If You Are Bored…let’s talk about love
How many times have you been in love?
I loved my first husband but fell out of love with him. But it was nothing compared to what I feel for Larry.
What’s your favorite way to express love?
Just to hold that person and talk to them and tell them that I love them.
What film do you think has the best love story?
All I can think of at the moment are Meg Ryan movies. I like “French Kiss” because she chases after one guy thinking he’s the “One” only to find her actual “One” along the way and discovering how good real love actually is.
What song best expresses love?
How do I pick a song that isn’t cheesy? I watched 25 Greatest Power Ballads on VH1 last night and that’s all I can think of! I’m sure if I thought long enough I’d pick something by The Beatles or Frank Sinatra.
Is the lyric “what the world needs now, is love, sweet love” true?
Not entirely….what the world needs now is peace, love and understanding J
What are the most important requirements for you to love someone?
They must treat me with equality and respect and I must be able to truly talk to them. And they must make me laugh.
When was the last time you told someone you were in love with them? (not just saying “I Love You”) I sang the Al Green song to Larry not too long ago but I can’t remember the last time I actually said it.
THIS OR THAT
1. Do you prefer silence or do you like background sound (music, TV, etc)?
I actually like silence but I’m so used to having the TV or stereo on that I forget to turn them off.
2. Bathe/shower in morning or evening? Shower in the morning and I like baths in the evening with candles and a Martini.
3. Sleeping in complete darkness, or with a nightlight on? Darkness.
4. Lay out clothes the night before, or just grab what's closest in the morning? I’ve been saying to myself since high school I’m going to pick out my clothes the night before but I don’t think I’ve ever actually done it.
5. Hang up/fold clothes neatly, or just toss them wherever? Both.
6. Work out at a gym, or at home on your own (or do you not bother with exercise)? At home. We’ve talked about getting a Bow Flex but I don’t know where we’d put it.
7. Talk on the phone, or via IM/e-mail? E-mail usually but if I really feel the need to talk then the phone.
8. Are you usually on time, or late? Sometimes I’m five minutes early, sometimes five minutes late. I guess it all averages.
9. Spendthrift or frugal? I’m much more frugal then I used to be but we’ve made some big purchases lately – new computer, new stove, new lawn mower etc.
10. Thought-Provoking Question of the Week: You work with someone who is not in the habit of bathing regularly. The smell seems to be getting worse and worse! Would you: 1. try to do something about it, or 2. try to grin and bear it? If you said 1, what would you do? I really don’t know. Probably ask someone more diplomatic then me if they would do the talking.
BLOGGING
I just posted to Sean's comment to my post about the Dixie Chicks. I know John didn't really envision these blogs as forums for debate but I like a little light hearted discussion between friends. Even though we seem to have different viewpoints, I respect Sean's opinions and his verbal acumen. I enjoy a little verbal sparring amongst friends without malicious intent. It comes from being raised in my Dad's large boisterous Irish family who debated about everything just for the fun. They got loud and intense but no one was ever offended or went away angry...boundaries were respected. So, point/counterpoint, I enjoy the game.
THE MOVIES
We saw X2 and The Matrix Reloaded yesterday and I thought both were excellent (gasp! even X2!). I had a few continuity issues with X2 and even muttered the hated phrase "That just doesn't make sense" once or twice but overall I was able to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the movie. Oh, and if I were Jean, I would've been ALL OVER Wolverine....Scott is a dweeb.
I'd heard mixed reviews of The Matrix Reloaded from friends and the critics so I really wasn't expecting that much and, as a result, I was pleasantly impressed. There were a couple of fight scenes that went to long but it still didn't seem that long of a movie. I was never bored. And I enjoyed the comic relief...the movie didn't play as ponderous and metaphysically heavy as the first. I can't wait to see the next one. We also saw previews for The League of Extraordinary Gentleman before both movies and I definetly want to see that one. I told Larry I thought the concept (taking adventerous and dubious characters from literature and making them into comic book style heros) was brillant and he just gave me a contemptuous look and said "The comic book has been around for years." Well....what do I know!? Anyways, I'm looking forward to it.
1) Desk job or manual labor?
I can’t stand being trapped in a cube all day and I know I wouldn’t enjoy working outside in crappy weather. I guess any job that lets me change my surroundings often.
2) Sports bar/pub or ritzy nightspot?
I really enjoy just hanging out with friends in pubs but sometimes its fun to get dressed up and enjoy a nice cold Martini on a big velvet couch.
