What a Week!

Ok, so not to be a total downer but 2007, thus far, is not all that I was hoping it would be. In fact, I think that the term that I've used most often in reference to the last month is 'blows chunks!' That's right folks. . . someone better fix this year and fix it fast before I call it quits and sit in a basement (I say 'a' basement because my house is so small that I don't have one so I'll have to borrow someone's. . . add to the sulking) for the rest of the year. So, the start of January came through in a blaze of glory. . . I made some headway on my New Year's resolutions and was filling good about things in general. Then, the last two weeks happened and it's been a nightmare to deal with. A couple of things to note:

3, yes 3, people that I knew or was associated with have died in the last 10 days. . . all three in car accidents. Do I ever want to drive again? Nope, sure don't. Death is exhausting whether it impacts you directly or impacts people you know. It's sad and really makes you introspective which is a complete task - especially if your life is as messed up as mine. Emotionally spent.

My work just went through would could be termed as 'The Worst Handled Transition in the World' last Friday. It takes the cake for catching people off guard. Am I excited about the new position that I got? Nope. Is it because it's a bad position? Nope. I haven't had the chance to be excited yet because the announcements were handled in the worst fashion ever - a public forum. 'Hey. . . here's your new spot and here's what you aren't doing anymore. Carlee, we're taking your favorite account away. Don't feel bad.' Did I cry? Sure did. At my desk. And I'm still angry about it. Frankly, some people are lucky that there weren't MORE 'personal meetings' scheduled to deal with this mess. Number of happy people at Datamark = very few. Number of angry and/or nervous people at Datamark = everyone. Brilliantly handled. Again, emotionally spent.

Tried to get a new phone because mine is falling apart. Cingular guys. . . not helpful. I don't want a phone that plays mp3s or flashes strobe lights or does my stinking dishes. Just want one that will make calls with clarity and send texts with lightening speed. Do they have a phone like that? Nope. Unless I want to go online and find one myself. . . point of clarity - there IS a reason that I came into the store and that is so I don't have to order it online. What a joke.

I'm not going to continue because frankly, if I listed all of the things that bothered me about the last week, we'd be here for another one.

Quote of the week (thanks Eric) "I hope life isn't a BIG JOKE, because I don't get it!" Nuff said. . .

It's got to get better, right? Some words of encouragement people!

Gotta Want it. . . bad!

I know that your mind is going crazy wondering what this title could reference and yes, the answer is many things (some too inappropriate to talk about with this viewing audience - Matthew, get your mind out of the gutter).
Anyway, the topic of choice today is food. 'How did you arrive at this?' you may be asking yourself. Well, the reasons are threefold - 1. I love food so why not talk about it. 2. It's lunchtime and that's got me thinking. . . and finally 3.My life may be boring enough in it's current state that I've got nothing else. So, without further adieu. . .
My sweet mother bought me a delightful lunch treat for today - sushi. Granted, a lot of people don't love sushi and I thought for certain that I would never be a person that did. But, thanks to the Tepanyaki and a fabulous Vegas Roll that I once had, it's not so bad. Anyway, back to the lunch treat. I occasionally get these fun things to bring to work for lunch and the inevitable happens: what looks like an excellent idea at 8:00 in the morning does not sound so pleasant once you hit lunch. Sushi is always pretty and looks delicious, but you really have to prep yourself for that slightly fishy flavor to hit the palate or it's a lost cause. Today = not prepared.
Now I've developed a new problem - still hungry, slightly grossed out. Needless to say, I may need to find someone else to finish my lunch. Bugger.

The Order of Things

Occasionally I go on trips. Yes, I would consider myself an fairly seasoned traveler. I like to go on vacation. . . in fact, that's the preferred way to spend my money. So, why I felt like I needed to qualify this blog by giving you my traveling background, I don't know EXCEPT for the fact that I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to my favorite pastime.

Yesterday, I went on a quick jaunt to San Diego. For fun? Nope. For work. If I go to San Diego on my own dime, you better believe I wouldn't stay for only a day. I love it so much that I may go and stay for life!

Anyway, occasionally, I go on these day trips for my job that allow me to go to really exotic places like sunny So. Cal. Because it's a day trip and we are on a strict airport (really early) to rental car to meeting to rental car to airport (usually late) kind of schedule, I will admit that my sensitivity to daily annoyances could be heightened. OR, maybe there is a really large number of daily annoyances that happen to occur within the confines of a puddle-jumper? I don't really know. . . either way, you can see where I'm going. . .man, was I annoyed!

