Saturday, almost 11 p.m.

~ I think I found the linens I would like for my new bed. They're green, but a bright, sunny kind of green, not a kelly or lime green. The more I think about the bedding, the more I want it. I really hope Brian likes it, because if he does, it's on sale, and I'll go get it this week.
~ Pier 1 Imports lied to me when they sent that e-mail saying that all their spring stuff was in the stores and on display. Mom and I went to my local Pier 1 tonight before dinner, and were disappointed to find that none of the store's spring stuff was out. They still had a lot of good merchandise out, but nothing happy, pastel-y and springish. Grr.
~ Both Thursday's Burn Notice and Friday's Dollhouse are hanging out on my bedroom DVR right now. Guess what I'll be watching tomorrow afternoon during Sydney's nap, and in what room I'll be watching it!
~ I take advantage of Mom's interior designer's mind when she comes out to my house for a visit. We like to call this arrangement the Designer on Staff Whom I Don't Pay. Today, she designed my kitchen table's centerpiece; rearranged my bedroom decor lights, pictures and silk florals; took care of that one thing that I didn't like in the guest bathroom; and said, "Let's just put that vase and flowers away for a while." The only issue outstanding: where the hell to put Sydney's ride-along play horse, Marshmallow. There is nowhere aesthetically logical to put this toy.
~ Tomorrow, Mommy goes home, and Brian comes home. Sydney and I have a list of chores, errands and tasks to accomplish between those two occurrences.

Dun, dun, dun, dun .... GUACAMOLE

I bought this application/game for my iPhone called "Guacamole." It's quite awesome. It's like a whack-a-mole game, but instead of moles, you are required to hit the avocados and garlic that pop up from holes in a kitchen counter. The objects to avoid are the skulls, and the piles of poop. The poop is shaped in a perfect little poopy pile with (and this is the best part) flies circling it. And when you touch the poop by accident, it makes this fantastic little "ppfffttt" noise. Anyway, the point is to touch as many of the avocados and garlic bulbs as possible, thereby creating guacamole to feed the hard working guy after each level, and to avoid, of course, the skulls and poop.
I find that I am loving this game a whole lot. Sydney enjoys it quite a bit as well, and is very loud about the rules: "Don't touch the poop, Mommy!" "No skeletons, Mommy!" "No, Mommy, you don't touch the poop!"
Tonight, Sydney taught Mom how to play Guacamole. It was quite fun listening to Sydney exclaiming, over the dinner table, "No, Grandma, no! Don't touch the poop!" It was a close second listening to Mom whispering, "Shit," as she accidentally touched the poop, while trying to master the game on her own, minus the help from the toddler.

[Editor's note: Sadly, I could not find a picture of the game itself, or even better, the poop for you. Here instead, is the game's logo. BORING.]

iCool Thing That iHave To Have

ITEM!: I declined to take the job this morning. It was an awkward conversation, but went well. As I told Mom, I was nervous about the call, and actually had a good portion of the e-mail written before I canceled it, but gained confidence in knowing that this guy could not talk me into it. Enough of that!
ITEM!: I think I am needing one of these new iPads (don't love the name). It will take the place of my organizer, I think, with its nifty portable calendar, contacts list, notations and whatnot. I think that the 16GB device should be big enough, but I'd rather hedge my bets by getting the 32GB version. I don't think I'll have it with the 3G capabilities, because I am really enjoying the idea of having it independent of Internet and online interference. Of course, it'll still sync with my iTunes, and I'll have some cool apps on it, but it will not be my main source for applications and music and all that. Nope. It'll be all about the calendar, contacts, and random information. Oh yeah, and the books! I'll be able to purchase e-books for it, and thereby save trees! Awesome! Someone buy this for me!!
ITEM!: I can't believe that, at dinner tonight, it was the one strawberry margarita that pushed me over the edge into painfully full from eating and drinking. We didn't even have our coffee or our cheesecake. This is a travesty! Katy and I always get our Starbucks on the way home from dinner! Dinner tonight was special though, as we were treated to both Chris and Brian's company across the table from us. Yay! A big family dinner full of giggles was just what I needed tonight!
ITEM!: Brian leaves for Boston tomorrow morning, and Mom arrives for a weekend-long visit tomorrow afternoon! Yay a visit with my mommy!!

