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Last Visit 2021-12-07 08:02:03 |Start Date 2005-05-26 16:50:55 |Comments 1,827 |Entries 526 |Images 1,337 |Videos 8 |Theme |

Category: potpourri

01/18/06 09:26 - 30ºF - ID#25315

the most productive human being

Ever have those days when you suddenly become the most productive human being to walk this rock? Of course you have! Today I had the privilege of being one of those human beings. Honestly, I think it's because my boss is gone on a trip and for once my phone wasn't ringing off the hook all day. For the first time in a long time I woke up entirely motivated to get things done. I scrubbed my bathroom from floor to ceiling and got up the shower curtain liner I'd been meaning to hang for ages. As a side note, I think I'm allergic to bleach. It causes a horrible reaction. I get near it and my eyes turn red and leak, my lungs seize up, I can't stop coughing and my nose starts running profusely.

Next I tackled the mountain of laundry on my floor. Granted, it had already been washed, but putting it away was a chore for which I cared not. So at last all the shirts are hanging together in the closet, socks all snuggled in the drawer. Then I changed my sheets. Hell yah! Who doesn't LOVE clean sheet day!? If you say you don't, you're a liar. Everyone loves clean sheet day. It's the best night's sleep you have in [insert frequency of your own sheet changing here]. Is there a greater comfort than the smell of fresh fluffy sheets to caress your body and cradle you to sleep? Well, maybe someone to snuggle with....mmmm.

Then I vacuumed my apartment and dusted every square inch of surface space. I put away the lingering holiday decorations, re-organized my storage bin, and organized all my drawers...[break into song and dance of your choice here]. Oh happy day!

You see, even the simple things of every day life mean something. If you can't take the time to enjoy something so small, yet so great, such as the splendor of clean sheet day, I pity you. It's taking time to enjoy these small elements of day to day life that make you feel alive! So keep posting estripers, this IS what it's all about.

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Words: 358
Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: hair

01/17/06 01:11 - 38ºF - ID#25314

i feel like a car

So the Kamikaze Raspberry has had it's run. It had gotten to a point where it just looked gross. I needed to take action. I thought about just revamping the pink, but I really only have 6 weeks left to have 'fun' with my hair. So - I topped it with Huckleberry Blue. It resulted in a very interesting purpley-blue colour. It reminds me of that car colour that changes in the sunlight. It's a little darker than I had hoped for, but I like it and that's all that really matters. Ciao.

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before

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during (i tried to save a few streaks of pink, but i screwed up)

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after
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Permalink: i_feel_like_a_car.html
Words: 114
Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: tv

01/15/06 08:41 - 13ºF - ID#25313

24

The season premier of 24 is on right now. The first 15 minutes have already blown me away!!! I LOVE this show!!! Turn on FOX right now, do it! Ciao.

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Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: weirdness

01/15/06 01:42 - 16ºF - ID#25312

weird weekend

Friday the 13th was a full-moon shenanigans festival. Hell, this whole weekend has just been full of the bizarre and unusual. I went to a rock show at The Palace to see Displaced D. Unfortunately, the clientele have changed over the years. Last time I went with my sister it was predominantly Goth and punk rock. This time, I think myself and two other people had fun hair. It was mostly filled with teenagers using fake ID's to drink shitty beer. Not that it was ever a high caliber type of joint to begin with, but sometimes crap-hole places are fun. Somehow, at the end of the night I ended up with a giant safety cone in my car.

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kyle and jen

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the boys

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the girls

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me and jen

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kyle

As (e:Jenks) mentioned [inlink]jenks,40[/inlink] , Saturday night I experienced the most bizarre waiter I have ever encountered. We ate at Towne, but I have to say I was not impressed. They didn't really have much for me to eat. The spinach and feta melt didn't do much for me and the lentil soup was bland. Maybe their breakfasts are better.

Today I had to make a run to Tops to get snacks and things for my two day refresher training with my CA's. As I approached the intersection I hit a 10ft sheet of ice and skidded right through it. I'm just so thankful no one was coming!!!

Then I had to do laundry. I had bought a fabric softener replacement carton since they did not have Method brand. I thought I still had my old container, but somehow accidentally threw it out. Well, as I was walking to the washer I tripped and dropped my basket. Yah, green fabric softener spilled out on my white shirt. Stained forever. Then as I was loading the washer, I dropped another shirt right into the fabric softener dispensing tank. Another one bites the dust! Meep.

Oh - and my stove stopped working to boot!
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Permalink: weird_weekend.html
Words: 342
Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: question for you

01/12/06 12:37 - 45ºF - ID#25311

is my thinking elitist?

