Opposites Double Feature

I invited a few fellow crafters over for a craft night/double feature. KB couldn't make it because her youngest is getting over a flu (get better little miss!) but Heidi and Shandon were able to attend.

Last time we got together we watched After School Specials and ate kid food (grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup). It was fun so we decided to try it again. Well, too many months passed but we finally got to it this evening. Somewhere along the line Norm suggested we make Ice Castles one of our next silly featured attractions. We did, but poor Norm was out of town and missed it (sorry Norm!). The other day Shandon and I decided the opposite of Ice Castles would be Soylent Green and our Opposites Double Feature was born.

Ice Castles actually held up better than I might have guessed. The hair styles were interesting and Colleen Dewhurst proved to be even crankier than I'd remembered but it was entertaining. We were all surprised that we still seemed to know all the words to Through the Eyes of Love (aka Ice Castles theme song). My biggest association with Ice Castles is that my brother despises it. You just mention the words "ice" and "castle" in the same breath and his face goes all wonky. I guess it replayed on cable one too many times back then and I'm certain I watched it every time. It must have been too much for him.

Soylent Green was also a good bit of fun, sort of gross but a good time. Heidi was disturbed by the demise of poor Edward G. Robinson. I , on the other hand, was more disturbed by the role women played in the film. At one point Chuck Heston tells his new girlfriend "You're a nice piece of furniture." Now this may be taken out of context but, no matter how you slice it, it's a disturbing "complement". We know it's how you probably felt about women but... Jesus, Chuck! It was good to see Chuck shout out the famous line *spoiler alert* "Soylent Green is PEOPLE!" Ah, Chuck. You never fail to over act. I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing Chuck in some of gayest looking wardrobe choices in cinematic history. Good times.

We each crafted a bit, then enjoyed an easy dinner of hot dogs, fruit salad and chips followed by Pioneer Woman's amazing Chocolate Sheet Cake. Let's just say it involves a pound of butter... you heard me. Yum! We also discussed future double features. After some consideration it looks like our next Opposites Double Feature will be Somewhere in Time and The Shining.

What do you think? Does anyone out there have some fun suggestions for other Opposite Double features? I think the only restriction should be that the films come from the same decade and that one of the films is a childhood favorite. I wouldn't call it a strict rule but I think boundaries are helpful and films from the same era seem appropriate. At least that seems to be how we seem to choose our pairings. So, please tell me your Opposites Double Feature suggestions. Bring 'em on!

Cynical

This weekend I came across what may be my all time favorite Q & A. It appeared last Sunday in the New York Times Magazine. The interview was with Gore Vidal who is probably the most cynical man on earth... naturally I loved the interview. Check it out here and tell me that's not hilarious. He ends interview ends with:

Interviewer: Well, it was a great pleasure talking to you.
Vidal: I doubt that.

And speaking of good interviews, I caught a good one on Charlie Rose last night. Charlie interviewed Jann Wenner (Rolling Stone & Contributor), Graydon Carter (Vanity Fair & Producer) and Alex Gibney (Filmaker) about their new documentary called Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson. I can't wait to see it. I read some Hunter Thompson in college but got to know his work better when I worked at Rolling Stone Magazine later. Up until his death in '05 he could pretty much file a piece to Rolling Stone as frequently (or infrequently) as he liked and get the entire thing printed in the next possible issue no matter how much space it might need. (Those poor folks in layout!) Hunter had 4 full time people assigned to him and Jann Wenner would do much of his editing. They pretty much let him do what he wanted. He had the best reporting job in the world. I read a lot of his pieces (written as memos) but my all time favorite has to be his obituary on Nixon. (I've probably even mentioned it here before.) Like the Gore Vidal interview this thing was dark and cynical. It also had me howling.

I don't read Rolling Stone much anymore. Mostly I don't read it because I figure after all the years of service I gave them I deserve a comped lifetime subscription. Of course I don't have that so I'm bitter about paying for the magazine. I know it's silly but there it is. I'm not as into music as I was in college and I assume I won't relate to anything in the magazine. Then I remember just how good Rolling Stone's journalism is. They employ some outstanding reporters. I was always especially fond of their political reporting. Several years ago I broke down and bought the issue featuring a cartoon of Bush in a dunes cap on the cover. As suspected, it had a great article on Bush inside.

Last night, Jann Wenner mentioned a piece Hunter filed on 9/12/01. He said Hunter was the first one to know where Bush was going to take the country. Turns out Hunter was correct in many of his suspicions. I'm sorry he won't be around to comment on the upcoming election. I'm sure he would have had a lot to say about all that's happened around here since his death.

I'm SO Immature

I laughed so hard at a ridiculous tv show tonight that I thought I might die. What show was this? A super-stupid show called Wipeout.

It ran out of steam after about 7 minutes but first those big red balls almost killed me. In fact, I'm here to tell you that those big red balls just don't get old.

Where do they find these people?

Oh, ooh, *wiping tear from eye*, Tamara you're killin' me.

Fast forward

Shandon mentioned that she was sick of looking at that photo from my last post (and I can't blame her) so I'm throwing this one up to help a girl out. Why this photo? Well, my ex-carpool buddy moved to our London office and is currently head of our European business. She's therefore traveling to all of our European offices to get to know them. Since I can't travel all over Europe on the company dime I'm demanding postcards from her. So far she's sent me a super-cool postcard from a Marie Antoinette exhibit she visited. Today I received a postcard from a gorgeous castle in Germany called the Konigsschloss Linderhof (aka Linderhof Castle). I tried to find a photo online to compare to the postcard but I can't find anything. I did, however, run a search on "German Castle" and found the pic below. I'm not sure what it is but I like it!

I really want to check out Germany some day soon. In the mean time I'm just trying to get through this week. We're setting our budgets for '09 and it's mega-stressful. Our big budget meeting is Wednesday at 4:30 and I just want to get it over with. This Friday is a half day for me so I'm going to lunch with some friends then going to a movie. I just want to fast forward to Friday.

Just do it

I left work a little early today because I'm suffering from a bit of a cold and a whole lot of post nasal drip. On the way home I picked up some cold medication including a Zicam Oral Mist a friend recommended.

