I Don't Even Know What I'm Writing About

New Blog Site

2005-07-22T10:22:00.000-04:00

Check me out out at Live Journal... click here... I don't know if I'll be gone long, but trying some new scenery! Let me know which you prefer!

The "Better than Doing Nothing" Blog

2005-07-22T10:21:00.000-04:00

1. What is your occupation? Production Coordinator... It's more of a job than an occupation.

2. What color is your underwear? Today, white. Tomorrow, ???

3. What are you listening to right now? My manager spraying his keyboard with canned air, the copier, an accounting machine, and various other office background noise.

4. What was the last thing you ate? Sadly, a donut.

5. Do you wish on stars? I wish on anything that might help.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Candy apple red, if that comes in crayon.

7. How is the weather now? As far as I know, very hot and humid. Right now I'm in the air conditioning, so it's hard to tell.

8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Guy in the copy center.

9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I like the people who posted it where I read it.

10. How old are you today? 33 and 1 day.

11. Favorite drink? Cranberry grape.

12. Favorite sport to watch? Gymnastics.

13. Have you ever dyed your hair? No, but I've thought about it.

14. Do you wear contacts or glasses? Yes.

15. Pets? 1 cat, and a missing tortoise.

16. Favorite food dessert? Ice cream. Also, sherbets & sorbets. Current favorite: Baskin Robbins Rock 'n Pop Swirl (formerly known as "Shrek 2" a year ago).

17. What was the last movie you watched? "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory"

18. Favorite Day of the year? Depends on the year. I usually like the 4th of July.

19. What do you do to vent anger? I stand in line at the Comcast building and threaten to come back every single day until they fix my problem.

20. What was your favorite toy as child? Stuffed animals.

21. Fall or Spring? Spring.

22. Hugs or kisses? Hugs AND kisses (but hugs, if i MUST choose).

23. Cherry or Blueberry? Cherry.

24. Do you want your friends to email you back? I always want my friends to email. I'm writing this from work... I am BORED.

25. Who is most likely to respond? I'm guessing forestrane.

26. Who is least likely to respond? All those people who say they read this blog, but have never commented.

27. Living arrangements? 4 story house in the Maryland suburbs (sounds good, doesn't it?)... until we get foreclosed on!

28. When was the last time you cried? I had a memory that made me cry a few days ago.

29. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes and a gym bag.

30. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Terri.

31. What did you do last night? Celebrated my B-day... removed the battery from my car to replace the headlight (poor design), grabbed a sandwich, fixed a bedroom window screen, watched Big Brother, chatted with a friend, and ate cake.

32. What are you afraid of? Never finding my calling... That and death. Particularly, not finding my calling before death.

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheeseburgers.

34. Favorite car? I loved my wife's VW.

35. What is your favorite pastime? I like a little bit of everything. TV, being outdoors.

36. Number of keys on your key ring? Way too many, I'm often told.

37. How many years at your current job? 1/3.

38. Favorite day of the week? Saturday.

39. How many states have you lived in? 2.

40. How many cities have you lived in? If you count L.A.'s subcities, 5... Otherwise, 4.

Fios?

2005-07-15T16:10:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about what I like and don't like about living in Maryland since I've moved... Surprisingly, so far, the #1 reason I would want to move from here is to get rid of Comcast. Honestly.

Today, I think I found my way out. I think I can get Fios... fiber optic internet service. Does anyone reading this know anything about it or have heard of any plusses or minuses? With Fios, supposedly I can keep my broadband phone, get rid of Comcast, and replace the cable with satellite. It will be slightly more per month, but only slightly... and worth it if I actually get service regularly. (... writing this after another week of no internet and no phone service.)

Interesting Blog

2005-07-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

Check out this interesting blog:

PostSecret

Diagnosis: PFS

2005-07-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

I visited the Orthopedist today, which was no small feat, considering I had to be there, in DC, at the office, at 8am. I don't usually wake up until 8am, but I had to be at the Metro at 6:30am to make sure I got there in time. The receptionist's description that the office was about "100 feet" to the left after exiting the Metro station was also a bit off. I walked in circles over and over again until I finally figured out that she probably meant something closer to 1,000 feet or so.

On the 1,000 foot walk, I saw the Vice President. Well, I saw his entourage. They say you can tell it's the Vice President and not the President because the VP's entourage is smaller and uses lights AND sirens. The President's entourage apparently only uses lights. It's the 2nd time I've "seen" him since I moved here.

Anyway, the Orthopedist took a few x-rays and he thinks I have Patella-Femoral Syndrome. Basically, my kneecap doesn't sit center over my femur, as it should. The good news: I probably won't need surgery, it can mostly be treated by doing some exercises on my own, and the cost at this point will probably only amount to the Dr.'s visit, a different knee brace, some shoe inserts, and maybe a couple of ankle weights. The bad news: It proabably can't be cured, I now have to take the elevator instead of the stairs (stairs, in general, are bad), bicycling is not the best activity (though I can try it), I need to wear a brace during sports, and I will probably have periodic pain from now on (Advil and Alleve will become my very good friends). Overall, a very mediocre diagnosis. Could be a lot worse, but I like to be active, and this is a blow to my athletic ego. We'll also have to wait and see if the diagnosis sticks.

Beautiful Bethesda - Benihana & "Heights"

2005-07-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

We visited beautiful downtown Bethesda for the first time since arriving in Maryland. It really is a happening place compared to Rockville. It was hip and young, with a plethora of restaurants, theaters, lights, music, and (of course) people. It reminded me a bit of Old Town Pasadena. With, of course, property values to match.

While in town, we had dinner at Benihana, family-style Japanese hibachi place where everyone sits around the grill as the chefs perform tricks and make scrumptous meals. The best part of the Benihana experience is that if you don't have enough people in your party to take up an entire table, you will often be seated with others. And, in the ideal situation, the others will be quite interesting. This outing was one of those ideal situations.

It's fascinating how much detail complete strangers are willing to share over dinner. We sat with 4 women. A mother, her adult daughter and her 2 adult nieces. In the course of one dinner, here is what I learned about our table-mates:

1. The adult daughter is looking for medical schools to apply to. She wants to be a surgeon, specializing in reconstructive surgery. She likes a rural environment and was curious about schools in Minnesota and Illinois, though her ideal place to live would be Brimingham, AL, even though she admits they could be racist there and she is black.

2. One of the adult nieces lives on a street only a few blocks from our house.

3. The other adult niece has cheated on her husband, but only twice, which is OK since he cheated on her first and she doesn't intend to do it any more, unless he doesn't get his act together.

4. The mother has never cheated in her 25(?) years of marriage, not even the "Jimmy Carter way." Apparently, Jimmy Carter said he never physically cheated, only in his heart. The mother lives in DC and, when asked what she thought of Marion Barry, gave a 10 minute lecture singing his praises, complimenting his ability to find work for youth, how he kept young people off the streets, and how he worked tirelessly for the people and city of DC. She presented this in a very astute way, getting us hooked on his good points before curtly mentioning his addiction to crack only at the end of her dialogue. And when she did mention it, she said "Sure, he did crack, but that only helped keep him able to fight for the citizens of this city 24 hours a day... He was never as good after he got caught." She was a well-educated and interesting woman. We found out she is a dentist as well as a professor of dentistry at a well-known institution and, since we don't have a dentist out here, she will very likely become ours now. She also talked about racism and how South Carolina has changed over the years (for the good).

In other news...

- We saw the art-house movie "Heights" this weekend while in Bethesda. A wonderful film, I give it 2 thumbs up. Well-written, well-acted, low budget... basic movie-making at its finest. I'm sure better than any of the summer blockbuster junk that is out right now. It's about relationships and life choices... and how much life can be altered in just 1 day. Not exactly like "Sliding Doors", but thought-provoking in the same way. Go see it! Next on the list: Penguins.

- We also headed back to the farms to pick more blueberries and raspberries.

- I finally have an appointment to have my knee checked out. As of this writing, I've already abandoned bicycling, walking the stairs, and another company softball game. I don't have a scale, but I feel like I've put on at least 5 pounds in the past week. Sigh. Big, big sigh.

Heightened Alert

2005-07-08T12:23:00.000-04:00

Here we go again. I can't even begin to assemble my thoughts on the subject of terrorism and war. I'm not sure if I even want to think about it for that long.

But here's something I have decided to think about. Heightened security. Orange alerts. What the heck do they mean? My wife, a law enforcement officer, has worked through several of these security status changes. Ask her to tell you the difference between what she does every day and what she does during times of "heightened security"... go ahead, ask her. The answer, inevitably, will be nothing. Perhaps the special forces take other actions, and perhaps she just has not been with the special units during these times, but who is all of this extra security for, anyway?

I believe the bag checks at public events, and the higher security presence after an incident, are more for perception, to give citizens a false sense of security and control over their lives when really there isn't much we can do in our daily existence to prevent these terrorist attacks. Yesterday and today, bomb-sniffing dogs searched the Metro trains, police with machine guns spot-checked the trains as they came through the stations, and the bathrooms were closed to prevent any dubious activity. Do we in America really think the terrorists don't pay any attention? Do you think they're going to put a bomb on a train that they know is going to be sniffed by a dog before they ever get a chance to set it off? Of course not. They're patient. They wait. They wait until we search for a few days or weeks and determine that we haven't found anything and, therefore, the threat has subsided. The dogs are removed. The armed guards slowly disappear from public venues. The bathrooms re-open. Then we go ahead and drop our alert level back down to Yellow or even Blue. We stop patrolling our Metros and public areas. We get lax with our security. We feel comfortable again that we've thwarted terrorism.

That's when we need protection the most.

I know in America we don't want to live in a police state. However, where are these extra security measures the rest of the time? What sense is a security check where they stop people carrying purses, but wave everyone else through? My wife and I went to a national museum the other day. She had her gun in a holster on her waist, under her shirt. There were no metal detectors, just a bunch of day-player security guards. They stopped the woman pushing the stroller, and they waved us through. "Not carrying a bag, don't need to be checked," they said. I've been to the Hollywood Bowl and had a camera case large enough to fit a camera or binoculars... or a gun or grenade. But it was too small.. they waved me through. "Let's stop only the guys with the coolers," was the apparent attitude.

I know we can't protect every place in a free country all of the time. As an ex-FBI expert said at a forum held by the Washington Post, "... if you put metal detectors at the transit stations, they will attack the shopping malls..." There's no way to put a shield around every place all of the time. Not to remain free. But these "displays" of heightened security aren't really an answer, either. We can't get it together only after something terrible has happened. We've got to get it right all of the time. As it's said, we have to be right ALL of the time to prevent terrorism. The terrorists only have to get it right ONCE.

Blown Knees, Beginner's Omelettes, Blueberries, and the Big Bang

2005-07-06T12:49:00.000-04:00

It finally happened. I sat down for a good chunk of my work day on Friday, and it pained me to stand up again. I hoped it would work out the kink as usual, ever since the knee problems began. But alas, this was not to be the case. I hobbled around in pain most of the rest of the day, limping enough to even evoke the offer of crutches from my boss. Since Friday, the pain and cramping have eased, the ability to move has shifted off and on again. But I am finally ready to see the Orthopedist. I am waiting for my friends to return from a trip, so they can provide me the name of their referral. The physical therapist believes it is torn cartilage, but I am just not ready for knee surgery. Hopefully the MRI will be revealing, and by revealing I mean I hope in a positive way. Sigh.

Other weekend news. On Saturday, we went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History, which is my personal favorite of the museums because of all the pop culture and "kitschy" (can't spell it) stuff. We of course saw Fonzie's jacket and Dorothy's ruby red slippers. New since my last visit several years ago was Julia Child's kitchen. Literally, her kitchen. I never really watched her while she was alive, even knowing what an icon of cooking she was. But while there, a video was playing with clips of some of her TV moments. And one of the clips was a really short one on how to make a 20-second omelette. Now, I know omelettes aren't brain surgery, but I'm no master of the kitchen. I once tried to make an omelette with an "omelette maker" contraption my mom had and spilled all of the innards across the entire stove. So imagine my delight after 5 minutes of watching a video in a museum, going home to make omelettes for dinner. Not exactly 20 seconds, for a beginner like me, but about a minute each... and they were delicious and even looked like omelettes! Julia Child said it's the best way for you and 5 of your friends to prepare a meal for 300 guests in 20 minutes... in case you were looking to do that.

On Sunday, we went back to the farms to pick fruit. The strawberries were looking pretty worn at this point, so we opted for raspberries (which I don't like - too many seeds) and blueberries (which I didn't like until we picked them fresh!) Blueberries are apparently some of the best natural food, high in anti-oxidants and one of nature's best. I'm glad I now like them. The ride to the farm was gorgeous again, and there were a lot more people out picking fruit this time, probably because of the summer vacation. Even the families of geese were enjoying a little swim by the nearby lake... if you can call a pooling of water a "lake." I also thought it was exciting to be outdoors in a field among truly red and blue fruit on the weekend celebrating our country's independence. In a few weeks they will have peaches, plums, and corn. I expect we'll be making a few more trips.

On Monday, my wife of course was working... holidays are just extra-busy days for law enforcement. All of the friends I know in the area were out of town for the holiday weekend, so I decided to get out rather than sit on my arse watching fireworks on TV. I am in the nation's capital, after all. So I went by myself to the National Mall, and sat among the millions of others watching in awe as the fireworks exploded over the Washington Monument. It was truly incredible, although a little lonely. I appreciated the adventure and the beauty, as I do in most of what I do. But I know why single people are always looking to be with someone... experiences are enhanced when you have someone to share them with. On the metro ride back home, I reveled in the joy of my new hobby, people-watching. It was all fine until I noticed the clean cut and responsible-looking man coming closer to me. I thought he was talking to me at first, but he said something about a "national search." Then he kept talking about this "national search"... it was hard to tell because the train was so loud I could only hear every few words. I figured he had an earpiece and was on the phone. But then I realized he was repeating the same sentence over and over again about this "national search." Eventaully, he spiced up the conversation, by saying "you should get to the hospital and see your daughter, she might need brain surgery," or something like that. And he ended it by talking about something like "smashing her head in," which he also repeated many times until it was time to exit the train. I made a mental note of his description, in case this turned out to be relevant at some point. Then I hobbled home to watch the fireworks replay on TV.

Cheer

2005-06-30T10:37:00.000-04:00

Yeah Spain! Yeah Canada! Yeah Spain! Yeah Canada! Yeah!!!

Night Lights

2005-06-29T11:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was extremely hot and muggy. After work, I joined some co-workers for a game of kickball. I'm definitely getting older, but it was still fun, even with the beginning of another summer storm at the end of the game. Anyway, I'm driving home and I start seeing spots. I blink a few times and they go away, then reappear, then disappear. I'm feeling OK, but wondering if maybe I got dehydrated again. I get home and think of taking a nap, but I forgot an errand and have to run to the store. I start seeing spots again. On the way home, I'm sure I must need to lie down. Then I think, perhaps it's the street lights reflecting on the rain drops on my windows. Yeah, that must be it. I see the flashing lights out of the corners of my eyes. I'm definitely going insane. I arrive home and get out of the car, but now, without the drops on the windows to pacify me, I still see shimmering lights. Now they are across the street. Before going in the front door, I pause for a moment. I squint and try really hard to focus. I blink some more. And then it hits me... fireflies. Believe it or not, I've never seen them before. All evening I had to keep peeking out the window. So amazing, so brilliant, these "lightning bugs."

Just for Fun

2005-06-27T14:23:00.000-04:00

http://dontblamemeivoted4kerry.com/

Biology Lesson

2005-06-26T17:48:00.000-04:00

The bird nest outside our bedroom window had shown a flurry of activity for the past 2 months. 2 birds kept flying in and out, monitoring the nest carefully. Last week, we awoke to very loud chirping, and realized that the baby birds had finally arrived! I even got a picture of them asking for some treats. (You may have to enlarge to get a good look). I've watched the babies' progress for a week, and suddenly they were gone. But they keep returning, as they're still flight novices. So I watch them every once in a while. My wife was asking exactly how birds, shall we say, "mate." Despite my zoo experience, I wasn't exactly sure. So today I went to take a peek at the babies flying about their nest and, let's just say, now I know the answer.

Nice Day

2005-06-26T14:52:00.000-04:00

Although a steamy 90+ humidity day, it was again very nice out. My wife and I went for a bike ride. 1 chipmunk, 7 deer, 1 rabbit, 2 butterflies, and 1 woodpecker later, and we returned to being locked out of our house. Never seems to be a perfectly nice day without SOMETHING going wrong... but still, looking back, a nice day.

It's the Little Things...

2005-06-24T17:42:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned many times how it's the little things that keep friends closer. Lately, I fell a bit disconnected from everyone. I'm missing the little things.

So, here's the deal. If you're reading this, you have hereby committed yourself to responding with one "little thing" that happened to you today. Here's my day so far:

- My wife (who is on her 2nd of 2 days off, after working two 24-hour shifts) didn't actually have today off at all. I woke up to find, as it turns out, she had to go to court. She didn't actually have yesterday off either, as she also had to go to court. She has also lost her voice, because 2 long shifts and no time off make it easy to get a cold.

- I got up late (as usual) and forgot that I had to take the trash to the curb since I didn't do it last night, thereby being even later to work.

- I was late to work again and, as usual, no one cared.

- I took a walk at lunch. I've felt heavier lately and sluggish. But the weather was BEAUTIFUL and I enjoyed the sunshine on my face.

- On my walk, I noticed how green the grass was, how beautiful the flowers are here, how blue the sky was, how clean the air was, how I felt better about things, how my head was getting clearer, and how much better my knee felt.

- Also on my walk, I heard a bird chirp directly above me. I stopped and it was on the branch directly over my head. I didn't want to scare it away, so I quietly walked further down the path. The bird hopped a couple branches closer as I walked. I stopped, the bird stopped. It jumped down closer. I walked forward, the bird walked forward. He was following me. We had a moment. I smiled.

- After the walk, I was warm, and glad my hair is long enough to put in a pony tail.

- I've taken to walking the stairs at work. I work on the 6th floor, but often have to walk to either the 4th or 11th floors. After about a week and a half of this, I think my thighs are finally getting slightly firmer. Once again today I noticed how I was glad my knee was better, so I could climb the stairs.

- I got up from my desk at work in the afternoon, and banged my (bad) knee into the side of it. I made a high-pitched squeal that my co-workers heard all across this section of my workplace. I didn't know weather to laugh or cry. I didn't do either, but I wanted to.

- Going home now... hoping to have a bike ride if my wife is awake and feeling up to it.

Stage Names for Drs.?

2005-06-23T15:36:00.000-04:00

Do you think doctors use "stage names" like actors do in Hollywood? The name of the dentist in my office building is Dr. Lipps. Growing up, my family also knew a family, the Doctors. The husband was a physician, so he was Dr. Doctor. I find that amusing.

Can't Get it Right

2005-06-19T22:55:00.000-04:00

Remember a few months back, when after weeks of temperatures in the 30's, 50 finally felt HOT? Now, after a week in the upper 90's, the 70's felt COLD. I just can't get my body to acclimate correctly.

In other unrelated news, I found an old journal of mine... probably something I never should have read again. The details are interesting, shocking, and in some ways not surprising at all.... but the one thing I do realize is that there are definitely some things in life where that saying "The more things change, the more they stay the same..." really applies. And no matter where I go or what I do in life, there's always something that can creep back in and point out how I just can't get some things right.

We Can Rule the World!

2005-06-16T23:09:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were having dinner last week, and finally collected our thoughts on various MD phenomenons into one cohesive idea. We've decided that we could rule the world.

OK, maybe not the world... perhaps just the greater DC metropolitan area. Beware: I'm about to insult everyone living within a 300 mile radius.

People here are stupid. Aside from the fact that they can't drive in the lines, can't design traffic lights that are timed, don't know that opossums and possums are the same thing, and can't understand why I'm upset that sourdough is a totally foreign food here, I don't know how they get anything accomplished with the work ethic that exists.

Let's recap some of my jobs. How about the one where I worked all night long (2 days straight) to finish a project we knew had problems so we could deliver it wrong, just to fulfill our contractual obligation to deliver in time... followed by the reward of working on 4th of July weekend to fix the problem? What about the job where I helped make a religious propaganda film to poison the minds of children in Third World countries [www.thegodman.com] by essentially working 80-100 hour weeks and frequenting the sofa of the workplace? How about the job where I worked 2 full months EVERY consecutive day to meet a deadline? Or the job I had to drive to from Clarement to Santa Monica to Burbank on a Saturday to deliver a tape because I was the only one with a key?

OK, maybe I'm the one who's stupid. But that's the work ethic I came from. I now work basically 9-5, sometimes 6. And granted, I'm being paid accordingly. However, if a deadline gets missed, the only repurcussion is "Let's try harder next time." If it gets "late," it's time to go home and it will just have to wait for tomorrow. I've heard co-workers complain many times of how crazy busy they were after witnessing them talk all day long about personal matters, and how late they stayed, after hearing them talk about leaving at (oh my gosh, brace me!) 7 or 7:30pm.

And it doesn't seem like my co-workers are alone in this concept. Another friend told me it is the same where she works. And my wife... don't get me started on the stupidity of the police department here. Someone asked her how come she walks all the way around the back of the police car to approach a stopped vehicle rather that cross in front of it. She explained that she remains out of the headlights, so she is not backlit for the suspect to see her very well, and also so if the police car is hit from behind she won't be sandwiched in between. Her "training" cop says it isn't a problem to cross in front because he parks far enough away so if the car does get hit he'll have enough time to jump out of the way. No kidding.

