Can we block the channel?

I'm beginning to fear for my sanity. Today, I totally got sucked into a Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami marathon that my husband was watching. I actually found myself intrigued by the family's exploits, and (help me) interested in what was going to happen next. How irritating. You know, I got up during a commercial, went into the kitchen, but when the show came back, I totally hoofed it back to the sofa to see the rest of the episode. This bothers me! I don't like these shows, and between Brian's interest in Jersey Shore and the Kardashians, I feel like I'm getting too interested in them for my own good. I've got way too much other television to watch to get caught up in all this other stuff. Someone please take E! away from my husband, for my sake.
However, not all Brian's influences today were bad ones. We also went to IHOP to eat pancakes for dinner.

Tired from driving all day!

I never understood how someone could get so tired by just driving, but I know that there is a real scientific explanation behind it. I'm sure it has something to do with all the mental focus, and the physical control over the car. But honestly, you've been sitting for hours. You get out of the car and you're tired? Where is that fair? I've been exhausted ever since I got home, and all I can think about it crawling into my bed and passing out for a few hours. I'm so tired! ... From driving!! That's so wrong!
Aside from that, I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around the fact that today is Friday. I keep thinking that it should be Sunday or Monday. I saw a thing for True Blood earlier tonight, and I got all excited because I thought it would be on tonight. Disappointment! Instead, I didn't watch anything too interesting, and sat on the sofa, getting more and more tired as every minute ticked by on the clock.
Almost 10 pm.! Time to go to bed!!

I hate watching "Jersey Shore"

I'm honestly at a loss as to what to tell you about right now. My husband poisoned my mother, and now, in my mom's home, I'm stuck watching Jersey Shore. And I'm watching it. Honestly watching it, and hating myself for it. Grr.
I have no idea what to type about tonight, because I keep getting sidetracked by this ridiculous show. So I'll just give up the blog for the evening, and catch it later.
So tired, and I must put this away now. Because all the housemates are on their way out for their first night in Miami.

I'll be checking my e-mail every day

Well, that's just icky. I didn't get the job, and I'm pretty disappointed by that. I like it better when people call me with good news, but that can't always be the case, can it? On the up side of the down e-mail, the managing editor asked me if I'd be interested in being considered for another editorial position that they'll have available at the end of August. So really, they liked me a lot; I was the second choice; the first choice said yes after a few days of deliberation (while I waited); they wanted to know how bitter I would be about not getting the job I wanted; and they have already considered me for a different position almost immediately. This is good, if it works out that way. It's only a matter of weeks until I know something. I'll try to not be too eager to hear from them. That's go well, I'm sure.

From non-pizza to ice cream

Okay, I am absolutely exhausted. We were up at 6 a.m. today, in the car by 7:30 a.m., and rolling into Mom's driveway at 3:30 p.m. We did pretty well for time, and happily missed every one of the eight highway patrol cars we saw or passed by on the highway. Sydney rocked the drive, per usual, and it was nice to have Mom in the car with me so we could chat.
Have you ever heard of a pizza place closed on Monday nights? My very favorite pizza place, from which we always order pizza when I'm here, is closed on Mondays. It's ridiculous, I think, because when I want their pizza, I should be able to get their pizza. Anything else is unacceptable. Instead though, Mom, Lisa, Sydney and I went to dinner at my favorite Mexican food restaurant in town. I'm quite full. But you know, I was full after dinner, and had made just enough room in my tummy for the cookies for dessert. But then Mom's all, "You gonna have ice cream with that?" I'm all, "No, I'm good with the cookies. I've been eating the cookies straight up all day." She says, "Well, this is more of a dessert thing, and that means ice cream." I say, "Oh, okay, I guess." And then there was ice cream in front of me, too. I ate it. Now, I'm super full.
I have no idea what we're going to do tomorrow. The mystery of it is fantastic.

Maybe next year?

Brian and I spent some time tonight figuring out how to post a video to YouTube. This is why I need a new iPhone. We posted a video of Sydney playing in one of those dancing fountains. I was able to share it via Facebook, too. Pretty cool, you know, once you get all your technologies moving together in a (somewhat) seamless partnership. I'm pretty pleased with this, I must say. But also, I need the phone with the video camera, because it's super cool. And with it, I can post videos to YouTube, and then to Facebook.
I think I'd like to make it to Comic-Con one year. It's an event that started out as a comic book geek convention, but has since grown to be one of the coolest entertainment gatherings there is out there. I guess I need to start considering myself to be a sci-fi, action figure, superhero geek, too, as almost all of the presenters, actors and guests are people that I would totally stand in line to see talk about their movies and shows. I've been following the convention's coverage over the last several days, and am crazy envious of the attendees. (The post's image is a picture recently taken of Joss Whedon, Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin, the men of Firefly, one of my favorite canceled-too-soon television shows, and a popular Comic-Con topic.)
Oh yeah, and we're watching Ninja Assassin.