This evening I was reclined on my beloved bed and pillows watching (sort of) the end of My Fair Lady when I felt the back of my throat getting more and more irritated. I finally awoke from a dazed nap and remembered the neglected neti pot in the linen closet

Several months ago, while suffering from that terrible flu, I purchased the neti pot but was too chicken to use it. For those of you not in the know, a neti pot is a small tea pot looking thing from which the user pours a cleansing fluid in one nostril and out the other. Ewww, right? It sounds crazy disgusting but it also makes a lot of sense. Think about it, why not just wash out your sinuses when they're acting up? Still, I found it to be a tad intimidating. I sat down, read the instructions thoroughly and went for it. I feel better already! At the very worst it is reminiscent of that familiar childhood sensation following and accidental snort of pool water. It's not terrible, just vaguely annoying and it passes quickly.

Here is a highly amusing how-to video on the use of a neti pot. I didn't have that silly stoned gaze on my face but water flew out of my nose just like that. Cool! I neglected to play that groovy acoustic guitar music. Thank God I couldn't get a good look at myself, it just would have made me sputter and giggle.

I believe I picked up this particular bug while on the plane to NYC. I felt my throat getting sore last night in the middle of the Tony Awards. It's feeling better now. Becasue it's a natural remedy I'm told I may "cleanse" as often as I like. I think I'm good for now.

Slow motion

I'm having a very nice slow paced weekend and I'm so glad. I really needed some down time after last week. This coming week we plan our budgets for '09 and check in on our year end numbers. It's a VERY intense time so I'm glad I got to lie around today. I watched some tv, read the NY Times, herded some puffles on Club Penguin and watched Tiger Woods in the US Open. (He almost makes me want to give golf a try.)

My brother and his family came over for a little while to help celebrate Father's Day. I had an interesting conversation with my niece:

Little Miss: Who will you marry?
Lucy: Maybe nobody.
Little Miss: Will you have kids?
Lucy: Probably not.
Little Miss: Why not?
Lucy: Because husbands and kids are overrated.

Was that wrong of me? My answer seemed to confuse but satisfy her. I suppose I just want her to know a girl has options.

Later, Mom offered everyone some Father's Day cake. My nephew jumped at the chance for some afternoon cake. This is unusual because he can usually take or leave dessert (I know, he's clearly not my child.). My niece, on the other hand, never passes up dessert. Today, however, she kept whining "I don't want any cake." long after it had been offered. Finally I asked "Do you have an eating disorder?" She gave me a completely blank look while my brother laughed.

My brother later told us about his new favorite kid (besides his, of course). A neighbor has a 3 years old named Colby who is a holy terror. The first time My brother met Colby he said hello to her as she shot him an unprovoked glare. She apparently turned to her mother and said "That is a very bad man." My brother thought this was hilarious. A few weeks ago some friends went to Colby's house. They had two boys about 5 and 7 years old. They asked Colby's parents if they thought she'd be ok playing with the older boys. Colby's parents said yes. About 20 minutes later they heard screaming and found Colby driving her Dora the Explorer jeep, wielding a baseball bat and chasing the boys all over the backyard. Another neighborhood girl, around 7 years old, refuses to go to Colby's house because "Colby scratches me!".

Like I said, kids may be entertaining but they are often overrated. I'm so happy I'm an auntie to two very cool kids. Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there. I hope you're kids aren't overrated.

Regrets

Today Heidi and I went to "The Feedbag", as Mom calls it, for lunch. We then made our way to the cineplex to see The Happening. I'm not sure I can recommend it but it was ok. I really shouldn't judge since I viewed much of the film from between my fingers while trying to cover my eyes. The Sixth Sense and Signs remain my favorite M. Night Shyamalan flicks. And speaking of M. Night, that guy must have been up every night for years coming up with new and improved ways for folks to off themselves. Sheesh! Poor Betty Buckley really takes a licking. MAN! About half way through the movie Heidi leaned over while covering her eyes and whispered "That's it, you're not allowed to pick the movies ever again!" Then we laughed until we wheezed.

Later, I spent part of my late afternoon looking up Tony nominated performances on YouTube. I know, I'm a nerd huh? Well the Tony Awards are on tomorrow night and I can't wait. I'm so glad I'm not obsessed with the Lakers or I'd have a real dilemma on my hands. As it is I'll be able to watch the awards without interruption. I've been watching the Tony Awards religiously for only about 10 years. That's around the time I realized I really loved musical theater. I remember seeing Ragtime performed on the show and being struck dumb by it.

I've been checking in on iTunes occasionally to search for Patti in Gypsy with no luck. I finally did some research on it only to find it was just recorded in May but won't be available until August. Sheesh! What the hell have they been waiting for? Did some record company executive out there honestly think folks wouldn't be interested in a Patti Lupone recording as Mama? Lame! I've been listening to my good old Ethel Merman recording of Gypsy instead. Damn is she good. I know she's easy to pick on but the woman had some lungs. The original cast recording is a really good time. I also downloaded the revival cast recording of South Pacific. I'm officially regretting not seeing it last week. I should have spent the money and made the effort. I'm not sure when I'll be back in NYC so I can only hope it tours it's way to LA. *sigh*

What?!

I'm home! As much as I love NYC, I always love my first day home. It usually involves unpacking, laundry and a blessed nap. Today was no different. I flipped on a Law and Order episode and promptly fell unconscious. (How is it that I watch those reruns all the time but never see the same episode twice? It's amazing.)

We left for the airport this morning at 6:30 am/est. A friend and I changed seat assignments at the airport and wound up sharing the emergency row with nobody in the middle seat. It was great! She informed me that a new woman at work is gay. I admitted that I was shocked. She's literally the last woman in the office I might have pegged as gay. I immediately felt guilty for stereotyping people.

Friend 1: Did you know colleague 1 is gay?
Lucy: What?! No way!
Friend 1: I know!
Lucy: Wow, I mean seriously, I'd have never guessed.
Friend 1: Yeah, I know.
Lucy: But that's terrible isn't it? I mean what exactly do I think a lesbian looks like anyway?
Friend 1: Umm, colleague 2?
Lucy: Well, truth be told, it only improves my opinion of her. It's sort of like learning somebody is from some exotic place... like... Transylvania!
Friend 1: *shaking head and laughing at me*

Later, on the plane, my friend and I wondered if another colleague was a gay woman. Hmm, it's possible but who knows. My friend went on to explain a couple of things she'd noticed about her at a recent dinner. We wondered if friend 2, in First Class, might know. Friend 2 happens to be gay and we wondered how his gaydar worked on women. We thought it might be funny to send a note to seat "2D" asking "Do you think colleague 3 is gay?" We didn't have to send the note, he later wandered back to visit with us:

Lucy: How's your gaydar?
Friend 2: Ha! Pretty good I hope.
Lucy: Did you know colleague 1 is gay?
Friends 2: Really?! Wow!
Friend 1: I know!
Lucy: Ok, what about colleague 3? Do you think she might be gay?
Friend 2: Hmmmmmm, interesting. It's possible but... Hmmmm.

