Month of June, 2001

It's Saturday Night

It's Saturday night and I'm about to fall asleep. There's so much to write about, but I'm completely out of energy. Let me just say it's been a great, great weekend so far.

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U2...memories So I used to

U2...memories
So I used to be a crazy U2 fan in high school. I got to see them twice before I went off to college and realized that stadium concerts are not my thing. But my friend, Tim, is still really into U2 and has made going to shows a hobby. He recently saw them in DC where he took some amazing pics. Apparently he's seen 3 concerts around the country where he was really close. *wow*

Late, late for a very

Late, late for a very important date!
Woke up with a start this morning when my father poked his head into my room and asked me if I was going to work. OH MY GOSH! It was already 5:30am...I was supposed to be at work! Luckily I could check our systems from home and know that everything was up and running (the most critical part of my job and the whole reason I'm supposed to be here at 5:30). Since I was already late, I stopped by the new house and took out the trash. No sense in rushing when you're already an hour late. Eventually I got to work. And of course there's little work to be done. It's just weird that I slept through my alarm.

Problem Child
Tiger is such a klutz! I was taking him upstairs to give him a bath in my parents' shower when he ran into the hand rail. I didn't completely see what he did, but I think he caught the corner of the railing and pulled a chunk of skin/hair off his back. He cried so loudly. It almost made me cry. Little did I know that having a dog is similar to having a child.

Home Depot After work stopped

Home Depot
After work stopped by the home improvement mecca to pick up some things for work on the house this weekend. I had a more fabulous trip than usual. I LOVE Home Depot. This trip was especially successful. But the nicest part was my old friend, Bobby called. Since I knew it was going to be a long conversation I found some boxes to sit on. About 30 minutes into the conversation, an employee came over with a bottle of water. He said I looked so comfortable sitting talking on the phone he thought I should have something do drink too. It was absolutely the best part of my day! Well, that and the conversation with Bobby. But that's an entirely different story.

Another banner that sucked

Another banner that sucked me in. This one is just plain sacrilidge. But funny. Check out the Dunkin' Donut Jesii.

Big Red

I got sucked in by the banner ad. Then I got sucked in by THE GAME. The setting is a club and all the hipsters in it. It's like choose-your-own-adventure, but the goal is to get a person's phone number. Now this is not something I do very often but it isn't exactly hard. But on this site, it is SO hard. I got sucked in for over an hour trying to actually get someone's digits! Hey, at least unlike real life, you get multiple chances and you don't feel like an idiot playing the game. Plus, it's a really pretty web page.

Yeah, I'm bored at work again.

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Real Doll

Real Doll
Seemed pretty innocent at first...a Ken-esque doll with genitals. Then on closer look...
AHHH! That's not a doll!!!...or is it?
AHHH! I can't tell! If that's a doll that is WAY too realistic for me!...
but you can do all sorts of interesting things with photoshop...
who would make these anyhow...
*upon further investigation*
AHHH! It's really a doll! That is NOT right.

Thanks Mena for the scare.

Jason asked...

"Seedless grapes. How do you grow more then one generation of a plant that doesn't produce seeds?"

Telephones were never meant for this

I was just reading Mena's June 23rd post about telemarketers. It just occurred to me that since moving in with my parents I have had to deal with telemarketers more than ever. I don't know if my parents are simply on more lists than I was or if it just annoys me more now. I do know that it drives me crazy that Grandma can't just let the phone ring. She makes it a big deal to answer the phone when no one else is at home. But as soon as I walk in the door she wants to pass the responsibility off on me. The truly annoying part is that no one ever calls me on that line (I got a cell phone for privacy when I moved in). Since the phone is hardly ever for Grandma and never for me, it would be far easier to let the answering machine pick it up. Grandma just can't do it. She makes me answer the phone. And since she's old, I oblige.

Anyhow, yesterday after painting, I got home and Grandma passed the phone-answering responsibility to me (all I could think is "we have machines for that!"). Not two seconds later, the phone rings. It's my good friend, Bo, trying to sell me insect extermination. Of course, he thinks I'm my mother and I don't tell him differently since I am technically "Ms. Lucci." Instead of telling him I'm not interested or to take me off his list, I pretend I'm my mother, explain that my "husband" takes care of that kind of thing and will pass on Bo's information. I'm such a liar. (But of course I did the right thing by leaving the message for my parents.) There's just something about telemarketers that makes me want to lie.

Only 15 minutes later, as I was getting out of the shower, the phone rang again. So I sprinted down the hall in a towel only to find yet another telemarketer on the phone. This time I decided to be honest about my identity and just take the message. The thing that pissed me off about Tess is that even when he gave me his phone number and company name, he wouldn't tell me what it was in regards to. Definitely something fishy going on there. The really scary part was after I pushed him, he finally told me it was in regards to "investments." Anyone see Boiler Room? Hell no, I'm not investing over the phone!!

The sad part about all of this, is that besides being on the phone at work, these were the only phone calls I had. My friends never call anymore. But then again if they did, I wouldn't have anything to bitch about.

Current Events

It seems there's so much to do and not enough time to do it. If only I didn't have to sleep!

