Mucus: Now in Technicolor!
All signs are pointing to some sort of sinus infection.



Top Seven Reasons I Haven't Posted Much Lately
1. The aforementioned immune system issues.
2. The impending closing of my office.
3. The resulting job search or rather lack thereof.
4. The tour starting tomorrow night.
5. The missing of Someone.
6. The roommate hunting.
7. The sheer lack of internet interest.

japander.com -- ever want to see your favourite stars hocking goods in Japanese television commercials? Now you can!

Along those lines, it seems that Steamboy isn't playing anywhere around Nashville. However, this is fine, because I totally saw it in the theatre last October. ;) (Except it really didn't have the English dub at that time.)

Confessions of a Stationary Addict
I love paper. I completely do. And the sad thing is that I don't send as many handwritten notes as I ought... especially considering my arsenal of notewriting supplies. That does not stop me from watching my favourite paperie for new Lulu items. The new Cafe Notes are so me!

When you're bored, read *catapult.

Song for the Day
Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
RIP Paul Hester.

Over It
One last thing, and I'm done talking about my car troubles. Murphy's Law dictates that if one is ever going to be at the Starbucks drive-thru and have her window get stuck open, it would have to be on the day that it is pouring rain.

whereisjesus.com -- can you find him?

I had the smallest sip of some authentic Tennessee moonshine yesterday. I think I can still feel every place it touched my throat. I also had my first mimosa. Meh. As an avid orange-juice hater, I thought it was a waste of champagne.

Song of the Day:
High and Dry - Radiohead

Declaration
My next car will not... I repeat, will not... have power windows. That is all.

Please Forgive Me in Advance
The following Easter greeting was inspired by a conversation with Jack & Manda that started back in December. Jack had done a powerpoint for one of their pre-Christmas services, and the background had a crown of thorns wrapped in Christmas lights. Manda thought it was... tacky? Was that the word? I was forced to agree, if only to give Jack crap. (Because that is my job.)

So tonight on the phone Manda was mentioning that Jack had to go to the church to get things set up for the service tomorrow, and I asked what the powerpoint background was going to be. This led to some brainstorming about potential ideas mixing the commercial and spiritual aspects of this holiday... including, but not limited to an Easter bunny on the cross.

Jack said, "You're both going to hell."

Without missing a beat, Manda added, "In an Easter basket."

Brilliant.


Happy Easter from me and Manda. Feel free to use this image for all your powerpoint needs, Jack.

This guy is my new hero du jour. You MUST see his "trombone" performance on the Steve Harvey show. He and Napoleon should have a dance-off.

I'm off to an interview of sorts. Those I have emailed or called in the last month know why. If you're one of the curious ones not in that group, feel free to email.

And They're Off
Well, it was an exciting weekend packed with activity, but Nate & Shanna left this morning.

Last night we went to see Hostage, and it was surprisingly good and suspenseful. (The fact that I had never even heard of it probably helped that.) Our consensus was 3 on a scale of 5 which equals a "I wouldn't mind seeing that again if someone rented it." (Not all reviews were so kind.) Highlight below for our immediate post-movie conversation. (SPOILER ALERT)

Nate: So what did you think?
Me: I could have done without the knife in the face.
Nate: Yeah.

Musically, we filled up at Exit/In. Friday night was Andy Davis and Dave Barnes, whose banter was hilarious and whose band was amazing. Good times were had by all. Saturday was Suns of Norway, Character (their final show), and Venus Hum (of Joy). Yay!

Nevashut: Flash game. Get Sanjeev to give you the remaining five cans of Pringles. We've gotten four and are stuck on the fifth. Reminiscent of the subservient chicken.

St. Patrick's Day Recap
Went to lunch at McCreary's pub for lunch with my redhead friend. Went to O'Charley's for dinner with Seamus & Morna. Then we took pictures of us "riverdancing" out front, and then walked around the Opryland Hotel for two hours. Fourth wheel was missed greatly.

And another overhead image: Uluru. Crazy beautiful. I wanna go there.

Murder 2005
Satellite imagery brings to mind a thought I had the other day after hearing the judge's verdict in the Peterson trial. Seriously, what makes people think that they can get away with murder in this day and age? I mean, it is one thing if you are going to flee and go into hiding or something... but if you're just going to go back to your house and act all surprised when the police show up at your door... that seems like a bad plan to me. Big Brother is watching you pick your nose at that stoplight; DNA testing can practically tell if you've farted in someone's general direction. Killing people just ain't what it used to be.

Hmm... that's all I've got for now. Time to meet up with the kids and get some lunch.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
There's a new love in my life. I blame Manda for introducing me, while I blame Allison for not introducing me sooner. I ♥ Chick-fil-A's Chick-N-Minis. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I think that this would have to be it right now. While the four of them could easily be downed in a mere 8 bites, I nibble them so as to savor the experience just a little longer.

