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| Friday, April 29, 2005 |
| Still Changing |
| These will not be the colors, do not be alarmed! Stay tuned! |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Things are Changing |
| Please excuse our appearance while we are under construction.... |
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| ****************************************** |
I like astericks. I like the way they kind of look like stars. I like the way they are narrow and then bubble out at the ends. If I had any talent I would make astericks the theme of my blog template. I thought about it. I even attempted it (see below) but even if I were pleased with this attempt, I don't have a photo hosting site.
Ever have a friend who is constantly offering to "do it for you," rather than taking the time to show you how to do something? (*cough*Paul*cough*--Ah, there's another good use for astericks. ) But then this friend gets really busy and never does it. So you're still stuck--you still don't know how to do it, nor will anyone do it for you. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Thursday, April 28, 2005 |
| Whatever I feel like, Gosh! |
| Napoleon Dynamite: [referring to Deb's milk] I see you're drinking 1%. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| WTF Welding |
Remember my post about my plunge into the welding trade? Here's a picture of my mom and Cavi's parents admiring my welds.
The WTF?!? expression on the face of Cavi's mom is classic. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| I defy you!! |
I think today the powers-that-be have decided they want to see me cry. Happy tears, sad tears, they don't care, they just want to see me cry at work.
It's not even 11am and I've had my feelings hurt/sensibilities offended twice already today to the point where I felt the chin quiver coming on.
I shake my fist at you, powers-that-be, I have a no-crying-at-work rule. I won't do it. I won't give you the satisfaction. haHA! |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Wednesday, April 27, 2005 |
| 10 Things I Like About Being Single (in no particular order) |
Because I don't have the right to complain about something I'm not actively trying hard enough to change (ahem), not only am I going to cease to complain about it (in this post) but I'm going to celebrate my singlehood.
- Usually, there's no possible chance that I'll accidentally get pregnant
- If I felt like it, I could go for weeks without shaving (as long as I wore pants)
- I don't have the annoying habit of saying "we don't like sushi; we hated that movie; we find her singlehood offensive
- I don't have to check in with anybody
- I don't have to pretend to like his friends or his family
- I don't have to factor anybody else's likes, dislikes, dreams, or wishes into my plans
- I don't have to share my financial situation with anyone
- I can sleep in the shape of an "x" on my bed
- I can read in bed with the light on for as long as I want to
- I can hang out with my girlfriends on the spur of the moment
I really should celebrate my freedom, not mourn it. Then, when and if I find someone that is worth my giving up this freedom for, I'll know he's pretty special.
Oh, here's another good reason to stay single. In the words of Eddie Izzard (I'm in a very Eddie sort of mood today:
And Henry VIII, a big hairy king, went up to the Pope and said, "Mr. Pope! I'm gonna marry my first wife, then I'm gonna divorce her. Now, I know what you're gonna say, but stick with me. My story gets better. Second wife, I'm gonna kill her! Cut her head off. Ah, not expecting that, are we? Third wife gonna shoot her. Fourth wife, put her in a bag. Fifth wife, into outer space. Sixth wife, on a rotissamat. Seventh wife, made out of jam..." and the Pope is saying, "You crazy bugger! You can't do all this, what are you a Mormon? It's illegal. What have you been reading? The gospel according to St. Bastard?" |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Bailey's Weekend |
| Here are the pictures from this weekend. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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How come Mia won't come over and pay with me?  |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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I don't mind her taking my picture, but does she have to make that goofy face?? |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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Please scratch my belly! Please, please, please! |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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Look at my big brown eyes and try to refuse me anything. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Tuesday, April 26, 2005 |
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Yes, I am taller than my mom. My dad was shorter than me, too. Go figure. Anyway, in an attempt to make my mom famous... |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Lori's Mom on _________ |
I think I'm going to start semi-regular posts on some of the stuff my darling mother says. Every once in a while she'll say something that's either really spot-on or so outlandish that it would be a shame not to share.
Lori's Mom on Self-Esteem
"Everyone is always talking about how you can't say no to your kids because you have to give them self-esteem. Self-Esteem? How can you give someone self-esteem? I said no to you, how come you have self-esteem?" |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| You know what's really annoying? |
I'm really getting annoyed with the voice mail service that most mobile phone companies offer. Why why why after we hear our friend say "I can't get the phone, please leave a message," do we need to hear some robotic woman recite options we never have used, never will use, and don't need to know about? If you call me, and get my voicemail, you get my message (something witty, yet understated, usually) then this:
To page this person press 5 now.
