinking especially after a gentleman stopped in front of a woman sitting near me in the waiting room. The two exchanged greetings and then the gentleman blurted out like an excited kid at birthday party "I only have one more and I’m finished." The woman replied "That’s so wonderful. I have 6 more." While I smiled and was happy for them my first thought was "God, please don't let this become my reality." I felt guilty for thinking such thoughts while surrounded by people who were waiting for their turns to go for their treatments. I can still her a nurse telling a gentleman and his son "see you tomorrow" after wheeling him out of what I guess was the treatment room. For how many people does this become their reality in a blink of an eye? I work in the medical field and see a lot of things, but I left the office with a new sense of how extremely fortunate I truly am to have my health and how important it is that you live life to the fullest because you aren't guaranteed tomorrow.

safe hearing

2006-04-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

now boarding group A

2006-03-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

Standing in cattle call for my flight home Friday night I scanned the lounge. Business travelers were few and far between at this point. Most in line were couples taking a weekend trip. Must be nice to have a significant other to take a getaway trip with I thought to myself. There were some med students traveling to a conference or something. And there was this boy...he was alone. He wore a Clippers sun visor and I noticed his hair was turning a slight ting of salt and pepper, which he wore quite well. He was listening to his ishuffle and typing away on his computer.

The plane started boarding. I found my seat close to the front and stored my luggage. It had been a long day and my head at this point was screaming. I just wanted to get home and pull the covers over my head. Traveling for work seems glamorous to some. They wouldn’t think so if they traded days with me like the one I had just had. Being hundred of miles from home, racing to the airport in traffic with unfriendly drivers, missing your exit and ending up in a bad part of town asking for directions on how the hell to get back onto the highway in the direction you need to go. I have a good sense of direction, but when the entrances and exits are in neighborhoods where it’s necessary to know the little local streets that’s challenging for anyone, directionally challenged or not. Then on top of that when you do get home you have to wait for the shuttle bus to get you to your car and then drive home exhausted and starving because all you can get on the planes are small bags of peanuts. The topper to all this is then walking into a dark empty home…how glamorous…not! Needless to say the day needed to end and I was dreaming of my bed.

Southwest doesn't have assigned seating and depending on how lucky you are you might not have to sit 3 to a row. I’ve often heard of people meeting and marrying someone they sat next to on the plane. I never, I’ll repeat never sat next to anyone that I’ve been interested in. I must put off this don’t talk or sit next to me vibe which I don’t get why/how, but nonetheless guys that I would like to possibly talk to don’t sit near me even on a plane where there isn’t assigned seating. So on this flight I was preparing myself to have to sit blocked in by some couple going away for the weekend. My luck they’d be talking all gushy to each other. To my surprise though, guess who sat down in my row….the boy with the clippers visor. We didn't talk, but smiled and nodded our hellos to each other.

He pulled his computer out during the flight and started typing away as he had in the airport lounge. His computer was an Apple and I thought of my friend Anna. She'd have something to talk to this boy about…their obvious love for things Apple. The plane stopped in El Paso before heading on to Austin. The boy got off there. In the back of my head I knew he was an Army boy. Ft. Bliss is in El Paso. While he was waiting for the line to start moving in front of him our eyes locked. It wasn't uncomfortable as often those type of situations are for me. We smiled at each other I said “bye”, he said “so long”, confirmation that he was in the military. My don’t sit next to me theory's been broken.

2006-03-27T04:29:00.000-08:00

i woke this morning to a boy telling me how beautiful i was and well, what girl doesn't want to hear that? thanks james blunt. what a great start to the week.

boobs

2006-03-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes as women we have to make difficult decisions, for ex.; white shirt means that I have to wear the white bra that is currently dirty so let's go for the brown shirt which I can wear the clean red bra with. There, done. Yep, everyday we women have to juggle these life altering problems with work and friends. It's challenging, but somehow, somehow we manage.

