Xinhacious Berremantacious

*Stuffed Pitas (because you need to know where I made this lovely blog)
*Trak (because it's where I work)
*Me, obsessed? (because I want you to share in my obsession)
*Snarky TV Recaps (because it's not just enough to watch tv, you've got to read about it too)
*Emotional Guy (because Eric is DAMN funny!)
*My Diet Blog (because you really do want to know what I eat every day)
Other People's Blogs (because you want to read other blogs besides mine)
IMDB (because you need to know about movies)
Google (because I like this search engine)
Email Me (because you like this blog and want to tell me)

Words of the Day
Tuesday, September 30, 2003 10:30 p.m.
My friend Alyson (someday I'll get to that entry all about her that I promised in a previous entry) is a dumbass. She freely admits it and, during a philosophy night that she hosted at her apartment, pretty much gave credence to the fact that her being a dumbass is an axiom

[Etymology: Latin axioma, from Greek axiOma, literally, something worthy, from axioun to think worthy, from axios worth, worthy; akin to Greek agein to weigh, drive
Date: 15th century
1 : a maxim widely accepted on its intrinsic merit
2 : a statement accepted as true as the basis for argument or inference : POSTULATE 1
3 : an established rule or principle or a self-evident truth]

The Word of the Day for October 1 is:
proselytize PRAH-suh-luh-tyze verb
--intransitive senses --
1 : to induce someone to convert to one's faith
2 : to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause
--transitive sense : to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or cause

Example sentence:
Alyson's friends often try to proselytize to people who don't really know Aly by telling them all the sordid stories about her.

Did you know?
"Proselytize" comes from the noun "proselyte" (meaning "a new convert"), which comes from the Latin "proselytus." "Proselytus" means "stranger" or "alien resident," and comes from a similar Greek word ("proselytos"). "Proselyte" is sometimes applied specifically to a convert to the Jewish religion -- that is, to one who has come to Judaism from another faith. When "proselytize" entered English in the 17th century, it had a distinctly religious connotation and meant simply "to recruit religious converts." This meaning is still common, but today one can also "proselytize" in a broader sense -- recruiting converts to one's political party or pet cause, for example.

Daylight
Tuesday, September 30, 2003 06:50 a.m.
Remember when the sun was up at 6:45am? Now it's all dark and cold.

Is There Anybody Out There?*
Monday, September 29, 2003 04:39 p.m.
*(Pink Floyd, "Is there Anybody Out There?", The Wall)

So, what's the deal? I know you people are reading this. O.k., well some people are. Why aren't you leaving me messages on my Tag Board? ----------------------------------------------->

A Letter To Man's Best Friend
Monday, September 29, 2003 09:12 a.m.

Dear Sharky,

When I say to move, it means go someplace else, not switch the position in which you are lying.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king size bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular and stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing but doggy sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. In addition, I have been using bathrooms for years; canine attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dogs butt. I cannot stress this enough. It would be such a simple change for you.

The neighbor's newspaper delivery at 5 am is no time to warn me about intruders.

When I get up in the middle of the night, in the dark, please choose one: a) lie still and trust I can both see and avoid you; b) panic and get up, but do it *before* I try to step over you; c) Consistency counts.

And that thing I'm doing on Sunday mornings, while sitting on the sofa and sipping my coffee, is called "reading the newspaper". It is not my way of initiating a game of hide and seek. I know you don't know how to read (or simply don't like to, I'm not sure), but it is very relaxing for me. I will be happy to get kisses or play with you just as soon as I've had the chance to relax for a few moments. Punching the newspaper with your paw and knocking it into my face does not speed along the process. And nudging my arm while I'm trying to drink my coffee only causes hot liquid to spill on me. Again ... this is not helpful.

You consistently fail this test though you've had plenty of time to study-- If there is a dog toy and a shoe on the floor side-by-side, which one should you choose to run around the house with?

If we roll over in bed at 5:00 a.m. on a weekend it DOES NOT mean it is time to get up, go outside, eat, or play. The preferred reaction is that you also roll over, and go back to sleep.

