Mary Christina 1909-2008, Rest in Peace

I received a phone call at 7am this morning.  It was my mother calling to let me know my grandmother (Dad's Mom) had died earlier this morning.  She was 98 years old and had no health problems other than old age.  She went suddenly, and she was ready to go...she had been wanting to go for a long long time.  She was extremely religious and spent her life trying to convert everyone to Christianity, the Southern Baptist variety, something that I found extremely offensive.  Still, I suppose she did do a lot of good deeds in her lifetime, and she was one of the fascinating people who saw progress from mule and cart and outhouse on a farm to jet propulsion, world wars, the space program, and nanotechnology.

She is the last of my four grandparents to depart this world, and she often spoke to my Dad about how she hoped a lot of people will show up for the funeral.  When she sold her house and moved into a retirement center a couple of years ago, she really wanted me to go to her house and pick out a few things to take.  I'm am not a lover of old lady things, antiques to some/extra junk to me, but I found her silver tea service which I figured might actually be useful some day, so I took that, and she was very pleased when my Dad told her I had selected it.  I have some silver polish under the sink, so I think I'll find all the parts, polish them up, and set it up on my coffee table for a few days in honor of her.

The funeral is Thursday, and I thought I was going to be a pall bearer, but Dad is going to make all the men in the family do it instead.  And I feel bad because I don't feel bad about her death.  I mean, she was 98 years old for goodness sake.  But I do wonder exactly what time she died, because I woke up around 5:30 am and kept going back to sleep for a minute or two, then waking up again.

So rest in peace, Grandma.  You've earned it.  

   

Final Umm-Art Wall

I am considering this little wall of umm-art complete.  You may notice I took down the musical notation piece and added three new pieces.  The color scheme of the music didn't look good with the others.  But I am confident I can find a nice home for it.

This afternoon I made another trek to IKEA, along with half the population of the DFW area.  I bought 8 more of those $5.99 frames that you see in the pictures.  What a sweet sweet deal.  And then I went to a crafts store and bought a set of 48 chalk pastels.  They are sooo pretty.  I'm a sucker for color.  I just stared at them for a good 10 minutes when I got them home, thinking how gorgeous they are.

Ok, now for a run-down on the umm-art:  the top piece is a fish, though it ended up looking more like a shark than a fish.  I'm trying to use as few black lines/shapes as possible.  That piece is in honor of my fishies both at home and at work.  The middle one describes my job.  The bottom one is a two-valved mellophone bugle in honor of my summer marching drum corps.  And of course the kitty is in honor of Gracie.

I was telling my older sister about the umm-art, and she wants me to make one for her two new kitties.  I came up with another way to make a cat, so I might make one of each kind for her.  

Umm-Art

As I was going through boxes of 'stuff', I came across some art supplies I bought years ago.  I don't consider myself anything more than a lover of color and texture and pattern, certainly not one who possesses any skill.  And if it weren't for Schell's recent posting of the beautiful pictures she painted, I would have set aside my pastels, paper, and water colors, placing them back into the large Rubbermaid 'to keep' box, and storing them away for another 4 years.

But, you see, I had just purchased three 3-image black frames at IKEA earlier in the week, and they were sitting on my dining table, positively singing at me, harmonizing a song to urge me to put them into service.  And so, with no delay, I made 'umm-art'.  

These pictures are what I came up with.  The photos look fuzzy because the black shapes are 'blurred' or 'blended' by my fingers, so the camera obviously could not auto-focus on the image very well.  

Take a look at the three greenish ones and see if you can tell what they are before you look at the bottom pic.  No fair cheating.  



For the music notation item, I used brown, red, and orange blended together in different amounts for each frame.  For the green I used dark green, light green, and yellow, also in differing blended amounts.  I made the music notations one first, then got the idea to create a larger image out of smaller shapes.  I'm sure there's some sort of art term for that.

At first I was really concerned about the black shapes not being perfect, but I think their imperfection makes them interesting.  It's too bad you cannot really see the color layers in each frame in the photos.  Up close there is such texture to them, and texture to the paper as well.  And the blending/softening of the black lines really looks nice.

