bumblepug

happy halloween!

today is one of my favorite days of the year, next to my birthday, which has not yet been established as a holiday but i'm sure it's only a matter of time. i'm going to be a queen bee, ralph is going to be a bee keeper (or a man attacked by killer bees, we'll see what takes shape by afternoon), and dog is going to be a party animal. i was so happy about dog's costume idea. i'm going to dangle streamers, crushed beer cans, and balloons from her harness (not too heavy, of course), she certainly is the life of the party.

i think the plan is to visit the castro tonight. it should be exciting and i'll make sure to take and post photos of all the cool costume ideas! i'd rather go trick-or-treating but i'm not sure i'd pass for a adolescent girl anymore. i suggested to ralph that we could possibly get away with it if we dress as ghosts and bend our knees to look shorter. that might be hard to do after a few hours. damn, i bet the houses in our neighborhood give the full size candy bars, too. i can't wait to have kids of my own so i can steal their candy!

trick or treat, smell dog's feet, give ralph something good to eat (so i don't have to cook in my broken oven)!

happy halloween!

...and don't forget to fall back (and get that extra hour of sleep you've been craving!) for daylight savings time!

v is for volunteer

today i'm volunteering at my local democratic party office. i'm still not sure what i'm doing but i don't really care at this point as long as it means victory for kerry. v is also for victory!

more on my adventures or unadventures as a volunteer, to come!

tricks and tips

it seems like everybody outside of my job is celebrating halloween today. it's so exciting! i totally forgot to dress up today or even wear anything closely resembling anything halloweenish. it crossed my mind at 7:06 am but by the time i was brushing my teeth at 8:15 am, it totally vanished from my mind.

i just had my allergy shots and the entire department was dressed in costumes and many had false eyelashes. i'm glad they were dressed up because waiting to get allergy shots for 20 minutes would've really annoyed me otherwise (it's usually a 2 minute wait). it's so much easier to not get upset with somebody dressed as a cat or a nun than if they were wearing plain ol' office clothes. guess there was a lunch party?!

i was able to talk to kyle about the achilles and shin aches i've been getting and it seems that i have a tendon weakness due to a few things: wearing heels (i know, i know, i won't anymore), increasing distance too quickly, and not stretching or warming up enough and slowly enough. i thought the problem might be my shoes but he said for the mileage i'm doing they should last for at least 1 year (and they're only at 6 months). i'm bummed because i just bought more running shoes online yesterday. so here are the tips i picked up from him: warm up longer, increase mileage very slowly (just read in self mag that it should be 10% per week), ice achilles and shins in 20 minute incraments, wear "kyle-style" flats (this means some nasty granny shoe that has no lift whatsoever!), continue with some sort of activity such as power walking, etc. (so they muscles don't get weaker) without re-creating pain, and have ralph massage my calves (yay, i love massages!) from heel to calf. a few random things i learned from the phone call...you should always massage (and apply lotion, etc.) towards the heart in order to prevent swelling in the feet or elsewhere because it directs the blood to the heart, rather than overwhelming other parts. i had hear this before but i always thought it was a myth. also, wearing high heels wreck havoc and weaken your leg tendons. and last but not least, running shoes with styrofoam in them can deteriorate over time simply by sitting around. the clock starts ticking on them as soon as they are manufactured. i thought it was all about wear but apparently, both things matter. so if you've had running shoes that have been sitting in your closet for 10 years and only have 10 miles on them, it's still a good idea to get a new pair before you start a new running routine. what a lot of info!

as for dog's skin...my mom stopped by the vet this morning and we spoke at lunch. she mentioned dog's irritated skin to them and they said it sounds like dermititis (sp?, or something like that). in other words, her skin is very dry and pugs are prone to skin problems. another thing my mom pointed out is that her skin began itching after i stopped giving her a daily dog vitamin. solution: she bought more doggie vitamins and the vet's office had a derm pill that has helped most of their dog patients that had terrible dermititis. if she's still itchy in a week, i'll need to re-evaluate the course of action!

tgif

last night's hot tub experience was so relaxing. the room had a tub (which was highly chlorinated), sauna, and a shower and some of their other rooms have a cold plunge. i created my own cold plunge by turning the shower water on ice cold every once in a while since the hot tub and sauna heat were a bit too much at times. it was pretty cool because we were able to choose a "relaxing" radio setting and we controlled the volume, as well as the jet settings in the tub. i was obsessed with the sauna and creating steam (there was a bucket of water with a big spoon to pour over the hot rocks) until i could no longer breathe. as ralph put it, "it was hotter than arizona" in there. there was a cool wall fountain that i think could be turned into a cold plunge with a little effort. before that we had great mexican food at la morenita. it was perfect becuase it was authentic, portion sizes were perfect, and it wasn't too heavy. it just might be my favorite mexican restaurant now.

i'm bummed about my recent shin and achilles problems. i couldn't even do 1.5 miles yesterday because the pain was too intense. i thought taking a few days off would do the trick but maybe there's something more i should be doing, icing, who knows? i'm playing phone tag with kyle in hopes that he'll have a solution for me. i think it's my fate to not be a runner. i better stick to low-impact things like sitting on the couch watching my netflix. btw, when i received original texas chainsaw it was cracked in half!

dog has been itching her skin like a maniac recently. i know she doesn't have fleas or ticks because she regularly gets frontline applications and i've searched every inch of her skin. i'm going to make an appointment with the vet because she's needs her glands "done" and at that time we can ask the doc about her skin irritation. maybe the weather is drying her skin, and her diet has switched from eukanuba lamb and rice to ivd duck an potatoes, and my mom washes her all the time. oh the woes of a highly allergic dog! is duck leaner than lamb? is there such thing as dog lotion, other than fur conditioner? i'll do some internet research and post my findings shortly.

tonight is aunt b's party and i'm excited about dog being a party animal. i need to find some (empty) beer and soda cans, streamers, and ballons to tie to her harness. she's really going to dislike me tonight! i need to do some baking when i get home because i never got around to it last night. i'm going to make pumpkin cupcakes, a snake-shaped crescent roll sub, and boojitios (my own creation, recipe tba, which is going to be a virgin version of mojitios). this should be interesting.

info corner:
record number of voters in ca (which i'm sure would be much higher if not for recent voter registration scandals by those soliciting door to door registration).

mark cuban and some digital cameras create voices of iraq.

bay area guide to halloween 2004.

i think a livestrong magazine is on the horizon (i was solicited by harris polls yesterday for a poll that seemed to be testing the waters for a new magazine and its topics and pricing, nothing on the website to date).