Yesterday afternoon, Jason and I painted my room. To make a long story short, I was pretty unhappy with the colors. I decided to let them dry completely and sleep on it. Maybe it will look different today. I can always hope, right?

Tiger has been such a doll recently. He was pretty wound up when I got back Monday night but I can tell he's happy. I think the funniest is how he just doesn't want to get up in the morning. Yet he doesn't want to go to bed when I do. For example, last night, I was in bed by 8:30pm and he was in his bed doing just fine. Then he heard Mom and Dad come home. He couldn't stand that they were doing something in the house without him so he stood by the door and whined and whined. Eventually, I gave in and let him out. It seems he is growing quite close to Mom...it's very sweet. After Tiger ran around the front yard with Dad and got his nightly treat from Mom, we went to bed. I assume he went to sleep when I did but who knows. I just know that when I turn on the light at 4am, he gives me a look like "Noooooooooooo, please don't make me get up." It's so hilarious, because I know exactly how he feels.

Summer and Greg's wedding invitations came in the mail while I was away. They are SO beautiful. What I really liked was the way they announced their wedding. You know how most invitations start with the names of the parents of the bride and groom? Their invitations are so much more personal. They say, "Because you have shared in our lives by your friendship and love, we Summer and Greg together with our parents, invite you..." I think they are just so wonderful! I'm really looking forward to the wedding! Ooo, speaking of which...I need to get my skirt hemmed.

Karen and Grandma are going to Buffalo this weekend to visit family. I kinda wish I was going up north since I haven't visited in a long, long time. But somehow I was left out of the loop when the plans were made. I think it will be really good for Grandma to go home and see her friends and family - I know she is lonely at times here. I'm sure they will have a good trip. I'm just looking forward to having the weekend and next Wednesday off to work on the house. I thought I was going to go down to Austin this weekend but there's just no way I can be ready to move without working my butt off this weekend. Haven't even set a move date yet but I know it will be in the next 2 weeks (since we already set a party date). I've got to be moved in before the party! Crazy, crazy.

Wanna come to the party?

Oh, it just occured to me that Dave is going to Radiohead tonight. I'm SO jealous.

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History

That Day in History
These are the things that I feel are historically significant that occured on my birthday.

1302: According to Shakespeare, this is Romeo and Juliet's wedding day.
1888: From March 11 until March 14, the worst blizzard in history hits the eastern United States, paralyzing the region.
1918: On March 11 the so-called Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 arrived in the United States.

Hmmm, love, death, sickness, cold, and paralysis...not a good day.

Can vacation ever be bad?

I had a wonderful, wonderful time in New Orleans with Gena. We ate and ate and ate. Definitely some of the best food I've had in quite some time. We ate a ton of sushi and seafood. The sushi at Asahi was definitely the best. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. Of course I have no desire to tell you moment by moment what we did...so here's yet another highlight list.

• SUSHI and someone to enjoy it with!
• Female conversation...if you're not female, you just can't understand. If you are, you know exactly what I mean.

• Red Room and the "King of Swing" Johnny Angel. We saw a show Friday night in this totally swanky club recommended to us by Earl. Johnny Angel headlines a swing band and though he's not a great singer, he's one of the best showmen I've seen in awhile. Of course we met him and hung out with him - it was an experience! Johnny has the biggest pompadour I've ever seen! I'm talking Morrisey times 3. And the local gossip says he even wears it like that to church. Talk about living in an alternate reality. There's nothing like meeting new people...especially the ecentric ones.
• Earl, the best sushi waiter in New Orleans. Earl works at Asahi and I struck up conversation with him while we ate. Started conversation for 2 reasons: I figured he was young enough to know where to go in New Orleans and he looked to be fairly cool. Turns out both were true though I didn't have any idea how great Earl really was. Earl got his degree in photography at LSU not long ago so we had the whole artist not making art conversation. Then I found out he has a band, though I haven't heard their stuff as of yet. New CD is in the making so maybe I really will get the copy he promised. Earl had all sorts of great suggestions for places to go the best being Red Room. Saturday night, Earl and his girlfriend, Courtney (who is easily just as cool if not cooler than Earl simply for the fact she is female), met us at Top of the Mart. Top of the Mart is a SUPER swanky rotating bar on top of the World Trade Center. Apparently they just happened upon it a few months ago and are enjoying it in all it's 70's swank because it is all too soon going to be made into yet another tourist trap. Courtney is a psychology major from Arizona. I'm hoping to see both of them again someday because we had a great time. Now, why can't I meet people like this in Dallas? Oh yeah, I seldom stop to talk to the waiter in the sushi place here.
• D-Day Museum - If you're in New Orleans this is a must. We heard from Scott, the piano player in Johnny Angel's band, that is was really good so we went. Thank you, Scott, because it was. I found myself tearing up through different parts. Makes me thankful for peace.
• Of course we went to House of Blues to have a drink. The "outsider" art is so great...though I wonder about the autheticity. It's just another Disney World. Disappointing music as well so we didn't stay long. Though I hear their Sunday brunch is the best and we just didn't make it back.
• Another dissapointment was Emerils. I'm not going to get into it. Let me just say that uncooked pork isn't very appealing.