Then it beeps. That's not so bad.
Some of my friends' voicemails say more like: To leave a voice message, wait for the tone. (gee, thanks, what would I do without you?), to leave a numeric page press 5, to activate this person's homing device press star star, or to find out what this person is wearing out tonight press star 7.
This is but one example of companies treating you like you have the intelligence of a inbred howler monkey. And that's probably insulting the monkey. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Picking up the anonymous Happy Stick |
Although I resent being called a "dummy," by an author, Bob's list is still a good idea. Here's mine:
10 Things I Love About Myself, by Lori
- I have pretty green eyes
- I can think fast on my feet
- I don't get angry or stressed very easily
- I'm a very loyal friend who is worthy of the trust my friends have in me
- I'm witty
- I'm sensitive and think of other people's feelings
- Similar to Bob's #9, I project a child-like enthusiasm about things I enjoy that makes other people happy, too
- I'm always willing to learn something new, even if it means getting dirty, embarrassed, or failing
- I have a very optimistic and resilient heart
- I don't hold grudges
My plus one:
11. Animals like me! (That says a lot about a person, I think) |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Bye Bailey |
| Bailey's family is coming to get her at 10am today. That means when I come home from work she won't be there. That makes me sad. I really liked coming home to a dog! |
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| Monday, April 25, 2005 |
| ROADTRIP!! |
The dates have been set for the cross-country roadtrip. We'll leave on the evening of Wednesday May 18th. I'll deposit Cavi in Twentynine Palms and then fly back on Monday the 23rd. The plan right now is to take turns driving straight through, with a definite planned stop to see the Okalhoma City Bombing Memorial. To shave off a few hours we'll be taking the northern route through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri then dipping down to Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally California. If we don't kill each other, or fall asleep while driving (which pretty much amounts to the same thing) it should be fun!
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posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| You mean I have to give her back??? |
Bailey is a small black dog with big brown doe eyes and the cutest ears that sometimes can't make up their mind whether to flop over or stand straight up. She's got a white patch on her chest, one on her belly (which she loves to have scratched) and a little on one of her back paws. When she's excited and she wags her tail, her whole butt shakes.
I think she's a very well-trained dog. The best thing they've taught her is that she can only come up when and where she's invited. So even if she was just sitting next to you on the couch, but got down to get a drink of water, she won't come back up unless you tell her it's OK. She's good on a leash, but she doesn't really need to be on one. She's a bit shy until she gets to know you. She doesn't warm up to men as easily as she does women. If I could clone her, I would have my dog tomorrow!
When they brought her over on Friday night she wasn't walking on one of her front paws at all. You could tell the muscle was really stiff and sore. They had just taken her to the vet and found out she had gotten Lyme's Disease from a tick (despite being on flea and tick medication!), and it would periodically flare up and make her muscles sore. So I've been giving her an antibiotic twice a day (wrapped up in a piece of hard salami). And while her foot still looked sore, I gave her an Advil every 6 or 8 hours. She was back putting all her weight on that leg again by late Saturday night. Perhaps partly due to the fact that I sat and held a heating pad on her shoulder off and on for like 2 hours on Friday night.
Her parents are probably going to have my head because I've been letting her sleep in bed with me. Hey, I'm only one girl, and it's kind of comforting, even when she starts snoring.
She stuck pretty close to either me or Cavi at the BBQ on Saturday. But on Sunday, we drove to Cavi's parent's house for brunch. They live about an hour and a half away. As soon as we got onto the highway Bailey settled right down. She was sitting up facing the window with her head leaning against the backseat. Too cute! Cavi's parents have two dogs, one is Bailey's size and one is a Great Dane. Bailey and Lizzie the Great Dane had a wonderful time tearing around the backyard like maniacs. (That's when I knew her leg was totally better!) I think it's really good for dogs to get to socialize with each other. Especially in a big fenced in area. It's not the first time Bailey has met Lizzie, and they remembered each other. The first time there were a few tense moments while they sniffed each other out.
