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So I'm pretty sure I had some sort of fever last night - I woke up both hot and chilled and achy in the middle of the night, and got up and took some aspirin. I feel okay this morning, although I couldn't make myself get up until 11 (today's a travel day for me). Hopefully that's all it was, and not the foreshadowing of some illness.
I finally got out of the hotel! We got done with work about 6pm, so it was still daylight a little. And everyone assured me it was very safe here, even the corporate reps from the US office. So I ventured out the ten blocks to the city center and did some shopping. I want to go back during the day and take more photos. I got a few things, one in particular I was hoping for - a nice onyx domino set for my dad for Christmas.
I continue to be amazed at the stupid shit I do when I'm out. People talk to me, right? I just have one of those faces that says 'hey, she probably won't tell you to fuck off, you should talk to her.' So I had about five different conversations with different vendors. Not so bad, except. I. Cannot. Shut. My. Mouth. I tell them things like my name, how long I'm in town, where I'm staying. And the second it comes out of my mouth, I think, you moron. Ah well. I made it back safe. Now I'm just waiting for my dinner and wishing my feet didn't hurt so much.
I continue to be amazed at the stupid shit I do when I'm out. People talk to me, right? I just have one of those faces that says 'hey, she probably won't tell you to fuck off, you should talk to her.' So I had about five different conversations with different vendors. Not so bad, except. I. Cannot. Shut. My. Mouth. I tell them things like my name, how long I'm in town, where I'm staying. And the second it comes out of my mouth, I think, you moron. Ah well. I made it back safe. Now I'm just waiting for my dinner and wishing my feet didn't hurt so much.
Le Sigh...
Oct. 19th, 2008 10:14 pmor I guess more aptly, El Sigh.
I have made it safely to Mexico. I am in Merida, which is in the Yucatan. I connected through Mexico City, and zomg, it is enormous. Which I knew, but it is still an amazing sight. Anyway, I'm here. Unfortunately, my toothpaste is not. Oh well, if that's the only thing I forgot, I'm not doing bad.
I'm going to go face plant into bed now. I did that stupid anxiety thing again last night, and didn't fall asleep until sometime after 5 am, when I had to be up by 8:30. UGH.
I have made it safely to Mexico. I am in Merida, which is in the Yucatan. I connected through Mexico City, and zomg, it is enormous. Which I knew, but it is still an amazing sight. Anyway, I'm here. Unfortunately, my toothpaste is not. Oh well, if that's the only thing I forgot, I'm not doing bad.
I'm going to go face plant into bed now. I did that stupid anxiety thing again last night, and didn't fall asleep until sometime after 5 am, when I had to be up by 8:30. UGH.
Long, rambling update
Jul. 15th, 2008 10:20 amI've been meaning and meaning to update, but I never get around to it. So in a nutshell, what I have been up to:
*Went home to Missouri for the 4th. It's a big holiday for my family, and we're all about going to the lake and going boating and water-skiing. The lake is up really high with all the rain they've been getting, up higher than my dad, who is 73, can ever remember it being. Here's a picture, which is probably only funny to people who know what it normally looks like, but suffice it to say, the lake, while always ahead, not usually that close:
( picture )
Anyway, good times. Got to hang out with my sis, my brother and his wife drove in from Boston, and my cousins were down from Iowa. I managed to get the first actual sunburn I've had in probably a decade, in which I managed to burn my back, and ONE SHIN. Just one. It was a good look, let me tell you.
*Got back, managed to do absolutely nothing for two days, except for read a fantastic book, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
krazycat recced it to me, and it was so amazing. One of those books that makes me wonder why I even want to bother trying to write, because how can I ever do anything close to that?
*Which was an excellent way to feel when starting a course on Creative Writing, which I did last week! Fear my timing, people! :D I'm taking a five week course from Emory University's night school. By the end of it, we are promised to have two chapters of our novels written, and then critiqued by the professor. Last week, I had to leave a bit early, so I missed the in-class writing assignment. Our homework though was to write the first three pages, or the hook. I got it done, sort of - I wrote 3 pages, but didn't finish my scene. I handed it in anyway, we'll see what he has to say. Tonight was the second class, and we did a couple of in-class exercises. One I did well on, but the second one was a group assignment and it was hard to corral everyone, without taking over. We were supposed to be constructing a scene based on information given to us by the teacher, and they kept wanting to write the whole story.
*Last week I was in Florida. Not much happened. My insomnia, which had gone away while I was on vacation, came back full-force. Whee. This is partially why I didn't get my scene finished; creativity is low when sleep is deprived.