• On the other hand, K-Paul's was very, very good!
• We also got to meet Adrian, who is a friend of Blake who is Karen's friend and my acquaintance. Adrian got his master's at A&M which is the connection. Why does everything connect back to that school these days? Adrian was a wonderful tour guide and an all around interesting person. We didn't spend enough time together but there's never enough time, is there? Adrian fulfilled two of my big desires - alcohol in the street and oysters on the half shell. We had a really, really good time.
• And as is par for the course, Gena and I did plenty of shopping.

It was a great trip. Gena is a good friend whom I've know for 20 years it seems. Can't say that about too many people. The neat thing about Gena is we always pick up where we left off and we always have something to talk about. Thank goodness for friendship therapy. Food and talk - there's nothing like it to make everything okay.

Big Easy

I'm off to New Orleans today. Will be gone until Monday evening. You should take some time off and do something else than surf the web! Sit on the porch, walk around the block, hang out in front of 7-11...anything to get away from the computer! As for me, I'm going to do everything BUT surf the web!

Here's to being able to drink alcohol in the streets!

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Quote of the Day

Love like you've never been hurt.
- said by an optimist, posted by a pessimist

Way to go, Mom!

Mom got her picture and a recipe in the paper. We always knew she was a good cook and now she got recognition for it!

Good Book

I just finished reading Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson, a very fun sci-fi novel. Here's some of my favorite quotes:

" 'Wait a minute...This Snow Crash thing - is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?' She shrugs, 'What the difference?' "

"We are all susceptible to the pull of viral ideas. Like mass hysteria. Or a tune that gets into your head that you keep on humming all day until you spread it to someone else. Jokes. Urban legends. Crackpot religions. Marxism. No matter how smart we get, there is always this deep irrational part that makes us potential hosts for self-replicating information."

Dave's description of himself "the

Dave's description of himself
"< bragging >the thing about me is, that I generally pick things up pretty quickly. this doesn't make me an expert, but if you suck, and I suck, i might reach a level of competency faster. this seems to piss people off. Also, based on my varied interestst, I know a little about a lot of things, and sometimes a lot about a lot of things...but this is becasue I'm a dork with a lot of interests< /bragging >"

The thing I love about Dave is his use of "HTML" for emphasis.

Justin Space Check out Obscene

Justin Space
Check out Obscene Interiors 2.

Thanks, Chris, for the link.

Feeling much better I'm feeling

Feeling much better
I'm feeling much better than I was earlier. Dad and I did some painting in the new house and we talked a lot. I think the thing that is missing from my life is working with my hands. When I was making art, I was happy. There is something about working with my hands (other than typing) that makes everything okay. I'm so lucky I am moving into a house with space for me to make art. I need to make art.

Thank goodness Dustin is coming over tomorrow to paint with me. Perfect timing!

Content

Haven't blogged much recently. Let me rephrase that. I haven't blogged much content recently. I feel like I'm stuck in a bubble. I've created my own little surreal internet world and I seldom leave it. I have a couple friends that I only talk to online. I jump from page to page reading about people's lives that I don't even know. I spend all day at work doing this and then hours at home as well. I talk to friends but it's always on the phone which is yet another extension of technology. If I didn't live with my parents and my sisters didn't stop by, I wouldn't be surprised if I never spoke to anyone in person.

Last week I was completely content that my life revolved around a little box but as of last night, I'm not so happy. My "real life" friends are even teasing me about the amount of time I spend online. I think it all hit me when Adam made some sort of comment last night about "going online again?" Nothing big, just a comment in passing. But it helped me realize that I'm predictable and pathetic. My life has become ALL about the computer. How quickly things change in just a few months. I'm not sure what I need to do but I think I need some time off. The real question is can I do it? Can I really turn my machine off and leave it off? Can I find something else to occupy my time? Can I actually have a meaningful conversation face to face?

I guess I'm being a bit hard on myself. Friday afternoon Jason and I had lunch. We talked and talked just like we always do. Face to face. So I'm not as bad as I feel. I just need some balance in my life. Hopefully Tuesday, Dustin and I will be able to get together and paint like we have planned. Then Thursday afternoon, I'm off to New Orleans for the weekend with Gena, a friend from childhood who lives in Houston. (Why do all my girl friends live in other cities?) It will be good to get away and hang out with a real live person...and a woman at that!

So I'm going to throw myself into work on the house tonight and probably Wednesday night as well. Maybe I'll get a break on Tuesday to make some art with Dustin. Then I'll run away from technology for the weekend. Maybe I'll even start looking for a job with normal hours so I can see real people (other than my family) on a regular basis. In the meantime, I'm going to read a book.

Meaning of Life Response "I

Meaning of Life Response
"I go through bouts of that kind of thinking on a fairly regular basis...Here's the surprising thing (to me anyway). I have yet to meet an adult who has not struggled with these issues in one way or another. The content of the struggle can be pretty varied, but the basic process is the same - questioning oneself, one's purpose, one's worth, etc. I have been truly blown away by seeing this occur in most people. Seems like people differ far more in how they communicate about life than in how they experience it. So, like I said, it's usually humbling. Helps me realize that I am not alone, way out there on a limb looking in (or down) on society. Helps me to feel more grounded, more accepting of others, less alone."

Thank you, Jeff, for sharing.

