I know a secret.

A certain somebody (or somebodies, I guess) is in town.

However, I cannot reveal who it is until after they have left (at the end of May) or until I have seen them with my own eyes. Oh my. I heard they are renting a house in downtown Franklin while they are recording at Dark Horse. This is so huge.

If I get arrested for stalking, this is why.

Everybody in the free world decided to come to Cool Springs this afternoon... I swear. I found myself taking the most obscenely out-of-the-way route to the other office just to avoid traffic around the mall. *rawr*


1. If you could eat dinner with and "get to know" one famous person (living or dead), who would you choose? hehe... umm... let me think on that one.
2. Has the death of a famous person ever had an effect on you? Who was it and how did you feel? Kurt Cobain came as a bit of a shocker. Princess Di was even more so. I actually cried a bit on that one watching all the television coverage and all.
3. If you could BE a famous person for 24 hours, who would you choose? Selma Hayek -- she's still dating Ed Norton, right? :)
4. Do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? Who? My friend calls me Donna, because he says the girl on That 70's Show reminds him of me. Hair color only, I assume.
5. Have you ever met anyone famous? Umm... gee. Starting last June, basically 85% of the people I work with on a daily basis are famous in some respect. When I was about 8, I met and had my photo taken with Fred Grandy (aka Gopher from The Love Boat).

Song of the Day:
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd

I also just need to say that my mom rocks!! I got a box in the mail from her today. Contents included: photos of my neice & nephew, my license plate stickers (which expired last month... oops), hometown newspapers with wedding photos of people from my school, and a special Easter treat -- Hello Kitty socks! :) I love socks! I love Hello Kitty! I love my mother!

I never see anybody I know when I am driving around, but today I saw Thux. Costa and somebody else were with him. I just happened to be listening to the latest mix of their new album... mmm, good stuff! Love the song "Need". That's a keeper alright! Then of course, you can't beat a Tears for Fears cover. Adrienne really does "Shout" justice.

So much to do... so little time...

"Our way is not soft grass, it's a mountain path with lots of rocks. But it goes upwards, forward, toward the sun." ~Ruth Westheimer   "We are each other's harvest... we are each other's magnitude and bond." ~Gwendolyn Brooks   "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." ~Anais Nin

Did I forget to mention my run-in with the cops yesterday? Seems I didn't shut the security system off right, so they sent an officer over. He was more interested at looking at the stuff on our walls than whether I was a robber or not. Turns out he knows one of the guys depicted in the larger-than-life banner that hangs above my desk... same guy who happens to be my landlord... so I figure once we got the "it's a small world after all" conversation out of the way, I was all set.

I have been lacking serious motivation this week. (Maybe because the boss is out of town?) I have big plans for today though. I'm not going to lunch until I can see the surface of my desk again. Which reminds me...

I found out that I am an EIFP. (Extravert, Intuitive, Feeler, Perceiver)

"People of this type tend to be enthusiastic, talkative and outgoing; clever, curious and playful; deeply caring, sensitive and gentle; highly innovative, creative, optimistic and unique; adaptable and resourceful but sometimes disorganized."

They nearly hit the nail on the head with that one. "Disorganized" is truly a matter of opinion, however. I just like to think that my methods of organization are misunderstood by the general population.

You can find out what you are too.

I love my roommate! She knows everybody. Apparently there is a Nelly show in the works, and if it materializes, she can get us tickets and possibly backstage passes. I am really excited. We may be the only white girls there, but hey... what can I say... I like him.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon - hours of fun. When I was working downtown in Indy, Lee, Carleen, Brent and I used to walk to this pub nearby for lunch. We always had a game to play, and we tried our hand at 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon several times. Ahh... memories.

Song of the Day:
#1 - Nelly

Honorable Mention:
Cover Me - Candlebox
Heard this one on the radio this afternoon -- ahh... made me miss all my guy friends from high school.

Happy Birthdays to my sister (I miss being able to sit in your kitchen and talking with you!) and Jennavieve (I cannot wait to be in your wedding!)!!

Yay for For the Birds! And another hip-hip-hooray for Sting... yummy. Enya is so beautiful.

Cirque du Soleil at the Oscars. This is wonderful. I cannot get enough of them. Breathtaking.

Best Academy Award Quote (so far):
"I look like some kind of ZZ Top troll boy." --Ben Stiller, dressed as a Lord-of-the-Rings elf.