Now, I realize this is where most of our country's leaders live and work. And perhaps all the brainpower goes into the political spectrum here, so none is left for the civilian population. But I doubt it. It's just a totally different work ethic. It's not to say there aren't any smart people here. Obviously, there are people who were smart enough to get to the top and tell us lemmings what to do each day. But gosh darn it. My wife feels she could easily be Chief here, and I don't disagree. And I for one am TOTALLY underutilized at work. Heck, everyone is.

I'm not the cutthroat type who wants to rip everyone else off so I can get ahead in life financially or otherwise. And that's what it seems the partners at my company were talking about the other night after softball. And there is definitely something to be said for finally having a life outside of work. So, maybe I'm just not cut out to exist in the top tier. But if I could just get one great idea that I was also passionate about... If my wife and I could set up a company and employ the people we knew back in L.A.... Wow, we'd be unstoppable if this was our competition. If this was the alternative, we could rule the world!

Inspired

2005-06-16T22:30:00.000-04:00

I've been accumulating my writing ideas for about a week, but the heat and humidity had me feeling quite slug-like for a while. Today, finally, a break in the humidity and a 15+ degree drop in temperature made it a BEAUTIFUL day. I got home from work, had a nice short bike ride, and finally felt refreshed and inspired enough to catch up a little bit.

Last weekend was Pride, and I have to admit it was nice to have a cultural reconnection of some sort. However, there are a few major differences between LA Pride and Capital Pride. First, apparently, is that the beautiful people really do live in Los Angeles, even if I denied it for all the years I lived there. There was a noticeable absence of any attractive women (or even men for that matter). Second, Capital Pride is SIGNIFICANTLY smaller. The festival was only 1 day instead of 2, and people started tearing their booths down almost 2 hours early. Now, in all fairness, it could have been the 90+ heat and humidity, but still... They didn't even fully block off the parade route, which took place in the evening by the way. In fact, we were standing in the middle of the street, practically surrounding the people IN the parade as cars would come in the opposite direction right behind us. Bizarre! Also, there were no dance tents. And the 1 "major" stage only attracted small crowds. The only place there were a LOT of people was in the caged off area AWAY from the booths, where you could purchase alcohol... and that's it... JUST to purchase alcohol. Not even to dance!! Funny, I don't always miss LA Pride when I'm in LA, but I sure missed it last weekend. However, I still had a blast, got my groove on, hit the streets, strutted my stuff, and enjoyed myself.

After the parade, my friends and I went out to eat at a French restaurant and they convinced me to eat escargot for the first time. I even have a picture of me trying it... and if I ever get this moved over to LiveJournal, I'll try to post it. I am NOT an adventurous eater, but I was in an adventurous mood for Pride, so I went for it... and it was GOOD! I like it a lot. :)

On Tuesday, I played softball in a game for work. For someone who never played, except for one work team stint more than 7 years ago, I did pretty good "for a girl." The participants said it was usually a one-sided game, but the teams wound up tying and going into extra innings. We were up by 1 in the bottom of the last inning. The other team was batting. They had 2 outs. There was a runner on 3rd. I was the catcher... but alas, I was a girl. The batter hit it toward the pitcher. The pitcher got the ball, I ran to home plate and held up my glove. The runner was coming, and the pitcher looks around and actually says "Where is everybody?"... he was waiting for the guys to come up and cover the base. So he stands there looking back and forth in awe. The runner scores, tying up the game. The batter makes it safely to 1st, and that is how we ultimately lost by 1. Now, I might be a girl, and I might have dropped it, but WHAT THE HECK DID YOU HAVE TO LOSE, YOU MORON???!??!?! Worst case, I would have dropped the ball, the runner would have scored, and the batter would have made it to first... hmm... sound familiar? Possible outcome? I catch the ball, tag the runner out at home, and make the winning out of the game! ARGH!!!

This is just another example of how come I think I should take over the world. And I'd do it, too, if it weren't for all that responsibility and stuff...

Emergency Card

2005-06-10T11:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at work, someone brought me a sheet to fill out "in case of emergency." It included the usual phone, address, and email info. Then it asked "4 wheel drive, yes or no?" I asked what they needed that for. They said, "In case of a blizzard." So I asked, "What if I have a 4 wheel drive but I don't know how to drive in snow?" Slight pause. The response from 2 people simultaneously: "Um, put down 'no'."

Anticipated Protest of the Week

2005-06-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

I haven't seen any official protests yet, but I'm expecting Gay Pride (or Capital Pride, as they call it here) to generate this week's Protest of the Week. Wherever gay people assemble in pride, unity, and love, there are bound to be people who see an abomination.

Pride is this weekend, and I'm looking forward to it. I feel I've been isolated from the culture for quite some time. I think the last time I was immersed in it was an entire year ago at last year's L.A. Pride. Go back to my postings from June 2004 (I think it was called "Busy Weekend") and you can read about it.

Where Humidity Comes From

2005-06-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

So, this week I've experienced humidity. I've been in it before, but now I'm living it. For all the talk, they're right. I'm used to "dry heat" and after only a week of this, believe me when I say I prefer dry heat. The past week it's been in the 80's and 90's with very high humidity. I can stand the feel on my skin... it's moist and not burning like dry heat, which is nice, but my biggest problem is I seem to have trouble breathing. The air is literally thick and I can't seem to get full breaths in it. It's driving me bonkers!

But that isn't the worst part. Oh, no. You see, humidity, as most smart folks will tell you, exists because there is a lot of moisture in the air. What nobody prepared me for were the "summer storms" that my co-workers tell me can be an almost daily occurrence in Maryland. They have now told me that even when the forecasters don't mention a chance of thunderstorms, history has shown them that there is ALWAYS a chance of thunderstorms.

On Monday, after work, I ran a few errands. The day had been bright and muggy and in the 90's. But when I exited the supermarket after my last errand, the wind was suddenly whipping strongly, and the sky was turning black, and fast! I could see it rolling in. When I got home, the wind was howling and the trees were blowing sideways, so I closed all the windows, which were still open because it still was HOT, especially upstairs. By the time I got to the last window, I only had a few seconds before the big claps of thunder and the rain began hitting the windows straight on. It poured with such force that it was blinding outside and heavier than a shower in the morning (to get clean, not like an early rainshower). I went downstairs to watch TV and finally relax. More thunder, some lightning, and then the power flashed on and off, 3 times. After the third time, it remained off. The sun was setting and within a half hour I was sitting in the dark... for the next 2 hours. The thunder was so loud I jumped out of my chair a few times. The lightning was so intense that it sometimes hit at the same moment as the thunder, lighting up the sky in literal shades of orange, red, and even blue! It was non-stop for over an hour at least. I could even see the lightning rods several times. On one hand, it made me think of how Ben Franklin discovered electricity. On the other hand, it was terrifying for an inexperienced storm-watcher like myself. And it was LOUD! I was actually conscious of how loud everything seemed for that period of time, almost like an earthquake, if I could hear an earthquake over my screams. For all of my L.A.-native friends like myself, I'm sure you know I am NOT exaggerating when I say that if a storm like this had come to L.A., it would have been the top story for 2 days.

But not in Maryland. No. No mention, no discussion, no nothing. So I brought it up at work the day after. I said, "So, I'm guessing the storm last night was considered relatively mild, huh?" They looked at me as if to say "What storm?" and then did a very small scoff answering, "Storm? Oh, the rain yesterday? That was nothing." Oh, yeah. It's going to be a long summer.

P.S. And a long winter... apparently, they say there are only 4-8 really nice weeks of weather total all year in MD. Oh, joy.

A Little Bit of Everything

2005-06-08T21:55:00.000-04:00

So, nothing too extraordinary going on, just a little summary of what's new:

- My friend that I met in California, but who is originally from Maryland, decided to move home. She arrived last week, and I'm excited to have another friend in the area.

- 2 of my friends have moved away. They decided that they'd had enough of Bush, and have picked up and moved to Canada. Net value = -1 friend.

- I have not had a haircut since I've moved. My hair is ridiculously long and bothersome, and yet if I blow it dry just right, it looks pretty good. I've been paying more attention to my attitude and my hair (and my clothes a little, but barely) and I've noticed guys being more friendly for the first time in my life. Not that I'm looking for that kind of attention, but it sure feels nice. Maybe I'll grow it down to my toes.

- I've always felt this way, but every day I'm reminded more and more that life is in the details. It's the little things that make me feel closer to friends. So if you ever want to write to me and tell me you have a hang nail and that you cut your finger or got a little sunburned, please drop me a line. The big stuff happens to everyone eventually. It's the little things that set us apart.

- This past weekend I saw 2 movies: "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," which was a well-intentioned heart-felt girlie movie with really poor editing but a good heart and probably most appropriate for teens, and "Crash," which was quite the opposite as a depressing, realistic, dark portrayal of racism and prejudice in Los Angeles. I really like "Crash" for its realism and for making me pensive... god knows I like to be pensive. I'm not sure, however, if it made me miss L.A. or be glad I am gone.

- My wife and I went strawberry picking on Sunday morning. It was only 20 minutes from our house. It was so hot, we only lasted a short while, but then again, how many strawberries does one need? It was just nice to something outdoorsy and the scenery was BEAUTIFUL! I really wish I had my camera with me. I couldn't describe the beauty of the farms if I tried. I could never do it justice... but if you want to see it, please visit. We'd love guests.

- I've finally experienced humidity. See my upcoming post.

Protest of the Week - June 3

2005-06-03T11:50:00.000-04:00

OK, so I haven't been posting the Protests of the Week weekly, but the protests still happen weekly, so I'm keeping the title. This one, I was actually e-mailed about:

"As President Bush continues to push his scheme to privatize Social Security and slash benefits for middle-class families, hundreds of concerned citizens from across the country and the region will take to the streets of Washington D.C. tomorrow, Friday, June 3, 2005, at 2:30 pm and march to the White House to tell President Bush "Hands Off My Social Security."

George Bush's privatization plan would make massive cuts in Social Security benefits for future retirees and add trillions of dollars to the national debt.

By replacing our Social Security system with new private accounts, Social Security benefits will inevitably be cut—up to 46 percent for future retirees.

In addition to privatization, Bush has proposed even more benefit cuts that will slash benefits for every middle-class family that makes over $20,000. Benefit cuts are the problem, not the solution.

George Bush has admitted that privatization does not solve Social Security's solvency issues, so privatization is a sham meant to replace a guaranteed benefit with a guaranteed gamble."

The Sad Truth About L.A.

2005-06-02T18:07:00.000-04:00

The following article, copied from the Los Angeles Daily News, expresses the sentiments I have known and felt about L.A. for a long time. No matter what happens out here where I've moved, I don't think I can ever afford to come back.

Daily News link

California, off they go; can't afford a home, you know

By Mariel GarzaColumnist

Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - Today I say goodbye to Jean Dobbs, a good friend who's finally given up on housing in California. Tonight, she is planning to board a red-eye at Los Angeles International Airport and say so long to the overvalued West Coast, bound for her roots -- and her first taste of home ownership -- in North Carolina. Jean watched in dismay as the median housing price soared out of her reach in Los Angeles County and across the state. For a couple years, Jean kept thinking: "It can't keep going up." It did.

As of April, the median home price in California reached a half million dollars. The price in Los Angeles County is only slightly lower, at $485,000. The national average is $203,000.
Half a million is tough to swing for anyone, even young professionals like my friend who don't have family money or a high six-figures salary. Few people under 40 -- even white-collar professionals -- can easily come up with $100,000 as a down payment, then shell out $3,600 a month for mortgage and property tax.

Of all people, my friend Jean should have been able to afford a house. She is executive director of New Mobility, a national lifestyle magazine for people with disabilities, and its spinoff books and magazines. It's a job she does from a home office, and she could live almost anywhere.
When the reality sank in that Jean couldn't afford much more than a shack next to a cattle farm in the Central Valley or a double-wide trailer in the distant High Desert of California, she widened the scope of her search. By about 3,000 miles.

I am sad to see Jean go. But -- I'm chagrined to say -- the same forces that priced her out of this market are making me rich. Well, maybe not really rich like billionaires Eli Broad and Bill Gates. But rich compared with the former me: a poor kid who grew up a no-savings, credit-card, in-debt renter. Now I am still cash poor, but land rich. Jean was still thinking about home ownership in the abstract three years ago when my family decided that it was time for me to buy and loaned me the down payment. I was literally just in time. A few months after I bought my modest two-bedroom house a few blocks from Dodger Stadium, I could no longer afford my neighborhood.

After eight months, my house had gained $83,000 in value. Two years later, $125,000. By now, I have so much home equity that I could probably sell my house and use the proceeds to modestly live out the rest of my life loafing around the beaches of some third-world country.
Simply by my good timing, I am a "have" in California, while my friend on the same rung of the socioeconomic ladder is a "have not." Jean's not my only friend in this situation. I could pen a long list of friends and colleagues -- young and creative professionals all -- who despair of ever having the means to afford that particular slice of American pie as long as they remain in California.

Jean's new house in Wilmington, N.C., is a sweet, yellow building more than 150 years old. It's an officially designated historic home with a plaque of its history mounted next to the front door. The two-story house has stained-glass windows and gables and polished wood floors. The quiet street just off her front stoop is made of cobblestone, and it leads to the Cape Fear River two blocks away. The warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean are 10 miles away. For all this, Jean paid less than $300,000 -- in fact, within $3,000 of what I paid for my tiny stucco house in a now-hip former barrio.

Prices like this may be one of the reasons why North Carolina's population has become one of the fastest-growing in the country, much of it because of people moving in from other states. Jean picked Wilmington because she decided it was revitalizing -- thanks to affordable prices, a charming downtown and the relocation of some white-collar employers. The mild weather and lush landscapes probably didn't hurt either.

On those hot smoggy days in Los Angeles, when I'm fighting traffic to get to the crowded grocery store and trying to avoid road-raging drivers who might be packing, it's tempting to follow Jean's example and get out. But it's a heavy decision. I know that if I leave, it will be a very long time -- if ever -- before I can afford to come back.

Mariel Garza mariel.garza@dailynews.com

My Shadow

2005-05-31T23:14:00.000-04:00

My shadow is following me, and it's being more persistent than normal. I can't seem to shake it. I've been told to embrace it. I don't know what to do with it. It might be time for another one of those rare conversations with G-d.

Misc. Ugh

2005-05-31T15:29:00.000-04:00

No big stories to write about, so here's a mish mosh of the weekend:

Had a Memorial weekend BBQ at our home on Sunday. We had a nice showing of 10 people, which I consider quite sizeable considering 3 people couldn't make it and we really don't know that many people in the area.

Apparently, DC doesn't have "BBQ's", they have "cook-outs". I know this, because my wife and her partner spent most of Monday responding to "disorderly cook-out" calls, and getting a whole lot of free food in the process!

I must have insanely acclimated, as every day this weekend has been a split of beautiful warm sunshine and sudden unexpected showers. Yesterday, we mostly had showers in the afternoon, and I spent the day running errands in 60 degree heavy rains wearing only shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals. I wouldn't have been caught dead doing that in L.A.!

Had another deep conversation with a friend. As mentioned in a past posting, conversation is VERY important to me. It fulfills some kind of place in me that nothing else quite touches. Of course, it also left me feeling empty in some ways, and pensive yet again. Very, very pensive. In a kind of lonely, sad way. I've got so much on my mind these days, and so little I feel I can talk about. Ugh. It can just eat you up inside!

Timbeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

2005-05-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I arrived home to the sight of a tree trimming crew. My neighbor decided after 40 years that this was the year his (quite healthy, mind you) white oak tree was going to fall over onto his house. He apparently hired the first company that knocked on his door and said "Hi, we cut down trees, would you like one removed?" He said yes.

Somewhere in the process, he agreed to get rid of not 1, but 2 trees. He was going to get rid of a 3rd when his son (god bless him) insisted that he didn't. One of the trees was just barely on his property line (or I would have tied myself to it to prevent its demise). The other was in his backyard, but one which blocked the view of his house from ours. These trees were no small things. I'm guessing 40-50 feet tall. When I arrived home, there was a pile of mulch over 5 feet tall in front of my neighbor's house. They decided to use a chipper without having a bin to dump it in. On top of that, they made the mistake of doing this while my wife was home. And they dumped the leaves and mulch on the area between our homes where my wife bought 5,000 pounds (no exaggeration) of dirt to fill in and flatten the ground, and where she has been carefully seeding and watering the area to grow grass for the last 4-6 weeks. They of course, killed it all. They said they would replace the soil and the seed, but there's no way to replace the 4-6 good weeks of rain, or our water bill.

Then, mistake #2. They asked my wife if she wanted some of the tree for firewood. Now, we haven't made one single fire since we moved, but we have a very large wood pile accumulating... and yet she said yes. Then she made the mistake of leaving. By the time I came home, there was a 50 foot tree cut into full 250lb. logs filling our back yard. Not exactly fire wood, since it took at least 2 people to barely push and roll EACH of them on the ground. They gave us the ENTIRE tree, because they didn't want to haul it away. Of course, our neighbor was also upset because they charged him a removal fee and since they weren't removing it, he didn't want to pay... but the crew insisted. My wife came home and yelled the crew into submission, as this was clearly not firewood and not at all what she asked for, or what was discussed. As I collapsed last night from my migraine headache to the sound of chainsaws cutting apart the wood in our backyard, I dreamed of the new tree or bush or hedge we could plant in its place. Anything to stop the sun from reflecting off the now bright house next door and into my pounding eyes!

It's funny. You move to a nice woodsy area, then chop all the trees down. It sickens me. The neighbor mentioned that the previous owners to our house knocked down all our trees, and said it was too bad he couldn't knock down the trees in the other neighbor's yard as well. In fact, his neighbor on the other side also bought into this door-to-door tree "trimming" service and will be cutting down one of his trees as well. Shame! So, I had 4 months to admire how nice it was not to need fences at every section of our homes, like everyone does in California... and now I suddenly have visions of the billions of ways we can put something up to keep our neighbors out. I don't mind no fences, but natural barriers and woodsy feelings were nice. I don't really want to stare into his aluminum siding anymore. Not only an annoyance, but highly disappointing. Some people just don't have a lot of sense.

The "DISLIKE" Stamp

2005-05-24T15:31:00.000-04:00

Have you ever bought a pack of the Post Office's "LOVE" stamps, perhaps for a special occasion such as a wedding or Mother's Day? I have... and the darn things only come in 20-packs. Does anyone else ever feel a poke in the gut when you have to plop one of those silly "I LOVE YOU" stamps on a letter that just isn't deserving? I'm sure there are worse cases than mine, but I'm reminded every once in a while... like when I'm paying a Comcast bill, for example.

Third-Life Crisis

2005-05-23T12:07:00.000-04:00

I think I must be having my Third-Life Crisis. Not my third crisis, but 1/3 of life crisis. I'm finding the phrase, "at this age..." creeping into my conversations more frequently. Yesterday, my bad knee was acting up especially strongly. I went on a bike ride for the first time in years. I think I have some torn cartilage, which I apparently aggravated. So, I was telling a friend how I needed to go see an Orthopedist because "at this age..." She started to tell me to (basically) shut up, that I'm not that old, when I informed her that she misunderstood. What I was going to say was that at this age, I shouldn't have to suffer in this much pain... because I'm too young. But I knew why she thought I was heading in the other direction.

I don't really feel old in general. But, I do think I'm having my third-life crisis. As I posted before, I'm bursting out of my 20's shell and craving a return to my youth... In general, that makes me feel relatively young. But darn it, when I get a paper cut, it just doesn't heal as fast. And the fact that I now have to be careful because I have a bad back, and I have to walk easy on my bad knee, and I have more than my fair share of cluster headaches... well, things just aren't the same at my age any more. I ache after just a little exercise, the hair is turning silver, the kids are looking younger these days... and that gosh darn music they play is WAY TOO LOUD!! Kids don't have the same respect they did "when I was that age..." Sigh. That's another phrase I find myself saying and hating myself for it.

I find more meetings with friends involve "remembering when..." as opposed to creating new memories. And that's wonderful in some ways, but gosh darn depressing in others. I want to live the memories, get out and see the world, or at least my own backyard.

I wonder if this is what it's like in your 40's and 50's, when people start buying sports cars and speak phrases like "Whoever dies with the most toys wins." If it's just an exaggeration of how I feel now, then I totally understand! Don't get me wrong. I'm not depressed about it. I'm seeing it as an opportunity. I may have missed the craziness and fun of the 20's, but I'm getting a 10+ year head-start on my 40's and 50's. Now I just have to decide where to start...

My Letter to Comcast

2005-05-16T19:05:00.000-04:00

My letter to Comcast, detailing the fun experiences I’ve had. Brackets [ ] are mine… why I’m protecting anyone, beats me! Italicized comments are just for fun. (Ellipses… added where there is additional, [more?] uninteresting drivel.)
--------------------------------------------------------

Dear [Customer Liaison Advocate] -

I spoke to you a while ago after filing a complaint with the County Cable Commission. I described the problems we had, and you asked me to send you an email with the sequence of events and people we talked to throughout the problems…

This is in regards to the account listed under phone number [blah blah blah], which is my cell phone. At the time we signed up with Comcast, we did not have a home phone. The home phone number is now [bleh bleh bleh], and it is a broadband phone line, hooked up through our cable modem.

We signed up for Cable service on Thursday, Feb. 17. I spoke with [Representative 1]… She told us we could get a special deal of digital cable on 2 televisions, with HBO & Showtime on both, as well as cable internet, for [great price] per month. She scheduled the technician to come on Monday, Feb. 21 between 8am-11am for installation and told us to pay [great price] at the time of install.