I am fully aware that empty stainless steel food bowls make a loud clanging noise when they are dropped on the floor. And I am proud that you figured out that dropping the large bone on the tile or wood floor makes more noise than the carpet. Now please stop doing it.

One final note - used Kleenexes are not delicious wontons of delight.

Love,
Your “owner” Xinh

More TV Talk
Sunday, September 28, 2003 11:57 a.m.
I bet you couldn't care less about what I watch on tv, but since it's my blog, you get to hear about it anyways.

Joan of Arcadia: Cute little show. Thank god (and yes, I get the irony of that phrase in this sentence) that it's not Touched By An Angel for teens. Love Amber Tamlyn, which was what had me wanting to watch this show. I didn't realize Jason Ritter was going to be in it, so it was sad to see him in all his scenes, looking so much like his dad. This show will definitely stay on my Friday night roster.
Miss Match: Totally digging this show. So cute. I totally buy Alicia Silverstone as a lawyer by day, matchmaker by night. Some of her outfits for court strike me as way too casual, but that's about the only real nitpick so far I have about the show.
The Handler: Love Joey Pants, but wasn't too too impressed by the show. I usually like law enforcement dramas though, so will stick with taping this one. I mean, what else am I gonna do on a Friday night?

Ready for my fall tv viewing schedule?
Sunday: Charmed, Tarzan, Alias, The Lyon's Den, Carnivale.
Monday: Las Vegas, Skin, BBCAmerica Mystery Mondays.
Tuesday: Gilmore Girls, 24, I'm With Her, The Mullets, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy. I might dump I'm With Her though, in favor of MI-5.
Wednesday: Angel, Karen Sisco, Jake 2.0, Enterprise, The Brotherhood of Poland, NH.
Thursday: Tru Calling, Coupling, Threat Matrix, CSI, Without A Trace. Although, I wasn't at all enjoying Coupling, so I might dump it in favor of The West Wing.
Friday: Joan of Arcadia, The Handler, Miss Match.

One more weekend, one more weekend with you/One more weekend, one more weekend will do.*
Sunday, September 28, 2003 11:55 a.m.
*(Bob Dylan, “One More Weekend”)

So, another totally “do nothing” weekend, which is fine by me.

I woke up early on Saturday (6am) to walk Sharky and then couldn’t get back to sleep so I stayed up and watched some of the shows I missed watching during the week (more about that in another post). I then got tired around 11am, so after walking Sharky again, I decided to take a little nap. Which turned into a 6 hour snooze-fest. I had meant to watch the USC vs. Cal game but only managed to catch from the 3rd quarter on until the end (3rd overtime). And that pretty much bummed out the rest of my Saturday because, not only did we lose to an unranked team, we lost our first Pac-10 game. This does not bode well. First, we dropped in the rankings from 3rd to 10th. Second, we’re now tied for last in the Pac-10 rankings. Damn, where’s Carson Palmer when you need him? Oh right. Cincinnati. So after the game, I talked a bit with Susan and then finished watching my taped shows.

So far, my Sunday’s been pretty quiet. I woke up early to walk Sharky, then went back to bed, only to be woken up by my cell phone beeping at me that I had a message, which is odd because I didn’t even hear the phone ring. But, when I checked my voice mail, it said I didn’t have any messages, even though the little envelope icon is on the display, which means I have messages. Weird.

I have 2 movies that I need to watch (Blood Work and Phone Booth) before all the season and series premieres tonight (Charmed, Alias, and The Lyon’s Den.) and a new episode of Carnivale.

Grammar Police
Friday, September 26, 2003 06:37 p.m.
Man, I just spent about 30 minutes editing all my posts for grammar and punctuation (mainly, putting all the names of tv shows in italics). And that is very time consuming, especially when you have to use the html tags and not just press a button.

I thought I'd also give you the answers to my little "10 points if you can answer" points.

"Mrs. TeeVee" is from Willy Wonka and the Chocoloate Factory.
"Saturday night feelin' just right/Makin' new friends, lazy Sunday" is from a song called "Weekend" by Wet Willie.
"Demented and sad, but social" is a quote from The Breakfast Club.

The Boob Tube*
Friday, September 26, 2003 05:55 p.m.
*(as my dad likes to call it; he also calls the remote control "the clacker." yeah.)