So, two $5.99 frames down, and one to go.  Maybe I'll do a fish in three parts, or create a three word picture sentence, or maybe I'll just write squiggles.  I am thinking I've seen the three-part cat idea somewhere before, but I don't remember where, and I'm not even sure if that's true or not.  But if it is, I certainly don't want to take credit for someone else's great idea.

That is all for now. 

Live In Groom Photo

Oh, lookit that.  I can now see the photo while I'm writing the entry.  I used to just see lines of code.  

And now...ladies and gentlemen, I introduce....part of my mostly completed new living room!  The large brown rug and white sheepskin are from IKEA, the coffee table is from...gasp...Wal-Mart (and you remember how much I love to Soma Sembly, right?)  On the bottom shelf of the coffee table is the photo book I made of my trip to Yellowstone and Glacier in 2006.  On the top left is an idea I stole from a resort in Tampa:  a glass dish with sand and seashells (mine are from my Indian Rocks Beach trip) with a tall glass cylinder with a votive candle and holder inside.  On the right is a delicious-smelling candle.  You can also see the reflection on the table top of the framed photos on the wall above the sofa and the lamp that is sitting on the new sofa table.

It seems you cannot see the new sofa table, but I also found that at Wal-Mart.  It was actually labeled as a console table, but it seemed the right height and is reasonably long, so I got it.  Sitting on the sofa table are 2 surround sound speakers, the lamp, two pewter candlesticks with white candles, Gracie kitty's cedar box of remains, and an Asian theme small tray and bowl with a blue design on it, filled with the remaining shells from Florida.  The sofa is not new.  I bought it when I moved here 3 1/2 years ago.  I love the texture of it.

To the left of the sofa are some fishtank supplies, and off to the right are a couple of electronic pieces that I no longer use and need to give away.  My green chair that coordinates with the sofa is barely visible on the right as well.  

I still have a ton of clean-up to do, as I almost finished tearing through those cardboard boxes of 'stuff' and separated it into 'keep', 'shred', and 'toss' piles.  I brought all the books into this room, the second bedroom in the apartment, and feel fairly confident I can fit them all into the existing bookshelves as long as I dust and condense as I go.  I am definitely getting much closer to a home I'm not embarrassed to show guests.  And I found a couple of photos of Gracie, one with her in my Dad's lap while he's sleeping, from the time several years ago that they catsat her while I was on a long trip, and another of Gracie sharing a recliner with my nephew when he was a baby.

And so tonight I'm going to get down to shredding, dusting, finishing laundry, and the up-putting of books.  I still haven't gotten my hair done, so perhaps that will happen tomorrow.  It is supposed to be very icy on the roads tomorrow morning, so we'll have to see.  I did find two cans of de-icer in my boxes of junk, so I'm prepared!  If that runs out, I suppose I could always use spray starch. 

Regarding the blog title, have you figured out this one yet?      

Soma Sembly

IKEA has the best shopping carts.  'This true.  Very true.  IKEA's shopping carts fairly glide along.  No ker-chunking going on there at all.

I went to IKEA today in hopes of finding a sofa table and a couple of end tables for a very reasonable price.  I found a sofa table I really liked, but found it was out of stock when I went to the pickup area.  

I still was able to find more than a girl should ever need, which is why I don't go there often.  

I have been doing a lot of thinking, which is something I do regularly, seeing as how it is impossible for a person not to think.  I never fully unpack my material possessions when I move from one apartment to another, knowing that I'll be there a year and a half, on average.  This has really stunted my 'abode decor maturation', and I'm finally biting the textile bullet and am in the process of thoroughly 'setting up house'.  There is the small matter of the 15+ boxes of something/stuff sitting in the living room which fate needs to be determined.  Then there is the getting over the idea of not buying too much furniture because I'll just have to move it again and again and again and again.  Well, I've been living in this apartment for 3 1/2 years now, the longest I've ever lived in a place since I was 18 years old, and I'm tired of living halfly.  That's a made-up word, by the way.