stomach on fire

i just had lunch with amanda at the creamery and my stomach is on fire. i'm so glad i didn't puke on br's store front. i haven't had a burger and fries in a while so maybe that did it, or it may have been the pepper plant sauce- yup, that was the culprit. it hurts so bad that i never want to have that sauce again, and it used to be my favorite put on everything kind of sauce. to settle the burn, i had 2 fruit tums and chocolate raspberry mousse cake, most of which ended up in the garbage.

tonight ralph's planned at night at the hot tubs. i'm excited because my muscles have been hurting from running. i'm going to the gym right after work so i can really take advantage of the tub use. i asked amanda to verify their cleanliness and they pass her test so they should pass mine too.

last night we saw the dog get rescued and i really hope he gets to return home. i think he had tags but i didn't want to get to close in case he wasn't nice. he was obviously scared but i still didn't want to take any chances. if it weren't for dog spazzing out when she saw him hopping through the bushes, we would've never noticed him. score for dog. she's also stopped a man in an alley from being robbed. i'm so glad she's a barker, though it is tough to deal with at 3 am when she barks for no apparent reason.

i have a pug mask that i'm tempted to wear in to work tomorrow. i've always wanted to be a pug for halloween so i think this paper mask is as close as i'll get 2 days before halloween. i asked amanda if she wanted to borrow it for my aunt's halloween party and she said she's never wanted to be a dog. why not? they have an easy life: sleep, eat, sleep, play, etc. some people! ;)

my shoes arrived today so i can't wait to wear them tomorrow. any tips on protecting leather shoes in the rain?

countdowns
halloween: 3 days
election: 5 days
writing sample: 6 days
debbie's test: 9 days
toni's bday: 24 days

we just rescued a dog...

... i hope, and i think we confirmed that ralph's neighbor is a call girl (this is a long story but trust me, we're right on the $). i feel drunk on life for all these great things but perhaps it's the 2.5 glasses of champagne that we had with dinner to celebrate the fact that i cooked! if you're ever trying to plan an event with champagne, know that there are 5 glasses of champagne in a standard champagne bottle, maybe this is true of wine too.

the red sox won, way to go. how anti-climactic though since they kicked ass four games in a row. i never boke a brow sweat. oh well, i'm just happy they won and at the fact that i liked the red sox before they were champs. good night. i need to go spy on the dog hiding in the bush to confirm that he gets rescued, and seinfeld beckons.

feeling unispired

i'm glad for days like yesterday that balance out days like today. i'm tired and my eyes feel soupy. i'm supposed to get allergy shots today but i'll wait until tomorrow because i have a meeting that begins before my shots could end.

i saw an ad for a cd that plays not only music, but smeels as well, called scentories. i thought i was in the twilight zone when i saw the commercial on tv because i felt like i was being brainwashed. does anybody else find it odd that smells can be played? i tested the gadget (created the fabreze, the scent mogul) at fry's and i definitely would not buy it because the smells are rather artificial smelling and if i want smells coupled with another experience, i'd either ride the ca ride (smells and images) at disney's ca adventures or i'll open my refridgerator (which is enough of a scent to last a year). not to mention, you can't just buy the scented cd, you need the entire scent player (similar to cd player) so it can blow scented breeze (which doesn't blow enough air out anyways) into the air. my left thumb and right thumb head towards the floor for 2 thumbs down.

yippy skippy!

i was just phoned by 2 special appointment prospects. 2 rounds tomorrow for one of them and one phone round (which makes it the 3rd time with them) with another next friday from the d.c. office, after election stuff calms down. for this one, i need to produce a writing sample on the topic of "why i want it" and i'd like to incorporate my passion for politics and the significance of political involvement. we'll see how it goes. wish me luck and send me topic ideas if you can think of something more interesting or tidbits i should include. this means a trip to the library...yippy skippy (and ralph would complete this by adding..."said the hippy named pippy!")!

to do:
- pick-up ralph
- volunteer at aeic after work
- call local democrat unit to volunteer like a mad woman in hopes that this will assist kerry
- walk dog, is dog with mom? i wish she (dog) could answer the phone!
- dinner, meatloaf, again?
- get a lirbary card asap
- clean?
- iron clothes
- begin essay brainstorming/model, final v. due 11.05.04
- watch biggest loser, scrubs, and law & order svu (as if i have to write this down)

note to self:
stop eating everything in site. risotto at lunch was fattening as was that peanut butter brownie. good thing turkey meatloaf was turkey.

i've been rather chatty (or should i say "writey") today. more tomorrow.

he says, she says

he says:
(he, being ralph)
apple has introduced the new photo ipod. it's neat that they added this feature, but what about a basic necessity in a walkman? a radio! photos are cool but i'd rather be able to tune into the tvs at the gym when something is on, such as presidential debates, world series baseball games, etc. maybe one day they'll not be so scared of adding this feature with a record function. i don't care if they think they will lose money on download sales because people will record music off the radio as opposed to downloading. i think people would still download for clean versions of the songs.

thank you and good night.

she says:
(she, being me)
i think the ipod new photo ipod is way overpriced! who is going to pay $500-600 for this when you can buy a mini ipod and a sleeky mini digital camera for less than $600 combined? and this can't even take pics it can only store them?! i'd rather take a mini-vacation and stick with my older model than throw down the cash just yet. they are introducing new features so quickly that it's only a matter of time until something really great and $-worthy comes out.

p.s. u2? couldn't they have chosen another band? i know they do great cause-worhty things but i'm tired of bono already!

bush relatives for kerry

"because blood is thinner than oil." interesting site worth checking out.

highly unorganized

i'm feeling highly unorganized at the moment but peaking this feeling was losing an earring (in addition to being without a debit card for the last 3 weeks!)...i thought it was a smart idea to bundle some really nice earrings in a napkin (so they wouldn't get scratched) and then toss the bundle in my glove compartment. as i waited at a stop light, i reached for the napkin with the earrings but only found one. i freaked out because they were really nice and i feel like everything i'm looking for is always lost or misplaced. is there a big hole that swallows my belongings? on top of being late, i was frustrated with the fact at how discombobulated things have been lately. i speculate things are going this way because i'm messy and haven't made an honest effort to file, do my laundry, or get organized at home in a long while.

i think it all started with a bad night's sleep. i fell asleep on ralph's couch at 10:30 pm and didn't walk to the bed until 2:30 am. once i was in bed i was consistently waking up every 2 hours as though i was going to be late for something important. what kept me up was the fact that my limbs felt (particularly my fingers) like they were polish sausages and my head felt like it was full of food. in reality, i was feeling gross because i was totally dehydrated (due to the fact that i had cheese puffs, walnuts, and a mini york peppermint patty before bedtime, yes, i pms-ing) and my head was totally congested because i fell asleep without taking my allergy medicine the day of allergy shots. at 4:36 am, i woke up because i couldn't stand the thirst or the snot clogging my brain anymore. i looked at dog and ralph as the rain was pounding outside, wondering...how can they sleep so peacefully? how come he didn't anticipate my thirst and snot with a glass of water and a box of tissue? i was just bitter because they were asleep and i was searching for water and kleenex in the dark. for some reason i have really good night vision in the pitch black but not when i'm driving in the dark with headlights on, go figure. after drinking some water and stuffing a wad of tissue under the pillow i fell asleep until i needed to pee at 6 am. then back to sleep...zzzz...next thing i know it's 8:06 am and i'm suppose to have dog walked, be dressed, and have gassed (sp?) up the car by 8:30 am? yeah, right.