I took a bunch of pictures but I forgot to bring the camera with me today. Hopefully I'll post them tomorrow or Wednesday. I really like having her around. She's with my mom today, but I think she'll be going home tonight. I might have spoiled her a tiny bit, but it was really just to make her feel comfortable, right? |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Apparently My Love Life is Now Depressing Others |
Today in the car on the way to work Cavi said, "I wanna play you this song. It really reminds me of you and your love life. Don't get mad, I don't mean it in a bad way."
*raised eyebrow*
Here's the song she played:
And So It Goes
In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along
I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense
And every time I’ve held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose
But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break
And this is why my eyes are closed
It’s just as well for all I’ve seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you’re the only one who knows
So I would choose to be with you
That’s if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you’re the only one who knows.
*sigh* |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Friday, April 22, 2005 |
| The Downside of Car Pooling |
I'm really bored.
The plan was to leave at 3 today. For no particular reason other than that it's Friday.
It's been nice to carpool into work with Cavi while she's staying with me. Gas is so expensive, and it's nice to share the morning grumps, not to mention my Dunkin' Donuts Coffee with someone.
But I can't leave at 3 because 1) it's 4.45 and 2)Cavi isn't done.
That sucks. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Wanna know how to make me happy? |
Easy. Involve a dog in whatever we're doing. Although, I suppose that could be interpreted as me being a girl who's into some pretty kinky stuff. You know I don't mean that, though, right?
I love to be around dogs: play with dogs, read books about dogs, watch dog shows on TV. Yet, I do not have a dog of my own. I want to be a good dog owner, and I'm not quite ready yet to rearrange my lifestyle to be one. Although I'm getting closer.
So when my friend came to my office today at the last minute to ask if I wanted to dog-sit for their boxer/lab mix, Bailey this weekend, I wanted to go home and start right then. Yay! I have a dog for the weekend! How cool is that? She such a cute, sweet, good girl too. She's a bit shy around men, but she's great around women and she loves me. I'm so stoked! I'll try to take pictures.
_______
Someone else made me happy today. One of the engineers told me the following on the phone today: "You really are one of the best editors I've ever worked with. And I've been doing this a long time."
I needed that. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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The contest in our company newsletter this month was the typical "Who's Baby Picture is that" game. Here's the one I handed in. How cute was I??? |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Where would you rather be RIGHT NOW? |
But first, a question: If I switch to Haloscan for my comments, will I lose all the comments on my old posts?
Now. It's Friday at 10 am in Southeastern PA. The trees are all getting green. Right now, instead of here, I'd rather be here at Peace Valley Nature Center on a Spring Hike, instead of a fall one. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| So it's Friday |
I'm supposed to be going out tonight into the city. It's for a girlfriend's birthday. We all know how I feel about Philadelphia, but still it's a chance to get out and meet new people and have what is commonly known as "fun." Why am I not looking forward to it? Seriously, I think there is something wrong with me. We're going here (sorry about the annoying music if you have speakers).
Part of my problem, I think, is that we're not all supposed to meet up until 10. Yes, I'm more of an early to bed, early to rise kind of person, even on the weekends; but I can stay out late with the best of them when the situation arises. However, I'd rather get started around 8, say with dinner first. If I'm still home at 9.30, my body starts to go into schmoop mood, whereupon it craves flannel pajama bottoms, popcorn, and a good book. And it's quite persistent about it. It will hate me for thrusting it back out into the world of meaningless chit-chat, and guys with beer goggles. Sometimes I feel very old.
And what could be more fun than circling the city 2,500,000,000,000,000,000 times to find a parking space that isn't $40? And while I'm at it, why the hell do the trains stop at midnight on a weekend night? What is that?
Sorry, I'm sure when I get out there I'll have a good time. It's a Friday and a payday after all, right? And I want my friend to have a really great birthday, which, obviously, she couldn't do if I don't show up. |
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| Thursday, April 21, 2005 |
| And now for something completely different |
Prior to getting that phone call last night, I was very excited to come in this morning and blog about what I did yesterday evening. I went out to our company's warehouse and learned how to weld. Yes I did! Me. I welded like I never welded before. (Mainly because I had never welded before.) And--get this--the two pieces of metal stuck together. So while it wasn't pretty, it performed its intended function. I rock.