So, in the spirit of lists, I'm going to tell you about my trip by explaining the very things that bug me about people when I travel. Yes, all of these did in fact happen to me and my traveling cohort Lindsay a mere 24 hours ago. Here we go. . .

1. Security. Have people never been through security before because I thought it was a pretty common practice? Please don't put each item that you are carrying in an individual bucket. There is no need. That big machine actually does x-ray. It can see through your coat. Also, that belt buckle will go off in the metal detector just like it did last time because it's metal. If you are going through a metal detector and it beeps at you, please take all pieces of metal off your person rather than taking one off at a time and thinking to yourself 'Hmmm. . . I wonder if that's the one that set it off?' and continuing to test your theory until at last, you find the culprit.

2. Looking for your row. This could be the kicker for me and I know you have all seen it - those people that start walking down the aisle of the plane feeling so lost that they have this look on their face like they are hunting for quality clothing at Wal-Mart. You can hear their monologue just by looking at them. . .'Where is that darn seat of mine? I just can't seem to locate it. I know, I'll look at every one of these numbers until I see my row. . .' Call me crazy but the rows are in order - always have been and always will be. If your ticket reads 17c and you are just getting on the plane, please note that you have 17 rows to go until you find your seat. Do not stop at each row and examine it like all of a sudden you'll see your chair hiding in row 5. That little sign will NOT change to say 5a, 5b, 17c and 5d. I'll bet my paycheck on that.

3. The steward(ess)'s response to the afore-mentioned wanderer. When a person looks that confused, they deserve to worry about where their seat is located on their own. Please don't ask them what they are looking for because then you will deserve an answer like 'My pet rat.' What do you think they are looking for? Don't ask. And, should you need to give them directions to their numbered seat, don't start them with 'Go straight down the aisle. . ' If I were a stewardess, I would say 'Go left two chairs and then back 6 and then crawl over that bald guy and. . ' Don't 'help' the situation by playing captain obvious. '16 comes after 17 and before 18. . .'

4. Local time. So, you can serve peanuts but not tell time? I get it. Twice (I am not kidding - this happened at the end of BOTH of our flights) the stewardess didn't know how to tell time. A story problem, if you will. . . There was a 1 hour time change from here to Cali. It was 7:50 here when we landed in Cali. What time would it be in California? What? The answer is not 9:50? I'm shocked. You can do that little exercise backwards as well to figure out what our flight home was like.

5. Babies. I love babies - they are adorable and cuddly and sweet. . . when they are sleeping on a plane. Luckily, the baby that was directly behind be only started kicking my chair the last 10 minutes of the flight so it wasn't that bad. What got me was the crazy old lady sitting next to the dad with the baby. Apparently, she loves babies too and she likes to make these horrible noises to communicate with them. I can take the high-pitched baby talk, no problem. But, this lady decided to make this ticking noise that sounded like a chipmunk going to town on an acorn. Over and over she ticked at this poor baby. At that point, I almost wanted to cry like a baby until someone let me out.

6. Getting hit in the head with some guys large and in charge suitcase and having him look at you like you are in the way for being in your seat. Ok, this isn't a regular annoyance but it hurt so I had to include it.

7. Door rushers. Last but not least. . . those people that get up as soon as the plane stops and rush to the front so that they can be the first one off. Obviously, there time is more valuable than anyone else's. I am yet to see the airline that ranks your disembarking privledges based on importance. There are only two reasons why you should be able to run off a plane - the first doesn't apply to men and should only be used as an excuse if you have (as my friend Rachel says) 'a total disaster.' The second doesn't happen on a plane because all they serve you are crackers and peanuts and neither of those can do that kind of damage. SO, sit down and wait your turn.

Wow, I needed to get that out. I hope that those of you that travel will pay attention to these simple courtesies and be mindful that YOU may be the culprit. Happy Trails. . .

And the spamming continues. . .

