off, that is.

Ok, maybe technically it's not being laid off if you're a contractor. But they made a BIG DEAL out of asking me YESTERDAY if I could be available through November 31. I said yes, except for the last week of Oct./first week of Nov. So they printed out a new contract for me, which I filed with the other half dozen. Then I promptly decided, shit! I can't deal with working here another month! And, NOVEMBER? That is a word that strikes fear in my heart. I'm pretty much in denial from November 1 through March 15. Or I was until I moved to California. But old habits die hard.

Anyway, I decided I'd better take today off. Which is why it was so weird to get the phone call saying they pulled the plug on our project (thank GOD! I hate to work on a losing proposition, but if you pay me $70/hour, I'll do almost anything, haha), and there's going to be a party Friday for everyone who dedicated the last EIGHT MONTHS OF THEIR LIVES working on this freakin' thing. So I'm going to go, and get paid $70/hour to be there.

I hate to be talking money with y'all again, but do you have any idea how empty this all is? Can't I get a job curing cancer or administering a kickass local social networking site or something? Doesn't anybody think that's worth my time? I'll only charge half price, haha.

My trip to Buffalo made me realize I'm long overdue for settling into my not-so-new abode. This Halloween will be exactly one year since I moved out of my old place, and all my stuff is still in storage. How crazy is that? I do kind of miss my stuff. But when I get it, I'm going to have to put it somewhere, and that somewhere should probably be more or less habitable. It's much easier to just keep my crap in storage.

To be fair, even though I moved here almost a year ago, I only got possession of the unit I want to live in a month and a half ago. And it needs a lot more work than I can do myself. Still, I've put my life on hold again. From the outside it might look like I'm progressing through life, but from the inside I know I'm just procrastinating.

Anyway - this topic is way too heavy for a fine Fall day. If I'm still a self-exiled nomad in the bleak mid-winter, there'll be plenty of time to bitch about it then. Meanwhile, Happy Columbus Day everybody. And Happy Birthday (e:Southernyankee)! Wish I'd had the chance to meet you.

So here I am, safely back in my own time and dimension. Whatever that means. ;-)

It was really amazing spending some real time with you all in my "alternate universe." I feel like J.T. Kirk after beaming down to an historically familiar time and place. Except, when he interacts with the "inhabitants," the plot is fairly predictable. But there's no predicting you guys. ;-)

Anyway, I did feel a little out of phase, although not as much as last trip, for what that's worth.

Ok, back to reality. At work they haven't yet realized there's no way we're going to be ready to launch by October 27th. So I made sure to reiterate I can't work the last week of October when (e:Paul) is here. They weren't phased by that, so I decided I might as well take advantage of their naivete and take the next two days off to go to the beach with Brenda & Kathy.

Stinson Beach, here I come! Right where I was almost 2 years ago [inlink]twisted,8[/inlink] when I first joined this site. Somehow it seems much longer ago, but at the same time like only yesterday. That's internet time for you!

Can't wait to cue up my new CDs from (e:Hodown) and blast off for the beach tomorrow! Have a great weekend everybody!

p.s. - regarding retro user pics. It's so easy to be cute when you're little. But when you get older, you have to be wearing the right outfit, be having a good hair day, be lit by flattering light...

Anyway, maybe it's the lighting at (e:PMTs). But you all are as cute as can be! Don't let anybody tell you otherwise!

I was going to buy a cheap knock-off, but the real thing was on sale if you bought two. So I'm double-dosing on hot apple cider night-time formula, and zesty orange mad-dash to the airport formula. (e:Paul), I'll leave the rest for you to take before you fly out here. And some for (e:Lilho,444) ! Get well soon!

p.s. - if anyone's going to be out by the airport this Friday - say around 9:16 p.m. - maybe I could catch a lift into town and save PMT a trip? Or if (e:Dragonlady7) is working, maybe I could hang out at the bar until you get off and catch the bus back with you? I'll pretend I'm on public [inlink]rzoo,7[/inlink] transphere!

Just thought I'd ask, since I haven't even gotten there yet and I've already been way too much trouble. ;-)

I got a $1100 washer/dryer combo for $200 on craigslist today. It's one of these European style deal-ies where you put the clothes in, and it washes then dries them in the same drum without any human intervention, all the while conserving energy and water.

Why haven't you heard of this God's gift to appliances, you ask? Well, for one thing it's expensive (unless you're a shrewd shopper such as myself), and the 2-3 punch is, it takes fucking 4EVER to finish a load of laundry, and only works on small loads unless you line dry.

So right there you've lost the American audience. I admit, I wrote it off too when I read you could wash up to 22 lbs, but could only dry up to 11 lbs of laundry at a time. (Like I even know what 11 lbs of laundry is.) But the killer for me was it could take up to 5 hours to wash & dry one load. That's crazy!

So I nixed the idea, only to return to it later. Anyway, long story short, when I found this one on craigslist for $200 ($1100 new 4 years ago), and realized I can plug it into a standard 115V outlet and attach it to my kitchen faucet for now, then plumb it permanently into my new kitchen upstairs later if I like it, I decided to give it a whirl.

Damn thing better work, since I need these clothes for work tomorrow!

Oh yeah, the price was actually $254, since I had to find someone to move the damn thing for me. I was going to go with 2 gals and a truck for $60, but had to leave a message. So then I called one guy with a truck for $40. He answered the phone and was ready to go. He asked if there would be anyone else to help him. I said I could open the door. (Hey! I don't like moving appliances! That's why I'm looking for 2 gals or 1 guy and a truck!) But since this thing is the size of a dishwasher, seems like one guy should be able to handle it. I have no idea. I read him the specs - dimensions and weight - he says he can do it.

