bartender and bartendee
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005
And the giddiness carries over to Monday morning. (You KNOW I am in a good mood when I can be chipper on a Monday.) But it’s the day of love you know, and more importantly, the best excuse I have all year to wear pink! As you may be surprised to know however, I am not decked out in pink from head to toe. The ensemb’ instead includes my favorite burgundy jacket accentuated with a pink necklace and broach, and I do have Valentine’s socks on, although no one can see them under my sassy boots. I had a piece of chocolate this morning (the breakfast of champions- thanks James, for that) and I treated myself to some coffee- hey- a DIVAs gotta wake up somehow.
So what has kept me busy the past couple of days? I’m sure you are all dying to know. Well, I saw Emily for the first time in over a week Friday night when the Penthouse Pets got together for a roommate dinner. She is well on her way to recovery from that nasty allergic reaction, thank goodness. After that, Em and I went to see The Wedding Date- I know, it’s a departure from my usual pending-Oscar-winner movie-goings, but for 5 bucks, I decided it was worth a mindless 2 hours of entertainment (“Somebody buy my hoo-ha a drink”). Plus it gave Em and I a chance to hang out, which we haven’t done in a while (my fault, I know!).
So let me pause at this point to catch you up to speed on my latest soapbox (consider this a plangent, if you will.). I am sick to death of Tim McGraw’s song “Live Like You Were Dyin.” Now don’t get me wrong- I think it is a great song. It’s well written, he sings it well, it’s a great record in general. But my gosh. The single and cd came out back when Rhonda was writing on her own blog- and we all Know how long ago that’s been! Seriously, every time I have the radio on, I hear Live Like You Were Dyin- and as if it weren’t bad enough that it’s on all the country stations, now there is a crossover pop version playing on 107 as well! (And don’t even get me started on having 2 versions of the same song for crossover purposes) We discussed my irritation with this song being over-saturated on the market Friday night over dinner, and then, the icing on the cake: Em and I walk into the movie theater Friday night and I kid you not, the preview guy says, and here’s the latest from Tim McGraw, “Live Like You Were Dyin!” I can’t even escape this song in a movie theater- it’s following me everywhere! You know what? I get the point. Live each day to the fullest. Now move on. Find a new song to play- there are plenty of other great songs on that album; (Can we say, Blank Sheet of Paper?) just read Rhonda’s review that she posted on her blog. Anyways. So that was Friday.
Saturday I zipped up to Louisville (Loo-ah-vul? Looey-ville?) (car-a-mul? Care-a-mul?) to spend the day and evening with James, V, and Katie. We walked down to TGI Fridays to have lunch and watch the UK game. Of course U of L just Had to be playing at the same time. Actually, the first place we walked into, we asked the hostess about turning one of the tvs to the UK game which came on in 10 minutes, and she kind of laughed and said, not in here. “We can go somewhere else,” I said jokingly, but not really kidding. So the hostess turns around, looks at the tv, and says, “well, it’s only in the first quarter!” (Oh REALLY? Quarters is it? That’s the first thing I said to James when we walked out! Ari, I know you appreciate the humor in that.) So we settled on Friday’s, since they were accommodating enough to turn one of their tvs to the UK game, but unfortunately we were not granted control over the volume, so we had to watch the game in silence, listening instead to the stupid U of L game. I just don’t get that. We are an hour away from the school with one of the longest-standing basketball powerhouses, and you’re telling me everyone in this town is still stuck on Pitino Ball?? I admit I was slightly annoyed having to watch the game with no sound- we all were-so during halftime we walked back to the hotel to watch the rest of the game, and then got ready for dinner that night. We met up with 2 other couples (college friends of James and V who live in Louisville) and their adorable children, we all had a grand time at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I had forgotten how good that place is- and can we just Talk about the Spumoni? Oh my goodness. I was stuffed and still ate all of mine, plus half of James’! (Gotta love that dessert pocket!) After dinner, we said goodbye to the Louisville residents, and headed down to 4th Street Live. I have to admit I’m slightly jealous that the cool city of Nashville doesn’t have something like this. It’s an entire city block with all these different bars and restaurants, and at night they close that section of 4th street to traffic, so it’s like one big block party. And the bars and restaurants are all very unique- an upscale pool hall, an upscale bowling alley, a piano bar, a Hard Rock café, a beach themed place, the token country bar (here’s where Nashville kicks their butt) (and btw Rhonda, that token “token” was for you!) plus too many others to name. Deon met up with us, along with his sister and her boyfriend, so we all got to hang out together. Louisville is surprisingly a fun little town. I recommend it for a night out with friends since there is something for everyone.
Of course it was a late night, and Amanda had to get on the road to get back for “Pirates” on Sunday, so that was not much fun. I said bye to James and had to drive straight back to my rehearsal where I got to meet our new Fredrick (um yeah- about that… our director fired the lead guy last week, and found a replacement at Belmont- he’s a 3rd year voice student, and is actually really good. No worries whatsoever about him hitting on me though, if you know what I mean. What can I say? He’s a tenor! I’m used to it.) I had dinner with the fam (because we all know the only reason I go over there is to eat anymore. Note the tone of sarcasm in that last statement) and then went back to the apartment and found Brad and Rhonda watching the Grammies so I was sucked in to the show as well. I will let one of the other authors write their Grammy review if they wish, but I will say this: J-Lo and Marc Anthony’s Telemundo Soap Opera peformance was laughable at best. What in the heck were they doing? If you missed it, your ears are thanking you, but you really did miss out on a good laugh. Ok- I lied. 2 things: I am tired of the post-humus Grammies awarded as well. It’s such a cop out and a slap in the face I think. It’s like, “hey, you weren’t recognized for your talent when you were alive, so now that you’re no longer with us, we feel bad and here, let us give you this Grammy to make up for snubbing you in the past. Hope that smoothes things over with your family and honors the legacy you left behind.” But was that really the album of the year? When people look back at 2004 they will say, yes, Ray Charles- now that album sure was flying off the shelves. I don’t think so Juanita.
But it’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. So go love others today. Tell em Bob Borders sent ‘ya.
So what has kept me busy the past couple of days? I’m sure you are all dying to know. Well, I saw Emily for the first time in over a week Friday night when the Penthouse Pets got together for a roommate dinner. She is well on her way to recovery from that nasty allergic reaction, thank goodness. After that, Em and I went to see The Wedding Date- I know, it’s a departure from my usual pending-Oscar-winner movie-goings, but for 5 bucks, I decided it was worth a mindless 2 hours of entertainment (“Somebody buy my hoo-ha a drink”). Plus it gave Em and I a chance to hang out, which we haven’t done in a while (my fault, I know!).
So let me pause at this point to catch you up to speed on my latest soapbox (consider this a plangent, if you will.). I am sick to death of Tim McGraw’s song “Live Like You Were Dyin.” Now don’t get me wrong- I think it is a great song. It’s well written, he sings it well, it’s a great record in general. But my gosh. The single and cd came out back when Rhonda was writing on her own blog- and we all Know how long ago that’s been! Seriously, every time I have the radio on, I hear Live Like You Were Dyin- and as if it weren’t bad enough that it’s on all the country stations, now there is a crossover pop version playing on 107 as well! (And don’t even get me started on having 2 versions of the same song for crossover purposes) We discussed my irritation with this song being over-saturated on the market Friday night over dinner, and then, the icing on the cake: Em and I walk into the movie theater Friday night and I kid you not, the preview guy says, and here’s the latest from Tim McGraw, “Live Like You Were Dyin!” I can’t even escape this song in a movie theater- it’s following me everywhere! You know what? I get the point. Live each day to the fullest. Now move on. Find a new song to play- there are plenty of other great songs on that album; (Can we say, Blank Sheet of Paper?) just read Rhonda’s review that she posted on her blog. Anyways. So that was Friday.
