NO DAY BUT TODAY!

Then why did I wake up with a freaking migraine? SUCK.
I slept all night on my back. I get headaches when I sleep like that. I am so messed up. I hate myself sometimes because of all my medical issues. It makes me feel old.
But I am still pushing myself, because its finally here. RENT! TODAY! 12:45pm!

Besides that. I have a 3 1/5 day weekend. Tomorrow is Turkey Day. We are going to my cousin's house. It should be cool. They have a huge house, but there will be lots of people. Family fun all around. Then on Friday, Chris and I are having our own Thanksgiving. Chris bought a 9lb turkey so we will have leftovers. I am making the world famous sweet potato casserole and a pecan pie. Chris is gonna make stuffing, potatoes and I am not sure what else. For the family meal tomorrow, he is making his famous stuffed zucchini and he also made baked beans. He makes really good beans from scratch. Yum. I love Thanksgiving leftovers. Sandwiches. Yum.

Last night, I watched the entire American Music Awards. Tortured myself is more like it. All my sources said John Mayer would be there. But turns out now, he decided not to go. And the award he was nominated for did not even air. He was up for Adult Contemporary Favorite Artist. He was beaten by Kelly Clarkson. I am very disappointed that I wasted my time on that show. They aired like 2 awards and had like 300 performances. Of course I am exaggerating, but still. Those shows are always like that. Why did I think this would be any different? But he was on Good Morning America yesterday and I taped and watched that last night. What a cute boy! He is supposed to be on Conan tonight and Letterman tomorrow. So, if you are up late...

Better get back to my last hour of work...

we're not gonna pay

DUDE! RENT! TOMORROW!
Tomorrow I get to say that there's NO DAY BUT TODAY!
I am so freaking excited.
I am going to a 12:45pm showing. I get off work at noon and I'm heading straight to the theater. I will eat popcorn for lunch. I can't wait.
Have I mentioned that I love RENT?
I love the boys in RENT too. I am obsessed with Adam Pascal and have been for almost 10 years. And who doesn't love Taye Diggs and Jesse L Martin. And Anthony Rapp reminds me of my bro-in-law. I love it. I love them. I better bring tissues, because I am sure I will cry. I cried during every performance I've seen and I cry just listening to the soundtrack.
DUDE! RENT! TOMORROW!

I guess I get what I ask for, right?

Me: "Were any authorities notified?"
freak on the phone: "Yes."
Me: "What department was it that came out?"
freak on the phone: "The police department."

sick? You're sick?

Yes. Since right around Halloween, I have been feeling very ill. It started as congestion and went down into my throat and got stuck there. I tried to be in denial about being ill. My birthday, our company, our trip up north (I still need to work on the pictures, I know.). Push through it and I will feel better soon. Problem was, after our friends left, I started to feel worse. It was like my body shut down. I was coughing like crazy and was having trouble breathing. I finally went to the doctor on Monday, after leaving work early. I have bronchitis. I was given antibiotics and some cough medicine and told to lay low and rest. I stayed home from work and have been trying to get better. But I still don't feel 100% yet. I'd say I am at about 60%. I am trying again to not be sick. I went to work on Thursday, since it was only my half day. And yesterday, my mom and I went shopping. We had a lot of fun, but I think that I pushed myself too hard. Don't feel guilty, Mom. It was my decision. You told me we could stop and go home, but I didn't want to. I don't want to be sick. I want to feel better. I have a big, exciting week coming up. Tonight, we are supposed to go my works year end event at the Phoenix Zoo. I just don't know if I am going to feel up to it. Plus, I have to work this week. I need the money to pay for all the shopping I did yesterday. Tuesday, the JM3 album comes out. Wednesday, I get to work half day and go see RENT in the afternoon. I am jumping out of my skin with excitement for seeing RENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then Thursday is Turkey Day at my cousins. Then over the weekend, Chris and I are gonna make our own Thanksgiving dinner for just us. We do this every year, that we have leftovers. So, its a Big Week coming up. I need to feel better and really, really want to.

If you're not watching Grey's Anatomy...

you should be! As I say every Sunday night at 10pm (when it's over), "That's the second best show on television." First being Nip/Tuck. But lately, I have been loving Grey's a little more than Nip/Tuck. They are more like tied for first for me.

Read this article.

update on the john

I have been so sick the last few weeks that I haven't even thought about my blog. But since the new John Mayer Trio live album comes out on Tuesday, I thought I should bring everyone up to date on the latest. You can catch the album on Hear Music First on VH1.com. It is incredible.
There are also up coming TV appearances to pimp the album:

Good Morning America
November 22, 2005

American Music Awards
November 22, 2005

The Late Show With David Letterman
November 24, 2005

Late Night with Conan O'Brien
December 24, 2005 (Late night on the 23rd)

Check it all out. I promise you will not be disappointed. Even if you don't like John Mayer, the album is worth a second of you time (at least track 1, 2, 4, 9 & for a classic, track 8)

about last week

The week with our friends from Indianapolis ended with a major reality check for me. We (being me & Chris) had been getting strange vibes from them, like they weren't having fun. But then they would say that they were. We really couldn't get a read on how they felt about us and being here. I really wanted to show them as much as I could of Arizona as possible. So I made lists of things we could do and I planned that awesome trip that those pictures below are from. But still, strange behavior. Apparently it was me. All me. That was the problem. I overstress and overplan. No one said this directly to me, but was inferred and not denied. I mentioned, while we were at lunch on Thursday, that I was a total bitch (referring the air freshener that Chris bought me) and Chris said that he read a book at one of the bookstores about my sign, Scorpio. And it said that I was controlling and selfish and all sorts of other stuff. Chris was joking around and said that I was just like my sign. The response I got to that was - they looked at each other in a look that was agreement and never said a word. What the hell! So, it got me thinking. I really am that way. I just live in this constant state of denial. And having reality slap me in the face just isn't my idea of a good time. I broke down on Thursday night, after we got back. I cried myself to sleep. There are a lot of reasons why I realized that I was the problem. They also have a friend who lives in Phoenix who one of them used to work with. They wanted to go out with him and we had no problem with that. But the thing is, they were soooo tired and wanted to go home when we were driving thru Mingus Mountain and Prescott Valley. Then, we get home and they go out with that guy and are out until 1am. I thought you were tired? It was like the first chance for them to get away from me, they jumped at it. Whatever. I realized that I want other people to act like I do. I treat others like I want to be treated and it NEVER HAPPENS. It sounds like I am being really hard on myself and I understand that it's not all my issues that made the week strange. But I don't like how I am. I don't want to be in denial of how I really think and feel. I really wanted the week to end, but I also didn't want to go back to my life. I wasn't happy in either. I need to do some serious thinking about myself.

I sounds like I didn't have any fun. But that's not true. I tried to make the best out of a bad situation. We went lots of fun places while they were here. Here's a break down...