The boobs, however, well they don't manage as well. As we get older, they go souther. And while souther is not a real world, the direction our boobs are heading is. What we then do to change this inevitable problem is get better bras. It gets to the point where we are wearing body armour. In fact, a kind bra specialist at Nordstorms once had me try on a bra that was not unlike what a knight in the 16th century would have worn. I turned that bra down in yet another one of the those life altering decisions and went for the softer, fleshtoned one whose underwires come almost up to my neck.

Post No Bills once sent me an email that showed an old woman singing a song that went like this, "Do your boobs hang low, do they wobble to and fro, can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow..." The old woman stood there throwing her boobs around and tying them in a bow. Let me clarify that this was a cartoon and not nearly as disturbing as it seems. It was actually quite funny because even though I have not wrinkles on my body, I could empathize with the old woman's boob troubles.

Yes, my boobs wobble. They are not young and perky, even though they should be. I don't know that they ever were. I sprouted fairly young and the boobs have never gone away. It's one of the curses of being a girl, a woman, but sometimes I wonder what life would be like not to have to strap a harness to my chest every morning that has industrial strength wires holding me up. I'm just saying.

Maybe now, we can get Post to start posting again. Boobs, you can't get much (hanging)low than that.

guest posted by the fabulous Anna

Why no looting in TX?

2005-10-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

too damn hot

2005-10-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Rita ended up taking a right hand turn and spared Austin from the wind, rain, and tornados, but she didn't spare us from the unusual high temps we've been experiencing. It was 108 in the shade last week and thank goodness we're down 10 degrees to make the temps at least tolerable. This is the summer that will never end. It's October for crying out loud. There's supposed to be a "cold" front coming tomorrow and we'll only have highs in the mid 70s.

2005-09-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Rita Rita go away. And really there's no need to come back another day.

Wahoo

2005-09-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

I just booked my ticket to New Zealand. I'm so excited. I leave on Dec. 9th and won't be returning to the real world until Jan 15th. Still working on the actual itinerary, but there will be lots of fun NZ inspired activities such as this and this just to name a few.

SF

2005-09-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

San Francisco here I come. Hopefully, I'll be able to enjoy the city and not work the whole time. What a great place. Oh and The OC is all new tonight. Rock On.

GO GET YOUR MAMMIES GRAMMED

2005-09-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

(unknown author)

For years and years they told me,
Be careful of your breasts.
Don't ever squeeze or bruise them.
And give them monthly tests.

So I heeded all their warnings,
And protected them by law.
Guarded them very carefully,
And I always wore my bra.

After 30 years of astute care,
My gyno, Dr Pruitt,
Said I should get a Mammogram
"OK," I said, "let's do it."

"Stand up here real close" she said,
(She got my boob in line),
"And tell me when it hurts," she said,
"Ah yes! Right there, that's fine."

She stepped upon a pedal,
I could not believe my eyes!
A plastic plate came slamming down,
My hooter's in a vise!

My skin was stretched and mangled,
From underneath my chin.
My poor boob was being squashed,
To Swedish Pancake thin.

Excruciating pain I felt,
Within it's viselike grip.
A prisoner in this vicious thing,
My poor defenseless tit!

"Take a deep breath" she said to me,
Who does she think she's kidding?!?
My chest is mashed in her machine,
And woozy I am getting.

"There, that's good," I heard her say,
(The room was slowly swaying.)
"Now, let's have a go at the other one."
Have mercy, I was praying.

It squeezed me from both up and down,
It squeezed me from both sides.
I'll bet SHE'S never had this done,
To HER tender little hide.

Next time that they make me do this,
I will request a blindfold.
I have no wish to see again,
My breasties getting steam rolled.

If I had no problem when I came in,
I surely have one now.
If there had been a cyst in there,
It would have gone "ker-pow!"

This machine was created by a man,
Of this, I have no doubt.
I'd like to stick his balls in there,
And, see how THEY come out!

how this blog came to be

2005-09-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Post is an old friend. I’ve written about her and I would reveal more about her, but she wouldn’t like that very much. You see this blogging thing is not as new to her as you think it is. Oh no. This right here is her second blog. The first one she wrote in for about a day and then quit and then came back eight months later and then quit it again because she felt she wanted more anonymity.