Saturday I zipped up to Louisville (Loo-ah-vul? Looey-ville?) (car-a-mul? Care-a-mul?) to spend the day and evening with James, V, and Katie. We walked down to TGI Fridays to have lunch and watch the UK game. Of course U of L just Had to be playing at the same time. Actually, the first place we walked into, we asked the hostess about turning one of the tvs to the UK game which came on in 10 minutes, and she kind of laughed and said, not in here. “We can go somewhere else,” I said jokingly, but not really kidding. So the hostess turns around, looks at the tv, and says, “well, it’s only in the first quarter!” (Oh REALLY? Quarters is it? That’s the first thing I said to James when we walked out! Ari, I know you appreciate the humor in that.) So we settled on Friday’s, since they were accommodating enough to turn one of their tvs to the UK game, but unfortunately we were not granted control over the volume, so we had to watch the game in silence, listening instead to the stupid U of L game. I just don’t get that. We are an hour away from the school with one of the longest-standing basketball powerhouses, and you’re telling me everyone in this town is still stuck on Pitino Ball?? I admit I was slightly annoyed having to watch the game with no sound- we all were-so during halftime we walked back to the hotel to watch the rest of the game, and then got ready for dinner that night. We met up with 2 other couples (college friends of James and V who live in Louisville) and their adorable children, we all had a grand time at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I had forgotten how good that place is- and can we just Talk about the Spumoni? Oh my goodness. I was stuffed and still ate all of mine, plus half of James’! (Gotta love that dessert pocket!) After dinner, we said goodbye to the Louisville residents, and headed down to 4th Street Live. I have to admit I’m slightly jealous that the cool city of Nashville doesn’t have something like this. It’s an entire city block with all these different bars and restaurants, and at night they close that section of 4th street to traffic, so it’s like one big block party. And the bars and restaurants are all very unique- an upscale pool hall, an upscale bowling alley, a piano bar, a Hard Rock café, a beach themed place, the token country bar (here’s where Nashville kicks their butt) (and btw Rhonda, that token “token” was for you!) plus too many others to name. Deon met up with us, along with his sister and her boyfriend, so we all got to hang out together. Louisville is surprisingly a fun little town. I recommend it for a night out with friends since there is something for everyone.
Of course it was a late night, and Amanda had to get on the road to get back for “Pirates” on Sunday, so that was not much fun. I said bye to James and had to drive straight back to my rehearsal where I got to meet our new Fredrick (um yeah- about that… our director fired the lead guy last week, and found a replacement at Belmont- he’s a 3rd year voice student, and is actually really good. No worries whatsoever about him hitting on me though, if you know what I mean. What can I say? He’s a tenor! I’m used to it.) I had dinner with the fam (because we all know the only reason I go over there is to eat anymore. Note the tone of sarcasm in that last statement) and then went back to the apartment and found Brad and Rhonda watching the Grammies so I was sucked in to the show as well. I will let one of the other authors write their Grammy review if they wish, but I will say this: J-Lo and Marc Anthony’s Telemundo Soap Opera peformance was laughable at best. What in the heck were they doing? If you missed it, your ears are thanking you, but you really did miss out on a good laugh. Ok- I lied. 2 things: I am tired of the post-humus Grammies awarded as well. It’s such a cop out and a slap in the face I think. It’s like, “hey, you weren’t recognized for your talent when you were alive, so now that you’re no longer with us, we feel bad and here, let us give you this Grammy to make up for snubbing you in the past. Hope that smoothes things over with your family and honors the legacy you left behind.” But was that really the album of the year? When people look back at 2004 they will say, yes, Ray Charles- now that album sure was flying off the shelves. I don’t think so Juanita.
But it’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. So go love others today. Tell em Bob Borders sent ‘ya.
Due to a technical glitch, this wasn’t able to be posted on Friday as planned (you just can’t find good hired help these days!) (Love you, Ari- Nuzzel!). So sorry for the belated blog, but here it is: after much anticipation, Looking at the world through rose colored glasses:
So I know I said yesterday how much I dislike the month of February… but there is one teeny, tiny exception: Valentine’s Day. Now I’m not one of those girls who a) blows the Hallmark holiday out of proportion and expects great things from the guy she’s with (this could be because I haven’t had a special someone for Valentine’s day since I was a senior in high school…hmm…) or b) gets all depressed because she is single and has no one to buy gooshy cards for. (sidestory: as some of you know, my parents were middle-school sweethearts, and my dad was my mom’s first kiss. The word “gooshy” comes from how mom described the aforementioned first kiss to her friend Shelly. It was gooshy, she said. Unfortunately for dad, I think that comment got back to him!)
Last year, we had an awesome girls’ night out and had a dinner party over at Katie’s. We got all dressed up, had a delectable meal complete with chocolate covered strawberries for desert, and then sipped chocolate martinis down at Chitown (which is no longer in existence, may it rest in peace). This year Valentine’s day (or Single Awareness Day, depending on who you talk to- and yes, the initials spell SAD- how great is that?) falls on a Monday. What the heck are you supposed to do on a Monday night? We Penthouse Pets have yet to discuss that as of yet. I don’t have to be at rehearsal that night, so I am declaring right now that we do something girly and fun! (Sorry guys- go have your own macho guys’ night and play poker or something.)
Do I need to state the obvious and tell all of you why Valentine’s day Really makes me happy? There is pink EVERYWHERE! I walk into stores and just get a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s almost overwhelming. I plan on making a trip to Target’ on Tuesday to see if I can’t get some marked-down pink items to add to my possession. Last year I got these great pink candles that of course are out in my room year-round. Who needs a holiday to decorate in pink I ask you? So if any of you happen to be in the shops this week or next and spot anything pink that might be of interest to me, let me know. Actually- that happens all the time to me anyways. Friends will come up and tell me about the pink sweater they bought, or a coat or something- knowing that I would fall in love with it. Heck, Ari’s mom calls her from Denver all the time to tell her about something pink she has seen that she knows “Bradley will love.” This makes me feel loved because I know you all are thinking about me when I’m not around (those are such sad times for you, I know). As Gerry House said on the radio this morning: I am a satellite dish for love! I don’t know why I found that statement so amusing, but maybe it has made you smile too. Or not, and you think, Gosh Amanda, don’t you do anything at your job besides write pointless diatribes? (I can’t hear the word “Gosh” any more without thinking of Napoleon Dynamite! Oh- and last night at rehearsal we were doing choreography and the guys were supposed to cross their arms over their chest. The kid next to me quipped that they should do it “Uncle Rico style.” I can tell this kid and I will be fast friends!) The answer to that question is a hardy, you bet your sweet a$$ I do! Happy Friday.
So I know I said yesterday how much I dislike the month of February… but there is one teeny, tiny exception: Valentine’s Day. Now I’m not one of those girls who a) blows the Hallmark holiday out of proportion and expects great things from the guy she’s with (this could be because I haven’t had a special someone for Valentine’s day since I was a senior in high school…hmm…) or b) gets all depressed because she is single and has no one to buy gooshy cards for. (sidestory: as some of you know, my parents were middle-school sweethearts, and my dad was my mom’s first kiss. The word “gooshy” comes from how mom described the aforementioned first kiss to her friend Shelly. It was gooshy, she said. Unfortunately for dad, I think that comment got back to him!)
Last year, we had an awesome girls’ night out and had a dinner party over at Katie’s. We got all dressed up, had a delectable meal complete with chocolate covered strawberries for desert, and then sipped chocolate martinis down at Chitown (which is no longer in existence, may it rest in peace). This year Valentine’s day (or Single Awareness Day, depending on who you talk to- and yes, the initials spell SAD- how great is that?) falls on a Monday. What the heck are you supposed to do on a Monday night? We Penthouse Pets have yet to discuss that as of yet. I don’t have to be at rehearsal that night, so I am declaring right now that we do something girly and fun! (Sorry guys- go have your own macho guys’ night and play poker or something.)