So, as follow-up to a previous post called Spam-alot, I have decided to show you some imperical proof that my grandmother is a spammer. That's right folks. . . she did it again and this time, it was too good not to post as proof of absolute madness.
This email starts with an odd statement - 'the ten things God won't ask on that day. . .' really, there are only ten? Here's the photo that starts the sequence in all it's glory:

Do you feel inspired? Because I. . . didn't. The email then proceeds to tell me that the MAN himself will not care about my job or my house or my car or my friends. No, no. None of that is important. So, while all of that is trivial info. . . here's the kicker and the final slide of the series:

Just so you can't say that you haven't been warned. . . God won't need to ask you if you forward emails because he already knows. 'Nuff said?

I have got to put an end to this madness once and for all. Does anyone have any suggestions how to solve this issue? I only see one solution right now and that is to start sending back hate mail in return. Granted, my judgement may be a little foggy because I'm a little annoyed now. . . but can I can that? Do I send hate mail back or is there some other more logical way to deal with this crap?

How could I have forgotten!

Oh sweet Saved By The Bell! How could I have left you out of my television theme song blog? Did I forget about Zack Morris? I couldn't have. And AC Slater, we still meet in my dreams occasionally. I feel as though I have sinned against humanity as this could be the greatest show of all time.
Yes, it was better this way becuase now it stands out above the rest - as it should. Never to be shamed again. . . here are ALL of the lyrics!

When I wake up in the mornin',
And the 'larm gives out a warnin',
I don't think I'll ever make it on time,
By the time I grab my books,
And I give myself a look,
I'm at the corner just in time to see the bus fly by!
It's all right 'cuz I'm saved by the bell.
If the teacher pops a test,
I know I'm in a mess,
And my dog ate all my homework last night,
Ridin' low in my chair,
She won't know that I'm there,
If I can hand it in tomorrow, it'll be all right!
It's all right 'cuz I'm saved by the bell.
It's all right 'cuz I'm saved by the bell.

Flashback!

This weekend I had the incredible opportunity of being swept back to my childhood. No, I didn't play Candy Land or find my old collection of pogs. It's far more exciting than that. I was taken back to my younger days thanks to the incredible sound-stylings of the DJ at Comedy Sportz in Provo. Shameless Plug Again: yes, I already plugged this establishment in my blog about the car accident but I'll do it again. . . this time specifically about 3 of the players who filled my Saturday night with hilarity - Matt, Jeff and Scott. So funny! There are never any girls. . . because girls aren't funny enough (or maybe stupid enough) to do the show on a regular basis. In fact, $20 says they only call them in desperation - like if one of the guys all of a sudden has his appendix explode or something?

Anyway, the DJ at the show usually plays some good tunes but Saturday was incredible. Right in the middle of a musical chairs game, a familiar tune blared out of the sound system - 'Life is like a hurricane, here in Duck-berg. . ' That's right. It was the Ducktales theme song in all it's glory! I got so excited (as did the rest of the audience) that I didn't know what to do with myself other than set a mental note to go home and download. (I did it so if you need to hear it, please, feel free to stop by).

So, that got us talking on the ride home about the great television shows/theme songs from our younger days and I got so excited that I thought I would spread the cheer via blog. Here are some of the great ones that we came up with (some better known for the show rather than the song but, it's a good list none-the-less) - they should spark some memories and please, keep them coming.

1. Full House - you can't fight it. You watched it AND at least once said 'You got it, dude.' Just to refresh your theme song memory. . . 'What ever happened to predictability? The milk man, the paperboy. . .' You got it?
2. Charles in Charge - Scott Baio? For sure. I don't even need to reprise that theme song - start with the title!
3. Family Matters - Urkel and 'Did I do that?' made a profound impact on my Friday nights when I was young. Not to mention that Eddie had steps cut into his flat-top. That was hot. 'As days go by. . .' and they did. Didn't Urkel become a hot guy at one point? I think so. . . named Stefan?
4. Mr. Belvedere - 'Streaks on the china, never mattered before. . . who cares?' That was a weird show. I heard once that Marilyn Manson was the oldest kid in that show? He wasn't. . . but I still maintain that cheesy TV like that COULD, in fact, do that to a person.
5. Growing Pains - ahhh, the Seaver family. They were so perfect. Who know that one day a religious zealot and an annorexic would come out of that party? 'As long as we've got each other. We've got the world spinning right in our hands. . .'
6. Golden Girls - 'Thank you for being a friend. . .' and thank YOU for all of those over-sized silk shirts ladies! They have provided hours of mocking for a certain person at the office! Is it bad to call someone Blanche behind their back?
7. Perfect Strangers - let's be honest, nobody knows the theme song but everyone DOES remember Cousin Balkey. . . that rascal.
8. Who's the Boss - "There's a path you take and a path not taken. . . the choice is up to you my friend." While the theme song IS inspiring, it's hard to remember the tune. But, nobody forgets that large blue van in the intro or Tony sliding head first into home plate during the theme song. Did you ever wonder what you would do if you really had a Grandma like Mona? Really, a slutty 65-year-old. One comment: sick.
9. The Wonder Years - 'What would you do if I sang out of tune. . " isn't that what you are doing? I wasn't a huge fan of the 60s sounding, Baptist choir including theme song, but it's a classic.
10. Blossom - 19 costume changes by the end of the three-bar lyrics was pretty impressive. The song is actually called 'My Opinionation' which makes me say 'Whoa!' Yes, I participated in the hat frenzy sparked by Blossom and her sidekick Six. What kind of a name is that anyway?