Friday -
food: Red Brick Pizza
Arizona Mills Mall

Saturday -
Taliesin West
Cosanti
food: El Paso BBQ

Sunday -
food: IHOP
South Mountain park
food: Rosati's

Monday -
The Heard Museum
IKEA

Tuesday -
The Grand Canyon
Arizona Mountain Inn(the cabin we stayed in)

Wednesday -
Oak Creek Canyon
Slide Rock
Sedona
food: Oak Creek Brewery
Red Rock State Park
Cottonwood
food: Blazin M Ranch

Thursday -
Jerome
RAKU Gallery
food: Jerome Brewery
Jerome State Historic Park
Mingus Mountain
Prescott Valley

See? We did lots of cool stuff. So for that, I am really happy. And I have a billion pictures I need to sort thru.
I will be ok.

a couple of...

trip pics to get you through until I organize them better. We just got home a few hours ago and are really tired. But I wanted to share a couple shots before I go to bed.

at the Grand Canyon


at Slide Rock

what we did yesterday

As you probably know already, our friends are here visting from Indianapolis. They came in on Friday and since then we have been having fun going out to eat, hanging out and this is what we did yesterday...

Taliesin West




Cosanti

Birthday Thanks

I want to say thank you for all my wonderful birthday gifts.
I usually list everything that I got, but I don't have that kind of time now. I still wanted to post my thank you, though.

Happy Birthday to me

Life in 2005

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

14. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Our house all decorated:

ERAC

ooh. using my work jargon.
It stands for Enterprise Rent A Car.
I mention it because I work for a car insurance company and thru my company, I get a discount when renting a car thru ERAC. Since we are going out of town in two weeks when our company comes, we need to rent a bigger vehicle. I called ERAC last night and set it all up. We are going to get a standard size SUV and because I am an employee of XXX company, I saved about $100 on my rental! I am so stoked about that. I said to Chris, "My being a XXX employee is really starting to pay off." I ran a quote for the same rental that we got online and saw the difference. My employee rate was about $37 a day and the online rate for the same vehicle was $59 a day. That's a major discount. I love it. I am so excited about our trip. Even more now that we are getting a cool SUV to drive.

2 months until...

my 7 year wedding anniversary. (as I begin to itch... kidding)
I know I talk about boys on here and I go ga-ga over them on tv, movies, and magazines, but I am happily married. And I know this because he understands that my being obsessive about celebrities and singers is just part of who I am and that I would never ever leave him for anyone. Seeing the ticker on my blog this morning made me all introspective about marriage. We are such different people. I know people say that, but I think we are more different than most. That brings up so much conflict. But I was not blind to what marriage is really is like. My parents are still married after, shit - almost 36 years. (Their anniversary is 1 day before mine.) I saw growing up that marriage is not all romance and flowers. It's a life. There are fights. Financial struggles. Illness. Stress. Insane kids. Times when you just want to leave it all behind. But it all comes back to those vows. Sickness. Heath. Good times and bad. And if you went into your marriage with the knowledge that those were more than just words. That they are potential realities. And you still wanted to go thru those times with this person, then it will work. I think so many marriages fail because people just don't want to try anymore. I can't judge people for that. I know marriage is hard. But I am married to my best friend and even though I want to ring his neck sometimes, I can't imagine my life without him. Yesterday at work, this 21 year old who sits near me asked me what it was like being married compared to not being married. I told her that one of the major things I appreciate about being married is not having to deal with boyfriend/girlfriend drama. She said, "You've been with him so long and were so young when you started dating (since we were 16 - if you are playing along at home), don't you regret not dating around?" My answer was, "Hell no." I told her that when you find that right person, you don't feel like you are missing out on anything. And that's the truth, for me. I see the drama that other people go thru in dating and it makes me appreciate so much what I have. I say that to my husband all the time. "Aren't you glad we don't have to deal with that drama?" And he agrees. I told her that I just knew in my gut that being with him, even at that young age, was right. When you are with the right person, you can't explain it to other people. You can surely list off the things that you love about them. The fact that they cook for you, the fact that they are so intelligent, the fact that they make you feel safe. But you can't explain why it's right. It's right because you just know it is. I can only hope that she and everyone else can have that feeling about another person one day. I was lucky. I know I was. I do believe in soul mates and fate and all that other crap. I believe it because I lived it. It's part of our story. And I love our story. We went through so many rough times before we were even married. Being apart for so long. I missed him every second. I cried so many nights that I can't even count. I think it helped me appreciate him so much more. I cherished the time we had when we were able to be together during that time. And now I know how lucky I am to be with him all the time. I also know that I am lucky to just plain know him. My husband can be on the shy and quiet side. Not to me. We are very alike in the regard that it takes us a long time to open up to people. But to each other, we are not shy at all. People tell me that they think he never talks. And I like that I have that little secret. I like that I know that's not true. He surely talks to me. I like that I know him better than anyone else does. I like that, even though he doesn't really say it, I know I am his best friend. I know that there is no one else on earth that I am supposed to be with. I know that he loves me and I love him. How do I know this? I just do.

VV

Last night I watched the last 20 minutes of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and I about died laughing. I need to catch it again on HBO and watch the whole thing. I loved the commercial at the very end of the movie. It reminded me just how much I heart Vince. Then today I find this article and I agree that he should be this years sexiest man alive. He might not be the most gorgeous, but I think being sexy is so much more about personality than looks. But you can't really argue with the tall, dark and handsome.

DAMN - I'm married.

a day late...

but definitely not a dollar short.
My boss and my boss's boss took me into a small conference room today and I was wigging out. I had a pretty good feeling that I was not getting fired, but who knew what it would be about. Turns out it was good news. I was one of a very few people that were getting a mid year bonus! It's gonna be in my paycheck next week. How cool is that? It's like $500! I rule!

look what I made!

I stole my mom's idea and made it my own. I made these center pieces to have on my dining room table for fall.

and one more thing I am looking forward to...

An Idiot Girl's Christmas : True Tales from the Top of the Naughty List by Laurie Notaro
Got it pre-ordered!

stuck in my head for 2 days...

Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson

Make it stop.

Anyway. Work is getting a little better. I am so hesitant to say that. I am still sure that I do not want to transfer to glass. At least not now. At least I do not dread coming to work everyday... as much.

Big days (stolen from my sibling unit) coming up!
This Friday is a party at Chris's bosses house.
This Saturday we are having a yard sale to get rid of all the crap in our extra bedroom to make room for...
The Logans are coming on November 4th.
But before that, my birthday.
Before that, Halloween.
I am so excited to have trick-r-treaters for the first time. I still need to buy the candy. I am putting that off because I know I would eat too much of it and just have to buy more. I can't wait to see the cute kids. I am not looking forward to stupid teenagers with pillowcases and no costumes. I should tell them "NO!" and slam the door. I crack myself up.

I may have gone from the biggest fan to the worst fan.

Can you believe I forgot yesterday was the anniversary of the birth of
John Clayton Mayer?

Well - day late, dollar short, but...