So, more tv shows I've watched and my opinion about them.

Coupling (US version): why? seriously. this was just a bad show. perhaps my vision is colored because I've seen the original UK version and laughed my fool head off but the US version just fell so flat. First off, the editing was all weird and disjointed. All the actors seemed in a rush to get all the dialogue out and the comedic timing (so perfect in the UK version) fell flat. The only actor that I felt did a decent job with his character was the guy who played Patrick. And as much as I like Rena Sofer, I like her better in other things. And don't even get me started on "the laugh track." Oh, they tried to disguise it to make it sound like it was filmed in front of a studio audience but it's so easy to tell the difference.
The Brotherhood of Poland, NH: Enjoyed it. Not a bad little show from David E. Kelley. I like the interaction between the brothers and their families. There was a scene in which Mare Winningham was playing piano and singing and it just blew me away. She's got such a great voice and the song she was singing was beautiful. The only problem is that this show is on at 10pm, which means I'll always have to tape it and then watch it and if I get backed up, it's one that I might not keep up with. We'll see.
Now, I've gotta go watch the season premieres of CSI and Without A Trace that I taped before all the other shows I want to watch come on tonight.

It's All About Me
Thursday, September 25, 2003 10:11 p.m.
I got one of these "questionaires" via email yesterday so I thought I'd answer it and post it.

1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Xinh Lé Berreman

2. WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING? I'm wearing pj's (i.e., t-shirt and shorts) right now, so green I guess.

3. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? 99 Luftballoons by Nena

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Cardinal (red) and gold!

5. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Lettuce leaves dipped in salsa verde

6. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle

7. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? 71 degrees Fahrenheit

8. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My dad and mom

9. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX? I know this sounds weird, but eyebrows.

10. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT YOU THIS? yes

11. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? Hungry

12. FAVORITE DRINK (ALCOHOLIC or NON)? Orange Juice. man I miss drinking OJ.

13. FAVORITE SPORTS? College football and any sport televised during the Olympics.
14. HAIR COLOR AND STYLE? dark brown and bobbed.

15. Do you wear contacts? used to but not anymore.

16. SIBLINGS? yes, 1 older sister

17. FAVORITE MONTH? May 'cuz it's my birthday month.

18. FAVORITE FOOD? Bread which I can't eat anymore 'cuz of my diet.

19. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Basic

20. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? Christmas

21. FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTER? Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls

22. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT? Not really
.
23. FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC? I like all kinds but I love 80s music and Top 40.

24. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer

25. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses

26. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS? Relationships

27. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Vanilla.

28. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS TO WRITE BACK? Can if they want but not necessary.

29. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS? with my doggie Sharky in North Hollywood for almost 4 years
.
30. FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Scrabble

31. DO YOU PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS? no

32. EVER BEEN OUT OF THE US? yes, many many times
.
33. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Watched "Jake 2.0" and taped "The West Wing"

34. FAVORITE SMELLS? the way laundry smells when it first comes out of the dryer

35. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? It depends on the situation

36. BUTTERED, PLAIN OR SALTED POPCORN? buttered and salted, which I can't have anymore either.

37. FAVORITE FLAVOR OF JELLO? Lime's the only way to go and I can't have this either.

38. FAVORITE CAR? 1965 Mustang Convertible

39. FAVORITE FLOWER? calla lilies

40. HOW MANY KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING? 3

41. CAN YOU JUGGLE? no.

42. WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY? Barbequed at Susan and Dave's.

43. DO YOU OWN A DONOR CARD? yes

44. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNINGS? Why the hell am I up this early?

The Idiot Box
Thursday, September 25, 2003 05:27 p.m.
My friend Drew doesn't have cable. He doesn't watch tv. At all. At least not at his home. He occasionally watches it at other people's home simply because it's on. He does, however, have a HUGE assortment of DVD's and he's got some video game systems. I just thought I'd mention that.

