Down the Rabbit Hole with the Semi-Evil Squirrel

maybe in time you'll want to be mine*

0834 hrs:
Happy Friday the 13th! Tomorrow being Valentine's Day (Barentinusu Day, in Japan), I thought I would post a link to something that anyone who reads my blog would appreciate.

My sister is in town this weekend, but not sure what the agenda is yet. My car is at the mechanic's today to see what is wrong with my brakes and ABS system. I'm guessing that it will be a fairly large bill. I'm the kind of person who likes to be prepared for the price shock, but I really have no idea of the amount I'm going to pay. I figure if I think $500, that it'll hopefully be less than that. Will be glad to have my car fully working again.

I am so tired and sleepy today that I keep yawning really big and my jaw is starting to hurt and my eyes are watering dreadfully...*tired sigh* Well, at least tomorrow I will be able to sleep in and catch up on some Z's....

Recover from ultimate sleepies action plan:

1) Take YoYo Ma CD out and put in....Gorillaz - Demon Days
2) Get up from desk and walk to break room for more coffee

....

ETA: Mission status: success!

0953 hrs:
I think it's sad that my teeth are so sensitive to everything that even drinking room-temperature water makes them hurt.

That was not what I was going to write though. I wanted to point out that because my car is at the mechanic's, I have Nailz's car with me. What happens is that she follows me to drop off my car, then we drive to her work, then I take her car to my work and then I pick her up from work after I'm done. It actually works out pretty well. Anywho - this means that I have access to Nailz's CDs that are in her car. This morning I snagged the following CDs from her car: Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Gorillaz - Demon Days, NIN - Broken, BECK - animation BECK soundtrack, YoYo Ma. Quite the variety, plus some of these I've never listened to so it is a nice change.

I am anxious to hear from the mechanic about what is wrong with my car and when it will be fixed. Usually, I can expect the car to be fixed in the same day, but I'm not so sure that will happen this time. I hope it doesn't have to stay the weekend....

Speaking of the weekend, I do have a few things that I'm looking forward to doing along with seeing my sister while she is in town. Nailz and I are going clothes shopping this weekend. Hopefully, I will be able to settle on an interview outfit. I'm limiting my clothes purchases to those that are for the interview. Also, I am going to submit an order for all of the film developing supplies I'll need to develop my own black & white film. Should be fun. I just have a couple of things to check on before I hit "place order". Yay!

1545 hrs:
Ever notice how good it feels to sigh sometimes? There are so many different types and ways to sigh. Sometimes, though, they are not nearly as relieving as you hope. I've been doing a little bit of good and bad sighing today. But I definitely have been sighing a lot more lately.

Have been feeling weepy all afternoon. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's that it has been so gloomy all week. Or maybe it's that I'm so tired and all I really want to do is go home, tuck myself in to bed and go to sleep and hide from the world the whole weekend. It sounds so nice....Alas, I have friends and family that actually want to see me (shocking, isn't it?).

Just a few minutes ago I was thinking about the clothes shopping expedition planned for this weekend. Just thinking about it discouraged me. Thinking about how cute the clothes are, but how they are: 1) too expensive, 2) don't fit right or 3) make me look frightful makes me already feel the post-shopping sense of defeat. Self-fulfilling prophecy, anyone? Maybe it won't be that bad since we are going to Kohls, where at least I don't have to worry about them being too expensive as long as I stay near the sale rack.

Best to post this. Soon I have to get on the way to pick up Nailz from work. I don't know the status of my car and probably won't until later this evening. *le sigh* I am not looking forward to that bill.

Everyone have a good weekend and wish me luck for the shopping trip!!

*Gorillaz - El Manana

Labels: car troubles, link blogging, moody, music, sleepy, weekend plans

make way for the lemon parade*

0825 hrs:
My stomach hates me. I'm convinced that it endeavors to never let me drink coffee again. *sad sigh*

1032 hrs:
Have triumphed over my stomach. I am just now finishing the last of a FULL thermos of coffee. Huzzah!

In other news, I've been meaning to write about the techniques I have been employing to try to reverse my crush on Mr. M. One such technique is to imagine that he has habits or preferences that are an absolute turn-off to me in a man. I've been imagining that he is such a sports fanatic that he would rather spend time with his "bros" watching the game than with his girlfriend (if he has/were to have one). Huge turn-off. Also, imagining him to think Adam Sandler movies are the best ever made. Also big turn-off and one up with which I would not put. *putting on airs* The only dangerous made-up characteristic I have to stay away from is imagining that he only likes tall, thin blondes who dress nice all the time. This idea could give me a complex (as I am so much the opposite of all those), so I'm trying to imagine that he may not think me the ugliest woman on Earth, but that I am also not necessarily his type - I'll never know because my crush on him will cease to exist soon.

Anywho - glad today is Friday. Actually, that may be the biggest understatement of the month. I am so glad it is Friday that it feels suspiciously like a huge relief. The thought of sleeping in tomorrow and spending most of this weekend just bumming around the apato sounds wonderful!! I think my cat will like it too, as he has been especially needy and cuddly lately.

