Sometimes I do work at work. This isn't one of those times.

Stumbled upon a really entertaining blog written by a woman in L.A. The initial posts were so funny that I went back and read all of her previous entries. And also, cause I'm obsessive like that. Anyway, really good stuff, and now she's moving to Austin, so I look forward to an outsider's take on our oddities. She's already experienced the horror that is H.E.B., so she's had her trial by fire. Check her out if you get a chance, and good luck in grad school Angry Bridesmaid.

Remembering the Gross Times

In case you were wondering what to get me for my birthday (42 shopping days left): Return of the Garbage Pail Kids!

poor pathetic me

I finished Visions in Death last night. It's book number 20 of the In Death Series by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts). I keep trying to convince people to read the series so that I have someone to talk to about them. The only other person I know who reads them is seriously annoying. So now that I've finished that one, I have nothing to read except Hillary's biography, which I've been shamefully putting off. It's just not trashy enough.
My most recent Old Navy order arrived on Saturday. It included my new 3/4 sleeve french blue button up shirt, new khaki pants, and a new cargo skirt. I was ironing the blue shirt last night in hopes of wearing it this week. I accidentally burned it, right on the front, a darkened patch in the shape of an iron. I'm not even sure how it happened, except that maybe the heat setting was too high and the fabric blend contains nylon. So I hadn't even worn the shirt and now it's ruined. It's extremely dissapointing and I'm still trying not to cry.

Pimento cheese and Snackwell's crackers. I'm a wealth of complexities.

Those We Do Not Shut Up About

We saw The Village last night. I liked it, so I’m not sure why the critics are hatin’. I liked it better than Unbreakable and it was definitely better than Signs. You have to appreciate that M. Night Shyamalan is one of the few filmmakers out there who still has a surprise or two up his sleeves. (And since I’m one of those annoying people who guess the plot twist out loud seconds before it’s revealed, ruining the entire movie for others- according to Rob, then this should be very appreciated.) I was a bit disappointed at Joaquin Phoenix and Sigourney Weaver’s lack of screen time. Who knew Bryce Dallas Howard was going to monopolize the entire thing? Oh, and I’m calling it right now: She’s the poor man’s Claire Danes. And since Claire Danes took up with Billy Crudup while Mary Louise Parker was eight months pregnant with his kid, that’s not saying much. And no, there’s no explanation for why I possess that knowledge.

Potpourri

Rob’s 29th birthday party was last Saturday night. Any of you losers who didn’t show up missed out on lots and lots of beer. We had a pony keg, which contains 84 servings. There were 12 people at the party counting Rob and I. We returned the keg about a quarter full. Next time everyone will be required to consume their seven servings each.

We’ve postponed our house search until the spring. Our apartment lease is up then and it was going to cost us $600 just to get out of the lease early. We now know all the expenses we need to be prepared for and the neighborhood we want to buy in. We ended up withdrawing an offer we’d put in on a really cute four bedroom, two bath, seven closet house that I REALLY wanted. I try not the think about it. But seven closets? I was going to have one that was just for purses. Sigh.

I’m sharing two interesting articles today. I can’t seem to get enough of the Scott Peterson case, like the rest of the country it seems. And I don’t want to be too judgmental, because I know Amber Frey is not the criminal in this case. But what single mom gives the key to her place and leaves her child alone with someone on the third date?

And now on a totally different topic. Cow Udder Doping Scandal Hits Australia. Maybe it’s time we stopped judging dairy cows on their appearance?

And I am compiling a list of the movies that make me sob the hardest. Why? Because I work for a high tech company in the silicon hills that can’t seem to keep a steady network connection. I get bored.

Control your jealousy.