A contractor cable intaller arrived at 10:30am Feb. 21. He said we were his first call of the day. He hooked up 1 TV and the internet modem. We did not want cable wires going around the house to the 2nd TV and asked if we could have it go through the wall. He said that would be a "custom install" for about $50 and to call Comcast to arrange it. Throughout his installation, he kept using our California cell phone because he did not have either a cell phone or a radio to call his dispatcher. He racked up over 30 minutes of usage in the 2+ hours he was at our home. The picture on the 1st TV he installed was fuzzy, and he said that we would also require a "booster" from the telephone line to fix the problem. It took him a long time to complete the install, and he was running late. (Gee, I wonder if anyone else can guess how a technician could be running late when he shows up at 10:30am for his first call of the day, even though the window for his arrival begins at 8am). He left the house with a cable wire going through the hallways from our basement to the next floor, a faceplate in the wall removed, and the fuzzy cable picture, as well as leaving some of his equipment, including the cable spool, in the house. We stopped him at his truck, he came back up to clean up the spool and replace the faceplate, and said he was running late, so he would try to come back after 5pm that night to see what he could do to try and make the picture clearer. He took the work order (which confirmed we owed [great price] for 2 TV's and 1 cable internet modem) with him because he said he would bring it back. After he left, I called Comcast to schedule the "custom install" for the 2nd TV, and Comcast informed me that there was no such thing, they didn't do custom installs. Comcast also informed me that there is no reason we would need a booster and that we should have a clear picture. The first installer never returned that night and we called Comcast to have someone finish the installation and fix the picture. We spoke to customer service rep. [Rep. 2], who should be praised as one of the nicest and most helpful employees we dealt with during this entire ordeal... She arranged for a new appointment the following day, Tues. Feb. 22, for another person to come between 2-5pm. She also told us we shouldn't let the next person leave until we were completely satisfied with the installation.

On Feb. 22, the next contractor (again, not a Comcast employee) arrived at 5:30pm. We informed him he was late. He was already upset because they added our call to his roster and he was not originally supposed to come to our house, he said. He also mentioned that he didn’t like to have to come and clean up somebody else’s mess. He DID have a radio, and was constantly on the radio yelling at his dispatcher for sending him to our house. He fixed the fuzzy TV problem, by saying that the first person had switched the In and Out cables. He also hooked up the 2nd TV without the custom install, by stringing the cable wires over doors. He had several problems with this and also didn't get the TV's working well at first, so he continued to yell at the dispatcher, and began to yell at us, too, because the install was taking a long time and he was now going to be late for subsequent jobs. He started to drag his wooden spool (with the metal nut on top) across our hardwood floors in anger, and got in my roommate's face and yelled at her. This was not only unprofessional, but dangerous, and he continued even after recognizing that she was a police officer. In addition, he did a sloppy job on the installation and we asked him to fix it. He refused and yelled at his dispatcher some more and said he was going to leave. We told him that we were told not to let him leave until we were satisfied. He said he was going to call Comcast. We said fine, we would call Comcast as well, and proceeded to call [Rep. 2 again] at Customer Service. While on hold, he went out to his truck and drove off. Again, he took the work order with him.

After trying to get the situation resolved (my notes weren't as good back then), we finally spoke to [Big Wig] at Comcast on Friday, Feb. 25. He promised he would fix the situation by having someone clean up the mess left behind, and he would send a Comcast employee to our house on Monday, Feb. 28 at 4pm. On Monday, they called and said they weren't going to make it on time, and could we reschedule for Tuesday at 4:30pm. The Comcast technician came on Tues. March 1 and corrected the problems, we believed.

On Tues., March 8, we then started to get an error [Misc. Error Message] when using our On Demand feature on one of the televisions. Comcast [The ever-helpful Rep. 2 again] scheduled a technician to come on Wed. March 9 between 12pm and 4pm. [Tech. 4] came. When he arrived, the modem was working and I had a picture on both television sets. Only On Demand wasn't working. Within a half hour, my modem and both television sets all stopped working. He said it was a weak signal from the pole and a coincidence it happened while he was there, and that we would need a line technician and he was going to leave it that way. Because of this, we also lost access to our phone and I missed a telephone job interview. I told him he couldn't leave until the phone and internet were working because if it was a choice between the internet and TV, I needed the internet. The only reason we went with Comcast was because they have a monopoly on internet service in our area. "Magically", after a while at our house, the TV and internet all started working, but he warned us he didn't do anything to fix it and it was coincidence it went out and would probably go out again.

At some point in the beginning of April, we received our first bill which, despite having the credit for the Ontime Guarantee and a credit for the 1st month (because of the poor service, as promised by [Big Wig]), showed a monthly rate of [NOT great rate], rather than [great rate]. I spoke to [Rep. 3] regarding the bill and explained the rate we got from [Rep.1] on Feb. 22. She said we could ignore this bill and the next bill would show the proper credits for this bill. She said she adjusted it in the computer to show our proper monthly rate. Later in April, we received a new bill, showing our credit, but by this point I had already spoken to you [Customer Liaison Advocate] about our subsequent problems, and you told me that we would be discussing subsequent credits and to talk to you to figure out the bill and how much would be owed. So, I did not pay since at the time I received it since the situation had still not been resolved. I now received a PAST DUE bill on Friday, May 13 reflecting only 1 ON TIME GUARANTEE credit, but not credit for all of our lost operation time, which I will detail below…

MORE PROBLEMS: On Sunday, April 10, we noticed our phone wasn't working because the modem was not working. I called Comcast from my cell phone and spoke to a male representative [Rep. 5 or so]. He tried to have me unplug the modem and reset it and nothing worked, so he set up an appointment for Monday, April 11 1pm-5pm for someone to come look at it. I asked for the representative's name, and suddenly we were disconnected. The next day, my roommate took off work to be home and available. No one ever showed up. On Monday evening, I spoke to [Rep.6], a supervisor [Supervisor 1], and eventually [Supervisor 2]. They told me I did not have an appointment scheduled for Monday, that there was no record of me calling on Sunday to schedule it, and that it would take a couple of days to get another appointment. At this point my internet had been down over 2 days. They eventually figured out that when I called to adjust my first bill, Comcast re-set my modem settings and this is what caused the problem. They re-set my settings again and the modem worked fine again for 1 night. The next day, Tues., April 12, I noticed I lost premium channels on 1 of the 2 TV sets. I was told at first by [I.T. guy] in I.T. that it was down in the area, and later by [Rep. 7] that she couldn't help me. Eventually I was told that my package only included premium channels on 1 TV and that when they re-set the modem, they re-programmed my service so that only 1 TV would get premium channels. I was told that I was lucky I ever got premium channels on 2 television sets and I never should have been receiving it for the rate I was quoted. The next day, Wed. April 13, my modem was out again. On this day, I spoke to [Poor Guy who Deals with Comcast Complaints] at the cable commission since Comcast had not been able to resolve my problems and I had been without complete service for over 4 days.

I also spoke to [Rep. 8] at 7:15pm to try and fix the internet connection. He was trying to talk me through, said we would have to reset and hang up the phone, and then he would call me back. He called me back once, then we had to do it again, and the second time he never called back. At that point, I called back and spoke to [Rep. 9] at Comcast, who tried to get my modem working by talking me through things, and eventually I spoke to [Rep. 8] again. [Rep. 8] got it working temporarily, then told me he arranged a [ticket] for a 4-day service credit... He said we would receive a credit of the monthly bill divided by 30 days, times the number of days of interrupted service. Actually, your Comcast Service agreement states "If the Service is not repaired at the time of the scheduled appointment, the Subscriber will receive a credit of 10% of the Subscriber's normal bill for each 24-hour period, or segment thereof, that the Service Interruption continues beyond the scheduled repair call." At 12:18 am (that night), we lost internet service again. I spoke to [Rep. 10] and after 30 minutes of talking with him, we were disconnected. I called back and waited on hold for 40 minutes. I finally spoke to [Rep. 11] at 1:16am. She gave me [another service ticket].

I spoke to you [Customer Liaison Advocate] for the first time on Friday, April 15. At this time, the modem was working, but it had been going on and off, and I mentioned that there was obviously a bigger problem, that the modem kept re-setting itself. In addition, you had called me to address the complaint I had filed with [Poor Guy who Deals with Comcast complaints] at the Cable commission. You asked me to write you an email with the specifics. I told you I couldn't write an email until the modem was fixed…

On Sunday, April 16, our internet (cable modem) went out AGAIN. My roommate called and left both you, and [Poor Guy who Deals with Comcast Complaints], messages. Obviously the problem wasn't resolved. I called the main Comcast number again. I spoke with [Rep. 12]. At this point, he tried to offer me an appointment the following Wed. We had now been over a week with inconsistent service, many days without service at all. We had already had one no-show 1 week previously and had been waiting long enough. Last time, my roommate took off work, and we were able to be home next business day only, not on Wed. I told him they were in violation of the Comcast Service agreement, which states "Excluding conditions beyond our control, we will respond to a service interruption no later than twenty-four hours after receipt of notification. We respond to other service problems no later than the next business day after notification." This had now been over a week without a service call and I explained this. [Rep. 12] responded by saying "In an ideal world, we try to make appointments next day... Would you be more angry if we say we don't have an appointment, or if we say we do and no one shows up?" I told him first of all that that had already happened, no one showing up. Second of all, this isn't about an ideal world, this is what you have written in your service agreement, and you are under breach of contract. I asked to speak to a supervisor. He said no one was available. I insisted and argued for over 30 minutes. I finally got supervisor [Supervisor 3]. I told her what [Rep. 12] had said, and she agreed with [Rep. 12], saying she could make an appointment for the next day, but probably no one would show up because there were no actually available appointments. She said "I just want to let you know what to expect." I told her my expectations were based on their contract. My roommate also spoke with her about a service credit, for which she said she would credit us for the entire month (30 days) because of no service. I went back on the phone and, after 50 total minutes on the phone, she set up a next-day appointment, telling me that technicians "should probably" show up between 5 and 8pm the next day, she thought they may have cleared a space. When I asked her about the service credit she promised, we were again conveniently disconnected.

On Monday, April 18, no one showed up. At 7:55pm, I was called by the dispatcher, [Dispatcher 2, really, but I don’t remember when or why I talked to Dispatcher 1 in the past], and was told the technicians were running late and just to let me know, they would be about 45 more minutes. He also said the tech. was late because I had asked for them to get to my house after 6 instead of between 5 and 6 if possible because of my work schedule. Since they said they couldn't guarantee that, I had a friend waiting at the house until I got there. [Dispatcher 2] said the tech. tried to call me, but I wouldn't answer. I said my phone didn't work because I have broadband phone service and the modem was out, which I told the customer service rep. when scheduling the appointment, and that they would have to call my cell phone. [Dispatcher 2] said they couldn't call my cell phone, because the drivers aren't allowed to call long distance. On this day, I also called you [Customer Liaison Advocate] again, to let you know what was going on. [Dispatcher 2] said even though they were late, he couldn't arrange a service credit for the ON TIME GUARANTEE because I had to call Customer Service at Comcast, because the dispatchers couldn't do it. I spoke to [Rep. 13] at Comcast who said I would get yet another $20 service credit. At 9:30pm, after still no one had showed up, I called Comcast again. I spoke to [Rep. 14], who said at this late hour, probably no one would be showing up, and he could reschedule me on Thursday (3 days later) at either 11-2pm or 2-5pm. Again, I asked for a supervisor. Again, this was in violation of the contract. I spoke with [Supervisor 4], who confirmed those were the only times I could get. I didn't take one, assuming I would speak with you again on Tuesday until I could get this resolved more quickly. I was getting ready for bed when at 10:45pm, two technicians in 2 Comcast cable vans, showed up at my door… I would not have let anyone in that late at night, totally unprofessional, but at this point it was actually Comcast technicians with actual trucks and I wanted this solved. The employees [Techs. 5 & 6] (Is that all?) did many tests, checked every connection up on the pole, from the pole to the house, and in the house. They performed a few tests. They were wonderful! The only other praise I have throughout this process. They saw the modem recycle itself, and determined this was a line problem, between Comcast and the pole, not with our modem or at the house. They said they would put in a line call, that they could not resolve the problem directly. They also gave us their personal cell phone numbers so if it went out again we could tell them and they could possibly troubleshoot the problem again.

On Tuesday, April 19, the modem went out again, we called [Techs. 5 & 6], and they said they put in a line call for Thursday, April 21. On Wednesday, April 20, [Customer Liaison Advocate] called, listened to my complaint in more detail, and also put in a line call for Thurs. March 21. [Customer Liaison Advocate] stated that you would call me back when you reached a line crew and told me to email you with the names, dates and times of my contact with Comcast, and you would help me deal with the bill later after all was fixed. (He actually asked if I had spoken to anyone at Comcast about my problems before I reached him… Hmm, 6+ techs., 14+ Reps., 4+ Supervisors, 1+ I.T. guy and 2+ Dispatchers… Yeah, I think so.) …

When your phone survey people called and asked how I liked Comcast, I told them of the terrible service and how I would never sign up if I had a choice. The response was "OK, well have a great... err, I mean, have a good day…"

(Blah, blah, blah… Blah, blah, blah… my math shows that by this point, they should be paying me to have Cable service at my house from all of the so-called credit we’ve earned. What do you think???)

Sincerely,

[Me]

Last Weekend

2005-05-16T12:33:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to a Cubs-Nationals game. It was pretty fun for the most part, but now I definitely understand why they need to build a new stadium... The stairs are way too big and unsafe, the outfield is compressed, the layout is poor, and the foodstands... well, let's just say when a baseball game sells out of food before selling out of seats, it just isn't well planned.

I also cleaned off my bicycle in anticipation of Bike to Work Day this Friday. I don't think the mileage would be that bad, but it's the traffic I'm worried about. I haven't decided yet whether I think I'll risk it or not.

I had some friends in from out of town, so I got a tour of the Dupont Circle area, which was great. I think the suburbs have given me some serious city withdrawal... besides, who doesn't like being smiled at by a few cute girls? I think I was a bit too prude in my 20's, and I feel a rebellious nature now permeating. Can't wait to go clubbing! (Wow, did I just say that?)

Also went to "Taste of Wheaton," a food sampling event of one of the areas local restaurants.

And of course, the weekend would not be complete without another DC area large corporate horror story... this time it was the Metro. Because their stupid card readers do not work properly, I was held hostage at a Metro parking lot for over 45 minutes (after midnight no less!) because the parking nazis wouldn't let me out, even though I had enough money on my card. Needless to say, I also spent my weekend writing letters to Metro and Comcast Cable. The metro one isn't as interesting... my summary above is most of the extent of the problem. But the problems with Comcast are unreal. I might edit the letter a bit and post it, so keep your eyes open! :)

No Substitute

2005-05-12T15:53:00.000-04:00

I don't care how many different brands I've tried, there's no substitute for Post-Its. Same goes for Q-tips, Saran Wrap, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. But right now, at work, I'm wishing for some real gosh-darn Post-It brand post-its!

Turn Up the Heat

2005-05-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

In my VERY-mini update (because details are so painful), just some more examples of how life doesn't usually go according to plan:

- My wife FINALLY graduated the academy, proving for about 1 minute how eventually you can stop getting screwed... And one minute later learning that moving 3,000 miles away to be treated better doesn't prevent you from continuing to get screwed over and over again.

- I learned that after leaving a relatively decent TV job, that my biggest childhood actor crush of ALL TIME is the new star of the show... However, I am getting much praise at my new job, so that's a small consolation. A very, very small consolation.

- Yesterday, we officially ranked 3rd and climbing in the worst traffic in the nation. Leave LA for better traffic only to hear we're gaining on them quickly (of course, not in our cars!)

- Today it was 87 degrees. I think it was cool and rainy in LA just a couple of days ago. 87 degrees is HOT. Not as hot as I'm used to, but I've started to acclimate... and now 87 is HOT!

Scout (and other pets)

2005-05-03T17:52:00.000-04:00

Scout, my cat, finally arrived in Maryland. It's amazing how important a pet can be. She's my best non-human friend. She is so incredible, having stayed in her carrier nearly 12 hours for the flight out here, plus the drives, and then having to bear a friend's basement for a couple of days until the paint dried at the house. But she's no fraidy-cat. No drugs, no tranquilizers. She took it all in stride, and has already claimed the house as hers. It really feels much more like home when she's there. She's already scouted out the best locations, including my chest in the early morning hours. I feel so happy just seeing her lie on her back, or looking out a window. She's just so darn cute! I really lucked out with this cat, and I feel blessed to have her in my life.

Sadly, in other pet news, our desert tortoise, Touche (accent mark over the e, but I don't know how to type that here) wandered out of my parents' backyard about 2 weeks ago or so. The thing about tortoises is that they can be easy to forget and even more easily go unnoticed. So when workmen came, my folks didn't mention his existence. Touche has been in the family about 30 years. He came to us as part of an adoption/rescue program at a time when desert tortoises were endangered species. By the time I was working at the zoo, they were no longer "endangered," but "threatened," and I had then learned that he was quite possibly a she. They can live 100-150 years, and my wife took quite a liking to him. She often asked who would inherit him, since he would outlive me and my siblings. So, while he isn't the cute, cuddly pet like Scout, and doesn't create quite the equivalent void, let me tell you it's still tragic to lose a 30+ year member of the family. He's out there, practically invisible to the world. Large for a turtle, but small for a neighborhood. He can blend into rocks and the ground, and he digs deep for shelter, so he could be buried. He could also be run over by a car, eaten by a dog, or just aimlessly lost for the rest of his days.

So, if you see a big turtle walking aimlessly around the SoCal suburbs, please let me know. And in the meantime, I think I'll be going home and giving Scout a great big hug!

Company Endorsements

2005-04-25T20:55:00.000-04:00

I have been having the worst experience with a company that I have ever had in my life with Comcast Cable. I really, truly hate Comcast. But the story is so long and painful (and still unresolved) that I didn't feel like writing about it... So I've decided instead to write about companies that I would actually endorse. Not just OK companies, but companies (or products) that are so above and beyond the competition, that when I speak of them I feel like I am doing a commercial.

Perhaps if I put it out there, maybe I'll get a paid endorsement. The only sad thing is that the list is kind of (very) short right now. But I'll let you know if I feel like expanding:

- Jet Blue: worth the drive all the way to Long Beach.

- Washington Mutual: truly free banking, and they mean it.

- America's Tire Company: free patching, excellent service every time, every location.

- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: there is no substitute for the original Kraft Dinner.

- My eye doctor: almost worth being nearly blind temporarily so I can fly home to see the best.

- AAA: great rates, great service.

Sadly, not as many as I had hoped for, but it's a beginning.

Losing Love

2005-04-25T20:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever felt the ache of losing love? Silly question, I think we all have. I've been "home" where I grew up for a weekend, and I had several visits with family and friends. I have some truly amazing and special people in my life. It always takes these moments to be reminded of it, unfortunately.

I met my niece for the first time (and she is adorable!!!!), saw some high school friends, some work friends, and some long-lost relatives. I saw an old workplace and the co-workers from there, some family friends, and even a wonderful doctor of mine. I discovered that my sexuality now officially runs on both sides of the family, and I've been reminded how special my family and my wife are in the hearts and minds of others, who were kind enough to share their thoughts about these people with me.

With this great outpouring of love, I am unfortunately sometimes also reminded of lost loves along the way. The family members who have past on, the exes that didn't work out, the friends that have moved on and drifted away, the secret loves that never materialized. Even surrounded by so much love, losing love is something that never gets easier.

The Birds and the Bees

2005-04-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

Well, I've finally recovered enough from my cold to write about the Birds & the Bees, and now I'm just burned out thinking about writing to catch up for the last 2 weeks. I had a lot of ideas for this post in the past couple of weeks, but now I'm just tired, and there is so much to catch up on. However, I'll give it a shot or I'll never get to it.

Spring time finally hit Maryland, and for the first time I think I finally understand what all the fuss is about. I've heard friends from other states complain my whole adult life about how Los Angeles has no trees and no seasons. I always thought we had trees, but I really get the difference now. First of all, there are TONS of trees where I live now, partly because I am near several areas of woodlands. When I moved in the winter, it was just a ton of sticks, but lots of trees nonetheless. However, almost as if by magic overnight, they blossomed. Living near DC, we expected to go see the cherry blossoms, but little did we expect that our very own street would be lined with them. We didn't know what the trees were, so imagine our surprise to go to DC, fight the crowd of millions, and return home to our own cherry blossoms right in front of the house! Note to self: whenever we decide to sell, make sure it goes on the market right before the cherryblossoms bloom! Not only are the cherryblossoms beautiful and look like cotton candy, but there are apple blossoms, and all kinds of other assorted white, pink, yellow, red, and orange trees. It's so darn colorful it looks more like what I imagined fall to be like. And not only the trees, but the flowers. They are so vibrant they look like they were painted in place. And they bloom so quickly. Imagine my delight when the planters we were about to throw out suddenly sprouted with greenery, and tulips suddenly sprang up in the backyard too! Also, the grass is growing so fast we'll have to buy a lawnmower in the next week... We're already well overdue!

It's funny because I am writing this from Los Angeles, as I traveled home for a weekend to pick up my cat and celebrate Passover. And when I arrived in LA, suddenly it DID seem like there were a lot fewer trees, and they seemed so plain and just green. The flowers didn't seem as bold and really seemed forced. For the first time I wished I was back in Maryland. The fact that we're finally painting some rooms and making the house more for us also has helped matters, although there are people I very much miss in L.A. And I guess that for the first time in my life I finally officially lost my room completely and had to stay in the crappy small room also didn't make me want to stay in Los Angeles very long this time around. Not to say I would never want to come back, because there are many reasons I may also want that in life in the future, but spring really is incentive to be somewhere "spring-like," now that I understand the terminology. (Ask me again in August or December and we'll see how I feel about Maryland then!... But I digress.)