Do I need to state the obvious and tell all of you why Valentine’s day Really makes me happy? There is pink EVERYWHERE! I walk into stores and just get a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s almost overwhelming. I plan on making a trip to Target’ on Tuesday to see if I can’t get some marked-down pink items to add to my possession. Last year I got these great pink candles that of course are out in my room year-round. Who needs a holiday to decorate in pink I ask you? So if any of you happen to be in the shops this week or next and spot anything pink that might be of interest to me, let me know. Actually- that happens all the time to me anyways. Friends will come up and tell me about the pink sweater they bought, or a coat or something- knowing that I would fall in love with it. Heck, Ari’s mom calls her from Denver all the time to tell her about something pink she has seen that she knows “Bradley will love.” This makes me feel loved because I know you all are thinking about me when I’m not around (those are such sad times for you, I know). As Gerry House said on the radio this morning: I am a satellite dish for love! I don’t know why I found that statement so amusing, but maybe it has made you smile too. Or not, and you think, Gosh Amanda, don’t you do anything at your job besides write pointless diatribes? (I can’t hear the word “Gosh” any more without thinking of Napoleon Dynamite! Oh- and last night at rehearsal we were doing choreography and the guys were supposed to cross their arms over their chest. The kid next to me quipped that they should do it “Uncle Rico style.” I can tell this kid and I will be fast friends!) The answer to that question is a hardy, you bet your sweet a$$ I do! Happy Friday.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Looking at the World Through Rose Colored Glasses
So I know I said yesterday how much I dislike the month of February… but there is one teeny, tiny exception: Valentine’s Day. Now I’m not one of those girls who a) blows the Hallmark holiday out of proportion and expects great things from the guy she’s with (this could be because I haven’t had a special someone for Valentine’s day since I was a senior in high school…hmm…) or b) gets all depressed because she is single and has no one to buy gooshy cards for. (sidestory: as some of you know, my parents were middle-school sweethearts, and my dad was my mom’s first kiss. The word “gooshy” comes from how mom described the aforementioned first kiss to her friend Shelly. It was gooshy, she said. Unfortunately for dad, I think that comment got back to him!)
Last year, we had an awesome girls’ night out and had a dinner party over at Katie’s. We got all dressed up, had a delectable meal complete with chocolate covered strawberries for desert, and then sipped chocolate martinis down at Chitown (which is no longer in existence, may it rest in peace). This year Valentine’s day (or Single Awareness Day, depending on who you talk to- and yes, the initials spell SAD- how great is that?) falls on a Monday. What the heck are you supposed to do on a Monday night? We Penthouse Pets have yet to discuss that as of yet. I don’t have to be at rehearsal that night, so I am declaring right now that we do something girly and fun! (Sorry guys- go have your own macho guys’ night and play poker or something.)
Do I need to state the obvious and tell all of you why Valentine’s day Really makes me happy? There is pink EVERYWHERE! I walk into stores and just get a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s almost overwhelming. I plan on making a trip to Target’ on Tuesday to see if I can’t get some marked-down pink items to add to my possession. Last year I got these great pink candles that of course are out in my room year-round. Who needs a holiday to decorate in pink I ask you? So if any of you happen to be in the shops this week or next and spot anything pink that might be of interest to me, let me know. Actually- that happens all the time to me anyways. Friends will come up and tell me about the pink sweater they bought, or a coat or something- knowing that I would fall in love with it. Heck, Ari’s mom calls her from Denver all the time to tell her about something pink she has seen that she knows “Bradley will love.” This makes me feel loved because I know you all are thinking about me when I’m not around (those are such sad times for you, I know). As Gerry House said on the radio this morning: I am a satellite dish for love! I don’t know why I found that statement so amusing, but maybe it has made you smile too. Or not, and you think, Gosh Amanda, don’t you do anything at your job besides write pointless diatribes? (I can’t hear the word “Gosh” any more without thinking of Napoleon Dynamite! Oh- and last night at rehearsal we were doing choreography and the guys were supposed to cross their arms over their chest. The kid next to me quipped that they should do it “Uncle Rico style.” I can tell this kid and I will be fast friends!) The answer to that question is a hardy, you bet your sweet a$$ I do! Happy Friday.
Last year, we had an awesome girls’ night out and had a dinner party over at Katie’s. We got all dressed up, had a delectable meal complete with chocolate covered strawberries for desert, and then sipped chocolate martinis down at Chitown (which is no longer in existence, may it rest in peace). This year Valentine’s day (or Single Awareness Day, depending on who you talk to- and yes, the initials spell SAD- how great is that?) falls on a Monday. What the heck are you supposed to do on a Monday night? We Penthouse Pets have yet to discuss that as of yet. I don’t have to be at rehearsal that night, so I am declaring right now that we do something girly and fun! (Sorry guys- go have your own macho guys’ night and play poker or something.)
Do I need to state the obvious and tell all of you why Valentine’s day Really makes me happy? There is pink EVERYWHERE! I walk into stores and just get a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s almost overwhelming. I plan on making a trip to Target’ on Tuesday to see if I can’t get some marked-down pink items to add to my possession. Last year I got these great pink candles that of course are out in my room year-round. Who needs a holiday to decorate in pink I ask you? So if any of you happen to be in the shops this week or next and spot anything pink that might be of interest to me, let me know. Actually- that happens all the time to me anyways. Friends will come up and tell me about the pink sweater they bought, or a coat or something- knowing that I would fall in love with it. Heck, Ari’s mom calls her from Denver all the time to tell her about something pink she has seen that she knows “Bradley will love.” This makes me feel loved because I know you all are thinking about me when I’m not around (those are such sad times for you, I know). As Gerry House said on the radio this morning: I am a satellite dish for love! I don’t know why I found that statement so amusing, but maybe it has made you smile too. Or not, and you think, Gosh Amanda, don’t you do anything at your job besides write pointless diatribes? (I can’t hear the word “Gosh” any more without thinking of Napoleon Dynamite! Oh- and last night at rehearsal we were doing choreography and the guys were supposed to cross their arms over their chest. The kid next to me quipped that they should do it “Uncle Rico style.” I can tell this kid and I will be fast friends!) The answer to that question is a hardy, you bet your sweet a$$ I do! Happy Friday.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
ariana saves the day!!!
ok, because bradley is cursing her firewall into the depths of hades, i'm going to attempt the feat of putting a link onto this blog. if it doesn't work, i'm sorry. i hope you'll all remember me for my witty (and sometimes not so witty) comments. if it does work, bradley has to buy me a diet coke...with lime.
this is the link regarding the comm 252 class bradley talked about in today's blog. here goes kids....
http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/COM/teaching/courses/com252/assessments/johari.html
cut and paste if you must. i'm new to this blog world. good luck.
~ari
this is the link regarding the comm 252 class bradley talked about in today's blog. here goes kids....
http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/COM/teaching/courses/com252/assessments/johari.html
cut and paste if you must. i'm new to this blog world. good luck.
~ari
deep thoughts by a.l. bradley
I've been in a thoughtful mood these past 2 days- just reflecting on my own life and personality and how that fits in with others. Jill and I talked once about how I am am excellent listener, and can always point the conversation towards the other person. This usually has to do with my hatred for silence in conversations (hence my trademark sighs) and my natural ability to be a facilitator as James calls it. I?m good at asking questions and keeping the conversation going, and am usually genuinely interested in whatever the other person has to say. I will say that I do suffer from short-term memory loss though, so I sometimes forget entire conversations that I?ve had. You might have to refresh my memory about a story you told me- that one time, in band camp?. Wait a minute- what was I talking about? See? Short term memory problems! Anyways, in college I took COM 252 (interpersonal communications) for a requirement. It was a great class, and one of the best things I took from that class was doing an exercise called the Johari Window. You took this questionnaire of 20 questions, and marked point values 0-5 on how you would respond to each situation. Then afterwards you plotted your answers on a graph that was divided into 4 quadrants. The 4 quadrants (Open, Blind, Hidden, and Unknown) were aspects of how well you knew yourself, and how well you allowed others to know you. Obviously, the more Open you are, the less Unknown there is about yourself, and having a large Hidden quadrant means that there isn?t a large Blind section, meaning you know yourself well, but choose not to let others know you. I?ve included a link to this assessment in case you?re bored and intrigued.