She called me and said something like this, “I want a new blog and I want all that stuff on it. Can you make it for me.” Now, I’m kind and a kind of pushover so I said OK. I set up a new blog on this here blogger. I even picked her name and password, her template colors and filled in some of her profile information. She is one lazy person because HELLO, blogger makes it idiot proof. Ahem.

Well, after the blog was up then she wanted a Sitemeter account. So I started putting that together and then she didn’t want anything to be connected to her real life and so then I had to set up a gmail account for her and OH MY DEAR LORD IS THIS GIRL LAZY. But, really, I was happy to do it for her. I wish more of my friends would get on the blogging bandwagon.

And then, Post got all into it and started a lot of phone conversations with, “How do I …?”

To which I would respond, exasperated, “I don’t know, I just fooled around with stuff and read stuff and looked at other people’s blogs and just kinda figured it out. I have no idea what I am doing and the stuff I did months ago, I could not repeat if you paid me to.”

“Well,” she replied, “you can tell you don’t like to TEACH adults.”

“Nope,” I said, “I’m all patient and helpful to those who can’t help themselves, but when you’ve reached a certain age and you have a MASTERS DEGREE, then no, I don’t have any patience in teaching you. In fact, you should see me teaching friends to knit. I usually lose a few friends that way.”

And then one day I’m looking at her blog and she has in fact done something quite remarkable without me helping her or us getting in a fight and I totally called her and told her how proud I was. “Oh, look, little Post made her comments section say, “post bills here” rather than the generic, “comments.”” And I wondered if that was the same kind of pride a mother feels when her child is learning to walk and he takes his first step. Yeah, it’s totally the same feeling I think.

Posted by the fabulous Anna

postin’ for post

2005-08-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

So Post asked me to “post” for her while she’s gone. Ironic much?

I asked Post to post for me while I was on vacation. She was a little hesitant. And I was thinking, “What’s the score you media whore?” But, really, now that she’s asked me to do it, I kinda get the hesitation. It’s not that I don’t want to gloss her sight with my fabulousness, because, people, this stuff is fabulous. It’s more that guest posting is just TWICE the thinking you thought you needed to do that day. Yep, I said it, posting actually takes some thought. And time. Yep, this fabulous muck uses brainpower that, let’s face it, could be saving the world. So, here is the first post by Me. Come by and visit me and if you came by way of my site in the first place then FREAKING GET YOUR ASS BACK THERE!

And thanks for coming out. I’ve enjoyed our first post together on Post’s site. Ironic much?

Posted by the fabulous Anna!

Audi 5

2005-08-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a quick trip to California. Had a wonderful dinner with a friend and spent some time wondering around ikea. I picked up a really neat track light fixture for my living room. I'll have to wait to put it up as I leave tomorrow afternoon for the Midwest to spend some quality time with my parents. Funny how I once couldn't wait to move out and now find that some of my greatest "vacations" are spending time with them.

While I'm gone (till next Tuesday) Pretty Anna might be posting for me.

As a sidenote I just picked up Jack Johnson's latest CD and can I just say that I LOVE it. I listened to it the entire plane ride home from San Jose and am still listening to it. I want someone to write/sing me a song like Do You Remember among a few others. His wife is so lucky.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2005-08-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

After moving to Miami I remember the first hurricane evacuation route sign I saw and thinking to myself how odd that such a sunny, wonderful, tropical place might need to be evacuated by such a powerful storm.

Both Hurricane seasons while I was living in South Florida where expected to be more active than normal. There were thankfully no hurricanes. I never took hurricane season lightly though after experiencing an unnamed storm my first week of living down there.