We then moved on to other work related gossip, rumors and theories. A week in New York with dozens of co-workers, lots of alcohol and cab availability usually means lots of fun stories. While going into a meeting earlier this week I asked about a good friend I hadn't seen much of all week. I was told "I'm not sure where she is. Last time I saw her she was dancing on a bar. And no, I'm not kidding, she was literally dancing on a bar." I later sent her an email asking if it was true and if (dear Lord please!) was there video. She confirmed both. I can't wait to see it. She explained that when she first walked into the bar she saw a woman dancing on the bar and thought 'Well, that looks like fun'. Apparently, four cosmos later, it seemed a downright irresistible idea so she got up in front of 25 co-workers and danced her ass off. This is why I have a 2 drink limit per trip.

After a six hour flight filled with much story telling, we finally landed. Luckily, I had booked a car service to take me home because I was really tired. The driver met me at baggage claim and kept asking "Is it just you?" I kept telling him "yes" but he didn't seem satisfied. I figured he might be confused because I was talking to a few work friends from the flight. Friend 2 realized he'd forgotten to book a car service for his ride home. It was then that my driver asked about my status again.

Driver: It's just you, right?
Lucy: Yes.
Lucy (to friend 2): If it was on the way, I'd drop you.
Driver: Where does he live?
I told him.
Driver: I could make that on the way.
Driver: They sent you a stretch.
Lucy: A stretch limo?! How embarrassing!!
Driver: *Shrug*
Lucy: Why would they do that?
Driver: *Shrug*
Lucy: Will they charge me more?
Driver: No.
Lucy to Friend 2: You're coming with me. They sent a stretch and it's just too embarrassing to get in the thing alone.

So there were were, Friend 2 and I in the back of a ridiculous stretch limo cruising through downtown LA at half past 1:00. I told him it felt like we'd just been married. It felt silly. All I could think was how much gas does this thing use and that if my brother saw me get out of that thing he'd never stop laughing. This car service thing has gotten out of hand. I never found out why they sent that limo but I figure they must have just run out of town cars.

I'm now struggling to stay awake. I can't let myself fall asleep until 10:00 pm or I'll be awake all night. Must... get... back... on ... schedule.

Good time

I had another good day in the city. I have an early flight out of JFK tomorrow morning so I wanted to make sure dinner was early and close to our hotel. We ended up at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse. I love Uncle Jack's Steakhouse. I had the best Caprese salad of my life tonight. I'm not a huge tomato fan but these beefsteak tomatoes were delicious. Add some outstanding mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinegar then fly in some Israeli basil for the top and you've got the best salad in town. I could smell the basil when they set the plate down. Man, was it great. I could eat that salad with every meal for the rest of my life and be happy. We had steak, asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes that I'm pretty sure they put crack in. We let the Manager surprise us with a dessert assortment and he did not disappoint. It was a very nice meal and evening with two good friends. We also happened to have a very cute, seemingly straight, waiter. My friend told him he had a fantastic voice (he did). As he walked away we shared this exchange:

Friend: *shaking head* Great voice.
Lucy: Good voice, good shoulders...
Friends: ... (all gazing in waiter's direction)
Lucy: ... good time.

They nodded in agreement.

On the way "home" we glanced over at a cab and saw a couple seriously making out. I mean really going for it. I wanted to tap the window and give them a thumbs up but was distracted by the dozens of Carnegie Hall performers spilling out into the street. They were all in formal wear, carrying flowers and instruments. Only in New York, right?

I'm now sitting comfortably in my room flipping between the Lakers game and PBS and packing. I'm not looking forward to my early flight but it will be nice to be home so early in the day tomorrow.

I took some pix today from a cab but they didn't turn out very well. Sorry, I tried! I'll make a better effort next time.

Disclaimer: Is it weird that so much my NYC posts have been about food? It occurred to me that this may be strange but I don't want to bore folks with work talk so I focus on the social/fun parts of my trips. Since I didn't get to any shows this time around my entertainment was all about meals out in the city. Sorry if it's been a boring week of posts.

Fun facts

I went to dinner with a colleague and my boss and had a lovely dinner on the sidewalk in the city. Needless to say the weather was remarkably improved since yesterday because you know I wouldn't sit in 99 degree weather without a fight. It was about 78 degrees with no humidity which made for a very nice evening in the city. We choose a restaurant close to Grand Central Station because our colleague hoped to hop on the 9:50 pm train home. She told us about some the secrets of Grand Central, all very interesting. It truly is an amazing space. I'll definitely be doing some searching around the web for more fun facts.

The night was very well paced. I got to my hotel room by 10:00 pm and couldn't have been happier about it. Everyone else is out at a bar getting tanked but I don't really enjoy that. I prefer to wash my face and hop in bed with a good book or newspaper. I told you... I'm a granny.

My cab driver tonight had six fingers (Rough transition? So is getting in a cab with an angry six fingered man.). It was the damnedest thing. I've heard of six fingered people, and one was made famous in The Princess Bride, but I'd never seen one before. He had an otherwise average looking left hand except there was a pinkie-toe looking digit sticking out of the side about an inch below his pinkie finger. I felt bad for him, not because of his extra digit, but because the guy before me had apparently not paid him. This guy racked up a $20 fare, zipped his credit card through the machine and believed it had gone through when in fact it hadn't. Of course, this is all according to the cab driver but he seemed pretty annoyed so I couldn't help but believe and feel bad for him. You'll be happy to know that I not only paid him but I tipped him well too.

There is no crazy weather or lighting storms to report this evening. Just a quiet end of the day in my room. I don't have to be at the convention center until 9:30 tomorrow morning so it should be a leisurely morning (fingers crossed). I leave the center around 11:30 for a lunch in the city followed by a meeting upstairs. I'm then done for the week. Nothing to do but hop a flight home early Friday morning. I'm almost sorry to leave now that it's so nice out. One of these days I'm going to have to stay the weekend, walk the park, take in a show and another museum. I really do like this city, I think you would too.