Happy Birthday John.

my week in hell

It's finally 4 days removed and I think I can start to process it and talk about it. As I mentioned before, I was asked to become cross-trained in the glass department and I went through training for it last week. It was my week in hell. To sum it up, we were trained on 6 weeks worth of material in 5 days. We would discuss a topic, then the trainer would say, "That was 4 hours worth of training in 15 minutes." It was so stressful that more than one day after work, I felt like throwing up. I have finally put it all together. The people that care about doing a good job are the ones that were overwhelmed. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever been through in a work environment. And that says a lot, because I have had some shitty jobs. What bothers me more than anything is that when I was first asked to volunteer for this, the thought that went thru my head was "They won't put us through this if they don't think its possible and the right thing to do." And my doubt was accurate. I hate that. They screwed us and knew it. I don't like the direction that this is taking my job. They all knew it was wrong and it would be chaos, but they did it anyway. Now you want me to do the right thing, when you didn't for me? No way. I felt very taken advantage of. But I can be the better person. I can take the hit. I was stressed beyond belief. Last Saturday night, I slept for about 45 minutes. I have been having trouble sleeping for the last week or so. It's not that I don't think I can do this new job, but I just hate that I was pushed thru and not trained and forced to do a job that I am not prepared to do. This is not the kind of job that you can learn "on the job". That means I have to figure out what I'm doing with the person on the phone. "Please hold" has become my new favorite phrase. I am slowly learning and feel more comfortable with it. But we are not taking all the kinds of calls that we will have to, yet. They are adding them in slowly. At least I know now that I do not want to do this job forever. There is going to be that option to become one permanently, but I want my old job back. I am better now and I can deal, but it was so bad that I couldn't even really talk about it.

the (your name here) needs meme...

I saw this on my sister's blog and gave it a shot. And I have to say, I am totally freaked out by it.

...needs a son to carry on her legacy (this was the first one and I knew it was downhill from here.)
...needs our help (See.)
...needs "a man" (and it was in quotes. But I already have one, right?)
...needs a hug (true)
...needs to get stronger and louder (again, true)
...needs to teach (can google read my mind?)
...needs me (and who might you be?)
...needs to do online research (about?)
...needs more fat, less carbs (um, you're half right)
...needs to take the train (where?)
...needs to learn a few things (again, true)
...needs a boob job (and it starts to get creepy again)
...needs a friend (and creepier)
...needs to, like, back off (ah, valley girl speak. what a relief!)
...needs to be confident and outgoing (shit! this is about all I can take.)
...needs to do more photo shoots (ok. we are cool again. I was gonna try to be a model, but they wanted me to take classes and I vetoed that.)

some pics from Chris's trip

Click on the pics to make em bigger


The one that says 1-800-RV4rent is the one they drove and they other one has his company's banner on it.


Chris


Destruction to the Hard Rock Hotel.


Destruction to the Beau Rivage (the hotel that his company is working on).


More destruction to the Beau Rivage.


Mold inside the Beau Rivage. yuck.


Destruction in Biloxi, Mississippi


More destruction in Biloxi, Mississippi

And, oh yeah. He made it home. It took a while for him to recover from the lack of sleep. He said that slipped on Katrina and got some Katrina on his shorts. He just slipped on some sludge and scraped up his knee and is fine.

what an adventure!

So, Chris ended up going on the trip. He just called and they are near Vicksburg, Mississippi. They have not stopped since yesterday around 4pm PST. Well, they've stopped for gas and food, but other than that, they have been driving this whole time. They are taking turns and while one drives, the other sleeps. I googled it for him and found out that they are about 6 hours away from their destination in Biloxi. Chris said that when they get to Jackson, they might stop at a rest stop and sleep for a few hours. Their flight home tomorrow does not leave Biloxi until 3:10pm CST. So they are gonna make it, no problem. Chris called every couple of hours today. It took most of the day today to get thru Texas. Normally, they could have gone straight thru southern Texas, like San Antonio and Houston. But with all the road closures and chaos down there, we decided that they should go north and go thru Dallas and northern Louisiana. If they had gone thru Houston, it would have taken them thru New Orleans as well. But since the goal was to get the RV there, they took a route that we knew would get them there without getting lost or road closures. So, it added a few more hours to the trip, but they'll get there. I am so glad that they are so close.
I had a terrible day. I stayed up late last night without really meaning to. I had some Mountain Dew with dinner and since I am trying not to drink caffeine, when I do it really effects me. So, I was awoken this morning by my husband calling to say they were in Texas. It was a pleasant thing to be woken up to. But after that, the day went down hill. I woke up with a headache. A very dull migraine, but it made me nauseous. I spent most of the morning and early afternoon in and out of the bathroom thinking that I could throw up at any moment. I finally just laid down on the couch and rested and I started to feel better. I had been trying to fight my head and stomach all morning, so when I finally rested and slept for a little bit, I started to feel better. I still don't feel all that great so I have not really done anything but watch TV all day. I watched a few episodes of What Not To Wear and there is a marathon of the second season of America's Next Top Model on VH1 and I have been watching that. I hope I feel better tomorrow. I get to pick the boys up at the airport around 6:30pm PST and I can't wait! I am so lonely. It's hard knowing that there really isn't anyone to talk to. But that's a story for another day.

glass baby

My boss just randomly called me told me about an opportunity that she wants me to take. They need people to cross train to take glass claims and be the adjuster for states that you don't need to be licensed in. The training is all next week (Monday thru Friday) from 8 to 5 and then I would take glass calls if needed for the next 6 weeks. They have so many people taking glass claims from hurricane victims that there are not enough people to take regular glass calls. So I am gonna do it. So now I am off this Sunday! Sweet. 3 day weekend. Alone. Damn. Now, it's no more money, but its a big deal to be asked and it'll look good on the resume. Way random and out of the blue. But cool.

I'm better than my sister, for once!

fun stuff

So at the time I would normally call my mom, I figured I should blog.

Well, lets just hope this morning is not an indication of things to come.
I was on a call at work and my cell phone kept ringing, well vibrating, and it was Chris. I pulled a major no-no, but he kept calling so I knew it was something important. I put my caller on hold and answered my cell. The genius locked himself out of the house. Yup. I had to finish up my call and go home. It wasn't that huge of a deal, but I had to use my lunch time to do it. My lunch time at 7:20am. It was excitement, that's for sure.