It started raining during the day and just wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t the type of rain that an umbrella would be of any help with either. You needed rain gear like they wear out at sea. The block and half walk to the parking garage after work was like an obstacle course in a water park (if there is such a thing). Streets were flooded to the point you couldn’t see curbs. My clothes were so soaked it was as if I had forgotten to take them off before getting into the shower. After making it to my car I thankfully had purchased scrubs that day so I changed into dry clothes for what I knew was going to be an extremely long drive home. The very thought of sitting in a car with soaking wet dress clothes on sends shivers up my spine. Yuck!! An 8-mile drive, which should normally be about 20-30 min in traffic, took over 2 hours. The fact that I actually made it home and my car didn’t flood was a miracle. The wakes from cars driving by was enough to make the car rock back and forth.

It rained for a solid week and the first thing I did when I got home was pack some dry clothes for the next day. To this day I have a dry set of clothes in the trunk of my car cause you just never know when you'll need them.

If I still lived in South Florida I would have experienced the eye of a hurricane as Hurricane Katrina came ashore right wear I lived in my Oceanside condo. I'm glad I don't live there anymore and just hope that New Orleans heeds the weather warnings.

recharged

2005-08-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's good to have a reminder every once in awhile as to how fortunate you really are. My job hasn't been the most exciting in the last couple of months and I find myself asking why I went to grad school to do what I do, but I was reminded of this while on a recent business trip to Houston. I work with deaf people specifically those with cochlear implants. I saw a little girl that I haven't seen in well over a year and her parents were so thankful and could not stop sharing how much the implant has helped their daughter. I also performed some special testing on another child whose mom was a breath of fresh air. Upon speaking with her I discovered that to support her family she works 2 minimum wage jobs back to back. The reality of how challenging getting her daughter to the appointment set in. A day of work had to be taken off to accommodate the appointment and this day off wasn't even going to be a day of relaxation, I doubt it was even a PDO. It's these types of grateful people and experiences that give me what I need to be able to keep going and remind me of life's blessings.

hot hot hot

2005-08-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

about sums today up. 110 with the heat index makes doing anything outside miserable. Inside isn't that much more comfortable when the AC is struggling to keep up.

2005-08-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to walk around and see everything crystal clear. I had another doctor's appointment today and I'm seeing 20/15. The sensitivity to light is getting better everyday. I'll have to write about the actual surgery later. The best word I can use to describe it is sci-fi.

In the meantime checkout this most hilarious video I just discovered.

gotta luv Buckeye fans

2005-08-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

A recent graduate of The Ohio State University moved to Dearborn, Michigan when she landed a great job with a company located there. After becoming a citizen of Michigan, she felt almost as if she had betrayed her Ohio background and ancestry. She had an apartment with a Michigan address, and she winced whenever she looked at her Michigan driver's license. When it came time to register her vehicle she had an idea. She'd get personalized plates and make things right.

The personalized license plate for her car arrived, and she beamed as she installed them. She was so proud she sent an instant message to her father right away. He too was a proud Ohio State alumnus.

"Daddy," she typed. "I'm so excited! I got new, personalized plates for my Mini today. They're University of Michigan plates!" "WHAT?" he replied. "You have to be joking!"

"Nope, I'm totally serious. Let me send you the image." Her father couldn't stop laughing after he viewed the picture of her car.

2005-08-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my postop check and everything looks good. My eyes feel dry so I have to put drops in them for comfort, but that's supposed to get better with time. I actually drove myself to the appointment with no problems. Reading is a little weird so I'm going to take it easy today and catch up on some movie watching.

can you do this?

2005-08-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

If this isn't a stupid human trick then I don't know what would be. This person's a freak!! I get grossed out looking at the pic. How is this humanly possible? Eeeeewwwww.

Valium take me away

2005-08-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

My brother is picking me up at 1:30 this afternoon for my 2pm surgery appointment. The dr's office called yesterday to remind me of the time and indicated there's no need to arrive early and in fact they prefer if you don't. I'm getting really nervous and am just praying I'll be able to sleep after the procedure as they recommend. You're given valium when you get there, I'm going to ask for two. I don't want to wake up and feel anything especially when the "discomfort" was described to me by a friend as having a 1000 eyelashes in your eye and you can't do a darn thing about it.