Back to hanging out

I know that this is the way wrong economic climate to be saying no to a job, but I think tomorrow morning, I will commit to that error. I did the pretty in my interview this morning. I listened, nodded, smiled, answered properly, and wowed them. And three hours later, I had an offer. The problem? The "mind-numbing" work that the interviewers themselves admitted was "tedious." I use quotes in that sentence because those are the actual words that they used. The job consists of reformatting web site documents from one type to another, sifting through the wording looking for bits that didn't transfer properly, and also checking legal statutes and changes in each document according to the state in which the company is headquartered.
I listened to all this and thought, "Well, that's cool for some people, but this is not at all what I do." I walked out wondering if perhaps taking this job would be the catalyst for a creative explosion in my off-work hours. Because this job was certainly not the place to do any writing, or article editing, or, my true love, preparing a magazine for publication.
I get that I should be happy to get a job, but there's something very heavy around my neck when I think of taking this job because it's a job, instead of taking it because it sounds like something I'd enjoy doing. Taking a job I already know I wouldn't like is a waste of everyone's time. And taking that job for an insultingly low salary is even worse.
I feel like I need to point out at this time that Brian, the guy who is cheering the loudest for a job, has totally got my back on this decision. As he told me this morning, "We need it, and it would be great if you got it, but if it's something that you'll hate, don't worry about it."
And then, as if to confirm my thinking, I found a listing for the perfect job for me this afternoon. A managing editor position for a trade publication here in town. This is exactly what I'm looking for, and I am perfect for the job. (Let's hope they agree.)
So, here I am, about to say "No thanks" to job. That's tops on tomorrow's to-do list.

The world's first cubicle

I've got a job interview tomorrow morning. The position itself is that of a Content Editor, though the job description has been remarkably vague. By way of the company's web site, I know that they do some kind of online document managing, or something like that. Honestly, the "About" page confused the hell out of me. Already though, I know that this job is like nothing that I've ever done before. That scares me a little; I won't lie. No bylines, no printing pages, no mechanics of putting together a magazine, which is my favorite part of my job. Having said that, I now wonder if this will be the best kind of job for me and my likes. That's what interviews are for, right? To check each other out?
It's weird that in my head, I'm feeling pretty confident about this one, and that now, I'm starting to get all upset about not being with my kid every day, like the job itself is a lock or something.

"Hello, this is .. not ... George .."

ITEM!: Tonight is Conan O'Brien's last night hosting The Tonight Show. I haven't seen the show yet, I'm still 40 minutes away from it starting. But I'll tell you something, I'm super glad that I can go back to not giving a care in the world about late-night television ... until Jay Leno retires. Then I'll probably get all indignant about who NBC will want to replace him. Who will it be? (Perhaps a woman? No! Not at night!! Chicks only do good TV during the day!) Will Jimmy Fallon be a stronger night-time television force? Only time, ratings and Jay's health, will tell.
ITEM!: I got a call this afternoon about my resume. The call itself was from a guy who works for a company that does the job searching for bigger companies. The position is a "Content Editor" for an unnamed company in my town, which is good. The catch? Only $12 an hour for the 90-day grace period, and then the pay moves up a bit more. Not a whole lot more, and still less than what I was getting at my last job. Anyway, this guy, Sam, forwarded on the company's test for the applicants, which I did and sent back to him almost right away. The test was a bunch of textual changes, format changes and file changes to some text. I imagine most of it was just to see if I could follow directions properly, and if I understood what a strikethrough is. The test took all of 15 minutes, and I sent it back. Sam tells me that he should hear back on Monday, and therefore will get back to me on Monday. When asked, I told him that I could interview as early as Tuesday morning, but then wouldn't be available again until Thursday morning (preschool, you know!). Sadly, I have no presentable interview clothing. If this guy calls me Monday afternoon for a Tuesday interview, I'll be rushing to the mall for some new black pants!
ITEM!: I did watch some of the Hope for Haiti telethon on television tonight. I'm torn when it comes to these celebrity-manned phone lines. I mean, you can't call in and donate only $10, because that would look super cheap in front of the celebrities. But wouldn't it suck to donate $500 in the hopes of talking to someone cool, like Jack Nicholson, Bono, Ellen Degeneres or George Clooney (YES, PLEASE!), and ended up chatting with Brad Pitt's beard, Beyonce or someone obscure that I wouldn't recognize? I mean, don't get me wrong, it would be awesome to talk to any of them, but given the odds, I would totally rather chat with someone I would love to scream from my blog and Facebook that I met.
ITEM!: Tomorrow, we roll down the 10 to Tucson for the "G." Family Christmas ... a bit later. Still, a deep-fried turkey! Fun with the family! More presents for Sydney! Short, but entertaining road trip! Awesome!

