Bad Hair Day?

I have an appointment to get my hair cut tonight, but I'm thinking seriously about skipping it.

Things have just been going wrong today. It started pouring rain last night when we went to bed, and was still going strong when we got up. The dog got into the trash this morning, which is pretty hard to do seeing as how it's normally behind a closed door. (The kitten managed to open it, but that's another story.)

In the office, people are having family problems, health problems, car accidents, and more. The server isn't working really well and I spilled tea all over my keyboard this morning. Plus, my palm has been itching for about a day. I know that it's supposed to mean you'll come into money, but I just find it seriously annoying.

So, feeling all this bad karma in the air around me, I'm a little concerned about my haircut appointment. I mean, haircuts can last a long time. And it's statistically proven that the effects of a bad haircut last 10 times longer than those of a good haircut. So should I really take the risk and go under the scissors? Or should I "cut my losses" and go to Borders instead?

Fall Clothes

Last week, my older sister and I were e-mailing about how Fall is our favorite season. There's so many reasons to love Fall. In fact, I could wax poetic about Fall at such extended length, I thought I could stretch it into several blog entries! So, my first theme in a while: The Splendiforousness of Fall

Fall Clothes
One of the reasons I wanted our wedding to be in the Fall is because the colors are so bold and deep. I love the oranges and reds. I like getting my bulky sweaters and sweatshirts off the top shelf and putting them on for the first time since last winter. I'm happy to wear bulky socks that keep my feet toasty warm. And scarves! I love scarves. Which would partially explain why I own probably 5 of them. (Also explained by the fact that, for several years, they were the only thing I knew how to knit.)

I like putting away the open-toed shoes and bringing my sexy black boots back into circulation. I like layers, lots of layers. And the scarves.

Confetti

Well, yesterday was Keith's and my 2-year wedding anniversary. (I feel the need to make the distinction, since we've been dating for 9.5 years.) After work we went to dinner at Lopez, which was delicious. We'd been looking for an excuse to try it for a while--due to the fact that they take reservations and have valet parking at the weekends, it's obviously out of our normal price range.

After dinner, we saw the movie Confetti, which was hilarious. It was about wedding planning but with a twist: 3 couples had to come up with most unique wedding idea and compete to be on the front cover of Confetti wedding magazine. There were many reasons to like it, but high among them were:

1. It was British


2. Martin Freeman of the original The Office starred


3. The lovely, stereotypically gay wedding planners


4. The family drama

I'm not sure, but I think I leaned over to Keith at least 10 times and whispered, "I'm so glad we're done with all of that!"

Nothing like the torture of wedding planning to remind yourself that, despite all of the baggage that comes along with getting married, it was all worth it.

Lost! Reward!

What: cell phone, circa 1996
When: Last Saturday
How: I remember setting it down ...
If found, please call: Someone other than me, as I seem to be missing my cell phone.

Mostly I'm just trying to say, if you've called me and I haven't called you back: It's not you. It's me. You're still a great person.

p.s. The reward is ... a well-worn copy of Don Quixote, looking suspiciously as if it's been kicked and stomped upon. Not available for two more weeks, though.

Don't Ever Say This

At lunch the other day, a co-worker of slight acquaintance was talking about some friends of his. These friends do cosmetic surgery, dermatology, etc. Make you look better than nature ever intended.

He mentioned that these friends have demonstrations, where they try to convince unwary people that everyone needs to have regular nips and tucks. The co-worker was somewhat indignant/confused that, when he suggested to his wife that she be one of the demonstration guinea pigs, she refused. He thought it was a great deal—Botox injections for free!

All I could think was: If Keith ever suggested in any way, shape, or form that I should be getting Botox injections, he'd be the one with a fat lip. I don't care if it's a great deal. You're telling me I'm ugly. Or, at the least, I could use a few touch ups.

I asked the guy a few leading questions to see if it ever occurred to him that his wife might be slightly offended. But really, he just couldn't get over what a great deal it would have been.

Please, don't ever tell your significant other to get "work done." Never a good idea.

Honk for Opinionated People!