Several years ago while horsing around with my two brothers in our wooded backyard I was hit in the eye by my youngest brother with a stick. I didn't see it coming so my eye was completely open. The scratch to my eye was large enough that you could see it with the naked eye. I remember to this day laying on the couch while my mom, a nurse, assessed the damage. "It hurts like hell" I told her. She slapped me across the face and said " Do NOT use that kind of language. I don't care how bad it hurts." Well, I don't live in her house anymore so I'll be using whatever language I want today.

Hope Anna's not home later tonight, but if she is I'm so looking forward to some new tunes she's going to send. Thanks girl!!

710

2005-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was having some work done at the local Ford Dealership. A blonde came in and asked for a seven-hundred-ten.

We all looked at each other and another customer asked, "What is a seven-hundred-ten?"

She replied, "You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one." She said that she did not know what it was but this piece had always been there.

He gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710. He then took her over to another car, which had its hood up and asked, "Is there a 710 on this car?"

She pointed and said, "Of course, it's right there."

3 days and counting...

2005-08-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

till I have no need for glasses. I go in on Thursday at 2pm and will walk out with new vision. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scarred or nervous, but I also can't wait. These are the times when I wished I wasn't single. It would be nice to have someone to be with to comfort me in a time of high anxiety and just plain reassuring to know that someone would be there if I needed them. I'm a strong gal though so I know all will be ok I'm just saying.

mobile phones and lost #s

2005-08-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

For the second time this week I've misplaced my mobile phone. It's a work phone so no big deal they'll replace it, but the numbers. Some of the contact information stored in my phone can't be replaced. You'd think I'd have backed up the contact info after misplacing it the very first time. Yeah, not me, but I'll be getting right on that this time for sure.

dear friends

2005-08-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

I just had lunch with a friend from HS. She and I lost touch a year or so after graduation. She stayed in VA for college and I went to Ohio State. I randomly ran into her while at UVA my second year of grad school. She was there on a recruiting trip for her company and I was crashing the picnic with a friend. Not being able to place her I kept saying to my friends "I know I know her." I finally approached her and our friendship was instantly rekindled. Our paths separated again for a few years, but we never lost touch. She now lives in Ft.Worth and we've been able to spend time with one another on a more regular basis. I didn't realize how much I missed her and am so glad that we are back in closer contact.

2005-08-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

I was in Portland on Wed. for work and instantly felt a calmness wash over me as soon as I inhaled the wonderful Pacific NW air. It's amazing how you can visit a place and feel so much like you belong. That's the way I felt the minute I stepped off the plane after moving to Seattle a couple of years ago and I still get that feeling every time I visit the NW. I had a great trip to Portland even though it was really quick. Any amount of time I get to spend in the NW rejuvenates and puts me back on track.

2005-08-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

I went today for a consult to see if I'm a candidate for Lasik. Part of the exam is just your regular annual eye exam where they dilate your eyes. I hate that part!! I guess it wouldn't have been so bad, but I had to drive myself home afterwards. Weird how they'll let you drive after that. I couldn't read anything up close. I actually had thoughts that I was becoming my mother (lord help me)as I was pulling things away from my face to try and focus. The drops are just now finally wearing off. Thank goodness.

gotta luv roadtrips

2005-08-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

This guy was spotted doing 65mph on I35 in Central TX.

so long

2005-08-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Growing up as a nomad I can't tell you any of the kids I went to kindergarten or grade school with. Life for me was on a 2-3 year rotation till about highschool. Some military families end up following each other or crossing paths again at some point or another during their mom/dad's careers. The Ds and my family did just this over the years. Their daughter and I call each other our oldest and dearest friends. Our families met while stationed in NYC, family vacationed together while stationed at different posts in Europe, and had summer BBQs in VA where we found ourselves living close to each other again after more than a decade. I even lived with Mr and Mrs D my last semester of grad school while doing an internship in Louisville. The Ds are closer to me than some of my own family and we easily pick up where we've last left off. Mr. and Mrs D ended up moving to Austin a couple of years ago and I've been living here for a little over a year myself. They moved today to go back to the East Coast. They're going to be greatly missed, but am confident our paths will cross again.