So, my parents made it to Toronto, but just barely. I looked at their flights and knew that their lay over in Atlanta was greatly reduced to about 30 minutes. I hoped that they had made it, but wasn't sure. My mom did call me a couple hours ago and told me they made it, but had to run. A picture very few people can imagine, but to those who do, you will enjoy the image. So, I did talk to my mom for like 2 minutes. She said their hotel is right on the lake and it is cold. She said it was like 55 degrees and windy. That is freaking wool coat weather for us heat freaks. At least I know they made it so I can relax about them for awhile.

the strangest thing

Yesterday Chris's boss told the office that he had a strange request. Does any one want to drive an RV to Biloxi, Mississippi? Chris's response was "Sure." He likes a good road trip. Well. It will be confirmed today, but it looks like he's really going to be doing it. His firm has people there helping with a rebuilding project and they need more places for them to stay. And apparently the only available RV's (meaning ones that are not already being used as shelters) are way out here. So, since their employees need it, they are going to deliver the RV to them and then fly home. Chris and another guy from the office are going to do it. They tried to see if I could go to, but the plane tickets were so expensive that they vetoed that idea. I am concerned about him doing this and driving across the country in an RV that he's never driven before and going into a part of the country that is in turmoil and chaos. As crazy as the whole thing sounds, it seems to be the only solution that his company can come up with. And it's a little late now for him to back out. They will have to drive straight thru without stopping so they can get this done over the weekend. They are pretty sure they are leaving tomorrow. Like I said, it should all get confirmed today.
And being the selfish female that I am... what does all this mean for me? I will be alone for 3 days. Not just without my husband, but my parents left this morning for their cruise. They will be gone for like 16 days. Now, I have gone 16 days without seeing my mother, but I haven't gone 16 days without talking to her on the phone in like forever. This will be very difficult for me. She's not just my mom, she's my friend. I will be lonely and needing my sister (*hint*hint* - CALL ME, Beck!).

update: fall TV

I have some serious Tuesday night TV issues! Why is everything good on Tuesday night? That's nuts. Something has to move or I will be very upset.
So, from 7:00 to 8:00 I have Gilmore Girls (I forgot to put that one on the list!) AND America's Next Top Model.
And starting at 8:00, I have My Name is Earl, Commander In Chief and Amazing Race.
I have the ability to record 2 shows at once, however you cannot watch a third unless I change the imput on the TV (which Chris told me after I missed the beginning of Amazing Race). This is just too much flipping and recording for me. Something has got to change. Now, I did watch Commander In Chief and it was really good. All except for Geena Davis's lips. She wore this horrible red lipstick in every scene and you (well at least I couldn't) can't look at anything else on the screen. She needs to tone that down. And about Amazing Race... I was not all that upset that I missed the beginning. All I can say to those at Amazing Race is "If it ain't broke..." This new season has families. It's really dumb. The tasks are much simpler because there are kids to consider. I like seeing couples fight, but watching all those families fight on TV is not nearly as fun. I'll probably keep watching it, but it will move to the bottom of the priority list.

fall TV

new shows on TV that I like so far...
Everybody Hates Chris - the best part is Chris Rock's narration
My Name is Earl - seriously, this is the best comedy on TV. It doesn't feel like a TV show. It feels like a part of a movie and I just want to see more. Jason Lee is to die for!
Prison Break - Why is that guy so good looking? If he wasn't, it would be worth my time.

and looking forward to...
Commander in Chief
new season of Amazing Race

old favs that I am soooo glad to have back...
Nip/Tuck
CSI
America's Next Top Model
Medium
The OC

fruit flavored tootsie rolls

I am obsessed with them. I love when Halloween candy comes out. They sell candy that they do not sell year around. I especially love the vanilla and cherry flavored ones. I need to stop eating them and get some self control!

blisters

Last night I decided I needed to sweep the front driveway and the carport. It was really bothering me. So I just went out and did it. Without even thinking of the consequences. Let's just say that the next time I sweep, I will be wearing my gardening gloves. I have blisters on both hands. And one little one on my foot. Ouchy.

How is it...

that the Bengals are 3 and 0? They won again today. That's crazy.

Now the Cardinals on the other hand, are looking to be the opposite of that today.
Neat.

for the sake of science

I have been keeping track of some of the "normal" things that happen when people call to file claims. I thought it would be interesting for people to see what I have to deal with on a daily basis and how frustrating this job can be. Plus, it's my attempt to prevent you from doing this when you call ANYWHERE. Because, trust me, this stuff does not just happen to insurance companies.

A little Insurance lingo lesson first:
An "insured" is a person my company insures
A "claimant" is a person involved in the accident that my company does not insure
And when it says "people" it means a combo of both claimants & insureds

Alright. Here we go.

Over the course of 2 days, when filing a claim...
28% of people did not have a pen or paper with them
6% of insureds did not have info on the claimant vehicle
10% of insureds did not have their policy # with them
10% of people did not know where the accident happened (either road name or city)
4% of people do not know their work address
10% of people had accents that I could not understand
1% of claimants do not know their own insurance company
1% of people do not know their own date of birth
1% of people do not know their own address

You might not believe some of this, but it's true. Funny, huh? All I can say is please have at least your own information with you when you call a company. And the not having pen and paper drives me nuts! What did you think you were doing when you called? Did you not call to file a CLAIM? Meaning that I would, at some point in the conversation, give you a CLAIM NUMBER that you probably should write down? Come on people.

Let me clarify

I had many comments from my sibling unit about my open letter post yesterday. I will clarify what I mean when I said that "I hit them" does not explain what happened. It might explain what happened if that was included along with the description like, "I made a left turn and I hit them." But when someone asks you what happened in a car accident and you tell them "I hit them." That does not explain what happened. Get it?
And "They pulled out and hit me" does not explain what happened either. People are so vague sometimes and it's really annoying. They don't realize that I can't read their minds. Because in their minds, it makes perfect sense. But a comment like "They pulled out and hit me" could mean a million and one things happened. Pulled out means what? They turned? They went straight? They changed lanes? See. It doesn't explain what happened at all.
So my point is, when you explain to your insurance company what happened, they really want to know.

new movie added to the list

This review really makes me want to see Thumbsucker.

an open letter to anyone reporting an accident to their insurance company:

"I hit them" does not explain what happened!!!!!!!!!!!

work frustrations

I think I have pin pointed my frustration over the last few days.
The people that I work with. Now that we are all sitting in different seats, I have a different view and see different people. I used to sit facing the rest of MY team. But now they are all sitting behind me. I now face another team and they are driving me crazy. They get here on time, for the most part, but they sit around and don't sign on the phone until the very last minute that they have to avoid getting a tardy. Technically, we start at 7, so you are supposed to be logged in the phone at 7. But as long as you log in by 7:07, you are considered on time and not tardy. You are not supposed to do this, but they ALL DO! So I sit here and watch them not working while I am taking calls. This morning I was the first one logged in and there were 8 people here. I had also taken 2 calls before anyone else even logged in!!!!!!!! Then, they get up and walk around when we have calls on hold. You are not supposed to do that. And I think the worse part is that their manager doesn't care. If she cares, she lets them get away with it. Their availability must suck. It's really hard to sit here and want to do the right thing when all you see is other people slacking. This was a frustration that I had at Discover. I don't want to let this eat away at me. I think I need to change desks so I don't have to look at them. I need to discuss this with my boss. She will understand, thank goodness. So I get all worked up and mad at my coworkers and then I have no patience for the callers. This is a vicious cycle that I need to break.

have you ever...

gotten a bruise on the top of your hand?
I have one now and it's very strange.

a few random things...

finale of Big Brother tonight - If Ivette wins, I don't know what I will do. I strongly dislike them both.

premiere of Nip/Tuck tonight - It's about damn time. It's been since January for christ sake! And so begins the weeks of Wednesdays that I will be very tired having stayed up late on Tuesday nights to watch. At least until daylight savings. This is my favorite show on television.

new John Mayer Trio video - Not much to look at, but a great song. Check it out here.

the cancellation of The Comeback - Not a big surprise. At least I don't have to watch it any more. I watched it because I thought it would get better, but guess not. Read about the cancellation here.

