Jamilyn's Journal - November 2005


	Date: 30 November, 2005 Time: 12:57pm Subject: Monday Photo Shoot & Shameless Self-Promotion * * * * * Monday Photo Shoot: Snap a picture of something beginning with the letter "G." Because I don't think the letter "G" gets nearly as much attention as it should. For the Photo Shoot this week, I'm s--t--r--e--t--c--h--i--n--g the letter G to its breaking point. I present photos of a Group of singers. More specifically: this is my first night of singing at the Epcot Candlelight Processional. Can you see me? OK...that picture has over 300 people in it. I'll give you a hint: I'm in a Green robe. Still no luck? OK...here you go: For anyone out there who isn't familiar with the Candlelight Processional, it's basically a retelling of the Christmas Story by a celebrity narrator (or Phil Donahue) with a massed choir and orchestra performing the music. The "tree" in the middle (ok, people in green robes) is made up of Disney Cast Members, and the gold robes are outside groups of high school and college kids, church choirs, and other singing groups who come to perform with us. At the bottom of the tree in the red dresses/tuxedos are the Voices of Liberty (professional singers - their mikes are turned up higher than ours!). If you're ever in the area, it's a show not to be missed. It's the most moving Christmas show ever. Really. And I'm not just saying that because I got to sing in it this year. jlm, 11.30.05, 1:13pm \| Date: 28 November, 2005 Time: 1:02pm Subject: Ugly Trees * * * * * I thought I would spread a little Holiday Snark to anyone who would like to play a fun google-based game. While searching for pictures of Christmas trees for another project, I came across a picture of the ugliest tree I've ever seen. Granted, it was from another country, where they must not have commercial tree farms with the perfect triangular trees, but I laughed...a lot. So...anyone think they can find the ugliest Christmas Tree on the internet? I'll show you mine (and anyone else's who finds one) on December 4. That gives you almost a week to find a good one. And here's some inspiration from my own apartment last year: jlm, 11.28.05, 1:07pm \| Date: 28 November, 2005 Time: 2:22am Subject: And Lo! A List Was Born * * * * * Dear Family, You asked for it...here it is. The only things that aren't listed on here are big-ticket kitchen items like the Magic Bullet system (oh how I love those info-mercials!) and the KitchenAid stand mixer that maybe by my birthday we'll be able to afford. Jamie's 2005 Christmas Wish List Disney Mix Sticks - classic chrome Penn State t-shirt (like this one - nothing tacky with big graphics!) Rosie the Riveter lunch box Chronicles of Narnia (Special Edition hardcover, with color illustrations - it's an heirloom thing - I'm not interested in paperbacks) Phantom of the Opera DVD Batman Begins DVD Wicked Soundtrack CD (I think there's only one edition -- key names to look for: Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel) RENT soundtrack CD (movie preferred, but original Broadway cast is ok too) CD storage that attaches to the sun visor in my car Jamie's 2005 Necessities List knee-high stockings in nude unmentionables (sizes available to non-creepy people upon request) things I can wear to work, especially cardigans or 3/4-sleeve sweaters (solids or stripes only - refer to dislike of tacky above), size XL or 2X depending on tightness hair dryer with more than two settings, preferably of better quality than the $8.50 Wal Mart model I bought myself Scott's Wish List Pocket Knife-Gerber Assisted Opening, number 58 on the big list o' knives at Wal-mart The Matrix, Path of Neo-Playstation 2 game Small Bar-b-que grill - leaning towards charcoal cross-posted at Quiz Me jlm, 11.28.05, 2:24am \| Date: 27 November, 2005 Time: 1:38am Subject: Warning Posted * * * * * There's a bug going around the Call Center. Usually when something comes in from someone's sick kid, a handful of people get it and everyone else goes on with their lives. This time, only a handful of people are healthy (mostly those who had the sense to get a flu shot...which I've never done). I'm not really really sick...just a little. I've got a minor cough, but my lungs ache like I've been coughing for a week straight. Weird, eh? No fever, no stuffy nose, and until tonight no sore throat (I got my hands on a Candlelight rehearsal CD to brush up on the music). Of course, I passed it on to Scott. He's got stuffed up, sinusey, and has a sore throat. Lots of people at work have those symptoms too. So tonight Beth and Ginger and I were in the little glassed-in office, coughing and sneezing abounded, and we decided to warn others not to enter. We posted a bigger version of this on the door to the office...and mostly people left us alone...or didn't stay longer than they absolutely had to! Don't worry about Scott and me. We're doing AirBorne shooters like there's no tomorrow. We'll be fine in 3 days or less (fingers crossed). jlm, 11.27.05, 1:44am \| Date: 25 November, 2005 Time: 1:53pm Subject: Welcome Home Fr...NOT AGAIN!! * * * * * Yeah...Jamie not happy... I got a call from Eric at Remanufactured Transmission this morning. He says that their supplier sent the wrong torque converter and that they realized this when they went to put my car back together...today. They called for a new one, but it probably won't get there today. And while Remanufactured Transmission is open tomorrow, their supplier isn't. They'll probably get my torque converter monday. I was a wee bit deflated and just sighed and told him to call me when it's ready. And again...Remanufactured Transmission has had my car since October 25. At this point I'm officially annoyed