3) Camping or resort?
When I was a kid we spent equal time each summer camping in the mountains and staying at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, Ca. I can appreciate both.
4) Strip club or private dancer (as at a bachelor party)?
Strip club.
5) Planes, trains, or automobiles?
I love going places in the car because you have more freedom. The train was fun but a bit inconvenient. I really dislike the whole flying experience except for airport bars. I love airport bars!
6) God, Buddha, Satan, or the everlasting cold of absolute nothingness?
How about Elvis? He believed in helping others, he was good to his friends and he loved his mama. We’ll ignore his little problems with drugs, guns and personal hygiene. Ok, seriously, I’m pretty much your average run of the mill agnostic. I know I should believe in something but I just don’t know what that is.
7) Are you a wingman or pilot?
Both?
8) Pooh or Tigger?
Tigger
9) Tigger or Piglet?
Eyeore
10) New York City or Las Vegas?
New York New York Casino in Las Vegas.
Thought Provoking Question:
You and your partner are flying cross country. After some fun flirting and innocent messing around, your partner indicates that he/she would be interested in having some more adult fun in the airplane bathroom and becoming members of The Mile High Club. Do you join them or not?
No!
The Dixie Chicks
Ok…I just read on MSN where the Dixie Chicks were booed…again…at the CMA awards last night. What a bunch of ignorant country bumpkin yahoo redneck mofo’s. I know it makes me a hypocrite for criticizing other people for criticizing Natalie for expressing her opinion…but honestly…those people scare me.
American Idol
So last night Reuben was voted the new American Idol. I’m happy for him but I was really rooting for Clay. I’ve liked Clay since his initial audition and I was just excited he actually made it all the way to the top two. Larry said he heard some retarded radio DJ say Reuben wouldn’t win because he was black and America wouldn’t pick a black guy over a white guy. I’m so glad he was proved wrong.
The Movies
Tomorrow Larry and I are taking the day off work and going to the movies to see The Matrix Reloaded and X2. I’m excited about The Matrix but to be honest I’d rather go shopping than see X-Men. But Larry really wants me to go because he thinks I’ll like it so I’m going to sit through it. Every night at 9:30 we watch some X-Men cartoon on Cartoon Network so I’m pretty familiar with the characters. I annoy Larry however by constantly asking questions. Here is a paraphrase of our conversation last night:
Cindi: “I didn’t know Storm could fly”
Larry: “Of course she can fly, she can control the elements”
Cindi: “That doesn’t necessarily mean she can fly…that doesn’t make any sense…oh look…now Jean is floating…how can Jean float?”
Larry: “It’s just a cartoon, Sweetie”
Cindi: “That doesn’t make any sense…this show is stupid.”
I know it’s just a cartoon but the good X-guys are always getting dupped by the bad X-guys. Last night the plot revolved around Mystique tricking Scott by pretending to be his little brother. Just about every episode involves Mystique tricking someone by pretending to be someone else. Why do they keep falling for it? Any why are the bad X-Guys bad? What’s their motivation? I don’t think Magneto is evil. He’s just misunderstood. I’m also confused by the link between X-Men and Spiderman. Yes I know they’re produced by the same comic book company (Marvel) but why do some of the X-Kids show up in the old Spiderman cartoons but they never mention him on the X-Men cartoon. This is stupid…I have better things to think about it. Like Brie said, three more months to football!!!
1) Beer or wine? Beer but sometimes wine is better with dinner.
2) (insert answer from #1) or mixed drink? Vodka Martini
3) Downloaded MP3s or store-bought CDs? Read Larry’s answer – ditto.
4) Boxers or briefs? Panties
5) Hardcore or softcore (Skinamax)? Hardcore
6) Guns or bows/arrows? Who wrote this – Ted Nugent?
7) Football or baseball? What’s baseball?
8) (insert answer from #6) or hockey? What’s hockey?
9) Steak or chicken? Chicken
10) Dog or cat? Dog
11) Homemade porn or professional (studio)? professional
12) Cake or death? Cake
13) Lingerie or butt-nekkid? butt-nekkid
14) Lots of friends or just a few? just a few
15) Desktop or laptop? Desktop…not that I’m “allowed” to touch our new one yet!