The results of this questionnaire always bothered me, and I continue to come back to those when going through these periods of self-discovery that I go through from time to time. Call it a quarter-life crisis, the winter blahs, or being bored to tears at work, but life has got me thinking. Or the weather. Seriously. (Oh REALLY??) Can we get a little sunshine here? One or two days in a row would be great. If April is the cruelest month, then February is definitely the most dreary month of all I think. I?m sure T.S. Eliot would agree with me. What is it with writers and going by their initials anyways? T.S. Eliot? e.e. cummings? Could I declare myself a great writer and become a.l. bradley? a.l. bradley, the great 21st century blogger? It has a nice ring to it, don?t you think?
Anyways- Amanda had a hot date with Brad and Ron last night- that?s right- 2 guys at the same time. (Is that what you?d do with a million dollars, Holt?) (Office Space anyone?) Rhonda hung out with Brad and Holt, and I had some good conversations with Ron and Holt. (The Shoes? OH REALLY?) Thanks for the ice cream Amanda- it was delish, and was a much-needed comfort food! Next on the agenda: The Amandas take on Nashvegas, and Rhonda limits herself to one male companion for a Friday night out. Get excited. The weekend is near.
The results of this questionnaire always bothered me, and I continue to come back to those when going through these periods of self-discovery that I go through from time to time. Call it a quarter-life crisis, the winter blahs, or being bored to tears at work, but life has got me thinking. Or the weather. Seriously. (Oh REALLY??) Can we get a little sunshine here? One or two days in a row would be great. If April is the cruelest month, then February is definitely the most dreary month of all I think. I?m sure T.S. Eliot would agree with me. What is it with writers and going by their initials anyways? T.S. Eliot? e.e. cummings? Could I declare myself a great writer and become a.l. bradley? a.l. bradley, the great 21st century blogger? It has a nice ring to it, don?t you think?
Anyways- Amanda had a hot date with Brad and Ron last night- that?s right- 2 guys at the same time. (Is that what you?d do with a million dollars, Holt?) (Office Space anyone?) Rhonda hung out with Brad and Holt, and I had some good conversations with Ron and Holt. (The Shoes? OH REALLY?) Thanks for the ice cream Amanda- it was delish, and was a much-needed comfort food! Next on the agenda: The Amandas take on Nashvegas, and Rhonda limits herself to one male companion for a Friday night out. Get excited. The weekend is near.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
So I know this is of little interest to many of you, but I am still reeling from that win last night over Florida. While I was trapped in rehearsal Hades last night, my Cats decided they weren't going to play any defense. However, following the usual Kentucky suit, they made a huge comeback in the second half. Is it a coincidence that as soon as I started listening to the game in the car on my way home Kentucky started turning the game around? (Hey- that's Ja-wincidence with a C) So here we have a visual example of how much Kentucky students loathe Matt Walsh. I can't stand the kid either (from a purely athletic standpoint) so I found this picture in the KY Kernel HA.larious. Next we have former UK player and current Detroit Pistons star Tayshaun Prince. At every home game during one of the timeouts, the cheerleaders come out onto the floor and spell out Kentucky with the letter signs, and they always have a former player or UK celeb come out at the end and be the "Y." Wish I could have seen Tayshaun in person again, but I guess I'll have to settle for the top 10 highlights in the morning... which speaking of, I have a bone to pick with espn. There was no Kentucky play selected for the day's top 10, and if I am not mistaken, Illinois had 2. The Big 10 is terrible! Of course they are going to make big plays against crappy teams! Why aren't we getting any love from the sportscenter folks? (Can I get an Amen?) If I were Rondo, I would be a little peeved. As you can see from the picture where he is flying over Florida players left and right and scoring on them (notice the infamous Matt Walsh is one of them), this freshman star made several impressive plays last night. And finally, I just had to throw in a shot of fav, Kelenna Azubuike, who also happened to be our leading scorer last night. We are still undefeated in the SEC. This concludes our Wildcat montage for the day.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
I am pathetic
(I can hear our receptionist in the lobby and the way she is answering the phone is exactly like the lady in "Office Space" and it's making me laugh. Bless her heart, she's probably never seen that movie.)
I know what you all are saying. "Rhonda Lu, you are not pathetic. You are high-quality ab fab! Why are you being so hard on yourself?" Because a couple hours ago I watched the trailer for "The Notebook" online and I CRIED! I dadgum cried at the TRAILER! It's all over for me tonight - I will probably hyperventilate and need CPR. But it will be worth it.
Amanda said that I'd share my idea about combining the Penthouse Pets with the Bachelorette. Last night during the "Why don't you nominate that special someone to be the next Bachelor / Bachelotette?" part of the show, I joked that us Pets need to do a triple Bachelorette show. I said that we'd call it "The Bachelor-Pets" (or "The Bachelorpettes" if you prefer - I really wasn't thinking of spelling when I blurted it out.) I sure am glad AJ found it funny, because I still don't. But that's what I'm here for roomie - to make you laugh and enjoy life to the fullest. I missed you and I'm glad you are home (sorry James)!!!
I know what you all are saying. "Rhonda Lu, you are not pathetic. You are high-quality ab fab! Why are you being so hard on yourself?" Because a couple hours ago I watched the trailer for "The Notebook" online and I CRIED! I dadgum cried at the TRAILER! It's all over for me tonight - I will probably hyperventilate and need CPR. But it will be worth it.
Amanda said that I'd share my idea about combining the Penthouse Pets with the Bachelorette. Last night during the "Why don't you nominate that special someone to be the next Bachelor / Bachelotette?" part of the show, I joked that us Pets need to do a triple Bachelorette show. I said that we'd call it "The Bachelor-Pets" (or "The Bachelorpettes" if you prefer - I really wasn't thinking of spelling when I blurted it out.) I sure am glad AJ found it funny, because I still don't. But that's what I'm here for roomie - to make you laugh and enjoy life to the fullest. I missed you and I'm glad you are home (sorry James)!!!
Happy Obese Day-After-Monday!
Is it a cruel joke that Valentine’s Day falls in the middle of Lent this year? Anyone who gives up chocolate is up a creek come next Monday. Speaking of chocolate- has anyone else seen the movie "Chocolat"? It’s a wonderful film- and takes place in France, so Emmy Sue, you would probably love it. And Ari, Johnny Depp is in it, so I know you’re a fan. And Rhonda, you love chocolate, so this film is for you! It was nominated for several Academies, including Best Picture, although it was eventually beat out by "Gladiator." Darn that Russell Crowe. Anyways- make sure you have a supply of chocolate with you when you watch the movie because you will crave it like no other afterwards! I speak from experience.
Back to Mardi Gras though, I think we gals are celebrating it in a non-traditional sort of way this year: a sob-fest! Yes, that’s right, "The Notebook" comes out on DVD today. Anyone that watches this movie and doesn’t shed a tear has no heart. It’s seriously one of the most gut-wrenching movies I’ve ever seen- right up there with "Life is Beautiful" and "Legends of the Fall." Rhonda and I have a bet going to see who’ll go through the most Kleenex while watching this movie again. I’m curious to see if we’ll cry more or less the second time around. I know you guys out there are wondering why we girls put ourselves through that. Why in the world would we want to make ourselves cry? I can’t explain it, other then sometimes you just need to have a good cry to make you feel better. "The Notebook" is a wonderful love story though, and so of course the romantics at heart can truly appreciate the whole “love-conquers-all theme,” even though this story is So Hollywood that’s it’s not even funny. (funny ha ha that is)
If basketball is more your style of celebration tonight, you can watch the #5 ranked Kentucky Wildcats take on the Florida Gators at home. It should be an intense game as Florida just beat a ranked Alabama team last week, and the student crowd hates Florida player Matt Walsh. If you listen closely you will probably hear a number of entertaining jeers and boos directed towards him. It got so bad one year that our athletics director felt the need to write Walsh a letter of apology based on the way the students treated him during the game. (What a baby, huh?)
