tales of an ordinary girl

I was given the opportunity to take off work early today, so I did. I went to the DMV. Let me give you a little clue about what the DMV is like in Kansas. (Yep, this is likely to be not all that interesting, but I'm a little drunk, so bear with me.)

I just recently moved back to Kansas and my tags are expiring. My house is in an adjoining state. Pick one and you're probably correct.

The first thing you do in the Kansas DMV is get a number from the machine. First you have to figure out what button to pick, but it's pretty easy. They're labeled something like, "Title", "Renewal", "Not currently in Service", etc.

Once you have your number you sit and wait for the first call. I waited about 35 minutes. The waiting room isn't bad. Today it was crowded. I should have realized tht being almost the end of the month. But since I didn't realize my tags were about to expire until I happend to look at my license tag this weekend, it was about the only choice I had.

So I clutched my papers, dear, dear papers, and I read. I read Beware of God: Stories while trying to keep the title hidden. This is Kansas. Short review: "The War of the Bernsteins" and "Somebody Up There Likes You" are funny, "Bobo the Self-Hating Chimp" is cute, and "Heimish Knows All" is disturbing. Probably all of them are disturbing, but I found "Heimish" the most disturbing. I just can't get past.. well.. that'd give it away.

I read, I listened a bit to some music, I waited. They finally called my number and I went up to the desk for my "pre-evaluation". Turns out I didn't have my current year's registration with me. So, I was rejected, but told if I could get back in an hour I could come right to the front of the line. But an hour from what? It was already 35 minutes since I'd pulled the ticket and I lived 15 minutes away even at a good pace. Oh, and it was then that I realized that I still had a meeting scheduled in 15 minutes that needed to be canceled.

I rushed home and canceled the meeting (5 minutes late, but who's counting other than the people that dialed in and listned to the waiting music?). I found my reciept, which I'd accidentally put aside for the year before's receipt earlier in the day. I rushed back and went back to the counter (which was empty) and managed to get processed despite the fact it was 67 minutes past when I pulled the ticket. Either she was generous or the hour started later.

Less than five minutes later I was called up to another desk. I guess I was the lowest number, so I was next in queue. And ten minutes later I was on my way home with a new tag in hand.

I stopped at the grocery store for dinner. I made a yummy chocolate, espresso, fudge cake tonight. I dutifully unloaded the groceries and did the dishes from last night. Then I proceeded to get smashed. It was a celebration of sorts for finishing the project. I thought I needed to relax. Except I didn't really relax and now, again, I can't sleep. I feel irresponsible.

Tomorrow is my planned half day and a massage appointment, then an interview. I should relax, at least for a little bit.

Ok, first of all I made a mistake on the name of a movie. It's Infernal Affairs, not Internal Affairs. Yeah, the "t" and the "f" are pretty similiar in type, but mostly I just don't take the time to read properly.

Anyway, we watched the movie last week and I liked it. There were a lot of scenes that were similar between it and The Departed. And some scenes I liked better, such as the scene in the stereo store and the reference to it later.

I was also caught on some of the cultural differences and similarities. The movie was subtitled, but phrases like "Bye", "Ok", and "Yes, Sir", were in English. They're not technilogical words, so I was a little surprised. Is it the influence of Hong Kong as an English colony, or are there not any good translations in Chinese? I'm not sure what dialog they spoke in the movie. Maybe like foreign words in the English language they became common use because there was nothing equivalent.

But, anyway, as far as the movie, I think I liked The Departed better. I think the story flows a little better in the English version. I think the characters are a little more likeable in the Chinese version though. (And what was up with the kid? Was that supposed to be his kid?)

I did nothing this weekend for Halloween. I kind of miss having a workplace where employees would dress up and we'd have basically a "social day" with food and lots of chatting (work too). It gave me an excuse to make a costume and to get to know people I never worked with before.

I finally caught up on BSG. I watched 2.0 and 2.5 over the weekend (Thursday included). A friend of mine said he did that because he has no life. I guess, I have none too. I've been working such odd hours that I wake up in the middle of the night and am unable to go back to sleep. It's a perfect time for watching an episode or two.