Dutch My friend, Erik, from

Dutch
My friend, Erik, from Holland is teaching me some Dutch. Here's my first phrase.
Ik hou van mijn hond. translation: I love my dog.

Just don't ask me to pronounce it.

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What a weekend!!

My family has been working on the new Lucci House all weekend. I'm exhausted. At least the ceilings are painted which makes everything look clean and fresh. Also, we'll be able to start moving stuff in. I can't believe that in only a couple weeks I'll be living with my sisters. I never, never would have thought I'd be doing this a year ago. I keep wondering how I got here.

But I'm too tired to go into all that tonight. Besides, I should quit talking about the past and live in the now. Do I really have to go to work tomorrow?

Adam's description of himself i'm

Adam's description of himself
i'm 5'7 with a long mullet, i'm missing one front tooth. i walk with a noticeable limp. my left eye is lazy and has a tendency to look at arses and breasts (i can't control it) my eyebrows are bushy, and i smell like last night's vodka. i usually wear a plaid london fog jacket with a pair of lime green stretch pants and white loafers (my favorite outfit)
did i mention i'm a model?

Wow, sounds like the guy for me! Wanna hook up?

Today work is boring, boring,

Today work is boring, boring, boring. At least it's almost over.

Women on Waves
Kris saw this story on the news this morning and alerted me to it. WAY TO GO, WOMEN!!! Keep helping women by giving choice where it has been taken away!

Cosmic Day It's been a

Cosmic Day
It's been a weird cosmic day.

• Dad got in a slight accident. Luckily he's not hurt and it was only the old, black car.

• Mom almost got swept away in smoke when there was a grass fire on the highway.
• Kristen lost her job for a stupid reason by a stupid manager. But that's for the best because she's a billion times too smart for it anyhow.

Luckily nothing has happened to me but I decided to stay home after all this went down.

If you're going to sell

If you're going to sell me something!
Got an email advertisment. Usually I just delete them, but this one caught my eye.
"A sign of intelligent life. Intense. Sensual. Masculine. The first men's fragrance to celebrate the sex appeal of intelligence."

Sex AND intelligence. Now that's good marketing.

Lucci House Blog My sisters

Lucci House Blog
My sisters and I have started working on our new house. Karen decided that we should have a page about it so I've set it up. It's very plain jane right now but once I get some pictures going, it will be far more entertaining.

European Vacation
Also, I typed up my vacation journals and posted them. I was going to work on the overview of the vacation but that's not going to happen anytime soon. Maybe when I get some pictures (Karen-return the CD with the pictures!) up, I'll do some more journaling. In the meantime, here's what I wrote while I was away.

Yum? Thanks, Mena, for

Yum?
Thanks, Mena, for the introducing me to Carl.

"Untitled" by Leandra Urrutia,

"Untitled" by Leandra Urrutia, the artist I saw last Thursday.

Wedding Photos Check out this

Wedding Photos
Check out this pic for the groom, best man, and minister. They look so good!
Of course, I'm kinda partial to the middle one.

Why does everyone look stoned?!

Kristen and Tiger and Me

Butt-Pat?

Me: How about all the men who pat each other on the butt at a game but don't want to hug in a friendly way?
Dave: Yeah, that's a little odd. I never went in for the butt-pat. I did it once, I think in junior high or high school playing basketball, and it was so unnatural, I never did it again.

Gotta Love Sushi

So I said that my next boyfriend will like sushi. For all of the men who are interested in dating me (because I know there are billions of you just waiting in line), you'd better learn to like it or at least be willing to try it. In your pursuit of sushi loving, check out these Sushi Bar Do's and Don'ts.

Dave went to the BEACH

Dave went to the BEACH yesterday! I'm SO jealous. I think he should post about it here because I know he won't post much about it there. Please, Dave?

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The Hobbit Name Creator

The Hobbit Name Creator would explain why Adam's online name yesterday was Meriadoc Toadfoot of Frogmorton. Mine is Pansy Hornblower of Waymoot. I wouldn't make a very scary Hobbit.

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Quote of the Day

"I'd like to picture the web is a big dance floor. We're all just here getting our groove on. Having fun. Riffing off each other. Communicating. Dancing and letting dance. Because we're alive."
- Evan Williams of Blogger

Purpose

Why do people come into our lives when they do? It seems that for the major part of you childhood, you simply have your family and maybe a few family friends. Then as you grow up you have the opportunity to meet more and more people. I'm not even a quarter of a century old and I can only begin to fathom the amount of people I've met. Some are more memorable than others. Some I wish I could forget. But mostly I'm wondering what purpose they had in my life. This is, of course, since my major assumption about life is that everything happens for a reason. (Probably a lingering belief from my religious days.) But maybe it's not the case at all. Maybe people come and go in our lives just like wind flowing through the trees. Maybe we are all just a bunch of atoms colliding together as we hurtle through space for no apparent reason. Maybe this is all a dream, and I'm really just submerged in some fluid so an alien race can use me as a battery. Man, why did that movie screw my mind forever?!

I guess I should quit questioning it and go back to enjoying the people in my life. I'm thankful that I am not as lonely as I was only a year ago. I'm thankful I've learned a billion interesting things from people all over. I'm thankful that I can still love and be loved.

