Amy’s Neighborhood

pho and a root beer

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just in time for the Zaturday showing

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• Boo is fine. She came home around 6:30am. She cried. I let her in. 10 min later, she wanted back out. I think that was when we started the cycle of her crying, me yelling "shut up!" and falling back to sleep. x5, till 11am, when I let Moshi out. Then they both came back in. Then Moshi went back out and, wisely, just before I left for work (11:45 - early for me), Boo decided to go out too.

• Got off work at around 1am tonight. Sucks to get home, turn on the TV, and see that it's already 1:30am. As long as there's work, I'll be in the office for a MIN of 10 hrs a day for the rest of the year... working toward an impossible deadline (but my dept has to make sure that the blame falls on the sw team instead of us).

• ASL Sign Language Question: Should "Damn, I wish I was your lover" be signed as:
• Damn, I wish I will (implied "be") your lover
• Damn, I wish I am (literally signed) your lover
• Damn, I wish I (implied "am") your lover
  
• I really really want to go to Vegas. I don't know why. NYE would be fun but it's not worth the price (2 nights, with partying at the Orleans is over $450... during the summer, rooms were $18/night... 1,250% more expensive = NOT COOL!!)

• Today I ordered this awesome Bottle Top Tripod. No more trying to take pics of myself in the mirror - now I can set it up on a table and user the timer. Other sites have the same tripod for a slightly cheaper but my link has FREE SHIPPING (which I didn't know when I ordered), so $10 is total cost. WIN (DOUBLE WIN since I didn't know about the free shipping).
• Oh. Wait. Does my new phone even have a tripod connector? Ah, F it... if it doesn't, I'll use the old one. Or my digacam.
  

• Roku, the Netflix play (which is WiFi compatible) is down to $80. $100 for an HD version. $130 for an HD version that broadcasts to remote TVs. I'll probably buy it on Thurs (payday).

• Hoping-hoping-hoping I wake up in time, and remember, to see It's a Wonderful Life on a movie screen tomorrow. If I don't, I won't have another chance this year.

• Things I always like: Candles (I want one wall in my future "bar" room to be a total fire hazard: covered with candle wall sconces - cause that's what you want around booze!), windchimes (metal and/or wood; tuned)

• Current mental fantasy obsession: How to fit both a jacuzzi and glass stone fire pit (plus seating) in my 12'x12' backyard. If I figure it out, I'm gonna have it built!

• My sinus infection is better but the coughing has started. I'm hoping to end it before it gets out of control.

• Jamilla DeVille won the International Pole Dance Federation's "Instructor of the Year" award. Yay!!~~!
  

• Gay Progressive Dinner Party on Sunday... and Earl will be there. Should be fun! (maybe I'll be nice and take a pic of Earl while he's AWAKE... I'll have to act fast (even when I went to his house for dinner & a movie, he fell asleep on me!))

• I am totally on board with Crankypant's rant about the Grammy nominations (you have to be in her hood to view that link). Today I heard that the Silversun Pickups are up for Best New Artist. I've been hearing them on the radio for at least 3 years now. "best NEW artist"... WTF?

• Just saw Micheal Buble on Oprah. I really like his voice. Why don't I own any of his CDs (or mp3s)??

• Zero 7's "The Road" is a beautiful song. Beautiful. I got the CD (supposed to be an advanced copy but I think it didn't work out that way) when I renewed my KCRW membership. LOVE the CD (except 1st & last tracks, both strange instrumental mixes). Also got & love the Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix CD (my drive to work, plus putting on makeup in the parking lot, takes EXACTLY the length of the CD). Mixed on Band of Skulls, which sounds like Jack White (who I don't really care for). Haven't listened to the 4th CD yet - don't know what it is. Long story longer: I'll link the Zero 7 youtube vid at the bottom of this - but, fyi, there are no visuals in it.
• update, 2:42am: Just saw that Zero 7 will be playing a local, small, venue on the 16th. A Wed. There is no way I will be able to get off work to go. FAIL!!
  

• It's 2:35am. I'm going to bed (or going to pretend that I am). Hope you all had a good Friday night. I'd love to read about it my comments!
  

I am sooooo not in the mood for this!!

She's, of her own volition, been inside for 2 days. Feeling sorry for her, I decided to let her out for a little bit. Conveniently, after just a few minutes, she cried to come back in.

But when I opened the door, she just stood there. So, naturally, I yelled. So she ran off. The Moshi got out. So, naturally, I told them to fuck off and slammed all the doors shut.

About 30 min later, I decided to see if they were ready to come back in. When I opened the door, both were still right there. Moshi ran in. Boo cried. Then ran off to a side yard. Then came back. I was going to chase her in but it was obvious she was going to run away again.

Soooo... I left the door open and went in the kitchen and pretend to prep wet cat food (big treat for them). Moshi, Skritches and Espressa all came for food (I gave them treats instead of wet food). Boo was nowhere to be found - including no longer in the back yard.

I went outside and got 2 cans of cat food out of the car (I have a case of it in my trunk) and rubbed them against each other - a standard way of calling them home. No Boo. Walked down the street doing it. No boo. Came home - 3 cats sitting at the front door, waiting for food, but no Boo.