at least i did 3 miles yesterday. that was the good part and the fact that ralph made dinner. the 3 miles took longer than expected because i had terrible pain in my shins and achilles. i suspect this happened because i normally warm-up for 5.5 minutes but yesterday i only warmed-up for 3 minutes and it was super cold outside, so maybe i should've warmed-up for something closer to 8 minutes. i have decided not to run today. i might do the elliptical or the recumbent bike instead. i want my shins to heal a tad before i go back to the mill. part of the problem may have to do with the fact that i need new running shoes.

last night the ca democratic party phoned me to confirm my enrollment as a volunteer. i need to call my local unit for an assignment and i guess i volunteer wherever they need me. i hope they don't need me to do a phone bank because i really dislike disturbing people with phone calls to persuade them during their dinner that my call is more important than their dinner. w.e. i'll be optimistic, maybe i'll be assigned to hold a kerry sign on the street corner so people can honk for support or flip me off and yell profanities at me for disagreeing!?!

i could really use some chocolate in my veins right about now. can they do that? i think that might ease my craving for swimming in a chocolate pool and drinking the chocolate water!

things that would help right now:
- a mug of l.a. burdick dark hot chocolate
- a goose down comforter draped over me at my desk
- having exercised for the day in the am
- having an atm card (so the cashier at safeway can't refuse my request for cashback with a check based on the fact that i haven't written 50 checks at that particular safeway!)
- having a balanced checkbook
- being more organized
- macy's and other retail places not decorating for chritmas in october!
- a new episode of scrubs now instead of later
- somebody answering this question: how can polls be open prior to election day? i don't understand how people are voting at polls already. please explain.

here's are useful $ tips that i should read when i'm in a better mood and have a working atm in my hands.

and where in the world is dad? this is odd.

a.c., when can i start volunteering at the aic?

new yorker

way to go, new yorker! click on link to read about their political endorsement, obviously for kerry!

on to other things...i'm a netflix subscriber, again. third time is a charm but between me and ralph, i'm sure this has gotta be something like our sixth time subscribing to the service. they just reduced their prices and i've been wanting to lay on my couch more often lately so it was perfect timing. i should get my flix tomorrow and i'm redy to be scared...blair witch, original texas chainsaw (1974?), and confessions of a teenage drama queen.

i'm lovin' the red sox!

the red sox are on a roll and i'm so excited for them! i wish i could be at fenway for one of their games, even st. louis would do. i've caught a few minutes of each game, which is all i can take when watching baseball on tv (quite a different experience than the live thing).

this weekend was really mellow. didn't cook or bake. didn't carve pumpkin. didn't do election/proposition review (must do tonight). on friday ralph and i went to consuelo's and then we saw the grudge. the food was so good but we were let down by molten chocolate cake. if it was molten, so am i. it was so cold and barely tasted like chocolate (embedded are some links for good molten cake recipes that i've tested and been happy with). on the other hand, their filet mignon, sopes, sangria, and mojitos made up for it so we left satisfied, mas o menos. as for the movie, it was so scary! i had my hands over my eyes for most of it because there were some disturbing images that i didn't want to carry over into my dreams and wild imaginiation. i would definitely catch it if you're shopping for scares and frights close to halloween.

on saturday we went to the outlets and i bought some overpriced cole haan's (which i retutned the next day) and a plain jane white button down at banana republic. stopped by the coach outlet and it was good for leather purses but they don't carry the signature bags. oh well.

yesterday was an errand day and i hung out with my mom. i feel like i did 5 million things from my "to do" list and i was lucky enough to squeeze in a strawberry crepe! i found some awesome flat shoes which i have been ordered to wear (by my pt) from here on out as long as my back pain persists. i should really get working on my abs so i can wear mini-heels (the kind that make your feet look like little pig's feet) by christmas! i ordered my shoes online to save on the price, get free shipping, and skip paying taxes. yay! so glad i didn't buy them in the store on the spot. my mom and i also picked some goods from kyle's garden which is quite impressive. when i own a home i hope i can have a garden as plentiful as his. mine will definitely have pumpkins though. now that i have fresh basil and vine-grown tomatoes, i'm inspired to make a caprese salad for dinner.

i cleaned my bathroom at 11 pm and it feels so great to not have my makeup bag items and dirty clothes all over the floor and toilet top. it was really gross before. now if i can just get working on the rest of the place. today i'll try to get to the living room and my bedroom after the gym. pg&e person is coming between 1-5 to light the pilot and i'm so embarrased for my mom because they might think the mess is hers. i'm so glad i'm not there to let them in! ;)

today i'm going to boost my mileage at the gym. i've been doing 2.5 miles (don't laugh!) and i'm going to move it to 3 today. i've been running for about 2 weeks and i'll be ecstatic when i can make it to 6 miles, that's my goal. i better get a new pair of running shoes soon because mine are losing their bounce.

i came up with a genius idea for dog's halloween costume (speaking of dressing dogs). best of all, it is easy to make! i'll post pics on saturday because we're going to ant b's halloween party on friday (i better confirm that dog's attendance is ok before i get too zealous with the costume idea). i still need to find a gold crown for my costume and some fake bees for ralph's.

i just received an email from grant and sav confirming their wedding date. i can't wait. my third friend to tie the knot!

haven't heard from dad yet. he's probably consumed with very important things regarding his health right now. i'll try a few more times later.

ralph's corner: on kerry and recent economic advising.

voting in style

voting is hip so why not look hip on election day? here are some suggested things to wer between now and election day, heck, wear 'em year round!

political tees (enter site, go to "mens" then go to "political tees." sorry for the indrect link!
sparkly things to love (3 links here).
more political gear: ts, stickers, buttons and what not (cutest sticker is "kitties for kerry").
and don't forget the pups!

da.da.da

i'm excited that it's friday because this week has been entirely way too long! i'm tired of wearing heels to my appointments because they are breaking my back, so i hope this process is done quickly. i've also switched to a new face product which totally disagrees with my face and my skin now looks like that of a hormonal teen! ugh!

tonight i'm taking ralph out for a surprise. i'm excited myself; i hope he is too! i love surprising people!