Austin - my home away

I had a GREAT weekend visiting Autumn and Ky in Austin. Friday night we just caught up on each other's lives and any necessary gossip. (If you're wondering...yes, we definitely talked about YOU! We talked about EVERYONE.) Had dinner at Magnolia Cafe which, thank goodness, is always open. Let me recommend the MagMud next time you go! It's this delicious queso with beans, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. I'm going to have to try to make this soon. We ended up staying home Friday night.

Saturday we had bagels as usual. Though the new manager at Einstein's Brothers Bagels is a real jerk. He got Autumn's order wrong then had the nerve to tell her that she ordered it that way. When she insisted he threw the bagel tray across the counter. Hey, guy, it's ONLY bagels. Later in the day we headed off to Barton Springs with the dogs. It was a wonderful afternoon at the park. When we got home, I got a call from Adam. Prior to the call, I had no idea Houston was a disaster area!

Saturday night, Cindy, Autumn, and I went to see The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. It was a tremendous show! If you're female, you HAVE to see this. After the show, we went out and had drinks at Malaga on 4th Street. Yes, we bypassed the frat boys on 6th and headed down to Yuppie Street. But it was fun. The best part was running into my old friend from college, Gil. Gil and I were really, really good friends but lost touch rather sadly. We figured out that we haven't talked for something close to 2 years...very sad. However, we are now back in touch, and it's like nothing has changed. Gil just bought a wholesale bakery in Austin and seems to be doing quite well. I'm looking forward to developing this friendship again.

Sunday went way too fast because we slept late. We had planned on going hiking, climbing, and swimming at Reimers Ranch but decided there just wasn't the time. So we had a nice breakfast at Austin Java Company (whose breakfast tacos are THE best). Ky went climbing with his friends while Autumn and I did some shopping and just hung out.

The drive back to Arlington sucked worse than normal due to all the traffic. Why can't they make I-35 wider & faster? There are just too many people travelling that highway during the weekend. If I didn't have to work so early I would drive late at night to avoid the traffic. With my life as it is, I got to enjoy randomly slamming on my brakes in the middle of the interstate. What is wrong with people braking on the highway?!

I eventually got home and within the hour, my parents were dragging me to the new house. We just gained possession yesterday. It is OUR house! Of course, with an empty house you can see how much work really needs to be done. But I'm young, I know how to paint and I've got decorating magazines - so watch out! I'll let everyone know soon about the house warming party!

Erica's Gone

Erica's gone for the weekend, and she has yet to take me off her team list. Therefore, I thought I'd do some surreptitious posting. Ulp, here she comes...

Thursday is Sortof the Weekend

Last night Mike and I went to an art show at TCC Southeast Campus. Mom had clipped an article from the paper about it and since I haven't seen any shows recently I decided to go. The article only mentioned the work of two painters, and I was pleasantly surprised when we saw the work of a clay sculptor as well. Forgive me for not remembering names, but I'll check when I get home. The thing that caught my eye about this show was that the painters were advertising themselves as the two best painters in the country. Of course it was just a publicity attempt but it worked (at least on me). Unfortunately, I had hoped the would be a little better than they actually were. It was pretty bad. Mike and I used the "would-you-have-it-in-your-house?" as the litmus test. Almost all of the paintings failed. However, the sculpture and accompanying drawings passed with flying colors. We actually had a hard time deciding which one piece we would buy if we could.

Mike was a very fun companion on this outing. He really surprised me with his interest and his thoughtfulness. He wasn't afraid to tell me what he thought and didn't mind when we disagreed. And consistently Mike's dry-ass sense of humor made me laugh. After seeing the show we made a stop by Fry's Electronics to just wander. Believe it or not, I made it out without buying anything. My desire for computer things has suddenly made a jump up the price scale. Everything I want is suddenly 200-1000 dollars. Can't do impulsive buying with prices like that. Mike and I eventually chose a restaurant and had a nice dinner. By the time dinner was over it was way past my bedtime so we went home, I kicked Mike out and tumbled into bed. Of course, when I woke up this morning I was pissed that I had stayed up so late. But Thursday is sortof the weekend, right?

If we all lived in glass houses
I'm watching a couple people in an office across the atrium have a heated conversation. The man is sitting behind his desk and I can barely see his face due to the computer. The woman is standing in front of the desk and is easily seen from here. Both are waving their arms around and using a lot of strong body language. I sooooo wish I could hear what they are saying. I'm not a very good lip reader but I've caught things like "yes" and "no" and "but why?". I wonder if it's a personal or a work discussion. I wonder why the man hasn't offered the woman a chair yet. Oooo, now she's pointing at him. He seems much more relaxed about it than her. At least they kept the door open to his office so at least someone else in the area can hear them. I wonder what they guy in the next office over thinks. He sure doesn't look like he can hear them. The conversation/argument/discussion went on for awhile then the woman walked out with a look of disgust. The man simply turned back to his desk and started reading. Oh the explanations I can make up in my head! I just lived the office version of Rear Window.

What's in a name?

Keith and I have been having a discussion about names (via email...arrrggghhh...why doesn't his work get a REAL network?), because I wondered if Sarah (his new wife) took his name. She didn't. Here's a snippet of our conversation.