1305 hrs:
I would like to talk very seriously for a moment about Mr. M. I find it difficult to put in to words why exactly he appeals to me so much. (Despite my best efforts, I find that my interest in him grows daily...) While he is definitely attractive (all the ladies in the office agree - even the lesbians!), I think I have subconsciously made him into the representative of what I feel that I will never have - all those traits in a man that will always be just out of reach for me. The kind of man other women get to have, but not me. And I know this and feel it very deeply and it feels a lot like emptiness.

It's no secret that I attract what I term "weirdos". Now that I think about it, it is probably because I, myself, could be termed a "weirdo"; someone who doesn't really fit anywhere. But what I want is someone who is closer to the middle "normal" than I am.

Well, I guess that is that, eh?

1552 hrs:
Almost time to leave. I feel like singing 'hallelujah!' and surprisingly, now I feel like having a drink to celebrate the end of the week. An hour or two ago, I learned that the cow-orker whose work I am covering while on medical leave is not coming back until mid-February. I was so hoping she would be back this coming week. Dreading next week as it already looks to be h3ll. *braces for the worst* So if I don't blog much next week, you'll know why. :\

Also, cow-orkers and boss-lady played a joke on me today. They told me that my paycheck hadn't come in the mail like usual and so they were looking into what might've happened to it. I was pretty calm about it because I thought maybe it had accidentally been sent to a different location and that I would get it on Monday and if not then, I could always ask for a reprint of it. The cow-orkers were disappointed that I didn't freak out on them about it. The joke ended around 3;15pm when boss-lady gave me my paycheck. I said, "Huh." and they were even more surprised that I wasn't at all upset with them. I feel like saying, "Well, why overreact to something that would (without a doubt) be fixed sooner or later?"

Guess that is it for today. Hope all have a wonderful weekend. Me - I'm going to drink some spiked hot-cocoa and stay in all weekend. Yay!

Playlist:
misc. Japanese Pop
Album: Tonic - Lemon Parade*

ETA: Added a link to my artsy-fartsy photobucket site in the links section. It's kind of like a choose your own adventure because you have to choose which category of pictures you want to see in order to get to the album. All albums are listed on the left side of the page.

Labels: boy stuff, cow-orkers, playlists, stomach problems, weekend plans, work

thunder only happens when it's raining

0845 hrs:
*big yawn*

0902 hrs:
Just brewed some coffee. Have decided to count calories today just to see what my daily intake is like. There is a website where you can get the nutrition data for almost anything. Here's what they have to say about coffee: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/beverages/3898/2

I would say that 2 calories per 8 oz is a pretty good deal. I add 2 sugar packets (30 calories) and a dollop of 1% milk (give or take 10 calories). That means I am only taking in about 50 calories per coffee that I make.

Compare a home- (or office- as the case may be) made cup of coffee to the alternative: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/foods-from-starbucks/9604/2

Doesn't that coffee sound yummy? But it has no nutritional value AND it is 227 calories more than a plain, 12 oz cup of coffee (which, I might point out, has Amino Acids where the Starbucks does not). Add on to that the fact that the coffee I am drinking at this very moment (Maxwell House, Good to the Last Drop) cost me...*thinks*...maybe about $0.10 whereas the Starbucks would have set me back at least $3.50 plus tax and tip and I think I've just made a major dietary change decision. (Not that I drank a lot of coffee house coffee before, but now it just doesn't seem worth it!)

1139 hrs:
Have been thinking over the last few months about what it takes to have a blog or LJ that people find worth reading. I seem to have lost a lot of what made this blog interesting in the (very) beginning. From what I can tell, people who have a wide readership usually have something interesting to say about something other than themselves (in other words, SUBSTANCE). Sometimes, there is even humor involved. If I take a look at those three qualifications, my blog appears to be as dry and boring as unsalted flour crackers. This may be resultant of my life in general. I don't do things that others see as interesting and when I do, I'm too busy having fun to blog about it. In some way, it makes one want to give up. But maybe I enjoy yelling into the void too much - even if no one else ever hears me...

1537 hrs:
I am already excited that tomorrow is Friday. I have so many good and productive things to do this weekend and I just can't wait to get to it!! XD

Young Master Murphy gets to visit Santa on Saturday on get his picture taken. I'll have to trim his claws so that he doesn't injure Santa out of pure, feline joy.

Guess that is about it. I've gotten a lot of work done today and at about 3pm I finished the last page of the revised process document (45 pages!) and felt like I should be able to just go home. As if, "I've done what I've come to do. Now I leave." Just like that. That would nice, ne? *dreams*

Also, checked the Powerball numbers and I won $4. I think I know where I'm going to be buying my tickets from now on!