that they did not even PLAN to have the car ready on the day I said I'd be there to pick it up. And now that something has gone wrong and the car isn't ready on the alternate previously agreed upon pick-up date, I'm really pissed off. I want my car back from Remanufactured Transmission ...two days ago. jlm, 11.25.05, 2:13pm \| Date: 24 November, 2005 Time: 11:53am Subject: HaPpY ThAnKsGiViNg!! * * * * * These birds are all happy because they'll still be alive tomorrow! Today, I have a Thanksgiving Greeting for all of you. Enjoy your turkey!! jlm, 11.24.05, 11:56am \| Date: 23 November, 2005 Time: 6:25pm Subject: Food Orgy * * * * * The food orgy that was Scott and Jamie's Thanksgiving has come to a close. For dinner, we had (left to right) cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole, rolls, mashed potatoes, and turkey. We didn't even bother making the "normal" stuffing for me because the cornbread stuff wasn't half bad. I still plan on making a box of Stove Top to put on sandwiches though, since I still can't get over the texture. I couldn't find the recipe for "mom's old fashioned" broccoli casserole, so I went online and found a new one (sans chicken). It wasn't as good, but still not bad. Everything else was divine, and we stuffed ourselves on just one plate of food each. For anyone out there who thinks our bare table with no tablecloth looks sad, take heart - this is the first meal at home that we haven't eaten in front of the TV since...umm...last Christmas! I won't even mention the fact that this "table" is 3 rubbermaid storage containers stacked on top of eachother with a wooden top! We digested for a while, and then came back for more... I stand by what I said earlier - 1/4 tsp. of cloves would've been sufficient. Other than that, the pie was beyond delicious. Scott food-gasmed right in the kitchen! I'm very proud of our little cornucopia. Tomorrow: sandwiches! jlm, 11.23.05, 6:35pm \| Date: 23 November, 2005 Time: 1:52pm Subject: Welcome Home Fr...never mind! * * * * * Transmission Man (TM): What can I do for you? Me: I'm here to pick up my car. TM: The Hyundai? Me: Yeah. TM: It's not ready. Me: Why didn't you call me? TM: You said Wednesday or Friday. Me: And it's Wednesday. TM: It'll be ready late afternoon on Friday. Me: So not by 2:00? TM: That would be pushing it. Is that when you... Me: We work at 3. TM: I'll try to push it to get it done by then. Me: Thanks. TM: I'll call you around lunch time Friday to let you know. Me: Thank you This is the part where we walk out to Scott's car. He's laughing, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Internal Monologue (some of which may have come out loud): You'vehadmycarforfourfuckingweeksandNOWit'snotdone. wednesdayorfridayMEANSwednesdayorfridaynotwheneveryougetaroundtoit AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH. (the scream was out loud...into the sleeve of my sweatshirt as we were walking into Wal Mart) For the record, Mike had called two weeks ago to ask when I was going to be picking up the car. When I called him back, I asked if they were going to be open Wednesday or Friday (you know - some businesses have wacky holiday week hours) and he said they'd be open both days. OK, maybe I didn't specify Wednesday...but why would he think I would go without my car two days longer than absolutely necessary? Really, I kinda figured I wasn't getting my car back when we pulled in and Frances was sitting there with her hood up. And the front two hubcaps are missing. Hopefully they were taken off and are sitting in a safe place and will be back on when I go to pick up my car on Friday (or whenever). Did I mention that the disappointing trip to the transmission place was followed by a day-before-Thanksgiving trip to Wal Mart? No, I'm not in jail for murder. I do, however, believe that non-Americans should be banned from shopping on Thanksgiving Eve. Whatever those British think they need, they don't. We went for a potato masher, juice, and hoagie rolls for transportable turkey leftover sandwiches. We needed those things. Now we're home and the house smells like all sorts of Thanksgiving goodness. And boy oh boy am I hungry. I made that pie last night and had lots of fun licking the bowls & spoons. A word of warning though: watch the cloves - 1/2 tsp. is a little too much. jlm, 11.23.05, 2:08pm \| Date: 22 November, 2005 Time: 8:31pm Subject: Shooting Mice * * * * * Monday Photo Shoot: Let us see your collection of whatever it is you collect. Thimbles, NASCAR collectables, Star Trek figurines -- what it is, let's see those tchotchkes! I collect mice. Well, I used to collect mice. I was hardcore for about a year. Ever since then, more occasionally fall into my collection. Here's a picture of my curio-o-mice (sorry about the awful glare): And as you can see, the collection is endorsed by everyone's favorite ginger cat - Milo. jlm, 11.22.05, 8:35pm \| Date: 22 November, 2005 Time: 8:05pm Subject: Man-Kitty Love * * * * * When I took this picture, Scott and Milo were having a moment. They were looking right at eachother, seemingly content with the world. And then I looked at the picture. It looks like Scott is trying to strangle the poor cat! I guess you'll just have to take my word that it really was a sweet moment. jlm, 11.22.05, 8:09pm \| Date: 22 November, 2005 Time: 7:41pm Subject: Happy Christmas to ME! (and a R.I.P.) * * * * * I got an early Christmas gift today. OK, so it was a $9 necessity from Wal Mart...but slap a bow on it and it becomes an instant electronic gift! See, the old hair dryer (which I acquired during my sophomore year of college) met an unfortunate demise earlier this week. I turned it on and a giant blue spark jumped out the front. And the next two times I turned it on, I noticed an orange glow coming from inside that wasn't there before. So I got a cheap replacement. Hopefully it'll work for me. Since generally I'm a wet-hair-in-a-ponytail gal, I'm really not that concerned. And now for some hair dryer safety tips from the nice folks at Sunbeam: 1. ALWAYS "UNPLUG IT" AFTER USE. 2. DO NOT PLACE OR STORE WHERE DRYER CAN FALL OR BE PULLED INTO TUB, TOILET, OR SINK, 3. DO NOT USE WHILE BATHING. 