Sorry I haven't been writing much. Just haven't been in the mood.
So to remind myself, here's a list of things I need to blog about:
- Emmy's
- Jeremy Piven's Emmy defeat boo hiss
- work frustrations
- fruit flavored tootsie rolls
- new shows on TV that I like so far (ie. Prison Break)
- and new shows I am looking forward to

VACATION

So I had mentioned before that our friends from Indianapolis are coming to visit in November. Well, its all starting to come together. They got their plane tickets and are going to be here from November 4th(which is the day after my birthday, in case you didn't know!) to the 12th. How cool? They wanted to do touristy stuff while they are here, because neither of them have ever been to AZ. So, we are planning a trip within their trip. We are going up north. We are leaving on the 8th and going to the Grand Canyon. That night, we are going to stay in this cabin (we just booked it today!). The next day (the 9th), we are going to drive to Sedona and site see. We might even go to this winery. That would be cool. The night of the 9th, we are going to stay in Cottonwood. Then on the 10th, we are going to go to Jerome and shop. We will then drive home the long way thru Mingus Mountain and Prescott. We will probably do dinner in Prescott and then drive home that night. We are gonna rent an SUV and go crazy. It's gonna be so fun. Chris and I did a trip like this a few years ago. But this time we are going to the Canyon and staying in the cool cabin. I am so excited. This will make a birthday week celebration for me!

To Bright Star:

Yesterday I was watchin Wild N Out in MTV (do you watch this? it's hilarious!) and who was performing but our new favorite rapper, T.I.
I about died laughing.

Edited to add: OHMYGOD. Guess who just got punked!!!!!!!!!

Go

Ok, this will be my last post for awhile. But since I declared that my obsession was back - or at least back on the blog...
Have you heard, Go by Common? Well, who do you think it is that sings that "Go" part? Bet you can guess...

thunder wake up call

This morning I was woken up at around 6:45am by this insanely loud clap of thunder. I just shot right up. It made car alarms go off all over the neighborhood. Then it started to pour for like 2 minutes. The rain continued for about 25 minutes or so. These storms are what they call microbursts and they happen here at this time of year. Now it will humid all day and probably won't rain again. Great. Just enough to get my car windows all messed up. But at least I don't have to water the yard and trees today. Free water. Sweet.
So my plans for today are not much. I am still in my pajamas. I was up late watching I don't even know what on TV last night. And I did not intend to even by awake right now. Normally I sleep til at least now or 10am on Fridays. But I after the thunder, I could not go back to sleep. I laid on the couch for awhile after eating my cereal, but I have been on the computer most of the morning. I wanted to listen to the shows that downloaded... I mean, somehow obtained...overnight. So I am rambling on my blog and checking out the news. I need to go to the post office, but no one is ever in a hurry to do that, right? I also need to go to Target to pick myself up some more plastic bins. I am trying to work on clearing out the kids room of boxes. I have found that most of that stuff just needs to go into storage and I do not want to just put boxes in the shed. It's not a well built shed and I think anything in a cardboard box would get damaged. So, I need to get some more bins and just organize the stuff and get it outside. That room is still full of stuff that we are going to donate and sell in a garage sale. It's just too hot to be having a garage sale right now. So that stuff can stay in that room, because I know it will be leaving soon enough. So that's my plan for today.
There is one hurricane benefit concert, Shelter from the Storm, tonight and then tomorrow is the one on MTV that I mentioned a few days ago, ReAct Now: Music & Relief Concert. So I will be watching those this weekend. I also have two movies to watch from Netflix. Oh yeah, we signed back up for it. I was tired of being out of the loop on movies. Plus we have this huge TV to watch them on.
And speaking of TV, our cable is working again. We had to get a new cable box. But we are pissed because we lost everything that we had recorded and saved. There were things on there that I hadn't even had a chance to watch. The tech guy that they sent us was a trainee. And not a trainee working with someone else to learn. But a trainee by himself. He didn't even know how to plug the cable box in. Chris had to show him. So, even if it was possible to save the hard drive on our DVR cable box, that dude wouldn't have known how to do it. He had to call tech support about 4 or 5 times while he was here. It's every frustrating. He apologized for not being able to save our box and the last thing he said when he walked out the door was, "Don't switch to satellite." I am not kidding. Was he reading our minds? We are thinking about it, but I am hesitant because I know that weather effects satellite and it gets so windy here. I would be more pissed to have the TV go out when its windy than I am now that I lost my shit on the cable box. We are between a rock and a hard place. But anyway, its back working. So I can finally see again what is on TV. I hated not having the guide or the info button. You get so dependent on that and don't even realize it. I was so dependent on it that they other night I called my mother and had her hit her info button on her TV to tell me when something was on. Yeah, I know.

I am still listening to the show from the 7th and he just said, "Come on move. Bitches, move." It made me laugh because I read that article I posted below and it said the first few rows were full of girls. He called them bitches. They were not getting into the song and he called them bitches. That's so funny. He is finally speaking his mind. I am really happy that the girls who are there just for him and not the music, are getting called out. Now mind you, he is amazing to look at, but I love the music just as much.
Yup. The blog all about my obsession with John Mayer is BACK!

I Got A Woman

Have you heard Kanye West's new single with Jamie Foxx, Gold Digger? Well, it samples a Ray Charles song called I Got a Woman. Fun song. The reason I bring this up is because as I mentioned below, the JM3 started their tour 2 nights ago and I was (somehow *wink*) able to obtain a copy of the show from the 6th and 7th in San Francisco. They performed I Got A Woman and MY GOD it is amazing. I am loving listening to this. It's such great music. He is so amazing. He is my escape from the crazy things I have to deal with. What's wrong with that? Nothing. Plus, hearing him sing makes me happy and makes me smile. And groove in my chair. And puts Jamie Foxx to shame.

John Mayer Trio starts touring...

'I'm a bluesman,' says Mayer, but the little girls may not understand

I get it baby. And I ain't no little girl.

God Bless me?

I know you all want to know what the people who are filing claims about the hurricane say when they call. I just can't always talk about it. It gets to be too much. I have to become immune to it, just like I have for people telling me about their car accidents. Not that I don't care. I am just the kind of person who wants to help people and carry the burdens of others. And I can't carry it all. I have developed this thick skin were I try to not let what I hear get to me. I have to. I try to not even remember what they say. And today and yesterday were so terrible for me that I just couldn't even comprehend the things I heard. But I will tell you that I will never forget the lady that called today. After completing the claim she said to me, "God Bless You." God Bless me? This was after she told me that she got out of New Orleans with the clothes on her back and a bag with about a weeks worth of clothes and that is all. God Bless me? I am not the kind of person who says that to people so I didn't say it back, but I said it in my heart. No. Not God Bless me. God Bless YOU. I still can't process it. After all she's been thru, she says God Bless me. I am bringing myself to tears right now and that is why I couldn't talk about it earlier. I needed more time to even say out loud that this happened. And the things I heard yesterday will never leave me. I am so profoundly changed by these people. And they will never know that. I wish there was a way I could let them know, but I need to do my job and take care of their claim.

hooray for someone I know

Ernster, Duke Find Homes on 53-Man Roster

this was posted on my company website...