I looked at the This or That and thought about doing it but then thought it wasn’t worth the trouble. In a nutshell: Chips, Zebras, Flowering Trees, Stuffed Animals, Right Handed, Large Family (I love my Dad’s huge Irish family), House (never lived in anything else), No Smoking, Candles, and I can’t remember the other one. I’m here at work today hopped up on caffeine (I had two cups at the house and then my friend Tracy brought me a Latte) desperately trying to work up the courage to tackle my inbox. It’s amazing how much crap people dump on your desk when you’re not around. I guess they figure you can’t say anything about it after the deed has been done.
I went out this weekend for the first time in months. Unfortunately my husband had other plans so I went out with two girlfriends. We went to Mayfest (an art and beer drinking festival held yearly in downtown Tulsa) to see a particular band play and then went to a bar later to see the same band play again. It turned out to be a really great evening even without Larry there. We have this circle of friends that range from our age down to twenty-one and it was humorous watching the twenty-three year old hit on Tracy who is thirty-three. She was polite to him but gently rebuked his advances. Poor Jeremy! I just enjoyed sitting outside, drinking some beers and listening to music. The rest of the weekend was quiet. We spent all day Saturday doing chores and Sunday I pretty much lounged around.
After much whining to Larry that we are poor and can’t possibly spend any money for the next year, I asked him on a whim to order a new computer for us from Dell. Our old desktop has been out of service for a while and we’ve been using Larry’s laptop for everything. The only problem with that is he takes it to work with him everyday. I need a computer I can use when I’m home during the day. Don’t ask me for the technical specifics on the machine – Larry has all that info. I do know he started with the basic model they have advertised for $499.99 and started adding upgrades. I think the final product was around $900.00. The first computer I ever owned was a 486 and it cost $700.00 so I don’t think $900.00 is all that bad. It arrived at his office today and we’ll probably set it up this weekend. Now we just need the satellite Internet thing.
I found some CD’s that have been missing for about nine months and that I’d thought I’d lost. Namely, U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind, The White Stripes – White Blood Cells and Tenacious D. It’s like buying all new CD’s!! I loaded them all into the Xterra’s stereo this morning and put it on random. I wanted to drive around all morning and just listen to music but alas I had to actually go in the building and work a while so I can pay for our new computer. Such is life!!
While I have some down time this morning as I drink my coffee I thought I'd make a quick post on a scattering of topics.
Music - After a very long dry spell of not buying any new cd's I've bought quite a few in the last two weeks. I wish I had the powers of articulation and verbal acumen necessary to intelligently review these discs (that's Sean's forte) but as I don't I will just briefly comment on what I bought and why.
The White Stripes - Elephant: I bought White Blood Cells because I was intrigued by all the hype surrounding the band - are they married or siblings? how can all that noise come from one guitar and a drum set, etc - and I loved the minimalist albeit noisy simplicity of it. When I heard Seven Nation Army for the first time with its chest thumping opening bass line (its actually Jack doing something funky (no pun intended) on his guitar) I knew I would quickly become obsessed with the new cd - and I have. The tracks range from down and dirty blues to sultry lounge to naively sweet fuzzy wah wah peddle pop. It's the perfect cd to blast through the headphones at work when you want to drown out the monotous chatter of your annoying co-workers.
Lisa Marie Presley - To Whom It May Concern: Ok, I just had to buy this one. Elvis' little girl making music of her own? C'mon. It's about what I expected - safe and boring although Lights Out damn near makes me cry. Lisa Marie's song about her Dad and life without him is poignant and emotional without being sentimental or maudlin. As a long time (sometimes obsessive) fan of Elvis its easy for me to get lost in the myth and forget that he was a real man with a real family. When Elvis died the music world lost an icon but Lisa Marie lost her Dad. She reminds us without looking for pity that her loss was the greatest of all. It heightens my appreciation for Elvis and immensely boosts my respect for Lisa Marie. The cd as a whole is overproduced and formulaic. She has a wonderful deep and husky voice but its hidden by an annoying layer of studio knob turning effects. I think her openly emotional singing style would be better suited to a more traditional sound (guitarist, bassist, drums). Hopefully the success of this cd will give her the courage to rely more on the artistry of her voice and lyrics and less on her producer.
Missy Elliot - Under Construction: I needed something funky and nasty and I got it. Love it!
Homelife and Work
I love being a contractor. Although I haven't abused the privileges I love knowing that I can come and go as I please and there's nothing my micromanaging nitwit supervisor can do about it. I left the office yesterday at 2:30 and ran some errands before going home and it was great. I've always been an independent autonomous person and I love being the manager of my own time. I have quite a few cook dates coming up and I'm really enjoying the creative exercise of desiging menus for people who have complete trust that I will make something they like. Cooking is equal parts science and art, technique and creativity and I think that's why I find it so appealing. It satisfies my analytical methodical self while letting me explore my creative self - a part of me I've been repressing for a long time.