Be sure to get your Easter Tomb Baskets for all the little kiddos in your life.

Unfortunately I am not kidding about this one. For once Christians can't blame the secular world for the gross commercialization of a holiday. This is so awful and tacky -- I really cannot say anymore today.

Bizarro Song to Have Stuck in My Head:
Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are from The Wizard of Oz
I have no idea where it came from, but I've been humming it all afternoon. What can this mean? (Besides the fact that I am going insane, that is.)

"You suck"... LittleFreak.com from WasteOfTime.com - Because productivity sucks!

I think I need to go to the dentist.

No, I don't think I have any cavities. Still perfect teeth in that sense.

It's just that for the last two days, I have caught myself just absolutely clenching my teeth like I'm holding on for dear life. It's only when I relax that I realize that my entire jaw aches afterwards. It's weird. After a little research, I have found that this is often due to stress and is probably an indication that I grind my teeth at night.

"When someone has a clenching and/or grinding problem their body lets them know something is seriously wrong with symptoms such as: Head aches, pain on one side of the face, teeth becoming sensitive to temperature, muscle tenderness in neck and jaw, a variety of ear problems, and the person may not feel well rested after a full nights sleep. If you or anyone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms they should consult their dentist."

So there you have it.

Are your teeth touching? I have learned that our "teeth should be together only when [we] are using them, i.e. for biting or chewing." (source)

Ouch.


1. What is your favorite time of year? I love autumn. The brilliant golds, oranges, and browns take my breath away.
2. What is it about your favorite season that, well, makes it your favorite season? The beauty of it... but I also love the temperature change. Cool enough for a sweater (and maybe even a scarf), but not cold enough for an actual coat.
3. What is your least favorite time of year? Why? Winter. I hate being cold and cooped up.
4. Do you do anything to celebrate or recognize the changing of seasons? In theory, I do a wardrobe rotation, but that is about it.
5. What's your favorite thing to do outside? I like to wander -- not to be confused with liking to go for walks. Wandering involves much less forethought. Be it going through the neighborhood or through the woods, a relaxing walk just following my nose is what I like.

And on the weather note, just for the record it has dropped almost 50 degrees since last Friday. I'm freeeeeeezing again. So much for my hopes of having March go out like a lamb.

Oh yeah... Happy day-late Birthday to Mark. You'll never see this, but at least you can never say that I did not remember. May your life be filled with key-lime-pie goodness.

       

Happy Spring! Spring has sprung.

"Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling."
~ Walt Whitman

With spring in mind, I just found out what my name says about my sex appeal. With this one, you take the first and last letter of your first name... so here goes:

D: Once you get it into your head that you want someone, you move full steam ahead in pursuit. You do not give up your quest easily. You are nurturing and caring. If someone has a problem, this turns you on. You are highly sexual, passionate, loyal, and intense in your involvement's, sometimes possessive and jealous. Sex to you is a pleasure to be enjoyed. You are stimulated by the eccentric and unusual, having a free and open attitude.

E: Your greatest need is to talk. If your date is not a good listener, you have trouble relating. A person must be intellectually stimulating or you are not interested sexually. You need a friend for a lover and a companion for a bed mate. You hate disharmony and disruption, but you do enjoy a good argument once in a while seems to stir things up. You flirt a lot, for the challenge is more important than the sexual act for you. But once you give your heart away, you are uncompromisingly loyal. When you don't have a good lover to fall asleep with, you will fall asleep with a good book.{Somtimes, in fact, you prefer a good book.)

I'm not so sure about those. I am not a big talker. I have a self-imposed amount of words I feel comfortable speaking in one day, and I try not to excede that quota. :)

Alicia Keys has successfully overkilled that opening phrase from "Fallin'". You know the one I'm talking about... I keep on fallin'.... *dramatic pause*... *agonizing groan*... iiiiiiiiiiiiiin and out of love...

I watched her on Carson Daly last night, and she used that line to go into "A Woman's Worth". Ugh. I never want to hear that again.

I am going to an Easter party in a couple weeks. It is going to be surreal. Toby Mac and his wife are on the guestlist. Is this really my life now?

On my way back from staff meeting, I was blown away by all the trees that are in bloom already. We have had rain for three days, and it has awakened all the plantlife here. The lawns are looking greener, flowers are perking up, trees are budding.