Well, work is calling my name, so I guess this is all for now. I’ll let Rhonda Lu share her “resident genius” idea about combining the Penthouse Pets with the Bachelorette. Oh it’s brilliant. You’re gonna want to get in on the ground floor on this one. Also, one quick shout-out to Emmy Sue who has been laid up for a few days with some crazy allergic reaction. Em, we miss you at the apt, and hope that you feel better soon. I’m sure Momma Borders is taking good care of you. We’ll see you tonight at the sobfest.
Back to Mardi Gras though, I think we gals are celebrating it in a non-traditional sort of way this year: a sob-fest! Yes, that’s right, "The Notebook" comes out on DVD today. Anyone that watches this movie and doesn’t shed a tear has no heart. It’s seriously one of the most gut-wrenching movies I’ve ever seen- right up there with "Life is Beautiful" and "Legends of the Fall." Rhonda and I have a bet going to see who’ll go through the most Kleenex while watching this movie again. I’m curious to see if we’ll cry more or less the second time around. I know you guys out there are wondering why we girls put ourselves through that. Why in the world would we want to make ourselves cry? I can’t explain it, other then sometimes you just need to have a good cry to make you feel better. "The Notebook" is a wonderful love story though, and so of course the romantics at heart can truly appreciate the whole “love-conquers-all theme,” even though this story is So Hollywood that’s it’s not even funny. (funny ha ha that is)
If basketball is more your style of celebration tonight, you can watch the #5 ranked Kentucky Wildcats take on the Florida Gators at home. It should be an intense game as Florida just beat a ranked Alabama team last week, and the student crowd hates Florida player Matt Walsh. If you listen closely you will probably hear a number of entertaining jeers and boos directed towards him. It got so bad one year that our athletics director felt the need to write Walsh a letter of apology based on the way the students treated him during the game. (What a baby, huh?)
Well, work is calling my name, so I guess this is all for now. I’ll let Rhonda Lu share her “resident genius” idea about combining the Penthouse Pets with the Bachelorette. Oh it’s brilliant. You’re gonna want to get in on the ground floor on this one. Also, one quick shout-out to Emmy Sue who has been laid up for a few days with some crazy allergic reaction. Em, we miss you at the apt, and hope that you feel better soon. I’m sure Momma Borders is taking good care of you. We’ll see you tonight at the sobfest.
Monday, February 07, 2005
A Super Weekend
Super Bowl weekend, that is. I actually just got back this morning, so it was a long-anticipated, very fun and relaxing weekend. Ari and I took our first road trip to Lexington together after both being down here for over a year (I still can’t believe that’s this first time that has happened!). My Friday night after work was made when I got the best phone call ever telling me that my rehearsal for that night was cancelled. This meant Ari and I were able to leave about an hour and a half earlier than we expected. I debated on whether or not to call James right away and let him know the change in our ETA, but decided it would be more fun to surprise him and call when we got close. Big Mistake! The following is a re-enactment of our conversation:
James: “so where are you all?”
“Actually, we just got on the Bluegrass Parkway,” I said. “We’ll be there in about an hour.”
James’ reply: “WHAT??!!”
“Yeah, my rehearsal got cancelled, so we left early… is that ok? I thought you’d be excited.”
“No- I am excited- but I’m still over at Henry’s and blah blah blah, I haven’t showered yet, blah blah blah…”
“You know I could just drive around Lexington for another hour… or go somewhere else first. You know I do have other people I could be visiting!”
We hang up a minute or two later. Ari says, “so what did he say?” “I think he’s excited we’ll be there early, but I also think I just stressed him out!” I replied.
Deon pointed out later that night while we were all downstairs watching Season 5 of Friends that James was about 4 hours late getting to Nashville a few weekends prior. “He can’t get upset with you for showing up early.” “That’s right I said! You were 4 hours late!”
“In my culture,” James said, “it’s considered more rude to be somewhere early than to show up late.”
I guess I can’t argue with that.
Saturday was our busy day. We got ready and went over to Henry’s with some other people to watch the UK game on the big projector screen they had set up for the next day’s Super Bowl party. UK dominated of course. Rhonda, your future hubby had a very good game. And I don’t know why we didn’t think about this before, but James pointed out that if I married Ramel Bradley then I wouldn’t have to change my name! So now all we need to do is figure out which UK player to set Emmy Sue up with, and all the Penthouse Pets will be set. After the game, James and I changed clothes to go on our very first date. Funny how he and I have been talking for over a month, and that he even came to Nashville for a weekend, but the two of us had not yet been out by ourselves. What if we just sit and stare at each other and have nothing to say, we wondered? Luckily that did not happen. (yeah… do you Know me? I can make conversation with a brick wall!) But here’s the most exciting part of the evening (ok, one of them). When James came out of the room after getting dressed for our date I about died. He had on a light pink shirt and a pink striped tie to match that he had bought specifically for this weekend. I can’t gush too much on here because I know he’ll be reading this, but oh. My. gosh. I have told James on several occasions that I thought he would look good in pink (now of course my secret mission in life is to convince everyone that they would look good in pink, but that’s beside the point.) so let’s just say that I was right, and leave it at that. We had an amazing dinner at De Sha’s, which is a steakhouse in downtown Lexington, and then walked to the opera house to see Smokey Joe’s Café. The show was great. It was a musical review, so there wasn’t a plot or even characters, but rather an ensemble of 9 that sang and acted out one song after another by these 2 songwriters from the 50s. The show’s transitions were smooth, keeping everything up-tempo, and the singers had really good voices and stage presence that made it an enjoyable production to watch. We debated on going out after the show, but instead went back to the house and hung out with everyone downstairs (FYI, in Lexington, the Grino’s basement is the place to be. They always have people over, and you can count on having a good time.) And now for the important announcement: I beat Deon in Air Hockey!!! (You have to understand that I played this kid several times when I was in Lex for New Year’s and I always came within one or two points of winning but never did. Well, not any more!) But then James proceeded to beat me handily 10 to 5, and I think he was even being nice there! Needless to say, I was brought down from my gloating really quickly. (me? Gloat? Oh Really?) I fell asleep trying to watch Paris Hilton make fun of herself on Saturday Night Live so I crashed early Sat. night. By the way- how is it possible that SNL keeps getting worse and worse? Every time I watch it there is a new cast of actors, and the scripts are terrible. I blame the writers more than the actors because it just really doesn’t seem like they have a lot to work with. We just didn’t know how good we had it in the early 90’s did we?
Sunday was pretty much consumed with the Super Bowl and the preparations for the party that James and Henry were throwing. These kids don’t mess around with their parties- they pulled out all the stops, renting chairs, having a few friends DJ after the game (one was awesome- the other, well we just won’t go there), lights, a poker room, food and drinks abounding, and of course the huge projection screen that we watched the game on. Or rather others watched the game on. I think I maybe saw 3 plays all night. Which is unusual for me- usually I would be glued to the game, but there were just so many people there! I was meeting all the people that James works with, plus I was catching up with old college friends who were there too. The few commercials I saw were really dumb I thought, and I heard the halftime show was spectacular. Mom taped it though so I plan on making that judgement for myself. The best part about James and Henry’s little Super Bowl Shindig was their outfits. As the party hosts, they each wore referee shirts and black pants, carried whistles around their necks, and threw yellow penalty flags at anyone committing a party foul. Some examples of these: one kid forgot to take his hat off during the national anthem. Another walked right into the glass sliding door, thinking it was open. For these, they got the whistle blown in their direction, a flag thrown at them, and plenty of public scoffing and humiliation.