OMG

Good news: I'm in NYC, one of my favorite cities.

Bad news: NYC is in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave. Manhattan at 100 degrees with it's humidity just plain sucks. :(

We're talking humidity so bad that every toilet handle I flush is dripping wet with condensation and that just ain't right. Naturally I've been staying indoors as much as possible while simultaneously praying for no black outs. *shudder*

We're now cruising into the fun part of the weather. All day long I've been hearing about some big inevitable thunder storm that seemed to have stalled somewhere along the way. Well, it's finally here and it's so cool! I'm sitting at the desk by the window in my hotel room watching the sky light up the NY buildings. The nerdy California girl in me just LOVES real weather. It's so beautiful to see the buildings back lit by lightning. Rain is slapping against my window and I couldn't be happier.

So far I've had a good, well paced trip. It's been really good. In fact, lately I've been encouraged to have a car service deliver me to the airport but, being a control freak, I've denied the car service offers thus far. This time, however, my flight was so early (8:00am) that I decided to have someone drive me to the airport. (The only good thing about gas prices going up is that it's now cheaper for me to take a car service.) My driver was a nice young woman named Shelby. We chatted the whole ride over to LAX. Shelby used to drive back in '98 & '99 but eventually left, she didn't mention why, and recently decided to pick up driving again. I told her I always thought it might be a nice job because of the flexibility. She agreed. Turns out you can run a few errands and get some reading in while waiting between pick ups. Sounds good to me. Shelby had a bunch of her gossip magazines in the seat back pockets so we discussed the latest celebrity "news". I had no idea Lindsey Lohan was bisexual and just had a big blow out fight with her girlfriend at Katsuya. Who knew!? Well, Shelby knew all about it. We got along nicely.

Once in the city a bunch of us met for a late dinner at Rosa Mexicana. Man is that good stuff. I'd been there a few times before but I'd forgotten just how good it is. The first time I went there I'd heard they served the best Mexican food in the city but, being from SoCal, I was skeptical. Everyone raved about their guacamole but I found it difficult to believe a good Mexican restaurant could actually exist on the East coast. Well, I'm here to tell you this snob was wrong. I don't know where they get their avocados but they are fantastic. I had some amazing carne asada tacos that I'll dream of for a long time to come. I nursed a margarita all night long that had just enough alcohol in it to help me sleep very well.

This morning I met some folks for breakfast. When I mentioned to my boss that we were unable to secure a car service for the afternoon a friend came to the rescue with a car service voucher. Now, before you start thinking I'm now expecting everyone to just drive me around, let me explain a few things. I'm' here for a trade show. The trade show is at the Javitz Center which is located in the only area in New York that not enough cabs seem to frequent. There is a cab line but it takes at least an hour to get through it. Add the 100 degree heat and it's beyond a bummer to have to endure that cursed line. After the show, while searching for my gifted town car, I ran into a couple of friends heading for the dreadful cab line. I stopped them and told them to get in the car with me. These happen to be two very nice women who can be extraordinarily helpful to me in doing my job. My boss and I were happy to share the car with them. I would have felt guilty driving away with only two of us in there anyway. Those two women have officially sworn that they owe me big time. We were all SO happy to step out of the heat and into that wonderfully cool and clean car. Ahhhhhh. Pure heaven. The driver, as usual, got mad at a cab next to us, rolled down the window and yelled "Fuck to you! Yeah, I fuck to you!" I turned to my friend and informed her that I enjoyed that turn of phrase and that I'd be using it from time to time in all of our future discussions. I told her to consider herself warned. She agreed she'd try to use it in conversation as well. The best part is that she's a lawyer. I can't wait to hear her say it.

We got to the hotel in time to enjoy a couple of hours of down time before heading out to dinner. Later, we walked a few blocks to Bar Americain (Bobby Flay's place). Yum! I ate so much last night that I really held back today. I had a crappy Greek salad (no chicken) for lunch and was seriously hungry. Tonight I had, get this, a lobster-avocado cocktail (holy crap is that a delightful combo) followed by a fillet with asparagus. For dessert we split the Chocolate Praline Layer Cake and the Milk Chocolate Black Layer Tart. Words can't describe just how yummy it was... especially those desserts. Amazing!

I'm now happily digesting and still enjoying that lightning. I'm off to wash my face and enjoy the NY Times in bed. Sweet dreams!

Busy week

So, tomorrow morning I head out to New York city, midtown Manhattan to be exact. I'll be there for Licensing Show. It's the most fun NY trip of the year because SO MANY of my friends/co-workers are all in the city at the same time. I'm literally running into to friends at every turn. I'm not sure how many of us will be in the hotel I'm visiting but it's got to be at least 100 of us. 10 of us are getting together for dinner tomorrow night, that will be a nice kick-off to the week.

The most frustrating part of the week is that we're not allowed to discuss what our new jobs are. We had a big meeting on Friday running us through all the new org charts. I must admit that when I first saw my name with boxes underneath and a couple above I was a bit intimidated. I have a really big job to do but I don't think I realized it until I saw it up on a giant screen. I'm sure my eyes got very big when I first saw it. One of my former bosses congratulated me then admitted she first thought "Holy crap! How is Lucy going to do it all?!" I had the same thought but the concern didn't linger. I'm flattered that my Managers chose me for the job but I'm confident that I can do it. Best of all my new job is now much easier to describe to others. My current job description/title is all over the place. Frankly, it's barely worth mentioning because it's so complicated. Now it's pretty clear cut. I'm also happy that I'll get to continue working with a lot of my favorite people. My new duties are in an area I care about and can be passionate about so I'm really looking forward to it. Too bad I can't tell anyone about it!

I don't have plans to see any shows in NY this week but that's (mostly) by choice. I've been spending a lot on work clothes/shoes/accessories lately so I'm trying to hold back on other spending. :(

My calendar is definitely overextended this week so I won't be able to slip away for any museums but I'll be back again soon. I'm pretty much booked from 8:00 through 10:00 pm every day. Bummer. Luckily most of those evening plans are optional. Most of the big-wig dinners are open, if I'd like to join them, but they are with people I don't do a lot of business with so it shouldn't be a problem if I decline. I'll probably quietly decline business dinner offers and try to spend time with friends that I don't see enough of.