All that to say, I have decided to buy a digital camera. I have been torn on the technology for a while now. As much as I would like to remain a camera-and-film purist, so often I see little things (like trees in bloom in the middle of March) and wish I could show other people. These days it takes me too long to fill a roll of film for it to be worth the trouble of developing and scanning, etc. So I think I will drop a note off at my old neighbors apartment to see if he can get me a good deal on one since he works for Kodak in the digital camera department.

IIWII...YK?

That seven letter phrase inspired much laughter today. Whenever there is no real way to explain a situation, Karl has a tendency to say, "It is what it is, you know?" This little phrase drives Ted crazy because "if Karl knew what it was, he would say what it was. And if he doesn't know what it is, how are we supposed to know what it is." The beauty of it is that phrase can complete any conversation. It is so great.

Today we were discussing how "the phrase" is more of a philosophy. A creed, of sorts. So I am going to make IIWII...YK? bracelets, not unlike WWJD bracelets. It will be hilarious. It will be wonderful. I just need to figure out where my floss and beads are. I see this going huge. Everyone will want them. I will be popular. (or not.)


My poor car is dying a slow and painful death. Ugh. It is so sad. My poor Amana. Please don't die. "Listen. Submit. You hear me? You're strong. You stay alive."

I have to admit it. I have found myself watching The Osbournes. It is so unbelievable. It's like a car accident really -- you can't help but watch. I cannot get over how completely lethargic Ozzy is. It's really quite hilarious.



Today I will purchase two compact disks:

1. Under Rug Swept - Alanis Morissette

2. Asleep in the Back - Elbow

"The most important single ingredient in the formula of sucess is knowing how to get along with people." ~Theodore Roosevelt   "The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee, and I will gladly pay for more that ability than for any other under the sun." ~John D. Rockefeller   "Cheerfulness is among the most laudable virtues. It is good for your mind; it is good for your health. It helps you win success." ~B.C. Forbes

Question: How much "cool" can you fit in one photograph?
Answer: This much...

May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you St. Patrick's Day.
~~Irish toast




If you are interested, you might like to read many more Irish blessings, proverbs, and toasts.

I had a photo somewhere that would have been great for today. Unfortunately I cannot figure out which server I had it on before, and I am afraid I do not have it on disk anywhere. Sad.

Beautiful illustrations here.

Yay -- it's finally here! It just started lightning and thundering. It's still 69 degrees out. Yay!

I could have been on my way to North Carolina right now. The guys took the bandwagon for the show tomorrow, and I was just helping them load up. It didn't really dawn on me that they would be back before work Monday until Darren asked if I was going along. Bummer -- should have planned ahead.

I heard David Bowie on the radio tonight. He was so dreamy in Labyrinth.

I should probably not be online now that the sky is lighting up every couple of seconds.

Tut tut... it looks like rain. It's a balmy 76 degrees outside right now. (Hello! Can anybody say "middle of March!"??) Really humid and clouds have been rolling in all afternoon. Perfect recipe for a nice spring thunderstorm, if you ask me. :)

What a day! I am so excited for my well-deserved two days off starting in one hour.

I am a human abacus. Aww yeah, I was on the Math Team in junior high. I was over at First Co. briefly this afternoon. Their guys were there signing 1000 t-shirts. Apparently Phil had it down to a science and so he needed to know how many "one minute and fifteen seconds"s were in an hour. (48) Beth couldn't believe I did that in my head. Apparently they were averaging 12 every minute fifteen. (Which seems amazingly slow to me, but whatever...) So yeah, they'll be there forever.

1. What's your favorite animal? I absolutely love baby tigers... any baby big cats, really.
2. What pets have you had in your lifetime? As a kid, we never had any in the house. We had an alleycat named Tiger. Over the course of time we had three cats at my dad's office... Mr. Black, BJ (Black Junior), and now Cracker. I've had a few beta fish in the last few years... Sushi, Dante, and Vincente. It's time for new fish. Beth wants one big tropical one, but I don't know really how to care for saltwater fish... and I'd hate to mess up my aquarium. Oh yeah, we have a dog now... Laynie, she's really old though.
3. Is there any specific pet that you've wanted but never had? Why? No, not really. Squirrels don't really make good pets, I guess, huh?
4. Are you allergic to any animals? Not to speak of.
5. Do you have any 'pet' pet peeves (your pets or others')? Not about the animals so much as the owners. I really hate it when animal people assume that all people are animal people. My dearest friends Jack & Manda are the perfect example. Yes, I love their dog... but that does not mean that I don't completely gross out when I find dog hair absolutely everywhere.