ralph's corner: a rolling stone interview with senator kerry (soon to be president kerry!).
careful where you celebrate sports winnings.
oh my gucci, can this be true?
not a bad idea if you've been lookin' for love (or a husband)in all the wrong places.

my corner: interesting creative story on living with dying.

things to do today:
- appt.
- return sources of skin destruction @ bliss and don't take no for an answer!
- walk dog, unless mom sits
- run @ gym
- candy tray
- clean living room
- get ready for tonight, iron hair? christine left her flat iron at my place! ;)

this weekend:
- carve pumpkins
- return cute but overpriced shoes @ DSW
- return good for nothing socks @ target
- clean everything
- help ralph build stairs for dog, need home depot
- get a library card, find new book to read
- bake and cook
- visit ecco store
- outlet shopping?
- city and hot chocolate?

mmm...now i'm craving starbuck's.

pinked out

just returned from the pink party. it was a lot of fun. they had mini pizzas, mini ice cream cones, shot tails (cosmo style), cookies, and a free candy cart sponsored by kiki's. our makeup turned out nice and we bought a few items, in addition to getting a free pink light bulb (perfect for my bathroom) and a free cosmetic bag full of mini makeup items.

when we went to the shot tail line, we weren't carded. either we look our age or the english guy serving drinks was just being liberal. i think it was the latter because he was eager to refill after they were down the choute (sp?). shannon wanted to continue the party elsewhere with mojitos but i was too tired. i almost fell asleep driving home from work so i wasn't in the mood for a bar or club tonight.

my skin itches now. i'm going home to wash my face and pray that i don't get more breakouts tonight.

good night.

pink party

my favorite color is pink (bet you would've never guessed, look left, look right), all shades up to red! so i was thrilled when my neighbor called to invite me to a pink party makeup event at nordstrom tonight- she wanted to fill her seat for the whole night so she said to her co-workers, "i know...my dog's girlfreind's mom would like this." they were confused...they just don't get it. ;) she works at the makeup counter there so maybe she can give me a new pink makeover since i tend to stick with the brown tones. the thing that really reeled me in was, "we'll be serving cosmos!" yummy! now that i think about it though, how can a department store serve drinks(sneaky snakes using cosmo bait!)? w.e., it should still be fun. i recruited christine to join me so it'll be interesting to see what they do to our faces. hopefully we won't look like clowns.

had special appointment #2. hopefully i will hear from them soon. one tomorrow. the search continues...

dog is acting weird. i'm not sure if it the latest equinox or the early bad weather that has her acting out of sorts lately. perhaps it is the tire-sized snickerdoodle she snuck out of my bag two nights ago while i was out (which was intended for ralph). i hate when i forget about food hidden in my bags that she discovers. when i returned home, she looked like she was ready to run 2 marathons, and play for 5 hours. the sugar must've made her crash sooner though because she ended up falling asleep nestled in my armpit (good thing i showered after the gym) after 30 minutes of fetch. so, she's been peeing on branches on grass that still have leaves on them. she's scouting them out specifically. it's so weird because instead of peeing 2 times, she saves it up to pee on all the branches. also, she's been barking at all the cute scarecrows in the neighborhood, in addition to pumpkins, and half full cement bags. maybe she's getting in the mood for halloween and feeling spooked because of the new season?! or maybe she sees dead people. i think it's cute to see her personality shift with the weather but we'll see how long it lasts!

ralph's corner: interesting blog on why even republicans should vote for kerry.

a note from the desk of president bill clinton on behalf of the kerry camp- no joke (i feel lucky to receive this! ;) and sorry for the caps, again:

Dear jane doe,

With some people already casting their ballots, the election of 2004 is now underway, and nothing less than the future of our country is at stake. This is the moment for every Democrat to look in the mirror and ask: "What more can I do to help?"

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a special group of Democratic donors, every dollar you donate today, to the kickoff of our Countdown to Victory Matching Fund, will be matched, doubling the impact of your Countdown to Victory donation.

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html

With so much on the line, and with so little time remaining, I couldn't let a critical moment like this pass without personally calling on you to act before it is too late. I know how hard you're working, how much you've already given of yourself. But we've got to dig even deeper between now and November 2.

These closing days of the campaign are exciting, no doubt about it. But with so much riding on the outcome of this election, we need to make sure our energy translates into effective action. Every one of us has a chance to play a vital role in deciding who wins.

So please donate now and double the impact of your contribution.

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html

We must leave no stone unturned between now and the moment the last poll closes on November 2. The Republicans are pouring millions of dollars into baseless attacks against John Kerry and the Democrats because they know that's the only way they can win. Don't let them get away with it.

John Kerry, John Edwards, and other Democrats locked in tough races are pulling out all the stops. They're driving toward victory -- but they need your help. We've got two weeks to go and not a minute to waste. Your immediate contribution can help fund final media buys, voter contact, and GOTV operations. These are the efforts that are going to win this election, and we cannot do it without your support.

Let's go for it. America's future is on the ballot this year. Let's use these final days of the campaign to win the victory that is within our grasp, and secure the kind of future we want for our children. I'm counting on you.

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton

and more (but not from clinton):

Dear jane doe,

Thank you for the great response we received to my call to action sent out over the weekend. While this election will be decided by small margins in a few states, a big win in California will secure the popular vote victory for John Kerry and John Edwards.

As I mentioned in my last e-mail, there are several ways you can volunteer and make a difference in this crucial election. Today, I am asking you to sign up to volunteer at your local California Democratic Party headquarters.

Please sign up now by clicking here. For more information, call (213) 239-8730.

If every Democrat in California talks to 200 Democratic voters before Election Day we will make a huge difference in electing John Kerry, John Edwards and Democrats down the ticket.

You can do this with one weekend of walking door-to-door and one evening calling from a phonebank. In an office near you, you can join a phonebank or a neighborhood canvass. And if you recruit five additional people to sign up, you will do that much more to ensure Democrats turn out on Election Day.