Yes, "Ninja Assassin" is in my home

After an entire day of jumping every time my phone rang, and my stomach sinking every time I checked my e-mail, I received an e-mail from the Maybe Job stating that they had issues today, and would be making their calls on Monday. That's good; because I really need another day like today. Still, the e-mail made me feel like it was written to me specifically, and that maybe, just maybe, this job may pan out to my advantage. Until Monday then, we won't think about it.
Brian and I watched the movie, Leap Year, tonight. I need to take a moment and consider what it is that sometimes makes me choose the movies I choose for our Netflix queue. Two of the three movies we have right now are ridiculous, Leap Year included, and I can't think of a reason why they are in my house. (The one good one is Invictus.) Brian sometimes asks me what makes me pick a movie, and it all comes down to a random, quick decision. Is it new? Does it look at all interesting? Will Brian and I be in a weird mood and decide that we simply MUST watch Ninja Assassin? You have to be prepared for each of these scenarios.

It's all about the pretty, yes?

So, obviously, I've been busy on the blog tonight. There's a new template designer on Blogger, and I thought to just play for a few minutes. well, 45 minutes later, and I've got an entirely new background, and all the colors and fanciness to match. I really loved the purple, but I think this pink is really a good example of where my head and heart are at lately: kinda fancy, pretty, and laid back. The stripes at the top, actually, are my favorite part of the whole thing. Also, the boxes. The whole thing I'm loving, the more I think about it.

No news is good news, I guess, because I've had no news on the job. I hate this feeling, where I'm afraid to answer my phone or check my e-mail. My stomach gets all tweaked out and my nerves are shot. I fear the ring. I've already decided though, to let the call go to voice mail. They can leave me a message and give me a moment to collect myself before I talk to them, I think. So, tomorrow could either be a really good day, or a super sad one. Blah, blah, blah, nervous.
Also, on FarmVille, the programmers have chosen a New England-style theme for the next couple weeks. I was able to buy a lighthouse. Owning a lighthouse is one of my random hopes and desires, so putting one on the farm tonight was, for me, totally awesome. (Secret: I have a small lighthouse, about four feet tall, in Mom's storage unit, waiting for me to have my own backyard so I can install it there. I haven't forgotten you, my lighthouse!) For now, as lately, I have the farm.

There's good karma in a shady spot

Well, I actually think that interview went well this morning. My first clue was that I got a shady spot in which to park the car for the appointment. I had bought my Starbucks in plenty of time, had dropped off a smiling Sydney to play with her friend while I was "working," and was comfortable in my outfit. All good omens when walking into an interview, yes? I had to wait about 15 minutes, but the time itself went rather quickly. The vice president was a cool guy, the girls were as cool as they were last time, and I think I'd like working there. They will call me by the end of the week with the good or bad news, and would like a start date of mid-August. That works fine with my calendar, I think. Let's get this party started, shall we?
As of now though, the party needs to go to bed. My head hurts.

Maybe if I bring some pretty cupcakes

I was not at all prepared for a family sick weekend. Brian and I had great plans, and Sydney was going to stay in Tucson with Lisa. I told you all about that. What surprised me was the intensity with which this illness also kicked Brian and I in the gut, keeping us in bed and too weak to stand for more than a minute or two all day Saturday. I've never left my girl to her own distractions as much as I did Saturday, doing little more than setting up her pillow and blanket on the sofa, settling the television to Nick, Jr., and getting her water or a snack here and there when she woke me up for it. She was still recovering, too, so she slept away the day plenty as well, but I honestly can not tell you what my kid did all day. I was too out of it to notice. Even Brian asked me Saturday night about what Sydney had done all day. She slept, drank water, and was a rock star kid who survived on her own just fine while Mommy and Daddy suffered. As I told Brian, I guess that's what happens when you're elbow-deep in vomit for 36 hours. You catch the bug, too.
* * A big shout-out to Katy, who brought us Gatorade! * *
Anyway, we felt a lot better yesterday, though only left the house for a short and ultimately painful lunch experience. Today, we felt even better. Still, I broke a sweat making Syd's cereal. I made it to the gym, but did only a minimal workout, since Dan didn't want me passing out on the floor. Sydney and I spent the rest of the day at home, after a short trip to the grocery store.
While at home though, I did my homework for the second interview at the potential new job tomorrow morning. (Another shout-out to Nicole, who is watching Sydney for me while I'm doing the pretty!) They want story pitches and ideas for the site. I had planned on getting all that done by Sunday afternoon so I could think on them all day Monday, and then have them prepared perfectly for Tuesday morning. Sick ruined that plan, so instead, I brainstormed my pitches and ideas this afternoon, hastily typed them up, and then e-mailed them tonight to my interviewer. My remaining sick, what there is of it, and the haste with which I completed my homework bodes well for the interview, as I always interview better when I'm slightly off my game.