It's supposed to be hot as hell in New York this week but it's hot every year at Licensing Show so it's no real surprise. I hate high 90's temps in NY because it's so humid. To be clear, I don't do sticky. I'm a California girl and I just don't know what to make of humidity except to give in a n be miserable. As far as I'm concerned hell wouldn't be just hot, it would be humid. I'll be indoors for most of the trip so I'm hoping I don't have to deal with the humidity all that much.

All in all, it should be a fun week. I'll be sure to post if anything interesting happens.

Hell's a poppin'!

Well, we all got meeting invites and phone calls in the last 24 hours to tell us what our new jobs were. I heard about my new job while at an optometrist appointment. My boss was traveling on business so she couldn't tell me in person. She didn't want me hearing it from someone else so she called as I had my chin in the chin rest ready to get that terrible glaucoma test (you know, that annoying "puff" of air the they blast into your innocent eye). I apologized to the Physician's Assistant and asked "Do you mind if I take this call? I've been waiting to find out what my new job is." Luckily she didn't mind and was quiet nice about it. Good thing too, it's not like I would have ignored that call.

I'm very happy with where I landed but disappointed that I'm losing my current boss. My new boss and I have been acquaintances for a while now and she's very well liked so I have faith that we will be a good match. Still, I'll miss my current boss. We're an awfully good pair. Apparently we were supposed to stay together up until a week ago when they slid her into so other random role. Weird.

Fortunately, I was in a happy, happy, joy, joy meeting on a kids character line (that all of you with children know well) so I didn't get caught up in the rumor mill in the office today. We had a big kick-off meeting from 11:00 -4:00. All day long I was getting frantic emails from colleagues and partners asking what was going on with our jobs. I ignored them and tried to focus on the meeting at hand. We heard from the creator of the characters and learned lots of fun facts. We then had a "fiesta" lunch" followed by some time in a skating rink (don't ask). I have a tendency to trip in flip flops so I passed on the idea of strapping blades to my feet. I did, however, watch as other experts with trainers practiced. One little girl waved to us as she skated by. I guessed she had dreams of becoming an Olympiad. Later we broke out into smaller groups for a brain storm. Candy and toys had been tossed all over our tables as party favors. A couple of my friends soon got into a heated bubblegum chewing contest. While another poor friend made his presentation up front, we sat in the back frantically unwrapping foil bubble gum coins for the two contestants. We wanted to know how many pieces they could cram into their mouths. We never found out because at 16 pieces each our contestants stopped cold and and turned green. I jumped up for napkins, for the gum wads, and some ice water to help alleviate the terrible sugar rush. I knew that look. My brother had look on his face once in the car after he shoved an entire pack of Bubble Yum in his mouth, turned green and barfed it all up. I didn't want to take any chances. Still, I highly recommend this fun game next time your in a meeting with friends. Just don't offer to be a contestant.

I got back to the office at 4:00 and made a lap around the office. I had been told to tell NOBODY about my new job so imagine how surprised I was to find that SO MANY people already knew about it. I knew very little about the new organization when I got back to the office but I pretty much knew everyones new jobs by the time I finished my lap and got to my desk. It's amazing how quickly news spreads when you're gone for a few hours. Many friends got screwed. Herr Boss (the big German boss) was among the most disappointed. He was apparently quiet vocal about his dissatisfaction with his new role. Some friends told me he was down right hostile about it. I've never seen him angry. Have you ever heard a German man shout and curse? Well, I can tell you from experience that it's terrifying. Soon after hearing all about how upset he was I heard him shout from his office "FUCK IT TO HELL! SCHEISSE!" I had been chatting with my former boss and literally RAN from her doorway into her office to take cover. Turns out he was just responding to the realization that he'd managed to lose an Excel document he'd spent hours building. Phew! I thought we were all toast. I did learn a new word though. Scheisse! I like it!

Tomorrow, upper management officially unveils the new organization. There will be org charts and HR folks and a hot breakfast. (I hope theres lots of bubblegum! ) We enjoy Summer hours this time of year and it happens to be my half day. I'm shooting for a 1:00 departure. It should be interesting.

Staying sane

Isn't she fabulous? I saw this image on a postcard a while back and had to have it. She's been staring down at me from a bulletin board ever since. I just love her. I love that look and try to keep it in mind while at work. Who would dare question you with a look like that on your face?! The painting is called The Shawl and was painted by Charles Sprague Pearse in 1900. Thanks for the great painting, Chuck! I need to be looking at a confident young lady these days.

I'm still in the dark as to my future at work. Nobody is getting laid-off but it's still a bit stressful. We typically hear lots of rumors by this time but this re-org is different. I've been trying to have the whole New Earth attitude and live in the moment. I'm doing my best to not think about the past or the future but only the now. While this is easier said than done I must admit it has helped keep me calm.

In another effort to remain calm, I spent about 4 intense hours at work today doing some God awful forensic accounting. For ages now I've had a lovely little $350 credit on my corporate credit card. I tried to figure out where it came from a while ago but eventually lost interest. I even called accounting and asked if anyone could help me straighten it out. They said "No, but you should really try to figure it out on your own." I replied "Umm, and what exactly is my incentive to do so?" I know , it was a sort of bratty response but honestly... a job like that could take days of productive time from my working life. Besides, I could hear the shrug on the the other end of the call. Needless to say, I left the credit there and didn't worry too much about it. As you may have guessed, I'm not the best bookkeeper especially with my corporate account. I expense everything carefully and on time and the bills keep getting paid. We're all happy. Except today I realized I had about a $1,400 payment due and I didn't really know where it would be coming from. Bummer! I organized statements and expense reports and eventually found a bunch of stupid mistakes on my part. I'll be an expensing fool tomorrow! You see, busy work is keeping me sane these days.

I'm going to NYC next week and get to see my old car pool buddy who recently moved to London. I've been receiving hints to transfer there myself. Hmm. Now that would be exciting. Last week my VP asked me if I'd consider going to the UK office. I told him yes but that, at my level (Manager), I wasn't sure the perks offered would be enough to support a decent move and lifestyle. He looked at me thoughtfully then agreed that I had an excellent point. Of course, it sure would be nice to be paid in pounds instead of dollars for a while. Well, we'll see what my new job looks like and I'll decide then if I need to be making any kind of crazy-ass moves.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Control

My big girly weekend:

I enjoyed last long weekend so much that I decided to take this Friday off. I relaxed by getting a pedicure. I had picked up a few new nail polishes and I was anxious to try one out. I'm happy to report that I've found the perfect nail color in Opi's Dutch Tulips. Love it! I also got my hair cut and colored. I've been gradually cutting my hair shorter and shorter in the back while leaving it a bit longer in the front. It's more subtle than you might imagine. I think I like it. Over the years my super straight hair has developed a super weird wave. My hair is now wavy in the back and straight in front. Yuck. I still don't know how to control it but at least there's now less of it to control.