I also used the bench grinder, the angle grinder, the ban saw, and a circular saw.
The scholarly editor got down and dirty and all blue-collar. Who knew? |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| This is the Last Stop |
I debated with myself quite a bit whether I wanted to post on this. On the one hand, I try to be truthful to the spirit with which I started this blog and post things that are having an effect on my life. On the other hand, there are some things that I'm dealing with that I never post about, usually because they involve someone else's story and I don't feel like I have a right to tell it for them. However, that isn't the case with this incident. The reason I wasn't sure if I wanted to post about this is because I don't want to give the impression that I'm in a place where I try to keep tabs on my ex and where things that he does still affect my daily life. I'm not there anymore. I'm also not in a place where I have any love for him anymore or even think about getting back together with him. Granted, it took me about a year to get to that place, but after a 3 year relationship, I don't think that's so bad.
I found out yesterday, and believe me, I didn't ask, that he got married.
I'd never really properly broken up, to say nothing of being summarily dumped online, with anyone before Ben. And it was absolutely horrid. Then about 6 months later, just when I was starting to feel like a normal person again, I found out that he cheated on me with an old girlfriend at some point during our relationship. At which point I felt like we were breaking up all over again, because if there were one thing I would always have said nice about him, it would be that he never lied to me. I was quite shaken up when I found out that he was seeing someone again; it stung quite a bit, I'll admit. Especially when I found out who she was.
So this is it right? This is the last thing that he could do that could possibly hurt me, right? I don't like being lied to. It made me angry, but I should have known (it's in all the books) that when someone says they don't think they want to get married ever, that they aren't sure they ever want to make that kind of a commitment, that what they're really saying is "I don't' want to marry you."
This morning, when I woke up and thought about it, I could honestly say, "better her than me." He was the wrong person for me in so many ways. I have to believe that if I keep waiting...I have to believe that God will eventually show me this wonderful man that He had planned for me all along. That Ben, and the other men that I've dated, were just ways for Him to point out characteristics that my wonderful many will or will not possess. It has to be His way of showing me how much I'm worth.
The heart that hurts is a heart that beats. Can you hear the drummer slowing? One step closer to knowing. --U2 One Step Closer
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posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Wednesday, April 20, 2005 |
| Unfinished Business |
I can't remember if I posted about my situation with my previous roommate. Suffice it to say that I left at the end of the lease, and she has never returned to my my $550 security deposit. I wrote her an email about it that walked that edge of nastiness and politeness, and she responded with an email bringing up complaints about me as a roommate that 1) most of which I thought were unfounded 2) were quite easily resolvable and discussable had she brought them up 3) were not worth $550 4) she never mentioned the entire time we were roommates. Things for example like "you sure didn't mind sitting on my sofa and watching my tv" and "you didn't vacuum enough"or "you didn't clean up the bubble bath under the sink." Well, she has a point on that last one. I did spill bubble bath under the bathroom sink and I had every intention of cleaning it up, but I forgot. I'll give her $5 for that one. As for the sofa issue, I moved into her house fully furnished by her, except for my bedroom furniture. We agreed on this. She never said I was renting a room from her. Although because she often made me feel that way, I did spend the majority of time in my room...I even ATE in there. So that's pretty much just crap. The vacuuming. Well. After her boyfriend moved in with us because he was under house arrest for getting a DUI , a situation that was only supposed to last for 4 months and stretched out for practically our entire lease...and since he was home all day and not paying rent... I figured that maybe the vacuuming could be on him. Sue me.
So anyway, she has my $550 dollars. And perhaps this feels fair to her. The cost, time, and effort of any sort of legal struggle to get this money back would far exceed $550, so I've learned to let that go. Mostly. But in her nasty email she also mentioned that I left a box of my stuff there. I really want to go get it. But just the thought of having to speak to her again makes my blood boil.
Recently she's been appearing in many of my dreams. This tells me that it's time to face this situation and take care of the unfinished business. Last night in my dream I came upon her and her boyfriend in a restaurant and she started talking to me like nothing happened yet in this condescending manner like she knew very well how horrid she was being. I remember getting angrier and angrier and finally saying, "you make me so mad," and then kicking her once, really hard, in the shins. I was wearing my heavy leather Doc Martins sandals, too!