PLAYLIST:
The Decemberistis - The Crane Wife (proved too gently for first thing in the morning)
NEWS - Color (always helps to pep things up a bit)
Dir en grey - Uroboros (good for energizing the mid-afternoon slump hours)

Labels: coffee, nutrition/diet, playlists, weekend plans, work, yelling into the void

the dawn obscured by a slate sky raining

0811 hrs:
I just started my own Ta Da List yesterday and already I'm in love with it and have 4 different lists with 22 items combined listed on them. This thing rocks! About now, I'm wishing I had an iPhone or other web-friendly phone (because let's face it - my little flip phone just wouldn't cut it) so I could get to my Ta Da list any time, any where. *dreams*

1110 hrs:
You might notice something different about my playlist today. Namely that I'm not listening to the same album over and over ... and over. *grin* I decided that I was getting too addicted to Weezer and NEWS. I had to step back and listen to other things. Mainly, I think I was listening to the other two albums constantly because I was too lazy to try to pick something else out. I am so glad I did - I seem to be in a much better mood due to the change.

I have had my ear buds in all morning with the volume up. I've been rocking out while cranking out quite a bit of much needed documentation. I've been a bit neglectful of this specific document, but now I see that it really needed some TLC (4 hours of it, so far!). Think I will put it aside for the rest of the day though, and go back to concentrating on the frustrating problem resolution tasks that are still hanging over my head from Tuesday. Guh.

1239 hrs:
Even though 3 weeks ago I swore that I would spend third weekend at home and, for a change, not do anything at all. Yeah...That just didn't happen. The universe plotted against me and now I have a to-do list and social calendar that is chock-full. *sigh* I have to get up really early tomorrow morning and take my car in for an oil change. It's a couple thousand miles overdue, but better late than never... Maybe I'll take it to JiffyLube this time. Every time I take it to Precision Tune they try to sucker me into getting a bunch of other maintenance services. I feel like saying, "Listen buddy - I'm not retarded. I know I don't need those services, so can it and just change my damn oil like I'm paying you to!" I long for a set of ramps and then I could just do it myself in my garage. Man - that would probably save money in the long run too... *schemes*

Also, would like to go out to an arts/crafts show in the afternoon to see if I can get any Christmas shopping done. Then, in the evening, I have a graduation party to go to. Sunday promises to be full of grocery shopping/Christmas shopping and baking 7 dozen Christmas cookies for work. There's other stuff too, but it's all on my Ta Da List, so I know I won't forget it. :D

Well, I've bored people enough for today. Off to bore my co-workers!!

1448 hrs:
AH HA! Not so fast with that sigh of relief!

I just did something completely contrary to the whole idea of Ta Da List. I just copied and pasted the lists I need for this weekend into a Word document and printed them out. Then I proceeded to write more items in by hand as I remembered them. Um...I'm pretty sure that goes against some of the most basic concepts behind an online to-do list. Oops.... I may or may not be addicted to making lists - real ones - on paper.

PLAYLIST:
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Colin Meloy Sings Live
The Darkness - One Way Ticket to Hell...And Back
The Beatles - Let It Be
Asian Kung-Fu Generation - single
Dir en grey - Uroboros

Labels: playlists, ta da list, weekend plans, work

hoshi wo mezashite

0818 hrs:
Finally got around to charging my mp3 player last night and adding more songs. Now I have 74 songs on it - yay! I'm trying to fill it entirely with J-pop and J-rock.

Totally spaced out there for a few minutes. I don't know what to write this morning... It is snowing here. It's not the first time it has snowed this year, but it is a lot more steady than last time. Also, (completely unrelated of course) my cat was being super cute this morning. I love him so much! In fact, I wish I was back in my warm bed, snuggling with Murphy-kun...

1012 hrs:
Still snowing...

1047 hrs:
Still snowing, but very, very lightly now. Of course, none of it is "sticking", which is nice.

I'm not sure what is wrong with me today, but my mind is completely blank for things to write about. Or perhaps it is because I have so many things to write about that I can't decide on which one to write about....

My sister is in town this weekend. She'll be staying at a friend's place, so I won't have to clean the apato to guest standards. :) I am hoping that we don't spend every waking moment with each other, as this may very well be one of the last weekends where I can get any kind of rest at all.

Guess that really is about it. *totally blank*

1149 hrs:
As of today, I have been smoke-free for 15 days out of the last 17. I have decided to use the N.O.P.E. method from here on out: Not One Puff Ever, because that is one puff away from a pack a day. I've always been an all or nothing kind of girl. I'm either a smoker, or I'm not. I am choosing not to be a smoker anymore and I need to back up that decision with a very firm commitment. In the months ahead, I see many challenges. The first of these will be this weekend. Because my sister smokes (a lot) and she is in town, I will be exposed to second hand smoke for much of the weekend and cigarettes will be readily available. It will certainly be tough, but I'm setting my resolve today. When I make it through this weekend still smoke-free, I will be rewarding myself with something "big" on Tuesday. What do you think it should be? Your suggestions would be welcome! Please support me in my efforts to stay smoke-free! *deep bow*

I would talk about the other upcoming challenges, but I'm concentrating on taking one day, one challenge at a time. I'm going to focus all my resolve on this weekend. *fighting spirit*

Labels: blah, quitting smoking, weekend plans, work