As soon as the game was over we quickly put up all the chairs and the downstairs turned into a dance area for, as Heather would call it, our Break-it-down-like-James-Brown time. You know me- I was waiting all night for this part! Luckily I had a cute referee who was willing to dance with me as well. PS- I am so mad that I don’t have a single picture of those two in their ref outfits, or any from this weekend period. I just kept forgetting to take them. Oh well. Use your imaginations I guess. One last thing about the Super Bowl soiree that is worth mentioning was Deon’s catch phrase for the night. And here it is. “You bet your sweet a$$.” Just say it to yourself and smile because it’s just one of those strings of words put together that is highly versatile and brings humor to the conversation. “Hey, are you having fun at the party?” “You bet your sweet a$$ I am.” “Wow, TO is really making a huge impact on this game.” “You bet your sweet a$$ he is.” And the funny part is how the phrase came to be. Deon heard it from an Applebees bartender named Lisa Marie, named after Lisa Marie Presley. Random, I know.
Well kids, that was the weekend. I know, I know, after reading all this you’re thinking, that’s it? (You ARE still reading aren’t you? Hey, humor me a little here. I know I’m long-winded, but the only way these posts are getting to you is by me emailing them to gracious fellow bloggers and having them post these for me, or else I have to email it to myself and post it at home at night when I get home on our sloooowww dial-up connection. It freezes up and loses my work at times as well. Not so much fun. So a lot of work and effort goes into writing these things. Which is ironic because a lot of work does NOT get done at the office while I’m writing these. But I digress.) (Now here’s where you say, “You bet your sweet a$$ you do.” See how versatile it is?) Seriously, it was a wonderful weekend.
Sorry I missed out on the Nashvegas fun, but I had a great time with Ari on our road trip (Who’s up for more Boyz II Men/Chicago/Christina Aguilera sing-alongs?) and I’m hoping the cute referee will call me after our date. I gave him my phone number so we’ll see. ;o)
James: “so where are you all?”
“Actually, we just got on the Bluegrass Parkway,” I said. “We’ll be there in about an hour.”
James’ reply: “WHAT??!!”
“Yeah, my rehearsal got cancelled, so we left early… is that ok? I thought you’d be excited.”
“No- I am excited- but I’m still over at Henry’s and blah blah blah, I haven’t showered yet, blah blah blah…”
“You know I could just drive around Lexington for another hour… or go somewhere else first. You know I do have other people I could be visiting!”
We hang up a minute or two later. Ari says, “so what did he say?” “I think he’s excited we’ll be there early, but I also think I just stressed him out!” I replied.
Deon pointed out later that night while we were all downstairs watching Season 5 of Friends that James was about 4 hours late getting to Nashville a few weekends prior. “He can’t get upset with you for showing up early.” “That’s right I said! You were 4 hours late!”
“In my culture,” James said, “it’s considered more rude to be somewhere early than to show up late.”
I guess I can’t argue with that.
Saturday was our busy day. We got ready and went over to Henry’s with some other people to watch the UK game on the big projector screen they had set up for the next day’s Super Bowl party. UK dominated of course. Rhonda, your future hubby had a very good game. And I don’t know why we didn’t think about this before, but James pointed out that if I married Ramel Bradley then I wouldn’t have to change my name! So now all we need to do is figure out which UK player to set Emmy Sue up with, and all the Penthouse Pets will be set. After the game, James and I changed clothes to go on our very first date. Funny how he and I have been talking for over a month, and that he even came to Nashville for a weekend, but the two of us had not yet been out by ourselves. What if we just sit and stare at each other and have nothing to say, we wondered? Luckily that did not happen. (yeah… do you Know me? I can make conversation with a brick wall!) But here’s the most exciting part of the evening (ok, one of them). When James came out of the room after getting dressed for our date I about died. He had on a light pink shirt and a pink striped tie to match that he had bought specifically for this weekend. I can’t gush too much on here because I know he’ll be reading this, but oh. My. gosh. I have told James on several occasions that I thought he would look good in pink (now of course my secret mission in life is to convince everyone that they would look good in pink, but that’s beside the point.) so let’s just say that I was right, and leave it at that. We had an amazing dinner at De Sha’s, which is a steakhouse in downtown Lexington, and then walked to the opera house to see Smokey Joe’s Café. The show was great. It was a musical review, so there wasn’t a plot or even characters, but rather an ensemble of 9 that sang and acted out one song after another by these 2 songwriters from the 50s. The show’s transitions were smooth, keeping everything up-tempo, and the singers had really good voices and stage presence that made it an enjoyable production to watch. We debated on going out after the show, but instead went back to the house and hung out with everyone downstairs (FYI, in Lexington, the Grino’s basement is the place to be. They always have people over, and you can count on having a good time.) And now for the important announcement: I beat Deon in Air Hockey!!! (You have to understand that I played this kid several times when I was in Lex for New Year’s and I always came within one or two points of winning but never did. Well, not any more!) But then James proceeded to beat me handily 10 to 5, and I think he was even being nice there! Needless to say, I was brought down from my gloating really quickly. (me? Gloat? Oh Really?) I fell asleep trying to watch Paris Hilton make fun of herself on Saturday Night Live so I crashed early Sat. night. By the way- how is it possible that SNL keeps getting worse and worse? Every time I watch it there is a new cast of actors, and the scripts are terrible. I blame the writers more than the actors because it just really doesn’t seem like they have a lot to work with. We just didn’t know how good we had it in the early 90’s did we?
Sunday was pretty much consumed with the Super Bowl and the preparations for the party that James and Henry were throwing. These kids don’t mess around with their parties- they pulled out all the stops, renting chairs, having a few friends DJ after the game (one was awesome- the other, well we just won’t go there), lights, a poker room, food and drinks abounding, and of course the huge projection screen that we watched the game on. Or rather others watched the game on. I think I maybe saw 3 plays all night. Which is unusual for me- usually I would be glued to the game, but there were just so many people there! I was meeting all the people that James works with, plus I was catching up with old college friends who were there too. The few commercials I saw were really dumb I thought, and I heard the halftime show was spectacular. Mom taped it though so I plan on making that judgement for myself. The best part about James and Henry’s little Super Bowl Shindig was their outfits. As the party hosts, they each wore referee shirts and black pants, carried whistles around their necks, and threw yellow penalty flags at anyone committing a party foul. Some examples of these: one kid forgot to take his hat off during the national anthem. Another walked right into the glass sliding door, thinking it was open. For these, they got the whistle blown in their direction, a flag thrown at them, and plenty of public scoffing and humiliation.
As soon as the game was over we quickly put up all the chairs and the downstairs turned into a dance area for, as Heather would call it, our Break-it-down-like-James-Brown time. You know me- I was waiting all night for this part! Luckily I had a cute referee who was willing to dance with me as well. PS- I am so mad that I don’t have a single picture of those two in their ref outfits, or any from this weekend period. I just kept forgetting to take them. Oh well. Use your imaginations I guess. One last thing about the Super Bowl soiree that is worth mentioning was Deon’s catch phrase for the night. And here it is. “You bet your sweet a$$.” Just say it to yourself and smile because it’s just one of those strings of words put together that is highly versatile and brings humor to the conversation. “Hey, are you having fun at the party?” “You bet your sweet a$$ I am.” “Wow, TO is really making a huge impact on this game.” “You bet your sweet a$$ he is.” And the funny part is how the phrase came to be. Deon heard it from an Applebees bartender named Lisa Marie, named after Lisa Marie Presley. Random, I know.