*This week, we are meant to write the first chapter of our novel to turn in on Monday. The only problem is that I'm not sure what length the professor is looking for. I sat down tonight after class and wrote out an outline for what I consider to be the first two chapters, and wrote the first scene of the first chapter. Then I tried to figure out the length requirement, because I am a brown-noser student :) The teacher talked about his first novel being 50K, with 60 chapters. That seems a bit short though, because that would mean a chapter is only 834 words. Maybe once I read the assigned text it will be clearer. Either way, I got 695 words written tonight, and my goal is to write one more scene and fix the intro this week.
So I'm trying to learn to parent myself again while I'm home, since I'm not traveling for the next month (knock on wood). My plan is to try to practice my drums in the morning before work this week since I'm working West Coast hours, then after work to write from 10 to 11pm, quickly get ready for bed and then watch the Colbert Report and go to bed by midnight. We shall see! The laptop is no longer allowed to go upstairs with me.
Also, since the Colbert Report just finished, I'm off to bed.
ETA: And of course, I type this all up and LJ freakin' goes down. Guess I'll post it tomorrow!
*Went home to Missouri for the 4th. It's a big holiday for my family, and we're all about going to the lake and going boating and water-skiing. The lake is up really high with all the rain they've been getting, up higher than my dad, who is 73, can ever remember it being. Here's a picture, which is probably only funny to people who know what it normally looks like, but suffice it to say, the lake, while always ahead, not usually that close:
( picture )
Anyway, good times. Got to hang out with my sis, my brother and his wife drove in from Boston, and my cousins were down from Iowa. I managed to get the first actual sunburn I've had in probably a decade, in which I managed to burn my back, and ONE SHIN. Just one. It was a good look, let me tell you.
*Got back, managed to do absolutely nothing for two days, except for read a fantastic book, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult.
krazycat recced it to me, and it was so amazing. One of those books that makes me wonder why I even want to bother trying to write, because how can I ever do anything close to that?*Which was an excellent way to feel when starting a course on Creative Writing, which I did last week! Fear my timing, people! :D I'm taking a five week course from Emory University's night school. By the end of it, we are promised to have two chapters of our novels written, and then critiqued by the professor. Last week, I had to leave a bit early, so I missed the in-class writing assignment. Our homework though was to write the first three pages, or the hook. I got it done, sort of - I wrote 3 pages, but didn't finish my scene. I handed it in anyway, we'll see what he has to say. Tonight was the second class, and we did a couple of in-class exercises. One I did well on, but the second one was a group assignment and it was hard to corral everyone, without taking over. We were supposed to be constructing a scene based on information given to us by the teacher, and they kept wanting to write the whole story.
*Last week I was in Florida. Not much happened. My insomnia, which had gone away while I was on vacation, came back full-force. Whee. This is partially why I didn't get my scene finished; creativity is low when sleep is deprived.
*This week, we are meant to write the first chapter of our novel to turn in on Monday. The only problem is that I'm not sure what length the professor is looking for. I sat down tonight after class and wrote out an outline for what I consider to be the first two chapters, and wrote the first scene of the first chapter. Then I tried to figure out the length requirement, because I am a brown-noser student :) The teacher talked about his first novel being 50K, with 60 chapters. That seems a bit short though, because that would mean a chapter is only 834 words. Maybe once I read the assigned text it will be clearer. Either way, I got 695 words written tonight, and my goal is to write one more scene and fix the intro this week.
So I'm trying to learn to parent myself again while I'm home, since I'm not traveling for the next month (knock on wood). My plan is to try to practice my drums in the morning before work this week since I'm working West Coast hours, then after work to write from 10 to 11pm, quickly get ready for bed and then watch the Colbert Report and go to bed by midnight. We shall see! The laptop is no longer allowed to go upstairs with me.
Also, since the Colbert Report just finished, I'm off to bed.
ETA: And of course, I type this all up and LJ freakin' goes down. Guess I'll post it tomorrow!
Movie Magic
Jun. 17th, 2008 10:25 pmI went to see Sex and the City tonight. I'm glad I went, and the movie was okay. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. As always, I love Charlotte. I'm glad I went to see it here though, so I can always remember I saw it in New York.
Sex and the City?
Jun. 16th, 2008 07:44 amNot so far, but hey, maybe I'll go see the movie while I'm here.
( View from my hotel: )
It's just a quick trip, I go home Wednesday night, so I doubt I'll do much. Also, I'm training this week, which is always more stressful for me since I don't do it as often. I'm trying to think if I've done it at all this year, and I can't remember a site so this is probably the first one. Oh, no, wait, the site I did in January that I got sick at was training, so second time. Ah well, I'm sure it will be fine and if not, at least it will be short.
I'm still trying to get my sleep habits under control - I did pretty good over the weekend, but stupidly thought that last night would be a good night to stop taking the sleep aid. God, I had weird dreams! I can't remember them exactly, except that they were violent and confusing. Oh, andsparktastic, you were in one! You helped me when I was lost, so my subconscious thanks you! :D
Happy Monday, everyone!