And so, with a plan in my head, I hopped on the Tollway and drove to the North in search of inexpensive Swedish home furnishings.  

As I said, I found a nice-ish sofa table (you know, the long high skinny table you place between the back of your sofa and the wall so you can put lamps, a picture, and some trinkets on it).   I didn't find end tables that I like, but I did find a nice large rug in a lovely pattern, and I bought a sheepskin rug to center on that.  I love the look, and I'll be sure to post a pic tomorrow.  I do not have a coffee table, but I have an oversized rectangular ottoman that I am trying to find a large wooden handled tray to top it off with, and that will work nicely.  I also picked up some inexpensive black picture frames, which I'm always wanting to frame my photos.  Topped off with a wooden bowl, wooden hangers, and plastic food storage containers, my trip was complete.  They had cowhides for $199, in brown and black, and I really really wanted one, but I don't have a place to put it.  Man, they were cool, though.

And then I went to Target where I found THE perfect endtable.  It seems that most endtables are too short, and this one is the correct height for my needs.  I also picked up a lamp base and shade to place on that table as well as two pieces of furniture for the bathroom.  Apartment bathrooms have no storage, really, so I found a simple metal over/around the toilet thing as well as a two shelf + one drawer floor unit.  This allows me to get all my make-up and other items off the sink and the floor and hidden away.  Imagine the greatness.

And I also bought a vacuum.  My vacuum died quite a while ago, and I've been making do with a battery-powered cordless unit, but it just doesn't have the power.  So I bought a canister vac called the Shark Roadster.  This is my first bagless vacuum, and I'm already loving it.  

Tomorrow I shall venture out again in search of the perfect sofa table.  And then I'll need 2 lamps for it, of course.  And I want a small brown wicker chair for the wall where all the boxes currently are.  Ahhhh...it's a good thing there are 3 paydays in February.

And if you haven't figured out what the blog title means yet, keep trying.  Let me know how it goes...

Fruitful Fruition of Fruits

It was an o-so-exciting day in my neck of the woods.  I slept late, ate some homemade chili, went to get my car's state inspection, then went to my eye appointment this afternoon.  I'm getting both contacts and glasses, as usual, but if I were to pick just one or the other, the entire she-bang would have cost me $20, I believe.  

But I don't feel comfortable not having an updated pair of glasses on hand, even though I prefer to wear contacts daily, so I also selected some supercute frames and asked that they contain transitions lenses when the set is made.  Too bad you'll never see the frames on me, they really are cute...$309 cute.  With everything all added up, the entire visit ended up costing me $581, which at first glance (aha, there's that humor again) seems outrageous, but divided out over the life of the items (3 years minimum is what I go for on glasses), that's a mere $16.14/month.  And I'll just keep getting new contacts each year at no cost.   It's when I have to get both the contacts and the glasses in the same year that it costs an arm and a leg.  

Oh, and I bought some fruit at the grocery store after all this, which is why I feel justified in naming this post as I did.  So there.  Also, I like alliteration.  Alliteration with vowels is also called assonance, if I remember correctly from high school English.  Tee-hee, indeed.  Oh, but this was not assonance, it was consonance, aka alliteration.  And the annoying repetition of a repeating repeatable word.  How redundant can I be?   

Hair and Eyes

If eyes are the windows to our soul, then my soul is out of focus.  Or my window is dirty, or whatever the appropriate and witty quip might be.  My last pair of contacts is quickly becoming less than optimal optical, and my glasses need an upgrade as well, though I have enjoyed their rimless pleasure for longer than a girl should.

And so, in a self-congratulatory frame of mind for taking advantage of the excellent health, dental, and vision benefits I get at work...because here in the good ol' U.S. of A. a person must plan ahead for possible being-hit-by-a-bus-and-all-the-hospital-bills-that-may-ensue contingencies...I get to have the old eyeballs checked this week for a modest co-pay.  At least that's where it starts.