Bad weather = mass hysteria

Let's take a moment and talk about the weather. It's raining. It's been raining quite a bit this week. Which is weird for the desert. I was telling Mom this on the phone this morning: our meteorologists out here have so little to talk about here in the desert that when something big is happening, they get so excited!
Our local ABC guy, the awesome (though he's a Wildcat) Bill Bellis has been telling us about the El Nino effect on the weather predicted for this winter in Arizona. Us desert dwellers are all, "Yeah we'll believe that when we see it." I'll tell you, Bill Bellis is having such a blast on the news right now. He's bursting with professional pride that the weather phenomena he's been predicting is happening. (That's not to say that he's enjoying the mayhem that comes with a storm like this. Clearly, there is a lot to be worried about, and cautious of, when weather like this rolls into a populated area. No one enjoys it when destruction happens among people and property.)
So here is how the people of Arizona handle this: they continue to drive through running flood water and get their cars stuck; the governor declared a state of emergency throughout the entire state; they declare a tornado warning; they suggest that everyone stay inside their homes. I only wonder when they'll tell us all to go lay down in our bathtubs, or stand in the doorjambs. No joke, this whole state has gone mad.

I just now thought of "Wanda"

STILL 37: Last night, I chose to read a book instead of dally around on Facebook ... or do anything on my computer actually. So, that meant, quite obviously, no blog. I actually spent the entire evening sitting on the sofa reading, too. it was close to midnight when I went to bed. If the hour was closer to two, it would have better resembled my life before I had a kid, when all I had to deal with was a husband and a dog who set up camp on my lap the second I sat down. It was nice though, to completely ignore everything in my life except the pages in my hands.
STILL 37: Tonight's television is totally up my alley. Two new shows, Life Unexpected and Human Target, are my new happy places. Weird, that two shows on the complete opposite ends of the scale -- Life Unexpected is about a 15-year-old foster kid who now is making a life with her birth parents, and Human Target is about a bodyguard/protector who takes on crazy dangerous assignments and, of course, saves the day -- could both be on the same night, and both make my DVR work a bit overtime.
STILL 37: David Hasselhoff is going to star in his own reality series. Charlie Sheen's wife is considering reconciling with him ... after he (allegedly) pulled a knife on her in a fight. Conan O'Brien is gearing up for a Friday exit from The Tonight Show. Crazy. That's all.
STILL 37: I've been planning some changes to my FarmVille farm, and I'm kind of excited. But I'm also somewhat unsure of what I really want to do, so I'm taking my time about making any decisions. Though I did decide that the one piece of land will now be devoted to flowers. I already grew a lot of lavender, but now will be harvesting a steady stream of daffodils and pink roses, too.
STILL 37: I'm having a good time coming up with my list for next week when Mom visits! Yay girls' weekend!
STILL 37: I saw this picture, and even though it's just labeled "Angelfish" in the Blog Photos folder on my desktop, I had a fleeting but powerful thought. I heard, in my head, so clearly and unmistakably, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, call Ariel, "Angelfish." It was awesome, this weird moment in my head, and I realized that I simply must, must, must use this picture tonight. Even though it made no sense in regards to the blog post's content.

37

Yeah, yeah, yeah, birthday!
37: Sydney took me to lunch at Cheesecake today. My dear brother, Jeff, wanted to know if we drank at all. I said that no, it was a dry lunch. He scoffed at this, because apparently, the last time he and Sydney went out, she got drunk and danced on the table. Anyway, I have not yet eaten my cheesecake. Once this post is published though, it's on.
37: I also spent some time going through my closet and dresser drawers collecting donations for the Big Brothers, Big Sisters charity that will be coming through my neighborhood next week. My goal, weirdly, is to get one bag from Sydney's closet (CHECK!), two bags from my closet (HALFWAY CHECK!), and two bags from Brian's closet (NOT EVEN CLOSE TO CHECK!). This will be a challenge specifically because Brian is a pack rat about clothes. It wouldn't be hard to find two bags worth of stuff to ditch in B's closet (he's got a lot that he doesn't wear anymore), if he would participate and cooperate at all with me.
37: It's been rainy here all day, and should be more so all week. I am incredibly excited about this! I love it when we have real weather here! And that it will last all week is even better!!
37: And as I mentioned on Facebook, there is nothing better, I discovered, than having my baby girl walk up to me several times today, at random times, and sing the birthday song to me. She knows all the words so well, and her little voice if so awesome! I swear, I almost cried every time.

