The last few days' posts, all combined in one:

This pretty much describes my bad days: Tech support frustration demystified

This made me laugh, especially the piece named "Sandy's Long Beautiful Hair Tips": The Long Hair Site (please note how men and women are both genetically engineered to want long hair, and why do we tell those heathen women who cut their hair short that it's cute? That's just encouraging them!

As tragic as this story is, it makes me wonder what would be pulled out of context should my death make the news. This poor girl will be forever remembered as loving "hot pink, mini skirts and stilettos."

And finally, SXSW Baby is back. Are you going?

Four x Pathetic = Really Pathetic

How pathetic is it that I'm all excited about being tagged with a meme? I feel like the last kid picked for the kickball team, but at least I'm on the team! (Thanks for picking me, Keri!)

Four Jobs You've Had In Your Life
1. Video Store Clerk (except for the management, this was awesome)
2. Double Rainbow Ice Cream Scooper (mmmm)
3. Receptionist/File Clerk for a law office (convinced me to go back to school)
4. Systems Librarian (current = best ever)

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over Again
1. The Mummy
2. Always
3. Crossing Delancey
4. Aliens

Four Places You've Lived
1. Laredo, TX
2. Arroyo Grande, CA
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Oakland, CA (yay!)

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch
1. Behind the Music, VH1
2. Talk Soup (is this still on?), Comedy Central
3. West Wing, with the old crew
4. can you tell I don't watch tv anymore?

Four Places You've Been On Vacation
1. Ireland
2. Seattle
3. Dallas
4. Austin

Four Sites You Visit Daily
1. Defective Yeti
2. Miss Doxie
3. Threadbared
4. Superhero Journal

Four of Your Favorite Foods
1. cheese
2. mushrooms
3. chocolate
4. chicken

Four Albums You Can't Live Without
1. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Sarah McLachlan
2. Joshua Tree, U2
3. You Were Here, Sarah Harmer
4. The Best Of Sade, Sade

Four Vehicles You've Owned
1. 1984 Buick Skyhawk (POS)
2. 1988 Nissan Pulsar
3. 1992 Toyota Pickup (bought brand new)
4. 2005 Honda Civic SE EX

I can't bring myself to tag anyone else. I don't know if any of my friends are into this sort of thing (which shows you how out of the loop I am). If you like, we can pretend I tagged you. Let me know where your list is in the comments.

Yay for productive and social weekends!

I 1) saw The Famous (they ROCK!) at Cafe du Nord (first time!) on Friday night with Lucia and Daryl and had a great time, 2) went to a birthday party that featured Lucia and Daryl again, as well as some other swell folks, and learned to play Yahtzee at the Albatross on Saturday night and 3) had a lovely brunch with May (and Lucia!), and then met some more very nice people, had appetizers with Jane, who is visiting from NYC, and saw my manager play jazz at Rose Pistola this evening.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, I also did my taxes (I am so buying a new camera), finally finally finally backed up my site/music/email files, cleaned my apartment, and bought some much-needed lipstick and lip gloss.

Also, just created a profile on Consumating.com, 'cause why the hell not?, and I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME figure out how to delete the first picture I uploaded. If anyone has any hints, please let me know.

Oh, and should you want to join me and some fun people at the one and only country and western bar in the bay area in a few weeks to celebrate my birthday, lemme know and I'll add you to the evite. Or just show up. You'll have fun, trust me.

Crayon Box Colr Pickr [via EverythingVenus]

Nothing like driving an hour and a half, most of that time going 5 mph or less (2 accidents, bad ones), to be stood up. It really provides perspective on who your friends are and which friends are just really really flakey.

Thanks Joe-Man and Corenna for showing up at my pleading. This would have been an amazingly unsatisfying evening if I didn't get to hang out with you!

I was driving down 80 the other evening, and I happened to look to my right and saw the most beautiful sunset I'd seen in a while. Not having any idea really where I was or where I was going, I took the next exit and did my best to get closer to that sunset. Turns out it wasn't difficult, as the road from the freeway to the ocean is pretty straight.

Of course, I took pictures. I managed only a few before my battery crapped out, but you can see them here.

Machomer rocks. You should totally go see it.

So I'm actually a big fan of jury duty. I mean, it's an opportunity to take a break from work for something more noble than just mental health, you get to see how the justice system works from the safe side, and you might get to read all day.

What I don't like is waiting hours and hours just to be told that my services are not needed. In the 16 years since I became a registered voter and started getting summoned to jury duty, I have been called several times and served only once. Every time (except that once), I wait forever in a dull room, maybe with a good book, usually on a bright and sunny day, for someone to tell me if I have to come back or not.

Today it was 3 hours with a so-so book and a very uncomfortable chair.

There has to be a better way. Could you work on that? Thanks!!

"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SWEET POTATO AND A YAM? "

I don't know and I don't care. I don't like either of them. [via LII]

Y'all, I've waited long enough for someone to help me out with this, so I'm trying to set up a feed around here on my own. (sorry, just watched Brokeback Mountain, my English is going to suck for a few days)

In other news, it's no name-calling week, jus' you remember that.

UPDATE: yay! site feed can be found here!