Thank you for your dedication,

Sky Gallegos,
California State Director

happy birthday anthony!

hope you have a day full of youthful activities since you're getting older! ;)

anthony's bday celebration was a lot of fun. christine did a good job of arranging all 30 of us! we went to miyake for dinner and anthony did some sake bombs but his other bday competitor smoked him by a long shot. it was this petite japanese woman who couldn't have weighed more than 90 pounds. she probably had at least 10 sake bombs! we saw her go from tipsy to can't walk drunk. we also saw her vomit in the women's restroom sink one time, and then another time as she was walking to the restroom- it landed on the carpet, the restroom door, and the restroom floor. even better, she continued to drink after each vomit session. cheers to her for having such a tolerance! her bday cake had "17" on it which was hillarious because she was clearly in her 30s or so. lesson learned: party when you're young so you don't make an ass out of yourself when you're older in public places! if you do choose to make an ass out of yourself, at least make sure your friends are with you.

anthony had 2 ice cream cakes which luckily did not melt (remebered irene's story of the melted ice cream cake!).

the rest of the day was super busy. i had a special appointment and planned for two more. i'm guessing that something is going to pull threw soon, and i can't wait!

scrubs last night was awesome and i can't wait for their seasons to come out on dvd- if they ever do! they called people "bastard covered bastards with bastard filling." that was the best expression i've ever heard. what great writers! and turk uses his diabetes much like i use my allergies. thank goodness for illness.

oh...yay red sox! i'm so glad you beat the yankees because i'm tired of seeing them in the world series. i've always loved the red sox because of their cute logo and the deal was sealed after living in boston. that damon guy is pretty cute, too! i just heard people talking about one of their players having a shoe that was leaking blood or something nasty. i couldn't help but laugh out loud because it reminded me of when michelle or was it romy...uses the excuse not to dance with a sleezebag at a club because her shoe was filling with blood. guess that really happens!

magazine junky recovers missing purse

ralph and i bought pumpkins last night- a wide variety in fact...cinderella pumpkins, regular pumpkins, and mini pumpkins. i wanted to buy a white pumpkin, too, but i decided my front door area (not even big enough to be called a patio) is too small to accomodate an entire pumpkin family. the cinderella pumpkins are so cool! they are oddly colored and awkwardly shaped. i've also heard them referred to as fantasy pumpkins. i'll try to find some pics or links to post.

before buying pumpkins, we ate at taco bell. being a genius about my purse (as always), i hung it on my chair. when we arrived in the albertson's parking lot i realized, "i forgot my purse!!!!!!" i was so worried because i had just paid down my credit card, i actually had cash in my wallet (a rare occurence as those who know me know), and my purse probably cost more than all the items in the wallet itself. my mom and roo just had their purses stolen so i thought that would be my luck, too. ralph raced backed to taco bell and my purse was gone. the employees were kind enough to stash it in the back because they knew i'd return. everything was in its place!!! see, sometimes it pays to be a regular at taco bell! yo quiero taco bell! ironically, while we were in eating, ralph's wallet had fallen out of his pcokets and i told him right away but i also said, "i wasn't going to tell you because i wanted to see how long you'd go without noticing that your wallet had fallen. but i would've told you before we left." karma is an odb.

i bought my first and thier first issue of women's health last night- the female equivalent to men's health. the issue is a bit scrawny but i imagine this is the case of all "first" magazine issues. i skimmed through it a bit last night and it is interesting and almost as good as men's health. it has a few useful articles, a lot of helpful information, and less advertising than say, cosmo! but naturally, all of their models have visible abs and what not. guess i should expect that considering the men they use as models in men's health. one interesting thing...they must assume that men's health readers are not also women's health readers. why do i say this? a lot of the health stufff is simply being regurgitated from past men's health issues. i'm on to their game! that must be really convenient for them...same info, different packaging. currently, they are offering 6 issues for $12 as their promo subscription offer. maybe next year it will be a monthly magazine. it is quite expensive at $4.99; i paid $5.40 for one issue (it's surely no competitor with in touch at $1.50-$1.99 per issue)! if they stop feeding me men's health info that i've already read, i might considering subscribing because i need something to replace sunset. i've also become a big fan of the new yorker since it's the only non-aarp-magazine in the lobby when i get my allergy shots. the articles are interesting and informative and i love the witty cartoons and silly illustrations. add this to the list! check.

current countdowns:
- 1 day until anthony's bday (so i'm sure you can guess the title of tomorrow's post)
- 11 days until halloween
- 14 days until the election of all elections, yes, that's 2 weeks!!!!!! they are already voting in fl.

note from my sponsor at the kerry edwards camp! ;) sorry for the caps but they like being proper.

Dear jane doe,

Our office in Washington, D.C. is emptying out every day, as more and more staff members, interns, and volunteers head out into the battleground states. Those left in the office are working harder than ever -- fourteen hour days have become twenty hour days as the homestretch of the campaign begins. For the last two years, people have been saying this election is going to come down to the wire, and they are right.

You may not live in a so called battleground state, but that doesn't mean you can't make the difference on Election Day. We have implemented two critical programs that are going to make a big difference on November 2, and you can start participating in both today:

Kerry-Edwards Phone Corps
As a member of the Kerry-Edwards Phone Corps, you can start helping our volunteer efforts in key battleground states around the country. Members of this dedicated group of supporters make phone calls into battleground states to recruit volunteers for specific events such as canvassing and phone banking.

You can join the Phone Corps and start making calls right now using our easy online tool.

Road Trip to Victory
We are looking for dedicated volunteers who are willing to travel to a battleground state this weekend, next weekend, and/or Saturday through Tuesday of election weekend. These volunteers will join the thousands of volunteers already working on the ground who are the core of our field operation.

You can sign up for the Road Trip to Victory.

This election is now in your hands. Let's go win another day.

Thank you,

Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager

men's health for women

i like reading men's health more than any other magazine. i'm so glad i gave ralph a subscription last year for xmas. is it weird considering i'm not a man? i suppose he likes reading my mags and he's a guy so maybe it's a way to learn about the opposite sex.

the info sources in men's health are more interesting than female mag equivalents and there are less pages dedicted to advertising. maybe if female-oriented mags structred themselves more like this, there would be more than 10 pages to read after removing all of the ads. i still wouldn't want to go without my glamour but i find men's health a complimentary read. the same publisher has created women's health, probably on shelves as i type- we'll see if its a worthy competitor! more on this later.

as i sleep on the treadmill

we're back from southern cal! we fell asleep around midnight after the long drive and i'm acutally grateful for the garden blowers (for once in my life, this is definitely the first and last time for this gratitude toward them!) because without them i wouldn't have woken up in time for work since i feel asleep without setting my alarm.

oktoberfest was a lot of fun. it started to rain during the party which i didn't think ever happened in southern cal! ;) ralph's friends are experiencing a lot of life changes (babies- twins!, relocation, etc.) and it makes me realize how much older he is than me! just kidding. we're only 2 years apart but i feel like all of those changes are really far away for me so i feel like a 10 year old compared to the rest, but i suppose that's better than feeling 50.

i'm glad to come home to rain. the rain motivates me to bake and cook which is something i love to do but usually don't do because my kitchen gets way too hot, which then makes my house get as hot as hell causing dog to overheat. tonight i want to carve pumpkins and bake cookies but i'll onlly allow these rewards if i make it to the gym after work.

i'm tired. i should've slept more! has anybody ever heard of somebody falling asleep on the treadmill? i think i could make that a reality. why can't they have tvs at my gym? i almost have all of my playlists memorized and i get bored running. what do marathoners do/think for 26.2 miles? i'm just having a problem with 3.

i hope to locate the pep in my step as the day progresses. perhaps pep is being held hostage?!

lunch to dos:
ask amanda if she wants to join
get pp spinach salad
visit shoe store for eccos

home to dos:
sleep, sleep, and more beautifully glorious sleep!

here is a link from irene that might help you sleep.

state abbreviation for massachusetts

somebody just phoned to ask me the state abbreviation for massachusetts.