Seeing (ah, I am witty, aren't I?) as how I make it a point only to visit doctors of any kind if there is a good reason, and there are a few good reasons one should visit a doctor...thinking of poor Schell and her commando-tick-gone-bad Lyme's Disease battle, and a friend's ongoing recovery from Shingles...I figure being able to see well and thusly ensure my ongoing composing of entertaining and informative blog entries ranks somewhere in the top 4 million reasons to see a doctor of some kind, no?

And so I was searching the VSP (Vision Service Provider) website for 'a doctor near you', or me, rather, when I came upon an address I recognized as being nearby.  So near is this place, in fact, that it is one of the brand new shops that opened up on the other side of the block where I work.  Well, hot damn, I declared.  I'll call them in the morning.  How convenient.  I already know where to park when I go...and knowing where to park is a big concern of mine in these Uptown/Downtown areas--call it a comfort thing--ok, call it a control-freak thing.

And what's even better is that I can go get my hair done at an actual nice spiffy place on the other side of that building after the eye exam...two birds, one stone, and all that sort of thing.  For the past several years I've worn my hair long and straight.  The long part is an alterable preference, the straight part is not.  No amount of curling iron action or gel will make this head o' hair hold curl unless it is shellac'd--is that even a word?--an enthusiastic ritual for which I refuse to take 3 hours to complete in the morning.  And yet I realize that long hair does not necessarily equate to pretty hair, though I like my hair just fine.  I am reluctant to get highlights, as I feel that highlights, however professionally applied, still look like highlights, and then you are stuck with having to go for touchups which, in the end, really just means I would be giving more money to continue a process that I didn't want in the first place.  

I am a wash'n'go sort of girl, with a blow dry thrown in there lately for good measure.  I like my hair long so that I can pull it back if I'm participating in some windy, dirty, or hot task which, believe you me, happens more often than you'd realize in a bookstore.  You didn't think I just sat in my office all day, gesturing to people with a half-full coffee travel mug in hand and quoting Shakespeare and Salman Rushdie while simultaneously composing THE email that will transform the bookselling world as we know it, did you? 

No, no, I need simplehair.  Simplehair and goodeyes will serve me just fine.  And so, when I visit 'a stylist' within the next couple of days, I shall drive him/her mad, as there is no styling to be done beyond bangs/no bangs (no bangs), and long layers/no layers (no preference). 

Because, after all, you were busy looking past my hair, gazing through my eyes, and into my soul.  And all the fancy hairstyles and expensive eyewear in the world cannot change what you may find there.

Food Poisoning...and...Happy Birthday!

I had food poisoning yesterday and into last night.  I think I've dropped at least 5 pounds, probably more considering everything in my entire digestive system left my body one way or the other.  Lovely, I know.

I feel fine today (as in not nauseous), but I was running a fever before I went to work, so some part of the nasty is hanging on.  I had some tasty Saltines...god I love those crackers...and Gatorade for dinner.  I was finally able to try a bit of something at 5:30 this morning.  I had a Popsicle, thinking that I needed some sugar as well as frozen water.  That was the best damn Popsicle I'd ever eaten.

And in other news...my car turns 2 years old today.  Technically yesterday, but I'm still up from Saturday the 19th, so I'm considering it today.  This is the same vehicle that I named my blog after, because I love it so much.  In fact, I'm going to get it detailed this week as well as get its first state inspection.  My baby's growing up!

I'm on vacation this coming week, trying to use up some of the remaining PTO I have for the year, so I have plans to get a lot of eye doctor, car detailing, cleaning, throwing out stuff, donating stuff, get a haircut/style type things done.  I may also go on a couple of day trips.

That is all.

A Little Snow - and - What Will Fat Cat Sit on?

I was walking to the mail drop this afternoon before getting into my car to go to work when I noticed very tiny snowflakes dancing/falling from the sky.  There weren't more than a couple at a time in one place, but they were definitely snowflakes, however tiny they might have been.  This is the first snow of the Winter.  