Keandra Mily

2005-08-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Keandra Mily

What's your Hawaiian Name?

Boy in the bedroom

2005-08-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

There was a boy in my bedroom today. NOT what you're thinking. I wish though. He was measuring my windows. Ya, I'm thinking of replacing aluminum for vinyl. Thoughts?

excuses

2005-07-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt much like blogging. I have all these ideas I want to write about, but then when it comes down to it I spend all day at the computer telecommuting that I don't want to blog. I've decided not to take it so seriously and just put myself out there spelling errors and all. I'm the worlds worst speller and Anna who's my personal spell checker will attest to that. Hopefully this will make posting easier and possible more consistent.

good to be home

2005-06-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I've been away long enough to forget some of the reasons I was in such a hurry to leave South Florida. I was quickly reminded of those things. Such things as rude drivers, the people that walk past you and don't see you, or the poorest of the poor living next to the wealthiest of the wealthy. I've always had a problem with the latter. Within a blocks distance you can go from one extreme to the next. I've often wondered how the wealthy can live within such proximity and not appear to help their less fortunate neighbors. Granted some misfortune is self-inflicted as some SF families have Mercedes or BMWs in the driveway and don't have enough to put food on the table. Anyways, overall I had a really great visit. The weather was cloudy and rainy so I didn't get to the beach, but I did see some old friends and hit all my favorite eateries and boy did I eat!! Pizza, salads, fresh fruit, gelato, the list goes on. I was also able to finally buy an orchid from Lincoln road. I always wished I'd bought an orchid while living down there and now I have one. If I had a digital camera I'd take a picture, but it's a miniature with white petals and a bright pink center. Now I just have to make sure I don't kill it.

going to Miami

2005-06-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally starting to feel better after what, 2 weeks of germs getting me down. I'm off to Miami for the weekend tomorrow morning. There's a 50% chance of thunderstorms both Sat. and Sun. afternoon, but I'm still going to bring my bathing suit. Nothing I wouldn't love more than to hit the beach with a good book and some SPF40. I'm going for work, but will definitely be playing and hitting all of my favorite hot spots. Sometimes I still can't believe I used to call South Florida home. Would never want to live there again, but visiting I can do and am sure I'll enjoy.

Wash your hands people....

2005-06-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

I first want to start out by saying you cannot and I repeat NOT wash your hands enough. I apparently missed a hand washing or two. Those missed washing might possibly have saved me from these wretched germs that have taken up residence and are causing havoc on me. So much so that I actually went to see the dr on Sunday and I never go see the dr. She gave me an anti-nausea medication that I had to drive all over kingdom come to get filled since nothing stays open past 6pm on Sunday. Good news is is that it worked and I am now able to consume some kind of nourishment. Not to mention that the trip I had to cancel on Monday to San Francisco ended up not being that big of a deal. Now if only I could get my energy level back to normal. It’s amazing how being sick can make a flight of stairs feel like you just ran a marathon.

Vitamin C

2005-06-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I could feel that I was either having trouble with my allergies or I was getting a cold. I thought it was going to be allergies since allergies are horrible in Texas. I awoke Sunday, my birthday, to discover it was the later. What a terrible Birthday present. There's no sign of it going away either. Vitamin C make me better....PLEASE.

Hiatus

2005-06-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

So I've been MIA for awhile ok for a LONG while. So long that I forgot my password to the site. I now have access again and hope my posting doesn't give one of my friends a heart attack.

Home Improvement

2004-07-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've started this project and now I'm in over my head. See my new place has that nasty popcorn ceiling, which I can't stand. Whoever invented that stuff outa be shot. Anyways, I'm trying to see if I can get it to come off without too much trouble. Let's just say it's a dam good thing I started in my closet. Half of it came off very nicely, but the other half is now missing layers of dry wall. Then to complicate things , the textured coating on the walls started coming off. So now I have the added challenge of trying to figure out how recreate the textured wall. Ends up I made things worse by trying to remove it all....The top part came off easy, so why didn't the rest of it? What a mess!! Better get back to work.