"it's m-a."
"are you sure about that."
"yes, it's definitely m-a."
"isn't that maine?"
"it's m-a. i lived there. maine is m-e."
"ok, thanks, bye."

she's cool but don't call me for an answer if you think you have the answer, even if it is wrong, and then question my answer which is right! ugh.

go kerry from m-a!

law review

law school is bunk. i kinda had an idea about this, hence, passing on law school. i recently learned that a lawyer's track is largely based on their performance as a first year law school student. if they do well, they will be invited into the law review circle (which has the honor of selecting articles, etc. to be published by already-lawyers. can you imagine being a well-established lawyer who gets rejected by a group of first year law school students?! bummer.), which will open many doors for them in the future. all supreme court judges and most professors of law must be a part of law review. as for the other two years, do they matter? how unfair is that? on top of that, you're graded on a curve and the grade is typically comprised of two essay exams of which the second holds more importance. bunk, bunk, bunk!

happy birthday savina!

happy birthday sav! i hope your day is full of fun suprises, lots of cake, and no wedding planning! that can wait until tomorrow! :0

one of the things i like to do is look at the searches that bring people to my blog. so far my favorites have been:
1. "why do pugs shit on the carpet"
2. "prescription glasses make me feel sea sick"
to my surprise, many end up here as the result of a search for "girl and dog sex." fyi: you're definitely barking up the wrong tree so you may leave now! that's an order!

i'd like to make an attempt at offering some comments on the searches above. 1. pugs shit on the carpet because they are so adorable that they are often ill-trained because the owner works for them. they are also tyrannical little creatures that want you in the palm of their hand, etc., etc. dog had many accidents in the house in her puppy days while she was learning to become housebroken. she eventually saw the light and now loves shitting on grass. now she only has accidents if she wants to piss me off or if she cannot get out of the house to potty for one reason or another (despite the fact that i leave puddle pads all over the house for her- which she would rather use as a bed!). i would recommend puddle pad training your pug and then slowly graduate them to the outdoors. litter training is another option, which i have seen done successfully with dogs. just be sure to give lots of treats! 2. as for feeling sea sick because of prescription glasses, looks like we're on the same boat, mate! i often feel like i'm walking on the moon but i guess it's all a matter of getting used to that sensation, or used to the prescription. perhaps contacts would be a different experience altogether?! i'm sure the sea sickness grossly outweighs blindness.

i just returned from getting allergy shots and i'm in the mood to take a long nap and eat pumpkin pie with massive amounts of whipped cream on it. i was called for three more special appointments and i'm super happy about one of the prospects, which is a stone's throw from my residence. we'll see how it goes. now i have to get my suit dry-cleaned and dig up a pair on nylons- eek! amanda and lindsay call this my 30 year-old outfit, meaning i look older in it than i really am. i'll see what i can do to make it look younger while maitaining a professional demeanor.

we're going to o.c. this weekend for oktoberfest and i'm sure it'll be fun except for the fact that i really dislike beer. any chance they'll be serving sidecars with sugar on the rim? oh well, as long as the food is tasty, i'll be set. anyways, i'm sure jason will create some amazingly satisfying drink for the non-beer drinkers. don't forget that this weekend is also the hmb pumpkin festival. acutally, forget that. it would make you one more contributor to the already scary traffic on 92!

i came across an interesting article this morning about a woman who slept-walked (grammar?) her way into mens' bedrooms and had sex with them while she was asleep, on numerous occasions. if i were her s.o. i think i would've tried boarding the doors a little better. roo was a sleep walker and we put bells on our door so we could hear when she'd make her escape. it worked and one time we found her roaming the block in her pjs. so i suppose sleep-walking your way into sex could happen.

ralph's links of the day are interesting:
halloween alternatives
kerry favored abroad (no shit!)
service owned by google that manages photo sharing better than current methods
thanks for keeping us ahead of the curve!

d finds this link on foundation most interesting.

things to do before trip:
return dakar products b/c of allergic hives on face and excessive sneezing- yuck!
pack
nap
brows (why are these always on the list!?)
gas
gym???
buy road trip snacks (water, nuts, sweets)
walk dog
clean living room and refridge (so not coming home to more of a science project than already is)
eat dinner (as if this has to be written down to remember)

things i want to do upon my return:
bake
eat at nordy's cafe
carve pumpkin
make dog's halloween outfit
finish reading angels & demons and mags
clean (well, this is more of a have to do than a want to do)
update blog

ralph's corner

useful link from ralph brought to you by google, which has introduced a google desktop search engine.

and some other useful links in case you ...
inhale a bug
need to know something about anything
need something cute to wear

stress in the city

i'm not sure how carrie, samantha, miranda, and charlotte were able to find sex in the city because all i seem to experience there is stress, especially on the day of a very special appointment, when i'm stuck in 2-hour traffic jams! i also seem to find disgusting things on the street...such as a stuft animal bunny that had puke smeared on it, a big pile of dog poop that was stepped in at least 50 times, and some man rolled out in a corridor who smelled of alcohol and cheap musk. perhaps i just parked in a particularly nasty alley yesterday.

the speacial appointment sucked! essentially, it was a casting call and i felt like an actor who was under-dressed and not as enthusiastic as my competitiors. it turned out to be a group interview of approximately 30 people who were all there for different positions. we had to submit a resume, state our names, position desired, and then sum up in 25 words or less why were qualified for the job. what a nighmare. to top it off, we were in a stuffy room filled with the background noise that only the tenderloin can offer. luckily, only 2 people were there for the position i want but after the commute, it seems less and less appealing. also, they seem to be less like an education setting (what i expected) and more like sales sharks (not what i was expecting). the bottom line with them is money and students equal money. :(

dinner with lindsay and amanda was a good time. we had japanese and then amanda took us to this cute place called break time that served all sorts of souffles and other interesting treats. i missed the debate in real time and i tried to watch it at 10 but i couldn't keep my eyes open past kerry's first response. no offense to kerry, i was just super tired from having 6 hours of sleep the night before and then having to wake up at 6 am. i heard kerry won, again, not to my surprise. around 9 pm, i caught glimpses of replays on other networks and bush's facial expressions were as goofy as ever. way to go monkey boy!