So I managed to snag a few (okay... 13) comp tickets to the Jars show tonight. It was the first night of the tour, so there were a few awkward moments... but it was basically good overall. "The Widowing Field" was mesmerizing as they showed footage from We Were Soldiers on the backdrop. Extra added bonus -- I have been secretly in love with Joe Porter for years (despite his age and martial status), so it was a happy night anyway. He's so cute in a WWF/Mr. Clean kind of way.

I understand that the ballet is a beautiful artform and all... and I am sure that the Houston Ballet will do wonderful things with the story of Peter Pan. But I see the picture of the guy who is dancing the lead (below, left), and all I can think is: "Carrot Top is a ballet dancer?"



A Goodwill horror story: Apparently a lady in Minnesota accidently had her daughter's wedding dress in the pile of things to go to Goodwill. The $950 gown was sold to a bride-to-be for $35 at the Goodwill in Willmar. And to think that some people don't understand when I tell them that I love to shop there!

Beth has mononucleosis. I'm not worried about getting it so much as I'm worried about her recovery. She could hardly pick up her hair dryer this morning. Scary.

Speaking of scary... Panic Room looks pretty intense. But it leaves me with one real question -- why is Dwight Yoakam trying to get Jodie Foster?

I just heard the Gate on some MTV show. Rock. Should have called Thux, but I think they're in Minnesota right now.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence...
--Desiderata

Safety. There's nothing like it. I walked a block from my car to my house in the dark in the rain under my big umbrella carrying my laptop and my purse... and I had not felt so safe in such a long time. In the words of Annie, I think I'm going to like it here.

a conversation...

Darren: Would you like a fish?
Me: Are they swedish?
Darren: Of course.

Court Shuts Down '.usa' Internet Address Scam - Sometimes I wish I had the twisted mind and lack of conscience to come up with these things. You can also "register" anything.earth, anything.z, and anything.america at that site. I do feel a little bad for people who thought they were going to have some clever domain name after losing their money at that site... i.e. http://www.xy.z or http://www.godbless.america or http://www.surfin.usa.

Karl is a total rockstar. Today he gave me a copy of their Spanish album that is about to be released. It's absolutely hilarious, but I was so geeked. I've been a fan for almost ten years, you know. It's kinda cheesey, and I can't understand most of it... but they're huge in South America. Hehe. That is so Spinal Tap or something!

So I need to go back to Earful now to get another round of designs approved yet tonight. Did I honestly think it was settled on Friday? I made a friend there this afternoon though. Quinlan has the cutest puppy running around there. Miles. He's my pal.

"Difference is the beginning of synergy." ~Stephen R. Covey   "You have control over three things: What you think, what you say, and how you behave." ~Sonya Friedman   "Integrity is not a 90 percent thing, not a 95 percent thing; either you have it or you don't." ~Peter Scotese

9|11

I totally dig that new Thalia/Tito Puente tribute Dr. Pepper commercial for some reason.

I just found out tonight that Beth had to do that whole debutant thing when she was in high school. (Read this article to see how it all works.) It just floored me, because she isn't all prissy or anything. The whole thing seems a bit sick and wrong to me now that I've heard more about it. Thankfully, we middle-class, northern girls never had to worry about that crap.

Celebrity Boxing on FOX?? I thought it was a sick joke. Can you just imagine Danny Partridge duking it out with Greg Brady? I'm half tempted to watch just for Vanilla Ice. (Which means this is another opportunity for me to mention that Krystal, Manda and I are cooler for having seen Vanilla Ice in concert last year... hehe.)

RAGBRAI is starting in my hometown again this year!! I need to get back there for that! For the uninitiated, RAGBRAI stands for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Basically thousands of people take a week and go on a massive bike ride. The tradition is that you dip your front tire in the Missouri River at the start and your back tire in the Mississippi River at the finish. It started in Sioux Center back in 1990 or so, and since we aren't on the Missouri, they trucked in river water and sprayed it across the highway. Traditions.

It was super cool, because my parents' house is located across from a major field where a lot of the riders were camping. We sold coffee on our driveway that morning for all the riders who needed a good start. It was cool. I want to be there again!

Living with Housemates: Day 5
I've learned...
-- how to dim the lights in the living room. ooo... mood lighting...
-- I love having a back porch.
-- it will be a tight squeeze, but my furniture will basically all fit in my room.