Ok, so there is a good start. Most people remember the shows on the above list and can probably sing at least part of the theme song which DOES excite me. Many of the other shows that I recall came from my cable-watching days as a child. Basically, Nickelodeon was my best friend growing up. A few of the good ones that are noteworthy from there are Hey Dude, Salute Your Shorts, You Can't do That on Television, Clarissa Explains it All and of course the game show category: Double Dare, GUTS and Wild and Crazy Kids.

Hope your trip down memory lane is as good as mine was. . . don't forget to hit me with your favorites!

I Resolve:

In the spirit of the New Year, I decided that it would be good to write down my New Year's resolutions in a place that I hold close to my heart. . .ok really, I figured that maybe if I put them on my blog, my friends would give me a hard time if I try to break them and it may help keep me on the straight and narrow a little? So, that's the plan. Here's my vague, yet important, list of New Year's Resolutions for all the world to see:

1. Live on purpose. I'm a chicken, most of the time, when it comes to feelings or just plain being blah about things. I'm a 'whatever' girl and while I think it's good to be agreeable, it's not good to be a pushover. So, I'm living on purpose and with a purpose. No more being scared. 2007 is the year for bravery.
2. Stop swearing as much as I currently do (Now I don't have the mouth of a sailor and we must all realize that some swearing does offer comedic value but I'm to the point of being a bit out of control. Time to stop. . .or at least slow down.).
3. Cook more. Suprisingly, I like doing it. Mom, don't faint. It can be fun. . . if you plan ahead. So that's what I'm going to do. It probably won't be a lot but anything is better than what I currently do. Besides, eating out is expensive! If I cook then I can have a hot lunch and not have to spend $9 for it. Which leads me to:
4. Don't spend so much money on useless crap. I have a shopping problem. Everyone is aware of it. I spend a lot of money on useless junk (like eating out) that could be used for better purposes. I want to cut my 'useless crap' budget by at least 1/3.
5. 20 bye 20 - Mel, that one's for you. Keep me in line. This is a 'less sugar' resolution that I made with mi amiga Melissa. I may be cranky until April but I'm hoping it's worth it?

Ok, so there are a lot more resolutions that I've made for myself than are probably feasible. In fact, there are 3 or 4 more that I didn't even list that fall under the 'be a better person in general' category or spiritual goals that I don't know that I'll share just yet. But, I think I'm off to a good start. I've already been going on 4/5 for a few days now so I'm hoping that will continue. (That bravery one is much harder than it looks). So, if you see me in a week and I'm a resolution mess, kick me in the pants (figuratively) and get me going.

Question for the day: What are your biggest New Year's resolution flops? You know, the ones that you always make and always break? Maybe I can adopt a few more to add to my growing list!

Who in their right mind. . .

Question: What do cards, no sleep, Mario Cart and killer tunes add up to? One stellar New Year's eve of course! That's right, it's 5:25 am on New Year's Day and I am STILL awake - nope, not awake again. Still awake. I spent the night at a couple of houses in Salt Lake and then my rad buds decided to come and play Mario at my house. (I use the term 'rad' strictly in reference to the fact that we are playing Nintendo. Fits, right?) For the first time in years I am having what I consider to be a great New year's Eve, but then that may be the lack of sleep that is talking.
Although it's been fun, I would be lying if I said that the title of my blog hasn't run through my mind multiple times since 3:00 - what in the heck am I thinking?