I think it also needs to be said that Chick-fil-A has the nicest people working there. Having eaten my share of fast food, I assume by their attitudes that most food-industry workers hate their jobs and thus hate life in general. But these Chick-fil-A people make me want to stop and become their best friend... right there at the drive-thru window. Maybe I'll apply for a job there. Seems they have a certain thing called "job satisfaction" that has been lacking in my life lately.

Niagara Falls from Above - A stunning photo. (via SoreEyes)

Irish Eyes are Smilin'
Just talked to Nate. He and Shanna are on their way down. Woohoo! They have changed their names to Irish ones for the day. Nate's is Seamus, and I think Shanna's is Moina... and for today you can call me Caillech (KEE-lek) O'Grady.

Irish Proverb
May God grant you always...
A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

When things go wrong, you will find they usually go on getting worse for some time, but when things once start going right, they often go on getting better.
~ The Magician's Nephew - C.S. Lewis
Check out the two sneak peak featurettes on the movie Narnia:
WETA Featurette
Featurette - Director

I got to see my favourite baby girl again last night. Four times within three weeks? I'm getting spoiled. Her mommy and daddy were there too. Nothing like onion rings at Steak'n'Shake at 2:00 in the morning.

Bryson Lovers
There was a BBC article on Bill Bryson yesterday telling how he won an award for science writing for his book A Short History of Nearly Everything, which I have been attempting to finish for a good 10 months now. It's good; I just haven't committed to reading much when I'm home lately, and it's such a huge book to pack when I'm traveling.

I Feel Like Poo
This could be explained several ways...
1. I made the mistake of going to bed, and then getting up again when Manda came through town. Two half-nights' sleep does not a full night's make.
2. I hadn't a single drip of caffeine in my body yesterday. One might suggest that my splitting headache today is an indication of some sort of addiction on my part. But to that I say, I brush my teeth everyday too, does that make me addicted to toothpaste? I think not. It's just good for me. So is my morning coffee. Thank you.
3. It's the Ides of March. Beware.

Distraction
Plastic Balls - a space-age version of Breakout. (via Damian via Bill)

Mahwage is What Bwings Us Togevah Today
I went to see Jack marry his sister on Saturday. And by that, I mean he officiated, because, hello... he's already married to Manda. Overall, the ceremony was lovely (once it finally started). The sound princess in me wanted to kill the person they hired to run sound... *hot mic, hot mic* ...but other than that, good.

If you would like to know what the last hour of my trip up to Indy was like, PC Users, please follow these directions:
1. Right click on your desktop and click "Properties".
2. Click the Screensaver tab.
3. Set the screensaver to "Starfield".
4. Click the Settings button. Make sure the speed is set to Fast and the number of stars is set to 200. Click OK.
5. Hit Preview and stare at that for the next 60 minutes.

I hate snow.

I Know the Feeling
Saturday I was using the restroom at the hall while Manda was getting ready. I noted that the toilets seemed a bit shorter than standard, and I said that it felt like going to the bathroom at the skating rink as a kid. Manda knew exactly what I meant. It must be a universal feeling.

(And I see now that Tommy could probably relate as well.)

Pretty fonts by Eduardo Recife... for all you fontphiles out there.

I'm about two rings away from flushing my cell down the toilet. Be warned.

ILoveMyCouch.com - how could I not link to that when I love my couch. Leave it to Febreze to come up with Couch Appreciation Month. That's like Hallmark inventing Secretary's Day, right?

Life Imitates Art
I had an Office Space moment this afternoon. Karl and I were talking about work, and I said, "I don't think I'm gonna go anymore." Which was just a segue to get you to watch this video Somebody sent me the other day to cheer me up: This Place Sucks.

Ready or Not, Here I Come
I guess I now don't have an option as to whether I'm going to Indy for the weekend. Had an emergency call from the sister-in-law saying that they need the Princess Bride Soundtrack for the recessional at the wedding tomorrow. Some people plan these things in advance. I dunno. I won't either, I'm sure.

UPDATE: Wait a gosh-darn minute. It's snowing there. And it's going to be snowing there all weekend. I don't do snow anymore.

Doctor, Doctor -- Gimme the News
I have myokymia... otherwise known as, the annoyingly distracting twitching of the eye. It was cool at first, but now I'm over it. It's been going all day, and I get it.. I'm STRESSED... I need to CHILL OUT. I GET IT!

Song of the Day
Life is All about Taking Things in and Putting Things Out - Telefon Tel Aviv

For the record, I have been trying to post, but Blogger's been a bugger. Now I'm uninspired.

But I do know this... desperate times call for desperate measures, and we are not above purchasing a television/DVD combo in order to watch Napoleon Dynamite at the Mariott. (And Manda's not above returning it the morning after.) What?