Golden Globes: always good fun

Good and bad from tonight's presentation of the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards. You know I love me some awards shows. Tonight's brought it all to me happily, with whipped cream on top. Here are my happy thoughts, and WTF moments.
GOOD:
~ Ricky Gervais. Do you have to be in the right mood to appreciate this guy as a host? Perhaps, but I was, so I enjoyed him.
~ Robert Downey, Jr. Someone who, even as a joke, didn't "thank" anyone, and considered the entire movie's success a testament to himself was awesome, and refreshing as hell.
~ A picture of Josh Duhamel holding the umbrella for wife, Fergie. In fact, a shout-out to all the umbrella holders on the red carpet. You all rocked.
~ Neil Patrick Harris and his boyfriend. That is all. Yay!
~ Sandra Bullock getting some props. And her incredible speech and words about Jesse James. So sweet!
~ Kate Hudson's fierce dress. I think it may be my favorite of the night.
~ The Hangover winning!! The broader comedies are usually not winners at these big, fancy award shows. Hurray to the Hollywood Foreign Press for choosing the same movie that most everyone in the country would have said was the funniest movie they'd seen this year. Even the clip had Brian and I in giggles!
~ A picture of Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox standing in line at the bar together.
~ Gervais' comment about drinking and Mel Gibson! Fantastic! The best parts were when he made the crowd gasp!
~ George Clooney going in for the congratulatory kiss for Julianna Margulies as she made her way to the stage. True love! Doug and Carol FOREVER!!
~ GLEE!! I'm so excited that one of my favorite shows of the year is getting the recognition it deserves!
~ Meryl Streep winning for Julie & Julia. Loved it!!
~ Jennifer Garner, who didn't seem to be there for any on-camera reason, but looked super beautiful.
~ Gerard Butler is so pretty, too.


BAD:
~ James Cameron and Avatar. I do not like James Cameron as a person, which makes it difficult to like anything he's done since he became a jerk after Titanic's success. I would have rather seen Kathryn Bigelow win for The Hurt Locker, and any other movie win for Drama.
~ NBC and E! on the red carpet. These people are ridiculous and irritating. Why, oh why, do the bottom of the barrel in entertainment intelligence get these plum red-carpet assignments? Where are the real journalists, who won't accidentally say something rude (I'm talking to you, Billy Bush), or ask a top-level stupid question? I couldn't watch the coverage, no kidding, because it was so awful!
~ Julia Roberts. I get that she's got a few kids now, and doesn't get out much in Hollywood anymore, but please. Couldn't she have put forth a little effort?
~ Mickey Rourke's completely random cowboy hat, and the facial expressions on the audience members when he rambled onto the stage to present an award.
~ William Hurt's beard. Ugly. Why didn't he shave, or at least trim that nest up a bit?
~ No love for Up in the Air. I have not seen this movie, but I know that when I do, I will love it. I'm bummed my movie-boyfriend George Clooney didn't get any props.
~ That thing on Drew Barrymore's shoulder.
~ George Clooney's beard and his new girlfriend's arm tattoo.
~ Also Cameron's partner, Suzy Amis, and her lack of hair product or even make-up. Another one who put little to no effort into her appearance. Don't give me a hard time. Really, these shows are made for looking pretty. If you don't even try, people are going to comment on it.

Tired, yawning, and now totally eager for the Oscars, I close up the laptop and go to bed. The earlier I sleep, the sooner I get to read coverage on tomorrow's web sites!!