And, on a totally unrelated note...

I found a wonderful children's picture book a few days ago called "What Will Fat Cat Sit on?".  It is as cute as can be, with adorable illustrations.  The book has a bit of a repeating form.  The question is asked, "What will fat cat sit on?", and we learn that the cow is afraid of fat cat sitting on him, as is the pig, the chicken, and of course, the mouse.  But the mouse points at a chair and tells fat cat to sit on it, which fat cat does.  And so, curled up on his chair, fat cat is all cozy until he thinks aloud, "What will fat cat.............have for lunch?" And the next page is all the animals screaming and running away from fat cat.  Too cute, too cute!  I love children's books.  

Hooray for Me!

I got the position!

The list of letters added to the end of my name will make my business cards unreasonably long now.  This is something to celebrate!  I am now Jenny XXXX GM Sr.FT...hah!  or spelled out it is Jenny XXXX General Manager & Senior Field Trainer.  Either way it looks very involved, but I love it to pieces.

But seriously, I am pleased and excited and happy and ready to go forth and do great things with great people.  It was very difficult for me to wait so long for word, and then to receive word but not be able to tell anyone.  Throughout the process, I had a few people (who are on my team now) calling me every so often to see if I had heard anything.  I've enjoyed working with these folks in past years, and I know we're going to enjoy ourselves this year.  

Some of these are people who live many states away, and yet when we come together to facilitate a multi-day training session, it's like we've been good friends for years and see each other daily...we just all work together that well. 

So, I am excited about our potential this year, and I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to lead the team.  It's a little strange to say that, because a few years ago I would have been not at all confident about it, but experience is a great guide and teacher, and I am ready now.  I am now in a position to influence all of the training that occurs in the entire zone, and I take that responsibility very seriously. 

And in related news:  I won't be getting a kitty this year because I will need to be doing a lot of travel for this new position.  I will be going to Michigan, Orlando, Washington, D.C., Nashville, and Houston. Then I'll be going to Orlando (again) and another undetermined place for work conferences.  And I'm going to Acadia Nat'l Park in Maine on vacation this summer, so it wouldn't be fair to a kitty to board him/her for what would amount to weeks.

And now I shall go forth and be happy...

Word of an Announcement

We received word today that an official announcement will be made tomorrow, Wednesday the 16th.

I work 3pm-midnight tomorrow, so I won't be updating until I get home after that time.

You may need to do a few solid weeks of stretching exercises after keeping all body parts crossed for me for so long.

No News Really Is Good News

This will sound convoluted:

I learned today that not receiving a call today would be generally a good thing.  

But I still don't know when the positive call will come.

And in totally unrelated news:  I'm cooking a turkey loin, shaped like a pork loin, but of turkey, for dinner with which I shall have garlic-cheesy mashed potatoes and a salad.  I feel positively balanced.

CD Review: Emmy Rossum--Inside Out

Emmy Rossum--Inside Out

I don't buy CDs very often, because, quite honestly, I receive more free promotional CDs than I can possibly listen to in a lifetime. And usually, in those packages sent to the store, or through the items I pick up at the Vendor Expos at my work conferences, most of what I would have purchased is tucked inside. Still, I purchase a few per year either to support my favorite artists, or because I discover someone new through the overhead music system.

I was at the computer last week, scrolling through the thousands of overhead music CD options, when I saw Emmy Rossum on the list. Think Christine in the film version of Phantom of the Opera, or if you've seen Songcatcher (2000), that's her as well. So, intrigued by what her debut album would sound like, one film role being Appalachian influenced Scots-Irish folksongs, and one being Andrew Lloyd Webber, I added "Inside Out" to the playlist.

What flowed through the speakers wasn't like anything I would have thought a 20-year-old could produce. It has the appeal of a Sarah Brightman's Eden, without all the operatic pieces. It contains the multi-layered vocal harmonies of an Imogen Heap (think of the track Hide & Seek from The Last Kiss Soundtrack) without all the electronica or voice duplicating software. It is a pure style that I don't think I've heard before, and of which I want to hear more.