So, once again, the Parkway rocks. We saw Walk the Line tonight while eating pizza and lounging on couches, which is a darn fine way to watch a darn fine movie. And this wraps up a mighty busy week (sleep? I'll sleep when I'm dead, or during the dull moments at work) ... and starts another as well. If you get a chance, join us on Wednesday to see Machomer. That's mac-homer, not ma-chomer, as some people thought.

Oh, and speaking of busy, we're celebrating my birthday at the Saddlerack again this year. I know y'all think that's rather hokey, but trust me, it's a good time. You don't have to like country music, but it helps if listening to it doesn't make your ears bleed, and you like people-watching. 'Cause really, in the Bay area, why else would you go to a country and western bar?

I have learned over the years that I am a lot more uptight than I thought I was. Not in an aggressive 'everyone must be like me' sort of way, but more in a 'this is how I like my environment and this is how I do it and don't make me change' kind of way. Usually this isn't a problem (although it makes the prospect of close romantic relationships a little problematic). But I have to admit that there are a few things that I just can't watch other people do or it makes me itch and want to reach out and do it for them the right way:

1) channel surf
2) web surf
3) do anything on a computer that involves changing windows
3 4) edit HTML code
4 5) drive

Everyone has their own way of doing all these things, and I'm sure that my method makes someone else itch too. Which is fine. I just won't watch, how's that?

I was reminded by a random spam-type email that my birthday is coming up in less than a month!! I'm all excited. If you are too, and don't know quite how to express it, feel free to browse my wishlist. That ought to give you some ideas.

Nice.

Also, it's sunny here.

Oh hell, it's Girl Scout cookie time. I deleted the email with the descriptions of the cookies and when I can go order them to remove the temptation, but gosh would I like a Tagalong right now. Mmmm... peanut butter and chocolate.

It helps the temptation that they're up to $3.50 a box!! I think back in the Dark Ages when I was selling them, they weren't more than $1.50 a box. I understand it's inflation and all, but that still seems an awful lot for a box of cookies, no matter how good.

I just saw Shopgirl again tonight. Two things:

1) if you haven't seen this movie yet, you should.
2) The Parkway rocks.

Other than that, this whole 'eat lunch at work' goal, which means more cooking at home, which means more home time, means also that my life has fallen into the 'boring' rut. I need to get out more. Anyone want to go out?? For anything? Any time?

Funny funny stuff: Interpretation of Fall Out Boy - this pretty much sums up my thoughts every time I hear this song on the radio.

I went to a party tonight, and it was a good one, considering that I didn't know anyone but the hostess when I got there. There were many hightlights, such as show tunes, blackberry pie, and using salt and vodka to get red wine out of the carpet, but I promised everyone I would blog the ménage à trois that formed very late in the evening, and the fact that it was the most action I'd seen since last March (Oh my, how time flies). Oh, and I do mean 'seen'. I wasn't directly involved. Or even indirectly involved. I just happened to be in the room at the time. So there, it's blogged. And I'm beat. See you next week!

New year update

So I know I'm being ambitious and all, but I have undertaken 3 major attempts to make my life a better place (I never call them 'resolutions', that just dooms them from the beginning).

1) I have given up processed sugar for the time being.
- "The time being" will last at least until March 30 at 4 p.m.
- This does not rule out fruit or other natural forms of sugar (or pasta'd be out too, and I can't do without both), or things that have been baked with sugar (muffins, pancakes, etc).
- Rather, it means no more sweets: chocolate, candy, chocolate, black/iced tea that requires sugar, chocolate, cookies, pies, cakes, chocolate, etc.
- A short hiatus will be taken around February 14 because I will not pass up my mom's chocolate cake that she will bake for my birthday.
- Also, I will not be rude or anal-retentive about it. If someone offers me something out of the goodness of their heart, I will eat it. If I have been good and I crave some sugar on my bread and peanut butter, I will take it. 'Cause if I'm 100% good, then I will break down in a big way that much faster than if I'm 90% good all the time.

2) I will not go buy lunch more than once a week.
- This one's fairly simple, and it affects the rest of my eating habits too, since I will be cooking at home more often.
- This also satisfies the 'save money' goal that I usually try for, since going out to eat is the main way that money waves adieu to my bank account.

3) I will take no more than a one-day break between workout days
- I made a significant investment last night in gym things (bag, brush, shower stuff), and managed to get up at 5 a.m. today to go work out. It was great! I'm hoping this isn't a one-time thing.

These are all rather significant, but holy cow, they are all necessary. I fear diabetes, I fear being poor because I can't keep my credit card in my wallet, and I fear not being able to fit into the bridesmaid dress for which I have already shelled out half the cost.

But it's not all about fear, really. It's also about taking responsibility for myself and proving that I can make decisions about the direction I'm going in. I'm tired of wondering how I got to the weight that I am, where did all my money go, and how did all those cookies disappear.

And while I am quite aware of how hard it is to make more than one major life change at a time, I figure I'm more than making up for three of them by not being very good about flossing (my dentist assures me I have healthy gums), not getting my hair cut, and not having a love life. That last one isn't really up to me, but I've given up caring much about it.

I hope you are all doing well with your attempts at better living!