( View from my hotel: )
It's just a quick trip, I go home Wednesday night, so I doubt I'll do much. Also, I'm training this week, which is always more stressful for me since I don't do it as often. I'm trying to think if I've done it at all this year, and I can't remember a site so this is probably the first one. Oh, no, wait, the site I did in January that I got sick at was training, so second time. Ah well, I'm sure it will be fine and if not, at least it will be short.
I'm still trying to get my sleep habits under control - I did pretty good over the weekend, but stupidly thought that last night would be a good night to stop taking the sleep aid. God, I had weird dreams! I can't remember them exactly, except that they were violent and confusing. Oh, and
sparktastic, you were in one! You helped me when I was lost, so my subconscious thanks you! :DHappy Monday, everyone!
And I'm headed home again.
I can't seem to stop the shopping. But on the plus side, I'd say I'm about 1/3 of the way done with my Christmas shopping. I finished up work at 6pm on Friday, and had 3 hours to kill before my car to the airport. My hotel had a mall attached, so I wandered around there for a couple of hours, and had dinner at McDonald's.
Number of days in Thailand: 5
Number of times eating at McDonald's: 2
Number of times eating in McDonald's in the US in the last 4 years: 0
It's one of those bizarre things that I only do when I'm abroad. However, it was worth it for this awesome picture of Ronald McDonald doing the traditional Thai bow.
Creepy Ronald is Creepy
My flight left Bangkok at 11:25 pm on Friday - 12:25 pm Friday Eastern. I was asleep before we even took off - which was kind of sad, because the plane had a camera on the front which was attached to the inflight monitors, so you could see the takeoff from the pilot's perspective, and I missed it because I literally couldn't keep my eyes open - and I slept the whole way. We landed at 7:30 am Saturday (6pm Friday Eastern), and I tried to take a picture on the way in because you could see the clouds reflecting in the rice paddies as we flew over.
Japan
So now I am waiting for my flight from Tokyo to Atlanta, which leaves at 3:30 pm (Saturday 2:30 am Eastern), and lands at 3:10pm. Watch me go back in time! It's all very exciting, except for the part where I am trying not to fall asleep in a public place and by the time I get home it will be almost 48 hours since I've showered.
So in the 5 days I was in Thailand, I spent $200. In the 3 hours I've been in Japan, I've spent nearly $60. But I needed that puffy Hello Kitty t-shirt. And a watch for my keychain! And a toothbrush set for my sister (she likes foreign toothbrushes) that promises to 'Keep Your Tooth Clean' - apparently you can only pick one tooth, but it will sparkle. They also have a small origami museum/shop, which was really cool.
Origami
And I will leave you with a picture of the cool lounge I'm sitting in while I wait for my flight - only four more hours to go!
Narita Airport
I can't seem to stop the shopping. But on the plus side, I'd say I'm about 1/3 of the way done with my Christmas shopping. I finished up work at 6pm on Friday, and had 3 hours to kill before my car to the airport. My hotel had a mall attached, so I wandered around there for a couple of hours, and had dinner at McDonald's.
Number of days in Thailand: 5
Number of times eating at McDonald's: 2
Number of times eating in McDonald's in the US in the last 4 years: 0
It's one of those bizarre things that I only do when I'm abroad. However, it was worth it for this awesome picture of Ronald McDonald doing the traditional Thai bow.
Creepy Ronald is Creepy
My flight left Bangkok at 11:25 pm on Friday - 12:25 pm Friday Eastern. I was asleep before we even took off - which was kind of sad, because the plane had a camera on the front which was attached to the inflight monitors, so you could see the takeoff from the pilot's perspective, and I missed it because I literally couldn't keep my eyes open - and I slept the whole way. We landed at 7:30 am Saturday (6pm Friday Eastern), and I tried to take a picture on the way in because you could see the clouds reflecting in the rice paddies as we flew over.
Japan
So now I am waiting for my flight from Tokyo to Atlanta, which leaves at 3:30 pm (Saturday 2:30 am Eastern), and lands at 3:10pm. Watch me go back in time! It's all very exciting, except for the part where I am trying not to fall asleep in a public place and by the time I get home it will be almost 48 hours since I've showered.
So in the 5 days I was in Thailand, I spent $200. In the 3 hours I've been in Japan, I've spent nearly $60. But I needed that puffy Hello Kitty t-shirt. And a watch for my keychain! And a toothbrush set for my sister (she likes foreign toothbrushes) that promises to 'Keep Your Tooth Clean' - apparently you can only pick one tooth, but it will sparkle. They also have a small origami museum/shop, which was really cool.
Origami
And I will leave you with a picture of the cool lounge I'm sitting in while I wait for my flight - only four more hours to go!
Narita Airport
100% Authentic
Jun. 4th, 2008 12:12 pmTonight I bought two knock-off purses from a Thai transvestite named Jennifer and turned down a chance to go to a ping pong pussy show. I feel I've gotten an authentic Bangkok experience.