Change of Plans

2004-07-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

My job requires me to travel a lot. I've been doing so for almost 2 years now. I'd like to think I've become the savvy flyer. I spend so much of my time at the airport that if I get to spend an extra 5 mins at home I do so. So my appointment today in SLC wasn't until 4pm. I found a flight that'd get me there by 1:30pm, 2 1/2 hours I'm thinking is plenty of cush time in case anything runs late. So I take it and don't have to spend an extra night away from home. Well for the first time the airlines were not able to pull through for me.

After buzzing by what seemed like 101 cops on the way to the airport without getting a ticket, parking, and taking the shuttle to the terminal the little kiosk tells me that I need to see the ticket agent. That's usually a BAD sign. I hand my license to the ticket agent and she tries to show little to no emotion, but I can tell it's not looking good whatever the problem is. I'm listening to the guy next to me (who was on the same outbound flight but different destination) and his agent is asking if he'd mind flying direct to Newark instead of 3 different stops and if first class would be ok for him. I look over to my ticket agent and still.. blank face. She leaves for a minute and comes back. I think to myself she's not going to be offering me a direct flight and first class. She says "The earliest I can get you into SLC is 4:15pm". That's 15 mins after the appointment I'm supposed to make has started. With an additional 20 mins factored in for travel time I've missed almost 3/4 of the appointment and that's pending no further airport delays. What to do.....I step away to think and make a few phone calls. Long story short I ended up not having to go at all. YEAH!!! And just a little info if your new arrival time doesn't "work" for you a non-refundable ticket can be fully refunded.

Time travel

2004-07-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend was my 10 year HS reunion. What a crazy time. I took Thursday and Friday off and went to visit old neighbors and friends that I've kept in touch with over the years. Friday my best girlfriend and I went to the informal gathering at a local bar. We decided we were going to talk to everyone (after all we are 10 years post HS). It was such a great time. Ends up that the guys changed the most over the years. There were some I didn't even recognize.

Saturday was the formal event and strangely the atmosphere was a bit different. It felt like a time worp had transported us back in time ten years and instead of our HS cafeteria we were in a hotel ball room. The popular people talked only to the popular people and had to sit next to each other for lunch oops I mean dinner. I continued to mingle and say hello to everyone. I was amazed at the number of people who were married, were working on their second or third marriage, had kids older than their marriages, etc.. There was a group of us that were still single, no significant others, and hadn't started to procreate. Nice to know that you're not the only one not married. Not that I'm in a hurry to settle down, but that type of environment is a bit odd. Needless to say as soon as the formal event was over with I was out of there. A group of us ended up at this bar and had the best time. We all knew each other in HS, but never hung out except for my best girlfriend and I. I would have like to have gotten to know one of the guys in our group better...too bad we don't live closer. Funny how you can go to middle and high school with someone not ever really notice them and then see them 10 years later and have totally different feelings. In the end the whole weekend was one big validitation of all my accomplishments throughout the years. This boy has my contact info. We'll see if he ever calls....

I prefer Hellos

2004-07-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

Where does 10 years go to so fast? It feels like not so long ago that I was in college hanging out with my friends. The amount of time I've been out of school feels like minutes compared to actuality. I cherish the friendships that I know will stand the test of time and am saddened by those that are no longer part of my life. Would we still be friends if we lived in closer proximity? It always seems to happen the same way....one of us gets too busy and doesn't do their share to keep in touch. Then there are those that I'm just not ready to let go of yet. They don't put in near the effort you do to remain friends, 80% or more is on your part, yet for some reason or another they are still worth it. You hold on for dear life and cherish the short phone calls or the once every couple of year visits. I know there will come a time when they too are lost, but try hard to prevent that time from happening. Saying hello is always much easier than saying goodbye.

Blank Slate

2004-07-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've finally broken down and started my own blog. My friend annabanna has been after me for a while to do so. Although now I haven't a clue what to write. Maybe something will come to me later...