Me: [Changing my name] would make me feel like property.
Keith: but you will be ;) i have a receipt for sarah. haha! seriously, it has my name on a receipt for the marriage license, so she's bought and paid for by me. and the ring is my "brand." i've also ordered the electronic tracking tag that you clip on the nipple (like a pastie) from www.bigfuckingmalepig.com i'm upset it didn't arrive before she goes to atlanta this weekend for the conference. oh well, at least the Cooch Defender* is in place. so, no worries here.

House

My parents are closing on the new house this morning. Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly. I'm very excited. We were joking about signing a lease with my father since he's going to be our landlord. But I convinced him that he's not going to sue me so a lease isn't necessary. (And of course, I'll return the favor...who could sue their own parents?! The one case that sticks out in my mind is the teenager who tried to divorce his parents...I probably would have divorced my parents at 16 too...then there is Eminem's mother...but I digress.)

So, we've verbally agreed to rent from my father for a year. Wow, I just commited to living in Arlington another 12 months...but that's a whole other discussion. In his case for a lease, he said that you never know what might happen in a year. Blah blah blah. That one of us might even get married. Yeah, right, Dad...keep wishing. I'm planning on becoming an old maid with my sisters in Arlington. I think it's the Lucci heritage and how could I forsake that?! (A little background info for those of you who don't know: I have four great aunts and two female cousins on my father's side who never got married.* How can I fight fate?)

*My sister thinks I talk too much about this marriage thing. And I quote, "Um, "the lady doth protest too much" is what comes to mind." Hey, these are the things I think about. I've never said I was normal.

Frog Prince

Last week when I walked into work, a frog jumped across my path. It startled the shit out of me, since I assumed I was the only living thing up that early. I hurried away, hoping not to step on it. Then I almost turned around and went back. Something told me I should kiss this frog. I didn't expect it to turn into a prince right then and there, but maybe I'd meet my prince later that day. Isn't it strange how fairy tales affect our thinking?

And, no, I didn't kiss the frog.

Music makes the world alright.

Keith just sent me a mix CD and everything is right with the world. Thank you, Keith.

That's where all the men have been hiding!
So I've been wondering for almost a year now where all the men in Arlington are. I used to go out to the bars but it got old real quick. Mom thinks I should meet men at church - not my style anymore. I seldom go to the grocery store - spoiled by living with my parents. I was beginning to think all the men in Arlington were like my father (which most of them are). But then I went to the public library this afternoon and realized the massive amounts of men there. So, if you want to meet a guy in Arlington, head out to the library! Sure he'll be creepy and talking to himself while reading the newspaper but you could do worse.

Addiction

I've decided that I'm addicted to people. I love talking with people. Even people I don't particularly like interest me. I like watching their facial expressions. I like hearing their stories. I like to know how they feel. This is definitely my obsession.

I just realized this as I spoke to one of the programmers in my office. I feel bad because I don't know his name, but we always talk. Today he asked me about my trip so we talked about traveling. Through this conversation came bits and pieces of his life which sound so interesting! He met his Australian wife through chatting on "the old system," by which I assume he means VM but I'm new skool so not sure. He's been all over the Caribbean. He's an advanced certified scuba diver. He missed a plane to Germany when he was in high school so his sister went instead. Oh the stories! I could sit and listen for hours. I've GOT to find out his name.

Comments

Tired

I am so tired. Haven't been getting enough sleep lately. Maybe I'll just lay my head down on my desk...

The Rituals of Death

Went to a memorial service for a friend's father last night. This is the second funeral service I've been to in the past year. Both have made me think a lot about remembering our friends when they die. So I've decided to leave very specific instructions to my friends and family about how I want them to memorialize me. I think that funerals and memorial services are supposed to be a mode of healing but I see very little healing going on. So I want my friends to TALK. I think it's important that people say what they remember, say what they regret, say what they love. It's not nearly so hard to deal with when we share our pain with each other.

Unfortunately the only time I see old friends these days, like my mother said, is at weddings and funerals. Last night was definitely the case. I saw all sorts of friends from junior high and high school, but mostly parents' of friends. These things are tough but I've gotten much better at summing up the past 7 years of my life. I saw Tim, one of my first boyfriends and an old, old friend. I surprised myself with warm feelings for Tim as soon as I saw him. It's been years and years since we've been close, but there was something very comforting about hugging him. The neat part is he works right around the corner from me and we're planning on "doing lunch." Am I a yuppie yet?

So if I were to die unexpectedly anytime soon, I think the one thing I want you all to know is BE HONEST. Tell each other what you think about me, what you remember. Tell your friends what you feel. I don't want to be remembered as someone I'm not just because it's more politically correct or comfortable to avoid certain topics. Screw the establishment and talk about these things! I want everyone to know that I've never been ashamed of myself, my life, and the choices I've made in life. So you don't have to be either. It's okay to be honest. And remember that no matter what you believe, none of us really know what happens after death, and I'm okay with that. I'm not worried so you don't worry either.

MASH

Remember it? Not the TV show, but the game...Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House! Come on, don't lie! I know you played it. Here's your chance to play again but now with improved techonology!

Thanks to Mena at DollarShort.org.

