Month: August 2008

Introducing . . . Me

Yesterday may have been all fun and games, but today was all business at my job . . . kind of.    

It was one of those things where they bring together the folks from all over the country to sit in a depressing room and listen to a lot of talking.   I tried really hard to not fall asleep.    I did kind of nod off for a second, until my boss was kind enough to kick me. 

However, we started the day off with the traditional turn around the room where all the new people who are new since the last dreary meeting have to introduce themselves.    Oh joy.   

Since I knew this was coming, and I didn’t want to be boring, or yammer on for too long, I decided to tell my co-workers about my true nature.

I told them that I am, in fact, a cyborg.   I explained that my robotic parts did not give me super strength like the bionic woman, but made me super sarcastic instead.  I told them I had Go-Go Gadget Dry Humor.   

I also told them how I had run a systems analysis diagnostic scan and realized that working at my old company did not rock, and so I came to work at the new place.  

They actually applauded, and I was shocked when a few people complimented me on the introduction later in the day.  

My objective was to let everyone know two things – 1) I’m a gigantic nerd -and- 2) To not take me too seriously.  I think I was successful.

Just sayin’.

My Kind of Nine to Five

So, this morning I went in to work as usual, but at noon, the entire office boarded buses to go to a bowling alley.   It was time for the semi-annual bowling party.  

And they went all out.   The afternoon started with all the best bowling alley junk food.  There was pizza, nachos, fries, onion rings, and pizza.  Also some other stuff that I don’t eat.   Oh, and I had Hawaiian Punch.  Yum.   I love junk food.    I was in hog heaven.  I dipped my onion rings in nacho cheese.  It’s like that. 

Oh, and an open bar.   Now, I’d been having plenty of drinks over the weekend, so I was pretty over the whole idea of booze.   But I did have a few beers.  

Then the bowling got under way, and it was extreme bowling with music, black lights, and disco balls.   We played for hours.   It was a lot of fun, and my only complaint was that it was hot in the building.   I was really pretty exhausted by the time we left there.  

Exhausted and full.   I wasn’t even buzzed from the beers I drank, but I think it just added to my tremendously over stuffed feeling.   I know that this hasn’t done anything to curb my lust for grease and garbage, but it might be a few days before I go there again.

And tonight, I wasn’t even all that hungry, but I made dinner, just because I felt I had to eat something that wasn’t crap.   Beans and rice with some mixed veggies.   

So, I guess what I’m really saying is that bowling is fun, but onion rings are funner.

Ooops, I Took a Break.

Without realizing it, I managed to go almost two weeks without posting a single entry. I’ve become a slacker, it seems. I have been a busy gal.

And then there was another funeral. It was my step-grandfather, so not someone I was close to. In fact, I only met him once. I mostly went down to be supportive of my family. My sister and step-brothers and nephew. And so, I swooped into Bakersfield after the funeral, and dragged them out to play mini-gulf.  I got my ass handed to me.  Seriously, my step-brother is a put-put God!

Along the way, there’s been lots of hi-jinks and a whole lot of hanging out with Kayphore, who’s quickly becoming my most favoritest person in the universe. Us cyborgs have to stick together. And I have discovered that I am a cyborg. I must be, because I can be funny in HTML. No lies.

So, anyway, I’ll try to be more entertaining and to have more to say.   There’s some exciting band weirdness coming up this weekend that I’ll write about afterwards.

There’s also maid of honor hi-jinks to come, and again, I’ll keep you up to date.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, “stay tuned.”

You Wanna Listen – Aug 12

PLW’s Crush Radio Pandora Station of the Day!

I haven’t posted one of these lately, but I just made this new station of songs I loved when I was about 10, and first started having crushes on boys. It’s heavy on Freestyle.

Let me know what you think of this one! Also, post some of your stations in the comments. (Lemme know if you don’t know how to do that.)

Just Wanna Cruise

I want this day to fly by as quickly as possible, because I’ve spent my next to last $15 on a ticket to see The Aggrolites and Struts tonight.  As the day is going by, I’m getting more and more anxious.  It’s been a while since I saw The Aggrolites, and going to see The Struts is always a good time.    I just want this day to go by a little faster.

It’s kind of slow around here.  The scary thing is, we’ve hired another person in my sub-department.  I am glad that the company is looking to grow and staff aggressively, but I wonder if there’s going to be enough trafficking to go around.   I shouldn’t worry about that, though, as it’s someone else’s problem, really.

Anyway, so I really wish I was a little more busy so that the day would be over.  Then I could go home, eat some bean stew, maybe blow on my sax a bit, and then put together an outfit for tonight, do my hair and make-up, and be on my happy little way to the show.   A lot of my friends and bandmates are going to be there, too, so it’ll be double the fun.

What’s better then Reggae and R&B on a Tuesday?  Absolutely nothing!

Just sayin’.

What’s that Smell?

It’s the enchanting scent of three days until payday and I’ve overshot my budget. A.K.A. a big slow cooker full of beans simmering in the kitchenette. It’s simple economics. If I eat at home for a few nights, and don’t buy any lunch, then it’ll really help me out going into this next weekend. Also, it’s probably better for me, too; it’s vegan and not really full of fat and empty carbs.  It’s not chili, more like a stew with beans.

I went to TJ, and I put a lot of my big Washington road trip on my credit card, so, you know, I’m not destitute, but I could stand to cut a few corners.