Make 'em right, or not at all

We made the mistake yesterday of buying some sandwiches at Quizno's. It's weird. I used to love, love, love Quizno's. When I worked in Boston, there was a Quizno's right across the parking lot from my office building. I went all the time. The BLT sandwich (my go-to sandwich at most every subway and deli shop) was a delicious lunch, with plenty of mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce and bacon strips on yummy toasted bread. Couple that with a bag of barbecue potato chips and fresh-brewed iced tea, and the lunch was perfect.
Then, the chain took the basic BLT off the menu. Then, for whatever reason, it added a bigger BLT, with extra bacon, which included slices as well a crumbled bacon pieces. At the time, I thought, "Ew, crumbled bacon. Who eats crumbled bacon on purpose?" Then, for an even weirder twist, the company removed slices of bacon from the sandwich assembly line entirely. Yes, that means that every sandwich created with bacon, was thereby created with a pile of crumbled bacon. I can see that crumbled bacon is probably cheaper, just because crumbled bacon doesn't have to look as nice on a sub sandwich as slices of bacon. (If I'm wrong, let me know.) I assumed this was a financial decision.
Anyway, we had to visit a Quizno's for a quick pee stop for Sydney yesterday, and decided that, as long as we were there, we might as well pick up some sandwiches for lunch. I ordered my BLT on white bread easy enough. And then I saw it: the pile of CRUMBLED bacon scooped onto my sandwich, making it gross. I couldn't help it, I actually, physically grimaced, right there in the store. And I'm pretty sure I even said, "Ew. Crumbled bacon still? Who eats that on purpose?"
Of course, because I was hungry; had already ordered the sandwich; and fancy myself a martyr at times, I ate the sandwich when I got home. The crumbled bacon was just as icky as I remember it being all those years ago when I decided to boycott Quizno's because of it.
I wrote a letter to Quizno's early this morning:
"Good morning,
I would like to go on record as being completely un-enamored of your crumbled bacon bits instead of bacon slices on your sandwiches. I chose to boycott your stores a few years ago when you made that switch. Yesterday, I was pressured into eating at a local Quizno's, and was dismayed to see that you still use bacon bits instead of bacon slices. ... The boycott continues.
Kimberly Griffiths"
I do not require a response to this, and indicated that on the web site, but will be interested to see if I get one anyway. At any rate, as I said, "The boycott continues."

Notes from Cozy Chair, 11:08 p.m.

1.) That pile of magazines has grown again. And it's multiplied. Now there are two piles of magazines that are continuing to grow.
2.) There is a dead leaf on the big plant by the window.
3.) Oliver and Daisy are sleeping close to each other. Not along side each other, but close to each other.
4.) I can't wait for spring's bedding to arrive in catalogs and stores. I must get some stuff for this bed. The white blankets are beginning to bore me.
5.) Is Jeff Bridges stoned, right now, on The Tonight Show? Perhaps, but I'm kinda digging this song he's singing.
6.) My nose is cold, my toes are chilly, and I haven't been able to get too cozy on Cozy Chair tonight. This is because I didn't grab the blanket off the bed before I settled into the Chair.
7.) My water bottle is about two-thirds full still. I should have drank more water today.
8.) I was shooting for ten notes, but can only come up with eight right now. And this last one, totally should not count.

Mastering the Art of ... Just Cooking

Brian and I watched Julie & Julia tonight. I'm in a bit of a state about it. I've been in a mood about cooking and serving dinner lately (not that I've done it), and this movie, while incredibly intimidating, also was strangely motivating. Wouldn't it be crazy if I, at the age of almost 37, suddenly decided to start cooking? Like, for real?
It all comes down to the fact that I want myself, my kid and my husband to be better eaters. I now realize that I am the only person in this equation that can make that happen. It seems as though my cooking these "better" meals also is a necessity for this to happen.
I will not, by any means, tackle Julia Child's book. But I think perhaps Martha Stewart's Cooking School cookbook, aka "A Guide to Cooking for Non-Cookers," will be the one I'll try. You know what I like the most about this cookbook? It spells out everything. It teaches how to scramble an egg. Of course, I already knew how to scramble an egg, but reading a little recipe about it made me feel just that little bit more confident about it.
It all comes down to just trying it for the first time. And then practicing a lot after that.
Also, I need a table and chairs for eating.