Well, I'm all checked in safe and sound in Bangkok. I've unpacked and lounged around and taken a bath and eaten. I've also had half a bottle of wine. Yay amenities!
ETA: Oh, also, I made it through customs easily and managed to get in line behind, I swear to god, the only other Westerner in the building. So I got to have a nice chat with a man who's been teaching ESL in South Korea for 7 years and is now taking a month's vacation in Thailand before he goes back to Toronto.
ETA: Oh, also, I made it through customs easily and managed to get in line behind, I swear to god, the only other Westerner in the building. So I got to have a nice chat with a man who's been teaching ESL in South Korea for 7 years and is now taking a month's vacation in Thailand before he goes back to Toronto.
...and the world's your oyster.
Jun. 1st, 2008 07:24 pmWell, I'm halfway to halfway 'round the world. Or halfway through the 14.5 hour flight to get me there, at least. I'm flying to Seoul, South Korea, then on to Bangkok, Thailand. Right now we're just leaving Alaska, and according to the map, the international dateline is not far away. I still don't completely comprehend how that all works. Don't try to explain it to me, it makes my head hurt. The trip hasn't gotten off to a rollicking start. I was supposed to leave at 11:20 am on May 31, but as I was dragging myself out of bed at 8 am, Delta called to tell me not to bother - my flight was delayed until 4:40 pm. So I went back to bed and got more sleep, which was nice, but puts my travel plans in disarray. Add to that that we were late to board, and then had to wait to take off, and we're even further behind schedule. I was originally scheduled to arrive in Bangkok at 11:55 pm on June 1, but now we won't get to Seoul until 9:50 pm, and I am booked on a 9:30 am flight to Thailand on June 2. The delay was mechanical, so Delta is supposed to put me up in a hotel. I have to admit, I'm a little freaked out.
Huh, our arrival time has changed - 10:37 pm. Headwinds, maybe? I don't know.
Anyway, a little freaked out. It's my first time to Asia, and not a trip I've been overly excited about - I'm only going to be there from Monday to Friday, which is barely enough time to get over the jetlag before I have to turn around and go home. And now with the flight delay, I am losing most of Monday, which was my only free day to look around. Ah, well, nothing to be done about it. Now we're getting in at 10:24. I wonder if this is the aviation equivalent of being lost?
I was not really sure what the best way to attack this flight, since I've never done this trip before. When I go to Europe, I know that I have to sleep on the way there, but stay awake on the way back. So my plan on this trip is to stay awake on the way there, and sleep on the way back. We shall see how that works out! So far, I have read part of the book I brought with me (it's about HH Holmes and the Chicago World's Fair), and watched 27 Dresses (ok), The Kite Runner (EXCELLENT), an episode of Gossip Girl (it's like crack, now I want to watch the rest of it), and Enchanted (eh. cute, I guess. Patrick Dempsey, still cute). I have also filled in my customs declarations for S Korea, and promised them that I am not bringing any tigers, cobras, turtles, crocodiles, coral, bear's gall (?!), musk, orchids, cacti, etc, with me, and that I don't have drugs, porn or a lot of money.
OOO, I think we just crossed over the dateline! It's 1:47 AM EDT on June 1. I'm starting to get really tired, but must persevere.
3:22 AM EDT: I think I've finished my Amish fic! It could suck! I don't care! It's right at 10,000 words - I hope it will all fit into one LJ post, as I know that's nearing the limit. I printed it out to bring with me to read, which I guess I won't need to do now, in the hopes that would make me want to finish it. It was 18 pages long, I was surprised. It's 19 now. I will post it as soon as I'm able to give it another read-through when my eyes aren't crossing. Also, I am now over Russia. Whee. Are we there yet? I covet horizontality right now. Plus I really want to get up and walk around but the seatbelt sign is on. I am freaked out that I will get the thrombosis stuff, so I've been walking around a lot. Only five hours to go! Think I'll shut the computer down and watch another movie.
9:50 AM EDT: I'm in Seoul! Well, Incheon, to be technical. I am staying in a Transit Hotel, which is so cool - we need these in the US! Basically, it's a hotel inside the airport, so you don't have to go out of security. It's perfect for distressed passengers, especially for when you have an early flight the next day anyway. We ended up landing at 9:27 pm local time, so I guess we made up some time in the air. However that works. I am so tired, yet kind of wired at the same time. So I am going to take a couple of codeine and go to bed. Second leg of travel starts early tomorrow!
7:22 PM EDT: So it's 8:22 am on Monday now, and I am in the free internet lounge! I like this airport, maybe I will just stay here! So far, so good - I've been fed and watered and given a boarding pass. So chances of me getting to Bangkok today are looking good. Now the only mystery that remains is whether the hotel will have arranged for someone to come get me - fingers crossed!