I then did some shopping. This has become a not-so-familiar habit since I've been saving. I generally avoid malls and most retailers and so far avoidance has worked. I now go shopping only if I have a goal in mind, I don't like to wander aimlessly. Trouble is, when I do go shopping I can really throw down. In fact, I had my palm read during the holidays and was told that I'm "good with money but when you do spend money you really know how to spend." 'Nuff said.

While leaving the mall my dear friend Stacey called. She said that she was sitting in a high school auditorium with my brother watching the girl's dance recital rehearsal. She then pleaded "Come entertain us. We'll be here 'til 8:00 and we may die." I headed on over with a couple of iced teas in hand. The rehearsal was indeed very long but it was nice to catch up a bit. My biggest concern was that the music they were dancing too was, I swear, the music my mother must have learned to tap to. It was bad. I had to sit through the whole thing the next night so I swore I'd have to bring my iPod to jazz it up.

Saturday morning I met my gay husband and 8 of his best girlfriends for a screening of Sex and the City at the Arclight. I loved it! However, I'm not sure I recommend this movie to the non-fans out there. It makes all the difference to actually care about these characters. Mostly I love that the characters have grown and developed so much since the show began. In the beginning it really was all about sex, parties and fashion. Now the ladies have grown older and wiser and are more concerned with finding happiness with or without men. It's a really nice evolution. I know this because I spent a sleepless Saturday night/Sunday morning re-watching most of the first season. I'm so obsessed that I wound up taking my Mom to see the movie again this morning because she really wanted to see it. I know... I'm crazy to spend that much time on one show/movie but it's been fun. Mom and I have been fans of the show since it first premiered on HBO a decade ago. Mom loved the movie as much as I did. She agreed that the movie is like the best SITC season all wrapped up in one fun glitzy movie. It was the first film Mom had seen in a theater in years. Her knee has been a problem for so long that sitting still in a cramped seat has been out of the question for ages. I asked when she last thought she'd seen a movie in the theater and she said, to the best of her recollection, she thought it must have been Forrest Gump. *gasp* The movie going experience has changed a lot since her last visit. She did not approve of the high prices at the concession stand. She jumped out of her seat when the show-offy sound system kicked in and asked "Is it going to do that throughout?". I later handed her a napkin because I anticipated tears when she turned and said through misty eyes "I'm already crying in the preview." The trailer for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants had gotten to her. We had a really nice time. Mom's knee held up very well and we'll be seeing more movies together soon.

On the way home I picked up some gerber daisies that match my toes. They're so pretty! I wanted something cheerful to last the week. We're supposed to learn our fates at work this week. I hate that it's all so out of my control. I'm working towards staying positive and believing that the powers that be will take care of me. The bummer is that I got a mandatory invite to a meeting with our VP along with the rest of my group... all except my boss. It's got me a little freaked but... well, I'll keep you posted.

And speaking of no control, I'm now getting ready to watch the season finale of The Tudors. Things aren't looking good for our friend Anne Boleyn. The Episode is titled Anne Awaits Her Fate in the Tower. We all know that can't be good.

Bummer

Yesterday I received the following email from my brother titled "Tragedy:
Dude. My iPod died. RIP. No recovery. It died a quick death on the bedroom floor. Father's Day is around the corner???" I think that was his way of suggesting I chip in for a new iPod for him but I keep reminding him that he's not my dad. I must confess that I did feel sorry enough for him to consider buying him a new iPod. He travels ALL the time and I know how hard it will be without one. I then came to my senses.

Still, I felt SO bad for him. Honestly! He apparently dropped it on the hardwood floor and it didn't survive. Turns out iPods don't bounce all that well. It was bound to happen though. My entire life my little bro has been a spaz with a tendency to break pretty much everything in his path. The good news is that he's not materialistic and doesn't see the point in obsessing over owned objects. The bad news is that I always took very good care of my stuff and he always broke it. That being said, nobody, and I mean nobody, loves their iPod like my brother loves his. The only things I've ever known him to take very good care of are his family, his house and his iPod. That's pretty much it. I asked him if he couldn't just go out and get a new one but he said I'd have to convince his wife. No offense to my sister in law, but that comment gave me a flash of being incredibly happy that I'm not married. If my iPod broke, I'd just dip into the house fund and run (RUN) out to replace it. I wouldn't have to talk anyone into it, I'd just selfishly/foolishly do it. Cool!

Of course my brother's loss made me rush home and clutch my dear little iPod close to my heart. I even remembered to upload a crap-load of songs I'd neglected to move earlier. A couple of months ago I spent a Sunday afternoon transferring music from an old computer to my thumb drive. By the time everything had transferred I had moved on to other things (I have the attention span of a gnat) and I never got around to moving all of that music to my laptop and iPod. I finally moved it all over this evening. When I originally transferred music from my CDs to my iPod I tried to move only the songs I REALLY liked. I rarely bothered to transfer entire albums over, yet I still have close to 3,000 songs on the pod and that's nothing compared to what my bro must have on the iPod formerly known as his.

In honor of my brother's loss, and because I have 650 fresh songs in my music library, here is a list of the top 10 songs that show up on my iPod shuffle along with some notes:

Don't Go Back to Rockville - REM
(Man, does that take me back! I must have listened to this song about 800 times in college. I still love it.)

Crystal - Fleetwood Mac
(Sometimes there's nothing like a little Mac to get you through the day.)

Kiss Me, Son of God - They Might Be Giants
(These guys always make me smile. Also, I like to include them on mixes I make for the kids in my life.)

It's Me, Oh Lord - Charlie Hayden & Hank Jones
(Have you heard this album!? It's a fantastic mix of amazingly mellow interpretations of old spirituals. It's SO relaxing and lovely. You've got to give it a listen on iTunes. I dare you not to love it. And if you don't... I don't want to hear about it.)