"Let Jay go; leave Conan alone"

This NBC debacle has got me doing something that I've never done before: I am watching The Tonight Show.
My experience with late-night television was after Johnny Carson, though I remember the commotion over Jay Leno versus David Letterman well enough. And once Jay Leno took over The Tonight Show, well, I never was a fan, so I never watched. His monologue bugged, his jokes were limp and cheesy, and the special segments (especially Headlines and Jay-walking) were both boring and irritating.
Once the news came down (in 2004) that Conan O'Brien would be taking over Tonight (in 2009), I thought, "Well that's cool, since I prefer Conan, though I still probably will never watch it."
Now though, I'm watching Tonight out of protest. This evening, and every other evening unless something else happens, I will be one of the many numbers of viewers watching Conan's Tonight Show. I will be among the uptick in ratings for Conan. I will be among the supporters. I will be a voice on the Internets.
Here's what NBC should do:
1.) Back off of Conan. Let him work his Tonight Show how he wants, and he and the show will be fine. Let him create his own legacy. You promised him this opportunity; follow through.
2.) Fire Jay Leno. The guy's show is lame. Even my mom, who is a fan of Leno's, won't watch it anymore. He's no longer the host of Tonight, and his prime-time experiment has failed. He's lost so much credibility at this point, too.
3.) Create some decent 10 p.m. shows. That's all. Put some money into actual television. Remember that you are, in fact, a television network, to which people visit to watch shows. Good shows, too, please.
4.) Suck it up that you've made a mess of this. Revert! Revert! Get back into a normal schedule! This is blowing up bad so much bigger than anyone at that network ever imagined it would. As well it should have. Grab your big-girl panties, you guys at NBC, and deal with the decisions you've made. Let Jay go; leave Conan alone.

An end to the Tiger hunt!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so over this whole punishing Tiger Woods thing. Every day it seems that there is another article about another company cutting ties to the golfer. Today, GM announced that the company will no longer be providing free cars to Woods. This, after Accenture, Tag Heuer, and some others have cut Woods from their advertising campaigns.
And why this again? Oh yeah ... because he cheated on his wife. Wait. What? You mean he didn't kill someone? All he did was cheat on his wife? He didn't import weapons of mass destruction. He didn't try to destroy an airplane with his underwear. He didn't kick a puppy. He didn't crash into a school bus full of kids. So why, again, is he a pariah? Why, again, is he being dropped and kicked to the curb as if he did do all those much-worse things?
No one should be able to punish this guy but his wife. And certainly, no one should play a game of holier-than-thou in regards to this. Jeez, people are acting like he's the first guy to ever cheat on his wife! They're acting like he's the frickin' devil! Get over it, you crazy companies; leave the guy alone!

Yay Cardinals?

I think I've finally figured out my whole Apathy Towards the Arizona Cardinals thing. Brian and I discussed it at some length this evening on our way to brinner, and we decided on a couple key points.
1.) There's nothing wrong with liking the Cardinals ... now that they're relevant. By way of avoiding being on the bandwagon, the only rule is to not go overboard in our "like." That means no flags, jerseys or car stickers, of course. Not that we would anyway.
2.) Our appreciation for the hometown team is something that can be cheered. But having watched today's game, we also decided that, had they lost, it wouldn't have bothered us that much.
3.) I finally figured out exactly what is keeping me from liking the Cardinals too much. Remember all those years ago when the Cards were playing at Sun Devil Stadium? And remember when the team and its management bitched and moaned LOUDLY about how Sun Devil Stadium was so inferior for them as a team? Honestly, they made it sound so much like it was the stadium's fault that they sucked so badly. That pissed me off towards them. For this, weirdly, I hold a grudge. No one makes Sun Devil Stadium seem inferior.
4.) Having told you all that, now, I can appreciate the Cards as a team that is doing well, and I can cheer for them with little to no irony.

p.s. Still, I am totally irritated that the Patriots lost today. It all just makes me so much more mad about them losing the Super Bowl a couple years ago. They totally choked on their chance for history, and it still burns.

Potting plants is good for the soul

I made Brian and Sydney take me to Home Depot for some foliage purchases today. Having wandered through my home quite a bit over the last few days, I noticed that there were a few of my household plants that really should be replaced. The spider atop the bookcase in the office; Sydney's little plant; the spath in my bedroom; and the philodendron in the kitchen all were removed from pots, and replaced with healthier specimens this afternoon, with a little "help" from my friend.
Random statement: I love it when I've got potting soil all over my hands. It makes me feel like an Earth Mother.