I seriously don't know where she is. I am HELLA annoyed. Might have more patience if I wasn't operating on 4 hours of sleep and a 10hr work day, and hadn't lost the eucalpytus nasal inhaler that I just bought and know I had in my hands this morning (where the hell did it go?!)... but I am, and I have, so I have ZERO patience.

Wherever the hell she is she's, for the first time EVER, not making a sound.

NOT. IN. THE. MOOD. Looks like she's gonna be having her first overnight outdoor adventure.

= Good when it's cause of fun
= Double good when it's cause of naughty fun
= Suck ass when it's cause of work

And my reason was the last.

And the office was fuh-reeezing cold tonight... low of 69, high of 72.4. We've requested high of 75 but Facilities seems to be unable to meet that request. NOT helping my sinus infection.

But I am healthier today. So that's good. I think it's the eucalyptus nasal sniffer thingie that's making the difference. Whatever works.

Boo was a little love kitty this morning. Both she and Moshi came back inside (after their morning jaunts) and went back to sleep inside. When I was getting ready for work, Moshi was surprisingly content to stay on the bed (he usually makes a last minute plea to go back outside) and Boo was snoring away on the sofa. She woke up when I went into the living room and gave me lovins, and pushy-pushies (kneading), while I tried to put on my shoes. So cute. So RARE!!

Unfortunately, that meant they were indoors all day + all of tonight, so they'll be up early tomorrow. But I need to get up and drop off my proof of traffic school anyway, so I guess it's all good.

Does anyone watch Jimmy Fallon's show? I so don't like it. I want to like it. I keep checking in to see if it's finally developed some writing. But NOPE, still sucks. I'm probably just beyond its target age range (like Conan vs the former Leno audience).

Oh... Moshi's here and he says to tell you hello.

What else, what else, what else? Jeebus... not much. Oh, I know: The housekeeper called today and asked if I want to continue with them because I already owe them 2 payments. WTF? One, he never gives me bills. Two, I've owed way more in the past. Three... Hey, dude, if I don't call you then everything should stay on schedule. And while we're at it, you only need to call me if something's changing. If you plan to show as scheduled, you don't need to call. Sooooo... I don't know whether to tell him to FOAD or what. He's irritating the hell out of me (but so is everyone) but I don't have anyone else lined up and good, even just barely passable, housekeepers are hard to find. Arghhhh. Why can't everything just go my way and be easy and obvious? WHY is that so much to ask!?!?! OMGPONIES!!11!!!!!

question: Why doesn't anyone else seem to notice that the chick who plays Bella, in the Twilight series, seems to be a butch lesbian in real life (I don't care who the spin machines claim she's seeing)? Is it just me? No one else is getting gaydar (lesdar?) off her? Not that it matters who she dates... it's just making me nutty that no one else is mentioning the possibility... is it the Hollywood machine protecting its investment or am I waaaay off base?

I guess I'll do a quick hood check and turn in for the night.
The worst part of getting home after a long day? Needing to decompress uber-fast to get into bed ASAP to repeat the process again the next day. It's not going so well right this very moment (update: 2:30a, 2 strong drinks, and I'm still wide awake). I may be a night owl but the mental stigma of getting home at midnight doesn't change, it still feels obscene and abusive (even though it "only" means a 10 or 11-hr work day for me). Maybe it wouldn't seem so bad if I did shit at night. But I don't... so it still seems gross.

It's A Contest!! I will send $1 (and maybe even something cool) to anyone who can figure out (with my agreement) why this comic reminds me of CrankyPants and cracks me up (everytime!) . Cause, seriously, even I don't get the connection. But this is a real contest and I really will reward anyone who comes up with an explanation that seem "right" (as subjectively judged by me). good luck!

... I'm sick AGAIN?!?!?
Yeah, I'm having a hard time with it too. A whopping 1.5 weeks of feeling okay-ish and I'm sick again.

I'm sure it's stress related. Not that knowing that changes anything.

The sinus infection hit me yesterday. I went nutty with the Nasacort but it didn't seem to have much effect - I needed to start on it when the sniffles first hit but that was at work and I didn't have the sprayer with me.

I got up this morning and went to Physical Therapy. Despite my instincts, I did NOT hurt the therapist as much as she hurt me. I'm still hoping she knows what she was doing and the little bitty wall slide thingie she had me do is actually going to help me. It hurt WAY more than it should.

I thought about seeing the doc while I was there but decided against it. My symptoms were still a little mild and I've had too many doses of antibiotics already - I can't take more.

So I went to work and felt like crap. I got one major project done but I couldn't go on to the next one... I was too loopy and tired. I spent half the day with watering eyes, the other half with painful molars. I decided another 2010 item (in addition to figuring out what to do about the knees) will be seeing another Nose expert to see if they can figure out why my right nasal passage is so prone to infections, esp so redonk fast (sniffles to infection usually takes 4 hours). The last guy found nothing.