Bye, Bye Love - Ray Charles
(So much energy! Ray sings the hell outta this one.)

Ochie Cherny (Dark Eyes) - Sophie Milman
(Moody French music... cool!)

(Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
(Awww. I miss John. I wish I could say the same of his annoying wife. Umm, that sounded a lot meaner than it was intended.)

Heart of Gold - Neil Young
(I'm kinda over this song but it's technically a classic so... *shrug*)

I Can Do That - A Chorus Line
(Yea! Showtunes!)

Martha - Tom Waits
(I have mixed feelings about this song. It's a pretty tune but the lyrics spin a haunting yarn about the most depressing case of drunk dialing ever. Then it just sort of ends but, because it's a Tom Waits song, you know it doesn't end well.)

So, there is a taste of my iPod shuffle. I know we've done this before but what's on yours? Shandon, Trooperdog, Norman... care to share? And don't forget the notes! (That's an official tag.)

Swimming with the sharks

Last time I posted, I mentioned a favorite motto of mine "Go big or go home". I'm also fond of "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em". It's the latter that's giving me trouble these days.

You see, a couple of months ago, while on a business trip, a new friend and I were discussing real estate, 401ks and investments. I know, not a lot of fun but certainly interesting given my current financial situation. Because I've been saving for a new home I have no mortgage but a decent savings account. I'm therefore considering investing in the market. I have a 401k that is growing (but lately at a bummer of a rate) but I'll never retire on that thing alone so I need to start something new. After all, I'm a single gal who needs to look out for herself. I'm thinking it's time to start an IRA and little stock portfolio before I'm dirt poor and a new homeowner. Thing is my new friend was talking up a rather famous axis of evil variety corporation. She went on and on about how she never would have invested in them but ended up working under one of it's many tentacles for a while and as a result she now has a lucrative portfolio of their stock and enjoys regular dividend checks. That sounds good enough, right? Well, here's the problem, the company she was speaking of is Philip Morris/Altria. Yeah, you heard me. As we continued to talk she finally blurted out "Hey, I was just trying to sell some cheese. Besides, I figure we're talking about grown-ass people. We all know smoking cigarettes kills people. It's no secret. If they want to buy the damn things, who am I to stop them?" It's a dark thought isn't it? Still, it got me thinking about all the evil companies out there that just keep making money hand over fist no matter how much we hate them and how many times they lie before Congress. Is it time to maybe join 'em?

Hear me out, every time I fill up my tank at the gas station I think "Damn! I'd kill for an electric car!!" then "Damn! How can I get a piece of this action?" I drive a 9 year old car and take good care of it. It's reliable and gets better mileage than most of the the gas guzzlers I see on my way to work every day. Yet I paid $60 for a tank of gas the other day and that's nothing compared to what I'm guessing it will get up to. If I invest in those oil bastards do you think I might get some of my money back?

I'm starting to freak out because I can really hold a grudge and have been known to boycott retailers for decades but I feel I may be caving. I've been boycotting Walmart since that famous story aired on 60 Minutes about 20 years ago. I now know many people who work closely with the Walmart folks and I can tell you that company may be evil (it targets small town America and kills main streets all across the country and continues to snuff out every whisper of union talk) but they also happen to be one of the smartest companies out there. The down side was put very well by Alton Brown on NPR today when he said "Show me a dying town and I'll show you a Walmart within 5 miles." So dang true. The fact of the matter is that The Gap may go under but Walmart is here to stay. Perhaps most disturbing is that they managed to go up a notch in my book (*gasp*) when they began undercutting pharmaceutical companies by forcing them to sell generic prescriptions for $4 a pop. I was even impressed. For the record, as far as I'm concerned, the pharmaceutical industry is at the bottom of the barrel in terms of unethical practices followed closely by the health insurance industry. I used to consider Walmart to be right there with them in the scum bucket but now I find myself grinning as I think about big bad Walmart sticking it to those other industries. And let's be clear, Walmart can do it. Walmart can pretty much screw anyone they want. It's scary. Remember that dock workers strike? Guess which company responded by buying their own cargo ships then pulling them right up to the overseas cargo ships and unloading their goods with their own workers? Yup, that would be Walmart. Walmart is the only company out there who can find and buy cargo ships in a 48 hour period and completely work around a major strike. Forget India and China gaining on the US, Walmart is becoming the real Superpower and we really don't want to piss them off.

So in the midst of all of this evil, I find myself considering investing in some big bad companies. To be clear, I work for a ginormous company that many consider to be evil so maybe that has a little something to do with my recent thinking.

Here are the big, bad, dark-side companies I'm considering investing in:

• Philip Morris
• Exxon

On a slightly less freaky front, I'm also considering:

• Johnson & Johnson
• Apple
• GE
• Intel
  

If I actually go through with this, what other reasonably ethical yet profitable companies should I invest in to wash the stank of greed off my hands? Do any even exist? I know enough to stay away from lenders (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Countrywide) and airlines but what about Starbucks, Whole Foods and Body Shop? They seem like happy, shiny companies. Trouble is I know folks aren't in the mood for over priced coffee, food or lotions. Hmm, it's a lot to consider.

You'll be relieved to know that I still could never stomach Halliburton (queue the Imperial March from Star Wars. Umm, btw, doesn't this seem sort of inappropriate yet perfect all at the same time?). Even me and my new thinking can't go there. Halliburton's just so evil. I've got karma to consider and I'm already treading into dangerous territory with Exxon and Philip Morris. I also don't think I can dive into the Walmart stock pool. I have family friends who do well by Walmart but I just can't do it. Meanwhile, Chevron is supposed to be environmentally worse than Exxon but I'm not sure how. *sigh* I've got a lot of homework to do. Where is that magical alternative energy company I'm looking for?

Damn, do you think I'll have to start wearing a black cloak and extra sun block so I look like the evil doer I'm becoming? Eeek.

Go big or go home

My friend Thom would be proud of me. I did a great networking exercise today. I've been working on it for months but it finally came to fruition this afternoon. It all started a few years ago. A few friends and I discovered that if we just boldly put ourselves on an executive's calendar, he or she would take us to lunch. It sounds presumptuous but it really works. I pretty much show up where my Blackberry tells me and so do they. Most of them spend their lunches in business meetings so the chance to relax a bit and have a less stressful lunch with an lower ranking colleague is a nice diversion.