I liked the season. I have to say the first half of the season was better than the second half (IMO). Something about the last few episodes didn't work for me. Maybe I was just in a bad mood.

I still have some deleted scenes to watch and last Friday's Season 3 episode. We've been too busy lately for tv watching (which has pretty much ended for me with this project ending, but not for Matt).

Is anyone else finding that Lost is terribly boring so far this season? My list of tv shows I have the patience to watch is dwindling. (And I'm a little relieved. I feel a bit like I'm wasting my time, but I'd just be playing video games otherwise.)

I finished Galapagos last week too and the ending was ok. It's still probably my least favorite KV book, but it ended up being decent enough. I've started reading Beware of God:Stories this weekend. It's quirky, but not really what I was expecting.

So, I got my hair cut. And there's a lot gone. I really didn't get much length cut off (about 4 inches), but the layers removed a lot of the weight and thickness. I love it. It's so much easier to deal with. And if I curl it, it actually stays curled.

Ok, ok, I know you don't want to hear about my hair.

No luck on selling the house yet. No luck on finding a permanent job yet. No luck on catching up on Battlestar Galactica Season 2 before season 3 started. I did find a good price on 2.5 though and ordered the set yesterday. Now to track down 2.0 cheaply.

I've been pretty happy the past couple of days. Work hasn't been going all that smoothly, but everytime I get a new piece completed I feel like I've accomplished a victory. This morning I finished one little piece on a project that's been hanging on for months and I thought I was going to dance right there in my living room. Of course I didn't, but I could have.

I need a vacation. Any suggestions on where?

Oh, The Ticking came in last night and it's beautiful. Not as beautiful as L's books, but it's still beautiful. The pictures on Amazon really don't do it justice. It's cloth with gold leaf and it feels like velvet. My only issue is that some of the pages in the center of the book are folded, so I'm debating returning it and asking for a new copy.

I read it in about 20 minutes and the story was sad, but beautiful too.

I also finally got my copy of Internal Affairs, which I hope to watch this weekend.

Seriously, I need some ideas of where to take a vacation.

I've considered Ocracoke Island on the outer banks of North Carolina. I love the beach in the off season when it's deserted and the weather is cool and stormy. But, I wonder if I'd get lonely going alone (no way I could get Matt to go that far away, especially if we travel over Christmas).

Today is a beautiful day outside. The clouds have cleared and it's just slightly warm. It's a little humid, but everything feels clean outside. I took a walk around the campus and it's that mix of institutionalized buildings and beautiful landscaping. It's a mix of orderly and wild. And it makes the wild even more beautiful in contrast.

I've been working a lot and the people I'm working with are starting to drive me batty. But today, even though I have a lot of reasons to not feel good, I feel pretty bouncy.

Maybe it's because a friend of mine has finally found out good news about the kids he's adopting. Three, count them, three kids. Talk about an instant family! But I'm really, really happy for him and his wife. It's been a long time coming.

Maybe it's because I completed two more sub-projects this weekend and I'm only three more away from completing and getting away from it. Of course these three are going to be tough. No one really wants to complete anything. But they'll get done.

Maybe it's because I'm getting my hair cut tonight. Yep, I'm going to do something different. I don't know if I'll get a lot cut off, but it'll look different, I hope. It's been too long since I've had a new style and I want to have something interesting (not weird, just interesting).

And maybe it's just because you can only be down so long before bouncing back up. Maybe I'm too tired to be unhappy.

On Slate I found these book recommendations and I so want to go out and buy them tonight and read them: The Ticking and Beware of God:Stories. Too many interesting books to read and not enough time!

I'm halfway through Galapagos and I don't know. I'm a little tired about his references to one million years from now. Maybe it's supposed to be rediculous, but it doesn't make much sense what's happened to humans. And would they just take the cruise and get on with the story? It's not my favorite Vonnegut.

I picked up a copy of The Ghost Brigades, but I swore I'd finish some borrowed books before I started on it.

"People interact but don't make contact."