Back to spring... Some of the most interesting things about spring are how we have all these neighbors I didn't know existed. On the first beautiful day, suddenly all of these people are out. Kids and families are riding bicycles, people are mowing lawns, Home Depot bags of lawn waste are piled high on the curbs, everywhere you go they are selling annuals and perrenials. Everyone is planting, jogging, mowing, smiling, active... They just popped up out of nowhere! And it's not just the people, but the wildlife I've mentioned a few times before.

The other day, we were startled by the motion detector again and quickly looked outside expecting to see deer, but saw a large raccoon crawling his way over our fence. At the cherryblossom festival, I even saw my very first muskrat, chomping at the blossoms the tourists were throwing into the Tidal Basin. But mostly it's the birds. There are just so many of them. From the bright red cardinals to the black and orange birds that I'm embarrassed to admit took 2 weeks before I made the association with the baseball mascot and realized that they are Orioles. Duh! We even have a mama and papa bird outside the bedroom window that have been guarding a nest, and we are eager to see when the babies might arrive. And babies are definitely arriving. We saw a momma with her 9 baby ducks swimming in the Tidal Basin when we went to see the cherryblossoms. And when I was driving to the Costco a couple of weeks ago, I saw a a pair of geese with all of their babies in a center medium. I was worried for their safety in the middle fo the street like that, but on the way home noticed there was in fact a sign posted for duck crossing! Since we've moved here, we seen hawks and even a vulture. We even witnessed the tail end of one event which truly put the circle of life into perspective.

[Here is the point where I last saved my draft... and the computer erased the rest of my blog... Honestly, I'm too tired to recreate it all... so excuse the brevity in the rest of the post... This is why I often complain that I hate computers...]

After viewing the cherry blossoms, we were walking back along the National Mall, when we saw a crowd of people in semi-circle, hovering around something apparently interesting. As we approached, we saw a large hawk (a friend of mine said it might have been a falcon, but I'll call it a hawk for now) sitting on the ground among all the people. I never would have thought this majestic bird would be so bold as to sit among all these people, but there is was. Then people were talking on cell phones, I assumed to tell their friends about this amazing creature before us. But the conversations sounded more like this:

"Hi... you'll never guess what I just saw!... We were standing here on the Mall... We were watching this beautiful grey squirrel eating something out of the grass... All of a sudden this hawk dropped down out of the tree..."

Anyway, I had already snapped off about a half dozen pictures before I really realized what was going on! Thinking about it after the fact, I should have known that hawks don't have naturally red beaks, but I digress...

Along with the birds and the flowers, of course, come the bees. And we have several bees swarming the entrances to our home, just to make sitting out on the deck a major challenge. The bees, like I'm told of most insects out here, are very large. These gigantic bumblebees look like relatives of "The Fly." But the birds and the bees, for the good and the bad, make springtime truly special. Of all the things we've seen so far, I think spring has been the most amazing experience I've had since we moved.

Yucky

2005-04-17T19:22:00.000-04:00

So, I still haven't gotten around to writing the post I want to. But I promise it's coming. It's in my head. Unfortunately, also in my head at this time is a lot of congestion and a darn nasty cold. I hate being sick. I think this is the longest srtretch I've ever had in my life without being sick. It might have been since last May the last time I had a cold, if I remember correctly. Anyway, I haven't felt up to thinking about writing, or doing much of anything, and I'm trying to recover a bit so I can fly back to L.A. next week and pick up my beloved cat.

So here's a quick entry, another protest of the week. Leave it to DC to finally have a baseball team after 34 years, and still have a protest about it. People standing outside the stadium on opening night were protesting the money being spent on the team, rather than on schools and children. I personally am happy to have a team to be behind for once, since I never took a liking to the Lakers or the Dodgers or the Raiders or the Rams. L.A. teams never had an appeal for me. So I've become a self-declared Nationals fan. Yes, the new team is called the Washington Nationals. And they are up 3-0 in their home opener series! They used to be the Senators way back when. But I guess when a district has a protest even on it's license plate stating "Washington D.C. - Taxation Without Representation," it would be a bit ironic to call them the Washington Senators this time around.

Anyway, back to rest. I will try to get around to the new post as soon as I feel better and have the time. It's exciting. It's about spring. Keep reading...

Protest of the Week - Week of April 11

2005-04-14T23:06:00.000-04:00

I was hoping to have a more interesting post, and indeed I already know what I really want to write about. I'm just so gosh-darn tired I haven't put it together yet! So, I'm hoping I'll have the energy to write the more interesting stuff tomorrow... check back soon!

In the meantime, I give you this week's Protest of the Week:

(After spending a wonderful night patrolling RFK stadium after the Opening Night home game of the new DC baseball team, the Washington Nationals, my wife will spend the weekend monitoring activity surrounding this protest.)

World Bank-IMF Protests Set This Week
By Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, April 13, 2005; Page B03

Opponents of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund announced yesterday that they would stage two days of protests to coincide with annual meetings the two institutions will host beginning Friday. The organizers said the highlight will be a demonstration Saturday outside the World Bank's downtown headquarters, followed by a march to Dupont Circle.

... [Sen] said the demonstrations have created a substantial movement for change at the two 61-year old institutions, which protesters say promote policies that foster poverty and inequality. "We are not a fad. We are a movement," he said.

...

As in the past, the organizers list four demands: that the bank open board meetings to the media; that it cancel the debts of impoverished countries; that it stop financing "environmentally and socially destructive" projects; and that it stop "imposing harmful economic conditions" on countries.

for the full article, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48197-2005Apr12.html

The Most Miserable Person on Earth

2005-04-03T23:51:00.000-04:00

Today I've discovered that I'm the most miserable person on earth. At least, it's been brought to my attention that's what many people think of me. It's funny, because I don't feel that way. I think most of my life I haven't been great at emoting what I feel deep down, so I guess it should come as no surprise that I've been misinterpreted again. Today a friend of mine called and asked how everything was going. By the time I was done telling him, he said that I sounded depressed. My wife has been saying that as well. Yet, I don't feel depressed. Sure, there is nothing dynamic going on at the moment, but that does not mean I'm depressed. It just means life is moving on. I think I've only had one friend my entire life who really got me, understood what was really going on deep beneath the surface. Unfortunately, it seems, we've drifted apart. But the thing that was understood was that sometimes the things I take joy in are simple, and don't express well in conversation. And sometimes the most conversational topics are the least interesting.

For example, my wife thinks I hate where I've moved. Frankly, I think I could live most anywhere. Day to day life is the same most places I feel I could wind up. Get up, go to work, eat, do laundry, watch TV, go to sleep, get up the next morning, and do it all over again. When I said that's mostly what I've been doing, I got the usual sympathetic reaction. As if most people don't do these things? But the differences come in the details.

The weather: I said I was looking forward to spring and that I was cold. I never said I was depressed. I never said I hated the winter. But I do get cold and, like MOST of the people here, I'm ready for it to warm up. And once it gets sweltering in mid-summer, I will then be hoping for it to cool down, like most people. I enjoy the beauty of a snowfall, the colors of the fall, the warm sun on my face, the blooming of the flowers. I appreciate them all, and yet I don't think wanting to be a nice, cozy 72 degrees with a slight breeze for the majority of the time makes me unusual, or makes me depressed when I don't have it.

Work: First of all, I haven't even mentioned in my blogs to date that I even got work. I did. In fact, it was the first interview I went on when I arrived that offered me a position. And as expected, the job is not in my previous field. I told my friend the best thing about the job was the commute, and other than that it is just a job. Again, that's true. I wish I were fortunate enough to have a job that I love. Many people have that, and many others don't. My job is a) not very exciting, b) not using my abilities to their past, present, or future potential, c) paying the bills, and mostly just the bills. I would love to love my job. Since most of my waking hours are spent there, that would be incredible, no doubt. But if I'm not going to love my job, there is something else I want from it. I want to stop living to work, and begin working to live. That is one of the benefits of the job I found. I found a job close to work. I thought with all of the public transportation out here, that commuting would be easier than L.A., but I've found traffic out here to be just as much of a nightmare. In fact, I work with a guy who commutes 7 hours round trip every day. No, I'm not making that up. He must love HIS job! But my commute is relatively short. I work for a boss who recognized potential talent on a resume even with no background in his industry. I work for a company who treats their employees as adults, and has an admirable sick/holiday/vacation policy unlike any I've ever seen. So, I will continue to look for work that I will love, and that may or not pay me more to love it, but I will see this as an opportunity to have a life outside of work, and that's not too depressing, is it? (Now, I will admit that I haven't quite figured out what I want of this life outside of work, and that can indeed be a drag, but that's not necessarily depressing, and it's definitely its own blog for another time.)

Activities: I said daily I mostly just go to work, come home, sleep. I don't call people too often, have barely called anyone in fact since I've moved. Guess I haven't felt there is much to talk about. Those are just daily routine activities. Same as in L.A. or anywhere else. But don't get me wrong. We do get out. Heck, since I've lived here, I've gone to Baltimore twice, Philadelphia once, visited Calvert County in the far south of Maryland, been to Virginia, driven by the Pentagon, walked through the National Air & Space museum, been to the National Zoo, walked to the Jefferson Monument on the Tidal Basin to see the cherryblossoms in bloom(they haven't bloomed yet, but waiting until next weekend to try again - see, they don't like the cold & rain either!), saw the National Cherryblossom kite festival in front of the Washington Monument, visited Ford's Theater (where Lincoln was shot) and the Peterson House (where Lincoln died), went to the International Spy Museum, visited a Super Pet Expo in Dulles, and of course made more trips with less success to the Home Depot than anyone else I know. I've also had my car into the shop 3 times in the just less than 2 months I've lived here.

But as exciting as these activities are, they never seem like good conversation topics. I don't tend to remember all of the history or information most people want to hear about when they talk about such places or events. I usually remember that a butterfly flew past when we were walking up that hill, that a breeze almost pushed me into oncoming traffic as we waited for a signal to change, that a lady read a paper on the metro and from the headline I knew it was 2 months old. I feel and think and often live in my head. I cherish my thoughts and feelings as deep, but private. Sometimes their significance or emotion feels muted once I've let them outside of that personal space. I think that's why I often prefer writing to talking. When I write I don't feel like I've always let the cat out of the bag, even if I have just as much if not more so.

So, no, I don't think I'm depressed. Could I be happier? Heck, there's always room to be happier. But really the most depressing thing of all is to be so darn misunderstood. And if being misunderstood can make you miserable, than perhaps everyone is right about me. I'm the most miserable person on earth.

Tomorrow is Wednesday!

2005-03-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering, tomorrow is Wednesday. I know, because I've been waiting about a week for tomorrow. See, the weather report on the news out here has this really neat graph, which shows the 7-day forecast along with a linear representation of the normal average temperature for the day. While I've been told repeatedly how mild a winter this year's has been, it has nevertheless been below average most of the time since I've moved. So last week, I was watching the news and the infamous weather graph appeared. A nice line across the middle showed the average temperatues. And of course, as usual, the line for the predicted temperatures appeared generously below that line. Except, on Wednesday, it showed that we were FINALLY! going to peak above average!!! So, I've been watching, and no one has backed off of that prediction. I keep asking people if they know what Wednesday is... they seem surprised by my answer. "Wednesday is the day we go above average!," I tell them. Today, the clouds started to clear in time for a beautiful sunset. The temperatures started to warm and the sky was actually blue. Yes, indeed, tomorrow is Wednesday... finally!

Protest of the Week (March 28)

2005-03-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to add to the plethora of opinions on the Schiavo case. It is enough to say that it is a sad situation for all involved, and for anyone else who has gone through or will go through the same thing. The most important thing to do is to let your wishes be known before it is too late. That being said, it IS the protest of the week:

Schiavo's Husband and Parents Now Battling Over Autopsy Plan
(per Washington Post, March 29, 2005)

PINELLAS PARK, Fla., March 28 -- The war over Terri Schiavo, once tightly focused on whether she would live or die, shifted at times Monday to arguments over how her body will be examined.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo, wants an autopsy in hopes of proving the severity of her brain damage. Her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, want a medical examination to answer questions about their suspicions that Michael Schiavo may have broken her bones in what they say may have been an attack that caused her brain injury, an allegation that was previously made.

Michael Schiavo and his attorneys have vehemently denied the accusation, saying doctors believe Schiavo's brain injury was caused by a lack of oxygen after a heart attack.

The dueling plans for examining Terri Schiavo's body were announced Monday as protesters carried crucifixes into Lafayette Square across from the White House, then visited three congressional offices to pressure lawmakers to intervene again in the case.

Deer Crossing

2005-03-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

One of the things I'm adjusting to is the abundence of wildlife in Maryland. We live near a forest-type park and there are always signs for deer. We have seen at least 12 deer in our neighborhood since moving in. When it snowed, we woke to deer tracks all over the backyard. And just 2 nights ago, we passed 7 deer between the supermarket and our house. In addition to the deer are the vultures, foxes (I haven't seen them, but only because I was the passenger and my eyes were shut), and raccoons (wow, that cat is walking weird... wait, that's not a cat!).

For an animal lover like myself, this is pretty neat stuff. However, along with deer comes deer crossings. We went to a friend's family for Easter, and they got on the subject of deer. I thought it bad enough when my realtor told me her boyfriend hit a deer, and at such a perfect angle that when they went back to inspect, the deer had just completely disintegrated. But we're sitting around a table with only 7 people, when all of a sudden they launch into their deer stories. One says he's hit a deer 3 times. Another chimes in that she's hit one, the other says her father hit one and it landed in the pickup bed, so they left it there because they didn't know what to do about it. One says their friend hit a deer on Halloween and it went through the windshield, spilling guts all over his passenger's costume. Now, I've heard they're overpopulated, but I was beginning to think this was just a wild group of young folk, when the mother (I'm guessing in her 60's) chimes in about the time she hit a deer... and asks her son if he remembers when she hit a deer 2 days after he did.

OUCH! So now I'm panicked. I do not want to hit a deer!!! But after a conversation like that, I was sure I was going to hit one on the way home. Their advice: Don't swerve, turn off your headlights, honk, and then (if unavoidable as it inevitably will be) just hit it.

Pictures

2005-03-15T22:22:00.000-05:00

Well, it took long enough to show you some pictures. If anyone out there is using Hello & Picasa to post pictures to a blog, please let me know how I can actually upload these to my blog in the middle of text and into existing entries, so that I don't keep adding a new entry for each individual picture. Much appreciated!

2005-03-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

Our home in snow.

2005-03-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

Our home

Protest of the Week (March 14)

2005-03-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

This week's protest is sponsored by "The Answer Group," which is apparently an anti-war-in-Iraq group which is looking for answers as to why the hell we're there and when the hell we're getting out. I got this protest information second-hand from my law enforcement wife, since it hasn't been on the news. The news has been a little busy with our Pentagon and mail anthrax scares, as well as the recurring mercury spills at a local high school.

Cutting Edge Technology

2005-03-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

I have never been an "early adapter" when it comes to technology. My philosophy is to wait until other people spend the big bucks to figure out what's the best, and then wait for the price to drop. Now that we've moved and our expenses are through the roof, coupled with my lack of employment, we decided to take a technological plunge into internet phone service. It's one of those new technologies that actually save you a lot of money right off the bat.

We've had a few quality issues, but there are many plusses, like the price and the unlimited calling to U.S. and Canada. However, and this is a BIG however, it's a pain in the rear to get started. Sure, it's easy enough. But it takes SO DARN LONG!!! Once the equipment arrived in the mail, we could make outgoing calls immediately. And the only big glitch so far was when we had a cable problem, which of course knocked out our internet, which of course knocked out our phone. But the biggest issue is INCOMING calls. We still don't receive them. The website says 3-5 business days. Our first call to the service center had them telling us it would take 5-7 business days. The next call they said 7-10 business days, promising incoming call service by today. Today's call had them telling me 10-15 business days before I nearly bit the woman's heads off. Now they tell me maybe by midnight, since the techs work until midnight. I know she was just blowing smoke.

So I apologize to those people who have been trying to call us. But we're test subjects for new cutting edge technology. And we're getting what we paid for. Please, keep trying...

Lights

2005-03-11T11:28:00.000-05:00

Just a couple newly noted differences out here.

Lights. Lights on emergency vehicles are very blinky, spew in all directions, and generally could induce an epileptic fit in the hands of any surgeon. They are highly annoying and intrusive, which is great when they're speeding through an intersection, but not so great when they're at a traffic stop waking up half the neighborhood in the middle of the night. At least Los Angeles had the decency to fix their lights so they would only shine in the needed direction, at a nice pace, and with only the desired colors necessary for a particular occasion. And it's not just emergency vehicles with these strobe lights. It's also the tow trucks, construction vehicles, and school buses.

I think they have problems with lights in general out here. They have yet to perfect the timed street light. Perhaps this is to allow drivers a chance to stop from time to time to figure out where they are, since there are no street signs. But inevitably, on any given drive, you will be stopped for no apparent reason... and the stops are usually quite long. Someone really ought to get these folks some traffic sensors!

Retraction

2005-03-08T11:15:00.000-05:00

Is it really fair to say one is acclimating simply because they have one 70 degree day? I mean, all it takes to really spoil that mood is another heavy snowfall... like the one I woke up to today. Yesterday 70, today 30, windy and heavy snow. Nope. Not acclimating at all.

*update as of 11:30pm: The news said it actually was only 26 degrees today, with wind up to 50 miles an hour, for a wind chill of 7 degrees in my area. Was it really 70 yesterday, or was I dreaming!?!?!?

Acclimating

2005-03-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I stepped outside and commented that I was happy it was finally getting "warm"... turns out it was about 50 degrees. Today, I was downright "HOT!" at about 70 degrees. Guess that means I'm acclimating?

The Personality Test

2005-03-04T00:25:00.000-05:00

Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory test? (MBTI?) I've done it before, and today I did it again. I actually went on an interview where they provided the test to me. I always find it fascinating. Funny, they say people change over the years, and I've definitely felt some strong forces changing even in just the past 1 year, but my result was exactly the same as the last time. The interviewer even said she was surprised, not what she would have guessed from me based on our initial phone interview. I'm kind of right on the cusp of at least one category, and that can change the results a lot. But I'm amazed, despite this, how accurate it can be. I could have easily swayed to the other side in 3 of the 4 categories, upping my possible results to 8 of the possible 16. But the result I got fit. I read my summary, and in most all things it was pretty darn accurate. Apparently, the test is based on Carl Jung's theory of types, which I found particularly interesting since I just started reading about Jung recently. Very fascinating stuff. It's amazing his insight into people, and I would love to have a little more of that myself.

Now here's the kicker. Who can guess what personality type I am? And if so, who can guess what I felt it wasn't very accurate in? If you don't play, I won't say...

Protest of the Week (Feb. 28)

2005-03-04T00:21:00.000-05:00

I haven't seen too many protests lately in DC... probably the weather has been too cold. Grrrrr..... But here's an interesting article a friend sent me about a protest in Uruguay:

Uruguay Is AskingWhy the Oscars Snubbed Jorge Drexler
Antonio Banderas Got to SingHis Award-Winning Song; National Pride Is at Stake
By KATY MCLAUGHLIN, Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 2, 2005; Page A1

Yesterday, the tiny South American nation of Uruguay inaugurated its first socialist president ever. Shops were shuttered, and people flooded the streets of the capital by the thousands to celebrate.
And what was the main headline in Uruguay's biggest newspaper? The scandal at the Oscars.
On Sunday night, an Uruguayan singer won the Oscar for best song. It's the first Academy Award ever won by an Uruguayan, and the first for a Spanish-language song. The song, from the soundtrack of "The Motorcycle Diaries," the movie about Che Guevara, was written -- words and music -- by Jorge Drexler, a popular recording artist from Montevideo, who sings it in the movie.
But Mr. Drexler wasn't invited to sing his song on the Oscar broadcast. The show's producers, preferring to book stars, tapped the actor Antonio Banderas to sing it and Carlos Santana to accompany him on guitar. Mr. Banderas was born in Spain, Mr. Santana in Mexico.
Musician Carlos Santana (left) and actor Antonio Banderas perform 'Al Otro Lado del Rio' during the Academy Awards.