I want to write her an email telling her that if she would leave my box on the porch on what ever day is most convenient for her highness, that I'll come get it during my lunch hour. But I also want to say something like. "I'm not going to waste your time or mine going point-for-point over all the accusations in your letter. You know which ones have even a grain of truth to them and which don't. So if you really think I put you through $550 worth of hell, keep the money. I wish my conscience would allow me to do the same kind of thing." Too much? Any advice? |
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| Tuesday, April 19, 2005 |
| Trendy |
I've been noticing a trend for bloggers to post some of the searches that led people to their blog. So I went to site meter to look at mine.
Apparently I am the 18th hit on Yahoo! when you search for "disc crutches layout".
My work here is done. |
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| I'm just plain lazy |
| I really need to re-do my blogroll/links section on the side there----> The thing is, I really just can't be bothered at the moment. I've been reading some good new blogs lately like Becky's, and The Unreasonable Man's, and the sort-of-anonymous blogger's but the effort to put them in my template is beyond me lately. I've also got an idea for a template that I think would be so cool, but is way beyond my html skills. True, my html skills consist of making something bold or italic (and you probably think I just used the buttons, hmph!) but I'd like to try to work it out at some point. So the blogroll is just going to have to wait. |
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| What's that you said? |
Your Linguistic Profile:
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70% General American English |
20% Yankee |
10% Dixie |
0% Midwestern |
0% Upper Midwestern |
Thanks to Amanda for the link. I wonder what I picked to get the 10% Dixie. |
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| Monday, April 18, 2005 |
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I found this in our work fridge and thought it was quite amusing. I hope you can see from the label close up that it says RX STRESS. I wonder whose it is??? |
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| Guys are funny! |
| In my previous post, I told you about the laughers, but not about the funny waiter. We had a pleasant, fresh-faced, young man as our waiter. Because we didn't want to wait for a table we ended up sitting in the bar area at one long table occupied by the laughers on one end, a mother and teenage son at the other, and Cavi and I in the middle. Incidently, we ended up surrounded by calamari appetizers, which kind of made me want to be ill, but I tried to ignore the squidging going on around me. Anyway, this waiter seemed to appreciate having two reasonably attractive young women at his family-style table. He was quite obsequious in his attentions to us. Here's one example: we both ordered a salad as our main course and he brought them out saying "I know you still have your appetizers but these came out fast and I wanted to bring them to you while they were as frrrrrrressssssh as possible." We smiled and thanked him and he walked away without another word to any one else at our table. The laughers looked at our salads, looked at us, looked at each other and laughed...obnoxiously. I think the waiter might have heard, because he turned on his heel and said to the laughers "it looks like you need another coke and iced tea, anything else?" When he brought me out my pina colada (which was heavenly, by the way) he said "I brought you the big pina colada and charged you for the small one." The laughers seemed to take this in stride. Well, the he got a good tip from us, if not from the rest of the table. |
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| This is a test, this is only a test |
Coincidently, I'm going to get a chance for the next two weeks to test my ability to live with a friend. It's kind of an odd situation (but then, what in my life isn't odd?) in that fact that we're both staying at my mother's house. But let me explain. Cavi, I believe I've blogged about some of our exploits before, is moving to California (boo, hiss). But her lease was up on the 15th, before she was quite ready to make the move. So she asked if she could stay with me and my roommate. It sounded like a good idea, but logistically it just wouldn't work out. Three women all trying to take showers in one bathroom before leaving for work. That's just a nightmare...and a possible fight. Oh, and Cavi would have had to sleep on the floor, too, so all in all it just worked out better to have us both transfer over to my mother's house where I have my own room, Cavi has a guest room, and my mom hangs out in her jammies until late anyway.
However, Cavi and I work together (not in the same department...or, as my one might say, not on the same "team"). So this means we will be spending alot of time together. We normally eat lunch together at work. We'll be driving there and back together. We'll be spending the evening together. So I hope we still end up being friends after 2 weeks. It should be OK. I am a girl who typically needs some alone time, though. Mostly, though, I'm looking forward to getting to spend time with her before she makes the big move.