Here are some strategies to help you deal with the callers and your own feelings:

- Take a news break. Watching endless replays of footage from the disaster can make your stress even greater. Although you'll want to keep informed - especially if you have loved ones affected by the disaster - take a break from watching the news.

- Be kind to yourself. Some feelings when witnessing a disaster may be difficult for you to accept. You may feel relief that the disaster did not touch you, or you may feel guilt that you were left untouched when so many were affected. Both feelings are common.

- Keep things in perspective. Although a disaster often is horrifying, you should focus as well on the things that are good in your life.

- Find a productive way to help if you can. Many organizations are set up to provide financial or other aid to victims of natural disasters. Contributing can be a way to gain some “control” over the event.

- Control what you can. There are routines in your life that you can continue and sometimes you need to do those and take a break from even thinking about the disaster.

- Look for opportunities for self-discovery and recognize your strengths. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of persevering through hardship. Many people who have experienced tragedy and adversity have reported better relationships, greater sense of personal strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, deeper spirituality, and heightened appreciation for life.

if that wasn't enough

Did I mention that our cable is out? Well, not totally out. But our cable box is dead. We can still get all cable channels, except for digital and HD channels. We discovered this on Sunday and they said the soonest someone could come out to fix it would be Thursday. We could always take the cable box ourselves to the store, but we have things saved on our DVR that we do not want to loose. We are hoping that having someone come out that maybe they can save the hard drive in our box. But my gut tells me they will just switch out the box and everything will be lost.

What else is gonna break? Doesn't it happen in threes?

edited to add: I missed the season finale of Entourage!! Thank God HBO reruns. Don't tell me about it.

i hate cars even more now

I was late getting up for work. I hurried to get ready and rushed out to find that my car will not start. I get nothing. No clicking sounds. Nothing. The lights on the dash come on and the radio does too. But that's it. Joy of joys. I had to wake Chris up and have him bring me to work. I had no choice but to come in today. If I didn't come in today, I would not get paid for yesterday. Since yesterday was a holiday, if you call off the day before or the day after, you don't get paid for the holiday. Great day to have a dead car. I called my dad and he thinks that it's just the battery. Lets pray to God that is all it is. Chris is gonna pick me up today and we are gonna try to jump start my car and take it Checker to get a new battery and pray that works. Please God let it be just the battery. I HATE CARS!

John Mayer performed on Larry King Live last night to help raise money for the Hurricane relief. In case you missed it, watch it here.

that's what I'm talking about...

ReAct Now: Music & Relief on MTV, VH1 & CMT
I am liking what I see happening now. People are slowing stepping up and doing what they can.
Last night, my dad and I went to an Arizona Cardinals pre-season football game and at the entrance, they had buckets and were asking for donations. Near the end of the game, they said that at that game alone, they raised over $47,000. That was very impressive. (More on the game later.)
I didn't watch that Hurricane Relief concert on NBC last night because we were at the game, but apparently it was successful. And everyday there are more and more celebrities coming out and donating and volunteering to be on shows to raise money. I am really glad to see it finally happening.

sending my love to my family

YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME.

what can you do?

Dave Matthews Band to Do Benefit Concert
I would expect nothing less. They are an amazing group of guys who care about people and want to help. I hope more bands and celebrities step up and do more. I know there are some, but not nearly the amount yet that came out for the tsunami relief. This is our own country people. Come on.
And I look at the pictures and wonder what I can do? The first thing is Never complain about the heat. It's gonna be 104 today, but I have my house, my car, food, water. Another thing we need to do is put our problems in perspective. I think I forget to do that as much as I should. I can't complain really about anything. I have so much in my life and we need to be thankful for what we have and know that it can be taken way that quickly. Tell your family you love them all the time. And donate money to the Red Cross. I know it doesn't sound like much. The kind hearted people of this country want to do so much more than give money. We can pray. Pray for those who are dying and the families left with nothing. Pray that God will save the ones he can and those he cannot save, he will take with him and they will be safe.

what can you say?

Yes, I work for an insurance company. An auto insurance company.We insure more than 450,000 autos in the area effected by the hurricane.
I know that before I joked about it, but my criticism was more of the media coverage not the actual event. My company is scrambling to try to do the right thing for our customers. But we have no idea when these claims will ever be handled.
I know that most people watch the coverage on the news and it is devastating. But let me tell you, talking to the victims is 100 times worse. These people call to file the claim even though they have not seen their vehicles. They say things like, my home was destroyed and my car was in the garage so I know it is damaged even without seeing it. What do you say? We are all at a loss here. All I can say is you and your family take care. One lady said that she was staying at her aunt's house but does not know if she will be there tomorrow. She was so upset. All I could do was tell her to call us back if she goes somewhere else so that we know how to reach her. This is so bad. These poor people. They are calling them refugees on the news. At first I thought it was another over exaggeration from the media, but the more I think about it, that is what they are. I try to not dwell because if I do, I will cry. All I can do is be as nice to these people as possible and tell them we will help them as soon as we can.

new RENT trailer

Check it out here.

84 days and counting...

in passing

What's the most random thing you've heard when you walked by someone talking on their cell phone?

This is what I heard just now: "You can't help it if two crackheads end up in the same place."

For a minute I thought that I must not have heard correctly, but I can't figure out what else it could have been. Way random and odd.

to my sibling unit

Have a good first day of school tomorrow, Beck. You picked the best outfit. :)
I also wanted to thank you for the conversation we had yesterday. I know I laid a lot on you, but it felt really good to get that off my chest and I am glad that you were there to listen. So thanks. Things will be ok.

Hurricane Katrina

oh the drama.
That's all I have to say about it.
My job is directly affected by weather events all over the country. Meaning, we are busy. That's all. It effects my company financially. Anyhoo.
I just think it's funny that one the news last night, the graphic said "Killer Katrina" and I was thinking they were a little premature on that. It killed a couple of people in Florida when it hit last week, but they died from other things like dehydration and shit. They didn't drown or nothing. They were just talking about the worst case scenario and getting everybody all roused up. Not that it isn't a big deal, but Killer before it hit land? Whatever. I hope the loss of life is minimal and that people are able to recover from it. But people, come on? You live below sea level.

one word for today

MIGRAINE

super size me?

Check out this article. I enjoyed the documentary, but I also appreciate those who attempt to show other sides of the issue. But who the hell am I to talk? I eat chicken nuggets once a week!

boo hiss

Chris just told me that the Phoenix office of his firm was "un-invited" to the Christmas party in Beverly Hills. I am so upset about this I can't even stand it. I found the dress and everything. What a freaking bummer. Apparently they area saying that the office is now large enough to have their own party, which roughly translates to it's too expensive to fly everyone out to LA. At least I wasn't having a good day to begin with. I am all crampy and pissed off already. So what's one more. Anybody else got any bad news? Share it today please.