So, here’s my recipe for 3 Bean Broke Ass Stew –

  • Saute 2 diced medium yellow onions, 4-6 cloves of garlic minced, and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro in about a table spoon of olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper.
  • While that is going, dice up 2 red bell peppers and 5 Roma tomatoes into the slow cooker.
  • When your onions and garlic are about halfway done, add in a few cups of sliced crimini mushrooms. I used a whole package that I got at Trader Joe’s. Continue to saute until the mushrooms are softened, then add to the slow cooker.
  • Add 1 can each of garbanzo, kidney, and black beans alone with 1/2 of a package of frozen corn.
  • Finally, add a few cups of vegetable stock
  • Then just let the slow cooker do it’s thing.

So, it’s going in the kitchen. I think I’m going to leave it on low over night. Then I’ll have dinner and some lunches for the next few days. By the way, all the ingredients are from Trader Joe’s, too.

I’m gonna get some sleep now, or try.

Pissing My Life Away

I’ve been doing a whole lot of nothing today.  I watched some of the Olympics, and some bits of movies, all in between napping, and goofing off on the internet.  Right now I’m just watching a little bit of the Giants game.   I’m not really planning on leaving my apartment any time tonight, either.   I’m just gonna keep being a lazy hermit.   It’s pretty likely that I’ll spend the rest of my evening looking up stuff like this on YouTube –

(YouTube is shutting me down, but go to this link – Phenomenauts Interview

 

I went and saw The Phenomenauts in the Sacramento area last night.  it was a pretty late night, and I crashed at a friend’s after, so maybe that’s why I am feeling so lazy today.  It was totally worth it, as The Phenomenauts are badass.  I hope some day to be half as bad ass as those guys.  They’re joined on their current tour by Vic Ruggiero performing solo and Kepi Ghoulie and his band.    

I actually did one useful thing today, which was order the dress I will be wearing as the maid of honor in a  wedding.  Yeah, you heard that right.   I’m sure I’ll have pictures of me in this dress.  So I’m not going to say much about that.

Pleasing People

There’s not a whole lot of people in this world that I concern myself with pleasing.   I would love for my parents to be proud of me, but I don’t live for it.   If they are, great, but for the most part, I have to make my own way.   I know I do a lot of things that they’re not happy about.  I’m sure they’d rather I’d still never been to Tijuana.   My dad would like for me to spend far less time in bars.   My mom would prefer if I would listen to her dating advice.   (How does she always know that they’re bums long before I do?)

There’s a short list of people who I’d like to see at a show I’m playing, as I look out into the crowd, beaming at me the way I’ve beamed at them so many times.  And if everyone else says we suck, well, I can live with that just fine.  In fact, I’m looking forward to people hating my band.  That’s just another part of being in a band, from what I can tell.

But for the most part, this life of mine is not about what’s going to make anyone else happy.  I hope you’ll understand, and you won’t take it personally.   Sometimes I’ve just got to do what I’ve got to do, and sometimes that means going my own way or doing it alone.    I just can’t always be around people.   That’s just not who I am.  I can’t be that woman.    I have to breath, and I have to feel like I can cut and run at any time.  I probably never will, but when I’m tied down, I start to get nervous.   I have to have an exit strategy and a contingency plan at all times.   

Like I said, none of this is personal.   It’s not like I’m running away from someone in a particular.  I just have to know that I could.  I have to check my bank balance three times per day and calculate how far and how long it will take me.  I just have to .   

I know this could come as a shock to those have been reading about my non-stop escapades, constantly going out and needing to not be alone.   I did, however, say that the day would come when I would swing in the opposite direction, and it seems that that day has come.

And this doesn’t mean I’m depressed, or that something is wrong.  I hate it when people jump to that conclusion.   Just because I want some time to myself does not mean that anything is wrong with me.  If anything, this is a sign that I’m one step closer to my own version of normal.   I need to be independent.

And if you don’t like it, well, there’s not a damn thing I can do about it, and even if there was, I probably wouldn’t do it anyway.   It’s not that I don’t care, but if I have to chose between making myself happy and someone else, I just have to chose myself.  

Just sayin’.

Rarities and B-Sides

Life’s had some pleasant and unexpected moments and plot twists lately.   

 

  • Today, I met a no shit, real deal Olympian, Women’s table tennis team member Jackie Lee!!
  • Sunday, I had some barbecue with a no shit New York musician/poet/genius.
Life can’t be bad, can it?  Hanging out with athletes and poets.  Who would have ever thunk it.   Other fun stuff from the weekend included Joebot Twopointoh’s farewell show with The Phenomenauts.   He will be missed, but sometimes we all just have to move along.  Also went to Mama Bear’s baby shower, which I helped to plan.  
All in all, over the last few days, there’s been a lot of stuff going on that’s at least a little unusual, or once in a lifetime type experiences.  

HELL YEAH!!!!

I have to send some appreciation to my Rep. from Oakland, Ms. Barbara Lee.

The House yesterday passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 1338, by a vote of 247-178, strengthening the Equal Pay Act, to help women earn the same wage as their male counterparts.

Thank you!   Thank you!  It’s not often that I get to feel like the person I voted for is actually doing something that directly effects my life.

The only thing is, there’s no effing way that Bush is gonna sign it.

For more information, check out Feministing, as well as The Gavel.

Thank you Feministing for posting the YouTube that I so lazily lifted.