But my whole reason for posting (this entry anyways) is to talk about the tv shows that I watched. I'm about a day behind on some stuff because I tend to tape stuff and then watch it the next day (usually because there's more than one thing on at a time that I want to watch).
So, yesterday I watched Enterprise (someone tell me why I still watch that show? It's awful! [because you're a sucker for Star Trek shows and you like Sci-Fi? We're just sayin'. . . -- the voices in your head]) and Jake 2.0 while I taped The West Wing and The Brotherhood of Poland, NH . I'll be watching those in a few minutes. If I had thought about it, I would've taped Jake 2.0 simply because it wasn't a premiere, but oh well.
Las Vegas: I wasn't all that impressed. I'm going to give it the 3 episode try, but I'm not holding out much hope. James Caan is great, as usual, but Molly Simms, who plays his daughter is A.NOY.YING. The main guy character is bi-polar. Sometimes he comes off as this suave, self assured gentleman, and then the next minute, he's committing some major faux pas (like drinking a glass of the boss's vintage wine down like it was water). Uh...whatever.
So, tonight I'm in a bit of a quandry. There are several things on that I want to watch and I'm not sure what I want to give up. Survivor is on against Threat Matrix, and CSI and Without a Trace are on against that whole NBC line up. I'm not too into Survivor but it's being held on the Pearl Islands off the coast of Panama and it's making me nostalgic (b/c y'all know I used to live in Panama). I'm also not too interested in Friends, Will & Grace, or ER, but I wanted to see how the American version of Coupling holds up against the British counterpart. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Poetry Game
Thursday, September 25, 2003 04:56 p.m.
One of the forums I hang out on has this really cool game so I'd thought I'd share it with you.
Ok, Bouts-Rimes is French for "rhymed ends." It's pronounced "boo ree-MAY." It is said to have been invented by a seventeenth century poet named Dulot. They were very popular throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. So, here's what you do. You create a list of words with the following rhyme scheme: abab; cdcd; efef; gg

Like this:
rhyme, sun, thyme, shun; flute, long, moot, song; bird, waves, word, caves; mouse, house

Then you create a poem so that each line ends with the words in the above order. Of course, the challenge is to try to create a poem that makes some kind of sense out of the random words. The weirder the bunch of words, the more challenging it is to make a sensible poem.

Here is an example of a poem using the above words (not written by me):

Living life, loving rhyme
running barefoot in the sun
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme,
The sixties were nothing to shun.

Then came The Hustle and that awesome flute.
Disco arrived, but didn't last long.
Don't ask why; that point is moot.
The seventies came and passed like a song.

Then Boy George came flamboyant as a bird,
A bird of paradise that is, and a sound of new waves;
Gone was groovy; totally tubular was the new word.
Then gone were the eighties, slunk back to the caves;

And so the years have come and gone and I, like a mouse,
Have gathered cluttered memories to my soul-shaped house.

So now you try it with your friends!

Road Rage
Thursday, September 25, 2003 08:05 a.m.
Why the fuck is there traffic on the 405 at 5:45am? I mean, [insert deity of choice] isn't even up that early and yet there's traffic on the freeway! I just don't get it.

Mrs. TeeVee*
Wednesday, September 24, 2003 12:08 p.m.
*(10 points if you can guess what the title's from)

It's premiere week this week. How exciting. I've watched a couple of shows and taped a couple more. Here are my thoughts on the shows I've watched so far.

Gilmore Girls: Love this show. Wasn't too bowled over by the premiere. I'm glad Jess is gone, though. But where the heck was Lane? The whole "Luke is married but not" storyline was lame. And that whole fight with Lorelai and Emily was dumb. How hard could it have been for Rory to tell Emily that she made a mistake about when her classes start so they're really rushed and her mom's out doing all the stuff that Rory should be doing but isn't because she wanted to come to dinner? Seriously. These people really have no communication skills.
The Mullets: Business in the front, party in the back! Love the show. The 2 brothers crack me up! And the fact that they live in the Valley is even better because I so totally have seen people in the Valley walking around with mullets.
I still have to watch Las Vegas and tonight are the premieres of The West Wing (I must find out what happened to Zoey) and The Brotherhood of Poland, NH. More on those shows later.
And I must remember to watch Jake 2.0 tonight. ::writes self a note::

Personality Tests
Tuesday, September 23, 2003 04:29 p.m.
Gosh, I love these.