4. DO NOT USE NEAR OR PLACE IN WATER. 5. IF DRYER FALLS INTO WATER. UNPLUG IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT REACH INTO WATER. Yep...that was verbatim from the giant tacky tag on the cord. Of course, I guess it isn't all common sense - I don't follow 1 or 2. But #3 is definitely my favorite. I mean, blow-drying while still in the shower could be a great time saver...for someone with a death wish! In Memoriam Con Air 1997-2005 jlm, 11.22.05, 7:55pm \| Date: 22 November, 2005 Time: 12:29pm Subject: Scattered Thoughts * * * * * I have a feeling that today will be a day of multiple posts. AND this particular entry is also going to be all over the map. So let's not even pretend this is one smooth entry...break out the bullet points! Today is Harry Potter day. Nope - not an official day. But we're going to see the movie today. Thanksgiving preview: I found the ultimate lazy man's dessert recipe - a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake from the nice folks over at kraft foods. I can't wait to try it! I'm in the process of creating a knock-off of Scott's recently-destroyed-in-a-freak-laundry-incident Medora Paramedics t-shirt. We're calling it "Theme Park Security," and it's going to have items like "Stand up on the rides" and "Don't read the signs." When it's designed, I plan to throw it up on CafePress and sell it to all of our friends. :o) Scott opened up alllll the windows last night. I slept in slipper socks, pajama pants, and a sweatshirt. He even slept under the blankets. It was great! Time for lunch. Toodles! jlm, 11.22.05, 12:38pm \| Date: 21 November, 2005 Time: 12:38pm Subject: Driving Courtesy * * * * * Last night, I turned onto a fairly dark road. As soon as I turned, I noticed a car coming towards me that had lowered its headlights back to normal. After a couple of seconds, he flashed his high beams at me, so I flashed my high beams back at him (I never use my brights on this route home - most of it is fairly populated and well-lit), and then he flashed his brights back at me. In my mind, this was a conversation that went something like this: Him: Turn your brights off Me: Screw you! My brights weren't on Him: Screw you right back! Then I realized the conversation may have been a friendly one: Him: Turn your brights off Me: My brights are off Him: Oops - my bad! Or maybe he was warning me of a cop up ahead, although there wasn't one before I made my turn. Who knows? Headlight flashing is such a strange language. Any other thoughts on what we were "saying" to eachother? jlm, 11.21.05, 12:50pm \| Date: 20 November, 2005 Time: 1:22pm Subject: BIG TEN CHAMPS!!! * * * * * The boys of Happy Valley sealed their fate as Big Ten champs yesterday with a victory over old nemesis Michigan State. And since Miami forgot to show up for their game, PSU has moved up to #4 in the nation. I only wish that Bama hadn't fallen apart...I was starting to enjoy the idea of playing them in a bowl game. And now, please join me in singing Fight on State: Fight on State Fight on State Strike your gait and win, Victory we predict for thee We?re ever true to you, dear old White and Blue. Onward State, Onward State, Roar, Lions, roar: We?ll hit that line, roll up the score, Fight on to victory ever more, Fight on, on, on, on, on, Fight on, on, Penn State! Audio clip courtesy of fightmusic.com, and lyrics courtesy of blueband.com. jlm, 11.20.05, 1:32pm \| Date: 19 November, 2005 Time: 12:20pm Subject: Saturday * * * * * The cranes are back today. Apparently my cats are either near-sighted or just don't understand that they are giant birds and therefore worthy of their attention. My boys were out on the balcony and Kilo was whining to be let back in, and I saw the cranes when I opened the door. Neither cat even looked in their direction. But give them a fly or a spider (or a frog) and they are fascinated. Dumb cats! By the way, do those things fly? I've never seen them do anything but walk around and eat bugs. Last night at work was kind of crazy. I was the floor person, and managed to reprogram a phone all by myself. Actually, I did almost everything without help. I guess sometimes that's all we can ask. I spent a good portion of my night really just keeping myself occupied, but then when I got back from lunch, everything was crazy for the rest of the shift. Important lesson: when you are Floor, you need to take your lunch earlier than 9:30 - because that's when things start picking up. Yesterday was also the 77th anniversary of Steamboat Willie, so I put a message up on our readerboard that said, "Happy 77th Birthday Mickey and Minnie Mouse" with little animated birthday cakes. It's the little things in life that amuse me the most. Speaking of little things, I found a site where you can make your own road signs... Anyway, it kept me amused for a few minutes. jlm, 11.19.05, 12:35pm \| Date: 18 November, 2005 Time: 2:39pm Subject: Meet the Neighbors * * * * * These birds live over by the "scenic lake" in the back of our complex. Every now and then they stray across the street to feast on bugs, but I've never seen them this far from the lake - right below our balcony! I heard them cooing, and looked out the window. Apparently the neighbors were equally impressed - I