Another aspect of part time status that I'm going to enjoy is spending more time at home doing things I've been putting off. It's absolutely gorgeous out here in the country and I want to tune up my bike and get some exercise on our country roads. I also want to start doing my yoga again. My plan is to do yoga every morning before work and go in to the office at nine instead of eight.
That's it for now. It was kind of rambling and disjointed but that's where my thoughts have been lately. If anything exciting happens I'll let you know!
1. What drinking water do you prefer -- tap, bottle, purifier, etc.?
Bottled
2. What are your favourite flavor of chips?
Salt & Vinegar or the Lime Tortilla chips. And Brie, don’t you just love those Utz chips!
3. Of all the things you can cook, what dish do you like the most?
Shrimp & Sausage File Gumbo. Yum Yum Give Me Some!
4. How do you have your eggs?
If fried, Sunny Side with the yolks extremely runny. If scrambled, still wet with a little cheese thrown in, especially feta.
5. Who was the last person who cooked you a meal? How did it turn out?
Larry made me scrambled eggs and bacon the other night for dinner and it was yummilicious. Larry absolutely makes the best eggs ever. And they were farm fresh too!
Oklahoma is frickin' weird. First we had tornados, then we had copius amounts of rain and now the sun is out and its hot as crap - all in about two hours time. We had a least one person call to make sure we were still here but as fas as I know everyone is still coming to the party. I don't have much time...still have to finish cleaning, make the food and get dressed. I was going to do the Friday Five but let me sum it up by saying I'm not organized, I've never been organized and I never will be organized. I do, however, love organization. There is just a disconnect between my love of organization and my actual ability to make it happen. That's why I love Larry...he is super organized. I think I am his worst nightmare however although he seems to have relaxed greatly in the past five years. I guess he just figured that some things can't be helped. I have started putting my cd's back in their cases however which is a big improvement for me. Gotta go...things to do!
Tornado Update!!!
I posted earlier today about how Larry and I are fairly cavalier about tornados. About 10 minutes ago the storm chaser came on tv and said he was watching a dangerous area of circulation about two miles north of Collinsville. We live about two miles north of Collinsville. I told Kyrielle to stay by the closet just in case and went to look for Larry. And were was my husband and protector? Standing in the front yard looking up at the dangerous area of circulation. Normally I'm not too freaked out about the tornado warnings but its amazing how much more nervous you get when a child is present. My only concern was that Kyrielle and Larry stay safe. Luckily the storm weakened suddenly and moved out of the area. It's still a little dangerous here. Tornadic storms can literally appear out of air in a matter of minutes. Ane we're having a bbq later today for about twenty people. Woohoo!! I think by then all the storms will have passed but if people decided to stay home I wouldn't blame them. Oh, and by the way, we CAN hear the tornado warnings from town. They were rather loud a little while ago. I'm going to assume that we're still having guests and continue getting ready for the party. If anything exciting happens I'll be sure to post it (if the computer isn't blown into Kansas).
I agree with John that the whole blog process is more akin to a personal journal than it is to a message board or discussion forum but I, for one, enjoy getting comments and enjoy commenting. What I find so appealing about this blog thing is not only can I relate what is going on in my life but I can also keep up with the lives of my friends (as much as their comfortable exposing). I also believe that others wouldn't post potentially controversial or debatable opinions without expecting others to respond (I wouldn't). With that said, I also think we're all mature enough to take and defend opposing sides on various issues without deliberately offending others or becoming hyper defensive ourselves. If you feel you can't post a comment without offending someone then maybe you just shouldn't post it. I tend to comment a lot, and to blogs that really have nothing to do with me and I often hesitate before posting because I don't want to intrude into other people's business. But I also believe once your willing to post your thoughts you've made them public and accessible for commentary whether you really want comments or not. I'm sure just the exercise of posting your thoughts and daily activities is theraputic in and of itself but it would seem so isolating if no one were able to respond. We would all be like the boy in the plastic bubble, exposing our lives for all to see and watching others live theirs but never actually interacting. Call me needy but I like the feedback...it helps me feel connected to others who are far away.
I have a really hard time with these types of questions because I can never think of any songs. And I always think of the perfect song to list AFTER I’ve answered the questions.