Standing along the inaugural parade route yesterday in Montevideo, Leticia Talmon, 22 years old, was watching motorcades roll past. But her mind was on Mr. Drexler. "They think everyone who speaks Spanish is the same," she said, while her four friends -- some wearing red, blue and white flags sewn by their mothers for the occasion -- muttered about the unfairness of it all.
"I laughed when I saw Antonio Banderas's flamenco version," said Ms. Talmon, referring to his gestures, which evoked a Spanish musical style. "That has nothing to do with the culture here."
Mr. Drexler, meanwhile, is being widely praised in Uruguay for an act of rebellion that was probably lost on many Oscar viewers. When he accepted his award, he didn't thank his mother, his producers or his agent. He sang a cappella, a couple of stanzas from his song, "Al Otro Lado del Río" ("The Other Side of The River.")
That simple act has become an emblem of national pride. The Uruguayan press has dubbed it "the next Maracanazo," a reference to a legendary soccer match, played more than a half-century ago, in which the underdog Uruguayan team turned around a losing game and snatched the World Cup from soccer giant Brazil, on Brazil's home field, Maracanã stadium.
Newspapers praised his a cappella performance as an "act of revenge" and a "bofetada sin mano," an expression that translates literally "a slap without a hand." On yesterday's inauguration day, El País, the country's largest-circulation newspaper, put out a six-page special section dedicated to Mr. Drexler. All the coverage is justified, says Henry Segura, the paper's performing-arts editor. It's "the most significant thing to happen in Uruguay in many years," he says, adding: "It was a triumph of dignity."
Jorge Drexler

Uruguay is a country of about 3.3 million people, roughly the size of Oklahoma. Its low-key culture pales next to sultry Argentina's to the south. Its tiny economy is constantly battered by the wild financial swings of Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay's neighbor to the north.
Given Uruguay's relative lack of presence on the world stage, the country celebrates even its smallest contributions to pop culture. "We got excited when they mentioned the word 'Uruguay' on 'The Simpsons,' " says Daniel Drexler, Jorge's brother, "even though they pronounced it 'you are gay' and made a joke out of it."
Yesterday in Uruguay, newspapers, the TV news, radio shows and many Uruguayans were united in two things: Joy at Mr. Drexler's triumph, and outrage at the slight. News shows on Monday night led with a detailed analysis of the controversy. Radio Futura, a call-in talk and music radio station, took more than 100 calls on Monday about the award, mostly from people expressing pride that Mr. Drexler had burst into song on the Oscar show.
The Uruguayan public has been following Mr. Drexler's struggle for the past two weeks, ever since he and the producers of "The Motorcycle Diaries," learned that he wasn't being invited to sing on the telecast. Mr. Drexler himself called Gil Cates, the Oscar broadcast producer, and pleaded with him to reconsider.
It isn't uncommon for the Oscar show to bypass the original singers of nominated songs. This year Beyonce sang three of the nominated songs, and she didn't sing in any of the nominated films. Still, Mr. Drexler was unhappy not to be included. He says that in the end he faced facts and gave Mr. Banderas his blessing. Mr. Banderas, he says, acted "like a gentleman."
Mr. Cates said he understands why Mr. Drexler and other Uruguayans are upset. "I would be upset, too," he says. He explained that he chose Mr. Banderas simply because he was a bigger star, and the Oscar broadcast, in addition to being an award show, is also a variety show -- and the attraction to viewers is big-name stars. "This is show business," said Mr. Cates.
Mr. Drexler says he is delighted that his saga has been embraced by his countrymen. "It was like we were down nine men to 11, and we won anyway," he said on Monday, using a soccer metaphor to describe the comeback role he played on Oscar night. "I wanted to sing that song, and I did, and that made me happy."

--Vanessa Nichols in Montevideo, Uruguay, contributed to this article.

10 Things...

2005-02-28T14:20:00.000-05:00

Everyone seems to be doing the "10 things you've done no one else has" thing, so I'll try too. I'm sure others have done these things, but they're relatively unique experiences that make me feel a little better about my hum drum life.

(in no particular order)

1. Pushed George Lucas out of the way because I was late to class and he was blocking my path.

2. Rode my bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles - twice.

3. Explained what an intern was to Robert Downey Jr. over cheese dip at a Bel Air party hosted by Robert Altman.

4. Pretended to be deaf for a day by plugging my ears.

5. Sat in the audience at the last public taping of "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, the one where Bette Midler sat on his desk and sang.

6. Played basketball on the court of Northwestern University... and won a silver medal.

7. Purchased teen magazines, ripped out the pin-ups of Duran Duran, and sold them individually to my elementary school classmates.

8. Survived the Northridge earthquake - in Northridge.

9. Went to a sex-type club dressed as a doctor in scrubs with a friend dressed in a ski outfit with poles, because we thought we were going to "Cinematic", not "Sin-a-Matic," for Halloween.

10. Listened into the phone as Justin Timberlake sang "Cry Me a River" on the other end.

West Meets East

2005-02-24T16:02:00.000-05:00

When you move someplace new, I guess there are some differences to be expected. Here are some I've noted:

1. Birds make different sounds in the morning here. Perhaps it's because they have different kinds of birds, or are they just complaining that they're cold, too?

2. Menus here have warnings about undercooked meat. I thought perhaps they were trying to tell me something about the quality of the food, since they don't rate the restaurants here. But apparently it's state law to include the following warning on the bottom of all menus:

"Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. More information about the safety of consuming raw food is available upon request."

I have yet to ask for more information.

3. I haven't found one bank here as good as Washington Mutual, which offers totally free checking. I've listened to many spiels about how I can't do this or that at my new bank choice because anything I may choose to do may incur additional fees. WaMu... please hurry out here!

4. There are many places here without street signs. It's not as though the city isn't confusing enough since it isn't a grid. On top of that, there are actually MANY, MANY streets without signs. Major streets, minor streets, you name it. I was wondering why everyone was giving us directions using landmarks!

5. Comcast Cable has a monopoly over the area I'm living in. The only kind of internet service I can get is through Comcast, which has terrible customer service. We tried cable from competitors, as well as DSL... Heck, we live close enough to a telephone pole... there's one ON OUR FRONT LAWN! Finally, someone spilled the beans. Comcast bought the contract to have an exclusive right to serve our immediate area. We don't have a choice. And I thought monopolies were illegal.

6. Politics are all the rage here. Everyone from our waiters to our table mates at a Benihana-style restaurant have engaged us in political conversation. Mostly, they've just been venting about how much they hate Bush and the war. They usually also throw in a random comment about how they have gay friends and don't like his policies on values, either. Fortunately, if we're going to be thrust into political conversation, at least they're on our side.

7. I FINALLY got one job interview. OK, that's not unusual on the east compared to the west... but the interviewer said maybe I should wait a day or two before coming in, to avoid the snow. I've never had an interview postponed for snow.

...I'm sure there will be more to come.

I Hate Refrigerators

2005-02-24T15:23:00.000-05:00

My wife and I bought a fridge a few years back. It was our first major appliance purchase, so it meant a lot to us. Soon after purchase, however, circumstance forced us to put the fridge into storage. In the course of a year and a half of storage rent, we could have purchased a perfectly good new fridge, but my wife would have none of it. Apparently, we owned the best fridge and we were going to keep it until we died.

Flash forward to "the move." Perhaps this would be the time to get rid of the fridge, since now it is obvious that the movers charge by weight and perhaps we didn't even need movers if we didn't have the stupid fridge. At this point, the fridge is now "stupid," but my wife is still very attached. So we move the fridge.

Flash forward to arriving at the new home. The sellers have left a perfectly nice, relatively new fridge in the kitchen. But my wife would have none of it. We will unplug it, she says, and sell it or banish it to the basement. Of course, there is a lock nut on the copper wires attaching it to the water supply, and we cannot detach the fridge from the wall. We have decided that when the movers come, they will put OUR fridge in the middle of the kitchen, and we will have 2 fridges until we can sell the 1st fridge to someone who can come remove it themselves.

Flash forward to the day the movers arrive at our new home. The fridge sits outside the front door, waiting anxiously to enter it's new residence. 1 mover stands at the back, 1 at the front, I'm on the side. Mover #1 moves away from the fridge to go inside the house and see how much clearance there is. Mover #2 is adjusting the positioning of the fridge. I'm watching in slow motion. Mover #2 starts to lean the fridge, I think to get a better angle. And then I realize that Mover #2 thinks Mover #1 is on the other side. I quickly say "He's not there!" but wisely stay out of the way as Mover #2 pushes the fridge over into nothingness. Yes, they dropped the fridge. Big dent on the corner, big gash on side, totally not fixable. We finally unhook the 1st fridge, carry it down to the basement ourselves with the help of some friends, scratching some of the wood flooring along the way, and we now again have only one (dented) fridge in the kitchen. I hate refrigerators!

The (Very) Long Road, Part 6 - the last part

2005-02-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

Driving Day #4

It is on this driving day #4 that I realize we are in fact on travel day #6, and I'm really glad I decided to leave the cat behind. We woke up a bit later today, since we were already in Virginia. Even still, we were both very tired and therefore thankful that the not-so-great hotel at least had wonderful water pressure and a shower that was almost as good as a wake-up call. We continued with our television trivia game and it was on this day that I made my discovery: "Lost" is probably a take-off of the long forgotten classic "Land of the Lost". Small, but important epiphany. You heard it here first! As we were driving through Virginia, we hit a small snow flurry. Then what seemed to be a whole bunch of little white bugs hit the windshield, and a little tornado-like dust storm swooped up on the ground in front of the cars on the highway. When I asked what all that stuff was, Travis nearly busted a gut. He answered simply: "That's snow." It was then that we both realized how much trouble this native Californian was in for. Meanwhile, we headed to lunch at yet another Waffle House. Note to self: once is very good, twice is less good. After exiting the Waffle House, I noticed a "Hardee's" next door. Hardee's is the east coast equivalent to Carl's Jr. Why the name Carl's Jr. is more appealing in the west and Hardee's is more appealing in the east seems like one of life's mysteries I'll never have answered. For more new discoveries of mine, check out my next post... I've noticed several differences since arriving in the east. As we got back on the road again, I felt fear creeping in... We were getting close to Maryland. On the way, however, I marveled at the beauty of Virginia, despite its politics. The scenery was amazing, even with the dead grass and leaveless trees. I could only imagine how overwhelming a place it would be in the spring or fall.

In the afternoon, we arrived at my new home... mine! There is much to do, not the least of which is finding a job to pay for it. But for now I'm just trying to settle in and figure things out here. I'm not in (Ar)Kansas anymore...

The (Very) Long Road, Part 5

2005-02-24T15:19:00.000-05:00

Driving Day #3

It was another early morning start out of Russellville. The sky was dark for a while, as the cloud cover was thick. We timed our drive just perfectly to hit rush hour in both Little Rock in the morning, and Nashville later that evening. But it was still a productive day. We earlier had decided to push our way across the country because we were trying to get Travis to his flight on time. But now we had all the time in the world and decided to make one touristy stop. We decided on Graceland. Graceland is located off a busy street in a populated area of Memphis. It turns out that when Elvis lived there, it was just a 2 lane highway in the middle of the woods, but apparently the city built up around the house once it opened up to the public. There were many surprising things about Graceland, but none in the way I was expecting. The house wasn't very big. Don't get me wrong... it would be very big for ME to own, but we're talking Elvis. By today's superstar standards, it was quite modest. And not just on the outside. With a few small exceptions like the fur-covered seats in the Jungle Room and the 3 television sets in the mirrored room, the house was surprisingly "normal." It wasn't gaudy like I expected. Of course, carpeted walls and ceilings aren't too common today, but they weren't that unusual for the 70's. Even the kitchen had a typical 70's avocado green fridge. The pool wasn't guitar-shaped like I had imagined, and I don't even remember there being a hot tub or jacuzzi. The little cemetary in the back put to rest any rumors that "Elvis lives," and the only really unusual thing was the firing range set up in a converted brick (yes, brick!) garage that was only about 10-15 feet long. I can't even imagine the ricochet! All in all it was still quite interesting, even in its modesty. After the self-guided tour, we headed to the gift shop, where Travis thankfully reminded me that I didn't need any more stuff. Thank you, Travis! We got back in the car and continued on our way. Conversation focused on the tsunami disaster and other relief efforts, as well as a comparison of the Holocaust to situations today in Rwanda and Sudan. We also talked about being scared to move... me, not Travis. Travis has moved happily many times. We rounded out the car trip with a television trivia game, and were amazed at all of the television shows we could name alphabetically. Even more amazing, however, was how many we forgot! We stopped at the Waffle House for dinner. Apparently, there are almost 1,500 Waffle Houses nationwide, and the waffles were wonderful. After that, we stopped at a little hotel just inside the Virginia border. Again, there was no internet, and so we quickly went to sleep.

The (Very) Long Road, Part 4

2005-02-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

Stuck Day #2

The only exceptionally terrific thing about being stuck on Day 2 was being able to sleep late. Very, very late. After driving for about 12 hours a day and losing an additional hour every day as we crossed time zones, and waking up at 5:30 every morning, it was rest we both needed. We got up, did some more internet stuff, and found out that switching Travis' plane ticket would cost the difference from what I originally paid to what it would cost today. They estimated a difference of about $500, but tried to console me with the fact that I had gotten a really good deal the first time. Gee, thanks. Fortunately, Travis was able to secure a buddy pass from a pilot relative, and that alleviated a tiny bit of the stress. We then took a walk. We passed a large farm only a few blocks away, and in a matter of minutes a dozen cows were gathered around the fence to check us out. Then we walked past Arkansas Tech. University, which seemed unusually empty for a school day. It was then we noticed that for a college town, there was really very little to do here, including drink. No bars, no liquor stores. We wondered if it was a "dry" town. We walked to a restaurant, the name of which excapes me now, but which had a train theme, and we could even blow a real train whistle. While there, the dealer called and said they found the actual problem, which turned out to be a broken spring in one of the valves, a problem so rare that they had to have the tool to fix it driven in from Little Rock. But the car was ready to go, for slightly less than the original estimate, and a day "early." Donna picked us up at the restaurant and brought us back to the car. Travis really wanted to check out the restaurant, so we went back. It was at this time he decided to question the young woman at the counter about fun things to do, since we decided to stay the night and get an early start the next day. The young woman looked at us, rolled her eyes and laughed. There is nothing to do in Russellville. Travis noted the college, but no bars. She said the Baptists had purchased all the liquor licenses and it was the driest of dry towns. However, you could drink at a private club if you were a member. She said you pay $5, and you become a member. Aren't loopholes fun? We decided against that. In any case, we wanted to get back to the Dixie Cafe in time for dinner. We later found out we were only a few blocks from the beginning of Route 7, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful highways in this country, nicknamed "Scenic 7." Guess we'll have to save that for our next visit to Russellville.

The (Very) Long Road, Part 3

2005-02-24T15:17:00.000-05:00

Stuck Day #1

On this day, we got another early morning wake up call from "Yankee" Bryan, telling us he was coming by to tow us to Valley Motors Jeep Dealer. Watching them hoist my car onto a flatbed trailer only halfway through our cross-country trek nearly brought me to tears for the first of many times this day. The thoughts of the cost of the car, the extra hotel nights, and changing Travis' plane ticket all weighed heavily on my unemployed shoulders. At the dealer, they told us we could wait in the waiting area, or back at the hotel, which was the first sign that this wasn't going to be a quick fix. It took them a long time to trouble-shoot the problem, and they eventually determined that it might be a timing chain issue. To fix this, they would have to order a timing kit from a place in Memphis, and we were unlikely to leave the area for at least 2 days. Throughout the terrible ordeal, however, Donna at the Jeep dealer was always polite and friendly, giving me a first-hand experience of the term "Southern hospitality." One of the mechanics then gave us a ride back to the hotel. The mechanic told us how he used to live in California, but that the teachers at his son's school didn't speak English properly, so he sent his son back to Arkansas for a better education, and eventually moved back to be closer to him. I'm familiar with the bilingual educational problems in California, but to send a kid to school in ARKANSAS for a better education?!?!?! Wow, that was an enlightening conversation for me. After getting back to the hotel, we re-checked in to a room that actually had internet access. We ate lunch at a restaurant called the Dixie Diner, where I tried the catfish. I've never had catfish, but all the highway signs kept advertising catfish as we approached the area, so we figured it must be a specialty around here... We were right. The Arkansas River nearby provided an abundant supply, and it was delicious. And again with the Southern hospitality. The wait staff was extraordinarily friendly in a way I've not been accustomed to, and they gave us free dessert because it was our first visit. They also gave us a $5 coupon for our next visit. Since the car was broken down, we figured it might come in handy. After lunch, we walked to the local video store... no Blockbuster here. The video store was so small that they didn't even have "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring." Their one copy was out, not that I was disappointed. We wound up renting "Garden State" instead. Back at the hotel, Travis encouraged me to import the few CDs I had in the car into the itunes on my computer, and then I wrote my "Stuck" blog. We ate dinner at the local Subway, I swapped an American dollar for a Canadian dollar (which is apparently rare and no longer used in the paper form), watched "Garden State" on my computer, and called it a night.

The (Very) Long Road, Part 2

2005-02-24T15:16:00.000-05:00

Driving Day #2

Day 2 became a very long day. It started with an early morning wakeup and a sleepy continental breakfast. In the morning, Travis tried to waken himself with a "Monster" drink he had purchased before the trip, as a potential energy booster. He said it tasted like shampoo. I took his word for it. The day consisted of driving into and through the northern tip of Texas (there is NOTHING in that part of Texas), missing the "Welcome to Arkansas" sign, and having to drive at least 5 miles out of the way to go back and snap a picture of it. The day was broken up with a little bit of rain, a stop at the DQ, the taillight going out (and then coming back on), and a few interesting truck bumper stickers. One bumper sticker said, "I'm not speeding, I'm qualifying." Another bumper sticker said "We have good drivers - call 1-800-XXX-XXXX." It wasn't actually X'd out like that, and it wasn't intended to be a funny bumper sticker. But someone had scratched out the phone numbers... I guess he wasn't such a good driver and didn't want anyone to call him on it! Today's conversation consisted of talking about my new home, and home ownership in general. Some of the conversation had to do with priorities, as I was expressing some grief over now being officially broke, and the compromise between now owning a home, but no longer having the luxury to travel, which is something I'm craving more and more these days. We also talked about the meaning of an "important career" and what that means, as well as having money vs. quality of life... and how they're not always the same thing. We missed the Texas BBQ because we drove through so quickly, so we stopped in Arkansas at Rick's BBQ, where the fried pickles were so good that our great waiter said they were "addictive, like cigarettes." The BBQ was delicious, the evening was great, the Superbowl was on the TV, and everything was going fine. Then, I stepped out of the booth and hurt my knee again, the Eagles lost the Super Bowl, and this was a sign of very bad things to come. We started driving again and decided to stay in a town called Russellville for the night. While pulling off the highway, the car sputtered, made some hideous grinding noises, and died. Travis was able to get it started and make it run just enough to get it across the street into the hotel parking lot, and this was the beginning of our 2+ day residency in Russellville, Arkansas. The tow truck driver, Bryan, was in a happy place because he was from New England (as his nickname "Yankee" suggested) and his team had just won the Super Bowl. We were going to get him to tow us to Little Rock for the night, about 70 or 80 miles away, but he told us there was a Jeep dealer in town, and he recommended we stay here the night because, as he said, "I wouldn't leave my dead cat in Little Rock. It's nasty!" So we checked into the hotel where there was no internet access, even though the sign on the marquee clearly stated there was free high speed internet. And we called it a night.

The (Very) Long Road, Part 1 of 6

2005-02-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally arrived in Maryland... I've actually been here almost 2 weeks now. Without our stuff and trying to get settled in a new place, it has taken a while to catch up and put the trip down into words. I guess, like the move itself, writing about it has been a slow process, and maybe even a bit painful. Venturing outward is not always easy... and can often be scary.

The day before I left, I picked up my friend Travis from the airport. He was kind enough to fly in to accompany me on the drive. We spent the afternoon eating at "The Hat", running a few errands, and packing up the car. In the evening, we went to see Patti Rayne perform and a couple of friends joined us there. Patti's performance always makes me feel good, and this night was no exception. She was in peak performance mode, filled with funny anecdotes and comments, and a few hours worth of brilliant covers. And she even performed "Tiny Room" one last time before I would hit the road not knowing when I would return. It was a nostalgic end to a lifetime of memories in L.A.

Driving Day #1
Travis and I woke very early in the morning, on the suggestion that driving during daylight makes for an easier ride. I had a tearful goodbye with my family... even my cat seemed to know this was goodbye. (I will be going back for my cat in a couple of months, but thought she might handle a flight with me better than 4 days in a car). As we drove out of Los Angeles, we were greeted with perhaps the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. Granted, I'm not often up early enough to watch the sun rise, but this was truly spectacular. It felt almost as if the sun was saluting the trip... or saying "Hey, stupid! Look what you're driving away from!!!" I wondered if it was an omen and, if so, what kind. As we drove away, the contrast of the snow in the mountains behind us and the dryness of the desert ahead of us was amazing! Travis was snapping away digital pictures and reminding me to do the same. (Note: check back on the site later... I hope to add pictures or a link in the not TOO distant future). Travis' camera has all the bells and whistles, a much more significant depth of field, and just takes BEAUTIFUL pictures. Mine is OK, relatively new, but less professional and sophisticated. I snapped away what I could on mine, and we saved the really important pictures (like "Welcome to [fill in state here]" for Travis' camera. The conversation was a bit slow in coming. I filled the early part of the day by munching on the brownies my mom had packed for us, and chewing on some grape bubble gum. Most of my CD's were in a box on a truck somwhere between CA and MD, and the reception on the radio was intermittent at best. We eventually wound up conversing on topics such as Canadian vs. U.S. healthcare and why I won't see the doctor about my headaches or bum knee because my insurance rates go up and I'm at risk to be canceled. We agreed Canada was better. We also talked about the effect people have on us, and how someone can make a large impact on your life without even knowing it, and how important some people are... even if we don't say it enough. That's one of those topics I've been thinking about a lot lately, especially since I'm leaving so many important people behind. We arrived in Albuquerque late on Day #1. My first time in New Mexico... but many more "firsts" to come...

Stuck

2005-02-07T22:25:00.000-05:00

On the way to D.C.... Stuck... Car broke down... in Arkansas... never thought I'd ever be in AK for more than a few hours... Plusses: Southern hospitality and cooking... Minuses: Behind schedule, extra costs, dead car.

More to come when I'm not too upset to write about it...

Apparently Travis, my driving buddy, was not too upset to write, so if you want to know more about the adventures, check out his blog: http://www.hopstudios.com/nep/column/stuck_in_russellville.html

Moving

2005-02-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm officially not "waiting" anymore... The majority of the stuff is on a moving truck and on it's way back east (with several hundred minor stops throughout the country along the way). It will be a while before I get my stuff on the other end, but the stress of packing it is finally over.

Packing IS stressful. Especially when you don't leave yourself enough time to go through and throw out stuff you really don't need. We have WAY too much stuff. I now officially HATE stuff. Stuff sucks. And nothing sucks more than packing the stuff you hate into a truck when homeless people keep walking by while pushing carts filled with all of the belongings they have in this world. Except, maybe that IN ADDITION to the truck driver saying he has no need for whatever is in the 2 boxes a previous client decided they didn't want because his truck is his home and he has no need for stuff. Sigh.