saw 4 people and a dog stop mid-stride to look at them. I went down to the street to take a picture and realized that these suckers stand about chest-high. I didn't get too close! And before I get going to work, here's one more picture that was on my camera: Here's what happens when you cry and cry to be let outside - you go outside and immediately want to be let inside! jlm, 11.18.05, 2:45pm \| Date: 18 November, 2005 Time: 12:43pm Subject: Apprentice Wrap-Up * * * * * Although I haven't been talking much about The Apprentice (Trump version...not Martha Stewart's non-renewed version), I have been watching it. Last night when we got home at 1:30am, I rewound the tape and watched the newest episode. After about 20 minutes, Scott went to bed. After the episode, I went to bed, put my cold feet on Scott's (the price he pays for having open windows), and he asked who was fired. "The whiny gay guy. That means the only five left are the dorky Jewish virgin, the Russian, the very dark black guy, the one with the broken foot, and the blonde." Yes, I know their names - Clay, Adam, Alla, Randal, Rebecca, and Felisha. But it's more fun to describe them. That way Scott knows who I'm talking about. :o) jlm, 11.18.05, 12:52pm \| Date: 17 November, 2005 Time: 1:56pm Subject: Bittersweet Week * * * * * Frances is coming home next week. After so long without the car, I have to say my life hasn't really been dramatically inconvenienced without it. Scott might disagree, but I really didn't feel the pinch as much as I expected to. If not for the $900 going to the nice guys at the transmission place, we could've booked ourselves a stateroom with a verandah on the Disney Cruise leaving on December 4, and this could've been me on our two year anniversary: I guess this is one of those important life moments when you have a choice between fun and responsibility and you realize you MUST be a grown-up because you pick responsibility. Bummer, huh? jlm, 11.17.05, 2:00pm \| Date: 16 November, 2005 Time: 3:09pm Subject: Poop...meet fan... * * * * * I left Xanga last december and moved over here to my own journal space, dealing with writing my own HTML code, designing my own space, etc. because I was sick of one specific banner ad that Xanga ran. It had big roaches that skittered across the ad and it grossed me out. Well yesterday, AOL introduced their Journals version 2. The good: spell checker. The bad: banner ads. The ugly: every journaler's reaction to the news. I have to admit, I didn't even notice the ad on my own journal ("flaky and unobservant" is my motto). And although I pay over $40/month for AOL and broadband connection, and feel that AOL taking money on both ends is greedy, I am really not as upset about the change as others. In fact, of the four AOL journals I currently read on a daily basis, three have already moved to another domain. (the fourth is paid by AOL to spark interest in the community...of course he's staying put!) And each of those three have left very frank "final" entries on their journals. I think I'm going to join the exodus. Of course, I'm not going to cancel my AOL subscription -- I like my e-mail address too much to do that -- but I'm going to try out Blogspot for a while and see how it fits. I was hoping to move this journal over to AOL in the beginning of next year (so as to not have to think in words and code at the same time), but I'm certainly not going to do that now. I know that no one out there outside of AOL really gives a hoot about this issue, but it's what's going on right now...and it's quite a stinker...and I felt obliged to mention it. John's journal (the paid one) "By the way..." got over 100 comments on the topic. Some are quite amusing. UPDATE (4:11pm): I have moved my AOL journal over to blogspot. You can reach my new journal here, or just by clicking "quiz me" over on the side of the page. jlm, 11.16.05, 3:29pm \| Date: 15 November, 2005 Time: 1:54am Subject: Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood? * * * * * Everyone who has ever visited me has seen Roxie's, the pink and purple "gentlemen's club" near the intersection of Routes 27 and 192. Apparently the owners of Roxie's are in some sort of legal squabble that actually made it into the Orlando Sentinel. "The legal scrap not only lays bare the partners' squabbles but lifts hopes of county officials that the place known for its slogan '20 Beautiful Girls and One Ugly One' might soon close." I have to admit a certain sense of pride seeing my local strip club in the paper. And if it were to close, I would miss the slogan. Not since the club shaped like a pair of boobs (I can't remember what it was called back then, but when the county forced them to paint over the nipples, they re-named it Club Harem) has a marketing ploy tickled me so. What can I say? I love a gimmick! jlm, 11.15.05, 2:01am \| Date: 14 November, 2005 Time: 1:29pm Subject: bummer * * * * * I'm flexible. I had no plans for today. Even still, when I got my training schedule for this week, I was off on Monday and Tuesday. Imagine my surprise when I found out yesterday that I'm back on my own schedule. grrr.... Oh well...as it turns out, I have a team meeting on Weds, so I'm going in to work for 3 hours of OT. For the rest of the weekend, we have big plans like grocery shopping, laundry, a visit to DisneyQuest (free tickets...I had no reason to say no!), and a trip over to MK Wednesday night to see the fireworks. Yesterday work was pretty slow. I almost missed being in the bubble. There, no matter how slow it is there's still work to do. Perhaps today will be a little more exciting. T.G.I.F. jlm, 11.14.05, 1:34pm \| Date: 12 November, 2005 Time: 9:53am Subject: Reading-a-Plenty * * * * * Weekend Assignment #85: What magazines do you subscribe to and why? Up until very recently, the only subscriptions coming into our household were Maxim and FHM. Scott loves them both, although I really can't tell the difference between the two - big boobs, big explosions, video games, cars, and did I mention the big boobs? That's everything men love, right? Oh yeah - I forgot the monkeys dressed in clothes doing stupid things. They're in there too. I won't lie - I read them too. Just not as much as he does. I also ordered a subscription to Readers Digest from Hunter's school a while back. It still hasn't started coming, but they said allow 8 weeks or something ridiculously long. Other magazines I've subscribed to in the past include LIFE, Vegetarian Times (a Christmas gift...had a lot of great recipes, but got me on the mailing lists of PETA and other wacky groups), Broadcasting & Cable (for a college COMM class), People, and Entertainment Weekly. Extra Credit: What was your first magazine subscription? I may have had some kid's magazine when I was really little, but the first one I remember was LIFE. I loved it! jlm, 11.12.05, 10:06am \| Date: 12 November, 2005 Time: 9:33am Subject: I Survived! * * * * * Yesterday Beth and I carpooled, since we were both in at 6am and were both doing our 10th (and final) choir rehearsal. I told her that at 2:30 when we got off of work I should have my own recognition ceremony, complete with the Ambassador team, where I would be presented with a t-shirt that said "I Survived Ten 6am Shifts in the Bubble." Unlikely, she said. It turns out the Ambassadors were there...for someone's 25th anniversary...but didn't stop in to congratulate me. Oh well...I still survived. No one can take that from me. I'm back in training next week, on nights with Jim, but Jim isn't going to be in on Sunday. I know this because they called last night and asked if I could come in early for some OT. I just hope the grave shift people come in on time so I'm not there by myself at any point. I'm totally not ready for that! Anyway, inbetween getting off of work at 3 and choir at 5:30, Beth and I went over to the Magic Kingdom. We were going to ride a ride or two, but SURPRISE! It was Veterans Day and the park was packed. We couldn't wait 40 minutes to ride the Buzz Lightyear ride or the hour for Space Mountain, and we didn't even have time to wait in the ridiculously long line for the train from Toontown to Main Street. So we walked over to Aloha Isle for Dole Whips instead. Mmm...pineapple vanilla swirl... We also marveled at the decision (after 33 Christmases) to move the big tree from Town Square to the Castle Rose Garden. Not only is there not a good photo-op with the tree where it currently is, but it looks so much smaller now that it's close to the castle. Choir rehearsal was pretty fun. And now I'm done, unless I do the late late night rehearsal on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It's a dress rehearsal, with the orchestra and everything, and would be great to actually run through the whole show...but it's so late at night that I'll probably not do it. I'm off today, work tomorrow, and then am off Monday/Tuesday. Can you believe Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away? jlm, 11.12.05, 9:51am \| Date: 10 November, 2005 Time: 3:54pm Subject: recon * * * * * I called Scott on my way home today to warn him to leave a little bit early. As I was driving westbound down 192, I got stuck at the traffic light by the Orange Lake Publix. Across the street in the eastbound lanes, there were 4 vehicles in the left lane that seemed to have bumped into eachother. The second one was a pick-up truck that was diagonal in two lanes. The fourth was a compact car. Well, perhaps it didn't start as a compact car, but it lost a good 12-18" to compression when it slammed into the third vehicle. The accident had probably happened only a minute or two before I saw it because the drivers seemed to be just getting out of their cars. It was ugly, but I didn't think there were major injuries since people were walking around. So like I said, I called Scott. He would've left at 3:45, but ended up leaving before 3:15. And based on my description (two of three lanes blocked...notice I said my description and not my advice) decided to stick to 192 instead of taking the long & winding back roads. He called about 15 minutes after he left to say that he was making a U-turn and headed to the back roads. Why? Well, apparently someone was injured - they were landing LifeFlight. At least he left early enough to compensate for the stoppage and the distance. I'm glad I decided to call and give him a heads-up. In other news of the "emergency" type, our fire alarm went off again last night - ok, very early at 12:45 this morning. It was a quickie this time - BEEP BEEP BEEP - just enough to wake me from my first four hours of sleep. (yes, I agree that there's something pathetic about going to bed at 8:30, but I also love to sleep!) Scott sent an e-mail to our property manager, since we really weren't satisfied with the first "response" to the problem. She replied this morning and apologized for the inconvenience and said she'd have someone check it out today. The maintenance guy showed up around 3:45. He checked all three alarms and decided that the batteries were fine. He says that if it happens again he'll go ahead and replace all three because one is probably malfunctioning and there's no way to tell which one. I think perhaps he doesn't really know what he's talking about, but he was very nice and seemed to be genuinely sympathetic to my plight. Oh yes, and one other thing: Mia moved out. Can you believe it? Scott has been awakened