Sunday Meme (but did it on Monday...)

[ ] I've run away from home.
[ ] I listen to political music.
[ ] I collect comic books.
[X] I shut others out when I'm sad.
[ ] I open up to others easily.
[X] I am keeping a secret from the world.
[X] I watch the news.
[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs.
[ ] I own an I-Pod.
[X] I own something from Hot Topic.
[X] I love Disney movies.
[X] I am a sucker for hair/eyes.
[x] I don't kill bugs.
[X] I curse regularly.
[X] I paid for that cell phone ringtone.
[ ] I have "x"s in my screen name.
[ ] I've slipped out a "lol" in a real conversation.
[ ] I love Spam.
[ ] I bake well.
[x] I would wear pajamas to school.
[ ] I own something from Abercrombie
[X] I have a job.
[ ] I love Martha Stewart.
[X] I am in love with someone.
[X] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
[X] I am self conscious.
[X] I like to laugh.
[ ] I smoke a pack a day.
[ ] I loved Go Ask Alice.
[ ] I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
[ ] I can't swallow pills.
[X] I have many scars.
[ ] I've been out of this country.
[ ] I believe in ghosts.
[ ] I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
[X] I am really ticklish.
[X] I see/have seen a therapist.
[ ] I love chocolate.
[ ] I bite my nails.
[X] I am comfortable with being me.
[X] I play computer games/video games when i'm bored.
[ ] Gotten lost in your city.
[X] Saw a shooting star.
[ ] Gone out in public in your pajamas.
[ ] I have kissed a stranger.
[ ] Hugged a stranger.
[X] Been in a fight with the same sex.
[ ] Been arrested.
[ ] Laughed and had milk/soda come out of your nose.
[X] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
[ ] Made out in an elevator.
[X] Swore at your parents.
[ ] Kicked a guy where it hurts.
[ ] Been skydiving.
[ ] Been bungee jumping.
[X] Broken a bone.
[ ] Played spin the bottle.
[X] Gotten stitches.
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
[X] Bitten someone.
[X] Been to Niagara Falls.
[X] Gotten the chicken pox.
[ ] Crashed into a friend's car.
[ ] Been to Japan.
[X] Ridden in a taxi.
[X] Shoplifted.
[X] Been fired.
[X] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
[X] Stole something from your job.
[ ] Gone on a blind date.
[X] Lied to a friend.
[ ] Had a crush on a teacher/coach.
[ ] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
[ ] Been to Europe.
[ ] Slept with a co-worker.
[X] Been married.
[ ] Gotten divorced.
[ ] Saw someone dying.
[X] Driven over 400 miles in one day.
[X] Been to Canada.
[X] Been on a plane.
[X] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
[ ] Thrown up in a bar.
[X] Eaten Sushi.
[ ] Been snowboarding.
[ ] Been skiing.
[ ] Been ice skating.
[X] Met someone in person from the internet.
[ ] Been to a motorcross show.
[X] Gone/Going to college.
[ ] Done hard drugs
[X] Taken painkillers.
[ ] Cheated on someone else
[X] Were so bored you took this survey.
[X] Have a tattoo

personality test

ISFJ - "Conservator". Desires to be of service and to minister to individual needs - very loyal. 13.8% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

how oddly accurate...

it's back!

The old template is back. That other one, I worked really, really hard on, but it was starting to annoy me. You can admit it. It was bothering you too. Good thing I saved the old one! Smart thinking on my part.

Chris's watch

Chris got a watch from his parents for his college graduation. Late last year the clasp started to not stay shut and it would fall off his wrist. He contact Fossil, the company that made the watch and they told him to send $25 and the watch to replace it. We finally mailed it off a few weeks ago. The reason I am even mentioning this is because we heard back from the company that handles to repairs for Fossil. They sent us a letter that said they no longer make that watch and so they are not able to replace the band. The letter continues... they said that since they are not able to replace the band, they are going to replace THE WATCH. I am not kidding about this. They gave him a dollar amount and said to go to the website and pick out 3 choices within that price range and they will send him the one that they have in stock based on the ranking of his choices. And they didn't give him a low range. They gave him the dollar amount range that the watch is worth. And the best part is that all we have to pay is the $25. They are doing this because the watch has an 11 year warranty. Here is his first choice and hopefully he'll get this one. It's real similar to the old one. I am just so shocked that they are doing this. They could have just sent the watch back and said, "sorry we can't repair it. too bad." and I wouldn't have been the wiser. It would have been upsetting, but we would have not known there was any other option. But this is just so amazing to me.

Elizabethtown

Check out the trailer for the new Cameron Crow film. Is Orlando Bloom not the hottest thing?

the hair is getting pretty now

The longer it gets, the nicer it looks.
Much better than a few months ago

How odd

Have you ever just randomly listened to a song and thought, "That is exactly how I am feeling right now?" That just happened to me and I wanted to post the lyrics, because sometimes other people can say it much better than we can.

Precious Illusions
by: Alanis Morissette

You'll rescue me right?
In the exact same way they never did..
I'll be happy right?
When your healing powers kick in

You'll complete me right?
Then my life can finally begin
I'll be worthy right?
Only when you realize the gem I am?

But this won't work now the way it once did
And I won't keep it up even though I would love to
Once I know who I'm not then I'll know who I am
But I know I won't keep on playing the victim

These precious illusions in my head did not let me down when I was defenseless
And parting with them is like parting with invisible best friends

This ring will help me yet as will you knight in shining armor
This pill will help me yet as will these boys gone through like water

This won't work as well as the way it once did
Cause I want to decide between survival and bliss
And though I know who I'm not I still don't know who I am
But I know I won't keep on playing the victim

These precious illusions in my head did not let me down when I was a kid
And parting with them is like parting with a childhood best friend

I've spent so long firmly looking outside me
I've spent so much time living in survival mode

This won't work now the way it once did
Cause I want to deside between survival and bliss
Though I know who I'm not
I don't I still don't know who I am
But I know I won't keep on playing the victim

These precious illusions in my head did not let me down when I was defenseless
And parting with them is like parting with invisible best friends

These precious illusions in my head did not let me down when I was a kid
And parting with them is like parting with a childhood best friend

Wordplay

Check out the new Jason Mraz video here or see it live here

8 is enough

So yeah, there have been 8 mice as of this morning. We had none for like 2 or 3 days and then the last 3 mornings, there have been one. I don't really know what we are gonna do. Whatever.

Other stuff:
Are you watching Real World Austin? Oh my god. This is the saddest season yet and one of the best, I think. Melinda and Danny are developing a real relationship and you can tell. They really like each other and every time they go out, they want to be home with the other. That's cute. But poor Danny. In the first episode he got in a fight and broke his face. He had to have surgery for it. And now, on last weeks episode, he finds out that his mother dies. Holy crap. I cried so bad for him. It's so sad. He goes home and does not know if he wants to come back. I hope that he does.