Huh, our arrival time has changed - 10:37 pm. Headwinds, maybe? I don't know.
Anyway, a little freaked out. It's my first time to Asia, and not a trip I've been overly excited about - I'm only going to be there from Monday to Friday, which is barely enough time to get over the jetlag before I have to turn around and go home. And now with the flight delay, I am losing most of Monday, which was my only free day to look around. Ah, well, nothing to be done about it. Now we're getting in at 10:24. I wonder if this is the aviation equivalent of being lost?
I was not really sure what the best way to attack this flight, since I've never done this trip before. When I go to Europe, I know that I have to sleep on the way there, but stay awake on the way back. So my plan on this trip is to stay awake on the way there, and sleep on the way back. We shall see how that works out! So far, I have read part of the book I brought with me (it's about HH Holmes and the Chicago World's Fair), and watched 27 Dresses (ok), The Kite Runner (EXCELLENT), an episode of Gossip Girl (it's like crack, now I want to watch the rest of it), and Enchanted (eh. cute, I guess. Patrick Dempsey, still cute). I have also filled in my customs declarations for S Korea, and promised them that I am not bringing any tigers, cobras, turtles, crocodiles, coral, bear's gall (?!), musk, orchids, cacti, etc, with me, and that I don't have drugs, porn or a lot of money.
OOO, I think we just crossed over the dateline! It's 1:47 AM EDT on June 1. I'm starting to get really tired, but must persevere.
3:22 AM EDT: I think I've finished my Amish fic! It could suck! I don't care! It's right at 10,000 words - I hope it will all fit into one LJ post, as I know that's nearing the limit. I printed it out to bring with me to read, which I guess I won't need to do now, in the hopes that would make me want to finish it. It was 18 pages long, I was surprised. It's 19 now. I will post it as soon as I'm able to give it another read-through when my eyes aren't crossing. Also, I am now over Russia. Whee. Are we there yet? I covet horizontality right now. Plus I really want to get up and walk around but the seatbelt sign is on. I am freaked out that I will get the thrombosis stuff, so I've been walking around a lot. Only five hours to go! Think I'll shut the computer down and watch another movie.
9:50 AM EDT: I'm in Seoul! Well, Incheon, to be technical. I am staying in a Transit Hotel, which is so cool - we need these in the US! Basically, it's a hotel inside the airport, so you don't have to go out of security. It's perfect for distressed passengers, especially for when you have an early flight the next day anyway. We ended up landing at 9:27 pm local time, so I guess we made up some time in the air. However that works. I am so tired, yet kind of wired at the same time. So I am going to take a couple of codeine and go to bed. Second leg of travel starts early tomorrow!
7:22 PM EDT: So it's 8:22 am on Monday now, and I am in the free internet lounge! I like this airport, maybe I will just stay here! So far, so good - I've been fed and watered and given a boarding pass. So chances of me getting to Bangkok today are looking good. Now the only mystery that remains is whether the hotel will have arranged for someone to come get me - fingers crossed!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! (or at least it will be by the time I get done typing this!)
So I kinda posted last week and then disappeared, sorry about that. Thanks for everyone that replied to my post. Work was a complete clusterfuck all week, and left me mostly comatose in the evenings. To update on the dog story: So I called animal control again on Wednesday, because the dog not only had been out each day since I'd asked my neighbor to keep him in on Monday, but also because he was dragging trash into my backyard, and they weren't home when I went over to tell them. Then on the way back to my house, the dog got between me and my door and wouldn't let me go in my own house. I had to get a stick out of another neighbor's yard and threaten him with it before I could go back in. So I called them, and I don't think they ever came. More dog sightings on Thursday and Friday, complete with their OTHER dog out and in my backyard. I was pissed, but so consumed with work I didn't have time to do anything about it.
Friday is my day for tennis class, but I got a big surprise when I walked out my front door after work. The curb and yard of the neighbor's house was piled up with trash and furniture and kids toys. All their cars were gone. They're moving out! I had about 1 minute of pure joy, and then I realized that THE DOG WAS STILL THERE. :( Fail, neighbors, fail. There wasn't much I could do about it, since they were gone and it was after 5pm, so I went off to tennis. I am loving playing again - it's nice to do exercise that doesn't involve machines, and that does involve socializing. I am making new friends, yay!
Saturday I heard movement next door when I got up, and saw them moving more stuff out to the curb. By the time I got ready, they were gone again, and there was no sign of the dog, so I hope they took him with them this time. Maybe they were just making a trip on Friday and came back for him that night, idk. I'd gotten up early so that I could go to the art museum. This weekend was the last weekend for the Georgia O'Keefe/Stieglitz showing. I am not a huge Georgia O'Keefe fan, but I bought a membership to the High (yes, that is the name of Atlanta's art museum - I really wish they'd do a 'Come On, Get High' promotion) this year and I want to try to go to all the exhibits. I was a little skeeved by the description of her mentor/husband, because there were a lot of references to his belief that women brought a child-like innocence to art that had a lot of creepy undertones to them, and his photography, particularly his nudes of her, was disconcerting and awkward. I did enjoy some of the other artists he had mentored though, particularly some of the photographs by Gertrude Kasebier.