Pretty flowers are better than vomit

You never realize what a treat it is to have a kid who doesn't throw up all over the place, until you have a kid who throws up all over the place. I had perhaps one of the longest nights last night, as Sydney's stomach decided to evacuate itself about five times throughout the dark hours, starting at 11:30 p.m., and the final event happening at 4:30 a.m. this morning. It was awful: so much dirty laundry, and so many dirty linens and stuffed toys. Perhaps the worst part was the fact that Bear got nailed in the first explosion, so Sydney had to sleep last night without Bear for the first time in her life. That did not go well. I changed her bedding three times, used up countless towels, and we went through three changes of clothes. Poor baby girl. More heartbreaking was that she felt she needed to apologize for "coughing," and then reassure me by saying, "I'm okay, Mommy. I'm okay." She ate nothing but a couple Cheerios all day, and drank nothing but water (not by her choice, by mine. She wanted milk. I said, "Uh, no"). She spent most of the day curled up on the sofa, and at bedtime, just crawled into bed without a story. Lullabies though, were still required. She's been sleeping for almost two hours now, and I'm hoping that this continues throughout the night. Please, please, please, no more vomit!!
All this, of course, comes on the night before Sydney was supposed to spend the night in Tucson with her Auntie Lisa, so Brian and I could have a night to ourselves. We didn't have any real plans, but we were looking forward to catching a movie and having dinner. Lisa came up to Phoenix anyway, as we decided to play the day loosely. Sydney was too sick to got to Tucson, but Lisa did do the awesome by volunteering to watch Sydney for the afternoon while Brian and I went to the movies. YAY!! We saw Eclipse. I am disappointed to say that I found the film to be pretty cheesy. Once again, so much DRAMA and ANGST. I get that they're all teenagers, but really. I got bored during the big, heavy, emotional scenes, and could do nothing but fidget until it got to the action sequences ... which I thought were good. So much heartbreak, and undying love. It got kinda ridiculous. I'll definitely get the DVD and watch the movie again, but today's viewing left me drained in patience for the characters, and anxious for the story's ending.

I once was cooler, but now I'm TOO HOT!!

Also, it was frickin' hot today, and it looks like it will be for the next several days. (A high of 114 degrees, and an overnight low of 94. 94!) I hate complaining about it, because there is nothing I can do about it. Also, it's just draining to bitch about something that lasts for six months out of the year.
Soon, this month will be over. I look at the end of July as our metaphorical "Hump Day." Once July rolls by, there is only August, September and October left to the summer. (Let's hope for less October heat then we've had over the last couple years!) It's getting to be the downhill side of the summer, and I'm looking forward to it.

Attitude versus actions should be the argument

I had another thought about Mel Gibson. I read this afternoon that Whoopi Goldberg has been defending the actor on her morning discussion show, The View, all week. To be clear, it seems that she's been defending him against the charges of racism due to the language he's been using in these tapes (allegedly!). She contends that as an African American woman, she would have a better feeling on his racist leanings then other people.
Sure, that may be true, but his loud, and angry, use of derogatory terms makes it pretty clear how he feels about other races and religions. Call it what you will, but it's not open, tolerant and accepting of anyone who's not Gibson himself. But here's the thing: racism, anti-Semitism, and basic hatred for people is an attitude. It's an attitude that people are legally able to have, and really, no one can change. No one is going to change Gibson's mind about African Americans, Mexicans, Jewish people, or women. And there's no law that says he can't have those thoughts and attitudes.
The issue here should be the actual violence that has been done to his ex-girlfriend, and possibly, his ex-wife. The girlfriend has the evidence and (presumed!) admission on tape. The behavior she's dealt with, and if he only hit her once, should not be tolerated by anyone, for any length of time. If she chose to hang with it for a while, well that's her choice, but her decision to leave is her own, too.
People on message boards are saying that she's doing all this for the money. You know what? If he hit her even once, or threatened her with violence, or scared her into fearing for her life or the life of her baby, she deserves any dollar amount she can get. This is the way of our society. If someone can't be punished by law, they are punished via the second-best way: their money is given away. I say, if she gets anything, good for her. You can't listen to those tapes and think that he was a calm individual, and that the reactions and taped conversations were anomalies. She deserves his money for the verbal and emotional abuse he put her through on the phone, and especially for any physical abuse.
And now, I'm done talking about it.

Z-z-z-z-z-Zingers, Zingers

I did the dumbest thing the other day. I bought a box of chocolate Hostess Zingers, along with Brian's box of Ding Dongs. Now, on the surface, Zingers aren't much; think of rectangular chocolate cakes, white cream inside, chocolate icing along the top. But, no kidding, drop some of those little delights in the refrigerator, and let them chill, and they become a wonderful, summery, chocolaty bit of fantastic goodness. Oh yeah, and I have a box of them. However, I have, in a moment of wisdom, only put a couple in the fridge. I hope I lose interest before I decide that there should be more in there.
ALSO: Exciting news! I got the e-mail request for a second interview this afternoon! I got homework, too. The e-mail came complete with three things for me to bring along to the interview: writing samples, some story ideas, and a few big ideas for the property. Homework! My mind is already turning though, and that's a good thing.

Okay, random postscript: Check out the Hostess Cakes web site, and they don't mention Zingers at all. They are, however, listed on the Dolly Madison Cakes web site, which is owned by the same company as Hostess. But take a look at all the Zingers' packaging, and it says Hostess. I wonder why that is. No big deal, of course, but weird.

I have no idea what year this was...

Oh, just because. Some of you may know why, and some of you may not. But for those that do, have a giggle. Today's the day, 42 years ago. I love you, Mommy and Daddy!!