Here's my future:
Your husband's name is John and you have 0 children. You're a Grocery Store Clerk who drives to work every day in a orange BMW.
It's truly a wonderful life when you consider the countless romantic nights you have spent with John in your shack in Italy.

Quote of the Day

The beauty of relationships on the road, is that they are sugary sweet...and conveniently short. They say that the three lines that sum up the travel romance experience:
1. "I'm not drinking tonight."
2. "I love you." and
3. "I'm leaving tomorrow."
No. The fact remains firm, the only thing I can fully commit to, is life...and dating it, occupies the the high majority of my time, energy and heart.
Thanks, SolBeam, for summing it up perfectly.

Jail Babes

Mighty Girl linked this page which is hilarious on it's own. However, I thought the logo was REALLY nice.

HOT...who me?

Heard it was going to get up to 92 degrees today. You just have to love summer in Texas. Why did anyone settle here? At least I get up early enough to enjoy the one time of the day it isn't hot. What frustrates me is it wouldn't be so bad if we didn't live in air conditioned boxes all the time! Humans are tropical creatures - we adjust much better to hot than cold (which would explain why New Yorkers are gouchy). However, we have to give a chance for our bodies to adjust. We don't allow ourselves to get used to the heat when everywhere we go is air conditioned. So, I think everyone should quit air conditioning everything so I can adjust.

What would my life be without the telephone?
Spent some time talking with Mike yesterday. (This is the Mike I met Friday night as mentioned earlier.) He seems to be a really interesting person. For example, he never graduated from high school but got into college because he had some ridiculous amount of hours through AP and CLEP tests. That's awesome. I'm just jealous that he's smarter than me...by a lot. Which means, I can't hang out with him due to my fragile ego. Anyhow, Mike is very cool and I'm looking forward to spending some time with him. I can always use intelligent friends.

Talked to Autumn and Ky yesterday too. It's so weird to call Autumn but also get to talk to Ky. It's like they're married but they're just living together - "temporarily." Somehow I don't believe that but only time will tell. Autumn finished teaching last week and now has the whole summer to screw around. That's the one thing I miss about teaching...pay checks through June and July but not going to work. Autumn also moved into a larger apartment this weekend and Cindy will be moving in with her soon. I'm so thrilled they'll be living together because I LOVE Cindy. Anyhow, I'm missing Autumn desperately so Tiger and I are going down to visit this weekend. He hasn't been on a road trip like this before...should be interesting. Plus, Greta, Autumn's dog, is living with her again. Hopefully the two of them will get along. (Poor Ky, two dogs might be more than he can handle.)

Memorial
Tonight I am attending a memorial service for the father of a friend from junior high and high school. Doug's dad got very, very sick rather quickly and there was nothing that could be done. It breaks my heart because he was only 50-something. That's just so young to die. It is going to be hard for me to attend this service because Doug's family is very, very religious. So there will be a lot of talk about Dick "being with Jesus" and this is "God's will" and such. I guess I think that whatever you want to believe to help you through the tough times is fine, but I can't. Yes, I believe it was time for Dick to die but who knows why. All I know is there is some sort of order in the universe and we'll probably never understand it. Death is a part of life. It is constant. Our bodies break and if we really do have souls who knows where they go.

I'm being a bit unfair to turn this sad event into my own chance to gripe about religion and belief systems. I'm going to go tonight to show Doug and his family that I care. Dick was an awesome dad as far as I knew. We would hang out at Doug's house or stop by to get Doug and Dick was always as nice as can be. He seemed like a happy man who was good to his family. I can only imagine how they are all feeling right now. The hardest part for me would to not regret things said or not said throughout life. Mostly I hope that Doug and his family can be at peace about Dick's death So I'll be there tonight to help surround some old friends with love when the most need it.

Weekend

It's been a wonderful weekend so far. It feels like summer!

Friday night
Last night Jason and I went to a meeting of people who read 2600 Magazine. I don't know much about the magazine or the meetings but this was pretty much just a time for a bunch of geeks to socialize. Needless to say, I had fun.

We showed up to Mama's Pizza, had something to eat and some beer. The first guy I met was Raymond who invited Jason to the meeting. Raymond was the guy who had a camera in the bathroom at Sam's party in Austin. Wow...small world. Ends up Raymond is a lot cooler than he appeared in Austin. We met Megan who is an extremely sarcastic person but definitely one of the coolest women I've met in awhile. Jason and I switched sides of the table because some guy had a pager with a keyboard out. So we met Jeremy and his friend, whose name eludes me. Jeremy seemed cool at first but ended up being a HUGE jackass...typical male. But in the midst of talking to Jeremy we had the chance to meet Mike. Jason and I could tell Mike was cool but it wasn't until he said he lived in Lubbock at one time that we knew it was true. Lubbockites unite! So after socializing for awhile about bullshit, much which was funny but nothing significant to share, we followed a huge caravan of cars to Raymond's apartment.