by the crews re-painting and shampooing the carpets, and apparently the new neighbors moved in a lot of their stuff last night between 10 and midnight. I didn't hear them because I was passed out, but apparently there was much door slamming and Scott already doesn't like them. They're moving more boxes in today, but I didn't see them when I came in from work. Let's all take a moment now to pray that the new neighbors don't have loud sex at 7am...or any other time. ;o) jlm, 11.10.05, 4:13pm \| Date: 8 November, 2005 Time: 8:53pm Subject: mmm...chicken * * * * * What could be better than going out to a movie with friends? Hooking up with another friend afterword for a Chinese buffet dinner. :o) Scott and I aren't quite sure if we were on the strangest double date ever, but we sure had fun. We went to the movies with Chuck, Chuck's mom, Chuck's friend (?) Jamie, and Jamie's mom Kay. Strange. And then we hit the Chinese place with Dave, who is without functioning kitchen while his house is torn apart for mold. And the movie? Chicken Little, in Disney Digital 3-D. and did I mention the souvenir 3-D glasses? I'd give a proper movie review if I weren't so tired. My old Call Center friend Kirby did a pretty good one for LaughingPlace.com if you really care...although he and I disagree on the use of music. I loved the songs, he didn't. I'll give Chicken Little JJJJj out of JJJJJ, and will buy it when it comes out on DVD. jlm, 11.8.05, 9:00pm \| Date: 7 November, 2005 Time: 7:53pm Subject: A Long and Winding Day * * * * * Well, today was day 6 of the 6am shifts. Just 4 more to go. Then the best part is I'll be off Saturday, work Sunday afternoon, and be off Monday and Tuesday. And then the week after that - I get my own schedule back! Hallelujah! Work wasn't so stressful - I'm getting the hang of it enough that I'm still technically in "training," but my trainer only tells me when I screw up. It happened maybe three times today. And none of it was life- (or pay) threatening. I also got to sign up for Candlelight performances this afternoon. I got all of the shows I needed, and picked up one or two extras. I'm so excited! And now...bed beckons. I stayed up til 11 last night to watch the end of Grey's Anatomy, and 4:30 just keeps getting earlier and earlier! jlm, 11.7.05, 8:01pm \| Date: 6 November, 2005 Time: 11:29am Subject: Banana Bread * * * * * Once upon a time, there was a bunch of bananas. Some of these bananas were eaten on top of pancakes with peanut butter. Some were mashed into smoothies. And some were just peeled and eaten. Three were ignored, and they soon freckled and darkened. I put those last three in a plastic bag in the fridge until I would have time to make something with them. They were in the fridge for over a week, and this morning I finally got around to making my favorite food - banana bread. The bananas were black on the outside, and were smelling a wee bit fermented, but I had already started mixing the other ingredients, so I went ahead and mixed them in. My gamble paid off, and the banana bread I made today is the best I've ever made. It's sweet, and has a nice hard shell on top (sounds bad...is actually good), and when I turned it out of the loaf pan it came out in one piece. Looks tempting, doesn't it? It smells even better. So here's the recipe. It's easy to make (or Lord knows I wouldn't make it!), and has only 5 ingredients. Mom's Banana Bread 1 stick butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 cups self rising flour 2 large (or 3 medium) bananas preheat oven to 325 cream butter and sugar beat in eggs and smashed bananas add flour pour mixture into greased/floured loaf pan bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean That's it. Cool, turn out, and gorge yourself on it! You could add nuts, but why ruin a perfectly good banana bread with nuts?? Well, I've got two loads of laundry in progress and dishes ready to come out of the dishwasher. I guess I should ride this wave of productivity until the laundry is all done...then I can crash on the couch and enjoy the rest of my day off. jlm, 11.6.05, 11:41am \| Date: 5 November, 2005 Time: 5:40pm Subject: Nerves * * * * * I must say, the amusing frog story (if you haven't read it, scroll down and read and then come back) was really the start of a very unpleasant couple of hours last night. I admit, it was funny. And I'm glad I was able to take some pictures of my ordeal as I was going through it. But seeing something POP out of your garbage can is...surprising to say the least. I was on edge. Shocking, isn't it? So I finally settled back onto the couch to finish watching the stuff on the VCR (Daily Show, etc.), got about halfway through the tape, and the smoke alarm went off. BEEP BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP BEEP. And that was it. Of course, there was no fire. Scott, my freak-out-hotline operator, made me check the bedroom and make sure it wasn't on fire. It wasn't. I couldn't tell if it was our inside-apartment alarm or the whole-building alarm, but the important thing was that it stopped. Fast forward almost an hour - I was back on the couch, finally finished watching my tape, and BEEP BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP followed by 30 seconds of silence BEEP BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP BEEP . . . . . . . . . . BEEP I was wearing orange skeleton pajama bottoms and a wife beater tank top, not appropriate outdoorswear, so I went to the bedroom to put on more "normal" bottoms and grab my hooded zip-up sweatshirt, put my hair in a ponytail, grabbed my cell, and left the apartment, all the while three separate alarms (living room, hall, bedroom) were going off simultaneously, which