So I purchased the CD and brought it home Wednesday night. What I heard (and later looked at her website to confirm), is layers and layers and layers, a complex flaky pastry crust, of vocal harmonies...over 150 parts and harmonies on the song 'Slow Me Down' alone... all sung by Emmy. She has no backup singers, but performs all the vocal parts herself and acts as percussion some of the time on various tracks as well, purely using her voice.

This is truly a singer's album, with the instruments playing a supportive role rather than leading the charge as they do on so many Pop albums today. Emmy collaborated on the writing of each of the songs (except for the one cover on the album), and that also lends a very strong sense of credibility to her as an artist and a talent.

You won't hear high sustained operatic vibrato on this album, which is quite refreshing actually, considering that is how most people know her from Phantom. This album has the ability to appeal to teens and adults, since both groups can recognize talent and good music when they hear it, regardless of how much one group may claim the other cannot.

So check it out next time you're in a music store. Also, you can click on the link above to be taken to her website, whereupon "Slow Me Down" will begin playing, followed by two other tracks from the album. Your mind will be boggled when you realize that first track is all Emmy Rossum. Enjoy.

Still No News

I did not receive word yesterday about the new job position. Perhaps I'll hear something Monday. Again, since I don't know which of many people would be contacting me, I cannot even send out any feelers and retain some sense of dignity, so I shall wait. None of my peers has heard anything either, so perhaps the process is taking a bit longer than expected.

Or maybe 'they' just don't know how anxious we get about waiting for the news each year.

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In other news, I'm still in the middle of the pack of people who could win a 5-day cruise. The results are based on a specific metric, and if I can hold strong through the next 3 weeks, the contest will be over. We'll see what happens. If I am one of the people to win, then comes the difficult decision of whom to take on the cruise with me. I need to get my passport, just in case.

Maybe? Possibly? Perhaps Yes???

Tomorrow is supposed to be the day I find out whether or not I have been selected for the Sr. FT position. Though I asked when the results would be communicated, I'm still not at all sure that this is a firm date. It is very possible it could be sometime next week, or it even could have been today. But I was off work today, so obviously I haven't received word yet.

Again, keep all body parts crossed for me.

Welcome to the World, Lainey!

One of my employees had a baby Tuesday morning. Her name is Lainey, and she is 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and 18 1/2 inches. She also has a full head of brown hair already!

Lainey's mom brought her into the store today (after just having her 36 hours earlier, OMG!), and we all got to admire her preciousness. The older I get, the more I see how wonderful a new life really is.
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And in other news, I never had so many hits from all over the world as I did with the Tony Romo/Jessica Simpson post yesterday. Oops, there I said their names again. Let's see how many people click here again.
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Schell, I'll try to find out what happened to Wentworth. I'm sure someone on my staff knows something.

Celebrity Sighting

After I went home from work yesterday (of course), Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson were shopping in my store. I am told they went to the Cafe separately and purchased beverages and that Romo purchased some books later as well. My staff also said they were both very pleasant people.

I thought you might get a kick out of this.

But you know...I haven't seen Wentworth Miller in several months.

Hmmmm....

Babel at 4am

I couldn't get to sleep last night, which is fairly common for a Sunday night for me, so I finally got up and decided to watch part of Babel.

I got sucked in to this riveting film, watched the entire thing, and ended up finally getting to bed at 4am.

Anyone else seen it?

Well, That Was Odd

Tonight I went to one of our other stores to help run the floor while the memorial service for Anne-Marie was held in the breakroom.

I saw several people I've worked with at other stores who also have worked with Anne-Marie, so that was nice to get to say hello to all of them again. I would guess that somewhere between 30 and 40 people gathered together, dining on the food they all brought, and hopefully sharing good memories of her.

It was odd, though. A couple of customers asked what the reason was for the 'party', because they saw all the people coming in with covered dishes and bags of food. I thought the easiest way to explain it was to tell them the truth. I said, "We're having a memorial service for a store employee who passed away."