So I got into a debate the other day about something. I wanted to put it out there just to get some other views on the topic. When living as a student on a college campus there are certain rules in place. As a professional employee of that institution, when the job requires you live on site, should you be required to live exactly like a student? Should this professional be seen as a student or as their own separate entity as an employee of the institution?

My argument is that the professional is absolutely a separate entity and should be entitled to live their life as 'normal', not bound by those rules set in place for students. As a live-in professional, this place is your home. You don't have anywhere else to go, you LIVE there. Now don't get too excited, I'm not talking about breaking the law - I'm talking about small simple things, like the ability to have a shot of vodka in your cranberry juice, or burn incense while doing yoga. I think there is always some hierarchy in the working world, and you earn and deserve certain privileges.

The opposing argument was that this view of small privileges is elitist and that every human being on that campus should be treated exactly the same. That the professional should not have one ounce of luxury above what any student has. That my privilege in this situation is that I get paid to live here. I disagree a thousand percent.

Perhaps I am simply biased because I actually LIVE this scenario. Yet even when I was a student in the residence halls, I didn't have an issue with the fact that my Hall Director was allowed to have a candle burning, so maybe I'm not biased after all.

What's your take on it?

P.S. Jim, I'm a hall director (the professional in charge of the RA's).
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Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: potpourri

01/10/06 12:42 - 36ºF - ID#25310

truffles

I made another lovely trip to Spot last night with (e:Jenks). You're too much fun girl!!! We ran into (e:Salvatore) while we were waiting in line. This made me wonder how many times prior I might have crossed paths with these people and never known. I love great mysteries like that.

Random thought: I spotted truffles at Wegmans, on 'sale' for $799.00 a pound!!! I almost crapped my pants.

P.S. I found a coupon for a buy one get one free piercing. I want to get my eyebrow redone. Anyone interested?
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Permalink: truffles.html
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Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: potpourri

01/09/06 06:18 - 36ºF - ID#25309

a sliver of pie

I hauled it to work all the way from Youngstown today. First I had to swing by (e:Leetee) and (e:Uncutsaniflush)'s house to drop off my gear. They've been nice enough to put me up for a few days since I've been booted from my home. They even have the Fox Soccer Channel - woohoo!

So I went into work today and bitched at my boss about how unsatisfactory this situation is. Well, it was much more diplomatic than that, but it yielded results. They filled my gas tank and she's letting me do work from home for two days. Yay me! Ciao.




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Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: potpourri

01/08/06 04:27 - 36ºF - ID#25308

holy mojito batman!

Yesterday I was supposed to work the basketball games at Hilbert. I drove my ass all the way down there from Youngstown, with (e:Theecarey) in tow, only to find out they didn't need me because the crowd was small. In the age of exponentially growing technology you would think someone knows how to make a phone call. I mean the telephone was invented in 1876, we all know how to use one! Not to mention the whole point of me going down there and doing this lame job was to make some money, which I ended up losing in this deal. Blah!

Yet the day was not to be wasted. We headed up to Hertel Avenue and checked out some cigar shop as well as Terrapin Station. We decided we were hungry and through the Virgo psychic connection both suggested Amy's Place. This is highly amusing to me, since neither one of us had actually BEEN there before. So, (e:Theecarey) treated me to a super delish lunch. We both had tasty bowls of potato-leek soup. She had some kind of spicy lentel wrap and I had this fantastical creation called the Barb Special. It was fried eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, french fries and a sauce rolled up in a toasted pita. Absolutely divine, and a huge serving! Someone had told me this place was 'Timika friendly' and they were so right. I couldn't believe the vegetarian choices.

After indulging at this retro little dineresque joint we trudged on over to Spot coffee and read some papers. We were looking for new and exciting things to do in the new year. Browsing the Art Voice we came upon the Geek Meet announcement and our very own master of ceremonies, Paul Visco's name! Go Paul!

We decided to head back home, throw a colourful log on the fire, smoke some cigar like things and made mojitos for the first time. I have to say, that refreshing sparkle of lime and mint is going to be my new favorite summertime drink! To make, simply crush about 4 sprigs of mint with 2 teaspoons of sugar in the bottom of a glass. Add the juice of a whole lime and stir. Fill with ice. Add 2 ounces of light rum and top with seltzer. Enjoy! Ciao.
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Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: rant

01/06/06 11:25 - 21ºF - ID#25307

on my own

Before I start the rant I just want to say I had the pleasure of meeting (e:Jenks) for lunch yesterday. The company was great and I had the most fantastic carrot and ginger soup! If the rest of their soups are equally delish, I highly recommend Solid Grounds.