on the way to work i was thinking about my teeth and my addiction to tea and coffee drinks. my loves stain my teeth. so i came up with the bright idea of the white coffee bean. does such a thing exist? i think it should be created so we can become a nation with brighter smiles! white tea does exist already though it is usually expensive. then i was on a roll with new ideas...for example, i love the oreo cookie but not the oreo filling. i was thinking that oreo should create a box of cookies that is simply the chocolate wafer- sans filling. my other ideas must have not been so great because they have already escaped my mind.

i purchased my halloween costume and i'm super excited about celebrating as a bee! i found a non-hooker-looking alternative to my original idea. after the bee thing fell through i was thinking of being uncle sam (rather, aunt sam) since it's an election year but the costume was rather pricey and not fitting in my budget this year. hmmm...new purse or uncle sam costume that i can wear maybe once every 4 years! the choice was simple.

if you haven't registered to vote, i believe the ca deadline is tomorrow. so get busy today! i was visting cnn.com this morning and i was reminded of how the electoral college works. it reminds me how a village idiot could be elected regardless of popular vote, but rather because of electoral votes- a very rare occurence in our history.

i hope to hike this afternoon with amanda and ralph. now i just have to talk amanda in to going to rancho (she may already prefer this too because of the photo ops at the farm!) because our current trail is starting to bore me! ;) maybe i can trespass into an animal cage again just for old times sake!

ouch...my lips are cracking from the over abundace of antihistamines in my system! any tips besides drinking more water and wearing lip balm? off i go to glue them back together again!

going home may be the answer

i really feel super sick now and i think i should head home so i don't repeat puking in my office garbage like i did a few years ago. that's was funny and embarrasing all wrapped into one. i'm sure connie and linsay were repulsed. read below for more info on this post.

incompetence

defined by webster's as the quality or state of being incompetent, which seems to be the modern day plague (i added to the definition). i love how the incompetent person's excuse for being incompetent is that they misunderstood or that they were talking about something different so their answer or actions were wrong because they were really trying to achieve something else! sorry to vent but i feel surrounded by a few incompetents and i'm not in the mood to deal with them and their excuses today.

it's tuesday and i feel like puking on my keyboard and going to sleep under my desk in the fashion of george costanza. i doubled up on pills last night and i think it was a bad idea to do on an empty stomach. i burped this morning and it tasted like poison from the medicine settling nearly 12 hours later. yuck! on top of feeling gross, i need to get 4 allergy shots at lunch, find something professional yet creative to wear to tomorrow's appointment (thanks to amanda and ralph for making me paranoid!), go to gram's for dinner, have a pt session after dinner at gram's neighbors house (who is conveniently my pt), and then cram in enough sleep to wake up at the crack of dawn in order to not be late to tomorrow's very important appointment in the city. i feel like crap and my stomach is still unsettled. any tips on what do do for a pukey stomach? my attempt at a cure will be to sneak 10 lollipops from the allergy department's office and then eat them in my car. i packed taco salad leftovers for lunch but the idea of that makes me want to gag. the smell of the green onions is pungent and unappealing today.

relatives are in town and one brought her dog, fendi, a deer head (their eyes aren't as bulgey and they don't have the apple head, they look like a deer!) chihauhau who is cocoa brown with a few white spots (sarah told me that this type tends to a better fur color variety- since they are difficult to breed it creates nice colors- something like that). she is adorable and to my surpise dog got along with fendi quite well. i think the main plus was the fact that fendi is brave and not nervous. dog is so cute around her because she tries to be gentle since she is nearly 5 times the size of fendi. i want to get a deer head chihauhau now but i'm worried i'd accidentally step on it since they are so tiny.

ouch...i just smiled and my lips cracked! damn person for making me laugh!

list of things to do tonight so i don't forget something important
- shower
- dinner @ gram's
- pt
- print resume and references, add reference, remove reference (5)
- get directions to appointment
- call roo for traffic tips
- iron outfit
- iron hair
- shine shoes
- read up on appointment institution
- nails
- wrap gifts
- ask ralph to walk dog in the am
- get sleep
*set alarm clock for 5 am in order to not be stuck in traffic for 5 hours and to find a parking spot within 5 miles of my desired location!*

have i forgotten anything?

i'm tired already. wish me luck with my tasks and with my appointment!

superman is not immortal :(

it's crazy to hear that the original superman, chris reeve, passed away yesterday. kerry had just mentioned him in friday's debate in an effort to support his case for supporting stem cell research. also, ralph and i went halloween shopping and we wanted to be superman and super girl. eerie. may he rest in peace.

study: living in the suburbs can make you sick

the title of this entry is also the title of the article that has found that suburbs promote poor health habits! c'mon, did we really need to conduct scientific research to come to this conclusion? i think funding for research on the lifespan of the housefly would've been more useful. their findings point to "suburban sprawl" and dependence on the automobile, leading to no exercise which creates poor health, etc., etc. interestingly, they found no connection between depression and suburbs. i think they better do this study over.

final thought: the true issue boils down to lack of time. we're always in a rush and our bodies pay the price for fast food, automobile reliance, and poor mental health. cheers to life in the city!

2nd pres debate tonight at 6 pm (PT). go kerry!

the facts on cheney

during the vp debate cheney referred viewers to factcheck.com (site of billionaire and blogger, george soros) to confirm his separation from haliburton. what he failed to do is get the address correct! ironically, factcheck.com is an anti-bush site! he meant to send viewers to factcheck.org which is a nonpartisan group, non profit group that checks the truth behind the politcians' words. both sites have been extraordinarily busy so good luck getting through.

happy birthday amanda!

happy birthday amanda! you now join the ranks with all of us late twenty-somethings. enjoy!

on the way into the office from the parking lot, i was carying a trillion things, including miscellaneous parts of my workout attire...pants, socks, t, sports bra, and shoes. i enterred my office and set things down and left my desk for about 10 minutes. next thing you know, i come back to my desk and my sports bra is on my chair with a note from j.c., "m.g. said this was hanging on your rear view mirror- so i brought it back for you." yeah, thanks. how embarrassing. it's super dingy and megan g. told jacki, who was nice enough to spare me 8 hours of embarrassment by bringing it in from the cold. then, alex (the guy who sits across form me) told me that he put my "goods" on my side view mirror. even more embarrassing he explains the process (put in my own words)...male co-worker finds dingy sports bra on parking lot floor, peeks in my car- senses there must be some sort of "workout" theme in my back seat, deduces that i'm the rightful owner, and proceeds to hang it on my rear view mirror for all to see. and this is just the am. on the bright side, at least i can go running now.

i went to dinner with deb last night and when i arrived she was studying for the cset. who knew that test was so difficult? i suppose our multi-subject teachers need to teach the future of america all about mesopotamia and how it contrasts whith ancient egyptian civilization. there was some super random stuff in her study guide. who knows that stuff? i guess that's where young kids get all their random tidbits of information, and recalling my own elementary school education, i think that was the only time i've encounterred anything on the subject of mesopotamia. ralph and i were talking about that the other day...i think the most i ever knew about totally random shit, including geography (maybe this isn't so random), was in my youth. it's useful stuff but oh how quickly it escapes from our minds if it is not properly maintained throughout high school and adulthood.