Keirsey Temperament Sorter (you have to register to take it but it's free)
My results:
Guardians, are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.
Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.

Jung Typology Test
My results:
Your Type is ESFJ

* Extroverted - 33%
*Sensing - 22%
*Feeling - 11%
*Judging - 22%

Saturday night feelin' just right/Makin' new friends, lazy Sunday*
Monday, September 22, 2003 05:46 p.m.
*(10 points if you can tell me what song that's from)

Well, I didn't really do much this weekend. I was supposed to go to Susan and Dave's to celebrate their birthdays (it's the weekend in between both of their birthdays) but Susan wanted to postpone it until next weekend, so on Saturday, I ended up going to Pamela's to hang out with her before her family moves to the middle of freakin' nowhere (I think the border of Fresno and Tulare counties). We had tuna for lunch and I unleashed all the Trak gossip on her. (On a side note, can I just ask how it is that when I make tuna using the same ingredients as Pamela, mine doesn't taste as good? Maybe it's a Mom thing)
Sunday was spent in front of the tv, watching all the stuff I taped Friday and Saturday, like While You Were Out and Trading Spaces. I keep seeing these commercials for the special Trading Spaces in which each designer has ,000 to spend. And they chose to have Doug and Laurie as the designers? Seriously? I suppose it could've been worse (Hildi or Kia) but Doug? They couldn't have gone with Vern? I shudder to think what Doug will do to a room with ,000.
Monday starts the week of premieres so I'll be weighing in on some shows that I'll be watching to give my input on them. (I'd like to point out that I'm perturbed that I missed the 2nd episode of Jake 2.0 and not at all perturbed that I missed the second episode of Enterprise).
If you have HBO, I suggest watching Carnivale. The recapper (Aaron) at Television Without Pity sums it up as "Just think Twin Peaks meets The Grapes of Wrath, with a side order of Good Omens. And maybe a bit of the regular Omen, as well." The second episode is probably going to be re-run on HBO all this week. Go read the recap of the first episode and you'll be all caught up.

Demented And Sad, But Social*
Monday, September 22, 2003 05:23 p.m.
*(10 points if you know what movie that's from)

My father is not a big socializer. I mean, he has/had work friends, but it's not as if he hangs out with people on his own, unlike my mom, who has a whole slew of friends and will go hang out with them and leave my dad at home to watch tv or tootle around the house (which is fine with him). He generally will just hang out with my mom and her friends if there's any getting together to be done.
A couple of weeks ago, I call my parents to say hi and my mom informs me that my dad isn't home. I find this odd. She tells me that he's at a meeting, which strikes me as even more odd, considering that my father is "retired" (read: laid off). I tell my mom to have my dad call me when he gets home. So, when he does, I tell him what my mom told me about his meeting. He proceeds to tell me that it's not a meeting. It's just him and a few of his work buddies from his old Army calibration days (from Merriam-Webster.com, CALIBRATION is 1 : the act or process of calibrating : the state of being calibrated 2 : a set of graduations to indicate values or positions -- usually used in plural ) getting together to sit around, drink beer and talk.
First, drink beer? My dad? Maybe he abstains, I dídn't ask, but I can't see my dad drinking. I know when I was little, he and my mom used to drink, but I can honestly say that from the time I was about 10 years old until now, I don't think I've ever seen my dad drink anything alcoholic.
Second, talk? About what? Oscilliscopes? Sensor meters? Voltage regulators? Wow. That's like totally geeky. My dad is kinda nerdy though (but in a funny kinda way).

B-I-N-G-O, Bingo is the Game-o
Monday, September 22, 2003 04:58 p.m.
My mom has a cold. It's bad. How bad is it, you ask? Bad enough to keep her from going to Bingo.
Now, I know you're probably thinking, "Huh?" Let me explain. My mom is a Bingo-aholic. She had all the Bingo accessories: the bag with little pockets on the outside for all her Bingo ink stampers (which are in every color of the rainbow), the little good luck dolls, etc. She goes every chance she can get. When I was in high school, I used to have to go pick her up from Bingo on school nights. So for her not to go, she's really got a bad bad cold.