1. Name one song you hate to admit you like.
Six Feet (is that the right name?) - Creed
2. Name two songs that always make you cry.
I don’t think any song makes me cry. Hurt by Johnny Cash puts a lump in my throat.
3. Name three songs that turn you on.
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
Something – The Beatles
In A Little While – U2
4. Name four songs that always make you feel good.
Beautiful Day – U2
Fresh & Clean - Outkast
Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
She’s a Lady – Tom Jones
5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without.
Unforgettable Fire – U2
High & Dry – Radiohead
Guitars & Cadillacs – Dwight Yoakam
Suspicious Minds – Elvis
Anything by Frank Sinatra
Asperger’s Syndrome
I just read the links from Brie’s post about Asperger’s Syndrome and without going into too much detail it actually describes me quite accurately as a child, down to the obsessive fascination with one subject and being uncoordinated. I don’t think I had any disorder though – I was just a dork. I will say however, that given my inability to socialize well with other children, I wish I had been home schooled, at least through junior high and the first part of high school. I remember going into junior high a fairly confident albeit bashful child and leaving as a completely demoralized frightened shell of a person who could barely say Hi to someone without stammering like an idiot and breaking into a cold sweat. And I blame the other kids in school for this. They honed in on a weakness (my inability to interact well) and tortured me with it for two years. I really didn’t have any friends during this period. But I’m going into detail….anyways….if Sebastian does have a neurological disorder that prevents him from interacting socially, public school may only make it worse. Why expose him to something he can’t cope with anyways? Sure there are tools he can acquire for getting along in school but why torture the poor kid if it isn’t necessary and may only hurt him? As a footnote, by the time I was a senior in high school I had adjusted fairly well to the social mores of school and had a pretty damn good time that year with my friends (I had a lot of friends by then). I’m still not the most charming person in the world but give me a cocktail and something good to talk about and I can hold my own.
Work
As of May 10th I will officially be a contractor. We still haven’t discussed my pay rate but I’m going to take Brie’s advice and ask for 1.5 times my hourly rate now. I’m kinda excited about this. Even though I will still be doing the same work, I will be working for myself and I will set my own schedule. Want to take the afternoon off and go shopping? Go right ahead! It will only be for about three months (I hope) so it should be tolerable. If I happen to obtain a full roster of clients (unlikely) before then, I will terminate the relationship earlier. Another contractor here at work told me however that it is customary for contractors to give thirty day notices when they want to leave. Everyone in the department knows now and the reactions were about what I expected…shock and panic. Shock that I would quit this dream job to start my own business (big risk!) and panic that my workload would fall onto others. Remember, accountants are by nature risk averse and set in their ways (a few reasons why I don’t fit in). After I assured some people they would not have to do my work, things calmed down and some people were interested in my new venture. The A-Hole accounting supervisor seems to be highly pissed at me however. He’s barely spoken to me or looked me in the eye since he found out from the CFO yesterday. I think he’s either A) paranoid that he will have to do my work or 2) jealous that they’re letting me come back as a contractor and set my own hours. I’ll still have to report to him as far as how many hours I’ve worked in a week but I won’t have to account for every minute I’m out of the office like I do now. He will have no control over when I come to work or how long I stay and I think that just burns him up. Too bad sucker!!! Update! I actually wrote this a few days ago but haven’t gotten around to posting it yet. I did take Brie’s advice and asked for 1.5 times what I’m making now. My CFO, who used to do contracting work, agreed this was reasonable. She just has to clear it with her boss. This is actually more than I was going to ask for (that’s my little self esteem problem – always undervaluing my worth). So a big thanks to Brie for helping me get what I deserve!!
My Real Job
I’ve never been a big believer in that Oprah brand of spiritualism that says everything works out for the best if you just think positively and let it happen. I’m more of a believer in life is a struggle and you have to work hard and fight for what you want. Believe me, I would rather see the world through Oprah’s eyes but sometimes I’m just too cynical. Anyways, since I made the firm decision too quit and convinced myself that not only would my business be successful, but it would happen shortly as well, I’ve seen a marked increase in interest in my business. I had a great consultation with a client last night who will probably be a repeat customer, I scheduled a catering event for next week, and I got a message yesterday from someone who wants to buy a gift certificate. Is this all happening now because I’m vibrating positive energy into the universe and its being returned to me? Could it really be Karma? Who in the hell knows….I’m just glad its happening.