Today, I got up and fixed both of my gates, so if there is a return of the dog, or if I get new neighbors, I will be prepared! I do feel bad for the owners of the property - they are a nice couple about my age, and this was their first flip then they couldn't sell it so they had to rent it. I guarantee you the renters destroyed the place. Then I drove up to Buckhead to go to the sporting goods store because I needed tape for the handle on my tennis racquet. This should have cost me $5. It ended up costing me $90. I now have: tape, a new racquet (it is purple and pretty and part of the proceeds go to fight breast cancer), a new tennis outfit, and socks to match it. Oops?
My little detour almost made me miss my flight out, not because I took to long, but because I didn't realize that the construction on 75/85 had moved from the northbound lane to the southbound. But I made it and now I am in French Lick, Indiana, lucky me! The hotel is really nice, and here's to hoping that this week goes better than last week!
So I kinda posted last week and then disappeared, sorry about that. Thanks for everyone that replied to my post. Work was a complete clusterfuck all week, and left me mostly comatose in the evenings. To update on the dog story: So I called animal control again on Wednesday, because the dog not only had been out each day since I'd asked my neighbor to keep him in on Monday, but also because he was dragging trash into my backyard, and they weren't home when I went over to tell them. Then on the way back to my house, the dog got between me and my door and wouldn't let me go in my own house. I had to get a stick out of another neighbor's yard and threaten him with it before I could go back in. So I called them, and I don't think they ever came. More dog sightings on Thursday and Friday, complete with their OTHER dog out and in my backyard. I was pissed, but so consumed with work I didn't have time to do anything about it.
Friday is my day for tennis class, but I got a big surprise when I walked out my front door after work. The curb and yard of the neighbor's house was piled up with trash and furniture and kids toys. All their cars were gone. They're moving out! I had about 1 minute of pure joy, and then I realized that THE DOG WAS STILL THERE. :( Fail, neighbors, fail. There wasn't much I could do about it, since they were gone and it was after 5pm, so I went off to tennis. I am loving playing again - it's nice to do exercise that doesn't involve machines, and that does involve socializing. I am making new friends, yay!
Saturday I heard movement next door when I got up, and saw them moving more stuff out to the curb. By the time I got ready, they were gone again, and there was no sign of the dog, so I hope they took him with them this time. Maybe they were just making a trip on Friday and came back for him that night, idk. I'd gotten up early so that I could go to the art museum. This weekend was the last weekend for the Georgia O'Keefe/Stieglitz showing. I am not a huge Georgia O'Keefe fan, but I bought a membership to the High (yes, that is the name of Atlanta's art museum - I really wish they'd do a 'Come On, Get High' promotion) this year and I want to try to go to all the exhibits. I was a little skeeved by the description of her mentor/husband, because there were a lot of references to his belief that women brought a child-like innocence to art that had a lot of creepy undertones to them, and his photography, particularly his nudes of her, was disconcerting and awkward. I did enjoy some of the other artists he had mentored though, particularly some of the photographs by Gertrude Kasebier.
Today, I got up and fixed both of my gates, so if there is a return of the dog, or if I get new neighbors, I will be prepared! I do feel bad for the owners of the property - they are a nice couple about my age, and this was their first flip then they couldn't sell it so they had to rent it. I guarantee you the renters destroyed the place. Then I drove up to Buckhead to go to the sporting goods store because I needed tape for the handle on my tennis racquet. This should have cost me $5. It ended up costing me $90. I now have: tape, a new racquet (it is purple and pretty and part of the proceeds go to fight breast cancer), a new tennis outfit, and socks to match it. Oops?
My little detour almost made me miss my flight out, not because I took to long, but because I didn't realize that the construction on 75/85 had moved from the northbound lane to the southbound. But I made it and now I am in French Lick, Indiana, lucky me! The hotel is really nice, and here's to hoping that this week goes better than last week!
Moar pickshurs
Apr. 17th, 2008 05:29 pmTaos pictures are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=34580&l=07314&id=585497055
They include pueblo photos, fake elk, and the bizarre cowhide wardrobe in my hotel room.
They include pueblo photos, fake elk, and the bizarre cowhide wardrobe in my hotel room.
Hi! Not much is going on. I'm in Taos, New Mexico, this week. Quiet week, just watching a lot of TV and not doing much else. I'm here til Thursday and then I have Friday off so my plan is to paint my living room this weekend.