Last night was the first night she stayed over. We went to Bahama Breeze for dinner and sat next to a couple that both had the most obnoxious laughs you ever heard. Laughter is normally such an uplifting thing, but these guys made me want to stick pencils in my ear and twist. I hope my laugh isn't annoying.
During the day yesterday I went on a 5.5 mile hike at French Creek State Park with my friend Cara. It was wonderful. Next time we'll do the loop in the opposite direction, though, because the last mile ended up being uphill! We brought lunch and sat on a hill overlooking Hopewell Furnace, which we came upon about halfway through the hike. Every time I go on a proper hike, I wonder why I don't do it more often. Maybe that should be my goal for this summer. A hike every weekend. It'd be so great to have a dog to hike with...maybe I can borrow this one? |
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| Thursday, April 14, 2005 |
| Listening to your intestines? |
Hmm...sounds much better to say "going with your gut." Not sure why.
Anyway, I had a nice dinner with my friend. She is and always has been a really good friend. She's not my best friend, though, and I think that does make a difference (for the positive in a roomie situation). We are close but not inseperable.
About an hour before our dinner I had gotten online and started looking at places and getting ideas for how to draft a roommate agreement, etc. I was getting so excited looking at floorplans and pet rent and thinking about setting up house and picking out furniture. I went to the dinner ready to say "let's start looking in October." I really did.
We hit on quite a few points. We talked about rent, and boyfriends, overnight guests, family, laundry. We didn't really disagree on anything at all. But something was holding me back. I kept trying to push it away and not listen to it. She's going to be a great roommate, and I want to move now. But the little voice kept saying, "but you had it all worked out for the next November not this one. Think about it, by next year your credit debt will be all but completely gone, your car is paid off soon, you'll have had 2 raises. Roomie will be more financially sound, too. What happened to being glad to not have to move everything again this year? What happened to staying planted and paying things off?"
Eventually I had to listen to that voice. It wasn't about Roomie, it was about me. I knew what the right thing for me to do was, as much as I wanted to move and as much as I wanted to help Roomie out. I did what a 28-year-old woman (by now I should be mature, Amanda) should do and based my decision on what I knew about myself and what I had experienced in the past.
I think I surprised her as well as disappointing her. It was kind of disappointing to me, too. But I really think I made the right decision. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Wednesday, April 13, 2005 |
| Am I moving...again? |
Tonight I'm having dinner with a friend (and a loyal reader of my blog...she says she lives vicariously through me, so she must be having a really boring time lately!) to decide if we want to become roommates in November.
This is a big deal for both of us. For her, she's never lived on her own (don't judge, trust me, she's got reasons). For me, I've never had a good friend as a roommate. We've known each other since the 2nd grade, too! I wouldn't want to ruin a friendship over who bought the last gallon of milk. On the other hand, I think it would be really great to have a roommate that would make dinner with you sometimes, maybe watch a movie together. AND she wouldn't object to my getting a dog, as long as it wasn't huge and overpowering.
I've written down a list of things that I want to make sure we go over: rent, cable, location, lease, furniture, dishes....etc. She has a list, too. So we're going to meet for Indian food and grill each other.
A large part of me wants to do this... My roommate now is probably the best I've had yet, but moving in with a friend is appealing. My house now, while only 20 minutes from work, is about an hour from all my friends, my mom, my doctor, etc. My longing for a dog cannot be pushed down much longer.
The other part of me is sighing at the thought of having to pack and move AGAIN. Let's see, in August 2002, after my dad died, I moved here from Austin to live with my mom. April of 2003 (I think) I moved in with a roommate I found on an online matching service. Then in August our rent went up and so the two of us moved to a different townhouse. We stayed there for a year, then she turned psycho and I moved to the place where I live now with another roommate from the same matching service. The original plan with my friend was to wait to do this until next November. There are things that are very attractive about staying planted for another year, including financial reasons.
Life is so funny, isn't it? I'd pretty much resigned myself to being settled at this place, despite its inconvenient location. Now another opportunity has presented itself, and I'm just not sure what to do with it. Looking forward to the Indian food, though... |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Tuesday, April 12, 2005 |
| And now for the Bad News |
And because good and bad always go together in this life. I've received my very first rejection--short, sweet, and to the point:
Dear Lori,
Thank you for your submission to Jane magazine. Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to use it. But please feel free to send further essays. Sincerely, Esther
Oh well. Maybe I'll post it then. I thought it was funny. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Fireworks and Cowboy Hats |
I'm feeling pretty good about life in general today. I scheduled my summer vacation (July 1-12) to Austin. Know what's great about that besides the obvious? I didn't even have to pay for my plane ticket. You see, I'm editing a PhD dissertation for someone who decided that they would love to buy my plane ticket as payment. Rock on!