So I got this e-mail today from moveon.org. Which I'm an apathetic member of. I sign some electronic petitions from time to time, but that's about it. I haven't volunteered, or donated, or anything that would require more than 20.3 seconds of my time and effort.

I've felt a little guilty about this. Because—as my mom likes to remind me—I'm practically 30. Shouldn't I care about stuff by now? Have strong opinions on policy and national matters? Espouse them over free-trade cappuccinos at the locally-owned cafe that hires only legal workers and pays them a living wage?

Today's e-mail was an offer. An offer to get something for free! But here's the problem: it's a bumper sticker.

I really, really hate bumper stickers. Please don't use an exposed car part to tell me how I should feel/act about some extremely deep, personal issues. (Pro-lifers, I'm looking in your direction.) If an issue is that important, can it really be summed up in one cutesy phrase on a peel-off sticker? I almost put a woxy.com bumper sticker on once, because I figured people might actually appreciate finding out about good music, but I could never bring myself to do it. The sticker resides, unstuck, in my glove compartment.

So, although I feel guilty about being a slacker ... I don't feel guilty enough to stick a slogan on my bumper. Maybe next time they offer me something free, I'll actually take it.

Tivo Takes Over My Life

We watched the first episode of The Amazing Race 10 on Sunday night. It was exciting and fun to see the new teams, start picking out the ones you root for and the teams you love to hate.

But I already started worrying. Once the new TV season is in full swing, will we be able to keep up?

We use Tivo/DVR all the time. Probably excessively. I'm definitely addicted to it. However, I still haven't made up my mind as to whether it's evil or a benefit to mankind. On the one hand, if you stay home sick from work, you might actually be able to watch shows you like, instead of soap operas and many commercials about how trucking is a great career.

On the other hand, I feel like a slave to the Tivo. As the list of recorded shows grows longer, I put off eating, sleeping, running errands, acting social. Because we must keep up with the list. I know it's kind of stupid, but it has this hold over me.

This season I'm particularly worried, seeing as how we'll be MIA in the UK for nearly 2 weeks. Will Tivo ever forgive me? Perhaps I'll find 10 episodes of The Simple Life awaiting upon my return, as my punishment for abandoning The Tivo List.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

How funny that I posted last week about my pirate kitten, when--lo and behold!---today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

In honor of TLAPD, I've gone to v-ARRRR-ious websites to find out my pirate name. These are the ones I've gotten so far:
1. Sea Monkey Laura
2. Calico Jack McGurk
3. Pirate Jacquotte of the Barbary Coast
4. Evil Cash or Evil Ethel

I think my favorite is #2. Some flair, but not too long to remember, like #3. And #4 is just kinda boring.

I'd also like to point out that, on the Pirate Personality Test at the Talk Like a Pirate website, it asked what the best pet for a pirate would be. The options given are: parrot, kitty, smaller pirate, or a can of stewed turnips in chum sauce. I think everyone knows what a m-ARRR-velous pirate pet would be!

Incognito

Yesterday at lunch, for possibly the second time since I started working here over 4 months ago, there was a wait for the microwave. While I heated my soup, another employee waited patiently. He said, "I like your pants." I said, "Thanks." (They are quite nice pants, I must say--wide-legged khaki trousers from The Limited.) End of conversation, the microwave dinged! and I walked away.

This morning, I went back to the kitchen to get some hot water for my tea. This same employee (who I don't think I'd ever seen before yesterday) was there. I said "hi," somewhat familiarly, based on our acknowledgement of each other's presence yesterday. He greeted me in reply, but looked confused.

"Did I see you yesterday?" He asked.

I smiled. "Waiting for the microwave."

"With the pants," he confirmed. "You look different."

"Oh, my hair is down," I suggested.

"Were you wearing glasses?" He asked.

I thought about it. "That's right, I was!" I confirmed. (Today it's contacts, since I took the dog on his walk this morning.)

After a few more minutes of small talk, I walked away with my steaming mug of tea. I realized that I found the fact he wasn't sure if it was me from one day to the next quite pleasing. It made me feel more interesting, less predictable. Is she going to wear her glasses today? Who knows?!?