Well kids, that was the weekend. I know, I know, after reading all this you’re thinking, that’s it? (You ARE still reading aren’t you? Hey, humor me a little here. I know I’m long-winded, but the only way these posts are getting to you is by me emailing them to gracious fellow bloggers and having them post these for me, or else I have to email it to myself and post it at home at night when I get home on our sloooowww dial-up connection. It freezes up and loses my work at times as well. Not so much fun. So a lot of work and effort goes into writing these things. Which is ironic because a lot of work does NOT get done at the office while I’m writing these. But I digress.) (Now here’s where you say, “You bet your sweet a$$ you do.” See how versatile it is?) Seriously, it was a wonderful weekend.
Sorry I missed out on the Nashvegas fun, but I had a great time with Ari on our road trip (Who’s up for more Boyz II Men/Chicago/Christina Aguilera sing-alongs?) and I’m hoping the cute referee will call me after our date. I gave him my phone number so we’ll see. ;o)
Friday, February 04, 2005
Super Bowl Weekend
Its finally Friday! The day just couldn’t be better. I got up and did Pilates this morning, I’m wearing a favorite red sweater that I just got back from the dry cleaners (its almost like getting new clothes because it was sitting in the bottom of my hamper for months before I took it to be cleaned), we had a long-overdue official SOGWEAW lunch today at Baja Burrito (where I proceeded to eat my weight in chips and pineapple salsa), the sun is shining (finally!), and Ari and I are road-tripping it tonight to Lexington for a weekend visit to the Bluegrass State. Its funny- the 6th ranked Kentucky Wildcats (or 4th ranked, depending on which poll you look at) come to Nashville on Saturday, and I’ll be in Lexington. No matter- I will be with them in spirit as I cheer on my alma mater from their hometown.
Now, for those who are football-impaired (Ari) the Super Bowl is this Sunday. This means several things, but mainly food, folks, and fun, are in the near future. (Who else’s favorite literary device is alliteration? Who else besides me even HAS a favorite literary device?) So yes, the Philadelphia Eagles are taking on the reigning Super Bowl Champs, the New England Patriots. If you are a girl and don’t know which team to cheer for, I suggest you go for the Brady Bunch aka the Patriots, because their QB Tom Brady is a 27-year-old cutie-patootie. However, any Titans fans out there might want to root for the Eagles, because former Defensive End Jevon Kearse plays for Philly now. So take your pick. I really dont care either way. I guess Im pulling for the Eagles because theyre the underdog. Not caring about the game can be a great thing though, because this allows you time to socialize and eat during the plays, and then you can turn your attention to the TV for the commercials ($80,000 per second advertisers are paying) and the pre-game and half-time shows. Even though Paul McCartney is one of my “5 people on earth I’d like to meet” it does seem like a random choice for halftime entertainment, so I am curious to see what he comes up with. Alecia Keys is also performing during the pre-show doing some kind of Ray Charles tribute with a choir backing her up, so I am interested to see that as well.
For those totally ignorant about the Pigskin Parade, this article will help you prepare for any Super Bowl party you may attend, as well as help you to “intelligently” discuss the game (the writer of the article presumes the football-ignorant to be female, but males out there can take note too). I was appalled when I first read this article, but then realized the humor in the situation. Some people will actually read this editorial, and try to employ their lame tips to make others think they know an inkling about football. So I ask that you read this article not so you yourself will know what to do or say at a Super Bowl party, but so that you can call out any persons attempting to use the writers suggested lame lines. (“Well he’s no Peyton Manning”… PLEASE!!!)
So go be social. Enjoy the warm weather (esp. you Nashvillians- a high of 62 tomorrow!) and I’ll see you sometime on Monday when I make it back down this way.
Its finally Friday! The day just couldn’t be better. I got up and did Pilates this morning, I’m wearing a favorite red sweater that I just got back from the dry cleaners (its almost like getting new clothes because it was sitting in the bottom of my hamper for months before I took it to be cleaned), we had a long-overdue official SOGWEAW lunch today at Baja Burrito (where I proceeded to eat my weight in chips and pineapple salsa), the sun is shining (finally!), and Ari and I are road-tripping it tonight to Lexington for a weekend visit to the Bluegrass State. Its funny- the 6th ranked Kentucky Wildcats (or 4th ranked, depending on which poll you look at) come to Nashville on Saturday, and I’ll be in Lexington. No matter- I will be with them in spirit as I cheer on my alma mater from their hometown.
Now, for those who are football-impaired (Ari) the Super Bowl is this Sunday. This means several things, but mainly food, folks, and fun, are in the near future. (Who else’s favorite literary device is alliteration? Who else besides me even HAS a favorite literary device?) So yes, the Philadelphia Eagles are taking on the reigning Super Bowl Champs, the New England Patriots. If you are a girl and don’t know which team to cheer for, I suggest you go for the Brady Bunch aka the Patriots, because their QB Tom Brady is a 27-year-old cutie-patootie. However, any Titans fans out there might want to root for the Eagles, because former Defensive End Jevon Kearse plays for Philly now. So take your pick. I really dont care either way. I guess Im pulling for the Eagles because theyre the underdog. Not caring about the game can be a great thing though, because this allows you time to socialize and eat during the plays, and then you can turn your attention to the TV for the commercials ($80,000 per second advertisers are paying) and the pre-game and half-time shows. Even though Paul McCartney is one of my “5 people on earth I’d like to meet” it does seem like a random choice for halftime entertainment, so I am curious to see what he comes up with. Alecia Keys is also performing during the pre-show doing some kind of Ray Charles tribute with a choir backing her up, so I am interested to see that as well.
For those totally ignorant about the Pigskin Parade, this article
So go be social. Enjoy the warm weather (esp. you Nashvillians- a high of 62 tomorrow!) and I’ll see you sometime on Monday when I make it back down this way.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Just call me "Auntie Em"!!
Well, I have some exciting news for all of you Diva Domain readers that haven't heard yet (I feel like I've told the world). It's official...I'm going to be an aunt in August. My brother and sister-in-law, Duncan and Ashley, are having our family's first grandchild...due August 21, 2005. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this baby. I'm already in love with this child. I know that may seem weird, but it's true. I about lost it during the baby dedication on Sunday. My eyes welled up with tears of joy as I thought about the upcoming addition to our family. I'm so thankful that we all live in the same city, so I'll be able to really spend quality time with it (I feel weird saying "it" but we don't know the sex yet). So just be prepared because it's going to be a popular topic of conversation from now on.
PS - I'm not really going to make the baby call me, "Auntie Em." But I've always joked about that name.
PS - I'm not really going to make the baby call me, "Auntie Em." But I've always joked about that name.
the simple life
Emily, Rhonda and I are celebrating our 4 month anniversary of living together in the Penthouse. 4 months really isn't a very long time, even though it seems like we have been roommates and known each other forever. Rhonda and I only met a year ago in October, and Emmy Sue and I are still working towards our one-year mark. To meet the three of us though it would seem that we had been chums long since. I thank the lovely Single Focus Group at Brentwood Baptist Church for bringing the three of us together. This group at BBC enabled me to make the transition easier from the just-graduated-college-and-moved-back-home to the hey-I'm-an-adult-now-living-and-working phase in my life. So much has changed in the past year and a half since I've been out of school, and it has helped to have Emily and Rhonda beside me going through the same things.
There is so much uncertainty upon graduating from college. All of a sudden you are supposed to know what you want to do for the rest of your life! I know I was supposed to have spent the past 4 years in school figuring out that very thing, but even upon entering college I felt that same pressure. I went to a big university because I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up (still working on that growing up part, by the way). And declaring a major was even scary because then you had, in a way, committed yourself to the career path you would have for the rest of your life. So at age 18 I'm supposed to know how I want to spend the next forty-plus years of my life? It's just too overwhelming!