Following my big professional conference from last Summer I decided to do the same but with friends from the conference. Part the conference was a dinner with the big executives from our division. We all sat at tables and every 20 minutes or so the executives would get up and switch tables. In this way we got some quality face time with each of them. Trouble was, the head executive of my group was unable to attend the dinner. I decided he should take a few of us to lunch to instead and he kindly agreed. After several cancellations, due to much traveling, we finally had lunch today.

Since the original lunch was set, this particular executive has been promoted and is an even bigger wig than when we first tried to get together. I pulled a few fun friends together from the conference and headed off to lunch to meet him today. Before I left, another friend asked if I had my "elevator speech" ready. (This is the one minute self promoting spiel that you're supposed to have ever ready in case you're in an elevator with a big wig.) I said "No, he's not that kind of guy." It's true. This particular executive is a much more down to earth and social person. I knew we would not be spending our lunch discussing work. I was right. In fact, when one person started steering a conversation towards a work related topic I saw our featured executive start to fade. It was just a moment then we recovered nicely. Mostly it was an entirely enjoyable get together. My favorite moment was when we were discussing favorite films. Our big wig replied "I like old school. (pause) I don't mean as a type of movie, I mean Old School the movie." I like that in an executive.

We all had a really nice time and got to know each other better. My friends officially love the guy now. He really impressed them with how approachable he was. I, of course, followed up with a thank you email. Because today was an unofficial half day he could have easily blown us off and headed home to his family at noon. I wanted to make sure he knew how much I appreciated him doing lunch with us instead. He replied right away and said he really enjoyed it. I'm so glad everyone had a good time!

We're definitely planning other executive lunches. Since I set this one up with a big wig I knew, my friends are now in charge of setting up lunches with some big wigs they know (and they better be as much fun as mine!). We're even considering making lunch plans with the CEO and CCO of our company. Like I always say "Go big or go home". The worse that can happen is one of their dozen or so assistants says no. It's worth a try though, right?

Summer Reading

Ever since finishing my last book I'm happy to report I've been on a reading kick. That's generally how I read... in spurts. The timing is good because television is limping to the end if it's annoying and abbreviated season. In all honesty, I prefer reading to watching television but tv is just so lazy and easy to get caught up in after a long day. I tend to find interesting things to watch and even get obsessed with. I also find that when I'm stressed out I can't focus on a book no matter how good it is. If I'm in one of my reading kicks it usually means I'm pretty calm about life and that's a relief.

Several months ago a colleague kindly bought a copy of The Pillars of the Earth for me insisting that I'd love it. I read the first hundred pages, or so, and just couldn't get into it. I could see how it had potential and lots of effort was put into character development but... it just wasn't any fun. One character in particular was really bugging me. Worst of all, my friend would ask me about it every once in a while and I'd have to tell him I'd got caught up in some other book, which was true. I tend to do a lot of reading on planes these days. Trouble is, Pillars is a behemoth and I refused to lug it on and off planes so it's been sitting on my ridiculously overcrowded nightstand ever since. Well, I picked it up again Friday night and finally got through the boring stuff that was making me crazy. It's really picking up and I'm officially enjoying it.

In the mean time, over at Posy gets Cozy Alicia asked her friends for some light and fun reading ideas and her readers came up with some great suggestions. Reading their suggestions was almost as much fun as reading Alicia's posts, which, by the way, have been strangely absent lately. Hmm. I'm hoping she's ok and just off on a fabulous vacation with her dear Andy somewhere.

Well, I received a package from Amazon (sorry Shandon!) and here are some of the books I chose based on the suggestions:
I Capture the Castle
The Light Years
Garden Spells
The Enchanted April
The Sisters (Which, come to think of it, I believe I heard of on another blog)

I recently purchased a collection of Dorothy Parker Short Stories that Mom is currently enjoying. I've also been mooching books of other short stories. Mom and I have decided short stories make the best bedside reading but I've got my overburdened nightstand to deal with. I think I should make it my goal to turn off the tv this summer and instead turn to my nightstand for entertainment. In fact, despite the miserable heat, I think I'll go outside, grab a lemon off the tree, make myself some lemonade and read a bit more before retiring for the night. Sweet dreams!

So that's what good reporting sounds like...

I get my news each morning by means of NPR. I have a radio in my bathroom and I listen to Morning Edition while I race around getting ready for my day. I find that I'm way ahead of the average bear by the time I get to work every day because of this habit.

I also read the Sunday edition of the NY Times and dabble in the LA Times when I have time. If I want more info on a particular story I go online and search, or check out CNN or, for a completely fresh POV, watch BBC World News. Newshour with Jim Lehrer is another outstanding news source that actually spends time on it's stories, as does the BBC, a rare practice in this country. On the way home from work each day I listen to All Things Considered. I find these sources to cover most of my needs but I take them for granted. However, every once in a while a story really hits me hard and I 'm reminded of what good reporting looks and sounds like.

I knew some of the best and earliest coverage of the earthquake in China was coming from NPR because two of it's top reporters were in China when the quake hit. Melissa Block recently turned in an outstanding piece of reporting about a couple desperately searching for their two-year-old son and the woman's parents in the rubble of their apartment building. I was moved to tears almost immediately while listening to this story on way way home from work this evening. As difficult as it is to hear some stories I feel strongly that we owe it to people to listen to them. The couple in this story is living this terrible experience, the least we can do is listen to them and send prayers, best wishes, good mojo, money or whatever it is you believe in. Ms. Block does her job by being respectful while trying to remain impartial but it's clear that this story is getting to her. She does a wonderful job under a terrible set of circumstances.

It's so easy for us to go on with our day and forget all about what's happening far away in other countries. It's even easier when a government isn't allowing reporters to bring stories to the rest of the world as is the case in Myanmar. I know we can't all curl up in the fetal position and obsess on these tragedies. I know we all have responsibilities and lives to lead but do we really need to waste time watching stories on the Cannes Film Festival? Is Access Hollywood really necessary? Doesn't it all seem so silly considering what's happening in the world these days? Don't get me wrong, I love tv and a good film as much as the next gal, but these days I'm really turned off by celebrity and fame. How does a celebrity show up to a film opening in a $5,000 dress when the world is in such terrible shape? I understand contracts and commitments with studios but good grief. They must feel like such idiots knowing it's all so pointless and distracting.

I don't mean to be such a downer but I'm really upset by it all. But don't listen to me. Listen to the story.

*stepping off soap box*