So, for friends reading this blog, I have a request. Remind me that I don't need stuff. Remind me that I am never allowed to move again. And please, oh please, for birthdays, holidays, or just in good spirits, please don't buy me any stuff. If you feel you must in the future, I would love a phone call, a card, a dinner out, some time and thoughts and pictures and memories of me and you, special friends. That's it. Please no more stuff.

In the meantime, both scared and looking forward to the move ahead. REALLY scared about finding work. Looking forward to being with my wife and exploring a new area and owning a home. But the stress gets padded with a (very fast) trek across country with one of my best friends. I think and hope it will be a nice bonding experience... we don't have enough of those any more. I'll keep you posted... and of course, once I arrive at the other end, stay tuned for more "Protests of the Week"...

Lost It

2005-01-29T22:41:00.000-05:00

Has there been any research showing the correlation between hormone level changes in connection with big life changes, aside from pregnancy? I've been packing like a mad hound and realizing that for 2 people who others say don't have a lot of stuff for 2 people, we have a TON of stuff. Packing sucks. No ifs, ands or buts. And at the end of the day, exhaustion setting in, I had a little emotional breakdown. Like postpartum, I guess I'm really not ready for it to be over in some ways. I'm really anxious about the job situation, missing my friends, the weather, having a lot of social anxiety more than anything, even worried about my marriage. And all I wanted was to be around some friends tonight, I was in a really bad place... and they're all busy. So, I'm in an even worse place, wondering how often I'll feel like this in MD. Post pregnancy symptoms: mood swings, spontaneous crying, loneliness, depression. Yeah, I've definitely lost it.

Preview of Things to Come

2005-01-26T02:06:00.000-05:00

Just a brief post to summarize observations on my last trip to DC/MD as visitor... next time it's as resident.

1. House is officially ours... yeah!

2. Celebrated in Baltimore at "Howl at the Moon", a great bar with dualing pianos, incredible sexual energy, and tons of fun.

3. Driving a stick shift with no power steering right after a snowfall is not the best way to learn a new city, nor the best way to learn how to drive in snow, nor the best way to learn how to drive manual transmission.

4. Some of my friends have blogs where they do a weekly theme. I have friends who sum up TV shows every week, who write about books they've read, who have weekly contests. I've decided I'm going to have "Protest of the Week." Only a sampling below, but look for it once I've settled in. Apparently, the presence of these protests will dictate both my metro travel experiences as well as my wife's work schedule at least on a weekly basis.

Protest of the Week: "Right to Life" Nothing like cramming onto a metro full of religious freaks with an attitude only 2 days after being bombarded by their posters of some of the most graphic images I've ever seen on the way back from closing on our house. It took every ounce of control to stop myself from saying a few choice sentences, such as "Honey, did you pick up the morning after pills from the pharmacy this morning?" and "I heard your crack whore friend's addict baby finally wound up in foster care after no one would adopt him, but died after being beaten... she must feel terrible."

Averaging Out at O.K.

2005-01-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

The original name of this posting was going to be "Miserable," because after just over a month of hard-core home-buying business, that's exactly how I've been. No one tells you the truth about such matters, but it is hard to believe home-buying is the American Dream. Several times in the past couple of days, I have been ready to pull the plug on the whole operation. Nothing ever seems to go right for us. We've had problems with the realtors, the offers, the houses, the closing date, the financing, the insurance, the move... There have been many times I decided I just don't want this damn house anymore!! However, if we can just make it past Friday without a big glitch, we will finally officially be homeowners. My boss finally admitted to me how difficult purchasing a home can be... he said the only thing worse than buying a home, is buying one when you have one to sell. I can't see why anyone would go through this twice... you must forget how bad it is after a while, kind of like childbirth (from what I've been told).

So, speaking of childbirth... this morning I became an aunt for the first time. This is very exciting news for me. I am quite happy, a proud aunt indeed! A baby girl was born to my brother and sister-in-law at 8:30 this morning. Through the chaos and distance, we haven't seen a picture yet, but we're told she was 7 lbs., 8 ozs., 19 inches, and we think her name is Rachel. Because of the timing of the birth and the move, I may not get to see her for several months, and that is quite disappointing.

Also disappointing is the news of my friends' cat, who fell ill too early in this life, and was lost this past weekend. She was a great cat. I'll say the second-best cat ever (next to mine, of course... although I admit there were times when I would even put her at #1). I feel for the loss... animals that touch us can be our best friends, and sometimes as close if not closer than family. She will be missed.

And so, the ups, the downs, the ups, the downs... I guess I'm no longer "miserable," but just averaging out at "O.K."

Venturing Out Further - The Beginning

2005-01-12T17:27:00.000-05:00

And so I return from an absence in writing to share with you that we have finally purchased our first home. We've been through so much the past few weeks, that I think I can't begin to tell much about the home or the experience, except to say that it is quite an ordeal trying to purchase a home 3000 miles from where you live. I will be making my 2nd and 3rd trips within 1 month in just a week from now. I am reminded of our friend's calming words, that what we are going through is no different than what thousands of military families go through every year. And when I think of the tsunami and mudslide victims, and how quickly a home can vanish, I try to remind myself that this purchase is not the end of the world... even if it feels like it at times.

My wife called me to tell me we had counter-offers on homes we had bid on. I needed to fly out immediately because home inspection and escrow periods were short. She called on Dec. 28, the second and possibly worst day of rain in "sunny" Southern Cal. Within a couple of hours, I had a ticket for Dec. 29... I had purchased so fast that I forgot I was committed to dog sitting, and that my parents couldn't cover for me because they were leaving on a cruise on the 30th. The dog owners were in London, and unreachable, and apparently you can't kennel a dog without it's shot records, which were in her purse in London. The nice friend with the military advice was the one who eventually came to our rescue.

I packed the heaviest coat I had (the only heavy coat I have - a ski-type down jacket). Mental note: need fashionable winter wear when I get to Maryland and can afford it. I left behind a powerful 15-day rain storm (which by today's count had beaten the most rain since records have been kept, with a second place finish that hasn't taken place since 1889. They said if it doesn't rain AT ALL the rest of the entire season, we will be almost 500% above the average seasonal rainfall.) I arrived in MD to 60+ degree weather... all week. I actually stood in bare feet and just pajamas, outside in MD, on January 1st! Between the tsunamis, earthquakes, rain, and heat, something is definitely screwy on the planet.

Other interesting things on my visit: Canadian geese. I saw hundreds of them, and they were amazing. I'm sure if you're from Canada, this is no exciting thing, but they never fly to California, so seeing them seemed special somehow. To think they go to such a cold state to warm up! Other new birds for me were cardinals. Looking at a home, I think I shocked the realtor when I looked up a tree and froze in awe at the little red bird. We don't have those in L.A. Also interesting is the ability for cell phones to work underground on the Metro. In L.A., my cell phone has trouble working in my office building most days, but there I could get reception underground, with 3-4 bars! Guess they know their target consumer! Also fun while there, we attended the auto show. The auto show pales in comparison to the L.A. Auto Show... again you have to know your target audience, and L.A. drivers probably demand more. But they had a radio contest that we were just in time to see the end of. People had been holding on to some cars for a week, the last to hold on would win a car. These people were insane! and quite tired!!! Eventually, there were too many people left when the contest ended, so they had to pull cards to get a key, and only 1 key opened each vehicle. After 4 years, 1 guy finally won a vehicle. He had made it to the end all previous years, but his key never was the right one. The whole scene was surreal. I've seen the contests on TV, but we were there by accident to witness this great event... I started to wonder what their hourly worth was to spend a week for the cost of a car. Hmmm....

Anyway, last but not least... the house. For a mere (approximate) $100,000 over the last year's going rate, we landed a home. Prices were ridiculous, but one more year and we'd be out of the market for good. So we took the plunge. (Any contacts in the MD area for work, especially at Discovery Communications, are greatly appreciated!!!) Apparently, Maryland is 4th in the nation for the outrageous home sales price growth. 4th, ABOVE New York!!! That just blew me away. It's funny to own a home and not know where it is. I don't really know how to get there, or any major cross streets. I just know it's about a 1-2 minute walk from my friend's parent's home, which was a nice coincidence. It's got 4 bedrooms and 2 baths (which sounds big until you see the size of the bedrooms and baths... small!), a fireplace, wood floors, newer roof and newer kitchen with granite countertops. And it's on 4 levels... which sounds huge if you're from CA, but again, size is relative. The only thing that REALLY is big is the yard... a large feat in L.A., we came away with a MD average-sized 1/4 acre lot.

That's about all the energy I can muster up for description at the moment, but I'm sure there will be many more adventures to come, as the hermit ventures into new territority. Stay tuned...

No Children

2004-12-22T14:59:00.000-05:00

I now know the moment I decided not to have children. It was last night at the precise moment I told my father that I can't afford a house. I could see the look in his eye, the look of a parent who, as most parents, would like to have their children do better than themselves. I know my grandparents were able to do that for my parents, and I'm sure my parents did the same for me during my childhood. But now I'm an adult, and the times have changed. The economy has changed. And I could detect a little disappointment in my father's eyes, and I knew I wouldn't want to look at my child that way, struggling with them while they're young, and watching them do perhaps worse than I have as the population grows and housing and life get more complicated. So, as of last night I decided - no children. I guess I should discuss this with my wife, but of course these feelings are always subject to change.

Waiting

2004-12-21T18:51:00.000-05:00

Lately, I feel like I've been spending a lot of my time waiting for things. Waiting for my job to end, waiting for things at my job to get beyond a certain point so I have work to do, waiting to get up in the morning, waiting in traffic, waiting to see my friends, waiting to say goodbye, waiting to move back east, waiting to find a home, waiting to find a new job, waiting for a phone call, waiting for a tv show, waiting for the price of moving our stuff to be as low as we had hoped, waiting at the grocery store, waiting for the holidays to get here, waiting for the holidays to pass, waiting for things to get better, waiting for the next life, waiting for a hug, waiting for this to end, waiting, waiting, waiting...

I'm tired of waiting. And I bet you're tired of hearing me complain. If I were you, I even know what your advice would be. Take action, create opportunities, don't wait for things to happen. Yet I feel frozen and paralyzed by the overwhelming stress and emotion of it all. And so I sit, and wait. And wait.

Chestnuts Roasting on an (Almost) Open Fire

2004-12-07T17:17:00.000-05:00

What does that phrase mean, anyway? I've lived my whole life without knowing that chestnuts, like many nuts, are things you can actually eat. My wife was in for the weekend, and we made our usual yearly trek to Oak Glen for apples. I love the food they have up there. Unfortunately, most if it is snacky and bad for you. And, when it's all you eat in a weekend, there is a good chance you can put on 5 pounds in 2 days... er, not that I did or anything... Anyway, we popped into our favorite place, Mom's Country Orchards, owned by the Laws. Grandson Peter was working the counter. Today he was roasting chestnuts on the old (turn of the century?) stove they have in their shop. He showed us how they pop when they're done, and how to break them open. And they were warm and buttery and wonderful. The lyric "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" now has fresh, new meaning for me... just in time for Hanukkah!

The House That Got Away

2004-12-02T20:06:00.000-05:00

Tracy and I found the "perfect" house. Of course, it's 3000 miles away and I've only seen pictures. But the size, beauty, and location were all a great fit. Our realtor said she had been talking to the seller and it was still available. What she didn't say is they'd only been playing telephone tag... for several days. The house sold today, for over asking price. And asking price was really pushing our limits. The problem is Tracy hasn't seen a house she's liked even remotely as much, for either more or less money. It is really discouraging, because of the distance, our financial situation, and the fact that Tracy won't even consider a town house. I think, unfortunately, that we have to accept we are not so well off, and we should consider that we do in fact need a "starter home." But I'm not alone in these decisions. And so, we continue to look. And the pressure and the strain and the stress of the job, the distance, the move, the car(s), and the house hunting take their toll. Meanwhile, in the back of our heads, is the thought that this house went for over asking price with 4 bids in a very off-season house-selling month. Things are only supposed to get worse, and we fear if we don't have a house by February, that we may very well be priced out of Maryland as well as Los Angeles, and we might have to face the fact that we'll never be home-owners. What a country!

Surviving

2004-11-28T01:59:00.000-05:00

Baby shower thrown: Check! I made it through an early wake-up, the food, the games, the gifts, the pictures, the balloons, the cake, and even the rain! It was a long day, but I survived.

Now all I have to worry about is surviving the pain in my knee. My parents think it's arthritis, my uncle thinks I'm losing cartilidge. I just want to be able to walk normally again.

Conversation with G-d

2004-11-27T02:12:00.000-05:00

I've had a lot on my mind lately, so I did something I haven't done in a really long time. I spent the early afternoon on Thanksgiving Day, and went to a nearby park, walked a little, sat down, and had a little conversation with G-d. We've had our moments together in the past, but we haven't seriously talked in about 4 years. It was time to catch up. The weather was beautiful and clear, temperatures about 73 degrees and sunny, warm sun on the face, cool breeze in the air, very rejuvenating. I've been having more and more of these calming and peaceful moments lately, and I almost wonder if it's denial of what is to come.

Things I'm thankful for:

1. My wife.
2. My family.
3. My health and the health of my wife and family.
4. My friends - I don't tell them nearly often enough.
5. My cat.
6. My job, while I still have it.
7. Enough money to have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food in my tummy.
8. Nature.
9. Music.

Disney Days

2004-11-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

I had one of the best weekends in a long while. I thought I would be so wasted trying to catch up on sleep from last weeks’ whirlwind adventure, that I didn’t know if I was going to participate in this weekend’s excitement, but I’m glad I did. My co-worker friend from an old, hideous job we shared now works for Disney. He also had Disney contacts back when we worked together. One of the only great things about this old hideous job was that the people who worked there were amazing… and I guess we bonded like family under the adversity. So, my friend got some of his friends and co-workers who also work at Disney to use their guest sign-ins and get us into Disneyland for free. All 20 of us!

The amazing thing about getting into Disneyland for free is that it completely reduces the stress factor of having to get your money’s worth. It allowed us to relax and stay together as one group, and meander, and talk and catch up and have a great time, relaxing at Disneyland. It was a very early morning, and we had planned to leave early, but wound up staying late. And I caught up with some of the best people anyone could know. It was great to catch up. Some of them are moving (including me), some are at new jobs, some are looking for new jobs, some have new significant others, and one of them won a car on the radio! I’ve never met anyone who did that before and she won from Ryan Seacrest, no less! We got on a few rides, saw a few shows, bared the cold weather, had a great meal, did a little shopping , stood in a few lines. I stood in the line for “Tower of Terror” but chickened out of the ride, however I braved the “death seat” on Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Then on Sunday night, I joined cast and crew at a wrap party for our show. It was at a trendy club in Santa Monica. It was crowded and I had my usual drink of choice, the Shirley Temple. Everyone thought it was unusual and cute… But I don’t drink much, especially when I’m driving. And I was flying solo since my wife is far away. It started out a slow evening. I always tend to be the wallflower. But I socialized more and more at the end of the evening and wound up having a great time. The food was OK, but of course it couldn’t top the all-you-can-eat lobster tail and filet mignon they served on the last day shooting on set. All in all, however, a good evening.

I felt so refreshed and relaxed from my weekend, I wish I could do it all over again.

Whirlwind Weekend

2004-11-18T03:45:00.000-05:00

I went to visit my wife this weekend, who has been residing in Maryland without me while I finish up my job here and she trains for her new job there. I can't really take any significant time off of work, so it's been about 2 months since we've seen each other, and I was very excited to finally be getting on a plane to see her.

I left work early on Friday so I could make my Jet Blue flight. I have discovered that the extra drive to Long Beach Airport to get Jet Blue is well worth it, and this trip confirmed my belief. Beware: prejudicial statement to follow... I think I figured out what makes Jet Blue a different airline. I think it's run by (or highly staffed by) gay people. I am fairly certain that 90% of the flight staff in both directions was gay, both male and female, both in the airplane and in the airport. It's almost like the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" of air travel.

Anyway, I had a terrible migraine on Thursday that hadn't quite evaporated by Friday's flight, but I was doing OK except for when we hit turbulence... I think the woman next to me thought I was afraid of flying, but I literally was preventing myself from getting sick during the bumps. Fortunately, I got to Maryland in one piece. Tracy met me at the airport, and for a second I actually thought she was going to run and tackle me, she kind of looked like she was going to start a sprint and her smile was quite big. It was so good to see her.

I arrived late, but it was about dinnertime on the west coast, so they made me some dinner and it was the beginning of a food-centric weekend. (little segue, not to focus on food TOO much, but my show is wrapping up and so we had our last catered meal yesterday... all-you-can-eat lobster tail and filet mignon. ordering in will never be as good!) On Saturday, we slept in late and then began the phone calls to the realtors and brokers. We followed this up by a short drive to see the geographic areas of Maryland from Gaithersburg to Rockville on a roundabout way to dinner. The weather was in the 40's and 50's, but the cool, invigorating air actually helped my headache and I was good throughout the rest of the weekend. We ate at the Tokyo Lighthouse, kind of like Benihana, but all-you-can-eat for only $25. Believe me, we got our money's worth! Great food, and we ate a ton!!!

After dinner, we went to a party thrown by a realtor who is the wife of one of Tracy's colleagues. They live in a beautiful 6000' home in Germantown. The people there were incredibly friendly, and we even met one woman who wants to show us around the area once I move out in January. It really made me feel good about both the realtor and the people back east. And speaking of good people, we got up on Sunday morning to plan on meeting some of my friends that live in Silver Spring and DC. We met for lunch at Philip's Seafood. Everything in Maryland is about the crab, and there is seafood everywhere! We even saw them roll in a cooler that had just come from the boat while we were eating... and this was a fast food place! The weather looked a lot sunnier, but it was much colder. It was in the 40's, but invigorating... I think it was warmer in the evenings, as weird as that is. While I like to be warm, I actually enjoyed the cooler weather for a change... I just need a new wardrobe! Anyway, it was great to see my friends and I look forward for the chance to spend more time with them. They've also been very supportive and helpful of our move, and despite the difficulty in leaving my local friends behind, it is wonderful to know I have some good friends I'll be near. I value my friendships and all relationships more every day.

After lunch, we went to meet with a broker to determine how we can get pre-approved for a loan. I don't mean to brag, but I think our credit scores were so high that we almost had to get tested for substance abuse. This was an exciting and scary part of the process. We realized that while we have good credit and assets, the prices in the area have soared so high that any home we would want has well surpassed the range we were looking for. However, we are on the fast track for purchase, as things will only get worse with the "spring rush" and if we get priced out of the market in Maryland as we have in LA, it will be unlikely we will be able to afford a house in our lifetime without winning the lottery. So, we had to swallow all the confusing paperwork and mortgage choices, and now we have to swallow our high likely monthly mortgage payment, but we hope to have a house by February.

After this, we needed to relax, by gorging at Buca di Beppo for dinner. As usual, an amazing meal. We got home late, went right to bed, and up 3 hours later (the equivalent of 12:45am west coast time) to get to the airport and hop on another turbulent filled plane trip back to LA so that I could land a little after 9am and go straight to work. Needless to say, it was a crazy fast trip, but I had a great time, and now I am super-stressed (and excited) looking forward to my move in January. There will be many more adventures to come...

Pensive

2004-11-09T18:40:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's tough to be pensive in a written world. Pensive is one of my favorite words, because it is often how I am. I deeply explore my thoughts and feelings and dwell on esoteric topics on a regular basis. But it's difficult to be so pensive when you don't have an amazing grasp of the English language. Sure, I speak it and understand it, but I haven't mastered it, learned how to control it, figured out how to use it to describe and explain the things I ponder. I often feel deeper than people probably recognize me as being. I refrain from commenting on their blogs and pay attention quietly, interestedly from afar, because I don't know what to say or how to add it. Sometimes the ability I see in others to assemble their words makes me feel, well, dumb. But that's OK, I guess, as long as I know the truth.

I've been very introspective lately, examining where I've been and where I'm going, both literally and figuratively. This is an exciting and scary time in my life. As someone reminded me, I am on my own life's journey, and I have to explore that regardless of where anyone else is on their own journey. It's time to measure my success on what I've learned, what I'm open to, and not merely on measurable accomplishments. I'm ready to explore hermitdeb's world, and hopefully that will lead to exploration of the world at large.

This weekend I'll be making my first trek to Maryland with the eyes of a new resident. I'll be bleary-eyed from a whirlwind trip and even more so when I return. But in a mere two short days, I plan to reconnect with my wife, meet with realtors, view the beauty of an east coast autumn, and do plane yoga (Jet Blue has a guide, although I started to read about yoga in general, and hope to find a way to incorporate it into my life... I'm on a spiritual path lately, and I really hope to continue it). I hope, whether or not I am able to express it in writing, I also have time to be a little pensive.

Mourning Morning

2004-11-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am deeply unhappy by the election results this morning. I have never cared more about an election and feel completely let down. Most Bush voters polled stated they voted for him because of his moral values. I like to think of myself as a good person, so to think that my moral values are completely out of line with the majority of this country (and soon, assuredly, the Supreme Court) terrifies me. I feel like I'm living in the middle of the Crusades and I don't want to be converted. That's all I have to say. Now let me mourn in peace.

Calm Before the Storm

2004-11-02T23:31:00.000-05:00

So, today is the "storm"... who will win, Bush or Kerry? That's rhetorical. We'll know soon enough, even if it's several weeks from now... Nevertheless, soon enough. And soon enough, my many stressors will resurface full-throttle. I will be busy at work, travel briefly, lose some sleep, throw a baby shower, lose my job, move, search for a new job, and buy a house. I have no fear that the storm inside me will continue to rage.