Raymond is an uber-geek. He has everything technical. It was fun to mill around and look at his stuff. Jason and I ended up sitting in a circle with Mike and Megan. Ends up Megan is from Houston and was up visiting Raymond, whom she met on the internet. She is a database administrator for a non-profit group. WOW. She's into indie rock, something I know very little about, and she has a GREAT sense of humor. She reminds me a little bit of Jessica Mask but Megan seems to be a lot cooler. Mike grew up in Garland but went to Texas Tech as a computer science major for a few years. He moved to Dallas for a programming job (C++) and plans on going back to Lubbock when he gets laid off (which he thinks will be next week). Mike has the driest humor of anyone I've ever met - absolutely hilarious!

We had a great time getting to know each other and telling stories. Jason and I both just finished reading Generation X by Douglas Coupland. In the book, the characters tell lots and lots of stories. Some true, some not - it doesn't really matter. Mike and Megan were GREAT sports about telling stories with us. Someday I'll share some of them, because they were great. We also were entertained by one of the geeks and his "older woman." The world never ceases to amaze me.

Saturday
Got up for pancakes with the family. I was a little hungover but nothing a couple Advil and some pancakes couldn't fix. Then we went by the "new" house to check on a few things. That was hard because I can tell the couple who sold it to us is going to miss it a lot. The woman said something along the lines of, "I hope you enjoy this house as much as we did." This couple is moving into an assisted living facility so I know they have issues about selling their house. We were all very nice because someday that will be us. I'm getting very excited about moving!!

Talked to Summer on the phone for a good hour this afternoon. There's nothing better than spending some time with your best friends even if it is on the phone. God, I miss her. Summer, move back to Texas! Pllleeeeaaasssee? I also found a really good price on plane tickets to Seattle for Summer's wedding. Well, Mom and Dad found the tickets but I purchased them. Everyone should pat me on the back because I was able to buy plane tickets within 12 hours of knowing the price! This is a big improvement in my decision making!

Then I spent the rest of the afternoon at Courtney's house (who is a friend of my younger sister) swimming and laying out. It was really great to hang out with Kristen and all her friends. They are GREAT people.

Don't know what I'm going to do tonight but I'd really just like to go to sleep. Weekends are awesome.

Jason's Dream as mentioned earlier

My dream story, as promised.
I read in your blog today that you dreamt about John last night. This caught my attention because I had a similar dream. I dreamt about Corianna.

Since I get the impression that you're probably going to post this I'll give a little background for the benefit of your loyal fans. I dated Corianna for 2 and a half years or so, lived with her a good part of that time. It was probably the most healthy, stable relationship I've ever had. (Kris, if you're reading this, not a word, or I'll bury you in a field. Smooches! ) Anyway, long story short, she is, without a doubt, the best thing that ever happened to me. "The one that got away" you might say. I haven't seen or seriously talked to Corianna in over a year.

So last night I had some amazing dreams of all shapes and sizes. One of them evolved Corianna. She was working in what I think was a mission of some sort in some very poor place I'd never been to (insert 3rd world country of your choice here). I�m not exactly sure how I got there but I was walking down the main road of some very poor little town. Now that I think about it, it reminded me a lot of this poor little town I visited in Mexico one time called Santa Rosa. Wonderful people, horrible economy. So anyway, I was walking through this little town and came to an old building that looked like it used to be a church of some sort. There were lots of sick people everywhere and a few doctor nurse types milling about. I went through this building for a little bit, came into this back room, and low and behold, there was Corianna, caring for a sick old man.

We hugged, talked, yada yada yada. To make a long story short, we reconciled and agreed to go back to Texas together in a week when her relief came and she could leave the mission. I spent the week there with her, caring for the sick people, and in my spare time setup a telephone network. I don�t know that this telephone network has any relevance to the general theme of the dream; I�m really not sure where that came from.

Okey, so I wrote this off as just another dream, no big deal. But here�s the crazy part: when I woke up, I had voicemail from Corianna. She said she, �didn�t really know why she called, she guessed she just wanted to say hi� and asked me to called her as soon as I got the message. Like I said, I haven�t seen or really talked to Cori in over a year, and why she picked that morning to call I don�t know, but it�s crazy, don�t you think?

Thank you, Jason, for sharing this with us.

Origin of the Internet Bible

An old, bearded shepherd with a crooked staff walked up to a stone pulpit and said, "And lo, it came to pass that the trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she had been called Amazon Dot Com. And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why doth thou travel far, from town to town, with thy goods when thou can trade without ever leaving thy tent?"

And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, Dear?" And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale and they will reply telling you which hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."

Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had, at the top price, without ever moving from his tent. But this success did arouse envy. A man named Maccabia did secret himself inside Abraham's drum and was accused of insider trading. And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Siderites, or NERDS for short. And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums, that no one noticed that the real riches were going to the drum maker, one Brother William of Gates, who bought up every drum company in the land, and indeed did insist on making drums that would work
only if you bought Brother Gates' drumsticks.

And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others." And as Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or as it came to be known "eBay," he said, "we need a name that reflects what we are," and Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators."
"Whoopee!", said Abraham.
"No, YAHOO!" said Dot Com.. .and that is how it all began.

Thanks Karen for this bit of humor at a rather depressing moment.

Cosmic

Talked to Jason last night who also dreamt about his ex the night before. He's supposed to be sending details but in his dream they were getting back together. To add to the cosmic-ness, she wrote him because she misses him.

Nope, nothing in my inbox.