Every Independence Day (July 4), Austin has a big fireworks display on Town Lake (which is really a river in the city, but that's besides the point), along with muscians and other merrymakers. I'm really excited to be there for that again.
I haven't really felt the blogging spirit lately. Maybe having a vacation in sight will somehow revive my interest in my little life again. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Monday, April 11, 2005 |
| sorry |
| Just to let you know all know, I've tried to post quite a few times over the days since my last post. Every time I clicked "publish" a window would come up that said "d0cument contains no data." So now I just don't feel like posting. See Blogger??? See what you've done?!?!? |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Wednesday, April 06, 2005 |
| An Ode to My City |
I live reasonably near a city. Some call this city Philadelphia. I hate it. I wish I didn't. I wish I considered it a place where I could go out for happy hour and on weekends to have a really great time. I have a few friends or aquaintences who live in Philly who love it. Some just are city-people in general. Some specifically are enamoured with Philadelphia and would never want to live anywhere else.
I used to work on Wissahickon Ave near where it meets Lincoln Drive. Every morning I dreaded that commute into work. Every evening I wondered if my car was still going to be there when I went to the parking lot. Thank God there was a convenience store within a 1 mile radius or I would not have eaten. I did not know how to get anywhere else besides my office, and that was OK with me...although it frustrated my boss to no end.
First of all, to get from the suburbs to Philadelphia means driving on some of the most god-awful roads in America: Rt. 309, the Blue Route, 76. Anyone who has driven on these roads will have to agree with me there. The public transportation (SEPTA) is inefficient and overpriced. I'm not saying any of this without having personal experience with it, either. In Austin you could take a bus anywhere in the city for 50 cents. And on really hot days when there was a high ozone warning, it was FREE. To go on the train from where I lived to where I worked cost at least $8. A monthly "trailpass" was $163. I didn't spend that much a month on gasoline, so I chose to drive.
I have done some fun things in Philadephia. The Reading Terminal Market is a really cool place. Independence Hall is worth seeing. But I wish I could go on a "Philly Lovers" tour of the city. I'm sure there have to be amazing things to see, right? I mean it's got so much history. It used to be our nation's capital for goodness sake. But I feel safer in Times Square than I do in Center City.
Any Philly lovers out there with a list of places I should go? I really do want to appreciate the nearest metropolis. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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| Friday, April 01, 2005 |
| Not all who wander are lost...some are just trying to annoy me |
I'll admit that I have a bit of a road rage problem. Mainly I just sort of fume. My mother says I'm going to give myself an ulcer.
There are many kinds of drivers. Most I don't have a problem with. Some people are in a really big hurry to beat you to the next redlight. That's fine. I can understand that. Weave in and out of traffic all you want. If you hit me from the rear, I'll get money from your insurance company —and I'm not particularly fond of my car anyway. Typically, thse harried drivers aren't really bad drivers. They've honed their skills; they're masters at cutting you off with just enough room. I can live with them.
Then there are the "obeyers." They do exactly the speed limit. They leave the proper distance between cars. They don't turn right on red even when it's not illegal. These people are annoying, but usally easy to get around.
The ones that REALLY get to me are the wanderers. I don't know what they are doing in their cars—making tea? Filing their taxes? Reading?—but whatever it is, the fact that they are driving is secondary. They go really slow, suddenly remember they are driving, then speed up for a bit until they forget again. They make very slow right turns without signaling, first coming to a complete stop before they actually turn their steering wheel. They neglect to use turn lanes to make left turns, instead they just sort of wander off to the left. Quite often they can't seem to decide which lane they want to be in, so they just sort of straddle the middle or wander from one lane to the other. They are so unpredicatable that you can never be sure it's safe to pass them. The wanderers are the ones that have created my road rage issues. They are the ones burning a hole through the wall of my stomach.
Don't be a wanderer. |
posted by LoRi~fLoWer
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