But right now, I'm focussing on the calm. I had an enlightening experience this weekend. I finally took a step back, slowed down, took in the nature, had some time of self-reflection, and just existed in the moment. I sat on the beach on a beautiful fall day with warm, sunny weather I could only hope for in California. It took 32 years, but I finally really appreciated the California that I'm leaving. And I sat in the sand and felt it between my fingers, and let the breeze whip through my hair, sun beaming on my face, smelling the sea air. And I felt a peace and calm unlike any other I've known. I actually relaxed doing nothing - impossible for me, I thought, until that moment. And I watched the sailboats and the kayakers and surfers. I saw the pelicans dive for food. I watched the sun start to set. And I sat there, a tranquility almost overwhelming if it can be described that way.

My Debate Question

2004-10-14T22:01:00.000-04:00

President Bush, Senator Kerry. I would like to ask why you take a stand against same-sex marriage? Is it your religious conviction? For surely, there should be a separation of church and state. Is it because "that is the way it has always been?" For we all know that laws are in constant flux and "the way it has always been" is not necessarily "the way it should always be."

President Bush, you talk about freeing the people of this world while you bind your own citizens with oppressive restrictions, even on their right of who to love. President Bush, look me in the eye and tell me why some citizens of the United States can live wherever they want, but I have to make a conscious choice and decide that I cannot live in certain states within my own country because some state laws are so restrictive. Is this freedom? You say you will reduce taxes to all citizens, listing as an example the fact that you have reduced the marriage penalty because you want to encourage marriage. But you would rather encourage the multiple marriages of Brittany Spears or Michael Jackson before you would honor the commitment of a gay couple who has been together over 40 years. How is that a tax break for all? It certainly isn't a tax break for me. You say you oppose abortion and would seek other alternatives. Among them, you would encourage adoption, while in the same breath you would restrict adoptions for same-sex partners. You would provide tax breaks to families who have children, but you deny second-parent adoptions. You propose a constitutional amendment to verify your religious beliefs, the only amendment other than Prohibition (which failed) to restrict the rights of United States citizens rather than to grant them. How can you speak of freeing the world when you imprison your own people?

Senator Kerry, how can you stand there with a smug grin on your face while I rip into the President's policies, while your silence is almost as dangerous as his action? How can you pander to the voting public rather than speak up for what you know is right? You have yet to offer a reason for being against same-sex marriage. I believe it's either because you aren't against it, which makes your lack of conviction repulsive, or you are indeed against it, and are playing both sides of the coin. Again I ask, look me in the eye and tell ME, not the country, not the voting public, tell ME why I am a second-class citizen.

Which town hall debate do you think will let me read my question?

Inspiration

2004-10-04T01:28:00.000-04:00

I can't really say why, but I haven't been inspired to write in a long time. Much has been happening, but I haven't been able to organize my thoughts into a cohesive column. I think about writing, and can't bring myself to do it. Perhaps in many ways it is because I'm not too sure how I feel about things... I just know things are happening.

I was hoping to just maybe write a quick summary of recent things today, and perhaps just the act of blogging might inspire me to get back into the routine of it again. So, here goes:

- Update on my Friday activities - I've been pretty good at keeping busy on Fridays, and the weekends have definitely seemed more full. This past Friday, however, I was trying to solve a problem at work and wound up being out until 12:30 in the morning. That did nothing to help relieve work stress. However, I've realized that despite a definite stress associated with work, the reason more often than not that I feel "I hate my job" has less to do with the job than the commute.

- Commuting - I'm grumpy. I'm tired. I'm miserable. I can't keep up with things in my life, the days go fast, and I'm groggy through them all. I thought it was the job, but it's the stop and go. Every day, I lose 3-4 hours behind the wheel of my car. 3-4 hours EVERY DAY. To think how much I could accomplish in a week, what more I could do. But I arrive to work more tired than I woke up. And I start to balance myself throughout the day, and think about things I can do when I get home, including going to the gym, which might give me more energy. But by the time I get home, I'm ready to zone out in front of the television and fall asleep. And it's getting worse every day. In Los Angeles, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. How can the city planners justify what will ultimately be a long enough commute to be able to eliminate sleep entirely?

- Moving - Everyone's moving... or so it feels. My best friends are leaving the country, and I can hardly say I blame them. Actually, it sounds like a really good move, and I am excited for them. They're moving to Canada and, after I saw "Bowling for Columbine", I think it's probably a good choice. I will miss them, and it's never easy saying goodbye. Of course, the parting was especially difficult since it came within only a week of my wife moving away. No, we're still together. She got a great job 3,000 miles away, and they didn't give her much notice. She's been gone 2 weeks and I miss her terribly. I will be joining her, but I have to finish my job commitments here, and we will be apart for a few more months. I am, frankly, nervous and anxious about the move. I've never lived anywhere but California before. And we're moving to Maryland where it does in fact snow. There will be adjustments, not the least of which is finding a new job. I'm concerned it won't come fast enough. On the other hand, I am very excited about the move. I am looking forward to trying something new, being in a new environment, getting out of the stagnant place I've been for a long time. Unfortunately, we haven't been financially stable enough to live off of one salary, and if I can't find a job in a short bit, I may have to come back to California and we'll have to live apart for another long stretch. I really don't want to do that. Unfortunately, it takes money to live. Anxious and excited, that about sums it up.

You'd think such a big change might be the first thing I'd write about, but I'm trying not to think about it too much. I think it is too overwhelming. Being apart, thinking about work, thinking about the physical move itself, it's a lot to take in.

- In the Meantime - Other things I've been doing to take my mind off of the stressful thought of driving to work and, of course, moving. For starters, if I didn't have enough stressors, I have taken on the task of throwing a baby shower for my sister-in-law. As much as I plan for work, I don't like to plan parties much... especially in my "down time." But it's my first niece or nephew and seeing as I'm moving a few weeks before his/her expected arrival, it's the least I can do.

I've also been occupying my time by paying more attention to the upcoming presidential election than any presidential election of my lifetime. For all the flack he's getting even among supporters, I actually like Kerry. I don't love him, but I like him. I don't care if he's the most charismatic person. I think he takes his job seriously, he's smart, he's focused, and he's a hell of a lot better than Bush. Maybe I'm easily swayed, but contrary to many of my friends' feelings about this, he actually inspires me. Maybe I've seen him make a few mistakes, miss a few good opportunities to take a stand on the issues and also put Bush in his place, but overall, I'm excited when I hear him speak. I hope he can make others feel that way... and soon!

Today I went rock scrambling. It's an activity I haven't participated in for a long while. I'm a bit out of shape, but we climbed to the top twice and I had a really great time. There were 3 friends I knew, and 5 new ones, and everyone was great. I even got a superficial crush on one of them. Don't think horribly of me... I just really miss my wife. I would never act on it, and I told my wife about it, and she told me she got a similar superficial crush on someone today too. We miss each other, and we hope to have a weekend together in the next couple of weeks. I hope so. I can't wait.

How I Broke the Law

2004-08-27T21:52:00.000-04:00

Generally, I consider myself a law-abiding citizen. And that's a pretty important thing, being married to a law enforcement officer. But today I made an important discovery. I've been breaking the law... for 6 weeks!

Mind you, it was not my fault or intention by any means. And in all fairness, I discovered the problem personally and immediately corrected it, even though it should have been discovered by someone (or several someones) other than myself. The problem: I've been driving with an expired license.

I had good intentions. Last month, when my license was going to expire, and I didn't receive my automatic renewal notice in the mail, I called the DMV like a good citizen and told them I needed to get my license extended. They said it wasn't an automatic renewal because 3 years prior I applied for a motorcycle permit and, never following through with getting a motorcycle license, apparently I screwed up my whole record at the DMV. They don't know what to do with you if you don't complete something you've started, so I had to start from scratch to get my Class C.

I studied my little handbook, I made an appointment, and then I went to the DMV... good little citizen, I told myself. I got to the DMV, the lines were fast (yes, really!), I took the eye test, signed my name, and they told me to go to the picture line. There were about 8 people ahead of me. The guy at the counter was experienced and fast. Take paperwork, stamp it, enter something, "stand there", snap photo, sign, hand it back, "thank you." Next person, repeat. He had a rythym and was zipping through the line. This is great, I thought. I might not even be late for work. I step up to the counter, he greets me with a smile and says "good morning", takes my paperwork, and says he will be stepping away and some other lady will be taking over for him. Argh. Enter "new lady", a young person who apparently has never done this job before in her life. She takes my picture, it prints out a temporary copy, she puts it down on the counter in front of her, starts filling something out, then keeps looking at the screen wondering "what did I do?" "how come...?" She stands there for about 5 minutes, then goes away to get someone. It turns out she's looking for the photo printout that she had put down on her counter in front of her in the first place. "Oh, here it is!" She hands it to me and says I'll be getting my license in the mail in a couple of weeks. I asked, "Aren't I supposed to take some kind of test?" She answers "No, you're all set. Here's your receipt." So I leave, happy not to have to take the written test.

Flash forward 6 weeks. Past the trip to Sacramento where they almost don't let me board because my license is expired, but allow me to continue because I flash my (apparently useless and fake) "temporary license" to airport security. That sure makes me feel safe looking back.

But yesterday I'm thinking it's been a really long time since I should have gotten my new license. And I'm pretty sick of that wad of paper temp. license in my wallet. So I call the DMV. It is then they tell me that they are not sending my license because I have not yet completed the test, according to their records. I told them the stupid (er, um, "new") lady at the counter told me this was unneccessary. They tell me she was wrong. I need to go back into the DMV to straighten it out.

Today I go to the DMV. No appointment... I must say the 1 plus in hiring all these new people is the lines are MUCH better than they used to be. And I explain my situation and say I have this temp. license (which I show them) but they haven't sent my new license. At which point they explain to me that what I am carrying is merely a receipt and not a temporary license. I am currently unlicensed and I need to take this written test. Now, I have forgotten what I read in the manual from 6 weeks ago, but I'm game. I take the test, the procter is amazed at how quickly I finish, I tell him to hold his amazement until it's graded, and he says the smart ones always go fast. OK, points for compliments welcome. I pass the test, have to go back to the line (which is much longer now), and they hand me another piece of paper which they assure me is the temp. license (but which does NOT have a photo of me on it, like the other paper, and which they cannot assure me will allow me on a plane should I need it), and inform me that I should be getting my "real" license in the mail in another 4-6 weeks. Oh, joy. Another 6 weeks of wallet paper wad. I'm just really happy I wasn't pulled over and I caught the problem on my own. Shame on me, breaking the law like that!

Friday Makes the Weekend

2004-08-23T20:11:00.000-04:00

It has taken a while since my last post. But knowing how many read it, I don't feel so bad. Even if I did feel bad, which is a waste of energy for a blog, I have a decent excuse.

Ever since my "bad weekend," things kept getting worse and worse. Among many things was the quick death of my new laptop. You remember the laptop, right? The technological device I was sick about purchasing in the first place because they cost too much and things always go wrong with them? Anyway, to make a long story short, the computer is now in a FedEx package on its way to the computer fixer-uppers. It should return about 2 weeks from now, set back to factory specifications with none of my stuff on it. I have been without a functioning computer at work for almost 2 weeks, or at least when I can't use the desktop that I have there. I now, finally, have a loaner computer, which does not have a CD burner, wireless internet access, or Windows XP... and I am sad. But I am better than I was 2 weeks ago, and that is a good thing.

Part of the help in feeling better I must attribute to a change in Fridays. Normally, Fridays end with a horrible drive in traffic (OK, OK, so that's every day, day or night) culminating in a collapse onto the bed that would rival any Olympic gold-medal dive. I'm tired, I'm crabby, and I sleep. The rest of the weekend seems to just follow sleep (er, step). Late rise Saturday, few hours of sunlight, and attempt #2 to break the world record collapsing performance on Saturday night. Then we start all over again on Sunday, only to have the weekend end on Monday morning with the rude sound of an alarm clock.

But for the past two Fridays, I have made an attempt to be social. A week ago Friday, Tracy & I went to Diane's house for a "Happy Hour" and Olympic Opening Ceremonies viewing party. Then we hustled over to Travis & Susie's for a hot tub and some stimulating conversation. This great start to the weekend just made even the most frustrating things seem a little easier (including the drive to the computer people). The weekend really seemed to stretch. I felt like I had three days off instead of two.

Last Friday, we did it again. This time we went to Joyce's for some dinner and movie-viewing. It was an excellent segue into the baby shower and zoo weekend. (Side note: overcast, cool days in summer are a great time to see the animals! I saw my first joey out of the pouch, a wolf and a few coyotes up close and personal, an active fossa, several baby markhors, and a family of ducks. Good zoo day... of course, I forgot the camera! Anyway, back to the story.) Again, I felt like the weekend was much longer... in the good way! Now I've decided that even if tired, I must make a conscientious effort to try and do something, SOMETHING (preferably with friends and out of our current dwelling) on Friday nights to stretch my weekends. Otherwise life just keeps going by way too fast with nothing, no memories, to show for it.

Answers

2004-08-02T23:10:00.000-04:00

Answers to previous post questions:

-Are Adria and Natalie going to make it to week 5 in the Big Brother house?! Yes, oh yes!!

- Is waterless cookware worth the extra big $$$? Still don't know, but if anyone has a comment, I'd really like to know.

- Will I ever master the 4-ball juggle? Still to be determined.

- Is that Melissa Etheridge autograph I got for my birthday real? Yes, oh yes!!! Yippee!!!

- Will DC ever get moving and have Tracy just finish the process already!? Maybe... Tracy's there now. Keep your fingers crossed!

- Do my friends really have to move to Canada before we hear from DC? Hopefully not.

- Do I really have to fly to Sacramento the same weekend as the huge work party I've been waiting my whole career for takes place? Umm, yes. Though I'm seriously debating going out of town this weekend anyway.

- Will my editor ever finish outputting the tape so I can go home already and finish with this pathetic blog? Yes, if "ever" means 9:40pm (note the time of the post was about 3 hours earlier). Sigh.

- Is blogging always this hard? Not always.

Bad Weekend

2004-08-02T23:02:00.000-04:00

I want one of those little icons that livejournal has to show you my mood. Currently: grumpy and tired.

After a weekend that STARTED with a trip to the dentist resulting in a drilling job that was so perfectly done it just barely prevented needing a crown, it is safe to say that this was not my best weekend recently.

After the trip to the dentist, what should have turned into a lovely weekend alone with Tracy while the folks were away turned into a weekend I'd rather forget.

After the dentist, I went to work and wound up working to 10:30 at night. Not the worst in my career, but I was tired and Tracy was visiting me at work and she had to get up early, as did I. And it was just poor timing for a visit on a very rare late night.

After Friday, (how many paragraphs do you think I can start with "after"?), I had to get a plumber that would come on the weekend to unclog the kitchen sink and not rape me (figuratively or literally) . Turned out to be an easy and minor job, and he declared it so in a short amount of time. Except that while snaking the sink he happened to bust through the thin pipe causing water damage to everything under the sink, which he hadn't bothered to remove before the operation and didn't happen to notice until the operation was done. That left me paying for a replacement pipe and an afternoon of cleaning fun.

After the plumber, I ran a bunch of errands on Saturday, taking advantage of my early rise. I was admiring how much I was finally accomplishing, and relishing the fact that Tracy was called back to DC (with little notice) for final processing. Indeed, relishing the fact that we were finally catching up, making progress, tying up the loose ends and beginning to leave those old problems behind. I was going to make her dinner and rent a movie she wanted to see because she needed a good rest. She was working like crazy, getting no sleep, and now had to catch a plane Monday morning. Except, I got a phone call. Her car is broken down. Won't get out of park. I need to pick her up.

After I pick her up... 75 miles away... we have to figure out how to get her car back. 75 miles in a REAL city might be about an hour, but in my case, it's the 405, and she's waiting almost 3 hours (no joke!) before I get to her. Of course, doesn't hurt that a concert is blocking all the streets in the area that night. When I tell the policeman I'm picking up an employee, he suggests it's a pretty bad night to pick for doing that. Go figure, I picked this night to have the car break down. And speaking of the car, we can't tow it... we don't have that kind of coverage. And if a friend's friend ever suggests you can increase AAA at the last minute to take advantage of a long tow, they're lying. 7 day waiting period. She could move it onto the fairground lot... if the fair didn't happen to be in progress. No, she has to leave it on the street.

After Saturday, she takes an extra car to work and we figure she'll tow it after work into the fair property. But she calls me Sunday and says her co-workers removed a fuse and now it can get out of park... i.e. it works. So now she's stuck down there with 2 cars. So, I drive down 75 miles with a friend and, since it is the fair, we decide to have some fun. Our friend hasn't been before. We stay a little after Tracy gets off work, because after the 2+ hour drive (again!... it's slightly better on Sunday than Saturday) we don't want to rush right back. But Tracy hasn't slept, has important testing, and has to catch a plane in the morning. So we call it a day. Of couse, when we get back to her car, it won't even turn over anymore. So, we're about to jump it when she finally realized she needs to put the fuse in to start the car. But when she puts the fuse back in, she can no longer get it out of park. So, while the car is running, she yanks the fuse, and we're back in business.

After the car starts to drive, our friend takes off and we enter the freeway. But her car won't shift into gear, an electrical warning light as well as a transmission light are now on, and we're crawling. So we pull off. We realize my brother lives close, so we dump the car at his place, knowing it will probably have to stay a week until the AAA extension takes effect and because the same day she returns, I am leaving town, so we're a bit shorthanded to take care of this mess. Plus my brother doesn't have an extra parking space, so we park on the street, call the police to say it will be there a while, leave a note, and finally hit the road in the car she originally took to work at 6am.

After we get home, well after midnight, we are too tired to pack, too tired to do anything. So we both collapse. She gets up late the next morning, then begins to pack and, once we arrive, the airport is as packed as I've ever seen it minus a weather delay. But I see her off and am only an hour late to work.

The worst part: The car is still 80 miles away (it's farther now, as we backtracked to my brother), we still don't have a tow, we still don't know what's wrong with it or how much it will cost, and we won't be in town together at the same time on a non-work day for at least 2 weeks to take care of it! Sigh. I don't need another weekend like this!!

Nothing

2004-07-27T21:41:00.000-04:00

I've been struck with the overwhelming need to blog, the feeling of which weighs heavily on me as I ponder what my next posting will be about. But nothing is coming to me. No great adventures recently, no huge ups or downs. I mean, life surely goes on, but it's just meandering at the moment.

It's not to say I've been up to nothing. In the past week, I've celebrated my birthday (no fanfare, no applause, please... if you already missed it, you're too late to cheer), I've been shopping for my parents' 40th anniversary (applause allowed here... it's a rare accomplishment these days), I went to the Hollywood Bowl again (Harry Connick, Jr. - easy on the eyes and ears), I went to the Orange County Fair again (yes, they had a ride "mishap" the day I was there... only a few were sent to the hospital, and I was glad I decided the construction of the rides made them too scary to indulge in), and I've watched Big Brother 5 like the sick fan that I am. But really, no big news. No big insights. Just, sigh, life going by.

Here are questions I'm pondering:
- Are Adria and Natalie going to make it to week 5 in the Big Brother house?!
- Is waterless cookware worth the extra big $$$?
- Will I ever master the 4-ball juggle?
- Is that Melissa Etheridge autograph I got for my birthday real?
- Will DC ever get moving and have Tracy just finish the process already!?
- Do my friends really have to move to Canada before we hear from DC?
- Do I really have to fly to Sacramento the same weekend as the huge work party I've been waiting my whole career for takes place?
- Will my editor ever finish outputting the tape so I can go home already and finish with this pathetic blog?
- Is blogging always this hard?

Good Eatin's

2004-07-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

For all of the plusses and minuses of my current job, the one perk I cannot complain about is the food. I don't think I've ever eaten this well in my life, let alone at a job. I've had my share of jobs with food poison-inducing caterers, jobs where I forked out my own money for fast food or company cafeterias on a regular basis, and of course the jobs where I didn't have the time to stop and eat at all. Case in point, the job where I lost 15 pounds of "good" weight in less than 3 months.

But my current job. Oh, where to begin! I've had fresh fish almost daily, from salmon to swordfish to fish 'n chips (and we're talking GOOD fish 'n chips!). I've had spaghetti and ravioli and tortellini, fresh asparagus, chicken with mango sauce, fresh mangos, chocolate cake, ice cream, fresh salad bars, brushetta, crab cakes, prawn shrimp, fried bananas and apples, smoothies... I've even had filet mignon. And if I was a bigger meat eater, I could have had a variety of other meats including pork tenderloin, roast beef, chicken marsala, ribs, sausage, etc., etc... Often, many of these options are available at the same time. And it's all you can eat!

The craft service is also available all day long, in case you get hungry between meals. They have vegetables and fresh baked cookies and brownies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Krispy Kreme donuts, candy bars, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, and any number of drinks. Sometimes in the afternoons, they'll even bring in a special "snack," in case you haven't had enough to eat. I've had pizza and tacos for this snack before, and I've also seen them bring in In 'n Out burgers. But yesterday, I was travelling downstairs looking for a brownie, when I saw... sushi. I'm not a huge sushi eater, but I love California rolls and some of the other cooked items. Anyway, I thought they just ordered it in from a restaurant or something when I rubbed my eyes again to make sure I was seeing correctly. Sushi on a platform in front of 3 sushi chefs! Making it to order. Mmmm, I could really get used to this.

P.S. Note to self: Must go to the gym MUCH more frequently.