I leave you with this, which is staring at my bed from over the fireplace in my room:
( click! )
I leave you with this, which is staring at my bed from over the fireplace in my room:
( click! )
The Road to Hell is Paved with Band Boys
Apr. 10th, 2008 11:25 pmOkay, I'm sitting on a plane next to a nice man who is making notes about what his church can do to help members in the declining economy, and I? I am writing about Panic at the Disco being Amish and getting stoned for the first time.
I CANNOT STOP GIGGLING!
An exerpt:
"You can Google it," Jon says, flicking the lighter and inhaling another lungful. He passes them both to Ryan, who takes a toke before sending it in Spencer's direction. Spencer looks at it just as dubiously as he had the first one, but he takes another hit, coughing as he tries to hold in the smoke the way Jon had shown them.
"Don't booger it," Brendon chides, and Jon loses it.
"Bogart, bogart," He corrects through his giggles, then gives in and rolls on the floor laughing til he cries.
ETA: Soooooooooo I'm stuck in Minneapolis! Yes, I know, Minneapolis is not typically on the way from Albuquerque to Atlanta, but Delta is just that special and who knew when I booked it that there would be a freak April blizzard? I missed my connection by about fifteen minutes, and with all the American passengers being rebooked on other airlines, the next flight out was all booked. Ah, well, I'm booked on a 7am flight, so maybe I'll actually make it home at some point tomorrow, and I'm getting out of the 6 hours of conference calls. And I got to go to the Mall of America!
I CANNOT STOP GIGGLING!
--------------------------
An exerpt:
"You can Google it," Jon says, flicking the lighter and inhaling another lungful. He passes them both to Ryan, who takes a toke before sending it in Spencer's direction. Spencer looks at it just as dubiously as he had the first one, but he takes another hit, coughing as he tries to hold in the smoke the way Jon had shown them.
"Don't booger it," Brendon chides, and Jon loses it.
"Bogart, bogart," He corrects through his giggles, then gives in and rolls on the floor laughing til he cries.
----------------------
ETA: Soooooooooo I'm stuck in Minneapolis! Yes, I know, Minneapolis is not typically on the way from Albuquerque to Atlanta, but Delta is just that special and who knew when I booked it that there would be a freak April blizzard? I missed my connection by about fifteen minutes, and with all the American passengers being rebooked on other airlines, the next flight out was all booked. Ah, well, I'm booked on a 7am flight, so maybe I'll actually make it home at some point tomorrow, and I'm getting out of the 6 hours of conference calls. And I got to go to the Mall of America!
AHAHAHAAA!
Apr. 10th, 2008 11:30 amThe site I am working at this week is pre-opening, which means I am staying at another hotel and driving to the casino each day. This morning, as I was bopping down the interstate, I got smacked by actual tumbleweed! It got stuck in my grill, so I'm running down the road with a giant ball of weed stuck to the front of my neon blue car. I couldn't stop giggling!
Albuquerque!
Apr. 9th, 2008 09:18 pmI'm trying to take more pictures when I'm travelling. It's really, really making me want to buy a new camera though!
Photos here!
Photos here!
All the Time in the World
Apr. 7th, 2008 12:08 am*sigh* That's the song playing on my iPod right now - ironic, since I'm sitting here wondering where the weekend went.
I've really gotten spoiled with my travel schedule this spring, and now that I'm back on doing back-to-back trips, I'm cranky. I got home around 11pm on Friday night, and left out at 3pm today, so that's what? 36 hours home? Something like that. I spent most of that doing prep work on my living room: taking off the electrical covers, patching scratches, sanding down drywall, primering over the paint sample that I tried and didn't like, washing the baseboards. Now I just have to find the time to actually paint. It's looking like the end of April, unless my site for week after next falls off.
Hmm. That's about all I have to say that isn't whining, either about the house, or being a grown up, or being single, or the blisters on my feet, or my writing. Whining feels overindulgent today, so I'm going to skip it.
I've really gotten spoiled with my travel schedule this spring, and now that I'm back on doing back-to-back trips, I'm cranky. I got home around 11pm on Friday night, and left out at 3pm today, so that's what? 36 hours home? Something like that. I spent most of that doing prep work on my living room: taking off the electrical covers, patching scratches, sanding down drywall, primering over the paint sample that I tried and didn't like, washing the baseboards. Now I just have to find the time to actually paint. It's looking like the end of April, unless my site for week after next falls off.
Hmm. That's about all I have to say that isn't whining, either about the house, or being a grown up, or being single, or the blisters on my feet, or my writing. Whining feels overindulgent today, so I'm going to skip it.
Saskatchewan!!
Apr. 5th, 2008 08:49 pmOkay, so I had most of Thursday off and drove back to Saskatoon and took a lot of photos, so I thought I'd share. I know, you've been dying to see Saskatchewan!