Hunka, hunka, burnin' magazine :(

I found out yesterday that the magazine I worked for in Boston has become a victim to the Economy, and Lack of Ad Sales. Worse still, the magazine itself was going to celebrate its 100th year in publication in 2011. This is, to say the least, a drag. I don't know much about how this went down, or what will happen to my former coworkers, but I do know that my heart broke by the news. This was a good, efficient, helpful and informative magazine that was the absolute leader in its industry. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working on it, and consider it one of the best learning and working experiences of my life. I'm bumming. My first thought though, was for my former boss, who has helmed that magazine for more than 20 years. I'm hoping that everyone got shuffled to another magazine in the company rather than receive any pink slips.
How do you send an e-mail to find out how everyone is doing without it sounding like you're just fishing for gossip? I guess I'll just shoot off the note and let them know that I'm thinking about them. This is a sucky thing, that's for sure.

Also, today is Elvis' 75th birthday. Do you think that, if he was still alive, we'd be dealing with old-timer tours from him? Would he be playing Indian casinos, or have a theater in Vegas where he performs four nights a week? Or would he have killed himself again, with the more creative drugs and alcohol that have been developed over the last several years? Do you think I would have been able to see him in concert if he were still alive? Oh my goodness, do you think he might have actually officiated my WEDDING?? Hell, yeah!!

The lesser of two evils: 11:35 p.m.

And once again, Jay Leno's The Jay Leno Show may be moving time slots. It's no secret that Leno's new prime time show hasn't been doing too hot in the ratings. And apparently, the affiliates have been complaining about how the new show isn't holding up its bargain by bringing in the viewers for the local newscasts. I've just been bitching about the death of scripted television at the 10 p.m. hour, and the fact that Leno is still on TV.
Anyway, the new fix that is, as of now, just a rumor, is that Leno's show will be moved to 11:35 p.m., right after the local news, and will be only a 30 minute program. That shifts Conan's Tonight Show to 12:05 a.m., and Jimmy Fallon's Late Night to 1:05 a.m. I can't imagine that Conan would be at all pleased about this. NBC will have a lot of jewelry to buy for Conan and Jay if this goes down in such a way. The new schedule would go into effect after the Feb. 28 conclusion of the winter Olympics.
I'm all for this though. I've never liked the idea of a five-night, prime-time talk show before the news, when there instead should be good television available for viewing. This might be fun. Let's see how NBC is going to figure this out.

And then, there were ideas

I think I can finally move forward on Assignment 8 for my writing class. I've been sitting on this one for a while, simply because it asks for three original story ideas for which I need to create a plot, and then find three magazines to which I should pitch them. The hitch in my get-along there was simply coming up with the three original ideas. Also, the motivation.
Tonight though, I finally sat my butt down and worked through my three original ideas. I'm actually pretty happy with them, and am looking forward to flushing them out a bit more tomorrow and finding the three potential publishers. Let's get this assignment in the mail on Friday, right?
It's weird for me, you know, when I'm deliberately avoiding something that I know I should do, but for whatever reason, am too intimidated to dive into tackling it. This TASK sits on my shoulders, whispers in my ear, and gives me butterflies consistently. TASK is unmerciful, and it doesn't sleep. But the cool thing about TASK is that, like right now, once I've got the first portion figured out, I can ease my mind a little, and set it on a different course. Right now, for example, my head is no longer preoccupied with finding the three ideas I don't think I have, but instead, forming the ideas behind the ideas, preparing them for presentation.
I won't lie, I'm breathing a lot better tonight. Not the least of which is that now, if Katy or Mom ask me, I can say that yes, I am still working on my writing course.

Does the seat EVER get comfortable?

Because Lisa and I are so on the same page:
I attended my first spinning class this morning. I did my best, staying on the bike for the entire class, and definitely getting sweaty. The instructor told me that it would take more than a month to get the leg strength needed to keep up with the whole class. I'll be interested to see if it does take me that long. I'm eager to go again on Thursday (yes, I'm sticking with it!).
And all of this before I got the e-mail from Lisa, telling me that I need to get my butt into the gym, because (according to my blog) I am obviously being too stationary, and that is why I have no energy. My favorite part of the e-mail: "Grab your iPod and get into the gym, girl!" Lisa has now taken the lead charge in being my motivation, and to whom I will be accountable, for my new exercise and fitness regime. As she said in closing the e-mail, "I'll be checking on you!"
This is exactly what I need. And I'm so much prouder of the entire situation today because I had already taken the initiative this morning! And then Lisa also took the initiative and sent me one of the most perfect e-mails ever! (What would have made it more perfect? If the subject line said something about her being able to see my ass spreading from her front yard or something.)
I'm also feeling a bit like I'm on a weird, telecommuting exercise team now. Like, I'm being watched, from far away, but still close enough so that I can get a quick get-motivated e-mail at a moment's notice. Someone's watching me now, my peeps, and it's a good thing!