went something like this BEEPBEEP BEEP BEEP BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEPBEEP in a truly ear-splitting sound. Imagine my surprise when I walked outside and heard nothing...except the BEEPing coming from my apartment. Sidebar: the frog had by this point left the cookie tub and was on the wall across from our door. He was feasting on mosquitoes. So I called the rental office. Actually, I had to call twice to memorize the emergency maintenance phone number. The nice man at the answering service took my information and said he'd page someone. By this point - about 5 minutes later - the alarm has once again stopped. With peace restored, I went back into the apartment. About 10-15 minutes later, I got a phone call from a man who sounded like he'd been asleep and was annoyed to have to talk to me. 9:30 and he's asleep? I wonder if HIS alarm went off at 4:30 that morning... He told me that they were testing the alarm system earlier in the day and not to worry, that there was no fire. (very comforting...although for the record, if there had been smoke and flames my first call wouldn't have been to the rental office!) He said he would be out in the morning to check the alarm panel on the first floor. "Are you saying the alarm won't go off anymore? Because I don't think I'll be able to sleep through that all night." He told me if it happened again that I should call back. As I have alluded to, I had been up for almost 18 hours, my nerves were shredded, and I was near tears. So I called Scott. And Scott wanted me to call the Fire Dept to tell them my apartment complex didn't care that my fire alarms were malfunctioning. I just wanted to go to bed. I decided to stay up and dressed until 10:30, since the thing had gone off at 8:30 and 9:30. The alarm never went off again, and my sleep was fitful at best until Scott came to bed. In fact, just before 2am, my phone rang and I instantly thought it was Scott calling to tell me he had been in an accident. It wasn't. But I just couldn't make my heart stop pounding. I fully intended to go down to the rental office and rant about the crappy response today, but I never made it out of my pajamas. After all, it's Saturday. College football is on. jlm, 11.5.05, 6:17pm \| Date: 4 November, 2005 Time: 6:47pm Subject: The Frantic Phone Call * * * * * Below is a (close enough to accurate) transcript of a conversation between a Mickey Mouse Detective and a frantic caller: Detective: Security Investigations, this is Scott. Caller: Can you tell me any reason there might be a frog jumping out of our trash can? Detective (ok, Scott): umm...not that I can think of Caller (ok, me): well one just leapt out of the trash can and scared the crap out of me and the cats. KILO! (squirt squirt) Don't eat the frog!!! (squirt squirt squirt) Scott: Well, I did throw out one of those water jugs on the balcony. I didn't think to look for anything attached to it. Me: It's ok. At least I'm not afraid of frogs. I better go catch and release before the cats get to it. When the frog jumped out of the trash can (at least two feet straight up, I might add), the cats had already heard it coming out. Things were shifting in the bag, and I was worried it was a mouse or a REALLY big bug. The frog jumped from the trash can to the blue chair to the stack-o-pillows in about 3 jumps. That was when I called Scott, grabbed my camera and the squirt bottle, and jumped into my role as Amphibian Protector. I also had to pee before this little adventure began. So I locked the cats out on the balcony, peed, and then came back to face the frog. ...and then I called Scott again: Scott: Security Investigations, this is Scott. Me: You sound annoyed. Scott: I'm not annoyed. Me: Good. So it turns out I'm a little timid about the frog. Are there any Floridian frogs that are poisonous? Scott: no Me: good Scott: ...but make sure you wash your hands really well when you're done Me: I know...I just didn't want to die halfway to the door or anything Scott: You won't. Want me to stay on speaker phone with you just in case so I can hear you scream? Me: no thanks. I'd prefer to do this in private And so attempt #1 began. And it went pretty well. I'm really not afraid of frogs. Well, I'm not afraid to touch them. But I startle easily and I'm always a little paranoid that it's going to jump up and attach itself to my face. So I actually managed to grab the little booger (eww...frog snot...), but before I could close up all the gaps between my hands he wriggled out and jumped to the bookcase. And I screamed a little bit. And then I grabbed my camera, thinking this was a much better photo op than the first time. Attempt #2 was much quicker. I made a grab, missed, and the frog jumped across me and attached itself to the side of the entertainment center. He then jumped onto the wall and proceeded to climb up to a little above eye level. And I ran into the kitchen to replace the batteries in my camera. And then I ran back to snap another picture and contemplate attempt #3. I figured #3 would be my final attempt. The frog was in a location where, should it jump again, it would go behind the entertainment center or the bookshelf, and I would have no choice but to let the cats back in and wait until it poked out again. I needed a container - one big enough to give me an inch or so clearance (keep in mind, I had to lean over the pile-o-pillows for this maneuver) - preferably with a lid. And so, having psyched myself up, I slammed the container against the wall, slid a magazine cover between the wall and the container, folded the edges of the magazine cover around the rim, and walked to the door (which I had the forethought to unlock). My hands were