3 smells that I love
the smell of clean laundry
dried lavender
cooked rosemary

3 smells that I hate
dirty diapers
litter boxes
vomit

3 jobs that I have had in my life
college instructor
ticket seller
christmas light installer

3 movies that I could watch over and over
Anchorman
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Moonspinners

3 fond memories
My mom baking for the holidays
Meeting my husband
Spending the afternoon with my niece

3 jobs I would love to have
Author
Travel writer
Housewife

3 places I have lived
San Diego, CA
Charlotte, NC
Boston, MA

3 things I like to do
Play video games
Sit outside on a cool, sunny day
Have an interesting conversation with someone

3 of my favorite foods
Chocolate
English Tea
Sugar Snap Peas

3 places I would like to be right now
Anywhere but work..

3 websites I visit daily
mows.com
somethingpositive.net
catmydog.comicgenesis.com

3 things that make me cry
Arguments
Being frustrated or angry
Thinking of someone I love dying

Why is it that requesting my credit score from one of those online companies always feels sleazy? And it never works and I'm forced to call in and ask for a refund? Why is it so difficult? Why can't I request a report be mailed to me?

And why can't Mondays be easy days? I want Monday Movies! And why do I feel like I'm regressing to the thoughts of a two year old?

The Departed is a good film. Go see it.

I'm tired. I had an overnight migration on Saturday and that always throws my sleep schedule off. So now I have a headache and I'm achey and I really just want to go home and go back to sleep. And I have three more of these this week.

And work isn't just normal today, it's a day from hell. Now I'm irritable. I need a vacation.

It's a beautiful day outside. The perfect remedy would be napping in the sun. I so envy my cat.

I took a new route into work today because I left later than normal and I knew traffic would be a nightmare on either one of the two roads I usually take South to work. Most of the way in I was behind a mini-van with customized plates. It reminded me a bit of encephalaphone's doofus plates post.

What did the plates say, you might ask. They so brazenly declared to the world "DIETCOK".

I'll let you make the associations.

Slate has an interesting article about how pharmaceutical companies make their drugs look like they are more effective than they are. I read this a couple of weeks ago, but I hunted it down this morning after trying to explain what I'd read to Matt. Anyone taking medication really should read it, if just to be aware of how the effectiveness of a medicine is measured.

I take two medicines, but neither is for preventative measures. But it did make me think about how I've been treated by doctors. Overwhelmingly I think I've had samples thrown at me and asked to come back if the condition didn't improve or if it got worse. Now, I understand that to some degree. The body heals itself and in a lot of cases time is the only thing that's going to make someone feel better (cold, flu, infection, inflamation, torn or sprained muscles, etc.)

But at the same time a lot of times I feel like doctors don't really want to take the time to get to know the patient and what's causing the problem. It's difficult to diagnose a problem from the babbling of a person who you don't know. But when I know there's something wrong with me, whether it's something treatable or just getting older, then it's frustrating to be dismissed. A lot of doctors project an aura that they know everything and the patient is exaggerating and not being truthful. It's irritating.

I have seen good doctors before, so this is by no means a blanket statement, but you have to wade through an awful lot of uncaring doctors to find those who actually listen and try.

Last Tuesday the house was listed and Saturday I finally got the remaining items we had in the basement. The house is empty, clean, and about as good as it's ever going to look without a bigger investment of money than I want to put into it. It only took, oh, about 8 months.

The apartment is getting into decent shape too. Almost everything that we're not using has been moved down to the basement. There's about 3-5 more boxes I need to go through and I need to clean up/organize my desk.

I just got this from my agent:

"I just talked to Eric.
He told me everything is good except the Neighbors.
They don't like the neighbors park their boat on their back yard."



Yeah, well I don't either. I suggest they put up a privacy fence if they really are interested in the house. This same "neighbor" complained to me about the leaks in his basement as he allowed trees to grow in his gutters. It's true, they were seedlings, but they were easily recognizable as maples.

He went on and on about how he wanted the house taken car of because it was "mom's house" and then rented it out to people that didn't mow the lawn and left trash in the yard. They've been better the past couple of years and really, the house next door looks better than it has since six months after I moved in (when they tore down the garage and moved everything that was stuffed into it into the back yard).

Ugh. I really hate hypocrites. Even more than I hate neighbors that bring down property values.