A fresh year = a fresh cupcake

And finally, all of Christmas is put away, safely boxed up in the garage, happily resting until next December. There isn't a single Santa Claus, snowman, reindeer, or candy cane sitting out anymore, and it feels and looks lovely. I know I've said this before, but after decorating for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, once January rolls around, it's so nice to have the place looking normal. And it will be lovely, until February, when we festivate for Valentine's Day, and then St. Patrick's Day and then Easter. Notice how so many holidays are in three-event bunches? Those three-month marathons just drive me batty. Anyway, I'm thoroughly enjoying my un-festooned home right now, and am eager to dig into my next set of tasks, projects and randoms. ... ... ...
Now that I think about it, I have a love affair with January. So much fresh opportunity, fresh possibilities, fresh slates, and fresh time frames for my to-do list. It's still cold, with months to go until it gets hella-hot. It's a bright future heading into the new year, with months ahead of me to get everything done, as well as procrastinate. The only real problem with January? That damn additional year added to my age.

No movie, but the entire sofa

I'm struggling with a distinct lack of energy lately. Ah, don't say anything, I know exactly why. I need to get my butt back in the gym ... and soon. I'm having a bitch of a time getting out of bed in the morning, I have no energy to run around, and I'm kinda just feeling blah. This is a bad thing, especially when trying to keep up with a toddler. Yuck. It's a crappy way to tackle the new year.
I didn't watch any movies today. Suddenly, that's weird. I've had two days chockablock full of movies this long weekend, and having not watched one today is a bit of a letdown.
Also, my dogs and I have relegated Brian to sitting on the red chair in the living room instead of the sofa, which is his heart's home. I'm on one cushion, Daisy's cooling on the center of the middle cushion (pushing her legs against me), and Oliver is on his back spread across a portion of the middle cushion and the entire third cushion. In his love, Brian knows that I'm only going to be sitting here for another minute or two, and that when I get up to go into the bedroom, the dogs will follow me. Then, he will have the sofa, and living room, to himself. He rarely exhibits such patience. I like it.
Picture: If Daisy's foot were a polar bear paw under water, it would look like this against the side of my leg.

A rose by any other name

I am not a big fan of roses. I can appreciate them, and do like the look of a bouquet (mixed colors, if you must, as only red is boring), but given the choice, I prefer my favorite flower bunch, a mixed seasonal bouquet. Roses, in my humble opinion, are overrated. (This works in Brian's favor, as I dislike getting roses for holidays, and Valentine's Day especially.)
I bring this up because I had thought that using the rose-scented hand lotion wouldn't be that big a deal. Instead, I am sitting here slowly being overwhelmed by the scent of roses, and considering a nice scrubbing of my hands. I think the only thing worse than rose scent is concentrated rose scent. And the only thing worse than that is not-quite-right concentrated rose scent. You can appreciate my problem now, yes?

A double feature? Most certainly!

ITEM!: As far as first days of the year go, I would say that this one was pretty decent. I got to sleep in a little bit; did some futzing around my house picking up this and that; had a yummy lunch at P.F. Chang's; mastered bell peppers; and caught a new movie. Sydney didn't nap at all this afternoon, so a quiet after-bedtime evening has descended.
ITEM!: The movie, Paranormal Activity, managed to freak me out, even though I had Brian prepare me for everything that would happen on screen. I hate those kinds of movies. Everyone knows this. I was pressured, rather ungallantly and selfishly, into watching this with him tonight. Thankfully, it was an early showtime in our home, so I can now go into the bedroom and watch Terminator: Salvation before going to sleep.
ITEM!: I am unable to take down all my household Christmas decorations until Tuesday, when Sydney is at school, but have managed to put away little bits here and there. This afternoon, the Christmas dishes were put away, and now the plain, boring, non-reindeer plates and glasses are back. Nothing else can be done without moving Brian's car out of the garage and digging into the boxes. And for that, I continue to avoid upsetting my kid and having to negotiate every piece of decoration put away, by waiting until Tuesday.