Going Bowling

2004-07-13T01:15:00.000-04:00

Another reason I'm not crazy about IPOD? You just can't compare downloading "The Simpsons" theme music, to hearing it performed live by a 70ish-piece orchestra outdoors under a moonlit sky at the Hollywood Bowl. That's what I did last Friday night, at TV Night II at the Hollywood Bowl. If you've never gone "Bowling", you don't know what you're missing. Other fun activities this weekend: An outdoor movie screening of "Lilo & Stitch" at a park in West Hollywood, and a day at the Orange County Fair. Aside from the sunburn, it was a great weekend!!

Driving Me Crazy

2004-07-08T22:10:00.000-04:00

I remember that when I learned to drive, I loved to drive... for years. I inherited a love for driving from my parents. I could travel to Sacramento by myself with no problem and I even enjoyed it. But after the increasing LA commuter traffic, my passion has diminished. LA traffic drives me crazy. I have physically seen my commute time increase over a 1/2 hour in 6 months, and that was almost 2 years ago. When "they" used to talk about population increases and overcrowding, such things were non-tangible concepts that would happen years and years from now, practically unnoticeably. But I've noticed. And quickly. Now, getting in the car puts me to sleep almost instantly. Driving has become a danger. And I don't want to do it anymore. It has made even short drives to the store or a friend's house practically unbearable. Sometimes I'll even stay at work later to avoid the drive home. I'm finally looking forward to moving to a city with real, effective public transportation. I hope we get there before everyone else does, too!

What is IPOD?

2004-07-08T21:50:00.000-04:00

IPOD is all the talk at work, in electronic store mailings, and on websites. What do I think of IPOD? I don't care. IPOD to me stands for "I Prefer Other Devices." I'm not a technological junky. I don't like to play all day on computers and I don't care if my radio is full of commercials and talk. I love music and will listen to most anything, but I don't want to have to download it. I like animals and sunshine and moonlight and activity. I can't even believe I blog. I prefer to spend my time hiking in the mountains, going to the movies, swimming, talking with friends, and window shopping (NOT buying) other items I don't really need or care about.

"Celebrity" Sighting

2004-06-25T13:46:00.000-04:00

While waiting at the airport for Tracy to come back on her horrible ATA flight, I saw Troy, from "The Apprentice", arrive in L.A. I wasn't sure if it was him 100%, he was shorter than I expected, as is often the case with celebrities, both real and created via "reality" TV. But the driver picking him up at the airport said "Troy?" and he said "That's me!" as they walked off. Another telling factor: He wasn't flying ATA. "Celebrities" probably wouldn't be stupid enough to do that. He came off the flight pretty early, indicating first class, and ATA shared a terminal with Alaska Airlines, which actually had monitors to tell you flight status. ATA, in addition to no first class, apparently cannot afford monitors. Anyway, I ask you, do faux celebrity sightings count?

If not, less notable but more meaningful to me, I also saw Lauri Hendler that same day... middle daughter on "Gimme a Break". I wanted to tell her I grew up watching her on TV. (I often watched with my grandma.) But alas, my boss whisked me away before I had a chance to make a fool of myself. On the other hand, she seemed super-cool and probably wouldn't have minded.

Busy Weekend

2004-06-22T02:38:00.000-04:00

Going into this weekend, I was already a bit tired. I think lack of exercise has caught up with me and I can't seem to shake the cycle. I had offered up my services as a volunteer at this weekend's Beastly Ball, but no one had called, and I was looking forward to maybe catching a movie and just relaxing. I had also volunteered to help a friend with a live broadcast, but hadn't heard about that either, and now was getting excited about the possibility of even 2 movies, and maybe calling a friend for a get-together.

I was getting ready to take Tracy to the airport Saturday morning just as the phone rang. The zoo. They heard I volunteered for the Beastly Ball, and could I please still help this evening. Of course. Now, the Beastly Ball is the best zoo event of the year, and volunteering is probably the only way I'll ever see this fundraiser, as even the discounted Docent rate is a steep $300 per ticket. So I really like to volunteer for it when I get the chance. But suddenly I was struck with a late evening and no movie/get-together. That's OK, I thought... I'll take it easy on Sunday instead.

I dropped Tracy off at the airport (she had to take ATA again, which BELIEVE ME was the last plane on earth I wanted to put her on... ask me for my ATA story sometime... I wish I had written it down when it was fresh, but when you have the option, DON'T DON'T DON'T fly with this hideous airline... After landing, Tracy confirmed this flight was barely better than our last experience, which isn't saying much). Anyway, I felt drained after dropping her off... I never like it when she has to go away, and she's had to fly quite frequently these days. But I pulled it together to run a few errands (including shopping for Father's Day, where upon finding the right gift remembered that I had also found the right gift a month earlier, put it away and forgot it was already at home). I left just enough time to dress for the zoo. On my last errand, my phone rang. My friend from the live broadcast. I admit I saw the number and debated picking up. I no longer wanted to do it. It's usually a really early morning, really long day, and I just wasn't in the mood. But a promise is a promise. The whole way to the zoo, I was cursing my weekend. I thought how I was never going to do these events again, how I always forgot they fall the same weekend as each other, and the same weekend as Father's Day. By the time I got to the zoo, I convinced myself that I indeed hated both events, I would do my duty and never, ever do either again.

I got to the zoo at 4pm. They told me 4. The orientation didn't start until 4:30, and then the group they put me in said they didn't need us until 6pm. I went around looking at the silent auction items and eating my "gourmet" boxed lunch (an oxymoron if there ever was one) killing time until 6. Then I proceeded to the new main entrance, currently under construction, but the site of this year's Ball. It was really neat to look around at this beautiful work in progress. But after a half hour of amazement, they notified us that they probably wouldn't REALLY need my group until about 7:30pm. I would have been really angry at this waste of my time if I wasn't so tired. I was thinking of all I could have been doing at home until this time... like sleeping. Especially knowing I would have to get up early on Sunday, too. I was really beginning to hate the zoo and the Beastly Ball. But once we got to work, I had a great time. The music (good music!) started, they actually had dancing this year, we greeted the guests, the setting was beautiful, and I even ran into a childhood school acquaintance. After the greeting, I got to work the live auction as a spotter, and 2 of my spottees were winners, so I really felt good! By the time the evening ended, I was inspired by the new plans of the zoo, the construction, and the beautiful evening and event. Yes, I really do like this event and, since I won't be buying a ticket anytime soon, I was already looking forward to volunteering again.

Sunday morning, however, I woke up in another great mood. This time, the whole drive to West Hollywood was consumed with thoughts of how I was never going to do this parade again. The zoo, yeah, I'd do that again, but never the parade. Too many things in one weekend, and I'd be home pretty late for Father's Day... again. By the time I arrived in the "no available parking" hell, I was sure I hated the Live Broadcast and the parade and the whole darn thing. But yet again, the Live Broadcast was in a different location and it was pleasantly better and more convenient than years' past. The Broadcast (from my perspective at least) went smoothly and quickly compared to previous ones, I got to be in very close proximity to Senator Sheila Kuehl, actress Jennifer Tilly, and writer/comedian Bruce Villanch. And of course, as every year, it was warming to be surrounded by thousands of people cheering gay people. The love and support around was in remarkable contrast to the normal day to day in the United States, especially under the rule of President "Let's Bomb the Suckers" Bush.

At the end of the broadcast, Bruce Villanch needed a short ride and they volunteered me and my luxury jeep. The short ride turned into about 20 minutes in the festival traffic, and I enjoyed Bruce and his companion's (partner? manager? friend?... I was never introduced) reminiscent talk of Los Angeles and his upcoming run of "Hairspray" at the Pantages. I also admit it was kind of a kick to have a few people do a double-take as I drove down the street.

And speaking of double take, I had forgotten that my friend was a twin. I never met his brother before, but at the broadcast it was obvious, and though I could tell them apart easily (aside from the fact they were wearing different shirts), I was mesmerized that their expressions, personalities, and even their voices were identical. I don't know why, but I got a real kick out of that. I think it made the day even more special and memorable. After the parade, we went out to eat at Hamburger Mary's. Following lunch with a spirited waitress who made us all try a drink called "Liquid Cocaine", a cross-dressing owner with a big blonde wig ala Marilyn Monroe, a fun group of my friend's friends, especially his twin brother's spunky girlfriend who was a fun conversationalist (and made me ponder the whole twin thing further... one straight, one gay... nature vs. nurture... hmmm...???), and a red patent leather stilletto high heeled shoe for the bill and tip, I felt much better about the day. Maybe this was worth doing again. After all, it is only once a year... and it was a lot of fun.

I got home by 5pm to have Father's Day dinner and, after a marathon viewing of Forensic Files on CourtTV, I passed out in anticipation of the coming work week. Busy weekend. Fortunately it's only once a year!

Laptop Hell

2004-06-07T19:35:00.000-04:00

I finally worked remotely at a facility for my job, and instantly learned that my laptop was outdated and did not work properly to accommodate my job requirements. I use the term "MY" loosely. It was actually the laptop I was borrowing, and suddenly I realized that, despite great resistance over the years, it was indeed time to purchase a laptop of my own. This is the kind of purchase that makes me queasy inside. Dropping lots of money into a technology that not only do I know very little about now, but that will make itself obsolete before I even figure out how to use it satisfactorily. But alas, it had to be done. I finally settled on a Dell, after much Memorial Day research... and the day after Memorial Day I called to order my machine. Except the people at Dell suck... and after 1 hangup and several circular conversations, I realized that not only would they not honor the deal I researched so hard to find, but they wouldn't honor any of the 4 deals I had found. So I hung up, and was back to the drawing board. I finally picked up my new HP laptop on Saturday. I must say, it's pretty cool to have this new toy. Granted, it's big for a laptop. It's not ultra-slim like the Mac G-4's, nor is it lightweight. But once it's sitting on my desk, it has a lovely screen and good sound, and I'm just fine with my purchase. Ecstatic? No, I never seem to be ecstatic about expensive purchases having to do with constantly changing technology. But fine with the purchase, definitely. I got a decent deal, it looks pretty sharp, and most importantly it does what I need for the time being. So, right now I'm typing on it, at work, waiting for us to finish a show that has immeasurable stupid problems that will never be noticed for a millisecond by any of the viewing public. But that's the world of TV for you. Now my only question is... does anyone know how to clean a laptop screen without damaging it?

Notarized

2004-05-24T20:45:00.000-04:00

Today I officially completed the last task on my way to becoming a Notary Public. So as of today, I'm official! I went to the County Clerk's Office, took my oath, and... taa daaa.... I am a Notary! Now, going into this endeavor was really motivated by boredom. I don't expect to make a career of it, though I completed the coursework while I was unemployed, hoping for a little spare income. However, after the course fee, the State fee, the supplies, the insurance, and everything else that goes along with it, it may be a while before I recoup my investment.

The good news, however, was going into work today. Now mind you, going into work is not usually good news other than the benefit of the ultimate reward - the paycheck. And it certainly isn't good news to arrive late to be greeted with the news of the deaths of 3 people related to your show. (See the "Sick of Being Sick" post). Anyway, back to the good news.

My boss had some personal business to take care of, but the day got busy. See, these deaths have turned our whole schedule upside down and now we're all going to be busy for quite some time. But then I heard him say it. "I don't know how I'm going to make it to the notary and back to deal with blah blah blah." I didn't hear him after that. "Notary? You need a notary?" "Yeah," he said, "so blah blah blah...." "I'm a notary!!!"

And so it was. The rest was not so glamorous. A thumbprint, a signature. But a mere hour after becoming an official notary, I had my first client. I'm still in the notary red, but building takes time.

Sick of Being Sick... Life's Too Short

2004-05-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

So, I was on my way to work thinking about how much I hate being sick. I can have the most minor of colds, but I have this horrible post nasal thing and before you know it, the entire cold has centralized right in the middle of my head. And there it sits until finally (and usually suddenly) my body decides it's done with this cold thing and is ready to expel it from my system. The results aren't pretty. And they aren't quick. So sad is this state of affairs that it usually takes a good week AFTER my illness before people start to become really worried about my well-being. "You sound awful!" "Maybe you should go home?" "You look like you're going to die." Gee, thanks body. So, for the privilege of usually only getting sick in 1-4 day bursts, I often pay for it for months at a time. And really, I am pretty thankful that it isn't as serious as it seems. It's just frustrating that maybe I'm not at top game, not able expend my energy in more meaningful ways to take advantage of this life while I have it.

OK, I know that last bit sounds perhaps morbid. But one of those trifectas happened to me once I arrived at work today, and as these things tend to do, it made me think about how important it is to enjoy life while you've got it.

What's the trifecta? It's how things tend to happen in 3's, particularly deaths. A co-worker friend of mine and I sometimes IM each other after 2 celebrities have passed away. "Beware the trifecta!" Then we guess who is next. Fun game. But today at work, the trifecta hit... all at once. It started when I arrived late (see my "Notarized" post). My boss came over and I expected him to mention my tardiness. Instead he asked "Has anyone spoken to you yet?" No,they hadn't. Well, the (not-so-unexpected) passing of our Exec. Producer's mother finally happened over the weekend. Bad news, indeed. Oh, and the grandfather of one of the actors passed away as well. Sad, awful timing. Ironically, last week my boss and I were creating the first "In Memory of" card for our show in its 4+ year run. A crafts service person died during prep for our 5th season. I asked him if we should save the template for the dedication card, god forbid we should need it again. He said he didn't want to plan for that possibility. Sad to say, but I guess we should have planned.

Oh, yeah, and I forgot to mention... one of our actors died, too. What? Really? All this weekend? Heart attack. He was only 43. He was healthy. And he had young children.

A young, healthy, happy man of 43 years old should not just drop dead. And I'm sure given the opportunity, he wouldn't let a cold stop him from living if he had the chance again. Even if you SOUND like death,it doesn't mean you're not still alive. Life's too short. Live it fully, and don't regret a minute of it.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2004-05-13T13:33:00.000-04:00

The title of this entry is not a summary, but a request. Really. Please. Take me out to the ballgame. I just went to see the Dodgers kick butt over the Cubs the other night. And I'm a Cubs fan. And it was fun. Yes, even though the Cubs lost, it was fun.

Before I tell you about the game, let me get my usual grumblings out of the way. Although one of the most reasonably priced family activities in Los Angeles, I did find the mandatory "service charge" (because the internet IS a service though it arguably takes less man-power to operate) and the "handling fee" (for when they "hand" the ticket to you at Will Call) to be enough to jack up the price just below the city's average cost for fun. And if you're hungry, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

OK, now that that's done, let's get on with it.

What I really enjoyed about the game (and I'm NOT a baseball fan) was doing something different, in a social setting, seeing how the city can come together and gather in one place. It seemed so unusual in Los Angeles, but fit nicely with the subheading of my writings. Yes, the hermit ventured outward and I had a good time. It was even worth foregoing "24" during broadcast and watching it later on tape.

We sat in the bleachers, which I had never done before. The first thing I noticed when I sat down was "Wow, it looks like we're in the game." The second thing I noticed is that the ball could come flying at my face any second... which could be either an unexpected treat, or the cause of a lot of pain. Fortunately, I had my grandfather's baseball mitt. I was sure that would protect me from anything, even though it is falling apart at the seams. If it survived into antiquedom, it had to have some special powers. I put on my tough girl face and was ready for any flies. And of course Tracy was all pumped up, cheering the Cubs with no regard for our personal safety. But we were having fun.

The ball never did fly into our section, but occasionally one of the players would toss one near by. And then, it happened. The harmony of the baseball game started to disappear. One flew right toward my dad, my mom cowered and covered her head, afraid everyone behind her was going to jump her (which they did), my dad tried catch the ball, then tried to cover my mom. And then the verbal abuses started to fly. Cubs fans taunting Dodgers fans, Dodgers fans booing Cubs fans, posturing for fights, throwing of food, yelling at the players, tossing back balls from opposite teams. What a game!

My parents looked less than thrilled. Yet still, they seemed happy to be outdoors for a change. They couldn't comprehend, however, how people could come to the game just to yell at each other throughout gameplay. And while I agree that it does seem to miss the point of going to the game if you're a baseball fan, for me that was part of the enjoyment. Tracy was depressed the Cubs lost (and they lost again last night, too), but I still had a good time. Being immersed in the culture, however crude it has become over the years, we were in it. And it was good.

The Thing That Pissed Me Off Today

2004-05-07T21:24:00.000-04:00

Having gone through 4+ months of unemployment at the same precise moment as my spouse has made me particularly sensitive to selfish rich people who have no clue. Today, for example, one of my editors was complaining how poorly he is paid because 4-camera sitcom editors get way more money than drama editors, even though single-camera drama editing is much more difficult. That may be true, and in all fairness, he said they were paid "relatively" low. I, of course, couldn't contain myself. Yeah, relatively, I said. I mean, sure you might be paid less than one editor, but in the scheme of things, it isn't so bad. Look at police and firefighters, I said. No offense, but I believe their job is more difficult AND more important, and they're paid less. He said, most firefighters spend most of their time sitting and hanging out at the station, not working, and they get paid great. Well, for starters, they get paid great because they're putting in a ton of overtime. My editor shows up after me and often leaves before me every day. He doesn't have to come in if there is no work, but gets paid for it. They give him extra paid days off because he's been working hard... like ooh, a 10-hour shift! I said police don't sit around all day, and he acknowledged they work hard. Thankfully he acknowledged that much before I ripped off his head knowing that my wife works her butt off as a cop when not being forced to sit at home after a pattern of workplace discrimination encouraged by the laws of this "great" nation. But he's got it rough. He just bought a 3-story home south of Ventura Blvd. built into the side of a hill, and he has barely made more than a couple of hundred extra dollars per week in over 10 years because his union stinks... You know what that says to me? That says to me they were paid EVEN MORE STINKING WAY TOO MUCH MONEY 10 years ago! Shoot, I don't even get a union, I said. I don't have benefits, like he does. I don't get collective bargaining agreements for my wages, and I usually work much longer days without extra compensation or time off. Then he said, he wasn't comparing himself to me... he wouldn't want my job. No shit!

This exchange came on the heels of two other lovely work exchanges this week. One involving my boss telling me how I really should hurry up and buy a house cause it's just getting harder and harder to get into the market... He just sold his 3rd house (and by 3rd, I mean owning 3 at a time, not 3rd in succession) after two offers in 1 day for an ungodly sum they were asking for. He figures it must be hard to get a house if you don't have one so I should hurry. Didn't he read in the paper that unless you're making AT LEAST $100K yearly (and I'm not even guaranteed my job for a year, let alone that salary), you aren't even in the market for a median priced home in Los Angeles now? He DID hire me for the job. He DOES know what I make. He DID make me want to crawl into a hole and die.

But not as much as the actress with the attitude who, upon me asking if she could stay an extra 5 minutes after her scene was done so we could get her to say one sentence into the microphone, practically ripped my head off for making her stay late without at least 24 hours notice. I'm sorry. I know you think you're important. But acting is your profession, right? Your chosen career? I mean, it is your JOB, just like working my ass off is my job. So you mean to tell me that you're probably making close to 6 figures A WEEK (I am ROUGHLY guessing here) and the 5 minutes of "overtime" to SPEAK A SENTENCE, for Pete's sake!!!, is really unfair of me to ask. I apologize. Here, let me bend over to kiss your feet. And while I'm down there, why don't you kiss my ___!

I know what you're thinking. I should become an editor or actress so I can have it better. That's what most people in my position who bitch about this industry strive for. But really, is that what I want? To be so full of myself and my wealth that I've forgotten how the other "half" lives? OK, so having money wouldn't be so bad... but NO, I don't want to become these people. I don't want to forget that others might not have it so easy, even if I am fortunate enough to get out of this hole some day. I can't stand that the conversations all day long about the new houses, new additions, renovations, new cars and stuff people have been buying for themselves is all there is to talk about to the minimum wage PA who they force to use personal cell phone time while putting excessive miles on their 12-year-old beat up car every day. That is, if they bother to talk to the PA (aka Person Anonymous). I'm not a PA anymore, haven't been for a while, but I haven't forgotten that they ARE people. I don't want to be the person in DSW who I overheard the other day (while I was shopping, mind you, to replace the 8-year old shoes I have because the soles were getting a little worn) asking her friend "Do you ever forget what you have?" Um, no. I know exactly how many pairs of shoes I have and exactly what they look like. They might not be stylish or trendy, but they don't hurt my feet and they match most anything. I don't need to be trendy. I just want to be a good person surrounded by other good people. And I want to be wearing comfortable, practical shoes. Who gives a shit about the rest? Sure I want to own a house, sure I'd like to not have to worry that my car insurance is through the roof because of an accident I had almost 2 years ago. I am not saying I don't want money, but please, PLEASE, don't let me forget what it is to be a human being with compassion.

Be Careful What You Ask For

2004-04-27T19:44:00.000-04:00

I finally did it. I got a job watching TV. Again. But I was thinking just how great this job is, when suddenly a monitor was placed near my desk, and footage of open heart surgery started playing front of me. I tried to ignore it, but the response of my co-workers was hard to ignore. "Wow, look at that slice!" "Can you believe we can be entirely opened up like that and still survive?" "EWWWW!!!! Huh??? Ohhh!" All I can say is, "Yecchh!"

Damn Pres. Bush!

2004-04-13T01:04:00.000-04:00

Just because the President of the United States wants to hear his own voice, they have bumped my Tuesday TV viewing so that "American Idol" now falls on Wed. and Thurs. this week, instead of Tues. and Wed. And "24" got bumped to Sunday. OK, so Wednesday and Sunday I can watch the moved shows, no problem. But bumping "American Idol" results into the final countdown of "Friends" is just wrong! Bush is so selfish! I say we don't vote for him again in November.

T.V. Job

2004-04-13T00:24:00.000-04:00

I've noticed many of my posts focus on my lack of job and my tv-watching habits. If anyone has a job where I can get paid watching TV, please let me know.