As a way of dealing with what happened, my friend has told me in detail, several times, exactly the sequence of events of the night Anne-Marie collapsed: everything that was said, exactly what was told to the 911 operator, how long it took the paramedics to arrive, etc. I know that Nancy needs to do this to help her cope with what happened, and I will listen to her tell me this however many times she needs to. And I am choosing to write about it here, as a way of releasing all that from me. I know that may sound strange, but I think the terribleness of it will diffuse as it spreads out amongst greater numbers of people. For example, Nancy feels terrible about it, I feel concerned about it, you may feel sorry for the people involved, and if you happened to mention it to someone, they might say, 'oh, that's really too bad', with lessening degrees of severity along the way.

Does that make any sense?

Well, that was odd

Atlantis Has Returned

Stargate Atlantis returned for the second half of season 4 tonight with a very packed episode titled "Be All My Sins Remember'd". I'll post my review of the episode in another day or two, once I've had a chance to download it from iTunes to watch it a second time. Or maybe I won't post a review; it'll depend on whether or not the mood strikes me.

Too...Many....Topics...

Topic #1:

There is going to be a memorial service held for Anne-Marie at her store (remember it is the one my friend runs in a suburb of north Dallas) on Sunday evening. In order for the entire store staff to be able to attend if they would like, several of us GMs from other stores in the area are going to bring employees from our stores and work the floor. This way I feel like I can contribute a little something to help out the store during this rough time. And that makes me feel good.

Topic #2:

I should know the final decision of my selection for the Sr. FT role on January 11. That's one week from Friday. I can't wait!

Topic #3:

I have commitment issues. This time regarding getting satellite TV service. It's stupid, I know, but I don't know if I want to get into the 18-month agreement with the satellite companies. Heck, I never even fully unpack my belongings when I move from place to place so that I don't have to commit to staying in one place, how can I commit to something for 18 months? I need to call Direct TV tomorrow and see if they will give me the HD receiver plus HD DVR for free, like Dish Network will, but Dish Network doesn't offer Sci-Fi Channel in HD while Direct TV does. I'm not paying $200 for a receiver and DVR. I'll negotiate them down to a free receiver, free DVR, free setup/installation, and just pay for the programming package with whatever number of free months of HD service they're currently offering. My favorite show is staring up it's back half of season 4 on Friday night, and I'd like to watch it in high def. Wish me luck on the negotiating front.

Topic #4:

I have TWO days off in a row. Bless my little tired heart. I am going to do everything and nothing all at once. Actually, I need to finish reading Princess Bride for MallozziMan's online bookclub. I also need to clean everything I didn't clean thoroughly while I was busy working my ass off the past few weeks. And I plan on making chili again. Dinner with friends Friday evening, and....yep, that's about it. Well, I might try to track down a copy of another book for JM's bookclub, but I don't fancy used books. They're so....used. Still, I'll check it out and see what I see.

Topic #5:

I have a headache and am now going to bed.

Miss Lady and There's No Jujitsu in the Bookstore

An overly enthusiastic, and I would wager, not 100% mentally stable, man entered the store today. It was quite clear from the beginning that he was a big New England Patriots fan. It could possibly have been his 15 requests for books about Tom Brady and whatevertheheckthecoach'snameis. Or maybe it was his happy enthusiasm at his very loud and repeated requests for everyone in the store to "Have a Patriot day!" But I think what really cinched the deal is the shouting-at-the-top-of-his-lungs-outside-the-store, "Go Patriots!!!". He called me Miss Lady several times as I hurriedly helped him. By golly, he was polite. I do believe I will have a Patriot day!

I wasn't there to witness this, but I learned that one day last week there was an 'off' character looking at a martial arts book. He looked at a couple of pages, then started karate chopping and leg kicking. He was approached by one of my leadership team and was told, "Sir, there's no Jujitsu in the bookstore."

Ah yes, I have trained them well.

There's no crying in baseball.
There's no Jujitsu in the bookstore.
Have a Patriot day!