i missed the v.p. debate in order to talk about things in my friends' life and it sparked this list...after listening to friends who encounter relationship problems, and knowing my own issues in that department, i've come up with some tips for guys (and girls) who are trying to win the affection of another:
1. don't have exaggerated outbursts of anger- this includes hitting walls and screaming loudly.
2. don't break your neck (a.k.a., whiplash, double takes, etc.) to check out others in the presence of your date.
3. don't ignore or underestimate your loved one's sickness while they are feeling under the weather.
4. don't browse internet dating sites while you are in a relationship, and if you do, especially don't post yourself as single while you're in a relationship. that's just not smart considering all the "pop-up" and "fill-in" technology out there.
5. don't personalize name-calling during arguments. heck, no name calling at all (well, unless of course, you're drunk- still not ok but maybe an exception?).
6. accept them for who they are in (this includes all the moods and phases of life that we are often dished).

when i returned home, i attempted to watch a replay of the debate but i couldn't get into it. who won? i'm sure friday will do a better job at catching my attention. topic? here's some useful info on election registration deadlines for each state.

update on the job search...i declined the job in a voicemail message yesterday. ouch, that's as bad as breaking up over the phone or being fired over the phone but i was simply tired of playing phone tag and i didn't want to delay their candidate search any longer. sometimes the wrong thing to do is the best thing to do.

four eyes

i'm still looking for a job like there's no tomorrow, and like i don't really have a job. it's my current source of headaches, aside from major pms! swearing off the sweets right now is just plain bad timing. i still need to call to decline the job offer that was presented to me yesterday. we keep playing phone tag and i feel bad for saying no but they should feel bad for offering me pennies! i would be quite content never working, since this process is such a pain, but my lifestyle requires money, and lots of it, well, at least enough to pay for the essentials: brows, vacation, dog bills, my bills, etc. ;)

i'm wearing my glasses again. for two years i've been doing the glasses thing (or lack thereof) the marianne way...already bad eyes will only improve by not wearing the prescription glasses because they won't become dependent upon them. hmm, tried this for the past two years and things aren't going well in the eye department. must wear glasses. i want more glasses. mine are copper and they are difficult to match. should've gone for the plain jane frames. maybe flex spending will allow for another set!

molds of my teeth were made today and i thought my teeth were going to be pulled from their roots when the dental assistant removed the trays from my mouth. it was the oddest sensation and she kept saying "what suction" and talking about her hair. she's nice but it's tough to respond to dental people when you clearly have clay molds in your mouth! my guess is that it's the profession to go in to if you're a talker and not a listener. they talk to themselves all day really.

i decided to go with ralph to oktoberfest. how many time do i really need to go to the hmb pumpkin festival? it's loads of fun but i passed on oktoberfest last year. i should see what it's all about and i must remember to pace my drinks and not keep pace with his friends. i must accept that there's no keeping up with them.

the vp debate is tonight (6 pm pacific) and i can't wait to see edwards pounce cheney. he's also pretty cute for a political fugure so it finally gives us something to look at while our ears are entertained.

this is a shallow entry. dinner with deb should put me in a better mood. we'll see what tomorrow brings.

i can't stop laughing!

i was just offered something from my "special appointment" on friday and i can't stop laughing from the price they offered me! are you kidding me?! it's a great opportunity but i do have my standards. to take a cut for a higher position where i'd be working my ass off makes me never want to stop laughing! i could take it for the experience and the growth opportunities and i could walk to work but a mama's gotta be able to pay for the dog food! on top of less pay, the benefits are less by by a longshot! jeez...right job, wrong price. any tips?

it was obviously a lazy weekend, hence no weekend posts- well, i did go to the beach, and an a's game (ralph's surprise for me)- so maybe not so lazy afterall! i slept and cleaned all weekened. i'm going to try eating less sugar because i had some sugar problems that make me feel uneasy and gross. so far, i'm doing good. i've only had 2 hershey kisses today. that's a record for me! next stop, gym!

the non-mystery of the non-poop picker upper

i'm so annoyed about a note on my door from the complex manager. i had a special note, as imagine the 3 other women in the complex who own dogs (we're the only people with dogs there) had on their door as well. it explained that somebody in the complex wasn't picking up "her pooches poop." well, no shit! it didn't take sherlock holmes to crack that case. i know who it is but i'm not going to tell the manager. i was just so mad that she thinks it could be me! also inside the envelope was a complex update and honestly, who cares? after reading the poop note i was too upset to read the rest. i wrote the manager a note letting her know that i think it's unsanitary, etc., etc. how dare her, i always have a bag for poop pick-up. whatever (ralph's favorite word in my vocabulary). guess their job sucks to have to pick up dog shit when it's not even their dog, just to have to mow the lawn afterwards.

my "special appointment" went well. i think things look up for me but i guess you never know with this sort of thing. they could be stringing me along. it'd be a lot, a lot, a lot more work, more dough (hmm...i'm thinking new volvo xc-70), but less vacation time. :( and i am the original lady of leisure. hopefully i'll have some more info by next tuesday.

tonight is my surprise from ralph and i can't imagine what it could be. he asked about binoculars for omar and rebecca but maybe it's really for us. he also asked about a backpack and he told me to dress warmly. i'm certain we're going to an event at shoreline but i love the element of surprise so i'm not going to search online for the event. i must dash home to change clothes and grab backpack because we have to leave by 5:30. mom is watching dog so that is super helpful.

today i had lunch with amanda and new girl who was hired as perm employee yesterday. she's smart and nice, and has a good sense of fashion which is good to balance out all the people at work who dress like they haven't shopped since 1958. anyways, burgers at the goose were yummy but i'm really looking forward to our next visit so i can try the grilled cheese- one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. they also have excellent deviled eggs, just like moms but a lot spicier (sp?).

my eyes hurt. i think i should start wearing my glasses. not even allergy eye drops did the trick this am. guess i have to face the facts that along with my hair turning white prematurely, my vision is going downhill as well- this is compared to the days when my eyes didn't hurt from not wearing my glasses. maybe i could wear sunglasses in the building. now those, i love and could wear all the time!

announcements:
congrats to sav and grant on their engagement! i'm so happy and excited for you and your families. :)
d, hang in there. :(
ay, thanks for the $!
ac, congrats on the new job!
d&d, when are we going to celebrate the bday?
rg, thanks for whatever you have planned for tonight, in case i forget to say thanks at midnight! ;)

don't forget to register to vote, election day is just a month away- almost!