occupied keeping the makeshift lid on the froggie penitentiary, so I had to open the door with one of my feet. Yes, I agree, it's a darn shame there wasn't anyone there to capture a picture of that! I got the frog outside, and tried to set it free, but it was comfortable in its little container. So Honey, when you come home tonight, would you bring in the cookie dough bowl that's outside the front door? Just make sure to check for cling-ons this time! jlm, 11.4.05, 7:21pm \| Date: 4 November, 2005 Time: 4:55pm Subject: The Sky is Falling! * * * * * Chicken Little opens today in theaters across the country. Not only is it Disney's first full-length computer animated feature, but it's also being shown in 3-D (in select theaters). Imagine my delight when I found out that Chicken Little is in 3-D at the Pleasure Island AMC. Guess what Scott and I are doing on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm so excited!! Did I mention the souvenir 3-D glasses that look just like Chicken Little's? Chicken Little's friends include Abby Mallard, a.k.a. Ugly Duckling, Fish out of Water (the foreign exchange student), and Runt of the Litter. So go see this movie! But if you see it before I do, don't tell me anything about it! (and if you liked the graphics I harvested for this entry, make sure you check out the official site) jlm, 11.4.05, 5:08pm \| Date: 3 November, 2005 Time: 8:01pm Subject: Name Change? * * * * * I'm thinking about renaming my blog to DorkFiles. Actually, I'm sure it's already taken, but after today I think it may be appropriate. Beth drove me home from choir tonight. She had my veil sitting on the passenger seat, so when I got in the car I put it on (seemed easier than holding it). Well, we needed to stop at Publix so that Beth could pick up milk. Did Jamie take off the veil before going into the store? If she did, would she really need to re-name to DorkFiles? What silly questions! pardon the scary grin...I'm totally sleep-deprived! This is actually an ironic post-script to another story: The morning of my wedding, Matt and Leslie (who?) and I stopped at the Wal Mart in Haines City. She needed a belt, and I needed breakfast (ok, donuts). Well, I had already done my hair, and was be-bopping through the store in black pajama bottoms, a red zip-up sweatshirt, and my veil. People kept asking me, "is it your wedding day?" And I was in such a good mood I wasn't even sarcastic when I said yes. Of course, my inner monologue was raging, "of course it's my wedding day. why else would I be shopping in a veil?" Ask a stupid question... almost two years...maybe it's finally time to put the wedding things in permanent-ish storage jlm, 11.3.05, 8:11pm \| Date: 2 November, 2005 Time: 4:38pm Subject: zzzz * * * * * Right now, I could use some serious caffeine. It's day three of ten 6am shifts, and I'm wondering how I'm going to make it through. Really, I don't think adjusting to grave shift was this difficult! Plus, tomorrow I'm going to choir and won't even be home until 8ish. (followed by pajamas and bed) Scott must be stir-crazy, since he's been off and without the use of a car. He all of a sudden had an urgent need to go to the library and drive all the way into Kissimmee to get some KFC for dinner. Tomorrow will suck for him even worse than me - he starts work at 1, but has to wake up (at 5) to come to work with me and then take the car home. I guess we're lucky that we haven't had more days like that. Well, I'm off to watch last night's Daily Show/Colbert Report, and hopefully by them Scott will be home with dinner. jlm, 11.2.05, 4:44pm \| Date: 1 November, 2005 Time: 3:55pm Subject: Halloween Post-Script * * * * * I know, I know - it's over, let it go. But I just have a mini Halloween wrap-up to present. Last night, not one single person knocked on the door. If anyone had, I would've given them a big ol' handful of hard candy. Sure, hard candy is a crappy 'treat,' but it's better than nothing at all. And in that instance, it's all about quantity, not quality. But alas, it was a moot point. Like I said, no trick-or-treaters. Bummer, huh? I don't know if it's because we're on the third floor, or because the kids and their parents have the sense to drive a couple miles to the big houses. That's where I'd go! On my way home from work today, Scott asked if I'd stop at Publix to pick up a lemon (beer battered pollock for dinner tonight). Well, the lemons were 3/$1, and I just couldn't stand the idea of putting $1 on my debit card. So I started looking for the discounted Halloween candy. And after asking the nice man stocking CHRISTMAS candy where it was, I found it. And I bought two bags. For 50% off. I got a Nestle variety bag with Crunch, Butterfinger, white chocolate Crunch, and Baby Ruth, and I got a Reese's bag with Pieces, Cups, Fast Break, and inside out Cups. I must say - those inside out cups may be my new favorite candy. They're just like those chocolate/peanut butter foil-wrapped coins you get at Christmas/Easter, only with Hershey's chocolate. mmm mmm good! Work, despite the fact that my alarm goes off every morning at 4:15, is going really well. I'm having a lot of fun using my brain again. Today I was using the program I learned yesterday (used to track breaks, schedule changes, call-ins, meetings, and call volume). Tomorrow I learn the last piece of the puzzle, which allows you to monitor the calls - not listen to them, but make sure people are actually answering them, and not spending 40 minutes on a call. And then I spend a whole week doing just those two functions. It's the part of the training where most people go cross-eyed. But so far, I'm good. Let's hope it stays that way! jlm, 11.1.05, 4:14pm \| Return to October