At 8p, I was back at the doc's, getting more nasal spray cause the one I had with me was empty. I knew I had a refill somewhere but the pharmacy had no records on file. While driving to the doc's I finally figured out that it was a freebie from her, and maybe a scrip too, and that it's in my little blue Grammy Museum bag. Unfortunately, I'm currently carrying a different bag and and have NO idea where the blue one is (the fact that I haven't actually looked for it is not helping).

So she gave me some "samples" of another nasal spray, and we talked, and I de-stressed, and we discussed that maybe I can take something other than Cymbalta next year (I don't think I will) and it was all FREEEEEEE!! (cause I never had a 1:1 with her - only talked to her through the receptionist's station; we discussed my furies, eye liner, mascara, and getting old) Hallelujah!!

Now I'm watching Biggest Loser and having a LOT of sympathy for that marathon they're doing because I know the areas they're running and, other than the part along the coast, it is NOT nice. Most of those areas suck in a car (and used to piss of my engine)... I can't imagine my heart, legs, feet, or self making it through that course. Super congrats to them!! I am 100% certain I would have stopped and declared, "FUCK THIS" around mile 4, if not sooner!!

Wow.. those vids recorded when they first got to the ranch, congratulating themselves for what they've done later, is kinda intense.

Vote for Liz to get in the finale!! She's had an amazing change and the scales don't take into account muscle gain. Amanda's done great but Liz really deserves to be in the finale!! (Did anyone else notice that Rudy's family didn't appear in the "at home" vids? That implies they refused to do so. I wonder if he's still married or if the transformation was too much stress on his relationship.) (Danny's transformation is simply AMAZING)

I want the Biggest Loser Wii game. But I don't want to buy the Wii, and the balance board, and the 500 other accessories that drain your account. I probably wouldn't do it anyway. I'd think about doing it. I might watch it. But I wouldn't do it.

I could go to the ranch, while living at home, for $1100 a week (if bought 4wks at a time; I think it was $1300 if purchased as individual weeks). Eeegads! Still, I'll keep it on the options list. People accomplish a LOT in 4 weeks there.

I don't think I've mentioned that my coworker made a "book nest" for me. I haven't hung it up yet but I lurves it! I would show you a picture of what I'm talking about but I can't find it right now.... it's an "invisible bookshelf" with a little v-shaped top (like the top of a birdhouse) so, instead of using bookmarks, you hang your current book over the "roof", split open at where you stopped. The original won a bunch of design awards but,100 clicks later, I couldn't find a way to order it. I asked 2 people to try making it for me (I would have done it but it required some welding and flux makes me super nauseous), and one did! YAY!!

I'm gonna go drink some more, pass out, and hope for a miraculous health improvement by morning. I have a LOT of expectations on me at work over the next few weeks and, at least for 1 day, I'd like to meet them. Not to mention needing to drop off my proof of traffic school BY Friday (I have no idea if I have to stand in that stupid line again or can just drop it off - either way, parking is a huge problem there) and my DMV request for a handicap pass - which has only been in my green bag for.. oh... a month (my knees are mostly okay now but they're sure to give out again).

Sometimes I REALLY wish for a Life Manager... someone to handle all the bullshit and give me a weekly allowance of fun.

ps update: Forgot to mention that I heard Mitchell hop the gate, into my side yard, at 2:30am (last night) and look for his tools. I thought about calling the police but I was too F-ing tired. His other shit was gone today and that's good enough for me. For now.

ps update #2: I may have found out why the housekeepers didn't leave a message. The doc's office told me that they repeatedly tried to call me and my phone would ring 1 to 3 times, then hang up on them. Greeeaaat.

ps #3: is anyone else having trouble accessing NatalieDee.com?

random info #1 (inspired by the Sony commercial where Justin has googly eyes): I tried to wear my non-scrip, big dark bedroom eye, contacts last Friday (Miss Kitty's party). My lower lids have no problem with contacts but my upper lids HATE them. I had to take them out in under 30 seconds. Sucks!! Glad I didn't pay full price ($75) to learn that (I bought them on Santee Alley for $20)

...Conan O'Brien:
Thank you for featuring the cast of Mary Poppins on your show tonight and CONFIRMING that I do NOT want to see that play!! Double so if that was their big production number. SUCKYYYYYY!

...Stomach:
Why are you making those noises? I cooked the chicken myself and confirmed it was hot enough before I ate it. You should not be making those noises!

...Nose:
Another sinus infection? You can't be serious!

...ABC New:
Thanks for having that clip about Sleigh Bells up on the web. I hope to remember them when they finally release an album.

...Television:
Thanks for having MUTE buttons so I could stop hearing the Mary Poppins song and am currently not hearing Q&A with the cast of New Moon

...Weather
Can you knock it off with the 20+ degree temp changes between night and day? Me no likes!

...Finances
WTF happened? Where did you go?!?!

...Mojo
I miss you!!

in case you missed it on CO

It was all so much fun to unwrap - I haven't gotten to do that in years!! It was like a bunch of Christmasessesssss at once.

First 1/2 my gifts from the extremely generous and thoughtful Art & Tea / Alice In Paris