What I Look Like
Sunday, September 21, 2003 11:28 a.m.
Click on the links to see pictures of me, my dog, and other things.
I would like to point out that I'm not wearing make up in a lot of these pictures so...

Quizzes Galore!
Friday, September 19, 2003 11:30 p.m.

"Sweet Dreams" (by Eurythmics) Sweet dreams are made of this Who am I to disagree? Travel the world and the seven seas Everybody's looking for something Some of them want to use you Some of them want to get used by you Some of them want to abuse you Some of them want to be abused

Which 80's Song Fits You?
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your asshole.

What swear word are you?
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Grrrrrr!
Friday, September 19, 2003 10:59 p.m.
Two gripes.

The first is about my neighbor. Why does he think that just because it's a weekend, he's allowed to blast his music? I mean seriously. Is it really that difficult to keep the noise to a minimum? And it's not like he's having a party or anything. No, he's upstairs alone. And to top it off, his tv's on full blast too. Add to that his stomping around and I'm ready to pull my hair out.

The second is about several of my co-workers.

First, there's one co-worker who just loves to hear him/herself talk. I mean, I know I talk a lot, but swear to God, this person seems like s/he has to put in his/her 2 cents every 10 seconds. We had a company meeting the other day and s/he had to pipe up to add something to what someone was saying. The thing that really pissed me off was when one of the speakers used an acronym for a term that we are all completely familiar with (and I say that with certainty. It's not as if we all work in this industry and don't know what the acronym means) and this person had to pipe up with "that's blah blah blah blah for those of you not in the know." all snotty. Wha? Shut the fuck up!

Second, newer co-workers who go to the boss to tattle on other people for speaking their minds about bothersome policy and procedure. That? Is totally childish. All the new people have done is succeeded in alienating the veterans and becoming more clique-y. The newer people who were hired are supposedly more adept at their jobs than the veterans, yet it's the veterans who are consistently the top producers. Again I say, shut the fuck up!

I'm Gonna Wash That Grey Right Outta My Hair
Thursday, September 18, 2003 04:33 p.m.
(remember that commercial?)

Anyways, 2 things to tell you.
1: I found a couple of grey hairs today. Man am I bummed! At least it was only two, but damn. I'm only 31 years old. Should I really be getting grey hairs now?

2: While I was in the shower, I leaned back to wash the shampoo out of my hair and I mis-stepped somehow and ended up getting water up my nose. On the plus side, I don't have any more boogers.

States of the Union
Wednesday, September 17, 2003 10:43 a.m.
So, I was reading this article on MSN about how employers are using brainteasers (like how much does the ice in a hockey rink weigh or how many gas stations are there in the US and some that had no real answers) during job interviews to see how people's thought processes work and I realized that I might be in a lot of trouble if I get one of those questions (simply because it would bug me to not be able to figure out the answer during the span of the interview time).
Anyways, they had a sampling of questions and this one stuck me as interesting.

If you could get rid of any state in America, what would it be and why?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

I am a Greek Goddess
Tuesday, September 16, 2003 11:23 a.m.
Got this off another person's blog site (but it's my test results).


Athena

?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Operation Find Don
Monday, September 15, 2003 10:17 p.m.
One of the writers at Television Without Pity is looking for her disaster buddy, Don.
Please read about it here and see if we can find this guy for her.

Early Bird? What. Ever.
Monday, September 15, 2003 07:12 a.m.
Getting up early blows.

Lazy Weekend
Sunday, September 14, 2003 06:50 p.m.
Well, so far it's been a very lazy weekend. I spent a lot of time on my bed in front of my tv, either watching movies or tv.