Fun with Vocab
This weekend I learned that "cuke" is an accepted alternative to the word "cucumber". Yes, that's "cuke"... rhymes with "puke". Did you know this? How have I never heard that before? I love it. I am never calling them cucumbers again.

I have stuff to do, but I may be back later.

It's a Morcheeba day, by the way.

Babe of Destruction
After reading this Dooce entry about dining out with a child who is nearly the exact age as my goddaughter, I remembered our own incident last week. We had gone to Don Pablo's to make Jack happy celebrate my birthday. I was holding Rachel when she stealthfully reached out and whipped a faux Fiestaware plate off the table. There was a spectacular crashlanding on the cement floor which resulted in much, much shattering. It was awesome.

Go Make Yourself a Dang Quesa-dilla!
I just have to say that the Quesadilla Explosion salad at Chili's makes my mouth happy. I especially love ordering it... because I get to say "Quesadilla Explosion". (You have to say "explosion" in almost a half-whisper. It really makes the waitor look at you funny.) At least they didn't call it the Quesadilla Extreme salad or I wouldn't have been able to order it out of principle.

For Future Perusal
Lone Prairie Art: cute stuff. great ideas.

Things Just Keep Getting Better
Okay, not that great yet, but Michael brought over a few cds for me to listen to yesterday including the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy soundtrack. He also gave me (to keep) a copy of the Supergrass is 10 promo with the white cardboard sleeve and souvenir "Supergrass is 10" badge. Woot.

Help: SNL Question
Remember back about three years ago, there was a Saturday Night Live skit with Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, Horatio Sanz and Tracy Morgan... I think... where they were playing the song "Holiday Treat for All" or "Christmas Treat for All"? My question is... have they done any more songs like that? All I can remember is the Christmas one with snow falling, but I'm not the most faithful watcher anymore either.

I ultimately am wondering if they used that little guitar riff again for anything.

Fun with Firefox
So I made a favicon yesterday. Hopefully, I'm not the only one who can see it. It's not as amazing as some that are out there, but it's a little piece of my passing horizen by Daniel.

Speaking of whom... did you see the AP article on The Strand yesterday?

The Place to Be
Oh my goodness... Exit/In has some great shows coming up. Hmm. Must budget for this. I think I'm going to bring my pillow and move in.
* 3/18 - Dave Barnes - maybe I'll finally make it to one of his shows.
* 3/19 - Venus Hum (Eeeee!)
* 3/25 - Phoenix AND Clem Snide
* 4/13 - Glen Phillips
* A little show on the 20th

And speaking of... seen the latest Relevant cover? (Pay no attention to the open fly on the right. Poor Greg.)

The Big Picture
Yeah, I'm a tough cookie. Doing better already. Like I said, it's something I've been asking for.. I just wasn't necessarily expecting the answer in this way or this soon... but it gives clarity to the bigger picture. "Vaguery" is the word for the day.

Good Things Come in Threes
Being the third day of the third month... (makes me think of Pauley) ...the next three phrases of 3's may or may not go together.

"Tears for Fears"
"West coast tour"
"Love the opener"

For Future Reference:
* SeatGuru.com -- gives the details on which seats are better in any particular airplane.
* How to crack a Masterlock -- good to know in case my nephew ever decides to put one (whose combination was lost) on the handle of the refrigerator again. It was there for a good couple years, I'd say... until the day my brother miraculously remembered his old gym locker combo. I almost miss it now.
* I'm planning on doing 43things... right now I'm only doing 5.

Welcome to 2005
I downloaded Firefox today. I know... I know... I don't even want to hear it. Yes, it rocks. Yes, I'm lame for not getting it sooner. Don't talk to me anymore.

Song for the Day:
Love is on the Way - Saigon Kick
~Lonely sidewalks, silent night
Bring the evening, deep inside
Hold me darlin, touch me now
Let the feeling, free tonight~

Funny how sometimes you get what you want, but you still end up crying yourself to sleep anyway.

Come on Down!
So I went to Florida. Came back a day later than originally planned. But I came back driving... a new CAR! (That must be read like Bob Barker during the Showcase Showdown, or don't even bother.)

It's the little grey Hyundai Accent that Manda bought new five years ago. (Looks a little something like this.) No, it's not my dream car... but sometimes one must sacrifice style for function. And function, it does. The windows even go down, and the doors totally lock... which is a major step up from Amerigo, my dying Explorer.

Which reminds me. After 12 hours of contemplation yesterday, the car is now named Marty. (Because we went to Mardi Gras at Universal on Saturday night, and my beads are hanging on the rearview mirror for now, and there is a green/gold/purple feather boa in the back.)

I want to write about the conversation I had with the kid next to me on the plane Friday night, but I need to look up a few things first.