Part of the trouble these days is that the sky's the limit as far as choices and opportunities go. If we have the gumption and the resources to back it, we can pretty much be anything we want to be, and I'm not just talking about the army. Don't you just long for those times of yore when a one-income household was sufficient? You are a young boy. Your father is a stone mason. He apprentices you, and teaches you the family biz and low and behold, you are the proud owner of your own stone masonry business that you will someday pass on the tricks of the trade to your own son. It gets even better if you're a woman. You don't even have to have a "second job." Your soul responsibility includes taking care of the household, taking care of the family, and learning all of these things from your mother who passes her knowledge down to you. There is no daycare. There is no waiting to have kids in order to get your career stable and in order. I yearn for those simpler times that have long vanished. We talk all the time about making life so unnecessarily difficult and stressful, yet we're caught in the rat-race that we can't escape. I watched as Holt conducted business calls while we were together after work one afternoon, and stood amazed at the glimpse of what corporate America has really become. And then I look at my own life and wonder how I will fit into all of that. Yes, I know we don't all have to be the business execs, but it's the driving force of our economy. If not that, then what? And is it really possible to get back to the simpler life?
There is so much uncertainty upon graduating from college. All of a sudden you are supposed to know what you want to do for the rest of your life! I know I was supposed to have spent the past 4 years in school figuring out that very thing, but even upon entering college I felt that same pressure. I went to a big university because I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up (still working on that growing up part, by the way). And declaring a major was even scary because then you had, in a way, committed yourself to the career path you would have for the rest of your life. So at age 18 I'm supposed to know how I want to spend the next forty-plus years of my life? It's just too overwhelming!
Part of the trouble these days is that the sky's the limit as far as choices and opportunities go. If we have the gumption and the resources to back it, we can pretty much be anything we want to be, and I'm not just talking about the army. Don't you just long for those times of yore when a one-income household was sufficient? You are a young boy. Your father is a stone mason. He apprentices you, and teaches you the family biz and low and behold, you are the proud owner of your own stone masonry business that you will someday pass on the tricks of the trade to your own son. It gets even better if you're a woman. You don't even have to have a "second job." Your soul responsibility includes taking care of the household, taking care of the family, and learning all of these things from your mother who passes her knowledge down to you. There is no daycare. There is no waiting to have kids in order to get your career stable and in order. I yearn for those simpler times that have long vanished. We talk all the time about making life so unnecessarily difficult and stressful, yet we're caught in the rat-race that we can't escape. I watched as Holt conducted business calls while we were together after work one afternoon, and stood amazed at the glimpse of what corporate America has really become. And then I look at my own life and wonder how I will fit into all of that. Yes, I know we don't all have to be the business execs, but it's the driving force of our economy. If not that, then what? And is it really possible to get back to the simpler life?
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
(groundhog day)
Wednesday, February 2. Hump Day. My friend Bethany's birthday. Groundhog Day. (Have you ever seen a groundhog or a picture of one? They're huge! I thought they were about the size of a gopher or a mole, but heck no- those critters are a little bigger than those enormous bunnies with the long ears. I wonder how long I can keep this parenthetical reference about groundhogs going? Hmm... I saw this picture today of Punxsutawney Phil where he was biting the trainer holding him- very amusing actually. Probably the highlight of my day thus far. Is that sad or what? I am sad for myself. And you know what? I'm not wearing pink today- it just goes to show that my theory on a person wearing their favorite color to put them in a good mood works. I've been anxious to get out of here since the moment I walked in this morning. See what I do for you? I put myself out there as a Science experiement of sorts! "But Amanda," you might say, "if wearing pink always puts you in a good mood, then why not wear it every day?" Ok, I'm not obsessed, that's why. Now the weirdo on VH1's Totally Obsessed? The one whose vacuum cleaner was even pink- the one whose headboard in her bedroom was rosey-hued- the one who dyed her poor fluffy white dog a nice shade of bubblegum? Now THAT is obsessed. I rest my case. I just realized this conversation very quickly turned to pink when we were supposed to be going on about Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day, thereby necessitating the continuation of the parenthetical text. Is it still legit? I think so. I had a point when I started writing this thing. But the thought escaps me. Oh well. He saw his shadow by the way. 6 more weeks of winter.)
Better Late Than Never
You don’t have to say anything. I know there was no word from me yesterday. I did try to get online last night and blog, but of course, after I had written the whole thing the computer froze up and I lost everything I had written (always type your blog first and save it!). It was slightly depressing. But rather stay up and re-write the thing, I have employed my roommates and fellow Divadomain authors to assist in getting this thing posted for you. Now it’s sort of moot to write about yesterday because this morning has been a crazy one here at work- almost like it’s Groundhog Day or something. I hate that movie by the way. Almost as much as I hate What About Bob; not that I have anything against Bill Murray, it’s just that he’s so good at playing obnoxious characters. It’s the mark of a good actor for sure, that he can get such a violent reaction out of a person for disliking them in a role. Kind of like Kevin Bacon in the movie Sleepers, or Kevin Spacey in Seven. (What is it with the Kevins, anyways?)
I know you’re all in suspense though about what happened with me and the Warden yesterday. Sorry to disappoint, but I ended up not having to throw down. At least not yet. I woke up in a good mood yesterday morning and nothing was going to ruin my day. For one, it was Tuesday, and we all know what that means: It’s not Monday. I have come to dread Mondays at the Bone & Joint Clinic because they’re always stressful, busy, and such a letdown after coming off the weekend. (Looks like someone’s got a case of the Mondays Every Monday!)
The other reason I was in a great mood, besides getting a few unexpected emails, was because I had on my hot pink tights. I looked downright sassy I tell you! I offset the pink tights with a black turtleneck, black skirt, and heels, and just walked out of the apartment in the best mood yesterday morning! Somehow even my hair and makeup looked good. I called the ensemble my ‘Happy February’ outfit, being that it was the first day of the gloomiest month of the year (in my opinion). I am a big believer in wearing your favorite color to alter your mood. For me, it’s not a question of whether or not to wear pink when I step to the closet in the morning, but rather, what shade of pink do I want to don? On more subdued mornings I will choose a pale shade of pink, while on the mornings that I wake up and just have a ton of energy I opt for the hot pink, or DIVA-pink hue as James named it. If you haven’t discovered your own “power color” I would encourage you to do so. It can make a world of difference in your day-to-day attitude. Just ask Mama B about her red tennies that she always gets compliments on, or take my word from all the positive feedback I got on the pink tights yesterday. Your good mood will rub off on others and cause a revolutionary spread of happiness to those around you. Go on. Wear your favorite color and spread the love.
I know you’re all in suspense though about what happened with me and the Warden yesterday. Sorry to disappoint, but I ended up not having to throw down. At least not yet. I woke up in a good mood yesterday morning and nothing was going to ruin my day. For one, it was Tuesday, and we all know what that means: It’s not Monday. I have come to dread Mondays at the Bone & Joint Clinic because they’re always stressful, busy, and such a letdown after coming off the weekend. (Looks like someone’s got a case of the Mondays Every Monday!)
The other reason I was in a great mood, besides getting a few unexpected emails, was because I had on my hot pink tights. I looked downright sassy I tell you! I offset the pink tights with a black turtleneck, black skirt, and heels, and just walked out of the apartment in the best mood yesterday morning! Somehow even my hair and makeup looked good. I called the ensemble my ‘Happy February’ outfit, being that it was the first day of the gloomiest month of the year (in my opinion). I am a big believer in wearing your favorite color to alter your mood. For me, it’s not a question of whether or not to wear pink when I step to the closet in the morning, but rather, what shade of pink do I want to don? On more subdued mornings I will choose a pale shade of pink, while on the mornings that I wake up and just have a ton of energy I opt for the hot pink, or DIVA-pink hue as James named it. If you haven’t discovered your own “power color” I would encourage you to do so. It can make a world of difference in your day-to-day attitude. Just ask Mama B about her red tennies that she always gets compliments on, or take my word from all the positive feedback I got on the pink tights yesterday. Your good mood will rub off on others and cause a revolutionary spread of happiness to those around you. Go on. Wear your favorite color and spread the love.
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