Saturday
I had the worst migraine Friday night so I went to bed super early (like 9pm), which caused me to wake up at 4:30am. And since I was up that early, I decided to walk Sharky because lord only knows what time I'd wake up when I went back to sleep and I didn't think he should have to hold it for longer than 12 hours. So, once Sharky was all walked, I went back to bed (remembering to take my thyroid medication so that I could eat once I got up if I was hungry). I ended up waking back up at 8am because I had to go to the bathroom (don't drink 24 fl. oz. of water before you go to bed; just thought you should know that). And since I was up, I decided to stay up and futz around my apartment. I took a shower (one of many throughout the day), ate some breakfast, cleaned up a little (not that it really made much of a difference in my cluttered/trashed apartment), messed around online, then decided to watch these movies that I had out from Netflix so I could turn them back in since I've got about 30 movies in my rental queue. So, settled down in front of my tv to watch Femme Fatale first (ooh, alliteration). Decent movie. Mrs. John Stamos isn't a bad actress. I'm guessing he was o.k. with her flashing her boobies all over the place and making out with girls since she didn't seem to mind it all that much.
After that movie, I decided that I didn't want to watch Daredevil yet, so I called Susan to see what she was up to but Dave told me that she was sleeping so I just asked him to have her call me back, which she did, right before the USC game started. We chatted for a while about the work she's doing in New York (Purchase, actually), her job in general, and Alyson and how Alyson thinks 2 months isn't enough time to write a 2-4 page report about Mars (one day, I'll devote a whole entry to explain Alyson). We got off the phone once the game started.
So, I then watched USC trounce Hawaii 61-32. We were actually ahead by more than 40 points at one spot but then we trotted out our 2nd and 3rd string players and Hawaii scored. I guess it says a lot in our favor that even though they scored against our 2nd and 3rd string players, they kept their first string players in.
After the game, I decided that I was hungry so I went grocery shopping, which is always a bad idea because then I end up buying stuff I don't need, but want because it looks damn good. However, I kept my head about me and bought only what I needed. When I got home, I ended up making my lunches for the coming week (salad) and some tasty vittles for dinner on Saturday and food for Sunday.
After all that cooking (yeah, removing prepared salad from a bag and putting it into tupperware containers certainly works up a sweat), I took another shower, walked Sharky again, futzed around on the Intenet for a couple of hours, and plopped back down on my bed in front of the tv to flip through channels before I decided that I was tired and needed to sleep.

Sunday
I woke up bright and early, walked the dog, took my pill, weighed myself, and promptly went back to bed.
I woke up a couple hours later, futzed around the apartment and on the Internet somemore, then decided I should watch Daredevil. Meh. What does it say about a movie that I enjoyed watching the special features stuff more than the actual movie? I guess Ben did a good job, but I was bothered by his inability to play a blind person effectively, although I do give him props for trying. And as much as I love Jennifer Garner in Alias, there is just something about her acting style that doesn't work in a feature film. Plus, her habit of pushing her lips out when she's breathing heavy or can't breathe through her nose really annoys me. They showed a portion of her screen test on the bonus disk and it was awful. I tend to find that screen tests don't always show the actor's/actress' potetial because they're not immersed in the scene and acting against the person they would be if they were on the set. Although, I suppose that people can and that's why they're good at their job. I did enjoy the fight scenes though. Nicely done. So much better than Matrix Reloaded.
After the movie, I got a call from Drew (what timing) asking me to go to Fry's with him. I said no, he insisted, I held firmly to my no. Fry's (for those of you not in the know) is a big electronics store. They sell everything Best Buy would sell, plus I think they also sell things like refrigerators and washer/dryers. Each store has a theme (like Alice In Wonderland or Sci-Fi/Monster movies of the 40s/50s/) and while getting what you need isn't extremely difficult (unless you can't find what it is you're looking for and then finding a salesperson is like searching for a needle in a haystack, forgive the cliché), the checkout line is excrutiatingly long. But then later Drew called and wanted me to go curtain fabric shopping with him since I've seen the murals on the walls in his bedroom and he wanted another's person opinion. So I went. And watched while he worked with the sales girl to pick out fabric for his roman shades. Luckily, the place he went to lets you take out the fabric samples to check them out in your home for 24 hours, so he checked out some samples, we went to his house, where he hung the fabric samples from this windows and decided on one. We went back to the store, told the salesperson which fabric Drew decided on, and he dropped me back off at home.
And that was pretty much my day.

Trainwrecks
Saturday, September 13, 2003 08:23 a.m.
Has anyone ever seen that show on Mtv about the newly married Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey called Newlyweds?*shudder* I watched one episode and half of another and couldn't believe that Mtv decided this would be a good show, unless they realized that Jessica Simpson is a blonde bimbo and thought it'd be funny to show it to the world.
Like my friend Janice said, the show is like a trainwreck. You don't want to watch but you do because you might see something that you can gossip about.