We had a seriously uneventful weekend. We drove to San Marcos to get my hair cut because that's where my hair dresser is. Rob went with me to keep me company and because I bribe him with lunch at Mamacita's. Then Saturday night we went with Brian to dinner and to the Alamo Drafthouse Lakecreek to see The Village. We got there an hour early and it was already sold out. So rather than drive to another theater where it was likely to be sold out as well, we stayed and saw Anchorman, with Will Ferrell. Not the best movie of the year, but it actually had some pretty funny moments. Ebert gave Anchorman three stars and The Village only one star. So who knows? Maybe it was money better spent. Besides, I just love the Alamo Drafthouse. More movie theaters should sell beer.
We also spent some time this weekend watching Colonial House. The eight hour PBS reality series premiered in May and we've just now gotten around to watching the reccorded episodes. Twenty or so men and women go live as 1628 colonists in Maine. From pbs.org: "Residing in a 17th-century environment cultivated from extensive research, the colonists negotiate personal and communal challenges as they deal with the demoralizing weather, rustic living conditions and backbreaking labor. Among the points of dissension that arise in the colony are: the rigid class and gender roles, mandatory religious observance, and the puritanical civil laws of the era, particularly those pertaining to profanity."
Who says we don't know how to have an exciting weekend?

We call it free gift with purchase.

Texas Teens Finds Marijuana In McDonald's Dessert

Author Paula Danziger dead at 59

Childrens’ books included The Cat Ate My Gymsuit
The Associated Press
Updated: 6:01 p.m. ET July 09, 2004
NEW YORK - Paula Danziger, author of numerous popular books for children and young adults, has died of complications from a heart attack in New York City.
Danziger’s first novel, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, was published to glowing notices 30 years ago.
She also wrote the Amber Brown books about a pugnacious grade schooler.
Danziger grew up in New Jersey and became a schoolteacher in 1967. She says she always wanted to write, but didn’t start until a week in which she survived two car accidents in two days.
“Before I got hit by a bus,” she said.
Paula Danziger was 59.

The Church of Baseball

We leave for vacation on Wednesday, at some ungodly hour of the morning. Just two days left to pretend to work and throw way too many clothes and shoes into a suitcase. How does a girl with 20 pairs of flip flops narrow it down? So Wednesday morning, we board a plane bound for Cooperstown, NY, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame (which we will not be visiting). Also the home of James Fenimore Cooper and his lovely touristy estate, which we also not be visiting. Oh, and Barnyard Swing, Cooperstown's newest miniature golf course, which we will totally be visiting. We will be staying in a house on the shore of pristine Lake Otsego (according to the chamber of commerce). We will be without television, without internet access, and likely have very spotty cell phone reception for seven whole days. I will easily not worry about work, or bills, and I will struggle a lot to not worry about the four bedroom house in Anderson Mill that I'm in love with and desperately hope has not been bought out from under us while we're out of town (I would paste the link to the house here, but you would just buy the house for yourself and our friendship would be ruined). I will be laying on the dock, reading a trashy romance novel or riding around in Rob's grandfather's 80 year-old wooden boat, or attempting to hunt for non-baseball themed souvenirs. Try not to be eaten up with jealousy.

yay for books!

Pamie's book drive for the San Diego Public Libraries is going strong. They've received over 200 books, but they still need many more due to drastic budget cutbacks.
It's super easy to donate. Each library branch has an Amazon wishlist, many of them filled with books for children and young adults. I donated today. The Ranch San Diego Branch Library should be receiving:
Drawing Cats by Katy Bratun which was ranked a “must have” on the library’s wishlist.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery which is still one of my favorite books of all time, and every girl should get to read it.

Remember the Ladies: 100 Great Amererican Women by Cheryl Harness, because sure, remember the ladies. But the best part? The misspelling of American? That’s how it appears on Amazon. I’m hoping that on the book itself it’s spelled correctly.

It was fun, easy, and now I get to be smug all day. What are you sending?

Miles Allen Matheny

My friend Brian (we've been friends for more than ten years) lost his brother Allen this week. Allen died suddenly at the age of 21. He was burried today in Pflugerville after a funeral so full that they ran out of seating. Brian eulogized him with the perfect mixture of humor and love and Allen will be greatly missed. Allen's obituary can be viewed online. If you're the praying sort, please add Brian and his family to your prayers and thoughts.