I will wear those pants again, though. With or without glasses, those are nice pants.

The Tourist's Dilemma

Ahh, the decision that plagues every tourist: To go the snowglobe route or not?

As the UK trip draws near, I've been wondering what to get for souvenirs. I like to have a few ideas in mind beforehand, so I can keep an eye out for specific items. Like, I love the company Paperchase, who makes fabulous scrapbooking albums. So I'll look for Paperchase albums and hopefully get one to scrapbook *gasp* the exact trip I'm on. Crazy!

In general, I prefer useful souvenirs. One of my favorites is from a work trip to Albuquerque. In the hotel gift shop, I picked up a chili pepper ceramic dish. It sits on top of the stove, to hold cooking spoons, etc. I've gotten many compliments on it, and every time I get to say, "Thanks! I got it in Albuquerque," thereby reinforcing in my mind how cool and well-traveled I am. (Not that Albuquerque is the definition of cool and well-traveled, but you know what I mean.)

I'm not a fan of snowglobes, stuffed animals wearing t-shirts with place names on them ... you get the idea. But here's the dilemma: how many useful things can I buy for around the house? I've been in apartments for about 5 years, and we've been in our house now for a few months ... I think it's pretty safe to say that we're managing to live independently. So if something is extremely useful, then we probably already have it.

I guess maybe the key will be to find something I really like ... and then find a use for it.

And she says "Garrrr!" when she's hungry

My cat's trying to turn me into a pirate. Before you call the idea "far-fetched" or "crazy," consider the following:

1. Whenever possible, she perches on my shoulder, a la ... a pirate's parrot. The picture on the left is actually one of Gomez and I, taken by Keith just a few short days ago.


2. She seems to think that eye movement is a form of play, as she has several times tried to attack my eyes. Innocent play? ... Or an attempt to make me wear an eye patch?


3. She is a master of plundering and pillage. She eats Beckett's food from the bowl and, whenever Keith and I sit down to dinner, she appears from thin air to steal our food.

Garrr! I rest my case.

Rainy Day Musings

Do you know what's nice about when it's raining as I get to work? If my umbrella's already in the car (as it was today), that means I actually remember to take it into the office. Usually, it stays on the car floor, and it's raining when it's time to leave work.

Why do I always wear my glasses on rainy days? Is there some sort of cause/effect thing going on here? I hate dealing with rain-smeared glasses. You keep wiping and wiping, and yet the water never dries. It just gets more smeary.

*The photo is not only a "brolly" pic, but a shameless reminder to everyone that, in a month's time, I'll be on my way to the UK. Woohoo!

Literary Overload

The library at the end of my street officially opened this past Wednesday. I have a library at the end of my street. I can walk there. I could hop there on one foot, if I chose to do so. That's how close it is.

What will this mean for my productivity? I actually think I've been very good in the past few weeks, managing to work out, get some writing/revision done, and even cook a meal or two. For me, that's fabulous! But now that I know there's thousands of books a few steps away, will my productivity crumble?

We went to the grand opening on Wednesday. It was kind of a mad house. We cleaned out their guides to London/the UK, which I've been enjoying since. I'd like to go back again soon, when it's not so crazy and exudes the calming influence of knowledge and deep thought I associate with the library. I don't know yet if they have a coffee shop, too. If so, I may never leave!

Woxy Rocks for 10 More Days

I'm worthless this week. On Friday, Keith broke the bad news to me that Woxy is, again, going off-air. Last time, they sold the terrestrial radio station. They managed to find some investors to keep the website going for a couple years, but haven't really managed to make money as an Internet-only radio station. So, on September 15, they're reluctantly calling it quits.

I find this terribly depressing. Woxy was completely anti-corporate. They are all about small bands, reaching a niche audience ... I understand that this is probably what led to their demise, but I loved it.

For the next 10 days, I'll be glued to the computer, listening to woxy and trolling the message boards for as long as I can. And in a few months from now, when I haven't heard of any of the new bands, don't blame me. Blame The Man, who put an end to "the future of rock and roll."