Friday with Mom was fun, but exhausting. After the morning and the car mess, me and mom went shopping and my sister is right, the mall is a stress inducer. We were carrying around heavy bags and only managed to make it half way thru the mall. I know that it was mostly my fault. I was just not there emotionally and physically I was wore out and tired. We did eat at a great place called Joe's Crab Shack. It was way good! I am not a big seafood fan, but I wanted to try it. I had a crab cake sandwich. It was the first crab cake that I've ever had. It was way good. I really want to go back and eat there more. Yummy stuff.

Big Brother 6

If you don't want a spoiler for tomorrow's episode, stop reading now.
I have not been blogging about BB lately. But I wanted to post what is happening with it now. James and Sarah are on the block. But over the weekend, James won the power of veto. And today, for the 3rd week in a row, he takes himself off the block. The Head of Household, Howie, then nominates Ivette. It's about freaking time. I think it's dumb that they are voting off people who they consider strong players. I think the stronger players are the ones who don't make it so obvious. They are the ones, like Jennifer and Beau, who are just laying low and letting the chaos happen around them. They are the better players because the are not drawing attention to themselves. I also want to say that I have been voting like a fool to get Kayser back in the house. If Eric comes back, I will be so pissed off. Now, I think that CBS might not tally the votes and just bring Eric back. The reason I think this is because I was reading the message boards and discovered that on cbs.com they have options for you to vote on different things like who will be evicted next, etc. All the houseguests were are listed for you to choose from, except for 3 of the 4 people that were evicted. It gave you to option to vote for Eric to be the next person evicted. That was a few hours ago and then I went back just now and it was changed and you can no longer vote for Eric on that poll. Strange. I keep voting and voting for Kayser to come back into the house and I will as long as I can.

I hate cars

This morning, the KIA wouldn't start. Chris managed to move it to the street and jump started it with my car. Thank God for that. It was the battery that died. That battery is just over a year old. So something must be wrong and draining the battery. I followed Chris to the dealership in my car and we dropped it off. They are going to replace the battery and work on the rest of it, since it's already there. The air conditioner is not working well in it and it's over due for the 45000 mile check up. We are leaving it there all weekend and hopefully we can get it back on Monday. Fun. Fun. I called my dad and thanked him. He needed to be thanked, because if I didn't have my car, this would have really been a major issue. And I am so thankful that it wasn't major. We have KIA roadside assistance, so we could have gotten the car to the dealer. But without my car we would have had to get a rental and figured all that out. Anyway.
I am gonna go on with my day. My mom is coming and we are going to Arizona Mills to shop. That should help the stress level for both of us. My aunt had surgery for her broken hip yesterday and is doing well.
Other stuff...
I am so glad I taped the Today show yesterday and got to see the RENT cast perform. I love it so much. I just can't get enough of it. I have been playing the soundtrack for the last few days. And let me just say that Adam Pascal (below on the right) is still so yummy hot! (And Taye Diggs ain't too freakin shabby his self. And his cute wife in the middle! She's in RENT too.)


Edited to add: Video of the performance is now on the RENT blog, if you wanna watch it.
And I found this and had a good laugh. That's a bad picture, but cute that they crashed a wedding! Let me explain why he was hanging out with Ryan Seacrest. They know each other from way back when John lived in Atlanta and Ryan was a local radio DJ there.
I gotta go get ready to shop...

5's are lucky

That's the number of mice so far. And this morning there were none! They are getting fewer and fewer. I am taking this as a good sign.

I am so tired. I just want to not get out of bed every day. I try to go to bed early, but that never happens.
Yesterday I stayed up late to hang out with Chris after he got home from Vegas. He went for like 5 minutes (ok, more like 4 hours) for a meeting. They had a little free time after their meeting, but before they left, so they went to the Palms. He doesn't ever gamble when he goes, but he just wanders around looking at the buildings. That's the architect for you. He does there everywhere we go. So, I was up late talking with him.
Last night, I watched about 2/3 of First Daughter. Seriously. Why do I watch this crap on TV? It was alright. But in the last scene of the movie, she wears this gorgeous purple dress. I'm looking for a picture now...
I am out of it. I am really glad that I only have about one more hour of work.

what is with the Sharkey women...

and breaking their hips? Aunt. Mary. Now Carolyn. Seriously Mother, be careful.
Yesterday afternoon, my aunt fell at work and broke her hip. She is going to need surgery. It's very stressful, but we've been thru this before and she will be ok.
I guess a little family drama keeps things interesting.

if only I had talent

Mayer Needs Fans to Help Finish His Song
"You can tell people we wrote a song together." How cute is he?

The RENT movie cast...

will be on the Today show on August 4th. They will be performing. Check it out!

disclaimer

If you view this blog on a browser other than Internet Explorer, it might look messed up. I was messing with it and I am in the process of fixing it. Sorry.

in case you missed em...

Here are some performances from LIVE 8:
Dave Matthews Band: Don't Drink the Water, Dream Girl, American Baby, Too Much
BNL: Brian Wilson, If I Had A Million Dollars
Maroon 5: This Love, She Will Be Loved, Rockin' In The Free World
Pink Floyd: Breathe, Money, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb
Kanye West: All Falls Down, Jesus Walks
Madonna: Like A Prayer
Coldplay: In My Place, Fix You
Sarah McLaughlin: Fallen (I'd include Angel, but Josh Groben is yucky.)
Dido: White Flag, Thank You
Scissor Sisters: Laura
Keane: Somewhere Only We Know
Rob Thomas: 3am, Lonely No More

I did this to not only share, but keep a record of my favorite performances of that great day! Enjoy.

new trailers! (aka more movies I want to see)

Rumor Has It - mmm, Mark Ruffalo
Just Like Heaven - more Mark Ruffalo (and Reese Witherspoon and Jon Heder!)
Walk The Line - more Reese Witherspoon
Junebug

I call them rats

We have mice. I think I posted about this before, but a few weeks ago, Chris saw a mouse in the laundry room. Then I heard what sounded like vermin in the walls. We haven't seen or heard them in a little while and so we sort of forgot. But then I saw some rat poo in the laundry room and freaked out. This weekend Chris went to the Depot and bought mouse traps. Since yesterday afternoon, we have caught two. TWO! Not just one little one like we thought. TWO!
This is the conversation that Chris and I have had today via email, about the mice:
Me: I am freaking about all the mice!
Chris: Two is hardly a lot of mice. But at least they seem dumb enough to fall for the same trap over and over.
Me: Two in less than 24 hours. It can only catch 1 at a time. You don't know how many there are. I bet if there were 2 traps, we would have caught 4 by now. This is freaking me out.
Chris: awww... c'mon...they're cute little mice. Just think of them as little mickeys and minnies. And we're systematically trying to annihilate their whole family. see? cute! If we had a hello kitty, it would get those mice. Prolly bring em to you as a gift, too. too cute!

Mice, huh? I call them rats!
At least they are not hamsters...