"If you have tears, prepare to shed them now." *
Friday, September 12, 2003 05:38 p.m.

*Julius Caeser, Act 3, Scene 2


Today we mourn the loss of two men named John: one who made us laugh and one who made us sing.
John Ritter and Johnny Cash.


I grew up on Johnny Cash because my parents are both Country Music fans. Old school country (Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Charlie Price) is about the only country I can stomach listening to.
Meet Me In Heaven
We saw houses falling from the sky
Where the mountains lean down to the sand
We saw blackbirds circling 'round an old castle keep
And I stood on the cliff and held your hand

We walked troubles brooding wind swept hills
And we loved and we laughed the pain away
At the end of the journey, when our last song is sung
Will you meet me in Heaven someday

(Chorus)
Can't be sure of how's it's going to be
When we walk into the light across the bar
But I'll know you and you'll know me
Out there beyond the stars

We've seen the secret things revealed by God
And we heard what the angels had to say
Should you go first, or if you follow me
Will you meet me in Heaven someday

Living in a mansion on the streets of gold
At the corner of Grace and Rapture Way
In sweet ecstasy while the ages roll
Will you meet me in Heaven someday

In sweet ecstasy while the ages roll
Will you meet in Heaven someday


And John Ritter. Who didn't love Three's Company? Come and knock on our door....

The Boob Tube
Friday, September 12, 2003 08:02 a.m.
I am so addicted to tv!
Yeah for the new fall season. I'll be weighing in on my fave tv shows and some new shows that are premiering that I like.

So, I just finished watching the season premiere of Enterprise and the series premiere of Jake 2.0.
Enterprise: Lord, this show is awful. I've loved Scott Bacula ever since Quantum Leap and he's just awful here. He always sounds like he's out of breath and he's giving Shatner a run for his money in the hokey overacting race. And don't even get me started on the engineer from Florida and his horrible Southern accent. I wonder if that's the actor's real accent or if he's working with a dialect coach.
Jake 2.0: Pretty decent so far. 2 nitpicks though.
First, the accompanying sound effects that go with the action of Jake using his "talents." Seriously, it reminds me of the sounds that went with the Bionic Man and Woman using their abilities. Like we're not going to figure out that opening a heavy door that he previously tried and failed wasn't the result of him just trying it again? "Really? He used his powers? Darn, I wish TPTB would put in a sound so we'd know." What.Ever.
Second, he gets made an Intelligence Agent at the end and yet no mention was made of him having to go through training. Uh, yeah. Just because he has super ability, shouldn't he still have to go through some sort of training? I mean, when you enter an unsecured building, should you have training like all law enforcement agents do to know how to protect yourself? I mean, seriously. Super Spidey Sense only goes so far.
Perhaps they're going to cover that in the next episode.
I missed some of the other shows that I wanted to see, like Whoopi (because she's always funny) and The Mullets (because it reminds me of Huntsville in the 80s).

Movies
Wednesday, September 10, 2003 06:48 a.m.
My friend Susan's mother isn't a big movie goer. Usually, her mom will watch movies when they come on regular tv (as opposed to watching them in the theater, renting them or watching them on cable) and then ask if Susan's seen the movie. When Susan told me about this, I thought it was funny.
And then I talked to my dad the other night.
My father says to me, "I'm watching this movie about this kid in Chicago who skips school with his best friend and girlfriend and the Principal tries to catch them." Me: "You mean Ferris Bueller's Day Off?" Dad: "Well, whatever it's called. Have you ever seen it?" Me: "uh...yeah dad. When it came out in the theaters, like 15 years ago." Dad: "Really? Well, I like it; it's funny."
That's great dad.

My First Blog
Tuesday, September 9, 2003 05:24 p.m.
wow. i've now joined the 80 gajillion people who have blogs.
go me.
i don't really have anything interesting to say. this was more for me to just let loose what the heck's going on in my mind. of course, i can't even keep a hard copy journal so i doubt this will get filled out every day.

i'm also going to play around with colors so bear with me.

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