Bush, Bumperstickers, and Books

We went to see Fahrenheit 9/11 tonight. It's showing at six theaters in Austin, two in North Austin, one in South Austin, one on the UT campus and one in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin. We went to the theater closest to us, just down the street. We arrived for the 4pm show 30 minutes early hoping for a good seat. The movie is showing on two screens there and it was sold out all day until 7:45pm. So we bought tickets then, went home for a while and went back, again 30 minutes early. We walked in to find the line to get in for the movie snaking around the entire lobby of the theater. Rob held our place in line while I went to buy concessions. The 5 person concession line moved much slower than the line of at least 50 people waiting to get into the film, so I gave up and we went in and ended up in the front row.
The movie is great, even better than Bowling for Columbine. It has funny moments, but more incredibly sad ones. It left me feeling angry (I had no idea I was still bitter about Florida), a little helpless and desperately hoping there were some undecided voters in the crowd tonight. They can't possibly be undecided now. If you haven't seen it, you have to. Go right now, this weekend. Pamie is right, this box office counts. This film is already sending a message. Let this weekend's message be from us.
After the parade of liberal bumper stickers we saw at the theater, I'm feeling a little guilty for not being gutsy enough to display my politics on my vehicle, so I'll have to peruse EvolveFish.com.
In other important news, Pamie has started this year's book drive, to benefit the San Diego Public Libraries, which have experienced drastic budget cuts this year. She organized a book drive last year that netted over 650 books for the Oakland Public Libraries. I'll be donating on Friday (pay day). I'm really excited at the idea of donating books that I might not have gotten to read if I hadn't had a library card. I'm also thinking about going through my shelves to find some books that can be donated to the Austin Public Libraries. What about you?

I spoke too soon.

Best article of the day: When Vending Machines Attack- Notify Homeland Security!

All the things you wanted to know...

• I don't have anything new to share, not even a good link.
• If I don't find a good link, I don't feel like blogging.
• It's Friday, almost 4pm and I have one more work order left to do that I've been putting off the entire day.
• I'm debating over whether to buy M&M's or Reese's Pieces from the vending machine.
• Trying to decide if going to see Fahrenheit 9/11 tomorrow will be too much of a hassle (like going to an Al Franken book signing, Austin liberals crawl out from under their rocks en masse).
• I finished my 100 Things About Me list. It's about as fascinating as everyone else's.
• I received email from my friends Cacedra and Leslie. Cacedra has braces too and Leslie has moved to Cairo. Cause she's freakin crazy! The more people that I know travel, the more I feel like I've never done anything or been anywhere.
• Rob and I have bought our plane tickets to go spend a week at his family's lake house in Cooperstown, New York in July. They have a new mini golf course!
• In retrospect, it's probably a good thing that my work vending machine no longer carries Little Debbie Zebra Cakes.

Finally!

Minne Driver Gets Album Deal.

Welcome to My Cube Hell

Take this handy quiz: Which Office Moron Are You? and find out if you deserve a swank window seat or a cubby hole in storage B. (Oh and while you're down there, if you could take care of that cockroach problem we've been having...?) Admit it, you're the incompetent egotist, aren't you? Don't feel bad, I'm the old timer.

Link submitted by Julia

If you were a hot dog, and you were starving, would you eat yourself?

And here I was, just the other day, thinking that cooking hot dogs is so hard. Surely there's a way it can be made easier? Pop-Up Hot Dog Cooker: Making the World a Better Place.

Wow! Work CAN be fun!

Time wasting climbs to new levels: Portrait Illustration Maker. What does it say about me that I never get tired of making little icons out of myself?

What ever happened to flowers?

Lunch at Cracker Barrel? $25.99. Mouse trap? 69 cents. Being charged with felony extortion for Mother's Day? Priceless.
Mom & Son Accused of Planting Mouse in Soup
Who's the lucky medical professional who had to perform the autopsy on the mouse? Bet their mom is proud.