Envision that puppet on Sesame Street that always played Yankee Doodle on the piano, would make a mistake, then start slamming his head on the keys. That's how I feel today. I had started my post with, 'I'm a little cranky this morning'. I was almost done writing when this bitch of a computer decided it needed to restart and I lost the whole thing. Now I'm pissed. I don't feel like re-writing it so here is the Cliff's Notes version:

  • I only got 3 days of vacation; my cohort friends got an entire month
  • I work 24 / 7; they work 20 hours a week
  • I had 12 residents back early living in the residence hall
  • I had to move them into spare apartment bedrooms because...
  • They are shutting the heat off to the residence hall
  • Everyone had to vacate, myself included
  • I was missing all the keys I needed to do this
  • This screws up the entire move-in process for next weekend
  • It will be chaos in a 3 ring circus
  • I should hire clowns and sheep to run around campus
  • I requested space heaters so I could continue working / living there
  • They are using gas powered heaters that will fill the place with lethal levels of carbon monoxide and no one can enter the building all week
  • I had a great deal of work to complete next week inside the building
  • My office is inside the building
  • They are giving me no accommodation or financial assistance toward food
  • They don't seem to grasp the concept that this place is my 'home'
  • This really chaps my ass!
  • My boss expects me to fend for myself and show up every day next week full-time
  • Technically I'm part-time but I already work 24 / 7 as it is
  • I have no money
  • I didn't realize my car registration and 6 months of insurance are due today
  • My credit card payment is due today (no luxury option of not paying)
  • Even with today's joke of a paycheck I don't have enough
  • I also need gas in my car
  • I will need more gas in my car now that I have to commute for a week
  • I won't get paid for another 2 weeks
  • No really, I don't have ANY money
  • This blows big fat goats
  • It's not a cry for sympathy
  • I think the line 'it could be worse' is condescending

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Location: Niagara Falls, NY


Category: family

01/05/06 07:56 - 33ºF - ID#25306

warning: cool and adorable photos inside

I have an absurd amount of photos from my trip. I tried to condense it to my favorites, starting with the fireworks! It was so much fun to be back in a state where fireworks are legal. We shot off big ones with lots of sparkles and report. So, feast on these sparkling works of art.

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the first few were beauties and went off without a hitch

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then one of them tipped over, sending brilliant blasts of orange and blue right at us

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and a mayhem of explosions that set the yard on fire

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but painting with sparklers is much more intoxicating to the eyes

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'7 days' ....(prize to the first peep that gets that)

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this one reminds me of a chinese new year dragon

It was nice to see my whole family together again. I guess we were together at my brother's wedding in August, but it was nothing but chaos. This was a much more relaxed visit surrounding the sweet aura of a newborn baby: William Maximilian!!!

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does this diaper make my butt look big? love it

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asleep with his auntie mika on Christmas morning

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too sweet

Other things I miss about the south, besides fireworks, is Sonic. I have never been much of a fast food enthusiast but man I love their cheese tots and slushies! Moreover, how fun is it to order from your parking space and have someone bring it out to you on a tray? They don't wear roller skates anymore, but I love that nostalgic 50's feel.

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my older sister ordering

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my cherry-lime slushy and cheese tots...yum!

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who knew the middle of nowhere mississippi was home to this fantastic find?

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but you knew you could find an entertaining statement like this

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my brother-in-law and me

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his dog cali, that i fondly called 'fur pig bear', because i think she looks like a little black bear, and she grunted like a pig...or maybe an ape, i'm not sure

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my little sis and max

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the obscene paparazzi that typically accompany a newborn

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my dad saying 'heeeeey'

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max answering him with 'heeeeey' - this one cracks me up!

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my brother and sister-in-law

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my mom on diaper detail

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my older sister and me

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oscar the miniature wiener dog...i think he looks sort of like an anteater

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but his shadow reminds me of Crow T. Robot from MSC 3000

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the glorious warm sunshine made me smile - and i love putting flowers in my hair

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me and max on Christmas day...yes, those are little antlers on his head

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his proud parents


Then it came time to return to Buffalo. My little sister's plane was four hours ahead of mine, so I had to kill time in Memphis.

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so we did a Graceland drive-by

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bordered by the graffiti wall

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near another of my southern favorites, piggly wiggly - it's just a grocer, but i still giggle each time i say it

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then i stumbled upon mecca....oh how i wish i had a whole day......

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i was listening to 'recycled air' by the postal service when i took this


Lastly, I had the ultimate joy of babysitting my nephew one night. Who should happen to be playing on FSC but my boys in red, Liverpool. Max and I watched our first soccer match together! My heart was overflowing.

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Words: 609
Location: Niagara Falls, NY


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