Photos on Facebook
Photos on Facebook
Today's Life Lesson is...
Mar. 31st, 2008 11:08 amTravel days that start at 3 AM are destined not to go well.
I'm so tired, and I'm only half-way there (although of course, by the time I post this, I will be all the way there, because I remain too cheap to pay for airport wi-fi). I hate coming to Canada. Customs was, as always, a joy. I got to go into the special room, lucky me. They were nice though, which isn't always the case so that's good. However, I made a mistake in that I had asked the lady who sorted people into lines at the original customs point if I needed to reclaim my luggage before going to my connection. She said no, and my mistake was that I believed her. So of course I head for connections and the lady at the door said "Where's your checked luggage?" So I told her the story, and she was all "Yeah, they don't know." Ugh. And of course you can't just go back and get it. Oh, no. I had to go to Lost & Found, so that they could call an escort. He then escorted me to an office, where I had to tell my story. Then we went to the baggage claim and got my luggage. Then we went to another customs agent, who sent me to secondary customs, where I had to tell my story again and get my luggage re-x-rayed. Then I got to take it back to the lady at the connections desk, then go back to Lost & Found and get my carry-ons (because you aren't allowed to take them back in, although I was allowed to carry my purse with me even though it is roughly the size of Texas). Then (are you tired yet? Because I am.) I had to go up two flights of escalators and go through security again.
Oh, travelling, how I havenot missed you.
Other highlights from the day: spilling syrup on my jeans, sweating like a pig in the sweater I'm wearing because it's 70 in Atlanta and 30 in Saskatchewan, and almost tripping over my own shoe in security. I rock!
Update 3/31:
Okay, I didn't get to post that last night because I don't have internet in my room (which is not a complaint because by "room" I mean my two-bedroom cabin in the woods with a fireplace and a full kitchen). So I landed in Saskatchewan, got my rental car. I was starving so I asked the guy for directions to someplace to eat before heading north, because I figured pickings would be slimmer once I was on the road. My choices were McDonalds, Wendy's, A&W or KFC. I went to KFC, where I was waited on by a boy who was seriously, seriously, seriously twelve. Not small for his age, actually twelve. Isn't that against the law?
Anyway, I drove the two hours, and managed to mostly stay awake. Door to door, I was on the road for fourteen hours yesterday. Not the most relaxing way to spend your Sunday. But it's a small hotel in offseason, and I had dinner with the GM and the F&B director last night (they're a couple), who currently comprise two-fifths of the staff, so it should be a laid back week. Fingers crossed!
I'm so tired, and I'm only half-way there (although of course, by the time I post this, I will be all the way there, because I remain too cheap to pay for airport wi-fi). I hate coming to Canada. Customs was, as always, a joy. I got to go into the special room, lucky me. They were nice though, which isn't always the case so that's good. However, I made a mistake in that I had asked the lady who sorted people into lines at the original customs point if I needed to reclaim my luggage before going to my connection. She said no, and my mistake was that I believed her. So of course I head for connections and the lady at the door said "Where's your checked luggage?" So I told her the story, and she was all "Yeah, they don't know." Ugh. And of course you can't just go back and get it. Oh, no. I had to go to Lost & Found, so that they could call an escort. He then escorted me to an office, where I had to tell my story. Then we went to the baggage claim and got my luggage. Then we went to another customs agent, who sent me to secondary customs, where I had to tell my story again and get my luggage re-x-rayed. Then I got to take it back to the lady at the connections desk, then go back to Lost & Found and get my carry-ons (because you aren't allowed to take them back in, although I was allowed to carry my purse with me even though it is roughly the size of Texas). Then (are you tired yet? Because I am.) I had to go up two flights of escalators and go through security again.
Oh, travelling, how I have
Other highlights from the day: spilling syrup on my jeans, sweating like a pig in the sweater I'm wearing because it's 70 in Atlanta and 30 in Saskatchewan, and almost tripping over my own shoe in security. I rock!
Update 3/31:
Okay, I didn't get to post that last night because I don't have internet in my room (which is not a complaint because by "room" I mean my two-bedroom cabin in the woods with a fireplace and a full kitchen). So I landed in Saskatchewan, got my rental car. I was starving so I asked the guy for directions to someplace to eat before heading north, because I figured pickings would be slimmer once I was on the road. My choices were McDonalds, Wendy's, A&W or KFC. I went to KFC, where I was waited on by a boy who was seriously, seriously, seriously twelve. Not small for his age, actually twelve. Isn't that against the law?
Anyway, I drove the two hours, and managed to mostly stay awake. Door to door, I was on the road for fourteen hours yesterday. Not the most relaxing way to spend your Sunday. But it's a small hotel in offseason, and I had dinner with the GM and the F&B director last night (they're a couple), who currently comprise two-fifths of the staff, so it should be a laid back week. Fingers crossed!