Anyway, already too long story not so short. I end up helping him lift the damn thing down from his pickup truck (smashing my finger in the process). Then he can't get it up my front stairs. So he asks if I have a blanket to slide it up on. I don't have a blanket, but I do have the sleeping bag I've been sleeping under the past 10 months. So I get that. The thing is too heavy to slide up the stairs. So he flips it upside down to get it on the hand-truck and the two of us heave-ho it step-by-step up my stairs.

It was quite the spectacle. Good thing you guys weren't here to see it, haha. Then to top it off, I give him a $10 tip anyway. This thing better be worth it!

p.s. - Jean (of Dad & Jean fame) is very excited about my trip to Buffalo. I had a moment's pause before I told Dad during our weekly phone call that next Sunday when he calls I'll be in Buffalo. Turns out the company Jean used to work for, Rich-Seapak, is (or was) based in Buffalo. Even though she worked for the division on St. Simon's Island, she made frequent trips to the company headquarters in Buffalo. She says Buffalo is beautiful this time of year. I look forward to seeing it.

Since everybody is going with retro userpics these days...

Guess I used to like football. Who knew!

p.s. - I love Mom's ultra-mod dress. Campground fashionista!

ok, off to Mission of Burma...

One thing I forgot to mention about Mr. Coffee. He likes to change his email display name. Frequently. He started out as John Stoan. Then changed to Bonham Silt, Buckeye Standy, Blowfish Stillwater, Bongos Singing, and now Banks Studebaker. What the hell is up with that?

So, I keep trying to book my flights. Which is another way to say, I haven't yet booked my flights. I was a little worried about trying to book less than 2 week in advance. If I could just nail down an itinerary before it dematerializes, this still could work out ok. Although that's still not a guarantee. Even c-list celebs have to keep an aura of mystique, haha.

I bet this would work:

Radar controlled robo-falcon keeps birds away


"A fake falcon and a radar-activated cannon work better at keeping birds away from oilsands waste than the current system, according to research from the University of Alberta."

I think the Governator should jump on this bandwagon. Any press is good press in an election year. Which reminds me, why haven't I gotten my personal phone call from him urging me to vote? Now that I have Vonage I'll be able to post a copy of the message. It's pretty frightening. Maybe that would scare the pigeons, haha.

Oh yeah, I found the above link when I wondered if there might be an alternative to the classic fake owl pest deterrent. A fake owl would be pretty funny, which I like, but a fake falcon would be cool and different. Which is probably why they don't seem to be readily available.

p.s. - I dreamt I was there for the Halloween party and realized I still had to make rice krispee treats and pumpkin cheesecake tartlets. But I didn't have any of the ingredients and I was afraid if I left to buy what I needed to make them I would miss the party. That's the story of my life right there.

I only seem to have time to post telepathically these days. I hope you all enjoyed my latest 10, haha. Ok, here's a brief recap.

Stevil [inlink]twisted,425[/inlink] and I have gone to a few shows together. Somehow, they've all not worked out for one or the other of us. We're like star-crossed music lovers. I don't know what the deal is. Luckily all the shows were free, but still - I don't have time for this.

I had originally invited Mr. Coffee [inlink]twisted,433[/inlink] to see my friend Paul play the Red Vic last night. That also turned out to be a mistake. I did it on impulse - since I had declined his last two invites (the latest one being to a new 80s bar opening with free beer sponsored by The Onion). I figured it was my turn to go out on a limb and be accepted or rejected to keep things even. I was accepted, but in the most disturbing way ever. I think I've already alluded to having some reservations about him. I hate to judge someone (within reason) before I've met them. But he has this habit of making up cutesy (your opinion may vary) terms for things, which could be very annoying. Or maybe cute. But I doubt it.

Anyway, it was tolerable in writing, and untested in person so far. Then I got his email response to my invitation (below):

dang it! 80's is my favorite decade, and free is my favorite price! oh well.

My friend Paul Manousos is playing the Red Vic Friday. Wanna go?

L

His response is so over the top, it's not even funny:

well, hey dare and howdee!

i hope this email finds you in fine fikkle and amongst good spirits.

"yes, please", as my new orleans friend used to say (about just about everything, but that's nawlins for you)....

but more specific cali: "yes please", to a red victorola lisa's friend concert. how ami gonna know which ones chew? i guess it doesn't really matter. we can all just get along.

hey which 80's are your fave deck? 1980's? 1880's? 2080's? (wise guy, me)

That pretty much rendered me speechless. Long enough for him to renege (thank God!):

guess what. we have to go on not meeting like this. here's why: Dug Hlsinger and Bruce Ducheneau are playin' at SF's lovely eagle tavern fri nite:

www.sfeagle.com

with all due respect to yer pal, (and i checked his website and i like the music) when hilsinger plays, i simply have to go get my ears baked.

rats, i was looking forward to meeting you, and i continue to look forward to it, i'll just have to look forwarder.

Anyway, why does this have to be so hard? Now that I live in SF, I think I just have to get out there more. Meeting online is for the birds.

Although maybe once a year.

A few quick notes --

(e:Libertad) : You could get free wireless internet if you moved to SF. Although the cost of a few other things might go up. I would totally be into splitting the cost of internet service. Although, it would already be free, so that doesn't get you much. ;-)

I can't even try to keep up with what's going on. I had a pigeon control guy out here today. Pigeon control! It's like mind control, only with pigeons. Don't let me go there...

I went on this long rant (in my mind) about work last night. Luckily, I was no where near a keyboard, so you don't have to hear it. Yet.

(e:Paul) - who do I have to convince to have you all go to Burning Man with me next year?